Gabby was in the back yard of her father's house, observing the activity as men erected the marquee for the wedding when someone came up behind her and placed a pair of hand over her eyes.
"Dom, you only have to wait another day." She told him. "After that..."
"I'm not Dom." A familiar, accented voice told her. Gabby pulled off his hands and shrieked as she turned to see Mark, the guy she had become friends with back when she was being stalked by Karl.
"Mark, I can't believe you came!" She screamed as she hugged him. "I can't believe you came! How's Stephen?"
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Mark asked as Stephen stepped into view. "We managed to clear our schedule, so we could be in town for the wedding."
"We wouldn't miss it." Stephen assured her. "So how are you anyway?"
"The leg took a while, but I'm getting used to having it back." She assured him. "I can't believe you guys came!"
"Please, you were our flatmate for months; of course we wanted to come!" Stephen assured her. "So, do you know what Dom has planned for the honeymoon yet?"
"He's not giving anything away." She sighed. "So where are you staying?"
"We haven't gotten anywhere yet." Mark told her, gesturing to his bag. "We figured we'd check into a travel inn or something..."
"Don't you DARE!" She warned him as her father came into view. "Dad, Mark and Stephen haven't sorted out somewhere to stay."
"Well we have plenty of room here." He commented. "Feel free to stay with us."
"We couldn't..."
"Stephen, you're really going to offend me if you refuse." Gabby warned him. "You put me up for a few months. I guess it would be rude not to put you up for a few days."
"Gabby, you are the best!" Mark replied, hugging her tightly. "I can see why Dom's nuts about you."
"Anyway, the bachelor party should be arriving in a few hours." She told them as she picked up Mark's bag. "That'll give us plenty of time to catch up."
In another part of town, Dom had finished his workout when Jarrod approached him, smiling.
"So are you ready to begin?" He asked. "You will only get one bachelor party."
"Jarrod, it's just a party." Dom groaned.
"Humour me will you? My big brother's getting married!" He reminded him. "Also, don't forget that when I got married the party was kind of curtailed by the fact I was going through Chemotherapy."
It was a bit of a cheap shot, but Jarrod was right. When he had gotten married to Susan, he had been going through chemo for his leukaemia. It was understandable that this time around he wanted to tear it up a little.
"Alright, when are the guys getting here?" Dom groaned, realising he was never going to win this argument. Jarrod just smiled.
"About an hour ago." He told him as they went into the living quarters. RJ set off a party popper as Dom arrived.
"So what chance do I have of having a quiet night?" Dom asked them.
"None at all." Casey assured him. "Just sit back and enjoy the ride my friend."
Elsewhere, Lily was just putting David down for a nap when the rest of the girls arrived in anticipation of the bachelorette party. Gabby, Mark and Stephen were already in the apartment, preparing food.
"OK, there is no WAY we need this much dip." Stephen commented, kissing Mark's cheek softly. "I'd say we're good."
"Yeah, we seem pretty good." Gabby told them. "I can't believe your ceremony was cancelled."
"Under state law we both have to be 21." Stephen said with a shrug. "It wouldn't be the first time I've had to deal with shit like that."
"He went to a friend's funeral." Mark told her. "It was being picketed by a church group."
"Because he was gay?" Gabby asked him. "That's awful! I can't imagine..."
"It was one of the few times I felt violent. I actually went out with every intention of kicking the shit out of them." Stephen told her. "Mark stopped me. He told me that I would be an s bad as them."
"Jerry's family had every right to mourn in peace. They had no right to ruin that!" Mark commented. "I wanted to beat down on those assholes too, but I knew it was pointless. If they're like that, then a good ass kicking isn't likely to change their minds."
"Anyway, can we get onto more pleasant topics?" Gabby's mother, Deborah asked as she arrived, cupping Gabby's cheek with her hand. "How many times am I going to see my daughter walk down the aisle?"
"I'm sorry; we were getting a little heavy." Stephen assured her as he grabbed a bottle of wine. "ON to the party!"
Elsewhere, Dom was sitting on the beach with the guys, casually slugging a bottle of beer while Casey sang, although a more accurate description would be painfully murdered Journey's "Don't stop believin'" on a karaoke machine. Jarrod pulled into him.
"It's not long now bro." He commented. "So are you nervous yet?"
"No." He replied honestly, a little smile creeping onto his lips. "I've done a lot of stuff I wasn't sure about, but this is the first time I've known 100 percent I was doing the right thing."
"She means that much to you right?" Jarrod asked him. "So have you talked about kids?"
"We have." He confirmed. "We wanted to wait a little while, let her get the business up and on its feet."
"You know that planning on those counts rarely works right?" Jarrod asked him cheekily. "Michaela wasn't exactly planned."
"We're not like you." Dom told him. "I would like a kid at some point though."
"You've already thought about this haven't you?" Jarrod asked him. Dom just nodded.
"I think it would be kind of cool to have a son." He confessed. "You know, a little guy to play catch with."
"You'd be a great dad Dom." Jarrod assured him as Casey finished his hatchet job on the song. "Anyway, it's your turn."
Dom got up and made his way to the karaoke machine, picking up the microphone. He smiled as he looked out on his friends.
"Put on Bad Romance." He told RJ. "I feel like going GaGa!"
Over in her parent's place, Gabby was sitting with her face in her hands as Stephen relayed some embarrassing stories from her time in Blue Bay with them. The room was filled with laughter at her expense as he finished.
"Alright, this is Gabby's night." Kira reminded them. "I know a little humiliation is traditional, but she should have some fun too."
"Oh come on, we're just having a little fun." Tori reminded her. "We'll make sure she gets to the altar in one piece."
"Why does that not exactly fill me with confidence?" Gabby chuckled.
"Maybe because you've seen enough Ranger weddings to know they never go smoothly." Lily suggested. "I mean, with mine the little guy was already on his way."
"I got plastered on the flight home from the honeymoon." Fran chipped in.
"I spent the night before the wedding in the hospital." Kira added. They all looked to Tori.
"I was nearly arrested." She told them. "Don't ask, it's a long story."
The following morning, Dom woke up in JKP to a hive of activity. The girls were all at Gabby's place, preparing there, leaving the apartment to the guys. Dom was just figuring out how to fasten his bow tie when Jarrod came in.
"So you're nearly ready to go?" He asked.
"I guess so." Dom replied with a smile. "I can't believe we got here. It seems like only yesterday we got together."
"You're made for each other." Jarrod assured him. "I couldn't imagine anyone more suited to each other."
"Master Phant has been really supportive." Dom confirmed. "Her parents are pretty cool too."
"What's more important is she is nuts about you." Jarrod reminded him.
"I guess it's traditional for me to get nervous around now." Dom commented. "Do you have the rings?"
"That's the first." Jarrod laughed, showing him the rings. "I have ten to one odds you'll make it to 500 before she gets to the altar."
Donny arrived in the garden of Gabby's parents' place, accepting a glass of champagne from one of the serving staff before the ceremony. He took a sip as Casey approached him.
"Hey, it's been a while." He commented. "How are things at the school?"
Donny just shrugged in response.
"Well I'm really looking forward to this." He commented, taking another sip. Donny caught a glimpse of the tattoo on his forearm.
"You have a tattoo." He whispered. Casey just rolled up his sleeve, showing it to him.
"Yeah, I got that a couple of years ago." He replied.
"Fran has one like it." Donny commented. "It's something to do with the Power Rangers isn't it?"
Casey paused, uncertain as to what exactly Donny knew about the Jungle Fury team.
"Yeah, there was a ton of merchandise back then." He quipped with a little forced laugh, hoping to lead Donny off the trail. "Hell, Holly's room is full of Ranger beanie babies!"
Donny just smiled and nodded in response. He made his way through the crowd, taking careful note of all the guests. Many of them, all the ones that were Ocean Bluff natives at least, all appeared to have the same tattoo, a claw mark on the inner forearm of the right arm.
Just then, the wedding march played, bringing all the guests into the marquee. Dom and Jarrod were already waiting at the altar.
"So are you ready bro?" Jarrod asked him.
"I've never been more ready for anything in my life." He commented as the song got louder. He turned around, watching as Gabby's father led her down the aisle. She was wearing an off-shoulder white dress. Her smile was infectious, forcing him to smile back. Her hair was weaved intricately with white carnations. As her father got her to the altar, he released her.
"You look amazing." Dom whispered.
"You look pretty good too." She replied.
As Lily began reading the ceremony, Donny watched on from his seat a few rows back and noticed something. Gabby had the same tattoo. Was it possible he had stumbled into the world of the Rangers? Was it possible he had uncovered the biggest secret in Ocean Bluff? He watched as Dom slid the ring onto her finger.
"I pledge my heart, my soul and my spirit to you forever." He told her. Lily smiled at the conclusion of the ceremony.
"You may now kiss the bride." She instructed him. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honour to introduce for the first time Dominic and Gabrielle Hargan!"
Donny applauded with the crowd as he got up from his seat. He had seen so much at the wedding, he had completely forgotten about his date. He approached Fran slowly as they all applauded the first kiss Dom and Gabby shared as a married couple.
"Donny, wasn't that an amazing ceremony?" She asked him.
"Yeah, amazing." He replied. "Fran, can I ask you about that tattoo?"
"Yeah, like I said I got it back in college..."
"Was that before or after you became a Power Ranger?" He asked her. Fran felt her heart skipping several beats as he said this.
"Me a Power Ranger?" She laughed nervously before tapping his glass. "How many of those have you had?"
"When you saved me from those punks you fought the same way the Orange Ranger did." He told her. "The Orange Ranger was absent for the battle with Lothor...right around the time you were pregnant with Algie."
"Donny I..."
"Don't lie to me Fran, I know I'm right." He told her. "The others, Casey, Theo, Lily...they're the Rangers aren't they?"
"Donny..."
"Don't lie to me!" He interrupted her. "So let's hear it. I'm right aren't I Fran? Or should I say Fox Ranger?"
