Thanks for the support - the reviews, for reading, adding to favorites and following. thank you very much.

Carter Hall and Kendra Saunders were sitting on the carpet in the sitting room of their apartment in St. Roch. They were both staring intently at the board between them; finally Kendra took a few letters off her rack and put them on the board.

"That is not a word!" Carter told her laughing.

"Just because you don't know it, it doesn't mean that it isn't a word," Kendra replied, "and that's thirty points for me."

Carter shook his head and said, "I thought we were playing in English."

"That is an English word," Kendra informed him, "you need to expand your vocabulary. Quit stalling, it's your turn."

She grinned at Carter and watched him study the board trying to score more points; he was winning, of course, he always did and took pleasure in riling him – she loved it when he let her have her way.

Instead of playing, Carter sat back and stared at the woman sitting across from him. He still couldn't believe that they were finally together. Somehow, against all odds, the team had managed to defeat Vandal Savage and while the others had decided to continue working with Rip, Kendra had convinced him that they needed to spend some time alone, to be together.

That was been only two weeks ago and although they had yet to really talk and decide on anything he was willing to take every day as it came.

"Carter…" Kendra's voice brought him back, and he quickly put his letters on the board.

"That's not fair," Kendra pouted. She couldn't believe that he'd just used up all his letters.

"What can I say?" he teased her, "I'm just that good."

"You think so?"

"I know so," he replied. "Your turn."

Kendra looked at her letters and at the board; somehow she had lost all interest in the game.

"What is it?" Carter asked her.

"Nothing," she shook her head, "I guess I'm just tired."

"Kendra, this is me," Carter insisted, reaching for her, "you can tell me."

"You'll think it's ridiculous."

"Just tell me," he insisted.

"It's just… are we really free?" she asked. "Did we really defeat Vandal Savage? Is he never coming back?"

"We defeated him," Carter assured her, "And he's never going to bother us again."

"I hear you," she said, "but I just don't know."

"Kendra…"

"Carter, listen to me," she interrupted him. "There's something I need to tell you."

He waited in silence; he hoped that she wasn't going to tell him that she needed to leave and find her own place but he knew that he couldn't let that happen. Ever.

"Thank you."

"Thank you?" he was puzzled. "For what?"

"For not giving up on me," she replied, "for waking up in the middle of the night to play scrabble with me."

"You're welcome," he said sincerely.

"I know it was hard for you," she continued, "Waiting for me and living like this."

"I wouldn't change a thing," he said promptly, "okay, maybe, I would change a thing or two but you're totally worth it."

"So you keep saying."

"Why don't you believe me?"

"It's not you I don't believe," she explained, "it's… can I really be this happy?"

"Yes."

Carter reached out and touched her face, tracing her jaw line and smiling that smile that she loved so much. She really loved Carter but she was afraid to voice it out loud – they hadn't talked about their feelings when they decided to remain in St. Roch together; they had only talked about helping people and of course working better together.

She grabbed the front Carter's T-shirt and pulled him closer to her. She rose on her knees, leaned forward and touched her lips to his.

She had kissed Carter before but there was something different about this kiss, honestly she couldn't think about anything else apart from how good it felt to kiss him. Slowly the kiss came to an end, and she opened her eyes, she didn't even remember closing them and looked at Carter. She could see the passion clouding in his eyes and a slow satisfied smile on his face. She leaned forward and touched her forehead against his.

"I love you Carter Hall."

"I know," he replied.

They smiled at each other.

000

I love scrabble….