AN: And this is it, the epilogue. Many thanks to all those that read and reviewed, I appreciate it very much. I hope you enjoy the conclusion.

Chapter 9

October 1988

Elizabeth sat in her swing in the backyard. She stared at the new deck that she and Henry had built together in May, over those few short weeks before she'd sent him off to boot camp. She tried to recapture that warm feeling of home that connected her to this house. In her youth, she never realized that it was a special feeling. It was just how it was.

Then, her parents died and she was forced to move away, go to a new school, forge new relationships. She did so with grace, but she never could quite capture the feeling that she had growing up. It was a feeling she attributed to her home, the place she felt safest.

When Aunt Joan tried to persuade Elizabeth to sell the house, the older woman had no idea how badly Elizabeth would react. Joan thought the stalemate would never end, but couldn't believe her ears when Elizabeth approached her with the idea of buying Will out. Joan thought Elizabeth was crazy to think that she could remodel a house on her own. Of course, Elizabeth Adams was the most stubborn person Joan had ever encountered, so if anyone would do it, even if just for spite, it would be Elizabeth.

She felt better once she was back in the house, but it wasn't the same. Elizabeth found though, that as she and Henry remodeled room after room, things fell into place. At the time, she'd decided that it was because finishing a room gave her a sense of satisfaction and it was something that would have made her parents proud.

Over the past year, she'd never been happier. The house was, for all intents and purposes, finished, and she and Henry just spent time together. That was especially important to her, knowing that he'd promised to give his life to the Marines for the next four to six years. Elizabeth would miss him terribly, but at least she'd have the house.

The October wind kicked up, and pulled her from her memories. Wrapping her flannel covered arms around herself tightly, she sighed. It had been so hard when Henry first left. Nothing at home felt the same. She cleaned,rearranged the furniture, and even repainted a bedroom and redecorated it. Studying the deck, she remembered the two of them working side by side-arguing about how to set the footers. Of course, Henry was right. He was almost always right about such things. Once she'd learned to listen instead of immediately argue, he could explain his point of view and she would understand and agree, most of the time.

Henry became very adept at the art of persuading Elizabeth Adams. She laughed, thinking of the Virginia Beach trip, which she was convinced had the sole purpose of getting her talked into adding a bench in the shower. She smiled wryly. It was a good addition. He was right yet again.

It was only now, feeling the warmth surrounding her when she thought of Henry, she realized that her feelings of contentment had nothing to do with the house. It was about the man sharing the house with her.

It was blatantly obvious, having had him back with her this past month and then sending him away again. Since her parents died, she thought their house was the place where she would always feel safe. Now, she knew. Henry was her home, her safe place.

Elizabeth stood and made her way back into the house, admiring the deck as she walked across it. If they could build a house together, they could most certainly build a life.

MSMSMSMSMSMSMS

June 1990

Elizabeth couldn't help feeling like she'd just done this, but it was nearly four years ago that she'd walked through the door of this empty house. As she had entered each room, she saw herself as a child, and she desperately wanted to recreate that feeling. Now, standing in the doorway of the empty living room, Elizabeth remembered that first day Henry worked, how he'd stood up and looked at her. He was so hot, but the way he studied her, his eyes made her stomach flutter. He could still do that.

Moving room to room, she could still retrieve the memories of her parents and Will, but it was the memories she had made with Henry that made her smile.

Elizabeth felt Henry's presence before she saw him. He wrapped arms around her, pressing her back into his chest. "The moving truck is loaded." Henry said, "You, alright?"

"Yeah, just thinking about all this house has been through." She quickly wiped a tear, not wanting Henry to see.

"Babe, I know this is hard, but you said it was time. Are you having second thoughts?" She could hear the worry in his voice. She let out a shaky breath.

"No," she shook her head and straightened her shoulders. "No second thoughts. It is time for me to move on. Besides, I'm taking the most important part of this house with me." Henry looked at her curiously. "You, silly." Elizabeth poked him in the ribs, before turning serious. "I will follow you to the ends of the earth, Henry McCord."

He kissed her softly and led her outside. The moving truck sat on the street in front of the house, with Henry's car on a tow rack behind it. Elizabeth's car sat in the driveway, packed full of miscellaneous items. Elizabeth took in the neatly manicured lawn and trimmed hedges and perfectly painted house and she thought back to the day of her return. That day had been bittersweet, as was this one, but both held the promise of hope.

Elizabeth let her eyes fall on the sold sign near the street and smiled. She thought about the newly married young couple that hoped to start a family here, just like her parents had so many years ago.

Suddenly, he head whipped around. "Wait! I forgot-" she stopped and headed toward the backyard. Henry followed. She immediately turned and grinned at Henry when she reached the back gate. "You remembered." Henry shrugged.

"The swing and rope ladder are in the passenger floorboard of your car. I just figured you'd want them."

"For our next house," she murmured. "Can I have a minute?" Henry nodded, squeezing her hand before retreating back around to the front.

Elizabeth wandered through the backyard and stood before the trees. Reaching out, she ran her hand over the bark, and looked back at the house. "Thank you," she whispered. "For everything." She stayed like that for a long moment and then turned and walked away. She waved for Henry to get in the truck and she got in her car. Taking a deep breath, she pulled out of the driveway and didn't look back. Her house was now in Washington DC, but her home would always be with Henry.