Ash sat in the hospital waiting room. She watched as nurses, doctors and porters walked past her as if no one saw her. The occasional cop would watch her when they thought she wasn't looking. But still she waited there.

'Tea?'

She took the drink from the Deputy, but rather than raising the polystyrene cup to her lips, she just held it between her hands.

'What happens now?' she asked.

'Considering most of the force are going for counselling over what they saw.' He locked eyes with her, but she looked away.

She was well aware of what had happened. She'd felt it. Jess' gift had called to hers, just like it had in the morgue, but a hundred times stronger. And she'd given into the pull. Eventually collapsing into Julia when all of her energy was spent.

'But they don't think me or Jess?'

'They think that Daryl and Gareth were on drugs. Completely off their face.'

'Enough that they'd throw themselves into a wall?' she asked in disbelief.

'It's the story that they can believe.'

She shrugged, unable to deny what he said. 'And Jess' friend? Laura?'

'Two bodies were recovered from the scene. They've yet to be identified.'

'We both know who they are.'

'Have you spoken to Jess?'

'She hasn't been awake since you brought her in.'

The Deputy reached over and briefly touched her arm. 'She'll be okay Ash.'

'I felt it, Elijah. Her pain. Her sadness. It's how I know what was in that room, but I don't know how she's going to get past this.'

'She's strong,' the deputy reassured her.

'She shouldn't have to be this strong.'

'Ashilde Hawthorne. Your sister is awake,' a nurse interrupted their hushed conversation.

Ash was up and out of her seat in a rush, the Deputy trailing behind her.

'Ash.' Jess' face crumpled as she saw her sister hesitate at the door.

It took Ash all of two seconds to cross the room and enfold her sister in a bone-crushing hug.

'I thought I lost you,' Ash whispered.

'For a moment, I didn't think I'd see you again,' Jess admitted.

Ash breathed in her sister's scent, her favourite perfume and her strawberry scented shampoo, proof that she was alive and well, and with her.

'Ash...'

'I know. I know what happened. I know what you did, what I did. Jess, I don't give a fuck. Those bastards deserved everything, and you gave Charity, and Laura, the justice they deserved.'

'Daryl and Gareth will face murder charges,' the Deputy explained. 'I and a number of officers will testify to that.'

Tears gathered in the corner of Jess' eyes. 'Their families need to know what happened.'

'And they will,' he promised.

'Good. They need closure, like Charity and Laura.'

Ash gripped her sister's hand. 'I'm so proud of you.'

Jess snorted. 'Proud? I got kidnapped.'

But Ash just smoothed her sister's bob. 'You helped them move on. You embraced your gift. You saved them from years of pain.'

'You may still need to testify,' the Deputy said.

'Whatever you need. They can't hurt anyone else,' Jess vowed.

***

Jess took a last look around her room, but could not take the bare bed across from her. Laura's parents had already cleared the room of all Laura's possessions and without her colourful personality staring back at her, Jess couldn't bear the sight.

No one met her on the stairs, nor when she made it out the door and to the waiting RV. The rest of the house was subdued, curtains drawn, doors shut. The house was mourning.

Ash took the box from her arms and stored it in the RV whilst Jess looked back at the house. It was hard for her to remember all the good times, given the way the present loomed over it like an eclipse. She knew eventually it would fade with time and the sun would shine again, but for now, she couldn't be there.

'We can stay,' Ash said. 'You could finish your final year. We could stay at Tabitha's.'

But Jess had already turned away. 'I can't stay here. Not after everything. Not with Laura.'

Ash pulled her into a hug as a police cruiser pulled up behind them.

A familiar man stepped out. Only his Deputy badge had been replaced. He was still the same man Ash had met in the station and yet his shoulders were relaxed, his posture more self assured, and a calm smile graced his face as he approached them.

'Your lawyer has wrapped everything up. Miss Violentina told me to wish you a safe journey and that you should both stay out of trouble.'

Ash rolled her eyes. 'I swear our father doesn't understand that trouble seems to find us.'

'But that's it, we can leave?' Jess asked, ignoring her sister's sarcasm.

'Your statement has been taken, but because a number of officers heard Daryl and Gareth confess to killing Charity and Laura, you won't be needed in court. The last I heard, their lawyers were going to encourage them to plead guilty.'

'How long will they get?'

'Jess-'

'I just want to know they'll get what they deserve,' she interrupted him.

He sighed but answered. 'They're looking at a minimum of twenty-five years each, possibly more if we find more victims and we are looking.'

Jess nodded wordlessly and shuffled towards the RV door.

Ash stepped forward. 'Don't be a stranger, Sheriff.' She smirked as she hugged the ex-deputy. 'If you need us, just call.'

'No offence, but I hope I never need your services again,' he joked.

Ash laughed with him. 'Amen to that.'

The new sheriff inclined his head towards Jess. 'Where will you go?'

Ash, too, looked behind her as Jess disappeared into the RV.

'Somewhere we can learn about our gifts. Somewhere we can learn control. Or at least where I hope we can.'

'If you ever need anything. All you need to do is pick up the phone,' he reassured her.

'You may one day regret saying that.'

'I'm serious Ash. If you need help, or you get into trouble wherever you end up, you have friends here.'

Ash bit her lip and blinked, trying to stop the tears from falling. 'You're a good man, Elijah. You'll make a good sheriff. No one else would have tried to help us.'

'I owed you.' He brushed off her compliment.

'And yet I know you would have listened to us, even if I hadn't helped you,' Ash insisted.

Elijah shifted on his feet. 'It's my job.'

'It's what makes you good at your job,' Ash countered. 'Take care of yourself. And Julia.'

'Will you ever come through here again? Now that Jess isn't here.'

'Course. I have to come to Tabitha's wedding next summer.'

Elijah blinked. 'I didn't realise they'd got engaged. I'll have to call by and say my congratulations.'

Ash just chuckled. 'They're not. Yet. But something tells me the Colonel will build up the courage soon.' She winked at him.

'Of course, you know. Good bye, Ash.'

'Bye, Elijah.' She turned and heard his car door shut behind her.

Jess waved at him from the RV as he drove past, tooting his horn. Ash took her position behind the driving wheel.

'We could always stay,' Jess said, looking at the retreating car and back to her sister's resolved face. 'You and Elijah...'

'Are not meant to be,' Ash finished for her.

'You deserve someone like him.'

Ash allowed the engine to idle as she moved her hands around the steering wheel without turning it.

'Maybe. But he doesn't deserve someone like me. He needs someone that can ground him.'

'It could be you.'

'No. That's not me,' Ash said with certainty.

'But you'll miss him?'

Ash smiled to herself. 'He's the type of person that stays with you.'

'I have a feeling he would say the same about you.'

The sisters shared a look as Ash pulled away from the curb. Jess took one last look at the place that had been her home for almost three years as it disappeared in the rearview window.

'Do you ever think we'll find a place where we feel at home?' she asked Ash.

It took a while for Ash to answer. 'I don't know.'

'But you know where we're going next?' They hadn't spoken much about a destination, but as Ash drove, Jess knew it was with a purpose.

'We're going back to where it all started,' Ash said. 'And we're going to find answers.'