Hunnigan sat in her dressing room, fidgeting in the overly plush chair, laptop set on her bare knees. The corset dug into her sides as she was bent forward finishing up a few work emails. She was technically on vacation and had been for the past few days but the world didn't stop turning just because she was on vacation. Incidents were still happening, her charges were still in the field, the world was still turning.
There was a heavy knock at the door, she didn't even have to double guess it, she knew it was Helena.
"We aren't supposed to see each other before the wedding." She called out, not looking up from the screen.
"Ingrid, I wanted to talk to you for a moment before the ceremony." Helena said as she opened the door. She paused in the doorway, Hunnigan looked up expecting her to have a hand over her eyes or something but instead, she saw Helena's eyes were laid on her laptop.
"I am just firing off a few emails before we leave for the honeymoon." Her hand pulled the lid closed for a moment, eyes noting that Helena had something in her hand.
"Right." Helena let out a sigh.
"Something wrong?"
"No, I just uh…" The pause stretched on forever.
"Are you ok, Helena? Are you sick? Do you want to call off the ceremony?"
A look of panic flooded over Helena's face. "No, I just uh, wanted to let you know your mom keeps trying to corner me." She forced a laugh. "She's talking about grandkids." Her face scrunched up a little. Hunnigan let out a laugh, cupping a hand over her mouth.
"Sorry Helena, yeah she can be a little too direct sometimes. Just hide in your dressing room or something until the music starts up. That is what I was planning." She opened the laptop up and the familiar blue haze washed over her face.
Helena hung in the doorway awhile longer, looking on quietly before crumpling up the paper she'd been holding, tossing it at a wastebin near Hunnigan's feet, easily making the shot. Hunnigan looked up to congratulate her on the shot but she was already gone. Unable to shake the feeling Helena wanted to say something else, she got up and hurried over to the door pulling it open in time to catch a glance of Helena turning the corner.
The venue was huge, an old church that had been bought and refurbished by an older couple that opened it up as a library. Most of the books were in the basement but it was a beautiful place for the ceremony. Shrugging, she closed the door and went back over to her seat, then picked up the piece of paper, flattening it out, pulling at the corners and reforming it to see it was their wedding invitation.
Smiling a little at the picture of the two of them from the photography session a few months before. The same dress she had on in the photos was hanging on the back of the door, waiting for her to slip into it. Her hair was already done, make up completed, her heels were sat on a chair beside the dress. She set the invitation down and slid into the dress, zipping up the side and looking at herself in the mirror.
It was a lot different that her usual grey work suits. Her eyes roamed over her reflection as her stomach performed strange flips and flops as she reached out and picked up the bouquet. She pulled the vale over her eyes, it dusted just above the bridge of her nose. Her lips pulled into a smile as she picked up the small circlet of white gold from the table next to her laptop. It has a single, inset stone. A purple diamond. She knew Helena would love it.
She slipped her feet into her heels and took a look at herself once more before she clasped the ring tight to her chest and left her room. Soft music floated down the hallway towards her. The ceremony would be beginning soon.
At the end of the hallway, she saw her dad. Standing tall, stiffly in a suit. He was pulling at his tie with a frown on his face but cease his movements when he saw her.
"Ingrid…" His vice was low. "You look a vision." He held out his elbow for her to take.
"Thanks dad." She wrapped her arm under and around his, giving his hand a small squeeze. Her niece was bouncing up at down, a little basket of white flower petals in her hands. Konstance came around the corner and ushered her daughter out as the next song started up.
"You look beautiful." Konstance cooed. "At least I get to be at my sister's second wedding." She teased. Hunnigan shook her head.
"The last one was just a formality. This one is a lot better, trust me." Konstance gave Hunnigan's arm a little tug.
"Well get out there. Your fiancee is waiting for you."
A quick nod and her father was tugging her along the long aisle. Both sides of the seating were full of people from work. Ada and Leon were along the edge, Leon flashing a wide smile at her. Jill and Chris were just across the aisle from them. Chris looked dashing in his suit while Jill continuously moved around in her silk dress.
Behind Jill and Chris was a few distant relatives of Hunnigan's. Cousins, aunts and uncles.
She forced herself to take long, deep breaths as she rounded the corner and saw Helena. A vision of beauty, standing in a pillar of sunlight. Her dress was a soft lace, reflecting the light back up onto her face, soft, brunette curls framing her face. She stopped breathing, moving only as her father continued to tow her along. A wide smile stole across her face as their eyes met.
Time moved strangely. She didn't notice the rest of the world, didn't notice anyone else in the bridal party, only Helena existed. The song pulled to a close and her father placed a kiss on her cheek, then leaned across the steps and place a kiss on Helena's cheek. The woman marrying them began to talk, her words sounded far off, across an ocean of roaring waves as Hunnigan was lost in Helena's eyes.
Before she knew it, the pastor laid a hand on her shoulder.
"You may recite your vows now."
"Yes, right." Hunnigan cleared her throat then looked up to Helena's eyes. "Our jobs demand so much of us, they demand that we give everything we have, everything we are, sometime I feel it demands my happiness but then I met you. The moment I met you I knew that work was just a word. Just an after thought,"
"Ingrid…" Helena shook her head, the corners of her lips slowly lowering into a look of sadness. Hunnigan barely noticed, knowing how emotional Helena could be.
"I mean it Helena, without you I don't think work would be worth it. You make my life everything it is and more. Please, Helena Harper, will you take me as your wife—"Helena suddenly embraced Hunnigan. "Helena, you are supposed to wait until we are done." She let out a small gasp as Helena gave her a tight squeeze.
"Ingrid, I can't." She whispered into Hunnigan's ear.
A white hot flash of panic echoed through Hunnigan's entire body.
"What?"
"I am so sorry, I love you. You know I do but I just… Can't come in second to your work for the rest of my life with you." Helena whispered into her ear.
"I—you don't." Hunnigan could barely hear her through the laughing and whispering in the audience. Even the rest of the wedding party began to stir around. "Helena you come first."
Helena pulled back, then laid her forehead on Hunnigan's forehead. Heavy tears were streaking down her face.
"I know you like to believe that, but I don't. You are married to your work. Your life belongs to it and I am so proud of you for that. You are going to make an amazing Deputy Director of the DOD but you can't have too mistresses." She sniffled loudly.
"Is everything ok?" The pastor stepped forward and whispered beside them.
"No…" Hunnigan moaned.
"Yes." Helena gave a nod. "You are married to your work and you are the best out there. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I love you more than words, more than anything in the world but I can't be in a marriage with you knowing that I will always come second after your work. It isn't fair to me and it isn't fair to you. I love you, Ingrid. I always will love you and I hope that you can forgive me. I've already forgiven you." Those were her last words before she delivered a passionate kiss.
A few people in the audience clapped, confused over what was going on. Hunnigan closed her eyes, a few small tears escaping from behind her eyelids. Then Helena was gone. Off her lips, off into the distance.
She looked after here, as gasps and shouting rose from the audience as Helena walked past them alone down the aisle. She reached the end, pushing past the security guard at the door, opened the double doors and disappeared into the evening darkness.
Dropping to the ground, Hunnigan hadn't realize she was still holding her breath. Leon was the first to her side, squatting down beside her and talking into her face.
"Don't worry, I'll go after her." He gave her shoulders a tight squeeze, then ran down the aisle, pushing people out of his way as he chased down Helena. Her father can to her, pulling her up off the ground. The world melted around her as she cried silent tears, being pulled and dragged this way and that. Everything was a blur until she was alone in her dressing room, hours later. Her parents had handled most of the circumstances. Paid the pastor, the catering company, told people in the audience that wedding was canceled and to take whatever food they wanted and the gifts they had brought.
Sometime after everything had been quiet there was a knock at the door. Although she didn't answer, the door opened anyway. Leon stepped in quietly, almost sheepishly.
"Helena bought a plane ticket. She says she is heading back home for awhile then she is going to see about some family she says she has back in the UK." He spoke quietly, arms down at his side. "She told me to tell you she was sorry she couldn't have done it earlier and for you to take your sister on the honeymoon with you. She said you mentioned that you haven't been spending much time with her lately."
He was quiet for awhile, moving around the edge of the room before dragging a chair over in front of her and sitting down. Hunnigan held Helena's ring in the palm of one hand, the tip of her finger tracing its outline.
"What happened at the alter? She wouldn't tell me what she said. There has to be a good reason she left like that."
Hunnigan shook her head, looking up to him them over to her laptop, still sitting on the vanity desk.
"She said I am married to my work."
"Of course you are. We all are." He spoke softly. "She is young, she's lost so much to this job. I expect she would look at this job as a hungry thing, stealing everything from her. Just give her time, she'll come back and realize her life is nothing without you. She loves you, Hunnigan. We both know that."
"Yeah." A hollow response.
He reached out and pulled the vale out of her eyes.
"She will be back. She needs you and when she realizes that she will understand that work can't touch what you two have between each other. I promise." With that, he got up and place a hand on her naked shoulder, rubbing it a moment then left her alone again.
Finally alone, in the glowing blue light of her laptop, she finally cried. Heavy, dark tears stained her face, she didn't stop. She let them soak into her skin, black trails of mascara that rubbed at with the back of her hands.