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A soft breeze brushes his face as Simon wakes up. He feels the grass surrounding him, feels the warmth of the sun on his skin. He’s home.
He stands with shaky legs, fixing his glasses and taking a deep breath. Back with betty it had been so cold, so silent. It felt like a distant memory despite only happening moments ago.
He hopes that if part of hers still in there somewhere. She can be happy, somehow. She deserved it. She deserved the world.
Simon sighed and tried not to think back to seeing her, his heart ached at the sight in his mind.
Thankfully his phone- well Fiona’s phone, chimes, distracting him. At least it still works. He’s grown quite fond of Fiona and Cake over the past few days.
He opens the message as he begins walking towards the city. A small bittersweet smile tugging at his lips as he reads the text.
“Thank you Simon, for everything”
They were okay. It’s all Simon could ask for. He tucks the phone back in his suit pocket for the meantime, continuing towards the city in a peaceful silence.
He finds a cab of sorts eventually and steps in, hesitating for a moment when asked where to. After everything that happened, he really didn’t want to be alone.
So he gave directions to a small house that sat inside a dark cave, and he hoped that she was home.
He gazed off into the distance, thinking back on everything that’s happened. He’s not sure where he would be if it hadn’t.
It had reminded him that his life had value, that he deserved to be just, Simon. He deserved to be happy. Despite everything, it was good for him.
But still a lot to take in emotionally.
He flinched as the driver nudged him with an annoyed grunt. He had been so lost in his thoughts he hadn’t realized they arrived. He mumbled a quick apology and steps out, breathing a sigh of relief at the sight of the lights on.
He wasn’t sure what he would even say, how could he explain everything, or if he even should. He just knew he wanted to see Marcaline. Especially after what he saw in the vampire world.
He slowly walks to the door and knocks, holding his breath as he quietly waited.
“Simon!”
Before he knows it the door opens and he’s hugged right by a familiar vampire. He quickly hugs back, burying his face against her shoulder and hugging her a bit tighter than usual.
“Marcaline… I’m so happy to see you” he breathed, voice a little shaky. He was only able to hold himself toghether for so long.
Marcy frowned, quickly realizing something wasn’t right. She sits him down on the couch and sits next to him. She hadn’t heard from him in the past few days but Simon had always been one to isolate himself.
“Simon? Did something happen?” She asks softly. Simon had always been there for her, she wanted to be there for him any way she could.
Simon looked to her with a sad expression, opening his mouth to speak but struggling to find the right words. “Betty she- I- the crown-“
Where did he even start? His throat was closing up and tears were bubbling up before he could manage anything remotely coherent.
He let out a soft sob, burying his face in his hands. “How did I never realize it..” he muttered, “I- hurt her” he cried.
Marcaline rubbed his back and comforted Simon the best she could. She wasn’t really sure what he was talking about, especially between sobs, but between hearing betty and crown, she was getting a vauge idea.
For a while all Simon managed was a few words between hiccuping sobs. He was physically and emotionally exaughsted.
Marcy simply held him close the entire time, hating to see the man she pretty much considered her father, be hurting so much.
After a long time Simon finally pulled himself toghether somewhat, at least enough to begin talking. So he talked, a lot.
He told Marcy everything, about Fiona and Cake, all the different universes, how out of place he had felt, or all the strange people he encountered. And- after what felt like ages, he told her about Betty.
“And, I was back at that bus stop with her. I don’t know if it was really Betty, or just my own mind but, I almost went with her, I almost fixed things.” He explained softly, taking off his glasses to wipe tears from his face.
“But- it wasn’t real, we made our choices and… maybe they weren’t the right ones but, we can’t just go back and fix them” he thought back to that memory with Betty, how happy she was when he went with her instead of holding her back.
How could he have been so blind all this time? He could’ve just been there for her.
He frowns and looks to Marcaline with a bittersweet expression. “Betty, or golb, or whoever it was- she said she didn’t regret it. But, what if things had been different- we could’ve had a life together, just been happy.” He whispered, wondering what could have been.
It’s only then, after listening to him for hours, that Marcy speaks up, gently taking Simons hand in hers and squeezing it tight. “I don’t know exactly what happened but- it sounds like that was Betty in there, Betty who loved you so much, who forgave you, and who would do it all over again”
Marcaline sighs and rests her head on Simons shoulder. “You both made mistakes… everyone does, and you can’t go back but- that’s what makes those moments you had with her special.”
Marcy smiles softly at Simon, feeling all melancholy as she looks at the man who raised her, who taught her to be good, the man who saved her.
“She would want you to try and be happy- I know I want you too..”
Marcaline worries for a moment that she may have said the wrong thing with how Simon stills, but she’s suddenly pulled into another tight hug and her worries begin to fade.
“Your the most wonderful girl Marcaline… thank you”
Simons voice was barley above a whisper but it was full of heart. He pulls away after a moment to properly look back at Marcaline, one last realization hitting him.
“Maybe I could’ve done things differently, and me and Betty would’ve had a happy ending but, I know that the choices I made in this universe led me to you.” He says squeezing Marcalines hand back.
“And I wouldn’t give that up for anything.”
He adds with a faint smile, cupping Marcalines face and brushing away tears she was crying now. It’s been a very emotional night.
The two talk, cry, and laugh for hours that night. It brought a peacefulness Simon hasn’t felt in a very long time. For once, he felt like everything would be okay.
And by the time Bonnie eventually came home from some work at the kingdom, she found the two of them on the couch, Marcys head on Simons shoulder as Simon snored softly, his arm around Marcaline.
He’d be okay.