She had come to visit him every Sunday morning. Like clockwork, each weekend over the past six months had revolved around the few precious hours she was allowed to be with him, keeping him at arm's length across a table in fears of turning over her heart and having it broken again. Try as she might, Kelly Kapoor could never fully get over Ryan Howard and not even a jail sentence could destroy her love for him. For a long time, she couldn't explain why she felt such a sense of duty to him, but now she knew. She was in love with him.

But today, her weekly visits to see Ryan in New York City would finally come to an end. No more would she have to traverse the lonely highway alone for two hours. She wouldn't have to come up with topics to fill the little time she had with him or wonder he was thinking each time he saw her. She knew all those things now. Her faith in him, in their relationship, had paid off. Ryan was going to be free. Today, Kelly would take him home to Scranton for the first time in nearly a year, and she vowed to herself to never look back.

The excitement of the big day had her springing from her bed long before sunrise. Kelly grinned to herself as she danced along to her favorite song in the shower, glad that this would be her last morning waking up alone for some time to come. She had plans to keep Ryan in bed for as long as he would allow. They had some serious making up to do. As the hot water streamed over her face, she entertained thoughts of what was to come. She enjoyed the pop music blaring loudly in her small bathroom know that this Sunday was different. She wouldn't listen to his sad music anymore. She would start the day with something she loved. Every day after today, she was determined to start the day with someone she loved. This marked the beginning of something new, something better.

After fifteen minutes, Kelly bounced out of the shower and danced around the bathroom as she dried off. She had an hour to get ready before she had to leave. Ryan was set to be released at noon, and she had every intention of getting there early. He was counting on her to be there, and she wouldn't let him down. Tossing the towel in the corner of her bedroom, she glanced at her smiling face in the mirror. She looked happier than usual, an amazing feat given her upbeat personality. Gone were the bags under her eyes and the worn smile she had worn like a badge of courage after the first trial. They had been replaced by sparkling eyes and a bright smile that had been Kelly's signature long before she'd ever heard of Ryan Howard. Consoled that she was finally back, she headed for the closet and started to rummage around in her clothes for something to wear.

She had been thinking about her outfit for weeks, long before Ryan had even been granted an appeal trial. Kelly had considered wearing one of her designer track suits like she had jokingly told the documentary crews long ago when Ryan was first arrested. However, she was no longer the bitter ex-girlfriend out to rub it in his face that she had moved on. As she pulled out a light pink satin dress, she held it over her curvy body in the mirror before shaking her head. It just didn't feel right. Nothing felt right. Glancing back at her bed, she spotted the black canvas bag she had packed the night before. Ryan had asked her to bring some of his old clothes so that he could wear something decent out of the prison. Thinking about what she had brought for him, she decided that it really didn't matter what she looked like. She didn't need to impress anyone. She already had what she wanted.

With a satisfied shrug, Kelly shoved the dress back into her closet and reached for a simple white cotton tee. It was unseasonably warm outside, and the last thing she wanted to do was worry about sweating on something that would only have to be dry cleaned later. Searching around in the bottom of the closet, she found her favorite pair of faded jeans, the ones she'd had since high school and only wore on Sunday evenings at home when she was watching a repeat of America's Next Top Model. This was definitely a side of her that Ryan had never seen. She liked that even after everything, there was still a tiny part of her that he didn't know. She wanted him to know her completely and looked forward to slowly revealing each little mystery to him.

Kelly pulled the shirt over her head and quickly completed her outfit with the jeans and a pair of white flip flops. She thought about changing out her purse but decided just to shove a few things in a straw tote and toss it in her backseat. The last thing she had on her mind was finding the right handbag that would match the casual look she had going on. Maybe it wasn't Holly Golightly, but it was Kelly Kapoor. They might have been similar characters once, but she had reached her happy ending a lot faster than the New York socialite had managed. Audrey Hepburn's character might have been a beautiful woman but she hadn't been very happy. Kelly couldn't believe she was thinking it, but she would rather be happy than beautiful any day of the week. Luckily for her, she was both.

She padded out of her bedroom and back toward the bathroom. Kelly looked at her makeup case wearily before tucking it back under the counter. A simple brush of clear lip gloss was the only thing she'd need today. After running her fingers through her hair a few times, she decided that this was going to have to do. She didn't give it another thought as she jogged back to her bedroom to grab Ryan's tote and out to her car. It didn't take her long before she was heading out of Scranton and onto that lonely highway one last time.

When she arrived at the prison, Kelly knew that there wouldn't be a big group waiting to help her bring him home. His parents wouldn't be at her apartment when they got back to Scranton. There wouldn't be a welcome home party with his friend at his favorite bar. Her parents wouldn't call with congratulations. Even people from the office had made little mention of his impending return, save for Michael. Kelly had managed to save Ryan from having to see his former boss by promising that he would come in for lunch once things settled down.

Two hours later, Kelly was pulling into the parking lot for the final time. She looked up at the ominous grey building and smiled winningly. They hadn't let this place defeat them. She had kicked prison's ass, she thought. Her triumphant stride as she came into the prison matched her celebratory air. The process of checking in even seemed better and actually felt shorter than it ever had. It didn't take long before she was being ushered into the waiting room where she had spent far too many hours.

Her knees bounced with anticipation as she waited for him. An empty tote bag sat at her feet with her straw purse next to it. There was another woman waiting, her excited actions very much mimicking Kelly's. The two women shared a pleasant and knowing smile before their eyes shifted back toward the large glass window that looked over the hallway. On cue, the two freed men came around the corner, and Kelly felt air rush from her lungs as her eyes connected with Ryan's. His mouth was pursed tightly as he followed a pair of guards. Kelly closed her eyes and waited for the sound of the door knob opening. When she heard it click, she breathed out a long exhale and waited for the moment to come to her.

She had come to visit him every Sunday morning. Each lonely week in prison was punctuated with one shining exclamation mark when she would spend a few hours sitting across the table from him doing her best to cheer him up. Sometimes he would entertain her by being open and other times he was just as distant as always. He would break her heart and glue it back together and break it all over again in a way that only he was capable of. Try as he might, Ryan Howard had never fully gotten over Kelly Kapoor and it had taken a jail sentence to confirm his love for her. For a long time, he couldn't explain why he felt such a strong need to push her away, but now he knew. He was in love with her.

But today, those weekly visits with Kelly would finally end. He wouldn't have to wait seven days before he could look at her from across a table and pretend to listen when she talked, all the while staring at her beautiful eyes or tasty lips. He would be able to hold her any time he wanted now. Because of her faith in him, he was being given a second chance. Today, he would go home with Kelly back to Scranton for the first time in a year, and he vowed to himself that he would never leave again.

The anxiety of the long awaited day had him waking up before everyone else in the cellblock. It was the first time Ryan had woken up with a smile for a very long time. He had listened to his favorite Jeff Buckley song while showering, thinking about how he couldn't wait to play it for her tonight when they were in bed. He intended to keep her there for as long as she would let him, making up for all their time apart by worshipping her like the goddess she was. The haunting melody was his only company in the dank bathroom, but it comforted him. He wouldn't listen to her cheesy pop music along anymore. She would be able to play it for him. Sure, it would annoy the hell out of him like it always had, but this time he would still love her despite it. He would love her for it.

Now, standing in that same bathroom alone, Ryan was nervous as he pulled the clothes she had brought from the prison-issued plastic bag to get dressed. He was happy to see the fluorescent jumpsuit go. The guards had given him five minutes to get himself together before he would go out to see her. He was counting on her to be waiting when he came out, and he wouldn't let her down. Tossing his old clothes to the side, Ryan paused to examine himself in the mirror. He could barely recognize the happy man staring back at him. His cheeks were no longer hollow from drug use or exhaustion. His eyes weren't dull and his mouth wasn't permanently frozen in a harsh frown. This Ryan was clean-shaven with stunning blue eyes and a toothy grin. He was actually happy, something completely foreign to him.

Pulling the clothes from the bag, Ryan laughed to himself when he'd seen what Kelly had picked out. A part of him had expected a designer suit or something equally fancy because she'd always loved him dressed up. However, he was relieved to find his favorite jeans, the ones that were soft from being washed so many times. She'd also packed his grey hoodie from college and a pair of lowtop Chuck Taylors he had bought once when they'd went to Philadelphia. Glancing back at the bag, he noticed the sparkle of metal as something caught the light. Leaning down, he found his favorite watch. She had brought everything he would have picked out himself. As he dressed quickly, he loved how everything was familiar and just the right fit. It felt right. Everything finally felt right.

Before long, the guard was banging on the door and Ryan was shoving everything into the trash can. He didn't want anything from this place. He'd given away everything he had bought to his cellmate and a few other guys who'd been nice to him. The only memory of his time here he wanted to keep with him were his Sunday visits with her. They were the only thing that made him feel sentimental. This was definitely a side he had never shown to her. He knew that she knew many facets of him, but he liked that there was still an element of surprise. He looked forward to learning those same things about her. He would never be able to know enough.

The guards went through a quick checklist, pulling Ryan through the motions of the customary exit strategy. He was paired with another man who had been in for a white collar crime. Protocol didn't seem to take too long and before he knew it, Ryan was being led down the hallway toward that familiar waiting room. He could see Kelly before she could see him, her head turned to the side as she looked at another woman. He knew then that he was nothing like Cool Hand Luke. He actually wanted to do the things the right way. Kelly had changed that about him or maybe he had changed that about himself. He might have been suave but he wasn't real. Ryan couldn't believe he was thinking it, but he would rather be real than cool any day of the week. Sadly for him, he just couldn't pull off both.

Ryan stood outside the door as the guards went over to the desk to turn in some paperwork. He stared at the wooden slab and thought about how the one person who cared about him most was waiting on the other side. His parents weren't there, huddled with her in anticipation. His friends weren't waiting at a bar back in Scranton to celebrate. Her family wouldn't be around to show their support or even argue. He didn't have anyone else, but that was fine. He had her.

Finally, the guards opened the door and Ryan locked his eyes with Kelly. The mere sight of her left him feeling breathless. He had expected sparkly makeup and impossibly high heels and a dress made out of some organic blend that he would be afraid to tear. Instead, she looked absolutely breathtaking in her earthy jeans and simple tee. They gazed at each other for a moment as she slowly stood up. She smiled slowly and Ryan returned it with a reassuring look. That was all she needed to come running across the room and into his arms. Ryan managed to capture her body and her mouth at the same time, holding her with everything he had in his body. The moment dragged on for a few minutes before Kelly wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and slumped back to the floor. Pressing her forehead to his, she smiled against his lips. "I'm here to take you home."

As they left the prison together, hands entwined, Ryan and Kelly were perfectly in sync for the first time in their lives. He didn't even say a word as she pressed her keys into his palm and headed around for the passenger seat. She didn't even say a word as he pulled into a drive-through juice shop to order her strawberry smoothie. And when they finally came back to Scranton, neither said a word as he helped her from the car and she wrapped her arm around his waist as they headed upstairs to her apartment. Like they both predicted, there were no people waiting for them. It was only them, and that was fine.

"Sorry it's not much," she apologized as they came into an empty apartment. He reassured her that it was perfect before sinking into her couch. Ryan patted the cushion next to her and reached for the remote to flip on the television. Kelly smiled to herself as she flopped down next to him and tucked herself under his arm just like she had hundreds of times when they watched television. Without even asking, Ryan turned the channel to America's Next Top Model and leaned back to listen to Tyra compliment one of the contestants while really making it all about her. When a commercial came on, Kelly reached across his lap and changed the channel to ESPN so he could catch up on the sports scores. This was their pattern, this was familiar. They were right back where they had been only everything was different.

When they went to bed a few hours later, Ryan laid propped on a pile of pillows and watched Kelly undress. She was unabashed as she tossed her jeans to the floor and scampered across the carpet to slide into the sheets beside him. Ryan turned on his side and hovered over her body for a moment before leaning down to kiss her. "I love you, Kel. I could try to find a million ways to thank you for all of this – for everything – but when it comes down to it, that's all there really is. I just love you, Kel," he murmured before kissing her again.

"I don't want you to forget this moment," she said tenderly as she brushed hair from his eyes. He smiled at her gesture and rested his face in her palm. "I love you, too, Ry, but you know that. You've always known that. This is the moment that we are putting this behind us. This is our second chance to be happy. Let's forget everything that happened before this."

Ryan nodded happily as he looked into her eyes, shining in the pale moonlight flooding through the gauzy white curtains and across the bed. "Sounds like a plan to me," he agreed as he brushed his knuckle along her cheek. "There's only one thing I want to take way from this, and that's you."

The last year had changed Kelly and Ryan. That much was evident. They'd grown up. They couldn't always be what people expected to be. They had to change into who they were to become. Life had a funny way of doing that to a person – making them change without them really knowing it. She might still talk about the latest celebrity gossip and he might still pay more attention to his video game than her, but that didn't mean they wouldn't share those private moments were she would stop talking long enough to gaze into his soulful eyes and he wouldn't whisper all his dream and thoughts and feelings into her ear. And someday, when they were old and grey, they would tell their grandchildren how their love story had truly begun…

She came to visit him every Sunday morning.

Fin.

Writer's Note: Thanks to everyone who has read love letter to my favorite Office twosome. It all started as a random thought tumbling around in my head and ended up being something much more. There were times when this was terribly out of character, but I think it worked for Ryan and Kelly. I let them change into the people I thought they could be, and I appreciate you all coming along for the ride!