So this is the last chapter! I hope you like it! Thanks so much to my beta, nextbestthing. I couldn't have done it without you!!
Please let me know if you don't like the way I ended it, or if you have any suggesstions at all for the ending. Or for anything else, for that matter! So, enjoy. Let me know what you think!
Epilogue
They released me from the hospital three days later. And it was a good thing, too, 'cause I swear, I was this close to losing it. It took all I had not to punch the nurses' lights out, so I'd settled for tearing out my hair instead.
The second I was out in the fresh air again, we did an up-and-away, the whole flock together. All six of us. Like it should be. I was grinning like an idiot, enjoying the feeling of the cold wind blowing through my hair, in my face. It stung my eyes and burned my cheeks, but I didn't care. I was just so glad to finally be outside again.
I didn't know where we were going, and at that moment, I honestly didn't give a crap. All I wanted was to get as far away from that hospital as possible. Anywhere would do. I would have been content to just fly around for days, if it came down to it. My gut-wrenching coughs had finally subsided, and my burns had all healed (for the most part). I felt great. I felt free.
As we were coasting on an air current, I met Fang's gaze. He flew level with me.
"You doin' all right?" he asked. "You look kind of pale."
"Perfectly peachy," I told him, grinning. He smiled back, rolling his eyes.
Our eyes met, and a silent moment of communication passed between us. After our little heart-to-heart the other night, I knew nothing would ever be the same between us again. But not in a bad way, I don't think. I had no idea what was going to happen now, or where our…relationship—for lack of a better word—was headed.
And right then, I didn't care. At that moment, all that mattered was that Fang was there and the whole flock was together. Sure, we still had Itex and global warming to deal with. I couldn't deny that there were difficult and most likely deadly times ahead of us. But I knew we would get through them all. We had each other to depend on, and that was all we needed.
Fang grabbed my hand suddenly and gave it a small squeeze. I met his gaze and smiled, my heart swelling.
Everything was perfect.