Author's notes: Hate that you've had to wait so long for this final chapter. a huge thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, your support really helps me through the challenging parts. One of the most challenging is the ending and I hope you all find this a fitting end to this story.

Teresa can't stop staring at their hands as they make their way to the cafeteria. Her hand engulfed by Patrick's long slender fingers, his thumb gently stroking her skin. The long lost familiarity of it bringing her close to tears. She berates herself, she needs to get a grip before she sees the children. Patrick had quickly changed into the clothes she'd brought for him while she sent Cho a text to let him know to stay where he was as they were coming down. The paperwork for his release will be ready when they go back to pick up his things.

Through the window set in the cafeteria door they see that there are four tables occupied. Cho and the children are at a table on the right hand side. Cho has Maddie on his lap, who's feeding herself some grapes, Austin is sat next to him sucking chocolate milk through a straw.

As they enter, Austin looks up and spies them immediately, a whoop of joy escapes his lips and he almost falls off the chair in his excitement, causing Teresa's heart to leap, but he lands on two feet and they break into a run. Everyone looks his way and watch with smiles on their faces as his legs and arms move as fast as they can towards his father. Patrick drops on to one knee to welcome him in to his arms. He scoops him up and twirls him around, his arms holding him tight. Austin pushes away from him and looks at his face as Patrick smiles at him. Austin reaches up and places his hands on either side of his face and stares at him. Patrick gives Teresa a questioning glance and she shrugs in reply. Austin releases Patrick's face and moves to whisper in his ear.

"You're back."

He throws his arms around Patrick's neck and squeezes with all the strength that a five year old boy possesses and buries his head in his neck. Patrick looks at Teresa curiously and asks:

"Have I been somewhere?"

Teresa's blinking back tears.

"I'll explain later."

Austin's still curled against his father as they move towards Cho and Maddy. Patrick's stroking his back and reassuring him, that everything's fine, that they're all going home. Patrick sits down next to Maddy who moves towards him and with his freehand he helps her crawl on to his lap. He holds her around her waist and bounces her up and down. He turns to Cho.

"Hi Cho, thanks for looking after these two. How are things?"

Cho looks to Teresa a small smile on his lips before replying:

"I'm good Jane and it was a pleasure. It's good to see you doing okay."

"Thanks."

He looks towards Teresa.

"I would kill for a cup of tea."

She looks at him a little surprised.

"I can get you one if you want, but you don't usually like the tea here."

"I hate it. So what do you say we escape this joint and find a real cup."

He turns his head towards Austin.

"What do you say Buddy, you ready to go home?"

Austin finally releases his tight hold and looks to his father.

"Yea, let's leave this joint."

Teresa takes Maddy in her arms but she immediately squirms to be back with Patrick as he's standing up with Austin. He holds out his arm and Teresa hands her to him. She settles against his empty shoulder. Teresa turns to Cho and gives him a hug.

"Thank you Kimball."

Cho gives her a squeeze.

"No problem. He truly remembers."

Once again tears threaten and all she can do is nod against his shoulder and squeeze back. Patrick nods his thanks, and the family head back upstairs to sign the release papers.

Both kids are fast asleep by the time they stop the car in front of the house. Maddy doesn't stir as she's lifted out of her car seat and lain in her crib. Her shoes gently removed, pajamas will have to be forgotten tonight. Austin wakes up in a semi-conscious state, which allows him to be changed into his sleepwear and Patrick stays and reads him a story as he falls back to sleep, holding his daddy's hand. Jane tucks the hand under the covers and gives his son a kiss before turning to tiptoe out of the room.

Teresa smiles as her husband jumps, startled to find her standing in the doorway, she's finding that now he's truly returned to her, she can't stand having him out of her sight. She holds the mug she has in her hand out to him.

"Thought you might be desperate for a decent cup of tea."

He blesses her with a beaming smile and a kiss as he takes the cup from her and then replied with feeling:

"You read my mind."

She watches him take a sip and close his eyes as he savours his favourite liquid, allowing it to rest in his mouth before slowing releasing it to trickle down his throat. Teresa's eyes are drawn to his Adam's apple bopping as the liquid makes its way down flaring desires deep within her. Her fascination is such that she's taken by surprise when she feels his hand on her arm and his lips on her neck, as he plants soft kisses on all her susceptible spots, knowing he's sending tingles up and down her spine, she knows that he's read her mind and she readily and hungrily understands his reply.

What follows is the release of six months of desperate, aching, loneliness and grief from losing the man she loved and never expecting to have back.

When consciousness returns the memories of the day before and the night return, and she feels fear. Was it a dream? She's reluctant to open her eyes, scared she'll find herself alone.

"Finally, you're awake."

Teresa's eyes pop open immediately to the welcome sight of her husband, and she greets him with a smile, which she's certain will split her face in two. He's propped up, his head resting on one arm looking at her. His face is lit by the moon streaming through the light curtains that cover the window. She, then, realises it's still dark.

"What time is it?"

Her husband shrugs.

"About two-ish."

At that moment Teresa remembers the small sensation she felt fluttering across her skin, her sleep-drugged mind had thought it was a breeze, she now knows different and states accusingly:

"You woke me up."

Patrick shrugs again.

"I have questions.."

A wicked glint shines in his eyes.

"And last night you weren't in much of a mood to answer them."

Teresa pointedly ignores that statement.

"Questions?"

She watches as concern floods his face and a finger traces the evidence of her recent surgery.

"Yes, like how you got that scar, I've committed every inch of your body to my memory palace and it wasn't there before."

Teresa sits up and cups her husband's face in hers, stroking the worry lines across his brow.

"Let's go and have a drink and talk."

Teresa's sitting in the corner of the couch, on leg curled underneath her, the other out in front. She'd slipped on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. She smiles at her husband as Patrick hands her a mug of steaming coffee. He sits down in the opposite corner, lifting her foot and placing in his lap, his free hand gently grasping her ankle. He's dressed similarly, having pulled on some boxer shorts and a t-shirt. He takes a sip of his tea and looks at her expectantly.

Teresa tells him the salient points of the past six months: him waking up from surgery and not recognising her, he strokes her leg as she's unable to stop reliving the emotions. When he moves to be closer she begs him off, reassuring him that she's fine. She touches on their living arrangements before moving on to their trip to California.

He listens quietly as she talks about going to the CBI offices and the graves of his family. He knows there's a lot she missing out, but allows her to choose what she gives at this time,. He can see the emotional toll it's taking on her, not to mention, that, as desperately as he wants to know every detail, he realises that he can't cope with more than she's giving. It's hard to believe that this story is about him, not one word brings back any moments of recollection in thoughts or images. The finer points can come later when both of them are better able to handle them.

When she finally gets to explaining the scar, his heart feels like it stops with a thud. He'd been so close to losing them and not remembering a thing. He's holding her hand and rubbing her leg as she works through it, but he stands up abruptly, apologising when she relays the extent of Austin's injuries, and the agonizing wait for him to wake up. He kneels at his Austin's bedside, drinking in the angelic sight of his son fast asleep. He strokes his hair and whispers:

"I'm sorry, I should have been there for you."

He feels Teresa's arm wrap around his shoulder, she's crouching next to him.

"You were there Patrick. You were a great support to me and Austin and Maddy. You never left his side, Dispite the wear and tear the collision had on your body, you never left our sides. You were always with either me or Austin. You have nothing to recriminate yourself for."

She nudges him.

"Let's go to bed, we can talk more later."

One week later

"Austin don't go too far."

Austin comes to an abrupt halt and turns around, he shields his eyes from the sun with his hand.

"I won't mom."

He turns back around and starts his little legs running again. When he judges he's gone far enough he turns around. He waits for his family to catch up some before setting off again. Patrick and Teresa smile at him and Patrick whispers conspiratorially in her ear:

"I think we're suppose to pick up speed to join him."

Teresa laughs in agreement.

"Unfortunately this uneven ground will send the stroller and Maddy face down on the floor in seconds."

As they watch Austen's face drop in disappointment when he turns around once more and they're no closer to him, Patrick gives Teresa a kiss on the cheek and sets off to join him. Her son's face lights up with joy. Teresa picks up the pace just a little, easily done now that her husband's arm isn't around her waist. Patrick's reached Austin and he picks him up and swings him around. Austin leans back, his face to the sun, whooping with laughter. Patrick places him back on the ground and sets off at a slow jog, reaching back for Austin's hand. Austin grabs it and together they make their way to the play area, just a few yards further into the woods.

Teresa's knows she has a huge smile on her face. She hardly stopped smiling for the past week. This is the second day Patrick hasn't asked about the lost six months. It's been his main topic of conversation when they've been alone. It frustrated him that he couldn't remember, she patiently answered all his questions. Two evenings ago he surprised her with the news that Cho was babysitting and they were going out for a meal. He took her back to the place where the 'other Jane', as she's come to think of him, had booked a table and a room. Patrick parked the car and explained:

"I owe you a dinner."

Her eyes sparkled at him.

"Come to think of it you do."

After the waiter disappeared with their order Jane reached for her hand. As Teresa obliged, and she looked at him, there's no mistaking the feelings written on his face, a warm feeling surged through her body. When he looks at her like that, she knows she's the luckiest woman on the planet. He gently squeezed her hand.

"I want to thank you for being so patient with me. I know it's been very hard for you to relive it all. I promise no more questions. You, on the other hand, can continue asking as many as you wish for as long as you want."

Teresa looked at him in surprise.

"What question, I don't have any questions, I haven't asked you any!"

She checked herself.

"Only if you're all right."

Patrick eyes were practically dancing with glee.

"I knew you didn't realise you were doing it."

Teresa searched through her brain, trying to figure out what he's talking about. She was unsuccessful and chose to scowl at him.

"I've not done anything."

He smiled indulgently at her and she suddenly had an urged to kick him under the table, but, it wasn't the place so she restrained herself and his smile grew wider as he read it.

"Let me ask you a question."

He didn't wait for permission.

"What did we talk about yesterday morning while Austin and I watched you dress Maddy?"

"We talked about when we first brought her home from the hospital."

Jane nodded his head.

"And the day before over dinner."

Teresa had to think harder about this one. Patrick decided to be helpful.

"Lamb chops."

"Oh yes, our first meal as a married couple."

"And then after I had read to Austin when he went to bed?"

Teresa looked at him blankly.

"You quizzed me on Austin's favourite reading material."

Teresa objected:

"I didn't..I.. I just asked if you remembered.."

Teresa stopped as the light dawned.

"I'm sorry, I've been.."

Patrick placed his finger on his lips.

"Shhh..there's no need to apologise. I understand you needed know that I did indeed remember, that it wasn't an awful joke being played on you."

Teresa shook her head.

"I've been such a nuisance."

Jane rushed to reassure her.

"No you haven't. I've grilled you too, and caused you pain. It's been comforting for me to talk about the past. I just want to reassure you that I remember everything. I remember how we got my fumbling proposal, I remember Rigsby eating more than his fair share of wedding cake. I remember carrying you over the threshold of our new home and almost hitting your head."

He leaned over and wiped away a tear that had fallen on to her cheek. She grabbed his hand and brought it to her lips.

When she arrives at the playground Patrick and Austin are in the middle of a swinging contest. Both look and raise their hand in greeting. Maddy, right on cue, begins to stir. Teresa unstraps her from the stroller and joins them at the swings as Austin declares himself the winner. Patrick, true to form, calls for a rematch, Teresa sits on the remaining empty swing and cheers them on.