Hi, Everybody! Here is a little bit of happiness after the sadness of the last two chapters.
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ENJOY!


Five years later…

Bella looked at herself in the full-length mirror (that had been brought in from the master bedroom for this exact purpose) and couldn't help but smile. Her dress had been styled by her to fit her own style and personality, and she had gone to the Sharma Day Spa that afternoon to get her hair and makeup done. Bella Bachelor looked absolutely perfect.

She had decided to keep her hair down, an idea her mother had at first protested against, but Bella liked it down, and knew Mortimer felt the same. She had natural colors covering her eyes and lips, accentuating her beauty in such a way that it seemed as if she was not wearing any makeup at all.

A familiar knock at the door (and a more familiar sniffling sound), announced her mother's presence. "Come in, Mom," Bella called.

Jocasta entered the Goth's spare bedroom and gave a cry as she saw her youngest child, and only daughter, in her wedding dress. "Oh, Bella, you look…you look…OH, MY BABY!"

Bella couldn't help but laugh at her mother as Jocasta broke into fresh sobs. "Thanks, Mom," she said.

Simis knocked on the doorframe. "Can I come in?"

"Sure, Dad."

Simis entered and gave his daughter a once-over, tears welling in his eyes. "You look so beautiful, Bella."

"You look good, too, Dad. And so do you, Mom," Bella said to her parents.

Jocasta had her graying hair up in a usual bun, and was in a pretty red dress with black trim, black hoop earrings, and black, backless shoes. Her husband was in an off-white suit complete with white shirt, blue tie, and green-brown shoes. Her brother, Bella knew, would at least be in a normal black tux.

"Well, aren't you a pretty bride?"

Bella looked at the door and saw her very soon-to-be mother-in-law: Cornelia Goth. Cornelia had her short gray hair expertly styled over her right eye, and her purple dress screamed elegant with its black corset-like waist and deep blue underlining. To complete the ensemble she wore an elaborate black and purple necklace and, of course, her signature purple lipstick.

"Thank you, Mrs. Goth. I must say, you look very elegant."

"Thank you, Bella. All the guests are downstairs and we are ready to begin the ceremony. It's ten minutes to nine; it is time to walk down the aisle." With that, Cornelia looped her arm through Jocasta's and led the still crying woman out the door.

Bella took a deep breath and slowly let it out. This was the moment she had been waiting for. In a few minutes she would descend the grand staircase of Goth Manor and marry the man she loved. She looked to her father. Simis was, of course, admiring the room in which she had been getting ready in. It was a nice enough room with green brick walls and red wood paneling, decorated with red and black curtains that covered the windows. It had a door leading out to a small balcony that, if Bella had wanted to, she could have seen her guests driving up the hill to the manor. "Dad? Are you ready?"

Simis looked over at her. "Hm? Oh! Yes, of course!"

Bella gently put on first one, then the other, white glove to complete her wedding outfit. The gloves went up a little past her elbows and were made from the same simple satin as her dress. She reached out a gloved hand to her father who took it and placed it in the crook of his arm. They were ready.

Together they exited the room and descended the old, grand staircase. The boards creaked a bit under their weight, but held steady. Once they reached the bottom, a butler hired just for the occasion opened the front door for them. They walked under the large, iron, candle-lit chandelier and went into the dark, cool night. They descended the front steps and then the orchestra began the traditional wedding march.

Freshly planted white rose bushes and white lit candles lined the new stone walkway that led them right, to the large willow tree, the oldest living tree in Sunset Valley. Stone benches laden with guests were placed on the opposite side of the bushes and candles, all facing the tree and the white, wooden, flower-laced arch placed underneath it.

And there he stood.

Twenty-five year old Mortimer Goth looked marvelously handsome in his black tuxedo. His black hair was slicked back, his mustache looked freshly oiled, and Bella was sure she had never seen him look happier than he did right then.

Once they had reached the arch, Simis took Bella's hand and placed in into Mortimer's waiting palm. His part in the ceremony done, Simis backed away and took his place on a stone bench next to his wife.

Mortimer took the hand he was holding and kissed it. "You are so beautiful, Bella," he said.

She didn't answer and as the orchestra's song came to its end, they turned and faced the officiant.

BGBGBGBGBG

Bella walked away from the party, which was in full-swing at this point, and moved towards the empty area where she had just been married. Bella Goth. It had a nice ring to it, didn't it? She certainly thought so.

The candles were still burning from earlier and as she stood under the arch, this time by herself, she placed her hand on the smooth, white wood. She closed her eyes, remembering the ceremony that had taken place just two hours ago. She smiled, remembering their "I do's" and their first kiss as man and wife. It was magical.

She then felt a hand on her waist and another grabbing at her left hand. She laughed as Mortimer first kissed her wedding ring and then kissed his way from her hand to her elbow, and then all the way to her shoulder. "Oh, Mortimer," she said. Bella relaxed, letting her back rest gently on his chest and put her head on his shoulder.

"Oh, Bella," he replied. "I am going to try very hard to make you happy, my dear. Anything you want, it's yours."

She smiled. "I already have everything." She shifted her head slightly so that her lips met her husbands and they shared a long, slow, passionate kiss.

"Awww, aren't you two the absolute cutest?"

The two broke apart and looked for the source of the voice.

"Over here!"

Bella looked over to the Goth Manor Graveyard to see a young woman, (well, a young ghost), waving at her. Then, the ghost faded away, still smiling and waving.

Mortimer sighs. "That's Lolita. Some distant relation of mine. Or, so I'm told. I actually have no idea how she's related to the family."

Bella frowns. "How did she die?"

"Electrocuted. To be honest, that's probably why there are no TV's, stereos, or computers in the manor."

Bella turns to Mortimer. "I thought that was because your family is so old-fashioned."

Mortimer laughs. "That, too. C'mon, I'll give you the grand tour of the graveyard."

Together they walk through the creaking, black gate into the section of the yard that holds the Goth ancestors. Mortimer introduces her to his relatives and Bella looks at the graves. It would seem that they all have died of old age; the dates on the headstones put everyone well into their eighties. And then they reach the far corner where one, small, plaque is placed. This plaque seems older, more weathered than the others, and has dirt and daisies covering the front of it.

The plaque simply reads "Dear Lolita Goth, may you rest in peace." There are no dates, no other information regarding the death of the young woman except for a bronze lightning bolt.

"How old was she when she died?" Bella asks Mortimer.

He shrugs. "Nobody knows. But I can only assume very young. She's quite childish; out of all the ghosts she's the one who plays the most pranks."

Bella couldn't help but smile at the idea of this trickster ghost floating about the manor, springing out of toilet seats in the middle of the night and scaring the Goth family.

"Do you like ghosts?" Mortimer asks her, bemused.

She shrugs. "They don't seem all that bad."

Mortimer laughs and grabs her hand. "Well, I will be sure to remember that. Come. Let us get back to the party so that our guests may bask in your unearthly beauty."