Disclaimer: I most definitely don't own Inkheart. You will most definitely get nothing if you sue me.
A/N: First ever Inkheart fic here! Please review!!
Prologue
"To leave is to die a little; it is to die to what one loves. One leaves behind a little of oneself at any hour, at any place.
- Desert Water, Gary E. Parker
"We're leaving?" Meggie cried. "But why?"
Mo looked down at her solemnly. "Sweetheart, we don't belong here." he said softly. "It's high time we returned home."
"We could stay." she persisted. "We can belong here, if we want. Fenoglio did it."
"And just look at what happened to Fenoglio!" answered her father. "He's hardly himself anymore."
"Besides all that," interjected Resa. "Mortola is still alive, even if Basta is gone. The Adderhead will continue to hunt us if we stay here. It's simply too dangerous."
Meggie remembered the Adderhead's cruel, fat face and Basta's knife glinting and she almost gave up her argument. But then she recalled that horrible day, kneeling next to Farid's lifeless body in a dim, dank cavern…
"You'd like to have him back too, wouldn't you?"
"But what about Dustfinger?" she demanded. Resa's expression twisted slightly and Mo sighed deeply, looking, for a moment, like a withered old man.
"Dustfinger made his decision." he finally said wearily. "It's no good trying to bring back the dead."
"But Silvertongue," Farid piped up. "If it weren't possible, I wouldn't be here right now."
"Farid," Mo said, turning to the Arab boy. "I cannot stop you from staying here and continuing to search for Dustfinger. But you are welcome to return with us, if you would like to."
Meggie didn't even have to hear his answer to know what it was. It was clear in his dark, round eyes what he intended to do. Farid glanced pleadingly at her, begging her not to be angry with him. Dustfinger meant more to him than Meggie did, but she did not fault him for that.
"Thank you, Silvertongue." he replied hesitantly, "But I have to find Dustfinger."
Mo nodded, glancing none-too-subtly at Meggie to discern her reaction. "Would…Do you two need…want a moment to say goodbye?" Resa hid a smile as her husband stumbled through the sentence. Meggie and Farid both shook their heads hastily; neither one liked goodbyes.
"We had better go." Meggie's mother suggested in her quiet voice. "Before Elinor decides to try involving police again."
Mo nodded his agreement and fished a slip of paper out of his pocket.
"Surely Orpheus didn't write that for you." Resa said nervously.
"Of course not. Fenoglio did."
"But Fenoglio swore to never…" Meggie began.
Mo cut her off quickly. "He made one exception to get us safely home." he explained. "I didn't want Orpheus to know we were leaving."
"So you mean only Fenoglio and Farid know we're going?" asked Meggie.
"That's right. Now quiet down so I can concentrate."
Before she could say another word to stall their leaving, Mo started reading what was written on the paper, his voice as smooth a silk.
"Goodbye, Meggie!" cried Farid, waving sadly. "I hope you come back someday!"
She gave him her best smile in return. "Bye Farid! Please find Dustfinger, I'm counting on you!" She felt hot tears in the corners of her eyes threatening to spill over and blinked them away.
When Meggie opened her eyes again, she was in Elinor's library. Before she could do anything, she heard the rattle and crash of a tea tray as it was dropped to the floor.
"Mortimer! Teresa! Meggie!" cried Elinor, enveloping her niece in a hug. "Thank heavens! I thought I would never see you again!"
As she was pulled into a hug, Meggie thought wistfully of the Inkworld. It stung her to think that it was finally all over.
She had never been so wrong in her life.