"Did you girls get everything settled?" James asked as Libby and Molly emerged from the bathroom clad in their pajamas.

"I think so." Libby replied, giving Molly a side hug, "So what did your mother end up requesting from you?"

"I'm going to have to volunteer to help out at the lab once a week during the summer." James said with a heaviness in his voice.

"Oh no! That sounds terrible!" Libby replied, pulling Molly with her as she rushed to James and hugged him. Following Libby's lead Molly wrapped her arms around James as well.

"It sounds like a nightmare but, as my mom says, everything has a cost. I was honestly afraid she was going to tear up my servus uxorem form so I guess this isn't as bad as it could be. You'll still have the extra safety of being my wife."

"I hadn't even thought of that." Libby whispered.

"I'll feel better once it's officially filed tomorrow so that she won't be able to change her mind."

"So you two are really getting married?" Molly asked, trying to sound happy for her friend.

"Not in the traditional sense, but yes. Who knows though, maybe in a few years when we are old enough to get out of here we'll get married for real." James said playfully.

"Until then I'll be content to just be here by your side." Libby sighed.

"It's sweet how much you two care about each other." Molly told her friends.

"Don't worry, we'll both look after you as well. Just don't try anything crazy again. The odds of escaping to freedom are insanely low and the people who are trying to end this madness just aren't strong enough yet. Throngs of protestors and activists are killed or arrested by the government every day. When the time comes all three of us will do what needs to be done but until then we just have to make do."

Molly looked at James with a surprised expression. "Do you really mean that?"

"Do I mean what?"

"You are serious that you'd take us to freedom? Or help fight for everyone to be free?"

"Yes! Why are you so surprised by this? It's not exactly new information." James asked Molly, the frustration from all that had happened that day bleeding through his usually pleasant demeanor.

"I just… I guess I didn't think you were really serious about it. I thought it was just something you were saying to try and keep Libby and I… obedient." Molly admitted.

"Oh Molly, it really has been a really tough time for you hasn't it?" Libby asked rhetorically, "You used to believe in the basic goodness of people more than anyone else I'd ever met and now you couldn't even see it in someone you were living with?"

James kissed both girls, Molly on the forehead and Libby on the lips.

"It's okay, the last half a year has been hard on everyone. There's not a lot of faith in basic human goodness left to go round. I don't know if I'd have much of it myself if I hadn't had you to lean on." James told Libby.

"I think I may have just found a little." Molly said with a grin.

When surrounded by overwhelming misery, sometimes victory doesn't take the shape you expect. Sometimes you just have to find the good you can and nurture it every day until it is enough.

The End…?