EPILOGUE:
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"I tried to warn you, in this life you can't always be the good guy."
"At least you admit you're not the good guy here." Theo's eyes never leave mine.
"Sometimes in doing what's right you can't be."
"Typical Bo, always thinking she's right."
"Watch it." Lauren warns Evony.
"I am the champion here, I think I would have the best gauge."
"Then I guess there's nothing left to do." His fingers tap the table. "Make ya' move."
"A-three."
"Miss!" Theo, Evony and Cleo say in union after a moment.
"B-six." Celo throws out.
"Hit." Both Lauren and Dirks say together.
"What's happening Miss. Champion?" Theo taunts, waving a little red piece through the air before plugging it into his board. Ass.
"Whoa!" Bethany holds up one hand, the other holding her phone. She shoots us all, or really more me and Theo the warning look that is a mirror of Lauren's. "We all know the rules here." She picks up one of the green index cards at the edge of the table. "You have drifted into an old, undetonated minefield, G and H three through six explode. Report your hits."
The six of us talking over one another, Lauren readying her move only to be cut off by the sound of the house phone. My eyes running over the six of them. Huh. Wonder who that is. Laughing to myself as I stand, placing a soft kiss to Lauren's temple as I say "I've got it" and a kiss to the top of Bethany's head to tap her in for myself. Smiling as I walk to the kitchen, the sound of them bickering carrying.
"Base of Antarctica, home of world domination. How may I direct your call?"
(You're playing world domination without me?!)
"Vex?" I laugh into the phone, shoulder leaning against the corner of the wall. "I can hardly hear you."
(Yeah it's me. Sorry we're in Cabo right now.)
"What happened to L.A.?"
(We're vacationing. If we don't do it in style there's no point in doing it.)
"Whatever you say."
Leaning a little further into the dining room as Vex begins to ramble on. Little weirdo has grown on me, his tendency to ramble…not so much. Bethany picks up another card, another scenario which apparently earns a direct hit to everyone. The game itself became a little complicated or so Mark whined, but we loved it. Almost had just as much fun the four hours of creating it as actually playing it. Eight regular battleship boards, though now only six seem to see the light of day since Vex took his little vacation of the century. Nine pieces for each team spread out over three boards, only one battleship of course hidden. And then the best part, the two-minute surprise cards. Which now work out well since we're always uneven. Some normal, easily came up with. But others, only we could possibly make up. Vex created one about jellyfish swarms and Theo one about mechanics in cowboy boots.
(Are you listening?)
"Yes, yes. I'm listening."
"Babe come on, Antarctica is taking a beating!"
"You want me to get Lauren? Bethany?"
(No. No. Let them play. I'll call again this week.)
"They'll be upset."
(Shows they care.)
"Fair enough." I laugh, standing up straight. My back turned to the group, their laughter growing louder. "Stay safe and attempt to behave."
(Never…wait.)
"What?"
(Long live Antarctica!)
"Long live Antarctica." A laugh swallowing up my words, hanging up the phone. A slight jump earned as Evony brushes past me.
"Sorry to break the news but Antarctica fell, the world is ours." She gloats, cup in hand as she heads straight for the fridge.
"Could you gloat anymore?"
"Probably not." She smirks back at me. "But I can try."
"Ass." I mutter under my breath, she just smirks walking toward me with three Sunny-D mini bottles in hand and whatever she filled her own cup with.
"Pout all you want succubus, but one more win and we're picking the vacation spot."
I want to tell her it will never happen but I just roll my eyes instead, walking to the counter full of pizza boxes. One pepperoni and pineapple, one with everything known to man, one Hawaiian with green peppers and the only normal one, meat lover with extra cheese. Truth was I don't think I'll ever fully like Evony, I've tried, but it just doesn't seem to work. But I have found myself coming to respect her. And in a way, not that I'd say it aloud, but I think love her. The way you love that annoying family member who tests every inch of your patience but every once and a while comes through when you need them.
It was quite surprising the way she adapted to family life. Well, I guess more for me than anyone considering I missed so much. But when I finally came out of the hospital, she was nearly Betty Crocker. Homemade cookies, quality questionable. Parks with the kids, Bethany included. A rather dutiful wife, though I don't remember a night where we've gotten through…anything without her and Theo bickering. It's almost…cute. Never will I admit that to Lauren though.
For a while it was one thing that made me question just how real this life was, but then something clicked. She was so different because she was so happy. Truly happy. I remember that, finding Lauren when we first met, when we first got together. I wanted to be better. I needed to be better. It wasn't always smooth. But I wanted it and not to toot my own horn, I think I achieved it.
I really wanted to hate Evony, or at least dislike her with the same passion as I did before I took my little Hell-trip, but I just couldn't. She was different and more so than anything, I could relate to her. There were dozens of days I spent analyzing every little detail of this life I came home to. In certain moments I couldn't help but wonder if she struggled as much as I did. Wondered if it just came easier to her.
"Are you hiding in here?" Lauren's words accompanied by wandering hands running up from the middle of my back to my shoulders.
"Wait, you mean to tell me I'm not invisible when I step into the kitchen."
"Sadly not."
"Damn."
"Behave." She orders, playfully smacking my ass before her hand returns to my shoulder. "Theo is gloating. Evony is gloating. The kids are getting into their Halloween costumes."
"Um, what?" Laugh turning to a slight cough as I accidently swallow my bite of pizza before chewing.
"I don't know." She laughs, continuing to gently rub my shoulders. "I stopped trying to figure them out ages ago."
"Are we done playing?"
"No. The kids just want to play in their costumes now."
"I wasn't aware a Lola Bunny and Batman we're from Antarctica."
"It's a magical place."
"I thought that was Alaska?"
"What?"
"North Pole." Smirking, I turn around to face her. She's got her eyebrow raises, trying not to grin. "Come on it was funny."
"No."
"Amusing?"
"Nope." She shakes her head, taking what's left of my slice from my hand.
"Hey! That's mine!" I protest, hands on her waist giving a playful squeeze, just enough to earn a laugh.
"Marriage my love, fifty-fifty." She manages to impressively get out in between a mixture of bites and laughs.
It had taken a little while for us to get back to this point. This point where everything was easy and where our 'okay days' were 'great days'. But she stood by side through it all, never once complaining about anything I ever needed. Time, space, endless questions, her loyalty and dedication never wavered. It just made me fall in love with her all over again. Not that that's hard to do.
The single source of tension that remained the longest was Kostas. He honestly was what convinced me beyond a doubt that this was real. It wasn't sudden, but slowly as I gained a grip on reality my dislike returned for him. Each day I remembered a little more what he really was. What he did and what he tried to do. Everything I lost because of him. Lauren wanted to turn him and Jack over to the New Order, but I couldn't let her. Despite everything, he was a part of what got me through that place. What got me back to my wife and daughter and our very unusual but amazing family. There's a part of me that will be forever grateful for that and I replay that debt by letting him live. But as Lauren said when she put her foot down, 'He will never see the light of day again'.
Some days, far and few between I wonder how he is. If he's realized what he did was wrong. If he's allowed them to help him. All those little details. But I don't care enough to find out for sure. No that's not fair, I do honestly care. I do honestly wonder. BUT for me to find out is to step foot in a world that we walked away from. THAT is what isn't worth it.
See the thing was that after all was said and done, we just didn't have any fight left in us. We were all just so tired, broken in our own ways. And despite whatever drew us back to answer Dyson's call, it was so much more than we bargained for. So when the opportunity arose, we took a collective step back.
Kenzi got what she wanted, to go back to being a mom. Dagny and Ayesha more than happy to retreat with her back into their lives. Last I heard they had settled in New York after the honeymoon. Vex and Mark pop in and out. They're solid for once, but then again they're Vex and Mark. It's just as well, one day I think Vex will want what Evony has achieved, but for now I think he loved being the cool uncle who drops in for weeks at a time with more gifts and mayhem than we can handle.
"Moms!" Bethany yells, the laugher in her voice dulling our urgency as we wander back into the dining room.
"What in the…" Lauren laughs so loudly I'm cut off.
Theo stands a few feet from the table, almost in the living room. Bethany and Cleo in full costume thrown over each of his shoulders. He's doing a sort of Arnold Schwarzenegger flexing pose to keep them in place. Dierks of course in full costume as well jumping up in front of his father, trying to get the girls. Evony at the table with her tiara on from her costume while filming the whole thing. But perhaps the funniest thing of all is how Theo has his Green Lantern mask and gloves on.
"How long were we in there?" I ask through a laugh, Lauren having quickly made her way around the table by Evony's side, giving her filming 'advice'.
"Green Lantern kicks Batman's butt." Theo laughs, lifting the girls a little.
"One word dad, two-thousand-eleven."
"That's like three words." Bethany says, looking back down at him finally stopping her struggle. "What is happening here? We demanded to be recused." She demands in that adorable way is Lauren to a T.
"Sorry. Sorry. We're waiting for you to recuse yourself." I try to sound serious.
"What am I? Chopped liver?" Dierks pouts.
"Come on babe, put them down." Evony laughs, handing her phone to Lauren.
Sometimes I wish Kenzi and me were still as close as we once were so she could be a part of these moments. Sometimes I wish that Dagny and me could be…well close at all really. Sometimes I wonder what a Thanksgiving or Christmas would be with all of us around some table. Then a moment like this happens. No, not the actually funny, goofiness moment that's passing as the six of them begin debating about a movie as we wander over to the couches. I mean this moment of clarity that happens after one of these ridiculous, damn near cheesy but perfect moments. In these perfect clarity moments I can't picture life any other way. It's not to say I don't miss them, but well…in these moments I don't. I love my life. These past three Thanksgivings and two Christmases have been picture perfect and I wouldn't trade them for the world.
Theo lays halfway on one couch, Evony laying in between his leg, head on his chest. The kids laying on the pile of pillows and blankets and whatever else that is making it look like a rocky mountain in front of the T.V.
"You okay?" Lauren whispers, sliding up the couch to me.
"Mm-hm." I nod, wrapping my arm around her as she rests her head on my shoulder. "Perfect actually."
Every so often I wonder if we should have stayed to fight the good fight. I wonder if we shouldn't have packed up and found a new town…after LOTS of investigation. But then the second passes and I realize that sometimes walking away is best. NOT running, but walking. I finally learned the difference. Besides we needed the break to just be us again, to find us, this new us with the three of us. And then this us with the seven of us.
Hell, after everything we've given we deserve it. Let the younger generations of champions handle this decades' rebellion, this decades' disaster. We'll take the one that comes after.
For now, we earned our peace.
AN: Thank you all.