This is it, you guys. I just want to say thank you to everybody who took the time to read this and review this. I'm really blown away by the positive response this story has gotten. You guys are amazing. All the best, guys!

The palm trees swayed with the gentle breeze. There wasn't a cloud in the bright blue sky. It was a perfect day for the beach. Instead of swimming, Serena was sitting in a car, her head rested to the side. She was enjoying the fresh air in her lungs and the beautiful warmth of the sun on her skin. The flight from New Jersey to Florida had been relatively short, but Serena managed to sleep through it. She woke up once mid-flight, after experiencing a nightmare. She wasn't surprised to find that she was still traumatized and exhausted from her ordeal. It would take her weeks to recover physically, but years to get her mind back together. She thought the only silver lining was that she had been down that road before. She sighed, an all-deflating sigh. The nightmare was over. Now was the time to recreate a normal life for herself, something she forgot existed.

Seth, Wade, Dean and Roman were all released first. Compared to Serena, their injuries were minor. Wade, Seth and Roman still had a cough, an after-effect from all the smoke they had inhaled. The doctor told them it would disappear eventually, but they just had to be patient. The stitches in Dean's hip made it difficult for him to move around. Everything he did seemed to be uncomfortable and in some cases, painful. As a result of their injuries, Vince and a producer came out and found an abandoned warehouse to film several Shield promos in. They would air them on Raw to keep them fresh in the minds of viewers, but it also gave them some valuable time to rest. Seth was still visibly shaken from what happened. Wade was desperate to get back to work, to put the madness behind him. He promised Serena he would give her a call when she was released, but she was still waiting. She assumed he was busy; Serena knew the life of a WWE Superstar was like four full-time jobs rolled into one.

Serena had nothing. The clothing she had worn was taken as evidence by the police. Stephanie McMahon had lent her a pair of sweatpants that were a little big and a T-shirt that was even bigger. She was just thankful to have something to wear out of the hospital. The cell phone company had yet to give her a new phone and her home was a pile of rubble. She was a long way from New Jersey now. She wasn't sure she ever wanted to return. The guys lived in Florida, and she had an urge to be close to friends. Dean wasn't being subtle about his desire to have her move to Florida.

The satellite radio played the Deftones. It wasn't Serena's kind of music, but she didn't care. The car turned onto a tree-lined street, moving further away from the beach. Serena knew she was fortunate enough to have people around her that cared. Vince and Stephanie gave her an extra two weeks off to get readjusted and to get her affairs in order. Serena appreciated that they gave her the extra time.

After another left turn, effectively striking the beach from her view, the car pulled into the driveway of a nice little house. Serena sat up straighter. She looked in the empty backseat and remembered she had packed light for the trip. As in, she had nothing. The car came to a stop and she took a deep breath. For a long time, Serena knew she had forgotten what it was like to live. It felt strange to know that nobody was following her, that nobody wanted her dead.

Serena got out of the car and silently vowed to herself to never take the simple things in life for granted. She had escaped death twice, an impressive feat. Now she wanted to revel in every pleasant feeling, no matter how little. She shut the car door and leaned against the car, staring at the house.

"Are you okay, Serena?" Dean asked. She nodded.

Dean. He had stayed with Serena for her entire stay at the hospital, refusing to leave her bedside. The nurses, too intimidated to ask him to leave, had set up a cot in her hospital room so he could spend the nights with her. If Serena needed anything, he was always close by to help her, to give her a shoulder to cry on and soothing words when she needed them. Dean hadn't let her out of his sight. Wade had offered to let her stay with him, but when it came time for her to be released she couldn't get in touch with him. That's when Dean had stepped in.

He came around the car and took his place beside her. "Are you sure?"

"I guess I'm a little overwhelmed," Serena confessed. "I have to piece my life back together, and I don't think I know what I'm doing." She laughed. "I'll be all right. How is your hip?"

"Fucking sore," he admitted. "The trip didn't help."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Serena. I'm just happy to be alive."

"You and me both," Serena told him. He held up his arm to her.

"Shall we?"

"You know it." She was afraid. Now that the worst was behind her, the unknown was sprawling in front of her. It was frightening, but she was ready for it. She had scratched and clawed her way out of the hole she had been falling into. The slings and arrows of her past were beginning to fall away, and she found once again that life was beautiful. It had taken her a while, but she realized that she was no victim.

She was a survivor.