Epilogue

Cammie POV

"CAMMIE!" Macey's voice shrieked. A hallway and several closed doors stood between us, but she was so loud I could hear her voice as clear as day. "The wedding starts in ten minutes. Where the hell are you?!"

"Mmph." I murmured, my words rendered inaudible by Zach's mouth plastered against mine. I tried to step back, release myself for a moment to get a breath, but there was nowhere to go in the small dark closet and I ended up with even less space between Zach's body and mine.

I tried leaning my head back instead, thumping it on the back of the door. Zach saw this as an opportunity to begin kissing his way down my neck, and I struggled to find the will to tell him to stop.

"Zach." I whispered, my voice much breathier than I was accustomed to.

"Mm?" He hummed, his lips not leaving my skin.

"The wedding."

"Screw the wedding." He mumbled with a bite to my neck. "We're staying right here, in this closet."

I laughed breathlessly. "As lovely as that sounds, I think Macey might actually kill me."

He actually listened this time, much to my surprise, sighing and burying his head in the crook of my neck.

"CAMERON!" I heard again, louder this time. If I waited much longer, they would probably be able to hear Macey in the church.

Zach picked his head up and rolled his eyes. "Let's go, for Christ's sake. Before she implodes." He said, reaching past me to open the door and letting light flood the dark little broom closet.

I hadn't taken two steps out of the closet before I heard Macey's voice yet again. "You have got to be kidding me." I turned, seeing her a few paces down the hall, staring between me and Zach and quickly putting the pieces together.

She stomped over, grabbing me by the arm like an angry mother, turning to Zach and scolding him first. "You," She said in an accusatory voice, pointing to the brown-haired smirking boy to my left. "Go find Nick and the other boys. Think about what you've done."

"Don't worry McHenry," His smirk grew as his eyes slid to mine. "I will." He promised with a wink.

"Ugh, don't be foul." She rolled her eyes, walking away and dragging me with her. "I can't believe I have to redo your hair and makeup right now. Zach, I expected this kind of stunt from, but I honestly expected more from you." She chastised, laying the guilt on thick.

She practically shoved me down in the chair back in the dressing room, running around me with a hairbrush and powder as Bex and Liz popped into the room.

"Oh, thank god. She found you. I just about thought we would have to call in the artillery." Bex grumbled, fluffing her own hair in the mirror.

Liz giggled behind her hand when she looked up, noticing my flushed and freshly-kissed state. "Well, I guess we know where she was."

Macey made an exasperated noise, moving at a frenzied pace with her bronzer and eye-shadow. "Mace." I stated, grabbing her hands and stopping her hurried retouching. "Calm down. It'll be perfect. Everything will be perfect." She nodded, listening for once, taking a deep breath.

There was a knock on the door and a voice informed us that it was time. Liz got up and brushed the invisible crumbs off of her bridesmaid's dress, delicately picking up her bouquet of green and lavender flowers, giving Macey a quick hug before she left to get in line.

"C'mon." Bex said, grabbing some flowers for herself on her way out. "Let's go kick this wedding in the ass!"

I grabbed Macey's hand and we walked out together. We got to my place in the line and I stopped, about to let go, but Macey just tugged me along, refusing to release her grip. She was more nervous than she let on.

"There's my girl." Former Vice President (and current Presidential candidate) McHenry stood at the front of the procession, his suit pressed and his smile as wide and as fake as ever. "You look beautiful, honey. White really suits you."

"Thanks, Dad." Macey said quietly.

I gave her hand a squeeze to remind her I was still there. She turned around and wrapped me into one last hug.

"Three minutes!" Someone quietly announced from somewhere in the line.

Macey was shaking a little bit.

"What if something bad happens?" Macey whispered hurriedly, just low enough for me to hear. "With my Dad here there are news cameras everywhere. What if I screw up?"

"And do what? Lose a fake eyelash or forget to say 'I do?' You'll be fine, Mace." I whispered back, hugging her tighter.

"No, I'm serious." She was more nervous than I thought. "What if I trip or cry or throw up or something? My parents will never talk to me again! It'll be a media nightmare for them."

I rubbed circles around her back, trying to comfort her. "Macey. No matter what happens today, Nick will still love you. I will still love you. Bex and Liz, and- god help them- all of the rest of our Blackthorne boys will still love you. We're family. We're not going to ever stop loving you, even if you have to sneeze in the middle of your wedding vows."

She was quiet for a second, and when she spoke her voice was uncharacteristically wavering. "I'm glad you came home, Cammie."

I swallowed a lump in my throat. "Me too."

With that she let go, straightened her back, took her father's hand, and became the Macey we all knew and loved. I scrambled back to my place in line just in time and the doors flung open, the orchestra playing in the background.

The ceremony went perfectly, of course. Macey looked radiant and I think Nick's smile was damn near permanent.

The diamond ring I wore on my own hand felt like it grew heavier and heavier with each passing second, and it seemed like I could hardly wait until my own day when I stood up there in a white dress, Zach standing opposite me.

And as Macey and Nick where exchanging "I do's," I looked up, catching the eye of my fiancé, the best man. It was no more than a split second, but as his green eyes softened with his smile, I knew.

This is real love.

A/N: That's all folks. I started this story three years ago and I've done nothing but grow. Thanks for sticking with me. This is the first story I ever wrote on this site, and I loved every second of it. If it weren't for you people sticking with me this whole time, it never would have been finished. I will sadly press the "complete" button, but Going Under (and all of you) will always stay with me.