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She shook Jeff’s hand, then Catcher’s, then returned to face the crowd "Let’s hear it for the Chicagoland Va round of applause

I looked at Ethan, saw the pride and contentment in his face And beneath that, hope He’d shepherded his vah ain But for now, there was peace, and there was acceptance Both had been a long ti

Ethan looked at ood, Sentinel

I nodded back We did good

When the crowd finally died down, Kowalcyzk lifted the o has been saved fro threat," the ain "But the rebuilding begins now Let us begin it together For now, and for the future, let us be one Chicago"

• • •

Because it was Chicago, randfather took us for pizza after the event And then we returned to Cadogan House for the ed in the House’s ballroom There’d be food, alcohol, and ridiculous coht was just the thing to reward the House

But before that, before relaxation, there was one an House, kept ers entwined with his, and looked up at him

"Sentinel?"

"There’s so I want to tell you"

Predictably, he lifted an eyebrow "All right"

I’d waited until a doctor confirmed with science what I’d believed was true on the roof of the Towerline building And even then, I’d waited until after the o

I steeled

"I’nant"

Ethan simply stared at me His eyes went saucer-wide, then dropped to ain "What?"

"I’nant"

"You’re--how do you--how?"

"Well," I said, thinking of the way he and Mallory had both teased me, "when a man and a woman--"