It must have been cold there in my shadow

She straightened the long midnight blue gown that flowed around her feet. Flowers were worked into her long curly hair, she wore only faint make up. She slipped into her silver slippers. Slowly she turned back to DG. "You look amazing, little sister."

Truely, she did. Her hair was piled on top of her head, the veil hooked to a silver tiara. The dress swept out from her hips, cut across her bossom delicately. Lace trimmed the white silk, adding innocence to female beauty. She couldn't have looked more perfect.

It'd been three months, people liked to move fast in the O.Z., or maybe it was just the people around hers. And now, in exactly twenty five minutes and twenty seconds, DG would walk down that aisle. "I'm not sure I can do this."

Az tucked a loose curl behind DG's ear. "Do you remember when we were little girls, what you'd do if we weren't getting into trouble, at Finaqua, or at school?" DG shook her head. "I'd find you in Ambrose's office, talking to him like he was your best friend in the whole wide world."

"Why didn't he tell me?" She fiddled with the belt of blue Dahlias around her waist.

"He probably doesn't remember either, Deeg." She continued patiently. "I remember this one night, you'd spent the entire day with him. You came into my room, sat on the bed, looked me straight in the eye and said 'when I grow up, I'm gonna marry Ambrose.' I didn't take you seriously but you obviously meant it if both of you can completely forget who you are and still end up here."

DG laughed. "You made that up!"

"I most certainly did not." Az patted her cheek. "You'll be just fine, now I'm going to go see how the boys are doing."

"Glitch's probably more scared than I am." DG agreed.

Az shook her head, "I'm more worried about Cain, he hasn't spoken a word to you since the ball. It's not right."

"In his eyes I freed his wife's murder, Az, I'm tired of explaining this. I could just let him kill Zero, is that what you want?" She took a deep breath, knew that cut deep. "He just needs time, and he can have it. Now go, make sure he hasn't crawled out the window."

Az laughed, hugged her sister. "Even in his mood, the best man would shoot him before he got the chance."

"Go!" DG shoved at her. "Before the man kills the man I'm supposed to marry in less than a half an hour."

The door shut as Az practically ran out the door. Down the hall, and yet through another, she finally stood in front of the right door. Cain answered when she knocked, annoyance clearly written all over his face. "How's the groom?"

"Glitching like hell." He muttered as she slipped in. Glitch was tied down in a chair, trying his best to free himself.

"Let me go! I have to go, thier surrounding us as we speak. I have to tell the queen, I need to get to her before she does!"He was practically in tears, struggling in his nice tuxedo.

"He doesn't even remember DG." Cain shook his head with a frown. Az smiled a little, she could have that fixed in two seconds.

"At least you didn't shoot him." She placed a hand on Glitch's shoulder, waited until he made eye contact. "Do you know where you are, Glitch?"

He blinked, nodded. "Is it time?"

"Almost." She kissed his cheek before turning to Cain. "Two things, A) If he glitches again, just touch him or ask him a question about the here and now. When he thinks about it, he'll remember. B) DG may not blame you for being pissed, but I do. If you can't even find it in you to be nice today of all days, then you know where the exit is. But you won't ruin this, for either of them."

He stiffened, "I never intended to."

She gave him an nodd and opened the door. What she saw caught her by suprise. The door slammed behind her as she caught Zero by the arm. "Please tell me your not really this stupid."

He didn't speak, couldn't find any words, as she pulled him back down the hall. Finally she turned on him. "DG's risking a brilliant friendship by protecting you and your going to throw it away by choosing to hang around that door.

He cleared his throat. "Cain was in there with you and DG?"

It took her a second, then she could help but laugh. "DG was worried Glitch might start glitching or climb out a window." She started walking, motioned for him to follow.

"She's down here, she tried to put enough space between them that there is no possible way for them to see eachother." Az explained before she stopped, took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I yelled at you, I just finished letting Cain have it and I shouldn't have transferred my frustrations on to you. Your the last person who deserves it."

He reached out to touch her shoulder, a move that would have gotten him killed four months ago. "It's alright, Azkadee, I understand."

She closed her eyes, felt the breakdown coming on. Taking a deep breath, she pulled it back in, she could let herself cry later. She called on her light to soothe, but the unexpected happened. It came over her fast, the memory of a childhood friend long forgotten.

She was twelve, her parents sent her in the car to school, like every morning. Weekends were for magic and Finaqua, school days were for math and homework. As she got out of the car, she grinned. A blonde boy waited, leaning against the wall. Her heart skipped a beat as the heat rushed to her cheeks. Here was friendship she could count on, but she wondered why her stomach felt so funny.

Carefully, she took the bag her driver handed her and waved at her sister as they drove away. He'd be taking DG to a school for younger children. He pushed off the wall as she approached him, held open the door. "Hey, Azkadee."

"Hello, Z, how are you this morning?" She fumbled with the necklace she wore around her neck.

"Alright, but fair warning, Ms. Swomley's in an awful mood this morning." He grimaced.

She laughed. "When isn't she?"

Az looked at the grown man before her, blinked once. He nodded, let go of her arm. "I was wondering how long it would take you to remember. I have to get back to my seat, you only have five minutes and she's probably waiting for you. Can we talk later or will you be busy doing maid of honor stuff?"

"I won't be busy." She mumbled blankly as she turned to walk toward the room where DG waited. As the door shut behind her and she collapsed into a chair, she looked up into her sister's eyes. "Oh my."