*** Disclaimer: I do not own Max Steel or any of his friends, enemies, relatives or pets. They belong to WB (I think) and a bunch of other people. This story is for entertainment purposes only and is not to be taken internally. I make no money from this, I write these things for my own amusement. I do own Alice Dread. If you want to use her, email me. There. Now you can't sue my broke butt.
Read and review please, either here or emails are welcome if you want to turn it into a discussion. vespera_blaze@yahoo.com .
It was a beautiful day, not a cloud to be seen anywhere in the sky. It was warm, but not stifling hot, a balmy May afternoon that had everything going for it. Josh looked around, awestruck by how nearly perfect everything was. The park they were in stood on a bluff that overlooked the ocean, and the sound of the breakers against the walls beneath them was so deep it was felt more than it was heard. The scent of flowers hung heavily in the air, and the entire area was carpeted in neatly trimmed thick green grass. The murmer from the guests that filled the seats was a soothing counterpoint to his own thoughts.
He had never imagined he would be standing here, not in a million years. He glanced down at his tuxedo, and absently tugged on the collar. It felt as if the tailor had cut it half a size too small. He seemed to be having some problems swallowing. The priest and the rest of the people waiting in front of the altar seemed too calm and composed for his tastes, turned expectantly towards the rear waiting for the second guest of honor to put in her appearance. Josh scanned the faces while nervously running a hand through his blonde hair.
In the first row of seats to his left, Rachel smiled at him and leaned over to say something quietly to Kat. Both were dressed in their best, and looked stunning. Rachel stuck with the slightly conservative look she had nearly trademarked, in a green long sleeve dress that reached mid calf and swirled loosely around her tanned legs. The embroidery pattern on the dress was subdued, a leaf and vine pattern around the hem and across the bodice. Kat, who always looked to dress on the edge, wore a sarong in a deep burn orange color, the swathes of material wrapped around her torso and legs many times. She had let her hair grow out over the last few years, and the brown curls framed her face, softening her angular cheekbones and lips. She was still whipcord thin, and tough as nails, but she no longer felt she had anything to prove to the rest of the group.
Kat listened to what Rachel told her, and threw back her head with a laugh. She shot a look at Roberto where he stood next to Josh in his own tuxedo, then turned back to whisper with Rachel. "Do you ever get the feeling people are talking about you?" Roberto said out of the corner of his mouth to Josh.
"All the time bro. How are things going between you and Kat any ways? She was giving you the cold shoulder for the last few days I've noticed." Josh said.
Roberto grimaced. "Sometimes its up, sometimes its down. Really hard to call which its going to be on what days Hermano." He shifted from foot to foot before standing still again. "I think part of it is neither of us know how to deal with it if it gets too heavy. I mean, we've been a team for over five years now, and she and I have been a couple for most of that. It's starting to stress both of us out. I get tied up in knots whenever you two hit something dangerous, afraid that this is the mission she's not coming back from. She doesn't want me getting overprotective. It's complicated." He ran his fingers through his hair "But hey, this is a wedding, not a time for you to be listening to my girl troubles, Josh."
Josh was saved from answering by an opening chord from the string quartet sitting unobtrusively near the rear of the gather. As one a hundred pairs of eyes swiveled towards the arch and the young lady who stood there. If Rachel and Kat were stunning today, Laura was radiant in her white gown. She looked up through the wisp of veil that covered the front of her face, a smile tugging at her lips. Josh felt his heart give a lurch as he looked at her. As the musicians began playing the traditional song, she started up the aisle left between the chairs, moving at a stately pace, her father proudly holding one arm.
Josh leaned over to Pete and whispered. "You are the luckiest man on the planet today."
The groom looked at his best man and replied. "Don't I know it." Pete's eyes slid away from Josh's and were once more locked on his fiance's as she made her way towards the altar.
Josh stood there, thinking back. He had never really expected to be here, doubly so for Laura marrying Pete. He remembered the last fight they had before they had broken up for good, where he had tried to explain what had happened and who he was. The shock for him had come when Laura pointed out that she had figured out he was both Josh McGrath and Max Steel months before. She didn't understand the full change, but had asked him if he truly thought she wouldn't recognize him, no matter what he looked like on the outside? She had come to terms with his dual life she had said, but she couldn't accept it, or the amount of risk it put him in. Then the ultimatum. It was to be her, or N-Tek. She explained that she could not deal with the thought of him not coming back one day. The similarities between their situation then, and the one Roberto and Kat faced now were not lost on Josh. He hoped they had a happier choice than his ahead of them. In the end, he'd chosen the team, and lost the girl.
Laura reached the altar, and the minister began to speak. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of God…"
Josh stood there as the minister ran through the ceremony. As the couples read the vows they had written, he allowed his eyes to roam over the crowd of guests, many smiling, some weeping. A movement caught his attention and he watched a young woman who had stopped a ways back to watch the ceremony in the park without intruding. She had a blanket over one arm, and a book in the other hand. She stood silently, then with a shrug and a small smile turned away and walked towards another area of the park as if she didn't have a care in the world.
Josh frowned, then shrugged it off as over trained nerves. There had been something about that smile that seemed familiar, but he knew he had never met that short brunette before in his life. He'd developed an excellent memory for faces and when the team had returned to Del Oro and taken up residence with N-Tek. The nanoprobes had finally managed to integrate with his brain as well as his muscles and nervous system, and as a result his ability to learn, recognize and remember had all been enhanced. They were still running endless tests to see how deep the nanoprobes had actually gone, and what effects all of the changes had.
His thoughts were brought back to the present as Pete nudged him sharply in the ribs. "Huh, what?" he whispered.
"Give. Me. The. Ring." Pete enunciated clearly, his exasperation and the giggles from the crowd telling Josh this wasn't the first time he had asked.
"Oh! Uh, sorry man. Here." Josh blushed and the giggling got louder as he fumbled the ring out of his pocket and presented it to Pete. Laura grinned at him and rolled her eyes, and Josh smiled back.
Take better care of her than I did Pete. He thought silently.
Read and review please, either here or emails are welcome if you want to turn it into a discussion. vespera_blaze@yahoo.com .
It was a beautiful day, not a cloud to be seen anywhere in the sky. It was warm, but not stifling hot, a balmy May afternoon that had everything going for it. Josh looked around, awestruck by how nearly perfect everything was. The park they were in stood on a bluff that overlooked the ocean, and the sound of the breakers against the walls beneath them was so deep it was felt more than it was heard. The scent of flowers hung heavily in the air, and the entire area was carpeted in neatly trimmed thick green grass. The murmer from the guests that filled the seats was a soothing counterpoint to his own thoughts.
He had never imagined he would be standing here, not in a million years. He glanced down at his tuxedo, and absently tugged on the collar. It felt as if the tailor had cut it half a size too small. He seemed to be having some problems swallowing. The priest and the rest of the people waiting in front of the altar seemed too calm and composed for his tastes, turned expectantly towards the rear waiting for the second guest of honor to put in her appearance. Josh scanned the faces while nervously running a hand through his blonde hair.
In the first row of seats to his left, Rachel smiled at him and leaned over to say something quietly to Kat. Both were dressed in their best, and looked stunning. Rachel stuck with the slightly conservative look she had nearly trademarked, in a green long sleeve dress that reached mid calf and swirled loosely around her tanned legs. The embroidery pattern on the dress was subdued, a leaf and vine pattern around the hem and across the bodice. Kat, who always looked to dress on the edge, wore a sarong in a deep burn orange color, the swathes of material wrapped around her torso and legs many times. She had let her hair grow out over the last few years, and the brown curls framed her face, softening her angular cheekbones and lips. She was still whipcord thin, and tough as nails, but she no longer felt she had anything to prove to the rest of the group.
Kat listened to what Rachel told her, and threw back her head with a laugh. She shot a look at Roberto where he stood next to Josh in his own tuxedo, then turned back to whisper with Rachel. "Do you ever get the feeling people are talking about you?" Roberto said out of the corner of his mouth to Josh.
"All the time bro. How are things going between you and Kat any ways? She was giving you the cold shoulder for the last few days I've noticed." Josh said.
Roberto grimaced. "Sometimes its up, sometimes its down. Really hard to call which its going to be on what days Hermano." He shifted from foot to foot before standing still again. "I think part of it is neither of us know how to deal with it if it gets too heavy. I mean, we've been a team for over five years now, and she and I have been a couple for most of that. It's starting to stress both of us out. I get tied up in knots whenever you two hit something dangerous, afraid that this is the mission she's not coming back from. She doesn't want me getting overprotective. It's complicated." He ran his fingers through his hair "But hey, this is a wedding, not a time for you to be listening to my girl troubles, Josh."
Josh was saved from answering by an opening chord from the string quartet sitting unobtrusively near the rear of the gather. As one a hundred pairs of eyes swiveled towards the arch and the young lady who stood there. If Rachel and Kat were stunning today, Laura was radiant in her white gown. She looked up through the wisp of veil that covered the front of her face, a smile tugging at her lips. Josh felt his heart give a lurch as he looked at her. As the musicians began playing the traditional song, she started up the aisle left between the chairs, moving at a stately pace, her father proudly holding one arm.
Josh leaned over to Pete and whispered. "You are the luckiest man on the planet today."
The groom looked at his best man and replied. "Don't I know it." Pete's eyes slid away from Josh's and were once more locked on his fiance's as she made her way towards the altar.
Josh stood there, thinking back. He had never really expected to be here, doubly so for Laura marrying Pete. He remembered the last fight they had before they had broken up for good, where he had tried to explain what had happened and who he was. The shock for him had come when Laura pointed out that she had figured out he was both Josh McGrath and Max Steel months before. She didn't understand the full change, but had asked him if he truly thought she wouldn't recognize him, no matter what he looked like on the outside? She had come to terms with his dual life she had said, but she couldn't accept it, or the amount of risk it put him in. Then the ultimatum. It was to be her, or N-Tek. She explained that she could not deal with the thought of him not coming back one day. The similarities between their situation then, and the one Roberto and Kat faced now were not lost on Josh. He hoped they had a happier choice than his ahead of them. In the end, he'd chosen the team, and lost the girl.
Laura reached the altar, and the minister began to speak. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of God…"
Josh stood there as the minister ran through the ceremony. As the couples read the vows they had written, he allowed his eyes to roam over the crowd of guests, many smiling, some weeping. A movement caught his attention and he watched a young woman who had stopped a ways back to watch the ceremony in the park without intruding. She had a blanket over one arm, and a book in the other hand. She stood silently, then with a shrug and a small smile turned away and walked towards another area of the park as if she didn't have a care in the world.
Josh frowned, then shrugged it off as over trained nerves. There had been something about that smile that seemed familiar, but he knew he had never met that short brunette before in his life. He'd developed an excellent memory for faces and when the team had returned to Del Oro and taken up residence with N-Tek. The nanoprobes had finally managed to integrate with his brain as well as his muscles and nervous system, and as a result his ability to learn, recognize and remember had all been enhanced. They were still running endless tests to see how deep the nanoprobes had actually gone, and what effects all of the changes had.
His thoughts were brought back to the present as Pete nudged him sharply in the ribs. "Huh, what?" he whispered.
"Give. Me. The. Ring." Pete enunciated clearly, his exasperation and the giggles from the crowd telling Josh this wasn't the first time he had asked.
"Oh! Uh, sorry man. Here." Josh blushed and the giggling got louder as he fumbled the ring out of his pocket and presented it to Pete. Laura grinned at him and rolled her eyes, and Josh smiled back.
Take better care of her than I did Pete. He thought silently.