The last chapter is up! This is a pretty short one, but it's basically just to tie up a few loose ends, and to finish the story off. I have already started on a sequel, and the first chapter of that will be up soon. And a final thanks to all those who have reviewed; you have all been a big help and have inspired me to carry on and even bother to write a sequel, so thank you! Oh, and to answer a good question by Light Rises concerning why Marie's foster parents didn't adopt Randall as well- I admit, I DID forget to mention that, but it is something that will be cleared up in a future Randall fan-fic of mine, so I can't really say just yet. But good question! And now, on with the final chapter...

Chapter 40- Future

A lot of things happened in the weeks that followed.

Randall and Marie had both been taken to the local hospital for an essential check-up. They both passed but Marie had a broken finger that was very sore, and Randall had sprained his arm badly and was to have it in a sling for a week. The next day, Marie was taken away with her new foster parents, who Randall gave a thorough checking before he allowed his sister to go with them. It was a sad moment as he waved her goodbye, but he knew it was for the best.

He heaved a sigh. The only thing that was frightening him was the fact that now, without Marie, he would be lonelier than ever. Even though he had been on the news and his name, along with his compelling tale, had spread through the school like wildfire, the bullies did not desist their unlawful acts. Mike and Sulley were cheesed off because they weren't even mentioned on the television, but Randall pointed out that it was their fault for leaving too early. He had a stern talk with them, but thought that not receiving any recognition for their help was punishment enough. Nevertheless, they carried on bullying him, but noticeably not quite as often as previously.

Marie, this time, did write letters back to her brother who now had a daily routine of getting up early in the morning and waiting to see if she had replied. Although they were making contact and keeping in touch, the orphanage didn't seem the same without Marie and her cheerful laugh that brought smiles to most monsters' faces. Randall was getting very lonely though, and had only managed to make a couple of friends from the news report who, in a couple of months, would abandon him anyway and would leave him without a friend in the world.

After a while, Marie's amount of replies grew less and less until she was only writing once a week, if he was lucky. Randall was upset by this, and even when she wrote letters, they weren't as lengthy as they had used to be. In Marie's letters, she would usually thank him for his five or six other letters, describe what was happening over there, and ask how he was. She always seemed to be doing something exciting; arranging a school fair, visiting her friend's houses, and even going on holiday once in a while.

Jealousy showed its face as Randall read his sister's hurried description of the events in her new life. Everything, like usual, was going perfectly for her and was the precise reverse for him. Getting increasingly bored with his life, Randall decided to experiment with a new way to make a friend, and also keep him occupied. He got a pen friend. This pen friend was named Jay, and they constantly wrote letters to each other. It gave Randall a bit of company outside his small amount of books that lay dog- eared on a broken shelf in his room.

The events at Monsters, Inc. were fresh in his mind at first, but as the days grew into weeks and the weeks grew into months, the memory, like every other useless thought, was pushed into the back of his mind by incoming bombardments of present day happenings. But one thing stayed at the front of his mind, nagging him at times when he was alone with his own thoughts. What did Waternoose mean when he talked about his parents and how Randall "didn't know?"

It was something that troubled him a lot, and something that he desperately wanted to find out. As Randall aimlessly wandered the playground at break- time, being shoved by other, more popular monsters that were playing their games of "it" and "tag," visibly leaving Randall out, he murmured the truest words he would ever say in his life.

"This isn't the end."

***********

I bet you're thinking that that ending is begging for a sequel; and Randall's right- it isn't the end. For all of us Randall fans, it'll be never the end. As I said, the sequel will be up soon, so I guess that's something for you to look forward to. Once again, a final thanks to all that have reviewed- you've really made it worthwhile. So, hasta la vista, and have a good rest of your life! (What? What did you expect me to say?) Oh, and never forget- the "Winds of Change" are always just around the corner. ;)