As I've said before, my posting schedule for this time around is terrible.

The End Part 2 was a real wild one, huh?

(Poor Jon...at least The End isn't canon with Eagle's Cross!)

Anyway, the song for this chapter is Locked Away by R. City and featuring Adam Levine. Explanation will be at the bottom of the chapter!

I only own Emily, Cora, Laurie, Lauren, Ed, Ell, Jaxx, the story and a couple other characters mentioned here. Edd, Tom, Matt, Tord and the Eduardo gang belong to Eddsworld and everything else to the respective owners.

Three weeks later…

My heart's pounding as I rise out of bed again.

But this time…

It's not plain, fear-inducing panic.

It's a sort of panic that has me excited, ready to take on the day without knowing what's coming up next, as if you're playing a video game and have just started the final stage of the game after finally beating that ridiculously hard boss level before.

Taking a few deep breaths as I throw off my PJs and slip on my clothes in the closet, I mentally go over what's left of what Em and I call 'The Plan'.

· -Finish packing and send the luggage to the twins to shrink. Also, see if the cam-glasses work on stream mode.

· -Double-check if mum and Jaxx's experimental theories have gotten down to a final prototype. It needs to be done by today. And if so, we need to have them set up.

· -Laurie needs to have finished that full detailed map of the base by dinner. Otherwise, Em and I won't be able to get anywhere tonight.

"Today's the day, huh?" Edd asks sleepily as I shove the closet door open while he rubs his eyes.

"Eeyup!"

"Hey, the hoodie isn't 'round your waist either."

"I thought that I could go without it today."

"Fair enough. But breakfast first, kiddo. Play it normal alright? Laurie's gonna notice something's REALLY up if you're like that the entire day."

"Hey, I can't help it if I'm hyped!" I grin as I shut the door behind me and stride to the kitchen to make the big-time-breakfast for today. I've got 12 mouths to feed in this house, 13 if I count myself, so I waste no time quickly frying eggs, bacon and serving up pitchers of orange juice and cola.

13 chairs around the table? Check.

Smells of breakfast wafting around the house? Check.

Activate the second layer of the house arrest square for the three in the basement?

Oh.

Wait.

Whoops.

"Come on you three, up and at 'em. I've activated the second layer and you're free to head upstairs for breakfast. Everyone's waiting for you. Also, I've talked to the crew and they'll let you take some spare clothes they're not using while the ones you've been in are in the laundry. You'll get the chance to have a shower and shave too."

Edward stares at me with the same look of sombre guilt he's had for the past three weeks, but this time there's a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"Will there be fresh blankets and pillows too?"

"…Yeah. Also, Thomas?"

"Mm?"

"Do you need to recharge your eyes or anything or…?"

"I…I-I-I'm fine Cora, thank you for asking though."

"Look, I know I've kept you guys prisoner for three weeks here, with those converted Cryo-Virt beds and all, but are you sure you're okay?"

The three of them glance at each other before nodding.

"Alright then. Everybody's expecting an apology from you three though, including myself. You better be exact about it too. I'll see you at the table."

I can hear the three of them talking to each other as I make my way up the stairs.

"What's gotten into her, Edward? Why is she suddenly nice to us all of a sudden?"

"I think she's ready to let go, Matthew. It's a lame guess but…it's a good change."

"I hope."

"You're doubting, Thomas?"

"How dare you biblically pun us in such a time."

"I'm not too sure Edward, it sounded like she's trying to enjoy her last day here. Well, it was to me…" Matthew muses.

"I'm not leaving that second layer activated for long if you keep on chit-chatting down there!"

My siblings look very nervous as they try to avoid eye contact with Edward, Thomas and Matthew and my crew does the best to ignore the three as we're all sitting around the table. Only mum is the one showing sympathy as she sits next to Edward and places her hand in his, her wedding ring sparkling brilliantly.

Breakfast is served, but nobody's eating until we say grace.

But that's gonna have to wait.

There's a large elephant in the room we have to talk about.

"Ahem!"

All eyes are on me.

I swallow down my anxiety.

The words I've rehearsed start to flow.

"Look, I know you're all probably wondering a few things right now, such as the state of my sanity and asking yourselves why the men we've called our prisoners for three weeks, are here at this table, about to eat with us when it should be Emily and her crew.

"For the record, my sanity has been battered and bruised away by these three men thanks to the anxiety and depression they helped cause in my life, but guess what? It's still standing and I'm still standing. The reason why they're here is because despite all this, they're still our family and I'm choosing to forgive them. And I'm asking you to join me."

Laurie opens her mouth to object, but Jaxx elbows her before anything can come out.

"Thanks Jaxx. I know it's hard to believe for all of you, but I've found that it's possible to forgive those who you thought were your enemies, whether you've loathed them for a few weeks into high school, or feared them for seven years straight. It means that you're letting go, from every heartache to every tear, from every bruise to every drop of blood, from every insult to every threat. You're letting go of all the pain they've caused, no matter where it came from.

"We've soldiered away in our lives for so long. We lost so many years and chances to have experiences that we only dreamed of being done. We didn't lose our childhood, no, but on behalf of Jaxx, the twins and myself, we've lost our teenage years. Does that mean we've lost the ability to forgive? No! Of course not! If we think we have, we're believing a lie! We've been believing a lie fed to us by society ever since the beginning!"

I take a deep breath and wipe the tears that threaten to spill from my eyes.

"Of course, it hurts. It hurts so much to forgive those who've betrayed you, especially when you're feeling like you're betraying yourself if you let go of all the pain that was caused by them. But if we don't forgive, the pain will just get worse and worse every day, no matter how much we try to deny it. Y'know that old saying, 'time heals all wounds?' That is total balderdash and we need to get that lie out of our lives. If time can't heal us, forgiveness can.

"So. Edward, Thomas, Matthew, you have a lot of trust to rebuild between me, my siblings and our ancestors. But I want to say that I forgive you for all the pain you've caused me for the past seven years. Because someone," I glance Edd, whose face is beaming, "forgave me and our family first."

Matthew and Edward are trying to keep a straight face, but that's pretty much impossible when tears are evidently streaming down their faces and making stains on their borrowed shirts from Matt and Edd respectively. Thomas has a crying emoji on his eyegoggles and he's actually having to lift them up a bit to wipe the tears that are coming down.

Then, Edward stands.

"I…I should've done this from the beginning."

Tension in the air rises to a maximum.

"I'm sorry."

It drops within a millisecond.

"I'm sorry for everything I've done to this family. What idiocies I've done to my own kids, how much I've neglected you five and my wife for the sake of the business because…" His voice starts to break, "I thought that I was being haunted by you four…" He nods to the crew, "And that you'd be so disappointed if I didn't uphold the smuggling rings. I went too far…I thought I had this burden of what I thought was a family business on my shoulders…everything turned into a matter of bloodlines and stuff that doesn't make any sense now that I try to think of it…I was so stupid…"

"Well, why didn't you tell us in the first place?" Edd asks, a warm smile creeping up on his face.

"You'd run from me, for a start."

"That's enough banter between you two before it goes any further." Mum butts in, squeezing Edward's hand, "Matthew, Thomas? Anything you'd like to say?"

"We're…we're sorry too. About the insults we threw at you without knowing you were there, indirectly causing you unnecessary stress when you were just trying to survive, even by illegal means." Thomas shrugs.

"We really do love you kids, but I guess…work got in the way like it did with Edward…" Matthew sighs.

I let go of a sigh that I don't realise I've been holding for a while.

Letting go just feels so good.

Staring at Edward, Thomas and Matthew for a few seconds, I wonder—am I already at the point where I can accept these men as family again?

My heart says yes.

My head says to wait.

I'll probably find out soon.

But for now, I'm starving. I'm probably going to wolf down everyone's breakfasts, plates and all…after grace, of course.

Mental Checklist (not entirely in order):

· -Finish packing and send the luggage to the twins to shrink. Also, see if the cam-glasses work on stream mode. Check! Everything's fine.

· -Laurie needs to have finished that full detailed map of the base by now. Otherwise, Em and I won't be able to get anywhere tonight. Check, and the digital version is downloaded into the cam-glasses.

· -Double-check if mum and Jaxx's experimental theories have gotten down to a final prototype. It needs to be done by today. And if so, we need to load them up. Doing that right now!

"Oh hey Cora, Emily. How are you two doing?" Mum pipes up cheerfully.

"All good, Mrs G. Sliiightly nervous but we're fine. How's our assignment treating ya?" Em piques.

"Good thing you two came in, mum and I have just finished the final prototype!" Jaxx exclaims.

"Excellent!" I grin, "What's the scoop?"

"For the record, both of us were the test subjects for this as well as chief scientists, but don't worry, we're fine. We're not gonna mutate into giant chimps or turn into zombies."

Em and I share a somewhat uneasy glance, but we nod for Jaxx to go on.

"Okay, so it took us a couple trials, but we've finally managed to get the serum to replicate an entire century's worth of memories when a sample of blood is inserted, even the ones that were passed on from our grandparents!"

"The memories-shared-through-genes scenario finally managed to work for us in the way you wanted it," Mum grins triumphantly, "Looks like my major in chemistry and that cola recipe payed off in the end, huh kids? All you gotta do is inject the serum into your target person and you'll be done!"

"Mum, since you didn't mention the side effects-"

"Of course there had to be those," I groan.

"-I'm gonna take the pleasure-slash-burden of sharing them with you two. Just…don't tell the crews once they come in to give their blood samples for this thing, okay?"

Em and I zip our mouths, lock them and throw away the key.

"Thanks guys. Anyway, mum and I found out that you have to hold the syringe in for about 5 seconds after thrusting in the entire shot of serum in, so that you don't have any memories left behind. Also, it takes a while for the memories to set in…"

"How long?" Em asks.

"About three to five hours. And the injectee is gonna be knocked out the entire time."

"…Wow." I manage out.

"Also, I hope the crews don't mind that our blood samples have to come from the chest and head in order to have as many memories as possible in the serum-"

"Hey chums! The twins told us to meet up with you two so we could help with finishing off those memory serums, so here we are, all seven of us!"

"Oh my god, Matt." I facepalm.

"No, no, it's fine." Jaxx shrugs, "We were expecting you, so yeah, step right up! Who's first?"

"Alrighty then, that's the last one! Mum and I have been labelling which syringes have your memories, so don't worry about them getting mixed up when Cor and Em head back and find you."

"I can't believe you took blood from near my face…"

"Matt, shut up. Look on the bright side: there's no evident scars on your face, you never felt the needle going in and your formidable chin still stands." Edd nudges him.

"Formida-what?"

"Never mind."

"Well, this just gets better and better!"

"What's new, Jaxx?" I ask.

"We can add food colouring to the serums and colour-code them! It'll make life easier for you three."

"Sweet!" Em grins.

Mum then pulls out the two medical suitcases and carefully stows away the seven serums – three in one case for Em, four in the other for me.

"You might wanna meet up with the twins and shrink your bags down now, these two included. Have you two finished packing?"

"Yep."

"Have you thought of a way of keeping them close?"

We hold up the rubber loom bands that have our miniature luggage on them, said luggage having been shrunken down earlier.

"Good going! But you're gonna need to shrink these down as well." She hands us our respective medical cases, "Do you know how to attach them on?"

"Eeyup."

Looks like it's back to the twins, then.

"Um, Lauren?"

"Yes, Edd?"

"Can I learn the cola recipe from you?"

I roll my eyes as me and Em make a move, but we bump into some red on the way.

"Cora?"

"Tord, why where you in Edd's bedroom?

"Since Edd's kinda busy, he asked if I could give this to you from him."

My eyes widen.

He's holding a cola can with a chain on it…

…but it's not any old can.

It has the original brand and design of the Coca-Cola Company, before it was banned.

Which could only mean…

"Tord, that's-"

"I know. Edd wants you to have it."

"I can't take that! It belongs to him and—"

"He wants you to have it Cor," He places the chain over my head and lets it rest on my neck, "End of story. You'll need it more than he does. If you're not okay with wearing it right now, you can put it in those bags of yours. Besides, he tells me that everyone needs a little something."

"Charming, I know."

He smiles and ruffles my hair a bit before heading somewhere else, but I'm still in a moment of disbelief until Em starts dragging me up the attic stairs.

Well, I guess I'll need that luck when Em and I head off.

Thanks Edd.

-Laurie's Police base/police sets-of-warehouses Map, paper and digital? Check.

· -Serums grabbed? Check.

· -Bags shrunken down and on close hand including serums? Check, pun intended.

So what now?

"D'you have the time, Em?"

"Way past lunchtime, I'm guessing. Everyone's either been working hard or really enjoying themselves today."

"Hmm…how about a mass dinner outside with the barbecue, like on the anniversary?"

"Are you implying a farewell feast?"

"Basically, except with more food, I guess."

"We can't tell certain people though," Em nods her head to Laurie nearby, "That there's an emphasis on farewell." Her voice is a low whisper, as if we're back in the days where our secrets are held within the four walls of that old pod place.

"I know, Em. I've kept my trap shut about it for this entire time, to her and the prisoners-"

"But a lot of the time, we've been lucky. They're starting to suspect stuff already; I've almost had my guard down when I was packing and nearly got caught by Laur when she was over at my place those nights. She nearly found the blueprints, but I claimed they were old bills I was planning to clear out."

"Yikes…" I mutter before taking in a breath and raising my voice so everyone can hear. "Okay everybody, listen up! You've all done pretty well today, but you've worked yourselves past lunchtime. In fact, who's up for a mega barbecue dinner tonight?"

Whoops from around the house. Excellent.

"Alright, but if you think Em and I are gonna be the only ones taking the chairs, tables and the barbie down from the attic, you're wrong."

"Babe?"

"Yeah hon?"

"How's Cor and Em doing with the sausages?"

"They're fine babe, doing good! D'you need help with anything?"

"Can you help me load out the packs of aged letters-I mean cola? Thomas and Matt are helping out, but the others are kinda busy already, so…"

"On my way, hon!"

"By the way Lauren, d'you know how all this cola managed to age like fine wine and not go stale and out of date like it would've back then? I'm not expecting an answer, but still…"

"I think it's all the preservatives, Eddie. I'm not sure myself either, but I'll have a look!"

"Man, your mum's really pulling a Rick Astley on Edward, isn't she Cor?"

"You mean she's never gonna give him up?" I laugh, "Yep! I think she forgave him a long time before I did. I wonder what the wedding vows were for her to stay by his side like that…"

"Nah, I'm pretty sure it's not just the vows. As it says in scripture, perfect love casts out all fear."

"Really?"

"Come on, it's true!"

"Well, I suppose…I'm just kinda unsure if I'm ready to love Edward as 'dad' again and Thomas and Matthew as 'uncles.' My heart says yes, but my head's telling me to wait. I think Laur has that feeling too."

"Laur has all the time in the world to come to terms with it all, probably even into the next century if she lives long enough. But you-"

"I know that I don't. I probably have less than 12 hours to love them all again and say it in this here and now of 2104 before we're-"

"Okay! Is it alright to throw some onion in the barbecue too?"

"Gah! Tord! Don't freak us out like that, we were in the middle of-"

"I know, sorry 'bout that, but ah," He leans in close and whispers, "You were kinda loud in front of unwanted company."

I suddenly spot Laurie over his shoulder, sitting patiently at the table, midway from where we're standing, but close enough to hear us.

Dammit.

What and how much did she hear?

"Act like I've told you a bad pun, okay? Play along and I think she'll stop listening."

Em, being dramatic as ever, starts us off.

"Oh my god, Tord! Now I see why you're Mr G's ancestor, but next time, spare us!"

"Tord," I facepalm, "That was horrible. Why did you have to whisper that in our ears?"

Tord guffaws, obviously faking it, but stealing a glance at Laurie tells me she's taken the bait.

Just in time, too.

The Cola's here and so is everyone else.

Aaaaand we might burn the sausages if we don't serve up.

"Does anyone mind if I say grace?"

We find ourselves staring at Em, since it's the first time she's asking to say grace after denying to do so multiple times after the tradition started…about two months ago now, I think.

The realisation isn't given enough time to slap me in the face as we take hands and Em starts to pray.

"Lord, many things come to an end, good and bad. And they can end mostly unexpected, as well as happening in the way we don't want it to happen.

"But the thing is, I'm grateful for the new family and friends Cora and I have made during this time and I want to thank You for being with the Goulds, Ridgewells, Hargraves and Larssons during that hard period. Even though we all thought at some point that there was nobody to lift us up and stick by our side, You did Lord, and you always carried us in Your arms."

Peeking one eye open, I notice that Tom and Laur are sitting next to each other like brother and sister, and I smile. And are those…tears on their faces?

"Lord, You've corrected us when we were wrong and supported us when we were right. You've always done it with a loving heart and I thank You that You sent Your son Jesus to die on that cross so that our families will never have to suffer from the oppression of earthly laws and the orders of cola smuggling."

For some reason, I feel like my heart's melting and collapsing inside, hot liquid dripping down my cheeks as I try to hold myself together. Dammit Em, why am I crying?

"As we all end this chapter of our lives tonight and begin writing the new, I want to thank You that You've brought us to this here and now, eating the food that You've blessed and made whole to our bodies to get us through the next stage of our lives."

I shoot her a glance.

That was a little bit too on the nose for a few you-know-whos, Em.

"Bless the cooks!" Tom yells out, everyone snickers as we blush.

"That too. Amen!"

"Amen."

Taking a proper surveillance at the table, Edward, Thomas and Matthew start practically wolfing their sausages and chugging their serves of aged cola, slowed down only by the manners they've somehow managed to retain during their three weeks as prisoners.

Speaking of which…

"Cor, where are you heading off to?"

"Just the bathroom, mum. I'll be right back."

HELLO, CORALINE GOULD

YOU HAVE: THREE HOUSE-ARREST PRISONERS.

TWO OUT OF TWO LAYERS OF BOUNDRIES ARE ACTIVATED.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO?

"Release all prisoners and deactivate all layers."

ARE YOU SURE?

Yes.

LOADING TO ACTION CENTRE…

PRISONERS RELEASED.

NOTIFY THEM?

No.

UNLOCK ANKLE CUFFS SILENTLY?

Yes.

ANKLE CUFFS UNLOCKED.

I smile as I quickly power down the machine and throw it into the police van's trash compressor, taking in relief and satisfaction as I watch the metal be crushed to pieces in the dimmed and muffled noise.

"I'm getting closer, Edward," I whisper, "I'm almost ready."

"Ready for what?"

"Gah! Laurie! What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at the table? Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry for freaking you out, but I figured that you really weren't going to the bathroom."

Uh oh.

"I asked mum if I could head in after you to get away and see what you were really doing. Why are you here? Where's the house arrest-thingy?"

I glance at the trash compactor as small drops of sweat start to trickle down my neck.

"Did you just do what I think you did?"

"Fine. I, uh…let the three go. They don't know they've been released."

"You what."

"Laurel, I'm nearly there. I'm almost ready to fully let go of it all. They're not prisoners anymore."

"Cora, what's gotten into you, are you crazy?! They'll probably just go nuts all over again and take control and-"

"No they won't Laurie, Em and I made sure of that! We shoved truth serum into them so we'd understand who they really were in those interrogations and they've finally apologised to our faces today! Why can't you let go?"

Silence falls.

She looks down at the ground, head hanging in shame as the blue-streaked blonde hair falls in front of her face. I gently raise her chin to look at me and kneel to her height.

"It's not healthy to hold grudges against people, Laur. You and I know that."

"I…I don't know why, Cor. I've just been an internal mess of emotions for the past three weeks-"

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"I told Tom, but I didn't want him telling anybody else…but I didn't want to burden him with my problems any more so…"

I pull Laurie into a hug and rub her back while she grips on my body.

"Cora? Promise you won't ditch me?"

If only I could promise, Laur.

My heart starts to beat faster.

My shirt is sticking to my back.

"Promise?"

"I'm sorry. I can't."

"Why?"

"You know I can't stick by you forever. I'm 19 years old, it's time for me to make a life for myself."

"Can't I live with you? Can't I at least be a part of your life?"

Ow, Laurie.

You'd be more than just an emotional mess if you were.

I can't stay in 2104.

"Is it because you're still not letting go the pain Edward caused you?"

"Cora-"

"Mum and Edward are our parents and your guardians, not me. Edward's going to become a better person if you let him and that pain go. I can promise you that."

We pull out from the hug and stare at each other for what feels like forever, her bright blue eyes searching into my heterochromic brown-and-blue.

She'd always been a clever kid, having inherited mum's ability to tell when people are lying.

Will she find me out?

"Let's head back to dinner," she finally announces, "I'm gonna starve if we don't eat."

I nod and lead Laurie to back to the barbecue, but I can't stop the guilt running through me as I think about that was discussed with my mum and our siblings when her back was turned.

The truth.

It's my last day in Durdum Lane.

But I'm not heading back to the pod suburbs, oh no.

Em and I are leaving for somewhere else entirely different.

Actually, make that sometime.

One century back, that's all.

Why 'Locked Away' by and Adam Levine?

Well, haven't you listened to the lyrics? Now imagine that Cora's dad is singing those lyrics not only to his wife who has already forgiven him and sticking by his side, but to his kids who he's hurt so much. He's saying sorry and asking for forgiveness. As the lyric says, 'Would you still love me the same?' He wants to know if his family will accept him again as a dad and start to love him, even after all these years. Plus, it's a sort of song that would bring a family together, no matter how much the said family has gone through.

Also, I totally call it canon that this song was played at the wedding of Edward IV and Lauren. This has to be.