Final chapter! Sorry I kept you waiting longer than I said, hopefully the ending will make up for it. And fingers crossed this prompt remains AU.

And remember our Jess is finally coming back! Everyone, let's watch our old gang together again!

"I don't want you to stop carrying it with you", she simply says, her eyes fixed on their coin and her voice barely above a whisper. And when the meaning behind her words hits him he's at a loss for air.

It takes all of his willpower to not burst into tears right there and then. And at the risk of getting slapped again, he leans forward and rests his forehead against her knee, closes his eyes and thanks every god he's ever heard of for this. He's still hanging onto her words when her hands pull at his hair and he lifts his head, and then he realizes he's crying and he also realizes he doesn't care.

"God, Jessica", he says then, "I know I fucked up, but if you just gave another chance to prove myself to you, I swear, Jess…", he says, and he can't believe she's still listening to him and reaching for his hands. She slides down to the floor next to him, and he feels her palms on his wet cheeks.

"I haven't forgiven you", she states, a certain edge to her voice. But when he tries to cast his eyes down she forces his face up again. "But I know I'm willing to try", she finishes, and the look of pure relief and happiness on his face makes it impossible for her not to smile. He grabs her hand and pulls it up to press his lips to her knuckles, and she feels every emotion he's no longer holding back on her trembling skin.

"Because I'm ready for us to try again", she suddenly adds, and he fucking stops breathing because there's no way he just heard those words coming out of her mouth. He drops her hand and gawks at her because he just couldn't have heard her right. She tells him again then, and she's smiling shyly at him and he did hear her right. And he knows he's stepping on thin ice here, but he just can't help it but to lean forward and press his lips against hers and he wants to scream when her mouth opens up to his. He kisses her then, kisses her with all he has and pours every emotion he's feeling into their kiss. She lets out a moan and her tongue tangles with his, and he tries to stop the whimpering sounds coming from his throat.

"I don't deserve you, Jess", he says, and he's so out of breath he almost chokes on his words. And it doesn't matter that they were broken up, because nothing could ever justify his actions and the fact that she's willing to give him, them, another chance feels surreal.

"Fuck, I don't deserve this", is all he can say, because what in the world did he do to deserve her, and her finger presses against his lips to keep him quiet.

"I do have one condition", she says, and she could ask him whatever she wanted and he would still do it. "I want you to promise me that we won't mess this up again", she says, and the fact that there even is a this makes his heart jump in his chest.

He reaches for her again then, presses his forehead against hers and his darkened eyes burn into hers. "I swear to you, Jess", he says then, and he's never been so serious in his life. "I won't let anything come in between us anymore, never again", he tells her, and she closes her eyes briefly and breathes him in. And he means it, he promises her and himself then that he will never stop trying to make her happy and that he will never, ever, fuck this up again. She cries against his neck, really cries, and he just hold onto her and lets his tears fall as well, and,

"Thank you, Jess. God, thank you."

He tells her again then, he tells her he loves her because he needs it to sink in, and also just because he can. And he doesn't tell her just once, nor twice, he repeats it into her hair over and over again while she holds onto him.

And when she timidly whispers it back to him, he holds back a sob and lets her lips find their way back to his.

She doesn't move back to the loft, because she wants them to try and have a fresh start and their old apartment brings too many unwanted memories. Nick stops by her place every day, and even though they have done nothing but talk and occasionally make out, everything is slowly starting to feel normal again.

And a month later, when they sleep together for the first time in years, she lets him hold her afterwards the way he used to and everything starts to make sense again.