Kingdom Keepers: Once Upon a Dream

Chapter 26

A/N: Guess what? With this chapter you're finally caught up with my other posting platforms! Tada! This chapter was so much fun to write: just genuine fun, and the dialogue here, at least in a comedic sense, is some of my favorite that I've ever written. I hope you have fun with it too, and enjoy the last bit of fun before things get intense....*evil laugh*

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"The Stonecutter's Quill."

"Well hello to you too!"

It was late Tuesday afternoon, and Finn was getting ready to leave work for the day. He'd picked up a phone-call from Amanda only to receive the mysterious greeting.

"The Stonecutter's Quill:" she repeated. "That's what we need to get everyone back to normal, Finn! It's the only thing that makes sense!"

"I'm still not following."

"Think about it: what was the point of using the Stonecutter's Quill the first time?"

"To restore the magic to the Kingdom so that the Overtakers couldn't harm it. Reinforce Walt's plans." Finn said. There wasn't a single day he'd forgotten his first adventure as a Keeper...except he supposed, the last two years.

"Well there you go," Amanda exclaimed. "We're restoring our Kingdom."

Hearing the words "our Kingdom", the idea that something could theirs, made his heart do a little leap...but he didn't say anything.

"You really think that'll work?" he asked.

"It's worth a shot."

Amanda paused for a moment, and when she spoke again, her voice was more severe.

"I miss our friends, Finn," she said. "I miss our life. The fact that you and I remember and that Jess believes and that we're all at least together is great...but it's not the same. We've been through so much craziness lately. I just want everything to go back to normal."

Finn sighed. He couldn't deny her any of that, and he couldn't deny that he felt it too. Dealing with two conflicting lives had been driving him crazy. He hadn't slept since the night on Tom Sawyer Island, and he'd barely been able to hold it together when he saw his mother that morning.

Just then the chime on top of the door rang and he looked up to see Casey walking in. A lump formed in his throat. This was going to be awkward.

"Listen, I'm getting ready to leave here now," he said to Amanda. "I'll come straight over to the restaurant and we can talk."

"Alright," Amanda said. "I love you."

All of Finn's nervousness turned into a grin then.

"I love you too."

He hung up and kept looking at his phone, smiling. He was still giddy at the chance to say the words. He was so focused in on it that he'd completely forgotten about Casey.

"Liam?" she asked, her voice approaching sounding like she'd been sucking up helium.

Finn startled and looked up to see Casey leaning forward on the counter, her smile so huge that it looked like her face might rip in half. He exhaled and let out a chuckle.

"It's still Finn actually," he said. "But yes."

Finn had to hold his ears to protect himself from the squeal that she let out next.

"Shh!" he insisted. "My replacement's in the back room!"

Finn gave a quick glance around the room before walking out from behind the desk and ushering the bouncing Casey off to the side of the room.