Chapter 12

Kelly lay on his bed in his office, staring at the ceiling. It's been two days, three hours, forty-six minutes, and twenty-six seconds. Since he talked to Stella. He has called her countless times, but her phone goes straight to voicemail. She hasn't been home. No one had seen her since the birthday party when she overheard a conversation about the plan.

Herrmann came to Kelly and Dawson and told them that Stella knew about the plan. He apologized over and over; he said she was crying and looked devastated. She told Hermann she had to leave and not to follow her; she needed to be alone.

She didn't have her car because she came to the party with Kelly. So, he couldn't figure out where she went; no one even knew she left except Herrmann, who is still kicking himself for what happened and not going after her.

"Hey," Casey said as he entered Kelly's office.

"Did Dawson talk to her?" His voice was full of curiosity.

Casey sighed. "No, she hasn't," he told him. His wife and best friend were both upset, and he didn't know how to fix it. He told Gabby this could happen, but no one wanted to listen.

"Where can she be?"

"I don't know."

"I think she got kidnapped."

"You sound like Gabby; she believes the same thing; she even called her brother."

Kelly sat up. "Casey, no one has seen her in two days; her phone must be turned off or dead since it goes straight to voicemail. She hasn't been home; I've been sleeping on her porch. Her Jeep is in the driveway, and her mail hasn't been checked. She didn't even come to work today; you know that's not something Stella does. That's the only thing that makes sense. "

"You've been sleeping on her porch?"

"Yeah, I am worried about her. So, I go and sit on her porch. I'm hoping she comes home; she has to come home sometime. And last night, I...

Casey gave him a confused look. "Last night, you did what?"

He put his head in his hands. "I kind of busted down her back door last night. I needed to make sure she was okay. "

"But she wasn't there?" Casey asked.

"No, I don't know where she is. I'm so worried about her and my baby." He tells him as he looks up at him with tears in his eyes.

"I know; I wish I had answers for you," Casey said as he patted him on the back. Not knowing what to say, he was worried about where she was too. Everyone was.

A knock on the door interrupted them. " Hey!" Antonio said as he entered the room. "Look, Gabby told me about Stella. I've been working undercover the last few days; I haven't even been home to see my family in a week. I got some people looking into it. The unit is undercover right now, so we can't really do much. But I got this, I promise. We will find her."

"I hope so," Kelly tells him.

"Severide, we will, I promise."

"Thanks, man," Casey said as he shook his hand. He looked at Kelly, who was looking down at the floor. He's never seen him so heartbroken.

Brett walked by, noticing her husband in Severide's office. "Hey!" she said as he stepped out of the office.

"Hey, baby!" He hugged and kissed her.

"I thought you were working undercover this week too; the kids miss you."

"Just the kids?" he teased, as he kissed her forehead.

"Me too, of course," she tells him as he holds her close.

"Dawson and Kelly believe Stella was kidnapped, so I'm going to have Trudy look into it."

Brett pulls back "No, don't get Trudy involved," she said, pulling him far away from Kelly's door. "Stella wasn't kidnapped; she's at our house."

"Why haven't you told them? " He questioned her. "Kelly is a mess, and Gabby is driving me nuts with all the texts and calls.

"She told me not to." Brett sighed and pulled him to the side, making sure no one was around. "After Jackson's party, the kids and I went home. I gave them a bath, and they were exhausted from playing in the pool all day. So, I put them to bed. I went downstairs to straighten up. And let the dog out in the backyard. He was barking, so I went out to see what he was barking at. " She paused, looking around again to make sure no one heard her. "I saw Stella sitting under the map tree we planted."

"You have to tell them, sweetheart."

"I know, but I need to talk to Stella first."

Stella stood by the window, watching the rain come down. The weather matched her mood today. She has spent the last two days in Brett's bedroom.

After questioning Hermann about what he said, he pulled her to the side. He told her it was Gabby's idea and that Gabby's heart was in the right place. She just wanted her to be happy. He told her that Kelly was head over heels in love with her. But when she asked him if Kelly knew about the plan, the look on Herrmann's face told her everything she needed to know.

She wondered if Katie was in on it, and that was why Katie told her that Kelly was in love with her. It was all part of a plan, a trick; they deceived her. All of them did.

She heard Tony say that Kelly told everyone in the firehouse that he was in love with her. Ritter said that she and Kelly were clearly in love and that everyone saw it. Capp said she wasn't too bright because she couldn't see Kelly was in love with her. Herrmann said Kelly needed to be honest with her.

But the one thing she can't get out of her head is what Cruz said. He said that Kelly told Dawson, Casey, and Anna that he was in love with her. Why didn't he tell her? That was months ago when Anna was here, or did he see her again and never tell her?

Kelly told her he hadn't had sex since the last time they had sex, and he didn't want to have sex with anyone else. Was that the truth, or was that part of the plan?

She was mentally overwhelmed and emotionally unstable. And confused beyond a doubt.

Brett told her that she knew he told Dawson and Casey, but she wasn't sure about the Anna part. Brett apologized over and over for not telling her about the plan and told her Casey was the only one dead set against it.

She turned her phone on and sent Brett a message. It was time for her to quit hiding. She couldn't hide forever; she had to face everyone sooner or later.

Brett had just gotten back from a call when her phone beeped. Her eyes widened. She replied to the text and then went to find Casey.

"Chief, do you have a minute?" Brett asked as she stood in Casey's doorway.

Is everything okay?

"Yeah, it's kind of personal, but if you're busy, I can wait."

Casey shook his head. "No, come on in."

Brett closed the door behind her. "So, please don't be upset with me for what I have to say."

Casey gave her a confused look. "Okay, I won't."

She sat down and took a deep breath. "I know where Stella is; I've known since Saturday night."

Casey's eyes widened. "What? Where?"

"She's at my house; I found her in my backyard when I got home from Jackson's party. She was pissed off and told me not to tell anyone she was there." she sighed. " I talked her into coming inside, but she wouldn't talk to me. She said that after learning about the plan, she just needed to get away. As she was walking out of your backyard, she realized she didn't have her car. And since I live four houses down from you, she went to my backyard and hid."

Casey was surprised; he never thought about her being at Brett's. "She's really mad."

"I think she's hurt more."

"Makes sense."

"So, you can't tell anyone where she is, especially Kelly or Gabby."

"Brett, I have to...

"Look, I just got her to forgive me; I don't want her to be pissed at me anymore."

"Then why are you telling me?" Casey asked.

"She texted me and asked me to tell you she was sorry for not coming in today; it was very unprofessional. But she wasn't emotionally prepared to deal with anyone, mostly Kelly. She also wants to talk to you."

He was surprised by that request. "Why me?"

Brett shrugged. " She asked me who all knew about the plan, so I was honest with her. I told her we all had our opinions and told Gabby it wasn't right, but in the end, Gabby, being Gabby, was able to convince us it was a good plan and no one would get hurt. She convinced everyone but you. I told her you were very vocal about the plan not being a good idea, and you and Gabby fought over it. And that you refuse to have anything to do with it," she sighed. "So, I think that's why she wants to talk to you, maybe."

Casey nodded. "Well, maybe she's not that upset anymore; she's had two days to cool off."

"She was more talkative last night, so maybe so."

"She's at your house right now?"

" Yeah."

Casey stood up. "Will you tell Severide and Herrmann that I had to step out for about an hour?"

"Yeah, are you going to see her now?"

"I've got a stressed-out wife and a heartbroken best friend who thinks she's been kidnapped. I have to talk to her now."

"I hope it works because I think Severide is going to be the one hurt in the end. And it's not fair to him."

" Me too," he told her, as they walked out of the office.

Casey knocked on Brett's door. She took a deep breath before opening it.

" Hey!" He says that as she opens the door, she looks pale and rundown.

"Hey!" She replied as she let him in.

"You have a lot of people worried about you." He tells her. "I'm glad you're okay. Gabby and Kelly think you got kidnapped; they got the police involved."

" What?" She yelled, "Your wife is overly dramatic."

Casey sighed, "Sometimes, but I kind of understand where they both are coming from."

"Thinking I was kidnapped is ridiculous."

"No, not really. You turned your phone off, haven't been home, and disappeared for two days, five hours, thirty-seven minutes, and twenty-four seconds." Casey said as he looked at his watch.

Stella raised her eyebrow. "You kept count?" she laughed. "I didn't think you cared that much," she teased.

Casey smiled at her, happy to see her smile. "I do care a lot; all of us at 51 care and have been extremely worried about you." He walks closer to her. "But no, I didn't keep count," he tells her. "Severide did." Stella's smile faded, and her head dropped. "He's a mess; I've never seen him so heartbroken."

Stella looks at Casey. "Did Gabby actually think her plan was going to work?" she asked, ignoring what he said about Kelly.

"Look, you know her heart is in the right place; she wants you to be happy. And once Gabby makes up her mind about something, no one, not even me, can change it." He sighed "I do think she believed it would work, even though we all told her no, including Severide. He wasn't on board at first."

Stella nods and says, "Then why did he go along with it?"

"Cause he let Gabby and Jennifer convince him that it would work, and you two would finally be together. The man was desperate."

"Was this plan to get us together for the baby's sake?"

"No, not all. Is that what you think?"

"Gabby wasn't happy about the deal we made, so I thought the reason everyone was in on this stupid plan was that they wanted us together for the baby."

Casey nods. "When you came to 51, you and Severide just clicked. I know there was a little fling at the beginning, and it flamed out quickly. I also know Grant played a huge role in that flameout. Then life happened—Anna happened, Zack happened—and the timing was just never right. But through all that, you guys' friendship blossomed a strong connection, a connection I've never seen Severide have with anyone."

" Really?"

"Besides Shay, your connection with him is more than just a friendship one like he and Shay had. In my opinion, you both are his soul mates, she is his friend soul mate, you are his meant-to-be soul mate, and you both have the same connection with him, just on different levels. "

" That makes sense sort of."

"You and his baby are all he thinks about. You can believe me or not."

"I believe you; I've been thinking about everything that's happened lately, and Casey, I'm not blind or deaf like Capp said; I see he actually cares for me."

"It's not my place to tell you how he feels; he needs to man up and do that himself," Casey said as he reached for her hand. "You have every right to be pissed at all of us for lying to you. But the intentions of the plan were not to hurt you, Stella; none of us, especially Gabby and Kelly, wanted to hurt you; please believe that." Stella nods. "I'm glad you found out about the plan."

"You are? Why?"

"When Cruz asked Gabby what she was going to do if plan A didn't work, she told him the alphabet had twenty-five more letters.

" Wow!" Stella shook her head.

"I couldn't do twenty-five more Gabby plans," Casey said laughing.

" Me either, honestly," she said after pausing for a second. "Did he really tell Anna he was in love with me?"

Casey looked at her for a moment, knowing he could make her happy by telling her what she wanted to know. But instead, he decided it wasn't his place. "If you want the answer to that question, you have to ask Severide. It's not my place to answer it. All the questions you have about how he feels about you should be answered by Severide."

She bit her lip and looked away. She had a feeling he was going to say that.

"It's time you two actually sat down and communicated, laying it all out on the table. Whatever happens, happens. Life is way too short to not tell people how you feel."

"Thank you," she told him, pulling him into a hug. "I'm not ready to talk to Gabby or Kelly just yet."

" Stella...

"I will send them a text right now to let them know I'm okay, but I still have some things to work out for myself. I do love Kelly; I'm not trying to hurt him. I just need to do this on my time and in my own way."

Casey gave her a soft smile and said, "I get that, and to answer your other question. Our 51 family went along with the plan because they see the connection; they want you guys together because they know you guys are meant to be. They wanted that before this whole baby-making thing came up. So no, they aren't pushing you together because you're pregnant. They want you together because they love you both and want you both to be happy."

"Thanks for clearing that up for me."

"Anytime, I need to get back to the station." He tells her as he walks towards the door. "Stella, could you make sure you send Severide a text before shift is over? I don't want him sleeping on your porch anymore."

" What?"

"He spent Saturday and Sunday night on your porch the whole night. Waiting for you to come home. As I said, he's a mess. "

Stella gave him a small smile. " I'll text him right now." She hugged him again.

Casey walked back into the firehouse. "Baby, Stella is okay; she texted me and said she just needed some time to herself. And she forgives me. She told me not to worry about her. She is fine." Gabby told him, with a huge grin across her face.

"That's awesome; I'm glad she's okay," Casey told her. Happy that things were finally coming together.

"Well, at least she's okay," Kelly said

Casey and Dawson turned to look at him. "Did you get a text too?"

"Nope, of course not," he tells them. "I don't matter to her; I'm just a sperm donor." He said this before walking away.

Brett and Casey share a look. "That doesn't make sense," Dawson said. "Why would she forgive me and not Kelly? It was my stupid idea."

"It's confusing," Mouch told them. "She forgave me, Capp, Tony, and Otis. We all got a text from her."

"So did Ritter, Gallo, and me," Cruz said. "Why not Severide?"

"Maybe she is still thinking about what to say before she texts him," Brett said, hoping she was right.

"Yeah, Brett's probably right," Casey told them. She promised him she would text Severide. Why would she text everyone but him?

The next evening, everyone was over at Otis and Lily's for movie night. Something the group did once a month. The adults would watch a movie upstairs, and the kids would watch a kid's movie in the basement.

"No chick flicks," Hermann said, as he sat down.

"No horror movies," Cindy added, "I will have nightmares." Cruz and Otis rolled their eyes.

"Is Stella coming?" Lily asked as she walked in with the popcorn.

"I told her about it, but she didn't say whether she was or not," Brett told her. " She did go home last night. So that's a good sign."

"She's at home," Gabby said.

"Yeah, when I got home from my shift this morning, she left a little thank you note and said she was going home."

"She was at Molly's last night," Herrmann said.

"What?" Casey asked

"She called me yesterday while we were on shift. And said she was going to pick up a shift at Molly's. I said okay, and asked if she was okay. She said she was better than she was. That was that."

"Better than she was? What does that mean?" Dawson said.

"I think it means what it means—she was upset over the whole plan crap, and now she is better. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out." Herrmann said as he grabbed the popcorn bowl. "Now back to the movie,"

"The movie hasn't even started yet," Cruz told him.

"Well, get it started; you're wasting my precious time."

"No romance movies," Mouch said.

"Why do we do this movie night thing if we can never agree on a movie?" Cruz asked.

"Because we're morons," Mouch said. "And we like to disagree about everything."

Everyone laughed, except Dawson and Casey, who seemed to be lost in their own thoughts.

"I didn't ask her why she didn't text Severide; I wanted to, especially since he was so upset. But I figured it wasn't my place. " Brett said, changing the subject.

"I wanted to text her too and ask, but I didn't want to upset her," Dawson said. "Hopefully, she knows what she's doing and doesn't blame Severide for everything."

"Unfortunately, that's what she's doing; she is forgiving everyone and pushing Severide away," Casey said as he sat down next to his wife.

"My stupid plan made things worse," Dawson said as she sipped her wine.

"It sure did," Hermann said. "No more following Gabby's plans in the future. Gabby's ideas are bad ideas."

"Amen to that," Gabby said.

"Not all of Gabby's ideas are bad, just ones where I'm the subject." Stella, she said as she entered the room.

Everyone turned to look at her. "Stella, you came," Gabby said as she stood up.

"I was invited," she said, nervously.

"Of course, you were. Come on, sit down," Otis told her. "We're happy you're here," she said, smiling as she looked around the room. "Stella, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Otis," she said, interrupting him. "Look, I'm not here to argue or disagree with anyone. Yes, I was hurt by the plan and very pissed. But spending the last few days by myself and thinking about everything, I realized that you were all just trying to help me see what was right in front of me. " She took a deep breath, "So let's just forget about everything and go back to normal. I missed all of you. "

"We missed you too," Gabby said as she hugged her.

" Get out of the way, my turn," Mouch said, as he pushed Dawson away.

Everyone was hugging her, but Casey was just sitting there, debating with himself. "What about Severide?" he asked, causing the room to go silent.

"Matt," Dawson said in an irritated tone.

" Sorry, Gabby. I'm just curious to see where he fits into all this. "

Stella's smile dropped. "What do you mean?"

"You're standing here making amends with everyone but Severide; you texted everyone yesterday but Severide, so I'm curious. Where does that leave him, since you want things to go back to normal? What exactly is back to normal for you?"

Stella bit her bottom lip, everyone was looking at her, she didn't like all the attention on her. " I know we nee...

"Do you care that you crushed him yesterday?" Casey said, interrupting her. "That he thinks you only think of him as a sperm donor, nothing more."

"Casey that's enough," Herrmann said.

"No, Herrmann, she needs to know how hurt he is, how he...

"Shut up, Matt!" Gabby yelled. "Knock it off," she tells him as she pulls him out of the room. "What the hell was that?"

" What? I was just asking what we all wanted to know."

"You're being a jackass."

"No Gabby; he's right." Stella, she said as she walked into the kitchen. "I get why he's upset."

"You do?"

"Kelly's his best friend, and he doesn't want his friend to hurt. I'm not blaming him; I actually came tonight because I thought he would be here."

"Otis invited him, but he told him not tonight."

"Oh," Stella replied. She wondered why he wasn't there. "Casey, I'm not going to hurt him. I promise." Casey arched his eyebrow. " I'm taking your advice. It's time we had a conversation. A much overdue conversation."

Casey smiled. "Good," he tells her as he hugs her.

"So, will you both let everyone know I had something important come up and I'll make the next movie night?"

"Go get him," Gabby said as she hugged her.

Kelly lay on the couch in the dark, with no TV, no music, and no other sound. He was alone with just his thoughts and memories. He wondered if he had just listened to his heart and told her how he felt months ago, would she be lying beside him right now?

"It's pretty creepy in here," Stella said as she walked into the loft. She saw him lying there, staring up at the ceiling. He didn't say anything. He just continued to look up at the ceiling. She sat down in the chair next to the couch. "Kelly, I'm sorry," she said, as she watched him. He still didn't say anything or even look at her. "I didn't mean to shut you out; I was upset and hurt. I needed time to process everything."

"Why don't you just be honest with me? Stop lying." He said his tone was flat, almost uninterested. "I didn't get a text because you don't care; I don't matter to you."

"Do you really think I didn't text you because I don't care, that you don't matter to me?"

"That's what it seems like."

Stella stood up and said, "Then you don't know a damn thing about me."

"Apparently not,"

"Kelly, sending you a text was too damn hard. You think I didn't send you a text because you don't mean that much to me like everyone else. You're wrong." She ran her fingers through her hair. And turned away from him. Trying to gather what she wants to say. " You mean more to me than everyone else." Kelly slowly sat up; her back was turned away from him. "You are so important to me; you are so special. Having a guy's best friend is the greatest, until you...

"Of course, it is, especially when you need a favor." He interrupted her. He really thought she was going to say something else, but once she said the word friend, he knew where she was going. And he didn't want to be her friend anymore; he couldn't just be her friend.

She turned around, and their eyes met for the first time in over two days. "What the hell does that mean?"

Kelly shrugged, "I'm just a sperm donor to you; you asked for a favor, I helped out, you got what you wanted now you're done with me."

Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. She was shocked that he just said that to her. She knows he is upset with her, but this was a slap in the face. "I..." she started, but her tears were flowing and she needed to get away from him.

He watched her walk toward the door. "Bye, have a good night," he said, as she opened the door.

She stood there with the door open, her blood boiling. She has never seen him like this. "No, no, I'm not leaving things like this," she said, as she came back inside and slammed the door. "We need to talk; we can't keep avoiding the subject. I came to talk and finally get things off my chest. and you are going to shut up and listen."

Kelly was a bit taken back by her words. He stood there with his arms crossed. He felt bad that she was crying and that he was the reason, but he had to stay strong. He's hurt, and he doesn't think she cares that she hurt him.

"I'm sorry that I didn't text you; I'm sorry that I hurt your feelings; I'm sorry that you think you don't mean anything to me. And that you think I think of you as just a sperm donor. But you are wrong about everything." She tells him, "I didn't text you because I wanted to talk to you face-to-face; I couldn't text you what I wanted and needed to say. It was a conversation we needed to have in person. "

He watched her close her eyes and take a deep breath. He watches as she rubs her little baby bump. He mentally kicks himself for everything he said to her. He was hurt and wanted to hurt her. She's crying, and it's taking everything in him not to hold her. He stands there with his hands in his pocket. She's a few feet away from him; he hasn't seen her in two days, and he swears she's got more beautiful.

"Kelly, you mean so much to me; our friendship is everything to me. I love you; you know that."

"I love you too." He replied as he looked down at the floor: Of course, she loves him as a friend.

"No, you don't understand; let me say this." Stella took another deep breath. "I've been holding this in for a really long time, and you need to know. I love you; I'm in love with you." He snapped his head up and said, "You are more than a damn sperm donor to me; you're my safe place. No matter my situation, I can always count on you, knowing that everything is going to be all right. I'm so in love with you, Kelly Severide." She cries, their eyes lock, her pulse is racing, and her heartbeat is so loud she wonders if he can hear it.

Kelly was motionless; he couldn't believe she actually said it. Words he's been wanting to hear for years. "Stella," he started. He noticed her eyes widen, and she grabbed her stomach. "What's wrong?" He said as he walked over to her.

She reached for his hand... "Feel this," she said, as she guided his hand along her tummy. "Wait a second. it will happen again..." she said, as she continued to move his hand.

"It's kicking," Kelly said as he felt a little movement. "Wow! It's the first kick," he whispered, feeling his baby kick for the first time; it wasn't anything like when he felt Jackson kick. This was different; this meant more; this was their child.

Stella loved how his face lit up... "Yep, that's our baby," she told him, happy to share this moment with him. "It's not the first time he or she kicked."

"What?"

"The first time was a Saturday morning; I meant to tell you, I really did..."

"It's fine; I'm just glad I got to feel it. I can't wait to meet him or her." He tells her as he kisses her stomach.

"Why didn't you tell me four months ago you told Anna you were in love with me?"

He looked up at her. "I wanted to; I really did. I..

She put her finger to his lips to silence him. "Did you mean it?"

"Yes. With my whole heart," he tells her as he wraps his arms around her. "I love you; I'm totally and completely in love with you, Stella Kidd."

"It's about damn time," she said, as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She kisses him softly.

He pulls back, and she gives him a confused look. "I'm sorry for what I said to you, especially the donor stuff. I was hurt and..."

"It's okay; I know you didn't mean it. Kelly, I don't want to mess this up again; I don't want us to flame out again. I'm never letting you go again."

"Neither do I; we're done being stupid. And for the record, I'm the one never letting you go again," he tells her, reconnecting their lips. Within minutes, their hands were roaming. Stella slipped her hand under his shirt as she pulled it up over his head. It quickly landed on the floor.

Stella could feel his erection as it nudged her. She began to run her hands down his chest until she got his belt buckle. She began to nibble on his neck while she worked to get his pants undone.

"Impatient tonight, huh?" Kelly smirked as she just rolled her eyes. He lifts her and carries her to his bedroom. He gently lays her on his bed. He kicked off his shoes and pants, then laid down on her in only his boxers, which her hands went to pull down. "Stop, my turn," he grins before placing a short kiss on her lips. and then moving to her neck. Smiling. He makes his way to her stomach, kissing it softly. She sat up so he could remove her shirt. Which he did, throwing the shirt behind him. He kissed her neck, moved to her chest, and slowly removed her bra, also throwing it behind him.

They fell back against the bed, smiling. "I love you," he said, with such honesty. As he caressed her cheek.

"I love you too," she said, as she ran her hands down his back. Making his heart sing with joy.

He lets his free hand rest on her hip, moving it to the buttons on her jeans. His hand slowly reaches her left breast and palms it. He kisses down her neck, her collarbone, and her breast, then slowly takes a nipple in his mouth. A few seconds later, he moved to the opposite mouth and worked her breast; as his hand moved to unbutton her jeans, he pulled back from her breast to remove her jeans and panties together, then threw them to the floor. "So beautiful," he whispered, as his hands ran up her thighs, softly caressing them. "Kelly," she groaned with frustration, "Please," she begged,

"In time, baby, in time." He smiled, knowing she was going crazy. He kisses up both legs; seconds later, he blows hot breath across her fold.

"Kelly…" It barely escaped her mouth as she felt his lips go lower, kissing her most sensitive spot. Then down to her inner thigh, smooth on his lips and fingertips, he carefully teased her as he planted each kiss with his hand following close by. On her other leg, going the opposite way, going up this time, his hand was outside her leg as he kissed the inner leg. "I…need…" She managed to hiss before his tongue entered her. Completely altered by the feeling, she ruffled his hair while relentlessly screaming his name into the air. His tongue twirled inside of her, and his fingers were massaging. "Stop…stop…" She moaned, not able to take the feeling any longer. He smiled, knowing what he was doing, his lips curling. "Kel...lly." She groaned, her breathing hastening as she came to.

She grabbed his face as he came closer. Both hands pulled him close for a soft kiss, then she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tight as their kiss turned into a strong, passionate need. She needed him and wanted him so badly. "I need you..." she whimpered weakly in his ears, pulling on his boxers that separated them.

Kissing her lightly on her ear and whispering sweet gestures, he entered her body so slowly and intimately that he caused her to sigh and gasp at the same time.

"mmm..." she purrs.

Driven by her sounds of pleasure, he started to pump his hips faster, leaning forward to press his forehead against hers, they stared at each other. "I love you," he said tenderly, as he continued to pump steadily inside of her. He has never felt happier than he is right now.

"I love you too." Her voice is weak. Their eyes are still locked on one another as they make love. No more words were said as they continued their lovemaking. Moments later, they both cried out each other's names in pleasure as they cum together.

He collapses next to her, smiling blissfully. He reaches for her hand, and their fingers entwine. She moved closer to him, resting her head on his chest. as he wrapped his other free arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "I love you." he said again. He just loves being able to say the words anytime now.

She loved to hear it: "I love you," she whispered, as she drew circles on his chest. "So, what do you say about moving in with me for real?"

He smiled and said, "It's the third-best thing I've ever heard."

She looked up at her. questionably. " Third? What are the first two?"

"One is when you told me you were pregnant; two is just a few moments ago, when you told me you loved me, I felt like I'd waited a decade for this moment..."

"The wait is over now; I'm all yours, and you're all mine."

"Damn straight," he whispered, as he rolled her onto her back. "Ready for round two?" he smirked. Before she could speak, he kissed her lips, gently at first, then more deeply and urgently until their mouths were open with passion.

Everything is finally falling into place, and it is the best feeling in the world.