Reluctance

Out through the fields and the woods

            And over the walls I have wended;

I have climbed the hills of view

            And looked at the world and descended;

I have come the highway home,

            And lo, it is ended.

The leaves are all dead on the ground,

            Save those that the oak is keeping

To ravel them one by one

            And let them go scraping and creeping

Out over the crusted snow

            When others are sleeping

And the dead leaves lie huddles and still,

            No longer blown hither and thither;

The last lone aster is gone;

            The flowers of the witch-hazel wither;

The heart is aching to seek,

            But the feet question 'Whither'

Ah when to the heart of man

            Was it ever less than treason

To go with the drift of things,

            To yield with a grace to reason,

And bow and accept the end

            The end of a love or a season?

Slow quiet footsteps crunch the leaves of the Treehouse 'yard' at night. The walker looks for the elevator, but alas, the occupants had remembered that Marguerite and Roxton would be gone for another day. He stands there silently, then, allowing himself to say "What the hell?" quietly, shrugs and climbs the vine rope attached to the lift. He reaches the bottom of the elevator and unlatches the emergency trap-door. He pulls himself up and walks over to the chairs in the sitting room of the Treehouse. He looks at Veronica and strokes her jaw, smiling. She stirs, her face contorting into a pleasured smile and her arms wrap around herself more. In her hands is a dying blue flower that she found not so long ago. Suddenly a shot rings out. The man's crumpled form hits the ground and spills blood over the fur and hide rugs. Veronica awakes with a scream, as do Challenger and Finn.

As the body falls, it reveals Malone standing behind him somewhat slanted, the right side of his body slightly in front of his left. He is holding his revolver in one hand and a fairly large knife in the other. He drops the knife and steps over the bloody body of Niko to reach Veronica. He pulls her in a firm embrace as she starts to cry. She puts her head on his shoulder as he motions for Challenger and Finn to stay back.

"There's no need to cry. Everything's all right, it'll be okay."

"God, I was so worried about you. Why did you go? Why did you leave me like that?"

"There were some things I had to figure out on my own. But I'm back now. I'll never leave you again, I promise."

"Never?"

"Nothing on this world or in any of Challenger's shifting planes of reality could keep me away from you. I love you."

Veronica breaks out into tears again and says, "I love you too, Ned."

Challenger pulls Finn away saying, "We should get some rest now."

"But who is that guy, Challenger?"

"A very good, very old friend. He's finally found himself, and us in the process."

Malone and Veronica sit down in a chair while Challenger and Finn walk off.

"Ned, I have so many questions! Where did you go, who all did you see?"

"Well, it'll take a while to explain that. But I have a question for you?"

"What is it?"

"Since when do you have a sister?"

Veronica breaks out into laughter and Malone sits there in confusion.

*Well, I'm home now. So I guess I can deal with all these surprises.*

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End Note: It is complete. It took me about a month but I finally finished. I hope you like it as much as I liked writing it.