(This story continues on from the end of "He Was Only Twelve" to the beginning of "Times Are Changing Part 1" because the change between Seasons 8 and 9 were too abrupt.)
Caroline could not believe that James was alive. She wanted to cry and laugh and hug him close so that he would never slip away from her again. At least, it had felt like he had slipped away from her. All those days since he had gone into a coma had been torture to her, to Charles, to the whole family. It had been like a nightmare. Only it was worse than a nightmare because it was all so real. Too real to be true. Caroline imagined Cassandra's face at the sight of her brother, walking and talking again - alive again - and smiled.
Kissing the top of her son's head, Caroline could only repeat her son's name over and over again. James quietly whispered "Ma..." into her coat and held on tightly to her. Caroline wanted to stay there for ever, to savour the feeling that her son had come back into her hands again, and that she need not be afraid any longer.
Caroline lifted her head to find Charles gazing down at her and James. His eyelashes were shining with tears, but he was smiling in a way so beautiful that she wanted to stare at him forever.
Behind them, Isiah started sniffing, and Caroline knew that he was, too, crying.
And then Caroline realised that tears were running down her own cheeks, as well. The relief had been so natural and had come so swiftly that she had not even noticed it. Maybe, she thought, maybe she had known all along that James would recover eventually, and that Charles would save him, even if it meant risking his own life.
As if on queue, Charles said, in a voice barely audible over Isiah's sobbing, "What did I tell you? I told you to have faith, didn't I?"
"Yes, Charles. You did tell me, and...and I did." Caroline replied. It was half the truth.
Charles enveloped both her and James in his strong arms. They stood holding each other for quite a few minutes, until Isiah cleared his throat and said in an important tone, "Well, aren't you folks gonna go home an' tell the rest of 'em? They'll probably be worried sick by now."
Charles unwound his arms from Caroline and James and gave James another quick hug while laughing and said, "You're right, Edwards. Let's go home."