Let Everybody Know - LAMS

27 -The end

"Dick Grayson, Nightwing, Jason Todd,  Red Hood. Tim Drake, Red Robin. Stephanie Brown, Spoiler. Cassandra Cain, Orphan. Barbara Gordon, Batgirl. Damian Wayne. Robin!" I recited, folding my arms.

"Jeez, Liam it's not that hard!" Lena groaned, rolling her eyes.

"KIIIDS!" we immediately stopped arguing at the sound of Aunt Peggy's voice. She knocked on the door and I stumbled over myself trying to open it.

"Hi Aunt Peggy"

"Hey, mum"

"You wanna go to the park?" Aunt Peggy asked, leaning down to our height. I glanced around at my friends who were all nodding with excitement. They picked up their things and raced out the door. It banged against the wall, tipping over a photo frame or two. I spun around quickly, praying they weren't broken as I lifted them up.

"Frickle Frackle" I cursed under my breath, rubbing my finger over the small fracture in the glass. My breath stopped for a fraction of a second when I realised it was a framed photo of my mum and dad- my biological parents. I guess dad- Alex, must've put it there because I don't remember placing it there myself, or even being aware the photo existed. My parents were standing next to each other with fake smiles plastered on their pale faces and I was in front of them, small and wearing a jumper that was noticeably way too big for me. It's hard not to imagine what life would've been like if they hadn't died. I don't think it would've been any better than mine now- it'd probably be much, much worse. My parents despised each other, they never told me why, I imagine they would've gotten a divorce later on and i'd be switching homes every week feeling like a ball that was tossed around with no worth, simply a prize for my parents to show off at family courts or whatever. "Philip said he loved  staying at my house" I imagined my father scowling. "Well I'm his mother! All children need a mother!". Even though I only had one dad now, at least he cared about me, he treated me well and I'd only come to realise the reason for his overprotectiveness a few weeks ago. How could he not be overprotective of his only child when he's lost almost everyone else in his life? My other dad, John, who died, told me that Alex, my other dad,  lost his mum and his dad and all his siblings, one of his closest friends and I guess now he'd lost his husband. There's a lot of sympathy to feel for my dad, who's now a single parent, though, i'm not sure he wants the sympathy.

"Phil? Ya coming?" Lena asked, peeking around the door, shaking the thoughts out of my head. She smiled at the framed photo, knowing all too well what I was doing, since she, like Piper and Liam were adopted. She reached out her hand and I grabbed her wrist, letting her pull me out the door.

-

10 years later

"Phil? Ya coming?" Lena asked grabbing onto the edge of the door as she looked  inside. "I'm gonna miss this place" She smiled to herself, looking around the room.

"It's not like it's vanishing from existence! We're gonna visit my dad!" I laughed, piling the last of the photo frames into a cardboard box with the label 'Fragile' taped onto it.

"I know, I know, it's just- it's just me, Liam, Piper... we spent almost every day since the day we got adopted in this room. Doing our teenage-y things."

"alcohol?" I joked.

"Shut up!" Lena laughed, letting go of the door. "We did normal teenager stuff. Like watch the animated superhero films and laugh at the non animated ones, recreate star wars scenes, recite the names of all the planets and their shapes and sizes, make cool stuff like rockets and daleks out of cardboard"

"I feel like half of that is just geek stuff and not normal teenage stuff" I stated truthfully, stacking the boxes. "And don't be sad, our new house is really nice, don't you think?" 

"Very" she replied, nodding. "Okay, time to go" she smiled, with that happy, bright and joyful smile she always had that showcased the small dimples at the corners of her mouth. She reached out her and and I grabbed it, letting her pull me out the door and down the stairs into the car with my dad.

"God, you're growing up so quickly" My dad gushed, reaching for the steering wheel.

"Whoah! slow your roll, I'll drive" I laughed and he grinned back at me graciously.

-

"We're here! I'll give you two a moment" dad said, with a smile, even though he sounded a little close to tears.

"But- Don't you wanna see dad?" I asked, a little surprised.

"I think i've seen that same old gravestone too many times" He smiled sadly. I gave him a hug, and helped Lena out of the car.

"You ever done this?" I asked her.

"No. You know how my parents were. I've told you. Emotionally, physically abusive, being at their graves just feels like another slap to the face to add to the many they gave me" Lena replied distantly, with a mostly melancholy tone. "And visiting my sister's feels too real" I linked her arm with mine as we walked. I think I should've been used to this by now, thirteen times I've visited dad's grave on this same exact day, with the same exact kind of flower.

I didn't realise I was crying as I placed the rose in front of the gravestone until Lena wiped a tear off my cheek, squeezing my hand. The silence wasn't awkward or sad, it was a comfortable silence. The kind of silence where the wind rattling the leaves calms you and where everything requires less thinking because nothing needs questioning, it's too simple. 

"hi John" Lena started out of the blue. "I'm Lena Schuyler. Lena Lauren Organa Schuyler. It's a little bit of a funny name, due to Princess Leia's last name being a part of it. Mum told me that you'd like it. I think Peggy added the Lauren in as a memory of you. I quite like it. I'm sorry I never got to meet you. I hope you don't mind but I kinda-sorta married your son.Oops. Mum said you wouldn't mind that either because you and mum always talked about wanting to be related. You kinda are now" Lena smiled at me and nodded to the gravestone.

 "this feels stupid, Lena. He can't actually hear me"

Lena let out a small laugh and smiled up at me."You'll like it once you get used to it. I used to talk up to the stars like they were my sister. I loved it." 

"ok, fine" I inhaled and exhaled harshly, closing my eyes. "We're thinking of naming our child after Lena's sister,  if it's a girl. Her name was Cassandra. I really think you would've loved Lena. Anyway, um, I love you and I miss you a lot and.... yeah." I quickly rubbed the tears off my face, leaving temporary marks of red on my cheeks. Lena embraced me tightly, nestling her head in the crook of my neck. I hugged her back and we stood like that for a while. Me and my amazing wife who was pregnant with my child,  amazing friends, a loving father and a good home. I can't help but think about how I used to be a little boy who didn't want to live through till this age, who told himself that he wouldn't make it and that it's not worth it, who convinced himself that no one loved him. It's like that all flipped around. I guess even for the people who have so much sadness, the universe leaves even more room for happiness. Maybe that's a little sappy but dad used to tell me that.

I knew he'd be proud of me, if he were alive and that's all that mattered to me.

-

I honestly didn't know how to end this book. TBH I hate this ending but eh. I really hope you  guys enjoyed this book! I have started another Lams fic called "A Night's Dream" (idk why I called it that but let's roll w it) so check that out if you'd like :)