Thanks a lot for reviewing:

Kylee-cat – thanks

sapphireangel09 - thank you

xtheBLEACHEDalchemistx - lol don't worry... I like bleach too, so its not a mistake i'd mind making ;)

moonlightnights – thanks. Ian is friends with Mikan. That's it, and Natsume knows that.

KAT-TUN12345 – sorry it took me so long.

Serenity012 – thanks J Yeah, theier HEA is here.

Author Note: Okay, so this chapter sort of snuck up on me, and I realized that this was the way it was. So, this is the last chapter of Shalom II.

Somehow, I don't think I did the story as much justice as it deserved. But at least it was somewhat salvaged.

Thanks for all the reviews, all the support, and for putting up with me.

PS: I was listening to the original "What a Wonderful World" by Louie Armstrong when I wrote the last scene.

Chapter 17

"I am starting to hate parties." Mikan said to Ian in a soft whisper, making him smirk.

"My poor darling. We'll ditch this one early too. We already have a terrible reputation." Ian whispered back, leaning down and then quickly kissing her ear.

Mikan rolled her eyes. Today was her fifth day back in Tokyo. A huge party had been thrown in their welcome by one of the Corporate heads of the city. It was nothing unusual. This was the third welcoming party for Ian after all. But today, everyone who was anyone in the city was here, and all stops had been pulled, and the sky was the limit, literally.

The ballroom was huge, large enough to fit in multiple football fields, and the ceiling was glass, and so far above their heads, it looked like they were under the night sky itself. The muted decor of the room was in silvers and blues, giving it an ethereal and classy feel.

Mikan was dressed in a simple off shoulder scarlet sheath dress made from the finest silk. Her only jewellery was her engagement ring and ruby and diamond chandelier earrings. Ian was dressed in a black tux.

She and Ian had developed quite a reputation for ditching social gatherings, and they had the perfect excuse, due to their indiscrete and very well timed, even if no one quite realized that, public displays of affection.

"Would you care for a dance, my lady?" Ian asked, drawing Mikan out of her thoughts. Mikan smiled at him and nodded.

Ian led her to the middle of the dance floor and took her in his arms. She sighed in pleasure as the warmth of his body seeped into hers and leaned into him. Ian chuckled.

"I will miss you, kitten." He murmured. He had started calling her 'kitten' when he realized how much she liked being held, simply because of the warmth.

Mikan looked up at him, and then gave into the temptation and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You know we'll always be friends."

"Yes, but soon the one whose ams you actually want to be in, will be back."

"Ian..." Mikan just stared at him, at a loss for words.

Ian grinned cheerfully, but just for a moment there was something in his eyes that could have been regret, and then it was gone.

"Silly girl. Do you know that you are the first person I have come to trust implicitly? And I know that I will always have that. Stop worrying about me, I am not in love with you, and you should not have such a high opinion of your charms, considerable though they are. But this game was still fun."

Mikan reached up and kissed his cheek before his words fully registered.

"Was?" she asked, her eyes widening.

Ian grinned, and suddenly spun her away from him and into the arms of another man. Mikan suddenly found herself pressed chest to chest to Natsume, looking up into his eyes, and she felt her breath catch.

He pressed her close for a moment, before letting go and stepping away. Mikan just blinked.

She looked at him, then turned to look at Ian, who took a step forward so that he was standing next to her. His face was neutral but she could see the smile in his eyes, and she realized that he had known that Natsume was going to show up, but had chosen to not tell her.

She opened her mouth to tell him what she thought of that tactic, when Ian took her left hand in his and squeezed. She clicked her jaw shut and turned her eyes back to her lover. She was not the only one. She might have been an unknown quantity in San Francisco but she was well known here, and so was the fact that she was Natsume's girl. Her engagement to Ian hadn't just caused waves here, it had caused a freaking tsunami, especially considering the methodical demolishing of Toushrou Hyuuga at the hands of Natsume.

Now he stood in front of her, and the tension was rising in the room, as was the anticipation of the audience to see what would happen.

Mikan hated them all. This was private. This was personal. She was about to say so, and her thoughts must have been showing on her face, because Ian squeezed her hand again, and pulled her closer to his side. So, they were going to do this, whatever this was, in public after all - Mikan thought in frustrated exasperation.

"Hey." Natsume said quietly.

Ian said hello, but all Mikan could manage was a nod. Suddenly her throat had closed. What if he was here to tell her that they were over after all? What if he was done with her? What if he believed the act that she and Ian had been putting up for everyone?

Natsume met her stormy gaze and suddenly the whole world dropped away. The thousand or so guests in the room fell away, as did the huge room. It was just the two of them, as it had always been, and it was so right, that Mikan wanted to cry.

"If you love someone, set them free. If they come back they're yours; if they don't, they never were." Natsume said quietly.

Mikan shivered. She did not like what those words might entail for the two of them.

"Well, screw that!" Natsume said vehemently, slashing the air with his hand. "Come back! Come back! Come back to me, please! Its terrible without you, Mikan. Nothing makes sense, and everything feels empty. You're mine, my soul, and I can't live without you at my side. Be mine again, love.. Please, please, come back.."

Mikan felt the tears start falling from her eyes, but she could not make herself look away from him. Even her blurry vision was better than no vision at all.

She had thought she was the only insecure one, but she had never realized that he was insecure too. That he could be wondering if she would truly leave him. If she would truly not want to come back. If she would hold him responsible for sins he had not committed.

Before she knew what she was doing, Mikan had taken a step towards Natsume, but then she felt the gentle tug on her arm and looked at it in confusion to realize that Ian was still holding her hand.

He gave her a smile that told her better than words just how deeply he cared for her, before he raised her hand and slipped his engagement ring off her finger.

Then suddenly she was in Natsume's arms, and he was hugging her as fiercely as he could, and she hugged him back. Nothing mattered but holding onto him, as if he was her one anchor through a storm.

When Mikan finally looked up, she realized that she was not the only one with tears in her eyes. Natsume's ruby eyes glittered with them. He smiled now, and raised her hand, brushing his lips across her knuckles.

"Come home with me?" he asked, his voice soft, but his eyes swirled with so much hope and promise.

Still, Mikan hesitated, but then she saw the love shining in his eyes and nodded. Natsume gave her a brilliant grin before he swept her off her feet and strode out of the room, ignoring their shell shocked audience.

Behind them Ian let out a piercing wolf whistle, that had Mikan laughing, through the tears.

She was still smiling when Natsume's car came to a halt in front of a simple but graceful Japanese style Manor. Mikan stared at it through the windshirld as Natsume drove up the straight driveway. There were three floors, and she felt like a sense of peace radiating from the house without even stepping a foot inside it. It might also have something to do with the zen garden that sprawled over the expansive grounds. Mikan was still gawking when Natsume stopped the car at the front door and got out.

Natsume opened her car door with flourish.

"Welcome home."

Mikan looked from him to the manor and back again, her expression incredulous.

Natsume smiled and took her hand and pulled her out of the car and into his arms.

"Welcome to our home." He said softly against her lips, and then kissed her, in what was to be the first of many, many welcome home kisses.

Epilogue:

"Stop fidgeting." Ruka snapped.

"Yes, please stop acting so nervous. We all know your bride will not get cold feet." Ian admonished, from where he was lounging on a chaise and drinking champagne.

"My bride.." Natsume said, his expression going soft.

Ruka groaned. "Here we go again."

"Cut it out Natsume, or I swear I'll tell Mikan where you are taking her for your honeymoon." Ian threatened, and immediately Natsume lost the dreamy expression and became all businesslike.

"How'd you find that out anyways?" Ruka asked curiously.

"Corporate espionage is a wonderful thing." Ian answered and Natsume snorted.

"Are you ready?" Narumi asked, poking his head into the room.

"Yes." The three men answered at the same time.

Narumi nodded. "Let's go then."

The cathedral was simple, beautiful, and filled with coloured sunlight, shining through all the stained glass windows. Natsume thought that the light was just like all his dreams and hopes for the future, jewel bright, and filled with a life of their own. The pews were only half full, but the people seated there, were family, if not by blood, then family of the heart. There sat, Misaki, Narumi, his mother Kimiko, Ruka's Grandparents, even Tsubasa, a lot of Mikan's friends, and quite a few of his own.

At the altar, Natsume stood, clad in a white tux, along with his best man, and one groomsman.

His eyes were fixated on the door now as it slowly opened, and Hotaru walked through, hand in hand with Kia. Their dresses matched the pale gray tuxes worn by Ruka and Ian. Behind them stepped through Mikan, being led by Toushrou Hyuuga.

Her gown was made of frothy white lace, and covered with pearls. Natsume's eyes met hers, even through her veil, and the world dropped away. He could think of nothing else, look nowhere else, except at his wife to be.

She smiled in that way she had, when she knew exactly what she was thinking. Natsume could not help but smile back.

It seemed as if only an instant had passed before she was in front of him, and his Grandfather was giving her hand to his. Natsume met his eyes, and gave him a nod of acknowledgement. Much had happened in the last five years, and the bridging of the rift in their family was one of those things; though not completely patched, they were a family once more.

Distance definitely made the heart grow fonder. And some of that distance had also made him forgive his family their sins, and start to tentatively like them again. Of course, it was all because of the woman in front of him.

Natsume smiled again at Mikan and raised her gloved hand to his mouth to brush a small kiss upon her knuckles before they turned to face the priest. Together.

Her hand laced with his, holding on, telling him, that they would indeed be together, until death do them part.