A/N: As usual, I would recommend putting the video on loop.

Things were chaotic, both in and out of her mind. Thankfully, Chris and she had managed to stop the bleeding enough to keep Deidre alive and stable, but she would need professional help for her wounds to heal properly. The same went for Nick, especially since he still couldn't see out of his right eye. There was a high chance that his eye was permanently damaged, but he didn't panic since he was more focused on getting Deidre help.

Due to Deidre's injuries, they had stopped at the nearest hospital they could find. What caused the chaos in (f/n)'s mind, aside from what was occurring at the factory, was the fact that she had to stay in the car. Her father and mother remained with her while Ren, Chris and Nick brought Deidre in. Chris, though, was texting her father updates on what was occurring, but so far, both Deidre and Nick still were being treated.

It didn't help that her father, mother and she were no longer at that hospital. Her father had driven to a car rental company in the vicinity and rented a car that could be turned in at their town. Once more, (f/n) had remained in Nick's car to remain unnoticed. No one could know that she was alive unless both creatures were dead.

To bring Nick's car back to the hospital, however, (f/n) did have to drive since her mother was in no condition to be doing so. Luckily, no one at the rental company seemed to notice her, or at least recognize her, on the driver's seat. After they had arrived back at the hospital, her father had texted Chris that they were leaving and that they could pick up their car from Nick's house at a better time. No objection came from Chris; Chris just wanted them to do their best to remain safe, like they would.

All of that led to her parents and her already driving back to Carnation Hills, but the drive was unpleasant. Her parents and she were tired. Thankfully, her mother had fallen asleep on the front passenger seat, but her father was glancing out the windows and checking the mirrors every now and then, which didn't surprise her. (F/n) wondered, though, if going back to their home was the smartest option since the other creature easily had broken in the last time; however, Ether had mentioned that he would be there ... if he was alive.

Ultimately, it would make more sense for them to wait it out somewhere, like that hospital. It was crowded, and it was ... Okay, it wasn't unexpected given Deidre and Nick's injuries. It also was the closest one to the factory, so it might be an easy target too. They could wait it out at another location, but her father did only have a certain amount of time off. He already had meetings booked on the day after the four days leave, and if he didn't show, suspicions would rise. Of course, her father could call them off, but the fact that he rarely ever did that still would raise suspicion. People would think that an emergency had arisen, and other problems might form from that. No, they needed a quiet return where no one was concerned about what might've happened to her parents.

Overall, the situation was less than ideal, and even if they did hide out somewhere, they ran the risk of someone noticing her even if no one had so far. They could park the car in some random location and wait, but that still created the problem about her father's appointments. She wanted to groan in frustration, but her mind was too busy even to allow her that. Outside of those issues, she still was worried about what was going on with Deidre and Nick. Chris hadn't texted her father's phone in awhile, and she knew since she was holding onto the device while her father drove.

As news failed to come in, she was about to send another text. Already, she had sent Chris several inquiring about the situation with no response. Maybe, Ren and she were sleeping, or they were meeting with the doctors of one or both of Deidre and Nick; however, her mind dipped into more negative thoughts. What if the other creature had survived; what if Ether was dead? Had the other creature located them? Were they being tortured and/or killed? (F/n) knew that a hospital wouldn't deter the other creature from attacking; it only would buy time for them, and in Deidre and Nick's conditions, that time would be lessened.

Not being able to resist the urge, her fingers typed away at the small keyboard on the phone, but her message never sent. A notification alerted her eyes and ears. It didn't even take a second for her to click on it and inspect the text message. It was from Chris! Eyes and mind eager for information, she read over the text swiftly. Sorry about not responding sooner. Ren and I were getting filled in on the results. Deidre's alive! She'll make it! Nick's fine too! But ... his right eye. It's too damaged. He won't be able to see out of it again.

Guilt ate away at her. If she ... No, she couldn't think like that. Deidre and Nick could've been in worse condition, and they all had to rely on the mission succeeding for them to live or even have a chance at living past that evening. As for Nick and his team entering the subway, that had been their choice; she hadn't forced them in there. She was grateful that Nick and his team had allowed Ether and her to stay at their home for those two months, but them getting involved with the other creature had been because of their own decisions.

Despite that, a part of her mind still wanted her to blame herself. That if Chris hadn't pushed the other creature in the subway, they would've been better off, but Ether's words entered her mind once more. No, they would've been dead. If Chris hadn't saved her, Ether would've killed them all out of maddening rage.

Releasing a drawn-out sigh, she managed to calm her thoughts down a little and text Chris back. That's a relief. And, tell Nick and Deidre thanks for me; this wouldn't have been possible without them taking the risks and consequences. Keep safe, all of you. Keep a watch out for any sign of either of them. Don't let your guards down. A few moments later, she received a text back from Chris affirming that they would.

Gently, she set down the phone. Her father briefly looked back to her using the rearview mirror. (F/n) gave him a small smile to indicate that it had been mostly good news. He nodded and returned his attention to the road and their surroundings. She leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes. At least, she knew that Deidre and Nick were alright for the most part. Most likely, though, she would see none of them again, which she understood and expected. The fact that she had seen any of them was shocking enough since she never had expected that to happen due to all of the events that had occurred. Her thoughts, though, began to consume her again; however, she found herself also exhausted from everything. Slowly, her mind began to drift off, and she hoped that nothing dreadful would wake her up.

~~~~~~~~~~

Between moments of sleep, she would wake up and get out of the car to use a rest stop that her father would stop at occasionally along the way due to the long drive. She would check the phone for any updates from Chris. Deidre had moments of consciousness, but her body would fall back into sleep to heal itself better. Nick was up and around, but he was on pain medications, like Deidre, to help with recovery. No calls were made between them, though, since the signal on her father's phone never was good enough to connect. It probably wouldn't be until they reached their home, but it would be too late, then, if Ether had made it; however, the text messages were sufficient enough.

Still, she would like to sit and talk with Nick at one point to get everything out about what had happened, but she knew that was a wish that most likely wouldn't be granted unless Ether had died with the other creature. If only the other creature was alive, they had other things to worry about. There also was the fact that she didn't know what to say to Nick and his team about it all, especially over text messages. She needed time to think about what to say, other than checking up on them and telling them to keep safe.

Maybe, it was best that they didn't discuss it all. If the other creature was dead, they should move on. Forget that any of those awful things had happened to them ... well, try to forget at the very least. Talking about things might help with that. Then again, it might not. It probably only would create tension if Ether was alive. If he wasn't, talking had a better chance of working, but it couldn't be immediate. All of them required rest and time away from all of the madness of the last several months.

After she fell asleep and woke up again, though, she noticed that it was dark outside once more. Scenery went by, but even in the darkness, it seemed familiar. She blinked sleep out of her (e/c) eyes more and sat up straight on the seat. (F/n) began to lean forward and rest her arms on the back of her mother's chair. Her mother was asleep again, and her arms were resting on her midsection protectively even though she wasn't awake. A small smile hit (f/n)'s lips before her eyes shifted forward once more. Up ahead, there was the familiar wall and gate, the familiar driveway.

Noticing his daughter's position, (d/n) smiled a bit and briefly met her gaze. "We're home." He concentrated back onto the road and turned into the driveway. Home. It had been about five months since she had been away from it, but it felt much longer due to those months in the subway.

Falling back onto the backseat, (f/n) looked over to her left and out the windows. The funeral home and their home. Her eyes fell upon her room window. The curtains were closed over the glass. Was he in there? Again, her mixed feelings returned. She was happy to be home, but she was worried about who she might find inside. That worry, though .... It didn't stem necessarily from Ether dwelling within, but it came from the other creature. If he lived, had he decided to come to their home in Ether's place? As the car stopped, she wondered if the nightmare that was the other creature was over or if it was beginning its next installment.