A/N: Surprise! Last chapter and the epilogue coming your way! As I said, I published Book 4 with a random note for you to save so you can find it after this ends. So next weekend, we can start anew.

Frank was standing nervously behind the thick blue curtain, clutching the velvet fabric in one hand as he drew it back an inch to peer out at the crowd of reporters and a few faces he recognized in the large sea. He swallowed and turned, fussing with his suit that suddenly felt two sizes too small despite it being the one he wore last week, and watched Lindsey and Gerard.

Gerard stood a few feet away, dressed impeccably in a blue suit, with Lindsey and Patrick. He was staring at a small stack of cue cards that he clutched in his slightly trembling fingers. He watched the way Lindsey continued to try and comfort her husband whilst he read the perfectly curated speech that Patrick had concocted for his first public appearance since the world around them had descended into pure chaos.

Lindsey came over to dust off Frank's jacket for the tenth time, "You stand by me and Patrick, okay? He will say his piece and then we leave. You don't leave my side, you don't talk to anyone, understand?"

Frank nodded, looking at the stress around her doe eyes. She didn't even have her signature red lip today, a simple nude gloss was the only thing gracing her lips. Frank whispered a shaky, "Yes, ma'am."

They stood together, waiting a moment before Gerard walked out quietly, and they followed a few steps behind. Frank immediately felt queasy when cameras clicked and the entire room went silent. He stood to the side at the back of the raised platform, watching as Gerard stepped up to the podium and pulled out his notes, looking at them for a moment, his hands having already lost their shake. He stared ahead of him, trying not to make eye contact with the hundred eyes on him, as his mind finally chose that moment to come back into reality from the six-day dissociation it had been floating through. He genuinely had been daydreaming in autopilot ever since he had been sent home and here he was, suddenly hyper-aware of where he was and of what the fuck had happened.

He tried not to cry, or show any sort of emotion at all, knowing that any movement could be taken out of context by any of the sharks out in that sea ahead. Every click of a camera shutter, every whir of a tape recorder, it was all heightened in his ears, booming over the intense silence of the room.

"Good afternoon to you all for joining me, I am so thankful, whether you are here with me in person or watching from a screen, I acknowledge the opportunity I have been granted to express and explain myself and my actions."

The sound of Gerard's voice surprised him; he had been so sure that his boss would have opened with a warble or a crack, but his voice was as smooth as ever, so calm and collected. It really did show how long he had been in this profession, how he could put everything aside for his career, for his appearance. That amount of training must have taken years, and Frank instantly felt more guilt on his shoulders for ruining it all. He had been told over and over that it wasn't his fault, but Frank knew it to be untrue. If he took himself out of the equation, what other variable would be left that could cause this? Gerard would never out himself on his own, Lindsey had been the one to hide it, and Josh could never have done it even if he tried. No, it was Frank's fault, and he had started to accept it now. The only way he could get over that guilted hump was to accept it and try to fix it. He had allowed himself those three days to wallow, but he wouldn't any longer. It's not what Gerard would have wanted.

Frank glanced away from his boss and looked out at the crowd again, seeing Derek and Cara in the crowd, along with someone he hadn't expected but now that he realized, it made perfect sense. Of course, Ryan would be here to see their demise and public shame. He sat there, his press badge around his neck despite the fact that he was an accountant, not a journalist. Frank had no doubt that he had bribed his parents for some sort of access to the event, and had no intention of writing anything neutral - or write anything at all.

Frank glanced away, swallowing hard, and tuned back in to what Gerard was about to say. He took a small breath and finally looked at the crowd, "I cannot express just how contrite I feel for how I have let some of you down, how-"

He paused, looking at his cards, and let out a small chuckle, "I'm sure most of you can tell these were written by my wife. My wonderful wife. We celebrated our anniversary this year, you know? She's my best friend. And I know a lot of you do not believe me as you have taken my actions as an indicator of infidelity. I understand that."

"What the fuck is he doing?" Lindsey whispered, "I told him not to improvise."

Frank just shook his head, his stomach twisting tenfold over and over as the anxiety continued to pile over his insides. He instantly began praying. To whom, he didn't know. Anyone or anything that was nearby to listen.

Gerard sighed, "The cards go on for a lengthy amount of time where I am meant to express my regret and offer repentance. I feel that after my many years in office, I offered my district nothing short of a hundred percent of myself as a congressman, but never a hundred percent of who I was as a person. It was always how I conducted business, keeping the two separate, and perhaps that is why my life has fallen so short as of late. I would be remiss if I said I regretted it. And you are welcome to leave here today to write whatever you want, but here is what you will know from now on; I never cheated on my wife, because she was never my wife. Not really. I love the man I am with. The fact that he was my employee means little to me, as he is no longer. From today, I resign as your congressman, and I lovingly accept any and all of your support. Thank you."

He stepped down from the podium and took Frank's hand in his before he turned to walk with him toward the door. Frank let out a startled laugh, following dumbly through the crowd of frenzied reporters. He let himself be led outside and scrambled into the car, watching Gerard climb in with him. He replayed the entire thing in his head in a matter of seconds, like a highlight reel of absolute fuckery that he had no other way of describing. From the speech, the deviation, and the absolute badassery that was Gerard's exit from the press conference.

He couldn't believe what had happened, and there was a part of him that was still in denial. But the rest of the world sure wasn't, that's for sure. It was the sound of the car starting and Maurice asking for an address that had Frank snapping out of his little bubble, the purr of the car adding some ambiance in his surprisingly empty head. He stared at him as they drove off, still in shock, "What the fuck did you just do?"

"Is this what it's like to take drugs? I think it is." Gerard muttered, laughing shakily, "I feel like I could surpass God. Although, it could just be adrenaline."

Frank let out a laugh and turned to see a genuine smile on Gerard's face, a contagious glimmer of happiness that seemed so rare these days. He felt as though he had just gone skydiving or taken a zipline without a net, the imposing exhilaration had his fingertips tingling and his stomach churning in the best way. He didn't care about anyone or anything else in that moment as he climbed over Gerard's lap, looking down at him, "You're fucking insane, you know that? Like, I always had my suspicions but this was way over the edge."

Gerard looked down at his watch, his hands still shaking as much as Frank's own, his leg bouncing- something Frank had never seen even when Gerard was extra stressed. He seemed to be counting his pulse for a moment before he spoke again, "Perhaps so, but at least now I'm free."

Frank ran a hand through Gerard's hair and looked back into his astoundingly beautiful green eyes, adoring the way his pupils had dilated so quickly just from their gazes meeting. He had noticed it much more now than he did before and it made his stomach tighten in ten different places - now was no exception, "I-I mean, yeah. Yeah, you are. Everyone knows now. But... Sir, everyone knows. What are you going to do? This was your career. Both of ours. Everyones. I don't wanna put a damper on your mood but... This seems super impulsive for someone like you."

"It is. I completely went off the rails, didn't I?" Gerard chuckled, looking back with a smile still etched onto his face.

"I know we had a fight about this before. I know I wanted you to tell everyone about us and make this grand gesture, but fuck, I genuinely didn't think you'd do it. I didn't think you'd ever get to that point where you actually had to choose. And..." He trailed off as he felt the words in his throat automatically tighten his chest, "I didn't expect you to choose me. Me. Stupid me. In my stupid suit. With my stupid-ass face."

Gerard laughed softly, "I happen to be very fond of your stupid face."

"Clearly." Frank whispered and leaned in, "If I ever doubted you before, I don't anymore. And I never will. It's clear that maybe you just need some time. I have been told that you're a patient man, after all."

"Now who went and told you a thing like that?" Gerard smiled playfully, putting his hands on Frank's outer thighs.

"Your wife."

"Ex-wife." Gerard stated pointedly, "If I want to do this with you, I may as well do it right. Wouldn't make sense if I stayed married to a woman now that everyone knows."

"You're on a roll today." Frank smiled, putting both hands on Gerard's face, cupping and holding him so close, "I'm impressed. But I do have a question."

"Hmm?"

"I don't mean to sound distasteful, sir, but what on God's green fuck of a planet are you planning to do, exactly? Become a realtor? Sell stocks? Next Bob Ross?"

"As a child, I did always want to become a Sheriff."

"What happened to the Guillions? Didn't you hunt them for sport?" Frank snorted softly, "The mark-up on marshmallows in your town must have been expensive."

"Now how do you remember things like that?" Gerard chuckled softly, "Such a remarkable boy."

"Nah, I just remember a lot of things that matter to me. And you matter most. Of course, I'd remember your childhood dream." Frank smiled, "Same way you seem to remember every single terrifying detail of my life."

Gerard shrugged idly, "It was my job to know the people in my district."

"Doesn't mean you had to fuck 'em." Frank grinned.

Gerard tilted Frank's face close, looking him in the eye, "Now you watch that mouth, boy. You really think that of me?"

"I'm literally sitting here, sir."

"You are indeed, but you seem to be forgetting one crucial detail in your narrative."

"What?" Frank whispered as he leaned in to lay his forehead on Gerard's and close his eyes, listening to him talk.

"You were the exception from the start. Always was, always will be." Gerard whispered, "There's no one else for which or for whom I would consequentially ruin my life."

Frank stared at him, his insides effectively liquefying and his brain jumping like a scratched vinyl record. He swallowed against a sudden lump in his throat, his breathing shallow in his chest as the words carried a lot more weight this time than they had before now that there were actions behind them. He couldn't even begin to think of a response or even an emotion that could properly convey how he felt when he heard those words. He felt dumbed by the shock of it all, in awe of his Master's bravery, and his chest felt so full of every sentiment that he had scoffed at when he went to the cinema. He never believed for a moment back then that he would ever feel the way those cliche couples did when they embraced in the rain or on the highway. And yet, here he was, but it felt so wholly different, heightened, even. And as great as it was, there was a tiny part of him that suddenly fretted. The feeling of soaring always had the fear of plummeting. He whimpered softly, pushing it aside, focusing on the happiness instead. He smiled down at his Dominant, whispering a weak, "I'm flattered."

"You should be."

"Sir?" Frank sighed softly, rubbing Gerard's freshly-shaven cheek with his fingertips, an intense feeling of warmth blooming in his stomach and out through his body that only provided for his appreciation even more. He was so proud of Gerard, and still so astounded. He knew it would take a while to fully come to terms with what had just happened. And that popped his bubble a little, prompting him to ask, "For real, though. Now, what?"

"I think we need to go home and talk about what will be next for us. For all of us."

"Yes, sir."

"Maybe it's time for a new start, hmm? I may not be able to run for Congress here, but that doesn't mean I can't try something else. Something I've always wanted to do."

"Like what, sir?"

"Finally be myself."