Epilogue

Two weeks later

Crash was lounging, just as he had been for the past several days. He loved having nothing to do, with no destructive plots to destroy or conquer the world hanging over him. All he wanted was to lie in the sun and munch on wamba fruit, resting day in and day out for the rest of his life. At that moment, he was lying on the thick branch of a wamba tree, his arms crossed behind his head as he stared up into the thick green leaves. All of a sudden, the leaves shook. A few moments later, Isabella dropped down onto Crash's branch. The shift on the branch nearly caused Crash to topple over the side. He steadied himself quickly.

"Hey, jackrabbit, be careful."

Isabella frowned at him.

"Do you seriously intend to lie there all day? You haven't moved in hours."

Crash yawned.

"If you're hanging around here, sweetheart, you've got to accept the lifestyle."

"It seems to me that you're the only one around here that sits around doing nothing all day."

"I'm thinking about taking a trip to the bottom of this tree and finishing my rest on the grass. This bark is starting to make my back itch."

Isabella sighed, and took a seat adjacent from him. Although she was wearing the same outfit she normally wore, she'd discarded her black boots and had been going barefoot for a few days. A few weeks had passed since the night she recovered, and Crash was pleased to see that her tightly-wound demeanor was beginning to relax. Crash knew if anyone was up to the task of getting Isabella to unwind, it was him. However, most of the time she couldn't sit still. She'd just completed a climb to the very top of the tree and then back down. Isabella stretched out on the branch and crossed her legs ankle-over-ankle.

"Have you never climbed this tree?"

"I've climbed up to the first branch. But that's usually were I stop. All the branches going higher up seem pretty much the same."

"You've never been to the very top, I take it?"

Crash shook his head.

"Nope, takes too much energy."

Isabella paused for a moment.

"Interesting."

A moment or so later, Crash heard the sound of a soft-skinned fruit being bitten into. Since there was only one soft-skinned fruit that could be found in that particular tree, Crash's eyes snapped open and he raised himself on his elbows. Isabella was leaned back, a perfectly ripe wamba fruit in her hand. She smiled at him, and took another bite. Crash grimaced.

"Where'd you find that?"

"I tasted one of these before and it was pretty substandard. So I climbed to the top of the tree where I found a ton of fruit, perfectly ripe. Absolutely delicious."

Crash's stomach rumbled, and he pulled himself up to a seated position. He put on a charming smile.

"Hey, are you open to sharing?"

She fixed him with a look, and took another bite.

"I don't think so."

Crash could feel his mouth watering. That fruit was the most perfect one he'd ever seen. He moved toward her, his eyes locked upon the yellowy-red fruit.

"Just one bite?"

Isabella cocked her head to one side.

"How about this? You can have the rest, but only if…" She got to her feet. "You can get it."

Crash smirked. Did this girl know who she was dealing with? Sure, she was quick and smart and strong, but she'd never seen him go after such a valuable target before. He was fastest when he was hungry. And just the idea of biting into that delicious fruit filled his limbs with energy. Isabella shot off into the trees, and Crash gave his arms a quick stretch.

"It's a deal, babe."

Even after ten straight minutes of constant motion, Crash didn't feel the least bit exerted. He swung from branch to branch, getting a lock on Isabella but then losing her a moment later. However, it only took a few minutes of deception to slow Isabella down enough that he could reach her. He quickly slid toward her legs, and reached out for her. In desperation, she attempted to jump to a lower branch, but it was too late. Crash gripped her by the wrist, and she found herself dangling in mid-air. She whistled, and glanced up at him.

"Well, that was a pretty quick move. Who would've thought you had it in you?"

Crash shot her a returning grin.

"Yeah, I'm pretty impressive that way."

Crash hoisted her back onto his branch. She climbed up and sat beside him. He fixed her with a triumphant look.

"Cough it up, sweetheart."

With a sigh, Isabella tossed the wamba fruit to Crash, who devoured it in a manner of seconds. The taste was unbelievable. He expected he'd be wearing a smile all day. He heaved a self-satisfied sigh, and lay back upon the tree branch. Isabella sat down, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees. Her eyes were fixed on him. She gave her head a small shake.

"It's amazing how fast you can move when food's involved."

Crash snickered, and closed his eyes.

"Food is a great motivator."

For a few moments, they just sat in silence. Although Crash pretended to be semi-conscious, he was inconspicuously trying to study Isabella. The hard set to her jaw was still there, as well as the tenseness in his shoulders that revealed she was prepared to move at any second. However, something had definitely changed. She was gazing out toward the sea, the warm light of the fading sun gleaming off the orange fur on her face. Her blond hair danced about her neck, and the smallest smile played across the edges of her mouth. Something had certainly lifted her spirits, and Crash guessed the answer to that was obvious. Her sickness was gone, and she was now able to live healthy and free. Crash was happy for her, and even happier that she had decided to stay. As he watched her, he noticed her eyes lock themselves on something at the bottom of the tree. She leaned forward slightly to get a better look.

"Head's up, bandicoot. We've got company."

A moment later, Crash could make out Coco's voice calling out over the jungle.

"Crash! Isabella! Hurry, or you'll miss the party!"

Crash opened one eye, and huffed.

"Sounds a little too strenuous, I'll stay here."

Isabella snorted.

"Come on, bandicoot. You're part of a family, duty calls."

Without hesitation, Isabella gave Crash a swift kick. With a yelp, Crash found himself tumbling to the ground. He twisted in mid-air, and landed heavily on his haunches in front of Coco. He gazed up at her with a tired expression.

"Hey sis."

Coco put her hands on her hips and sighed. Seconds later, Isabella dropped down beside Crash and immediately stood. Coco grinned at Isabella thankfully.

"Thanks, Isabella. It usually takes me a half-hour to get him down."

Isabella shrugged.

"No problem."

"Yeah, yeah. She's a real peach." Crash muttered sarcastically.

Isabella helped heave Crash to his feet.

"Alright, bandicoot. Let's get a move on. I've never been to a party before."

"Well, don't get your hopes up too high." Crash answered as he stretched his back. "Crunch is going to be there. I gotta warn you, he's a real party pooper."

Coco gripped Crash's hand and started tugging him along, a bright look in her eye.

"Oh, I think he'll be okay."

The three of them moved quickly back to the house. Crash knew what kind of party they were heading to. It was a birthday party. Tawna had given birth a week ago, and they were celebrating the occasion. As they entered the house, Crash was momentarily distracted by the bright decorations all over his living room. Coco had insisted that she and Crash throw the party at their house, which Crash hadn't been completely on board with. However, it evened out. Crash did next to nothing to help with the decorations. He even forgot to pick up some ingredients for the cake, and so Coco had to frantically dispatch Kieran to locate a bushel of bananas and some coconut milk. All in all, Crash had been left alone to recuperate after his wild Chicago adventure. He absently wondered about Alexander Chambers and his freaky snake, and how they were faring with their encounter with the police. Crash wished he'd been able to see how it all turned out. He thought about mailing Dex's duds back to him, but after that blackmailing threat Crash just couldn't muster up the energy.

Inside the house, Crash noted several people. Maya and Camlin, the eldest students of the Rune Academy, were among the guests, as was little Jag and Ailyn. Kieran was there, naturally, and Coco quickly took a spot beside him. Crash didn't have time to glare at the bilby, because Aku had begun to speak.

"Welcome friends. Please join me in welcoming the newest additions to the bandicoot family, Haden and Haily."

Crunch and Tawna came into the room, each of them holding a tiny bundle of fur. Crash felt himself soften instantly. Although he pretended to be bitter about Crunch's rug-rats, he had to admit that they were gosh darn adorable. Haily and Haden were twins, each sporting a coat of burgundy fur identical to the colour of their father's. The only discernible difference between the two at this point was their ears. Haden's ears were straight, and Haily's were bent like Crunch's. In fact, when Crash looked at Haily, he could see a lot of Crunch in the rascally girl. When she poked him in the eye as a newborn, Crash knew she was going to be a handful. Maybe even more so than Ailyn, if that was possible. Haden, on the other hand, was quiet and cautious. He was not outwardly rambunctious like his sister. Despite this, both babies were most comfortable when they were close to one another. They must've shared some kind of twin bond, though Crash had little knowledge about that kind of thing.

As everyone gushed over the babies for a while, Crash leaned back on his favorite couch. He was about to catch up on a few z's, when he suddenly felt a sharp tug on his hair. Any attempt to move only caused whatever it was that had his hair pull harder. He winced.

"Hey, watch the locks."

He guessed Haily was the culprit even before Isabella bent down and lifted her into her arms. She gently untangled Crash's red hair from Haily's tiny fingers.

"Don't mess up the prima donna's hair-do, pipsqueak, it'll be the last thing you do."

Haily cooed in what was probably meant to be a giggle, and began playing with the ends of Isabella's hair. Isabella took a seat beside Crash, holding Haily tenderly on one knee. Crash felt himself smile softly when he saw her. Although Isabella didn't seem to have an interest in kids at all, she certainly seemed to enjoy herself. Crash soon realized Crunch was watching the two of them, and when Crash met his eyes he offered a sloppy salute. Crunch rolled his eyes with a small grin, and turned away. Crash stretched out on the couch, and a wonderful torrent of satisfaction washed over him. After all his years complaining about all the extra people crowding up his space, he had to admit that his life was a pretty lucky one.

Meanwhile…in London, England

The chamber was cold and dark, but the chilly temperature was very much preferred. It provided the perfect environment for careful contemplation. However, there was little point in forming deliberations at that particular juncture. Again, she repeated the telephone message, and the words echoed through the sparse room.

"Nira, this is Dr. Ross. I regret to be the one to inform you of this, but I am afraid the company has made their decision. Effective immediately, your department of experimental bio-mechanical engineering has been shut down. It is requested that you have the laboratory cleared immediately. Again, I am ever so sorry this has occurred."

The message clicked, and the voice faded. After a moment or two of silence, Nira spoke out quietly into the dimness of the room.

"Sorry, indeed. I suspect the measure of your elation was unprecedented, Doctor. After all, the lab is now under your control. But that is of little importance. You will pay for your shortsightedness, just as the executives will pay. Mark my words."

Nira slowly rose to her feet, unfurling upward gracefully. She was still clad in a snug-fitting grey lab coat, and had not yet removed her sleek black boots. She did not intend to remain there for long. Although she would not be able to exact revenge immediately, she was committed to discovering the resources she would require to get back at the people who had turned her out. At the present moment, she possessed nothing. She hadn't a lab, equipment, or any large sum at her disposal. Before she could do anything else, she needed to acquire the necessary essentials. But where to look?

An idea came to her rapidly. She strode over to her computer and began to sift through some of the information documented there. Finally, she came across what she was looking for. It was a profile of a once-prominent scientist who had previously been employed at a prestigious university. However, he soon squandered his funding and was forced to resign due to some outrageous experimenters involving the evolution of animals into bipedal beings. Apparently, the university did not intend to endorse such a perverse scientific avenue. For her own part, although the doctor's documented tests were unsuccessful, she had always believed the project showed promise. However, after he was forced from his post, he was never heard from again. There were rumors that he intended to return with a vengeful reckoning, but after several years there'd been no sign of him. The authorities had given up any attempt to keep tabs on his doings, and so he faded from the scientific community, and from existence itself. This was the man Nira was intent on contacting, and she had a decided advantage. This sought-after scientist was her late husband's brother, Dr. Neo Cortex. She was quite certain she would be able to locate his current whereabouts.

With a new course of action in mind, Nira Rage glanced to the opposite end of the room. A shadowy figure sat there, playing a game of jacks by the light of the moon outside the window. Nira allowed herself a small smile of anticipation.

"Pack what you need, Nina darling. I think it's time we paid your uncle a visit."

A/N:

FINISHED! Finally! I can't believe how long it took for the writing and posting of this super long story. I can't understand why they end up being so long. I guess I like to include tons of itty bitty details (hopefully they're all relevant to the story, since I'm an easily distracted sort of gal;) Anyway, I hope the epilogue was worth the wait. It's just a bit of fluff, but I thought it was necessary to introduce Crunch's twins:) Again, this idea has been in the works for a very long time, so sorry for those who aren't thrilled about all the kids. If I continue on with this series, these characters are definitely necessary. I was especially excited to introduce my favorite OC, Haily Bandicoot! It was very exciting for me to finally include her in a story! (even if it was just at the end^^)

Anyway, sorry for going on (as usual). I'm just very excited to see this story completed. I was afraid I would never get there. I am also SO thankful for every review I received on this long piece of writing. It makes it so worthwhile! As a final shoutout to those who have reivewed, thanks to: Chicflick97, Accepted Rejection, Brad-Bandicoot, the One and Only Geek, element-earth, Darklight200, and Guest:) I also want to thank Readerfever and SSJrandommaster for faving my stories. THANKS!

P.S. As a side note, I would LOVE to hear if anyone had a favorite part in particular they'd like to share with me. I would be so appreciative to hear what readers enjoy so that I can include some of the same kinds of things in my up-in-coming stories.

Thanks so much!

~Bandi-cute~