Ok guys…..this will be the final chapter. And I hope all of you are satisfied with it but like the old cliché goes 'you can't make everyone happy' but I still try…..

Kate

I, I'm driving black on black
Just got my license back
I got this feeling in my veins this train is coming off the track

The sound was turned up as loud as it would go as I kept glancing at the map on the seat beside me. I had kissed Ian goodbye that morning with the promise that I would call him when I arrived after he had written down the most complicated directions I'd ever seen. It was hard saying goodbye…but I just wanted everything to go back to normal—to go home and try to forget about everything that had happened. Everything from the night I was taken, I wanted to forget Preston, and Richard, and their deaths, to forget the feeling of my body growing cold as the blood started to siphon out, the feeling of total darkness, and the feeling of being shocked back to life, but I had a nagging feeling in my stomach that I didn't understand. I didn't feel right as I drove down the dirt road that would eventually lead to a highway that would lead me home. Instead of going on I turned the music down, pulled over and reached for the cell phone Ian had given me.

"Kate," Ian sounded surprised, "did you get there already?"

"Um…Ian," I said smiling to myself, "change of plans. I need directions…."

v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

I got out of the car and saw kids laughing and playing out on the lawn. Their giggles and screams of joy making a smile automatically appear on my face. I walked up the stone pathway when a ball crossed my path.

"Catch!" I said picking up the ball and gently tossing it to a little girl with pig-tails.

"Sanks you!" she said and I noticed she must have just lost one of her baby teeth. She ran off and joined the other kids as I walked up to the doorway.

Now or never….I thought knocking on the door. I waited a couple of minutes and then turned around. How foolish….just go home Katie.

"Kate?" I heard his voice behind me as I turned around. He was standing there in the doorway with only a pair of jeans on, with water droplets still on his chest. He was rubbing his hand through his hair as he just looked at me and I saw the smile creep up his face.

I took a step forward and his warm arms enveloped me. Hmmm..He's so warm….

"Did you win?" he asked while stroking my hair.

"Yeah," I said into his chest as I detected the scent of Irish Spring soap still lingering on his body, "Ian's in charge now. He's going to call and make a deal with your council and you."

"I didn't think you were going to come back." His voice was low with sorrow and hope.

"Now why would you think that?" I smiled as he tilted his face down towards mine—he smiled. And meeting my eyes I felt his lips on mine and I felt the nagging feeling in my stomach go away—instead it was replaced by butterflies. He pulled me into the house after him still not letting go of my mouth as his kiss overrode all of my other senses. For once, since Johnny had moved away when I was little, I felt like I was loved—and it felt refreshingly good.

Epilogue

I saw my little girl looking up from me in the crib three years later as Xander's hand was placed on my hips.

"She's gorgeous." He said nuzzling into my neck as I saw my daughter's little breaths making her chest gently rise and fall, "Just like her mom."

"Oh shush!" I whispered harshly and smiled, "You'll wake her."

"So where did the name Scarlet come from?" Xander asked wondering about our daughter's name.

"Oh…it just popped into my head one day." I smiled to myself remembering the woman who had made a sacrifice so I could live—I wanted to put the past behind me, but I never wanted to forget what that woman had done for me. And one day I'll tell my daughter about the woman who saved her mommy—the woman so strong and kind that she saved more lives and who would never get the recognition she deserved. Ian had called to tell me congratulations on the birth of my daughter—the deal he had made with Xander saved many lives on both sides and it helped to save humans as well so we were on friendly terms. Apparently he was marrying some girl he had met in France this summer—and she sounded like a nice enough girl.

Well well well….hmm…..I wonder watch French girl she's talking about….I think you all know—but how will the whole thing play out? Then again maybe it's not the same French girl…..Katie just said it was a French girl…..I guess you guys will just have to read New Life 2 and find out. Well I hope you all enjoyed this story as much as I liked writing it. Please review—remember I have a record to beat! And thank you all for your help and suggestions.