Well folks, this is the second to last chapter, in other words JUST ONE MORE CHAPTER! Oh my, I'm on the verge of tears... nah it's been fun, I just hope you've enjoyed reading as much as I have writing! This is pretty much the conclusion of all the plot events, the last chapter's just corny .

So anyway, almost the final review answering time!

Mike The Snowman: Glad I got the ticker ticking !

Shippostail: I just love doing cliffhangers! Granted they're annoying to read...

GeneralDragon: Well let's hope I won't disappoint!

Awesome Rapidash: Hehe, I stand guilty with the stewing, forgive me?

Libra1: Yeah, sorry for the long delay, but here it is.

Cermer: Yeah in the music way i'd say so, love Blink 182 and from what i've heard of Angels and Airwaves and Taking Back Sunday i've liked - I just need to get round to buying albums and such.

DoubleKK: Once again you're probably making up better plotlines than I have, but this is the alternative.

So anyway, here's the conclusion.


30. Are you mad?

Karen screamed, her whole body going rigid, her breathing shallow. "Oh god, oh god, oh god." Her mind was screaming at her. Rick had shot him, she couldn't lose Jack again, she'd get to him this time. She ran to the door and swung it open, flicking the light switch in hope that it would work, she was glad when it did. She looked at the ground wide eyed and spotted the bloody corpse on the ground. She was filled with shock and disbelief. She then felt gently arms around her that she melted into.

"Oh my god Rick, what did you do?" She heard Jack asked behind her. She turned with tear-filled eyes to look at the man she loved holding her. She was filled with a sense of relief.

"W...wha... what?" She managed, relieved yet shocked to see Jack still alive. She looked down at the corpse, too broad to be Jack's body. Rick fell to his knees before the body, dropping his gun down next to him, his skin flushed as pale as the corpses. He took shallow, gasping breaths as he looked at the body.

"Who is it?" She asked no one in particular. The body had long, straggly brown hair, the wide open eyes were deep brown, shocking next to the horrified expression on its face. It was obviously a man, broad and tall and he had probably been tanned and well-muscled in life. He was lying face down and had a bloody red bullet hole in his back.

"D...daddy?" Rick murmured weakly, crawling towards the corpse and hugging it, the rich blood seeping into his clothes.

"Rick... everyone in mineral town has to have heard that shot, they'll be here soon." Karen whispered, her eyes wide in fear. "So tell me some things."

Rick looked at her, his eyes big and frightened, he then nodded slowly.

"Is this... this man... is he... was he your father?" She asked and Rick provided a nod. "Right... where did you get the gun Rick?"

He turned silent, gulping hard and looked from her piercing green eyes to the gun.

"Where did you get the gun Rick?" She repeated firmly, her voice hard and fierce. Rick's body began to shake violently as he looked frantically around the room.

"I... when Jack came back... I bought a gun... I imported it from America." He said weakly. Karen's jaw dropped as her mind flashed back to a month or so ago.

"Hey Rick!" Karen exclaimed happily, she'd just arrived from seeing Jack. He was holding a small brown box, gazing at it unsurely. She walked over to him and looked at the box.

"What's in the box Rick... Rick?" She asked again after he stood in silence. He looked at her, obviously attempting to look calm.

"Something I ordered for the chickens." He said quickly. She shrugged at the strange behaviour.

"Whatever, I'm off to the inn."

"That box." She gasped, her whole body numb. "In that box was a gun, you bought it to shoot Jack."

Rick nodded guiltily, he then stared at her with wild eyes. "You have to help me get away... before they come and find me."

"No Rick." She said, her voice hard, calm and deadly serious. "You're going to stay here. You're going to explain yourself to the entire town. You're going to apologise to your family and then you're going to suffer the consequences of your actions."

"Karen I can't, please, they'll send me away." He pleaded, his body quivering and she swallowed. Somehow, even after everything she wanted to help him. But she couldn't now, not after he'd done this, not after he'd killed a man.

"Help me." He whispered.

"I can't Rick, not now. You've killed a man, you have blood on your hands, you deserve what you get." She said harshly, sounding heartless. Jack meanwhile just stood there, his eyes fixed on the scene in front of him, staring in disbelief.

"That... that would have been me." He murmured weakly, looking at the lifeless corpse.

"It should have been you." Rick spat. "But I killed my daddy!"

"Why you..." Jack began, edging closer to Rick with his fists out. But Karen stopped him quickly by placing a firm hand on his chest.

"Think how it'd look with Rick covered in blood and his dad dead on the floor? Who would they blame?" She asked him, he bowed his head in realisation. "Exactly. Go and find Harris, alert as much of the town as you can, okay? Be quick."

Jack swallowed hard, he looked for a second like he was going to stay. But eventually he sighed and rushed off into the night to do her bidding. Karen then fixed her green gaze on Rick, he shrank back away from her fury.

"You knew." She said simply and he nodded. "Revenge?" He nodded again. She sighed and paced the room a second.

"Karen, I really don't need a talk from you right now." Rick whined, his eyes filled with silvery tears. "I just... I killed my dad."

Karen looked down at the corpse, memories flooding into her mind of this man. She had been close to him too, and she felt loss and unbearable pain. But she had to keep it together, for Lillia and Popuri. Because once she started crying she knew the tears wouldn't stop, and she had to stay strong.

"How long have you been planning to kill Jack?" She asked, her voice cold and calm, like a winter's day.

"I only decided to do it today, when I found you two together at the hot springs!" He yelled. Karen nodded slowly, she had suspected he'd known.

"But you bought the gun before?"

"Just... just in case. I wasn't planning to use it!" He said nervously, his hands were fidgeting over his father's shirt.

"Then why?" Karen asked, a few tears forming in her eyes. She felt betrayed and heartbroken, she had to wonder: would he have used the gun on her?

As though reading her mind Rick spoke, "I would never have used it on you."

"No? Then why did you threaten me with a knife before?" She asked angrily.

"I was drunk Karen! This is... this is different. This was a matter of pride. I don't have to explain myself to you..."

The look she gave him was dangerous as he gulped again.

"Well, you betrayed me Karen and I thought that if... if he was gone for good things would be okay. I don't know how I was going to get away with it, but I wanted him dead. I knew things would never be good between us, I knew you'd never forgive me. But if I can't have you, no one can!" He shouted, grabbing the gun quickly and lifting it to her head.

Karen didn't even flinch, she just looked at him calmly, her eyes flashing dangerously. She wet her dry lips and continued to gaze at him, watching his hand shaking with the gun.

"Can you do it, Rick? Can you kill me?" She asked coolly, she sounded hurt, yet she remained composed.

"If I can't have you, no... no one can." He repeated, clutching the gun more firmly in his hand and placing his finger on the trigger.

"Can you take another life? How's it going to look you standing over the bodies of two people you loved? One is unforgivable enough, but two...? Could you do that to your family?" She asked, and he began to shake more violently.

"I'll do it." He threatened, biting his lips so hard that blood was beginning to trickle.

"Okay then, but if you're going to do it, I'd do it quick. Because how do you think it's going to look to everyone, you pointing a gun at my head. It's as bad as the body." Karen waited for a second, her eyes almost willing him to pull the trigger. "You can't do it, can you?"

Rick shook his head and dropped the gun.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He cried, collapsing onto the ground and wrapping his arms around himself. He looked so wretched that she wanted to go over and comfort him, to hug him and make it better, regardless of what he'd done.

"I'm sorry Rick." She whispered and he looked up at her with pain-filled eyes. For a while he just gazed at her vacantly, but he looked like something had just dawned on him.

"But it's not your fault Karen. I'm going to stop blaming you and blame myself, you've never been the one to blame. I'm just sorry I let you go, you gave me a second chance and I... I more than blew it." He said softly.

"This isn't really the time for revelations Rick." Karen told him, glancing at the door and wondering where Jack was.

"No, but I think this is all the time we've got. So I just want to say some things. I love you, I always have, I just... I don't know why I didn't treat you better. Guess I'm just a jerk. But none of this was your fault, I don't blame you for your affair with Jack. So I just want to say I'm sorry. I'm going to own up, so I guess this is goodbye." He said with a weak smile. He stood up awkwardly and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"I wish..." She began, wondering what in fact she did wish. Rick didn't even looked at her now, he sat back down next to his father and cried into his shirt.

Then the townspeople burst in, Jack first followed by Popuri and Lillia. They both saw the body and stood dumbstruck. Popuri's bottom lip began to shake as she looked from Rick to the body.

"Daddy!" She cried, running over to the body and hugging him tightly. The man she had been longing to see for so many years now lay before her, dead. Karen's heart broke for her right then, feeling her best friend's pain.

"Daddy, wake up please. Rick, Rick, tell me he's not dead. Tell them... tell them you didn't..." She pleaded her older brother who just looked at her sadly.

He then stood up, his legs wobbling slightly beneath him.

"I... I did this." He looked at Karen for support but she looked away and he sighed. "And I'm going to tell the truth for once. Jack and Karen, call me out if I'm wrong."

"You're already wrong." Jack said, his voice filled with hate. Rick nodded and then began to recount the story, whether or not everyone wanted to hear it.

"So I did it... mom... sorry. Poe... sorry." He said, his eyes full of tears, his voice turning hoarse.

"I think we've heard enough. Now the town has to decide what to do with you." Harris told him. The stout policeman with an overly large nose took out his shiny handcuffs that had never before been used and clicked them onto Rick's wrists.

"Errr, where shall we put him?" Harris asked the Mayor, who shrugged. Duke then volunteered to lock him into part of the wine cellar, which was used for the storage of empty wine barrels.

Lillia stood over the body of her fallen husband, crying uncontrollably. Her fragile body was wracked with loud sobs.

"She won't live long after this shock." The doctor said shaking his head sadly. "There goes her chance to be cured."

He then walked over to the body to check it over, he looked at the wounds and wrote it down on the clipboard. He then reached into the pocket and pulled out a beautiful flower, with golden petals and a silver stem.

"This... this is the cure." He marvelled, a small smile on his face despite the circumstances. "I must get to this at once! Can someone take the body to the clinic?"

"Yeah, I'll do it." Gotz said gruffly, edging closer. Lillia was sitting over the body still, her hand hovering over his face.

"He's so cold." She said weakly, her eyes seemed blank and distant.

"Come away Lillia." Gotz said, putting a hand gently on her shoulder.

"B... but..." She stammered, she began to shiver as she looked down at her hand that was covered in blood. Her husband looked so perfect, his expression peaceful, like he was simply sleeping. It was almost as though he was alive, but the bullet hole in his chest destroyed the illusion.

"Mama, how could he?" Popuri murmured from behind, only Kai's arms around her supporting her. Popuri felt so torn, her brother had killed her father. She felt like she should condemn her brother and defend him at the same time.

Karen sat watching the scene from a chair in the living room. Most of the town had somehow managed to fit into the room, to gaze sadly upon the fallen giant. So many had awaited his arrival, the men had planned to watch football games with him, the women had planned to invite him over for tea and have him tell them all his adventures. All their plans, however, had shattered with the bullet of a gun.

An eerie silence ascended the room, all the faces were pale and frozen in the same way. It was like a mime act, without even movement, like statues in a graveyard. All the couples clung to each other desperately, seeking what comfort they could, while Lillia mourned for the comfort she would never again have. It was as though time had stopped, but yet they couldn't turn it back.


Later the body was carried off and eventually most people filed out of the house. Elli was the first to leave, saying how she had to take care of the baby and tell Stu something, maybe even the truth. Next Barley left, to take care of May. Soon the room was almost empty, except for Lillia, Popuri, Kai, Karen and Jack. Karen was sitting on a stool near the kitchen, whilst Popuri slumped against the counter, Lillia sat on the couch and Jack sat on an armchair. Everyone's eyes were swollen from tears and were focused on the blood stain on the carpet. Karen sighed, the blood wasn't coming out any time soon.

"I want to get out of here." Karen whispered softly, before another long silence followed.

"Yeah, me too." Jack agreed eventually. "You want to stay at mine tonight?"

"Yeah." She replied softly. They both stood up slowly and then walked to the door, taking one last look at the red patch, the corpse had long since been removed.

That night Karen sat opposite Jack on the bed, both of them unable to sleep. They were gazing silently at the bedcovers, each lost in their own thoughts.

"What would you have done?" Jack asked softly.

"Huh?"

"Had I died? Is my old gravestone still up, I haven't checked." He asked and Karen shrugged.

"I wouldn't have been in charge of what happened to your body." She told him, continuing to stare at the bed.

"Why not?"

"Because," she said looking up seriously. "I would have been dead. I couldn't have handled you dying again. So I would have taken the gun and..."

"Oh." He said quietly. "Kinda like Romeo and Juliet." He would have been shocked at her words, but he understood, he would do the same for her.

"Except with a crazy chicken boy... what do you think will happen to him?" She asked, gazing into his earthy brown eyes.

"I guess we'll find out tomorrow." He said with a sigh. "How do you think Lillia and Popuri will be?"

"As well as can be expected, they hadn't seen him in a long time... I think... I think a part of them already thought he was dead. I guess they thought they'd never see the body." She said softly, remembering how Rick had told her he thought his dad was dead.

"Yeah I guess. You want to go to sleep?"

"No." She replied, settling down into the bed next to him and closing her eyes. He gazed at her for a moment and watched as her breathing eased and a peaceful expression graced her face.

"Goodnight, I love you." He whispered, before turning the light off.


The next morning was the trial and as Rick was marched into the room everyone could see the remorse written on his face. His eyes were bloodshot and he had obviously not been able to sleep. Lillia and Popuri looked sadly at him, unable to hate him. The Mayor stood up and cleared his throat to command silence unnecessarily, the room was already silent as the grave.

"Right, today we're here to decide a suitable punishment for Rick, his crime: murder. So what do we want to do with him?" The Mayor asked, glaring at Rick.

"Well actually, we had to call the police. Apparently now it's up to the law overseas to decide what we do with him." Harris said shaking his head.

"What, but that's preposterous, no one from this town will be sent overseas." The Mayor objected, although he didn't particularly like Rick at that moment in time, he wasn't about to hand over one of his own to the authorities.

"Sorry, but they're coming to pick him up this afternoon." Harris said with an apologetic shrug.

"But we can't all go to America to see the trial!" Lillia protested, she had only just started taking the medication and it was only just starting to take effect.

"I told them that, but they said they would film the trial and none of us are to go. We will see the verdict then." Harris said dutifully, there was then an uproar, a contrast to the silence of earlier.

"That's enough!" The Mayor shouted, commanding attention. "We will just have to fight them on it."

"Don't." A small voice said from the corner. Rick was looking at them pleadingly, his eyes wide and worried. "I committed the crime, I'll do the time. This goes beyond Mineral town now, I took a life. So let me go and pay for it, I'll go."

"But..." Lillia protested, looking at her son with fear.

"Please mom, just let me go. Will you let me go? I'm not worth it." He said crying softly. Another silence spread across the room and Mayor Thomas nodded.

The meeting was called to an end and everyone filed out, putting their anger aside to say goodbye to Rick.

"Do you mind that you won't be there for the funeral?" Karen asked him as she was about to leave.

"No. I don't feel I have a right to be there. Kar?" Rick asked weakly, he looked at her like a child, lost and afraid.

"Yes Rick?" She asked softly.

He looked for a moment as though he would beg her not to let them take him, but he swallowed hard. "Take care of Poe and mom for me, okay? You're their family now. Whether or not we're still married by the end of this, and I'll do anything you want to set you free, you're their family."

"I know. I always have been." She told him with a smile. "And no matter what, you'll always be in my family."

Rick nodded and she hugged him once goodbye.

"Goodbye Karen." He said, both sadly and firmly and she smiled sadly. As much as she knew she should be angry with him, she couldn't be. Some part of her knew it wasn't his fault, she'd driven him to it. In a way so had his father, with the absence of a father figure and being forced to take care of his sick mother and little sister he had slowly been driven insane. A part of Karen wondered, had he seen that the shadow was his father before he shot him, would he have done it anyway?


A season past in Mineral town and with the beginning of a new season came the news of Rick's trial, they had buried Mr. Iris' body but still been unable to have the ceremony. Without knowing what was to become of Rick they were still unable to say goodbye to his father. As the town sat around the small T.V in the inn, nervously awaiting the verdict, Karen looked around. She had a sense that this was her family, not just the parents that hadn't ever cared the right amount, but everyone. From the annoying gossip, Manna to the little baby cradled in Elli's arms, they were family. They were all watching the verdict of a family member who'd killed another member of their family, and they felt the same things, whether they were blood or not.

They watched the look of fear on Rick's face as he stood trial alone, having a long time in a cell alone. Yet the look on his face told nothing of his loneliness, it said that his family was with him, at least in some way. But the verdict was clear, having had a few appointments with a psychiatrist Rick had been proved mentally ill. He was to be transferred to "Lucky Star" home for the mentally insane, where he would be kept indefinitely.

"Why indefinitely Mama?" Popuri asked her mother, her eyes filled with tears. Everyone was wondering the same thing, they knew Rick was not sound of mind, but an appointment with a shrink should have been sufficed.

"Because he couldn't come back." Karen said softly and everyone turned to look at her.

"Why not, we would have welcomed him back regardless? He would have done his time." Lillia said, her eyes too filled with tears.

"Because after completing his sentence of say 10 years, he would never be the same. And coming back to Mineral town after that, he would never recover, he would ruin some of our lives. So he died for us, he's not coming back, so he's dead to us and that's it. I think he had something to do with this..." Karen said, she then paused, remembering how final his last words had sounded. "Rick's gone."

Lillia and Popuri choked into tears while his family, everyone in Mineral town mourned his loss. They knew what Karen had said was true, Rick had left them to get on with their lives, to forget. He had sacrificed himself so that they could bury the memories along with him.

The funeral for Mr. Iris was not only a funeral for Rick's father, it was also for Rick. They doubted that they'd ever even receive the young Iris' body, he would sever all ties with them. So, on the gravestone was inscribed only:

Here lies Mr. R Iris, he was something to everybody. His entire family misses him, all twenty something of us. May he find some peace.

It was dedicated to both Mr. Rod Iris and Rick and on that day they buried both of them. As they cried over the gravestone, everyone knew that although they could forgive, they could never forget either of them.

Karen stood over the grave, calmly taking in the smooth stone and the engraving.

"Sorry Rick and thank you. You may think we're better off without you, but we're not, I'm not. Your family will always love you, both of you." She whispered, placing a small white flower onto the gravestone.

"You know we don't blame you right Jack." Lillia told her honorary son as they stood by the grave.

"I know. Thank you Lillia, take care." Jack smiled as he hugged her and planted a kiss on her head.

"Well I guess that's it." Jack said as they walked away from the church. He was holding a letter that had arrived that morning. The letter informed them that Karen and Rick's marriage had ended, they were to be divorced, Karen was once again free to marry whoever.

"What's it like being single?" Jack asked with a chuckle.

"Pah! Single, as if you'll ever leave me alone." She joked.

"Hey you're the one soon to be Mrs. Ball and chain." He replied with a big grin. She frowned and hit him gently on the arm.

"Who says?"

"I do." He said with a smile. Karen gave him a dangerous look.

"You propose now and yours will be the next name on the gravestone." She said playfully.

"Too late!" He told her pointing to his gravestone challengingly.

"True."

"So, what do you want to do now it's all finally over?" Jack asked wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"Over? You make it sound so final." She said bitterly.

"Well I'm pretty sure we're through the dark tunnel. Isn't it over?" He asked innocently. Karen chuckled and looked deeply into his eyes.

"No sweetie, it's never over." She told him, before planting a quick kiss on his lips and running towards the farm, Jack following close behind her.


Once again I say, one more chapter but that's pretty much the end of the story line, hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have. Still debating sequal... perhaps even prequal (how would that work:S). So if you want one tell me, otherwise the end is almost nigh...