A/N: I hope you've enjoyed this story so far, this is the last part and I think it wraps everything up nicely, two rather large time jumps at the end but it shouldn't be confusing. There will be more Dylex fics in the future it just takes me some time to get an idea all worked out and wrote down. As always I do not own these characters and in no way profit monetarily from this work.

-Slow and Steady-

Part 3

She looked beautiful in the morning light, Dylan thought as Alex walked to him. She wore white, it shone in the sun, her hair was up and held in place by roses and pearls. And around her neck was his heart. He smiled, he hoped he was smiling, he felt like he cold pass out, but he didn't want to miss one second of this. He noticed Phil for only the moment that he handed Alex to him, then he was gone, there was only Alex and him and the beach and the ocean. Suddenly she was looking worried and he couldn't figure out why, it was a perfect day, soon they would be gone from here to start their life together when they could actually see each other everyday again, so what would could possibly be wrong?

"Dylan, you have to say the vows." Then he noticed the man in the suit beside them, that's right being married was the forever, just had to get through the wedding first. The Justice repeated the lines and Dylan repeated the lines and wiped the tear from Alex's cheek as she repeated the lines. The rings weren't completely gold, they had lapis lazuli embedded in them, as blue as the ocean. Then she was his and he was hers and he gathered her in his arms and kissed her and she pulled him closer and kissed him back.

It was the song they first danced to that was their first dance. Laughter and celebration, friends from college, friends from work, old band mates. The families stood back and watched, trying to figure out when all of these other people had entered their children's lives. Then Dylan scooped up his moon and Alex grabbed hold of her Dad and joined the merriment on the floor. There were speeches, funny and sappy. Cake in the face. A bouquet tossed, a garter snapped, and arms around each other they disappeared. No one mentioned Claire.

-.-.-.-

Alex didn't know if she should be happy or furious when her father mentioned having found her and Dylan a place that was affordable and near her new school. She glared at Dylan, he kissed her on the head and wrapped his arms around her. With his mouth close to her ear he explained that he had only told his father that he was having trouble find a place to live, his father then told her father who had told no one else except the realtor in Honolulu.

They were having dinner, the entire family, Dylan's side, Alex's side, even Claire had been dragged along. Luke asked why they weren't on their Honeymoon yet. It was then that Alex told them that they didn't exactly need on because at the end of the month they would be moving, permanently, to Hawaii. More congratulations followed when told that Alex was going to be working on her Masters from there and Dylan already had a spot waiting for him at a hospital. Then tears, when discussed how much they would both be missed, insistence that everybody would visit each other often. Alex hated when Dylan wasn't near enough to touch. She loved her family, but the years had taught her how to stand without them. Those months that they hadn't been there for her had been the hardest of her life, and as much as she forgave them for that she couldn't help but notice her mother on the opposite end of the table, solitary, eating, hearing nothing, seeing nothing. She was sad for her mother, for not being able to move past her issues with Dylan, she would even forgive her for all of it, when she finally came around. The arm around her waist comforted her and brought her back to the present.

"She'll see one day Alex, don't worry." Dylan whispered in her ear. She smiled and nudged into his shoulder, taking in her favorite scent in the world.

-.-.-.-

-.-.-.-

Alex screamed, the pain was blinding, she wanted drugs and she refused to believe that this would be over quicker than they could kick in. Dylan was there with a cool cloth on her head and saying soothing words, some of them made it through the pain.

"THAT IS MY DAUGHTER IN THERE, OUT OF MY WAY!"

"Mom!"

"Alex honey. I'm here, don't worry baby girl you can do this!"

"Mom, what are you doing here?"

"You didn't think I would miss the birth of my grandchild did you?" Claire was on Alex's other side, taking her daughter's hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"We're going to have a long talk about your timing when this is over mom."

"A long talk honey, but let's get you through this first."

"Mom, thank you."

"I love you honey, I only want what's best for you."

The pain blinded her again. She tried to breathe, her mother squeezing her right hand, Dylan holding her left hand, a cool cloth on her forehead, whispering love into her ear, when she did breathe she saw the ocean in the moonlight, a shadow on the beach, a shiny button on a black jacket, a red heart in a white box, a giant balloon floating down 42nd St., an ocean rushing her to shore, his chest, his hands, his mouth, his sweat, his smile as she twirled around in a black dress, the view from the top of the Pacific Wheel, a family cook-out in her grandfather's backyard, the roller coaster tracks from the first car, the tears in his eyes when she showed him that blue stick, the love in every look, every touch, every word. Then the screaming wasn't hers, the pressure was gone and Dylan was kissing her.

"Congratulations, it's a girl."

"She's perfect, absolutely perfect, just like her mother."

"Just like her father."
"Welcome to the family little one, it's big, and crazy, and loud, but it's full of love and always there for you."

-.-.-.-

Dylan was showing his daughter the G cord as Alex was in the kitchen explaining, very loudly to her mother, yet again, that they were not moving back to California. She sighed loudly and he knew that was his cue, he set Grace down and took the phone from Alex.

"Hey Mrs. D."

"Phil! Dylan's on the phone for you." He muffled his laugh, she may be an excellent grandmother but she was every bit the mother-in-law stereo type.

"Hey Dylan, how's my beautiful granddaughter?"

"She's amazing, everyday. So you still haven't told her?"

"Ah, no. I'm sure she'll figure it out eventually, but we won't give up."

After a few minutes of conversation Dylan placed the phone back into the receiver and joined his wife and daughter on the couch.

"Gave the phone to my dad again?"

"Yeah, I'm sure she'll forgive me for stealing you away one day."

"And that is why I love you, eternal optimism." She smiled at him and he scooped her onto his lap, her stomach with a slight bulge where his second child dwelled. "Take me to the beach." She whispered in his ear, she giggled as he moaned. "Okay, take me to the beach after you take me to the bedroom." She grinned into his neck. "Time for your nap Grace. I have to solve one of Daddy's problems."

-fin-

PS A/N: I hope you enjoyed this work, please feel free to leave a review. And from this fic forward I will be uploading all of my work to AO3 as well as here, it's the same pen name (emeraldlilie) so if you see it there as well don't think it's been stolen it's just me trying to reach a larger audience. Thank you for reading.