A/N: I was so incredibly unhappy with the ending of the actual book- sorry all you Cluck fans, but I am firmly a Clistian girl. For those of you who agree with me, I give you, without further ado, The Alternative Ending!
Spoiler alert: If you haven't read all three books, DO NOT CONTINUE
You've been warned.
As soon as I open my eyes, I know that I am once again standing at the edge of heaven. I look around, taking in the sight around me.
I see Tuck standing before me and can't help but grasp him tightly to me. Tears leak from my eyes as I hug him around his waist. "I'm so sorry. I completely failed you. I can't believe this is happening... "
"So I guess this means I'm dead then?"
Sobbing into his shirt, I answer him with a nod, not daring to look at his face and see the anger, hurt, blame that was surely in his eyes. He holds my chin and tilted my face up to look at him. His sweet gaze is directed at me, no blame in sight. He grins at me crookedly, and my breath catches at the sight of it.
"How can you not hate me? I let you die..."
"You most definetely did NOT let me die. I know you came after me. Didn't you?" I nod vigorously. He smiles lovingly down at me. "Then you didn't let it happen. This is just how it is. "
"I don't want it to be this way. It shouldn't be this way."
He turns contemplative. "Maybe you're right. Maybe it shouldn't be this way. But it is. You shouldn't blame yourself, though. There were just too many factors in play there, to really place all the blame on solely one person. But I don't think it is anyone's fault except my own, really."
My eyes widen as I scoff at him. "Why on earth would it be YOUR fault, Tuck?"
"Because I fell in love with you. I think since that moment this was inevitable. "
"Don't say that."
"Why not? It's true, Clara. Now that I'm here I finally understand. You have always been meant for great things. And I was only holding you back from fulfilling your destiny. "
"Maybe I don't want to follow my destiny. Not if it means I can't be with you. "
He smiles at me again. "Just trust me on this one, okay? Everything's going to be okay." I gaze into his eyes for a long moment before finally nodding. Of coarse I trust him.
"So maybe I'll see you later then," I say. I step back, away from him, and he looks toward the mountain peak where the sun is rising.
"Yeah, I'll definitely see you later," he replies. He's excited now, to see what's beyond the mountains, and I can't blame him. He deserves heaven. Even if it shouldn't be so soon.
"I love you, Tuck," I catch him for one more kiss, and finally I know it's time for him to complete this particular journey without me.
"Love you, Carrots," he grins at me one last time, and then he's heading toward the mountain, toward a place I cannot follow, and I think maybe this is for the best. Because already I know that we will be together again, eventually. I've already seen it. With that one kiss I saw the inevitable end that everyone will eventually have to face. We will meet again, up here, and experience the life we both deserve. We will experience perfect happiness. That's what heaven is, after all, isn't it?
This is the one time I've ever had a vision with no foreboding feeling or ominous meaning behind it, just a promise.
And for the first time in so long, I have the distinct feeling that things have taken a turn for the better. Everything's going to be okay.
