Author's note: Well, here's the end chapter of ' Imprint '. I want to thank you for all your patience and reviews on this story. They were much appreciated.

Chapter 13

' Endings '

Evey Hammond rushed around the room as fast as her swollen body would allow her, followed closely by Victoria and Granny Lucas.

" Darlin', ye have to slo' down a bit." Granny protested as she tried to pick up the train of the wedding dress.

" Mom, calm down!" Victoria wined as she grasped the small bouquet of red roses in her hand.

" I can't!" Evey exclaimed, " I'm to excited----it's my wedding day---I'm getting married to the most wonderful man in the world!"

" We know, Mum, we know." Victoria sighed.

" Aye! That all 'eve herd for the last couple months---ev'r sin' ye started plannin' this." Granny agreed. " Ye and Lord Samuel will be happy together, bairn."

" Evey?" A gentle knock issued from the door.

" Yes?"

" We're ready." Gordon's voice came from outside.

" 'Ere ready, Mr. Gordon." Granny called back.

" Well, this is it." Victoria leaned in to hug her mother, " I love you both." She wiped a tear from her cheek with a gloved hand.

Evey began feeling the tears welling in her eyes as she looked at her daughter. Victoria radiated beauty even at 11. The dark blue maid of honor gown she wore, brought out the blues of her eyes, and the black hair that lay gently across her shoulders accented her face---and as Evey had told V, she was going to be drop-dead gorgeous as she got older, to which V replied, ' I will continue to keep my knives at their finest edge.....'

" Are you ready Mother?" Victoria handed her the large cascade bouquet of red, white and pink roses, mixed with forget-me-nots. " You shouldn't keep Father waiting any longer."

" Aye." Granny smiled as she hugged Evey tightly as tears flowed freely down her plump cheeks. " Weddings always make me weep." She raised the white handkerchief to her eyes.

Below, in the grand foyer, V was having his own breakdown.

" V, you're going to wear a path into the floor if you don't stop, old man." Gordan chastised his friend as the black- clad figured paced non-stop. The head snapped up, and looked at his old friend, blue eyes catching Gordon's brown ones.

" I can't, Gordon." V answered as he clasped his black clad hands behind his back.

Gordon chuckled at his friend. As long as he had known V, he had been a calm, collected master of disguise and revenge, now, as the upcoming ceremony approached, the facade of terrorist had melted into a blob of quivering human flesh. " For ten years you have waited for this day. Be happy my friend----you of all people deserve it." He laid his hand on V's shoulder as William stuck his head in the door. " We're ready, Gordon."

" Thank you, William." Gordon replied turning back to where V stood. " Take a deep breath."

V smiled over at Gordon, then placed the Fawkes mask over his face for the last time he hoped. Tying it in place, he smoothed the black wig around it.

" You still haven't told anyone about the change?" Gordon asked.

" No." He huffed through the mask.

Gordon chuckled again.

" What?" V questioned.

" Just thinking about what the staff is going to do when they see the real you." He answered.

" They know about my real identity." V replied as they moved toward the door.

" Yes, they do, but they have never seen the REAL you. " Gordon emphasized for measure.

" Oh." V answered as they left the study.

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The large foyer had been transformed into a miniature chapel with the help of Fergus and Shane McQueen, Ravensclaw's master gardeners and jack-of -all trades. Both sides of the grand staircase had been wrapped with garlands of white and and pink roses, intertwined with babies breath. A red carpet runner covered the length of the foyer, coming to end at the register's table, where chairs had been placed in a semi-circular pattern. The table itself, was covered with a white cloth, two vases of Scarlet Carson Roses sat at each end.

Eric Finch's head turned at the sound of the study doors opening as Gordon and V entered the foyer. " Bloody hell....." He grabbed Dominic Stone's arm, pulling gently as gasps errupted around the foyer.

" What....." Dom began as he turned his head. " What the hell is he doing?" Stone asked.

" It was V that Evey fell in love with, " Finch grinned to his partner, " So it will be V that she marries."

" That makes no sense, Chief.......she's marrying Samuel King......." Dom began, bewildered.

Eric smiled as he rose from his seat. " It will be ok, Dom, just trust me. I have to go join Evey." Finch flashed a broad smile at him. " It's not every day your daughter gets married."

Dom watched as Finch disappeared up the steps. " …..to England's most notorious vigilante. " He finished for him under his breath.

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Finch knocked on the bedroom door gently. " Evey, are you ready?"

The door opened, and Finch took a step back as he looked at the beautiful woman standing before him. " You look ravishing, my dear." He leaned over and kissed her cheek gently.

" Thanks, Eric," she smiled back at him, " but I feel like a whale." Evey grinned as she patted her large belly. It was only a matter of time now before the babe would be born, and Eric would be blessed with his first 'grandchild'. She took his offered arm and followed Victoria down the hallway toward the grand staircase.

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V and Gordon stood in front of the register's table speaking quietly to the priest as the notes for the bridal party slowly began filling the foyer and hallways. V turned and watched as Victoria descended the staircase, her hand slowly letting the rose petals fall beside her, and a knot caught in his throat, but it was the next vision that took his breath away, and he felt tears building in his eyes. Evey smiled down at him as she made her way down the staircase, her arm through Eric's arm, his hand resting proudly on her arm. Evey's breath caught in her throat as she saw V standing at the alter waiting for her, her V, not Samuel. A soft sob escaped her lips and Eric looked at her. Shaking her head, Evey smiled through the tears as Eric walked her down the red carpet to stand beside her one true love.

The priest looked over at Gordon. " Who gives this woman?"

Eric looked over at Evey, " I do, lovingly and willingly." He took Evey's hand and placed it on V's, smiling.

" Dearly beloved, we have gathered in the sight of these witness and before God to join this man and woman in holy matrimony, each of which have wrote and will speak their own vows. You may begin."

V reached behind his head, and untied the mask, removing it with the wig, handing them to Victoria to hold. He took Evey's hand in his as she handed her bouquet to Granny. " New love is the brightest, and long love is the greatest, " pausing, he locked eyes with Evey's amber ones, " but revived love, is the tenderest thing known on earth. Let this ring be a symbol of my promises to you and a reminder of my devotion to you. I am honored to call you my wife." (1) V slipped the simple gold band atop of the sapphire ring gracing Evey's finger.

Smiling up at him between tears, Evey began her vow. "I have for you a golden ring. The most precious metal symbolizes that your love is the most precious element in my life. The ring has no beginning, no ending, which symbolizes that the love between us will never cease. I place it on your finger as a visible sign of the vows that which have made us husband and wife." (1) Evey took the gold band from Gordon's fingers, waiting as V pulled the leather glove that covered his left hand off, then slid it onto his finger. Their hands combined in a gentle touch.

" If there is anyone here, that objects to this union, let him speak now, or forever hold his tongue." The priest waited a moment in the silent hall. " Then, I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride, my lord." The priest smiled at them as Evey and V's lips caught in a gentle kiss, then turned to face friends. " My friends, may I introduce his Lordship and Lady Samuel King."

Shouts erupted as soon as the happy couple began down the carpeted runner moving a few feet only before Evey doubled over, grabbing her stomach in pain.

" Evey!" V cried as he grabbed her. " What's wrong?!"

" I think your son wants to be born." She looked up at him, bitting her lower lip against the pain that was ripping through her abdomen. V swept her up in his arms, looking over at Gordon. " Call for the doctor! Hurry, Gordon----the baby's coming!"

Gordon stood dumbfounded for a moment until what V had told him had sunk in. " Oh my....!"

" Granny!" V called as he pulled Evey closer to him, making his way through the crowd.

" ere' my lord!" The thick Irish brogue broke through the chaos.

" Help me get her upstairs!"

" Aye, my lord!" She replied as she began pushing people out of the way. " Out of the way, now-----we have a bairn to be born! Outta' the way!"

In minutes, Evey had been placed on the bed, stripped of the heavy wedding gown, a thin shift, the only clothing, covering her body. " V!" She cried as another pain caught her unexpectedly.

" I am here, my love." He took her hand in his, smoothing her hair as the pain began to subside.

" V...." Gordon hurried into the room, " The doctor is at Mr. McSwede's farm-----tending to his son. It'll be hours before he is back. And the hospital is to far from here to try to take her ourselves."

" Well, " Granny began rolling her sleeves up, " seems I gonna' have to birth this bairn meself."

She looked over at Victoria, " I'll be needin' yer help, child."

" What can I do?" Victoria asked as she threw the flowers in a nearby chair.

" Find Meg, boil up as much water as ye can, an find me towels and blankets, a sewing kit, and som' smelling salts."

Victoria cocked her head at Granny. " Smelling salts?"

" Aye, for that father of yourn------if he's stayin'----just in case." Granny smiled at V.

" Madame, I have no need of smelling salts." V replied, " I will do whatever you request of me."

" Get outta that then, and roll yer sleeves up." She pointed to the black jacket he wore.

V unbuttoned the jacket in record time and had his sleeves rolled up before Granny could give him a second glance.

" Now, the rest of ye', out!" Granny ordered as she herded them toward the door, leaving V and Victoria the only ones left in the room. " Now, let's deliver a babe."

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Gordon paced the study floor nerviously. He peeked at his watch again. It had been 6 hours since Evey had gone into labor, and frequently, a scream would be heard as it drifted down from the upstairs, and Gordon's heart went out to her.

There was a light knock on the door as it opened, and V stood there, wiping his hands on a white towel.

Gordon stared at his friend, fear beginning to chill his extremities. " V?"

He broke out in a large grin as he approached his friend. " It's a boy!"

" Oh, thank god!" Gordon sighed heavily as he took V's hand pumping it. " And Evey----is she alright?"

" Mother and son are doing wonderful. She's asking for you, Gordon." V patted his friend on the shoulder.

" Me?" He asked.

" Yes, you. Come along now, we don't want to keep her waiting....." V chuckled, " You know how she is …....."

Gordon stared at his friend following him from the study.

Evey gently held her son in her arms, her fingers touching him everywhere she could.

" Ye did well, me lady." Granny smiled at her.

" Thank you Granny, I don't know what I would have done without you." Evey looked up at her.

" Ye and his lordship would have handled everythin' just fine. Ye have a fine man there, Lady Evey." Granny cleaned up the towels and other necessities that took to bring the new heir of Ravensclaw into the world.

" I know." Evey grinned back as V and Gordon entered the room.

" I'll check in on ye later, my lady." Granny said as she left the room. " My lord." She nodded.

" Evey....." Gordon stopped as he approached her, " may I?"

" Of course, he's your namesake." She replied as V sat down next to Victoria on the bed.

" What....I don't understand?" Gordon stammered.

" Gordon, I'd like to present, his lordship, Gordan Alexander King." Evey beamed as she looked over at V, who kissed her gently on the forehead, his hand caressing his son lovingly.

" I....I don't know what to say." Gordon stuttered, looking at the child snuggled next to Evey's chest.

" Welcome to the family, Uncle Gordon." Victoria giggled as her baby brother yawned contentedly. She looked over at her parents, " I'm going downstairs and let everyone know that I have a new brother!"

V chucked as he watched her jump from the bed and run from the bedroom.

" If you will excuse me, I'm going to contact Dr. Potts' office and have them get word for him to drop by on his way back." Gordon smiled, " I will see you three later."

" Ok, Gordon." Evey returned his smile as V raised her up just enough to lay her and their son on his chest.

" If anyone would have told me ten years ago, that one day I would find myself with the woman I loved, and a family, I would have laughed, and told them I wasn't the only one who was insane." V looked down at them as his arm covered both Evey and his son.

" So," she looked up at him, " does that mean you believe in consequences now, after all?"

V chuckled, " Fate, destiny and consequences, my love. All three."

Evey closed her eyes and snuggled into V's chest as sleep began to over take her. She knew it wouldn't last long, but she would enjoy it as long as she could.

V let out a deep breath and stroked Evey's hair as he raised his head to look out the window at the sitting sun, and saw the white-haired spirit staring back at him. He tilted his head in acknowledgement, and she returned the greeting. " Thank you, Lady Destiny." He whispered softly closing his eyes. He never saw the gentle smile that crossed the ageless face as a small hand was touched to the window pane.

" You are quite welcome, V" A soft voice whispered before a trail of colors disappeared into the sunset.

(1) Tradional wedding vows----found online----really net website.