The three laid on the snow, not caring about the cold that bit at their skin. They all breathed in the crisp air gratefully. Jace could see the very upper edge of the sun as it continued to climb.

Isaac got up first and helped Devin stand. Devin wobbled a bit, readjusted his glasses, and gave two thumbs up and a goofy smile. Isaac rolled his eyes.

"We just barely made it out of a burning barn... and you give a thumbs up?" said Isaac, smacking his forehead.

"Oh, let him be his weird self," said Jace, a slight smile on his face. He took his time to stand. His hand was back to his side. "Now, what do you say we get out of this place?"

"That's the spirit," said Isaac, grinning.

The three went over to the parked SUVs and motorcycles. Most of Tim's friends had fled by now, their motorcycle tracks leading away down the snowy path between the fields.

Craton's men were huddled. Craton laid, still unconscious, just beside them. Jace wondered why they didn't just get in their vehicles and drive off, but his mind wandered back to Felicity before he could think much about that.

There she was, alive and safe, standing next to a small van.

A van?

Jace investigated for a few seconds and saw Wesley sitting in the driver's spot.

With the windows rolled down, Wesley called, "Hurry up! Everyone else is in."

Isaac scoffed. "You don't have to tell me twice!"

He and Devin took off in full sprints toward the van.

Jace walked to City and wrapped his arms around her. She hugged him back. When she squeezed, Jace had to hold back a wince. The world began to tilt slightly until she let go. Even after she let go, Jace found himself blinking hard to fight off the black that was closing in on his vision.

But to have her back and safe was worth a thousand stab wounds.

"Are you all right?" she asked, concern etched on her face, getting a good look at Jace.

Jace realized he had been staring at her.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get in the van," mumbled Jace. His hand was still on his side. The stab wound was still bleeding.

There were three rows. Wesley was in the driver's seat with Shane sitting in the passenger's. In the very back row was Isaac, Devin, and then Audrey. The entire second row was saved for Jace and City.

Jace winced as he sat down, a movement that went unnoticed by the others.

Wesley sped off, leaving behind the burning building, Craton's men, and the black SUVs still parked. Just as he pulled away, police and fire trucks arrived, sirens still blaring. It seemed as though only Craton's men were left behind, thankfully.

After a minute of silence, everyone began talking at once.

Words about the fire, the fighting, everything was being exchanged. It made Jace's head spin. He stared out the window, eyes watching the white landscape pass by, listening to everything, taking in the golden sunrise that reflected off the snow. City's hand rested across his thigh.

"Tim's okay, he got a ride from someone!" said Isaac. "His motorcycle comrades made it out, too."

"Good!" replied Wesley.

"Hey, where were you the entire time?" asked Devin from the back.

"Uh, well..." began Wesley. "I don't know how to fight, so I decided to be of use in other ways. I slashed the SUV tires, all of them. That's why Craton's men couldn't just leave."

"Way to go!" said Isaac. Shane nodded in agreement.

Wesley continued, "And this van... Well... I found it at a nearby farm. I hotwired it and drove it here just as I saw the fire."

"We're thieves now?!" exclaimed Devin, mortified.

"I'll return it," said Wesley hastily.

"Your auto repair job coming in handy, I see," said Isaac with a grin.

"I just never thought I'd be using it to steal other people's cars to use as a getaway!" said Wesley, laughing.

"Can you guys believe we did all that?" exclaimed Audrey. "What an exhilarating night!"

"Wait," said City, turning around to face the back row. "How did you even find us?"

Audrey shrugged. "Easy enough. I was about to go into your brother's place, to ask where you were, when these four weirdos show up before me." Audrey slanted her eyes at Isaac, who raised his eyebrows.

"Who are you callin'—"

"And then," continued Audrey, ignoring Isaac, "I just followed you to the Pit and then to this barn. It was easy, really."

"Did you take an Uber?" questioned Devin.

"Yeah."

"And the driver left?"

"He didn't want to stick around to see this mess!" said Audrey.

"Unlike our Uber driver who's been driving us around all night," commented Isaac. "I wonder where he went off to?"

Devin ignored Isaac and faced Audrey. "You think your Uber driver called the cops? I know no one else did..."

Audrey thought for a moment. Then she shrugged. "Oops."

They all laughed.

"I liked those nunchucks you brought," said City, grinning at her friend.

Audrey looked proud. She flipped back her blue hair. "Why, thank you! I lost them about five minutes in, but it was so worth it."

"Everyone made it out, right?" asked Devin cautiously. "I hope none of Tim's men get caught by police..."

"I doubt it," said Wesley from the front. "I saw the motorcycles leave just as you lot came over."

"City," said Shane suddenly from the front. He glanced in the mirror at City and sighed. "I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry. This was all my fault and—"

"It's okay," said City. "I'm glad you came to help. And I forgive you."

Shane smiled. It looked more like a grimace because his face was still bruised from his encounter with Jace and his wounds had opened back up... but there was kindness in his eyes. No jealousy, just relief.

Wesley looked through the mirror at Jace.

"You're getting my seats bloody," said Wesley jokingly. Then he looked again. "Whoa, are you okay?"

"Yeah..." said Jace. The blackness was returning to the edge of his vision.

"Jace...?" whispered City, eyes wide.

The van grew silent instantly. Jace shifted and turned to City.

"Felicity... I'm sorry... for leaving you so many times back there..." Jace's words were barely audible.

"No, Jace, please. Hurry up the car! Please don't die—"

"I'm not dying," Jace said, louder, clearer. He chuckled a bit and winced in pain. "If I was dying, you'd know."

"How?"

"I wouldn't stop saying that I love you."

City blinked. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and half-laughed. "Jace..."

"I love you, Felicity. Always knew I would fall hard for you, back at Indigo. I'm sorry for what I did to you, but I'll stop... I just want you."

City was quiet, which alarmed Jace. He sat up a bit, a worried look in his eye.

He started to speak, but City cut him off.

"I love you too."

He smiled. Big, genuine. She did too, her tears coming back in happiness.

"Please. Do not make out in the back of the car," spoke up Shane from the passenger's side.

Everyone laughed while Shane rolled his eyes, but Jace looked in the mirror at the right time to see Shane smile.

"No more secrets, okay?" said City.

Jace grinned. "No more secrets."

Audrey sniffed. City turned back to look at her friend.

"I'm... so happy... for you two," she said, tears in her eyes.

City laughed. "Thanks, Audrey."

"Me too," said Devin, also sniffling.

"Don't start getting sappy on me!" exclaimed Isaac, jumping away from Devin as much as he could while seated next to him.

They all laughed again and enjoyed the rest of the ride back into the city in their priceless stolen van.

Shane smiled. He glanced through the mirror and saw City and Jace sitting so close, gazing at each other admiringly, sharing laughs and memories. He would find his girl one day, but in the meantime, he would learn how to treat girls first. Being possessive almost got not only City but also Jace killed.

He was happy, genuinely happy, for them. He wasn't the one for City, but perhaps Jace was.

And he was okay with that.