IMPORTANT! You don't have to read this chapter to enjoy the story. If you want to stop at chapter two, be my guest.

-Last chapter, the epilogue. :3 I toyed with this idea and finally decided to put it up.

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Only a few hours passed after Layton read the letter to Luke and Flora. Flora had been sobbing her eyes out, and Luke was crying too. They started hugging each other, overcome. Layton had shut his eyes and was biting the inside of his lip extremely hard to keep a straight face. It was all so much to take in.

Now, they all sat around the fire, finally having some peace of mind.

Clive didn't know where he was, but he knew he was dead. He didn't want to open his eyes. He was afraid of what he might see. Was there a reaper or…would there be gates of hell? He didn't know, and he didn't want to think about it.

That was curious too. He could think. He was dead…the dead didn't need to think, did they? It was all so bizarre…maybe he'd wound up someplace good instead of hell, as he'd expected? Hope surged up inside of him. Maybe he would get to see his family again. Or…was the devil just toying with him?

Clive's hope took a nosedive. There was a new thought. Maybe someone was just messing with his mind. Perhaps…it was all a dream?

He knew there was only one way to find out, but he was scared. What would happen? He wasn't sure if he wanted to open his eyes. He didn't know if he could. Would he be blind? Would it be so dark he couldn't see? Would he be dazzled by white brilliance? All of these thoughts tottered through his tired brain. There was only one way to find out.

Well, since I'm dead anyway, what's the risk? he asked himself slowly. He hesitated, then slowly pried his eyes open.

At first, everything was so blurred, he couldn't make heads or tails of it. There was a bit of blue and some brown…and maybe a bit of orange? He had no idea what he was supposed to be looking at. The blue thing moved a little and said something weird. Clive dimly noticed this as a language he could understand, but his brain didn't want to process it.

He forced himself into a more aware state. Ah, yes, now he could see. The brown thing wasn't a splotch after all, it was…

"Flora!"

He sat up quickly, staring into her face. This had to be some sort of cruel joke. He had been right, someone was messing with his head. This was so…wrong. He was dead, wasn't he?

She stared right back, tears tinted golden, smiling. "Hello."

He looked around. What he'd been lying on was the Professor's couch, and there was a fire in the grate, giving the golden sheen to everything. It was probably the orange he'd seen. Luke stood near the top armrest, grinning. Layton sat in the armchair, smiling too. But…how could this be? This wasn't right.

"Wh-what…" He looked between them all. "What's…going on? This is some sort of stupid trick, isn't it? Someone's messing with me."

Flora shook her head. "No, it isn't. Please, Clive, listen…you're not dead."

He goggled at her. Not dead? How could that be? He remembered the needle, and the blackness. He died!

"Shall I explain?" Layton offered.

"Please do," Clive said dully.

His smile widened. "Well, let's see here. The man from the jury, do you know his name?" When Clive shook his head, Layton went on. "Well, his name was Mark, and he was a good friend of Spring and Cogg. The Warden and a few others were in on the whole thing. He didn't put the poison in the needle, Clive. He put anesthetic."

Clive couldn't breathe. They…had never meant to kill him? They were friends of Spring and Cogg? They had all been in on the plan to save him? He…wasn't dead.

"After he put you to sleep, Mark drove over here to deliver your letter. Then he went back and arranged everything. About an hour ago, he brought you here, and that's where you've been. He explained everything to us."

Clive felt faint. He didn't know weather it was because he'd been holding his breath, or because of the tremendous efforts that he'd just been told. Or, perhaps it was both. Flora caught on and gave him a stern look. Clive found his breath again after this.

"Then…you mean…"

"You're alive, and that's all that matters," Luke said, speaking up for the first time. He was grinning, and there was something tinted golden in the corner of his eye.

Clive paused, then waved him over. "Come here, you two."

Luke and Flora approached. Clive wrapped his arms around both of them. They couldn't see his face, but from the shake in his voice, they knew he'd finally given in to his emotions.

"Who could ask for better friends?" he whispered, not ever wanting to let them go.

…

Yay, happy ending. 8') I think this is nice. I'm happy with this story. It came out better than I thought it would've.