AHH!!! I am so sorry for the mix up with this chapter! In fact, I see the FailBoat on the horizon, and I know it's for me. Since there's no graceful way out of this, I shall mutter my apologies, bow my head, and walk away.

~The Phantom

Alex awoke a little later than usual the next morning, and that was only because she could not sleep any longer. If she could have had her way, she doubted she would have left her room at all. However, there was damage control to be done, she knew, and she couldn't just lie about all day.

She changed and quietly crept out of her room, not wanting to draw attention to herself quite yet. She was sure she looked frightful, with all the cuts on her face.

She turned around to close the door. Slowly, she pulled it shut, not making any sudden movements until she heard the click of the door closing. She turned around, only to see Odette standing right in front of her.

Alex jumped a little, startled.

"I'm sorry," Odette apologized quickly. "I just wanted to check on you."

Alex stared for a moment, slightly surprised.

"Yes, Alex, I still do that," Odette laughed, seeing the expression on Alex's face.

"I understand," Alex assured her, laughing a little as she imagined how surprised she must have looked. "I don't know… I guess I'm still out of it."

Odette nodded understandingly, scanning over her daughter's face, which was no longer pale with weakness and lack of sleep – it was filled with its normal color, which helped hide the scratches that were caused after Dominic threw her against the tree when she fell. "Well, you look better, at least."

"Thanks… I was thinking… I was thinking that…" Alex sighed in light frustration, unable to come up with an eloquent way of saying what was on her mind. "Look, I want to apologize to you for how I acted and the way I handled things."

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about, Alex," Odette assured her, smiling sympathetically. "You did the best you could to keep us safe."

"But it wasn't enough. Joan was still in danger and then Eli and… Matthew… if anything had happened to him I just don't know what I would do… anyway, I should have thought of a better way out of it… I should have stopped Dominic myself."

"Alex, you're a fighter. There's no denying that. You can take care of yourself in most situations, but that doesn't make you superhuman, and even you need help sometimes."

"I just feel so bad for dragging everyone into this."

"It would have been just as bad if you had married him."

"How so? You would have been in no danger and I wouldn't have had to sneak out all the time."

"But we still would have worried," Odette informed her matter-of-factly. "He would not have let you see us and we would worry about you all the time… and Matthew would have been absolutely heartbroken."

The last statement stung a little.

Alex sighed. "I suppose you're right. It was just unfair that you were kept in the dark and worrying about me. I didn't mean to cause so much trouble."

"Don't let it bother you, Alex. We're just glad you're alright."

Alex nodded, not really planning on heeding her mother's advice – but she'd never let Odette know that.

"Is Joan around?"

"She's in her room."

"Good. I owe her my gratitude."

Odette watched Alex go, still concerned. Alex was letting her guilt eat her up, and it wasn't good. Still, if saying she was sorry to everyone helped her, then it was for the best, though she was sure no one would accept the unnecessary apologies.

Alex, deep in her own thoughts, walked down the hallway toward Joan's room. Apologizing to Joan would be easier; she wouldn't have that worried look on her face that Odette had. Still, 'easier' didn't mean 'easy.' Alex wasn't sure how she would say she was sorry.

So, she decided to wing it.

She knocked on the door. Joan immediately answered and smiled at Alex, who, in comparison to all the days before, looked great.

"Hey, Alex! How are you?" she asked good-naturedly.

"Better," Alex replied. "Thanks. May I come in?"

"Sure."

Joan stepped aside and allowed Alex in, closing the door behind her, sensing her old sister had something important to say.

Alex sat down on the bed. Following her lead, Joan sat next to her.

"Joan, I want to say I'm really sorry… for everything that's happened. I'm sorry you got caught up in it."

Joan was just about to speak when Alex cut her off, holding up her hand for silence. In the split second that Alex looked at Joan's face at that moment, she could see that she had been wrong earlier; Joan looked just like Odette at that moment – the same worried expression was on her face.

"But I also wanted to thank you for doing something that I didn't have the courage to do."

"Which was…?"

"Defying Dominic. I didn't have the bravery to do it, so everyone worried and I hurt a lot of people. And then you come along, ignoring me when I insist that I'll be alright and following me, trying to help me, and then when I beg you not to breathe a word of it to anyone because I'm so sure he'll kill you all, you have the guts to take a chance and say something. And I'm lucky that you did that. I don't think I'd be here if you hadn't."

"Alex, do you remember when you first came back and you sorted things out between Eli and me?"

"Yes, why?"

"I owed you for that. Think of this as my way of repaying you."

"Yeah, but you went above and beyond!"

"Call it interest," Joan laughed.

Alex smiled in spite of herself. "Call it what you will, I still owe you one."

"Okay then, you can stop apologizing to me." Joan gave Alex a cheeky grin. "Then we can call it even."

Alex laughed. "Alright. Even." She stood up, still smiling. "Where is Matthew?"

"By the lake. He wanted to give you your space."

Alex nodded. "I need to talk to him. I'll see you later."

"But Alex," Joan said, reminding her, "you said that you wouldn't apologize anymore."

"I said I wouldn't apologize to you," Alex replied coolly.

Joan smiled, outwitted, but glad that Alex even had the energy to think of a comeback. "Later."

XxX

Alex watched from under a tree as Matthew skipped a rock into the lake. In that moment, it fully hit her how much she loved him and how much she had missed him. She watched as, with perfect form and grace, Matthew skipped another stone across the surface of the lake.

Her heart gave a tug. It was immeasurable how much she loved him.

Somehow sensing her proximity, he turned and faced her. He smiled lovingly at her, himself reminded of how much he cared for her.

"Hello," he greeted her smoothly, walking over to her. Before she could speak, he had her in a passionate lip-lock.

She slid her arms around him, pulling him closer. They stood like that for a few long moments, just holding each other. It had been so long since they felt safe together. Alex could think of no other place she'd rather be. His arms were more protective around her than the castle walls. There, she felt invincible.

Matthew liked knowing he made her feel safe; it gave him a sense of pride and, although it sounded cliché, a reason for living.

Finally, they pulled apart. Matthew carefully examined Alex's face, satisfied that she was looking much better, but upset because she had been hurt, as evidenced by the small wounds on her face.

"How do you feel?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

"Better," she replied, "now that we're together… without having to worry about Dominic."

Matthew sighed and began to sit down, tugging her hand so she would do the same. Beneath a large oak tree, the took a seat side by side, quiet for a moment as Matthew gathered his thoughts. Slowly, still thoughtful, he turned to her.

"Alex, are you alright… emotionally?"

She blushed, although she didn't know why. He was asking her an obvious question and he was her future husband – why shouldn't he be able to ask without fear of embarrassment? Still, it was difficult to answer. With Dominic still fresh on her mind and her guilt eating at her, knowing how to answer the question was not easy.

But she knew she had to be honest for both their sakes. She couldn't keep the truth from him as she had before. And although she had nothing to fear, she was going to have a hard time keeping herself truthful.

"I feel so guilty for hiding things from you and getting you involved and not handling things for myself… You fought for me. I was scared to death the entire time I watched you fight Dominic. My biggest fear was losing you and when I saw Dominic about to pick you off the ground… I… I panicked. I had to make sure you were alright, at least as long as I could protect you."

Matthew let that sink in for a moment before he spoke. "I'm the one that should feel guilty. I was supposed to look after you, to protect you, and, because of my fear of insulting your ability, I did nothing. I let you suffer and for that, I am sorry."

"But-"

"I'm serious. I was so afraid of insulting your pride and hurting your feelings and intruding where I was not wanted that I forgot my duty to you. I'm supposed to protect you, to look after you. And I didn't. I let you get hurt."

Alex sighed. "It's funny. After Joan left me alone with Dominic, I yelled at him. I was so angry that I told him that I blamed him for everything bad that was happening to me and that I hated him."

"It was all true."

"But it's so hard to say that he was the only one who caused trouble."

"Alex, love, listen to me: you did the best you could."

"Everyone keeps saying that! Do you all just mean you would have handled it differently and that I am just inept?"

"Who wouldn't handle it differently? It's not that we think you incapable. It's just that we don't all think alike, and there was no right answer to that puzzle. But I believe that if there was a better way, you would have found it. I believe in you as much as I love you."

He pulled her into another deep kiss, silencing any other arguments she may have had.

XxX

The wedding was a beautiful affair, especially since no one really thought it would come.

It had been put off for another month to give Alex some time to recuperate. It took a while for her strength to rebuild, but when it did, she absolutely glowed. The scratches on her face went away, save for one, which scarred and left a mark just above her right eyebrow. Fortunately, it could only be seen in the right light.

Alex waited with growing impatience for her wedding day to come. It wasn't easy, as she felt she had waited and waited for so long…

But it came, and there was no one happier than Alex and Matthew.

Odette watched as Alex and a few maids made some last minute adjustments on her dress. Odette wondered why they bothered; Alex couldn't have looked more perfect if she tried. Presently, there was a knock at the door.

It was Joan's voice that called. "Mother! It's almost time!"

She let herself into the small room in the back of the church.

From where she was standing, she heard a small gasp from Joan as the maids stepped out of the way, their work finished.

Odette couldn't stop a tear from rolling down her cheek.

"Alex…" Joan began. She couldn't find the words to finish.

"You look wonderful," Odette said.

Alex felt her face grow warm with a blush. She was just about to speak when there was another knock at the door.

This time, it was Derek. He let himself in, walking quickly in his excitement.

"Alex, it's time," he announced, smiling. "You look great."

Nervously, she took his arm and prepared herself to walk down the isle and make the most important move of her life; from single young lady to wife, a step that was only moments away.

"Wait!" Joan called rushing over. "You'll need these," she said as she handed Alex her bouquet of beautifully arranged white roses, a trademark for the family's special events.

"Thank you," Alex replied, trying not to cry. She was nervous, but so happy that the feeling was muted… for a while, that is. She would be alright until she reached the altar… then, she wasn't sure how she would feel.

Derek smiled as they stood for a moment at the doors that would lead into the main part of the church. The guards standing there, as if on cue, opened them, revealing quite a gathering. Every pew was full of friends and well-wishers. Alex could see Mireia and Lydia at the front, waiting excitedly.

And beyond them, more importantly, was Matthew, smiling at her, proud and patient. She felt her knees buckle slightly. Fortunately for her pride, her father didn't notice – and if he did, he at least pretended not to, in which case, she was grateful.

He turned to her and whispered some advice into her ear. "Smile, Alex, it's your wedding day."

She did so gladly. Together, they walked down the aisle, closer and closer with each step to Matthew, who was growing more excited with anticipation.

The ceremony was a blur. The only moment that really seemed to matter was the confident 'I do' that emanated from his lips the moment he got the chance.

XxX

That night, after being around guests for hours and watching Eli nervously talk to Mireia and Joan fend off suitors, Alex and Matthew snuck out for a little while, to their favorite spot by the lake.

There, Matthew took her in his arms and kissed her, more passionately than he ever had before.

"I love you," he whispered. "More than anything, I love you."

"And I love you," replied. "More than anything."

He smiled. "I'm glad I can finally call you my wife."

"And I can call you my husband. Mine and mine alone," she grinned.

He laughed. "Love, I was yours long before we were married. This just makes it official."

"It's like a journey," she whispered. "And I wonder what's next for us."

He shrugged. "Children, maybe, ruling the kingdom, getting old together… so much, Alex. So much."

"And you're not afraid?" she asked, curiously.

"Not when I'm with you," he replied confidently. "You make me invincible."

"I feel the same way," she said.

He offered his arm to her. "Shall we go back?"

"Not yet," she replied, drawing closer to him. He followed her lead and tilted his head.

They kissed.

"We have forever."

I am insanely sorry for the delay in updating, but I hope this last piece has at least somewhat made it up to you (I'm looking at you, lilmoo ;D). Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing and everything in between and I'll see you next time!

~The Phantom