Weddings seldom happen the way that you dream them. Emily knew this. Her wedding was going to be so much happier that she'd dreamed. The chapel was full of all her friends. She made her way down the aisle, her heart flying. Victor was standing up front with Elder Gutknecht. He didn't appear to be nervous, just sincere. His eyes followed Emily as she walked towards him, a smile playing at his lips. Emily joined his side. Elder Gutknecht began the ceremony.

She didn't listen to much that he said. She just kept looking at Victor from the corner of her eye. She was beaming. Victor turned to her to say his vows. He said them sweeter than he had the first time. Emily smiled, staring into his deep brown eyes.

"With this hand, I will lift your sorrows," he said. She believed it. He had already erased so much of the pain she had felt. He continued, "Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine."

"Now you," Gutknecht, said, turning to Emily. She smiled, never taking her eyes off Victor.

"With this hand, I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never empty, for I will be-" She began pouring the Wine of Ages into Victor's goblet. There was a blur of white that caught her eye. Victoria. She was dressed in her wedding gown with a sad expression on her face. She was partially hidden behind the pillar, as if she knew she wasn't supposed to be there. Emily's own painful memories came flooding back. She remembered how it felt to be betrayed by a man who you thought loved you. She remembered feeling despair. Still, she tried to continue. Victoria made no attempt to stop her.

"For I will be…" she said shakily, her voice trailing off. Victor's eyes were caring and encouraging.

"Go on, my dear," Elder Gutknecht said. Emily took a deep breath. She loved Victor.

"Your cup will never empty," she repeated."For I will be…" But she couldn't go on. Victoria's eyes seemed to be pleading with her. She couldn't rip away another bride's happiness.

"I will be your wine," Victor supplied her words, gently, and lifted the goblet to his lips. Emily placed her hand over it. Victor looked at her, shocked.

"I can't," she whispered. She looked back at Victoria, who was just as surprised as Victor. However, she stayed concealed. Concern spread across Victor's face.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently. He turned to look behind him, following her gaze. She gently placed a hand on the side of his face.

"This is wrong," she whispered. It killed her to admit it, but she knew it was true. "I was a bride. But my dreams were taken from me. Well now," she said her voice breaking. "Now I've stolen them from someone else." A tear slid down her cheek. Seeing Victoria, alone and hopeless… she couldn't take away her happiness too. "I love you, Victor," she said. And she could see the love written in his face. She knew her love was returned. "But you are not mine." She said to him, reminding herself of that fact at the same time.

She held out her hand to Victoria, who shyly walked forward. She placed Victoria's hand with Victor's. Where it belonged. He was surprised to see her there. Emily saw that when they looked at each other, they looked…complete. Her own peaceful feeling was interrupted by a harsh voice.

"Oh, how touching. I always cry at weddings. Our young lovers together at last." Victoria gasped, taking a small step backwards. Emily stood, her eyes wide, frozen. She couldn't believe what she saw.

"Surely now they can live happily ever after. But you forget," the man said, still advancing. "She's still my wife! I'll not leave here empty handed!" Angrily, he grabbed Victoria's arm and pulled her away from Victor. Emily was boiling with rage. He had the gall to show up here? As if ruining one bride's life wasn't enough!

"You," Emily whispered recovering from her shock. The man looked at her and did a double take.

"Emily?" Barkis asked.

"You!" she said again. She glared at him. Oh, she wanted to cause him all the pain in the world. Anger she had never felt bubbled up inside her.

"But I left you!" he exclaimed as though it would make her disappear.

"For dead," she whispered, finishing his sentence. There were gasps of surprise coming up from the audience in the church. Barkis could see things would not turn out well for him.

"This woman is obviously delusional!" he cried out in vain. The crowd was getting angry. He backed up, taking Victoria with him. The crowd was rising from their seats. Emily couldn't move her feet. Barkis pulled a sword and held it to Victoria's pale throat.

"Sorry to cut things short, but we must be on our way. Victor stepped forward, a dangerous look in his eye. He walked toward Barkis, intending to do harm if he had to.

"Take your hands off her," he said. He wasn't about to back down. Emily watched the scene in horror. She willed her legs to move, to intervene, to do something but she was rooted to the spot.

Barkis rolled his eyes. "Do I have to kill you too?" he asked, pointing the sword at Victor. Victor didn't back up. He didn't have to. Scraps bit down hard on Barkis' leg. He released Victoria, who ran to Emily. Victor caught a fork that Mrs. Plum had thrown in the air.

Barkis and Victor were after each other. Victoria couldn't watch, she turned her head towards Emily. Emily tried to keep up with what was going on. She was praying Victor would win. As the two neared Emily and Victoria, they knocked over a row of pews. Victoria would have been smashed, but Emily acted quickly. The two watched in horror as Bittern slowly overpowered Victor knocking him to the floor. Barkis raised his sword for a killing stroke. Emily's legs finally allowed her to move. She was in front of Victor, just as Barkis plunged his sword down. It found its place in her rib cage, where she had been stabbed before. She pulled the sword out and pointed it at Bittern. This was over.

"Touché, my dear," Bittern said. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Get. Out." She said, dangerously quiet.

"Oh, I'm leaving," he laughed. He walked toward the front table. Emily kept the sword pointed at him. "But first," he said, grabbing Victor's goblet, "A toast. To Emily; always the bridesmaid, never the bride! Tell me my dear, can a heart break once it's stopped beating?"

If it could, hers certainly had. Biitern's words stung. Behind her, Elder Gutknecht was holding the crowd back. He said something about playing by the rules of the living. Emily was too concentrated on Barkis to care. She watched as he lifted the goblet to his lips, a sick satisfaction filling her body. He drank deeply and turned to leave.

He choked and sputtered once he reached the door. Emily couldn't help but smile. Barkis was finished. He could cause no more pain to the living. Elder Gutknecht released the crowd, who chased him into another room.

"New arrival," said Mrs. Plum darkly before shutting the door.