The entire world went dark the moment the gun shot reverberated throughout the dimly lit infirmary. Lulu stood breathless, waiting to see which man would roll away unharmed. Time seemed to slow down, each second taking longer than the one before it. She tentatively took a step forward, carefully assessing the situation moment by moment. If Dillon was the one that had been shot, she would give up immediately. It no longer seemed worth fighting for. If he was fine, they would get out of there now and never look back. Shaking her head, she started to bend down and reach for him. He had to be fine because she needed him to be fine. They didn't fight this hard and get this far for it to be over now.

"Dillon," she whispered, her voice barely audible over her heavy breathing. Her fingertips brushed over his cheek as he slowly rolled over. His sage eyes were wet with tears but he was clearly breathing. "Oh, thank God."

Crawling off the guard, Dillon stood up timidly and looked at the dead man below him. They had struggled and the gun had gone off accidentally. He hadn't shot him, but he still felt responsible for his death. In all of his wildest dreams, he never imagined that he could kill a man, but he knew there wasn't anything he wouldn't to make sure she was safe. He would have shot him in cold blood if it meant bringing Lulu home. Kicking him once to make sure he was truly gone, he turned away and let himself actually breathe for the first time. "I didn't mean to…"

"It's over," she murmured as she slipped her arms around him. The man's blood was pooling around their feet and had stained the white button-up shirt he had on beneath the monk's robe. She could hear the footsteps of the approaching policemen but didn't care enough to leave Dillon. She just needed to be near him, in his arms, to feel safe again. This nightmare was finally over. They were back together. The world was right again.

"Lulu!" she heard Lucky call as the men burst into the room. Still grasping Dillon's hand tightly, she turned to face her brother. He smiled gratefully and muttered something under his breath as he pulled her into a hug. Lifting her off the ground, he thanked God softly as he held her. "What happened? Are you okay? Who grabbed you?"

"Slow down, Detective," she taunted him, managing the best smile she could muster given the circumstances. "There will be time for all that later. For now, I just want to get out of here."

Lucky nodded dutifully before heading over to Mac to get clearance for him to take Lulu and Dillon home. Jason had appeared in the doorway, his blue eyes seemingly grateful that she was safe. "I'm glad you're okay," he nodded as he came over to approach them. Dillon shook his hand. "Dillon, I will take care of any legal representation that you may need. Don't answer any questions until you have a lawyer present, you understand?"

"I will," Dillon agreed. "Thanks for everything, Jason."

"You don't have to thank me," Jason shook his head. The quiet man was surprisingly humble. "Lulu is my family too. She matters a lot to Carly and there would be hell to pay if I didn't show up for her. Speaking of which, I should probably call and let her know that you're okay. She's been worried."

"Dillon, can you come over here for just a minute?" Lucky called out, waving his arm. He was standing off to the side, talking to Patrick. He excused himself and left Lulu alone with Jason.

Reaching up, Lulu hugged Jason. She knew that it would make him uncomfortable but she needed to do it. It was the only way she knew how to express how truly grateful she was for him. She was surprised when he returned the hug, if only slightly. "I know that you didn't just do this for Carly, and I appreciate that," she told him. "Can you do me one more favor?"

"Anything," Jason shrugged. He had meant what he said earlier. Lulu was family to him. She had kept his secrets for a very long time, and loyalty meant everything in this life. Between living with her for months and that, she had become like a little sister to him over the past couple years. Without Emily in his life, it felt nice to have someone to protect and look out for. "What do you need?"

"Tell Carly how you feel," she retorted, looking him straight in the eye. "You can pretend all you want, but I know what it's like to be in love with your best friend. I recognize the way you look at her because it's the same way I look at Dillon. She loves you, too, Jase. I know it, and you know it. I could have lost him today without him ever knowing that. Don't risk the same thing with Carly. You two are amazing together, the epic kind of thing that fairytales are made of. I once told Carly that if I could have half of what you two share with Dillon, I'd have everything. Give her everything."

He didn't say anything as he put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed her again. There were no words when someone gives you your entire life on a silver platter. The truth – the one that he knew to be true but didn't always want to see – was right there in front of him, and for the first time in too many years, he couldn't think of a single reason to deny it. "I have to go," was all he said before leaving the monastery undetected. Lulu could bet that she would be hearing from Carly soon.

"You guys can go," Lucky told her a few minutes later when he returned with Dillon. She smiled thankfully at her brother and hugged him tightly one last time. "Jason left his limo downstairs for you to take back to town. I'll be in touch to interview you."

Lacing his fingers through Lulu's, Dillon led her down the stairs, past the staring monks and into the waiting car. Directing the driver back to the Quartermaine estate, they were both quiet on the short trip back to the mansion. Neither said too much, opting instead to enjoy the comfortable contentment of being together for the first time in months. She sat close to him, her knee against his and her head resting on his shoulder. He kept his fingers entwined in hers the entire way until the car finally stopped outside the gate. Thanking him, Dillon helped her out of the limo and let themselves onto the property.

"I can't believe we're finally home," Lulu sighed as she looked up at the vast white mansion. Dillon gazed at her, knowing that she was working something out in her head. "Let's go home."

He didn't have to ask what she meant or where they were going. He knew that they were headed back to the boathouse, their safe haven and the birthplace of all that was Dillon and Lulu. It held all their memories and secrets, the good and the bad. This was the place they belonged in this moment, a brief escape before the world inevitably reared its ugly head and they were forced to deal with reality once again. Once they were inside and the door was locked behind them, Dillon pulled her into his arms and held her to him. "I am so grateful that you are okay. I don't know what I would have done…"

"Don't even think it," she insisted firmly, pulling back to look into his eyes. Reaching up, she pushed a strand of blonde hair from his face and brushed her thumb over his bottom lip. "I knew that you were going to come for me. I knew that if you had any clue that something was wrong, you would fine me. You did. We got through this together just like we have gotten through everything else. It's over now."

Leaning forward again, she kissed him intently with all the emotions that were swirling through her body – the fear, the anxiety, the joy, the bliss, the grief, the anger, the surprise. Above all else, one stood out and that was love. They had been through hell and back. They had tried to feel everything about each other at one time or anther and only one of them ever rose above the rest. "God, I love you," he murmured against her lips. "This is it for us, you and me. I'm not leaving you again. I don't care how hard you try to fight or what you do to push me away, I am going to be with you for the rest of my life. Forever."

Lulu's face broke into a wide grin. "Promise?" she asked him, a cheeky spark glinting in her eyes. He nodded confidently. Stepping back, she traced her fingers down his stained shirt and moved her hands nimbly over the row of buttons. "Let's get you out of this." Dillon allowed her to unbutton the shirt and shrugged it off. It felt to the ground as her hands found its way back to his skin. Her hands brushed over his abs before working up his chest and eventually around his neck. "I'm really glad you're here. I love you, too."

Lucky hit the steering wheel of his police cruiser excitedly as he slipped behind the wheel. Cruz had delivered the car to the monastery as soon as he arrived on the scene, dismissing of any official duties on the case. Since Lulu was his sister and he had worked behind the scenes to secure her rescue, he couldn't really claim that he was impartial enough to give the investigation the unbiased effort that it required. He was fine with that because he had accomplished what he had set out to do. He had rescued his baby sister, and now, she was at home with the man that she loved. Her day had ended perfectly, and now it was time for him to do the same.

Pulling out onto the dusty road, he concocted a plan in his mind to finally make things right. He had spent the last two months fighting everything that he felt because of a betrayal committed in anger. However, he had almost lost her once and now that he could have lost his baby sister, none of that seemed to matter anymore. As he turned onto the access road that ran along the docks, he vowed to himself to not let the sun set without having her back in his arms. He had already confessed his love to her, now he just needed to show her how much he meant it.

After a quick pit stop, he found himself in the underground parking garage at her apartment building. He left his car in her visitor's slot and took the private elevator straight up to the penthouse. Holding a paper bag behind his back, he knocked tentatively on her door and prayed that she was at home. A second later, his prayers were answered when she appeared ahead of him. Lucky dropped the bag at the sight of her as literally leapt into his arms. Holding onto him tightly, she buried her head in the crook of his neck. "Thank God you are safe," she whispered as he carried her into the apartment. He sat her on the couch, leaving her alone only long enough to retrieve the bag and shut the front door. As soon as he sat down again, he was pulling her into his lap. "I was so scared."

"I know," he comforted her, sliding his fingers through her long silky tresses. "It's all over now. Lulu's safe and at home with Dillon. There are still a lot of formalities and details that we'll have to work out, but for now, the nightmare is over."

She pressed her forehead against his and looked into his crystal blue eyes. "I'm just glad you're here with me. I was afraid that you would say those things to me because you were worried and then take them back once everything was okay again," she confessed. "Seeing you now makes it all real again. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't shown up tonight. I just love you so much, Lucky."

"You know that I love you too," he assured her. She nodded happily and returned his reassurance with a crooked smile. He let go of her hand for a moment to pull the bag onto the couch with him. Pulling out the bouquet of yellow daffodils, he pressed them into her hand. "Daffodils symbolize rebirth and indicate the beginning of spring," he explained. "Today is our rebirth, a new beginning after the desolate winter of our relationship. Those two people were former versions of us, but today, I want to make a commitment to starting this new life with you, Sam. I tried it without you, and it just doesn't work anymore."

"Did you know that daffodils also represent hope?" she asked him, lifting them to her nose to take in their sweet scent. "When Alexis was going through chemotherapy, I read everything I could on cancer. I read about this island in Canada where they deliver thousands of bouquets every spring as a symbol of hope for a new beginning. Whether it's a rebirth or hope, I don't really care as long as it means that we are going to end up together in the end."

Lucky kissed her again, swallowing all the last ounces of doubt that dwelled between them. "There is no other ending," he promised as he reached for the bag again. Pulling out a velvet box, he handed it to her. "This is my symbol, my proof of that."

Sam took it timidly and flipped the box open. She was almost scared to see what was inside. She wanted to know what it was, but there were still things they weren't ready for. She would marry him in an instant if that was his question, but she knew that they needed time. There was still a lot that they needed to work through before they were ready for that. She was visibly relieved when she opened it and found an engraved keychain. "What's this for?"

He tilted his head and smiled. "We talked about moving together before this happened. I think it's about time that we make that happen," he declared. "I am still going to be a father to Cameron and Jake. We all need to figure out how to be a family together. We're going to have to work it out with Elizabeth, but I know that we can do that as long as we still together."

"So, you want me to move into your house with you?" she asked skeptically. She liked the idea of living with Lucky but not in the cottage he had shared with Elizabeth.

"No," he shook his head. "I told you that we needed a new beginning. This house is the ultimate symbol of our new beginning. I am going to give Lulu the house. Something tells me that they might need it soon. If you can get out of your lease, this can happen. It's near the waterfront, really close to your mom's house on the lake. I thought we could be closer to Kristina and Molly."

Tracing her fingers over the script carved into the silver heart, she could only nod silently. His word to her, Renaissance, was French for rebirth. He meant what he was saying and his sheer faith in their future made her believe. "How soon can we move in?"

"I cannot believe you are beating me!" Nadine squealed as she pounded her controller excitedly. It was almost more fun for Nikolas to watch her than the game. She had a competitive streak a mile wide and was more into the game than he could have ever imagined. She moved when the screen moved, stomping her feet and muttering whenever things didn't go her way. She was completely enthralled by the virtual world on screen, and it had completely captivated Nikolas' heart. If he hadn't felt something her before this moment, this would have cemented it for him. "Are you sure you've never played before?"

"Never, I swear," he promised as he sat the controlled down beside him. Nadine smiled as she flipped off the console and the television. "That was a lot of fun. I can't believe you actually got me to do that. You should have seen me when I first started hanging out Lucky, Elizabeth and Emily. I had never been to a movie theatre or a pizzeria. Lucky couldn't believe all the things I didn't know about. It was like I was an alien or something."

"Well, you kind of are," she pointed out. She had grown up with the All-American family living in the suburbs with the complete childhood experience. She had been to backyard birthday parties with pin the tail on the donkey and Kool-Aid. She had made out with boys in basements that reeked of pot and hung out with her girlfriend at the mall on many Saturday afternoons. In college, she had joined the pep squad and cheered on the football team every weekend before going to all-night ragers at the frat house that night. Nikolas had missed all of that. "But I like the person that you are all the same. You know about things I've never experienced just like I have been through stuff you can't really conceptualize. We kind of compliment each other like that."

Nikolas nodded thoughtfully as he looked to her wide, baby blue eyes. He had never known anyone like Nadine. She had an innocent awareness that made him want to take care of her for the rest of her life and at the same time a resilient strength that reminded him that she didn't needed him to do that for her. She was a walking contradiction and the ultimate unexpected wonder. "Come here."

She started to argue but as soon as her eyes met his pleading gaze, her counterpoints were no longer valid. Kicking the chair out of the way, she waited patiently for him to move over in the bed before crawling up beside him. This went against all profession protocol, but she didn't care. For the first time in as long as she could remember, she needed to be with someone. She needed to feel his skin against hers, to bask in their mutual warmth. He cradled her against him, careful to not pull on any of the cords or tubes running over his body. "This feels nice," she admitted as he kissed the top of her head. Nadine turned slightly and placed her hand over his chest. "Your heart's racing."

"It's been a long time since I've been nervous around a girl," he confessed. She blushed deeply as they both fought to suppress a chuckle. "I like how you make me feel. I like seeing you with my son in your arms. I like how completely unexpected you were. I like how you don't back down from me. I like so much about whom you are and who I am when I am with you."

"I want to try this," she told him finally. She had been thinking it, holding it back, not wanting to believe it for so long, but the time had finally come for her to admit the truth to Nikolas as well as herself. She still couldn't compete with Nikolas and Emily, the golden couple, but maybe she could help him become something completely different altogether. She wasn't a fairytale princess. She was a real life girl. "We have to take it slow. It's going to take time, but I want to try. I want to get to know you outside these walls, and I want to spend time with Spencer. He's just as important in all of this as you and me."

He cocked his head to look down at her, leaving them mere inches apart. "You have no idea how much you have come to mean to me so quickly," he told her. "I can't get over how unexpected you were. I didn't see you coming."

"Trust me, you weren't my plan either," she giggled. His eyes were dark and foggy with something familiar. She knew it was desire, not of the sexual flavor but of emotional contentment. "I thought I came here to see my sister and be a nurse. I went to a ball at some mansion, the first really formal event of my life, and I ran into some guy who was really nice to me."

"That night definitely changed my life in more ways than one," he decided aloud. Nadine stayed silent, knowing that he was processing a lot. She allowed him to slide his hand down to hers and weave their fingers together. "I never thought that life could get better. Maybe it really hasn't. It's just different."

"And that's okay, Nik," she assured him. "I don't want to take her place. I've told you that I can't compete. I just want us to have the chance to be ourselves, who we are together. It's something completely different."

Grazing her cheek, he pulled her mouth to his and fully captured her lips. "I think I can manage that," he sighed happily. Nadine sighed involuntarily as she snuggled against him. "You've been watching over me all week. Why don't you get some sleep?"

"Okay," she relented sleepily, finally relaxing for the first time in far too long. Sleep overtook her quickly and Nikolas enjoyed the feeling of having someone in his arms. Just before she fell asleep, she murmured something inaudible to him. He chuckled to himself and let his own eyes fall shut. It was their first night sleeping together, and neither of them could imagine anything more perfect.