BitterSweet | The Story So Far...

Introduction

BitterSweet is the story of the shattered relationship between two men with a troubled past and how love manifests in places you'd least expect it. The listener plays the role of Boo, Alphonse's partner, who has helped him grow and learn to trust after falling in love in a small town. The shadow of the city he left behind looms large when his past comes knocking in the form of Seth, Al's criminal cohort...and ex lover!?

BitterSweet Prologue

Before BitterSweet, there was a collection of audios tied together by a loose plot thread. These audios are now referred to as the BitterSweet Prologue that establishes the relationship between Alphonse and Boo leading into Chapter 1.

Boo is a new resident in town, taking a hike through the nearby woods when they are approached by Alphonse. His flirty banter and sarcastic sense of humor draws Boo to him, and their night ends with a near fling. Over time, the two continue to interact and get to know each other, eventually becoming a couple.

One fateful Halloween, the two run a booth at the town's Halloween festival and Alphonse expresses sincere gratitude that Boo has helped crack his candy coated shell and reintegrate him into the small community. As the event comes to an end, the two run off into the woods together and share an intimate moment at a very specific location Alphonse and Seth used to frequent.

BitterSweet Chapter 1 | Speak of the Devil

Alphonse and Boo's date night is interrupted by the roaring of a motorcycle making its way to the local Tavern and suddenly the past that he has so desperately tried to keep dead and buried comes clawing its way back to the surface. Alphonse sends Boo ahead to the Tavern while he collects himself for what's to come.

Meeting Seth

Boo is approached by Seth at the bar, and it becomes clear that he has deep ties to the town...and Alphonse. He answers Boo's phone when Alphonse calls, and taunts him, prompting Alphonse to rush down to the Tavern. After the call, Boo questions why Seth hates Alphonse so much.

As it turns out, he doesn't hate Alphonse. He loves him.

The reunion is a tense one, with both boys trading barbs, clearly aware of how to press one another's buttons to great effect. Seth claims to have taken the fall for an apparent crime Alphonse committed, despite Alphonse not asking him to. Once it is clear that he's not welcome, Seth says he needs to find Betty, and wants to know where Alphonse tossed it. Alphonse is still in possession of Betty, Seth's knife (and attempted murder weapon), and tells him to come get it in the morning.

The Long Walk Home

On the walk back home to Alphonse's studio apartment, he shares the gritty details of the past he so desperately wanted to leave behind. He and Seth were childhood friends, lovers, and eventual partners in crime. Seth's home life was less than ideal, his father a drunk, and mother Jessie long gone. Alphonse and his family embraced Seth and took him in, but the locals didn't look kindly upon the budding romance between the two young men.

Eventually, Seth left for the city to stay with his mother, but returned months later to sweep Alphonse off his feet with the promise of a new life in the city. They worked together for Derek, the leader of a biker gang, hustling drugs and committing a variety of other crimes. It was during this time that Alphonse's relationship with Seth decayed, becoming increasingly toxic the more that Alphonse wished to return home. During this time, Alphonse's parents died tragically, leaving him no opportunity to make amends for leaving so suddenly.

Alphonse finally made the decision to leave, but circumstances led him to return one last time, when he found Derek assaulting Seth. Alphonse used Betty in the process of unleashing all of his pent up fury upon Derek, in turn saving Seth's life. He fled the scene with Betty in hand, with Derek and Seth being arrested shortly after.

The Longer Walk Home

As Alphonse finishes recounting the tale to Boo, he requests the night to himself, so they can start fresh in the morning over cinnamon rolls. However, Boo's night is far from over, as they seek out Seth to get his side of the story. They find him camping out at a familiar location in the woods Alphonse has shared with them in the past.

Seth's story isn't entirely different from Alphonse's, and is littered with remorse, good intentions, and shame. He questions Boo's confidence in Alphonse's love, stating that if they have so little faith in him that they don't deserve him in the first place. Boo doesn't back down, wanting to push past whatever walls Seth has put up to get a glimpse at the boy Alphonse once knew. Seth relents, feeling a comfort in recognizing something within Boo that feels familiar in the same way that he shared a familiarity with Alphonse when they met.

Seth confesses that his insistence on Alphonse staying in the city with him was due to money he was stealing from Derek in hopes that the two of them could run away one more time and start a new life. In his desperation for all of the misery to have meant something, he clung to Alphonse even to the detriment of their relationship, until it finally shattered. He requests that Boo keep this secret between them, so they won't complicate the situation for Alphonse any further. Seth wants to protect the peace and love Alphonse now has, even if it means leaving him behind.

Then, Boo invites Seth to join them for cinnamon rolls in the morning.

Salt & Cinnamon

Boo's gambit to have Alphonse and Seth sit down and discuss their feelings one more time pays off despite Alphonse's protest. Tensions flare as Alphonse feels trapped and forced to face Seth, but when Seth drops his attitude and shows genuine care towards Alphonse risking the peace of his relationship with Boo, they find enough common ground to have a cordial discussion.

In the end, Alphonse tells Seth that if things get bad and he's at risk of falling into their old ways, he would rather him come back home than stay gone. Seth knows he has to get some distance between himself and Alphonse to try and learn to unlove him. They part ways, and Alphonse shares a moment with Boo to decompress and appreciate that they took such a risk for the sake of Alphonse...and Seth.

BitterSweet Chapter 2 | Welcome Home

We return to find Alphonse and Boo wrapping up after decorating the shop and studio apartment for the holidays, capping off the evening taste testing cookies that Boo baked. After Boo heads home for the evening, a particular knock on Alphonse’s door sends the otherwise festive evening on a crash course with his past once again.

Adopting A Stray

A bruised and beaten Seth stands in the doorway, having returned to the one place he felt safe. As he struggles to mutter an apology, he collapses in Alphonse’s arms. Alphonse does his best to keep Seth conscious as he patches him up as best he can, while getting whatever information Seth can share in this condition.

While the details are hazy, it’s clear that Derek’s crew got a hold of Seth and did a number on him. Not to mention, his motorcycle is nowhere to be seen. Seth clearly feels that his presence is a burden, but with nowhere else to turn to, he’s come back home. Unfortunately, he’s brought the sins of their past along with him.

When Seth finally crashes for the night, Alphonse reaches out to Boo and has them come back over to reveal the unexpected house guest. First and foremost, Alphonse is concerned about Boo’s safety, unsure if Seth could have been followed by any of Derek’s goons. Then, there’s the matter of Alphonse’s complicated feelings towards Seth, and how his presence could impact their relationship. Boo, steadfast as ever, assures Alphonse that it’s okay.

Together they acknowledge how difficult it may be to adjust to Seth’s presence over the course of the holidays, but with the state he’s in, they want to look out for him. Not to mention, neither would want to send Seth back home to his father. Despite all of the mess, he’s family, and the three will stay together at Boo’s house over the holidays.

Approaching Normal

The following morning, wearing an old Mothman t-shirt, Seth helps Boo bake cookies for the Mayor. It turns out that Boo has an opportunity to sell their baked goods at the Winter Festival, and this is the perfect excuse to work their magic on Seth. The two bond as Boo allows Seth a neutral ground to open up and discuss the circumstances that brought him to Alphonse’s doorstep.

The days leading up to the Winter Festival are awkward as the two boys only seem to engage with each other when Boo is around to mediate, but it’s not entirely tense.

One evening, things seem to have settled into something close to routine. In fact, things have been so nice that Seth feels like he’s having holidays with family for the first time in a long time. He also references that he’s thinking about something the Mayor mentioned to him. He hasn't done “the thing” yet, but says there’s still time before Christmas to do it.

However, Alphonse still hasn't had a real heart to heart with Seth, even though Boo tries to encourage him to take the chance. 

The Winter Festival

On the night of the Winter Festival, Boo is preoccupied running a booth selling their baked goods, leaving Alphonse and Seth to reckon with their feelings. In truth, Alphonse has enjoyed Seth’s presence, but walks on eggshells to avoid opening up old wounds.

Seth has continued to struggle with the feeling that his presence jeopardizes Alphonse and Boo’s relationship. Alphonse meets that hesitancy with the same patience and care that Boo has shown him during their time together, and stands his ground. 

This love, familiar but new, shatters the walls Seth was so desperately hiding behind and the truth comes out. His plan to steal money from Derek, to run away one last time with Alphonse and live a happy life together, all of his good intentions that turned so sour are laid bare. Alphonse doesn’t blink, meeting this knowledge with the understanding that regardless of what was, they’re both here in the present left to deal with these circumstances. Seth hasn’t ruined anything, but has unshackled himself from the lie that left his heart stuck in the past.

The two shed tears as Alphonse comforts his dear friend, and a glimpse of what could be starts to shine through. Seth reveals that the Mayor discussed his father's recovery, and efforts to become better over the past few years, encouraging Seth to speak with him sometime during the holidays. Hand in hand, Alphonse accompanies Seth to go to his father's booth and break the ice.

Pillow Forts & Unexpected Gifts

On Christmas Eve, the boys introduce Boo to an old holiday tradition of theirs, building a pillow fort by the Christmas tree and sleeping there for the night. With snacks, smiles, and full hearts, the three start the tradition anew.  They bond, laugh, and grow closer before falling asleep in a pile in the glow of the Christmas lights. However…

The following morning, snow fresh on the ground, an unexpected gift was left in front of the house. Battered and wrecked, Seth’s bike sits with a gift box in the seat. Shaken, Seth approaches the bike not only terrified at what might be inside the box, but with the knowledge that this wretched past is now on their doorstep. On Boo’s doorstep. 

Within the box, Seth finds strands of his mother’s hair, and it becomes clear that the City is not done with them yet

BitterSweet Chapter 3 | Reunions & Reckonings

Alphonse and Seth face down their past as Christmas Day fades, with preparations being made for their return to the City. As Alphonse tends to certain aesthetic preparations, Seth gives Boo the gritty details he and Alphonse both have avoided getting into. Just who is Derek? What was his relationship with Seth's mother?

Most importantly, what lengths will they have to go to to put an end to all of this?

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Neither Seth nor his father have been able to reach his mother, Jessie, in recent months. Unsure what Derek may have done to her, Seth worries that his presence and past might disrupt all of the peace Boo and Alphonse enjoy today.

Upon moving to the city to stay with Jessie, Seth discovered that she was dating Derek, who was caught up in organized crime, drugs, and plenty more. Derek extended an offer to Seth to come do some work for him, and once Jessie up and left outta the blue without a word, he took him up on it. Seth wasn't just Derek's muscle, it was almost an apprenticeship of sorts.

It wasn't long before Seth was an active participant, an enforcer, shaking people down for money they owed and making sure deals got done in their favor. The sad truth was, Seth enjoyed it. He enjoyed the power, the praise, and the money.

Derek became more ambitious with time, expanding their turf for whatever partner in crime he was working with in the shadows. When Seth was lost, getting deeper and deeper into that world, he reached out for the one good thing he ever knew...Alphonse.

He dragged Alphonse into that world, and found that the pastel punk he adored had a dark side. Seth's guilt over exposing Alphonse to the violence and crime is palpable as he laments their time together. Eventually, Seth kicked off his plan to steal Derek's money and escape with Alphonse, and the rest is history.

Seth tries to prepare Boo for what bringing out this side of Alphonse could mean, especially if the situation is as grim as it seems. If it comes down to it, Seth would rather go it alone than watch Alphonse lose himself again.

Alphonse arrives, having dyed his hair and donned his Dark Mode attire. While Seth and Boo certainly don't mind the sight, Alphonse preaches going on offense and taking the fight to Derek. The three of them together can handle whatever is waiting for them, Alphonse is sure of it, but he warns Boo that this isn't just a quick road trip.

Midnight Confessions

The trio heads to Seth's father's garage to pick up Alphonse's car, a project he and his father worked on together. In the garage, Boo and Alphonse have a heart to heart where Boo assures him that even if he had told them every detail of his past before all of this, they would have loved him all the same. He's clearly worried that everything they've built together could come crumbling down.

During the drive, the trio are stopped at a railroad crossing, and Alphonse addresses all of the pouting Seth is doing in the backseat. An irritated Alphonse says that even though Jessie and Seth have a strained relationship, they can't just leave things unfinished. Alphonse relates the situation to his own deceased parents, making it clear that if he ever had a chance to take action and save them, he would do whatever it took. Watching Seth have second thoughts has clearly struck a nerve.

Seth realizes that Alphonse could see that as throwing away a shot at making the most of a last chance at saving a parent, and apologizes for letting his fear make it come across that way. Before they proceed, Seth makes it clear that the reason he's so torn isn't because of Jessie, but because the thought of losing a chance at a life with Alphonse and Boo in it makes him sick. The past few weeks have been magical, the three finding a harmony and joy that seemed well out of reach when Seth first came back.

Sharing a tight, if not awkwardly positioned, group hug in the car, they swear to make it back home in one piece...together.

Searching For Answers

The trio arrive at a run down garage, certain they'd find a bunch of the losers who jumped Seth and hopefully information about Jessie's location. Before heading into the garage with Seth, Alphonse reveals a gun in the glovebox and instructs Boo to put on their angry face and point it at whoever approaches, certain that it'd scare off any of the goons.

After a little banter, Seth and Alphonse kick the door in and catch the goons playing cards, and proceed to dish out a beating. Seth revels in getting a chance to stomp out the same pricks who jumped him when he wouldn't fight back, but realizes Alphonse has run off with Charlie, a member of the crew they have a unique connection to.

Seth pulls Alphonse off of Charlie, not wanting to overdo it on the one member of the crew they know would spill the beans, but Charlie scurries away before they can interrogate him. As Charlie runs out of the garage, he sees Boo in the car and stares at them before a van pulls up, and a feminine voice with a southern drawl commands him to leave Boo alone and get in. The van bails out before the boys can return.

With dawn approaching, the trio drive through the city, and Alphonse explains the connection with Charlie while Seth naps in the back seat. It turns out Charlie was a friend of theirs for a time, even an occasional intimate partner, but things went sour when Charlie outed the boys to the rest of the gang. Alphonse isn't even sure why Charlie would stick around, noting that he's not really cut out for gang life. As they approach an old, run down apartment complex, Alphonse notices smoke coming from what he's certain is their old apartment's window, and spots the van parked out front. The three run inside to get their answers.

Family Reunion

Upon entering the apartment, the trio are greeted by the distinct scent of burnt cookies, and Jessie. She appears perfectly fine, and has been expecting them. Alphonse's relief is underscored by Seth's brewing frustration at the sight of his mother, who clearly knows more about the situation than they do. Jessie explains that she's been cutting into Derek's turf ever since he got out of prison, and that he must be trying to get at her by messing with Seth and the others. To make matters worse, Charlie arrives (and is promptly dismissed) and it's revealed that he's been a snitch for Jessie during recent events.

Meaning she was well aware of Seth's beatdown at the hands of the goons, and the plan to goad Seth into returning to the city. With one phone call, she could have helped avoid endangering the trio, and spared their Christmas celebration. Seth unloads on Jessie, years of her selfishness finally becoming too much now that it not only impacts him and Alphonse, but Boo as well. After a scathing verbal barrage, Seth heads outside to cool off. Alphonse follows to try and defuse the situation, as Boo stays to chat with Jessie.

Jessie and Boo watch the boys from a window, and Jessie expresses her remorse. She offers no excuses, but makes a point to acknowledge what a wonderful influence Boo has been in the boys' lives, and marvels at their love. In such a short amount of time, Boo's influence and love has begun to mend the deep wounds between the boys, and evolve into something wonderful. Regardless of what sort of label they'd want to put on this love, it's family. Certainly more family than Jessie has ever been able to offer Seth over the years. Getting to witness this love firsthand has left Jessie in awe, and she's left considering the weight of her actions.

Outside, Alphonse and Seth have a heart to heart. Seth's feelings are complicated. Despite being left behind by Jessie multiple times throughout his life, burdening him with situations that a young man should never have been left to face alone, he adores her. He admires her. He emulates her. Just being around her has restored a drawl to his voice, and he cannot come to terms with the idea that someone he loves so much could love him so little. There's no making sense of it. There's no reconciliation. There's no explanation or excuse that can soothe that ache. Alphonse doesn't try to brush things aside or diminish that pain, instead choosing to validate and embrace that frustration.

Alphonse is proud of Seth. If Jessie has been so determined to live a life without Seth in it over the years, it is her loss, not Seth's. She will have to live with the knowledge that her son became a good, loving, happy man without her influence. In that vacant place she left in his heart, new, beautiful things have taken root. This is not Seth's shame to bear, but rather a testament to his strength and will to overcome that pain. The boys shed tears together, and are finally brought inside by Boo so they can finally get some rest.

Bullet With A Name On It

After sleeping away the day, the trio wakes at 7 PM to find Charlie in the corner of the apartment living room sitting around awkwardly. As it turns out, Charlie has moved into the apartment at Jessie's suggestion, and he didn't have anywhere else to go. After some ball busting from the boys, they all agree that working together is the best way to make sure they deal with Derek once and for all. Jessie allegedly has a plan, and while they wait for her return, Seth has questions for his mom's pet rat.

When word got around that Alphonse and Seth were stealing from Derek, the gang started looking at their boss different. The operation started back up before Derek was free again, but the gang was struggling to get their hands on product thanks to Jessie's meddling with the supply chain. Derek's return only made matters worse for Charlie and the gang, as the boss began ruling with an iron fist, and dealing with matters in a much more direct, violent fashion.

Charlie reveals that Derek is typically found at one of two possible locations. The basement of Ed's Bar, which has long served as a makeshift office, and the Trainyard Clubhouse, a spot that was founded by Alphonse and Seth, and has since been built upon by the gang.

When Seth asks about Jessie, Charlie reveals that she's not entirely the same as he remembered her from when she was on friendlier terms with Derek, and he struggles to explain before being interrupted by a text. Jessie's out front and needs some help carrying a few things, and Boo volunteers themself to join Charlie, but not without Seth catching a peculiar look in their eyes before telling them to be careful.

Outside by the van, Jessie tells Charlie to carry a duffle bag upstairs, but he's hesitant to leave the two of them alone thanks to the threats he received from the boys about looking after Boo. Jessie has him put on "earmuffs" with his hands while she and Boo have a conversation. Jessie's experience seeing the trio and their love for each other has led to a change of heart, and a desire to bring this mess to an end as swiftly as possible. However...Boo has a plan of their own.

From Jessie's perspective, the boys view Boo as the first pure thing they've known in a long time. Not pure in a sense that Boo has never done any wrong, but in the sense that they're untouched by this dark history of theirs. But Jessie recognized that determination in Boo's eyes, the same shared by Alphonse and Seth, that would trample over anything getting in the way of each other's happiness.

Boo stares down Jessie and gets her to step aside, but Jessie makes it clear that if it was anybody else asking, she wouldn't have a lick of faith that this plan wouldn't end in disaster. Boo sends Jessie upstairs, and keeps Charlie outside, much to his dismay despite Boo reassuring him. Charlie's panic is cut short when a car pulls up, and he's knocked unconscious by Derek, who leaves with Boo willingly in tow.

When the boys are made aware of what's happening, they're faced with the decision to split up to ensure that at least one of them reaches Boo as quickly as possible. Alphonse heads to the trainyard, and Seth to Ed's Bar, in hopes that it won't be too late to keep Derek's greasy mitts off of their Boo.

Alone with Derek in the basement of Ed's Bar, Boo finds that Derek isn't entirely shocked by their determination, and states that despite diplomacy not being his usual way of doing things, he's never dealt with something like this before. First, he needs to know what Jessie has told them.

At the trainyard, Alphonse gathers his nerves and prepares himself for what he hopes will be one last night of violence...and discovers that the gun in his car's glovebox is missing. In that moment, he realizes that Boo intends to take matters into their own hands. He takes a moment to look at a childhood photo of him and his father as members of the gang begin to surround the car. Armed with memories of happier days, and his untempered grief, Alphonse emerges from the car ready to get his hands dirty once more.

Derek muses that Jessie hasn't told them shit, and claims that she never wanted to accept that "something is wrong here", and didn't have it in her to use the boys the way that he could. He says that to get the truth, they need power, and as his nonsensical rambling continues, Boo draws the gun on him. Derek doesn't appear frightened, or even all that surprised. No, it makes perfect sense that the stranger in front of him would want to fight for those two boys.

Seth struggles with the van, breaking down en route to the bar, with misty wisps of smoke rising from beneath the hood. He sets off the rest of the way on foot.

Meanwhile, at the trainyard, Alphonse is taking on dozens of gang members, stalking around abandoned box cars in hopes of picking off goons rather than risking an all out brawl. Before long, the fighting begins to take its toll on him, eyes widening in desperation as his dire situation becomes clear.

Seth's arrival at the bar leads to an almost immediate jumping, a baseball bat to the head removing him from consciousness, at the very least.

With a gun waving in his face, Derek claims that they could have it all, a "world shaped by us" and the trio's "real power". When they hear the thud of Seth's body hitting the ground upstairs, Derek tells Boo to make the choice to call off the boys, or send him on his way. He ponders his morbid curiosity with death, and what comes after it.

Boo obliges his curiosity.

Alphonse, beaten and surrounded, accepts that time is running out. Boo and Seth are the final thoughts on his mind before closing his eyes for what he's certain will be the last time...until it's not.

They open to find a mysterious blue mist filling the trainyard, the gang from just a few moments ago nowhere to be found. Alphonse warily makes his way towards a light glowing from within a nearby box car, where he finds a long blonde haired man standing before several candles, looking particularly frustrated. It would appear that Finn has meddled in the trio's affairs.

Our perspective of the conversation between Finn and Alphonse is skewed, only a few key moments between them coming through clearly. Finn says that Alphonse wasn't grateful last time they met. It seems that last time, when Finn told Alphonse to "go back for him", he was careless. Whatever is going on, it's clear that Finn believes he has caused this chain of events due to some sort of carelessness on his part, and that he can set things straight for the trio to try again.

Alphonse begins to remember Finn from this unknown first meeting of theirs, pinning him to the wall and questioning if he ever shuts up. From what we can gather, Alphonse met Finn at a gas station the night that he left Seth, and his urging for him to turn back was an attempt at apologizing for something that happened to Alphonse's parents. Before Al can indulge in his rage, Finn says that only he can undo the state that Alphonse's partners are in. This is enough to get Alphonse to back down, and let the mage do his work to undo the night's disastrous turn of events.

Time After Time

Alphonse comes to in front of a shattered bathroom mirror in the old apartment, unsure of his surroundings or what is going on for a moment before being hit with a wave of concern for Boo and Seth. He rushes out into the living room to find them fast asleep in bed, with Seth muttering about not wanting to play baseball anymore. Alphonse chalks his standing around up to sleepwalking, but notices Charlie's gloves on the cuck chair in the corner. Charlie is seated outside on the stoop, on the phone with Auron.

Alphonse demands the phone, thinking that Charlie must be talking to Derek, but it is in fact Auron, the money and power behind the gang itself who Derek answers to. Auron intends to make things right and bring Derek to heel, and apologizes for the trio's Christmas going up in flames. He attempts to make a peace offering of an all expenses paid night at a hotel of his, but Alphonse isn't keen on taking any deals from mysterious, threatening dudes on a cell phone. With the phone call wrapped up, Alphonse and Charlie have something of a heart to heart, and Al urges him to get away from this life of crime.

Together, the trio decide that their best course of action is to grab some food and head home to try and put this lost Christmas behind them, though it seems that there are lingering effects from Finn's meddling as Alphonse winces through the static of a migraine.

Seth gives Jessie a piece of his mind one last time before she leaves the apartment, and finally, the trio head off to get some burgers.

Later at Ed's Bar, Jessie and Charlie arrive to find Auron seated in the midst of the bar, waiting for them. Auron offers Jessie a deal, putting all of her troublemaking for the gang behind them and allowing her to take Derek's place at the helm. As it turns out, Auron left Derek beaten to a pulp and nailed to the desk in the basement, but to seal the deal with Jessie, he hands her a gun so that their deal can truly be signed and delivered with Derek's death.

Seth, uneasy about the way things were left with Jessie, has Alphonse drive to Ed's Bar, where he finds Jessie with Derek's blood on her shirt. He stares aghast as she says that it's over, and the trio can go home...together.

Charlie's Resignation

In the post-credits scene of the Chapter 3 finale, Charlie and Auron overlook a very deceased Derek. Charlie informs Auron that he'd like to take this chance to get out of this line of work, and get back on the straight and narrow, saying that he's not really cut out for it. Auron doesn't see it that way, and thanks Charlie for doing everything asked of him, including the betrayal of Alphonse and Seth when they were getting too close to him.

When Charlie leaves, Auron examines a journal found on Derek, containing strange sketches and scrawled notes about Finn. Auron feels the chill of someone watching him, and glances back at a shattered mirror, but only finds himself looking back. Elsewhere, Finneas watches on...

New Year's Eve Epilogue

Days later, on New Year's Eve, Alphonse and Boo are taking down the Christmas tree. They're still recovering from the ordeal, but things seem...almost normal. When Boo runs a box of ornaments up to the attic, they find Seth looking at a framed picture, and it's revealed that the home Boo resides in now isn't just any house, but Alphonse's childhood home. This whole time, Seth assumed they knew.

The picture shows a young Alphonse and Seth posing with Al's parents, smiling, unaware of what their future might hold. Just kids, and folks trying to make sure they were safe and happy. Simpler times.

Later that night as midnight draws near, the trio reflect, but also look forward. Seth is going to accept a position working for his father at the Tavern, but more than that, he wants to be able to accept and give back the same kind of love that Alphonse and Boo have shown him. The three of them have learned important lessons from one another, and have proven to be sturdier than anyone could have expected, and in the coming year...hopefully they can enjoy more of the same.

Oh, and there was one big ass cinnamon roll to go along with one big ass group hug.