Author's note: Well, that's it, folks. Here's your last chapter of this story. It's been lovely to read all your comments and reviews and I am grateful for all the follows and favourites. It's always scary to venture off into a fandom that's new, which is exactly what I did when I started this story. It's been fun so sit back and enjoy this last little ride.

XI

Megan watched the golden sunlight reflect in Kate's hair. She was fascinated by it. Throughout her life she'd seen many things that took her breath away but this moment topped them all. There was nothing more beautiful than watching Kate Murphy sleep whilst the light caressed her skin and highlighted the colour of her hair. She couldn't keep her eyes of the blonde woman at her side and lazily her fingers trailed up along Kate's arm, eliciting a soft moan.

It had been late by the time they got home last night. A few more kisses in the park, a conversation about what could happen in the future followed by a car drive home. When Kate unlocked the door to her apartment and they were about to go their separate ways to their rooms, it had been Kate who took Megan's arm and pulled her back. Blue eyes had searched for green and a request had never sounded so soft and tender. "Stay with me."

They had simply slept, sheltered by the knowledge and the safety there was somebody lying beside them. They were no longer alone. When she woke up fifteen minutes ago, Megan had become aware of the arm draped across her waist and Kate's warm breath in the back of her neck. Nothing about it had seemed strange. In fact, she had never felt this comfortable before in her life ever. It was in the moment that she rolled over that she saw the sunlight that now held her gaze. This was beauty at its finest.

"It's rude to stare," Kate murmured and Megan chuckled softly.

"Sorry."

Kate's eyes opened and Megan was confronted by the palest shade of blue. "You sleep ok?" Kate wanted to know and Megan nodded as she moved closer to Kate and rested her head on her shoulder. A warm tingling feeling stirred in the pit of her stomach when she felt Kate's fingers threading her hair.

"Best night sleep I've ever had."

"Good," Kate mused and her lips somehow found the side of Megan's face. It was a soft kiss, like a butterfly, but it was enough to leave her flesh warm and burning. It was over too soon when Kate withdrew her arm and pushed the covers away from them. Megan attempted to hold on to her but the blonde managed to sneak out of her embrace and turned around as she left the bed. "I promised to meet Tommy first thing this morning."

"I'm sure he can wait," Megan said slowly and patted the mattress. "Oh come on, Kate."

"Megan," Kate said warningly and rolled her eyes. "No."

"Fine," Megan answered and shrugged. "Suit yourself." She watched as Kate walked across the room to the small en-suite bathroom. "Any chance you can sneak me into the building?"

Kate poked her head around the bathroom door. "Unless you fit into my handbag, that would be a no."

"Thought so," Megan sighed. When she heard the shower switch on she gave up and slipped out of bed. Her bare feet made contact with the floor and she padded past the bathroom. "I'm going to make coffee. You want some?"

Kate didn't answer so Megan left the bedroom and walked into the kitchen. Dressed in only an old shirt of Kate's, cream white and with the top button missing, she wandered around the apartment. Once in the kitchen she switched on the coffee machine, opened one of the cupboards and took out two mugs. She leant against the kitchen counter as she waited for the machine to heat up, half listening to the noises coming from the bathroom. That's when it struck her.

She and Kate were together. Together. As in, they had every potential of becoming a couple. Or fall apart. But either way, they were here, right now, together. They'd slept in the same bed. They'd kissed. More than once. If it had been just once, or even twice, she could have said that it was a mistake but there was no way she could deny that this wasn't something more than a fling. Their kisses had been different from anything else she'd ever experienced. For once, she kept longing for the moment it would happen again. She and Kate…. Together. They had a chance at whatever… whatever they wanted it to be.

The knock on the door startled her and Megan practically jumped. She brushed a strand of red hair out of her eyes and walked from the kitchen to the living room to answer. In her haste she forgot to check the spy hole and unlocked the door without looking. She blinked a couple of times, needing a second or two to register who was standing outside, and then the horror spread across her face when she realised she was looking directly at Tommy.

"Megan?" he asked in surprise when he noticed her stunned expression.

"Errr… hi…." Megan answered, her cheeks turning an uncomfortable shade of scarlet. "Tommy…."

He furrowed his brow and then seemed to remember why she was there. "I forgot you moved in with Kate."

"Well, I didn't really move in but...," Megan began but her voice trailed off. She managed to compose herself a little and straightened her spine, suddenly very aware if the fact that she was only half dressed in clothes that didn't actually belong to her. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see Kate," he said. "Is she in?"

"She's in the shower," Megan answered and stepped aside so that he could step past her if he wanted to. "Do you want to come in?"

"Thanks," he said and waited for Megan to close the door. He then followed her into the apartment and she went into the kitchen. The coffee machine had kicked in and she put the first mug under it before pressing two separate buttons. The machine started buzzing and a fine stream of coffee filled up her cup. She couldn't turn around and look at him.

"Megan, is that coffee I smell?" came Kate's voice and Megan spun around. "I mean, if I hadn't already, I could kiss you right about…" The blonde's voice trailed off when she walked into the kitchen and realised Megan wasn't alone. Tommy turned around to and his eyes found Kate's. They stared at each other for a couple of seconds. Kate's hair was wet from the shower and she was still fumbling with her white blouse as she attempted to do up the buttons.

"Hi." Her greeting of the detective was short.

"Good morning," Tommy observed. He cocked an eyebrow. "Am I interrupting?"

Kate's eyes flashed to Megan but the redhead shook her head. She then looked back at Tommy. "No," she answered stoically. "Not at all. What can I do for you?"

Tommy's gaze fixed on Megan and she slowly looked up at him when she realised he was looking at her. She knew that look. He was about to say something. Something that would change everything. She'd seen that look before and she knew what it meant. "I thought you'd like to know that we arrested Jason Hansen last night."

"What?" Megan breathed. "Caitlin Hansen's father?"

"After Kate told us what happened to his daughter, we looked into him and his wife but Mrs Hansen is a miss goody-two-shoes. She and her husband got divorced not even a year after Caitlin died and she didn't hear from him again. When Adam spoke to her she said that her husband had become a stranger. She no longer recognised the men he was," Tommy said slowly and leant against the kitchen counter. "She tried to grief for her daughter but her husband could only think of one thing."

"Me." Megan's green eyes were cold and she looked up at Tommy, lifting her chin up to feign some confidence. "Did he confess?"

"He didn't have to," Tommy replied and he held Megan's gaze. He had expected to see relief but it wasn't what he saw. What stared back at him was guilt and loss. This wasn't the face of a woman who was relieved she was no longer suspected of murder, this was the face of a woman who would forever carry the burden of knowing that a man died because of a mistake she made. He took a deep breath. "When we searched his car we found a Beretta in the glove box. Two rounds are missing."

"Oh my God," Kate whispered and her hand found Megan's. "Does this mean that its over? Megan is no longer a suspect?"

Tommy nodded. "Yes. We're filing the paperwork first thing this morning to have the charges dismissed. It's over, Megan."

"No," Megan answered unexpectedly. "It's not." She put down her coffee and looked from Kate to Tommy and back. "I want to know how he did it. I want to know how he got my DNA and how he faked that blood sample. Do you have any idea what this means?" Green eyes reflected anger and hurt. "Every killer convicted on DNA evidence is going to claim his sample was tempered with. Hundreds of mistrials could be declared and killers could be let back onto the streets."

Tommy took a deep breath and pushed his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "Megan, he told us where he got your DNA." He glanced up at her long enough to see the stunned look appear in her eyes. "He followed you for weeks and one day, when you left Sheila's Bistro, he took your utensils before the waitress could clear the table. He paid an old college friend to create the blood and planted it at the crime scene. He studied you, Megan. He learnt everything there is to know about you and he used it against you."

"He knew I blamed Jonathan for my father's suicide," Megan said softly. "Did he lure him to Philly?"

"No." Tommy shook his head. "Jonathan came back of his own accord. I don't know why but it could have been because he wanted to meet you. Hansen found out and he finally got the opportunity he'd been waiting for. He knew you'd fall for it and he wasn't wrong. Your anger over your father's death clouded your judgment and he played on it. He used your emotions against you."

"Don't you ever dare tell me that I am too emotionally closed off," Megan said sharply. "Here's the reminder why emotion sucks."

"Megan…" Kate began and the hand that had been resting on Megan's until that moment travelled up to her shoulder. She gently brushed a strand of hair out of the older woman's face. The touch was so soft, Kate's fingertips brushing against the side of her neck, and Megan instantly relaxed. "You can't blame yourself."

"Yes, I can," Megan answered coolly. Her voice was flat, void of emotion. She felt cold and empty inside, as if someone had reached into her chest and switched off her ability to feel. "Jason Hansen's daughter died because I wanted to do that surgery. I knew my hands weren't right but I did it anyway. I killed Caitlin and he tried to destroy me. I am to blame for this, Kate."

"What else did he say?" Kate wanted to know and looked back at Tommy. The hand that had rested on Megan's shoulder didn't move and she knew he watched her. She didn't care if he knew. He'd already figured it out when they stood across from each other in her office and right now, in this moment, she wanted to be there for Megan, protect her as best as she could. She knew he wanted that too but this was her job now. She was going to be the one to look after Megan from now on.

"He… He told us what happened after Jonathan McEldery was shot," Tommy said slowly. "What he did to Megan."

The red haired doctor swallowed hard. "What did he say?" When Tommy didn't answer immediately she stepped away from Kate and towards him. Blazing green eyes found his and the anger laced her words when she repeated her question. "What did he say?!"

"He said he had Jonathan call you to meet you at the restaurant. When you got there he waited for you in the alley. He drugged you." Tommy took a deep breath. "Chloroform." Megan's eyes widened. "When you came to, he gave you pure vodka. He said he had to force your mouth open because you struggled. You almost choked to death while he did it. He kept you in the back of his van for over an hour until you passed out. He put the gun in your hand, fired it, and then disposed of the bullet. That's how the GSR ended up on your clothes. He drove you home and used a skeleton key he stole from your landlord's office and copied to get in to your apartment. He put you to bed and left you there." Tommy's face hardened as they reached the point where Kate had discovered her unconscious body, close to death. "He knew how dangerously drunk you were and he left you there to die."

"He didn't care if I lived or died," Megan said softly and shook her head. "Either way, my name would had been disgraced. If I died people would think I drank myself to death. Committed suicide, just like my father did. And if I lived…" She hesitated. "He got to see me go to trial for a crime I didn't commit. I'd get to suffer the same way he suffered. He wanted to destroy me."

"I'm sorry, Megan," Tommy said. "I'm so sorry."

"No," Megan said softly and turned back to Kate. Without warning she fled into the blonde's arms and Kate carefully held on to the redhead. Megan buried her head in Kate's blonde hair and felt the tears burning down her cheeks. Tommy's words filled the black void the alcohol had left behind. It answered all her questions but it didn't erase her pain and anxiety, it only fed it. "No, it is me who is sorry."

"Maybe you should go," Kate said softly as her blue eyes found Tommy. He quietly nodded and started for the door. Kate slowly freed herself from Megan's embrace and followed him. When she caught up with him she leant against the doorframe and he turned to look at her.

"I know what you're thinking…"

"It doesn't matter," he said. "Megan made her choice and I'm glad she chose you."

"What? Why?" Kate asked, sounding confused. "I thought you cared about her too?"

"I do," Tommy explained and pointed at the kitchen area. "But in all the years I've known Megan, I've never seen her do what she just did. She showed herself to you, Kate. Megan doesn't do weakness or tears. What she did in there shows that she feels safe with you. Nobody else has ever managed to make her feel that way." He looked at Kate. "Believe me, I know."

Kate weakly smiled. "Thank you."

"I know where to find you if you hurt her, Doctor Murphy." It was said in gest but Kate knew he meant it. They had an understanding, one that didn't need to be spoken out loud. She gave a curt nod and went to close the door. Tommy stopped her and a quirky smile spread across his face.

"And before you ask, don't you worry about Todd."

"Oh?"

Tommy just grinned. "I'll take care of it." He gave her a knowing look. "Goodbye, Doctor Murphy."

She closed the door once he was gone and then hurried back into the kitchen. She found Megan leaning against the counter, clutching her coffee. Her eyes lit up when she saw Kate and the blonde smiled as she walked over to Megan, gently placing her hands on her arms. Questioning blue eyes searched her face and she could see the glimmer of hope.

"It's over," she whispered as she leant in and softly kissed her. "It's over, Megan."

"I know," Megan breathed. "But I'm still going to have to explain to Jonathan McEldery's family that he died because of what I did."

"It can wait," Kate said and rested her forehead against Megan's. "There will be a time but it is not now. Right now…. It is about you and me, about us and about what's out there." She smiled. "I know we said we'd wait and see where things end up but how about we take a leap of faith here, huh? Maybe we can make things happen."

"You and me?" Megan asked.

"And Lacey," Kate said and cupped Megan's cheek. "She's part of this too. She's a clever girl, Megan. She takes after you. I'm sure she'll understand. Maybe not today or tomorrow but eventually she will. Or she may surprise us and be fine. We don't have to decide now but we know that we can work something out. After all, between both our bad track records when it comes to relationships, we must be able to figure out what we did wrong so we can do them right this time?"

Megan smiled. "You know what I said about us asking when any of this seemed like a good idea?"

"Yeah?"

She leant in and kissed Kate. This was right, for whatever reasons. Whatever had happened along the way, all her mistakes and screw ups and accidents and fall outs, it had all led her to this very moment. Maybe she was meant to be this scarred because without them she wouldn't be who she was. Maybe they were both meant to be just this way, because it worked. They weren't perfect. Both of them were flawed. Maybe that was why they had found each other, because two people who had been through some bad things recognised the good things because they'd seen the bad.

Megan just smiled and let her fingers trail down Kate's jaw. " Forget what I said. I don't think this was ever a bad idea at all."

End.