Fic
Title: The Fight
Written By: rhiannonhero
Category: General
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: T?WT? of course. Thanks to peggin, von_questenberg, supergrover24 and _alicesprings for the feedback, beta, and fic ideas. You guys are the best!
Luke’s been living with Reid for about three weeks when they have their first fight. It’s unexpected, out of the blue, and Luke has forgotten that Reid can be such a jerk.
As it happens, Casey is visiting from Carbondale, and he’s dropped by to spend the day with Luke playing video games, and messing around, trying to recapture their youth. Casey’s got his underwear on his head as the consequence of losing the eleventh out of twenty rounds, and Luke’s feeling giddy from the amount of cola he’s had and the thrill of victory, when Reid comes banging in through the front door, glaring and tense.
“What the hell-“ Reid says by way of greeting, tossing his keys aside. “Turn that crap down. Better yet, turn it off.”
“Hey,” Luke grins. “You’re home!” He stands up, tosses the controller aside, and heads over to kiss Reid hello, feeling pretty darn proud to show off his awesome boyfriend and his awesome life in front of Casey.
“Yeah, I’m home, hooray,” Reid says gruffly, and passes by Luke, rebuffing his welcome.
Luke turns on his heel to watch Reid start to open and close cabinets in the kitchen. Loudly. Casey takes the underwear from his head, and darts his eyes between Luke and Reid, obviously uncomfortable.
Luke cringes when Casey tries to take the initiative by saying, “Reid, man, good to see you.”
“I thought you moved away,” Reid says, turning to the refrigerator and staring inside.
“Casey’s visiting his folks.”
“Then shouldn’t he be with his folks?”
“I invited him for dinner,” Luke says.
Reid slams the refrigerator door shut and looks daggers at Luke. “Enjoy that. I’ll be in the bedroom.”
“Reid,” Luke says, as Reid stalks down the hall, but Reid doesn’t say anything at all, just slams the door loud enough that the dishes rattle in the cupboard.
“So, what’s up with him?” Casey asks.
“I…don’t know,” Luke says.
***
Luke stands with his arms crossed over his chest. He’s full of righteous indignation as he watches Reid shower. So far, since Luke has come into the bathroom, Reid hasn’t said anything at all.
“Reid, what’s wrong?” Luke demands and his voice echoes off the bathroom tiles.
Reid says nothing, soaps up his hair, and begins to rinse it out.
“I get it, okay? I should have asked before inviting someone to dinner. But, seriously, Reid, couldn’t you have at least attempted to be civil? I want Casey to like you.”
“You didn’t pick up the peanut butter, or the mustard, or the bologna,” Reid says.
“I forgot. I was busy.”
“Playing asinine video games with the Littlest Hughes,” Reid says, getting out of the shower, and grabbing a towel to wrap around his waist. “Meanwhile, I was having an excruciatingly long day poking around in the brain of a twelve year old child.”
Luke follows Reid from the bathroom to the bedroom, watching as Reid slumps down on the edge of the bed without bothering to turn on either lamp. In the diffuse light from the blinds, Luke sees the water from Reid’s hair run down over his nose, and he waits. The wind is gone from Luke’s sails now, all of the self-righteousness draining away with Reid’s words. Reid hasn’t said it, but Luke knows what’s going on now. He just doesn’t know if Reid is going to tell him, or if he’ll have to drag it out of him.
Luke sits down on the bed beside Reid, and after a few seconds says, “Don’t push me away, Reid,” Luke says. “Please.”
Reid sighs, rubs a hand over his face and says, “Don’t be so dramatic. I’m not kicking you out. I just wanted to come home to you and eat a damn sandwich, and instead….”
Luke nods, tries to imagine what Reid’s been through during the day, and says, “I’m sorry. Next time I’ll do better.”
Reid scoffs. “Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault. How could you have…look, she was twelve, and she reminded me of Natalie. I failed.”
“Reid, no-“
“I failed and she died, and how could you have known? I was an ass. Tell your friend I’m sorry.”
Reid falls back on the bed, and Luke follows him down, resting his head on Reid’s still wet chest, listening to his beating heart.
“She was blonde and her mother…” Reid sighs. “I hate telling the family. I’m heartless and callous, and that still gets to me…when it’s a kid.”
“You’re not heartless,” Luke murmurs. “I can hear it beating right now.”
Reid snorts.
“You care. That’s what makes you such an amazing doctor.”
Reid cradles Luke’s head to his chest, and sighs. Luke thinks that Reid’s probably debating whether to argue Luke’s point, to try to convince him that it’s only his genius that makes him an amazing doctor. When Reid doesn’t say anything, Luke thinks it’s probably because he’s got Reid’s number, and Reid knows that Luke won’t believe him anyway.
As Reid breathes in and out slowly, Luke holds on tight, waiting until he hears the change in Reid’s breathing, the slow in and out of sleep. Luke slowly dislodges himself, and goes out to the kitchen. He grabs a pen and a piece of paper, and he writes:
I’m at the store and will be back shortly. I love you, Dr. Oliver. Luke
He doubts that Reid will even be awake before he returns, but he doesn’t want Reid to worry if, by chance, he does.
As Luke takes the stairs down to the garage level where he parked his car the night before, he dials Casey to explain.
“So, did you guys break up?” Casey asks before Luke even says a word.
“What? No, of course not, jerk. Why would you even say that?”
Casey laughs. “Because you and Noah broke up all the time. I figured it was probably the same with Dr. Meanie Face.”
Luke remembers what Reid had said about just wanting to come home to him, and how Reid had held him tightly in his frustration and sadness over his failure to save the little girl. Reid doesn’t need space when something goes wrong, nor does he need some time to deal with his frustration on his own. No, he wants Luke, and Luke wants to be there for him.
Luke smiles sadly, and says, “Yeah, well, that was Noah. This is Reid. They’re nothing alike.”
“So I gathered, man. So I gathered.”
“What’s that supposed mean?” Luke asks, feeling a little defensive of Reid and their relationship.
Casey had been around for most of his time with Noah, and he’d considered Noah a friend. But Casey doesn’t know Reid at all, except through unpleasant hospital run-ins before he left town, and whatever the rumor mill feeds him. Not to mention, Reid’s behavior earlier wasn’t exactly stellar or likely to win over Casey’s opinion if it was negative.
“Nothing, bro,” Casey says. “Just that you and Noah were a mess man, and, from what I hear, you and Reid…aren’t.”
“From what you hear?” Luke asks. “Who’s gossiping with you about me and Reid?”
“Well, your mother for one,” Casey laughs. “And, dude, when she came out batting on Team Reid, I was shocked. You know how much she loved Noah.”
“You know, I don’t even know what to say right now,” Luke says, getting in his car and starting the engine. “Oh, wait, yeah I do. What were you doing talking to my mother about this stuff? Should I call your mom up and talk to her about Alison?”
“N’aww, Lukey’s mad,” Casey mocks. “Scared I’ll tell his mommy about all the dirty things the boys do to him? Um, ew.” Casey clears his throat. “I need to forget I just said that.”
“So you’ve been giving that some thought, huh, Case? Curious about what we do over here on the other team?”
“Stop it, dude. Stop it right now, or I’ll…I’ll…”
“You’ll what? Talk to my mother about my personal life?”
“You make it sound like something nefarious! It was like in the middle of Olde Towne. She was trying to find you guys a housewarming gift and asked me if I knew what Reid would like.”
Luke rolls his eyes. They have a registry for just this reason. Reid had protested and bitched and moaned, saying, “We’re moving in, not getting married.”
But Luke had insisted, “People are going to want to buy us things, Reid. Unless you want a hundred things you don’t want, let’s do a registry.”
Reid hadn’t added much to it, just a soup bowl shaped like a brain. Luke hadn’t been able to resist buying it the next day, and now Reid happily slurps lumpy vegetable soup while murmuring, “Mmm, brains.” It always makes Luke laugh.
Everything else on the registry Reid had veto power over, but he mainly just shrugged and agreed to anything Luke suggested. And yet, somehow, despite having told his mother about the registry at least four times, she was out trying to buy them something they wouldn’t want or need.
“And what did you tell her? Condoms?”
“Oh, you know it,” Casey says. “Of course not, dude. I said I didn’t know Reid at all and that if she wanted to know what Noah would like I could tell her. She’d laughed and said if it were Noah, she’d have no problem buying for him, either. And then I asked if she’d heard from Noah.”
“What did she say?” Luke asks, suddenly very curious. He hasn’t heard from Noah, actually, and he has no idea if his mother is in contact with him or not.
“She said that she had, yeah, but that she’s glad things are over between the two of you. She said you are so much happier with Reid that you seem like a different person, and that Reid has turned out to be a very wonderful, loving man to you - her words, dude - and she couldn’t be happier with how things ended up.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously,” Casey replies.
“Well…” Luke says. “I guess that’s…okay then.”
“Ha! You totally thought I was being a gossipy bitch with your mom!”
“So?” Luke says. “I wouldn’t put it past you.”
“Or her,” Casey says.
“Exactly.”
“So, I have to say, I know I don’t know the guy, but Reid seems like a jerk. What’s the deal there? And if it has to do with the bedroom then forget I asked.”
Luke laughs. “Well, the bedroom sure isn’t bad. But we’re just compatible in ways that Noah and I never were.”
Luke closes his eyes and remembers Reid holding onto him. Reid had lost a patient, and the only thing he wanted was Luke. And a sandwich. But mainly Luke. When Noah lost something or was hurting, Luke was the last thing he wanted in the world.
“Noah and I, we weren’t right for each other,” Luke says.
“Well,” Casey clears his throat again. “Things change. I just remember how much you guys loved each other.”
“Yeah, well…” Luke runs his hand through his hair and skirts the issue of whether or not Noah loved him. The fact that Luke has come to believe that Noah never did actually love him, not the way they both wanted to pretend he had anyway, is still so humiliating that Luke can’t let himself dwell on it too much. He knows the truth, though, even if Noah doesn’t want to admit it yet, or ever. “So, you’ll still be around tomorrow, right? You’re not leaving for Carbondale until Wednesday, right? Want to meet up at Java in the morning?”
“Will Reid be there?”
“Probably. But, really, Casey, the next time you see him, he’ll be…well, he’ll probably be a jerk. But I love him, Casey. I love him a lot.”
Casey laughs and says, “You’ve got it so bad. Your face when he came in. It was like Christmas came early. It was…kinda gross. Made me throw up a little in my mouth.”
“Shut up,” Luke chuckles, and says. “You’re such a jerk.”
“So’s your boyfriend.”
“I guess I have a type then.”
“Oooh, I always knew you wanted my body,” Casey says, teasing.
“You know it’s true,” Luke laughs.
Luke makes the plan to see Casey the next morning at Java, possibly with Reid in tow for a fresh start, and finally pulls out of the parking garage to head to the store.
***
Two hours later, Luke’s got Reid’s sandwich made and he carefully opens the door to the bedroom, not wanting to wake Reid if he’s still asleep.
“Is that a sandwich?” Reid asks groggily.
“Ham, bologna, and bacon with extra mayo and mustard, just the way you like it,” Luke says, sitting it on the bedside table. “I’ll get some water and be right back.”
But Reid grabs Luke’s arm and tugs him down to sit on the bed.
“Come here,” Reid says. “Are you okay?”
Luke runs his hand over Reid’s bare chest and over his shoulders. “I should be asking you that, Reid. Are you okay?”
“I will be.” He shakes his head like he’s shaking it off. “It’s part of it. I’ll learn from this failure and….” Reid trails off. He scratches his nose and says, “I was a jerk to you and your friend.”
“Yeah, you were. But I don’t care. I should have asked you before I had him -“
“No,” Reid says. “I’m not your keeper, Luke.” Reid shakes his head, dismissing Luke’s words. “This is your home, and you should have your friend over whenever you want.”
Luke smiles at him, and kisses his mouth softly.
“I’m worried about you,” Luke says, running his fingers through Reid’s curls. “I don’t like seeing you so upset.”
Reid takes a breath like he’s going to say something, but instead pulls Luke down on top of him, and Luke rubs his chin and cheek across Reid’s chest, and then moves up to kiss his neck.
“I love you,” Luke says.
“I love you, too,” Reid murmurs, and Luke sighs, content to be in Reid’s arms.
This isn’t something that Luke’s used to: a fight that ends almost as soon as it begins. He’s not used to feeling so loved and precious after he’s done something that unexpectedly angers the man he loves, but he’s ready to get used to it. He’s ready for this to be the norm, and ready to know that he deserves it.
THE END
Written By: rhiannonhero
Category: General
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: T?WT? of course. Thanks to peggin, von_questenberg, supergrover24 and _alicesprings for the feedback, beta, and fic ideas. You guys are the best!
Luke’s been living with Reid for about three weeks when they have their first fight. It’s unexpected, out of the blue, and Luke has forgotten that Reid can be such a jerk.
As it happens, Casey is visiting from Carbondale, and he’s dropped by to spend the day with Luke playing video games, and messing around, trying to recapture their youth. Casey’s got his underwear on his head as the consequence of losing the eleventh out of twenty rounds, and Luke’s feeling giddy from the amount of cola he’s had and the thrill of victory, when Reid comes banging in through the front door, glaring and tense.
“What the hell-“ Reid says by way of greeting, tossing his keys aside. “Turn that crap down. Better yet, turn it off.”
“Hey,” Luke grins. “You’re home!” He stands up, tosses the controller aside, and heads over to kiss Reid hello, feeling pretty darn proud to show off his awesome boyfriend and his awesome life in front of Casey.
“Yeah, I’m home, hooray,” Reid says gruffly, and passes by Luke, rebuffing his welcome.
Luke turns on his heel to watch Reid start to open and close cabinets in the kitchen. Loudly. Casey takes the underwear from his head, and darts his eyes between Luke and Reid, obviously uncomfortable.
Luke cringes when Casey tries to take the initiative by saying, “Reid, man, good to see you.”
“I thought you moved away,” Reid says, turning to the refrigerator and staring inside.
“Casey’s visiting his folks.”
“Then shouldn’t he be with his folks?”
“I invited him for dinner,” Luke says.
Reid slams the refrigerator door shut and looks daggers at Luke. “Enjoy that. I’ll be in the bedroom.”
“Reid,” Luke says, as Reid stalks down the hall, but Reid doesn’t say anything at all, just slams the door loud enough that the dishes rattle in the cupboard.
“So, what’s up with him?” Casey asks.
“I…don’t know,” Luke says.
***
Luke stands with his arms crossed over his chest. He’s full of righteous indignation as he watches Reid shower. So far, since Luke has come into the bathroom, Reid hasn’t said anything at all.
“Reid, what’s wrong?” Luke demands and his voice echoes off the bathroom tiles.
Reid says nothing, soaps up his hair, and begins to rinse it out.
“I get it, okay? I should have asked before inviting someone to dinner. But, seriously, Reid, couldn’t you have at least attempted to be civil? I want Casey to like you.”
“You didn’t pick up the peanut butter, or the mustard, or the bologna,” Reid says.
“I forgot. I was busy.”
“Playing asinine video games with the Littlest Hughes,” Reid says, getting out of the shower, and grabbing a towel to wrap around his waist. “Meanwhile, I was having an excruciatingly long day poking around in the brain of a twelve year old child.”
Luke follows Reid from the bathroom to the bedroom, watching as Reid slumps down on the edge of the bed without bothering to turn on either lamp. In the diffuse light from the blinds, Luke sees the water from Reid’s hair run down over his nose, and he waits. The wind is gone from Luke’s sails now, all of the self-righteousness draining away with Reid’s words. Reid hasn’t said it, but Luke knows what’s going on now. He just doesn’t know if Reid is going to tell him, or if he’ll have to drag it out of him.
Luke sits down on the bed beside Reid, and after a few seconds says, “Don’t push me away, Reid,” Luke says. “Please.”
Reid sighs, rubs a hand over his face and says, “Don’t be so dramatic. I’m not kicking you out. I just wanted to come home to you and eat a damn sandwich, and instead….”
Luke nods, tries to imagine what Reid’s been through during the day, and says, “I’m sorry. Next time I’ll do better.”
Reid scoffs. “Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault. How could you have…look, she was twelve, and she reminded me of Natalie. I failed.”
“Reid, no-“
“I failed and she died, and how could you have known? I was an ass. Tell your friend I’m sorry.”
Reid falls back on the bed, and Luke follows him down, resting his head on Reid’s still wet chest, listening to his beating heart.
“She was blonde and her mother…” Reid sighs. “I hate telling the family. I’m heartless and callous, and that still gets to me…when it’s a kid.”
“You’re not heartless,” Luke murmurs. “I can hear it beating right now.”
Reid snorts.
“You care. That’s what makes you such an amazing doctor.”
Reid cradles Luke’s head to his chest, and sighs. Luke thinks that Reid’s probably debating whether to argue Luke’s point, to try to convince him that it’s only his genius that makes him an amazing doctor. When Reid doesn’t say anything, Luke thinks it’s probably because he’s got Reid’s number, and Reid knows that Luke won’t believe him anyway.
As Reid breathes in and out slowly, Luke holds on tight, waiting until he hears the change in Reid’s breathing, the slow in and out of sleep. Luke slowly dislodges himself, and goes out to the kitchen. He grabs a pen and a piece of paper, and he writes:
I’m at the store and will be back shortly. I love you, Dr. Oliver. Luke
He doubts that Reid will even be awake before he returns, but he doesn’t want Reid to worry if, by chance, he does.
As Luke takes the stairs down to the garage level where he parked his car the night before, he dials Casey to explain.
“So, did you guys break up?” Casey asks before Luke even says a word.
“What? No, of course not, jerk. Why would you even say that?”
Casey laughs. “Because you and Noah broke up all the time. I figured it was probably the same with Dr. Meanie Face.”
Luke remembers what Reid had said about just wanting to come home to him, and how Reid had held him tightly in his frustration and sadness over his failure to save the little girl. Reid doesn’t need space when something goes wrong, nor does he need some time to deal with his frustration on his own. No, he wants Luke, and Luke wants to be there for him.
Luke smiles sadly, and says, “Yeah, well, that was Noah. This is Reid. They’re nothing alike.”
“So I gathered, man. So I gathered.”
“What’s that supposed mean?” Luke asks, feeling a little defensive of Reid and their relationship.
Casey had been around for most of his time with Noah, and he’d considered Noah a friend. But Casey doesn’t know Reid at all, except through unpleasant hospital run-ins before he left town, and whatever the rumor mill feeds him. Not to mention, Reid’s behavior earlier wasn’t exactly stellar or likely to win over Casey’s opinion if it was negative.
“Nothing, bro,” Casey says. “Just that you and Noah were a mess man, and, from what I hear, you and Reid…aren’t.”
“From what you hear?” Luke asks. “Who’s gossiping with you about me and Reid?”
“Well, your mother for one,” Casey laughs. “And, dude, when she came out batting on Team Reid, I was shocked. You know how much she loved Noah.”
“You know, I don’t even know what to say right now,” Luke says, getting in his car and starting the engine. “Oh, wait, yeah I do. What were you doing talking to my mother about this stuff? Should I call your mom up and talk to her about Alison?”
“N’aww, Lukey’s mad,” Casey mocks. “Scared I’ll tell his mommy about all the dirty things the boys do to him? Um, ew.” Casey clears his throat. “I need to forget I just said that.”
“So you’ve been giving that some thought, huh, Case? Curious about what we do over here on the other team?”
“Stop it, dude. Stop it right now, or I’ll…I’ll…”
“You’ll what? Talk to my mother about my personal life?”
“You make it sound like something nefarious! It was like in the middle of Olde Towne. She was trying to find you guys a housewarming gift and asked me if I knew what Reid would like.”
Luke rolls his eyes. They have a registry for just this reason. Reid had protested and bitched and moaned, saying, “We’re moving in, not getting married.”
But Luke had insisted, “People are going to want to buy us things, Reid. Unless you want a hundred things you don’t want, let’s do a registry.”
Reid hadn’t added much to it, just a soup bowl shaped like a brain. Luke hadn’t been able to resist buying it the next day, and now Reid happily slurps lumpy vegetable soup while murmuring, “Mmm, brains.” It always makes Luke laugh.
Everything else on the registry Reid had veto power over, but he mainly just shrugged and agreed to anything Luke suggested. And yet, somehow, despite having told his mother about the registry at least four times, she was out trying to buy them something they wouldn’t want or need.
“And what did you tell her? Condoms?”
“Oh, you know it,” Casey says. “Of course not, dude. I said I didn’t know Reid at all and that if she wanted to know what Noah would like I could tell her. She’d laughed and said if it were Noah, she’d have no problem buying for him, either. And then I asked if she’d heard from Noah.”
“What did she say?” Luke asks, suddenly very curious. He hasn’t heard from Noah, actually, and he has no idea if his mother is in contact with him or not.
“She said that she had, yeah, but that she’s glad things are over between the two of you. She said you are so much happier with Reid that you seem like a different person, and that Reid has turned out to be a very wonderful, loving man to you - her words, dude - and she couldn’t be happier with how things ended up.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously,” Casey replies.
“Well…” Luke says. “I guess that’s…okay then.”
“Ha! You totally thought I was being a gossipy bitch with your mom!”
“So?” Luke says. “I wouldn’t put it past you.”
“Or her,” Casey says.
“Exactly.”
“So, I have to say, I know I don’t know the guy, but Reid seems like a jerk. What’s the deal there? And if it has to do with the bedroom then forget I asked.”
Luke laughs. “Well, the bedroom sure isn’t bad. But we’re just compatible in ways that Noah and I never were.”
Luke closes his eyes and remembers Reid holding onto him. Reid had lost a patient, and the only thing he wanted was Luke. And a sandwich. But mainly Luke. When Noah lost something or was hurting, Luke was the last thing he wanted in the world.
“Noah and I, we weren’t right for each other,” Luke says.
“Well,” Casey clears his throat again. “Things change. I just remember how much you guys loved each other.”
“Yeah, well…” Luke runs his hand through his hair and skirts the issue of whether or not Noah loved him. The fact that Luke has come to believe that Noah never did actually love him, not the way they both wanted to pretend he had anyway, is still so humiliating that Luke can’t let himself dwell on it too much. He knows the truth, though, even if Noah doesn’t want to admit it yet, or ever. “So, you’ll still be around tomorrow, right? You’re not leaving for Carbondale until Wednesday, right? Want to meet up at Java in the morning?”
“Will Reid be there?”
“Probably. But, really, Casey, the next time you see him, he’ll be…well, he’ll probably be a jerk. But I love him, Casey. I love him a lot.”
Casey laughs and says, “You’ve got it so bad. Your face when he came in. It was like Christmas came early. It was…kinda gross. Made me throw up a little in my mouth.”
“Shut up,” Luke chuckles, and says. “You’re such a jerk.”
“So’s your boyfriend.”
“I guess I have a type then.”
“Oooh, I always knew you wanted my body,” Casey says, teasing.
“You know it’s true,” Luke laughs.
Luke makes the plan to see Casey the next morning at Java, possibly with Reid in tow for a fresh start, and finally pulls out of the parking garage to head to the store.
***
Two hours later, Luke’s got Reid’s sandwich made and he carefully opens the door to the bedroom, not wanting to wake Reid if he’s still asleep.
“Is that a sandwich?” Reid asks groggily.
“Ham, bologna, and bacon with extra mayo and mustard, just the way you like it,” Luke says, sitting it on the bedside table. “I’ll get some water and be right back.”
But Reid grabs Luke’s arm and tugs him down to sit on the bed.
“Come here,” Reid says. “Are you okay?”
Luke runs his hand over Reid’s bare chest and over his shoulders. “I should be asking you that, Reid. Are you okay?”
“I will be.” He shakes his head like he’s shaking it off. “It’s part of it. I’ll learn from this failure and….” Reid trails off. He scratches his nose and says, “I was a jerk to you and your friend.”
“Yeah, you were. But I don’t care. I should have asked you before I had him -“
“No,” Reid says. “I’m not your keeper, Luke.” Reid shakes his head, dismissing Luke’s words. “This is your home, and you should have your friend over whenever you want.”
Luke smiles at him, and kisses his mouth softly.
“I’m worried about you,” Luke says, running his fingers through Reid’s curls. “I don’t like seeing you so upset.”
Reid takes a breath like he’s going to say something, but instead pulls Luke down on top of him, and Luke rubs his chin and cheek across Reid’s chest, and then moves up to kiss his neck.
“I love you,” Luke says.
“I love you, too,” Reid murmurs, and Luke sighs, content to be in Reid’s arms.
This isn’t something that Luke’s used to: a fight that ends almost as soon as it begins. He’s not used to feeling so loved and precious after he’s done something that unexpectedly angers the man he loves, but he’s ready to get used to it. He’s ready for this to be the norm, and ready to know that he deserves it.
THE END