Where We Are

Chapter Twenty-One

Two Weeks Later.

Zach had left the hospital the morning after the fight, as loud and hyper as usual. He and Carol moved into Doug's flat. As he had promised, Doug slept on the couch while Carol and Zach shared the large double bed. Susan was living with Mark. They had announced they were officially a couple a few days after the fight at the hospital. Rachel was ecstatic upon hearing the news.

No one had heard from John. According to Weaver, he had handed in his resignation from the hospital the day following the fight and hadn't been seen since. Now Carol lay in bed, beside a peacefully sleeping Zach, wondering what her meeting with Jen the following morning would bring.

It was just passed three in the morning when her door creaked open and Doug stuck his head in. 'Still awake?' he guessed.

'Yeah' Carol replied. Then she patted the empty space beside her. Doug tiptoed across the room and lay down next to her, taking her small hand in his.

'It's going to be okay, you know' he told Carol. She moved to rest her head on his shoulder.

'Hopefully' was all Carol could say on the subject. She was worrying about what Jen would say and nothing Doug said could comfort her.

'You know what I wish' she said after a few minutes silence, 'I wish I had of chose you all those years ago'.

'Don't say that Carol' Doug told her, shaking his head.

'It's true' Carol insisted.

'No it's not. Because if you had of chose me, you wouldn't have Zach. He's an amazing kid, Carol, and even though your marriage didn't work out, you got him out of it. He's your bright side in all of this. He really is amazing, just like his mom' Doug told her.

Carol half smiled. 'Thank you. And I'm sorry it has to be this way. I'm just not ready' she replied.

'I know, you don't have to worry. I'll be here waiting. I was always here waiting' he assured her.

Carol pushed herself up on one elbow and looked down into the face of the man she knew she truly loved. 'I don't know how I would have gotten through any of this without you, Doug' she said.

He smiled. 'Then lucky for you I'm not going anywhere.'

'You know what I imagine sometimes? When I'm watching Zach sleep, or washing the dishes or just lying in bed. I imagine what this could turn out to be. I win the custody battle. We move in here permanently. I get divorced and we get back together. You become the dad that Zach has never had. And we have children of our own. That's what I want to happen, Doug. I want to be with you. But everything is so messed up now that imagining that gets harder everyday' Carol said in a whisper.

Doug sat up too. He brushed his fingers across Carol's cheek and smiled. 'I want all of that too. And it will happen. This isn't going to carry on forever. Soon, you'll have all that and more' he told her.

'And you'll wait?' she asked.

Doug nodded. 'I'll wait' he confirmed.

Carol hesitated, then slowly leaned in a pressed a kiss to Doug's lips. It was gently and loving and soft. Their first kiss in five years and it was everything they both had hoped it would be. 'I love you' Carol whispered to him.

Doug stayed with her that night. She lay curled against his side and fell into a peaceful sleep. Doug's fingers ran through her hair. It would have been a perfect night, had the fear of what tomorrow would bring wasn't hanging over them.

...

They all sat in Doug's living room. Carol was curled up at the end of the couch with Zach in her arms. Doug sat beside them, Carol's hand in his. Mark, Susan and Jen sat and stood around them.

'So?' Carol asked.

'He's dropped the case. He's not going to fight for custody anymore' Jen said.

Carol was breathless with relief. Zach was hers. She would never ever have to let him go.

'Are you sure?' she asked, though already she was smiling.

Jen smiled too. 'I'm sure. He got in contact with his attorney only yesterday. He said he didn't want to fight you for custody anymore, but the divorce would still go ahead if you agreed. But now, he's offering everything to you. He doesn't want anything, the house, the car, nothing. He said he'll sign the divorce papers without any arguments, whatever you want is yours' Jen explained.

Carol couldn't believe that he had just given up like that. She knew it was the guilt of having struck his own son but Carol was glad. It meant that he would never bother them again and she was free to live her life just as she had imagined it.

'Did he say where he is?' she asked. That was the last thing she needed to know. He hadn't even packed any of his things from the house, because Carol had been there and no one had seen him since that awful day.

'No, but he did want you to know that he won't ever bother you again. The divorce papers will go through his attorney and because he's agreed not to fight it, you won't have to go to court or anything' Jen assured her.

Carol was silent as she let that sink in. It was all over. The nightmare she had been living in for so long had finally ended. She could feel the joy and happiness building up in her. She and Zach were free to live their lives...with Doug...and John would never bother her again. She glanced over at Doug and found him smiling at her.

'Well, I think this is cause for a celebration' Mark said, clapping his hands together. Susan and Jen laughed. He stood and went to Doug's refrigerator and took out the only drink that was in there, a bottle of Sprite. He poured in into five glasses and brought them to the others.

'To Carol and Zach!... And Doug, of course' Mark called. The others chanted after him and Carol found herself laughing away with the rest of them.

It was finally over.

Later that day, Jen passed Carol the divorce papers her office had just faxed through. Carol signed them and they were sent over to John's attorney's office without delay.

Once the others had left and Zach was asleep, Doug and Carol sat together on the couch, both feeling rather giddy to have that cloud that had hung over them for so long finally gone.

'So, you're officially back to Miss Hathaway' Doug said, playing with her fingers.

'Sure am' Carol replied, grinning widely.

'So when are you going to become Mrs Ross?' he asked.

Carol laughed loudly. 'What, you're proposing?' she teased.

Doug laughed too. 'Maybe not right now. But someday I will' he promised.

Carol smiled. 'And someday, I'll say yes. I can't guarantee it will be the same day you ask though' she said.

'Oh ha ha' Doug said sarcastically and nudged her. Carol laughed.

They sat in silence for a long time, Doug's arms wrapped around Carol as she cuddled into him. When Doug eventually broke the silence, he had changed the subject.

'It's Christmas in three weeks. Let's go all out. Give Zach the most wonderful Christmas of his life' he said.

Carol smiled. 'I think that is a very good idea' she agreed. She reached up and kissed Doug. it was different than the one from the night before. It was more passionate. Soon both had to pull away to catch their breath.

'I love you so much, Carol' Doug murmured in her ear.

She smiled. 'I love you, too.'

AN: Aww...Isn't it just so perfect :) Okay so basically that's the end of the story. There will be one more chapter, not so much an Epilogue, more like little snapshots from Doug and Carol's new life together over the next year. I think there's six different snap-shots, all based on significant days over the year - Christmas, Valentine's Day, Carol's birthday...you see where I'm going with this? :) I was going to wait until tomorrow to post it but at this point I just want it out of the way (Today we got landed with two more projects in college so I need to get this story finished, once and for all!) so I'll post it later tonight...Once I get a review for this chapter, of course :)

Thanks so much for all the kind reviews I've got :)

One more to go!