Chapter Text
"Hello, is this the Lawman Residence?" Armando grazed his finger over the phonebook. A woman who seemed to be in her later thirties answered back. "Yes, this is Floris Lawman." Armando took a deep breath as he held the police report in his hands, reading off what he had written. "Your son, Oliver Stagg, was found unconscious and bleeding last night. By the time the Emergency Services arrived he was pronounced dead at the scene. I'm sorry for your loss." The line went dead for a deafening minute before a horrid scream was heard on the other end. "No. Armando, you promised you'd keep him safe.."
"You may come bury his body whenever you are ready, Ms. Lawman." Floris sobbed into the phone. "He was my only son left. He was all my hopes." Armando's heart clenched as he heard the sobs of a mother ringing in his ear. "I'm sorry, Floris." He hung up the phone and buried his hands in his hair. Now all he had to do was call the parents of the missing children who had made a promise to. A promise that he actually kept. His fingers clicked against the numbers as the dialing tone rang in through his ears. "Yes, I'm calling because I have news about your son Calvin." A pause. "Yes. Yeah. We finally found them."
"Do you think mami is mad at me?" Oliver whispered as he sat in the chair across from Armando. He heard his mother's screams, her sobs. "Mom could never be mad at you, Oliver. She's mad at the world." Griffin's hand cupped onto Oliver's shoulder and he smiled at him. Oliver looked downward, his amber eyes felt weightless. "Finney told me the dream wasn't real. But even as he said it, I could see the way he was looking at me—like I was already gone."
Griffin sighed and held out his hand for his brother to take. "Don't settle on living your afertlife in thought. Thoughts of what could've been, thoughts of what should've been. I learned that years ago." Oliver took his hand and stood up. "So why are you still here?" His brother shrugged. "I figured I'd wait for you. After awhile, sulking in my own anger and grief made me realize how much you mattered to me." He pulled Oliver out of the supervisor's office, following after the Blake siblings. "So, Oliver. What's your choice?"
"What do you mean?" Griffin smiled and pointed to Finney and Gwen. "Will you stay with them and wait for them like I did for you, or will you live in peace with what you have of them now." Oliver's gaze flickered over to Finney and he smiled. He had grown to be strong and had grown to face what he had been through. He didn't need Oliver anymore. "He can handle this. I know he can."
He let go of Griffin's hand and stood in front of Finney as Gwen answered the phone that was ringing for her. "He doesn't need me anymore. He never did." He put his hand on Finney's cheek and kissed his head. Even if Finney couldn't feel it... He sighed and muttered to himself. "I'll see you in a little while, Finney." He turned to face Griffin and hugged him tightly. His hands came to rest in Griffin's hair, shoulders shivering as he cried. "I missed you." Griffin's hands dug into Oliver's shirt and he nuzzled into his neck. His tears wet his little brother's clothes. He finally had him back. He could finally tell his brother that he was never mad at him, that he forgave him a long time ago."I missed you too."