A/N This is the final chapter, I thank you all for reading. Enjoy!

"What- Ollie? Shane? I thought we were meeting at the motel?" He looked at his watch.

"Well, Shan- We thought it would be nice to meet here."

Shane still stood by Oliver's car. Both women looked at each other. Shane slowly walked closer to her sister. Joe slightly nudged Alex with his elbow.

"Hi Shane." Alex said moving towards her. She looked back at Joe. He nodded slightly to her and smiled. "Do you feel like taking a walk?" She asked her big sister.

"Alright. Good thing I brought some sneakers." Shane wiggled her one foot showing her sneaker off. The two women chuckled and walked into the woods.

"Dad, should we- will they-"

"They'll be fine Oliver, there's a short hike to a little creek up that way. A mile and a half at most."

"You don't think that they'll..." He paused as he didn't want to finish what he was going to say.

"I've never seen you like this." Joe laughed. "No, they'll be fine. Alex is a good hiker and is great at directions. The trail is well marked." He looked at his son. "They both are in a better place now then when Alex first got into town." Oliver looked over his shoulder, up the trail and back at his father. "Look, son, if they weren't, you wouldn't have driven your fiancée up here and they wouldn't have walked up that trail together."

"You are right, I know that. I just don't like seeing Shane upset the way she was."

"That's love kid!" Joe chuckled. "Here." He handed Oliver a fold out chair and took one for himself, opened it and sat down. "I think we may be here awhile."

"So you enjoyed camping with Joe?"

"Yeah, it was a good time. I got to know him and that he sees you and Oliver for dinner a lot. So I got to know Oliver and you a little more through him." Both women went quiet while they continued to walk. "Look, I'm sorry about coming here and disrupting your life. I just thought we were at a good place, you know, with all the phone conversations and video chats." Alex said as she slowly stopped walking and turned to her sister. "Had I known you weren't ready- That I hadn't dealt with-" She shrugged. "I'm sorry."

Shane caught up. "I don't think you can be ready for all that we need to say. I'm sorry I didn't handle it well, that night." She smiled.

"I didn't either, I'm sorry." Alex slightly smiled back and turned to start walking again. "The clearing should be right up here." A few more yards and they reached a small clearing with a creek running through it.

"Wow, this is beautiful." Shane said, taking in the scenery.

"Not as beautiful as the place I went to yesterday…" She stopped and rolled her lips.

Shane came over and touched her on the arm. "Oliver told me about the divorce papers."

Alex shook her head, "Yeah, I meant to tell you. Things just didn't seem right to say in certain moments."

"I'm sorry about that."

Alex sighed and took a deep breath. "Well, before we go any further with the little 'I'm sorry's', I need to make my amends. I can't keep dancing around this." She sat down on a log and put her head in her hands. Shane sat down beside her. Alex looked at her. "I am truly sorry for everything I have done to you. The stealing, the lying…" She shook her head and sighed again as she looked off into the distance. "Being drunk, breaking your trust, just being a bad sister, everything."

"No you weren't-"

"Shane, please." Alex took a few seconds. "I mean when you went to college, I acted immaturely. My friends, when their siblings went away to college, felt free. I felt alone."

Shane sighed and looked back towards the trail and furrowed her brow. She looked back at her sister. "I protected you too much. I didn't let you feel or learn to do that on your own."

"That wasn't your job!" Alex yelled. She looked away. "I'm sorry." She exhaled loudly and shook her head. "What I mean is that mom was doing that, that was her job. I didn't mind that you would be there for me, but looking back it was-" She paused and tried to think of the right word.

"Suffocating?"

Alex chuckled. "Overwhelming, but there wasn't a time that I can remember, that you weren't that way. I guess I was too little to remember otherwise. So when you went to college and pulled away it was lonely. Not only could I not talk to my sister everyday the way I used to, I felt I lost my best friend. My security blanket was ripped from me. I knew you were starting a new chapter in your life, I just never thought I wouldn't be a part of it. When I started going out with Chris a little more, that all changed. I didn't care anymore, the way I thought you didn't care about me."

Shane started to tear up. "I'm sorry, I had no idea you felt that way."

Alex grabbed her hand. "Don't." She wiped a tear that escaped down her sister's face. "Don't do that. Don't blame yourself. I know you were protecting Mommy and I in your own way from us getting hurt again. The fact is, at that time, I was old enough to protect and think for myself. I knew you wouldn't leave us like Dad did, but I guess I do remember that Sunday before Christmas more than I knew. You pulling away from talking to me everyday, and not spending so much time together reminded me of that day. I should've made better decisions. I'm doing that now. I know it's going to take a while to regain your trust, and I hope you'll give me a chance this time."

Shane let go of Alex's hand to wipe the tears that fell onto her cheeks. "You've never told me any of that before." She wiped a tear that had just started falling. "I'd like to think we made some progress. You see, I received this note that said 'Always with me', and it came with a raggedy old box." Shane took the necklace out of her pocket and showed it to Alex.

Alex touched the gold disk. "This was the only thing I couldn't part with. It was the only thing that was really mine, which is crazy to think of what I did to mom and great grandma's jewelry." She looked at Shane. "I was afraid, the way Chris was going through our stuff, and the way I was looking to sell anything that wasn't nailed down. I was afraid I'd lose it. I put it back in the box and hid it from him. Anytime I came across it, I'd look over my shoulder to make sure he didn't see it. I guess he thought I sold it, because he never asked about it. Then when I was at the homeless shelter and rehab, it was always at the bottom of my bag."

Shane undid the clasp of the necklace. Alex lifted up her hair and turned so Shane could put the necklace on her. Alex put her hair down when she knew it was on, turned back around and reached for the medallion.

Shane touched her own. "Back where it belongs." She smiled and pulled Alex in for a hug. "We'll be alright now. We'll build trust and weather this all, together." She felt Alex nod.

When they let go of each other, there was a moment of silence. There were still things Alex needed to tell her. "I had some time to myself yesterday and something Joe said the first night that stuck with me. He said 'the ties that bind us can come untied, but there are still two ends somewhere that can always be tied together again'." Shane smiled. "I'm glad you're marrying into a great family. Joe felt like…" She trailed off and looked into the distance not wanting to finish the sentence out loud.

"Like a dad?" Shane said, smoothing the hair on the side of her sister's head. Alex looked at her and nodded. "I know camping was yours and dad's thing." Alex looked bewildered as she wasn't aware that Shane knew. "Mom told me, plus I saw the pictures when I went to clean out Dad's place." The two laughed lightly. "Joe is a good man and I'm sure he wouldn't mind having another daughter to be there for."

"Joe told me the same thing this morning."

Shane took a few deep breaths. "I could really enjoy camping with a view like this."

Alex looked at the scenery and nodded in agreement with her. She knew she hadn't finished with her amends, but there was time now. There was still something weighing on her mind. She got up off the log and walked a few steps. "I have something else to tell you."

"Okay." Shane said, still sitting on the log. She waited a couple of minutes. "Alex?" Shane got up from the log and walked over to her sister. She noticed she had tears in her eyes. Just as one started to roll down her cheek, Shane reached for her hand, Alex pulled away.

"I- uh- I-" Alex cleared her throat. "The year dad died, I, I…" Shane moved to stand in front of her. Tears started falling from Alex's eyes more frequently.

"Take your time."

Alex cleared her throat again and looked into her sister's eyes. That sheer contact made Alex break down into a full cry. Shane wrapped her arms around her sister and hugged her, Alex didn't fight her. Shane ran her hands up and down her distraught sister's back like she had done countless times when they were younger. Alex composed herself a bit and pulled away.

"After Dad died, I got sober. Chris and I were in a good spot at the moment and I-" She looked her sister in the eyes again. "I was pregnant." Shane's eyes widened. She didn't know what to say. "We separated again before I could tell him. Mommy wasn't answering my calls and I couldn't call you. I was alone." She started to cry again. "I lost it at eleven weeks." Shane grabbed her sister and hugged her tight. "No one knew, no one knew but me." Alex said through her sobs.

Shane started to cry. She remembered what she said to Alex a week earlier and hugged her sister impossibly tighter. "Oh, I'm so sorry Alex. I'm so sorry."

The two women stood embraced and cried together. When Alex and Shane calmed down a bit, Shane wiped her sister's tears from her face and brushed hair out of Alex's eyes. She went to say something.

"No, please don't say anymore. Just finally telling someone was as much as I can handle. This weekend was the first time I really fully grieved. My emotions are not-" She shook her head and separated from Shane's embrace.

"Okay, I understand." Shane's heart sank, knowing her sister was holding that in all these years. She went to soothe her sister by rubbing her back again, but Alex stopped her.

"I think we should be getting back."

Shane felt the sudden distance and it threw her back to years ago when they weren't speaking. "We should." She said as she straightened her back, protectively. She knew she had to relax as she wasn't going to let the past get in the way of the future. "I'd like you to stay with me." Alex went to say something but Shane interjected. "I would like you to stay because we have a lot to catch up on and still a little to work through."

Alex cleared her throat. "And trust to build." Alex smiled sheepishly. "I'm going to just wash my face off in the creek."

"That sounds like a good idea." They both walked the short distance and knelt down. "Oh! That's cold!"

Alex laughed. "Straight from the source." She laughed as she saw her older sister cringe at the fresh mountain water. "And you want to go camping?!" She scoffed.

Shane laughed. "Well, it is refreshing, but over a fire for a little while, just to take the chill off isn't bad."

When the women reached the parking lot, they were laughing.

"See? What'd I tell you?" Joe said to Oliver as he chuckled. "Just fine."

Oliver stood up as the ladies approached. "All is well I presume?" He asked. Shane hugged him from the side and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

She looked up at him and smiled. Her eyes had a little twinkle he had not seen before. "We will be soon." She said.

"Feel better?" Joe nudged Alex. She looked at him, nodded and grinned. Joe could see a big weight off her shoulders for the second time this weekend. He knew there would be tough times ahead for the sisters as they work to repair their relationship. He saw a big hurdle was overcome up that trail.

"Alex is going to stay with me for a bit." Shane said happily.

"Well, I haven't completely said yes." Alex said nervously.

"My home's always open." Joe patted her on the shoulder.

"You're welcome to stay with me as well." Oliver said.

"Thank you, it's just temporary till I can get a place of my own. I have a job already, I start on Thursday." Alex smiled. "But right now I am ready for a shower!"

Everyone laughed. Joe told Oliver to ride with him and Shane and Alex would drive Oliver's car home so they could talk more. Alex took a look around and exhaled. She really was starting to feel like a part of a family again. She smiled. As she got into the car, she looked at Shane. Alex remembered her conversation with Joe, 'the ties that bind'. She understood a little better now and was optimistic everything would finally be right in her world.