This is the end, beautiful friend - the end. Yeah well, Jim Morrison aside, it's the truth. The last chapter. Thank you ALL for reading along and for the comments, the kudos, the nice words on Tumblr, the favs and follows.. I really, really appreciate it! I had not thought it was a story anyone would bother with since no stories existed with this pairring when I first uploaded the first chapter. Anyway, again, thank you so very much. And thanks to EJ for the beta job, you are a grammar saviour - girlfriend!

With that said, go on - it's a happy end as I promised. ^^

Jake had gone home, all the way home, trying to make up his mind what to do. He should bow out now for Jill's sake. There was also a little voice kept telling him that Chris would never ever leave her no matter what he did. It would always be like this, it would never get better, only worse and more complicated. And on the other hand he wanted to fight for it, he wanted to force Chris to make up his mind, because what if he – What if he did indeed? Jake tried to imagine what it would be like if all the things he wished for really happened. What about Chris' life, friends and career? What if that was why he held back? Jake knew that the people who trusted him could be counted on one hand, understandably why.

Maybe he should just get back to basics, maybe that was the mistake he had made before? The phone beeped again, and he looked down at the display, it was Sherry again, he hesitated a moment and then picked up, "Are you gonna yell at me again?" He asked with a little smile, eyes on the road, while he drove along the empty night highway.

"No." Sherry said. "What the hell Jake?"

Jake didn't answer; he just frowned and stepped on the accelerator.

"What now?" Sherry asked in the phone.

"I don't know." Jake stated. "What do you think?"

"Jake..."

"I'm serious." Jake said, "What do you think I should do?"

"Okay." Sherry said softly. "I think you should leave him alone. I think that without you there, they will get back to what they used to be."

"Yeah." Jake sighed, "I sorta expected you to say that." He paused, "Only problem is, that I don't want to go away, not really."

"You really love him, huh?" Sherry asked.

"Guess so." Jake said sadly.

"Still." Sherry said, "Chris and Jill.. They are like – meant to be."

"Yeah." Jake nodded with a little bitter smile.

"Where are you at?" Sherry asked, breaking up a little as he drove through an area with bad reception.

"I am driving Chris' car back to his house." Jake said. "Eh Sherry, could you do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"Could you send me that Kennedy fella's number?" Jake asked.

"I guess." Sherry said, "What do you need that for?"

"I just need to ask him something." Jake said innocently. "It's the truth."

"Alright." Sherry said. "Only if you promise me one thing." She paused and took a deep breath. "If you disappear again, don't lose my number. Call me once in a while, and let me know you're okay."

"I promise." Jake said, wondering how this girl knew him almost as well as he knew himself. He wasn't even sure what he wanted to do, and she already knew he was gonna bolt.

He had Chris' car at the airport, figuring that Chris would be told when it was impounded at some point. He had thought about leaving his phone, or maybe a message. But had decided against it, and had just gotten on the plane that Kennedy had told him to.

This was how he had found himself back where he had started, in the streets of what used to be Belgrad. Doing what he loved the most, solving the problems with a gun. Not thinking too much about Chris, or love.

Jake was shifting through sheet music, adding notes, removing others. He had intentionally gotten his own place here, he needed roots, he couldn't keep moving from hotel to hotel. If nothing else then just for himself, to know this was where he was staying, hiding in plain sight. He was sick and tired of being moved about like a precious pawn, this time around he would make his own rules to the game. He might not have stuck with Chris, but Chris didn't need for him to stick around, he only did more harm than good to Chris' life.

The whole ordeal with Chris in the hospital taught Jake one thing, that they were only human, and no one knew when your time was up. And when you live by the sword, you had to make your time count. And that was what he was gonna do. He was gonna make himself a new life. It surprised him that no matter how much he missed Chris, he was able to focus on anything other than the man shaped void in his life. He helped the people of his city get rid of pockets of j'avo. And he had picked up on composing, to not just recite music other people wrote, but to make his own.

His flat was less inviting than the one he had vacated in the US. This one had no TV, but had a piano instead. He jotted down another note on the paper, playing the newest piece through. So lost in his own thoughts that he almost jumped as someone knocked on the door. At first he just ignored it, and then it knocked again.

"Who is it?" He called out.

"Chris." The voice called from the corridor.

"Chris?" Jake stopped dead, placing his pen on the top of the piano. "What the hell man?" He turned around on the stool and got up to open his door. Taking a deep breath before he removed the safety chains, opening the door, letting the light from the corridor seep into his flat. He looked straight up into Chris' silent form. "How.. Eh.. why... What the hell?" He said studying Chris' face.

"You aren't exactly easy to find." Chris stated. "Can I come in?"

"Sure." Jake took a step to the side letting Chris inside. As he passed Jake he could smell his scent, his tacky cologne, and something that was uniquely Chris. It woke all the emptiness that he had been drowning out, ignoring. Waking it to the point of Jake almost kicking Chris out of his flat, he didn't want to feel like this. It had never led him to good places. "So," He said slowly, closing the door. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you." Chris said, scratching his neck idly.

"Oh." Jake nodded, "How come?"

"What the hell do you want me to say?" Chris suddenly burst out.

"I don't know." Jake shrugged. "Shit, Chris.. This is getting real old, man."

"Yeah." Chris nodded. "So.. " He rolled his shoulders while he mentally steeled himself. "I am not gonna ask why you left, it was a dumb arrangement to begin with. But I wanted to tell you that I sorted my shit out, and I'm here. I mean, I'm here if you aren't too mad at me, and eh want me to be here."

"What?" Jake blinked repeatedly, trying to process Chris' words.

"Shit.. I had planned this differently, you know something with sweeping you off your feet. It's not really going all that well is it?" Chris laughed nervously.

"No, no.. You're good." Jake shook his head. Not even sure what to do with all that information. In the back of his mind he found it paradoxical that you could wish for something for so long, that when it was there you simply didn't know how to react.

"So, can I stay?" Chris asked, his duffle bag sliding off his shoulder, but hovering in his hand, waiting for Jake to answer.

"Yeah, sure." Jake said, clearing his throat.. "Am I hearing this right? You're here for me – us? What about - "

Chris let his duffle bag drop to the floor. "Okay so, I tried, I really did. I don't know man, it was like it had always just been in the cards that Jill and I would be the perfect match. I still care for her a lot, she is a friend, a very dear friend. But she doesn't - " Chris shook his head, "You're the one I love. It took me some time to figure that out.. but here it is." He turned his hands palms up. "I love you."

"Wow.. " Jake just stood rooted to the floor. "I had not seen that one coming."

"Me neither to be honest." Chris said with something that looked mostly like a blush.

Jake had never been a dumb kid, and he knew there was more to it than this. He squinted, his eyes and crossed his arms. "Is this about second chances, maybe even about that Nivans kid."

"Maybe a little." Chris admitted, seeing no point in lying. "I can't change the past, but I can make damn sure I do right by you." He smiled, "That's why I'm here."

Jake studied Chris, he had never been one to lie, and Jake heard no deception in his tone. "Alright." He said softly, with a tiny smile, "You're forgiven." He burst out laughing at Chris' baffled expression. "Come on man, loosen up." Jake held out his arms as an invitation to a hug.

Chris didn't hesitate, and wrapped his arms around Jake, burying his face in the crook of the other man's neck, inhaling Jake's scent. "God, I missed you." Chris whispered.

"Good, cause I didn't miss you at all." Jake said smiling, kissing his way down Chris' temple.

"You're the worst liar ever." Chris said, lifting his head to kiss Jake's lips in a chaste short kiss. Still testing the ground.

"Am not." Jake said his smile widening, he was about to say something more, but Chris cut him off with a kiss. This time not breaking it off, but instead lifting Jake off the ground and carrying him over to the dinner table, placing him on the tabletop.

"The table, really?" Jake teased, but didn't stop trying to open Chris' belt.

"Yeah well, I am a little short of flowers and candles." Chris grinned pushing Jake back on the table. Flipping his belt up, pulling down Jake's pants.

"Jerk." Jake grinned, propping himself up on his elbows, ignoring the pain of carrying his weight on the hard table. Just watching Chris as he dropped the pants, running his hands up Jake's legs, resting his hands on his hipbones.

"Yeah well, you love it." Chris shot back, running a rough hand over Jake's growing erection.

"Maybe I do." Jake said softly, closing his eyes for a moment, to just feel Chris' hands on his skin. This was something he had never thought he's feel again, he thought he had memorized the feeling. But when Chris pushed his legs a little further apart, licking a warm trail up his cock. Jake realized that he had not memorized a damn thing.

Chris was sure he'd never get tired of watching Jake as he slowly worked him open and ready. The way his muscles would flex, and his brows would knit in something that resembled worry, only to relax completely as Chris' fingertips rubbed the right place inside him. Chris leaned in and kissed Jake passionately, he just couldn't resist. Frantically undoing his own belt buckle, trying to shimmy out of his pants without letting go of Jake.

Holding on to the sides of the table, Jake swung his long legs up over Chris' shoulders. Letting out a long soft moan as he was penetrated, this feeling of his body accommodating his lover, never got old. The way it stung and exited him at the same time, sent thrills up his spine. And Chris knew exactly how he wanted it, pushing inside slowly, pulling out a little like he was fucking him shallowly for a moment, only to push in further. It drove Jake absolutely fucking nuts. And by the time Chris was balls deep inside, Jake was a squirming mess. Chris leaned down and whispered something dirty in his ear that Jake didn't quite hear, he just loved the sound of Chris' voice, hot and slightly out of breath. Like he fucked him with his cock and voice at the same time.

The table looked dangerously like it was going to collapse. Chris stopped moving and pulled Jake closer to the edge only to urge him to turn around, and place his feet on the ground.

Jake's legs were shaking as he tried to place his weight on them, and Chris didn't exactly let up, but fucked him with a relentless pace. One hand holding on to Jake's hip so hard it would most definitely bruise. The other pressed down between Jake's shoulder blades, holding him firmly down on the table. Jake reached down under him and took his own cock in his hand.

Leaning in over Jake, Chis put more pressure on his hand on Jake's upper spine. Unable to keep up a regular rhythm anymore, he increased his pace, fucking Jake down into the table. He could hear Jakes hoarse moans change into a keening sound, his arm holding on to the tale edge was shaking. Chris wanted to say something absolutely filthy, he knew that Jake secretly loved it, but when he opened his mouth only a pathetic gasping moan made it out.

Chris couldn't hold out longer, and came with erratic jerks and his eyes screwed shut, holding on to Jake so hard it had to hurt. Jake finished as Chris was fucking him with sloppy thrusts, slipping in come. Jake was still short of breath, and his pupils blown from the high of his orgasm, when Chris pried him off the table, and wrapped his arms around him, holding him tight. "God I love you." Chris whispered.

"Good, cause I hate you." Jake couldn't even muster a real laugh, so he just kissed Chris instead.

EPILOGUE:

Chris had stayed, he hadn't asked Jake to come back with him even once. He had just started to rebuild his life on Jake's turf. It was still strange to Jake that he had someone to come home to, or that he had someone to cook dinner for. But somehow it all just seemed to make sense. All the things that Jake had worried about, if it would hurt Chris' career, or if he would grow tired of him. If Chris would grow homesick, or just grow tired of him. It was all put to rest. Chris had even asked him to teach him the language, Jake had laughed many times at his horrible accent, but he was definitely getting there. At least he was able to make himself understood in shorter sentences now.

Jake's fantasy of walking down the street hand in hand, never did come true for real. Because even if they were not a secret, Jake refused to let something like what happened to Chris back then, happen again. So a public display of their relation he was never comfortable with. That didn't mean that they had to behave all the time.

And when Chris had stayed for six months, Jake had disclosed his composition which he had named 'Christopher'. And Jake was not sure, but he was almost positive he had seen Chris' eyes water up for a second.

-FIN-