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They worked really hard for a happy ending.
"I must admit that at first I hated the idea of Tom Ryder dating my brother" Colt was practicing his speech for the wedding. "I mean, can you really blame me? He was an asshole back then" He pictured the guests laughing at that part. "But... with time, I've got to see how happy they make each other. And I think this is one of those cases where love changes people. They make a good couple, so cheers?".
Jody stared at him with a weird look, her hand in her chin as she presumably thought of a way to not sound so harsh with her critic. "I definitely want something more romantic for our wedding" She settled with that.
They had planned to get married right after Ryland and Tom, just because their wedding was ought to be more interesting –the jumping from a jet to get to the altar kind of wedding– but Jody was right, Colt would have to start thinking on his vows if he didn't want to have this same problem.
"This is honestly my fault for doing my speech in the last moment" He admitted.
"Nah, it's Ry's fault. I did tell him that you were going to suck as a bridesmaid" Jody chuckled.
"I'm no bridesmaid. I'm his best man" Colt affirmed stubbornly.
"Nuh-uh" Jody mocked. "Ryland is going in a white suit, Tom is going in a black one. You, Eva, and Carl are on Ry's side, Alma, Dan, and me are Tom's side. Per se, you're with the bride, so maid of honor it is" She laughed, the movement interrupted her progress on sipping her dress up. Colt helped her, taking the opportunity to admire his beautiful fiancee in that pretty golden dress.
"I would argue that's because Tom doesn't have any more friends, but I promised to treat my new brother-in-law nicely. Instead, I'll just say that my twin looks better in white. Perks of being a natural blond" Colt explained playfully.
When they got to the church, the place looked like the wet dreams of any bride, except that it was mostly the groom who arranged all the decorations. Neither he nor Ryland were believers, and from what Colt knew, Tom wasn't particularly Catholic. However, the actor wanted the full wedding experience, so he rented a church and replaced the Father for a minister. Ryland said it was merely a performance of Tom's romcom dreams, yet he seemed happy. They both did. Which made Colt happy in return.
"If you don't want to do this, I could be your getaway car" He joked with Ryland right before walking him down the aisle. Colt always imagined being Court the one who would walk them, but even if that wasn't the case, their brother was hopefully watching them proudly.
"Very funny, Colt. Let's do this" Ryland enthused.
The way to the altar felt like a mile long between looking at the Hollywood stars Tom had invited, the staff members, Ryland's ex students, and his brother's eyes shining with pure love. Some of his twin's current students stayed on the sides while they threw rose petals at them. Finally, at the end of the aisle, Colt let go of Ryland's arm to position himself with the others.
"I, Thomas Ryder, vow to love you, respect you, and take care of you. Through health and sickness. Through paradise and apocalypse. Through memory and amnesia. Through logic and nonsense. Till death do us apart" Tom gently slid the ring into Ryland's finger.
"I, Ryland Grace, vow to love you, respect you, and take care of you. Through health and sickness. Through communication and misunderstandings. Through calm and drama. Through fame and polemics. Till death do us apart" Ryland almost dropped the ring while trying to hand it to Tom.
"You may kiss" The minister declared, making everyone clap and cheer.
Eva covered Colt's eyes with the bouquet at the same time she rolled hers. He thanked her silently, though he still catched a glimpse of the kiss. The rest of the night was as cheesy. They danced, laughed, and toasted. His speech went better than he expected once he spoke with his heart. The wedding was so emotional that at some point, he even hallucinated Court among the waiters. In general, it was great.
The start of a happy ending.
—
Working for a happy ending was very laborious.
They had been at it for a while. Grace was formulating vaccines for the sun, and Eva was keeping the world in control within her possibilities. Fortunately, with several countries on their side, her possibilities were practically limitless. Hence, nuking Antarctica.
"Are we really doing this?!" Ryland questioned frantically. His frame was covered by all kinds of winter clothes, ever the cold-natured.
"Yes! We'll worry about it later!" She screamed so he could hear her explanation despite the sound of the heavy machinery around them.
Since she hadn't been thrown in jail after the Hail Mary launch, Eva reckoned she was allowed to do everything on her power to protect the earth. While Ryland and she weren't too enthusiastic with each others methods, they found common ground in situations like this one. She liked to think they were friends now. Eva and Ryland instead of Stratt and Grace. It was a nice development, she might add.
Though she was previously focused on saving the world, making friends along the way wasn't the worst thing. Even more so when Ryland reminded her that the world wasn't going to end. Would they have a shit ton of problems later? Sure. But they would be alive to fix them.
"How was your day? Anything crazy happened again?" Ryder –because Eva wasn't befriending everyone in that weird group. They were still her friend's family only– asked Ryland when she dropped him at the hotel.
Ryland pointed at her. "Eva nurked Antarctica" He mumbled, his whole body shivering. Whether it was due to the cold or the climate change implications she didn't know.
"She what?!" Ryder panicked.
"Had to be done. More years of warm beaches for you to tan on, Ryder" She said, hiding a chuckle.
Even if the cure for the sun was working, they had to make sure to keep the world warm enough to avoid wars and crisis. Which meant they had to be a team for some years more. And Eva enjoyed those years as much as one can enjoy their planet being at risk. From time to time, her heart would still feel a pang of uneasiness for the destiny of her beloved earth, but it was getting better. Everything was.
"I never got to apologize" She admitted. Ryland was hunched over a microscope, analyzing some microorganisms for their last vaccine. Ten years had passed on the blink of an eye.
"Huh? For eating my lunch the other day? I forgive you" He joked. But Eva was sure he knew what she was trying to say.
"I'm sorry" She apologized. Maybe the hardest part of saying those words was that she wasn't being completely truthful. Eva didn't regret almost sending Ryland to space, and had he been on the Hail Mary, she would not feel guilty. But she could see it now. Why he was so reluctant to go.
If the mission failed. If the beatles didn't come back. If the planet were to die tomorrow. She was there to witness it. She would die in the place that she loved so much. There wasn't any mercy like that at space. The astronauts she was willing to sacrifice would have died without the certainty of having helped at all. Staying was hard, but leaving was so uncertain that it was scary.
Ryland sighed. "... You know. I think if I had ended up in that spaceship, with no memories or way to go back to Earth... I wouldn't have forgiven you" He confessed. "But I would've understood that you made the right call. So don't apologize for trying to save the world, Eva. It takes a brave person to take so many difficult decisions" He looked at her with kindness in his eyes. Grace. Eva Stratt had been granted grace.
Because she deserved a happy ending too.
—
Ryland thought of kids as a happy ending.
Kids were the future. He knew it, and that was why he dedicated his life to keeping on teaching them. When he wasn't at the Petrova Task Force helping with something, he was teaching his kids about everything he could think of. Those children would outlive him, Ryland was very aware. But in the end, the best legacy he could leave was knowledge. Cause knowledge didn't die.
"Mr. Grace– I-i mean, Dr. Grace! Sorry, sir" Regina apologized. She was now working at the NASA as a data scientist. Ryland could name every single job of his most outstanding students, especially the ones from the generation before the Hail Mary.
Abby, for instance, was a professional horse rider who also advocated for animal's rights. Parker was a chief pediatric surgeon at John Hopkins Hospital. Trang was a teacher, which made him feel insanely emotional when he thought about it. And just like Regina, tons of his kids went to STEM careers.
"It's ok, Regina. I've told you, you can call me whatever you want as long..." He let her complete the sentence.
"As long I don't call you at midnight, I know. But! Miss Stratt ordered me to inform you that the beatles are arriving tomorrow morning!" She affirmed in her characteristic, excited manner.
"Then you call him tomorrow morning" Tom interjected, taking the phone from Ryland. "Bye, Re!".
"Wait, wait! Mr, Ryd–" Tom ended the call shamelessly, looking at him with expectant eyes.
Ryland rolled his own eyes. "Go on" He allowed his husband to continue with their conversation.
"As I was saying, the director told them to bring more. More! Can you believe it? Next thing I know is that I'm stepping over a buch of fake guts, fucking disgusting!" Tom was complaining about a movie he had just finished recording. He tried to give terror a chance but it proved to be a mistake. His husband didn't mind, though. With the filmography he had under his name nowadays making more movies was simply a hobby.
"I can't stop stressing this. I told you so. From the moment you puked the day I took you to the science fair to watch a frog being dissected, I could tell terror wasn't your thing" Ryland mocked lightly.
Tom groaned. "What can I do? I don't have my hubby's intelligence" He rolled dramatically on the bed, so Ryland followed him to the right side of their big mattress. "I'm telling you, sunshine. In a hundred years when people think about your name they'll only be able to think about how you saved humanity. The least I can do is make some good movies so I can be in the history books with you" His husband kissed him and turned off the light of the nightstand.
Legacy was one thing Ryland never thought he would have. Apart from his students, of course. But after the academy, he had already accepted that his name would be forgotten. Then Tom had turned his life upsidedown and out of nowhere, the ending didn't seem so scary. He got a big family, tons of amazing students, and helped the world he loved so much. It was more than he had ever imagined.
"Retrieving the beatles, be prepared" Eva warned through the radio.
"Copy. Ready when you are captain" Ryland answered.
"Smile for the cameras, Ryder" Eva said, her voice making clear she was smiling herself.
"Everyone came for real" Colt chimed. He was with Carl and the others outside the landing zone of the beatles. A crowd was there too, waiting for the event of the century.
The beatles were finally coming back, and Eva had decided to make it public knowledge where they would land. The whole world could watch the final step to salvation –or damnation, but one must be positive– that the Hail Mary sent. The team found a lot of videos that they would filter and release accordingly to importance and classification.
"Yello, Earth! Engineer Ilyukhina here. You won't believe what we found!" Ilyukhina squealed.
"Priorities first Ilyukhina, I've told you" Yáo scolded her. "But, yes, you won't believe it" In the video they step aside to pass the spotlight to... a rock?
"Hello, Earth! Rocky here" The rock spoke?
"An alien?" Ryland uselessly asked Eva. It wasn't like she knew more than he did.
"Seems like it" She answered vaguely.
"So. Stratt, Grace. You must know that we faced a little obstacle during our mission" Ilyukhina started to explain.
"Several obstacles, statement" Rocky interjected.
"Yes, several. But the most important thing was that now we are bringing a new friend home. Yei!".
The videos were a register of everything that happened once the astronauts got to Tau Ceti, including finding a strange spaceship with the same mission as them. Hence the alien. But that wasn't the bad part. The mission was going great until they parted ways and there was a leak of the samples they took. That caused Ilyukhina and Yáo to turn around to save Rocky. That was why they ended up in the situation they were in.
With the variety of samples that they had received, Ryland got to work. He managed to discover the reason for Tau Ceti's miraculous survival. It was life, a predator. That with a little bit of analysis he determined was alike to amoeba, so Taumoeba it was. He worked to breed a culture capable of living in the environment of the Petrova Line. Thankfully, by the time the Hail Mary arrived, he was already done.
As soon as the ship was close to the atmosphere Eva stepped in for her own duties, including finding a way to land the Mary, making sure Ilyukhina and Yáo were fit, and accommodating their new alien resident.
"So you really found a way to save the sun?" Ilyukhina asked excitedly from the other side of the glass. They were on quarantine while their bodies adapted again to earth.
"You digged for the pieces of the puzzle, I just pulled it together" Ryland shrugged, convinced he hadn't helped that much.
"Amaze, amaze, amaze!" Rocky chirped at the good news.
"Still, Grace. This wouldn't have worked without you. Take the compliment" Yáo smiled warmly.
"This Grace, question?" Rocky joined the conversation through his translator. "Grace does act like wet cat, statement" He said.
"Wait, what?"
Ilyukhina didn't lose time to relate the stories of their shenanigans in space. Apparently, his teaching was worth something after all. According to Yáo it spared them time and effort during the mission. That and...
"We couldn't not tell him about you. Going back for him was a decision we made thinking about you" Ilyukhina explained. "Even if it added a year to our journey, it was worthy. Because we knew you'd be here for earth" She put her hand on the glass. Ryland put his over. A gesture of friendship.
"Ilyukhina said Grace fix sun. Does Grace help fix Eridiani too, question?" Rocky addressed. The voice of the translator sounded monotonous, but the chirping he made sounded worried.
Ryland offered him the most sincere smile he could muster, hoping to ease his worries. "Yes, buddy. Grace Rocky save stars" He promised.
His legacy was giving everyone a happy ending.
—
They earned their happy ending.
He looked back on the life he led and found no regrets, only happiness. Before Ryland, his life had lacked meaning. It was a never-ending mix of passing pleasures that he indulged to fill the emptiness in his heart. Things changed when he met his husband. Ryland was like light in the darkness, warmth while it's cold, company to his loneliness. Thomas Ryder wouldn't change a thing about his life if it meant he got to have Ryland Grace once more.
Tom would cherish every moment they spent by each others side forever. He remembered them all in detail. A perfect movie replaying over and over for his enjoyment. He could feel the sensation of Ryland's lips on his own. He could hear his hubby's laughter. He could close his eyes and picture his face. He would never forget the life they shared.
The first sparks of their love...
"Tom Ryder, you're a sap" Ryland giggled. The rosy tint of his cheeks making him look gorgeous under the blue light of the aquarium.
"Oh, you ain't seen nothing, Ryland Grace. I have another one. Ready?" Tom cleared his throat. "Are you made out of cooper and tellurium? Because you're Cu-Te".
Ryland snorted. "That one wasn't so good" He bit his lip, turning around to look at a bank of fishes that were swimming above them. When he turned to Tom again, his expression was more serious. "Tom. Why are you alright with planning all of our dates?" He questioned.
"Huh? What do you mean? I'm basically rich. A couple of dates aren't gonna drain my wallet" Tom smiled reassuringly.
"I'm not talking about the money. I'm talking about the fact that you're never bothered that I don't put effort into our relationship" Ryland explained.
Tom didn't know how to tell him that he had never put so much effort into someone before. Things usually came easy for him, having come from a well-off family. Acting wasn't hard, stuffing himself with drugs wasn't hard, getting jobs wasn't hard. Most things he just snapped his fingers and he got. Except Ryland, he needed to put effort into having a glimpse of love from him.
His new lover was high-maintenance, so was their relationship. Ryland didn't call, didn't message if not messaged first. He didn't take initiative, nor started any kind of intimacy. Tom had to do all the work for the two of them. And, probably, with another person, he would have grown tired by now. But not with Ryland. Because Ryland made Tom feel like he was capable of so much more.
"I guess I'm just a fool for you, sunshine" Tom shrugged. His hands found their way to Ryland's face, pulling him close for a kiss. Again, he had to do most of the work, intertwined their tongues and guided his boyfriend's mouth.
He didn't mind putting a bit of effort. Not when Ryland made it up to him in tons of different amazing ways. Remembering Tom's favorite things, asking real questions about him, investigating in science articles for his movies. Caring, worrying, loving. And Tom had never wanted anything so fervently as he wanted to live the rest of his life beside Ryland Grace. Watching fishes and sharks, playing with penguins and octopuses, reading pamphlets and reviewing documentaries or whatever his lover wanted to do. So long as they were together.
"I'd have to take your word for it" Ryland chuckled.
The sacred bond they signed...
"I can't believe I let you convince me of this" Ryland whined.
"I'm very persuasive, sweetheart" Tom checked the security harness of both. "C'mon, it's our honeymoon, baby. We shall enjoy ourselves before coming back to work" He held Ryland's hand, brushing his finger over the golden ring he hadn't let his lover take off since they left the church.
"I don't like this one bit" His husband's voice was trembling with anxiety, but he could hear a hint of excitement too.
"You practically had astronaut training. This is nothing, love. Just a zipline. Can I let go?" Tom asked. They did many fun things during their honeymoon. He wanted to experience everything with his husband. So far they had gone to St. Lucia to explore the lush rainforests, to the Riviera Maya to swim in white sand beaches and cenotes, and to Finland to view the northern lights. Each destiny was accompanied by a science explanation from Ryland, who was eager to show Tom how the world worked.
"No! No, that was different. I was forced, coerced and tricked into those trainings and I don't want our married life to be the cause of our dea–" Tom let go of the rope that was keeping them in the platform. "Thomas Ryder‐Grace! You're in so much trouble!" Ryland shrieked.
Tom didn't end up being in so much trouble. On the contrary, he was rewarded when Ryland ended up liking the zipline and demanded to go again. What's best, when they got back to their suit they had more fun. The kind of fun he craved the most.
What their intimacy lacked in constance it made up in passion. So Tom couldn't get enough of it. He also couldn't get enough of having his husband in his arms for the rest of eternity. Till death did them apart.
"It wasn't so bad. Was it, sweetheart?" He smirked.
The strange family they formed...
"Step on it! How come you always drive like a madman except when it's needed?!" His lover fumed from the back seat of the car. Another wail of pain came out of Jody beside him. "Tom! Do something!" He demanded fretful.
"What am I supposed to do?! I'm already driving, Ryland!" Tom protested, taking a sharp turn at the end of the street. "This wouldn't have happened if you'd listened to me. I told you not to let Colt go to the store when his wife looked like she was about to burst! But no. You had to listen to Dan, who's no doctor and now we're–"
"Not helping!" Jody screamed angrily. "You two better knock it up before I jump off this car and deliver this babies on the park. Because I can't stand hear you fighting!" She let out a painful sound.
They weren't fighting, no. He and Ryland rarely fought. It was more due to the circumstances. Yeah, that was it. They were just channeling their frustrations into the other. No one should blame them, this whole deal was nuts. Colt and Dan had taken Courtney to walk her dog. Their little niece was in love with her pet and was very exigent with it's habits, which was a problem when having a pregnant mom.
He cursed the moment they offered to stay with Jody. Fuck the kindness Ryland had rubbed on him. But they made it to the hospital, by some miracle. And his sister-in-law gave birth to the cutest pair of twins.
"We're here! It's everything ok?" Colt came running through the door, his forehead all sweaty and Courtney in his shoulders. Tom had the girl in his arms and Ryland had the boy, as they let Jody rest. They passed the babies to Colt and Dan once Courtney touched the ground again.
That frame had been straight out of a movie. His family was laughing and retelling what happened at the car. Tom was spinning Courtney around to entertain the toddler for a while.
"Gracie and Cole. How does that sound, Ry?" Colt asked his brother. Ryland's teary eyes were an answer itself. Tom put his head on his shoulder, grounding his husband.
"Perfect" Jody responded tenderly.
The warm home they created...
"I love you, Tom" Ryland whispered to his ear. One of Tom's hands was on his waist and the other holding his, full of love on his grip. They were dancing at the sound of the melody playing on the vinyl. 'Ain't we got fun'. Cause, oh, if they had fun. He couldn't picture his life going differently.
"I love you more, my grace" Tom murmured back. Ryland would never know the extent of his love. For a while, Tom had believed he couldn't love as much as Ryland did. That love was patient, considerate, healing. That love had saved him in more than one way. Today Tom could state confidently that he loved Ryland more than Ryland loved him. Because his husband loved a lot of things, a lot of people. And Tom would be satisfied with loving Ryland alone.
"Love can't be measured, honey" His husband chuckled.
"No, it can't. That's why it knows no limit. I'll keep loving you even after death" Tom promised, wondering if it was possible to keep that promise. He surely could at least try. Nothing was impossible with this love inside his heart.
"Well, I think that's gonna be hard. But I don't doubt you. You defeat logic" Ryland rested his head close to Tom's neck. "Falling for you was my most stupid idea, you know? I'm glad I went with it" He hummed.
Tom smiled, tears gathering in his eyes. "Likewise, sweetheart. Falling for you was my worst performance. I'd gladly repeat the show" He confessed. Ryland laughed. A sound that reached the deepest corners of his soul, filling his existence with happiness.
"We certainly ruined each other" Ryland started.
"Wouldn't have it any other way" Tom finished.
Their dancing continued with the lyrics of the song in the background, movements in sync, the lovely consequence a life well enjoyed together.
'In the meantime, in between time. Don't we have fun?'
He smelled the sweet scent of the flowers in his hands. The intake of air brought peace to his chest. He kneeled in front of the memorial, leaving the flowers in a vase that had remained there for the last two months. Time did nothing to wash away the legacy of the people who saved the world. In front of what once was the launch site of the Hail Mary a statue adorned the current national park.
Four smiling faces frozen in time were sculpted together. On the right side was Olesya Ilyukhina, arm on Yáo Li-Jie's shoulder on her left side. Both astronauts were standing tall. At their feet, however, were Eva Stratt and Ryland Grace. The keepers of earth were sitting on the floor cross-legged. In between all of them was Rocky, the alien they had helped return home.
Everyone in his family would be remembered in some way. Jody's name would appear in the screen of many generations to come. Colt's would be known for being the first stuntman to get an Oscar. Dan's for his innovations on special effects. Tom himself had a star with his name at the Hollywood walk of fame. But Ryland's, that name would be branded on the universe forever.
And Tom was thankful. For having lived a wonderful life with an extraordinary person. So when he took his last breath of air, he was ready. Prepared to accompany Ryland to the afterlife or for his body to simply shut down and join the stardust of space. It didn't matter. His sunshine had already given him a life lush of grace.
It was a happy ending.