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2 years later

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Madison's POV:

"Hattie," I called for her, pushing open her bedroom door. After she decided she wanted to live on the planet permanently, she wanted to live with me. Even though my home had been renovated and livable for a humanoid, with all her stuff she'd fit better in the manor. Vanessa was more than happy to house her, and I think Hattie has taken a liking to it.

She looked up from her pillow pile, shoving the book she was writing in under a couple of the colorful cushions. I chuckled and leaned on the door frame, "and what was that, kiddo?"

"Nothin' at all," she slurred, shoving more pillows onto the pile, "I didn't know you were coming today."

"I came to check on you, but you seem comfortable," I motioned to the room, the nursery had been remodeled to be her room. I had to admit it was nice to see it being used for once. It was nice to see the whole manor back in working conditions, an odd comforting familiarity. Glancing around her room, I could see more drawings of hers hung up on the wall over a desk. I moved from the doorway over to the drawings.

They were a lot of crayon-colored drawings of her and her friends. A lot of ones of her and that blonde mustached girl. They'd grown closer after we visited Mafia town a while back, and she wasn't as bad as I thought. On the desk itself was a blueprint sketch, only half completed and with messy notes written on the edge. I turned the paper to the side to try and get a better look at it.

Hattie came up to the desk, putting her hands on the back of the chair as she looked up at me. I glanced at her and moved the blueprint back, "What is this your working on...?"

"A better electrical system...we can use the timepieces! Since I don't need all the ones I have...it could probably power at least the manor and city around it," she explained, pointing out different parts.

"Really?" I breathed, this was rather impressive even for her, "Are you going to test how much one could power first..? Or do you already know that."

"I already know," she smiled, "it's just I don't know how much power everyone will use."

I nodded, "you could go around and ask everyone and get a relatively accurate statistic."

"Statistic...?" She repeated, tilting her head.

"Well, in this situation, You collect the data, how much energy all the homes use over a certain amount of time, and you can average them together to figure out how much people use without guessing or estimating," I defined. She smiled and nodded, and started to write it down.

She started to work on the full blueprint again, and I watched for a moment before something out the window caught my eye. I looked up and saw a few flurries drifting past. A small part of me panicked, while the other tried to reason. The ice dome had been gone for quite a while at this point, it melted and the ravines filled back up into rivers. It was also November, and a bit of snow wasn't too uncommon...didn't mean I was any less nervous.

"Well, you have some fun with that," I said, giving her a small head pat before heading out of the room and downstairs.

As I got into the main hallway, there was the sound of some clattering in the kitchen. I walked into the room and saw Vanessa pulling something out of the oven that smelled amazing. I recognize that smell...

Cookies.

I made my way over as she set the pan down on the stovetop. I reached to grab one even if they were hot, but my hand was smacked by an oven mitt. I pulled my hand back and she glared at me.

"No touching. You'll burn yourself," she stated, putting the two mitts down on the counter.

"Oh come on," I jokingly whined, "let me learn my own lessons...!"

She rolled her eyes and shooed me over to the table, I sighed and sat down, looking out the window. The snow was still there, I turned back to her and she was bringing over two mugs.

"Is the snow...you?" I asked hesitantly, I didn't want to assume...but I definitely was.

As she sat down and slid the cup over to me, she glanced out of the glass. She looked a bit shocked, and that was telling enough.

She shook her head, "No, it's not...guess those calming tactics work...the weather is back to normal."

The tension in my shoulders dropped, and I picked up the mug she'd slid to me. Looked like hot chocolate, and I took a small sip. It was very warm and I relaxed entirely, sinking into the chair. There was a small chuckle from across the table, and I glanced up from my cup as I set it down. Vanessa's laughs quieted into a smile at me.

She was leaning on the table, and swirling her hot cocoa around in its cup to help it cool. "It's weird how much has changed and...then the things that haven't."

"Specifically me...?" I asked, correcting my posture a bit.

She shook her head before she stopped and thought for a moment, and then finally responded, "I guess I do notice it in you the most...you stand taller and talk to strangers with a lot more confidence than you did before."

"But you also still have the same laugh and smile..." She let out a hummed nervous laugh, and I glanced away as I felt my face heat up a bit. The tension built, but she soon broke it with "And you try and steal cookies as soon as they are out of the oven..!"

I smiled and looked back to her with a chuckle, "Sue me, what can you do me?"

She rolled her eyes at my musical number reference and took a sip of her cocoa. I leaned back slightly and watched the snow fall slowly. We sat in comfortable silence for a while, before the patter of quick steps down the stairs made the two of us look to the door in anticipation.

The door was nearly thrown off its hinges as Hattie flung it open and yelled, "MOM."

I turned and looked at Vanessa, and she avoided eye contact.

"What's up, Hattie?" She asked with a twinge of embarrassment in her tone.

"Oh hi, Dad—Can I go play in the snow???" She asked, I nodded to her short acknowledgment.

"Yes," Vanessa replied, "but you'll need another layer than that."

"Ok!" Hattie left the room as quickly as she came in and ran back up the stairs. I watched her go until I heard the distant noise of her bedroom door closing, and I looked back at Vanessa.

She sighed and still wouldn't meet my gaze, "Don't look at me like that. I didn't mean for it to happen."

"No no, I'm not upset," I assured her, "I just want to know how it happened."

"Well," she took in a breath, "it was a couple of months into her living here, and after you stopped hanging around here for hours. She came down for breakfast and was half asleep when she said it. I think I fully woke her up when I dropped my plate on the floor...she realized what she said, apologized...and then asked if it was ok to call me that... and it wasn't like I could say no! I mean, I should have—"

I shook my head, "Don't say that, I'm glad she looks up to you in that sort of way. She deserves a positive mother figure in her life."

Vanessa went quiet for a moment as she stared at her cup. I grabbed my mug to take another sip.

"It doesn't...upset you?" She managed to ask.

I raised my eyebrow at the question, "Upset me?" I took a sip of my drink.

"Well that she calls me 'mom' and you...'dad'..."

I choked on the cocoa and set the mug down before I spilled it. A moment of struggling to breathe before I recovered and tried to look at her, but it was much easier to stare at the table.

"I, uh, didn't put too much thought into it," I lied. Of course, I had thought about it before. I had promised myself that once Hattie called Vanessa any version of "mother" in front of me, I'd reason with trying the relationship again. Not for Hattie's sake, but to stop myself from jumping into a stupid decision. Even if we never got divorced, I mean death technically counts, but it wasn't exactly her decision. She apologized a million times, and by the ten thousandths, I told her I forgave her. Maybe at the time it wasn't completely true, I'm not sure if it is now.

Who knew a decision like this would be so difficult to make? I already told myself to try but now I'm backpedaling, for what thought? Fear...? That's never stopped my feelings before...and I'm already dead there isn't much more she could do I suppose... bah! Just! Be stupid for once!

"Well, I guess I have a little," I have a lot, "but...it's never been an upsetting thought."

She looked at me a bit shocked but lost for words as she blinked at me. I gulped down my fear and cleared my throat of any remaining nervousness.

"What I mean is-"

"ALL READY!!!" Hattie yelled, coming back through the door in pants, a coat, and a scarf to accompany her classic hat.

"W-wonderful!" Vanessa stumbled out, getting up and straightening the hat on the child's head, "Just remember to come back in soon, it can get colder than you think."

"Okie!" Hattie giggled, before running out the back door.

Vanessa looked back at me and opened her mouth to say something but I shook my head. The moment was lost and that was ok...maybe that's for the better...

She turned her head down to the floor, before walking over to the stovetop.

"Cookies are done...would you like one...?"

I perked up slightly, and nodded, "I'd love one."

She had a small smile curl up on her lips, and she peeled two cookies from the sheet. She walked back over and handed one to me.

I looked at it and shoveled the whole thing into my mouth...Hattie wasn't here to be a role model to and these cookies were so good.

Vanessa laughed as I struggled to chew the whole thing, but I was able to get it down. I picked up my mug to take a sip when I saw Vanessa lifting hers as she had turned her attention to the snow.

"Hey," I spoke in a soft tone, and she glanced over, "Cheers."

I stuck my cup out to her, She tilted her head slightly but brought her mug up to mine, they clinked together.

"To what exactly?"

"Things have changed quite a bit, while others are starting to go back to normal...so, I'd say, to new beginnings."

☆*˚✧₊⁎_~+the end+~_ ⁎⁺˳✧༚*☆

Holy. Shit guys. I can't believe this is real. I finished a fic while posting it? This might be my first time ever doing that.

But, enough about me, this book would have never been possible without so many of you being such amazing motivators and being so understanding.

I'd like to personally thank,

SadgePerson
PixelatedSnatcher
Yevolas
LinkleThePrincess

I am so grateful to have such interactive and funny readers such as yourselves.

Sadge you are a huge inspiration for me to keep going, everyone needs to go read their books right now.

Pixel has been nothing but absolutely hilarious and so fun to talk to via comments, and their remake of their own a hat in time fic is amazing! And thanks for correcting my dumbass errors in my own fic

(And thank you to you both for helping out with translating moon jumpers text, I'm, so forgetful and I'm so sorry I did it only like three times. I'm the worst.)

Yevolas you have been so kind, and you always keep me motivated with your comments.

Linkle I am so glad you liked the fic so much, you made every chapter more fun for me to go back to.

To all of my non-comment readers, if there are any, thank you for coming along for the ride! I'm glad you were able to get the full experience without worrying about me stalking your page ;)

and, for those of you who don't read comments...

I plan on writing a one-shot fic for This!!! Everything in it will be canon and will happen after the book unless explicitly labeled flashback (if I have any yk???)

It's really only labeled a one-shot because not all of the storylines I decide to pick up will last very long. It will end up being more like a tv show if that makes any sense.

But thanks for sticking for the ride nerds...till my next fic, Maybn out.