Three months later...

Joey was released from the hospital a couple days after Veronica was apprehended. He'd lost a lot of blood and it took him a while to get his strength back up. I was there every single day, having almost every meal together and spending every night I could with him. Nurse Melissa bent the rules for us so I wouldn't have to worry about visiting hours. She'd been a joy to be around, and I was going to miss her. Sometimes when Joey was asleep, Melissa and I would talk about everything from her ex-husband to my plans after college. It was bittersweet when we hugged and said goodbye the day Joey discharged, but we promised to keep in touch.

Although I still wouldn't trust him completely, it turned out that Detective Rawlings had not been in on Mike's scheme. He'd just been doing a very shitty job of pinpointing the guilty parties. Despite his attitude, however, John did have the decency to apologize to me for the false accusations, as well as his mistake in ignoring the evidence Joey had brought him. He ended up being reprimanded for said mistake by his superiors.

Brad spent some time in jail before the trials began, but between he and Jack, I was able to get answers to all the questions I'd given him at the hospital.

My coworker, Heather, had been true to her word in not divulging our conversation when I'd called her on the run. Jack discovered that Mike had kept a record of nearly every conversation and deal made during the ordeal. On the day that Samantha called my burner phone, she'd gotten the number from Mike, who hoped she could get me to tell her our location because the transmitter signals were spotty that day. Though there was obvious animosity between Sam and I, that was the extent of the role she played in the crime, and the court's only punishment for her involvement was a fine for fifty dollars more than the two hundred that Mike had paid her.

During one of Veronica's many interrogations, it was revealed that the mysterious call to my burner from Fairytale Weddings had been an accident. She'd planned on trying to intimidate me into giving her the code to my aunt's records file – which I didn't even have – but when I wasn't the one who answered, Veronica hung up – or so she thought.

She never explained why she and one of Mike's minions had been at my aunt's business, but Joey had a theory that they'd been searching for client payment records to steal money from more people.

When I quizzed Joey on why he'd acted so strange about the call, he explained that he'd thought he heard voices on the other end mention Mike, but at the time, he'd still trusted Mike and never suspected him. He'd been so confused by the call; he hadn't wanted to say anything in case he could've been wrong. He deleted the number from my phone because he thought I might try calling back and potentially get myself in even more trouble. I told him I wished he'd just explained that to me at the time, and he promised never to act like that again.

Another of Brad and Jack's discoveries was that Mike had been the driver of the second black SUV that disappeared instead of following us to Marty's Car Mart. He'd fled the scene when things hadn't gone as planned, because he didn't want to chance Joey or me recognizing him. His original plan had been to corner us in our motel room and end the controversy there. The SUV was found a week later, hidden behind a nightclub that Veronica frequented.

Neither Brad nor Jack could give me an explanation for why Joey had a file on my aunt's homicide in his nightstand drawer, so I finally asked Joey, point blank. His answer was that he'd been trying to climb the ladder at the department, and the original detective on the case, Detective Blake, had allowed Joey to review evidence with him and given him a copy of the file. Joey had spent the weekend before we met going over it at the beach house. Detective Rawlings had acquired the case a couple days before Joey had arrived at my apartment, because Blake had been shot on the job and was expected to be in the hospital for quite some time. Rawlings never knew that Joey possessed a copy of the file until the investigators combed the beach house for evidence after Mike and his partners were killed.

I also asked Joey why the beach house was in Steve Barnett's name. He explained that the convict who murdered his family had tracked down his dad by searching his name in public records to see where he lived. Joey said he never wanted to chance that happening again in case he made it on someone's shit list someday, and decided to use a fake name in his property records. No one looking for Joseph Cavannaugh would glance twice at the name Steve Barnett.

The Boston Police Department used Jack's investigative expertise to determine what Mike and his cohorts had done with the shooting footage at Ron's range in Westfield. After nearly two weeks of digging, Jack located the original film and cleared Joey and me as suspects. Detective Rawlings offered Joey the opportunity to view the original footage, but he said he couldn't stomach it.

Veronica also shed some light on Ron's untimely death, telling police that the reason Mack Wheeler killed him was because Ron wouldn't give up any information on us or where we were going – the same reason Mike had killed Lydia. Both murders were now solved, as well as my aunt's – she'd been shot by her cheater boyfriend – and his. He'd been shot by Mack Wheeler.

Over the course of several weeks of court, the jury got to hear every side of the story: mine, Joey's, Jack's, Brad's, Detectives Blake and Rawlings', numerous responding officers' from the multiple crimes, and Ron's and Lydia's family's, among others. Even Marty Richardson from Marty's Car Mart was put on the stand. My grandma came to every single court date in support of Joey and me. It seemed to drag out forever and I was beginning to think we'd never get to the verdict. There were just too many witnesses, too much evidence to go over, and too many testimonies. I didn't know how the district attorney and Veronica's defense team could keep everything straight in their heads, much less their files.

When it was all said and done, the jury found Veronica guilty on twenty-three charges, including second degree murder, insurance fraud, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, prostitution, and manslaughter. She ended up bearing the consequences for some of Mike and his partners' crimes.

Also convicted of at least three felonies was Emily Tanner, the woman who had been paid to falsify my death certificate so my aunt's boyfriend could get the money. She'd turned into a bawling catastrophe when the State put her on the stand. She was sentenced to eighteen months in prison.

Brad was brought up on several charges of conspiracy, along with charges resulting from his acquiring Emily's help. However, after hearing how he'd backed out of Mike's deal and ended up saving Joey's and my lives at the beach house, the jury only found him guilty on one charge. He was fired from the Boston Police Department with no chance of ever wearing a badge again, and set to serve six months in prison for his work with Mike and Emily. Joey and I had gone to visit him twice since he'd been behind bars, and he'd told us that Jack had offered him a partnership with him as a private investigator. It was a good alternative for Brad, who hated never getting to be a cop again. At least as a P.I., he'd still get a taste of law enforcement and helping people. I truly believed that Brad was a good man. He'd simply gone down the wrong path, but he was quickly working his way back.

The biggest disappointment came a week after the final court date when Joey was ordered to give up his badge and gun. He'd been on unpaid administrative leave since his hospital stay. To our surprise, the district attorney's office had decided not to file charges against Joey, despite the laundry list of crimes he'd committed in the name of keeping me safe. The D.A. said it wouldn't have been worth the time in court, as he believed that the jury would've been too sympathetic to our love story and not found Joey guilty of a single crime. Still, he was not off the hook. The higher ups had yet to decide if the things he'd done warranted the permanent loss of his shield.

While we awaited the fateful verdict, Heather, whom I'd finally allowed to form a tightknit friendship with me, helped me finish unpacking my belongings at Joey's house. Joey had asked me to move in with him right after he got out of the hospital. I'd nearly shit myself the first time I saw my destroyed apartment. Everything had been turned over and ripped apart. They'd even busted through the drywall in some places. Thankfully, my landlord was very understanding about everything, and didn't charge me for the repairs. She did keep my security deposit and give me a small penalty fee for breaking my lease, but I figured that was a good deal, considering the circumstances.

Joey's home had been turned upside down, too, and his insurance company ended up shelling out over one-hundred-grand for the repairs and loss of personal property. He wasn't able to move back in until halfway through the trials. Until then, we'd both stayed at my grandmother's apartment and she'd quickly developed a fondness for Joey. It warmed my heart to see them enjoying talking to each other. She spent several nights teaching him many of her "famous" recipes, and I swear, I fell in love with him all over again, watching the way he laughed, talked, and cooked with her. Grandma even told me she'd have gone for Joey, too, if she was forty years younger!

I'd also finally admitted to Joey who Aaron was, and what had happened in my wild past. I told him how I'd gotten mixed up with the wrong crowd in school and met a guy, whom I thought was the one at the time, and let him talk me into helping him with various illegal pursuits. Aaron was a chameleon. He made me believe that I was the only girl for him and that he truly loved me. I was young and foolish, and allowed him to coerce me into dangerous situations.

There wasn't a lot that Joey didn't already know, given that he'd seen my records in the system, but I felt it was necessary to tell him everything anyway. I told him how the last time I'd seen Aaron before he was incarcerated was in Baltimore, where I'd helped him make a drug deal. The deal went bad and things got heated and messy. Aaron tried to put the blame on me and I ended up on the run, alone and terrified, when the men he'd deceived decided to pursue me. The mess just kept getting bigger until I was finally able to find a good hiding place until everything blew over.

I'd spent the last several years always looking over my shoulder, expecting Aaron to pop up again. I'd heard he'd been arrested and went to prison for two years, but I knew he was out now, and I knew he held a vendetta against me. It always felt like only a matter of time until he would track me down and get his revenge. In reality, the only thing I'd done "wrong" was testify against him one time. That was the deal the judge in Maryland had given me, along with a hefty fine, to avoid my going to jail. But to Aaron, I'd never done anything right to begin with, and he blamed me for "ruining his life." He swore he'd get revenge, and as a result, I always tried to stay one step ahead of him. But it seemed that trouble managed to find me anyway in Boston, whether Aaron found me or not.

Joey was extremely understanding when I told him. He promised he'd always keep me safe, and I believed him. Hell, he'd protected me through worse shit than Aaron had ever put me through. In the end, I was relieved to know that Aaron had not found me, and had not been involved in Mike's scheme. Still, I continued to worry in the back of my mind that someday I might see him again. I told Joey my concerns and he swore I'd never have to worry about Aaron finding me.

Now, it had been only two weeks since Joey and I had started living together, and those couple weeks had been absolutely amazing. We'd spent at least half of the time in bed, losing ourselves in each other's touches, tastes, and sounds. Joey had even made me breakfast in bed several times. We watched movies together almost every night, but we could never get through the entire film before we'd end up with my legs wrapped around his waist while he carried me to the bedroom. Living with Joey was like being on a fairytale vacation with Prince Charming, and I couldn't get enough. I was addicted to Joey Cavannaugh.

I heard the front door open and my pulse kicked up a notch. I was nervous and excited and flipped out all at the same time. Today had been an eventful day for both of us. Joey had been down at the station all afternoon in regards to his employment, and I had been in meetings all morning with professors and administrators at UMass, followed by a wild trip to the doctor. I couldn't wait to hear Joey's news and tell him mine.

"Hello, Beautiful," Joey smiled, sauntering into the kitchen where I was making stuffed chicken.

He had a flawless, toothy grin plastered across his face and he walked up behind me, wrapping his arms around me and kissing my neck and shoulder. I got a whiff of his cologne and nearly drooled. He smelled amazing and he looked even better.

"How was your day?" I asked, turning around in his arms. "You look happy. How'd things go down there?"

Joey's smile only grew and he planted another kiss on me. "I want to hear your news first, babe."

Yikes.

"Oh, trust me. You'll want to wait." I tried to assure him while keeping a smile.

I was really excited about my news, but I was a little nervous about Joey's reaction.

"Well... Alright," Joey chuckled, making a funny face at me.

He stepped back and reached in his pocket, his eyes sparkling a vibrant ocean blue. He held out his hand for me to take the object he was holding.

"Oh my god!" I squealed in excitement when I saw the familiar shield. "You're back on the force!"

Joey shook his head, grinning ear-to-ear. "Not just that. I'm being promoted to detective. I'm just waiting on the paperwork to be finalized and then you'll be talking to Detective Cavannaugh."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I was so happy for him, I could cry! "I'm so proud of you!"

Joey pulled me into another tight hug and kissed my forehead. It felt amazing to be in his arms. I couldn't imagine feeling this happy with anyone else.

"Now you can tell me your news," he said.

Shortly after the danger had subsided, I'd met with my professors, the dean, and several administrators at UMass to determine the best way for me to make up for lost time and still graduate. I'd missed the cut for the summer graduation, but UMass had been understanding and sympathetic to my situation. They'd made me a deal where I could make up all my missed work and finals over a period of a few months, and then I'd be able to graduate with my bachelor's degree in psychology.

"Well, you remember what UMass said when I talked to them in May about graduating?" I began. "I saw most of the same people in today's meeting, and guess who's graduating with the winter class?"

"That's amazing, Jess!" Joey kissed me again and high-fived me. "I'm really proud of you, baby. You worked so hard for this."

"That's not all," I continued. "I'm going to pursue a Ph.D., and guess which school accepted me today, pending my graduation? Yale!"

Joey's eyebrows shot straight up and disappeared beneath his bangs. "That's your dream school!"

"I'm so excited!" I screamed and did a little happy dance.

"Baby, that's wonderful! You're going to be a doctor! God, I'm so proud! I'm so happy for you!" Joey kept laughing and smiling, and hugging and kissing me like he couldn't stop.

I grabbed the tongs and turned over the chicken breasts while we talked. I planned to call my grandmother later in the evening and tell her our exciting news, too. I could imagine her enthusiastic reaction.

"That's still not all," I said in a more serious tone, turning my attention back to Joey. "There's something else I need to tell you, and I'm not sure how you're going to react, so I'm a little nervous..."

"Well, don't say it like that," he chuckled, though his eyes were serious. "What's going on?"

Now was the moment of truth that would define the rest of our relationship.

"You know how I've been getting sick off and on lately?" I asked, feeling my hands shake a little. "I went to the doctor today..."

Joey took my hands in his and pulled me closer, searching my eyes as if he was trying to read my mind. "What is it, Jess? Are you okay? Is something wrong?"

"No. No. Nothing's wrong," I smiled and started to tear up. "I found out today that... I'm pregnant."

"P-Pregnant?" Joey stuttered, his eyes the widest I'd ever seen them. "But I... I use condoms. Did it fail? Did-"

I couldn't help laughing at his confused reaction. He was adorable when he was confused.

I shook my head. "No. It's not that. I noticed I've gained a little weight, but I didn't think much of it until I started getting sick. You use condoms now, yeah. But you didn't when we were on the run."

He looked like he was about to fall over from shock. "That long?"

I nodded. "I'm almost four months along."

He swallowed hard, his eyes still wide as could be. "I'm going to be a dad?"

I nodded again.

Suddenly, a huge grin broke out across his face and his eyes lit up like I'd never seen.

"I'm going to be a dad!" he exclaimed excitedly, hugging and kissing me like his life depended on it. "I can't believe I'm going to be a dad! Holy shit!"

It felt so good so see him so excited over the news. I couldn't wait to tell everyone else.

Joey sunk to his knees with his arms still around me and kissed my stomach. "I love you, Jess. I love you so much."