Tally blinked, her eyes flickering side to side when they adjusted to the blinding light.

She wrenched up when she caught the burning scent of bleach, mind blanking out when all she recognized was hospital type things.

Did they fail?

Were they back at the Facility?

Was she on her death bed?

She looked around the room, freaking out.

There were more beds with her, but they were empty, looking barely slept in.

Talon bit her lip, so hard that it bled, Am I the last one left?

The door creaking open caught her attention, an echoing chorus of laughter entering the room as a pale, freckled hand pushed the thing open.

She had her hand poised in the air, ready to make things explode if the person coming in was coming for her life.

However, when she realized who the people were, she let her hand fall. "I-Iggy!" she cried out hoarsely, extending her hand towards him, ignoring the flares of pain that erupted across her middle.

His blue eyes lit up, his Vans thumping on the white tile, somehow managing to capture her in a hug and not fall on his butt. "Tally!"

She smiled, enjoying his warmth, "I-Iggy." But then her eyes snapped open in pain, fire burning across her middle. She tried to pull back, trying to form words that would convey her sudden pain.

Iggy backed off quickly, and it was only then Tally noticed how many machines she was hooked up to, how she had bandages that started from her underarms to just below her belly button. All the other scratches decorating her like a Christmas tree.

She scowled, then looked up at Iggy, giving him a once over. His arm was in a brace, he had a wicked looking scar that started at the bottom of his right ear and disappeared into his shirt.

A clearing of throats brought her attention back to the rest of the flock.

And one thing just bloomed in her mind when she saw them all.

Permanent scars.

On faces, on legs, on arms, necks, feet, likely on chests, stomachs and backs as well. They all had battle wounds that probably weren't going to fade away anytime soon.

"Wuh-wuh haa—happeh—?" Tally tried, huffing a bit when her voice betrayed her and said the words horribly and completely obliterated.

"The reinforcements came. We're safe," Fang said, walking up to his sister, giving her a tiny smile. It was brief, but she felt the relief in it.

Tally was about to try and say something when the little kids launched onto her bed, blabbing a million miles an hour while Total just watched them from Max's arms.

She did her best to ignore their scars and just listened as they babbled about everything that had happened.

The CSM had apparently pulled through, with the help of Jeb, Cookie and Kaiden.

After the tanks rolled in, everyone was shipped off to the hospital. Angel, Nudge, Iggy and her were in the ICU for longer than everyone else.

Cookie and Kaiden hadn't made it out. They were completely sad when they said this.

The Alex clones had speared through both of them simultaneously. Kaiden had jumped in front of a few clones with the gun, while Cookie was about to turn around and push him out of her way.

They died in each other's arms.

Dead the moment the medical team got a chance to try and fix them.

Max's wing was banged up, it couldn't endure much stress, so she couldn't go into supersonic speed or race anyone anymore.

Fang could hardly walk.

Iggy had apparently lost use of one of his hands for a brief period, but it was steadily coming back with some therapy. (And brute will. He demanded to be let into a kitchen and practice there.)

Nudge got a horrible concussion, she would suffer from extreme migraines for the rest of her life from what the doctors said.

Gazzy had a bad burn crawling up his hand and towards his shoulder, splattering against a bit of his chest from how he lost control of a fire he had conjured up.

Angel had been caught off guard and had to go into surgery, punctured lung. She couldn't over exert herself either.

Total got his tail chopped straight off, so only a little stub remained.

Tally smiled when they finished telling her about how Jeb had come and explained everything to them.

When the kids started running up to the TV, she turned to Iggy, running her thumb over his smooth cheek, trying to ignore the little clamp on her finger indicating her heart rate.

His eyes seemed to have been staring at hers, lips pulled into a smile.

Tally seemed to blank out again as she pressed her lips to Iggy's, feeling incredible joy for the familiar moist warmth. The tingle of electricity.

His hand wound through her hair, and he gave a truly mirthful laugh when they pulled apart.

And Tally couldn't help but follow suit.

The world was saved.

And she wasn't alone in her crowded room anymore. They were at peace. They could stare at the perfect shade of dark blue of the sky, box the stars and have the life they wanted.

As long as they had each other and they could admire the world and each other, over come any obstacle, everything and anything.

The dark blue sky...

She had her brother, she had her family, her freedom, she had everything she never could have dreamed of having.

Tally kissed Iggy again, muttering his name softly before closing her eyes for the last time, mouth frozen forever in a perfect smile.

She finally escaped.