That evening it was if the morning hadn't even happened. Ric took her out for dinner as was planned; dinner out for them happened every Saturday when Grace was staying with Sam. They'd eaten in every restaurant in Holby, stayed in most of the hotels with more than 4 stars, which actually for a reasonably small city had a fair few of 4 and 5 star hotels. Occasionally if Sam was having Grace for the weekend they'd gone away, most of the time it was to London but on the off occasion Edinburgh and some village in the north of Wales. Saturday nights for the past eight months had been solely dedicated to them. Needless to say that night in Paris was no different, walking through the softly lit city, creating the atmosphere around them she wanted that night. It was when she looked around her she realised that she and Ric looked no different to the other couples sharing that magic what is Paris, she wondered regularly if everyone visiting the city thought the same as she did- it was more beautiful just for them. She did eventually concur, when they reached their destination, that maybe it was just something everyone who came to the city believed however just for this one night of her life she chose to believe that it was just her feeling like that- it certainly made it feel that bit more special for her.

Looking up she realised that they were actually stood in front of the wonder what was the Eiffel Tower, smiling softly she decided to break the awkward silence. "I've never seen it at night... not up close..."
"You not?" he seemed almost proud of the fact he'd done something right, he knew she was in a somewhat fragile mood over the past few days, even if she didn't admit to it. He did care incredibly deeply for her, ever since her first day those 4 years ago and that morning, hearing her say that she loved him shocked him to the core, in a really rather pleasant way. It was something he never expected when their regular sexual dalliances began. Then again, when their relationship, if you could call it that, began he didn't expect Connie to be the sort of woman into handcuffs and whips yet when Sam had Grace out came her toy box and Connie began to play games with him. So after her confession that morning he could hardly believe that it was in fact the same woman, the woman who chained him to her metal head board and left him there for the night, had confessed to loving him. But knowing her as well as he did, he knew she'd be feeling incredibly nervous after that morning's events, he owed it to her to make her feel more special than he had in a long time, she certainly made him feel more wanted than he had in a length of time.
"Ever eaten in the restaurant up there?"
"No" She grinned, "Don't tell me you've gone and booked a table... I couldn't get one when I rang last week and tried to get one..."
"Well, good job I booked nearly 3 weeks ago isn't it." She laughed softly, "Mr Griffin you are one dark horse aren't you."
"Could say the same about you Ms Beauchamp..." He grinned cheekily, leading her up the stairs of the tower "Did I tell you that you look beautiful tonight?" he watched as the colour slowly rushed upwards to her cheeks, even under her makeup he could see them slowly turning to a light beetroot.
"Thank you."

Tonight was the night that the games stopped. The night his position in her life was upgraded from pawn to at very least a prepossessing knight, her knight in shining armour. He was the man who saved her from herself; he changed her for the better. That night she knew that she'd be coming home to the man she truly believed she could spend the rest of her days with quite happily. Realistically the games would never stop. Playing games was what they both thrived on, they got control from them be it him when he'd win the director of surgery position or her when Sam had 

Grace for the weekend and they shared some time together. Ric was the only person to ever beat her at a game; quite honestly it was something she was glad about because it was the day he won that that she realised she was the real winner, she'd won him, his heart and quite honestly not even a job could have replaced that. She thought before that night that the games people play were always about winning, but in this instance she came second and got the better prize, she got someone to love her and quite simply that was a prize she knew she'd never loose.