Disclaimer: For the last time, I do not own them!
A/N: Here's the Epilogue and after this, it's done!
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"You realize," Holly asked Julius as they waited for their dessert to come at the restaurant they were at, "that I used to hate Valentine's Day?"
He chuckled. "I'm not surprised since your great-grandfather is Cupid."
Holly scooted her chair closer to Julius's. "Used to, of course. You know that for the past few years, I look forwards to Valentine's Day more than almost any other holiday?"
"Except for your birthday," Julius said, a slight smirk creeping up his face.
Holly smiled widely. "Well, yes. My birthdays are often fun."
They were at the equivalent of La Maison Rouge on Valentine's Day, having secured their reservations a couple of months earlier. If a tradition can be established over five years, then it was their tradition to have dinner on Valentine's Day at La Maison Rouge.
Holly was now Commander Short and had been for the past year. Both she and Julius had stayed for the entire dance.
Julius reached into his pocket for what seemed to him like the millionth time that evening and fingered the small, velvet box that contained the reason why he had been nervous all night long, even though he pretended that he hadn't been. Holly had, of course, picked up on it, but hadn't said anything yet.
The dessert then came, a single strawberry frappe with two straws. Holly slid her hand into Julius's as they drank together. Once they had finished, Julius asked,
"Do you wan to go outside after we pay?"
"Alright," Holly agreed and reached into her purse and pulled out her credit card. "Why the special occasion?"
"Outside" was actually inside, but simulated to seem as if it was in the Upper Elements. There were trees, bushes, flowers and the like. The light seemed as if it was sunlight or, at night, moonlight. There were fountains and small lights that had always reminded Holly of those used at the promotion celebrations. Considering the cost to keep it running, to get in you had to pay extra. An extra that was quite large.
Julius didn't say anything as the waiter collected their card and receipt and returned a few minutes later with Holly's card, which she put into her purse.
"Well?" she pestered as she followed Julius outside.
"I'll let you know when we're there," he told her, taking her hand in his as he led her to the back of the garden where there was a bench in front of a small pond where koi were swimming leisurely through the water that almost seemed too blue to be real.
They sat down, Julius keeping Holly's hand in his own. "Holly . . ." he faltered.
"Yes?" she asked softly.
"Will . . . Will you marry me?" he asked, looking directly into her eyes.
Holly laughed softly. "Of course." Seeing his look of immense relief as he slid the diamond ring onto the fourth finger of her left hand, she added, "Well what did you *think* I would say?"
"Well, yes, but-"
"I know," she said softly and kissed him. "I know."
~*SIX MONTHS LATER*~
Holly glanced at herself one last time in the mirror before going to wait by the door. She was wearing Nichkola's old dress, which she had discovered had been her wedding dress, despite Julius' protests to start a new beginning with a new dress.
As Holly waited for her cue, she thought about the news she would tell Julius as they were being driven to the shuttle that would take them to the Upper Elements for their honeymoon. She rested the hand that wasn't holding the bouquet on her stomach, hoping that the small bulge wouldn't be too noticeable in the clingy silk.
Then she put her left hand back on the flowers as she heard her cue and started walking down the aisle to where Root was already standing, smiling so much that her face ached. Not, of course, that she could help it. She stood across from Julius, not paying any attention to the minister at all, preferring instead to look at the face of the elf in the photograph that Julius had long ago transformed into.
After a couple of moments after the minister had stopped talking, Holly realized that everyone was looking at her expectantly. She looked at Root frantically. "I do," he mouthed.
Holly's smile widened, if possible. "I do," she said. Against her better judgement, Holly zoned out again, watching Julius. Luckily, the ever- present voice in the back of her head jolted her back to reality as the minister said,
"I know pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Julius pulled Holly into a kiss that sent both their senses reeling. When Holly finally pulled away, she threw the bouquet as hard as she could. Nobody caught it. Everybody laughed. Julius then escorted Holly out of the building and into the waiting limousine.
"I love you," he said tenderly, reaching out and stroking her cheek.
"I love you, too," Holly replied, taking his hand in hers and placing it on her stomach. "*We* love you."
Julius' eyes widened and then he started to laugh. "Good thing I saved up all that money, then."
Holly joined in laughing. "Yes, I suppose so. But you know what this means?"
"What?" Julius asked.
"This means that you owe me a honeymoon since they're supposed to be taken alone," she laughed.
"I suppose this is why you waited to tell me? So you could go twice?" Julius teased.
Holly pretended to be hurt. "I thought it was *romantic*!"
Julius smiled. "Well isn't it the traditional thing to do is to make out in the back of the limousine?"
"That works for me," Holly replied and started to kiss him.
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Well, that's it! I hope you like it, I know I do. Had a ton of fun writing it and I hope that you also liked reading.
A/N: Here's the Epilogue and after this, it's done!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"You realize," Holly asked Julius as they waited for their dessert to come at the restaurant they were at, "that I used to hate Valentine's Day?"
He chuckled. "I'm not surprised since your great-grandfather is Cupid."
Holly scooted her chair closer to Julius's. "Used to, of course. You know that for the past few years, I look forwards to Valentine's Day more than almost any other holiday?"
"Except for your birthday," Julius said, a slight smirk creeping up his face.
Holly smiled widely. "Well, yes. My birthdays are often fun."
They were at the equivalent of La Maison Rouge on Valentine's Day, having secured their reservations a couple of months earlier. If a tradition can be established over five years, then it was their tradition to have dinner on Valentine's Day at La Maison Rouge.
Holly was now Commander Short and had been for the past year. Both she and Julius had stayed for the entire dance.
Julius reached into his pocket for what seemed to him like the millionth time that evening and fingered the small, velvet box that contained the reason why he had been nervous all night long, even though he pretended that he hadn't been. Holly had, of course, picked up on it, but hadn't said anything yet.
The dessert then came, a single strawberry frappe with two straws. Holly slid her hand into Julius's as they drank together. Once they had finished, Julius asked,
"Do you wan to go outside after we pay?"
"Alright," Holly agreed and reached into her purse and pulled out her credit card. "Why the special occasion?"
"Outside" was actually inside, but simulated to seem as if it was in the Upper Elements. There were trees, bushes, flowers and the like. The light seemed as if it was sunlight or, at night, moonlight. There were fountains and small lights that had always reminded Holly of those used at the promotion celebrations. Considering the cost to keep it running, to get in you had to pay extra. An extra that was quite large.
Julius didn't say anything as the waiter collected their card and receipt and returned a few minutes later with Holly's card, which she put into her purse.
"Well?" she pestered as she followed Julius outside.
"I'll let you know when we're there," he told her, taking her hand in his as he led her to the back of the garden where there was a bench in front of a small pond where koi were swimming leisurely through the water that almost seemed too blue to be real.
They sat down, Julius keeping Holly's hand in his own. "Holly . . ." he faltered.
"Yes?" she asked softly.
"Will . . . Will you marry me?" he asked, looking directly into her eyes.
Holly laughed softly. "Of course." Seeing his look of immense relief as he slid the diamond ring onto the fourth finger of her left hand, she added, "Well what did you *think* I would say?"
"Well, yes, but-"
"I know," she said softly and kissed him. "I know."
~*SIX MONTHS LATER*~
Holly glanced at herself one last time in the mirror before going to wait by the door. She was wearing Nichkola's old dress, which she had discovered had been her wedding dress, despite Julius' protests to start a new beginning with a new dress.
As Holly waited for her cue, she thought about the news she would tell Julius as they were being driven to the shuttle that would take them to the Upper Elements for their honeymoon. She rested the hand that wasn't holding the bouquet on her stomach, hoping that the small bulge wouldn't be too noticeable in the clingy silk.
Then she put her left hand back on the flowers as she heard her cue and started walking down the aisle to where Root was already standing, smiling so much that her face ached. Not, of course, that she could help it. She stood across from Julius, not paying any attention to the minister at all, preferring instead to look at the face of the elf in the photograph that Julius had long ago transformed into.
After a couple of moments after the minister had stopped talking, Holly realized that everyone was looking at her expectantly. She looked at Root frantically. "I do," he mouthed.
Holly's smile widened, if possible. "I do," she said. Against her better judgement, Holly zoned out again, watching Julius. Luckily, the ever- present voice in the back of her head jolted her back to reality as the minister said,
"I know pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Julius pulled Holly into a kiss that sent both their senses reeling. When Holly finally pulled away, she threw the bouquet as hard as she could. Nobody caught it. Everybody laughed. Julius then escorted Holly out of the building and into the waiting limousine.
"I love you," he said tenderly, reaching out and stroking her cheek.
"I love you, too," Holly replied, taking his hand in hers and placing it on her stomach. "*We* love you."
Julius' eyes widened and then he started to laugh. "Good thing I saved up all that money, then."
Holly joined in laughing. "Yes, I suppose so. But you know what this means?"
"What?" Julius asked.
"This means that you owe me a honeymoon since they're supposed to be taken alone," she laughed.
"I suppose this is why you waited to tell me? So you could go twice?" Julius teased.
Holly pretended to be hurt. "I thought it was *romantic*!"
Julius smiled. "Well isn't it the traditional thing to do is to make out in the back of the limousine?"
"That works for me," Holly replied and started to kiss him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Well, that's it! I hope you like it, I know I do. Had a ton of fun writing it and I hope that you also liked reading.