Alright. I got a rough draft of the wedding scene in my story up. This version is told from Snakes' point of view. It's a very rough draft and a little rushed...but I HAD to post something. XD
R&R
It was my big day...it was finally here. I can't even begin to tell you how nervous I was. Every nerve in my body felt pinched and I was shaking.
I stood in front of a huge mirror, failing miserably at fixing my bow tie. Thomas, officially labeled as Best Man, knocked on the frame of the door that led to the small, quiet room, poking his head around the corner.
"Hey brother, you ready?"
I looked at him in the mirror, holding up my hands to show him just how shaky they were.
"Thomas, does it LOOK like I'm ready?"
He grinned, walking over to help me with the tie. Smiling, my friend tugged the tie tight, laughing as I flinched.
"I can not believe I am here to see my brother's wedding."
I laughed nervously.
"Yeah, me neither."
He stepped back. Looking me up and down.
"Well, my brother...I think that you are ready."
I looked at myself in the mirror, and I must admit...I looked pretty good. Taking in a deep breath, I gave my vest a sharp tug, turning to Thomas.
"Here goes..."
The small church had been set up very nicely, its humble appearance lifted with garlands and wreaths of flowers. Jinx sure did know how to make an occasion special. Everyone attending, which basically consisted of the G.I. Joe Team members, had dressed their finest. Even Tunnel Rat, which proved to be rather shocking. Duke came up to greet us, beaming with smiles. He shook my hand, laughing.
"Well here's the big man himself. How do you feel, Ian?"
I smiled, nervously glancing around at the gathered assembly.
"Shaky!"
Jinx suddenly came walking into the spacious room, obviously taller in the black heels she was wearing. She walked up to us, smiling and putting her hands on her hips.
"Are you ready, Ian?"
I laughed, rubbing the back of my neck as I always did when nervous.
"I suppose I am, Kimi."
She smiled, winking at Thomas.
"Good, because the bride is ready."
Duke suddenly became serious, looking me in the eyes.
"Get ready to take the next step in your life, my friend."
He winked, and then turned, waiving a hand to Hi-Tech, who stood up in the balcony with the sound equipment. He grinned, waiving back. I swallowed hard as I walked up to the alter, standing there with Thomas behind me and as giddy as he could be, while Duke stood behind the alter, flipping through the pages of a worn Bible. Everyone seemed to take the signal. Jinx had disappeared through the double doors that led to the sanctuary, and so had Kamakura. There was a silence, and the music that had been playing for the prelude changed to the traditional wedding march that my bride had chosen. Thomas laughed quietly behind me, laying a hand briefly on my shoulder. I was so glad he was here with me. The clicking of the double doors as they opened seemed to echo in my ears and linger, causing me to stare in awe at the beautiful woman who bashfully glided through the entrance. The dazzling white gown set off her fiery red hair that was pulled up into a loose bun with strands of red curls hanging loosely around her shoulders, and the white train behind her sweeping the flower petals that had been generously scattered by Hi-Tech's blond five year-old niece. My apprentice had been wrangled into being the ring bearer, as there was really no one else to do it. He marched along, but anyone could have easily seen that he was proud about his task. I stared in awe at my bride as she looked up at me, her eyes meeting mine. I could feel a lump build in my throat as I looked at her, realizing just what was going on. All my life I had wanted to marry her, and now...now that was finally happening. With grace and delicacy, she stepped up to the alter, the wedding march music ringing around the building. The smile she had been hiding came forth with radiant beauty as she looked at me, handing her bouquet to Jinx who stood behind her. The world seemed to stop as she slipped her hands into mind. I was surprised at how cold MINE were! Hers were warm. So very warm. It was almost like a dream.
"We are gathered here today...."
That was all that I heard from Duke's voice. Everything else faded, except for the face of my bride. It shown bright and beautiful while everything else blurred and vanished. I was marrying Shana O'Hara, and that was all that mattered. I almost started to cry myself when I saw a single tear slide down her smiling face, dropping silently onto her white gown. Her sweet voice rang quietly in my ears as she spoke the words "I do", and I was quickly brought out of my trance by a nudge in the back from Thomas. Duke smiled, and I was more than thankful that he graciously repeated the lines.
"Ian Matthew Michaels, do you take this woman to be your bride, to love, cherish and protect her for as long as you both shall live?"
I seemed to lose my voice when I looked at her, feeling her hands tighten in mine, and it was hard to hide the choke in my voice when I did speak. Every memory that we had shared together flashed in front of me...all the hardships we had endured together. Even though war and pain had flooded our lives to the point of drowning us, we now stood here, in front of the alter, about to seal our covenant with each other before our witnesses and God, and about to start a new life with each other that would take us on a journey far greater than that which we had encountered in times past. I held her hands tight in mine, the same hands that I had held on so many occasions...some of which had proved to be life threatening. I swallowed hard, smiling through tears.
"Yes...I do."
Her smile filled my heart to the point of overflowing, and her bright eyes caused me to feel warm inside.
"I pronounce you, in front of God and in front of these witnesses, Ian and Shana Michaels. May you be blessed forever in this new life you have started with each other as husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
My throat went tight at these words. My heart started to beat rapidly. I suddenly felt even more nervous than before as I slowly laid my hands on her smiling face, looking into her eyes. Just as I had vowed to my father and God, I had never kissed a woman in my life. Now I was about to, and a feeling of content washed over me, knowing that I would have made my father proud. I couldn't help but smile when she wrapped her arms around me, and everything happened so quick. One thing about it...you do not have to know how to kiss to make your first kiss the best. It was so simple yet so sweet, that it left both of us shaking. It was so warm and sweet....I can not describe to you what it felt like. A loud cheer went up from the gathered G.I. Joe team, causing Shana and I to laugh as we turned to face them. We were married...we were actually married. My beautiful Shana was finally my wife. After so long a wait, she was mine. I was so overjoyed. We clasped hands and walked down the short flight of stairs, beaming with smiles. Jinx had handed her the bouquet, and now she threw it. There was a roar of laughter as Tunnel Rat bashfully caught it, actually blushing, for once in his life. Shana suddenly grasped my hand, and I let her lead me outside, away from the chattering crowd. We ran together to a grove of weeping cherry trees outside the church. It was a wonderful day...just wonderful. The sun beamed through the branches of the trees in golden rays, casting dappled shadows on the ground. It was a gorgeous Spring morning, and the pink tinted blooms from the cherry trees floated silently to the ground around us, some of them falling into my beautiful Shana's red hair. She wrapped her arms around me and we kissed once again, glad to be alone. Shana smiled, touching the side of my face as she had always done in times past. There were only a few scars there now, and were hardly visible. She looked up at me, a smile gracing her features.
"Ian, let us start our new life together with a bright hope for the future, and let us forget everything that has happened in the past."
A tear escaped her eye, and I felt one run down my own face. We had been through so, so much. She was right. We should look ahead.
"We will, Shana. And I promise, from this day forward, I will try my very best to fulfill all of our dreams. Every one of them. And I vow to protect you and our future family with my life."
Shana laughed, smiling through her tears as she ran her hand through my hair.
"I know you will, Ian...I know you will."
We embraced each other, and I knew that all would be well. We were together, and that was all that mattered. We began to slowly walk through the grove of trees, I with my arm wrapped around her. We were about to start a new life, hand in hand, and I would never let go of her. My heart overflowed as we walked, and I felt at ease. Yes, a new responsibility now rested on my shoulders, one much heavier that I had ever known; I would be taking care of my wife, and soon I would be a father, but it was a responsibility that I gladly took on. As I embraced my wife, I silently looked up through the trees, smiling through tears of joy as I gazed at the golden beams from the bright morning sun that filtered through the trees.
"Thank You, Lord....thank You for my wife."
I buried my face in her hair, whispering quietly.
"Thank You for preserving us, that we may live together in times of peace and not of war. Thank You for my Shana...my bride."
~fin~