Chase couldn't stop fidgeting. His tuxedo felt too restrictive, suddenly two sizes too small, and the sickly sweet smell of the gel Maya had used to tame his hair agitated the butterflies in his stomach. What's wrong with wearing hairclips with a suit? He'd complained to his makeshift hairdresser. Maya had tugged at a peach blond lock, making him wince, and replied with a flat, "Everything."

Every eye in the room was on him, watching, waiting, and in Luke's case, pulling stupid faces. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement and anticipation. Chase returned his gaze to the altar, where Perry the young priest stood, shuffling through his notes. On the surface, he appeared to be the epitome of calm – but Chase knew better than that. The priest's smile was set too ridged, his movements too stiff; no doubt, he was frantically going through the procession in his head to make sure he wouldn't mix up any of his lines (unlike at Doctor Jin and Anissa's wedding last autumn; he'd pronounced them husband and wife before they'd even had the chance to exchange vows).

The sound of the door opening made Chase's heart jump, and he immediately swerved around to see if it was her. Nope – just a late Mayor Hamilton attempting to sneak along the wall to his seat, followed by an irritated looking Gill.

Chase wished he'd worn a watch. Not knowing the time was driving him crazy… but on the other hand, he'd be checking the time every two seconds and that would be even more torturous.

With nothing else to preoccupy his mind, his eyes were once again drawn to the sea of faces that filled the surrounding pews. Almost the entire town had turned up for the special occasion, which wasn't any surprise. Holly was the saviour of their beloved Waffle Island. Part of their family.

Holly's older brother Greg caught his attention and drew an imaginary line across his throat with his index finger, as a reminder. (Moments after Chase had finished changing into his suit, he'd been accosted by Greg and the youngest Greene sibling Kevin. "If you hurt her in any way, we'll–" Greg had clamped a tight hand down on his brother's shoulder, "–hunt you down and kill you. Got it?") Sometimes, it seemed like Chase would never win over the Greene family's trust, but he understood why.

It was Holly who had taught him the importance of loved ones. In the very back row of the church sat the only two people who were here for him. His aunt and uncle – it had been over a year since he'd last seen them face to face. He had been reluctant to even invite them after he'd disappeared to Waffle Island without so much as a week's warning, but Holly insisted. It had been even more of a shock when they RSVP'd with 'We wouldn't miss it for the world.'

All of a sudden, a hush fell over the church, as the twin doors opened a final time. Then, simultaneously, every person in the crowd let out a breath of amazement.

Chase looked to the door. His chest froze in a half-gasp.

There she was.

Holly took her first step down the aisle. She wobbled slightly on the spot – the heels she bravely decided to wear – but with her father by her side, she did not fall. After a few more shaky movements, Holly found her centre. Candace had designed Holly's dress and sewed every stitch herself, by hand. It turned out better than she'd ever imagined, Holly had told Chase one night, but he had to wait until their wedding day to see it otherwise it would be bad luck – silly superstition. But it was well worth the wait. Her white dress billowed out around her as she made her way towards him. It almost looked like she was gliding across the carpet, an ethereal being.

The scent of flowers permeated the air, sweet and soothing. Holly carried a bouquet made up of white lilies dotted with her favourite yellow tulips. She'd spent many sleepless nights perfecting the decoration, everything from the white carnation Chase wore in his lapel to the floral arrangements hanging on the side of the pews.

When she reached the altar, John leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the crown of his daughter's hair – though just before he headed over to his seat, he stared at Chase straight in the eye, he too drawing a line in the air across his throat. Chase simply smiled. No amount of death threats would ruin this moment.

Despite her face being obscured by a veil, he was sure of it. Holly was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

Chase lifted the veil and pushed it to the side. Blushing, Holly gave him a sheepish smile. Her delicate features had been accentuated with the slightest hint of makeup. A farmer transformed, at least for one day.

He took her hand and their fingers intertwined. The soft silk of her glove felt like a touch of heaven.

Perry cleared his throat. All eyes shifted focus to the priest, and he began.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…"

This was it. Chase's pulse echoed in his ears and everything around him melted away, until it was just him and Holly left in the church, on the island, in the world.

They'd made it.

For a while though, it seemed they wouldn't.

Chase didn't believe in many things. Definitely not fate, or signs, or destiny, and up until a year ago, he scoffed at any mention of the Harvest Goddess (she practically shook his hand. There was no way he could deny her existence after that). But of the things he did believe in, he held them in high regard: hard work, perseverance, determination.

Holly must've felt the same way. If she hadn't she wouldn't have given him another chance, wouldn't have forgiven him so easily after everything he'd said and done. She must've believed in him.

Not to say it had been as easy as just believing.

Most people in town never noticed the change in Holly's demeanour. No one, with the exception of everyone at the Meringue Clinic, knew what happened that night. No one knew of the tragedy that had been eating away at the both of them every day since. To anyone else, Holly appeared to be the same. She worked hard at her blooming (pun not intended) floristry business, kept the animals well-groomed and fed, and spent a healthy amount of time gossiping with her best friends Maya and Kathy.

Chase had immediately seen right through it. After all, his whole life had been a façade. It was like looking into a mirror: the practised smile that never reached her eyes, a laugh too boisterous for an undeserving joke, the forlorn look that clouded her entire face when she thought no one was looking. There were so many days where Holly woke up in the morning and remained curled in the sheets, willing herself back to sleep – something that had increased in frequency ever since word of Anissa's pregnancy had made its way around town. He knew she wanted to stay there all day, but her conscience always won over. Within the hour, she'd be out of bed, showered and dressed, ready to take on whatever was waiting for her.

This wasn't good for her. She needed comfort, needed to talk about it, but he never knew what to say. Every time he tried, when they lay together in bed late at night, the words became tangled in his throat.

If you want to break down, it's okay. I'm here. I'll look after the farm and the flowers, and I'll cook you whatever you want, whenever you want. Remember? It's okay to be selfish sometimes.

I dream about it too. I dream we have a little girl and she's so beautiful, just like you. And when I wake up, it feels like my heart is being ripped into pieces, every time.

Maybe… maybe one day, we'll have another chance.

The only thing he could ever muster was what he'd said to her everyday since the accident: "I love you, Holly."

But those words weren't enough.

Chase could feel it. They were drifting apart. They argued too much, about the silliest, most menial topics. Holly cried, he apologised, and by the end of the day, they'd hugged, laughed and made up. Just like that, their relationship became a façade.

After everything he'd done to claw his way back into her heart, she was slipping through his fingers. He couldn't let her.

"Marry me."

Much like the time when he'd declared his love, it had slipped out.

They had been arguing yet again, about what he couldn't remember now. Holly, who had been in the middle of storming out, spun around on heel, "Wh… what?" She gasped.

Chase had sunk to his knee. He fumbled around his pockets, praying to the Goddess it hadn't fallen out – aha, got it; he triumphantly clutched a small, blue velvet box in his palm. For a full minute, he was trembling so much that he couldn't get a proper grip on the box, but he eventually managed to pry it open.

There, in the middle, sat a diamond embedded golden ring which had cost him approximately four months of pay. Simplistic, yet elegant; in his opinion, it was Mira's best work. The ring had been with him everyday since he'd purchased it, burning a hole in his pocket, filling him with more excitement and anxiety than anything he'd ever experienced before.

He repeated the question in a much stronger voice, "Holly Greene, will you marry me?"

There had been silence.

"Oh… oh Chase…" Looking borderline faint, she'd moved to the sofa.

"B-Before you turn me down, I just want you to know I had this big dinner planned out for tonight but… well, that went down the drain," Chase said with a weak laugh.

The expression Holly wore had been pinched, pained. "…Why?" She asked in a small voice.

The speech he'd spent a whole month carefully concocting flew out the window, along with any shred of confidence he'd had left.

Only one response came to mind.

"I love you."

Holly sighed. "Love isn't enough, Chase."

His fingers tightened around the small box. Don't break down, not yet. "Love… is all I have."

"That's not true." She forced herself to smile, "You can also cook."

"A-And I'll cook for you. Everyday. Whatever you want!" He was struggling even more now, grasping at the little fragments that flittered through his thoughts. "Holly… I can't do much but I'll do anything to make you happy… I want you to stay with me forever."

Tears glistened in Holly's eyes. His heart shattered. She was going to turn him down. Of course, who would want to marry him? Petty, jealous, possessive, useless – no one would want him as a husband, or father, or boyfriend, or even friend.

Chase closed his fist, snapping the box lid down tight. His other hand made it to his face, covering his eyes so she wouldn't be able to see his tears. "It wasn't supposed to be like this… I… I had it all planned out… I kept going over and over what I was going to say in my head…I spent forever looking for that damn blue feather… but I still completely messed everything up. God, I can't believe Maya was right–"

"Okay."

It was only a whisper, but it echoed through the room with the force of an explosion.

"Wh… what?"

He remembered how Holly had stood up and knelt down in front of him. She'd leant forward, cupped her hand around the side of his face and let their foreheads touch. Tears dripped down his cheeks – if they had been his or hers, he didn't know.

"Let's get married, Chase."

The sermon reached a crescendo. Not an eye in the church was dry. Perry gave the couple before him a wide smile – every line so far had been delivered with absolute perfection.

"Holly Greene, and Chase Baker," The priest recited, "Do you promise to love and honour one another, in sickness and in health, in good times and the bad, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Holly said. They stood beneath a stained glass window depicting a scene of the Harvest Goddess and the Mother Tree and the sunlight cast a multicoloured sheen across the white fabric of Holly's dress. He hadn't seen her so radiant in months.

"I do," Chase echoed. His heart burst at the words, happiness flowing through his veins to every part of his body like a drug.

"Then, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Everyone clapped – Luke and Owen threw up their fists and wolf-whistled – as Chase caught Holly's mouth in a tender kiss. When they finally, reluctantly, pulled away, their friends and family had risen to their feet, still serenading them with applause. Holly linked her arm around Chase's, and he led her down the aisle, taking their first steps as husband and wife.

Holly's mother Eleanor was crying (John was trying not to). Angela clambered over her brothers to wave. Maya stared star-struck as the couple passed her by, hands clasped under her chin. Holly was the absolute centre of attention.

Not all eyes were on her, though; when Chase looked out to the crowd, his uncle and aunt were watching him with tremulous, tearful smiles.

Halfway down the aisle – since when was the church a mile long? – he felt Holly's hand tense around his forearm. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She had suddenly grown pale, as if she'd seen a ghost. Chase followed her gaze to the back of the church.

A ghost from the past.

Hidden away from sight in a dark corner stood Calvin Jones the archaeologist.

The Sundae Inn had been transformed once again. The tables had been stacked away and chairs dotted the perimeter of the room to make extra room. White streamers and balloons had been strung up around the walls and along the banister (Maya's work). The open bar counter was lined with plate and plates of food, courtesy of Yolanda, and Hayden took care of the drinks.

The pièce de résistance, a three tiered cake that Chase had prepared all by himself, sat on a separate table to the side. Holly had left the decorating up to him – "I don't know anything about cooking!" – so he'd used her flower arrangements as inspiration. A garden of marzipan flowers grew all around the white-iced cake, yellow like her tulips.

To Chase's relief, Calvin was nowhere to be seen when reception party began. Maybe he wasn't even on the island, maybe it had been nothing but a nerve-induced hallucination. Either way neither had the chance to give it a second thought; they were immediately swarmed by the guests wanting to offer their congratulations.

The Greene family was the first to approach the newly-weds.

"My little girl is married," Holly's father sniffled, downing his third glass of champagne, "My little girl isn't part of the Greene family anymore!"

"Dad, I'll always be a Greene in spirit!" Holly said, giggling through her own teary eyes.

"Cheer up honey," Eleanor said as she patted her husband on the shoulder, "Just think of it this way: you have another son!" She winked in Chase's direction.

John turned his stony gaze to the man in question. If looks could kill, Chase would be dead a thousand times over and buried twenty metres under the ground. Laughing heartily, Eleanor took her husband by the arm and led him over to talk to Yolanda.

"Aww come on, Holly, don't start crying. But you always were a bit of a crybaby…" With a chuckle, Greg looped an arm around Holly's shoulders and pulled her close to his chest, "Congrats, sis."

Kevin did the same, giving his older sister a long hug, "You look so beautiful, Holly."

Angela was up next. She, too, hugged her sister and was able to keep her smile up for all of five minutes, before she burst into tears. Which then triggered a chain reaction in Holly.

"I still remember when I first met Chase…" Angela said, wiping her eyes, "I didn't really like him–"

"I can hear you, you know," Chase mumbled.

"–He was such an ass and he ruined my favourite t-shirt!"

"I said sorry..."

She ignored him, "And, well, I'm still not his greatest fan. But I'll learn to love him for you. Maybe."

Gill, who had been waiting for his turn, stepped forward. "Congratulations, both of you," He said. He leaned in and kissed Holly's cheek.

Before he could say anything else, Angela took his hand and dragged him off to the makeshift dance floor, "Gill, come on, let's dance!"

Soon Maya and her parents made their way through the throngs of people. "Oh gosh Holly, you make such a beautiful bride. I can't wait until I get married…" She breathed. Maya shot a coy glance over her shoulder to where Kevin stood on the sidelines, staring into his drink.

"I hope you'll be waiting a few more years… ten years, at least" Jake murmured gruffly, while Colleen just giggled into her palm. Chase received his first hug from Maya and a kiss on the cheek from Colleen, and Jake also offered him his hand.

More townspeople came over after that. Kathy threw her arms around Holly and blubbered into her hair; Owen lifted them both off their feet in a bear-hug. Luke made an immature comment at Chase but instructed him to hold out his fist – "So we can brofist, dude!" Jin and a noticeably round Anissa wished them all the happiness in the world.

When the crowd began to thin out, Chase spotted a familiar pair of faces approaching them. His aunt and uncle stopped a few feet further away than everyone else had, seeming hesitant to get too close.

His aunt broke the silence first, "Hello Chase." Her purple eyes met his.

"Long time no see," Chase murmured. They both looked older than he remembered, worry etched in the lines around their foreheads – he hoped he wasn't the cause of it – but now, they were smiling, radiating youth and happiness. He awkwardly cleared his throat, "Holly, this is my aunt and uncle."

"Oh… oh! I-It's so nice to finally meet you!" Holly timidly accepted their handshakes, "Chase has told me so much about you."

"Has he now?" His uncle asked in an amused tone.

Always such a bad liar.

"Congratulations," His aunt said, "It was a beautiful ceremony."

"Your parents would be so proud of you." Chase felt his heart constrict, a painful reminder. A strong hand touched his shoulder; his uncle was smiling down at him, "And… we're proud of you too."

His chest tightened again, but not in an unpleasant way. "Th… thank you."

Warmth surrounded him as his aunt wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I'm glad you're happy, Chase," She murmured, before releasing him.

As he watched his aunt and uncle disappear into the party, it finally hit him. He was lucky.

Holly intertwined her fingers with his, bring him out of his stupor. "I can't take it anymore," She said seriously, "I need something to eat, or I'm going to pass out."

Chase laughed and followed his wife over to the buffet table. His wife, who would always be by his side, no matter what.

I will never make the mistake of letting her go.

The song faded to an end, and applause erupted all around them. Holly lifted her head from Chase's chest and gave him a dreamy smile. The moment was over; their first dance as husband and wife had slowed time just for them, but now it was time to return to reality.

"All right, everyone, now it's our turn!" Selena called out. A more upbeat, tropical tune started playing and couples streamed out onto the makeshift dance floor.

Chase tried to edge his way back to the outer perimeter, near the seats – cooking was his thing, not dancing – but Holly had a tight hold on his hand. She tried in vain to get him to sway with her, even attempting a twirl, but he wasn't responding. They continued like that for a few more minutes and Chase had just about given into her whims, when Holly came to an abrupt stop. The colour drained from her cheeks again. She was staring into the distance, past the dancing couples, towards the window.

"Holly?" His eyebrows came together into a frown, "What's wrong? Don't you want to dance?"

"I… I think I need to step outside for a minute." Her reply was almost lost over the music, "Need some fresh air."

The crowd carried her away from him, until he lost sight of her completely.

Panic seized him – he couldn't let the distance take over, not so soon.

Chase pushed past Barbara who was swinging her husband Simon around rather vigorously and almost collided with Mayor Hamilton. He fought against the wall of guests, and then the light finally appeared at the end of the tunnel: a clear path to the door.

He wrapped his fingers around the doorknob. The song suddenly changed again, a slower waltz. The door clicked open.

Voices drifted inside, along with a faint trace of cigarette smoke.

"…May I have this dance?"

Chase held the door open a crack, just enough for him to see outside without drawing attention to his spying.

Calvin was hatless and wore a brown overcoat that seemed fancier than his usual attire. He had his arm outstretched, his hand held open in invitation. Holly stared at it, torn; Chase's heart sunk when she reached out. Calvin took her into his embrace, his hands resting loosely on her hips – where Chase's had been only two songs ago – and Holly wrapped her arms around his neck. They rocked side to side on the spot, barely moving.

"Congratulations," Calvin said softly.

"When did you get back?" Holly asked.

"A few days ago."

Her eyes widened, "A few days? You should've visited."

"I heard you were getting married and I thought you'd be busy enough."

"How long are you staying this time?"

"Actually, I bought a house…"

Their movements stopped and Holly let him go. "What?"

A wry smile touched Calvin's lips, "In fact, it was Chase's old house, or so the mayor tells me."

"You're… moving here permanently?" She repeated what he was really saying.

"Well, I'll be going back out on the road eventually, but…" His smile turned wistful as he stared beyond her, to the star-dotted sky, "This is the first place where I've ever felt truly at home."

"Calvin… you didn't think…" Tears choked Holly's voice, "You and I…"

He sighed, "I knew you would've found someone else. But… that never stopped a small part of me from hoping."

A sniffle. "I'm so sorry…"

"Are you happy?"

Holly didn't reply straight away.

Chase's heartbeat sped up, thudding loudly in his ears, as he waited.

"…Yes."

"Then you have nothing to be sorry about." Calvin stepped closer. His fingers gently brushed the length of her jaw, "You've moved on. And now I can too."

He bowed his head and pressed a kiss to Holly's cheek.

Chase threw the door open.

"Holly."

They jumped apart at the sound. His wife swerved on spot. Horror stretched her features and she immediately rushed to her husband's side.

Holly held him back by the arm, "C-Chase, we were just–!"

She wasn't strong enough. Chase strode forward purposefully, fist clenching at his side.

A second later, he was face to face with his wife's ex-boyfriend. Calvin stared down at him – not in challenge, but curiosity.

"Chase, please, don't–"

Chase reached out. Calvin did the same, and they shook hands.

"You're a lucky man," The archaeologist said.

"I know."

Calvin's grip tightened. "If you ever hurt her, I'll kill you."

Holly squeaked in surprise. Chase felt his mouth pull into a crooked smile.

"You'll have to get in line."

As they walked along the dirt path of their farm, headed toward their house, Holly began to slow down. She gestured for Chase to come over; using his shoulder as a support, she eased the right high heel off, then the left. It was a good thing it hadn't rained recently.

"There, that's better," She said, holding the shoes in one hand and hiking up her dress with the other, "I wasn't made to wear high heels for more than five hours."

Chase raised his eyebrow, "Y'know, I could carry you."

Holly wrinkled her nose, "I dunno about that. You look pretty scrawny."

"Hey! Is that any way to talk to your husband?"

She giggled and ran off ahead, with Chase trailing hopelessly behind her. By the time they reached the door, he was huffing and puffing. Never going to make it as an Olympic athlete.

A few minutes later, Chase was able to stand upright again. He watched as Holly fiddled with her keys and opened the door. They'd been husband and wife for five hours. Such a short time, yet it felt already like a lifetime.

Holly was about to step inside when Chase caught her by the wrist. He swept her easily into his arms and carried her over the threshold.

"See, you're not that fat."

She cried out in indignation and swatted his cheek, "Is that any way to talk to your wife? I'll make you sleep on the sofa!"

Chase silenced her with a kiss before she could make good of that promise.

Like so many nights after an argument, they ended up in the bedroom. They lost themselves in the sensation of each other's touch, the feel of each other's skin, the warmth of each other's embrace.

Later, when they were side by side under the sheets, Chase snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. He pressed a few kisses along the line of her neck, relishing in the soft, floral scent of her skin.

Their lives would be different now. He would be a different person, the kind of man Holly deserved.

They would be happy. Truly happy.

"I love you, Holly," Chase whispered.

Holly slowly shifted herself around so she was facing him. Her smile didn't quite touch her eyes.

"I love you too."

The End

…For real this time.

I must've thought up about five different endings for this story and it was hard enough to narrow it down to the two I chose. This one branches off from a week before the day Holly found Chase packing – instead of leaving, he did the more selfish thing and proposed to her, knowing that after everything they'd been through she wouldn't say no.

I think I like the writing in this epilogue better, but to me the "canon" ending is Calvin's. Feel free to disregard it in favour of Chase's though. :P I know Calvin randomly popping up seems, well, random and rather convenient – it bugged me too, don't worry – and my lame excuse for doing it is… a throwback to the summary? The fateful encounters and all that, y'know. Besides, it makes more sense for him to return two-ish years later instead of two months, imo.

I have an announcement too! I've decided to write a sequel based off of this ending~ (because as much as I love Calvin/Holly, they are so blahhh too happy to write about. Chase brings the drama ohoho). It would mainly focus on Chase and Holly's children and their relationship with their parents and the other rival kids etc etc, but of course there would be an underlying Chase/Holly/Calvin storyline as well…

Keep an eye out for it, okay ;)

Anyway, once again, big big big thanks to everyone who read and reviewed this story! I love you all so much~

I shall see you around!