Okay. I'm posting the last chapter of this. I like how it turned out. Hope you all agree. Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I still dont own them. But it doesn't hurt to ask for them as a christmas present does it? I'll have to add that to my list.

A Shopping Trip- Chapter Three- Maureen's P.O.V.

Olivia brought me back to dad's apartment around five. When she didn't turn off the car I reminded her she'd promised to talk to him. She got out and followed me up the stairs. When we walk in dad's sitting on the couch watching TV but he gets up and smiles when we walk in the door. "Did you ladies have a good time?"

"Yeah, we found some pretty great things. And it was definitely an interesting afternoon." I shoot a look back at Olivia and she cracks a small smile, but she looks so scared. I wonder if she can do it, or if she's going to make a run for it.

"What about you? Did you find anything good?"

"Yeah, but you'll just have to be curious 'til I wear it to work." And with that she laughs and seems a little more at ease.

"Well, have you guys had dinner? I was thinking of ordering Chinese. You going to stay Liv?"

"Uh, well, I don't know" she glances at me and I give her a look that says 'oh, you're staying.' "Well, I guess I could."

"Great, you want your usual?" she nods then he turns to me, "What about you Maur?"

"Actually, I was thinking of calling Julie and telling her all about my finds. So can you just order me whatever and I'll eat in my room?"

He gives me a funny look but nods, and Livia glares at me, but I just shrug and walk down the hall to the guest room I'm staying in.

"What was that about?" I hear dad ask as I walk away.

"I don't know, she's your daughter. Maybe she likes eating in her room the way you do. Only I bet she won't leave the box in there for a week."

She laughs, and dad responds with, "I do not leave the boxes in my room for a week. It was just that once and that was the next day after we had been called in while I was in the middle of eating it!"

"Whatever, pig."

The next thing I hear is "that's it!" and then Olivia screaming and laughing and yelling "stop it! That tickles" followed by dad's "well that's the point of tickling you!"

They keep laughing, but then get really quiet. I sneak down the hallway and sit just around the corner, so I can hear better and glance around the corner and watch if I want to.

"I love your laugh, the real one I mean. Like the one you just had." Says dad.

"Uh, thanks, I think." Olivia mumbles. I hear her struggling to sit up on the couch and can tell she's getting stressed and uncomfortable again.

Obviously my dad senses it too, because he says, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just…. I need to talk to you, and I guess now's as good a time as any…" she trails off.

I can hear the worry in dad's voice as he asks, "Liv, honey what's wrong? You know you can tell me anything. What happened?"

Part of me thinks I'm hearing things, I mean did he really just call her honey. And she was questioning his feelings? She must be sure now. That is, if she caught it. Then I know she did, because she whispers so soft I can barely hear her, "What did you just say?"

"That you can tell me anything, you know that."

"No, before that. I mean, what… what did you call me?"

He's quiet for a second, trying to remember what he said. Then I hear, "Crap. I said that out loud?"

She laughs, "Uh yeah. Do you say things like that in your head a lot or something?"

"Yeah, well, no, I mean, yeah. I do. They just don't usually come out when you're around."

"Oh really? Now that's interesting. Why do you think you think these things?"

"Are you shrinking me? You know I hate shrinks."

"No, I'm just trying to help you figure out why you said it."

"I don't need help figuring out why I say it in my head. I know the answer to that."

"Ah. You do, do you? And why is that?"

"Because that's how I always refer to you in my head." He says it like it's the most natural thing in the world. Like he can't believe she didn't know that. I stifle my laugh as I dare to peek around the corner and see her shocked face.

"What do you mean that's how you always refer to me in your head?" I can hear the hint of hope in her voice as she says it and wonder if dad picks up on it too.

He must not, because he stumbles over his next words, "Well, I mean you're my partner. And my best friend, and…and…and because I… I love you?"

"What?"

"I said you're my partner, and my best friend."

"After that."

"And because I love you." He groans and puts his head into his hands.

"Y-you love me?"

He looks up and takes a deep breath. "No actually, I don't just love you. I'm kind of IN love with you. I don't just love you like a partner like I should, not anymore, not for a long time."

"Really?" He nods his head and she continues, "Good, 'cause I love you too. And not just as a partner either. That's what I was going to talk to you about and why Maureen's hiding in her room."

I look around the corner again and they're just staring at each other, like they're both unsure of what to do next. "Okay guys, that was sweet and all, but will you just kiss her already dad?"

Well, that's all folks. I don't know what else i could do with this, but if you guys have ideas there's always the option of a sequel. ;-) Thanks again for reading and reviewing. Hope you enjoyed it as much as i did.