Too Late To Save Time

Epilogue

The morning after we had fled from battle, I realized my hearing was diluted. I couldn't hear at all through my right ear, and everything was quiter in my left.

"Explosion." Devon responded to my panicked questions simply. That shut me up. If I wasn't so stupid, Casey would've never been hurt in the explosion, and wouldn'tve been killed.

Alex went back to help the others, and came back with Miranda, Jez, Zac, Eli, Honey, and Danny. Dread raced through my veins.

"Claire and Levi were murdered, but Lucas is alive. Somewhere." Eli informed grimly. Alex reported my remaining one to the police for abuse, and my own home was put up for sale.

My brother turned out to be my real brother, and Eli and Devon had a long explanation for him. Alex's guardians were gone, had been since time started up again. We were all without any legal 'parents', but that didn't stop us from living in Alex's house.

"How will we pay for the house?" Honey asked quietly one night at dinner. Everyone was picking at their one slice of pizza.

"It's already paid for." Alex replied. I pushed my plate to Jez, who was at least eating normally, and walked upstairs to the room I now shared with Alex and Miranda.

I sat on the windowsill with the window open, staring at the people I knew from school playing kickball at the rise of Myers hill. The Rec center was bought by the town because the Whites had disappeared from the face of the earth.

I heard someone enter. "Everything's different now." I murmured, thinking about the lives lost in that battle.

"I know. And I have something to tell you." Alex said, sitting on the other side of the window. He didn't look at me, but turned to stare at the kickball game as well. "Look at them, they don't even know something's wrong." He laughed, looking at me through peripheral vision.

He was back to wearing an earring, and the black diamond stud in his ear sparkled when he turned.

"I hope they never have to endure what we did." I muttered.

"I'm leaving." Alex whispered. I looked straight at him. He stared back guiltily.

"I'm dead here, remember? I'm going to go and continue studies in the fifth dimension. I'll contact you when it's safe. When I'm safe." He promised. I nodded, looking down and letting a single tear slip out of my eye.

"Who else?" I asked.

"Zac, Jez, Danny's going to go with them in attempt to find Lucas." I nodded.

"They don't exist in this world. I understand. Miranda, Honey, Eli, they're all moving back into their own homes now, aren't they?" I tried to subdue the pain of loss.

"Yeah. Devon's staying though. He exists here, but no one knew him before he went missing, so he's just my twin brother who went away to live with some relatives before school started. You've got my room, so you can move your stuff from my guardians'." I nodded.

"I won't change it much. I've always loved your room." I murmured. Alex offered up a half smile.

"I know. And, Happy Birthday, Fog." He said, handing me something wrapped. I took it and opened the 'box'.

It was a picture of all of us, taken on Easter. Casey was wearing the pink bunny ears headband, Dawn was wearing the cutesy tank top with the egg, Levi with the box of marshmallow chicks. A picture of Claire in pink rabbit pajamas was pasted on the side. I smiled in thanks.

"Goodbye, Sir Alexander Keller." I said.

"Goodbye, my Queen."