(Emily's point of view)

The pain of grief comes for you like an unwelcome friend, never leaving your side. Not matter how much you shake your head or curse at them it never leaves you. The haunting feeling of regret, knowing if you had chosen another path that they might still be there with you.

"Ray was the best kind of dog you could ask for, loyal and brave until the very end. Sacrificing his own life to save my love, not a moment of hesitation. If he had she wouldn't be here today."

The only way to leave behind the unwelcomed friend is to continue everyday, even if it hurts just to breathe.

"I didn't know Ray for very long, but he helped save my older sister. For that I will always be grateful, because I have the second chance I always wanted."

Time doesn't fix your wounds directly like everyone says, but because of time the thing that truly heals you can take effect. Finding a new sense of normal, a new day to day, even if it's a five pm ugly cry session in the bathroom.

"I will always remember the day I first met Ray, he had snuck into Nate's company and began to chase me. Emily immediately went into action knowing exactly what to do, and in the end Ray knew exactly what to do."

Grief is different for everyone some cry and some lock themselves away from their loved ones. Shutting down and everyone out for a week to find a reason why bad things happen to good people.

"Ray was a very good boy, he almost never barked unless he saw his favorite yellow squeaky ball."

The more you lock yourself the way the worse the pain becomes, until one day the dam breaks and you are forced to come face to face with your feelings. You have to find a way to channel the pain into something good and find a purpose.

"I've loved dogs my entire life, like father like daughter I suppose. But she chose an excellent dog to bring into the family, there will never be another Ray Winston."

Friends will try their hardest to cheer you up, family will watch over you like you're ready to break. Because you feel like it every day, but you have to keep moving forward. Because if you don't it was all for nothing, ruining their memory like a stain.

"I pray that Ray stands now with God, his loyalty and love for my daughter was unmatchable even to Nathaniel."

But if you let even one person in, who knows you better than anyone else. Maybe your days will have an ounce of pain taken away. Just having someone there that you don't push away.

"Ray was..." I trailed off not knowing what exactly to say about him, it was true that he had slowly become Nate's dog. But I was the one who brought him into our home, "He was everything my wonderful family described."

"He was loyal to every single one of us because he knew how much we cared about each other." I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, I shook them away glancing at the person who took away my ounce of pain.

"I have a second chance at life because of him, a gift I will always treasure." I slowly walked off stage with a heavy heart, sadness rushing through my veins. Some may say that this was too much for a dog, but he wasn't a dog in my eyes. He was my first son, my first child and I mourned for him like anyone would do for their child.

I looked up towards the sky with love in my heart, "I love you." I whispered up to those that watched over me from heaven. Grammy Alicia, Ray, and God all watching over my family as we found our 'normal'.

The weeks past by us until spring had finally come, the chilling air blew towards the north taking away the winter memories. A soft warm breeze had settled onto the earth, I watched as Auburn played with her new friend.

A large Irish setter ran chasing the small prissy dog, the two playing happily together. A few weeks after the funeral I couldn't bare to see Auburn mopping around the house anymore. Nate and I had decided to get a new friend for her at the pound.

I still missed Ray after all these weeks but Bauer wasn't a replacement for him, no one could ever replace him in my heart. I laughed watching the two bark at each other running in the yard, Michael was throwing them a frisbee, or trying to anyways. But they refused to even look at the blue disc and continued to ignore him completely.

"Hello Fenice." My head popped up to the only person who would call me that name, I smiled slightly as a cup of tea made its way into my hands.

"Chimere." I greeted as he sat down beside of me, just under two weeks ago we had merged our companies together. With Richmond, Montgomery, and Kolebrook & Leifton all belonging to us it had made the most sense.

Now Nate dealt with more of the business side of Winston Winds, I came up with new ideas for all of the business lines. I also began to work closely with Liefton's niece, Hana, between the two of us the fashion line was booming.

"Hana says that you two need to start working on the men's summer line." He past along the message making me nod slightly already coming up with ideas.

"As long as you stand in for measurements." I smirked at him slightly while sipping the tea in my hands, he shook his head with a laugh.

"Of course, Love." He responded taking my hand in his, our thoughts were miles away only needing the touch of each other.

"Come on you two, play with us!" Michael yelled with the frisbee in his hands, the disc began to hurdle towards us. Nate just lifted his hand catching the disc right in front of my face, he smirked at me raising one eyebrow.

"Nat-" The disc went hurdling back into the other direction, Michael chasing it like a golden retriever with his golden hair flying in the wind.

"That boy of mine, are we sure that he isn't secretly a dog?" Laughter surrounded us like a blanket for a moment everything was ok. I knew that they were all just trying to keep my mind off of the trial tonight, Lizzie was trying to weasel her way out of jail time. Pleading Not guilty for the attempted murder of me and the murder of Ray.

We knew that she would easily be charged for the murder of Ray, sadly the most she could get was three years of prison time with bail. But if the attempted murder stuck then most likely I would never have seen her again.

"It'll be ok Em."

The hours quickly past by until we were finally sitting in the court room, I knew that I would be put on the stand. If it had been up to me I would have said no, not wanting to relieve it all in front of so many people.

"So did you notice anything off when you entered the apartment that night?" I thought back to that night closing my eyes as I was teleported back in time.

The two of us parted in the dark apartment, I glanced around not hearing the pitter pattering of my dogs. Surely Lizzie hadn't took them out on a walk this late.

"The apartment was incredibly dark, normally Elise would leave a light on for the dogs. But they never came to greet me, I thought maybe she had taken them on a walk."

"How soon after you entered the apartment did Elise attack you?" I could feel tens of eyes staring at my every move, excruciatingly watching and waiting for a lie. I looked out locking eyes with Sebastian in the audience, I tensed slightly as he watched me.

"Minutes after Sophie went to her room, when I began to head towards mine in the opposite direction."

I continued heading down to my room only to be stopped by the creaking of the floors behind me. I quickly turned around when I heard a voice filled with malice and hatred, "You just couldn't help yourself, could you bitch?"

"Did Elise mean to kill you that night?"

"Yes." I knew that without a doubt the look in her eyes had haunted my dreams for almost a week, that and the corpse of Ray.

"So now the deal has changed, how to break a man's heart I wonder." She put her finger to her chin like she was pondering the thought.

"Oh I know!" She raised her finger up in the air like she had an eureka moment, "You kill the thing he loves most." She muttered as both hands went to the gun, I took in my last breath my gaze never wavering from hers.

The trial continued as both sides continued to ask me questions about my relationship with Lizzie and when we first met. Until finally I heard the words I had been wanting to hear since this trial had begun, the words that I could finally find closure in.

"Elise Brodeur you are found guilty of attempted murder on Emily Montgomery and the murder of Ray Winston."

Tears flooded my vision as they laid out the terms of her punishment twenty years prison, eighteen with good behavior. No bail. I almost hugged Nate with this joyous news but refrained from the action not wanting to seem arrogant.

"We finally have our peace Fenice." I leaned against him waiting to finally be dismissed, I caught Lizzie's eyes her hatred for the two of us burning through. But I refused to care about Elise Brodeur any longer, it was time for good things ahead.

A walk around Central Park was just what our mismatched family needed after the trial, the sun beginning to set on the earth. We all chatted happily with the looming dark clouds in the sky leaving us for good. The birds chirped to an unknown song happily, watching them closely as they flew around the park in their own little world.

Nate's warm hand was clasped in mine sending sparks through my body, leading me away from the group and to a small peaceful meadow. Pulling closer just before our lips could meet he stopped, the need coursing through my veins as the light began to fade around us.

"Emily."

"Yes?' I asked impatiently desperately wanting to kiss him with every fiber of my being, even after a thousand kisses I always wanted just one more. Desperately just one more.

"Do you remember what you told Michael about choosing people?" I looked at him wondering why he was bringing this up now of all times, hesitantly I nodded my head.

"I'm not going to say some long speech or declare my undying love to you because you know what's in my heart." Slowly he dropped down to one knee eyes sparkling as a smile graced onto my face. A soft guitar melody played throughout the meadow as my heart raced twice as fast.

"I chose you Emily, and now I want to know if you choose me to?" I didn't scream yes a million times or jumped towards him in a whirl wind emotions.

Slowly I dropped down to his level with a few tears gracing my eyes, I took the small ring that the small box contained smiling. My grandparents ring, I had wondered where it had disappeared, slowly I took it from the box.

"I choose you a long time ago Nathaniel." Before I could even put the ring on my finger he had taken me into his arms. As we embraced his lips on my neck as he muttered I love you over and over I knew that all I needed was right in front of me.

The Locket and The Phoenix laid untouched by the world long forgotten on the wardrobe. No longer needed for the symbolism or strength they sat alone. Forgotten between the lines of fantasy and reality, where I no longer danced.

The End...

Of course you still have the epilogue to look forward to, but it's been a journey everyone and our lovely hero and heroine finally after quite the journey found each other. I love all of you and I will see you again for one final chapter.