A/N: Thank you to everyone who took the time to review the last chapter, and to my wonderful beta reader, BK2U! I should have reminded all of you earlier that this is the last chapter. I know that probably seems abrupt right now, but hopefully by the time you finish reading it you'll agree that this is a good place to end the story. With that in mind, enjoy...

Chapter 21: Tobias – Resolution

Tobias feels deeply and utterly relaxed when he wakes up in the morning. He lies there for a long time, watching his fiancée sleep. She's loosely curled on her side, facing him, with her left hand resting by her pillow, and he gets even more pleasure than he expected from seeing that ring finally sitting where it belongs.

His mind processes the last eighteen hours while his gaze remains fixed on her. Marcus turned yesterday into one of the worst days of Tobias' adult life, only to have this phenomenal woman change it into one of the best. He smiles a little, imagining the look on his father's face when Tris stood up to him – and succeeded. The smile grows when he remembers that Tris will be with him for the rest of his life. How did he ever get so lucky?

Eventually, though, his thoughts shift to the more difficult aspects of their future. He is thoroughly committed to what he told Tris – that they won't be leaving Chicago – but that means he needs to start planning now. He knows that his options are limited, but there must still be some avenues open to him.

Moving carefully away from Tris, he rises, grabbing his cell phone from where she plugged it in for him last night. He's vaguely surprised to see that he has five missed calls – and an equal number of voicemail messages – until he recalls silencing the phone before the ceremony. With everything else distracting him, he never changed it back to its normal settings.

"Don't quit!" Amar states emphatically in the first message. "I just had a long chat with Max, and he wants to take a personal look into how this contract was handled. He agreed that Eric shouldn't have written you into it without your approval, so he wants to figure out how and why that happened and what can be done about it. Give him some time to do that, okay?"

The next message is from George. "Well, the pile of excrement has been delivered to the hospital. He…um…tripped on the way there, so they're going to have to wire his jaw shut for a few weeks while it heals. I tell you what, that guy is a total klutz. He managed to break his nose backstage, too." He scoffs. "He had the nerve to try to blame Tris for it, but fortunately Andrew and I both saw him fall, so there's no way he could possibly press charges. Anyway, just thought I'd let you know."

A disbelieving chuckle goes through Tobias. It must be killing his father to know that Tris and George will get away with exactly the kind of thing that he always did – only against him this time.

The third voicemail is from Amar, again. "I've been told that Marcus is temporarily out of commission, and that our new contact is Andrew Prior. He wasn't involved in the original contract, and he seems to really want to rearrange some of its details, so I'm hopeful we'll get somewhere quickly."

Amar sounds tired in the fourth message, which Tobias notes was received around midnight. "Fucking assholes," he mutters semi-coherently. "You wouldn't believe the garbage that's in this thing. The original contract is fine, but Eric accepted a bunch of 'Change Requests' without going through the proper channels, and that's where the real mess is. The lawyers are having a fit over it, and I've never seen Max so pissed." He gives a gruff laugh. "I'm pretty sure at least one head will be rolling in the morning, or maybe even sooner."

There's a bit of background noise, and Tobias wonders abruptly just where Amar was when he left this message. "Anyway, I guarantee we won't have any trouble getting your role changed. I'm curious, though – do you want to be a project manager if Marcus isn't on the project? Or would you rather stay as lead developer? Let me know whenever you get this."

Tobias' gaze turns to the clock, noticing that it's almost ten. He can't believe he slept so late – he never does that. It's a good thing it's a Saturday, not that he would have been inclined to go to work today regardless.

The last voicemail is from nine-thirty this morning, just a half-hour ago. Amar sounds considerably more chipper this time. "You missed a hell of a night and morning. Eric has been fired – flat-out, unceremoniously, called-in-on-the-weekend-to-clear-out-his-desk-immediately-with-security-watching kind of fired. Man, you should have seen his face when he came out of that room…."

Amar gives a low chuckle. "And on top of that, Max is reviewing Eric's other recent decisions, so who knows what will happen to Nita. In the meantime, Andrew informed me this morning that Marcus is off the project and may be out of a job, too. He couldn't reveal all the details, but judging by his hints, Marcus created those 'Change Requests' to carry out his personal agenda, and he essentially bribed Eric into accepting them without proper authorization. It's all coming back to bite him now." Tobias can hear an enormous yawn. "So, yeah, give me a call and let me know what position you want. You could probably ask for anything, and Max would agree. He feels really bad about all this shit. He keeps saying that he should have been paying more attention, which is true. He let Eric get away with way too much."

Tobias hangs up the phone and stands there for a very long time, digesting everything he just heard. Relief is pulsing through him, along with an incredible depth of gratitude. He's known for years that Amar and George were his true family, far more so than his biological one, but he's blown away by everything they spent the night doing for him. They turned an unbearable situation into his choice of whatever he wants to do next.

His fingers are trembling slightly as he dials Amar's number, counting three rings before his boss answers. "Four, you're finally awake! And sober, I trust?"

"Yeah." Tobias chuckles. "Shocked, but sober. How the hell did you manage this, Amar?"

His mentor sounds somewhat amused. "It was surprisingly easy, given the mess Eric and Marcus made. All I had to do was get Max to really investigate, and not just sweep it under the rug. And Andrew handled everything from his side completely on his own. Well, with a little push from your girlfriend, I gather." His voice vibrates with humor. "She's a firecracker."

"Fiancée," Tobias corrects, grinning at even being able to say that word. "She's my fiancée now, not just my girlfriend."

"Really?" Amar is clearly surprised. "Well, good for you, Four. Congratulations."

"Thanks." They're both silent for a few seconds before Tobias adds, "If I stay as lead developer, will you be the project manager? Because I like that arrangement a lot, but I don't want to work for Nita."

Amar gives another low chuckle. "No, it would be me. Even if Nita retains her promotion, she'll be in Boston, while George and I want to stay here."

Another wave of relief washes through Tobias. With everything else occupying his mind, he hadn't realized how worried he still was about the two of them leaving. "Then, let's do that."

"Consider it done. And don't be surprised if you get a nice raise, too. I told Max he needed to do something big to keep you from suing."

Tobias laughs at that, feeling almost giddy at how much his circumstances have changed in such a short time. But then he grows serious again as it sinks in how much he owes his friend for that. "Amar, I can't possibly thank you enough for all of this. You have no idea what it means to me."

"It's okay, Four." Amar's voice is quiet. "I know a little more about being on your end of things than I like to talk about." He takes a deep breath. "And the thing is…you deserve this. You've been a good friend and a great employee, and this crap was wrong. It was my honor to be able to do something about it."

There's no real response to that, so they both fall silent until Amar says, "Well, I need to get going here, but congratulations again on the engagement. George and I will have to take you two out to celebrate soon."

"That sounds good," Tobias answers softly, too touched to attain any volume. "And, uh, thanks again, Amar."

After he hangs up, he stands motionless for a long time, lost in thought. It's not until he hears movement behind him that he steps over to the desk, sets his phone down, and turns around to see one of his favorite sights.

Tris is standing in the doorway of their bedroom, wearing nothing but one of Tobias' T-shirts. It hangs down like a short dress, looking as incredibly sexy as it always does. His gaze moves down her legs and back up, stopping on the ring on her finger. A wide smile splits his face.

"Good morning," he tells her, practically bubbly with all the good news brewing inside him.

"Morning" she returns, her own eyes looking him up and down appreciatively. He hadn't quite noticed until just now that he's stark naked, but she's clearly enjoying the view.

"What did Amar have to say?" she asks as he moves closer to her, drawn like a magnet.

"A lot, actually." His hands find her hips when he reaches her. "A whole lot." He shakes his head, trying to figure out where to start. "I guess the main points are that Marcus is off the project and Eric has been fired."

Tris relaxes visibly. "My father came through?"

Tobias nods. "And Amar and George. They totally turned things around." His smile turns wry. "Oh, and you'll be glad to know that Marcus won't be pressing charges. Apparently, all the witnesses agree that he tripped. Multiple times."

She bites her lip sheepishly at that. "I may have gotten a little carried away there."

"No more than George did." Her eyebrows rise, startled, and he shrugs in response. "As I said, multiple times."

Her expression is hard to read, but she nods slowly. "He's just gotten away with so much. I felt like he needed to finally be held accountable, even if it was in the wrong way."

"Trust me, I know." He can't keep the bitterness out of his tone. "And I certainly don't blame you. In fact…I'm glad you did it. I like knowing that you'll take action when it's needed." He reaches down, smoothing her hair away from her face. "You're going to make a great mother someday."

A tentative smile touches her lips, and she rubs her hands lightly over his bare chest. "Did you tell Amar that we're engaged?"

His grin returns in full force. "Yep. He wants to take us out to celebrate sometime." Tobias pulls her hips closer to him, getting aroused despite the topic of conversation. It's impossible not to, with her standing so close and smelling so good and touching him like that.

Leaning down, he kisses her softly. "But I don't want to talk about any of that anymore. I'm much more interested in making love to my fiancée. Again."

"You seem to be fond of that word," she murmurs against his lips.

"Mmm, fiancée?" His voice rumbles through his chest. "Well, that is my best fantasy, you know."

In a single fluid motion, he picks her up, pressing her against the wall and positioning himself between her legs. She lets out an involuntary laugh, her limbs wrapping tightly around him to avoid falling – not that he would let her.

"And now I get to say that word over and over," he adds, his mouth seeking out her neck, enjoying the feel of her soft skin, "until the day I can say that you're my wife."

"I like that even better," she declares, her fingers moving from the back of his neck up through his hair. He's always loved doing that to her, but it wasn't until relatively recently that he discovered how arousing it is when she does it to him, too.

"So do I." He shifts her a little lower, so she's resting where he wants the pressure the most. "You have no idea how excited that thought makes me."

Another peal of laughter comes from her. "I think your excitement is pretty obvious, Tobias." She gyrates her hips against his length. "It's practically poking a hole in me."

He smirks, taking a moment to meet her eyes. "Clearly, I'm missing my target." His hands tighten under her thighs. "But I need to grab a condom before I improve my aim."

"Actually, you don't." She blurts the words out, biting her lip at the end and looking slightly nervous. "I, um, started on birth control pills last month. They should be effective by now."

For a long moment, Tobias just stares, feeling himself grow even harder as her words sink in. "You mean, I can just…." Holy shit. "I've never done that."

"Well, I mean, you don't have to." She looks almost hesitant for a second, and he half-expects her to bring up the risk of him catching herpes, as she has several times before when they've tried something new. Instead, the side of her mouth quirks hopefully. "But yeah, if you want."

He makes no attempt to hide his grin – partly at the prospect of what she's offering and partly because of what it means. It tells him she's fully accepted that they're permanent. And that she won't let anything get in their way.

His chuckle is deep. "I certainly won't say no."

In response, a smile slowly builds, lighting up her face. "Good. Because I like being your 'first' again."

He nuzzles his nose into her cheek, his breath hot on her skin. "You've been my first in everything that counts, Tris." He lifts her a bit, struggling to line up with her entrance in this slightly awkward position – and despite the eagerness that's making it difficult to control his movements. "And I am thrilled that you'll be my only for the rest of my life." He finally gets the angle right and pushes into her, not entirely sure what to expect sans barrier – and finds himself almost overwhelmed by the sensations surrounding his bare skin. He groans, long and loud. "You feel unbelievably good."

She moans some sort of assent that he doesn't entirely catch, too lost in all the new feelings that are suddenly involved in this familiar act. He's never minded wearing condoms before, but now he wonders if he'll ever be able to go back to them. And it certainly doesn't hurt that Tris' ring keeps brushing against his skin as her hands find their way all over him, making the moment more intimate than ever.

They give up on speech entirely the longer they continue, their bodies moving in synch as they give and take pleasure with every thrust and swirl and kiss and touch. Tobias does his best to draw it out, wanting to make their mutual ecstasy last as long as possible, but every movement inside her is so raw and intense, he can barely avoid coming with each forward surge. When he finally does give in, he explodes with a level of pleasure that he's never even imagined, the aftermath shocking through him in waves as he pants her name over and over.

He's too exhausted to move afterwards, leaning against her and letting the wall support both of them for what seems like ages, their bodies still entwined. He's always had to withdraw fairly quickly to ensure nothing leaks from the condom, so this is the first time he's ever been able to linger inside her. He takes full advantage of it, his hands gripping her legs so he can remain deeply burrowed within her, little follow-up twinges going through him at irregular intervals.

"I don't have words for that," he finally manages to breathe into her hair.

Apparently, she agrees, judging by the long sigh of satisfaction she emits, the one that sounds suspiciously like, "Soooo goooood."

Grinning widely, he musters up enough energy to move away from the wall, taking her with him to their bed. He tries to remain inside her as he sets her down, but that proves to be impossible, and a little gasp comes from both of them at the separation. Oh, well…next time he'll see if he can find a position that lets him stay within her all night. It would add an interesting dynamic to their early morning activities.

The possibilities play through his mind as he draws Tris close, his fingers brushing her hair away so he can see her face better.

"I'm so glad I moved back here," he murmurs, suddenly acutely aware of how easily he could have missed all of this.

"Me, too." A wide, sleepy smile shapes her face, and he knows she's slipping into the unique oblivion that follows incredible sex. "You're the love of my life, Tobias."

Her eyes drift closed as he whispers his response, but he doesn't mind. For the first time in his life, things are exactly the way he wants them, and the best part is that he knows they're only going to get better.

His fingers continue to run up and down her back as the euphoria turns slowly into sleep for him, too. This is what people mean by "happily ever after," he knows. For most of his life, he doubted the concept could truly exist, let alone that it could apply to him, but now it's become thoroughly real.

He intends to enjoy every moment of it.

The End

A/N: I haven't entirely ruled out the idea of writing an epilogue. I like this as the ending, but I do have a scene in mind for some years down the road. If you have a strong desire to read it, please leave me a review to let me know. If I get a lot of requests, I'll honor that by writing it; otherwise, we'll see if the mood strikes me at some point. :-)

Anyway, thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to review, favorite, and/or follow this story! Your support is the only "payment" that fanfiction authors get, and it really encourages us to write. So, yes, please review this chapter, as well as any other story you read on this site that you like. We really do appreciate it.