Today was finally the day.

There was almost a spring in his step as he joined Cross under the gazebo. It was as if the day had decided to behave, just this once. The skies were blue and cloudless, and a pleasant yet not overbearing breeze rolled through to keep the day cool. Lavi was dressed in a fine suit, at the insistence of the organisers. He didn't think Lenalee would have minded what he wore, but he was so excited, he could have been doing this in his birthday suit and been equally satisfied with it. But the ceremony wasn't for their sakes; nobles always wanted a flashy and over-the-top affair, and that's what Lavi would give them. Those high-class people were hard to please.

Lenalee was equally excited. Arm in arm with Komui, her brother, it seemed as if she would run toward him if not for Komui's deliberately slow walk. He wanted to show off his sister, and if Lavi knew anything about Komui, it was more or less a display of what they could never have. He was reluctant to let go of her when they reached the gazebo. Lenalee shot him a impatient look before he finally relented, and she eagerly joined hands with Lavi.

Facing each other, they found themselves lost in between. Cross recited the necessities, but his voice faded into the background as their whispered exchange took place.

"You're so beautiful," Was all Lavi could tell her, breathless. Indeed she was. For the occasion, her hair had been dressed up in a traditional fashion, held fast by what Lavi guessed was an heirloom of her mother's. It brought all the focus to her face, which had been so frugally touched with makeup. She didn't need it, either. Lenalee had a very natural beauty. He fought the urge to touch her just yet. She was blushing.

"- and the bride does thusly vow….!" Cross repeated, bringing them both back to the present. Lenalee blinked, blushing even harder as she lifted her goblet. Lavi felt a little absurd holding a candle. She lifted his hand in her own.

"With this hand," she recited, "I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never be empty, for I shall be your wine." It was Lavi's turn.

"With this candle, I will light your way in darkness. With this ring," he slipped the ring around her finger, feeling Lenalee's hand trembling, "I ask you to be mine."

"I am yours," Lenalee said, her eyes lighting up.

Lavi couldn't wait for Cross to officialise the marriage before he pulled Lenalee in, showing his love for her for all of Westreach to see. She squealed in delight as Lavi swept her into his arms, feeling, for once in his life, pure happiness. If only the moment could last. A white dove perched upon the lattice overhead. The ladies in attendance swooned, whispering about how romantic it was, or that it was a sign of good fortune to come. But Lavi and Lenalee knew better. The dove winked at the couple, then fluttered away into the gardens.

They had been skeptical for a while, but the mere fact that the celebration afterwards had proven to be so merry was proof enough to them that what Allen told them was true. Lavi, Lenalee, Cross, and Kanda were the only living souls who would remember the events that transpired around Millennium and his demons. Allen had become the new master over the time streams. He restored Westreach to its former glory, reviving all who had perished in the battle, although none of them seemed to recall any of it ever happening. All the better, Lavi thought.

Even so, Allen had surprised them further. He'd gone above and beyond simply fixing Westreach. The evils of the Devil's Wood vanished, bringing new life to the forest below them. New residences popped up throughout, including a small chapel down by the lake. It was run by a nun by the name of Miranda Lotto, a woman who was rather introverted and preferred the solitude. With the barrier of this evil woodland gone, a new trading route had opened up, much to the benefit of Fort Honning, which had been struggling.

The greatest surprise, however, was the farmland that had sprung into success. Allen assured them repeatedly that they had nothing to worry about, and that Tyki Mikk was an honest man with a loving wife and three children. And he was right. As strange as it was after their battle to the death, Tyki remembered nothing of his demon days, and now spent his days trading produce and raising his children into the trade. Lavi had even run into him selling his vegetables at the market, and the man hadn't even recognised him. He was a perfectly normal bloke with a perfectly normal life.

But, he supposed, stranger things had indeed happened.

The festivities had calmed down, giving Lavi and Lenalee the opportunity to steal away into the gardens. With the sounds of merriment fading behind them, the newlyweds were alone at last. They seated themselves along the edge of a fountain, the stone angel seeming to watch them as they looked deeply into each other's eyes.

And they laughed.

All the excitement, nervousness, and strangeness of the day spilled out into simple laughter. Finally, when they calmed, they embraced.

"You have no idea what I've been through to get you," Lavi teased, finally playing with her hair. Lenalee punched him playfully in the arm.

"Well I happened to get kidnapped by a dragon, mind you," she shot back.

"Do you think any of this will, you know, come back to bite us? I mean, Allen changed a lot-"

"Of course not!" the stone angel came to life, startling them both. Allen laughed, stepping down from the fountain and slipping in between them. "Not a single loose end. You do not want to know how many tries it took to get them all right."

The couple laughed nervously.

"But don't mess it up, alright? I won't be here to fix it." They paused, sharing a look.

"What do you mean? Are you leaving?" Lenalee asked.

"I've done enough here in Westcliff. Quite enough, I think," Allen said, thoughtfully, "I think it's time I moved on. Thanks to you, I've found my purpose in life. I know I'm needed elsewhere."

"I thought you would take up training with Cross again?" Lavi questioned him. Allen shook his head.

"Nah, he's got a new apprentice."

"What? Who?" The couple said in unison. Allen smiled, if not a bit devilishly.

"Kanda, of course!"

"You're lying!" Lenalee said, "He would never!"

"Actually, he would. You see, he had my mark. That letter I sent him was mostly about what he needed to do to get rid of it."

Lavi raised his brows, half amused. "I can't wait to see it, actually."

Allen winked. "Oh, I don't know about that. You'll be plenty busy yourself."

"What do you mean?" Lavi balked. Allen laughed again, placing a hand on Lenalee's belly. She flushed, and Lavi grew a deep shade of red himself.

"Lenalee?!"

"I was going to tell you, honestly, I- damn it, Allen!"

The boy cackled darkly. "Maybe I'll come visit when the tyke's a bit older. Farewell, my dearest friends!"

Allen vanished, leaving the couple alone, for real this time. Still flushed, Lenalee balled up her hands into her lap, not certain what else to say. Lavi put his hand on top of hers. She looked up at him.

"We've been through hell already," he reassured her. "The future holds nothing we cannot conquer."

Lenalee smiled. That smile that made it all worth it.

BIG BIG SHOUT OUT TO YOU ALL!

I know, I know, it's been an awful long wait. Painful, perhaps. But I wanted to end this properly. And I cannot put into words how relieved I am to have finally finished this. It's a big win over that monster called depression. I'm actually astounded how little I have to say, but if I say anything I want you all to know I am so thankful for everyone that has stuck with me on this. You know who you are, you lovely bastards.