After her mother visits, Eleanor starts to have hope.

The news from England is good. Liam's doctors put him on a new medication recently released from drug trials which will reduce the chance of the cancer returning by half.

So she's hopeful that Liam's going to live and be around for a long time yet.

But most of her hopes and dreams don't centre around Liam, they're focused on someone else.

She can see where she wants them to be - her and Jasper. In her head she imagines him by her side an official functions, his fingers pressed into the small of her back, whispering dirty thoughts in her ear like he used to so long ago. And in the wintertime, he would be in her bed once more, his arms around her, keeping her warm on the long cold nights.

What she's not sure of is how exactly the two of them will get there. If they will get there.

And she's not sure if she's brave enough to try.

Eleanor's dressed in light blue shift dress because today is the day James will pick her up and they will be going home to see Liam and her mother. And him.

Normally she would wear something black and slinky but its hot and she feels almost optimistic so the bright colours seem to better fit with her mood.

Nina left yesterday and in another three weeks she's going to visit and stay at the Palace. Eleanor can't wait to get home because without her friend she's interminably bored here. And today she isn't thinking about the past, she's looking to the future.

She gets the call at 9.30am, shortly after she returns from breakfast. "Your bodyguard is here, your Highness," she hears the voice on the other end of the line.

Eleanor doesn't wait for the porter but grabs her suitcase and whirls down the stairs in a hurry, barely managing to contain her excitement that freedom is now within her grasp. One of the palace staff has already arranged the bill payment from afar, so she checks herself out promptly and then ventures out into the sunshine to see James.

Only its not James.

It's him.

He's leaning casually against the hotel portico with sunglasses wrapped around his face and he's not in a bodyguard uniform but a pair of jeans and a fitted t shirt. He looks ridiculously handsome in a way that's reminiscent of James Dean.

He removes the sunglasses and drinks in the sight of her, looking her up and down.

She stares back at him open mouthed for a good ten seconds.

"So there's been a change of plans," Jasper collects himself and tells her, looking pleased with himself.

"James isn't coming and we're not going home today. I've booked us a hotel in the next village over by the sea for a couple of days. Not that you'll be seeing much of anything outside the bedroom mind. We have some catching up to do," he adds and gives her a look that makes her heart flutter.

"But aren't they expecting me at home?" she questions.

Jasper shakes his head. James is in on this so far that he actually suggested it in the first place so he's not expecting Eleanor back for several days. And Liam's also in cahoots with them. And Helena. In fact everyone's actually in on his plan. Everyone except for Eleanor.

"Not until Thursday," he tells her.

Then Jasper takes two steps forward, tilts her backwards just like in the movies and kisses her hard on the mouth.

She clings to his waist so that she doesn't ungraciously topple over backwards while he sticks his tongue down her throat.

Eventually he rights Eleanor back on her feet, flustered and breathless.

"You know there could well be papps around here," Eleanor tells him warningly, as common sense catches up with her. Her mother's voice is in her head - you know that someone's always watching.

Jasper shrugs nonchalently, "I like to put on a show. Did I make my point?"

"You made some kind of point. What were you going for?," Eleanor tells him.

"I was going for I missed you, I want you, I love you and now I've got you back I'm never letting go of you again," he looks her straight in the eye and the shock of his words is almost like a physical blow.

Eleanor's stunned. Jasper's never been one to wear his heart on his sleeve and rare to get any indication that he actually possesses any feelings at all from him before. And now she's got all of that from him in one sentence.

He's met with silence. Jasper takes in Eleanor's shocked expression and raises an eyebrow. "Well. Are you going to say anything here?"

He's hiding it well, but there's just a touch of desperation in his voice. Tell me you love me too.

Eleanor steps back from him and swallows. She's scared to do it but she's going to take a chance.

She's going to do it. She straightens her spine and lifts her chin.

"I don't remember saying it to you like you said I did, but maybe you were telling the truth when you said I told you I loved you," its as much of a concession as she's willing to make and an apology of sorts.

He doesn't miss the way her mouth quivers and she digs her fingers into her palm and he can tell she's working herself up to say something.

She puts her heart on the line. "Because I've been in love with you for a while now. Ever since you came back to help Liam," she tells him.

Jasper's been radiating tension ever since he told her how he felt and finally he smiles. Or rather smirks in a self satisfied way like he's won some kind of prize.

But Eleanor's better than any prize he's heard of. Or diamonds.

He steps into her and then his hand is in her hair and his other winds its way around her waist. And even though neither of them are thinking about paparazzi they should be because there's no mistaking the intimacy of how he's holding her.

"I've been in love with you for far longer than that, Eleanor," Jasper's voice is low and he's talking in her ear. "When Cyrus removed your security I couldn't stop myself from following you to Paris and Brazil and Greece just to check you were safe. By the time I was doing that I had to question why the fuck I was spending my life savings chasing some girl across the world and I couldn't deny it to myself anymore."

He rests his head against her forehead and looks her in the eye. "Is this what you want? Us? Because I want you more than anything and I choose you if you'll have me."

Eleanor bites her lip and nods. "Even though you're a common, thieving, conniving conman with a liking for punching people with more enthusiasm than is strictly necessary for your role - " he's also a motherfucker. Literally. But she's decided to leave that out just for now -,'I choose you, too Jasper Frost, god help me," she adds because for better or worse she can't get him out of her head and whatever comes her future's going to be tied up with his.

Jasper's still has his head against hers and it feels strange to let him into her life once again and to let down all her defences. But it also feels so right.

""You choose me and I choose you. Then this is a relationship. This is forever Eleanor," he tells her. His voice is firm and his face is serious.

Eleanor can't help but smile because its been months since she's had this sensation but she realises that this is what happiness feels like.

Jasper picks up her suitcase with one hand and wraps his other hand around hers and they take their first steps into forever together.

The End.

That's the end. Thanks to all of you readers and reviewers who have been following the story.

I kind of like the idea of them having a happy ending and riding off into the sunset together. I hope you liked it too.