A/n: *Cry* It's the end!
Thanks so much to everyone who's shown their support! Extra thanks to absolutely anyone who has reviewed, even if you reviewed because you didn't like it. I wish I could add all of you to my Facebook or something, but I think the fanfic people would kill me for trying to sneak my name in ;)
Ok, so it's nearly my 19th birthday, which I realised the other week shows that I've been at this fic for well over a year – I honestly didn't even realise before then. It'll be weird to not have to think about inspiring this fic at all.
To be fair, this fic has taken a totally different turning to where I was taking it when I first started it, but I like how it's turned out.
I noticed today, also, that I've had a grand total of 15,000 hits on this fic which is completely awesome.
I'm planning some sort of little one-shot of after the baby's born, but I don't know when I'm gonna get chance to write it. Off to Scotland again next Wednesday, guys! Bring it on!
Thanks so much to everyone, and hope you enjoy this, the epilogue, from (to some people's dismay) Cooper's point of view! Bye xx

Epilogue – Loose Ends

Cooper

The proudest moment in a man's life, they say, is the first time you hold your child. But we'll get to that. I hadn't quite reached that part in my existence, but I was getting pretty darn close.

I couldn't tell the time just from cementing my eyes closed. I forced them open and glanced at the clock beside the bed. Damn; half past noon.

Arching my back, I rose out of bed and pulled on my coat. I smiled as I noticed my boots were wet. Sabina probably left them out all night. I slid my feet into them and stepped outside the van. The campsite was busy, men and women milling around, hurrying their children away from the play park and trying to convince them to eat some lunch. I could feel the midday heat rolling over my skin. The sun, a perfect circle today, hung in the middle of the sky.

The trek to the bathroom on a morning – or afternoon, whichever way you look at it – was annoying. It was especially inconvenient if you wanted the toilet in the middle of the night. It was generally pitch black and cold, making a quick trip to the bathroom seem like a week long chore.

After doing my business, I walked briskly back towards mine and Sabina's newly acquired camper van. The views around here were amazing. The park seemed to be well looked after by the staff, the grass freshly cut and adding to the countryside appearance. I'd never really had a liking for rural areas around America, having been brought up and thriving for so long in the large city of Scottsdale. But Sabina had insisted. Her only argument being that we probably wouldn't get another chance at a romantic, one-on-one holiday for a while. She'd picked the destination, and I'd picked the vehicle. Her shocked face when I'd brought it home with me had been hilarious.

"I just wanted to keep with the program!" I'd told her, having arrived home in the small van. It was old, maybe at least over a decade, but I thought it suited us well. With its antiquity came a certain style – like a hippy couple going on holiday to get stoned. It had a small cooker and fridge, a bed and a tiny couch at the opposite end to the driving pit. I'd installed an acceptable TV, but had had to make the wardrobe slightly smaller in order to achieve this. Sabina hadn't been happy. She'd quite immediately refused to drive the thing. Her hormones really made me laugh, consequently making her angry.

The door creaked as I let myself in, taking in Sabina's collapsed form over the bed. She'd pushed the covers down below herself, resting on top of them to make the bed more comfortable. She had a lot more complaints recently. I wonder why, I thought, jokingly. Almost metaphorically, her hands were set under herself, pressed firmly onto her enlarged stomach.

The baby was due exactly one week from now.

She was huge, and never failed to mention to me how much she hated it. "I just look fat; no one can even tell I'm pregnant!" She always moaned, even though my heart soared with each word. She was not fat, and was, definitely, pregnant. A child together. My child. My mind still couldn't quite comprehend it.

Most people wouldn't have risked coming on holiday so close to the birth, but we'd seen it differently. I'd much rather she give birth while relaxed, even if that be in a completely separate place to Scottsdale, and she'd never be able to calm herself, sitting at home alone, wondering when the time would come.

I sat my ass down on the bed next to her. She seemed to wake slightly, moving her head into my lap and stretching across me. "You sleep ok?"

She smiled. "No, I hate this damn thing."

Laughing, I stroked her hair absentmindedly. "We'd better go feed you two."

She nodded into my sweats, but didn't move her body. "I can go out and bring you some food back if ya like?" I offered. Her arm across my legs twitched slightly, and that was her: she was up and dressing herself.

"Nah, I need to give my parents a call anyway." I smiled, watching her in her difficulty to put on her maternity trousers.

The phone signal around here was really poor. We'd discovered a few hot spots for phone calls, but it didn't inconvenience us too much. The point of the holiday had been to spend some alone time together, rather than with outside influence.

Thinking about her parents drew my mind back to when we'd told them about our pregnancy news. Liz and Edward had come down to visit us for a few days after Sabina's run in with Alex Rider. Edward had had a lot of questions to ask her, questions he didn't want to be answered over the phone.

We'd sat them down in our living room and told them the news.

"Mum, Dad… Me and Cooper've got some other news for you, besides the stuff with Alex." Sabina began. Her dad leaned forwards sort of, wanting to carry on questioning her, but she silenced him by holding up her hand. "Dad, I know there's a lot you wanna know, but we've got to tell you this. Is that ok?" Sabina twiddled her thumbs.

Her mom nodded, putting a hand at Edward's knee. Her face was sombre, like she was half way expecting us to admit that we were splitting up.

I snaked my arm around to Sabina's waist to cure the mood. Liz seemed slightly brighter.

Sabina sighed. "Well... there are a few things I guess." The way her hands were moving over one another was starting to annoy me. I laid my own hand over both of hers to stop her distraction. She didn't look at me, but simply carried on, understanding, I guessed, that it would be far better to get on with it. "For a start, we've decided to get married." Sabina smiled across to her mother, who beamed.

Liz was out of her seat before anyone even realised. She embraced us both, her head in between us. "Congratulations, kids! I'm so happy for you!"

Sabina was smiling. "Thanks, Mum." She seemed to smile like she was hiding something, and Liz, pulling away and staring into her daughter's face, knew straight away.

"Oh, no, Sabina… You're not?" Liz's face was strange. Although it was painfully obvious that she was relatively angry, she was letting off that she was also pleased. I was grateful; I knew how Sabina had been dreading this. "How long?"

Edward seemed to be missing something, and hated that fact. "Liz, what's wrong?"

Sabina's mother half turned, facing both her husband and her daughter. She looked toward Edward when she spoke. "Sabina's…" She sighed. "Sabina's pregnant." She said straight, moving her eyes back to Sabina, showing uncertainty, almost daring her to deny it, to prove her wrong.

I stared into Sabina's face then, wondering how all this was affecting her. She was an emotional wreck already without all this excitement. A tear escaped the corner of her eye and I used my arm to pull her into me.

"Just go with it." I whispered to her, using a finger to wipe her cheeks dry. "The worst is over, keep going." I cooed her, trying my best to comfort her back into the conversation.

Sabina didn't stay in my embrace for long, looking both her parents in the eyes simultaneously. "I know it's a surprise," she continued, holding strong. I was proud of her, secretly dreading the moment I'd have to tell my parents. "But we think we can handle the responsibility-"

"We've not got much of a choice." I interrupted. She glanced at me, holding my eyes for a short second.

She addressed her parents again. "We're both committed to the decision, and Cooper," her hands gesticulated towards me, "feels that the best way to give the child our best upbringing would be to get married now to prove we want to make a go of it."

Sabina's mother seemed totally lost for words, shuffling back to her seat and sitting slowly. Her hand rested on her mouth to conceal her shock. Finally, she tensed her jaw. "Sabina, marriage isn't an issue here. Getting married has never had any effect on a child's well being." Edward shuffled to his wife, hovering in case she wanted the support. I couldn't help feeling like we were all segregated. The two couples, sat opposite, together but apart. It was strange.

"I know…" I sighed, now moving my hand to emphasise my point. All eyes turned to me. "I understand that for most people marriage isn't necessary when a child is introduced, but this really means something to me." I tightened my grip on Sabina's body, instinctively trying to be closer to her. "Me and Sabina are both really passionate in succeeding this baby, and I want to make my commitment to Sabina known before we start. I love her more than anything in the world, and I couldn't be more proud of her than I am right now."

Liz smiled, but Edward seemed much more closed. "Is this what you want, Sabina?" His voice was harsh, making it almost impossible for her to lie.

Sabina's eyes moved from her father, to me, and back again. Her gaze said everything. We would be together. It was what we both wanted, perhaps not so soon, but now the opportunity had arrived, we both wanted to best for our unborn baby. After everything that'd happened, we were determined to get ourselves back on track, one step at a time.

"Daddy, this is exactly what I want," she smiled, "Cooper is what I need." Her fingers rubbed gradually against my inner thigh affectionately. I couldn't help but grin towards my soon-to-be parents-in-law.

The admissions with my parents had been much easier. Since I was the man in this equation, my parents were more concerned about what would happen should we split up. I'd tried my best to make it clear that I couldn't see it happening, but if it did, I'd still have a great interest in looking after my child. My mom had seen Sabina directly afterwards and they'd talked baby for well over an hour.

We'd only been married two and a half months, or so. The whole event had been small. Both our families, friends from both sides and the mutual friends we'd met from work. Sabina had sent out an invitation for Alex; however he'd not made it. She also sent an invitation, via the British Secret Service, to a lady called Jack. She had made it. Sabina had been so pleased to see her, embracing her and crying on contact with her. Jack Starbright was a really lovely woman, bringing her boyfriend over with her. Also American, I knew her back story, Alex's only parent after the age of fourteen who'd had to leave him due to dangerous circumstances surrounding Alex's career. After the main ceremony, I'd finally had a chance to speak to her. The stories she'd told me had been fascinating. Tales about Alex that I'd never even considered, both her and Alex's relationship with Sabina from the young age, and things about her past that she'd made sure not to forget. Jack had mentioned Alex's uncle, and former legal guardian, to me and introduced me to why Alex was the way that he was. The respect I felt for Jack Starbright, and to a certain part of Alex Rider, seemed to soar after even a first meeting.

This was our honeymoon. The campsite, just outside our front door, wouldn't seem much to most people, but I felt that it suited us. Neither of us was anything special, we couldn't afford to travel abroad, and the fact that we were both happy here, in this small caravan park, tucked away in the smallest corner of Palm Springs, California, really meant something to me. I'd never explored too far into my backyard to realise America could be this beautiful. Sabina'd been talking recently about transporting our bus over to the UK, so we could take a similar trip around the British Isles. To be honest, though, I didn't rate the idea of taking a small child on such a long journey with no entertainment except the views from the front window. It wouldn't work, straight. Maybe we'd have to put those dreams on hold, for now.

"You ready?" Sabina's voice from across the room dragged me from my reverie and back down to a reality – that of supporting my pregnant wife on her first bathroom trip of the day. That thought made me smile. Although she couldn't help being pregnant, I took some amusement from her discomfort. I'd already wondered whether it'd be worth having 'World's Best Husband' tattooed across my forehead. Somehow, I didn't think it would fit.

"What's funny?" Sabina grinned along with me, taking my hand to and getting me to my feet.

I shook my head, grasping at her fingers and leading us, single file, out of the van.

The walk to the toilets, as I've already mentioned, wasn't a long one, although it did sometimes feel like it. Donning a nine-month pregnant wife, however, lengthened the journey even further. We chatted, simply conversationally, for the five minute walk.

Sabina mentioned her reluctance to give up work for such a long duration of time. We'd had this discussion before, and it usually turned into a short lived argument. We were both agreed that we'd never be able to afford private child care, however Sabina claimed that we could share the shifts. I'd not taken to this idea, though. What kind of life would our child have, seeing mommy for one day, and daddy the next when it could be avoided? I'd told her many a time that my income would cover us far enough to get by, then when baby was old enough to get by a little alone, Sabina could think about pursuing a career in fashion design or something. We were both agreed, however, that neither us could continue working at the diner for the rest of our lives. The money just wouldn't be enough.

Soon, but not soon enough, Sabina was kissing my cheek and assuring me she'd try not to be too long. We parted. She waddled her way into the women's bathroom, and I loitered outside.

The hissing of the wind took me completely by surprise. The sun was out and there wasn't a cloud in the sky, so how could the gushing ruin such a perfect day?

"Pssst!" My ears filled with the soaring noise of the leaves rustling against one another far above me. I was shocked at the apparent ferocity of the gales, wondering what me and Sabina would actually be able to do today after the sudden change in the weather. She wasn't well balanced at the best of times, let alone when she was carrying so much extra weight. She could barely walk in a straight line!

Tapping my foot against the cement, fake-pebbled floor, the sounds of the wind filled my ears. "Pssssssssst!" They sang as if they were actually calling to me. I raised my head to take a look at the tree tops, when it felt like I was falling.

I could feel a faint pressure on my arm, but as soon as it had been there it was gone. There I was, sat on my ass outside the women's toilets, when I saw him.

Alex Rider. His face filled my vision, like it'd been years since I'd seen it last. He was perched on the balls of his feet deep in the foliage. The only part of him that looked alive was his arm, outstretched towards me. He'd grabbed me, I was sure of it.

"Alex?" I was whispering without any prompt.

"Shh." He put his finger to his lips, his head shooting side to side as he checked that no one had seen him.

I waited patiently before he finally spoke. "How long do you think she'll be in there?"

"A while." I replied, my face perfectly neutral. "How long have you been watching us?"

"Not long." His eyes looked past me, into the campsite and around my body. "I came to talk to you, the agency think I'm in Ohio."

To say I was stunned was an understatement. What did Alex Rider want from me? He'd already had my wife, almost killed her, and returned her with bruises covering her entire body – and he wanted something from me?

"Say what you came to say, Alex," I told him. "I don't want Sabina to see you."

He nodded. "Understandable." His features were sombre, like he expected me to go for him. As if I'd try and hit him. Not here, not ever. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the wedding. Will you please tell her that?" With his voice pleading with me like this, I didn't think I'd be able to deny him that. "MI6 contacted me to say you'd both invited Jack… I couldn't compromise her again. If we'd both been spotted in the same place, we'd have done much worse than ruin your reception. Tell Sabina, and Jack, if you stay in contact with her, that I'm sorry for that."

"Fine." I nodded, wiping my dirty hands down against my knees.

"Look, about what happened – there's no way I can be apologetic enough. 'I'm sorry' simply would not suffice. I was in an awkward position, not that I'm trying to defend myself." He held up a hand, warding off my debates before I even voiced them. "It was entirely my fault, just as it was the first time. I'm sorry for being the reason she was damaged, as much as I can be."

"Anything else?" I asked, now feeling a little embarrassed. After falling, you can only sit down for so long before you look stupid.

Finally, he smiled. "Congratulations." Now I felt shocked. "I saw her and, even from a distance, she looks healthy."

I laughed, genuinely, for the first time. I could remember the first time I'd met Alex. Back when he was Alex Collins. I thought I'd grown up a lot since then. I could be wrong, but the resentment I'd felt towards him was gone now – he was just a guy. "Don't tell her that, she'll think you're telling her she's fat."

Alex's grin continued. "Do you know what it is yet?"

The way he talked about our baby insulted me a little. He or she was not an 'it'. 'It' would be a person, a child; my child. 'It' was not a dog. My face must have shown it cause his smile seemed to disappear a little. "No, we don't know yet. I don't want to know." I tried to continue our civil conversation, but I was getting worried that Sabina would be out soon.

He picked that up too. His eyes shot to the door through which she'd gone. "She'll be finished soon. I should go."

I nodded. "Yeah." I looked down, putting my hands underneath my body and getting up from my knees. "Thanks for coming, Alex." I knelt for a second to look him the eye. "It is nice to see you again, under the circumstances."

His features turned up briefly, before he showed his impartial expression once more. "Sure. And, again, I'm sorry. I don't want to mention for what, but I'm positive you'll know. It was wrong of me, I can see that now from the way she looks at you… you're right for her, good for her." I winced slightly as he spoke. It'd taken a lot for me to look Sabina square in the eye after she'd revealed her drunken night spent with Alex Rider. Even though I'd suspected it, there was no denying: I'd been devastated. Still, she'd chosen me. Everyone makes mistakes, I guess. "Tell her I'm sorry, please, some time when she won't look for me."

"I will." I said, simply, stretching my hand forward into he bushes. I couldn't imagine how strange this would look should anyone walk past.

Alex Rider shook my hand, gave me a small smile and, with that, he let me go.

Sabina seemed to exit the toilets so suddenly, it was like I'd never seen her go in there. I was still bent, leaning into the foliage.

"What are you doing?" She asked me, quizzically. "That bush got something important in it? You look so serious."

I smiled, taking in her bloated form and watching her struggle her way over to me. "Nothing. There was a dog, I was just stroking it."

"Oh." She laughed. Bending over, with much difficulty, she examined the spot where Alex Rider had last been. "There's nothing there now." She smiled at me. "Maybe you're getting a bit old. Imagining things?" Jokingly, she put her arms around my waist, staring up at me, that playful glint open within her eyes. "I hope not though, cause that means I'm getting old, too."

"Sabina, you're not old." We parted at one side and began to walk, arm in arm, towards the onsite restaurant. "You're gorgeous, beautiful and… and-"

"If you're about to say 'and you've got a wonderful personality', I swear I'll hit you." She interrupted, smiling.

"I was going to tell you that you are my perfect woman, but my perfect woman doesn't interrupt, so maybe you've lost out." I leant my neck down, kissing her forehead.

Her grin diminished a little, but she was still happy. "The three of us…" Her free hand rubbed across her stomach. "We're gonna be fine, right?"

I didn't have to look at her for long to know that her doubts were wrong. Sabina, me and our child would be perfectly fine. What, after everything that had happened, could go wrong? I'd always feel a lot of emotions towards Alex Rider: anger, jealousy, bitterness; but I'd forever by grateful to him. Everything we'd been through, mostly at Sabina's expense, was all in his name, and it had made us stronger. Together, nothing could put us through further harm. As a family, there was nothing we couldn't do.

Finally, breaking my long eye contact with her, I nodded. "Sab, baby, and baby, there's no doubt in my mind…" I smiled, wrapping my arms firmly around her large waist. "With me and you in this for life, what problem could ever gonna be too big?"

She stretched onto her tiptoes, reaching her lips to mine. Regrettably, after a few seconds, she froze. Her legs tensed, then softened and she collapsed into my arms.

I knew what she was about to say, even before she whispered it. "Oh my, god!" Her face winced a little, still smiling. "Phone someone, I think my waters just broke."