Lucy's eyes snapped open and the first thing she noticed was that her head hurt. A lot.

"You were makin' noises in your theep."

Blearily, Lucy sat up and turned to the source of the sound. There, now in a blue and yellow jumpsuit, was Barry. It took a moment for her brain to catch up to the current time, and once it did she was reeling with so many emotions and questions that it made her head hurt all the more.

"What's wrong?" he got up from his position on the floor and came to sit next to her when he saw her wince. "Did you thave a bad dream?"

"Where I am?" Lucy muttered.

"Ith okay Lucy, you're home. You're thafe."

Taking a moment to glance around her surroundings, Lucy was very certain this wasn't her home. In fact, she'd never been here before. It was odd though, because the room was tailored almost exactly to her preferences; the walls were painted a sunset orange, there were galaxy posters hanging from the ceiling, and the bed she found herself sitting on was soft and squishy with a bedspread of purple paisleys.

"Here! Alfred can make you theel better!" a very old teddy bear was shoved into her chest. "I brought him thepcial for you!"

Her fingers curled around matted fuzz and her heart stalled.

Lucy hadn't had many toys growing up; only a small line to guard the foot of her bed. Her father liked to get smashy when he was drunk sometimes, and his rampaging would sometimes lead him into her room while she was at school.

A tiny teddy bear with black bead eyes and a ribbon tied around his neck was the only toy that had escaped unscarred. Lucy wasn't sure where he had come from, but he had been one of the few things she'd taken with her when she moved into the abandoned apartment. Just like the rest of her belongings, he had been left behind when the social worker had first taken her away.

But here he was in her hands. She wasn't sure how, but she knew that this was her Alfred.

"H-How did you get this?" she looked up at the man.

"I took it from your room afta the mean lady took you away. Mr. Dennith thaid we couldn't thay there, but I wanted thomething to keep you clothe."

Alfred, Dennis, the mean lady that took her away. It didn't matter how crazy this guy was, there was no way he could know all these things about her and her friends.

Something she'd buried deep in her heart pulled at her. No. It wasn't possible. She'd stopped chasing clues that weren't there in an attempt to prove her friends were still alive a long time ago, it couldn't be, it just couldn't!

"….H-Hedwig?"

His entire face lit up like the sun. "You do remember! I told him you would!"

Overcome with emotions that were swirling around far too fast for her to name, she threw her arms around the nine year old boy, who quickly reappropriated the embrace.

"I-I thought I'd never seen any of you again! I-I thought she killed you!" her voice came out in a shaky whisper that was at the same time broken and relived.

"She hurt uth real bad and we ran away." Hedwig informed. "We couldn't find you, we didn't know where to look."

"Hedwig, I never stopped fighting to get back to you. It's just when I finally did….." her voice cracked and she held him tighter.

"I mithed you Lucy…."

"I missed you too buddy." She pulled back and wiped her eyes. "What about the others? Kevin, Dennis, Trisha, are they okay?"

"They're thleepin.'" He tapped his temple. "I thole the light from Mr. Dennith. I wanted ta thee you."

Lucy smiled at the boy. Even after all these years, he was just as she remembered him. Innocent, single minded, open, and full of love and sweetness he'd readily give to anyone who accepted it.

Her smile turned into a bit of a smirk seconds before she shoved at his shoulder. "You're it!" she exclaimed, taking off down the hall.

Hedwig's face lit up and Lucy could hear his laughter echoing off the walls as he chased after her.

She'd worry about all her unanswered questions later, she decided. For now, she just wanted to play with her friend.