Onyxx: Yay! That wasn't the end! But this might be. Still not sure.

Joker: You're about as decisive as a squirrel, you know that?

Chapter Fifteen

Annabel was having a panic attack. Nothing, nothing was more terrifying than this moment. This moment, she knew, had been inevitable. She knew it would have had to come at some point... but why did it have to come so soon?

"NO!" she shouted, waving her arms around. "That goes over there! Arrgh, you OAF! That goes over there by the door! And you! Have you got the music ready? Be sure to have the music ready!"

It was, in fact, her wedding.

What did you think it was? Another kidnapping?

Bruce watched with an amused look on his face. "And be sure to tell the seamstresses how bad of a job they did on your wedding dress," he piped up.

She groaned. "That's the thing," she said to him. "I haven't even seen it yet!"

He put his hands on her shoulders. "Relax," he said. "Just calm down. Everything's gonna be perfect."

"How do you know?" she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

He chuckled. "You're such a pessimist." He kissed her cheek and started to walk away. "I'm going to go get ready. People are going to be arriving soon. And if Barbara Gordon tells you anything about me when I was a kid, ignore it."

Annabel tried to keep a straight face, but it was hard. She was bursting with excitement. She wanted everything to be perfect; after all, how many of these was she planning to have?

Hopefully just the one.

She sighed and went to see how the seamstresses were doing with her dress.

Jack frowned, looking at the invitation.

You are cordially invited to the wedding of Bruce Wayne and Annabel Nicholson.

Say whaaaaat?

Well. He'd been planning to crash anyway. The invitation didn't make any difference.

Annabel held the bouquet of lilies in her hand nervously, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Her hair had been curled, and her dress was slightly reminiscent of the one the Phantom made for Christine in the film of the musical. Everything was, in fact, perfect, just like Bruce said.

So why was she nervous?

She looked at the door, chewing her lower lip. She didn't want to look out there and not see Jack. Anna didn't think he'd come; it was, after all, her wedding to Bruce Wayne.

She sighed as she felt an arm link around hers, and looked up, expecting to see Alfred. Instead, she was met with the handsome, yet marred, face of Jack Napier.

A smile spread across Annabel's face. "You came?"

"Without the intention of kidnapping you. Fancy that." Jack smirked. He looked ten years younger now that he was cleaned up. His hair was combed back, his makeup was washed off, and his tux looked like he'd robbed one of Bruce's friends.

She smirked and shook her head. "My God, the world is ending."

"Look, I know it's your wedding day, but is it too much to ask for one last kiss?" he whispered, looking at her.

She smiled sadly. "Yes. It is. Mainly because you made me unable to wear earrings for a while." She elbowed him in the ribs. "By the way, where's Alfred?"

He smirked. "Do you really wanna know?"

Annabel looked at him with alarm. He rolled his eyes. "Relax, I didn't kill him."

"Then what did you do with him?"

Just then, the doors opened, and the bridal march began to play. Jack smiled, and his scars seemed to disappear into his skin as he led her down the aisle to a confused and alarmed-looking Bruce.

Jack handed her off with a sad look, then looked at Bruce. "Take good care of her," he whispered. "Knowing me, she's gonna need it."

Annabel looked up at Bruce as the priest began to speak.

Most of it went in one ear and out the other. All Anna really cared about was the vows; she'd written them herself, after all. They were humorous in nature as well as sincere.

She took one last look at Jack behind her, then turned forward to face her future, Bruce. "I do," she whispered, holding his hand.

There was no going back now. She would live her life with Bruce as his wife, devote herself to him, and leave the past behind her. She loved Jack, but she had to move on.

She looked at Jack again as Bruce opened his mouth to say 'I do.' He smiled at her, giving her his blessing, telling her with that small, sad smile that everything was okay and that, no matter what, it always would be. Even though he knew he was lying.

In that moment, in that small smile, she saw him. Jack. The man she used to know.

Onyxx: Umm. I think it's over now. :B