Hello everybody. Okay, this is the final chapter. I'll also post an alternate version of it, but this one here is my 'canon' version, how this adventure ends. This final chapter contains a homage to the story 'A Weapon' from BellatrixLestrangey (For more details, see the end note of this chapter). Thank you for the permission to use it here in this story.
All of them have to face a 'Goodbye'. I wish all of you a lot of fun with this last chapter.
Goodbye
Ronan opened his eyes. It was a wonderful warm summer night. The air was filled with the chirps of insects and a slight breeze carried the scents of the woods to him. An earthy fragrance, mixed with the hints of leaves, wet moss and wood. He was nearly at the end of the woods, the trees had already started to step aside and more bushes and smaller plants and flowers were to be found on the ground. But he didn't noticed the beauty around him. He was focused on the mesmerizing green light, which was shining through the trees. He was walking toward it. It seemed to call him. The trees got rarer and finally he had reached the end of the woods. And the long way had payed off. He had reached a large river and as his look followed the murmuring waters and upwards the steam he could see it. Still in a great distance but with a magnificent pulsating glow. He took a long breath, watching the Emerald Canyon shining on horizon. The light was soothing him. All this life around him
Suddenly he recognized a person at the river. The woman was sitting on a big rock, cradling a baby. Ronan's eyes widened in disbelieve. It was impossible, like it was impossible, that she seemed to have noticed his look, because she turned around to him with her warm smile. This warm smile, he hadn't seen for years. She was holding their baby, their son. He recognized a golden sparkle at her hand, as she took a strain of her brown hair out of her face. This beautiful face he had missed so much.
"Abby..."
Her smile grew wider and happier, as he whispered her name. It was impossible, but she had heard him.
"How... Why, I mean, what..."
She chuckled warm at his confusion.
"Hello Ronan."
She stood up and walked over to him. He felt his knees getting soft and he got a grip on one tree to keep himself on his legs. But his eyes kept focused on Abby. The woman reached him and leaned against him, nuzzling her head at his shoulder. Tears came to his eyes.
"It's been so long, Abby."
She chuckled again and it seemed the wind joined her warm laughter.
"No, Ronan. We are always with you."
A melody was in the wind. A deep and soothing humming, a lullaby, dipping like warm honey from the leaves. Abby closed her eyes and started to hum the melody with the wind for the sleeping baby.
"Dad!"
It was a muffled shout deep from the inner forest. He turned back and a darkness was laying heavy between the trees, but also a little light, or at least an idea of it, deep hidden in the woods.
Abby has started to walk back to the river, still humming the melody, the wind was carrying out of the forest.
"Abby?"
She stopped and turned back to him with her gentle smile. She looked him in his questioning face.
"Have I kept my promise for you?"
Abby tended her head aside and walked back to him. She placed a brushing kiss full of love on his lips. His breath was heavy as she took a small step back to face his look with her warm smile.
"What do you think, Ronan?"
He brushed with the tip of his tongue over his lip. He could taste her on it and it made his tears falling free.
"Dad!"
The scream was quieter than before. He knew this voice. As good as he knew the melody in the wind. Abby was standing in front of him. Waiting with their child. It was time. Time for a goodbye.
"DAD! DAD, NO! DAD!"
Jessy's voice was shrieking in desperation. Her fists slammed at the covered window of the treatment room. The tortured cries of the children where mixed with the horrified screams of the teenager, who tried to free herself out of Acxa's grip in order to get into the treatment room again. Back to Freyda. To hold the cold hand of her Dad again. To scream at him not to be so selfish. Not this time. Not in this case. To come back to her. She punched and kicked at the Galra, but Acxa didn't let go her grip. She was in shock, too. Still with his blood on her hands.
The faces of them as they had entered the medical station. The pure raw shock and terror. It had hit her harder than anything before. Freyda, who had stormed the treatment room. Jessy, who had managed it too, but she was send away by the staff. Acxa had to pull her out, finally. The rest of the team were in shock too. Lance and Allura were holding Christina and Patrick, weeping together. Hunk and Pidge were crying heavily with Sam and Clarissa. Keith was holding Tjaàl. His mother had to aid him stand. The baby was nervous and also crying. But Kathy was standing quiet in front of the door. Tears were running down her cheeks in wide streams, but she made no sound. Her little mouth stood open for a loud scream, but no sound left her throat. She was at Veronica's hand and both stared holes through the door.
Suddenly the door opened and Freyda walked out of the room. Her mouth stood also open for a silent cry. He empty eyes scanned the room. It was a dead silence. She stumbled forward and got caught by Veronica. Jessy used the moment and ran to her. It seemed, that she wanted to ask her about Ronan, but her voice failed her. Both stared in absolute desperation at each other. And finally the Galra released her first cry. A cry, which forced the strong woman down on the floor. Jessy broke down beside her, with a soul-splitting scream. Tortures screams of shock and grief filled the room, as the kids rushed to Freyda, crying, screaming, denying the truth. Pidge buried her head in Hunks chest, Allura's heavy sobs couldn't be eased by Lance, who pressed his face in her hair.
Acxa stared in terror at the broken family in front of her. She felt her tears running down her cheeks. It wasn't fair. She stumbled backwards, leaning herself at the wall of the waiting room. She felt her hands shaking. Her eyes rested on Keith, who was still holding Tjaàl.
Acxa had to put all her strength together. She lifted herself up from the wall and shambled to Keith. She took the baby out of the arms of the surprised Paladin. Only her will managed to keep her voice on a nearly controlled level, as she started to hum the lullaby for Tjaàl. For all of them. The cries got weaker a bit, but they didn't stopped. She felt all eyes resting on her as she started to walk to the grieving family. The Galra knelt down with Veronica's help, otherwise her weak legs wouldn't have managed the way down. Acxa handed the pale woman her baby and showed her the fresh cut in her right hand.
"I'll help, Freyda. I have promised to do so." Acxa sobbed heavily and her sight got milky. "I care for my family."
Acxa hadn't recognized, that it was Freyda and Jessy, who had pulled her and Veronica into the family hug, but she felt many arms and hands pulling her in. And so the family continued to cry out their grief. Together.
Four years later
Acxa walked on fresh fallen snow towards a little hill in front of her. A giant oak tree was standing on top of it. But the tree wasn't her destination. She halted at a big rock, which was laying under the giant tree. The snow had covered the stone as well and Acxa wiped it away from the inscription before she placed herself beside it.
"Hello Ronan."
She faced the carved letters of his name and took out some photos of one of her pockets.
"I still know, that you couldn't hear me or that you already know everything I'm about to tell you, but Jessy was right, it helps me."
She started to draw lines in the snow with her fingers.
"It was a good year, Ronan. More happy moments, than sad ones."
She wiped away a little tear in the corner of her eye.
"Jessy will study at university next year. Intergalactic Relationships and Cultures. You would be so proud of her. She has your strength, Ronan. She had guided the family through the rough times with Freyda."
She placed the first photo on the gravestone. It showed Jessy, who was deep in her books, learning for the entrance test.
"Allura and Lance have married last year. Like I have told you, Christina and Patrick have moved to them, the year before. Both are so excited to become big brother and sister. Since they know, that Allura is pregnant, they keep pampering her. I bet at Lance advice."
She placed a second picture on the stone. It showed Lance and Allura kissing each other, Christina, who made an disgusted, but funny grimace and Patrick, who looked a bit ashamed about his sister.
She wiped away some more tears, before she continued.
"Both still denying it, but everyone knows, that Pidge and Hunk are getting closer. And Sam and Clarissa are doing their best to make them realize this fact. They visit Freyda, Jessy and the two kids almost every day. Officially to see Sam and Clarissa, but that's their point of view."
Acxa placed the third picture beside the others. It showed Pidge, Hunk, Clarissa and Sam in the kitchen baking Christmas cookies.
She sighed heavy and her hands started to shake a bit.
"Tjaàl has grown so much, Ronan. He's still a real sunshine. I think Freyda wouldn't have survived the rough times without him. Jessy, Freyda and AMRASU are telling him stories about you almost every day."
Her voice got shaky, too.
"Keith is also listening to these stories. He still feels a bit guilty, that he has fallen in love with Freyda. At first for Tjaàl, but his caring and protective side for him had finally brought them together."
Her tears kept running, but she had given up, to clean them.
"Jessy has given him a hard stand, but she has seen it, too. Like I said, it's so much from you in her. She likes Keith. And she really likes his mother. Sometimes I think she has an eye on him for Krolia. It wouldn't surprise me."
Acxa laid a fourth photo on the snow before the stone. It showed Keith and Freyda before his motorbike. Both were wearing biker outfits and their heads were resting against each other. Tjaàl was standing before them and Freyda and Keith had laid a hand on each shoulder of the smiling boy.
Acxa sobbed a little and started to cry for a while. She was holding a last photo in her shaking hands. Finally she faced the stone again with her teary eyes.
"Kathy has grown, too. She is my light, Ronan. She and Veronica. She is so kind and so gentle, she..." Acxa sobbed again. "I still don't know, how we have got her out of her desperation again. As I told you, she hadn't talked for weeks after..." She pressed her eyelids together in pain. "But she had learned to smile again, Ronan. We all have learned it again."
She gripped in her pocket again and fetched out a little box. She barely managed to open the box with her shaking hands. Inside of it was a ring with an emerald. She showed the ring the gravestone.
"I'll ask Veronica today. Do you think, she'll like the ring? I have chosen an emerald, because it's green. Green for hope. It was Kathy's idea. She loves the ring. Both have given me so much hope."
She closed the box and placed it back into her pocket. After that, she laid the last photo beside the one of Freyda, Tjaàl and Keith. It showed Veronica, Acxa and Kathy in an amusement park. Blue balloons were bound at the wrists of Acxa and Kathy, Veronica got a red one. All of them were eating a Popsicle, Veronica an orange one, Acxa and Kathy an Bum Bum.
Acxa's eyes rested on the stone and the pictures on and around it. She cried even heavier.
"You made it stop, Ronan. The family has grown and it still grows. I'm thinking about giving Ezor and Zethrid the same chance, you have given me, to end it for you. But I'll discuss it with the others, first. I think, this idea might have got your approval."
She brushed with her fingertips gently over the gravestone.
"We miss you, Ronan. I miss you. I got to know you through our family. You was right, it isn't the easy way, but it's the only way. It brings peace for us. I wish you could have shared this peace with us."
She took up the pictures again and placed them also back into her pocket. She leaned forward and gave the gravestone a gentle kiss.
"Goodbye Ronan."
The picture of Acxa, Veronica and Kathy from the amusement park is a homage to the story 'A Weapon' from BellatrixLestrangey. It is a short story, written by her for the Femslash February 2019 about Acxa and Veronica visiting an amusement park. I love this little story and I felt, it would be the perfect idea to let the three visiting such a park. Also the balloons have their origin from her story, even the color beside the one, Veronica had chosen.
Thanks again to BellatrixLestrangey for the permission to use her idea for this story.