Post 2x29.
Laura and Danny's first dance as a married couple:
Disclaimer: I don't own Carmilla or Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud"
Danny sat in her chair gazing out at the dance floor, in front of her her dessert, a rich chocolate and caramel pie sat untouched.
"Danny," said Laura, Danny turned to Laura, "We don't have to do this you know,"
Danny takes a deep breathe, "No, I want to do this, we practiced this, I can do it. I can't keep letting what happened at Silas dictate my life. If Barbara Gordon can do it so can I," says Danny. She smiles what she hopes is a reassuring smile. Laura smiles back and then leans over to Lafontaine and whispers something. Laura turns back to Danny.
"Ok, we'll get the speeches out of the way and then lets do this," says Laura cheerfully. Laura squeezes Danny's hand encouragingly and kisses Danny on the cheek. Danny tilts her head to the side and kisses Laura back.
"I love you Laura Hollis,"
"I love you too Danny Hollis"
The speeches fly by, first Laura's dad, then both of her parents, then Lafontaine as Person of Honor and finally Kirsch as Best Man. Finally it's time for Laura and her own speech.
"The night I first met Danny well really met Danny was at a Town Hall meeting, she spoke up in defence of me and my quest to find the missing girls. I was so impressed and in awe of how awesome and compassionate and brave she was. In the following months at Silas she was my biggest supporter, always there to lend a hand, a shoulder, a bit of advice or moral boost. We had our set backs and… certain things did come between us but we always pulled through, we survived. I survived because of her and now we get to do more than survive, now we get to live and I intend to live my life to the fullest with this amazing, brave, kind-hearted and resilient woman. Danny I love you"
The room applauds as Laura sits back down and kisses Danny on the lips. As the applause dies down Danny clears her thought. "I hope you guys don't mind if I stay sitting," she jokes lightly. She receives some light chuckling. Laura takes her hand again and squeezes reassuringly. "Like Laura said we didn't really meet until the Town Hall meeting but we did interact before then when I was assisting in Laura's Lit classes. The first time I spoke with her I was asking her what her favorite book was. She was so flustered, when she finally managed to talk she said 'Alice in Frankenstein: The Secret Garden'. She was so … adorably dorky I think I started to fall for her back then. Since then she has only confirmed she is an adorable dork as well as being brave, righteous. Laura will always stand up for what is right. Despite every thing that she has gone through she has stayed true to herself and her beliefs. My Dad told me, never judge a person by what breaks them, judge them by what they do after they have broken and you will see them as they truly are. Silas did break us; it broke a lot of us in different ways. And a testament to Laura's strength, after she was broken she got back up and continued to fight for the every one, she was there for me during my recovery and didn't give up on me even when I thought about giving up on myself. Laura you are my biggest inspiration and I love you," The room applauds again. Laura is smiling at her with her biggest smile, tears welling in the back of her eyes.
The MC then speaks up "And now for their first dance as Mrs and Mrs Hollis,"
Laura stands up walks in front of Danny towards the Dance floor. Danny takes a moment to admire her wife in her elegant wedding dress. The eggshell white dress glowing in the light as the golden Greek inspired belt looped loosely around Laura's waist sparkled. Unlike Laura Danny had decided to go with a tailored suit, her tie the same shade of gold as Laura's belt. Danny grabs the hand rails around the outside of her wheels and wheels her self on to the dance floor after her wife, as she reaches the dance floor the music began. Danny chose the song, best to embrace what happened then to wallow in it.
When your legs don't work like they used to before
And I can't sweep you off of your feet
Danny sits as Laura dance's a slow circle around Danny, Laura trails an hand on Danny's shoulder and along her back and down Danny's other arm. Laura takes Danny's right hand in her own and moves forward pulling Danny forward, Danny steadies herself with her left hand on her left wheel.
Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love?
Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks?
Danny takes Laura's offered hand and raises her left arm high enough for Laura to twirl underneath, Laura then raised her arm as Danny grabs one wheel and spins it so that she spins on the spot beneath.
And, darling, I will be loving you 'til we're 70
And, baby, my heart could still fall as hard at 23
Danny pushes down hard on her left wheel sending her into the start of a spin, she reaches up with her left hand and takes Laura's offered left hand. Laura pull's Danny around completing the spin. The crowd cheers. Danny and Laura both let out a small sigh of relief that they pulled the spin off.
And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways
Maybe just the touch of a hand
Laura takes Danny's left hand and guides her into a figure of eight around the dance floor. Her dress flowing with her movements as Danny moves around her. Danny and Laura link both arms and Laura pulls back and then pushes forward, pulling lightly on her left arm to spin Danny around, she crosses her arms as Danny's back turns to her and she leans over so her arms are around Danny's front.
Well, me - I fall in love with you every single day
And I just wanna tell you I am
Laura pushes forward again and pulls her right arm and un crosses her arms as Danny spins around and faces her again. Laura walks backwards in a zig-zag pulling Danny along as Danny's wheel chair snakes along the dance floor. Laura steadies her arms and braces herself as Danny uses her own arms to swing her lower body and her wheel chair in time with the music.
So honey now
Take me into your loving arms
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Laura moves to the side of Danny and they both brace their arms against their chests, Laura walks around Danny guiding Danny around in a circle in the middle of the dance floor. Laura steps back and Danny pulls strongly on Laura's arm and then lets go using the momentum to spin on the spot under Laura's other arm.
Place your head on my beating heart
I'm thinking out loud
Maybe we found love right where we are
Danny takes hold of both of Laura's hands again as Laura guides her back and forth around the dance floor in gentle arcs using her upper body strength to swing her wheel chair in graceful arcs. Then Laura takes a step back and Danny grabs both wheels. Laura dances backwards kicking her legs out to make her dress twirl. Danny follows Laura's movements around the dance floor
When my hair's all but gone and my memory fades
And the crowds don't remember my name
Laura twirls on the spot, her dress flaring out around her. Danny copies the motion spinning her chair around on the spot.
When my hands don't play the strings the same way (mmm...)
I know you will still love me the same
Laura moved to beside Danny and placed one hand under the seat just below Danny's knees and the other hand went behind Danny's back. Danny took hold of both her wheels and tilts her chair back. The room cheers.
'Cause honey your soul could never grow old, it's evergreen
And, baby, your smile's forever in my mind and memory
Laura steadied Danny as she lowered her front wheels back on to the floor.
I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways
Maybe it's all part of a plan
Again Laura took hold of both of Danny's hands, together they swung Danny's chair from side to side as Laura guided them both back across the dance floor.
Well, I'll just keep on making the same mistakes
Hoping that you'll understand
Laura knelt down in front of Laura and kissed Danny on the lips. The audience lets out a collective aww.
That, baby, now
Take me into your loving arms
Danny grabs both wheels and rolls her self backwards as Laura follows, Laura swaying her hips in time with the music. Danny spins on the spot and turns her back to Laura. Laura takes hold of the handles on the back of the chair and pushes Danny around the dance floor in a wide circle.
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Place your head on my beating heart
Thinking out loud
Maybe we found love right where we are (oh ohh)
Laura leans forward over Danny's shoulder and kisses Danny slowly and tenderly.
La la la la la la la la lo-ud
Laura lets go of the wheel chair and moves around to stand in front of Danny.
So, baby, now
Take me into your loving arms
Danny takes both of Laura's arms as Laura pulls Danny across the dance floor. No one notices a dark figure peering in through the window. As quick as it arrived the figure in the window vanished.
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Oh, darling, place your head on my beating heart
I'm thinking out loud
Laura sits down in Danny's lap and wraps her arms around Danny's neck. Danny guides them across the floor careful not to run over Laura's dress as it cascades down her lap.
But maybe we found love right where we are
Oh, baby, we found love right where we are
And we found love right where we are
The room bursts out in applause as the song ends.
"I love you Laura," says Danny kissing Laura again.
"I love you too Danny. More and more every day," replies Laura.
I wrote this after watching episode 2x29 and heard the cracking sound as Mattie crushed Danny. I wondered what would happen if Danny's back had broken in that moment, also Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran seemed like the perfect song to compliment this story.
