The final chapter...

The early spring air had sent the trees budding overnight; only a day into the New Year and Bluebell was already on its way to blossoming.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

He was having trouble getting her words out of his head, the memory floating to the forefront of his mind's eye. But Lillian had been subtle about it; bending down beside him as he secured their bags to her cart with a leather strap, pretending to adjust a cord that was hanging too close to the wheel axel. He had paused slightly, strangely aware of the sobs of his mother and sister behind him. "Of course I'm sure." He had whispered in reply, straightening up and turning his back on her.

It had felt like half the village had turned up to see them off; they had spent an extra twenty minutes having their hands wrung, their bodies embraced, having his mother and Cheryl cry all over them…

The worst part had been saying goodbye to Cam. Cam, who had never felt absence except that which he left on others. It had been strange, wringing his hand and promising to return home soon. It had been even stranger having a letter from Laney stuffed into his hands and having to shove it inside an old jacket pocket, knowing full well he would never read it, perhaps even burn it at the first chance… But he hadn't expected everyone to understand. Lillian was his life now, and there was no going back.

He pulled himself out of his own head, his hands pressing tightly against her hips as she held the reins, steering her opal horse towards the hardly worn path leaving the mountain. He had never felt more grateful for the woman in front of him, not just for the feeling of her posterior as it bounced against his hips but for the path she was leading him down- albeit, it was a dangerous and unpredictable one- but nonetheless he was thankful for the fact that she was the one guiding him. Where would he be without her; without her hazel eyes, the crooked smile she sent him over her shoulder, her lavender hair as it swung down her back, the curls catching in his fingers-

"Hey." He was struck by a sudden inspiration, leaning his head forward to rest his chin on her shoulder, the trotting of the horse making his teeth chatter. "Can we stop for a second?"

"What?" She sent him a quizzical look, pulling the reins and coaxing the horse to a rather abrupt stop. "What's the matter then? Already homesick?" She looked disgruntled as he slid off the horse's back, refusing his helping hand as she followed him. "Forget something?"

He chuckled and ignored the edge of worry in her tone; bending slightly, he approached a clump of bushes. "Calm down. Just come over here for a second, would you?"

She clicked her tongue at him. "What now? Can't it wait?" He could practically hear the frown on her face, her hands no doubt on her hips as she watched him rummage around the earth. "Ash, we've wasted enough time with goodbyes, we should have been on the dock at least a half hour ago."

In answer he straightened and held out a bundle of lavender branches, their new blossoms a pale purple in the early afternoon light. He felt himself blush as he forced them into her hands. "Do you remember Flower Day?"

She raised an eyebrow at him, frowning. "Vaguely. Is this payback then? For forgetting to give me a flower back?"

He chuckled slightly, wrapping his hands around hers, the two of them clutching the makeshift bouquet. "Sort of. I thought about getting you something for a few days afterwards… But every flower I went through just didn't feel right. I must have asked Cam a thousand times what different flowers mean- I mean you had put so much effort into yours…"

Her cheeks were blazing. "I only did that because I didn't want you to get all freaked out! Which completely backfired, by the way-"

"Anyway-" He continued, raising his voice over her embarrassment. "No flower seemed quite right, and then I thought of giving you a bouquet of lavender."

She quirked an eyebrow at him, her cheeks fading as she struggled to follow his train of thought. "But you didn't?"

"No." He chuckled, holding her hands more tightly. "I thought about it, because you wear lavender perfume… You know, lavender is supposed to be soothing. Cam told me that their blossoms are supposed to promote calm and tranquility and frankly- Lillian, I've never met anyone who makes me feel less calm in my whole life."

She clicked her tongue again, her cheeks having calmed to a pale pink. "Is there supposed to be some sort of nice part to this speech?"

He caught himself laughing and let go of her hands, his arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her to his chest. "It's coming. What I mean is… Lillian, you've set my heart racing from the moment I met you. Sometimes I couldn't believe someone as stubborn and annoying as you existed." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "But Cam also told me that lavender means devotion and tenderness, and for a while I didn't know if that fit either."

He pulled back, smiling as he looked her in the eye. "Lillian… I'm a selfish man- I can admit that. I don't want anyone to love you the way I do, or be lucky enough to be loved by you the way I have."

"A-Ash. Please tell me this isn't a proposal."

He laughed at the look of alarm on her face, running his hands through her hair. "No, not quite. It's a promise. I promise that if you decide, however many months or years down the line, to have me as your husband… I promise to never make you regret it, okay?"

She looked a little surprised and simply stared for a moment at him before she dropped her gaze to the flowers, sniffling slightly as she smiled. "You're crazy, do you know that?"

"Yeah, I know." He reached up to smooth a wayward piece of hair back into place, his hands trailing through her curls and down her arm. "It's your fault."

She chuckled as her drew his hands up to cup her chin, her cheeks still pink. "And why is that?"

He didn't reply but instead leant in to kiss her, the kind of kiss that he knew would leave her breathless. The kind of kiss that would say everything he didn't have the courage to say.

She pulled back, still clutching the lavender to her chest, looking lightheaded. "Come on, you idiot." She huffed, trying her best to look angry. "We're going to miss the boat."

When I started writing this, I had no idea what sort of reaction I would get. I expected maybe a few reviews but mostly I expected to find a much needed vent for the story I was desperate to tell.

What I found was so much better than what I could have hoped for. I feel like I've become part of such a loving and kind family, who encourage me not only to update frequently but to become a better writer. You guys have stuck with me through an enormous amount of personal shit, including but not limited to computer crashes, a wiped hard drive, writer's block and pretty much every hardship that I've left angry author's notes about.

I want to thank everyone so much for their reviews, without them this story would have finished long before Ash and Lillian's was done being told. In particular, I would like to thank teamBLAZE, Karisma Jestler, and the many anonymous but very appreciated guests who left reviews that not only encouraged me to keep writing when I felt dry as a bone but also forced me to get my ideas together early in the process. You guys are a great bunch, thank you for always reading and reviewing!

Even if you didn't always review, please know I felt a connection whenever I checked the number of views this story had. The fact that some of you took time out of your lives to check something that flopped out of my head and onto a website is not only flattering but comforting. Thank you.

Lastly, I'd like to confirm -yes, the early drafts have begun- that there will be a sequel to this story. I am not leaving these two without a happily ever after and a ridiculous wedding, even if I have to wrestle Lillian into the dress myself! In the mean time, if any of you have any requests for stories please know as I am more than willing to take them. Please feel free to message me about anything you would like to see put to paper, as well as any ideas for chapters you would like to see in the sequel; as I'm still fleshing out the story, all of your thoughts are very much so appreciated.

Thank you all. It has been a pleasure to write for you.

-knottedblonde