"Is this for real?" Alexander gasped, unable to retain himself. "Like, no last-minute changes, no downsides, no hidden clauses ... nothing?"

"You read it, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but I know you."

Nancy scoffed, crossing her arms. "Do you now?"

"Come on, Nance, fake or not, I cared about you." Because he could feel Emma's eyes on him, he immediately added: "As a friend."

Having noticed the quick exchange between them, Nancy laughed wryly. "She keeps you on a tight leash, huh." She glanced at her old friend. "Cute kid, by the way."

Emma's lips remained in a tight line. When Byron had called to say that Nancy had reached out to him and wanted to set up a meeting, Emma had thought he was insane. They'd been in hiding for almost 2 years, how could he possibly think that Nancy would abruptly decide to end it all?

And yet, even though Emma had paid attention to every single movement all the people involved in this meeting made, she had not seen anything suspicious. Nancy had presented them with some sort of contract meant to end their quarrels for good. They owed her nothing, she owed them nothing, everyone could go on and live their lives in peace.

Too easy, Emma was sure. There had to be something. A woman that had escaped FBI for so long wouldn't just give up out of the blue. "What's your angle?" She asked out loud, eyes trained on her old friend while she rocked baby Delilah gently seeing as she'd just fallen asleep.

Nancy grinned mellifluously. "I don't have an angle." She hinted at Byron, sitting next to them. "This is official business, your lawyer can confirm."

"You have a funny way of defining official business, Nancy." Emma clenched her jaw. "Using people at your own advantage, making their lives a nightmare. And now you come here claiming it's all done, we have nothing else to worry about, and there are no clauses, no hidden agenda. I'm sorry, but I don't buy it." She raised her voice at each sentence, causing her 15-months-old daughter to slightly stir in her sleep.

"Emma ..." Byron started, wanting to reassure her.

"No, you're right." Nancy smirked. "I've been a really naughty girl. Why should you believe me?" She licked her lips. "Tell you what, why don't you tell me what you want, and I'll give it to you."

"I want nothing from you, Nancy." Emma spat, glaring. "But this has gone on even too long," she glanced at her toddler in her arms, "I want my daughter to have a good life, safe and happy. Especially from you. What tells me that by signing a contract with you, I don't get the opposite of that?"

"She's right." Alexander butted in, gently rubbing his daughter's head, so that she hummed in her sleep. "We both know what a talent for deceitful contracts you have." He eyed her intently, still disappointed in himself for having fallen into her trap.

Before Nancy could reply, Byron interjected: "There's one thing you guys aren't aware of," he mentioned, "she made a deal with the FBI." He nodded at their confused gazes. "I told her to lead with that ..." Byron rolled his eyes, "but as you know, she has a thing for drama."

"Oh, we know, we know ..." Alexander scoffed.

"Well, here's the thing, what she is offering you is not a contract per se," Byron went on, "it's just part of her deal with the FBI."

"I don't understand." Emma frowned.

"Honestly, I had to pull some strings," Byron mentioned, "and ..." he cleared his throat, "maybe you should send a thank you basket to Mrs. Patricia Wayne in New Haven, Connecticut."

Emma and Alexander looked at each other, baffled, silently wondering who was Patricia Wayne and what did she have to do with their problem. "So, what is this?" Alexander asked, waving the small stacks of paper Nancy had handed him earlier.

"It's just my promise – lifelong promise – to leave you be." Nancy shrugged, standing up. "Your lawyer didn't wanna hear it otherwise."

"The deal with the FBI keeps her out of prison," Byron explained, "in exchange for ..." he coughed in his hand, looking away, "well, things I'm not at liberty to discuss. The part that concerns you is that, thanks to those strings I pulled, the moment Ms. Dorsey tries anything, literally anything against you or your family," he looked at the child in Emma's arms, "the deal with the FBI will be considered null, and she will be sent to prison."

Emma blinked her eyes, marveled. Was it really that easy? After 2 years spent in Russia, were their torments really going to end just like that? Could baby Delilah really, finally have the childhood she deserved? Would they finally be able to see Nana and adult Delilah again? Live the happy life they dreamed of?

"OH MY GOD!!!" Delilah screeched as soon as she saw them. "OH. MY. GOD!!!!!"

Emma winced at her loudness, and covered the child's ears. Alexander rolled his eyes, arm wrapped around his girlfriend's shoulders. "Can you tone it down?" He hinted at the 15-months-old toddler in Emma's arms, "the kid only just fell asleep. She fussed for the whole flight from St. Petersburg, I almost thought they'd kick us out."

On cue, Emma laughed, nodding, then placed a soft kiss on her daughter's head. "It's true, she cried the whole time ... nothing worked. A flight attendant rocked her back and forth, prepared milk for her ... nothing."

"Like father, like daughter." Margaret Adams mused, appearing at the door.

"Hey, I was a quiet kid." Alexander defended, taking his child in his arms when Delilah senior almost toppled them all to hug Emma.

"You forget I was there." His grandmother retorted, laughing. "Most kids fall asleep in the car, you never did ... as soon as you got in a vehicle of any sort, you started crying your lungs out."

"Typical." His sister scoffed, yet not leaving Emma, who was a bit uncomfortable, but happy to see her friend again.

Alexander kicked Delilah's ankle, sticking his tongue out to her. "I missed you, too, Del."

She grinned, finally freeing Emma to go to her brother. "And how's baby Del doing?" She smiled, gawking at her niece. "Awww, clearly good looks are a prerogative of Delilahs." She laughed, taking the child in her arms, to then kiss her cheek.

Her brother rolled his eyes, then turned serious. "So," he started, clearing his throat as he wrapped an arm around his girlfriend's waist, "I suppose you guys want an explanation."

Margaret shook her head gently. "All that matters is that you're safe, all of you." She grinned, happy, hugging her grandson. "And that this nightmare – whatever it was – is finally over." She turned to Emma. "Now I can finally, officially say ... welcome to the family."

Emma's lips parted in awe. She wanted to say something, anything, but she couldn't find the words. Family. It was something Alexander had often mentioned. They were a family. She would have a real family, even if they remained fugitives for years to come. But now being welcomed like that, having a mother figure, a sister of sorts. It felt different.

Emma had never thought that she could be as happy as she was. Two years alone with Alexander, and then their daughter, it had been blissful – stressful as well, but mainly blissful –, yet now it felt even better. It felt like she finally had a future to look forward to, no more looking over her shoulder to be sure nothing would harm her child or her boyfriend.

"I think there's something missing, though." Alexander mentioned, eyeing her with a mischievous grin.

Emma frowned, confused, especially when she noticed he was hiding something behind his back. "You didn't ..."

"I mean," he shrugged, "we can finally become official," he pulled out from behind his back the ring he'd once given her, "this time nothing will keep us from it." He slid the ring on her finger after Margaret had conveniently left them a bit of privacy, taking a couple of steps back. "So, will you?"

Albeit stunned and almost disbelieving, Emma opened her mouth to say yes, but nothing came out. Her eyes fixated on her hand, on Nana's ring, which she had given him back a long time ago, feeling unworthy of it, she moved her mouth, but no sound came out.

"Is that a yes?" Alexander laughed.

"I ... we ..."

"I know what we said," he took her in his arms, "that we're fine like this, that we're a family regardless. But ... I think it would be the greatest new beginning, the perfect kick off to our life ... let's say out in the open. No more hiding, no more using fake names ... you can legally be Emma Adams, if you want."

"Are you hiding from your own wedding reception, Mrs. Adams?" Alexander wondered, amused, sneaking up to wrap his arms around her from behind.

Mildly startled, Emma at first jumped, then relaxed, leaning into him. "I'm just a bit tired. Is Delilah sleeping?"

"No, but her auntie is happy to play with her until morning if needed." He laughed.

Emma smiled. "Your sister is loving her new role, huh."

He shrugged. "She's the younger sibling, she never had a sister or brother to spoil."

Emma cozied up in his arms, grinning when he kissed her cheek. "Do you think it's really over? No more surprises?"

"Unless your mother comes up ..."

"She's dead." Emma said coldly.

"How do you know?"

She pursed her lips, turning to him. "Promise not to get jealous."

He rolled his eyes. "Let me guess ... Sir Knight in Shining Armor?"

"We come from the same place. He sent me a link to a local newspaper." Emma said, remembering how she had felt upon reading it. "Local woman gets involved in a car crash, died on impact." She cited. "Her piece of work of a husband was with her. Both dead."

Alexander better squeezed her into him. "I would say sorry, but ..."

"I know, we're bad people." Emma half smiled. "I mean, don't get me wrong, she should rest in peace and all that, but ... I feel nothing."

"Well, you haven't seen her since you were 16. She didn't even care to look for you."

"Exactly."

Alexander nodded. "Okay. Well, my point was, we can finally be happy without needing to look over our shoulders every two minutes." He kissed her cheeks. "And before you say it, no, your past cannot come back to bite your juicy ass ... that's my prerogative only." He winked.

She rolled her eyes. "If your Nana could hear you ..."

"Nana knows I'm not good boy, but she loves me nevertheless." He grinned. "And she loves you."

"I know," Emma smiled, rubbing his arms. "I'm still getting used to ... having a real family, but it feels good. And even your friends have been nothing but nice to me."

"That's cos you're hot." He teased. "The guys know how to appreciate a hot mama."

"Come on ..." she chuckled, "be serious."

Alexander kissed her cheek. "Saying the past 2 years haven't been happy would be unfair, especially because we had baby Del. But ... a small dinner with friends and family was a fair price to pay for a lifetime of happiness. And I know it feels weird, you're talking to an ex-con, remember? You don't easily wash off 7 years in a federal prison. But we have a family, we have friends, and more importantly we have our daughter, we have each other. I could ask for nothing more."

Emma looked at him intently. "You're happy?"

"I'm happy every day I'm with you and our daughter." Alexander declared, pecking her lips. "Are you happy?"

Emma grinned, kissing him back. It felt weird, saying it for the first time ever, despite everything, but at this point, it was impossible not to. Nodding against his forehead, she confirmed: "I'm happy. And ..." she brought his hand to her belly, "you might be even happier knowing there's a baby Alexander waiting to join our family."

"How do you know it's a boy?"

She laughed. "He's been kicking me nonstop all day, just like his father does in his sleep."

He laughed, kissing her. Well aware that the fire that fed their love was far from waning, both Alexander and Emma couldn't find enough words to describe their true emotions, but in their hearts there was one single certainty: nothing would ever separate them again.