A/N: Here's the final chapter - enjoy and thanks for your kind reviews. :)

We're alone on this Ferris wheel, stranded at its highest point.

Darkness has settled, but the fairgrounds are still bright; shimmering with tiny lights in every color of the rainbow. The ride operator has gone off in search of something to drink - tucked in his back pocket was the twenty dollar bill that Danny had snuck him when we boarded. Twenty bucks in exchange for fifteen minutes alone with me.

Despite the sounds and movement below, I feel so very isolated. A light breeze, coupled with the nervous energy of the moment, leaves me feeling chilled. I shiver, unsure if it's from excitement or fear. It occurs to me that it's probably a combination of the two. Danny is drumming his fingers on the handrail, as if waiting for an opportune time to explain himself. Rather than wait, I gather my courage and go in search of the answers I am seeking.

"Danny," I begin quietly. "Why did you bring me here?"

He stares at me, to the point where I feel uncomfortable. "Haven't you figured it out yet?" he asks, shaking his head.

I consider everything, trying to put the puzzle pieces together: the conversation in the car yesterday, the subsequent invitation, the text message, the wine. Now this. Everything is falling into place the way I want, yet I remain apprehensive. So many things could go wrong, and fear still clings to me.

Danny takes a deep breath, then begins to talk. I've never seen him this unsure of himself. "I've been wanting to get you alone, get you away from the lab, for awhile now. So, yesterday I got an idea after listening to you talk about those fairs you went to as a kid. You just glowed when you talked about it, and I wanted to see more of that side of you. So I did some detective work and found out about this little shindig." He smirks as he gestures to the carnival below us. I don't mention that I know his Google history.

Danny continues, "This morning I went to the farmer's market, found the wine, and drove it up. I paid off ol' Ricardo down there after filling him in, and then headed back to the city to pick you up. I already had plans with friends for tonight, but I cancelled them."

"Just for me?" I ask tentatively.

"Just for you." He reaches over and, light as a feather, tenderly touches my cheek. "Now here we are."

My mind is reeling, so I simply focus on the stars just overhead. I feel as if I could reach out and pluck them down, like ripe peaches off of a tree. It strikes me as funny that the things in life we wish for the most, if they happen, never quite turn out precisely as we had fantasized. Because in my dreams of this moment with Danny, I was never this tongue-tied, nor this paralyzed.

"Say something, Montana," Danny prompts. I shift my attention back to him.

"I'm a little confused," I admit. "A little shocked." Danny smiles.

"You're confused? What about me? My life was going along nicely," he says. "Then nine months ago you blew in here like a tornado and turned my world upside down. City Boy meets Country Girl -- and BOOM."

This validation that he feels the same way for me that I do for him - although thrilling - leaves me wary. I still can't let it sink in. I want to trust what's staring me right in the face, but I just can't comprehend it. What could he possibly find interesting in me: Lindsay Monroe, the dull, ordinary girl-next-door from the west? He could have any woman he wants. I shake my head in pure disbelief.

"But Danny," I argue. "You could have the most beautiful girl in all of New York." I wave my hand, gesturing towards the black beyond that encases us. Danny's arm tightens behind my back. He studies me intently for a few seconds before speaking.

"If she'll have me."

In this single instant, I realize that even if Danny had a third eyeball in the middle of his forehead and no teeth, I would still find him immensely attractive. These emotions coursing through my bloodstream leave me overwhelmed. It's exciting and terrifying; I am petrified with joy. My feelings change, moving in a cycle as my heart does back flips. I may think I want it to stop, but I truly don't.

It's exactly like this ride we are sitting on.

So I decide to once again relent. I swallow my fear, and let go. Take a risk. I'll take the ups and downs and the tremors, all in stride. I'm going to keep my eyes open, and not miss a single spot of beauty.

"Nothing would make her happier," I tell Danny truthfully, a tiny smile creeping across my face.

He licks his lips, and I swear he is blushing. "So, you want to give this a try?" he asks, his fingers brushing against my shoulder. "I mean, you and me. Us?"

Us. Was there ever a more perfect word in the English language? I nod. "Yeah, I really do."

As if on cue, like the world below is celebrating our transformation from "he and I" to "we", the fireworks begin. The first one, green and blue and sizzling hot, is shaped like a heart. Ironic.
It's followed by the loud whistle and pop of a bottle rocket, which explodes into a thousand pink sparkles. Danny removes his arm from the back of our seat, and takes my hand in his as we watch. It seems like we've been up here forever, and I recall him mentioning that we had fifteen minutes before the operator brings us back down.

"How much longer do we have?" I shout, trying to reach him over the noise of the fireworks. His response is inaudible. "What!" I yell, even louder this time. Danny holds up seven fingers, and I nod. Just get me off this thing, I think. I just want to get down there and kiss the hell out of this man.

But seven minutes is too long, and I'm going to do something about it. I reach over and hook my hand behind Danny's neck, gently guiding his face toward mine. Nothing can interrupt us this time.

"Since we can't talk," I say loudly as the night sky dances with red and purple confetti, "maybe we should do this instead."

Just as our lips touch, I finally allow myself to look down. The view? Simply amazing.