A/N: I hope you all enjoy this last bit.

Part 3

Lena

Saturday

The party is on and everyone is out back.

Mariana is singing and Brandon is backing her up on keyboards. They sound great together. This is a very special night and I'm glad that my parents are enjoying themselves.

I'm not much in the partying mood, myself, but I'm keeping up appearances well enough.

I have my phone on me. Stef might call, decide that she wants to join us after all.

The kids would like that.

Wouldn't I? I'm not sure.

My text tone sounds, but it's not from Stef.

It's Monte.

I'm out front. We need to talk.

Hurriedly, I go through the house and out the front door. I hope no one saw me.

She's at the street, waiting by her car.

"What are you doing here? The kids are here, my parents are here, and about thirty of their closest friends."

"This is important."

"Why would you tell Jenna that you kissed me?" I ask, not wasting any more time.

"You know why we broke up, right?"

I lift my brows and shake my head, non-verbal.

"I finally told her that the reason I'm having a hard time falling in love with her is because I've already..."

She's looking at me expectantly, like I should bail her out, but I want her to say it.

"...fallen in love with somebody else. With you."

"Yeah, I-I got that," I say under my breath.

"Hey, I know it's not okay. I know. You don't...I know you don't feel the same way about me," she admits, a bit emotional. "And I promise, I would never, ever want to break up a marriage. I just, uh...I guess I needed to say that out loud."

"Did you? Do you feel better? Because I'm telling you right now, I am one-hundred percent in love with my wife. We are not friends, we are colleagues. Nothing more. Professional boundaries will be respected from now on, got it? Now, leave, please."

"Okay, Lena. Okay," Monte says, resigned to my wish.

I sigh heavily as she drives away. There's no time to dwell on this, I've gotta get back to playing hostess.

"Is your wife going to make an appearance?" Daddy wonders, joining me at a table where I'm getting a drink.

"I don't think so. She's sorry she can't be here."

"I am, too. This party misses her."

I watch him as he goes off to chat with some friends and I don't hear my mom walk up beside me.

"Speaking of your lovely wife, where is Stef this evening? We haven't seen her at all since we got here this morning."

"She got called into work. She couldn't get out of it."

That was too easy. It felt so wrong. I take a drink of champagne.

It must've showed on my face because the next thing I know, Mom's pulling me aside and busting out my middle name.

"Lena Elizabeth, what's going on? Tell me the truth," she demands, her eyes taking in my every expression.

"She left. We're having problems. Stef went to a motel two days ago. I really messed up, Mom," I confess, my emotions beginning to get the better of me.

"Do you love her, Lena?"

"Yes. Yes," I nod vehemently. "More than anything in the world."

"Nothing is unforgivable. I truly believe that. You need to go to her, Lena. Show her you love her. Fight for your marriage."

So, that's exactly what I did.

[][][][][][]

Stef

I had just finished blow-drying my hair when someone knocked on the door.

I cross the room and open it, only to find my wife on the other side.

"Lena? What are you doing here? You should be at the party."

"How can I possibly care about a party when my wife's at a motel? I needed to see you."

"Come on in," I say after a moment, closing the door behind her.

"So, I, um, I had a little talk with Monte today," she starts, timid.

"Really?"

"Yep. She, uh, she told me that she's in love with me."

"What did you say?" I wonder, moving past her, toward the bed.

"I told her I'm in love with my wife."

"Well, there's one thing you didn't keep to yourself."

"Really? You're going to hold this against me? This one thing that I didn't tell you? Because I didn't want you to feel weird, or awkward, or whatever? After the dozens and dozens of secrets you've kept from me."

That cuts deeper than it normally would.

"Oh, is that what we're doing? We're keeping score, now? Really? I slam my rings down on the table. "Let me ask you this: How does someone fall in love with someone just like that, huh? Out of the blue, without any encouragement, Lena? Did it just happen? Is it something she caught, like a virus, or a cold? Is it contagious?" I ask with contempt.

"Stef, I'm not trying to fight you here. I'm trying to fight for us," Lena says, her voice strong. "Are you asking me if I liked the attention? Because yes. Yes, I did. I liked it."

I'm not used to Lena being so blunt; that's my area of expertise. I feel myself starting to cry, so, I sit on the other side of the bed, with my back to her. I did that. I drove her away, in to the arms of another, the one person I love most in the world.

"I'm not saying that I encouraged it, but, I admit that I didn't do enough to stop it."

That statement might be worse than the kiss itself. I stand up and whip around, my eyes boring holes into Lena.

"Why not? Why not? Why didn't you?" I am utterly heartbroken at my wife's admission. "Because of me? I suppose it's my fault, because I didn't pay enough attention to you, is that it?"

Lena doesn't respond, looking a little sad at my realization. I hit the nail on the head.

"Thanks," I hiss, sarcastic. It's not like I deserve any sort of comfort.

I start up again, close to yelling in full voice. "Well, you know what? It's too bad! It's too bad! Because between the kids and my work and my—and everything else, I cannot always put you as priority number one!"

That statement hits us both like a ton of bricks. The truth is finally out in the open.

"What do you mean by that?"

That's not what I was expecting. "By what?"

"What else besides the kids and work is keeping you from putting me first?"

"Nothing. Nothing, Lena. Just drop it."

She can't know. Not yet.

"No, I won't. Something else is going on. I can feel it."

Lena won't stop pushing, and now, I'm sounding just like she did three nights ago. "Nothing else is going on."

"Don't lie to me. Please, Stef. Just tell me."

"Lena—"

"You didn't leave just because of the kiss, did you?"

I wasn't expecting her to ask me that flat-out.

"I know something's wrong. I know you. Is everything okay?"

Her question leaves it difficult for me to keep up a strong front. Nothing is okay right now.

I exhale a big sigh. "I...I wanted to wait until I knew something for sure, but, um, I had to get a second mammogram."

"A second? When did you get the first one?"

"Last week. I...I found a lump, Lena. Two weeks ago. I was checking myself after my shower. They said the first was inconclusive, but I felt something."

She looks shocked, afraid for me, and not to mention worried. She closes the distance between us. "Why didn't you tell me this?"

"Because I didn't want to worry you," I say, my voice breaking, "and because I didn't want to need you, because I'm mad, I'm really mad. I'm so..."

I don't finish my thought. It doesn't matter at this point.

"What did they say?" my wife asks me, desperate for an answer.

"They called me yesterday. They want me to come in for more tests, lab work, and possibly a biopsy."

For the first time, Lena actually sounds angry with me. "And what was your plan, Stef? Were you gonna have these mammograms and tests and not tell me? You'd find out the results and break the news as an afterthought? 'Oh, by the way, everyone, I have cancer. No big deal, go on about your lives.'"

I hadn't thought that far ahead. I can't think of a response.

"Oh, my God," Lena breathes. "So, that's what this is? You're giving me an out? A chance to leave you for Monte because you might be sick? Like I wouldn't care? Do you think I'm heartless? You're my wife."

"I just thought...I thought, 'What if you fall in love with her because I'm ugly?'" I almost whisper.

"What are you talking about?" she asks me, as if I'm being absurd.

"You might not be in love with Monte right now, Lena, but what happens if I do have cancer? What if I have to go through chemo or have surgery? What if my hair falls out and I'm exhausted, puking my guts up for months and you have to take care of me? I can't ask you to do that."

"Stef, don't you know by now that I would do anything for you? You don't have to ask me. If you are sick, I will do whatever it takes to get you well."

"After everything, I might not like the way I look; You might not like the way I look."

"Honey, chemo and whatever else we have to do can save your life."

I shake my head. "The result is the same. I could be scarred, my hair might never grow back, and God knows if some of the side effects are permanent," I muse, knowing that our sex life is non-existent at this moment. Getting treated could squash it for good. "I won't be beautiful like Monte. I'm—I just—I won't. And you know, I don't care about the treatment. I'm not afraid of it, that I don't—"

Lena takes my hands in hers and looks right in my eyes, stopping my rambling.

"You're not going to lose me. And what's beautiful about you is so much more than your body. It's your heart and soul. Your mind. Your laugh. Your courage and your compassion."

Feeling a bit foolish, I look down, sniffling.

"I love this life that we've built together. Our kids. Our family. You're my home."

My eyes find hers, though, I still doubt her words.

"I'm so sorry I ever did anything to make you feel like you weren't enough for me. I let someone else come between us; I hurt you; I'll probably never know just how much. I know that. You are enough. You always will be. I want you, Stef. You're my wife, my lover, my best friend. I love you with everything I have. And if you're sick, we're gonna face it together, like always."

All the emotions I've been holding in just start pouring out of me. "I'm scared," I sob. "I'm so scared, Lena."

She pulls me into her arms. I'm crying into her shirt and she's holding me up.

She's my strength right now. My lighthouse in the storm.

She always has been.

"It's okay to be scared. I'm gonna be here every second, you hear me?" Lena says, close to tears, herself. "For everything. You can't get rid of me that easily," she tries to joke.

I choke out a laugh. I can't help it.

"Please come home, Stef. That house isn't home without you. I'm not me without you. The kids need you. I need you," she pleads. "And you're gonna need us. You don't have to go through this alone."

I collect myself and look at my wife. I start to realize that in spite of her transgressions, my feelings for her haven't changed. I still love her and she's right, I need her. I need my kids. I need my family.

I nod. "Let's get out of here."

[][][][][][]

Lena

And so it was a joyous welcome home for Stef, with everyone reacting as if she'd been gone for weeks instead of two days. Stef gave Jesus some extra love, which we both knew he needed.

She was truly the missing piece. We all feel slightly more whole now.

The air around us doesn't feel as heavy.

After some initial clean-up in the backyard, Stef and I send the kids to bed early; there'll be more to do in the morning. We then bid my parents goodnight and go up to our bedroom.

"Glad to be home?" I ask her as I shut the door.

"Mhm," she hums, taking a seat on my side of the bed, patting a spot next to her. "Come here, please."

I sink down, not sure what this is about. Then, she starts unbuttoning her shirt.

"Stef, we don't have to—"

"No. I want to show you, Lena. The tests are on Monday. We're not gonna say anything to the kids until we know what we're dealing with, yes?"

I nod. "Of course."

Stef takes it off and unclasps her bra, her hands moving to her left breast. She begins at the margins of tissue, pressing slowly in circles. I see frustration on her face.

"Shit," she exhales, blinking away tears. "I-I can't find it. I know it's there, I just—"

"Here, let me," I interject quietly, wishing to ease her panic.

Stef turns to face me and I take her breast in my hands, repeating the motions.

"If you didn't look so serious, I'd be turned on right now," she quips, which is so like her.

I'm kneading the soft tissue and suddenly, something hard to the right of the areola, about the size of a marble.

My blood runs cold. I suck in a breath.

"Press right here," I say, guiding her hands to the spot.

She just nods, tears coming again. "That's it."

"I wish you would have told me right away."

Stef grabs her bra and shirt, putting them back on. "Why?"

"I had a right to know about this, Stef."

"Would you have told me about Monte?"

"I honestly don't know."

She huffs at my reply.

"Monte knows to back off. I made sure of it. There shouldn't be any more trouble with her." I shake my head. "Can we deal with this later? I mean, we will have a real conversation, but just not right now, please."

"I know exactly what you mean..."

Stef's right hand cups my cheek and my lips meet hers.

One kiss is all it takes.

I came so close to losing this.

And with Stef's news, I just might.

I'm scared, too.

I wish we could stay in this moment forever.

Finding our way back to each other, reconnecting.

I don't know what the future holds for us.

I guess we'll find out together, and that's enough for me.

THE END

A/N: I'm so glad Stef's DCIS scare in 3B brought Stef and Lena closer. It showed them what really matters; their relationship and their family. Stef confronted more of her own issues and internalized homophobia and is better and stronger than before. Yay for growth.

There's more stuff coming from me pretty soon, cheers.