A/N: Sorry it took so long to get you this chapter!! I wasn't able to finish it before i left for college, and I didn't have any time until just the other day to finish it. I will try to get teh next chapter written quickly, but don't be surprised if this story is not updated for awhile. This chapter turned out a lot different from how I had originally planned, but I am very happy with it. For those of you who wanted me to focus a little more on how Roxanne was handling Kevin's death, I'm sure you'll enjoy this chapter.

Chandler sat up on the platform in front of the large crowd of people that were there for Kevin's funeral. As he looked out over the crowd, he saw several people he recognized, but many people that he did not. As his eyes scanned the crowd, searching for familiar faces, he caught sight of the Camdens, Riveras, Petrowskis, and Kinkirks. His heart went out to Lucy. He couldn't imagine how hard it must be for her to be almost nine months pregnant and attending her husband's funeral.

Chandler's eyes continued on, stopping when he caught sight of his wife, Roxanne, dressed in full uniform, sitting beside her fellow officers and Chief Michaels. He could tell that she was struggling already. She and Kevin had been partners for so long. Not just partners, but good friends as well. He and Roxanne had spent a lot of time with Kevin and Lucy. It had not been unusual to find Chandler and Roxanne over at Kevin and Lucy's, or vice versa. Kevin's death was hard on him because he worked so closely with Lucy and had become close friends with Kevin, but it was even harder on Roxanne. She and Kevin had been partners. They had watched out for each other, and Roxanne was feeling like she had let not just Kevin, but also Lucy and the girls down because she hadn't been able to save Kevin.

Chandler sighed to himself. This was one funeral that, like Reverend Camden's, he would rather not do, but there was no way he would have let anyone else do it. Lucy had asked him to do it, and there was no way he would refuse her.

Chandler stood up and walked up to the front of the platform. "Today we are gathered here to remember the life of Kevin Kinkirk. Kevin died in the line of duty, doing his part to make sure that all of us were safe and that Glen Oak was free of crime. He was one of the most selfless men I have ever known. If you had a problem or needed help, he was always right there to help. He will be greatly missed by this community, his friends, and his family. His wife Lucy and his two beautiful daughters, Savannah and Erin, were his pride and joy."

"I don't know why God chose to take him away from his young girls and his wife, who is almost nine months pregnant with twins, but I do know that God has a reason for it. I know that this does not make it easier for those of you who knew and loved him, but we will see him again. As a very dear friend of mine once said, 'Who am I to question God?'" Chandler looked at Lucy, who had said those words at her dad's funeral. "Ruthie Camden, Kevin's sister-in-law, asked me if she could say something about Kevin."

Ruthie, who had been sitting beside Peter in the same pew as Lucy, walked up to the platform and stood behind the pulpit. "Kevin was like another brother to me. He and I had been close ever since he moved here when Lucy started dating him. He was someone I knew I could go to talk about things that I didn't want anyone else to know. He was the type of guy that you could go to when you had a problem and he'd do everything he could to fix it." Ruthie paused and brushed the tears from her eyes, then continued on in a shaky voice. "Kevin was not just a brother-in-law to me; he was a friend, a confidant, and an encourager. He was always there when I needed him, even if it meant taking time away from what he wanted to do. He was a great husband and father. He loved Lucy with all of his heart, and you could tell that from the way he acted when she was around and the way he treated her. When Savannah was born, and then a few years later Erin came along, Kevin always made sure to spend time with them. He loved them so much. Kevin, we're going to miss having you around and coming over to visit or to check up on things. You're my hero, Kevin."

Ruthie's voice cracked on the last sentence. She stepped down from the pulpit and walked back to her seat with tears streaming down her face. Once she had sat down, Peter put his arm around and whispered, "I'm so proud of you, honey. You did well."

Lucy leaned out to see around Annie, who was sitting between her and Ruthie. "Thank you, Ruthie." She mouthed, wiping tears from her eyes with her hand. When she leaned back, Ben offered her a Kleenex and she took it, giving him a grateful look.

"How are you holding up?" he whispered.

Lucy knew that Ben didn't mean just emotionally, he meant physically as well. "We're doing okay for now. We'll be better once the service is over and I can lie down," she whispered back.

Ben gave a slight nod and turned his attention towards the front again. Chief Michaels was the next person to give a eulogy.

"Kevin was not only one of my officers, he was also a friend. He was a man that I highly respected for the way that he was able to balance his job and his family. After Savannah was born, he even gave up doing police work, something that he loved, to be able to stay at home with her. Even after Erin was born and he came back to work, he always made sure to spend plenty of time with his family. They always came first. Kevin will be greatly missed here at the Glen Oak Police Department."

Before returning to his seat, Chief Michaels turned to Kevin's casket and, while fighting to keep the tears that glistened in his eyes from falling, saluted him.

Chandler stepped back up to the pulpit. "Roxanne Richardson Hampton, Kevin's partner, has worked with him since he first started at the Glen Oak Police Department. She would like to tell you about Kevin."

Roxanne slowly walked to the platform from where she had been sitting. She avoided eye contact with Chandler because she was afraid that if she looked at him, or anyone else for that matter, the tears that were threatening to fall would escape.

"Kevin was a great guy. He and I were partners for quote awhile before he quit to stay home with Savannah and I moved away. Eventually, I moved back here and he rejoined the police force and we were once again partners. He was the best partner that I've had. I trusted him with my life. He was not only a great partner, but he was also a great friend. He and Lucy would often come over to the apartment where Chandler and I lived and we would all spend the evening together. Kevin will be sorely missed by all of the Glenn Oak Police Department. It's not going to be the same without you around, Kevin. I'm going to miss having you as my partner. More than that, I'm going to miss having you as my friend. Goodbye, Kevin."

Roxanne stepped away from the pulpit, and, as Chief Michaels had done before her, turned and saluted the casket. She then walked back to her place among the other officers from the Glen Oak Police Department.

Once Roxanne had returned to her seat, she very discreetly wiped away the tears that she could no longer keep from falling. It was so hard to say goodbye to her partner and friend. She knew that it would not be the same, going into work everyday, without him there. She had always been able to count on him to watch her back. Several times he had kept her from being seriously wounded, if not killed. She felt as if she had somehow failed Kevin by not being able to stop the bullet that had killed him. Why Kevin? He had a loving wife and two beautiful little girls, with another girl and a boy on the way. Why not her? There would be a lot less people hurting if she had been the one who died, rather than Kevin. Her father had died a few years ago, so the only family she had now was Chandler.

Before long the funeral was over, although it seemed like hours to Roxanne. By the time she and Chandler arrived home late that night, all she wanted to do was go to bed.

"I'm going to bed," she told Chandler as they climbed the stairs to the garage apartment.

Chandler didn't say anything; he only nodded. Roxanne hadn't said a word the whole way home, and he knew it wasn't just because she was tired there was something bothering her. However, eh also knew that it had been a long, stressful, emotional day for both of them and it wouldn't be wise for him to push her into telling him what was bothering her right now.

As Roxanne began to prepare for bed, she was surprised to see Chandler getting ready for bed as well. "What are you doing? You never go to bed this early," she said.

"It's been a long day. I just figured I'd go to bed early tonight," he replied quietly.

"Don't you have stuff to do?" Roxanne asked shortly. All she wanted was to be alone, which was part of the reason she was going to bed so early, and now Chandler was going to bed as well, which meant no chance for her to be alone.

"It can wait."

Roxanne sighed. She turned around from where she was standing at the dresser and faced Chandler. "Look, why don't you go study for Sunday or something? I'm sure you can find something to do. You never seem to have a problem any other time." The minute those words left Roxanne's mouth, she regretted them. She regretted them even more so when she saw the look of hurt on Chandler's face.

"Um, okay, I guess I'll go work on my sermon," he said uncertainly. He left the bedroom and sat down on the couch. Had he really been that busy that he had been ignoring Roxanne? Her comment left him wondering if he had been so involved in studying for his sermons or doing other things that he had failed to spend time with her.

The more Chandler thought about it, the more he realized that he had indeed been overly busy lately. He couldn't remember the last time he and Roxanne had spent time together, just the two of them, talking or watching a movie, without him working on something or being distracted because of something that had happened that day.

Roxanne tossed and turned in bed. Why, oh why, had she said that? She had known when she married Chandler that the ministry was important to him and that it would take a lot of his time. She needed to learn to be content with spending time with him, even if she didn't have his full attention. She got up out of bed and quietly walked to the doorway of the bedroom. She could see Chandler sitting on the sofa with his head in his hands. She walked up behind the sofa and put her hand on his shoulder.

Chandler jumped and turned around. He was surprised to see Roxanne standing there. He got up and walked around the sofa to where she stood. He took her in his arms and held her close to him. "I'm sorry, Roxanne. I've been too wrapped up with everything at church. I haven't been spending enough time with you, and when I have spent time with you I've been working on my sermon or so wrapped up in a problem at church that I haven't really been here. And then, of course, Kevin…"

Roxanne put her hand on Chandler's lips and stopped him from saying any more. "I'm sorry for what I said," she whispered. "I didn't mean it. It's just that I'm so tired and it's been a tough day. I shouldn't have said what I did. I know that you have lots of things to do that are important. I can't expect you to spend all of your time with me."

Chandler held her tighter. "Roxanne, I'm the one who's been wrong. I haven't been spending any time with you. You don't have a thing to apologize for. Everything that you said was true." He kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry. I'll do better, I promise. I love you, Roxanne," he whispered into her hair.

"I love you, too, Chandler," She whispered back, allowing herself to melt into his arms; letting his support all of her weight. A tear squeezed out of the corner of her eye and trickled its way down her cheek. She ignored it, hoping that Chandler wouldn't see it, but he did.

"Why are you crying?" he asked, concerned. "What's wrong? Something's been bothering you ever since the funeral. What is it?"

"It should have been me," she whispered. "It should have been me who died, and not Kevin. He has Lucy and the girls, and the twins, not to mention all of the Camdens. Why did it have to be him? Why couldn't it have been me?"

Chandler was shocked. He's had no idea that Roxanne felt that way. He gently picked her up in his arms, cradling her like a baby, went over to the sofa, and sat down with her on his lap. "Roxanne, look at me," he commanded softly.

Roxanne looked up at him with tear stained cheeks.

"Roxanne, I love you. I don't know what I would do if it had been you instead of Kevin. I don't think I'd be able to go on without you. You're all I have left since my dad died, Roxanne. You are my life. Please, please, don't ever think that you're worth so little that no one would care if it had been you who was shot." Chandler's voice was rough with emotion. "I love you so much. If it had been you I wouldn't have been able to stand it. That's why it was Kevin. Lucy has Savannah, Erin, and the twins to remind her of Kevin and to give her a reason to go on living, and she has the Camdens to love her and support her and help her through this. You're all I have, Roxanne." He pulled her tight against him and kissed her gently on the cheek.

Roxanne reached up and wrapped her arms around Chandler's neck, pressing herself against him tightly. She took a finger and brushed away a tear that had escaped from his eyes. "I love you, Chandler Hampton," she whispered.

"And I love you, Roxanne Hampton," he whispered back. "Now what do you say we go to bed and get some sleep? It's been a long day and we're both tired."