Author's Note: Well I personally am glad to see this story end. I don't think it was anywhere near as decent as "New Messiah" was, and to be honest, I didn't enjoy writing it as much. So, many apologies for this story. But I have two more ideas in the works right now: one is a Warrick-centered piece (but no worries – Nick and Greg are also prominently featured!), the other is a romance. But let's take things one step at a time. Here is the epilogue – the characters belong to me no more now than they did when I started.
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Ahh, the happy ending. The mainstay of books and movies. The happy ending always sees everything wrapped up into a neat little package. Everyone walks away from the story a better person then when they started. The happy ending is what everyone strives for. Without the happy ending, what are you left with? The answer is simpler than you may think.
Life.
That is what we are left with when the happy ending doesn't exist. This is not to say that a happy ending is impossible, but you will never know if you are entitled to a happy ending until the moment before your life leaves you. Up until death, we are constantly struggling to find that happy ending that exists only in movies and books. But as long as our life is pushing forward, there can be no set ending. Certain events in our lives may end on a happy note, but this is only one chapter. We need to look at the story of our lives to evaluate whether or not there is even such a thing as a happy ending. So what then do we live for? The answer to that is also simple. We live to create chapters in our lives that will ultimately create our life story. While not every chapter is a happy one, it is only a small part of the greater tale. How these chapters fit together in the end is what makes our life important. If we live the good life, then we can overcome these difficult times and the end result will be something worth remembering.
Nick finds himself in the dilemma about whether or not the ending is what he wanted or not. On one hand, he confronted his personal demons and overcame them with dignity and grace. The road to self discovery is a painful one, and our thoughts and actions during this time can be incredibly complex. Yet in the end, it is all worth it. Nick found this out first hand. He learned some important lessons, not only about himself, but about the functions of life as well. He learned that evil is prevalent in this world. We can never mistakenly assume that the evil is gone for good. It will lie dormant but eventually will erupt with unrelenting fury. Evil cannot be contained. It can transcend walls. It can transcend our innermost beliefs and desires. It can transcend space and time. Evil can be enticing. Sometimes, we don't even know when we are being seduced by evil. Sometimes evil can take even the best intentions and turn them into something far more sinister. Take Joseph Parnell. He had a good heart and wanted nothing more then for there to be peace and goodwill amongst men. But somewhere along the way, he allowed evil and darkness to guide his thoughts. He became so ensnared in his own evil machinations that he couldn't have escaped, even if he tried. This is what Nick learned about the world. He learned that sometimes good can conquer evil, but that sometimes the good must concede defeat. It is a never ending war. As long as there is good in the world, there will be evil. As long as there is evil, there will be good. As long as one is true to oneself and is aware of what side they want to fight on, then their life will be worthwhile. However, if you allow yourself to drift into the dangerous territory in which evil resides, then God help you, because you will be lucky if you are able to find your way back.
He also learned that coincidence is a funny thing. It is what life is made up of. Many things that happen in our lives are a product of coincidence. They are a product of chance. There will be debates about chance and fate, but perhaps there is a healthy balance of both. Nick learned that coincidence is a pertinent part of life. It was a coincidence that the bodies were dumped in the same place. It was a coincidence that the note mentioned a "New Messiah". It was a coincidence that the innocent man knew Rachel, while the real killer knew nothing of her. Coincidence can be overwhelming. We attribute it to other factors, such as the aforementioned fate, but often it is what it is meant to be: an occurrence of events or ideas in the same way or at the same time, apparently a mere accident. Coincidence is both fascinating and terrifying. Whether we believe in chance or fate, there is no denying that everything happens for a reason. In Nick's case, things happened so that he could learn some important lessons. Some were about very abstract concepts. Some were far more personal.
He learned lessons about himself. He also learned that he is the type of person he wants to be. He does what is right to him, even if it means trusting someone whom he had never met. Sometimes the choices we make are the wrong ones, but we are not to be expected to be infallible. Nick also learned that he can be a strong person even when he thinks that he is in the depths of weakness. He faced evil for a second time, and once again emerged triumphant. But he didn't do it alone. This takes us to the most difficult lesson that he found himself learning.
He learned that he has the ability to care about someone more then he ever thought possible. He learned that he would be willing to lay his life down for that person. He learned that there is someone out there who makes him want to wake up and face the day. Yet with these lessons came the aching realization that what he feels and what he can do are two different things. He can't give her what she wants. Is it because he fears her rejection or he fears what may happen to him if he tries? Much as he wants to, he can't do the things that she wants to see happen. What he doesn't realize is that those are just words she is saying. She doesn't expect him to do those things. Yet instead of talking to her, he buries the feelings into the depths of his heart. He will never tell her. He is too afraid of failing her. What he is offering won't do. In his eyes, he can never be what she wants. In her eyes, he is all she has ever needed. But they will not venture into the dangerous waters of love. They are too afraid of losing sight of the shore. They would take risks with their lives, but not with their hearts. They will not speak of this. Ever.
He knows too well the repercussions of not talking about what you are feeling, yet he is blind to this fact when it comes to her. She, the one who dreaded the silence, will not voice her thoughts. Some people never learn.