A/N: Thank you to those who reviewed! It certainly cheered me up! Things are still kind of grim around here, but we're getting through it. A big thanks to Brett for giving me his input as I wrote this during our "blizzard" 8^] (writing is hard when you have someone hovering over your shoulder). I really hope you enjoy!

CHAPTER 13

Nearly six years, gone; as if it didn't even matter. Sam hadn't set the letter Emma left him down since he woke up. It really was over, for good and it all seemed so surreal. That cannot be it, it can't be that cut and dry. He knew it was, but something seemed so unfinished.

When Sam got to the station he bee lined to Frank's office, "…where'd she transfer to?"

"Well, good morning Sam. Me, I'm great, yeah, thanks for asking," Frank answered, heavy on the sarcasm.

"Seriously."

"I am under strict instructions not to tell you."

"Frank? Really?"

"I can't tell you, man. She threatened me with mean, horrible things," he grinned, he knew that Emma could probably take him down with one hand behind her back; he also knew that she never would, "…I can tell you this though, she doesn't start until tomorrow."

"Thanks," Sam bolted out of his office, but quickly returned, "…by the way, I'm going to be a little late."

"Yeah, yeah," Frank shooed Sam from his office.

Sam pulled into a parking space at the park and jogged to the lookout in the woods, just off the hiking trail. Just as he thought, there she sat. "Em?"

She turned around quickly, "Sammy, what are you doing here?"

"I knew you'd be here and I needed to talk to you."

"I said all I had to say," she turned back around and leaned over the rail, staring at the water.

"No, it's not going to be like this again. I can't do it. You can't just write a letter and disappear, that isn't how it works."

"I've made my decision, you can make it complicated or it can be a clean break," she refused to look him in the eye.

"Emma, look at me," he stepped closer to her, she still stared down, "…Em."

She looked up and turned her head.

"I've spent far too much of my life with you, waiting for you and thinking about you to just let you walk out of it forever. I care about you to much to never talk to you again," Sam took a few more steps towards her, "…you're the only person who knows everything about me, the only person I ever trusted to tell everything to. You changed my life when you came into it; we've been through to much to end everything, right now."

They stood without a sound, staring at each other. Both with endless things to say, but neither could find the words. At last, Emma broke the awkward silence, "…I do know everything about you and I know that you could never be friends with a woman."

"See now, that's where you're wrong. It can be done, it has been done," Sam stopped for a minute, "…well it's kind of been done."

"Kind of, Sammy?"

"I was…am…friends with Andy, sort of."

"Which is it? Was or am?" Emma looked confused.

"Neither? It's complicated, I guess. She's mad at me, and with good reason," he sat down on the bench, "…I screwed things up with her royally."

"Go get her. You love her; she loves you, what the hell is holding you back?"

Sam turned to look at her, "…Sammy, go."

Sam got up and started to walk away, "…Em, thank you. I'll call you later."

She smiled as he walked away. For the first time in years, everything felt…right. It's about time.

Sam pulled into his normal parking space and ran into the station, he looked everywhere and didn't spot Andy, "…Gail, have you seen McNally?"

"She's in the locker room. Sir, are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Thanks."

Sam bolted towards the locker room door and swung it open, "…Sam, what are you doing?"

Sam walked toward Andy. He brushed the hair from her face and kissed her, "…there are 7 billion people in the world, and I only want one. I love you, Andy."

She wrapped her arms around him and whispered, "…I love you, too."

Emma sat there, enjoying the time by her self. She thought about the last time she sat on that bench, it seemed as if it were a lifetime ago.

*Flashback*

"Sammy, where are we going?" she asked, as Sam led her into the woods. She knew that nature and her heels were not going to mix well.

"You'll see," he answered. Blindly, she followed him, all the way to the look out. Twinkle lights were strung from tree to tree and there were flowers everywhere. She looked up and spun around.

"This is so beautiful," she looked at Sam, who had dropped to one knee.

"Honey, I love you more than life itself. If your love has shown me nothing else, it's that life always has so much more to give. Being with you has made every part of my life better. You have made me realize that no matter what may happen, if you are by my side, it could not get any better. I will always be here for you, no matter what we're faced with. Please, let me make you mine forever, I want to hear you singing in the shower every morning, I need to share every breath with you, I need to see your smile each morning, look into your eyes each night for the rest of my life. Emma, will you marry me?"

She felt the tears start to fall, "…yes, of course." Sam slid the ring onto her finger and then he stood up, wiped the tears from her face and kissed the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

*End of Flashback*

This time, it wasn't the beginning of a life together, it was an ending. The relationship that they had planned on lasting forever had run its course, and she had never felt so relieved in her life. The ache was there too, though. It was a chapter closed in her life, closed for good.

She looked around at the differences of that night, and today. No lights, no flowers, no Sam, and she was surprisingly okay with that. For the first time in Lord knows how long, I feel like I am doing the right thing. She stood up and walked towards the end of the boardwalk. She stopped and turned around, taking one last look at her past.

She smiled, blew a kiss into the air and walked away. She was leaving the past in her dust; looking forward to the beginning of a new chapter, to her future.

She walked into the Penny later that night to meet up with Luke, who was sitting next to Sam at the bar, "… well isn't this a sight for sore eyes." She pulled up a seat next to Luke, "…just like old times. I take it you two worked out your issues."

"You could say that," Sam said.

"Our issues weren't really with each other, they were with who was at fault for your leaving. And now that all that is dust under the rug, we really don't have anything to be mad about," Luke added.

"I'm glad, I hated that I ruined your friendship," she took a sip of the drink the bartender placed in front of her.

"And finally, all is right with the world," Noelle, Jerry, Frank and Oliver joined them at the bar.

"Where's McNally?" Jerry asked.

"She and Traci were finishing up some stuff, they should be here soon," just as Sam said that, they walked in, closely followed by Gail, Chris and Dov, "…well, speak of the devil."

Andy walked over to join the group, kissed Sam and sat down at the stool next to him.

"I say we toast, a farewell toast to Miss Emma," Oliver said. Emma kicked him; she only wanted Frank, Sam and Luke to know she was leaving.

"Um, ouch," Oliver screeched; Emma snickered, "…Frank's the one who told me."

She kicked but Frank jumped back, "…hah, to slow!"

"You can't leave, you just came back," the disappointment in Noelle's voice apparent.

"I'm staying in Toronto, I'm just leaving Fifteen. I don't want to complicate anything else," she chuckled and took another sip of her drink.

"You should stay," Andy said. Sam smiled.

"Are you sure? I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable."

"Stay, I've been so busy trying to out-do you that I haven't gotten a chance to actually get to know you, and from everything I've heard, I need to," Andy laughed.

"You are really two peas in a pod," Noelle added, with a smile and a scoff.

"You can say that again," Jerry said, rolling his eyes.

"You're more than welcome to, Em," Frank added.

She sat and thought for a few minutes. She knew she would be happier here. Her friends were all here. You can always leave later if things don't work out. "I'll stay!" The small group from Fifteen Division clapped as she announced her decision.

Luke looked at Emma, looked her right in the eye. He could tell she was happy, he was too. He leaned over to kiss her, but was interrupted by Jerry picking her up and spinning her around. Sam watched their antics as he wrapped his arm around Andy. He felt like he was dreaming, a few months ago he thought this day would never come. Emma's one more day with Sam, was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

A/N: The end. What'd you think? Like it? Love it? Loathe it? That's the end, I may add an epilogue. I really hope you enjoyed it! Reviews are appreciated! Keep a look out for my next story, I should be posting the first chapter of it in the very near future.