Readers/Reviewers – Thanks for the reviews, I appreciate it. This is going to be the final chapter.

tormented soul – As usual, thanks for all the help.

A/N – "Thoughts"

Chapter 6 – Twenty-Five Years In The Making

Sometime after midnight, Gordo had finally fallen asleep. As dawn broke, Gordo was sound asleep in Lizzie's arms and with a smile, Lizzie watched him sleep. "He looks so peaceful."

Sighing softly, "Why do I have to finally figure out what the hell I'm doing the night before he leaves?" she thought bitterly. "I'm not even sure what we are. Was it just a fling or something more? What the hell is gonna happen between us? Is he going to move out here or stay in California? Ugh, I'm just giving myself a headache."

As she continued to watch him sleep, of all the questions she had, she had the answer to the one question that had been plaguing her since Rome, "I love David Gordon." Leaning in, she gently kissed the tip of his nose. She watched in amusement as Gordo's eyes slowly fluttered open. "Hey blue eyes." she said softly.

"Hey Beth," Gordo whispered back with a grin.

Lizzie scrunched up her nose, "Beth is my professional name, you're not allowed to use it."

Snickering, "Why not?"

"Doesn't sound right. You want me to start calling you David all the time?"

"Ok, fine you win," Gordo said.

"Of course, I always win," she said laughing. "To everyone else, we'll be Beth and David but to us, it'll always be Lizzie and Gordo." Smiling at each other for a moment, Lizzie grew serious, "What are we exactly?"

Propping his head up with his hand, "I'd ask you to marry me if I was sure you'd say yes," he said. It was meant as a joke but deep down, if he knew she would say yes, he'd ask her in heartbeat.

Lizzie smiled widened a little, but tried to remain focused, "I'm serious."

"So am I."

"How about boyfriend, girlfriend?" she asked as she reached up toy with one of his curls.

"I like the sound of that. Boyfriend, girlfriend it is," Gordo said with a smile and then his smile grew wider, "You know we're going to have to find a bigger place, I don't think two people can live here."

Lizzie's brow furrowed, as she didn't understand at first what Gordo meant, then it clicked. "You're moving to New York?" she asked excitedly.

Gordo started laughing softly as she start to get excite. "Now that I have a reason to," he told her. Looking into her hazel eyes, he smiled softly at her, "I love you Lizzie."

"I love you too." Then grinning wickedly at him, she rolled him over onto his back. "What time does your plane leave?" she asked as she started to kiss across his shoulder towards his neck.

"Four," Gordo mumbled as his eyes fell slightly closed as he felt Lizzie's lips on his skin.

"Good. That gives all morning," Lizzie said as she slid ontop of him.

"And what exactly is going through that beautifully devious mind of yours?" Gordo asked as he looked into her eyes as her face hovered a few inches above his.

Lizzie slipped one hand underneath him and the other up into his hair. She then whispered into his ear, "You'll see," and then giggled softly as she felt goose bumps rise on Gordo's chest.

That afternoon, Lizzie and Gordo were standing outside Lizzie's apartment building waiting for the taxi to come pick him up to take him to the airport.

"I wish you didn't have to leave," Lizzie whined softly as she hugged Gordo.

Gently brushing some hair out of her face, "We'll see each other in a little more then a week."

"I know but still," she then grinned up at him, "I just wanna have another night like we just had." Lizzie felt a small rush as Gordo gave her a lopsided grin. Ever since she broke his heart after Rome, the lopsided grin had vanished. But today, it seemed to be permanently plastered to his face and she loved seeing it again.

"Trust me, I'm counting the days until we can do that again."

"I was thinking, if I can swing it, instead of flying in on the twenty-third, I'd fly in a little early," Lizzie said with a grin.

Gordo's grin widened, "I know a bed where you can crash."

"Preferably with you in it." When Gordo started chuckling at her statement, she looked at him oddly, "What?"

"I'm sorry. Its just, I'm not use to you being this…umm…aggressive or forward," Gordo told her. "You like this with all your boyfriends?" Gordo teased.

Lizzie smirked and wrapped her arms around Gordo's neck, "Only you. Plus its because I've been waiting god knows how long to jump your cute ass." she said before kissing him.

The taxi pulling up to the curb interrupted their kiss. Reluctantly pulling back and letting go of him, "Call me when you get home." she told him.

"Of course. And if you don't want to stay with your parents when your home, my door is always open," he said before quickly drawing her in for a goodbye kiss. As the driver put his bags in the trunk of the taxi, Gordo grinned at Lizzie, "I'll see you in about a week. Bye."

"Bye," Lizzie said softly and stayed on the sidewalk watching Gordo's taxi until it was completely out of sight. Pulling her jacket tighter as she turned to go back inside, Lizzie's mind was already planning her trip to Hill Ridge.

The morning of the twenty second, Gordo was standing with the McGuires in the baggage claim of LAX airport. They were awaiting the arrival of Lizzie's flight from New York City. He had been counting down the days till she would be back with him. The first few days, he really hadn't noticed it but then, he quickly started to feel like a part of him was missing.

When he asked to come with the McGuires to pick her up, they hadn't thought anything of it and agreed. Gordo was pretty sure Lizzie hadn't told anyone, including her parents, and because they never really talked about when and how they would tell everyone, he was just going to follow Lizzie's lead.

As he stood along the wall, he looked over at Mr. and Mrs. McGuire standing a few feet away talking. As he watched them, a small smile tugged at his lips, "I wonder if we'll act like them when we've been married for as long as they have."

Gordo snickered to himself, "You've barely started dating and you're already thinking of thirty years of marriage."

"Here she is," Mr. McGuire said.

Mr. McGuire's voice cut through Gordo's thoughts and looking up, he saw the familiar blonde rolling two large suitcases behind her. Pushing off the wall, he walked up to the McGuires and stood next to them. When they're eyes locked, she immediately sped up towards them.

"Hi Honey. How was," Mrs. McGuire started to say as Lizzie reached them but she didn't get a chance to finish.

It wouldn't have mattered, Lizzie wasn't listening or even noticed her parents yet. Instead, Lizzie dropped her bags at their feet and jumped into Gordo's arms. Wrapping one arm around his neck and placing her other hand on the back of his head, she brought his lips to her's in a long fiery kiss.

Mr. McGuire looked at them dumbfounded while Mrs. McGuire's look of confusion slowly changed to one of delight.

Finally breaking the kiss, Lizzie grinned widely at Gordo. "Damn I needed that."

"I missed you too," Gordo said while laughing as he hugged her tightly.

Mr. McGuire cleared his throat and attracted Lizzie and Gordo's attention. "Would someone please tell me what is going on?" Mr. McGuire asked trying to keep his temper down.

"Isn't it obvious Sam?" Mrs. McGuire said. "They're together," she practically squealed and crushed Lizzie in a hug. "This is fantastic. I've always wished you two would get together."

"What? How? When?" Sam muttered.

"Come on," Lizzie said as Gordo picked up her suitcases. "I'll explain everything on the way home," she said as she looped an arm through Gordo's.

After dropping Lizzie's stuff off and dinner with her parents, Lizzie was going to spend the night with Gordo at his apartment. Her parents weren't exactly thrilled but knew they really had no voice in the decision now that they're daughter was an adult, but she'd always be their little girl in their eyes.

Gordo was lounging on the bed, flipping through a magazine. Growing bored with it, he put it on his nightstand and folded his arms behind his head. "I've been thinking."

"Oh," came a muffled reply from the bathroom.

"I get a big apartment in New York but you keep your apartment, at least for a little while. It'll give us a chance to get used to being a couple before we move in together. And also, if Miranda graduates by the time we move into together, maybe we can convince her to move out East too. Give her your old apartment."

"I've been thinking too," Lizzie said as she walked out of the bathroom. As Gordo saw her his breath caught for a moment and a smile spread across his face. She was only wearing an oversized t-shirt to bed. Grinning back at him, she got onto the bed and straddled his waist. "Were you serious about asking to me to marry you?" she asked as she placed her palms on his chest.

"Well yea," he said as he gazed up at her. "I mean I'm serious about us and I seriously see us getting married someday."

"I do too. But what I'm asking is, what do you think if we get engaged now."

Gordo's eyes widened in surprise, "You want to skip being boyfriend and girlfriend and go straight to fiancés?"

"Maybe," she said softly. "I mean when have we ever done anything the normal way. I'm not talking about us getting married in like three months or something. Actually, I was thinking a long engagement, like a year, maybe more. But we both want to get married and not be with anyone else, right?"

"Yes. Ok, after Christmas, we'll go shopping for an engagement ring," he said with a small smile as he saw Lizzie's face light up. "But you're telling your parents. I think your dad wanted to use his knife for something more than cutting his chicken," Gordo said with a small laugh. As he gazed at her, he saw an expectant look on her face. "What?"

"Well, you gonna ask me or not?" she teased with a wide grin.

Rolling his eyes, he tried not to laugh. "Will you marry me?" he asked her seriously.

"Hmm. I'm not sure," Lizzie pretended to think about it. Gordo looked up at her with a smirk and grabbing her hips, he rolled them over, so he was pinning her down on the bed. Lizzie started giggling as she looked up at him. "Yes. I'll marry you."

"That's what I thought," he said as he released her arms and leaned down and kissed her. Moving off her, he laid down next to her.

Lizzie rolled onto her side and faced him, "How long do you think until we move into together?"

Reaching back, he shut the light off, and turning back, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. "I don't know. When the time is right, we'll know. It could be a month, could be a year. But we'll know."

Lizzie nodded and then a small smile spread across her lips as she settled against him for the night. "I could stay like this for forever," she said as rolled over and snuggled her back up against his chest.

"Got no problem with that," Gordo said softly as he wrapped his arms back around her waist. "I love you."

"Love you too," she said softly as she could feel herself drifting off to sleep. "Night," came out as almost a whisper.

"Night," Gordo laid there for a few minutes watching and feeling his blonde haired angel sleep. With a smile, he rested his forehead against the back of her head and drifted off to sleep, dreaming about their future together.