A/N: It brings me great pleasure to the present the final chapter of the story to you. It has been a really great journey, which was made enjoyable thanks to your constant support and encouragement. I am really grateful to each and every one of you, for reading this story. Thanks for all the favorites, follows and reviews. Last but not least, I just want to mention adela, KenLalaLaura and mlivingston1432 for giving their feedback on the last chapter.

Chapter 23

(Kate's POV)

I grabbed my bedroom door handle and let out a heavy breath. I was hoping that I won't have an emotional breakdown like last night when I see Leon at the breakfast. I warned my heart to spare me from any kind of scene or drama, and to just bear with it just one more day; well technically just an hour or two since Leon would leave for work after breakfast and I'll leave this place before he returns. I turned the knob and exited the bedroom ready to face Leon. I went down the stairs and into the living room, and the first thing that caught my eye was Leon's blanket. It was neatly folded and nicely kept at one end of the couch.

I didn't think much of it and made my way to the kitchen. It's usual for Leon to wake up before me, since he goes jogging with Shadow. But when I entered kitchen, I found Shadow on his bed which worried me a little. Thinking that he might have already returned from his morning jog, I made my way up to his bedroom, just to check on him. I knocked on his room door but no reply came, so I let myself in and found it empty; he wasn't there either. I made my way back to the kitchen, thinking about the various possible reasons for his absence.

I filled Shadow's bowl and called him to meal but like the time when Leon went on a trip, he seem disinterested in his meal. I didn't push Shadow to have his food and moved to prepare breakfast for Leon. Sometime in between John entered through the kitchen back door like usual. He wished me morning and I wished him back, and then he asked me about Leon.

"Umm… I don't know", I replied a little concerned; "When I woke up he wasn't in the house."
"Well that's odd", John said thoughtful, "Did you try calling him?" and I shook my head, "Well I'd call him", he added dialing Leon's number. I patiently waited while John called Leon, "He's not answering", John told me pulling his phone away from his ear.
"Do you think he might be in trouble?", I asked John keeping a plate of breakfast in front of him.
"No, I don't think so", John shook his head, "Probably some work related stuff came up and he had to leave early. We'd know sooner or later."
"I hope you're right", I said sitting down to have my breakfast, which I didn't feel like eating.

"So when will you be leaving for Michigan?", John asked me casually.
"My flight's in the afternoon, so I'll be leaving by noon, since I have to be at the airport a little earlier", I told him with a slight smile.
"I see", John responded dully.

The rest of the breakfast was silent; we didn't talk much and John didn't crack any jokes. Once he was done he left for his work. I wanted to ask him if he could let me know if he meets Leon at work, so I can be carefree, but I just didn't have the nerve to ask that favor of him.

I did a few chores around the house, as much as I could manage, so that Leon doesn't have any trouble at least for today. Then I went up to my bedroom, changed into my good clothes and brought down my luggage. I took a long look at the house that's really been a part of my life for so long. It felt like my home; it had given me so much and now I had to leave everything behind. I wrote a note to Leon and gave it a read.

Leon

I wanted to tell this to you face-to-face but you weren't here when I was leaving and I couldn't reach your cell phone. So anyways, I have paid all the bills for this month and groceries would last a week, I suppose. I didn't have the time to do laundry for today but I did make dinner for you and that too your favorite, so I hope you enjoy it.

Lastly, I want to thank you, thank you for everything that you did for me. Thanks for giving me a place to live and helping me out in times of need. Thanks for always being there for me. You've been such a great friend and I'll always be grateful to you, and can't really thank you enough for everything.

I wish you a great life ahead!

Kate.

I walked to the kitchen and put the note on the counter and the cell phone that Leon gave me on top of it. I bent down to Shadow and stroked him lovingly; I'd really miss him too. I said good bye to him and he whined a little, but I could only smile a little sadly at him. I stood up and as I started to walk away, Shadow grabbed the hem of my dress, making me remember the very first day, I was here. I thanked him too, if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have been here. I asked him to let me go, gently tugging on the dress and he let go of it, whining sadly.

"I can't stay!", I said crouching down to him, shaking my head in negative and petting him. He whined a little more expressing his grief. It was then that someone rang the door bell. With a final pat on Shadow's head, I moved to check who was at the door. When I pulled open the door, I found Claire and John standing at the porch.

"We came to see you off", Claire said with a bright smile.
"Aww… thanks guys!", I couldn't help but feel touched and let them inside the house, since there was still some time for me to leave, "But you didn't have to do this."
"We really wanted to see you off personally", John said speaking very seriously.
"Thanks!", I said feeling grateful, "Now that you guys are here, I don't have to worry about where to leave the house keys. You can pass it on to Leon."
"We will don't worry", Claire said with a nod, giving her assurance.
"So how are you getting to the airport?", John asked me.
"I called a cab, it would be getting here any minute", I told him with a smile.
"Okay we'll give you company till then", Claire said to me smiling, "You sure you don't want us to come with you to the airport?"

"Thanks, but I'll be fine", I told her with a slight shake of my head, "Don't worry about it", and just then the front door opened again and Leon, who had been missing since morning, walked in the living room, "You're finally here!", I smiled seeing him safe and sound. I heard a car horn, just as I finished my sentence. I looked through the window that it was the cab I called for, "I guess that's my ride", I said to no one in particular. Within a minute or two the cab driver, came knocking on the door to pick me up. I asked him to take my luggage to the cab, and that I'll join him in a bit, after saying my final goodbyes to my friends.

"Oh you are leaving already", Claire said getting a little emotional and I couldn't help but feel emotional myself, leaving them like this, "I'll miss you", she moved and hugged me tight.
"Me too", I said, as we pulled apart, and I moved to John.
"You sure you don't want to marry me?", He asked me with a smile and I let out a laugh through my tears.
"I'll miss you", I hugged him as well, and he wrapped his arms around me brotherly.

I pulled myself away from him and for the first time, I saw tears in his eyes. I turned to look at Leon; he was the most composed of us all. My heart rate increased with every step I took towards him and my eyes were fixated at him. I wanted to cry really hard but I just smiled, as I came face to face with him. He looked at me but didn't show any expression. I let out a breath to calm myself down, I just have to be strong and survive this. I wanted to throw my arms around him, but I just stretched my hand out to him instead.

"Thank you for everything", I said to him with the widest smile I could muster. Leon looked down at my hand and took it. I didn't just want the time to freeze but I also wanted it to rewind back to the time when we first shook hands like this, so I could live through every moment that I spent with him once again. I wouldn't mind to be stuck in this loop for the rest of my life, if it meant to be with Leon.

I slowly let go of his hand and turned to leave, but the next moment I felt his grip tighten on my hand and a tug on my arm, "Don't go", Leon spoke these words, as I turned to look at him. For the first time since he appeared, I saw his face break into an expression.
"I have to go, my flight is in two hours", I told him trying to pull my hand from him but his grip didn't loosen on it.
"Please don't go!", Leon requested to me sincerely, shaking his head. I felt myself on verge of an emotional breakdown once again and couldn't say anything but just cry, "If you go there will be no one to serve me breakfast or dinner or to put a blanket on me when I am cold or take care of me."
"Get another housekeeper!", I could only say this to him.
"I don't need a housekeeper", he said taking a step closer to me, "I just need you to take care of me", he looked deep in my eyes, "Please don't leave me. I'll be very lonely without you."
"Leon, there's nothing that you can say that would make me stay", I said to him with tears clouding my vision. I was happy that he was asking me to stay but it was making it very difficult for me to move on.
"If I told you I love you", Leon said it very clearly and my heart skipped a beat, and I stopped breathing, "Would you stay?"

Hearing those three words from Leon made my defenses fall to the ground, "What about Lauren?", I asked him crying.
"What about her?", Leon said still keeping his eyes on me, "She can go to hell for all I care", he added in a very carefree tone.
"Leon, I have a perfect image of you in my mind, please don't ruin it", I said to him with a slight shake of my head. I couldn't stand him cheating or even breaking up with his girlfriend because of me.
"I am not perfect, Kate", he shook his head in negative, "But I love you and that is the truth. And You love me too!", He said and I found myself lost at words. I didn't know how he knew about it. I turned to look at Claire and John, who seemed equally surprised hearing this from him, "I wasn't sleeping last night when you confessed your feelings", he continued, "I thought if you knew that I was awake, you would just leave me be and I didn't want that", he smiled apologetically, "I am glad I pretended to be asleep otherwise I would have never known you loved me and would have never realized my own feelings for you. I love you, please stay with me."

(Leon's POV)

"Think about Lauren, Leon. She loves you very much", Kate said to me, still crying, "I don't want to come between you two."
"You're not", I assured her shaking my head in negative, "And I don't want to think about Lauren", I added feeling irritated from just listening to her name.
"Weren't you thinking about marrying her when we were on the plane", Kate spoke in a puzzled tone and I tried to remember what she was talking about.
"It was just a general thought process", I said remembering exactly what she was referring to, "I never said I wanted to marry her. I was just thinking how it would be to get married and have a wife", I cleared it out to her.
"But she wants to get married to you!", she told me crying really hard and still trying to release her hand from my grip.
"What?!", I couldn't help but say, letting out a sarcastic laugh.

"It's the truth", it wasn't Kate who said that but Claire and I looked at her, "I am sorry, Kate but it seems important", Claire added to Kate and then looked back at me, "On the day I was here so Kate and I could go shopping, Lauren asked Kate to leave, so she could further your relationship with her."
I was shocked to know that and looked at Kate, whose tears just won't stop, "I had already broken up with her by then and she told me she was there to just get her stuff", I said it more to Kate than to Claire, "I broke up with her a month ago, when we returned back after dealing with Tony Mathews' case."
"But it doesn't change the fact that she loves you", Kate repeated once again, "And she probably blames me for your break up."

"If she loved me, she wouldn't have cheated on me", I told the truth and Kate looked at me in shock. I didn't want to bring this up because I didn't want her to stay just because she sympathized with me but in the light of current events, it seemed more than necessary now, "She had been cheating on me for a very long time and she even went to Florida with her other boyfriend. I came to know about it, when I got an accidental call from her cell phone and heard her having a private time with someone else. Our relationship was over for me there and then, but I broke up officially with her on the day we returned."

"What about the days she visited after that?", Kate asked me and seemed much calmer after my explanation.
"Once it was just to get her stuff", I told her trying to remember it correctly, "And lately she's been trying to get back with me. She's been calling me, texting me, leaving me messages on voicemail and she even came here to reconcile two days ago; but when I told her it cannot happen she got mad, and probably blamed you", I looked down at her remorsefully, to have caused her this much trouble.

Kate closed her eyes and more tears trailed down her face. I just wanted her to stop crying because it was hurting me more than anything. Before I could reach to wipe her tears, she opened her eyes and wiped them with the back of her hand, "I am sorry", she apologized and tears rolled down her bloodshot eyes once again.
"What for?", I asked her closing the distance between us and wiping her tears.
"For hurting you like this", she replied and cried even more.
"I'll be fine, as long as you stay", I requested her sincerely from the bottom of my heart, looking into her deep blue eyes, "Please, give me a chance so I can know you better, treat you better and love you better. If I have any chance of finding out how it is to have a wife then it's probably with you. So please, stay… because I really love you!"
"I love you too", Kate mirrored my feelings and closed the gap between us, as she buried her head in my chest crying.

I wrapped my arms around her and held her tightly in my arms, finally feeling at ease. All this time I have been so oblivious to my own feelings. It was her confession, which made me realize that I might be in love with her. I spent the whole night and morning, thinking if my feelings for Kate were true or was I just leaning for her after my break-up. When I got back here I was sure that I couldn't let her leave, but I still wasn't sure if I loved her. But when I looked into her deep blue eyes I was saying those three words before I knew it myself.

It took me a lot of time to become aware of my feelings, but at least I was fortunate enough to realize them before it was too late. The things that I took to be Kate's dedication and diligence towards work and kindness, was actually her love and care towards me. I had employed her to take care of my house and pet, but she stepped beyond that and took care of me, without asking anything in return. I guess that's what always pulled me towards her and eventually fall in love with her.

I don't know when it happened, if it was the time she took a bullet for me, or when I realized she trusted me more than anyone, or it was when I first held her in my arms, or the time I first noticed she had blue eyes, or if it was when she bandaged my wounded shoulder, or the time we first held each other's hand for the very first time, or simply from the moment I saw her. I didn't know how or when it happened I just knew I loved her and I hadn't felt this way about anyone else. If it's with her then surely I could break out of the loop and live a much better life with the person, who loves me as much as I love her or maybe even more.

A/N: So that concludes 'The Caretaker', I hope you all enjoyed the story and it wasn't too confusing. Let me know how you found the ending, and if you have any questions then feel free to drop me a message or ask it in the comments, however it is convenient to you. Once again I'd like to thank you all for being a great audience. I guess, I'll miss hearing from you guys or seeing those numbers in the traffic, but now that the story has ended I don't really have much of a choice here than to say goodbye. Take care and have a great time! :D