A/N: This is the final chapter of the story. I want to thank everybody, especially HECH4evr for the kind reviews. I am about to start another one, though I'm torn which to start. One is named Shattered Flowers and the other is The Rock Star Treatment (both part of the Emmie Stockburne/Wolf series) or Can You Dig It? which is a Ryan/Natalia AU that takes place in the late 60's.
Epilogue
Ryan and Emmie stood at the hallway entrance as they watched Tatiana walk with her little pink suitcase. She couldn't help but hug it while she turned slowly and then ran to them.
"She got adopted" Emmie nearly whispered. "I'm gonna miss her."
Ryan touched her back. "Yeah, but this is what it's all about."
"I know. She got adopted by a couple from Uruguay. It's too bad in a way that she's leaving the States."
The little girl couldn't help but look back as the social worker, a large woman in a powder blue dress, stuck her hand out.
Slowly Tatiana walked up to Ryan and Emmie.
"Goodbye Uncle Ryan. Bye Aunt Emmie" she said as she held Emmie's leg and then Ryan's. Emmie couldn't help it. She picked up the little girl and kissed her cheek. Tatiana reached over and hugged Ryan's neck. Ryan kissed hair. "You be good to your mom and dad. Don't give them any trouble on the flight home."
She smiled. It was just starting to sink in. With that she got down and walked up to the woman who led her out. "Thank you for everything."
"I wish we saw more of those goodbyes" Emmie said.
It was two in the afternoon when Ryan and Emmie sat in the dining room. All the kids had eaten lunch and were now either back at classes or napping. The long tables had been since wiped clean and the chairs were turned every which way. Getting a kid to push their chair back into the table could sometimes be like herding cats.
Emmie sat down on the bench at one of the fold-down tables. Ryan sat opposite from her.
"I can still remember reading to Tatiana and Christopher" she remembered.
"Didn't they used to beat each other up?"
"Sort of. It's pretty sad. They used to beat up on each other but then they made up in time to play kickball. They were like brother and sister."
Emmie now reached out and clasped Ryan's fingers. "You know I feel so much better now."
He nodded. "After putting Christopher to rest?"
"Yeah." She sighed. "I just feel like I've released it for good."
"Like you can finally grieve."
"Yeah."
Emmie looked up when she heard that familiar pitter-patter. "Christopher?"
The little blonde haired boy came up and leaned his sleepy little head on Emmie's leg. She hugged him with one arm. "Isn't somebody supposed to be napping?"
"Yeah. Tatiana's gone."
Ryan reached over and took the sleepy little boy onto his lap. "I know, buddy. You're gonna miss her. She was your sister for a while. But you know what? You're gonna have a mom and dad one day. I just know it."
Christopher leaned sleepily on Ryan's chest and closed his eyes. Sleepiness had gotten the better of him. He closed his eyes and dozed off."
Ryan and Emmie then looked at the sleeping little boy and then at each other.
"You know we talked about it" Emmie said quietly.
"Yeah, I know."
Silence.
"Not gonna be any morning nookie" Ryan said with a quiet grin.
"Yeah, I know. And no more taking apart your firearm in the living room."
More silence.
"Kids make a mess in the living room."
Ryan nodded and then smiled at her.
Emmie smiled back happily. It was the kind of smile one to another.
"Lets."
Six Months Later
The judge was an elder man, all hair gray with gold-rimmed glasses. He looked like the cheerful grandpa as he leaned forward with a smile.
"Now tell us your new name, Son."
"Christopher James Wolfe" he yelled out proudly.
With that Ryan and Emmie reached down and hugged him. Gleefully the six-year-old hugged each of their necks and smiled as wide a smile as he ever had.
"Now remember, Christopher. Who are we? You know we're not Uncle Ryan and Aunt Emmie anymore."
"Mom and Dad."
"And who's this?" Emmie asked, pointing to her father.
"That's Grandpa."
"Oooooh, come here Christopher." With a happy grunt Frank Stockburne gathered up his new grandson and held the little boy tightly as he rested on his large shoulder. "Hear that? You better call me Grandpa because your grandma and I are gonna come over and spoil you rotten and then hand you back to Mom and Dad." He couldn't help but grin. "See that? Your mother and I were wondering when you were gonna make us grandparents."
"Well, here you go."
"I'll just gather up the paperwork and we can go home."
Ryan turned the key and pushed the condo door wide open. With Christopher holding onto his hip, both parents and son walked into the silence. "So how do you like your new home so far?"
The little boy smiled in wonder. He didn't need to say anything.
"Got a surprise for you" Emmie said with a smile in her voice. "Come on down the hallway."
Christopher had been looking around in wonder at the almond-colored walls and the citations from the FBI and Miami-Dade Police that were dotted proudly along the hallway.
"Here's your new room."
He gasped and walked to the bed that had the Cars sheets and blankets. He jumped up and bounced on them like a trampoline.
"Hey! Stop!" Emmie ordered.
Ryan smiled and put his arm around her. "You're starting to act like a mom already."
"More like a squad leader again."
He kissed her cheek. "You help him get settled. I'm gonna go take care of some things in the bedroom.
She smiled.
She then sat on the little bed, more and more conscious of what just happened while Christopher curiously inspected his new home, peering into the closet at his new clothes, pushing and pulling the dresser drawers.
Dex would have been proud, she thought. But she could finally accept it in her heart now that he was a treasured memory, that neither he nor their biological son would ever come back. Emmie could finally appreciate that she had a new life now.
The newness had finally overwhelmed Christopher. He sat down tiredly next to her.
"Aunt Em—I mean, Mom? I like it here."
Emmie smiled as she watched Ryan in the other room. "Yeah. Me too."
END