Tares City

100. The Parting Glass

Tears roll down Avery's face as she walks up to the graves before her. "Naomi Trishanna Reid," Avery begins, choking back a sob. "You were my sister, my best friend, and the best damn paramedic this city could ask for. I love you! So damn much! And I...I- I can't believe you're gone. I wasn't ready to lose you! We promised each other that we'd die old together on a sandy beach somewhere...do you remember that? I don't know how to live in a world without my best friend, Naomi. I only remember life with you in it. I love you, Naomi. And I'll miss you till the day we meet again." Walking to the mound of fresh dirt, she places a stem of orchids atop it.

Stepping back, she looks the identical one at its side. "Jensen Carter, I hate you for taking her from me, and I'll never forgive you for that." She says, glaring at the dirt.

Walking down further, she stops at the third. "Rest in peace, Dalton. You fought valiantly for your friend, and you did your best to protect mine." She says, tossing a rose onto the dirt.

Walking back to Sean, she falls into his embrace with a sob.

Calvin walks up next, going to Naomi's with his own stem of orchid flowers. "Naomi, we met by partly by chance...partly by someone else's design. But that is a day I'll always be thankful for. You were an amazing friend, and I'm glad I met some as amazing as you in my lifetime. I'll miss you so much. I wish I didn't have to say goodbye." He finishes, placing the flowers next to Avery's before stepping away.

Clayton walks up next, Yara beside him. "My brother," He starts, stopping to compose himself with deep breaths. "This wasn't the way your story was supposed to end. I'm sorry!" He says with a growl.

"You did right by him, Clay. You know he wouldn't have wanted to live like that. Or without her." Yara reassures him, even though she knew the guilt would never leave him. It was a mercy killing, but it was still his best friend; and she knew he'd never forget it.

When Clayton and Yara finally reached the sub levels as planned, things had already gone downhill. Sean was holding back a crying Avery, Calvin staring at the closed door, unmoving. They knew immediately what had happened, their hearts sinking.

"I can't, I won't leave him in here, like that," Clayton had said to them, walking to the door.

Calvin opened it for him, and he felt the blood rush from him at the scene. "Oh Jensen," he'd whispered sadly. His sigh was enough to get the Lycan's attention, he walked away from Josh's body with blood dripping down its mouth.

"It's okay, J. It's all over now." Clayton nodded, walking to him.

"I love you, Jensen. I'll miss you with my whole heart. You were an amazing friend. Naomi, I wish I got the chance to know you better, to see you at you happiest...at your brightest." Yara sighs, tears falling down her face. "Life was cruel to you three in the end." She says, placing a flower on each. "Rest in peace, my friends."

~

The five of them leave shortly after, saying their goodbye and going their separate ways. Yara and Clayton make their way toward Clearmeadow. Their plan to set up life their permanently. They'd started the process of selling their house in the city, Yara, with plans to sell her restaurant as well.

Sean and Avery head home to finish packing their belongs. Avery couldn't stay in Tares, not without Naomi. Not after all that happened. Besides that, she quit her job with no intentions of joining another firehouse or ambulance. She couldn't; she knew she could never work alongside anyone like she did with Naomi.

With his bags already packed, Calvin heads to the airport. There was nothing for him in the city anymore, nor was it the city he loved over the years. Tares had become tainted in his eye, and with no one to hold him to the place, he was happy to leave. Heading across the world to the city of Llandeau–Where Dean would be waiting for him.

~

With a year behind them, Calvin stands smiling at Dean's side. He straightens his posture further as the music begins to play, giving Dean a congratulatory pat on his shoulder. "This is it, man." He whispers to him, fixing his collar before stepping back.

Across from him, he locks eyes with his girlfriend and sends a playful wink her way before he turns his attention back to the end of the aisle.

"Wow." Dean says in awe as Arrow enters their view. With her arm linked with her brother's, they take slow steps toward them. Arrow eyes lock onto Dean's, her gaze never wavering, her smile only growing wider.

Tears spring to Dean's eyes as she reaches him, his hand grabbing a hold of hers. Part of him couldn't believe the day was here. After all, they went through, after she'd bled in his arms in Xylia. Dean was afraid this day would never come. But it did. She survived being shot, the bullet, the cure entering her system at the very site of her injury. She was lucky. They both knew it, never taking what they had with each other for granted again. He glanced at the crowd, looking at the faces of the people they've come to call friends.

They had lost Nicholas in Xylia His wounds from his fight were a threat to his life; but nothing he couldn't recover from. But it was the reality of not having a cure for himself that sealed his decision. He told Dean that no matter how much he tried to picture it, he could never let himself turn. And so, that was the last time either of them saw him. He walked out of there without saying anything else to him.

~

With the fall of both hunting empires, Tares City was now organization-free. Hunters still existed, trying to start separate groups but never reaching far.

Since Kennedy was no longer present and people observed the results of his efforts, they changed sides. They feared angering the Lycans to that point ever again, a peace of sorts born out of that night.

Munson took over as mayor, with new promises stemming from everything they learned. Instead of division, he advocated for peace and harmony in the city. By using the Kennedys as an example of what hate could bring about, he promised to steer them clear from those paths. He referenced Kennedy as a power monger and the reason their one beautiful city fell. He vowed to build Tares up from the rumble. Better than it'd ever been.

The world would never know what happened in Tares. Kennedy had made sure of them when he put his plans in place. He knew a city would be easy, but not the world.

Thanks to this, Munson faced no pressure from external forces, having complete control over Tares City.

Munson sat in his office, looking at one of his campaign posters on the wall with a smile. Even though he promised the citizens of Tares peace, he'd made another promise before then - this one he intended to keep.

Tares City will be a city for the Lycans... and the Lycans alone..