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Three Years after Julie had met the guys, everything was going great. Flynn, Carlos, Nick, Carrie, and even her father knew the guys were ghosts, still, only Julie and Nick could see them. Caleb was vanquished after his true intentions were shown, and he no longer could attract new souls to keep his offer from falling through. He was one less problem that they needed to worry about.
Julie entered the garage with a smile on her face, ready for another day of practice before one of the biggest gigs yet this weekend. The guys were all sitting on the couch together, and while she'd grown older, they looked the exact same as they had the day she brought them back. She was now older than they had ever been. "You guys ready?"
The boys looked up at her, suddenly putting smiles on their faces.
"Yeah!" Luke jumped up off the couch. Alex and Reggie followed suit.
"I'm so excited guys, I fly out to New York tomorrow and I still can't believe we're playing Madison Square Garden!"
"I know! It's unreal. We always dreamed of playing there." Reggie said, grabbing Luke's hand.
"I never thought we'd have the chance to." Luke nudged his boyfriend.
Julie smiled at the scene, but rolled her eyes anyway. "Come on guys, we need to practice our set." She thought back to three years ago when she had a flirtation with Luke, something that was so there. So strong. Something he felt too, he'd told her as much. After a few weeks of dating they'd found that it was certainly going to be way too hard for this relationship to last. Julie broke it off before either of them could get hurt, and after some time she encouraged him to act on his feelings for Reggie. At least they could be together without the problems she had to deal with while dating a ghost. It would have never worked.
"One! Two! Three!-" Alex called, tapping his drumsticks together, and they began their set.
——
"Do you guys feel it too?" Alex asked the guys.
"I think so." Luke agreed. Reggie nodded.
"The calm?"
"Yeah."
"Does that mean-" Reggie trailed off.
"I think we're finished here." Alex confirmed.
A few months ago, Willie had moved on, but before he did he told the guys the sense of calmness that had washed over him before he did. One that made him realize he'd done all that he needed, even wanted, to do. He didn't know what would happen when he crossed over, but he knew it couldn't be bad. All the boys saw was a beautiful white light envelop him and he was gone. Those following days were really hard for Alex. Now it seemed it was their turn.
"How do we tell Julie?" Luke put his head in his hands. "She's lost so much and you saw how she reacted when she thought she was losing us to Calebs mark. I don't want to put her through any more pain."
"Luke. She has to know that we wouldn't be here forever." Reggie leaned his head on Luke's shoulder.
"But how? When do we tell her?"
"After Madison Square Garden." Alex said. "Let's not make her any more nervous than she already is."
Luke and Reggie agreed. They would do it after the gig, and then they'd move on.
——
They played all the favorites. Fan favorites and their own personal favorite songs. It was when they finished that Julie surprised them with one last song. The song that they'd first heard her sing.
They had heard the first notes on her keyboard and knew. They hadn't even paid attention to if they had disappeared from the stage, but from the reactions of the crowd Luke guessed they hadn't.
Julie played through Wake Up with tears falling from her eyes, the guys just stared in awe, smiling.
——
Julie walked into the garage to be greeted by the guys standing there waiting for her. The smile fell from her face.
"It's time isn't it."
"Yeah. Jules I'm so sor-" Luke said.
"Don't apologize." She waved her hand at them. "It's not something you can control. I feel like I already knew it was coming, that's why I played Wake Up at our show. When is it gonna happen? I'd like to be there."
"We're not sure." Reggie looked at Alex and Luke for clarification. "We just know it's gonna happen soon."
"Do you mind if I bring dad and Carlos here?"
"It would be actually really nice to have them here."
Julie left and walked in not much later with Ray and Carlos at her side.
"Are the guys here?" Ray looked around the garage.
"They're right in front of you." Julie gestured to what her dad and brother saw as open air, but where the guys stood in her eyes.
"I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you three bringing music back into Julies life." He sighed, prompting Julie to side hug him. "I don't know what we would have done without you guys."
"Yeah, thanks for helping me prove ghosts are real too to tía Victoria." Carlos chuckled.
"You got it little man." Reggie finger-gunned back even though Carlos couldn't see or hear him.
"Wait." Ray said, squinting. "I think I can see you."
"Yeah me too." Carlos said.
Julie watched as a bright light from above shone down on them.
"We can see you." Ray said smiling, tears shining in his eyes.
The boys stepped forward.
Reggie was the first to try, and tapped Ray's shoulder. "I can feel you."
Reggie tackled him in a hug. "I just want you to know you're the best dad I ever could have asked for, even if you couldn't hear me when I was talking things through with you."
Reggie fist bumped Carlos then hugged him. "Never change little man."
Finally, he turned to Julie. "Thanks Julie. For everything."
Alex hugged them next. "Thanks for showing me a world that doesn't care about who I like. Ray, I second what Reggie said. You're really the best dad anyone could ask for."
"Bring it in." Ray grabbed him and Alex laughed into the hug.
"Thanks Ray for being so cool about the whole ghost thing." Ray chuckled.
"Don't mention it."
"Carlos, make sure your sister doesn't get in too much trouble without us."
"Got it."
"Jules, thanks for giving us another chance to live. In music and..." Luke grabbed Reggie's hand. "In other ways."
"I don't know what I'm gonna do without you guys." Tears fell from Julies eyes and ran down her cheeks.
Luke cracked a smile. "I've heard Nick's pretty good on guitar. And Carrie can sing pretty well. You got amazing people all around you, let them in Jules."
Each of the boys cheeks were wet now was well. They all turned and looked into the light shining on them.
"It's amazing Jules. It's beautiful." Luke turned back to her. "You're going to go far Jules."
"We'll always be looking out for you." Reggie chimed in.
"No matter what." Alex smiled.
The three boys all grasped each others hands, turning to the light and turning back to her. "Goodbye Jules."
"I love you guys." She said, more tears running down her face.
"We love you too." All three of of them said.
"Goodbye." She felt the word escape her lips.
All they could do was watch as the three boys walked into the light and faded slowly into the distance of wherever they were headed. The light faded from the garage, and the Molinas were left alone, hugging one another.
——
Julie stood at the garage door in the early morning, leaning her forehead against it before opening it.
Her eyes searched the room for the three guys she'd grown used to livening up the space. But she was met with silence that she knew would hang in the air.
"Guys, I don't know if you can hear me but when you crossed over everything went so fast. I just wanted to thank you again, for helping me find music. For helping me do what my mom would want me to do." She ran her hands along the piano. "I hope wherever you guys are that it's perfect and you all get to hang out together." She wiped a tear from her face.
"You okay Julie?" She turned at her dads voice coming from the door.
"Yeah." She sighed. "Yeah I'm okay. I just wanted to say one last goodbye, just in case they can hear me." He softly smiled.
The sunrise peaked over the horizon flooding the windows with a golden light, just like the one when she played her mother's song just after the guys came into her life.
But this time it was different. Not at first, but as it got brighter a form took shape in the light. Like a person, at first she thought it was the guys, until she saw the curls falling down to shoulders.
"Hello Julie." She stood teary eyed facing her mother.
"Mom?" She ran into her arms and was thankful she could actually feel her arms wrap around her.
"Ray." She turned her head to her husband. He cautiously moved forward. "How are you here?"
"Let's just say you know three crazy ghosts who kept their word." She smiled at them.
"Guys what's taking you guys so long-"Carlos stopped as he saw her.
"Come on honey, it's just me." He ran into her arms and she laughed.
"I know it's been hard without me." She brushed hair out of Julies face. "But I just want you to know how proud I've been of you these past years. Proud of all of you. I know you've been asking yourself why I never showed up, but I had no unfinished business. Just know I've always been there, every step of the way. I love you all so much." She gathered all three of them in a hug.
The three of them almost didn't notice when she was suddenly missing from their hug. Nothing was said, but they all held each other as they went inside.
——
Julie opened her bedroom door and leaned against it, sighing, hugging her mother's jacket to herself. That's when she noticed three items on her bed. Three items that she'd never seen physically. A beanie. A pink hoodie. A leather jacket. Julie smiled.