“Ally?” he called out softly, not wanting to wake the baby if he was still sleeping. “Al?”

When there was no answer, he walked silently up the stairs.

He smiled when he opened the bedroom door to see his wife asleep on top of the covers, her body curled around their child’s. Ally had one hand resting on the baby’s back, and both were sound asleep.

He stood at the side of the bed, simply admiring her. Three months after their child was born, she was starting to regain her figure. She was still unhappy with the way she looked, but to Conan, she had never looked more beautiful. Silently, he bent down to kiss first his son, and then Alaska, before stripping off his work clothes and lying down beside her. He draped his arm over her, pressing himself close, and was surprised at how quickly he felt his eyes drifting closed. His body didn’t seem to care that it was only three in the afternoon, and his mind was at peace, content just to be with his loved ones. His wife, and his son. Kieran Dane Donnelley. Dane, after his brother, and his mother. Dane was similar to their names, but not the same, just the way his mother would have wanted it.

Not long later, Alaska drifted awake, surprised at how warm it had become in the room. She moved to stretch, and smiled when she realized that the source of the warmth was still asleep behind her, his arm over her and his face nuzzling her neck.

Raising her head slightly, she glanced over at the clock on the night table. She raised her eyebrows when she saw what time it was, surprised that Kieran was still sleeping so soundly. Usually this close to dinner time, he was awake or at least stirring.

Her movement, as tiny as it was, woke Conan up and he tightened his arm around her. “Hey,” he murmured, his mouth close to her ear.

Turning enough so that he could see her face, she whispered back, “Hi.”

“Have a nice nap?”

“Mmhmm. He didn’t want to go down, so I took him in here and he fell right asleep and I couldn’t help myself.”

Conan chuckled, “I couldn’t help myself either, as you can see.”

“He’s so perfect…”

“Just like his mom.”

“Flirt.”

“You love me. Have you found a dress for the wedding yet?” Krystal had finally said yes to John’s proposal, and they were already planning to adopt their second child.

Second—because Krystal had adopted Danny’s daughter, Shay. She had been the one to fly out and pick up the baby to bring her back, since Conan hadn’t wanted to leave Alaska alone with Kieran. The way Krys had put it, she had fallen in love at first sight and had threatened not to return home at all. Conan had agreed wholeheartedly when Krystal had tentatively asked him if she could adopt the little girl. Krystal was a part of his family, after all, and these past few months, he had never seen her happier. His one requirement had been that Shay would know about her parents. Unfortunately, Shauna had succumbed to her injuries about a week after the accident, and since Danny had requested in his will that Conan take Shay, there hadn’t been any problems. He saw the girl daily, and she certainly was a pretty little thing. Her eyes were a lighter shade of Danny’s, more of a gold, and her hair was a deep shiny brown.

The wedding was only a month away, and would be in New Hampshire by John’s parents’ house. Conan had rented a cabin in the area for his family, and they would be spending about a week up there before the wedding.

The funny part was that Shay and Krystal actually looked alike. They could have passed for biological mother and daughter easily. It was the hair, for the most part-- they both had the same dark hair.

“I found one but I wanted to wait until I got skinnier before I got it fitted.”

“Mmkay. If you need me to take Kieran to work with me, or if I have to stay home for a day, just let me know,” he offered with a yawn. She nodded, echoing his yawn. She could have stayed in bed with him all day long.

“Did I tell you that Jake got engaged? Officially, I mean?”

“No,” Conan said with a shake of his head. “When you talk to him, congratulate him from me.”

“I will. I’m going to try and see him tomorrow night, he’s leaving at the end of the week for California again. His girlfriend’s going to vet school out there, and he wants to be with her. He got into the grad program at Berkeley too.”

“Good for him. You’ll miss him though, won’t you?”

“Yeah,” she said quietly. “He’s a good friend. He let me talk about anything. Like I always imagined an older brother would. I think he’ll be back a lot though. He’s got his brothers, and his parents here.”

Conan made a noncommittal sound, shifting slightly.

“You know what today is?” she asked.

“Uh?” he replied, his head propped up as he looked at her.

“The day the doctor said it was okay…”

“Ah hah. And?”

“And I was thinking…I want another baby.”

“Don’t think we should wait a couple months, even a year?” She might have forgotten about the pain, but he certainly hadn’t. The images of her crying in that hospital bed would never leave him. Birth control of some form or another would suit him just fine, at least for a little while longer.

Reaching down, Ally took his hand in hers. “I want a little girl. I don’t want to wait. I want them to be close.”

“No, ‘Laska…I think…I think we should wait a while. It’s so soon.”

“Don’t you want me?”

He snorted quietly. “Honey, we went through this well before you decided to marry me, and we’ve been through it since then. Me wanting you was never the issue, and will never be.”

“Then why?”

“Can’t you just get a puppy?”

“Oh, can we? A puppy and a baby?”

“Make you a deal.”

“What’s that?”

“You get your degree, and then we can have another baby. And until then, you can have a puppy.”

After a second of thought, Ally nodded. “Fine. But I might make you keep your hands off until then. And I want a Wheaton. One of the soft teddy bear looking ones.”

Conan laughed in her ear. “Because it doesn’t affect you at all when I do this?” he asked, pressing his lips to the sensitive spot behind her ear. “Or this?” His hand trailed down the front of her body and she smacked it away.

“Fine, I admit it, I can’t resist you. Don’t wake the baby.” She tried to sound stern, but failed miserably. He rolled her over to give her a tender kiss, both of them content beyond words with the life they had found together.

A few minutes later, Alaska smiled as she watched her husband pick up their son, holding him high above his head. The baby cooed and giggled down at him, and she had never seen Conan’s smile so wide.

It felt like every day she was saying she had never seen a bigger smile on his face, but everyday, he seemed a little happier. And that in turn made her happier.

He had changed since his brother’s death. He was calmer, more controlled about his emotions, and that, combined with his accident, had led him to start obeying speed limit signs. Relateively obeying. He certainly didn’t stay below the posted limit, but gone were the days of doing fifty-five in a thirty zone. Alaska had been thankful when she had discovered that it had been months since his last speeding ticket.

“By the way,” Conan said, jarring her out of her train of thought. “These are for you. Sorry it took so long, honey.”

She caught the keys he tossed to her, her eyes widening. “You got me a car?!”

Settling the baby against his shoulder, he nodded, giving her a gentle kiss. “Safest little car I could find for you, unless I wrap it in bubble wrap. I meant to give it to you as soon as you got the okay to start driving again, but it took a while for it to come in.”

“Where is it? Can I see it?”

“In the garage.”

She took his hand and tugged him down the stairs, eager to see it. She gasped when she opened the garage door. “Conan!” she exclaimed. “It’s so pretty!” Stepping up to the car, she opened the door and slipped inside, examing every inch of the silver Audi.

Conan stooped down to look in, handing the baby to her. “It’s got as many airbags as I could get, and just about every safety feature they could offer me. I tried to keep it sporty for you too, and it has a bunch of details that I think you’ll like. It’s got satellite radio and navigation, heated and cooled everything, the sunroof, it will play your iPod, and it’s child proof.”

“It’s perfect,” she murmured, running one hand over the dashboard.

“Want to take it for a spin?”

“Later. After you put the car seat in, we can all go?”

He nodded, pulling her out of the car so he could wrap an arm around her waist.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Conan. Thank you so much!”

He kissed her gently, before leading her, and his child inside their house.

It was hard to believe how much had happened in the past year and a half. She didn’t regret any of it, and wouldn’t change any part of it. But still, it was hard to believe that two years ago, she had been in a long term relationship with someone else, and then, Conan had only been her boyfriend’s older brother. Now, he was hers, the love her life. It had taken her a while to see it, and even longer to get there, but now she had a family of her own, with Conan and their son, with Krystal, John and little Shay, and even with her own parents. For the first time, she really felt accepted for who she was. She knew who Alaska was, and she had never been happier.

---

AN: Aww, it's over. Hooray for sappy epilogues, and I hope everyone enjoys.

I've posted a new story-- No More Than This, which I will be posting during the next month. The first ten chapters are written, so I'll be posting them while I work on my NaNoWriMo project. By December, I hope to have the story pretty much completely written, and the next couple chapters of Roma's spell knocked out.

Then, I'll come up with a new project for all of you. So please, Read NMTT and let me know what you think. If you enjoyed this story, I hope you'll enjoy that one as well.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter!

Goodbye to Conan and Alaska, but I hope I will see all of my lovely reviewers again!

--Ashley