The Quietus

Epilouge

It had been almost a year since they were first taken. The group, although traumatized by the experience decided to keep in touch for the most part. Liberty sent letters from where she was staying. Damian hasn't said much since he moved to go to college hours away.

The other four all decided to hang out the night of their original kidnapping though.

After the group and escaped they didn't go to the police and they never spoke of what happened to anyone. They never wanted to speak of what happened to anyone. The police questioned Damian, who had been covered in blood, but he claimed there was an accident and he was just trying to clean up River's leg. River didn't have a great explanation for his leg being stabbed but Tristan and Jax managed to come up with a pretty sound lie.

"So you two are still together? Who would of thought you guys would have out lasted the rest of us." Jax says, sitting down on the booth at his table. "I guess healthy relationships don't really grow from tragedies."

"In all honest my entire family hates him." River states. He was sitting with his legs thrown across Tristan's lap. "Well, my siblings are starting to warm up to him, I told them he saved me. My parents think he's the one who cut my leg, though."

"Well hopefully your parents start liking him." Nova says sadly. She missed Damian a bit but he had left to college and she had a new boyfriend now.

"I don't think it helps that he just turned sixteen and I'm nineteen." Tristan shrugs, unaffected by his boyfriend's parent's disapproval of him.

"Yeah that's probably accurate too."

"I'm getting jealous of your relationship let's change the subject." Jax says, glancing around. People at other tables were chatting quietly and he lowered his voice so they'd go unheard. "How has everyone been."

"Good. I'm potentially going to get a ton of scholarships this year." Nova smiled. "I thought I would be so far behind after everything but I'm already caught up and even slightly ahead."

"I got held back a year but I'm graduating this year, that's pretty cool." Tristan ended up switching so he was in the same school as River. It had been a happy accident since he wanted to start over despite the fact it would be his last year in high school.

"I'm still not caught up completely, Tristan helps me and sometimes Damian calls and helps me with my homework. I'm really close to catching up, I think." River glanced back well the other talked a bit longer, an uneasy feeling settling over him. Almost as if the group was being watched.

Shaking his head at the insane notion and looked at the others again just in time to here Jax. "I haven't had any nightmares in a while."

"In all honesty I still have them constantly." River sighs.

"I'd imagine so. You nearly died Riv, well any of us could have died she actually hurt you." Tristan says, hugging him.

"I guess. I thought they'd stop by now though." He replies. "That's pretty wishful thinking..."

"They'll probably stop eventually." Nova says, although none of them were sure if it would happen anytime soon. "How's Vexen and Vanity? Oh, and Cate?"

"They're good. Still adjusting to being back home though. I wonder if they're are terrified as we are." River says, he put his feet on the ground and pulled away from Tristan as a waitress walked over.

"Cate's good. I have a ton of little rats now though. There's twelve of them."

"Woah, since when?"

"It happened a couple weeks ago. My friend was watching her for a couple days and when she came back she was pregnant."

"Well that must have been a surprise." Jax laughs.

"I'd say. He's gonna take half of them later but for now they're with me."

"Has anyone talked to Liberty recently?" Jax asks.

"Yeah, she was staying with her down out of town to calm down a bit but she thinks she's going to come back here and stay with her mom for a while now." Nova says. "She also apologized for not staying in contact with us very much but she wants to forget about what happened so she'd appreciate if we just ignore her if we ever see here again. She's moving past this."

"Oh. Should we all move past this?" Jax asks. "Like, maybe that's why it took us so long to get rid of our nightmares. Or what's keeping them around."

"If you want to ignore us and have us ignore you then just ask, we can."

"I think it'd be better for everyone. At least taking a break from talking to each other to sort ourselves out."

"It makes sense." Nova nervously picked at her food.

"I guess..." Tristan shrugs. River remains quiet.

"Then we'll all stop talking for a while."

"Maybe just until River graduates. He needs to focus on school anyway."

"I won't graduate for years!" River cries, not wanting to be ignored by all of them for so long. "I can catch up in school if that's what you're worried about!"

"It's not, River."

The atmosphere was tense for a while. "Okay. Fine." River mumbles.

The eat in silence, occasionally talking and River's the first to leave. "I've got to get home and study. I guess, I'll see you arou- actually, never mind. Bye guys." He put some money on the table.

"I can drive you home Riv."

"No, I'll walk. It's not that dark outside and I live nearby. Thanks." River walked outside, texting Tristan asking if he was really going to ignore him for so long.

A couple minutes later he was about halfway home when he got a call. "Hello?"

"Hey River."

Tristan had called River to ensure him he wasn't going to just leave him. Since he wasn't with the others anymore he thought it would be a good idea to do that now.

"Are you home yet."

"Almo-" He heard what sounded like the phone hitting the ground and a small scream.

"River? River!" Tristan yells. The other line goes dead and he quickly calls Nova.

"Yeah Tristan? I thought we weren't talking anymore."

"Something happened to River!"

"What? He was just with us."

"I called to make sure he's okay." There was a doorbell ringing on the other side of the phone.

"I'll be right back." The phone went quiet and Tristan waited for a couple minutes.

"Nova?"

The line went dead.