Team Forever - Chapter 60 (Final Chapter!)

by Tasha in the Southern Water Tribe, stalking Sokka

A/N: I added a short but important paragraph to the end of the last chapter (59). You don't need to re-read the whole chapter. Just go back and read the new bit at the end. (It's about Fay.)

Chapter 60

Egan fell to his knees, sobbing. He'd flown towards the distant forest until he'd lost all the animal energy that had filled him back at the barn.

"I'm a horrible person!" he wailed, his body wracked with sobs. "I let you die, Diane. It's my fault. It's all my fault! I can't do anything right!"

Tears streamed down his face. His body was filled with unbearable pain, both physical and emotional.

"I should have died instead of you," he whispered, clutching his head in his hands. "I should have died with you. I wish I were dead!"

Egan staggered to his feet, shaking. He felt as if he could hear Diane's dying sceams from this distance.

"I couldn't protect you. I wanted to protect you... and I failed."

Egan had reached the edge of a small clearing. A few ugly birds were devouring the rotting corpses that littered the field. A cry of pain escaped Egan as he imagined Diane's corpse, surrounded by cloaked men as vile and hungry as these birds.

Breathing hard, Egan pulled the Team Forever dagger from his belt and held it close to his neck, shaking.

"I wish I were dead," he cried, shaking harder.

"Egan!"

Egan started and dropped the dagger at the sound of his name.

"Diane?" he called, his voice cracking.

"No. Karen," Karen said as she ran up to Egan, arms outstreched.

She wrapped Egan in an embrace so tight he could hardly breath. He leaned into her, choking and gasping.

Karen ran her hand through Egan's shaggy blond hair. The front of her shirt was wet with tears as the two of them shamelessly mourned their losses.

"Shhh..." she whispered, dropping her cheek onto the top of his head.

* * *

They sat there, together, for hours. Finally, their shaky breathing returned to normal. The got up slowly, arms around each other.

Karen leaned down and picked up the dropped dagger.

"Where did you get this?" she asked, looking up into Egan's sad eyes.

"I got it from some thief. Why? Was it yours?"

"No. It was Noah's," Karen answered softly.

Egan hung his head.

"Noah's dead," he whispered.

If Karen had had any tears left, she would have shed them.

"Are you sure?" she asked in a tiny voice, although she already knew th answer.

"Yes," Egan answered, his voice equally strangled. "The Alliance killed him."

"The Alliance," Karen whispered, clenching her fists as she remembered what Jace had said.

She looked up at Egan again and asked, "What do you know about the Alliance?"

"Far too much," he answered.

Karen suddenly lifted the Team Forever dagger high above her head and said, "I think Team Forever has one more mission to accomplish."

"What?"

"We need to avenge Noah's death!"

"And Diane's..."

Karen looked over at Egan. The look in his eyes was one of pure toture.

She didn't dare ask.

"One more mission for Team Forever," Karen repeated, her face set in a determined frown.

Egan nodded and wrapped his fingers over Karen's fist. They looked up at the dark sky, both holding Noah's dagger.

Team Forever, together again.

To Be Continued...