Well...hasn't this been an exciting run?

I should preface this by saying that I'm sitting here, having just edited this final chapter, and I'm almost in tears. It's been an amazing eight months working on this story and getting to create the lives of Meg and Lew, as well as all the other characters I've created or gotten the chance to work with. And don't even get me started on the role all of you have played in this. I feel like I've gotten to know some of you so well, and it's sad to think our time together is over. No more Thursday chapters for you, no more Friday reviews for me.

I want to take a moment to thank some people. I know, I know, you're probably thinking "Get on with it woman! We don't want to read this crap!" but just bare with me...or skip ahead to the chapter.

I want to thank my lovely roomie/editor Holly. She's awesome and didn't get mad when I sent her this full story a total of three separate times for her to edit. Then she read along as I posted each chapter! I can't believe she didn't get sick of reading about Meg and Lew, but it just makes me love her even more.

I want to thank Erica, for being awesome. Her ridiculously amazing reviews helped me push through to get each chapter out...along with her obnoxious update tweets and texts haha. Our friendship just goes to show that FanFiction and writing can bring people together. She even puts up with my crazy Aaron obsession...that's friendship right there.

And I want to thank everyone who's favorited this story or put it on their alerts: 3ellieb1, ActiveIngredient, amelie .girard .3892, autumnescspade, battyderp, Beebopalula, beth .rodriguez .77, caseylu, caught-offsides, ChastityHope13, Chrupy23, curraheegirl, coffee14, Furied-Heart, G.E .Brooks , IceColdInAlex, Igor De Souza Santos, ilovemedia18, ImLuvinMyThesaurus, karmagrace, LatinBookReader, LauRa-ReaDinG-XoX, leapoffreedom, LesleyAnn87, Lift the Wings, listone15, LittleFlatts, LovingBOBThePacific, Macpoe55, MaggieMcCartney, Marmite-1, melremade, MileyJ0nas989, mrssteverodgers, nixjen, PhilipMarlowe, PurpleDolphinPlush, purpleheart689, R.J .North , R.M. Kalle, Roossmit, Rose2621, Shockin'BlueEyes, SparkELee, SuesserKaefer234, Tara6, tepaea, Uchihaheir58, Volleyball Babe22, XscouselondonerX, xXFallenSakuraXx52, xxSUIRI, ZimmyZammer, zubrowka

I guess that's all I have to say for now. Review responses are at the bottom as usual.

So without further ado, the epilogue...

Epilogue

January, 1947

It was too damn cold.

That was the thought that kept flowing through Lewis Nixon's mind as he leaned back in his desk chair, gazing out the window at the snow falling. Whenever it snowed like this he was reminded of Bastogne. Even after two years, the snow still brought back those memories. He hated it.

Sighing, he stood from his desk, strolling out of his office for the fourth time that day. He couldn't help it, the day made him restless.

"You know," Dick said, not looking up from his paperwork as Lew walked in casually. "If you keep coming into my office I'm never going to get this done in time," he said matter-of-factly, writing something on a line before looking up at his friend. "What's bothering you?"

"The snow," Lew said, walking over to plop down unceremoniously in the chair facing Dick's desk. He lifted his feet, crossing them at the ankles to rest on the corner of Dick's desk.

The loud thunk of shoe on wood made Dick glance over and frown.

"Really?" Dick asked, motioning to Lew's boots.

"Hey I bought this desk," Lew warned, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

"It's her birthday," he said suddenly, causing Dick's pen to pause mid-word. "She'd be 25."

Dick, not knowing what to say to this announcement, set his pen down, turning his full attention to his friend.

Lew was never one to get sentimental; at least not on a regular basis. He also hadn't mentioned Meg since the war ended. Seeing him like this was out of character, something which always made Dick cautious.

He never heard the full story of why Lew and Meg had gone their separate ways. Lew had stated that they both wanted different things, leaving his explanation at that. "Besides, could you see Meg in Nixon, New Jersey?" he had added with a forced laugh.

It was supposed to be a joke question, so Dick didn't want to admit that he had. And he knew Nix had too.

It had been almost two years since they had said goodbye to Europe; goodbye to the war. They had gone back to their everyday lives, pretending that all of that hadn't happened. Still, Dick knew a day didn't go by without Lew thinking about the what-ifs where Meg was concerned.

When they had returned to America, Dick had taken up Lew's offer, joining him at Nixon Nitration Works as a personnel manager. The two had grown closer, if that were even possible, spending their days at the office, shouting to each other from across the hallway.

Another development to happen right upon their return was Lew's divorce. He met with Katharine the day he got back, signing the papers to get her out of his life as quickly as possible. The papers had announced her marriage to Eric Glover the next day, but Lew had ignored it, instead locking himself in an office and drinking himself to a drunken stupor. Nothing Dick could say would make his friend unlock that door until two days later. Dick knew part of it was because of the divorce, but a majority of it was him knowing he'd never had Meg. Katharine had found a new love, and Lew had lost his.

They still saw Katharine from time to time, and about once a month or so Lew spent a weekend taking care of Charles, but other than that it was as if Lew was back to being an eligible bachelor.

Dick knew better though.

Lew was falling apart, slowly but surely. Members of the town had tried setting him up with other girls, mostly ones he had grown up with but hadn't seen in years, but none of them worked. His parents had even tried to set him up on dates and, although he went willingly, none of them ever led anywhere.

No one except Dick knew why.

"What are your plans for the weekend?" Lew asked, bringing Dick back to the present.

"I dunno, probably go home and relax for two days. My job really grinds me to the bone every week," he said jokingly, earning a smirk for Lew.

"You should probably bring that up with your hardass boss, tell him to go a little softer on you," Lew replied, looking around the office before sighing. "I didn't get my weekly reports done," he admitted and Dick resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It was more of a rarity when Lew did get his weekly reports done.

"Well you'd better go work on those," he chose to respond, picking his pen back up.

"Eh, I don't really feel like it," Lew said as he stood up. "Today's not turning out to be a good day. I think I might just go home. Turn on some music and spend the night with my good friend Vat 69."

"Nix," Dick warned, again not looking up from his paperwork. When Lew didn't answer Dick stood up with a sigh of annoyance, following him across the hall to his office. "You know I don't mind people who drink and I know I have no place to tell you how to live your life-"

"Then don't," Lew said shortly, his tone no-nonsense. Grabbing his coat he turned and pushed past Dick, out into the hallway and to the stairs. Dick sighed again, turning to follow after his friend.

He bumped into him at the top of the stairs.

"Nix?" he asked, wondering why his friend was frozen still on the top step.

Looking around his shoulder to follow his line of sight, he was quick to see why.

Meg was standing in the middle of the office lobby, her coat draped over her arm. Looking up at both of them, she smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

"Hello Lew," she said simply. Lew continued to stand there, staring at her as if seeing a ghost. Dick shook his head with humor before gently pushing his friend forward. As Lew slowly descended the stairs, Dick turned in the direction of the secretary.

"Fiona, would you come help me with some paperwork in my office? I have a question about something," he said, motioning for her to leave her desk and follow him.

Lew and Meg didn't need a public reunion.

"Aren't you going to say hello?" Meg asked as Lew came to a stop in front of her. He stayed silent for a while longer, taking her presence in. Then he reached out, brushing her face lightly with his fingers before traveling them up to push the hair out of her face softly.

"So it's not the Vat 69 then," he said, half seriously, hesitating briefly before pulling her into a tight hug. "I've missed you," he whispered into her hair, feeling like he'd said this phrase to her too much since they had met. Meg smiled, pulling away to look at him.

"I have something for you," she said, holding her hand out. Lew reached out and she dropped something cold into his hand. Looking down, his eyebrows rose when he realized what it was.

Her mother's wedding band.

Realizing the symbolism of this piece of jewelry, he looked up at her sharply.

"I've come to realize that teaching isn't my cup of tea," she started slowly. "If your offer still stands, I've changed my mind," she finished, almost afraid to hear his answer.

Lew grinned.

One final note: if any of you want to read anything else I've written, check out my Tumblr. My name there is KayteeTootle. I have a page there devoted to my stories on FanFiction and FictionPress, along with a story I'm posting just on Tumblr. You can also find me on Twitter. My handle is XxKatie11xX.

Also, if you could take a moment and let me know what you thought of the story as a whole, you have no idea how much I'd appreciate it. Even if it's just a one worded "amazing" or even "Boring" or anything, I want to know what everyone who read this story thought, now that it's over. I thank you in advance.

LovingBOBThePacific - Phew! What fun we've had these last few months, huh? You've been one of my 100% most loyal reviewers and it means so much to me that you've stuck through this all! I hope this ending was a little more what you'd hoped for. I must address that in regards to saying I'm gorgeous, thank you hahahaha. Gorgeous isn't a word I would use to describe myself, so when someone calls me that I always feel so bashful hahaha. I'm going to miss your wonderful, entertaining reviews. You'll have to start leaving them on my Aaron story now hahahaha. Thank you so much for all your reviews, and for being such an amazing, loyal reader. I hope we stay in contact after all this is over!

IceColdInAlex - Thank you so much for all your reviews over the last few months. Hearing what you've had to say about each chapter has been so wonderful, and I thank you for taking the time to do it. I'm glad you thought the last chapter was heartbreaking, wonderful, and bittersweet. I hope this epilogue eased the pain a little bit :) Again, thank you for everything!

G.E. Brooks - E. Brooks - I don't even know where to start with you. I think I've said everything either to your face, on FB chat, AIM, in past review responses, or up at the top of this chapter. You mean so, so much to me and I'm so happy you put up with my stories. I wouldn't want anyone else to read them. Maybe someday I'll just start randomly sending you unfinished ones to give you a good laugh. And I'm shocked you're telling me editing isn't a chore...I'm someone who edits for a living, and I can tell you it IS a chore hahahaha.

ilovemedia18 - I'm sorry I killed you last chapter. I hope this epilogue brought you back to life. Thank you so much for taking the time to review as much as you did. Your reviews were always lovely and wonderful and I'm going to miss them.

SparkELee - Not really sure what I can say that I didn't say above (or any of the other times we've talked hahaha) but your reviews were seriously the highlights of my week. I took all of your feedback to heart and I feel that your reviews helped me grow as a person and a writer. Sometimes you saw things in my writing that I hadn't, and it's made me become more aware of what I put on paper; I read deeper into things now. I hope this fixed it enough for you!