A/N: Ok so many people were confused/upset by the jump between chapter 6 and the epilogue and I remembered that no-one else can hear my thoughts so couldn't understand why I made the decisions I did so I've explained it all here, at least I hope I have! I've actually had this written up for well over a year but life got in the way so I apologise profusely! Anyway hope you enjoy and review

Chapter 7

It had been 15 months, 15 blissful months. Ok, so maybe not completely blissful, after all, they were a regular couple. They both had explosive tempers, which caused them to occasionally threaten to start World War 3, but in all honesty, the make-up sex was better than any peace treaty the UN could ever come up with. But the point was they were happy and they were good together. She'd been a mess when he'd wormed his way in, she couldn't bear to look in the mirror, she never spoke about her feelings to anybody, she thought she was alone and broken. He'd then just strolled on in and fixed her, well, maybe not quite that simply. He fought his way in and forced her to see that her scars weren't grotesque, sharing her feelings wouldn't make her weak, and that she was by no means alone or broken beyond repair. She was by no means perfect, she would never love her scars and there would always be certain thoughts and feelings that she'd never feel a hundred percent comfortable with sharing. But she was doing a lot better, she was smiling constantly now, real smiles, although that could have something to do with the fact that she was getting some every night.

But then the letter came. The letter containing an offer. A job offer. Her dream job. In France. She couldn't take it, there was no way, it wasn't fair. Charlie had left the reserve in Romania, his favourite place in the world, his dream job, to be with her, here in England, there was no way she could just up and leave for France. She'd have to reject it. But it was her dream, she'd been dying for this position within the magical section of the Louvre since she'd discovered she was a witch, before then she just wanted to work in the Louvre. How could she turn this down for something that had no guarantees, they both knew it wouldn't be forever and this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, she'd probably never get this job offer again. But she couldn't just throw away the last 15 months, after everything they'd been through how could she just toss it aside? Her head dropped into her hands and she let out a long low curse.

"Baby?"

Her head flipped up to see half of her dilemma looking at her with love and concern in his eyes, whilst her hand subconsciously snaked down to hold the other half in her lap.

"Are you ok?"

He sat on the bed next to her and reached out to stroke her face. She grabbed his hand and dragged herself closer to him, pressing her lips against his with a hunger they hadn't felt since the first time. She couldn't help herself, his every pore exuded love and he was just plain beautiful, so she reminded herself why she wanted to stay. He pulled her onto his lap and she situated herself so that her legs were straddling his hips. She ran her hands up his chest, taking his shirt with them. She scraped her nails down his back with her head thrown back and hips thrust forward as he ripped the buttons off his old plaid shirt she had stolen, and sucked on the sensitive spot behind her ear.

"Stop." She pulled away, panting.

"Why? We were just getting started."

"We need to talk."

Charlie looked at her, confusion appearing in his lust filled eyes. "You want to talk now? In this position?"

She nodded and so he kissed her forehead and picked her up, placing her on the bed next to him. They swivelled to face each other, both sitting cross legged, before she took a deep breath.

"I love you so much, and I'm really happy. You've helped me so much, I'm not ashamed of my scars anymore, and I'm not scared of talking about things anymore."

"But?"

"I got a letter."

"And?"

"It was a job offer, in…"

"That's great, you were getting bored…"

She held up a hand to halt his interruption, "It's in France, Paris to be exact."

"Oh," his face fell as he realised that by talking about it, she was considering it.

"Yeah I know. I wouldn't normally have considered it under the circumstances, I mean, things with us are so great I'd hate to just up and leave and I'd never dream of asking you to move your entire life again." She trailed off and sat looking at her fidgeting hands in her lap.

He reached over and lifted her chin up, "but?"

"It's in the Louvre."

"Your dream."

She nodded, tears in her eyes. He leant over to wipe a few that had escaped.

"I wasn't going to mention it, but I got a letter last week, from the reservation."

Her head popped up at this.

"They want me back. Apparently, the guy they have to replace me is absolutely crap. I had a feeling that I could go back at any time, so I felt free to stay here, wait, and see where we were heading. But I'm sensing that it's not the case with your offer."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I may never get this offer again, otherwise I wouldn't have mentioned it either. I love you, I'm happy with you, but do I give up my dream job for something that has no guarantees?"

"No you don't. I honestly don't know if I'd be saying this if it wasn't for my letter, but it seems the fates have smiled on us by sending each of us a letter."

She let out a little laugh, "Yes, Lachesis has been kind, this time."

He shook his head at her ever present cynicism and held out his hand, "friends?"

Shaking his offered hand she nodded, "friends."

Tightening his grip on her hand, he pulled her into his lap, "although, maybe a little goodbye sex?"

She answered by pulling herself closer and attaching her lips to his with such ferocity that it knocked them both backwards. That night they made love the only way they knew how, hard and fast until they both came so powerfully that they almost decided to never leave the room, let alone the country. But left they did for it was their time to part.