WOW, its been a long time... some personal stuff came up. Anyways, here is the last chapter guys. I hope you all enjoy it. Chapter title by Joshua Radin.


Chapter 29: I'd Rather Be With You

Need to be bold
Need to jump in the cold water
Need to grow older with a girl like you

Scotty wasn't quite sure when they decided to walk back to the car. But when they were both soaked to the skin, and wearing identical smiles, he threw his arm around her shoulders and started steering them back toward the road. To reality. To the amazing new stretch of life he saw before him, with Lilly.

Water splashed up near Scotty's ankles as he laced his fingers with hers. "You know, we don't really gotta go back to Philly."

He let the suggestion hang in the air. Let's run away. Let's be in love where no one and nothing can get in the way.

She smiled, sighing happily, and asked, "You really think we'd make it?"

"Hell yeah." His smile widened. Nothing in the world would've made him happier in that moment, or any moment he supposed, than Lilly agreeing to run away with him. "Could even leave today."

"And go where?"

"Anywhere." He stopped and pulled her into a tight hug. "Everywhere. So long as I'm with you."

"Wish it were that easy…" Lilly said. She kissed the stubble on his chin, knowing it drove him crazy.

God, he was never going to let this woman go. "It could be."

She shook her head and pulled back, linking her arms around his neck. His own arms traveled down around her waist. "You're the only one who can work the fax machine." She reminded him. "And if we leave who'll stop the doughnut wars from getting out of hand?"

He pretended to be disappointed for a second, then he acquiesced like she knew he would and they walked together toward the edge of the woods.

"And then there's your family." She burst out. "All 800 of 'em live in Philly."

Scotty laughed. That was the first time he'd heard her speak of the number of people in his family without the hint of fear and apprehension that went with it. It both amazed him, and emboldened him. "There's not 800 people." He protested. "But there's a lot."

"Well, I wanna meet them." She announced. "And we gotta be in Philly to do that. Can't expect your parents to drive out to Vegas, can we?"

He caught her in a surprise kiss. He knew his family intimidated her, which was why he'd so far neglected to mention them. But the fact that she was bringing it up, with a hopeful happiness, and not dread - it touched his heart. "Did I ever tell you you're amazin', Rush?"

She patted his cheek lightly with one hand, and reached to open the car door with the other. "It's implied."


"What do you think Boss is gonna say to them?" Kat mused aloud. She, Will, and Nick had arrived back in Philly just after lunch. As promised, the Lieutenant had immediately confined Kat and Nick to desk duty, where they were now sitting, dutifully explaining away the extra mileage on department cars as delicately as possible. With Lilly and Scotty still AWOL and another case to solve, the Boss had taken off on an interview with Will for the first time in weeks. Kat believed he was secretly pleased.

Nick leaned back in his chair and yawned widely. He glanced at the clock. "Dunno, that is if they make it back before Boss retires." It was nearing dinner time with no sign of either of their colleagues.

"Where the hell are they?" Kat complained. "I gotta be here when they break the news to Boss."

Nick fiddled with his cell phone for a few minutes. "Nah. Valens and Rush ain't answerin' their texts and calls keep dumpin' me to voicemail." He frowned, remembering Kat's last words. "Wait, what news?"

She tossed some crumpled paper at him. "That they're together." Kat fixed him with a piercing glare, as though daring him to challenge her. He did.

"I love it when you're wrong." He smiled. "What makes you think they're gonna spill the beans?"

"Uh…." She pretended to think for a second. "'Cause they're either comin' clean or breakin' up. An' you and me both know there's no way they're gonna quit on their relationship now."

Nick reached into his wallet and defiantly placed 20 dollars on the table. "Okay, agree with you on the stayin' together part. Ain't never seen Valens like that over a woman before…" He shook his head with amusement. "But 20 says he can't convince her to tell Boss."

"You're on." Kat placed her own wager on the table, where Nick swept it all up and locked it in his desk drawer.

Just then, they heard a frustrated murmur from the bullpen entrance moving toward them. "… frickin' waste of time." It sounded like Jefferies, which was so out of character that both Nick and Kat immediately shared a worried glance.

"Don't know what we were thinking…" Came an equally annoyed muttered. It could only be Boss.

They didn't have much time to worry though, because the next moment, after hearing the slamming of two locker doors, Will and Boss strode into the bullpen and sank into two chairs next to them without a word.

Nick's eyes travelled between the two. "Everything alright in the real world?"

"Peachy." Will said, pulling a six pack of beer from underneath his desk. "Been chasin' a damn ghost all afternoon that's all."

Kat sighed in mock sympathy. "You know if you had us out there…" She tilted her head suggestively.

"Don't push it." Boss warned. "You two fully earned the two weeks at your desks. Same goes for Rush and Valens when they get their asses back in Philly."

"Well speak of the devil." Nick said, reaching for a beer and looking up over everyone's shoulders. Three other people followed his gaze to their arriving colleagues. Lilly and Scotty.

Kat studied them critically as the two approached the cluster of desks. They both bore the characteristic weariness of travelers happy to be home, but there was something else, an undercurrent of love, trust, and peace between them. She remembered her words to Scotty in the morning, moreover remembered his words to Lilly that had done all that damage. But if Lilly could forgive him, that fast, for throwing her past in her face… She smiled smugly, knowing for sure now that the money in the desk drawer was hers. No way Lilly and Scotty could be wearing those matching smiles if they were still holding a secret.

Lilly was acutely aware of the silence in the squad room from the moment she and Scotty walked in. She longed to take a deep breath and just shout. Shout loud enough for them all to hear and for them to know.

He loves me. I love him. Whatever IAD wants to throw at us, bring it.

Instead she let a wide smile spread across her face and when Scotty caught her eye she felt a blush rise up her cheeks and didn't bother to hide it.

"I take it the two of you have something to tell me." Stillman surveys them critically. Not angry, just thoughtful, and that was when the whole squad caught on. He'd known. Right from the beginning their boss had known two of their colleagues had fallen in love.

They both nodded, saying nothing and following him into his office. A second after the door snapped shut quietly, Kat held out her hand at Nick, grinning widely. He rolled his eyes and slapped the bills into her waiting hand.


Lilly and Scotty sat across from their boss, feeling not unlike school children being called to the principal's office. Neither of them were sure of how to begin to tell the story they had.

Stillman spread his hands wide, waiting for them to speak. "Come on, out with it."

He'd known for a long time really, since the first day Lilly came in looking less tired than usual, and Scotty had worn a satisfied grin. He knew all he needed to know, and this nail-biting confession thing he was making them do - that was pretty much just for entertainment's sake.

Scotty looked at Lilly, silently asking for permission he already knew he had. She nodded almost imperceptibly. Scotty let out a long relieved sigh. He hadn't gotten to tell anyone yet. Sure, their detective colleagues had found out, but now he could just come out and say it.

"I'm in love with Lilly." He clears his throat. "I mean, detective Rush. An' I musta done somethin' right 'cause I'm pretty sure she loves me too." Lilly smacked his arm, but the words continued to spill out. "But Boss, we ain't gonna stop bein' in love 'cause of department policies or nothin'."

"Valens..." Stillman tries to interject, but the young detective wasn't finished yet.

"No. You can do whatever you want…" He informed his boss in a spurt of bravery. "You could even fire me. But it don't matter 'cause I got, Lil. And…"

"Scotty!" She shoots him an amused, but lethal glare and tilts her head at Stillman.

"What I was going to say," Stillman smiled patiently, "was that you two have to fill out these forms." He reached behind his desk and laid two pieces of paper before them. ".. and that it's about damn time."

Lilly smiled weakly. That was it. They had Boss's approval, everyone knew. Everything was okay now.

"Seriously?" Scotty stared, reaching for his own form. "That's it?"

Stillman nodded, "If you don't mind, I'd like a word with Lilly alone."

Looking just a bit confused, Scotty left the room and shut the door quietly. It was Lilly who spoke first.

"You knew." She said. "All along…"

"There's a reason I'm the boss," He smiled. "I like to think I still got it."

She bit her lip, signing confidently on the dotted line. "But you never said anything." It was a question, asking for an explanation.

He shrugged. "Haven't seen you so happy for a while."

"These forms are fake." She told him. "The ones that go to IAD all have a stamp at the top."

"Your powers of deduction never fail you. Scotty on the other hand…"

Lilly laughed. "He's just happy it all worked out." A second later, she added. "Why though?" She gestured at the form IAD would never see.

Stillman removed his glasses, surveying his detective. "I report you two, and they'll march in with their shiny badges and uniforms and split you up. I'm thinking in the best interest of my team."

"Is that what you told Miller and Vera?"

He nodded. "Some things are more important that policies. I'm glad you found them."

"Thanks, boss."


That night, they sat around a table in diner, all 6 of them, sipping soft drinks and waiting for their burgers to come. It had been a long time since they'd gone out like this, all together. Jokes were being bounced around and laughter was contagious.

"You and Rush." Vera stated matter of factly.

"You and Miller." Scotty shot back with a grin as Lilly and Kat rolled their eyes at each other.

"Well ain't we just the picture of the American dream?" Vera took a long slurp of his drink. "Pickett fence, dog, housewife."

Kat looked scandalized. "Who's the housewife?" She demanded.

Vera took one look at her dangerously raised eyebrows. "Me." He immediately responded.

"You got that right." Kat replied, clinking her plastic cup together with Lilly's.

A ridiculous thought occurred to Scotty, "we could double date."

"Not happening." Lilly and Kat chorused.

Scotty threw an arm around Lilly's shoulders in a sudden daring moment. "You never know."

Lilly shook her head again, a laugh bubbling out. "Seriously Scotty, that's not happening."

Scotty shrugged and ducked his head to whisper in her ear. "Rather be with you anyway."


THE END

a/N

Well, I gotta say I never expected it to end this way... and it's super hard to write now that the show is gone ): Still, I hope you enjoyed this story, and now would be a great time for a review, or some criticism, or just a hello.

Thanks For Reading!

-Jess