A/N: Sorry it's been so long, I don't have any excuse except life and a head that refuses to focus.
I have looked up wedding customs but I've never been to a Russian wedding myself so if anything doesn't ring true, please put it down to local customs or Ilyanna and Ivan's personal preference.
As always, thank you for reading this and please let me know what you think.
Chapter 10 - The Wedding - Day One
Ilyanna took one look at Linka's face and said, "You made up huh?"
The planeteer laughed and nodded, "I guess I over-reacted, which is not unusual." She said ruefully.
"Well never mind, now that is all sorted out…" Ilyanna stepped forward holding out a dress. "Here."
"Nina's witness dress?" Linka asked in confusion.
Ilyanna shook her head, "Not Nina's, yours… I wasn't sure if you would be able to come so I did not want to say anything before, but I always wanted both of you there so I made the dress anyway."
Linka took the dress and then hugged her friend. "Thank you."
"You both have to do the same for me." Nina told them, and then added teasingly, "And Linka had better not forget us when she and Wheeler get married."
The planeteer blushed, "I do not know when that will be, but if we do ever get married, of course I would want you with me."
Ilyanna's mother laughed at the girls, reflecting that no matter how old they got they still acted like children when they were together. "Don't you think you should be getting ready? That is if you still want to get married today Ilyanna?"
The young woman looked suddenly nervous. "I am getting married today." She said.
"Da." Linka smiled at her, "To Ivan, who is probably just as frightened and excited as you are."
Ilyanna grinned at her and nodded and with her mothers help, the three friends got ready for the long day ahead.
Since Ivan didn't have any family left, he'd asked his closest friends to accompany him to the ceremony, and had included Wheeler in the invitation. Grandmuska directed Wheeler to Ivan's house as he flew the eco-copter, which meant he had to follow the roads. She was very excited to be flying too and the fire planeteer could not help laughing at her reactions, and wishing Linka was there to share it with.
Ivan welcomed them when they arrived, obviously excited about his wedding day as he was already dressed and ready to leave. Grandmuska went to help Ivan's friends and neighbours prepare his house for the festivities later in the day, while the six boys got into the waiting, and heavily decorated hired cars and headed back towards town.
"I hope you have been studying Ivan." Mishka joked. "My little sister is not likely to make this easy for you."
Wheeler frowned. "Why do you think Linka would interfere? She's happy for them!"
The two Russian boys laughed. "It is tradition my friend." Mishka explained. "Ivan must fight for his bride."
Ivan continued, "And as Linka is one of Ilyanna's friends, I must get past her."
The American looked dubious but said, "Okay, I guess I'll understand when we get there."
As it happened, Linka was the first to greet them. Wrapped in her coat, the planeteer had been on the watch for the bridegroom and his party by the roadside, and now barred their way. She smiled briefly at Wheeler but addressed herself to Ivan. "You may not pass unless you can tell me how old Ilyanna was when she fell in love with you?"
The bridegroom shook his head, "She says it was on her sixteenth birthday when I kissed her for the first time, but I maintain that it was when she started school and I hit Sergey for stealing her lunch."
Everyone laughed and Linka nodded. "Da, and you are right Ivan it was our first day of school. She told me then that she was going to marry you someday, though I am not sure she knew what it meant."
They all laughed again and moved on to the next obstacle, Ilyanna's cousin Tanya. Linka stood beside the other girl at the front door as she initiated her challenge. "If you want to get married today, you must sing Ilyanna's favourite song."
Ivan grimaced but made a reasonable effort to sing a Russian song that Wheeler didn't know, the girls giggled and agreed to let him pass before running to join Nina at the bottom of the stairs.
The house was decorated with all manner of streamers and humorous posters, some of which the American understood from the pictures but some of the jokes were written in Russian and even when they were explained meant little to him, though the others seemed to find them hilarious.
Nina asked a question in Russian to much hilarity, making Wheeler turn to Mishka with a blank expression on his face. "What did she say?"
"It is an old joke, she had to ask it in Russian because it would not make sense in English." Linka's brother paused as he thought how best to explain. "It was a question he was asked while we were at school and he mispronounced the answer… his answer meant something else, er… something rude?"
Wheeler chuckled, "I get it, don't worry. I'll have to make Linka tell me about it properly later."
Ilyanna's mother was waiting at the top of the stairs. She did not speak very good English so she asked her question in Russian, leaving Mishka to once again translate for Wheeler. "She is demanding Ivan pay a ransom for her daughter."
The American was surprised. "Isn't that a bit… unromantic?"
"It is tradition." Mishka told him, smiling. "If he had been unable to answer the girls questions he could have paid his way past them."
When the money had been handed over, they all made their way up the stairs to Ilyanna's bedroom, to find her father waiting at the door. "If you want to marry my daughter, you must tell me why you deserve her."
Ivan swallowed. "I have loved Ilyanna since we were children and I always will. There is nothing that is more important to me than making her happy. No one could ever take better care of her or love her more than I, she is my world and I need her by my side."
It wasn't exactly poetry but was obviously heartfelt and Wheeler found himself becoming uncomfortable. It wasn't that he didn't understand those feelings but he didn't like the idea of being forced to declare them and he felt like he was intruding on something private.
His eyes sought out Linka. She was beaming at the young man, who was still declaring his love for her friend and Wheeler began to relax again. He wanted to take her in his arms and make up for the night before. Even though they had technically made up on the phone, he really needed to hold her and feel close to her again.
Ilyanna's father hesitated as if weighing the young mans words, but the brides voice came from inside her room. "Papa!" obviously as anxious as her fiancé.
The older man laughed and moved aside so that Ivan could go in and claim his bride. They came out a few seconds later hand in hand, smiling as if they were going to burst. The party moved back down the stairs and as Ilyanna and her family put on their coats, Wheeler drew Linka to the side.
"Are we okay Babe?" He asked quietly, sounding a little nervous.
Linka hugged him. "Always Lyubov."
Then they had to separate again, as the party got ready to leave for the wedding. The bridal car held Ilyanna, Nina, Linka and Ilyanna's father and the grooms car held Ivan, Mishka, Gregory and Andrei. That left Wheeler to follow in the third car with Ilyanna's mother, brother and cousin. Naturally the American wasn't happy about being in a car with Sergey but, At least, he reflected, He's not in the same car as Lin.
When they reached the ZAGS office for the brakosochetanie ceremony, the boys went on inside with Ilyanna's mother and cousin, while Ilyanna made what Wheeler thought of as a traditional entrance to the wedding march. The bride looked beautiful as she walked up the aisle on her fathers arm, but Wheeler only saw Linka. He was surprised to see her as a bridesmaid next to Nina and wondered if he'd missed something, but it didn't matter, she looked so happy standing with her friends that he just grinned at her.
Linka felt her yankee's eyes on her and moved her gaze to meet his, smiling warmly at him. When they reached the alter and were told to sit down, she moved back so that she could slide in next to Wheeler.
The fire planeteer had his arm up over the back of the seat next to him, which meant that when Linka sat down it was around her and he gently rubbed her arm with the backs of his fingers. In turn, Linka leant against him and rested her left hand on his leg.
The American didn't understand the words of the ceremony but he could still follow it, and when the time came for exchanging rings he tickled the ring finger of the hand on his leg, making her look up at him in confused enquiry. Wheeler gave her a saucy grin and then lowered his eyes to look back at their hands and when she followed his gaze, held his hand out in a silent request.
Linka hesitated a moment unsure of his meaning, but then lifted her left hand to place it in her companions, raising her eyes to his as he squeezed it. He winked causing her to both blush and smile. Linka squeezed his hand in return and snuggled back against him.
As they exited the JAGS building, and the others started discussing who was going back to Ivans in what car, Wheeler asked in surprise. "Isn't Ilyanna going to throw her bouquet?"
Linka shook her head. "Nyet, we do not do that. Why do they do that anyway?"
"'Cos it's tradition. The girl who catches it is supposed to be the next one to get married." He replied.
"Then Nina would have to catch it, she is the only other one who is engaged." The Russian girl said decisively.
Wheeler shook his head. "Nah, you don't have to be engaged... it's kinda for luck."
"Oh. Superstition then." she said a little dismissively.
Wheeler sighed in frustration. "That's not the point."
"Then what is?" Linka turned to look up at him.
The American shrugged. "That you're supposed to want to catch it?"
Linka shook her head and said matter-of-factly. "I want Nina to be the next one to get married, that is only right."
Wheeler just stared at her.
Warily, Linka said. "I am missing something?"
He sighed and shook his head again, "Doesn't matter."
"It obviously does. Wheeler… did you want me to catch it?" she asked shyly.
"No! I mean yes but… I want you to want to catch it." He explained awkwardly
Linka looked even more confused.
Wheeler grimaced. "Don't worry about it Lin, it's just one of those cultural things." He quickly changed the subject. "So tell me, what happens next?"
She hesitated for a moment, wanting to understand and knowing she would keep going over it in her mind until she did. "We go back to Ivans house for the celebration. Sometimes couples will have a church ceremony as well but Ivan and Ilyanna went to different churches so they decided against it."
"Oh." He didn't know what else to say just then.
After a moment Linka asked. "Did you like the challenges this morning?"
"Honestly?" Wheeler replied pulling a face.
Surprised Linka said. "I thought you would have enjoyed it, most people think it is fun."
"Yeah well Ivan and Ilyanna seemed to enjoy it and that's what counts." He told her.
"But?" She asked.
"Look Lin, I'm not the negotiating type." He snuck his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. "If I ever manage to convince you to be with me I'm not gonna take kindly to anyone who tries to come between us, especially on our wedding day, in fact I'm likely to flatten them. I know it was a game but it's like inviting something to go wrong."
Linka smiled at him and reaching up to tenderly stroke his cheek, said. "I would not let anyone come between us Lyubov moy, especially on our wedding day."
"If you two have finished gazing into each others eyes, we're ready to leave." Nina told them.
Wheeler didn't take his eyes from his beautiful friends face. "What if we're not finished?" he asked with a saucy grin, making Linka roll her eyes.
"Then we leave you behind." Nina replied laughing.
Andrei and Tanya had been taking photographs all morning and before the wedding party left the ZAGS office, they insisted on taking some group shots. Wheeler offered to take some photo's for them as well so that they could be in them, but when it came to the last few shots, a friendly passerby was called to take the pictures so that he could be included as well. Moving to stand behind Linka, her Yankee couldn't help but grin when she pulled his arms around her and when the pictures were developed it was found that they were smiling into each others eyes, rather than the camera.
The newly married couple were to go on a tour of the countryside, which meant the other cars had an extra person each. Ilyanna's family squashed into one with Ivan's friend Andrei and Linka's family took the other with Gregory as their extra.
Wheelers hopes of being able to snuggle with Linka in the back were dashed by her insistence that they wear their seat belts, but when she saw the look of frustration on his face, she linked their hands, threading her fingers through his and drawing a smile from him. Lifting their entwined hands, Wheeler pressed a kiss to hers and seeing her answering blush, relaxed back to enjoy the ride, confident that everything was once again fine between them.