disclaimer: *sigh* the men in white coats tell me that i don't own the world, i don't own your brain, and most importantly i don't own this fic. damn them. OW! they each just took turns smacking me upside the head repeatedly for the rudeness. they r poo-heads. (there r no men in white coats) (maybe i'm imaginging men in white coats w/ my troubled head) (maybe not) (but u never know....)

a/n: this is so cool. my story is progressing nicely and i'm getting more and more reviews quicker because of this :) this is such coolness :) nEway.......this chappie is very sadness 2 me because it is going 2 be my last chappie to this fic and this is the first fic i have ever written. but, nEway....on with my last chapter.....hope you love it!



Chapter Thirteen



MY DECISION IS THAT SERENA HAS TO DECIDE.

Stanton gaped for a moment. What? Serena had to decide? But of course Serena would save him....but she had been rather hostile toward him lately. He looked down at her. Her gorgeous brown eyes were filled with shock. For a moment he considered delving into her mind to see if he would be saved. But the look on her face said it all. This was nothing new. In reality she had been debating this moment without realizing it for months. She had been searching for this very answer: How could she ever forgive Stanton, and did she want to?

The goddess spoke again.

REMEBER, DEAR, THAT WHEN A FOLLOWER SAYS HE IS IN LOVE, HE CANNOT MEAN IT. HE CANNOT FEEL THAT EMOTION. STANTON DID OR I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SUMMONED. HE HAS DEFIED ALL THINGS EVIL BY SAYING THOSE FOUR WORDS. EVEN THE ATROX CANNOT FOOL US INTO THINKING HE LOVES SOMETHING. STANTON, DO YOU REALIZE THAT EVER SINCE YOU DECIDED TO DEFY THE ATROX, YOU HAVE NOT HAD ANY NEED TO KILL SERENA? THAT WAS YOUR OWN FREE WILL. THE ATROX COULDN'T HELP IT IF YOU HAD ALREADY COMMITTED YOURSELF TO LOVING HER. AND THERE IS ONE MORE THING YOU SHOULD KNOW., SERENA. STANTON DID GO BACK TO THE ATROX OF HIS OWN FREE WILL, BUT THE ONLY REASON WAS TO SAVE YOU.

Stanton clamped his eyes shut, not wanting to know what her reaction would be. He stared at the colors swirling on the lids of his eyes as he heard Serena's sudden sharp intake of breath. Then there was silence. There was a lot of silence. Stanton figured Serena had taken too much in in the past thirty minutes to speak about it yet. Finally she spoke to him. Not vocally, but in his mind.

'Stanton, is all this true?' she asked. 'Did you go back to the Atrox to save me? Was that the only reason?'

Stanton took a deep breath, knowing whatever he said would be heard by the goddess. He also knew that whatever he said would determine his fate. He decided the truth would be the best.

'Yes, Serena. I love you and there is nothing else I could have done. The Atrox wanted me, and he was killing you. I had to go back, it was the only way.'

Serena took a deep breath. 'And have you been taking people's hope ever since?'

Stanton winced at this, knowing that he shouldn't lie. 'Yes. And I have no excuse, except that I was, and am, under the influence of the Atrox.'

Serena didn't speak to him for a few minutes, Stanton becoming more and more nervous each second.

'And did you ask the Atrox for a way back to me? Is that why that battle was so weird? Is that why you were letting me win?'

'Yes.'

'And, Stanton, do you really love me?'

Stanton took a while before answering this question. He knew this would probably frighten Serena, but he had to be sure of his answer. Stanton thougt that Serena was beautiful. He knew that he knew her inside and out. Her mind and soul intrigued him. But none of that really mattered. What he knew about love was very little, but one thing he did know was how to tell if you were in love. If you woke up every day thinking about someone, if they were never far from the front of your mind and you wouldn't have it any other way, if this person took up all of your heart and soul and mind almost every second of the day, then you were in love. So there was only one answer.

'Yes.'

This time, out loud, Serena proclaimed his fate.

"Goddess, he shall be set free. His heart has too much good to be wasted in evil."

Stanton opened his eyes and all he could see was her face, her shining eyes full of hope. And, all of a sudden he could feel it, too. It filled him like it hadn't for hundreds of years. He looked into her eyes, and he knew that they would always be together. He was sure that for the rest of his life, he would love her. Thoughts and ideas swelled up into his head about what he could do in the future, because there would be a good one. But one idea was by far stronger than the rest. And he carried it out.

He was kissing the woman he loved. He was holding her, and he was kissing her. It was such a wonderful feeling. And as he kissed her, Serena opened her mind to him completely. He saw all of her hopes and dreams and fears. Fears of him, and of never being able to have him again. But now nothing would ever be bad again, or at least until she turned seventeen, and he would just deal with that when it came.

Suddenly they broke apart, and looked into each others eyes, and neither noticed that Selene had vanished.

At least until their private little moment was interrupted.

Vanessa, Jimena, and a very pale Catty burst into their tiny stone room.

In a very weak but determined voice, Catty said, "Get away from her, Stanton. You are going down."

Stanton looked at Serena. She smiled and then both of them burst out laughing.

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a/n: YAY!!!!!!! I'M FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was gonna have one more chappie but this is # 13....and i decided that if finishing on chapter 13 wouldn't bring me luck, what would??? I'm so glad every one read. Maybe i'll do a sequel sometime, but my next fic is either going 2 be an original or an artemis fowl. who knows??? nEway......i love all of u guys for reading. ur the best!!!!!!! it's kinda sad finishing ur first actual fic. *sniffle sniffle* this was so great and i hope all u guys read my upcoming fics!!!!!!!!!!