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Erin took one last sweep over her now empty apartment. It was such a surreal sight, how different the rooms looked after all the furniture and decorations were cleared out.
As well as seeing just how much meaningless stuff she had lying around while packing up for the big move.
"Looks like everything's good," Andy said behind her, startling her somewhat. Erin turned around, smiling as a bittersweet feeling came to her.
"Yeah, it definitely is," she replied with a sad smile. She was blinking fast, feeling her eyes get a bit wet. She swore she wasn't going to cry...
Andy noticed this and asked in a concerned voice, "Are you okay?"
Erin dabbed at her eyes and shrugged. "Yeah, just… it's hard to believe this is happening. Like, I've had so many memories of this place and I am kinda sad to be leaving it."
Andy wore a sympathetic expression, nodding as he understood what she meant. "Yeah, I can definitely get that. But you're not getting cold feet, right?"
"No, of course not!" Erin retorted with an affronted frown as she smacked Andy on the arm a little hard. "What kind of person do you think I am?"
"Ow, hey!" Andy flinched back. "I didn't mean anything by it!"
"It's okay," she said with a shake of the head. "It's just stressful and exciting at the same time, I guess."
Indeed, leaving her job at Dunder Mifflin was not the easiest move for her, as she'd had so many great memories and friendships attached to the paper company. But after working there for over five years, it was the right time for something new, especially with the big life changes coming.
The last five months were long and hell to go through and the challenges of maintaining a long distance relationship weren't always easy, but they made it work. Andy had kept up to his promise of keeping contact with her everyday, calling her three times a day and texting her frequently when he was unable to. And he came by every weekend to visit her, making the most out of the limited time they had.
There were those who had their doubts they would be able to last and make it work, given their history. And it wasn't easy, but in spite of that (or perhaps because of that), they were only more determined to prove those doubters wrong.
One year had gone by since the move, and Erin really liked Ithaca. And it definitely felt like Ithaca liked her back. She was quickly able to get a new job, or rather the same job in a different place. The administrative side of a boats and boating parts manufacturer, at that. She admittedly liked filing and doing the paperwork and all those other little jobs that kept the office running smoothly; it was simple and made sense.
"Happy Administrative Professionals Day, Erin!" her supervisor, Arthur, an amiable and bookish man with thinning brown hair and round glasses and dressed in slacks and a sweater vest, said glowingly as he handed over the little bowl full of her favorite candy (Sour Patch Kids, Trolli Sour Gummy Worms, and Twix, of course) to her. Surrounding him were the other members of their little unit of this workplace they occupied.
"Aw, thanks guys!" Erin took the bowl with a smile of acceptance. She honestly thought this holiday was kinda dumb and not even a "real" holiday, but she would definitely take free candy any day of the year.
"No, thank you , Erin. You make the most insane days at this office sane," Arthur replied. "We really do appreciate your work here."
Erin flushed in embarrassment and was about to humbly decline the praise, only to be cut off by one of her coworkers, a middle-aged woman named Jennifer.
"Seriously though, Erin, you're a godsend," Jennifer said. "Before, our wheels were squeaking. You're the oil that keeps us running smoothly."
Weird metaphor, but understandable. Erin smiled and said, "Well, thank you, again. And I'm glad to be of help, and I'm glad to be working here with you all!"
Everyone happily thanked Erin back for the compliment, each person in this team of seven giving out brief but sweet statements of appreciation for her work and help before dispersing and heading back to their own cubicles. All except one.
Her name was Kirsten, and Erin honestly wasn't sure just what to make of her. Kirsten was about her age, with a pale complexion that she went out of her way to keep pale and dark brown hair. She dressed up in nearly all-black outfits (it was all office appropriate, just every article of clothing was black with maybe one small splash of color), was examined to be having the weirdest music to be blaring from her car (some days it was energetic EDM, other days it was abrasive heavy metal), had figurines of ravens, black cats, and anime characters decorating her desk, and was usually a bit of a loner, but polite and social when the situation called for it. So to see her hanging around her desk after everyone else left had to mean something.
"So… Erin, I got a question: how do we compare to Dunder Mifflin?" Kirsten asked.
Erin almost stammered and choked at Kirsten suddenly bringing that up out of the blue. Never once had she gotten the impression Kirsten knew of the documentary, and seeing Erin's surprise at that prompted the other woman to add, "Whoa, hey, no judgement here! Besides, I saw that you've gotten back together with Andy again somehow, but to be honest, I don't care about your love life. I was just wondering about Dunder Mifflin itself, like your coworkers and bosses and the culture, you know?"
"Oh, I see…" Erin murmured. Clearing her throat and gathering her thoughts, she thought for a moment on that, and then spoke.
"Well, I don't know how much I can really compare, but I think the general vibe here is that it's less… insane, I guess is the best way to put it," Erin replied.
Kirsten nodded at that, lips pursing into a lopsided grin. "Less insane, huh? Hmm, yeah, Arthur's definitely smarter than Michael. How you managed to survive having that man as a boss is a serious mystery. Like, I mean, good God, that whole Scott's Tots ridiculousness? Fuck, I thought I was gonna die from the second-hand embarrassment of it all!"
"Ugh, God, don't remind me of that!" Erin grumbled, shaking her head and rubbing her temples as the memories of that day replayed in her mind. "I still can't even think about that without wanting to crawl under a rock and die."
Kirsten chuckled and said, "And no Dwight either, thankfully. No offense, but that guy is just… off."
"Aw, he was nice though," Erin retorted. "I mean, yeah, he was kind of a weirdo at times, but, like, at the same time, I've never met anyone else like him. He's really one of a kind."
Kirsten laughed in response and nodded with a smile. "I guess that's true. Well, I gotta get back to work. But I totally want to learn more about your Dunder Mifflin days, the stuff that wasn't covered in the doc! Oh, and maybe even meet Andy! Come with me to lunch sometime."
Erin smiled and said, "Definitely, I'm always willing to share."
"Well, I guess this is goodbye," Erin said with a sad little sigh as she ran her fingers along the white walls of the apartment.
"And a hello to a new future," a new voice said from behind her and Andy, startling them both. They turned around and smiled as Dwight came up to them. "The U-Haul is packed and ready to go when you are."
"Alright, Dwight, thanks again for all the help." Andy took the keys for the truck with a nod.
Erin nodded as Dwight and Andy talked, their voices almost sounding distant as the thoughts went through her mind. "Yeah, a new future…"
A new chapter.
It sounded kind of scary, and yet exciting.
And besides, it was time to move on. Her time in Scranton was over; she needed a new start of her own.
Erin looked around the kitchen and let out a long exhale. Everything was neat and tidy. All going according to plan. He should be home any minute…
And indeed, the front door was opening, and Andy entered the apartment. "I'm home!" he called out.
Erin jumped into his arms, her stomach taut with anticipation. Andy flinched when she tackled him. "Whoa there, Erin, I'm glad to see you too. I mean, today's been a pretty long day, so I get that. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm more than okay," she replied with a big smile. "I… have something to show you."
"Okay then," Andy said with a nod. He took off his coat and hung it on the rack before Erin grabbed his hand and led him into the kitchen. "What is it?"
"It's a surprise," she answered with a sly wink. She sat him down at the dinner table and sprinted over to the fridge, taking out a restaurant styled platter with a round metallic cover. She set it down in front of him, her smile getting bigger. "Come on, open it up," she encouraged him.
He lifted the cover off, and immediately, he felt his stomach twist itself into knots upon seeing the contents.
A positive pregnancy test.
A little white teddy bear with the softest plush fur he'd ever felt.
And a little card with the words 'Congratulations Daddy!' written on it.
"Is… is this…" Andy stammered, his voice low and shaking as he turned to Erin, whose smile only got bigger. "Are you really…?"
She nodded.
Immediately, he shot up from his chair and grabbed her into a hug, lifting her up off the floor and spinning her around, causing her to yelp slightly in surprise. The sounds he made were somewhere between sobs and laughter, sounds of excitement.
As he set Erin down, she noticed the tears in his eyes. "Are you okay, Andy?" she asked, gently gripping his shoulders as he lowered her down to the floor.
"Yeah, I am," he answered, beaming as tears of joy streamed down his face. He took several quick large breaths to collect himself as he wiped his eyes. "It's really true?"
"Yeah, we're gonna be parents!" Erin replied, tears of joy springing in her own eyes.
"Oh boy…" Andy breathed, running a hand through his hair, "We're probably going to have to move out of this apartment soon then… get a new car too, and a whole bunch of other stuff… oh my God, this is… I'm sorry, Erin, it's just… I just can't believe this, we're gonna be a family!"
Erin excitedly said, "Yeah! And best of all, he or she will get to grow up with both his or her parents and grandparents! Oh, I can't wait to do all the things with them that I missed out on with my mom!"
Andy smiled and wrapped his arms around Erin tightly again, laughing joyfully before he loosened his grip and began stroking her belly. Although her stomach was still flat right now, the fact that there was a baby growing in there filled him with a great pride and joy he didn't even know existed.
"Plus, we'll make sure he or she will grow up to become a great and awesome person in a house full of love and support. And no matter what happens, I'm here for you on every step of the way."
Erin closed her eyes and took a deep breath, spending a moment in silence. She then opened her eyes, turned to Andy and Dwight with a smile and said, "Everything's good. Let's get going."
They exited the apartment and Erin locked the door. It was a quick trip to the property manager's desk to give away the key before they walked off to the truck. As Andy and Dwight packed up the last boxes into the Angela and Phillip were sitting nearby waiting.
"Erin!" Phillip squealed as he ran up to her. "I'm gonna miss you," he said with a pout, hugging her. Erin smiled and scooped the little blonde toddler up into her arms.
"I know, buddy. I'm gonna miss hanging out with you too," Erin replied, hugging him back. "But I'll still see you guys by calling you and stuff. And we'll even come visit too."
"Promise?" Phillip asked.
"Pinkie promise," Erin reassured him, linking their pinky fingers together in her vow before she handed him back over to Angela. Angela cooed over Phillip for a moment before setting him down on the ground, coaxing him to go say goodbye to Andy so the two grown up women could talk in private.
Six months passed by since Angela and Dwight tied the knot, and a genuinely happy marriage really did do wonders for Angela. She was much more relaxed now, her disposition more open and joyful. It was a change that Erin (and really, the rest of the office) welcomed happily. Angela had a radiant smile on her face, which had only grown fuller the more the baby bump grew. She and Dwight wasted no time on growing their family and they were now almost five months along. Phillip, of course, was ecstatic that he would soon be having a new little brother joining him.
"You take care of him, you hear me?" Angela said sharply. "I hadn't treated Andy well at all and I had continued to let him suffer when I never spoke up on his behalf. And I had let you get hurt a lot back there as well."
Erin wasn't sure how to process these statements, but nonetheless tried to wave Angela off, saying, "Oh, look, Angela, it's no big deal-"
"Yes, it is," Angela interrupted firmly. "See, I was jealous when Andy moved on to date you after he and I broke off our engagement, and a small part of me was kind of satisfied at seeing you two break up because of me. But the truth is, I was petty and watching how I had behaved back then made me realize how that hurt everyone around me. Andy is a good person and he deserves happiness as much as anyone else I've known. And I should have reached out to you and helped you back when you were being bullied and harassed by that internet mob. I guess what I'm trying to say is… I'm sorry for the way I had treated the both of you in the past, and I really do hope that the two of you can make it work this time. I want you to be happy with each other and have a real future together."
Erin stood still, quietly absorbing Angela's words before she could formulate a response.
"Wow… I mean, thank you, Angela," Erin stammered. "It really means a lot to hear that from you."
"Well, it took a lot of, well, guts, for lack of a better term, for me to be able to say it all," Angela admitted, looking almost sheepish as she said this with her eyes somewhat downcast.
"Still!" Erin threw herself at Angela, consuming her into a big bear hug. "Thank you!"
Angela flinched back, but she returned the hug nonetheless. "You're welcome," she said softly. "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too," Erin replied.
"So… what do you think?" Andy asked. He honestly didn't feel comfortable here in this jewelry shop and just wanted to leave. They'd been in here for nearly a whole hour now, and they both could tell that the salesman at the counter was becoming impatient as well, wanting them to just choose a ring and buy it already. He was hiding it well enough, but the pressure only made it worse.
Erin frowned, contemplating. She looked over each ring, studying their details - the color of the metal making up the band and the diamonds themselves. They were all really pretty, but she just couldn't decide. It wasn't so much on deciding which ring she wanted, but on the question itself.
"I guess... it's just... is it really that necessary?" Erin asked. "Getting married and all that?"
Andy shrugged, his lips up in a lopsided frown. "Well, the tax break thing is nice and we could have a family health insurance plan..."
"And it is tradition," she noted. "But honestly..."
The way Erin trailed off and the hesitant expression on her face said it all.
"Yeah," Andy nodded. "Traditions kinda suck sometimes. I mean, the whole point of marriage historically was to make sure a man got a wife who would give him heirs and the girl's family was paid money for her hand in marriage, and the wife was usually her husband's property on top of that."
Erin flinched in barely hidden horror at that. "Ooh, yikes. Well, thank God I wasn't born in ancient times then. And not just because they didn't have real toilets or good doctors either."
"I don't think that was the case across the board," the exasperated salesman sighed softly, rubbing his forehead. But Andy and Erin paid him no mind.
"And then there's the stress of having to actually put a whole wedding together," Andy continued. "Getting the dress and tux, flowers, catering, the invitations and guests, finding the right venue, dealing with the families coming together..."
He shuddered at that last part. Even if his parents had gotten a tiny bit marginally better over the last couple years, the extended relatives were a nightmare.
"Yeah," Erin agreed. "And besides, do we really need some piece of paper from the city hall to keep us tied and true?"
Andy looked amused. "You know that Joni Mitchell song?"
She replied, "Eh, I had a foster mom who always put her on while she was cleaning the house. To be honest, I didn't really like Joni that much. She just sang all weird, but I kinda liked that song for some reason. I mean, we don't really need a piece of paper to prove we love each other, right?"
Andy smiled at that. "Yeah, it's not like we need to prove we're "official" or something like that."
Erin smiled at that. "Yeah, exactly!"
"So we're not getting married. And that's fine. We shouldn't do something just because society expects us to do it and -"
The salesman interjected with a grumble to his voice, "So you're not going to buy anything then?" He wasn't hiding his irritation anymore now.
"Well, maybe not a ring," Andy replied. "But I'd still like something..."
Erin's face then lit up as an idea hit her. "Oh, do you have lockets that you can put pictures into?" she asked the salesman.
The salesman sighed and answered, "Yes, we do. Right this way." He beckoned the couple over to the necklace section, showing them the selection.
Erin pointed at one excitedly and asked, "How about this one? The heart shaped one with the blue and red accents?"
Andy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I like that one too. Let's take it!"
Once they had it in their hands, they opened it up. There were two slots to put in a picture. One for each twin...
"So Erin," Andy began. "We're not going to get married. But I still feel the need to make a vow, as cheesy as it sounds. You... don't mind it, do you."
"Nope, not at all."
Andy then cleared his throat. "Okay. So I made a promise to be with you. And I want to be with you because I love you and think you're the greatest girl in the world. So every day, from this day forth, when I wake up in the morning, I will look at you and I will make the choice to love you, and I will make the choice to live this life by your side and face the unknown future with you."
Erin smiled at that, blinking fast to keep the tears from spilling down. "That was really sweet, and the best vows ever."
Andy laughed a bit at that and said, "Well, I kinda did make it all up on the fly."
"Still, I would like to get some gifts though," Erin admitted with a touch of regret. "Like a toaster oven and a really nice blender. Oh, and a food processor too!"
"No worries. We'll get them, one way or another. Christmas is coming up around the corner," Andy noted.
"Um, will you pay for that?" the salesman asked, a vein throbbing in the side of his neck. The couple flushed in embarrassment.
"Oh, yeah, of course. Sorry."
While Angela and Erin were talking, Dwight and Andy were having their own man-to-man conversation. Dwight picked up Phillip, giving him a little bounce in his arms.
"Hey, little man," Andy greeted, poking Phillip's cheek, causing the toddler to giggle. He then said, "We appreciate everything you've done for us, Dwight. You guys gonna hold up good in Scranton?"
"We will," Dwight replied reassuringly. "And you two will take care of yourselves in Ithaca and continue to come down to visit?"
"Of course," Andy answered with a nod and smile. He then pulled the strap on the back of the U-Haul truck panel, closing the cargo door. He smiled a bit, feeling one step closer to the goal.
'But there is no real end goal. It's always a continuing journey,' Andy reminded himself. After all, he thought everything with The Office was done and over with last year, but life still went on and went forward.
"By the way, for what it's worth, I'm happy for you and Erin," Dwight suddenly said matter-of-factly. "You both had gone through a lot over these last few years, so if anyone deserves to be happy, it's you. I'm proud of you two for making this work. And I hope you can continue making it work."
To hear Dwight, who was usually so standoffish and rarely concerned himself with other people's affairs, say something like that was truly meaningful, and to hear him say that so earnestly made Andy smile and he couldn't help but grab Dwight into a hug.
"Thank you, Dwight. For everything. You are a great friend," Andy said in gratitude.
Dwight initially flinched back a bit but he then relaxed and smiled, reciprocating the embrace. "You're welcome. I will miss you both."
Erin collapsed onto the couch and let out a long and drawn out groan. She was exhausted, physically and mentally, and just wanted to smoke a joint and relax .
Finally, finally, peace and quiet. At least for a good four to six hours.
She checked the baby monitor again to make sure the twins were indeed completely sound asleep. The twins Elisabeth Miriam and Edward Theodore Hannon-Bernard, or Ellie and Eddie for short. Born on a sunny March day.
That sunny day was supposed to be a good omen. But three months had gone by now, and while it wasn't necessarily horrible, it was still utter chaos.
Of course, she knew it wasn't going to just be easy-breezy, but dear lord, she still felt like she'd been hit by a freight train. It had been a wild roller coaster ride of ups and downs and sudden turns jolting her all over the place.
Tonight had been especially challenging when the twins decided to have a screaming match. Her teeth felt sore from the frequent gnashing, neck hurt, eyes strained, and ears ringing.
Andy tried to spin it as Ellie being a strong opinionated woman who wasn't going to let men talk over her. Erin supposed this was a weird sort of coping mechanism Andy developed for himself to keep from utterly losing his own mind.
That didn't necessarily help make sense of what he was doing now - cleaning everything up, picking up toys, trying to wipe down surfaces and straighten things out.
"Andy, come on," Erin said to him, "all this can wait."
Andy looked at her as if she'd just told him that Cornell was the worst place on Earth. "Erin, seriously," Andy hissed, "do you not see the hurricane here?!"
Erin flinched and even though she was exhausted beyond belief, tried to stay level headed. "Yes, I do see the hurricane, but I'm way too tired to do anything about it right now. Please Andy, I think you're driving yourself crazier here."
Andy looked like something inside him broke. He looked like he was about to explode into an enraged tirade and he even uttered a little sound in the back of his throat like he was about to scream… and then he didn't. Instead, Andy let the cleaning rag and spray bottle of Lysol he'd been holding fall out of his hands and looked Erin in the eyes, his own looking wet and lips quivering.
"Could you please hold me, Erin? Just that?" he asked in a small, pleading, and above all else, broken voice.
Erin sighed and opened her arms up as Andy collapsed on the sofa next to her, taking him into a gentle embrace. He groaned and moaned, as if in deep agony, while she ran her fingers through his hair. He had to take several deep breaths before he finally leveled out and got his bearings back.
"I'm sorry, Erin. It's just… ever since the little soybeans were born, my head's just been a mess," Andy groaned. "Even though I spent the whole time mentally preparing myself, I feel like it still wasn't enough because now I feel like I'm just losing my mind. I've been going crazy dealing with two babies and taking care of you on top of dealing with work, so… I don't know. I guess trying to clean this up will make things feel a bit more orderly."
Erin nodded along in understanding. "I know. And believe me, I couldn't have gotten through any of this without you." She really meant it, too. During those anxious eight-and-a-half months, he made sure she was taking her medications everyday, as her childhood health issues still gave her lingering problems, and a pregnancy with twins had more than a few risks for her. He massaged her back and feet when she was sore, slathered shea butter lotion on her stretch marks, and threw himself into the lamaze classes. He held her hand the whole time she had been in labor, any previous panic or anxiety pushed aside to help her get through the arduous process. And the look of utter joy on his face when he held little Eddie and Ellie made it all worth it.
Erin continued, "But right now, you're stretching yourself thin and putting way too much stress on yourself. Yeah, for the next few years, things are going to be a crazy mess and we can't control that, but we can make the best of it. And we can control being the best parents that we can be."
Andy smiled at that. "You really do have a way with looking on the bright side of everything."
"It's a skill I had to learn," she replied frankly. Her voice turned gentler as she said, "Come on, let's just watch a little TV, maybe you can drink a little beer, and just relax for maybe thirty minutes at least before you try to pick up everything, okay?"
Andy sighed and nodded. "Yeah, okay."
And so, they leaned into the couch, Andy unwinding as he sipped on a beer, the stress melting away for now.
No matter what, he would be the best dad that he could be. Erin already was showing herself to be a dedicated mother and he couldn't be prouder.
They would get through this. He just needed to stop stressing himself out so much.
Erin and Angela joined Dwight, Andy and Phillip over at the truck, Erin sharing a hug with Dwight.
"You promise to let us know when the new baby comes, right?" Erin asked, firmly squeezing his hands.
Dwight nodded. "Of course we will. We'll send everyone an invitation for a Skype party so you can all meet him."
"Sounds good," Andy replied. "Take care of yourselves and take good care of the office, you hear me?"
"We will," Angela said. "And you two take care of yourselves and stay strong. Life can throw a lot of unexpected things in your paths."
"Thanks, Angela," Erin said. She sighed sadly. "Well, I guess this is goodbye."
"For now," Dwight said reassuringly. "Life has a funny way of bringing us all together again. Have a safe trip and let us know when you get there."
"I'll miss you!" Phillip squealed. He looked sad, lower lip sticking out in a pout.
"We'll miss you too, little guy," Erin said with a sad smile.
"Come on," Andy said. Angela and Dwight looked at him like he was crazy while Erin grinned widely. "We gotta do a group selfie. I know it's cheesy, but come on, it would feel nice."
Angela groaned but smiled a little and added, "You know, I actually kind of agree."
Dwight chuckled and so the four adults and one toddler came together into a hugging group cramming themselves into the frame of Erin's smartphone, savoring the moment as they smiled for the picture. It was warm and quiet, with a note of sadness, but also a feeling of optimism for the future path.
After looking over the picture and approving of it, Dwight said, "Well, we should let you two go now. You have a two hour long drive ahead of you and a lot of things to unpack, so it's best you get started on it sooner rather than later."
"Alright," Erin agreed. "We'll let you know when we get there."
"Safe travels," Angela said. "We'll all be seeing you around."
And so the Schrutes went off into their car, stopping to wave goodbye one last time.
"Goodbye!" Erin waved back.
Well, that was that. It was time for them to go now too. Erin climbed up into the passenger seat while Andy took to the driver's side. Her heart was pounding in her ears, stomach twisted into knots from anxiety and excitement. There was no telling what the future would hold, but she was prepared to face it, the trials and joys, highs and lows, and everything else in between, with the man she loved by her side.
"You ready, Erin?" Andy asked her as he began to start up the truck.
Erin turned to Andy with a smile and replied, "Yeah, I'm ready."
AND... IT'S... DONE!
(faints)
I'm endlessly sorry this took forever and a year to get out. Admittedly, the pandemic and the stress it's caused, along with a promotion at my job (yay me), a writer's block that made me constantly write and rewrite large chunks of this, and obsessively playing Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley and Don't Starve, I had a hard time prioritizing writing this out and I wanted to make sure it was the best possible epilogue that it could be. But then I'd gotten hit with a burst of inspiration thanks to, erm, certain comments from certain show sources and a few fellow A/E shippers from Tumblr that were just as disgruntled by S9 as I was. I hope you like it and the wait was worth it though! (puppy dog eyes)
Yeah, it's easy to tell who Andy and Erin's future kids are named after (though admittedly their daughter was also kinda named after Elisabet Sobeck of Horizon Zero Dawn, who is my hero and inspiration). The idea to have them decide to not get married came from two sources - Ann and Chris in Parks and Rec deciding to not tie the knot but still be partners and having two kids together, as well as (SPOILER) Jimmy and Gretchen in You're the Worst (one of the primary inspirations behind the writing of this story) going down a similar path at the finale of that series. The Joni Mitchell song Erin mentions, "My Old Man", is a shout-out to another Office fic that centers on Roy. And of course, the last two lines are a shout-out to the finale of Parks and Rec, which ended absolutely perfectly. If you have any other questions about this, leave a comment or PM me, I'm always down to talk!
I'm glad this is finally closed out on, but don't fret, my dear readers. I have a few other side stories planned for this universe centered on our beloved little ship's lives in between and after this timeframe. It will admittedly probably be posted at a sporadic rate, but I'm sure even little snippets will be a nice treat as a window to how things are going for them and all the ways life continues to unfold.
Leave a comment, fave/follow, and hell, recommend it to anyone else who wants to just wipe the painful memories of S9 away on other sites. Again, I'm super grateful for all the support and love I've gotten for this story since its beginnings. I hope this inspires more Andy/Erin stories too.
Goodbye, for now!