Four Years Later

I stood outside on the balcony of my house, watching the waves rise and fall in the ocean. A cool breeze blew over me and I smiled.

It was peaceful.

A new scent took over me and before I could turn around, strong arms slid around my waist and a tone chest pressed against my back.

"Hey Gallagher Girl," Zach whispered.

"Hi Blackthorne Boy," I laid my arms on top of his and leaned back.

"What's wrong?"

I shook my head and he pressed his lips to my hair.

"I'm just…tired."

He laughed. "You can't be tired baby; we still have to go to the beach with the others."

I turned in his arms and smiled. "I know."

He smiled and pressed his forehead to mine.

"Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?" I smiled.

"Every day."

"Well then," he kissed my nose softly, "I'm going to tell you again."

I laughed and kissed him. His hands moved up my arms and held my face gently. I closed my eyes and thought to myself "This is so perfect."

When he pulled back, Zach turned the ring on my hand; the beautiful ring with the giant diamond with emeralds surrounding it. "This looks so beautiful on you," he whispered.

"You do know how to pick them babe," I stared down at it, "I love it."

His hands squeezed my waist gently and he said "Our wedding day, by far, is my favorite day of them all."

I shrugged and his look turned hurt.

"My favorite day," I stroked his face softly, "was the day I met you."

He smiled again and kissed me.

"Nice save by the way," he laughed when he pulled back.

"It wasn't a save," I tried to say but he kissed me again.

I heard crying from the house and smiled "Someone's awake."

"Come on," he poked my tummy and made me giggle, "you have to go get Alivia ready and put on that hot bathing suit Macey bought you."

"Oh you mean the one that barely covers anything," I entwined my fingers with his and pulled him into the house after me.

He kissed my shoulder and said "That's the one."

[{The Beach}]

Everyone showed up at around two when the sun was high in the sky.

Zach, Alivia, and I were already down there, playing in the water when Grant yelled "Hey Goodes!"

We turned and waved.

Bex climbed out of his Jeep and went to the back door.

I picked up Alivia and ran to the car.

In Bex's arms was a beautiful baby girl with olive skin and brown eyes just like her mom. "Oh Bex, she's adorable." Bex placed her in my arms and I cooed at the baby.

"Is this little Reb?"

Bex and Grant nodded enthusiastically.

"She's already gotten in so much trouble," Grant smiled, stroking Reb's face. She smiled at her dad and then gave me a weird look.

"Hi, I'm your aunt Cammie," I whispered.

Alivia clung to Zach just like Reb did to Grant when I handed her off.

They stared at each other and then at the same time, broke into smiles.

"When will Liz, Jonas, Macey, and Preston get her," Bex asked, handing Grant all the towels. "Around two thirty," Zach answered, bouncing Alivia, making her giggle.

"She looks so much like you Zach," Grant said, making faces at both Alivia and Reb.

"She's cocky like him too. I tried to dress her the other day and she shook her head and pulled out a dress out of my closet like "This one is so much better mom". It was adorable."

Zach and Grant set Reb and Alivia down in the sand and smiled.

"They are so daddy's girls."

"Of course they are!"

We laughed.

"Let's get them down in the water before they get too dirty."

Bex and I carried Reb and Alivia into the water and let them splash in the shallow end as we waited for the others to come. Grant and Zach raced to the water as quickly as they could.

Surprisingly, Grant tripped and went rolling into the water.

"Are you okay," Bex choked out as soon as she was done laughed.

Grant popped out of the water grinning.

"Fit as a fiddle."

Zach rose out of the water, his tan skin glistening.

He picked up Alivia and kissed her forehead.

"Do you like the water sweetie?"

She kicked her feet and he dipped her in the water.

A car honked and we all turned to see Macey and Preston drive up, Kodi's dark haired head sticking out the window.

I waved.

They grabbed Kodi together and swung her in between them as they walked to is.

"Hey guys," Macey hugged everyone and then whispered "I hope Zach likes that bathing suit" to me.

"Oh he does."

Kodi clung to Macey's hip, staring down at Alivia and Reb with that took good for you look her mother gave to most of the people in our office at the FBI.

"Come on," Preston pried Kodi from Macey and set her in the water. Kodi flailed, splashing Alivia and Reb in the face. The splashed her back with giant grins on their faces.

About ten minutes later Liz and Jonas pulled up with Amelia.

As her dad set her down in the sand while they were pulling out her floaties, she tripped herself and fell face first in the sand. Immediately she started crying.

"Amelia," Liz groaned and started to clean her off.

Grant, Zach, and Preston lost it.

"She's just…like…you Jonas," Preston roared, doubling over in laughter.

Jonas made a face as he carried Ames over to us.

"Here sweetie," he set her down and slid her floaties on.

"Hey guys," Liz smiled and then tripped into Jonas who fell down into the water.

That set us all off.

For the next remaining hours, we swam, ate, laughed, and caught up.

We talked about how the girls were going to Gallagher together and how they were going to be best friends.

We talked about my offer that I received from Gallagher to be the new Headmistress.

We talked about the trouble the girls would get into and the hearts of the Blackthorne boys they would break…along with a few bones.

During all of this…I couldn't help but think about how everything was perfectly safe…for now.

? POV

I lay on the bed in the Circle hospital, every breath killing me.

"Guess what," my closest acquaintance walked into my room and stopped at the foot of my bed, "they had the girl. She's healthy and safe."

I gasped the last breath I took hurting too much.

My heart was beating feebly but the news made me ecstatic.

"Good," I croaked.

My acquaintance frowned.

"What do we do now?"

I tilted my head to look at her and pressed a hand to the stitches holding the skin together over my heart.

"Now…we wait."