A/N: I have a dilemma. Kate's well – Becky's OK - Caleb's not the monster I thought he was. Here's my problem. Even though the major stuff in the story is over - I still can't stop writing. LOL!

So here you go…

In the last chapter it was summer – so now we fast forward with me to November and a few days before the twins' wedding. And we finally get back to my dear Qubie (as my dear darling Awians have christened them).

I've been holding on to this chapter for about a week – dying to post it but needing to wait. I honestly could write a story about just the two of them. I love them so much. I think it's because they're characters with no real connection to PC as we know it. They're not part of Rafe or Alison or Caleb and Livvie – they're mine all mine.

So – here's the scoop y'all. Just a chapter or two and then we're done – and I'm not really sure how long it'll be before I post the next one – not long I figure - since the story's already swimming around in this wacky brain of mine. I will tell you that so far - it's alot about Lynnie and Ethan and Lia and Danny. If you have something specific you'd like me to concentrate on - click on my name for my email address.Please feel free to email me. I'm writing for all of you - so IMHO you should get a say in what you're reading.;)

To everyone who's still with me – you tell me you're not turned off by the characters I've created – you tell me you like how I write the ones that TPTB created. I'm humbled and honored that you're still around. Honestly. I can write thousands of words for these stories – but I'm at a loss to tell you how amazing I think all of you are for coming here and reading what I write. Thank you all so very much for still being with me. I appreciate it more than you'll ever know.

Until 72! Enjoy! xox - G

Chapter Seventy-one

Three months later…

"Am I 'posed to hide or can I sit here?" Ty asked as he looked up at Quinn. He squirmed a bit as he sat on the couch pulling at his tie.

"Hey – kiddo. Cut that out. It took me forever to tie that thing." Quinn scolded as he bent down to fix it. "You can stay here for the beginning then you have to get lost until I call you back again."

"Alright." Ty said with a huge smile. "Just don't forget to call me back."

"What makes you think I'd forget?" Quinn asked concerned.

"Sometimes you forget stuff when you start to kiss her." Ty said innocently, still fidgeting.

Quinn laughed out loud. "You've got a point, Slugger."

Just then, the front door opened. Billie came in, her hair damp with rain. She dropped her soggy umbrella and sighed. A smile lit up her face as she saw the two of them together. "Hello there. My - don't you both look handsome?"

"Why thank you." Quinn replied as he walked over towards her. He pulled her close and kissed her softly. "You look quite beautiful yourself."

"Are you kidding?" She said with a laugh as she pulled away, her hands moving to smooth down her hair. "I look like a drowned rat."

"Hardly." Quinn whispered as he kissed her again.

Billie shrugged off her coat and moved from his arms. "So. I'm guessing you guys are trying on your tuxes for the wedding huh?" She sank into the couch and kissed Ty on the nose. "Mmm. What's for dinner? It smells delicious. And you look very handsome – did I tell you that yet?"

"Yeah. You did." Ty said, blushing a little. He looked up at Quinn who gave him a sign. "I gotta get something from my room. I'll be back in a second." He scrambled off the couch and down the hallway.

Billie's face was full of confusion. "Was it something I said?" She asked with a grin.

"No. We had a deal. He knows that I needed to talk to you alone for a second." He said as he joined her on the couch.

"OK." Billie replied as she stared into his eyes. "Just make it quick – because I don't know how long I can control myself with you looking like that."

"Like what?" It was Quinn's chance to be confused now.

"Incredibly sexy." She whispered as she leaned in to kiss him. She was smiling as she pulled away.

Any other day Quinn would have taken that response as an invitation, but not right now. He took a deep breath, unsure exactly how to start. All of the sudden he was second guessing himself.

"I need to talk to you about something. There are some things I need to tell you." Quinn began.

"Is everything OK?" Billie asked, her voice shaking a bit. "Quinn you're scaring me."

"I'm sorry. Everything's fine. There's just some stuff I need you to know before…" He shook his head. "OK. I should stop stalling and just tell you."

A thousand scenarios flew through her mind, and none of them were good. Still it was more torturous having to wait like this. "Please." She said with a nod. "Just tell me."

Quinn gently took Billie's hands in his. He was so nervous he didn't notice she was terrified. She began to brace herself for his words.

"For the past few months, Lia's been working with the lawyers and the FBI – you know that right?"

"Yes." Billie whispered.

Quinn took another steadying breath and stared into her eyes. "I wanted to tell you – they found almost all of your money – not everything – but most of it."

"OK." She replied, the words not seeming to register.

"They even got your house back - so you're not stuck here anymore." Quinn added with a small smile. "It's over, Billie." He said softly as he ran a hand through her hair.

"It's over?" She said as she stared up at him, her eyes unfocused.

"Yeah. It's over." He replied with a sigh as he tried to read her expression.

Billie pulled her hands from his. Two words had her whole world shattering around her. She forgot that he was sitting there wearing a tux. It didn't register that he probably wouldn't dress up like that just to break her heart. All she heard were the words "It's over." The toll the past year took on her had her standing and moving away from him.

"OK." She said as she stumbled away and moved towards the door again. She grasped for her coat and held it loosely in her hand, dragging it along the floor.

Her voice was choked as she called out. "Tyler…"

Quinn stood and stared at her. "Billie? What's the matter?"

She squared her shoulders and stood as if in a trance. Her voice got stronger as she called out again. "Tyler James. We have to go."

Upon hearing his name Ty peeked out of his room. "Am I allowed out now?" He asked.

Something was terribly wrong. Quinn hadn't known how she would take the news, but this wasn't at all what he'd been expecting. "No buddy. Give me a minute." He said, his eyes glued to Billie. Quinn turned quickly and watched and waited for Ty's door to shut again.

Billie stood there trembling as her mind raced. It was over. She had to get out of here. She couldn't listen to him say anything else.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Quinn moved to her and pulled her to face him.

"I understand. You said it was over." Billie blinked at him. She guessed he wanted her to thank him. She steadied herself and tried to give him the words she thought he wanted.

"Quinn – I'm very grateful for all you've done for us." She took a deep breath. "I promise now that I have my money I'll be able to pay you back…"

He stared at her his gaze dangerous. "Don't you dare give me that." He snapped at her. "Billie – God. Are you kidding me?" He turned his back on her, unable to believe that she was still so unsure about his feelings for her.

She had said she understood, but Billie knew now that she obviously had gotten something wrong. "Quinn?"

"I hate him for what he did to you. I swear to God if he wasn't dead I'd kill him myself." He muttered under his breath. He turned back to her and dragged her to him, kissing her a bit roughly. His eyes bore into hers as he demanded. "Repeat after me Belinda. Mark is gone. He's dead – Kyle killed him."

"I – I – I know that." She stuttered, shaken by Quinn's kiss.

He let her go and stared at her angrily. "Do you? Do you know that? I'm not so sure - because you do a great impersonation of someone who doesn't have a clue."

"Quinn…" She whispered.

"If you understood that – if you really believed it – you wouldn't let him beat you down every few months. You wouldn't let him come between us."

"I'm not…" She protested.

"YOU ARE." Quinn cut her off. He decided to try another tactic. "How long have we been together Billie?"

She fought to find her voice to answer him. "S-s-since the summer."

"Don't give me generalizations I have two sisters – I know you know exactly when I first kissed you. I bet you even remember what I was wearing." Quinn challenged her. "Tell me."

She wiped tears from her eyes as she gazed over at him. "The first time you kissed me was actually in the spring. You were wearing jeans and a white t-shirt. It was May twenty-third. It was the morning after the baseball game- when you glued my vase back toether for me. I couldn't believe it. No one had ever done anything like that for me before in my life. You kissed me goodbye and you made me dizzy."

He knew she'd remember all the details. "And now it's November." Quinn replied. "That's six months – a half a year."

"Yes it is." She said with a nod.

His eyes were filled with hurt as he asked her this next. "Now tell me this, Billie. How long will it take for you to believe that I love you?"

She started at him, unable to speak.

"How long? Days? Months? Years? Just tell me because I can't keep doing this. I think we've gotten someplace and then I find out Mark's in the way again."

"Quinn…" She breathed.

He took her by the shoulders and shook her. His words were tinged with anger, his voice broken. "Are you telling me you actually loved him? Are you telling me that he's what you wanted? Someone who used you and treated you like garbage and squeezed all the life out of you? Is that the kind of guy you're after Billie? Is it?"

"No…" She shook her head vehemently. "It's not. I want you, Quinn. I love you."

He shook her again, causing her to drop her coat. Her head snapped up and he stared deeply into her eyes, his own overflowing with love.

"Then STOP IT." He said sharply."Stop jumping to the worst possible conclusion whenever I say something you're not sure of. Haven't you guessed by now that when you do that you're usually wrong? I was telling you it's over so you'd know he hadn't taken your life away from you. I was telling you that so you'd know that you didn't have to worry about money anymore."

He sighed as he let his arms fall to his sides – unsure how to fight her when he never knew if he could ever win. He didn't know if he could actually convince her. His voice sounded defeated as he finished. "I was telling you that because I wanted you to know you had a choice now. I was telling you because I wanted you to choose me."

"What?" She looked at him completely confused.

"Hold on." Quinn said as he turned towards the hallway. He figured he had nothing to lose. Either she'd agree or she'd leave. Either way he had to know. He couldn't keep living like this. "Tyler? Get out here kid. You're on." Quinn called out.

"Now?" Ty asked, his little face shining with excitement.

"Yeah now." Quinn chuckled in spite of it all. Tyler was such a character, Quinn knew he couldn't resist him. With all his heart he was counting on Billie not being able to either.

Ty straightened his jacket and walked slowly to stand in front of Billie. "Bill? Quinn said that we have our house back – but if it's OK I'd rather stay here."

Billie tried to keep the tears from falling but failed miserably. "OK…" She whispered.

Ty wasn't finished. He stared at his shoes and then back up at Billie. "There's something else I want – but you both have to say yes too."

Quinn looked at Ty oddly – this wasn't part of the plan. He moved beside Billie. "Ty?"

Ty took a deep breath and began. "I know that my real mom was your sister – but Bill – you've been my mom for a long time now. It's kinda weird that we have different names and everything. Like you're a Larson and I'm an Anderson."

"That's because Anderson was your dad's name Ty." Billie replied, her heart melting as she looked down at him. "You know that."

Ty nodded. "I know. But I thought of something. There's a real easy way that we can have the same last name."

"There is?" Billie and Quinn asked simultaneously.

Ty's little head nodded up and down. "Yeah. I mean – if Quinn doesn't mind."

"Ty?" Quinn asked again. "What are you saying?"

Ty took another deep breath and stared up at Billie. "I think I'd like to start to call you Mom now – even though sometimes I might forget and call you Bill – but I think it'd be OK. I don't think my real mom would mind."

Billie couldn't speak, she was too busy wiping tears from her cheeks. She barely felt Quinn take her hand in his.

Ty turned towards Quinn and bit his lip nervously. "You're the one who really has to say yes – because first you need to marry Billie and make her name Donovan – not Larson. That's how it works – usually, except some people like this girl in my class have two last names - like hers is Bridges-Smith."

Quinn sighed. The kid was supposed to come out here when he proposed, not steal his thunder. "Tyler…"

Ty wasn't finished. He didn't know what he would do if Quinn didn't agree but he still had to ask. He'd already come this far.

He stared up at his hero and said softly. "If I called Billie Mom and you got married then maybe I could call you Dad. You could like adopt me or something and make Donovan my last name too."

Quinn was stunned and touched beyond belief. He had no idea this would be how things would turn out. He thought about bringing that up himself, he would be beyond honored to call Ty his son, but he'd wanted to go slow. He figured they'd discuss it once he and Billie got engaged.

"It's OK – lots of kids at school are adopted, Rob and Carolyn in my class are 'dopted. It's not a bad thing." The little boy was completely confused. "Why're you both crying? I thought you loved each other. I thought it was really great – all of us living together. Isn't it?" He looked at them both, unsure of what was happening. "Quinn – I thought you were going to ask her anyway. That's why we're dressed like this right? Don't you want to get married?"

Quinn turned and took Billie's face in his hands. He stared into her eyes and asked her. "I know I do – what about you? Do you?"

She sighed as she moved closer to him and curled her arms around his waist. "Yes. I do. I really do. I love you Quinn. I'm sorry I keep messing things up..."

Quinn kissed her quickly to shush her. "Don't be sorry. Please. Just say yes again." He laughed as he eased away pulled a velvet box from his pocket. Proposing to Billie hadn't gone as he planned, but he now had a feeling the result would be the one he wanted anyway.

Still grinning, he fell onto one knee and took her hand in his. "Belinda Larson, even though you drive me completely crazy – I love absolutely everything about you, including that pest of a kid you've got there." He added as he winked at Ty. He kissed her hand and continued, his voice shaking a bit. "C'mon, Billie. Will you marry me?"

Billie stared at the ring and was at a loss for words. It had taken some time, but she finally believed that Quinn's love for her was as real as the diamond he held in his hand. Everything about this moment was the complete opposite compared to the last time someone had offered her a ring. She'd never doubt him again. She knew now it was ridiculous to think he'd ever leave her. Quinn loved her and she loved him. Her life with Mark was full of lies. She looked into Quinn's eyes and could only see the truth. She knew now for certain that this was the way it was supposed to be.

"Quinn…" She whispered.

Ty began to jump up and down. "C'mon – Bill." He begged. "Say yes!"

She felt Quinn slip the ring on her finger, then he straightened so that he could look her in the eye again.

"Billie?" Quinn said her name hopefully. He knew she'd already said yes – but he needed to hear it again. "You're killing me. C'mon. What do you say?"

Smiling she sank into his arms. "Yes." She whispered against his lips over and over. "Yes. Yes. Yes."