Archive of Our Own

Juliette held her stomach in surprise as the pain shot through her body. Shock was evident on her face as the realization that her own father stabbed her sunk in. Belatedly, she realized that Nicky was right. She had chosen the wrong side. She had done bad things for no good reason.

She was sure she was going to die, but then a cacophony of sound erupted in the hallway. Her father rushed to the safe room and hid himself inside. For all the money and power he possessed, he was a coward. 

Juliette went out into the hallway, carefully, slowly. There was smoke settling and bodies laying on the floor. All but one.

Mia stood over a man, crying. Juliette didn’t have time to think, she needed to get them both out of there before her father realized who was here and crawled out of his hiding place to capture her. Mia clung to Juliette, which Juliette used to her advantage as she leaned heavily on Mia to keep her upright. They made it down the long, empty (except for the bodies on the floor) hallway. They stumbled out of the building as Nicky and Zhilan approached it. Nicky wasn’t sure which of them was hurt, but blood was dripping and it was Mia who was crying hysterically.

“I didn’t mean to. I didn’t mean it…” Mia cried as she collapsed against Nicky.

Nicky held her as she tried to feel around for an injury.

“Mia’s fine.” Juliette declared before adding quietly. “It appears the same cannot be said of me.”

She fell to the ground. Zhilan looked to Nicky for direction, Juliette had been their mutual enemy afterall.

“Mia, what happened?” Nicky asked as she shook her slightly to try to get her to stop crying.

“I was…I…” Mia trailed off until her eyes fell on Juliette laying on the ground. “We have to help her! She saved me.”

She sank to her knees beside Juliette and pressed her hand against the wound making Juliette hiss even though she was barely conscious. Mia started to cry again. 

Zhilan didn’t like them out there in the open. None of them were safe like that. 

“Mia, grab Nicky’s car. We need to get out of here and get Juliette some help.” She ushered the order and Mia snapped to attention.

Mia wiped her tears and her face morphed into that of determination as she ran away.

“Mia will do better with a purpose right now. A distraction. Let her feel like she’s doing something important and that we need her.” Zhilan told Nicky when she received a look of confusion. 

Nicky nodded and removed her jacket and pressed it against Juliette’s wound. There was already a lot of blood. It didn’t look good. She held it firmly in place as she pulled out her phone with her other hand and called Ryan. She kept the conversation quick and told him where to meet them. 

Mia pulled up with the car shortly afterwards and then rushed out to help them get Juliette in the backseat.

“You hold this tight against her, okay?” Nicky told Mia.

Mia nodded and climbed into the backseat with Juliette. Zhilan took the driver’s seat so Nicky walked quickly around to the passenger seat and they were off. 

None of them talked much except for Nicky giving Zhilan directions to their destination. Nicky kept looking in the back to watch Mia. Zhilan reached across the seat and touched Nicky’s knee awkwardly. She quickly moved her hand when Nicky jumped.

“It’ll be okay. Your brother will help her and we’ll talk to Mia and figure out what happened.” Zhilan said calmly.

Nicky didn’t expect her kindness, but was appreciative of it as well as her ability to stay calm in this situation. Maybe that’s why Mia chose her. Maybe she was a better leader. She was definitely better in these kinds of situations, it seemed, and she was good with Mia.

“Thank you.” Nicky told her quietly.

Zhilan stared at her briefly in confusion before she focused back on the road. “For what?”

“You helped me try to stop Mia. You did the right thing in the end.”

Zhilan raised an eyebrow. “I think sometimes the right thing is more subjective than you think.”

Nicky nodded minutely. “Maybe you’re right.”

Zhilan couldn’t help smiling.

“You’re good with her. It actually seems like you care about her.” Nicky told her.

Zhilan’s smile disappeared and she looked at Nicky full of sincerity. “I do care about her. Is that really that hard to believe?”

Nicky swallowed and whispered. “I mean…”

Zhilan understood. She hated it, but she understood. “I did kill my own sister.”

“Yes.”

They drove in silence the rest of the way except for the few directions Nicky mumbled to her distractedly as she resumed her watch over Mia. Zhilan didn’t know what to say to Nicky to make things better between them. She may have done some bad things, but she was certain that she wasn’t the person Nicky seemed to assume she was. At least, not anymore.

Ryan was waiting for them when they arrived at what looked like a makeshift clinic. He and Mia carried an unconscious Juliette into an empty room. 

“I’m going to do a perimeter check. This place isn’t as secure or isolated as I typically prefer.” Zhilan told Nicky as she excused herself.

She busied herself with keeping them as safe as the situation and location warranted. But she also needed distance from Nicky. She hated herself and had so many regrets about so many things, she couldn’t deal with more judgment from Nicky on top of it all. Not today.

Nicky watched helplessly as Ryan got right to work on patching up Juliette.

“Is she going to be okay?” Mia asked frantically.

She was bordering on hysteria again and Nicky found herself wishing Zhilan was here to calm her. 

“I don’t know yet. But I’ll do everything I can to help her.” Ryan addressed Mia before he glanced at Nicky.

She saw all the unasked questions in his eyes. Why were they helping Juliette when they knew who she was and what her father was capable of? Why was Zhilan there? Did they trust either of them? Is Mia okay? 

Nicky didn’t know the answers to any of those questions. So she walked away. Mia’s firm, warm hand on her wrist was the only thing that stopped her from leaving the room completely.

“You were wrong.” Mia told her. “But you were also right.”

Nicky frowned and Mia sighed. She led them away from Ryan.

“I didn’t go to Zhilan because she turned me against you and warped my mind. I went to Zhilan because she’s the only one who would help me do what needed to be done. Russell…all the things he did…”

“Mia…”

Mia shook her head to silence Nicky. “Zhilan isn’t a monster though. I am. Zhilan stopped me from killing Juliette just because I was angry. And Zhilan…she saved me. She could have continued the mission, but I was hurt and she helped me instead of leaving me alone to die. She isn’t who you think she is. Maybe she was. But we all have our reasons. We all make mistakes. You see her for who she was, not who she is.”

Nicky stared at her cousin. “She…”

“She’s not perfect. None of us are. The things Russell Tan did, he took away a lot of our choices. He shaped us in different ways. He killed her dad. Back when she was a kid. Zhilan was left alone and scared and the only thing that kept her alive was the thought of revenge. Until now.”

“What keeps her alive now?”

“You’ll have to ask her.”

Nicky rolled her eyes. “What happened? How did Juliette save you? Why are we suddenly helping her?”

“I went after Russell and…Nicky, I accidentally killed someone. We were fighting and he was the last person standing in the way between me and Russell Tan. And then…he was dead. I didn’t even mean to. I lost it after that. I realized you were right and that I am a monster.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Then there was a smoke cloud. I was going to pass out, but Juliette was there. She got me out of there before Russell could get his hands on me.” Mia looked off into the distance and watched Ryan continue to work on Juliette. “I don’t know what happened to her, but I bet my life that Russell Tan tried to kill her.”

Nicky’s heart sank. “She’s his daughter.”

“Yeah, but if she tried to stop him…that wouldn’t matter.”

Nicky felt guilty. She had basically threatened Juliette. She told her to pick a side, the right side. And maybe Juliette did and was nearly killed by her own father for it.

“He has to be stopped.” Nicky said.

She wasn’t sure how. But she knew that they couldn’t let him continue to kill people. He would never stop coming for any of them. Especially Mia. But did that mean that Nicky was ready to take drastic measures to prevent it? Would it make her like him if she killed him…or let someone else do it? She wasn’t sure if she liked her own justification as she thought about how one life ending was better than hundreds.

When she got out of her own head, she realized that Mia had walked away and started pacing across the room. Ryan was still working frantically on saving Juliette. Quietly, Zhilan approached her.

“Perimeter is secure. But we shouldn’t stay here long. We need to keep moving. We need to set up a base that is far more safe. One where I can control more of the variables.”

Nicky nodded. Zhilan was smart and pragmatic, she could respect that about her.

“I understand that. But Juliette is barely alive right now, we can’t keep moving her. Not until we have an actual plan.” 

Zhilan sighed. “Then we need a plan.”

“First, we need all the help we can get.” She pulled out her phone and texted Henry, Evan and Althea.

“Of course, Team Shen to the rescue.” Zhilan said, but there was no actual bite to it. 

Nicky could have sworn she was being teased. When she looked at Zhilan and saw the smirk on her lips, she knew she was. 

Zhilan stood by Nicky as they watched Ryan give medical care to Juliette. Mia continued to pace somewhere in the corner. 

“How can you be so calm right now? Russell…he tried to kill his own daughter. He would have killed Mia. And you’re standing here with me…do you still think I’m the monster here?” Zhilan asked.

She appeared only curious. But the idea of being seen by Nicky as a monster hurt her. She did awful things, she knew that. But she was no Russell Tan.

Nicky turned toward her. She sighed and looked remorseful. “I told Mia that she was in control of her own destiny. That she could change it. If I believe that, then I have to believe that people can change. Mia told me that you looked after her, that you genuinely care about her. So maybe, I’ve been too hard on you. Maybe I was wrong.”

“As far as apologies go, you need to work on it.” Zhilan smirked at her. “Was it really so hard to admit that you were wrong?”

Nicky rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I’m regretting this whole conversation.”

“It’s okay to be wrong.” Zhilan smirked at her again. 

“Right. And you should know, right? With how often you’re wrong.” Nicky teased back and realized that she enjoyed their banter more than she should.

They both turned away and looked back at Ryan as he finished up with Juliette. They watched in silence for a little while.

“So where’s your better half?” Zhilan asked about Nicky’s boyfriend even though she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer. 

Neither looked at each other as they continued to speak.

“Henry’s following leads with Evan.” Nicky told her and then sighed deeply. “And he’s not…he’s not my boyfriend anymore. We broke up.”

It was the first time she said the words out loud and it still felt strange to her. She remembered their fight vividly and never had the chance to truly process it with everything that happened since.

Zhilan was surprised by the announcement and watched the side of Nicky’s face. She tried to gauge how Nicky felt about the break-up. She tried to see everything that was left out of her words.

Nicky continued to speak as she avoided Zhilan’s gaze. She felt strange with the attention on her. She felt exposed by Zhilan’s stare.

“Apparently, I can be single-minded about some things and not listen to anyone else’s opinions or concerns. So I guess that makes me selfish and bossy along with being judgmental.” She finally turned to face Zhilan. “So I guess you were right…about it being hard for me to admit I’m wrong.”

“Only about the important things.” Zhilan teased to lighten the mood. She didn’t like to see the sadness cloud Nicky’s face.

Nicky smiled slightly. “Right. The important things.” She looked away again. “You agree with him, don’t you? And I’m sure you’d add that I’m weak.”

Before Zhilan could answer, they were interrupted by Ryan. “All set. Can you please tell me why we are teaming up with our enemies now, Nicky?” 

“They aren’t our enemies. Russell Tan is.” Mia told him as she stopped pacing and stepped closer to the group. “Both Juliette and Zhilan saved my life. I trust them.”

Ryan looked pleadingly at his sister. Nicky merely nodded and Ryan relaxed a bit. 

“My own father tried to kill me when I confronted him about what he was doing.” Juliette told them all as she reached in her pocket for her phone. “I have all the evidence you need. He wasn’t trying to bring my brother back from the dead…he’s trying to use Mia to gain immortality.”

Everyone in the room stared at her wide eyed as their mouths dropped open in shock.

“It’s real. Immortality. Or it can be, apparently. All it costs is Mia’s life.” She added for dramatic effect.

“He wants to live forever. That’s really what this all has been about?” Nicky asked with disbelief.

“That and greed. Honestly, it shouldn’t be that big of a surprise. He wants to gain control over life and death not to save lives or bring people back from the dead, but simply so he will never die. I can’t believe I missed it.”

Juliette let them process it.

“How do we know we can trust you?” Ryan asked. “Where’s the proof you mentioned?”

She handed him her phone and watched as he showed it to the others and they looked through it all together.

“I spent my whole life trying to not be invisible to him. My older brother died and then…” She glanced at Zhilan. “Kerwin betrayed him. I finally had my chance to be good enough for him. To show him what I was capable of. I did everything he asked without question. I believed in him. I thought we were going to be on the right side of history. He fed me so many lies. He made me think that maybe, if I did everything he said, that I could inherit the company after he died. That I would have proven my worth not just as his daughter and successor, but as me. As a person. But he never saw me. He only used me. The things I did…the things I almost did…for him…”

She jumped when she felt Mia’s hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay. We’ll get him. He won’t hurt you or anyone else again. We won’t let him.”

Juliette was doubtful. Maybe Mia or Zhilan would be capable of doing what needed to be done. But she doubted either of them would stand up to Nicky if Nicky asked them to stand down. She couldn’t let her father survive this. No prison could hold him. He proved he was capable of buying people. He had people who would die for him and protect him. And he would never stop coming for Mia. 

“My father…he did a lot of…things.” She looked from Mia to Zhilan. “There’s proof there that he killed Mia’s mom and Zhilan’s dad. Among other things.” Her eyes settled on Mia again. “I didn’t know then. I didn’t know who he was. I thought…” She looked away. “I believed the lies he told me that it was you guys who were trying to destroy him. I mean, Zhilan did try to kill Kerwin. It wasn’t hard to believe that you were the bad guys here. Denial is a curious thing. It’s so easy to feed yourself lies when you desperately want to believe them.”

Zhilan nodded. “Yeah.”

She couldn’t find further words to say. But maybe she didn’t need them.

Nicky looked from Zhilan to Juliette. Things were different now. They knew Russell’s plan. They knew exactly what he was capable of. He tried to kill his own daughter. Maybe things were easier to process when they were black and white. Good versus evil. Hero versus villain. But people weren’t all good or all bad. People were messy. People made mistakes. And she knew all too well that hurt people hurt people.

“So what are we going to do about him?” Nicky asked.

Zhilan’s eyes widened. “You’re really accepting this team-up? Because it will take all of us to take him down. We’ve proven that none of us can do it on our own.”

They spent time pouring through the evidence and discussing options. Juliette let them know of the numerous properties he owned that he may be taking refuge at while he planned another attack.

Twenty minutes later, Althea, Henry and Evan joined them so they could discuss their final game plan. Juliette considered looping Kerwin in, but she thought better of it. She wasn’t sure he was up to it yet. She wasn’t sure he could do what she knew needed to be done.

Zhilan was annoyed at the way Henry kept looking at Nicky like a kicked puppy. From where she stood, if he said those things about Nicky then he had no right to be the hurt one in this scenario. But maybe she was being biased. She kept shooting daggers at him every time he glanced her way. And maybe she was being petty, but she kept close to Nicky so that he couldn’t try talking her into forgiving him. They had a mission to do, he needed to focus. At least, that’s what she kept telling herself.

Nicky was confused and frazzled by Zhilan’s sudden proximity. Mia told her that she could trust Zhilan, but this felt like a “keep your friends close, and your enemies closer” situation. At least, that’s what she assumed Zhilan was doing. It didn’t take long to fill Althea, Henry and Evan in on the new development and the entirety of Russell Tan’s plan.

“Immortality…” Althea breathed out ominously. 

“Yeah.” Juliette confirmed.

“And we’re really going to work with Juliette and Zhilan?” Henry asked. “Doesn’t that seem…”

“We’ve wasted too much time stopping each other and getting in each other’s way. Imagine what we can do when we’re all on the same side.” Zhilan interrupted.

Nicky nodded. “Zhilan’s right.”

Zhilan smiled triumphantly and Henry frowned but nodded his acceptance.

“So, what’s the actual plan?” Evan asked.

“First, we need to get out of here. This place isn’t safe. We need somewhere more remote to regroup. Somewhere we have a better chance of defending ourselves.” Zhilan said.

Beyond that, the truth was that none of them had an actual plan. Juliette could usually figure out his next move, but he knew that she was with “the enemy” now, so he wouldn’t be as predictable. She was no longer ahead of the game. She was no longer in the know when it came to her father.

“Use me as bait.” Mia offered.

“Absolutely not.” Nicky, Zhilan and Juliette all said in unison.

“Why not?” Mia wondered honestly.

“We can’t risk him getting that close to getting what he wants from you. We were lucky last time.” Juliette told her. 

Lucky because she didn’t die. And lucky because she was able to save Mia before her father got his hands on her.

“And because we want you to stay safe, Mia. No more going off on your own. You have people who want you to live through this.” Nicky told her.

Zhilan nodded in agreement. She truly did care about Mia, no matter whether Nicky believed her or not.

“Then what do you guys think we should do?” Mia asked quietly as she sat down on an empty desk.

“We’re still figuring that out.” Nicky said and glanced around the room. “But whatever we decide, we’ll do it together. As a team.”

Zhilan watched the way Henry smiled at Nicky when she said it and shook her head to herself and looked away when Nicky met his gaze and smiled sadly back. She hated that she was distracted by them. She hated that she cared about them at all.

It took an hour of arguing before they realized they were getting nowhere.

“Maybe we should take a break. We’re all on edge and attacking each other isn’t getting us anywhere.” Althea said in frustration.

Evan and Henry went for a walk. Ryan grabbed his phone to call his boyfriend. 

When it was just the five girls left, Althea looked around the room. “So, is this weird for anyone else? It’s weird for me.”

Zhilan and Juliette shook their heads. There was much weirder stuff they encountered in the world than teaming up with fellow badass women. After all, magic exists. And apparently, so does immortality.

Althea raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

Mia shrugged. Ever since she met Nicky and Zhilan, everything in her life has been weird. But a good weird this time, because she didn’t feel alone anymore. She had a family now. 

“Nicky?” Althea pressed. “Zhilan has tried to kill you numerous times.”

“No I haven’t.” Zhilan argued. “If I had actually wanted her dead, she would be.”

Althea frowned. “That’s…oddly comforting.”

Nicky smiled at that which made Zhilan smile.

“It’s not weird for you to be working with your ex?” Zhilan asked Nicky, because she was apparently a masochist.

“Which one?” Althea smirked.

Zhilan’s eyes widened as did Juliette’s.

“There isn’t going to be any unnecessary drama is there? We sort of have our hands full already.” Juliette wondered pointedly.

“No drama.” Nicky confirmed.

“Why’d you break up?” Mia asked.

“And no gossip.” Nicky added.

“It was this whole thing. You see, Nicky’s used to going solo. She’s not used to people worrying if she’s going to come back alive or not. She’s reckless in that way sometimes, and she doesn’t enjoy it when people call her out on it because they actually care whether she lives or dies.” Althea told Mia. “Sort of sounds like someone else I know. Guess it runs in the family,”

Mia rolled her eyes but they softened when she looked at Nicky. “So you get to worry about me and my safety, but we don’t get to worry about yours?”

“I’m trying to get better, I promise.” Nicky answered. “How about we both agree that neither of us will be reckless?”

Mia nodded.

“So…you’re single then?” Juliette asked with a smirk.

Nicky’s mouth dropped open.

“Relax. It isn’t me who’s interested.” Juliette let her gaze fall briefly on Zhilan before she shrugged and then winced from the pain of it. 

It was a good distraction, because no one noticed the way Zhilan grew uncomfortable with the direction that conversation was heading.

“Are you going to be okay? Maybe we should take you to an actual hospital.” Mia looked at Juliette with concern.

“I’m fine.”

Juliette couldn’t maintain eye contact with her. She wasn’t used to people actually caring about her. Zhilan watched as Nicky, Mia and Althea fretted over Juliette’s well-being and wondered if they would care that much for her if something happened to her. She knew Mia would likely be concerned. But she hoped that Nicky would be as well.

She walked away to clear her head. She couldn’t let her mind wander there. To that kind of hope. To the idea that after all of this, she might be embraced by the Shen’s. She had watched their family from afar with envy. She used to wish she could be part of it, even though she only recently allowed herself to process the reasons why. She heard Nicky’s footsteps approaching before she heard her voice.

“Are you okay?” Nicky asked.

The genuine concern in her voice made Zhilan hesitate to answer. She took a deep steadying breath.

“Why do you care?”

She shuddered when she felt Nicky’s hand on her shoulder.

“Sorry.” Nicky apologized as she removed her hand and Zhilan immediately missed the contact. “I do care, though. Despite my best efforts.”

Zhilan forced a smile at the attempted joke. She turned to face Nicky. 

“I used to be so jealous of you.” She told her.

Nicky raised her eyebrows in shock. “What? Why?”

“Because you not only have an amazing family while I have no one…but…you also had my sister. You got to spend time with her and she got to train you. I know you hate me for what I did. And I hate me too. I was so messed up. I was so angry that she left me after our dad was murdered. She took the sword and ran. And it took me years to learn why she loved that sword more than she loved me.”

“Zhilan…she didn’t…it wasn’t about not loving you. Knowing what we know now, she was trying to protect you. You have to see that.”

Zhilan nodded. Because she understood that now. But it was too late. The damage was done.

“I think…I think that so much of all of this could have been prevented if there weren’t secrets. Secrets aren’t worth dying for…or killing for.”

“You think that if the world knew about the weapons and the magic and the warriors and guardians, that there wouldn’t have been war over who controlled it all? You’re more naive than I thought.”

Nicky sighed. “I know that there will always be people out there who care more about power and money than people. But that doesn’t stop me from believing in people. In knowing that there are more good people in the world than bad and that everyone can be better. I know that I try to be better.”

“So you think there’s redemption for me?” Zhilan asked doubtfully.

“Zhilan, that’s for you to answer for yourself. You can be who you are or who you want to be or who you think others expect you to be. The choice has always been yours. But let me ask you something, if you had the power Russell Tan is seeking? Would you use it to live forever or to bring your sister back?”

Zhilan considered it. “Neither. She would never forgive me if I controlled the universe in such an unnatural way. And to live forever with myself after the things I’ve done, I wouldn’t wish that on my greatest enemy.”

She forced herself to smirk at the end. She couldn’t let Nicky know how much this conversation was affecting her.

“Greatest enemy? Is that me or Russell Tan?”

“Depends on the day.”

"Today?" Nicky asked quietly.

"Today, you are tolerable."

They shared a smile that warmed Zhilan's heart. It felt like Nicky might finally see her. Like maybe she could understand.

"I don't hate you either. For the record." Nicky's voice was quiet, like she didn't want to break the spell they had fallen under.

"Hey, what's up?" Henry asked as he and Evan walked back in the room.

Zhilan smiled to herself when Nicky didn't scramble away from her.

"Just talking. Taking a break from it all." Nicky told them.

"I know we'll come up with a plan. With all of us on it, it'll be hard not to." Henry sounded so optimistic. 

Zhilan thought maybe that's what Nicky saw in him. They were alike in so many ways. So why couldn't she stand him?

“Zhilan’s right. I don’t think we should stay here. There’s too many entrances and windows. It’s in the city so too many people are at risk here if Russell Tan comes for us.” Evan said thoughtfully.

“What do you suggest?” Nicky asked.

Zhilan was mildly pissed that Nicky listened to him and not her.

“The cabin.” Evan declared.

Nicky nodded in contemplation. “It’s more secluded. We’ll be better able to see anyone coming. At the very least it will buy us some time to plan, like Zhilan said.”

“We need to take the fight to him. We can’t keep going on the defensive, we have to finish this.” Zhilan argued.

“I agree. But right now, we don’t know where he is. Juliette said he has a lot of properties and could be at any of them. We have to be smart about this. Take our time. Get it right this time.”

Zhilan couldn’t argue with that. “So…when do we leave?”

They didn’t take long to convince the others to move locations. Soon, they were separated into two vehicles.

Juliette made a scene about the arrangement and said she felt safer with the other Shen’s. So she was in a car with Althea, Ryan and Mia. Nicky was with Zhilan, Evan and Henry. Nicky was tired from the long events of the day and took the back seat so she could get some rest on the way, Zhilan climbed in beside her.

Juliette watched the scene as she walked to the other vehicle with a smirk on her face. 

“You better not be scheming.” Althea told her with a frown and with all the fierceness she could muster.

“Not scheming at all.” She climbed in the back seat as Althea got in the passenger seat. “Just finding amusement at the thought of Nicky stuck in a car with her two exes and her current suitor.”

“Current suitor?” Ryan asked as he looked at her through the rearview mirror. “You can’t possibly mean Zhilan.”

Mia’s mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. “That explains so much actually.”

“What does it explain, exactly?” Althea demanded.

“Zhilan talked about Nicky a lot. And she seemed to know what Nicky would do or say next. But not like the “know your enemy way”---it was always more than that. It seemed personal. I thought it was about Pei-Ling and everything that happened between them. But what if it wasn’t?”

“I don’t buy that.” Ryan said as he started the car and followed Evan.

“Why? Because Nicky’s not gay?” Juliette asked with a raised eyebrow. “You, out of all of us, should see what’s right in front of you.”

“It’s not that she’s a woman. It’s that she’s Zhilan.” Ryan defended himself. “I mean, do we even really trust her?”

“I do.” Mia replied.

“I think I do too.” Althea responded as well.

“We can’t really be….what about Henry? They just broke up.” Ryan was unsure about so many things. 

“Exactly. So Nicky’s single now.” Juliette confirmed.

“We should be focusing on the task at hand. We can’t be distracted. Not now.”

“It’s a long drive. I can multitask.” Juliette told him.

“Me too.” Althea held up her phone. “I’m doing it now actually. I’m hacking into Russell Tan’s security system. It’s confusing though…because the system seems to have been shut down.” She frowned. “Maybe I triggered something when I hacked into the program.”

“Keep trying. We need to see if he’s on the move. Or if we can narrow down which of his properties he fled to.”

“How do we know he fled?” Mia asked casually.

“I know my father. He will need to gather up his resources to stage another attack. He’s getting desperate now. First he tried to kill me for betraying him, and then you were so close to being his but you got away.”

“I think having Russell Tan desperate is the worst version of him we may have to go up against.” Ryan said with a shudder.

“I agree actually. I can’t think like him when he’s being irrational and erratic. Anything is possible now.” Juliette said ominously.

For the first time, she was actually worried that maybe they were on the losing side. But even if she had picked the losing side, she couldn’t bring herself to regret it. Because her father was an evil man and she didn’t want to deny it or excuse it any more. She didn’t want to be like him at all.

The rest of the ride was uneventful as they tried to get some rest and allowed Ryan to drive in silence.

They arrived at the cabin as it was nearing dark. They all stretched as they climbed out of their vehicles. Juliette smirked as she approached Nicky and the others.

“How was your ride?” She asked as innocently as she could feign.

“Good, actually. I slept the whole way.” Nicky told her as she continued to stretch.

“Not so good for me, since she fell asleep on my shoulder and my whole left side went numb.” Zhilan said even as she looked at Nicky fondly.

“I apologized for that. Besides, you could have always pushed me off. I’m surprised you didn’t.”

“I’m not.” Juliette muttered.

Nicky furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as Zhilan’s eyes widened slightly. 

“It was cute. I got a picture.” Henry told them as he held his phone out toward Juliette. “Look, Zhilan actually looks human in this one.” His eyes widened. “No offense. You just…you look almost soft. I didn’t think you had it in you to not look murderous all the time.”

“I’m not a monster.” Zhilan whispered.

“No, you’re not.” Nicky rested her hand on Zhilan’s shoulder calmly. “He was teasing you. You know…like friends do.”

Friends. It sounded foreign to both Juliette and Zhilan, especially given the company. But it didn’t feel wrong. Maybe there was hope for them after this. Maybe things would finally get better for both of them.

Zhilan and Mia did a perimeter sweep to make sure the area was secure. Evan and Nicky did the same inside.

Ryan examined Juliette’s wound making sure the bandages stayed in place and that the bleeding had truly stopped. When he gave her a clean bill of health, the group spread out around the cabin and everyone attempted to get some proper rest for the night. The real planning would start in the morning. No one took the bedrooms, they all gathered in the main living area. They wanted to feel safe and surrounded by each other. They didn’t want anyone out of their sight, even if they were safe right now. 

Nicky startled awake from a nightmare. When she regained her composure and looked around, she remembered the events of the day and why they were here. Reality wasn't much better than her nightmare. 

She noticed Zhilan sitting awake in a corner, her eyes scanning the room before she returned her gaze out the window. Nicky quietly approached her and sat beside her.

Zhilan didn't look at her as she spoke. "I wasn't planning all the elaborate ways I could kill you while you slept."

Nicky had a hard time understanding Zhilan's motives on the best days, but she knew by now that perhaps they weren't as different as she used to think. At the very least, she knew they wanted the same thing for now. They wanted Mia safe and Russell Tan stopped.

But still, Zhilan's attempt at humor was jarring.

"You…intimidate me." She admitted. "I know that might not be the smartest thing to say to someone I recently considered an enemy."

She noticed Zhilan's slight smile at the honesty. Or maybe at the announcement that she no longer saw her as an enemy.

"You make me doubt myself." Nicky continued. "Which isn't hard lately, because I've made a lot of mistakes and have been wrong a lot. Especially about Mia. I shouldn't have kept her own destiny or possible destiny a secret from her. And I shouldn't have hid it from my family either."

Zhilan finally looked at her. "You're a good leader." Her eyes darted around them to those sleeping around the room. "Every single one of them would follow you anywhere. They would die for you." She smirked and added. "Maybe not Juliette."

Nicky frowned. "I don't want them to die for me. I don't want anyone to die."

Zhilan met her eyes. "Then we won't let them."

Nicky sighed. She wasn't sure she had what it took to keep them all safe. Not against Russell Tan.

"I don't think you're weak." Zhilan said quietly but with certainty. "Not seeking revenge on those who hurt you and those you love…it's strong. Far stronger than I have been." Zhilan looked away from Nicky briefly only to settle her eyes on her again. “I respect you for that.”

Nicky couldn’t hold her gaze. It felt too meaningful. Too deep. It felt like maybe for the first time, she was truly seen and she couldn’t process the fact that it was Zhilan who saw her so clearly.

They were both silent for a minute as they looked out the window. 

“I’m used to people… them… ” She glanced at the people who mean the most to her in this world. They were all sleeping. “Like you said, they follow me everywhere. They put themselves at risk for things I believe in even when I ask them not to. But they don’t question me. Not really. Or at least, they don’t challenge me. And they think I can get them out of this. Save them all. I’m a leader who never wanted this fight. Not the one Russell Tan is forcing on us. And I don’t know if I should lead now.”

Zhilan nodded in understanding. “You’re saying that you appreciate that I don’t follow you blindly. That I push back and show you that there are other ways.”

Nicky rolled her eyes. “That isn’t at all what I said.” She took a deep, steadying breath and then exhaled shakily. “But yeah, kind of. You and Juliette think like Russell Tan. That is how we’re going to have to defeat him.”

“I’m not sure that’s actually the compliment you seem to think it is.”

Nicky cracked a smile. She never had a real conversation with Zhilan before. She found herself appreciating her random sense of humor. She was still intense and a bit scary. But there was something else about her that she didn’t always see before.

The silence that enveloped them this time was comfortable. Nicky started to relax a bit in Zhilan’s presence; despite the situation at hand. It helped that Zhilan seemed to be monitoring the area and continuously assessing the danger. It wasn’t the first time that Nicky was glad Zhilan had chosen their side. 

“I used to think I understood the world. That it was black and white and that I always knew the right thing to do.” Nicky spoke quietly as she looked at her hands and turned a bit more toward Zhilan. “I used to meditate about intentions. Like whether it was better to do the right thing for wrong reasons or the wrong thing for the right reasons. Did the end justify the means? You see on the news all the time how evil people try to make so many justifications for their actions. Or you see how good people do nothing. And that line…the one between good and evil seemed to become blurred. Like maybe it didn’t exist at all and it wasn’t about what you intended or whether you could sleep at night after you do the things you do.” She glanced at Zhilan. “I’m pretty sure Russell Tan has no trouble sleeping at night and here I am, unable to sleep…talking to you.” She forced a smile and when Zhilan returned it, Nicky’s became a bit more genuine. “So…which of us is the hero and which of us is the villain? Or is it always just a matter of perspective?”

Zhilan looked back out the window as she took a slow, steady breath. She exhaled calmly and looked back at Nicky. 

“You’re not the villain, Nicky. And Russell Tan isn’t the hero. The rest of us, we’re somewhere in between. We’re just human. And some of us do things that we will spend our lifetime regretting. Or make mistakes that we can’t easily fix even if we wanted to.”

Nicky nodded. She was tempted to reach out and touch Zhilan’s arm for comfort, but wasn’t sure if that would be well received. They couldn’t go to war with Russell Tan if she were maimed. The thought amused her and she smiled to herself.

“I know you didn’t ask for it, and I doubt you care…but I forgive you.” Nicky breathed out quietly—with reverence, because regardless of whether Zhilan needed to hear it, she needed to say it. It mattered.

“I care.” Zhilan whispered back, barely audible. Then she exhaled shakily and looked back out the window as she continued. “Thank you.”

They sat that way for a while. Nicky almost got up so she could lay back down and try to sleep.

She felt Zhilan’s gaze on her before she heard Zhilan’s whispered words. “Will you….will you tell me about Pei-Ling? Tell me about my sister.”

Nicky’s heart grew heavy. She felt bad for her. 

She studied her carefully for a minute. “Are you sure?”

Zhilan hesitated briefly and then she nodded.

So Nicky told her everything. The things she learned from her. All the reasons she respected and admired her. She pretended she didn’t notice whenever a tear tracked its way down Zhilan’s cheek. This time, she did reach across and dared to touch her. 

Zhilan jumped at the contact, but didn’t move away. Her eyes dropped to Nicky’s hand on hers. She hadn’t realized how touch-starved she was. How much casual intimacy meant to her, especially from someone like Nicky. If someone as good and pure as Nicky could stand to touch her, even in consolation or pity, then maybe she wasn’t a complete monster. Maybe she could find redemption and peace some day.

“You may not want to hear this, but you are actually like her in many ways. I see her strength in the way you are determined to go up against Russell Tan, especially when you tried to do it by yourself. I see her compassion in the way you care for Mia and the fact that you stayed up tonight to watch after us all. I see her beauty and grace in the way you move your body and have control over your power and movements when you fight. She’s all around you, Zhilan. She’s in you and she would be proud of the person you have become.”

Zhilan didn’t even wipe away her tears this time. She let them fall. 

Nicky squeezed her hand and smiled when Zhilan squeezed back and inhaled sharply. 

“Now get some sleep, I’ll watch over us for a while.” Nicky told her.

Zhilan was just about to close her eyes when she saw a red dot on Nicky’s chest. Her eyes widened and she lunged at her; she knocked them both to the ground just as bullets shattered the glass above their heads.

“Snipers. They’re here. They found us.” Nicky said as she stared up at Zhilan who was laying on her; her body pressed against Nicky’s firmly.

Zhilan met her eyes and nodded. “Stay away from the windows.”

A few more shots rang through the otherwise eerily quiet darkness. The screams of the others notified them that they were all awake. And hopefully all still alive.

“Nicky?!” Althea’s voice called out.

“I’m here. Take cover.” Nicky said as Zhilan climbed slowly off of her and reached for her hand to pull her up with her. “Thank you for saving me.”

Zhilan smiled briefly and stepped away just as the door crashed open beside them. They immediately went to work disarming and fighting the guys as they entered. Nicky idly mused that they made a good team since they seemed to be aware of each other’s presence and movements. Maybe magic still connected them. Maybe it was something else. But as they stood back to back they efficiently took down guy after guy before any real damage was done. They were aware of the windows and tried to stay clear of them or lead the men attacking them into the opening and watched as they were shot down indiscriminately.

When the last shot rang out and numerous bodies lay on the floor, Nicky had barely broken a sweat and wasn’t breathing hard even though her heart rate had sky-rocketed. Not from physical effort, but from fear.

“Is everyone okay?” She called out and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw everyone crawl out of their hiding spaces.

“We don’t know how many snipers there are. We need to get to them. End this.” Zhilan said.

Nicky nodded in agreement.

“How fast can you run?” Zhilan asked with a raised eyebrow.

Nicky wasn’t sure if she was teasing or not, but she watched Zhilan hand Evan and Henry some of the guns she picked up from the bodies on the ground.

“Draw them out?” Nicky wondered.

“No.” Mia said as she approached them. “Russell Tan needs me alive…for now. Let me surrender myself.”

“Absolutely not.” Zhilan and Nicky growled in unison.

“I have my phone on me. Althea can track it. We don’t know where he’s been hiding. This is our best chance to find him. We said we wanted to take the fight to him. This is how we do it.”

“I don’t like it.” Ryan said.

Nicky studied Mia.

“Come on, the only reason you don’t like this plan is because you’re not the one sacrificing yourself.” Mia told her defiantly.

“She has a point.” Henry pointed out.

Zhilan smirked and Juliette rolled her eyes.

“I think it’s the best plan we have.” Juliette said evenly. “It will buy us some time. We already came up with a plan, we might as well execute it.”

Nicky was sure that “execute” was a deliberate word choice. But she could see that even if the others didn’t like the idea, that they trusted Nicky to keep Mia safe despite the fact that Mia seemed so intent on being reckless.

“I’ll go too.” Juliette confused Nicky with the offer.

“Why?”

“My father knows we’re together. Me staying behind will only make him send more people after all of you.”

“You think this …” Nicky gestured at the numerous bodies on the floor. “Was about you, and not Mia?”

“I think he needs Mia. But I also think he’s pissed that I defied him and lived to try again. He won’t make that same mistake next time.” Juliette spat out.

Nicky found herself feeling bad for her once again. Sending a dozen trained killers after his own daughter because she betrayed him seemed like overkill. But the fact that they didn’t succeed meant that maybe it was warranted.

“How do you know that the sniper won’t shoot you the moment you step out of that door?” Ryan asked.

“Because my father will want to do it himself. He’ll want to hold the knife…again…and stand over me as I die. Just to make sure it stuck this time.”

Before they could debate anymore, Mia hugged Nicky and Zhilan before she walked to the door.

“It’s Mia…I’m coming out. I’ll surrender…just please…please don’t hurt any more of my family.” She called loud enough to be heard.

They waited a few seconds before they heard a reply.

“Send one of our guys out with you. I need confirmation that you aren’t going to try anything.”

“That will be…impossible. Your guys are…indisposed.” Mia called back.

“Fuck.” They heard the sniper mutter.

“I’m going to come out. With Juliette. We won’t put up a fight. Just…don’t shoot.”

The sniper mumbled something about not getting paid enough. 

“Fine. Just…don’t try anything.”

Mia carefully opened the door and walked out with her hands up. Juliette slowly did the same, her hands not as high due to the pain shooting down her body from the wound in her stomach.

Three men came out of the bushes with their rifles raised and pointed at them.

“If they try to follow us, we’ll kill you both. No money is worth dying over. Russell Tan can fuck himself.”

Juliette couldn’t help chuckling at that. Her father was running out of people he could control. He was getting sloppy and erratic. He ruled through bribery and fear. And it seemed that people weren’t as scared of him as they used to be and they were worth more, too.

She figured she could have easily doubled her father’s offer and bought these guys off; but they needed to be taken back to her father. They needed to end this once and for all.

Mia held her hand as they marched toward the guys with guns. Whether Mia was putting on a show of cowering in fear and accepting certain defeat, or if she was really nervous about the plan they set in motion, she wasn’t sure. But she willingly accepted Mia’s hand in her own. She would be strong enough for both of them. She wouldn’t let her father hurt Mia, even if she had to die to save her.

The drive to her father’s house was silent. When they arrived, she frowned in confusion. She was sure her father would have gone into hiding or at least fled to one of his other properties. Why did he stay here? What was going on?

They climbed out of the car and were led through the house. It was eerily empty. It felt ominous. It felt wrong.

She tried to focus on assessing the situation. This had to be a trap. Her father had something up his sleeve and she couldn’t for the life of her figure out what it was. It unnerved her. There were no guards. No security at all. The cameras in the hallway seemed to be completely shut off. 

They were shoved unceremoniously into the large living room only to be met with a smiling…Kerwin.

“Kerwin? What the hell is going on?” She uttered with anger that faded into astonishment.

“Thank you. That’s all. Father has released you of your service and you are free to go.” Kerwin addressed the men behind her.

She heard muttered curses as they walked away. Soon it was just her, her brother and Mia.

“I’m so glad you survived, Juliette. I’ve been so worried.” He rushed to her but she instinctively stepped back and pulled Mia along with her.

“Tell me what the hell is happening.” She demanded.

“Father…he stabbed you. But then…” He glanced toward Mia and then his gaze fell back on Juliette. “I think we’re all on the same side now. Father needs to be stopped, surely even you agree now, sister.”

xxxx

They arrived at Russell Tan’s home and nothing seemed right. It all seemed wrong. Too quiet. Too easy.

Zhilan and Nicky led the others through the front doors. Nicky was uneasy because both Ryan and Althea refused to stay in the car. 

The men who took Mia and Juliette slowly approached them but their weapons weren’t drawn. Zhilan held daggers in both hands in preparation for a fight.

“Woah…” The lead sniper held up his hands. “It was nothing personal. We’ve been relieved of duty and just want to get the fuck out of here.”

They continued to walk toward them. 

“Don’t try anything.” Nicky warned but didn’t like the way this seemed to be playing out. They had planned for so many different contingencies. But none of them planned for surrender. It had to be a trap. What was Russell Tan playing at now?

“Shit! Fuck!” Another man yelled as he grabbed his leg.

One of Zhilan’s daggers was thrust into his thigh. She pulled it out nonchalantly.

She shrugged when she looked at Nicky. “I thought it was a trap.”

“Get out of here. Now. Go.” Nicky told the men urgently and they obeyed. Then she turned toward Henry and Ryan. “What do you guys think? Something isn’t right.”

“I’m with Zhilan.” Henry stated and then frowned. “That’s a sentence I never thought I’d say.”

Zhilan smirked.

“Let’s just stay together and make it out of this alive.” Nicky told them with more certainty that she felt inside.

Zhilan led the way and Nicky gratefully followed. “I don’t even know where to start.”

Nicky agreed. The house was huge. But there was a long hallway leading to a set of closed doors and that seemed to be where the men had come from. That had to be the best bet for now.

“Althea…can you still track Mia’s phone from yours?” Nicky asked.

“No need.” Althea answered and pointed in front of her. 

The doors opened and Mia, Juliette and Kerwin stood just in front of them. 

“Welcome. We’ve been waiting on you.” Kerwin said with a smile. 

“What the hell is going on?” Evan breathed out as they all walked forward.

Once they were inside the large living room, Kerwin went to work playing host and offered them all a drink. Of course they declined, they weren’t idiots. But they were impatient.

“Where’s father?” Juliette asked with boredom.

“That’s why I brought you here.” He told her. 

His smile was off putting. It didn’t fit with the dire situation at hand.

“ You did this?” Juliette demanded angrily.

“I didn’t send those assassins after you, if that’s what you mean. They had already left and I figured that…well, let’s just say I’d never bet against Nicky Shen. I knew you’d be okay. Especially since she had…help.”

His eyes traveled to Zhilan.

“I didn’t know how else to get you here fast enough.”

“Why are we here?” Zhilan asked impatiently.

“I drugged our father. Put something in his tea.” He told them.

Suddenly, they were all relieved that they hadn’t accepted his offer of a drink.

“I’ve been keeping him unconscious until you could help me figure out what to do with him. This is somewhat of a…hostile takeover.”

Juliette frowned and rubbed her temples. “Make it make sense, Kerwin.”

“I overheard everything. You had proof of what he’s done. You were going to take it to the board, but he convinced them you were crazy. I was going to help…but Mia showed up and everything went sideways. When I went to find you, you were gone. So I reviewed the footage and saw what he did to you. I made a plan. I knew he’d never suspect me because he thinks I’m incompetent. After I drugged him, I let everyone go. Told them it was over. Paid the ones on his payroll and those that were being coerced or blackmailed, I took care of it. Let them off the hook. They were happy to be free of our father.”

“Where is he now?” Ryan asked.

“Oh! He’s tied to a chair in the bathroom.” Kerwin answered proudly. He finally did something right.

He walked over to a door and opened it. 

Sure enough, Russell Tan was hunched over, unconscious, and tied to a chair. 

“So what do we do now?” Kerwin asked with wide eyes. “This is so far out of my wheelhouse.”

“You don’t say.” Juliette muttered with a raised eyebrow.

This did make things easier. They won. They had Russell Tan. No one was in danger. No more lives were lost. They were safe. All of them were safe.

But the answer remained. Now what?

Russell Tan remained unconscious and tied to a chair as they argued about what to do with him. Nicky wasn’t as surprised as she usually would be when Henry and Evan sided with Zhilan and Mia that Russell Tan needed to be taken out once and for all. The only issue to truly decide was which of them would do it and how.

Juliette was annoyed and impatient with the arguing. She walked behind her father’s unresponsive body and promptly, and without hesitation, snapped his neck.

“There. I solved your dilemma.” She announced to the room.

Ryan ran over to them and pressed his fingers to Russell’s neck to check for a pulse.

“No need. He’s dead.” Juliette reiterated with boredom. “You all decided it should be done, but none of you had the balls to do it.”

They stared at her wide-eyed. Except Zhilan, she nodded at her with respect.

“I have all of the evidence we need to prove what he’s been up to. It’s over.” She said as she held up her phone.

“No.” Nicky spoke firmly.

Juliette rolled her eyes. She expected this from her. Some push back. She opened her mouth to argue, but Nicky cut her off.

“We can’t release it. It will only martyr him. There will be others who want to dig into it and want to follow in his footsteps. If everything gets out in the open…the magic, Mia, guardians and warriors, the power over life and death, immortality…we can’t let that happen.”

“So what do you suggest?” Zhilan was the one who recovered from Nicky’s apparent 360 degree personality change the quickest.

“Evan, can you make sure no autopsy is done? We can say he died in his sleep. Heart attack or something.” Nicky offered.

Evan nodded. “He scared a lot of people into doing things he needed done. I think even my former boss would be happy to help us cover this up and make sure that no one else threatens her family just for more power.”

“So…what? We let him die a hero?” Juliette spat out with distaste and disgust.

“Not a hero. Just a man. You can take over the company just like you wanted. I thought you’d be happy with this decision. I thought it’d be what you wanted.”

“What I wanted was for my father to not be an asshole and to be the man I thought he was.” Juliette told her with irritation.

Nicky nodded in understanding. 

Juliette sighed. “I can’t take over the company. He convinced everyone on the board I was crazy and that I was working on a hostile takeover. If I suddenly inherit because he died mysteriously in his sleep, they will look into it.”

Nicky frowned because that made sense.

“Then it has to be Kerwin who takes over. You’ll have to stay out of it.” Zhilan sounded like she empathized with Juliette’s situation.

“I’ll get my shares, but not ownership. I can live with that. I’ll sell them off and be rid of my father and his legacy. I’ll make my own way, without that shame hanging over my head.” 

They stood around awkwardly. Kerwin looked at his sister and then Nicky.

“So…do we just…put his body…” He trailed off.

Juliette smirked at him. She was surprised he had the guts to go against their father at all. She was proud of him.

“I’ll help you carry him. Where’s the bedroom?” Evan offered.

He and Kerwin untied Russell’s dead body and carried him away.

“Kerwin came through. How about that.” Zhilan mused thoughtfully.

“Regretting that you betrayed him?” Juliette asked with a raised eyebrow and a knowing smirk.

“I’m sorry about all of that. I did care about him.”

“You just cared about your revenge more.” Juliette surmised.

Zhilan nodded. “Until I learned that there were better things to live for than revenge.”

“That’s true.” Juliette sighed. “I guess things didn’t really go according to plan. But it’s finally over.”

They all nodded silently. Relieved and exhausted.

“What about you?” Nicky asked as she looked at Zhilan. “The world thinks you're dead, you can be anyone you want to be. Go anywhere you want to go.”

Zhilan’s eyes met Nicky’s. “I have unfinished business here.”

Mia and Juliette shared a smile and Althea glanced at them before her eyes settled on her sister and Zhilan. She raised her eyebrows in surprise, but said nothing even though she was dying to comment on it. She grabbed her phone and texted Mia.

Juliette was right about Zhilan liking Nicky! 

Mia smiled and shrugged her shoulders in response. She kind of couldn’t help shipping them. Zhilan deserved good things and as far as Mia was concerned, Nicky was one of the best.

Her phone buzzed again with another text from Althea. Several texts in a row.

Do we ship it? 

Does Nicky know? 

Do we tell her?

Does Nicky like her back?

I have so many questions.

“Are you both literally texting each other right now? We’re in the same room? You’re like three feet away from each other.” Ryan asked with exasperation.

Nicky studied them. “They’re scheming.”

“Seriously? Already? We won. The threat is over. We saved the world. What could possibly have happened in the last two minutes that is so important?” Ryan wondered.

“What do we do now? After the magic and mystery and all the secrets…how do we go back to normal?” Henry asked. “Do we really all just go our separate ways?”

“Yes.” Zhilan said. “You can just go back to whatever you did before.”

He frowned and Althea tried to hide her laughter now that she understood Zhilan’s response was that of jealousy.

Mia awkwardly patted Henry on the arm in consolation. “We’re all still friends. Right? We don’t just save the world together and walk away.”

“Well, I mean, I will be rich really soon. I thought of using some of the money to rebuild the city that my father destroyed. Maybe help fund that clinic so you can keep it open, Ryan.” Juliette offered.

“Ooh…if you’re looking to invest in a new and wonderful start-up, I have a suggestion for you.” Althea walked over to her and threaded her arm through Juliette’s as she led her away and excitedly spoke about her company.

Nicky was surprised that Juliette listened and that she didn’t shove her away. She was preoccupied with watching them so she didn’t realize that Ryan and Henry had already walked away.

When she looked around, she realized that only Mia and Zhilan stood by her.

“So…how about we go to the restaurant and celebrate?” Nicky offered.

Mia’s eyes lit up, she was excited to see the rest of her family and celebrate with them. It felt great to be welcomed by them and part of something that made her feel so special.

Zhilan looked down sadly. This was where they parted ways. This was where she didn’t belong. With a family as great as the Shen’s, she knew she was an outcast—even if she was no longer seen as the enemy.

“Althea, finish your pitch at the restaurant. We’re hungry.” Nicky announced to her sister. Then she turned toward Zhilan. “You’ll love the dumplings. They’re the best in the whole city.”

Zhilan’s eyes widened. “Me? I’m invited?”

Nicky rolled her eyes. “You did help us save the world.”

She grabbed Zhilan’s hand and led her out of the room and down the empty hallway. Zhilan relished the feel of Nicky’s warm, soft fingers around her wrist. Yet, she slowly and carefully, adjusted her hand and threaded her fingers through Nicky’s to hold her hand properly. A slow, contented smile spread across her face when Nicky didn’t pull away. 

Mia smiled to herself as she watched them while she trailed behind them. She heard Althea and Juliette talking as they followed her. She knew that Ryan, Henry, Kerwin and Evan would be joining them later, as well as Dennis, and it all felt so perfect. She finally had a family. The most unconventional one, but one where she felt safe and loved and that was all that mattered. Her life was full and she was no longer alone. It was more than she could have ever hoped for and she was grateful that they all survived so she could properly enjoy it.