The morning of the wedding, Annalise had an easier time getting on her feet than she had in what felt like forever, but had actually been only a few days. The event being a small casual outdoor one, she put on a dark blue floral two piece with a high neck and a small gap between the top and bottoms.

The sleep hadn't helped as much as she'd hoped. She'd struggled to stay asleep, suffered nightmares, and everything was still foggy. A proud graduate of the Daisy Villa hangover school, seeing how this felt remarkably similar despite the lack of alcohol involved, she did her best to do her hair and a little make up in a short period of time.

"Feeling any better?" Rosie asked, giving her a ride, which she reluctantly accepted, seeing how she had no car in Miami.

"I'm feeling fabulous," she lied with a smile as she slid into the passenger seat. "My mom and Hornstock are finally getting married and I'm here to see it. You start your clinical trial in less than two weeks. And for first time in four years, I'm not surprised to see the sun!" While he read through her lies, the fact that she conjured the energy to even say that word, "fabulous," never mind form several other sentences meant she'd slept. At least a little. Still worried, he held out a drink to her.

"What is this."

"It's packed full of electrolytes. Drink up."

"It looks gross. Why is there pulp?"

"Just trust me. Try it before you dismiss it."

"I wasn't gonna dismiss it. I'm offended you think I would," she joked. "I drank your milkshakes."

"Well, my milkshakes are bomb. This is hydration, not celebration."

"So you're telling me it's gross," she replied, reading the back of the bottle.

"Well, it's not as good as my milkshakes. But it'll help with those dizzy spells."

"I never told you I was getting dizzy."

"You just did." She looked up at him, unamused by little trick. "Drink up," he concluded as he looked over his shoulder and pulled out into the street. The ceremony was sweet, on the grass, some of the EMPD employees, Daisy's coworkers and friends, and Rosie's family and coworkers in attendance.

Above them hung string lights and behind them were tables under a tent. The ocean could be heard in the distance. It was a small area but a nice one for the amount of guests there.

Daisy wore a simple dress, nothing like the brides in the magazines, but she could dance all she wanted. For the first time since her fathers death, Annalise genuinely smiled, joyful tears glossing over her eyes as she stood to the side, watching the newly weds take their first married kiss. The sun set quickly, turning the sky pink, then purple, then blue as they ate, and soon enough, the grass once filled with chairs was filled with people dancing together.

"It's okay to be happy for your mother and sad for your father at the same time, Villa," Rosie's voice interrupted her viewing of the party from the table. Her eyes had been on Daisy once again, feeling a little better when her mother smiled. Seeing her be loved and loving. But Rosie was right. Her father was in the mix of emotions. Feeling better at the sight of her mother made her feel like she was pushing her father away, ignoring him like she'd ignored everyone else before. Already, she feared she was forgetting him. Or even enjoying life without him.

"How did you know my father died?" She asked, not tearing her eyes from the dancing as Rosie leaned forward on his elbows, sitting in the chair bedside her. He'd gotten up to dance with his mother a while ago and she wasn't sure when he'd sat back down, only that Donna was now dancing with her daughter.

"I assumed. I'm so sorry," he told her, his heart sinking in his chest from the conformation. "I thought he had more time."

"It wasn't the cancer. He died in a fire saving my team and I."

"That's admirable. I'm sure he'd rather go doing something he loved than in a hospital bed."

"Me too. Still..."

"It's always too soon," he replied, knowing Annalise wouldn't finish her thought herself.

He glanced in the direction she was staring to see Ira and Daisy laughing and when he turned back to Annalise, she was smiling too.

The song faded out and on came Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers.

"God, I haven't heard this in forever," she said. Rosie had assumed the last thing Annalise wanted to do was dance to the upbeat music that'd proceeded this song, but this would be less salsa and more just holding her, so he stood up and held a hand out for her.

"Rosie, I'm not dancing," she told him, trying to shut him down as fast as she could.

"Just one dance. Please. I promise not to show you up." With a small chuckle and a shake of the head, Annalise placed her hand in his and let him guide her over to "dance floor." At first, they danced, hands together and wrapped around each other, but slowly, Annalise gave in to the protection she felt from being in his arms and pressed herself against him, sliding her arms up his body until they clasped behind his neck. Her ear against his chest, she listened to his heart beating, drowning out every other sound until the world might as well have been underwater. Rosie wrapped an arm around her and stroked her hair with the other, holding her close as though might would slip away. They rocked slowly to the music, like many of the couples around them.

Holding her head, he breathed her in, pressing his lips to her hair and then gently running his fingers through a strand, which he tucked behind her ear. He'd been grateful the first time they hugged when he showed up at the fire station, but now, he couldn't stop taking it in. Every little thing about her. And even though he knew Annalise was incredibly strong, he felt an overwhelming urge to protect her. And from the way she held onto him, he could tell she was okay with that. When he looked up, his eyes immediately landed on Daisy's who was taking in the sight with tearful eyes, glad her daughter had someone to hold her. To be there for her. And hopefully to love.

Annalise never changed her mind about dancing but that one dance had been enough for the both of them. Soon enough the night came to an end and Rosie brought her to a pharmacy and then her old home.

"We beat your mom and Hornstock?" He asked, having seen them leave the wedding.

"They booked a hotel room for the night," she explained, grateful she didn't have to stay in the motel she'd booked to give them their wedding night.

"I'd rather someone be here with you," he told her, seriously.

"I'll be fine, Rosie."

"Villa," he said, looking into her eyes, which she gave into. She showered and changed into a camisole and sweatpants as Rosie flipped through the book she'd bought with her. She lent him one of Hornstocks shirts he'd be more comfortable in and took the drugs.

"I'll be in the living room if you need anything," he finally told her before leaving her room and settling down on the couch, setting an alarm to check on her. When that alarm went off, Annalise was asleep. He wasn't aware she'd been waking time and time again until the next morning when he heard her mumbling in her sleep. He quickly gave up on keeping his distance, spending the rest of the day in her room, whether he was in the chair in the corner or on her bed. He only left her side when he heard her mother and Ira return to inform them of her state and his presence in the house. After hearing she hadn't slept for days, besides the little she got the night before, they agreed she'd needed something to knock her out.

Annalise continued to pass in and out of consciousness, being startled awake, uttered her fathers name, and then Ryan's, and sometimes her mothers. She woke up crying and he held her close. Another time she barely woke up at all, only enough to reach for him. He pulled her in, letting her head rest on his chest as she drifted off to sleep.

"How's she doing?" Ira whispered, peering in at one point after the sun had fallen.

"This is the longest she's been out." He spoke in hushed tones, afraid to wake her.

"I don't like seeing her like this."

"Well, you should know, seeing you and her mom last night made her happy," Rosie told him.

"I'm glad. We've got leftovers from yesterday."

"Maybe when she wakes up." When Annalise woke about an hour later, she was hardly alert enough to eat, but she got down a few bites and drank a lot more water than she had been. The moment her head hit the pillow, she was out again.

-

A/N- Seems like most of y'all are rooting for Sullivan 🤔