Yeah, I know, I both suck at titles and have already written about the aftermath of Episode 6, buuut… (*casually puts on a party hat*) THIS time it's a gift of sorts for Savannah-the-Caracal, author of Twisted Timelines and If I Were in A Portal To Mystery, amongst other stories.

I was originally gonna take this in a darker direction (quelle surprise), but, hey…presents are supposed to be nice, right? Plus it's about time I tried my hand at something that wasn't full-on angst…

Anyway, HAPPY SIXTEENTH DAY OF BIRTH, Savvy! (*insert lame 'when I was your age' joke here*) XD I tried to make this relatively long, or at least longer than the others, but it just wouldn't co-operate. I really hope you like this either way. Have a jolly good day, m'dear :)

Fic-ward, ho!

Stacy eased herself down onto the grassy ground, running her fingers through the green tufts around her as she hummed absently, resting her back against a tree trunk. The only sound, if one tuned out Stampy and Lizzie's occasional bickering over this and that, was flute-throated birds pouring out their songs. It could even be called peaceful.

If that wasn't so wrong.

Here she was, resting in the grace of the world, when four people she'd known personally were no longer in it. Never mind that she hadn't really known one of those people at all. She remembers it well enough, her and Stampy and Lizzie leaving that horrible place behind, each too lost in their own thoughts to even attempt small talk.

Stampy had been left with the knowledge that if Dan hadn't entered the library when he had, it would almost certainly have been Stampy himself instead…and maybe it wouldn't have been any of them at all if he'd just left Dan's treasure alone.

Lizzie almost couldn't bear to hold said treasure in her hands, but also couldn't bear to let it go.

As for Stacy…there was nothing but guilt. Guilt that she'd been one of the only ones who'd never been put in any real, immediate danger. Guilt that she'd acted so hostile towards Jesse's group, even though they really had just wanted to help. Guilt that she hadn't seen what was going on much sooner.

Stacy's gaze drifted upwards. Thinking. If any one of them had ever so much as touched upon the possibility of death, it was only ever in a playful, joking way. She had no real idea of what TorqueDawg or Sparklez or Dan or even Cassie (the name alone caused a weight to settle on Stacy's chest) would have wanted her and the others to do if it actually happened.

Jesse was right, though, Stacy mused as a breeze ruffled her hair. They'd be glad we made it…most of them, anyway.

And didn't that mean they would have liked to know that she and Lizzie and Stampy were still going on adventures, still living their lives? As awful as it was that it had taken four deaths to make the other three see sense and patch up their differences, wouldn't they be happy that said three were now firmly sticking together, closer than ever?

The honest, obvious answer was yes, they would. Dan and Sparklez in particular had had big dreams for their own futures. Stacy just had to make sure those dreams and the people who'd held them weren't forgotten. Everything they'd wanted to see and everywhere they'd wanted to go had to stay alive through her – and her remaining companions.

"Stacy!"

She glanced up to see Stampy and Lizzie standing a good way in front of her, Stampy beckoning, Lizzie gazing towards the distantly shimmering horizon.

Really, how long had it been since any of them had just spent time together like this?

Stacy heaved a quiet sigh before pushing herself into a standing position. And that was when she saw a slightly squashed four-leaf clover, directly where her foot had been seconds ago. She'd never really believed in signs and the closest thing she'd ever had to a good luck charm or anything like that was her stripy sweater, which was more of a comfort item than anything. But she found herself making an exception as she slipped the clover into her pocket.

Because they'd once been seven. Now they were three. And Stacy had every intention of keeping it that way for as long as she could.

The sun was making its arc across the sky, throwing golden light over everything. There was no reason why the sun couldn't shine for all of them again, too.

Wow, I actually came out of this not feeling like I'd just emerged from a boiling pool of abject despair for once. What a refreshing change.

I hope you enjoyed – and thank you guys for the feedback on my previous stories. It means more than you know :3

And again, a very happy birthday to Savannah-the-Caracal. (*internet hugs*) Thank you for requesting something with these characters; I very much enjoyed writing this.

Additional note: Savannah is currently planning a pretty cool fic called Minecraft: Survival Mode, in which Minecraft players become trapped in the game. If you would like to appear in that story, please send a message Savvy's way and she'll get back to you as best she can :D

(*awkwardly tips party hat*)

~ Rainy