Artificial Tears

Epilogue: Liam

A couple of days have passed and the entire 'underground' is being openly investigated. It is real and it is a horrible place.

It almost seems like it is the only thing they're able to talk about on the news.

But slowly, bit by bit, the police started to get control over it. It seems like a good thing.

Yesterday Reed had come to visit, she was the only one who had a bit of time to spare and came for the rest of the team as well. With few words she had given him a well-wishing card bought by their colleagues.

Liam is sitting in the hospital next to the bed of his son. After being apprehended he had fallen into a coma and was rushed to the hospital.

From the scans it seemed that it had been a brain implant after all. One done by none other than Neo Brain Facility. Those bastards! The damage that has been done to John North's brain is uncertain. As is the truth, if he was controlled by the implant to commit the murders or if he had been in control himself.

Since this whole affair has to do with his son, Liam has been taken off the case entirely.

So with nothing better to do, he is spending every amount of time he can waiting in the hospital.

The court case hasn't started yet to the disappointment of the families who are so desperately in need of closure.

In the bright light of the hospital room, Liam's thoughts wander to Edith. He had been unable to get in contact with her anymore and feared the worst.

The soft tapping of someone making their way to them can be heard, taking the man out of the dark thoughts in his head. Liam doesn't need to look to see who it is, he knows her footsteps all too well and hearing them again, makes him want to tear up again.

But still he turns around to look her in the eyes: "It's been a while, Rose." He greets her.

"You've gotten old." She says with a sad, but mischievous glint in her eyes, one he had missed for so long.

Liam stands up and walks over to hug the woman who had once been the love of his life and she answers his embrace without hesitation.

It was as if all the bad things that drove them apart had never happened at all.

Filling him, even for just a moment, with warmth and a small flicker of hope.

Perhaps the relationship is broken beyond repair, but that doesn't matter. They are together at last, all three of them and that's the only thing that matters.

The way it was supposed to be.