A/N: I don't really know what to say about this chapter. I hope you like it! The only real announcement I have is that the end is near. Chapter 37 will be the last chapter. It's been a long ride, hasn't it?

Dust and leaves rose, branches shook, and fences trembled as the wind whipped past. Elpitha was not sure where she would end up. She just continued to run. When the wind changed direction, she followed it, and soon found herself out of town and in the woods. The wind changed direction again and she found herself running on a familiar rocky path.

Jack stood up slowly. The church seemed hollow and empty now that Elpitha was gone. His limbs felt heavy and it was with an effort that he began to drag himself towards the doors. Outside there was virtually no wind, but he hardly noticed as he began towards the square. It was too much. In an instant, Ellen was alive again. In a moment, the one wish that he had held onto for over a decade had come true. A miracle had occurred. He was on the receiving end of it, and yet he was broken. In one night he had lost her. She had died all over again.

Elpitha stood at the edge of mother's peak, staring up at the sky. The wind was circling her, pushing her away from the precipice until she was in the center of the mountain top. Her hair flew forward as the wind blew suddenly through her. It was everywhere at once. Dust, twigs, pebbles, and dirt rose in the air as the wind flew by. It was as though a giant tornado formed, lifting up everything in its path. The tornado contracted, its diameter decreasing steadily until it was only about a foot wide. Then it began to shorten itself, so that the diameter increased again and nothing remained but a whirling sphere of dirt, pebbles, and twigs. The sphere rose slowly until it was five feet from the ground.

Jack stood on the ramp that led down to the beach. He heard shouts in the distance and saw that Won had another late-night visitor. A small ferry was docked next to his house and Won was visible making shrewd deals for more "quality merchandise." Thoughts began to run through Jack's head. Someone would definitely adopt Spike. There was nothing left behind that he really needed to take or that he couldn't send for. He could even send for Spike, as a matter of fact. If he slipped out now, there would be no resistance. No one was expecting it and he wouldn't be bothered. All he had to do was hitch a ride with that ferry…

Elpitha gasped. The sphere had disintegrated, and in its wake floated a little girl. She was in her night gown, the way Elpitha had last seen her.

"Mikri?" Elpitha whispered.

The girl smiled. "Elli!" She cried happily. Her childish voice echoed as she spoke. Elpitha shuddered.

"Are you… is this… is this real?" Elpitha asked quietly, more to herself than to Mikri.

"Mommy and daddy sent me." The girl laughed. "They said you were lonely."

Tears were escaping Elpitha's eyes and rolling down her face. "Mommy and d… daddy?" She asked weakly.

"They said you were mad at yourself. They said… they said don't be mad anymore. Wow, Elli, you got big!"

Elpitha laughed and sobbed at the same time. "Yeah, I got big. You didn't, though…"

"Don't be sad, Elli. I'm happy. We're all happy up there. We want you to be happy too." Mikri giggled. "Everyone deserves to be happy."

"But… but even after what I did?" Elpitha asked, shakily.

"I forgive you, Elli. So do mommy and daddy. It was a mistake, that's all. You were the one that got left behind. You were all alone, and that's why I followed you. You were lonely and lost. I wanted to push you in the right direction. I wanted to help you so you wouldn't be sad."

"You… you were helping me… all along…"

"Now that you've found a new family, I don't have to follow you anymore… but we'll be watching. Always."

Mikri's body began to look dusty. The dust was falling off of her form and falling to the ground. Elpitha gasped and took a step forward.

"Wait! Wait!" She cried.

"Goodbye, Elli! Don't cry. I'll see you again!" Mikri cried in response. Her voice sounded hollow, as though it was coming from far away. The dust continued to fall, and her limbs fell along with it. Her feet disintegrated into falling dust, followed by her legs and torso. When only her head was left, there was a small explosion of wind, and the dust scattered and settled. Elpitha threw her arms over her face to keep the dust out of her eyes.

Jack walked down the ramp with determination. It was now or never. As he reached the bottom plank, however, it collapsed and he fell forward. Cursing, he rolled over and yanked his foot out of the hole. Gotz would have to attend to that later. Jack stood up and made his way down the beach. He hadn't gone far, however, when he began to sink into the sand.

"What the…" He said. He stumbled and fell onto his face once more. "Stu must have been digging holes again. Elli really should do something about that boy." He thought.

Jack stood up and continued to walk. As he neared the water, however, a fish jumped out of the water and hit him in the face. "What the hell is going on?" He cried in frustration as another fish flew at him. A third one hit him and a fourth. He dodged them and caught a fifth one, throwing it onto the beach in disgust. "Take that, you little… what's the matter? Can't breathe? Well then stay in the water where you belong!"

Jack was about to kick the fish back into the water, when it turned a beady eye in his direction and spoke.

"Where do you think you're going?" A woman's voice asked.

Jack stepped back.

Elpitha uncovered her face and looked around frantically. "Wait!" She cried. "Wait, don't leave me!" She kicked up the dust at her feet as though expecting it to materialize into her little sister. Finally, she just sat down and put her face in her knees. They were… happy. They were happy. She was the one who was unhappy. She was the one who was miserable. All these years she had blamed herself, but there was nowhere to place blame. There was no one to point a finger at. She had been running for so long, but she was tired now. She didn't want to run anymore. They were happy and they forgave her. That was all that she needed to know. She felt suddenly lighter. She felt as though a knot within her had suddenly come loose. She could breathe again. They were happy, and they forgave her. They forgave her…

It's strange how the mind works. Under normal circumstances, the fact that a fish spoke would have been the first thing to cross Jack's mind, and yet it was not. The first thing to cross Jack's mind was the fish's eyes. Fish don't have beady eyes. Fish don't turn their eyes in your direction and give you a piercing stare. Fish don't fly out of the water and hit you in the face. My, but that's a gorgeous fish. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. The fish spoke… and what a lovely voice it had!

"Wake up, stupid!"

Jack gave himself a shake. "I… I… what the hell? Am I losing it?" He stuttered.

The fish spoke once more. "I am the goddess. I have taken this form."

"But… but… fish don't talk!" Three more fish flew out of the ocean and hit Jack in the face.

"Listen, will you? I'm losing patience." The fishy goddess replied.

Jack's brain snapped back to reality. "Yes… yes, of course! What can I do for you?"

"I came to tell you that you forgot something on Mother's Hill. Go and retrieve it before it's too late."

Jack smiled sadly. "It doesn't matter. I'm sure it was nothing of value, and I don't have much time here."

"Let me repeat that." The goddess replied dangerously. "You forgot something on Mother's Hill. Go and retrieve it before it's too late."

Jack's heart skipped a beat. "You mean… Yes! Yes, I'll go right now!" He turned and ran, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Mortals…" The goddess sighed as she disintegrated into thin air.

The clouds tired of watching Mother's Hill. The young woman sitting in the center of it was no longer moving or speaking. She simply sat with her face in her knees, and so they parted and went on their way, allowing the moon to catch a glimpse of her as it sent down its silvery rays. The pale light showered her, but she seemed unaware that her audience had thinned to a single, shining spectator in the sky above.

It was here that he found her, panting slightly as he allowed his heart rate to slow down. She was so still and mysterious, bathing in the moonbeams, that she seemed almost divine. He took one tentative step and then another. If his footfalls made any noise, she appeared to be deaf to it. She did not stir. He inched closer, fear in his eyes as he approached her, as though he thought that if he lost sight of her, even for an instant, she would simply disappear. He sank to one knee in front of her and, reaching out, lifted her face to look at him. Her face was tearstained.

She laughed, more tears spilling from her eyes as she did so. "I saw her! Jack, I saw her!" She whispered.

Jack kept her face in his hands. He never wanted to let it go. "Who? Who did you see?" He asked shakily.

"Mikri… She said she was happy. They're happy, Jack." Elpitha laughed, tears still falling.

"That's great. That's… that's incredible!" Jack laughed in reply, his eyes glistening. He laughed once more, and several drops spilled down his cheeks.

"They forgive me. All this time… and they never blamed me. They forgive me… Do you forgive me, Jack?"

Jack leaned forward, bringing Elpitha's face closer to his. He kissed her, and her eyes closed automatically. It was more than forgiveness that she felt from him. It was more than friendship, companionship, and physical attraction. It was love, plain and simple.

When Elpitha finally opened her eyes, she found Jack looking at her, his eyes shining. She laughed and stroked his face. "I'm so sorry, Jack." She murmured.

"Don't apologize. There's nothing to apologize for."

They stared at the moon for a while.

"Jack?"

"Yes?"

"I'm really sorry."

"Don't apologize. It's all in the past."

More time passed in silence.

"Jack, I really am s…"

"Elpitha?"

"What is it?"

"If you apologize to me one more time, I'm going to throw you in the lake."

Winter had arrived in full force. A blizzard howled through the town, battering the walls of any houses that dared to get in its way. Elli put another log on the fire. Baby Mike rolled around on a blanket on the floor. He was able to push himself up onto his hands, but not for long. Soon he would be crawling around. Stu was on his stomach in front of the baby, trying to get him to crawl forward. Doc sat in an armchair in the corner, poring over a file.

"It's been over a season and the thought of Elpitha and Jack still brings a smile to my face." Elli said.

Doc looked up. "Yes. I wonder when they'll start going out."

"Start?" Elli asked incredulously. "They've been going out for quite a while now!"

"But Elpitha hasn't said anything about Jack being her boyfriend."

"Never mind Elpitha. You know how she is. Trust me. They're going out."

"You're right, of course. As a matter of fact, a little birdie told me that Jack has some plans for this coming spring."

Elli jumped. "Is it a blue birdie? And is he planning on ripping out its tail feather and giving it away to someone special?"

"Perhaps." Doc laughed.

"Oh, I'm so excited!" Elli cried. She reached for another log.

Doc stood up and grabbed it from her. "I really wish you wouldn't do that. It's not good for you, you know."

Elli snatched back the log and threw it into the fireplace. "What's the matter with you? What are you talking about?"

"Well I just finished going over your chart. You hadn't been feeling well and I gave you an exam, remember?"

"And?"

"And you're pregnant… again."

Stu jumped up and clapped his hands. "Alright! Have another boy! There aren't any boys in this town for me to play with!"

In preparation for their impending wedding, Daniel and Karen had spoken to Elli about Ellen's house. Daniel had bought it and was living there now. Karen was staying with him during the storm.

"When are Mary and Gray going to finally tie the knot? It's been ages since Gray proposed." Daniel said suddenly, waking Karen from her reverie.

"Well the problem is housing. There isn't anywhere in town that's available. They really don't want to have to live with Mary's parents and be a burden on them. Actually, they've been looking at Elpitha's house." Karen replied.

"Elpitha's house? But Elpitha lives there!"

"Perceptive. Look, she's with Jack now, right? And Jack's gonna propose himself soon. That's what the rumors are anyway. Once they get married, Elpitha's house will be up for sale."

"How do you know Elpitha will say yes to the proposal?"

"Because if she doesn't, me, Mary, and Elli will kill her. She loves him, no matter what she says. She'll accept. I think she's over her fears now."

"Hmmm… Imagine that… Elpitha and Jack married. What next?" Daniel laughed.

Popuri shivered when as another blast of wind made the walls shake. Kai stepped up behind where she was sitting and wrapped his arms around her.

"It's just wind, babe. Nothing's coming through those walls." He said soothingly.

They were seated at a table in his restaurant. Popuri snuggled against Kai. "Yeah… It's too bad I got stuck here when the storm struck. I called mom and dad and let them know where I was so they wouldn't be worried."

Kai laughed softly. "Yes, too bad you got stuck in the storm… even though you knew about it well before anyone else, and even though I suggested that maybe you should get going before the storm got bad. Yes, too bad."

Popuri snuggled even closer to Kai and pouted at him. "I didn't know it was gonna be this bad! And besides, if you didn't want me here, you could have just said so! I'll go home right now!" She said sulkily. She made to stand up, but Kai held her in place.

"Easy there, doll. You know I like it when you stay over." He gave a mock sigh. "It would be that someone like me ends up with not one, but two girls that wanna wait until marriage."

"Hey! It's better that way. Besides, it's not like I surprised you with that one." Popuri laughed.

"No. No, you didn't. But still… A guy like me… I don't know how long I can wait…" Kai sighed once more.

"Well, I won't until I'm married. I told you that already! Why? What are you thinking of now?" Popuri asked with a scowl. She tried to get up again, but Kai held her down.

"Thinking of? Nothing." Kai replied, reaching into his pocket. "Nothing at all. I just realized that I can't wait anymore, that's all. I'm a man. I have needs. Those needs need to be met."

"Well, I don't care! I won't before I'm married!" Popuri cried.

"Well… Well then, I'm going to have to marry you. That is, if you'll have me." Kai replied nonchalantly, opening his fist and presenting her with a ring.

Popuri laughed out loud. "What? Oh, Kai! Of course I'll marry you!" She took the ring and looked at it. "What's this?"

Kai looked puzzled. "An engagement ring. That's what they do on the mainland."

"A ring? No blue feather?" Popuri pouted.

Kai jumped. "Why… yes! Of course! Do you think I would forget something like that!" Popuri was not facing him. He stood behind her with his arms around her, and behind her back, he looked around frantically. On the wall to his left was a feathered mardi gras mask that he had picked up on one of his excursions. Casually slipping his arm away from her, he reached out and plucked off a large blue feather, hiding it behind his back.

Popuri turned to face him. "Kai, are you teasing me?" She asked, scowling once more.

Kai laughed casually. "Me? Tease you, gorgeous? Never!" He presented her with the blue feather. "Popuri, will you marry me?"

Popuri snatched the blue feather from him. "Oh Kai! Yes! Yes, of course I'll marry you! Oh, I'm so happy!" She threw her arms around him. "Oh, Kai… I'm so excited. Do you think it will be tough being married?"

Kai laughed once more. "Tough? Don't worry, baby. I'm always prepared!"

Elpitha was spending the night with Jack. Mikri and Spike slept on a rug before the fire, intermittently casting sidelong glances at their masters. Elpitha and Jack sat in armchairs facing a large window. They watched the storm rage outside.

"That's so pretty…" Elpitha sighed. "Still, I wish spring would come."

"Yeah, it's pretty." Jack agreed. "Cheer up. Spring isn't that far away. Every season has its own perks."

"True, but spring means new beginnings. There will be flowers and warm weather. Everyone and everything cheers up when spring comes along. Mother nature defrosts. It's just… wonderful." Elpitha sighed once more.

Jack smiled and glanced sideways at Elpitha, darting his eyes back towards the window before she could see him. "Yes…" He said softly. "I can't wait for spring either…"

Until next time…