Authors Note: thanks to UntilNeverDawns, MsZoeiLang, Keeper of Oz, xKimberly12x, niki 1981, Tammy and Nesiee for reading and reviewing my last chapter. I've gotten so much feedback in these last chapters and it really means so much! There isn't too much left in this story (or is there? :P) but I'm going to be in Ireland for the next three weeks so look for some updates when I get back.

They'd talked every night that week, for hours, deep into the night, it had seemed like the new start they needed and when he'd suggestion she pick up his car and meet him at the airport Thursday she'd jumped at the opportunity. She'd rushed home from work, changed her clothes and refreshed her makeup before picking up his car and arriving at the airport. The flight was on time but she was twenty minutes early, which was just enough time for her to question everything she was doing and everything she was thinking.

Sophie sat down in the hard plastic chair, taking a sip of her water before replace it back in her bag. They'd been getting along so well this last week, she was worried being here, actually seeing each other could tip the scale in either a good or bad direction. She played with the hem on her dress, a nervous habit she'd picked up as a teenager as the board announced the arrival of his flight. She'd gone out and bought this dress to meet him, not that she'd ever admit it, and now she was feeling silly about it. It's not like he was going to notice anyways but when she'd walked by the window and seen the stunning sapphire sundress she knew she had to have it.

Slipping her flip-flops on and off her foot she could feel her nerves double. Why was she so nervous? She done this before, more times than she could count but it felt different this time. This time she was very aware of what could happen, how drastically things could change if everything went right.

She slipped her shoe back on and got up, taking a few steps closer to the doors. People milled around, all waiting for the arrival of friends and loved ones. Having done this before she knew one of two things was going to happen. He'd either be in the first wave of people to come out of those doors, he'd always had a horseshoe up his ass when it came to getting his baggage or he'd be in the last wave of people to leave because immigration always had a way of holding him up. Something that even after years of living in the States he still dealt with. It turned out to be the latter; the airport was nearly empty again when she spotted him through the frosted glass sliding doors.

The pinched look in his face told her he was irritated and as he looked around for her she took him in. Drinking up every detail from the dark denim snuggly wrapped around his thighs to the blue cotton t-shirt stretched wide across his chest. The blue was so vibrant it nearly matched her dress, almost as if they'd planned it that way and it made his skin look impossibly white, like flawless marble. She looked at him, took the moment in and watched as his eyes swung around finally meeting hers.

When he spotted her she watched his face change, the irritation bled into a smile, and she watched it reach all the way to his eyes before she took the last few steps to meet him. They were toe to toe, looking at each other for a good long minute before he dropped his bag, slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his chest. She was glad he'd taken the initiative because she wasn't sure what to actually do, what exactly was the protocol when you met an ex that you were still in love with at the airport?

Sophie slipped her hands around his neck, rolling to the tips of her toes to help close some of the sizable height gap between them. It brought her level with is chest, her eyes peaking over his shoulder as his arms tighten around her body, pulling her as close into him as he could. She slipped her finger across his neck and into his hair. Pulling him closer she felt him drop his forehead against her shoulder, folding his body around hers completely.

It felt so good being wrapped up in him, despite the fact that she was well aware that they were in a very public place, even when he pulled away he never let go of her. His arms stayed locked around her waist as he looked down at her. He looked down at her with a strong, serious face and she did the very same thing, looking up at him with that very same serious look.

"Are you gonna look at me like that all night?"

She glowered a little harder before she couldn't hold it any longer and laughed. The sound set him off and he smiled down at her. Sliding his hands up her body he cupped her face and pulled her towards him, pressing his lips to her forehead before releasing her completely.

"Yah looked beautiful So, Ah'm sorry it took so long."

He covered his compliment with an apology so she glanced past it too.

"It's okay; I always know it's a 50/50 shot when it comes to you." She joked looking around the mostly empty arrival terminal.

His eyes lingered on her for another minute; the blue dress wrapped around her like a glove accentuating every hill and valley that made up her body and it made his mouth go dry. Her skin had picked up some color since he'd last seen her, unlike his, her skin always picked up healthy glow and with her hair pulled up off her face she looked like the picture of health.

"Is that a new dress So?" he asked reaching out to feel the material between his fingers; it was as soft as her skin.

"This old thing?"

She flattened her hands against her ribs, feeling the material of the bodice shift as she took a breath. There was no way he could know it was new, it wasn't even possible but the look he gave her said that he might actually pay more attention then she'd ever given him credit for.

"Okay, yeah, it's new." She confessed hiking her purse up her shoulder. "How did you know?"

"Cause Ah doubt Ah'd ever forget anything that makes yeh look so beautiful."

Sophie flushed from head to toe; she actually felt it build from her toes up and when her eyes swung up to meet his she had to look away. She couldn't take that look in his eyes without melting into the ground.

"Ah've always loved that color on yeh, yeh know that." He started before he reached down for his bag.

She did know that, she remembered once, when they'd first started dating, that she'd worn a shirt of a similar color and he'd mentioned how much he'd liked the color on her so she'd used this opportunity to try it out this new dress.

Stephen straightened to his full height and paused as Sophie slipped her hand around his forearm. When he looked at her she tipped her head to the left. She'd noticed the boy when she'd gotten to the airport, well she'd noticed his t-shirt but when she'd lost him in the crowd she hadn't thought about him again. Not till she noticed him timidly slide into her peripheral vision. The boy was seven, maybe eight and he looked up at him like he'd just seen a ghost. It happened a lot, especially with a man that was so hard to miss, but the little ones were always her favourite, she just never knew how they'd react or what they'd say. The boy slipped a little closer, ushered by his mother, and stopped about a foot away from them. When he didn't speak his mother did.

"I'm so sorry to bother you…" she started looking between then two of them then back at her son. "But my son is such a huge fan of yours, would you mind if we got a quick picture?"

She was a little nervous too; Sophie could see it so she reached out and squeezed the women's arm reassuringly. When people didn't know Stephen she could understand why they'd be intimidated, he was a big guy with an even bigger presence but he was great with his fans, the smaller the better.

"Ah think we can arrange that if that's what the wee one wants?"

He bent down, sinking to eye level with the boy who was still looking at him in awe.

"Is it a picture yeh're wanting fella?"

She watched him lay it on thick, like he always did for the camera or especially the little ones. The boy nodded his head enthusiastically before he found his voice, talking a mile a minute about anything and everything that crossed his mind.

"I'm sorry to barge in on your time." The boy's mother apologized again turning towards Sophie as the two boys chatted on. "But I knew if I didn't bring him over here he'd regret it for the rest of his life. I doubt I'll ever hear the end of it as is."

Sophie smiled at the women; she understood, there were plenty of people in her youth that would have rendered her speechless if she'd ever gotten to meet them. Hell if Johnny Depp stepped through those doors…

"Oh don't worry about it." Sophie started. "It's nothing and honestly I think he enjoys this as much as the kids do."

She watched the boy talked animatedly, she doubted he'd taken a breath since he'd started and when Stephen looked over at her the look on his face pretty much told her the same thing. She laughed turning away from him and back to the boy's mother.

"He's really great with kids, you never know when you approach complete strangers…" her voice trailed off like she didn't want to insult anyone with her honesty.

"He is." Sophie confirmed. "He really loves it."

"And what about you? I mean it must get old having people jump in on your life constantly."

She'd never had a problem with people stopping them, she understood their excitement and as long as it didn't boarder on intrusive she'd never had a complaint. He'd always been really good at handling people in a timely manner when it was needed and without being rude.

"It doesn't happen as often as you probably think." She explained. "But honestly it doesn't really bother me; it makes them both so happy."

The boy said something and they both laughed as she watched him pull a marker out of his back pocket so he could get his shirt signed.

"Do you guys have kids?"

"Us?" she questioned looking over at him then back at the women in front of her. "No, no kids."

"Well don't wait too long." She looked over at her son then back at Sophie. "A man like that should be surrounded by them."

She gave her a wink, pulling her phone out of her bag and walking over to take a picture before they turned to leave.

"What do you say Justin?" his mother looked down at the boys urging him to be polite.

"Thank you!" he yelled it, looked up at Stephen one last time before he ran off to tell anyone who would listen; leaving the adults behind with a laugh.

"Thank you again."

She looked at him then over at Sophie before following her son back to where he sat.

Stephen reached down grabbing his bag again before throwing it over his shoulder; it was time to get out of here before someone else spotted him. When he turned to Sophie he felt her arm slip through his, leaning her head into his shoulder.

"Are yeh ready to leave?"

She looked up at him, a lazy smile spread wide across her face and he took the opportunity to bend down and press his lips to hers. It was a quick kiss, just a press of lips to lips but he'd wanted to do it since he'd seen her. When he pulled back she hopped onto her toes pressing her lips to his again before she slid her hand down into his and began pulling him out of the terminal towards the doors.

"Let's get outta here superstar."