You're all so very lovely :D Thank you! In warning, I'm not so sure of this chapter-I don't think I can do justice to the wedding of the two greatest characters in the greatest love story ever created- so I did something round-about :/ I hope this suits you all…
What they forgot to mention, chapter 11
Ruth stood in her bedroom, alone for the first time that day. Erin had run off after Callum who apparently had forgotten whether he had actually remembered to ring the cake people. Dimitri was flapping around here and there, welcoming guests arriving strangely early. Malcolm was with Harry- who was very calm, relaxed and enjoying his day.
She breathed slowly and looked at her reflection. Today she would become Mrs Harry Pearce. She smiled softly as she checked her appearance. It was then that she saw reflections that were not her own-she thought she was going crazy. She turned around but there was no-one, she turned back, and there they were again. But then she understood- on her day of days, she was bound to want them there. She smiled and remembered her colleagues, her friends. There was Colin, Danny-all of them. Ros was smiling slightly-more than she ever had in life, and there was Jo, clearly thrilled with the day finally arriving. And Tariq-smiling still. Ruth shed a silent tear, knowing it was just her remembering them.
Erin walked in and saw her crying, "Ruth?"
"They should be here"
"Who?" she hugged her friend
"All of them. They didn't deserve to die. Tariq should be here, forgetting the cake with Cal. Jo should be making me laugh. Adam teasing me- asking if I want to reconsider. Ros doing her best to stay straight faced and serious. Zaf making stupid remarks. They should all be here" Ruth started to sob quietly. Erin let her finish,
"Ruth. Dry your eyes-it's ok. You made it out, and they wouldn't want you to cry. I may not have known them, but they all knew you and Harry. I know how happy Malcolm is after waiting all these years, I'm certain they wouldn't want you crying"
"You're right. I'm sorry"
"Hush now, let's sort you out. Not long now"
Harry stood, his best man, best friend and loyal college, Malcolm beside him-and waited for her. The music started and she appeared a vision of white and glowing with beauty. There weren't many there, due to most of their closest friends being dead-and her family thinking she was dead- but it made it more important and more intimate. Ruth's dress was pure white, reaching the floor and splaying out around her ankles. The dress was modestly cut, and had sleeves that went just past her elbows. Her hair was up with a few curls down, framing her face beautifully.
Harry was a man. He didn't cry. Not at all. Well, not counting when Ruth was about to die. But he wasn't the sort to cry at weddings. Apart from this once.
The wedding went without a hitch, and every guest was thrilled to be there in the day that Harry and Ruth finally got married. Erin had cried tears of joy, as had Harry- Ruth not as much. Their friends were so important to them and Ruth couldn't help but laugh to show how happy she was.
Their closest friends came home with them to celebrate with a meal, Ruth noticed that Dimitri and Erin were nowhere to be seen and winked at Callum. He sidled over to him,
"I don't suppose they told you where they were going" he laughed
"As far as I know-they didn't even make it here!" Harry looked over at the sound of their laughter and smiled as he understood the reason. Ruth smiled back and went to join him,
"Dance with me" She whispered, pulling him to the middle of the living room. They twirled round to the faint music in the background
"Well, Mrs Pearce" He kissed her earlobe and she shivered at the name and the gesture "An uneventful day"
"Until his majesty arrives in full splendour" she kissed his cheek
"Who?"
She smirked "Why the king of the land of Awkward, of course" their laughter drifted through the house and out into the wind. Their guests smiled at the couple, aware of how very in love they both were.
Harry felt Ruth sigh,
"What is it?" he asked, concerned
"I'm just…well" she took a calming breath "This day, it might not have happened. And that scares me"
He pulled back and stared into her worried blue eyes, "Ruth." He kissed her softly "I know, believe me- I know. But it has happened. You're ok. We're going to be ok" He kissed her again to prove it.
"Ok. I know"
The door opened, and a voice interrupted the proceedings "I bring tidings of great joy that will shake you to the core" Towers announced
"Who invited him here?" Ruth couldn't help but laugh at Harry's expression. She turned to Callum who came to join them
"I swear it wasn't me" He raised his hands in mock surrender "He said he would go home after the wedding. Very busy man is our William. Country to defend, cat to feed, thousands women madly in love with him who he needs to write to"
Ruth spluttered into her drink and had a violent coughing fit
"Is your bride ok Harry?" His majesty asked, as Harry rubbed soothing circles on Ruth's back
Ruth's coughing subsided "Sorry Tow…William. Cal knows how to make me laugh"
The HS turned to Callum "Well, Mr Reed- do tell me the extent of your fabulous joke"
"I…err…well…didn't you have some news that would shake us to the core or something"
"Ah yes" Towers moved on, clearly wanting to share his joyful news "I have seen Miss Watts with" he paused for a supposed dramatic effect, which was ruined by the fact they all knew what was coming "Mr Levendis" He grinned at them all, clearly expecting a reaction
Callum coughed "Well. Thanks, but unless they were hav…"
"Thank you William" Ruth smiled sweetly, steeping on Callum's foot to shut him up "We're so pleased you could come"
"As am I, Mrs Pearce, as am I" He walked off to meet some of their other friends
"Genius Cal" Harry said, heartfelt and referring to how he had got Towers onto another subject
"Yeah totally" Ruth added, a little more sarcastically and referring instead to the unsaid sentence
"What?" He asked indignantly "I was only going to say that unless they were having sex, we knew it already"
"CALLUM!" Harry and Ruth shouted simultaneously "We don't need details!" they finished
"Wow. Old married couple indeed- you even say the same things"
"Deepest darkest Peru, Cal- remember" Harry warned, but with a twinkle in his eye
"Yeah, I was thinking about that" Callum remarked,
"What? You want to go? That can be arranged you know" Harry pointed out
"No, I don't particularly want to go. But should you actually send me there- it can't be that bad"
"What do you mean?" Harry asked suspiciously
"Well, isn't that where Paddington Bear came from?"
Ruth exploded into more laughter, joined by Callum. Harry was unable to resist, and joined them too.
Down by the beach, Dimitri and Erin strolled hand in hand listening to the noises coming from the house.
"I'm so happy for them" Erin mused quietly
"Yeah me too"
"I once told Harry that it was possible to have a family and do what we do. But, I'm not expecting them to come back. In fact, I don't want them to come back. Not in a bad way, oh- you know what I mean"
"Yeah I know" And he kissed her to prove it. More laughter floated to them on the breeze, and the couple smiled.
That could be us one day Erin thought. She turned to her boyfriend who had a strange look on his face "What?" she asked "I didn't say that out loud did I?"
He smirked, "No, why what were you thinking?"
"Not telling"
"Would you tell me if I told you?"
"Might." She stuck her tongue out
"I love you" He told her. She stopped walking. Stopped breathing, actually- but that didn't seem to matter too much
"What?" She caught her breath
"I said, I love you"
She started to cry and he wrapped her into his embrace and kissed her hair
"I love you too" she whispered through sobs.
"Then say you'll marry me"
"What?" She forgot about breathing again
"Is that all you're going to day tonight?" He joked, but saw her face and stopped. He put his hands on her shoulders "Erin, knowing Harry and Ruth has made me realise that if you don't act on your feelings, then things get in the way and nothing ever happens. Things like death. I don't want that for us. I want us to have what they have finally found"
She smiled "You want to know what I was thinking?"
"Yeah"
"That could be us one day" She gestured to the house behind them and then turned back to face Dimitri. His smile grew into a grin and he lifted her up and spun her round.
"Does that mean you'll marry me?"
"Oh yes" and she kissed him long and hard
Ok, so I just couldn't bring myself to do the actual wedding- so I'm eternally sorry if that had ruined it for you! And sorry about the bit before, I just didn't think Ruth would get married without remembering her friends :)
Let me know your thoughts please! Towers came back for you all! Next time: Ruth has something to tell Harry. Gold stars to anyone who can guess :P It's kinda obvious!
Hugs to you all, thanks for the reviews :) xx