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Wow, I can't believe this story is actually coming to an end. It's been an amazing two years, guys, and I feel blessed to have come into contact with so many amazing people through this story. You know how when you upload a story, you always find a few reviewers who make your day, follow through with your story, put up with delays and moodswings and all that, and it's because of them you continue writing when you don't want to, or you feel renewed and strong enough to take the story somewhere you weren't originally planning? I was lucky enough to find about thirty of those reviewers. And while I'm sure I didn't list all of you, I want to give a big thanks to Joan (bibleboymary4ever), Helen (Helen5), Loz (ever wondering), Tinkswings (Merel), Jessica S, Jamie (Mrs. Witter), Marissa (AvidTVfan), Elaida, Jayta, Angeleyez, miclol, genevra, SweetThing2, Deeta, Siaram, Rory DuGray, Season 4.5, Green Eve, Chevie Jane, klm111a, LizDarcy1, Surya, Ms. Vaughn, Diana Troy, aye davanita, frackandbonechick, ElizabethV, Captain Oblivious, goddessofthenite, shefa, flossie1, kiki, and Druzilla, all of whom took this wild ride with me, pushed me to continue, and allowed me to think.

It feels weird to just upload the last chapter and be done with it. Wow. Anyway, I'd like to thank my newest beta, Merel. She really saved this story from complete ruin when Joan disappeared.

There are a few alternate endings and spinoff ideas that have been playing in my head, as well as a sequel. We'll see; I guess.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy the conclusion.
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Jordan was stunned by the transformation in Tristan. In less than a week, he was conversing almost animatedly with everyone in the house, and she could've sworn she'd caught him flirting with Rory a couple times.

It was like he was living again. It came quicker than expected, and it felt like something out of some B-movie, but Jordan didn't want to think it over too deeply. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth and all that.

So she was surprised, but not very much, when Tristan told her casually over Sunny Delight and pancakes that he was going to call Amelie and see if Jenny could spend the rest of her summer vacation with him.

Jordan didn't want to get his hopes up, but she'd talked to Amelie about the custody arrangement recently, and she was sure Amelie would say yes. There were no hard feelings between the ex-spouses- just a lot of pain and history. Amelie had admitted herself that if she weren't living in New York, she would've only requested shared custody.

But Jordan just smiled and wished her twin good luck, with a wink at Rory.

And Rory, of course, had misinterpreted that wink as some kind of teasing and blushed. She hadn't made eye contact with Tristan for the rest of breakfast, and it had been enough to confirm Jordan's suspicions.

There was still something there.
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Amelie and Max drove Jenny down to Hartford that same weekend. With a kiss on the cheek for both their daughter and Tristan as well as some carefully prepared instructions for Jenny's care and a few death threats if anything happened to her daughter, Amelie was gone.

Jordan hadn't seen Tristan as happy as he was now in a long time, with Jenny in his arms and Rory by his side. So she'd slipped from the house with Andy and the feeble excuse that they needed more groceries, even though the fridge was almost completely stocked.

And that was how Tristan and Rory ended up sitting on the lawn, watching as Jenny played with a ball, on the first day of August.

They sat in silence for a while, Tristan stealing occasional glances at Rory's long, shapely legs, tan from the Australian sun. Leave it to Rory to stay pale through Connecticut summers, but tan in Australian winters.

And he'd study her profile. Her hair was shorter now than it had been the last time he'd seen her, her cheeks flushed, and her body was more womanly. His eyes roamed her body and he wondered what it would be like to touch her.

He thought it would feel similar to kissing an angel, and the thought scared him. He'd defile her perfection. Anyway, there was no way the dream could be as good as the reality anyway, right?
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Tristan was anything but subtle. Rory tried not to laugh as she felt his eyes on her again, instead focusing her attention on Jenny. Three and a half years old, and Rory could already see both her parents' features in the little girl. She had Amelie's eyes, an emerald shimmering with the goodwill only a child (or Amelie) could possess, but Tristan's blonde locks, only a shade or two darker than her father's.

And she had Amelie's upbeat, unassuming personality. Rory smiled at the thought, almost shocked by how well it seemed everything could work out.

She was shocked by how easily she seemed to sink into this new role. As exciting as the past few years had been, following in the footsteps of the woman she'd idolized her entire childhood, making a name for herself, fulfilling her dreams- there was something fulfilling about sitting under the summer sun with the man she'd never truly gotten over, communicating without words and watching his daughter.

It scared her, at first, though. When she'd seen Tristan on the doorsteps over a week ago and her heart had skipped a beat- really, she thought that only happened in movies- she'd known she was in trouble.

How strange, that after four years, one simple look and a few words could bring back all those feelings she thought were safely bottled up and stored away.

But she knew it wasn't the same. She knew there weren't any obstacles this time around, and all that was stopping her was her pride and her mind.

What place did a mind have in matters of the heart?
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The sun was setting when Rory made the first move. Jordan had taken Jenny inside for dinner at the start of a light summer rain, casting a secretive smile over her shoulder at Rory. Rory had blushed, realizing just how well her friend knew her.

They had sat in a companionable silence for a few more minutes, neither seeming to notice the rain. Tristan would occasionally shift position and look at her more openly than he had previously.

And what was she waiting for? He'd always made the first move before, had ever since they were in high school.

With a small smile she met his gaze, and slipped her hand over his paler one, taking a moment to be startled by the contrast.

"Sometimes the sunshine burns," she whispered as she leaned toward him, "But rain never does."

The kiss was deep and sweet, lacking the passion of their previous kisses. The difference, of course, was that they had all the time in the world now.

For the moment, though, they were content with a single kiss in the summer rain, hands, hearts and souls intertwined, finally at the same place in their lives at the same time, and ready to let go of their pasts.
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And somewhere hundreds of miles away, an emerald-eyed beauty set down a telephone and considered the quote she'd found the day before filing for divorce.

Immature love says "I love you because I need you". Mature love says "I need you because I love you".

And she smiled.

Finis