It had taken Jack months to heal, and each day left him more anxious to get back on the road. Tomorrow was the day, he'd decided. Though his family's curse seemed to be lifted, there would always be monsters.

"Eh, but monsters are easy," he had joked to Fi the last time they talked.

They had a scheduled call every Friday night before dinner that neither would dare to miss. Ever since their battle, Fi had been rivaling his reputation for being the overprotective sibling. Along with defeating the demon, the last of her powers had helped heal her wounds. Jack wasn't as lucky.

Fi had been trying to convince him there was no more need to hunt. After all, they had defeated their biggest adversary. Jack could have a "real" life, like she had found.

"How are things going with Clu?" he'd asked.

"Happy. Normal," she'd answered.

"Sounds boring."

"Sometimes, boring's good."

Jack walked out onto the porch of his mother's house in Colorado, where he'd spent most of his recovery. They'd happily settled their debts with the bank after their fight, mostly through legal means and only some help from Jordan. Molly sat on a wooden bench, sipping liquid from a mug.

"Relax, it's just coffee," she teased.

"Hey, you're a big girl," he responded, throwing up his arms.

"And yours?" she said, nodding toward the cup in his hand.

Jack grinned, "Bourbon."

He joined his mother's side and looked out onto the mountains. The world around him was peaceful and shrouded in evergreen.

"Your sister doesn't get in until seven. Caleb painted himself from head to toe with his breakfast and they missed their original flight."

"They use that kid as an excuse for everything. I bet Clu did it as a joke and pinned it on the poor kid."

Molly let out a laugh, "It's not easy being a parent. Just wait, you'll see."

Jack frowned. "Mom…" he let out lowering his voice, "you can't say stuff like that anymore, remember? Van might hear you. It makes her upset."

Jack and Van had completed their rehabilitation together. Jack was overjoyed to find, upon their return from battle, that she had survived her attack. However, her injuries caused some permanent internal damage, making it unlikely that she'd be able to have children. Molly knew that's what the doctors had told them, but she remained hopeful.

"They told me the same thing after all the crap I put in my body back in the '70s, and it didn't stop me, right?" Molly explained. "And look at us now. Hours away from a houseful of my babies, home together, safe and sound."

Jack had told Molly his intentions of going back on the road, but now was not the time to remind her. He, too, was grateful to have everyone home together, safe and sound. They had all survived. Impossibly, they had all survived. That's all that mattered.

Fiona didn't arrive in town until close to eight. Her car ride took her past the Bells' bar, which was almost unrecognizable since its reconstruction. Carey had been working tirelessly to restore some of its old characteristics, but it would never be the same place. There were far less hunters frequenting Roadies these days. Many lost their battles in the fight, her fight, against the demons. She knew how lucky she and her family had been to walk away with their lives.

When she got to the house, Molly hugged her for several minutes. Caleb pushed past them and disappeared into a pile of gifts as Clu joined his family around the fire. Jack handed Fi some eggnog as she joined them. Van wrapped herself around Jack. Molly and Carey traded off on the guitar.

Fi absorbed each second of the group's time together, careful to register every detail. She imagined her father sitting with them, looking on proudly. This is what she'd fought for.

Later that night, when everyone else had gone home or to bed, Fi remained by the fire with Jack, reminiscing about their adventures and life on the road, both as hunters and as kids on the tour bus.

"So, when are you leaving?" Fi asked with a smirk.

"Who said I am?" Jack replied transparently. "I've already talked to Van and Mom about it. Van said she needs more time to rest up but she understands that I need to get out. Mom insisted on staying here to help Irene and Ned finish rebuilding the bar."

"Oh? Just Irene and Ned, huh?"

"I can't tell you how many times I've tried to address that elephant in the room. I still haven't found the appropriate time to bring it up with either of them. I keep waiting for Carey to slip up and call me son or something… In fact, do you remember him leaving? Is he here?"

Fi sighed with a giggle, "Out of all the weird things we've experienced, that's definitely top ten. Maybe even top five."

"I don't know… Bigfoot? Mermen? You and Clu? Who saw those coming?"

Fi shrugged and sipped her drink.

"I'm just kidding. Really, sis. I'm happy for you guys."

"Thanks, Jack. You know, you're always welcome to come visit us in California. Maybe that's all you need. Not life on four wheels, but a vacation."

Jack grinned, "Nah, I'll stick with the monster business. It's not as booming as it used to be, but damn, is it fun… Especially now that I don't have to worry about my pain-in-the-ass little sister. She doesn't even have powers anymore. So lame."

Fi laughed and poured the remaining eggnog into Jack's cup. The siblings sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the fire and sipping their drinks. Suddenly, Jack put down his glass and dug into his pocket. He threw something shiny in Fi's direction and she reached out to catch it, almost dropping her mug in the process.

She recognized the familiar sound of the Mustang's keys before she had the chance to open her hand.

"Let's just cut to the chase," Jack smiled. "I'm averaging a monster per quarter. Clu won't even notice you're gone. You want back in or what?"

Fi eyed the keys.

"Like you said, Jack," she answered with a devilish grin, "we make one hell of a team."

THE END