On the Run: A Lukewarm Adventure

Chapter Fifteen

New York City recovers from a deadly attack by the Revolutionaries

The war is over. The Revolutionaries have disbanded after many of their leaders have been arrested, or worse, killed.

The body of Wilhelm Schaffhausen has not been located, but according to a reliable source, his remains have been kept in a safe location.

"You will never find his body," says David Brannon, a noted Revolutionary. "Mr Schaffhausen isn't dead. Not really...for as long as his legacy lives with us, Wilhelm Schaffhausen will never truly be dead."

While some might sympathize with Brannon's statement, it is important to understand that the Revolutionaries were terrorists, bent upon destroying and conquering New York City. Schaffhausen may live forever in the hearts of several Revolutionaries, but the truth suggests otherwise. 

Residents of New York City can heave a sigh of relief because the police have confirmed his death by suicide as a result of a jump from the top of the Empire State Building.

The State of New York is in remission. People's lives are slowly, but steadily, returning to normalcy.

There is still hope for New York City.

***

Lukewarm waltzed into Victor's office, humming a song.

Victor smirked and said, "You had sex last night, didn't you?"

"Can't say I didn't," the detective replied and shrugged.

Victor chuckled.

"Vanessa and I have been engaged for over a month now. We've fixed a date for the wedding." Lukewarm put his hands in his pockets.

"When is it?" asked Victor.

"December the twenty-fourth," Lukewarm said. "Christmas eve. And I want you to be my best man."

Victor beamed and hugged his friend. "I thought you'd never ask."

***

Vanessa sat in the restaurant, waiting for her friends to turn up. A few minutes later, Andrea and Jennifer arrived.

"Hey, girls!" Vanessa smiled.

"How's your fiancé treating you?" Jennifer said. "And when is the actual wedding?"

"Oh, come on, Jennifer," Andrea said with a smirk on her face, "leave the poor woman alone."

"Okay, here goes." Vanessa took a deep breath. "The wedding's on Christmas eve. You know, I've been wanting to talk to the two of you. For a couple of days, I've been pondering over which one of you to choose as my bridesmaid, and I think I've finally come to a decision."

"Whom have you chosen?" Jennifer said, her eyes wide with excitement.

"Will you both be my bridesmaids?"

Andrea and Jennifer squealed and embraced Vanessa, wrapping her in what one might call a bear hug.

***

Later, in the evening, Victor saw Andrea enter the precinct. A moment later, Martin entered his office and said, "A woman wishes to meet you."

"Send her in, Sergeant."

Andrea walked into his office and sat down. "Victor, we need to talk."

"About what, Andrea?" he asked casually.

"About us, Victor. I know we ended things because I was afraid of losing you, but I've come to realize that you will always deal with death because you're a cop. It's part of the job description." She held his hands.

Victor looked into her eyes and said, "I love you, Andrea." He leaned forward and kissed her, and she didn't resist.

It was a moment– a pure, gentle moment of true love.

***

It was around six in the evening. The venue of the wedding faced a breathtaking sunset. At the end of each row, scented candles hung from naked branches of young birch trees. Spread down the aisle were white leaves, as far as the eyes could see, slightly moist so they wouldn't crack when stepped on.

On either side of the aisle, the guests sat in white chairs set up for them.

Lukewarm stood on the altar and smiled, thinking about the first time he had seen Vanessa. 

Victor escorted Vanessa to the altar. He couldn't believe that his little sister was getting married.

Lukewarm gave Vanessa a hand. She took it and smiled at him. He was her perfect man, and she felt blessed to wed him. Andrea and Jennifer stood behind the bride, happy for her.

A few minutes later, the priest arrived and asked everybody to stand, for the ceremony had begun.

"To all those present here, I say: We are gathered here, not to witness the beginning of what will be, but rather what already is!" he said. "We do not create this marriage, because marriage is created in the hearts of two loving people. We can and do, however, gather to celebrate, with Jonathan Lukewarm and Vanessa Lawrence, the wondrous and joyful occurrence that has already taken place in their lives, and the commitment they make today.

He continued, now looking at the happy couple, "Through your commitment to each other, may you grow and nurture a love that makes both of you better people, a love that will continue to give you great joy, and also a passion for living. Now, do you, Jonathan Lukewarm, take Vanessa Lawrence to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Lukewarm stepped forward and cleared his throat. "I, Jonathan Lukewarm, take Vanessa Lawrence my lawfully wedded wife, my constant friend and the one true love of my life from this day forward. In the presence of our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you, to honour and to respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish our bond for as long as we both shall live."

"And do you, Vanessa Lawrence, take Jonathan Lukewarm to be your lawfully wedded husband?" the priest said.

Vanessa blushed. "There's really nothing left to say because Lukewarm, devil that he is, stole the words right out of my mouth. Lukewarm, words cannot convey my love for you. All my life, I've been looking for my soulmate, one who would care for me, and accept me for who I am. And I think it's only fair to say that I've found my soulmate in you, Lukewarm. I, Vanessa Lawrence, take Jonathan Lukewarm to be my partner in life and in death."

"You may now place the rings on each other's fingers." the priest said solemnly and they obeyed him.

"By the powers vested in me by the State of New York," the priest declared, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Without hesitating for even a moment, they kissed gently, their lips meeting in a holy union.

Lukewarm and Vanessa looked into each other's eyes. This was it, their dreams had been fulfilled. They held hands and walked down the aisle, eagerly awaiting what lay ahead.