Hell Week

Author: Prospero Hibiki

Disclaimer: See first chapter

Rating: M (Because it makes things even funnier)

Author's Comments: Alright people. The Epilogue.

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"Heaven"

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"The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of Hell, and a hell of Heaven." - John Milton

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It was a bit of a struggle to open the door and juggle the groceries at the same time. As I manage to get the door open I can't help but think of the first time I tried to do this same thing the day after our wedding.

Five years. Has it really been that long?

It takes me a couple of trips from the garage to the kitchen to unload all the groceries. I don't even bother to roll my eyes at the dishes that Greg left in the sink instead of putting them in the dishwasher. I'm used to it and as long as he helps with the dinner clean up I'm okay with it as well.

My home office is my next stop and I sit down at my desk to go through my e-mail to check if the results I've been waiting for have arrived. It's only been an hour and a half since I left the hospital but I'd hoped that they'd be here by now. No such luck.

Leaning back in my chair I look at the painting on the wall and think back to immediately after our wedding when Greg took me to that tropical island. The painting was done by a local painter on a nearby island and always brings me back to those days.

Greg was right. We managed to survive those two weeks in paradise, though not without some small bumps along the way. It was all about learning about the parts of our partner that we'd never have thought were there. And a lot of sex of course. It was our honeymoon after all. It was also when we realized that our marriage was never going to survive if we were stuck in Greg's old apartment. Each of us needed our own space to escape to when tempers rose so that we didn't explode.

In retrospect the decision to purchase a house should have been obvious, but the arguments between us about it would have been legendary if we didn't keep them out of the hospital. After all the dust settled we bought this house. It was a lot larger than we really needed at the time but the neighborhood was good and the area was nice. We bought it outright after another short trip to Vegas won Greg even more money gambling. One of these days he's going to lose big but it hasn't happened yet.

The hospital itself hasn't changed that much in that time. Cuddy eventually discovered that she'd get more work out of Greg if she stopped giving him clinic hours he wasn't going to do anyway. He actually has the department taking multiple patients at a time now using both of our teams.

That was the major change for the two of us professionally. Three years ago Greg convinced the hospital to set up a second diagnostics team in the department and had me move up as assistant department head. The two teams often do differentials together and often switch patients when one team gets stuck. It's surprisingly effective.

Foreman and Chase have both moved on from the hospital. Eric got an offer to start a diagnostics department of his own in a Los Angeles hospital and we get together when I'm in town visiting my brother. Chase got a similar offer but decided he wasn't quite ready to do that yet and went to work with the CDC in Atlanta first. I think he's going to try to build up a reputation in the infectious disease community before he eventually does the same thing as Foreman.

Wilson's marriage to Julie wasn't any better than his previous two. Once again single he's occasionally been seen sniffing around some of the prettier nurses and doctors at the hospital. Maybe the fourth time's the charm.

I hear the door to the garage slam and call out to Greg where I'm at. My e-mail program chimes in the several minutes it takes him to get to me. I've already read the message and gotten the confirmation I'd been waiting for. It's a relief really.

"Hey you." He's not the sweetest guy I've ever dated but he makes up for it in other ways.

"Hey."

"Did you finally get the e-mail you'd been waiting for?"

I blink. "How did you...?"

He snorts derisively. "Come on Ally. We share an office. Did you think I wouldn't notice you checking your e-mail every five minutes since lunchtime?"

I guess he has a point there. He is a lot more observant than I sometimes give him credit for. "Yes I did as a matter of fact."

"A patient?"

"In a manner of speaking."

"Good news?"

"Probably." I think about it. "Yes. I think so at least."

"Well that clears things up."

I can't help but laugh at this. It does indeed clear some things up for me. Greg gives me a look as if he's wondering if I should be committed. Standing up from my chair I walk over to him and wrap my arms around his neck. The kiss I give him starts off gentle but the heat rapidly ratchets up to scorching levels.

"Wow I'm not complaining, but what was that for?"

"We're just so happy to see you."

I kiss him again and this time his hands start to wander immediately before they come to a dead stop.

"We?"

I smile up at him and take a tiny step backwards. Reaching behind me I grab onto his right hand and bring it to my belly.

"We."

He just stares at me for several long moments before one of the largest grins I've ever seen spreads across his face.

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End "Heaven"

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Chapter Notes: Well folks. That's the end of Hell Week. Sure I've left plenty of room to come back to his in the future...but I probably won't. This story took a lot out of me and now my major task for the next little while is going to be editing it until it's just the way I want it to be.

I've appreciated the reviews and comments I've gotten from my readers throughout the entire process. Special thanks go out to my two most loyal readers though. ladybellatrix and phnxgrl were there practically every step of the way. I spent more than a few afternoons in a North Carolina Panera so I could upload four or five chapters and I'd often have a review or three from each of them before I left the store a couple hours later.

All this being said...don't expect to hear from me for a while.

Maybe...probably...perhaps.

-K