Author's Note: Well, folks, here it is. The final chapter. A huge thank-you to everyone who read and reviewed. I hope you enjoyed the story!

Lisa: LOL! I wasn't sad Byer's dead! Seriously, I worried that Chapter 17 wasn't all that climactic with Aaron not killing Byer, but it made sense. Byer was trying to goad him into something, and Aaron refused to give him the satisfaction.

All that said, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! ~lg

oOo

One Month Later. . . .

Dr. Marta Shearing walked into the hospital with a smile on her face. Following her reunion with Aaron, she'd left her job in the research lab and now lived in Arlington Heights while working as a consultant for the CIA, though it wasn't the busiest of jobs. They'd returned to the house Aaron had so lovingly redesigned for her and had spent their days building something that would last for the rest of their lives. Marta took every opportunity she could to show Aaron that she meant what she'd said after her kidnapping, and she'd watched his smile return to his face. He became less broody and more the man she remembered, and she wondered why she'd waited so long to finally surrender to him.

That surrender went both ways. Just as she'd fully given herself to Aaron, he'd given himself to her. The partnership they now shared was no longer cumbersome to her, and she'd never been more at peace. They talked often of Sydney and Johannesburg, but the liberty they had now outweighed anything they'd shared before. This time together was their choice, and they reveled in the ability to make that choice.

But the effects of Byer's actions lingered. When Landy called to tell them that Ric Byer was dead, Aaron had taken off for several days. Marta let him, understanding now more than ever that he needed to get his head straight. He returned after camping out in his truck for three days with a clear conscience and even clearer eyes. Byer's life had never been his to take, no matter how much he longed for it, and growing angry or bitter would only destroy him. He had chosen to be the better man, and he had accepted that decision.

In addition to the trauma that still gave Marta nightmares occasionally, she'd suffered from a sense of lethargy and illness ever since her brief captivity. The CIA doctors kept a close eye on her, insisting on monthly blood tests to determine if she would suffer any lingering side effects from the drug she'd been given. The lethargy had been even worse over the last several weeks, and she hoped to find out what to do to counteract it this visit. Yesterday, her blood had been drawn, and her reaction to the drug meant she'd have results today.

At the doctor's office, Marta waited her turn as she used her phone to scroll through an online catalog. She and Aaron had finally decided to redecorate the center bedroom, and she'd been gathering their ideas in one list to start shopping. After returning to Chicago and moving in with Aaron, she'd sold the plus apartment to Nicky. It made Marta's worries about selling it a nonissue, and they spent one evening a week with the other couple. Jason and Nicky had finally settled into their own relationship, and Aaron admitted one night that he couldn't have been more relieved about that. The angst that had existed between those two gave him headaches, and he saw Jason making bigger steps toward integrating into "civilian life" since he and Nicky spent those few days at Ranger Lake.

When her name was called, Marta followed the nurse back to the examination room and settled into a chair. Today, the doctor appeared quickly, which surprised her. She smiled at him, waiting for the other shoe to drop, when he sat down. "Your blood tests came back, and I can safely say you're not suffering any lingering effects. We'll continue to keep a close eye on you in the coming months, but I don't believe it'll be a problem."

Marta blinked at him. "It won't?"

"No." He handed her the page with her lab results. "Your problems are of a slightly different nature."

Marta stared at the page, her jaw dropping as she looked over the results. She read them three times to be certain and then thanked the doctor for his time. Driving back to Arlington Heights, she wondered just how to break the news to Aaron. When she found him in the center bedroom, she knew.

He turned when she came in. "Hey, what did the doctor say?"

"I'm fine." She walked to his side, smiling when he pulled her into his arms and nuzzled a kiss into her neck. He did that often, and it never failed to send a shiver down her spine.

"So," he asked as he held her close, "what do you think we should do? The browns?" He tilted his head away from hers so he could see her face. "Or more blues?"

She grinned impishly. "Actually, I was thinking about a crib over there," she said, pointing to the wall on their right. "A changing table could go on the other side of the room, and the dormer window would make a great place to put a rocker."

Aaron tensed up the moment the word "crib" came out of her mouth. As she continued to outline her ideas for a nursery, he abruptly took her shoulders and turned her to face him. "Marta? A nursery?" He blinked. "You're. . . ." His eyes dropped to her still-flat belly as he struggled to find the right words.

She nodded, smiling at the absolute shock and hope in his eyes. "My blood work came back today, Aaron. I'm four weeks pregnant." She shrugged. "If you do the math, it happened. . . ."

"The night we caught Byer." He almost whispered the words as he slid one hand down her arm to hover over her abdomen where their unborn child now lived. He blinked several times, not hiding the tears that her announcement brought. "We're gonna be parents?"

Marta nodded again. Aaron stared for a moment longer, and then he grabbed her in a tight hug and spun her around, laughing and crying at the same time. She understood. He'd always thought a family and life in the suburbs was out of his reach, first because of his difficulties as Kenneth Kitsom and then his life in Outcome. But all that changed when they captured Byer the second time.

Setting her down almost as quickly as he'd picked her up, Aaron's eyes widened. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No, Aaron, you didn't." Marta smiled. "And you won't."

He took her face gently in his hands and kissed her slowly, lingering but not turning it into anything more than that moment. When he pulled back, his smile stretched across his face. "A baby," he whispered, pressing their foreheads together. "I'm gonna be a dad!"

Marta laughed. "And I'm gonna be a mom." She draped her arms over his shoulders.

He scowled for just a moment and then held up a finger. "Wait right here." He left the room before she had a chance to answer, returning a few minutes later with something in his hands and an uncertain expression on his face. Instead of taking her in his arms again, he licked his lips and carefully examined the box. "I had this planned differently, and I was gonna wait for another time. But. . . ." He lifted his eyes to look at her, offering the small velvet box. "I want to do this now."

Marta took it, already knowing what was inside. She opened it and smiled when she saw the rings. He'd bought her a beautiful yellow gold set with a round-cut diamond. The edges of the diamond were sheathed in the gold, with two smaller stones flanking it and the wedding band that followed the same curves along one side. "Aaron, it's beautiful!"

His hands slipped over hers, and he waited until she looked up to keep speaking. "I was gonna take you to dinner and get down on one knee and everything, but. . . ." He smiled. "I want our baby to have more than just a home and parents who love him. I want it all—with you." He obviously looked for the right words to continue but failed. "Marry me, Marta."

"Yes." She laughed, though she had to blink back tears. During their time on the run, they'd thought they would never have this sort of commitment between them. To marry then meant giving Byer leverage over them. But Byer would never hurt them or their child again, and Marta happily wrapped her arms around Aaron as she kissed him soundly. He slipped her ring on her finger, and they spent the next few hours planning just how to decorate the nursery for their son or daughter.

Just under three months later, Aaron and Marta married one another in a quiet ceremony in their back yard. Pam Landy appeared along with Tom Cronin. Jason was best man while Nicky stood as Marta's maid of honor. The reception was filled with plenty of congratulations, both for their marriage and the recent revelation that Marta was carrying twins. Aaron took her back to Sydney, Australia, for their honeymoon, to the same hotel where they'd stayed when they first confessed their love one for another. This time, they openly enjoyed the hotel's amenities and took the time to see the local sights. Aaron escorted her to a show at the Opera Hall, and Marta soaked in all the sun she could get. Then, they returned to Chicago and winter to prepare for the birth of their children.

After their honeymoon, Marta returned to the research lab for a short time. Aaron's upgrades had been done on a genetic level, and she worried about what he could pass on to their children. His physical upgrades and higher intelligence? Or perhaps his difficulties before Outcome? She had an instinctual need to know everything and be as prepared as possible.

One week before her due date, a very tired Marta went into labor. Aaron stayed at her side, almost coming apart with worry while Nicky and Jason paced the waiting room. No one was more relieved than Marta when she finally gave birth to perfect twin boys, Nicholas Aaron and Jason Thomas, named for the closest friends they had. Both Nicky and Jason were speechless when introduced to their "nephews," and Aaron proudly watched Marta sleep while the two former Treadstone members cooed and cuddled his sons.

oOo

Jason and Nicky didn't decide to marry as quickly as Aaron and Marta. They'd known since they returned from Ranger Lake that they needed to work out their issues before jumping into a commitment. Nicky bought Marta's apartment, and it gave them the distance they needed from Aaron and Marta. Jason continued to work for Aaron, ultimately choosing to become Aaron's business partner instead of just an employee. It allowed both men to consult for the CIA on cases that involved their specific skill sets while giving them the focus they needed in their daily lives. Jason moved in with Nicky, and they often fought with one another as much as they loved each other as Jason struggled to remember and Nicky tried to forget. They ultimately decided, after three months of a back-and-forth that left them exhausted, to let the past be the past. After that, they found a sense of peace and equilibrium in their relationship.

A week after Marta and Aaron took their sons home, Jason found Nicky at the dining table, papers spread out in front of her. She'd decided to open her own coffee shop, and the particulars of becoming a business owner were almost as challenging as her work for Treadstone. Both she and Marta had a need to leave their classified work in the past and move forward into the future.

Nicky glanced up when Jason paused uncertainly next to her. He'd come home an hour ago, tired from work and needing a shower after a day spent sanding old cabinets. Nicky had teased him about going prematurely gray but sent him on to the bathroom with a promise to have dinner ready. She'd kept that promise, but her latest struggle—picking a name for her coffee shop—currently escaped her. She threw down her pen and covered her face with her hands. "I didn't know this would be so hard!"

Jason pulled out the chair and sat down. "Nicky." His tone worried her. He hadn't used that tone with her in months. Ever since Byer died and he'd made the decision to stay with her in Chicago, he'd tried to be more open. They'd made progress, too, and he had learned to let her in a little more each day. Now, he simply stared at her for a long moment before shaking his head. A rueful grin touched his face, and he studied his hands. "Have you thought about Le Véritable Amour?"

Nicky blinked. "True love?" When he shrugged, she considered it. "I can see where it would be a catchy phrase for a coffee shop. After all, a lot of people think they can't get through the day without coffee. I could do a French feel, offer pastries and such. . . ."

"What if we chose a French feel, and we offered pastries and such?"

She frowned at him, the hand that had reached for her pen pausing in mid-air. "Jason? You want to go into business with me? Even though you're already Aaron's business partner? Isn't that kind of. . .I don't know. . .hard?"

He snorted. "Others do it all the time, but no. That's not what I had in mind." He reached for the hand still hovering over her pen and pulled it to him. "What I had in mind was that we open the coffee shop as a symbol of our new life together. Then, you run it however you think it needs to be run, but it would be in both our names, as Jason and Nicky Bourne."

She blinked again, several times, as his meaning came home to her. "Jason Bourne, are you proposing to me?"

He laughed. "Yeah, I guess I am." He looked around. "Do you want me to get down on one knee?" Without waiting for her answer, he pushed his chair back and dropped to one knee, taking her hand and asking in a formal tone, "Nicolette Parsons, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Nicky stared at him for a long moment. She had honestly never expected him to propose and had been happy to live with him and have him to herself. Jason's struggle to settle into civilian life had resulted in more than a few arguments and misunderstandings, but they'd always worked through it. Now, she tried to find her voice, which seemed to have gone MIA the minute Jason dropped to one knee. Finally, she managed to nod and whisper, "Yes!"

The relieved grin that immediately came to his face told her just how nervous he'd been, and he pulled her to her feet as he stood, thoroughly distracting her from her paperwork with a scorching kiss. He produced a velvet bag from his pocket and slipped a simple white gold band on her finger with three princess-cut diamonds. It was elegant and understated and everything Nicky would have wanted, even back in Paris.

That evening, she allowed Jason to distract her from anything business-related. The next morning, she woke to the knowledge that they'd soon be married. But she didn't want to wait. She wanted to be Nicky Bourne now, not three or six months from now.

Jason had already gone for his morning run and was cooking breakfast when she appeared. He kissed her, offering her traditional cup of coffee a moment later. Nicky took it and leaned against the counter. "So, how do you feel about not having a wedding?" she asked after she'd had her first sip.

Jason froze over the stove, turning to frown at her. "You don't want to get married?"

"Oh, I want to get married." She met his eyes. "I don't want to wait six months or more to get married."

"We don't have to." He finished cooking the bacon and removed it from the pan, turning off the heat to continue their conversation. "We can choose any day we want."

Nicky took a moment to weigh her options in her head. "How does tomorrow sound?"

Jason had been taking a sip of his own coffee when she said it, and he choked. "Tomorrow?"

She shrugged. "Like I said, I'm impatient."

He pulled her into his arms. "I love the idea, but some of our friends might want more time. Like Landy. She may not be able to get here that quickly."

Nicky admitted he had a point. The last nine months or so had helped her put her issues with the CIA to rest. She still didn't want to work for them, but she had become decent friends with Landy. "So, day after tomorrow?"

Jason chuckled. "How about the soonest that Landy can be here?"

Nicky checked the clock and reached for the phone. "If I know Pam, she's already in the office."

This time, Jason threw back his head and truly laughed. Nicky wanted to laugh with him, but she was too nervous. If she waited six months, she might talk herself out of this. And she wanted to be with Jason too much to let herself be talked out of it.

Seeing the expression on her face, Jason dutifully dialed from memory. A moment later, he smiled. "Pam. How do you feel about a trip to Chicago in the next couple of days?" He eyed Nicky. "No, nothing's wrong. I'm just getting married and wanted you to be here."

Landy's loud gasp of surprise, followed by a muffled curse, made both of them blink. She came back on the line to tell them that she'd spilled her fresh coffee all over Tom Cronin, who now needed to know exactly what would rattle Pamela Landy to the point she dropped her cup. Jason put the phone on speaker while Pam explained to Cronin that Jason Bourne was getting married. Both Jason and Nicky dissolved into laughter when Tom finally got over his speechlessness and said, "Well, I guess I just lost the pool. I was betting it would take two years!"

Seventy-two hours later, Nicky and Jason said their vows in front of a Justice of the Peace with Aaron, Marta, Landy, and Tom Cronin present. The Cross twins were also there but slept through the entire event. The JOP seemed a little surprised that the Jason Bourne would come to her for his marriage vows, but she recovered well. When it was all said and done, the small group went to Arlington Heights and shared dinner in Aaron and Marta's recently-finished home. Landy got to hold both of the twins, dubbing herself "Aunty Landy," and Tom shook his head and shuddered. He'd been Landy's assistant for a long time, and he looked at her as an older sister.

For their honeymoon, Jason and Nicky returned to Paris. They rented the same flat they'd shared during their Treadstone days, smiling when they realized it hadn't changed a bit. After a month, they flew back in to Chicago ready to face their life together. The day they landed, Nicky found the paperwork she'd put aside in favor of marrying Jason and filled in Le Véritable Amour as her coffee shop's name.

oOo

Ten years later. . . .

The Cross house bustled with activity from one end to the next. The grill in the back sent a heavenly scent throughout the neighborhood, and children squealed as they chased one another around. The guest house had been ultimately been torn down to make more room for the play area, and neither Aaron nor Jason had been sorry to see it go. It had never been finished after Jason moved to Chicago, and both men felt it reflected a time that they would just as soon have forgotten. Or, rather, left in the past. Now, the entire area was covered in rich green grass, and a custom play ground had been tucked into the corner, leaving the rest of the yard for the adults that congregated around the grill or mingled with one another.

Manuel and Bobby still worked for Aaron and Jason, both of them foremen in the very successful C&B Home Restoration and Construction Company. Manuel had married his girlfriend a year after Aaron and Marta were wed, and he'd turned his life around. He still had moments where his criminal past came to the surface, but he'd learned to control himself and overcome it. Bobby and his girl never tied the knot. She succumbed to cancer five years after Aaron and Marta married, and the big biker still grieved for her. Her death had softened him, as had the Cross children, and they all loved taking rides on his motorcycle.

Jason and Nicky's son, David Kenneth Bourne, came into the world a little over two years after they married, and the little family still lived in the apartment they'd purchased from Marta. The eight-year-old spent as much time with his aunt and uncle in Arlington Heights as he did with his parents, a result of the close friendship between the two couples, and fights were common between David and the Cross twins. All the children had been taught self-defense from a young age, and having fathers like Jason Bourne and Aaron Cross meant family get-togethers were often broken up with either Nicky or Marta fussing at one or the other of their sons to "not put your cousin in a choke hold!"

Three years after the birth of their twins, Aaron and Marta welcomed little Kenzie Christine Cross to the world. Her first name was a nod to Aaron's previous identity as Kenneth Kitsom, and they'd chosen her middle name to honor Marta's sister. Now, at seven years old, she was as precocious as her brothers and knew just how to play to her daddy's sympathies. Aaron was wise to his daughter's antics, however, and tried to stay fair with his children.

Kenzie's birth was difficult on Marta, however, and both she and Aaron made the decision to take precautions against any more children. They already had more than what they'd ever dreamed, both of them having thought only one child was out of reach. Now, they had three.

These days, neither of the couples thought much about the events surrounding Byer and his attempt to rebuild NRAG. They'd both left that life behind, and even Landy had retired to Chicago to be closer to her adopted family. Aunty Landy, as she'd become known, made the rounds with tall glasses of iced tea while Manuel and Bobby talked shop and Jason corralled children. Tom Cronin, who had taken Landy's place as a deputy director, had sent his regrets that he couldn't make the barbecue. Aaron flipped burgers on the grill, smiling at what his life had become.

He had everything he and Marta had shared in Sydney, Australia that first year. And more. He could not think of another way his life should have gone, and, as he watched his children play with their friends and cousin, he nodded. Across the yard, Jason caught his eye, and he knew the other man was thinking the same thing. Men like us are never free. The words Jason had spoken to him years ago floated through Aaron's head, and his smile widened. They had fought to prove those words wrong and won. Jason returned his nod.

They had lived in two separate worlds, and they'd brought those worlds together. That made everything worth it.

~The End~