A/N: I have no excuses. Well – actually - I have a box full. I've found a new couple to obsess over and they came at me with a new muse – who is loud and incredibly insistent. I've been outrageously busy traveling like you cannot imagine (but I got to see my darling PCGirl so YAY!)…then I've had some personal stuff…then recently I've been under the weather.

But now – on SN - Rafe's back in PC…

…and apparently so am I.

I'm finishing this story – 'cause I just have to. No one should write 68 Chapters and disappear, leaving the characters they've created hanging in the wind. I respect you all and what I've created way to much to let that happen. But I have to confess once To Have and To Hold is done, dear hearts, I'm leaving you.

Sniff, sniff.

I love PC, love Rali, always have, and always, always will. I simply adore all of you – who have been right here with me all this time. It's been three years (GULP!) since my first ever fanfic and I can't tell you how much I've loved writing every word.

But – sadly - this ship has sailed, I fear. I can never say never, but if the struggles of the last two months are any indication, I just don't have it in me anymore.

I'll email those who'd like to read my future story featuring Ella and Ty or post it here if you want me to. OH! And for those who are at all interested I'm thinking of writing a wholly original story – (with a Quinn/Billie type dynamic) so let me know if you want me to tell you where to find it.

To my dearest darling Awians, Ali, Carlie, Livvie and Kathy…we'll always have Transylvania. ;)

xox-G

Chapter Sixty-nine

It killed him to let her go, but he knew he wouldn't leave here without having a small discussion with his old friend Annette. To think that after all he'd done for her she'd repay him this way.

There were consequences for ones actions.

Caleb watched closely as Colin slipped out the door with Rachel in tow. Rage bubbled inside him as he heard Olivia's voice in a room nearby.

"Are you saying you've never respected him?" He could tell it was an effort for her to keep her voice from shaking. He was sure she was mere seconds away from losing it.

Annette chuckled bitterly. "Why should I have? He was pathetic from the start. He was no where near the man his father was."

"His father ended up killed. He's still here." Livvie snapped back.

"Caleb is NOTHING now. NOTHING! He's a shell of what he once was." Annette spat at her.

'Really?" Caleb said idly, leaning against the door frame, staring at his nails.

"Y-y-you took her from me." She whirled on him, her voice broken. "My darling little girl. YOU STOLE HER."

"She left you Annette. I had very little to do with it." He sighed.

Her eyes were wild, her breath coming in frantic bursts. "She loved this life. You gave her a choice. I wanted you to know what that feels like."

Caleb continued to stare at her. "My son chose similarly and somehow, surprisingly, we've managed to make it work." He replied, his tone of voice a direct contradiction from the way he felt inside. His hands itched to tear her to pieces, to squeeze the everlasting life out of her. His eyes ached to watch, gleefully, as she took her last breath.

But death, sweet peaceful death, would be far too good for her.

"You've made quite the mistake, Annette." He said his gaze level. "You went after my family. How, exactly, do you think I should react to that?"

She saw the intent in his eyes. "You are weak." She said, not nearly as confidently as she should.

He regarded her closely. "I think I might be able to summon up enough to get the job done." He walked towards Livvie and curled an arm around her waist, smiling in spite of it all when he felt her anger radiating off of her skin. He bent his head and sweetly kissed her temple. "Or perhaps my lovely wife will take care of things for me."

"You wouldn't, Caleb. After all I've done for you…" Annette's voice softened, as she gazed at him, her eyes pleading.

He kissed Livvie again before slipping away and moving towards the woman who he once trusted as much as he could trust anyone in this life. "After all I've done for you, you should be on your knees, begging for mercy." He whispered, his voice lethal.

Annette stared up at him, visibly shaking.

He leaned close and breathed into her ear. "Tell me. Give me one good reason why I should spare you."

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Alison loved having Katrina around. As well as she knew Rafe, it seemed there were a hundred million things he'd never told her.

"He was so stubborn. I couldn't get him to move an inch." Katrina laughed as she sat in the rocking chair.

"Yes. I'm incredibly familiar…" Alison sighed.

Katrina laughed louder. "I don't think you're quite the pushover either, my dear."

"True enough." She giggled back at her as she gazed lovingly over at her mother in law. Concern wrinkled her brow as she realized how tired she looked.

"You should rest, Mamă." Alison said softly, smiling as she said the words. Katrina was so motherly to all of them that it just seemed right for her to call her that too. She certainly was a different kind of mother than her own.

Especially after Elizabeth had shown up to the barbecue today wearing a leopard halter.

"I should." Katrina agreed, her voice weary.

Alison's heart pounded nervously as she helped her to stand. She couldn't believe she hadn't seen it before. She couldn't believe she'd forgotten. Katrina had mentioned it in passing but she'd been so exciting about meeting her she'd pushed it aside. The thoughts came back now with a vengeance.

"How sick are you really?" She whispered.

A flicker of realization crossed the older woman's face. She thought about lying, but instead sighed and settled into bed. "Oh, meu dragă, please don't concern yourself over me. It comes and it goes."

"Mamă." Alison's eyes began to swim with tears.

"Don't tell him, yet. Please." Katrina pleaded softly. "It will hurt him. He will worry. I want to see him happy, for as long as I can."

"I…" Alison couldn't imagine keeping such a secret. She stared at her and sighed. "I won't - - but only for a little while." Her heart heavy, she moved to the door.

Katrina's eyes fluttered closed as she whispered. "That is all I ask."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Annette sat stunned, unable to speak.

"You know what? I actually don't even need one." Caleb said after a few excruciatingly long moments. "Keeping you alive is my best revenge. But know this…" He hissed. "You come anywhere near my family again and I will put you out of your misery in a heartbeat."

He stood back and moved to Livvie's side again. "Do we understand each other?" He asked then.

He was not surprised when he received no reply.

"Where is your eloquence now, Annette? I have to tell you I enjoyed your notes immensely. But that's right." He sighed, looking at her with complete contempt. "Even those words belonged to someone else."

He ushered Livvie to the door, because he could almost smell on her skin her need for vengeance. He knew she was justified, but even without his full powers he knew subtly was sometimes ones strongest weapon.

"You seem to have a problem taking things that don't belong to you and calling them your own." Caleb said as he and Livvie made their exit. "You'd be wise to keep your hands to yourself."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"My mother loves you." Rafe whispered as he climbed into bed beside her.

Alison blinked back tears as she replied, in all sincerity. "The feeling is entirely mutual."

"She wants me…" His fingers gently lifted her hair from her shoulder, exposing her neck. His lips moved there and he kissed her, his tongue darting out to taste her skin. "…to spend some quality time with you."

If she wasn't so distraught about what she'd learned she might laugh. She took a deep breath and forced herself to make things light. His hands splayed over her stomach as he pulled her closer. "Really? She told you to make love to me?"

"Pretty much." He chuckled as he pressed a kiss to her neck again. "She told me to take you away from here. So…" He smiled as she turned in his arms and her mouth sought his. "…where do you want to go."

"Not too far." She sighed, desperately trying to keep her worries at bay. She pulled him closer, already trying to comfort him, even though he had no idea what was to come.

"The Inn?" He suggested.

"Perfect." She breathed as he moved over her. "Or here – just…" She sucked in a breath. "…just here."

"We don't need much do we?" He laughed louder as he took her under.

"No. Not much…just…us." She whispered as she let him.