A/N: TaDa! The epilogue... you're almost done! I really hope you enjoyed it and I would love to hear from you with any comments or anything! Thanks so much for being patient! SEW/Lady S
Epilogue: Union of the Hearts
Tranquillity sat in front of her mirror, staring at the reflection before her, thinking back to this same moment earlier that day. Today, her wedding day. One of the happiest days of her entire life, but not for the reason most would think.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
With soft strokes she ran her brush through her hair, ridding the locks of whatever knots had tried to settle in, until it shined. Her eyes glowed a swirl that looked like a rainbow. So many emotions were running through her today. Red, of course, as her heart overflowed with love for her fiancé; Yellow from the immense joy she felt; Orange to show how excited she was; Purple for her respect of the man she loved; Blue to show him how loyal she would be. There was also just a hint of black in her eyes, unable to deny the flicker of pain that she couldn't share this day with Thomas, her dear friend whose death forced her to the mansion, and Briggeet, her first and truest friend.
"You look pretty, Tranquillity."
Looking in the mirror she focused on the little boy by her side. "Thank you, Sweetie. You look very handsome as well." Reaching out she pulled the child into her lap. He climbed up willingly and sat facing her. "Are you happy about what's going to happen today?"
Richard nodded, after the briefest of hesitation. "I'm glad you're gonna be my new Mommy."
"I'd never try to take away what your mom meant to you, Richard. But I do love you, very much, and I know we'll be happy as a family."
The little boy smiled at her. "I know."
Hugging her tightly for a moment he scrambled down when Jean came back into the room. Fleeing from the 'girls' he ran down the hall to his fathers room. Not bothering to knock he opened the door, ran through the outer room and on into the bedroom itself where he flung himself onto the bed on his stomach and smiled, bouncing up and down with excitement, as he watched his father tie the bowtie of his tuxedo.
"Where'd you disappear to?" Charles asked.
"I went to see Tranquillity," he replied. "She looks really pretty."
Charles glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "Have you ever seen her NOT be pretty?"
Richard grinned. "Nope."
Chuckling he ruffled the boys hair and returned to fixing his bowtie. `Why on earth did I not get the snap on one?!` he groaned to himself as his fingers fumbled again.
"Are you nervous?"
Charles looked sharply at him. "Why?"
"Cause ya can't tie that. I seen you do it all the time and you never had trouble with it before."
Staring at him for a moment Charles suddenly burst into laughter. "Yeah, I guess I am nervous."
"How come? You love her don't ya?"
"Yes I do love her, very much. I've never been married, it's something very new to me, and it's a little scary."
Richard shrugged. "Well now we'll be a family wif' a mommy and a daddy and me."
Charles forgot his tie and pulled Richard into his lap. "Yep, a real family."
A knock on the door sent Richard running to answer it. He returned a few seconds later with Scott in tow. "Mr. Summers is here."
"Thank you Richard. You better get back with the rest of them now."
"'Kay. Hey Mr. Summers... can you tie Dad's tie?" Richard asked. "He can't do it 'cause he's too nervous!" he whispered conspiratorially.
The door slammed behind him and Charles sent him a mental reminder not to slam the doors. Scott smiled at his mentor and bent over to tie his tie. "Time was when our roles were switched." Scott finished and stood up looking down at the Professor. "To be honest I never thought I'd see this day."
Charles took a deep breath. "Neither did I!"
Together they made their way down to the garden in the back of the mansion to wait near the judge. It wasn't long until he saw Richard, the ring bearer, and Janet, the flower girl, coming down the aisle leading all of the little children to occupy the front rows. After them Jubilee, Kitty, and Rogue all walked down together. The music changed a little and Remy escorted Ororo down the aisle before they split to stand on opposite sides of the judge. Jean emerged from the mansion and made her way down between the rows of people before, as the maid of honor, she stood next to Ororo.
Unconsciously holding his breath Charles shifted his eyes back to the mansion as the music changed once more. This had been a surprise to him; she refused to tell him what music she had chosen to walk to. But when he heard the first few verses of La Caviatta's Love Song he smiled. Watching her walk, practically float, down the aisle Charles lost all thoughts but one. He loved this woman with all his heart. It was the only thought he could think of during the ceremony. As he kissed his bride Charles was suddenly aware of an immense joy, not of his own feelings, but rather the joy of everyone that was there.
"It's out link," she told him later when he asked her about it. "You and I share a link that never really goes away. It may shift in its intensity, but it never fully goes away."
As they sat off to the side, watching the fireworks Jubilee provided, Charles suddenly became aware of a presence he hadn't felt in a while. "Logan's back."
"Is he all right?"
"Yes," he nodded. "But he wants to talk privately for a moment."
Barely alone for a moment she was pulled into the crowd of dancers when she was seen alone. In the middle of the crowd she suddenly stopped dancing, her eyes filling with tears at the intense feeling of relief and joy that washed over her. Moments later Charles appeared in the doorway, Logan by his side, and called out for everyone's attention.
"I have wonderful, spectacular news!" he announced. "In view of everything that has been happening today none of us have seen the news but I have an announcement that will please everyone here. The United States Senate, after years of deliberations, council sessions, and appeals, has once and for all come to a decision. The Mutant Registration Act ... has been once and for all denied!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sitting before her vanity, playing with her necklace, Tranquillity smiled as she remembered that little piece of news. It may not have made the world perfect for Mutants, but it was a grand start. Her smile grew wider as she remembered the sight of Logan and Marie reconciling, and the ring that graced her fingers a few hours later. Today had been a wonderful day.
"And what brings such a grin to your face, wife?"
"Memories, husband."
Yes, today had been a wonderful day... but she had a feeling it was only the beginning.
THE END!!!
Epilogue: Union of the Hearts
Tranquillity sat in front of her mirror, staring at the reflection before her, thinking back to this same moment earlier that day. Today, her wedding day. One of the happiest days of her entire life, but not for the reason most would think.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
With soft strokes she ran her brush through her hair, ridding the locks of whatever knots had tried to settle in, until it shined. Her eyes glowed a swirl that looked like a rainbow. So many emotions were running through her today. Red, of course, as her heart overflowed with love for her fiancé; Yellow from the immense joy she felt; Orange to show how excited she was; Purple for her respect of the man she loved; Blue to show him how loyal she would be. There was also just a hint of black in her eyes, unable to deny the flicker of pain that she couldn't share this day with Thomas, her dear friend whose death forced her to the mansion, and Briggeet, her first and truest friend.
"You look pretty, Tranquillity."
Looking in the mirror she focused on the little boy by her side. "Thank you, Sweetie. You look very handsome as well." Reaching out she pulled the child into her lap. He climbed up willingly and sat facing her. "Are you happy about what's going to happen today?"
Richard nodded, after the briefest of hesitation. "I'm glad you're gonna be my new Mommy."
"I'd never try to take away what your mom meant to you, Richard. But I do love you, very much, and I know we'll be happy as a family."
The little boy smiled at her. "I know."
Hugging her tightly for a moment he scrambled down when Jean came back into the room. Fleeing from the 'girls' he ran down the hall to his fathers room. Not bothering to knock he opened the door, ran through the outer room and on into the bedroom itself where he flung himself onto the bed on his stomach and smiled, bouncing up and down with excitement, as he watched his father tie the bowtie of his tuxedo.
"Where'd you disappear to?" Charles asked.
"I went to see Tranquillity," he replied. "She looks really pretty."
Charles glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "Have you ever seen her NOT be pretty?"
Richard grinned. "Nope."
Chuckling he ruffled the boys hair and returned to fixing his bowtie. `Why on earth did I not get the snap on one?!` he groaned to himself as his fingers fumbled again.
"Are you nervous?"
Charles looked sharply at him. "Why?"
"Cause ya can't tie that. I seen you do it all the time and you never had trouble with it before."
Staring at him for a moment Charles suddenly burst into laughter. "Yeah, I guess I am nervous."
"How come? You love her don't ya?"
"Yes I do love her, very much. I've never been married, it's something very new to me, and it's a little scary."
Richard shrugged. "Well now we'll be a family wif' a mommy and a daddy and me."
Charles forgot his tie and pulled Richard into his lap. "Yep, a real family."
A knock on the door sent Richard running to answer it. He returned a few seconds later with Scott in tow. "Mr. Summers is here."
"Thank you Richard. You better get back with the rest of them now."
"'Kay. Hey Mr. Summers... can you tie Dad's tie?" Richard asked. "He can't do it 'cause he's too nervous!" he whispered conspiratorially.
The door slammed behind him and Charles sent him a mental reminder not to slam the doors. Scott smiled at his mentor and bent over to tie his tie. "Time was when our roles were switched." Scott finished and stood up looking down at the Professor. "To be honest I never thought I'd see this day."
Charles took a deep breath. "Neither did I!"
Together they made their way down to the garden in the back of the mansion to wait near the judge. It wasn't long until he saw Richard, the ring bearer, and Janet, the flower girl, coming down the aisle leading all of the little children to occupy the front rows. After them Jubilee, Kitty, and Rogue all walked down together. The music changed a little and Remy escorted Ororo down the aisle before they split to stand on opposite sides of the judge. Jean emerged from the mansion and made her way down between the rows of people before, as the maid of honor, she stood next to Ororo.
Unconsciously holding his breath Charles shifted his eyes back to the mansion as the music changed once more. This had been a surprise to him; she refused to tell him what music she had chosen to walk to. But when he heard the first few verses of La Caviatta's Love Song he smiled. Watching her walk, practically float, down the aisle Charles lost all thoughts but one. He loved this woman with all his heart. It was the only thought he could think of during the ceremony. As he kissed his bride Charles was suddenly aware of an immense joy, not of his own feelings, but rather the joy of everyone that was there.
"It's out link," she told him later when he asked her about it. "You and I share a link that never really goes away. It may shift in its intensity, but it never fully goes away."
As they sat off to the side, watching the fireworks Jubilee provided, Charles suddenly became aware of a presence he hadn't felt in a while. "Logan's back."
"Is he all right?"
"Yes," he nodded. "But he wants to talk privately for a moment."
Barely alone for a moment she was pulled into the crowd of dancers when she was seen alone. In the middle of the crowd she suddenly stopped dancing, her eyes filling with tears at the intense feeling of relief and joy that washed over her. Moments later Charles appeared in the doorway, Logan by his side, and called out for everyone's attention.
"I have wonderful, spectacular news!" he announced. "In view of everything that has been happening today none of us have seen the news but I have an announcement that will please everyone here. The United States Senate, after years of deliberations, council sessions, and appeals, has once and for all come to a decision. The Mutant Registration Act ... has been once and for all denied!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sitting before her vanity, playing with her necklace, Tranquillity smiled as she remembered that little piece of news. It may not have made the world perfect for Mutants, but it was a grand start. Her smile grew wider as she remembered the sight of Logan and Marie reconciling, and the ring that graced her fingers a few hours later. Today had been a wonderful day.
"And what brings such a grin to your face, wife?"
"Memories, husband."
Yes, today had been a wonderful day... but she had a feeling it was only the beginning.
THE END!!!