Carmen brought the helicopter to a landing on a mountain in British Columbia, Canada. It was almost out of fuel and they couldn't take it any further. They could only hope they had made it far enough away from V.I.L.E. for the time being.

Gray followed Carmen out of the chopper, and she could tell he was relieved to be back on solid ground. She settled on a boulder overlooking a beautiful valley below, her heart heavy. Gray sat down beside her, squeezing her hand.

"So," he said brightly, "We made it out alive. Who would have guessed?" He shook his head. "Though it's Carmen Sandiego I'm with, so I guess it was obvious we would escape."

Carmen looked up, giving him a half-smile. "If I remember correctly, I believe you owe me some ice cream."

"That I do," he agreed, smiling back.

Carmen sank back into silence, staring into the forest. Her dark auburn hair drifted behind her in the faint breeze, still messy from their escape. As much as she wanted to be as cheerful as Gray about their escape, somber thoughts weighed heavily on her mind.

Gray studied her, his brown eyes growing serious as he picked up on her grim mood. "I can tell something's bothering you," he said earnestly. "You know you can talk to me if you'd like."

Carmen sighed, still gazing out at the valley below. "I just... I just feel like I'm back where I started," she confessed after a moment of silence. "After I escaped V.I.L.E. island the first time. It's just like it was then. V.I.L.E. is at large again, and it's up to me to stop them." She squeezed her eyes shut as guilt swamped her. "I should have been on my guard, I should have known they would try to escape-"

"Carmen, none of it was your fault," Gray told her firmly. "And you've already done so much for the world. Why not let others take up the fight? You more than deserve a break."

She remembered Shadowsan telling her the same thing once, after A.C.M.E. had stormed V.I.L.E.'s castle, leaving only a few loners on the loose. She had wanted to go after them, to finish her job, but instead, Shadowsan had given her the file that contained her mother's information.

Her mother. Carlotta and the orphans would be in danger now. Carmen hated the thought of any of them getting hurt because they were connected with her. No, they wouldn't be safe if she went back while V.I.L.E. was still a threat.

"I can't go home," Carmen said quietly, forcing herself not to cry. "My mother and the orphans can't be connected with me, or V.I.L.E. will hurt them."

Despite her efforts, Gray must have heard the heartbreak in her voice. He put an arm around her and they sat in silence for a while.

Carmen knew him, he was probably scouring his brain for any way she could still be with her mother. She loved him all the more for it, but she knew he would come to the same conclusion as her. She had no choice; any relationship with Carlotta was impossible with V.I.L.E. around.

"Even if you don't go home," Gray said at last. "You could still go into hiding and let A.C.M.E. handle V.I.L.E. Then, when V.I.L.E. is gone, you can return home."

It was a feeble suggestion, and she knew Gray was aware of it. Carmen could never stay idle and let others fight on her behalf.

"You know I can't do that," she told him.

He smiled sheepishly, nodding. "I thought as much, but it was worth a try. So you're jumping back into the game?"

Carmen nodded resolutely. "Yes. I won't stop until V.I.L.E. is gone. Forever this time."

Gray cleared his throat, and she looked over at him questioningly. "What is it?"

"I'm coming with you," he said boldly. "I want to stay by your side, be a part of your team." He paused, suddenly looking nervous. "That is, if you want me."

Carmen felt as if she had been doused with a bucket of sunshine. "There's no one else I would rather have by my side," she told him, and a bright smile spread across Gray's face.

"You do still have a team, right?" he asked.

"Well... Zack and Ivy have joined A.C.M.E., Shadowsan is in Japan with his brother, and Player is taking a break to spend time with his new baby sister," Carmen told him wryly. "Right now it's just me."

She gazed wistfully into the distance, feeling torn. "I don't want to tear them away from their own lives but... I wonder if it is time to get the old crew back together."

"Are you kidding?" Gray asked her incredulously, raising an eyebrow. "As soon as they find out V.I.L.E.'s at large again, you won't be able to keep them away. They'll come flocking back, I guarantee it."

Carmen laughed. "You're probably right." She gazed at the wilderness around them, feeling inexplicably cheerful despite everything that had happened and everything that lay ahead. "I suppose we'd better make our way back to civilization then; we've got a lot of work to do. Think you're up for it?"

"Absolutely." Gray grinned.

They each retrieved a glider and a coat from inside the chopper. After putting them on, Carmen pocketed a GPS.

"The nearest town is about four miles away," she told Gray. "From there, we'll need to get to an airport and catch a flight to Ontario."

"I suppose you have a reason for wanting to go there?" Gray asked.

Carmen nodded. "That's where Player lives. We can catch him up with everything that's happened, and then get the rest of the team back together."

Gray nodded affirmingly. "All right then. So, what are we waiting for?"

Carmen smiled and approached the edge of the cliffside, turning to offer a hand to Gray. "Hold on tight..."

"And don't let go," he finished, taking her hand.