Grace was ecstatic to see the beautiful desert town of Lucky Palms. This was exactly what she wanted! Light, not darkness. New beginnings for everyone. A chance to leave the evil that had encased the Moonstone Legacy for an entire generation. An escape from the madness into sanity.
Needless to say, Mist was not pleased with her eldest daughter. But, in a rare burst of acceptance, she decided to make the most of this bright new world. Every paradise has a dark side.
Clarisse Hemlock was determined to make the best of it, too. You may noticed that she's dressed differently--perhaps because she has been planning for this move for days, and that plan has been put into action.
"Are you sure about this?" James asked nervously, fiddling with his belt. "I mean, they could catch up to us, or we could get in a plane crash, or a car crash, or--"
"Are you in or not?" Clarisse interrupted, tapping her foot impatiently.
She held out her hand for him to take, and together they left Lucky Palms for a place where they could be safe. Who knows--maybe they'll have children. Maybe those children will come back at some point. Maybe the Watcher is doing some very un-subtle foreshadowing right now. Who knows?
Grace set her mother in pursuit and got a job at the theatre. Secretly, she was the tiniest bit pleased by the minions' escape: now that she was heir, she didn't have to continue the plan that had set her at the top. They had reminded her of herself too much.
Meanwhile, Treasure signed up at the Police Academy. Exiting the building, she began to giggle in hysteria. She had always wanted to be a police officer, and now that was the only part of her dream that was coming true, but it wasn't worth anything to her without all of the other parts.
She walked, then ran, to City Hall, where Jason had just registered as a teacher at the local elementary school. Seeing him standing alone outside of the building, her heart began to lift. Now, if she could only convince him--
But, as the column slid out of view, she saw something else that made her heart stop and blood run cold.
She crept along the back of the column, peeking around the side. At first she could only hear murmurs and soft laughter, then Jason raised his voice a little. "Come on, beautiful, I have something to show you."
Treasure drove behind their taxi, then hid in the shadows of a tree as the lovebirds walked to the very edge of the river.
Her teeth clenched and hands curled into fists as she watched her sister and boyfriend (
her boyfriend, not
her's) kiss, surrounded by the water reflecting sandy cliffs. It wasn't fair!
"Remember how I said I wanted to show you something?" She heard Jason ask as he started to release Grace's hand.
"Jason, what are you doing?"
"Nothing that I'm going to regret."
She gasped as Jason revealed an enormous diamond ring that sparkled in the sunlight. "Grace Moonstone, I know that we only officially started dating this morning, but I have been in love with you since the first moment I saw you."
"Will you give me the incredible honor of being with me for the rest of our lives?"
"Oh my goodness--yes! Yes, of course, Jason, yes!"
All of Grace's dreams were coming true. She was the heir, in Lucky Palms, with her entire future ahead at her and Jason at her side. She would be married to the man of her dreams. Everything was so perfect--she wanted it to stay this way forever.
Jason hugged his fiancé close, eyes shut. This was what he had always wanted, too, even if he hadn't known it until this moment. He could see the rest of his life: he and Grace would be married, and have a little girl who looked like Grace or a little boy who looked like him. Jason would be the principal of the high school, Grace would become a rock star, then they would both retire and cheer at their grandchild's graduation.
Together they changed into their swimwear and jumped into the river, giggling and splashing each other like children on summer vacation.
Treasure came up to the water and watched her sister and her sister's fiancé together. She growled under her breath. Nothing would go as Grace wanted--not if Treasure could help it. She would destroy everything Grace had and dance on the ashes.
And then, when Grace would gone,
everything would be perfect! Absolutely perfect. Perfecty-perfecty-perfect. Hehehehehe.
Enjoy it while you can, Grace Moonstone, she thought.
Because it will all be gone very soon.
Watch your back, Grace Moonstone. WATCH. YOUR. BACK.
