Disclaimer: Don't own any of it. The show, characters, or lyrics.

Authors Note: Oh goodness, I had already decided for this to be the last Chapter before I read that last review! I've written this thing a hundred (okay, like five) different times, and finally got it to work. I sort of like it, but I'm not sure.

I'm going to have a little Epilogue, and I'm pretty sure on some deleted scenes, and since you asked nicely, a SEQUEL. I'll need to think up a storyline first of course though!

Hope you like this final chapter. Don't be too sad, I'm obsessed with Kryan, and I have more fics/ficlets planned for them.

I've posted the first chapter to my new story 'Jilted' today. Not sure if it's going to be Kelly/Ryan, or more Kelly/Roy in the end. Don't worry, all my other fics will be Kryan, I love them, but it's an idea I had after reading something on the net, and just had to try.

Chapter 11

He thought. "Well isn't this nice."

//Individual shot Dwight…obviously very angry//

"The most terrible thing imaginable has happened. Michael Scott, the single greatest man I know, the man I have left a large chunk of my inheritance to, and entrust my very life to, has been penetrated by enemy forces. I knew that the temp has some strange hold over Michael, he has since day one, but I felt as if Michael had woken up. However, it became apparent when he exited his office with the smug little…Dementor, the Kiss of Death had been applied. I speak metaphorically of course; I actually believe he employed mind tricks. No worries. I will now helm the mission single handedly, as I do everything best. I will save Kelly, Michael, and most importantly the company."

It had been a little less than half an hour since Michael had emerged from his office teary eyed, patting Ryan on the back and had gave a long, and in his opinion heartfelt speech about 'The Prodigal Son.'(In direct contradiction of the comment he'd made about prodigals at the Prom) When everyone seemed a bit uneasy and reluctant, as showing of good faith, Michael had decided to take them all out for a company-sponsored lunch at Chili's. Ryan whispered that corporate hadn't approved that, and Michael just smiled that he'd use the money they'd given him for anger counseling, and they'd keep it on the 'DL.'

Everyone seemed much more apt to forgive and forget then. An awkward moment had passed when Kelly begged off from the lunch to catch up on callbacks, and Ryan had hung behind for a minute to talk to her in the hall just outside the office.

"You don't have to stay here and skip lunch because of me. I'm not going to bother you." Ryan said hesitantly.

"No. I really do have a lot of work. Plus, I'm sorry to say this out loud, but it's just totally hard to be around you right now. Given all that's happened." Kelly answered honestly.

"Yeah. I know what you mean" He agreed, and turned quickly to join the rest of the party, who Michael was stalling on the stairwell until their 'guest of honor' rejoined them.

As he walked away, Kelly wondered if he really did know what she meant.

She now sat at her desk, with absolutely no one to call back. The office felt strange when it was so empty. Only her and Toby were left. Or so she thought. Toby was never invited to anything. Since this morning in the break room, he'd not let himself spend one second alone with her, and though she knew he was not with everyone else, she had no idea where he'd gotten off to this time.

When she heard rummaging at his desk, she peeked around the partition.

"Where did you—Dwight? What are you doing at Toby's desk?" She asked lifting a surprised brow.

Dwight was hunkered over, searching like a rabid raccoon through one of Toby's lower desk drawers.

"Nothing that is of concern to anyone but myself." Dwight muttered manically, but cryptically explained "Toby has some...evidence I need to add to an ongoing file about some very important grievances going on here. Had he filed it properly, I would not be forced to hound dog it out in this way."

Kelly just rolled her eyes, and wondered if Dwight would ever give up on his little missions. He was probably looking for Toby's growing stack on Jim Halpert's behavior. Kelly had heard that Toby was thinking of getting a bird just so he could line their cages with the contents of those files, for lack of a better idea.

"Ha!" She heard Dwight proclaim. "Keeping it crumpled up behind his desk. I admit, that was a good plan. I shall do the same with my important documents from now on. Once I crack the code to this falsetto note, it could be the end of Ryan"

Kelly perked back up.

"Did you say that was a note that had to do with Ryan?"

"Once again, this is a private matter." Dwight glared. "However, if you must now it is a very important document from Ryan that happened to intercept."

"Did you happen to intercept it right off my desk? " Kelly asked, coming toward him eyeing him accusingly.

"I cannot disclose it's exact original whereabouts" Dwight said, but Kelly already knew what this letter was.

"Hand it over." Kelly said holding out her hand.

"Kelly, I need this for my file. If you get it, you'll just look at the face value of it, and no deeper. Trust me, I am trying to save y—"

"Give it to me, or so help me I will pinch you!" She squealed, and Dwight dropped like a hot potato, and ran.

Kelly's pinches really hurt.

She picked up the crumpled letter, and read. Ryan wasn't lying. He really had left her a note the day he had been here. She read over it at least a dozen times. As simple as it was, it melted her heart. He had committed it to writing, days before the Prom. It hadn't just been an ultra desperate attempt to get laid…he wanted her.

She shook her head, snapping to for the hundredth time. His note changed nothing. Ryan had messed up his second chance in New York. A little note couldn't make up for all the neglect. It just couldn't.

A glittery chime sound let her know that she had text message, and she opened it quickly.

' I changed my mind. I'm going to fight '

From: Ryan

About fifteen minutes before texting Kelly, Ryan had been standing outside the Chili's, by him self.

"Every man has a Kelly." He breathed into the wind. The saying made so much sense now. He couldn't believe it was something that had came out of Michael's mouth. So simple, but so true. Not the former child star's usual style at all.

"What was that?" A friendly voice asked from behind.

Ryan turned to see Jim walking up to him.

"Michael sent me to see where you'd gotten to.. He told the staff it was your birthday, and now he has a fudge cake and singers in there, and you're no where to be found." Jim smiled

Ryan smiled back weakly. "Just when I think he's grown up a little."

Jim shakes his head agreeing. "So…every man has a Kelly? That your new mantra?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess. It was...well, it was actually advice from Michael. I know, it sounds crazy, but it really does fit. I mean, every guy has a girl that gets away."

"Well, every now and then Michael accidentally stumbles onto gold. But, I think you've got it a little wrong."

"How so?"

" Girls don't just get away. You either let them get away, or you fight to keep them. It's nature's law."

"It's not like that with Kelly. It's to late to fight. You said it yourself, I messed up."

"Yeah, but that's before I got to thinking, you're a guy. Not the greatest guy I know, but just a guy. A guy who I would wager has never been in love before."

"Is that obvious?"

"Brutally obvious" Jim laughed, "Anyway, love makes everybody act like fools, especially guys. It's this weird, deep emotion that we have no idea what to do with, so we try to bury it, cover it up, because it's foreign to us. Then, most of the time, when we realize it, it's just to late. To late, unless we're strong enough to fight for it, and make a go at it, no matter what."

Ryan thought this over for a second and nodded. "Fight." He pondered.

"Fight for you're right to love." Jim repeated in a singsong voice, channeling his best Akon.

"Where do I even start?" He said blowing.

"Oh, you have to pull out the big guns"

"The big guns?"

"Yeah. The big 'ol mushy guns."

Shaking off Ryan's text, and Toby's apparent betrayal, Kelly headed toward the reception island to borrow some of Pam's paper clips (she was trying to busy herself with unnecessary filing), when she noted she was not alone in the office.

A woman was standing by the reception area looking a little lost, and unsure. The woman was a bit taller than Kelly, but most women were. She had regal features, sharp cheekbones, and defined eyes, but Kelly felt a warmness about her, perhaps caused by the light wrinkling around her piercing blue eyes. Her hair was a raven colored (save some mild graying) and long, it looked naturally curly, and Kelly noted that a frizz reduction wash would help it out a lot. She was wearing stylish jeans, and an over-sized pink knit sweater, and Kelly also thought her look was a bit out dated, but that was enough mental criticizing for one visitor.

After all, the woman did have an overall sweet air about her.

"Uh, can I help you? Kelly asked the woman brightly, and the woman instantly smiled warmly back.

"Maybe…could you please introduce me to Kelly Ka---poor?" She asked, a bit unsure of the last name, she'd only heard it once, over the cell phone just a few minutes ago.

"That's me!" She said just as cheerily, though she was now thrown. Why was this lady looking for her?

The woman looked her over really good, and smiled fondly.

"Hi, I'm Vivian Howard." The woman offered a long, thin hand for Kelly to shake, and just as Kelly was about to, the woman changed her mind and went in for a hug. It didn't bother Kelly. She liked hugs. This one was a little surprising, but the older woman embraced Kelly so dearly that she couldn't help but hold tightly back, when the woman did pull back she blushed a bit.

"I'm so sorry about that. It's just…my son has never told me loved anybody before…and apparently you are the woman he's given his heart to."

What a day. Kelly had been on such a roller coaster of emotions; she just had no idea what to think anymore.

She didn't know what was right where Ryan was concerned anymore. He'd screwed up so bad; he didn't deserve any more chances. This was the truth, but some how that little mechanism in her that told her what was right and wrong was broken, because it was telling her to trust Ryan this time. Hearts sucked.

With this same heart though, she had forgiven Toby earlier when he confessed everything before she could even screech at him. He told her how bad he felt, and how it had seemed right at the time. She was his friend, he had insisted, he just wanted to protect her.

In that same conversation they had decided that that's exactly what they were, friends. Whether Kelly was going back to Ryan or not, Toby was not going to be an obstacle. He would, as he had promised, always look out for her.

That was so sweet. Even if he had declined her offer to rejoin her in the cubicle, even if she cleaned real good.

"It's a bad allergy. It won't go away. Believe me, I've really tried" He had assured her. And he had, really given it a try lately.

When the rest of the staff had returned from eating earlier in the day, Ryan had not been with them. Kelly wondered if he was hiding out, scared his little trick of sending his Mom to break her down hadn't worked.

God. He didn't know how much it had worked.

Kelly had adored that woman. It was like; she was all the truly great parts about Ryan, without the sour, cynical after taste. In their short conversation, Vivian had explained that his stubbornness and slight streak of superiority had come from his father's side of the family.

Mrs. Howard had also assured her that when Ryan decided to pursue something, he went after with his whole heart. Kelly had just laughed and said that when it came to Ryan's heart, she was in the dark, because he never wanted to talk about anything deeper than the day when they were together.

"No man wants to discuss his feelings" Vivian assured her. "But I wills say one thing, my son has never, ever told a girl he loved her before. Not that I've met at least."

Not long after that, the woman had left Kelly with another bone crushing hug.

Now that she was alone in the parking lot, unlocking her car, she was to deep in thought to hear approaching footsteps, so his voice was the first thing she heard."

"Elijah Thomas Howard"

She whirled around to see Ryan standing there, his hands in his pockets.

"What was that?"

"You asked me…a couple dozen times what I would want to name a son. I never gave you a serious thought out reply. There's my answer."

Kelly slightly wondered what made that better than Hanson Cruise Howard, which was her latest personal favorite, but she didn't say anything. She couldn't help but smile.

"And I've always saw myself getting married in the fall" He said moving toward her and her car. "I hate the hot weather."

"Hmm." She nodded, an undecipherable look.

"I think John Cusack is a better actor than Keanu Reeves, but neither of them are a Bruce Willis " Ryan kept spilling "And, no, I really didn't think it was that dumb in Say Anything when he said he wanted his job to be loving Diane Court. I get where he was coming from."

Kelly nodded, still silent, unreadable.

"Oh, and Tom jumping on that couch on Oprah. Not crazy, completely romantic."

"Anything else." She finally said.

"No" He breathed heavily "Except that I am truly, madly, and deeply in love with you, and I'm not, and I mean I refuse to just walk away and lose you."

"Truly, madly, deeply" She repeated a bit skeptically, taking a breath. "Sounds fishy."

He ignored that.

"You like my Mom?"

"She's really sweet. Unlike some people I know" Kelly replied, "That was a low blow though."

"Man's got to do, what a man's got to do. I don't know how many times you begged to meet her before."

Kelly nodded, and looked at the ground.

He reached out for one of her limp hands, and expected her toss his away, but she didn't, so he squeezed tight while he still could.

"What are you thinking?" He asked after a few minutes, and she looked up at his eyes.

'Thinking I'm pretty stupid for what I'm thinking about doing"

"Which is?"

Releasing his hand, and running both hers up the back of his neck, she pulled him into a long, sweet, lip-bruising kiss.

"I like Elijah, but lose the Thomas" She said, after regaining her breath.

"Anything you say" He smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist, and backing her against her car, kissing her strongly one more time.

"Wait a second" She said, coming up for air again. "Don't think this means all is forgotten."

"I know" Ryan said, not easing up on his hold at all "I've got a lot to make up for."

"Exactly" She agreed, eskimo kissing him without force for once. He was happy with any physical contact with her right now "And I guess I can be a little less clingy"

"No" Ryan demanded, having had enough distance from her for the last while. He would just deal with it, no matter how bad it got. No matter if she had him getting married within the year. He looked deep in her eyes "Cling to me."

She smiled, and curled her fingers up around his shoulders. Ryan happily noted that she had the bubbly Kelly air back on now.

"You're so cute" She giggled, and pecked his cheek.

"Is that the only reason you like me?" Ryan asked, cocking a brow.

"I don't like you" She beamed "I love you."

He smiled back. He was getting used to smiling.

"Good." He sighed resting his forehead against hers, locking eyes. "So.."

"So" She repeated gripping his shoulders tightly.

"So…we're in love" He said slowly.

"Wow." Kelly breathed "I always wanted to hear you say stuff like this. "I never imagined exactly how good it would feel."

"Get used to it" Ryan promised. "Because I now consider it my job to make you feel good, all the time."

Kelly grimaced. "You're job." She said worriedly. "You live in New York now."

"Ehhh, not for long" Ryan smiled.

"Ryan Bailey Howard, what did you do."

"I made the grand gesture…I quit."

Kelly could barely believe her ears.

"Oh Ryan! You quit for me? That is so romantic! You'll be poor now, and I can take care of you, and buy you stuff and it will be just like-"

"Kelly, slow down, I'm not out of a job."

"You're not?"

"No…I'm just sort of demoted. After I called my Mom and asked her to go meet the love of my life and plead my case, I went into the city and met Karen"

"What!?" She said pushing him away.

"Cool it. I met her at corporate, and I went in with her, and fully explained everything to Wallace. And, while I was there, just to push the matter, I vouched for Karen. I figured if I helped them get somebody new, they'd let me have my old job back, and they did. It's set up through Michael and everything. Starting tomorrow morning, we're cubicle mates again."

Kelly had no idea what to say. It was too much like movie. But, it was all-real, it was really happening.

Ryan smiled, and kissed her shocked face gently.

"Say it just one more time, and then I'll be okay" She begged.

He sighed, but congenially.

"I love you."

"I love you…what?" Kelly asked lilting her voice.

"I love you…Kelliflower" He said, grimacing, but only slightly.

"And I love you Ryanoceros! So much." Kelly practically squealed, and tackled him into a hug.

They kissed, passionately, for what seemed like hours.

"Oh, you need to beat up Dwight."

"What for?" He asked nonchalantly, clutching her hands.

"They're need to be a reason?" She asked laughing, and resolving to tell him the whole story later. "Let's get to my place. We can still catch the end of America's Next Top Model."

But, when they got to her place, they didn't even bother touching the television, all night.

//Individual shot Kelly//

"Ohmigosh! He loves me! We are soooo much cuter than Brangie, and TomKat, and even Bennifer! Yeah, eat your heart out Bennifer; Ryan and me are the ultimate cutest couple. I've got to call my sisters, and my Mom and Dad, and my Aunt, and My great-grandma. Oh, and my Aunt Ari's neighbors. They're so sweet. "

She pauses to squeal.

"My babies are going to be gorgeous!"

//Individual shot Ryan//

He looks at the camera in normal blank Ryan-fashion for a moment. Slowly, his signature look turns into a big grin, and a blush, and he hangs his head, still smiling.

//Individual shot Michael//

"Well, the world is as it should be. I am so happy that Ryan and Kelly are back together. I mean, there is no bigger high for me. They're no Will and Jada, but they're okay. Oh, and bonus, I get Karen Fillipelli as a boss! So, I guess in conflict resolution talk, this would option 5. Win, win, win. We all win."

Fin.