Author's note: To my beautiful, sweet friend Emma (quintisforlife on Tumblr)! I hope you had a wonderful birthday. This is for you, dearie. :-)
"The higher you build walls around your heart, the harder you fall when someone tears them down." ~Unknown
Happy had always been tough, intimidating, the one others were afraid of. Because of her past – her abandonment, cruel and abusive foster families, the instability of her childhood, teen years, and her first marriage – she had never like she was worth much to anybody. That is, until she joined team Scorpion. Then, her world began to change. Despite all the initial troubles, the family she had found with Scorpion was one that could never be replaced. Her reconnecting with her father brought to reality the father-daughter relationship she desperately craved and wished for as a little girl. And meeting Toby, falling in love with him, brought her a joy and happiness like she had never known before.
But, with the Doc, her walls had started coming down. Between their attempts to "replace" one another, to their getting together, her secret marriage and false pregnancy, his gambling issues and struggle to break the habit – the trust between Happy and Toby had grown, their connection stronger and relationship more intimate with one another. In her darkest hour when she found out she wasn't pregnant the first time, he held her and loved her unconditionally, assuring her that their dreams of a family would come true. From the moment she slipped the ring Toby had chosen onto her finger, her future was set and secure. Despite the challenges they faced – finances, near-death expenses, and a real but nonetheless surprise pregnancy that gave them their beautiful triplets – Happy was a stronger and wiser person because of Toby.
The mechanic took a deep breath, trying to slow her racing heart. She couldn't believe this day had come. In spite of everything that had happened – horrible childhoods, messed up relationships, mixed signals and unresolved issues – this day, this moment, had finally arrived. From the moment she slipped the engagement ring Toby had chosen onto her finger, Happy knew where her future lay, and she would not have had it any other way.
As Happy took her father's arm, and after adjusting the hem of her dress once more, she began her slow march down the aisle of the chapel. There, at the front, Toby stood, Walter flanking his right. Though Walter had made significant improvements in the human emotions department, he still attempted to argue the uselessness of the "best man" position when Toby had first asked him. Of course, a bit of talking and coaxing from Paige smoothed things over…and six months later, here they were. Paige was ready on the left, grinning ear-to-ear as Happy and Patrick made their slow walk towards the altar. Each step Happy took was one step closer to Toby – her future husband – to a life she had dreamed about but never thought possible.
As she and her father neared the altar, a song from several years back popped into her brain. It was a Disney song – one from some musical about some Happy; Happy hated the movie but Toby loved it for some reason. Anyhow, there was a moment where a difference of opinion threatened to tear the main couple apart. However, even amid their struggle to comprehend and overcome the obstacle in front of them, the couple knew that one person was not complete without the other. The lyrics flowed through Happy's brain, the beat of the music timed perfectly with Happy's steady walk to the altar: "Like fire and rain/You can drive me insane/But I can't stay mad at you for anything/We're like Venus and Mars/We're like different stars/But you're the harmony to every song I sing/And I wouldn't change a thing." Happy found more in common with the comparison and contrast of fire and rain rather than the musical aspects to the tune. She was the fire – hot-tempered, strong, fearful, and brilliant in its light and warmth. Toby was the rain: he has his moments of pure anger and frustration that could cause a great storm but he was also gentle, calming, soothing, and comforting like a gentle spring shower. Each element had its gentle and harsh qualities, but one could not ultimately exist without the other. Water gives life to the earth and puts out fires, yet kindling from the earth starts a fire and provides warmth and protection. Happy and Toby were alike in this way. Each had their own good and bad qualities, but together, each person stretched and strengthened the other individual. Yes, Happy thought, Toby may drive me insane. He is a talkative, perceptive, incessantly curious smart-aleck, but he is also loving, kind, and my rock. In him, I have found a best friend, a confidant, and a lover. He is solace, my strength, my home, my forever. I am so thankful I had the chance to fall in love with him because it is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.
At this, several tears escaped Happy's eyes, but she didn't care. Because it was in that moment, all that mattered was the man standing at the altar, who had waited a lifetime to share his love with her. And with her father at her side and her children on the front row, Happy knew she had the life, love, and family she always dreamed of. To Toby, to her children, her father, and her friends, Happy was loved and cherished, an irreplaceable gem to those who knew her, and she knew that the pain of her past now gave way to a wonderful, bright, and hopeful future.
"Falling in love was never in my plan. Until one day, I just realized that I love this person too much." ~Unknown
"She leaned forward and caught at his hand, pressing it between her own. The touch was like white fire through his veins. He could not feel her skin only the cloth of her gloves, and yet it did not matter. You kindled me, heap of ashes that I am, into fire. He had wondered once why love was always phrased in terms of burning. The conflagration in his own veins, now, gave the answer." ~Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Princess