As Eary, Luke, and his family stepped into the familiar home, a sense of relief washed over them. Victoria, still teary-eyed, was a poignant reminder of the recent turmoil, but the warmth of the home enveloped them, offering a comforting respite.

"I'm pleased to see you found them outside." Victoria jubilated through her empathetic tears.

Delia shook her head in agreement, still in disbelief. Victoria continued,

"I should be going."

"Thank you, Victoria. For everything." Eary lamented as the Olsons swarmed Luke.

Victoria nodded, and as soon as she was there, she had left.

Mitchell quickly stated, "I should call Brian. They're never going to believe this!"

Mitched exclaimed in exuberance. "Yeah, Ephraim was pretty worried about you. We all were."

Josh embraced his brother, but that didn't stop the unease. Eary was going to see Ephraim again. He was going to have to face that night again. He knew it was coming. 'Why did you leave that night, Eary?'. The idea of bearing his heart out, even now. After Decan. After Johnathan and all his adventures. This is what he feared the most.

Soon after the call, all four Bennetts swiftly entered the premises. Ephraim, in tears, rushed up to Eary and lifted him off the couch in a tight embrace, his relief and joy palpable.

Ephraim's voice was choked with tears as he gasped, "I'm so happy you're safe." His relief and joy were palpable, filling the room with a sense of happiness and hope.

Eary embraced the boy back. The feelings of rejection began to fade as Eary replied,

"I'm OK, Ephraim. I'm entirely unharmed. I'm shaken up by all of this.

Ephraim looked into Eary's eyes.

"Really?"

Ephraim held Eary closer as Eary giggled and replied,

"Of course! You didn't think something like an abduction was going to stop me, did you?"

Ephraim smiled and set Eary down.

"I guess." He chuckled. "I should have known. When you're involved, you never really can tell how things will end."

Eary smiled back as the two settled on the couch next to each other.

As Brian, Lisa, and Jake joined the group, Brian said,

"Ephraim has been doing everything he can to find you."

Eary raised his eyebrows in anticipation as Brian continued.

"He and Josh have been making and putting up missing signs. Ephraim has been making some videos about your abduction." Brian paused as he continued. "Even if they are a little out there."

Eary flashed a look of curiosity as he looked over to Ephraim.

"Out there?" Eary asked.

Brian and Lisa giggled as Brian explained. Ephraim turned red. Quickly, he exclaimed,

"I was just trying to think of a reason. One that wasn't super bad."

Eary looked at Ephraim in concern.

"Hey, it's OK. I'm fine, really." Eary whispered.

Ephraim nodded with tears in his eyes while Eary flashed a huge grin.

"So, what did you think happened?" Eary asked curiously.

Ephraim smiled shyly and replied,

"Well, it's a little silly." He paused to collect his thoughts. "I have always wondered if you knew more about my miracle. That's all."

As Ephraim shyly sat back in his seat, Eary's face twisted in annoyance. "You're telling me you've thought that the whole time?!"

Ephraim looked back at Eary in confusion. In fact, everyone was staring at Eary now. As Eary felt the eyes of his family upon him, the feeling of exposure crept to the surface. As Eary sat frozen, Luke stepped in,

"Actually, we need to talk to you all about that."

Eary returned his gaze to Ephraim, now staring at him in disbelief. In fact, as Eary scanned the room, it was clear that all eyes were on him.

Luke rose from his seat. Standing before both families, he explained,

"So some people out there have developed unusual abilities."

As he finished his sentence, he zipped from one end of the room to another in a blur of orange glow.

The room stayed in suspended astonishment as Luke continued,

"Eary was targeted for something like this. We must keep an eye on him now."

As Luke spoke, Eary could feel himself sinking deeper into the couch's cushions. Glancing around, he nervously stated,

"I also have magical powers."

Clearing his throat, he sat back in uneasy anticipation.

Ephraim choked out a few words. "My miracle?"

Eary sighed as he shook his head.

"Yeah, that was me."

As both families stared in shock at Eary, a sparkle of blue light manifested upon Eary's shoulder.

Eary continued, "And, of course, you all know Mote here."

Josh whispered under his breath. "It's real."

Eary giggled. "Yep! It's all real."

Delia inquired in a compassionate voice. "Honey, have you been hiding this all along?"

Eary sighed and shook his head.

"No, just since the miracle," he replied.

Ephraim interrupted. "You? I asked. You always said you had no idea."

Eary replied. "I was twelve and glowing. What was I going to say?"

As Eary finished his statement, he lifted his hands, and in a flurry of blue, they erupted in miraculous light. Tears dropped from Ephraim's eyes. He reached forward, grabbing Eary's glowing hands.

"Things will be different now. I'm sorry. I'm so, so, sorry," Ephraim whispered.

Eary smiled and shook his head. "It's alright, Ephraim. We were just kids. Things change with us all the time."

Ephraim nodded and replied, "I know. But I want things to be different. I've missed you so much."

As he finished, he burst into tears.

Eary held his friend as he wept, trying to catch a glimpse of his brother's expression as he did.

"Nothing, that's odd." Eary thought as he consoled Ephraim.

As the two separated, Eary could overhear Luke explaining the Nocopo to both adults and Jake. Ephraim pulled Eary back.

"What is Mote, Eary?" Ephraim asked.

Turning his head back, he watched as Josh and Eph were busy stuffing Mote full of Christmas cookies from the tin on the end table.

"He's a Moteling. Their kind of celestial middle management." Eary said.

Both boys looked over to Mote, who was still bloated and inflated. Mote needed to confirm that fact with a chubby grin and a wave of his small appendage.

Josh exclaimed under his breath. "He's an angel?"

Eary giggled and explained. "Oh no. He doesn't get the same pay grade or benefits. But he does have his own office with his name on the door."

Josh and Ephraim stared in amazement as Mote deflated and returned to Eary's shoulder.

"Hey, kid," Mote whispered. "Don't you think you might wanna tell Josh that Dec is alive?"

Eary gasped. "Oh right, thanks for reminding me, Mote. Josh, Decan came home with us, too." The room once again stopped talking

Josh's expression shifted to one of bewildered joy.

"Are you serious?" he exclaimed, noticeably shaken by the reveal.

Eary giggled. Sure did. He's probably doing the same thing with his family, too."

Josh's eyes searched around. "Is he like you, too?"

Eary smiled and said, "I think I'll let you have that talk with Decan."

Josh smiled and took out his phone.

Mitchell announced from the noisy crowd, "This is wonderful. You boys are home; Decan is safe. Even Josh met a nice girl from all this."

Eary raised his eyebrows, turning his head quickly to Ephraim. He was about to ask about Josh and him when Luke's arm quickly wrapped around Eary. He took the hint with a big smile and said,

"That's so great! Where did you all meet?"

Josh grinned from ear to ear as he explained.

"Decan's girlfriend, Laura Schultz, started a support group for the kids affected by your disappearances." He continued as he quickly examined his phone. "She had a friend that joined, Sarah Brown."

Eary, filled with a swell of annoyance and anger.

"Decan's girlfriend? He didn't mention one. And I thought we had become so close." Eary gruffed.

Josh shook his head. "They've been dating since 6th grade, Eary. But I suppose you and Decan don't really talk. Probably thought you knew."

Eary nodded, "I see." he sighed.

As Eary's defeat seemed at hand, Luke leaned in and whispered,

"That kid is crazy about you. Don't worry about it."

Eary smiled, nodding back to his brother. It was all Eary could do to hope he was right.

Luke patted his brother's arm as he announced to the family,

"Eary and I also got a reward."

The room looked on in confusion.

Luke's expression shifted. "Eary and I helped put a real bad dude away."

Eary nodded. "Yep, he won't ever be able to hurt anyone again from where we sent him."

Eary reached up and scratched behind Mote's ear as Luke continued,

"And because of that, we got a nice reward. Five million a piece."

The room erupted into questions. Luke quelled the onslaught and finished explaining,

"Mom and Dad will have access to Eary's while I got my own."

He handed over a folder Victoria provided to him.

"That's Eary's," Luke stated.

After examining the contents, Mitchell and Delia's bewildered expressions shifted toward Eary.

He smiled nervously. "That's right, just call me the miraculous millionEary."

As the group was elated with a laugh, Luke continued to explain the safe house, the portal doors, and Nato's continued presence in Eary's life the best he could.

Mitchell nodded.

"Then Luke, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you escort your little brother to and from school?"

Luke replied," Yeah, I was planning on it. We also will have a few of us at that house."

Eary said, "Alice is coming!"

Luke chuckled. Nodding in reassurance, he replied, "Yeah, her. But maybe Sakile and Denby, too. If we can swing it, I'm trying to get everyone together-at least as much as I can."

Eary nodded in agreement. Ugh, but Denby's coming, he thought as he sat back in his seat.

Ephraim nudged him with his arm.

"Hey, are you OK?"

Eary smiled and replied, "I'm fine."

Ephraim scoffed. He leaned in and whispered,

"I know that look, Eary. What's wrong?"

Eary sighed. "I'll tell you later," Ephraim replied, "Do you maybe want to speak privately?"

Eary gazed into Ephraim's longing eyes.

"Yeah, we should talk," he replied.

Excusing themselves, the two boys entered Eary's long, empty bedroom. As they entered, he and Ephraim couldn't help feeling a swell of emotion urging them to be released.

They stood awkwardly apart. Ephraim's unease was notable. As Eary began to speak, Ephraim interrupted,

"I know you saw us that night."

Eary's eyes filled with tears. The two stared at each other. As much as Eary knew he had grown, this moment stripped him of his powers and left him bare.

"I should have told you," Ephraim lamented.

Eary shook his head.

"We weren't really friends anymore. It was none of my business," he said defensively.

He crossed his arms and turned from his childhood friend, protecting his heart. He felt an embrace from behind. The two began to cry. Ephraim's embrace held his frame as Eary tightly grasped the boy's forearms. The two collapsed onto the bed, Ephraim's grip never yielding.

As the two wept, Ephraim managed to choke out,

"Yes, we are!"

Eary sobbed, "But you were gone."

The two held each other and slowly recollected themselves. Ephraim, wiping his eyes, stated,

"You've always been my best friend, Eary. I just got caught up in kid shit."

Eary, fighting back his sobs, uttered in an urgent whisper.

"I did everything I could to keep you, and you died anyway."

Ephraim grabbed and held him close. He had him caressing his hair. He held him as the crying stopped, and silence filled the room. His hands, still petting Eary's golden locks.

As the minutes moving past felt like an eternity, Ephraim spoke,

"I wasn't sure how you would be coming home. Or even if you would." His voice cracked with the pain of the last few months as he spoke. "Shortly after you went missing, I told Josh we needed to end things."

Eary looked up from the young man's tight embrace.

"Why?" Eary asked.

Ephraim sighed. "What if someone had done something terrible to you, and you came home. I needed to be here for you when that happened."

Eary nodded and squeezed Ephraim tighter.

"You didn't have to do that. Besides, I kind of have a boyfriend already," he said.

Ephraim looked down, and in a hurried response, he quickly uttered,

"You do?"

Eary nodded. "Yes. Believe it or not, Decan has liked me his whole life."

Ephraim paused, raising an eyebrow. He replied,

"Decan?"

Eary smiled and continued. "Yeah, but I just found out about his girlfriend. Are they serious?"

Ephraim's expression shifted to confusion. He replied,

"They've been together forever, Eary. I would have thought they were getting married someday."

Eary folded his arms and scoffed,

"Then why was he asking me out?"

Ephraim shook his head and replied, "I have no idea, but Josh is gonna be pissed,"

Eary rolled his eyes and replied, "He went after my best friend. I thought it was only fair."

After a pause, Eary broke the silence and asked,

"How long?"

Ephraim glanced back to His friend, and after a moment that felt like hours, he answered,

"We've done things since we were 14."

Eary nodded. "That explains it, then,"

Ephraim whispered. "What do you mean?"

Eary replied. "That's when you started to drift away."

Ephraim nodded, "I'm sorry."

Eary continued. "Do you love him?"

Ephraim shook his head.

"He was the friend I did these things with. I would not consider another relationship with him.

Eary looked confused. "Why's that?"

Ephraim giggled. "Your brother is super bossy. Eary, it's terrible. But it was only with me. He was always afraid I was going to leave him for you."

Eary lamented. "I guess you kind of did."

Ephraim nodded. "Yeah, but whatever happens, I want you in my life."

As the two sat on the bed, Eary knew his relationship with Ephraim would never be the same again. They had grown up. Ephraim was no longer the boy who had needed him. In his absence, he had become a fine young man. And one that Eary now requires.

The two returned to the gathering downstairs. The families talked, told stories, and made plans for the future. As the reunion wore on through the night, Eary finally retired to his small room. Mote took to his chest right away, and Eary, his bed.

That night, Eary had yet another nightmare. Again, he was running through some stone structure as a small child. The smell of fire was in the air while a tall figure beckoned him to follow. As they made their way down long staircases. Screams and fighting could be heard in the distance. As he and the figure made their way to the base of a large tree, a deluge of black tendrils erupted from the ground and nearby structures. With a mighty blast, the tendrils were banished. The figure turned to him. There was a voice that seemed familiar to him. Mote? The figure extended their hand, and a bright light revealed their face. It was Ilia. A moment later, he was standing out front of the Bennet home. Mr. Bennet was headed to the family's old car. As he spotted Eary, he awoke in a cold sweat.

Examining his surroundings, he felt a sense of peace. It was his room again. He was safe at home. He sighed a breath of relief. But as he lay trying to fall back asleep, new questions arose. 'Why was he having this dream?' 'Did Mote know more?' He dismissed the idea for now. He nestled into his bed and drifted back to sleep.