EPILOGUE--THE WAIT IS OVER

Donovan left the hospital just long enough to clean up and change clothes.  During his brief respite, he put in for a leave of absence.  He didn't intend to leave Loralei's side until her health significantly improved.  During her forty-eight hour waiting period, he wasn't allowed to spend very much time with her, and what little time he had was shared with her parents.  They maintained a touchy relationship, with neither parent completely understanding the depth of his love for Loralei when they had only been together a short time.

During the whole time Donovan was with her, Loralei never opened her eyes.  The nurses had informed him she probably couldn't.  She had to be given sedatives to keep her body from moving around too much.  Any extra stress on her heart had the potential to make it fail.  The bullets from the crazed woman's gun hadn't pierced her heart.  They missed by mere fractions, but had caused some damage to her lungs, which had prompted the hospital to put her on a respirator for a while.  Donovan's hatred for the Black Heart had not abated, but he didn't think about her much.  Loralei was top priority.  All the same, though, Jake had paid a visit to her and assured him that she would not escape any time soon.

He sat with her, eyes closed, head lowered, and his lips barely touching her hand.  He hadn't heard her voice in so long, and he couldn't wait until she was taken out of this danger zone.  He didn't want to think of her in pain or hurting, but he would have given his right arm to hear one word come out of her mouth.  That would be the only proof to him that she would really be okay.  Until that moment, he would not leave her.

A weakened voice, barely above a whisper said, "We never had our talk."

His fog lifted and he raised his head.  Confused and startled, he gazed at her.  For a moment, he thought he had been hallucinating or dreaming.  Her beautiful green eyes were open and focused on his face.  How long had he wished she would speak?  Unbelievably, he didn't know what to say to her first.  He gazed at her mutely, feeling increasingly stupid.  He kissed her hand and felt her fingers grasping his as tightly as her weakened condition would allow.

Finding his voice, he said, "No, we didn't, did we?"

A faint smile touched her lips.  "No.  I've heard everything you've said," she began.  "I have so much I want to say to you."

"Not unless you're up to it, Loralei," he said softly.

She drew her hand away from his and allowed it to drift up to his face.  "There is never a better time than right now."  She moved her hand back down to his, entwining her fingers with his.  "I think I'm up to it.  I don't remember very much of that ride to the hospital, but I do remember telling you that I love you.  And I do, Frank, I…I do."  Tears had begun to fill her eyes.

His other hand raised up to caress her hair.  "I know," he said.  "I've known since the last time we spoke, and I've loved you just as much for just as long.  I only regret that I didn't say it sooner, that it took nearly losing you for me to speak up."

"Don't, Frank," she whispered.  "Do you have any qualms kissing a girl who looks like she's been hit by a Mack truck?"

"None at all," he said before capturing her lips.

*  *  *

"Sheesh, this place is packed," Jake said.

"What did you expect?  The Boss does have friends and family, you know," Monica quipped.

"Does he," Alex joked.  "I never thought he had this much."

"When is this thing going to start," Jake griped as he ran his finger along the starched collar of his shirt.  "I hate dressing up."

"Agent Shaw, you're such a titty baby," Cody said with a sigh.

"Shhhh," Monica hissed.  "This is a church you shitheads," she spat.

When she realized what she said, the group broke into laughter that was hard to contain.  Each of them had their hands clamped over their mouths.  It was juvenile, of course, but after the hell they had all gone through in recent months, it felt good to laugh.  However, if the show didn't get on the road soon, someone would kick them out.

*  *  *

It had been an uphill battle for all of them, but especially for Loralei and Donovan.  It took several months for Loralei to heal and become fully rehabilitated.  Loralei had been an independent girl her entire life, and for the first time, she was forced to rely on others for help.  It didn't sit well with her, but it drew her even closer to the man she loved.  He stuck with it, stuck with her, even through her frequent temper tantrums and her debilitating depression.  Eventually, her strength returned and she had begun to feel like her normal self.  It surprised her to no end that Donovan was still around.  They became absolutely inseparable after that.

Loralei took Donovan to her childhood home in Missouri, and he finally learned all the little secrets she had never told him.  There were no embarrassing nicknames, but there were plenty of photographs that pinked her cheeks more than once.  Of course, Geneva Kadin had shown Donovan everything, even told him a horrid story about a two-year-old Loralei who ran through the house, buck naked, peeing on the furniture.  At that point, Loralei decided it was time to put the albums away and go to bed. 

Loralei's parents, who were strict and set in their ways, insisted that she and Donovan have separate rooms.  Of course, that didn't quite stop either of them from sneaking back and forth.  On the night her mother embarrassed her to no end, it was Donovan's turn to creep into her room.  She was already in bed, but had been expecting him.  Patiently, she waited for him to bring up the peeing on the furniture thing.  In fact, she glared at him playfully with a lifted eyebrow.

"Don't even think about it," she warned.  "One word, and you sleep on the rug."

He smiled a little as he slipped into bed beside her.  "I wouldn't mind as long as you didn't pee on it," he said leaning over her.

"You insufferable turd," she sighed in mock exasperation.

"There's something I want to say to you," he said.

She examined the serious expression on his face.  "Must be a biggie.  You put on your serious face."

"Maybe a little biggie," he said as he gazed deeply into her eyes.  "Your debt is paid," he said simply.

She smiled a little.  "I got shot, I died, I came back, and the only thing that paid my debt was a little piss on the couch?  If I thought that's all it would have taken, I could have done that months ago."

He kissed her to cut off her words and his hands began to move restlessly over her body, making her hot, making her crazy, making her want him.  As abruptly as he began, he stopped.  Frustrated, she moaned a little. 

"Why did you stop," she asked as she raised her head and began nuzzling his throat.

He closed his eyes and sighed.  "There's one more thing."

"Oh Jesus, Frank," she said before pulling away and laying back.  "You tease me so," she whispered as she ran her hands down his back.

"This is a real biggie," he said with a grin.

"Oh God.  Did my mother show you those hideous pictures of me in the Math Club?  Was I wearing those big glasses?"

He shook his head.  "Nope, not quite."

"She didn't show you the school portrait I made during my punker pink hair days?"

"Not even close," he said with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

"Hmmm, then I have no idea."

"I did speak to your parents, though."

She sighed.  "Uh oh.  I can't imagine what they said about me; what horrible stories they told you.  None of them are true."

He smiled and kissed her very gently.  "Stop, Loralei.  You'll never get it.  I spoke to your parents to find out if they would give their blessing if I asked you to marry me."

A shiver ran through her.  At the same time, spreading warmth began to chase the goose bumps away.  Her heart began to beat hard in her chest.  For a moment, she had been tempted to shout out a resounding YES.  Yet, she wanted to play it cool, though, and make him suffer…just a little.  "What did they say?"  

"They agreed with me and put their stamp of approval on it.  What do you think?"

"I might consider it," she said with a teasing smile.

He shook his head and his smile broadened.  "Is that so?  Perhaps I might ask."

"Might you?"

"Could be," he said as he placed another gentle kiss on her lips.  He drew away again and gazed down at her.  "Will you?"

"Hmmm, let me think."  She drummed her fingers on his back for a few seconds.  "Um…sure.  Why the hell not?"

*  *  *

Soft music began to play, shaking Jake out of his light, bored doze.  "Finally," he spat.  "In thirty minutes, I am so out of this suit."

"See," Alex said.  "I told you he'd marry her."

FINIS