The movement of her tiny hand made Amanda shift her attention to her sister. The girl was holding the baby's hand and smiled at her when she began to move in the baby carrier. It was one of the few moments Victoria left her daughter out of sight. The heated discussion she was having with one of the flight attendants was apparently more important. Amanda had no idea what she was even complaining about when they were still sitting at the gate waiting to board the plane. After Victoria hadn't returned to their seats for five minutes, David had decided to interfere with the conversation only to stand helplessly next to the two women who were not taking any notice of his presence. Next to Amanda, Daniel lay stretched out on the seats passionately pressing the buttons on his Gameboy because his mother was not there to scold him for using the device. When she felt Charlotte pulling her thumb and sending her a smile which she had started giving to family members a few days ago, Amanda could almost forget how angry she had been when her father had told her she had to give Sammy away again.

Everything had seemed perfect to the girl: She was with her Dad again, her friendship with Jack had not suffered at all by the months of separation and she could also take care of her dog. Nevertheless, one day, her father had explained to her that Charlotte would be released from the hospital very soon and that was the reason why Sammy couldn't live with them anymore. At first, Amanda hadn't understood – Sammy was the friendliest dog in the world, he would never harm anyone. Her father hadn't argued about that with her, but he had told her that Charlotte needed a quiet and calm home and that although Sammy was a great dog, he would make it more difficult to provide the best environment for Charlotte. Of course, the 9-year old had quickly seen through her Dad and had understood that it was really Victoria who wanted Sammy gone – she knew that she had never been happy with him in their home in the first place. Therefore, she had accused her father of putting Victoria's needs before his own daughter's in a very angry manner and then locking herself in her room. Only a detailed explanation from Victoria herself about what she was worried about for Charlotte and why she thought it was not good for Sammy to live with the family at this point, made Amanda calm down and listen. She had to admit that the reasons Victoria gave were plausible and knowing that she could visit Sammy anytime because he would live with the Porters finally made her agree to the decision. The sadness however remained and the day Jack and his dad Billy came to pick up Sammy, Amanda wouldn't stop crying for hours. Two days after that, however, her world changed completely.

"There!" Daniel screamed excitedly pointing at the taxi that had just stopped in front of their building. Amanda and he had been staring out of the window for the last 30 minutes anxiously awaiting their parents' arrival. Quickly Amanda followed the boy who was already pacing to the front door. It didn't take long until they heard the key turn in the lock and they both gasped when David entered. His immediate reaction was to chuckle at the two kids' similarly excited expression.

"These two are really happy to see you, Charlotte." He said when Victoria followed him through the door – her hands tightly clutched around the baby carrier. She didn't look half as relieved as her Dad – Amanda rather detected fear in her eyes. Still, she smiled when she saw Daniel and Amanda waiting for her to bring home their sister.

"Is she asleep?" Daniel asked rushing to his mother's side to look at the baby.

"No, she's too excited to finally be home, too." David told them and took the carrier from Victoria's hands so she could take off her coat. Amanda saw him whispering something into Victoria's ear before pressing a kiss to her cheek which made her tense face relax a little.

"Victoria, look what we made!" Amanda pointed in the direction of the living room where they had put up pink garlands and she and Daniel had created a big sign that read "Welcome home, Charlotte!" It was just the distraction Victoria needed to look up from her daughter and admire the surprise her family had created for her.

"Wow, that's really beautiful." Victoria thanked the kids before they all went into the living room.

"Look, Charlotte, what your brother and sister did for you." Before Victoria could protest, David had carefully lifted the child out of the carrier and into his arms. He held her close to his body her head resting on his shoulder when he showed her the room. When he noticed the words of protest forming in Victoria's mouth he silently whispered "It's okay." Then he sat down on their couch so that both of the children didn't hesitate long and took the space next to him to be close to their baby sister. Overwhelmed with joy that she could now not only see her in the hospital, Amanda blurted out: "Can I hold her?"

"Sure." David smiled but Victoria who had watched them attentively from a distance interfered.

"David." She snapped and stepped closer with a serious expression on her face.

"I'll be careful." Amanda promised trying not to flinch at Victoria's furious glare.

"You have to hold her head." David explained consciously ignoring Victoria's reluctance while he was carefully handing his daughter her sibling. "There you go – just hold her like that."

Feeling her little sister's weight lying in her arms while she cradled her was a whole new feeling for Amanda. She had never been able to hold her and now she realized how small and fragile she was. At the same time, she also became aware of the responsibility she had. She was her big sister and she would always take care of her and protect her. Charlotte hadn't made a sound yet and seemed to enjoy the comfort her sister's arms offered her.

"Let me get the camera." David got up from the sofa and gently guided Victoria to finally sit down next to the kids. The skepticism in her eyes slowly began to make way for appreciation of the scene playing out in front of her.

Overjoyed that it was so easy for her to hold her sister and connect to her, Amanda looked to the side searching for confirmation in Victoria's eyes. The older woman finally swallowed her fear and smiled at the girl. "She feels safe with you, Amanda." She said and put an arm around the girl's shoulder while she used her other arm to pull Daniel closer to them. Apparently, he was so stunned he couldn't utter a single word.

In that moment, they heard the click of David's new camera.

"I can't wait to show Charlotte this photo when she's old enough." He had never been so proud in his life. In this very moment, the camera captured the starting point of their new life. He had never dared to dream that he would ever feel this happy again; not after he was faced with raising Amanda on his own and certainly not when he was sitting in his prison cell facing a life behind bars. But defying all obstacles in their way, they had somehow managed to be sitting united on that couch. Putting his camera aside, David had to chuckle and knelt down in front of the couch.

"Charlotte is so lucky to have both of you to protect her." Victoria now noticeably more relaxed pulled the two children closer to her in her arms.

"She doesn't even need us as long as she has you." David laughed when he saw the proud expression on Amanda's and Daniel's faces. Before anyone could respond Charlotte opened her tiny mouth, drew in a breath and started crying. Amanda almost looked shocked when the baby began to wriggle and her head was turning red from the screaming.

Alarmed by the sudden sound, Victoria immediately sat up and her heart started racing again. The possibility that Charlotte could suffer from unforeseeable consequences from the premature birth was still a constant threat in the back of her mind. Therefore, she quickly but carefully took her daughter from Amanda's arms and lifted her into her own.

"It's alright, Charlotte." She soothingly whispered and brushed her lips against the baby's head rocking her in her arms. In an instant, the whole world only revolved around her newborn daughter again – everyone else in the room immediately forgotten. All she could hear were her baby's cries and she knew she had to do everything in her power to make them go away.

"Don't worry, Amanda." David explained calmly when he noticed how uncomfortable Amanda now looked probably thinking her sister had started crying because of her. "Charlotte is only tired. We'll let her get some rest." Quickly he got up taking Amanda by the hand and motioning for Daniel to follow him. "How about we make dinner together so we can start our movie night right after that?"

"Yeah." Daniel agreed but kept his eyes focused on his mother who was trying to calm down his sister. Before he could say anything to her, she had already disappeared into the bedroom not once looking back to him.

When Daniel heard his mother's voice growing louder as she was approaching, he quickly sat up straight and put his Gameboy away. He knew she didn't like him playing with it for too long and he didn't want to annoy her more than she apparently already was. He observed how David stopped Victoria caressing her arm in what looked like an attempt to calm her down.

"But they assigned us the wrong seats!" Daniel heard his mother hiss, still outraged from her conversation with the flight attendant. Next to him, Amanda had found her own way of distracting herself by interacting with Charlotte who was able to do more with every passing day. Sometimes the boy scolded himself for thinking it would be easier if she had never been born. He believed that his parents would still be together, his mother would not be so stressed out all the time, and they wouldn't have to sell their house. Seeing it for the very last time had not been easy for him.

With trembling hands his mother turned the key in the front door. She was entering Grayson Manor for what they all knew would be the very last time. It was February and the Hamptons almost felt like a ghost town with most of its inhabitants staying in the city before the summer season would kick-off in May. With insecurity in her eyes, Victoria looked back at David who had a sleeping Charlotte strapped to his chest and calmly nodded at her before they entered. Daniel followed his mother reaching for her hand as they quietly stood under the high ceiling of the entrance hall. They both scanned the room never having noticed before the intimidating effect the architecture of Grayson Manor could have on visitors. To them, it had always been their home, a place they felt safe and comfortable in and that provided them a getaway from the bustle of the city.

"This place never ceases to impress me." David whispered standing next to Victoria in awe. "I remember how scared I was when I first came in here."

"I remember how proud I was showing Daniel his new home right after he was born. This house meant everything to me." Victoria said with a sad smile putting an arm around her son's shoulder. Of course, Daniel didn't remember the moment his mother mentioned, but he did remember how much he loved spending the summers there, playing hide and seek in the house or running around on their private beach. He also remembered how other kids talked of his home as a castle and that he didn't know of anyone who had a bigger room than he had.

"Mom, can we go to my room?" He asked already walking towards the stairs.

"We've left everything as it was." The real estate agent who had tried to stay quiet in the background interrupted their conversation. "We didn't want to show the place to any potential buyers before you had been here."

When Daniel cautiously opened the door to his room, he immediately noticed that something was off. Furniture had been displaced, some drawers were still opened and some of his books and clothing was lying on the floor.

"Mom, what happened?" He asked shocked about seeing the results of an intrusion.

"Don't worry, Danny. These were just the detectives looking for documents from your father. They didn't take any of your stuff." Trying to explain to her son that the FBI had raided their whole house because his father was a convicted criminal had never been something she had imagined she would have to do. The situation in the master bedroom and Conrad's study downstairs was probably even more messy.

"Oh no, Leo!" Daniel screamed concerned and rushed to his favorite stuffed animal he had gotten during his first visit to the zoo. The lion was now basically buried beneath a stack of books.

"Is he alright?" Victoria knelt next to her son who was clutching the animal as if it was the most precious thing in his life.

"Yeah." The boy sniffed and searched the room for other beloved items that might have gotten hurt.

After that, Victoria told him to take his time and pick out all of the toys and books he wanted to have in his new room while she went to the other side of the hallway to the master bedroom. David silently followed her.

As she entered the room, the first memory that came back to her was finding Amanda lying in her bed with the photos of her and David's secret getaways spread out around her. The scene that had unfolded directly after that also came rushing back to her mind and she had to close her eyes in pain.

"This is where I blacked out." She explained while David was standing by her side noticing that this was a difficult situation for her. "Right before they had to deliver Charlotte. We could have both died right here." Victoria opened her eyes again to assure herself that her daughter was alive and well. She saw her cuddled against her father's chest her tiny body moving regularly with every breath she took.

"But you're both here now." David whispered taking Victoria's hand. She then went on to step into her massive dressing room seeing how even there the FBI had created a mess leaving her expensive clothes spread carelessly on the floor. In the corner of her eye, she noticed white fabric sticking out of a garment bag concluding that it had to be her wedding dress. Slowly she opened the zipper further letting her fingers trail over the opulent Dior dress. The hope she had felt while wearing the gown made her lips turn into a light smile while the dark thoughts about how the rest of the story she associated with the dress had unfolded, allowed her to come to a determined decision:

"I don't want any of this." She stated pushing the dress back into the closet and scanning the rest of her extensive wardrobe collection. She had chosen each of her dresses with care never buying something that wouldn't fit her body perfectly or a color that wouldn't suit her. She loved every piece of clothing she owned but she wanted to get rid of the memories of her former life.

"Vee, you don't have to." David assured her that she didn't have to make the sacrifice because of him.

"But I want to." Victoria said determinedly before she finally turned around and stepped onto her beloved cupola one last time. Letting her hands glide over the wooden rails and inhaling the fresh sea air, she took in the familiar view. She remembered how the stunning view of the ocean had completely lost its appeal to her when the only reason she had fled to the cupola had become the feeling of closeness she got when looking down at David Clarke's beach house. It looked exactly the same now – the only difference being that its owner now stood right behind her carefully pulling her into his arms.

"Let's leave now." Victoria took David's hand in hers and made her way to the front door without once looking back. She no longer needed the cupola. Everything she had ever wanted she had right by her side. So without further hesitation she left Grayson Manor and with it her old life behind.

When Victoria saw the three children sitting on the black leather benches at the airport obviously trying to hide the fact that they had been staring at her while she had thrown one of her temper tantrums, she stopped complaining immediately. She understood that the situation was not only difficult for her but for the whole family. All of them were stressed out trying to accommodate to their new living arrangements. When she turned to David, she saw a man who had gone beyond his limits to fight for them and keep the harmony in their new family. Exhaustedly he ruffled through his hair suppressing a yawn while at the same time he tried to find soothing words to calm her down.

"I'm sorry, David." Victoria apologized fully aware that once again she had overreacted due to her heightened stress level.

"No, it's…" The man tried to say when another yawn cut off his words.

"No more fighting from now on. I promise." She pressed an apologetic kiss to his lips before she joined the children assuring them that everything was alright and they would be ready to board their plane any minute.

David was so tired that tears began blurring his vision and he couldn't stop himself from yawning. He put his hands on his hips straightening his strained back as he watched a suddenly relaxed Victoria caring for their children.

The last few weeks had been a roller coaster. From joyful moments of reuniting with Amanda and enjoying the intimacy he had with Victoria to the sheer panic when they had feared Charlotte had caught a cold and they had rushed to the hospital with her. He had also had to make his statements for Conrad's trial, reliving the injustices and the horrors of the past months over and over again when he prepared with his lawyer. But he had kept holding on to the light at the end of the tunnel feeling that no matter how exhausted he was in that moment, he was almost there.

David had to smile when he saw Victoria stepping out of their ensuite bathroom wearing one of his shirts. Her dark mane was held back by a hairband when she consciously ignored David's stretched out arms to make her come back to bed.

"Come on, Vee." David sat up in the bed observing how she nervously paced through the room apparently looking for something. "We have reason to celebrate. No talking to lawyers for the foreseeable future." He tried to cheer her up but he knew that when Victoria was being stubborn there was nothing he could do. He had noticed that also during sex she had been somewhere else with her mind so he had tried to distract her from whatever was bothering her. But apparently, he had been unsuccessful with that. "Are you worried about Charlotte?" He asked cautiously when Victoria wouldn't stop roaming through their stuff. It had been the last day of Conrad's trial and David had witnessed in court how he had been sentenced to a life in prison. Much to his surprise, he hadn't felt as relieved as he had imagined he would. When he looked into the defeated face of a man who had to accept that his life had practically ended in that very moment, he really wished that it wouldn't have had to come to that. But then he remembered that he could've been the one in handcuffs and Conrad probably wouldn't have lost a minute of sleep about putting an innocent man who also happened to be his wife's lover to jail for life. Still, Conrad would continue to be a part of their life, not only because he was Daniel's father. He was part of their past and David was well aware that although Victoria hadn't accompanied him to court to hear the verdict, she could not so easily erase the memories she had of their marriage. But when he had come home earlier that day, all he had wanted was to finally celebrate his freedom.

"What? No." She barely looked at David when answering him. "You know I trust Nolan with the kids." Luckily Nolan had volunteered to take the kids out for the afternoon enjoying the cold but sunny winter weather so that Victoria and David had time to deal with the events of that day. They had also given their last promised interview to Mason Treadwell so that he was now ready to write his story which was a big relief to them. The public attention and questions about their relationship they had been receiving during the last couple of weeks hadn't facilitated the process of trying to find some normality.

"Talk to me, Vee. What are you looking for? Maybe I can help you." David offered his assistance standing up from the bed and grabbing his underwear.

"No, it's okay." Victoria murmured growing impatient still roaming through every cupboard in their bedroom.

David had imagined that day differently. He had wanted them to be joyful and relaxed, he had even brought a bottle of Champagne which was still unopened. The mood however was already destroyed so he decided he could just as well confront Victoria with what he had found that morning.

"Are you looking for these?" The moment he shook the container with pills in his hand, he gained Victoria's full attention. In a matter of seconds, the expression on her face turned from excitement, to shame, and finally to anger.

"David, what are you doing going through my personal things?" Decidedly she grabbed the bottle from his hand sending him a condemning glare.

"Why are you keeping this from me?" David countered her question crossing his arms in front of his chest. In Victoria's face he could read her inner battle about taking a pill right away or restraining herself until she was alone. He had stumbled upon the bottle when he had sorted their belongings to prepare for their moving date. He knew that Victoria was regularly seeing her doctor, but what he hadn't known was that she needed a bottle of Xanax to get through life.

"This is only about me. It's none of your business." Without further hesitation, Victoria stormed out of the bedroom and into the kitchen to grab a glass of water and take her prescribed dose of medicine.

David realized that her anger was only a means to distract from the shame she was feeling in front of him. She always wanted to be strong. Admitting to her weaknesses was difficult for her. Therefore, instead of further engaging in a fight with her, he offered his understanding.

"Victoria, listen to me. I didn't want to invade your privacy."

"But you did." The brunette hissed and swallowed the pill.

"I know and I'm sorry. I wasn't sure what to do when I found them. But I really want to talk about this with you." He stepped closer to her when she put her hands on the sink lowering her head in shame. "I don't want you to feel alone. We're in this together, remember?"

"You always want to talk about everything. But sometimes talking is just not the solution. You have to accept that." Slowly Victoria shook her head still not looking up. She was hiding the tears on her face from him. She had sworn to herself that she would be able to cope with the situation as soon as David had been released from prison. Her doctor had long advised her to get psychological help but she had been unwilling to accept what felt like giving up to her so that instead she had pressed her doctor to keep prescribing her medication that would relieve her from her anxiety and panic attacks. It was no permanent solution though and the very bottle David had discovered was the last one her doctor had been willing to approve.

"Hey." David whispered gently putting an arm around her and tucking her long hair behind her ear. "We'll find a way, okay? I promise." At the touch of his hand Victoria flinched at first but quickly gave in and buried her face in David's chest.

"I'm so sorry. I wanted to be happy for you today." She explained sobbing lightly. "But thinking about Conrad… it makes it worse. Everything comes rushing back to me. It makes me panic."

"I understand that. I didn't want to make you feel that way."

"You couldn't have known." Victoria raised her head to look at David. "I'm a mess."

Sensing that she was finally ready to open up to him, David led her back to the bed wrapping her in the warm blanket and pulling her into his arms. Without further pressuring her, he simply massaged her back feeling how she relaxed with every passing minute.

"I feel guilty." Victoria cleared her throat and began to speak. "I'm not a good mother to Daniel and I can't even breastfeed Charlotte. I'm not fully committed to our relationship and I'm still afraid all we have will be taken away from us again."

Surprised by her honesty and the rational summary of everything that was plaguing her, David hesitated to answer. What she didn't tell him about were the nightmares she had almost every time she closed her eyes. The scenes from the abduction and her contact with the Initiative replayed in her head over and over again. She tried so hard to suppress those memories. From experience, she knew that the anxiety would get better over time but she could never completely forget the traumatic experience. Of course, the nightmares also brought back Patrick. He was the child she had probably failed the most and the guilt she was feeling when thinking about what she had done to him overwhelmed all of the other negative feelings. But she couldn't share any of that with David. She didn't want to put the burden of knowing what she had been going through on him. He finally deserved happiness in his life and that was what she was trying to provide for him.

"It's not your fault, David." She lovingly caressed his cheek when she noticed how concerned he suddenly looked. "I'll handle this. I just have to get my mind in order, I've done it before. It takes some time but I'll get better."

"Are you sure?" David asked sounding almost like an insecure child. When he was looking into Victoria's brown eyes the previous brief moment of weakness had vanished and instead she was radiating determination again.

"I am. And I have you to support me now." She smiled at him feeling bad for having ruined the mood. Slowly her mind was clearing up again and she was able to form rational thoughts. Sometimes she forgot that David was not a person to have bad intentions. His love for her was pure and she had to remind herself over and over again to trust him. "What is it?" She asked when David still didn't seem to fully relax.

"I have something for you but I'm not sure if you'll like it." David explained scratching his head insecurely.

"Show me and we'll find out."

With a racing heart David reached over to the drawer next to his bed. He had planned to give this to Victoria in a quiet minute debating about her possible reactions in his mind. Slowly he put the paper folder between them.

Victoria furrowed her brow not understanding what he had given to her. Not bearing to hold up the tension any longer, David turned over the first page revealing an exposé. Fearfully he awaited Victoria's reaction.

"That's a house." She stated matter-of-factly staring at the file in front of her.

"It has five bedrooms." David blurted out not sure how to interpret her sober reaction. "And a garden. It's a brownstone."

"Where is it?"

"Brooklyn, Park Slope. I've heard that it's a…" David wanted to go through the details of the exposé the real estate agent had given to him but Victoria hushed him pressing a finger to his lips.

"Does this mean that you want us to live there?" The brunette smiled sensing how nervous David was.

"I mean potentially… yes." David stuttered. "You and the kids can take a look at it tomorrow if you like."

"David." She smiled brightly, her heart warming by how much David cared about their family and was already planning ahead for their new life. "I'd love that. Thank you for making the effort." Quickly she captured his lips in a kiss showing him how much she appreciated his actions and feeling how the thought of their hopeful future finally began to push away the dark memories of her past.

When the airplane was finally taking off from Newark Airport, Charlotte was sound asleep in her father's arms and Daniel was pressing his nose against the window next to his mother.

"I wish Nolan could've come with us." Amanda said to her father who was sitting next to her.

"I know, me too. But he'll visit us in a few weeks. And so will Jack and his Dad. Aren't you excited about that?" David was proud of his daughter of how well she was handling the situation and still cared deeply about her friends and family.

"I can't wait, Dad." The blonde girl smiled back at her father leaning back in her seat. She was really looking forward to their vacation in warm and sunny California, but she also knew that she would miss Nolan who had spent almost every day with them since her father had been released from prison. Because they were planning to stay just north of Santa Barbara for almost two months to take a break and focus on getting their life in order, Amanda had insisted that Nolan would visit them at least once.

"Bye, New York." Daniel whispered waving at the city that was slowly getting smaller and smaller underneath them. He was thinking about his Dad and his grandparents and the fact that he didn't know when he would ever get to see them again – if at all. He was aware that they were coming back but his mother had been honest with him and told him that she wasn't sure how regularly he could visit his Dad and grandfather – not to mention his grandmother who had completely disappeared not even attending her family's trial.

"Daniel, look, which buildings can you spot down there?" Victoria tried distracting her son from his sadness pointing outside of the window. The clear weather allowed them to get a good view of Manhattan.

"And there, on the other side of the river, that's where our new home will be." Victoria pointed to a place further in the distance kissing her son's head. "It'll be so much fun when we'll move in there in summer and you can decorate your new room just the way you like."

Keeping his promise from the day before, David parked the car in a quiet street with trees lining up on the sidewalks in front of a row of brownstone houses.

"That's it." David announced still being nervous about how Victoria and the children would react to the house he had picked out for them.

"Don't worry, David. Calm down, I'm sure we'll love the place." Victoria patted his hand reassuringly and got out of the car to lift Charlotte out of her baby carrier on the backseat. The real estate agent was already waiting for them by the front door so that the five of them quickly walked over to her through the freezing cold. The house really was the picturesque brownstone David had promised and the iron rails of the few steps leading to the main door were still decorated with Christmas lights. The small front yard looked a bit empty during winter but Victoria already imagined what a great gardener could make out of the place. Right next to the house they were visiting, stood a white moving van but Victoria couldn't tell if the people were moving in or out.

When they entered the house, Victoria began to understand what David had meant by warning her that they would have to put some work into the property if they decided to buy it. There were old, colorful rugs laying on the floor and the wallpaper was peeling off in some corners. It also smelled like a really old building and Victoria felt the urge to immediately open the windows to let in some fresh air. David was nervously glancing over to her so she refrained herself from showing the doubt about the place on her face and instead smiled at him.

Amanda and Daniel didn't seem too skeptical and were already lurking around some corners to see what the other rooms had in store for them.

Victoria and David patiently listened to the real estate agent's explanation while she was showing them the house learning that the building still had its original wooden tiles from the early 20th century and that if they polished them and replaced the ancient windows the place was a true gem. They also learnt that the owner was an old lady who had to move to a nursing home. Their children who lived in a different state had then decided to sell the house and the house next door which the family also owned to pay for the best nursing home they could find for their mother.

Victoria and David finally made it through all of the three floors and the basement before the real estate agent showed them the garden.

"Trust me when I assure you that it's almost impossible to find a bigger back yard than this one in New York City. Just imagine what it would look like in full bloom or with a barbeque place right in that corner. The children will love this!" The woman promoted the estate while Victoria became aware of something else.

"Talking about children: Where are Daniel and Amanda?" She asked suddenly worried when she noticed their absence during their tour of the house. She then noticed that the door to the backyard stood ajar. "David." She pointed to the door rolling her eyes. She was more than happy that Amanda and Daniel got along so well but she hated how they always ended up doing something stupid together.

"Those two." David mirrored Victoria's annoyed expression and stepped outside to look for them.

While carrying Charlotte in front of her chest Victoria followed him to also get a better view of the garden. It didn't take long until they heard Amanda's laugh coming from the neighbors' garden.

"Amanda?" David asked walking over to the other backyard where he found Amanda, Daniel, and a brown-haired girl probably around the same age as Daniel playing with a baseball.

"Dad." Amanda looked caught when she faced her father's scolding glare.

"Come on, this is not our property. Sorry for disturbing." He apologized to the other girl who didn't look disturbed at all but rather enjoyed playing with the two kids.

"Hey, sorry, did my daughter bother you?" Suddenly a woman appeared in the neighboring backyard. She had a heavy British accent and immediately approached them.

"No, not at all. It was rather our kids intruding in your yard." David explained before Amanda and Daniel finally walked over to their parents as they had been told.

"We're sorry, we're looking at the house next door and didn't keep an eye on them." Victoria also apologized to the woman who now stood in front of them. Under the wool hat she was wearing, she had shoulder-length brown hair. A very friendly smile accentuated her lips when she reached out her hand first to Victoria then to David.

"Hi, I'm Jenny. Don't worry, I think Anne is happy to have found someone she could play with." She motioned to her daughter who was now timidly standing by her side. She was her mother's spitting image Victoria thought, the only difference being that her brown hair was in long ringlets falling down her back. "We're actually moving in today. So everything is a bit chaotic."

From the look on her face, Victoria could tell that Jenny was trying to place her. She probably knew her face from the news somewhere and was now trying to remember who she was. If she had figured out that they were in fact the Victoria Grayson and David Clarke, she was polite enough to keep that to herself.

"Nice to meet you." Victoria smiled back at the woman who curiously looked at Charlotte.

"Oh, how old is she?" She asked obviously assuming that the baby was a girl from the pink hat she was wearing.

"Almost four months." Victoria announced proudly. Because she had been born so prematurely many people couldn't believe that she was already a couple of months old.

"Awww, that's lovely." Her British accent inevitably made Victoria smile. "My other daughter is five months old. My husband is still at our apartment with her. It can be so exhausting when they're so small. Especially when you're also planning to move."

"Oh, you know what you're talking about." David laughed noticing how Victoria seemed to enjoy the personal interaction in which they seemed just like a regular family.

"But I don't want to keep you from touring the house. I should probably start unpacking myself. Maybe we'll see each other again." After having said goodbye they made their way back inside, each of them imagining what their life could look like if they decided to take on the challenge and buy the house.

"David." Victoria pulled David aside in the living room excited to share her thoughts with him. "I think that's it. It's our house."

"Are you sure?" David asked but was already beaming with joy. He had been in love with the place ever since he had set foot in the house last week praying that Victoria would share his positive feelings.

"Yes, let's make it ours." She kissed his lips already thinking about how they would throw everything out and redecorate the place completely. They definitely needed to modernize the structure, put some effort in repainting all the walls and restoring the historic floor, but she was sure that it would be worth it. Seeing the children play with the girl from next door and chatting with Jenny had offered her a glimpse into what it meant to lead the stable life she had always wanted. Their children would all have their own room, they could grow up carefree running around in the garden and the nearby park while they were also close to Manhattan. Charlotte would make her first steps on the terrace in the garden. In winter they would cuddle up in their cozy living room next to the fireplace and in summer they would spend long warm nights in their garden listening to the bustle of the city in the far distance. Yes, she felt it in her guts. This was their new home.

For a brief moment, lost in thought about their future, Victoria also had to think about the weird feeling she had gotten when they had been driving back to Manhattan on that day. When they had all been sitting in the car again and Daniel and Amanda had been overjoyed with their parents' decision to buy the house in Brooklyn, Victoria had noticed a black car parking on the other side of the street. She had taken notice of the car because she saw a familiar looking woman sitting in the driver's seat. She was wearing dark glasses but what was most striking to Victoria was her grey, almost white hair. Victoria wasn't sure if she was hallucinating but the woman seemed to send her a knowing smile from behind the wheel. With her heart suddenly beating faster, she had tried to take another good look at her to confirm her worst fears but in that moment, the woman had already started the engine and driven away. Shaken to her bones, Victoria had turned around frantically trying to see her license plate, but without success.

"Everything alright?" David had asked her concerned.

"Yes, it was just… nothing. I'm still overwhelmed." She had tried to smile at him while she couldn't get the face of that grey-haired woman and her cruel smile out of her face. Shaking her head, she told herself that she was probably just being paranoid and that her mind was playing her a trick. She knew that her own body liked manipulating her to keep her from being fully content. Therefore, she had pushed all negative thoughts aside and kept focusing on their exciting future.

Victoria did the same thing when she was sitting on the plane on her way to their temporary escape to California.

When she turned her head to the side, she saw David smiling at her. In his arms, Charlotte was slowly beginning to open her eyes stretching her mouth to what Victoria assumed would turn into a scream announcing to them that she was hungry.

"I'm so happy." David simply said to her before they both would be busy trying to calm their screaming daughter getting on the nerves of the other passengers.

"Me too. Everything we had to endure and all the strength we had to muster – it was worth it." Victoria smiled back at the man who had changed her life forever. From the moment they had first met on New Year's Eve, the moment she had found out that she was pregnant and had buried that laptop in the Atlantic ocean, to their time as fugitives, David's arrest, Charlotte's complicated birth, and finally their reunion in the courtroom – Victoria wouldn't want to miss a second of that and in that moment looking in his blue eyes, she couldn't wait to see what life still had in store for them.

THE END

I can't believe that after almost five years I have finally managed to complete this story. So much has changed in my own life but I'm glad that - although not consistently - this story has stayed with me all of that time. Thank you to each and everyone of you for writing me kind reviews and giving me advice on how to improve the story. I appreciate all of your support so much! I probably would never have finished writing this if it hadn't been for you - so THANK YOU!

Thank you to the Revenge writers for creating the show and especially the character of Victoria Grayson. Thank you to the great Madeleine Stowe for making Victoria such a complex character and portraying her so excellently. You are a true inspiration to me and gave me my favorite TV show character of all times.

Of course, I already have an idea of how the characters' new life will unfold in the future. I know I denied you the wedding scene. ;) We would also have the Partrick issue coming up again, Eleanor Grayson might complicate their life, and I'd love to eyplore Daniel's relationship with his father in prison and how he deals with the Grayson legacy (as opposed to what they showed of Amanda dealing with her family's fate on the show). I consider writing a kind of sequel that would only include several one-shots of moments in their future life. If you're interested in that just inlcude it in your reviews. I can't promise really writing those scenes though.

For the last time, thank you for staying with me until the very end of this story, I'm looking forward to your reviews!