AN//: The final piece of the story. It's been lovely having you all along for the ride. Sorry it took so long, but life's been crazy here. I won't be able to write again for awhile, because on May 18th I head into the USAF boot camp and will not have internet access until July 17th. I wish you all the best of luck for your projects while I can't follow them. In any case, I hope you like the last little piece of Newsies: The Brooklyn Version.

Epilogue:

Six years later

"It is my honor to present Mr. and Mrs. Kohaku Tanaka."

The warehouse erupted into cheers, Lianna and Spot the loudest among them. The ceremony had been beautiful on the waterfront; Li's boys had really gone out of their way to clean up the area for the wedding. She smiled at her younger sister. She was so happy for Rin, she deserved every happiness. She looked over at her family, Kyo was holding Kagura close, their baby girl, Sakura, in her elder sister's arms and their son, Kurogane seated next to his father. Next to them was her brother Yuki. He had grown so much in the past years, there were times when she could no longer see the little nine year old he had been. It was amazing how he had changed; then he had been just an errand boy for her two sisters, now he was the heir to a large restaurant and a happy chef.

Across the table sat her new in-laws and long time family friends, Sango Yoyogi and her husband Hatori. Their son Shouran was idly swinging his feet back and forth under his chair looking bored. Li smiled at him, it's hard to be patient when you're only six. He reminded her alot of herself when she was that age. Her father would always pat her head and smile at her when she would begin to fidget, his silent promise that she could go run and play in a little. Her heart twinged at the thought of her father, she always missed him, especially on days like these. He would have loved to walk Rin down the aisles; instead, Yuki had been given that honor.

She shook her head; she would not let such melancholy thoughts ruin this wonderful day. The happy couple walked through the reception hall, accepting the congratulations of family members and friends. The reception was one of the more western things the couple was doing; the ceremony had been entirely Japanese. Li had stood to the side and translated into English for the members who did not speak Japanese. She had been a little surprised when her sister said to invite as many of the newsies as she had wanted to, provided they were polite and gentlemanly at the wedding, but she was glad they were seeing a part of her heritage at its best.

Hours and many toasts of sake later, many guests were heading back to their homes. Li sighed and began cleaning the tables. "Li don't do that! It's been hard for you to move around in that kimono all day. Let us clean up," Jake protested. "Yeah," Tiny added, "You've worked hard for weeks, let us clean up tonight. Go enjoy the sunset or somethin'. It's not often we have one this nice over the wharf." The two boys began shoving her out the door. "Fine, fine" she laughed, "I'll get back to work bright and early tomorrow."

She breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't really wanted to clean up, but since the boys had helped her clean and decorate for the reception, she felt guilty asking them to clean up afterwards as well. She strolled lightly down the docks, the boys had been right; it was a truly breathtaking sunset. She reached the end of the pier, the Chinese lanterns they had hung swaying lightly in the breeze.

"Hey beautiful," she heard behind her. Li turned her head to smile at her beau before turning back to the sunset. "Hello yourself."

"It's breathtaking isn't it?" she said happily looking to the rays of color.

"You certainly are," Spot replied as he snaked his hand around her waist. She lightly slapped his arm, "I was talking about the sunset and you know it. I can't believe you used that line."

He laughed, "I know it's cheesy, but it is true. You look stunning in that kimono."

"Why thank you." She rested her head on his shoulder, gazing forward over the water.

"Li…"

"Yes?"

"Do you ever think you will want to get married someday? I mean, I know we're really young and all, and I'm not saying you should marry me or anything, I just mean someday…."

She bit back her grin, "Yes, I think I would if the right guy asked me."

"Well in that case," he detached himself from her, going down on one knee on the pier. Cherry blossoms began falling down on the two of them as Spot took her limp hand, "Will you, Lianna Ayame Sohma, consent to become Mrs. Spot Collins and be my wife?" He popped open a small black velvet box and nestled safely in its confines was a diamond ring with two small rubies on either side.

"Oh Spot, yes, Yes! I'll marry you." Li pulled him up and into a fierce kiss. He returned it just as fiercely, trying to pour all of his love for her into a single kiss. Claps broke out from above them and the couple looked up, startled before Spot grinned. Tiny and Jake were on the overhang near them, a mostly empty bag holding cherry blossom petals in their hands.

"Jake you rat!" Li laughed up at him, "I can't believe you told Spot that my dream proposal was to be at sunset with sakura petals falling around us!"

"If you didn't want people to know, you shouldn't have told me," he responded grinning.

"I was drunk when I told you!"

"Hardly the point."

Spot silenced her rebuttal with another kiss, "Don't I get to put this ring on you now? I'll be awfully sorry if you don't wear it."

"Of course," she said, blushing lightly, "sorry."

He slipped the ring on her finger and she gazed at it admiringly, "Oh Spot, It's beautiful. Where did you get it? It must have cost a fortune."

"It wasn't that bad. After all, I've been saving up for a wedding and this ring since the day I learned you were a girl."

"Spot," she said, her voice close to tears, "You mean you've wanted to marry me this whole time?"

He gently cupped her face with his hand, "You are for now and forever my only one. I want no one but you and I want you for the rest of my days."

At that, she did cry a little, but they were only tears of joy and love, "I always wanted you to ask me. I've never loved anyone else so much as I love you."

He leaned in, tears sparkling in his eyes as well as he gently tipped her face up to his and kissed her. The whole world disappeared as the sun went down and sakura blossoms fell.

1 year later:

"Oh God. I think I'm going to throw up," Li muttered as Janna and Kagura wove her hair into an intricate design.

"You'll be fine," her elder sister said, "Everyone gets nerves right before the wedding."

Rin giggled at her, carefully painting Li's eyelids a light gold. "She's just worried she's gonna lose her 'freedom' by getting married. Just think, next year you might be the one pregnant," she teased, gently patting her own swollen belly.

"Not likely," Li muttered under her breath. "Marriage is one thing, children is a whole different issue."

"There," Rin declared after she finished with the red on her elder sister's lips. "Your makeup is done."

"Now if Janna and Kagura would just hurry up, we might get you dressed before this wedding is supposed to start," Maria drawled, balancing Li's slippers from her fingertips.

"Hush you," Janna reproved, "We're almost done."

Kagura finally put in the Jade wreath comb to secure the raven locks that flowed down Li's back. "Now you two may dress her," she released her sister into the waiting arms of Beth and Maria.

They gently eased the shimmering white gown over Li's trim body, lifting her hair and gently lacing her in. The silk fabric whispered as it slid over her skin, clinging to her form. "Oh Li…you look absolutely beautiful," Beth murmured as she buttoned up the sheer lace that covered Li's shoulders and neck.

"I'm so nervous," she confided in the girls around her, "What if he ran off?"

Janna laughed lightly, "He did not run off, so quite worrying. You know he's just as nervous as you are right now. You'll be fine. Now I'm going to go get that brother of yours and your sisters should take their seats." Janna disappeared out the door with the two Asian women trailing behind her.

"Ok, just the veil left," Maria rejoiced as she lifted the sheer fabric from it's place on the dresser. She and Beth gently lifted the veil over Li's face, securing it in her hair with two small pins. "Now you're ready," Beth breathed, happily stepping back to admire the finished effect.

"Here's your bouquet."

Li took the flowers, looking in the mirror one last time. She squared her shoulders as her brother entered the room. "Well I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

Yuki lightly took her arm, "Smile a little, you're going to your wedding, not your execution."

"I know," she replied relaxing under his touch, "I'm just nervous."

"Don't be." He leaned in close and whispered in her ear "You look beautiful by the way- prettier than either of our sisters did," right before the doors opened and she had no chance to reply.

Her boys had done a good job decorating the hall. There were swathes of rich emerald silk draping elegantly from the walls and along the aisle. Other than the cloth, the only ornamentation in the room were small bunches of red roses surrounding tall candelabras.

But Li didn't notice any of this. All she saw was Spot waiting at the end of the aisle for her. He looked gorgeous in his sleek tuxedo, his hair combed and parted, his shoes shined and a vibrant red rose in his lapel. For her though, what made him most beautiful was the look of delight and love on his face as he gazed on her. She felt her knees go weak and leaned more heavily on Yuki as he continued to help her down the aisle.

They finally reached the front and the priest said something, but all Li saw or heard was Spot. Yuki's voice penetrated her happy stupor. "I and my family give our sister to this man." He gently cradled her cheek through the veil, "神の妹を祝福" (God's blessings sister), he murmured before handing her lightly to Spot.

Spot took her hand reverently and led her the final few steps to the two priests. They had decided to have both a Japanese and a Scottish wedding. The priests would each give a line of the ritual and the two would complete each process, then move onto the next part of the ceremony.

The rest of the wedding passed in a blur for Li. She just kept staring at Spot happily, saying her lines at the proper points and tuning out the rest. Instead she just kept thinking 'he's mine. He's all mine. And only a few more hours till the honeymoon.'

Finally the "I do's" were said and Spot was lifting her veil. "You may now kiss the bride" the priests said and Li smiled. This was what she was waiting for. Spot leaned in, she leaned up and then their mouths met in a happy completion.

When they would talk about the wedding in future years, there would be many funny stories told. There would be the poorly planned, but well meant speech by the Brooklyn boys. The stories of fond memories from the Manhattan boys, the beautiful first dance between the newlyweds, and of course the drunken antics of Jack and Davie. But that would be later; all of Li's focus was devoted to the here and now, in that beautiful kiss she was now sharing with her husband.

Because in that moment, Li knew what it meant to be fully complete, to have someone whose soul so closely resonated with her own that she might never feel the cold oppressive weight of sorrow or loneliness again.

And it was good.

AN//: Well, bye everybody! Have fun on your next fics!