On to the final chapter where we finally get some Leo/Greenlee dialogue going. Of course, put Rebecca Budig and Josh Duhamel in a scene together reading lines out of a childrens book and i'd still be glued to my seat. I just hope I can do justice to their characters. Hope you all enjoy!
Greenlee had been pacing around the airport's waiting area for what seemed like an eternity. She was trying to keep busy gazing back and forth between the exit for baggage claim and the new arrivals meeting with their loved ones. There was a father and son being greeted by an older woman, probably the grandmother. A young couple past by her arm in arm. Back from their honeymoon maybe? She anxiously awaited her own reunion. "Come on Leo. Where are you?" she wondered aloud, talking to herself to try and keep herself calm. "Let's go already. How much luggage can a dead guy have?"
The room was almost empty now and Greenlee was still waiting. She sat down, dropped her head, and closed her eyes. "Almost six years. I can do this. I can wait a little longer. I can…" "Talking to yourself now?" she was interrupted. "That's a new one."
She new that voice. She slowly raised her head to the man standing a few feet in front of her. Tall. Light brown hair. Brown eyes. "Leo!" she screamed, jumping into his arms.
"Woah," Leo said, spinning her around. The relief was clear in his voice. "Guess that means you're not married, huh?"
Slap.
"That's for dying on me," Greenlee said, pointing her finger at him threateningly.
"Uh, Greenlee, I'm…"
She grabbed the back of his head and pulled him into a quick kiss. "That's for saving my life."
She pulled him back for another kiss, intense this time. "And that's for coming back to me," she explained with a smile.
Leo was grinning from ear to ear. "Yep. Definitely not married."
"Still a comedian!" Greenlee shot back at him. "You've still got a lot of explaining to do. And not just about making me wait for you until I was just about the last one here! You know patience isn't my strong suit!"
"Yeah, sorry about that," Leo began. "But when your computer profile says that your dead, that makes it kinda hard to get through security. I was lucky they didn't send me right back to Amsterdam."
"Amsterdam? That's where you were Leo?"
He nodded. "Vanessa must have figured it was the perfect hideout. I mean, who would think to look for a drug lord in a place were drugs are already legal, right?" He paused his explanation for a moment and stared into her eyes. "God I missed getting lost in these beauties," he said as he brushed his hand through her hair.
"Leo," she interrupted, bringing him back to reality. "Complements later. Explanations now."
"Right, right," he regained himself. "Vanessa was hoping to get rid of you and make me come with her willingly. Of course, I got back with the diamonds before she could kill you. But she had her men waiting at the bottom of the falls just in case…"
"Oh my God," Greenlee realized, the panic coming through in her voice. "I've been so out of my mind about you coming home that I forgot about Vanessa. Does she know you're here? Is she going to come after me again?"
"No. Don't worry," Leo told her calmingly. "The police know everything and are on her trail as we speak. You have nothing to worry about, ok. Anyway, when they fished us out, Vanessa had them give me some drug she had stolen from David that wipes out memories. She gave me a story about me falling from a horse and that she would tell me about my life. It took a while but I started remembering images of you. I asked Vanessa about it and she got worried. She couldn't have me remember you so she gave me more of the drug. But she must have overdosed or something because the next thing I knew, I was in the hospital with no memory again and being told that they found drugs in my system that could be related to my memory loss."
"So how did you remember?" Greenlee asked him, holding him tightly with her arms around his waist and her head in his chest.
"It seems my brother is famous for using these drugs on someone else too," he explained, kissing the top of her head. "Maria Santos they said. Luckily, he had been working on a cure ever since he realized some of his drugs were missing and had recently found one. He flew up and here I am, 100 percent Leo."
She looked back up at him with a smile. "Yes you are. Now, when I cut you off before, you were saying what about my eyes? Continue."
Leo laughed her off. "Same old Greenlee."
"Who are you calling old!"
"Certainly not you," Leo responded, never looking away from those eyes. Greenlee let out a laugh. It felt great to be back in Leo's arms. She could see in his eyes that he had the same feeling. The two stared at each other for a few more moments, each enjoying the view.
"Oh! I almost forgot!" Greenlee realized. Lost in the moment, she had forgotten she and Leo were still in the airport. "I've got something planned for us," she told him, pulling him by the hand.
"I will go anywhere with you, baby," Leo said with a glimmer in his eye. "What's your big plan?"
"Call it a memory test," she answered.
"Do I get a prize if I pass?"
"Just come with me Leo," Greenlee responded, rolling her eyes. "We're gonna relieve old times!"
It was a gorgeous night. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky and the stars were lighting up the streets of Pine Valley. Greenlee and Leo walked down the path as they admired the setting. They soon reached those familiar rickety steps and made their way into the boathouse. Leo missed this place, filled with so many good memories that he had recently gotten back. To him, everything seemed like it happened just yesterday.
"Has my test started Ms. Smythe?" Leo joked. "I think I'm ready now. Oh wow," Leo exclaimed, noticing the picnic that was set up. "You did all this? Reminds me of when I set up the picnic here for you."
"Go on," Greenlee happily requested. She could see he was really all the way back.
"Yeah, I swiped some of Erica's champagne and set up some food, got some music going. You could almost call that our first date, if you could call anything we ever did a date. Then we started dancing right over here…"
"Yeah," Greenlee nodded, fondly remembering.
"And then you blew me off!" Leo accused her, doing his best to keep a straight face.
"I'll never blow you off again," Greenlee promised, sealing it with a kiss. "I love you Leo, and I'm never going to let you think otherwise."
Leo felt like he'd been waiting to hear that his whole life, like a massive burden was just lifted off his shoulders. God it felt good to hear those words from the woman he loved once again. "I love you too Greenlee. And I promise, I won't die on you again. Not for a long while anyway."
"Don't make me hurt you," she grinned. "So Leo, why don't you flatter me and tell me what else happened at our boathouse."
"How about our wedding for starters. You, me, David, and Anna. Are we going to have to do all that again by the way, because if I have to watch you try and plan the perfect wedding again just tell me now and I'm gone."
"Leo!"
"Don't worry Greens," he laughed. "You know I'm not going anywhere."
"You're impossible, you know that Leo!"
"And you love it," he shot back. "So let's see. There was the wedding. There was our second engagement. Can I even count that as a moment though? I mean, it did take us four engagements to finally get married."
"Are you trying to start a fight with me?" Greenlee asked him, shaking her head.
"It wouldn't be a real reunion without one," he snickered. "Seriously baby," he began softly. "I missed out on so much time that I could have been fighting with you, and making up with you, and loving you. But now, I promise you we're going to get to do that forever." He kissed her hand as a tear began to form in his eye. "And there is nothing I'd rather do."
The two sat down by their picnic dinner. But the sound of footsteps interrupted them. A man slowly walked into the boathouse.
"I stopped by your penthouse," Ryan began nervously. "When no one answered, I figured you two would be here."
"Ryan. You're kind of interrupting something here," Greenlee said menacingly.
"No, it's alright," Leo waved her off as he stood up.
"I uh, I wanted to welcome you back from the dead, or wherever it is you were," Ryan stammered. "I don't know what you may have heard about uh, me and Greenlee, or whatever, but I uh, I hope we're cool, man." Ryan held out his hand, hoping his former best friend didn't hate him.
"You know what?" Leo told him, accepting Ryan's hand. "I'm in way too good a mood to be mad at you right now." Leo brought his head next to Ryan's ear. "Besides, if I was going to hit you, I wouldn't do it in front of Greenlee," he whispered.
"Thanks man," Ryan stuttered. "It's good to have you back."
Leo walked back to Greenlee and sat down next to her. "You've done your duty Ryan," Greenlee informed him. "You can go now."
"Just one more thing," Ryan began, brushing the sweat off his forehead. "About what I told you before…" "I told you to forget about it," Greenlee warned him. "I'll try," he responded. "But I, I meant it. I do love you Greenlee. And now I guess I'll just have to deal with that." He began to walk out of the boathouse, but then stopped and turned back around. "Could you maybe not tell Annie about this?" he asked.
Greenlee nodded at him. As he walked out she turned to Leo. "Awkward," she hummed.
"Who's Annie?" Leo asked.
"She's my new Laura. Except Laura had good reason to worry about me being in love with her husband. Annie's just nuts."
"Got it. Just don't call me Laura's husband again. That's a memory I wouldn't mind not having back."
Greenlee laughed, but she quickly took on a more serious tone. "Leo. About Ryan. You know you have nothing to worry about right? I love you – end of story."
"Listen. If there was always one difference between you and me Greenlee it's this: you're a jealous person, and I'm not."
"What! Jealous!" she began to protest. But Leo slanted his head at Greenlee, waiting for an admission. "Ok, ok you're right. But I still want to make that clear. Ryan is my friend but that's it. I love you and only you. Forever."
"So how many guys exactly do you have on a leash these days Greens?" Leo scoffed at her.
"There's only one I care about," she answered. "It's you and me now Leo. The way it was always meant to be." Greenlee stood up and extended her hand to Leo. With a twinkle in her eye she asked him: "So how about we finish that dance?"
