I would like to thank Micah, Lilygirl95, CarolReigns, Ctinaisfashion, lourdes1694, BlondieC82, Solosunni, Samantha, Babygirl65, WickedRedRose22, calwitch, lauraxxx, SPARKELS77, benova13, Dancer4Life, reignsbabee, JxTina and all the guests for reviewing the last chapter.

Surprising, huh? ;-)

But can you blame them? No? Didn't think so lol

Well, nothing else to say for now...

Enjoy & review :)

...

Chapter 25: Going home

I'm staring out into the night, trying to hide the pain

I'm going to the place where love

And feeling good don't ever cost a thing

And the pain you feel's a different kind of pain

Well, I'm going home, back to the place where I belong

And where your love has always been enough for me

I'm not running from, no, I think you got me all wrong

I don't regret this life I chose for me

But these places and these faces are getting old

So I'm going home, well I'm going home

The miles are getting longer, it seems, the closer I get to you

I've not always been the best man or friend for you

But your love remains true and I don't know why

You always seem to give me another try

('Home' – Daughtry)

He couldn't stop watching her. The way her chest heaved up and down steadily, the way she snored lightly with her mouth slightly agape, her hair a mess and her make up smudged. She was so incredibly beautiful to him, especially in that very moment.

He wasn't sure what would happen when she woke up. Wasn't sure if she was going to regret what happened between them the night before. Although she had been slightly tipsy, being drunk should not be an excuse. She had been just as conscious as he had. And he was sure, maybe even hoped, that she had wanted it just as much.

She had fallen asleep in his arms just a few hours ago, her head placed on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. The butterflies in his stomach were acting up once again, a smile creeping onto his face just by thinking about it.

She must have moved in her sleep, now laying on her back, her head still facing him. He supported himself on his left hand, watching her intently, not wanting to wake her up. But he just couldn't help brushing a strand of hair out of her face. He wanted to touch her, needed to touch her. Maybe he only wanted to make sure that he wasn't really dreaming.

He smiled when she smacked her lips absentmindedly, her eyes fluttering open, still fighting to stay closed but she was clearly losing that battle.

"Good morning, babygirl," Roman whispered when she eventually focused on him, his breath hitched in his throat when her beautiful blue eyes greeted him.

"Good morning," Karolina croaked, stretching her arms and legs before yawning heartily, making him chuckle. "What time is it?"

"I have no idea. 10? Maybe 11?" he replied, his heart beating fast in his chest. He was ridiculously nervous.

She shifted carefully so that she was now laying sideways, facing him, a giggle escaping her lips.

"What's so funny?" he asked curiously, touching first his hair, then his face, wondering if something was wrong.

"I left you a little souvenir last night," she retorted, touching his neck softly where she had left not only one but two love bites. It was hard not to notice.

"I'm gonna wear it proudly. Like a 14-year-old teenager. Think I'm even gonna brag about it to Dean and Seth," he replied, chuckling. He stared deep into her eyes, none of them saying a word for a few moments, just enjoying each other's presence. "Last night was wonderful."

As soon as the words left his lips, he held his breath, waiting for her reaction. He needed to know where they were going from here, needed confirmation. Anything really. He hated being in the dark, not knowing if he should keep up his hopes or not.

"Not sure if the word 'wonderful' can even compare to that," she said, caressing his scruffy cheek softly, smiling at him warmly. "But let's go with it for now because I don't seem to find a suitable word myself."

That was a relief. She seemingly didn't regret sleeping with him. He took it as a first victory that day.

"I wanna kiss you," he whispered after a moment, licking his lips nervously, his eyes never leaving hers.

"What's stopping you then? My bad breath? I'm sorry but I s…," she started, a mischievous smirk on her face when he sighed in annoyance, stopping her midsentence. "Sorry. Just trying to ease the tension here a little."

Roman swallowed hard, appreciating the fact that she was trying to make this easier for him. But this wasn't easy. A lot was at stake for him. Maybe she didn't even realize it that much. He needed to stop beating around the bush. What did he have to lose anyways? He could only win.

"I think we need to talk about this, Karolina," he began, pulling her close, his hand on her naked hip now. "A lot of "I missed you's", "I love you's" and "I never want to let you go again's" were said last night. And I definitely need to know if they were only said in the heat of the moment or if you really meant them. Because I did. I meant every word I said. I'm really serious about this."

Karo looked at Roman intently, her hand still on his cheek, admiring his sparkling grey eyes. It broke her heart to see how insecure he seemed to be. He appeared to be afraid of her reaction, of the response he would receive.

"I want to come home, babygirl," he said firmly when she remained silent, the words well-thought-out and expressed well-considered. He meant it. He really did.

She was speechless, at a loss of words. She didn't expect him to say anything like that. Not after only one night.

Tears welled up in her eyes, an awkward smile creeping onto her face when she realized what this meant. He wanted to come back home. He wanted to be with her, be with their kids again. He wanted his family back. And she couldn't have been happier about this.

"I must be foolish for saying this but I want you back here with us as well," she stuttered full of emotion, a sob escaping her lips. "And you know what? I should probably make you sweat this out, make you suffer just a little more. People will call me stupid for taking you back just like that, after one night of passionate lovemaking. But we both know that this wasn't just some meaningless one night stand. It was so much more than that. Yes, you've broken my heart, Roman. You've ripped it out of my chest, threw it to the ground and stomped all over it over and over again. But I love you. You're not just some guy. You are my husband and the father of my children. And although I've always told myself that if you should ever cheat on me, I would never forgive you for it, I can't help but to do so. I forgive you. That doesn't mean that I will forget though. I won't. This won't be easy. It's going to take a lot of time to rebuild trust again. I guess...no...I certainly think that we need help. Professional help. A therapy...anything really. But the love is still there. It always has been. And why prolong this any further? Why should I make us suffer by putting you on a long leash? You belong here with us. Your children miss you. And so do I."

Big boys don't cry, it once said in a song. But Roman didn't care. He didn't care that single tears were streaming down his face. Because he was happy. He was happy and relieved and just unbelievably grateful that she would give him a second chance. He would do everything to prove to her that he was serious about this. That he loved her and only her. No other woman would come in between them again. Not ever.

"I love you. I love you so much for being such a strong woman, for standing above this and for giving me another chance although I probably don't even deserve it. I'll never be able to make this up to you, but I'm gonna try. I will kiss the ground you walk on, I will anticipate your every wish. I w…," he rambled on, only stopping when she placed her index finger on his lips, halting him.

"You only need to promise me one thing," she said quietly, her voice only above a whisper. "Don't ever break my heart again. Don't betray me, don't cheat on me. Be mine and mine alone. Because this is definitely your last chance."

"I promise. I swear to God, I promise," he quickly replied, pecking her lips sweetly. "I will talk to you whenever something is bothering me. I won't bottle things up anymore. We'll talk things out, work them out. I w…"

"Roman, baby, please stop," she said with a giggle, cupping his face with both of her hands. "It's okay. It's in the past. We've overcome this. We'll make this work. Just one more thing…"

"Anything. You say it, I'll do it," he retorted, smiling when she kept giggling. He was so relieved that this went by so smoothly.

"Just make out with me, would you? I've never enjoyed kissing someone as much as I did yesterday. Not even with you in back in the day," she joked, making him chuckle. "How did you improve so much?"

"I was so desperate that I couldn't help abusing those oranges with my tongue instead of eating them in catering. Tasted great too. You should try it as well," he teased, kissing her lips sweetly.

"You wanna tell me I need to improve my kissing skills?" she asked in shock, mockingly of course, placing her hand over her heart. "That hurt."

"Hey, that's not fair. You more or less said mine sucked as well," he complained playfully, pinching her sides.

But instead of answering him, she placed her lips onto his, kissing him passionately. She put so much love into that kiss that it knocked the wind out of him, making him realize that he wasn't dreaming, that this was indeed real.

They were so lost in each other that they didn't even hear the front door open and close. They didn't hear Leni and Siaki talking to their Uncle Dean on their way up the stairs, didn't notice that there were footsteps in the hallway leading to their bedroom.

They were surprised accordingly when all of a sudden the bedroom door was opened, revealing Dean in the doorway.

"Karo, babe, are you…WHAT THE FUCK?" Dean yelled the very moment his eyes fell on Roman, not having expected to see him there. Not at all.

Of course he knew that Karo had a date with his best friend the day before. That was why he and Shannon kept the kids overnight, giving the two friends all the time they needed with each other. He never would have believed for them to end up in bed together. Not so soon.

"Close the fucking door, dumbass. And stop yelling," Roman chastised, turning his head to look at his friend who seemed to be more than just a little perplexed.

Dean closed the door from the inside after stepping in, even locking it in order not to risk the kids to barge in. This was not something they should see. Not if he wasn't sure what this was all about.

"Are you guys naked?" the short-haired man asked, quickly making his way over to where they were laying in bed, not even giving them any time to answer as he slightly lifted the blanket, gaping at both Roman and Karolina when they were indeed naked, chuckling when Roman quickly pulled down the fabric again. "You guys ARE naked. Holy shit!"

"Would you just stop screaming, for God's sake?" Roman begged through gritted teeth. He had to smile, however, when he felt how Karo buried her head into the crook of his neck, probably blushing. There seemingly were no boundaries for Dean. If he wanted to know if they were naked, he would find out if they were. He had no shame.

"Hey Karo, princess, look at me please," Dean demanded softly, smirking mischievously when the German native looked his way, clearly embarrassed. "I come in here to check on you and you're romping around with the big man right here? You fucking slut."

"Fuck you," she huffed, although having a smile on her face. Dean caught them. He always did.

"Well, I would love to but I'm pretty sure Reigns has taken care of that already," he teased, wiggling his eyebrows. "You know what? I'll take the kids with me again. You guys keep fucking. Have sex. Have sex all day long. Fuck yes, this is awesome."

"Dean, wait…," Karo called, stopping him mid-movement. "Don't tell Leni and Siaki just yet. We want to tell them ourselves. I think they should hear this from us."

"Hear what exactly?" he dared to ask, hoping they would give him exactly the information he wanted to hear.

"That we're going to give it another try," Roman finished for his wife, chuckling when Dean put his hand into a fist as a victory sign.

"God yes! I love you two," he rejoiced, making his way back to them, bending down to kiss both of their foreheads, not without making the most awkward kissing noises a human being could come up with. "Barbecue tonight. 7 pm. My place. Wear clothes, please. And now continue fucking."

And with that he left the room, leaving behind a very dumbfounded Karolina and Roman.

Roman turned his head to look at Karo, smiling when she giggled.

"You know what?" he asked, biting his bottom lip thoughtfully. "I think we should listen to Dean for once. Let's keep fucking."

…

"Is daddy really going to stay overnight?" Leni asked for the umpteen times that afternoon, her eyes big and bright, full of happiness.

"I know you're excited, sweetheart, but we've already explained this to you at least ten times today. Daddy is going to stay with us again forever," Karo confirmed, smiling at her daughter, giggling when Roman caught her just in time before she could fall as she was walking backwards.

"Look ahead, princess. You almost knocked over your brother," Roman said, feeling like the happiest man on planet earth.

With an arm wrapped around his wife's shoulders as well as his two beautiful children walking in front of him, it just couldn't get any better. He couldn't wait to tell his friends about the news. If Dean hadn't done so already.

After the so-called 'continuation of fucking', Roman had picked up Leni and Siaki at Dean's place in the early afternoon, giving his wife some well-deserved alone-time under the shower to process all the things that had happened during the last 24 hours.

After returning home, they all sat down in the living room, explaining to their children that mommy and daddy were not fighting anymore and that they would all be living together again. They were sure they had never seen their kids happier than in this very moment. It had taken a toll on them, so much was clear.

"Daddy, will you read me a bedtime story tonight?" Siaki asked, now also walking backwards, this time almost knocking over his sister.

"Of course, partner. And tomorrow the four of us will go to Disneyworld. How does that sound?" Roman asked, grinning at Karolina when she pinched his side, looking at him expectantly. "It's an exception, I promise."

He kissed her lips passionately, trying to retain his composure as he would have loved to keep kissing her over and over again. He couldn't get enough of her and her soft, plump lips. How had he even survived these last couple of months without her?

Leni and Siaki ran up the front porch of Dean and Shannon's house, cheering and screaming, excitedly ringing the doorbell and knocking on the front door several times, giggling to themselves.

"Well, aren't you two just a little too hyper today?" Dean asked after opening the door, chuckling when the kids ran inside without even greeting him, his eyes now taking in the sight in front of him, a smile on his face. "You have no idea how good it is to see you guys like that."

"How? Wearing clothes?" Roman teased, fist-bumping his best friend when he reached the front door.

"I actually enjoyed the sight of Karo's naked body, if I may say so," he retorted, hugging Karolina tightly, laughing when Roman slapped him upside the head. "Thought so."

"Have you told Shannon?" Karo asked after the short-haired man let go of her, smiling at him when he kissed her cheek softly.

"Nope. She doesn't know. Nobody does. Seth and Maxine are already here as well," Dean answered, letting them both in.

Even though they had all spent time together as friends even after Roman and Karolina's breakup, it was different this time. The first few times after the separation, things had been awkward. They had always paid extra attention that the two of them wouldn't sit next to each other, would be careful what they said or did. It wasn't easy. Then, in the last couple of weeks, things had become more bearable again, seeing as Roman and Karolina had started talking civilly with each other again. Still, nobody would expect the two of them to end up back together so quickly.

"I've actually texted Seth this morning. I told him that something shocking happened and that I urgently needed to talk to him tonight. I can only imagine how on edge he must have been all day," Karo said with a giggle, now fist-bumping Dean, gladly accepting his compliments for her evil behaviour.

"Now I understand why he's been so fucking unbearable ever since he arrived. Jeez, he's such a girly girl sometimes," Dean scoffed, following Karo and Roman through the living room of his house, smiling to himself when they kept on holding hands, even when they made their way through the patio doors that would lead them to the back porch where their friends and kids have already gathered.

The look on their friends' faces was priceless. Nothing would ever compare to this. Seth looked back and forth between Karo's and Roman's faces as well as their joined hands, his mouth agape in shock, his eyes wide open. It appeared as if he was trying to find the right words, to process what he was witnessing. He was in pure and utter shock.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Shannon more stated than asked, not believing what she was seeing. Now she understood why Dean brought the kids back with him after wanting to drop them off at Karo's place earlier that day. And she had believed her husband when he told her that Karo was still too hungover after her date.

Karo and Roman watched in curiosity how Maxine skyrocketed out of her chair, making her way over to them before hugging them both tightly, surprising them all with her reaction.

"I'm so happy for you," she simply said, looking at them both with a genuine smile on her face. "I…this…it's so great to see you guys like that again. I…just…Thank God."

"Well, we still need to break the news to you guys though. How can you be so sure that we a…," Roman started, chuckling when Shannon interrupted him mid-sentence, now standing up as well.

"Really Ro? Are you kidding me? It's fucking obvious," the brown-haired woman huffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest, a playful glimmer in her eyes.

Roman just shrugged his shoulders, an innocent smile on his face. He turned his head to look at his wife, sensing that she was focusing on something else, his stare following hers. She stared at Seth who was now getting up as well.

"Roman, we need to talk," the two-tone-haired man said unemotionally, with his head motioning into another direction, silently yet pointedly letting his friend know that he was serious.

"So, uhm, in other words…yes, we're back together," Karo announced happily, an awkward and uneasy smile on her face since the tension was thick ever since Seth didn't seem to take the news too well.

She was glad that the kids were busy playing on the other side of the back porch where Dean had built a playground-like court with a sand-box and swings a few years ago. They would find out sooner or later that Uncle Roman and Auntie Karolina were in love again – or however they would want to call it.

"What's wrong, dude?" Roman asked after following Seth into a far corner, not understanding his best friend's reaction. "Aren't you happy for us?"

Seth sighed heavily, running a shaky hand over his face before looking at his dark-haired friend intently.

"Don't you ever break her heart again, Roman. Next time you fuck up like that, this 'we are brothers' thing is done and over with. Karo's my best friend and I love her. I won't let you get away with it again, I swear to God," Seth said in a serious manner, looking over to where all of their friends were watching them, uncertain and worried expressions on their faces. "Other than that…FUCK YES. YOU GUYS ARE BACK TOGETHER."

The last few words were screamed, and Roman chuckled when Seth hugged him hastily, patting his back proudly before whispering to him that he was incredibly happy for them.

"Go to my wife and let her know as well. I think she needs your consent more than I do. Although I honestly have to admit that I wouldn't have given a damn if you guys didn't approve. I wanted my woman back and nobody could have stopped me," Roman said with a chuckle, nudging his friend's shoulder while they were making their way back to their friends and loved ones.

"God, Seth, you scared the shit outta me," Karo admonished, pulling at his ponytail slightly.

"I had to deliver a message to him, babe. I think he understood though," he chuckled, wrapping his arms around her firmly, kissing her temple before loosening his grip on her so that he could look deep into her eyes. "I'm so happy for you. I know you love him. We all know you've never stopped loving him. And I hope…no…I'm sure that this will be your happily ever after."

Karo hugged him once again, a huge smile on her face.

"You guys had sex last night, didn't you?" he asked quietly, his lips close to her ear. "You look thoroughly fucked and satisfied."

She giggled when she took a step back, nodding her head sheepishly. "We had sex all night long and continued this morning and afternoon. It was about time."

"I'm glad. I was about to make a proposal to Maxi. I felt so horrible when looking at your pitiful 'I desperately need sex' face that I was wondering if she would agree to let me give it to you real good…at least for once," he stated, a serious expression on his face.

"Shut up. You didn't," she scoffed, slapping his chest in shock.

"No, I didn't. Would have been funny though," he replied, laughing heartily when she flipped him the bird.

"Since we all hate champagne, I think I'll sacrifice my best bottle of vodka tonight. In honour of the occasion, of course," Dean said when they were all reunited at the big table again, huge smiles on their faces.

It was needless to say that he had hidden the bottle underneath his chair already, having known that they would have to celebrate something. So it didn't take long for them all to hold a glass filled with the burning liquid in their hands, holding it high.

"Here's to Karolina and Roman. Here's to our friendship and family, our beautiful women and wonderful kids. Here's to us," Dean said loudly, moving his arm into the middle of the table, waiting for his friends to clink their glasses with his.

"HERE'S TO US," they all said simultaneously.

THE END (for now)

Wow! This is it!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Without all of you this story, this series, wouldn't be what it is today. Your constant support, the reviews, messages, favorites and follows...it meant and still means the world to me.

I especially would like to thank my good friend PezzieCoyote for being the most amazing beta reader ever.

Huge thanks to my beautiful friends Dina and Gabi as well for brainstorming with me and always being there for me.

500+ reviews for 25 chapters. I'm blown away. You guys are real stars.

Maybe I could have continued with this. The end must have been a surprise for you. You guys had so many amazing ideas. You really did. But I wanted and needed to stop right there.

Roman and Karolina...they are in love. So yes, this might have been quick but in the end, we have always known that they would always belong together.

I'm not sure if I'll continue writing. I'm thinking about further one or two-shots regarding this series. Maybe even a totally new story. But time is not my friend at the moment. So have patience.

I love you all. Each and every single one of you. You all have made this a huge success and I'm forever grateful for this.

Please don't forget about me, you beautiful people.

I'll be back...