"Coda"

Summary: Adam and Fiona react to unexpected news. Set 10 years after "Blood On The Ground" and "How To Save A Life". One-shot – Far Future Fic!; Adam/Fiona pairing.

Author's Note: When finishing up "Blood On The Ground" I went through a few different endings. I wrote this epilogue for it, however, given the overall tone of story it just didn't fit. I always aimed to post it separately at some point, and now's a good time as ever.

This is my first published "far" future fic in the timeline series. As you may recall, Fiona was pregnant in the epilogue of "How To Save A Life". So, meet Rory Addison Torres!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

10 years later...

He doesn't have to say anything. I already know from just looking at him. He's frozen in place at the breakfast table, lost in thought. Rory coos in his arms. I contemplate taking her from him when he looks down at her. He tightens his hold on her, ever so slightly and rocks her gently in his arms. She looks up at him with her blue eyes wide and alert. She's only four months old but I swear they are having a conversation. He lifts his left hand and smoothes over her soft dark brown hair.

Adam smiles as she slowly closes her eyes. After a long moment he carefully stands up. "I'm going to put her to bed," he whispers.

"Wait," I tell him. He gives me a quizzical look. I walk towards him and wrap my arms around his middle, hugging him from behind. He leans back slightly, into my embrace. His muscles are relaxed and his body is warm. I rest my chin on the crook of his neck.

Here we are standing in the kitchen, holding each other on a Sunday afternoon. My husband has our sleeping daughter in his arms. In this moment, I cannot think of anything better. Words cannot describe how deeply I love them. It's hard to believe how close we came to not having this life. How close I came to losing him.

After he places Rory in the crib, Adam takes my hand and leads me to the patio outside. We take the baby monitor with us. I know he has a lot of his mind. When he sits down across from me I can see the mixed emotion in his eyes.

"It is wrong that I'm happy he's dead?" he asks quietly. Adam has so much love in his heart, but when it comes to Owen he may never be able to forgive and fully extinguish the anger.

I look deeply into his eyes as I shake my head.

"I never want her to…" he trails off. I know what he means and reach for his hands.

"I never want her to know that kind of evil in the world, either. But we there is only so much we can control. We need to teach her how to be resilient and adjust to whatever life throws her way," I tell him.

Adam gives me a wry smile. "Now I understand my mom more than ever. I want to protect her from everything."

I smile sadly. I wish that were possible.

He looks off to the side. "At least he's gone," he says softly.

"Fucker," I curse under my breath. Adam looks at me amused and I shrug. "It's karma," I conclude.

He lets out a deep breath. "I would have gone to every one of his parole hearings because I wanted him to serve his full sentence." His eyes are hard to read.

"At least he served ten," I note. Owen was to be up for parole in the next five years, however as we learned from the phone call we received thirty minutes earlier, it's now a moot point.

Adam nods. We hear Rory whimper over the monitor. He and I pause.

"I'll check on her," he volunteers.

"No, I'll go. I think it might be feeding time anyway," I tell him as I stand. I lean over and place a soft kiss on his cheek.

Adam smiles warmly. "I love you."

"I love you too," I say, looking into his eyes.

As I head up to our daughter's room I contemplate how lucky we are to be together.

Adam and I have endured a lot of ugliness. Bullying. Court cases. But Owen's assault nearly destroyed him. The rape made him question if he could ever live the life he wanted. In time he found the answer was yes.

He continued with his transition. His final surgery was done during his senior year of university. We finished our undergraduate and graduate degrees right before we got married. A few years later, we decided to start a family.

Looking down at Rory, I instantly smile. All thoughts of the past fade. Here and now is where we're meant to be.

.

-FIN-

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