“Is he dead?” Sandy gave a shocked squeak.

“Unfortunately, no.” I grumbled, wheeling myself over to him. With a swift kick to his side, his eyes shot open as the breath was forced from his lungs. I know that he wasn’t the toughest little stallion out there, but this sort of shit was something that I’d expected from Caltrop of anypony. Honestly, it surprised me that Caltrop and Synchro weren’t the best of friends with the way they acted half their age.

“Why?” Synchro coughed and gasped on the floor. “Why kill him?”

“If you wanted to leave, would he ever let you go?” I asked plainly, receiving a very grim look from him as my answer. “I thought not. This is why we’re going to help my family bring him down for good. The question is, how can we best facilitate that?” Anything we could do now, would make it that much easier to deal with when everything goes to shit like it always did.

“Yah family?” Caltrop put his hooves on his cheeks and gasped. I swear to the goddesses that he had stars in his eyes when he looked at me. “We’re really gonna take out dat bastard with Storm?” He gave a very unstallionlike squee and bounced around on his rump.

“Don’t be such a dolt.” I grumbled, still not getting what made her so special. “You’ve worked with her before.”

“Yeah, but never ta take down anypony evil like dis!” Now he was acting like a filly half Synchro’s age, and it was pissing me off. Without any thought, I lashed out with my hoof and smacked his muzzle.

“Did you forget who we’re fighting? This isn’t some game.” I snapped at him, even rousing a whine from Sandy. Her wide pink eyes stared up to me with all the confusion anyone like her should have. The way this all had to go down was way beyond her realm of understanding, and she didn’t deserve to be drawn into this. “Flint is the only pony stopping any of us from ever having our own lives again, so he has to die.”

“Yeah, but dis ain’t somethin’ new for Storm.” Caltrop rubbed at his muzzle softly. “She’s taken out tougher ponies then Flint. Meltin’ them with her phoenix flames, even!”

“Don’t spout nonsensical shit! I don’t care what stories you’ve heard of her, they’re just that, stories. She’s just a mare, as normal as you or I.” I sighed and ground my forehoof into my face in frustration. “Look, before they get here we need to do something to undermine his response. Flint’s got an army at his command up here, but we can make it mean nothing if we figure out a way to keep them at bay.”

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Synchro pushed himself up off the floor and rubbed at his bruising side. In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have kicked him that hard. “What about Dykem, Brushfire, and Spectre? It’s not just an army he has, but some of the best damn assassins this side of the wastes.” The way he used that word, assassins, sent a shiver down my spine. It was closer to what he wanted out of me, but that’s not something I’d ever let myself become. “If you want to kill him, you’d have to kill them as well.” He dismissively waved his forehoof at me. “No. You can’t do it. Give up any thought of this and just do as your told. Working for Flint isn’t so bad, you’d get used to it if you’d just give it some time.”

He shook his head and turned toward the door. If I had any common sense, I’d let him walk out. The fact that he didn’t want his freedom was something I couldn’t understand even for a moment. Maybe there’s a point when you’ve been a slave for so long, even a gilded cage starts to feel right.

Lucky for us, I don’t see it that way.

“Synchro, wait.” I called out as he put his hoof on the door.

“No, you’re crazy for even thinking you could pull this off.” He turned his head and looked back with just one eye. “You may have been the pony that Flint has taken to the fastest, but he will kill you all the same.”

“Not if you stand with us.” I tried to sit down, but forgot that I was still strapped into this stupid wheelchair. Even though I hated having lost my real ones, I’d really started to miss my cybernetic legs. “I know you’re scared, but...”

“How could you know how it feels?” He sneered. “You don’t know what my life was like before Flint took care of me. When my mom died, he was all I had left, and he was there for me. Working for him gives me purpose, and without him I’d be nothing.”

“So yah just goin’ ta sit an’ let PC do dis without yah?” Caltrop recoiled, his expression curling into one of disgust. “Yah make me sick. Willin’ ta fight for the right ta marry her, but not ta make sure she’s happy.” He pointed a hoof sharply at him. “How dare yah. Nothin’ but a coward.”

“I’m sorry you see it that way.” Synchro sighed and looked at the floor. “I wish you luck but I can’t fight, even if it means I could someday be free. I need to live, for my mother.” Carefully, he opened the door and stepped out. “I’m sorry.” He whispered before shutting it.

“Fuckin’ little shit.” Caltrop huffed and turned around again. “Yah just goin’ ta let him go?”

“Yeah.” I didn’t know what else to do. He knew Flint better than any of us, and I’d hoped to have his help in dealing with him. If I went after him now, he might just tell Flint about the attack. “Just, give him time.” I didn’t think that would actually help anypony, but we needed to focus. “Now, how are we going to set this up? Any ideas?”

“I don’t understand…” Sandy spoke up. “Why can’t we just leave?” Her voice wavered as she spoke hesitantly. “Dykem was nice to me. I don’t want to hurt her or anypony else.”

“Because Flint will find us if we run.” I closed my eyes and shook my head. “Getting rid of Flint is the only way we’ll ever be free again. I’m sorry, Sandy.”

“It’s not fair!” She squeaked in anger and spun around. As nothing more than a blue blur, she took off into the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind her. Along the bottom of the old door, were three long gouges dug out in the wood.

“Well, dat happened.” Caltrop flopped down onto the floor with a sigh. “Yah really think we can do it?” He looked up at me with eager, bright eyes. “It makes me happier than anythin’ ta hear yah say yah love me, but if livin’ like dis ain’t what yah want, I’m with yah one hundred percent.”

“Could you live knowing you belong to Flint?” I cocked an eyebrow at him. I’d never cared about the concept of slavery until I’d become one. Funny, as I’m sure that’s what everypony who ends up being owned thinks unless you were born into it.

Using my magic, I focused on the straps to the chair and undid them. Sharp stings ran up my rear legs as they slipped free and fell to the floor. Slowly, I let my forehoofs slip forward, dropping me onto the floor as well. Predictably, Caltrop gave off a few grunts and managed to wiggle himself over toward me.

“So, dis is really it?” He spoke softly, keeping his eyes focused on mine. “Once we do dis, where are we goin’ ta go?” He leaned himself closer, pressing against my side and nuzzling along my neck. “What’s next for Mr. and Mrs. Percussion Cap?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” I sighed, letting myself press back against him. With a tilt of my horn, I used my magic to reach out toward my discarded saddlebags over by the bed. As if it was made of glass, I carefully pulled free the ear of corn that Spring had given to me. I don’t know why, but deep down it felt right to hold. It wasn’t a gun, and it wouldn’t earn me any great number of caps, but it felt right to me.

“I still don’t get it.” Caltrop muttered as he rolled onto his side and lifted a forehoof around me. With a gentle tug, he pulled me close and kissed my cheek. Affection like this was still new to me, but I’d grown to enjoy the idea of being so close with somepony. It made me smile and close my eyes.

“What don’t you get?” I muttered, wriggling myself against his warm and inviting body.

“Gardening.” He simply stated as he reached up and ran his hoof through my tangled and dusty mane. “I mean, what’ll yah do when yah can’t get nothin’ ta grow? Shoot da ground?” The image of just that flashed through my tired mind and roused a soft laugh from me. “Nah, I’m sure if it comes ta dat, da corn’s just gonna’ charge yah and kick yah out until yah can pay it back.”

“Hey now, that’s a low blow.” You don’t see me making lighthearted comments about his drinking. “Besides, I wasn’t the only one to screw that particular job up.” With a sigh, the warmth of his embrace sapped my strength away with each moment. It had been one hell of a day, and I wasn’t ready for it to be over. Unfortunately for me, laying here had quickly changed my priorities.

“Yeah, but yah know yah love me. Nopony can resist my charms.” Caltrop let out a soft yawn and wiggled himself tightly against me. “But I love yah, PC. Nothin’ is gonna’ change dat, even some dick who thinks he owns us.”

“I love you…” I muttered in between thoughts of settling down somewhere and starting a small farm. I could practically feel the warm sun radiating down on my coat as I worked, smiling as Sandy played around with a young colt. Further past them, Caltrop was in the house cooking, a healthy batch of Storm’s own breakfast specialty. “Pancakes…”

“Interesting nickname. Still, everypony loves breakfast.” Caltrop whispered into my ear before giving me another nuzzle. “Get some sleep. We can talk in the morning.”

Yes, the morning. Someplace that felt so far off in the future, but that I knew would be here faster than I could imagine. For now though, I didn’t care, only letting the thoughts of living someplace far away from everypony else with those I cared about. It may have been a dream now, but I would do everything I could to make it mine.

I stirred awake from between the warm sheets of my bed. Even though I was still sore from the events of the last few days, for once I felt well rested. Putting a hoof to my muzzle, I let out a soft yawn and stretched myself out. With a few cursory blinks, I looked around the dark room.

Soft light came in through the balcony as the sun was just starting to peek it’s way above the horizon. It was an odd feeling waking up before the daily alarm bell, but that just meant I could sleep a little longer. A gentle nudge against my side made me squeek and roll over.

“Hey.” Caltrop muttered groggily. “Everythin’ alright?”

“Yeah.” For everything having been so bad, I actually could believe myself when I said that. Carefully, I laid myself down next to him again and wrapped my hooves around the lovable dolt.

“Yah know,” He muttered as he wiggled himself into me, “I did some thinkin’ after yah passed out.”

“Uh oh,” I grunted. “Didn’t hurt yourself doing that, I hope.”

“Heh, yeah.” He rolled his tired eyes and let out a sigh. “But I’m serious. If yah really wantin’ ta get away, we could always set up back at dat survival bunker.”

“What?” At first I thought he was talking about Shel, but reconsidered after thinking about the context. The only bunker we’d been to was when I’d gotten sick, and that was in the middle of nowhere. “There, why? It could be somepony else’s. What if they come looking to take it back?” It was too early to have to recall some vague place, let alone consider the implications of living there.

“Think about it, dat place was pristine before Sandy fell inta it. And if anypony does come lookin’ then we tell ‘em ta find their own place far away from us.” With a light touch, he reached up and brushed at my mane. “It’d be safe, secluded. And when it rained, dat old lakebed could probably be tilled inta farmable land. Maybe we could renovate dat cabin up there too. Could make it a nice little home for us.”

“You’re telling me you wouldn’t mind farming in the middle of nowhere?” I don’t know who was crazier for wanting to do this. Me because I thought it might make me happy, or him for actually going along with it. “It’d be miles away from anypony else, or any bar…” I was silenced by his hoof on the end of my muzzle.

“Hun,” He spoke softly, staring at me with his big silvery-blue eyes. “I’d follow yah ta the end of da world if dat’s where yah’d be. Yah know dat.”

Everypony following me so far is either dead or worse off than they’d been before. “Yeah.” Nodded and simply held him, thankful that even though he fit into the latter part of that category, Caltrop was still here with me.

For that matter, so was Sandy. She was one conflicted little pup, but she was as strong as anypony I’d ever seen. She might not understand it now, but she’d get used to the wasteland. Even if she wasn’t blood family, she was my responsibility now. Both of them were.

“Sandy?” I called out into the still morning air. Perking my ears, I pushed my head up to listen. After a few moments, the bathroom door hand twisted and the door itself swung open. With a wide yawn, the small blue pup waddled out on her hind legs.

“Yes, mama?” she squeaked quietly before she rubbed at her eyes. “I mean… not mama…” She let out a little whimper. “Sorry, PC. What time is it?”

“It’s far too early to be awake, I agree.” I brushed away the blanket over me and held out my forehoof to her. “Why don’t you come on up here, Sandy. I want to talk to you.” I scooted away from Caltrop, receiving a bit of a pouty face from him in return.

Carefully, and with an abundance of short squeaky grunts, Sandy managed to climb her way up onto our bed. With light and uncoordinated steps, she made her way across the blankets and wiggled herself down between us. Curling into a tight ball, she let out another yawn and got comfortable.

“What did you want to talk about?” She spoke quietly, closing her eyes again.

“Caltrop here had an idea. Do you remember the bunker you fell into?” I reached over and gave her head a couple of light pats. Slowly, she nodded and pressed against my hoof. “What would you say to living out there with us?”

“Wha?” She whined and looked up at me confused. “Like, for good?”

“For as long as yah wanted ta.” Caltrop nodded to her with a smile.

“Like… a family?” She didn’t seem to be grasping the point, or she was just that tired. “Why would you stay there? Wouldn’t you just go back to hurting ponies?” At that, she shoved her muzzle down into her side with a harrumph.

“Nope.” Everypony I’d ever known was dead or worse off then I’d found them, and I’d never understood happiness before these two. “Just you, me, and Caltrop, living out there away from everypony else in the world as one big family.” Planning all this was great, but we were all still one step away from making it happen. “But to get to that point, I have to do something first.”

“You have to kill, don’t you?” She muttered with such disgust into her side. “I told you, I don’t…”

“Sandy.” I spoke sternly with her. “I know how you feel, which is why I’m going to do this without you two around.”

“What!?” Caltrop blurted out, throwing the covers off of him.

“Nopony in Flint’s employ other than us know where that shelter is. If you two just go on ahead, I can...” I’d hoped they’d agree, but I should have known better.

“Yah can’t just take on Flint all on yah own!” Caltrop whined and sat down hard.

“It’s not alone, as I’ll have Storm and the others with me.” I scoffed at him, pushing myself up to my hooves. “Sandy is right, you two don’t have to be involved.” With a twist, I turned my gaze across the room, spotting the discarded wheelchair still sitting by the door.

“I don’t care, I’m stayin’ with yah.” Caltrop grunted and stomped his hoof on the mattress.

“No, you aren’t. I won’t send Sandy all the way back there on her own, and I want you to get as far from Flint as possible.” With myself now fully woken up, I focused on my magic and wrapped it around the wheelchair, bringing it over to the edge of the bed.

“But, I…” Caltrop began before I turned and shot him the angriest glare I could conjure up.

“I will not have him use you as leverage against me, and I can’t fight him with a clear mind if I have to worry about you two there getting hurt.” With angry and stiff steps, I dragged myself along the bed and turned my ass toward the door. Carefully, I lowered myself back into the waiting straps. “This isn’t a debate, Caltrop. I’m going to get Flint to send all of us out on a mission, and then you two are headed straight for that bunker.”

“And I don’t get a say in all dis?” He scrunched up his face in anger. “Yah can’t ask me ta do dis, PC!” He got to his hooves and jumped down from the end of the bed. “Last time yah left me behind, I thought yah died.”

“And I’m sorry you had to go through that, but how else do you propose we go about it? Can you guarantee your safety in the fight?” As I used my magic to get myself strapped in, his expression soured at my question. “You want to be there, I get it, but I can’t have you there if...”

“No, it’s me who gets it.” He spoke up with a tone of defeat as he let his look sink to the floor. “No use talkin’ yah out of it.” With a heavy sigh, he raised his hoof and patted firmly on the bedsheets. “Come on, Sandy. Let’s go.” Without any words of her own, she yawned again and groggily crawled across the bed to him. He turned and pressed his side to the bed, letting her flop onto his back with minimal effort.

“Just…” I said softly as I tugged at the chair straps to make sure they were secure. “Trust in me, Caltrop.”

“I will.” He nodded and looked at me through his tired and hurtful eyes. “Better get this over with.”

I hated feeling the way I did about this. It’s the exact reason I’d refused to get invested in a relationship before, and it’s biting me in the flank just like I’d known it would. Still, I could relax now that the both of them would be out of harm’s way. Even if I failed at taking Flint down, they might be able to ride unseen through the aftermath long enough that they could start over again somewhere far away.

“Just one thing before we go.” Caltrop muttered out as he approached the door. “With Flint bein’ as paranoid about dis sorta thing, how are yah goin’ ta get us ta go?”

It was a good question, probably the best question he’d ever asked in our time together. Flint was so paranoid that everypony was lining up to kill him that it would make finding a reason to leave extremly hard. I mean, yesterday with him I’d pulled a lot of what I’d said out of thin air, but I hadn’t even given any thought to how to get out of this place.

“Dat’s what I thought.” Caltrop sighed. “Lucky for yah, I got somethin ta suggest. An offer too good tah refuse.”

“Okay, I’ll bite.” I pushed myself away from the bed, rolling around and looking for my gear. Quickly, I levitated my hat, coat, and saddlebags to me. With a whirl, I brought out my mother’s odd revolver-pistol. Before I left, I’d have to get stocked up on ammo for both it and number six. This time, I would be ready to go, so long as Synchro had managed to get my legs charged. “What is it?”

“Nope, dis time, it’s your turn ta keep yah muzzle shut.” Caltrop shook his head. “I trusted yah, PC. Now it’s time for yah ta trust me.”

With a nod, I pointed my hoof to the door. “Lead on.”

“Excuse me?” Flint cocked his eyebrow to Caltrop. He shot a curious glance over to me, but didn’t linger long when I did little more than nod. He leaned back in his chair and set his still steaming tea down onto the dining table.

“Yah heard me.” Caltrop took a small step forward. “Yah want ta know we’re loyal? Dis is how we prove it ta yah.”

Flint sneered and pushed the teacup away sharply. “Why would I care?” He shook his head slowly as he spoke. Again, he took a glance over at me, this time studying my expression. “If this is about the favors you owe,” He paused, most likely waiting for me to say something, but I wouldn’t speak. Not when I had to weigh it against Caltrop’s trust. “I won’t clear them for getting rid of her.”

“PC and I don’t care if yah do or not.” Caltrop spoke sharply, pulling Flint’s attention back to him. “We had a talk about it last night.” Caltrop’s sad eyes looked over to me and he gave a weak smile. “It was a hard choice, but yah have ta know we wanna stay here. The two of us, we could build a life here.”

“Yes, yes and all that.” Flint waved his hoof dismissively and forcefully pushed his chair back. Once on his hooves again, he slowly walked over to the window and stared out of it. “Killing Storm Rider… it is not going to be an easy task.” He muttered, rubbing his impeccably clean hoof across his chin. “No pony has even come close to succeeding, and believe me, I’ve tried.”

“Dat’s just it.” Caltrop turned toward him. “We got a leg up on her. Yah see, PC here is her granddaughter.”

“Oh, I already knew that.” Flint gave out a sadistic giggle before turning back around. The happy expression on his face was something he forced, and the sharp gaze he cast at me felt like it plunged into my soul. “Did you already forget your escapades at the prison? I’ve known that she’s been helping you all along.”

To be honest, I had forgotten that the ruse Storm and I had tried back there had been seen through. It meant that even when I was sitting there crippled in Synchro’s barn, he’d still agree’d to leave her alone. For somepony as controlling as Flint, it didn’t sit right.

Without warning, Flint started to laugh. Not a forced or hesitant laugh, but a full on belting of hysteria that nearly caused him to lose his balance. He held his hoof out at me as he did, laughing harder each time he glance back at me. I shared a uncomfortably confused look with Caltrop before Flint seemed to get himself under control.

“I had wondered just how long it would take for this day to come.” He sighed out as he trotted back toward the table. “PC, did you really believe that I could let you make a deal for her life when you came here? Surely you remember the requirements for working for me when you first arrived.”

“PC?” Caltrop turned with a start. "What requirements?"

I assumed that with him asking as well, I didn’t have to keep my muzzle shut any longer. “You told me that they would be safe. You gave me your word.” I hissed at him.

“Wrong!” He giddily stomped his forehooves on the floor. “I own you, and I can do with you as I please.” How could he be so damn infuriating! “Remember just what you agreed too? From that day and henceforth you agreed to my terms, hunters are excised from any and all family members and past relations outside of those in my employ.” His toxic glance shifted over to Caltrop. “To ensure that there are no conflicts of interest outside of my humble family, I take steps to make sure there is nothing left for you to return to.”

“But… dat means…” Caltrop stood there, wide eyed and in shock.

“Oh, do tell me that Mrs. Cap here informed you of all this.” With another light hearted laugh, my blood curdled. “Normally, I require my hunters to go out and complete the task themselves, but your ‘extended’ family wasn’t so simple, Mr. Caltrop.” With a heavy thump that dropped Sandy down to the floor, Caltrop started to shake. “I ‘commandeered’ a bit of help from Synchro’s machine.” He looked over at me again. “I did tell you I had it attending to ‘other matters’.”

“You… you meeny!” Sandy shouted as she growled at him. From behind me, the loud twang of a dart gun caught me off guard. She gave off a high pitched whine as the dart hit her, before slowly dropping to the floor asleep. Turning around, Spectre appeared from around the hallway corner, the crossbow floating in her magical grasp.

“Sandy’s family was another challenge all on it’s own. Hellhounds are annoying to bring down unless you know what you’re doing.” Flint grunted, staring at her as she lay unmoving on the floor. “But, lucky for me, Spectre truly has a gift when it comes to dealing with difficult kills.”

“You son of a…” Caltrop uttered with his own guttural growl. Much the same as Sandy, another shot from the dart gun pre-empted him collapsing over onto the floor.

“Tisk-tisk.” Flint sighed in disappointment. “They will see in time that what has been done is for their own good.” He looked up to me with just the hint of a smile. It was a look that I so desperately wanted to wipe from his face with a sledgehammer. “However, it seems that what you told me yesterday has come back through my network as true. With Red Eye’s forces preparing to move in, I cannot spare the full extent of my hunters to go. However, as you have so helpfully volunteered, I expect Storm dead by the end of tomorrow.”

I didn’t know if he was trying to set me up to fail, or if he already knew what Storm and my mother had planned. Two days wouldn’t have been enough time for even Spectre to track her down at a moment’s notice, not unless she already had some idea as to where they would be. Still, I didn’t have to worry about that. I had other priorities.

“What about Caltrop and Sandy?” I grunted plainly.

“You may take the hellhound with you.” Flint said boredly before sitting down at his chair again. “I would much rather use her against your grandmother than keep her sedated here.” He paused to take a sip of his tea, looking quite full of himself as he sat at the end of his table. “Mister Caltrop however, will be joining me until the time at which you return to me with the news of Storm’s death. I do expect we shall have a long talk about things while you are gone.”

This is the exact shit I was trying to avoid! With Caltrop held hostage, I couldn’t very well allow mom and Storm to siege this place. If I took too long and he went snooping, he’d find I was working with them and kill Caltrop. If I refused, he might damn well kill Caltrop anyway. What the fuck was I supposed to do!? I’m not a smart enough pony for this shit!

…that’s it!

“Let me take Synchro.” If I couldn’t take Caltrop, Synchro was at least one other pony who’d be smart enough to help Storm and Mom figure out a way to do this that didn’t get Caltrop killed.

“Synchro?” He seemed offended at the mere concept of it. “What good would he do?”

“Well, for one, you trust him.” I spat back. “Two, you had me marry the bastard. His appearance with me can only serve to give me a better shot at catching Storm off guard.”

“Hmm.” Flint hummed before he took another light sip from his cup. “And what if I require him here? He is needed to fully utilize his machinations.”

“You said it yourself, you stole his robot and used it without him just fine.” As much as I didn’t want Flint to have control over that rolling death machine again, the alternative was that I actually killed Storm. Even then, I don’t think Flint would hold up his end of the deal and let Caltrop go.

“Fine, Fine.” He rolled his eyes and set his cup down. “You may take him, but as I instructed before, you have two days.”

I nodded and stood there. Even if I had to sit and rut Synchro for an entire night, I’d do it in a heartbeat just to ensure that Caltrop comes back from this alive. It’s a genuine miracle how much I’ve fucked him over now, and who knows what he’ll think of me now. Sure, he got past everything else I’d done, but his family was dead because of me, as was Sandy’s. I’d be surprised if neither of them tried to kill me when they woke up, let alone ever speak to me again.

“Mrs. Cap?” Flint spoke with a soft tone, drawing my panicked look to him. “You seem to still be here.” He lifted a hoof and swept it at me. “Take your leave of me, and do not return until Storm Rider is dead. Is that understood?”

“Yes.” I grunted and focused, wrapping my magic around Sandy’s sleeping form.

“Yes, what?” Flint spoke up abruptly.

“Yes, Master.” I sighed as I secured Sandy to my back. Synchro better have my fucking legs done when I get down there, or there would be hell to pay.

Just the same as it was in my dreams last night, the thought of living a nice life with Caltrop and Sandy felt further away from reality than ever. That was my life, however, and I would do nothing less than take it in stride. Each step toward Flint’s doors was another step closer to watching this whole place crumble around him.

I just prayed that when the time came, Caltrop didn’t crumble with it.

Author's Notes:

I give so much thanks to Kkat, for creating the original story and this world for us all to share and build it. Along with Fo:E, without many of the other stories here that I've taken hold to, I wouldn't have half the inspiration I need to actually write my own. The list has grown far too long to sit here and name all those I want to thank for sharing their stories, but believe me, I'm thankful for each and every one of them. On top of that, I want to thank all of you, the readers. Without you, none of these stories are alive outside of my head. Thank you for choosing to stick with me this far, and I hope you'll stick around for the quickly approaching end of Better Days.