Hello, everyone. I realize that I owe you all a real apology for taking so long. I wish I had a good excuse beyond that I just got so stinking busy which isn't always a bad thing, but I promised you and update and here it. AAAAAAND because I was such an awful person, I will promise you at least two more (short) chapters that will most likely be uploaded tonight. We will get to see the whole team together again! (YAY!) Thank you for all of those who will read this, and have supported this venture from the beginning. You guys are what make writing worth while. I hope this will satisfy your thirst for just a few more hours. Enjoy, and as always God bless.

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

EPILOGUE I

BEAUTY FROM ASHES

It is the beeping that finally pulls me out of the darkness. The sound reverberates off the walls of unconsciousness, and suddenly I am able to break through into the light. When I do, I expect to feel pain, but I only feel a dullness as if my body has lost the ability to feel but still remembers the tortures I endured. I feel my heart beat faster at the memories, but they too are dull and far away. The beeping increases in line with my heart rate.

Something to my right stirs. My instincts tell me to assess the danger, but my mind doesn't react. I remain staring at a white ceiling over my head. There is nothing special about this ceiling, but to me it is priceless. This ceiling means I am alive. I am not floating in some endless void. This fight for survival I can win. I have won.

"Is she awake?" I hear a distant voice ask.

"Her heart rate is still the same. That little spike you saw could mean she's getting closer-"

"But her eyes..."

"I know, sir, but her injury was very severe. Her body is still in shock. This could be nothing more than a reflex."

The second voice continues talking, but I only want to hear the first voice. I recognize it even though I can't remember who it belongs to. That voice stirs something inside me. The numbness still covers my body, but inside me something comes alive. The ceiling means my body is alive. That voice means my heart is.

As if on cue, the beeping next to me quickens.

"You see?" The first voice said loudly.

There was a pause. Why? I just wanted the voice to talk again. Please, talk...

"Say something," the first voice ordered. Yes, I thought, thank you.

"What?"

"Talk to her. I think she is responding to your voice."

Another pause. Why isn't the voice listening? I need it to talk. I need to hear it...I need to remember...

"Emily," my precious voice speaks. It is closer now as if it has somehow crossed the distance that was between us before. "I'm here. It-it's me, Morga...Derek. If you can hear me, I need you to blink twice for me. Just blink..."

Derek. The name arouses something deeper, and both my heart and the beeping take off. However, the dullness of my mind doesn't understand the command, but the ceiling still disappears twice in a moment of blackness without my control. This must have been what Derek wanted because when he speaks again, I perceive he is excited.

"Yes!" A tempered warmth envelopes one of my hands, "Yes, Emily, yes, oh God, thank you. Yes, Emily, you're doing so good. Baby, you're amazing. Soon you will be out of here. You're safe now. I made sure you're safe. If you can feel my hand give me a squeeze."

This time I know what he wants. It is all too natural when my mind is finally able to command my hand to move. I press my fingers as tight as I can against the warmth of what I now know is his hand. "Oh God, Emily, thank you. You're going to be okay, baby. I'm here. You're going to make it out of it. Just keep fighting."

I want to tell him that I will, that I will never stop fighting, but I can't seem to make my mouth move yet. As we've been talking, more and more of my body has started to come back to life. I can actually feel it now rather than just know it's there.

The first voice confirms this: "The medication is going to wear off probably quicker than she hopes. She is going to be in a lot of pain because of where the bullet hit. All the signs look good now though. She should make a full recovery, but we shouldn't push her. The pain might not ever go away, but she is alive. She's been through hell and back it would seem. I'm putting my money on her being just fine."

I am alive, and in that moment, with my ceiling above, his hand in mine, and the power that can only come through overcoming, I swear I was infinite.

I threw a little Perks of Being a Wallflower quote in there just for the heck of it (and because it was such a good movie!) I hope you enjoyed the taste test. More is on the way!