Title: Something Old, Something New
Rating: PG-13/T
Originally posted: 15th February 2016
Originally written for: runthecon, round 2 on Livejournal.

Theirs was not a world of happily ever afters, at least not the traditional kind. Neal and Mozzie had agreed on that a long time ago. Even when Kate was most of what Neal lived for, he never saw a fairytale ending for them. A house in the 'burbs with a white picket fence, brown bag lunches, kisses on the doorstep, kids that played Little League or attended ballet class. Neal Caffrey wasn't meant for a life like that, it wasn't the ending he was supposed to have.

Maybe that was the point. This wasn't an ending, it was a new beginning, a new phase in a life that had been made over so many times. Neal became one person after the other, day on day, year on year, until suddenly one day, this day, he became himself. Today he would be the man he most wanted to be in all the world. No acts, no charades. He would be Mr Neal Caffrey, husband to the only woman he had ever loved this much.

She understood him in a way nobody else ever could, at least in a way no other woman ever had. Maybe it was because they walked a similar line. It wasn't that she knew what it was to be a thief, even though she had effortlessly stolen his heart. It was more that she was so much more than the world saw, than people expected. Most would look at Sara Ellis and see nothing but a business suit, a get get 'em attitude, a sickle wit. Nobody looked at her and saw the soft side, the sweet side, the effortless beauty and grace she possessed. Nobody but Neal, until today.

That moment when she was gliding down the aisle, white train flowing, eyes sparkling, smiling like she just didn't know how to ever do anything else. She was everything Neal could want in a woman, and she was about to become his wife. If Neal Caffrey was supposed to have a wife than it was supposed to be Sara Ellis, nothing else made sense. When they were apart, the world was askew. From this moment on, it would always be as it should.

"You look breathtaking. Beyond amazing," he told her in a whisper as she arrived by his side at the alter.

"You don't look so bad yourself," she told him with a smile. "Honestly? I'm just glad you're here."

Picking up her gloved hand, he gently kissed her knuckles, and smiled.

"Where else would I ever want to be?"

The breath went out of Sara's body, not just from the look in his too blue eyes or the fact she was now in the moment she had waited so long for without really knowing it. Some of this rush of relief came from just finding Neal where he was supposed to be, waiting to be joined to her forever.

She trusted him, she would hardly be here if she didn't, but there was just that slight concern that something would happen, that something would go wrong. It was a great relief when finally they were pronounced man and wife. If they could make it this far, Sara was sure they could make it for as long as they had together, for as long as a relationship such as theirs could exist.

"You may kiss the bride."

Neal didn't need telling twice, but then Sara was hardly less willing to fall into a perfect moment that sealed their wedding vows. This was it. She was Mrs Neal Caffrey and couldn't imagine ever wanting to be anything else.

"You really like this dress?" she asked as they headed back down the aisle, arm in arm, keeping their voices low.

"I didn't think you could look anymore beautiful until you walked in wearing that," he confirmed with a smile. "It's amazing what you can do with a few yards of satin and lace."

Sara grinned wickedly and leaned in close to whisper in his ear. "You should wait until you see what's underneath. It'll blow your mind."

Neal's eyes nearly rolled back in his head just from the thought of what their wedding night would entail. Still, Sara wasn't quite ready for the way he swept her up into his arms and hurried her out of the doors to the car that waited to whisk them away.

She was laughing as they went, losing a satin shoe and her lace veil in the New York weather, and not caring at all. Everything she needed was here, embodied in the man who carried her in his arms and smiled at her more with his eyes than his mouth.

"Mrs Sara Caffrey," she said to herself as Neal desposited her in the car. "I call this a pretty happy ending."

"No," he told her, sliding into the backseat beside her. "A very happy beginning."

He kissed her lips and she reciprocated in a second, arms going around each other as the limousine moved out into traffic and headed for the hotel. As Sara's head swam happily with thoughts of what was to come, she had agree that Neal was right. This was the most wonderful beginning, and she hoped more than believed it would never, ever end.