Well, it's here. I finally finished it.

I honestly never thought this day would come, but I'm so glad it's here. Thanks to anyone who stuck it through - I hope this makes it worth it.

I have an archive account now for new stuff, but I'll still update a little bit here.

I don't have much else to say. Thanks again, truly, and enjoy :)

Both men sat in a brief stalemate, the elder patiently and curiously awaiting an explanation from his former mentee.

Derek, on the other hand, struggled with where to begin. He had a general outline of how this would go, and now that it was here, it felt impossible to land on a starting point.

He sighed loudly after coming to the realization that the answer was simple: in all the time spent discussing his feelings as of late, he had come to find over and over that instead of having a grand plan, the best way to share what was in his heart and mind was to just start.

Somehow, he always managed to find his way. And he could only hope that this time would be no different.

"I know you've dropped by to visit me," Derek began, "but it took some time for me to formulate my thoughts and feelings into something concrete. Every time I thought I had something I either couldn't psych myself up to talk about it, or people were always coming in and out…"

He rested his elbows on his knees, hands nervously fidgeting with one another.

"I thought that maybe once we finally had some time alone together, I could begin to explain everything to you, but then I realized it probably wouldn't be of any help." he finally stammered out, his palms turning upward as he scoffed once to himself. "And now it's somehow just dawning on me that everything I had planned to talk about was completely stupid, and all I really want to do is just make you understand…"

He cut himself off, attempting to clear his throat of the rising lump within it.

"I j-just need you to know…" he tried again, unsuccessful once more. He had long given up on eye contact with Greg, gaze down on a small patch of grass to the right of Cybil's headstone, as he couldn't bear to look at that, either.

"Derek."

Derek blinked his eyes shut at the sound of his name, a deep, slow exhalation spilling from his lips before tentatively raising his teary eyes to meet his mentor.

Greg reached over and placed a hand on Derek's knee, his gaze steadfast but full of compassion.

"Derek – none of this was your fault."

A simple sentence from Greg Kasal was all it took to send the tears flowing, the proverbial floodgates now open with no hope for closure. He dropped his head and shook it slowly; emotional breakdowns seemed part of his daily repertoire as of late, but somehow, they failed to get easier.

Moments passed in near-silence, Derek attempting to pull himself together with what little strength still remained in his wearied existence. Although, after hearing Greg's words and realizing what was left to speak about with him, he deemed his composure a lost cause and instead, decided to forge on in that state.

Maybe showing his true emotions would help Greg to understand how badly this had truly broken his heart.

"I know the shooter wasn't, uh… wasn't m-my fault." he managed to choke out. "But I should have done more. I could have s-saved her and I didn't. I sat there like a helpless f-fucking child and watched her die."

Greg sat calmly, a prick at his own eyes while he witnessed Derek unraveling.

"And I don't know how, after everything you've done for me, I'm ever supposed to look you in the eye again." Derek exclaimed, exasperated. "You are the person responsible for building me into the doctor and person that I am today, and I can't believe how bad I failed you. Every time you lay eyes on me from now on, you'll be reminded that I'm here and Cybil's not. And I worry that because of it, you'll hate me for the rest of your life."

Derek exhaled deeply and sniffled, his eyes away from Greg.

"This is one of those moments where I honestly and truly cannot understand why I'm still alive." Derek spoke, his voice tired and his devastation evident. "I should have just given myself up from the start, and maybe things would have been different… for everyone."

"And what if they hadn't been?" Greg queried gently, Derek making eye contact with him for a fleeting moment before turning away once more. "What if he had killed you right then - do you honestly think that would have been easier for anyone? Let's say you had attempted some sort of some grand, heroic takeover: it may have worked, but he also could've snapped and killed you all. The 'what if' game is going to serve no other purpose than to drive you crazy."

"I know." Derek conceded. "But sometimes, I place myself in your shoes. If you were me and you had failed to protect Angie from meeting this fate… I'm truly not sure what I would've done. I honestly don't know if I could have ever looked at you the same again."

The elder Kasal pressed his hands together and rested them against his lips, his eyes closing as he fought back a round of his own tears. Another silence hung thick in the air between the two men, broken by a gentle sigh from Greg as he searched for a way to respond.

"For the sake of honest conversation…" he finally began, "…I was angry at you for a short period of time."

He cleared his throat. "In my overwhelming grief, I've grappled with the same thoughts. I couldn't understand why in that situation, she was the one to go."

Derek nodded and sniffled again. "Yeah, since the moment I opened my eyes I've been trying to answer that same question."

He stalled. Stop there, or keep going?

Derek sighed again when realizing there was no longer any point in trying to save face. Bottling his emotions had done nothing but make things worse, and he was determined to prevent it from happening again.

"I feel guilty every minute of every day knowing that people I loved suffered punishment that was meant for me." he finally admitted. "Whether it was physical harm, emotional harm, or death – I feel personally responsible for all of it, and I'm having an incredibly difficult time coming to terms with that."

"I can see that." Greg mused, leaning back against the tree. His eyes turned to the sky for a moment, rays of light dancing around him as the sun shone through the leaves above. "But ultimately, we're both asking a question that has no answer." he continued, his gaze dropping until it met Cybil's headstone.

He sighed sadly. "It doesn't matter who lived and who died – the real question is how and why someone retaliated against any of you in the first place. How someone can honestly feel as though the only course of action available to them is to take another human life."

Derek chuckled once in disbelief. "I used to wonder that. But after all this, I realized that if he wouldn't have died that day, I'd be doing everything in my power to go murder him myself. That after everything he put us all through, the bullet he took to the head was too nice of a way to go out."

"Derek…" Greg said gently, a slight warning tone to his voice.

"I know it's not right. It's the first time in my life I've ever actively wished harm on a singular person, and it likely doesn't make me that much better than him… but I can't help it." Derek explained, growing frustrated easily. "I lost two months of my life and now I'm stuck relearning every basic function that my body can no longer do. Wonderful people that I cared deeply for and that mentored me through my life are gone, one of which was the woman you shared your life with. I frequently watch Angie panic and fall apart over all this and have to sit by, knowing there's not a damn thing I can do to help her. Leslie got shot, Tyler's been a disaster trying to hold us all together, Sidney and Victor are overwhelmed to the point of complete exhaustion…"

He trailed off, a deep breath assisting him in calming himself down before his tirade could grow worse.

"I'm just so goddamn angry." Derek finally finished with a shake of his head. "All of these things are repeated reminders that I should've been able to protect the people most important to me and I failed. And now, I'm struggling with how to carry such a burden for the rest of my life."

Greg shook his head. "Something I need you to understand, is that your existence is not a disappointment. We are not sitting here wishing we could trade you for another life. Not a single one of us, myself included, is not incredibly relieved and overjoyed that you managed to make such an amazing recovery…"

It was ironic to Derek in that moment to hear the word 'recovery', his eyes currently fixated on the metal of the wheelchair supporting his weight. Bitterness seemed to creep in every time he faced his physical limitations, the reason behind them so unconscionable that he still hadn't managed to make any sense of it.

"…but believe it or not, I don't hold you responsible for any of this, Derek." Greg continued, the younger surgeon turning to look at him in surprise.

"You… don't?" Derek asked quietly, clearly shocked that his mentor had failed to cast blame on him in the same way he did to himself.

"Of course I don't, Derek." Greg replied with a gentle shake of his head.

"Let me explain something to you…" he began again, shifting on the blanket underneath him until he was sitting up fully and turned toward his mentee. "Derek, you aren't the same young naïve, careless surgeon that I had to whip into shape all those years ago. You care so much about what you do and the people you do it for that I know how even the most uncontrollable circumstances manage to crush you. And for you to have been helpless during something so horrific - I can't imagine."

Greg looked down, his fingers lacing together and hands coming to rest in his lap. "I honestly believe that if you would have attempted to do more, you may have ended up aggravating the situation worse. I know you guys bartered to get her out of there as fast as you could, and I am grateful to you for doing your best. Even if you couldn't save her yourself, you gave her a chance, and it was at the cost of sending away all of your allies and putting yourself in more danger. You did do something."

Derek sniffled and blinked another set of tears away. He was appreciative of the grace being extended to him, though it failed to make him feel much relief.

Greg noted his unchanging facial expression and continued on, his voice weary. "I know the pain I feel of losing someone I loved so much, but I can't imagine it's anything like what you're going through."

"I can't imagine that." Derek replied, referencing his mentor's lost love. "I don't know how you're holding it together, Dr. Kasal – I really don't."

Having had a couple of months to have sorted some of his feelings out, Greg drew upon the lessons he learned and with a deep breath, began to share them with the younger surgeon.

"We can ask ourselves why, we can get angry and vengeful, we can even go so far as to end our own lives…" he began, voice cracking when recalling Robert's memorial earlier that day.

"However…" he continued, "…any of that is just a waste. A waste of time, a waste of happiness, a waste of life. And no amount of any of it will change the fact that this is something that happened to all of us. It's real, and it's not going away."

He smiled gently. "But, I'm proud of Cybil – no matter the circumstance, she would never go out begging for her life, so instead, she died a hero. And honestly, it helps me to think that her actions potentially saved the rest of you. It's how I'm choosing to remember her and to celebrate the incredible woman that she was."

"She was definitely amazing, that's for sure." Derek replied with a soft smile of his own. "It was the same situation that time we had to dismantle the bomb at the conference center – she was the only one running to it while everyone else ran away. I was in awe."

"Sounds like her." Greg said with a chuckle. "You know, back in the day, we lost touch for a period of time… but any time I thought about Cybil on the force, I readied myself for this as a possibility. And when we fell in love and she shared some of her close calls with me, I was grateful to know that the woman I loved was stronger and braver than me. I mean, I never in a million years admitted it to her, but it was definitely true."

Derek laughed.

"I don't know what to do, most days." he admitted. "Our lives centered around one another. She's the one person in my life who never took my shit, who could say what was in my head before I could open my mouth… she was perfect. And even though she didn't know it, she was just weeks away from getting asked a very important question."

Derek's eyes shot open and to Greg, who confirmed his words with a sad nod as his head dropped. His hand came to rest over his forehead in disbelief, his mouth still agape while tears spilled down his face.

"Oh my God, Dr. Kasal…" Derek whispered, dropping his face into his hands to try to catch some composure, though at that point, it was a losing battle. "I can't… you were going to-? Oh God."

"It's okay, Derek." Greg responded, his own eyes welling with tears.

"It's anything but okay!" Derek whispered, his breaths quickening. The indescribable pain and anxiety of Greg's revelation felt as though a vice grip had instantly clamped around his heart, the sensation seemingly strangling the life of out of him.

"This is so incredibly unfair." he cried breathlessly, trying to look at Greg though he could see nothing through the blur of his tears. "Honestly, how are you even functioning right now? How are you sitting here trying to make me feel better when the woman you love is…"

Derek trailed off. His hands raised to clear the tears from his face, though at that point, they were falling faster than he could keep up with.

"Believe me, Derek… I wish I could tell you." Greg admitted with a sad chuckle. "Some days I do alright, and other days I don't get out of bed. I'm still angry, and I'm devastated every day. But, I'm just taking it one day at a time. That's all any of us can do, especially you. Focus on the things you have the power to change and work to do so."

Derek's head was still down, his hands gripping both sides of his head as more tears spilled down his face and dropped onto his legs. After a few moments, he pulled himself partially together and sat up, sad eyes to his mentor as he stared at him in disbelief.

"You're one of the best men I know, Dr. Kasal. I really can't believe that someone like you was my mentor, but I'm so grateful that you are. I just wish things were different – I'm so sorry for just, everything. Truly. I would do anything in the world to fix it, if I could."

Greg nodded. "I know, Derek. But I can't even say I forgive you, because you've done nothing wrong. This is the hand we've been dealt and we have to find a way forward, as impossible as that may seem."

Derek stared at him, expression unchanging. It seemed like an insurmountable task, though he felt comforted at the fact that someone who had lost something so vital to him was managing to get by.

"I don't know if this conversation was helpful to you, but I'm glad we got to talk." Greg spoke, voice cracking under overwhelming emotion. "It helped me to hear your point of view, and it truly does make me feel better to know I have support during such a trying time."

"Of course you do." Derek replied. "I can't do a whole lot these days, but my heart and soul are with you."

"And mine are with you two." he replied. "But, since you mentioned it, there is one thing you can do for me, if you can."

Derek's eyes lit up at the mention. "Anything."

Greg sighed gently, his expression a mix of pleading and stern with tears flooding his dark eyes.

"I know this has been the worst experience of your life, but please - don't give up on everything you've worked so hard for. Your patient, Cybil, Robert – they didn't die because of anything that you did, no matter how difficult that feels for you to accept. But what is in your control is that countless future lives are at risk if you aren't their brilliant surgeon. You possess gifts and talent that make you the only hope for people you haven't even met yet, and if you quit after this, that bastard will be responsible for more lives being lost. It will probably hurt like hell to continue on, but you have to find a way. I honestly believe that it's what Cybil would have wanted – use this to fuel you, and don't ever give up. Please."

Derek nodded and cracked a small smile, his teary eyes warm as he looked at Cybil's headstone, and then to Greg.

"I won't give up, Dr. Kasal. For the rest of my life, I promise you – I won't. I'll make sure I never let her down."

Greg smiled.

"Thank you, Derek."

-o-

A month after Derek Stiles had finally spoken for the first time, he sat in his hospital room, speechless.

He stared ahead at the closed door that his case manager had just left through, trying to formulate even a simple thought with the information he had just been given. However, his mind raced too fast to land on a starting point, instead leading him back to stunned silence.

Slowly, he extended his right arm, fingers tapping around on the side table for his cell phone until he located it and pulled it in front of him. A few quick taps on the screen and he sat back in his chair again, waiting for a response in silence.

And only a few minutes later, the door opened once more.

"Hey! What's going…. on?"

Angie's voice finally broke Derek from his trance, though she slowed her quick step as she noted his concerned expression. She moved to his side, sat down on the edge of his bed, and took his hands in hers as she waited for him to speak.

"The discharge planner just left." he said, clearing his throat.

"Oh?"

"She, uh…" he started, shaking his head in disbelief. "…she said I get to go home."

Angie's eyes brightened at the news, her hands squeezing his tightly until noticing that he failed to return her excitement. Her smile dropped, expression now concerned while she worked to figure him out.

Thankfully, it didn't take long.

"You're overwhelmed."

Her statement was brief but right on target, and Derek could only chuckle as he realized just how well his girlfriend knew him.

He nodded. "I've wanted out of here since the day I opened my eyes, but now that it's here… I just don't know if I'm ready."

Derek dropped his head, dejected. "I have a lot more therapy to go. I know I've gotten so much better, but I feel unsure that I can really get around without help. I still have trouble with some pretty simple tasks, Angie."

She nodded slowly and heaved a big breath outward, smiling again as her thumbs traced over the backs of his hands.

"Well, I've been thinking about this a lot…" she admitted, his eyebrow raising in curiosity. "I knew this moment would come one day soon, and now that it's here and given the circumstances, I think I have a solution that may help."

He stared at her with palpable curiosity, silently prompting her to continue.

"If it's okay with you, I think it'd be a good idea if maybe you came to live with me for a while."

Derek's eyes opened widely at her statement, surprised by the proposition but also shocked that he had not thought of it himself.

"I mean…" she continued, interjecting the silence, "…my apartment is on the first floor, I'd be there to help take care of you…"

She trailed off when her eyes connected with his again. His expression was deadpan, and she was left wondering if she had unknowingly forced him into an awkward situation by taking advantage of his vulnerability.

"I'm sorry, Derek." Angie began, working to give him an out should he have needed it. "It seriously won't hurt my feelings if that's not something you're comfortable with, I just wanted to offer."

He reared back slightly, his expression incredulous. "Ang, are you kidding? There's nobody on this earth I'd feel more comfortable with than you."

She smiled broadly at first, though it faded. "Then, what's wrong?"

He sighed, dropping his head. "You've just done so much already…" he started, guilt evident in his tone. "You've put your whole life on hold waiting for me to get better, and asking for more of you at this point seems incredibly selfish and unfair. You deserve to get back to normal."

Her gaze grew stern at this, a call of his name prompting him to reluctantly raise his eyes to her once more. The look on her face was unmistakable – she was about to thoroughly explain to him all the reasons he was incorrect in such an assumption, and all he could do was smirk as he readied himself for such a talking to.

"There is no 'getting back to normal' until I'm certain that you're alright." she stated very matter-of-factly. "I don't know how many times I need to explain this to you, Derek, but loving you means that my happiness is tied to your well-being, whether either of us likes it or not."

He chuckled with a soft shake of his head, holding up his hands in defeat. "Okay, okay, I get it."

"You'd better!" she replied with a laugh and a not-so-serious wag of her finger. "You think I'd let some hired help come to your house to take care of you? I'd probably have to be over there around the clock to make sure it's up to my incredibly high standard, which we both know is impossible, and that sounds way more exhausting!"

She smiled when he chuckled at her, her boyfriend well aware of just how high her standards were.

"And besides…" she continued. "…if it makes you feel better, this offer is selfish on my part as well."

"Oh?" he questioned.

"Yeah, it is. Because I know the only way I'll sleep comfortably at night is by keeping an eye on you myself, the same way I have since day one." she admitted with just a hint of shame in her tone. "So, I can understand if it's awkward for you or you think it might be us moving too fast – that I can get. But if you're going to try to use not wanting to inconvenience me as an excuse, it's not going to fly. I need this just about as bad as you do, Derek."

It was unquestionable honesty, as told by not only the love behind her eyes but the authenticity with which she spoke to him. And because of it, Derek smiled, both heart and mind at ease knowing that the person he felt the safest with would be the one to see him through this next phase of his recovery.

He nodded softly. "Honestly, Ang, that takes the weight off my shoulders. There's nobody else I'd rather have watching over me – we've known each other long enough for me to know that not a single person out there does it better than you."

She grinned and leaned forward to kiss him on the forehead.

"Thank you." he spoke, voice soft but filled with gratitude. "But, you're absolutely sure about this? You don't mind me crashing in to have you take care of me around the clock?"

"Oh, Derek…" She giggled. "…I've been doing that since the second I became your assistant."

He rolled his eyes and pouted at the dig, though secretly, he enjoyed it more than he'd ever admit. Such banter between them reminded him that things, indeed, were slowly returning to normal; or at least, whatever normal would mean going forward. With a laugh and a quick ruffle of his hair, she rose to her feet and took some steps backward towards the door.

"Maybe Tyler and them can help you get your place ready for me? You know, since I'll likely not be much help, unfortunately…" he asked, his guilt and frustration once again beginning to mount.

Her eyes lit up mischievously in that unmistakable way that signaled she was up to something, and he began to laugh nervously with his hand coming to rest behind his head.

"Alright, I know that look. What did you do?"

Pulling her cell phone into her hands, she located a photo and held it out for him to see. It took him just a minute for the situation to register before his eyes shot back to hers.

"That's your place. With my stuff in it." he stated, shocked. "Ang – what?! How did you…?"

She laughed. "Oh, I know asking you was a formality, but you didn't honestly think I was going to take no for an answer, right? We did this about a week ago – haven't you learned by now that I'm always a step ahead of you?"

"Apparently, I haven't." he replied, laughing in disbelief. "Once again, I can't believe I didn't see that one coming."

Derek beckoned her closer with a curled finger, and when she obliged, she was met with a soft kiss.

"Thanks, Ang." He said quietly, the pair still nose to nose. "In the most literal sense, I'd be lost without you."

She smiled, still in a slight daze.

"Now, that feeling…" she began lovingly, "…that one is absolutely mutual."

-o-

"I knew a lot of people would show up, but still – that was incredible."

Angie's words elicited a nod from Derek, the pair now in her car and driving away from Caduceus. He cracked the window and sighed happily, the warm breeze a welcome contrast to the stale, dry, hospital air he had been breathing for a month.

"I'm still so embarrassed… I can't believe how many people came just to send me off." he admitted sheepishly, reaching back to run his fingers through his hair. "I'm incredibly touched and appreciative, but could've done without all the fanfare."

He turned around and looked at Angie's backseat, the leather now completely obscured with cards, letters, banners – all signs of well-wishes by his coworkers who had showed up in droves to witness and congratulate him on his official hospital discharge.

"Every one of those people have been incredibly invested in your recovery, Derek." Angie explained, turning the corner to her street. "You should've seen this place – any time news came out about you, the entire tone of the hospital changed… you could feel it just walking around. You've touched a lot of people here, and I hope you're not upset that they wanted to come and show you their support."

"Oh, no… that's not what I meant." he explained. "I just… you know I don't do well being the center of attention. But, I am excited to read these notes – the fact that people took time to do something so sweet… I'm very grateful."

"I know you are." Angie replied, smiling as they pulled up outside their newly shared abode and turned off the car, silence between them as she looked his way.

"Ready to go check out your new digs?"

He smiled and nodded. "Let's go, roomie."

A laugh escaped her as they moved from the car and into her home, an overwhelmed smile on Derek's face as he took a slow, stunned walk around. He had half-expected it to look crowded and in disarray, but found the exact opposite. It seemed he had lived there the whole time, his personal effects blending into Angie's in a way that made it evident how hard she had worked to make him comfortable with his new surroundings.

"Angie, I…"

He turned around and jumped slightly, his girlfriend now standing directly in front of him with both of her arms wound behind her back. His plan of profusely thanking her for her generosity and hard work would have to wait, his interest now piqued at the playful glimmer in her eyes.

"You better not have done anything else for me today." he warned with a point of his finger, only half-serious as he knew attempting to arguing with her was futile.

"Oh, this one has been a long time coming, Derek." she replied with a loving smile, winding her arm out from behind her back to reveal a large cupcake with a single candle tucked into the frosting. She lit it and he took it from her gently, but not before shaking his head with a disbelieving chuckle.

"This is too much." he said in a lecturing tone, though a blush and a smile had never left his face.

"No…" she corrected with a point of her finger at him, "…this is tradition."

She sighed, relieved. "I know this started a long time ago with my birthday, but this is how we've celebrated anything and everything we've experienced together. And, sorry to break it to you, but being alive, responsive, and finally out of the hospital definitely requires some fanfare."

"I can't argue with you there."

Derek quickly blew out the candle in front of him before Angie could speak again, her expression now slightly confused at his haste.

"That was quick." she stated, an eyebrow raised at him as he smirked. "Did you even have time to make a wish?"

"Nah, not necessary..." he replied with a wave of his free hand, his body leaning slowly forward until he was close enough to gently kiss her lips.

He pulled back and smiled.

"…I already have everything I need."

-o-

Six months after beginning physical therapy, Derek Stiles' last appointment had finally come.

After dropping him off downstairs, Angie procured herself some coffee and retreated to their shared office to catch up on some work until he was finished. Her schedule had been quite erratic due to caring for Derek, though Sidney allowed flexibility in work hours so long as her tasks were completed.

It had been chilly that day and Angie didn't bother to remove her go-to long, black coat as she worked to return a mass of waiting emails and phone calls.

And so entrenched in her work, she never noticed hers and Derek's best friends scurry by her office hand in hand, giggling mischievously.

A short time later her cell phone rang, Derek's name on the caller ID. She smiled and pulled it to her ear.

"Hey! Taking a break?"

"Nope, I'm already finished. We briefly worked on a couple things but today was more of a formality and a chance for them to force feed me some cake - I'm officially a physical therapy graduate!"

Angie giggled and rested back in her chair. "And I couldn't be prouder. Congratulations, Derek – I'm going to come down in a minute to say thanks to everyone and then we can go, okay?"

"That may have to wait for another time - I already left."

Angie turned puzzled. "What do you mean you already left? Where did you go?"

"Same place I always go - the roof. Will you come up here?"

"Sure! I'm just wrapping up. See you soon."

"Alright, I'll be waiting!"

Angie ended the call with a smile. She stood from her desk, straightened the paperwork in front of her into neat stacks, and shut down the computer. Swiping her purse and her coffee on the way out, Angie quickly made her way to the seventh floor and swung the door open to the roof, a bright smile overtaking her when her eyes spotted Derek.

Dressed in a black suit with a white shirt, he stood at the concrete half-wall, his elbows resting on it as he looked out over the sprawling landscape surrounding them. The sky was clear of clouds and had taken on a rosy tint, streaks of gold and pink painting the normally blue backdrop as the sun descended toward the horizon. She drank in the sight herself for a moment, the man she loved unaware of her presence before the door clicked shut behind her and gave her away, his head turning to look at her. The gorgeous sunset quickly became a second thought to Derek, unable to hold his attention as he now stared on at Angie with a warm smile.

"Hey!" she giggled. "When did you change?"

He turned around to fully face her and slid his hands into his pockets. "After therapy. I told you I'd take you someplace nice for the occasion, and I figured I should wear something other than gym shorts."

"Fair enough." she replied with a smile, quickly closing the distance between them until she met him in a kiss. Her hands wound tightly around his waist as she pulled back and put them eye to eye.

"I'm so proud of you, Derek – congratulations. You've worked so hard for this and I'm very happy this day is finally here!"

He kissed her again. "Ugh, me too… sometimes it felt like it would never come. I'm very ready to celebrate though."

Her eyes sparkled at the mention. "Ooh, does that mean it's time for dinner?"

Derek laughed. "Of course. But before we go, I just wanted to take a minute to talk with you… to thank you. I don't quite know how to put into words what your support has meant to me, but I know that none of this would have been possible without you, Ang. I love you so much."

Angie grinned and kissed him once more, lingering with a soft sigh. "I love you, too. I'm positive you would have been able to do this regardless, but I'm so glad to have been by your side. Watching you get better every day has been an incredibly important part of healing for me, also."

He nodded knowingly and took a small step back from her, his hands in his pockets again as his head dropped just slightly and he looked at the ground.

"Ang, I first started therapy six months ago today. One of my initial milestones was the first time I was able to stand up to hug and kiss you – do you remember?"

She giggled briefly, the laugh giving way to a bright smile. "I think about that all the time. You were adorable. I was so proud of you and all your hard work."

He nodded again, eyes on hers once more. "Do you remember what I told you that day? About why I had been working so hard?"

She stalled initially but then a smile started to form as the memory trickled back. "Oh yeah…" she reminisced with a playful grin. "You and your ulterior motives – how could I have ever forgotten?"

Derek chuckled. "Not sure, but you're exactly right. You know, you are the cause of a lot of those…"

Angie flashed a bright smile. "I think I'm okay with taking the blame on that one. I can be at fault for motivating you, especially when it's to do something good."

"I'm glad you feel that way." he said, a hand coming to rest behind his head. "Because as much as I hate to admit it, those same motives have made a not-so-surprising return."

"Oh?"

"There's a very… important reason I've been working so hard at PT lately." he began, his girlfriend's eyebrow raising at him in response.

"I would hardly characterize wanting to get your mobility back as an ulterior motive, Derek." she scolded in jest, her finger wagging at him.

He shook his head with a chuckle. "Of course that's been my priority, but it's not exactly the whole story."

"Okay…" Angie replied with hesitance, her head slightly turning to her right as she side-eyed him suspiciously.

Derek smiled. "I know we've talked about this before, but you know my quads were basically useless after I was bedridden." he explained, a knowing nod coming from Angie in understanding. "You've seen me – the last couple months I've been getting better and better, but I still wobble when I try to squat or bend or when I do anything that relies on those muscles. It's been incredibly annoying."

"I understand." she replied. "I know you've been struggling with that."

He nodded. "I've been doing a ton of leg work through the end of therapy, because there's one motion that's been giving me trouble." he continued. "So, I asked the staff to kick my butt in the gym the past few sessions until I could get it just right. I'm happy to say we finally got it, though, and that's why I officially graduated today."

Angie smiled. "I'll admit, I'm a little lost. I'm not exactly sure I get where you're going with this, but now I'm curious." she said, excitement in her eyes for the man in front of her. "Let me see what you've got!"

With nothing but love in his eyes, Derek did exactly what she had asked of him, his stare never leaving her as he slowly lowered himself onto his left knee. The motion was steady and without a single hint of weakness, a testament as to how much work he had done to make it perfect.

The curious smile on Angie's lips immediately faded into a stunned stare as she watched him confusedly, tears swiftly gathering in her eyes when he pulled a glittering ring from his pocket and took her hand in his.

"Ang." he began, a noticeable crack in his voice and a loving smile on his lips. "One of the most important things I've learned through all this is that I'm never going to make the same mistake I did before in not being honest about how I feel. You are everything that I've been looking for and I can't wait another day to do this."

She stood perfectly still, her only movement a noticeable tremble in the free hand that now rested on her chest. Tears now spilled down her face, though she did not bother to brush them away.

"I am positive that no other person exists on this planet that gets me like you, that loves me like you, that I could ever love the way that I love you." he continued. "And while we've only 'officially' been together for six months, it didn't even take one to prove that I can't ever and don't ever want to see my future any other way than with you as my wife."

He smiled broadly and squeezed her hand in his, brown eyes sparkling with love and hope as the words left him.

"Ang… will you marry me?"

Angie sniffled once and blew out the breath she had been unknowingly holding before giving her answer in the form of a vehement nod, followed by a cracked and teary "yes". She instantly dropped to her knees and yanked him into a passionate kiss by his cheeks, his arms wrapping around her tightly.

Just like the first time Angie and Derek had ever kissed, this milestone was also being witnessed by a couple of close friends with an amazing vantage point from a nearby supply room. Though this time, the pair failed to hold in their loud cheers of delight as they rightly celebrated their best friends finally arriving at happily ever after. The couple being shamelessly spied on had yet again not noticed the commotion, their attention on something much more important as Derek was now holding his future wife's hand in his and slipping a glimmering round diamond onto her third finger. Angie stared on at the sight through her tears and blinked them away to look at the ring momentarily before locking her fiancé in a passionate kiss once more.

Derek rose with ease to stand and extended a hand to Angie, who took it and moved to her feet. She pulled him to her by his shirt and kissed him again before pushing away with a teary giggle.

"Alright, Derek – you so got me." she admitted, the man in front of her pumping a fist at his victory. "I had no idea, which is insane because we're together ALL the time! You live with me! How did I not figure this out?! How did you do this?"

"Oh, I guess you could say I had a little help from some guardian angels…" he quipped with a smile, the two of them jumping back with a startle as said 'angels' came tumbling out the door and onto the roof, right on cue. Leslie continued a loud squeal that had begun in the supply room, one that grew in pitch and volume as she all but ripped Angie away from Derek to see her ring.

"Congrats, man!" Tyler exclaimed with a slap to Derek's back, raising his voice to be heard over his boisterous girlfriend.

"Thanks, Tyler. Couldn't have done it without you guys."

He smiled and walked over to hug Angie as Leslie latched her arms around Derek in a death grip, their respective significant others laughing at him from a few feet away. Angie wound an arm around Tyler's waist and looked up at him with a broad smile, tears in her eyes again.

"You know, none of this would have been possible without you." she reminded him. "Thank you."

Tyler nodded and squeezed around her shoulders, smiling at the sight of his girlfriend continuing to squeeze the life out of poor Derek.

"You were the one who never quit…" he started quietly, love in his voice. "…But any time I ever doubted why, I pictured this moment right here. I knew you were fighting for your future, and I wasn't going to let you down."

Angie's eyes quickly filled with tears and she moved to hug Tyler fully once again, before pulling back to put him at arm's length.

"So…" she said mischievously, a sparkle in her eyes as she looked at Leslie and then back to Tyler. "…when do we get to return the favor?"

He grinned.

"Sooner than you'd think."

-o-

Derek's dress shoes clicked on the sidewalk below him as he paced to the front door. He flipped through each of the keys on his ring in search of the one to his new home, a smirk on his lips as he identified it.

Though his apartment had held memories of entering adulthood and starting his dream career, it had been easier to turn over his keys than he had suspected it would. Home was now a place he shared with the woman he loved, instead of a stale bachelor pad. Home was warm and inviting, bustling with love and energy instead of a place where he had grown tired of the constant quiet.

The key slid into the lock and he turned the handle with a smile on his lips, pushing the door open for Angie. She gave him a peck on the lips as she passed him and walked inside, his smirk growing into a full grin at her touch.

He moved to the kitchen and filled a glass of water, taking a sip before leaning back to rest against the cabinets. Angie strolled into the living room a moment after, Derek's line of sight to her clear from where he stood. He smiled as he watched her, eyes down on her new ring and right hand moving it around to watch it sparkle in the light.

"I know it's late with the time difference and all, but I still think you should give your mom a call, Ang." he said softly, smile growing when she failed to respond.

"Angie?" he asked again, now chuckling at her. He was usually the more easily distracted of the two of them, the sudden change in roles rather… cute.

"Angiiiiieeee…" he said in a sing-song voice, finally snapping her from the shiny object in front of her.

"Hm?" she asked, obliviousness evident when she picked up her eyes to meet his. She noted his laughter and quickly grew defensive.

"Whaaat?!" she whined, moving into the kitchen. "Why are you laughing at me?!"

He hid his amusement behind the glass in his hand, opting to take another sip of water before answering her.

"Oh, it's nothing." he stated with a sly smile. "I wasn't just talking to you, or anything…"

Her eyes opened wide. "Oh no, you were? I'm sorry – what did you say?"

Derek shook his head. "It's not important. But I guess I'll admit that while you're adorable, I'm going to start getting a little jealous if your attention is on your hand instead of me for the entirety of our marriage."

Her mouth scrunched and her eyebrows furrowed, which only prompted him to laugh harder. She stomped her foot once but then dropped her anger and slowly began to laugh along with him.

"Hey, it's your own fault!" she exclaimed with a giggle, pointing a finger at him as his eyes shot open and he chortled once in his surprise. "You had to go buy this insanely beautiful, giant diamond – what else am I supposed to do?!"

"Oh, I see!" he quipped. "No problem – let's take it back and I'll get you something hideous."

Angie pulled her hand into her chest and turned away from him, shooting a playful scowl over her shoulder as he just laughed again. She dropped the act after a moment and walked over to give him a lingering kiss.

"I'm sorry." she said softly, nose to nose with him. "It's just gorgeous – let me enjoy it for a little while, okay? I promise I'll try to ignore you less."

"Of course." he replied with a kiss to the tip of her nose. "I'm so glad you love it. It looks perfect on you."

His hands ran from her hips to the small of her back, pulling her to him as he planted a passionate kiss on her lips. Derek went to pull back after one kiss but couldn't get far, Angie pulling him into deeper kisses as her fingernails raked through his hair and her tongue slid gently against his. He sank into her embrace with a happy sigh, dazed expression in his eyes when she finally broke them apart.

"I can't wait to spend my life with you." she whispered, smiling lovingly when Derek brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her once more.

"Me either. I'm ready to finally stop being a distraction and for us to move on with our lives." he replied, earning a shake of Angie's head.

"Never a distraction. Always a priority." she reiterated with a smile, a fact she had reminded him of countless times during his recovery.

"However…" she mused, changing gears just slightly as her seriousness returned. "This engagement was perfect timing – you finishing your official therapy feels like a new beginning, both for you and for us."

Derek wound his arms around Angie's back and laced his fingers together, smiling all the way. "Couldn't agree more. We haven't exactly had the most conventional relationship thus far… or, well… ever. But I'm excited for the focus to be off of me and onto you, and us. I've got a lot of lost ground to cover."

Her hands, previously rested on his chest, slid up and latched gently around his neck. The fingers of her right hand started gently tracing through his hair again, to which he sighed happily.

"Well, since you mentioned it…" she began, voice low and sultry, "…why don't we work on changing that? Now that your recovery is done, let's celebrate this new phase of our lives together by doing one of those 'conventional relationship' things we've had to put off?"

"Sure!" he chirped with a smile. "What did you have in mind?"

Angie's eyebrows raised, her eyes up on him with an appreciative smirk at his obliviousness.

"Oh, I don't know…" she said with just a hint of sarcasm, voice still just above a whisper as she tried to help him along. "You've done so much hard work at therapy... maybe we could put it to good use with, um, some other kind of physical activity?"

It took a moment, but as her fingers gently scratched through his hair and she pressed against him a little more, the unknowing smile gently bled from Derek's face. A blush and look of shock promptly replaced it, his eyes never leaving Angie's as he began to lose his cool.

"Um, I'm sorry for, uh, being so dense…" he started, stammering his way through it. "…but are you talking about what I think you're talking about?"

Angie nodded. "Oh yeah."

"It's, uh… It's been a long time, since I…"

"I know. Me too." she replied. "But, we've talked about this over the past few months – we were postponing this until you finished therapy. And, sorry to be blunt, but now that you're done - I'm real tired of waiting."

He chuckled softly. "Yeah, me too. However, remember that I had to go through multiple sessions of therapy to be able to get down on one knee long enough to propose to you..." he began, shame quickly overtaking his expression.

His gaze dropped. "I may have gained most of my mobility back, but the work I've done has only been intermittently strenuous – I'm terrified of having made you wait so long only to leave you disappointed. As inappropriate as it sounds, I've thought about this long before we dated and I never imagined a circumstance where I wasn't able to give you anything and everything you wanted."

Angie smiled lovingly and dipped her head until she met his gaze. "Well, to start, we both are aware that first times are never perfect." she explained. "But even if that's true, we've been waiting a long time for this. The connection that we have transcends everything else – it'll be amazing because it's you and me."

He smirked at her in return, love in his eyes though uncertainty still lingered in them.

"And besides…" she continued, a crafty smile on her lips as her eyes twinkled mischievously, "…who said you're going to be doing all the work?"

Derek laughed and fixed his eyes on his fiancé, lovingly. "You know… you're something, Angie Thompson."

"So I've been told, Dr. Stiles." she replied with a playful giggle, stepping away from him and extending her hand his way. He locked eyes with hers again, and noting the confidence in them, finally placed his hand in hers and allowed himself to be led deeper into the house by the woman he loved.

Shortly after that exchange, Derek would come to find that his hesitance was misplaced. Because, just like always, trusting her was the correct choice.

And not for a second did he regret it.

-o-

Derek Stiles took a deep breath in as his vision traced over the towering building in front of him.

The feeling was reminiscent of the first day he had come to Caduceus, the sight of the institution so intimidating that it had taken him some time to get over the awe and actually bring himself to walk inside.

Today was different but his feelings the same – it was hardly his first time entering the building, but this day marked a different milestone. Today was the first time Derek would work as a surgeon at Caduceus after being gunned down within its walls. It felt like a new beginning, feelings of hesitance, nervousness, and anticipation all pulling him in different directions. His feet had turned to lead, fear getting the best of him until a wave of comfort came in the form of a ringed hand slipping itself into his, squeezing it gently.

"Are you okay?" Angie questioned softly, her other hand reaching over herself to gently stroke his inner forearm.

He sighed. "I don't know. My legs won't move. This is exactly what happened to me on our actual first day here… I stood outside forever trying to work up the nerve to go in."

She turned up her head at him inquisitively. "So, what finally got you inside?"

Derek smirked. "I told myself that the longer I stalled, the less people I would help. I recalled the promise I made all those years ago: that I would save as many lives as I possibly could with the gifts I've been given. And I also reminded myself that I wouldn't be able to make good on any of that from the parking lot."

Angie giggled. "Makes sense."

A brief silence passed between the two as they both peered at the monstrous building in front of them. It held so many important memories, both bad and good, but neither could help but remember the fateful day that had brought them to this moment.

"You still have those gifts, Derek." Angie finally declared. "You still possess that desire. And most importantly, you also have the talent with which to make that desire a reality."

He squeezed her hand gently, eyes still forward. "I hope you're right."

"Of course I'm right." she teased, earning a small chuckle from him before her smile faded and she became serious.

"Derek." she spoke, waiting until her doctor's eyes met hers.

"It might feel weird at first, but you'll be as wonderful as you always were. You can do this - I believe in you."

He squeezed her hand again and placed a soft kiss on her cheek before taking an uneven breath in.

"You know…" he began, eyes back on Caduceus. "One of the things that people have always said about me, when speaking professionally, is how passionate I am."

Angie nodded. "I've heard that more times than I can count."

"Yeah…." Derek replied. "But, I can never really take the credit – my passion for medicine came from how I cared for my dad and how losing him shaped me, even so young."

He paused.

"And I guess, if I'm being honest, this will shape me too. This experience has reminded me that every single life is precious, and that all of us could be moments away from the end. That life is fleeting and time isn't supposed to be wasted."

He looked over at Angie. "Continuing on is for Cybil and Dr. Hoffman, for everyone who has been told they have no hope, and it's even a little for us. I mean, I'm sure we'd still be running around kidding ourselves instead of planning a wedding together."

Angie laughed, the back of her hand coming to rest against her mouth though it failed to hide her bright smile. "I mean, I'd like to hope not, but it did take us forever to finally stop being ridiculous."

Derek smiled back and looked up at Caduceus once more. "Well, as horrendous as this experience has been, it'd be the worst mistake I could ever make to let it have happened without using it to change the world somehow."

He turned his head to face Angie once more, determination set on his face and a fire in his eyes that she hadn't seen in months.

He lowered his voice to just above a whisper and leaned in close to her with a smirk on his lips.

"If they thought I was passionate before, I promise: they haven't seen anything yet."

Derek pulled his fiancé to him by their joined hands and planted a kiss on her lips before setting his sights on Caduceus once more. Sighing with a hopeful smile, he took a step forward, the love of his life at his side for support. However, the attempt to move ahead failed and he jerked backward near instantly, as the arm attached to his had not moved from her spot.

Derek turned his head to look back over his shoulder, noting that Angie stood rooted in place with tears in her eyes and warmth in her expression.

"Ang, are you okay?" he asked with concern, curious about her sudden change in demeanor.

"I'm great." she said on uneven breath, nodding.

Derek raised a skeptical eyebrow at her, hoping to prompt an explanation.

"It's just… I've been waiting to say this for so long…" she whispered, overwhelming emotion allowing a tear to drop down her cheek.

Then suddenly, Angie smiled as brightly as he had ever seen, and shortly after, exhaled with relief.

She squeezed his hand tightly.

"Welcome back, Dr. Stiles."