A/N: So, we're coming to the end. :( Truly this time...almost. I just wanna say thanks for everything. Your reading and reviews flatter me so much and they honestly make me want to write more and write better to keep ~impressing you and making you happy. Thank you Thank you Thank you. This was so much fun for me (NERD STAT). It also shocked me none of you cared when Nick got kicked outta school. LOL. Doesn't matter. Demi was supposed to overshadow that with her issues. And now, all is well. And now that Ungodly Hours is almost..."the f word" -chokes back tears- I have time for It's Time Like These, which I was supposed to working on at the same time. Guess I'm not balanced like some.
And to Brandy, Thank You...but I'm truly not gifted. I'm just obsessed with sounding smart. This A/N alone took 2 rewrites. :P

Anyway, enjoy Part I of the epilogue, everyone (and lol :) to ColourMyWorld, who haunted me like Jaylor 2.0 haunted Taylor Swift).

I love you.

- x. 0. x -

Epilogue – Part I

September rolled around after a spectacular summer, filled with unpacking and French toast and days out in the hot sun with drumsticks. Mom, Frank and Sel's cottage-esque home was now comfy in every sense. (Joe tried to "spice it up" with his flat screen but the cozy overshadowed it effortlessly. He would be living there until Adele was born, or so he said. He'd live with Mom 'till his forties, I had a feeling.)

By that time, Mother had a good bump around her. She was ecstatic. By October, little Adele was found and dubbed. Ma's first little girl and she was over the moon. Made us guys feel pretty crappy.

Hunter College was where Miley and I would spend 60 percent of our time: I continued to study Business Management and Miley studied Sociology and English on the side. Mom was also happy I'd found another school. It wasn't quite suited with my academic past, but it was a school.

Demi and Knight were...happy, to my surprise. Demi started and completed her treatment between July and September and had herself a shameless slab of Happy College Acceptance Nick & Miley Cake just a few weeks ago. Knight was supporting her and round-ol' Courtney Tyne both. He kissed D like she was precious and kissed Knight Cooper Dylan III [A/N: I'm sorry, the name! LOL!] like he was the next FIFA champ locked in a womb.

As of now, October 25th 7:45 am, Mi, Demetria, me, and Frank (who was now 11 and proud as hell) sat in a tree.

It was beautiful, the way the warm-spectrum-coloured leaves of raspberry, orange and dark lemon cascaded amongst us. Shaking in our happy faces for catches in seconds.

"Ah!" Miley gasped and giggled, a spotted leaf landing on the bridge of her glasses. "Okay, I'm gonna blow this, and if you catch it, Nick, I'll be what you want for Halloween." she purposed, swaying to balance it where it was.

I pulled my arms out in front of her, a limb down. "You'll be Marilyn Monroe?"

"Mm-h'm,"

Frank whistled.

She bowed her head and blew it my lucky way and I snatched it in a second.

"Lucky," Mi said with a smirk. She climbed down from her branch and sat in my lap.

I reached into my bag and grabbed my apple. She 'Aah'-ed and I fed it to her, her leaning into me. "I love Macintosh. What time's it?" she asked with her mouth full.

"Soon," I said. I knew she had class.

"M'm," and she put on my Yankee's cap.

"So how's Paul doing?" Demi muttered, hoping maybe I wouldn't hear if I didn't want to.

This was the first time she'd asked and she had chosen a serene time, so,

"Shit," I answered, "Completely incompetent, completely ridiculous, completely on his way to getting kicked outta rehab." I stated. "Thanks for calling him Paul."

"No problem."

"Guys!" Mother shouted.

We gazed down at her at the backyard screen door.

"Breakfast is ready!"

I dropped my leaf and started me and Miley's climb down. Down on Demi's level I saw her face. Undecided.

"You can stay, D." I said.

She smiled now. "I shouldn't,"

"You'd rather have Trix in a Styrofoam cup?"

...

"Okay, who's gonna say grace?" Ma asked. Her stomach stopped her from inching any closer to the table.

"I'll do it," I piped.

"Alright,"

Joe sat down with the sausages and clasped his hands together.

"Okay, Lord," I began. "Thank you for this beautiful meal, prepared by my all too blessed mother. May you continue to serve us such riches, like food and shelter and health, as well as the ability to care for little Adele, who is to come into this world on your mark...which should be four months from now."

Mom snickered.

"Thank you for bringing us all together again with a beautiful addition, Miss Demetria. Thank you again for Selena Rusto who has saved us of all from danger and poverty. Bless her and her daughter over and over, I pray. And now, Lord, we shall enjoy this meal in your honor. In Jesus' name we pray, amen."

"...And that was Nicholas Lucas with Grace." Joe joked.

The table of eight laughed with the exception of Mom, who smacked Joseph in the arm.

"I just have a lot to be thankful for." I looked to Miley, who I purposely forgot to save ourselves the embarrassment.

She blushed.

Mom said, "Yes, you do. We all do. Now dig in before you're late."

- x. 0. x -

I set the last candle around the bed in her dorm and sat on the sheets. She'd be here any minute and everything was perfect.

Wait.

I looked around.

Okay, now everything was perfect.

The lock of the door took a shake and the tingles from day one returned. Just like they always did when she entered a room.

She came in, dawned in a fall dress and my cardigan. She almost tripped stopping in awe when she saw the room. The draped curtains, candlelight, me: top-half-naked and here for the taking, the amative music.

"Wow," she gaped.

I stood up and walked over to her. She lifted her face.

"Hi," she almost whispered. But her lips already brushed mine. Her breath hovered my tongue, driving me crazy, and she kissed me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders, reading my mind.

She broke off. "What's this for?" she whispered, smiling.

"You being Miley."

She giggled and kissed me again, lazing her mouth around mine and rolling her tongue in.

I brought my hands on her hips and guided her to the bed, my tongue twisting with hers. I laid her down and climbed on top.

Mi puckered and broke again. "Hey...don't you think it's funny over half of people you're close with is either an ex-fiancee, divorced or with child?"

I stared. This was true. Dad left Mom, Antoinette left Joe, Miley left Josh, and Selena left Ben. On the other claim, Selena had Alex, Mom was pregnant, and Demi was expecting a stepson in twelve weeks.

Wow.

"Yeah...it is funny." I nodded.

"I think we were all brought together for a reason." Miley explained, taking off the cardigan. "We all get each other. Give someone else a reason to keep going. I mean, what would Mom do without Selena and Joe? And what would Joe do without a friend like Demi? And what would Frankie do without Mom? And who knows where I'd be without that fake sandwich."

"Yeaaah, I mean, and. Wait—what?"