Satine slammed the door of their small white car, jingling the keys nervously in her hand. She slowly walked up the steps of their small blue house.

"Hello!" their neighbor, Mrs. Jenkey, called to her, sitting in her rocking chair on her porch.

"Hello," she called back, smiling at the old woman.

She sighed. "Beautiful night, isn't it?"

Satine closed her eyes for a moment and listened to the crickets sing and felt the warm breeze on her cheek. "Yes," she whispered, opening her eyes. "It's so beautiful."

"Would you like some lemonade?" the old woman asked.

Satine shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry. . . I can't."

Mrs. Jenkey smiled. "Maybe another time."

Satine nodded and opened the door to her house, not even having a reason to lock it. Crime was never a problem since they moved into the small town of Wilmington, North Carolina. It was so quiet and peaceful. . . the perfect little spot to get away from the city. The days were cool, the nights were warm, and wherever you went you had a view of the beautiful blue Atlantic Ocean.

The neighbors were a family unlike Satine had ever known before - warm and sweet. They never asked where you came from, only asked where you were going. It was easy to blend into the handsome sea-side town. Six years had ridden off into the sunset ever since her and Christian had escaped from the loud California city. Six years of marriage was still in the honeymoon phase.

Satine smiled as she touched their wedding photo. Just the two of them. . . no family, no friends. They were married after a small ceremony in Vegas, wearing what they had graduated high school in.

"I just wanted to be with you," she whispered to the picture, kissing her finger tip and touching it to Christian's face.

He was probably still grading papers at Wilmington High, the nearby high school. Christian taught senior English to pay the bills, but he couldn't hide his real passion - writing. Poems, stories, novels. They had boxes full of them.

She went into the bathroom and turned the handles of the bathtub, squirting in strawberry-scented bubble bath.

As Satine laid back in their porcelain tub, she sighed. She had gone over in her head all day at the playhouse nearly a thousand times what she was going to tell Christian. . . but she still didn't know. There were so many words in the world and so few that would be the right ones.

Six years ago she had thought frequently of it. . . and now it was finally happening. But how would Christian react?





Christian sighed as walked up the steps of his house, his briefcase in his hand. He had read about one hundred 'Romeo and Juliet' papers, and not one of them had yet to capture the essence of the play. To capture the love between them as so few could do.

It had been six years. . . and yet he could still feel their love on that lit-stage so far behind them. Could still feel their love whenever he kissed her, held her, whispered her name.

He set his briefcase next to the door and looked at their wedding photo hanging on the wall. It was such a small ceremony, and to anyone else it would have seemed like nothing, but to them. . . "I just wanted to be with you," he whispered.

Satine came around the corner, wearing a short red dress and heels. She smiled as she leaned up and kissed him softly on the lips. "Hello," she whispered, sliding his jacket off his shoulders and hanging it off the back of a chair. "How was your day?"

"It was good," he said running his fingers through her wavy hair. "You look beautiful."

She loved the way he looked when he went to work - a suit and tie. He wore glasses now, too, and slicked his hair back. "So do you." She kissed him again and took his hand, leading him into the small dining room.

The room was dimly lit with candles. Two plates were set up with steak and vegetables and two glasses of pink wine.

Christian pulled Satine to him for a long kiss, placing his hands at the nape of her neck. When they broke apart, he whispered, pressing his forehead to hers, "It's not our anniversary. . . what day is it?"

She smiled. "A special one."

"You cooked," he said, kissing the tip of her nose. "This MUST be a special occasion."

She slapped his arm playfully and slipped out of his arms. "Stop teasing me, Mr. James."

"Yes ma'am." He grinned, pulling out her chair and sitting beside her. "Darling, how was your day?"

She looked down at her napkin and straightened it several times.

"Darling?" he asked.

"I guess you'll find out eventually. . ." she said, looking up.

"Find out what?"

"I. . ." She took in a deep breath. "There was a talent agent around the playhouse today. He. . . he offered me a role in a movie."

Christian was speechless for a moment, and then his lips rose to a forced smile. He reached over to squeeze her hand. "Darling, that's fantastic! You've waited your whole life for an opportunity like this!"

"Christian. . ." she whispered. "I told him no."

"Why?"

She squeezed his hand back. "I've never forgotten why we left six years ago. I know I said I wanted to be an actress. . . it was my greatest dream. But Christian, that was before." She rose from the table and sat on his lap.

He closed his eyes. "Satine, I want you to do this."

"No," she said softly, caressing his face. "I thought I wanted it. So many times I dreamed of it, did everything I could to get there. . . but I never felt complete. Never, until I met you." She smiled. "You're my greatest dream, Christian. I choose you."

"It's not fair you should have to choose."

"It is fair," she said. "If I wasn't here with you. . . I'd be with Robert, living my so-called dream. But I'd be nothing without you."

"But-"

She silenced him with a kiss. "I've had more fun on one rainy night when you were there to call my name and hold me tight, than a lifetime in this coastal scene just wishing you were here with me." She smiled. "If I had the chance to pick between being cold and starving and with you, or to be on a stage. . . I'd choose you. I'd rather be in love with you then anything in this world. YOU are my greatest dream, Christian. And I just want to be with you."

He kissed her slowly. "I love you, so much. . ."

"Ditto," she laughed.

"How did I ever get so lucky?" he whispered, running his fingers through her hair. "I can't believe that you picked me."

She bit her lip. "I have another. . . surprise for you." She stood from his lap and went into the kitchen.

When she came out, she was holding something, and showed to Christian's face.

He stared at it for a while, not knowing what to make of it. It was gray, looking somewhat like a thermometer, with a pink line in the middle.

And then, suddenly, it hit him. He froze.

"Christian?" she asked slowly, putting the home pregnancy test at her side.

"It. . . it was pink," Christian managed to say.

"Yes, it was." Satine nodded slowly. "Is that. . . is that alright?"

He looked at her softly, rising from his chair and placing his hands at her stomach. "It's wonderful," he said, looking into her eyes.

She let out a sigh of relief. "Really?" she asked.

He nodded, and there was a small tear in the corner of his eye. "Yes."

Satine fell into his arms.

"It's pink," Christian whispered.

"Yes it is," she said, smiling and hugging him tightly.

"We're having a girl, then?" he asked.

Satine laughed, tears covering her vision. "I love you so much. . ."

Christian lifted his head and looked her in the eyes and smoothed her hair. "We've been through so much," he said, smiling. "And we overcame it all."

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Disclaimer: All characters belong to me and my good friend Baz. And, um. Robert Duken is not the real son of a producer, I just made him up.

A/N: Ok, NOW it's the end. I know it started out a little crazy and slow, but if you're reading this then you made it through it all!!!! I hope you enjoyed it as mush as I enjoyed writing it! And. . . there Stacie!! Now you can't say that everything I write has a sad ending!!!!!!!

Songs used: 'I'd Rather Be In Love' by Peter, Paul, and Mary.