Epilogue

Needless to say, Miranda did not react favorably to finally being told about the new life Lili had chosen for herself since she had left the old. As a matter of fact, the only immediate reaction Miranda could muster after hearing the long, sordid tale, was to stand there, completely numb, frozen in shock for several long moments. She was not even able to look any of them in the eye after; least of all, her daughter. When she finally regained any sliver of composure, she simply turned toward Will, refusing to meet his eyes still, and asked him to please take her back to her ship.

And that was that.

And that...was three years ago, now.

Lili and her mother had not spoken once in that three years. Miranda stayed on Planet Two, helping raise the other E-children. And Lili stayed there on Planet One, raising her own child; with the help of the four men who loved she and Hope more than her own mother even seemed to anymore.

It was heartbreaking to Lili, but it was her choice, and she lived with it. She was sticking to her conviction to not let this new world become just like the old; despite her mother seeming to want to still be a part of that old world, even if it meant doing so without her only remaining family with her.

It was now a warm afternoon, late in summer as their strange household prepared the day’s lunch. Lili was outside, sitting near the fire pit and keeping an eye on her now three year old daughter playing in the grass in front of the shack. Ian, Jared and Kyle were joking over the meal they prepared. Will was inside, gathering dishes for their lunch, and all did almost seem right with the world; as right as it ever was for Lili when she managed to stop thinking of how things had ended with her mother that is.

That was when the cat came out of the woods. It most resembled Earth’s mountain lions, but much larger, and it was slowly making it’s way toward the shack that day. When her eyes caught the movement in the distance, as it was now barely thirty feet from Hope, Lili was engulfed in pure panic.

“Ian!” she called out to get his attention, causing all of the men to turn at the terror in her voice.

That same terror was reflected on all their faces as the cat was now within only a few feet of the little girl who simply smiled as she turned to face the big cat, reaching out to it with her tiny arms. That was when all of them had their breaths catch as they realized what they were seeing.

It was the same thing Jared had already seen himself, years ago. They all finally remembered to breathe, though with the same wariness as they watched Hope reach out to hug the big cat to her tiny body with all the glee that only a toddler could display at seeing such a thing so close.

“Did that just happen?” Kyle finally asked as the cat laid down next to Hope, turning on its back to allow the little girl to scratch its furry underside.

“Told you they come true” Jared swallowed hard as they all took a slow step toward Hope and the cat.

That was when Will also stepped outside to the scene before him as the other adults just stood around toddler and big cat, looking on with disbelief. Surprising them further, if that were possible, Will let out a slight chuckle as he moved to join where they crowded around Hope and her new friend.

“Is that why you didn’t want me to tell them you were here?” he seemed to ask the cat, which only caused them all to look up at his smiling face with more than a bit of confusion on each of theirs.

“I do like to make an entrance” a young woman’s voice responded, causing them all to turn back, startled.

There, smiling down at Hope, was the now nineteen year old, and very human, India; the cat now nowhere to be seen.

“What the...” all of them stated some version of, except Will, who simply moved forward to offer India a blanket to cover herself with.

“Nice to see you all too” she chuckled as she wrapped it around herself and finally rose from the ground.

“That’s how you did it” Kyle breathed his own reaction as he just stared at her with a sudden clarity on his face.

India looked down briefly, but managed to smile back, “like you said, we were the only ones who could stop her” she sighed softly, “at least after, Tyler could use his healing to keep the gas from killing us long enough to get the kids out...after I used...this” she gestured to herself, “to put her down” she then bit her lip slightly “I just wish I’d known about the gas before that” she offered with sadness, “guess we coulda used a mind-reader up there” she added with another sad smile.

“If yours hadn’t been sent away, Serena wouldn’t have gotten her paws on the computer at all” Kyle returned.

“Guess that’s why she wanted to make sure you’d never come back” India stated with another sigh before forcing the smile back to her lips.

Finally, Lili had to ask, “what are you even doing here?”

“I wanted to come tell you guys: We finally did it” she smiled again.

“Did what?” Jared was the first to ask.

“Well, us E-kids can be pretty smart sometimes” a small smile, “and we got another pod working well enough that we can finally at least travel back and forth between the twin planets, without needing the beautiful Will’s constant assistance, that is. That’s how I got here last night, and Will just happened to stumble across me trying to find you guys this morning, and lent a hand” she added as she smiled up at him.

The men couldn’t help small smiles at the news, until they saw Lili’s look downwards. Lili then took a breath before speaking up, “I’m not really sure that my mom really cares about a way for any of us to go back and forth.”

India just shook her head over at Lili with a smile, “she’s had a lotta time to think” she stated the obvious, “the pod was actually her idea; since she had no other way of getting in touch once she lost Kyle FM” another small smile, “it took her a long time, but she wants her family back Lili. And all that comes with it.”

THE END

(for now)