Notch flexed his fingers, then extended a hand toward the open field, and a sapling appeared to immediately grow into a tree.

"That feels good." His voice held relief, and Heather couldn't say she blamed him. After being hunted like an animal for the past few weeks, having ultimate power again must feel pretty nice. "Though, was that really such an easy fix that it took you mere minutes to complete?" He side-eyed Theo, who crossed his arms.

"Well, no, actually. Null had his grubby little fingers all up in your code, I had to…" he gestured. "Y'know. Purge him first."

"Right."

"Same in my case, I would assume?" Herobrine asked at Heather's side. The group was standing just inside the edge of a forest, the sunlight dancing cheerfully through the leaves above their heads. Alex and Steve were sitting around a pool about 20 blocks away, chatting softly with Manfred. The Enderman had healed up completely in the time he'd spent with Theo, and was currently snacking on a bowl of sugar cubes.

Theo had played around with Steve's code a bit, trying to find out exactly what Null had done to him, but had ultimately decided not to change anything. Null's influence had screwed up some of the code that determined how Steve interacted with the world around him, but it didn't affect him as a person, and Steve seemed to really enjoy being invincible. Since any changes would run the risk of affecting something important, Theo had opted to simply leave him be.

Heather was standing with her husband, arms linked together, her head resting on his shoulder. The knot of tension in her stomach that had remained since they first became trapped here had finally started to ease. Null was gone. He was powerless. They were safe.

"That's right. Give me just a minute." Theo plunked himself down on the ground, crossing his legs and starting to type again. Heather half expected Notch to just teleport off to his own dimension again, but he stuck around for now, his gaze drifting about the wooded hill. He seemed… fascinated by the beauty of the world he created.

Herobrine's hand found hers, and he tangled their fingers together as Heather looked up at him. He smiled at her, and she returned it.

"What?"

"What?" He echoed. "I'm happy."

"Well… yeah, I can see why." Heather squeezed his hand. "We kinda… won." Herobrine nodded.

"Kinda." He agreed. "I wish there were a more permanent solution for Null- or, 'Neo', but… I'll take this." Heather pursed her lips, mulling this over.

"It'll do. And it's not really our problem either way." She reached up to grab the collar of his shirt, pulling him down so she could kiss him.

"Mm." He kissed her back. "We're definitely not having our honeymoon here, now."

Heather scoffed. "I'm alright with that."

"Okay, aaaand…" Theo piped up, and she and Herobrine looked up just in time to see Theo tap a key with a flourish. Herobrine seized slightly, and Heather looked up to find him blinking down at her. Gently, he removed her hand from his collar.

"Hold on." Releasing her, he straightened, then teleported across the clearing. He shot her a grin before teleporting back.

"You eye." Were the first words out of Heather's mouth. Herobrine blinked, then reached up to his face, working at the dirty bandages that had shielded his injured eye for the past weeks. Heather helped him remove them, revealing his left eye - still firmly sealed shut. Her face fell.

"Herobrine." Notch's voice caught their attention, and both of them turned to find him approaching. "I can fix that." Herobrine straightened, quiet, and Heather tensed. Though Notch had shown significant change during his time traveling with them, would that change of heart remain now that he had his power back?

"I can do it," Theo spoke up, seemingly sensing the same impending argument.

"No." Herobrine stopped him. "Notch can."

Heather glanced at Theo, then back to her husband. Even Notch looked a bit startled that his offer had been accepted. Herobrine was the only one to remain neutral, gazing calmly at Notch with his one working eye.

"You know what that requires of you." Notch broke the silence at last. "And you would rather I-"

"I know." Herobrine cut him off. "And I trust you. Don't make me regret it."

Notch's face softened, just for a moment, before he nodded. "Alright. Sit down."

The two of them sat down in the grass where they stood, and Heather backed up a bit, casting a glance at Theo as she did so. The hacker caught her gaze and gave her an almost-imperceptible nod. If something did go wrong, he would be there to intercede.

Notch held out an expectant hand, and Herobrine offered his own, which was held between Notch's bigger ones. Notch shut his eyes, and, a moment later, Herobrine followed suit. Heather sat down a few feet away, not wanting to interrupt, but afraid at the same time to leave the two of them alone.

Slowly, the damage around Herobrine's eye began to fade. He flinched slightly as it started, but relaxed as it went on. Soon, the blood and scarring were gone. So was, Heather realized, the mark across his nose from Null's sword. And he didn't hold his shoulder so tensely, either.

Finally, Notch released his hand, and Herobrine opened his eyes. Both eyes.

"Thank you." He said. Notch just nodded.

"Hero." Heather scrambled upright, and Herobrine looked at her with a grin on his face. He shot to his feet to receive her, hugging her tightly as soon as she came within range.

"How do you feel?" She whispered.

"Better than I have in centuries." He murmured back, planting a kiss on her cheek. She wrapped her arms around his torso and hugged him tight. Beyond the physical issues that he had dealt with for most of his existence, it must feel… really nice to be able to trust the man who created him, too. "Now, come on." He continued. "I believe we have a wedding to prepare for."

"Right." Heather gave him a final squeeze, then let go, skipping over to the pond where Steve, Alex, and Manfred were sitting. "Hey, we have to go."

"Right." Steve got up, but Alex got to her first, wrapping her in a surprisingly gentle hug.

"Don't get into too much trouble without us." She muttered into Heather's ear. The blonde chuckled, hugging her back.

"We'll only be gone a week or so - my time, anyway, how much trouble could I get into?"

"Oh, don't say it like that." Steve rested a hand on her shoulder, waiting for Alex to let go before drawing Heather into his arms. "I'll do you one better- keep your fiancé out of trouble."

"You wound me." Herobrine snipped from where he waited a few blocks away. Steve released her, and Heather looked up to find Manfred towering over her.

"Bye." She managed, feeling suddenly choked up. He chirped, bending to one knee to give her a hug, and she threw her arms around his neck.

".eybdoog toN" He warbled. ".'retal uoy ees' tsuJ"

"Right." She buried her face in his shoulder. Of course, she would be seeing him again, and soon. But she had spent the last few weeks with Steve and Alex, and seen almost nothing of him, so the parting felt harsher.

Finally, she let him go, and he straightened up before ruffling her hair. Heather swatted at his hand.

"See you soon, Heather." Theo came in for a hug as well, and she gave him a squeeze. "Try not to forget about us with all that wedded bliss." Heather snorted.

"I haven't for the past five years, have I?"

Theo wrinkled up his nose. "…arguably, those didn't count." She just rolled her eyes and let him go.

"Ready?" Herobrine asked. She nodded, taking his hand. She glanced at Notch, giving him a small wave, before Herobrine teleported.

The next thing they know, they were standing in their apartment, midmorning light falling gently through the living room window.

In the forest, Notch cleared his throat, glancing over at Steve and Alex.

"If you two don't mind, I could use your help with something?"

"Yeah?" Steve responded, sounding a bit confused. "Sure, anything."

"First, I need to give you proper free will." Notch said, and Alex's eyes widened as she remembered his earlier promise. "Second, this world has been lonely for far too long." He reached out to access his admin dimension, which was once again within his reach. "I think it's far past time that I change that."

Heather looked on as Herobrine read down the page in front of him, hands met in front of her as a nervous giggle rose in her throat.

"Heather, these vows are beautiful," he said at last. "but you can't say 'unlike last time' after you say 'I do'. You're going to alarm your parents." Heather immediately burst into peals of laughter, snatching the page back as a grin spread across her face.

"Serves them right for not following up on where I disappeared to for three days as a teenager." She managed between giggles. Herobrine sighed.

"It would have been quite the hassle if they had. Remind me to thank them for that."

"No!" She wrapped her arms around him, leaning against him. "Well, they're still more romantic than your vows. Mine aren't copied off the internet."

"How is that not romantic?" Herobrine protested. "That's my homeland, after all."

"Ha!" She barked out a laugh. "I'm going to start calling you my e-boy."

"Can't I at least be your e-man?"

"Absolutely not."

Heather rested her head against Herobrine's chest, staring at the countertop to her right. The surface was heaped with checklists and RSVPs, a vase holding a sample from their flower arrangements sitting precariously near the edge. The wedding rehearsal was in a few hours, and their wedding was tomorrow.

Herobrine's hand rested in the small of her back. "Are you nervous?"

"Mm. Kinda." She shrugged. "No more than I am excited. Why?" She reached up to poke him in the shoulder. "Are you nervous?"

"Far less than I was while being hunted by a homicidal maniac." Was his response. Heather was quiet for a moment.

"…so you are nervous."

"And so what if I am?" He ruffled her hair. "I'm getting married to the most wonderful girl in any world."

"Excuse you, I am a woman."

"Right, of course. My bad." He chuckled, the sound deep and comforting where her ear was pressed up to his chest. "And I have to contend with your parents."

"Oh hush, my parents love you."

"But will they continue to do so once I've stolen away their little girl?"

"They'll get over it." The two of them lapsed into silence, enjoying the sunlight as it drifted through the windows. It felt strange to have been away for weeks, and yet, when they had returned a few days before, everything was exactly how they'd left it. It felt as though they'd stepped in and out of time. Sure, they did this every week, but… this time was different.

"We should get dressed." Herobrine said at last.

"Right." They untangled themselves from each other, Herobrine catching up Heather's hands as she stepped away and holding them in his. For a moment, they just gazed at one another. Tomorrow's event would be a significant one, but, between them, nothing would really change.

"I love you." He said at last. Heather gave his hands a squeeze.

"I love you too."