Well, hi!

This should be surprising to no one, but I had to split the epilogue due to my epic long-windedness. This is part one, part two is almost done and will be posted when I can stop nitpicking the hell out of it.

This epilogue will skip ahead in time pretty steadily, but as it goes forward, gives glimpses into how everyone is moving on. The main focus is on Derek and his recovery, both the good and bad. Since the overwhelming tone of the story has been heavy to this point, I tried to make some of these a little more upbeat :) Time is linear here, no flashbacks or jumps to deal with.

Almost there! Hope you enjoy!

Derek Stiles sat in his hospital room with a faint smile on his face.

Physical therapy had gone quite well that day. His new, more positive outlook and return of motivation had helped him make progress toward his goal of getting better, something that propelled him to work even harder. His change in attitude was to the delight of those assisting him, as getting him to do much of anything had been difficult during his severe depression.

Now freshly showered and resting in bed, Derek's mind reverted to the night before with fondness in his still half-broken heart. Angie had been instrumental in changing his viewpoint, her perspective on the situation and advice of how to deal with it invaluable in beginning to work through the guilt that still plagued him.

It helped to know that someone understood how he was struggling.

It helped to remember that no matter what came from then on, he had unwavering support.

But it especially helped to know how much she truly loved him.

His smile grew as he replayed their conversation, the words she had said and the feeling of finally sharing a kiss with her something he would vividly remember for the rest of his life. She had given him a second kiss that following morning before leaving to go home, the sensation still hanging on his lips though several hours had passed since her departure.

His train of thought then moved to Cybil, which produced a deep sigh. Angie was right – she would have never allowed him to act this way if she was still alive. His change in perspective and silent vow to make the most of every single day was somewhat of his own volition, but it mostly acted as an ode to a woman he respected so much – a woman whose memory he was attempting to preserve with how he lived from then on.

The time in reflection was brief, however, as a soft knock was heard at the door followed by a head peeking its way inside.

Derek smiled, his hand coming to rest behind his head.

"Hi, mom."

Elizabeth Stiles' brown eyes lit up as she moved to enter the room, the sound of her son's voice a source of great relief to her.

"Hi sweetheart – is this a bad time?"

Derek shook his head and raised his arms to hug his mother, who had quickly arrived at his bedside and forced a long, tight embrace on him. She pulled away and kissed his forehead before lowering into the seat next to him, holding his left hand with both of hers.

"No, you've got perfect timing – I finished PT and made myself presentable for the day, so I'm just hanging out. It's nice to see you."

She squeezed his hand. "It's always nice to see you, honey. But aren't you tired after all that? Don't you think you should get some rest?"

Derek shook his head again. "No, mom, I'm fine. Yesterday was a rough day so I slept in pretty late this morning…"

He trailed off, dazed smirk on his face as he recalled waking up with Angie in his arms. There had been an internal fight of if he wanted more rest or wished to stay awake and simply watch her sleep, falling back into slumber with her while he trying to decide.

"Oh? I'm sorry to hear that – would you like to talk about it?"

Derek was pulled from reminiscence with her words and sighed in response. "Honestly, not really. I kind of went off the deep end the past few days and thankfully, my friends were finally able to snap me out of it. It entailed a lot of talking though, so right now I'm pretty burnt out on expressing my feelings."

Elizabeth nodded. "I understand. I'm glad that you have such wonderful people in your life, Derek. I know I've only been here once since you woke up, but you look different. You no longer seem as though you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders."

"There's a lot I still have to work through, and a lot of pain that will never go away. But I'm… hopeful." he admitted. "Talking with Angie last night brought me back down to Earth. She helped me realize how much I had been isolating myself instead of talking to the only other person out there who truly understands what I'm going through. It was pretty cathartic."

Elizabeth rubbed her son's hand with a loving smile. "I'm so glad to hear you say that. That Angie… she's something special, that's for sure."

Derek chuckled. "She sure is, mom. I can't wait for you to finally meet her."

Elizabeth giggled. "Oh, you're much too late for that – we met and got very acquainted while you were still in your coma, honey."

Derek expression turned to stone, the smile instantly dropping off his face. "Oh God… you didn't say anything embarrassing to her, did you? Or tell her any of your crazy stories?"

She scoffed. "I like to think the mood was a little heavy for any of that, Derek."

"Okay, good."

"…All I told her was that you were right when you said she was a very beautiful girl!"

"Moooooooommmm!" he groaned. "Why?!"

"Oh, don't you whine. She is!"

"I know she is, but…"

"Just relax." she said with a dismissive arm wave. "That was such a brief moment – the rest of our time together was focused on more important things. She supported me a lot, but also, she spent so much time helping me fight for you."

Derek dropped his annoyance at her words and smiled again, looking down. "Yeah, Tyler told me about everything she did. Angie's a fighter when she wants to be and I'm glad you got to watch her work. She's brilliant."

Elizabeth nodded. "And so sweet. Angie had me stay with her a few nights so that I could be closer to the hospital – she wouldn't take no for an answer! She and your friend Leslie were constantly checking on me… both those girls are wonderful."

Derek's heart thumped tenderly in his chest at the thought, amazed by the constant stories of Angie's selflessness that everyone but her continued to tell him.

"But that Angie – I could see from the moment I met her why you've been so enamored." she went on. "And I know you have a lot going on right now, but I think it's about time you spoke up. You don't want to let this one get away, especially after everything that's happened to both of you." she said with a wag of her finger though a smile never left her lips.

Derek chuckled and turned his head toward her slightly.

"Thanks for the advice, but you're a little late… I already told her. Last night."

Elizabeth's hands dropped her son's and flew up to her mouth, her eyes wide and gleaming. "Oh my, Derek! You did?! What happened?! Tell me everything!"

"I am not going to talk to my mother in detail about my love life…" he began, grinning sheepishly. "…but I will say that I did finally tell her how long I've been in love with her. I also apologized for being an idiot and waiting to admit it."

She gasped. "Did she say it back?!"

Derek smiled. "Actually, she said it first."

Elizabeth squealed and jumped from her seat, latching her arms around her son's neck and holding on for dear life.

"Mom! You're hurting me!"

"I'm sorry! I just can't help it!"

He laughed and gently pried the two of them apart, his mother taking the hint and returning to her seat next to him. Her hands were clasped into her chest in a way nearly identical to the way Angie usually did, a parallel that made him smile more broadly.

"Please tell me you kissed her!"

Derek rolled his eyes, hard. "Mom. Stop."

"Derek! I am your mother and I asked you a question!"

"Ugh, fine! Yes, okay?! Of course I kissed her!"

Elizabeth let out another squeal, to which her son rolled his eyes again with a laugh.

"You know, you remind me a lot of Leslie." he said, still laughing. "It's no wonder you all spent so much time together while I was out. You guys are all WAY too involved in my…"

Derek stopped his gentle chide when the door clicked open, Angie walking into the room nearly right on cue. He flashed an irrepressible grin at her, eyes warm and immediately locked on hers.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I'll come back!" she said when she noticed Derek's mother at his bedside. Angie backed up and was nearly out of the room before she was halted by a shout from his visitor, stopping her instantly in her tracks.

"Angie, you get back in this room right now!"

"Oh God…" Derek muttered, aware that no good could come of this. He stared at Angie apologetically as she timidly paced back into the room, her eyes wide, nervous, and imploring his for help. Elizabeth stood up and walked toward the nurse, who was entirely unsure of what awaited her.

Mrs. Stiles lowered her voice. "Did you think I was going to let my son's girlfriend leave without saying hello to me?!"

Angie's mouth instantly dropped open in surprise at the use of such a title, realizing that Derek's mother was right: she was now, indeed, Derek's girlfriend. She didn't have time to process the loaded statement very long, as she was swept into a tight hug by the woman in front of her, her wide eyes staring over Elizabeth's shoulder and back to Derek who just shook his head with a smile. She hesitantly wrapped her arms around the older woman, blindsided by the situation in front of her as she stared at Derek questioningly, a shrug the only answer he could give.

"Let her go, mom!" he finally demanded with an embarrassed chuckle.

"I'm sorry! I'm just so happy! What wonderful news!" she exclaimed, pushing out of the hug but keeping Angie at arm's length, her hands on the blushing nurse's shoulders. "Didn't I tell you he loved you?! I told you he'd say it when he woke up!"

"What?! You told her what?! MOM!"

Both Angie and Elizabeth giggled at Derek's mortified expression, his head dropping back against his pillow and hands coming to rest over his red face.

"It looks like you two have some more talking to do." Angie joked with a smile. "But before I go, I have something for you…"

Angie moved to Derek's bed, a questioning smile on his face as she rummaged through the large work bag on her shoulder. In a matter of seconds, she pulled out a small gift bag and held it out to Derek with a soft smile, concerned when his expression morphed instantly into a look of guilt. He sat still, refusing to take the gift from her, even when she began to shake it at him in impatience.

"Angie…" he began with a chiding tone. "…what did you do?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed with a giggle in response. "Calm down, Derek. It's something really small – just open it."

Side-eyeing her in disbelief, Derek finally reached forward and took the bag from her hands. With one more hesitant look her way, he removed the piece of tissue paper from the top and peeked inside, a broad smile instantly sweeping his face. He turned back to her and chuckled when he identified the 'I told you so' expression in her eyes, gratitude growing in his heart as he realized that she was truly a step ahead of him at all times.

"Well, what is it?!"

So lost in their deep stare, Derek and Angie were both jarred by the interruption from Derek's mother, briefly forgetting that she was still in the room with them. They both peered back at her briefly and grew embarrassed upon noting that she had been watching them intently with a huge smile on her lips.

With a slight blush and a smile, Derek pulled a plastic contraption from the bag and held it up for his mother to see, her grin dropping to make way for confusion. It was a flat, plastic base with a plastic rod sticking up from one end, the other with some pieces that she didn't recognize. Reaching into the bag once more, he pulled several packs of vicryl sutures, hemostats and forceps out into the open and set them on the table in front of him. Seeing the look of perplexity on his mother's face, Derek just laughed and held the plastic piece out for her to examine for herself.

"It's a trainer for suturing, mom." he explained, watching her expression lighten a bit. "You can either practice suturing this part or you can tie a line to this pole over here to work on tying knots. It has suction cups on the bottom so I can mount it to a table while I work."

"It's to help with dexterity, Mrs. Stiles." Angie finished, turning back to Derek. "This should help give him something to do in between therapy sessions so he can be ready to come back to work as soon as possible."

He chuckled at the wink she sent him, his laugh quickly giving way to a warm smile at her thoughtfulness.

"I remember what you said last night, about being worried." Angie began, voice low and word choice vague on purpose. "And I know it doesn't totally fix the problem, but I figured it might be helpful-"

"It's perfect." Derek replied, gently cutting off the end of her sentence. "Thank you so much, Ang. Thanks for this, and for just… everything."

The pair stayed locked in a deep gaze once more, an air of awkwardness suddenly surrounding them as they realized that any further displays of affection would be witnessed by the third party in the room, who was still staring them down excitedly.

"Oh, my! I'm so sorry!" Derek's mother finally chirped, whirling around to place her back to them. "I'm sure you want to give her a kiss! Go ahead – I'm not looking!"

"Dear GOD, mom… could you cool it for like, two minutes, please?!"

Though she tried to hold it in, a laugh escaped Angie at Derek's outburst, her hand reaching out quickly to pat his comfortingly. She smiled and backed up a step with a shrug and another wink that caused him to laugh out loud and roll his eyes in response.

Elizabeth turned around just in time to see Angie backing away from Derek, the elder woman working to undo the awkwardness that her over-excitement had apparently caused.

"No, Angie – don't leave! Why don't you stick around and I'll go take a walk for a few? Let you guys have some time together?"

Angie smiled sweetly. "It's alright - I only had a minute anyway. I just wanted to drop that off and check in before getting started at work today. It was very nice to see you again, Mrs. Stiles."

"Oh, you too, honey!" she said before whipping her head back to look at her son with a scowl. "Derek! Aren't you going to say goodbye to this gorgeous woman?!"

Derek pursed his lips and shook his head with an annoyed glare, unbelieving of how ridiculous his mother could be at times. He couldn't stay mad, however, noticing Angie's warm smile as she giggled at his luck.

"I'll see you in a little while, Ang. Have a great day."

She lovingly tilted her head to the left. "Thanks. I'll be back soon."

With that last word and another tight hug from Derek's mother, Angie left the Stiles' to themselves once more. Derek's mother turned to face him slowly, his arms crossed in front of him and his right eyebrow raised.

"Now do you understand why I never brought her to meet you?"

Elizabeth scowled. "If you had, I could've gotten you together years ago!"

"Sure, mom. Whatever you say."

Mrs. Stiles smiled now, reaching over to give her son's leg a pat.

"You're going to forgive me for being a little over the top right now, given what I've been through." she demanded, Derek's expression dropping into a look of guilt for teasing her.

"I'm sorry, mom. I know. I love how excited you are, I do…"

"I'm aware that I can be a bit much, but Angie and I got to talk a lot over the last couple months." she explained. "And wouldn't you know, my talents don't just work on you – I got her to tell me she loved you weeks before you even heard it!"

Derek blushed slightly, chucking sheepishly. "Is that right?"

"Oh yeah. That poor girl was a complete wreck. Reminded me of myself when we were losing your father…" she reminisced, trailing off briefly at the painful memory. "The thought of you missing out on this wonderful relationship just broke my heart, and now that you're awake and okay, I'm just over the moon for you. This is such a blessing and I know you're going to be so happy together, Derek."

He nodded. "That's one thing we can definitely agree on, mom."

"Good, because this is no accident!" she replied, beaming. "This was just all so miraculous that I have a hard time thinking it was coincidental. I know you'll just write this off as me being crazy, but I think somehow your father helped out with this."

Derek stared out ahead blankly, contemplating such a statement. Before all of this he would have immediately shot her down, though something tugged at heart in a way he hadn't experienced before.

"I don't think you're crazy, mom." he said quietly. "Some of the things I've said or thought since I've been awake have felt like such strong déjà vu – like I've talked about them with someone before. And until now, I couldn't explain it."

He smiled and looked over at his mother, her eyes gleaming with tears.

"You know, maybe you're right. Somehow, some way... maybe he was there."

From beyond, Alexander Stiles smiled at the sight of his wife and son discussing such a theory.

"I wish you two knew how right you are."

-o-

One week later, Angie strolled through the hallways of Caduceus, badging into the hallway to Derek's room. Her step was light and bouncy, trying to enjoy her day off as much as was possible with her loved one still hospitalized. Though it had grown tiresome to practically live at the hospital, logic always prevailed over a negative internal dialogue; Derek was improving by the day, and it truly was all that mattered.

For the first time in a long time, a life outside the walls of Caduceus seemed not only possible, but within reach.

"Hey Angie, you're just in time!"

Angie's mental pep-talk was interrupted by the cheery voice of one of Derek's physical therapists, who had just exited his room and was scribbling on a chart in her hands. She smiled brightly at Angie after completing her note, and the nurse returned it with ease. It had become easy to see why this was Derek's favorite therapist, as her bright, bubbly demeanor was incredibly infectious and hard for even the worst moods to resist.

"Just in time for what?" Angie inquired.

The therapist giggled and hooked a thumb towards Derek's room. "We've been working on something pretty cool today. Why don't you go see for yourself?"

Interested, Angie bid her coworker a polite goodbye and moved to enter Derek's room. He greeted her with a bright smile and her heart soared.

"Hey!" he exclaimed. "Just the person I wanted to see."

She grinned, quickly unloading the two cups of coffee in her hands onto a nearby table in favor of moving to stand near her doctor. He sat perched on the edge of his bed, eyes following her until she reached his side. However, when she dipped her head for a kiss, she grew upset when he leaned back and away from it, a sly smile on his face.

"Wait a second." he said quietly, noting her pout and chuckling in return. "I want to show you something, first. Hold out your hands."

Angie did as she was told, watching him intently as he placed his hands in hers.

"Back up just a step."

She again obliged, now confused.

He took in a breath to ready himself and smiled up at her. There was a slight weight to Angie's hands as, using her for leverage, Derek pushed himself up with a small wobble and rose to his feet: the first time she had seen him do it without near-total assistance.

Her mouth dropped open with an enormous, shocked grin, eyes locked on him as he smiled back with pride and triumph.

"Oh my gosh, Derek! I'm so proud of you!"

He squeezed her hands. "Thanks! We've been working hard at this one."

"I can tell! You barely held onto me at all - I can't believe it!"

He chuckled. "I know it's very 'baby deer learning to walk', but it's important, because I have a bit of an ulterior motive here..."

Before Angie could question the vague nature of such a statement, Derek wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him in a passionate embrace. Warmth immediately spread through her body, eyes instinctively closing in contentment though tears still gathered behind them, her emotions overloaded. That moment - that singular moment - marked the first time he had ever held her in such a way, any hug they had shared during their friendship now nearly irrelevant in comparison. None of them matched the authoritative hold he used now that masked feelings no longer inhibited such an interaction. No hug of their past ever conveyed such intense love and devotion, nor had ever been so needed by them both.

Even though they had been through hell together more times than could be counted, no embrace had ever meant so much.

Angie sighed softly from his hold, eyes still watering when reflecting over exactly how long she had been waiting for this moment. Though she had sunk into him initially in surprise, her arms finally wound around him and held him as tightly as she could manage, lips pursing to slowly blow out a breath in an attempt to hold back a full onslaught of tears. Never releasing his grip on her, Derek pulled back after a few moments and reached a hand up to brush her hair from her face, his soft smile the last thing she saw before his lips caught hers.

They broke after a lingering kiss, Angie's eyes still full of tears as they met Derek's. She stared at him lovingly while her thumb traced over his cheek, his face nuzzling her hand before she dropped it in favor of snuggling herself into his chest again.

"And you think I'm the one who knows you the best." Angie said, voice muffled though she released a deep, happy sigh. "You have no idea how long I've needed this."

Derek placed a kiss on her temple, his cheek dropping to rest against her forehead. "I know I haven't been waiting as long as you, but I've needed this, too. I told you that night how I couldn't wait to get out of that chair so I could hug and kiss you like this, and I meant it."

She propped her chin up on his chest and looked up at him with a smirk.

"Well, I guess I better be thankful for ulterior motives, huh?"

-o-

"I knew this would be hard, but… wow."

A group of friends nodded at Leslie's words, all of them still seated together. The memorial for Dr. Robert Hoffman had been held in the atrium of Caduceus, rows of white chairs now empty save for Victor, Sidney, Leslie, Tyler, Derek, and Angie, who couldn't yet bring themselves to leave. The other attendees had long filed out, leaving those who arguably felt most responsible for the loss of Dr. Hoffman with one another and their deep, reopened wounds.

Angie's eyes scanned the room until they reluctantly focused on the large, canvas portrait of her former boss that rested on an easel at the front of the room, a beautifully ornate wreath below it. Keeping her focus on his face was exceedingly difficult: the thought of him alone was enough to break her heart, though it was nothing compared to the pain of seeing him once more. The calm yet steadfast expression he wore in his official Caduceus portrait elicited memories of his dignified and passionate leadership; a constant that made their current situation more complicated than just the loss of a close friend and ally. It was hardly believable that the man they had trusted as their fearless leader was the same one to take his own life, especially when considering that the information with which he had made such a decision was woefully incorrect. While treating Derek, Dr. Hoffman had been right all along in his actions, and if only he had known, he would undoubtedly still be with them.

Angie broke into another sob at this realization, one hand holding her face and the other tightly gripping Derek's hand, who leaned over to hug her at the sudden outburst of emotion.

"I just can't understand why anyone would make such a choice!" she finally stammered out in a whisper, now leaning into Derek after he pulled her close. "How can this possibly ever be the answer?"

Derek rested his cheek against the crown of her head, tears welling in own his eyes at the overwhelming guilt he felt. His words to her just weeks before were to say that he had understood Robert's decision, realizing in that moment how utterly reckless such a statement had been. Though his thoughts were sometimes dark and his recovery still undoubtedly difficult, the feeling of despair had lifted enough to allow him to see light again – a light that made it unmistakably clear why his friends had been so angry at him for even suggesting such a notion.

"He was in tremendous pain." Sidney spoke, his normally strong voice now weak and broken. "And when people are in such despair, they truly can't see any other way out. Every minute of every day I wish I had gotten to him in time… maybe I could've helped."

"We all could have." Victor added. "Even one person can be enough. But we were all so angry and hurt that none of us were there for our friend when he needed someone the most."

"It's unbearable." Tyler said, sniffling. "We save lives for a living – all of us. We're supposed to value life above all else – how could we let something like this happen, and to someone we love, no less?"

This lesson was one that Tyler had learned after making some dark turns in life, pulled from the world of euthanasia by none other than Derek himself. His sister's life was saved by his friend's refusal to give in, and after witnessing what such determination could do, he never claimed responsibility for taking another life again. Robert's suicide reminded him of his darkest secret, and it overwhelmed him to recall that death had ever been at his own hand.

Victor, in a rare show of understanding, patted Tyler's back once. "It happened so fast. I understand that we all weren't exactly sunshine and roses to him before he stormed out, but he made such a quick choice and now we're all living with it. And to be frank, I'm still incredibly pissed off at him for being so fucking selfish."

Silence settled among the group at Victor's words, each person grappling with the concurrent feelings of devastation and anger.

"I know this might not make sense…" Leslie said tearfully, entering the conversation. "...but sometimes I wonder if he was really angry at us. If he did this because of how we acted towards him."

Sidney cleared his throat. "I don't think it's irrational to wonder such a thing, Leslie, but I can tell you that I don't believe it's true. He was never the vengeful type, and I can't imagine this would be different. It was deep, personal, self-disappointment."

Sidney heaved an annoyed sigh at the sound of his ringing cell phone, the director reaching in his pocket and groaning loudly when he realized it was something that did, in fact, require his immediate attention. He excused himself and walked from the atrium, instantly barking orders at the person on the other line as his patience had grown non-existent after such an emotional afternoon.

"I think I'm going to go, as well." Victor said, rising to his feet. "Derek, it's… good to see you up and about… you know, looking like a regular human again."

Derek smirked and held out his hand to shake Victor's. The suit Angie had fetched from his house had created a brief sense of normalcy for the first time since he had awoken, though reaching up from a wheelchair quickly crushed that fantasy. However, Derek smiled to himself as Victor walked away; he had only been attending for a few weeks, but Victor's 'secret' therapy had made him noticeably calmer and more outright with his words and actions than Derek ever remembered.

"What the hell are we supposed to do now?"

Tyler's question snapped Angie out of her trance, the nurse hesitantly moving out of Derek's hold though her fingers remained tightly intertwined with his.

"I have no idea." she replied after pondering the question momentarily, attention then back to Derek. "How are you feeling? Do you want to get back upstairs and rest?"

Derek shook his head. "No, I don't really want to be alone with my thoughts after that one…" he explained, Angie nodding her head in understanding.

Derek sighed and bit his lip, eyes down on their intertwined hands.

"I know this was tough for everyone, and I'm sure this is the last thing you guys would want to do right now… but in the spirit of being more transparent and open, there's something I really need."

Angie brought her eyes up to Derek, hoping to calm his hesitant, fearful expression.

"Anything." she spoke, enunciation of the word conveying her sincerity.

Derek sighed.

"…I need to go to visit Cybil."

Angie raised an eyebrow at the unexpected request and briefly turned to face a surprised Leslie and Tyler. She slowly brought her gaze back to Derek, who was watching her like a hawk.

"Derek." she said, stalling momentarily while trying to balance her concern with her desire to assist a him with a rare request. "It's been a long day already. Maybe it might be better to wait for another time?"

Derek shook his head, adamant. "Difficult as this was, it was a small piece of closure that I've been searching for. I prayed and spoke my peace about a lot of things and I feel like while I'm in this state of mind, I need to do the same for Cybil. There's a lot I need to say to her and I just… I can't do it here. I need to go see her."

Angie bit her lip. Getting Derek to Cybil's grave would mean she would be forced to come along, as he was in no condition to complete such a task by himself.

She blinked once and turned to Tyler, who watched her with a stoic expression as he waited for a response. Angie was sure that her face mirrored his in that moment, his eyes scared as he began to realize that this plan would likely involve him, too. They lingered in a silent gaze until Angie broke the stalemate by beginning to work through her thoughts out loud.

"How would we get there?"

"We can take my car." Tyler replied, speaking of his large SUV. "Tons of room – no problem. I'm just worried about the location – isn't her grave on the top of a hill?"

"A small one…" Angie replied, trying to remember. "But, I'm pretty sure there's a road the whole way and a sidewalk nearby. Shouldn't be too big of a hassle."

She stalled again before landing on another pertinent question. "Is it okay to take him out of the building?"

Tyler paused at this, but only briefly. "I mean, I'm technically one of his attendings, so I could okay it... But even if I can't, I'd have a hard time thinking that anyone would fight me on the matter."

Angie nodded. "He's stable and he's… well, it's not like he wouldn't be monitored properly. He'd be with us, after all."

Silence fell between Tyler and Angie once more as they traded another pensive stare. As they verbally worked through the situation, both were unwilling to admit that they secretly hoped to find an excuse as to why Derek's request could not be met. The thought of ending Dr. Hoffman's memorial by going to visit another fallen colleague was agonizing to even consider; however, refusing Derek's one request seemed equally difficult.

And with a soft nod from Tyler, Angie turned back to Derek with a weak smile. He squeezed her hand gently in return, aware of what he was asking of her but grateful for her continued sacrifice.

Angie turned to Tyler again. "If you don't mind me borrowing your car to fit the wheelchair, I can take us there. You guys have had a long day, too."

Tyler scoffed at her suggestion. "First of all, Angie, I've seen you drive – there's no way."

She scowled at him and Derek chuckled lightly from behind her, well aware that Tyler was correct in his judgement – driving with Angie could be terrifying.

Her angry expression remained as Tyler continued with a weak grin.

"Second, we're not going to let you guys do something like this alone. We're coming to support you, whether you like it or not."

"Yeah!" Leslie chirped from behind him, still teary-eyed. "Haven't we learned it's better when we do things together?" she asked, a nod to hers and Derek's deep conversation a few weeks prior.

Derek smiled.

-o-

Tyler, Leslie, Angie, and Derek had arrived at the cemetery, the three friends working with ease to remove Derek from the car and help him into a waiting wheelchair. They started a small walk to their destination, Tyler pushing Derek along while their respective girlfriends followed close by.

At the top of a small hill and underneath a mature, towering tree was the plot where Cybil had been laid to rest. Sunshine trickled through the leaves of the oak, some rays reaching the ground below and others casting shadows that danced with the warm, comforting breeze. The four chatted lightly about the peaceful scene while they walked along, conversation coming to a halt with a pertinent observation by Derek.

"Is that… is someone up there?"

Derek's friends turned their attention back to the tree. Someone was indeed resting against it, their back to the approaching visitors with only an arm visible.

"Stop." Derek commanded softly, to which Tyler obliged. "I don't really want to bother someone… should we go back?"

Tyler paused momentarily but then continued ahead with a slowed pace. "Who knows if they're even here to see Cybil? Or, if they are, maybe they're leaving soon."

"We came all this way, Derek." Angie added, gently. "Let's at least go see."

Derek stared forward as they started up a small incline, his heart pounding in his chest as the previously unidentified visitor came into view. He could feel his wheelchair come to a slow stop, able to feel Tyler's hesitance without having to look at him for confirmation.

"Well, what a wonderful surprise..."

Greg Kasal's words came with a tired smile, his tone reflecting sincerity though his expression was worn and clearly full of grief. He sat with his back against the large tree, a blanket sprawled underneath him and the remnants of a partially finished lunch nearby. He rose to stand and waved at both Leslie and Angie before shaking hands with Tyler and Derek.

"Sorry to interrupt you, Dr. Kasal…" Tyler started. "…looks like you had the same thought we did, huh?"

Greg nodded, having also just come from Robert's memorial. "Yeah, I come here when I need to find some peace and I definitely needed that after today." He shifted on his feet and then pointed down to the large blanket below him. "Why don't you guys have a seat?"

"Actually…"

Everyone looked at Derek in surprise at his interjection. The surgeon had trailed off but slowly turned his head to the left until his eyes locked with Angie's. She bent over at the waist to put them face to face, her worried eyes waiting for him to speak.

"I, uh…"

Derek spoke quietly, his head dropping briefly to collect his thoughts before bringing hesitant eyes up to meet her again.

He lowered his voice to just above a whisper.

"I think I need to, um..." he started, motioning Greg's way though his stare never broke with Angie. The nurse looked over at Greg and then back to Derek, her lips turning up into a knowing smirk as she nodded.

"Of course." she replied, noting the relief that instantly came over him when he realized that further explanation was not necessary. She placed a brief kiss on his forehead as Tyler bent down to lock his wheelchair, the two of them and Leslie retreating from the area without another word.

"It's nice to see you up and about, Derek." Greg said after a brief silence.

"Thanks, Dr. Kasal." he started. "Although, now that I've had a taste of freedom, I dread having to go back to that hospital room."

"Well, no offense, but I don't think you're capable of a stealthy getaway just yet."

The men shared a gentle laugh at the joke, though Derek quickly grew quiet. His attention had dropped down to Cybil's headstone, the black lettering a stern reminder of yet another nightmarish piece of life that was now, indeed, reality.

"Derek?" Greg spoke after a short time, noting that his former mentee now wore a sullen expression with tears in his eyes. They had flickered up to meet Greg's just briefly at the mention of his name but refused to hold the stare, focus now down in his own lap as his fingers nervously played with one another.

"I've, um…"

Derek paused. He hadn't admitted it to anyone but Angie, but this discussion had been hanging over him like a dark cloud. Before him stood an opportunity to speak honestly and openly with some important people, though the more he tried to form the words, the less his mind seemed to cooperate.

"I've been wanting to speak with you for a while, now…" he finally began, nervously. "…and though I wasn't expecting it, I'm really glad you're here today. It just feels… appropriate."

Greg waited patiently while Derek fumbled over his words, aware that whatever he was about to say would not be easy, but careful to let him speak under his own volition.

Derek sighed heavily and reached a hand back to lightly scratch his head.

"Dr. Kasal, out of anyone else in my life, I owe you the biggest apology." he finally stammered out, voice cracking. Greg's expression immediately grew confused, though when he went to question such a statement, Derek cut him off.

"And if it's okay, I need to explain why."

See you soon!