Hey guys! Here's a short little epilogue to end off this story!
Ten years later, and Cinderella's Castle still looked the same to Finn Whitman. He had been avoiding this moment for ten years now, but now that he was here, he was glad that he had come. Ever since his saving of Disney World, he had decided to take a year off. Do nothing but stay at home. Mostly, that was because of the paparazzi eating up the "terrorist kidnapping" story the rest of his friends had fed the press when they had returned, almost nine months before him. He had to make up some ludicrous explanation for his sudden appearance. None of it making sense to him, but the media had bought it.
About a year after that, Wayne had died, making sure to leave a place open in Imagineering for Finn—a spot that he had gladly taken him. The new job required him, and Amanda and their only child at the time, Ariel, to uproot from Florida and move to Burbank, California. Both Amanda and Finn had felt extremely nostalgic when arriving there for the first time, since the last time they had been there they were trying to save Disneyland from Chernabog, Maleficent and Tia Dalma.
Unlike this first time in Burbank, Finn avoided going to the parks at all costs. Neither Amanda nor Finn had even talked about going to Disneyland until the birth of their twins six years ago. The twins brought the Whitman clan up to a grand total of six. While Amanda was taking time off from work to take care of the twins, she suggested to Finn to take their two girls, then four and two, to Disneyland for the day. Finn had frozen up, giving some crazy reason why they couldn't at the time, but later explaining to Amanda how he didn't want to get involved with the parks ever again. He didn't want to relive all the near-death experiences anymore.
"Why are you an Imagineer then? Why be involved with Disney at all if you hate the parks?"
"Because," Finn sighed, "I want to make sure the Overtakers never come back. I don't want our children to ever have to worry about that. That's all I do in my job: work on keeping the magic alive by keeping the characters in check."
Today, he couldn't avoid the parks. Today was his oldest daughter's tenth birthday, which also meant it had been ten years since he had killed Maleficent behind the castle. It also meant ten years since he had stepped foot in the parks, which is a hard task to do as an Imagineer.
Today, at the insistence of everyone except him, was the reunion of the Kingdom Keepers in Magic Kingdom. Ten years seemed to be enough time away for Finn to start enjoying the parks again. As long as none of his children wanted to go on It's a Small World. That would be another story…
"Where are we meeting them again?" Amanda asked him as she rubbed her belly. Five months pregnant on their fifth child. Who would have thought that this day ten years ago, he was just becoming a father?
As Finn sat on that thought, he realized how much had changed in the past ten years. Not only had he become a father, he had actually gotten to become a true husband to his beautiful wife. She told him all about how she had been having dreams about him, and after describing them to him, he realized she had been having dreams of his memories. He had eventually asked Wayne a few weeks later, and they had concluded that it must have been a side effect of the curse. Finn guessed there were some things that were never meant to be figured out. Amanda dreaming of his memories and dreams must be one of those things.
But on the other side, he had truly began to learn more about Amanda, and he was still learning. Each morning that he woke up with her in his arms was a new day, a new beginning, a new chance to wow her. Ever since he had come back, after catching up on sleep and recovering from injuries, Finn had dedicated himself to constantly surprising Amanda. It was his own way to make up for the awful first two years of their marriage, even though it wasn't his fault. Five months from now, she would be giving birth to baby number five and their lives would reach a new level of chaos. Finn considered himself ready, as long as she was by his side.
"Casey's!" Little six-year old Dillard yelled, bringing Finn back to reality. "Right?"
"Right!" His twin brother Luke exclaimed while pulling on his father's hand, dragging him down Main Street.
Finn looked at Amanda and shrugged. "I believe it's Casey's." They both laughed. He slipped his free hand into hers.
"And Ariel and Cindy are meeting us there?"
"Yeah," Finn said as he picked up his son Luke, hoping to keep him from darting away. He made the point to keep his son on his left hip so that he could still hold his wife's hand with his free hand. "Willa and Philby are bringing them. Philby texted me this morning thanking me for the lack of sleep."
Amanda laughed again. "It was a bad idea letting those three hang out."
"Hey, as long as it's not at our house, I don't care!" Amanda punched him in the arm.
"Well…well…look who finally showed up!"
Finn, Amanda, and their twin sons turned around to see Maybeck and Charlene standing behind them.
"Hey you guys!" Amanda exclaimed as she embraced both of them simultaneously.
"There's my two favorite boys!" Maybeck crouched and held out his arms, allowing the twins to run into his arms. He picked them up and squeezed them tight.
"Dude, the twins are too dang big!" He set them both on the ground and pulled out a dollar bill for each of them. "Don't tell mom and dad," he winked at them. Both Luke and Dillard pocketed the dollar, despite the fact that Amanda and Finn had seen the transaction.
Maybeck gave Finn a hug. "Long time no see, Whitman. How's California?"
"Great as always. How's Crazy Glaze?"
Maybeck shrugged. Ever since Aunt Jelly died seven years ago, Maybeck had been taking care of the place in her honor.
"It's been okay lately."
"Okay?" Charlene interrupted. She punched Maybeck in the shoulder. "It's going great!" She turned to Finn. "He's making a butt-load of money!"
Maybeck rolled his eyes. "We're doing okay…"
Charlene rolled her eyes and turned to Amanda, a huge smile on her face. "Things have never been better. You guys ready for numero cinco?"
Amanda smiled at Finn. "Of course we are! But we've still got four more months. And a lot to do."
It was Finn who rolled his eyes this time. "We've been adding on to our house to get another bedroom for the baby and it's been going badly."
Amanda looked at Charlene. "Don't even start."
"Oh please don't start! We all know how Mandy can go on her rants!"
All four of the keepers—and the two six-year old boys—turned to see Jess walking up the street, her new boyfriend in tow. Finn recognized him…from work.
"Jason?" Finn asked.
Jason offered Finn a handshake when he reached the group. "Great seeing you again Mr. Whitman."
"Same to you," Finn said, eyeing Jess as he shook Jason's hand. He wasn't sure how Jess and Jason knew each other, but Amanda seemed to know him too.
Amanda eyed Jess and smirked. "Well…well…it's about time you two called each other up!"
The sisters hugged. "Oh shut it Mandy. You knew we were dating. It's been happening for a year now."
Finn glanced at his wife, eyes wide. "A year? When were you going to tell me?"
Amanda shrugged. "I thought you knew! You and Jason call each other all the time."
"To talk about work!"
Jess rolled her eyes. "Figures." She walked back over to Jason, who was formally introducing himself to Maybeck and Charlene.
Finn wrapped his arms around his wife from behind, kissing her on the cheek before watching their two sons run around the group.
"Thanks for keeping me in the loop," Finn whispered to Amanda.
She laughed. "You're welcome."
"Where did you meet Jason? Have some secret sister meeting I didn't know about?"
She laughed again, turning around to face him, careful to keep his arms locked around her. "No, before the whole Disneyland incident happened senior year, I followed Jess here one night. She had been having some bad dreams and had come to talk to Wayne about them. While exploring some possible meanings of her dreams, Wayne introduced us to Jason." Amanda smirked. "Jess didn't think I was looking, but I totally saw them flirting."
"That was…what…seventeen years ago? And they're just now dating?"
Amanda shrugged, turning back to her original position. "Letting go of Patrick…I mean Hans…was hard for her. They've been on and off for about three years now, but they've only been dating the past year."
Finn nodded, shifting his gaze to his sister-in-law. They seemed to mesh really well. He was glad to see her happy. After all the late night phone calls and times he would come home from work with her crying into Amanda's shoulder on the couch. If anyone deserved a happy ending, it was her. Hands down.
Jason noticed Finn looking his way and motioned with his eyes to a spot away from the group. Finn kissed his wife on the cheek and moved over there, creating a new group. Just the two of them.
"You seem to make Jess really happy," Finn started.
Jason looked back at Jess briefly and smiled. He turned back to Finn and pulled something out of his pocket. Finn tried to steal a glance at it, but Jason had his fist firmly wrapped around it.
"Can I ask you something?" Jason asked him.
"Sure," Finn replied, curious as to what he was going to be asked.
"I know Jess doesn't have a father…but I want to do this right, so I'm asking you."
"Asking me what?"
"Can I get your blessing to marry Jess?"
Finn was shocked. He had just learned they were dating and now he wanted to get married. He wasn't against it, he was just in shock. "Uh…you're asking me? Why?"
Jason shrugged. "You're the closest male relative she has, so I figured I could ask you." Jason looked as uncomfortable and nervous as Finn had felt when he proposed to Amanda. He hadn't asked anyone for permission though. Jason was definitely being more of a gentleman than he was. But in my defense, I didn't have anyone to ask for Amanda's hand.
"So…what do you say?"
Finn smiled, patting Jason on the shoulder. "As long as you keep her happy, you're always welcome into our little dysfunctional family." Finn leaned in, giving off the impression what he was going to say next was going to stay between them. "Plus, I need another guy to hang out with. Having two girls, two sisters, a sister-in-law and a niece, along with my wife…I need another guy friend. Maybeck and Philby just aren't enough now-a-days."
Jason laughed, giving Finn a surprised hug. "Thanks Mr. Whitman. I won't let you down."
Finn let go of him, giving him another smile. "But, as her brother-in-law, I do have to warn you that if you hurt her I will kill you."
Jason looked a little afraid, but recovered quickly. "With the stories I've heard of you, Mr. Whitman, I wouldn't doubt it."
"Call me Finn. We're going to be brothers, after all."
Jason patted him on the shoulder and the two joined the group again. Finn glanced past Charlene and noticed Philby, Willa, their two kids and his two daughters approaching them.
"Mommy! Guess what?" Eight-year old Cindy yelled as she ran up to Amanda. Their ten-year old, Ariel came up to Finn and gave him a hug.
"Happy birthday sweetie," Finn told his daughter, remembering the day she was born like it was yesterday.
"Thanks daddy! Aunt Willa made us some Mickey-shaped pancakes this morning! They were awesome! You've got to learn how to make those!"
His twelve-year old niece Lizzie walked up to him and rolled her eyes. "I doubt Uncle Finn could do that without burning down the house."
Lizzie and Ariel cracked up. Willa approached them and gave Finn a curious look, wondering what the girls were laughing at. Finn shrugged and pulled his twin sister in for a hug.
"Thanks for keeping the girls last night, sis."
"No problem, bro." Willa glanced behind her and pushed Finn over to the side. Without realizing it, Philby had been waiting there for him. Using his and Philby's bodies to shield them from the group, Willa pulled out her hand. Finn watched in amazement as a small, black box appeared out of thin air and into the palm of her hand.
If there was one thing he loved more than anything about his twin sister, it was her ability to do magic. How come he couldn't do it, he would never truly know the answer, but he never really cared. Willa had trouble controlling it for the first two years. Things would randomly appear—or disappear—in the Philby house. Things would transform mysteriously or move across the room without being touched. One time, Willa swears she was about to actually hear Philby's thoughts inside her head. Over the years, after countless all-nighters, Finn Willa, and Philby had found an easy way for her to contain her magic…and maybe a few fun ways to use it.
Finn gasped when he recognized the box in Willa's hand: the fob. Both Philby and Willa smirked at him.
"No…freaking…way…" Finn mumbled.
Willa's eyes screamed mischief. What does she plan to do with that?
Before either Willa or Philby could explain why they had the fob, Their younger child, nine-year old son Chase, came running up to them. Willa shoved the fob into Philby's hand, who quickly shoved it into his pocket.
"Can we go eat mom? I'm starving!" He looked at Finn briefly, saying hello quickly, and then back at his mother.
"Sure thing," Willa said. "Why don't you get the others to go sit down and Finn, your dad and I will get your food."
Chase perked up. "Okay! I want…uh…all of it!"
Willa rolled her eyes. "All of it?"
"I'm starving!"
"Okay, Chase. Go get everybody and we'll get the food. Alright?"
Chase ran off, leaving Finn, Philby and Willa alone. After making sure all of the kids were sitting down at the two tables, the trio left to go stand in line.
Finn leaned in close so that nobody would overhear their conversation. "Where did you get the fob?" Finn asked his sister.
She smirked up at him. "I've been going through those huge books of spells that Wayne left me in his will recently now that I've finally gotten the time. Turns out there's a lot of things we could have used when we were younger. Do not get me started on that…"
Finn noticed Philby shaking his head. Apparently she had ranted on that subject multiple times before. Philby's warning was duly noted.
"So what do you plan on using it for?" He asked his sister. "It's not like we can cross over again."
Willa and Philby's smiles told another story.
"Wait…can we?"
Willa glanced up at Philby, who had this mischievous look in his eye that Finn didn't know whether to like or be afraid of.
"I think I've worked it all out. Granted, we will look like we're seventeen again, since that's the last time we modeled for the holograms."
"But with a little magic," Willa winked, "we could look like our current selves if we wanted."
Finn looked from Willa to Philby and back. "Seriously? You two figured out how to do this. That's awesome."
Philby put his arm around Willa's shoulder and she put an arm around his waist. They both smiled at Finn. He couldn't believe it. They would get to cross over again. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't missing crossing over.
"So when are we going to do it?"
"What about tonight?" Philby asked.
Before Finn could answer, it became their turn to order.
After ordering and distributing food among the two tables they had pushed together, Philby and Willa told their plan to the rest of the keepers. They had planned it perfectly so that Jason had left to go to the bathroom. After relaying the plan, Jess agreed that it was better just to have them knowing.
"No way!" Charlene exclaimed loudly, gaining the attention of the children at the other end of the table. They quickly turned back to their business, and so did the keepers.
Maybeck crossed his arms, ever the skeptic. "Don't believe it."
Philby put the fob down on the table and scooted it over to him nonchalantly.
Jess and Amanda's eyes went wide. Maybeck picked up the fob and studied it.
"It's the real thing," he mumbled.
"No," Willa rolled her eyes. "I made that one. The real one died with Wayne. Since we have this, that means all of us can go."
"I just have to tell the computer when and where to send us," Philby added.
The group sat in silence. The sound of their children fighting in the background kept their attention for a few minutes before Finn brought all of them back into their secret conversation.
"How about Magic Kingdom tonight around midnight? The one here. Not California."
Everyone nodded.
Finn smiled. "Sounds like a plan."
Maybeck slammed his hand down on the table, gaining the children's attention. "Now how about we go ride some rides! I've missed this place!"
"Where to first?" Jess asked as Jason came back to the group, sitting down next to her.
Amanda smirked. "Who's up for it's a small world?"
"No!" Finn, Charlene, Maybeck, Willa and Philby yelled at once.
And that's it! I hope you guys enjoyed the little epilogue I came up. Thanks again for all the great reviews. You guys are seriously the best readers ever. No joke!
For one final time, I do not own any rights to anything referenced. None of the books, movies or TV shows or anything.
Like at the end of "Fighting For All That's Good," I'll pick out a few of my favorite reviews, just because I can ;)
ALL TIME BEST REVIEW EVER. Hands down, her-eyes-fiery-pinpricks' review of chapter 12. I keep laughing every single time I read this.
"HOLY HANNAH
WHA
!
im rolling on my hotel floor
i
can
not
YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE HOW AMAZING YOU'RE BECOMING
LORD ALMIGHTY
TO SEE THE IMPROVEMENT IS TO SEE THE LIGHT OF HEAVEN
highlight of my disney trip. by far.
i. love. you.
I KNOW I SAID IT BEFORE BUT YOUR HEADCANONS ARE ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT. And you use them flawlessly. Omg. I want a multichapter all about young Amanda okay
AND YOUR FAMANDA IS SO DARN STRONG. Really. Omg.
You're getting to a stage where you're discovering what works and what doesn't and what works WORKS GURL.
Holy crap. You are something..." I'm still laughing over this. TOOOOOOOO good. Actually, all of your reactionary reviews are awesome and funny and make my day. I can always count on that!
And then there's the simplest review ever from chapter 17. Guest wrote, and I quote, "Cool." And that was it. But that's awesome. So to whoever wrote that, you are the cool one, my dear sir/lady.
Here's another good one. It's from Neon Trees and chapter 37. "Oh my god! Oh my god! Yes, yes! Awww OHANA! Girl, this is just...I need a moment. *goes to the corner and cried her eyes out* No, no, I'm not crying I just had something in my eye.
Jeez, I love it so much! Wanda as Finn and Willa's mom? Charlene seeing her brother again?! No, it's just too much. TOO MUCH CUTE, SAD, AND SWEET! Ugh, why do you do this to me? Wwwhhhyyyy!?
Keep it up, because like always, girly, you are superb awesomeness, dipped in talent, wrapped in perfection, and sprinkled with YES!
This. Is. Why. This. Fandom. Rules.
No questions asked." You went all out on the descriptions and it was awesome. Btw, your stories are my favorite KK stories...just saying.
Another one from chapter 39 from Kenzie/Imaginary-Keeper: "WHAT!
You end there! HUUUHHHHH!
But thanks for updating!
BUT HOLY CRAP!
And hannah... Finns GONNA BE A DAD!
Obviously you knew that... AND 2 more chapters?! AND WILLAS PREGNANT!
AND THE BABYS COMING!
I just don't know what to say...
You finished kk7. Does that mean...(pm me if I'm right?) I'm more than half way done it's good! Sooo yah try to update this week!
-Kenzie :p" I like how you acknowledge the fact "obviously you knew that." I'm not sure why, but that cracked me up!
So I do have to say, I had a lot of fun trying out new things with this story. Like chapter 19, for example, using a scene from the first Kingdom Keepers book and having them reenact it with some different characters. Personally, that was my favorite chapter to write. I loved writing this story so much and it's come sooooo far.
Wanna know what the original ending was? Patrick was going to come back (no Hans, since Frozen hadn't come out when I started) and turn out to be an OT helping Maleficent, bigger and badder than Greg, BUT he wasn't going to turn OTK until after he had joined them in Magic Kingdom. He was going to be a good guy in the end. Jess was going to have to save him, probably with true love's kiss. Honestly, the Hans thing just kind of worked out perfectly. Finn wasn't supposed to remember who he was and I actually started off with him and Willa being married in the "cursed" world. Charlene was actually going to get caught by the authorities, but originally I had Maybeck being the police officer to arrest her. And they weren't going to know each other, and it was going to be awesome and epic, but that's just not how the story went (but if any of y'all want to do that, PLEASE do it. That'd be epic!). I can't remember what the plan for Amanda or Philby was...or Jess, now that I think about it. Maleficent and Finn were going to have this epic battle in the cursed world and when she died, they would all return to the real world (probably suddenly having their DHI's appear in the park, scaring the crap out of some people). The original idea was more OUAT-like, where they ended up being in that world for a looong time, then somebody (probably Storey or somebody else, I didn't think of that in the beginning) comes along and wakes them all up. But personally, I'm happy with what it turned out to be.
Thanks again to all who read this and reviewed! I'll try to come up with one big awesome multi-chapter idea to write over the summer for y'all, but right now I haven't thought of the perfect one yet. I've got a couple of ideas, but nothing as good as "Fighting For All That's Good" or "Rebel."
And for the last time on this story, thanks again and have a great week/weekend! Until next time, stay classy internet buddies. Stay classy.
