(Shattered...) Dreams Fulfilled

"At Last..."

"Slow...we can do slow..." she taunted, "incredibly slow..." and after thoroughly enjoying bathing, taunting and enticing the other, they did. Except this time, they were in bed, making love slowly and leisurely and now hours after barely making it through the door before devouring each other they lay sleeping, basking in the joy and pleasure of their love.

"Derek," she whispered, still a bit sleepy, as she lifted her head and softly kissed his chest.

"Uhmmm..." he responded, as his hand caressed her naked back.

"We should get up," she said, her fingers moving slowly up his arm, before she placed a kiss on his shoulder, "get dressed for dinner."

"I was thinking," he said turning to lie on his side and look at her, "we should stay in tonight, we can go out tomorrow," he finished, and placed a kiss on her back.

"Why?" she said, shifting her body to lie on her stomach and raised her torso to face him.

"Because," he said, as one arm remained on her back, and he brought his body closer to hers and kissed her lips. His other hand laying softly on the back of her head, holding her face close to his and breathing in her scent.

"Because," she questioned, as he now held her face in both his hands.

"I think it would be nice just to stay in, not have to go out, get some rest."

"You mean..." she smiled softly, leaning in to kiss him, "you think I need to get some rest, and I've ruined the plans you had for us tonight."

"Of course not," he denied, though part of it was true. His plan had included coming home and making love to her till morning, as they had the night they met, and that was not going to happen.

"Derek," she challenged, and lay back to recline against the pillows, her hand reaching to entwine with his, "talk to me...what's made you change your mind."

"Meredith," he said, gently leaning over to kiss her, "as much as I want to make love to you again, not only am I old..."

"Derek, that's an excuse," she said, her gaze lowering, "somehow, I ruined your plans."

"You have not ruined my plans..." he told her, and captured her mouth, "we've only altered our activities...I did not expect that in the last twenty four hours, we'd make love more times than some couples do an entire month...hell some don't make love that often in an entire year."

"Are you trying to scare me away from staying married to you," she laughed. "Derek... an entire year, you're making that up."

"I'm not, they are documented facts," he said, as he kissed her again softly.

"And why were you looking at those studies," she teased him.

"It's been relevant...in some cases I've had to research," he told her, "seven times a month was the average, and we've reached that average."

"Seriously," she looked at him, "seven times a month..."

"Well, for the first year of marriage statistics were a little higher than that."

"Derek, are you serious," she laughed, "you read this?"

"I did, and it was one of those things that stuck in my brain."

"You're sounding like Lexie," she giggled, "and her photographic memory."

"I may have discussed it with her," he teased, purposely misleading her, "and she refreshed my memory since she did have all those statistics memorized."

"You discussed frequency of sexual intercourse statistics with my sister," she said a bit indignantly, "Derek...you better explain yourself."

"Ah..." he smiled, cocking his head and caressing her face.

"Wipe that McDreamy smile off your face. It's not going to work this time."

"Meredith," he continued smiling, "you are too gullible," he laughed. "It was just funny that you brought up her photographic memory, and I couldn't resist teasing you."

"It wasn't funny," she said, attempting to hide a smile.

"It was," he said, nibbling at her neck, "and you can smile...I won't hold it against you."

"Ass."

"I was a resident when we had a case where the patient actually brought all the statistics. He loved his wife but had lost all sexual desire. They were a great couple and I felt bad for the guy, so I ended up doing a lot of research and discovered it was an undiagnosed brain tumor."

"You never told me that," she said, her hands still entwined with his.

"The subject never came up," he told her.

"And it's relevant now...how?"

"Meredith," he said, kissing her again. "We're both doctors...but even if we weren't, having sex this often...in such a short period of time..."

"Derek," she turned to him and wrapped her arms around him, "I love you, I do...so much...because I know you're thinking of me...but...I'm ok..." she said, and spoke to him quietly assuring she understood his concerns and she knew her limitations.

"Maybe I'm worn out," he told her, trying to shift the attention from the fact his concerns were largely related to her physical well being after the miscarriage.

"Derek," she said, "you were looking forward to tonight...to me wearing the black dress...at a bar...like the night we met, and we're not going to postpone that."

"We can go out tomorrow night..." he said.

"And stay here tonight and do crosswords puzzles...watch a movie...take a tour of the house without getting lost in it?"

He laughed. "You're not going to budge are you?"

"I had my fantasy about this too..." she said, and pressed her body intimately against his.

"You did..." he said, his hands stroking her body.

"We can come back tonight, and discover...all sorts of new favorite things Derek," she said as she kissed him deeply.

"You're making it very hard to say no to you."

"That's the idea," she said, and they both started laughing.

"Let's get dressed then," he said against her lips.

"Usually," she giggled, "we'd be doing just the opposite."

"The night is young," he laughed, "and believe me...my plans have always involved taking that black dress off..."

"Like the first time..."

"Uhmmm...no...not like the first time."

"Really..." she said, raising an eyebrow, "I thought...you wanted...."

"Partly the same," he said, "but the rest...no...definitely not the same."

"Derek..."

"Meredith..."

"Give me a hint," she asked, her voice low and seductive, her hands traveling along his body, "please."

He smiled and whispered. "At last."

"That's not a hint Derek..."

"It is...a very big hint," he said as he tightened his arms around her, and kissed her.

"One more then..." she said.

"Let it be a surprise..."

"I prefer knowing," she said, and bit his bottom lip lightly, "please."

He moaned softy against her lips, "you drive a hard bargain."

"As do you," she teased.

"My love has come along..." he said against her lips.

"Derek...that's hardly a hint"

"But you're wrong..."

"One more..."

"Dreams..."

"Like what?"

He laughed, "that's it, get dressed."

"Derek," she said softly, her hands wrapped around his neck, the entire length of their bodies touching, "I love you."

"Meredith," he said upon her lips, "I love you too."

They held each other several minutes before she started to rise, and reached for the robe that lay nearby. "Let's not forget to take this tray to the kitchen," she said, referring to the used plates and glasses from the food he'd brought upstairs, when he'd made fun of her stomach growling after their bath and she reminded him they'd not had lunch that afternoon.

Derek called out to her a while later, "Mer...you ready?"

"For what?" she said walking to him in her bare feet and placed her hand on his chest, playing with the top button of his red shirt.

"Whatever the night brings," he smiled, and brushed her lips.

"You shaved," she said, kissing him back gently.

"You're beautiful Meredith," he said devouring her with his eyes.

"Derek...you're not planning anything too..."

"You'll enjoy this...I know," he said, and gently pushed her to sit on the bed, and took her foot in his hand and slipped the unusually high heeled shoe on her.

"How do you know this," she said, taking a deep breath as he massaged her foot, and his hands lingered on her ankle and higher, before reaching for the other shoe.

"Because," he smiled.

"Derek..."

"Trust me..."

"Derek..."

"Uhmmm..." he said bending slightly and kissing her, before he reached for her hand and pulled her up to embrace her.

"I do...trust you..." she said, a poignant smile affirming the next words, "with my life."

"Thank you," he said, and kissed her again before they walked downstairs holding hands.

The drive to the bar took barely a few minutes, and it was obvious to Meredith when they arrived and were shown to one of three booths that Derek had indeed made plans.

"So...you come here a lot," she teased, when a couple of minutes later they were each brought a drink, "they seem to know your tastes."

"One can never be too sure," he laughed, "on first dates."

"How did you find this place," she asked, reaching across the table to lace her fingers with his.

"I'll tell you all the details later," he said, "let's order something to eat."

"Derek," she smiled, "it's not quite like Joe's...but it does have its similarities, even the neon sign with the name by that jukebox."

"I have it on good authority it's for locals only, but unlike Joe's they close at ten."

"How much can we eat in a couple of hours," she said as she looked at the menu.

"I already know what I want," he told her.

"I definitely know what I want," she said, looking up and locking gazes with him.

"Do you?"

"Looking at it," she said, the smile in her eyes making his resolve weaken.

"Meredith..."

"You said," she mouthed quietly, "no sex...but nothing about my attempts to convince you otherwise."

"Tease."

"We've already established that."

He laughed, and gently squeezed her hand, "I love you."

"Is that why you sat across from me?"

"Precisely...the reason, I don't trust you."

"You don't trust me..." she said quietly, in mock offense.

"Uhmmm...not to take advantage of me..."

"But you're not drunk."

"I am..."

"You are..."

"Just looking at you...just that...makes me ..."

She giggled, "ok...no drinking for you at all tonight."

"You didn't let me finish."

"Oh...I disagree..." she laughed, "I've let you finish..."

"Meredith," he laughed along with her, "we were not talking about sex."

"Could have fooled me," she smiled saucily at him.

"What do you want for dinner," he changed the subject still chuckling, and they ordered and continued their flirtatious banter over their meal.

"I'll be back," she said after they'd finished their meal, and stealing a glance at him at the table, when she returned she went to sit in one of four stools by the bar and Derek smiled as she spoke to the bartender and a shot of tequila was placed in front of her.

He could sense her smile as he approached and stood next to her and waited for the bartender to turn to him. "Double scotch single malt please."

"So, is this a good place to hang out?" Derek asked Meredith.

"I wouldn't know," she said playing his game. "Never been here before."

The bartender and owner, who'd had several requests made of him that day, smiled. He'd have to tell his wife and Antonio about this.

"Oh you know what? I haven't either. First time here. I'm new in town. Never been to Cernobbio before," he said, and heard her attempt to stifle a giggle when he sat on the stool next to her.

"So...what brings you here?" Derek asked her.

Meredith thought back to their first meeting, a smile on her face, and sipped her drink.

"You're ignoring me."

"Trying to," she said, wondering where he wanted this to lead.

The bartender decided to add his two cents worth of fun. "Signorina, if this gentleman is bothering you, I can ask him to leave."

Derek looked at him ready to say something, but noticed the conspirator's smile on his face as he lifted a glass to Derek in a good luck toast.

"You shouldn't ignore me."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm someone you need to know to get to love."

"Really?" Meredith smiled, remembering their first meeting vividly.

"Oh, yes," he said. But, this time the look in his eyes spoke of love and trust and commitment, not the insecurities and pain of betrayal of the first night long ago.

"So if I know you, I'll love you."

"Oh yes," he said with their perfect and uniquely private smile.

"You really like yourself, huh?"

"Just hiding my pain," he said, while neither laughed, as they'd done nervously once before. "So what's your story?

"I don't have a story. I'm just a girl in a bar."

"I'm just a guy in a bar," he said, "while you...are more than just a girl in a bar."

"Tell me..." she said, changing the course of the first night's event. "What caused your pain?"

"Will you tell me yours?"

"Maybe one day."

"One day..." he spoke, "my wife..."

"You're married?"

"Not for long," he said, and they both knew how different their lives might have been, if any of this had happened then, but before they continued she reached for his hand.

"Why not?"

"I came home and found my wife in bed with my best friend."

"But, you're here in a bar...coming on to me...with old pick up lines."

"Sometimes," he said, gently squeezing her hand, "I just have these feelings, like I know what will happen next...that I know what is meant to happen, and you know in a split second and your life changes forever."

"I know what split seconds are like," she said, as they looked in each other's eyes, and both understood she spoke of her drowning.

"Sometimes...in life," he said, "that split second changes our life...and when I saw you sitting there, that night, you changed my life...you changed my life forever," he said as tears gathered in his eyes.

"You changed mine," she said, the glimmer of unshed tears holding every emotion she felt for him, "and I was never the same... I found love."

"That night," he said, and got up and stood by her, his hand around her waist, and whispered in her ear, "was the best night of my life...because I found you."

"It was the best of mine...until so many other nights, like tonight...all because of you."

"Meredith, I'm sorry..." he said, and got choked up, "so sorry I chose wrong, that I kept the truth for you...things could have been so different...if I'd been honest."

"Oh...no...." she said, turning to face him, caressing the now clean shaven face, "no regrets, we are here now...tonight, that's all that matters."

"You...you really have forgiven me..."

"Derek," she said softly, gently against his lips, "yes..."

He gathered her close to him, his chin resting on her shoulder, and whispered, "I love you...Meredith. I have loved you forever."

"A split second in time," she said, melancholy and wonderment in her voice as she got up and leaned against him and he wrapped his arms around her, "changed our lives."

"Yes..." he said, swaying gently, oblivious to the ballad playing in the background.

"Derek, is this how you planned tonight to go...is this how it would be different, what you said..."

"Things would have been so different, we would have been together...so much sooner."

"We can't know that...so, no more what if's..." she said, smiling softly. "Ok?"

"Ok."

"What about tonight...what you planned?" she asked again, certain it had changed.

"It changed a bit," he admitted, "when we got back this afternoon."

"Oh," she smiled, "you mean sex, twice on the couch, that was supposed to happen tonight."

"Something like that," he chuckled, "and I only recall once on the couch."

"You know what I mean..." she giggled, and then heard a familiar tune from the old jukebox fill the air and looked at him in awe.

At last my love has come along
my lonely days are over

"At last..." he said, and led her to an empty spot.

"You knew..." she said referring to the song, "you planned this."

and life is like a song
Oh yeah, at last

"I did..." he admitted drawing her close to him.

The skies above are blue
My heart was wrapped up in clover
the night I looked at you

They were mesmerized by the other's glance, their smiles reflections of secret longings and desires.

I found a dream that I could speak to
A dream that I can call my own

"You're my dream Derek," she said, her hands entangled in the curls laying on the collar of his favorite, her favorite, red shirt.

I found a thrill to hold my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known

"As you are mine," he said, kissing her softly.

Oh yeah when you smile, you smile
Oh, and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven

And he sung the last words softly in her ear.

For you are mine
At Last

They continued swaying to the last chords of the song, while she said, "and you are mine...at last."

"For always," he said, hugging her close to him.

"For always..." she said. "Take me home Derek."

"For the rest of our lives..." he said, as he looked at her, and in spite of the audience shared an intimate kiss.

He pulled away from her and his hand reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, and they smiled, and her hand found his and they walked to their booth and picked up her small bag and gloves.

"Let's go," he said.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"What?"

"To pay."

"Already taken care of."

"When?"

"You ask too many questions," he smiled, and pulled on her hand as they went to get their coats and walked to the car with their arms wrapped around each other's waist, exchanging kisses along the way.

"Derek," she said, when they got in the car, "that was the most perfect song."

"It was," he said, and leaned over to kiss her, before starting the car, and then his hands unbuttoned her coat and rested on her thighs and whispered, "at last, you are mine, forever," and captured her mouth, while his hands caressed her stocking covered legs.

"Derek," she said breathlessly after they broke away from their kiss, "let's go home."

"Impatient are you..." he teased her.

"Insatiable..." she said, "when it comes to you."

"Mer...we're not...we talked about it..."

"Derek..." she said, reaching over and gently stroking him. "There are so many ways...tonight...all our favorite things," she said, and heard his sharp intake of breath as her hand lingered, "old and new."

"You," he said, "are going to make me drive off the road one day."

"Might be worth it," she said, and laughed when he grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips.

"Might be," he chuckled, and before they knew it, he'd pull in front of the villa and went around to help her out of the convertible.

They reached the door and once he'd opened it, surprised her once again by lifting her in his arms.

"Derek," she said, her voice rising in surprise, and then laughing, "what are you doing?"

"Carrying you over the threshold."

She giggled, "isn't that supposed to happen the first night of the honeymoon?"

"We were too preoccupied with what this placed looked like," he said, shutting the door behind them. "We can pretend this is the first night."

"So," she said and wrapped her arms around his neck, "are you going to do this again when we get home?"

"Absolutely...and at the trailer...and when the house is ready."

"I don't mind you know," she said, snuggling into his chest. "I love being in your arms."

"I've no plans of letting you go," he smiled, and kissed her as he walked over to the couch and laid her down and they both discarded their coats.

"So," she said looking up at him, "what next?"

"What next," he repeated, sitting next to her and pushing her back against the cushions, and devouring her with his lips until they both forgot all but the pleasure of being in each other's arms.

"I..." she said, "though," in between breaths, "you wanted this to be like that night..."

"Oh...no," he replied, breathing hard, "only that I get to take off your dress. But," he paused, perusing her body, his hands finding some of his and her favorite spots along the way, "how...that happens...that is slow...and easy...and showing you..." she stopped him, as she captured his lips.

"New memories..." she said a long while later, "creating new memories..."

"Fabulous memories..." he teased her with his tongue, "of taking off this dress..."

"And...your shirt..." she teased, as she reached his first button, "my favorite red shirt," and they each took turns in undressing each other, slowly...painfully slow...as they indeed created new...deliciously sensuous memories ...after a night...at a bar.

They were laying on the couch, wrapped in a woolen throw. He smiled mischievously in the knowledge that once he'd removed her dress, Meredith had been oblivious to the details in the room around her, especially when he'd concentrated on removing the rest of her garments. Devoting a ridiculous amount of time, she had said, to her stockings, but he'd told her he loved her legs, and it was his prerogative how long he took with each item, and later she proceeded to the same, driving him to the edge of his limit and resolve to wait hours before coming together again.

Her soft snores let him know she was asleep, and he slipped away from her arms and threw the back cushions on the floor, and removed the throw from her body and waited for her reaction, as he lay down on the floor in front of her, covered by the throw.

It wasn't long before she stirred, and he actually felt bad that her body shivered, but it would be worth it he thought, he was sure she'd enjoy the attempt to recreate this moment. "Derek," she said, when she realized she was alone on the couch and it was freezing, and opened her eyes and looked around groggily.

"Derek," she said again when she saw him on the floor, got up and instinctively, as she'd done that first time she'd found him naked in her mother's house, took the throw from him, "wake up...what are you doing on the floor?"

"Huh..." he said, "what..."

"Derek, what are you doing on the floor," she said, "and why did you take the blanket?"

"Oh..." he said, turning and looking up at her, "the floor isn't nearly as comfortable as I remembered."

"Or as humiliating, now that we're married," she laughed, "or that I at least know your name now."

"Mer...I'm not so sure about that."

"About what," she said, unsure what he meant, "that it's not as humiliating."

"No...just that, well...didn't you hear when Angela came and covered our naked bodies?"

"What...Derek...seriously?"

"I pretended we were sleeping so you wouldn't be embarrassed," he told her, "though we are married, but still," he continued putting her on, "we both were naked."

"You set me up, didn't you?"

"What are you talking about?" he feigned innocence.

"Don't give me that," she said, "or I won't share the blanket."

"Mer...I don't know what you're talking about," he said, but she saw the smile that confirmed he was lying, and had made up the story to tease her.

"So," she said, plopping down beside him, "you let Angela see you naked."

"I heard her say I had a cute butt," he joked, "when she was walking away."

"Uhmm...you do," she said, "and I better be the only woman that ever sees it again."

"I love when you're jealous."

"Ass."

"Yep...that would be what you're touching," he said as he gathered her in his arms and wrapped the throw around them, and their carefree laughter filled the room.

"Not that I don't love seeing you naked, being naked with you," Meredith said, "but, it's cold."

"Let's finish our evening upstairs," he said, and put on the discarded red shirt and grabbed the bucket of champagne and glasses before, he told her, "let me get another bottle."

"Where did that come from?"

"Now...she asks questions," he laughed. "I'll meet you in a few minutes," and he did.

"What took you so long?"

"I picked up all your clothing..." he said, dropping their discarded clothing on a chair, "it could be a little embarrassing if Angela and Antonio found all of this laying around."

"Are you trying to get me drunk, so you can take advantage of me again...is that the way this works," she teased as she went up to him, and paid attention to the still naked parts of his body.

"That was hardly taking advantage downstairs," he teased, as his tongue slipped inside her mouth.

"You're the one that wants to wait...I told you..."

"I don't want to wait," he corrected her, "but..."

"Derek, do remember your promise?"

"Which one," he joked.

"After the bar tonight...that you'd take advantage of me again?"

"I thought we agreed..." he said, clearly at a disadvantage, as she stroked the length of him, "it would be mutual..."

"Just trying to remind you," she said, pressing close to his body.

"It will be," he said, and took her hands and wrapped them around his waist, "and we will, but...the night really is still young," he said and poured them each a glass of champagne.

"We've had a lot of this lately," she said and took a sip. "I'm going to put something warm on," she conceded with whispered words to him admitting that he was right, and would let the evening play out at a slower pace.

They both dressed in warmer clothing, and spent the next few hours enjoying each other's company, and after a few glasses of champagne sat outside in their warm up suits, Meredith on his lap, both wrapped in a cozy blanket.

The candles and the champagne on the small table led to some very romantic moments that included an impromptu slow dance on the moonlit balcony.

"How did you pick that song," she asked, wrapping the blanket closer around them.

"I remember it from when I was a kid, my dad was still alive and sometimes, after we went to bed you could hear music, the old LP's playing and we'd hear Mom and Dad laughing, or just the music... that must have been a favorite, and Frank Sinatra."

"Really," she said, as she wrapped her arms around him, and her head rested on his chest.

"I only remember Strangers in the Night, that was one of them...one of the songs they
played. But this one, At Last, has always been a favorite," he said, and then held each other in silence.

"I wish I'd met your Dad..." she whispered, hugging him close to her.

"Me too."

"I love you Derek."

"I love you too," he said and felt her shiver. "Let's go inside, it's getting too cold now."

Hours later after they'd left the bar, they were wrapped in each other's arms talking and discovering small details about each other. Cuddling, napping at one point as they felt the effects of the champagne, but above all sharing their feelings and enjoying each other's company.

"Derek," she said suddenly, "you were laughing at me earlier."

"I was not."

"You were, when I told you about the Guinness commercial. It was true you know and it's very famous, that's why I remembered."

He roared laughing.

"Ok...you see, you're doing it again," she pouted.

"Mer," he continued to laugh.

"Derek, it's not funny," she said and started to pull away from him.

"Don't," he held her close. "You said that good things come to those who wait, and that you'd remember because of a commercial for ale, but Mer...it's one of the oldest expressions, and not because of Guinness beer."

"It's not?"

"It's not."

"Why do you know it?" she asked.

"It's implied Mer," he chuckled, "it's from Proverbs, in the Bible."

"The Bible?" she said, and then started laughing. "Oh, my God," she paused, "ok, that wasn't intentional, I didn't mean to laugh at that, but I thought...really, I thought that commercial," she said and understood the humor of it and laughed along with him.

"I've heard it since I was a little boy."

"Derek," she said seriously. "Don't ever tell your Mom."

"Mom would laugh."

"No, please. I don't want her to know I did not even know that's from the Bible."

"Mer...it doesn't matter."

"Please," she said, "it's important to me that she like me. That...she's Catholic Derek, she'll...she knows I'm not...but...it's important to me please."

"It's our secret."

"And you can't tell our kids."

"You're going to teach them about the bible?"

"Your Mom, she probably will and your sisters, they baptize their kids and ours, they're going to have godparents...and Lexie will know all those sayings...proverbs...gospels."

"Mer..." he smiled, loving her more each moment.

"I didn't grow up with that, my mom didn't believe in anything. But our kids...we had Brianna, that meant something Derek, my dream...and...I think we may want to think about that...we all need some faith Derek...we've found that out...it helped us...gave us some peace."

"Yes, it did."

"Ok," she said, and snuggled into his embrace and remained quiet as she felt his kiss on her head.

"Derek," she said later, and spoke of their day and several anecdotes, "can you believe how they give you directions in minutes...as though everyone walks at the same pace," she giggled. "I mean, some people have short legs, and that takes longer." He knew, the champagne was talking, and laughed along with her. "And I have long legs, but it took us fifteen minutes, not six...to get to the park this afternoon."

His hands caressed her, "but, we did stop along the way," he reminded her.

"That's true," she said, beginning to forget why they were talking about this, and only remembering they'd stopped to exchange kisses along the way.

"I love your long legs," he said, and by this time, hours into the next day, he could almost forget his resolve.

"What do you love most about them?" she said, as she entwined her legs with his, and ran her hands along his thigh.

"You're playing with fire," he said.

"I think," she said, "I've been very very patient."

"Mer..."

"Derek...it's time...lots of time...for new...favorite things..."

"Meredith..."

"Remember...that night...our lives changed...forever," she said, turning to lie on her side facing him, inching closer to him.

"I do...it did," he said, the back of his hand gently caressing her face.

"Make love to me Derek," she said, whispering upon his lips.

"Meredith..."

"Make love with me..." she said, pressing close to him, "slow...as slow...as you want."

He loved her to distraction and did as she asked. Teasing her, caressing her, exploring her body gently, at times his fingertips barely touching her skin, yet the heat between them ignited time and again, prolonging their eventual joining as long as he could. Wanting, needing to be gentle with her, until no longer able to suppress the love and passion he felt for her, late into a night reminiscent of that split second in time when their lives changed, two lovers fated to be together for eternity, fulfilled their promise and were joined as the sounds of their mutual surrender welcomed a new dawn.