The Park, Monday Evening

[endsthegame]

Some would rejoice, others would cry, and a good chunk of Fandom's population would probably wind up with mixed feelings. This portal had brought the children onto the island but two nights ago, and now it had reversed the polarity of the neutron flow returned to take them back

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[nimeni]

Even if he hadn't had children last year, he knew this was coming. So, when Dorian mentioned it at dinner, Bod knew it was time to send the little boy back home to his actual parents.

There was something about this that was twisting Bod's stomach up but he merely looked a little sad though nothing too bad. He'd missed the little guy.

[vanillajello]

Kate would miss him too, for a whole variety of reasons. It had been an incredibly stressful few days, but... Some parts of it had been better than anything she'd had lately. She looked a little sad too, and wasn't bothering to hide it, not even from the adorable, bouncy child in her arms.

"That's a portal!" Dorian declared helpfully, pointing at said floaty glowy thing.

[nimeni]

"It is," Bod said, smiling over at him. "Your mum and I have both been through them several times before. That's where you have to go so you can get back home to your parents. I bet they miss you."

[puddingordeath]

"They dooo," Dorian crowed, putting his arms around Kate's neck. Hey, his parents had never been stingy with telling him they cared about him. "But I don't miss them cuz you're here!"

Kate kept quiet, just got her arm a little more securely around the boy.

[brat_inslayage]

Kennedy had known this was coming, and it would be a lie to say she wasn't relieved when the kids indicated it was time for them to head back. A little sorry to let them go, sure, but hey, they'd get their time back, future-them got their kids back, it was a fair exchange all around.

So she was hanging onto Miraya's hand as they headed for the park; she was a great kid-- they both were, and so was Des-- and pretty good at her fighting moves already, even if she did seem to expect Kennedy to be a lot faster than she really was. (That was an interesting detail. She'd be wondering about that one.)

"Make sure to tell us we took care of you, yeah?" she asked the kids.

[life_inshadow]

"And don't do magic with candy again, Asher," Tara added, squeezing Asher's hand. He was adorable, and she was astounded she got a family as solid as they seemed to be in the future. And some part of her wondered what had happened to Rosemary.

Still. The portal was there; it was time. Someday, maybe, she'd see the kids again. She could hope.

"It's a waste of candy," she finished.

[butalljrscooby]

"I just wanted to see if it would work," Asher told her. "Just in case!"

"And nothing got hurt, either." That was Miraya, of course, coming to her brother's defense, although she couldn't help adding in a whisper, "See? Waste of candy, told you!"

"I know, I know," Asher replied, then pointed at the portal. "Should I check an' see if it's safe this time, Mom? Just to be sure?"

[life_inshadow]

"How about I help you check?" Tara suggested, since that seemed safest all around. "We can hold hands and ... did I teach you a spell?"

Look, portal safety checks weren't exactly the kind of thing she knew off the top of her head.

[just_add_starch]

Fraser had done this once before but it still didn't mean he was looking forward to it. BJ was a good kid and he deserved to be with his actual parents.

"You be on your best behavior, BJ," Fraser instructed him. "And make sure you keep learning as much as you can."

[thedrugsnamedme]

"Okay Daddy," BJ declared, hanging off his father's arm. "Can I have a popsicle afore I go?"

...random, BJ. Random.

[just_add_starch]

"I don't think we have any popsicles out here," Fraser said apologetically. "Can you maybe have one when you get back home?"

[thedrugsnamedme]

"Red ones?" he asked hopefully. "I can share with the dogs!"

[notagoose]

Goose knew that this moment would have to come but it didn't mean he'd have to like it, he hadn't thought of himself as being good parent material but seeing Max and Josie from at least one universe where he'd had children, it made him have hope that everything was going to turn out alright.

"Are you ready?" he asked quietly, still not willing to let go of their hands.

[tinytroopers]

"No," Josie knew that the portal would take her back to where she was supposed to be and her real mom and dad would be there, but she liked being in Fandom and didn't want to say goodbye to her dad who was here.

[tinytroopers]

Max didn't say anything he just moved in closer to his dad.

[imcalledandros]

This was the part that Andros hated the most, as they approached the portal, Tahlia held on tight to him, unwillingly to let go.

"I guess this is goodbye," Andros said quietly.

[dadcalledandros]

"Yeah," Tahlia said, looking down at the ground, "do I really have to go?"