Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.

A/N: Oh my gosh. This is crazy. It's the final chapter for this story. I just can't believe it. And yes, I'm going to be doing the next story :) I'm not sure when I'll post the first chapter, but I will when I can :) School started for me three weeks ago. Ugh! I'm starting at a new school, and it's gone pretty well so far. All of the support for this story has meant so much. I really hope you all will transition your interest to my next story.

Epilogue

Sonny stared out of her new kitchen window, almost disbelievingly. The small but beautiful yard in front of her was hers. It was her yard. Not her mother's, not her and her mother's, but hers. And the fact that she would be spending the rest of her college days in this new little house made her even happier. Sonny didn't have to stay in some small, cramped dorm room with a room mate. Her mother had surprised her with some saved money for a graduation present, enough for a college house. Well, that, and a car.

The car wasn't much. It was a '98 Toyota Camry, but she loved it. It was comfortable, easy to drive, and the air conditioning worked well enough to be a makeshift meat locker. Sure, it might not be as new or as shiny as some of her classmates', but it was enough for her. That was all that mattered.

Her home was nice. Everything a new college freshman could want. It had a open kitchen/living room, two bathrooms, and two bedrooms. It was large enough to house company, but not so small that she felt claustrophobic. The furniture was comfortable and clean, filled with warm colors that reflected her personality. A nice, dark hardwood floor was under her feet, feeling stable and welcoming to it's new owner.

The University of California was nice place, too. The scenery and weather was absolutely beautiful. Classes were informative and challenging, just the way she liked it. She was only one short hour away from her mother, if Ms. Munroe ever needed her. Did she regret not going to The University of Wisconsin? Yes, in some ways, she thought of what it'd be like to be a student on that oh-so-familiar campus. She deliberated if it'd be the right decision if she ever did transfer. But she didn't want to be such a long plane ride from her mother if she ever needed her. It wasn't like Ms. Munroe was like other parents and had a husband to come home to every day. She'd be alone. And if she ever needed help with anything or was in trouble, Sonny wanted to be there.

But the main thing tying her down to California?

A certain blonde-haired biker that she just couldn't live without.

He would drive by to see her every other day, and they would always call each other and text constantly. Rachel often rolled her eyes and went in another room whenever he called, not wanting to be around for what she called the 'yuck-fest'. Oh! And yes, Rachel did live with her. The yard and the house was still hers, since she paid for a lot of it and all, but Rachel helped out with rent. They both got jobs to cover living expenses. Rachel ran a local car wash on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Sonny was an Applebees waitress that worked night shifts on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays. With the tips, she had to admit, it paid well.

She watched anxiously as a familiar black Harley Davidson noisily pulled up into the house's small driveway. Her boyfriend, who she hadn't seen in a couple days, climbed off with a content swagger, signature leather jacket on, and a pair of shining black Aviators. Putting his secretly sweet personality and his caring, protective nature aside, Sonny couldn't help but think... God, her boyfriend was hawt.

He barely had time to knock on her door before she swung it open, brilliant smile on her face. Chad matched it as he pulled her into a hug.

As she pulled away, she grinned again. "So, how did your first big college test go?"

He threw his keys onto a nearby table, plopping down on the cushy white couch. "I didn't look at my grade yet."

"What? Why not?" Sonny asked, taking a seat beside him.

"I don't know," he said thoughtfully, pulling away his sunglasses and hooking them on the neck of his shirt. "I guess... I don't know, that I'm scared I bombed it."

"There's no way you bombed it," Sonny shook her head firmly. "You came over and I helped you study! You knew it backwards and forwards."

"I know... but, the college doesn't have great expectations for me," Chad said. "My high school grades sucked until Senior year, and that was because of you. I'm lucky I got the score I did on the SAT. The class isn't exactly for geniuses, and even then, I don't... know."

"Well, I'm sure you nailed it," she smiled. "Next time you have class, check out your grade. Even if, for whatever reason, you didn't do so hot, it's just one test. You'll have plenty more."

He grinned at her thankfully. "College is so different. It's... harder. Even the classes for the slackers are hard."

She shrugged. "You go to college to train for a job. No one spoon-feeds you."

"Wish we had some classes together," he said bitterly. "I don't have anyone to whisper answers to me anymore."

Sonny hit his arm and laughed. "I never gave you answers. I just explained to you what the teacher said."

"And then I knew the answer."

"Yeah. That your brain came up with."

"But these college dudes go so much faster. And they don't tell you what exactly will be on your test. They just expect you to already know what the test will cover."

"That's why you take notes."

"I tried! But they talk so freaking fast."

"Do you abbreviate?"

"No...?"

"Start abbreviating. It'll help you get more of what they're saying down."

"You'll have to show me how," he smirked, leaning in closer to her. She welcomed the hint enthusiastically, capturing his lips in her own. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he wrapped his around Sonny's waist.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa!" came a sudden voice, making both of them jump and pull apart. Rachel stood behind them, hands covering her eyes. "Sorry! Didn't mean to interrupt anything! Sonny, I was just going to tell you that I'm going to the store after class, so I'll be back a little later than usual. But, uh, I can see you're a little preoccupied."

Sonny flushed a little, but Chad just smirked. "Alright," Sonny nodded. "Hey, would you mind getting some of that Nutella stuff while you're there?"

"Yeah, sure," she called from the door, opening it and about to close it behind her. "Catch you guys later. Behave," she snorted.

The door closed and it wasn't long before a blushing Sonny was blushing even harder when he began kissing her again. He was confused when she pulled away, looking a little panicked.

"I actually wanted you to come here today for a reason," she said quickly, tucking her hair behind her ear self-consciously. Chad just watched her, not sure of what to think. That could mean many things. "I have a surprise for you." She couldn't hide the 100 watt smile that was starting to overtake her face.

He rose his eyebrows. "Um, okay? Thanks?"

She smiled and got up (to his disappointment) and went back into the hallway. She was gone for about ten seconds, then came back with something hidden in a bag. "You didn't think that I forgot, did you?"

"No, of course I didn't," he said quickly, playing along. "What's in the bag? A present?"

"Duh," she rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "It's our One Year Anniversary since we met! Of course I got you something."

A knot the size of a killer whale twisted inside Chad's stomach. He smiled uneasily, feeling so upset with himself that he wanted to die. How could he forget a day like this? Sonny would be so upset and hurt... what was he going to do? He hadn't gotten her anything! She'd kill him, resuscitate him, then kill him again.

He took the bag with ashamed hands and opened it, taking out a red tube, a white tube, and a yellow tube. Of what, he didn't know.

"It's motorcycle paint!" she smiled proudly. "You can paint different designs and stuff on your motorcycle, but it's not permanent. It'll last a few weeks, and you can wash it off and do it over again. I also got some brushes and stuff." He looked up at her, thankful and unbelievably angry with himself. "It also comes with a book of designs and stuff. It shows you how to do them, too. It's got flames, skulls, crosses, chains, all kinds of tough biker stuff." She looked up at him hopefully. "Do you like it?"

He grinned half-heartedly, but only because of the sadness he felt for being so stupidly forgetful. "It's great. Exactly the kind of thing I'd want."

Sonny's smile was blindingly bright. "Oh, good! I was so scared you wouldn't like it. But I special-ordered it and everything, so I'm really glad that you did."

He kissed her again, desperately hoping that she would get carried away in the kiss and forget to ask him what he'd gotten for her. He just couldn't believe himself. He was such an idiot. Such a moron! They kissed for a while, both of them getting a little more into it than had been initially expected. Before she knew it, she was starting to lean back against the pillows and her boyfriend leaned with her, deepening the kiss. This was definitely a good means of distraction, he couldn't help but think.

He, himself, was becoming distracted and forgetting the present he was supposed to have. He smiled against her lips, running his hand through her hair before they settled cupping her neck. Sonny's breath hitched when he began kissing her jaw, then moved down to her neck. She laughed uneasily, "So, I'm g-guessing you like your p-present?"

"I do, but I like you more," he whispered in her ear, moving back down to her neck. She gasped sharply as she thought she felt his teeth against her skin. Yep, yep, that was teeth. After getting over the initial shock, she found that the feeling wasn't that bad. She actually sort of liked it. But she tried to scold herself, even though with her adrenaline pumping she didn't care so much.

"So, what did—" she tried to catch her breath "—you get me?"

Chad suddenly stopped kissing her neck, bringing his head back up to make eye contact with her. A hopeful smile was on her face, and it killed him. "Sonny..." he was breathing hard as well, "I, um... I—I didn't... uh..."

The smile was beginning to fade. "You didn't what?" Chad's eyes cast downward, guiltily. "Did you... did you not remember?"

He shut his eyes tightly, as if it would all go away, and shook his head. "No. No, Sonny, I—I didn't remember." She scowled. "I'm so sorry. We've been dating for so long... I'm not keeping up with days! I just wake up every morning and think about school and seeing you... and I don't mark the days on a calendar!"

"Oh," she nodded, sliding out from her position under him. "It's okay. I get it."

He knew her well enough to know that it wasn't okay. "No, it's not okay. I feel like a moron. Which I am."

Sonny rolled her eyes. "No, you're not. You just forgot. Everyone forgets things."

"Yeah, but anniversaries are big. Especially a year." Sonny didn't say any words of disagreement. "You can hit me, punch me in my face. I totally wouldn't blame you." She didn't do anything, just stared at her hands. "I'll make it up to you. I promise. I'll do anything you want me to do."

She finally looked back up at him, a flicker of mischief in her eyes. "Anything?"

He nodded, regretting the words immediately and wanting to take them back. "Anything," he repeated, a little less bravely than at first.

She sat a bucket full of cleaning supplies down in front of him. He rose his eyebrows and looked back up at her, skeptical. She threw a pair of yellow gloves at him. She smiled in a sickeningly sweet way, crossing her arms.

"I know how you can make it up to me," she grinned. "You're going to clean this place for me. Rachel and I never really got a chance to scrub it down really well before we moved in. But now we can! Or, should I say, you can."

"You've got to be kidding me," he scowled. "When I said 'anything', I was thinking more along the lines of taking you out to eat wherever you want whenever you want... or making out or something!" Sonny rolled her eyes at that. "I didn't think you'd make me clean! I'm a man! Men don't clean."

Sonny rolled her eyes yet again and groaned. So, he was that type. Sexist. Thinking the men made the money and the women cleaned and cooked. Well, she'd work that out of him right now, wouldn't she?

"Men who forget their One Year Anniversary do," she smugly remarked. She handed him a broom, hands on hips. Chad sighed, and began to sweep standing where he was. Sonny tisked and shook her head. He gave her a sparing glance, almost a glare.

"What? Is there some special way to sweep or something?"

"It's not the sweeping," she shook her head still, "the sweeping looks great. But you know, people who clean houses have to wear uniforms." Chad's look that he gave her was unfathomable. She smirked all the while. "Take it off."

He rose his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"Take your shirt off," she said again, simply. He stared at her scrutinizingly. Who was this? Had Sonny been abducted by an alien or something? She always insisted that they keep their clothes on. What the hell?

"Wait, wait, wait," he held his hands up, "you, Sonny Munroe, want me to take my shirt off?"

"That's what I said, isn't it?"

"Are you feeling okay?"

"I'll be feeling a lot better once you take your shirt off."

Chad had to admit, this wasn't half bad. He kind of liked this Alien Sonny. He did as he was told, taking off his leather jacket followed by his white t-shirt. "So, this isn't so much of a uniform, but a lack of one, really."

"I guess you could say that," she shrugged, struggling to keep her gaze on his face and not on his chest. "Now, get to work. We want you to be done by the time Rachel is finished with her class and shopping."

"Why?" Chad smirked, flexing his arms. "You don't want any other ladies seeing all this?"

"Oh, whatever, Chad," Sonny rolled her eyes, stepping out of the room. "Get started!"

Chad looked down at all of the chemicals and the rags and mops. He didn't know what went where and what you were supposed to use to clean what. This wasn't going to go well. Just then, he spotted a list inside of the bucket.

Unfortunately, now he couldn't use the excuse that he didn't know what to do. Sonny had written every chore that he needed to do and every ingredient that he needed to do it with. He groaned. He would never ever forget anything ever again.

"You missed a spot," Sonny grinned, laid back in her recliner two hours later, feet propped up, sipping on a lemonade. Chad, shirtless, held back a mean remark and swept the mop where she was pointing. Sonny shook her head. "Nope, to the left." Chad looked up and leaned against the mop, giving her a 'do-not-say-another-word-or-I-will-get-seriously-pissed' look. She snorted and he huffed, scrubbing all around himself to ensure that he didn't possibly miss a spot. Let's see her complain about something now!

"Good job, Chad! The floor looks great," she grinned. Suddenly, it faded as quickly as it had come. "Alright, now scrub the baseboards." Chad threw his head back and groaned.

"Are you serious? Sonny, I've been cleaning for two hours. I've cleaned your bathrooms, I cleaned your bedrooms, and I cleaned the kitchen! Now you're going to make me scrub all of the baseboards?"

"Now you know the pain I felt when you forgot our special day!" she feigned weeping, burying her head in her hands. Her face suddenly snapped up, totally unfazed. "And you did say you'd do anything."

"Again, I thought 'anything' would mean making out."

"You're such a pig, Chad. Get to it."

He grumbled as he got down on his knees, a rag and some cleaner that he'd never heard of before in his hand.

"Scrub harder, Chad. They're never going to get clean that way. You have to use elbow grease."

"If you could do a better job, you come down here and do it, then."

Sonny stayed silent, sipping her lemonade loudly as she watched him clean her house. To be truthful, he had been scrubbing hard enough earlier. She just wanted to see his muscles flex. Thirty minutes later, he slowly got up, stretching his back and arms, wincing. "Good God, I am gonna be sore tomorrow."

"See? Not just women can clean. Look at what a good job you did," Sonny nodded her head wisely. Chad just grumbled, throwing the rag and cleaner into the bucket and plopping down on the couch. He couldn't believe it, but he was actually sweating. Heavy duty cleaning actually was kind of hard. Sonny finished her drink and rose from her chair, going to the kitchen and coming back with another drink. She sat it down in front of Chad on the coffee table.

"There ya go," she smiled. "Well-deserved."

"Well, yeah, I'd hope so!" he almost snapped, snatching up the drink and chugging it down within a matter of seconds. Sonny laughed as he sat it down, breathing heavily.

"Do you want another one?" she giggled.

"No, that's fine," he said bitterly, still not in the best of moods. He felt so degraded. Cleaning wasn't manly, and Sonny wasn't going to make him say that it was. Plus, he was tired, and it was not fun.

"Thank you," she smiled sweetly, kissing his cheek. Even though he was still a little ticked off at her (himself, mostly, for putting himself in this position), the smallest of a smile tugged at his lips. He struggled to keep it down. It was so faint that she almost didn't see it. Almost.

"Sure," he muttered.

"No, really. It looks awesome. Thank you, Chad," Sonny said in such a sweet voice that it should have sounded fake, but it just came off as cute instead.

"Yep." She kissed his lips this time, sweetly. When she pulled back, he grinned at her and stared into her eyes. Chocolate brown met stunning blue. "I don't like cleaning," he stated.

"Then I would suggest that you not forget any more anniversaries," she smirked.

"Hey, smirking is my thing, not yours," he smiled smugly, doing exactly what he'd said. "Although, I have to admit, I never thought it'd be your kind of thing. Ya know, since you're so painfully innocent and all."

She scowled. "What's your point?"

"Don't get me wrong, I like you when you're cute and all," he said, but then got a glint in his eye, "but it's kind of sexy."

"Is it, now?" she rose her eyebrows.

"It is," he smirked.

"Hmm," she tapped her chin teasingly. "I'll have to keep that in mind."

"Will you, now?"

"I will," she smirked.

He kissed her playfully, smiling. To his surprise, she didn't pull away after a while. If anything, she seemed to be egging him on. She kissed back, less innocent than before, not only wrapping her arms around his neck, but pulling him to her. That fact that he was shirtless didn't help either of them. Her hands ran up and down his chest, down to his abs, and up to his shoulders. Chad was careful where his were, holding back quite a bit, keeping his hands in one place, and she noticed.

"It's okay," she whispered in his ear, and he met her eyes to make sure. She smiled. Her lips met his again, and his hands wandered around her back. Sonny shifted positions and began kissing his neck, her hands resting on his chest. He took deep breaths, keeping himself under control. He had to keep himself in check, making sure that he didn't force her into anything that she wasn't ready for. That's why he let her make most of the moves. His heart jolted when she moved to his lap, practically straddling him.

"Sonny," he whispered.

"Hmm?" she asked against his neck.

"I don't know... if we should be doing this," he managed to choke out. The hormonal college guy inside of him said, 'Who the hell cares? She's all over you!'. But the good gentleman inside of him said, 'She might be getting carried away. You don't want to make a mistake. This is a huge step for her.'

She stopped what she was doing and leaned back so she could see his face, a little offended-looking. "What?"

"I just mean... ya know..." he looked at their position pointedly, and for the first time, she seemed to realize what they were doing.

"Oh..." she breathed, hopping off of him quickly and sitting awkwardly where she was. "I'm—I'm so sorry, Chad. I don't mean to get you excited like that... I just sometimes get carried away and—and I don't realize I'm doing it." She hung her head. "I know this must suck for you."

He rose his brows. "What do you mean?"

She blushed furiously. "You know! You used to... ya know... all of the time, and ever since you started seeing me, you haven't. It's been a year, Chad, and I'm still holding out on you. You've had to go a year without... ugh! I'm so sorry."

He laughed, even though what she was saying wasn't completely incorrect or irrelevant. "You have nothing to apologize for, Sonny. When you're ready, you're ready, and that's it. When you're not, you're not, and I'm not gonna make you."

"But—but you must be so frustrated sometimes! This isn't the first time that's happened..."

Chad flashed back to when Sonny first told him that she loved him, and then he remembered all of those times in her bedroom when he'd wanted a simple kiss and she'd get fidgety. Then there was that one time when her mom wasn't home the night of graduation...

That almost went badly. Or well, depending on what point of view you looked at it from.

"Um... well yeah, sometimes I have to keep a check on myself, but it's worth it," he told her honestly, saying it aloud to convince both her, and to reassure himself. As he looked at her troubled face, his heart thumped in reassurance. It was definitely worth the wait.

"Chad... I just feel so bad... and it's our One Year Anniversary. I'm sure you were under the impression that we might be... maybe..."

"Hey," he raised his hands defensively, "I wasn't. I didn't even remember it, remember?"

"Oh, yeah," she recalled, the situation at hand the only thing keeping the scowl off of her face. "Still—"

Knock knock knock.

A sound at the door interrupted her. Her brows furrowed.

"Wonder who that is," Chad said thoughtfully. Rachel never knocked when she came in, since it was her place, too, and all... but maybe she knocked because she was afraid she'd walk in on something?

"Let's find out," Sonny replied just as curiously, opening the door in a friendly way. Chad watched from the couch, quickly pulling his shirt back on. He almost had a heart attack when Sonny suddenly shrieked, slamming the door closed and bolting it shut behind her.

"Sonny! What's wrong?" he demanded, at her side within two seconds. He motioned to look through the peep hole lens in the door, but Sonny stopped him.

"No! Don't!"

"Why not?"

"I—I don't know what we should do, Chad..."

"Sonny, who is it? Why are you freaking out?"

She seemed to have a debate with herself, her eyes shut tight with hands running through her hair. "I just... I don't... you might get hurt..." Finally, she opened her eyes and stared directly into Chad's. She whispered, "It's Lawson."

Chad's blood ran cold. It felt like fifty million sharp ice cubes had been dumped into his bloodstream and were scraping at his vein walls, making him bleed even more sharp ice.

"Get behind me," he breathed, almost so quietly that she couldn't hear him. "Now."

Why would Lawson be there, at Sonny's doorstep? He had to have known that Chad was there, too... his bike was clearly parked out in the front. Did he want to pick another fight with Chad? Did he want to screw Sonny? Did he want to jump in and shoot both of them with a gun? What could he possibly want? And how could he possibly know where Sonny lived now?

They hadn't seen the man in almost a year. They'd almost forgotten about him completely. Why did he have to come back and completely ruin everything they'd built and accomplished since he'd left?

A million thoughts ran through both of their frantic minds as Chad's cold and clammy hand closed around the doorknob. In what felt like slow motion, he pulled open the door, Sonny tucked protectively behind him.

Surely enough, there stood Lawson, the man they'd grown to think of as less of a man and more of a creature. He stood there in a pair of clean, un-ripped jeans and a red collared shirt. He was clean shaven, beard totally gone, and his face was void of any dirt. And what surprised them most? There was no whiff of alcohol or any other kind of undesirable substance on his person.

His eyes lacked a certain luster they used to have.

"Well, uh, hi," he grinned, unsure, hands stuffed in pockets. Chad glared at him with all of the strength he possessed, also trying to keep himself from launching onto the man and giving that red shirt tons more red all over it. Both Sonny and Chad just stared, silent, mouths nearly agape. "I'm sure that this is kind of unexpected... and the last thing you probably want to do is see me."

"You've got that right," Chad hissed, struggling to keep himself from yelling in the man's face, even though Lawson deserved it.

"W-what do you want?" Sonny managed to squeak from behind Chad, forcing Lawson's eyes to cast to her.

Lawson smiled at her, but this action shocked both of them. His teeth were... whiter. Still not white, considering all of that drug and drinking abuse would take decades to get off... but they actually looked somewhat clean. And most of all, the smile wasn't perverted or suggestive. It was just a smile. A normal, regular old smile. Almost guilty in some way.

"Hi, Sonny," he muttered, scratching the back of his head, which she just now realized had a nice, clean haircut. "I know that there really isn't any way that I can apologize for what I did... and what I tried to do... but—"

"Whoa, wait. Did you say... apologize? As in—in apologize?" Chad stammered.

"Yeah," Lawson answered feebly, looking down down at his feet. "I don't know what to do besides say that I'm sorry. I was a gross, horrible, perverted-minded man who was hanging out with people younger than me to try and stay young. I was in denial, drinking and abusing drugs... to try forget that my high school glory days were over and that I was about to try and face real life... which I wasn't prepared for—at all. So I hung out with people younger than me who made me feel feared and important. Well... at least that's what my therapist says, anyway."

Sonny and Chad almost fainted right then and there. "Therapist?"

He smiled and nodded solemnly. "Yep, therapist. I got help. And I feel much better. Can you not tell?" He spread out his arms and did a three-sixty, motioning to his hair and clothes. "Better, huh? And I don't smell like a walking whore house anymore."

"Is... is this some kind of bullshit joke?" Chad demanded, eyes narrowing, not believing his ears. He'd known Lawson for years now. Getting help is what he thought was girly, stupid, weak. It's the last thing he would ever do. What in the world would make him go see a 'therapist'? Most importantly, how in the world did he get off all of the crap he was doing? Chad voiced this aloud.

"I'm totally serious, dude," he nodded. Chad growled at the term of endearment. Lawson's hands quickly went up defensively. "Sorry. Tell me, why would I come all the way out here, cleaned up, being nice, if I just wanted to pick a fight? If that's what the Old Lawson wanted, I'd just come out here and do it. You know he'd just get to the point."

"He?" Chad clarified disbelievingly. "You mean you. You are Lawson."

"Not the Old Lawson," he corrected him with a chuckle. "I'm a new me. The Old Lawson wouldn't even lie, because he thought even lying about being changed was being a sissy. Am I right?" Chad stayed silent. Sonny just gaped, starting to see what he was getting at. "If a fight was what I wanted, I'd be fighting. If she—" he looked over Chad's shoulder to Sonny "—was what I wanted, I'd tell you. And I'm not. I came to say that I'm sorry, and all of that's a part of my past now. Hopefully forever."

Chad just couldn't believe this. It was like an alternate universe! What was going on? What in the world would make him change? Why did he? He'd seemed perfectly content with his supposed 'former lifestyle'.

"What—why—how?" Sonny managed to stutter, standing her ground behind her strong boyfriend.

"You wanna know the truth?" he asked. "This might sound kind of stupid... and even less believable than everything I've told you so far, but... it was you guys."

"Us?"

"Yeah. Well, that, and a flying fist hitting my head. That's what it took to make me realize that what I was doing was so... wrong. And unnecessary. And just plain stupid. Of course, I didn't realize all of that right off the bat. It took a few visits to the therapist to drill the truth into my head. Rage kind of forced me to go... but what surprised me was that I wasn't as opposed to the idea as I thought I should have been. And in the end, I guess that's what made me end up going."

"I just... I can't believe this. You can't be telling the truth," Chad scrutinized him with untrusting eyes.

"Can I not be?" Lawson smirked, but it wasn't demeaning. It was like he was hiding something... but a good surprise. He held up his left hand, and Chad nearly passed out and fell back onto Sonny. He had to hold the door frame for support.

"What the hell is that?" he gasped for breath, staring at his hand with cloudy eyes. He had to be seeing things. He just had to be!

"That's right. I'm hitched," he grinned, wiggling the ring finger. A shining, new gold band lied there, boasting in the afternoon sun.

"No."

"Yes."

"To who?" Sonny couldn't help but blurt out.

Lawson laughed and smiled at her good-naturedly. "To a woman I met in therapy. She was going through the same thing I was... trying to cast out inner demons that seemed to control her whole life—her whole self. We started talking, sharing experiences, going out to coffee..." he shrugged nonchalantly, "and it just developed from there."

"Married?" Chad choked, his voice a wheeze. "M-Married. As in, you have a WIFE? And you're not cheating on her?"

That was the first flash of anger they'd seen in his eyes since he'd arrived. "Hell no! I'd never cheat on Stephanie! I love her!"

Now, Chad did stumble a bit at that. Sonny quickly caught him, but not too coherent herself. She was almost in as much shock as he was.

"L-love?" Chad repeated, pale white. This was all too much to take in at once. First, the man who tried to ruin his life, rape is girlfriend, and kill him, was telling him that he was sorry; then he tells tells them that he's changed, and gone to freakin' therapy; and then informs them that in the past year, he's met a girl that he has dated for longer than two days and married? It was just too good to be true.

But the small, rational part of Chad's brain had to believe it. The thunk on his head had resulted in a slight personality change... maybe it had been the little push that he had needed. And if he wanted to chase them down, he would have done it a long time ago. Not to mention, he knew Lawson. And if he wanted to finish them off, he would have the second that door was opened.

Holy shit.

He was telling the truth!

It suddenly dawned on both of them that this wasn't a reuse... he was being totally honest, yet another new trait.

"Um..." Sonny was finally able to say after what felt like hours of awed silence, "c-congratulations?"

"Thank you very much, Sonny," he nodded. "I appreciate that." He turned to look at both of them. "I know that a simple 'I'm sorry' won't fix anything or undo what I did... but I'm hoping that it's a start."

Lawson stuck his hand out for Chad to shake. Both Sonny and Lawson waited for Chad to reply. The blonde was just staring at him, mouth rudely wide open. He blinked his blue eyes once or twice, in a daze.

Slowly... centimeter-by-second... Chad reached out his hand. He wasn't doing this because he wanted to... he wanted to make that clear right this second. He was doing this for Sonny. She'd be proud of him for being the bigger man. He couldn't have Lawson standing there, trying to be a 'man' and put all of the crap behind them, and he stand there and look immature and refuse him.

They shook hands.

They were surprised to see that Lawson still had a motorcycle when he left. They halfway expected him to have traded it in for a minivan.

That night, Sonny and Chad were cuddled on the couch, his arm around her waist and her head resting on his lap, watching a movie. All of the lights were turned off, the blue light of the TV the only thing shining. Rachel had gotten back a few hours ago, put the groceries away, and immediately went to bed, apparently too tired to even bother teasing them about their nonexistent sex life.

Catching them so off-guard that they both jumped, the phone began to ring. Sonny hopped up, paused the movie, and answered the phone confusedly. It was ten at night. Who would be calling them at this hour?

"Hello?" answered Sonny, brows furrowed.

"Hello? Is this Sonny Munroe?" asked a woman's voice that she didn't recognize.

"Um... yes, it is. May I ask who's calling?"

Chad watched her, curious, confused as well.

"Oh... um, yes. I—I am, uh... oh god. I can't believe I'm doing this..."

"Ma'am?" Sonny asked politely, but unable to keep the confusion and slight creeped-out-ness out of her tone.

"Oh, please don't hang up! I've been trying to work up the nerve to call for the longest time."

"Um... I think you may have the wrong number," Sonny chuckled uneasily, finger itching to punch the red hang-up button.

"No! No! I know I don't!" she exclaimed quickly. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "I called Mr. Cooper and he said that Chad wasn't home. He gave me the number of—of one of Chad's friends that he was staying with... and that boy gave me your number..."

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but who are you?"

"Is—is Chad there?" she asked nervously. "I—I need to talk to him. It's... so long overdue."

"Miss, I'm sorry, but can you please tell me who's wanting to talk to—?"

"Please, Sonny, just let me talk to him," she whispered desperately. The woman sounded too old to be a past girlfriend or anything, so in an unsure way (and a little creeped-out), Sonny handed over the phone to her boyfriend. "It's for you," her brows knitted, puzzled.

Chad mouthed, 'Who is it?' Sonny shrugged exaggeratedly. Forehead wrinkled in curiousity and unsureness, Chad slowly said, "Hello?"

Sonny couldn't decipher what the woman was saying, but all she could tell was that the woman was talking speedily, nonstop, almost hysterically. At first, the expression on Chad's face was much like Sonny's had been, but the more time went by, the more the confusion faded away and his face went stoney. He stared into oblivion unseeingly, his eyes shining and mouth slightly agape.

"Chad? Chad, what's wrong?" Sonny demanded. What could it be? Did Lawson attack someone? Was something wrong with Rage or Rod? Had Chad's bike been stolen? Was something wrong with Chad's father? What could it be?

His mouth opened and closed, as if he couldn't find words. He looked as if he was about to pass out from stress, right then and there on the couch, as he muttered two fateful words with a small smile.

"Hi, Mom."

THE END

A/N: IT'S OVER! OMG! *sob* What did you think of the epilogue? What did you think of the story altogether? Will you read my next story?

And by the way, while I remember (forgive me for this), I'm gonna do some self-advertizing. I now have a youtube channel, and I have posted two music covers so far. One of "Skyscraper", and one of Diddy and Skylar Grey's "Coming Home". If you guys would check it out, it would mean so much to me :)

My username is MegaFreak4music. Just look up my channel :) I hope you all like it! The link is on my profile page, if you're too lazy to go look it up (I know I am) :P

Once again, Alexa and I appreciate all of the support. We love you guys, and thanks for reading! For the last time I will ever ask on this story...

Review :)

~Alli