note: i had to slightly edit the end of the last chapter because I realized it didn't make sense. go back and read the last bit (from after sollux leaves) and this chapter will be less confusing. sorry!

this is the end of the line! I've been working on this story for about 18 months and i never expected it to get this many people reading. this is my first fanfiction along with the longest thing i've ever written (and finished!). i'm sorry but i don't think i'll be writing more fanfiction anytime in the future, i want to focus now on my own ideas. that being said, you can always visit me on my tumblr (on my profile) and talk and i'll be happy to maybe share more stories in the future!

thank you so much to those who give positive feedback and continued to support this story! i would've never finished it without you. much love.

John scrambled up from the floor, bounding towards Rose and Dave with Jade fast on his heels. All four of them collided, ending up in a pile on the floor.

"How-how are you here?" Jade said, half laughing. "Are you sick?" She asked suddenly, sitting up. Rose, who was flat on her back, shook her head.

Jade stood up, pulling John back from Rose and Dave. "You can't be here-we're all super contagious and-!"

"No, we're immune."

"You're what?"

"They developed a vaccine a few years back. Everyone's immune. It's over."

"Oh my god," John said, getting to his feet. The disease was had been around since before he was born, and to just have it be fixed so quickly was mind-boggling.

"Why are you here then?" Jade asked, pulling Dave to his feet.

"We're here to get you out." He answered curtly.

"Out? Like out, for good?" He nodded. "But why now? Like, why not when everyone was immunized?"

"Okay, do you remember when your food supply got cut off?" John and Jade both nodded.

"It was a fucking nightmare…" Kanaya said quietly from behind them.

"Well that was one solution. They elected to cut off the food supply in the hopes that the majority of you would die 'naturally' and then after five years they would come in and level the city."

"What the fuck kind of solution is that?" Jade said indignantly.

"It was awful! The way they talked about everyone in here, you weren't even considered people anymore."

"But in the end they gave you five years," Dave continued, "Instead of their original plan, which was going in and killing everyone immediately.

"So why are you here? It can't have been five years already."

"No, there was a change of plans."

"What happened?"

"Well, about a week ago they found a body out in the desert. It was weird, no one had ever really thought of anybody with the disease leaving." John felt a pang of horror in his stomach. He made eye contact with Kanaya, who looked slightly sick.

"It was crazy, it was just some kid, but he was all scorched and bloody and it looked like his eyes had been gorged out. Like, that is so fucked up!" Dave was saying. Jade's lip was quivering.

"And anyways people naturally flipped shit. Most of them hadn't seen someone affected since like twenty years ago, and then they were all like 'oh my god what kind of conditions are there in that city?', which is what me and Rose had been so pissed about this entire time."

"So we tried to use it to raise awareness and convince people to forget the Haven project and instead re-focus on proper care," Rose interrupted, looking slightly concerned at John and Jade's reaction.

"But that were just pointless because three days later they were like 'okay this project is shit let's bomb everything'."

"We knew you guys were still alive. I mean, we didn't actually know but I didn't want to think about the alternative. And if there was any shot at saving you this was it."

"So you came here?" Jade asked. "How?"

"We stole my brother's car and drove the entire night. And then we came in and were wandering around when your friend found us."

"Good thing everyone else around here is dead," Kanaya said bitterly, "otherwise you two would've been stabbed within ten minutes."

"You stole a car? Do you even have a license?" Rose and Dave looked at each other.

"I have a learners permit," Rose said. But that's beside the point. The point is that we're going to rescue you before this whole place gets blown up!"

"Oh my god. When is this going to happen exactly?" John still could hardly believe his eyes. Dave and Rose were standing in the bunker, his home for the past several years. They were different, more mature, a little sadder. Rose's eyeshadow was toned down and better applied; Dave's hair stuck up more and he had grown nearly a foot.

"A week? A month? We don't really know. They weren't clear about, didn't want to cause a panic. The only reason we know they're gonna bomb is because of my mom and her scientist privileges."

"Your mom is in on it?"

"Well no, she was one of the main voices against the entire idea. But there weren't many and she was easily overpowered."

"So does she know you're here?"

"Oh hell no. She just thinks I'm staying out for the weekend."

"So can you really take us back? Where would we go?"

"Home. John, your dad moved in with us a while back, and there's plenty of room for you too. And Jade, we don't actually know where your grandfather is but when he comes back in town we can let him know. In the meantime you should stay in my house too." Rose said.

"But how would that work? Wouldn't you guys get in trouble?"

"It's worth the risk," Dave said. "It's gonna kinda suck probably but we'd just keep you inside all day and then you can go out at night a bit. We brought some stuff to help with that," he indicated the backpack thrown over his shoulder.

"Stuff like what?"

"Extra clothes, face paint shit, the whole works. There's just a little problem though."

"What is the problem?" Kanaya asked sharply.

"We didn't know you guys would have the...the things on your head."

"The horns?"

"Yeah. It's gonna be hard to hide those we'll get spotted for sure."

"I can take care of that," Kanaya said, walking over to the coffee table and removing the pile of dishes and clothes.

"You can?"

"You are going to take these kids out of here and get them a life, and a pair of horns isn't gonna stop them. Which one of you wants to go first?" She looked and John and Jade, who instantly realized what she was about to do.

"Oh fuck," Jade whispered.

"I'm not taking no for an answer. Lie down on the table." Kanaya strode into the side room as Jade shakily lay down on the battered coffee table. Dave gave Rose a questioning look; she shrugged.

John walked and knelt beside Jade, grabbing her arm tightly.

"Come and hold her other side," he said to Rose and Dave, who advanced with confused expressions.

"What is she gonna do?" Dave asked. Jade wiggled her arm out of his grip and reached down to find a washcloth, then promptly stuffed it in her own mouth.

"What are you-?" Rose's voice was interrupted by a mechanical growl as Kanaya emerged from the side room carrying her vibrating chainsaw.

"Hold her!" Kanaya yelled, John grabbed Jade's wrist. Rose and Dave had identical expressions of horror. John turned away as the chainsaw came down. Jade's body spasmed, she let out a muffled scream. Her eyes were pressed tightly shut, green liquid oozing from the dark orange stump.

"One more!" Kanaya yelled.

This time Jade didn't scream, just exhaled sharply then slumped down, not moving. Kanaya turned off the chainsaw and quickly grabbed a rag to press to her head. John pulled the napkin out of her mouth gingerly. Rose and Dave sat, still hanging on to her other arm, looking shellshocked.

"Is she okay?" Rose asked meekly.

"She's fine," John answered, pulling her unconcious form into his arms and depositing her on the couch. "Passed out from the pain. Happens a lot."

"Happens a lot? How often do you guys do this?"

"You know the guy in the desert with his eyes gouged out?" John asked, lying down on the bloodstained table.

"Yes?" Said Dave warily.

"That was Kanaya. It was pretty bad."

"She stabbed someone's eyes out? What the fuck are you doing?"

John stuffed the wet rag in his mouth. It tasted of dust and really old ramen flavoring, he thought to distract himself.

"No someone else stabbed his eyes. I removed them because they would get infected and kill him."

Dave looked at John in disbelief. He nodded. Dave shrugged, then tightened his grip on John's arm as Kanaya restarted the chainsaw. Rose's hands shook as she placed them firmly on his other hand. He focused on her slim, cool fingers, not thinking about the chainsaw, not thinking about the chainsaw, not thinking-
There was a flash of intense pain, then John's eyes rolled back and there was nothing but darkness.
Kanaya quickly removed the second horn, then switched off the chainsaw. She staunched the bleeding on John's head, then deposited him on the couch, rag pressed to his head. She turned to the guests, who were still looking a bit disturbed.
"I'm sorry about how I'm coming across. I haven't seen uninfected people for ten years, I forget how peaceful a climate you're used to."
"It's fine," Rose answered quickly, "we're so grateful that you reunited us with John and Jade again."
"Yes, about that. I need to tell you a few things, before they wake up."
"A few things?"

"The horns are going to grow back. Next time use painkillers and something that can effectively saw them down. Keep them out of the sun, and use some sort of makeup if they go out at night."

The two teens nodded. Kanaya took a deep breath and continued.
"John and Jade aren't the children that were sent in. They have changed, have grown and have seen things that I hope the two of you will never have to. In comparison to many, the city was kind to them, but they have still undergone so much suffering. There is plentiful amounts of grief that has not yet been acknowledged, from recent losses as well as past ones. Let them grieve, and understand if they are not the same leaving as they once were." The two teens nodded solemnly. Kanaya continued.
"As you may as well know, taking them from here will not cure them. Jade has maybe ten years and John fifteen, at the most. Or they could have as little as another year. There are patterns, but they are often not followed. They will not be able to lead a full life like you will. Their lives at effectively done now."
"They're not," Dave interjected. Rose shoved his shoulder. "Their lives aren't over. They have time, they have a home, they have us." Kanaya smiled.
"They are so very lucky. But the most important thing is that you cannot get caught, under any circumstance. You and anyone else connected will be arrested, and they will most likely be killed."
"What about you?" Rose asked. "This offer extends to you as well. We have a big house, there's room for one more." Kanaya shook her head slowly.
"It's not my place..." She glanced around the room. So many empty beds. "I've used up my time. There's no one waiting for me anymore."

"Do they know?" Rose asked, glancing at the still forms of John and Jade. Kanaya shook her head.
"They're not going to like the idea, but I hope that eventually they will understand." Rose nodded, and Kanaya continued.

"All in all we are extremely fortunate that you didn't give up hope. I couldn't save most of the children who passed through here, but knowing that these two got out means more to me than I can say."

"Thank you for keeping them safe," Dave said out of the silence. "They wouldn't have made it on their own. Especially John."

Kanaya smiled. "So I gathered." There was a groan from the corner of the room as John and Jade began stirring. Kanaya stood, grabbing a coat and backpack from the couch and pulling them on. She walked over to Jade first, leaning down, whispering something up close. Jade shook her head and pulled Kanaya down into a hug. Kanaya struggled out of her grasp a moment later and moved on to John.

"What's goin' on?" He muttered, confused.

"I'm not coming with you. I'm going to the West."

"No, no you're coming. You've gotta come, we're gonna live!"

She shook her head. "I don't have much time left. I don't have a family waiting for me."

"We're your family Kanaya. Please, you have to come."

"Most of my family here is dead. I can't leave when they couldn't. I'm going to the West. I'm finding whoever killed Terezi and making sure they pay for it."

"No you don't need to do that. You need to come with us. It's gonna get bombed anyways. You're gonna die here."

"Aradia and Sollux and Terezi and Karkat have all died here, under my care. I can't leave when they didn't get the chance. I'm sorry."

"Kanaya, please."

"You have to leave, John. You and Jade, go have a life. My life has already been spent but yours is barely beginning. Haven is my whole world, but it will just be a dark patch in yours. Stay safe and remember to live." She stood, wrenching her hand out of John's grip and grabbed her chainsaw. She turned and strode past Dave and Rose.

"Take care of them. Close the door on the way out." She drew herself up to her full height and walked down the hallway, then up the ladder, then she was gone.

"Fuck!" John yelled in a strained voice, pushing himself out of bed to a swaying standing position. He took a few shaky steps towards the door then toppled forward, Dave running forward to catch him, lowering them both to the floor. John yelled into Dave's shoulder and clenched his fists. Jade lay on the bed with her palms pressing into her eyes. She kicked the mattress, shaking her entire body. Rose stepped forward, laying a hand gently on her arm.

"Jade, we've gotta go. We have to get back before the sun comes up." She shook her head violently, tears falling from under her pressed hands. Rose sighed, then grabbed Jade under the knees and back and pulled her out of the bed. She was so small, Rose noticed. She hadn't grown an inch. Jade shook her head and flailed until Rose put her down.

"I can't-" She said, pulling her hands away, blood pooling in her matted hair.

"Come on," Rose said, putting her arm under Jade's and half lifting, half pulling her across the room and out the door.

John and Dave sat in silence for a moment, John still dizzy and confused and crying.

"Her house is gonna be pretty full now," Dave said. "Rose's I mean. Your dad lives there now, and Rose's mom along with a fuckton of cats. I don't really like cats because the baby ones always tangle up all the wires of everything I own and generally piss on my backpack every time I come over." John slowly sat up against the wall, rubbing his eyes.

"I pretty much moved in after freshman year. The, umm, stuff with my brother got worse and yeah. I guess Rose's mom got tired of me climbing in the window at 3am so she invited me to stay for good."

"I'm glad." John croaked.

"Huh?"

"I'm glad that you moved out."

"Yeah well it's not that different. I hope she lets us take time off of school for this though. I mean not like we weren't skipping math every day to smoke behind the dumpsters but y'know it's all in the motive. But it's gonna be pretty crowded with us and then you and Jade and Eva hanging around all the time and all the cats-"

"Who's Eva?"

Dave smirked. "Rose's girlfriend. Can't go into her room anymore now…"

"Wait, Rose is gay?"

"Yeah. We've got a lot to catch up on."

"Sounds like it." John had stopped crying. This was the part of Dave he had missed the most, the way he knew just what to do to get John to stop thinking about things. He was easily distracted by chatter, and within three more minutes Dave was pulling him off the floor and leading him out of the bunker.

Jade and Rose stood outside. Jade reached her hand out, lacing her fingers in John's. The four of them began walking away. John turned back, looking up at the building he had spent so many hours upon. He would have died up there, eventually. When everyone else was gone.

Jade tugged on his hand. He turned, an odd feeling in his chest. They walked to the edge of the city, then scaled the gate. The car was waiting just on the other side, Rose pulled out keys and it clicked open.

John climbed in the backseat next to Jade and turned to face the crumbling city as the engine roared to life. Haven receded slowly into the distance, becoming smaller and smaller until it became just another dark smudge on the horizon.

He turned around and rolled down the window, crossing his arms over the edge and leaning his head against them. The wind whipped his hair back, the air cool on his face. Jade curled beside him, planting her head in his lap. Rose and Dave sat stoic in the front seat, budding adults, his best friends.

John smiled softly, then drew his gaze forward.