While I was recovering in the hospital school had ended. I was officially on summer holidays, yay.

My school had deferred all of my exams indefinitely thanks to constant hounding from both of my parents. They gave me the class averages as my final passing grades.

I would've gotten something around those grades anyways, but it was nice not having to worry about studying.

It got lonely when my friends couldn't visit me as much, but I always had Kenny. He would bring his books and I'd help him study.

Other than that I had plenty to focus on myself, physical therapy, constant tests, being reintroduced to food, getting those IVs taken out of me. I will never forget how weird and disgusting that felt.

It was hard to walk at first, really really hard.

I had to grab onto two wooden bars to help me drag my feet across the floor. By the end of that PT session I was walking shakily on my own without any outside help.

The nurses were all proud of me, congratulating me with large grins and shining eyes.

My parents had hugged me, tears in their eyes. I didn't understand why, my legs hadn't been compromised in any way. Everyone knew I would walk again, it was just a matter of slowly rebuilding the strength in my muscles.

Kenny had come to see me that day, practically bursting with pride over what I had accomplished.

I laughed at all of them. They were so strange for being proud of me for something that I knew would happen all along.

I was still a mystery to the doctors, they had no idea what brought on such an intense and life threatening coma.

They questioned me over and over, trying to find the trigger. Of course I couldn't tell them the truth, so I continued to play dumb until they stopped asking.

Today I was finally being discharged, I would walk out of the hospital on my own two feet.

The doctors warned us to watch out for any signs that came with my previous blackout. Other than that, all their tests were telling them I had recovered perfectly. I had no other risk factors so they doubted this would ever happen to me again.

My parents were overjoyed to hear that. I, on the other hand, knew it would never happen again. I'd make sure of it.

"What day is it today?" I asked my parents as we rode the elevator down to the ground floor of this hospital.

It felt so good to be in my own clothes, no more hospital gowns.

"Saturday." My Mom said happily.

That fit the mood perfectly. I was being released on the best day of the week.

"Oh, here you go hun. I finally found your phone, it was buried deep in my purse." Mom handed me my cell as we walked down the hall.

"I have a sneaking suspicion you were hiding it on purpose." Dad joked, smiling at Mom.

"You have no solid evidence against me." She exclaimed, swatting at my Dad's shoulder.

I smiled silently. She held onto it so I wouldn't stress myself with anything unnecessary. I appreciated it, but it was a relief to have it back. Now I could text Kenny myself and not have my parents be the middleman.

I slipped it into my hoodie pocket.

We were approaching the front doors, I could see the cloudy skies and soft rain pattering on the ground.

"Why does it have to be raining today of all days." Dad muttered grumpily.

"Because I love it." I said, running towards the doors.

I raced outside, breathing deeply.

I loved the smell of rain. The damp scent of the Earth comforted me.

I let the rain fall down on me, quickly making the majority of my clothes heavy with moisture.

I looked up at the sky, closing my eyes while drops ran down my face.

"Iza get to the car! You were just discharged, the last thing you need is a cold." Mom demanded, pulling my arm lightly, making me jog along with her.

I opened my eyes, moving my wet hair out of my face.

I smiled at no one in particular. I loved being free.

The drive home was filled with talk of my birthday plans. My parents wanted to have a night alone with me, but they also wanted to clear out so I could have a party with just my friends.

I happily agreed to this, feeling grateful for their understanding.

Once we were home I ran upstairs, taking a shower. The hot water and familiar bathroom made for one of the best showers of my life.

After that I relaxed, lounging lazily on the couch. I texted everyone, even the group chat Wendy had added me to with all of Kenny's friends, telling them the good news.

Everyone responded with celebratory emojis and good wishes. Even Cartman threw a 'congrats' text to me.

I stretched out on the couch, feeling content with life.

Kenny and I had been texting ever since I got my phone back. He knew I was getting out today, the doctors had notified us a few days ago and he visited me religiously every day.

Iza can you come over today?

I fiddled with my phone nervously. I wanted to, but I wasn't sure how my parents would feel about me leaving.

I want to, but my parents…

I looked over at both of them. They were sitting on the loveseat, my Dad's arm around Mom and her head rested on his shoulder.

They both looked so happy. I smiled at the sight of them.

It's important, Jake is here and he really wants to talk.

I sat up, heart racing. Jake?

"What is it hun?" Mom asked, looking over at me concernedly.

"It's Kenny, he really wants me to visit him at his place." I said, voice full of hope. I squeezed my phone in my hands.

Mom and Dad looked at each other. My Dad looked at me and I already knew what he was going to say before he even spoke.

"I don't know, Iza. You just got home, and you saw him every day while you were in the hospital." Dad said hesitantly.

Mom rested her hand on top of Dads, smiling at him gently.

"You can see him Iza, but you can't drive there." She said.

"Really? Thank you so much! I'll see if he can use his Dad's truck to pick me up." I said happily, jumping up and pacing while I texted Kenny.

I can come! But I can't drive, can you pick me up?

Come on Kenny, you drive me around for once.

It took about a minute, but he got back to me.

Coming now, be ready!

I nodded at my phone, locking it and running upstairs.

I blew dry my damp hair, dragging a brush through the tangled locks.

Loose grey hoodie? Check. Black leggings? Check. I was ready to go.

I ran back downstairs, Mom and Dad looking at me.

"I assume he said he'd come pick you up?" Dad said shortly. He wasn't too happy with me going, but in the end my Mom always had the final say.

"He did." I nodded, pacing back and forth at the door.

I checked my phone, scrolling through it mindlessly before I sighed, shoving it back in my pocket.

"I'm waiting outside!" I called out, slipping my sneakers on.

"Alright sweetie, you have to be back before dinner. We love you!" Mom said from the living room.

"Love you guys too." I said, shutting the door behind me.

To my relief Kenny came just a few minutes after I walked to the end of our driveway.

His Dad drove a big red pickup, it was a little rusty and the color was faded but other than that it was in good shape.

Kenny parked on the curb, hopping out and running over to me.

He had learned to be careful of my bullet wound at this point and wrapped his arms around my head, making sure to avoid my upper arms.

"Can't breathe Kenny!" I said, speaking into his orange hoodie. He always said this hoodie was his favorite, though he rarely wore it.

"What? I can't understand you." Kenny said jokingly, rubbing his cheek into my head.

He let me go, leaning down and kissing me on the lips.

"I can't tell you how good it is to see you out of the hospital." Kenny said happily, grabbing both of my cheeks with his hands, pinching and stretching them.

"You were way too skinny when you woke up, you're finally fattening up!" Kenny grinned widely at me, knowing an adverse reaction was coming.

"You calling me fat, McCormick?" I questioned, raising my eyebrows at him.

"I'm saying you're not fat enough." Kenny grabbed my waist, lifting me up like I weighed nothing.

"Hey!" I said accusingly, struggling against his grip.

He set me down, sighing dramatically and turning around. He turned his head back towards me, looking at me with a single sultry eye.

"What am I supposed to grab when we-"

"Ahh!" I cried out, slamming into his back and wrapping my arms around his torso.

"Shut up you crazy bastard." I said, my face turning red. I buried in into his hoodie so he couldn't see.

"I love how you're somehow still timid." Kenny said playfully, putting his hands over mine.

"You're just way too perverted." I mumbled, turning my head to the side against his back so he could hear me.

"Wait, where's Jake?" I asked seriously, remembering the reason he came to get me.

I let go of Kenny, walking over to the passenger side door to see if Jake was in the truck.

"He's waiting for us at Tweak Bros. My parents and sister are home so we can't really talk there. Tweak's is usually quiet right around now, it's our best bet." Kenny said, opening the door and lifting me into the passenger seat.

"My legs work you know." I said, running my hand through his hair and moving it down to cup his cheek.

"I know, but you're my princess." Kenny said, taking my hand off of his face and kissing it gently, eyes staying trained on mine.

"Oh my God, I can't believe you just said that." I said, a ripple of disgust travelling down my spine.

Kenny smiled and laughed, backing up and putting his hand on the door.

"I only say things like that because I know how much you love them." Kenny smirked, shutting the door.

I rolled my eyes. He was so dumb sometimes.

Kenny jumped in, starting the car.

Tweak Bros wasn't very far from my house, the drive would take 5 minutes at most.

I questioned Kenny about Jake. I wanted to know what they had talked about and what Jake wanted to tell me now.

Kenny wouldn't say much. He stated that it was better if it came from Jake, that way he wouldn't mess any of the details up.

I begrudgingly accepted this logic. I would find out soon enough.

As soon as we pulled up I spotted Jake through the window of the small coffee shop. He nursed a coffee, looking relaxed.

The only other person was sitting at the opposite table in the shop. This was perfect.

I pushed the door open, my feet hitting the pavement hard as I ran into Tweak's.

A small bell rang as I entered the building, Kenny right behind me.

Tweek was working behind the cash. He was wiping the counter, looking up at us once he heard the bell.

He twitched slightly but waved happily at us.

We both waved back, returning his small smile.

"I'll go order, you can sit down. Coffee?" Kenny questioned, squeezing my hand lightly.

"Hot chocolate. The coffee here is a little strong for my taste."

"Okay." Kenny said softly, leaning down and kissing me before heading to the counter.

I made a beeline for Jake. He had seen us enter and stared at me expectantly while I made my way over.

"Hey, Jake." I said with a smile, sitting down across from him.

"Hey, Iza. I'm so happy you're okay." He said sincerely, smiling back at me.

"Yeah, I'm glad to be back." I nodded, taking a deep breath.

"So…" I trailed off awkwardly, not knowing how to word this.

"So how do you know you'll be safe with us still in town?" Jake finished my question for me, a sad smile on his face.

"Something like that." I watched his expression change into one of deep regret.

"God, Iza. I still can't believe how everything went down. I never thought Lola would snap like that. I'm so fucking sorry." Jake looked at the table, squeezing his coffee cup.

"You're not the bad guy here, Jake. In fact, you were the opposite. You're the hero." I smiled easily.

Jake has no reason to feel any remorse. It was all Lola's fault, not his. He's the one who stood up for us when we needed it the most.

"Remember what you said when you first came to see me in that dungeon room?" I asked curiously.

He thought about it for a moment, cheeks turning slightly red when he realized what I was talking about.

"You were the town this hero needed, at least the hero I needed."

His cheeks turned even redder and I couldn't help but laugh slightly. If this is how Kenny felt when he said cheesy stuff to me I could see why he liked it.

Kenny sat next to me, handing me my hot chocolate. He looked back and forth between us suspiciously.

"Am I missing something?" Kenny asked curiously. I knew deep down he was jealous, and because of that I bumped his leg under the table, giving him a warning look.

I didn't want him to be rude to Jake, he didn't deserve it.

Kenny seemed to accept my demands, dropping it and relaxing his expression.

"Anyways, how do I know Lola won't come kill me in my sleep?" I asked Jake, who now had a serious expression on his face.

"After Dog subdued Lola she started crying, saying over and over how sorry she was. Even she knew shooting you like that was going too far, but obviously it was too late to take it back." Jake swished his coffee around in the cup, taking a sip. I did the same with my hot chocolate, immediately regretting it after I burnt my tongue.

"I know Kenny told you this part, but we called an ambulance for you in a grocery store parking lot. We left Lola in our building. Cat, Dog, and I were too preoccupied with saving your life to stay there and watch her." Jake paused for a moment, taking another drink of his coffee.

"When we went back she was there, crying beside Kenny's dead body. She told us she couldn't be the leader of our organization, not after what she had done. She composed herself and brought together all of our other members, telling them what she did to you two. They were all horrified and wanted to kick her out right then and there."

Jake could tell I wanted to say something so he paused, letting me speak.

"Why would she confess that to everyone?" I asked curiously.

"I think it was a way for her to atone and be held accountable for her actions. I was glad when she told everyone, it showed she was serious about taking the necessary actions to ensure nothing like that happens ever again." Jake explained.

"Don't forget to tell her who the new leader is." Kenny smirked, looking expectantly at Jake.

"Oh, I already knew everyone voted Jake from the moment he told me they had a vote." I said quickly, smiling at Jake.

"You did?" He asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"I told you you were the best one, didn't I?"

This made Jake's eyes dart around nervously. I tried not to laugh at him. Kenny's presence was making him nervous to receive my compliments.

I decided to save him from an awkward silence by asking another question.

"So Lola is under your jurisdiction now?"

"She is, and she promised me she would never act alone or do anything without my consent. She's already sent her application into the highschool the next town over. You won't have to see her ever again." I breathed a sigh of relief at Jake's words.

"What about our abilities? Won't she come after us if she sees us using them?" Kenny asked cautiously.

"I have complete faith in both of you to use your abilities competently. My faith applies to the rest of us, including Lola." Jake said, reassuring both of us.

"Thank God." I said happily, taking a big sip of my hot chocolate. It had cooled down enough to be bearable.

"I can never repay the debt we owe you two. The least we can do is ensure none of us bother you ever again." Jake smiled sadly.

"The only person we don't want to see is Lola. I'd be happy to see you or Dog or Cat, but preferably without the masks." I smirked.

Jake laughed, looking a little relieved.

He paused, eyes starting to dart back and forth again. It seemed to be his nervous tick.

"I, um, heard it was your 17th birthday recently. I also heard you like bunnies. I thought you deserved to get a birthday present from everyone you know, so I got you something." Jake said nervously, thrusting out his palm towards me.

"Oh, I'm sorry it's not wrapped." He said quickly, dropping it into my hand.

I looked at what he had given me. It was a large bunny keychain, about the size of my palm. It was so fluffy you could barely distinguish its paws from its body.

My eyes lip up as I stroked its grey fur, parting it to find the nose and eyes buried on its face.

"Thank you so much, how did you know grey is my favorite bunny color?" I asked ecstatically, bringing the bunny to my face and hugging it tightly.

"I had some help." Jake smiled, looking at Kenny.

I smiled up at Kenny, planting a kiss on his cheek. He made me love him more and more every day.

We talked a little more about casual things before we all got up to leave.

I insisted on pulling Jake into a hug as a thank you for the present. Both of the boys tensed up in response, but I just rolled my eyes.

They'd both get over it.

I felt relieved knowing Lola wouldn't bother us, hell she wasn't even going to the same school anymore.

Kenny felt the same way I did, she was out of our lives forever and we couldn't be happier.

Now all that was left for me to plan the best 17th birthday party ever. I needed to celebrate all of the things Kenny and I had overcome.