A/N: this is it, the end. thanks for all the favs, follows, comments, and to everyone who read this. I love you all!

tw: depression

Lucy stood in the doorway of the nursery, just out of sight, watching Hilary struggling to get the twins to sleep. She nearly cracked a rib trying not to laugh when she heard the seventeen-year-old scolding them with "Why won't you guys sleep? I always went straight to sleep without complaining when I was your age."

"Spying on the babysitter, sweetheart?" Zaeed muttered as he came up behind Lucy and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Or are you stalling?"

She leaned back against him and sighed deeply. "Maybe a bit of both. It's the first time I'm leaving them, voluntarily, overnight. It's just... hard."

He placed a gentle kiss behind her ear as he tightened his arms around her. "I know, sweetheart. But this is a good thing. You're making progress."

The first several months after the twins' birth had overwhelmed Lucy. She'd fallen into a deep postpartum depression that had nearly consumed her entirely. She'd been in and out of Huerta several times and, for their own safety, the twins had spent more time with Joker and Hilary than with their own parents.

But now, as the galaxy marked the first anniversary of the end of the Reaper War, everything finally seemed to be falling into place again. Though Zaeed hadn't taken any new mercenary contracts since just before the twins were born, he and Lucy had begun working for James Carlson's new security firm. So far, they'd mainly taken on clients whose mercenary guard forces had been decimated by the Reapers.

And Admiral Hackett had called and practically insisted they attend the party the Alliance was throwing to celebrate the completion of the new Arcturus Station. So, as much as they still detested formal functions, they'd agreed to go. But just for one night.

"It's not like she'll be alone," Zaeed said, peeking over Lucy's shoulder when Hilary started singing a lullaby. "Chris is here if anything goes wrong. But it won't," he added when his wife turned to glare at him.

She sighed again. "I know. It just... it seems like I've missed out on so much, I hate to leave them."

"You'll see them when we get back tomorrow night. I promise, they'll still be here." He gently guided her away from the nursery. "But if we don't leave now, we'll be late for the transport and then –"

She smirked. "And then we'll have to stay."

He rolled his eyes and propelled her toward the front door where Joker and their suitcases were waiting. "Let's go, sweetheart."

From: Hilary

To: Lucy

Subj: re: Everything Okay?

The twins are fine. They finally settled down not long after you guys left. I'm hoping they'll sleep through the night, but knowing my luck, they'll be awake again in a couple of hours.

Have fun at the party and try not to worry too much, okay? You needed this night out. Enjoy it.

-Hilary

"Glad to see you were able to convince her to come tonight," Hackett said as he and Zaeed watched Lucy somewhat awkwardly dancing with Wrex.

"I just hope it's worth it. She's made so much progress in the last few weeks, I'd hate to see her fall back because of one goddamn party."

"As long as she doesn't turn to alcohol to solve her problems, the way Michael did, she'll be all right."

Zaeed said nothing, thinking of all the times over the last few months when Lucy had come close to going down that very road.

"What did I tell you about frowning like that, honey?"

He looked up to find Lucy standing in front of him, an amused sort of look on her face. "Finished dancing, sweetheart?"

She laughed. "Just with Wrex."

"Oh?"

"It's exhausting trying to dance with him and avoid getting my feet stomped on, and attempt to hold a conversation." She chewed her lip a moment and held out a hand. "Dance with me."

Zaeed took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor as the band started playing a slow song. They danced in silence for a couple of minutes, lost in the music. As the song changed, he tipped her chin up with one finger so he was looking into her eyes, surprised to see tears in them. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"Nothing. For once, they're happy tears. I swear."

"What were you thinking about?"

"You. You've just been beyond patient through, well, everything. You've always believed in me, in us, even when I didn't." She leaned up to kiss him. "I don't say it nearly as much as I should, but I love you, Zaeed."

He pulled her closer and deepened the kiss as they continued to dance. "I love you too, Lucy. Always."