It's been years since you've seen these iron gates, walked upon this long gravel driveway. With each crunching footstep, your heart grows lighter and your pace picks up. Soon, you are sprinting towards the gabled house, your heavy pack thumping rhythmically against your back. A motor roars in your ear, so you stop and turn to see Dale.

He is looking older than ever, more haggard, but also happier than the last time you saw him. He beams at you and calls out,

"Didn't think I'd ever see your mug around here again!"

You shrug good-naturedly and shout back. "Didn't I'd ever be back!"

The pair of you exchange smiles and you continue your trot up the walk. You reach the front of the house, and a sense of nervous nearly overtakes you. Will they welcome you back? Will the magic still bring you joy? Will their prescience be as much a comfort to you as it once was?

You shake the doubt from your core and steel your nerves. You march up the steps to the door and pound with the knocker. After a moment of breathless quiet, the knob turns, the door swings, and you're staring up at Seth's face.

You both freeze, and then you're hugging.

"You came back!" He lifts you off your feet and spins you around violently. You laugh and squeeze back. He sets you on your feet after a moment.

"Come on in! Everyone's gonna freak!"

He grabs your wrist and drags you into the spacious house. You turn into the kitchen and find Kendra and Bracken, playing cards. Kendra's the first to notice you. She drops her cards and stands.

"You!" she crosses the room and grabs your shoulders, giving you a fast once-over. Satisfied with what she sees, she grabs you in a tight hug around the neck.

"I knew you'd come back."

Her voice is barely more than a whisper, but the words roar in your ear. You hug her back, before you hear what sounds like an army approaching.

"Here comes the cavalry." Bracken mutters shrewdly before grabbing you in a hug himself. He lets go as everyone walks in. You turn, and any words of greeting die in your throat as raw emotion overtakes you.

Tanu is the first to get over the shock, and steps forward. Seth's hug had nothing on this one and you fight back tears of emotion and breathlessness at once.

When he finally puts you down, you are both laughing and brushing off tears. Warren approaches next, grabbing you in a noogie. Your laughter won't stop and it's hard to breathe, but you're too happy to care. He let's go and lifts you off your feet in another hug.

"Hey, there, kiddo," he pulls back. "Then again, can't call you that anymore, now, can I?"

"I think it still fits." You choke out, trying not to cry more than you already are.

He lets go and Stan and Ruth approach next. They give you hugs and cheek kisses and you realized how much you missed their scent. They smell of parchment and fresh baking and ink and pine. Everyone here does, and it's wonderful.

You pull away, brushing off your stale tears. A grin splits your face as Vanessa approaches, and you meet in a fierce hug.

"Hello there." She chirps near your ear.

"Hey."

"Welcome back."

"Thanks."

She pulls back and beams at you again before Warren rushes over, an odd bundle in his arms.

"Look what I made!"

Everyone laughs as Warren holds out a giggling baby by the arms, it's little legs dangling and kicking in the air.

"Ahem?"

"Fine," Warren sighs melodramatically and rolls his eyes at his wife. "We."

The laughter continues as you wave at the baby, now being passed to Vanessa.

"Her name's Lucy."

You turn to look at Kendra, who now holds hands with Bracken. She has a far off look in her eyes as she gazes at Lucy. You glance at her hand and smirk to yourself when you see the ring on her left hand.

You look around the room at everyone's smiling, happy face. You've seen countless places, been on far-off adventures, visited strange lands, met the best and worst people, and learned more than you could ever imagine. And there's still so much more to do.

You know you'll have to leave again, eventually. You always will. No one is meant to stay in one place forever. Yet you know, through all the tribulations, the trials, the storms, the seemingly endless nights where all you want to do is run away, you'll always end up here. Here, where the magic began, where the wisdom started, where you'll always return to.

Home.

A better opening chapter in my opinion. This is a direct continuation of the final chapter of Everything After. Leave a comment, request etc. Happy reading!