Helloooo! Here's the first version of the ending! Enjoy!

Eighteen: Level Complete (Version 1)

"JUMANJI!"

There was an almost blinding flash, followed by stunned silence. The silence was broken by Vera's excited cry, she jumping into the air with a fist-pump. "We did it!" The others soon joined in, cheering and hugging.

"You guys, we did it, we finished the game," Alex said once Vera and Spencer had made it down from the statue and joined the rest of the group.

While they celebrated their victory, they heard a groan from off to the side. "Vera?"

They looked to see Van Pelt, no longer surrounded by jaguars, sitting up and looking disoriented, holding his jaw where she had punched him, and a nasty bruise was already forming.

"I'm going to go give that guy a piece of my mind-" Fridge stormed forward, but Vera held up a hand, signalling for him to-

"Wait-" Slowly, she stepped forward, approaching Van Pelt, who was shakily getting to his feet, looking around in mixed wonder and confusion.

While the others hadn't known him before, only knowing him in his cursed state, they didn't catch on to the notable difference: his eyes were no longer green in their possessed state. They were back to their usual intriguing dark brown. That, and he didn't have bugs crawling all over him anymore.

"Vera-" He noticed her slowly approaching. "What's wrong?" Then he noticed the others. Now he looked even more puzzled. "Bravestone? What are you doing here? I thought you left." The others shuffled back.

Vera now stood before him, staring up at him curiously. Slowly, hesitantly almost, she reached up and held his cheek, turning his head from side to side, and up and down, making sure it wasn't just her own eyes playing tricks on her. No, his eyes really were back to normal. And no bugs.

The curse, the jewel, its power... Now that they had returned the jewel and broken the curse, could that mean...

"I thought you said he was just the bad guy," she called to Spencer, eyes still on Van Pelt.

"That's what I thought. It made sense." Van Pelt had just seemed like the classic video game villain. However, this game did seem to have a mind of its own to some degree... It was full of surprises.

"Vera?" Van Pelt still appeared to have no clue what was going on. "What's happening? Where are we?"

"How much do you remember?" She posed a question of her own.

"Uh, not much-"

"Well that's convenient," mumbled Fridge.

"-We traveled to Jumanji - wait, is that where we are? We found it? And the jewel, did we finally find it? Is it real?" Now he looked excited.

She scoffed in disbelief, a smile spreading across her face. She looked as though she might burst into tears. "You have no idea." She shook her head. "Russell."

"Yeah?"

SMACK! Now he fell victim to one of Vera's vicious slaps. "Trust me, you deserve that." Now he was only even more confused, especially when, right after that, Vera threw her arms around him in a passionate kiss.

"Whoa," Spencer and Martha both declared. Fridge almost dropped his backpack. Even Van Pelt looked surprised at first, but quickly recovered and fully returned the kiss.

It got pretty awkward pretty quick. Alex looked slightly uncomfortable, while Bethany looked slightly unsure. "It's kinda weird, but also kinda cute..."

"Uh, you do remember he was trying to kill us like five minutes ago right?" Fridge said.

Vera broke away, laughing and watery-eyed. "I thought I lost you! You stole the jewel and then there was this curse, and you became possessed and turned all evil, and had bugs crawling all over your face and your eyes turned all green! I even began to wonder - and worry - if it wasn't the curse. B-but it was, in the end." She laughed again in disbelief. "And then - AHHHH!" She suddenly screamed and jumped back when a fat tarantula emerged from beneath the collar of his coat and onto his shoulder, this one lagging behind after his loss of power.

He jumped and began trying to brush the hairy spider off his coat. Finally, he did, and it landed on the grass and scurried away. There was a moment before she burst into laughter and threw her arms around him once more.

Beep beep!

This time their embrace was cut off by the honking of a car horn. Down a dirt road ahead, a Jeep was making its way along towards them.

"It's Nigel!" The group rushed to meet the Jeep. Nigel emerged, looking impressed and proud.

"You did it friends!" he cried. "You lifted the curse! All of Jumanji thanks you! So sadly, this is where we part." Vera came over and joined the field guide in bidding their friends farewell. This was it.

"Goodbye, Alex," Vera said, shaking his hand. "I'm sorry. Had I known that it had been so long, I would have helped you right away-"

"Hey, it's cool. I didn't realize it either," he assured her. "Thanks Vera."

"You taught me to persevere, and keep trying." They hugged. "See you later, Seaplane. You're not so bad after all."

"Seaplane McDonough, let me shake your hand." Nigel extended his hand.

Alex turned to the others one last time. "Thanks guys." Then he reached out to shake Nigel's hand, and vanished almost instantly.

Now Nigel turned to Fridge. "I shall miss you the most, Mouse-"

"Get me the hell outta here!" Fridge practically leapt forward, throwing off his backpack. He paused in reaching out to shake Nigel's hand to turn to Vera. "Hey, it was nice meeting you."

"You as well, Fridge." She tried out the nickname. "You taught me that size doesn't matter, doesn't measure your worth or strength, coming from a fellow small person." She pulled him into a hug before he took Nigel's hand and was sent off as well.

"Adieu, Professor Oberon." Next Nigel extended his hand to Bethany.

Beth turned to Vera. "Later girl. Good luck with everything."

"Thank you, Beth. You taught me the importance of loving me for who I am." They hugged. "I shall always remember your advice."

Bethany gave her hands a squeeze and one last smile before also shaking Nigel's hand and disappearing.

"Ruby Roundhouse-" Now it was Martha's turn.

"And you Martha, you taught me that a little confidence can go a long way. I might have to give that dance fighting a try."

Martha chuckled and hugged the smaller woman. "Thanks. Bye Vera."

"Goodbye."

Martha too shook Nigel's outstretched hand. Now it was only Spencer who remained.

Spencer turned to Vera. "So, I guess this is it, huh?"

"It would seem so."

"You gonna be okay?"

She chuckled a little. "Yeah, we'll be good. We'll figure something out. I obviously have a lot of explaining to do."

"What going to happen to you? Now that the game's over?"

She considered this. "I don't know. We'll see, I suppose. It'll be an adventure." She looked a little nervous, but smiled through it.

He extended his hand. "Well then, farewell Dr. Bailey."

"Farewell Spencer." She shook his hand.

Spencer looked at Nigel, waiting patiently to send him on his way. She sensed his uncertainty. "Hey - go home Spencer, live your life. And don't worry, you still have lots of time to figure everything out. You've got your whole life to. And I know you will." She smiled. "Goodbye Spencer. Thank you."

"Bye Vera. Thank you."

"Bye." She turned away. "And Spencer, one more word of advice: never stop living the adventure." She smiled.

He smiled back. Then he turned back to the expectant field guild. "Nigel, I'm ready to go home." He gave an affirmative nod, preparing himself.

"Doctor Bravestone, it's been an honour." Nigel extended his hand. "Farewell my good man."

"See you later, Bravestone," Spencer said softly. Then he reached out and took Nigel's hand.

So that's one of the versions of the end - what did you think? ;) I've become so invested in Vera and Van Pelt's relationship that I was searching for some way for the possibility of having a happy ending for them, so there we go! Next is the second version of the ending, something different, more along the lines of how this story was originally going to go! Hope you enjoyed and as always, thanks so much for reading! :)