Okay, readers. This is the final chapter to Alyssa Lies. Hope you all have liked this story. Some was a little hard for me to write but it eventually all came together. Anyways, here is the conclusion to the little story. Authors Note: It was only going to be a one-chapter story, but it somehow turned to 10 chapters. Not bad.

Chapter 10: 4 Months Later

Michelle sat in the living room reading a book while Mark and Kaia were in a bit of a competition. Kaia was not going down without a fight.

"Got any 4's?" Kaia asked.

"Nope. Go fish."

"Aw man," Kaia said while pulling a card from the top of the draw pile.

"Got any 7's?" Kaia passed her father two 7's. "Thank you. Got any 1's?"

"Go fish."

"Dang," Mark said drawing a card.

"Got any 5's?" Mark gave her one 5. "How about 8?"

"Go fish. Got any 2's?"

"Go fish. Got any 7's?"

"What? Did you just draw a 7?"

"Yep."

"Do I have to give them up? Aw, man." Kaia held out her hand. Mark placed the 7's in her hand and she laid down her book of 7's in front of her.

"Are you cheating, young lady?"

"No, daddy."

Mark gave her the Clint Eastwood eye squint. "Honest?"

"Honest."

"Michelle, I think she's cheating."

"Now I see where she gets it from."

Mark gasped. He dropped the cards. "You accuse me of cheating?"

"Especially at checkers."

Mark stood up from the floor. "That does it. Come here."

Mark took the book out of Michelle's hands and sat it on the couch. He grabbed ahold of her body, pulled her from the couch and laid her gently on the floor. Michelle broke out in a laugh as Mark began tickling her sides.

"Cheater? Cheater? I'm a cheater?"

"Stop, Mark! Stop!"

"No way. To quote Braun Strowman, you're gonna get these hands."

Michelle kept laughing at the tickle attack.

"Get her, daddy. Get her."

Mark snapped his head to the right staring at Kaia. "You're next," Mark rasped.

Kaia dropped the cards and rose from the floor. Mark rapidly made it to his feet. He took Kaia by the waist and hoisted her up.

"Now, you're gonna get these hands, little girl."

He lowered Kaia onto her back on the floor and began tickling her belly. Kaia began laughing.

"Daddy! I'm ticklish, daddy!"

"Good. Cause I ain't stopping."

"Help me, mommy! Help me!"

Michelle crawled over to Kaia and Mark and began tickling Kaia also.

"Double team! Double team!"

"Wait," Mark said ceasing the tickle fight. "Double powerbomb to the couch. Stand her up."

Mark got to his feet and stood hunched over as Michelle picked Kaia up from the floor.

"OOOOOOOAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Mark hollered throwing his head and arms back.

Michelle hoisted Kaia up facing Mark on his shoulders. Michelle had her hand on Kaia's back to prevent her from falling backwards. Mark and Kaia turned towards the couch. Mark carefully slammed Kaia onto the couch. Kaia laughed again as Mark and Michelle looked down at their daughter. They did the signature Shield fist bump.

"Believe in the Shield."

"Believe," Mark repeated. "In the Shield."

-The bedside clock read 2:32 am when Mark woke up to use the restroom. He had finished washing his hands, then was headed back to bed. He changed his mind and had another idea. He made it to the bedroom doorway when he heard movement in the bed.

"What's wrong, honey?"

"Hmm? Oh. Nothing."

"Are you coming back to bed?"

"I will. I just want to check in on Kaia first."

"Okay."

Mark made his way out of their bedroom down the hall to Kaia's room. He placed his hand on the doorknob and turned it. He quietly pushed the door inward and peeked inside. What he saw made him gasp. Kaia was sleeping….while a figure stood at the foot of her bed watching her. It was a figure of a little dark-haired girl dressed in white.

Mark closed his eyes and shook his head. He thought he was seeing things. He wasn't seeing things. There really was a little girl standing at the foot of his daughter's bed. The figure lifted her head, then turned her eyes towards Mark.

Mark gulped. "It can't be." She stared. "Aly….Alyssa?"

Alyssa gave Mark a warm smile. Mark smiled back. Alyssa turned and walked towards the window and looked out. She looked at Mark again, this time waving at him. Mark turned and glanced down the hall making sure Michelle wasn't anywhere to be seen. He looked at Alyssa and waved back.

"Take care of yourself, Alyssa."

Alyssa nodded before floating through the window and slowly vanishing into the night. Mark walked into the room and looked out the window. Nothing. Nobody. Just the darkness of night. Mark approached the bed and covered Kaia back up with the comforter, then kissed her head before leaving the room and closing the door gently behind him.

Mark made it back to his bedroom and climbed back into bed next to his wife.

"Was she okay?"

"Yep. Sleeping. Sleeping like a little angel."

"Good. Now it's time for you to go back to sleep."

"Alright. Love you."

"Love you too," Michelle said with a kiss on the lips. "Good night."

"Good night."

Mark lowered his head back onto the pillow and yawned. And as he closed his eyes, he thought he'd heard a little girl laughing. He opened his eyes and looked at his bedroom doorway. Nobody was there. He looked around the room. Nobody was around.

Even though, he had never heard her voice, he somehow knew who that laugh belonged to. He laid his head back on the pillow and smiled.

"Good night, Alyssa," Mark whispered.

THE END