Chapter 29 – What does that mean for our future?
Meanwhile some weeks had passed and after a few more checks at the hospital Dr. Willows had found out that Amelia longue had healed much faster than he had thought. And that meant that Amelia would be allowed to work again and also go back to her own home in about two weeks. Sure everyone was happy about this. But two of them all really didn't like the thought of this. Yes, sure it was nice that Amelia had become healthy that quickly but neither Delbert nor Amelia wanted her to leave the manor. But none of them both was able to say what he was feeling. None of them both was able to say that Amelia should stay.
Now finally the day had come where Amelia had to go home. Today was the day where she would leave Delbert's manor forever.
At breakfast Amelia and Delbert were already very quiet.
Now Amelia was upstairs walking around the room to pack her things into her big wardrobe trunk. With every dress she put in she sighed. She would miss this house. And especially the residents. With a heavy heart she put the trunk off the bed and down on the ground. There were rolls on it so she was able to move it on her own. Arriving downstairs she noticed something.
"Where is Delbert?", she asked Sarah.
"Oh, he is already outside. He's helping Jim with Delilah and the carriage."
"Thanks Sarah."
Amelia smiled but Sarah could see that it all was just a façade. She knew that the upcoming time would be very difficult for the couple. She knew for herself how it was to be married to a galaxian. Okay, Delbert would be with her for the most of her voyages – after all he was her main navigator now. But right when she has to go on a former voyage on behalf of the queen, she would have to travel with a crew provided by the Navy and that means – without him. Sarah felt sorry them when she now led Amelia outside the house where Jim and Delbert were already waiting with Delilah. Jim came to her to take her wardrobe trunk. Then he brought it to the carriage to put it in. Amelia stopped next to Delbert. The time to say goodbye had been come because Delbert couldn't bring her home. About a month ago he had promised Sarah he would go to check on the BenBow with the architect. It was a very important meeting so he couldn't cancel it and Jim had to drive her home.
"Well…", Amelia began.
"Well…", Delbert said.
A short silence.
"Listen Delbert, I…-"
"Amelia it will be alright. Really, we can-"
"I don't want to leave!"
Delbert was surprised by her reaction and felt silent first. But then a smile came up to his lips and he took her hand.
"Then… just stay here with me."
Amelia blinked, confused.
"What…? How… do you mean…?"
But Amelia swallowed the last words, when Delbert suddenly knelt down before her. Sarah took a deep breath, too. Jim was grinning brightly.
"Ahem… Amelia Annabeth Victoria Smollet…"
It was obvious that it wasn't that easy for him. To Amelia it was unbelievably wonderful to hear her own name from the lips of the man she loved. A tear rolled down her cheek. Delbert gulped.
"Will you…marry me?"
Amelia's breath caught.
"Oh Delbert, I… that's… That is… Oh my god I love you, you crazy canid!", she said happily and hugged him tightly.
Delbert hugged her back.
"Does… does that mean you say 'yes'?"
Amelia smiled. Now it was her time to tell him finally…
"How could I say 'no' to the father of my children?"
Now it was Delbert who paused, blinking confused.
"Wha-… Does that mean you-?"
The feline nodded happily.
"Yes Delbert. I'm pregnant!"
This was the moment where Delbert's eyes began to shine. Full of joy they hugged and kissed each other, while Sarah helped Jim quietly to get Amelia's trunk out of the carriage again…
"Good morning sleepy head."
The feline turned around murmuring when someone opened the curtains and pure warm sunlight entered the room right to her face. She pulled her blanket over her head.
"Oh come on darling. It's time to get up."
"Why do I have to get up that early in the morning?", the feline asked annoyed.
"Oh why, I don't know. I mean, you're right. This is just your birthday, nothing more."
The 'blanket-hill' didn't move.
"Okay. So I'll go down then to say goodbye to all your guests and that they should take their presents for you back."
Within a millisecond the feline throw her blanket back and sat up immediately.
"What? But Mom! These are my presents!", she said indignantly.
Now the tall feline woman had to smile.
"I know, darling. It was just a joke. But now come on. Get up and get dressed now, so that I can brush your hair."
"Okay", said the younger feline now and stood up.
After the girl had slipped into one of her finest dresses, she sat down on a chair in front of her mother who was sitting behind her, holding a hairbrush. She started to brush the red-brown colored hair of her daughter and began to sing a song.
My lovely little maiden fine
could you be forever mine.
Even if you want to marry
having then a boy to carry
Remember me, this song as well
Remember what I had to tell
When you're a grown up woman far
Don't forget you're still my little star.
Amelia opened her eyes when she heard a lovely singing voice. She sat up and looked directly into her mother's eyes.
"Good morning sleepy head. Slept well?"
"Mom", Amelia replied smiling. "Yes, very well."
Kathrine Smollet watched her daughter.
"Why are you smiling that brightly?", she then asked.
"You know… I dreamed about my eighth birthday. When you sang that song after waking me up. You were brushing my hair for my big party."
Kathrine smiled. Then she held up a wooden hairbrush, still smiling. Amelia looked at her unbelieving but then she smiled as well.
"Oh Mom, you remembered it too?"
Kathrine nodded.
"But why now?", Amelia asked her.
Then Kathrin sat down on her daughter's bedside and began to brush her hair.
"You know… Today's the same somehow."
"What?"
"Today's your big party. Today is your big day."
Amelia's heart started pounding.
"Yes. You're right."
They both smiled.
"Oh man, you can't be serious! Where are the rings?"
Delbert looked around the room. His eyes bright red from searching the whole morning. He and Nathan had been on their knees for nearly two hours, searching those small golden evidences for their love.
They were at Smollet's manor because it was a tradition of Amelia's family that the fiancé had to stay at this house before the wedding. With this he should take all the blesses of the brides antecedents so they could live a holy life in peace and harmony.
But at the moment he felt no harmony but total stress because he lost the rings. Nathan was helping him to find them because he wanted to find them too so that his sister would have a great wedding. But they couldn't find them.
"Come on Delbert!", Nathan said, sounding a little despaired. "Where did you last see them?"
"Oh believe me Nathan, I really don't know. I mean I know they had been here in my pocket and-"
- knock knock –
Nathan sighed and went to the door. He opened it and saw Jim.
"Oh Mr. Hawkins. What are you doing here? Aren't we supposed to meet at the cathedral?"
"Yes I know", Jim gasped, breathing hardly for air.
"Good god Jim, what's the matter? Why are you so out of breath?"
"Because of these!", he replied, holding out a small box.
"The rings!", Delbert and Nathan said with one voice.
"Jim, where did you find them? We searched for them for so long!"
"That's just like you", Jim grinned, "I found them in your coat pocket lying on the carriage seat. First I thought about keeping them to annoy you a little bit but then I thought about the captain and that she wouldn't stand it if you would go crazy because of too much stammering."
Jim's grin widened and even Nathan had to grin a little. Only Delbert wasn't in the mood for this. He was about to die because of nervousness. Jim and Nathan saw that and Jim patted his back.
"Now come on Doc. Everything's fine. It's a wonderful day, you've got the rings and in about an hour you're going to marry the prettiest woman in the world." Jim smiled. "For you I mean. I'm only speaking for you."
At this Delbert now had to smile as well and so they finally made their way to the Felirian Cathedral.
"Lady Amelia Annabeth Victoria Smollet. If you want to take Doctor Delbert Doppler for your lawful wedded husband, loving and honoring him in good times and in bad until death do parts you, then just answer with 'yes I will'."
The feline smiled.
"Yes, I will."
The parson turned to Delbert and asked him the same question. Delbert looked at that beautiful woman standing before him. She was wearing a long wide white-colored dress that was strapless and off-the-shoulders. The upper hem there was wide and slightly blue-colored. It had middle long sleeves and a big slightly blue-colored satin sash sitting on her waist. The lower part of the dress was gathered in all imaginable variations and was thus in innumerable folds lying smoothly over the crinoline that Amelia was wearing underneath. To that she was wearing blue shoes, short gloves, a blue satin collar and a small tiara with a long veil on her head.
At this sight Delbert thought for a short moment. He remembered the day, when they first met, how he comforted her after Arrow's death, their first kiss, their 'first time' together…
All this made him feel so much love for this feline he could never put into words.
And so he just smiled, taking her hands in his wile answering: "Yes, I will."
"Power of the authority vested in me I now pronounce you to husband and wife. You may kiss the bride now."
And with this Delbert and Amelia leaned in a little closer and kissed each other. The golden rings blinked on their ring fingers and everyone inside the cathedral began to cheer.
A/N: Why it's ready! Thank you for reading till here. You know till yesterday I though about breaking up after Delbert's proposal and just write what would happen till the 'movie-end' but for some reasons I couldn't. And so this will go to the real 'movie-end'^^
Hope you all like this idea
