A/N: So here we are, the final chapter. I want to thank each one of you who have taken the time to read/review this story, it has far exceeded my expectations. And I think I can safely speak for Little Miss NICAP, who had the idea for this story, that neither of us can believe how this took off in ways we never expected. Today makes four years since this story was posted, I was shocked when I realized recently how long it has been. I felt there was no better way to end it than by posting on the date it began. This chapter takes place in the present. I wanted to just catch up with where they are in life, and how their life has changed and grown. We've known this ending for a long time and it's a little surreal it's finally here. Again, thank you for reading. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Chapter 65

Present day

A sigh of content escaped Olivia's lips as she turned onto the gravel driveway that led to their home. Just seeing her home, knowing the warmth, love and contentment that awaited already had her relaxed. As she parked her SUV in the garage she saw James coming out. "Hey, where are you going?" she asked as he headed to his car in the driveway.

"High school boys' basketball state tournament starts tonight. Going with a couple buddies." The older man said. While he had kept their family home in New York, and spent time there throughout the year, most of his time was spent with in Montana with them. Both Alex and Olivia was beyond grateful for his help, but more importantly just loved having him around. Not to mention how much the kids loved having Grandad with them. They were also happy he'd made friends in the area to attend sporting events with, as well as golfing and fishing.

"Oh, okay, have fun then!"

Olivia entered the kitchen through the garage, hearing her stomach growl as she entered. The aroma of homemade pizza filling the room. It was Friday night in the Cabot-Benson household which meant homemade pizzas and a movie. As she made her way through the house her eyes drifted over the multitude of pictures that adorned the walls. She stopped and smiled at one in particular, their first picture together, taken many years ago on a snowy Saturday afternoon in Chicago high above the city. Her smile grew as she remembered their first kiss that occurred on the river bank a short while later. This particular wall seemed to hold a timeline of their life together in photos. Pictures of them once they were finally free from the program, the kids as newborns and Noah the day they took custody of him. Two of her favorites were in the next frames, a camping trip they'd taken the summer before. One was of Danielle and Lucas with their backs turned as they roasted marshmallows, both kids wearing their cowboy hats. Another of Alex on horseback waving as Olivia snapped the picture, the valley laid out behind her as a backdrop.

Never in a million years would Olivia imagined this could be her life. By the time of her stabbing she still held out hope of having a child, maybe even a significant other to go home too, but she had begun to wonder if that dream would ever become a reality. Now, she had become grateful in a sense she had been stabbed. That one instance changed her life completely and she couldn't, and didn't want to, imagine what life would be like had it not happened.

Stopping in the doorway of the family room she smiled, they didn't know she was there. Alex and Danielle were sitting on the couch facing one another while talking. Lucas and Noah playing with action figures. Charlie curled up on his bed in the corner near the fireplace.

"Hey," Alex smiled as she looked up "You're home."

Olivia pushed of the door frame where she was leaning and stepped over to kiss her wife. She then exchanged hugs and kisses with each kid. "So what are you two up to?"

"I'm showing Mommy the new boots I want." Their oldest, while every day looking more and more like her brunette mama, clearly held her mommy's love of shopping.

"New boots, huh?" Olivia glanced at the flier from a local store.

"Yeah, mine are getting a little snug." Danielle smiled sweetly. She knew just the look that melted both their hearts.

Alex shook her head at the attempt. "A sweet talker like your Mama." She playfully pushed her daughter causing her to giggle "I think she's hitting another growth spurt."

"You gotta quit growing up so fast baby girl." Olivia hugged the child to her side.

"Face it Mommy, we're gonna grow up." Lucas joked.

Olivia and Alex shared a look. They laughed at their son's ribbing of them, but they both felt that slight pang of sadness all parents feel when they think about how fast their kids are growing.

"Okay guys, dinner will be ready soon." Alex said as she stood. "Get everything set up."

"What movie are we watching?" Olivia asked.

All three kids chimed in with their choices but Alex shut them down "It's Mommies' choice tonight, so we get to decide."

After a few moments of whispering Olivia faced the kids "How about The Incredibles?"

"Yes!" Noah began to jump up and down in excitement as the other two high fived one another.

She and Alex laughed at the kids' response. It wasn't just a favorite of the kids' but a favorite of theirs as well.

While the kids got everything set up Alex and Olivia headed to the kitchen to finish dinner.

They'd tried to make a ritual of family night once the kids began to get a little older although their careers didn't always allow that to happen. That however changed in the last year. Just over a year ago Olivia retired from the force with the rank of lieutenant. As much as she loved being a cop, loved the work she did, she felt as if there was something else she was to be doing. Another way she could give back and help others. She also felt a growing need to be with her family more as the kids were getting older. While the hours she kept in Billings was nothing compared to the hours she kept in LA, there were times she had to miss ball games or riding competitions. And so a little over a year ago she turned in her papers. She enjoyed being home more but she still knew there was something she could do. After much thought and discussion with Alex they decided to open a therapeutic ranch, the Open Skies Ranch. It started small, using equine therapy to help survivors' domestic violence. Olivia was the founder and president while Alex was a board member, along with a few others Olivia had met in her line of work with experience in working with survivors. They began with a small piece of land, six horses and two equine therapists, along with a few volunteers. In the last few months they began to grow, purchasing more property for longer riding, adding an extra therapist and expanding to also help survivors of child abuse and sexual assault.

Olivia wasn't the only one who'd made a career change. Alex too began to feel she was missing out as her kids were growing up. She loved her work as an AUSA, she had missed the courtroom in those couple years she was away, but she loved her family even more. Her final case seemed to be the one to weigh on her the most. After successfully prosecuting a child trafficking case she wasn't sure she still had it in her to be in the courtroom every day. Each night of the case and trial she'd come home and hold which ever child would allow her to cuddle all evening. It seemed as though they knew something was wrong and would take turns each night cuddling the blonde. A fellow attorney she was friends with had casually mentioned the local State University, was hiring for a constitutional law professor. Alex applied, not expecting much, but was surprised when she was offered the position. There was a little bit of a pay cut as compared to her job as an AUSA, but nothing that would hurt them. Her friends back in New York, especially Nick and Brian, liked to tease her about teaching constitutional law considering she had blatantly ignored the fourth amendment during a case. Instead of long hours working a case, she taught three classes a week; two on Monday and one on Wednesday, with office hours on Monday evenings and Thursday mornings, except finals weeks in which she would extend hours for students. She essentially now had a job that allowed her a three day weekend, and was flexible in her taking and picking up the kids from school. She also spent time at the ranch helping in any way she could.

"So, how was your day?" Alex asked as she checked the pizzas in their double oven.

"Good." Olivia smiled.

Alex detected something in her wife's voice. She turned and saw the smile on the brunette's face "What's that smile for?"

Olivia reached for her purse that was sitting on the counter. "I didn't call and tell you because I wanted to tell you in person." She pulled an envelope from her bag "I found out that we're receiving the two grants we applied for, fifty-thousand each." Her voice cracked a bit "But this was the shocker. A professor my Mom worked with years ago passed away. She willed us three-quarters of a million dollars." Tears were now forming in her eyes.

Alex dropped the pot-holder that was in her hand and staggered for a second, grabbing the counter for support. "What?!" she opened and closed her mouth "You mean in one afternoon the ranch received nearly a million dollars in funding?!"

"Yeah." Olivia began to cry as Alex threw her arms around her. The blonde crying as well.

"How did she know about what we're doing? And more importantly how did a retired professor have that much money?"

Olivia laughed at the rapid fire questions. "Apparently a lot of her money she'd inherited from her own parents and evidently invested well. She was one of my mother's closest friends. After her death she kept in touch with me. And after the program we've kept in touch, just a few letters here and there. I told you about her, remember?"

"I do, now that you mention it." Alex leaned on the island in the center of the room, still trying to get her bearings after the news.

"I knew she'd been ill, and she passed a couple months ago. Her attorney contacted me a couple days ago and said she'd left the ranch something. He didn't go into details, just said she was inspired by what we were doing." A few tears slid down Olivia's face as she held out the handwritten letter from the older woman. She pointed to a line near the bottom "Read this."

Alex read the line to herself, then choked up as she read it aloud, her voice barely a whisper "I leave this money in love and remembrance of my dear friend Serena."

"Just think what we can do with this, Alex. We're growing and expanding, more donations are coming in, but just imagine what we can do with this kind of money!"

Alex nodded "Any ideas yet? Have you even told the board about this?"

"No, we have a meeting next week so I'll tell them then. I would like for us to get more horses for sure, maybe bring in another paid therapist. I've also been thinking about adding a retreat program."

Alex perked up.

"Instead of just our regular therapy sessions that last a few hours, something that lasts a couple days or over the weekend."

"That would mean building lodging. Adding more staff and security."

"It's a lot." Olivia acknowledged. "But I have big dreams for this place. I desperately want it to work."

Alex pulled the brunette close "I love your dreams." She whispered into Olivia's ear, then pulled back and met her wife's gaze "And it will work. I want it too work just as much as you do. We'll make sure it works."

They held one another for a moment, just taking in everything that had been said. Finally Alex pulled back and pulled their dinner from the oven, three small pizzas for each kid and a larger one for them to share.

"I'm gonna change, be back in a second." Olivia headed upstairs to change into something more comfortable. "I know you're watching me!" she called out as she left the kitchen.

"Can't help myself!" Alex laughingly called out. All the years they'd been together and she still couldn't keep her eyes off her wife. And she knew the feeling was mutual. On many occasions she caught the brunette not so discreetly watching her, or she could simply feel Olivia's eyes on her. She thanked her lucky stars that she was in a relationship like theirs.

Alex poured herself and Olivia a glass of wine for dinner while pulling drinks for the kids from the fridge. As she closed the door she smiled at one of the pictures hanging there. It was of Danielle from the previous summer, their daughter posing with her Appaloosa named Marshmallow, after winning the junior girls barrel racing championship. While they were both glad their kids had developed their same love of riding they had to admit it scared them at times watching their daughter race around the arena on horseback. Her eyes now drifted over two other photos on this side of the refrigerator. One of Lucas posing with his basketball team after winning a tournament, and another of Noah in his tee-ball uniform.

"Okay guys, come and get it!" Alex shouted. She laughed as the kids raced into the kitchen, each taking a drink and their pizza. She plated up hers and Olivia's just as the brunette re-entered the room, Olivia grabbing their glasses of wine. Alex took a moment to appreciate the brunette's outfit, sweat pants with a long sleeve tee, her make up removed and her hair pulled into a ponytail. Alex herself was sporting a similar look with pajama pants and a Harvard tee. Alex settled onto the couch with Olivia on the opposite end. All three kids scattered around the room.

By the end of the movie Noah was asleep curled up in a chair, Danielle and Lucas sprawled in the floor barely awake, Olivia was stretched out on the couch her head in Alex's lap while Alex lazily ran her fingers through the brunette's hair.

"Okay guys, bedtime." Alex stood and crossed the room and picked Noah up, the boy only mumbling as he settled in against his mommy.

Goodnights said and kids tucked in Alex and Olivia began to settle in for the night. "I still can't get over what you told me earlier." Alex said in awe as she brushed her teeth. She stood in the door of their bathroom watching Olivia who was already in bed watching the local news broadcast.

Olivia turned the television off and laid the remote on her bedside table. "Me either." She shook her head "It's almost surreal. I mean, we went into this hoping we would eventually be able to make a difference and here we are. A year later and we're already progressing faster than either of us expected."

"I know baby, and I think it's only going to get better." Alex kissed her wife lightly then headed to the walk in closet. When she came back out she saw Olivia had already settled further down into the bed, her eyes heavy.

"All these years and I still love seeing you parade around the room as you change clothes." Olivia chuckled.

Alex just grinned and shook her head in response. As she sat on the bed rubbing lotion on her hands she stared at the picture on her bedside table. It was Olivia's official department photo, the brunette in uniform.

"Still cracks me up that you stare at that photo as much as you do."

Alex turned as she pulled the covers up around her "Because it never fails to turn me on." she leaned in for a kiss "I would think by now you would know how much I love seeing you in uniform. I mean, I have several on my phone and this very photo," she pointed over her shoulder "Is in my wallet in my purse." She took a moment to get comfortable "Kinda like you and your thing for my glasses."

At that Olivia laughed. She could not deny her love of seeing Alex in her glasses, or her 'glasses of justice' as she had deemed them. "I do love the glasses of justice."

Alex snorted as she laughed. "I guess I get it though, especially since you started wearing glasses."

"I like it even better when you're wearing nothing but you're glasses."

Alex knew that tone, but she also knew the brunette was barely awake. "Seriously, Liv? You can barely keep your eyes open right now."

"I know, I know." she rolled onto her side to get comfortable "I'm exhausted. Just trying to be a little flirty."

"And I love that this many years in we're still flirty with one another." Alex leaned in for a goodnight kiss, lingering for just a moment. "I love you." she said as she settled down.

Olivia draped her arm over her wife's waist "And I love you."