AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yoyoyo, here's the next installment. Okay, so I said 4 was going to be the last chapter, but I was talking with Tara about ideas and one of the ideas caused her to insist on me writing a fifth chapter. Sooo, there's gonna be a 5th chapter because there might be an important moment in it between Sean and Alex? Yeah? Okay. So yeah. This isn't the last chapter for this series.

Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter. No action, unfortunately. I didn't write them taking down Amanda. I insinuated it. But there IS SEX. Sean and Alex finally get laid. NO INTERRUPTIONS. NO BIRKHOFF. HA.

Also, I posted a fanmix for this series that you can listen to while reading this series. Just go to my profile on 8tracks (fatalxdesires) and the mix title is The Hour is Nigh, obviously. You can also find it on my Salex blog (fyeahsalex) on tumblr.

Well, enjoy! And comments/reviews/feedback appreciated as always :)

He nestled against the only other source of warmth in the bed, reluctant to wake up just yet and start the day. After everything that had transpired over the course of the past two days, Sean just wanted to relax in bed. What was the harm of being a bit lazy? After all, they finally had the luxury and freedom to do so. Freedom. Who would've thought?

Feeling Alex's hair brush against his face, Sean opened his eyes and brushed his hand across her midriff. Dipping his head, he caressed her shoulder with his lips, blowing his hot breathe against her skin. She shifted in her sleep but didn't wake. Smiling, he rested his forehead against the edge of her shoulder for a few moments and then pressed a kiss to it before getting out of bed, deciding to let her sleep for a while longer. He was about to get out of bed and get dressed when she groaned. Pausing, he remained lying beside her, studying her. When she rolled over onto her back, giving him a better view of her face, he looked down at her and saw she was dreaming about something. Frowning, he reached down and brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and tucked it behind her ear. "No," she cried, sending a pang of grief throughout Sean. He reached down and stroked her hair until she stopped tossing and turning. When she finally relaxed, he quietly got out of bed.

He searched around the room for his pajama bottoms, spotting on the floor by her side of the bed. As he bent over to pick them up, he heard her stir in the bed. Glancing up as he stepped into his cotton pants, he saw her eyes flutter open. "Where are you sneaking off to?" Alex asked, her voice thick with sleep. She rolled over onto her side to face him.

"Just to get some coffee," he replied, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "You want some?" He studied her to see whether or not she remembered the dream or was going to bring it up, but since it seemed like neither was a possibility, he kept quiet. For now.

"Mmm." She thought it over as she trailed her fingertip up his arm, her gaze following the trail her finger made. Finally, she replied, "I can think of a better morning pick-me-up," and arched an eyebrow at him.

"Pancakes would be a better morning pick-me-up, I agree," Sean said, trying to keep a straight face. Alex scoffed, grabbing the pillow next to her and using it to hit him. He laughed, grabbing it from her, and tossing it on the floor.

"You're such an -" she started to say, but he leaned down and shut her up by kissing her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, cupping the back of his head and kissing him back. Sean parted her lips with his tongue, taking more of her in his mouth as he placed his hand on the side of her neck and slid it further down, brushed it across her collarbone and down her chest as he deepened the kiss.

Breaking away from kissing, Sean crawled back on the bed and kissed down her chest. He lifted her shirt to expose her torso, kissing her breasts and then between her breasts, working his way down her stomach, but only letting his hot breath hit her skin. When he reached her hips, he crawled a little further back on the bed so he could situate himself between her legs. He slipped his hand under one of her thighs, lifting her leg slightly and turning his head, pressing his lips against her inner thigh.

Alex sighed, watching him for as long as she could before tipping her head back. She curled her toes, grasping onto the bed sheets and closing her eyes as she felt his wet lips touch the inside of her thighs, suck on them and then kiss their way up, almost reach her folds. When he stopped, making jolt with excitement, she looked down at him again and frowned. He tsked her and switched to her other thigh, kissing that one and sucking on it, sliding both his hands up to rest along her waist.

Gripping her waist, he yanked her down toward him, smiling when she let out a sound of surprise. As an apology, he kissed the inside of her thigh again and worked his way toward her folds, meanwhile sliding his hands under her panties. He pulled them down, sliding them off as she lifted her hips to help him get them off. As he lowered his head, he paused and then looked up at her. She frowned, getting impatient. "What?"

"We're alone, right?" he asked. "I mean, Birkhoff's not gonna walk in on us? Because, that'd be awfully awkward..." he trailed off, shrugging.

"He's busy with Sonya, so no – he won't be bothering us. No one will be bothering us," she added, the edge in her voice making Sean smirk and know not to ask anything more.

He situated himself between her legs again, running his hands up and down her outer thighs and lifting her legs, propping her thighs on his shoulders as he moved forward, lifting her hips up a bit and moving closer to her. He dipped his head between her legs and flicked his tongue against her folds, teasing her first before going completely in.

Alex arched her back, reaching down and grabbing a fistful of Sean's hair. She resisted the urge to just shove his face toward her crotch, get him to just go down on her. She knew he wanted to take it slow, tease her, pleasure her. And she loved him for that -

Her eyes flew open and her breath caught in her throat for two reasons. First, that last thought. She loved him? She did. It had always been so hard for her to say. It was still hard for her to say, even to herself. She was still scared to say it. Saying he mattered to her was easier. But mattered was a word of such little weight. Sean more than mattered to her. Second, well, her breath caught in her throat for a less romantic reason.

She felt his tongue slide between her folds a couple inches, just teasing her further. She tipped her head back, dragging her nails across his scalp and tensing her thighs around his shoulders. Closing her eyes again, she widened her legs and relaxed them, parting her lips and letting out a shaky breath as she felt more of his tongue slip inside her.

Sean slipped his tongue all the way inside her now, swirling it around and feeling how wet she was. Him tightening his grip on her hips, holding her down as she bucked her hips. He sucked on her while swirling his tongue around inside her several times, trusting her to lie still as he ran his hands down her thighs. He continued to suck on her, lifting his gaze to watch her. The way her chest rose and fell, her hips moved in a circular motion, the way she arched her back more and more until her back was almost completely off the bed.

He sucked on her for several more minutes, watching her body's reaction – the way she ran her hand through her hair and then let it fall to the side of the bed and then grasped the sheet. Finally, he slowly began to swirl his tongue around the sides of her folds and withdrew from her, kissing the insides of her thighs again. Before he placed even two kisses on her thighs, however, he felt Alex grab him by the arm and pull him up. He grinned, gladly crushing his lips against hers as she pulled him on top of her.

With one hand, she cupped the back of his neck and with her other she slipped it between their bodies, cupping his bulge. She felt his length, hard against her palm. He brushed against her hand as they kissed, groaning into her mouth. She grinned, biting down on his bottom lip as she began to tug his pajama bottoms down. Flipping them over, she slid his cock inside her and began moving on top of him, placing her hands on his chest to steady herself.

He ran his hands up her torso, over her breasts, teasing her nipples; pushing himself up, Sean slipped his arms around her back and closed his mouth around her areola, sucking on her nipple and digging his fingertips into her back, pressing her body closer against his, urging her on as he felt himself getting harder. She brought her hands up to his hair, running her fingers through it and tipping her head back, feeling his hands move down to cup her ass.

She began to pick up her pace, memories of the past several months flooding her mind. Thinking Sean was dead. Not having him by her side. Not being intimate with him. And in turn, he thought of all the nights without her, all the moments he'd gone without any companionship. He hadn't realized how desperate he was for intimacy with her until now.

Wrapping his arms around her, he distracted Alex with an impatient kiss and then pushed her down onto the bed. He felt her smile as they kissed, felt her draw one of her legs up, felt her hands move down to cup his ass and give it a firm squeeze as he thrust into her one final time. At least for this morning. He rested on top of her, his lips hovering above hers, his gaze on hers. Slowly, he kissed her, bringing his hands up and placing them by her head. He gingerly touched her hair, running his fingertips through her soft locks and playing with her dark strands.

As he played with her hair, Alex traced her fingertips along the muscles of his back, memorizing each and every curve of his body. It was something she wished she had done more often when they had been together – when they'd had time. During her nights alone, she'd lie awake and try to remember what it felt like, her hand brushing over every surface of his body. After a while, she'd just... forgotten.

When she realized he had stopped kissing her and she'd just been lost in the moment of touching him all over, Alex opened her eyes and looked up to find him gazing down at her, his thumb grazing the corner of her jaw. "What is it?" she asked, resting her hands on his back.

"Nothing," he answered, shaking his head. Then, as if reconsidering his answer, he smiled hesitantly, tracing his finger along her chin. "I was just thinking, where do we go from here?"

Alex frowned, lowering her gaze and then turning her head to side. Sean lifted his hand and ran his fingers through her hair again, tilting his head to the side to try and catch her eyes but she refused to look at him, inexplicably upset by his words. He had a point, though. They had separate paths to take now. Division was gone, Amanda was gone. Michael and Nikita had eloped – he was secretly glad to be rid of them. They finally had their freedom to do whatever they wanted. Sort of. "You don't want to stay together?" she asked, finally looking back at him, trying to gauge his meaning, test him.

"No. No, that's not what I meant. I want you. I want to be with you more than anything. I meant – how do we do this?"

"We just do," she said, shrugging. "We'll figure it out together." She reached up, placing her hand on the side of his face as she leaned up to kiss him. "We have time."

"Yeah, we have time," he echoed, smiling. Sliding his hand around to cup the back of her head, he gripped a handful of her hair as he kissed her back, rolling his tongue around hers.

"Have you talked to your Commander about returning to duty?" Alex asked, relieved to finally get that question off her chest. At Sean's little smile, she had a feeling he knew she'd been holding back at asking him right away what had happened when he met his C.O., revealing to the world and to his SEAL mates he was alive and was, in fact, not a traitor. He hadn't come back quite as happy as she had expected, causing her not to interrogate him about what had happened.

"Yes," he said carefully, drawing out the word. He looked down, pressing his forehead against her shoulder before pushing himself off her and lying down beside her on the bed. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair as she looked over at him, turning over onto her side to study him carefully. "While he was more than happy to learn I was alive and not a traitor, he went on to tell me there's a stigma attached to what happened to me. He was hesitant to let me return to active duty." He gritted his teeth, his jaw working back and forth as he relived the conversation and had felt a mixture of disappointment, indignation and... relief. He wanted to return to work, especially after building up a career and a life, but maybe starting a new career path wouldn't be so bad. A lot of SEALs did that. Not only SEALs, but men and women in every branch of the military.

"But that's not right," Alex said, her voice full of just as much indignation as he felt when he first heard the news. He laughed, glancing over at her and smiling appreciatively at her. She frowned at his laugh, not understanding why he wasn't more upset. "Why aren't you more upset? Why am I more upset than you?"

"Believe me, I was upset. But I've thought about it and... I think this is a chance for me to take things in a new direction. And my C.O has actually given me just that."

"Oh?"

"He's offered me a position at the Recruit Training Command in Illinois," Sean said. Alex sat up, drawing her legs against her chest and glancing over her shoulder at him, urging him on. She wanted to know if he had accepted. "I told him I'd think about it."

"So you didn't accept the offer? Why not?"

"I wanted to talk it over with you," he said, as if it was the most obvious answer.

She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. Alex felt stupid, but it hadn't really occurred to her for them to discuss something like that as a couple. She was still adjusting to him being back from the dead. The prospect of them actually being together. It was too good to be true. "You should take it," she finally said.

"You sure?"

"You once told me that you spent your whole life training to be a Navy SEAL," she reminded him. "I wouldn't want you to give that up. Not when you have the chance to train others to do the same. And teach them to become honorable men like yourself." She smiled, pressing her cheek against her shoulder.

"Honorable, hm?" he mused, a smile broadening his features as he sat up and wrapped his arm around her bare back. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder, hugging her against him. "I don't think what we did just a few minutes before can qualify as honorable," he teased.

"What happens in the bedroom, stays in the bedroom," she said, smirking. Alex tipped her head back, kissing underneath Sean's jaw. He reached around, placing his around around her neck as he found her lips with his and kissed her. "Mmm," she murmured, placing her hand on the side of his neck and pushing him away. "So, we're going to become long distance?" she asked, clarifying their new relationship status.

"Yeah. Long distance."

"Think we can do it?"

"I hate the idea of being separated from you again," he admitted, reaching up and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "But we have our own lives. If we really work at it, we can do this. Besides, I won't be leaving for another month. The spot won't be open until then. So until then I can be your temporary bodyguard or something. Just like the old days," he added, grinning.

"Just like the old days," Alex reminisced, smiling. "Though not quite like the old days, as well." Sean chuckled, glancing down for a second before nodding. He dropped his hand from the side of her face, tracing his fingertips along her knee.

"Maybe this time we can occupy some dark corners and participate in some dark deeds," he said, leaning over to kiss the side of her neck. He slid his hand down between her legs, sucking on a patch of skin on her neck. Alex reached down to smack at his hands, tsking him.

"Later," she said. "I'm getting hungry. Make me something to eat." Alex pushed him away again, this time placing her hand on his chest. "I want pancakes." she said.

Sean pulled away, sighing. "As you wish," he said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "An order of pancakes coming up." He gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek and then turned around, sitting on the edge of the bed. He leaned down to pick his shirt up off the floor, about to slip it on when he felt Alex move on the bed and her arms slip around him, hands resting on his pecs.

"Before you go, though, will you answer me something?" she asked, her tone so serious that he paused with what he was doing and straightened, leaning back and resting his head against hers.

Sean hesitated, feeling like what she was about to ask was something he wasn't going to like. At all. However, he took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. What is it?"

"I've been watching you sleep lately, and more often than not you've had nightmares. I want to know what they're about." When he shook his head and began to pull away from her, Alex tightened her grip on him and pulled him back toward her, adding, "They were bad enough to startle you awake," she pursued."Sean, just tell me. I'm just worried, that's all."

"I tell you mine if you tell me yours," he said, concern in his voice, catching her off guard. "I noticed you having one earlier, but I didn't bring it up. Didn't want to until you did. But since you didn't, I didn't. So, if you tell me yours, I'll tell you mine." He shrugged, hoping this was a fair deal. This would also be something else she could get off her chest, he felt. Another burden she was released from. "But I'll go first," he said, since she had asked him first.

"Okay," Alex agreed. She got off the bed, grabbing a robe and slipping it around herself and then sitting with her back against the headboard.

Sean changed into his pajama pants at the same time she changed, sitting beside her on the bed. He waited until she was situated beside him until he began to explain his recurring dreams."They're of Amanda," Sean began. "Understandably so. They're also of you. When I was with her, she had one of her -... chairs, you know? The one she had used on you?" Alex stiffened at the mention of Amanda's chair, nodding that she remembered being in it and damned Amanda for eternity for that monstrosity. "I was in it," he continued, his hand resting on her thigh. He looked past her, looking back on his time in the chair and what had transpired. "She used you to get to me. There were several different scenarios. One was that I had killed you. And I thought that was going to be the worst of them because I can't bear the thought of ever hurting you – physically or emotionally." He looked down, clearing his throat before continuing on. "But one of the other scenarios Amanda placed me in – it wasn't traumatizing in the normal way, or grueling. But it was torturous. I was with you. She made it so realistic that when I'd wake up I'd be reminded how deprived I was of your presence, your company. And that got to me sometimes. That worked more than any other of the shit she pulled, and she knew it. So she put me in those dreams of being with you. In bed, kissing, hugging – just little things, you know?"

"The little things make all the difference," Alex breathed, sliding her hand over Sean's that was on her thigh.

"Yeah." He pressed his tongue against the side of his mouth, finally focusing on Alex and gazing at her for several moments. Shaking himself out of his reverie, he added, "Those have been my nightmares. Being back in her chair. Being with Amanda. I thought catching her and putting her down would help stop them, but it didn't."

I was dreaming about you. Or at least, the man I thought was you. They're regular occurrences," she continued, her voice shaky. They started not too long after everything happened, and no matter how hard she tried to avoid the nightmares – she'd even deprive herself of sleep and pursue missions just so she wouldn't fall into sleep. But that only made things worse. The more tired she became, the more she slept. And the more she slept, the more she dreamt. "Dreaming about that day in operations when you bled out in my arms. It's just – I couldn't do anything. I just sat there watching you die. There were so few times I felt so helpless. So there, those are the dreams I have. Dreams of you bleeding out in my arms. Watching the person I love die."

He absorbed this new information, resting his hand on her ankle as she spoke, his thumb caressing her skin. Before he could say anything, apologize for those dreams, she said a word he had wanted to hear so badly back in Division – something he hadn't ever thought he'd hear and which he had doubted several times she had felt when with him. So when he looked up at her and saw her gazing fixedly at him, he knew he hadn't heard her wrong. "You – you love me?"

Alex took a deep breath and looked down, grasping onto his hand. "I learned a valuable lesson that day. All these months, thinking you were dead? I've been living with so much regret because of all the things I never said to you. I know you had your uncertainties about my feelings toward you," she continued, looking back up at him. "I..." she paused, shaking her head and trying to form her thoughts. "I know I made you feel unloved. No, I did. I know I did. I came off like a frigid bitch," she said bluntly, squeezing his hand when he opened his mouth to protest. "I pushed you away and I'm sorry. But if there's one thing I learned from the tragedy that day, it's that I shouldn't keep things to myself. Guilt I can live with, but regret?" Alex shook her head, cracking her neck from side to side. She looked around the room, avoiding Sean's gaze for several moments. "I can live with guilt. I have for a long time. It's natural to me. But regret, it... it just swallowed me up. I couldn't escape it. I didn't know how to handle it all. I didn't know how to live with the fact that I never told you that I loved you," she breathed, turning her gaze to him. "That I love you."

Sean smiled tenderly, reaching up to cup the side of her jawline. He stroked her jaw with his thumb, his eyes flickering across her face as he searched for what to say, so overwhelmed with happiness at hearing her say she loved him. He'd longed to hear those words from her for so long, and now finally hearing them- he hadn't imagined the impact they'd have on him. "Enough regret," he finally said. "We both let go of everything – all the regret - and we move on. Because I love you more than anything, Alex. And what I want more than anything is for you to be happy. You deserve to be happy."

"Being with you makes me happy."

Sean nodded, pressing his tongue against the inner corner of his mouth again. Hearing being with him made her happy made him rethink his plans, or at least want to come up with some alternative. He grew silent, getting lost in thought for several minutes before he looked back up at her with a spark in his eyes. "I have an idea."

"If it somehow involves us not having to part, then I'm all for it," she said, shifting on the bed to face him.

"We'd still have to part, but we'd manage to see each other more," he informed her.

He managed to pique her interest, and she urged him on by raising her eyebrows. "Well, enough with the suspense. What's the idea?"

"Let's buy a house."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. Somewhere remote and where we can meet halfway. We can take a weekend off once or twice a month and spend it together. What do you say? Want to buy a house together?"

She let out a soft laugh, lifting her hand to rub along her eyebrow. It was a big deal, buying a house with him. A lot of responsibility, dedication. This was such a new direction – not just for her, but for both of them. And he seemed so ready for it. Not at all hesitant. Setting her jaw and gazing sharply at him. "Let's do it." Alex swung her leg over Sean's own legs and straddled his lap, taking his face between her hands. She crushed her lips against his, celebrating their recently made decision. "Let's get a house together." She smiled, biting down on her bottom lip as she ran her hands through his hair.

Grinning back at her, Sean slid his hands under her robe and up and down her back. He dipped his head, pressing kisses to her neck as she tilted her head to the side to expose more skin for him to kiss. "We're getting a house," he whispered, brushing his lips against her neck. He wrapped his arms around her back, holding her against him – running his hand over her hair and brushing his nose against her shoulder; Alex running her fingers through his hair, leaning her head against the side of his. After everything they'd been through – since she thought she'd lost, since he'd been parted from her, since they'd been reunited, since she'd taken off with Nikita, since they had taken down Amanda, and finally since deciding on buying a house together – all he wanted to do was hold her.