The group divides up between the two cars— Emma's and Ted's; Tom's had gotten left way too close to the burning mall and no one felt comfortable going to get it, so they left it behind.
Henry, Ted, their three kids, and the teens' significant others squeeze into one car. Hannah sits in Ted's lap up front while Henry drives, and Peter volunteers to sit in the hatchback trunk. Emma, Paul, Tom, Becky, and Tim fit comfortably in Emma's car without any special arrangements.
Hannah sniffles in Ted's lap, and his arms tighten around her protectively. Lex lays her head on Ethan's shoulder and tries to calm her racing heart.
"My mom's gotta be freaking out right now," Ethan mumbles.
"She should be waiting for us at the house," Henry tells him. "As soon as I knew you were okay, I called her for you and told her to meet us there."
Ethan sighs in relief. "Thanks," he says, closing his eyes and resting his head on Lex's.
Ashleigh pulls her phone out of her pocket and fiddles with it. Lex glances over and notices the screen flicker on with absolutely no notifications. The other girl wipes her nose with her sleeve and puts the phone away again.
"The phone lines are down, remember?" Lex says quietly, taking her friend's hand gently. Ashleigh nods slowly, but doesn't look too reassured.
When they finally get back to the house, Ethan's mom isn't the only guest waiting for them. Ted recognizes Bill's car parked in the grass next to the driveway. He can see Alice and Deb sitting in it, but he doesn't see Bill. His heart sinks, as he remembers that Bill had talked about getting that doll for Alice. Everyone piles out of the car, and Emma pulls up right behind them.
Paul goes straight to Bill's car and knocks on the window. Alice and her girlfriend get out of the car, and the former wraps her arms tightly around Paul as she cries.
"I haven't heard from him all day," she says. "He had me drop him off at the mall this morning, and there's been nothing ever since. As soon as the powers went out, I got Deb and came here. Her parents are missing, too."
"I'm sure they're all fine," Paul tries to reassure her.
"We should get inside," Henry says, glancing cautiously at the sky, as though he was worried about an airstrike happening at any moment.
Ted carries Hannah in and puts her straight to bed despite her protests. Pouting, she glares up at him slightly as she curls up with her stuffed dog in her arms. She falls asleep quickly, anyway.
Tom has an already-sleeping Tim in his arms, and Ted helps him put the other kid to bed in Hannah's top bunk.
All six teens sit around the breakfast table, as Emma makes hot chocolate for them. Paul's getting the mugs out for her. Becky and Ethan's mom, Beck— yeah, that wasn't gonna get confusing— were checking Ethan and Lex over for injuries. Beck was fussing about her son's concussion and bruised ribs.
"Can't we just all be grateful I'm alive?" Ethan whines, and his mother gives him a warning look.
"Believe me, I am," she grumbles. "I'm very grateful that all you kids are alive. That doesn't mean that I'm not upset that you got hurt to begin with."
Ted chuckles, and goes to look for Henry, who seems to have disappeared. He checks the lab first, unsurprised when he's right. His husband is methodically going back over his notes on something, making a notation in the back of the binder. Glancing up, Henry blushes a little when he sees Ted staring at him.
"Sorry," the younger man says quietly. "I got a little worried when I didn't see you with the others upstairs. Hannah's asleep, and so is Tom's kid. Our resident nurses say that Ethan and the others are gonna be fine."
"That's good," Henry says, setting his pen down and coming over to Ted. They wrap their arms around each other, and Henry sighs.
"What's wrong, Hen?" Ted asks.
"Something that woman said," Henry admits. "It's been bothering me..."
"About the Apotheosis last year?" Ted says knowingly, and Henry nods.
"She knew about the Hive," he says. "She knew what we did to stop it."
"Or," Ted says slowly, "she was bluffing, and knew less than she was letting on. If you're worried about other people, I doubt anyone will blame us for what we did—"
Henry shakes his head. "I'm more worried about Wiggly," he says. "What if it's not over with him?"
"It is," a new voice speaks up. Both men turn to see Hannah standing in the hall outside the lab.
"I thought I put you to bed," Ted says, exasperated, but Hannah only smirks.
"I'm not Hannah," the girl says. "I figured this form was safer than a giant spider..."
Henry squeezes Ted's hand. "Webby," he says slowly but confidently, and not-Hannah winks at him.
"Nice to finally see you face-to-face again, Henry," she says lightly. "I think you were about... Lex's age the last time?"
"You looked like my mother then," Henry confirms. "Just after she passed away."
"I'm not here for long," Webby-Hannah says. "I just wanted to thank you both for your parts in stopping my brother and his children this past year."
"Your brother?" Henry says sharply.
Ted stays silent, still staring in shock at this almost-exact replica of his younger daughter.
"I assure you, his apple fell very far from the tree," Webby-Hannah sniffs, almost haughtily. "Now that his prophet is gone and all of his dolls destroyed— the moment one began to bun, so did the rest, all connected by him— his power is significantly weakened. It will take him several millenia to regain enough to try again. And by the time that happens, I have no doubt his attention will have been drawn elsewhere anyway."
She smiles at the couple before winking one last time and evaporating into thin air.
"Earth is safe. Your family is safe." The words echo around the lab.
Ted's still in shock over what just happened, but Henry turns their faces toward each other so he can kiss his husband. They melt into each other as the grandfather clock down the hall chimes midnight.