Unforgettable - Heartless

Chapter Three - The Unforgettable Martyr

Alice had left a week later, almost suddenly, though everyone had expected it. As it had turned out, Alice had realized she'd hit her head and had been out for a few days while she was talking to kids about her travels in Wonderland. That was how she had achieved such a state that she had forgotten about reality itself. Jest had thanked her repeatedly, to which she said she was happy to help give Wonderland the happy ending it deserved.

The five of them had said a sorrowful goodbye and Alice promised to never forget everything that happened. She promised to pass the story on, and maybe someday, it would end up in the books as the story of the Queen of Hearts. There would be no returning, but Alice promised they'd meet again one day.

As the weeks went by, Jest had slowly returned to his old self. He'd also asked a lot of what had happened in the past two years, and while Cath had her doubts on telling him, he deserved to know. He apparently knew that Cath had sold her heart away, when saying he had saw a heart that had been almost broken in half while wandering around the Forgotten, and thought of Cath. Their whole adventure was laid out towards him, and soon, Jest was up to date about all that had happened in Wonderland, especially Cath's heartless affairs.

Against every logical thing, Jest had hugged her and apologized for leaving her like that when he had heard of her time as the Queen. She had asked why he was ok with it. He'd simply responded by saying she was heartless during that time. She wasn't sure she could've loved Jest more at that point.

Two months later, with a loan from Hatta, Cath had opened up her own bakery and business right now was growing at a steady pace. Now it was a month after the opening and the bakery had attracted a good amount of people. Not necessarily a crowd, but it was doing well for only being a month into service. Hatta had stopped by every week to see how the bakery was and came for dinner on multiple occasions as the bakery was only down the street from the hat shop and their house right behind it. Raven stayed with them at the bakery, though every now and then he would leave for a stretch or just peace and quiet, and it'd just be Catherine and Jest. The baker and her partner.

Right now, they were closing up shop. Hatta had decided not to come for dinner and Raven went out to stretch his wings once more.

"What a day," Cath smiled Jest's way. She locked everything down before going through the backdoor to their shared house with Jest trailing behind her.

"Cath," Jest wrapped his arms around her and turned her around when they had closed the door. He cornered her against it and hugged her closer. "You look beautiful."

"You say that every day Jest, but thank you," Cath couldn't help her growing smile as she stared at Jest's lemon colored eyes and his familiar smirk.

"I can't help it. Every day I'm still in shock that you're here with me," Jest lowered his head and wrapped his black gloved fingers through Cath's hair. There was a questioning glint in his eyes which Cath answered by nodding, and then his lips were on hers.

She was responding eagerly, her arms circling Jest's neck and her body leaning against the door. Jest held her close and securely, and Cath allowed the poke of a tongue to open her lips, letting the warmth of Jest's mouth mingle with hers. When they separated, Jest laid his forehead on hers, their noses almost touching and his smile clear as day.

"I've missed you so much," Jest whispered, hugging her closer if that were possible.

"Jest, I've thought of you every night for those two years, I've missed you too," Cath breathed out.

"I hope you won't mind that our courtship only lasted for a few months then," Jest smiled the same charming grin, and then broke away, lowering himself onto one knee.

"No," Cath murmured, her eyes widening as Jest took out a leather box, too small to fit anything but a.... "No, no no no you can't be serious, for Hearts sake."

"Catherine Pinkerton," Jest said, and for all his grandeur and confidence, his eyes showed a hint of hesitation, and his smile was shy. "Will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

Jest opened the box with care and raised it higher so Cath could see the glittering diamond and the silver band with the metal wrapped snugly around the gem. It was beautiful, and Cath was spellbound by the ring, and Jest right below her, his smile nervous but his hands never shaking.

Tears were spilling down her cheeks before she could stop them, not that she wanted to. For all her daydreams, all her fantasies, nothing could've prepared her for this. "Yes, yes of course Jest," Cath said, her voice wavering and unsteady but the resolve apparent and unbreaking.

His smile grew as he gingerly took the ring out of its slot and slid it through Catherine's ring finger. Almost immediately after, he placed his lips on hers and pushed her against the walls. Cath gasped lightly, and pressed her lips, her mind in a delirium of happiness. She remembered the first time she had kissed him, it had been a lifetime ago, and things were so much more different now. Cath clung on Jest's shirt and pulled him closer to her if that were even possible. She was happy, and she was in love. There were multiple bumps that she would never recover from, but she was happy, and Jest was happy with her. That was all that mattered.

"Cath," Jest murmured, brushing his lips lightly against hers. "I love you. I'd go to Chess and back, as I did with the Forgotten for you."

"Impossibility is your specialty," Cath smiled, her desired unsmotherable, not that it ever was.

"That it is," Jest's eyes brightened at his old saying, and he buried his nose into her hair, holding her close.

"I don't need anything, I just need you to never let me go," Cath said, her words holding so much meaning.

"I promise Lady Catherine," Jest said vehemently. "I'll never let you go."

And that was good enough for Cath, because she finally had what she'd wanted: her happily ever after.