Chapter 17 "Welcome Home"

For the next day and a half Jessie laid, extremely bored and restless, in her hospital bed. She didn't have to have stitches on the wound on the back of her head but did on the side of her forehead. She'd slept off her headache and so the next day she basically had nothing to do until John came to pick her up.

No one had stayed with her the night before or even called her to see how she was doing! Not even Elliot or Fin! Jessie tried to chalk it up to an extremely hectic day at the office but her gut told her something was up, especially when John went sent to get her instead of Elliot.

"Is everything alright?" Jessie asked when they climbed into Fin's car. John had to borrow it since he refused to buy one of his own.

"Yeah, why?" John asked as if nothing unusual were going on.

"Nothing," Jessie shrugged. "I guess I just expected Elliot to come get me is all." John nodded in understanding.

"He's working on a case." John said. Again, Jessie's gut told her that John wasn't being truthful but she decided to let it slide…until she realized that they weren't headed toward Queens or the office. She looked around and realized that they were in Brooklyn.

"Where the hell are we going?" Jessie asked, getting aggravated. She was quickly running out of patience and wanted to know what was going on. John just grinned.

"Home," was all he said.

Jessie shrugged her shoulders. She'd given up a long time ago on ever figuring out what the hell John meant by half the things he said. She just learned to nod her head and pretend to listen.

Jessie gave John a questioning look as they parked in front of Fin's apartment building.

"We have to pick up Fin." John said, whipping out his cell phone. He spoke in a hushed tone for a few seconds, hung up, and swung open the door. "He said to come on up." Jessie nodded and gave herself a quick look in the mirror.

She looked pretty decent for someone who just got out of the hospital. She looked really decent for someone who Fin had dragged out of the mud covered in blood.

As they knocked on the door to Fin's apartment Jessie's stomach knotted up. She wasn't sure why she was getting so nervous. Maybe it had to do with the fact that she practically confessed her love to Fin in the past twenty-four hours!

Jessie was surprised when Don answered the door and ushered the two detectives into the apartment. It took Jessie a few seconds to process her surroundings. There was a wonderful aroma coming from the kitchen. Chicken fettuccini, Jessie sniffed. My favorite!

Jessie looked around the room, trying to figure out what had changed since she'd last been in the apartment. Elliot and Olivia were sitting at a small kitchen table that Jessie immediately recognized.

"What the hell is my table doing out of storage and in Fin's kitchen?" She asked. The more she looked around the more things she noticed that were hers! The table in the kitchen and the chairs that went along with it, the coffee table, a rocking chair that belonged to her mother, and pictures in frames sitting in random places.

She walked slowly to the coffee table and shakily picked up a frame that was sitting in the middle. It was the picture John had taken of Fin and Jessie on the floor of his apartment.

"Welcome home." A voice so familiar to Jessie said from the bedroom door. Fin walked out nervously, his hands buried deep in his blue jean pockets. Jessie was speechless. The realizations seem to of just crashed down on her all at once. Fin joined the others, who had gathered into the living room. Jessie shook her head.

"Ya'll moved me into Fin's apartment?" Jessie asked bewilderedly.

"Our apartment." Fin corrected her softly.

"Our apartment…" Jessie repeated flatly as if to convince herself it was true. The more she thought those words in her head the better it sounded. I'm living with Fin… "Our apartment!" Jessie said again with far more enthusiasm! She lived with Fin! The man she loved! And that was when she remembered…

"Elliot," Jessie said, giving Elliot an apologetic look. She looked down at the frame in her hand. She turned it to show him. "You know?" Elliot smiled sadly.

"Yeah," He nodded. "Fin and John filled us all in. I know about Valentines Day too." Jessie shook her head and put the frame down on the coffee table.

"Elliot… I'm so sorry." That's the only thing she could think to say. Elliot walked toward her and she him in the middle of the living room. He pulled her into a strong hug. Jessie thought she felt his heart break.

"I love you Jess." He whispered.

"I know Elliot. I know." He pulled back and smiled, fighting back tears. He had already had his own private time to cry as he packed up her clothes earlier that morning.

They all had worked nearly all night and that day to get her all moved in, including her toothbrush and toothpaste. Elliot didn't think he could take it if she'd gone back to the house. The biggest adjustment he was going to have to make was having the house empty again.

The night before he slept on Don's couch in his apartment because he couldn't take sleeping in his bed alone. Elliot shook the memories away. At that moment he could tell Jessie was happy and that was the only thing mattered.

"Friends?" Elliot asked her.

"Friends." Jessie beamed.

"Yeah, great, now that that's settled let's eat!" John said and everyone headed into the kitchen to have a hearty meal.

They all talked and laughed for about an hour before Don, Elliot, Olivia, and John decided to call it a night and let Fin and Jessie get settled in together.

"Thank ya'll! I really don't know what I'd do without ya'll." Jessie said. Don hugged her.

"You just stay away from alleys okay?" He said seriously.

"Yes sir." Jessie laughed.

Elliot didn't say much when he left. Just smiled, wish them the best, and left. No one blamed him.

Olivia hugged them both and wished them luck on their venture as roomies. John hugged Jessie and kissed her on the forehead.

"If this doesn't work out I'm next on the list of room mates." He joked.

"Oh Lord!" Jessie exclaimed. "I guess we'll just have to make it work then, huh?" John gave her an over the glasses glare but then broken into a smile.

"So John, I guess you won the bet." Olivia said in the hallway. They'd hung back and let Elliot and Don have some space. Elliot needed someone to talk to and Don seemed to be the person for the job.

"Well, I won't make you give up a whole months pay," John said as they boarded the elevator. "But how about we get all dressed up, go out to a really nice restaurant, and you pay." He winked. Olivia was a little surprised but nodded.

"That sounds like a great idea. It's a date?" Olivia smirked. John smiled.

"It's a date."

When Jessie and Fin were finally alone Jessie was more nervous than ever.

"I can't believe all of this." Jessie muttered as she started nervously picking up dishes. Fin laughed, took them out of her hands, and sat them back on the table.

"Those can wait." He said. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. "Are you happy?" He asked quietly.

"Yes! Oh Lord yes Fin." Jessie said happily. "Show me the bedroom. It's the only room I ain't seen." She said. Fins nodded and lead the way, hiding the smirk on his face.

When they went into the bedroom Jessie was shocked. It was dark outside and the lights were out so the only light was from the candles that were placed around the small room. Fin had pretended to go to the bathroom earlier so he could light them. There were rose petals on the bed and on the floor. As cliché as it may sound, it was the most romantic thing a man had ever done for Jessie.

Jessie turned to Fin and he was shocked by what he saw. Tears were falling down her face and she wasn't even trying to wipe them away.

"You are the best thing to ever happen to me." Jessie said sniffling. Fin moved his hands to her face and wiped away the tears.

"I thought you didn't cry." He chuckled.

"I don't." She said. "God Fin… I love you so much." She whispered. Fin couldn't believe that after six months of wanting he'd finally heard those three magical words. He couldn't stop the tears from jumping into his eyes. He blinked them all away except for one and it fell down his cheek. Jessie kissed it away.

"I love you too Jessie. I'll love you forever." Fin kissed her with all the passion he could muster and they made love as if it were the first time. And for the first time since Jessie had arrived in New York City, there in Fin's arms, she felt like she had finally come home.

Authors Note: AWWWWW sad face everyone cry! Well folks this is the last chapter! The epilogue will be up directly after this.