Epilogue Pt 2

A soft knock rapped on the door. Rikki smoothed her shirt, took a deep breath, and pulled the door open with a wide, hopeful smile.

"Hey," she breathed.

Finn stood in the hallway. He looked exhausted. There were dark circles under his eyes that mirrored her own, and his shoulders were slumped in a way she rarely saw. He was wearing his favorite flannel shirt, but he looked smaller inside it today.

"Hey, Rikki," he said. His voice was quiet. Flat.

"Come in," she said, stepping back to let him pass. "I made coffee. And I cleaned. I know the place was a disaster zone, but I'm... I'm doing better. Really."

Finn walked into the living room but didn't sit down. He stood in the center of the clean floor, looking around as if he didn't recognize the place.

"It looks good," he said, but the compliment didn't reach his eyes. Rikki felt a prickle of unease. She walked over to him, reaching out to take his hand. His skin was warm, but his fingers were limp in hers. He didn't squeeze back.

"Finn?" she asked softly. "What's wrong? I know I've been a mess lately. I know the lying and the... the disappearing was hard. But it's over. The guy who was coming after me? I stopped him. It's done."

Finn looked at her then. His eyes were swimming with tears.

"Is it?" he asked. "Is it really done, Rikki?"

"Yes," she insisted. "The Supplier is gone."

"For how long?" Finn pulled his hand away gently, crossing his arms over his chest as if to hold himself together. "Until the next super villain shows up? Until the next time you come home with cracked ribs and I have to pretend I don't know you were nearly beaten to **** in an alley?"

Rikki froze. "Finn, I..."

"I haven't been sleeping, like at all," he confessed, his voice cracking. "Every time my phone buzzes, I think it's the police telling me they found your body. Every time you're late, I think you're bleeding out on a rooftop somewhere."

"I'm careful," Rikki pleaded. "I'm good at this."

"I know you are," Finn said. "You're amazing. You're a hero. You saved the city. I know that." He took a shaky breath. "But I can't do this anymore."

The air left the room. Rikki stared at him, her stomach dropping through the floor. "What are you saying?"

"I love you," Finn said, and a tear finally escaped, tracking down his cheek. "God, Rikki, I love you so much. But I'm not built for this. I'm not a superhero. I'm just a guy who wants to know his girlfriend is going to come home at night."

Silence fell over them for a few moments.

“I would never ask you to not be Nightingale. Acropolis City needs you. If I made you stop, you'd resent me. And if you kept going, the worry would kill me."

He stepped closer, reaching up to cup her face with both hands. His thumbs brushed over her fading bruises.

"I can't be the one waiting at the window anymore, Rikki. It hurts too much."

Rikki leaned into his touch, closing her eyes. She wanted to argue. She wanted to tell him she could fix this. But she knew he was right. She saw the toll it had taken on him. While she was out fighting, he was the one suffering in silence. Being Nightingale had a cost, and until now, she had let Finn pay it.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice trembling.

"Me too," Finn said softly. He kissed her forehead, a gentle, final pressure that felt like a goodbye.

He let her go and stepped back. The distance between them suddenly felt like miles.

"Take care of yourself, Rikki," he said. "Please. Just... try not to get killed."

He turned and walked to the door. He didn't look back. The latch clicked shut with a soft, definitive sound.

Rikki stood alone in her spotless, sunlit apartment. The city outside was safe. The bad guys were in jail. She had won the war. But as she looked at the empty space where Finn had been standing, the silence of the apartment didn't feel peaceful anymore. It felt hollow.

She sank onto the couch, pulling her knees to her chest, and listened to the sound of her own heartbeat in the quiet room. She had reclaimed her mind, but for the first time, she realized just how lonely it was going to be inside it.