August 9, 2012

Jade gasped with glee when she stepped into the room where Marsha, Kasey, Haley, and Victoria were getting Amanda ready for her walk down the aisle.

Amanda turned at the sound, grinning when she saw Jade. "What do you think?" Amanda asked.

"I love it! You look wonderful!"

"My daughter thinks that I look like a princess." Amanda informed her.

"No," Marsha disagreed. "Olivia's a princess and that means that you're a queen, remember?"

Amanda's grin widened because, at least this time around, on this wedding day, she felt like a queen as well. And she could not wait to marry her king charming.

David fought to keep his jaw from dropping as his bride walked towards him down the aisle. She was wearing the dress! A real, white, wedding dress. And, wow, she looked gorgeous.

But it wasn't the dress that made her that way, he realized. It was Amanda herself – glowing with happiness and smiling from ear to ear. Thrilled to be marrying him all over again.

But this was the first time that it felt like a real wedding, with all of the emotions he associated with such a thing. Because this was not something that they were doing for Olivia, or for propriety's sake, or even because it was the right thing to do. They were doing it for themselves. For each other. Because they loved each other.

Right after the wedding, while people were still milling around outside, Dylan snuck inside, into the kitchen, and up to the wedding cake that Kayla had made. He pulled one cake topper out of each side pocket of his suit, placing first the little girl and then the baby on the cake, in front of the bride and groom.

And then he waited until Kayla poked her head in and asked him if he could carry it out to the table already laden with food.

He nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

Picking up the cake, he took it outside and placed it on the table.

Now that he had done his part, all that he had to do was wait.

As soon as David could, he pulled Dylan aside and ducked inside with him.

"Shouldn't you be outside with the rest of the party?" Dylan asked. "After all, you are the man of the hour."

"They'll be okay for a few minutes. I just… I wanted to thank you. Last night, Amanda told me everything that you've done for her in the past couple of weeks, and I wanted you to know that it really means a lot to me. It's nice to know that there's someone else looking out for her. And Olivia. And Peanut."

"Nah." Dylan shrugged it away. "You're welcome, but it's no big deal at all. I just wanted to help."

"Amanda's just now getting used to all of this help from this family, and it means a lot to her. And that makes it mean a lot to me. So thanks."

"Sure. Anytime you need a babysitter, I'm available…" He paused before adding, "…For Olivia. 'Peanut' may be above my pay grade."

David laughed. "Yeah… your turn will come, though."

"Eventually. And your turn is now, so enough of me. Get back out there, prince charming. Isn't it about time for your big reveal?"

"Yeah, actually." Amanda spoke up from the doorway through which she had just come. "I can only guard that cake for so long, so hurry up."

"Alright, here we go." David said, hooking his arm through his wife's.

Carmen screamed. Nathan whooped. They received a firm "I knew it!" from Haley, and "I thought so"s from Victoria and Kayla.

"Congratulations." David turned when – a few minutes later – Jade approached him from behind and spoke.

"Thanks." David grinned down at her.

"I guess now you get that second chance that you two were talking about that day at the Mitchells' that we all met Haley."

David blinked, wondering for a second how she had heard them. "Yeah, we do." He paused before saying thoughtfully, "But that's not the only second chance that I feel like I've gotten."

"Oh?"

"I really messed up my relationship with Wendy."

"Your sister?" Jade asked in confusion.

He nodded, clearing his throat. "Yeah. I – I don't know, I kind of feel like, maybe, I got a little sister in you, you know. Is that weird for me to say?"

Jade grinned. "Did Amanda tell you to say that?"

It was David's turn to be confused at that comment. "No."

"Then, no, it's not weird at all. I never asked for a big brother, but I think that you make a pretty good one."

"Well, thanks. And I've never had a little sister, but I'm glad that – if I had to have one – I got you."

Jade grinned. "I'm glad that you got me, too."

Later that night, as David carried Olivia into the house, he asked, "Look at that, Liv. It's the first star of the night. Should we make a wish?"

Olivia looked at that star for a long minute, thinking, and then looked back at him. "No."

"No? Why not?"

"There's nothing left to wish for. Everything is perfect now."

David smiled, kissing his daughter on the cheek. "I agree, Princess. I agree completely."

After putting Olivia to bed, David curled up on the couch for a minute with Amanda.

She sighed, laying her head against his chest. "You know that moment when you're reading a book, when you know that it's coming to the end, but everything is finally so perfect that you want to stay in that part of the story forever?" she asked. "Right now is like that. The story is finally perfect, and I want to stay here forever."

"I don't know," David mused. "If we stay here forever, we never get to the part of the story that says 'and they all lived happily ever after'. And I for one want to know what happily ever after is like with you, my queen."

Amanda smiled, kissing him. "I agree, King David."

Please review! This is the last chapter in the whole series, and I hoped you enjoyed this series as much as I did. My next projects are a few one-shots: for Courageous (called "No Greater Joy," written to the tune of "The Carpenter's Son.") and for Criminal Minds ("Knowledge" and an as of yet untitled addition to my Leah/Reid series.)

Thanks for all of the reviews thus far! You guys really make my day!:)