(late 2014)

All day after Halloweenfest, Pike waited for Scanlan to return. A new bottle of wine sat in her fridge, and excitement thrummed in her stomach at the thought. She didn't think he'd be long- he'd said he wanted to spend time with her today, and she knew his shifts rarely took him all day.

But Scanlan didn't return until after dinner that night, and barely took notice of her and Grog as he entered the apartment. He'd changed before he went out, but his hair was still a mess, and he hadn't replaced his makeup after washing it off that morning.

"Hey, Scanlan." Grog said, not looking up from the game he and Pike were playing.

"Hey." Scanlan opened the fridge, not looking at them. "Whose wine is this?"

"It's mine." Pike said. "I was saving it."

"For what?"

Pike pressed her lips together. "Um...that's not important. You can have some, if you want."

"Thanks." Scanlan grabbed a glass from the cabinets, slammed the door shut, and poured himself a full glass of wine.

"Where were you all day?" Grog asked.

"Album stuff." said Scanlan, taking a long swig of his wine.

"Really, you called them?" Pike asked excitedly. "What are they like? What songs are you going to use?"

"I don't know yet." Scanlan took another swig, and placed the glass in the sink. "I'm going to bed, I've got work early tomorrow."

"Could you wash your dishes before you do?" Pike asked as he crossed to his door.

"I'll wash them tomorrow." Scanlan said, shutting the door behind him.

Pike frowned, and paused the game, looking at Grog.

"Don't look at me." Grog said in a low voice. "I didn't piss him off."

"Me neither." Pike said. She stood and walked to Scanlan's door, knocking on it. He didn't answer. She knocked again. "Scanlan?"

"Yeah?"

"Is everything alright?" Pike leaned against the door, struggling to make out any noise.

"Yeah, fine." Scanlan called. "Just a long day. Don't worry about me."

Pike returned to the couch and picked up her controller again. "We'll ask him about it tomorrow." she said. "Probably just stress."

"Yeah." Grog said, but he didn't sound convinced.

(2017)

The next morning, what remained of Vox Machina gathered in Pike's living room again, with Kaylie and JB. This meeting lacked the energy of the first, not in the least because Vex sat with them, jumping every time anyone's phone buzzed. Tary had been admitted to Percy's hospital room, and was keeping her updated via text.

"JB, tell them we're looking." Keyleth said. "We really are."

"And we haven't gone to the police." Grog added.

Vax leaned back against the couch, rubbing his temples. "We need more time. We haven't got a fucking clue. If they kill Scanlan tonight, they won't get the necklace."

"We're going to disappear." JB picked at her pillow. "That'll be enough. They don't want to take any more time."

"JB, you could convince them." Vax said. "Surely you don't want Scanlan dead anymore than we do."

"Doesn't she?" Kaylie muttered.

JB folded her arms, glancing at the floor, and Vax leaned forward. "JB, where does this take you?" he asked intently. "You go off again with your family, and what? They keep treating you like Ogden's servant everywhere you go? What happens when you get older, what happens if they die?"

"Vax." said Keyleth warningly. JB dug her toe into the ground.

"Believe me, I've been involved in this kind of organized crime before." Vax said. "Vex and I both were, for years. I know how hard it is to get out, and live your own life. But it's worth it, I promise you."

JB didn't speak for a moment, digging her toe harder into the rug. "I...I can't convince them to give you an extension. They don't listen to me."

"But you could do something." Pike pleaded. "Convince them to- not to kill Scanlan, or something. You're smart, JB."

JB lifted her head. "If I help you," she said quietly, "I want part of whatever immunities you're giving Scanlan and Kaylie. And I want some money, to go off somewhere far away and get a job. And I want help getting a job."

"Thought you said they wouldn't listen to you." Kaylie said.

JB shook her head. "No, they'll listen to me. Because I have the necklace and earrings. I took them from Grog's apartment."

The room fell silent, and even Vex looked up from her phone. Pike exchanged looks with Grog. "But the tapes-" she said. They had seen JB on the security tapes, she realized, in the first attempt the Trickfoots had made on Grog's apartment. "But you didn't tell them."

JB made a noise of derision. "Johann wishes you were his daughter, you know, instead of me. He's never said it, but I can tell. He wishes they hadn't raised me. He doesn't care if I die."

"JB." Pike began.

"And I'm smarter than they think I am." JB said. "They think I'm dumb, that I never know what's going on. They never tell me what's going on, but I always figure it out."

"Sorry, did you say you have the necklace?" Vex asked. "Is that what I just heard?"

JB shrugged. "I took it, when we were at Grog's. I was gonna surprise them with it, show them I'm more useful than they think, but then next morning Astra was fawning all over you instead, how she missed you when you left and how well you've turned out. So I kept it."

"And you didn't say anything?" Vex said, voice rising. "You let us look for two days, you let Pike and Grog get shot, you let them keep Scanlan, you let them nearly kill Percy-"

Vax stood from the crouch, crossing to sit next to her. "Stubby, hush. She didn't have any reason to trust us."

"A conscience."

"I'm sorry." JB said. "I didn't- I didn't know what to do. But if you get me what I asked for, I'll give you the necklace, and you can exchange it for Scanlan."

"How do we know you're not lying again?" Grog asked.

"What else are we going to do?" Keyleth said. "Search the Slayer's again? We're out of places and we don't have time. Let's just take her deal, and tell the police, and get this all done."

"You won't find it on your own." JB said. "I hid it well."

Kaylie made a noise of disgust. "You're pretty proud of yourself." She turned to Pike. "I want him back. Even if it means she goes free."

Pike nodded, pulling out her phone. "I'm going to call Kima."

The rest of the day was a blur of questionings, and requestionings, and planning, lots of planning. JB, after about two hours spent answering questions for the police, contacted the Trickfoots to say they'd found the necklace and wanted to meet up tonight to exchange it. After supper, Pike found herself in a taxi next to Kaylie, waiting for JB to retrieve the jewelry and climb in with them. A brief flutter of nerves hit her when JB failed to appear, but after a few moments, she finally spotted her cousin walking towards them with a shoebox in her hands.

As soon as JB climbed in the car, Pike took the box, opening it. The necklace and earrings lay inside, exactly as she remembered. "Where did you hide it?" Pike asked.

"On the roof."

Pike, despite the situation, smiled. "Really? I've never found the way up there."

"There's some stairs that go up from the basement." JB said, staring at her hands clasped in her lap.

As the taxi drove away from the curb and into traffic, Pike stared out the window, drumming her fingers on the box. She hoped the police concealed themselves well.

They pulled up onto a dark street, a five minute walk from the park where she and the Trickfoots planned on meeting. JB climbed out of the car, and Pike and Kaylie followed. Kaylie, in all outward appearances, was unaffected by what they were about to do. She strolled along the path with her hands in her pockets, but she whistled one of Scanlan's songs.

The tennis court where they'd agreed to meet gleamed eerily this time of night, a few flickering street lamps casting a burnt out glow onto its crusty green surface. Pike crossed to one end of it, box in hands, and glanced around. No one else was visible, police or criminal.

"We're early." Kaylie said. "They like to show late. Gives them a sense of power."

JB picked at her nails, saying nothing.

After the longest ten minutes of her life, Pike spotted several figures coming towards the court. Johann shoved the unmistakable figure of Scanlan along, hands tied behind his back, and Astra followed at a slower pace. Ogden limped behind them, flanked by at least seven of his hired help, and leaning heavily on a cane. In the dim light, the damage from the fire cast a dark shadow on his face, and his chest and legs were wrapped in bandages similar to Grog's.

They stopped a few yards from the net. For a moment, neither group spoke. Pike's eyes kept flicking to Scanlan, searching for injuries.

"I want to see them first." Ogden said. He gestured at Pike to walk forward. "Come on."

Pike clenched her jaw, taking several steps towards the net. She opened the box gingerly and took out the necklace and earrings, holding them up to the light.

"Oh, they're still so gorgeous." Astra said. "Imagine what we could buy with this, Johann, we could go to Cancun."

Pike lowered the necklace and earrings back into the box, trying to keep her injured arm from shaking. "Give him back and I'll give you the box." she called.

Ogden smiled. "Did you hear that, Scanlan? She wants you back so badly. I'm starting to think you two might have been in love after all. And look, your daughter showed up, your whole family is here. Long time no see, Kaylie."

"Fuck off." Kaylie spat.

Ogden arched an eyebrow. "Eloquent. JB, come join us, and then we'll make this trade."

"She's staying on this side." said Kaylie.

"Very well." Ogden said. "Johann?"

Johann guided Scanlan over to the end of the net, on the side of the court.

Pike approached slowly with the box, until they stood a foot apart. She eyed Scanlan. He appeared a bit more bruised, hair mussed and the same dirty clothes on him, but otherwise, he looked fine.

"Hand me the box and I'll give you your husband." Johann drawled.

Pike noticed Scanlan's eyes widen. "How about you let go of him first?" she said evenly.

Johann smiled. "If that's what you want." He let go of Scanlan, pushing him towards Pike. "Go on, husband."

Scanlan's eyes were still wide as he walked towards Pike, though, and he flicked his gaze over to Johann. Pike noticed the subtle shift in the crowd behind him, the way many of them lay a hand on their guns.

"The box?" Johann asked, holding out his hand.

Pike understood immediately. She sent up a quick prayer the police were ready to intervene. "The box." Pike said, handing it to him. When Johann stepped away, though, Pike yanked him back in front of her, and Johann shook with the impact of two bullets to the back.

"Police! Get down!" came a voice from outside of the tennis court.

And then things began happening very quickly.

Pike kept one hand on Johann, the other grabbing Scanlan, and darted to the side of the court as several figures with flashlight entered the fray. She took cover behind a bench on the side of the court, pulling Scanlan with her, and grit her teeth at the near blinding pain in her arm. Johann slumped onto the top of the bench, badly bleeding. Pike crept around to the side, trying to make out Kaylie in the confusion, but too many figures were running around.

Pike ducked back behind the bench and went to work on Scanlan's bindings. When she had untied him, she ripped out his gag, grabbed his face, and kissed him, nearly knocking him onto the ground. Scanlan took a moment to reciprocate, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

They were interrupted by the blinding beam of a flashlight. "Hands in the air!" a woman's voice barked, and Pike rolled off of Scanlan. They both slowly raised their hands in the air, and Pike had to fight the urge to giggle.

Another beam of light danced over to them, and Pike recognized Kima's voice. "It's alright, that's Pike and Scanlan. They're not under arrest." Her light hit Scanlan's face, and Scanlan squinted. "Yet. Get up, you two."

Pike stood, grabbing Scanlan's hand to help him up, and didn't let go. Her eyes slowly adjusted back to the dim light. The fighting and chaos had ceased. Several figures on the ground, police standing above them, clicking handcuffs onto their wrists. She couldn't, however, see Kaylie, or JB.

And then footsteps pounded towards them in the darkness. Kima turned around, raising her gun, and relief washed over Pike.

"It's Kaylie." Pike said. "She's alright, don't shoot her."

Kima lowered her gun a moment before Kaylie lunged at Scanlan, wrapping her arms around him. Scanlan let go of Pike to hug her back, lifting her off the ground. "Oh, my God." Scanlan said.

Kaylie pulled away first, and hit him on the shoulder. "You're an idiot."

"Kaylie." Scanlan said, disbelief in his voice. "Kaylie, oh, my God." He hugged her again, and Kaylie's breath hitched.

She was blinded suddenly with the light of Kima's headlamp. "How many were there?" Kima asked.

"Ten." Pike said. "Seven I didn't recognize, and Ogden, Johann, and Astra. And JB's still out there."

Kima nodded, and jogged back into the darkness, shouting out to the other police officers. By the time Pike's eyes had adjusted, Kaylie and Scanlan had pulled away from one another.

Scanlan stepped over to her, slowly, hesitantly. "Pike." he whispered.

"Scanlan Shorthalt." Pike said, voice shaking. "If you ever do that again-"

Scanlan stepped forward, reaching for her, but the light blinded them again.

"All right, we've got all of them." Kima said. "We're going to need you all to come down to the station for a few hours, to answer questions and work out details of what happens to JB, Kaylie, and Scanlan now. Pike, we'll need you too, we might release them into your care temporarily."

"Of course." Pike said, pulling away from Scanlan, although she kept her hand in his until they reached the cars.

The ride back to her apartment was silent. Pike suspected they were all talked out, after all the interviews. Scanlan sat in the center, as neither Kaylie nor Pike wanted to be far from him, and Pike rested her head on his shoulder. It was still sinking in, slowly, that it was over, that her family was arrested, that Scanlan was back, that the whole sting had ended and there was no one to pretend for.

"They wanted to shoot you both." Scanlan whispered. "That was going to be my punishment for leaving, watching both of you die. I'm glad you called the police without JB knowing."

"She knew." Pike said. "She gave us the necklace."

Scanlan turned, looking at her in surprise, and Pike smiled. "No bullshit."

"No bullshit." Scanlan said, voice coming out as half of a laugh.

"There's a roof up on our building, she said." Pike said.

"Maybe we should check it out."

Beside Scanlan, Kaylie snorted. "That wasn't one of your best lines. The roof?"

"Hush, daughter." said Scanlan, intertwining his fingers with Pike's.

Next up: endings and beginnings.