Okay, last chapter. Kind of sad about it because this is the first fic I've written that I've actually liked! I don't think I'll do an epilogue unless there is some crazy demand for one, because I don't think I'm so good at them. I've tried to give you some idea of what their future holds even if it's not crystal clear! I know it's the end and everything, and there's really no incentive for you to review, but I'm always looking to improve and to hear your ideas. Thank you for sticking with this fic even though I was terrible with updating! You guys are the best. :)

Everlong

Jack set down the paint roller and glanced at the colored walls with satisfaction. Kate had been nagging him to paint for a few weeks, but he hadn't gotten around to it until now. She was busy enough unpacking and trying to organize their things into a way that she liked and found useful, so it hadn't bothered him.

They'd been in the townhouse for a little over a month, and barring a few intense fights during the stressful time of moving, things were going smoothly. Somehow he thought the transition would be difficult, that they would have to talk about everything, set up some rules or something, but everything had fallen into place. He had started to think that maybe he was worried over nothing.

It was during times like this, when life seemed too perfect and happy that he had always found out that things were indeed too good to be true. That's what had happened with Sarah, anyway. That's what had happened with him and his father. Just when they were starting to have a functional, healthy relationship, he passed away.

Third time's a charm, he thought.

Jack heard a key turning in the lock of the front door and realized he finished just in time for a reveal.

"Hey," she said with a smile, setting her bag down on the kitchen table. She looped her arms around his waist and gave him a kiss. "How was your day?"

"Good," he said. He had the day off because of a canceled surgery, a rarity on weekdays. "So?" he asked, motioning to the surrounding walls that he'd just finished coating in light blue.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Finally! It looks great, Jack. Thank you,"she said sincerely, hugging him again, and scrunching her nose. "I forgot how much I hate the smell of paint."

He looked her up and down, noticing the way her skirt clung to her body and stopped at her knees, her three-inch heels accentuating her toned legs. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck softly. "The bedroom doesn't smell like paint," he suggested, pulling back to look at her.

She threw him a smirk but didn't turn him down, so Jack picked her up around the waist and hoisted her over his shoulder, setting down the hallway and up the stairs.

"Jack!" she screamed. "Put me down!"

He rolled her eyes and continued up the stairs. "Not a chance."

He was glad that they were almost to the bedroom when she dug into the waistband of his pants and began pulling his boxers up, the direction he didn't want them to go. They pulled on his skin and made him think about the discomfort he would experience if she chose to pull just a little harder.

She eyes were watery with laughter when he threw her playfully onto the mattress. "What, you didn't like that?" she asked innocently in between fits of laughter. "I thought it would feel good."

Since she was straddled across his waist he took the opportunity to pull down her skirt and finger the edges of her panties. "Would it feel good if I did the same to you?" he asked, smiling when she gave him her famous 'Don't you dare' look.

Kate sat up straight and rested her palms flat on his chest. "Jack, I swear if you do that you'll be sleeping on the couch for a while."

He retreated and placed his hands on her hips. "Okay, okay," he laughed. "But just for future reference, I always get even."

"Oh yeah?" she questioned, leaning down and placing a chaste kiss against his chest. Then, with her mouth to his ear, she whispered, "Remember what I gave you last night, buddy? You seemed to enjoy it a hell of a lot, right?"

The chill of her breath against his ear was beginning to get to him, and it didn't help that she was planting dirty images of her going down on him in the middle of the kitchen in his mind. He nodded slowly in agreement. He certainly had enjoyed it.

"Are you going to 'get even' for that, then?" she asked, her voice decidedly less playful, her eyes burning into his, almost pleading him.

When she felt herself swiftly being flipped onto her back, his stubble against her neck and then his mouth against hers, his tongue quickly filling it and muffling her surprise, there wasn't a doubt in her mind the wish would be fulfilled.

"Okay, okay, I get it, and in a painfully obvious way," Caroline said in her usual sarcastic manner. "The two of you are completely, sickeningly in love." Kate sat across from her in Caroline's classroom. Both of their classes were in art at the moment so they took the time to catch up and grade papers together.

Kate had just finished telling Caroline about her afternoon with Jack, and she wasn't surprised when her friend rolled her eyes.

"Well what are you acting so jealous about? What about you and Pete? You've only been engaged for a few months, you guys are probably still all over each other."

Although the last time she'd seen Pete was at the dinner she and Jack shared with the two, Kate had met him several times and thought they were perfect together. Before she and Jack got together she was insanely jealous of her friend's good fortune.

"I guess, but your stories always sound so much better than mine," she laughed, twirling her hair through her fingers and marking some unfortunate kid's spelling test with red ink over several lines. "What do you think is going to happen next? Seems like he's completely over that crazy ex-wife of his."

Kate shrugged. She stopped thinking about her future with Jack as much as she possibly could, but now, with what she'd been holding back from him for the past few days, it had forced those thoughts to the front of her mind. It was impossible not to think about it now.

Caroline sensed hesitance in her friend and cocked her head to the side in curiosity. "You've been a little weird the past few days- no offense. What gives?"

She hadn't said this completely huge thing out loud yet, because maybe then, she thought, it wouldn't be real. But then again, Kate knew that besides Jack and few select other people in her life, there was no one else she trusted more than Caroline.

"I just- I'm going to tell you something, and you can't say a word to anyone, alright?

Long after her admission to Caroline, Kate sat at home on the couch, flipping aimlessly through the channels, not watching anything, her brain running too fast to concentrate. She knew Jack would be home in a few minutes.

Like clockwork he waltzed through the door, throwing his jacket across the back of the chair and leaning down to kiss her. He flopped down on the couch, clearly exhausted and happy to be home. She wondered if this was the right time.

"What are those" he asked when he'd settled back into the couch, pointing at the stack of paper on the coffee table.

"Oh," she laughed, picking them up and handing them over to him, "they're from my class. They want you to come back and see them again. Seems like you were a hit last time around," she replied, wrapping her hand around his arm and smiling at him.

"I was, was I?" He shuffled through the papers, grinning and obviously pleased with the cute pictures and terribly spelled letters.

"You have a great group of kids, Kate," he told her. "Of course I'll come back."

"Yeah, they're pretty great. Kids seem to love you, you ever notice that?"

He shrugged indifferently. He'd always thought he had a great connection with his young patients, but he couldn't be sure that really meant anything. The only thing he was good for was making corny jokes to take their minds of being scared of surgery.

"I guess so, I don't know. What's all this about?" he asked, concerned when he saw how tense she was.

"Okay, I should just come out and say it I think. There's no use in being a basket case anymore. I don't know how you'll feel about this, because we sure as hell didn't plan for this. We haven't planned for anything, Jack, and I've kind of gone about that purposely, because I didn't want to force you into anything that you didn't want, or weren't ready for."

He cut her off, placing his hand on her knee in support. "Kate," he urged her. "Tell me what's going on."

He knew what his gut reaction to this was, but he wasn't about to say it in case he was completely off course. That would start another conversation he wasn't sure he wanted to have, not if it wasn't necessary.

"Life's all about rolling with the punches," he told her and placed a reassuring smile on his face. "You can tell me anything."

It was a fair statement, Kate thought. He'd never given her any reason not to trust him- nothing serious anyway, and throughout their relationship she'd always felt as though she was the one who had to prove her trustworthiness.

"Okay then," she said. "But after I tell you, you have to say something. Please don't just sit there with a blank look on your face, because that's what I've been picturing in my mind and I dread it, Jack. I absolutely dread that."

He agreed, and turned to face her on the couch.

"I'm pregnant."

It was exactly what he thought she was getting at in the past few moments of their conversation, but even with that he'd done nothing to prepare himself for this moment.

"Wow," he said simply, amazed. "How long have you known?" was all he could think to ask.

"A few days," she admitted. "I- listen, this was the hardest thing I've ever had to tell anyone, because I didn't want to freak you out because I know we just moved in together, and now adding this to it... I don't want it to be too overwhelming."

Secretly he already had a future planned out with Kate. He'd thought about having kids with her, sure, but nothing specific. He had the idea, but now, after the news that it was actually going to happen, he could picture it. He supposed that was a good thing.

"Are you happy about it?" he asked her, his eyes soft and understanding. There was undoubtedly a lot to be unsure about.

With her head ducked down, hands shaking, she nodded. "I am now, now that I've had time to think it over."

He smiled. "Then I'm happy about it too."

She breathed a sigh of relief and he hugged her to him tightly, startled to find tears in his eyes.

"Oh, thank God," she mumbled into his shoulder.

"A baby, wow," he said when they pulled away from each other.

"You know, this doesn't have to guide anything that we do in the future. I mean, I don't expect you to suddenly want to get married only because we're having a baby together, you know? I want you to actually want it, okay?"

It was then that he realized his fear of commitment had completely disappeared. "You know what, Kate? I can't say marrying you would be such a bad thing."

They relaxed into the couch with their hands intertwined. "A little baby Shephard," she laughed. "He'll probably come out just as bull-headed as you."

"You think it's a boy?"

"Yeah," she said, glancing down at her still-flat belly, "I guess I do."

"Then that means I have to think it's a little girl. You know we can't agree on this, right?"

She thought about how stubborn, yet giving Jack had always been- when they first met he'd let a complete stranger sleep on his couch, then couldn't shake her off. He'd allowed her to pick his brain and take him out of his comfort zone, but along the way, he'd forced her to get over her past, too.

Kate curled into his side and laughed, picturing Jack with a little daughter to spoil. She glanced up to him with a smirk.

"What?" he asked, mirroring his look and leaning his forehead against hers.

She laughed and held the side of his face in her palm. "Nothing, it's just- since when have we agreed on anything?"