Firstly, I want to thank Elledreamer and SuperTD for reviewing every single chapter! It's guys like you that helped me keep going. Also want to thank emmalea21 for all your reviews... and My-name-is-foxglove for that one amazing review-and-a-half! Also thanks to DragonTyc, be-nice-to-nerds, chop4tess, black oblivion, Torikins and cattycat92.
I've really enjoyed writing this, by the way, and it's gonna be weird thinking I don't have any more chapters to write! Who knows, I might write another. But I couldn't have done it with out you guys and your constant reviews. You guys are my writing fuel!! I'm not sure if I'm gonna make another story, but if I do it might be a while. But while this one lasts... enjoy the last chapter!
Nothing had changed. It seemed to suggest to Amber that it had all been a dream. Nothing happened. The others are still in their own rooms sleeping, and no one ever went missing.
But Amber knew it was true. She smiled to herself and sat up. It was a lovely morning, and she could even hear a bird singing outside. She grinned to herself. It was just like a fairy tale. She yawned and took her morning dose of insulin and went into her en-suite bathroom to get changed.
Easter. Alpha Force. They were like the same thing. A new start. Chicks hatching out of eggs, and Jesus rising from the dead all those years ago. Amber rising out of her old self all those months ago. A new person. Amber smiled again to herself – she just couldn't help it.
Once she was changed and ready, she moved over to the door. The whole house was silent, so she guessed everyone was still asleep. Lazy morons, she thought, and grinned in spite of herself.
Suddenly Amber tripped over something stood right outside her door. Gasping, she turned around and picked it up. Much to her mental protests, she couldn't help her mouth twisting into a delighted smile.
It was a yellow fluffy chicken with a label stuck to it's ear. She turned it over and read it. To Amber, from Hex. Amber nearly laughed out loud. It was so typical. Not even a 'Happy Easter.' He was probably hoping she never found it. Amber put the chicken down on her bed and padded softly down the thick-carpeted corridor, then banged on the next four doors along.
"Come on, guys. It's Easter. Time to get up!" Amber laughed when she heard the familiar morning moans coming from behind each door. She made her way downstairs while they got ready, where John was sitting reading a newspaper.
"Hey, Uncle," Amber said, smiling as she entered the room.
"Hey, Amber. How's things?" Amber stretched and sat down on a sofa.
"Great. Couldn't be better."
"Did you have a good – vacation – in London?" John asked. Amber saw him searching her for clues and remembered he didn't know the real reason they went there in the first place.
"Yeah, it was good. We found Jack there." John paused, then nodded slowly. He shook his head and suddenly frowned.
"By the way - I got a call from a very angry man yesterday. Demanded having a new car or something. He sounded English. So I kind of assumed it was something to do with you and gave him what he wanted. Should I have?" Amber breathed a sigh of relief.
"Yeah, thanks, Uncle." She saw the questioning look on John's face, "And don't ask."
Paulo sat up. For a moment he didn't know where he was, but then he remembered the previous two days and everything that had happened. Alex had alerted the police while Paulo was trying to revive Hex's brother, and Brody had been caught fleeing from the scene a few miles away. He'd been arrested and charged for attempted murder and theft, amongst other things. Ian had also been arrested and punished, but not quite so severely as Brody.
Karen's family had been informed of her death. The child stuck in the burning building at the start had been completely genuine, but back then she was just an ordinary mother. It turned out that Brody had persuaded her to help him with a large sum of money, which her family was desperately in need of. Her family had been told of her heroic death, and her funeral had been arranged.
Hex had taken Ben back to their mother, who'd been overjoyed to see them both standing at the door, and the next day they caught an early flight to Boston to finish off their Easter. Paulo smiled in satisfaction. They'd made it back in time for Easter Sunday, at least. Safe and sound.
Jack had recieved his money and moved off to another part of America with his wife and kids to start a new life there with them. The last thing they heard from him was a text to Amber's phone, 'Thanks for everything. I'm going away to start a new life.' Amber was sad he was leaving, but at the same time she was glad he could get another chance to start anew. Like she did.
Paulo could hear the others moving around downstairs. Looking at his clock, he saw it was 10 o'clock and decided it was time to get up. He quickly showered and dressed, before making his way down to the kitchen where the other four were waiting.
"Happy Easter, you lazy lump." Li smiled when the big Argentinean filled the doorway. He grinned sheepishly and sat down next to her at the table.
Then his eyes fell on to the tabletop itself. Five Easter eggs in their wrappers were placed in front of each chair. And Paulo drooled.
Amber laughed out loud. "Uncle treated us to a bit of Easter spirit. We were waiting until you got down to start."
"Which is quite early, considering it's Paulo we're talking about - " Alex said, looking at his watch and nodding as though he were impressed. Paulo grinned widely and turned his attention back to the Easter eggs.
"Happy Easter, guys." He said, and looked round at the four other smiling faces surrounding him.
"Happy Easter!"
A week and a half later, Alpha Force sat in the airport waiting for the announcements for their flights. Amber was with them to see them off. They were sat in a lazy circle of chairs, lounging around while they waited.
"That has to be the most exciting Easter I've had in years," Amber groaned, rubbing her stomach, "And I've put on about four pounds."
"Yeah, I think we'll all have to go back to the weights when we get back." Alex commented. They all laughed.
Li's was the first flight to leave, half an hour later. Goodbyes were shared all round, and Li grinned and picked up her suitcase.
"I guess I'll be seeing you guys in six or so weeks then, yeah?" She said.
"Yup. We'll keep in touch via e-mail and work out a time and place." Amber replied.
"Would you like me to escort you to your transportation?" Paulo looked at the small Chinese girl and grinned. Li pulled a funny face.
"I can take care of myself, thanks, big guy." Li poked her tongue out, and with that, glanced at the others one more time and danced out of the waiting room and out of sight.
"Suddenly it's so much quieter." Hex muttered. Paulo laughed a deep, hearty laugh and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Trust you to say something like that, Hex. You know, your brother is a lot like you."
"Great," Hex didn't sound enthusiastic, "Appearance wise or otherwise?"
"Appearance. And maybe otherwise, but I didn't get to know him that well."
"Well that's definitely lightened up my day."
Ten minutes later Hex's and Alex's flight was called. They were both going on the same plane, then Hex was going to catch the train back to London. They stood up and turned at Amber and Paulo.
"See you, then." Alex smiled. Amber and Paulo waved back. Just as the two boys turned to go, Amber called out,
"Hey, Hex! Don't think you've gotten off that easily. You didn't even say goodbye." Hex looked vaguely embarrassed. He cast a quick glance around the waiting room and gave Amber a tiny wave. Amber laughed, jumped up from her seat and ran over to them both. She flung her arms around Hex's neck and whispered,
"Look after your brother, OK?" Hex nodded and gently eased himself away from Amber's arms. Amber suddenly blushed and realized she'd given Hex a hug in front of everyone. She saw the amused looks on Paulo and Alex's faces, so to cover it up, she went and hugged Alex as well.
"See you two boys later."
She turned back to Paulo and slapped him on the arm. That quickly wiped his expression off his face.
"Don't say anything." She said.
After Paulo had left, Amber stretched and went back outside to where John was waiting in the car. He'd said his goodbyes in the car park, leaving Amber to say goodbye inside the airport.
"All set?" He asked, as Amber plugged in her seatbelt. She looked outside the window at the last plane of the evening rose into the air and back to Argentina. The sun was beginning to set itself and there were long shadows beginning to form over everything.
Another mission done and uncovered. It couldn't have gone any better.
"All set." She said.