Thanks so much for the reviews..now on to the wedding.
Kimi got up and turned off the alarm clock, it was three thirty in the morning , but they had to get ready. "Jeff get up." She said shaking his shoulder.
Jeff rubbed his eyes and sat up.
"Where are your clothes?"
"In your dad's den..I'll go down there and get ready, but first I need some coffee." He said swinging his legs to the side of the bed.
"Maki is up..she will have coffee and food ready, go ahead and get you something." Kimi said picking up her brush to brush out her long hair.
Jeff watched her mesmerized. "I'll bring you some coffee." Jeff said and left the room.
Kimi sat on th bed, she felt calmer now than she had before, she was doing the right thing for the baby, she held out hope that Jeff would be a good father, whether or not he would be a good husband was another thing altogether.
Jeff came back a few minutes later with a tray filled with coffee and fruit and pastries . "C'mon, I got decaf for you, come sit down and try to eat something."
Kimi sat down beside him and took a cup of coffee. "I don't think I can eat."
Jeff took a strawberry and held it up to her. "Just a little..its a big morning, you don't want to faint from hunger."
Kimi couldn't help but smile and let him slide the slice of strawberry in her mouth. They sat there and Jeff fed her pieces of fruit, neither saying a word.
Finally her mother knocked on her door. "Come in." Kimi called.
Maki smiled at the two of them. "Kimi I have to fix your hair."
Jeff stood. "I'll go get dressed."
Kimi stopped him. "Maki..I want to do Jeff's hair, I'll be ready for you in a little while."
Her mother smiled and left the box she had in her hands on Kimi's dresser. "Jeff when you come downstairs, call me..so I can get started on her hair."
Jeff nodded and looked at Kimi. "What are you going to do to my hair?"
Kimi grinned and got the box. "Don't worry it wont hurt a bit."
Jeff sat patiently while she put several small braids in his hair and he knew she was weaving in Feathers and beads. She tied the braids with tiny strips of leather and stood back. He truly looked like her Sakima now, he was so handsome, he took her breath away. Jeff looked in the mirror and smiled, except for he blond hair he truly did look like a native American, and with the buckskin outfit , it would be more pronounced. "Thanks Kimi."
Kimi surprised him by smiling and standing on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "You look very handsome."
Jeff ran one finger down her soft cheek. "I'll see you in a bit."
Kimi nodded and sat down to wait for her mother, She couldn't fight the effect Jeff had on her stomach, it did flip flops anytime he came near, all she wanted to do was touch him. Kimi sighed, she had to get that off her mind, all she wanted to do was get through this wedding.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeff was nervously getting dressed , when Mark, Randy and Matt stepped in the den. "You look good little brother." Matt said.
"Thanks."
Mark grinned. "He's nervous, c'mon Jeff, it will be over in a bit, then you'll be married to that sweet little girl, everything will be fine."
Jeff nodded, but he was still a bundle of nerves, he wondered if Kimi felt the same way.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aponi looked at her daughter with tears in her eye. "You're so beautiful Kimi."
Kimi smiled at her mother. "Thank you Maki." She said hugging her tight.
Kimi looked at her mother. "Papa still mad at me?"
Aponi took her daughters hand. "Papa is not mad, he loves you, sometimes too much, he tries so hard to make things right for you..I know he drives you crazy sometimes, but he means well."
Kimi nodded. "I know, I love Papa very much, just sometimes I wish he would let me live my own life.
Aponi smiled. "You wait Kimi, you'll be a mother soon, see how easy it is to let your little one make mistakes without trying to protect them."
Kimi smiled, she knew papa meant well, but he just needed to back off some. "Okay then , we have to get moving, this is a sunrise ceremony." Kimi smiled and followed her mother down the stairs. When she reached the living room all of the mens eyes about popped out of their head.
Jeff walked over and looked at her, she had tiny braids in her hair, with beads woven in, and the white buckskin outfit made her tan skin stand out even more, she was stunning. "Kimi you look so beautiful."
"Thank you." she said blushing at his close perusal . Mark came over kissing her cheek. "Kimi you have to be the most beautiful bride I ever seen."
She smiled and squeezed his hand. Gil came over and took her hand. "My son is a lucky man." Kimi kissed his cheek. "Thank you." Randy and Matt both hugged her.
Chayton walked up and pulled her in a hug. "I love you little girl." Kimi smiled and hugged him back, wrapping her arms around him. "I love you too Papa."
Maki wrapped her in a blue blanket and Jeff's dad wrapped one around him. Kimi looked at Jeff and they both walked out of the house together. They would lead the way to the scared fire circle, and their friends and family would follow.
Kimi smiled as her father started singing a wedding song in Sioux. She smiled, it gave her joy to hear her language. Her smile got even bigger when Sin's parents fell in behind them, tears pricking her eyes.
When they reached the sacred fire circle set up in the middle of the community. The minister handed them both small torches to light the two separate small fires that represented their life before they met each other, both did and the minister took the torches and set them aside. Kimi and Jeff pushed the small fires into the big fire in the center representing the shedding of there old lives and the new life that was joined together.
Jeff looked and the sun was just begging to rise. It hit Kimi and he could swear she looked like a angel.
Jeff started reciting the vows that Chayton had taught him. He took the ring that Chayton handed him and slid it on Kimi's finger. "Two flames, one light. Kimi ,I offer you this ring as a sign of life, and myself as your husband, Let us walk together always, and let us always walk towards the light ."
Aponi handed Kimi the ring and she took the ring and slid it on Jeff's finger. " Two flames, one light. Jeff ,I offer you this ring as a sign of life, and myself as your wife, Let us walk together always, and let us always walk towards the light ."
The minister began to sing, this time it was in English.
" Now you will feel no rain,
for each of you will
be shelter to the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
for each of you will
be warmth to the other.
Now there is no loneliness for you.
Now you are two bodies,
But there is only one life before you.
Go now to your dwelling place,
and enter into your days together.
And may your days be good
and long upon the Earth.."
Kimi's parents took the blue blanket from her shoulders and threw it into the fire. Jeff's father did the same with his.
All three parents took the large white blanket and wrapped it around Kimi and Jeff, they stood facing each other and Jeff was overwhelmed by her beauty and the beauty of the ceremony.
The minister looked at the couple. "You are no longer two, but one, one spirit, intermingled, share the breath of life with each other, so your spirits will be mingled forever."
Jeff bent and they exchanged breath the way Kimi had showed him. The minister smiled. "Kiss your wife." He told Jeff.
Jeff smiled and pulled her closer, and pressed his lips to hers, Kimi wrapped her arms around him pulling him closer. Kimi felt the world melting away till it was only her and Jeff. Jeff lifted his head and looked up at his family and friends, all of whom had smiles on their face. Aponi hugged her daughter and new son as did Chayton and so it went they spent the next hour being congratulated by everyone in the community.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark finally got her to herself after a while an he pulled her to the side. "Kimi it was a beautiful ceremony, and you were gorgeous."
Kimi smiled and hugged him. "Thank you Mark..I'm glad you came."
"I wouldn't have missed it...I have to take Randy, Matt and Gil to the airport, why don't you go say bye, I'll be back though..my flight leaves early in the morning."
Kimi went over and hugged Matt and Randy and thanked them for coming. Then she found Gil. "Kimi it was a beautiful wedding..you're a beautiful bride."
Kimi hugged him. "Thank you..you have a safe trip home."
Gil patted her back. "I will..I'll see you soon." He said and waved as Mark waved him over.
Kimi frowned, what did that mean, was he going to be coming to visit when Jeff did? She shrugged and went to find her parents.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kimi had changed out her clothes and was laying on her parents couch. She had flight out early in the morning, Jeff was leaving in morning too, along with Mark. She was tired, it had been a long day and the festivities had ended late in the evening.
She already had her bag packed and by the door, she was eager for a little peace and quite , it had been a long day.
Jeff came and sat down beside her. "You look tired."
Kimi yawned. "I am."
Mark watched her, she needed a good nights sleep.
Jeff patted her leg. "Why don't you go on up to bed, we have to be at the airport at six, our flight leaves at seven, I'm going to go back to North Carolina with you, but I have to turn right around and get back to work."
Kimi sat up and looked at Jeff. "No way..I'm going to Pine Ridge to papa's house there..I'm not going to North Carolina."
Jeff sat stunned, he hadn't really discussed it with her, but hell they were married, why would she think she was going anywhere but their home. "Kimi..I didn't marry you, so you could go live by yourself, we're married, you're my wife..I want you and my child living with me."
Mark shook his head, when was these two going to learn to communicate.
Kimi stood and put her hands on her hips. "This baby will be born on the reservation, thats final." She snapped.
Chayton stood up, he had enough of this. "Kimi thats enough, you married this man, your place is with him, not off somewhere by yourself, stop acting like a child, you will not go to Pine Ridge, Thats my house and I refuse to let you use it." He snapped.
Kimi turned to look at her father, her mother sat there saying nothing. "This is your grandchild I'm carrying, don't your want it born here in our home , among our people?"
"Kimi, you belong with Jeff, the baby is Sioux and white, it will have to learn to live in both worlds, you can bring the baby to visit all the time, teach the child its heritage , but you will go home with Jeff, no more nonsense."
Kimi turned and ran out the front door. Chayton looked at Jeff. "You need to talk to her, and let her know living without her husband is not acceptable."
Jeff just shook his head, and how the hell was he supposed to do that. Jeff turned and looked helplessly at Mark. "Maybe you should go after her..."
Mark shook his head. "Oh noo..she's your wife now..you two have to learn to communicate instead of just assuming."
Jeff looked at Chayton and then at Mark. He couldn't go out there and order her to come to North Carolina with him, he knew her dad thought thats what he should do, but he felt that was the wrong thing to do."
Mark looked up at Jeff. "Marriage is compromise Jeff..come up with something you can both live with."
Jeff stood slowly and walked out on the porch. He found Kimi on the porch swing, tears wet on her cheeks. He sat down beside her. "Kimi..I want to be with you and the baby...I didn't marry you just to have you live apart from me..I know you still have some trust issues with me, but we cant work on that if we live apart."
Kimi looked over at Jeff. "I want our child born on the reservation..Its important to me."
Jeff leaned back. "Okay..I'm on the road four days a week anyway...I'll move my stuff to Pine Ridge. I'll come here on my days off and on vacations."
Kimi looked at him shocked. "Jeff I cant ask you to do that..I know you're still working on your home, you love it there."
Jeff shrugged. "I'll be fine as long as you and the baby are here, its okay."
Kimi looked away from him. She knew it wasn't fair to ask him to do this. The fact that he was willing to touched her. "I'll come home with you, but a month before I'm due I want to go to Pine Ridge and have our baby there, its very important to me."
Jeff took her hand. "Whatever you want Kimi..I don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to do."
"Just make sure we come here before our child is born."
Jeff pulled her next to him and wrapped a arm around her. "I promise..I'm taking off some time at the end of your pregnancy anyway, we'll pack up and head to Pine Ridge."
Kimi nodded and yawned. Jeff got up and took her hand. "Bedtime." This time she didn't argue, but followed him back in the house. Kimi stopped to hug Mark. "Goodnight Kimi girl."
Mark gave Jeff a look and Jeff just nodded letting Mark know everything was cool.
Jeff watched Kimi go hug and kiss her dad and her mom and he had to admire her, even though he knew her old man made her nuts and tried to run her life, she always had a smile and hug and kiss for her father. He admired that about her, she didn't hold grudges, well maybe except with him.
Jeff followed her upstairs and stretched out on her bed while she showered.
Jeff sighed as he watched her come out in a t-shirt, those long tan legs calling to him, he turned to face the wall, it wasn't happening, married or not, he couldn't have sex in her parents house and he knew there wouldn't be time tomorrow.
Kimi climbed in beside him and she surprised him by putting a arm around him, he turned and pulled her securely in his arms."Good night Jeff."
Jeff rubbed her back."Good night."
Jeff stared at the ceiling trying to calculate how long it was going to be before he could make love to her, the closest he figured, it was going to be damn near two weeks. He smiled, well Kimi was worth the wait, he would just try to be patient.