"You look perfect."
River turned in a full circle again to check herself from every angle.
"River, there is nothing more I can do to enhance your appearance," Cameron informed the anxious bride-to-be.
"Will Derek desire me?" River asked hopefully.
A sly grin made an appearance on Cameron's face. "You're the reader, you tell me."
"You're the married twin who has experience in these matters," River complained.
With a tilt of her head, Cameron looked River up and down before answering.
"Given the fact you are wearing my wedding dress, which of course fits perfectly and enhances your charms, if Derek is anything like John, which being both John's uncle and male means he is, then the answer to your question is yes."
Still unsure of her appearance, River leaned close to the mirror to examine her make up.
"You look perfect," Cameron said again. "My application of your make up was flawless in execution and the colors and shades I selected enhance your natural tones perfectly. Stop worrying and relax. Enjoy your wedding day."
Ignoring Cameron's order to relax, River began pacing back and forth, muttering to herself. After a few seconds consideration, Cameron decided for once to ignore her core programming and simply wait River out. Her best friend was anxious and with good reason. If River needed to pace and worry, so be it.
Weddings were stressful for humans, and as Cameron had learned first hand, and terminatresses alike. Then River had to face being alone with Derek for a week, something River looked forward to. But River would not have her support system of Simon, Cameron, and the rest of the crew. If something happened there would be no needles to bring unconsciousness, no Cameron to calm River and let the reader's mind find peace.
Like any inexperienced bride facing her wedding night, River worried the more worldly Derek would find her exciting. Cameron's reassurances had done nothing to allay River's fears.
Then, when her honeymoon was over, River knew there would be no avoiding what came next.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"If Simon screws this up I just don't know what I'll do," Kaylee whined.
"You'll soldier on," Zoe ordered. "Just like every other bride in the history of humanity."
Zoe's words had the opposite effect of calming Kaylee. "You say that like Wash messed up during your wedding ceremony."
Pausing in her efforts to apply the finishing touches to Kaylee's hair, Inara peeked around Kaylee to see her friend's face. "Stop worrying. I've been to literally hundreds of weddings. People get nervous and make little mistakes. If they didn't, every wedding would be nearly identical and that would be boring. Besides, River's there and who knows what our little Albatross will do."
"Captain could cry," Zoe volunteered. "He's giving both of you away so the chances are good."
Sarah chimed in, grinning as she did so. "Jayne told me he likes weddings. They make him get emotional."
"No," Zoe laughed. "Not our Jayne!"
"Yep," Sarah replied. "Two weddings might be a bit much for him, so expect to see him shed a few tears along with the Captain."
"Oh, this could be fun," Inara teased. "Will John tear up?"
"Probably not, John's made of stern stuff," Sarah answered. "Cameron will have ordered him to keep a close eye on Derek just in case his uncle changes his mind at the last second. Tin Miss is very determined for River to have a special day and for things to go smoothly for Kaylee as well."
"Derek won't change his mind," Kaylee mumbled. "Simon will. He'll just take one look at me in my pretty dress the Captain bought me and high tail it out of the abbey."
Kaylee stood up to examine herself in the mirror again, irritating an increasingly frustrated Inara.
"Simon will just hate my dress. He's seen it already. It'll be just the excuse he needs."
"I will admit your choice of dress is unusual, Kaylee," Inara said sternly, pushing her charge back into the seat in order to finish Kaylee's hair. "But it's too late for me to alter the white dress I offered to let you borrow. So it's the nice ball gown with the hoop or nothing."
"Nothing won't work," Zoe pointed out. "The bishop won't do the ceremony if you are there in your birthday suit, letting Simon and everyone else see your nether regions."
"Then that would set River off," Sarah pointed out. "Which would set Cameron off and I don't think any of us want to see the two of them in that state today."
Inara stepped back from Kaylee, leaned over the bride-to-be's shoulder, and smiled. "There, all done. You look beautiful! Simon would never run away with you looking this beautiful!"
"You think, 'Nara? I sure hope so."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Nervous in the presence of the friends of his dear, departed friend Sheppard Book, the Bishop nodded for the music to start. The sooner he started the wedding ceremony, the sooner it would be over and the crew of the Serenity would be gone.
Facing the sanctuary, standing to the Bishop's left was Derek with John who acted as his uncle's best man. To the Bishop's right was an anxious Simon with Jayne standing next to him. Just loud enough to be heard over the music but not loud enough to be heard by the remainder of the crew present, the Bishop heard Jayne threaten Simon.
"You run, you move one inch, you even think about ditchin' Kaylee at the altar Doc, and I will end you right here in the abbey. Even if it means I have to go to the special hell Sheppard Book was always threatenin' us with. We clear, Doc?"
"Perfectly," Simon answered, sweat beading up on his forehead.
Ma Cobb, dressed in her Sunday best, shooed Emma and Kacy down the aisle, each dressed in a matching white dress with black patent leather shoes. Fearful of doing something wrong and suffering Ma Cobb's wrath, the pair smiled and walked in step at a slow pace down the aisle, scattering flower petals. Reaching the end of the aisle, the pair separated and took a seat in a pew and sat quietly, both remembering the promise Ma Cobb had made in regards to what would happen to their respective bottoms if they made a scene at the wedding. Ma sat down in a pew and kept a steely eye on the pair.
Sarah and Zoe were the first to start down the aisle, dressed in peach colored gowns. Following behind were Cameron and Inara. Bringing up the rear, with River on his right arm and Kaylee on his left was an emotional Mal.
The process stopped with everyone in his or her place. Smiling things had gotten off to a smooth start, the Bishop asked with a booming baritone, "Who giveth away these women for marriage?"
His voice squeaking like an adolescent male, "I do," answered the Captain.
Without any mistakes, the brief ceremony concluded quickly to the relief of everyone. The Bishop pronounced the benediction and departed to his chambers before disaster could strike.
As Sarah had predicted, Jayne's eyes were puffy and red from shedding a tear or two. The Captain had given up long ago and his face was streaked with tear tracks. The newlyweds were escorted to the waiting limousine to take them to a 5-star hotel the crew had reserved for the wedding night.
As the luxury vehicle's red tail lights faded into the distance the Captain wiped his eyes.
"Let's go eat dinner. Have a good time. When they get back, we're making a decision on how to deal with the Tams. Then we head for Osiris."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Her head resting on her palms, Kaylee lay on her stomach watching an exhausted Simon sleep. A quick glance at the chronometer told Kaylee the time. She figured she'd let Simon sleep another thirty minutes before waking him for another round of sexin'. Taking her new husband's left hand with her own, the ship's engineer held her hand close to Simon's and compared the matching wedding bands made of a piece of steel from Serenity.
Without warning a wave of emotion and fatigue swept over Kaylee. Feeling uncontrollably sleepy, the new bride decided Simon no longer had an excuse to deny her energetic advances. There would be plenty of alone time aboard Serenity. Unable to fight the need for sleep any longer, Kaylee's head dropped onto the bed. Snoring loudly within seconds, Kaylee managed to awaken the exhausted Simon.
A quick glance identified the source of the snoring. Simon watched and listened for a few seconds, muttering to himself.
"Simple sleep apnea. Nothing that can't be taken care of easily."
As quickly as Simon had awakened, he fell asleep again.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Does her man find his new bride alluring?"
Derek opened one eye and stared at River's face mere inches from his own. Her eyes wide and hopeful, Derek laughed and brushed his bride's long brown hair from her face. Giving River a quick kiss on the forehead, Derek stretched, moaning at the stiffness he felt.
"I'm not made out of steel," he answered.
"The bride cannot read her husband's mind," River pouted. "Needs to know. Not made out of steel is not an answer to her question."
A resounding smack on her bottom answered River's question. She giggled in delight as Derek pulled his tiny bride on top of him and kissed her affectionately.
Resting her head on Derek's shoulder, River whispered to her husband. "The bride is not made out of steel either." She stroked Derek's cheek until his eyes closed and heart rate slowed, indicating he'd fallen asleep again.
Weary from stress, River closed her eyes and thought of the conjugal bliss of the past few hours with her new husband. Minutes passed and River found her mind slowing, ignoring the voices of other minds around the area. Focus returned as River pushed out all the thoughts.
Cameron was not here nor would she have been. River knew marrying Derek would mean less dependence on Cameron for relief from the pressures of being a reader, of knowing too many things. River had promised herself when married to Derek the needles and the drugs they administered would never be used on her by Simon again, no matter how well intentioned and loving her brother was.
A grunt warned River of Derek's impending redistribution of his mass to get comfortable. Slipping her petite frame off her husband, River nestled against his side, leaving her head on Derek's shoulder. His restlessness passed and once again Derek lay still. River closed her eyes and took a deep breath, taking in her husband's smell. Stress and anxiety left her, letting River drift away into a quiet, voiceless slumber.
