Four Months Later—September 2010
Gunner
He opened his eyes to the sunlight streaming through his window, and it took a moment to remember where he was. This happened sometimes, and he always felt relief when he recalled that he was now living in New Mexico, had been sober for four months, and had a son. Then he remembered that Victoria was gone. While it still hurt and made him cry at times, he felt himself healing slowly.
Oscar really helped with that.
Gunner smiled to himself as he thought about his son. Finding out about Oscar had saved his life, he knew that. He appreciated everything that Rose had done for him in getting him set up here. He also appreciated that she let him spend so much time with Oscar. All summer, the boy had been with him as much as possible. Gunner had learned many things from him and also about himself. He'd learned that being a father didn't scare him and that he would die for his son.
"Dad!" Oscar called now, coming in with a flying leap and making Gunner grunt in response. "Come on, get up, get up, get up! Mom's getting married today!"
"Yea, yea," Gunner said, coughing and clearing the morning grog out of his throat. "I'm up."
"Can you help me with my tie?" Oscar asked.
"Of course."
The boy jumped off the bed and tore off, making Gunner bounce from the motion and chuckle before getting up. After getting dressed, he found Oscar wrangling his tie around his neck and trying to figure it out. He wasn't dressed in his suit yet, though.
"Here," Gunner said, getting down onto his knees to get closer to him. "Like this."
"Oh," Oscar said, watching. "I get it."
"You can use the saying: 'The fox chased the rabbit around the tree and down the hole,'" Gunner added, tightening it and giving it a pat before smiling.
"That makes sense," Oscar said with a nod. "Cool! Thank you." He grinned, and then he high fived Gunner before going to get something to eat. Gunner liked when Oscar stayed over. The boy's energy was contagious, and he didn't think about using drugs or alcohol when he was around. He knew Rose sometimes worried, but he'd gone to rehab for a month in June, and he had a sponsor and attended meetings. He was on the right track, and he didn't intend on screwing up again. He had too much to lose now.
"Dad, look what I found in the cereal!" Oscar called, and Gunner went to go see.
It was these kinds of things that made him smile, that made him glad he was still alive, and he wouldn't trade it for anything.
Lee
He woke up next to Norah, her hair against his face. She was warm and solid in his arms and breathing steady with sleep. Her left leg was on top of the covers, which always made him smile. She called it her version of air conditioning; Lee never understood why she didn't just lower the blankets instead of leaving them tucked tight to her chin or put her arms on top of the covers.
He lay there and soaked it all in. They had their own place in New Mexico, not far from Rose and Joe. Oscar would spend a night with them every so often when he wasn't with Rose or Gunner. Rupert was Oscar's right-hand dog for most adventures; Sassy never fully got used to him, but she tolerated him better. Rosalee and Joey grew fast and reached some milestones. Both were teething right now, and Lee honestly felt bad for them. Norah was determined to have them say "Mummy" first, but he was secretly implanting "Daddy" in their ears every chance he got. He guessed they would see who won in the end. He liked to tease Norah about it.
Lee could hear one of the twins starting to fuss down the hall in their room, and he heard Rupert go investigate with a snuffle and a friendly noise from his throat. He was incredibly gentle whenever the babies were on the floor, and both children liked to latch onto him and/or pat at his snout.
"Mmrph," Norah said in her throat now, the sound of the fussing triggering her awake. Lee held her closer as she came to, kissing the curve in her neck while sliding her hair out of the way with his fingers.
"Good morning," he said in her ear. She made a half-hearted attempt to swat him away, but it made no impact.
"Five more minutes," she mumbled, not opening her eyes. He kissed the back of her jaw just under her ear next.
"You've got 45 seconds," he countered.
"Uuuuuuurrrrggghhh."
"Better my wakeup call and not Rose's," Lee reminded her, and she moved to roll onto her back half under him, opening her eyes finally.
"She wouldn't dare," Norah replied. "Not after last time."
"I don't think she'd appreciate getting hosed down on her wedding day," Lee stated, his lips twitching. Norah had gotten annoyed with Rose hassling her over all the little wedding details (as the maid of honor, she had a VERY important role, you know), and when Rose had given her a wakeup call last week at six a.m. by banging on the front door, Norah had turned the hose on her outside as Rose was leaving.
"Well, I'd come up with something less dramatic," Norah advised.
"I'm sure." He kissed her smiling lips softly, smoothing her cheek with his hand. She made a content sound in her throat as he pulled back slowly a moment later. The fussing was cranking up a notch down the hall.
"I guess I should attend to that," he reasoned, getting up.
"You're the best," she said, snuggling back under the covers. Lee scoffed and reached to whip back the covers. She instantly curled into a tight ball to maintain warmth. "Nooooo, Lee!"
"There are two of them and two of us," he replied. "Do the math."
"You totally got it," she insisted opening one eye to look up at him. He grabbed her ankles next, pulling her to the end of the bed. She did her best to fight back, but he won. He leaned on his hands on either side of her head as her legs dangled over the edge of the bed. She looked up at him coyly, running her fingers up and down his arms.
"What if I make it up to you?" she suggested.
"You've used your sex quota already this week," he answered. "Sorry." She tilted her head back a little, releasing a groan.
"Fine," she sighed. Lee smirked and pushed himself up, heading down to where his children were turning into a two person orchestra. He met an anxious Rupert halfway there, the dog having decided he needed to get a human to comfort the little ones since his presence was no longer working. Lee patted his head fondly, telling him he did a good job, and went into the nursery.
"Hey now," he said, reaching to pick up Rosalee first. "I heard you the first time." She started to calm down but was still vocal. He set to work changing her and getting her dressed. Norah scuffed in a moment later with bed head and sleepy eyes, picking up Joey and starting the same procedure.
"Coffee?" he asked her, picking up the now ready to go Rosalee and looking at Norah.
"Hrngh," she replied, and he laughed.
"I'll take that as a yes."
"Grngh."
He made his way to the kitchen, passing Rupert in the hallway at his post outside the nursery door. He got Rosalee into her highchair and fished for her food while also getting coffee going. By the time Norah joined them with Joey, it was brewing.
"Do I have time for a run?" she asked.
"Go for it."
She kissed both babies' heads and Lee's mouth before going to change. He entertained the twins while she was gone, knowing she was working hard to get fit again and in shape. Sometimes he ran with her if someone was babysitting. Sometimes it ended with them rolling down a hill together laughing and exclaiming. He totally understood now why she'd introduced it to him so long ago. It actually was fun.
He looked up thinking it was Norah coming back only to find Rose instead.
"Where is she?" Rose asked without saying good morning.
"Not here," he answered. "And hello."
"Yes, hello. I need her," Rose said, brushing over his sarcasm.
"For what?"
"Everything."
"I'll tell her you stopped by," he promised. Instead of leaving, Rose parked her butt down onto the chair across from him at the table. The twins were giving her a curious look at this point, and Lee braced himself for whatever verbal tangent she was about to embark on. Instead, she burst into tears.
"Oh," he said, feeling very uncomfortable. He was still new to crying and comforting. With Norah, it came a lot easier, but he felt unsure of how to handle Rose having a breakdown. "What's wrong?"
"I don't even know!" she wailed. "I'm hours away from marrying the man of my dreams, and I'm suddenly feeling so scared. What if he changes his mind? What if he is only marrying me out of pity? What if I somehow hurt him?"
"Okay, whoa," Lee said, holding up a hand to stop her. "First of all, no man in their right mind would marry you out of pity. Secondly, he isn't going to change his mind because I think you're the first person to see him and accept him for who he is. Lastly, you might hurt him with arguments and words you didn't mean to say, but you won't hurt him in a way that would be devastating. You love him too much. Rose, you are going to have a happily ever after, and you will have it with Winston."
Rose stood and threw herself into his arms at that moment, taking him by surprise. She clung to him, crying.
"Thank you," she said through her tears. "You're such a good guy."
"I try," he said, chuckling nervously. He patted her back with a "there, there" type of pat. She eventually stopped hugging him and went to get tissues to mop up her face and blow her nose. Norah came home by this point, and she faltered at the sight of her sister.
"Rose, I swear to God," she started.
"No, it's okay," Rose cut her off. "Lee helped me out. I'm good."
"Oh. Good," Norah said, nodding slowly. "Then I'm gonna shower and meet you at the house at our agreed upon time."
"Okay."
Once Rose was gone, Norah lifted a brow at Lee questioningly.
"What was that all about?" she inquired.
"Just pre-wedding jitters," he answered. "All sorted out."
"Well, that's good then," Norah replied, kicking off her running shoes now and heading for the shower. If Lee didn't have two infants looking at him, he'd have chased after her. As it were, he had to be the parent in this scenario, so he carried one twin at a time to the living room to rest under their contraption of mirrors and other objects that swung when smacked. He rubbed Rupert's head with his fingers fondly as he sat on the couch and watched his children entertain themselves for a moment.
Sometimes, he couldn't believe this was his life. Other times, he was so damn grateful it was.
Joe
His little girl was getting married today. Joe couldn't believe it, but he was so happy for her. He saw her come back from Norah's and noticed that she seemed a bit calmer. He gathered she had some jitters and had them eased by someone over there. He'd have gladly done it if she'd come to him, though.
"What?" she asked, catching him looking at her.
"Just you," he answered. "Are you happy?"
"Very," she promised. She reached to take his hand in hers and squeeze it. "You look like you're far away."
"Just thinking about my wedding day," Joe replied honestly. "It rained, but Marcy didn't care. I didn't either. It was small, but it was perfect."
"That sounds so sweet."
"Actually, I have something for you," he said, clearing his throat. He went to retrieve the little box from the counter and handed it to Rose, who took it gingerly. She opened it to reveal a small broach of blue flowers.
"Aw, Dad," she said, tearing up as she looked at it.
"Now you have something old and blue," he answered. "But it's not borrowed. You keep it. She would have wanted you to have it."
"What about Norah?"
"If she ties the knot, you can let her borrow it," he answered, grinning. "I've got something for her if that day comes anyway." Rose was nodding her head, her eyes never leaving the broach. She wiped at her eyes and smiled at him a moment later.
"You really like Winston?" she asked.
"Like him? I love him!" Joe exclaimed. "He thinks I'm funny, which is a rarity around here..."
"It is not," she insisted.
"Sometimes it is."
"Alright." She laughed. Joe reached to cup her face gently, smoothing his thumb across her cheek.
"He's a good man, Rose. He has my stamp of approval, and I know you'll both be very happy together," he told her. She pressed her hand against his on her face, eyes glistening with new tears again. He smiled, feeling a bit emotional himself. Then he patted her cheek, cleared his throat, and stepped back. "I'll let you get on with your preparations."
"I'll see you at the beginning of the aisle," she advised, and he nodded. He tried not to feel sad about the fact he would have to eventually move out and give them their own space. He had been eyeing up a bachelor pad for a few days now, though.
It was time.
Barney
He was rummaging through his closet for his suit, mentally checking off the things he was supposed to have done for the wedding. Rose had put him to work, and he hadn't minded. He just hoped he hadn't screwed anything up.
He located his suit and pulled it out, setting it on the bed. He was bone tired from working a scene the day before. It still amazed him that he'd gotten talked into doing crime scene clean up with Rose and Joe, but he found it actually enjoyable. The smell didn't bother him, and he felt like it was a cathartic way of making up for all the blood he had shed around the world. Gunner was working with Winston at his supply store. He couldn't handle the cleaning part, much to all of their amusement.
Yes, Barney had a good thing going here. The only regret he had was that he didn't do it sooner.
Tool
He stood at her grave, hands in his pockets and looking down at her headstone. He felt a wave of emotion and some tears prick at his eyes, but he didn't cry. He'd cried himself out already. He'd spent time at his grandson's grave the other day, sharing about everything that had been going on. It made him feel better somehow, even though it still hurt like hell that Bobby was dead.
"You'd be proud," he said to her now. "Gunner is doing well with his son. Toll is doing better too. He's not smashing shit as much anymore. We all kind of grieved together but in our own way, if that makes sense. Barney's surprisingly surviving retirement; it looks good on him. Caesar and Char are still in one piece together, and their kids are doing great. Yang has started to open up a bit about his past more, but not much. And Lee...well, he's still with Norah and those kids. We're all doing okay now...as best as we can."
He felt heavy inside as he looked at Victoria's name on the headstone. He still would go over that day's events in his mind over and over again...trying to find out where he'd gone wrong...what he'd missed.
"I know I said it before, but I'm still a bit mad at you," he went on. "I know you were tired and in pain, but you could have let us help you. We would have. You should have given us the chance to."
He sighed, knowing he couldn't be angry at her forever. He pulled out the single rose he'd tucked into his breast pocket, the stem cut short. He knelt and placed it on the grave, resting his hand on the cool slab and pressing his other fingers to his lips and then on her name.
"We love you, girl," he said. "Rest in peace."
Rose
She felt jittery but in a good way. Oscar was bouncing around in excitement with Gunner collaring him every so often to keep him from bumping into people or knocking over things. She had to admit, she was impressed at how well he was at fathering a child. He made it look almost too easy. At first, she'd been worried about Winston's reaction to having him around, but Winston had welcomed him graciously and even offered him a job if the cleaning didn't pan out (it didn't). There was no threat of Rose getting with Gunner. That ship had sailed a long time ago. It marveled her, though, how she could have become the wife of a mercenary all those years ago, but then again, he might not have become a mercenary if they were together. She understood now that he'd been lost the majority of his life doing odd jobs and such before landing in Barney's team.
"You ready?" Norah asked, coming into the room now. She was wearing dark green spaghetti strap satin dress that went to her ankles with a glittery bodice. Her hair was pinned in a twist like Rose's.
"Just about," Rose replied.
"You look really pretty, Mom," Oscar said. "And Aunt Norah."
"Aw, thank you, baby," Norah replied, reaching to pull him against her side. "And you're very handsome yourself."
"When are you getting married, Aunt Norah?" Oscar asked next, looking up at her. Gunner had a small smirk on his lips as he observed. Rose could tell from the flush on Norah's neck that the topic had been discussed.
"Whenever I get asked," Norah answered, clearing her throat. Rose lifted a brow at her. Something told her that her sister was hiding something.
"I'll tell him to hurry up," Oscar advised, puffing himself up a little with importance. Norah laughed at this, and then Oscar went to stand by Gunner again.
"Okay," Rose said. "I'm ready."
"We'll go take our seats," Gunner stated, steering Oscar out the door after giving them a nod. "And I concur. You ladies are beautiful." They smiled back at him before he disappeared, and Rose brushed her hands down her white dress. It was simple, the same style as Norah's but just white. She saw that Norah looked like she might cry.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"I'm just so happy for you," Norah answered. "I'm so glad you met Winston, and I'm so glad everything is working out for you."
"Oh," Rose said, starting to tear up too. "Well, things are good for you too."
"I know, but today is about you."
"Did Lee ask you to marry him?" Rose asked, unable to help herself. Norah's cheeks went a bit pink, and she averted her eyes. "Norah?"
"We didn't want to take away from your wedding day," Norah replied. Rose tutted and moved to hug her sister tightly.
"If anything, it made it better," she told her. "I'm so happy for you, Norah."
"Thank you."
"Where's the ring?" Rose asked, pulling back. Norah smiled and held up her small handbag. Rose gestured for her to pull it out, so she did. It was simple but pretty, and Rose loved it. She looked at Norah. "Put it on."
"Really?"
"Yes." Rose nodded. "I want you to." Norah slid it on and looked proud. Rose did feel happy for her. She wished Norah hadn't kept it from her.
"Let's get back to you, shall we?" Norah suggested.
"When did he ask?"
"Oh...two weeks ago," Norah answered. "We were out on a walk, and he sprung it on me."
"That's so nice," Rose said, reaching to squeeze her hand. "Okay, now we can get back to me." They both laughed.
"Mom would be so proud of you," Norah said now, and Rose felt her eyes burn. She'd been thinking about her mother today, wondering what it would have been like to have her there. She still didn't like to talk about her, but she stopped making Norah stop talking about her. She understood her sister needed to at times.
"You think so?" she asked.
"I know so," Norah replied, giving her a hug. "I can feel her here."
"Me too. And Norah, I know she'd be proud of you too."
They gave each other a small smile. At this point, Rose was ready, so Norah hooked her arm through hers, and then they left the room together.
Norah
It felt so good to finally be able to tell someone she was engaged. When Lee had asked her, she hadn't been expecting it at all, and he'd been so sweet about it. It had been right after she'd pulled him down into a roll on the hill by the house, and at the bottom, she'd been laughing underneath him at his moans and groans of fake pain until he kissed her and became serious, telling her how much he loved her and how happy he was and how much he wanted to spend forever with her if she'd have him. She may have cried a little. They both hadn't wanted Rose to feel upstaged or anything, so they kept it quiet. Norah hoped it really didn't bother Rose, but she couldn't see any evidence in her eyes or expression to say it did.
She stood in front of Rose, getting ready to head down the aisle. Joe was there holding Rose's arm and looking both proud and sad. Norah got the signal to go, and she began to walk. She could feel Lee's eyes on her the entire time, and she worked to tame the blush growing. She hadn't forgotten his first reaction to her in that dress earlier (she was so glad Rose hadn't seen the hastily done, newly sewn seam at the back). Winston had asked him to be his best man, and Lee had agreed. They'd spent a lot of time together in the last few months; Norah could sense they'd be great brothers. She wondered how much it made Lee miss Lincoln.
She went to stand at her post, taking in the small group of people who came to watch. Most were Winston's friends and family since Rose didn't have many friends, and their family was small. It was nice, though. A simple wedding. Rose came out next with Joe. Norah watched Winston and smiled at the look on his face. She knew he'd take very good care of her sister. She laughed when Joe pretended to decline handing Rose over to him and tried to walk away with her, which earned laughter from everyone too. Rose playfully swatted him and kissed his cheek. Norah saw Barney sitting with Oscar and Gunner, and Joe joined them shortly. Barney and Gunner each held an infant, who were doing really well at staying quiet, their eyes wide with wonder at everything. She felt happy to see her uncle being a part of their family. She knew it was almost a culture shock for him to be in a life that didn't involve killing someone, but he was handling it surprisingly well.
She listened to the minister. Then it was Rose and Winston's turn to exchange vows. Norah loved how sweet and tender they were. She knew they'd both keep their word. She smiled when Lee held out his arm when it was their turn to walk back up the aisle after Rose and Winston.
"You're wearing it," he said quietly as they walked.
"She figured it out," Norah replied. "She ordered me to wear it."
"She didn't feel like we were taking away from today?"
"Not at all."
"Good."
Norah rested her head on his shoulder for a moment as they walked, and she felt him press his lips into her hair. She could still feel her mother there, and something about that made her feel happy. For once, she wasn't associating thinking of her mother to pain and sadness. Once they were in the other room, Rose was squealing and jumping as she came over to them and hugged them.
"Oh my God we're married!" she exclaimed. "Ahhhhh!"
"Ow," Lee replied, sticking his pinkie into his ear and wiggling it around. "My ear was there."
"Congratulations," Winston said, shaking his hand hard next and then hugging Norah. "Rose just told me."
"Thank you," Norah replied, grinning at him.
"This is your day," Lee insisted.
"Yea, but I'm still happy for you both," Winston replied, smiling.
"I might as well just give this to you then," Rose said, holding up her bouquet.
"Oh no..."
Everyone came out next, interrupting, and they all lined up to hug and shake hands with Rose and Winston. Norah stepped aside with Lee, and Barney approached a moment later with Joey in his arms, legs kicking.
"I thought he was gonna blow during the vows," Barney said with a chuckle, "but then Oscar entertained him with some very funny faces, and that put a stop to it."
"Thanks for watching them," Norah said, taking Joey for a moment. Gunner still had Rosalee and was talking animatedly to one of Winston's female friends. Norah wondered if something might blossom there.
"He's like his father," Barney commented about Joey. "Lets one rip and then blames you."
"Hey," Lee said indignantly.
"What? It was so powerful that no one believed it came from him," Barney insisted. "You shoulda seen the looks I was getting."
"That's my boy," Norah said proudly, kissing her son's head fondly. "Come on. Let's check your bum then."
"Yea, do that. I think something came out of there with that fart."
Norah rolled her eyes and headed for the washroom after Barney handed her the baby bag. She looked back at her family before disappearing around the corner, and she saw how happy everyone looked.
It made her feel so warm inside.
Yang & Toll
They were getting a drink together after finishing a job. Trench wasn't the same as Barney, but they got along alright. Yang could tell Toll was missing the original team, though. Hell, he did too.
Toll was looking around and noticing the bar was filled with happy couples. It made his stomach clench.
"What?" Yang asked, noticing his expression.
"Why does everyone have to be so happy?" Toll asked, feeling disgruntled.
"You mean: Why is everyone but you happy?" Yang corrected.
"No..."
"Happiness is a choice," Yang said simply. "And sometimes, it is very, very hard to choose."
Toll had heard that before, and he knew Yang had a point. It really was hard to choose happiness a lot of the time. He was still hurting, but he was feeling less like he was drowning. Apparently, grief eased up after a while but never went away entirely.
A burst of fresh air came into the bar, and Dino greeted the woman who walked in and advised he'd bring her "her usual." Toll looked at her with mild interest. She was pretty. She looked like she was a bit haunted and recovering from something. He pulled at the label of his beer bottle, wondering if he'd have the nerve to go talk to her. He felt this pull towards her and couldn't understand why.
Yang turned his head to see Lauren at the bar, and he gave a start. He hadn't seen her since the day he'd rescued her from her abusive husband. She looked tired but happy...a little bit haunted. He knew why. She'd have had a long road after leaving her husband; he hoped that road had finally come to an end sooner than later.
She saw him a moment later, and her face showed recognition. She came over to him slowly, taking her beer from Dino on her way. Yang watched Toll tense up the closer she got, and he suddenly realized that his friend was interested in her.
Well.
"Yin, right?" Lauren asked, stopping next to him now.
"Yes," he answered. "Lauren."
"Yea," she said, smiling a little. "I'm still here." She gave a nervous laugh.
"That's good."
Toll was staring. How did Yang know this woman? Her name was Lauren; it was beautiful, just like her. He drank all of her in, wanting to know more and more about her.
"I just wanted to thank you again for everything," Lauren went on, looking at Yang. "You saved my life."
"No," Yang said, shaking his head. "You saved your life. I just assisted."
She blushed a little, smiling, and dropped her head a bit, her hair sliding forward. She brought it back up, pushing her hair back with her hand now. "Well, thank you all the same."
"You're welcome."
Yang saw Toll watching, and he got an idea. He finished his beer and set the now empty bottle down before sliding off his stool. He shrugged his coat on and gave Lauren a smile.
"Lauren, I'd like you to meet my friend, Nick. Nick, this is Lauren."
Toll snapped out of his reverie as he saw Lauren looking at him expectantly with her hand extended. He reached to shake it, and electricity shot through him. He could barely find the words to say.
"Hi," he said finally.
"Hi," Lauren said back.
"Nick's great company," Yang went on, starting to move away. "Good listener. Treats a woman with respect."
"That's good," Lauren said, her eyes not leaving Toll's. Oh God, he could see his entire future mapped out in her gaze. He could see it all. She was The One. He felt a flicker of hope in his chest. Maybe he could truly be happy again. Maybe the answer was right here in front of him.
"Have fun," Yang finished, knowing neither of them were even listening to him anymore. He looked back at them when he reached the door, and he smiled. He'd looked at Aika like that once upon a time. It was the look of love at first sight. He pushed the door open, still smiling to himself.
It seemed like things were starting to look up.
Caesar
The water was crashing against the shore, and the sun was warming his skin. He sat on his foldout beach chair with his fruity drink in one hand and the other resting on his stomach. The wind was pushing at his bare legs and arms. He couldn't remember the last time he'd worn shorts and a tank top.
"Oh God," Char groaned. "This. Is. The. Life."
Caesar smirked and turned his head to look at his wife sitting in her chair beside him in her red bikini, her umbrella casting a shadow over her face. He'd forgone the umbrella and instead went with a fisherman's style hat, which he knew Char was itching to throw away. He put his big sunglasses on and let them do the work.
"You said it," he replied.
"I feel kind of bad the kids aren't here," she added.
"I'm not," he retorted, making her laugh. They had needed this time together. It had been way too long since they'd had alone time longer than a few hours. When the chance to go to a beach on the ocean for a week popped up, they both had launched themselves at it like two people trying to contain a bomb.
"Have I mentioned how happy I am?" she asked after a moment.
"Yea, but I never tire of hearing it," he replied. She smiled at him, and he smiled back. He knew she was happy he'd finally stopped being a mercenary. He was looking into getting a job in security, which still had the opportunity of giving him an adrenaline rush but also let him be closer to home and not have quite as an intense level of danger. It was a good compromise he thought; Char agreed.
"It's nice," Char said momentarily. "Everyone seems to be in a relatively good place right now."
"Yea," he agreed. He knew Char had struggled with losing Victoria, too, since they'd been friends. It had taken a while to start to heal, but it was happening slowly. She would never be forgotten.
"Cheers, baby," she said now, holding out her beer bottle. He clinked his glass against it, and she laughed at his fruity drink and chugged her beer while he defended his choice of alcoholic beverage and sipped on his straw.
Yes, everything seemed to be in a good place.
Lee
He sat down beside Gunner at his table after dinner was over and everyone was either dancing or talking and laughing. He noticed Gunner looked a bit pensive.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yea," Gunner answered. "I'm good."
"You still feel like you made the right choice to come out here?"
"Definitely," Gunner replied with a slow nod. "I wouldn't change this for anything." They both watched as Oscar tried to teach Barney and Joe a dance move, which was hilarious, especially with Joe trying to trip Barney and vice versa.
"You like being a dad?" Lee asked.
"It's the best thing I've ever done," Gunner said truthfully. "I love that kid. He's funny, sweet, caring, smart...he's everything to me."
"I'm glad he found you," Lee said, smiling.
"Me too. But what about you? You like being a dad?"
"To quote a friend of mine: 'It's the best thing I've ever done,'" Lee answered, making Gunner chuckle.
"You're good with them," Gunner noted after. They watched everyone else for a bit until Lee knocked his knuckles on the table and went to find Norah. She was stunning to him in that dress; he wished they were alone but knew he'd get her later. The kiss she gave him when he got to her confirmed she was thinking the same thing.
"So," Lee said as she slid her arms around his neck and started slow dancing with him. He put his hands on her waist. "This is where we ended up."
"Yes, it is," she answered.
"I meant to ask you," he started, "what made you stop in New Orleans that day? Of all places?"
"Something just told me to stay," she answered with a shrug. "So I did." He held her gaze, and she smiled slowly. He counted his blessings every single day that she'd ended up in his life. He didn't want to know where he'd be if she hadn't.
"I'm glad you did," he said softly.
"Me too."
He held her close as they kept dancing, and he never wanted this moment to end. Even though it would, he knew there would be a thousand more good moments just like it.
He'd let her in; he was never letting her go.
Barney
"Bye! Love you!" Rose was calling as she waved and got into the car with Winston. They were heading to their honeymoon, which meant Barney and Joe were playing babysitter when Gunner didn't have Oscar. Barney didn't mind. Joe had moved into Barney's place for the time being, and so far it was working out okay. They bickered less than they did at the start.
"What a day," Joe said now, exhaling roughly. "I'm beat."
"Yea, I hear you."
"Can I stay at Dad's?" Oscar asked.
"Be my guest," Joe replied, gesturing, and Oscar ran off to Gunner and tugged on his arm to tell him. Gunner nodded and smiled in return. Barney felt good seeing Gunner happy. He deserved it. He'd heard from Tool earlier that Yang shared Toll had met a woman, and he hoped that would go somewhere for Toll's sake. He deserved to be happy too. He'd laughed upon receiving Char's email with the photo of Caesar's "girly" drink. They'd give him a ribbing when he got back. Barney missed them, but he did go visit when he could. He didn't regret this decision; he was glad to be here with his family. It took a while to get used to game nights and not looking over his shoulder all the time. He still had nightmares and woke up with the sweats, but he was getting used to it.
"There's a good looking couple," Barney commented as Lee and Norah came out, each carrying a twin in their carrier. "Hey, you want a head start?"
"Really?" Norah asked, piqued.
"Yea, why not?" Barney replied, holding out a hand to take one. "Hey, Joe! Come grab Rosalee."
"Alright," Joe said, ambling over and taking her from Lee. "Wait, where are they going?"
"Home," Barney answered. "There enough stuff in here?" He nudged the bag with his foot that Lee had set down next to him.
"Oh yea," Norah answered. "Lots. We'll come get them in two hours."
"One hour," Barney countered.
"Hour and a half," Norah bartered back.
"Alright," Barney agreed, lips twitching.
"I didn't sign up for this," Joe said now, looking at Barney. "You set me up for this without my consent."
"It's 90 minutes, Joe," Barney retorted. "They're our grandchildren."
"Yea, but I also like my sleep."
"Get over it."
"Wait, did you just say 'our' grandchildren?" Joe asked, realizing.
"Yea."
"You're an uncle."
"I feel more like a grandfather."
"Oh, no," Joe said, putting up his hand. "I'm the grandfather. You're the uncle. You're second place."
"Says you."
Norah had slunk away when it started, leaving him and Joe to bicker for a bit. After Barney won, Joe was muttering as he loaded Rosalee into the car first and then took Joey from Barney. Barney went back for the bag when Norah jogged back up to him from where Lee was waiting.
"What's wrong?" Barney asked, but she didn't answer. She just threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Taken aback slightly, Barney hugged her back. He wasn't sure what was going on.
"Thank you," she said, muffled against his jacket.
"For what?"
"For being here," she answered, pulling back a little. He could see she had some tears in her eyes. He softened, knowing that having him back in her life had made a difference.
"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," he advised, giving her a smile. She smiled back and hugged him again. Then she let him go and headed back to Lee, who opened the car door for her. Barney watched them go and waved back as Norah waved at him through the window before disappearing. He looked up at the sky, taking in some breaths.
"Well, Marcy," he said. "I'm definitely home." He pictured her up there somewhere watching, smiling. He missed her, but he had faith he'd see her again. Victoria too. He and Norah had a conversation about Marcy not that long ago, and she'd told him that she'd finally managed to not hurt so badly from it anymore, that she understood her mother had been in pain and just didn't know what to do with it. She'd told him that she didn't blame him for what happened, which had made him tear up and feel a lot better than he had in a long time. Joe had started to talk about Marcy a little bit too, and Barney knew it was his way of continuing to make up for pushing him away. He and Rose had some good walks and talks too. He loved how different his nieces were but how much alike they were to his sister. It was beautiful.
He went to the car and got in, ignoring Joe's rambling about free babysitting.
And they drove home.
Rose
"Oh my God, we're married!" Rose exclaimed. Winston grinned from the passenger seat. She felt her adrenaline pumping from the entire day, and she looked forward to their stay in the hotel before leaving in the morning. They were going to Hawaii.
"It feels a little weird," he confessed. "But a good weird."
"I know exactly what you mean."
"I'm real glad you walked into my store that day, Rose," Winston said, looking at her as they pulled to a stop at a red light. "You changed everything and made me feel better than I had in a long time."
"Ditto," she replied, and he laughed softly. She leaned in to kiss him since they were still parked.
"I love you, Rose," he said after, holding her gaze.
"I love you too, Winston."
She smiled as she pulled back to her seat and started to drive again. They were heading towards their future.
And the future looked good.
Norah
She padded out to the kitchen in Lee's t-shirt, finding him drinking a glass of water in his jeans and shirtless. His St. Christopher's medal was shining on his chest from the light. She stepped over the pile of dress on the floor to get to him and steal the glass before he finished it all.
"Hey," he said as she pulled it out of his grip. "Get your own."
"Didn't anyone teach you to share?" she asked, downing the rest of it. He scoffed lightly and shook his head as she handed him the glass back empty. She yelped as he suddenly picked her up and set her on the counter. It was cool against her legs, which he put around his waist so he could pull her in closer to him, and she rested her elbows on his shoulders and folded her hands behind his head.
"What are you thinking?" he inquired, looking at her intently.
"I'm thinking that I'm a very lucky gal," she answered.
"Funny," he said. "I was thinking the same thing."
"Wait, you're a gal?" Norah asked, feigning shock and moving to look. It earned her some playful pinching and a very sound kiss in return. She liked feeling his heart beating against her chest.
"You know what I meant," Lee said.
"I know."
"I honestly never saw myself here, with a family or someone who would love me for me," he told her, shifting her hair back with his fingers now. "But you came into my life and changed everything."
"I didn't ruin it?"
"No," he answered firmly. "Absolutely not. You made it so much better." He smiled at her, and she ducked her head until he lifted her chin with his fingers to make her look at him again. "You're an incredible person, Norah. Don't you forget it."
"Maybe I am now, but I never used to be," she advised.
"You were lost, just like me," he reasoned. "Now we're found."
She nodded in agreement. That's exactly how she felt. She'd been found. She had family. She had friends. She had children. She had processed her pain from losing her mother and found herself like she'd wanted. This was who she was, and she liked it.
His "I love you" was in his kiss, and she returned it. He was the tattoo on her heart, and she was the sunshine on his cloudy day. Together, they could make it through anything.
And for once in her life, she knew exactly where she was going.
The End
