Shiver

An Until Dawn Fanfiction

Synopsis: They'd all survived the night…all except for one. But was he really even worth saving at that point? Sam sure thought so. In the aftermath, Sam reflects upon her perceived connection with Josh, her grief, and her incessant guilt from not being able to save him.

Ending: All Survive, +Josh

Rating: T/M; Cursing, Sensuality, Sexual Innuendo, Gore, Horror

Character Pairings: [Sam, Josh]

A/N: SO… I didn't tell you guys that Ending 1 has an epilogue….

… did you really think I wasn't gonna let Josh and Sam end up together?

Epilogue:

Sometimes You Have No Choice At All

February2016 – Eight Months After Josh's Rescue – 8:00 am

How fitting that it's February, Sam thought to herself. It seemed like everything important that had happened in her life for the last three years had reached its pinnacle around this time of year. Sam leaned against the hood of her car, wrapping her coat snuggly around her as she waited. It made more sense to wait in her car, where it was warm, but her nerves were too high to sit still.

She thought back on everything that had happened, everything between her and Josh. She still couldn't believe that they'd found him, even though now it seemed so long ago; couldn't believe that they'd actually rescued him. Sam had been up against a lot of bleak situations in her life, Beth and Hannah certainly being one of them, but she didn't give up.

Josh, no matter how hopeless it may have felt at times, was never a bleak situation. It had taken being tormented by him in more ways imaginable for her to realize this. He'd dared her to run, dared her not to love him. And she took that dare more times than she'd cared to admit. But something about her decision to pull him back up to the land of the living with her, something about refusing to give up on him for once, made Sam realize that there was never any other choice.

The hospital looked the same as it always did – tall and towering, cutting into the low clouds that surrounded it. It was gray today. It was gray most days, but inside Sam felt like the sun was shining.

Today was the day.

After 8 months, countless therapy sessions, and over 20 visits from Sam up to the hospital to see him, Josh was finally deemed competent and ready to live out in the world again. There was nothing that could take this day away from them; they'd worked so hard to get to this point.

It was Schizophrenia, it turned out. Misdiagnosed, mistreated and mishandled by doctors, parents, and his friends alike. Sam couldn't blame herself for never seeing the signs; no one did. It seemed to slip by everyone who meant anything to Josh, and it almost cost him his life.

He'd be on medication for the rest of his life to remain balanced, but if he stayed on top of it and sought help whenever he felt himself slipping, there was a good chance that Josh would never have to sit though another therapy session ever again – probably even live a full, functioning life.

With Sam.

Bob and Melinda had been to the hospital the day before, signing release forms, but Josh asked for Sam to come get him when it was time to go. They'd understood – over the course of the last 8 months, the Washingtons had spent a lot of time with Sam, and Sam had learned more in depth about the extent of Josh's mental illness growing up. They seemed to feel comfortable with Sam having an active role in Josh's life. In time, they'd become more like family than ever.

Sam checked the time on her phone; he would be out any moment. Last she'd checked when she went into the lobby he was collecting his belongings and saying goodbye to his doctors, staff and friends he'd made during his time there. Sam didn't mind waiting – Josh was worth the wait. And not just today.

And then… the doors opened. Sam felt her face crack with a beaming smile the moment she saw him. David, the orderly, was at Josh's side carrying Josh's suitcase as they walked out. Josh looked up at Sam, a smile stretching across his face as well. Before Sam could even think about it, she was running to him. She crashed into him, wrapping her arms around him tightly and feeling herself lifted off the ground as he squeezed her back. Sam didn't think she'd ever be able to let go.

Josh pressed a kiss onto her lips, and Sam felt hot tears forming in her eyes. Everything that had happened, good and bad, had led them to this very moment.

"Don't come back here, got it?" David said, giving Josh a slap on the back and handing him his suitcase.

"I don't plan on it," he said. David turned to Sam, pointing at her.

"And you… take good care of this guy, okay? He's a good one."

"The best," Sam nodded. "I promise." And she did promise. David turned and walked back into the hospital and at the same time, Sam and Josh turned their backs to the hospital for the very last time. It was time to really, truly, leave the past behind them and move forward. Together.

"Did you…bring the stuff?" Josh asked. Before Sam could answer, he peered into the backseat of her car to see the shovels and pieces of wood, already fastened into crosses. He smiled again, but this time it was more somber. Sam eyed him sideways.

"You sure you're up for this?" she asked, taking his suitcase and placing it in the backseat. Josh wet his dry lips with his tongue before he looked at her assuredly, nodding.

"Yeah."

When Josh called her to tell her when he was getting out, he'd had a very specific request for what they'd do with his first day of freedom. Sam didn't think it was the best idea, but she couldn't tell him no. He'd gotten approval from his doctor and that was all that mattered to Sam – That Josh would be emotionally equipped to handle the possible aftermath for his request.

But he was certain he was ready, so Sam didn't contest it any more as she climbed into her car and turned the key in the ignition. It was time to go back to Mount Washington, at least one last time.

Blackwood Pines - 11:10 a.m.

The drive had been relatively quiet – Josh slept a lot. Sam knew he hadn't been sleeping to well at the hospital as his release date neared. He said it was because of his meds, but Sam knew it was probably his nerves. He always slept better when he was around Sam anyway, so she just kept her eyes on the road and let him sleep off the last eight months.

After 3 hours of driving, Sam pulled into the familiar parking lot of the cable car station and into a parking spot. She exhaled, feeling slightly nervous to be back here yet again, before she turned off the car.

She glanced over at Josh, still in complete and utter awe that he was out, that he was here. Sure, being back here made her queasy. But once again, she was doing it for him.

She silently traced the long, thin scar up his face with her finger. It was faint but it was there, an everlasting reminder of how she almost lost him. His left eye had remained slightly foggy. Josh was self-conscious about it until Sam let him know it made him look like a sexy movie villain. Then he embraced it, and Sam told him not to get any ideas about actually becoming a sexy movie villain.

"Joooo-osh," she whispered sweetly, her hand resting on his cheek now.

He stirred at her touch, his eyes lazily opening. He wiped the drool from the side of his face and smirked over at her before stretching in his seat.

"There already?" he yawned. Sam chuckled.

"Easy for you to say, you were passed out the whole time." Josh looked down at his watch before he sat up quickly, becoming more awake.

"We should hurry. We only have about 4 more hours of daylight to get up there and back," he said, zipping up his jacket and pulling a beanie onto his head. He leaned in, pressing a kiss into Sam's cheek before he got out of the car and into the backseat, pulling out a wooden cross and the shovel. Sam took the other cross as well.

After the long wait for the cable car, Josh and Sam followed the trail the rest of the way up. They had to pass the remains of the lodge; it was in the long process of being torn down. Sam felt sadness in her heart as they passed the bulldozers and caution tape, all surrounding a place that had come to mean so much to her. Then, she wondered how they'd even gotten a bulldozer up here.

"What are your parents going to do with the lodge?" she asked, remembering back a year ago when the news had suggested that Bob and Melinda were going to sell the mountain and the lodge. Josh peered back at her over his shoulder, his face serious.

"They're gonna rebuild. Just like the rest of us," he said. Sam felt a smile creep across her lips. She liked the way that sounded.

They pressed onward, still with plenty of daylight before they had to head back down the mountain. So many memories here, although Sam reckoned she would never be able to return here after today. It was time to close the book, and this was the best way she could have ever done that.

Once they reached a clearing in the trail, Sam looked up to the cliffside where Hannah and Beth had fallen, where everything had begun. The view was spectacular, the world seeming to stretch on infinitely… but it wasn't the view of the landscape that took Sam's breath away. Josh was too busy staring at his feet as they walked to notice. Sam took Josh's hand and pointed his gaze upward; they weren't alone.

Standing on the cliff waiting for them were six friends that Josh hadn't seen in far too long.

Josh stood there, his mouth agape before he looked down at Sam, at the group of friends, then back at Sam again.

"I figured… maybe you'd want your friends here for this," Sam said quietly, her misty eyes looking into Josh's equally teary ones. Even through the tears he smiled though, with his whole face, before he turned towards the group and neared them slowly, hesitantly. Sam stood back a bit to take it all in.

Chris tackled Josh first, throwing his whole body into his best friend as he pulled him in for an embrace. The bros were reunited. There was plenty of laughter, tears, even Emily looked like she was happy to see him.

"It's been way too long," Sam even heard her say as she pulled Josh in for a hug, Jess and Ashley waiting in line to have their moment with him as well.

"Glad to see you, man," Mike chimed with a high-five and a slap on the back. Josh was surrounded by the love and support he'd so desperately needed for so long, and there wasn't an angry word or a dry eye between the eight of them.

After a few stray hugs and kind words, Josh looked back at Sam, extending his hand out towards her as they all stared at her. She didn't even hesitate to take ahold of it, right in front of everyone.

"Awww," Jess, Ashley and Emily all cooed at the same time, and Sam only felt herself blush a little bit as they erupted in laughter.

"Shut up," she groaned; she was cool with being public and all, but she still didn't like being the center of attention. Just to embarrass her further, Josh leaned down a pressed a big, wet kiss onto her lips in front of everyone, invoking another round of 'Awwws,' - from everyone this time. She giggled before she looked up at Josh, her free hand squeezing onto his bicep. "We doin' this or what?" she asked. Josh nodded before cutting the hard ground with his shovel.

With Mike and Matt's help, it only took a matter of moments before two wooden crosses stood firmly at the edge of the cliff. One read Bethany, the other read Hannah. They group of friends stood together, arms around each other, in silence as they had a makeshift memorial for the girls. It was long overdue.

"Wait!" Chris exclaimed suddenly, running to a tree nearby and picking up a smaller cross that Sam didn't notice before. Matt dug a third hole nearby, and helped Chris place his own cross, as well.

Stranger Who Saved My Life

Sam rubbed Chris' back consolingly as she saw him choke back a sob, but she didn't have to for long before Ashley took over, walking over to him wrapping her arms around him. She quietly whispered comforting words in his ear, and he smiled at her as she reached up and wiped a tear from behind his glasses and kissed him softly.

Then Sam noticed the ring on Ashley's finger.

"Oh my God!" she breathed, and grabbed ahold of Ashley's hand. "What!?"

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Josh droned, punching Chris in the arm lightly. "Aaaaalright. Way to go, Cochise." Ashley and Chris squirmed under everyone's prying eyes.

"Well, we didn't want to ruin the moment, this is about Beth and Hannah and all-" Chris began nervously.

"No, it'd be nice to have some good memories up here too, you know…" Josh shrugged. Chris and Ashley exchanged glances before their faces broke out into huge grins.

"Well… we're getting married!" Ashley squealed happily, Jess and Em beelining to her hand to inspect her ring. Chris turned to Josh.

"And I'm super glad you're here, man," he mumbled. "It'd be pretty hard to get married without my best man."

Sam felt like her cheeks were on fire from smiling so much. Her eyes took it all in. Mike and Jess were now huddled close together; they'd reunited after Mike's second near-death experience of pulling Josh out of the mines. Before, he'd dumped her because it was time to stop dicking around – after, he got back together with her when he realized that the only way to stop dicking around would be to get serious, for once. Emily and Matt were closer than ever now, the whole experience having made them truly appreciate one another, differences and all. Chris and Ashley were getting married…

And Josh.

He was here. He was free. He was alive.

All was right in the world. Sam walked through the crowd of friends, who were already excitedly deciding where to meet tonight to celebrate Chris and Ashley's engagement, to get to Josh. He was standing near the edge of the cliff, admiring his sister's crosses in silent contemplation.

"Do you think they're looking down at us right now?" he asked as Sam took ahold of his arm again. This was the first time Sam had ever heard Josh be able to talk about his sisters so emotionlessly; it wasn't that he didn't care anymore. More so that he was finally moving on.

"Yeah. And I think they're really proud of you, Josh," Sam said quietly, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Thanks," he whispered. "Not just for… you know, today, getting everyone up here. That means a lot to me, but… thanks for everything, Sam. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you." She knew that. But deep down, she knew the same was true about him with her. They'd saved each other in more ways than they could count at this point. "I love you," he said before pressing another kiss against her lips, which she graciously took from him.

"I love you, too," she said right away, and it put her heart at peace realizing how easy it was to say it now.

"C'mon, lovebirds. We're gonna go get shots in Beth and Hannah's honor… you know… before the monsters come out to play?" Matt joked, wrapping an arm around Emily's shoulder and turning to trek back down to the cable car.

"Ooooh! And we can help Ashley pick out her wedding colors! I, personally, look great in pink…" Jess giggled excitedly, grabbing Ashley's hand and starting to pull her away.

"Pink is tacky!" Emily called after them.

"Yeesh… you've got a fun couple months wedding planning…" Mike muttered to Chris sarcastically. Chris laughed.

"Bro, weddings are contagious. It's not gonna be long before Jess is hounding you for a ring. At least I'm planning a wedding with Ashley, not Princess Jessica."

Sam glanced up at Josh, who was grinning as he watched his friends start down the trail, back to their lives. This was probably the last time they'd all be back up here, and as bittersweet as that felt, it was time to make new memories somewhere else. And they had all the time in the world to do that. Josh gave one last glance back at his sister's crosses before he reached down and took Sam's hand.

"Ready?" he asked. She wordlessly nodded and they started after them. After a brief silence, Josh paused. "Hey Sam?"

"Yes, Josh?"

"Do you think we're gonna be happy, now?" Sam smiled. That was an easy one.

"Yeah," she breathed. "In a way, I really think we are."

In the end, Sam realized that this was always how it was meant to be. And she realized that in every scenario, in every conceivable way, she would choose him - over and over and over again.

But sometimes, even more than that, you realize that there was never any other choice at all.

The End