A/N: Hey guys! Here is the next installation of RM:Z. IT'S THE WEDDING! YAY! *Throws confetti* We hope that you guys enjoy it and you enjoy the Bamon feels as well!
Happy Reading!
And as always, REVIEWS = LOVE!
Disclaimer: We do NOT own: The Vampire Diaries, any characters, places, words or phrases from either the books or television show because if we did, "Enzo is Bonnie's one true love" would never cross our lips (Julie *rolls eyes*) because BAMON!
Caroline was flirting around the room making sure everything was ready when Mr. Parker's voice came from outside the tent.
"Can I come in?" he called.
"Of course," Jo answered. He entered the tent hugged both Liv and Luke and stood in front of Jo, he took her hands in his.
"Ok, let's go and give Jo and her daddy some privacy," Pauline said to the group.
"Good idea. Miss Amelia you go find Ric and we'll coordinate. As you take him down the aisle, I'll lead Jo and Mr. Parker to their spots, so the two of them don't see each other," Caroline said ushering everyone out of the tent. She led them down the path to the big tent and was pleased to see the boys waiting. "Where's Tyler?" she asked Damon.
"Inside, ushering. Enzo's helping even though you called him a hanger on," Damon said.
"Ok, good. Ladies, you can take your seats. Thank you so much for the help," Caroline said smiling.
"You're welcome, sweetheart," Mary said.
"It was our pleasure to do this for Ric and Jo," Joanna said patting Ric's shoulder before she led the non-party members into the tent.
"Miss Amelia, are you going in?" Ric asked her.
"Ah naw, Cap. I'm gonna walk you down dat aisle," she told him smiling.
"Thank you," he said wrapping her in a hug.
"You welcome, baby," she said returning his hug.
"Ok, let's line up," Caroline said, "Arissa, you walk first slowly and deliberately. Matt and Bonnie count to ten then follow. Jeremy and Elena count to ten then follow. Stefan and Luke, you two are next. Count then follow. And then Damon, you and Liv are after them; don't forget to count. And then Ric and Miss Amelia will lead you to your spot and you'll turn and watch Zav come down the aisle. Make sure you evenly distribute the flowers. And then Mr. Parker will bring Jo to you and you guys can get married," Caroline said barely taking a breath.
"Care, it's fine. Calm down," Bonnie said rubbing her back.
"I know. So after Ric and Jo head back down the aisle to back of the tent you guys follow. Then the vampires move the chairs and set up the tables for the reception. DJ Voltage will announce everyone then Ric and Jo as Mr. and Mrs. Saltzman will dance their first dance. Then Liv gives her speech, Damon gives his. Ric and Jo cut the cake, we eat, we party, they leave," Caroline summed up. She stuck her head inside the tent to see everyone hand taken their seats. She gestured Tyler and Enzo to the back. "Tie these back. After Ric and Miss Amelia come through, untie them. Then after they get to the front and Miss Amelia gets to her seat open the front and Miss Amelia gets to her seat open the flaps again for Zav, Jo and Mr. Parker. Once they get through, close them again," Caroline told them.
"Ok, Care. Take a breath," Tyler said chuckling.
"I'll breathe after Ric and Jo are married," she said turning to straighten Arissa's dress. "Ok, get ready. I'm going to get Jo and Mr. Parker," she said as she zoomed away.
Inside the bridal tent, Jo and her father waited.
"Josette, you look beautiful. Like your mother," Joshua Parker told his oldest daughter.
"I wish she could be here," Jo said sadly.
"So do I, sweetheart. I wish things were better for our family but I'm glad you found Ric and all these people who love you," he told her.
"They're all really great," Jo told her father.
"I'm proud of you, Josette and I know your mother would be as well," he told Jo, kissing her cheek and hugging her tightly.
"Sorry to interrupt but it's time to go," Caroline said.
"We're coming," Jo said smiling brightly before grabbing her bouquet and leaving the tent with her father.
Caroline watched from the back of the tent as everything she planned happened beautifully; flawlessly. She took her seat at the back beside Trace and watched the wedding finally allowing herself to feel really happy for Ric and Jo. Trace offered her a tissue to dry her eyes.
Damon stood beside his best friend at the altar, actually happy. Real happiness; not perverse pleasure at someone else's, usually Stefan's, expense. He looked across the altar and saw Bonnie and knew his current state had everything to do with her. She'd taught him about real love and loyalty without even meaning to and he would be grateful for his entire existence.
Bonnie felt Bonnie's eyes on her. She looked to him and her face lit up with love. It often overwhelmed her how much she loved Damon. What shocked and pleased her more was that she saw all the love she felt for him reflected back at her. Bonnie pulled her attention from Damon to focus on the wedding that was happening and Damon followed suit.
"Ric and Jo have chosen to recite their own vows. Ric, you may begin," Minister Shaw said.
"I, Alaric James Saltzman, take you, Josette Marion Laughlin, as my lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, until death…or immortality parts us. I love you for loving my crazy and accepting baggage. You are my life and my soul," Ric said his eyes wet with tears as he slid the ring onto Jo's finger.
"I, Josette Marion Laughlin, take you, Alaric James Saltzman as my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health until death…or possible immortality parts us. I love you for loving my crazy and accepting my baggage. You are my life and my soul and our family will be nothing without you," Jo finished with tears in her eyes as she placed her hand over her stomach. Rick looked at her stomach and met her eyes again; his face glowing with excitement as she slipped the ring on his finger.
"What God has joined together, let no force tear asunder," Minister Shaw said, "Ric, you may kiss your bride." Ric held Jo's face in his hand and then kissed her passionately. "I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Alaric Saltzman," Minister Shaw announced.
Ric and Jo walked back down the aisle followed by their wedding party. Once they were in the back, Caroline, Elena, Trace, Enzo, Stefan, Damon and Tyler went to work setting up the tables for the reception. When the guests were all seated, Caroline signaled DJ Voltage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please. The wedding party. Here is Matt escorting Bonnie," DJ Voltage announced. Matt lead Bonnie to the front and they took their seats. "Next we have Jeremy escorting Elena followed by Stefan escorting Luke. Next we have the Best Man and the Maid of Honor. Damon escorting Liv," DJ Voltage announced. "Please rise to your feet and welcome the happy couple, Mr. and Mrs. Alaric Saltzman," DJ Voltage said. Jo and Ric made their way to the dance floor. Toussaint McCall's Nothing Takes the Place of You began to play and Jo and Alaric danced; getting lost in each other's eyes. After the dance Ric and Jo took their seats beside their wedding party. Liv stood to her feet and with her glass.
"Jo is my big sister. We have been though…so much. Our family is anything but functional and she and I lost each other for a little while but through it all, here we are. I want to say this on behalf of myself and my brother. Jo, you saved our lives at the risk of your own and ever since that day we've wished you nothing but happiness. It makes us so happy that you found happiness with Ric. To the bride and groom," Liv finised with a smile as she raised her glass. When the applause died down, Damon stood to his feet.
"Ric is my best friend. He is literally one of two friends I have over 25. We have been through a lot. Vampire possession, the news that I turned his wife, death: mine, his own, Jeremy's Bonnie's and Stefan's. It's a lot but through all of it, Ric has maintained his loyalty, honor and love for our crazy little family. Because of that, he deserves the happiness that Jo brings to his life. Especially since he hasn't always been lucky in the love department. So Jo, take care of Ric and welcome to the Scooby Gang. Cheers," Damon said raising his glass.
The Mystic Falls gang had been nervous about Damon's speech. They never know what to he going to say. So the fact that his speech was actually kind of beautiful surprised everyone except Bonnie, Stefan and Elena.
Mr. and Mrs. Saltzman moved over to the cake table. They cut the cake and shared a piece of the white chocolate raspberry confection. Ric and Jo lead the line to the buffet followed by the wedding party and the guests.
When the dancing started, Damon twirled Bonnie onto the dance floor.
"Your speech was beautiful," she told him.
"Thank you, Bon," Damon said pulling her closer.
"Some people thought you'd do a horrible job," Bonnie chuckled.
"You mean Vampire Barbie. She emailed me a speech she wrote in case I needed it," he said.
"She didn't!" Bonnie laughed.
"Of course she did but as you heard I didn't need it," Damon as he spun Bonnie out and pulled her back to his chest.
"Jo and Ric look so happy," Bonnie commented.
"Yeah, they do. I think that happiness is going to be permanent for us, BonBon," Damon said.
"I hope so," Bonnie smiled.
"Speaking of happy and not happy. What's up with Elena?" Damon asked. Bonnie saw her childhood friend watching the dancing not looking happy. Bonnie's eyes scoured the dancefloor and came to rest on Stefan and Lena and she understood Elena's feelings.
"Elena's made some realization and they don't necessarily make her happy right now," Bonnie said vaguely.
"Oh, you mean she still loves Stef and she's jealous of him and Bennett Twin One," Damon said.
"How do you know that?" Bonnie asked.
"I know Elena. I had to get to know her when I was trying to steal her," Damon said plainly.
"Gross," Bonnie said with a chuckle, "but you're right."
"How did that happen, Bon? Last I checked she was still goo goo for the eternal stud?" Damon asked as they swayed to the music.
"I may have done a thing," Bonnie told him avoiding his eyes.
""A thing"?" he repeated. "Meaning what?"
"She was getting on my back about me and you, before there was any real cause for concern, so I wanted her to finally see what the rest of us have seen for years," Bonnie told him matter-of-fact, finally meeting his eyes.
"Not the rest of us," Damon said.
"That's because you were so stuck on "real love" that you forced yourself to only see the Damon and Elena show in HD and not the actual show," she explained.
"What's that called?"
"Stefan and Elena forever."
"You really think that?" he questioned.
"Always have," she answered. "Damon, I do honestly believe that you and Elena loved each other but I also believe that you two never made it work because of guilt."
"Oh, you mean about crushing Stefan's already fragile heart?"
"Yes."
"You probably right," Damon said, "but I can honestly say that I have been very lucky in love."
"Have you now?" she grinned.
"Yes. How many men do you know can fall in love twice and get to keep both people as close friends?" he smirked.
"Who said you and Elena are close friends?" Bonnie teased.
"Shut up," Damon said as he dipped the laughing Bennett witch.
"May I?" Ric asked holding his hand out to Bonnie.
"Yeah, why not?" Damon said. "Where's the blushing bride?" he asked.
"Waiting for you," Ric smiled as he began to dance with Bonnie.
"Congratulations, Alaric," Bonnie smiled.
"Thank you, Bonnie," he said returning her smile. "I wanted to talk to you about something."
"What's that?" she asked.
"Damon," he said plainly.
"Oh, what about him?"
"Take care of him."
"I intend to," she told him.
"Damon's the guy who will bury how he feels about people, situations, feelings," Ric told her. "The two of you seem to have this witty banter and playfulness to your relationship that also comes with some baggage that I like to call the Gilberts."
"Jeremy and Elena understand that Damon and I are together now," Bonnie assured him. "And even if they don't, they do get that I am not going to be with Jeremy and Damon is not going to be with Elena."
"Ok, but do you know that Damon doesn't want to be with Elena and does he know that you don't want to be with Jeremy?" Ric asked as they twirled around. Bonnie glanced up at him then over at Damon. That thought had never crossed her mind.
X
"Shall we?" Damon asked, his hand out to Jo. She nodded and took his hand. Damon twirled her around. "So, congratulations."
"Thank you and thank you for Bora Bora," she smiled.
"It's not a problem. Ric's never been anywhere tropical and he's more pale than I am and I'm dead," Damon said.
"I'll make sure he gets sun," Jo laughed.
"Good. So, what's your hubby talking to Bonnie about?" Damon asked cutting his eyes to his girlfriend and his best friend.
"To my knowledge, you," Jo told him.
"What about me?"
"He's just making sure that you guys are in a good place before we leave."
"Good place?" he questioned.
"From what I understand, Jeremy and Elena are big factors in his talk with her," Jo said as they danced.
"Why? They both know that they missed the hotness train that is Bon and me," Damon said.
"Yeah but do you know that Bonnie is ready to just let Jeremy stand on the platform? Does she know that you're ready to let Elena stand on the platform?" Jo inquired.
"I mean, yeah," Damon said his brow furrowed. The truth of the matter was that he wasn't sure. He had just assumed because he thought that Jeremy was a lame that Bonnie had just came around to his way of thought; and he thought that Bonnie just trusted him. "Damn,"
"You can go," Jo said. "Send my husband back, will ya?"
Damon nodded and made his way back across the dance floor. He tapped Ric on the shoulder and before the tall man walked away he kissed Bonnie on the temple and hugged Damon. Damon took Bonnie by the hand and led her out of the tent.
"Are you ok?" she asked once they settled on a park bench.
"You know that it's you and me, right?" he asked her, staring into her green orbs. "That Elena is my absolute past and you are my present and hopefully future?"
"I know," she smiled, putting her hand on his cheek. "You know that Jeremy is my absolute past and you are my present and hopefully future?"
"I know, Bonnie," he said softly, nuzzling into her hand. "Damn Ric and his fearmongering."
"I don't think that's what he was doing, Damon," Bonnie said. "I think he was just tired of seeing the people he cares about repeating the same mistakes."
"You mean like moving into new relationships without officially ending the previous ones?" Damon asked.
"Yeah; like that."
"I love you, Bonnie," Damon said putting his forehead on hers.
"I love you too, Damon," Bonnie said touching her lips to his. Damon pulled her close to him and deepened their fiery kiss. They ended their kiss, rose to their feet, joined hands and returned to the tent.
They returned just in time to see Jo throw the bouquet and Caroline catch it. Bonnie and Damon and the rest of the Mystic Falls Gang watched with the wedding guests as Ric slid his hands under the large skirt of Jo's dress and returned with the blue garter. He pitched it over his head and it was caught by Enzo. They all laughed at the stink face Caroline was making as she made her way to the chair in the center that Jo had just vacated.
"Keep it PG, Enzo," Caroline said as she lifted the hem of her dress to a few inches above mid-thigh.
"Of course, love," Enzo said with a wink as he took her shoe off. He put the garter between his teeth and slid it over her foot. Then Caroline shifted slightly in her chair as he slid the garter up her leg, his fingertips whispering over her skin. When he settled it on the middle of her thigh, he grabbed it with his teeth and snapped it against her flesh. Caroline's sapphire eyes were wide as she shoved him away, grabbed her shoes and left the floor.
"Classy, Enzo," Bonnie said as he came back to their group and put his arm around Trace.
"I was only honoring tradition," he commented.
"Well, next time honor it a little less," Trace said, "and keep little games like that strictly between you and me."
"I'm sorry, my love. It was all fun. I'll show you the rest of the little game later," he murmured in her ear.
"Damn right, you will," she said sexily before kissing him deeply.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs. Alaric Saltzman," DJ Voltage announced again as Ric and Jo walked toward the exit. All the guests blew bubbles as they hugged their friends and family. The newlyweds hopped in the decorated "just married" limo and headed toward the private airport.
As the guests began to dwindled down, Damon, Bonnie, Jeremy, Elena, Tyler, Matt, Caroline and Stefan danced in a circle, arms around each other, celebrating Ric's marriage, each other and finally having happiness.