Love Conquers All



~ Chapter 56 ~ 
    Ryan and Gillian walked into the loft, both a little wet from the
rain that had begun to fall outside.
	“I can’t believe it’s raining in February,” Gillian said,
attempting to pull a few  stray pieces of hair behind her ear.
	“It’s freezing rain,” Ryan replied, watching her begin to
shiver.  “Can’t you tell?”
	He took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders.
	“About earlier,” Gillian began.
	“Which part?” Ryan asked, playfully reaching for her. 
“The part where we fed each other chocolates, or the part where
I kissed you?”
	“The part where Jake interrupted us.”
	“Oh, that part,” Ryan said, flatly, pulling back to see her
face.
	“I was proud of you, and the way you handled it,”
Gillian told him.  “Jake was being rude, and you could’ve
reacted differently, but you didn’t.  Although, you did make
sure to tell him we were coming back here,” she added,
pretending to scold him.
	Ryan laughed as he drew her closer.
	“I bet Dr. Martin thinks we’re in the throws of passion
right now,” he said.
	“We could be,” Gillian said, holding his gaze.
	That was all the encouragement Ryan needed.  Bending,
he kissed her neck, giving in to the impulse he’d been resisting
all night.  Gillian sighed, allowing herself to be carried away on
the wave of desire she felt for him.  Ryan stopped, looking into
her eyes for a moment before kissing her lips.  The kiss grew
deeper and more urgent when, suddenly, the room was
blanketed in darkness.
	Gillian broke the kiss, looking around the room.
	“It must be from the storm,” Ryan told her.
	Gillian crossed the room to the window, which was now
the only source of light.  Looking out into the night, she
watched the freezing rain and snow fall down.  Ryan came up
behind her, putting his arms around her waist and pulling her to
him.
	“It really is getting bad out there,” Gillian said, a look of
concern crossing her face.
	Smiling, Ryan nuzzled her ear lobe.
	“That’s why I’m glad we’re in here - together,” he told
her.
	The lights suddenly came back on, much to Ryan’s
dismay.
	“Well, the powers back on,” he said, trying to hide his
disappointment.
	Gillian continued to look out the window, watching the
storm.
	“You know, Ryan,” she said, turning to face him, “I
really don’t think it’s safe for us to be driving in this weather.  I
just don’t want to take any chances after what happened to us
the last time we were driving in the middle of a storm.”
	Ryan’s mind traveled back to the summer, when he and
Gillian had gotten into a car accident and ended up stranded in
a cabin in the woods.  While it was a dangerous situation, it
certainly hadn’t been all bad.
	“Even if we could make it to Wildwind, I wouldn’t want
you driving back here alone,” Gillian continued.
	It was on the tip of Ryan’s tongue to tell her that he
would be fine, but then he stopped himself, considering the
many possibilities if he didn’t take her home.
	“Maybe I should just stay here tonight,” Gillian
suggested.
	“Well, if you think it’s best,” Ryan said, trying to
conceal his delight.
	“I think it is,” she said, seriously.  “You don’t mind, do
you?”
	“No, no,” Ryan answered, quickly.  “I don’t mind.”
	Ryan and Gillian stood looking at each other, neither
one sure of what to do next.  Gillian pulled Ryan’s coat closer
around her damp dress, shivering.
	“Baby, you’re cold,” Ryan said with concern.  “You
should really get out of those wet clothes.”
	A silence fell between, and Ryan realized how he
must’ve sounded.
	“I, I didn’t mean - I wasn’t trying to suggest that -”
	“I know,” Gillian said, trying to put him at ease. “I think
what I would really like is a hot shower.”
	“Yeah, sure,” Ryan said. “The towels and everything are
in the bathroom.”
	She smiled at him.
	“All right,” she said, shyly.  “I’ll be back.”
	Alone in his bedroom, Gillian chose one of Ryan’s shirts
to wear.  Walking over towards the bed, she saw a framed
picture of the two of them on his night stand.  She recognized it
as the picture she’d given him on their first anniversary. 
Smiling, she took the diamond clips out of her hair, placing
them next to the picture.
	Several minutes later, once Ryan heard the water
running and was certain Gillian was safely in the shower, he
went into his bedroom.  Walking over to the closet, he grabbed
a selection of blankets and pillows to create a makeshift bed on
the couch.  Gillian had in no way suggested that the two of them
spend the night together, and he wasn’t going to pressure her.
	Looking over at the bed, he noticed Gillian’s hair pins
perfectly positioned next to their picture.  For the first time, he
allowed himself to glance towards the bathroom, and he saw
that Gillian had left the door open.  He immediately observed
her dress hanging on a hook next to the shower.
	Ryan smiled.  Gillian had only been there a few minutes,
and yet the loft was so completely full of her.  Her touches of
femininity were already brightening up the place and making it
come alive in a way it never had before.
	Ryan could see the shadows of Gillian’s movements
through the clouded glass door of the shower.  He felt his body
flood with desire for her, and wanted nothing more than to walk
in the shower and join her.
	Sighing, Ryan closed his eyes, trying to clear his
thoughts.  One thing was for sure, it was going to be a long
night!

~ Chapter 57 ~ 
       Gillian stood before the mirror in Ryan’s bathroom pinning her
still-damp hair up in a clip.  Finally satisfied at the end result,
she turned to go into the bedroom.  Without looking, she almost
ran right into Ryan.  
	He was leaning against the doorjamb, watching her with
a lazy smile.  His shirt sleeves were rolled up at his wrists, and
his shirt was unbuttoned to the waist.  All in all, he looked
much more at ease then Gillian, who dared not so much as look
at him for longer than a minute.
	“Are you all finished in here, Princess?” Ryan asked,
more than a little amused at her behavior.  
	“Yes, yes, I am,” she said, still not looking him in the
eye.  “You can go ahead.”
	She took a half step towards him, hoping to leave the
tiny confounds of the bathroom and put more space between
them.  Ryan moved aside from the doorway so Gillian could
pass through.  
	Taking note of her wariness as she walked past him, he
had to stifle a smile.  She was meticulously careful that no part
of her body brush against his.  Ryan couldn’t help but liken it to
paper near an open flame; the slightest bit of contact would set
the entire piece ablaze.
	Gillian walked further into the bedroom and over to the
bed.  She was bare-legged, wearing one of his white, dress
shirts.  Ryan was watching her with a hungry look in his eyes
and, when she finally dared meet his gaze, he was surprised to
see the same look mirrored on her face.
	He knew in that moment just how easy it would be to
walk over to her and do all the things he had dreamed of for
months.  But despite Gillian’s obvious desire for Ryan,
something about it still wasn’t right.  She was watching him as
if he was a ravenous lion, ready to pounce at any minute. And
Ryan couldn’t help but notice that she looked like the
frightened prey.
	He made up his mind that it wasn’t going to be like this
and, silently, he decided on a cold shower.  Turning he walked
back into the bathroom, encouraging Gillian to make herself at
home while she waited for him.
	Ryan emerged from his shower, several minutes later,
feeling much more in control.  Walking out of the bedroom, he
went to find Gillian, hoping she had relaxed, as well.  He found
her standing next to the couch, happily fluffing one of his
pillows.  
	Seeing that Ryan had all along intended on sleeping on
the couch, so as not to make her feel uncomfortable, had
touched Gillian’s heart and completely put her at ease.  Looking
up, she smiled at him.
	He was shirtless, wearing only pajama bottoms, but she
knew from past experience that was more than he usually wore
to bed.
	“You don’t have to do that,” he told her.
	Gillian laughed.
	“You tried,” she said, “but you won’t be comfortable
like that.  Let me just get you another blanket - and a few more
pillows.”
	Ryan couldn’t help but laugh as he watched her walk
into the bedroom.  Gillian’s obsession with stacks of pillows in
bed was more than a little out of control.  He stood in the
doorway while Gillian grabbed a blanket and another pillow
from the closet and deposited them on the couch.  After
rearranging them to her satisfaction, she walked back into the
bedroom, stopping in front of Ryan.
	He smiled at her.
	“Is there anything I can get?  Are you hungry?” he
asked.  “It’s been a few hours since we ate.”
	“No, I’m fine,” Gillian replied, smiling shyly.
	They looked at each other for the longest moment, and
Ryan’s breath caught in his throat, seeing how beautiful she
was.  It was so unbelievable to him that, after all the time he’d
spent longing for her, here she was standing in his bedroom.
	 “You know, I’d never forgive myself if I let this
opportunity pass without - without doing something I’ve wanted
to for a long, long time.  Would you mind?” he asked her,
carefully.
	Gillian smiled lovingly at him.
	“Go ahead.”
	Ryan reached up and removed the clip from Gillian’s
hair, watching it spill in black waves around her shoulders.  He
buried his hands in her hair, sighing.  Drawing her body to his,
he kissed her passionately.  Reaching down, Ryan scooped
Gillian up into his arms and carried her over to the bed, setting
her down gently amongst the mountain of pillows she’d created.
	Climbing up to join her, he lay down beside Gillian. 
Reaching for her, Ryan kissed her thoroughly, his tongue
playing with hers, until she was fervently returning his kisses
with complete abandon.
	Ryan’s breath was now coming is shallow, ragged gasps,
and he forced himself to break the kiss.  
	“I - I spent so many nights here alone,” he told her,
trying to catch his breath, “and you were the only thing I
dreamed of.  I’ve been fantasizing about doing that for months,”
he added, roguishly.
	Gillian smiled up at him, watching his eyes carefully.
	“Tell me, Ryan, is this where the fantasy ends?” 
	“One day, I’ll show you where the fantasy ends,” he
answered her.
	Ryan bent down and kissed her tenderly.  Then, he
moved to leave.  Gillian reached up, putting her hand on his
arm to stop him.
	“Don’t go, Ryan,” she said, softly.  “Stay with me. 
Sleep in here tonight.”
	Sighing, Ryan gently stroked Gillian’s face.
	“As much as I would love to fall asleep listening to you
breathe and wake up to the sound of your heartbeat,” Ryan said,
tenderly, “unless - unless the invitation is for more than just
sleeping, I’m not sure if I can handle that tonight.”
	A silence fell between them for a moment, until Gillian
finally opened her mouth to reply.  But her hesitation had been
a little too long for Ryan to be comfortable with, and he knew,
from that moment on, that tonight was not the night for their
reunion.
	“Kiss me good-night, Gillian,” he said, lovingly, tipping
her chin up so their lips met.
	After kissing her softly, Ryan regretfully got up from the
bed and walked to the doorway.  Turning, he smiled at her.
	“Good-night, Princess.”
	“Good-night, Ryan.”
	He watched for a moment longer as Gillian happily
settled into his bed.  Then he walked out of the room, laying
down on the couch in the living room.  
	Sometime in the early morning hours, once Ryan was certain that Gillian was
asleep, he went back into his bedroom and slipped into the bed beside her, placing his
arm around her waist.  Immediately, he fell asleep, and the two slept until morning,
cuddled in each other’s arms.

~ Chapter 58 ~ 
	Gillian yawned softly, reflexively snuggling closer unto Ryan’s
arms.  Slowly waking, she saw that Ryan was lying there beside
her.  Gillian’s movements had caused Ryan to awaken and,
opening his eyes, he saw her watching him, and he smiled.
	“Good morning, Princess,” he said.
	Gillian smiled back at him, and asked him in a surprised
tone, “What are you doing in here, Ryan?  You went back in the
living room to sleep on the couch.”
	“I know,” he said, a little sheepishly.  “I waited until you
were asleep, and then I came back in here to be with you.”
	Gillian looked at him, confused.
	“Why did you do that?” she asked.  “I mean, I asked you
sleep in here with me last night.  Why did you wait until I was
asleep to come back?”
	“Because,” Ryan began, in the serious tone of a person
about to make a confession, “because, once I knew you were
sleeping, it was easier to stop myself from making love to you.”
	Gillian silently looked at him for a moment, pondering
what he had just said.  Her heart broke as she imagined Ryan,
tossing and turning on the couch, waiting for her to fall asleep. 
The thought of him being torn between his desire for her and
his love for her, and the fact that she had put him into such a
position, brought tears to her eyes, and she knew in that
moment what she wanted.
	She looked at him with her heart in her eyes.
	“You don’t have to stop,” she told him.
	Ryan looked at her carefully, trying to read her heart and
know if this is what she really wanted.  Turning, her propped
himself up on his elbow and looked into her eyes.  Gillian
reached up and placed her hand on his bare chest.
	“I don’t want you to stop,” she said, without hesitation.
	Never taking his eyes off hers, he reached down and
gently stroked her face.  When she made no effort to stop him,
he slowly ran the back of his hand down her neck and to the
buttons of her shirt.  
	After being caught in the rain the night before, Gillian
had been left with no clothes of her own to wear.  She had worn
Ryan’s shirt to bed and, they both knew, she had nothing else
on underneath.  
	Still looking into her eyes intently, Ryan began to slowly
unbutton the shirt.  Gillian’s breath caught at Ryan’s every
movement, and her heart was pounding.  The bed covers had
fallen to Gillian’s waist, and when Ryan got to the last button
that was showing above the sheets, he looked back up at Gillian
for a sign of encouragement to continue.
	Wordlessly, Gillian reached for his hand and guided it
up to the neckline of the shirt.  Carefully, Ryan peeled back the
shirt, exposing her naked body to him.  For the longest moment,
they both lie motionless, as Ryan admired her.  
	Placing his hands on her stomach, he slowly spread
them up her body, caressing her slowly.  Gillian audibly gasped,
and Ryan moved to stifle the sound with a kiss.  Just as their
lips met, they heard the sound of the door opening, followed by
suitcases banging down onto the ground.
	“Ryan, I’m back from New York,” Scott called from the
living room.
	Ryan slowly pulled back, looking into Gillian’s eyes, his
own filled with desire.  Regretfully, he removed his hands from
Gillian’s body, and fell back down beside her on the mountain
of pillows.  Sighing, Gillian slowly began to button her shirt.
	Still clueless to the situation, Scott walked into the
bedroom, looking for Ryan.  What he found instead was both
Ryan and Gillian in the bed.  Ryan had his eyes closed, and was
running his hands through his hair in evident frustration. 
Gillian lie beside him, watching Scott carefully, with a bit of a
dazed look on her face.
	Realizing he had obviously interrupted something, Scott
gave them both an apologetic look.
	“I’m sorry,” he said.  “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
	“It’s okay, Scott,” Gillian answered him.  “Ryan and I
got caught in the storm last night, and I decided to stay the night
here.”
	Scott nodded, noting that Gillian was wearing Ryan’s
shirt and that, in haste, it had been buttoned incorrectly.
	“That’s cool,” he said.
	Gillian looked over at Ryan and saw that he was
watching her, hungrily.  Their bodies were still touching
underneath the covers, and she decided to do him the favor of
putting some distance between them.
	“How was your trip?” she nonchalantly asked Scott,
sliding out of bed.
	“Oh, it was great,” he said, walking into the kitchen
with Gillian following behind him. “Uh, Gillian?”
	“Yeah,” she answered, stopping before him.
	“You might want to fix your shirt,” Scott said,
indicating the buttons.
	More than a little embarrassed, Gillian quickly
re-buttoned the shirt.  Several minutes later, when he felt more
in control of himself, Ryan joined them both in the kitchen.
	“And what are you doing?” he asked Gillian, putting his
arms around her waist.
	She stood over the oven, still wearing only Ryan’s shirt,
examining the ingredients she’d laid out on the counter.
	“I’m making us breakfast,” she stated, simply.

                *******************************
	Gillian stood before the mirror in Ryan’s bedroom
dressed in the same clothes she had worn the night before.  She
had just remembered a few minutes earlier that she had to work
this morning.  She knew she was going to be late, but there was
nothing she could do about it.  
	Looking more closely at her reflection, Gillian examined
the dark blotch she had discovered earlier on her neck. 
Emerging from the bathroom, fully clothed, Ryan watched her
in the mirror, slowly coming up behind her and placing his arms
around her waist.
	Gillian contemplated the mark a moment longer but,
since she had chosen to wear a strapless gown the night before,
she knew there was nothing she could do to hide it.  Turning in
Ryan’s arms, she placed her arms around his neck, as his gaze
fell to the spot on her neck she had been studying.
	“No doubt your handiwork,” she said to him.
	Ryan laughed and drew her in for a soft, sensual kiss.
	“Hmm,” Gillian said, breaking the kiss, “I have to go. 
I’m going to be late.”
	Ryan glanced down at his watch.
	“Me, too,” he said.  “Come on.  I’ll drop you off at
Wildwind first, so you can change.”
	Gillian shook her head.
	“No, there’s not enough time.  I’ll just change at the
hospital.  I always keep a spare uniform there anyway.”
	A few minutes later, Ryan and Gillian were at Pine
Valley Hospital.  Gillian gave Ryan a quick good-bye kiss and
made plans for him to meet her that night at Wildwind for
Dimitri’s homecoming.  	
	Once inside the hospital, Gillian hurriedly walked down
the main corridor.  In her haste, she wasn’t watching where she
was going, and she ran directly into someone, causing him to
drop his files.
	Bending, she quickly gathered up the scattered files and
put them back into the folder.
	“I’m sorry.  I wasn’t paying attention,” she said,
standing up to return the person’s folder.
	Gillian was surprised to see Jake standing in front of
her.  He looked at her very strangely, which she assumed was
from the way she was dressed.  But when Jake kept staring at
her, speechless, Gillian remembered the encounter she had with
him the night before, while out to dinner with Ryan.  He
obviously realized she was wearing the same clothes she had on
the night before.
	Nervously, she smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear, which
only succeeding in drawing Jake’s attention to her neckline. 
Noticing the mark on her neck, he raised his eyebrow at her.
	Partially recovered now, at least to the point of speech,
Jake finally addressed her.
        “You’re twenty minutes late, Gillian,” he said, simply.
	“I know,” she said, apologetically.  “I hope Joe and the
others aren’t too upset with me.”
	Even under the impression that Gillian had just spent the
night making love with Ryan, Jake was still determined not to
give up on her. He smiled at her warmly.
	“Well, if they say anything, you just tell them you were
with me,” he told her, suggestively.
	With great care, Gillian smiled at him, politely.
	“No thank you, Jake,” she said.  “I’ll just tell them the
truth -- that I was running late this morning.”
	Gillian walked off down the hallway without another
word, but Jake was unscathed.  He stood in the same spot for
several minutes after their encounter, thinking up new, more
aggressive tactics for wining her back.

~ Chapter 59 ~ 
        It was 2:30 a.m., and Ryan and Gillian were lying side by side
on her bed.  They had spent the last few hours talking and
laughing, and excitedly discussing what the evening had in store
for them.
	“I can’t believe this,” Gillian sighed.  “I never would’ve
dreamed that I would ever see Dimitri again.  And, I never
would’ve thought that you and I would be lying here, having a
civilized conversation.”
	They minds traveled back over their tempestuous
marriage when they had lived there at Wildwind together, but
could never quite get along.
	Ryan propped himself up on an elbow, his head resting
in one hand, with his other hand at her waist.  He smiled
devilishly at her.
	“There were many times I tried to get you into this bed. 
Or any other bed,” he added.
	Gillian laughed.
	“And, each and every time, I turned you down.”
	“I know!” he exclaimed.  “Those were the longest
months of my life!”
	“But not for lack of interest,” she continued.  “Or
desire.”  
	“We wasted a lot of time back then,” Ryan added.
	“We were too proud.  We both wanted the same thing -
each other - but we were too afraid to admit it,” Gillian said.
	Leaning over her, he gently stroked his finger across her
lips.
	“I’m not afraid anymore,” he said.
	He kissed her slowly and purposefully, enjoying the feel
of her body beneath his.
	Eugenia came walking down the hallway and to
Gillian’s door, which they had left open.
	“Gillian, Ryan,” she said, interrupting them.
	They looked up, sheepishly, like two teenagers caught
making out by their parents.
 	“I’m sorry, my darlings, but Dimitri is here!” she
announced.  “He is just now driving through the gates.  Edmund
called from the car, telling everyone to meet them downstairs.”
	Gillian smiled excitedly at Ryan.
	“Come on,” he said, grabbing her hand.

                *******************************

	Gillian sat on the couch at Wildwind, with Ryan on one
side and Eugenia on the other.  Peggy sat in the chair nearby,
and Stella stood awaiting their arrival.  Suddenly the door
opened, as they all sat on the edge of their seats in anticipation.
	Dimitri walked in the room, with Edmund and Alex
following closely behind him.
	“I’m back,” he said simply, the emotion evident in his
voice.
	Gillian ran to him, with tears in her eyes, throwing her
arms about his neck and hugging him.  Ryan watched from the
couch, smiling.
	Dimitri pulled back, talking her face in his hands, and
looking in her eyes.
	“Edmund told me how devastated you were.  I’m sorry
to have hurt you like that,” he said, his voice cracking.  “I didn’t
think I was going to live, and I -”
	Gillian hugged him again, fresh tears falling down her
cheeks.
	“I don’t care about all that.  All that matters is that I
have you back.  We have you back,” she said, looking over at
Ryan and Eugenia.

                 *******************************

	A half an hour later, everyone had had their chance to
greet Dimitri, and there had been hugs and kisses and tears all
around.  Now, Edmund and Ryan sat on the couch, discussing
how all this had come to be.  Alex and Eugenia sat nearby,
doing the same thing.  And Gillian and Dimitri were off in the
corner of the room, where he had asked her to catch him up on
everything that had happened in her life while he was gone.
	“Alex tells me you were going to marry Jake Martin,”
Dimitri said, with a raised eyebrow.
	“Uh, yeah,” Gillian said, looking away.  “I was.  But I
didn’t.”
	“I noticed Ryan is here,” he said.
	Gillian nodded, looking over at him and smiling.
	“I was right about the two of you, wasn’t I?” Dimitri
asked.  “You should’ve never gotten divorced.”
	“No, we shouldn’t have,” Gillian answered, still
watching Ryan.  
	Pulling her attention away, she looked back at Dimitri.  
	“I love him more than I’ve ever loved anything,” she
admitted.
	Realizing how that must’ve sounded to her newly
returned cousin, she ran her hand through her hair, embarrassed.
	“Um, present company excluded,” she corrected herself.
	“Of course,” Dimitri said, laughing.  
	He looked at her silently for a moment.
	“You’ve changed,” he concluded.  “Since you first came
to Pine Valley, I watched you slowly grow up.  I saw how love
changed you from a spoiled young girl, to a loving, devoted
wife.  But it’s even more than that now.  Standing before me, I
see a beautiful, mature woman.”
	Gillian smiled softly.
	“Loving Ryan, then losing him, and learning to live
without him, changed me,” she said, sincerely.  “It taught me
that I can’t always have what I want, and that life doesn’t
always go the way I want it to - and I can’t change that.  It
taught me what it’s like to put someone else’s feelings above
my own.  But most of all, it taught me what really matters in
life.  And having Ryan back again showed me all the things that
make life worth living.”
	Gillian sighed.
	“I’m happy,” she said, simply.  “And, for the first time
in my life, I feel I’m worth loving.  I’m proud of my life.  I’m
proud of myself.  And I know Ryan’s worth loving, too.  He
may not agree with me, but I know he’s more than worthy of
my love.”
	Dimitri smiled, putting his arm around her.
	“He’s lucky to have you.”
	“We’re lucky to have each other,” she corrected him.

                  *******************************
	An hour later, everyone was still in the living room,
talking and reminiscing.  Gillian sat closely beside Ryan on the
couch, watching her family, completely contented.  Yawning,
she linked her arm in his, laying her head down on his shoulder.
	A few minutes later, Eugenia announced that as excited
as she was, her old age was getting the better of her, and she
was going upstairs to bed.  After she left, Alex admitted that she
felt the same way, and they all agreed to call it a night.
	Ryan looked down at Gillian and saw that she was
sleeping soundly.  Bending, he placed a soft kiss on her temple. 
Dimitri walked over to them, smiling.
	“Something’s different here,” he said, teasing.  “No
fighting back and forth.  No throwing things all evening.  Am I
to gather you two have finally accepted the fact that you’re
madly in love with each other - and there’s nothing you can do
about it?”
	Ryan smiled.
	“Something like that,” he said.
	Carefully moving, so as not to wake her up, Ryan took
Gillian in his arms and carried her up to her bedroom.  For a
moment, he contemplated helping her get undressed, but feeling
his body react at the mere thought of it, he decided it wasn’t
such a good idea.  Pulling back the covers, he gently laid her
down on the bed. 
	Gillian sleepily rolled over, then fell still again. 
Smiling, Ryan carefully pressed his lips to her forehead.
	“I love you,” he whispered.
	He stood, watching her sleep, as Edmund and Dimitri
walked through the hallway.  Stopping in the doorway, they
smiled.
	“You know, it’s late, Ryan,” Dimitri said.  “Why don’t
you just stay here for the night?”
	Ryan nervously tried to field that question.
	“Well, Gillian and I are still working things out,” he
said, awkwardly.
	“You can stay down the hall, in your old bedroom,”
Edmund offered.  “Things are exactly as you left them.”
	“All right,” Ryan said.
	Edmund started to leave, but Dimitri told him to go
ahead without him.  He stood silently with Ryan, watching him
watch Gillian sleep.  
	“You love her a lot, don’t you?” Dimitri asked.
	Ryan nodded.
	“She’s my life.”
	Dimitri smiled.
	“I’m glad,” he said.  “She loves you a great deal more
than you’ll ever know.”

~ Chapter 60 ~
       Gillian sleepily sat up in bed.  Flipping back the bedcovers, she
noticed she was still wearing the same clothes she had on last
night.  Recalling the previous night, she remembered having
fallen asleep on Ryan’s shoulder.  She imagined he must’ve
brought her upstairs and put her into bed. 
	Regretting that she had missed the opportunity to say
good-night to him, and making a mental note to call him as
soon as she was dressed, she climbed out of bed and headed for
the shower.

                 *******************************

	Pulling his shirt over his head, Ryan took a minute to
inspect his appearance in the mirror as he passed by.  He was
pleasantly surprised to find that Edmund was right about his old
bedroom. Things were exactly the way he had left them, and he
was even lucky enough to find a few old clothes he must’ve
forgotten to pack when he moved out.
	Taking a final glance around the room, he headed for
the place he had always longed to be, even all the times he
pretended not to care:  Gillian’s bedroom.  If she still kept her
old sleeping patterns, he guessed she would still be asleep, or
just waking up.  Ryan knew Gillian would have no idea that
he’d spent the night there, and he wanted to surprise her.
	Slowly opening the door, he was shocked to find that
she was already up and out of bed.  Looking towards the far end
of the room, he noticed a light was coming from the open
bathroom door.  
	“Gillian,” he called.  “It’s Ryan.”
	No one answered.
	“Gillian?  Where are you?” he asked, wondering if
something was wrong.
	Having just shut the water off a few minutes earlier,
Gillian stood in the shower, delicately drying her hair.
Daydreaming of the miraculous events the night before, she
wrapped the towel around her body and careful stepped out of
the shower.  Taking a few steps, she looked up just as Ryan was
walking through the doorway.
	Jumping, Gillian gasped.
	“Ryan, you scared me half to death!” she said, trying to
catch her breath.  “What are you doing here?”
	Ryan eyes slowly ran over her body before he answered
her.
	“You feel asleep last night.  I brought you up here.  It
was late, so Edmund and Dimitri suggested I stay the night in
my old bedroom,” Ryan explained.
	Gillian felt her body growing warm under his continued,
roving glances.
	“Well, what are you doing in here?” she asked, referring
to her bathroom.
	“I was looking for you,” he said.  “I wanted to surprise
you.”
	Gillian started to blush under his constant gaze, and she
pulled the towel closer around her.
	“Well,” Ryan said, amused, taking a few steps towards
her, “this is certainly an interesting situation.”
	“Stop,” Gillian said, seeing the look in his eyes as he
approached her, and backing further away from him.
	Ryan stopped where he was, but his eyes challenged her.
	“Go,” she said, her own eyes returning the challenge,
enjoying the game they were playing.  “Leave my bathroom,”
she continued, pointing towards the door.
	Ryan watched her carefully, slowly walking closer to
her.
	“Are you afraid of what I might do?” he asked, teasing
her.
	“I am,” she said, but was no longer backing away from
him.
	“Good,” he said, closing the distance between them.  
	Gillian watched him carefully as he reached down to the
neckline of her towel.
	“Are you afraid I might do something like this?” he
asked, loosening the towel and watching it drop to the floor.
	Ryan’s eyes traveled back up, locking on her own.  He
reached for her, as Gillian breathlessly waited in anticipation.
	“Gillian?” Dimitri called from the doorway of her
bedroom.  “Are you still up here?”	
	Ryan and Gillian looked at each other, silently.  Sighing,
Ryan brushed his hand feather lightly across her cheek, and
walked out of the bathroom to meet Dimitri.
	“Ryan,” Dimitri said.  “Where’s Gillian?”
	“She was just taking a shower.  She’s getting dressed
now,” he said.
	“All right,” Dimitri replied, looking at him
questioningly.  “Well, we’re all meeting downstairs for
breakfast.  Edmund says he has an announcement to make.”
	“Okay.  Thanks,” Ryan said.  “We’ll both be down in a
few minutes.”
	Dimitri nodded, walking towards the door.
	“Hey,” Ryan said, stopping him.  “Welcome home.” 
	Dimitri smiled, contemplating that for a moment.
	“You, too,” he said to Ryan, before walking out the
door.
                 
               *******************************

	Dimitri, Alex, Eugenia, Edmund, Sam and Maddie were
all seated at the dining room table, enjoying their breakfast,
when Ryan and Gillian came walking in.  They sat side by side
in the two chairs left for them.
	Edmund, smiling, said “It was nice of you two to join
us.” 
	“Oh, leave them alone,” Alex said, winking at Ryan and
Gillian. “They’re young and in love.  It’s their right to be late
for breakfast.”
	Gillian blushed slightly.
	“So, Edmund,” she said, attempting to change the
subject, “what announcement did you want to make?”
	“Well,” he said, clearing his throat, “I know that we had
to cancel the party for you and Ryan on Valentine’s Day.”
	Gillian smiled, looking over at Dimitri.
	“And for a very happy reason,” she said.
	“But you still deserve a party,” Dimitri argued.  “I
remember how much you love parties, getting dressed up and
dancing the night away.  That is, if you haven’t changed too
much,” he added, teasing her.
	Gillian laughed at him.
	“I haven’t changed that much,” she admitted.
	Ryan smiled at her, amused.	
	“It’s settled then,” Edmund said.  “We’re definitely
having the party.”
	“There’s so much to celebrate,” Eugenia added,
squeezing Gillian’s hand.
	“But we wouldn’t feel right taking all the attention,”
Ryan said.  “Not now.”
	“Ryan’s right,” Gillian said.  “Dimitri’s come back to us
now.  He’s our miracle.  We should have the party for him.”
	“Yeah,” Ryan said, nodding his agreement. “It can be a
homecoming party.”
	“I don’t see why not,” Edmund said.  “That is, as long as
it’s okay with you,” he said, looking over to Dimitri.
	Everyone turned to stare at Dimitri, even Sam and
Maddie.
	“All right,” he said, laughing.  “I surrender.  We’ll have
the party.”
	“Wonderful,” Alex said, reaching over and kissing him.
	“We’ll have the best time,” Gillian told Ryan, quietly, so
only he could hear.  “Just like we planned before.”
	Ryan cupped her face in his hands, kissing her.