A/N: Wow we're really here. We really made it to the final chapter. I'll be honest, I didn't expect this story to get any attention and I especially didn't think I'd ever finish it. Despite that, we're here and I couldn't be happier!

Remember a few chapters back when I said I wasn't sure if this story should have a happy ending or a sad one? Well, I did what I do best and went with the bittersweet ending! You'll see what I mean hehe

Alright enough of my rambling. Enjoy!

All was quiet in the gardens as the sun made its way above the horizon. Every gnome was standing frozen in their poses, waiting for their human owners to leave the house so they could go about their day. Although there was a selected few that remained missing from both gardens, nobody had noticed just yet. For now they were all zoned out in their own little worlds.

It was about an hour, but eventually the weathervanes on the roof gave their signals, and the lawn ornaments came to life. Tensions were still high, so hardly anyone was in a pleasant mood. The sky was still overwhelmed with grey clouds that partially blocked the normally bright sun. The storms had yet to pass, it seemed.

In the Red Garden, most of them were making their usual rounds throughout the yard. Those that were in charge of security were on high alert, standing by all the possible entrances to ensure no sneaky Blue would barge their way in. Ever since the first attack on the Red Garden not too long ago, they had to be extra careful to make sure no incident like that would happen again. Not to mention the whole situation with the leaders' children.

Lord Redbrick had done his daily morning routine of checking around the garden and was now making his way over to the grotto. Every so often he would check on his daughter, and by that, it was more like every hour. No, he didn't think she was actually going to escape, especially not when he used the strongest glue he could find to keep her there, but one could never be too careful. And in all honesty, he just wanted to see her. They never spoke, and she never looked at him. But even if it was complete silence, even just for a minute, he needed to see her.

But as he crossed the bridge over the pond, he noticed something off. At first he thought his eyes were tricking him, that maybe he was just tired and was just seeing things wrong. But as he got closer to the pedestal, he found nobody there. No Nanette and more importantly, no Juliet.

She was gone.

Lord Redbrick felt frozen for almost a full minute as he processed what he saw—or rather, what he didn't see. He couldn't believe it. He didn't know how, but his daughter escaped! However she did it didn't matter. She was gone and possibly ran back to Lady Bluebury's son, her sworn enemy! Once the initial shock faded, the Red leader felt nothing but rage. His daughter had once again blatantly disobeyed his orders and broke her promise. She lied to him and to her cousin all just so she could be with a rotten Blue.

His hand clenched his staff as he comprehended what to do. This could not go unpunished. Juliet may have thought she'd gotten away with this escape, but her ignorance was only getting her into more trouble. He didn't know how, but he would find her. He would bring her back to the pedestal and he would kill that Blue bastard for everything he did to turn his daughter into a rebellious troublemaker.

Before he could linger on his thoughts, he heard a voice from behind him. He turned around to see Fawn coming over the bridge, with the little Red gnomes following him closely.

"Lord Redbrick! Have you seen Tybalt?" He asked, stopping once he was close enough to his leader. "I haven't seen him since last night and now I can't find him anywhere! You don't think he went and did something to Gnomeo, so you?"

Now Lord Redbrick was a little confused. If that was the case, that Tybalt had gone against orders and done something to hurt Gnomeo, then where was Juliet? He would've thought if she left the garden, she would've left with the man she claimed to love. "I'm not sure." He said, "But find him! And find Juliet, too. She's escaped!"

He pointed his staff up to the pedestal where Juliet was supposed to be standing. Fawn and the little gnomes seemed shocked by this, but they didn't think about it too much and decided just to obey commands. Fawn nodded and hurried back over the bridge, calling out for Tybalt. Lord Redbrick watched him leave, just before his attention was caught elsewhere when he heard the gate abruptly slam open.

Everyone in the general area all turned to see Nanette standing at the gate, holding the side of the fence as she was catching her breath. The gnomes around her all exchanged a glance, silently questioning what was happening. They weren't sure what she was doing outside the garden anyway, but when noticing the distraught look upon her face, they knew something was wrong.

Lord Redbrick quickly made his way over to her, as well as a few others—including Fawn and the little gnomes. "Nanette! What's going on?" The Red leader asked as he approached the frog, who was clearly on the verge of tears.

Nanette nearly flinched when hearing her name. She seemed so out of it for a moment and was being snapped back to reality at the sound of her leader's voice. "Lord Redbrick!" She cried, covering her mouth. "Something horrible has happened! I tried to stop it, I really did! B-but I..I was too late! Oh, I can't bare it!"

She then burst into tears, feeling weak at the knees as she cried into her hand. Lord Redbrick frowned and reached a hand out to her in case she needed it. "Nanette, what are you talking about? What happened?" He asked with a mix of firmness and concern.

Nanette was so choked up, she couldn't speak. She just continued to bawl while the people around her gathered around, expressing their concerns and sympathy. Paris came up to her a moment later and gently held her by her shoulders, offering any comfort he could provide. Lord Redbrick tried to be understanding with her, to let her cry as much as she needed and to talk when she was ready. But he was becoming impatient. Something awful had happened and he needed to know what.

Before he could urge her to answer his question, she finally gathered enough strength to muster a sentence. "You— you need to see for yourself. I just can't say it..."

Lord Redbrick furrowed his brows, becoming increasingly unsettled by this mysterious incident she was crying about. "Show me now."

Meanwhile in the Blue Garden, a certain mushroom pushed his way through the cracked-open gate and hopped inside. He was quite surprised to see the other gnomes casually going about their day as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Sure, they seemed a little on edge due to the previous quarrels between the leaders, but that had become a regular sight now. No, Shroom was more shocked by the fact that no one was expressing any concern over his or Gnomeo's sudden absence. Not even Benny was freaking out, and that was always usually the case.

Shroom knew he should've guessed since Gnomeo was labeled as a traitor that no one would care about his well-being anymore. They had tried to keep him locked in the garden, but now that they failed, it didn't seem to matter as much. Well, that was about to change once they saw what happened to the so-called "traitor".

Shroom hopped as fast as he could along the path and over towards Lady Bluebury's toilet where the wisteria tree once stood. He found said leader just a few feet away from her position, walking in the opposite direction with the bunnies following her in an almost straight line. Shroom quickly went over to them and gently nudged Lady Bluebury's side to get her attention.

Lady Bluebury normally would've been startled, but surprisingly enough, she was barely fazed by the mushroom and simply looked down at him with a disdained expression. "Oh, it's you." She said, a hint of resentment in her tone. "I thought you would've left with..him."

Hearing her refuse to say her son's name made Shroom angry beyond words. But now wasn't the time to lose his temper, not yet, at least. He continued to gently nudge and tap her, trying to get her to stop walking away and to actually listen to him. But she ignored him and just continued strolling through the yard, acting as if he wasn't even there. The bunnies growled at him to try and scare him away, but to no avail. He wouldn't back off so easily.

After what felt like forever of being neglected, Shroom finally stopped once Lady Bluebury came to a halt, seeing Benny approaching her. He was about to ask her something when his eyes landed on the mushroom beside her, and his expression went dark. "Oh. Hello, Shroom." He said coldly, refusing to look directly at him.

Shroom sighed wearily. He expected this kind of greeting from Benny, but he didn't have time to put up with it. There was a horrific sight out there in the alley that he needed to show them as soon as he could. He shook his head a few times and bounced in place, hoping to get through to Benny—the only person, other than Gnomeo, who understood his language. But it was difficult with Benny keeping his head turned away.

Thankfully, Lady Bluebury was getting annoyed by this and decided just to hear him out. "For heaven's sake, what is he saying?" She asked Benny, rolling her eyes and gesturing her shovel at Shroom.

Benny huffed, reluctantly looking at the mushroom. He observed his movements, interpreting the words the best he could. "Uh, I don't know. Something happened last night..we need to come to the alley right away." He said with some uncertainty, mostly since he wasn't paying that much attention to the whole message.

Lady Bluebury scoffed, raising her head. "Yeah, right. I'm sure whatever's out there isn't as bad as he's making it out to seem." She said doubtfully, starting to walk away again.

Shroom wasn't having this, though. He shook his head in frustration and went around the leader to her other side. With no hesitation, he started pushing her in the other direction towards the fence. Of course, Lady Bluebury wasn't at all pleased by what he was doing and scowled down at him. "Excuse me! What do you think you're doing?" She asked, offended, trying to shoo him away with her shovel. "Benny, stop him!"

Benny glared at him and went over to try and pull him away. The bunnies joined in instantly, continuing to express their own anger and resentment towards the mushroom. Regardless of the fact he was outnumbered, Shroom managed to resist their grips and continued shoving the Blue leader towards the gate, using just enough force to make her budge, but not so much that it would hurt her or knock her down.

Eventually Lady Bluebury grew tired of this and turned to those behind her. "Alright, enough!" She snapped, causing everyone to take a respectful step back—including Shroom.

"Fine, I will go see what happened in the alley. Just stop this nonsense already!" She said to the mushroom in a stern tone, earning a small nod in response.

She rolled her eyes and continued the path towards the gate while Shroom led the way. Benny and the bunnies looked at each other, silently agreeing they should tag along, out of curiosity and for the safety of their leader. For all they knew, Shroom could've been leading her into a trap, being that he wasn't to be trusted anymore. It was unlikely he'd do such a thing, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Several other Blue gnomes noticed this and started following them as well, remaining at a close distance so Lady Bluebury wouldn't feel too overwhelmed by a crowd. Soon Shroom led them all outside and into the alley. He sniffed the ground for a moment, as if trying to pick up a scent, then motioned for Lady Bluebury to follow him in a certain direction. She sighed and did as such, glancing behind her to see who else was coming along. To her surprise, it was pretty much the entire garden.

As if on cue, the Reds began to emerge from their garden at the same time. Nanette came out first, leaning against Paris in complete despair. Right behind them was Lord Redbrick, who seemed eager for answers to an unasked question. Fawn, the little gnomes, and many other Reds followed them. But everyone came to a stop when their eyes landed on the Blues, and vise versa. Immediately, the concern for what was going on briefly disappeared and was replaced by dread and annoyance.

"And just what brings you Reds out here in such a hurry?" Lady Bluebury asked bitterly, clenching her shovel.

"I could ask the same thing about you Blues." Lord Redbrick spat, equally as bitter.

Before a fight could break out, Shroom jumped into Lady Bluebury's view and gestured for her to cut it out. Nanette did the same by giving Lord Redbrick a displeased look. Both leaders reluctantly remained quiet and went along with it. The frog and the mushroom led everyone to a certain spot in the alley, close to the end where the sidewalk began.

As the gnomes got closer to the scene, they felt their stomachs tie in knots as they noticed something rather unsettling in their view. And once they were close enough, their suspicions were correct and they all stopped dead in their tracks, gasping in horror at the sight.

Not one, not two, but three piles of smashed ceramic, all scattered about in a million pieces. Lord Redbrick and Lady Bluebury both covered their mouths as they stared at the bodies before them. Somehow, even from this distance, they knew just who they were. It was easy to tell, being that there was one Blue hat and two Red ones, each on the respective body they belonged to.

"No..." Was all Lord Redbrick could say.

Nanette continued sobbing while Shroom came up to her, nudging against her leg for comfort. She gently pet his head in return. Their exchange of affection confused those that were paying attention, which wasn't many.

Lady Bluebury immediately burst into tears, dropping her shovel to the ground as her entire body went weak with grief. "Oh, no! Gnomeo!" She cried in despair, "No, not Gnomeo! Oh, my poor, poor boy!"

A couple Blue gnomes rushed to her side and held her upright, noticing how she nearly fell. Even Benny joined in, knowing his aunt needed all the shoulders she could cry on. They all rubbed her arms and patted her back, showing any sort of sympathy they could. But they knew nothing they did would ever fix her newly broken heart.

Lord Redbrick, however, tried holding back his tears. He didn't like crying and ever since his wife died, he swore never to let himself cry again. At least, not in front of other people, let alone his enemies and his entire garden. But how could he not feel weak when he had just lost his nephew and his daughter? He turned away and shut his eyes, refusing to let a single tear fall.

"How...?" He spoke quietly, turning towards Nanette. "How did this happen?"

Nanette sniffed and raised herself up a bit. She looked down at Shroom, who would've nodded had it not raised suspicion. Their plan was working so far and they had to be extra careful with how they approached this now. They prepared for this in the last four hours. It was now or never.

"W-well, it's a long story." She said as she composed herself, slowly walking over to the leaders, with Shroom hopping by her side.

Lady Bluebury wiped her tears and took a few breaths, going quiet so she would be able to hear what happened. Normally she wouldn't be so trusting of someone from the Red Garden to tell the truth, but now was not the time to hold petty grudges against someone she didn't know.

"See, Gnomeo had this whole plan..to save Juliet from the pedestal so they could be together again." Nanette started, "And he asked me and Shroom here to help, so we did. A-and since there was that whole deal with Tybalt, Juliet had him promise not to come in the garden so he wouldn't get hurt. B-but Tybalt overheard us making our plans."

Everyone listened very attentively to her words, growing more and more curious as well as concerned, and admittedly shocked that Gnomeo and Juliet were taking such a big risk for each other. Fawn and the little Red gnomes all frowned at the mention of Tybalt, instinctively looking over at said gnome's remains on the street.

"So last night, when we were getting Juliet unstuck, Tybalt attacked Gnomeo in the alley." Nanette went on, trying not to get choked up as she was getting closer to the part of the story that they were all dreading. "Shroom said he saw the fight. Gnomeo did his best. After all, he was fighting for Juliet. But then they ended up in the street a-and Tybalt..he— he smashed Gnomeo, with no mercy."

Lady Bluebury sobbed and held her chest, grimacing at the image.

"And what happened to Tybalt?" Fawn asked, lowering his ears.

Nanette looked at him, having almost forgotten about Tybalt's entourage and how his death would affect them. "Karma, it seems. He was hit by a car seconds later." She answered, offering the deer and the little gnomes a frown. She knew how loyal they were to Tybalt, and that this story was going to hit them as hard as it would for the garden leaders.

Fawn gasped quietly and looked down, feeling a sudden onset of tears welling in his eyes. The little gnomes all hugged him by his legs, sharing his sadness.

"And Juliet?" Lord Redbrick asked, a bit warily. "What happened to her?"

Nanette sighed softly, shaking her head. "Once I got her unstuck, she went running out to the alley to stop the fight. But when she got out here, she saw she was too late." She bit her lip, raising her hand up to her mouth as she felt more tears coming on. "A-and though I tried to stop her, her heartache was too much and she...she..threw herself in front of an oncoming truck and got herself killed!"

There were a few gasps among the crowd. Of course, no one was expecting the final death of the story to be suicide, especially for seemingly no reason.

"Wh-why?" Asked Lord Redbrick, who was still desperately trying to hold back his sorrow. "Why would she do such a thing?!"

"Because she loved Gnomeo, damnit!" Nanette said frustratedly through her tears. "She told me herself— actually, she told all of you to your faces that the thought of living without him was too much to handle! But none of you listened to her! And now she's dead!"

Nanette knew she was laying it on a little thick, but she had to do whatever it took for Lord Redbrick and everyone else to realize the gravity of what they've caused. They had three bodies on their hands (as far as they were aware). If that wasn't enough to stop the feud, she didn't know what was.

She turned to look at each and every one of them, her eyes narrowing in anger and disgust. "I hope you see what all this fighting has done." She said, specifically to the two leaders. "Your children are gone! All because you couldn't let them be together!"

Lady Bluebury continued crying, holding her head in her hand. The overwhelming grief mixed with heavy guilt crushed her like a boulder. She had turned Gnomeo away and now look what happened. She had literally disowned him in front of everyone and hadn't spoken to him since. Little did she know those would've been her last words to him. Now, he died not knowing just how much she actually loved and cared about him. Sure, he betrayed her and the garden. But deep down, he was still her son. She could never truly hate him, no matter what he did.

Lord Redbrick lowered his head in defeat, closing his eyes once again. He couldn't bring himself to look at his daughter's remains, he just couldn't. If he did, it would be like seeing his wife's dead body all over again. The day he lost her was the worst day of his life, and now history was repeating itself, only this time he lost another beloved woman in his life. And this time, it was entirely his fault she was gone. He couldn't let Juliet live the life she wanted, and it only led to her tragic end. How could one try so hard to keep things in control but still let everything get so out of hand?

He turned to look at Lady Bluebury, noticing how she actually had the strength to cry and let herself feel the sadness of what she had lost. He envied her in that way. She wasn't afraid of her emotions and she didn't mind being vulnerable in front of the people that looked up to her. He noticed the other Blue gnomes starting to cry as well, including Benny and the little bunnies. To his surprise, he felt sorry for them. Not in a condescending or arrogant way. No, this time he actually knew what they were feeling and he knew how bad that felt. And he was sad they had to feel it, too.

Finally, after a long moment of tearful silence, he decided to say something. "I'm sorry about your son." He spoke softly and in complete defeat. It wasn't much and it certainly wasn't comforting, but at least it would show that he cared.

Lady Bluebury sniffled and turned to him, keeping her gaze on the ground. Normally she would've said something cocky about how he was actually showing his humane side. But right now, their rivalry was the furthest thing from her mind. She knew he was only trying to express sympathy and he didn't mean any harm by it. Truthfully, she felt sorry for him as well. He, too, had just lost his child, so she knew exactly what he was going through.

"I'm sorry about your daughter." She said in return, feeling just as defeated as him.

"I was just trying to keep her safe." He said, glancing over at the street where the three deceased gnomes laid about. "And now...the whole thing is my fault."

He didn't bother trying to blame anyone but himself. None of the Blues were responsible for this mess. It was him. He refused to listen to his daughter, he trapped her on her dreaded pedestal and forbade her from being with the love of her life. He let Tybalt go too far with the revenge plans. Everything the Reds ever did, everything bad that happened to his daughter, it was all on him.

"Our fault." Lady Bluebury corrected. She didn't want him to take the full blame, as she had a lot to do with this as well. They were the leaders and although they didn't cause any direct harm to each other's garden, they let the feud carry on all these years and they separated their children who had fallen in love. She knew she had to pay the price just as much as he did.

How did things get so messed up between the gardens? If there was ever a point where they weren't fighting, none of them remembered. The feud had lasted for years, and it never got them anywhere. They used to use it as motivation to thrive as a community, to make their gardens as perfect as can be. But a garden built on hate and revenge is anything but beautiful.

They all saw now that the feud didn't make them better as a garden and certainly not as people. All it brought was hate, anger, and violence. No feud, no fight, nothing was worth losing a loved one, especially not a spouse or a child. If only Lord Redbrick and Lady Bluebury had realized that sooner, maybe they wouldn't be here. Maybe their kids would be here right now, happy and together like they wanted.

The leaders both walked towards each other as the rest of the gnomes expressed their sorrow. The bunnies all huddled as they bawled their eyes out. Benny frowned and wrapped his arms around them, letting a few tears of his own fall onto his face. Shroom came up to them cautiously, wanting to offer some solace, but wasn't sure how they would react if he did. Luckily, Benny nodded and gestured him to come to them.

Just as Shroom joined the hug, so did Nanette, Paris, Fawn and the little Red gnomes. They all cried together, offering each other endless care and support while still expressing their own mourning over what they had all lost. Even though it was a devastating situation, the sight of all of them hugging each other was actually quite beautiful for everyone else to see. A group of people that once called each other enemies were actually coming together to grieve as one.

The leaders tuned out the sounds of their people crying as they looked at each other, slowly raising their heads. Neither of them said anything, but somehow they both knew what the other was thinking. This feud had done nothing but damage, to the gardens and to the people in them. Because of this feud, they both lost their spouses and now their children. What more could they lose before they decided enough was enough?

It might've been too late to save Lord Bluebury and Lady Redbrick. It might've been too late to save Gnomeo and Juliet. But it wasn't too late to end this fighting once and for all. There were still plenty of gnomes that could be spared before it was too late. Yes, it was going to be hard to stop fighting after all these years of hatred and revenge. But it was what had to be done. It was what Gnomeo and Juliet would've wanted.

Lord Redbrick held out his hand, and she held it with no hesitation. This was the moment neither of them ever expected to come, and yet here they were. No bitterness, no fighting, no loathing. All they shared now was sympathy and understanding.

"This feud..." Lord Redbrick started.

"Is over." Lady Bluebury finished, officially concluding the feud and all its devastation.

Everyone felt a sense of relief at their leaders' words. Some of them couldn't help but smile for a few seconds. More and more of the Reds and Blues exchanged affection with each other, knowing that it was okay to do so now. If it were under different circumstances, maybe they would all be celebrating the fact that it was over. But now wasn't the time.

Nanette and Shroom looked at each other, their smiles lasting a little longer than everyone else's since they actually knew the truth. Their plan had worked, and the feud was finally over. Who knew all they needed to end the fighting was smashed teapot pieces from Mr. Capulet and Ms. Montague's kitchens? Like Nanette had said, the idea was a little twisted. But regardless, it worked, and now everyone could live in peace and never have to experience what Gnomeo and Juliet did. It was time to rebuild their gardens on love, not hate.

One Year Later

Everything had changed in the gardens of Verona Drive. The leaders had kept their word and enacted a truce among the Reds and Blues. Admittedly, it had a rocky start, being that they'd all been fighting for as long as they could remember and that at the time they were still separated by a fence. But over time everyone adjusted to the new arrangement and the tension just disappeared, like it never existed in the first place. And to their surprise, even the humans had ended their rivalry and managed to get along with each other. Not long after, the fence that once split the yard in two was taken down, officially uniting the gardens.

The gnomes were happier than they'd ever been. There was much less stress on everyone and now they could just relax and simply enjoy life without worrying about what their enemies would do next. Reds and Blues of all kinds befriended each other and some even became couples. Instead of yelling and bickering, the air was filled with laughter and playful banter. It was something no one would've ever expected in a million years, but it was real and it was perfect.

The garden never looked better. Everyone had always worked so hard to make it perfect, and now that they weren't so worried about having it look better than another garden, it was more enjoyable to work on. The plants were thriving, the grass was greener, the air smelt better, and with everyone contributing together, it was truly the most beautiful garden in all of England.

But, of course, none of this would've ever been possible if it weren't for the star-crossed lovers who gave their lives for each other. Back when the feud had just ended, Lord Redbrick and Lady Bluebury asked their children's two closest friends, Nanette and Shroom, how they had met and why they fell in love. It was a bit hard to explain, being that the only ones who could truly tell the whole story were Gnomeo and Juliet themselves. But they did the best they could, and the leaders seemed to understand better.

Even though everything couldn't have been better now, it was still hard for them to live on through each day knowing that their children weren't here to see how much had changed. Yes, their deaths might've been a blessing in disguise, but it was still tragic what they had suffered and how much of it was caused because of their families. Lord Redbrick hadn't forgiven himself for trapping Juliet on her pedestal when all she wanted was to live free, and Lady Bluebury still regretted casting Gnomeo aside when all he wanted was to be seen for who he really was.

This new life in the garden wouldn't have happened if it weren't for them and everyone knew it, so they decided to plant something in their honor. Nanette had told them that the whole reason the lovers met was because of the Cupid's Arrow Orchid and if they really wanted to honor them, that was the way to go. So, while it took some time to find such a rare flower, they did find an orchid's seedling and planted it right in the center of the garden for all to see.

Today marked one year since the death of the leaders' children. Lord Redbrick had insisted they not spend the whole day mourning, mostly because he still struggled to be vulnerable in front of people and he didn't wish to spend 24 hours in tears. So instead, a small memorial was held that morning where everyone gathered around the blooming orchid and had a moment of silence.

Lady Bluebury couldn't help but tear up, even though she did her best to hold back. No one judged for her it and just let her cry however much she needed to. Benny even leaned against her, sharing her pain, while staring up at the orchid, holding back tears of his own. A few sniffles were heard among the crowd, but for the most part it was quiet.

Lord Redbrick looked over at the co-garden leader solemnly. Over the year, he had learned that whenever she cried about her son, the best way to help her get through it was to stay silent and offer affection if she needed it. He held out his hand, to which she noticed right away even through her watery eyes. She then placed her hand in his and gave him a weak smile to show her appreciation.

It wasn't easy losing such dear members of the garden and it probably wouldn't be any easier for a while. The leaders, Benny, Nanette, Shroom, and Fawn had all lost someone important to them and they could never get them back. But they had each other now, and they were all becoming better people because of it. They lost something big, but in that loss, they gained new friendships and a bright future for everyone.

Nanette and Shroom shared a look. In all honesty, they did feel guilty for making everyone think Gnomeo and Juliet had died. Looking back on it now, they saw just how wrong that was and perhaps there were better ways of ending the feud. But what was done is done. Someday they would tell everyone the truth, that the lovers were alive and out there somewhere living their lives together. But today wasn't that day, and maybe it was best if for now everyone kept assuming they were dead.

For now, everything was as it should be. Lord Redbrick and Lady Bluebury were in charge of the garden as equals and better yet, they had become close friends. Everyone was happier and healthier, and no one would suffer the consequences of revenge or fighting ever again.

Dawn was easily the best and most peaceful part of the day. Everything felt at ease when the sun was only halfway above the horizon, but still radiated enough light upon the earth, creating a beautiful setting for all to see. It was especially heavenly for the once empty and unattended meadow, which was now full of life and happiness for the three ornaments who made it grow.

Gnomeo, Juliet, and Featherstone had at first planned to find somewhere small to stay like the Old Lawrence Place, but as it turns out, finding an abandoned garden wasn't as easy as one might think. So they had ventured for days, searching for somewhere they could call home. Rough storms and avoiding humans didn't make it any easier. But eventually, the three had made it far out of the city and into nature, and soon had found a vacant meadow. One look and they all knew that this was the place where they belonged. So they'd planted the orchid in the middle, and from then on grew many other flowers and plants of all kinds.

Here they were, a full year later, surrounded by Mother Nature's beauty and basking in the morning sunlight without a care in the world. Featherstone was still sleeping, and the two lovers chose not to bother him, since they knew how much he valued his rest. They remembered him mentioning that while locked in the shed, he grew pretty restless over the years and barely ever slept (and when he did, his subconscious would taunt him into thinking his wife was still with him).

While the flamingo remained fast asleep next to a tree stump he claimed as his space, the young couple sat against a tree next to the lake, having a perfect view of the sunrise ahead of them. Gnomeo was leaned against the bark of the tree while Juliet had her back laid against him, her body secured between his legs. She was gazing out at the still, open water that reflected the colorful sky above. No matter how many times she watched the sun rise, she could never get over just how amazing it looked.

Gnomeo's focus, however, remained on the beautiful girl in front of him. He enjoyed sunrises as much as anyone, but he preferred admiring something far more precious and valuable to him. After all this time, he could never get over how gorgeous she was. Every time he looked at her, it was like falling in love all over again.

His arms were draped over her shoulders and his hands rested over her arms, and unconsciously he started to stroke her smooth, pale skin. Juliet giggled quietly at his movements, blushing a bit as she allowed him to continue. "Isn't it just beautiful?" She asked, still staring at the sky in pure delight.

"You or the sunrise?" Gnomeo playfully asked, moving a hand up to stroke the side of her face.

Juliet scoffed, rolling her eyes as her cheeks grew warm. "The sunrise, silly."

"Well, of course it is." He shrugged, hugging her closer to him—if that was possible. "It's just there's something far more beautiful distracting me from enjoying it."

Her face turned red, but she tried to play it off as a joke. Although, truth be told, she loved his cheesy compliments. She loved them when they first met and she loved them now. "Perhaps I should leave then so you can focus."

Now it was Gnomeo's turn to scoff. "You can try, but I'm not letting you go." He said, tightening his grasp on her, practically squeezing her against him.

Juliet sighed and nuzzled the back of her head on his chest. "You're lucky I'm so comfy here."

They shared a small laugh before relaxing back into the peaceful silence. There was a slight breeze in the air and there were birds chirping above them, but otherwise it was quiet all throughout the garden. They rather enjoyed the lack of noise, which was unlike the gardens they originally came from, due to all the gnomes living there. But here it was just them and Featherstone—who was good about being quiet and keeping his distance when needed.

Although, with the silence came many thoughts, and one thought in particular had crossed Gnomeo's mind several times over the last few months. He had never actually spoken about it and at first he didn't give it too much of his time. But now that it had been a little over a year since he met Juliet, he was starting to wonder if now was the time he should pursue it. After all, if not now, then when?

"Juliet?" He spoke, after contemplating it for the longest few minutes.

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you something serious?" He spoke again, taking a slightly deeper breath as he did, which he knew Juliet felt since she right up against him.

Juliet furrowed her brows and tilted her head up to try and face him, even though she didn't succeed. "Alright? What is it?" She asked, intrigued but also a little cautious of what he might say.

Gnomeo looked aside, wondering how he should approach this. He regretted not having this better planned-out like he normally would have. But there was no going back now that he brought it up. He lightly moved her to sit upright, then stood up and walked to stand in front of her. Juliet stared up at him with visible confusion on her face. Whatever he was about to say/do would either be really good or really bad, so she tried to prepare herself for either outcome.

"So I've actually wanted to ask you this for a while now, and I just don't see a reason why I should wait any longer." He began, starting to smile a little as he stared at the love of his life. One look at her and somehow all his doubts and worries just vanished into thin air, prompting him to go on. "Juliet, before I met you, I was a broken man. I was so blinded by my hatred that I didn't think there was such thing as love. But then I saw you, and for the first time in my life I felt happy. I finally realized there was more to life than vengeance, and that I was more than just a revenge captain. You saved me from a life of hatred, and I could never thank you enough for that."

Juliet started to relax the more he spoke, her heart melting at his words. She smiled wordlessly at him, still curious as to why he was saying all of this all of the sudden.

"We've both been through a lot in our lives and we both have given up so much for each other, and I can honestly say that you're the first and only person I would've ever done this for." He said, reaching down to take her hands into his own. "You're the one I want to be with for the rest of my life."

Juliet was slowly starting to realize where this was going. It wasn't everyday he spoke from his heart like this and declared his deep feelings for her just out of the blue. Why he was choosing now to make such a bold step, she didn't know. But there was no chance in hell she was stopping him from asking that question she so longed to hear him ask.

"Gnomeo, are you saying what I think you're saying?" She asked, her hopes already so high up that they were in the clouds.

Her question was answered when Gnomeo slowly got down on his knee, pulling her hands closer to him as he stared at her with those loving blue eyes of his. Juliet gasped quietly, her eyes becoming watery as they stared into his. The day she'd been hoping for for so long was finally here. Oh, how she just wanted to kiss him and say "yes" already. But she didn't want to ruin the moment, so she held back and let him say those four special words.

"Juliet, will you marry me?"

She couldn't help but cry as she relished in the fact that this wasn't just a dream. Much like when she first ran away with him, she had to remind herself that this was real, and that she could embrace the moment for all that it was. She nodded and smiled the biggest and sweetest smile. "Yes! Yes, of course I'll marry you, Gnomeo!"

Immediately she threw herself into his arms, in which he laughed and held her tight against him, with tears of his own forming in his eyes. He stood up and picked her up with him, spinning her around in a circle as she let out her trademark angelic laugh, which was like music to his ears.

"Took you long enough to ask." She said playfully.

Gnomeo rolled his eyes, but nevertheless continued to smile and kissed her cheek several times before setting her down on her feet. They pulled away from the hug and locked their lips, holding each other tenderly.

"I love you." Juliet murmured, gently caressing the scar on the right side of his face.

Gnomeo smiled through the kiss, roaming his hand up to her nape. "I love you, too."

Later that morning when Featherstone woke up, the couple told him the good news, and needless to say he was over the moon about it. He had been waiting for the day when they'd finally tie the knot, and now it was finally here. They decided they didn't want to wait any longer and that they wanted to get married right away, so they asked Featherstone if he would officiate for them. He hugged them harder than the day he met them and said he'd be honored. They had expected that reaction from him, but they were still touched by his enthusiasm. He'd always been their biggest supporter, and it was only fair that he help make their marriage official (and not just because he was the only one in the garden with them).

So not long after their announcement, the three went to the middle of the meadow, right in front of the Cupid's Arrow Orchid, and began the ceremony. They didn't intend for it to be long, given it just was the three of them, but they did want to keep a couple of the basic traditions. They would be lying if they said it didn't feel strange not having any of their friends or family around. Part of them did wish their parents were able to give them away. Even just having Nanette and Shroom be the best man and maid of honor would've made the atmosphere feel less empty.

But despite the absence of their loved ones, they were still as happier than ever. Even if Featherstone wasn't here and it was just the two of them, they would've been just as happy because they would be together. Time seemed to stop as their gaze remained locked on each other, staring at one another with all the love and admiration they had. They exchanged their vows, meaning every word spoken, declaring their love for each other for the whole world to hear.

Once Gnomeo finished with his vows, it was time to wrap up the ceremony and officially proclaim their commitment. Featherstone grinned as he knew what was coming next, and he just couldn't be more excitement for his friends. "Do 'ju, Gnomeo, take Juliet to be your lawfully wedded wife, for better or worse, to have and to hold, to honor and protect, from this day forward until death do you part?"

"I do." Gnomeo answered right away, feeling his heartbeat quickening.

"And do 'ju, Juliet, take Gnomeo to be lawfully wedded husband, promising to love and to cherish, through joy and sadness, in sickness and in health, through good times and bad from this day forward until death do you part?"

"I do." Juliet said in awe, feeling a swarm of butterflies in her stomach as the moment she'd been waiting for was approaching.

Featherstone continued to smile as he went on. "Then by the power vested in me by...myself, I now pronounce 'ju husband and wife!" He said, having to contain his excitement, otherwise he might've screamed. "You may now kiss the bride!"

Gnomeo and Juliet immediately wrapped their arms around each other and sealed their love with a deep, passionate kiss. Featherstone would've clapped if he had hands. Instead he just bounced his legs and laughed in delight. He almost couldn't believe he got to witness their wedding. To think that a year ago, something like this was but merely a dream.

The lovers didn't pay attention to his excitement, however. Their focus was solely on each other, getting lost in their own world like they did the day they shared their first kiss. This was no different. It was just as sweet and meaningful as it was back then. Only this time they were married, and they knew they belonged to each other forever.

In this moment they realized just how strong their love truly was. They were able to fall in love despite being from rival gardens, and they held onto that love so tightly that not even a lifelong feud and the people involved in it could keep them apart. Yes, they hit a few bumps along the way, but none of it was able to destroy the beautiful love they had. They loved each other so much, they were willing to risk everything and give up their old lives just to be together. Now here they were, far away from any hate in the world.

Who knew, maybe someday they would return to the Red and Blue Gardens in Stratford? Maybe someday in the future they could come back as a beautiful married couple and show everyone just how wrong they were, that love conquered hate in every possible way. But for now they were happy in their garden, with Featherstone and with each other.

Here is where they belong, and here they'll stay, in the garden they built on love.

The End

A/N: THAT'S IT EVERYONE!! WE DID IT! WE FINISHED THE STORY!!!

I'm so incredibly proud of myself you have no idea. Finishing a story is always a big achievement for me (since it so rarely happens) but right now I'm just extra excited because, not to toot my own horn or anything, but this is probably my best work and the fact that I got it done is such a satisfying feeling.

Anyway I hope you enjoyed this last chapter. I'm sad it has to end, but fret not! I have many other works in progress, including "Gnomeo & Juliet: A New Generation" on Wattpad so feel free to check that out! I'll also be experimenting with some one shots as well. But as of now, this tale has been told and the story is done. Thank you for reading, have a wonderful day, my lovelies!