Author's Note: This was originally going to be a scene in the third part of the series, but it turned into a 1,000+ word story of its own. And although it doesn't fit the format of the previous installments, it's my series so I figured why the hell not switch things up!
It's the night before she's set to get married, but Laurie can't stop thinking about her parents long enough to fall asleep. Despite the alarm set for six hours from now, and the best friend set to show up and drag her away in seven, she is perched up in bed, surrounded by pictures and old birthday cards, chewing on her lip.
Due to her soon to be father-in-law's push for "at least a few traditions" on their wedding day, Laurie and Annie are spending the night in the house they first fell in love in, albeit in separate bedrooms. Mya is surprisingly pro-wedding traditions, so originally the plan was for Laurie to stay at her apartment. But Laurie protested to Annie, who is still dealing with the trauma of two attacks, spending the night alone in their house, so a compromise was figured out.
Mid-reach towards the card her parents gave her on her thirteenth birthday, a soft "hey" from the doorway makes her jump.
"It's not midnight yet," Annie explains, crossing her arms in the doorway with a smirk. "So I figured I technically could come and spend the next…seventeen minutes with you"
"Your dad is going to lose it if he knows you're in here, baby." Laurie whispers, as if Sheriff Brackett is in his bedroom with his ear pressed against the door, listening for any movement from them.
"Annie, you know you can't see Laurie on the big day. I'm sorry, princess, but that's just part of the family tradition." Annie lowers her voice to comedic levels, mimicking her father as she makes her way across the room.
"You're incorrigible."
"It's part of why you're marrying me tomorrow." Annie teases, causing Laurie to blush at the reminder of what tomorrow means for them.
Annie climbs up onto the bed and slides in next to her soon-to-be wife, her robe pushing up to reveal nothing but thigh as she does so, leaving the blonde suddenly wishing it was twenty-four hours from now.
"I'm not here just to rebel a little bit against my dad's rules or get a couple more minutes with you until tomorrow though," Annie picks up the picture closest to her, one of Laurie with her parents on her first day of school. "I also wanted to check up on you."
"I'm fine, really, I just wish they could be here tomorrow." Laurie tosses her hand in the direction of the picture.
"You've been crying, Laurie."
"Okay, so maybe 'fine' wasn't the best word for it."
"What is, then? Talk to me," Annie puts the picture down, reaching for the blonde's hand, "please"
Laurie lets her fingers lace and unlace with the brunette's, tracing over the engagement ring with her thumb, while she waits for her breath to steady and her courage to make an appearance.
"I wish they could be here tomorrow, obviously, but mostly I can't stop thinking about what they would even think of us. I mean, they only ever knew you as my best friend. My whole life, that's what you were. And they died never getting to see what we turned into. What would they think? Would they have seen it coming or would they be surprised? Would they support us or would they not be coming tomorrow even if they were alive?"
"You'll wear yourself out thinking about all the what-ifs, Laurie."
Laurie nods, a compromise for the "I know" that can't seem to make its way past the sudden lump in her throat.
"And they never got to see it happen, but I think they knew what was coming. Or at least what might be."
"What do you mean?"
Annie reaches over for Laurie's other hand, not continuing until she has both of the blonde's hands in hers and her full attention.
"My dad noticed your crush on me in high school," Laurie grumbles at the reminder while Annie smiles. "But didn't see what it could turn into. He'll never admit it, but I think he just assumed you'd outgrow it or get over it, and I'd go on none the wiser. But your mom, on the other hand, saw what it could be. I never realized it, even after we first started sleeping together, but now I do."
"And how the hell did you figure that out?"
"Well, there was that marriage equality vote in town when we were in high school. I overheard your dad ask her why she was petitioning so hard for a yes vote, and her reason was 'you just never know who might end up wanting get married'" Annie explains. "At the time I just thought she was talking about the Cameron kid next door."
"But you think she was talking about us?"
"Yup, because whenever I mentioned Paul or any other boy from school, your mom got this certain look on her face and would quickly look at you. I just assumed she was worried you'd get upset over not having a boyfriend too, but I realize now she was impatient for me to figure out what I really want and for you to hang on until I did."
"Thanks for telling me all this, baby," Laurie releases a sigh of relief, sliding down until her head is on Annie's chest, her hand slipping free to absentmindedly play with the tie of her robe. "I'm so glad I hung on."
"Mm, I was worth the wait," Annie smirks before turning serious. "Why didn't you tell me you were feeling like this?"
"I didn't want to burden you with all this shit about my parents when your mom isn't exactly going to be present tomorrow, either." Laurie explains, bringing up the taboo topic of Mrs. Brackett.
"Oh, Laurie. My mother hasn't been present in anything since I was six months old. I'm not going to waste time worrying about where she is or what she thinks of my wedding. Your mom, on the other hand, would be front and center tomorrow if she could be. And your dad would be, too. They would love and support us no matter what, even if they didn't know what the hell I was talking about half the time." Annie finishes her pep talk with a reference to her last memory of the Strodes and a kiss pressed to the top of her fiancé's head.
And with that, the clock strikes twelve and they start to drift off, simultaneously deciding to take their chances with the pissed off Sheriff Brackett and Mya Rockwell they'll be facing in seven hours' time.