The Beautiful Monster

"We're all family," he told her as he put his arm around Alyssa's shoulders. "And you and Tyler are welcome to come visit any time."

Melina smiled.

"We'll definitely take you up on that," she said with a nod. She then glanced behind her at Tyler as he drove the RV. "I should go sit with him."

Elias nodded, watching her crawl into the passenger seat before turning to Alyssa. He leaned his head against hers with a soft sigh.

"Finally, we get to go home soon," he said. He couldn't wait for things to go back to normal, but he also wanted some things to change as well.

He wanted to deepen his relationships. He didn't know how much he had left on this planet, and he wasn't going to waste a single second.

"To our own bed," Alyssa said with a coy smile.

Elias chuckled and nodded. He missed the little things too. As he gazed into her eyes, a surge of emotion struck him.

"I'm going to marry you," he told her, blurting the words out. He didn't even regret saying them right then.

He meant the words. He wanted to marry her and make her his wife because he loved her. He would do anything for her.

Alyssa's eyes shot open wide in shock.

"Really?" she asked him.

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Elias grinned and nodded as he placed his hands on her hips, drawing her body close to his.

"Really. I'd prepare for that if I were you," he warned her. He would drop the question soon, but he wanted the occasion to be special and after everything settled down.

One day, they would have their dream wedding with everyone that they loved there. He would proclaim his love for her in front of everyone, and they would get to have the happily ever after that they deserved.

Alyssa looked awed as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her forehead against his.

"I can't wait," she told him.

Elias couldn't wait either. If he had a ring on him, he would've dropped down to one knee and proposed to her right then, but he wanted to do this right.

He wanted to make that moment special and not in the middle of an RV.

"I love you. More than you know," he said to her. He couldn't wait to be back in New York with her so that they could live their lives again.

They had so many things to do, so many things to catch up on. It would be chaos at first, but once the dust settled, it would be paradise.

"I love you so much," Alyssa murmured, peering up into his eyes with a loving look. She shared a smile with him before lifting up on her toes and kissing him gently.

Elias closed his eyes, slipping into the sweetness of the kiss and not ever wanting to pull away.

She belonged in his arms, and he belonged wherever she was. His heart recognized no other love greater than the love that he felt for her.

********

With Scott's death, it was a sad homecoming. They were victorious in killing Alaric and saving the world, but they hadn't been able to save Scott too.

It was bittersweet for them, but they still planned to honor Scott at his funeral, which they did.

The entire family came out, filling the family's private graveyard as they surrounded a freshly dug grave and a sleek wooden coffin with Scott inside.

Some tears were shed, but pride was felt all around. Elias made sure that everyone knew about Scott's sacrifice and how he helped to save the world.

Killing Alaric was a team effort. Everyone played a part, whether they weakened Alaric, distracted him, or killed him.

Elias almost learned the hard way that killing Alaric wasn't a solo venture. He needed the help of his friends, and they stood by him in the end.

He couldn't begin to express his gratitude to them for all that they did and risked to help him take down Alaric.

Donning a black suit, Alaric stood near the front of the crowd, feeling Alyssa take his arm. He could tell that she still harbored some guilt, even when he told her that nothing was her fault.

If he found himself in the same position, he would feel the same way as her. All that he could do was comfort her and remind her that Scott made his own choices.

"Scott was a man of confidence and intelligence, but he was also a man of family," the speaker announced from in front of Scott's coffin.

Elias quietly nodded, glancing to his left to see Melina and Tyler standing next to him. It had been a week since they returned home. They hadn't all gone their separate ways yet.

They wanted to stay for Scott's funeral, but everyone would head home tomorrow. It was time for them to return to their own lives.

"Everyone knows that Scott had a tough outer shell. He didn't wear his heart on his sleeve, but he had a good heart. At the end of the day, he cared for those around him. He cared about the world," the speaker continued.

Maybe his words were a bit flowery, but the sentiment was nice. Everyone wanted to remember Scott in the nicest way possible.

Maybe he didn't care that much about the world, but he did care about his friends and his family. He just had a certain way of showing it.

"If anyone would like to say a few words, please come do so," the speaker said before moving out of the way.

Elias stood with the remainder of the group as Scott's parents spoke. Scott's mother spoke tearfully about how kind her son was deep down. Scott's father spoke about Scott's bravery with a tough face. Everyone could see right through him, though. He wanted to cry too.

"Anyone else?" the speaker asked.

Something compelled Elias to step forward. He slipped away from Alyssa's hold and walked toward Scott's coffin, pausing to place his hand on the sleek wooden top.

Scott didn't belong in there. He belonged with the group. With a small frown, Elias turned to face the crowd, his eyes sweeping over teary eyes and black clothes.

"As most of you know, Scott and I spent more time arguing than anything else," he said, eliciting some small laughs from the crowd.. "But he was there for me when I needed him the most."