28.
~ Ariadne felt increasingly nervous as Trixie styled her hair from a magazine photograph. Ingrid Bergman looking pouty and glamorous in the black and white picture, as Trixie tried her best to style Ariadne's long hair into curls that draped over her shoulders. The soft curls and pins made her look so much more stylish then she normally was.
She wished she had something white to wear on her wedding day. All she had that was nice was her blue dress. She knew Arthur liked it and since this was war time, they had to make do.
It was winter, so there was no flowers for a bouquet and because of her broken leg, she had to be married in a wheel chair.
"I think your ready." Trixie, her maid of honor, said pulling back and examining her handy work.
She dabbed a little lip stick on Ariadne's lips and the bride was shocked by her own transformation. She didn't look like a girl anymore. For just a moment, she saw herself as Arthur mush have always seen her. As she looked at herself in her compact mirror. Arthur's picture looking back at her.
"Scared?" Trixie teased as Ariadne held her compact in one hand. She had been looking at Arthur's picture all day. She had to keep reminding herself that she did want to marry him. A nagging voice in the back of her mind telling her things were happening too fast.
Still, they could all be killed tomorrow. Her broken leg was proof of that. She didn't want to leave this world without being his wife.
It was strange how whenever she told herself this, it was always Doctor Kikie's voice that came to her.
She and Trixie rode the elevator down to the ground floor and to the little chapel. Eames was waiting for them. The Lieutenant looking especially handsome in his dress uniform.
"Not too late to change your mind, Beautiful." He teased. "You and I can run off together."
"I think I'll pass." Ariadne laughed. Eames shrugged.
"Your loss." He said unfazed as they waited for the music to start.
"Is Arthur in there?" She asked the Lieutenant.
"Course he is." Eames shrugged.
"How does he look? Does he look handsome?" She asked feeling giddy with excitement.
Eames looked uncomfortable.
"Don't really know." He said lamely. "I know I look good. That's all I care about."
She bit her lip nervously as Trixie walked out ahead of them.
"Ready?" Eames asked as the wedding march started.
She took a deep breath and nodded.
~ Arthur stood restlessly at the alter. He longed to see the pretty nurse. Cobb preventing him from visiting her the evening before, and then again that morning. Saying it was bad luck to see the bride before the wedding. Instead, the groom had been subjected to teasing and torments from the men in a pub most of the night.
Eames had been the worst with his wild stories about the horrors of married life.
Now, more then anything, he wanted to see his bride come down the aisle. He wanted to see her and once he did, he knew everything would be alright.
He heard the wedding march and as the witnesses all stood, he had to move so he could see her in the wheelchair.
She looked radiant in the blue dress he had first seen her in. The memory of that day in the phone booth. The rain, learning about Jacob, all of it had been alleviated when he realized she had been real. That some magic had made his dream into reality. A real flesh and blood creature that his dreams had formed into his perfect love.
She saw him and smiled as Eames pushed her to him.
"Hello, Major." She said simply when she arrived.
"Glad you decided to come." He whispered as Eames helped her to stand.
She shrugged and gave him an indifferent grin as she fought back a happy smile.
~ His bride tried hard to stay standing during the entire ceremony. She almost lost her balance in the red heeled sandal she had to wear on one foot. Her groom catching hold of her waist and supporting her as they took their vows.
She was relieved there was nothing in the vows about obeying as he easily promised to love and cherish her. She felt her heart swell at the thought that now, she wasn't alone in the world.
~ It was at a small restaurant the party retreated to have a brief reception. Ariadne was delighted at the spectacle of a small chocolate cake decorated with candy flowers. It was just big enough for everyone in their small party to have some.
"When I'm home." Arthur whispered to her. "We can have a real wedding."
"This is a real wedding." She said to him as she fed him some of her chocolate cake. Followed quickly by a kiss.
"Sorry the rings aren't gold." He said as no bride ever looked more lovely then his did.
He wanted only the best for her. He wanted his grandmother's ring on her finger. Followed by a rich, gold band. He wanted a big fancy wedding that would make the society pages. He wanted her walk down the aisle, and not need a wheel chair. A wedding where the best cake he could get her wasn't so small.
"Arthur." She said pulling him free from all the things that were missing from this day.
"This is perfect." She said. Her voice final and not to be trifled with. She looked down at the silver band on her finger. It's mate on his.
He loved her so much. She was too perfect and he doubted he could ever be worthy of her.
~ Ariadne tried to quell the riot of nerves going off in her body as her husband drove them to a quite neighborhood. It was a small apartment that Colonel Burch had loaned them. Her Major chivalrously opened her door of the jeep and scooped her up in an easy, confidant manner.
Her body had always been small and for the first time in her life, she was glad. She liked being so easily held by her husband as he nimbly carried her over the threshold.
The Colonel's apartment was small, but tasteful. It was one of the many apartments laying empty because of the war. Ariadne didn't like to think about the former occupants of these rooms. Or why they had to flee Paris.
Her husband kissed her sweetly before he put her down. She swayed unsteadily on her good foot and his hands were there to help her regain her balance.
"Careful." He whispered in her ear.
~ Night had swiftly approached the city. Their apartment was dark except for the light from the widows. Street lamps were lit outside. Their soft orange light coming in as her husband's hands refused to leave her body. Refused to leave her long enough to turn on any other light.
Ariadne felt herself swallow hard as his hands stayed on her waist. His eyes refusing to leave hers.
"Come here. I want to try something." He said as he pulled her to him. She hopped closer to him. Her husband smiling at her.
"Put your good foot on mine." He said into her ear.
She fought a smile as she stepped lightly onto his shinny dress shoe. Her cast hanging uselessly as she was now a few inches taller. His hand held her waist tighter as he took her hand and stepped back and forth. She clutched tightly to him as her balance was thrown off. His unexpected movements catching her by surprise.
"I'm dancing!" Ariadne exclaimed as her husband held her body closer. She was forced to move with him in a careful rhythm.
"What kind of husband would I be if I didn't dance with my wife on our wedding night?" Arthur asked as she giggled.
He was singing to her gently as he waltzed with her back and forth.
"We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when." He sang softly into her ear. "But I know we'll meet again some sunny day."
It was a popular war time song. Always playing on the radio and moaned over by girls who had to have their sweethearts go away to war.
Arthur slowed their dancing and was kissing her softly as the streetlamps outside flooded their dark rooms with a dream like glow.
