As I stepped back from our kiss, it was obvious we had forgotten about the audience we had because only then did we hear the applause and cheering. It was like we were jolted back to reality. We turned to face them as the music started up again. I looked to my Dad who nodded. Then I looked over to Macon who was looking at us, the proudest and also the most vulnerable I'd ever seen him. 'Maybe he looked at Mum this way' I thought.

It's the way I look at you.

I know, and I love it.

Lena smiled even more which I didn't know was possible and we started to walk down from the podium. We moved back onto the soft carpet, hand in hand and made it past all the smiling faces of the guests. My mouth was starting to hurt from all the gratuitous smiling and greeting we had to do as we walked back down the aisle. Eventually we made it past the last row of guests, and we were able to rest our faces.

That's when it hit me. We were husband and wife. We were now actually married.

Lena appeared to read my thoughts as she started talking about that. 'You're my husband now Ethan. My husband Ethan. That has a nice ring to it don't you think?'

'Not as much as my wife Lena does' I replied. She looked up at me as we walked back and leaned her head on my arm as we did so. Behind us the procession of guests, headed up by Link, Dad, Gramma and Macon was following us back to the house. When we were about halfway back, Macon moved past us.

'I have to make sure everything's perfect' he muttered as he walked by and hurried off away into the distance back to Ravenwood.

'Perfect eh?' I said to Lena. 'This should be special.'

'Any surprises this time?' she asked back.

'Unfortunately not, I'm all out of those' I replied.

'Ah well that's a shame' she responded. 'I was beginning to get accustomed to them' she pouted as she said it.

'That defeats the purpose of a surprise' I said as she smirked.

'Do you really want to delve into the philosophical nature of what a surprise actually is with a poetry enthusiast?' she asked me, deadly serious.

'I guess not' I said, returning the same stupid smirk.

'A wise decision' she said while giggling and took hold of my arm.

We heard loud footsteps behind us and saw Ridley, John and Liv making their way through the crowd to join me, Lena and now Link at the front of the pack.

'Wait up Shrinky Dink' Ridley called.

'I'm not going anywhere babe, you just gotta keep up' he replied.

'Easier said than done. she clapped back. 'And don't call me that.'

'Those words were beautiful guys' Liv said, pushing past and ignoring Link and Ridley. 'They really were amazing. I couldn't have said it better myself if it was at my own wedding.'

We sneaked a look at John who had gone red and started looking up at the sky. Liv realised it too but pretended not to notice and rolled her eyes. 'You looked angelic up there, both of you.'

'Thank you so much' Lena said, hugging her.

'Lena certainly did' Ridley piped up. 'Not sure about Husband over here though.'

Lena scowled at Ridley and a tiny rain cloud popped up over her.

'Really?' Ridley said, trying to give her version of the Look.

'Take it back or I ruin your outfit, your choice.'

'Ugh fine, you looked good too Ethan. Happy?'

'Yes.' Lena smiled, turned back to me and the cloud evaporated.

We hadn't stopped walking despite all the conversation and now, finally, we were back at Ravenwood. We walked up the stairs and back through the front door of the regal home, everyone else in tow. When the door opened, what we saw was completely magical, even for the Caster world. A room, big enough to accommodate all the guests had taken the place of the usually smaller, but still spacious, Ravenwood front room. The daylight streamed in from open windows that adorned two of the sides and there was an array of paintings and pictures that adorned the other two. A large space in the middle had been cleared, presumably to act as a dancefloor, and there was even a little stage with branding for Sirensong, Link's band, to play on in one corner. The tables had been set up in a circular pattern around said dancefloor, with enough room in the middle for multiple people to dance at once. It was at this point that I noticed Macon standing in the middle of the floor, arms open to welcome everyone in. We walked in and Lena went over to hug Macon.

'This is too much' she said, a tear in her eye. 'Thank you so much.'

'Nonsense' he responded. 'Enjoy it.'

'I am' she said.

'We are' I chimed in. Lena looked at me and smiled. We walked over to the he

As the guests started filtering into Ravenwood, people could hardly believe the size of the room inside compared to outside.

'It's almost as if it's magic' my Dad remarked to me upon entering. If only he knew.

They started to take their seats, as did me and Lena, sitting on the middle table with my family taking up the left side and Lena's taking up the right. There were nine people on our table, including me and Lena. Liv and John, Link and Ridley, Marian, Dad and Macon. Ten if you count Boo Radley who hadn't been at the ceremony but now was next to Lena's seat. As the final people sat down, I looked around the room. It was big and I just hoped that, during the speeches, people would be able to hear everyone. Although if they couldn't, I had no doubt that Lena or Macon had some little subtle trick to ensure everyone did.

What's that supposed to mean?

I just mean that you could enhance my voice with a Cast or something.

I'm trying to keep the Casting to a minimum on my own wedding day.

Aside from making anyone with knowledge of Macon's "death" conveniently forget that little detail for the duration of the wedding and any other knowledge/mention of anything Caster related.

Yes, aside from that.

I laughed at her and that got Link's attention who was sitting just to my left.

'After we've eaten, I've got a surprise for you. A wedding present' he said excitedly.

'Okay what is it?' I asked, curious before a sudden realisation occurred in my head. 'Is this what you were grinning your ass off about earlier in the car?'

'Yeah' he said and nodded aggressively. 'I can't wait to show you.'

'Please tell me it's not an impromptu Sirensong concert' I replied.

Link feigned being hurt. 'Hey, I got permission from Macon himself to perform one song for you guys. But that's not it, I'll show you later.'

'Can you at least give me a-'. Link shut me off and gestured to Macon. I knew what that meant, the reception was about to begin. As he stood up, every trace of lingering conversation was lost. Even if people didn't know anything about him or what he was/used to be, he still projected the aura of a man not to be messed with, ignored and to be listened to anytime he talked.

He cleared his throat and began to speak, his voice carrying through the room as he did so. 'Firstly, I'd like to welcome you all to Ravenwood, the ancestral home of my family bearing our name for more than ten generations, and the venue today for one of the most special events to ever have been hosted here.' A few cheers and claps interrupted him. He smiled politely and continued. 'A wedding, a union between two people and the ultimate display of love, trust and commitment. Three qualities which Ethan and my niece have displayed in abundance with each other in the years that I have known them. I have been honoured to watch their relationship and love flourish and grow them into an amazing pairing, stronger together than they ever could be apart. I would like to raise a glass to this wonderful young couple and wish them all the strength in the world to continue as they have for all these years.'

The noises of glasses being picked up and champagne being drunk filled the room. Then a whoosh sound drowned all that out. Everyone, with the exception of Lena, Macon and I had stopped moving. Time had stopped again. 'I apologise for that, but I wanted to tell you something just to you. I know I haven't always been here to see you grow, but I want you both to know how thankful I am. You saved my life on more than one occasion and helped give me new meaning and purpose. I truly wish you an eternity of bliss together.' As he finished and I saw the way Lena was looking at him, I realised something. Lena had wanted to know about her parents for such a long time, but she'd had a father figure in her life all this time. It was Macon. He was the one authority figure she respected above all else, the one relative she was afraid to disappoint. And it was obvious by the way that he looked back at her that he thought of her as a daughter was well.

He clicked his fingers and the sounds of people toasting resumed. We looked at each other and then back at Macon. I nodded gratitude at him, and Lena went over to hug him. A couple of 'awwws' made their way out of the crowd, much to the embarrassment of Ridley who had blushed, clearly annoyed to be associated with such soppy sentiments. However, that's when I realised that wasn't what it was. Link had stood up, ready to give his speech.

'Thank you very much Macon for that amazing speech about my best friend Ethan Wate, and his new wife Lena.' Link paused so a few people could clap. Macon respectfully bowed his head before Link continued. 'I've known Ethan a long time since kindergarten in fact when I shared a Twinkie with him on the bus. I told him it had fallen on the floor, even though it hadn't. And since then, we've stuck together through thick and thin. He supported my early band work, even if it wasn't great.'

'You can say that again' Ridley shouted out. People laughed and Link gave her a scowl that said, 'I'll deal with you later' before pressing on.

'And so, even when a lot of other people didn't, I stuck by him when he met Lena and tried to make her feel welcome when she first came here. Because I trusted Ethan's judgement. And, over five years later, it's obvious that trust was well placed. Knowing them together has been just as fun, if not more so, than knowing them alone. They always know how to light up a room, they look like they belong together, and most importantly, they've agreed to let me, and my band play a song at the wedding. Look forward to that later.' Link winked at the audience. No one reacted. He cleared his throat and finished. 'So, to Ethan and Lena, the best friend-couple anyone could know.' Link sat down and people started to clap for him.

I had been told that it was tradition for the best man, the man who "gave the bride away" (Macon) and the groom to all give speeches. That all seemed a little too male dominant, for either me or Lena's tastes so we asked Marian to read something and agreed that me and Lena would talk jointly, rather than just me. So we looked over to Marian, who had a worried and slightly flustered expression on her face as she got up. She pulled out a diary and put it on the table in front of her. 'Forgive me' she began. 'I don't usually do things like this, but for Ethan and Lena I've made an exception.' I started to clap, and other people joined in, eventually rising to good level of applause before it stopped, and Marian was able to properly start her speech.

'For those of you who don't know, I used to work very closely with Ethan's mother, Lila Jane Evers-Wate. She wasn't just a colleague though; she was my best friend. And when she died…' Marian had to pause for a minute as she wiped her face. 'I'm sorry' she apologised. As Marian collected herself, I caught Macon wistfully looking off into the distance at the mention my mother and her death. Even after all these years, he still loved her as deeply as the day he'd left her. I caught Dad with a tear in his eye as well, but he was looking in Mrs English's direction. She had loved both of them, and now they were united through me and Lena. 'I knew that I had a duty to be there for her son, for Ethan, and I tried to do that as much as I could. It turns out, I wasn't actually needed. It wasn't long after she had passed away that he met Lena.

From the first time Ethan came into the library with a new-to-town, beautiful black-haired girl, I could immediately see the connection they shared, and I knew that nothing could bring them apart, perhaps not even death.' She stopped on those words as, for those who knew, the gravity of them cannot be understated. 'The love they share makes the people around them feel alive and I am no different. It is a privilege to have watched them grow together. Happy wedding day, Ethan and Lena.' The applause was rampant as Marian the wordsmith sat back down. Her speech was so beautiful and even Macon stood up and gave her applause. She blushed as she took in the reaction from the crowd. As the applause died down, and Marian had taken a bow and received yet more plaudits, it was time for me and Lena to speak. I looked at my new wife in all her splendour, took her hand, and we stood up together.

'Firstly, I would like to echo Macon's message of thanks to you all for coming today, some of you travelling a long way to get here' Lena began, gesturing to those of whom the statement was true. 'It means a lot that you would make that journey and for that we are grateful.' I nodded and smiled before continuing.

'To share this special day with all of you has been a wonderful experience so far and, although it isn't over, we've already had such an amazing time and we hope to continue that into the night.' People applauded before she picked up talking again.

'As has been mentioned, Link's band will be playing one song, emphasis on the one, after we eat and there will be traditional music being played both before and after so if you'd like to get up and dance, there will be a variety of musical styles to do it to.' There were a couple of laughs between her finishing and me starting up again.

'I also wanna thank Macon, Marian and Link for their amazing speeches. We really appreciate them all and they really hit us in the heartstrings. I also want to remember two very important people in my life that sadly aren't here with us. Firstly, to my Mum. She wouldn't have missed this day for anything had she been here, I'm sure Marian would agree, and I know she would have loved every bit of this day in her own unique style. And secondly, Amma. The woman who raised me, and my father before me. Her cooking is sorely missed here today even if Macon can cook up a mean feast. But what is missed more than her cooking is her presence, as I'm sure we can all agree. I'm sure they're both watching us right now, somewhere, and wherever that is, I love you guys and you're both missed dearly.' I heard applause as I sat back down and allowed Lena to finish.

'For the final time, thank you all for coming and I hope you all have a good time. Oh, and one more thing, enjoy the meal.'

Lena sat back down, and as she did, gasps erupted from the tables as food started to appear in front of people. They were the finest courses seen anywhere in South Carolina in generations. There was meats, cheeses, fish, bread. Any selection of food you can think of, there was probably a variant located on a table somewhere inside the Ravenwood front room. The first person I looked towards was Link next to me. He audibly sighed as the food appeared in front of him. There were his (old) favourites scattered everywhere and it looked like he wanted nothing more than to be his old, non-Linkubus self just for the duration of the meal. I actually felt sorry for him because, as I started to pile my plate with food, he took one look at me doing so and sighed even louder. I had to stifle my laughter, as did Lena, and we all started to eat. Up until now we had been addressing everyone in the collective of people, with speeches declarations and invitations to begin eating. Now, for the first time, I could talk to all the people that meant the most to me. Well, almost all.

We started eating and chatting before it became apparent I wasn't the only one who had noticed Link's drop in mood.

'Don't feel down Link' Liv said, chowing down on a piece of chicken. 'It's not all doom and gloom, at least you've got Necro's surprise still to show.'

Link looked up at her like she had just told him that OneRepublic were a better band than Pink Floyd.

'What surprise involving Necro?' I asked.

'Nothing man' he said and shot Liv a devastating Look. She just continued eating as if nothing happened.

'What surprise?!' I pressed.

'Yeah Link, what's up?' Lena asked getting involved.

'Uhhh' he said, clearly debating with himself whether to continue denial or come clean. 'Okay fine. The surprise I was telling you about earlier involves Necro, but that's all I'm saying.

'No you can't just end it there' I protested. 'You gotta tell us man.'

'Okay jeez' he said, annoyed. 'I had this crazy idea to surprise you on your wedding day using Necro's powers.'

I looked over at Dad who was happily eating as if he hadn't just heard about a necromancer using their powers as a wedding gift.

'To do what?' I asked suspiciously.

'Well' he began nervously. 'I don't know how you'll react to this, but I had this idea to call Amma back for you. See, the way I see it, you saw your mum in the Otherworld and cleared things up somewhat and said goodbye. But you never got that chance with Amma. She was gone before you could. And so I thought it would be kinda cool to do that for you.'

As Link finished, it took me a few to actually process what he had said. It was obvious he was waiting for my reaction, worry flashing across his face anticipating a negative reaction. I eased up before talking and relief flooded his face.

'Link' I began. 'That's… That's… That's such an amazing idea man. How did you even think of that?'

'It wasn't a hard decision to come to' Liv said, entering the conversation again. 'It's not like it's the first time.'

I shot Link an uncomfortable look. 'What do you mean this isn't the first time?'

'You didn't tell him?' she said, half angry and half shocked. 'Link, really, you should have told him.'

I stared at Link waiting for a response. 'Told me what? I'm sitting right here.'

Liv stared at him icily and Link backed down. 'Well, when we went to New Orleans to find Ridley…'

Ridley perked her ears up at the mention of her name. 'I'm Ridley.'

Link ignored her and continued. 'When we were down there, we needed a Seer and so we kind of summoned Amma through Necro. It wasn't easy and she wasn't best pleased about it, but she really helped.'

I looked at him with my best 'Really motherfucker?' face I could muster.

'Dude I'm not mad but you could've mentioned something' I said, realising I still hadn't told him if I wanted the surprise or not.

'Sorry, I just didn't know how to tell you and then eventually I just forgot.'

'It's alright man, and your surprise is amazing. It would mean a lot to me if we could still go through with it. I just wish I'd known you were using Necro like a phone to call Amma.'

'Shut up man.' We laughed and he spoke again. 'Necro is down to do it, but only after we've eaten.'

'Perfect' I said, and fist bumped him. This was shaping up to be a more eventful afternoon than I had anticipated.

As people continued to eat and the praise for Macon's hosting rang out, I kept looking at Necro. There was something about her that just made me think she was the last kind of person Amma would want to come back into. Amma was never one to be told what to do when she was alive, much less when she was dead. But even so the image of this girl with the blue fauxhawk being taken over by Amma was an odd thought to say the least. Her voice, her mannerisms, even her Look, all coming out of what you could reliably consider the polar opposite of Amma. The antithesis as Lena would say. The complexities of the upcoming ritual were not my concern at that moment, however. Right then and there my focus was on my beautiful new wife and the amazing food me and the rest of the wedding guests (bar John and Link) were contently enjoying.

'Food glorious food' Link sang. 'Oh how much I miss you.' It was a well-known fact that Link's band before the (relative) success of Sirensong had been christened Meatstik, a homage to Link's favourite kind of food pre-Linkubus.

'Oh my God' John said. 'If you don't stop whining about the food I'll cram some down your throat just so we don't have to hear it.'

Me, Liv and Lena all laughed as Link just glared at John. Macon, Marian and Dad ignored her and went back to the conversation they'd been having for the last ten minutes. Everything was going well. I looked out upon the crowd of people and rested my hand in Lena's.

All of this is for us.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

I leaned in and kissed her, squeezing her hand in the process.

'You two' Ridley said mockingly before putting on her best Emily Asher voice. 'Don't y'all just look like two a the ripest peaches anywhere in South Carolina.'

'Ridley' Macon said sternly. 'I'd rather you didn't sound like one of the Gatlin townsfolk, they weren't invited for a reason you know.'

We chuckled at this. Who said the truth couldn't be funny?

As it became evident that the eating had stopped and people were now just talking, the tables miraculously cleaned themselves and were clear in the blink of an eye. Macon stood up, projecting the same aura as earlier, and began to talk.

'In about ten minutes, the bride and groom will share their first dance. Following this, I will share a dance with my niece, and then the dancefloor will open up with Sirensong will also be performing after this. I hope you all are enjoying the celebrations.' A smattering of applause went up around us as Link tapped me on the shoulder.

'It's time' he said.

'Okay, let's do it' I said and turned to my wife. 'Lena, it's Amma time. Let's go.'

'Ethan, I think you should go alone' she said. 'She was your Amma, and I think you should spend…'

I cut her off. 'No Lena, she loved you as much as she did me and you not coming is not an option. I want her to see you and you need to be there. Now let's go.'7

'Be careful' Liv called to us as we got up.

Lena turned to Macon who just nodded and smiled. We got up and went over to where Link's band was sitting.

When we made it over there, Necro was in conversation with Link. Floyd sat next to her, one arm around her listening intently. And next to them, the behemoth that was the Darkborn Sampson towered over all of them, and us.

'Are you sure about this?' we heard Floyd ask. 'It was hard enough the first time.'

'Yeah' Sampson chimed in. 'I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried.'

'Really, I'll be fine' Necro replied. 'Now let's go and do it, we don't have a lot of time.'

She nodded at us, and Lena led all six, soon to be seven of us out of the front door and round to the side of Ravenwood Manor.

'So how exactly does this work?' I asked once we'd reached a place we were happy to conduct the ritual in.

'All I need you guys to do is sit in a circle. I have the rest with me.' She gestured to a bag she was carrying.

'Resourceful' I said.

'Naturally' Necro said and winked at Lena.

Punny.

She is Link's friend, what do you expect?

Touche.

We sat ourselves down in a circle as Necro took out four novena candles from her bag and a piece of pie.

'Is that from Ravenwood?' I asked intrigued.

'Yeah' she replied. 'She wasn't too fond of our offering last time so I hope this will do.'

'With Amma, unless it's her own cooking, it will never do.'

'I got that impression' the blue-haired necromancer said with a chuckle as she prepared to light the candles. 'Everyone ready?'

I nodded and prepared myself. She lit the candles, sat herself back in the circle and began to speak.

'Into my breath and body, flesh and bone, I call the spirit of Amma Treadeau. Let my voice guide you back from the unknown.' The air grew a little chilly as she repeated the phrase in Latin. 'In spiritum, et corpum meum carnem et ossam voco animum Amma Treadeau. Vox mea te reducat ah incognota.' She sat there, eyes closed and waited.

After what felt like an eternity, I turned to Link.

'It takes a minute' he said and shifted his focus back towards Necro. Then she inhaled sharply, the kind of breath you'd inhale after holding your breath underwater for as long as possible. Her back straightened, straighter than I'd ever seen anyone in a long time, and that only meant one thing. It was Amma. Necro (Amma) stood up and put her hands on her hips glaring straight at Link with the Look. It looked like one of her hands was wrapped around something we couldn't see. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say she was wielding her wooden spoon of justice, the One-Eyed Menace. The innocuous spoon was actually a powerful object, as I'd seen in the Otherworld and in the real world, Amma had rarely been seen without it.

'Wesley Jefferson Lincoln' she said, her voice booming through Necro. 'This is the second time you've interrupted me during a game. I had a really good hand this time as well. And I see you're still hanging around with the same company. You should know better. I've half a mind to saunter over to your mama's place and tell her what you were doing when…'

I couldn't hold it anymore. 'Amma' I said interrupting her, the emotion in my voice obvious. 'Is it you?'

'Ethan my boy' she said, abandoning her conversation with Link and looking over to me. 'It's been so long. I'm so proud of you, both of you.' She acknowledged Lena sitting next to me. 'I suppose congratulations are in order. Your mama and I were watching the ceremony. It was wonderful. Melchizedek and Emmaline really outdid themselves, even if the pie is worse than Aunt Prue's mixture in the cellar.'

We all laughed.

'It's still there' I said before finally letting go. 'Amma, there's so much I wanna…'

'I know Ethan' she said. 'But it doesn't need to be said, I already know. I never left you, and I never will. But today's about the land o' the living, and about celebrating a union, and a life. And in the Good Lord's name that's what I want you to do. Stop hassling and haggling the dead and let an old woman rest. Go and have a good time.'

'I will Amma' I said, a tear forming in my eye. 'Say hi to Mum for me.'

'Actually before I go' she said. 'I have a message from her. Congratulations to you both, you make an adorable couple and I hope you're as happy as you can be.'

'Tell her thank you as well' I replied, the tears streaming now.

'Don't cry' she said. 'It is your wedding day after all.'

There was a crashing noise and Necro fell backwards in a daze. Amma was gone.

Floyd and Sampson were helping Necro while me and Lena went over to Link. 'Thank you so much' I said. 'Best wedding present ever.' I pulled him in for a hug.

'You're welcome man' he responded. 'It's the least I could do.'

After I finished with Link I went over to Necro who was eating a small chocolate bar.

'Sugar helps' she said breathlessly.

'Thank you as well' I said. 'It meant a lot.'

'Don't sweat it' she said. 'You're letting us play, so I had to repay the favour somehow.'

'You did that and then some.' We packed up the candles and headed back inside. It was time for the dances.

We walked back to the manor, and I was feeling somewhat relieved. For so long I had regretted everything I hadn't had a chance to say. I'd reached closure with Mum, but never had that same luxury with Amma. I'd felt like I had missed something, always wondering if there was something more I could have done or said. That was until today. I was finally able to understand that what I wanted to say hadn't needed to be said after all. She already knew and that was the most important thing. Her and my mum had been there after all, watching me marry the most beautiful girl in the world and undeniably the most important person in my life. I was so grateful to Necro and to Link for the opportunity to do that. It didn't make up for the fact that she was gone, or even make up for the pain surrounding the circumstances I lost her in. But it was definitely a relief and a weight off my shoulders. Now I had to turn my attention to the dance.

We strode back in through the front doors and made our way back to our seats.

'How was summoning the dead?' John asked, his hand scooped around the back of Liv's neck and chair.

'It was relieving' I admitted. 'But now I've gotta stand up and dance in front of all these people, I'm nervous again.'

'It'll be fine' said Lena squeezing my hand. 'We've practiced a hundred times.'

'I know' I replied. 'I'll be up there with you so everything will be okay.'

She smiled at me and looked towards Macon, who stood up again.

'Everyone!' he called out, his voice loud but not severe. 'It is time for my niece and Ethan to share their first dance as a married couple. Please join me in giving them a round of applause.' The crowd started to clap as we stood up and made our way past Marian and Dad into the middle of the dancefloor. The applause died down and for a second, everything was silent.

Then the lighting in the room toned down, despite the windows still projecting daylight into the room, until it was nearly dark. A singular spotlight illuminated above us, perfectly capturing our figures. Macon nodded at us, and the music began to play. I took Lena's hand, the one I loved above all else. I pulled her close and allowed her to move freely around me in the dance they had practiced so many times since the engagement. The crowd faded away, the venue disappeared, and the music drowned out. We were completely and utterly lost in each other. Our movements became almost involuntary as we just continued to exist within ourselves. Within each other. Our eyes never left one another, she never let me go and I could tell she didn't want to, not ever. And all I could do was marvel at how someone so beautiful, so intelligent, so fierce and so perfect could ever have fallen into my life.

Macon

As I watched them dance, I realised something I should have a long time ago. The bond between them, it wasn't love, this was something beyond it. This was a bond so strong in its forging that it could never be justifiably described through words. What we were witnessing was a sight so becoming in its beauty that they physically began to glow. A light, purer and more elementally archaic than anything I had felt before started to emit from them as they continued to move in some of the most beautifully choreographed sequences ever seen. They never once lost each other's gaze, a symbol that they would never lose each other again. And as the song came to an end, and the dance was over, and the light receded, they looked around to see every single one of the people who had witnessed it either crying or in shock at the sheer display of beauty that had just witnessed.

Ethan

As we danced, I felt everything fall away as if we were the only two things in the universe and nothing else mattered in that moment except the connection we shared. She was my life, as much as I was hers. I remembered the day I had come back from the Otherworld and sat on that water tower until she showed up. The pure unfiltered joy and warmth I felt as she grew closer to me. The relief of being able to touch without the electricity between us. The familiar feeling of comfort as she Kelted to me and curled herself around my heart. The closeness as we drank each other in, the emotion as we cried together, finally back together again. She really did turn me inside out and she could in any universe. In every universe. They lied to you. It's not a whimper, it never was. It's a bang and a crash louder than a jet engine and more powerful than a rocket. And as I saw her one-green, one-gold eyes lock with mine, I could only think one thing.

I love you Lena. More than life itself.

I love you too Ethan, more than all the stars in the sky.

I started to cry, as did she as we hugged and kissed as we realised the music had ended, the spotlight had gone and people were clapping ferociously. There was a standing ovation. Every single person was on their feet applauding. Macon looked unlike I'd ever seen him. Wistful, dignified and what looked like awe. Dad was wiping his eyes; Link was grinning madly. Marian and Liv were in conversation and writing stuff down. I could have sworn I even saw Ridley wipe a tear away. If that was enough to get a tear out of one of the most powerful Siren-Hybrid Caster in the world, it must have been truly breathtaking to watch. Macon, after wiping an eye, walked over to us and hugged Lena. He shook my hand and spoke quietly to me.

'That was beautifully done. Everyone loved it.'

'I enjoyed it too' I said looking at Lena. 'So much'

'So much' she repeated looking back at me into my eyes. It went silent as we just looked at each other.

'If you don't mind' Macon cut in. 'I would like to share a dance with my niece.'

'Of course' I said, jumping out of my trance. I moved off back to my seat, our arms trailing away from each other.

'I'll take good care of her' Macon joked and turned to Lena.

As I reached my seat, Gramma stood up to speak. 'And now, my granddaughter and my nephew will share their dance.'

The polite applause resumed, the spotlight cut in and different music began to play. They began to dance, and Macon looked every inch of the stately figure he was. He was elegant, she was beautiful, and they didn't miss a beat. People watched with intrigue as it seemed like they were almost gliding away from the floor. You could see the familial connection and the deep bond they shared reflected in the fluidity of their movement. It really was a sight to behold. As they winded down on their dance and the music came to a halt, daylight streamed back in, and people applauded their dance.

Lena and Macon came back over to us, and I gave her a hug as she sat down next to me again.

'That was amazing' I said. 'It was very moving.'

'Nonsense' Macon scoffed. 'I know I have good dancing skills, but yours and Lena moved everyone to tears. I felt power emanating from you two that I've never felt before. The white light was proof of that.'

'What white light?' I asked. Lena looked confused too.

'We all saw it' Liv chimed in.

'Me too' Link said.

'That's why I said all' Liv responded rolling her eyes.

I ignored them both and waited for Macon to answer.

'When you danced, a white light began to come from your moving figures. I don't know how to describe it. It didn't feel dangerous, quite the opposite in fact. It felt warm, soothing, intense. Everything love is supposed to be. I believe it was an expression of love in a physical, tangible form.'

'Wow' I said and looked at Lena. 'I didn't even know that was possible.'

'Me too' Lena said, looking equally stunned. 'That's amazing.'

I kissed her again and, at this realisation, grabbed her hand and interlocked it with mine. I was never letting her go. Ever. That lasted for all of five seconds when Link suddenly leapt up from his seat. 'It's Sirensong time' he called out, with several guests looking bewildered in our direction, probably wondering what all the commotion was. Link hurried away from our table in his excitement and headed towards his bandmates, Ridley in tow.

Link

I burst up out of my seat and yelled 'It's Sirensong time.' It was obvious that I had disturbed a few people, but I didn't care. I was about to perform my new song with my band in front of my all the most important people I cared about in life at my best friend's wedding as his best man. If that's not an excuse to get excited at a formal event, I don't know what is. I rushed away from our table and headed out over to see the other members of my band with Ridley just behind me. It's obvious me yelling 'It's Sirensong time' had shook them as well as they were looking around at the people now staring at us and giving awkward smiles.

'It's Sirensong time?' Floyd questioned. 'Seriously?'

'Hey, I'm excited' I replied. 'And besides, it got people interested didn't it?'

'Hot Rod's not wrong' Ridley said, moving next to me. 'Good publicising technique.'

'Appreciate it babe' I said, knowing what was coming.

'Don't call me that' she shot back. I mouthed the words with her as she said them.

'We need to get ready' I said. 'We're on in five minutes.'

'Let me help you with that Mr. Lincoln' Macon said, suddenly standing behind me. God that man could move silently, even if he wasn't an Incubus anymore.

'Ah!' I exclaimed, startled by his sudden presence. 'That would be great Macon, thank you.'

'Think nothing of it' he said. 'If you're as good as you claim to be maybe you can play more than one song.' He winked at me, and I understood.

'Message received loud and clear' I said, and my bandmates smiled at him.

He turned around and, as he did, a set of lights suddenly illuminated the stage where we would be performing. As it did so I realised that the once barren stage now contained all the instruments that we needed to play. Drums, guitars, a keyboard and a pair of microphones. The bass drum of the kit had a huge version of our bands logo emblazoned on it. 'Perfect' I thought.

'Let's play' I said and headed towards and up onto the stage.

Ethan

As I watched Link in conversation with his other bandmates I wondered what they were talking about. More pressingly I was wondering what they would play. Link had mentioned something to me about a new song recently, but I couldn't remember much about it.

'This should be fun' Lena said to me looking a little apprehensive.

'It'll be fine' I said, trying to reassure her with a feeling that I myself didn't even have. 'Let's just allow Link to have his fun and hopefully everyone else will follow, including us L.' I kissed her again.

'You're right' she said. 'We've had our moments, let him have his.'

'Exactly' I said. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a light go off. I turned to look at it and the stage that Sirensong were going to perform on was ready, complete with branded instruments. All it was missing now was the band. Eventually they made it on stage and took their positions. Link pulled a microphone off the stand and spoke.

'Everybody!' he called out. 'Get your butts off your seats and head into the middle of the room. We want everyone to enjoy this.'

At this people, some begrudgingly, started to get off their seats and follow Link's commands to congregate in the middle. Once the dancefloor was filled with most of the people in attendance, Link turned back to face his bandmates. They all nodded at him, and they began to play. I'd heard the entire catalogue of Sirensong's music, but this one was unfamiliar to me, so I assumed it was a new song. As he played, the crowd started to get involved, start to dance around a bit and even started to sing along with the admittedly catchy hook.

'You make me go crazy, like a bull seeing red. I only wanna be with you back in my bed. Why am I like this, what you done to my head? I just wish we were dancing instead. I just wish we were dancing instead. I just wish we were dancing instead.'

He sang out and people started to cheer. They sounded half-decent which, as I thought back to the days of 'Who Shot Lincoln?' was the highest honour I could bestow upon him.

He didn't stop after a single song; he kept playing even as the day turned into evening and into night. He got the crowd going, including me and Lena, and turned our wedding reception into a wedding party. This is everything that Lena had wanted, from as far back as I had known her, even at the surprise on her 16th birthday, her Claiming. And now she had gotten it and more and was loving it. In fact, everyone was loving it, even Macon who I spotted tapping his foot under the table as he watched Link play. That's the closest you'll see Macon Ravenwood to dancing to a rock band, so Link should take that as an unqualified success. Eventually, Sirensong played their last song and came off stage to raucous applause and cheering. Everyone sat back down. Floyd and Necro were sweating profusely and I'm sure Link would have been too if it wasn't for the fact that he was an Incubus without the capacity to sweat. When he came back to our table, as dinner was being served, we all applauded him quietly.

'Link, that was amazing' I said. 'Breathtaking even. You got the crowd going alright. Well done man, you're destined to be a rockstar, in the Caster or Mortal world.'

'Don't inflate his ego' said Ridley sarcastically, kissing Link on the cheek making him turn red. 'It's already big enough.'

'That's not the only thing that's…' His crude comment was interrupted by Ridley kissing him square on the lips. Partly out of love, but partly to keep him from finishing that comment I'll bet.

And with that, we settled into eating dinner, making amicable conversation and recovering from the rock show that was Link's band. I couldn't believe how electrifying it had been. It was like a live show, like a concert. He put on a show, and he delivered as the showman he is. He could give PT Barnum a run for his money. Aside from that the day was coming to an end. The best day in the world that started off with a few negative feelings and nerves had ended with an amazing concert and me married to the love of my life. I couldn't ask for more. This love was more than love. It's a bond you fight for, it's a celebration of everything right with the world. I had come back from the dead, twice, just to be with her. I couldn't imagine being anywhere without her and I would always love her, to the end and beyond.

Otherworld

As they watched their beloved Ethan Wate about to be married on the most beautiful of days to the incomparable Lena Duchannes, Lila Jane Evers Wate couldn't help but feel like her job was done. She had finished what she had stayed around all this time to accomplish.

'We raised that boy right' said Amma Treadeau, a tear in her eye as she watched.

'We sure did' said Lila, barely able to keep from crying herself. 'I hope they're as happy as I was.'

'They will be' Amma remarked. 'You don't have to be a Seer to know that.'

Amma smiled back at her and moved her hand into Lila's.

Amma looked up at Lila. 'Knowing those two, they'll break records of happiness. Even with Lena lacking the relevant cooking skills to keep Ethan Wate happy.'

They both laughed at this. As they watched their boy confess his love, Lila knew her time in the Otherworld was coming to an end, she could feel it and she'd known for a while now. She had done all she needed to do. Her unfinished business was now finished, and she was ready to go. And as Ethan Wate kissed his new bride, Amma and Lila held their hands together, and wiped the remaining tears from their faces. Lila had never looked prouder, and her face was beaming at watching her little boy become a man. 'Our little boy' Amma thought. Lila looked at her, and Amma could tell that it was time. Amma nodded before bowing her head and speaking quietly and slowly. 'May the Good Lord keep you close to him. No one deserves it more than you.' Lila's body started to become translucent, slowly becoming light before disappearing altogether. She was finally at peace.