Authors Note: Just a little something I wrote while I was burning some stuff at work. Yup...my work lets me burn stuff! Yippee! Anyway...this is being posted pretty much as originally written...I don't have time to develop it any further right now but maybe if you all like the idea...who knows!

Set after X3, presuming the x-men think Pyro died on Alcatraz, that the professor has returned to the x-men in his new body and the cure Marie took has worn off.

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Any Lawful Impediment

For the fourteenth time Bobby Drake adjusted his tie and looked around the grand and spacious church. Piotr Rasputin caught his eye and smiled reassuringly. Bobby smiled back at his best man and returned his attention to the front of the church. There was nothing to worry about. The sun was shining through the old stained glass windows, casting multi-coloured glows over the opposite walls. All around Bobby and the numerous guests, flowers bloomed amongst ivory and lilac ribbons and bows. Atop ornate silver pillars, sat varying sizes of ivory candles. Bobby looked at the flames uneasily, watching the small fire lick calmly around the wicks...

"The fire bodes you no ill," Bobby heard the Professor's voice in his head. Turning, Bobby found another reassuring smile. "You know he is gone."

Bobby smiled tightly and returned his attention to the flames, watching the gentle flickering intently. He knew Pyro was dead, but fire still made him nervous. Still...Marie liked candles...

All of a sudden, Piotr pulled Bobby into place as the organ started up. Bobby took a deep breath and glanced back up the aisle. There she was. Marie D'Ancanto, dressed in a simple but elegant white, strapless gown. Her hair was partially pulled back, away from her face but left to tumble down over the lace shawl covering her shoulders.

"You look stunning," Bobby whispered as Logan let go of Marie's gloved arm and the bride took her place next to her husband to be. Marie looked back up at Bobby from under her veil, a broad smile on her red lips, barely listening as the minister began his long speech...

"...and so should any person here present, have any objection to the union of Marie and Robert..."

The candles flickered briefly. Bobby's eyes widened slightly, but he gulped back the sense of panic. Nothing to worry about...

"May they speak now, or forever hold their peace."

Click. Swoosh.

Fire tore down the sides of the church and down the aisle, surrounding the guests in intense, ferocious heat. The flickering candle flames roared towards the ceiling, snaking back down to surround the bride. Marie screamed as the fire spread quickly up her dress. Bobby held out his hands and iced over the flames, but no sooner did he ice them did the flames start up again.

"John!" Bobby cried out, frantically scanning for the pyrokinetic but all he could see was fire.

"Bobby," came the mocking reply. Amongst the flames, the professor closed his eyes and reached out his mind. "Keep trying Prof. Magneto's being developing some new toys. You ain't getting in my head anymore."

Once again Bobby iced over the flames surrounding his bride, but now Kitty had snapped out of her shock. Grabbing Marie, the two girls disappeared from the church through the nearest wall.

"Fuck," Pyro muttered. The flames died down a little, but kept a barrier around the guests, confining them to their seats. At the opposite end of the aisle from Bobby, a ball of fire burned as intensely as ever. Gritting his teeth, Bobby iced his body and charged into the flames.

"Imagine seeing you here," Pyro sneered as icy blue eyes met burning brown eyes.

"You're..." Bobby shook his head in disbelief. "We thought you were dead."

"Sorry to disappoint."

Bobby stared back at his former friend for what seemed like an eternity, forgetting all about the guests and chaos surrounding him.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked quietly, almost inaudible over the flames. Pyro's lips curled into something resembling a bitter smile.

"Jealousy's a bitch."

"What?" Bobby frowned and studied the other mutant closely, a look of realization spreading over his own face. "Oh my god. You're mad because Marie chose me?"

The flames disappeared suddenly, dissipating upwards before imploding in the centre of the roof as John looked back at Bobby sadly. Without thinking, Bobby returned to his normal form as the fires vanished.

"No you idiot," John reached out and ran a hand down Bobby's cheek, moving closer so their faces were almost touched, eyes firmly fixed on the others. "I'm mad because you chose her."

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Authors note: tee hee! I liked the idea of Marie's wedding dress going up in flames. I would like to rewrite this one day and really have her go up in flames. I wonder just how flammable wedding dresses are...