It was a beautiful day to get married. The sun was shining and the weather was perfect as it usually was in Southern California...not too hot with little humidity.
Dwayne Hicks stood at the front of the marine base chapel waiting anxiously for his best man to arrive. He was getting married today...the sheer enormity of that fact wasn't lost on him. If he were being honest with himself, this was a rite of passage that he'd never imagined he would be taking, especially not in the midst of that catastrophic failure of a mission on LV-426.
But there he was, donning his dress blues and waiting to take what was likely to be the most important step of his life...now if only Hudson would show up!
Hicks sighed and looked at his watch. The ceremony was set to start in ten minutes. Jesus! Hicks thought. Hudson was never one for punctuality, but this was ridiculous. If he'd known that Hudson was going to be this unreliable, he would've picked someone else. Hicks shook his head and smirked. No, that wasn't true. In addition to being a member of his former squad, Hudson was his best friend. They had been through a lot and there was no one else that he would've wanted to stand up with him today.
Hicks shifted his weight and sighed once more and he allowed his mind to wander back to those strange series of events which conspired to bring him and everyone that he loved to the point that they were at today.
It all started when their squad had been assigned to what they wrongfully assumed was another routine bug hunt. They had just returned from another mission and were due for some R and R and they were all burned-out...Hudson, whose time was up in six weeks was particularly antsy to get home.
They'd been assigned a new CO for this mission, one who didn't impress Hicks much, and they had two civilians that they had to look out for too, some JO named Burke who worked for the Company, and a woman, a consultant named Ripley...Ellen.
He remembered it like it was yesterday; the first time that he saw her. He was coming out of a deep hypersleep when he saw her in her cryotube across the aisle from him, stretching like a cat. She was beautiful, tall and lean, with porcelain skin and a mop of curly dark hair on her head. She was wearing very little, as they all were-clad only in their underwear, and he remembered thinking that a simple undershirt and panties suited her very well.
He remembered thinking during the briefing that even though she'd made an effort to appear strong in front of them, that she seemed very fragile and he felt an urge to protect her. She'd been through this before, and she was clearly terrified of what they were about to face...and with good reason.
He chuckled at the thought of her manipulating that power loader...better than Spunkmeyer ever had! He was getting hard just thinking about it so he redirected his thoughts elsewhere.
Most of his unit thought that Ellen was unnecessary baggage, but he knew better. She'd quickly proven herself indispensable when Gorman had flaked out and their mission into the alien hive had turned deadly and most of their squad had been killed or cocooned. She'd rescued them, crashing the APC through the pressure doors at the processing station and saved his ass, as well as Hudson's and Vasquez's.
Ellen had been the one to assert to Burke that with Gorman out of commission, that he was now the ranking officer, and he'd had no problem agreeing with her plan to nuke the colony from space. When the drop ship crashed, taking with it any chance that they might have had of escaping, she, along with him devised a plan to keep the aliens at bay for as long as possible. She also managed to keep Hudson from losing it completely.
As they worked together over the next few hours, there were quite a few moments where he felt his attraction to her deepening, and he was fairly certain from the looks that she had giving him that the feeling was mutual. Had the situation been different, he probably would have tried to kiss her. He knew that that idea was out of the question: that they needed to focus solely on surviving. But he knew that if they did make if off of that rock alive, that the first thing he wanted to do when they got back was ask her for a date.
That rat-fuck son of a bitch Burke had other ideas though, and let those face huggers loose in MedLab in some ill-conceived plan to smuggle aliens past IPC quarantine. His chest tightened as he thought about just how close he had come to losing both Ellen and Newt. But Ellen had managed to alert them to their distress and they'd saved them. Shortly thereafter they'd escaped...all of them, with the exception of Burke, through the ventilation system. In one final act of cowardice the asshole had blocked their escape route, effectively sealing himself in with one of those bastards and getting himself cocooned. Nobody mourned him.
They hadn't made it out unscathed however. Vasquez had sustained serious acid burns to her legs when she'd shot one of the xenomorphs with her pistol as they were escaping through the ventilation system. Gorman had managed to pull her to safety as Hudson fought more of them off, but unfortunately Vasquez would never walk again without the aid of prosthetics. He himself bore the evidence of a xenomorph attack, his face showcasing a myriad of scars and a ruined left eye from when he'd shot one of those fuckers at point blank range. He was able to shield Ripley and Newt from the alien's acid blood, but the blood had splattered all over his chest plate and the vapors had risen up and burned the left side of his face and left arm. Ripley was able to remove his armor before the acid could do further damage and she and Newt dragged him to the landing pad where Bishop had the second drop ship waiting. Gorman, Vasquez and Hudson followed a short while later, with Gorman carrying Vasquez, and they quickly took off. They were safely in orbit by the time the atmosphere processor blew.
Once they had arrived back at Gateway safely and had been through quarantine, Gorman had availed himself at the formal inquest, explaining what had truly happened on LV-426 and absolving everyone of any wrongdoing perceived by the Company. Bishop's data banks corroborated the Lieutenant's story as well. Gorman personally commended both he and Ripley for their bravery and leadership. As a result, he was promoted to sergeant, a move which both Vasquez and Hudson applauded enthusiastically, and Ripley was reinstated as a flight officer, as a lieutenant.
The promotion came with a few perks; he was able to pick his next assignment, Earth, and he was able to help Ellen find a job as a pilot, transporting cargo from Earth to Gateway for the Marines. She thought it was boring but it was predictable and safe and it enabled her to be home on Earth every night for dinner with Newt.
Ellen had had little difficulty adopting Newt since she had no living relatives, and they were able to find a place to live near base. It was close to Ellen's job and Newt's school, and it wasn't very far from the barracks so they were close to him too.
He'd accepted a position training young marine recruits for combat; fighting aliens. His injuries were too severe for him to ever see combat himself again, a fact that Ellen found reassuring. Unfortunately even after many months his face and chest still ached from the acid burns he'd sustained. His left eye had been severely damaged and was sealed shut, the result of too much time having lapsed before he was able to seek adequate medical attention. He now wore an eyepatch. Newt sometimes teased him innocently, calling him a pirate and Ellen would reprimand her. He could never get mad at the girl however, because the kind of teasing he'd received from Newt was similar to that which a younger sister gives an older brother. He was fine with that. He was happy to see a spark returning to her eyes. The poor girl had experienced horrors that no one should ever have to experience, let alone someone so young. He was very glad that she was acting like a typical little girl again.
He did miss combat though, he wouldn't lie. But he knew that his first-hand knowledge was invaluable to the marines, and he never wanted any further squads to head out half-cocked on "bug hunts" like his had...completely unprepared for the threat they would be facing. He liked his job alright, and he was fine with remaining Earthside for a while.
Unlike himself, Hudson had gotten out. Vasquez too, though her injuries were severe enough that she'd received an honorable discharge. She remained at Gateway however, wanting to stay close to her physical therapists. Unbelievably to those who knew her well, she also wanted to be close to Gorman. In her eyes Gorman had undone almost all his previous damage by risking his life to save hers when they all were trying to escape from LV-426. She could forgive most of his failings as a commanding officer, but she would never be able to forgive him for the lapses in judgement that had led to her friend Drake's death. Gorman was going to try to win her over though. Apparently he'd been nursing a crush on her since they first met.
Hudson went home to his family in Texas. He'd served his time in the corps and he had a girl waiting for him that he was itching to marry. He certainly couldn't fault the guy for that. He hadn't seen or heard much from him in months, but once the invitations had gone out, Hudson had called and congratulated Ellen and himself and had happily agreed to serve as his best man. Now if he would only show up, they could get things under way!
"Hey Hicks, man." Hudson said suddenly, clapping Hicks on the back and startling him out of his thoughts. "Sorry I'm late. Traffic from the station was a bitch."
Hicks felt a mixture of annoyance and relief at Hudson's belated arrival. He turned to look at the younger man. Hudson looked good...tanned and healthy and grinning like a schoolboy. Marriage clearly agreed with him. He was wearing civvies...a nice suit, which was something he'd never thought he'd see. Hudson was happy, which was something he couldn't say the last time he'd seen him, he thought grimly.
Hudson's face fell when he saw the serious expression on Hicks' face. "What's the matter man? You look like you're headed to your own funeral. You nervous about getting hitched? Take it from an expert. It's pretty easy, you just say 'I do' whenever anyone asks you a question."
Hicks laughed. He had missed Hudson...not his bellyaching, but there was nobody in his old unit who could make him laugh like Hudson could. He reached over and placed his hand on Hudson's shoulder and squeezed it affectionately.
"Thanks for doing this, Bill. It really means a lot to us." Hicks said sincerely. He clenched his jaw as he tried to keep his emotions in check.
Hudson started at Hicks' use of his first name and serious mien and he looked at him quizzically.
"Come on." Hudson scoffed. "Dwayne Hicks, 'the walking sex organ' is getting married, and to Ripley of all people? You know I wouldn't miss this for the world!" Hudson said grinning.
Hicks smirked and was about to retort when the the organist began playing, signaling that the ceremony was about to begin. The two men brought themselves up to attention as the doors in the back of the chapel opened.
Newt entered first, performing her duty as the one and only bridesmaid perfectly. She was wearing a simple blue dress which matched her eyes perfectly, and her golden hair fell past her shoulders, gleaming in the sunlight that poured in from the skylights above.
Hicks got choked up as he watched her coming down the aisle. She had come so far since coming to Earth. Gone was the dirty little urchin who had bitten his hand out of sheer terror. In her place was the beautiful little girl before him whom he adored very much.
Newt for her part was flourishing on Earth. She was attending school and getting excellent marks. She had made several friends and her nightmares had all but disappeared. Ellen still went in to check on her every night even when there were no sounds coming from her room, just to be sure.
Newt beamed as she walked down the aisle carrying a bouquet of white lilies. Once she reached the front of the chapel, Hicks leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.
"Hey Squirt." He said affectionately. "You clean up real nice."
Newt grinned and whispered excitedly into Hicks' ear. "Wait 'till you see Ripley!"
At that moment, a hush fell over the crowd of well-wishers as Ellen appeared in the doorway, escorted by Bishop. The guests all rose to their feet and Ellen began her walk down the aisle towards him.
Ellen took his breath away. She was wearing what could only be described as a jawdroppingly gorgeous ivory gown. Her arms and shoulders were exposed, and the neckline dipped just low enough that there was a hint of cleavage. The gown was cut very slim though the hips, and though there was little to no evidence of it on the outside, he was very aware of the fact inside of her, a new life...their child was growing and would make its way into the world in just a few short months.
Ellen looked radiant. Her eyes were bright and her cheeks had a rosy glow. Her hair, having grown out considerably, fell to just above her shoulders in soft chesnut waves that he itched to touch. He broke into a broad grin as she came to stand next to him at the front of the chapel and he couldn't restrain himself from kissing her on the cheek, eliciting a laugh from Hudson. She looked absolutely beautiful.
The ceremony was brief and formal and a complete blur. Before he knew it, they had exchanged rings and vows and the minister had pronounced them husband and wife.
They turned towards each other and he reached out and took Ellen's face in his hands and kissed her on the lips. The guests immediately erupted into thunderous applause. When he opened his eyes he was surprised to see that Ellen had tears glistening in her eyes. Before he could inquire about it, Ellen had turned towards the crowd and raised her bouquet in triumph. She then tossed it, aiming squarely at Vasquez who was standing in the front row next to Gorman. Vasquez looked at her with a horrified expression.
"You're next!" Ellen said, grinning wickedly and Vasquez's cheeks turned bright red.
They walked arm and arm down the aisle as the crowd threw white rose petals at them. Once they were outside of the chapel, he took Ellen, who by now was openly weeping to an empty corridor.
"Are you alright?" He asked, his brow furrowed in concern. "This is supposed to be a happy occasion, you know."
Ellen chuckled. "I know. I am happy. I just found myself thinking during the service about how we got here...all of us, and and I guess I just became a little overwhelmed."
Hicks nodded, astonished that once again their minds were so in sync. He handed Ellen his handkerchief and she dabbled at her eyes, being careful not to smear her mascara. She cleared her throat and then placed her hands squarely on his shoulders, looking him straight in the eye.
"You know I love you, right?" Ellen asked.
He smiled. "Yeah, I know. I love you too."
Ellen sighed in relief. "Good. It's just...I know that that's not something that we say out loud very often to each other because that's not how we are. But Dwayne, I can't imagine my life without you in it anymore. I don't want to! You and Newt, you're everything to me. You're my family and I love you both with all my heart."
It was his' turn to get misty-eyed at Ellen's impassioned speech. He cupped her cheek and gently drew her face towards his and kissed her passionately. After taking a moment to recover his composure, he began a speech of his own...one which was long overdue.
"Ellen, I was drawn to you from the first moment I saw you. You were the only one who truly knew what the hell was going on and without you, we all would've died on that rock, I'm sure of it. You saved my life...twice, and I will always be indebted to you for that, as well as for saving the lives of what remained of my team."
"But that's not why I married you. And it's not just because I knocked you up either." He said jokingly, smiling as she blushed profusely. "I married you because I love you and I admire the hell out of you, Ellen. You are the bravest, smartest, most beautiful woman I have ever known and I would follow you to hell and back."
Ellen sighed and regarded him silently. Hicks suddenly felt very self-conscious, as though he'd said too much. He removed his hat and nervously ran his hand over his freshly shorn crew cut. "What? Did I say something wrong?"
Ellen chuckled and shook her head. "No. Far from it, actually." Ellen reached over and ran her fingers lightly over the scars that marred his otherwise handsome face. "You're perfect."
Hicks captured her fingers in his and brought them to his lips, kissing them softly. He then took her hand in his and brought it to rest on the crook of his elbow. "Come on. We need to join the others. This party is in our honor, you know."
Ripley smiled warmly at her husband and allowed him to lead the way to the reception hall next door.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Part II will be from Newt's perspective.