Epilogue

We collapse exhausted on a deserted beach, not too far from the docks. If I look back towards the ocean I can still see the burning ship, as it continues to sink in the bay. The sun is setting in the distance, but I can hardly think about the coming night. We must have swum for over five hours. Though the distance was not so great, we couldn't exactly swim straight ahead towards the docks. Nor is either of us really at peak performance either. So we swam along the shore, pacing ourselves, always trying to keep each other in sight.

I turn over onto my side so that I can spit out the retched taste of sea water. Sydney is lying not too far from me, coughing up sea water as well. Funny, when I daydreamed about holding her on the beach, this is not quite what I had in mind.

But this is it. I look at her in the light of the setting sun and I know that there are no more pretenses between us.

Even the anger is long gone, washed away by our baptism in the sea.

So what happens now?

"So what do we do now?" she asks after her coughing fit subsides.

"We call SD-6 and go home." I answer, knowing that that is not what she meant.

But the truth of the matter is that is the only answer I can give her. We both have jobs to do that we can't walk away from. The darkness and finality of our confinement made it so much easier for us to strip away our masks, but I look at her pale face now and I know. We are facing each other naked now and I can feel the enormity of it weighing down on me.

Nothing can change between us from what it was before this all started. It would end up being deadly.

But I'm not sure I know how to keep her out now. She's pierced a part of me I thought was impenetrable.

I watch her stand shakily, her feat sinking down into the sand. She walks over to me and offers me a hand so that I can stand, but I only stare up at her.

She is trying to slip the mask back on, but it is a poor fit now. Finally she gives up and looks at me one last time with an honest face. "Let's go Sark. You have to do what you have to do, and so do I. You are right. Things must go on. I don't know how, but somehow they must."

We need to enclose ourselves again within ourselves and move on, I try to tell myself.

There's really no other way.

I finally take her hand and she helps me up. My ankle is in more pain now than before. The exertion of swimming has taken its toll. I can hardly stand up. She lets me put my arm around her again so that she can help me walk along, but I don't stop there. With my outside hand I reach across my body and hers and pick up her outside hand, holding it tight.

We start walking towards the road we can see up ahead.

She's right, I know. I'm right. We must go on.

But, the question is, can I close myself off again? She is a part of me now.

I am just going to have to enclose a piece of her in my heart forever.

At least there I know she will be safe, against whatever else may come.

The End.

A/N: Thanks for all the comments so far. I really appreciate them. The sequel is Exposed Spaces and will be posted in chunks every few days like this one was.