It was early morning when the entirety of the Wedding Party of Jon Kingston and Annie Tress had departed for Iron Colosseum to properly prepare while Kingston Castle was being prepped for what would no doubt be the largest and most spectacular event the castle had seen in some time. Guests by the hundreds now took up all of the VIP rooms in the Colosseum to try and prepare themselves for the wedding celebrations to end all wedding celebrations. Ryan Kingston wasn't even sure that the Castle would be able to fill this many people, on top of the hundreds that would be there for the event. but it didn't stop him from corralling as many of the younger or slightly older boys in their group together to try and get some kind of idea of what would be their game plan for the day. He, Tommy, Lucas and his brother were in one room all putting on their suits and tuxedos to the best of their ability.

Everyone had something on their mind that they didn't seem too keen on revealing to the others. Lucas was nervously coaching himself about how to go over things with Dawn in what would be their first official date with the other. While he straightened out his tie in front of a mirror, he was trying out some less than slick pickup lines to try and impress Dawn, but seemed to think he was making a fool of himself with every one. Beside him was Tommy, who was fidgeting around in his own suit, complaining that his tie was choking him. Every time he would try to loosen it, however, it would become grossly uneven and would prompt either his father or Robert Kingston to storm in from the room adjacent to fix it. Fed up with Tommy' complaints, his father stapled the tie together to prevent him from ruining it further.

On the other side of the room, both Ryan and Matthew sized themselves up in their tuxedos. Ryan was in a bit of an emotional place after learning that both Addison and her mother would not be coming to the wedding and may even miss the ceremony due to a family event. Yet another day had come and gone where the two were once more putting off figuring out where their relationship was headed. Part of him was beginning to doubt if it was worth trying to continue and feared Addison was simply no longer in love with him anymore. No matter how much he loved her, he couldn't force her to care for him. Added to this were some truly disturbing emotions Ryan had been having for the last few weeks regarding a certain friend of theirs. Matthew, however, was confidently flexing in front of the mirror and grinning at his own profile.

"Man, do I make this suit work" he boasted.

"I wish I could be as confident as you" Lucas commented.

"I don't think anyone can hate this more than me!" Tommy complained.

Ryan remained silently wondering how this day would go. He wondered to himself if there would be any kind of chance for him to rehabilitate his image to all of Arcana. Though the amount of people still down on his leadership was decreasing after his acquittal from the hearing, he still felt obligated to do right by them and by the family.

"Do we really have to go through all of this?" Tommy groaned. "I don't even like weddings! And I'm not a Kingston."

"Jon and Annie want one of those old timey weddings" Matthew reminded the boy. "And if we have to suffer through it, so do you, runt." He scratched underneath his chin and once more smirked at his own looks in the mirror. "Man, I really am a stud."

"My Mommy says so" Tommy mocked, causing both Lucas and Ryan to break out in laughter.

Matthew threw the shoebox that he had brought his dress shoes in at Tommy before remembering he had a mission to attend to. "Oh, that's right. We have to remember the order of how we're going to be doing this." He picked up a paper containing a crudely drawn schematic their father had given them about the order of how they would be going into Kingston Castle. "What do these plus signs mean next to our names?"

Lucas looked it over. "Maybe it's a misprint?"

"But next to all of them?"

Tommy moaned. "Mom said that it's to show that you guys will be going with someone."

"With someone?"

Ryan froze. "You mean, dates?"

"Why did no one tell us this?!" Matthew shrieked.

"What's all that noise?" Robert Kingston roared as he entered the room.

"Dad!" Ryan cried out. "You didn't say we needed to walk in the wedding with dates!"

"I figured that part was obvious" he told his sons as he looked each boy over. He patted Tommy on the back and did a bit of bowtie tweaking to Lucas before he came up to his sons. "Don't tell me I've raised boys afraid of girls."

"It's the day of the wedding and you're telling us now that we needed dates?!" Matthew complained as his father made sure his outfit was fitting him more properly than his Queen's Ball tuxedo had. "Now I have to change my whole plan for the day." His eyes widened. "Dad, are the girls all here?"

"On the other side of the Colosseum" Robert told his son after moving over to Ryan to check him out. "You boys have an idea of who you want to walk with?"

"Before you get stuck carrying Kayleigh or Arya" Tommy reminded them.

"I don't see Tommy having to go with anyone" Ryan complained as his father straightened out his jacket. "But, I guess it would make sense to head over there now and sort things through." He looked to his father. "I think I should go with Jasmine Augustine. She seems like a more mellow choice than anything."

"There's no way Jasmine is going to walk down the aisle with you, doofus" Matthew fired. "Because I'm going to go ask her now!"

"You?!" Ryan laughed. "After what you did to her?"

Robert smacked his son upside the head. "Enough, boys! Matthew is trying to do better. Stop trying to antagonize each other. You're brothers! Start acting like it!" Robert looked to Matthew and nodded. "Go to see Jasmine. And take Tommy with you. His mother wants to look him over and make sure he doesn't ruin another suit."

Tommy went beat red. "Why does Mom always have to embarrass me?"

"Then I'll ask Morgan to-"

"Morgan's going as a part of ArcNet's Wedding Coverage" Lucas reminded Ryan.

"Then who else can I-" Ryan thought for a moment before the one and clear choice came into his head. And this time, it was more about him wanting to be there with her than it being a last resort. "Tommy. While you're seeing your Mom, ask Holly if she will go with me."

Tommy looked at Ryan as if he had just been slapped with a fish. "What?!"

"Ask your sister if she'll go to the wedding as my date!" Ryan reiterated.

Tommy defiantly shook his head. "Nuh uh. Nope. I am NOT going through this again! No more of this-" Before Tommy's complaints could continue, Matthew grabbed the boy by his collar and dragged him out the door. "HEY! LEMME GO!"

"I'll make him ask!" Matthew said to his brother. "But only because it's right Ryan goes with her the same way it is for me to go with Jasmine." The two were out the door before anyone could comment further.

Robert sighed. "What am I gonna do with you two?"

Ryan shrugged. "We're brothers. We fight. That's what we do. You can't tell me you never fought with your brothers."

"To the extent that you two do?" Robert remarked. "Not once. My father would have knocked our heads together and locked us in a room if we acted like you." He looked his son over and nodded. "This is going to be a very important day, son. And I don't just mean for Jon and Annie. For you, too." He looked over his son's hair to ensure the entire outfit was set for the night. "This is a day when you can completely rehabilitate your image. There are a lot of court customs and traditions we'll have to abide by. If you do your part. the people will stop thinking the worst of you."

"Well, almost all of them" Ryan sadly replied.

Robert patted his son's back. "Cheer up, Ry. You and Addy have to get back on the right track at some point. And it could be worse. You could be going to the wedding with that Avery girl. I'm sure Addy will be fine knowing Holly will be the one looking after you tonight." Robert then raced back into the other room to complete his own clothing.

Ryan gulped. He hadn't thought how this whole wedding would impact both his relationship with Addison and his friendship with Holly. But if Addison could not or would not be there with him that night, he needed to do his duty to the family and his duty to look after Holly with Jeremy incapacitated. She could do the same for him with Addison not being there, so it was something of a mutually beneficial date night. He turned to see Lucas had resumed trying to make himself sound more cool than he could possibly be in the mirror.

"Hey there" he grinned. "Looks like you're looking real-no wait...looking fine, aint ya? No! That sounds stupid!"

Ryan came over to give his friend a much needed pep talk. "What are you doing? You sound like my brother when he used to try and act cool in front of Addy. Spoiler alert, it didn't end well for him."

"How can I help it?" Lucas sighed as he looked himself over in the mirror. "When I look at myself in the mirror, I can only ask how Dawn can even give me the time of day." He looked at himself and Ryan in the mirror. "I mean, you're the guy the girls go for. Why should she pick me when there might be other guys like you there?"

"Because she likes you?" Ryan reminded him. "If she wanted to be with someone who was like the chud you're trying to be, she'd be going with Matt." He put his arm around his friend. "Dawn likes you because she knows you. She cares about you. You're her best friend and she'll be happy to go with you at all. Just be yourself and the rest of the night should go well for you."

"I wish I could be so sure."

"Trust me" Ryan promised him. "She'll want nothing more than to be with the guy she knows and not this guy you want to be."

"How much longer do we have to wait?"

Ryan patted his shoulder. "A few more hours. Six O'clock departure from Iron Colosseum to go to Kingston Castle."

"Oh goodie" Lucas laughed sarcastically. "More anxiety time!"

"You and me both, bud. You and me both."

{}

"Did you hear me?" Tommy shouted at his sister.

"You don't have to shout, Tommy" Dawn complained from the other side of the room. "All of Iron Colosseum can hear you."

Holly was frozen in a sense of shock, surprise, utter delight and complete nervousness over the request Tommy had made of her. She found herself unable to move or speak for a moment. Ryan wants to go to the wedding...with me?! She stared blankly at her brother until he snapped his fingers in her face to free her from the trance. "Uh, huh? What?"

"EARTH TO HOLLY" Tommy cried out. "Will you be Ryan's date or not?"

Holly shook her head and nodded. "Uh, yeah. You know. But don't make me sound too desperate, okay? Be like. Oh? You need me to-"

Tommy groaned. "I went through this with you once already! Do I really have to have you and Ryan acting like this might be a thing again?"

"Just do what she told you to" Dawn told Tommy as she was putting on her dress. "Tell Ryan we'll be down to meet them at Six on the dot!"

Holly nodded and shut the door in her brother's face, her heart beating a tick faster than it normally would. "I guess I'm not over him as much as I thought I was."

"Who? Ryan?"

Holly nodded nervously. "When Jeremy and I got together, he sort of guessed that I had a thing for Ryan. But once we got to know each other, Ryan and my friendship went back to normal and I fell for Jeremy." She held her hand close to her heart. "But now that Jeremy is gone and Ryan and Addison are in such a weird place...or is my heart just playing a trick on me?"

Dawn eyed the worry on her friend's face and stopped trying to dress herself in her own gown. "Holly, look. You've known Ryan all of your life basically, right?"

"Since we were babies. But that's the problem. We've always been so close, that it felt weird to like him when we were younger. After we danced at the Queen's Ball, it felt so magical to me, but didn't give anything off to him. I tried everything to win him, but he was already crushing hard on Addy at that point. I gave up when I saw how hurt Ryan was when Addy got taken and I got to meet Jeremy. But now that it's just the two of us here-and what about Addy? She's my best friend. Would it be wrong of me to feel something for him when they haven't even addressed their relationship yet?"

"I think you're overthinking this" Dawn told her gently.

"Overthinking is what I do best" Holly joked.

"Look, as bad as things may seem, I have a feeling that Jeremy and Addison will come around to you guys. I just know it. Jeremy will come back from Mirage Island like that dashing hero you know him to be. And Addison and Ryan will rekindle their relationship. I think tonight is just some kind of final test for the both of you. If you and Ryan make it through this night still feeling the same way you always have, you'll know nothing will change and you can keep being friends long after this. If something does change and you do like each other, I don't think you can deny that part of who you are. It would be unfair to both of them if you both had feelings for each other and decided to not be together."

Holly nodded. "So, you're saying that if Ryan and I feel something at the end of the night-"

"Then it was meant to be" Dawn concluded. "And if you don't, then it wasn't."

"How do you and Ryan make things so easy?" Holly laughed. "I overthink things and you guys just go about doing things so easily."

Dawn smiled as she looked herself over in what would be the one and only ballgown she intended to ever wear in her life. "Because we think with our hearts. They tell us what to do and it gives us the only answer that matters." She looked at herself and nodded. "No matter how we might feel about someone or something beyond it, if my heart tells me how I feel about someone, I follow it. And I'm really curious to see where it leads me tonight."

Holly went back to applying her makeup, her nerves slightly alleviated by Dawn's encouraging words. If my heart tells me how I feel about someone, I follow it.

{}

"I still don't know what you hope to accomplish by asking her" Morgan told Matthew as he told her of his plan to ask her sister out. "She hasn't forgotten how much you hurt her."

Matthew nodded. "Even if she turns me down, I have to ask."

"Why?"

"Because, something inside of me is telling me it's the right thing to do."

"And when have you ever followed what's inside of you?"

Matthew sighed. "Look, are you going to let me talk to her, or not?"

Morgan rolled her eyes. "She's currently talking to Countess Rosemary." She stepped aside as Matthew now nervously stood in front of the doorway. Though he was confident in himself, he was deeply unsure if he could face Jasmine after what he had put her through. Using her as a way to not only antagonize but make Addison jealous, while also betraying her and Addison's trust by aligning with the Syndicate when he did. He was sure that he didn't deserve more than a door in his face, but he knew he had to face whatever fate had in store for him. He pushed the door open and found another doorway cracked slightly open. He stood at attention outside and did his best not to eavesdrop despite knowing the conversation was about him.

"...sure if I can do this, again" Jasmine told the Countess. "But at the same time, you told me that everyone deserves a second chance."

"It all depends on your personal beliefs, my dear" the Countess spoke.

"Do you believe Matthew has changed?"

"Matthew Kingston has seen the light on what he had become" Rosemary insisted. "He is more mature now and has put aside his personal quest for power. The young man I see now is not the same as the one who hurt you. But he still feels unsure of himself. Perhaps you can help steer him down the right path." The doors then opened more widely. "Isn't that right, Matthew?"

Matthew sheepishly entered the room and bowed respectfully to his Great Aunt before turning to face Jasmine for the first time since they had parted ways in Cauldro City following Addison's abduction. "Jasmine."

"Hello, Matt" Jasmine answered dryly.

"Jasmine, there isn't anything I can say or do that will make up for what I put you through. It was wrong to use your feelings for me in my own drive to get what I wanted from someone else. If it helps, I am truly and deeply sorry."

Jasmine looked down at her feet. "You never really loved me, did you?"

The boy could not bear to look at her anymore. "No."

"I was a lovestruck fool, then. Fortunately, I've gotten to be a bit smarter when it comes to giving boys chances."

"I want you to know that I am changing" Matthew insisted. "When I was in-"

"I know you are" Jasmine said gently. "The Countess told me. You don't seem as evil as they said you were, but how can I truly be sure?"

"I'd like a chance to make it up to you, if you'll let me."

Jasmine sighed. "Matt, it's not an easy thing you're putting on me. I was hoping I'd be able to talk things over with someone first, like maybe your brother. To jump back into this so soon is a little too risky for me."

"Maybe nothing will come of it" Matthew responded. "Maybe something will. I can't predict the future. But what I can say is that I would like to show you how much I've changed. Then, after you've had time to see me and who I really am, you could make your assessment then and there?" He cleared his throat. "I would like to ask you to be my date to the Wedding tonight, Jasmine."

Jasmine looked to the Countess, who though apparently half-asleep, nodded to the girl. Jasmine in turn, nodded back. "Very well. I accept. And when the wedding has come to an end, I think I'll have made my decision about you." She looked herself over and smiled sadly. "Guess I should get ready. I'll meet you down by the entrance to the Colosseum at Six." She bowed to Countess Rosemary and hurried out the door past her date.

Matthew looked to the Countess. "Thank you, Countess."

She eyed her Great Nephew and nodded. "Let's just say I was doing a favor for an old friend of mine in helping you."

"An old friend?"

"I couldn't save him, nor could I help him. But if I help his legacy, he may rest much more comfortably in death. After all, Jocelyn cared so much for you. It would be a shame for you to have gone through all you did with her, only to not get the chance to show you aren't the monster they think you are."

Matthew froze at the mentioning of Jocelyn's name, but shook himself out of it. He quickly bowed and followed Jasmine out the door.

{}

After several moments of having someone knock on the door to his and Julia's personal suite in the Iron Colosseum, Michael gently lowered his now suited son onto the changing table to rest while he made his way to answer the door. He spied Julia trying desperately to get the wild Arya to wear a dress for once in her life. She desperately eyed her husband.

"Honey" Julia cried out. "The hurricane is in force."

"We're running out of weather catastrophes to call her" Michael laughed. "I'll be in there to help in a minute."

He opened the door and was surprised to find a little boy he had never seen before had been the one knocking on the door. He had dirty blonde hair and was already in a collared shirt and pair of slacks. His eyes were wide and brown and he wore a look of concern and worry on his face. Michael looked in both directions for a parental figure to be running along after him, but when no one came, he finally returned his attention to the boy below him.

"Uh, hello there, little guy" Michael said politely. "Can I help you?"

"I can't find my Mommy" the boy told him. "Is she in here?"

Michael shook his head. "I'm afraid not, son. But if you'd like, you can stay with us in here for a little bit while we have someone contact her."

The boy shook his head. "I need my Mommy."

Michael looked back towards Julia. "Jules, you'd better come over here a sec."

"Kinda busy with Arya at the moment!"

"Do we have a third kid? One I'm not aware of?"

"Don't be ridiculous" she said as she finally came with Arya in her arms. When she spotted the boy, she let out a surprised gasp. "Oh. We have a guest. Hello there, young man. And who are you?"

"My name is Michael" the boy answered.

"Good name" the Lord of Arcana laughed. "I have that same name."

The boy looked him over. "You're the Michael that Mommy named me after?"

Michael looked to Julia and the couple shrugged. "I would guess so. Come on, kid. Let's find your-"

"THERE YOU ARE!" a voice shouted. The little boy spun around and raced towards the woman who had called out to him. She spread out her arms and took her son into her arms. "How many times do I have to tell you not to run off like that? You almost made Mommy worry sick!" Michael eyed the woman curiously. She was slender, had big bright blue eyes and long scarlet-colored hair that matched the seafoam colored dress she was wearing. Though he was certain they hadn't met before, he couldn't quite figure out why she seemed so familiar to him.

"Hi Mommy" Little Michael exclaimed, kissing her on the cheek. "I missed you!"

"Can't turn my back on you for a second, can I?" the boy's mother sighed. She made her way over to thank her son's finders more closely, until she realized just who had been the ones to find him. She let out a wry smile. "Well, well. The Lord and Lady Kingston. It's an honor." She hoisted her son up into her arm and moved her hair out of her eye flirtatiously at Michael. "It's been a long time, Michael. I hear you gave my brother quite a run for his money in the Court a few days ago."

Michael's jaw nearly hit the floor. "Olivia?"

She spun around, showing herself off. "In the flesh." To the surprise of everyone present, Olivia went for Julia first and took her into an embrace. Julia, unsure of how to act as both mothers and their children were locked in an embrace, awkwardly hugged Olivia back as if they were old friends and not enemies. "Julia, sweetheart. You look absolutely radiant."

"You're doing well, Olivia" Julia replied politely.

"As well as a single mother can" Olivia giggled. Olivia then leaped up at Michael and hugged him, planting a firm kiss on his cheek. "How long has it been, Mikey?"

"Considering both of my Grandparents were still alive" Michael thought aloud, "I'd say almost twenty years?"

"Too long for family to stay apart" Olivia insisted. She turned her son around to show him off to Julia and Michael. "Michael, sweetums. This is your Uncle Michael and Aunt Julia." The boy shyly waved his hand at the two before burying his head into his mother's dress. Olivia could only laugh. "He's not usually this shy. But it's the first time we've been here to meet the family." She eyed Arya and let out an even brighter smile. "Oh my. Is this little Arya? She is absolutely beautiful."

"Me Arry!" Arya exclaimed. "You?"

Olivia playfully bowed. "You can call me Aunt Olivia, Little Lady."

Arya thought for a moment and nodded. "Antie Livvy!"

"Close enough." She then returned her attention to the couple. "It's a shame things went so bad between Aunt Bonnie and Grandpa Arnold. I wish we could have been closer when it mattered. Michael has needed some kids his own age to get to know. Things, haven't been so good for us. But I am just glad to see that we're finally trying this whole thing over again." Sensing the tension between her and Julia, Olivia looked to her first. "Julia, let me be the first one to apologize for how we all acted. We were all a bunch of love struck teenage and preteen girls. It wasn't easy knowing how close you got to be to both Michael and Christopher. But it doesn't justify what we called you and what Becky and Betsy did to you. Since I doubt they will be here, let me apologize for them and especially for myself."

Julia was silent for a moment, before bowing respectfully. "You're apology is welcomed and so are you two." As Arya tried to pry off her dress, Julia took her daughter firmly into her arms. "Oh, Arya, for goodness sake! Sorry to do this, Olivia, but I need to dress little Arya." She ran back into the VIP room to tend to Arya, gently trying to pull Michael in alongside her.

Michael looked to Olivia. "Won't you come in?"

Olivia nodded. "I'd love to." She followed them inside and made herself comfortable on a small couch, letting her son sit down next to her.

"Gotta be honest, Liv" Michael said to a girl who had once been as smitten with him as Julia was, "I didn't expect you to come." He then made his way over to James, who was dismissively sitting quietly on the changing table, his eyes focused on something non discreet in the room.

"That stupid feud between our families has to stop" Olivia exclaimed. "Once I got the invitation from Byron and Joy, I knew I had to come."

"I would welcome people who don't hate us coming back" Michael laughed as he picked up his son.

Upon seeing James, Olivia let out a gasp. "Oh, Michael. Is that your son?"

Michael sat opposite her on the other couch and held his son as he fussed in his own little suit. "Yup. Little James."

"He's absolutely precious" Olivia giggled. "You and Julia make wonderful babies." She glanced back at the other room where Julia and Arya were trying to get the young one dressed once more. "I'm so happy you two found each other."

Michael let James rest in his arm and his attention turned to the little boy of Olivia's. "And you have a son of your own."

Olivia beamed at her own little boy and put her arm around him. "He's my little angel." She clung to the boy, but Michael could tell there was something else on her mind. Something darker. She patted the boy on his head and gave him a small plush toy of an Eevee for him to play with. The boy walked about the room, playing as if his Eevee were real and going on an adventure with him.

Michael knew he would have to ask the difficult question. "Who's the boy's father?"

Olivia sighed. "His name was Georges. He was an artist in Kalos."

Michael gulped. "I'm sorry, Liv."

His cousin let out a soft and quiet exhale. "We met in college and once my parents didn't approve of him and Donnie hated him, I knew he was the one for me. We eloped and lived on our own, ever since. It was never easy. We had to keep moving so we could get some work every now and then. On top of that, we had a ton of problems trying to have kids of our own. Four years of trying for us and we finally had our son. Little Michael is my miracle child." Her eyes found her son, who was bouncing the toy Eevee along like he didn't have a care in the world. "When Georges died, it took everything in my power to hold together for him."

"When did he die?"

"About a year ago."

Michael blinked in surprise. "Liv, we were in Kalos a year ago."

"How could I justify going to you for help after how I treated your wife?" Olivia frowned. "I knew you were there in Coumarine City. But I couldn't convince myself to turn to you in that moment. What, with how I felt about you when we were younger and how miserable I was to Julia." She laughed almost sarcastically. "And when I went to my family for help, they promised to look after Michael, but told me I would have to surrender custody to them." She did everything in her power to hold back tears. "Little Michael and my Clefable are all I have in this world."

"Do you need help, Liv?"

"Not for me" Olivia said sorrowfully. She looked over towards her son. "For him."

"I can't exactly take care of him and shut the door on you" Michael reminded her. "We are family."

"We are family and so is he. I can take care of myself and him for now. But if something ever happens to me, I know exactly how Donnie and the rest of my family will treat him." She lowered her head and fell onto her knees in front of Michael. "Michael, if anything happens to me, could you please take him in? I have no one else I can trust. Please!"

Michael looked to the boy and nodded. "If it means that much to you, Liv, I will take him in. But I have to ask, why me?"

She choked back tears and looked at him with a blushing smile on her face. "Because I know you, Mikey. You don't hesitate to help people in need. Especially family." She took a deep breath to calm herself. "Michael could have been your son. And if anything happens to me, you're the only person I would ever want being a parent to him. You and Julia, of course."

"But what about you?" he asked her. "Do you need anything?"

"If you can get me some work" Olivia finally requested, "I'd appreciate it. I don't care what. But I also don't want to live around on your dime. I want to be self-sufficient. To raise Michael on my own."

"I'll see if I can pull some strings with my father" Michael offered. "I can't guarantee anything, but I promise he will pay you well."

She put her hands on his knees and finally broke down. "Thank you, Michael. Thank you so much."

Michael helped his cousin back to her feet and brought her back to the couch. "Now, don't worry about that tonight. You and your son are going to have a great time tonight. And come tomorrow, I'll have my Dad meet you. But right now, relax and enjoy yourself for once. You both look like you could use some fun." He then brought James into the room to check on Arya and Julia, who had gotten uncharacteristically quiet in the other room. To his surprise, Julia came at her husband immediately and kissed him. James, upon seeing his mother, reached up for her.

When the couple pulled apart, Michael laughed. "What was that for?"

Julia beamed at him. "For reminding me why I fell in love with you to begin with." She took James from her husbands arms and made a glance out to the other room. "No matter how much bad someone has done, when they come to you admitting they need help, you won't hesitate to do so. You've done it with Matty, Giselle, me, so many others. And now, Olivia and her son."

"I only do so when someone is willing to admit they were wrong" Michael confirmed. "You have. Matthew has. Giselle has. Olivia has." His face darkened. "Some people never will."

She rubbed his back. "Your mother?"

Michael shook his head and let a smile back onto his face. "No. Forget her. Even if I have to deal with her tonight, I won't let her ruin my mood." He took his wife into his arms and kissed her. "You're all I need." As the couple came together, the door to their suite opened once more. To the surprise of everyone, it was another cousin, but this time a welcomed yet unexpected one at the door. Olivia had gotten up and warmly greeted him as if they had known each other for years.

"Billy!" she exclaimed. "How are you?"

"Hey Liv" Billy said, his voice cracking for some reason. "Is Mike there?"

Michael came outside. "What's up, Bill?"

"Can I talk to you?"

Sensing the alarm, Julia nodded. "Come on in, Billy." She kissed her husband on the cheek and made to grab Arya, who had been distracted by a movie on her mother's Poké Gear. "I'll corral these two and let you boys talk." She brought the kids out to socialize a bit more with Olivia, while Michael brought Billy into the side room.

Once the two were finally alone, Michael could tell something was seriously wrong, as Billy could not look him in the eyes. "What is it?"

Billy pounded the wall angrily and turned his back to him. "I can't do this anymore."

"Can't do what?" He spun Billy around and saw that his cousin was in tears. Not just at this moment, but apparently for the whole day. Doing his best to try and keep the mood cheery, Michael tried to joke. "Guess Annie really is that stressful a bride, hahaha."

"I can't do this!" Billy lashed out, wiping his tears away with his sleeve. "My heart can't take it anymore!"

Michael could only nod. "Amanda?"

Billy bit his lip. "Mike, I want you to be straight with me. Has there been anything? Anything at all? Anything to give me hope that I might see her again?"

Michael sighed. "I wish I could, kid. More than anyone in this world, I wish I could." He shook his head. "But there's just no conceivable way for us to know what's going on there." He did his best to console the broken hearted young man. "But don't lose heart yet. Because if we truly do give up, everyone on that island is going to be lost to us forever. And that's not something I can just pass up, now."

Billy slumped on the wall. "How can I keep thinking I'll see her again, Mike. How can we think we're going to get them back? It's been six months!"

"Having hope in the most hopeless of situations sounds stupid" Michael encouraged. "But sometimes, it's all you can cling to. If we give up now, then there's no reason to have hope in anything." He lowered his head. "If I give up on Chris, how can I justify being here when the only reason he isn't here is because of me? If Matt gives up on Jocelyn, how can we explain being here, since she's the one who helped them all escape? If you give up on Amanda, Billy, how can you say that you ever loved her?" He squeezed his eyes shut. "We might as well give up on everything if we don't hold onto hope. On saving Danny or Warren. On getting our Pokémon back. On stopping Mewtwo."

Billy fell against the wall. "Mike...I love her. All I ever wanted for us was what you and Julia have. How is fair that these monsters get to take the people we love and they go off unscathed?"

"It's not. No one ever said life was fair. It's how we stand up in the face of adversity that defines us." He knelt down in front of his cousin. "You've been so strong for months now. It's only natural to feel like it's hopeless. But I can assure you it's not. You have no idea how many times I question why we're even bothering. But it always comes down to the same thing. If we give up now, everything we lost will have been for nothing. Amanda wouldn't want you to give up. She'd want you to keep fighting. And the same goes for Chris. He'd absolutely chew me out if I gave up just because he's not here."

Billy sighed. "I don't know if I can do this, tonight."

"If you need an out, just ask" Michael told him. "Piper and Deidre are both not going to be at the Reception." He put his hand on Billy's shoulder. "But just so you know, Jon wants you to be his Best Man. He personally asked you. Do you think Amanda would let you just pass up on this opportunity on her account?"

The broken-hearted Kingston shook his head. "No. She wouldn't."

"Then I think you can do this. You just need to put on a show for the people of Arcana." He pulled his cousin back up to his feet. "Now come on. Buck up. We're going to get through this night, get super drunk and sleep tomorrow away!"

Billy drew his cousin into a back-patting embrace. "Thanks, Mike. I needed this."

Michael smiled. "We're family. We look out for one another." He patted the Billy's back. "Now, get a move on. Jon's gonna want to speak to you before we get to the Castle." With newfound resolve, Billy Kingston walked proudly out of the VIP room and out to do his duties as Best Man for the Groom.

With his cousin placated, Michael lowered his head thought of his own Best Man. Rest easy, bud. I couldn't forget you that easily. I'm gonna keep making you proud, Chris.

{}

All three of Ryan, Lucas and Matthew were a bundle of nerves as they awaited the remaining members of their Limousine to go off to Kingston Castle as the hours of twilight approached. It was supposed to be the eight of them in one limo. Tommy and his walking mate, Annie's eight year old niece Sara, were already inside trying to find the seat they wanted to use. Now, the three boys all waited on their own dates to arrive.

Lucas continually told himself the advice Ryan had given him. "Relax. Be calm. Be yourself."

Matthew stood in silence, deep in thought over how best to act in front of Jasmine after two years of not even pretending to have a sense of manners or decorum when it came to girls. He would occasionally glance at the stairwell into the Colosseum, but would do nothing else.

Ryan was at war with himself. He wanted to be happy for once in the last few months. He wanted to enjoy himself. But he also longed for him to be happy with Addison. To see her be the one who would be walking down to enjoy time with him. Yet, she seemed to be as interested in rekindling things with him as their Pokémon were at returning to them. Would it be worth it for him to find some happiness with someone else? To allow himself some small semblance of joy in his usually dreary and depressing days? His answer would have to come tonight. He couldn't justify stringing either of them along. That wasn't who he was. He could only truly trust his heart to one person. And whoever it was would be decided by the time Jon and Annie's wedding would come to an end.

The first one down was Jasmine. She wore an elegant and refined magenta-colored gown with a bright white corsage around her wrist. Her hair was also professionally curled (well, as professionally as Morgan could get) and she beamed at the surprised and star struck looks she got from the boys waiting downstairs. Matthew stepped up to the bottom step and offered the girl his arm. Jasmine curtsied politely and gave the boy her arm, with the two entering the limo together.

"Relax" Lucas repeated. "Be cool. Be yourself. You can do this!"

"You're going to stress yourself out" Ryan laughed. "Take deep breaths. Don't think about it too much. You're going to be fine." He went on to say more, but Lucas went white as a ghost as he spotted Dawn coming downstairs. Ryan turned and even he was awestruck. Dawn was donned up as if she had been born to be in this kind of setting. She wore a bright pink and white gown, with her hair as intricately braided as she would allow it. She wore the long kind of gloves princesses and ladies wore back in the day and atop her head, she wore a small yet bright silver tiara. She descended the steps with a casual grace that Ryan could not help but be impressed by. She winked at him and then curtsied to the both of them.

"How do I look?"

"Wow" Lucas muttered. It was all he could say.

"I concur" Ryan complimented. "Who knew that you could clean up so well?"

She laughed. "Don't get used to it. This was a nightmare to get into. And it's not happening again." She let Lucas take her arm and the two entered the limousine.

"Well, Ryan?" Holly's voice echoed. "You ready for me?"

Ryan turned and nearly fell back in shock. Holly was slowly making her way down in what had to have been the most flamboyant and clearly attention seeking gown anyone could have ever seen. She looked as if she was a Princess from one of the many fairy tale books they were read as kids. It was sky blue and white, looking very similar to Dawn's, save for the fact that she had a bit of a taller tiara atop her head, as she used the second prize tiara she had won in the Pokémon Contests a few months earlier overseas in Kalos. To complete her look like a Fairy Tale princess, on her feet were a pair of glass slippers. She curtsied to Ryan, who was a speechless as Lucas had been.

"Well?" Holly asked. "Do I look good?"

Ryan blinked and shook himself out of his stupor. "Good? No. You look wonderful."

"Then I think it's high time we go to this wedding" she beamed. They took each other's arm and entered the Limousine, prepared to head to wherever their futures would send them.