"Sam, what on Earth are you doing here?" It was Cat's Nonna's voice that dragged me out of being frozen in panic. Her elderly woman voice was shaky as ever. It was stern and upset, too. I didn't know what to say. Hers was one of the many calls I'd ignored after I left. I was so busy mentally rehearsing what I'd say to Cat, I just didn't think of the possibilities of anyone else getting in the way.

So as always, like all the problems I had to face before this, I thought fast. I dashed to the shut door, picking up one of the sprawled bouquets on the floor along the way, and told the worried old woman, "I'll explain later, I promise."

I approached the closed door like a video game hero walking up to the final boss. The bouquet of flowers gripped tight in my hand where a sword should be. To hell with knocking, I swung the door open. Wide. I'd waited too long for this moment. For my reunion with Cat. For her to hear me out. I'd panicked a lot more in that seven hours than I did my whole life. I wanted to get it over with, even if she might yell at me to go away, even if Chase was in there comforting her in ways I couldn't.

When the door opened, Chase stood cautiously behind it. Eyeing me. He couldn't believe I had the guts to follow them to the dressing room, I could tell. My being there was making him uncomfortable. A few feet away from him sat Cat, facing a tall mirror. I nearly gasped, but the air got stuck midway in my throat. I could've choked. The brunette wig was off. Her red locks were back. Her makeup was hurriedly wiped off just minutes ago, I could tell. There were still traces of powder near her hair, her eyeshadow still faintly visible. But that image of Cat, the red-headed Cat in her soft pink dress, it was everything. Her back was facing the door, but she noticed my arrival from the mirror.

"Cat," I called, my voice hoarse. I could feel everything I'd mentally prepared, last minute, floating away from my mind. Down the drain. Pointless, useless.

She stood up, her arms crossed. What I saw in her face broke me. It really did. I never wanted to see her face like that ever again. That deep frown, her red eyes, her cheeks wet with tears, all of that straining to keep more tears from coming. It was painful to watch. I wanted to step forward and stop it for her. Wipe her tears away like I used to. I was just too scared she'd pull back, or push me away.

"I think – I think you dropped this," I ended up saying, offering her the bouquet. Nothing was going according to the little script in my head. There was no way of seeing how she would respond.

And like always, as expected, she took me by surprise. Just, the good kind of surprise this time. I heard a strained squeal before I felt her thin arms wrap around me, her wet face to the side of my neck, the bouquet squished and sandwiched between us. I put my arm awkwardly around her, hoping it wouldn't scare her off. When she spoke, her breath was warm and her speech hurried. "Why didn't you run after me? I waited outside, I thought you were gonna run after me. I thought – I thought I'd never see you again!"

"I'm sorry, I'm a dumbass, I know," was all I could say in reply. I don't even know if I said the words properly or in the right order. I probably mumbled.

And quicker than anything, she pulled back, her eyes still wet but alert. She spoke in a whisper, urgent and serious. "Are you here with Freddie?"

"No."

"He's gone back to Seattle?"

"Yeah."

She paused, shutting her eyes, clenching them tight. "Do you love him?"

"No," I breathed, meeting her eyes. Back open. "Not like this."

She stared silently into my eyes, looking deep in thought. And then she snapped back to reality. "But you lived with him for five years."

That caught me off guard. "Five? I thought – I thought it's only been four years since I left?" I turned to look at Chase, who stood there watching us the whole time, as if he would know.

"It's five," Cat insisted. "I marked it on my calendar. It's five years."

I knew my memory was a little hazy, but did I really just miss a whole year of my life? After all this was over with, I'd considered giving Freddie a call, ask him about the first year of my return, get some answers, maybe talk to my therapist again… but it was a pressing question for another time. Now was the time to fix things – really fix them – with Cat. We'd both waited long enough for this moment, and I wasn't going to let anything ruin it.

"Freddie's my best friend," I said. "Like Robbie's your best friend. Nothing more, I promise. I'm here to stay. With you."

She looked at me, twirling a strand of her red hair between her fingers. "So you're here on your own?"

"Yeah," I replied, forcing a smile. "Yeah, Cat."

And then I was lost. The bouquet dropped to the floor for the second time, and Cat had her hands on the sides of my face, and my hands had found their way to her hips, and we were kissing. We were kissing with a whole new level of energy than we were just hours ago. This time was fueled by something happier, something realer. There was no guilt, there was no rising dread. Everything felt perfect. What made everything better was that this was Cat Valentine I was kissing. Cat Valentine my roommate, my best friend, my long-time crush. Not Cat Valentine the stage actress with her fake dark hair, but Cat Valentine the redhead in her soft pink dress.

I could hear Chase slipping away, leaving us alone in the room, closing the door behind him. I could feel Cat's Nonna's concerned voice questioning Chase just outside, and I could hear Chase trying to explain and comfort her. But it all sounded muffled. Like from another world.

What I could hear clearly and exclusively to me was Cat's breathing and her soft gasps whenever we would pull away for breath, just to close that gap again immediately. What I could hear was the sound of my heart thumping so violently against my chest, like it could hop out any time. Like it was trying to join hers.

"Dummy, you should've answered 'I'm here with you…'" Cat whispered with a satisfied grin when we pulled away for real.

Her hands still on my face, and my hands still on her hips, I wanted to laugh right then and there. I wanted to sigh and scream and burst into a million pieces of pure relief. If you ever wonder how a person goes from a state of fear and panic to instant relief, picture a real big balloon getting poked by a tiny little needle. That's exactly how I felt. It was overwhelming, it was surreal, to go from feeling bitter and just crappy about yourself and your decisions to feeling this… rush of joy. Because this was it. Me and Cat, in each other's arms. She loved me, and I loved her, and there was nothing in between.

"How was the show?" I asked.

She shrugged, smiling. "Not as great as this."

"I'll make sure I'm in the audience for the next shows, then. I'm here to stay, right? New York all the way."

She started giggling. "Oh, we are done with New York."

"Wait, what?"

She was straight up smiling then, biting on her lower lip, as if trying to stop herself from saying too much or something. "Too much drama."

"Cat, what's going on? Tell me!" I pressed, smiling even though I didn't know what she'd say next. I mean, what now, right?

"I got a movie deal," Cat said, bouncing on her heels. It was at the tip of her tongue. She couldn't wait to say it. She couldn't wait to get it out. I could tell. That childish anticipation kind of got to me too, I just couldn't wait any longer. I was almost bouncing along with her. And then she dropped it, "We're going to London!"

Holy chizzels, am I right?

"What? Cat – that's, that's great!" I exclaimed, pulling her into a hug. The first of very few Sam-initiated hugs, mind you. But I meant it. Cat's career was moving at a higher rate than I'd expected. I mean, from Los Angeles to New York, and now London? I was in for a long ride, but I knew that from the beginning. I knew it from the day I decided to stay with her in L.A. "I'm so happy for you."

Now, I know you're thinking, what could possibly go wrong in London? I mean, we were gonna be as far away from drama as we could possibly be. We wouldn't have to deal with ex-boyfriends in London. No past flames that needed rekindling, or whatever the heck people say about ex-boyfriends. I mean, Cat would be busy doing her first movie, while I could try and see if I could make money – legally - somewhere. That was a shame, about my martial arts business… It was going well. But it was worth dropping if it meant I'd be able to stay with Cat. Besides, London is going to be such a blast!

But, still. There was nothing that could get in the way of our… relationship, now, was it?

Now that's a wrap!

Phew. I'm gonna try and work on more oneshots for now. Again, thank you all for reading, reviewing, and sticking around! I know I say that a lot, but I mean it every time. For real. Let me know what you think of the story while I work on more fanfiction for our favorite ship, now : )

Oh, P.S., London would be a great setting for a sequel, wouldn't it? I don't know if a sequel would be well-received, though. Ah, well. That's a question for another time, I suppose!