[ If only there was a switch that could be flipped that would see this nightmare come to an end. But skipping past the difficult parts, as tempting as that is, might make the payoff feel cheap. But then again, all Alan knows is that he doesn't care if the payoff is cheapened; it wouldn't be, in his eyes. He's been fighting this for so long that all he wants is for it to be over.

There is no magical switch that can transport all of them to the end of the story and the last defeat of the Dark Presence, and it's pointless to wish for one, but still- the thought exists in Alan's mind. ]

One day, we'll be free of it. The nightmare will be over, and you- we'll go home. [ He knows she'll zero in on that slip of the tongue, but a part of him still wonders if the price to pay to end the story will mean he doesn't come home. He can't talk about that with her, of course, because he knows what her response will be. It's just that he keeps it in the back of his mind as a possible end to all this horror. ]

We'll go home, and we'll have the life we wanted. Together.

[ His eyes shift to meet hers when her hands move to hold his face, and his mouth turns up into a small smile in return. It's a small one, but it's not any less loving or meaningful, because he loves her. He'll always love her, even if the story pushes them apart at the end. ]