A/N: Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm a stinking liar. But I couldn't leave Shinobu in that situation. So here it is the final ending.

Thanks again to everyone who has kept me company through reviews, e-mails, IM, and everything else that has kept up my motivation to finish this through. (Bows deeply) Couldn't have done it with out you all.

Thanks to watanuki who reviewed every single chapter. Haven't had anyone do that yet.

Special thanks to walkswithwraiths, and my friend in bio (we really need to get you another name ;-P) for their support. Both with the fic and other stuff too.

Love Hina: Healing Hearts

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina.

Epilogue

"No! No! No!" Shinobu waived her spatula threateningly at Su. "The appetizers go on the left table! Not in your mouth!"

The tanned princess laughed as only she could and popped another handful of snacks into her mouth before running off.

"Kitsune! What the hell are you doing!?" Demanded Motoko.

The resident fox blinked as she looked at the young kendo enthusiast. "Saburo and I hanging the lights for the dance after the big ceremony."

Saburo trained his good eye on Motoko and nodded. "Need the nice lights to make everything else look nice too."

Motoko ground her teeth in frustration. "But they were supposed to go out in the back where the actual party will be!"

Moriko patted the older woman on the shoulder. "Chill, remember to breath there girl." Moriko nodded up to Saburo. "Take the lights down and bring them to the back. I'll fix them up. Ok?"

Saburo nodded and began to unstring the lights.

Kitsune climbed down from her ladder. "But what if it rains?"

"Not to worry." Amaya rolled through the room with a pile of seating arrangements on her lap. "My legs may be useless, but my chi is as strong as it ever was." She smiled. "No falling water will upset today's festivities."

Sora came in from the back yard. She had been given the task of blowing out all the dead leaves leftover from autumn. Even with her wind powers, that was a huge task with such a large area. She poured herself some punch and gulped it down.

"That's for later!" Shinobu yelled as she chased Sora from the punch bowl at the large center table.

Sora picked some cooking batter from her hair left courtesy of Shinobu's spatula. "Damn, what's her problem?"

Hotaru smiled. "You'd be a little upset too if you had to cook for so many people and the help kept eating everything in sight."

Sora blinked. "I had one glass of punch! One!"

Hotaru nodded. "But remember that big display Shinobu put out before?"

The older Ashura nodded.

Hotaru grinned again. "Well, Su, Kitsune, Sarah, and I kind of ate most of it…"

Sora pounded her little sister in the head. "So it's your fault she's all psycho!"

Hotaru rubbed the comically large bump on her head. "Hey! The others helped too!"

"Hey!"

The girls turned as Sarah tossed them some seating placards.

Sarah gave each of them a dirty look. "You dorks going to fight all day? Or maybe you'd like to help out with the rest of us?"

The girls grumbled and got back to work.

---

Shinobu sighed as she entered the kitchen. She couldn't help but laugh lightly as she watched her assistant try and complete her recipe.

The young girl stood atop her stool and reached in vain for the sugar that was just out of her reach. Finally, she jumped down from her stool, pushed it over a few feet, and climbed up to attain her prize, the elusive bag of sugar. She hopped down again from her stool while holding the sugar. However she forgot to compensate for the extra weight see was carrying and fell backwards, the sugar dumping into her lap and onto the floor. She sat staring at the mess and tears began to form in her eyes.

Shinobu moved in quickly to comfort the small girl. "Don't cry Aijou, its ok." Shinobu helped the girl to stand and dusted the remaining sugar off the small child.

Aijou brushed her auburn hair from her face and continued to cry. "No it's not! That was the last bag of sugar we had! Now I can't finish my cookies for Mommy and Daddy!"

Shinobu smiled. "Well, we'll just have to go out and get some more won't we?" Shinobu watched as the young girl lifted her head, revealing her deep, brown eyes. Shinobu marveled at how much those eyes looked like Keitaro's.

The little girl sniffed back her tears. "Really?"

Shinobu nodded. "Go get your shoes." She smiled as Aijou ran off happily.

---

Shinobu's mind wandered as she walked to the store with Aijou. It had been nearly five years since she had moved back into the Hinata-sou. Meaning that it had been nearly seven since Ken had vanished from her life. Despite this enormous length of time, she had held fast to her roof top declaration from so many nights ago. The others had respected that at first, but now they were beginning to worry about her. Everyone else seemed to have moved on, accepting his decision.

They worried that Shinobu couldn't, and it would harm her health. However, it was opposite that was proving true. She was taking better care of herself than ever before. Thanks to Sempai and Naru, her grades were in the top ten percentiles. She had even been accepted to Toudai recently after her second try. Her body, like her mind, had also been extensively trained. She had even managed to beat Motoko in a spar, even if it was only that one time. The truth of the matter was, she was content to wait for Ken's return, and would keep herself in good health to make sure she saw that day. The fact that Hotaru had returned last year without warning convinced Shinobu that Ken would soon do the same.

"Naru has Keitaro." Shinobu reasoned silently. "Haruka has Seta. Su has Motoko…and Kanako too I suppose. Though I'm still not sure how that one worked out. Kitsune and Saburo have become quite close too recently. And Mutsumi said she met someone nice at a convention at Toudai recently. They were all patient, so I will be too."

---

As they left the grocery, Aijou stopped. There was a small music store just across the street. "Auntie Shinobu? Do you think we could stop there for a moment?"

Shinobu glanced at her watch. "Hai, we have a little time left." They crossed the street and entered the store. Music played softly in the background as Shinobu looked through the titles on display. She kept an eye out for Aijou as she also scanned the CD's. A few minutes later Aijou made her purchase and the two women left the store. Shinobu questioned the girl on her selection as the walked home.

Aijou held up the CD cover. "He's from America and he's really cute, but that's not why I bought this."

Shinobu blinked. "Then why?"

Aijou smiled. "There's a song that he does that's really pretty. I want to play it for Mommy and Daddy tonight."

Shinobu smiled. "I'm sure they'll love it."

---

As the two girls climbed the final steps of the apartments, Aijou paused and cocked her head. "Is someone there?"

Shinobu turned and looked around. "There's no one here Aijou. Now hurry before your parents return home or you won't finish your cookies in time."

Normally, such a statement would spur the six-year-old Aijou to her task, but not this time. "I'll be there in a minute Auntie Shinobu. I thought I heard someone."

Shinobu took one last look around, and deciding it was safe, she nodded. As she turned to walk away, a thought came to her. "Now I understand what Haruka was always saying. Being called Auntie really does make you feel old."

Aijou waited until Shinobu had left and then turned to the trees again. "Hello…"

---

Shinobu looked around the back yard and decided finally that the preparations were all set. She nodded to Haruka, who in turn prodded Seta up to the alter. Shinobu nodded and Aijou began to walk down the aisle towards the alter, dropping a handful of sakura blossoms every few feet.

At last Naru began to walk down the aisle, and the wedding began at last. She smiled, as Keitaro couldn't seem to stop grinning at her. Aijou turned and stood next to her father, also smiling. At last she reached the wedding alter and took Keitaro's arm.

Seta smiled at his former student and his former part timer. He ran through his obligatory speech and asked the needed questions.

"I do." Stated Keitaro.

"I do." Replied Naru.

Aijou simply smiled at her parents.

Seta smiled. "I now pronounce you husband and wife."

"Kiss her!" Yelled Kitsune from the crowd.

Keitaro leaned in and tipped Naru backwards and kissed her deeply, causing the assembled crowd to cheer them on.

---

Shinobu sat at her table watching the others as they gathered to catch Naru's bouquet.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Yelled Hotaru. "Come on!"

Shinobu shook her head. "Not this time. You go catch it instead."

Aijou stopped as she ran past her 'aunt'. "But you need to go catch the bouquet!" Aijou grabbed Shinobu's hand and tried to pull her up. "My friend in the trees said it was very important!"

Shinobu blinked in confusion. "Friend in the trees?" She relented at last and pushed her way into crowd of women vying for the flowers that were to be thrown. Shinobu watched as Naru turned around and tossed the floral arrangement over her shoulder. Shinobu reached out for the flowers, but saw that they would fall far short of where she was standing. She sighed and began to pull back.

Off to the side, someone made a quick gesture with his hand.

Shinobu watched in confusion as the bouquet seemed to gain a boost in mid air and dropped right into her hand. "How…?"

The women vacated the floor and were quickly replaced by the young bachelors who were egger to catch the garter that Keitaro would throw.

Naru waved a warning finger at her husband as he bent down to retrieve her garter. "I'm warning you Keitaro. If anything besides that garter comes down, Aijou will be an only child.

Keitaro sweat dropped and laughed nervously. Miraculously, he retrieved the small piece of fabric without incident, and tossed it out over his shoulder.

Shinobu watched as the garter fell, but didn't see who caught it. She watched as crowd of men dispersed, but still saw no one claiming to have won. She waited as the DJ announced the first dance for Keitaro and Naru. She couldn't help but sigh as she watched the two newly-weds dance across the floor. She saw Aijou run up to the DJ and hand him the CD she bought earlier. Shinobu wondered what the little girl was up to.

The first slow dance ended, and the DJ announced that the next song was for the winners who had caught the bouquet and garter.

Shinobu slowly made her way out to the dance floor, but no one came to join her. The song began to play, and Shinobu's eyes went wide. She spun as she heard someone behind her.

He smiled and placed the flower he held, a plum blossom, gently behind her ear.

Shinobu couldn't believe the image she saw before her.

The young man smiled, his green eyes sparkling as he began to sing in time with the song.

Your voice, your hair…

Even if a thousand years pass

I'll still remember them

For as many years as there are stars

That day…Tomorrow…

Please remember them more

I will not erase you from my memory

Forever full up my love

Shinobu rapped her arms around him, and vowed silently to never let him go again.

He wrapped his arms around her. "Now, forever, and always. Aishiteru Shinobu-chan."

---

Two children played in the old sandbox near the Hinata-sou. The older child was a girl with auburn hair and deep brown eyes. The younger was a boy with tan skin, green eyes, and dark blue hair.

"Hey," The girl called out. "Did you know about the magic that connects all the people who live in the Hinata-sou?"

The young boy shook his head, and listened to her story.

End

For real this time.

A/N: That's it for this one. I'm leaving it open on the ending just in case I want to write a sequel to it later, though I doubt that I will, but it's there if I want to. If anyone else wants to continue with this idea, just e-mail me so I don't feel like you stole it. Anyway, done with this one, got a few one-shots I want to try to piece out before I start my next multipart story. Sorry wraiths, gotta wait a bit longer.

The plum blossom that Ken gave Shinobu, from what I know, plum blossoms, or ume, are symbols of everlasting devotion. Just a little tidbit for your brain.

So, leave a review if you wish. And until next we meet, live well and be safe. And if there's someone you care for, tell them, you never know when you'll run out of opportunities. That's something I've learned lately.

Later.