Author's Note-This is actually really hard to say goodbye to. This started, the better part of a year ago, as a concept for a one shot. I was badgered into submission to turn this into a multi-chapt and I never thought we would get this far. I'd like to thank each and every one of you, for reading, reviewing, favoriting and following this, and me because of it. Without you, I would never have made it to fifty so thank you. Even typing this out now is painful, I loved this story so much and writing it has been a lot of fun. I believe it's very fitting that we end this with a chapter consisting of one thousand and forty seven words.

While this is the end of the story, the universe probably will return. I have a couple of one shots/short stories planned and may at some point be persuaded to write another epic like this. For now though, this is done.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. NotYetLostFaith xx

Kate readjusted her hold on her daughter's hand, careful to keep her close as she walked them through the large bookstore.

Rick was about to finish his reading for his newest book and had asked her to meet him so they could eat lunch as a family.

"Mommy, where is he? I don't see him." Alexis asked, her eyes searching.

"He said to meet him beside the podium." Kate reminded her slowly, her own eyes darting from face to face, until they settled on her fiancé. "Look." Kate crouched beside Alexis and pointed, her hand extended next to the girl's head, her finger drawing her eye line straight to where Rick was leaning against the wall, his phone up to his ear, no doubt calling her to find out where they were.

Her suspicions were confirmed as her cell rang in her bag even as Alexis took off at a sprint, Rick noticing her just in time to catch her as she flung herself into his arms.

Kate followed her daughter at a much more sedated pace. Now a days, there was very little she could do that fast.

"Hey there, Beautiful." Rick smiled when she reached him.

He cupped her cheek with the hand not holding Alexis in place on his hip, and kissed her gently, clinging.

"Hey." Kate smiled when he drew back. "You ready to go? Baby's hungry."

Rick chuckled as he smoothed his hand down the widest part of her bump.

She was tiny and neat, had been throughout, didn't even look pregnant from the back, and was the envy of her birthing class.

You'd never know that she was three weeks from delivery from looking at her. "Hey Little Man, you making your mother eat, huh? Good boy, she needs to take a break. All that studying isn't good for her brain."

Kate laughed. "How is studying not good for my brain, Rick? Besides, I have to know this stuff if I ever want to qualify."

Rick laughed. "Kate, you want to be an inner city grade school teacher. You barely have to know the alphabet."

"Snob." She accused teasingly. "And I'll have you know, that my class will be the best, and achieve the highest scores."

Her fiancé smiled. "Of course they will, they'll have the prettiest, most intelligent teacher. Now, I have a present for you before we can go to lunch."

"A present? For me too?" Alexis asked with a excited grin.

"Not for you this time Gorgeous." He let her down gently, setting her on her feet before reaching for the gift box on the window sill behind him. "But remember that we're going to the cinema later while mommy's in class. And you get a sweet and popcorn."

Alexis nodded happily.

"Good girl." Rick then turned to Kate, and handed her the box with a soft, tender smile. "Here, I thought you should get the first copy."

Kate smiled gently and took the box. She stared at it for a moment, taking a deep breath to absorb everything it meant, before pulling the ribbon loose and lifting the lid.

The cover of his newest book, You Can't Teach Heat, was mostly a deep, royal purple with the black silhouette of a shapely woman, in the arms of a well built man with a rose between his teeth.

Nikki Heat, a name she glared at him for three days straight over, was a dance teacher who falls in love with her star student, Jameson Rook, who is actually only taking the class in order to write a story on her, an ex-ballerina now fascinating flamenco teacher.

Kate couldn't help but smile as she remembered the hours they had spent dancing around the living room so he could get the steps right for his dance scenes.

The story was very loosely based on them, with scenes that had Kate blushing and others that had her close to tears with how sweet they were.

There was one chapter, though, that she couldn't read; it far too close to the fight they had the night she had told him she was pregnant.

In the book, Nikki finds out that Jameson has been lying to her and writing the story behind her back. She tries to leave him, stamps on his foot in a stiletto heel after one of his comments, and he fights for them on the street in front of her apartment.

Kate couldn't bear to relive it, despite how well it turned out in real life.

It was tough enough the first time.

"Hey, you alright?" Rick asked gently when he noticed Kate's hands trembling slightly.

Kate nodded. "I'm fine. Just..."

"Chapter twenty seven?" He guessed astutely.

Kate nodded.

"It's over. We're engaged and happy and a family, Kate. We aren't there anymore."

She nodded again before shaking herself out of it. "I know. I'm just being silly. Hormones."

Rick chuckled; it was a running joke between them. "Open it." He instructed softly.

Kate gave him a look of askance but he simply gave her a tender smile and nodded down to the book.

Kate slipped the hardcover copy from its box, handing both parts of it to Rick, before gently lifting the cover of the book.

She giggled tearfully as she read the dedication and his handwritten message beneath it, before hugging the book to her chest for a moment. "Thank you." She whispered.

Rick smiled. "I should be the one thanking you, Kate."

She smiled and slipped the book into her bag, taking Alexis' hand in hers. "Ready to get out of here?"

Rick nodded. "Let's go."

He took Alexis' other hand as they walked to lunch, letting the girl swing between them every few steps.

He was so glad everything had worked out, so very glad this was his life now.

To the girl I met, at the table near the back of the library,

You are now, and always will be, my inspiration, my love and my life.

I am so grateful that, after everything, we finally got here.

The boy always right beside you x

Dearest Kate, thank you for fighting for us, having you as my wife, with our son in my arms, will truly make my life complete. Always yours, Rick x