Aaron didn't say anything, and Cadence wondered if that was because there really wasn't anything to say or if he was anticipating the beginning of the memorial service. Either way, she sat in silence, her hand in his, trying to keep herself together for the last few minutes before Hannah cued the music and Christian, who was running the sound, began the ceremony in the most unusual and unexpected way, by playing "Don't Fear the Reaper," by Blue Oyster Cult. Like everyone else, Cadence and Aaron glanced around, confused, before breaking out in laughter. After all, it made perfect sense. The last thing that Elliott would want is for anyone to be crying on his account.
After the initial song, the pastor, who introduced himself as Rev. Dale Dawson, whose parents were both Guardians, spoke a few words about Elliott, sharing some anecdotes Hannah had gathered from various members of the LIGHTS team. The way he was talking, it was fairly evident that everyone in the room must be aware of the Clandestine Ternion. Otherwise, the mention of Vampire Hunting would have been quite shocking.
Cadence did her best to listen, but realizing she was next to speak, it was difficult to do so. Eventually, she realized he was introducing her as "Elliott's dear friend and fellow LIGHTS team member," and she made her way to the pulpit, knees shaking, though considerably more solid than they had been when she had spoken at Jack's memorial not that long ago.
She had no notes, no rehearsed speech, no voice in her head letting her know what to say next. She was going to completely wing it. She honestly felt like that's what he would have wanted. So, that's what she intended to do.
"Good afternoon, friends and family of our indispensable friend, Dr. Elliott Sanderson," she began, surprising even herself at how clear and true her voice sounded. "I must admit, the last thing I ever thought I would do is speak at the memorial service of someone I was quite sure would out-live me infinitely. And it is with an extremely heavy heart that I stand before you today to talk about my friend, one of the best friends I've ever had, and to tell him goodbye.
"If you're here today, you must have known Elliott in some capacity or another. I don't have to tell you how... ridiculous he was." There were some chuckles, and she paused for a moment to consider her next words. "You just never knew what he might say next. Chances are, however, whatever it was, it would be unexpected--but true. Very true. With Elliott, you never had to worry about whether or not he was giving it to you straight. If he was talking, he was being honest.
"And that's why I knew pretty early on that he wasn't a fan of mine." Again, the crowd snickered. "But after working with him one time on our own, when I was counting on him to keep me safe, and he had to rely on me to get the job done, it became pretty clear that we were an amazing team. From that moment on, I counted Dr. Sanderson as one of my best friends. Eventually, he became like a big brother to me. " Cadence realized a tear was running down her cheek now, and she paused to wipe it away. As she contemplated what she wanted to say next, she glanced out at the crowd and noticed a red-headed woman sitting near the back. She didn't recognize many of the faces in the crowd, and this woman was someone she had never laid eyes on before, but she knew immediately who she was, and that changed the direction she was headed with her speech.
"The thing about Elliott is... was... if you were his friend, he was willing to do anything for you. Anything. He gave his life to protect a Hunter, something he had sworn to do, but beyond that, something he was compelled to do. He would have done it for any of us." She glanced at Meagan, who was sitting in the front room next to Shane, her head buried in his shoulder sobbing, and then continued. "If he didn't like you, he would let you know it. But if he loved you, he'd let you know that, too. More than once, he promised me he would make sure I was happy if it was the last thing he did. It wasn't just a promise he made to me, it was one he made to all of his friends, every day. That was just the sort of guy he was. Obviously, I didn't come up here today with a rehearsed speech. I just wanted to speak from my heart and let you all know how extremely blessed I am for having known Elliott. If I could have him back for just a few minutes, tell him one more thing, I'd let him know that of all of the friends I've ever had, I've never trusted any one more. I never had a brother until he came into my life, and the difference he made in just a few short months will impact me for as long as I live. I hope that, should I ever be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice, I can do so as bravely as my sweet friend. He will certainly be missed and thought of fondly every single day." Cadence glanced at her sister, who seemed to be holding herself together, at Meagan, who was not, and back at the woman she was certain must be Amanda Keen before smiling meekly at Aaron and making her way back to her seat.
As she sat down, he said, "He would be very proud of you," taking her hand.
"Thank you," she said solemnly, returning her attention to the reverend, trying to keep the distraction of Amanda Keen out of her mind. He spoke a few more words before introducing the slideshow Hannah had prepared. Most of the pictures were of Elliott making faces at the camera or tormenting his friends. There were a few of him actually in combat. And the last one was of Cadence hugging him goodbye for the last time. It was all she could do to keep it together.
At the conclusion of the slideshow, the pastor introduced Aaron. As he got up to go, she contemplated exactly what to say in order to boost his confidence, but only one thing really made sense. "Love you," she said. He didn't respond, but he didn't have to for her to know he heard her.
Aaron had prepared a written speech, though he would be reading it from his IAC. Nevertheless, Cadence knew he would be much more concise and on topic than she had been. As he began to speak, she did her best to concentrate on what he was saying without getting emotional. She was also extremely sidetracked by the woman in the back of the room.
Cadence locked her eyes on Aaron, determined to stay focused. How could I possibly feel the need to look away from him--ever? she wondered. He was talking about how Elliott had been extremely loyal, how he could count on him to do anything, and how he had consistently led hunts for decades better than anyone he had ever worked with. He talked about how Elliott could persuade anyone of even the most ridiculous concepts, which was irreplaceable when it came to running interference. He also mentioned that Elliott was often an unbelievable pain in the ass--the kind you only truly appreciated when it was suddenly gone.
Her mind began to wander, and it was all she could do to keep from turning around. She decided to request visuals from Christian, who was in the back of the room, so she could try to keep an eye on Amanda in case she tried to bolt. Once she got them, she felt better; at least now she could appear to be giving her full attention to her boyfriend, who was becoming emotional as he began to wrap up his remarks. He concluded by saying that Elliott would have gladly given up his own chance at happiness if he thought someone he cared about would benefit from his sacrifice--and though not everyone knew precisely what he was referring to, Cadence certainly did--and she couldn't help but feel another wave of sadness at the thought.
