A/N: Yes, I admit: I wanted to get it over with. Just the Epilogue to go now!

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.

'The Great Mr. Jane'

Chapter Seven

The day of Walter's party, and I could see most people had mixed feelings. By now, everyone had heard about Teresa and Walter's plan – but of course, everyone except for Jane.

When I had seen him standing in his house all alone I had been so tempted to simply tell him, but I supposed Teresa really wanted to keep it a secret so far. It wasn't my call, I knew that, but I wasn't the patient kind of person. I couldn't wait to see Jane's reaction when Walter and Teresa informed him of the news.

I thought it was stupid that they didn't want to tell him. Something quite as big as this couldn't be ignored – it was becoming the elephant in the room. It was as though they were falling back into their old behavior, only then with better solutions.

Walter and Teresa were getting closer, though. I saw their demeanor had changed – instead of Teresa kissing him when he had arrived home, she had hugged him, in a way in which I would hug her too. A friendly way. Walter hadn't looked sad with the change, he even looked happier. I had pulled him aside that morning, and had asked him what he was feeling.

He had told me that he was glad to have a friend like Teresa – which, consequently, gave Walter and Teresa a very odd marriage, if they considered each other good friends already.

The night of the party, and everybody was ecstatic. Johanna kept running around the house, correcting Wayne every time he did something she didn't deem appropriate. Luther kept looking at her with this look I recognized far too well, but I decided not to comment on it. After all, I still hadn't met Johanna's boyfriend, and anyhow, I had experienced far too much drama over the past few weeks than I would have wanted. Luther or Johanna didn't look sad or in a lot of trouble so I simply let them be.

Wayne's obvious crush had vanished a bit, though he still cast these distinctive glances at me. I still thought it was adorable, but we couldn't do anything with it. I was going to go back to New York in a few days, and unless he wanted to come with me, it would never work out. And I wasn't particularly looking forward to taking a stuttering mess back home.

"What are you thinking?"

I startled, and turned around, to find Walter smiling smugly at me. He knew I had used these exact same words that morning. His smile intensified when he saw I was blushing.

"Don't worry, I won't tell."

I sighed. I wasn't about to tell him what I was thinking about, I was never going to stop hearing it then.

"Rigsby?"

My god, could my blush become even worse?

"Yeah."

"I figured. He has been working for us for a lot of years, and trust me, I have never seen him as much in love as he is now. You should be flattered, he's a good guy."

I nodded, absentmindedly.

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know."

We were quiet for a few minutes, simply staring in front of us, when he sighed resolutely.

"I have made a lot of decisions yesterday, about me and Teresa." He paused, and shifted on the comfortable couch. "I'm going away for a while, just traveling. I need some time for myself, to get my thoughts straight. After I've signed all the papers, I'm leaving."

"Papers...?"

"Yes, Grace, papers. Divorce papers. Papers in which I give Jane custody over Christina." He chuckled softly. "Apparently, it was necessary even though Jane is her biological father."

He sighed, almost wistfully. "Eight years. I have been married to her for eight years, and I never realized what I was doing to both of us. I suppose I was too busy with gaining a reputation, with earning even more money. I was destroying us and I never realized it. Teresa is better off with Jane. I'm a horrible person."

I shook my head, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Whatever you are, a horrible person is not part of that, Walter. After all, you're doing the right thing now, aren't you? Stop being so hard on yourself."

He sighed, and I did too. We went quiet for a while again.

"Europe isn't that far away, is it?"

I chuckled, and rolled my eyes. "It is."

"Well, I'll be coming back eventually."

"I'm sure you will."

"Because I still love Teresa. Just not in that way."

I reached out and wrapped my arms around his neck, and he gave in with a long sigh.

"Is this really the right solution, Grace?"

I shrugged. "That's not for me to decide, Walter. Does it feel right in your heart?"

He nodded.

"Then it's the right thing to do."

He sighed. "I suppose so."

He kept my embrace for a little longer, his breathing calming down slightly, before he gently pushed me away.

"Thank you, Grace, for everything. You made me see reason again, and I can't thank you enough for it. I can't think anything other than that you saved us. Thank you."

I shrugged, but I heard the emotion in his voice. It was laced with feelings I hadn't thought I would hear in his voice, not even when I had realized that he wasn't a monster.

"It's okay, Walter."

He sighed, and got up. "Will we be seeing each other, Grace?"

"I'm not sure. I think I will go back to New York soon."

He nodded. "Jane and Teresa will probably live in his house, it will become his when I leave, he can afford it now. If you decide to stay, then you may keep the house, so you can live next to Teresa. I'll ask Jane to support you, financially, if needed."

With that, he left the hallway and walked into his office. Christina ran past, screaming and laughing, Johanna behind her, cursing.

A man strolled through the halls, an early party guest, I presumed.

Much to my shock, he walked up to me and sat down beside me on the couch.

"I'm impressed," he said, and I frowned. He smiled, and reached out his hand. "Virgil Minelli."

So the man turned out to be the only person in Teresa's life I hadn't spoken to, and if I could remember correctly, he had been the person trying to make Teresa realize that she was in love with Jane, and not Walter.

He smiled as he saw that I recognized him in a way.

"I gave up hope, to be honest. These two... it was unbelievable. I still thought they made a better couple than Walter and Teresa, but she was... a bit naïve. I'm glad you succeeded. Now I get to see her and Jane together."

He smiled brightly. "Teresa's like a daughter to me, all I wanted was for her to be happy. And I do feel she is now. Has she told Jane the news?"

I shook my head.

"No, I thought so. Well, she hasn't even told him but I can already see a change. It's good for her. I'm glad you saw it too."

I smiled, and nodded.

"I'm Grace-"

"I know who you are. Everyone does by now. You're Grace van Pelt, Teresa's faraway cousin or niece or something like that. I get it all, Grace, no need to explain it. You're her real family, and I am not-"

"Family is not only about having the same genes, Mr. Minelli. It's about with whom you feel loved and save. I of all people should know."

Minelli's smile grew out of proportions, and he patted my knee.

"That's the spirit, Grace. Are you... are you leaving?"

Why was everybody so interested in this? It wasn't like anybody was going to miss me. I wasn't needed here, I had done my job, even though I had never intended to have this job in the first place. Fact was that I didn't see any reason for me to stay.

"She'll need you, Grace. She won't admit it herself, but she really does. Although I'm sure you've got a general insight on her personality, it takes years before you can figure her out."

"Try me."

He chuckled. "She won't talk about her feelings."

"I knew that."

"I know, it's pretty obvious. She won't admit she did something wrong either. She won't admit hurt, or defeat. And she's still a woman, even though she won't admit that. She's fragile, like a precious little bird, but she doesn't like being called that – trust me, I should know. All she ever wants in life is love, but ever since Walter made her stop seeing Jane as punishment, she accepted that she would never have love in her life. She's scarred beyond repairing, but of course, she won't admit it. She's not one to brag, maybe that's her faith as well. She's religious, she just hides her cross underneath her clothes. Perhaps that's the reason that she really didn't want a divorce, but she's seen reason now. If things get too personal, she will either hit you or completely shut down, which makes me wonder why she allowed you to intervene in her marriage." He sighed. "She's just a little girl, in a big cruel world that doesn't understand her. You have to stay, Grace, for Teresa's sake. Please."

I sighed, and leant back in the couch, resting my back against the rest.

"Why is it that everyone wants me to stay? I always knew from the beginning I would go back to the East Coast."

Minelli simply nodded, but didn't say a word.

"You're important now, Grace," he finally said. "People care about you. Everyone would respect it if you were to go back, believe me when I say that. But you were the person to push their life back on track. You saved them. In their existence, that's enough to love you for eternity."

"Eternity?"

"Nobody has ever tried to help Teresa out of her situation, other than me. Since she's... afraid of father figures due to what her real father did to her, she didn't listen to a word I said. You are someone that tried to help her as well, and secretly, she enjoyed that you bothered with doing that. Nobody did before. And for little Christina, well, she just likes pretty girls."

I chuckled.

"Please Grace, stay. If only for a week or two more. She still needs you, you'll see."

"Fine, alright, I'll stay."

He smiled brightly, and nodded.

"I knew you would. Oh, do I hear Teresa demanding your help? I wouldn't keep her waiting, Grace dear, if you want to live."

The rolling of my eyes was completely worth it – this man was adorable.

And even though he had been quite absent in the time that I was here, I could see he genuinely cared about Teresa. He was just careful with her, because he knew how precious her soul was, and how close to breaking it had been days, weeks ago.

But she was doing better now, probably better than she'd even done in her life. She wasn't fighting with Walter anymore, and she had the prospect of returning to the man she loved, the man she had had a child with, the man she should have married instead of Walter.

Speaking of Walter, I had the feeling I was the only one who knew about his plans to travel to Europe. And I knew for a fact that if Teresa heard about it, she would protest so badly... and there I had the reason that I was the only one who knew about it.

Oh, that sneaky bastard! He was going to let me tell a very angry Teresa why he had left and to where he had left!

"Penny for your thoughts? Before you're killed by Teresa for letting her wait."

And I had completely forgotten about Minelli sitting next to me.

"I was just remembering something. Will you be at the party?"

"Of course. This is like Teresa's engagement party, but then without an engagement."

"It was nice meeting you, Mr. Minelli-"

"Oh Grace, that's too formal. You can call me Minelli."

I smiled. Yes, I liked this man.

I felt a small pulling on my arm, and when I turned, I saw Christina was standing there, her hair half-done for the party, her comfortable nightgown on instead of her pretty dress – but then again, her nightgown was pretty too.

"Hi Virgil," she said happily, and the man saluted her slowly, then the girl turned towards me again. "Mommy needs your help. She said it's about Patrick."

I could see she found it stupid, and I knew the girl wanted Teresa and Jane to kiss already, but I also knew that she understood that they had to wait for the right moment. It did surprise me though that the girl hadn't come up with some crazy plan to make them kiss.

"Well, if it's about Patrick then I guess we have to hurry, now don't we?"

She nodded, and I got up, grabbing her hand, and she already moved to pull me along with her. I tried to turn around to Minelli, and when I succeeded, consequently bringing my arm in a very awkward position, he just smiled at me, and nodded. And then I turned around the corner and lost sight of him.

We found Teresa in Christina's room, hugging her body, and I sighed. It would never end, would it?

Her head shot up when she heard us enter the room.

"Ah, there you are, thank god." She went from the little girl Minelli had been talking about to a strong woman in less than a second, and now I knew that she wasn't in any troubles. She had come to trust me in the short time I had been here, and that also included that she had opened up to me concerning her deeply buried feelings. The fact that she now didn't show any sadness or despair was a good thing.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just too nervous and I needed someone to talk to me."

"You've got Christina."

Teresa rolled her eyes. "Someone above the length of four feet."

"Well then, talk to me."

She sighed, and sat down, focusing on her hair. I stepped behind her and started fumbling with her long, dark strands, and she didn't complain. Before she started talking, I had started brushing her hair, doing that job for her since I liked working with hair. Which reminded me that I had to do my own hair too.

"I've had ample time to get used to me and Jane being together again, but it's still so... surreal. All these years, I was afraid of confronting Walter because I feared his reaction, and now it turns out that he even encourages me to be with Jane."

She sighed, then, a small and beautiful smile crept on her lips.

"I get to be with Jane."

My heart warmed as I saw what that thought did to Teresa. It was a kind of love that was very rare, I had never seen it as strong as I had now. And for some reason, it fit Teresa – she was a unique woman as well, so her love for her man had to be unique as well.

"How are you going to tell him?"

She shrugged. "I haven't thought about that yet. I suppose I'm just going to do what my heart tells me to do."

"Did Walter say that?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, but it still makes sense. He's right. And anyway, I haven't seen Jane in days, God knows what I might do when I see him now."

I chuckled. "You'd probably jump him when you get the chance."

"No, highly unlikely... but you do have a point."

I smiled. She was going to be alright.

-YulianaHenderson-

All night, I had watched Jane and Teresa turn around each other.

He still didn't know that he had finally won the battle.

Teresa was still afraid of what her feelings might do when she told him.

When Christina collapsed on Johanna's lap and Teresa noticed that Jane was wandering closely around them, I could see she'd had enough.

She jumped up and snatched his wrist, and he looked like a young child caught with his hand in the cookie jar – very accurate description. But maybe he looked more scared than guilty, since he didn't know that Teresa pulled him aside to tell him her news.

Before I knew it, Christina pulled me along with her, her curiosity finally getting the better of her. And since Johanna was shamelessly flirting with Luther, who was going to watch little Christina?

I was the only person to do so – and frankly, I didn't mind. I was dying to see what Teresa was going to tell Jane.

We took the same position as we had done before, when we had listened in on another of Teresa's private conversations, sitting against a wall, out of sight for the couple. We had a perfect view on them though.

"You're stalking my daughter."

"Our daughter."

"It still counts, Jane."

"What's wrong with me wanting to see our daughter?"

"A lot."

"Give me one reason."

She sighed, and shook her head.

"Don't turn this on me."

"I wasn't trying to."

She groaned. "You're unbelievable."

They were quiet for a long moment, it felt like hours but it was merely a minute, and then I saw Teresa shyly approaching Jane.
For Jane, it was obvious it didn't register what she was doing before she was standing inches apart from him. She went on tip-toe and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.

Next to me, I felt Christina getting over-exited.

Teresa continued her soft moves, kissing his cheek, his nose. She hesitated a bit after that, but then resolutely closed the distance between them and pressed her lips to his.

I saw him freezing, but he couldn't refuse this. This was what he had wanted, all these years.

The kiss started off brief and sweet, but quickly turned into a passionate one after Jane had pushed Teresa against the nearest wall. Their hands were everywhere, and then, out of nowhere, I heard a sob.

Teresa pulled away, and then I realized it was Jane who was softly crying.

She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again and wrapped her arms around him.

"Don't cry Patrick, please."

"Why are you doing this to me, Teresa? You know we can't be together-"

"We can, though. Walter and I are getting a divorce."

Jane's body stilled, like it had before.

"You are what?"

"I'm leaving Walter, to be with you."

Jane only needed a few seconds for that to register, then he wrapped his arms around her tightly and lifted her into the air, only to put her down on a table, standing in between her slightly spread legs.

"Are you serious about this, Teresa? Are you really leaving him?"

She nodded. "And you get full custody over Christina too – with me."

"I love you, Teresa."

He crushed his lips down onto hers again, and before I knew it, Jane had lost his jacket and his hands were frantically fumbling with the small buttons of Teresa's dress, not leaving her lips one second.

I had never reacted so fast, pulling Christina with me out of the room and onto the hallway. I immediately knelt on the floor to be level with her eyes.

"Tell nobody about what you saw, okay, Chrissie? Promise me."

She was more than willing to go back into that room and watch Jane and Teresa kiss some more, but I didn't want her to return. They needed privacy, I had interfered in Teresa's life more than enough, she was allowed to have this moment with Jane.

I simply hoped they would be responsible this time, though I highly doubted it.

When almost an hour later, the two exited the room, I studied them. At first sight, they didn't look flushed, their clothes were intact and in place. Yet when they came over to sit with me and Christina, and Teresa grabbed Jane's hand to place a brief kiss on the top of it, I knew enough. That was confirmed when they both looked at me after a few long seconds and I saw the twinkling that was present in their eyes – they were more in love than they could ever be.

"Grace," Jane started, his voice a bit hoarse, and I saw Teresa blushing and averting her eyes, probably only now realizing that I would most probably know why his voice was this hoarse. "We'd like it if you stayed for at least two weeks more."

"And why is that?"

"Because we'll be needing you as a witness for our wedding."

I smiled. Yep. They were definitely going to be alright.

A/N: Okay, so this is a weird ending to a weird story, if I might say so. For the frantic readers: Yes, you're correct, this didn't look like The Great Gatsby at all, but I liked the title so I just used that, lol. No, in the book, Gatsby is killed, and since I love Jane too much for that, I just couldn't do that. And I wanted a happy ending, and not a sad ending like the book has. So, here you go! Oh, only the epilogue to go, though. Hope you'll stick around a little longer to read that too!