Underground Angels

Epilogue: New Adventures

Dedicated to all the geeky, awkward people who saw themselves in Noel - everyone has a hero in them. 

Epilogue: New Adventures

Two Months Later

         Nothing ever happened in Aytonville. Not usually, anyway. Today however, Noel Lewis was moving away.

Noel awoke from a dreamless sleep. It was the last time for a long time that she would be in her bedroom on Aytonville, and she lay in her bed, soaking up home noises and smells.

Something hit her window with a ping! and she scrambled out of bed, tripping over to the window and heaving up the sash. Through the tree branches, a beaming Gabriel was leaning out his window.

"Morning, neighbour."

"You packed?"

"Psshh, barely." He was grinning wildly. "Hey, meet me downstairs?"

"Two minutes to brush my teeth?"

"Yup, see you in a sec." he winked and ducked out of sight.

Pulling on a pair of jean shorts under her oversized Whinnie the Poo shirt, Noel brushed her teeth and (quietly) bolted down the stairs, shoving her feet into a pair of yellow converse. Gabriel was waiting for her beyond the backyard fence; both their properties were on the edge of Aytonville, and their yards became woods.

"You look beautiful."

"Pshaw." Noel knew she was a mess, still squinting with sleep, but smiled. They held hands as they walked the path that would take them to the field, Bella plodding behind. The woods were quiet, and they strode in comfortable silence. This is what the summer had been; learning how to love each other, to enjoy these early morning moments.

They reached the field, and Gabriel pointed to the centre. A picnic blanket was lain out, a basket sitting in the centre. "One last picnic, for a while anyway."

Noel's breath caught. "Gabe..."

He squeezed her hand, tugging her forward. "Come on, let's eat."

There was fruit and her favourite croissants, grapefruit juice and breakfast biscuits. They laughed and talked and lay together, going over Noel's English program and Gabriel's social work degree, what they would do first when reaching New York. When everything was eaten, Gabriel put it away.

"I'm going to miss this." He said, looking out over the field. It was sunny and warm; barely even seven, no one was awake.

"Here's to new adventures." Going on her tiptoes, Noel kissed him hard.

Dropping the picnic basket, Gabriel gathered her in his arms. They stood like that for a long time, soaking up the sun and country air, the feeling of each other pressed close.

"You should pack." Noel said finally, pulling back.

Gabriel ducked down for a kiss, tilting her chin up. "I love you."

"I love you, but we'll never get to Constantine's on time if you don't pack your shit." She ran up the path, Bella at her heels. Gabriel ran after her, watching the person he loved spinning and laughing, lit up by buttery sun – this is what he had dreamt of when captured. All those months in the bone cage, holding on to one little idea; being in the sun with Noel, the girl who had a Spongebob toothbrush and could mouth along to every Star Wars and Harry Potter movie. It still seemed surreal.