Blood, Sweat & Ink

"Don't even fucking think about it," Kyle joked as the two left the reception. "It'll be a long, long time before I think about marriage again."

Lydia made a scoffing noise. "Like I want to, either! I heard my ex and his mistress broke up. Turns out, unless Jamie has black DNA that I don't know about, turns out he's not the father of her kid."

Kyle sighed. "My ex decided she wanted me back after all. My guess is her mother gave her unholy hell for dumping a guy who's on a big-time reality show and basically nagged her into trying to make it work." He gave a snort of derision. "Too little, too late."

"So, what are you gonna do after the show?" Lydia asked.

Kyle shrugged. "Work my shop, I guess. I'm gonna need help at the shop now that my ex is no longer working there, though. People are definitely gonna want art from a guy who made it far on Ink Master."

"I'll be glad to help out," Lydia offered.

"You wanna live in Michigan?" Kyle asked. "After living for three years in Cali?"

"My sister and I are from Lansing, actually," Lydia explained. "I hate the endless hot weather. I want to live somewhere with seasons again. I'll miss the food, but I'll live. And if you win the popular vote on who people want back, somebody will have to take care of your shop. What do you say?"

"Deal!"

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Sure enough, at the finale, Kyle won the chance to go back on Ink Master for season four and Joey became season three's Ink Master. Though sad it wasn't her, she decided that if anyone deserved to win, it was sure as hell Joey.

Lydia moved to Flint to work at Kyle's shop just before he went off to do Ink Master season four. Thanks to her management skillz and the appeal of two people who had gone far in the show, the shop prospered. His ex wife had worked in the shop as a piercer and manager, but viewed the shop as an albatross around her neck and thus had neglected the shop. Kyle's shop was a few months behind on rent when she came in, but had quickly turned around. Lydia had always been good at advertising, and all she had to do was announce her presence, offer a free tattoo with purchase of a t-shirt with the parlor's name on it, and the rent was paid.

A year after Lydia came to Flint, Kyle got down on one knee and proposed marriage.

Lydia said yes.

They're now planning the wedding.