The music began to play and Tanya walked down the aisle, bouquet of flowers in hand.
"Ohh," Yvette said softly to Oliver. "She looks beautiful!"
Oliver smiled.
As Leroy watched Tanya come down it was like there was no one else in the room, but her. He felt amazed that this day was even happening.
Tanya's maid of honour moved to the side, opposite Sam Braddock, Leroy's best man. Tanya, upon reaching the front, smiled at Leroy happily.
"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today..."
Near the front, Miette sniffled.
Avery
Avery smiled faintly, pushing a stray hair out of her eyes.
She watched from her seat, wincing every so often when a particularly loud thought would hit her.
Christian
Christian's eyes held Tanya the entire time, amazed at how beautiful she looked.
He glanced across at his escort, before becoming fixated on her again.
Tanya and Leroy
"I know pronouce you, husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."
Leroy took Tanya lovingly into his arms and kissed her gently. They then linked arms and moved over to the side to sign the neccsary paperwork and the MC invited people to take photos. The legalities completed, the two walked back down the aisle together and everyone prepared to move to the reception.
Avery
Avery was talking to one of the Ga'Revali tutors in the reception hall, as she went to take her seat.
Christian
After everyone had had their fill of the buffet, Christian did a bit of sweet talking and managed to pry himself from both his escort and Wayne. He made his way up to the bridal table and straight to Tanya.
"Hey," he smiled slightly, "congratulations... is it Mrs. Brown now?"
Tanya and Leroy
Tanya chuckled.
"I have a feeling it'll take me quite some time to get used to it," she grinned. "Glad you could come."
Avery
Avery glanced up to see Christian talking to Tanya, and decided she would wait until he had finished before going up there.
She wasn't interrupting that or risking anyone from the YIRAAS finding out what she had done.
Christian
"So am I," Christian dipped his head.
"You look... amazing. I never imagined you could look more beautiful."
Tanya and Leroy
Tanya smiled.
"Thank you," she replied softly.
Leroy squeezed her hand.
"Hey, look," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "Christian and I just found something we agree on."
Christian
"Yeah, about that..." Christian looked at Leroy, embarrassed for a moment.
"Can we have a word? In private?"
Both Tanya and Leroy looked surprised.
"Yes, I suppose so," Leroy replied, getting up.
Christian
"Promise I won't steal him for long," Christian nodded to Tanya, before leading the way outside.
He gave Wayne a glance on the way out, but he didn't look too worried. He probably would have if it had been anyone other than Leroy...
Tanya and Leroy
"Okay, be good now," Tanya called after them.
Leroy smile and shut the door slightly behind them.
"So," he asked curiously. "What's this about?"
Christian
Christian rubbed his chin nervously, starting to walk down the nearby pathway.
"I'm not really good with this... stuff," he began, berrating himself already.
"But I just wanted to thank you. Personally. I know how much you mean to Tanya, and regardless of everything she's done for me you've never let that... I don't know, get in the way."
Leroy
Leroy rubbed his arm absently.
"I don't think I've ever really appreciated how much you mean to her," he replied quietly. "You've always been at the core of the fights we'd had. Well, most of them."
He smiled wanly.
"And now we -" Leroy broke off as he put a hand to his chest.
Christian
"I know," Christian nodded, "and I'm sorry that's the case, but no one's ever... Leroy?"
He frowned as he looked up.
Leroy
Leroy leaned heavily on the railing.
"Healer..." he gasped.
Christian
Christian's eyes widened.
"Oh, crap," he breathed, looking back up the path.
He debated with himself whether or not to stay with him, but soon backed off.
"Hey!" he yelled when he saw people coming out of the hall, "we need help here! We need a healer!"
Avery
Meanwhile, Avery had made her way over to Tanya.
"Hey teacher, congratulations," she grinned.
Tanya and Leroy
"Thank you," Tanya smiled. "And how -"
She trailed off, hearing the word 'healer' and looked off in the direction the voice and come from. She opened her up mind.
"Tanya," Leroys' familiar mental voice whispered to her, then broke off completely.
"No!"
Christian
"Leroy! Leroy!" Christian was shaking him.
"Get away from him!" came a stern voice as a rough hand grabbed him by the shoulder.
Wayne appeared and took Leroy's limp body into his own.
"What happened?!" Christian exclaimed, barely able to catch his breath.
Tanya
Tanya toppled her chair over in her rush to get out the door, and hiked her gown up in an attempt to run in high heels. She pushed through the astonished throng of people, just behind Lauren who had been attempting to respond to Christian's call for a healer.
"Leroy!" Tanya cried out, seeing his crumpled form.
Christian
Christian wrestled out of his escort's grip to pull Tanya into his arms. Which served both as a hug and to keep her from getting closer.
"I'm so sorry," he breathed, squeezing his eyes shut.
"He's had a heart attack," Lauren announced tenderly from her position on the ground beside Wayne as she checked him over, "I'm sorry, he's gone."
Tanya
"No, no," Tanya denied, the tears springing to her eyes. "Oh hell no."
But even she could not deny the missing telepathic link between her and Leroy, and she buried her head in Christian's shoulder.
Christian
Christian kept one arm around her and the other holding her head as he watched the scene unfold.
Wayne and another Dathrian from security covered Leroy's body with their jackets until the coroner could arrive, and Lauren stood to make her way over to them.
"I'm sorry Tanya..." she began, as Christian let her go so that Lauren could hug her.
Tanya
Tanay barely noticed the transition between crying on Christian's shoulder and crying on Lauren's (except that Lauren was shorter).
"It can't be right... it can't be..."
"I'm so sorry," Lauren repeated, not knowing what else to say.
Christian
Christian watched the girls awkwardly for a moment, before turning to Wayne.
"Get me out of here," he pleaded confidently.
"Take me back."
Wayne hesitated, but nodded to the escort. He took Christian by the arm, and without looking back he was led away.