"Thanks," Jake murmured, thanking her and the Queen.  He held the mini sword in his hand.  He didn't feel much different now that he was a knight, but it did sound good.  The faintest of smiles appeared on his lips.  He kept his gaze to Juliette as he waited patiently for more words.  Her hand on his head soothed him greatly as the world around him grew darker and his senses faded.  His sight slowly turned into a tunnel with Juliette in the center.  Her brightness almost sucked him in, beckoning him to follow it.  He could see the faint outline of wings around her and wondered if he could touch her wings and the bright light.  The more he was guided into the light, the less pain he felt until finally the pain was no more.

Alicia watched the interaction with tears in her eyes.  She did her best to hold back any audible cries.  Jake slowly closed his eyes.  At first Alicia thought he was sleeping, then the steady beeping of the heartrate machine switched into a solid beep.  Alicia's jaw dropped.  Nurses rushed in to check on Jake and to see whether or not he was gone.

"What happened?" Alicia asked, popping up from the chair so hard it knocked over.  "Is Jake okay?"