~~

Lissa didn't know what time it was as she entered the house once more. Every trace of the wedding was gone. Well except for them, they were all still in their outfits from the wedding, not having had enough time to change.

Looking down at herself, she made a face of disgust, just ready to rip the dress off. Before she could though, Marie hesitantly came up to her, looking near tears and fidgeting. "Lissa," she said hesitantly, almost like as if she were walking on eggshells.

Even though Lissa never would admit it, but she wasn't so unlike her mother; she too played favorites when it came to her sisters. Jean was of course, number one, but she was sure Jean was everyone's number one, except maybe Marie's. Even though Jean was the eldest and most definitely the most reliable, the one that Marie had always clung to was Lissa. Marie wasn't as pretty as Lindy, nor was she as brash as Kady, instead she was a little bit of an introvert that relied on her music to show her emotions.

Only Marie wasn't the greatest musician. In fact sometimes it was painful to listen to, but it was what made Marie happy so none of them had the heart to tell her to stop, they just made sure that she got all the practice she could so that some miracle might occur and one day Marie would learn to stay on key. But all of this combined made Marie a bit of the oddball. A musician that couldn't play well... but that was why she and Lissa got along so well. The two of them were the odd ones in the family. At least the two everyone acknowledged as the odd ones, the ones who didn't care what others thought and continued on their day, not caring what people said.

"Marie, it's okay, I'm not going to chew you out." Lissa sighed, knowing that she had turned into the maid of honor from hell for the past few hours, since she got off the phone with jackass one. Not to mention that throughout the day she had been imagining ripping jackass two into shreds, even decapitating him with the large cake knife that had come with the triple layer column cake. The glee she took in the thought of doing so would have horrified their mother, but Lissa had stopped telling her inner thoughts to her mother years ago. "I'm sorry Marie that I yelled at you today. Come here," She apologized before stretching out her arms for a hug.

Letting out a breath, fourteen year old Marie Bennet did just that before she began to finally sob. Everyone had their chance to cry a little that day. Jean of course, their mother, even Lindy and Kady over their loss of a rich brother in law, and their father ended up choking up as he tried to talk to Jean. "Lissa," She cried clutching her sister close to her. "I, I," Marie tried to say but stuttered. "I really liked him," She finally admitted, grief and guilt lacing her words as she shook from her sobs.

When the wedding had come to a close and no groom had appeared, Marie was heartbroken. She had thought that she was going to gain a brother in law, a great one at that. One that loved Jean like no one else and seemed to actually listen to Jean and not try to take advantage of her sweet nature. Also a brother in law who actually joked with Marie, and didn't make fun of her piano skills, instead coming down to sit with her, a laugh on his lips as he helped her play Chopin's basic Chopsticks, something she had been practicing for almost three years but could not quite get until that day. She had never had so much fun or so much support, connecting with Chase on a level that she never had with anyone else, but Lissa. Because he had reached out first, never judging her, never treating her as the youngest Bennet sister, but her own person. Not just a sad shadow of her sisters... that had meant more to her than she could ever admit out loud.

But then he had gone and left, leaving her eldest sister broken hearted, and the youngest devastated that all adults were the same. Untrustworthy. They said so many things, promised all these great things then they would forget all about her. She couldn't even count on her fingers how often times she had piano recitals, violin lessons, and yet her mother would forget to come because Lindy had cheer practice, Kady had a fashion emergency... so an hour after all the kids and their parents left, Marie was still sitting outside in her second hand dress, one that was a little too loose because she unlike her two older sisters had not developed at all. Fighting back tears at being forgotten, again.

"I really liked him too Marie," Lissa stroked her youngest sister's hair as she held her close. "It's okay to cry when it hurts,"

"Why would he do that though?" Marie laced her fingers around Lissa's waist.

"I don't know," Lissa whispered still stroking Marie's hair. "I don't know."

"Will Jean..." Marie paused. "Will she be okay?"

"I hope so... I'll do everything I can to make sure she is though." Lissa promised only for Marie to tighten her grip.

"Are you, are you going to take her with you? Back to Italy?" Marie asked softly, so softly Lissa had to strain to hear. But she did hear it and Lissa was shocked. She hadn't honestly thought that far ahead but really, it was probably the best idea yet. She could take Jean away for a bit, get her away from the rumor mill that was bound to start up come nightfall. Get her away from any memories of Jackass two. But that would... Lissa leant down to kiss the top of Marie's forehead. If she did that, then Marie would really be alone. Jean couldn't visit every weekend as she had been upon attending college, and their father loved Marie but he was so weary of raising the four of them and their mother that he didn't have enough energy for Marie. It was sad, and Lissa wish she could do something but her mother was a strange person. She loved Marie too, they all did, but sometimes it was like Marie was just the tag along child that their mother sometimes forgot she had. So Lissa since Marie was young, had always stepped into fill the role the best she could. Knowing exactly how that felt, to be so overshadowed that she had to often take care of her own wants and needs.

Even now, eight years later Lissa could still remember that day that their mother had gotten one of her migraines and had absolutely forgotten Marie. Lissa had been fourteen at that time, too young for a car so she had taken her bike out in the rain storm to trek to Marie's piano lesson only to find Marie sitting near the water fountain, head down as the rain beat down on her. But she never budged, thinking that if she took shelter, their mother would never see Marie and just drive off as she once had before, thinking that some parent must have just offered her a ride already. The ride home, Marie had clung to her like a lifeline while tears and rain mingled, whilst Lissa pedaled it the ten miles back home.

"I'll be okay Lissa," Marie wiped her nose, trying to be strong now that she admitted her guilt and knowing that Jean needed to get away more than Marie needed her. "Just make sure Jean gets better."

Lifting Marie's chin up so she was looking at her, Lissa spoke very clearly and concisely. "I will call you twice a week and I will send a new post card every two weeks, just like before. I promise. And if you ever need to talk, I will always be there for you. If you ever need money for something, you know I can wire transfer any money you need. I'll never truly be gone, you will always have me and if you really need me, I will buy the next ticket home." She bored her gaze into Marie's. "Always." She confirmed once more. Lissa didn't have a whole lot of money but she had a small cushion from having summer jobs since she was twelve, knowing if she wanted something, she would have to earn it. Her father already worked hard enough as it was. And Marie wasn't high maintenance by any means, so Lissa knew if Marie needed to go on a field trip of some kind, Lissa could afford the few hundred it would cost.

Swallowing, Marie nodded. "I know," She said smiling for the first time since that morning. Closing her eyes, Marie took a breath before burying her head into the crook of Lissa's torso. "The piano Chase bought me arrived just a bit ago... I don't want it anymore. Give it to someone else!" She said closing her eyes to ignore the image of the gorgeous European hand crafted piano that had been specifically designed just for her, it even had her initials on the key lid. For the first time, she had gotten a gift from someone that was all hers, with just her in mind that she didn't have to share with her sisters. Even her music lessons had initially been Kady's but it had been too nerdy for Kady so she dropped it only for Marie to ask if she could continue them since they were nonrefundable.

The hand stroking Marie paused mid stroke. "Oh honey," Lissa sighed, no wonder she liked Chase so much. Chase was probably the only one who had paid any attention to Marie this whole time, Lissa included. Since Lissa's flight had landed, it had been Jean this, Jean that... and butting heads with jackass one every once in a while. "Let's donate it to your school, lord knows that school needs some improvement in its music department. Then you can play it when you're ready..."

Silently, Marie just hugged herself closer to Lissa as she thought it through. "Yeah," She finally said.

~~

Jean heard the jiggle of her door before it finally popped open to reveal a very triumphant Lissa, that was until she caught the glimpse of Jean.

"Oh my god!" Lissa cried out before closing the door quickly behind her and locking it.

"Hi Lissa," Jean said with a half hearted smile as she stood near the mirror, her wet hair now a raven black as the top of her wedding gown was stained with black dye.

"Oh my god," Lissa just said again as her knees gave out so she slid down to her bum, still staring at her sister as if she had sprung another head. Her sister's once beautiful blonde tresses were now dyed black and her once gorgeous, breathtaking, wedding gown was completely ruined as the black dye would fade but never completely washout of the pure silk material of the wedding gown. "Jean, I, you." Lissa jumbled but never said anything coherently. "Your hair," she repeated with a toneless echo in her words.

"It was one of Chase's favorite things, you know he once said that my hair reminded him of the purest golden sunsets. It was always so cheesy when he said it, but I didn't care." Jean said smiling as one last tear rolled down her cheek.

Lissa didn't say anything this time as she open her arms for one more hug, the hug that she'd been waiting to give all day. So for the second time that day, two Bennet sisters embraced each other, the two clutching each other as if a tornado were to come down upon them and try to rip them apart.

"I still love him... even now but I couldn't look at myself and not hear him say those words," Jean said hoarsely. "I feel like the biggest fool that I don't hate him for leaving me. I just wish that he could have said goodbye so I didn't feel like it's my fault that everyone had to deal with the fallout."

"Jesus Jean," Lissa said ripping away from Jean's hold, slight tears blurring her vision. "No one blames you and if you blame yourself, god help me I'm going to find that bastard and make my delusions come true, to really decapitate him with the cake knife!" She blabbed half coherently as she tried not to cry because her prediction had come true... of course Jean would blame herself.

At first Jean choked but then a short laugh bubbled from her lips, just trying to imagine Lissa chasing after Chase with a cake knife, yelling Ginger at the top of her lungs. The ridiculous image just made Jean laugh more even if it wasn't all in good humor.

"Give me your ring,"

Jean stopped laughing as she looked at Lissa.

Lissa didn't waver, just repeated her demand. "Get out of that dress, take a shower, take a nap, and I'll be back in an hour or two."

~~

"You know that this is technically-"

"Yes but your parents run and own this bank so just open it, its not like I'm robbing it." Lissa cut Shane off. "Anyway where is your lady friend? I thought she was supposed to come."

"She was supposed to but I called her before she could get on the plane this morning when..." Shane stopped again not sure to say Chase's name because Lissa had nearly flung a fork at Lindy for saying it a few hours ago. And then she had turned to yell at Marie to stop standing there like a deer about to be run over and do something productive. It was like something had inhabited Lissa after she had come back from talking to the stranger that had come by and dropped off a blank check with Lissa's name on it.

"You know I would be so tempted to write one million dollars just to spite those bastards," Shane said off handedly as Lissa went to get the key to her safe she kept there at Roberts & Roberts. After getting what she needed, she slipped a small enclosed envelope inside and locked it back up.

Walking out of the room of safes, Lissa smiled a little gleefully. "I didn't quite go that far but I did calculate more than enough to buy everyone's plane ticket home, grandma got a few thousand to buy herself some new China and a way to repair her roof before winter, great Uncle Dennis got an all expense paid trip to Hawaii for two, for a month, and a few thousand to spend while there. I just paid for Lindy's community college tuition for the year, Kady's school and club activities, Marie's piano and violin lessons for the next two years, and a bit more but I forget now. I was on a roll though." Lissa shrugged, not feeling any guilt as she had expected. In fact she felt quite proud of herself. She couldn't try to decapitate Chase Brigham or Will Darcy but she could sure as hell make them pay to make it easy for her family to have a nice Christmas to make up for this disastrous family reunion.

Shane's brow was arched as he looked at her quite impressed. "I bet you were."

"So what do you say about helping me cash this check?" Lissa looked up at her ex.

"Why the hell not?" Shane just said before making her scoot over to do the transaction for her. They sent the money to each respective party they needed too and was able to get cash in Benjamin's. They finally finished up nearly two hours later as Shane printed off two first class tickets to Italy for the next afternoon. "Now what?" Shane asked handing Lissa the tickets, leaning against the desk, his eyes full of humor as he looked at Lissa, eye to eye.

"Teach them to solve everything with money." Lissa said tilting her head up to look at him. "But now I take my sister far away from here to get her back on her two feet... With enough cash that she can get a whole new wardrobe. So that she doesn't even have to pack anything and just leave without any baggage." Lissa smiled, her hazel eyes a little brighter at the mere thought.

~~~