A/N: Well, guys, it seems as though we've reached the end! I thought I had a few more chapters to go, but apparently Rodney and John got tired of getting their asses kicked by Prudence and took matters into their own hands. I'm not sure if I'll write an epilogue or not, so let me know what you think.

So grab a blankie and your favourite drink (I'm rather attached to Mojitos) and pull up a chair. This one will be trés long =P (twenty pages of long) and it starts off with a bit of a backtrack from Rodney's side of things.

Also, this one is a bit darker then previous chapters, meaning whump (of the mental and physical kind) for both our boys and a fair amount of swearing. But really, can you blame them?

STATUS: COMPLETE

RATING: K+

SUMMARY: AU and SLASH McKayxSheppard A Halloween fic! Rodney and his niece Madison buy a new (but old and frankly falling down) house in a small town (cliché enough yet?), which the locals believe to be haunted. Which it most definitely is. Inspired by Rose Red.

SPOILERS: Since it's AU, nothing.

WARNINGS: A bit of swearing. Our boys have quite the potty mouth sometimes.

DISCLAIMER: Everything Stargate Atlantis related is property of MGM. I own nothing.

x x x

**Song for Rodney: You Better Pray – Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
**Song for John: Bring Me To Life – Evanescence

**Song for ending: Road to Nowhere – Ozzy Osbourne

x x x

Last time:

When he received no reply, John frowned and switched the light back off, heading for the door.

"Rodney, did you hear m—crap."

He stared up and down the hallway, the scientist no where in sight.

"Well…shit, Rodney."

Where the hell did he go?

x x x

Rodney sighed as he watched John walk into that stupid purple room, arms crossed tightly across his chest. He could hear the detective talking away, but he wasn't really listening. All Rodney wanted to do was find Madison and get the hell out of Dodge. Sure, he had dealt with stressful situations before, but this one was really pushing it. And as much as he hated to admit it, the thought of going through it without John Sheppard wasn't even within his capability to process.

"Uncle Mer?"

Rodney straightened up, mind blanking.

"Madison?" he questioned without thinking. Pushing away from the wall, Rodney hastily looked up and down the corridor, finding it completely empty. "Maddie?"

There was silence for a few long moments before,

"Uncle Mer? Where are you?"

Rodney let out a breath, caught somewhere between exasperation and relief.

"Where am I? Where are you?"

Forgetting about John completely, Rodney started off down the hallway, following Madison's voice.

"I'm not sure…" she called, voice getting louder as he walked on. "I think I'm in a study or something…I've never been here before."

Turning the corner, Rodney frowned in concentration. A study? 'Argh, there are tons of those in this stupid house!'

"Hurry, Uncle Mer!" Madison continued, her voice turning nervous. "I don't know when Prudence will come back!"

Rodney cursed and picked up his pace, stopping only to poke his head inside already opened rooms. When he turned down another corridor, he slowed to a stop and huffed. Dead end.

"Who the hell puts a dead end in the middle of a hallway…" he grumbled as he turned around to go back the way he came. He barely took a step before he walked straight into a wall. "Ow! What the—shit…" The man's mouth dropped open as he slowly walked backwards, staring at the newly formed wall with disbelief. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me…"

Absently rubbing his nose, he hesitantly turned to find a door on the other side of the hall. Where the dead end had been.

He stared, silently debating. After glancing back and forth from the new wall to the new door, he decided that unless he wanted to die from lack of food and water, he would have to go through the door.

Forgetting about his nose, he dropped his hand to the side and reluctantly headed for the door. He was about to grab the knob when a voice called out.

"Uncle Mer! Hurry!"

Rodney's eyes widened as he ripped open the door and burst into the room.

"Madison!"

He swivelled on the spot, trying to eyeball the whole room at the same time. The very empty room.

"Damn it," he muttered, staring at the sparse room in disgust. It was a study, just not the right one. With a sigh, he slapped the light switch on the wall, hoping to find another door. Instead, he found himself staring at a transparent woman. Prudence.

Rodney yelped and jumped backwards, hitting the door with a thud. His hand scrambled for the knob, wide blue eyes locked on Prudence's dead gaze.

"Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" he repeated in a terrified whisper. His fingers felt numb as they tried to grip the knob, fear coursing through him.

A slight smirk tugged at the dead woman's lips before the writing desk on the opposite side of the room slid rapidly across the floor to slam into Rodney's lower half, the edge of the wood digging into his stomach.

His breath left his lungs in a pained gasp, eyes shutting tightly.

"Son of a…shit!" he wheezed out, curling up as best he could against the pain.

"Uncle Mer!"

Rodney's head snapped up, squinted eyes glancing around before they landed on Prudence.

The smirk never left her face as she repeated in perfect pitch, "Uncle Mer! Hurry!"

It took Rodney all of half a second for realization to dawn.

"You…you bitch," he gasped, caught somewhere between anger and full out panic.

Prudence let out a quiet sigh, smirk fading. Her form flickered like a broken TV set as she slowly wandered over to Rodney, stopping in front of the desk that kept him firmly pinned against the door.

"You wouldn't resort to such harsh names if you knew what I have been through," she said gently, running the back of her hand gently down Rodney's cheek.

Rodney scowled, masking his sheer terror as he flung his head to the side with disgust. It may have been Prudence, but it certainly didn't look like the beautiful woman he had seen in the picture. This one seemed like she was on her way to decaying; skin darkened, white patches of bone visible…

He shuddered, practically snarling, "Oh, please. I know what you've been through, you sick freak!" A small amount of satisfaction moved through him when he saw Prudence blink in shock. "Yes, that's right. And yes, it was horrible that you lost your daughter, but that gives you no right to steal other people's children!"

Prudence stared impassively at the scientist before snorting, eyes rolling.

"You have no comprehension of children. You have no idea what it's like to have one and then have her snatched away," she said tonelessly. Suddenly she smiled with apparent sympathy. "But have no fear…" Another caress down Rodney's cheek. "Don't you see? It will be better this way. Young Alice will come back to me and have a much better life. But first, you must be taken care of…"

"What?" Rodney squawked, his hands pushing with everything he had at the desk. It didn't even budge. It almost seemed to push against him harder.

Prudence's sympathetic smile stayed plastered on her face as she took a few steps back. Behind her, a lamp drifted up off the small night stand, cord curling gracefully in the air.

With Rodney's eyes locked on the lamp, he failed to see a bit of a frown flicker across Prudence's face.

"That man is very persistent," she muttered before seemingly shrugging it off. "No matter. You will be long dead before he arrives."

Rodney wasn't even listening to the woman's ravings.

"Oh, my God! D-don't! You really don't want to do this!" he insisted hastily, a last ditch attempt to change her mind. 'How the hell do you bribe a ghost?!'

"Yes," Prudence assured him kindly. "I really do."

She watched with grim sympathy as the lamp drifted right over to Rodney. All he had time for was a scared sharp intake of breath before the cord snapped around his neck and tightened, the light bulb flickering.

Rodney clawed at his neck, trying to dig his fingers into the cord but it was too tightly wound with absolutely no slack. His lips parted, lungs starting to burn as he took in tiny gasps of air, each getting smaller as the seconds passed. Somewhere in the back of his mind he felt vaguely guilty for leaving John to find Madison on his own.

Black dots danced in front of his closing eyes as he slumped against the desktop with a thud.

x x x

"Rodney!"

John's feet thudded against the hardwood flooring as he jogged through the labyrinth of hallways, head turning left and right.

"Where the hell are you, McKay?"

Before he knew it, he had slowed to a stop at the top of the main stairs in the foyer. Confusion flickered across his face as he tried to work out how he had made it back to the front of the house. He quickly abandoned the question, honestly not caring. All he cared about was finding—

"Rodney! There you are…"

With relief written all over his face, John walked over to where the scientist was leaning against the wooden railing, staring down at the lower floor absently.

"You alright, buddy? You scared me good for a few minutes," John said with a bit of a frown. He put a hand on Rodney's shoulder, giving him a gentle shake. "Why the heck did you run off like that?"

Rodney shook his head, blue eyes dimmed. He glanced over at John before muttering, "I just…we've looked everywhere and Madison…" He trailed off, fingers nearly white from gripping the railing so tightly.

"Hey…" John sidled up next to the man, nudging their shoulders together. "We'll find her, Rodney. Don't give up on me here." He paused before adding quietly, "Remember what I said? Back in the courtyard?"

Rodney looked slightly confused before he quickly nodded.

"Yes, of course."

"Then trust me, buddy. We'll get Madison back." John wrapped his fingers around Rodney's left hand and gave it a squeeze. "I swear."

A grim smile pulled at Rodney's lips, baby blues lacking their usual spark.

"I think we should give up, John."

Immediately John stilled, eyes locked on the man's beside him.

"What?" he finally said after a few seconds of shocked silence. "You want to—why?"

"Because I'd rather get out of here before one of us is killed. Besides, this isn't even your problem." Rodney pulled his hand away from John's, obviously gearing up for one of his rants. "You shouldn't have even come in here! You should have just left it to me. I can get Madison back myself. You should leave. Now."

Before John had a chance to protest, Rodney was behind him and gripping his shoulders, steering him towards the stairs.

"What the hell, Rodney!"

John dug his heels into the flooring, bringing them to a halt. Slowly the pieces were clicking together in his head. His lips quirked into a grim smirk.

"Or should I say, Prudence?"

A quiet sigh ghosted over the back of his ear. If it really had been Rodney, it would have sent tingles down his spine. Knowing it was Prudence just made him feel nauseous at the close contact.

"It's a shame you're so smart, John Sheppard. I was willing to keep you. You look so much like my Edward…And Alice seems to like you."

'Alice? How would Alice know m—oh. Madison. She means Madison.'

"Yeah, well, what can I say?" John drawled as his mind quickly searched for a way out. "Could have been MENSA."

"Indeed."

That one word was all the warning John received before he was pushed roughly from behind, sending him over the railing. His world spun in a flurry of limbs and clothing as he prepared himself to hit the floor as he rushed down to meet it.

"Ach! No you don't, lad."

An icy hand grabbed his wrist and yanked. As soon as John felt his fingers touch the bottom of a railing post, he grabbed it tightly. The freezing hand disappeared, leaving him to reach up with his other hand and grab another post.

"Oh, Prudence. Was that really necessary, darling?"

John awkwardly craned his head back when he heard a male's voice from above him, but all he could see was the railing and the inside of his coat that was flopping over one eye.

"Yes, dear. It was. He and that other man have caused nothing but trouble—"

"Then throw them out of the house! You don't have to kill them…"

John's legs swung as he slowly started to pull himself up. Now holding 0n with one hand, he stretched his fingers wide as he reached with his right, inches from the railing.

"If you feel that strongly, Edward…you may escort this one out. It's too late for the other one."

'The other one? What the hell does she mean by that?!'

Unfortunately, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who Prudence meant.

With new resolve, John grabbed the railing and pulled himself up. The wood dug into his chest as he flopped over the rail to land on safely on the floor, clothes rumpled.

"All right, lad?"

John jumped to his feet, quickly backing up from the transparent man before he realized who it was.

"Edward?" he said slowly, eyes wary. His hand dropped down to where his sidearm would have been. 'Well, at least Jinto's safe…'

Edward smiled, eyes crinkling at the sides.

"That's me. Your great-great grandfather's brother. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, lad. Though I wish it were under better circumstances…"

"Uh…yeah," John supplied with a bit of a forced smile, still looking like a cat that was prepared to bolt. "I guess I should thank you. I probably would have broken my neck or something from the fall."

Edward's smile dimmed as he nodded.

"Yes, yes. You're quite welcome, lad, but frankly we don't have the time for pleasantries. Your friend is in grave danger and Prudence will be quick to find out that I haven't vacated you from the premises."

Immediately John straightened, hazel eyes narrowing.

"What's happened to him? What's happened to Rodney?"

Edward didn't reply. Instead, he turned and walked right through the wall. John blinked before realizing he had to take 'the mortal way'. With pursed lips, he quickly ran off into the corridor and down the hall to where Edward was waiting.

The transparent man pointed to the doorway at the end of the hall that definitely hadn't been there before.

"There," he said, backing away. "Hurry." Seconds later, he was gone.

John paused long enough to mutter a quick 'thank you!' before taking off down the hall and bursting into the room.

The first thing he saw was Rodney slumped down over a desk that had him up against another door, body faintly shuddering. The second thing he saw was the lamp cord wrapped around the man's neck.

Prudence looked over from where she had been observing in the corner. Her eyes narrowed, pieces of flesh peeling off her arms in eerie silence. They drifted down like leaves from a macabre tree, disappearing before hitting the ground.

"You son of a bitch," John snarled without thinking before grabbing the nightstand and heaving it towards her.

Even though it couldn't hurt the woman, it distracted her long enough for the lamp to drop and the desk to ease up. John raced forwards, carefully but firmly pulling Rodney over the piece of furniture. Yanking the scientist's arm around his shoulders, John practically dragged him out of the room and down the hall. He gave no thought as to where they were going. He just wanted to get as far away from Prudence as possible.

When he finally deemed it safe, John slowed to a stop and gently lay Rodney on the ground. Keeping his own panic in check, he quickly searched for a pulse, pressing two fingers to Rodney's neck.

"Ah, come on, buddy…" John muttered, leaning down to press an ear against Rodney's chest. He let out a quiet breath when he heard a slow heart beat thud. A shift of his fingers later and he found the pulse he had been searching for. Faint, but there. "Jesus, Rodney…"

John dropped back onto his butt, leaning against the wall with relief. He ran a hand through his hair, unwilling to admit that it was just the least bit shaky. But it had been close. Too close. 'If Edward hadn't come…'

John shook his head, not wanting to even go there. With his eyes narrowed in determination, he leaned forward and gave Rodney's cheek a gentle pat.

"Alright, Rodney. Time to wake up," he announced, wanting to hear the man's snippy comments and stinging insults. The silence was just unnerving. "Come on, already." If quiet breaths weren't passing through Rodney's lips, he would have thought the scientist was dead. "Rodney…"

This time he received a mumbled reply, muffled by a groan.

John's lips pulled into a grin, the relief hitting him like a brick to the face.

"Sorry? What was that?" he asked as he leaned closer, jokingly cupping his ear with a hand.

Rodney's eyes cracked open, showing a slit of bright blue.

"I said," he muttered, voice hoarse. "That hybrid American/Texan drawl of yours completely butchers my name…"

"Aw, you love my drawl…"

Fighting to keep a smile off his face, Rodney rolled his eyes and stretched out an arm.

"What the hell happened? And help me up…"

"Shit, Rodney. Prudence choked you with a damned lamp cord," John muttered with a scowl as he carefully pulled Rodney up. Only instead of leaning him back against the wall, he pulled the man into his arms, tightly hugging him.

Rodney blinked, face half buried in John's shoulder.

"That explains why my throat hurts…"

Without thinking, he slipped his arms around the detective's waist to grip the back of his familiar smelling leather jacket.

After a few moments of silence, John admitted quietly, "You scared the hell out of me, buddy. I thought--…well, you know what I thought."

Rodney reluctantly pulled his head back so he could see John properly.

"I thought that too…" he muttered, pain flickering across his abdomen in a mocking reminder. His eyes widened in sudden realization. "What if I die in here? Who the hell would take care of Madison? And what about—"

John cut him off with a firm shake of his shoulders, fingers holding tightly.

"You're not going to die in here, Rodney. No one is. And that includes Madison."

"And you," Rodney blurted without thinking.

John blinked, a slightly surprised look flickering over his face.

"What?"

"And you," repeated Rodney, looking a bit more sure this time. "You never include yourself in these promises of yours. What about 'Rodney, I promise I won't die in here either'? Huh? What about that?"

After a moment, John's surprise faded into a warm smile.

"Rodney, I promise I won't die in here either," he echoed quietly, slipping one hand up Rodney's shoulder to cup the side of his neck.

"Well…good," Rodney muttered, suddenly all too aware of John's closeness. "I'm going to hold you to that…"

"I know you will," came the slightly teasing response before John closed the gap between them, his mouth gently covering Rodney's.

It took Rodney all of one second for everything to process before he was eagerly leaning closer, pressing his lips more firmly against the detective's.

Then reality kicked in, sending a sharp pain through his ribs.

"Okay, ow," he gasped out, gingerly pressing a hand against his lower chest.

John quirked an eyebrow, lightly placing his hand over Rodney's to pull it away from his chest.

"No one I've ever kissed has said 'ow' before…" he muttered jokingly as he carefully lifted the man's shirt to lightly prod at the bruised skin over his ribs.

"Surprise, surpri—ow! Are you trying to make things worse?" Rodney huffed, smacking away John's hand.

John rolled his eyes, trying to keep a smile off his face. It felt good to hear Rodney snapping away, even though the poor guy was in pain.

"I think they're just bruised," he assured the man with a pat to his shoulder.

Rodney blinked, eyes wide.

"Are you sure? Because they feel cracked. Broken even. They might be broken."

"Rodney, if they were broken, you wouldn't even be able to sit up right now, let alone yell at me. You'll be fine."

Rodney opened his mouth to retort before he snapped it shut.

"We need to find Madison," he said firmly with a nod, determinedly pushing his 'broken' ribs to the backburner.

John grinned, suddenly looking all sorts of pleased.

"That's my boy! I knew you wouldn't give up that easily. That woman doesn't know anything."

"Huh?"

"Never mind, give me your arms."

Once they were both standing, Rodney let out a whoosh of breath, hoping his game face was plastered on.

"Alright, which way do we go through this Funhouse of Death and Destruction?"

John shook his head, lips quirking. It was a valid question though. How did you know which way to go if everything kept changing?

Movement over Rodney's shoulder captured John's gaze. He blinked in surprise when he saw Edward in all his translucent glory standing at the end of the corridor.

Rodney was still rambling on as Edward pointed down the hall, then made a gesture, motioning to the left. John nodded, watching as the ghost seemed to glance around and then disappear in silence.

"Right, let's go," John announced as he grabbed Rodney by the arm and started off down the hall.

"—and not to mention the bacteria! I mean, did you see that woman? With that whole skin thin—what? Wait! How the hell do you know which way to go?"

"Had a little help," came the mysterious reply, complete with wiggled eyebrows.

Rodney stared.

"…uh-huh. You know what? Not going to ask."

"Good choice."

As soon as the pair turned the corner, they came to an abrupt halt. In front of them stretched a narrow flight of rising stairs. They could tell just by looking at it that they would have to go up single file. There was also no doubt as to where it led.

John slowly turned to look at Rodney, noting his pale but determined face.

"It would be a waste of time to say that you can wait here, wouldn't it?"

As expected, Rodney rolled his eyes.

"Obviously. And I'm not even going to bother with asking you."

John grinned slightly.

"You know me too well."

For a few moments, they both simply stood there, hazel eyes locked on blue before they made the silent decision to get it over with. Moving quietly, John headed for the stairs. His steps were careful, the narrow flight going almost straight up. Behind him he could hear quiet reassuring breathing coming from Rodney. The man, for once, was rather quiet. Self-preservation had apparently kicked in.

When John reached the door, he turned the knob and pushed it slowly open, leaving just enough space to get through. Staying low to the ground, he crept into the attic, ducking down behind two stacked trunks. He glanced over top of them before motioning for Rodney to follow.

Rodney's eyes widened slightly but he took a breath and scampered quietly over to John's side, trusting that the coast was clear.

"Where are they?" the scientist mouthed.

John pointed towards the top of the trunk before placing a finger over his lips. Silently they both peered over the edge of the black and copper steamer, gaze squinting through the low, warm lighting of the attic space. A small round window on the opposite end provided little light, the glass smudged with decades of dirt. Tiny dust particles floated silently in the thin rays of pale light.

But the important thing was that they could see a very alive Madison. Although, they could only tell she was alive because her chest rose and fell with each breath. The girl was lying on a makeshift bed, multiple sheets and blankets under her with a faded quilt on top. If anything, she seemed to be asleep.

Rodney frowned, wondering why the hell his niece was asleep when she should be trying to get the hell out of there.

"What's wrong with her?" he whispered harshly.

John shook his head, obviously knowing only as much as Rodney did. He opened his mouth to murmur just that when—

"I've put her in an unconscious state, a deep sleep. Which is what I should have done to you both."

Neither man had enough time to react before Rodney was sent crashing through the pile of trunks, landing roughly on the ground close to Madison. He uttered a groan but didn't move, eyes shut and head turned away from John.

"Shit," John swore as he jumped to his feet only to be shoved right back into the wall, an icy hand around his throat. He brought his hands up and gripped Prudence's wrist tightly, giving it a sharp push from both sides. If it had been anyone human, their wrist would have been broken. 'But noo…I have to fight a ghost!'

But he knew. He knew that this was supposed to happen. That it would happen ever since he figured out what had been happening to all those girls. Children. Kids.

Madison.

John craned his neck as he gasped in small gulps of air, hoping to see through Prudence's transparent shoulder and catch a glimpse of Madison and Rodney.

A surge of relief flew through him when he spotted Rodney raising a hand to his head, obviously groaning and grumbling under his breath while he sat up. Seconds later, the scientist looked over, doing a double take when he saw John. The man's mouth dropped open in horror. John could practically see the gears in his head whirring.

Blackness started to creep into his vision. He desperately wanted to yell to Rodney to grab Madison and get moving, but he could barely get in a breath. His grip on Prudence's wrist loosened before his hands fell to his sides. Knowing he only had a minute or so left, John turned his gaze back to Rodney.

He was surprised—and kind of insulted—to find that Rodney was staring at something behind Prudence. The scientist's face had gone completely white, mouth opening and closing silently.

"I think you should let John Sheppard go," a female voice said firmly. "Because my brother seems rather attached to him. And frankly, that's a miracle."

The icy grip disappeared, dropping John to the floor gasping for breath like a fish out of water. Moving on autopilot, he scrambled across the ground and over to Rodney, still trying to fill his lungs as he put himself protectively in front of the man.

"N-no, it's alright," Rodney managed to get out, stumbling over his words. He seemed caught between staring at the blonde haired woman and checking over John in worry. In the end, Rodney grabbed onto John's arm and yanked him close, keeping his fingers firmly placed around his wrist to check for a constant, reassuring pulse while his eyes stayed glued to the blonde woman. The blonde, transparent woman.

John sighed. 'Great. Another one.' It was like a clash between Beetlejuice and Casper.

"Rodney, who is she…" he muttered, absently rubbing his throat. "Not that I'm complaining or anything…"

"That's…that's Jeannie," Rodney said with a sort of awe. "That's my sister." He was suddenly glad that Madison was still 'asleep'. He had no idea how she would have taken seeing her mother.

John glanced at Rodney, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze before his gaze turned back to the two women. There would be time for talking about feelings later.

"Also? That's my daughter you're trying to do God knows what to," Jeannie continued with a patented McKay scowl. "And I have to tell you, I don't appreciate that."

Prudence's lips quirked into a faint condescending smile.

"That's not your daughter. That's my Alice. At least, she will be soon enough."

"That's not your Alice," Jeannie stressed, shaking her head in honest sympathy. "That's not your daughter. And neither were those other poor girls either."

"They were not," agreed Prudence. "Only because they were not perfect. Not similar enough to my Alice. But this one…" She looked back at Madison, causing Rodney and John to straighten up and block the girl from view. "She…she is perfect."

John frowned in slight disbelief.

"But what about your real daughter?" he asked, ignoring the startled hushing sound from Rodney. "What about Alice? You're just going to leave her alone?"

Prudence fell silent, dead gaze lowering in thought.

"He's right, love. The lad is right."

All eyes turned to Edward. This time John and Rodney didn't even jump.

"What about our Alice? We should have searched for her decades ago…Just because she hasn't returned to this plane doesn't mean we can't find her, dear…"

Jeannie smiled, taking a step to the side.

"I think I can help you there…"

John and Rodney watched with wary—or in Rodney's case, wide—eyes as a bright light expanded from the air beside Jeannie, growing larger until a small figure emerged.

When the light died down, five pairs of eyes landed on the blonde girl who had to be no older the six or seven.

"Alice…" Prudence whispered, arms raising slowly from her sides. Without her even realizing it, her transparent skin and clothing seemed to weave back together.

To heal.

Alice smiled and excitedly ran over, flinging herself into her mother's arms. Prudence tightened her grip on her daughter as Edward wandered over to stand beside them, for all the world looking like a happy family.

Rodney cleared his throat, pretending to scratch his nose as he looked away, lips pressing tightly together.

With a smile, John dropped an arm around his scientist's shoulders, saving the teasing for later.

After a few long minutes, Prudence wiped at her eyes and straightened up, her hands never leaving Alice's small shoulders. She looked to John and Rodney, a beautiful young woman once again.

"I know I cannot apologize enough for what I've done, but I hope this will make at least a small amount of amends…"

She gestured towards the round window. John frowned while Rodney blinked, glancing at his sister. Jeannie smiled slightly and nodded in encouragement.

Moving slowly, Rodney took hold of John's hand, leading them both towards the window. Though he was feeling apprehensive about what he would see, Rodney wiped a patch clean with the sleeve of his coat before peering out.

"Oh…that is impressive…isn't it…" he mumbled, his throat seeming to close up.

John looked over Rodney's shoulder, staring blankly.

Below them, the courtyard was alive with lights, each statue fading into nothing to leave behind the ghost of the girl it once was. One by one they rose up as glowing white orbs into the inky sky, floating gracefully past the window. The last orb stalled in front of the glass, its soft glow reflecting off the pane as John and Rodney stared in awe.

"Janey…" John mumbled, hand trembling slightly in Rodney's. The orb seemed to bob excitedly in reply before continuing its journey upwards. When the sky went back to its dark silence, Rodney and John turned reluctantly away.

They were surprised to find the attic empty, save for a transparent Jeannie leaning over her daughter.

Giving his sister time, Rodney turned to John and asked quietly, "What do you think happened to them?" There was no need to ask who them was. The Stone Family was gone.

As if hearing them, a young girl's giggle echoed quietly before they were truly alone.

John smiled and shrugged.

"I think they're just fine."

Rodney nodded, a small nervous grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"And…us? We're—we're fine, right?"

With a teasing roll of his eyes, John leaned forward to press his lips firmly against Rodney's, hoping to convey everything he was feeling. Neither of them were especially good with talking. Well, when it came to feelings at least.

When he finally pulled back, he said to a rather dazed looking Rodney, "We're more then fine, buddy." A bit of a snicker escaped before he shook his head and looked over to Madison and Jeannie.

Jeannie was watching them with an amused smile, eyebrows raised.

"Well, that was unexpected, though hardly surprising," she said conversationally. "I mean, after that whole 'Sam Carter' incident, I knew—"

"Jeannie…" Rodney groaned, swiping his hand across his neck repeatedly in an 'ex-nay, ex-nay!' motion.

Jeannie smirked slightly before it faded into a genuine smile.

"Aw, Meredith. You're going to be okay," she gently assured him. "Especially with that man over there watching your back."

"Watching both their backs," John corrected, glancing down at the sleeping Maddie.

Jeannie nodded, smiling broadly.

"She's in good hands then." There was a pause before, "I never doubted you, Meredith. I just want you to know that. I wouldn't have trusted my daughter to anyone else."

Rodney's hand shook in John's as he simply nodded, either not noticing or not caring that his eyes were glazing over.

"Thanks," he finally murmured, voice cracking. "I'm…I'm trying."

"You're doing a good job," Jeannie repeated gently. She frowned sternly. "Although cookies for dinner isn't such a healthy meal…" Her bright eyes turned to John. "And neither is a sundae after breakfast." John squirmed, clearing his throat innocently. "And no high speed chases with her in the car!"

"See?" Rodney muttered with a faint grin. "I told you so…"

"Can it, Rodney."

Jeannie chuckled before reluctantly straightening up.

"Well, I guess this is it…just—be careful, you two. Alright?"

John nodded, sending her a two fingered salute.

"We will," he promised, knowing it would be one he would keep for as long as he could.

Rodney nodded, his hand gripping John's so tightly the detective was surprised his fingers weren't cracking.

"We will," he echoed.

Jeannie watched her brother for a few moments before smiling gently.

"Love you, Mer."

Rodney's lips curved.

"Love you too," came the surprisingly easy answer.

Just as the light faded from the attic, a quiet groan escaped from Madison. She rolled onto her side and blinked sleepily.

"Uncle Mer? Mister John?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "What happened?"

Rodney looked at John and waved his hands in a 'you're on your own, big guy' gesture. John rolled his eyes and answered with a weary smile, "We'll explain everything later, Maddie. For now—" Leaning down, he scooped up the girl and all her blankets before looking at Rodney. "Let's get outta here."

Rodney snorted tiredly.

"I second that."

x x x

"You found her! Geez, it took you long enough. I thought you guys had gotten lost or something!"

John and Rodney shared a glance as they trekked across the lawn, Jinto waving at them from the window of the cop car.

"Gotten lost in a house? Come on, kid. Get real," John said with a grin as he gently deposited Madison in the back seat. She promptly scooted over to share her blankets with Jinto.

Rodney eyed them as only a suspicious parent would before sliding into the front seat. John dropped into the driver's side, jamming the keys into the ignition and starting up the engine.

"Where're we going?" Rodney asked, looking as sleepy as Madison.

John sent him a fond smile.

"Thought we'd spend the night at my house. No offence, but your place kind of creeps me out."

Rodney snorted, fighting a smile.

"Idiot."

Leaning his temple against the cold window, he let his eyes drift shut. John pulled off down the dark street, their fingers lacing together.

x x x

A/N: Holy…cow. It's complete. And long. Maybe I should have chopped it into two cha—or not. We all know how that plan ended.

Anyways, IT'S COMPLETE! Thank you SO MUCH for your reviews! You have no idea how it feels to have such faithful reviewers like you guys. In all honesty, I probably wouldn't have finished this without your feedback (y'all know who you are! *g* )

So thank you thank you thank you!

-Azure =D

Ps. epilogue?