10 months later.
The sound of the airport thundered in Amelia's ears as she approached the man in black, holding a sign with her name. A smile skipped across her face.
"Why William Ashford, I didn't know you took a job as a chauffeur?" Amelia teased.
"At your service, Ms. Dawson. May I help you with your bag, m'lady?"
Laughing, Amelia nodded and Will grabbed the suitcase by her feet.
"Come on, your grandmother's dying to see you."
They exited the airport, the warm Summer breeze brushing past them.
"How are you doing?" Will asked.
The wind roared past her ears, bringing with it the sounds of the city growing ever closer.
"Good, I slept on the jet."
"How does it feel to be on break from touring?" Will asked.
"So good," Amelia let out a sigh. "Don't get me wrong. I love touring with Sebastian, but three months of nonstop screaming girls, is well..."
"At least you have a month away from it all."
"Yes and I'm so excited for it. How's Poppy doing?"
An amused smile slid across his face.
"Good, my wife has decided she doesn't like how our apartment is decorated. So in between rehearsals, she is bossing people around. Did you know there are thirty different shades of the color white? She asks me which one I like best. I told her I trust her. She can do anything she likes as long as my piano room in not bright orange."
"How is she feeling about the upcoming Ballet show?"
"Fantastic. I'll back in the city just in time to see it, after my trip to New York to record Danny's album."
"How's the album, looking?" Amelia asked.
They crossed over the Thames, the water catching the summer sunlight and blinking it back at them.
"Great. We couldn't be more happy with it."
A familiar neighborhood came into view and Amelia turned to Will.
"Promise me something, Will."
"What's that Amy?"
"If there is more than fifty people here tonight we play the yawning game."
Will laughed, the sounding muffled by the wind.
"Deal."
The car turned into a narrow lane, leading up to the stately manor. The tires crunched on the gravel drive as they rounded the fountain and stopped at the stone steps.
***********
"Aims!" Poppy shouted, as she strode into Amelia's room.
Amelia lay on her bed, contemplating the ceiling.
"Hey Pops, how's life?"
Poppy flopped onto the bed beside Amelia.
"It's good. Rehearsal went so long today. I thought it would never end. But now I'm here. Is Eleanor doing your hair?"
Amelia nodded. A gentle knock came on the open door.
"Amelia darling, are you ready?" Eleanor asked, stepping in.
Amelia rose and moved to the vanity, her grandmother taking up the spot behind her. When she was finished, two braids crossed over the top Amelia's head, looking vaguely like a crown. Eleanor gave Amelia's shoulders a loving squeeze, her eyes meet Amelia's in the mirror, before she kissed her cheek.
"I love you Amelia. I'm proud of you and they would be too."
Amelia reached up and covered her grandmother's hand with her own.
"I love you, grandma."
As Eleanor left, Poppy bounced off the bed and disappeared into Amelia's closet, coming back with a short, flowing dress. She held it up.
"The only dress I didn't pick out for you, it's only because I wasn't in New York," Poppy said.
Amelia stepped onto the dress, the silky material soft against her bare skin. She spun around, sending the bottom of the dress swishing.
"What do you think?" she asked, grinning at Poppy.
Poppy gave Amelia a critical look.
"I think you look wonderful, and, dare I say it, pretty," Poppy said.
"Then we have accomplished the impossible today!"
A knock cut off their gleeful laughs.
"Whose there?" Amelia called out.
"It's Will, is my wife in there?"
"Yes, come on in."
With a cocky grin, Will strode towards Poppy, his hands in his pockets. Amelia moved to the closet in search of her shoes.
"Hello Mrs. Ashford. Have I told you you look beautiful today?" he asked.
Poppy brought a dainty finger to her chin and tapped it thoughtfully.
"You know I think you have but you might as well say it again."
Grin widening, Will bent forward and kissed Poppy, his eyes dancing with mischief.
"You look beautiful," he said.
Poppy adjusted his jacket.
"You look pretty dapper yourself."
Amelia stepped from the closet, flats in hand.
"You two are a little much, have I ever told you that?" she said.
"Oh like you and Sebastian don't make me want to gag at times. The way he says 'hey' like it holds every form of the word love in it," Poppy said.
A blush rose to Amelia's cheeks.
"Fine, you two are adorable and I will never say anything again," she said.
"Thank you, though I don't believe you. See you down stairs," Poppy said, with a smile and a wink.
Will turned away, guiding Poppy out of the room. They nodded to Charlie as he stepped into the doorway.
"Aims..."
A small smile crept across Charlie's face, as he moved over to her.
"You look beautiful Aims."
"Thanks. Is your girlfriend here?"
"Yeah, Nat's downstairs. How are you doing?"
Amelia shrugged, giving him a sad smile.
"I miss them. I wish they were here and I wish I could tell them about everything with Sebastian. I know dad would be proud about the album winning the Grammy for Album of The Year."
Charlie wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she leaned on him, putting her arms about him. Both of them were silent, as memories that flooded their minds.
"Well, I'm proud of you and I know they would be too."
"Thanks, Charlie."
He held out his arm to her.
"May I walk you down?" he asked.
She laughed. Looping her arm into his, he led her towards the door. At the top of the stairs, he turned towards her.
"You ready?"
3 Months Earlier
The taxi drove through the city, its headlights illuminating the swirls of mist. Amelia sat in the back, her head resting on Sebastian's shoulder, their hands joined. His suit jacket was draped over her shoulders. Sebastian's gaze was lost out the window, his top buttons undone, his tie tucked away in his pocket, where it had gone after he had sung for Poppy's and Will's first dance as man and wife. Sebastian tapped the driver on the shoulder.
"Stop here."
Sebastian pushed open the door and helped Amelia out. The red lights of the taxi melted into the distance, as they turned toward the Thames. Fog rolled up over the ledge of the channel, sweeping passed the two lone souls, wandering slowly along the bank. There was no sound except for the quiet taps of their treads against the pavement, the city asleep, lost to dreams.
Sebastian stopped and wrapped his arms around Amelia.
"I love you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Amelia pulled back and looked up at him.
"You know," she said, "it's the craziest thing but that's exactly what I was thinking."
Sebastian kissed her, the warmth of his lips spreading through her. His arms dropped away and he threaded his fingers through her's.
"Aims, you once asked me, why it was you?" He gave her a small smile. "It was you for so many reasons. The way you ran into my apartment, with an idea for how to make one of my songs work. There was this intensity in you that surprised me. The way you looked when Will messed up your hair and you didn't care.
"The way you understood my pain, but didn't force your opinions on me. The way you understood my music. The way you lost yourself in your drumming. The way you told me you wanted to punch me for being perfectionistic."
Amelia gave him a guilty smile.
"The way you talked to me about your parents at their grave. The way I felt when I saw you again after months of touring. All these things and so much more are the reason I fell in love with you."
His hand slid into his pocket and pulled out a velvet box. Amelia bit her lip, trying to contain the fluttering feeling that was racing through her. The box's surface was worn down from being handled too many times. Sebastian lowered himself to his knee, one hand still holding Amelia's.
"Amelia Dawson, I couldn't imagine going another day, week, month, year without you in my life. I don't want to ever lose you. I want to know every second of every day that I'm your's. Will you marry me?"
Amelia kissed him, her arms slipping around his neck as he wrapped his arms around her.
"Please tell me that was a yes, because that would be the best no I have ever gotten."
Happy tears streamed down Amelia's face as she nodded.
"Of course, yes!"
Sebastian brushed aside the wetness on her cheek.
"You haven't even seen the ring yet."
"Sebastian Colfax, I would marry you with or without a ring."
Grinning, Sebastian kissed her, then kissed the tears that were making rivers down her face. The mist wrapped around them, pulling them closer. Sebastian lifted the lid of the ring box, revealing an emerald encircled by diamonds. Amelia went speechless.
"I love you in green because of your eyes, so I figured I would get a ring that would match."
He pulled the ring from its padding and slid it onto her finger, tucking the box away. Amelia stared at it. Head resting Sebastian's shoulder, as they walked again, mindless of where they were going, lost in each other and lost to the world around them.
Present day
Amelia looked at Charlie, her finger running over her ring. Muffled voices drifted up the staircase to meet them.
"I'm ready."
As Charlie and Amelia entered the crowded drawing room, the swarm of familiar faces barely made an impact on Amelia's vision. Her eyes raced down the center aisle and locked on Sebastian. Soft murmurs rippled through the crowd, as Amelia faced Sebastian, standing beside a white haired man in a black suit. Charlie squeezed her hand before joining his grandparents and Natalie in the first row. Amelia's throat went dry as she stared into Sebastian's face.
"Today we are witnessing two lives being linked," the minister said. "Joined together until the last breath. Love is one of the strongest emotions, uniting people and breaking passed obstacles that would hinder others; but when it is this strong between two individuals, there is a feeling that nothing can stand in their way. I will now let them speak the vows they have written."
Sebastian drew a deep breath, taking Amelia's hands.
"Aims, you were so many things to me long before you were my fiancé, or even my girlfriend. You were the drummer who saved my concert at Madison Square Garden. The linch pin to my album. The helping hand that pulled me out of my pain. The happiness in the midst of stress. The steady place I went to when I lost myself."
His hold on her hands tightened.
"The thing I looked forward to everyday. The voice I always wanted to hear. The only face I saw when surrounded by thousands. Aims, you are my heart, my everything. And I plan on spending the rest of life becoming your's."
He reached up and brushed aside her tear. She let out a shaking laugh, her eyes glistening.
"Bash, I wish I was good with words. I wish I knew how to say a million things to describe all that you mean to me, but I don't. So simply put Sebastian are you the pulse in my veins and the beat of my heart. That will never change."
As the service continued Amelia felt lost in the words drifting around her, only aware of feelings: the feel of her hand in Sebastian's, of the metal sliding along her skin; Sebastian's hand resting in her's, the weight of his ring as she slid it up his finger. The feel of the words man and wife as they were spoken aloud. The feel of Sebastian's lips, stealing away her breath. The cheers of their loved ones blurring in the background as Sebastian, pulled away, his hands still lingering on her face.
"My wife," he said, the words reaching her ears alone.
*****************
The ballroom was filled with the laughter of their closest friends and family. Charlie spoke low to Natalie. Danny joked with Amelia's grandparents, Haley beside him as Poppy chatted and Will listened. Sebastian's mother, Grandmother and Renee sat beside him, laughing amongst each other. Loud chatter emanated from the table crowded with Sebastian's writers.
Amelia took Sebastian's hand and leaned close to him.
"So tell me, what did it take to get here?" she asked.
A triumphant grin darted across Sebastian's face.
"An Uber, three taxi changes to a restaurant were I left Jones with my double, through the kitchens and out the back into Will's waiting car." Sebastian's smile went smug. "It was announced that I would be on a talk show tonight but Jones called about an hour ago and told them I got food poisoning. Everyone believes I was just in London for the charity concert with Two Destinations and since you weren't there they don't suspect anything. I also mentioned a week ago in an interview that we were thinking October as a great month for a wedding."
"Feel a little bit like a spy?"
"I'm dressed for the occasion, aren't I?"
Amelia ran a finger along his lapel.
"You're the best looking spy I've ever seen."
He grinned as he leaned forward and kissed her, drawing cheers from the surrounding tables.
Food came and went. Toasts and speeches whirled by, laughter ringing through out. As the room settled, Sebastian turned to Amelia.
"You ready?" he asked, leaning close.
She gripped his hand, panic seizing her.
"You sure we want to do this?" She gave him a doubtful look. "Why not be that boring couple that just stands and sways?"
"Do you want to be that boring couple?"
"No, I don't. It would mean we wasted all that time the we took to practice." She let out a reluctant sigh. "Let's do it. Just promise me, if I botch this you won't get an annulment?"
Sebastian leaned over and kissed her, lingering just inches in front of her face.
"I promise."
He stood and took her hand, guiding her to the open space at the center of the ballroom. Amelia settled into his arms, as Will settled behind the piano and Danny moved up to the mic.
"Just look at me, Aims," Sebastian said.
The crowd fell silent as Will's hands made the piano keys sing, Danny's voice coming to harmonize with it. Sebastian and Amelia started waltzing, the romantic rhythm and his strong arms guiding her. A smile spread over Amelia's face as the words to the song filtered into her thoughts.
"Each step we take,
Whether together or apart
We'll always have each other
Cause you hold my heart."
"You wrote us our own song?" she asked, quietly.
Sebastian gave a shrug.
"I figured why use someone else's words when I can use my own."
She laughed, each lyric describing a vivid memory, painting scenes of their relationship.
The music ended and the crowd cheered. They stepped off the dance floor and Sebastian moved over to his mother, reaching out to her, his fingers closing over her graceful hand. Amelia took the vacated spot, Renee's arms linking around her.
A look of awe crept into Amelia's eyes as she watched Sebastian dancing with his mother, the two forms moving as effortlessly as water. A proud smile sat on Lilly's lips as she stared into her son's face. Amelia leaned close to Renee.
"Please tell me Sebastian and I looked that good?"
Renee gave her a patronizing smile.
"Amelia. There are only three people in history who moved like they do. Fred Astaire and the two people dancing right now."
Murmurs rippled through the ballroom as Sebastian walked back towards the table with his mother. Charlie collected Amelia and they stepped onto the dance floor.
"It's not too late," Charlie said, his voice low, as they swayed back n forth.
Amelia eyed him with suspicion.
"Not to late for what?"
He leaned in a little closer.
"We can still bust out of this joint with minimal damage done. I stole Will's car keys. We can slip out the balcony and be half way to the train station. I'm a lawyer I could have an annulment written up in ten minutes flat."
A laugh floated from Amelia's lips.
"He's the one, Charlie."
A frown edged it's way between Charlie's eyebrows.
"I know. I knew it the moment you stepped from your room wearing a dress with your hair done up for his birthday party. I just didn't want to admit it. I should have knocked you out and kept you from going."
A loving smile played on Amelia's lips.
"I love you, Charlie, and nothing will ever change that."
Charlie's dimple winked at her.
"I love you, Amelia. I'm going to miss you."
***************
The balcony was bathed in warm golden light from the doors leading to the ballroom, music pouring out and drifting off into the summer air.
"Come here, you still have cake on you." Amelia said.
Sebastian stepped over to her, his smile going mischievous as he leaned towards her. She cupped his face and kissed the sugary frosting off his cheek. Their eyes met for a second before his gaze drifted up to her hair. He swiped crumbs from her bangs. Voices and laughter moved out to fill the silence that settled between them. Sebastian slid his hand into Amelia's.
"Aims. I have a confession to make," he said, hesitant.
"Oh?"
"Before I left for London...um, I bought an apartment in my building."
"Sebastian, if you didn't want to live with me, you should have thought about that before we got married."
He laughed.
"No, I bought it for Charlie. I don't want him to be offended, I know you're worried about him living alone, and I thought that this way he's not far from us and..."
Amelia cut off his words with her lips. Sebastian seemed to forget what he was saying, as his arms wound around her waist and he pulled her closer. For a long moment they were lost in each other.
"Sebastian Colfax, have I ever told you how much I absolutely, completely and utterly love you?"
"Not as much as I love you."
"That could be debated."
He leaned in, kissing her again, the world of music, voices, laughter, melting away into the background, as if there were no one on the planet except for the two of them.
*****************
The night exploded with fireworks of flower petals casting flutter shadows on the couple as they climbed into the back of a sleek black car. They rolled down the window and waved goodbye. Renee stood by her mother, waving her arms wildly and cheering, as Lilly smiled. Tears streamed down Eleanor's face, Harry's protective arm wrapped about her shoulders.
Poppy bounced beside Will, petals leaping from her hands. Danny cupped his mouth letting out a loud shout, as Haley laughed tossing out petals. Charlie held on to Natalie's hand, his lips smiling but his eyes holding in his sadness. The car pulled away and Amelia curled up on the back seat, resting against Sebastian. He put his arm around her, kissing her, the warmth of his lips rushing through Amelia.
"How does an apartment in Paris and a pot of tea sound?" Sebastian asked.
Amelia looked up at him, smiling wide.
"Like you know me too well."
**********************************************************************
BAM!! Done and done!
Crazy!!! The video at the top is amazing and the song is what I imagined Sebastian would write for Amelia! And also it's an excuse for me to put up a video of Grant singing! I'm in love with his voice!
What did you think? They are together! They are married! It's so cute! Did you see that coming when you first started reading? I tried to make it vague enough that you would't suspect it but I have no idea if I succeeded. So let me know! Also stick around for an epilogue and deleted scenes!
Vote, comment, follow because obviously you love me! 😉