A noise filled Wendy's ears,she heard it like drops of sprinkling rain falling before a heavy shower onto the appreciative,deprived earth.Gradually,it turned cadenced and even lulling to her before finally she could feel a hand resting lightly on her shoulder.Somehow the noise finally translated into a beeping and she had her lids open,staring around at ivory walls she saw Josh and his mother on opposite ends of the room.Crinkling her brow,she was about to say something when two arms slid just beneath her arms.

"Oh,dearest me.You're awake!"The sound of her aunt's voice tightened with great relief sent sparks of longing through her,it made missed her home.Haley took her head in her comely hands and her black eyes moved anxiously over her niece's face."Tell me,are you alright?Did you hurt yourself at all there?"

Wendy gave a small laugh."I'm fine,"she told her assuringly and then glanced around the room."Guess I don't need to ask how I got here but what matters is that I'm back...but,how did you find me?"

She stroked the teenager's silky brown hair as she talked."They found you lying unconscious in the park yesterday and were idenitifed by the school I.D. in that silly wallet you stuff in your back pocket since you were five."an amused but also retrospective smile crossed her pretty,tan faical features.

"Wait."Her nerves fluttered a bit as she asked concernedly."How's Cole?I haven't seen him for a bit."

At that,Haley suddenly turned apologetic."Sweetheart,I'm sorry."her hand quickly moved to clasp her niece's."We don't know anything about him yet.It was only yesterday that you were found and saved."

Fury rose up in the young dragoness."You mean no one's even bothered to look!"she ripped her hand away and stared impertinently,mostly hopefully."Please,tell me that he's alright.He could be hurt."

"Wendy,I'm sure he's fine."Haley told her gently."If anything,he's out on his own again doing what he will.It isn't like your brother hasn't done this before but I'm sure he'll turn up when he wants to."

"Or..."Anger mingled with fear blindsighted her momentairly."He's dead somewhere like I should be!"

Wendy thought she heard the scrap back of chair legs but before she could raise up,a hand clamped over her mouth and she found her aunt staring her hard in the eyes."Listen to me,we all know what happened back in the past and some have already associated the version Josh has given to us about the skulls,Dark Dragon and forthwith."her eyes and voice turned softly pleading."Promise me you'll never just run off like this again?Amazingly your father never lost his cool once and is down in the lobby right now taking care of finances but just tell me you'll never scare me so much.Remember last time-"

Haley didn't get to finish her sentence,for Wendy had pulled the woman's hand away and was in her arms.Together,both clinged to each other for what felt like forever and for the first time,the fourteen year old girl actually missed her everything she had left behind.Homesickness had never been anything she had come across nor wanted to,but here in this moment there was nothing that felt stronger.

"I'm sorry."Wendy told her ruefully."I only did what I could to try and stop the Dark Dragon."

Her aunt's arms pressing her closer to her small compact chest was the only response she received.

"Hey,"she heard Haley whisper into her ear with of breath of excitement."The Dragon Councel has taken a quick trip over here,there's something very important they need to discuss with you,Wen."

Great,they're probably looking to take my powers away now.Wendy thought with dread as a few memories flooded her mind but she managed a forced,wide smile."Okay,well.Send them in then."

A minute or so passed as her aunt walked hurriedly away,which in that time Wendy turned to the end of her bed to see Trixie nod once at her son and saw as Josh started to come over to her.He looked as if sleep had deserted him and his cloths appeared rumpled but he was smiling that relaxed,heartening smile just the same as he came alongside her hospital bed and immediately took her hand in his.

"I fell asleep in your arms."She reminded him with an inquiring note."I don't remember much else."

There was a clouding of his dark brown eyes but he merely shook his head."That doesn't matter right now,the imporant thing is that you're back."his smile returned."I'm just thankful you'll be okay and that after your dad sorts some things through and the council talks to you you'll be able to return home."

Wendy arched up a thin brow."What do they want to see me for anyway?"

"You'll see."Josh told her with a wink,lowering himself down to peck her on the lips."Here they come."

As if on cue,there they were.An older man,Counciler Andam,a younger brown haired woman about in her mid-twenties and a middle-aged man with jet black hair combed back.She expected to instantly feel imposed upon,because if there was one thing she shared with her brother,it was a disliking of these few selected dragons that got to decide everything from who taught who to the very life of a being.

"Hello,Gwendolyn."Andam greeted her in a friendly voice and she wondered if they hadn't been told of her venturing into the past."Well..."he watched as Haley slipped inside and came back to stand next to the wall of the bed's backboard because of where Josh was."Do you wish to tell her Mrs. Long?"

Haley complied by sitting down onto Wendy's bedside and interlacing her fingers."I know what you might be thinking and yes,they do know."a knowing glint flashed in her eyes mitigating the seriousness of her voice to a point."But they also know of your heroics about going back to face the Dark Dragon..."

"...And although it was sheer foolishness to be displayed..."The black-haired man added sharply.

"We have talked amongst ourselves for a great while with both past and present American Dragons."

The younger dragoness had been searching each and everyone of their faces with darting azure eyes,a great need to know things and find things out had never been more urgent to her.Scenarios of what they might want to tell her kept surfacing in her mind as she tried to hold them back in order not to miss one thing being told to her.Finally,after she thought she'd die of anticipation,Counciler Andam announced.

"Under the strict guidance of one Haley Long,"A congratulatory note entered his voice."That today on this day,January twenty-second 2026,We hereby instate Gwendolyn Long as the third..."and hopefully final."he added under his breath momentarily."American Dragon of New York City,America."

Two month's later...

Although clouds still cluttered the skys above,the warmth from the partially hidden sun felt reassuring on Wendy's back as her and Arceila,who had arrived back a few days after Wendy's inaugration,both strolled down a lone path in Central Park.It had been hard on Arceila to learn of Cole's leaving but in a way it had sort of bonded the two people who cared about him the most and although the two had never spent much time with one another before,they had slowly,eventually grown nearly as close as sisters.

"It is such an awesome day,"Arceila commented,sounding postiviely enamored at the sight of huge pine trees lush in regrowth to the healthy cascades of flowers that had bloomed and elegantly reached their curved pedaled hands to the now still slightly cloudy sky."The rainforest stays pretty much the same all year round,so being here around this time in the spring is surely something I've never witnessed before."

"Yeah."Wendy agreed a little absently,her mind was on other things concerning her dragon duties but what brought her attention back to focus was a rustling in some nearby bushes off to their right.Josh.

The dull,one-worded thought ran through her and crossing over the small layout of grass that seperated her from the shaggy foliage,was about to take him by surprise when to her atonishment a creamy white and golden-mained unicorn appeared in an appallingly distressed state.It's long legs thrashing about as it lay on it's side and throwing it's neck in jerky movements of agitation.

Wendy gestured for the other girl to stay behind her,as the twosome made their way slowly into the bushes over to the beautiful young mare and it just briefly crossed her mind it was the same clearing she had been in practicing before the whole ordeal had begun and their very futures may not have been.

"She looks like she's struggling with something."Arceila said observingly,insticntively pointing out the cause as the two crouched down on their knees next to the large magical creature."She appears almost as if she is in..."

"Labor."Wendy finished for her,placing her hands on the unicorn's lower back and going on matter-of-factly."I think she only has a couple of minutes left."she directed a calming smile toward's her friend."Don't worry,they always go through this kind of behaviour just before birth.Although I've never seen one born,I've heard plenty to know she'll be fine.The best thing for us to do is just stand back and watch to make sure no one comes."

So the two stood,stepped back some and waited as the horse-like animal slowly started to settle down.Soon it was lying perfectly still and whinnying every once in awhile.Before long it gave a short grunt and there was a splatting noise which Wendy turned her eyes from just a bit but found herself gaping in awe along with Arceila as a wobbling,slightly matted furred Unicolt hasted to get to it's feet and make it's way over to his mother.

"Muy beautiful..."Arceila marvelled under her breath.

Wendy nodded her head slowly."Yeah,"she replied softly."But we can't interact with either of them.They need the first few days to bond before the mother will bring him to rejoin the heard."her eyes turned to Arceila."Any ideas on names?Just because we can't touch the little guy,doesn't mean we can't give him a suitable name."

Surprisingly,a frown deepened into her dark features and she mumbled what sounded to Wendy like "Cole" before she turned without giving the mother and son a second glance and left back for the sidewalk.It took a while to catch up,as Arceila strided very briskly and wouldn't let up until they reached the ending of the park.There was about five feet of distance between them and Wendy knew what she was thinking.Although the two had talked on many things,Cole was one subject they rarely talked about unless it was speculation on just when exactly he might turn up again.But Wendy knew she needed to talk to her about it,it was finally time.

"I guess throwing ideas around on when he might come back is getting old,huh?"she tried to ask in a joking tone as she came alongside her,but she immediately sobered as Arceila seemed to prefer to stay silent.

A long while passed,before she finally spoke in distant,recalling voice."We use to be able to talk about almost anything and even when we didn't talk the quiet between us felt settling."she sighed raptively and then turned her umber colored eyes to Wendy,asking her a bit hopefully."Do you understand that part of his life he never should have been apart of?I mean,you must know more then me.It was something I wanted to understand."

"Well..."She touched her chin in thought,trying to think of a decent way of explaining it to her."I was involved with it when I went to the past and it seems to me it's just a place no one would want to grow up in.My great uncle was someone I didn't care to meet and I sort of see how he wouldn't want to discuss alot about it.Kind of like poaching crossed with military boot camp.You either get your act together or they chew you out good."

Arceila shook her head in exaggeration."How dumb.Why would he wish to keep something so burdensome to himself?Why anyone for that matter?"she crossed her arms with a brief of ambivalence."I still don't get it."

"And you think I do?"Wendy countered good-naturedly,which made both lock eyes."I try everyday to get why my dad still asks me where I'm going or even just why I am who I am."she allowed an empathic smile to cross her fair-skinned visage."Were not always going to understand people,Arc.It's just the way life works."

"I suppose you're right."Arceila sighed in resignation after a while,dropping her arms to her sides like weights.

"Please tell me that's not all you two have been doing for all these weeks is worrying over me."

A familiar voice spoke from behind them and the both turned in unison to see Cole standing not far dressed in normal attire,limiting down the size of his staff in hand.Arceila let out an unexpected squeal of pure,uncontained joy as she throw herself into his arms and he quickly embraced her.The two held onto one another and finally as they broke apart a sound caught their attention,turning as three to see the source was that of a large orge that was dangerously near the exposing line of the park,Wendy noted in her mind as she morphed in a beat.

"So Arceila tells me you're the new American Dragon."Cole exclaimed with a note of impressedness as he now came up beside her to face the beast head on."Not a bad promotion.At least you'll be more hands on."

"Just the way it should be."She replied back and inquired him a bit wheedlingly."Do I even need to ask where you've been for all this time?I knew one way or another you after a while you had made it back in one piece."

He cracked his knuckles."I've been here and there doing my fair share of good deeds I guess you could say."

"And you're here to stay?"Her voice held of note of uncertainity.

"Whenever I can be."Cole awnsered with a significance in the depths of his words."So,"he grinned slightly at her as the two met gazes."Care for a quick tag team take down before I tell you both about my many travels?"

Wendy examined her brother closely,something about him was different and yet there was no difference.He still had the same demeanor almost when it came to them kidding or bantering with one another but it was just like there was a light in his eyes she had never seen before and before they turned back to face their opponet it suddenly sunk in.He was free,it had taken a while for it to become offical even after all his days away from the Huntsclan but it was more evident then ever he had finally found himself in their time apart and she had as well.

"Time and time again."Were the words that uttered from her lips endearingly.

"Uh,Wendy."Cole visibly shuddered."If you ever mention that word to me again,your tail is a good as slain."

"Thanks but I think I'll have to promptly decline that invite."she laughed with a shake of her head."Ready?"

"Ready when you are."

And for many years to come,that's how it remained.Wendy stayed the American Dragon and eventually got married to Josh. Cole came in and out of the picture,never revealing the whereabouts of where it was exactly he lived but almost always up for anything.Arceila died in the process of giving birth to their son Michael when she turned twenty-one and Cole took him in to raise,after years of ups and downs with their relationship and then finally...nine years later only a few days after Wendy's twenty third birthday she delivered two healthy twins,both girls who were unmarked and therefore destined to become dragons themselves.

"Whatever will we name them?"Josh asked his wife in a hushed,thoughtful voice as he planted another kiss on her damp forehead."One has a head of blond curls with blue eyes and the other straight black hair it looks like with small little brown eyes."he reached down to stroke one of the twin's heads,feeling their downy softness.

"Hmm,"Wendy pondered,face and eyes marked by whimiscalness."I'm thinking the little miss blackie here shall be dubbed Ariella."she chuckled softly and kissed the infant's chubby fists,turning to the other."And you are-"

"Rose."Her husband put in automatically and beamed at her with a proud smile."Right after her grandmother."

Gentle tears pooled in Wendy's eyes and she nodded her head vigorously."Uh-huh.That's the perfect name."

Josh slipped an arm around her shoulders and pressed her close."I wouldn't have it any other way."

The two smiled fondly at one another and then down at their precious gifts that were cradled in the dragoness's arms from a being from above,a being that was brilliant and above all others,even magical or not.

The End.

A/N:Okay,so it's over.Just so you'll know,anything that was altered in the past was restored once Wendy and Cole went back home by an unknown force they never did figure out.And Michael is two years older then his cousin's Ariella and Rose.Don't think I'll make a trilogy out of this but it was nice to introduce their future kids.

Thanks for R/Ring and look for more of my writings coming soon.

LP