"Kid. Hey, kid! Wake up!"

Young Joe came to with a gasp as something cold splashed on his face. He blinked and tried to move, only to find himself tied to a chair. He saw two men standing in front of him, and one was his loop.

"You!" he shouted.

"Hold up, hold up," the other one said, putting up his hand. "Calm down, son."

"You have to stop!" Young Joe yelled at his loop, ignoring the other guy. "You have to die, do you understand?!"

"Yea, I'm not that loop," his loop said, stopping Young Joe in his tracks. He was confused now.

"W-What? What do you mean? Of course you're that loop!" Could there be more than one? Young Joe's head hurt a lot in this moment.

"I'm you," his loop said.

"I know that," Young Joe said, annoyed. "That's why I have to kill you."

"Not me. The other version, yes. Not me."

"Wait...hang on...so, so..." Young Joe was trying to put it together but he couldn't. His loop sighed heavily.

"I am you, the version of you right now. That other version is the one who needs to die."

"I don't understand."

So his loop launched into it, explaining what happened and how he'd traveled through time to 2010 and then back here to stop a woman from getting shot and a kid being chased away. Young Joe sort of understood it, but it still gave him a headache.

"I can't handle this," Young Joe said. "My head hurts."

"That's the withdrawal," his loop stated. "It'll pass."

"So you're here to stop something from happening that already happened?"

"That's correct."

"I think I get it."

"We're gonna kill Abe," his loop added. "He's caused enough shit, and I want our life back, the one that we don't deserve but got anyway."

"How is it possible?" Young Joe asked. "If you were sent to 2010 before being sent here...how are both of you here?"

"I don't know," his loop answered. "I think maybe there are different loops, you know? Like, one thing can happen in one loop and then be different in the next one. This loop already happened, but the loop you and I are on is going to change things."

"I...guess?" Young Joe said, still confused.

"How about we stop trying to figure out the mechanics of it and get to business?" his loop suggested.

"Okay."

"Can I trust you not to murder me? I'm on your side here."

"Okay."

"Say it," his loop ordered.

"I won't murder you," Young Joe stated. His loop gave him a look of scrutiny before nodding to the other guy, who moved to free Young Joe.

"Where would he go?" his loop asked. "Abe's after him, you're after him, and he has an agenda. Where would it be safe for him?"

"You're him too. I can't do all the work," Young Joe grumbled.

"We know tomorrow he goes to the farmhouse," the other guy said. "We have to get him before he goes there."

"Why don't we just go there and wait for him? Saves us looking for him," Young Joe suggested.

"We got a guy there already. We need to deal with Abe and the Gat men and my loop," his loop said. "Understand?"

"Then let's go deal with Abe," Young Joe suggested. As the three of them walked out together, Young Joe started to devise a plan in his head on how to get rid of his loop and the other guy because he didn't fully trust they were telling the truth.

And he didn't want Abe to be furious with him for failing to take care of his loop.

...

Lee was helping clean up after dinner when someone knocked on the door. He stiffened and turned his head to look in that direction while Sara froze and looked at him for instructions. He gestured for her to wait, and he headed for the door, putting a hand behind his back to rest on his gun tucked in his pants there. He opened the door and kept half of himself hidden behind it.

"Hi," the man said. He was mostly in black clothes. His hair was brown and short, and his skin was tanned lightly. "I'm going around looking for a father/son duo who are wanted, and I'm just checking to see if you've seen them or if they're here at all." He held up a poster, and Lee recognized Church on one side and presumed the younger man was Church's younger self.

"No," Lee said, shaking his head. "Haven't seen them."

"I'm required to check the house," the man stated. "Sorry."

"You got a warrant?"

"Lee, it's okay," Sara said, grabbing his arm and coming into view. She smiled at the man. "Sorry, he's been watching too many old fashioned crime shows. He's forgotten how it works around here." She slightly kicked the back of his heel with her foot that was out of sight, and he realized he really didn't know the rules around here. Apparently, Abe's men could do whatever they pleased, for that's who he realized was standing there.

"No worries. It's really for your safety," the man added. Sara pushed Lee to the side, and he hid his gun under his shirt again as the man came inside. He watched the man survey the house and go from room to room. Sara followed while acting neutral, if not annoyed.

"Anyone else living here?"

"Just my son," she answered. The man saw Cid at the table then, and he waved. Cid waved back.

"Alright. Looks good," the man said. "Thank you for your time. If you see either one of these men, you let us know." He handed her a card along with the poster, and she took them. When he was gone, she let out a long exhale. Lee gestured with his head, and they went somewhere quieter to talk.

"This is him?" Sara asked, looking at the photo of the older Joe. "The man who tries to kill my son?"

"Yes."

"He looks haunted," she commented, and Lee wondered why she would say that but then realized she was right. Church was haunted. It took one to know one, and Lee was just as haunted as both Sara and Joe.

"He won't hurt you, neither of you," Lee promised. She looked at him, and he saw the trust in her eyes.

"I better get Cid to bed," she said now.

"Okay." He moved to leave, but she stopped him.

"We can still talk," she advised. "Just give me a bit with him; then I'll be there."

"Sure."

Lee waited outside on the front step, listening to the night sounds and watching the sun set. He heard shouts coming from inside, and he couldn't help but go investigate.

"YOU'RE LYING! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!"

"Cid, please...take a breath..."

"I WANT MY MOM! YOU'RE NOT MY MOM! GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Lee carefully went up the stairs and saw Sara backing out of Cid's room and racing down to hers. He followed, looking to see Cid screaming and throwing things in his room on his way by. He didn't intervene. He didn't know what to even say anyway. He found Sara in her room scrambling to hide.

"Sara," he said, making her stop. She was wearing a frightened expression. "Are you scared of him?"

She was breathing hard but didn't speak. Lee was realizing something in this moment, and it kind of made him feel nervous.

"Are you scared of him?" he asked again. "Tell me the truth."

"He...he...I," she tried. An anguished wail sounded down the hall, and Lee decided enough was enough. He turned to go, and Sara cried out his name to stop him. He ignored her and found the boy crying on his bed facedown.

"Hey," he said gently, making Cid look up at him. "Can I come in?" The boy shrugged and rested his head back down, but he was watching Lee, who took some steps into the room. He knelt down next to the bed and reached to rest a hand on the boy's head lightly, smoothing his hair.

"It's okay to be angry," Lee said, "scared, even. It's okay to feel unsure about things, happy about others, and worry about stuff."

"She's not my mom," Cid said weakly. "She keeps saying she is, but I know she's not."

"Cid, she's your mom in the sense that she brought you into this world," Lee explained, "but the mother you're remembering is the one who was with you the most, and that was really your aunt."

"She's dead, and it's my fault," Cid whimpered, burying his face. Lee kept stroking the boy's hair, feeling a lot of similarities between him and this child suddenly.

"It wasn't," he promised. "Even if it feels like it is, it wasn't."

"You weren't there," Cid insisted.

"No, but..."

"You weren't there!" Cid shouted, balling his fists and getting angry again. Lee stopped arguing and waited patiently. Cid calmed down again, and more tears fell.

"Come here, buddy," Lee said, moving to sit on the bed now. Cid crawled into his lap and clung to him. "My mom died too, and I blamed myself for a very long time until I learned it wasn't my fault, but it's gonna be okay. I promise."

"Yea?"

"Yea."

He saw Sara in the doorway then, and she looked a bit emotional herself. Cid saw her next, and he moved off of Lee and hurried over to her.

"I didn't mean it," he said, hugging her tightly. "I don't hate you."

"I know, baby," Sara replied, hugging him back. "I know."

"It just buzzes in my ears," Cid went on. "I can't think or hear anything. I get so mad..."

"I know. It's okay. We'll help you," Sara promised. She picked him up and carried him back to bed while Lee moved away and stepped out of the room to give them a moment. Sara came out a bit later and found him in the kitchen.

"Thank you," she said.

"Why are you afraid of him?" he asked. "What happens when he gets angry?"

"He can't control it," she said quietly.

"What happens?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she replied.

"Sara..."

"Please, not tonight," she said firmly. "Not tonight."

"Okay." He let it go, but he was going to revisit it and soon. He got to his feet. "Goodnight." She repeated it back, and he left to go back to the barn.

...

Barney didn't entirely trust Young Joe, so he was keeping an eye on him. They were trekking around trying to find the bad loop version of Joe as well as Abe. It was late, and he was tired, but this would all be worth it in the end.

"I think we just go straight to Abe," Church said. Barney had decided to just stick with calling him that to save confusion and to stop making his head hurt.

"Yea," Barney agreed. "Sounds good."

"So what? You're just gonna burst in there guns blazing? You know he has an army, right?" Young Joe reminded them.

"Pfft," Church scoffed. "We've handled worse." He shared a look with Barney, who nodded. Vilain's crew was quite significant. Barney followed Church, shooting looks at Young Joe as they went. He had a bad feeling suddenly, like Young Joe was going to use this opportunity to present his loop to Abe and get his money (Church had also explained about the getting paid part).

"Kid," Barney said to him now. "How about you keep looking for your other loop? Kill him when you find him. Then we'll be gone, and everything will be alright."

"How do I get in contact with you?" Young Joe asked, sounding reluctant.

"Go to the diner," Church answered. "We'll find you there."

"Okay."

Barney watched the young man leave, and he lifted a brow at Church. "You trust him?"

"Not for a second," Church answered. "Good idea on sending him off."

"Well, let's take care of this guy, huh?" Barney said, heading to the building now. Church nodded, cocking his gun and walking alongside him.

...

Sara was lying in bed, and she felt bad for not answering Lee's question. She just couldn't right now. She wanted to focus on other things, which included her intense feelings for him despite barely knowing him. The way they were together at dinner, it was like they'd done it for years, and she knew he had those memories and she didn't.

She wanted more moments like that. With him.

Without really thinking too much about it, she reached to press down on the frog and then moved quickly to stand by the door. She heard his running steps a moment later come into the house and up the stairs. Her door burst open, and Lee stood there breathing hard and holding his gun at his side.

"What happened?" he asked. She shook her head, taking the gun out of his hand and setting it on the desk behind him. She took his face in her hands and kissed him. She felt his confusion at first, and he pulled back.

"Sara, what...?"

"I need you," she answered, still holding him. "I do. Being around you has just made me realize you're what I've always wanted and could never find. And maybe that's crazy because I don't even know you, but from what I've seen and heard...it's enough to know I want this. And you know me, all of me, which is rare and almost liberating because I know I don't have to hide anything from you. I...I want you. I want to know you. I want to get back what we had even though I have no memory of it. If you want me." She watched him have a slight internal struggle before moving in to kiss her again. She let him walk her backwards to her bed, still kissing, and pulled him down on top of her. He was so good, and she wanted it. She wanted him and all he had to offer. She wanted a normal life.

This right here, though, this was where she shone, and she was going to show him that when he stopped her.

"Slow," he said, lips next to her ear. "Okay?"

"I don't understand..."

He pulled back so he was looking down at her, and she noticed a slight smile on his lips.

"What?" she asked.

"I just really love that I get to witness you discovering what you like all over again," he answered, and she shivered in a good way.

"That's not fair," she countered. "You know the answers already."

"But you don't," he replied, kissing her again. "Let me show you." His mouth was brushing against hers, and she nodded, wanting to find out.

And she was not disappointed.

...

Young Joe was not going to waste time trying to find his loop. He knew where he was headed, had stolen the address to the farm from his loop's buddy that had been sticking out of his back pocket, so he planned on going there to meet him. He'd deal with anyone else who tried to stop him.

His eyes were burning, his head was pounding, and he was on the verge of throwing up, but he was going to finish this. He'd finish it and make Abe proud of him.

...

Lee watched as Sara played with the cigarette in her fingers, unlit. He realized from the way she was looking at it as if figuring out what to do with it that she hadn't started smoking again yet, and he reached to take it from her.

"What?" she asked, looking at him.

"You regret it," he answered.

"I do?"

"Yea."

"Oh." She looked down at her hands for a moment then back at him. "What else do I regret?"

"Leaving Cid with your sister."

"Well, I knew that one," she said with a slight laugh. "What else do you know about me?"

"You are very good with a bow and arrow," he answered.

"Hmm," she replied nonverbally, leaning into him and resting her head on his shoulder now. They were sitting up and leaning against her headboard together. It felt like old times but also not. He couldn't explain it.

"Did I tell you why?" she asked.

"You said your mom's boyfriend taught you during hunting."

"I wasn't good at it when I started," she said, her fingers finding his now. "For every time I missed, he would cop a feel."

"Shit, really?" Lee asked, aggravated.

"I thought I was imagining it at first because that's how quick he was. Then once I realized it was happening, I didn't know how to make it stop. He said I was asking for it because of my clothes or how I talked to him or behaved, as if smiling and being polite were invites to maul me. In the end, we went out one day, and I shot him in the leg after he put his hand down my pants, and he couldn't walk without a cane ever again."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Sara reasoned, looking at him. "But he's the reason I was so messed up about boys and men and got into things I shouldn't have. My mom dying didn't help, either, because I was grieving and angry and just didn't care about myself anymore."

"You got out of it, though," he reflected.

"I did, but I've been still messed up," she sighed. "Until you." He felt her squeeze his hand a bit, and he smiled.

"You barely know me," he reminded her.

"I saw myself in that video," she said, "and seeing myself like that with you...it just made me trust that I knew what I was doing, even if I don't remember it."

"The first time I saw you," he said, "I knew we had something."

"What happened?"

"You were standing in the middle of the road and almost got hit by a car," he explained. "I moved you out of the way just in time."

"Then what?"

"You went on your way and then came to our team later that same day."

"So you felt a spark," she said, moving to straddle him and rest her elbows on his shoulders. She leaned into him, her face next to his.

"I did," he replied, running the back of his fingers down her sides lightly.

"Then I think it was meant to be," she advised. "Us." Lee tended to agree, even if how it worked out made his head hurt. He parted his lips against hers, engaging in the slow kiss she was doing. His hand moved to tangle in her hair, and she put her arms around his neck and pulled herself in tighter against him while he held her close with his other arm draped around her lower back.

"You're really staying?" she asked against his mouth, her voice low and vulnerable.

"Yea," he answered. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be."

"Are you good at farming?" she inquired, kissing his cheek and then his neck. "Good help is hard to keep."

"I can learn."

"Where did you come from anyway?"

"Where do you think?" he teased, lifting a brow as she blushed.

"Outside of the obvious," she sighed. He smirked and trailed a finger down her body.

"New Orleans," he told her.

"Was it nice there?"

"Yea."

"Hm," she mused. She reached to hold the headboard on either side of his head and shifted slightly. "Maybe a change would be nice."

"You think so?" he asked, pressing his face against her collarbone. His lips grazed her skin.

"I'm thinking about it," she answered. He smiled, and she pressed tighter against him. He leaned his head back against the headboard to look at her properly. He couldn't believe that she was with him again, but she seemed to know herself and recognized he was something good based on what she saw, so he couldn't argue with that.

"I'm kind of glad to start over," he confessed.

"What do you mean?"

"I was torn up about what to do in regards to us that I may have dicked around too long before we finally got together," he said. "This way just feels...nicer."

"You have a hard time committing?"

"No, it's not that. I just felt like I'd ruin things if we got together or I'd lose you entirely if it didn't work out. Irrational fear kind of stuff, you know?"

"I get it."

"I was scared to take the leap, but I'm not anymore," he told her, and she smiled now. In this moment, he felt happy, and he tried not to worry about how long it would last before it turned to dust like happiness usually did for him.

"I hope I don't disappoint you," she said now. He shook his head, pulling her close again.

"You won't. Never."

As her lips caught his, he didn't voice that his worry was how much he'd disappoint her.

...

Joe was bleeding but not dead. He and Barney had gone into Abe's place and ripped it to shreds. The Gat men stood no chance. Then there was just Abe, and he was curled on the floor with a hand raised to shield himself. Joe stood over him with Barney beside him.

"This is how it ends then?" Abe asked.

"Yea," Joe answered. "It's over, Abe."

"I gave you a purpose," Abe insisted. "I put a gun in your hand. I made you who you are!"

"And I'm different now," Joe replied. "No thanks to you."

"This won't change things," Abe advised.

"Sure it will," Joe scoffed. "There's no one left."

"I'll just rebuild," Abe said. "You haven't killed my younger self!"

"I'm here, Abe!" a young man shouted, running into the room. Abe's eyes widened in fear, and Joe smiled.

"I have now," he said, twisting to shoot just before the man did.

"NOO!" Abe howled, and Joe shot the young man down easily enough. He'd always hated that idiot.

Abe disappeared, and Joe cracked his neck.

"Well," Barney said. "Now what?"

"We go find my loop," Joe answered, sniffing hard and heading out the door into the daylight.

...

It was morning, and Sara was smiling to herself as she got ready for the day when a hand pulled her around and a gun was aimed at her head.

She let out a gasp. It was the man from last night.

"I know he's here," he said quietly. "Don't make a sound or move and you'll be just fine."

She looked at the door, wondering just what he was talking about.

...

Lee stared at the man before him. He looked vaguely familiar.

"You're the body guard then?" the guy asked.

"Who are you?"

"Joe."

Ah, the younger version of Church. It made sense now. "Why are you here?"

"I figured you'd need a hand taking care of my loop. I couldn't find him, but if his endgame is here, then I'll wait for him."

"I see."

"What's your name?" Joe asked.

"Lee."

"Nice to meet you." He held out his hand, and Lee shook it.

"It's all very weird shit, isn't it?" Lee stated. Joe laughed out loud.

"Yes, it is. I've given up trying to make sense of it. It is what it is."

Lee looked towards the house, and he realized that Sara hadn't come out yet. This made him feel concerned suddenly, and he walked towards the door. Joe tagged along with him, and when Lee went inside, his heart almost stopped at the sight of Sara being held by the man from last night and having a gun to her head. Cid was nowhere to be found.

"I knew you'd be here, Joe," the man said.

"Jesse," Joe said back. "I'm trying to find my loop. I'm gonna kill him. I swear it!"

"I'm to bring you in," Jesse said back. "Sorry, man."

"Let her go," Joe said, gesturing to Sara. "She's not a part of this."

"Nice and slow," Jesse advised, letting Sara go, and she moved quickly away from him. She met Lee's eyes, and he signaled he'd keep her safe with a nod.

"I'll give you the money," Joe went on. "I don't need it. I'm telling you, I'm here to kill my loop."

"Let's go," Jesse ordered. Lee was still trying to figure out what to do when there was a noise on the stairs. Jesse aimed his gun, and Lee saw that Cid was standing there. The boy jerked back in fright, and he lost his footing, which caused him to tumble down the stairs.

"Cid!" Lee cried. He moved to assist, noticing in the background that things were feeling strange and a buzzing was in his ears. He grunted as Sara slammed into him and shoved him towards the door. Joe started to back up too, confused; her hand grabbed his shirt on the way by to yank him with them. Lee was trying to make sense of what he was seeing. Everything in the living room was lifted along with Jesse, who was suspended in the air and couldn't get down. Cid was screaming. The noise was almost deafening. It looked as thought Jesse was imploding, and then, Sara crashed them all out the door just as everything exploded, and all three of them hit the dirt, landing hard. Joe was on his stomach, groaning. Lee was on his back with Sara on top of him, her hands covering her head. He felt her shaking. Hell, he was shaking too.

"What the f***?" Joe asked, lifting his head to look behind them. Lee was wordless as Sara pushed herself up and ran back to the house.

"CID!" she screamed. Lee scrambled to his feet, chasing after her. Once inside, he almost vomited. Blood was everywhere among other things. He gagged, moving through and going out the back door to find Sara still screaming Cid's name and running towards the cane.

It was then that Lee understood what Cid had done, and it was then he realized the same thing had probably happened to Sara's sister. It terrified him.

"Is that how your sister died?!" he shouted, grabbing Sara's arms now when he caught up to her. "Is it?!"

"Lee, he's not a monster..." she tried.

"What the hell was that?!" Joe yelled, joining them. "Shit, maybe my loop had a good reason to kill him after all!"

"Don't!" Sara shrieked as he ran for the cane. Lee gave her a shake.

"Answer me," he said. "Is that how your sister died?"

"He gets scared," Sara told him, anguished. "It was an accident. He was climbing a bookshelf and it fell on him...it exploded. He didn't mean to hurt her. He loses control, but I can calm him down. I can. I can teach him to control it. I can keep him from hurting people."

"Tell that to Jesse," Lee retorted, letting her go.

"Don't hurt him!" Sara begged, sobbing as he ran after Joe to the cane. He searched as he ran, finally finding the boy huddled on the ground covered in blood and looking so mournful it almost broke Lee's heart. He approached, seeing that Cid was crying. In that moment, he saw a young child who had no idea what he'd done and was just as terrified.

"Hey," he said. "It's okay, Cid."

"I'm sorry," Cid whimpered.

"It's okay," he repeated, extending a hand. Cid stood and clung to his leg while Lee smoothed his hand over the boy's head. He avoided the blood as much as possible.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Cid said again. "I didn't mean to."

"Let's get you cleaned up," Lee countered. "Okay?" Joe burst into view then, and he stared at Lee and Cid. For a moment, Lee wondered if he'd have to kill Joe, but he saw in Joe's face that he recognized in Cid the same thing Lee did. He let out a heavy sigh.

"CID!" Sara found them, and she reached for him when she got there. She picked him up in her arms, oblivious to the blood. "Oh, Cid. I've got you, baby. It's okay."

"I...I can feel my loop coming," Joe said now. "You gotta go."

"Come on," Lee ordered, herding Sara along. She took Cid to the back of the house and hosed him off while Lee got him new clothes. She was still shaking.

"We're gonna get out of here," she told Cid. "Okay? We're gonna go someplace new and start over. I promise."

"Hey," Lee said, making her look at him. "I've got you." She held his gaze, and he could see how relieved she was that he wasn't running away, that he understood what she was dealing with and working to change. He wanted to help her.

Cid went to the truck while Sara dried her hands and then moved to hold Lee. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For staying. Even after that," she said. "I...I know it's terrifying, but he really doesn't do it on purpose."

"I know."

"Are you sure you want this?" she asked. "Even now?" He kissed her firmly, holding her close.

"Yes," he said after. "Even now." Sure, it would be a challenge to keep Cid's emotions in check, but he could do it.

"Come on!" Joe yelled, and they broke apart. Sara rushed to the truck, and she buckled Cid up before getting into the driver's seat.

"See you soon," Lee promised. They had a meet up place. After this was over, he'd find her there. An engine revving made them all look, and Joe groaned.

"It's him. Go!"

Sara took off, and Lee pulled out his gun along with Joe. The vehicle stopped, and Joe's loop got out.

"Where is the kid?!" he shouted.

"Gone!" Joe shouted back.

"It's over!" the loop went on. "Your buddies killed Abe and all the Gat Men. It's finished! You're free! I need to end this for good, so tell me where the kid is!"

"Not happening," Lee answered. The loop responded by firing off shots around them. Then, in his peripheral, he saw the truck Sara and Cid were in flip and crash. He twisted to see, confused as to how it happened but realizing it must have been because of the loop's shots. A bullet whistled past his ear, and he ducked. The loop managed to overtake Joe and tore off on foot after Sara and Cid, who were booking it to the cane field after pulling themselves out of the truck.

"No," Lee said, seeing it all play out again. "No!" He ran after the loop with Joe trying to get back up behind him. He ran hard, catching the loop and launching onto him. They hit the ground together, and Lee lost the upper hand when the loop kicked his stomach. They fought, and Lee felt anger inside as he landed blows and dodged the ones in return. He did get hit a few times, which angered him even more. He saw Sara turn to see them and keep ushering Cid away. Then the loop managed to knock Lee down and he shot him in the leg, making Lee cry out.

"Stay down!" the loop ordered, taking his gun and going after Sara again. Lee sat up, aiming his knife, and he let it fly. It struck the loop in the back of his shoulder, but he kept going. Aggravated, Lee forced himself to stand up. He saw the loop aim and shoot Cid in the face, and then Cid had Sara and the loop in the air, and Lee knew what was coming next.

"CID! CALM DOWN, CID!" he screamed. It was useless, though, because the boy couldn't hear him. He felt his chest tighten in terror, the thought of losing it all right here right now being too much to bear. He limped forward, determined. When he got close, he could see Sara saying something and Cid listening. Then he dropped the loop and Sara, and he went to hug her.

"Mom," Cid said tearfully. The loop was getting back up, but Lee was already on him.

"You're done here," he said, taking out his other knife and sticking it into the loop's heart. The loop gasped and coughed and cried out as he fell backwards. He was dead a moment later. Breathing hard and in a lot of pain, Lee turned to see Sara watching. Young Joe was by the road, having caught up to them finally.

"It's over," Lee said to her. "I promise."

She ran to him, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly as she burst into tears.