Me: *pretends you don't know exactly who I'm talking about through the first half of the chapter*

Gods, last DEH fic, I'm gonna miss you guys.

Generally, I make long, very feels-y goodbyes… not this time.

Time to finish this my dudes. Hope you enjoyed the ride.


40. Το τέλος

There are certain things that never really get solved.

Disappearances are complicated, because they leave room for too many what ifs; perhaps to someone else it would sound awful, but I would much rather take the certainty of death over the mystery of disappearance. My standing on the matter is, of course, entirely biased due to my personal experiences regarding missing people; though I believe the situation would've been less stressful had I known what would come after.

Moving on, letting go, accepting grief; these are things you never really stop doing, even if you, like me, have been on it from a very young age. In times like these, where the memory is too heavy, I rely of the two people who I care most about.

The boy who saved my life, and the boy who, without knowing it, made it so I would get it back. I am beyond thankful to both of them, and I am so, so very glad to have them in my life.

But there's more to life than that which can't be solved. There's also, and above all else, beauty.

Beauty in learning to love someone brought to you in possibly, the worst way, as if shoved into your path; but a someone who sees you for you, and learns to love you despite and because of everything that such a discovery means. Beauty in learning to love someone again, someone who lost their way, someone who forgot how to love themselves.

There's also beauty in forgiving, even if it is slow and wary, even if it's tentative due to too much damage; forgiving a brother and son, forgiving a friend, both guilty of falling to anger, both trying to saw what they ripped.

This is a story about |

-.. .. -.. / -.- - ..- / .-.. .. -.- . / - ... .- - ..-..

Her fingers stop as a soft knock brings her out of her concentration, she lifts her head to find a young boy with short light-brown hair and the brightest blue eyes; to the untrained eye the two look to be siblings, and a part of her relishes in the thought that, technically, they are now.

"What is it Oren?"

The boy takes a step into the room, despite the obvious similarity to his dad, it is clear he's more like his papa when it comes to attitude; that's ok, she's more like his dad, if the comments made by Oren's omega parent are anything to go by. Secretly she's proud of the comparison, though she won't admit it.

"Papa said everyone's almost here!"

She smiles softly at him.

"Ok, let me save this and I'll be right with you"

Oren gave her a wide grin, showing of his missing teeth, she turned back to the computer to do as she had said before closing everything and standing up, as she did she felt the sweet tone of Oren's scent when happy.

The world had been slowly changing since she was her age, to the point where people who had been hiding, people like them, finally felt safe enough to show their true selves; she was beyond glad Oren had grown up in a world where being a drake was something cool.

Downstairs the kitchen is alive with the sounds of cooking utensils, music, and colorful language, she shook her head in amusement, the older alpha had never learned to censor himself, and she didn't see him learning any time soon. Walking into the room reveals a man with soft dark brown hair tied into a messy bun, an apron claiming 'world's okayest cook', and a spark of brown in otherwise blue eyes.

"Need a hand there?"

The man chuckles lowly, turning to her with an amused look.

"No chance firefly, you inherited your papa's horrible cooking skills"

She lets out an exaggerated gasp.

"I did no such thing"

The man crosses his arms.

"Your fire breath is not a shortcut for 'faster cookies'"

She feels heat climbing up her cheeks.

"I was 12!"

Before the man can make a retort the front door opens and the fresh scent of forest joins the fray, putting a balance to the alpha-to-omega ration in the building.

"I'm gonna go see he doesn't try to do everything himself again"

The man smiles softly at her.

"Thanks firefly"

She grins and runs to the last member of this newly forming family of hers, short blonde hair and lake blue eyes that had once, a long time ago, been unfamiliar and safe in tandem; now they're just tired and safe, always safe. The male omega smiles knowingly at her as she helps him with the last touches before the others arrive.

- -.- / .. .-. .-.. .-.. / ... - - .-. / -. - .-

It is not the first time the Murphy-Hansen household has had this many people present, or well, rather they are used to having this many people over, the house is new to it. They had moves there a week before the final arrangements for Tera to be a permanent member of their family.

It was a long affair, mainly because they had to register Tera as existing in the first place, as well as find out who her other parent was; since neither parent appeared in the system, Tera was given to the Chilikov family for the time being. However, once Connor and Evan had managed to settle down, the first thing they did was try for custody.

They had kept constant contact with Tera, and explained everything to both Ivana and Alexei, eventually, the process started.

They hadn't really planned for Oren, but they had managed to fit him in their lives regardless; they both loved the boy greatly, and were really glad when the boy took to Tera so quickly. Now here they were.

Ivana and Alexei were the first to arrive, Alexei with Zoe at their side, that had been kind of a fun surprise, in the sense that it took Connor a long bit before he got over the weirdness of the situation; apparently they met because Trevor's alpha was in the jazz band with Zoe. Alexei was one of the main reasons why Zoe and him had managed to start the slow trail to fixing their strained relationship; so Connor %100 here for them.

Heidi arrived next, together with Jared and Alana; and there was another story of a beta playing mediator in order to fix strained relationships. If Kleinman ever hurt Alana, Evan would kick his fucking ass, Connor was sure; the alpha also knew he would help his mate without hesitation, because Alana was great.

Connor's parents arrived with Trevor and Leith, Cynthia was fussing over Trevor who was a lot bigger than when Connor last saw him. Was it weird to see his mom fusing over his best friend? Yes, yes it was; but he supposed she was allowed to since Trevor actually let her do it, unlike Connor.

"Are you stealing my mother?"

Trevor smirks at him.

"Maybe"

Connor snorts.

"Keep her"

Cynthia looks absolutely aghast.

"Connor!"

Connor rolls his eyes, he steps aside as he notices Tera approaching with an exited Oren in her arms; she gets the sportiveness from her fire drake blood, he's pretty sure. He moves to talk with his favorite mom, the one that the dragon gene but didn't shift into one.
Heidi has Evan in her hold, which only makes Connor want to be there even more, because there's his favorite boy. He makes sure they aren't talking about anything too serious before he slips behind Evan, pulling him into his arms with a soft kiss to the omega's cheek before looking at the beta.

"Hi Heidi"

She smiles in amusement, most likely due to whatever expression Evan has right now.

"Hello Connor"

Connor smiles back at her as he makes himself comfortable around his mate.

"Trip ok?"

Heidi huffs.

"Alana and I have agreed to not let Jared drive until he learns to be an adult"

He feels as Evan snorts at that.

"I tried to warn you, but Alana keeps giving him too much benefit"

Heidi puts a hand on her chest.

"Honey I am so sorry you had to experience that all of high school"

"Well, I found myself a much better driver by senior year"

Connor doesn't need to see him to know he's smiling; he can hear it in his voice, so he turns his head to look at him, and finds lake blue eyes waiting.

"Hey"

His voice come out soft, and beyond fond; not that he minds, Connor is a love-sick fool for his mate. Evan makes a sweep to his lips then looks back to Connor's eyes with half-lid eyes.

"Hi"

So Connor closes the distance and kisses him, and it still makes him feel like flying just like the first time they did this, and it still makes him feel like the world had stopped for a moment. There's another reason why he invited everyone other than house-warming; but that's for later in the evening.

- -.- -..- / - ... .. ... / .. ... / - ... . / .-.. .- ... - / - -. .

This is a story about a family, and the secret that pushed them all together; a secret only made so by fear, a fear that should've never been. It is perhaps a bit distasteful to be grateful for hatred, but this is a very particular case, a one in a million story.

There are indeed things that never get solved, mysteries too big to uncover; things, that are simply, not meant to have answers. But I don't need that, I don't need to know everything, just me and what I want my life to be.

This, is the story, of Tera.

- ... . / . -. -..

The End.