How to Save a Hero [ManxMan]

Epilogue

~Epilogue~

The phone rings twice before it is answered.

"Hey, Dad," I greet, excitedly. Though it has been over an hour since Aldis and I had our 'talk', it has remained fresh in my mind even after all the driving we did afterwards. Now that I am alone in my apartment once again, I have the chance to actually tell someone about it. And, of course, that someone is my dad.

Unsurprisingly, since I talk to him just last night, my dad sounds a bit concerned when he asks, "Hey, kid, everything okay?"

"Aldis got a job at an antique shop nearby and we just went apartment hunting. He asked me to move in with him."

"He did what?" Tony squawks in the background, which means my dad is either at my uncles' place or they are at his. They have been practically glued to my dad's side since they returned to Seattle – they all left the morning after the battle since they were technically invading another coven's territory by being here, even if that other coven is in hiding – from what my dad has been telling me.

My dad ignores Tony, instead asking, "What'd you decide?"

"I'll be moving in with him once my lease's up next month," I inform him, following his example by ignoring my uncle. It sounds like my dad is moving around a bit – there is a lot of rustling – which suggests that Tony is trying to get the phone, but when my uncle does not suddenly start demanding answers after a door slams shut, it is easily to tell that my dad managed to keep the phone and is hiding in a room.

Sure enough, my dad replies a few seconds later, "That's great news, Dakota. But I haven't finished vetting him, so be prepared for a couple visits in the near future."

Even though they had only spent the night in Portland before leaving, they still apparently had all the time in the world to screw with my boyfriend. Apparently, Darren's short meet-and-greet with Aldis was not enough to satisfy the coven, let alone my dad, so they ended up dragging Aldis off to dinner – without inviting me – and, though I have no idea what actually happened that night, Aldis' adamant refusal to mention what went down is kind of telling.

"What about work?" I ask. The next season of shows will be starting in September, so the script writers are usually crazy busy over the summer. He told me that he had received a large number of offers while he had been gone and was considering a couple when I talked to him a few days ago.

"I won't be very busy this summer," my dad assures me, and my brow furrows in confusion. "In fact, I won't be very busy until November."

It takes a moment for what he said to make sense, but as soon as it clicks, I can feel a grin building. "You're going to start directing again?"

"I am," he confirms, and I can hear the smile in his voice, too. "Regrettably, a lot of the filming will be taking place out of the country, but I'll still be able to visit from time to time."

"My partner's going to have a heart attack when the announcement is made. He's a fan of yours," I comment, wondering if I should tell Dave ahead of time or keep it a secret until the announcement is made just to mess with him.

"You'll have to introduce us the next time I visit," my dad says, and I detect a hint of mischief in his tone. Not that I mind; if he wants to tease Dave a bit, I am all for the idea. My partner needs a little variation in his life.

"We'll see."

There is a knock in the background, so my dad says, "Your uncle is getting impatient. Do you want to talk to him?"

"Maybe later," I reply cheekily, planning to screen Tony's calls for a little while just because. "Bye, Red."

"Bye, Blue."

[AN: I have finished Heather's How to Deal with War, so go check that out if you're interested. I hope everyone is doing well; have a great weekend!]

[Next Book: The Scared God]

[EXTRA: There is now a one-shot for Dakota and Wesley if you want to go check it out. It's in the book "Come and Get it (One-shots)" by the name "Wesley/Dakota - A New Life".]