ʟᴀᴅʏ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʟʏᴄᴀɴs : ᴋᴀʀʟ ʜᴇɪꜱᴇɴʙᴇʀɢ

ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ

As the last bits of Miranda withered away, a baby's cry could be heard coming from the center of her remains. Little Rose, perfectly safe and sound.

Ethan rushed forward, "Rose!" He swooped his daughter into his arms excitedly, a relieved chuckle brushing past his lips as he gazed at her lovingly, "Shhh-Shhh. It--it's alright, Rose." He soothed her gently, bringing her head to his shoulder for a hug.

A bright smile found its way onto Sophia's lips seeing the father and daughter together again. For good this time. 

Sophia was so focused on the duo in front of her, she didn't notice Heisenberg coming up behind her. He snaked his arm around her waist and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. She leans into him, the smile on her face there for a completely different reason now. She tilts her head up to look at him, meeting his light green eyes, "We did it...we're free."

His mouth lifted into a crooked grin and slowly nodded, "That we are, my love." He dipped his head down, connecting their lips for a loving kiss. She placed her hand gingerly on the side of his face, bringing him in closer, breathing in his scent of metal and oil. It was official...she loved that smell and the best part was...she was never going to have to miss it again. 

Her and Karl could live a life together, without Miranda, without the responsibility of being a lord. Just them two and that was more than enough for her. 

She sucked in a deep breath and licked her lips as they pulled away from one another. Her forehead fell against his and they took a moment to simply take each other in. 

Sophia?" Karl whispered, breaking the silence between them. 

"Yeah?"

There was a pause, and he sighed softly, "I love you."

Sophia's heart danced in her chest and a smile graced her lips. This wasn't new to her but, hearing him say it out loud felt different. Somehow it felt more real to her. She lifted head so she could look into his eyes, "I love you."

His chest swelled as he breathed in as he heard those three words roll off her tongue. Three words he's waited decades to hear, and she was worth every second. As he was about to lean in for another kiss when Chris walked past them hurriedly, Ethan by his side.

"Sorry to break up the love fest but, we gotta get out of here." Chris tells the couple, his head looking over his shoulder. The pair snapped their heads in the same direction and Sophia gasped. 

"The Megamycete," she breaths. 

The organism was growing up out of the ground and if they didn't set off those explosives, it would consume them along with the whole village. "Let's move!" Chris orders and Karl has to tug on Sophia to pull her out of the intense gaze she had with it.  

"C'mon, Soph!" She does a double take before interlacing her fingers with his and running alongside him. They navigate the village roads as quickly as possible, Sophia giving directions every now and again. The reach the edge where the Blue Umbrella helicopter was waiting for them to take off. 

Mia was already inside, and when she saw her husband and daughter running toward the plane, she shot up with a relieved smile, "Ethan! Rose!" The family embraced as soon as Ethan was on the plane with the baby; Sophia, Chris and Karl right behind him with a bit more urgency. 

Sophia looked at the detonator in Chris hand then up at his blue eyes, seriousness in her gaze and in her voice, "Do it."

He exhaled roughly before forcefully pressing his thumb down onto the button. The aircraft shook as the explosion happened, all heads snapping in its direction.     

"Go, go! Take us up now!" Chris commanded, his voice booming in the small space and the door closed as the lifted off the ground. Sophia's eyes were glued to the window, watching the place she used to call home sink into the earth and it felt like weight on her consciousness had suddenly vanished. The hold that the village had on her was no more, she could finally be the person she wanted to be and that excited her.

"Sit down, strap in," Chris tells the occupants of the helicopter snapping Sophia from her daze. She slumps down into a seat and Karl sits next to her. He wraps his arm around her back, pulling her into his side and her head falls onto his shoulder with a sigh. 

He presses his lips to the side her head and talks into her hair, "So...what's next?" 

Her mind wanders to the thousands of things they could do. The places the could go. The different kind of lives they could live, "I don't know." 

"You haven't thought about it?" He asks shocked and she chuckles. 

"No..." she tilts her head up to look at his face, "have you?" 

He frowns and shrugs one shoulder, his head falling back against the wall behind him, "...Maybe." 

"Why am I not surprised," she laughs, then proposes the question to him this time, "Well, what's next?"

He fell into deep thought and it went quiet for a few moments before he spoke again, "I see a cottage, tucked away. No else around...farm animals, a garden in the front. Maybe, there's a little creek right outside." He pictured the scene in his head, a peaceful life, "What'd you think, Soph?"  

He dips his head down to find her fast asleep, nothing but soft breaths passing between slightly parted lips. The corner of his mouth lifted into a crooked grin, chuckling deeply, "So much for that conversation." He raised his finger and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear as he admired her before dragging it along the side of her face down to her jaw, "What am I going to do with you, Sophia Finch?" 

A/N: It's not done quite yet. Stay tuned for some epilogue chapters of this. Two or three. Then you guys have some "what if..." scenarios coming too. 

What a ride this has been. Thank you to all my followers and readers for your support. It means the world.  Much love, Maddie <3