So this is the final chapter in this story. Thank you to all have read and reviewed and all the favorites!

Love, Excitement, and Life

Ryan drove down the street in Horatio's Jeep, Jessica in the passenger seat. They had finally left after two and a half hours of talking to Dr. Thompson. Jessica was really quiet and Ryan worried a little about her. Jessica and Dr. Thompson had spent most of their time at the appointment talking alone.

Ryan slipped his hand into Jessica's. She jumped at the sudden contact. She looked at him and he smiled at her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her. Jessica shrugged her shoulders. "About as good as I'm going to feel with a terrible hangover, alcohol withdrawal, and having just relived the worst few weeks of my life…again."

Ryan lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "That's why you're the strongest person I know."
Jessica looked out the window. "Ok cod, where are you taking me?"

Ryan chuckled at the play off nickname cod from OCD. "What do you mean Dr. Stone-Caine?"

Jessica scoffed, "This is not the way to either of our apartments. Where are you taking me?"

Ryan smiled at her. "You never cease to amaze me. I'm taking you out to dinner."

"Why?" Jessica asked confused.

"Because this upcoming Monday marks nine months that we've been together, and what an exciting nine months it has been." Ryan brushed his thumb against Jessica's ring. "Oh Jessica Stone-Caine, what would I do without you?"

"Have more time, less to worry about, more money from not buying me presents, less need for a therapist, and maybe a boring sex life." Jessica offered him a weak smile.

Ryan brought her hand to his lips again. "I knew there was a reason I let you have my heart."

They pulled into the Italian restaurant where they had their first date. Ryan jumped out and ran around to Jessica's door. He opened her door and stood there in front of her. He leaned in and gently kissed her on the lips. Jessica sat there, wishing the butterflies would leave her stomach and her heart would stop pounding so hard.

Ryan took her hand and they walked into the restaurant together. Ryan wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of Jessica's head as they waited to be seated.

"This is the place," he said to her, "Where I realized I wanted to be with you no matter what the rules said. This is where you finally stole my heart."
Jessica couldn't help but smile. "I thought I took it in the lab when I kissed you."

"You know I think that's where you first tried, but I wouldn't let you."
"And the locker room?"

"I tried to take yours but I stopped myself. I didn't want to break the rules again. It was here that I decided the hell with the rules and I let you take me."

"I took your heart?"

"Yes, you're so beautiful you stole my heart right out of my chest."

"But then your chest would be empty. You can't live without a heart."
"That's why I stole your heart."
"But how can we exchange hearts? I thought you could only have your own heart."

"Not when you share a soul, then you can exchange hearts all you want." Ryan said, kissing the top of her head, pulling her close. "I love you Jessica Stone-Caine. I always will no matter what."

They were seated at their table and Ryan ordered them each coffee and water, as they looked over their menus. As they waited for their food Ryan looked at Jessica and smiled.

"So how does it feel to finally be finishing college after thirteen years?" he asked her.

Jessica smiled. "Well it feels pretty damn good. I almost quit after the first PhD, but something kept me going. I called Horatio and told him I was dropping out of Miami University's graduate program after I got my Doctrine in Criminology, but he wouldn't let me. He said that if I did I would loose my funding."

"Funding?" Ryan asked.

"Well you see my schooling was funded through the Chicago Center Program and the Illinois State Police. It was a duel scholarship system in memory of my mother. Each year they selected one student from an Illinois high school that displayed great potential. As long as I was in college my tuition was paid for through this scholarship program. But if I didn't finish my graduate program I would have to pay for my last semester on my own, and believe me Doctrine programs are not that cheap."

Jessica smiled at the memory. "I had just turned twenty-four and had graduated with my Doctrine in Criminology from Miami University. I guess Horatio always has been that swift kick in the ass I've always needed. I was the first student to receive the scholarship funding in six years. I thought they gave it to me because Jessica was my mother, but Horatio pointed out that my name on the application said Jessica Elizabeth Caine. There was no way they knew."

Ryan smiled at her and reached across the table and held her face in his hand. He gently kissed and smiled against her lips. "Always, you always amaze me every day."

Their food arrived and Ryan lifted his coffee mug. "A toast- to nine months of love, excitement, and life."

Jessica couldn't help but smile and lifted her mug. "I'll drink to that. Peace, love, and ladybugs, Ryan Wolfe."
"What's that?"

"An Alpha Sig term my mother coined." She said with a smile as she drank her coffee.

So ends this chapter of Jessica and Ryan's life together. The next story shall be up soon. And it's intense!