Sebastian flinched as he slipped on his tunic, lifting his arms stretched the new skin. It would be awhile before he got used to it this time as there were a lot more motions that reminded him the phantom wound was there. He sighed as he continued getting ready, his impatience only adding to his frustrations. After planning it all in his head while he lay in bed he was finally ready to put it all into action. He looked at his reflection as he tied back his hair, noting how his fingers slightly shook. There were few times that he could recall being this nervous and he tried to tell himself that it was foolish for him to be. He grabbed the leather patch and secured it in place; only Grace had the privilege of seeing him without his defenses. Besides...Today he could use the familiar comfort it offered.

There was a single knock before the door opened and he glanced back to see Aiden slipping inside, shutting the door behind him. The man had a lopsided grin on his face and it only annoyed Sebastian further.

“Would you stop.” He growled and Aiden chuckled as he came further into the room, clapping his hands together.

“I’m afraid that’s an order I can’t follow Cap’. Not when I know what’s going to happen later.” He grinned and Sebastian frowned, gripping the dresser’s edge to hide his unease.

“There’s no guarantee-”

“No. None of that. This is not the day to start behaving like a coward. Tomorrow, tomorrow you can feel free to.” Aiden said and Sebastian couldn’t help the laugh that escaped. He shook his head and placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“Thanks...I’ll keep that advice in mind while I make a complete arse of myself.”

“Good. Now I have to go finish a few things, I just came to deliver the mail.” He said with a quick wink and placed a small parcel in Sebastian’s hands. As he unwrapped it and looked it over his heart began to race, beating against his chest so hard he thought it would break through. He took a deep breath and whispered,

“A coward indeed…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Grace sighed blissfully as she tilted her head back, letting the sun’s warmth wash over her. Sebastian chuckled at the happy sound and looked down at her, smiling gently.

“Enjoying yourself?” He asked and she giggled, feeling lighter than she ever remembered.

“Why yes, I am. How could I not be when I am indulging in a quiet moment with my husband, whom I haven’t spent much time with the last few days?” She said as they walked along the same path she had travelled with Liam and Annabelle to the blackberry bushes. He cleared his throat and looked away at her accusation.

“I will never be free of all that blasted paperwork.” He mumbled and she laughed, hugging his arm affectionately. She looked up to see him watching her with a loving look in his eye. Then something flashed deep in the grey iris and he looked away as he turned them off the path. She frowned and looked around as they cut through the trees, Sebastian guiding her over hidden roots as he lead them deeper. Just as she was about to ask where he was taking them the trees began to thin. The serene water called to her and invited them closer as the air offered a comforting calm for their enjoyment.

“It sure is beautiful...I’m glad I got a chance to see it like this before we return to London.” She said as she looked out over the water. Sebastian remained quiet beside her and she closed her eyes, feeling the wind caress her cheeks and neck. A strange sensation shot down her back and she startled as a confusing pit settled in her stomach. There it was again. The feeling that...Why was it all so familiar?

“Grace…” Sebastian rasped as he turned to face her, letting her arm fall to her side. She looked up confused at the sudden solemn look in his eye and felt her heart skip.

“Grace. There’s something...I have to tell you. What I tried to tell you that night.” He said and she didn’t like the sudden change in his stance. It was a defensive stance that was always present when they went out for social calls. He reached out then and took her hands in his, holding them tightly, offering her a small comfort from the contact. His brows drew down as he seemed to be searching for the right words.

“It’s hard to find a way to...Do you remember this place? Even a little.” He suddenly asked and turned to look out at the lake. She frowned and followed his gaze over the water. She couldn’t be sure if she was remembering this place or was simply confusing it with a similar setting. She looked up at him and saw that he wasn’t looking at the water anymore. He released her hands and began to walk towards the object that had captivated his attention. Grace trailed behind him slowly, still unsure how she should feel with his strange behavior.

Sebastian stopped when he was standing in front of the old tree and placed his hand against the bark, turning to look at her then. Her eyes moved over the dying giant and as she did, they caught sight of a scar left from a broken limb. She couldn’t seem to look away as her mind conjured blurred memories that were too fragmented to fully grasp.

“It was here…” Sebastian whispered, startling her from her mixed thoughts so she looked back at him to find him looking at her intensely.

“It was here that I fell in love with you.” He finished and her face twisted in confusion. But this was the first…

“This isn’t the first time you and I have stood here together.” Sebastian said as if reading her mind. He slowly walked to her as he spoke and she was frozen from the turmoil raging through her.

“When we were younger, you used to come here to play with me and Alexander. Our mothers were close friends and you spent several summers here with us...I climbed this tree to hide from you and Alexander, I don’t remember much beyond I was jealous of how attached you were to him, but I didn’t understand why…” He looked up and reached out towards the broken branch.

“It couldn’t support my weight and gave out from under me. I hit the water and the branch…” He broke off and moved his fingers to the patch over his eye as he looked down at her. He lowered his fingers and hesitantly reached out to take her hands, holding her shaking fingers gently.

“I was knocked unconscious and would have drowned...if you hadn’t found me and dragged me to shore.” He said and she gasped as faint memories of a dream where she was pulling something heavy behind her while being surrounded by cold. She looked back at the water and those hazy pictures began to clear. His hand reached up to cup her chin and turn her face back to his.

“Grace, you saved my life...and I have been in love with you ever since. When I saw you again in London I was stunned, but I was also so happy to see you again...But...by that time you had forgotten all about me. I thought about when you suddenly stopped coming after what happened. How lonely I was and how I wished each night that I could see you.

“But more than that...I wanted to tell you how-from the moment I opened my eye and saw you surrounded in light you had captured my heart. Being reunited with you is the greatest blessing I have ever received and I didn’t know how to handle it properly so I panicked. I shouldn’t have forced you into this, but I couldn’t let you slip away again. I questioned myself everyday about telling you the truth, but the damage was already done and I had lost your trust. So I remained silent, waiting until you had come to accept me all over again for the man standing before you and not a shadow of the past...

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“Grace I’m sorry...Sorry for keeping this from you and for letting you believe that I had chosen you out of convenience.” He said, cupping her cheeks fully and wiping at the tears unconsciously slipping from her eyes. He looked like he was in pain as he watched her and guilt flashed through his gaze.

“Do you remember what I said? I told you that once I knew who you were I wouldn’t be letting you go. I meant that I wasn’t about to waste an opportunity to have you in my life again. I had already wasted twenty-four years when I should have come for you immediately instead of running scared. Grace, I love you so much more than I could ever properly express and I have loved you for nearly my entire life. You are the only one that ever held my heart.” He leaned closer, but stopped just before his lips met hers so that she could pull away if she wished. Grace met his gaze and saw that vulnerable side that tried to hide in the darkest depths of his grey iris. Now she fully understood the meaning behind that vulnerable look each time she had seen it during their time together. He had been hurting from the thought of her hating and rejecting him without ever realizing how deeply he loved her.

She leaned forward the last inch needed to seal their lips together. He groaned, his arms wrapping around her waist and hugging her to him. It was a powerful kiss even if it was just their lips pressed against one another. There was no rushed passion, but there was a loving heat that swept through both of them. He held her desperately and she felt a new peace fill her heart. She was the first to pull away, looking up at him with a soft smile. He couldn’t avoid her fast enough and her hand connected with his cheek. He flinched back and reached up to cover the stinging flesh. Grace gave him her sternest look and placed her hands on her hips.

“That’s for the lies and making me go in circles to get here. Just know that if you do it again I’ll tan your hide. I’m getting too old to play these games Sebastian.” She smiled then.

“So from now on, I expect the truth from the man I love...and no more surprises please, my heart really can’t take it.” He looked at her surprised as she laughed at him, but soon he was laughing too, hugging her close.

“I promise love. No more lies. Today is our new starting point. This I swear to you.” He said, brushing aside her bangs and kissing her tenderly, sealing the promise between them. He pulled back and chuckled,

“But there is one more surprise.”

“Sebastian.” She warned and he laughed, tugging on her hand so she followed him as he headed back towards the forest.

“Trust me love.” She sighed, but followed behind him as he returned to the path they had left and lead the way once more towards the blackberry patch. A soft and subtle smell drifted along the wind and she closed her eyes as the sweet smell tickled her nose. She looked down and noticed that there were white rose petals lining the path now and she frowned.

“What? Where did these come-” She started to ask as they turned the corner into the clearing. Grace gasped, covering her mouth at the sight before her. She walked to the center of the transformed setting, drinking in everything as everyone watched with wide smiles. White sheets had been strung between the trees, encircling the clearing. Small tables had been set up around the area, each with a vase of white roses and an assortment of food. The floor was covered in a white blanket made of petals that shifted with the breeze, but never gave way to the green hidden underneath.

“What...How…” She stammered, not sure how to react or where to begin her questions. She finally turned back to Sebastian to see him smiling softly at her. He took the few steps to bring himself in front of her as he took her hand in his.

“While I was preparing myself for telling you everything about the past and worrying about all the ways it could go wrong I realized something important. I never gave you a choice in any of this…So I wanted to fix that…” He whispered as he knelt down before her. She swallowed around the lump forming in her throat as he took her left hand and slipped off her wedding band. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box, opening it to reveal a new band with a single amethyst set in the center. He looked up at her and whispered,

“I want this moment to be the one we start from. I want you to decide only based on how you feel about the man you see before you. Grace, in the time we’ve spent together I have fallen in love with you all over again. You are what I have searched my whole life for and I don’t want to ever let you go again. You’ve saved my life in more ways than one and I want to spend the rest of it devoted to you to show you just how much I love you. But I know that it won’t count if you were forced into all this so...No more tricks. No games...just us...I’m asking you this time to truly become mine....Grace, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife.”

Tears were streaming down her cheeks and her throat felt swollen, but her heart had never felt so full to bursting before now. She gave him a watery smile and nodded, unable to answer properly around her emotions. His face lifted in pure bliss as he slipped the new ring on her finger and stood up, wrapping her in his arms and kissing her deeply as everyone cheered.

“Alright then!” Liam shouted and the couple turned to look at him, still embracing each other. He held his hand out towards her with a wide smile and asked,

“Dearest Grace, do you take my stubborn brother as your husband? Knowing that he will always be a handful and no doubt impossible to live with at times. But still loving him with all your heart, creating a happy home filled with laughter and wonderful memories that will last for generations. Do you choose to take Sebastian’s hand and continue on this path?”

Grace looked up into Sebastian’s beautiful grey eye and felt her heart melt at the love shining brightly in its depths, no longer hidden from her as she accepted him fully.

“I do.” She said and his face softened, his eye misting lightly as his hand came up and his fingers lightly caressed her cheek. She was surprised when Annabelle walked up to stand beside Liam and smiled at Sebastian, speaking next.

“Sebastian, do you take my willful sister as your wife? Knowing that she is very headstrong and will forever be the source of stress in your life. But still showering her with all the love and care that she deserves. Protecting her from any challenges you may face down the road while sharing a passion that can never be put out. Do you choose to take her hand and guide her along this new journey?”

“Of course I do.” He whispered, his voice slightly rasped as his own emotions began to choke him. He gently cupped her face and tilted her head up to him as he pressed his lips to hers, binding their new vows and love. Sebastian shifted his arms, lifting her up and swinging her around as they laughed together. More cheers and applause rang through the crowd as Liam called out,

“To the bride and groom! Finally together after all these years!” Everyone laughed and began to crowd them, offering them kind words. Grace turned and caught her sister as the girl launched herself into her arms. They hugged each other tightly and Annabelle smiled as tears filled her eyes.

“Oh Grace, I’m so happy for you. This time the tears are for joy. You’ll be so good together I just know it.” She said, wiping at her cheeks and Grace had to do the same. Next to engulf her in a hug was Liam.

“Welcome to the family...again. Take care of him for me okay.” He whispered in her ear and she giggled, nodding. Liam pressed a soft kiss to her cheek and winked. Sebastian came to her side again and took her hand, gently tugging so that she came to his side again. He led her back to the center of the clearing and smiled, releasing her hand. He bowed low to her and she startled when a soft sound began to flow around them. She looked over to see one of his men holding a violin, playing a gentle tune.

“Dance with me love?” Sebastian whispered, holding his hand out to her in invitation. She placed her hand in his and allowed him to pull her close, wrapping his arm around her waist. They danced slowly, not caring about following any steps or how the dance was ‘supposed’ to be. All they cared about was being together in this moment, lost in each other’s gazes as they moved to the slow music.

“I love you Grace.” He whispered so only she could hear and she felt her heart tighten in her chest.

“I love you too.” She said and giggled as a sudden thought entered her mind. He raised his brow and grinned at her.

“What is amusing you now?”

“I was just thinking about everything we’ve gone through to get to here...It seems so surreal, but also an amazing journey. Where do we go next and what will happen then?” She asked and he chuckled, bringing her hand to his lips as he pressed a soft kiss to the back of her fingers.

“Don’t worry love. I know exactly what our next adventure will be.” He said, his eye shining with mischief and she tilted her head in confusion. He grinned and leaned close, whispering in her ear. As everyone watched, Grace blushed brightly and scolded her husband, who only laughed and drew her into a long kiss. She was just grateful that they had no clue what he had said...or how it had set her heart racing in anticipation.

“I intend to get you with child within the next month.”