Maura looked around the grounds of the ranch, decorated for a wedding, and marveled at the last three months. Mags, looking very pregnant already, was standing at the hangar door, greeting guests. Her daughter, Michelina, was standing with her, a carbon copy of her mother. Too fast, Maura thought, they grow too fast. She had just finished that thought when her twins came running to her, Aric following. Calleigh looked like a little princess in her lavender dress, and Colin had already gotten dirt on his new pants. Figures, she mused. Aric drew near and kissed her, keeping his hand on her shoulder as they looked around. No one but the participants would be present at the ceremony, which MIriah would conduct on the Stardancer, but the party afterwards would be huge.
Corso joined them, looking happy and rested. The ranch had been operating at top speed lately, and just getting the chance to slow down for a few days was welcome. They were up to keeping eight hundred ronto and almost that many bantha on the property, and between the restaurants and markets who actually competed to sell their product and producing the next generation of genetically matched animals, Corso was busier than he'd ever been just with the ranch. He'd hired two more workers, and still stayed busy. His contribution to the company, Advantages, had been supplemented by Tanno Vik lately, just so they could stay current.
Felix Iresso, Mag's husband, was approaching her with a glass of water. He was concerned about how much Mags was taking on while expecting, and caring for a toddler. He did what he could to help and keep her life manageable, and leaving the diplomatic service was a plus. He saw now that she was tiring, and while she could use force power to clear it, he also knew that using force while pregnant was not as easy as when she wasn't. She smiled gratefully at him as he handed her the glass, and led her over to a chair, picking up his daughter in the process. "Sit, hon, you're doing too much again," he told her, sitting beside her, Michi on his knee.
"Thanks, sweetie. I know, I'm just so excited!" She waved the rest of her family over to them, smiling at their approach. "You guys all look great! Oh, Calleigh, you are just beautiful!" The little girl twirled, making her dress float around her, and grinned at her aunt. "Here comes trouble, with his grandmother," Mags said, waving and smiling at Sarai approaching, Devin on her hip.
"This little man wants his mama, and nana just won't do, " she told Corso, who took his son and put him on his shoulder. Devin was still sniffing, tears drying on his face.
"I'll see if they'll let us on the ship," Corso told her, then looking at Devin, "What's wrong, buddy?"
"Mama kiss, " he told his dad, holding up a bandaged finger that had a very small cut from two days ago, but that he insisted needed a bandage. Corso hid his smile, and approached the ramp, entering his code. They went through the air lock, and saw Miriah in the lounge area, and Corso had to remind himself to breathe. He'd seen her in every state of dress, from armor to formal to casual to nothing, but he'd never seen her look more beautiful. She wore a flowing beaded white dress, only one shoulder covered, her black hair put up with tendrils framing her face. The color of the dress enhanced the silver of her eyes, and she turned those eyes on her two men as they came through the ship.
"Sorry to interrupt, kitten, but Dev needs a little mama love," he told her, putting his son down to run to his mother. She lifted him up, grinning, and he buried his head on her bare shoulder, his little arms around her slender neck.
"Pretty mama," he told her, and kissed her cheek. He held up his bandaged finger for her kiss, and was happy.
"Smart boy," Corso said, getting his own kiss. "You look amazing, love." He noticed that she wore the moonstone necklace that he'd gotten her a couple of years earlier, and vowed to himself to buy her more jewelry. The only other piece she wore was her wedding band, which was miniature version of his own. Their fifth anniversary would be coming up, he thought, I'll start looking for something. He grinned at her, with their son on her hip, and took another kiss.
"You both look so handsome, " she told them, and he could see how happy she was. "But Mandalorian custom is…"
"I know, we're going. C'mon, Dev, let's go see if there's cookies outside," he grinned at his wife. Mandalorian custom was to have no one but the official and the couple for the ceremony, but a huge party after for the clans. The audio of the ceremony would be broadcast in the hangar, but no one would see the actual ceremony. As Corso took his son to the hallway, he saw Akaavi in her formal, shining and polished ceremonial armor, and was touched at how different she looked.
"'Kaavi, you're perfect, and I'm so happy for you," he told her in a soft voice, as she got a kiss from Devin.
"An' Kav," he said, "pretty." She smiled at the little boy, whom she'd loved since before he was born, and blushed.
"Thank you both," she told them, "Now, go! I must marry this man before he decides differently." Corso smiled, Cy wasn't going anywhere, and Akaavi smiled back. Corso left the ship, looking back one more time at his wife with a sigh of happiness, and joined the family. Calleigh was holding the newly-walking Michi's hand, and the boys were playing with pod racers that Corso had put in his pocket, knowing his son would need a distraction before the ceremony was over.
The hangar crackled with slight static as the audio feed was initiated. Everyone grew quiet, and Miriah's voice began the Mando'a vows, in Mando'a. Corso had to smile, she'd been working on the pronounciation for months now, and Akaavi had said she was ready. She made it through her part, and then it was time for the couple to say their vows to each other.
"Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde" - "We are one when together. We are one when parted. We will share all. We will raise warriors." Cy smiled as he said these words to the woman he'd chosen, placing a hand worked silver band on her hand.
"Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum "- "I love you." Akaavi then repeated the words Cy had told her as she placed a matching band on his hand. Miriah smiled at them both with a tear in her eye, Akaavi had been like another sister to her for so long. She'd even noticed that occasionally Corso would call her "cyare", or beloved, so ingrained had Mandalorian words and culture been in their family. Now, they would be losing a little part of their family so that Akaavi could have her own.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. Aliit ori'shya tal'din - Family is more than blood," Miriah concluded, and the cheers from the guests outside could be heard through the hull of the ship. They opened the hatch, and Corso met Miriah's shining eyes, knowing she was torn between wanting to keep them all together and recognizing that her friend deserved her own happiness. Miriah followed the newlyweds down the ramp and he caught her in a hug.
There were at least three hundred guests in attendance, and already a band was starting up over in one corner of the hangar. The huge tiered cake had been made by Miriah's own hands, and was presiding over several smaller ones, as well as a long and well stocked buffet. The family met friends, old and new, and everyone exclaimed over the party. Miriah had been so busy, with the wedding ceremony before and the details of the party now, that Corso finally lifted her around her waist and carried her to the dance floor. He pulled her close to him and felt her relax against him as he led her in a slow dance. "Mmm sugar, you sure know how to get my attention, " she told him, hearing the rumble of his chuckle in the ear she'd put against the snowy white shirt he was wearing.
"Between the ranch and the wedding, I feel like I never get to hold you anymore. I miss it, darlin', so much," he told her, moving smoothly around to the slow, sensual music. He spotted Cy and Akaavi not far from them, lost in each other, and grinned. "Let's get you something to eat, kitten." He led her over to where the family was sitting, Sarai holding a sleeping Devin.
"Oh stars, I'm sorry, Mom, I didn't think about him needing a nap," Miriah told her mother.
"Don't be silly, Miriah. He's perfectly fine, right here. I've eaten and I'm enjoying him being still long enough to love on," she smiled at her daughter. Devin was usually a force to be reckoned with, much like his mother had been years ago. She glanced at her oldest daughter then, Magdalane gently rubbing her pregnant belly. Felix had made sure she was resting, then took Michi for a nap in the ship. Sarai stood to take Devin inside the ship as well, but Corso took him, knowing that his son was quiet heavy when asleep, and Sarai sat with Miriah instead. "You did a beautiful job with the ceremony, Mir. Mando'a is a beautiful language but I'd bet it's hard to learn." Miriah nodded.
"It was, but so worth it." She smiled at Corso as he brought her a plate of food with a flourish, bowing before her.
"You look almost like a bride yourself, cyare. And, you're losing weight again, so eat," he told her, sitting beside her. Maura heard his comment, and her eyes went wide.
"Oh! You should, right now, while we're all here, renew your vows. We only saw the practice version on your anniversary. Do it!" Maura was getting excited.
"No, this is Akaavi's day, not mine," Miriah said, smiling at Corso. "Besides, we don't have time for a honeymoon right now." They laughed, and Maura was telling a story about her and Aric's wedding, when Corso leaned close to whisper to her.
"I can't think about anything else but our wedding night now," he told her, " and I realize it's been far too long that we had any time for ourselves." They'd made love only that morning, as they were waking, but she knew what he meant. Their work and son had captured the large portion of their days lately, and they were both in a craving state for each other. They talked and laughed, Devin woke and monopolized his mom, and then it was done. Akaavi and Cy boarded his ship, and they waved as they took off for a two week hunt.
"Such a great day," Maura told her sister as they walked with the kids back to the ranch house. "And all the clean up is done, so you guys can take the next three days off." She nudged Miriah with her elbow, "And if you want, I can take Dev for the night." Miriah laughed, but she knew Devin would not be happy with that. He'd gotten a little clingy lately, and at eighteen months old, she knew that was normal even if it did make her a little crazy sometimes. The twins hadn't gone through that, because they'd had each other, but Devin had taken to needing her to do everything. She shook her head at her sister.
"Nah, Maura, he'd be more than a handful. I'll be glad when this stage is over, though. I should have known he'd been too easy up until now."
"It'll pass. Remember when the twins did this, and Calleigh appointed herself the overseer of every thing?" Miriah nodded, her niece was the dominant twin, and had practically potty trained Colin herself, unwilling to let him out of her sight. The family gathered at the house, where Miriah had finger foods and drinks for them. Sarai was staying at the ranch while her things were being moved from Tython, and she appeared in the kitchen in casual clothes, ready to watch the kids while everyone changed.
Miriah went to her room to find some casual clothes, and found Corso there, changing also. He met her with a kiss, and she could tell he was more than ready for some time with her. She felt the same, but knew the kind of teasing they'd take if they indulged themselves now, and pulled away from him after only one kiss.
"Awww darlin', this is torture. Can't we just disappear for a bit?" She could feel the slight tremble from him, and it almost broke her resolve to make him wait, even for just a few hours.
"I promise, sugar, I'll make sure it's worth the wait," she grinned, and heard him groan in response before he hauled her to him, kissing her, making her head spin. He broke the kiss and grinned down at her.
"Okay, if we have to wait, I'm going to do my best to make you crazy between now and then." He left the room after another knee-weakening kiss, and she had to sit for a moment.
If any of them had known what was waiting for them in the office mail, they would have found a way to stop time, there in that glorious afternoon.