A/N: Just when you thought I was never going to finish this story…

I present the long overdue conclusion…

WANDA POV

Shouts echoed through the cavern, barely muffled by the pounding sounds of my beating heart. Lantern lights flickered ahead, and on equal intervals on both sides, as I rushed past them.

A lone figure loomed ahead, crouched and ready to spring into action - the lone figure that stood between me and my goal.

I dodged left, narrowly missing the warm body that tried to knock me off my course. Another tried to slide into me from the other direction but my quicker reflexes allowed me to spin away, causing both of them to slam into each other. I barely heard their grunts as I was already a good distance away from them.

"She's getting close!"

"Get her!"

"Stop her!"

Not this time.

I am stronger, faster and more determined than I ever was in all my lives. My feet barely touched the ground and it felt like I was flying - that's how I knew I would make it this time.

The lone figure up ahead raised their arms to the side, preparing to block me from the goal.

A smirk crept up my face.

"Go, Wanda! Go for it! Gooooooo!"

Jamie's shout rang out amidst the chaos and it propelled my legs to pump even harder. And the more I ran, the clearer the lone figure's face became.

Melanie.

My smirk got wider. Her matching one practically yelled, 'Come at me, brah!' Or sistah, as was our case.

So I did.

And when I was only a good feet away from her, I started slowing down. I shuffled my feet in preparation of throwing her off. Her narrowed gaze locked on mine. I saw the same determination glowing through her ringless irises. Sweat trickled down both our faces and the rapid rise and fall of our chests indicated our adrenalin levels were soaring through the roof.

When I felt another presence quickly closing in, I lifted my right foot back as high as high as I could. Aimed carefully and kicked the ball straight towards the outer corner of our makeshift net.

Cheers, groans and unintelligible yelling immediately erupted, causing the dark cavern to shake a little and rain dust all over our sweaty bodies. A bell chimed signaling the end of the game.

I was suddenly lifted off my feet by strong arms that wrapped around my waist from behind.

"Maybe third time will be a charm, love." Ian's soft chuckle tickled the hair against my ears.

Melanie bounded towards us, the ball clutched lazily against her hip -the same ball she had managed to thwart from getting into the net. Again.

She shook her head and said, "Your eyes, Wanda. Always gives you away."

No kidding. In more ways than one, they always do.

"Never look at the direction you're aiming for," she continued. "That's how I knew to jump right the moment your foot left the ground."

"Someday, I'll remember that," I muttered.

Kyle came up behind us and clapped Ian on the back. "Damn, Ian. Your girl is fast as hell but her aim sucks," he paused then quickly added, "Good thing she's not the one doing the aiming in the bedroom." His guffaw was as boisterous and obnoxious as they come.

Laughter rang out around us. Luckily, it was dark in here or they would've witnessed my incredible ability of turning into a tomato in zero point one second.

"Fuck you," Ian snapped at him.

"Not tonight, dear," Kyle said with a smile. "I have a headache."

I couldn't help but chuckle at that too.

Ian turned towards me. "You think that's funny? You're the one doing the aiming when you're on top of me and about to ri-"

I quickly cut off his words with my dirty hand to his mouth. And for good measure, I landed a soft jab to his gut. It wasn't hard enough to knock the wind out of him but enough to catch him off guard and effectively silence him.

"And I see she also likes it rough...," Kyle's strangled words were barely audible through his laughter.

"Leave the poor girl alone," Jared chimed in. "If she made that goal, I'd have to be listening to your whiney asses bitching about it. Then I'll be hearing 'rematch', 'rigged', or some other bullshit."

Kyle shrugged. 'What better way to amuse ourselves and pass the time?"

"There are more productive ways to do that."

"Yeah, but since they've stopped running Skinemax, we're all out of porn." Kyle was completely unabashed as he mentioned the P-word.

"Aaaand I'm taking that as my cue to leave this conversation," I whispered to no one in particular as I slowly inched away from the group.

Melanie grabbed my arm and yanked me back. "Oh, don't be such a prude!"

"There's a strawberry milkshake in the kitchen that's calling my name? I was just on my way to it..." I offered meekly.

"I already drank all of it," she immediately countered, raised chin and all.

I was only joking but now... "Wait, what? You mean there really was milkshake?" And I missed it?

Ian laughed and pulled me to him. "So gullible, my little prude" he said, chortling against my hair.

I placed my hands on his chest and pushed away from him - just enough so I could look up and meet his eyes but not too much to leave his embrace. Cocking an eyebrow, I asked, "Prude, am I?"

Heat suffused his cheeks and immediately, I knew he was remembering all the "prudish" private yoga moves I showed him the past few nights. With him. Inside me.

"Oh, look!" Kyle hollered. "Tomato, meet Beet. Beet, meet tomato."

Jared smacked him in the back of the head. "Some things will never change. And some people will never grow up apparently."

Playful banter continued around me. There was a light feeling that surrounded us, like a huge weight had been lifted off our shoulders. It wasn't just a chip, a stone or even a boulder. That feeling of hopelessness and helplessness weighed us down more than being crushed under an avalanche while being trapped inside these caves. Something was definitely different in the air. Where before, the future had seemed uncertain and looked bleaker with every passing day. Now, there was a renewed sense of hope. Of purpose. Or that clichéd phrase of finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

The discovery of other rebel cells currently in existence jumpstarted their enthusiasm in living for tomorrow. When the realization hit them that these drab walls will no longer be their tombs, life returned -in their smiles, in every step they took and in every breath they expelled.

I was glad to be a part of the reason for this transformation; glad to know that, finally, I did right by the people in these caves. Although it still never failed to make me feel uneasy every time Mel, Ian or Jared recounted the events of the past month and the 'major part' they kept emphasizing (and insisted) that I played in all of this. I was never one to want attention nor did I revel when it was given to me. Helping came natural to me and being honored for something that came as easily as breathing made it unreasonable and uncomfortable for a whole lot of reasons.

And yet, I would still do it all over again if I had to.

It's been two years since it all went down in the desert, meeting Nate's group and discovering that whole new world in New York. Two years since my skipping into yet another host. Two years since we were given that new lease in life.

Armed with the new set skills Burns imparted to Mel, Jared and Ian, raids had gone smoother and became more uneventful with each trip we made. So far so that Kyle had found it too boring and decided to stay back where he said he was more likely to 'get some action'. It had taken me a while to understand what he actually meant. The pervert.

And oh yeah, I'm now a proud owner of a Costco membership card. And a Venus fly trap. Ian had gotten me one on that same trip when I applied for that card. He says because I've gotten him 'snared' with my 'charms'. Cheeky man. I named the plant "Groot". He didn't get it.

We kept sporadic contact with Andrew and the rest of the crew at the Core. It was still dangerous for any of us to be seen around each other and none of us wanted to risk it. We remained West, they kept to the East coast for our 'raids'. Although we've progressed to calling it 'grocery runs' since technically, we weren't raiding houses anymore.

They never came back to visit us in the caves, nor did we attempt to show up at Waldorf-Astoria. Yet somehow, Drew always found a way to know where we were and to send a runner to our location and give us any updates, if ever there were. It was always a different runner and always at a different location. And it never failed to scare half the life in us whenever these runners first approached. Jared mostly talked to them while Mel and I did the shopping and Ian kept watch by the the vans.

I knew about the takeover plans in Florida and how they were progressing towards it but not the specifics of it. Since the updates from the runners were brief and sometimes too cryptic (in case curious ears were around), we were basically clueless on how it's going and what their exact plans were. It would take us weeks before we understood and deciphered their messages. I had a feeling Rob was having a grand time coming up with them and imagining us scratching our heads in confusion. One time, he had used pig latin. It wasn't until we got back to the caves, repeated everything to Jeb verbatim (earning fits of laughter from him) did we understand.

Mel commented then, "No wonder the old geezer knew what it was. He was probably the only one old enough to be there when pig latin was still being used by 'teenyboppers'."

Mel got pots-and-pans duty for the rest of the week.

It's been six months since our last encounter with the runners. We were beginning to speculate if the takeover didn't go as planned or something bad had happened to their cell. But we knew better. Drew and everyone behind him were too smart to get caught. They were always a few steps and a couple pages ahead of the Seekers.

So in actually, we were in the dark with the whole situation. We didn't know what happened to that box Wolf discovered and if they ever retrieved any useful information from it. Most of the messages we received from them, we later realized, were simple updates on how everyone else was doing at their end, like Rob uncovering Nate's hidden porn stash, Drew catching Burns and another native Soul in a compromising position at the gym, or Blaze and Paige finding out they were expecting. The latter was my favorite. They were good people and I was excited for them. That, to me, was the best news we've received.

Ian's deep voice brought me back from my thoughts. "Wanna get outta here? Heard Trudy was whipping up a special treat for everyone who played in the game today."

Without seeming overeager, I gave him a short nod, grabbed his hand and led him through the tunnels towards the kitchen area. On the way, we were met by a hysterical looking Jamie who looked as pale as a Soul's true form as he elbowed his way through the stunned crowd.

"Incoming!" he yelled breathlessly. "We've got incoming!"

In unison, we all looked up towards the ceiling. For only a second later, we began hearing the familiar whirring sound of helicopter blades in the distance. Everyone made a mad dash towards the fields to cover the mirrors.

Not again, I kept thinking. It can't be happening all over again. Go away...

I pleaded in my head for the driver of the helicopter to turn around and stay away from these mountains. My pleas turned to soft sobs which I easily managed to hide from Ian. He was too busy making sure all the mirrors had been turned over to notice anything else.

The helicopter got closer and closer until the walls around us started quivering from its proximity and the whirring sounds became a constant beating drum right above our heads. It hovered there for a long while, not circling around like before. And then slowly, it seemed as if it started its descent towards the closest ground level. Landing…

Oh no! Panic spread across Ian's face and I knew the same panic showed on mine. We didn't dare move, I doubt if we even expelled a single breath. It was the same throughout the cavern - everyone was stunned into stillness.

"To the hospital wing! MOVE!" Jeb's shout was like a crack of thunder on the once silent cave.

To quote Rob…All hell broke loose.

Through bodies running frantically for shelter, I heaved my way towards the helicopter - not thinking, but simply acting on instinct. If I could stall the Souls for even a few minutes, it'll give everyone a fighting chance at an escape. I didn't have a plan in mind but I figured I'll make one on the way there.

But I didn't get far. I glanced down at the pair of hands that firmly grabbed both of mine. I looked up and saw hazel and blue eyes staring back at me. Mel and Ian didn't say anything. They didn't plead, beg or force me to change my mind even though it was evident what my body was planning to do when my brain was still unsure.

We stood there amidst the blur of fear around us. I stared into ringless eyes, trying to make sense of their intentions. Despite the panic, I saw the calm determination in their demeanor. I looked at them; I mean, really looked at them, probably seeing them for the first time.

And in a span of a few seconds, the last few years flashed before my eyes – the pain of love and loss, the obstacles we overcame in our journey and the lessons we learned from them, the laughter and adventure... Family.

In that instant, something clicked in my mind.

I looked at Mel and I felt the ghost of a smile form on my face. Call it an epiphany, if you must. How many times did they drill it into my head? How many times did they have to explain it to me before I finally understood? Countless, probably.

"You finally get it."

Without waiting for my confirmation, she grabbed our hands and tugged us toward the entrance of the cave. Seekers or not, we were facing this head on as a unit.

Apparently, we weren't the only ones feeling altruistic (or suicidal) at that moment. All able-bodied men hid along the shadows and – I'm assuming here – brandishing some sort of weapon on them. However dangerous the entire situation felt, it gave me small relief to know most of the women and children were well hidden within the bowels of the cave, away from this potentially disastrous situation.

Minutes ticked by as the whirring sound of the helicopter's rotor blades grew louder…louder…then eventually slowed as we felt the ground shake as it touched the ground, blowing sand all around us and obscuring our view of the outside.

Like the calm before the storm, we braced ourselves for the worst. But the worst never came.

Instead, we heard laughter. Yes…laughter.

What on earth…?

It was then that I saw familiar silhouettes emerge from the dust cloud and a sudden feeling of anticipation swept through me.

Without hesitation, I ran towards the tallest one.

"Wanda, wait!" Ian yelled after me.

My brain had clocked out and intuition took over. I continued to run and didn't halt until those silhouettes turned to the more recognizable shapes of Andrew, Nate, Rob and the rest of the crew in New York.

I jumped into Andrew's open arms and squealed, "I can't believe you're all here!"

"Good to see you too, Wanda." Andrew laughed as he set me on the ground. "Surprised?"

I laughed. "More like, you almost gave all of us a heart attack kind of surprised but still glad, nonetheless."

Rob's whiny chuckle rang loud in the cavernous space before I could respond. "C'mon, girl! You're supposed to be running to me!"

I let out an unladylike snort. Instead of hugging him too, I stared at him. As if without thinking, I reached out and pinched the side of his neck.

He yelped. "Ow! What the fucking eff was that for?"

Shrugging, I said, "I just wanted to make sure I wasn't dreaming."

"Shouldn't you have pinched yourself then?" he asked as he soothed out the injured skin.

I looked at him in shock. "Now why would I do that? It hurts!"

He gaped at me for a second then pulled me in to his side and stuffed me under his armpit to give my head a proper noogie. I smacked his hand away with a laugh. "I'm sorry but I couldn't help it!"

"Andrew, you ass! You always knew how to make an entrance. Could've gone without the dramatics but that's obviously not your style," Ian said from behind me. They both engaged in this complicated hand dance before giving each other a one arm hug.

Andrew smirked. "You know we well, man, even after all these years."

"You guys are lucky we didn't go gunning your chopper down! What brings you guys over?" Jared, Mel and Jeb had made their way towards us too.

Andrew's and Rob's smiles couldn't have gotten any bigger.

Then they said four words that changed it all. "We took back Florida."

As a great big Thank You to everyone who has stuck with this story since 2009, I give you…

Epilogue: IRIDESCENT

Andrea POV

TRAGIC ACCIDENT ON INTERSTATE-95 (FLORIDA'S TURNPIKE)

We mourn the loss of twenty-five Souls in a tragic bus accident that happened during the early morning rush hour…

All the news stations were broadcasting the tragedy. It was the first time so many Souls perished in a single incident since the first time they tried to take over our planet.

"Sad, isn't it?"

Sad? For real? These are the body snatchers we were talking about. Well, I suppose a life lost was still a life lost regardless. But I'm reserving judgment for now so I decided to bite my tongue.

"You'd think, despite everything, these Souls would have found ways to circumvent these kinds of things from happening," I said.

"They wouldn't be called accidents, otherwise, my dear."

Rob moved to turn down the volume.

"No, wait! Turn it back up!"

"Okaaay. Why?" he asked curiously.

"Look!" I pointed to the bottom corner of the screen. "That couple right there…"

"Yeah? What about them?"

"Don't they stay in one of the apartments at the Waldorf-Astoria in Florida?"

"Yeah, I guess so. I don't really remember. So many have come and gone over the years that I don't really keep track of those things anymore. I am surprised, though, that you do."

"Photographic memory. That's the reason my brother had me handling the tenement situation for both Hotels." It was partially the truth but who's counting nowadays, right? Okay…so maybe that was twisting the truth a bit. I do have photographic memory but that wasn't the reason he gave that duty to me. In fact, the only reason he gave it to me was because I had to practically beg him for it. I'd wanted to keep tabs on everyone – or certain individuals – as they came in and out of the Hotels. But of course, he didn't need to know that.

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised. So I guess this means we'll be having a vacancy soon in Flori-….Oooof!"

"Rob! That is such a callous thing to say!"

"But it's true!"

"I know but you didn't have to go there. Those people were just killed in something so unnecessary as a traffic accident and, granted they are body snatching aliens, lives have still been lost. A little respect wouldn't be so hard now, would it?" I'm not sure why I was being harsh on him when a second ago, I was thinking the same thing.

"Too soon?" he asked unabashedly, rubbing the spot where my elbow connected with his stomach.

"But…you are right."

"Of course I'm right!" He paused as he waited for me to continue. But when I didn't, he asked, "Ugh...about what, this time?"

"There will be a vacancy. However, they have – I mean, had . Bless their souls (No pun intended) – a three year old son they leave with the Day Care Center at the Hotel while they go to work at the gym each day. The news didn't state he was there when the accident happened. That would only mean…"

"The kid's still at the day care and he doesn't even realize he suddenly became an orphan."

Rob and I grew silent for a while; feeling sorry for the fate the young boy had just been given.

"Does it show on our database if he has any other next of kin listed?" I asked, breaking the silence.

Rob pressed a few keys on the keyboard and then sadly shook his head. "It shows here that Blazing Saddles and Paige both emigrated from Europe just a few years before the invasion. Both were only children, both sets of parents died when they were young. The two of them lived at the same orphanage for several years where they later left and got married to each other the moment both of them had turned eighteen. They never looked back since."

Their lives were one sad story after another. It seemed that Fate kept dealing them a lousy hand since the moment of their birth. But remembering how they were when they were alive - brief, though, our encounters had been - they both never complained and in fact, lived life to the fullest. No one would ever think they'd been pulling the short straws all their lives.

An idea suddenly formed in my head. This will be like hitting two birds with one stone…

Pulling up their information into the screen in front of me, I said with a grin, "Well…he does now."

"Andrea….what do you think you're doing?" he asked as he watched me add something into their file. "Are you-?" He didn't finish his question. "You sly, little fox!"

I glanced back at him and sighed. "It's the least I can do for him."

His answering smile was bright and genuine. "You know what, Andrea? You confuse the hell out me. You act all cold and distant but underneath all that icy exterior you're too fond of projecting, you've actually got a good heart hidden somewhere in there. Maybe you should start showing that to people and maybe they'll stop calling you the B-word and I can finally stop having to punch them in the face every time they do."

I shook my head and chuckled. "You are such a knight-in-shining-armor, aren't you? Defending my honor like that."

He leaned back in his chair and a lazy smile started to form on one side of his mouth. "So…what does this 'knight', then, get in return for his services?"

I angled my body close to him and laid a gentle hand on his clean-shaven cheek, gifting him with a smile of my own. Joking aside, "I know what you're asking, Rob. And, no. I can't give that to you. You deserve someone better than me. I've got too much baggage in my life that'll make airlines have to charge me for an extra seat. Don't settle for damaged goods like me. I wouldn't want that for you either."

His eyes darkened a degree before he covered my hand with his own. "You don't know what I want and what I deserve. Frankly, I'm tired of the way you always sell yourself short and your 'it's not you, it's me' excuses. It's been almost three years, Andrea! When are you going to move on?"

I pulled my hand back from his hold and looked away. "I-I can't, Rob."

"You can't? Or you won't?" he said, gripping my chin with his thumb and forefinger, forcing me to meet his gaze. "Look, we've all got our own baggage whether it is emotional, psychological or whatever spiritual crap you wanna call it. The fact of the matter is, despite all that, we are still here - alive and with our own minds still intact. You should know that this is our second chance. And the thing about second chances is that we get to leave all those issues behind us and start again. Did you really want to throw away something we've all been fighting for just because you refuse to let go of the past? That's why call it the 'past'. There's really nothing you can do about it. Just deal with what's in front of you before you trip because you weren't paying attention to where you were going. And when that happens, then what? Are you going to wallow in your misery again and let the cycle repeat itself?"

I tried opening my mouth to say something but decided to close it back instead. His comment had stunned me speechless. Never once did I think Rob capable of such insight. But then again, one never knew what went on in that head of his.

Nevertheless, he was right. What was the point of fighting for a chance to live again when I myself refused to start living? We've been given a rare opportunity to be something more than what we could possibly imagine. So why bother when I couldn't even appreciate what little fruits all our efforts have accomplished?

Why, indeed?

Because no matter what other people said, love is oftentimes not enough to pay the price for someone's mistake. And that's more than anyone can forget. I've learned my lesson and now I'm paying the consequence. That's just the way the world works. You screw up, you pay up!

And that was what I told him.

Of course, he didn't buy any of the philosophical bullshit either. "All I got from everything you just said is that you need to start reading someone else's self-help book," he said flatly. "The one you're reading now is absolute crap."

He grabbed the sides of my face and looked me straight in the eye, "One day, Andrea, I'll get you your happy ending."

Then before I knew it, he was kissing me.

Wanda POV

Despite it being a Day Care center, the place was strangely quiet except for the only sound emanating from the small television in the corner of the room.

TRAGIC ACCIDENT ON INTERSTATE-95 (FLORIDA'S TURNPIKE)

We mourn the loss of twenty-five Souls in a tragic bus accident that happened during the early morning rush hour…

It took a while for any of us at the center to turn away from the screen and realize the phone at the Front Desk had been ringing. I quickly moved away from the gathering crowd and went to answer it.

"Thank you for calling the Waldorf-Astoria Child Day Care Center. This is Wanda. How may I help you?

A professional sounding woman spoke, "Good afternoon, ma'am. My name is Rolling Stones – yes, yes…don't say anything that I haven't heard before. I'm calling in behalf of the Florida State Social Service and Placement office. I need to speak with a Mrs. Wanderer O'Shea. Would this be she?"

Mrs. Wanderer O'Shea? Ian and I weren't married but it wasn't like it didn't have a nice ring to it, though. We were a couple, yes. But be married to Ian? The thought never crossed my mind.

But this lady must be deftly mistaken. Unless she tapped into my deep-seated dreams and fantasies, she couldn't have assumed as much. I was about to correct her when a tiny voice inside my head (I've learned to call it my 'gut instinct') warned me to just go with the flow.

"Um...yes. I am she - I mean...she is me. Oh, brother. What I meant is... Yes, I am Mrs. Wanderer O'Shea."

Hearing someone else say my name like that already sent butterflies fluttering inside my stomach. Hearing the words come out of my own mouth sent shivers all throughout my body, making me break in a nervous sweat and causing me to giggle like a little school girl.

At the mention of a certain 'Mrs.' denomination, Mel's eyes widened. She quickly reached over to grab the receiver and squeeze her ear next to mine just so she could listen in on the conversation.

"Mrs. O'Shea," the woman on the other end said again, earning a loud gasp from Mel which I wasn't able to stifle seeing as how my hands were a little occupied. "I am so sorry for your loss. The bus accident really was a tragedy and it must be pretty hard to lose loved ones like that." Mel and I exchanged combined looks of confusion and alarm.

Loved ones? We didn't know any loved ones of ours involved in that accident. Well, none that we knew about, I suppose.

Then the woman continued when we didn't respond. "I'm sorry to spring this on you now seeing that this must be a time for grievance for you but there is a small matter of custody that needed to be addressed right away. It states here on our records that a Mr. and Mrs. Blazing Saddles have you listed as their next of kin and Person to Contact should anything happen to them."

Both Blaze and Paige were gym instructors here at the Florida Waldorf. Both had transferred with us from New York. They were a friendly, young couple whose son adored me and immediately clung to my leg every time they dropped him off at the Center. We've exchanged pleasantries every now and then but nothing that would state we had a close familial relationship of sorts. I wondered now why they would list me as their next of kin or emergency contact.

And what did she say? Custody? Did that mean…Ethan!

It was in that instant that her words registered in my ear and I almost dropped the receiver, in equal parts realization and in shock. And it probably would have smashed to the floor had Mel not been holding on to it too.

"What are you trying to say?"

"Their three year old son, Ethan, is now an orphan, Mrs. O'Shea. He will most likely be placed into an orphanage or assigned to a foster family after this. And I would assume it will be most confusing and taxing to the boy having to adjust to new surroundings while grieving for his parents. Unless," she paused, making my hands shake in trepidation. Please say the words.

"…you and your husband would like to take on the role of being his guardian? I know it's too much to ask especially at such short notice but-"

The words barely registered in my head when my mouth automatically said, "I would be honored to!" My voice might have been an octave higher, or possibly ten, but I really didn't care at the moment.

"Perfect! I'll get the papers rolling and we'll bring them over to your address by this afternoon. It's not much, just some forms to sign so we know everything has been taken care of. I understand that he's presently under your care at your facility?"

I glanced over to the toddler section where Ethan was napping in his little cot – oblivious that his world was about to change. "Yes, that is correct."

"Then it'll just be a matter of collecting his personal belongings and we're all set. Good day, ma'am, and I'll see you in a few hours. Oh, and my condolences to you and husband."

All I managed was a simple "Thank you" then I heard the click of the other line and she was gone.

Mel looked at me with excitement in her hazel eyes. "Was that…is that…d-did she just say what I thought she said?"

With the fog that was clouding my brain, I barely made out a word that Melanie said.

"Wanda," Mel said quietly. "You're going to be a mama."

"Who's going to be a mama?"

We both looked up to see Ian and Jared walking towards us. I wasn't sure how much they heard of the phone call but I suspect it wasn't much. Jared looked like he knew something and Ian looked like he was about to pass out. That alone would have told me they probably didn't hear a thing. Ian would have been jumping for joy at the news of me being pregnant, impossible as it was. But that's how I knew something else was up.

"Are you okay?" I asked Ian as I stood and reached up to check his temperature. "You look a little sick. Still gorgeous, yes, but a bit on the green side."

He simply shrugged but didn't answer the question.

Jared, however, wasn't deterred and asked again, "Who's going to be a mama? Now I know it's not you, Mel since you just had your period…" He paused as if to contemplate. Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes at her. "You were faking it, weren't you? Just like those times you told me you had a headache!"

Mel rolled her eyes. "Get over yourself, Howe. Sometimes I do tell the truth."

He remained his eyes squinted at her for a few more seconds before glancing over to me. "You?"

He very well knew about my infertility. I never told him but I'm pretty sure Mel did. Although, I wager he was thinking there was only that way to become a mother.

I shook my head. "I'm not pregnant, if that's what you're thinking."

"Then what were you two talking about then?" he asked.

Mel went into an animated recollection of the entire conversation with the social worker, replaying verbatim everything that was said between us. And as she did, I noticed Ian's pallor slowly returning to normal. Soon, even a small smile graced his lips especially at the parts where she mentioned the words 'Mrs. O'Shea'.

After all was said, Jared and Ian looked at each other and it was as if they were psychically exchanging words in their heads that we weren't privy to.

When it seemed an eternity had passed, they finally broke contact with a single nod to each other.

Next thing I knew, Ian held my hands and kneeled in front of me.

"I've wracked my brain thinking about how to go about this. I wanted to give you the perfect story to share with everyone even until we were old and gray. I thought about wining and dining you, and taking a stroll down the beach with you before doing it. I wanted to do something grand so you knew exactly how much you meant to me and be able to relay it to you in a well thought out speech that was at least two pages long, single spaced, font 10. I wanted all that for you. But," he paused. I couldn't stop the pounding sounds my heart was making as he took out a small velvet box from his back pocket and opened it to reveal the most beautiful ring I've ever seen.

"But, you can't question when an opportunity presented itself instead." Clearing his throat, he continued, "Wanda, you already know how much I love you and you know how much I suck at declarations. So I'll just go out and say it. Will you forever be my partner? Will you marry me and be my wife?"

I was stunned speechless. So many thoughts came crashing through my head and for some reason, I was finding it difficult to locate the muscles of my mouth to make them work and say the word that shouldn't have taken more than two brain cells to formulate. Sure, it was an odd time for a proposal especially after seeing that tragic story on the news. But you won't see me complaining.

Before I could give him an answer, he added, "And besides, you wouldn't want to tell the social worker when she comes over that you lied and claimed you weren't Mrs. O'Shea now, would you?" He gave me a smile which he dubbed was his shit-eating-grin. I still didn't know why it was called as such but I didn't argue. All I knew was that, it was beautiful. And it was all for me.

"Yes!" I squealed as I jumped into Ian's arms, toppling us both to the ground.

I kissed him hard as I kept murmuring, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

His laughter mixed in with the claps we vaguely heard had surrounded us. Just as we hadn't noticed that some of the other volunteers at the center had started gathering around us and had probably heard Ian's proposal. Yet when I heard the loud whistles and hollers, I knew those had come from Mel and Jared.

We knew they were happy for us just as we were happy for them when they had tied the knot during an intimate ceremony – officiated by, surprise! Surprise! Rob – a few months after we had settled in Florida. It was a private affair attended by our family from the caves and from Waldorf-Astoria in Chicago.

Happy tears streamed my cheeks and I couldn't help but grab hold of Ian's face and say, "Now make an honest woman out of me."

"Don't need to ask me twice," he said as he gave me an earth-shattering kiss that made the tendrils of my being curl into itself in bliss.

The End.

A/N: And that concludes Ian and Wanda's story in Anything But.

Five years ago, the idea behind Anything But was conceived. And soon after, chapters were uploaded to fanfiction at almost a weekly basis. Back then, I never imagined that that little idea would blossom into a thirty-chapter story with twists and turns that turned this little kernel into something bigger than I originally planned it to be.

Five years (and a lot sleepless nights and writer's blocks) later, I've finally changed it's status from In Progress to COMPLETE. And to those who have done so with their own stories, you know the kind of high it gives an author. And yet, none of it would have been made possible without your support, the reader and/or reviewer.

So in all, my biggest thanks to everyone who had given my little fanfiction a chance, and my sincerest apologies for dragging my feet to finish it. I was about to give up say, 'Fuck this, I'm done' when the writer's block hit me so hard the last couple years. But I knew I owed it to myself, if not to you, to finish what I've started. And what do you know? It finally happened! Thank you again for coming along with me on this journey! Hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I enjoyed being behind the wheel.

Once again, feel free to check out the Photobucket link on my profile if you would like to see who I envisioned for all the characters in this story. I guarantee you will be doused in hotness! ;)

Oh, and please don't forget to leave a review. Yay, nay, or thank-god-it's-finally-over thoughts, I'd still want to hear from you.