Here we go then, team, this is the last slice of this story… This one goes out to kamarooka, for being my star reviewer!

Part XII – Epilogue

The sun is setting, just behind the horizon, and there's hardly a wave in the water. It's been a warm April this year, and there's a pleasant breeze as Claire leans back in her chair on their decking, watching Lottie tear around after her brother, the stocky little boy stumbling over all the sandcastles of earlier in the day. She smiles to herself. Ben's fifth birthday is next week, and she imagines he'll love the beach volleyball party they're planning on holding for ten of his friends, despite how mad it seems.

She notices Owen, then, walking back along the beach with their scruffy haired grey rescue mongrel. His smile widens as he approaches her, and as their dog runs down towards the children he whistles.

"Come on, Blue, dinner time, boy." Claire calls as she lays his food out on the decking. Still young, and full of all that energy, Blue scampers up and devours it, before settling in the sand, resting his head on his paws, watching the children with his big brown sad eyes. Owen sinks into the chair beside his wife, taking her hand.

"Speak to Karen?"

She smiles. "Gray got into MIT. I don't think she could be any prouder. Turns out he never got tired of planes."

"I'll have to call him – maybe next weekend? I've got a long week this week, with the cup, and I'm sure he's out celebrating tonight."

She smiles. "It'll be worth it, though. You'll be so proud when your boys win everything."

This year's Owen's first as head of the sports department, and despite all the stress he'd never thought he wanted, he's found a pride he never knew he had. He's been the main bread-winner of the family for nearly five years now, Claire having taken a step back and just organising the business a few days a week from home after Ben was born, and it turns out he prefers a position of authority more than he thought he would. And as for his wife's reaction to the title Lieutenant Commander Grady…

Claire's going back to work when Ben starts kindergarten in the fall, and although she's looking forward to it, she never missed it as much as she thought she would; somehow Owen and Lottie and Ben had created a person quite the opposite of the Claire Dearing she'd thought she once was.

But she doesn't want to go back to the Claire Dearing she once was. It's like she didn't know what she was missing.

"Any news on a date for the wedding yet?" Owen enquires, leaning back slightly further in his chair.

Ever since Zach and Elise had announced their engagement just after Christmas, dates had been constantly up for family discussion, and not primarily by the bride and groom. Apparently Karen had Claire's flair for organisation, and something of an addiction to it.

"It won't be for a long time, that's all I could get. I think Zach worked out he needs to work about four years on his income before he can pay for the wedding they want…"
"I didn't think attorneys were exactly on the minimum…"

Claire chuckles. "I think they've got some really expensive plans. Or they're just trying to get Karen to shut up…"

Owen laughs. For a moment, the barely-there waves lap and they watch the silhouettes of their children, now constructing another masterpiece sandcastle, only a couple of metres away from Blue.

They watch as Ben knocks a carefully constructed mound to the side slightly, and Lottie puts her hands on her hips, an almost caricature image, more alike her mother than she'll ever know.

"All of that came from us sticking together." Claire muses, turning her face to Owen's, his favourite half-smile on her lips. He twines his fingers with hers, staring down at them. His rough, callused skin - raptor-trainer hands from another life, over pale, smooth, long fingers.

He glances down the beach and watches his son wrap both his arms around his big sister, and Lottie place a kiss to his head. He squeezes Claire's hand gently and looks back up at her.

"Survival was pretty great, huh?"

FINIS

Thank you so much for all your support along the way, and I hope you've had half as much fun reading this as I have had writing it! At a point in my life where I had absolutely no time to write anything, and certainly not to walk into a new fandom, you were all so welcoming and encouraged me to write and write and write – and this fic's been a new experience, I've never had that before, a piece of work that literally doesn't want to end, keeps panning its way out into more chapters!

I'd love it if you could find it in you to leave me one last little review – I value your feedback more than anything else!