The Chipmunk Tour Saga Closing Ceremony Special
Chapter 9:
"The Wedding"
In the holographic Kitchen Stadium, the twin cooking stations were replaced with seating arrangements for the guests that had arrived for Lizzie and Gordo's wedding. As William approached the lectern set up for him to oversee the ceremony, Ahsoka tapped him on the shoulder.
"Everything's set up for the final ceremony," she said. "Thanks for everything, Snips," William said. "No problem," Ahsoka said. She moved off to sit next to her Jedi master, Anakin Skywalker. William took up his position at the lectern as a chime sounded.
Gordo was the first to enter Kitchen Stadium, followed by the groomsmen and bridesmaids. Then, the curtains re-opened, revealing Lizzie. She was arm in arm with her father. William saw Gordo and Lizzie exchange loving glances. Then, Mr. McGuire put Lizzie's hand in Gordo's and said, "Take care of her, David."
"I will, sir," Gordo said. Gordo and Lizzie turned to face William. "Everyone, I have something I would like to say before we begin," William said. "These last few days, being with you all, have made me re-consider ending the Chipmunk Tour Saga. But, that would be insulting your intelligence. We all cannot stay the same forever—this ceremony is a prime example of this. Evolution must continue."
"That having been said, we are gathered together in this place to join David and Elizabeth in the bonds of matrimony. If anyone here can show just cause for this ceremony to not proceed, let them speak now."
The Stadium fell silent, as William knew it would, for even the villains present had (grudging) respect for Lizzie and Gordo.
"Very well," William said. "David, do you promise to love, respect and honor Elizabeth as your one and only love, for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," Gordo said. William turned to Lizzie. "Elizabeth, do you promise to love, respect and honor David as your one and only love, for as long as you both shall live?" he asked.
Lizzie smiled. "I do. Always have, always will," she said. "A simple 'I do' would have sufficed, Lizzie," William said. A light ripple of amusement emanated from the audience pit.
"Sorry," Lizzie said. William smiled then cleared his throat. "May I have the rings, please?" he said. Lizzie's maid of honor, Miranda Gomez, and Gordo's best man handed the rings they held to their counterparts.
"David, as you put the ring on Elizabeth's finger, repeat after me: 'I, David, take thee, Elizabeth, to be thy lawfully wedded wife, and promise to hold her and love her in all ways and at all times until my dying day,'" William said.
As Gordo put the ring on Lizzie's finger, he repeated the words. William then turned to face Lizzie. "Elizabeth, as you put the ring on David's finger, repeat after me: 'I, Elizabeth, take thee, David, to be thy lawfully wedded husband, and promise to hold him and love him in all ways and at all times until my dying day,'" William said.
"I, Elizabeth, take thee, David, to be thy lawfully wedded husband, and promise to hold him and love him in all ways and at all times until my dying day," Lizzie said as she put the ring on Gordo's finger.
William smiled as he turned back to face the assembled audience. "Elizabeth Brooke McGuire and David Andrew Gordon, having shared and professed their love before the Creator and this company and under the authority vested in me by the State of California, are now and forever husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Gordo folded back Lizzie's veil and kissed her as husband to wife for the first time. Alvin then placed a crystal goblet on the ground, which Gordo smashed with the heel of his shoe. "Mazel tov!" the audience cheered.
An hour later, the reception began on the Simudeck, now configured as a cavernous reception hall. As Lizzie and Gordo danced their first dance as husband and wife, William sat in a corner of the hall and sipped at his glass of champagne.
"Feeling lonely, William?" a voice from behind William said. He turned and saw Ahsoka. "It is my understanding that human weddings are supposed to be joyous occasions," she said. William nodded at Ahsoka then gestured for her to sit down in the chair opposite his own.
"They are, Snips," William said. "It's just that occasions such as this remind me of all the things I feel I shall never experience because of the choices I have made in my life."
"Such as?" Ahsoka said. "Well, when I was 16, I lived away from my family for six months at a residential treatment facility in a city hundreds of miles away from Yuma, my hometown," William said. "While I was there, I was presented with a choice: either make a return to the high school lifestyle that had caused me such emotional, mental and physical distress or earn my G.E.D. diploma and never have to endure that pain again."
"I sense that you chose the G.E.D.," Ahsoka said. "I did," William said. "But?" Ahsoka said. "As a result of getting my G.E.D., I never got to experience all of the things I would have experienced in high school: senior prom, graduation, and so on," William said. "Also, I never saw any of my friends again…especially the girl I loved."
"Well, as Master Yoda teaches us all, our choices—whether good or bad—make us who we are," Ahsoka said. "And as far as I can tell, you turned out to be a perfectly normal young man."
"That's what you think," William said. "Because of this, I'll never be able to…" William was interrupted by Ahsoka falling limp to the floor. "MEDIC!" William screamed out.
All activity on the deck ceased as Simon and Louis Stevens pushed an anti-grav gurney up to where Ahsoka had fallen. "Get her to the med bay, stat!" William said. Simon and Louis nodded, then wheeled Ahsoka out of the Simudeck—William and Anakin following close behind.
::TBC::
