Some endings become beginnings

Summary

In which there is a wedding, and new stories begin.

"That day, I learned life and death are always so mixed up together, in the same way some beginnings are endings and some endings become beginnings."

— From S1E9, "Death Doesn't Let You Say Goodbye"

A/N:

My lovely tumblr daughter greenmountaingirl (you can find her under the same name on AO3 as well — check out her fics!) has kindly agreed to make me a playlist for this chapter and give me feedback on my first draft.

I have a Spotify link, but FF doesn't let me post hyperlinks, so if you go on my tumblr, chaptersonetoinfinity, you should be able to find the link on my latest post. It's on the post where I shared the AO3 link of this chapter, right under the chapter title :) It's a phenomenal playlist with songs from all over the world, and the music saved my ass so many times as I was writing. I mentioned most of the song titles by name in this chapter, so you can listen along if you wish. It's a musical chapter, of sorts. Enjoy!

New Year's Eve

Nomi could hear the orchestra playing from inside the ceremony hall as she and Teagan approached the door.

She took a deep breath, willing herself to calm. After her Cluster had left them in the dressing room to talk alone, Nomi had expressed all the little things she worried about to her sister. Teagan had assured her she'd be there to make sure Nomi didn't trip over her heels or catch her dress on the leg of someone's chair. And if worse came to worse, and a surge of panic took over, she would make sure Nomi stayed put.

Teagan's presence was calming, though her grip on Nomi's arm was a little tight, anchoring her to the ground with the force of her pull. There was no way Nomi could break away from that. She had kept her hold on Nomi for the last ten minutes while they stood outside the door — Nomi had insisted they made their way over early in case they were held up in the middle of the trip somehow.

"You ready?" Teagan whispered, running a comforting hand down Nomi's back.

Teagan, her bridesmaid, was the one walking her down the aisle, a wedding tradition Nomi and Neets had decided to tweak.

"Fuck," was all Nomi muttered in return. Her voice shook, and her lungs burned as if she was underwater, deprived of oxygen, trying to make sense of her own words.

Her Cluster appeared behind her in an instant. We'll be with you this whole time.

It was a short walk from this door to the altar. Neets would be walking down the aisle from the door on the other side of the hall, their paths lined by embroidered purple carpets that joined in the middle. The audience would see both of them approaching the Officiant at once. So much could go wrong in so few steps.

The music drew to its first climax. It was the brides' cue to go.

"Alright. Here we go, deep breaths, Nomi," Teagan prompted, pushing the door open without a second warning.

Immediately, the entire audience turned to watch Nomi. Nomi felt like she was shaking. She probably was. Visibly so.

The audience watched her because Amanita's door was still closed.

Shit, Amanita thought, running down the hall in tip-toes from her dressing room, the edges of her stilettos pushing against the ground precariously, threatening to twist her ankle and trip her over. Shit, shit, shit. She had heard the orchestra from all the way in front of her dresser, where she had been adding in a final dab of lipstick. Was it already time?

"Neets," Lola, her oldest friend and bridesmaid, hissed as she ran after her, holding her own pair of black heels in her hands. "Neets, slow down! You're gonna run into the wall!"

"Oh my God, that's the cue, I'm late –"

"Neets." Lola stopped in front of a door and hopped on one leg, trying to put on her shoe, while Amanita ran past her. "Neets, we're here. This is the door."

Out of all the things Nomi believed could go wrong, she hadn't considered the possibility that Neets wouldn't show. Nomi reached out to Neets in her mind, afraid she would be met with silence. But no. She was here. She was close.

"I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry –"

Nomi heard Amanita's voice before the doors on her side opened. Amanita came running down the aisle on her side with Lola in tow. She ran halfway to the altar before she stopped and looked past the very amused Officiant, at Nomi –

Who hadn't taken a single step forward.

The moment Nomi and Amanita locked eyes, they burst into laughter. They were soon joined by their bridesmaids and parents and the parents and friends of Nomi's Cluster-mates and the Officiant and everyone. They picked up their pace and sprinted the rest of the way, nearly colliding at the altar.

In that moment, all of Nomi's fears vanished.

Amanita stood there with her chin raised, watching Nomi with a smile that lit up the room. Her brocade gown was regal in a vibrant way, dark purple with off-shoulder sleeves and a long, ballgown skirt trailing behind her. Black and gold threads glided around the bodice of her dress in looping patterns, rising from the basque waistline. Her hair had been redone the week before. Her braids were now a simple mix of black and purple, twisted into a bun on top of her head, secured by a golden ribbon.

"We gather here today," the Officiant spoke, his calming baritone voice reverberating through the hall from the microphone clipped to his tie, "in the presence of family and friends to join Nomi and Amanita in matrimony. We celebrate the coming together in love of these women. We remember that marriage is a time when growing love is made public, when two people share mutual promises. We join in our support of them as they offer themselves to each other. We celebrate their joy, their love, and their expectations."

My wife, Nomi thought.

Noms looked like a princess born of magic. She was wearing a white gown with gossamer bell-sleeves, simple but elegant. Lilac and silver threads were weaved into the jacquard fabric of her dress from top to bottom, forming patterns that looked like flower petals. A string of pearls was braided into her hair, which cascaded down her right shoulder in gentle waves. She stepped up to take Amanita's hands in hers, moving forward with a graceful sweep of her skirt. The way she tilted her head slightly when she smiled made Amanita feel all giddy inside, like she was back in City Lights, crushing on that cute, nerdy girl who came in looking for a copy of Queen of the Flowers.

My fair princess, Amanita thought back with a wink. This whole Sensate connection was taking some time to get used to, but hell if she wasn't gonna try her best at mind-flirting on her wedding day.

"May you always need one another, not so much to fill the emptiness as to help each other know your fullness. May you want one another, but not out of lack. May you embrace one another, but not encircle one another. May you succeed in all meaningful ways with each other, and not fail in the little graces. Look for things to praise, often say 'I love you' and take no notice of small faults. May you have happiness, and may you find it in making one another happy. May you have love, and may you find it in loving one another.

"Nomi and Amanita, the covenant which you are about to make with each other is meant to be a beautiful and sacred expression of your love for each other. As you pledge your vows to each other, and as you commit your lives to each other, we ask that you do so in all seriousness, and yet with a deep sense of joy, with deep conviction that you are committing yourselves to a dynamic, growing relationship of trust, mutual support, and caring love."

"Amanita," Nomi started her vow, willing her voice to stop shaking. "Before I met you, I was self-sufficient but lonely. I had closed myself off, thinking it was better that way, me, alone with my thoughts, safe. Safe from the vulnerabilities of opening my heart, guarded by the ghosts of my past. Before I met you, I had trouble believing in trust, though I knew I wanted something more.

"I didn't know what that meant until I found you — until I found love, and I found meaning in what it was that I wanted. Something more means taking my hand and pulling me out, and marching alongside me when I felt like hiding. It means standing up to me when no one else had, and no one else would. It means believing me when I told you the craziest things, not because you could see what I see, but because you trusted me. Because we'd promised to be honest with each other from day one. You are all of this and more, and I vow to keep this promise of truth to you because I trust you to do the same."

Thank you, Nomi thought, feeling the tears prickle her eyes.

Amanita appeared in visiting form in front of her, pulling her into a hug. I love you.

"Nomi," Amanita began. Her voice was shaking, too. "The moment I saw you walk into City Lights was the moment my life turned upside down. Every day with you is an adventure. Being with you… it's comforting, and it's wild, it's good morning kisses and –" she chuckled – "and jumping to your rescue whenever you find yourself in danger, and eventually deciding to join in on the fun because why not."

The audience, especially those who had been there on said adventure this summer, laughed.

"Being with you is like being on a roller coaster. It's being okay with the car dropping downhill 'cause you know it's gonna pick itself back up. It's holding hands with the person next to you, screaming through it all, and still being able to smile for the camera as things go to shit. It's having faith that you can look back on it all without wanting to change a single thing, as long as you've been through it all together. Being with you means righting my life back up. And I vow to you that, whatever we might face, I won't let you face it alone."

In the second row, right behind Lito, Bug pulled out a handkerchief and began silently weeping. Lito was tearing up, too, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. Bug reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out an extra handkerchief, which Lito accepted graciously. Hernando looked at Nomi and pointed at his insufferable partner with a roll of his eyes. Dani giggled and whispered something in Felix's ear. Felix nodded.

I feel like we're in a soap opera, Amanita thought.

We've been in a soap opera since I was reborn.

Well, more like a detective film. But when they were fighting someone as dramatic as Whispers, the two tended to overlap anyway.

The Officiant turned to Nomi. "Do you, Nomi, take Amanita to be your wife?"

"I do."

"Do you, Amanita, take Nomi to be your wife?"

"I do."

"If any person here can show cause why these two people should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Felix raised his hand. The audience gasped — another thing one would expect to see in a soap opera or a detective film — and Wolfgang turned from his seat in the front row, shooting daggers at his brother. If looks could kill.

"Your honor!" Felix shouted. "Let them kiss already!"

The Officiant sighed, but Nomi detected a hint of a smile on his lips. "Anyone else?"

The amused crowd shook their heads. From where Amanita was standing, she could tell Felix looked fucking pleased with himself. Dani snuggled a little closer to him. Good. It must've been some kind of dare.

"Now that you have declared your intentions, I invite you to share your vows with one another. Please, repeat after me, these words.

"I have chosen you alone from all the world to be my wedded wife.

To have and to hold from this day forward.

For better, for worse.

For richer, for poorer.

In sickness and in health.

To love and to cherish 'til death do us part."

They repeated the words while they held hands. They spoke them out loud and heard them echo in their shared mind, a vow they would never intend to break.

"May we please have the rings?" the Officiant continued.

Teagan and Lola presented the rings to the brides.

"These rings have no beginning and no end. They set forth the eternal nature of real love. They will represent the love and trust that Nomi and Amanita promise to each other from this day forward."

After Nomi slipped the ring onto Amanita's finger and she did the same, their hands stayed touched for a moment. They looked into each other's eyes. I promise.

"May this be the start of a happy new life that's full of special moments to share.

May this be the first of your dreams come true, and of hope that will always be there.

May this be the start of a lifetime of trust and of caring that's just now begun.

May today be a day that you'll always remember. The day when your hearts become one.

"Inasmuch as you, Nomi, and you, Amanita, have thus consented in matrimony and have witnessed the same before family and friends, by virtue of the authority vested in me and the laws of this state, I now pronounce you married."

The audience cheered.

The Officiant chuckled. "Now, please, seal your marriage with a kiss, before this over-eager gentleman in the second row can protest again."

Wolfgang looked like he couldn't decide if he wanted to laugh or murder Felix on the spot.

Amanita stood on tip-toes and leaned forward. Nomi wrapped her arms around Amanita's waist so their bodies leaned against each other. Their lips met and crashed and parted and demanded in unbridled passion. The audience cheered on, but in the moment, they could hear nothing save for the endless stream of happy thoughts rushing through their minds. They could feel nothing except the kiss and the way their hearts quickened against their ribs, quickened against each other, as they drew closer.

The room was silent when they pulled away, warm-cheeked and short of breath.

"May these two find happiness in their matrimony. May they live faithfully together. May they ever remain compassionate. May their years be rich in the joys of life, and their days be long upon the earth."

It was the end of the beginning.

Nomi and Amanita walked off the center aisle together for all to see, exiting from the back of the room. The moment the door swung shut, Amanita tackled Nomi against the wall for another kiss.

"My wife," she said, in between pecks. "Ha! I can say that now! My wife! Whoo!"

Teagan and Lola, who had walked out after them, offered them congratulations and hugs before they left for their own dressing rooms, leaving them alone once more.

Amanita drew away from the endless kisses after who knew how long and grabbed Nomi's hands. She pulled her into the room around the back where their evening dresses sat waiting for them. "Not even death can do us apart, Noms. Our love is immortal. Immortal!"

"We're married," Nomi said, following her wife into the room a blissful daze.

"Hell yeah, we are." Amanita closed the door and handed Nomi her evening outfit, a mesh-veiled periwinkle dress with a dark purple sash around the waist. Neets had picked it for her, and Lito had approved, stating the color made her eyes pop. "Now, help me out of this fucking thing, Noms, I'm dying."

Nomi moved over and undid the corset-style laces at the back of her wedding dress, her hands tantalizingly slow as she pulled at the ends to free Neets from the fabric prison. "Dying so soon?" she teased.

Amanita turned around to kiss her, the now-loose gown falling down to her stomach. Nomi ran a hand down her bare back and felt her tremor. "Mm. Noms. Noms." Amanita turned her head so Nomi's latest kiss landed on her cheek. "Noms, you're killing me."

"Will you stop with the death puns?" Nomi turned around. Amanita unzipped her gown, tickling Nomi's back before she let go.

"Never." Amanita picked up her silky indigo dress from the rack and held it in front of her body, peeking into the mirror before putting it on. It was one of Noms' favorites when they'd shopped together — the smattering of lilac flowers rising from the hem were a playful touch. "I said our love is immortal. Not our physical forms."

When the newlyweds made their ways to the ballroom for their first dance, Nomi and Amanita found the guests in quiet chatter, sampling the hors d'oeuvres. The food sat at a long table on one side of the room, stacked up by fancy gold and silver platters on top of the purple tablecloth. It was indeed a diverse selection: mini kati rolls sat around the base of a tower of gangjeong, bowlfuls of mandazi lined up beside plates of blueberry skyr mousse… Tall, round tables stood on the other side of the room along with high chairs, places for the guests to converse. At the corner of the room there was a bar, and Lito was chatting animatedly with the bartender, eyeing the wide variety of booze lined up on the shelves.

To Nomi's relief, Amanita's mom had already engaged her dad in a conversation, the champagne in her glass swishing as she gestured wildly with her hands. Neets' dads walked over to formally introduce themselves to Nomi's dad, shaking his hand one by one. Nomi smiled, thankful she could count on Neets' family to make her dad feel included.

"I'm happy for you, Noms," Amanita said.

Nomi looked past her shoulder. Her dad turned to watch her, and she gave him a nod. "It is pretty unexpected," she agreed. "But I'm happy he's trying."

Amanita lead Nomi to the center of the room. Riley plugged her iPod into an outlet by the stereo, waiting for a cue to start. They gave her a nod.

She says I smell like safety and home

I named both of her eyes "forever" and "please don't go"

I could be a morning sunrise all the time, all the time yeah

This could be good, this could be good

The newlyweds started the first dance, swaying to Mary Lambert's She Keeps Me Warm, their all-time favorite song about two women in love. Nomi danced with one hand on the small of Amanita's back, imagining where the lace on her wedding gown was moments ago. The perks of being a Sensate was, she didn't need to find the perfect words to flirt. Already, Neets was looking at her with a sly smile and a ticked eyebrow, squeezing Nomi's other hand, which was intertwined with hers.

Not here, Amanita reminded her, though the wicked thoughts running through her head suggested she very much liked to grab her wife and take off.

Nomi reciprocated her coy expression. I can't wait.

Everyone was quiet as they watched them step and swing and spin in circles, drifting from point to point on the dance floor like they were drawing a star with their feet. On the second chorus, Amanita pulled herself close, catching Nomi by surprise. Amanita stood on her toes again so their foreheads could touch. They grinned as they twirled twice, thrice, mindful of the Cluster cheering them on in their shared mind.

"That. Was amazing," Nomi whispered, breathless, when the song drew to a close. Her head was still spinning, and not only because of the dance.

Amanita touched her on the cheek, wiping a stray tear from the corner of Nomi's eye, her own eyes glistening with happy tears, too. "You're amazing."

"Champagne?" Nomi was already leading them to the bar.

"Hell yeah."

Other guests began to move to the dance floor now that the first song was over. Nomi and Amanita watched from the bar as the guests swayed to the soft rhythm of Power of Two by Indigo Girls. Shiro was dancing with Sanyam nearby, moving slowly as they continued talking, though Priya stayed behind to chat with Amanita's dads. Gunnar and Estella stepped onto the dance floor as well, laughing as they chatted.

They had invited the parents and close friends of Nomi's Cluster-mates to the wedding in the hopes that they could fill each other in on the situation. It was Amanita's idea, but everyone was all for it. She'd understood how good it felt to have Sapien friends who were also in the know. 'Till she'd uncovered her own sensacity, anyway. A hell of a perspective to take in, but it'd been fun once the migraine had gone.

Chase all the ghosts from your head

I'm stronger than the monster beneath your bed

Smarter than the tricks played on your heart

We'll look at them together then we'll take them apart

Adding up the total of a love that's true

Multiply life by the power of two

"Oh my God, I love this song!" Amanita said.

"Reminds me of our first Pride."

Amanita clinked her champagne glass with Nomi's before taking a sip. It was a heartwarming song, and the lyrics said it all. When she thought about Pride these days, she would remember their kiss on the hill, surrounded by other Pride-goers enjoying the sun on that beautiful day — though she'd been lost in the kiss, hardly noticing anyone else.

"I knew I loved you then," Nomi whispered, catching on to her thoughts.

"And you love me now." Amanita gave her a cheeky grin. "Told you our love is immortal."

The next song was Three Little Birds by Bob Marley. Neets' dads walked over to pick their daughter up for a dance. They faced each other in the center of the dance floor, stepping in and out of their little circle, bobbing their heads to the tune as they mouthed the lyrics and fell into an improvised choreography.

Nomi picked up two glasses of raspberry martinis from the bar and made her way to her dad. Grace caught Nomi's eye from across the room and excused herself, leaving them to talk in private.

"Congratulations." Her dad accepted the drink.

"I'm… I'm happy you came."

"Me, too." He paused for a second before he added, "Listen, I'm sorry. About everything."

"Dad, you already said you were sorry. I chose this. I wanted you back in my life."

A few months ago, hearing her dad's apology would've shocked Nomi. Now she felt a little sad to hear it, though she knew Neets would've crossed her arms and reminded her, well, yeah, he should be sorry. But she felt bad anyway, like she was putting her dad on the spot. Guilt wasn't exactly a feeling that could just go away — not in a few months, maybe not even in a few years — but she'd decided to let him back into her life, and he'd accepted.

Nomi could see a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, but he cleared his throat and sipped on his martini. "I wouldn't have invited me."

"Well, I think I've made it pretty clear that I'm not you, dad."

"You have." He sighed. "I wish I'd listened."

Nomi's treacherous mind decided to remind her of that swim club incident, one that left more emotional scars than physical burns. That experience had given her one of those feelings she hadn't been able to push away no matter how many years had passed, that tightness in her chest whenever she walked into a room, a closed space, full of people staring at her. By the way her dad avoided her eyes, his hand fidgeting around the martini glass, Nomi knew he was thinking the same.

"Are you… are you and mom okay?" she asked instead, forcing her thoughts elsewhere.

"I don't know." He looked back at her. "Don't know if we'll ever be, but I'm happy I came."

It would take years, maybe a lifetime, to recover from everything in her past. But so far, Nomi's dad seemed determined to try and make amends, and Nomi had decided to try and forgive. She set down her glass on a nearby table as the next song started — Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel), an older classic she was particularly fond of. Riley had probably done a little mind-digging when she was making the playlist.

The song came at a perfect time. Nomi and her dad could talk about their shaky past all night, and it was a conversation they needed to have someday. But not on her wedding day. Not on New Year's Eve. Today was all about looking forward.

"Dad," she said, holding out her hand, knowing he wouldn't dare ask this unless she'd made it clear it was okay, "would you like to dance?"

The crowd parted to make way as Nomi lead her dad on the dance floor. They didn't speak when they danced, but the silence was a comfortable one. His hand on her back was slight and unsure, but she closed her hand around him tighter, taking the lead. The crowd had all stopped to look at them. For once, the attention wasn't frightening. Nomi's cheeks burned with the intensity of the looks around them — she could've sworn she heard Bug and Lito cry again — but she smiled brighter.

Nomi smiled until the end, and her dad did, too.

When 99 Luftballons started playing on the stereo, Wolfgang had to take a moment to remind himself not to toss off his shirt like he was in a dingy club somewhere. His hand lingered on his tie, debating prying it off, but Kala pulled his arm away and led him to the dance floor with an exasperated shake of her head.

"My neck is itching," he grumbled.

"The tie matches your eyes, bhediya. It's the only bit of blue you have."

Unlike Kala, who had come to the wedding in a teal sari with red and gold accents, the only bit of color Wolfgang had (reluctantly) agreed to was a turquoise pattern-less tie. Lito had given up trying to talk him into wearing a navy suit about a week ago, though judging by the looks he was shooting Wolfgang earlier this evening, he still held a grudge.

"Wolfie!" Felix sauntered over, all glowing in golden shoes, a dark gray suit, and a yellow tie with some kind of abstract art pattern. "This is our jam!"

Already, Capheus, Lito and Jela were dancing their ways over. The determined look in their eyes screamed dance off. Felix, thinking along the same lines, joined the trio and began to show off his moves in front of Kala, all taunting as he smirked. Wolfgang could tell Kala was plotting revenge. Eventually, every guy joined along, save for the parents. Wolfgang, eventually, found himself pulled into the dance by Detective Mun.

Kala and the fellow ladies stood on the other side of the room in a V-formation with Kala at the front, waiting for the next song to play so they could make their move. The whole Cluster had been there to help Riley compile the playlist. Kala knew what song was coming. The adults stepped off to make space for them. Sanyam shot Lito a look that said you're going down and whispered to Estella, who shook her head before mumbling something equally threatening in return.

Lito, who led the guys, took a provocative step forward and spun in front of Kala before fixing his gaze on her, his smile provoking and smug. He pulled off his suit jacket and tossed it to an empty chair at the side of the room with a deft flick of his hand. The parents cheered. Sanyam ooh-ed when Wolfgang and Felix's song drew to an end.

Maahi Ve came on next. Perfect. Kala signaled for her side to start retaliating, to which Lito responded with a skeptical twitch of his brow. She stepped forward, standing so close to Lito their bodies were almost touching, then she began one of the practiced dance routines she had learned as a young girl, one she had perfected over the years and was now teaching to her fellow battle-ready ladies. Amanita's dads whistled. Good. No one challenged Kala to a dance-off and got away with it. Especially not Lito.

Wolfgang channeled all of Lito's dance knowledge and danced along, courtesy of their connection. Felix imitated his moves the best he could, flailing his arms wildly, stomping the ground like he was trying to put out a fire. Clearly, his brother was waiting for Wolfgang to make fun of his moves, but all Wolfgang had eyes for was his Kala.

She stepped in powerful strides with a taunting shake of her hips. Even her hands were never still, signing the story of a fiery dance battle on a New Year's Eve wedding as her arms swayed with precision, following and guiding and complementing the movement of her body. Fuck. If this were what Wolfgang could see every time they had a dance-off, he'd let her defeat him every time.

By the middle of the song, the two sides had merged until they were one large dance crew, competing from within. Lito spun Kala around and pulled her back, using their shared knowledge of moves from all types of dance to engage her in a showdown. But they were laughing as they faced each other, laughing even harder when they turned around and grabbed another partner to dance with. The dance turned into a festival of chaos, a mishmash of practiced choreography and improvised back-and-forth face-offs.

When the song ended, no one could decide who the winner was — the parents cheered equally as loud when both sides took their bows.

Kala found Wolfgang standing at the edge of the dance floor. "That was hot," he said.

"It was." She tugged at the front of sari to try and let some air in, then fanned her face with her hands. "Do you wanna dance some more?"

"You're not tired?"

"No." She smirked. "Are you?"

"Is that a challenge?"

But the next song that came on wasn't a dance-off song. It was I Melt With You, a song Wolfgang had chosen. They got two glasses of lemonade, deciding to hold off on the alcohol until later, and sat side by side on the high stools by the table to watch Amanita dance with her mom and Nomi dance with Teagan — most of the crowd had left the dance floor in search for more food.

"Why this song?" Kala asked.

Wolfgang showed her a memory. It was a sunny morning when his dad had been out. His mom had turned on the radio and was humming to herself, twirling and sweeping the floor with the broom, pretending it was her dance partner. The windows were wide open, letting the sunlight in and the stench of booze out. This was only a few months before she'd died, but Wolfgang didn't know it would be one of the last memories he had with her. He was watching her, wondering how rare it was to see her happy.

His mother had noticed him watching and smiled. She laid the broom against a wall, walked over to the couch, and held out her hand. May I have this dance?

"Memory from a happier time," he said simply.

"I'm sorry." She sighed and laid her head on his shoulder.

He knew why Kala always smelled like jasmine and marigold even outside her favorite temple. It was her special perfume, purchased from a generic brand and chemically altered into a scent that was distinctly her. "Don't be." He buried his nose in the soft curls of her hair, allowing the scent to intoxicate him. "No use dwelling on the past."

Kala nodded. She wished she could help him feel safe enough to properly grieve for all the things in his past. It would be one of her resolutions. She didn't usually make New Year's resolutions — she believed when people resolved to change something, they should, no matter what time of year it was. But this particular celebration seemed like the start of a new chapter in their lives, so it was fitting.

They sat in peaceful silence until this song had ended and the next one began. This one, Kala wasn't familiar with. It was another one of Wolfgang's selections, the only one he'd kept secret from her. He said it was to be a surprise.

Wolfgang pulled himself up before offering her his hand. "May I have this dance?"

Kala took his hand and let him lead her back on the dance floor. He traced circles on her hand as a dimpled smile snuck up on his face, taking the lead.

Felix walked past with Dani's arm in his. He winked at Wolfgang and patted his shoulder.

"Fuck off," Wolfgang said before Felix could open his mouth.

"As you wish, My Lord," Felix drawled with a roll of his eyes. Dani laughed. They headed to the table with the booze again.

Kala watched the exchange, unable to suppress her own laugh, even though she'd tried to go for a disapproving-girlfriend sort of look. He led her into a foxtrot on the center of the dance floor, his steps meticulously and steady, hers gliding along as she pulled from their shared knowledge of this dance. It seemed like such a formal way to dance, but Wolfgang's old-fashioned-ness was quite endearing.

"For you, Schatz," Wolfgang whispered, leaning in for a kiss.

She let the kiss linger until the next verse of the song was over. "What is it called?"

"Das Beste," he told her. "The best."

She twirled along the floor with Wolfgang smiling down at her, feeling like the happiest woman in the world as the lyrics of the song translated in her mind.

Du hast es wieder mal geschafft/ Again you have managed

Mir den Atem zu rauben/ To take my breath away

Wenn du neben mir liegst/ When you are lying next to me

Dann kann ich es kaum glauben/ It's hard to believe

Dass jemand wie ich/ That somebody like me

So was Schönes wie dich verdient hat/ Deserves something as beautiful as you

Capheus' lively energy was infectious. He and Jela were dancing to Jai Ho, following Kala's instructions as she and her sister tried to teach everyone the series of steps they'd learned in their childhood. Zakia couldn't tell if it was the multiplicity of the Cluster's emotions rubbing off on each other, or if it was just Capheus himself, lighting up the room with that boisterous, carefree laugh, nearly tripping over his own foot as he waved his arms in pale imitation to Kala's practiced moves.

It was the first time Zakia had met his Cluster — Jela's first time, too — but the others in this room evidently knew a lot more about them.

Normally, Zakia would have been unnerved by the hidden nature of his Cluster's presence, the fact that she was always visible to them through Capheus when she couldn't investigate them in the same way in return. But everyone had been more than welcoming to her since she, Capheus, Shiro, and Jela had arrived two days ago, looking for a chance to see the city before they attended the wedding. Nomi and Amanita had shown them around the coast, and around Lilac Inn, where they worked.

And the day before, Zakia had found herself chatting away with the couple for hours inside their second-hand bookstore. Despite her earlier reserves, by the end of the evening, they were speaking to each other with the same ease she had when she talked to Capheus. Perhaps the fact that Nomi and Amanita were connected to Capheus in the Sensate way had given them a familiarity detectable by Sapiens as well as Sensates.

"Nomi says he has a way of making people laugh," Teagan said, stopping to observe.

He certainly did. "It's crazy how well they know each other."

"You're telling me." Teagan laughed. "A few months ago I had no idea about any of this. About Nomi was going through. And I knew nothing about her Cluster, but they all knew me. Did you know, Lito gave me a bear hug when he came by a couple weeks ago — it was the first time I saw him, ever — and I freaked."

"I can imagine."

"I wish they'd given me a warning. But it's nice, you know, getting to know them all."

Zakia turned back to watch Capheus, who had started a duo routine of some sort with Felix, stepping around in crisscrossing formations as they held hands. "It certainly is."

They walked off and found seats by a high table to observe the crowd of Sensates and Sapiens gathered for impromptu dance lessons. Teagan observed them in silence for a few moments, fidgeting with her hands. Finally, she looked up. "Zakia, can I ask you a question?" She paused before she continued. "And – and I know it's personal, so you don't have to tell me, but I'm just curious – what's it like?"

"What's it like to date a Sensate, you mean?"

"Yeah." Teagan smiled, relieved.

"Most of the time it's not so different than dating someone like us." Zakia remembered the men and women she'd dated before — all Sapiens, as far as she knew. Even if one of them were a hidden Sensate, Zakia doubted it would have made a difference in how she felt. She would have felt the same way. "But occasionally Capheus talks to invisible people."

"Nomi does that! More often these days, since I know what to look for."

"I think I'm getting better at guessing who he might be talking to," Zakia said.

Teagan looked at the dance floor again. Most of the Cluster was there with Kala, but Capheus caught her eye and smiled. "I still have a hard time remembering all of them. And now Amanita's in on it, too."

"Well." Zakia saw Daya and Dani whisper something to each other in the crowd. They giggled, then approached Bug, asking if he wanted to dance, to which he nodded like an enthusiastic child. "You're not alone. You have quite a few of us."

"I'm glad they invited you all."

Capheus skipped over, humming to himself as Flashlight began to play on the stereo. Zakia beamed — she'd been introducing him to some of her favorite pop music, and he'd grown particularly fond of this song. He held a tray with three glasses of ginger ale in hand and stopped in front of the ladies. "Zakia." He handed her a glass. Then, with a big grin, he turned to Teagan. "Baby sister. Here you go."

Teagan accepted the glass. "Oh God, why do you call me that?"

He sat down on her other side. "You're part of the extended family, no?"

"Is that what you've been calling Daya this whole time, too?"

Zakia laughed. "Did you really?"

"I think that's why she's avoiding him," Teagan stage-whispered.

"Daya's avoiding me?" he asked.

Capheus knew Teagan was joking, but he played along to humor Zakia. He liked seeing her laugh, the exasperated, pitying-but-fond kind of laugh she'd do when she thought he was missing the joke. Just a few minutes ago Daya was trying to correct his arm posture, and she'd rolled her eyes when he'd called her baby sister, but she didn't tell him to stop. He'd insisted that, since the Cluster was all part of each other in some ways, he considered her an honorary younger sibling. The protective instinct was shared, after all. Having Kiira back into his life only made it more intense.

At the thought of his biological baby sister, Capheus reached out to Kiira in their shared mind, thinking about The Candlelight Club. Kiira had hunted down the secret location of the elusive club in time for New Year's Eve and asked Arabel, the cute Scottish girl in her lab, to go as her date. Capheus knew for a fact that it was three in the morning in London right now. He'd detected a few hints of Kiira's presence — the feeling of noses touching before a kiss, a hand running down her shimmery black gown, a quickening of her heart — before Kiira caught him at it. Then he found himself back in San Francisco with nothing left of his findings except for Kiira's voice in his head, telling him to please stop mind-snooping for the rest of the evening.

Zakia was looking at him when he let his consciousness drift into the ballroom again. Teagan, too, stared, her face blank for a second before she jolted back with an "oh!".

"Were you checking on Kiira again?" Zakia asked.

"It's a long time past midnight. She should have been home already."

"What, on New Year's Eve?" Teagan pointed out, exchanging a look with Zakia.

"But –"

"No buts," Zakia insisted, standing up. "Come on, Capheus, she's an adult."

"But –"

"Let's go dance," she cut him off. He looked to Teagan for help, but she shrugged, mouthed you're on your own, and went to find Nomi. And that was the end of that discussion.

The next song, Be Still My Child, was a favorite of his. He told her this as they swayed to the a cappella rhythm, the conversation about Kiira momentarily forgotten (until he'd check on her again the next morning and find her smiling in front of the mirror, wiping lipstick marks off her cheeks and mouth and neck). Zakia turned to the speakers and frowned as they continued to slow dance.

She said these days haven't been so happy

Haven't had much peace of mind

Now I know that I should be praying

But I have haven't had time

"I didn't know you prayed," Zakia said finally.

"Not always. Only when I feel like it might help."

"Do you believe in God, then?"

He stopped dancing as he considered his answer. "I believe there are things in this world I cannot explain. Things that no one can yet explain. Some things, we might never find the answer to until after our lifetime."

"And you believe God is one of these things?"

"Possibly." He smiled. "I believe there is a powerful being out in the universe somewhere. A good spirit. A magical spirit who can help. It has the potential to be true, and that makes me feel better. But these things are better left as mysteries."

Zakia looked at Capheus, at the way he relaxed when he talked about inexplicable things. Was this how he felt when he was reborn as a Sensate? Zakia couldn't imagine being calm, should she ever find herself seeing strangers appearing out of nowhere, experiencing feelings and sensations that were not hers. She would have liked to get to the bottom of this. Most likely, she would have searched for any information she could get her hands on in an attempt to pin these unexpected events to an explanation her mind could conceive, formulating conclusions on the evidence she deemed authentic.

But there was beauty in not knowing, merit in being taught. Zakia had spent most of her time trying to inform herself as much as she could. She'd devoted her career to searching for truths. Sometimes, she'd come to realize, the truth revealed itself in elusive ways, and to reach the correct conclusion would require a suspension of disbelief and a lot of faith in people who were trying to tell you the most unlikely of answers. Like the existence of Sensates in a world with too many people trying to conceal the very fact, for one.

"What are you thinking?" Capheus asked.

"I think you might be right," Zakia said. They resumed the dance, moving slower like this realization had weighed her down.

"About what?"

"About God, some kind of divine force, or… or magic," she added with a chuckle. "I mean, if magicians, actual magicians, were trying to hide from us for reasons I'm not yet aware of, we really wouldn't have a way of knowing they existed. Not unless one of them told us and showed us a few tricks."

He laughed. "Are you calling me a magician?"

"You're certainly unlike anyone I'd met in the past."

"I'll take that as a yes."

The song switched again, and Zakia was surprised to recognize the opening score of What's Up. She'd spent most of the evening investigating the origins of the songs she couldn't recognize, which, considering the diversity of the guests, was a vast majority. The people around the room — the Sensates, in particular — stopped what they were doing and exchanged what seemed like an insider joke, all smiling and nodding and winking.

Capheus beamed, giving Sun a nod before turning back to Zakia. "Ahh! I love this song!"

"You like 4 Non Blondes?"

"It's a special song for us," he explained. "It's the first time we all connected, though we didn't know at the time."

"You all sang along?" Zakia tried to imagine what that must have been like, eight people bursting into song at the same time around the world. "Like, a radio appeared inside your head? You all just… let it happen?"

"Sometimes songs resurface in your memory for no reason."

"That's true," she conceded.

"But we all got the urge to sing this song. I didn't know where the urge came from. I was driving back the Van Damn by myself, and I had this feeling that other people wanted me to sing along, these strangers I didn't know. So I did. I believed they felt happier that I did. It was the best feeling."

Zakia imagined Capheus belting out the tune with the window open by the driver's seat, his head swaying from side to side, and she understood how he enjoyed it so much. It was a moment that was both shared and personal, both universal and close to the heart. "And now it's your song?" she asked.

"Now it's our song." He gestured to the whole room. "All of us."

For years, Hernando had associated New Year's Eve with a reminder of the ephemerality of life. He had opted out of celebrating and chosen to visit his parents at their graves every year, to remind himself of what he had no longer had. This day was not a symbol of new beginnings, but an anniversary of loss.

Though in the past year, many changes had happened in Hernando's life, a life which had become intertwined with the lives of Dani and Lito and, subsequently, the lives of Lito's Cluster. In a few months' time, Hernando had found himself with more family than he knew what to do with and landed himself in more danger than he could make sense of, even in retrospect. The most unexpected part of it all was that despite nearly being killed countless times, this was one of the best years of his life.

It seemed only fitting that this December 31st was the day new traditions joined the old.

Lito, on the other hand, had been worried Hernando wouldn't be down to celebrating. He spent the wedding ceremony checking in on Hernando's expressions. Nothing looked to be amiss, no expressions hidden judging by the lack of twitching in his facial muscles. Hernando didn't look sad, just contemplative.

They had left Mexico City at noon after they'd spent the morning at Hernando's parents' grave, where he had filled them in on the Sensate war situation, and the three of them were considering relocating to Los Angeles. The Academia de Artes had found a new lecturer in Hernando's absence, but Hernando had landed himself a couple interviews at art schools in the LA area, most of which would take place in early January.

"I worry I may not be able to read you as well as you read me, Lito," Hernando said, waving a glass of cocktail shrimp under his nose. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking about you."

Hernando set the glass down on the high table and pulled up a stool. "I'm okay, Lito."

"You can read my mind," he teased.

"I know you're worried, baby. Really, I'm okay."

"Are you?"

Hernando nodded, his glasses sliding down his nose a little. "This morning… I think I've made peace with it all. It doesn't change what happened, but this wedding gave new years a double meaning."

Lito reached across the table to push the glasses back up his nose. "You don't mind?"

"It's good. It's better this way, actually. It's… it's bittersweet. Poetic, almost."

"There's the Hernando I know." Lito grinned.

Hernando smiled, a cheeky smile. "The Lito I know would still be on the dance floor. So what happened there?"

"I think I danced too much." Lito cringed.

"Already?" Dani came over from where she was hanging out with Felix and snatched the glass of shrimp from the table. She dipped one in the generous load of hot sauce inside the glass before tasting it. "Oh my God, this is the best shrimp I've ever had –" she dipped another one – "here. Try it."

Before Lito could say anything else, she had shoved a shrimp into his mouth. And fuck, she was right. Lito tried to say it was good, but the statement came out like a grumble.

Hernando tutted his tongue and wiped a bit of extra sauce off the corner of Lito lips with his thumb. "That dance-off was vicious. Want to try something slower?"

The music playing now, though, was far from slow, so they decided to wait. Kala and Jela and Amanita's dads were dancing it out to Handclap, and pretty soon the newlyweds and all the parents were in on it, moving in a circle like it was some kind of campfire dance.

"Even Estella has more energy than you, Lito," Dani teased.

"Dani," Lito whined.

"It could be the alcohol," Hernando added, nodding at the bar. "You sure you don't want a tequila cubed to get you pumped?"

Great. Lito's family was ganging up on him again, and hi's own Cluster was too busy having fun to step in to his rescue.

"I want tonight to be memorable, Hernando." Lito improvised, grabbing his partner by the tie. "Not forgotten."

Dani patted him on the shoulder as the song switched to Don't Stop Believing. "Nice save."

A grinning Felix waltzed over to Dani, following the rhythm of the song, and held out his hand. "Wanna go grab more shots?"

"'Course. We need to get you drunk." She went with him, but not before turning back to blow her boys a kiss.

Hernando frowned at Dani's retreating figure. "You think we should stop them?"

Lito examined the way Felix was walking. His footsteps were fairly even, and he could move in a straight line. For now. "For Felix's sake, maybe."

But before they could go after them, Bug and Jela danced their ways over, playing air guitars with dramatic bobs of their head. They were lip-synching to the lyrics, too, and they stopped in front of Lito before they struck an imaginary chord. Another challenge Lito couldn't back away from. This night was going to be the death of him.

"Yo, Lito Rodríguez, you need backup?"

Diego passed his glass of martini to Will and came over. He had insisted on calling Lito by his full name — only him, not the other guests. Apparently, that was the name he knew Lito by, and he insisted it was hard to drop the habit.

If María were here, she would have gotten in on this joke, too. Lucky she was on vacation in Australia with Andy — Nomi had extended the wedding invitation to them, but they'd vowed that if they were to emerge from the BPO fiasco alive, they'd go spend New Year's Eve on the STS Leeuwin II, sailing from the other side of the planet. So off they went.

Lito shrugged and began his own air guitar retaliation, stepping forward, forcing Bug and Jela back a few steps. Diego assumed his position next to Lito. Soon they were on the dance floor again, mouthing the lyrics, shaking their heads wildly until they could see stars.

And then Diego had guitar-ed his way over to Will, who responded by challenging Wolfgang with the same moves, and what started as a simple battle of the air guitars became a tag game. Riley turned the speakers up higher while Gunnar, somehow, got his hands on a real electric guitar. He improvised his chords as he grinned at his daughter, who was shaking her head exasperatedly, unable to stop laughing.

Those in the audience began facing off one another, not wanting to be excluded from this silly game. Somewhere in the middle of the song, Hernando, too, had found himself entangled in the festivities as he faced off against Sun, his pursuit of Dani and Felix temporarily forgotten — but he imagined these two would be in the midst of the chaos. His glasses slid from his nose, and twice he had to jerk his head back to stop them from falling to the ground, to Sun's amusement.

So Hernando was relieved when the song stopped, and people laughed it off before retreating from the dance floor once more. The next song was one he wanted to share with Lito. He wouldn't miss it even if his limbs were already growing sore from all the dancing.

By the opening scores of Tu Amor Me Hace Bien, Lito led Hernando to the center of the dance floor again. Felix was dancing with Dani nearby. Lito raised an eyebrow, impressed, when Felix pulled Dani back promptly after she did a perfect spin, catching her by the small of her back with a suave wink.

"When did Felix learn to salsa?" Hernando asked.

"Wolfgang says he's been taking lessons," Lito said breathily, leading Hernando into one of their usual routines as the song fell into his favorite verse.

Porque el amor cuando es verdad sale del alma/ Because when love is true

Nos aturde los sentidos/ It comes from the soul

Y de pronto descubrimos que la piel/ It stuns us, the senses

Se enciende en llamas/ And suddenly we discover that the skin is in flames

Hernando raised an eyebrow. "Has he?"

"Are you jealous?"

"I'm protective," Hernando amended. "Not jealous. And don't act like you don't feel the same way — Sun told me how you lectured Felix on the plane ride to Beijing."

Ay. Just when Lito thought his Cluster was off his case about that confrontation. "I did what I had to. He looked like he needed advice."

"Advice?" Hernando nudged up his glasses, regarding Lito with wide eyes.

"He needed a talking-to!"

Hernando cocked his head back and looked at Felix again. Felix was pulling Dani closer, so close his tie could graze her skin at her plunging neckline, and the crinkle in Dani's eyes told Hernando she was pleased he was taking the initiative. She was wearing a yellow dress with halter straps and an exposed back, and the chiffon skirt flowed as she twirled. Felix's tie was the same color, and somehow it didn't feel pre-arranged. More like a happy coincidence.

"He's still trying. Even after you gave him a death threat."

"It was not a death threat!" Lito protested.

"Really? 'What are your intentions with Dani?'," Hernando imitated in an El Caído voice, grumbling the words with a menacing scowl.

"It was a simple question."

But the real threat of a question, Hernando knew, was embedded in the delivery, not in the words themselves. And if anyone could make a "simple question" sound deadly, it would be the man who used to play angst-driven assassins. "What was his answer?"

"I know Felix liked her as more than a friend, okay? I know. He – he flirted with her on the first night!"

Hernando pondered the answer as Como Fue came on next, the passionate beats of the salsa fading into a slow, jazzy tune. "Likes," he amended, nodding at the two. "And yes, I remember. I almost felt bad for him."

Lito remembered how he was on Felix's first night at their safe house. If it weren't for the fact that Wolfgang was still captured, Felix would have earned himself a talking-to long before the flight to Beijing.

"Rejection can be good for him." Lito pulled him close. They had both shed their suit jackets at some point in this evening. Right now, they could feel the heat rolling off of each other's bodies like gentle flames.

"Now you're just cruel," Hernando whispered, his breath tickling Lito's ear.

"So what if I am?" Lito whispered back.

With a devilish grin, Hernando moved his hand away from Lito's waist to touch his neck, resting his thumb underneath his chin. "You're wicked."

Upon the touch, the hair stood up on Lito's arms, and a tingle shot through his spine, urging him to step closer. Hernando regarded him with a naughty glint in his eye, delightful in his knowing curiosity. Lito swallowed, his lust palpable. At the moment, Lito thought, giving in to this gravitational pull, Hernando was the wicked one.

The last time Lito and Hernando had danced like this was on his birthday more than a year past. Lito missed the feeling of dancing with Hernando, united in body and mind under the rhythm. These days Lito couldn't make as much time for his partner as he'd liked — Iberian Dreams had just wrapped before Christmas, but with January came the new responsibilities of post-production. And, if he was lucky, more auditions.

But tonight? There was no one to stop them.

The song ended as if sensing his needs. "Let's get out of here," Lito said.

Hernando took his hand, scanning the dance floor. "What about Dani?"

Already, she was looking over from where she and Felix were dancing across the room. She shot them a "don't you fucking dare interrupt my moment" glare before she winked and mouthed go for it. That seemed to have made the decision for them.

"Dani can take care of herself," Nomi said. She'd snuck up behind them, having picked up Lito's thought, with their suit jackets in hand, which they took. "Go. Have a good night."

"Yeah, don't worry, we'll keep an eye on her." Amanita's smirk was impish as she laced her arm around her new wife.

Somehow, Lito suspected Amanita would jump at the chance to play matchmaker. She'd march Felix and Dani to somewhere private before he could say "tell them to behave". But then Hernando's hand found Lito's back and pinched him lightly, and Lito's skin tingled at the temptation of his partner's touch, and he couldn't say much of anything else.

"You've learned how to dance," Dani observed.

Felix could feel Lito and Hernando's gaze burning a fucking crisp on the back of his head. He was surprised, frankly, that Lito didn't pull him off to have another "talk" earlier this evening, but the scrutiny was worse. So much worse.

"Please. I always knew how to dance." Felix bragged, hoping it sounded convincingly unconvincing. He didn't wanna sound scared, but the stares were giving him the willies. "But I may have, uh, perfected my professional skills."

Felix was taking the lead this time. Luckily, the salsa had come on before he could be bullied into taking another shot. He wanted to remember this dance, and he was close to getting fucking drunk. The last thing he needed was to stumble over his feet again. He stepped forward, then back, then pulled himself away, then drew her close again — a rehearsed routine, one he'd perfected with Mariana over the last couple months.

Dani rolled her eyes. "You didn't tell me you were taking lessons."

"Well." He gestured to himself. "Surprise?"

"You went behind my back," she quipped. "I feel betrayed."

"And yet, here you are. Dancing. With me."

"Mm." Her mock-angry expression faded into a sly grin. He guided her into a twirl, then pulled her back. "I like to keep my enemies close."

There was something playfully ominous about the way Dani said this. Felix felt like she was onto something, something evil, something sinister. And he was willingly giving in. She was killing him tonight, slowly by slowly. Plus, he was convinced Dani was flirting with him. The thought made his stomach clench like he'd downed half a bottle of Stolichnaya. She was flirting with him. Dani. Flirting with him.

It wasn't just the way she'd winked at him when they'd sat next to each other before the ceremony started, or the way she'd aww-ed and leaned on his shoulder when Nomi and Amanita made their vows, or when he'd gotten up to head to the ballroom, and she'd grabbed him back by the knot on his tie, insisting on straightening it, her fingers brushing against the collar of his freshly ironed shirt.

No. It was when she'd whispered I missed you, silly as they'd gone to grab their first cocktail from the bar, the way the tip of her nose touched the side of his cheek and lingered for a few blissful seconds, that he realized he was still smitten, smitten beyond hope. Except this time, she may have been feeling the same.

Lito and Hernando were still staring at them when the song changed into something slower. Dani's eyes brightened, and she pulled him closer. He hadn't paid attention to his moves for the rest of the salsa — he'd been staring at her, and thinking, and crushing hard — but he assumed everything went fine. She would've teased him if it hadn't.

"I haven't learned how to slow dance," he said before he realized he was saying it out loud. He had somehow stupidly believed they'd be doing salsa dance for most of the night. Stupid.

"It's not that hard," she told him. "Easier than salsa. Here." She lowered his arm around her waist a little. "I'll guide us. All you gotta do is stay close."

And stay close, he did. Lito was shooting daggers with his eyes now, but Felix was enjoying himself, enjoying the way his tie was almost brushing against her skin. He forced his eyes back up from her plunging neckline before she could catch him staring. She caught him anyway, but all she did was wink.

She was wearing her gardenia perfume, the one he liked, and he knew she knew he liked it. He'd told her on his third day at the London safe house when he was still hopelessly clinging to the idea that she'd flirt back. And her dress was lemon yellow tonight, his favorite color, the same color as his tie. It made her glow like she was the fucking sun, and he was the Earth, or Mars, or Jupiter, or whatever, orbiting around her –

Fuck. He was writing poetry in his head. Maybe he was already drunk.

"You're awfully quiet tonight, Felix. Should I be concerned?"

"I'm alright," he mumbled. "Just thinking."

"About what?"

"You're wearing yellow," he stated bluntly, pausing in his steps. "It's my favorite."

Stupid. Where the fuck did all his courage go? The courage that gave him a better pick-up line? The courage he had when he used to try and pick up the hottest girls from the club, or when he flirted with Dani back in London on his first night there?

Maybe he only had courage when he knew he had no chance.

But Dani smiled at his stupid statement, the corners of her eyes crinkling. She smiled in the way she did when he'd promised he'd call as soon as she landed, the day they said goodbye. The music faded then, and all Felix could hear was her voice. "I know it's your favorite."

"You, uh, trying out a new style?"

"You could say." She looked down at her billowing skirt. "I can see why you like it."

Hernando had remarked, when Dani had tried on the dress this morning, that yellow was a color that caught attention, though not in the dangerously enticing way red would. Red was passionate with a hint of secrecy, provocative like a dagger with a jeweled sheath. But yellow, yellow was all infectious in its cheerfulness, unapologetically dazzling.

More than that, yellow was the color that made her smile because it reminded her of Felix.

"It suits you," he told her.

Her boys were looking over in their direction again. Lito was frowning at how close she and Felix were standing like he was a disapproving papá. She had got to put an end to this, she thought, throwing him a glare.

Fortunately, Hernando seemed to be thinking along the same lines. Lito was getting all hot and bothered by Hernando's touch. Nomi and Amanita had jumped to Dani's rescue, too, shooing them off. Not that Lito looked like he needed much convincing.

"It's now or never, babe," Amanita whispered to Dani when she passed by.

The next song started, a German song. Dani tilted her head, trying to work out if it was something she knew. It wasn't. "Did Wolfgang pick this one?" she asked.

"I did." Felix was guiding the dance now. He was a quick study. A good improviser, once he got over his nerves, once Lito left them in peace. "It's for you."

Clearly, he had been thinking ahead. He'd practiced salsa behind her back to give her a surprise, and he'd chosen a song for her. She could tell it was a love song. He was doing all these sweet, romantic things she'd expect to see in romcoms, things Dani herself had pretended to swoon over when she was playing the part of a love interest on a movie set. This was the first time anyone had done this for her.

"What's it called?"

"Fȕr immer und dich," he whispered. "Forever and you."

"Romantic," she teased, grabbing his tie, pulling him close. Too close. Her heart was beating fast. If she were any closer, he'd feel the heartbeats echoing off her, she was sure.

"Do you… do you like it?"

She nodded. The words to the song sounded like a confession, one she didn't need to know the language to understand.

Ich seh' für Dich und ich hör' für Dich/ I see for you and I hear for you

Ich lüge und ich schwör' für Dich/ I lie for you and I vow for you

Und ich, ich hol den blauen Mond für Dich/ And I, I fetch the blue moon for you

Alles für Dich, das ist alles für Dich/ Everything for you, this is all for you

Für immer und Dich/ Forever and you

"Let's get out of here." She stopped dancing when the song was over, reaching for his hand.

He closed his hand around hers. "You tired of dancing?"

"No." Dani was already leading him out. "Just tired of the view."

Before they could get to the door, Felix let go of her and dashed to the bar, where he asked for a double tequila. She watched, wide-eyed, as he downed them with two rapid tosses of his head, one after the other.

"Woah." He turned around and took a second to steady himself before he broke into his usual dopey grin. "That burned. Let's go."

He led her out, down the hall, until they reached a patio. They stepped out. Dani couldn't see the stars from here, but lights blinked in the windows of the houses below. She didn't know how late it was, but she bet those people were staying up, waiting to make wishes amidst the fireworks.

She wanted to stay here with him until the sun rose, the two of them hovering over a sea of yellow lights, Katy Perry's I Kissed a Girl playing faintly (and ironically) in the ballroom down the hall. The wind, though, had other ideas. She should've brought a cardigan.

"Here." Felix took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders like a cape.

Dani wanted to protest. She wanted to point out he was gonna be the one who'd get a cold now, with his sheer white shirt and that yellow tie, which swayed a little in the wind. But the jacket was warm, so warm, and she was trying not to shiver –

She didn't have time to berate herself for giving in before he kissed her.

Felix lost himself in the kiss, wondering why the fuck he waited so long.

He had downed a double tequila in the hopes that he'd get over himself and get over his fucking nerves and kiss her, kissed her back, like he should have done months ago at the airport. The shots only made him tingly all over, like fireworks were going off inside his head. The zing of the alcohol made it hard to stand, but he'd found his balance as soon as his eyes found hers. And a burst of courage came over him (thank Conan!) and he'd led her out onto the patio and he'd given her his suit jacket and he'd kissed her.

Felix wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her closer when it was clear she wasn't pulling away, tasting the cinnamon from the fireside cocktail they'd had earlier this evening as he traced his tongue along her lips. She leaned into him, their bodies pressing against each other, before she parted her mouth and kissed him back.

Dani didn't know how much she longed for the kiss until it happened, until she was kissing Felix back with a fervor she had only imagined in her wildest dreams.

And maybe it was a dream. This entire year had been a dream, filled with the unexpected, the twists and turns at every corner. Dani had gotten a taste of her old reality again after she had spent the summer in an alternate one. And, dangers and all, she'd found herself wishing, every time she woke before her boys, that she'd see Felix standing in the kitchen waiting for her with that full-faced grin, insisting he didn't get drunk last night, not really.

"Firework's going off," he said when they finally pulled away.

She looked up at the sky, where bursts of blue and pink and purple crackled through the air before fading into the dark. "Did you make a wish?"

"Wouldn't be fun if I told you, would it?"

"No, it wouldn't," she agreed. "The mystery's the best part."

Felix sniffled. Dani had forgotten she was wearing his jacket. Already, she'd gotten used to his heat, like it had been part of her all along. Before she could pull the jacket off and give it back, he laid his hands on her shoulder. "Don't. You'll catch a cold."

"You're the one who's catching a cold," she protested.

He considered this for a moment. "They won't let me on a plane if I'm sick."

They certainly wouldn't. "Going so soon?"

"Don't know." He shrugged. "Haven't booked the tickets."

"Good."

"Good?"

"I want you to stay for a while. I can show you around. The coast, LA, San Diego… I can show you where I grew up, too, but you don't wanna go there –"

"I'll go wherever you take me."

It sounded like the exact type of thing Felix would have said back when he used to flirt with her, but Dani could tell that this time, he was completely serious.

"Okay."

She led him back inside by the hand. They walked down through another hall. She didn't feel like going back to the ballroom just yet.

"How long do you want me to stay?" he asked, turning her around for another kiss.

"As long as you wish."

Sun spent most of the evening slow-dancing and sampling the hors-d'oeuvres, engaged in quiet conversation with her Cluster and extended family. Kwon-Ho had found good company in Jela and Diego, but occasionally he'd drift over to her side and listen in on her conversation. She didn't mind, so long as he didn't embarrass her.

And he didn't. For most of the evening, anyway. When the fireworks started, they had closed their eyes and made a wish, their hands laced together between them as they stood at the edge of the dance floor. It had only been over than a week since Sun had more or less confirmed they were "official", but everyone in the ceremony, the parents included, assumed they were a married couple despite their lack of wedding bands.

Kwon-Ho took delight in the misunderstanding. Sun, on the other hand, wanted to punch a wall — not because the idea of marrying the detective wasn't appealing, but because he was making no effort to correct anyone who made the wrong assumption.

"You are my plus-one. Not my husband," she'd remind him every time, squeezing his hand hard enough to make him cringe.

"Not yet."

He made the mistake of quipping back as they sat at the high tables sipping on lemonade, just as the song he'd picked for Sun in secret, For You by Yim Jae Beum, started playing.

He dodged when she made a grab for his nose. It was a tactic she had, unfortunately, discovered when they had sparred in one of their non-dates. His nose was especially sensitive to pinching, as noses tended to be, and by trying to grab it, she could distract him enough to throw him down and claim another victory.

She stopped in the pursuit of her target when she realized what the song was. Crossing her arms, she studied him for a second, scowling. "You picked this song."

"Ha! I'm glad you –" he took a step back when she made another attempt at catching his nose – "I'm glad you worked that out – oww! –" Sun had grabbed him by the tie, pulling him forward until their mouths were a mere inch away.

(Kwon-Ho was wearing a red tie with his black suit to match her outfit — a cutout black evening dress with red stripes lining the neckline and the exposed slivers of flesh on both sides of her waist. It was Lito's idea, one he more or less talked her into with his incessant nagging. Sun hated to admit it suited them, this… couple's theme.)

Before he could lean in for a kiss, she let go and stepped back, barely containing her smug expression when he looked disappointed. "You should be thankful I am not looking for a rematch on New Year's Eve, Detective."

"Thank you for sparing my life, Miss Bak."

"Did someone put you up to this?"

"Well, Riley asked if I had a special request."

"And this is what you picked?"

Kwon-Ho grinned as he straightened himself again, that cheeky grin which made her fist curl. That rematch was sounding more and more tempting. "It's a cute, romantic pick. I don't see why not."

He. Was. Impossible.

More impossible was the fact that, try as she might have done, she could not bring herself to feel genuinely mad. Mildly irritated? Perhaps. Tempted to set him straight? Definitely. But mostly, she was trying to shut out the over-the-top lyrics blasting through the speakers, and trying even harder not to laugh.

"Did you do this to embarrass me?" she managed to ask with a straight face.

"Why are you embarrassed? Hmm?"

Most of the guests had retired home at this point. A few people were still dancing — Riley and her dad, Will and Nomi, Amanita and Teagan — but most of the others who were still in the room were sitting around, talking and yawning and refusing to go to bed.

Before Sun could come up with something, anything, to say, to tell Kwon-Ho that no, she was absolutely not embarrassed at all, he'd picked up on her flustered mood. He put a hand over his heart and began to lip-sync to the lyrics with a dramatic expression that would have made Lito proud. No amount of swatting him on the arm could get him to stop.

All she could do was roll her eyes, hoping the hotness in her cheek wasn't visible.

He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in, trying to kiss her on the cheek. Sensing her chance at payback, she turned to face him as he was closing in, her lips catching his. He froze for a second before he broke into an even bigger grin.

"You and Lito would get along quite well," she said finally.

She was thankful Lito and Hernando had bailed out of this party early, or she imagined Lito would have played along, lip-syncing the words of this unbearably sappy love song along with Kwon-Ho. The mere thought of it made her groan internally. One man keen to embarrass her was bad enough. Two would be a trigger for disaster.

He kissed her again, and this time the kiss found its intended target on her cheekbone. His lips were a little chapped, and it tickled. "I don't doubt that," he whispered.

And then the next song played — I Want You To Want Me, one of Riley's additions — and, too late, Sun realized Riley had purposefully arranged the playlist that way so she could be embarrassed twice, harder the second time.

I want you to want me.

I need you to need me.

I'd love you to love me.

I'm beggin' you to beg me.

Sun crossed her arms and sighed, louder this time. Her eyes scanned the room until she noticed Riley on the other side talking to her dad.

Really? Sun thought.

Riley shrugged, unable to contain her smile. "It's a catchy song. Brightens up the mood."

"Certainly does," Gunnar added, having grown used to Riley talking to visitors he couldn't see by now.

Wonderful. Just wonderful. Kwon-Ho and the rest of her Cluster were ganging up on her. She wouldn't be surprised if the guests were all in on this joke. It did seem a little coincidental that everyone thought they were married, after all. Sun spent the rest of the song silently fuming, though if anyone had asked, she would have denied it.

Fortunately, the song after that was one Sun had picked. A relatively safe one. Kwon-Ho left his seat while she visited Riley, and now he came back with two chocolate cupcakes as a peace offering, which she accepted begrudgingly. They ate in silence as Just Dance blasted through the speakers.

"I didn't take you for a Lady Gaga fan."

"I am not fans of artists so much as individual songs. And this one helps me prepare before I go into a fight."

"You used to do underground fighting, didn't you?"

Sun narrowed her eyes. Even now, Kwon-Ho surprised her with how much he knew about her now and then. "Did Nomi tell you this?"

"Capheus did." He licked the crumbs off the wrapping paper. "He told me you were, uh, what was it? Ahh. 'The Jean Claude of the Under-World'."

"Sounds like Capheus."

"He also told me you rescued him from thugs. Twice."

Sun finished her own cupcake and folded the wrapping paper carefully before speaking. "We do have a propensity for finding ourselves in more danger than we have bargained for."

"Even before the BPO trouble?" He flicked a piece of cupcake crumb off her cheek before she could dodge. It tickled, but she wouldn't laugh to give him the satisfaction. She wouldn't.

"Even before that. Sometimes I suspect our rebirth was timed based on our likelihood of survival at a given time. We found each other when we needed each other most, although we had never crossed paths before in our personal lives."

"Huh." He smirked. "So, more mysteries I can't explain to my Lieutenant?"

"If you do not wish to know, we can talk about something else."

She was trying to see how much weirdness he could take. Lucky for Kwon-Ho, he was pretty used to the Sensate thing by now, the invisible friends hovering over Sun's shoulders, offering dating advice or the occasional rescue from life-threatening situations. These days, the former was much more likely.

Plus, as a cop, Kwon-Ho was programmed to expect the unexpected. It would take a lot more than calculated coincidences of fate to deter him from Sun. Really, nothing could deter him from Sun these days, not even threats to break his nose.

He hooked his hand around her chin and pulled her in for a quick kiss, chuckling as she opened her eyes, surprised, when their lips touched. "Try me."

Sun wondered what it would take for Kwon-Ho to give up his endless attempts to woo her. As far as she was concerned, he had already gotten what he wanted (Sun, admitting she did not mind that he called her his girlfriend). And he was her date at a wedding where people revealed their opinions on their compatibility as a couple by assuming they were married. That should have given him enough satisfaction.

If it were any other dating situation, all these "sweet couple" things would have been deal-breakers. Sun was not one for romance, and Kwon-Ho knew that, but still, he showed up at her apartment on the day they were traveling to the airport holding a giant teddy bear that had a Sherlock-style deerstalker hat — the same type of bear someone had tried to steal at D-Cube Mall on Christmas Eve. She wondered if it was the same bear, if it was a confiscated item the station had no intent on keeping.

Of course, Jinju had been dropped off at her teacher's house earlier that morning, and they had to leave Furlock Holmes behind (Nomi had insisted on naming him), too, before they left for the airport. But Sun had accepted the gift with a roll of her eyes and a chuckle before placing the bear on her couch to stand guard over her empty apartment.

While she was on the plane ride over to San Francisco, laying her head on Kwon-Ho's shoulder as they snuggled up in their shared blanket to watch The Age of Shadows, she could have sworn she heard Wolfgang think she was turning soft. She made sure to put an end to that train of thought by punching him on the shoulder before pulling him into a hug when he and Kala arrived at the airport.

"I am not feeling particularly inclined to talk about the past tonight," she said after what must have been a long pause, purposefully evading the topic now that he showed interest.

"You wanna tell me about this song, then?"

She frowned, listening, before she realized her last pick was over. The song playing now was Milele by Elani, a song Capheus had introduced to her.

"It's in Swahili."

"Ahh." Kwon-Ho looked in Capheus' direction. He was building a tower on a plate out of mini fruit tarts, and Zakia looked like she was giving him instructions on how to make it stay upright. "One of your languages?"

Sun nodded. "It's a Kenyan love song about two forbidden lovers. The man is afraid he will not be accepted by his girlfriend's family because he is poor. Her family is trying to set her up to marry someone else. A doctor."

"Sounds awful."

Kwon-Ho watched Sun carefully as he said this, trying to note any shifts in her expression. Ever since he'd divulged to Sun that he'd told his mom about her, she seemed nervous whenever the topic of meeting his family was brought up. And he didn't blame her. Their romantic history wasn't exactly the most peaceful, and part of it, he couldn't even tell without making it sound like science fiction.

But Kwon-Ho knew his mom would like Sun. She would certainly have never set him up with a doctor, in any case. Having a doctor as a partner would enable his recklessness to grow. His mom would have wanted someone who could remind him he was flesh and bone, not someone who could patch him up.

"It is," she agreed. "The story is sad. But I still like the music. I don't know why."

"It feels truthful," he said, nodding along to the rather upbeat tune. It almost sounded like a happy song. He would have thought it was about something pleasant, had Sun not been there to inform him otherwise. "Like someone's telling the story, but not in a way that sounds like the story's over, you know?"

"That is a fair point."

"What do the lyrics mean?" he asked.

"She is trying to convince her partner to meet her parents anyway. He is reluctant, but she insists she loves him, and only him."

"Maybe their love will prevail."

"Maybe. Or they can run away. Live somewhere new."

"Or that," he conceded. "But I hope they won't have to. Leaving everything behind must be a difficult decision to make."

Sun thought about Kala, who had left Mumbai behind to live in Paris with Wolfgang. Her parents were coming to terms with Wolfgang, but it had been a dramatic transition for Kala, one Sun and the rest of the Cluster had experienced whenever she was struck by bouts of homesickness by the tiniest reminders of India.

It was a challenge to unlearn all the little things one had acquired from living in one place while they adjusted to a new life. The change didn't even have to be a physical relocation. Often, these days, Sun would find herself wandering to the place where her father's office used to be, thinking she needed to remind him about an appointment with a new client before she remembered she was the one in charge now.

The new freedom that came with having a chance to start over was daunting, even for someone as (allegedly) fearless as Sun.

"It is a decision that needs to happen eventually," she pointed out. "Otherwise there is no way to move forward, is there?"

"That's true. I don't think there's a way around it."

Maybe you need to take your own advice, Nomi thought. Sun couldn't see where she was, but clearly, Nomi had known what was on Sun's mind before she herself became aware. She sighed. Sometimes she could really use a break from the connections, though she didn't think she could ever look at a Blocker again, let alone use one.

"I will meet your mother. That is, if you would like me to," she said before she could find a reason to stop herself.

He smiled and reached for her hand, gently running a thumb through the scars on her knuckles that never entirely healed. Every so often she would punch something and break her skin again. Miki and Kala had given up on lecturing her about infections months ago.

"Of course I'd like you to," he said.

"Okay."

"Okay," he repeated. "Is this Sunday a good time?"

Somehow, the fact that they had settled on a deadline made her feel relieved, rather than nervous. Perhaps a relative degree of certainty was good for her. "Yes," she said. "Sunday sounds just fine."

Will and Riley appreciated the quiet of the hours past midnight when most of the guests and their Cluster grew tired of the celebration. The perks of having cop- and DJ-hours was, their biological clocks were need-based, adaptable to whatever hours of the day they could stay awake. After midnight, they sat at the corner of the room, a blanket draped over them both, and spent time in comfortable silence watching the dwindling crowd.

To everyone's surprise, Amanita's parents and Nomi's dad were all still here, and still quite awake. Perhaps they were trying to prove a point, staying up after their children grew tired for the mere sake of it, but Teagan, deep in a conversation with Sun, seemed determined to prove them wrong. Nomi and Amanita were still here, too, though they were feeding blueberries to each other, tossing and catching, thoroughly distracted.

"You okay?" Will asked.

Riley was watching them with a sad smile, remembering how she and Magnus had done the same romantic thing after her first wedding. The association was still there — weddings and the inevitability of loss — but her second wedding had made it easier for her to make peace with the first.

"I'm remembering," Riley said.

Will put an arm around her and tucked the blanket around their shoulders tighter. He didn't speak. He always knew when she needed the silence, but she had kept her mind open to communicate without words.

Nomi stopped in the middle of another blueberry fetch and turned to Riley with a tentative look. Riley smiled and shrugged. Everything's fine.

Riley didn't remember the last time she had said this to herself. But now, with Will's head against hers and the sound of fireworks in the distance, she realized it was true. Things had worked out in her life. For the past few months, she and Will had done a thorough job of picking up the pieces, revisiting before moving on.

Will breathed in Riley's presence like he would never stop missing her, soothing himself with the memories she shared, glimpses of New Years spent in wood cabins, sheltered from the outside world. He lived through the celebrations in their mind. They brought a fondness to his heart as well as hers.

Hava Nagila played on the speakers, catching Grace's attention in the middle of her conversation with Detective Mun. Grace found Nomi's dad in a quiet discussion with Estella, and she approached him, asking if he wanted to dance. They conversed quietly while they danced, glancing affectionately at their children.

"They have more energy than us." Riley chuckled.

Will turned and kissed her on the forehead, making her crinkle her nose. "Well, we did spend the first half of the evening in a dance battle."

Riley leaned into him, using his shoulder as a substitute pillow. "I wish every New Year's Eve could be like this."

"With a wedding?"

"With all of us. Together."

Will nodded. He would have liked that, too. He missed living with his Cluster and extended family, even though they were in the middle of a war, all of them united against the world at large. In the four months apart, Will had found himself looking back more than once while he wandered around his new apartment, expecting to see Nomi sitting across the room, typing away as she munched on dry cereal, or Capheus singing and dancing in the kitchen as he watched toast jump out from the toaster with glee.

Sometimes he'd talk to someone in his Cluster who was visiting and think they were physically here. Once he'd asked Sun if she could get the door when the doorbell rang during her visit. Diego had laughed for a good minute while Will stood in the doorway, confused as to how he got there physically instead of Sun.

Damn, Gorski, Diego had said, I know you got your little seance issue all cleared up with the Lieutenant, but if he sees you pull this shit? You're dead.

It was good to be back, to be home in Chicago doing the job he loved. And he knew it was good for Riley to come with him, to live someplace else like she always wanted. Gunnar was making the best out of their arrangement, too. His career was picking back up, so he had the freedom to travel while he played in concerts all over.

"We can make that a tradition," Riley suggested. "Reuniting on every New Year's Eve."

"I'd like that." He smiled.

The final song — Life is Better With You — came on while everyone prepared to leave. But Riley pulled the blanket off them slowly and stood up before helping him do the same. "Do you want to share one last dance?"

Will chuckled. The timeliness of the last song, title and all, wasn't lost on him. "Of course."

They shared their last waltz, stepping and swaying in the center of the floor with no one else watching as Nomi and Amanita said goodbye to everyone: to their parents and Teagan, who wished them a happy wedding night; to Felix (who was blushing) and Dani (who was blushing harder) as they walked off, sharing a smile; to Detective Mun with his arm around Sun's waist, pulling her snugly against him as they bid everyone goodnight.

Will and Riley said goodnight to Nomi and Amanita while they continued to dance. The newlyweds blew them kisses before they ran out the door hand-in-hand.

Riley looked around at the empty room. "Is that everyone?"

Will laughed. At some point between Lito and Hernando's timely exit and Capheus and Zakia's farewell right after the fireworks ended at midnight, Kala and Wolfgang had disappeared with nothing more than a fleeting thought of goodnight, congratulations, in their shared mind. Will had a feeling where they must have gone.

But he and Riley stayed until the end, until the song drew to a close. He packed up their things, and she unplugged the music. They removed the props from underneath the doors and swung them shut until they heard a final click.

On their drive back to their hotel, Riley fiddled with the radio in their rental car, searching for something to listen to while they moved along the coast. She stopped when she stumbled upon Your Arms Around Me. Yet another timely coincidence — it was a song that echoed the words she and Will had said earlier about the realities of life, and love, and loss.

From your mouth speaks your lovely voice

The softest words ever spoken

"What's broken can always be fixed

What's fixed will always be broken"

"Amen to that," Will said.

Riley followed his thoughts and sang along in their shared mind, acknowledging the truth behind these words. Experience always left a scar, something that could fade but never disappear. It would become part of a person, though the person had a say as to how.

The next song was an unfamiliar one, and neither of them felt like trying to work out what it was, so she turned the radio off and shuffled through her iPod. Her hand lingered when she saw Sæglópur on the list. She hadn't listened to it since the day she fainted at her father's concert, which, now that she thought about it, led to everything else.

But tonight was a night of leaving the past behind, and Riley felt like she should hear it one last time. She closed her eyes to listen as Will turned their car away from the coast, the blinking lights along the shore drifting from view. She found comfort in this song, a song about a child drowning, about the rescue which may or may not have come too late. She liked to believe the child had lived. When Lúna had been on the edge of passing, Riley had sung it in the hope that it would have given her a reason to stay.

The rescue had come too late. For her daughter, at least, but Riley had spent a long time believing it was too late for both of them in different ways. She found solace this song, in knowing she wasn't the only one who had brushed shoulders with death. The song spoke of her story through the eyes of another, a story that was both personal and distant.

Will listened to the same song with a frown. He found it difficult to find comfort in it, even though he listened with a mind that was not entirely his. It was the reality of the song that made him uneasy, the fact that it depicted a story which may as well have happened in the real world. He had worked on too many cases where hope had been crushed. The fall was always going to hurt more, the further he climbed.

The prospect of constantly weighing out the stakes, of deciding whether the pursuit would be worth the potential devastation, was daunting. On the field, Will's decisions were split-second, instantaneous. But when he had time to think things over, there were always things he would have done differently.

To Will, this song was a reminder of the weight of his choices.

"You don't have to bear it alone," Riley said, catching his thought.

"You're right." He smiled. "Not anymore."

"And bad choices happen a lot, and that's okay," she mumbled, more to herself than to him. "Life is too unpredictable."

Will sighed. "Yeah, it's unpredictable, alright. It's unpredictable, and it's wild, and it catches you fucking unprepared." He pulled to a stop in front of their hotel. "You know, back at the police academy, we used to say always brace yourself for the unexpected."

Riley pondered over these words as they got out of the car and walked down the cobblestone lane, shivering against the breeze. The streetlight was too dim for them to make out anything else besides the quaint structure that was their hotel. Some of the guests had apparently stayed up late to celebrate the beginning of the year. Light shone through their windows, warm and inviting. "So what do you do when the unexpected happens?"

"We try our best with what we know," he said. "We work with what we have."

In the dark, her hand found his. "Who we have."

– Fin –

A/N:

To those of you who had followed this fic from the beginning, thank you so much for sticking by me for the entirety of this story.

To those of you who found it halfway, at a point where you realized there were no more chapters, and you were dying to find out what happened next, thank you so much for bearing with me until my next update.

And to those of you who found it towards the end, I hope you enjoy finishing the story from beginning to end, whether you binge all at once or savor each chapter.

Thank you, all of you, for your support in any form. I appreciate each and every one of you :)

– Love, Sas (Nightar Patronus)

P. S. I am not ready to say goodbye to this story, just as I am not ready to say goodbye to Sense8, so I am taking requests. Veracity 'Verse will be expanded on in any (written) form that you may choose. I can write about stories (of OCs or canon characters, or both!) that took place before, during, or after Veracity's timeline, so long as it fits what happens in this story. The specific details can be found on my endnotes in chapter 38. I can't guarantee the prompts will be filled quickly, as real life is slowly starting to punish me for neglecting it completely while I immersed myself in this fic, but they will be filled eventually.

P. P. S. I will be editing my older chapters for the next few weeks, mainly things that were inconsistent (e.g. capitalization rules, like Sensate or cluster), because I couldn't figure it out before, but I have now.

P. P. P. S. I'm active on tumblr chaptersonetoinfinity, and I'm always down to chat about life, love, loss, or Sense8 feels. Or all of the above.