"What say you, Dexter James Heller, as to the approval or denial of joint custody of Ciara Josephine Heller with Kristina Adela Corinthos-Davis?"

"Approved."

If Kristina could, she'd grab Dex and plant a million kisses on his face. Relief shoots through her as the judge slams the gavel down and promptly exits the courtroom. Everyone sits in silence for a beat, with Kristina slowly closing her eyes to soak it all in.

Finally, she thinks to herself, I'm coming home.

Cheers and claps erupt from behind her, forcing her eyes back open. She looks behind her, smiling at the abundance of joy, before turning to Dex. Her eyes sparkle when she matches her beaming smile with his signature smirk.

"Congrats, my dear," Diane stands up. Kristina rises with her, "You get to be around your daughter full-time now."

"Thank you," she hugs the attorney, "I couldn't have gotten through all these legal hurdles without you."

"I'm just doing my job," she smirks, "and you're welcome."

The couple still maintains eye contact as Diane walks away, chatting with Alexis and Sam in the gallery. The moment Dex stands up and buttons his blazer, she rushes to him and swallows him in a hug.

"Joint custody," she sighs blissfully as his arms wrap around her, "Thank you."

"You earned it," he whispers before pulling back, keeping her at arm's length, "Plus, there's that whole marriage thing."

"Right…" she nods as Sam walks up to them.

"Hey," the elder sister cuddles the young woman while Dex backs away, "I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks," Kristina grins, pulling away.

"I'm glad it only took one hearing for Dex to change his mind. You guys must've been working hard to reconcile."

"We have, yeah, and it's paid off. I get to go home to my baby."

"I'm glad you do. You deserve to," Sam clasps her hands together, "and I know the kids are going to be excited for you."

"One step closer to making our family whole."

"Yeah…" Sam nods slowly as they exchange knowing glances, "Have you guys talked at all…?"

"Barely. All we discussed was Jasmine's adoption, and even then, I talked way more to TJ about it."

"It sucks that you guys aren't close anymore-"

"But the reasons we aren't are as valid as they can be," Kristina shrugs as Alexis walks over, "We all just have to move forward."

"Move forward?" the elder woman asks.

"We were discussing her and Molly," Sam answers.

"Oh," Alexis pauses before reaching her arms out, embracing her middle daughter, "I'm happy for you, cookie. You stuck it out and worked at Dex's level like you said you would."

"This is a far cry from the Kristina of old," Sam smirks.

"It is, and while she'll always be with me, she's not who I can be anymore. I got businesses to run, a family to be there for," Kristina shakes her head, smiling, "No time for impulsive shenanigans."

"Aw, look at my baby," Alexis hugs her again, and Sam moves to hug her sister from behind. Dex watches them with a warm smile, feeling a buzz in his blazer. He pulls out his cellphone and keeps his expression intact.

From: TJ (11:04 AM)

Sorry I couldn't be there! GH needed me to work another shift.

How'd it go?

To: TJ (11:05 AM)

No more visitation :)

From: TJ (11:05 AM)

That's great! I'm sure Kristina's overjoyed.

To: TJ (11:06 AM)

She is. Ciara will be too.

He thinks about what to say next, a few transitional questions hanging over him.

To: TJ (11:09 AM)

How long is your shift today?

From: TJ (11:10 AM)

I actually get off in about 20-ish minutes. Why?

To: TJ (11:10 AM)

Can I call you?

Kristina looks past her sister and mother, her eyes following Dex as he exits the courtroom, his phone pressed against his ear.

"Where's Ciara now?" Alexis asks.

"The kids are watching her at home," Sam responds.

"Sounds like that'll be your next stop," the elder woman turns to Kristina.

"Maybe. I think Dex is meant to get her…?"

"Well now that you two are back together, in more ways than one," Sam gives her sister a knowing look, "I'm sure he'd be fine if you picked her up."

"I still have some things I need to get from Mom's. Moving back in will take some time."

"Would you want to do that first?" Alexis asks as Dex returns to the courtroom. Sam spots him first, and the other women turn his way.

"Hey," he greets them, looking between their faces. His eyes dart between Sam and Alexis, stopping at the latter, "can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Is something wrong?" Sam asks.

"It's important, but not bad."

"Will it be awhile?"

"Why?"

"Uh," Kristina clears her throat, "well, I was thinking of getting my stuff from her house, but if you need to talk to her, maybe I can…pick Ciara up from Sam's?"

"Oh," Dex hums, "yeah, that's fine. I mean, you don't have to ask for my permission anymore, but I appreciate that you did."

"Thank you," Kristina hugs him tight, kissing him sweetly, "I love you."

"I love you too," Dex smiles as the two women walk off, leaving him and Alexis alone.

"Okay," she begins, "what do you need to discuss?"

"There's something I wanted to ask you."

"What is it?"

"...I want your blessing to marry your daughter."

Alexis feels her heart skip a beat, her eyes sharp as she gazes into Dex's glowing blue eyes.

"E-Excuse me?" she stammers, "You want to marry my daughter?"

"Yes, I do."

"You two just got back together, and correct me if I'm wrong, you broke things off."

"I did, and I was also the one who asked the other to get back together."

"...There's something going on," Alexis crosses her arms, shaking her head, "I know you love each other, but rushing to get married? That's not your style."

"No, it's not. You know me pretty well."

"Mhm," the elder woman nods, "What's going on?"

Dex lets out a heavy sigh, "Getting married…it's a bit of a…business arrangement."

"Business arrangement? As in, a 'marriage of convenience?'" Alexis scowls, "Why on Earth are you entertaining that?"

"Brick has no plans to run the organization full-time."

"So he gave control to you."

"...Not exactly."

Alexis's face immediately turns pale, her brown eyes ablaze with fury. Dex gulps, taking a slight step back.

"Do not tell me," she holds a finger up, "that my daughter is now in charge of Sonny's mafia business."

"I…" Dex squeaks, "um…"

"Oh my God!" she swears, "This is unbelievable! What was Brick thinking?!"

"I hate it as much as you do."

"And what is Kristina thinking?! It's bad enough Ciara has one parent in the mob; she doesn't need both!" she then shoots daggers through him, "And what the hell are you thinking, going along with this?!"

"Alexis, please," Dex suddenly takes both of her hands in his, "everything that you're about to say, I've already thought about. Brick forcing this on us is crazy and ridiculous, I don't disagree," he gently squeezes down, the same firm spark returning to his eyes, "but it doesn't mean I don't love your daughter enough to marry her regardless. I've never loved someone as much as I love her, and as hard as it was to deal with her lies, it was just as hard to be away from her. I can't…I don't see myself with any other woman but her, and if I could, I'd marry her a thousand times over. So, please, just…please."

Alexis pulls out of his grip, staring in awe. Dex's ocean eyes brim with tears, a slight flush to his face. She ponders her next move in a split-second, tightly embracing him. One hand rests at the small of his back while the other cups his head from behind, gently stroking his short, dirty blonde hairs.

"You take good care of her," her whisper is harsh as she chokes up, "If anything happens to her, there will be hell to pay."

"I understand," Dex mutters gently as he hugs her back, "I'll do anything and everything to love and protect her."

"Then you have my blessing."

"Thank you. I'll also need your help."


"Mama!"

Danny, Scout, and Rocco shuffle into the living room as Sam and Kristina enter the house. Ciara appears last, shooting out from the hallway and jumping into the latter's arms.

"Hi, baby girl!" Kristina kisses her cheek, "I missed you! Were you a good girl for your cousins?"

"She was great," Scout grinned.

"How was the hearing?" Rocco asks as the trio sits down on the couch. Sam and Kristina exchange smiles.

"Well," the middle sister clears her throat, "I am happy to report that the visitation order has been lifted!"

"You're Ciara's mom again?!" Danny shoots up in excitement, "That's awesome! Thank God Dex came to his senses!"

"It was bound to happen eventually," Sam responds, "One step closer to repairing the family."

"Aunt Molly will come around. Jasmine's definitely softening her."

"Time will tell," Kristina forces her words out, "but yes, things are pretty much fixed between me and Dex."

"Good."

"Dada here?" Ciara looks around.

"No, sweetie," Sam chimes in, "he had to talk to Grandma."

"About what?" Rocco asks.

"...I'm not sure. He said it was important."

"Is it some kind of article?"

"Or maybe something with the law," Danny remarks, "since Grandma Alexis used to be a lawyer."

"What if it's about getting married?" Scout's eyes sparkle, "What if he wants to marry you, Aunt Krissy?!"

"They just got back together, Scout," Rocco replies, "He wouldn't propose now; that's way too soon."

"Not if he loves her a lot."

"That's not how it works," Danny rolls his eyes, causing her to pout.

"Okay, be nice," Sam sighs, "We won't know what Grandma and Dex talked about until they tell us."

"Or maybe we're not meant to know," Rocco shrugs, "It could be none of our business."

"Maybe," Kristina says, "but you know what is? What you guys got up to while we were gone."

"Ciara and I had a tea party," Scout smiles as the aforementioned girl is put down, "She wore the yellow boa!"

"And you were a good girl, right?" Kristina questions, "You were polite and nice to Scout and the other guests?"

"She was," the young girl nods.

"We hung out in our room," Rocco points to Danny with his thumb.

"Oh, so things are better between you guys?" Sam raises an eyebrow.

"He didn't say we did something together," Danny chirps, "We were just in the same room."

"What is going on between you guys anyway?"

"What isn't going on? Rocco hogs the bathroom, he sucks at video games, he can't handle scary movies. It's just annoying."

"Just as annoying as Danny, who is incredibly nosy and judgmental and acts like he's such a bad boy because he's a jackass and thinks wearing black makes him look cool. Not to mention how he blasts his music and video games at full volume for everyone to hear."

"Aw, look at them," Kristina leans over, whispering in her sister's ear, "Classic sibling bickering."

"It could be worse," Sam sighs, "but thank God it's not."

A buzz in Sam's pocket breaks them apart, and she smiles at the text on the screen.

"Ooh, is it Dante?" Kristina leans against her shoulder, trying to read the words.

"Yes," Sam gives her a playful glare, stepping away, "He's wondering if I could bring the kids to the park."

"Oh, well, I guess it's our cue to go."

"Who said you weren't invited?"

The car ride to Rice Park is mostly silent, with Kristina bouncing Ciara in her lap. The three kids sit in the back, looking around at the scenery while Sam cruises along the road. They spill out first once she parks, running into the field in front of them. Ciara stands by her mother when the car formally empties out, doing her best to catch up.

"So full of energy," Sam rolls her eyes, both women laughing as they lock arms and follow them. They only take a few steps in before Ciara stumbles back towards them.

"Mama!" she calls out, "Look!"

"Whoa," Kristina huffs, picking her up, "okay."

"Mom!" Scout joins in, "There's lights in the plaza!"

The group follows the young girl into the base of the park, traveling past the plentiful trees until they reach the aforementioned plaza. Fairy lights hang off of each fixture and column they could spot, illuminating the space. Danny and Rocco stand on either side of Dante, while Scout runs towards Alexis. TJ and Dex stand side-by-side, the latter dressed in a clean black tuxedo.

Oh my God, Kristina's eyes light up, Ciara squirming in her grip. She runs to her father the second her feet hit the pavement.

"Dada!" she cheers, hugging Dex's leg, "Pwetty!"

"Thanks, little one," he coos, bending down, "You wanna hang with Gamma for a bit?"

"Yeah!" she rushes to Alexis, who pulls her up. Sam arrives next to her mother, both hands on Scout's shoulders.

"Wow," Kristina walks up to Dex, with TJ stepping aside, "this looks…amazing."

"Just like you wanted it to be," the young man smiles.

"You did all of this for me?"

"I'd do anything for you…within reason."

The pair laughs his comment off before he takes a step back, holding her hands in his. He takes a heavy breath, his mind set on his next steps: Here goes nothing.

"So, uh," he clears his throat, "you and I have been through a lot over the past couple years. There's been ups and downs, lies and fights, but we've always found a way to come back to each other, and I cherish that more than you know. Meeting you, getting to know you, is a privilege I don't take for granted. I'm thankful to be in your life, and I'm thankful that the love we share produced a beautiful little girl that I wouldn't trade for the world."

He then digs into his blazer, pulling out a small purple velvet box. All Kristina feels in her heart racing inside her chest and tears of joy sticking to her cheeks, "All I can hope for is that you feel the same way, and all I want to do is spend the rest of my life, however long I have, with you."

He drops to one knee, holding open the box. The sparkle of the topaz catches her eyes immediately, "Kristina Corinthos-Davis, will you marry me?"

She's never been more sure about anything in her life: "Yes!"

Cheers and claps erupt as Dex pulls her in for a tight hug. Their kiss is deep and warm when their lips meet in the middle, and he proceeds to slip the ring on the appropriate finger, sitting perfectly on her right hand. The moment they break apart, family and friends embrace them.

"Congrats, Krissy," Sam hugs her first, "I'm happy for you!"

"Thank you!"

"You got a good one, cookie," Alexis goes next, "He asked me for my blessing before getting TJ, Dante, and I to help set this up. Sam played along."

"I really appreciate this, guys. More than you know," she laughs, smiling wide, "and Dex asking for your approval: I expect nothing less from him."

"My baby sister's getting married," Dante slaps a hand on her shoulder, playfully wiping away invisible tears, "Finally."

"Yeah, finally," she nods, trailing off into a mutter, "...Finally."

Dex watches from behind as Danny and Rocco hug their aunt, Ciara cuddling TJ's leg. Scout then walks up to the young man, opening her arms for a hug he graciously accepts.

"I get to call you 'Uncle Dex' for real now," she says.

"Yes, you do," he pulls back, her hands in his, "but if you always saw me as 'Uncle Dex,' then that's what I was."

"Thank you," she says, her next response uttered subconsciously, "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Hey," TJ calls from above. Dex lets Scout go, and both she and Ciara walk towards Kristina. The men share a bro-hug, "I'm happy for you!"

"Thank you!"

"Getting you as a brother-in-law is pretty awesome, I must say."

"Just as awesome as you being my best man…?"

"It would be my honor!" the men embrace each other once more as the rest of the family approaches them.

"Congrats, big guy," Sam beams.

"Thanks!" they both reply.

Everyone raises an eyebrow before TJ clears his throat to clarify, "Dex asked me to be his best man."

"Oh," Kristina chirps, "you already picked that out?"

"There was never a doubt in my mind of who I wanted it to be," Dex nods, "I'd love it if Dante would be one of my groomsmen…!"

"Absolutely," the detective smirks, turning to his sister, "which means you gotta pick a maid of honor."

"Easy," Kristina mirrors his smirk, "Who better to do it than my big sister?"

"I'd love to," Sam clasps her hands together.

"What can we do?" Rocco asks, the four kids standing together.

"Well," Dex begins, "we'll need a ring bearer, and a flower girl, and a couple more bridesmaids and groomsmen couldn't hurt."

"Whatever you need them for," Dante responds, "they'll do it."

"Picture!" Scout chirps, and everyone takes their positions. Ciara runs in before Sam snaps the photo with her phone, and Dex lifts her up. He props her up in his left arm, wrapping the right around Kristina. She flashes the wedding ring with a smile of pride, the family of three standing tall as the milestone is etched into photos for the foreseeable future.