Welcome to the last chappie. Hope you like how it ends.

Thank you to all who've reviewed: Triskelesque, The Fleaks, arantxabarrera (check bottom of fic for message), PopstarJ01, Daughter of Nature, Missus Moony, clio, HPxXx, allycat1186, abigail (sorry I couldn't respond personally), purplepanties, alymacron2978, butherecomesthefall, Stormy322, wickedwench1.

Thanks to all who read but didn't review.

I'm uploading my first Sirius fic called 'The Bet' tonight. I am as needy as always so please go check it out and review.

Cheers, duckies!

Chapter Sixteen

There were two uniformed officers and another two plainclothes officers talking in a huddle outside the emergency room. One of the men turned and Remus recognised Tash's boss, DCI Harper.

'Where are they? What happened?' Remus demanded as he and Sirius approached.

'They were involved in a car accident,' Harper said, drawing them away from the other officers. 'They were chasing a suspect, a drug dealer, who got away from a stakeout we were running when a lorry pulled out of an alley. They had no warning, they couldn't avoid it.'

He looked at Sirius. 'You're Andrew's…partner?'

Sirius nodded and asked, 'Where are they? Can we see them?'

Harper looked grim and Remus' heart froze. 'Natasha has some head injuries, maybe a spinal injury - she's still in emergency undergoing tests but she's stable,' he said then looked with obvious reluctance at Sirius. 'Andrew is in surgery already. His side of the car took the most impact.'

Sirius went pale and he felt Remus grasp his hand hard as the DCI continued. 'The doctors…well, they aren't…optimistic. I'm sorry.'

Remus felt Sirius' knees buckle and he hung on to him, pulling him back to sit on the chairs behind them.

'It's ok,' he whispered, putting his arm around his trembling friend. 'It'll be ok. Andrew's tough - he has to be to put up with you. He'll be alright, Pads. He'll be alright.'

It felt like forever that they were waiting for word and they were mostly silent. After almost an hour, a pale faced Sirius turned to Remus.

'I'm no good at this, Moony,' he whispered hoarsely. 'This being in a relationship business. I don't know what I'm supposed to do.'

'You're here, Pads,' Remus replied. 'That's all you need to be doing right now.'

Sirius' jaw clenched and he blinked. 'I love him, Remus. I'm scared,' he said shakily and the other man took his hand.

'So am I,' he said softly.

A nurse appeared just then and took Sirius up to Intensive Care to see Andrew. 'Tell Tash I'll be in to see her later,' he said to Remus, who nodded.

'Just look after Andrew,' he told him. 'Let me know how he is.'

Remus sat alone, rocking slightly on his chair. It felt like hours, but it was really only a few minutes until a doctor appeared and told him he could see Tash.

'She's bruised and has a broken leg and ribs,' the doctor said as Remus stared down at an unconscious Tash. 'Her scan was negative for a spinal injury which is good. The head injury is a concern, though, happening just months after her last…'

He and Remus both looked at Tash's cut, bruised face. 'She's lucky she got out of it alive. She's young and she's healthy. That will help her recovery.'

He sighed. 'She was lucky,' he repeated before giving Remus a harried smile and moving away.

Remus sank down next to Tash's bed and took her hand, trying to avoid the drip that was taped to the top of it. 'This is becoming a habit, Tash,' he mumbled, touching her black curls. 'We're going to have to talk about you getting a new job.'

'We couldn't do without her,' came a voice and he turned to see the plainclothes officers behind him.

'Don't get up,' Harper said, looking at Tash as Remus sank back down onto the chair. 'She's reckless sometimes but she's a good officer. I can understand why you might want her to think about a different career path, though. I've never met someone so attracted to trouble.'

He looked at Remus, who had nodded and gave him a distracted smile in agreement. 'Your friend was looking for you. He said Andrew's critical but stable. He wasn't as bad as they first thought, but he'll be in Intensive Care for a while. He needs close monitoring for the next day or two.'

Remus nodded, relieved for Sirius. He'd never been in love before and if it had ended like this…

He murmured a thank you and turned back to Tash, hearing the officers mumble a goodbye.

Tash didn't wake up when they moved her to a room, nor did she move when Remus slipped his shoes off and carefully climbed into bed next to her. He watched over her, his attentiveness making the nurses smile when they checked on her, and their admonishments that he should go home or that he shouldn't be in the bed lacked any sting.

Just after dawn, she stirred, moaning a little. 'Hi,' he whispered and she turned her head towards his voice.

She tried to say something but he stopped her. 'Shh,' he said quickly, stroking a finger over her cheek. 'You don't have to say anything. Do you remember what happened?'

She nodded, wincing a little. She mouthed something and he thought he knew.

'Andrew is in Intensive Care,' he told her, seeing tears well up in her eyes. 'He's stable, baby. Sirius is with him.'

He brushed the fallen tears off her cheeks then kissed her lightly. 'I love you Tash,' he said softly. 'I know you probably don't want to hear that but I do. And I need you to know it before you bloody kill yourself.'

His voice cracked a little and he swallowed hard to stop himself bursting into relieved sobs as he wanted to. He closed his eyes, fighting back the tears.

'I don't care if you never say it, Tash,' he said shakily. 'I just want you to let me love you. Please?'

He felt her hand move against his and opened his eyes, looking at her. More tears had fallen and, as he reached out to wipe them away for her, she nodded. Remus smiled and his own tears escaped.

'Yeah?' he asked and she nodded again, making him grin. He cupped her face in his hands, letting his tears fall unheeded. He kissed her gently, trying not to hurt her any further.

'Thank you,' he whispered.

Six months later

'You may kiss the…um…'

'It's alright,' Sirius said with a grin to the celebrant. 'I know who you're talking about.'

He leaned over and kissed a chuckling Andrew, grasping his face hard as if he was afraid he'd disappear.

Tash put her fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly over the clapping of the group. Remus laughed and smiled at her, then poked Sirius in the ribs when the kiss threatened to become pornographic.

'Pads, there are people here,' he hissed and the newly married couple broke apart.

Never one to do anything by halves, Sirius had proposed the second Andrew was conscious. The blonde refused to answer until he was well again, assuming Sirius would recant once the high emotion of the accident had ebbed. He didn't: asking again three months later once his boyfriend had been given the all clear (much earlier than expected thanks to a Healer Sirius had smuggled into the hospital room) and this time, Andrew accepted. Three months of planning later and they were married. It was just a small ceremony at The Burrow then they were going onto a party combining Andrew's Muggle friends with a few of Sirius' mates who could be trusted to keep their wands out of sight.

As no one except Remus, Tash and Harry knew Sirius was bisexual, let alone dating a man, it came as quite a shock to everyone to discover that his fiancé was a strapping and very good looking man, leading Ginny Weasley to make a comment about all the good ones being married or gay.

'You're hot, in your thirties and unattatched. You're not secretly gay as well are you, Remus?' she asked cheekily and he shook his head.

'Tash is all woman,' he told her with a grin, staring at aforementioned woman as she drank a glass of mead and gently flirted with George.

'She was when she was dating Sirius too,' the red head said and Remus laughed.

'True,' he admitted. 'I'm not gay but I am very much taken. I guess your theory is correct.'

Tash glanced over just then and saw him watching. Raising an eyebrow, he lifted his hand and wriggled his fingers in a wave then called, 'Remember me?'

Laughing, Tash excused herself and made her way over to him, grinning.

'You jealous?' she teased, wrapping her arms around his waist.

'Never,' he told her, leaning down and kissing her. 'Just saving George from the heartbreak of falling in love with a married woman.'

Tash's eyes widened and she looked around. 'Keep your voice down,' she said, shoving him into the pantry and closing the door. 'These people hear everything.'

He smiled and pushed her up against the closed door. 'So when exactly can we tell people we're married?' he asked, leaning into her.

'Tomorrow,' she promised then sighed when his mouth moved over her neck. 'I know it's been a pain keeping it a secret but Sirius and Andy wanted a celebration, we didn't want anything big. Let them have this day, then you can take out an ad in the paper if you like.'

'I do like,' he murmured, his fingers undoing the buttons on her shirt. 'I like a lot.'

They'd moved in together straight after Tash was released from hospital then, after giving her a few months to settle in, Remus proposed.

'I love you, Tash,' he said, seeing her smile. 'I want you to be my wife. We're already living together, nothing will change. It's just a bit of paper but it's important to me…'

'Alright,' she muttered, trying to look exasperated but failing miserably. 'If it'll stop you going on about it...'

They didn't want to make it a big deal - Tash was still a little nervous about making such a big commitment and, even though Remus knew she loved him, she had yet to say it back. They married quietly at a Muggle registry office a few days before Andrew was realised from hospital. They had intended on having a bonding ceremony with Remus' magical friends as well but then Sirius announced his and Andrews' engagement and they hadn't wanted to take away their friends' thunder.

Tash grinned now and pushed Remus' robes off his shoulders. 'Get that magic wand out,' she said softly. 'And I'm not talking about the wooden kind. What is it about weddings that make people want to shag in inappropriate places?'

He chuckled, locking the door with his wand then pushing her skirt up. 'It's the next step, honey. Once you've claimed your mate, you have to procreate. I managed to wrangle you down the aisle, now I've just got to knock you up,' he said mischievously, revisiting the conversation they'd been having on and off since they'd gotten married. 'It's the circle of life, Tash. You can't fight it.'

'Mmm,' she replied, hands moving to his pants. 'You caught me in a weak moment and convinced me to marry you, but kids are a whole different story…'

'I can't wait to see you with a big baby belly,' he breathed, hands under her shirt, teasing her nipples.

'Remus,' she whispered, feeling quite weak in the knees now. 'I…I don't know if I'm…ready for… a b…baby…yet oh!'

He slid one of his long fingers inside her, both of them moaning a little, then she pushed his pants lower.

'Maybe we can wait a little while,' he said, hiding his grin. 'A week or two.'

'Year or two,' she compromised.

'Month or two,' he countered, knowing the argument was moot anyway.

She was pregnant already. He could smell the change in her - his werewolf senses coming in very useful. He wasn't telling her though. Especially not right at this moment.

He grasped her leg and lifted it around his hips, thrusting inside her with a loud moan of pleasure.

Tash groaned and put her arms around his shoulders, wrapping her other leg around him. Remus slid his hands around to her ass, holding her up as he withdrew then plunged back inside her over and over, the door thudding softly with each thrust. As their tempo increased and the moans got harder to bite back, there was a knock on the pantry door.

Tash, incapable of speech as her release hit, ignored it but Remus managed a strangled, 'Occupied!', hearing a giggle then he was lost as well as Tash's tightening body dragged him over the edge with her.

'God,' he muttered a minute later, breathing fast. 'You are such a bad influence on me, Mrs Lupin.'

She pushed him off her with a giggle and did up her buttons. 'You weren't struggling too hard,' she commented and he laughed as he pulled his pants up.

'We'd better get out there and face the music,' he said with a grin. 'I think that was Fleur who came knocking at the most unfortunate moment.'

Tash smiled but stopped him opening the door. 'Having a baby is really important to you, isn't it?' she asked soberly and he nodded.

'Good,' she mumbled, looking a bit uneasy. 'Cause I have a feeling it's gonna happen sooner rather than later. I'm late - and I'm never late.'

Remus grinned broadly and she narrowed her eyes. 'You knew, didn't you?' she accused and he nodded. 'How is that possible?'

'I had a feeling,' he said, putting his arms around her. 'You smelt different.'

'Charming,' she muttered and he laughed at her.

'Tash, honey, I love you,' he said softly. 'And I think it's wonderful. How...how do you feel about it?'

She smiled and put her forehead against his chest. 'Scared,' she whispered. 'But I've got eight months to get used to it. I...I'm happy about it. Happy and terrified.'

Remus chuckled softly and gave her a little squeeze. 'I'm glad,' he said and she pressed her face into his chest.

'I love you, Remus,' she mumbled softly and Remus went still.

A cautious smile played on his lips and he shifted. 'Tash,' he said. 'What did you say?'

She looked up at him and smiled. 'I love you,' she whispered and he grinned happily.

'Well, it's about time,' he murmured before he kissed her again.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ARANTXABARRERA!

I wanted a happy ending in time for your birthday so it's your fault I split the last chappie! It's all her fault (points finger)