Alexander 'Tig' Trager
Summary:
This fireball of a woman, this majestic creature, was actually going to be his wife.
It's all so surreal.

Tig stares at himself in the mirror, his head tilted slightly to the side. He examines himself from head-to-toe - from the carefully shined boots to the creased black slacks, to the crisp black button-up and finally the stupid gold fucking bow that just wouldn't sit straight. With a frustrated growl, he straightens out his bow for the umpteenth time and tilts his head to the other side. He snarls at the damn thing and readjusts it before repeating the process all over again.

Okay, maybe it wasn't the bow pissing him off. Maybe he was nervous and that was why he was so frustrated. No, he was definitely nervous - no 'maybe' about it. He wouldn't admit it to a soul, and if anyone accused him of it, he'd rip their beating heart out through their throat. But here, alone in his dressing room, he was able to admit - at least to himself - that he was worried. More than that, he was scared.

For years he had been averse to settling down. To allowing himself to be pussywhipped by some nagging old bitch that was just gonna ruin his life with babies and shit anyways. For years he'd decided he'd play by his own rules - put his dick in whatever he wanted to put his dick in and stay out however late he wanted and treat a woman however he wanted to treat her. He'd laughed in the faces of his friends who'd settled down with wives and houses and babies, he'd mocked and taunted them with his freedom. Showed off his bare ring finger with a smug smirk as he took two, three, four different girls back into his bedroom at a time. And it had been glorious.

Or at least it had. Until he met her. She - along with the two other girls - had come back with Clay, Otto and Piney from Nevada. Clay and Otto had been intent on finding themselves a good old lady, on knocking a chick up so that she wouldn't have any choice but to marry him. They'd wanted a heir so badly back then, so desperately wanted a little tike running around - neither been cut out for the single life. One out of the triage of girls, the badass rebel runaway, had immediately become taken with Clay. And it'd taken a few more months, but at some point, another one was sneaking out of Otto's room more often than not and eventually, got the title of old lady over her head.

But the real special one, the one that had basically become a hang around to the other guys? She had shaken her head and turned her nose up at all of 'em - refusing to even give him a second glance unless he courted her properly and treated her with goddamned respect she deserved. A real fucking princess. No… a fucking Queen.

By that point, Clay and Otto had gotten what - and who - they wanted and the lovely princess had been cast aside.

That's when she'd met Tig. At a party, celebrating Clay's twenty-sixth birthday. He'd approached her before in attempt to get an easy lay - all goofy dimpled grins and shining blue eyes. But unlike the tramps that made it easy and fell head over heels for him with a smile, she made him work for it. He tried again - and that time, he tried to show her that he meant it. But once more, she evaded his grasp - giving him advice on picking up other girls instead of simply allowing him to take her on a date.

At first, he'd shrugged and moved on - found some sleazy whore that was willing to do what she wasn't. But then he realized it wasn't the same - he needed to find some new pussy, something that he could get to first. So he tried again - and yet again, he was turned down. This went on for awhile. Each time he tried, she'd shoot him down with a glare and a middle finger. And much to his dismay, that had kept him coming back.

He wasn't going to give up until she spread her legs for him and she wasn't going to do that until he treated her like a human being and not some sort of conquest. So he made a silent vow to get into her pants - no matter how long or what it took. Turns out, it took six months worth of dates, but it was worth it.

He was already crushing hard on her just by dating, but that first night they laid together… it had been mindblowing. Extraordinary. Better than anything he'd ever had before. And although he'd accomplished his goal, he didn't stop going to her. He didn't stop seeking her out at parties or talking to her on the phone until sunrise or taking her out on Friday and Saturday nights instead of fucking pointless whores.

At some point, Tig had fallen in love with her. And - miraculously - she'd fallen in love with him, too.

A year following the first time they had sex - and a year and half following their first date - Tig proposed to her. It was informal as hell - they were lying in bed, bathed in the post-coital glow of morning sex, and he'd mindlessly asked if she wanted to be an old lady. She was shocked at first, thought he was joking with her. Alexander 'Tig' Trager did not get married - hell, she was surprised they'd managed to keep a steady relationship for that long. But when she'd realized how serious he was…

Now here he was, six months following the proposal - two years following their first date - trying to adjust a stupid fucking bow.

"It would probably straighten out if you kept your head straight, jackass," a warm voice says from behind him. Tig whips around to find Clay and Otto leaning in the doorway, an amused smirk on Clay's lips and a soft smile on Otto's. He glares hard at the other men and turns back around to the mirror. "You look fine, Tig."

"I know I do," Tig says smugly. Keeping Clay's advice in mind, he straightens his head at the same time he straightens his bow and finds that it becomes perfection. Giving himself another cocky smile in the mirror, he grabs his cut and begins pulling it on. "Have either of you seen her?"

"Yeah. Gem and Lu were helping her with her tiara last time I saw. She was crying, but don't tell her I told you," Otto replies with a shrug.

"Is she…?" Tig's nerves are suddenly back, and he mindlessly adjusts his cut on his shoulders. Was she thinking about backing out? Was she getting cold feet? Was she maybe realizing he wasn't good enough for her?

Tig knew he didn't deserve someone as graceful, elegant, poised and beautiful as a woman like her. He didn't deserve the small smiles she gave him whenever he complimented her, he didn't deserve the light-hearted banter they traded, he didn't deserve to know her little quirks and insecurities, he didn't deserve to hold her when she was vulnerable and admire her when she was strong. He didn't deserve to able to call her his girlfriend, or his fiancee, or his wife.

He had just hoped she never figured that out.

"Don't worry, Trager. She's excited, and they're tears of joy. And she's drop dead-fucking-gorgeous, by the way," Otto assures.

Tig gives them both a satisfactory, smug grin. "Yeah, I know. Unlike you jackasses, I know how to pick women."

Otto gives a bark of laughter at that, and Clay rolls his eyes good-naturedly.

"Come on, asshole. Let's get you married."

Although Colleen had tried to distance herself from her family, her parents had insisted on at least paying for and attending the wedding. This meant her entire family would be in attendance - her entire family. Tig nor Colleen knew how they found out about the engagement, but they did, and he supposes it wasn't such a bad thing. He could put up with the angry slurs that came from her uncles and father if it allowed his girl to have a fairytale wedding that he wouldn't have been able to give to her without some help.

The wedding ceremony is held on a large daise surrounded by boulders on a beach. The rocks keep the sun out of the eyes of the guests, and provide a romantic backdrop. The entire wedding design is black and gold - much to Vivienne Warren's dismay, who would rather her daughter have a traditional white wedding in a Chapel - to the point where even the guests are wearing all gold. The only ones besides Tig permitted black are the bridesmaids and the members of the Sons of Anarchy that weren't groomsmen.

It's a bit weird looking out on the sea of guests. One side of pure gold and the other side nothing but charcoal black. It's almost a bit of poetic justice - showing just what different sides of the fence he and Colleen had originated from.

Standing at the alter, Tig can't help but feel a sharp twinge of loneliness. With Colleen's side of the crowd is filled to the brim with brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandfathers, grandmothers and friends and the only ones sitting on the his side are from the Sons… it makes him feel a bit alone in the world. A part of him - the small, sad lonely little boy part - wishes his family were here to see this. His brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews. Not his parents though - they could have dropped dead by now for all he cared. He just wants the ones he actually cares about to see him marry off to the woman he loves.

The ceremony doesn't begin until a very certain time - although this is per Tig's request and not Colleen's. He had this insane - slightly cheesy, slightly idiotic - idea to wait until the sun was setting to start the ceremony, wanting everything about this day to be magical for her. After all, he was marrying the woman he loved in front of her entire family and all of his friends. He wanted to do at least this right - if he could do nothing else.

But when it finally does begin, his heart stops and drops down to the pit of his toes. The trademark beginning keys of 'here comes the bride' seem to echo like a shot from a gun, hushing the chattering audience. Tig straightens his back and clasps both hands firmly in front of him, doing his best to seem the strong man that he'll be for Colleen for the duration of their marriage. And maybe trying to show her family he could have some decorum about him and he wasn't always going to act like some raunchy savage.

The decorators Vivienne and Luis hired had set up the aisle so that one would have to climb the steps - designed like jagged rocks - to get to the daise. This way, Tig can't see the entire precessional until it's time - and this irks him. A part of him wishes they'd had the ceremony on the beach itself so that he wouldn't have to anticipate anything - he could see everything coming from afar and brace himself for it.

The first duo to climb the stairs is Chibs and his wife, Kerrianne. Chibs is wearing all gold with a black bowtie and his cut on his back, and Kerrianne is wearing a short black dress with a gold trimming around the Queen Anne neckline. It's the most elegant Tig has ever seen the man dress, and it's a bit shocking to see. His beard has been finely trimmed down and his eyes aren't bloodshot with alcohol for once. And he smells like cologne, not like whiskey and cigars. Kerrianne is just as gorgeous - her wild mane of curls left alone sans a simple gold rose right above her ear.

When they arrive at the alter, Chibs claps Tig hard on the shoulder and Kerrianne gives him a kiss on the cheek before going to stand at the ends.

Next out is Bobby and his wife, Precious - managing to be civil for the sake of the wedding. For the first time that Tig has ever seen, they're both smiling warmly and she's leaning against his arm like he's a lifeline. It's the first time he's seen them act like a couple and not like they're at war. They repeat the same process that Chibs and Kerrianne did - a kiss on the cheek from Precious and a hard shoulder clap from Bobby.

Uncle Tom and a croweater are out next. The croweater - Tig thinks she said her name was Kayla - seems to be enjoying the copious amounts of attention she's receiving from a Son, and Uncle Tom just looks happy that Tig is settling down. He had a bad history with sleeping around with croweaters, and he didn't want Tig to suffer from the same STD's he suffered from. Kimberly gives Tig another kiss on the cheek, and Uncle Tom punches him hard in the chest instead of clapping him on the shoulder.

Wally and another croweater come out next, followed by Chico and a woman who Tig thinks is his cousin. Otto and his new wife, Luann succeed them. Unlike those preceding him, Otto doesn't punch Tig, nor does he give him a clap on the shoulder - he pulls him in for a crushing hug.

"Treat 'er well, man. My wife likes this one," he whispers in his ear. Tig gives a solemn nod, and they pat each other on the back good naturedly before Otto goes to stand in front of Chico. Luann gives Tig the trademark kiss on the cheek before going to stand in front of Chico's cousin.

Next is Piney and his wife, Mary. She's beautiful - even more so in the bridesmaid dress - and her cheeks are rosy and warm. When Tig first met her, he'd been skeptical - she was so young and so naive. But she had been knocked up, so they'd come to accept her as an old lady - and she did well in the role. Piney takes his time coming down the aisle, making sure to lock eyes with Tig and keep them there. When they both reach the altar, Mary gives him a dainty hug and Piney gives him a harsh one.

"Take care of her. Don't fuck it up, Alexander." It's the first time Tig has ever heard Piney use his real name, so he takes the instruction very seriously. He didn't intend to fuck it up - he loved Colleen, he was in love with Colleen. He wanted nothing more than for her to always be happy and always live in comfort.

Lastly, Clay and Gemma ascend the stairs. They look so perfect next to each other - like they could mold together right there and be happy for their rest of their lives. It's obvious that soon it'll be Clay standing in Tig's spot, awaiting his love - and he honestly can't wait for the day. Clay is the only groomsmen wearing a mixture of black and gold - his slacks are black, but his shirt is gold and his bow is black. Gemma wears an inverse version of the other bridesmaids dresses - a black dress with a gold trimming around the neckline.

They both pause at the altar, like the rest of the bridesmaids and groomsmen. Gemma hugs Tig and kisses his forehead, gives him a warm motherly smile - despite being so young - that gives him a boost of confidence. Clay ruffles his best friends curls before giving him a brotherly hug. Neither of them say a word - their actions say everything.

Gemma takes her spot in front of Mary, and Clay his in front of Piney. He places a comforting hand on Tig's shoulder and squeezes.

You're doing fine, brother, the gesture says. Don't worry.

Finally, after what feels like forever, the quiet song gets louder and everyone in the audience stands. Tig quickly arranges anything that could be out of place - adjusts his bowtie, runs his fingers through his hair, readjusts his cut - before turning to recieve his wife.

A girl that was formally introduced to Tig as her niece skips down the aisle in a pristine gold dress, tossing black rose petals on the gold carpet. She's a cute kid and holds such a stark resemblance to Colleen that he wonders if she looked like that at that age.

He sees the black tiara and the blue streaks in her hair before he sees her. But then when he does see her…

If Tig thought his heart stopped, it picks up speed rapidly now - pounding against his rib cage as if trying to jump out and go to her.

Her wedding gown is form-fitting and floor length. It's extremely fancy - and extremely expensive looking - with shining rhinestones against black silk fabric. It has a decolletage neckline on the bodice, which is made out of what looks to be a black velvet. It's making her breasts look as if they're about to spill out of the dress and punctuating the fresh tattoo of his name on her left breast. The waist pulls in tight, accentuating the curves of her body. Tig thinks she might be wearing a corset beneath. The bodice dips into the skirt, which flows like water down to the floor. The skirt of the dress is a different fabric than the bodice - made of silk.

Colleen's makeup looks to be expertly done - probably done by Luann - with full red lips - that he just wants to kiss for days - and smoky dark eyes. Her mint green eyes are hidden under a veil of thick eyelashes, but he can tell that they're watering because they look red.

Her blue and black hair has been pulled back and pinned up into an elegant updo, and if Tig squints he could probably see gold glitter in it. A few curls have slipped from the updo - or been purposely left down - and frame her face.

The guys were right. She's drop dead-fucking-gorgeous.

Luis walks her down the aisle, everything the proud father he should be. His green eyes shine with tears - much like his daughter's - and he's practically beaming. He had been averse to Tig marrying his child - and he still is - but he seems to be enjoying being a part of his daughter's wedding. For a man that had put up such a fit - pleading with her to change her mind, to marry the nice construction boy, to separate herself from this barbarian while she could - he has a pretty big smile to show off.

When Luis and Colleen arrive at the altar, the minister - Vivienne's idea - clears his throat and begins.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Alexander Trager and Colleen Warren in holy matrimony, which is an honorable estate, that is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently and soberly. Into this estate these two persons present come now to be joined. If any one can show just cause why they may not be lawfully joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

The crowd - who had taken their seats when Colleen reached the altar - all look around. Mostly the Sons look to her side of the family, expecting some objection that could possibly ruin the wedding. It was no secret what the brothers did to family members that tried to separate old ladies from their old men - the family members weren't killed, but they were never heard from again. Vivienne, who sits in the front next to Colleen's youngest, opens her mouth - seemingly ready to take the risk. But Harold - her little brother - places his hand on her knee and gives a slight shake of his head, so she slams it closed with a huff. Tig pretends he doesn't hear the sigh of relief escape Colleen's lips.

"Very well. Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" the Minister asks, looking expectantly to Luis.

"My wife and I do," he says, smiling at his daughter. He gives Colleen a gentle kiss on the cheek and allows her to join her husband under the arc. Tig takes her hands in his and gives her a crooked grin.

"Hey you," he whispers.

"Hey yourself," she replies, her voice thick with tears. Tig gives her hands a reassuring squeeze, and his grin broadens when she squeezes back.

"Alexander, would you repeat after me?" the Minister asks. Tig gives a curt nod. "I, Alexander Trager, take thee, Colleen Warren, to be my wedded wife. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish, 'til death do us part.

Tig repeats the vows firmly, trying to make them sound as sincere as possible and himself sound serious as he can while grinning like a dope. He did mean every word - he didn't plan on ever leaving Colleen's side. Not until the very last breath left his body, or she herself decided that he wasn't worthy of her anymore.

"Now your turn, Colleen."

"I, Colleen Warren, take thee, Alexander Trager to be my wedded husband, to have and

to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish, 'til death do us part," she says.

Tig's smiling so much his cheeks are starting to ache, but he's unable to stop himself from grinning. This was really happening. This fireball of a woman, this beautiful, majestic creature, was actually going to be his wife. He's dumbfounded, honestly - this time three years ago, he was some Prospect who had vowed never to have an old lady or any heirs. And now here he was - a patched in brother, a sergeant at arms, about to receive his fiancee as his old lady. It's all a bit surreal, and thinking about it chokes him up too.

"May I have the rings?" the Minister asks. Clay steps forward then, fishing the two rings out of his pocket. They're both extremely expensive and well thought out - Tig having gone with Colleen's sister to choose them. Colleen's band is gold and Tig's is black, although the rock that sits on hers is of the deepest ebony he could find and it's the biggest one that had been in the case. Tig's band is made of black diamonds with a gold rim around them. Black and gold - their respective favorite colors.

"The wedding ring is the outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible spiritual bond which unites two loyal hearts in endless love. It is a seal of the vows Alexander and Colleen have made to one another. May she and he, who give them, and who wear these rings, live together in unity, love and happiness for the rest of their lives. Now, Alexander, will you repeat after me?"

"Actually, Minister, if you don't mind. We have some traditional vows of our own," Tig interrupts. The Minister frowns and looks down at his bible - probably where some notecards from her parents are - before giving an unprofessional shrug and waving his hand for the couple to go ahead. Tig can practically see Vivienne's scoff.

Colleen inhales deeply before beginning - sliding his ring carefully onto his ring finger. "With this ring, I vow my undying love and everything else that comes with it. I promise to always be a loving and faithful wife and old lady."

Tig winks at her and the girls behind her cheer - some having said the vows themselves, some hoping to say them one day. He takes her ring and slides it onto her ring finger, careful not to chip her perfectly manicured nails.

"With this ring, I vow my love. And I promise always to cherish and protect you. And," he breaks off, looking around at the crowd cockily. The Sons join in with him on the following vows. "to treat you as good as my leather and ride you as much as my Harley."

This time the members of the Sons of Anarchy break out into cheers - whooping, hollering, and wolf whistling like animals. Behind him, Clay gives his shoulder a hard slap and shakes him a bit. Colleen laughs, tossing her head back and giving an unladylike guffaw.

Her side of the family remains stoic. With pursed lips - or scowls - and narrowed eyes. Her mother's nose is wrinkled with disgust at the insinuation, and her father just seems to dislike the distastefulness of it. Even her siblings cringe, obviously thinking the same thing his parents were thinking - not in public. Some people just didn't know how to have fun and loosen up.

"Then by the power invested in me by the state of California, I know pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride," the Minister says, a smile threatening to tug at his own lips. Although, he barely manages to finish the sentence before Colleen is curling her fingers around the edges of Tig's cut and pulling him down to kiss her.

Tig's arms wrap around her waist and she hooks her arms around his neck. He runs his tongue along her bottom lip, probably scrubbing away some of her sticky lipstick, and her lips part involuntarily to allow him entrance. The kiss is deep and passionate and should have probably been saved for the bedroom, but they're married and they're happy and they couldn't give an honest fuck would anyone else thinks.

The entire audience breaks out into applause - although, Tig's side of the room is much more thunderous, excited, and happy. More whistles and catcalls from the Sons - all happy to see a brother and his old lady legally united. Colleen's side of the room claps respectfully and kindly, although not joyfully. Colleen's brother seems to be the only one simply happy to see his sister happy, clapping wildly and whistling like he's a son.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Trager!"