A/N: Well here's the last chapter hope you all enjoy it. I've taken enough time to write it so I won't take any longer to post it.
Chapter 9: Epilogue
Shalimar opened the door to her house very tired. She slippd off her shoes and proceeded upstairs. Once there she walked to the end of the hall, slowly, and quietly opening the door, she entered.
Shalimar walked carefully over to the bed in the room making sure to be completely silent. She bent over, and lightly kissed the sleeping child on her forehead before exiting the room the way she entered.
After exited the room she walked down to the other end of the hall. She walked in to the washroom and changed into her pajama's. Shalimar slipped into bed and cuddled next to her husband. It had been almost two weeks since she had been home and more than a month since she had been home for more than a couple hours at a time.
"Hey I thought you'd never come home." Her husband rolled over and gave her a kiss.
"I've missed being home, a lot."
"So how did everything go?"
"Good, can't complain. How's my baby?" Shalimar asked cuddling closer.
"I'm good, great now that you're home." He laughed knowing that Shalimar wasn't talking about him.
"As much as I love you're not my baby."
"Aww you hurt my feelings. She's doing fine, she missed you a lot. I think she's sick of me."
Shalimar and her husband starting laughin but not to loud as to wake up their sleeping daughter.
Five minutes later Shalimar was fast asleep cuddled next to the man she loved, and she couldn't be happier.
(Next Morning – Master bedroom)
"Morning handsome." Shalimar woke up to her hubands smiling face. "How do long do we have to relax?"
"I don't know you tell me you're the one with feral hearing."
"She's awake and coming so I say about three minutes."
"Things were so much easier when she was a baby. I can't believe she's grown so fast."
"I know, I'm just glad she's healthy and happy." Just as the words came out of Shalimar's mouth Brianna Elizabeth Mulwray ran into her parents room and jumped onto their bed.
"Mommy!" The little girl said excited.
"Hi sweetie." Shalimar gave her daughter the worlds biggest hug. "Did you have fun with daddy?"
"Yeah, he taught me how to play basketball, and I'm getting really good, daddy even said so." The little girl began to jump up and down on the bed.
"Well you'll have to show me later on today, after we go for a swim." Shalimar said laughing.
"Okay can we all go?"
"Of course we can all go squirtle, we are a family." Brennan stoppd his little girl from jumping on the bed and started tickling her.
"Daddy stop it! Mommy make daddy stop."
"Okay I'll staop but only because I'm hungryand we don't want mom to cook do we?"
"So true, can I help though?"
"Of course you can help by keeping mommy out of the kitchen."
"What have you been doing while I've been gone, corrupting my own daughter." Brennan and Brianna just laughed as Brennan picked up his daughter and walked downstairs to the kitchen. Shalimar stayed behind for a second glad that she had her husband and daughter.
(Shalimar's Apartment – 3 Years Earlier)
It had been a month since Shalimar had left Sanctuary. She had wanted to go back so many times and check on him, see if he was still there. But she knew that he would always be there in her heart.
Shalimar had thought about moving into the loft, but she still wasn't ready too. Just as she turned off the t.v. the door bell rang. Slowly getting up she walked over to the door. When she looked through the peep hole no one was there.
She walked back over to the couch and just before she sat down the door bell rang again. Reaching the door she opened it. No one was there once agai. Then she heard what sounded like Adam over a comm ring.
"Just do it already." Shalimar stepped out into the hall and looked like she seen a ghost.
"Bren, Brennan?" Shalimar blinked making sure she wasn't dreaming.
"Hi, um Adam just wanted me to drop this by on my way home." Brennan handed Shalimar her jacket that she had forgotten in his room before she had left.
"Thanks." Brennan started laughing at the look on Shalimar's face.
"You look like you've seen a ghost." Shalimar just stood there. "Well I should get home." Brennan turned around and started to walk away.
"Brennan wait." He turned around. "Have you eaten anything?"
"No actually but it's storming really bad out so I'll just eat when I get home." He turned around once again and walked down the hall. Shalimar stepped back into her apartment and closed the door.
Almost immediately the phone rang. "Hello." Shalimar answered.
"Go and get him before he leaves cuase you know you want to." Shalimar heard Emma's voice on the other end of the line.
Slipping on her shoes, and hanging up the phone, throwing it onto the couch she raced down the hall, and down the stairs. She seen Brennan walking across the street to his car. Running as fast as she could she crossed the street and ran up to him.
"Brennan, Brennan!" She called as loud as she could still running towards him.
He turned around and seen her running towards him. "You really shouldn't be out here with no coat on, and in flip flops."
"You shouldn't be out here at all."
"Then where should I be heaven, sorry I took a rain check on that one." He opened the door to his Escalade.
"Where do you think you're going?" Shalimar asked starting to feel the cold. "Take a walk with me?"
Brennan closed the door to the Escalade. "Where are we walking too?"
"Just around the park." Brennan took off his jacket and put it around Shalimar.
"Thanks but you need it more." Shalimar went to take it off.
"No this is a heavy sweater, you need it. I don't want you to get sick on my account." They walked to the park and sat down on a bench.
"I can't believe it. Adam said that you had an hour to live."
"Never under estimate what love can do for you." Brennan said without thinking. Shalimar blushed slightly. "Hey you just get back inside Jacob is probably waiting for you."
"I broke up with him. I couldn't marry someone I didn't love with my whole heart."
"I see, well you should get back inside anyway its really getting cold out here." Brennan stood up. "I'll see you around. Just keep the jacket, it looks good on you."
"Not this time." Brennan stopped.
"What?" He had a confused look on his face.
"Come here."
Brennan walked back toward Shalimar still confused. When he was close enough Shalimar wrapped her arm around his neck and gave him a hug. "I'm not scared anymore, when I hadn't heard anything from Adam I thought he was right and that you had died. But you're standing here now for a reason." She let go of him. "I love you Brennan, and I don't want you to go home unless you're going home with me, and if I have to stand out here all night and convince you I will."
"As much as I would love too I couldn't let you stand out here all night in the cold." He stepped closer, picked her up and twirled around. He put her down. "I don't want to go home unless you're coming with me."
"Why don't we go upstiars for now, get you something to eat, and I know you probably have to rebandage your wounds, and we can talk."
"Sounds good to me, lead the way."
Brennan followed Shalimar back up to her apartment and stopped at the door as she entered. "What are you doing, come in."
"You sure?"
"Positive now get in here." Brennan walked in and took of his snow covered shoes.
"This place is amazing."
"Yeah I know. It's not the biggest but it's right near everything and the view is great too." Shalimar walked into the living room with two cups of coffee.
"Thanks."
"Well sit down." Brennan did as Shalimar told him, and sat down next to her.
Shalimar pulled the blanket around herself still cold from being outside without proper shoes, and jacket. Brennan just looked out the window looking at the city.
"I put some soup on so it should be ready in a couple minutes. In the mean time let me change your bandages."
"No it's okay I don't have any."
"Really?"
"Yeah, Adam fixed them all and the internal bleeding has stopped completely so I'm pretty much good as knew. I never got a chance to say thank you, so thank you."
"For what?"
"Believing in me."
"Always." Shalimar moved closer to Brennan and put her head on his shoulder. "This feels so right."
"No, it feels perfect, like a dream come true. I got a seond chance and I'm not going to screw it up." Brennan smiled down at Shalimar. "I love you so much you know that right?"
"I've always known that, and thank you too."
"For what?"
"Giving me a second chance."
Shalimar and Brennan stayed up the rest of the night talking, and figuring things out, and in the morning called Jesse, Emma, and Adam and told them that Shalimar would be moving in with Brennan. They also gave them the good news about Brennan proposing.
(Loft)
"Welcome home." Brennan said as he opened the door to the loft.
"It's good to be here."
"We'll bring your stuff in later but for now I want to show you something." Brennan took Shalimar's hand and walked over and out onto th deck.
"It's beautiful." Shalimar gazed out into the distance. The sky was blue, pink, and purple. The water was a perfect shade of blue and there was snow on the ground giving off the perfect sparkle.
"Just like you. I would come out here everyday an it would remind me of you." Shalimar leaned up and kissed Brennan.
(Present)
Brennan, Shalimar, and Brianna were in the kitchen making breakfast.
"Sweetie you need to stop growing."
"Nope mommy I don't want to."
"Why's that?"
"Cuase I wanna be a basketball player when I'm older."
"Yeah well thankfuly enough that won't be anytime soon, and daddy needs to remember that you're only three years old."
"I know she is. It's not my fault she loves basketball."
"Yeah it is." Shalimar and Brianna said at the same time.
Brennan just laughed why don't we go for that swim before Auntie Emma, Uncle Jesse, and Chloe get here.
"Chloe is coming?"
"Yes Chloe is coming, it is your birthday and I thought you'd want you best friends to be here." Brennan said as his daughter began to get excited.
"Sarah and Chelsea coming too?"
"Of course, but let's go for a swim before mom get's you all dressed up."
"Okay daddy." Brianna ran upstairs as fast as she could.
"Hey get back here squirtle!" Brennan chased after her.
Shalimar watched as they ran upstairs smiling to herself. She finally had the normal life she had wanted. Thanks to second chances that is.
Finished
A/N: I'm planning on a sequel so if you want me to write just let me know in a review. Thanks so much hope you liked it.
