An: Hey, thanks for all of the wonderful reviews and alerts! They are appreciated!

Nothing else to say here… so enjoy!

I watched as she stepped through the gates of the academy. She was different. The past few weeks had certainly made her age. But she seemed to have a quality of cleverness about her, as if she had learned something very valuable over the short period of time.

She walked outside and then stopped. Her gaze met mine. Her eyes mostly unreadable, but I could detect confidence, sadness, and what seemed like determination. She was on a mission. Rose would finish whatever she went out to do, that was just in her personality.

"Mason," I heard her and tried to go to her. It was harder, as if the person pulling on my form had now attached a fifty pound weight to my ankle but was still succeeding to tug me from afar.

It took a couple of moments, but I went to her. I stood in front of her but not so close. I had purposely left at least two or three feet between us.

"It's time, isn't it? You're going… you're finally moving on to…" She paused. She and I had no idea where I was going... but was obvious that she was not going to be there. The thought made a section of my heart hurt. I had been able to help her and by doing that see her. I had no idea what I was going to do when I could not see her anymore. Would I crave her beauty? Would I miss her fiery personality? As for the first I was not quite sure, but the second I was positive about. I would miss her always. From her sarcastic tones, to her gorgeous brown hair, to her breath-taking smile, I would never forget her.

Her comment also made me think of something else.

I took my hand and raised it to a level that I could look at it. My gaze swept over it and discovered that it was almost transparent. I could almost see the ground through my hand.

It was so different from when I had come to this ghostly state. Then, I was a pale phantom, stuck in a world of strife and shadows. But I had been a solid ghost… if that made any sense. I had not been able to look through my hand at the ground beneath me.

I nodded. It was indeed time for me to go. I would miss her. I would miss her with all of my heart. She had been my only love when I had been blessed with life. Rose was the only one I let my heart belong to. She had not returned my feelings but that was all right. Now I saw it. If she was happy… so was I.

"It's been more than forty days, so I guess you're overdue. I'm glad…" She choked back what sounded like a sob and then took a breath. I could see that her eyes were a bit glassy, as if she was holding back tears. But, if that was so, why was she not biting her lip?

And then there it was. She bit down on her lower lip hard. I could smell the blood, but I ignored it as her sweet voice lured me in.

"I mean… I hope you find peace. Although I kind of hoped you'd be able to lead me to him…"

There was no question on who she was talking about. She wanted to find him and what? Tell him to come back? That was out of the question. I was surprised in the first place that she was trying to find him…

Unless…

I shook my head. She was going to try to find him… and kill him. She was on her own, but I did not want her to be. It would be easier if it were not my time to go. I could look after her and spend more time with her. But the pull on my body told me otherwise.

"It's okay. You deserve your rest." It was almost as if she could read me like a book, or as well as I could read her.

"Besides, I think I know where to start looking." A stray tear worked its way down her cheek. It wound, like a river, down and around until it slipped off of her chin and disappeared into the brown soil beneath her.

I wanted to tell her that everything was all right but I could not. If she was going to find him and kill him, how could I? It would only end in tears. But she would not budge if I tried to get her to return to the academy. She would not stand for it. This was something that I could tell she had to do; the determination in her eyes told me that.

She would be all right, I assured myself. She's one of the best novices; no… she probably is the best novice. She could take care of herself.

Rose had been my everything. She had been my training partner before she left the academy, my best friend, and my true love. Nothing would ever change that, my soul implied that for me.

My heart was tearing apart. I would miss her always. She was my rock, my emotional one. She had always been there for me. That I would never forget.

"Goodbye," More tears had followed the first one and others had carved their own paths on her other cheek. She was beautiful. Her face red… red like a rose.

"Thanks for your help… I…" She lost it. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She could not say it but I knew that she meat it.

"I'll miss you." She had said it. Then she did the most wonderful thing. She gave me a smile. A beautiful smile, that was as amazing as the rising sun and as pretty as the glow of the moon. A smile that was completely and truly breathtaking. I felt my heart glue its pieces back together so quickly and so thoroughly that I knew it would not break again. Not for anyone, no besides Rose. She had stolen my heart, all of it, and she could never give it back. But that was all right, I wanted her to have it.

This was the last time I ever saw Rose Hathaway. But the last memory was the best, the greatest, the most powerful and the one that meant the most to me. I would never forget that smile; that smile full of love, passion, friendship; the smile that seemed to sum up our relationship so quietly and so fully.

They say that smiling is contagious, or maybe that is laughter. I don't know. All that I knew was that I was trying to smile back at her. I felt some of my old mischievous spark flow back into me for just a moment.

I looked at Rose and I knew that she would feel the same way about our last memory.

Well, Rose… there was only one thing I could say to her that could sum up this moment with a small dose of my old humor.

I'll see you on the flipside.

An: There you guys have it! Okay, this is going to be a bit strange. The last chapter I write actually comes before the first chapter(Your Eyes Don't Lie). So I will try to put it in front of the other chapters, but if I don't succeed I want you to know that it comes before!

Thanks for reading!!

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