As much as Croix might like to lie to herself or deflect the emotion with another flippant comment, she actually really liked this. Just sitting here across from Chariot in her run-down little apartment away from Luna Nova. Or, no. Ursula's apartment, she kept trying to remind herself.

She had been here once or twice, since that whole…mess a little over a year and a half ago, but she was rarely in the same country as Ursula these days, much less the same room. She liked to travel, now that she was…

…Well, actually allowed to do it by the authorities. It was a hard-won privilege, when one was maybe somewhat responsible for the accidental launch of a WMD at a foreign power. Some people tended to frown on that sort of thing.

Not that she was traveling for pleasure, of course. Even if it wasn't for the fact she never had good reason to stay in one place anymore, she got out of bed each and every morning for the same reason, and she had spent every waking hour in search of the same thing.

Yet just…sitting here with Ursula, having dinner together like the old days, it was one of the few times she ever quite felt comfortable not focusing on the cure. With anyone else, Croix would've been too annoyed to be so unproductive. Only Ursula could bring that out in her.

Ursula sprinkled a little extra pepper onto her plate, and when she caught Croix staring, she smiled that dazzling performer smile she never seemed to realize she still had.

"You know, Croix? You always seem to find new ways to defy my expectations."

"What I do this time?"

"You've barely been in the country for seventy two hours, and yet you've already concocted a whole scheme. It's almost impressive, if I'm going to be honest."

Croix surprised herself when she started to chuckle. "Like I said, all those rumors about magic restoring herbs in the Himalayas were a dead end, so I've had a little extra time to think about it. Almost has nothing to do with it. It's a good plan."

Ursula brushed a few strands of red hair past her ear. And Croix wondered if she was just imaging seeing the hint of the same color on the other woman's cheeks. "I-it's…certainly unexpected. I can give you that."

Croix was about to go into why the unexpected quality of it was essential to its success, and go into all the brilliant devils in the details, but managed to surprise herself again. "Hey…you're not…having second thoughts about this, are you?"

Ursula blinked. "I…are you worried about it? Because I mean-?"

Croix waved her hands. "I asked you first."

She thought, maybe expected and maybe hoped, Ursula would think about it more, but she answered without much hesitation.

"Of course I'm still on board, Croix. I know how much this means to you." She smiled, turning her attention back to her plate. "And besides, how can I complain? I mean, this way, I get to see you for a whole extra week. So if you still want to do it, I still want to support you."

Croix nodded, sort of ignoring the implied question. Ursula didn't bring it up, if she noticed it. Ursula seemed to know the answer anyway. It was…nice. Nicer than it should've been. So she focused her thoughts on their plan.

Croix was the one who (for lack of a better term) proposed the idea.

And what an idea it was. It was gaudy, overly extravagant, and petty to the point of being entirely below both their stations, which made it absolutely perfect for them. Ursula had agreed to the plan in a heartbeat, and they had spent the last two days working out details.

And it hard for Croix describe, really. The feeling that came with it. It was…easy, being with Ursula. Here they were, sitting across from each other (on a table bought in a garage sale) eating freshly baked lasagna (because Ursula liked to insist she eat 'real' pasta) with barely even a word between them. Croix might've thought it would've been an awkward silence, but it was just…comfortable.

And it always felt effortless. Drifting closer to Ursula was far easier than it had any right to be, all things considered. She called out to Croix the same way a warm drink and blanket did after dragging her feet through the snow and mountains, but somehow comparing that to the casual and all-consuming pull she got with Ursula felt like a disgusting understatement.

She wasn't stupid. She knew the reasons why, and she knew in some ways it was mutual. Even if Ursula didn't need her nearly as much as Croix did the other way around, she was more than able to recognize the way Ursula recharged around her. And they never really talked about that sentiment. Maybe they didn't want to, maybe they just didn't need to, but it was there.

And as someone who spent her life looking destiny in the face, desperately trying not to blink, not even Croix could deny how easy it all felt.

But then…

Well, she had more or less felt that same ease when she built the Noir Rod and pulled the whole taking her vengeance shtick, and that hadn't exactly worked out in her favor. Not in anyone's favor, really, but she was the one who got burned when the smoke cleared.

Croix took another bite of lasagna. She wasn't sure there was any way to compare it to prepackaged ramen that wasn't totally insulting. "You're not…upset that I travel around a lot, are you?"

Ursula paused. "…I'm a little…jealous, I suppose. You're always going to all these different countries and places and seeing all these magic schools and scholars. I wouldn't mind seeing you…taking it easy here, every now and then."

"I do take it easy."

"Your definition of taking it easy is traveling the globe trying to cure an incurable disease?"

Croix just smirked.

Most of the places she went to ended up as dead-ends or just a footnote in her research, but she had found one or two roads she'd like to pursue. Only between her previous travels and the Noir Rod (and, well, bail) she didn't exactly have much left in her savings at the moment. There was a reason her latest plan was more…audacious than most.

"I mean…" Croix started, trying to sound disinterested. "…if you…want, you could always come with me, you know."

Ursula's smile dropped. "I don't know if that would really work out."

"Why not? You used to be all about traveling the world. Think of it, I'm trying to cure you here, so we could just…cut out the middle man. And we could go out, see the sights, do all of that nice stuff."

"Croix, no. I can't."

"Take a vacation, they won't miss you at Luna Nova."

"I'd…." Ursula sighed. "I barely get enough sick days as it is. And ever since that entire ordeal last year, Luna Nova's been getting applications from hundreds of new students, and we're just so understaffed now. I can't get away."

"Oh…" Croix deflated. But she quickly shook off her disappointment. "Well, I guess that's…fine. We should…focus on the plan then."

When Ursula giggled, Croix looked back up. "…What?"

"N-nothing." Ursula said, trying to hide her smile behind her fork. "It's just…I like the way you said it. The plan. You make it sound so serious."'

"It is serious." Croix argued. "We have to make sure we pull this off right, if we want it to work. I still need to work out a few minor details, not to mention I have to find some cheap way to get a suit for this thing, since we both know I can't go all out with this."

Ursula perked up. "You're going to be wearing a suit?"

"I'm sure not wearing a dress if I can help it. I haven't worn a skirt since I was a teenager. I'm not going back to those dark times now."

Ursula snorted. "I can't believe that's where you draw the line with fashion. Especially with everything I've seen you wear."

Croix glanced down at the poncho she was wearing. "…What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

Ursula leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes in thought. "There was your teaching outfit." She mused. "All those red belts and straps, and the high collared cape…"

"Oh not this again." Croix's eyes all but rolled into the back of her head. "Why does everyone give me so much grief about the cape? The cape was fashionable. I made it look good. You wore a cape!"

"As a performer. You wore it as a teacher."

"Better than that bell dress." Croix scoffed. "That thing is hideous. Don't know how you people can stand to let yourselves be seen like that, Chariot." It took her a moment to realize what she said. "E-er, no, no. Sorry. Ursula."

Ursula's mood, however, was undented. "I've told you, it's fine. I like it when you call me Chariot. It's like…a blast from the past. It's nice, to have someone that can remember that part of me."

How Ursula could be so…calm and casual about everything, she couldn't imagine. Ursula either had a really good mask, or a really bad memory.

It didn't take Ursula long to notice her picking at her food. It never did. She seemed to have a second sense for it. She coughed into her fist, shifting in her seat. "…In any case! I um…just found out. Our guest of honor already RSVP'd."

"Good news at last." Croix chuckled to herself. "And you convinced Diana to get us that ballroom, right?"

Ursula nodded. "She's not entirely happy with our plan, but she's agreed to it."

So they had their special guest and they had three of the intended attendees. It was hard not to feel good about that. "Now the only thing left is to get the rest of the…" Croix took a moment to swallow her pride. "…Nine New Witches to attend."

She couldn't stop herself from shaking her head. Not that she would've, but still. Ursula's brows furrowed. "I don't know why you dislike that title so much."

"It's pretentious."

"I don't see why." Ursula said. "And well, I just thought with everything that happened you'd, um…like having a title like that."

Croix twirled her fork into her food. "…maybe a lifetime ago, I might've. Now it just sounds ridiculous."

What in the world had been going through Akko's head when the kid bestowed that silly title on them? And why did she decide to include Croix in on it? Maybe if it was just the eight of them, it would've been something. But Croix was never part of their community. And she didn't know whether or not if she actually wanted to be.

The only thing that mattered to her about it now was that, somehow, the name had spread, which gave her the chance to use it to their advantage. Once she was done with it, she'd just have to figure out how to shake it off for good, and hope she never had to hear about it and remember what came with it ever again.

Ursula pursed her lips. "…to be honest, Croix. I just…well, I was always hoping you'd be a part of something, outside of all your research, and I always liked to think it was that."

Croix shrugged indifferently. "It's fine. I don't have that much of an opinion on it. Why do you want me to be one of the Nine New Witches?"

"I...I mean…" Ursula shifted in her seat, biting her lip. "I've been…worrying about you. Ever since the day I stopped being Chariot Du Nord, really. And I know you still feel...awkward about how everything went down, so…I was just trying to get you to think more about the future."

Croix set her gaze on the meat and cheese on her fork. "Like I said. It's fine."

Ursula stared at her a moment, before a small sigh escaped her lips, and a light smile snuck up her face. "Well, if it's ever not fine…you know my door's always open."

"That's a good way to get robbed. I always lock up my stuff."

Ursula snorted. "Even if I had anything worth stealing, on a teacher's salary…if you do ever need something from me, all you need to do is ask."

Croix felt something stir in her stomach, more at the words Ursula was leaving out. "…Yeah, I'm never really been a cat burglar. I dabbled more towards…I'm not sure what you'd call it."

Ursula thought for a moment. "…I think it was…um." She coughed into her fist. "…teeeechnically international terrorism."

"What?" Croix blinked. "Wait, how am I a terrorist?"

"You started riots and launched a missile at a foreign country, to specifically incite anger and violence. That's sort of…terroristy?"

Croix scoffed. "First of all, the missile was an accident. And second of all, they were never able to connect the riots to me, since my computers were all wiped, so all they could convict me of was severe criminal negligence and reckless child endangerment."

"So you're not a convicted terrorist. That's…that's not really my point."

Croix just smirked.

"Only point that matters."

To be honest, if it had been anyone else, Croix was sure she would've been called out right now. Maybe it was just the teacher in her, but Ursula always seemed to be able to read her like no one else could. So, for now, she was content to drop it.

Ursula turned back to her plate. "…If we pull this off…what are you going to do next?"

"We will pull this off. No ifs about it."

"But what are you going to do when it's all said and done, I mean?"

Croix paused. She hadn't put much thought into it either way. She mostly figured once she pulled it off (and she was going to pull it off, mind you) she'd look up the next lead she could find on curing Wagandea's disease, pack her bags and shove off, like she always did. She didn't put much thought into it if she could help it.

"Guess I'll…figure it out when I get there."

Ursula stared at her a moment, before the smile slowly returned to her face, and she returned to their dinner. "Then I guess I better enjoy having my best friend in the same zipcode as me while I can. You could stand to at least send me a postcard when you're out and about, you know."

Croix's brows furrowed. "Why would I send a postcard? It's the 21st century. Buy a laptop and I'll email you."

"Is this you deliberately missing the point, or…?"

"Only point that matters?"

That earned her another dazzling smile. Croix's eyes fell down to her plate, her own lips turning upwards. Ursula had to know her expressions were just too much to handle at once sometimes.

"S-so…" Croix cleared her throat. "Only a few things left to take care of before the big day is here, right?"

Ursula nodded. Someone could live a hundred lives and still never deserve that look in her eyes. "Should be! Are...are you excited for it?"

"Yeah…" Croix scratched the back of her neck. "…I mean, feels good to have a plan go right for once."

"I can drink to that." Ursula chuckled. "Oh, and speaking of that! I have the champagne in my fridge. I already gave half away to Anne the other day, so we should be good there."

"Perfect." Croix smiled. "And, I can go out and…y'know, get some of the other decorations. You should go make sure our other guests can come when you're not busy tomorrow."

Ursula's smile, however, started to strain. "Actually, um…I have some things I need to take of for Holbrooke, so um…I can't, tomorrow. Sorry, Croix."

Croix set down her fork.

"Oh." She said, before shrugging absently. "…Well, that's alright then. Shouldn't be too much trouble for me to get them to agree. You don't need to worry about it."

And that was what she sounded like when she lied to herself and hid behind a flippant comment.

Even all this time later, it was still just odd to see the seven of them gathered again. Especially the idea they gathered because she asked them to. Of course, it was probably due in no small part to the fact that Diana was in on this, and she had much more pull with the group, but it was still an awkward feeling.

Honestly, she was just surprised they didn't feel more awkward around her. There was…something there, but if it didn't affect her goals, she wasn't going to question it. Just one of those facts of life.

She had asked the seven of them to the town; Akko, Lotte, Sucy, Amanda, Diana, Constanze and Jasminka, because as much as she didn't like to admit it, she needed outside help on this. That, and she couldn't ask them at school, because the school was run by the type of people who frowned on WMDs being launched on campus and they kindly requested that she not be within 100 meters of the grounds at all times.

Another one of those facts of life.

Diana already knew what was going on, but evidently, she had decided to keep quiet and let Croix justify the plan by herself. And Croix did her best to explain what she needed from them in the gentlest way possible. She wasn't exactly friends with the little group, and she didn't want any of them to freak out and make a scene.

So she could only suppress a groan as Akko proceeded to freak out and make a scene.

"You're getting married?!"

Sucy, who had the unfortunate luck to be standing next to Akko, winced. "And that was my ear. Thanks for that."

"You're getting married!" Akko whipped to face her friends, her eyes practically bugging out of her head. "They're getting married! She…a-and Professor Ursula! They're-! Married! Like, together!"

Amanda still had her arms folded behind her head indifferently. She had, more or less, the same body language Croix might've expected a teenager to have when asked to come to town in the middle of a Saturday afternoon. "Yeah, I hear that's how that works."

Jasminka clasped her hands together before Croix could butt back into the conversation. "Congratulations, Croix! I didn't even know you two were that close yet!" Beside her, Lotte nodded vigorously, clasping her hands together like an awestruck schoolgirl.

Croix's eye might've twitched, but she was pretty sure she stopped herself from reacting in any other way. "…I don't think any of you actually heard me here. I said it's fake."

That seemed to catch a few of them off guard. Everyone but Diana (who already knew that) and Constanze (who was too busy tinkering with some remote gadget to care either way) looked up.

Jasminka tilted her head in an especially dainty way. "But…why do you want us to come to a fake wedding?"

Sucy nodded. "I don't even want to go a real one. Why should we bother with this?"

Why did she ever think disguising herself as a teacher was a good idea? Kids were disgustingly blunt. She was never good at dealing with them, and she hated trying to justify herself.

Before she could bother, Akko turned on her friends. "Aw c'mon guys! Real or not, this is exciting! Do you realize what this means? I'm going to go to Shiny Chariot's wedding!"

And now Croix's eye visibly twitched. "It's…it's my wedding too." She said, before quickly adding on, "…And it's not a wedding. It's a reception. We're going to make it look like we just finished hosting a wedding, and we're going to stage photos of the actual ceremony as a just in case."

Akko bounced on her heels. "But you're gonna decorate and make cake and all that stuff right? I mean, think of all the possibilities!" She suddenly gasped as a thought struck her. "Ooh! Ooh, maybe I can help!"

No, Croix thought.

"…Maybe." Croix said. "Everything's already planned out anyway. I…only need one or two things from you kids to make it look convincing. Nothing else."

Diana stepped into the conversation. "I'm afraid I'm inclined to agree with Croix here, Akko. As…poorly justified as this entire plan is, she and Professor Ursula have it worked out well enough."

Poorly justified?

Hated dealing with kids.

Akko, perhaps unfortunately, still had an idea in her head. "Aw, come on! I'm sure I can find a good way to make this wedding more exciting! Even if it is a fake one!"

Croix just shrugged. "Look, the last thing I need is to make this more exciting. And if you want me to be honest here, I really don't think you getting involved in this business is a good idea. To put it mildly."

Akko frowned. "Wh-?! What is that supposed to mean?!"

Croix didn't even uncross her arms. "Oh, let's be honest, kid. This is not the worst thing I've ever said to you."

Diana pursed her lips, visibly attempting to let her down gently. Her tone vaguely reminded Croix of the way someone might tell a dog they couldn't come outside with them. "Akko, I know you know I mean this in the nicest way possible. But you…erm…you lack…"

Constanze's Stanbot raised an arm. "Basic social etiquette?"

"A long attention span?" Jasminka suggested.

"The ability to read a situation?" Amanda.

"Redeeming qualities?" Sucy.

Lotte shifted on her feet. "I…think she was going to say something nicer, like…tact."

Akko's mouth opened and closed like a fish. But somehow, Diana managed to look more flustered than her anyway.

"No." Diana snapped. "What I was going to say, was 'a certain grace'. Akko has those other qualities. She just…maybe hasn't entirely refined them yet, so it…may be for the best we not interfere more than we need to."

At least someone could keep these people focused. Croix had long since lost her appetite for crowds, at least ones where everyone knew her on a personal basis. If she didn't need these kids to attend to pull this off...

Now that she thought about it, she actually found herself half-worried she might've laid it on too thick with Akko. Croix had already put the kid through more than enough grief. You terrorize a minor with a cube monster, you get to feeling guilty about it later.

Akko turned to Diana curiously. "Wait, did you already know about this wedding thing?"

Or, no. She was apparently already over it. Maybe being overly forgiving was a thing the Claiomh Solais looked for.

"Unfortunately." Diana crossed her arms. "But I already agreed, so I intend to see it through."

Amanda, apparently seeing an opportunity, began to leer over her, waggling her eyebrows suggestively. "Oh, I get it. You wanna see how this stuff's done first hand, right?"

Diana's cheeks began to turn a rosy shade of pink. "…Please don't start in with this now. I have my own reasons for participating in this ridiculous thing."

Sucy leaned over to Amanda, but spoke loud enough that the rest of them could hear what she's saying. "Yeah, she has her own personal stake. The future reference is just a bonus for her."

Diana's eyes flicked over to Akko. "T-that has nothing to do it, Mambavaran."

Amanda smirked. "But you're not denying it."

Were these kids really doing this now? This was ludicrous. "…So are you kids going to come to my fake wedding then or what? Because I'm really not in the mood to stand here and hear all about your love-lives. I have things to do. Today, if possible."

Diana's face contorted at the word, and she groaned, shaking her head. "You people are vultures. Every single one of you. Vultures."

Akko watched as she stormed off, the confusion clear on her face. "What was that about?"

Teenagers.

Croix just rolled her eyes. It was embarrassing to even think she was ever that young. "So yes or no? You coming or not?"

Amanda glanced in the direction Diana stormed off in. "Eh, why not? Might be able to have some fun."

Jasminka wasted no time in agreeing. And Constanze simply went along with whatever her team decided, too busy tinkering with her remote to care. Croix was pretty sure she liked that kid.

"Of course we're gonna go!" Akko threw her arms around Lotte and Sucy, pulling them in a tight embrace. "This'll be great! It'll be like a huge party!"

Sucy glowered. "Don't speak for me. But fine."

Lotte was hesitant, but she finally nodded. "W-well, if you really need our help with this, then I'll do what I can! I um…just need to find a nice dress, I guess…"

And Diana had her own stake in this, so she was a shoe-in. Which meant the first phase in Croix's agenda was all going according to plan. She wasn't sure if there was any shame in feeling proud of that fact, but she didn't do much to resist the feeling.

"Well, then. I'll just consider this your RSVPs." Croix nodded to herself. "Wait until I tell my…fiancé."

…That hadn't come out how she expected it to.

She had meant to say it in a more…sardonic way, but the word got stuck in her throat on the way out. Either that, or the word suddenly decided to slap her with its meaning. She had the unfortunate habit of avoiding thoughts of the future as much as possible, but now…

Fiancé.

She literally just constructed a scenario where she could call Chariot Du Nord, Ursula Callistis…her fiancé.

Whoofdah.

…Could a bride get pre-wedding jitters if both brides were completely faking it? Was that something that could happen? Because Croix was feeling a bit…

But, no. No, that was stupid. Croix shook the thoughts from her head, and reset her expression to be as nonchalant as it usually was nowadays. She was nonchalant. She had absolutely no chalant about this at all.

This was a fake wedding ceremony. Perhaps if Croix was honest with herself she could admit that there maybe might be just a tiny fraction of somewhat and not-all-that notable personal appeal to her about the scenario, potentially. The essence of a dream scenario, if she was being more honest than she actually cared to be with anything ever. But that's all it was, a dream. Nothing more than that.

She had spent her entire adolescence wanting one thing, and then the next ten years of her life wanting another. First it was purpose, and then it was retribution. And after the spectacular failure of both, watching Chariot take the Claiomh Solais and the disaster that was her precious Noir Rod, Croix had decided she was done wanting. No more thinking of the future for her.

The mindset didn't sit entirely right with her. It settled in her gut sideways and weighed down on her shoulders. She was an inherently ambitious person, after all. But better to live on the unsettled than to build herself up and watch as everything she wanted came crumbling down before her eyes again.

She couldn't handle it. Not a third time.

Today, her only goal was to fabricate a convincing wedding ceremony. She would decide tomorrow's goal when tomorrow came and not a second before.

And hey, this should be easy for a woman of her talents. The Noir Rod may have been her greatest failure, but she still built an artificial staff that could match the properties of the one built by the supposedly legendary Nine Olde Witches enough to function as an alternative key to the Grand Triskellion.

How taxing could a wedding be? Croix had this in the bag.

Pouring over the cold hard facts in her mind, she was actually confident. A rare feeling these days, but hey. There it was. She was going to (fake) marry Ursula and not only was that going to be that, but this experiment was going to end in a success for her, the first she let herself have in a long time.

So she also decided to let herself grin, just a little bit too. She had a few more things to care of if she wanted to fool anyone with this, but in all honestly, the only part she had been worried about was trying to convince anyone to go along with it.

Deception was easy. Conversations hard.

Shooting a quick wave to the kids, she started off to take care of the rest of her matrimonial scheme. But before she got far, Amanda had stepped in her path.

"Okay hang on a sec." She planted her hands on her hips, arching a brow. "If you're gonna make us dress up and go to your fake wedding for hours on end, I wanna know what exactly you get outta this. What's the point?"

"It's actually simple." Croix shrugged, the smile still spread across her face. "I'm going to con the magical government into giving me a research grant as a wedding gift."

A.N. Oh Croix…once ambitious, always ambitious. Of course, we'll learn more of her latest evil scheme as we get closer to their big day! And we'll see what role every-which witch will play in their matrimonial malarkey. I'm sure it completely justifies this totally platonic wedding, eh, Croix?

In some ways I imagine this taking place a few months after my first Charoix fic, Back to Whatever it Was Called. You don't really need to read or even remember it for this story, beyond maybe that the girls have forgiven Croix, Ursula doesn't have much personal stake in the cure, and Croix herself has more or less come to terms with her guilt. But I like to imagine this is the same 'verse, for some reason.