A/N: Final Chapter. Hope you like it. :)

Four Months Later

Heather stared up at the starry sky. She was lying outside on the lighted patio, reclining in a white lounge chair. Her hair was tied back into a loose ponytail and a smile was on her face. For the first time in nearly eight months, she was outside, alone, and she wasn't afraid. So much healing had gone on during the previous four months that she was able to do a lot by herself, without being nearly as afraid as she had been before she started seeing a psychiatrist.

Like being outside alone. It was a very big step for Heather. She had to have all of the outside lights on and be seated close to the house in order to feel safe, but it didn't matter. She felt good, being able to do things without that sense of overwhelming fear present in her mind.

A happy sigh escaping her lips was the only sound that could be heard, apart from the gentle sounds of the water from the pool crashing against the cement.

Heather returned to her thoughts with a grin. The other thing that had been going on, her relationship with Gil.

No matter how sappy or lovesick it sounded, the two were practically inseparable. Gil was constantly at the dominion, either picking her up from a date or, when she didn't feel like leaving her home, he would stay there with her. Since the sounds of the domineering going on inside the house weren't something Heather had grown used to again, they frequently spent their time outside. By the pool or on the lawn, under the shade of one of the many Willow trees, the two would talk or be silent and just enjoy the other's company.

It came as a shock to her when Gil remembered her birthday. He had prepared breakfast in bed for her, consisting of her favorite breakfast foods: A banana, orange juice, a blueberry muffin and pancakes.

As shocked as she had been upon receiving the treat, he had been more stunned that Heather could eat so much. That day she had finished everything that had been brought to her and then asked for seconds. She had only had such a large appetite because, and she remembered this very clearly, the day before her birthday had been one of the days where she hadn't felt like eating. So she had made up for it the next day.

It sometimes surprised her how well Gil treated her. She wasn't used to being treated that well. The few men from her past had never even come close to measuring up to Gil. She had never felt this way in her life, but it was a very nice and welcome feeling.

"Heather?" Gil's voice echoed throughout the empty house.

She had given her girls the night off, ensuring that no one but Gil and herself would be home. She had grown tired of her employee's stares. They didn't expect a dominatrix to be with a man like Gil, a scientist. So after putting up with the gazes, she had decided the two deserved a night without the girls whispering about the couple.

"Out here!"

Gil smiled as he walked out to the patio. Heather's chestnut hair gleamed in the night lights. Her back was to him, but he was almost positive there was a smile on her face. Each day she had one on when she greeted him in the morning and each night when she saw him off.

"Enjoying yourself?" He inquired, bending down to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. With a grin, Gil pulled a chair up next to her and sat down. He kicked his shoes off, revealing perfectly white socks. For some reason, this made Heather giggle, but it must have been inaudible to Gil, for he was still awaiting her answer.

"Very much so. How was your day?"

"Not bad. But I'm so glad to be here with you, sitting by the pool," He smiled at the woman next to him. Blush now tinted her porcelain, as she grinned back at him.

Neither spoke for a few minutes. They both just happy being in each other's presence.

Heather fiddled with the skin on her palms. She wanted to talk, but about what?

"Oh, by the way, Catherine Willows called me today. I remember meeting her, she was very nice. A lot of cheering was going on in the background, something about and I quote 'Bug Man finally landed himself a chick'?" Heather looked over at Gil with a smile.

He seemed to be at a loss for words for a moment, but quickly recovered. "The cheering was probably my team. I suppose Greg said that, he's a bit hyper. They make bets frequently on the weirdest things. Don't mind them, they're just trying to take each other's money," He replied, trying not to sound embarrassed by the people working for him.

Truth was, he wasn't embarrassed them. He was quite proud that he had such an established team working for him. But sometimes, it was clear that they were a bit off in the head.

"No, I don't mind."

Silence, again. Heather focused on reading Gil's body language. He seemed nervous, like he had something to say but wasn't ready. It was odd, especially coming from him.

"Heather," Gil started. "I want ask you something. But before I do, I want you to understand a few things."

Heather leaned forward very slightly, waiting for him to continue. So she had been right. He did have something to say. She racked her mind trying to figure out what it could be.

Gil pulled something out of the pocket on his shirt. Heather couldn't see what it was right away. Then he moved his hands from blocking her view, revealing a black velvet box.

She inhaled sharply, sitting up straighter as she did so.

"With this proposal, I do not expect you to make a decision right this moment. If you want to think about it, it's alright with me," He paused to open the box.

A diamond ring shone brightly in the light. It was a gorgeous ring and Heather noted that Gil had excellent taste. Then she turned her attention back to Gil.

"And if you don't want to, just say so. I will understand. This may seem like a rash decision, but I swear, I felt like it was now or never," Gil paused again, taking a deep breath. He moved from his chair, getting down on one knee.

Heather could feel the warm tears trickling down her cheeks. Never before had she ever even considered marrying anyone.

But now that the thought of marrying Gil had entered her mind, it seemed like the right thing to do. She didn't know why the thought hadn't crossed her mind before.

"Heather, will you marry me?"

It took her a minute to gather herself, but once composed, Heather smiled at the man kneeling before her.

"Yes. Yes, I will."

Gil and Heather stood up at the same time. He gently pulled her toward him, and kissed her with much more passion than ever before.

When the two separated, a large smile appeared on Heather's face. "So… what do we do now?"

Gil shrugged, unaware of what people normally do after proposing. He looked at Heather with a smile. He suddenly knew what she was going to suggest.

"How about tea?"

"Sounds perfect. Tea for two. I couldn't think of a better plan," Gil answered.

The two retreated into the house, Gil's arm around Heather's shoulder and she was resting her head on his arm. Neither had been happier in their entire lives.

And neither wanted it any other way.