The next day ...

Mark, Catherine, Nancy, Sara and Jeremy are attending Lindsey's end of the year karate ceremony. All the groups in her karate organization are getting recognized for their achievements this season.

About an hour into the ceremony Jeremy leans over to Sara and says, "I can't take this much longer Lindsey better be up soon."

Sara lightly chuckles and responds, "It's any minute buddy. She's in one of the older age groups so they had to get through the younger kids first."

Nancy looks over and smiles she's glad Jeremy has really taken to Sara. She knows that no one will ever replace his father but she put off dating seriously for so long because she was afraid no one would be good enough for Jeremy. Jeremy knew Sara for a long time but their relationship has transitioned from casually seeing one of his mom's friends to seeing someone his mom is dating every day. Nancy knows her and Sara have only been dating just under 5 months but Nancy can see herself spending the rest of her life with Sara. Sara has this way of making Nancy feel special. Nancy had a good relationship with Alan as well but this is just so different. Nancy hopes Alan would be happy for her. Nancy leans over and kisses Sara's cheek and lays her head on Sara's shoulder.

Catherine sees John Fong, Lindsey's Sensei stepping up to the podium. She leans forward and turns to her left and says, "That's Lindsey's Sensei so her group should be getting close."

Once Sensei Fong has given out all of the other awards. He speaks up, "This next award is perhaps one of the most important ones we give out all year. It is for a student who shows a great amount of heart and understanding. Usually this award goes to a student that has been in the organization for a few years, however we had one newcomer that really showed us great potential. This student reminds me perhaps a bit of myself when I first started, so it has been a pleasure watching this student compete this year. Especially during the recent state tournament that we won. Gichin Funakosh interpreted "kara" of karate to mean "to purge oneself of selfish and evil thoughts ... for only with a clear mind and conscience can the practitioner understand the knowledge which he receives." In my mind no other student has shown this better than Lindsey Willows. Lindsey will you please come up and say a few words."

Nancy leans over Mark and asks Catherine, "Did you know she was receiving this?"

Catherine shakes her head and responds, "No I just assumed she was just getting the awards from the state tournament they won."

Lindsey bows at Sensei Fong then steps up to the podium and starts, "Thank you Sensei Fong. It is quite an honor to receive this award. I started with this karate group in November right after my dad passed away. I was able to use the focus karate gave me as a therapy and as a way to cope. A month ago I also lost my grandpa. While this hasn't been an easy 6 months of my life, I definitely wouldn't have gotten through it without karate. Karate allows me to go to another place a few times a week. While I won't forget what happened karate has definitely made it easier. I would also like to thank my mom and her boyfriend Mark, they have very demanding jobs but somehow one of them is always at every practice, match and tournament. Without their support I wouldn't be able to achieve what I have."

After the ceremony everyone decided to go to dinner.

Catherine speaks up, "Lindsey I am very proud of you. You gave a great speech too. Did you know you were receiving this award?"

Lindsey responds, "No I did not. The winner is not revealed until the ceremony."

Mark says, "For someone that had to give a speech on the fly that was pretty impressive."

Lindsey smiles and says, "I remembered when you told me how nervous you get when you prepare something and how you prefer to just say what's on your mind in the moment."

Catherine smiles at Mark then looks at Lindsey and says, "I'm ok with this theory unless you are going to start using it on homework."

Lindsey rolls her eyes.

Later at Catherine and Mark's …

Nancy and Catherine are having a glass of wine on the patio while Mark and Sara are playing Xbox with the kids.

Nancy says, "We're pretty lucky you know."

Catherine questions, "How's that?"

Nancy replies, "We're both in these great relationships and not only are they interested in us but our kids. I was watching Sara and Jeremy during the ceremony and I realized how thankful I was that they get along. You know how long I avoided seriously dating because I was afraid Jeremy wouldn't like who I did."

Catherine takes a sip of her wine and responds, "Yeah I get it. When Lindsey mentioned Mark in her speech it echoed what I already knew. I see how they interact and how much Mark cares for her but it made me happy to see Lindsey acknowledge it."

Nancy interjects, "Not only that but the way Lindsey mentioned how karate was like therapy for her. My niece is ridiculously smart just like her mother."

Catherine says, "Nance I'm just lucky that she turned out half as well as she did. I thought for sure Eddie and I would screw her up somehow."

Nancy shakes her head and replies, "Eddie … yes. You not so much. Have you had some questionable things happen in your past? Yes, we all have, but the important thing was that you persevered no matter what."

Catherine smiles and responds, "Well it must run in the family because you have done the same."

Catherine and Nancy clink their wine glasses together as a cheers to themselves.

The kids decided to go upstairs and watch a movie in Lindsey's room. Mark and Sara are sitting on the couch watching TV. It's really just background noise at this point as both of them are talking back and forth enjoying their time together. Since Sara started her relationship with Nancy they haven't spent as much time together as they used to.

Mark speaks up, "Sar as much as I tease you about Nancy I'm really happy for you. I know I haven't known you as long as the others but you know our bond is special. I noticed a difference in you right away. Not to say that I didn't love you for who you were before but you seem so … I guess the word is balanced now. You were and will always be great at your professional life but now that you're with Nancy it's like you're living your personal life to the fullest. There is this … I don't know I guess glow about you."

Sara responds, "I know. The personal area of my life wasn't horrible but it was never what I wanted it to be. Not to mention that it's hard to give your whole self to someone. You know that you've been burned. I never thought I would find someone I felt comfortable giving my whole self to so quickly. Well I guess if I think about it … it really wasn't that quick, I've known Nancy for years just not in the capacity I know her now."

Mark interjects, "It's quick if you think about it in terms of the romantic relationship though."

Sara nods and continues, "I would thank you for your encouragement but if wasn't for Nancy going full force into this thing it may have never happened." Sara playfully pushes Mark.

Mark smiles and responds, "But I do have you and Kerri to thank for the encouragement you both gave me with Cath."

Sara asks, "How is Kerri? Any chance of her and Elizabeth coming back?"

Mark replies, "Kerri is doing good, the baby is due next month. You know I don't know if they would move here permanently but they will definitely visit again. I know Kerri's job prospects out here weren't as great as Elizabeth's and with the baby now I don't know what they'd want. We haven't talked much about that since the baby announcement."

Sara says, "By the way slight change of subject but I'm really happy for you and Cath too. I know it's been implied but I have no idea if I've ever verbalized it. I want to be involved with all of your happiness." Sara chuckles and continues, "In fact I apparently want to be really involved. Did I tell you what Nick, Hodges and I did on Valentine's Day?"

Mark shakes his head in response.

Sara continues, "So this is when you wouldn't tell me your plans with Cath at the lab. Right after you walked out of the break room that night Hodges came in and said that he overheard you and Gris talking about this surprise. I told him his gossip skills were lacking because Gris being involved in a Valentine's Day surprise seemed odd. But later I was working in the lab across from Gris's office and saw you walk by and give him a thumbs up. So I went to Hodges and asked him about his information, then he of course became shitty about it. I threatened him and Nick walked in and he told us about your dinner on the roof. But he said he was never 100% but he was certain Gris said something about forever so he was convinced you were going to propose. I told him you definitely would've told me if you were proposing. But the three of us ended up standing on top of the wide rolling ladder spying on you guys through the skylight."

Mark is cracking up and replies, "Oh God! I can only imagine the bickering between you and Hodges that occurred on that ladder."

Sara laughing says, "Oh I definitely smacked him."

Mark smiles and says, "Seriously though I was just messing with you that night. You should know I'd never leave you out of any giant plans like a proposal."

The next night …

Mark, Greg, Nick and Warrick are having a guy's night out. They are at Ray's Place drinking, eating and laughing.

The waitress walks up to the table with their next round and says, "Hey guys I'm cashing out and the next waitress will be taking over so I just wanted to close out with you guys and the next waitress will start you a new tab."

Mark lays his receipt on the table and Greg sees the waitress' phone number on it and immediately picks it up and says, "Hey guys did any of the rest of you get the waitress' phone number on your receipt?"

Nick answers, "No did you?"

Greg lays Mark's receipt in the middle of the table and says, "No but Mark did!"

Nick picks it up and says, "What the hell! This is just like when we went to the diner when you first got here and the waitress we've all known forever called you sweetie!"

Warrick laughs and says, "Nick calm down or switch to beer you're getting a little angry because a waitress is hitting on Mark and not you."

Nick says, "I have every right to be mad! I'm a good looking SINGLE guy at this table and the guy that's practically married is getting all the offers!"

Greg takes the receipt from Nick and waves it in front of Mark and says, "So are you gonna have a little fun with this?"

Mark shakes his head and says, "No."

Greg sighs and says, "You know just because you're in a relationship doesn't mean you can't have a little fun with this."

Mark chuckles and says, "I'm fairly certain that is part of the definition of relationship. Now I'm understanding why yours never last long."

Warrick starts laughing and responds, "Greg he's got a point. Besides Mark is so wrapped up in Catherine it's like he doesn't see other women. I bet Mark can't even describe the waitress without turning around and looking at her."

Mark smiles and responds, "Warrick's right Greg."

Greg says in disbelief, "Do you not have eyes bro?! Just because you're committed doesn't mean you can't look."

Mark shakes his head and replies, "Why do I need to look? I have exactly what I want sitting at home waiting for me."

Nick defends Mark and says, "You know what we might want to start listening to Mark. When we were here for the reception after Mark, Brass and Sara got their medals Catherine told Warrick and I that we should start taking pages out of his book. This all started because Sara totally stole one of Mark's moves to tell Nancy how she felt about her. Now Greg can you think of any other relationships at the moment that are better off than Mark and Catherine's or Sara and Nancy's?"

As Nick and Greg are debating back and forth Mark sits back taking it all in. Not in a million years would he have thought his friends would be modeling their relationships off of his.

Later at Catherine and Mark's …

Catherine is sitting on the couch reading a book when Mark comes in from guy's night. She looks up from her book and says, "Hey babe. How was it?"

Mark leans down and gives her a kiss before laying down on the couch with his head in her lap before responding, "Good but I missed you."

Catherine puts her book aside and takes off her reading glasses and runs her hand through Mark's hair and says, "I missed you too. It's too quiet around here without you."

Mark chuckles and says, "So the first waitress we had left and cashed us out so the other one could take over. When she handed us our checks I didn't look at it right away I was fishing for my wallet and Greg picks up my receipt and starts asking if anyone else got the waitress' phone number on top of their receipt. No one else got it but me apparently. So Nick gets all huffy because he's single and we're practically married but I'm still getting numbers. Then Greg asks me if I'm going to have any fun with it and I say no! Greg then proceeds to say that just because I'm in a relationship doesn't mean I can't have a little fun. So I tell him that is exactly the definition of a relationship and that must be why his never last long. Then Warrick says I'm so wrapped in you that I don't even see other women, in fact he told Greg he didn't think I could even describe the waitress."

Catherine chuckles and asks, "Could you?"

Mark responds, "Not a chance." He laughs then continues, "So Greg asks how that's possible that I have eyes and just because I'm committed doesn't mean I can't look. So I told him that I don't need to look because I have exactly what I want waiting for me at home."

At that moment Catherine leans down and kisses Mark. She then rearranges she's laying on top of him so she's more comfortable. She takes her left hand and starts running it through his hair again and says, "I am so lucky to have you. I can tell you most if not all of my exes probably would've taken that waitress back to her house."

Mark leans up and kisses Catherine and responds, "Well, Nick did start defending me and told Greg what you said to him and Warrick about them needing to take more than a few pages out of my book. Then he also said that Sara took a page out of my book and look where it got her."

Catherine lays her head on Mark's chest and cuddles into his side.

Mark wraps his arms around her and says, "It nice for once to have friends that want to model their relationships after mine. Never in a million years would I have thought that was possible."

Catherine is lazily drawing circles on Mark's chest with her finger and responds, "Well remember not long after you first got here and I said that we've both been through enough and it's our time to put all the petty relationship stuff aside and have a loving honest relationship?"

Mark replies, "Yeah."

Catherine continues, "Well where that still stands for us. They are still trying to find it."

Mark kisses Catherine's forehead and they eventually fall asleep on the couch holding each other.