A/N: Sorry this is immensely short for me, but at least I've finally finished this part of the story!

Epilogue

Return From the Past

Five Days Later, 1998..

Veronica couldn't stop looking around as the Pizza Place burned around her and Nick, both standing above the ball pit. "Ronnie, come on! We don't have time to admire the destruction, you know." Nick said, squeezing her hand to bring Veronica back to reality.

"Nicky.. what if going back like this doesn't work the way we think it will? I don't want to eternally be trapped inside Rhonda's head, as much as I love her."

"For fucks sake, we don't have time to doubt this, Ronnie. You were dead when you possessed Rhonda. Now you're alive. So let's go home." Veronica looked at him with a pout that morphed into a determined frown as she nodded. "Alright, now on three. One. Two." Veronica's grip on Nick's hand became like a vice as Nick took a breath. "Three!" The two teenagers jumped into the ball pit, explosions spreading throughout the rest of the Pizza Place as Mike- injured from the falling apart restaurant- limped out of the escape door, making it to his car and managing to get away from the scene before any of the authorities showed up, the rain covering up his tire tracks on the pavement outside the inferno that was the Pizza Place..

Safehouse Basement Workshop, 2022..

The basement was quiet, Sameera having just checked on the room several minutes before bringing everyone else in the Safehouse (bar Vanessa) to school. Until the ball pit in the corner glowed, a shockwave of glitchy particles showering the room as two bodies were then thrown through the air several feet to the ground. Due to the shockwave from the exploding Pizza Place, both Nick and Veronica were sent through the time portal, their powers activating together as if they were purely a defense mechanism which was as the plan was supposed to go, with a little bit of creativity on the supernatural part of things. Now unconscious, the two teenagers lay on the concrete floor of Nick's basement workshop, no one knowing anything was different as the others were already on their way to school.

Crystal Springs High..

The group, plus Erika, walked into the school and were surprised to not find Bellatrix by Nick's locker, which had become something of a meeting place for the group since the week before. "Where's goth girl?" Erika asked as Russell came up behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"She hasn't shown up yet. Seems she may have run away, since her dad called around to see if anyone had seen her. He hasn't seen Bellatrix since yesterday before school." He said, smiling as Erika blushed. "Morning, beautiful."

"M-morning, Russ." Erika said, her voice squeaking as Sameera snickered.

"Oh yeah, Nick's gonna have a fight on his hands because of you two." She said, wincing at a particularly powerful kick from within her stomach. "Ouch. I know, little one. I promise, daddy will be home before you pop out of there." She said soothingly as Rhonda rolled her eyes, her inner Veronica's voice sounding.

"Leave them alone, Meera. It's good Erika found someone able to calm her down. Her powers' instability needed something to anchor them down."

"I know, but I still clearly remember the bullshit that happened come last September and how unfounded it all was." Sameera said, eyes narrowed at Russell.

"I'm going to apologize. It isn't like Nick is here for me to have said anything beforehand. None of us knew what was happening around town until after Christmas, you know, and even then most of us only knew the bare minimum, apparently."

"If Nick deems it necessary, you'll know more. Just know that the tale is utterly insane, even to us who fucking lived through it." Sameera said before walking off towards her homeroom. What would cause Bella to suddenly disappear like this? She thought as she walked.

Meanwhile, Pizzaplex Ruins..

Bellatrix hadn't known how long she had been standing outside the ruins of the Pizzaplex, or exactly why. All she knew was that it had felt like something was calling her here. Several feet away, a walkie-talkie buzzed to life, frightening the teenager as a familiar voice spoke through. "Bella.. Nick.. can you.. hear me?" Came Nick's voice, although broken up due to most likely range, as no walkie talkie sold at the Pizzaplex (this one in question being modeled after Roxanne Wolf) would possess an advanced range of use.

Picking up the device, Bellatrix tightened her grip on the Fazwrench she had taken from her father's room before leaving the house. "Nick, is that you?" She asked, walking closer to the scaffolding that would inevitably lead into the ruins of the Pizzaplex. "Where are you?"

"Bellatrix! Thank God you came. I'm trapped beneath the wreckage in the basement. There's a way to get down, but it'll be tricky with all the debris everywhere." Something about the voice didn't sound right to Bellatrix, but Nick had been gone long enough where she just missed hearing it.

"I'll get down there, I promise." Bellatrix said, taking a deep breath before she began looking for a way into the dilapidated building.

Deep below the Pizzaplex, inside a prison of its own making, an animatronic endoskeleton made a sinister face in the darkness. It's plan was working, and soon it would be free.

Later, Safehouse Basement..

As was her usual routine, Sameera unlocked the door to Nick's workshop, her eyes instinctively looking up at the ceiling before scanning the rest of the space. Her eyes widened as a gasp was heard all the way upstairs, noticing the two bodies lying on the concrete. "Nick?!" She shouted, multiple sets of footsteps rushing towards the basement door behind her as she knelt down as much as she could, flipping Nick over and sighing in relief that he was breathing. "Baka.." She said, smiling sadly. "You're finally home."

"Hey, that's my body!" Came a surprised statement from Rhonda, the spirit of Veronica inside her mind disbelieving of the scene in front of her.

Her voice, though, roused the complete Veronica as she groaned, sitting up while her legs stretched out under her. "Huh? Why do I hear my.. voice..? Rhonda?! Meera? Leon?"

"Veronica?!" Several voices said at once as the group came into the basement.

"Can someone just help me get him upstairs, please?" Sameera said, pouting irritably.

"I got him." Veronica said as she stood up, stretching before picking Nick up by his arms. "You," She said, pointing to Erika. "Get his legs."

Nick's twin nodded as she grabbed the unconscious Nick's legs and hefted him up, her and Veronica bringing him upstairs, where he laid down on the couch. Leon had a shit-eating grin on his face as he turned to Sameera and Erika. "Leon? Why do you have that face right now?"

"Remember Back to the Future? You think the Doc would be willing to pull a little prank on her son?"

Erika looked at him like he was crazy until she realized what she was talking about about. "Oh, I see what you're trying to do. Aunt Ronnie, I believe you're about to see someone you figured wouldn't be here," Erika said as she pulled her phone out of her pocket, dialing a number as she left the room.

The Veronica from the past looked at her as she walked out. "Aunt Ronnie? Who is that? She wasn't here when Nick and I got blasted back to the nineties."

"That's Erika, remember? Nick must have told you he had communicated with his twin sister like, a week or so ago?" Rhonda said, giggling as Veronica nodded in realization.

It wasn't long before Bianca and the original, older Nick entered the house, Nick going towards the kitchen as Bianca giggled like a schoolgirl at the idea of the classic prank Erika had told her. Leon, however, was more interested in the new man on the scene as he went to the kitchen as well. "So.. who exactly are you?" He asked.

Elias turned around. "Elias Negron, the twins' father. But, you know me much better than that, Leon. How's Rose doing?"

It took Leon a few seconds to realize who this really was, seeing as how his features had only matured, not truly changed. "Nick?!"

"The original, baby. Only here thanks to my younger self over there, and his Ronnie, of course."

"So, it was true? You tried coming back like they did but wound up further in the past?"

"Yup, seventies, man. God, that was a trip. Also, I may have altered events a little bit. But, I'm sure it's no issue, since Afton is long gone, now. And, Veronica isn't stuck in some incestuous love cycle with the younger me this time around thanks to Bianca. Are you sure pulling a Back to the Future is a good idea?"

"Oh, it'll be fine. Nick will only be pissed for a minute or two, once he realizes he's home. Plus, Sameera is on standby in case he freaks out."

"Good old Sameera.. This will be the first loop I see our kid."

"And you'll be a great father. Grandfather. Both, if we're getting technical."

Elias nodded. "Yessir." There was a cough from the other room, followed by a groan. "Oh, looks like I'm awake. Let's see how this goes." The older Nick snickered mischievously.

"Oh yeah, you're Nick, alright." Leon said with a laugh as they went to stand in the doorway, watching the scene unfold in the living room.

Bianca, looking more like Neela than herself, was in the darkened living room as Nick lifted his head up groggily. "Mom? Where am I? What time is it?" He asked.

Bianca smiled, patting his head. "It's alright, honey. Your back home, safe and sound." Nick sighed as Bianca turned, smirking. "Back in good old 1973."

Nick's head snapped to the side so hard and fast that everyone heard his neck crack from the speed and force. "What?! Oh, no. No, no, no! That can't be! I know we sent the older me back to the future successfully, but then.. wait.." His eyes narrowed, Nick mouthed the movie title again, groaning. "Fucking Leon!"

Leon was cracking up, laughing as he entered the room with Elias, which made Nick's eyes widen. "I knew it! It did work."

"All thanks to you and Veronica. I'm surprised you didn't catch on to that prank faster." Elias said, chuckling.

"Eh, it's a classic, and not one used much ever since that trilogy, so that's where you're wrong. But then, where is Ronnie?"

Veronica rushed Nick, jumping onto the couch with her arms around him, kissing his cheek. "You did it, babe. You got us home."

"We got us home, Ronnie. Wait, but who are you, then?" Nick said to the woman pretending to be his mother. "You're not my mom."

Bianca huffed. "Well, I never. I very much am your mother, young man. You're lucky I can't ground you. Sis, stop smothering him. There's someone else who deserves that honor right now." Bianca said, pursing her lips at Nick as he looked at her more closely since Leon had switched the lights back on fully.

Veronica shrunk away as Sameera plopped down on the couch on Nick's other side, leaning against him. "Mm, finally."

"Hey, mama. Nice to see I didn't miss the birth." Nick said, rubbing Sameera's stomach as the baby kicked. "Jeez, now that's a kick." He laughed, turning back to Bianca as he realized who she was, remembering how she had called Veronica off of him. "Bianca?"

"That's mom to you, lover boy." Bianca smiled, opening her arms for a hug which Nick and Veronica both joined in. "Oh, it's so good to have you back here. As much as we were around each other in the nineties, it's good having you here. Being a mom to only half of the pair of you was never really the plan."

"Half of the.. Oh, that's right! Where's Erika?" Nick asked, remembering the fact he had a sister, a twin sister, now.

"Oh, she's outside, cuddling with her boyfriend. Be nice." Bianca said, pointing at Nick sternly as he got up from the couch.

"Why do I have to be nice? I trust my own sister's judgment in men, even if my own history has been a little.. packed out." He said, looking around the room and meeting the eyes of Sameera, Rhonda and Veronica in turn.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Bianca said, smiling slyly as Nick opened the door to the porch outside.

"Hey, Erika! It's nice to finally.. meet you.." Nick's eyes narrowed at who was sitting on the chair outside, Erika in their lap. "The fuck are you doing here, Russell?"

Russell bristled as Erika sighed. "Don't give him that shit, brother. Russell knows he was wrong back in September. He's really just a sweetheart." She giggled.

"Yeah, man. I wanted to be here when you woke up, the others told me.. well, not everything you've all been through, but I guess I know enough, now."

"And what is it that you think you know?" Nick further questioned, arms crossed over his chest.

"You guys broke into the Pizzaplex last year to save Leon, Cory died, you and Sameera hooked up, kind of, and Rhonda was possessed by the spirit of that other girl that looks like your mom. Then the town was being taken over by a cult, apparently? And Christmas was when you stopped them, sending you backward in time about thirty years."

Nick nodded. "Even as just the cliffnotes, that's not much left to tell. So, uh.. How did this happen?" Nick asked, pointing between the two of them.

"Well, I kind of beat him up the first time we met?" Erika said, blushing. "Eventually, we just kind of.. meshed."

"Mhm. Well, you better take care of her, Russell. I have full control over my powers, where Erika's like to act up these days according to her, so if you hurt her.."

"I know, you'll dump my body where no one will find it. Trust me, I've had this talk before, man. But listen, I'm sorry for last September, alright? Cory was my best friend on the team, and it hurt everyone when we heard how he died during the trial. It pissed me off to the point the rest of that summer all I wanted was to cave your face in. Then, when school started, you and Meera were just.. always together. I respected her, even then, enough not to drag you across the concrete."

"And as well you should," Sameera said, walking out. Russell, we told you ages ago now that Cory supported me getting together with Nick, right?" Russell nodded, confused. "Well, the cameras in that area of the Pizzaplex were shut off, but us traveling through that hell had our own camera, of sorts. Anton!" She called, the flying animatronic head buzzed outside through the door, Sameera opening it as she heard the sound of his small rotor blades. "You still have it recorded, right?" Anton nodded. "Show Russell the tape, please."

Nodding again, Anton's eyes began glowing as a hologram projector was activated, showing the scene where Cory had died at the Pizzaplex. They watched the scene in silence, Russell looking at Sameera in shock as the recording ended. "Meera.. This wasn't the first.. Oh, God. And he knew? Shit." He said, leaning back as if the world had just ended in front of him.

"So yes, while we still kept somewhat away from each other, Nick and I.. even Cory knew by the end that it was fate we end up together. I still feel guilty over his death, Russ. But, I also know that he'd hate me for hanging up on it, too. So I moved on, I took my time with it. And yes, now there's a.. second chance."

"If it was a boy, I wanted to name him Cory," Nick said, surprising Sameera.

"What? No Sephiroth or something equally as nerdy?" She asked, teasingly.

Nick shook his head. "Nah. Cory will always be remembered, that's all."

Sameera smiled, taking Nick's hand. "Come on, baby, I think you've had enough excitement for one day. You've been gone for months."

Nick nodded. "Yeah, although some would say I.. never really went anywhere," He said, smiling at his older self, who had taken position next to Bianca inside as he followed Sameera inside.

Once Sameera had closed the door, she giggled as she led Nick upstairs, turning towards Veronica, who was still sitting with her now older sister. "Ronnie? Aren't you both coming?"

The real Veronica looked at her incredulously, even as Rhonda smirked, already stepping towards the stairs. "Are you..?"

"We already spoke about this. And now that you've fixed the main issue, why not? Don't tell me you didn't ride him while he was stuck in ninety-eight with you cuz I'll know that's a fucking lie." Sameera said resolutely as Veronica started laughing. "So come on, then. Nicky, we're going to need a bigger bed in our room, love."

"Yeah, I guess I kinda figured that. Are you sure about this? Really sharing me between you.. three and a half?"

"Hey!" Came Veronica's voice from Rhonda as the real Veronica yelped.

"Fuck! Oh, that's going to get some getting used to." She said, holding her heart as they all made their way upstairs.

Pizzaplex Ruins..

Bellatrix was more than frustrated now. She had been at this all day, and still hadn't found a way inside the dilapidated mall. And as the night began creeping in on the afternoon, she found Nick's incessantly more apprehensive, even desperate voice called for help over the walkie-talkie clipped to her belt. With the moon high in the sky, the girl finally found her way inside through the parking garage, a set of scaffolding that encircled the building allowing her to climb up towards the windows located above the main entrance doors. Looking at the sorry state of the inner Pizzaplex, Bellatrix huffed. "Fuck, this is gonna take a while.."

The Next Day..

As the group entered the high school with Nick finally present once again, he was bombarded by classmates, all expressing how glad they were that he was back. The group chatted at their lockers until Russell came up, frowning. "Russ? What's wrong, babe?"

"Bellatrix's dad is still calling us all, trying to get ahold of her."

"She's still missing?!" Sameera said, worriedly looking at Nick.

"Bellatrix.. Parker?" Sameera nodded. "How long has she been missing?"

"A couple of days. Before that, though, she seemed a lot more desperate to find any information about where you were, when you'd be home."

"But then.. where.. No..!" Nick said, rushing back out of the school faster than any of the group could stop him, remembering something Henry had told him and Veronica days earlier back in nineteen ninety-eight.

Veronica gasped, seemingly realizing the same as she turned to the others. Erika, you're with us. Meera, you have to stay here, no matter what happens. Unless you physically see us, do not go anywhere any of us might tell you. Just trust me. We'll be home soon."

Sameera looked dumbfounded as Nick, Veronica and Erika all left. Her phone rang, her fingers answering it reflexively. "Sorry, babe. Henry warned us about this. There's another animatronic under the Pizzaplex, even further down than the old Pizza Place. It's extremely dangerous and has been trapped down there for decades. If I know what's going on, it's about to try or already has lured Bellatrix into the ruined Pizzaplex to get her to release it. I won't lose another friend to this shit." Came Nick's voice, his voice in and out as he ran.

"It's alright. Just.. be careful. And make sure you bring girlfriend number four back with you." Sameera giggled, shaking her head. "I think she deserves it, after going there supposedly to find you."

There was a breathless chuckle as Nick answered. "Yeah, I thought you might just say that. Alright, baby. I love you, we'll be back soon."

"You better. I love you, too. All three of you." Sameera said before Nick's side of the call was cut. "Fuck. Another fucking.. Mr. Tyme!" She shouted, stomping her way down the hallway towards the history teacher's classroom, wanting answers.

Outside the Pizzaplex, About Eleven AM..

Nick, Erika and Veronica had reached the ruins, shocked at what they could see that definitely wasn't always there. "Um.. You girls are seeing what I am, right?" Nick asked as the purple barriers and otherwise walls and windows of the Pizzaplex crackled and glitched.

"Yeah, like glitching code but it's.. making up walls and everything.. The hell are we about to get into?" Veronica groaned.

Nick shrugged. "I don't know, but whatever lies in there, make sure we stick together unless absolutely necessary. That fucking D&D bastard is shut down tonight." He said as the trio made their way inside the Pizzaplex, finding their powers allowed them access to the otherwise strangely-blocked off building.

A/N: And cut for Part 3! Jeez, this one took a lot longer than I wanted but hey, at least now I don't have to wait until Ruin to do that part of the story. This next Part is going to be tricky to write, as there are technically four protagonists mainly being focused on and Ruin didn't bring up a lot of areas, really, just rehashed a few and added others we didn't get in the base game. So, the beginning to that one will be posted.. We'll see, as I want to focus on a couple of older stories for a bit and update them as well. I have too many things left open I need to finish. It is a goal, lol.