2025—Mathias and Cady welcome their daughter, Hope Nya Stillwater on August 14th. Mathias works with the National Congress for American Indians and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, forming policy related to justice and policing on tribal lands. Cady works with the legal clinic on the Cheyenne reservation and travels to other tribal lands, working with local, state and federal governments to open more clinics and encourage recent legal graduates to come staff them. Mandy finishes college and applies for law school, following in her mentor's footsteps.

2027—The adoption of their son Tyler James Stillwater is formalized on December 12th, welcoming the 5-year-old into their family. Leo Stillwater and Jonas Stillwater are Sophomores in college; Leo is a law undergrad, taking after his mother with plans for a future in law, serving the tribal nations. Jonas is an engineering undergrad with ambitions to become a master electrician who hires mainly native employees and trainees from native technical schools. Raven is in first grade and Tyler is in preschool, Hope remains at home with her father, keeping him active, for an old man.

2030—Cady runs for Governor of Wyoming and wins in a landslide. Leo and Jonas are in graduate school. Leo is dating a young Indian woman, born in Pakistan and raised in America, pursuing her teaching degree. Jonas remains single as he completes his graduate work, already building a workforce with young native American workers on his trips home. Tyler, Raven and Hope keep their parents on their toes, banding together to surprise Mathias and Cady with anniversary and birthday breakfasts in bed and pancakes that only have a few eggshells baked in.

2034—Cady retires from office, citing her wish to spend more time with her family. Mandy is a lawyer who took after Cady and runs the legal clinic on the Cheyenne res. Leo marries his girlfriend and moves to a reservation in Oklahoma where he runs a legal clinic and his wife is a teacher on the reservation. Jonas is running a successful company of electricians, hiring native Americans, women, persons of color and the disabled, providing jobs and opportunity to his community in Portland, Oregon. Hope, Tyler and Raven are still in school and driving their parents up the wall with boyfriends, girlfriends and horse-craziness. Mathias retires and enjoys his time taking his kids to various school activities, watching as they grow into brilliant, kind and wonderful people.

May 2055

At the end of the day, a wise man says, let love be the lesson I've learned. Cady smiled sadly and ran her fingers over the words on the tombstone, her heart aching. It had been five years since her father had died and her heart still hurt from the loss.

"Mom?"

She glanced up and found Leo and Jonas standing nearby, Raven's slim arms around their waists as they gazed sorrowfully at the grave. "Yea baby?" she replied softly, smiling faintly.

"You ready to go?" Leo asked with a jerk of his head towards the waiting cars.

She nodded and he held out his hand, helping her to her feet. Her sons held onto her elbows as they walked to the car where Mathias was waiting with Hope and Tyler and the brood of grandchildren.

Cady pressed an arthritic hand to Hope's belly, smiling as she felt her newest grandchild move within her womb. After a few hectic minutes everyone was shuffled into cars and they drove slowly to the house that Mathias and Cady had lived in for 32 years.

There was a stampede as the kids and grandkids were ushered inside, Cady and Mathias hanging back to sit on their porch swing. They rocked slowly, enjoying the warm early summer breeze, smiling at the sound of the kids shrieking and laughing in the distance.

Cady laid her head on her husband's shoulder and sighed softly. "I love you old man," she murmured.

Mathias smirked, his heart thumping unevenly as he pressed a kiss to her grey hair, "I love you too, Sky Eyes."

As the sun set, their hands twined together, love binding them together, forever.

AN: Well folks, that was it. I didn't plan on the epilogue being super long, and I know it was short, but I hope sweet? I want to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to read this story, comment, follow, message me, share ideas and hopes because it has all meant so very VERY much to me. It has been a blast writing Tennessee Whiskey, and its very bittersweet that it's over. I can't wait to hear what you think of this epilogue, and what you've thought of the story as a whole. Please comment, review, message me, find me on tumblr and lets shout about our feelings lol.

Now.

Some of you have asked if there will be more Catty (as I've named the Cady X Mathias ship) and the answer is a resounding YES. I actually have another work with roughly 21 chapters already written, but I'm going to be doing some editing on the early chapters, so they won't be published quite yet. I don't know how long the story is going to end up being, at the moment I'm just going with the flow, though I do have a definite ending for the story in my head. If you would like to get updates about that story, follow me on ffnet, AO3, wattpad, or on tumblr (adoctoraday and thebuckybrigade). If you follow me on tumblr it's much more likely I'll be able to chat with you during the day at work, and I'm always thrilled to chat about writing and nerd shit.

As for what the new story will be...I'll share the title because I don't have a summary yet and I don't want to half ass it. Be on the lookout for "The Names of Shadows", and in the not too distant future, there may also be an 1860's Catty AU coming as well if I get my shit together and actually write it.

So, if you have questions, thoughts, wanna just pound incoherent letters into my inbox because you just CAN'T with your feels, lol, I've got you. All my love, always...

DOC