Final chapter guys! An epilogue this time.

I almost didn't post this chapter today cuz I've had a long day and was quite tired but then I took a semi-nap and had dinner. I felt better and knew I couldn't let you all down.

Originally this chapter was much shorter but I did some last minute writing to make it longer to show my appreciation for you all by adding even more Drukkari and Found Family fluff (and minor hints at angst).

It's the day of the wedding or vow renewal, whatever one wants to call it, and it seems everyone is flustered and nervous except the married couple in question.

Sersi flits to and fro getting the decorations for the ceremony in order. She had asked Makkari if the speedster would let her plan the event, having missed wedding planning in the centuries between her own, and Makkari willingly handed all preparations over to her. Sersi knows better about these things than her. A few consultations here and there were all she needed to veto flowers or adjust the decorations but the rest of it all was handled by the matter manipulator. The only aspect Makkari was fully involved in was her wedding dress.

She had never felt a loss of not having a pretty dress like Sersi the first time she had gotten married but she couldn't deny she liked the idea of having a special dress to look back fondly on for the memory associated with this day. The dress she chose was stitched of a beautiful red fabric with colorful embroidery and South Asian mirrorwork. She couldn't deny she looked lovely in the dress and couldn't wait til Druig would see her in it too.

"Are you nervous?" Thena asks, walking up to her.

Makkari huffs. She'd been asked this question way too many times today.

'It's a vow renewal. Druig and I are already married,' she points out. Then she relaxes. She can't blame the others for forgetting. They hadn't been at the first wedding.

Still, it's amusing how much she's getting asked this when Druig and her had seen each other just this morning. She'd woken up to him tracing shapes on her back and when he'd realized she'd woken up, he'd cheekily asked if she wanted to give their family the slip and run off again. As much as Makkari had wanted that, she knew they couldn't do this a second time so had tugged on his hair playfully to tell him to behave. The resulting make-out session after that had been quite nice too. To go from peacefully enjoying a morning in bed with her husband to being asked repeatedly if she was nervous about re-marrying said husband when they'd played rock paper scissors to settle the petty discussion of who would be the first to move out of bed and motivate the other to get up too was a little ridiculous.

Thena hums in understanding, the vibrations felt by Makkari strong and clear.

"He's your best friend and closest companion. Has been since we stepped on this planet," Thena observes, signing along. "Doubt was never part of the equation." There's an understanding in her gaze that is unlike anyone else's and Makkari knows Thena understands because the warrior goddess shares a similar connection with Gilgamesh.

Ajak rushes over to fuss over Makkari then, already crying despite the ceremony not even having begun yet. Makkari has to spend a good few seconds calming the matronly Eternal down albeit Ajak never stops fussing. Makkari doesn't really care for it, as restless as she is. Staying still while Ajak fusses with her dress and the minor jewelry and flowers she's wearing in her hair is hard for her but remembering how sad Ajak had been upon missing their wedding the first time she stays still. She knows Druig would have suffered similar fussing wherever he currently is before Ajak had come over to her. Makkari's grin softens a little as she wonders if he'd enjoyed it. Her husband is so used to being in the shadows that any show of attention unsettles him now. He and Ajak have seen eye to eye less and less over time but Makkari can sense part of Druig still desires the approval of their leader and the rest of their team. She loves him and hates how little he values himself because of the others. Today is a day just for them though, and she hopes Druig can see how important it is for the other Eternals to be a part of his wedding the same way it was important for them to be a part of Ikaris'.

Kingo runs over to her soon after to save her from Ajak, dressed in a splendidly flashy kurta of his own, ready to walk her down to the altar. He had been very adamant on fulfilling this duty as compensation for not being invited to the first wedding and Makkari wouldn't have chosen anyone else for it either. Ikaris had looked displeased, clearly having expected to be given the honor as their second in command, but didn't protest when Kingo had gone around boasting his role in the wedding.

"We're already late, let's move it people!" he announces as he makes his way to where the women are standing in their finery.

'Druig's snacking isn't he?' Makkari asks him amused as everyone gets to their places.

"He was getting bored with all the fussing. I'm surprised he hasn't murdered Ikaris yet for nitpicking at the details as much as Sersi is," Kingo shrugs. Druig had been considerably patient but his introverted nature could never be beat and Kingo had practically run out of food to offer the mind manipulator while Ikaris made the last-minute adjustments by flying back and forth to see whether the floral arrangements were just right. It was quite comical really. Ikaris wanted Druig and Makkari's wedding to be perfect more than the couple in question and Kingo knew it wasn't just Sersi rubbing off on him over the centuries. He was amused at this inadvertent show of affection from the sun Eternal towards his (their) sort-of youngest brother.

Makkari lets out a silent laugh, imagining the scene, then gestures to the walkway. 'Let's not keep my husband waiting then.'

The ceremony is different from the last time but still beautiful. Druig can't take his eyes off of Makkari and neither can she him. Ajak is bawling and the rest of the Eternals, including Sprite of all people, are smiling. The reception is even lovelier with dancing and laughter and lots of good food. The people of Tenochtitlan are thrilled to know two of their deities are getting married and go all out during the reception to entertain their gods.

Somewhere in the middle of the revelry, long into the night when the humans are tipsy and drunk and the Eternals are caught up in themselves, Sprite realizes the married couple in question are missing.

"Where's Mr. and Mrs?" she asks, looking around as she walks up to where Kingo and Phastos are enjoying what is probably their third meal of the evening.

Sersi and Ikaris are on the dance floor along with Thena and Gilgamesh and Sprite is doing everything in her power not to look there, wondering if she can tease the newlyweds… or well, the re-newlyweds, to get her mind off her heartache instead. Getting under Druig's skin is so easy these days. It seems like every day he's closer to getting ready to snap and no one knows why. They expect it to be amusing when he does… if they don't destroy the remaining Deviants and get called back to Olympia first.

"They were dancing earlier," Kingo says, chowing into his bowl of food. He looks unbothered that the couple is missing, fully satisfied now he got to see his friends married, more preoccupied with enjoying the food, drink and merriment.

"Has anyone seen Druig and Makkari?" Ajak repeats coming over in a flurry. It seems she's been looking for the two for longer, a camera in her hands. "I haven't seen them in a while. I was so hoping to get a few photographs in the West gardens too." They've already taken many pictures to commemorate this day and yet Ajak, ever the mother, cannot help but desire more to add to her growing collection.

Phastos sighs, knowing nobody will calm down until the couple in question are found. He stands up, putting his own plate aside to look over through the commotion of the partygoers, scanning them for their evanescing bride and groom before he's stuck by a thought.

"They didn't!" He gasps.

"What?"

"They snuck off again!"

"In the middle of their own wedding party?" Sersi asks, hearing the last bit as she comes over with Ikaris now that the dance has ended. There's a pretty flush on her cheeks from the exertion from the lively jig and she clearly had a lovely time.

Thena and Gilgamesh follow, curious to see why their family is in a huddle.

"What's wrong?" Gilgamesh asks.

"Druig and Makkari snuck off again," Ajak tells them, tiredly.

"But it's their own wedding!" Ikaris protests, echoing his wife. He will never understand the way those two go against everything that is proper. Sneaking off on their own wedding after eloping the first time is the height of disrespect in his eyes.

"I think its romantic," Sersi counters. She knows Ikaris finds this behavior unseemly but over the past few months she's come to admire and adore the way Druig and Makkari love each other. They have their openly displayed yet veiled love perfected like a dance to a tune only they can hear and are unafraid of what the others think of them if the other Eternals happen to catch on long enough to observe them.

"They didn't get a honeymoon the first time around," Thena points out, a fond smile quirking at her lips. She finds this entertaining more than offensive too.

"You think that's where they went?" Gil asks. Thena shrugs. It's the only option, unless they're off making out somewhere which is unlikely since they usually prefer other ways of showing affection.

"It's possible they'd have left a note back at the castle," Kingo points out, stretching back against his chair lazily since he'd finished his food. He would offer to go search but he really doesn't care to be scarred in case the couple are still around and embroiled in a blissful wedded passion.

Ajak sighs once again in resignation, certain now that this is exactly what has happened – Druig and Makkari are off somewhere far away and probably won't be back for a week at least. She feels a swell of exasperation at the way the pair gave them all the slip again but there's a smile on her face.

"And then it's a wonder then they say we never knew… they keep running and hiding like little kids."

Somewhere off in another hidden corner of the world, Druig and Makkari giggle at the reaction they know their family will have upon noticing their little disappearing act. Neither of them can bring themselves to regret it.

'You're a bad influence on me,' Makkari teases once they stop laughing. They had run away because he was getting tired of the attention and had conveniently reminded her of his suggestion to ditch everyone this morning.

('We've attended the wedding and the reception,' he'd reasoned to her. 'Surely the newlyweds are allowed to leave after that.'

'We're not newlyweds,' she'd replied but had been the one to take his hand and pull him away first as they snuck out from under everyone's noses.)

Her eyes crinkle as he pokes his tongue out at her, reminding her that their original wedding was an elopement on her demand. When she shakes her head, giggling in faux denial, heart bubbling with joy, he grabs her around the middle, her back to his chest, her arms wrapped tight as he holds her in place.

"Should I burn the marriage certificate then, m'darling wife, my beautiful Makkari?" Druig teases, holding his hands out to sign in front of her. "Need to make sure you can't return me, you know."

She sighs happily as she leans back against him before whipping around in his arms. 'If I wanted to get rid of you I would have done so centuries ago,' she signs back cheekily letting out a small yelp of surprise as he pokes her in the side in response.

Then they're both quiet, smiles wide as he leans forward to wrap his arms around her waist again, hers snaking around his neck their eyes closed and foreheads touching in contented bliss. They sway gently, dancing to their own tune where nobody can see them or hear them. There's no music by the beach they've stopped at and the bioluminescent glowing sand is the only light aside from the moon but the waves are enough of a tune for him and the vibrations of him humming as he holds her are enough for her.

This moment, here and now, preserves centuries of peace.

I've had so much fun writing this fic and posting chapters daily. I'm going to miss it so much. Please do look out for my future fics for these two. I have a Hades and Persephone style story in the works and am currently stuck in a bit of writers block with it aside from my busy schedule in general so can't say when it'll be finished and ready to post but I hope you all who enjoyed my writing will be there when I do.

Please do leave a review if today's chapter or this fic in general made you smile or feel anything. Constructive criticism is also appreciated!