A/N: Alrighty! I finally managed to finish this chapter!! Hooray!!! I'm not sure if I'm 100-percent behind it but I'm a perfectionist so whatever, it's done!!! So this is the last chapter story-wise and the next chapter will be the epilogue, which just ties up some loose ends and delivers some much needed fluff! I hope that you guys will read my JoLu drabble series! I'm going to post the first two parts when I'm done with the epilogue for this story. Ok, happy reading and don't forget to leave a review!! And Also I'd like to thank Soulless Warlock for the suggestion for the song/chapter title :)

I never thought that I
Had anymore to give
Pushing me so far
Here I am without you…
Drink to all that we have lost
Mistakes we have made
Everything will change
But love remains the same…

"Love Remains the Same" – Gavin Rossdale

Chapter 13 – Love Remains the Same

"You're choosing her, aren't you?"

Johnny looked up at Brook and sighed. He didn't like the fact that he was breaking her heart once again. It wasn't something that he took pride in, before or after his accident but it was something he had to do. Just one more time in order to set her free.

And to set him free as well.

"I've done… so many things to hurt you, Brook…" he began and she laughed bitterly.

"Oh don't even start that with me, Johnny… if you're going to break up with me… just tell me straight out… you're choosing Lulu over me." Brook stated, crossing her arms across her chest.

"It's—It's not about choosing her over you, Brook… it's… it's more than that…" he said.

"Tell me something, Johnny… how is it that you can forgive her but not me?" she cried.

He took her hand in his and she inhaled sharply. He could tell that the gesture caught her off guard but he owed it to her to be gentle. He would tread lightly and try to ease her fall. It was what he should've done years ago when he began to realize that he would never love her in the way that she deserved to be loved.

"It's—it's not about forgiveness, Brook… we've all done things to hurt each other… and I'd be lying if I said that I was completely blameless in this situation… I mean… I've done this to you… I've made you so incredibly unhappy…" he began.

"That's not true and if you're breaking up with me because that's what you think then I can't even begin to tell you how wrong you are…" she said, her fingertips tightening around his firm hands.

"Don't be easy on me, Brook… I know that I don't make you happy… not anymore at least…" he said, offering a small smile.

"But I—I love you, Johnny…" she whispered, letting two tears slip from each of her eyes.

He reached out and wiped her cheeks and her hand grasped his. He wished that she wouldn't fight this hard. He didn't want this for her because despite everything that had happened, she stood by him for the past four years, enduring all that came with it. He cared too much about her to want this for her. He shook his head and let his hand fall to his side.

"Love isn't supposed to be like this, Brook… you should be with someone who will love you for who you are… not because of some misguided attempt to punish himself…" he said.

"I always knew…" Brook muttered, looking down at her feet.

"Knew what?" Johnny asked.

"That you still loved Lulu… deep down…" she said, lifting her eyes to look at him.

He sighed heavily. He was hoping that she wouldn't bring up Lulu because he didn't want to talk about her to Brook. He wanted to make this as easy and painless for Brook as humanly possible even though he knew that it was going to be nearly impossible for her to emerge from this unscathed. But he looked into Brook's eyes and they were begging for the truth. He had held things in for so long and lied about his feelings that he owed it to her to be honest for once.

"I—I walked away from Lulu once… and it nearly killed me… and now, I don't have the strength or the will to do it again…" he said softly.

She tried to mask her hurt but he heard her sniffle quietly and he immediately wrapped his arms around her. He just held her there as she came apart in his arms, crying and shaking. He bit his bottom lip, trying to suppress the immense amount of guilt that was surging through his veins. Without saying a word, she composed herself and pulled away from him, wiping her eyes and when she looked up at him, she offered him a small smile.

"I'm sorry, Brook… I didn't mean to make you upset or anything…" he said but she shook her head.

"I needed to hear it… hearing it, even if it's hard, helps… so, thank you…" she said.

She looked down at her hand and he watched her take off her engagement ring. She looked at it as it sat in the palm of her hand and then handed it to Johnny.

"You don't have to give this back…" he said, handing the ring back to her.

"Yes, I do…" she sighed.

Brook leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. He could almost feel her letting go… letting go of all the misconstrued fantasies that she had about him and the anxiety that had plagued her for the last four years. She was finally saying goodbye. She pulled away and exhaled softly, gently squeezing his hand.

"Be happy… that's all that I've ever wanted for you…" she said.

"You too…" he said, running his thumb over the top of her hand.

"Goodbye, Johnny…" she whispered.

"Goodbye, Brook…" he said.

As Johnny left the Quartermaine mansion, he could feel a heavy load rise from his shoulders, finally allowing him to breathe for the first time in four years. He knew that the hardest part of his plan to set things right was ahead. He wasn't sure what he was even going to say when he saw Lulu. He was so cruel to her when he had last seen her and frankly he wouldn't blame her if she didn't want anything to do with him after the way that he treated her.

But he prayed that she still did.

He pulled up to the curb in front of the house because a green Volvo sedan was already parked in the driveway. He turned his car alarm and strode up to the front door. His palms began to sweat as he reached for the doorbell. Inside the house, he heard footsteps grow louder as they reached the door. His heart was beating rapidly against his chest as the doorknob rattled. This was it. It was the moment that he had been waiting four years for. He held his breath as the door swung open.

"Well… isn't this a surprise?"

Johnny let out a sharp breath upon realizing who was at the door. Carly Jacks, Lulu's overprotective cousin, was standing before him. She folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the doorway, eyebrow raised but never taking her gaze off him. Internally, he groaned because he knew that Lulu told Carly everything and he didn't doubt for a second that Carly knew everything that was going on.

"Hello, Carly… always nice to see you…" he said, trying to be as polite as possible.

She pursed her lips and her gaze immediately became more scrutinizing, which made Johnny even more nervous. Carly loved Lulu like her own daughter and she was fiercely loyal to her cousin. It was obvious that he had been painted as the villain in the wake of their divorce and Carly surely had every reason to not trust him around Lulu.

"Hi, Johnny… I would say that it's nice to see you too… but I'd be lying…" she said, matter-of-factly, and he chuckled slightly upon hearing her biting remark.

Well, at least he knew where he stood with her.

"Is Lulu here?" he asked.

"No, she's not… I'm only here because she left her scarf at my house…" she said, holding up the burgundy scarf and Johnny nodded because he remembered that it was her favorite.

"Do you know where she is or when she'll be back?" he asked.

"Why?" Carly asked.

"I just—I really need to talk to her… the last time we spoke—" he began.

"Oh, I know all about the last time you spoke… she came to my house right after…" Carly said, cutting him off and he immediately looked down at his feet sheepishly.

"Look, I know what you must be thinking…" he said.

"What I'm thinking? Well, what I'm thinking is that you must have your memory back… because you immediately knew who I was when you saw me at the door… and it's probably why you're in such a rush to see Lulu…" she said.

"And I'm guessing that this is the part where you tell me that I'm not good enough for Lulu and that I should just leave her alone… right?" he asked.

"Is that what you think you should do? Do you think that you should walk away?" Carly asked, walking towards him.

He stepped back slightly, trying to maintain a buffer between the two of them. Carly was probably the only woman that actually intimidated him. He prided himself on being fearless and reckless but being on Carly Jacks' bad side was something that he had learned to steer clear of because the last thing that he wanted was to incur her wrath but it was well justified this time. He had hurt Lulu so many times and she was just looking out for her.

"I know that I've done some horrible things…" he started.

"To say the least…" Carly muttered.

"But I love Lulu… you have to know that…" he said.

He saw Carly's eyes visibly soften upon his words. Despite her doubts and the evidence to the contrary, she believed him. Carly had been there for the worst but she had also been there for the best. Carly was by Lulu's side at their wedding and when Aura was born. On top of that, Carly was named godmother to their little girl. She saw how happy they were… and could still be. She knew that no one could make Lulu happy like he could.

"I don't doubt for a second that you love Lulu… anybody with eyes in this town can see how much you love her… but sometimes… it's not enough… you can't just quit when things get rough!" she said.

"Don't you think I know that? Don't you think that I've regretted every single choice that I made with her? I would give anything… anything to go back and make things right…" he said, beseechingly, hoping that she would believe him.

"If—If I tell you where she is… you have to swear to me… that you won't break her again…" she said, pointing her finger at him.

Johnny felt the ground drop beneath him at her words. He was expecting her to tell him andto not come near Lulu ever again but she knew what he and Lulu had forgotten so long ago. They belonged together.

"I would rather die… than to hurt Lulu again. She's my life… I've—I've tried to live without her and I can't do it anymore… I won't do it anymore… and to be completely honest… even if you don't support us getting back together, I'm still going to fight like hell to get her back…" he said.

Carly tried to conceal a smile upon hearing his declaration and cleared her throat to cover it up. She then folded her arms and nodded her head. He exhaled deeply, completely relieved because Carly wasn't a pushover. Surely if he could take on Carly, he could do anything… including getting his wife back.

"Fine… since you're so passionate about it… I'll tell you where she is…" Carly said.

Lulu stepped out of her car, locking it behind her. It had been so long since she had been here, let alone Manhattan. She sighed and leaned against her car. The building hadn't changed a bit. The same warm brown brick adorned the face of the building and some patches of ivy were growing up the sides. Her keys were heavy in her pocket and she wondered if they still worked.

The keys to their brownstone.

She didn't even know why she came here. She drove two hours to Manhattan on a stupid whim and frankly, she probably wasn't even allowed in the building anymore. Knowing Johnny, he probably sold it right after she left and trying to go in would be breaking and entering. But she just wanted to be there, to be close to that time when things were so perfect. She remembered how she fell in love with this place from the moment she laid eyes on it and Johnny went straight to the realtor the next day and purchased it. She remembered how he whispered in her ear that this was where they were going raise their kids, take walks together around the neighborhood, and grow old together. This house represented a life that they both wanted but never got to have. She reached into her pocket, standing up straight and walked up the small staircase to the front door. Holding her breath, she slid the key inside the lock and was surprised when she was able to unlock it and the door freely swung open.

"Oh wow…" she exhaled.

She was surprised that her key still worked but nothing could compare to her surprise when she looked around her beloved brownstone. Everything was exactly how she left it. The sleek white couches in the living room hadn't been moved an inch, the hardwood floors were still a warm honey brown, the counters were the immaculate gray marble that Johnny had installed when they first moved in, and everything down to the books on the coffee table were exactly how they were when she stormed out of the brownstone and to the train station, leaving him and their broken life behind.

It was like she had never left.

She shrugged off her coat and set it down on the couch. Besides the stuffiness, the house even smelled the same. Maybe Johnny and Brook did spend time here when they weren't travelling the world. The thought of Brook in her house made Lulu's skin crawl but she quickly brushed it aside. Technically, it was Johnny's house since she didn't ask for anything in the divorce. Her fingertips ran across the pristine white leather couch, remembering nights that they sat up all night talking, curled against each other. She would give anything to have those days back.

"Lulu…"

She looked up sharply and saw Johnny standing in the doorway. All of the air in her lungs immediately left her upon looking at him. She blinked furiously, thinking that she was just imagining him. After all, she was in their brownstone, surrounded by their things… maybe because she desperately wanted him with her, she was imagining that he was there with her. Her eyes opened but Johnny didn't disappear. He closed the door behind him and began walking towards her.

"What—What're you doing here?" she asked.

Johnny said nothing, but just stared straight at her with his hands in his pockets. He was studying her face intently and it immediately made her self-conscious. He didn't need to explain what he was doing in his own house but this was the last place she expected to see him. She had told Carly where she was going and even she was skeptical about her wanting to drive all the way down to Manhattan to sit in a house that she hadn't lived in for four years. She looked back up at Johnny and saw that he hadn't moved an inch. This silence was killing her. She couldn't stand to be in the same room as him and not to hear him speak.

"Are you going to say anything to me, Johnny?" she asked.

He didn't speak, only dropped his head, and she nodded slowly. He couldn't even look at her anymore. She could feel her heart breaking all over again. She would've rather have him yelling at her because at least she would know that he cared enough to be angry but silence meant indifference and she couldn't stand the thought of not meaning anything to Johnny when he meant everything to her.

"I'll just go then…" she said, picking up her coat from the couch.

She began walking to the door, putting on her coat. She could smell his cologne as she passed him and she almost fainted because it smelled so wonderful on him. Shaking her head, she reached for the door knob and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Maybe there was no fixing them. Maybe Carly was right by telling her to let it go and to move on. Maybe she was a fool to hang on to Johnny for so long. The pewter knob was cold on the palm of her hand and it sent a chill through her heart. She didn't want things to end like this.

"Your birthday is August 8th…"

Lulu's breath caught in the back of her throat and her hand immediately fell to her side. Those were the first words that he had said to her not out of malice or anger since the truth about their past came out and it was something as trivial as her birthday. It definitely wasn't what she was hoping for when he finally spoke but it was better than silence.

"What?" she asked, turning around to face him.

"Your birthday is August 8th… your favorite movie is Breakfast at Tiffany's… your favorite color is dark green… your favorite band is the Rolling Stones… you nearly burnt down our kitchen when you tried to cook Valentine's day dinner one year… our first dance at our wedding was to 'Ribbon in the Sky' by Stevie Wonder… you wore the lightning bolt necklace that I gave you for our anniversary every single day until you threw it at me at our first divorce mediation hearing… " he said, with his back to her.

He continued prattling off facts and Lulu just stood there completely paralyzed. Surely this had to be a dream. Just a few hours ago, he was so furious with her that she thought that he would never be able to forgive her and now there was something in his voice… something that she hadn't heard in a long time. She cautiously took a few steps towards him, wary of his next move.

"You—You remember?" she asked, completely stunned.

He turned around to face her and she saw the tears gathered up in his eyes. Johnny was never the type of person to show his emotions but when he did, it was so incredibly powerful.

"Yes… I remember… I remember everything…" he whispered.

Lulu couldn't contain herself. The tears came down her face and she flung her arms around his neck and sobbed on his chest. She didn't care if he was going to push her away, she was just so happy to have him back that this small moment would have to last her the rest of her life. But something unexpected happened, instead of being pushed away, Lulu felt herself being pulled closer and Johnny's face burrowed into the crook of her neck. His entire body was trembling as he let go completely and cried. She gently raked her fingers through his cropped hair, calming and comforting him. They had been through more than most couples went through in fifty lifetimes but there they were… so different but exactly the same.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered against her neck.

She cupped his face in her hands, pulling him up to look at her. She slowly smoothed over his features with her fingertips and he then grasped one of her hands and kissed the inside of her palm. The sweet gesture took her off-guard but she couldn't help but to feel warm inside.

"For what? You haven't done anything wrong…" she said.

"It's—It's my fault… all of this is my fault…" he cried.

"What is? Johnny, please… tell me…" she pleaded.

"Aura…" he whispered.

Lulu's heart clenched upon hearing Johnny say their daughter's name. She knew that it must've been hard to have all of his memories of Aura to come rushing back almost instantaneously and of course all fathers had special bonds with their daughters and wanted to give them the world. But with Johnny, it was something more. Aura was almost an extension of his own soul, a living and breathing link that held the two of them together and when she died, so did he on the inside.

"Aura's death was not your fault… you know that, Johnny…" she whispered but he shook his head.

"She was so sick… and I—I couldn't help her… I couldn't help her or you… I failed you both… I'm sorry, Lulu… I'm so sorry…" he cried as he gripped the fabric of her jacket.

"Is that why you left? Because you thought that you failed me?" Lulu asked, lifting his head towards her.

"I thought… I thought that you deserved something—someone better, Lulu… that's—that's why I pushed you away… that's why I threw everything away… " he said.

"Someone better than you? How could I do better than you? I've loved you since I was nineteen years old… and even after everything that's happened, I love you still…" she said.

His eyes flashed to hers and she quickly realized that she had blurted out those three little words that he didn't want to hear from her anymore. She averted her eyes away from his but he cupped her face in his hands and made her look up at him.

"Say it again…" he whispered.

"Say what?" she asked.

"Just say it again…" he repeated.

Her hands found their way to his face and he pressed his forehead to hers. She swallowed hard as she felt his breath on her face. This was the closest that they had been in years, emotionally and physically. They had both been through hell and back, bruised and battered along the way, but determined to get back to each other because they knew that they needed each other.

"I love you…" she exhaled.

She barely got the last syllable out before he pressed his lips down onto hers. His lips were soft but powerful against hers, making her not want to come up for air. She could feel the tears falling from his eyes on her cheeks as he kissed her. He pulled away, slightly panting from his exertion, and looked her in the eye.

"I was so wrong… I can't be noble, Lulu… I know that you deserve someone better than me but I am too damn selfish to let you go again… because without you, I'm nothing… I'm a shadow of what I know I can be… I wanted—I wanted to tell you that day at the train station but when I saw you on that train… I knew that I had lost you for good…" he confessed.

His hands were on her shoulders now, pulling her close to him. Getting his memory back was merely the catalyst for letting all of these repressed feelings from the past four years break through and to freely flow out of him. The words were like heaven to Lulu. Everything that she had hoped that he felt, he did feel. All of these years, he had loved her with the same intensity and passion that he had when they were young.

"You never lost me… I was always yours… even when I didn't want to admit it… I've been running from that for all of these years because I knew all along that there's no one else for me but you. That's—That's why I lied to you, Johnny… I didn't want to admit to myself that I was still in love with you…" she said.

"I love you too…" he whispered.

She immediately threw her arms around him and locked his lips in a kiss in a passionate kiss. She felt his arms wrap around her back and pull her closer. She was never going to let him go for as long as she lived and she knew that he was saying the same thing in his kiss. He delicately swept her up into his arms and carried her upstairs to their old bedroom. Closing the door behind them, they slowly undressed each other, savoring their reunion. He didn't need to say a word because the way that he looked at her said all that she needed to hear. He laid her down against the soft pillows, all the while gazing into her eyes and easing all of her fears. Their union was slow and sweet… long and torturously passionate… but well worth the wait at the end.

"Do you remember when we first made love in this bed?"

Lulu's ear was pressed against his chest, hearing his heart beating happily, as they lay in bed. She was drawing circles on his chest with her fingertips and he was running his hand up and down her arm. Her slender body was curled against his and he wondered how he could've ever had let this go. This was how things were supposed to be. She lifted her head at his question and smiled serenely.

"Of course I do… it was the only piece of furniture that we managed to assemble on our first night together in this house…" she laughed.

"And you were afraid that it was going to break…" he said, smiling, as he curled a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"Well, considering how… passionate you are… I was a little concerned that we didn't assemble it correctly…" she said before kissing him sweetly on the lips.

Johnny wrapped his arms around her and she tucked her head underneath his chin. This was it for him. He would never doubt this again and he would never allow her to slip away from him. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and exhaled softly.

"Lulu…" he whispered.

"Hmm?" she asked sleepily.

"Promise me something…" he said.

She looked up at him, putting her hand on his cheek, and smiled. She ran her fingers over his lips and he gently kissed her fingertips. After everything that they had been through… the lies, the pain, the tears… they managed to make it through.

"Anything…" she said.

"When we get married again… promise me that we'll stay that way…" he said.

She quickly sat up, gathering the white sheets on their bed. The surprise of his request was evident in her eyes.

"You—You want to get remarried?" she stammered.

"I don't care if you want to wait… a day… a year… whenever you're ready… I just need you to promise me that when we get married again, that you'll stay with me…" he said, taking her hand in his.

"I promise… I promise that I will never leave you again… and I need you to promise me that too, Johnny…" she whispered, clasping his hand in her hands.

"I will never leave you… ever again. You will always have me… mind, body and soul… I'm yours forever, Lulu…" he promised.

Lulu leaned in and kissed him gently. Kissing her sent a warmness throughout his body that he hadn't felt in so long. She had brought him back to life after being dead inside for so long. She was truly his other half and he was hers. She pulled back slowly and he could see the light in her eyes again. He was so glad that he was able to put it back there instead of permanently extinguishing it.

"Forever?" she asked and he nodded.

"Forever…" he said.