Pleased to meet you... again

Forty Seven

They sat across from each other in the coffee shop it was closers to 2am than one.

"I remember tut used to be crazy about spiced pumpkin lattes." Casey smiled over her tea.

"Yeah well tastes change, much too sweet and way too much caffeine for this time of night."

Casey looked at the table.

"Is this about the house?"

"What house?" The blonde looked over.

"I thought maybe you'd gotten my message."

"No. This is about me realizing I was wrong and em well I shouldn't have been so stupid to end things. I've known that pretty much since you left that night. It felt wrong, I said too much to hurt you and I didn't know how to take it back. I kept hoping that you'd message but you didn't so then I got stupidly stubborn and I thought I'd... I knew that I couldn't bare to hear you say that you didn't want me anymore. Yesterday it all hit home though. I found out that you didn't pay him off."

"I would never have done that."

"I know I'm sorry, my life's been shaped by disappointment and people I love making decisions on my behalf and I just assumed you'd done the same. I saw a message flash up saying payment or settlement. I just went stupid crazy."

"You said I was a disappointment. That I didn't deserve to have a family or love. You knew that since my Dad passed I never really felt like I had a family sure my mom loves me and I get on better with Ally than ever before and it's not that they weren't accepting or loving they are, but I didn't  feel like I was part of a family again until I was with you and Dawn. You basically told me I don't deserve that. I'll tell you what I spent $4.5million on. I bought a house that sat right at the back of the complex. I thought we could live together as a family. Sure I wanted that more than anything but also I checked with Lindsey and she said that the courts would look favorably on a settled domestic situation. I also asked about guardianship and adoption, I wanted to speak to you about what you thought about that. But you told me anyway, you can't buy a family." Xander shrugged their shoulders and wiped the tears from their eyes.

"Shit. You bought a house for us?"

"A home. I've not had a home in fifteen years and that's what it felt like coming back to you and Dawn of an evening like I was coming home. I've left you the keys."

"What do you mean?"

"They're in the post box."

"No, I mean you're not coming home?"

"I don't have a home. I have an apartment where I don't unpack boxes because I never stay anywhere that long."

"Xander I'm here because I love you, because my life doesn't feel complete without you. Because both Dawn and I are walking about trying not to cry in front of each other everyday or not say your name because we don't want to show the other how much we are missing you. Please come home."

Xander looked at the blonde. They wanted to jump and scream and lift her from her seat and spin her around. But they knew there were things they still had to say, "Case, what if we fall out again? I can't get into a relationship where I'm scared that I say or do something and it ends. I can't walk on eggshells and not say what's on my mind."

"Remember the guy at the fair said we'd have one more hurdle. This is it. Xander please give me a chance, give us a proper chance, you must feel it too. We know we're meant for each other. I don't want to wait until the next life when I can love you for the rest of this. Come home, complete our family."

Xander smiled.

Casey looked at their mouth, the dimples that sat on the almost lopsided grin. "Does that smile mean yes?" She hoped.