And so it has been a while but finally here we are at the end of the story. Thanks to all of you who have read, favourite and commented on this story. I hope this ending does it justice :-)

As usual, all mistakes are my own so apologies.

Epilogue

The first rays of light were slowly beginning to appear over the horizon. She breathed in the salty sea air as the waves gently lapped over her feet, toes subconsciously curling into the sand. It was the beauty of a sunrise and while she could no longer hear the celestial song it brought with it, she could still see the sky as it became streaked in reds and oranges. It was still a magical spectacle to see but even more so now since she could feel it too. It was a feeling she would never tire of, even after all these years and so she allowed herself a minute to bathe in the feeling of peace it gave her.

Her solitude was only broken when a hand slid into her own.

"She needs you."

She silently nodded, it was the only thing she could do, there was nothing else left to be done. No matter how prepared she thought she may have been nothing could sum up how she was feeling. It was inevitable, she had known that. She had been a witness to it so many times in so many different ways and she knew she would again one day have to be a spectator to it. Only this time there would be no comfort to give, only grief. It was life, she was living now and whilst she may have accepted it a long time ago, it didn't hurt any less now.

Walking back across the sand towards the house they had shared, she tried to lose herself in her thoughts. She would never be able to explain what it was that had drawn them together and that was the way it went. For some, the ties that bound them were just simply impossible to explain. Some bonds defied distance and time and logic and as the case had been for them, some ties were simply… meant to be. They had loved one another, without regret for their whole life. And now with each step she was getting closer and closer to the end of it all.

She reaches the door and steadies herself as a red head comes forward, arms open bringing her into a tight embrace. Any other time she would have welcomed the comfort without question but right now it all meant nothing. The world she had known was soon going to cease to exist and she'd yet to work out how she would be able to go on alone.

She moves through the house, making her way up the stairs as quick as her legs will allow her. Stopping in a doorway she pauses, giving herself a moment to prepare and pray for the strength to get through what was about to come.

In the room before her, a lone figure in the bed shifts and she soon feels those familiar blue eyes upon her and hears a soft whisper call out her name.

"Andrea."

A faint smile forms upon her lips as she moves across the room to lie next to her beloved.

"I'm here Miranda, right where I want to be, always by your side." She had meant it all those years ago when she had stood atop that rooftop and again the next day when they had finally come together in front of the fire place in this very house. And she meant it now, 45 years later.

"Do you ever regret it Andrea, falling…?"

The woman lifts herself up so she was in the line of view of her wife. "Why would you even ask me that Miranda? My days have been filled with so much love and happiness because of you. I am so thankful I found a way to you and your heart. I wouldn't have had things any other way, look at what we've had…"

The tears were brimming at the side of Andy's eyes.

"How can words sum up all of the moments that we've shared? The moments that made us the couple we were? The moments that made me fall deeper in love with you every day? You showed me the joys of living; you gave me a home, a family, a lifetime together."

Andy was speaking from the heart; it was true that Miranda had given her everything. The beginning wasn't easy. The world had been a curious and exciting place and whilst there had been much to experience and enjoy, it also brought with it its difficulties. The twins may have welcomed her into the household with open arms but it also made their family a target of the paparazzi at every turn. Apparently the Editor suddenly setting up home with a mysterious young twenty something girl was deemed very news worthy, even more so when the only bit of background information they had on Andy was that she originally came from Ohio. She soon came to realise how money and power could influence and aid a person, particularly in the case of helping her to create an identity.

As the months moved on, the media's attention was soon focused elsewhere and it gave Andy the time to breathe and figure out what she was going to do to occupy her time during the hours when she wasn't with the woman she loved . Despite having nothing to prove to her family and Miranda also pointing out that she didn't have to do anything, she was determined to show the world that she wasn't just going to be a kept woman. As a result she began to write and it turned out she had quite a flare for the written word. It was a gift that would turn her into one of New York's most successful and accomplished writers.

One of her biggest joys came a year to the day after she had made the choice to give up the existence she once knew. Miranda had surprised Andy by whisking her off to Paris for four days, stating that there was no better place for them to celebrate than in the 'City of Love'. Andy herself had a surprise of her own for the women she loved. Following dinner on their last night they had taken a romantic walk along the river. As they stood on the Pont des Arts Bridge, gazing at the moonlight reflecting upon the water, Andrea had quietly pulled out a ring and simply asked the older woman to marry her. They pledged their love to one another 3 months later in the presence of a small number of their friends and family; the pair never happier than in that moment when they had both said 'I do'.

Andy was shook from her musings at the sound of a weak cough coming from her love. It tore at her; serving as a reminder the time was coming closer and closer. She moves to lie back down whilst Miranda using what strength she had left, turns and positons herself so she can face her wife, giving her a reassuring smile in the process. Andrea brought their entwined hands close to her chest, watching as sleep overtook the woman again, her body exhausted. She remained by her loves side, watching as the light filtered across the room and the morning slowly turned to afternoon. Occasionally Miranda woke for a few minutes at a time and they reminisced at a life spent together, the twins occasionally coming and joining in.

Before long the sky began to darken, the sun slowly descending out of sight. Smalls tears streaked down Andy's face, the last day they would spend together drawing to a close.

"Don't cry my love." Miranda was awake, her weary eyes looking into those soulful brown coloured ones like she had done so many times before. She reaches out to caress the face of the younger woman.

"Thank you Andrea. Thank you for coming into my life, for taking the chance, for falling and giving me the greatest happiness I've ever known."

Andy shut her eyes tight, a futile attempt to fight the tears.

"If they ask me what I liked the best, I'll tell them it was you." As Andy looks back up she sees a faint smile upon the other woman's face. She knows Miranda doesn't want her to cry but how could she not. They had shared so much and were now about to part, leaving Andy to find her way alone.

She saw Miranda take a deep breath, those crystal blue orbs seeking her out one last time.

"We we're meant to be Andrea. Always." With that her eyes closed and gone was the only life Andy had ever known.

She understood it all now, the price of being human, the feelings of heartache, despair, grief…And yet despite it all she had also felt the biggest joy of all, love. In that moment, watching as Miranda passed over, Andrea realised she would have done it all over again.