Epilogue
MELODY - EIGHT MONTHS LATER
“Happy to report that Haven is adapting well to the new government situation,” Doc tells us over dinner.
He’d fabricated a medical emergency at FOS that he’d need to monitor for a few weeks as an excuse to get away and come visit.
The island is still mostly off of everyone’s radar, except a small number of people at FOS, plus Doc.
I feel a little bad sometimes keeping it a secret, but it’s for the best for now, and if anyone ever needed sanctuary here, of course we would offer it.
Maybe in a few years, no one will care whether Austin Traeger still lives or not, but for now, we’re happy to keep playing dead out here in our weird little piece of heaven in the middle of the apocalypse.
We haven’t only been hiding out and playing house.
We repaired the bridge on the other side of the island and started exploring that area.
We found more supplies, took out a shit ton of Bloodies, dealt with some inhuman humans who were sacrificing women to Bloody hordes kept in pits like some freak ass religious cult, but also saved a handful of good ones.
Those we made sure found their way to safety in Haven.
I have this perfect balance of still helping people and making the world safer, while also getting to have an amazing life with the man I love. Adventure and an anchor, what I’ve been craving for so long.
Doc has been regaling me with stories of Austin as a teenager and then young twenty-something idiot, and my cheeks hurt from smiling and my stomach from laughing.
Austin acts indignant during some of the more embarrassing stories, but overall, he’s a good sport and I know it makes him happy to finally be able to talk about his past, to relive good memories without guilt or fear.
“You know, that reminds me of a time when Mitch and Mel got themselves trapped under a desk in Senator Braden’s office when they snuck in there to hook up,” Jonah adds with a grin.
“Ok, first off, your husband was the one who dared us in the first place! And you were encouraging it, so don’t even act like you couldn’t control what he did. And secondly, how were we supposed to know that he was going to come in there and take a fucking nap on his couch for two hours!!”
Austin and Doc roar with laughter, and I throw a green bean at Jonah. He catches it and tosses it in his mouth, smirking at me. Mulligan comes in and I leap up.
“Gimme, gimme, gimme!” I exclaim, reaching my hands out to the wiggling baby in his arms. Doc watches on, a bittersweet smile on his face.
He’d tried so hard to save the baby’s mother—a young girl we’d found out on the road, eight months pregnant and not doing well—but there’s only so much he can do these days.
She would have needed specialists and an OR back in the real world, and even then, her chances would have been slim.
So, Doc had been left with a newborn who needed a home, and he’d immediately sent word to Jonah and Mulligan to see if they’d be interested.
They jumped at the chance. Jonah had always wanted kids but then Sean’s death and the end of the world and losing Gabby had put those plans on hold.
Mull hands baby Elliot over, and he smiles and giggles, reaching a chubby hand out to my cheek.
Being around Elliot has helped me heal in ways I didn’t expect.
Holding him, I allow myself to remember my own daughter like I haven’t in almost a decade.
It still hurts, of course, it always will, but it also makes me smile.
Austin meets my eyes, knowing exactly what’s going on in my head like he always does, and gives me a look, asking if I’m good.
I smile and nod as I rest Elliot’s head oh my shoulder and kiss his soft chocolate brown curls, rocking from foot to foot.
“Did we wake you up, little buddy?” I ask.
“Nah,” Mull assures us, leaning in to kiss Jonah before settling into my vacated chair, looking tired and worn, but happy. Austin fixes him a plate of food and slides it over. “He was out like a light, just decided he’d had enough sleep for now.”
“Doc, you need anything before we head out?” I ask, reluctantly relinquishing my nephew to Jonah.
“Nah, I’m all good here.” He’s staying here at Jonah and Mulligan’s since they chose one of the larger houses and Austin and I are still living happily in our little apartment.
Well, more space is really only half of the reason he chose to stay with Jonah instead.
He’d bunked down with us for a night but apparently Austin and I can’t keep quiet enough for his tastes.
Yes, I’m aware of the irony of that after my annoyance of how loud Austin and his girls were when I was in the suite next to his at FOS.
Austin gets up and wraps Doc in a hug, slapping him on the back a few times before doing the same to the other two men.
“I’ll see you two in the morning before I head back.
I’ll make sure to send Wynn back with some of the Oreos we found.
” My mouth practically waters at that. Wynn is out working on supply distributions and I made him promise to visit Abulea’s grave for me while was back at FOS.
She’d passed peacefully in her sleep about a month after our big fake shootout, but she knew the truth and I like to think that she died happy for us both.
I sing to doc, “Did you ever know that you’re my hero?”
Jonah covers his ears, and Mull covers Elliot’s. Doc and Austin wince dramatically.
“Very funny.” I roll my eyes but kiss all of the boys except Austin on the cheek—him I punch playfully in the stomach—before we head towards the door.
“Good night!” we all call to each other as Austin and I pull out of the driveway.
We make our way back home, windows down and breathing in the late summer air.
The oppressive heat finally broke about a week ago and now it’s damn near perfect.
I straighten when we pass Renee’s house and Austin slows the car.
“Hey!” I call out the window. Renee waddles down the driveway to my window, grinning.
“Hey yourself.” She waves to Austin and he asks how she’s feeling. “Like a whale,” she sighs, “but good. Doc checked me out earlier and said everything is looking great and on schedule.”
“You missed dinner, I’m sorry.”
She waves me off. “Not your fault I passed out for a nap at 4:30 in the afternoon”
“Well there’s plenty of food left, I’ll have Jonah bring some down for you.”
“He doesn’t have to—”
“Oh stop it. Food will be delivered soon, now get off your feet and rest.”
“Jackson is putting the crib together right now. I better go supervise.”
“I’ll come over tomorrow. Love you.”
“Love y’all too.” She steps away from the car and waves as we drive off.
“Did you ever think about it? Having kids again I mean?” he asks.
“Sometimes,” I admit. “Not in any real concrete way since I was very anti-relationship and happiness and all of that for so long.” He grins. “But yeah, I always wondered what it might be like to have that in my life again. What about you? Did you want kids?”
“I always did, but it wasn’t in the cards for me and Emily. Before the end of the world, I filled that place in my heart with all my students and players. Since then…I don’t know, I guess it’s still there.”
“Well,” I say slowly, letting the picture in my head settle a little more firmly. “I can’t have kids myself, but…if we ever came across a child who needed a home, I wouldn’t be opposed to giving that to them.” I peek at him, biting my lip. He turns to me and beams, reaching out to squeeze my hand.
“I like that plan.”
We pull up to the barn and he kills the engine.
We cleared away the burned skeleton of the main house but we haven’t quite figured out what we want to do yet.
We head upstairs, Austin’s fingers curled into the back pocket of my jeans, and I’m suddenly very much in the mood to play.
My lips curl as I kick off my shoes in the living room the way Austin hates, purposefully kicking them away from the bin.
I smile wider when I hear him exhale in exasperation behind me.
Things are amazing with us, but not perfect by any means.
We still argue and do things that drive each other crazy—sometimes on purpose because it’s oh so fun, and the “punishments” are so damn delicious—but I’m so incredibly happy it makes me sick sometimes.
“Melody,” he says, tone half warning, half sensual. I shiver at the sound. Speaking of those punishments…
I turn and walk backwards as he slowly stalks towards me, tugging his shirt off as he does. He knows exactly what game I’m playing and he’s all too happy to join in. I bite my lip at the sight, still as turned on by it now as I was the first time I ever saw it what feels like a lifetime ago.
“Yes?” I ask sweetly, unbuttoning my shorts and shimmying out of my cut offs without slowing my steps.
“Your shoes…” He eyes me, a sexy glint of mischief in the green that makes my stomach clench.
“Oh, silly me, did I leave those in the middle of the floor again?” I ask, tapping my chin.
I’m to the bedroom now, still slowly making my way backwards as he follows.
He unbuckles his belt with one hand, unbuttoning his jeans and unzipping his fly quickly after.
My ass hits the bed and he grips my waist, lifting me easily atop it.
He yanks my tank top off over my head and makes quick work of my bra before kissing me deeply as he moves me up the bed.
I’m breathless and writhing by the time he pins my hands above my head, quickly securing my wrists with the straps attached to the headboard.
We’ve made quite a few modifications to the apartment since moving in—floor to ceiling bookshelves, Polaroids of our family and friends in frames on the walls, a few new pieces of furniture pilfered from the other houses on the island—but this might just be one of my favorites.
He kisses down my throat and chest, purposely ignoring my aching nipples before continuing downward, trailing kisses over my stomach and waist. I wiggle and arch my hips, desperate for his tongue, but he only chuckles low.
“Oh no, sweetheart. Not yet.” His words are a rough caress that sends a deep shiver running up my spine. The dirty, dangerous promises that voice makes to my body…
He tugs my panties down my thighs and then secures each of my ankles to more straps connected to the footboard.
Now I’m pinned, wide open, ready to be used however he sees fit.
All of the possibilities flash through my mind and my body trembles.
I subtly rock my hips, needing him so fucking badly.
He studies me, a low moan rumbling through his chest.
“Already fucking wet for me, Melody?” he rasps, eyes locked between my thighs.
“Hmmm…” He reaches to the straps and pulls them tighter, spreading my legs farther apart.
I gasp. “There were go,” he rumbles. “Now, what am I going to do with you, baby?” He reaches out and runs a finger lightly down my pussy, making me moan loudly.
I try to buck. I try to move. But the straps hold me tightly in place.
It’s torture. It’s ecstasy. I can’t ever get enough of this, of Austin.
“Hmmm, I think maybe we need some help tonight.” My stomach clenches.
We may or may not have raided a sex shop a couple of months ago when we’d ventured off of the other side of the island, and come home with quite a few new, uh, friends for the bedroom.
He goes to the closet, and I smile in anticipation waiting to see what he comes back with. This is going to be a long, long night.
My smile only widens at the thought.
Hours later, I’m a boneless, sweaty mess sprawled across the bed on my stomach.
Austin slowly kisses up my spine before settling in beside me, rubbing my wrists gently where they’re red from the straps.
I don’t mind, but I love how he always takes care of me like this afterwards.
I think that he likes that I do it for him too.
I’ve come to learn that Austin is not a man who is used to being put first and taken care of.
It’s understandable with how he’s had to live his life for the last decade, but I make a point to take care of him every chance I get.
He deserves it. He deserves so much more for everything he sacrificed to make sure so many people were safe.
“Ok?” he asks, voice a little hoarse.
“Better than ok,” I whisper, still a little breathless. “But I’m still not putting my shoes in your dumb little bin.” He laughs lightly and kisses my shoulder.
“I would be devastated if you did.” I smile and muster the strength to roll onto my side so I can look at him. “There’s my girl,” he says quietly, brushing damn hair from my forehead.
“Always,” I assure him. I shift and settle my head on his chest, the steady beat of his heart quickly starting to lull me to sleep. He wraps an arm around my, pulling me tight against his side.
“Don’t read anything into this…” I tell him and I can feel more than hear his low chuckle. He kisses my head and I smile a soft, easy smile that I thought I’d lost for good all those years ago. I can hear the smile in his own voice when he responds.
“Wouldn’t dream of it, Melody Traeger. Wouldn’t fucking dream of it, baby.”