* The Wedding grand finale *

No matter how loud her sisters shouted for her to stop, Amy couldn't take it anymore. It was too much for her. Too many things going wrong. Too many signs telling her that, maybe, this dream of hers shouldn't come true after all. So, instead of waiting for Jo to say something, instead of listening to Meg apologizing profusely, instead of hiding in Marmee's embrace, Amy walked out of the room and ran down the stairs and out of the house. She ran as fast as she could without a fixed direction until her legs couldn't take it anymore and stopped at mere meters from the little river that crossed the property. She couldn't believe it. She just couldn't. All the thrill, all her dreams of this long-awaited weekend shattered into million pieces. She looked at the river, fell on her knees and cried. She cried really hard. She didn't know for how long. She just cried until she felt someone touching her shoulder and saying her name. She turned her head around to see the worried face of her lord. At this sight, she cried even harder.

"oh, Amy." he said as he kneeled down in front of her and held her tight in his arms. She didn't push away as she intended to in her mind. Instead, she got closer to him, burying her face on his chest, and cried. After what seemed an eternity for Laurie, she ceased her crying to just sobbing and hiccups. That's when he pulled away, hands on both sides of his lover and looked at her in the eyes, smiling a bit. "You scared the bejesus of all of us, darling. What happened?" he asked, calmly.

"It's... It's all wrong, Laurie!" she cried. They both sat down and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She rested her head on his shoulder and sobbed.

"What is wrong, honey?" he asked lovingly.

"Everything! Everything has been wrong for days! It was supposed to be right! It was supposed to be perfect! And now everything's ruined! and I can't... I cannot do it!" she cried.

"Wh-what is it that you cannot do?" he asked, worried.

"This. All this!" she said, spreading her arms widely.

"Th-The wedding? You want to call it off?" he asked, shocked.

"Well, it's plain obvious that it shouldn't happen. Look at the signs, Laurie!" she exclaimed.

"What signs? Amy, don't you love me anymore?" he asked, afraid of her answer. She looked at him for a moment, shocked at his question. She sat up, pulling away of his embrace.

"What the... don't be ridiculous, Laurie! Why the hell are you asking me that?" she asked furiously.

"Do you still love me, Amy?" he asked firmly.

"Of course I do, you idiot!" she shouted, slapping his shoulder.

"Do you still want to share the rest of your life with me?" he asked.

"Of... of course I do! I love you with all my heart, life and soul. I just... there's nothing I want more than being your wife." she said as she wiped her tears away with her hand. Laurie smiled, relieved.

"Then, why are you saying we shouldn't marry? What 'signs' gave you the idea that this was wrong?" he asked.

"You want me to start? Because I have a long list of things that have been going totally wrong these last few days." she said. He gave her his lopsided smile.

"Bring it on, milady." he said, inviting her back to his arms. She snuggled up to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Well, for a start, we couldn't start decorating properly until Meg arrived on Saturday morning because she had a PTA meeting on Friday." she started.

"But she was here first thing in the morning and finished decorating everything nearly by lunchtime." he stated. She sighed and nodded.

"Then, your friend tried to make a pass on Meg and he ended up with a black eye... and John ended up bruised as well..." she continued.

"He has no bruises on his face and we could stop them right before it got really out of control. Everything's fine now." he clarified. Amy sighed.

"Meg's dress is all ruined because Daisy got sick all over her because she had eaten too many sweets at the party Meg took her yesterday afternoon, and now she will walk down the aisle and be photographed in that stained dress." she said. Laurie sighed.

"My friend Peter just got here. He's a pediatrician and he can check on Daisy to see if she's better. And about Meg's dress... she can change it, can't she? I mean, she can wear the same dress she wore last night at the rehearsal dinner. It's not reveling and it won't overshadow you. She looks quite elegant in it, and you know Meg. She wouldn't wear anything to steal your thunder." he explained.

"But then she wouldn't match with the rest!" she whined. He laughed a bit.

"So what? At least she won't have a stained dress!" he concluded. She sighed and nodded.

"Have you seen Demi?" she asked. He smiled and nodded.

"Quite dashing with his sailor shorts." he said.

"Meg said he pooped his pants." she said.

"As long as he doesn't lose the rings, we're good. And he looks quite content in those shorts, don't you think?" he asked. Amy smiled a little at the thought of her nephew all smiley with his white shirt, black jacket, black bowtie, and striped shorts.

"He really does. Meg has a good fashion taste when it comes to the kids." she admitted. "The catering service is not here yet." she added later, playing with the hem of her shirt.

"So... we have the chefs from last night. We'll ask them to cook what they can with what we have." he said.

"And Beth's flight has been delayed for two days. We're not sure if she'll make it in time for when the ceremony starts..." she continued.

"Then, we'll wait for her." he cut her in. She looked at him.

"We will?" she asked, a bit shocked.

"Of course! We won't start until everyone we love is here! Amy, I don't care if we get married at 4 in the afternoon or at 4 in the morning. I love you. More than words can say. All I care about is you and your happiness. That's all I ever want and all I ever need." he said. Her heart swelled with love and warmed up at the sound of his words and she smiled, then kissed him sweetly on the lips. "So, what if some things didn't go as we expected this weekend? It doesn't mean our whole life is going to be that way. Besides, if we can overcome all these obstacles together, we can overcome everything that life throws us later." he concluded. Her smiled got wider and she kissed him again with more passion.

They walked in the house just as Jo was running down the stairs.

"Where's the fire?" Laurie joked.

"The catering's finally here!" she said as she walked to the front of the house. Amy and Laurie went upstairs to the big room where everyone still was. Meg was still sat on the couch with Daisy sat on her lap. She stood up as soon as she saw Amy.

"You alright? Where were you? You had us all worried and..." the eldest sister started before Amy cut her in and took her niece from her.

"Go change your dress." she said. Meg looked at her, confused.

"What? But... I don't have another one." she said. Amy smiled and nodded.

"You have last night's one... unless John here wrinkled it when he took it off." Amy said, winking an eye at her brother-in-law mischievously, making Meg's face turn a bright shade of red.

"Of course he didn't! It's perfectly hanged in the closet!" Meg retorted.

"Then, go for it." Amy said.

"But... then it won't match with the rest and..." Meg started before Amy cut her in again, reaching out and squeezing her big sister's hand.

"It's alright, Meg, really. Go and change." she said. Meg smiled, hugged her sister, gave her husband a look (to which he smiled and nodded), then left to her room. Amy sighed and looked at the little girl in her arms. Although she looked tired and under the weather, she had colour in her cheeks and didn't seem in distress anymore. She smiled and kissed her head.

As soon as Meg and Jo were back in the room, everything was back on track and it seemed like everything was finally solved... well, not everything, Amy thought as she was putting on her wedding dress.

"Wow! Amy! You look gorgeous!" they heard a voice say from the door. They all turned their heads to find Beth standing there looking at her baby sister in her wedding dress. Amy smiled and the three sisters ran to the newcomer and hugged her.

"You made it, Bethie!" Amy exclaimed happily.

"Well, I wasn't going to miss your wedding. Who was going to play for you? Jo?" Beth asked and the four of them laughed. Beth stepped aside and looked at her sister. Her dress had a distinctive drop-waistline with a subtle sweetheart neckline and spaghetti strap halter. It was decorated in full intricate beadwork and sparkles that completed the bridal gown. She looked like a real princess.

"You look gorgeous, Amy!" Beth exclaimed, proudly.

"Ok, make up and hair, now! Quick, girls!" Meg said, hurrying Beth inside and to the other room where the hairdresser still was.

The wedding ceremony wasn't as Amy had actually dreamed of, but she wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Since Daisy was still feeling a bit sick and wouldn't leave her mother's side, she didn't walk down the aisle first as the flower girl. Instead, her big sister Rose did along with Demi who was proudly holding the rings he had once left in the car (and that Amy never knew that were missing) and walking next to his sister in his favourite shorts. Jo followed her and then Meg who was holding Daisy in her arms. Amy walked arm in arm with her mother to Beth's unique version of Little Mermaid's 'Part of Your World'. Amy was extremely happy, even more when she saw Laurie, looking especially handsome in his dark blue tuxedo, smiling widely at her. Her father officiated the ceremony, as he did for Meg almost 6 years before, and he gave a very beautiful speech. So did Laurie when he said his vows, and so did Amy when she said hers. By that time, almost everyone was in tears. After exchanging rings, saying 'I do' and finally kissing sweetly but passionately, Amy was finally Mrs. Laurence. She and Laurie were finally married.

The reception went on great. Everybody praised Meg's decoration and congratulated Beth on her compositions. Jo's speech was fun and moving and extremely emotional. Even Jo cried after it! Amy just couldn't stop smiling. After everything that they have gone through, after everything that happened, she and Laurie had finally had their happily ever after... the beginning of their new adventure.

THE END


Hello all!

As you can see, we reached the end of the story. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I did.

Thank you for reading it and for all your kind comments! :)