Disclaimer: I don't own Rosewood, its dialogue, or its characters, but I enjoyed them for 2 seasons and I'm going to miss them.

From Rosewood episode 2x22, "Blistering Heat & Brotherly Love": "I feel like there's this one, magical moment in life where you think that you have everything that you could ever want. Then all of a sudden, one person walks through that door . . . you realize how wrong you were." - Rosewood

This story picks up right where the show left off . . .

"Say something that'll make me stay," Villa had said. After she breathed through the seemingly endless seconds after her plea, Villa turned to head down the dock and prayed that she would make it out of Rosewood's sight before her tears turned to sobs.

"Annalise." She stopped to face him again at the sound of her given name, but she was afraid to hope his next words would be the ones she was so desperate to hear. Her pulse quickened as she waited for him to speak again. Rosewood took a step forward. "I had that moment with you, Annalise. You're the person who made me realize how wrong I was about everything I thought I wanted."

Villa closed her eyes and shook her head to try to compose herself. "And you were going to let me move across the country with another man without saying anything?"

"I wanted you to do what made you happy, and I didn't want to make things harder for you if what made you happy was being with him," Rosewood said, walking toward her. "Until you asked me to make you stay . . ." his words trailed off when she lifted her hand, palm up, and forced him to halt just in front of her.

"I want to kiss you and kick your ass right now," she said, "and I honestly can't guarantee that the kiss will come first."

Rosewood closed his hand around hers and pulled her toward him, "I'm willing to risk it."

She leaned into his chest and the contact triggered the round of tears she had previously held back. They stood that way for a few minutes while her breathing slowed and he used his palm to rub slow circles on her back. Suddenly, Villa pulled away. "Dammit, Rosie! You can't keep . . ." She looked up at him, and her eyes were now tinged with anger in addition to redness from tears. "You didn't just wait to tell me how you felt because you thought I wanted to be with someone else. You were trying to keep yourself at a distance, to protect me from you and to protect yourself from me." Rosewood opened his mouth to protest, but Villa continued, "Don't lie to me anymore, Rosie."

Rosewood sighed. "This kidney is going to buy me 15 years, 20 if I'm lucky, and that's assuming I don't have another stroke or develop more heart problems. I didn't . . . I don't want to put you through that. I don't want another person I love have to watch my body-"

"Rosie, you can't keep pushing me away because you think you know what's best for me. I'm a big girl, I can make my own choices. I wasn't afraid to choose my brother's life over my badge, and I'm not afraid to choose you, even with hard times."

Rosewood stepped forward again, and slipped his arms around Villa's waist. "Are you sure?" he asked.

She smiled up at him. "As sure as I am that you make way more conversations into arguments than necessary." When he smiled back at her, she pulled his face down to hers and covered his lips with her own.

When they eventually came up for air, Villa smiled and looked out over the water, "When did the music stop?"

"I have no idea," he said, his eyes still glued to her. Villa shook her head and lowered her face to hide her blush, but Rosewood tucked a finger under her chin and lifted her face to access her lips again. They continued until she spoke against his lips, "It's getting late."

Rosie pulled back to smile down at her. "Bored with me already," he said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Never happen," she said, shaking her head. "I need to get back home though. Check in on my mom."

"How is she?" he asked.

Villa shrugged. "Not great. Hornstock was going to look in on her after his babysitter came over, but he said he wouldn't be able to stay long."

"And you?" Rosewood asked.

"I'm not sure yet. I'm still processing," Villa answered.

"I understand," Rosewood said. "Just promise me you'll take care of yourself too, and let me help you if you can't." He pulled her back against his chest.

"I promise," she said. Then she sighed, "Except there's one thing that you can't help me with . . ."

"What's that?" he asked.

"Ending things with Adrian."