A Father's Emotions

Epilogue

She grins as Zeal places the gold leaf headband in her hair. 'I've been dreaming about this for years,' Hope mumbles.

Zeal smiles, pulling some of Hope's waved hair over her shoulders. 'I know and you got there,' Zeal replies before straightening the dress. She steps back with a satisfied grin and straightens her own dress. 'Now, you're ready to knock her off her feet.'

'I don't have to wear anything relatively close to this to do that.'

Zeal rolls her eyes. 'You're so cocky and like your father.'

Hope laughs. 'Shut up.'

'You say that like it's a bad thing,' Death comments as he leans on the doorframe. 'You both look gorgeous.'

'Thanks, pa,' Hope says.

Zeal gives Death a nod before slipping out of the room and shutting the door. Death wraps Hope in a hug as Reflection stays in the corner of the room with headphones in blasting music and a camera in his hands. 'I'm so proud of you.'

'And I'm proud of you.'

Death chuckles, moving back to look at Hope's face. 'Nervous?'

'Of course.' Hope sits down on a chaise lounger so Death sits on the floor in front of her. She runs her hands through his hair and starts braiding the hair back from the side of his face.

The pair ignore Reflection taking pictures. 'You're getting the girl of your dreams. Everything will go naturally.'

'I know and I know the nerves mean that I'm completely invested in this.'

Death smiles at Hope, tipping his head back as she ties the two plaits of hair together. She presses a kiss to his forehead. 'We made it.'

Hope laughs, resting a hand on her dad's shoulder. 'Yeah, we did.'

She watches as Salix straightens out Death's jacket as the guy gives him a blank look. A quiet laugh escapes her lips as Death flicks Salix's forehead.

'You're more nervous than Hope. Go and join Oriana,' Death whispers in his lover's ear.

'Oriana is worse, I needed to get out before I lost it,' Salix mumbles as he hugs Death.

'Slap sense into her, it'll be fine.'

Salix laughs, kissing Death's cheek and walking into the back rooms.

Death turns and grins at Hope where they stand at the bottom of the aisle. Zeal talks animatedly beside Hope as they discuss Zeal's speech for the reception.

'There's no way you're talking about that,' Hope says suddenly making Death raise an eyebrow and Zeal laugh.

'Why not?' Zeal teases.

'What happened?' Death asks.

'Nothing,' Hope states embarrassed as the other immortals start filing in. Faith and Time bundle Hope in a hug allowing her to escape the awkward situation. 'Just what I needed!'

'And that is what we gave you,' the pair reply.

'And that is still creepy anytime you guys say something in sync' Love comments before ruffling his sister's hair.

'Piss off, you oaf,' Faith squeals, pushing Love's hands away.

Time chuckles, pulling her wife and soulmate back to her. 'It'll be fine, sweetheart, see,' Time says soothingly as she sorts out Faith's hair.

Faith raises an eyebrow. 'Fine?! Fine?! I've been doing my hair for hours and you both dismiss it like it's nothing?!'

Time opens and shuts her mouth before glancing at Love awkwardly.

'Here we go again,' Promise mumbles as she covers her eyes exasperated. Faith's harsh look goes to Promise who had sat herself by Humour who had plopped himself beside Joy and Sorrow with Hart closest to the aisle.

'Because I gotta to have faith, faith, I gotta to have faith, faith, faith, baby,' Time sings softly, pulling Faith closer and her lips going towards her ear.

Faith blushes as she tries not to smile at her soulmate's corny attempt which always seems to work. 'Shut up,' Faith mumbles shyly, hiding her head in Time's hair.

'And you were on about other people ruining your hair,' Time whispers.

'Shut up.'

'Your partner invited a plus one by the way,' Jealousy comments, Sinclair nudging her, as Death heads towards his seat.

'I would say they're related,' Kindness adds, trying to dispel the mood her sister had put over Death.

Hope laughs making Zeal eye her weirdly. 'Ah, he's invited Krister, let me go greet them,' Hope comments.

'That'll be hilarious,' Humour adds.

'Don't,' Destiny warns making Hope roll her eyes as she heads back to position due to the last person taking their seat.

She watches as Zelda walks down the aisle, throwing petals on the floor and trying not to step on them after. Roscoe follows her daughter, trying not to laugh at the betrayal on Zelda's face as Zelda watches her walk over the petals. The mother picks up her daughter, her eyes automatically finding her husband's in the front row of Oriana's guests by Rina who is already wiping tears from her eyes.

Hope's eyes immediately lock to Oriana and a smirk falls on her lips at the dress that seems slightly reminiscent of the one Hope wore when she proposed. The only consistent thought in her mind was how much she would love to see Oriana out of that dress and underneath her but that had to wait. She could see the nervousness in each step Oriana takes, the slight shake of her hands and how her face is slightly concentrated on diverting her thoughts away from the same smouldering scenario in her mind. A brief grin replaces the smirk when Hope locks eyes with Krister and then quirks an eyebrow at his interest in the immortals as his eyes go back to looking at them.

'I can't believe you suggested to Salix about Krister coming along,' Naretha hisses quietly making Karma look at her sheepishly.

'It'll show him what he's missing besides there's more than that,' Karma barely whispers.

Dylan stops beside Hope, Oriana looking at Hope shyly. 'You've always done more than we could,' Dylan whispers, shaking Hope's hand.

'Dad,' Oriana whispers making Dylan smile at her.

Dylan rubs Hope's shoulder with a hand before sitting down by Rina and taking her hand.

Hope holds Oriana's hand, rubbing small circles on the back due to the shakiness of it. When they smile at each other, all nerves melt away.

Faith looks at her wife in disbelief as she tries to keep up.

'So, we have your entrance, the meal, first dance, father and daughter dance, which they've apparently taken care of. Speeches after that and then the-'

'Slow down,' Faith complains interrupting Time and only being able to catch up because Time takes exaggerated slow steps. 'Seriously? You either go really quickly or really slow, it's one or the other with you!'

'You weren't complaining last night,' Time replies.

'I didn't want to know about that!' Reflection complains as he lowers the camera after taking a picture of Hope and Oriana as they walk behind the trio.

Hope smiles as Oriana giggles, their hands entwined and Oriana's head resting of Hope's shoulder.

Faith goes to slap Time' s arm but Time grabs her hand and pulls her close. 'Have I told you how beautifully gorgeous you look today?' Time whispers as her hands ghost down Faith's sides.

'Creep,' Faith mumbles but smiles at her wife.

'How do you think she will react to the dance we're having with our dads?' Oriana whispers as they stop outside the reception room.

'Don't tell her,' Hope whispers and presses a kiss to her temple.

Oriana smirks as they enter the room and sit down for the meal.

When Kindness gives Hope a signal from behind the decks, Hope stands, offering Oriana her hand. 'Mi lady,' Hope says with a smirk making Oriana laugh as she takes Hope's hand. They walk to the dancefloor, only Oriana's shoes making a sound due to Hope not wearing any.

Lights Down Low starts as Hope leads Oriana on the floor, their bodies pressed together while everyone else takes pictures. Hope hums the melody as Oriana sings along softly.

'I love you,' Hope whispers.

'I love you more,' Oriana mumbles.

Death and Dylan move to the edge of the dancefloor, Death wearing a smirk. When Hope and Oriana part, they move onto the floor making Time look at Faith.

'I don't like their smirks,' Time mumbles. Kindness grins and presses the next track as Good Girls making the other immortals apart from Time laugh. 'This could have been so much worse but this is still bad.'

'They're happy. It's a lot better than the classical music we had,' Faith says wrinkling her nose.

Love smiles as Zelda runs around still throwing petals before Jealousy picks her up. 'Shouldn't you calm down on those?' Jealousy says.

'Let her be,` Fear teases as he plucks Zelda from Jealousy's arms making Jealousy move towards Sinclair. Zelda giggles, putting petals in Fear's hair.

' Doesn't he look so adorable, Zelly?' Sorrow jokes.

Zelda laughs, putting more petals in his hair.' Yeah, he looks pretty!' Zelda exclaims.

Joy chuckles, throwing petals at Fear also.

'Should we throw some at them as well?' Fear says before taking off after the other immortals of his generation with Zelda in his arms as she laughs while throwing petals.

'They're a big bunch of free babysitters,' Elizar comments making Roscoe laugh but slap his arm in protest at the same time.

Naretha hugs Hope and Oriana after they leave the dancefloor. 'You two are gorgeous and deserve so much,' Naretha whispers making the pair smile at each other over Naretha's head.

'Yeah, we do,' Oriana says, squeezing Hope's hand.

Karma joins the hug making Hope grin at the mop of curls her brother had become.

'Family hug!' Salix teases as he joins the hug.

It breaks apart in laughter as Death wanders over slowly and stabilises Salix as he stumbles from the others. 'Having fun?' Death asks.

Hope grins at her father. 'Thank you,' Hope says, giving him a hug.