Four Years Later.

Dark rain clouds hung low as the frigid December wind sliced through Austin's fleece flannel. Shutting the car door, he turned to face the graveyard, tucking his hands into his jacket. Austin shook his head, noting that it looked like a scene from a movie.

It had been years since Austin had been in this very graveyard, attending the burial that took place. Following a funeral that had changed everyone's life. One that he didn't like to relive.

Hearing a car approaching, Austin turned to see Trish's vehicle pulling up behind his. He smiled, making his way over to open her door for her.

"Hey Austin," she greets, a genuine smile on her face, but he could see the sadness behind it. He enveloped her in a warm, tight embrace. "Trish, it's so good to see you. I can't believe how long it's been."

"I know, college is kicking my ass," Trish informed, reaching into the car to grab her jacket before turning back to him.

Trish had been attending the University of Miami for a Master's in Business since graduating high school nearly four years ago. She had changed greatly in the past few years, and since Austin had seen her in the summer.

Her figure was slimmer, although it was hidden under a thick leather jacket, that made her seem the tiniest bit taller. Gone were the messy tousled curls that once fell down too her mid back, replaced with straightened locks that fell to just below her shoulders. Trish no longer looked like a girl, but a grown woman.

"Should we go ahead and go in, or do we need to wait?" Trish asked, and Austin looked around for another moment before shrugging. "We can go ahead and go in."

They both turned towards the gate, Austin opening it before letting Trish led the way. A comfortable, yet sad, silence fell over the two as they maneuvered between the tombstones. Once they got to the other end of the graveyard, they began to slow before stopping in front in particular.

Austin watched as Trish stepped forward, squatting down to fix the floor arrangement that perched on the top.

"I miss you," Trish whispered, a small tear falling down her cheek. Austin felt his heart break at the sight. "You should be here right now. Growing up without you sucks," Trish sniffled, and Austin placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Don't have too much fun up there with us." Trish kissed her hand before resting it on the tombstone.

"Please, the life of the party has yet to arrive. We are still down here."

Trish and Austin turned to see a brunette beauty walking their way, large smiles taking over their faces at the sight. Trish stood, quickly walking to wrap her best friend in a hug. "You made it," Trish whispered, burying her head into Ally's shoulder.

Due to the heeled booties on Ally's feet, Trish was shorter compared to her frame than normal. Ally tucked her nose into Trish's curls, breathing in the familiar scent. "Of course, I wouldn't miss this for the world," Ally replied, kissing her cheek before pulling back.

They each wiped the tears falling down their cheeks.

Ally looked up, her eyes locking on Austin's, a dazzling grin lighting up her face. "Hey gorgeous," Austin greeted, wrapping his arms around her torso before pulling her off her feet.

"I've missed you, so much," Austin breathed, placing a kiss on the side of her neck. Ally's grip tightened, letting him know with action that she felt the same.

Placing her down, Ally reached out to grip Trish's hand, Austin's in her other, all three stepping up to the grave.

They each took turns, talking to their best friend they had lost their junior year of high school. One that crossed their minds every day, one that would live in their hearts forever. As each of them stood, mourning over the loss and the fact that it had been five years, Ally felt like a piece of her were missing. It was no doubt that Trish felt that way too.

Everyone was chatty. The noise made Ally's head hurt, but a smile adorned her face despite it. She shook hands, thanking everyone for attending, and feeling in everyone on details when asked. Stepping into the kitchen, she filled a wine glass before grabbing her coat and stepping on the back porch.

She reveled in the silence, and finally allowed her mind to wonder as she fiddled mindlessly with the diamond on her left hand. Looking down at her, her heart fluttered.

It had been nearly a year since the man she loved got down on one knee, asking her to marry him. The one that she had been head over heels with since high school, the one that had been with her through the best and worst moments of her life.

And the past few years of their relationship had been spent away from one another, only seeing each other on holidays and stolen weekends. Long distance wasn't something that came easy to the two of them, but they had been doing it since Austin's first year of college.

Thankfully, Ally graduated at the end of December with her Bachelor's in Journalism, and then, the next phase of her life would be following Austin halfway across the country to Texas since he had been drafted to play for the Dallas Cowboys.

And tomorrow, she would be walking down the aisle, and she would be his wife. She chuckled slightly, never taking her eyes off her ring as her eyes filled with tears, memories of the past four years filling her mind.

A feeling of thankfulness filled her heart and mind. She didn't want to think of the outcome if anything had been different that night four years ago. If Austin hadn't come in when he did, if the paramedics didn't arrive within a timely manner, if the doctors had reacted any slower than they did. That night, her heart had stopped. And she fought for her life on the way to the hospital until they were able to fill her body with a drug to reverse it all.

Arms wound around her waist, and she smiled, leaning back into the warm, welcoming chest of her fiancé. "What are you doing out here, it's freezing," Austin whispered, kissing the shell of her ear before swaying them.

She sighed, shaking her head. "Just thinking of everything that has happened in the past few years. Thinking of that night," Ally whispered, and she felt Austin go rigid. Ally closed her eyes, guilt flooding through her. Austin had claimed on more than one occasion that, that had been the worst night of his life, and they rarely talked about it.

Turning in his arms, Ally wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm so thankful," Ally whispered, her voice cracking. "That I can be here, with you, that I get to walk down the aisle tomorrow to you, that I get to be your wife," she spoke, and Austin reached up, wiping the tears that fell down her face. But soon, tears were falling down his.

"I love you, so much. And I don't know what I did to deserve you, but you are the greatest thing to ever happen to me," Ally croaked, and Austin captured her lips with his. She melted into him, everything around her disappearing, and the only thing that existed in that moment, was him.

She focused on every move of his lips on hers, basked in the way he cradled her face so carefully, and allowed herself to become consumed by the way he loved her.

He pulled away slowly, placing his forehead to hers. "Ally," he whispered, trying to form the words he wanted to say, but nothing came.

Suddenly, the door opened, and the couple turned to see Mimi sticking her head out the window. "There you two are, come on, your guests are getting ready to leave. Then, it's going to be time to take the bride away from the groom for the night."

Austin groaned while Ally laughed at Mimi's statement. "The first night of long distance being over between us, and I can't have you in my bed," Austin pouted whenever Mimi walked away. Ally smiled, leaning up to his ear.

"Starting tomorrow night, you get to have me in your bed for the rest of your life."

Austin kissed her hungrily before letting her go.

"Okay, okay. We better go before my mother cuts our heads off."

Ally fiddled with the delicate pearls hanging around her neck, nerves dancing in her tummy. Penny carefully pinned hairs in place while Ally stared in a mirror, double checking everything. Catching her mother's gaze, Ally gave her a tight smile.

"Should I be nervous," Ally questioned, and Penny gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Of course, it's okay to be nervous, it doesn't matter how much you love him, it's your wedding day." Penny response, turning her around.

Tears filled her eyes as they racked over her daughter. "You are the most beautiful bride."

Ally smiled, hugging her mother before Lester popped his head in the door. "It's time. You ready," he claimed, and Ally took a step back before nodding.

"I am."

Austin felt as if his heart was about to lurch out of his chest when the organ started to play. One by one, each bridesmaid walked down the aisle accompanied by Austin's best friends. And before he knew it, Trish and Dez were the last two.

Dez stepped up beside him, grasping his shoulder as Austin waited impatiently for his bride to walk down the aisle.

As soon as the doors opened, every ounce of breath left Austin's lungs. Everything around his seemed to stop whenever his eyes landed on the most beautiful, breathtaking woman he had ever met.

He was marrying this girl. the girl he had known since sophomore year of high school. The girl that cheered the loudest from the sidelines, no matter the score. The girl who hung herself out his truck window on their late-night joy rides. The one who never failed to amaze him with how she handled herself. The girl who ran away to New York, one of the biggest cities in the world, only to find herself. The girl who stood by her friends through thick and then, loved to feel the sand between her toes and the waves hitting the shore at midnight, and took life in her own hands, no matter how life seemed to stomp her into the ground.

This girl knew everything about him. Every secret, every laugh, and the meaning behind every flicker of emotion he ever showed. The girl that knew every scar on his body and the story behind it, every freckle, and every protruding vein.

Tears were falling one after another, but he didn't have a care in the world as Lester stopped, carefully handing his daughter over to him.

Austin gripped Ally's hands in his, and that's when he realized she was shaking just as much as he was. He gave her a reassuring smile through his emotion, not bothering to pay attention to a word the preacher said.

"At this time, the couple would like to exchange their own vows."

Austin took a shaky breath, locking his eyes on hers.

"Allyson Marie Dawson, to put it simply, you are my everything. I will never be able to put into words the love that I have for you. The moment you came into my life, I knew that my life was complete. The simple act of knowing you, was humbling enough, but getting to love you, will be the great accomplishment of my life. And I promise to you, that for the rest of my life, I will spend every single day loving you, cherishing you, and caring for you," Austin vowed, his voice cracking on a sob.

"You are my greatest gift. Thank you for letting me love you."

Ally took deep breathes to settle the sobs stuck in her throat. She gripped his hands, mouthing an 'I love you' before beginning hers.

"Austin Monica Moon," there were a few chuckles at his middle name, and Ally cracked a soft smile.

"There are two parts of my life. Before you and after you. Never in my wildest dreams did I know climbing into your truck after a high school practice that it would lead to this, but that was the day my life changed forever. That day, I gained not only a best friend, but a piece of me that I didn't know I needed. I feel so incredibly lucky to not only to get the chance to love you, but to be loved by you. You are always in my corner, cheering me on, and pushing me forward to be the best version of myself, you are, in every sense of the word, my rock, and on this day, I vow to be that for you."

She took a sharp inhale, and tears filling her words at the next sentence.

"There is nothing in this life that will ever compare to loving you. It's a blessing I don't deserve, but one that I am thankful for every single day."

And after that, they went through the motions until, "you may now, kiss your bride.".

And he did. And whenever he pulled away, he turned to the crowd, throwing their joined hands in the air.

He had gotten the girl.


Oh my goodness, this is it. I hope you enjoyed it!

I've been working on this story for years, and I can't believe it is finally finished. I started this story in 2016. And my life is no where near the same as it was back then. This is a huge part of me. This fandom, writing, and the friends I've made through here.

For reasons unknown to me, I was drawn to this show, and it's been nearly a decade since watching the pilot. A lot has changed and I've grown from being a 16 year old girl to someone who is about to be 20 in four months.

I can't believe it's coming to an end. But I am so thankful for these stories, and this fandom.

Thank you for reading. I love you all.

.x1013 signing off.