The Alliance, Chap. 4-My Big Fat Volturi Wedding
Summary: Finally, the wedding happens, and the Volturi twins make an appearance. Carlisle and Esme show up, too.
Disclaimer: same as always!
Marcus and his brothers have returned from putting down the American coven who was rising an army, and from Moldova, where they had issued their edict to cease and desist. Vlad had come back to Volterra and had the three brothers on edge, and families and friends were beginning to arrive for the wedding festivities. Fiona and Marcus were growing closer and their bond stronger by the day, and in a matter of weeks, Fiona had secured her place in the Volturi as both a powerful vampire, and as the surprising mother hen to the young pages, mortals, and Jane and Demitri. It was Fiona who insisted that the children go to school, or at least have a teacher brought in from nearby Verona, the largest city in the region, to teach them, for Fiona knew what an education could bring for someone. It was Fiona who cared for the sick or injured mortals, whether on the Volturi's staff or a visitor to the museum. She had also made a sizeable contribution to various local charities. Finally, she had noticed her mate's demeanor, and his eye color, were rapidly changing due to his new, vegetarian lifestyle. All in all, we can say that Fiona has found her place in the Volturi's coven; albeit an unconventional one.
As is often the case with royal weddings, Marcus and Fiona's affair will last four days; a reception and party on the first night, the second day and night spent seeing the sights, the actual ceremony, and a breakfast the next day to see the (hopefully) happy couple off on their honeymoon.
Day 1
Fiona and Marcus step out their elevator, each dressed in their cocktail finest. Melaniana, in her omnipresent way, had a dress sent for Fiona. This one was a beige satin sleeveless party dress, knee length, and with a sweetheart neckline. The color suited Fiona's fair coloring and toned down her fire-red hair. Marcus wore a new dark suit with a tie the same color as Fiona's dress. The looked good together, and Alice Cullen was on hand to help Fiona perfect her makeup and grooming routine, although the older vampire was fast learning what suited her. They are all smiles as they enter the ballroom, prepared to meet, dazzle and entertain wedding guests. Marcus takes in the scene, and whispers to Fiona.
"Ok, Madam Decorated soldier. This is a battlefield if I ever saw one. What's our strategy?"
"Divide and conquer, then meet in the middle. You start off with the right side, I'll take the left, then we'll make the rounds together. Ready? Set, Go." He laughs, but nods, and they take off. Fiona works her side of the room, laughing, dancing, drinking, and thanking everyone she sees. She is relieved to see that Aro and Caius and their wives are both behaving and enjoying themselves, and she spends some time catching up with her former Coven mates again. They stand in a cluster, garnering attention, because they are all gorgeous and loud and slightly giddy from the alcohol. Fiona speaks to the group, a slightly wistful tone to her voice.
"I feel like I'm turning in my key tomorrow, you know? I've been in the Coven for forever, it seems like, and it's so sad that I have to leave."
"Well, it's not like you can't ever come back. Uncle said you're just laying low for awhile," said Lisette.
"I know; but I can't be secretary anymore."
"I can handle it, you know. I may not be European, but I am intelligent," retorted Roma.
"No, I know that, Roma dear. It's just-I don't know, I did it for so long, it's like, I had a place, a purpose. Now my place is at my husband's side, and my purpose is to look pretty and run a PR campaign for evil vampires. It's just a little beyond the limits of reality sometimes." The girls laugh, but it is Ting who looks slyly at Fiona.
"Will you be calling us for some baby magic soon, Fee?" Fiona rolls her eyes.
"No. Although I was tempted to have you girls do it tonight, just to shock the hell out of the other two wives. But I think it's best to wait, and adjust to marriage first."
"Good idea. Don't forget, no matter what, we're all here for you. You're still our sister, albeit the redheaded stepchild, and we will always love you." This is Bianca, her heavily-accented voice making her words sound lighter than they are. Fiona laughs, hugs each girl, and continues on. A few minutes later, she is in the middle of the room, and a strong pair of arms encircles her waist. She smiles as Marcus whispers in her ear.
"Ciao, bella. You were right; it worked." She turns into him, and they embrace, then separate as they greet the rest of the room together. They stand and chat with the Cullen's for a good while, who are fast becoming friends. Fiona didn't know that she and Marcus were going to honeymoon in America, and that he had scheduled a day with the Cullen's to surprise her. They chatted with the Cullen's about the wedding, and Alice and Nessie grew moon-eyed over the prospect of being involved in the wedding party, because Melaniana told Fiona that she'd asked Nessie to be a jr. bridesmaid, or as the American's called it, a flower girl. Fiona hugged the child, and thanked for her help, and told Alice that she could be involved as Fee's personal stylist, which caused everyone else to titter. They moved on, and Fiona scanned the crowds, looking for Stefan and Vladimir, but they weren't there. Marcus noticed her scanning, and asked her who she was looking for.
"Well, I know Uncle won't be here until tomorrow, but I was hoping Stefan would be here. We ended on such a bad note last time; I wanted to apologize." Marcus grimaces.
"I don't like that guy, but I sensed that you two had some sort of connection. What was that about?"
"Remember how I told you I'd had a boyfriend for a long time? It was Stefan. Eventually, it got very serious, and he started talking about marriage. I ran, scared. Told everyone that he expected me to be the subservient wife, but that's not entirely true. Although that was some of it, most of it was that I was afraid. I had finally found the lifestyle that worked for me; that I felt comfortable with, and I was certain that he wouldn't allow me to live like I do had I married him. As it was, he was displeased with it. Said it was unnatural and a slap in the face to other vampires." She stops talking for a moment, and Marcus nods at her.
"Believe it or not, I understand that." Fiona smiles at him.
"Good. So like I said, I wanted to apologize to him; he was the one who'd told me about Didyme and Aro, and I basically called him a liar. He didn't deserve that." Marcus shakes his head.
"I guess he's not as bad as I thought. I'll ask Carlisle if he knows if he's coming; they know each other." Fiona nods.
'Thanks, dear. Let's finish this thing up and get the hell upstairs. My dress is itchy, and I'm so tired of high heels. If they go out of style tomorrow, it wouldn't be fast enough." Marcus laughs.
"Sure thing." They circulate the room a few more times, and then excuse themselves upstairs, where they make love and then chat some more. They were getting closer and closer every day, and more and more comfortable with each other. Fiona had finally gotten more of her things moved in, and Marcus had bought her a vanity and dresser, and Mr. O'Malley spent his days in Marcus' library, on a settee near the window, and his nights at the foot of the bed.
They spent the next day alone with each other, and decided to drive into Siena for the day to shop and hunt and spend some time relaxing before the wedding. They had about 8 hours to spare until they were needed back in Volterra for the hen party and stag do. Fiona drives there, and parks expertly in a spot outside of a market. They enter it, and immediately draw attention, but ignore it as they stroll from stall to stall, hand in hand. They discuss plans for the Volterra museum; Fiona thinks they should contract out with the Irish Museum of Modern Art, but Marcus thinks that they will probably contract with the Louvre for it's European Art exhibition. They purchase some perfumed lotions and potions for Fiona, and Marcus picks up an old-style leather belt. They stop at an outdoor bistro and order coffee, thankful that it is a gray, slightly drizzly day. After a quick hunt in the outskirts of Siena's forest, they head back to Volterra, with Marcus at the wheel this time. They both admire the Italian countryside on their way back. When they arrive at the castle, they quickly change their clothes, and taking time out for a quickie, fall into their bed, exhausted from sightseeing, sex and the coffee. They don't get much time to relax, because a phone call interrupts their quiet togetherness. It is Melaniana, calling for Fiona.
"Fiona, be ready in ten minutes. Dress warmly, and nicer; we're going out, but I can't tell you where."
"Bloody hell, Mel. Can't we just skip the hen party and just watch TV?"
"Not on your cold, dead life. Now, get it together or else."
"Fine." Fiona hangs up, and faces Marcus.
"Guess it's time to dress for my hen party." She stands as Marcus's hands drift from her waist to her stomach. He kisses her arm as she pulls herself up, then sighs and stands, too. She changes into dark boot-cut jeans, a silver lame camisole and a blue cardigan, and twists her hair up into a chignon and secures it with a rhinestone clip. She quickly refreshes her makeup, and applies a russet-colored lip gloss to complete the look. She switches out her daypack for an evening bag, and tells Marcus she will be on her mobile if he needs her. She steps into a pair of strappy silver heels that she'd found in the closet the week before, and sighs at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. He grins at her from where he is dressing by the closet.
"You look nice. That silver of the undershirt really flatters you."
"I think it's called a camisole. Thank you. You look swell, too; any ideas where you're headed to?" He shakes his head as she takes in his jeans, sweater and wing-tipped shoes. She shakes her head.
"You always wear the most ornate shoes ever. Are you sure you weren't a girl in your first life?" He launches a pillow at her, and they laugh and kiss until a knock at the door interrupts.
"Oh, that'd be Mel. I better get going; I'll see you later. Just think, by this time tomorrow, we'll be a married couple. It's a little strange, isn't it?" He crosses to her and runs the back of his hand across her cheek.
"It'll be lovely. In twenty-four hours, we'll be well away from this bloody old castle, and hopefully enjoying ourselves on a honeymoon." She raises her eyebrows, but Mel knocks again, a little more urgently. Fiona sighs, and crosses to the door as she speaks to Marcus.
"I swear, Mel is going to give herself a canary." She opens it and smiles at her friend, grabs the purse that Marcus extends to her, and waves goodbye as Mel pulls her down the hallway, into the elevator, and out the door to a waiting car. As they drive off towards a local pub, Fiona tells Mel about their day.
"You should have seen us, Mel. We were like a regular couple, out sightseeing, and kissing, and shopping. He bought me this sunflower-scented shampoo; apparently, it is made from local olives, grapes and sunflowers. The countryside is gorgeous; I can't wait to take him out more." Mel smiles at her friend.
"Fee, I'm so glad it's working out well for you. I have to confess that when Uncle first suggested you, I was sure it was going to fail. But I'm glad I was wrong." Fiona nods lightly.
"I understand, Mels. I was surprised at how quickly we bonded, too. Oh, look, here's the pub; bloody hell, do we have the place to ourselves?" Fiona's eyes were wide as they stepped out of the car and she took in the sight.
"Yes; I reserved the whole thing for us. No mortals allowed, just vampires. I invited the Cullen's along, the girls, your friend Aislin from Ireland, and the female staff. It's just us girls, drinking, dancing, and cutting up. Let's go." Mel's eyes were shining as she led Fiona into the pub, and sat her down at a table. The tables had been grouped together, four to a table, with four tables. The rest had been cleared out, and there was wine, beer, and mineral water flowing. The doctor in Fiona protested loudly.
"Mel, this is going to have us all on the Pat and Mick for weeks, you know?" Mel shrugged at her friend.
"What does that mean?"
"You'll make us ill, the whole lot of us. I don't think our mates will appreciate it." Mel rolls her eyes.
"We're vampires, Fee. We can handle it. Do you want a drink?" Fee nods.
"A pint. Of something dark." She sits at the table as Mel retrieves two beers and returns to the table. It is Roma who starts the party, announcing that they will do gifts and games before the dancing. Each woman presents Fiona with a gift; most of it is naughty lingerie, but there is an exquisite necklace from her friend Ash from Ireland, and a collection of Irish poetry from Ting, who thought that traditional hen party gifts were tasteless and classless, and also because she knew that Fiona would most likely never wear most of the lingerie, and that the Irishwoman appreciated the cerebral as much as she appreciated the fluff. Fiona smiled and hugged her tightly, thanking her sincerely. The games were fun; there was one where the girls designed wedding dresses using toilet paper, tape, and scissors, and another where the contents of their purses were emptied and a scavenger hunt for popular ladies items was conducted. After the gifts and ice breakers, someone started music, and all the girls danced and drank some more. By about two the next morning, they were all fully sick, exhausted, and messy, but were glowing from the fun. They trooped back to the castle, and Fiona hurried to her chambers to gather her toweling robe, slippers, and the things she'd need for the next day. When she came in, Marcus was sitting in bed, reading, and she bent to kiss him.
"How was your stag do?'
"Fun; just a baseball game, beer, and talking in the grounds. How are you; you look a sight. Did you have fun?"
"Too much. Mel rented this pub; the whole of Volterra will never be the same. We drank and danced, and I got a whole slew of things you'd like; lacy teddies, and negligees and all sorts of naughty things. It was fun. I am just here to see Mr. O'Malley, and get my robe and some things for tomorrow, then it's off to the guest chambers for me." He grins at her, but nods.
"Sorry, but it's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding."
"We're vampires; I don't think luck applies to us." He shrugs, but she kisses him again, gathers her things, and exit's the room.
A few hours later
Fiona exit's the bathroom in the chamber down the hall from Marcus. They spent the previous evening apart, because Marcus was traditional and didn't want to see Fiona before the wedding. She was a bundle of nervous energy and excitement. She now smelled of sunflowers and Chanel no. 5, which she had loved when she'd borrowed some from Esme Cullen, and had purchased for herself. She sits down, and lets Alice Cullen begin to put up her hair, while her sister, Rosalie, whom Fiona had only just met, did her makeup. Esme was fussing around, helping Melaniana to prepare her dress and accessories. The four other vampires zip the redhead into her dress, and coo and sigh over her. It is a gorgeous dress, off white. A ball gown in style, with a full skirt, and beading at the bodice, in an empire waist and no sleeves. It has no train, as Mel made the wise decision that Fiona would have a hard enough time walking in the dress to begin with.
"You look gorgeous. Alice, it's brilliant," coos Melaniana. The others murmur and nod in agreement. Her coven mates come in then, each dressed in the same color dress, but a different style, meant to accent each girl's figure. The dresses were all emerald green satin, and were all classy and understated. There were no poufy ball gowns in sight. Instead, they were styled like cocktail dresses, some in halter tops, some in short sleeves. Most fell at the knee, except for Ting's, who preferred things longer. Nessie wore a white eyelet dress with an emerald green satin ribbon at the waist, and a green headband. Fiona hugged each one, and they all prepared themselves to head downstairs to the ballroom, where the ceremony would be held. The reception was to be held in the museum itself. Mel excused herself as the bridesmaids and the Cullen's filed into an elevator, and she and Fiona were alone. Fiona takes the moment to slip on her tiara, and Mel adjusts the veil behind it. Fiona sighs, and smiles up at her.
"Oh, Mel. What the hell am I doing?" Mel smiles back at her, and shrugs, raising an eyebrow.
"You're marrying a man you very obviously care about. And, furthermore, you're securing a more peaceful future for our kind. You can do it, Fee." Fiona looks at her, serious, and exhales. She stares at her reflection in the mirror for a moment, and adjusts the strand of pearls she is wearing. Suddenly, she smiles, and stands.
"You're right. Let's go get married." Mel smiles, and takes her hand, leading her down the hallway, to the elevator, and down to the ballroom. She leads Fiona to a sectioned-off area where the bridesmaids are already assembled. Fiona smiles at the girls she's considered her sisters, and they all hug her. Fiona address the group.
"Ok, girls. It's getting down to the wire; thank you all for your support these past few weeks. And the past few decades. I love you all. But no sauntering down the aisle; I hate that. Just book it. Just make time; just go, OK?' They giggle, and nod at her. Soon, the music starts, and Nessie begins the procession, with the assembled guests cooing at the cute young vampire. The men follow behind, with the ladies not far behind. Fiona takes the few moments before her cue to bury her face in the wall. A familiar male voice causes her to startle.
"What's wrong, Fiona?" It is Carlisle, and Fiona looks up at him with a mix of fear and joy on her face.
"Oh, nothing. I am just trying to decide if this is the bravest thing I have ever done, or the stupidest." Carlisle chuckles lightly.
"Oh, probably a bit of both. But if it helps, Marcus is nervous as well. But you look gorgeous, and it sounds like you two are doing well." Fiona smiles lightly.
"Thank you, Carlisle. I guess we'd better get in there, huh? Thank you for walking me up; it's so strange still, dealing with this all. It's times like these I wish had a family coven." He smiles at her.
"I understand. And it's really not a problem. But we should get up there before people think you've ran away, or Esme gets suspicious that I've kidnapped you." Fiona laughs as Carlisle nods through the door, and the music starts again. Carlisle leads the female vampire up the aisle towards her waiting mate, and the crowd titters, as Fiona stands a noticeable bit higher than Carlisle. A moment later, Marcus takes her hands firmly in his, and nods and grins at Carlisle, and whispers to the man.
"Thank you, Carlisle. You look lovely, Fee." She smiles at him, but inhales sharply. He squeezes her hand as they turn to face the preacher. She can't process what he is saying, because she is concentrating on breathing and not passing out, and she misses her cue to say "I do," until she hears titters from her bridesmaids, and she shakes herself out of her reverie.
"Oh, sorry. Of course. I do. Yes, to all of it." The crowd laughs. She grimaces at Marcus, who just grins at her, and shakes his head. They continue, and Fiona makes an effort to pay more attention. It finishes with no more disasters, and then Fiona and Marcus kiss and the preacher makes the proclamation.
"You are now husband and wife," and the crowd applauds and Fiona and Marcus hug. Then they turn around, all smiles, and head out the door, waving at their friends and guests. When they are safely out of the ballroom, Marcus pulls her down the hallway to a secluded corner and kisses her softly.
"What were you thinking about so hard that you missed your cue?" She laughs.
"Breathing. I remember reading something about how deep breathing is healing. I think it was the Dalai Lama or Buddha or something." He grins.
"Well, I am glad you were breathing. I think we need to get over to the museum."
"Do we have to?"
"Well, it's too late to elope now." She giggles.
"Ok, but here, help me with the veil." He reaches up, and pulls the veil out carefully, making sure he doesn't mess up her hair. He hands it off to his page, who dutifully puts it into a basket to take upstairs later. He takes her hand, and they walk together to the museum, and to the area where the reception tables are set up. Being a late morning wedding, there are light refreshments, but they sit down at the head table, and Vlad stands to make the first speech. They continue until each Volturi vampire has spoken, and Carlisle and Esme as well, then it's time for Marcus to speak about Fiona.
"When I first met my Fiona, she was just simply a gorgeous redhead. Then she opened her mouth. Her rough Irish brogue, speech patterns, and penchant for slang threw me for a loop. But, it also rocked my world. Now, just a little while later, we're standing here at in front of all of you lovely people, and you're sharing our joy and love, and we're just so grateful to all of you for being here to share this with us. Fiona, I promise to love you forever," he raises the glass of wine someone had poured for him, and smiles out to the crowd; his eyes were rapidly changing colors, and his brown contact lenses made his features look more uniform. He continues. "Cheers, everyone." The crowd laughs and drinks as Fiona stands. She takes a deep breath in, and smiles.
"Thank you all for attending this holy show. I am so glad to be standing here today; so full of love and joy. I hope you all find your stay in Volterra to be comfortable. Marcus, dear, please make me shut up now before I embarrass myself more," she, too, raised her glass; she had chosen a dark beer for the occasion, and many people laughed when they saw that. "In Celtic, the word is slainte. So, raise your drink in health and happiness. Thanks!" A rousing reply of "slainte", which is pronounced slo-an-cha, follows. She sits, slightly embarrassed, and smiles at Marcus. They drink a bit more, then someone starts some music, and the couple approaches the middle of the dance area, and Marcus wraps his arms firmly around Fiona's waist as the song they'd chosen together plays. It's an old Irish song, "Danny Boy", and it was Marcus' idea, as he knew the man who'd written it. Fiona had been surprised to learn it was written by a Brit living in Dublin around the time of the revolution. The song was short, and as they finished dancing, and the other guests spilled onto the dance floor, he whisked her off and into the crowd to meet and greet once again. They make the rounds; this time their smiles are genuine, and their hands are entwined, and they are happy. Jasper tells Alice that he can feel the joy and serenity flowing off the both of them, and she sighs in happiness, and makes him dance with her. They twirl by Fiona and Marcus, who smile at them. Finally, Marcus interrupts the party to announce that Fiona will toss her bouquet, and all the females gather as the men shrink back. Carlisle pulls Esme off to the side.
"You don't want to catch this." She giggle, and shakes her head.
"No, one wedding a century is enough for me. Rose and Emmett want another go around, though." Carlisle rolls his eyes.
"I figured. Anyway, Fiona approached me the other day. She wants to suggest Alice to replace her in the coven of Chosen ones. She thinks that Alice has what it takes. I told her I'd have to talk to you first, but I don't see anything wrong with it. Oh, man, I think Nessie just caught the bouquet." Esme looks up and smiles at her granddaughter.
"Well, she'd better not get any ideas. I think it would be an opportunity for Alice. Do you know much about it? I've heard some racy stuff." He shakes his head as Marcus prepares to whisk Fiona off to their side of the castle, signaling that the party was over. The Cullen's are invited later to a private party, and the following morning as the couple prepares to fly off on their honeymoon, but he thinks the couple needs some private time before being bombarded with guests, even friends. He shakes his head at his wife before answering.
"No, but Fiona told me she could tell us whatever we wanted to know. She indicated that there was nothing to worry about, and that Alice, as well as us, would have the protection of the coven and Vlad Templish." Esme nods.
"It sounds fine to me, then. Let's talk to Alice and Jasper later." He nods, and they join the family to wish the couple well as they disappear into the castle. Once safely upstairs, Fiona and Marcus fall against their bed and lie in silence for a few moments. Then Fiona sits up and pulls off her tiara, and begins to take down her hair. Marcus sits up, pulls off his shoes and watches as Fiona undresses. He smiles to himself, but speaks to her.
"You were so gorgeous coming up that aisle on Carlisle's arm. I was jealous that he got to see you before I did, but I'm glad I waited. You look really pretty." She turned her head and looked at him.
"Thank you. You looked pretty handsome yourself. I loved it; everyone looked so brilliant. Even your brothers and the Gruesome Twosome. The twins were nice to people; I think schooling is helping them." Marcus chuckles.
"I suppose. It's funny that the Cullen's young granddaughter caught your flowers; did you know that her boyfriend is a shape-shifter?" Fiona looks at him incredulously, and pulls off her heels.
"No. Explain." He shakes his head.
"I remember when she was first born; we had gone to America, to where the Cullen's were living at the time, because one of their former friends had reported to us that his son and new daughter-in-law were in possession of an immortal child. Of course, she wasn't, but we didn't know that, although I had figured, because Carlisle knows and follows the rules, and impresses on his children the importance of the rules. Even if YOU think they're bollocks, not everyone does. But anyway, to make a long story short, we show up, and the Cullen's have a huge group of vampires there to witness, and interestingly, some wolves. Aro was convinced they were werewolves, but we were informed they are actually shifters, although the nuances of the difference escapes me, but Aro knows. Anyway, she's involved with their pack leader or some such nonsense."
"Bloody hell. I didn't realize there was a difference. But Carlisle and Esme are OK with that?" Marcus shrugs.
"I guess. It's not my life, so I don't say a word." Fiona nods, but points to her back.
"Help me with the buttons. I can't believe I let Mel talk me into this dress. I can't even get out of it." He chuckles, and unfastens a long row of buttons, kissing her skin after every one. When he reaches the bottom, he sighs as she stands up and lets the dress fall to her ankles. She grins at him, and reaches over to tap his nose.
"Hang on; you will have plenty of time to see me undressed in just a little while. I really need to get this thing hung up; I think my page will be taking it and storing it with the rest of my things." He nods, but stands to change himself, selecting a comfortable pair of slacks and a button down. He pulls a sweater vest over his head, and takes off his socks and shoes. Fiona has slipped into a smart black woolen dress with a matching jacket, and has pulled off her panty hose and is standing in front of him, asking him to do her zip. He does, then kisses her neck. She giggles, and turns to hug him. He murmurs to her.
"You're my wife now, you know?" She nods, and leans in for his kiss.
"I know. Isn't it strange? This morning, I was Fiona Connolly, late of Belfast, and now I am Mrs. Marcus Snow, of Volterra."
"Strange indeed. I like your name now; Fiona Snow. It sounds like a stage name or something."
"Fee Snow. My middle name is Jane. Jane Snow…that sounds a little less fake, right?"
"But it's not you." He smiles as she stands, stretches, and looks at herself in the full-length mirror she'd attached to the closet door. He watches as she smoothes her dress over her sculpted calves, and reapplies her lipstick and clips back the front of her hair. She notices him watching, and looks at him through her eyelashes. He looks at the floor, hiding a smile, and then proceeds to brush his own hair and check himself out. She reaches over and runs a hand down his chest, smiling, and kissing his head.
"I love you," he says to her.
"I love you." They gaze at each other for a moment, and then she snaps her clutch bag shut.
"We need to head over to the rec room for the party." It is his turn to grimace.
"Do we have to?"
"Yes, sir. Now get some shoes on and let's go before I have to hurt you." He shakes his head, but pulls on his socks and shoes, and stands up again.
"Let's go." They exit their chambers, and hurry to the rec room, praying for a fast getaway. When they arrive, they take in the scene; most of the people had come straight from the wedding and hadn't changed. Fiona notices all the Cullen's, and her sisters from the coven, and Vlad and Mrs. Templish. Finally, the face she's been waiting for all week is smiling back at her in the crowd. She takes Marcus's hand, but indicates the face.
"Look, there's Stefan there." He grins, secure in the knowledge that Fiona was surely his, and so he feels no jealousy or fear as he lets her go to him. He watches as she lopes off towards the Original, and then turns to greet Aro and Caius. He notices their wives were not there, and they tell him that the wives are sitting this one out to "prepare for their Halloween party," but he suspects that they are just sore because they are not the in the middle of the attention. He falls into a chat with the two men, and watches Fiona out of the corner of his eye. She is talking animatedly to Stefan, who is standing a respectful distance from her, and they are laughing.
"Were you here for the wedding, Stefan?"
"I was. You were beautiful. And funny. What were you thinking about that you missed your cue?"
"Breathing techniques."
"I see. Well, you look absolutely gorgeous; Marcus isn't my favorite vampire, but he seems like he's doing well by you. You're glowing and happy, and in love. I can tell." Fiona leans in and kisses his cheek.
"Thanks, Stefan. I imagine this was difficult for you, and I truly appreciate being able to share this with you. I am sorry for my words at the ball, also. I was unkind, and you were right about all of it. I have a bodyguard now, and you'll be glad to know that Marcus hardly ever leaves my side, and when he does, my big old bodyguard steps in. And guess what else? Marcus let me keep my cat." Stefan laughs.
"I'm glad. Just promise me you'll do me a favor as you settle in here, OK?"
"Sure. What?"
"Don't ever forget where you came from. You're a fighter; not just in the military sense, but in the emotional sense, too. You'll be brilliant, no matter where this life takes you." Fiona smiles.
"Oh, that's so sweet. I promise to never, ever forget." He nods, and steps aside, and disappears into the crowd again. Fiona shrugs and sighs, and returns to Marcus's side. He takes her hand, and finished talking to his brothers, spins her around so they can visit with the Cullen's. They stand and chat with the Cullen's for a bit, and Fiona tells Esme and Carlisle about life in the coven, and assuages Esme's fears about the raciness of their activities.
"No, Esme. I know you've heard some things, but we don't have orgies, and we don't sacrifice animals, or eat live bugs. It's mostly just a huge party, but no mates allowed. Sometimes we do a little white magic, and sometimes we do a little bit of community service, but mostly, it's a party. We do battle occasionally, but only girls with training actually do the fighting; everyone else is kept far away and just do the behind-the-scenes work. Look, Lisette has been with Vlad for three hundred and some-odd years, and they've never lost a sister. I would trust those girls with my own children, if I had any. I wouldn't have suggested it to Carlisle if I didn't think that Alice could handle it, and if I didn't find that her powers would be an asset. And mind you, this is just a recommendation; there are no guarantees." Esme nods.
"Ok, I'm fine with those things, then. I just wanted to be a little more clear about what our daughter may possibly face."
"I understand. Shall I recommend her to Vlad and Lisette, then?"
"Sure. Carlisle and I will discuss it with her and Jasper when we return home tomorrow." Fiona smiles at them.
'Fantastic. I will call Vlad tonight; you should hear something from the Coven, a girl called Roma, soon if they accept her." Esme nods, and the couple excuses themselves, and are immediately accosted by Fiona's coven mates, all of whom kissed Marcus's cheeks, and then pushed him out of the way as they embraced Fiona. He looked on, smiling proudly but slightly dazed.
"We're all leaving tonight, but we wanted to say good bye, and good luck. You looked gorgeous, and if you ever need anything, ever, just call us, OK?" That was Lisette, cooing at Fee.
"I know. I will. I'll miss you all. You know you're all like my real sisters. Have fun. Lis, call me the moment you get in; I have someone I'd like to recommend to take over me place." Lisette nods. All the girls tell her that she had looked so gorgeous, and were surprised at how well she seemed to fit in to her glamorous new life, to which Fiona snorted.
"Glamorous, huh? His brothers are evil, and their wives-well, we call them the Gruesome Twosome. You noticed they're not here right now? They are in their chambers, sulking, because my wedding has eclipsed their party. It's inanity, I swear." They nod. Rom grins wickedly.
"Well, just remember what I said at your engagement party-whistle Dixie and sleep tight." Fiona wrinkled her nose.
"I remember. What time are you all leaving?" Ting answers for the group.
"I leave now, since I have the furthest to go; I should just move to Australia and be done with it. Then Roma and Bianca will go, and Lisette's last. I'm sorry that Jules couldn't stay, and that the other 5 couldn't come. But we'll report back to them, don't worry."
"Thanks, Ting. You have a safe trip home, and kisses to the family from their Auntie Fee, OK?' Ting laughs, and excuses herself to the others. The other girls, in turn, excuse themselves to Fee and leave to see Ting off. She turns back to Marcus, who is in a conversation with Bill, Vlad 's bodyguard, and smiles as she goes to his side. He senses her there, and takes her hand in his until he is finished. They circulate the room a few more times, and then people begin to file out. They make sure to stay the whole evening this time, and chat as the room quickly empties.
"Your girl friends are quite the strange bunch, aren't they?"
"What do you mean?"
"I barely got a word in edgewise; you were the woman of the hour." Fiona laughs.
"I guess so. They're fantastic; it's brilliant of Vlad, don't you think? A coven of powerful, gorgeous women at your disposal. You should take some lessons." He grins.
"Actually, I'm working on that as we speak." Fiona socks his arm lightly.
"You'd better not. I was kidding." He leans over and kisses her.
"So was I. Look, pretty much everyone is gone; let's go upstairs." She nods, and lets him lead her upstairs, where they make love twice, and then spend several hours lying in bed, talking about the wedding, and their plans for the future. Marcus is surprising Fiona with a trip around the world for a wedding and honeymoon present, and they will begin that morning in Ireland, then continue on to America, where they will spend a day with the Cullen's, then a day in Boston, and one in San Francisco, which was one of Marcus's favorite places, and then they will go on to Rio and Argentina, then to Asia, Australia, and Africa, then back to Europe. He is pleased with himself that she has been unable to guess the whole thing, although she has caught on to bits and pieces of it. Their pages have packed them up, and they are scheduled to leave in just three hours. Marcus kisses her head, and speaks to her.
"Well, my dear. Shall we get up, and start to dress for your big surprise? Dress for rain, OK?" She grins at him.
"Hmm, you're taking me someplace rainy? It's raining outside. If this is a backyard party, you're one dead vampire." He laughs.
"No. Just trust me, OK?" She nods, but sighs then.
"I suppose we should clean up and dress, and maybe hunt quickly before we leave. I want to kiss Mr. O'Malley good-bye; it was nice of your page to offer to look after him." Marcus nods; he was warming up to the animal, and he had to admit that the cat made his wife happy.
"All of those things sound great. Like I said, dress for the rain." She nods, and springs up and enters the bathroom. He follows behind her, and they climb into a steamy shower and make love again. They dress quickly; now that Fiona's wardrobe had been moved to the main chamber, she didn't have to exit to fetch something all the time. Marcus watched her dress, thanking whomever looked over vampires that his wife was so gorgeous, and smiled as she absently pulled a white sweater over her head and smoothed it against her body and over her jeans. Under the white sweater, she wore a long-sleeved, pale pink t-shirt. She put her sneakers on, and stood back and took in her reflection. He smiled as her eyes drifted from the mirror to him, where he stood in the closet, dressing himself. He had selected a sturdy pair of chocolate brow corduroy jeans, a long-sleeved brown and eggplant striped polo shirt, and a blue blazer. He selected a pair of sneakers, also, which caused Fiona to laugh.
"You know, I think that's the most casual outfit I've ever seen you in. I like it; it's supremely sexy, you know?" He grins.
"Really?"
"Yup." She nodded to emphasize her point, and they continued to dress and groom and continue through their usual morning routine. Fiona spotted Mr. O'Malley hiding under the bed, and pulled him up and kissed him.
"Be good for Zenobia, OK? Mommy will see you soon." Marcus just shook his head, and helped her to make the bed. They gathered their luggage, and headed for the tarmac. As they stepped out to meet their waiting plane, Fiona grimaced.
"It's raining. Oh, my. I hope this won't be happening for our whole trip." Marcus smiled at her, and handing off their bags to the waiting porter, took her hands in his and led her onto the plane.
"No. I guess I can tell you now. Tonight, we're heading for Ireland for about three days; Dublin, and Belfast, of course. Then off to America, and at least one day with the Cullen's, and then South America-basically, the whole world in thirty days. I hope you are ready for this." Fiona smiled wide, and kissed him as he settled into his seat across from her. He saw something out of the corner of his eye, and pointed to the window. Fiona turned and looked, and gasped.
"It's snowing." Marcus nodded and smiled, too.
"It's a good omen for us. You're a Snow now, too." He leaned in and kissed her as the plane pulled off the tarmac and out of the view of the castle.
The End.