Stars Shine Bright in London's Eye
Chapter 37

A/N - Here it is, wedding day! Hope you all enjoy it, and thank you so much for the latest reviews, I really appreciate it!

On many occasions throughout her life Ivy Lynn had thought about her wedding day. There was the time when she was five years old and her mother had taken her to the opening night of West Side Story, and she had decided then that when she found her 'Tony' she would like to get married in a dress shop because she couldn't choose between all the pretty dresses. Or the one and only time her mother had allowed her to see her wedding dress, just a year before her parents got divorced, and it hung off her eleven-year-old body but wearing it had made her feel so grown up and important; she could only imagine how special it must be to look so beautiful and have everyone's eyes on you. Then when she sixteen, and she had attended a family friend's wedding which had been an indoor affair in the evening so they were married with the New York skyline in shining in the background. She then decided that she wanted exactly the same location as it was just so magical.

But, never could she have imagined that she would actually be getting married in the English countryside on a particularly warm day in July. It was funny how things turned out.

It was her mother bursting into her bedroom that awoke Ivy from her peaceful slumber that morning. "You're getting married in the morning! Ding dong the bells are gonna shine!" sang Leigh, note perfect of course, from the doorway.

"I'm awake," she grumbled, pulling the duvet over her head. Nerves and excitement had kept her up most of the night. She just hoped she didn't have bags under her eyes, but then again, make up was a miracle worker.

"Come on!" cried Leigh, opening the wardrobe and pulling out her dress which had not been touched since it had been brought home. "Tom and Sam will be here soon, not to mention the hair stylist, and makeup artist, and then there's Scarlett to get ready! Oh Ivy will you get out of bed! This is your wedding day!"

Reluctantly, Ivy pulled herself up and ran her fingers through her hair, "I'm aware it's my wedding day, thank you," she said warily, "why don't you get in touch with Diana and see if the flowers have arrived at her house while I have five minutes to breathe?"

"Ok... but five minutes! That's all. There's just six hours until the ceremony, six!" She was interrupted by the sudden shrill cry of the doorbell, "oh that'll be your father, why is he always so punctual?!" she complained quickly exiting the room allowing Ivy to collapse back into the pillows.

She enjoyed a few moments of tranquility before already the sound of her mother ordering her father around could be heard the minute he walked through the door. It was going to be a long day.

The room was dimly lit when Karen awoke in the early hours of the morning. She had been dreaming of her wedding, the wedding she felt she was destined to never have. Her dream had turned into a nightmare, and she had been left alone. It seemed fitting. She had now been engaged twice and both times the relationships had turned sour. Perhaps she wasn't destined to have the happy ending she had always hoped for. What her parents had, what most of her childhood friends had, what her sister had, and now what Derek and Ivy would be getting later that day. Her heart was angry, angry that she had sent Jimmy away. Maybe if she had tried harder he might have wanted to stay, he might have wanted to be in a relationship with her. In her mind she knew that wasn't true, he wasn't emotionally invested in their relationship anymore, and to an extent neither was she, therefore she had to let him go. It wasn't fair on either of them to prolong the emotional unhappiness. But that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

As she shifted to her side, her bed felt cold and empty. Jimmy had only been with her for a few days, but experiencing that closeness again made it much harder now it had been taken away again. Karen couldn't help but find her mind worrying if she could face attending the wedding. There was no way she could go alone; she wasn't ready for all those questions. But then it wasn't going to be a large affair, it would be obvious if she wasn't there. There was one solution which kept itching within her brain. But was it too soon? Was that what she really wanted? There was only one way to find out.

'So… how busy are you today? Any chance you've got enough time to come to Derek and Ivy's wedding with me? I'd really appreciate it if you don't ask why just now' she typed whilst her heart raced. The bright screen of her phone was glaring in her eyes, she squinted and held her breath as she pressed send.

It was almost 7am so she wasn't expecting an immediate response, if she got a response at all. All she could do was hope and wait.

Karen was about to drift back into another worried-filled sleep when her phone lit up.

1 New Message.

Her heart began to beat at an increased rate once again, she was anxious to read the reply. She was preparing herself for the answer to be no, it was such short notice after all.

'I better hope my suit still fits! Yeah of course I'd love to come, just let me know the details. Oh and don't feel like you have to justify yourself to me. If you want to talk, I'm here. See you later. Jack x'

"Oh what could have happened to him? What if he's hurt?" Diana was pacing her kitchen floor dressed in her cream bath robe and large fluffy slippers, a look of worry covered her face.

"Or maybe he's just being the coward we all know he is, and he's run away from his wedding," Ethan suggested snidely. He did not care that his half-brother was missing, and the fact that he had been dragged out of bed by his mother because of it had displeased him.

Joseph shot his son a look of disapproval, "you're not helping."

"What am I supposed to do? He's a liability. He always has been. More fool you for actually believing he would go through with this wedding," he retorted, crossing his arms across his chest.

"He wouldn't run away! He loves Ivy, he's been so excited for today," Diana sobbed into her husband's chest. She couldn't understand why he hadn't returned home and he wasn't answering his phone. She had considered that he might have decided to go back to his own house but then she received a text message from Leigh Conroy, and there was no mention of Derek. She had even rung his best man Peter to see if he was with him and his family, he was not. That left her with few options left. She knew her ex-husband had been flying in from France the previous evening but she had no desire to speak with him, especially as he would be the last person her son would wish to see.

As Joseph put his arm around his wife, she looked hopefully at her youngest son, "Ethan, I know you don't always get along with Derek but can you please go out and find him? We've got to hold the fort here and organise all the wedding things…"

Ethan rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically, yes he was already dressed in his best suit, and perhaps he did have a rough idea as to where his half-brother may have disappeared to, but he was enjoying watching his perfect wedding being ruined. This was also taking time away that he could be spending perfecting Jesus Christ Superstar. "Do I have to?" he sulked.

"Oh grow up for once Ethan and do as your mother asks," Joseph snapped, he was not in the mood for his games. He and Derek had never been the best of friends either but his wedding day was important to Diana and so he would not have it spoilt.

"Fine!" he exclaimed, throwing his coat over his shoulders and picking up his car keys, "I'll meet you at the hall."

"Scarlett will you please stop wriggling so I can put your dress on?" asked Ivy impatiently.

Her daughter's frown deepened, she shook her head vigorously, "no!" She really had picked the worst time to be in one of her moods.

The bride-to-be sighed and collapsed into the wooden chair in Scarlett's bedroom. There were only a few hours until the ceremony began and she was already physically and mentally exhausted. Her mother had been talking incessantly in her ear since the moment she had woken up, her father had been practicing his speech in the living room, while Tom and Sam had arrived looking very dapper in their matching black suits before she was whisked away by the people employed to transform her hair and face for the big event.

"Ivy?" Sam's voice could be heard before he was seen. He soon appeared in the doorway giving his friend a sympathetic smile, "now you better not start crying and ruin that beautiful face of yours. By the way, have I told you how freaking exquisite you look?" he asked moving to put his arm around her shoulders.

She looked up at him under her thick lashes which were heavy with mascara, not that she wasn't used to it due to the amount of stage makeup she has had to wear night after night for performances. Although she was comfortably content in being dressed in leggings and a t-shirt, her hair had been styled perfectly with her blonde curls having been collected and pinned elegantly at the back of her head by a sparkling barrette which her mother had given to her many years ago.

"And this is why we're friends," Ivy smiled, "you know that flattery will always make everything better"

"What's wrong?" he asked taking her hands in his and bringing her to her feet.

She looked over at her daughter who was now happily playing with her dolls in the corner of the room, "Scarlett wouldn't let me dress her. I still need to do her hair and make sure I have all her things to take with us. Then I need to check that everything is at the hall for the ceremony and the reception, and my Mom said the photographer would be here soon so I have to put my dress on some point-"

"-Woah! Slow down woman, you are going to stress yourself out. This is supposed to be the happiest day of your life remember?" He watched her take a deep breath and look to him with a desperate longing for solutions to her problems in her bright blue eyes. "Now, I will sort out madam over here and make sure she's dressed and then you can get her stuff together before styling her hair. After that I will go downstairs and me and Tom, being the incredible Guys of Honour that we are, will call up the hall and make sure everything is ok there before coming back upstairs and entertaining Scarlett while you get your dress on. Does that sound alright?"

Ivy put her hand on the side of his face and kissed his cheek lightly, "what would I do without you?"

"You would be in a dark place that's for sure! Now come on, we have a wedding to get ready for!"

There were merely hours before the wedding ceremony was supposed to begin when Ethan Copperfield parked his flashy black BMW outside 'The Greenhouse'. In fact, it wasn't a greenhouse at all, it was more like a collection of sheds in an allotment, long since abandoned, about twenty minutes walk from his parents' home.

Derek was about six years old he first discovered 'The Greenhouse'. He was angry that his father had left, and there was a new man living in their house, and everyone's attention was on the new baby. So he used to walk by himself. He would use the excuse that he was seeing friends and then would just explore the suburban streets alone. Upon finding 'The Greenhouse' it became his sanctuary, he would go and sit for hours by himself in the drafty, but spacious, wooden rooms. Gradually he brought more of his own things to make it more liveable, it became his creative outlet, just for him. However, one day when he was a teenager, his little brother followed him and thus found his secret place and wanted to be a part of it. Infuriated, Derek made him leave and seldom found it so peaceful again as Ethan was determined to be there whenever he could.

This was where his brother was hiding, he was sure of it.

The grass below his feet was wet with morning dew, he cautiously held up his trousers to avoid dirtying them prior to the wedding. He instantly regretted changing into his suit so early. Upon reaching the shed, Ethan peered through a gap in the weather-worn wooden door. He instantly saw the shape of his half-brother curled under dust covered blankets which had aged twenty years, and an empty bottle of whiskey near his head.

Ethan rolled his eyes and sighed as he had long hoped the days of having to look after his irresponsible drunk of an older brother were behind them. He pushed open the door, making no attempt to be quiet before standing over him. He did not move.

Without hesitation he spotted a bucket in the corner of the room which had been collecting rainwater from a leak in the roof. He picked up the rather full container and poured it over him. With a start, Derek sat up in shock spouting a plethora of curse words.

He looked around, his eyes wide with fury at his rude awakening. His gaze finally fell on his well-dressed brother, the empty bucket in hand, "Ethan!" he growled water dripping from every surface of his body creating puddles around him.

"Firstly, I'm not here because I want to be, let's just make that abundantly clear. Mum is in pieces thinking you've been in an accident or something because there's no way her precious Derek would run away on his wedding day, oh no 'he loves Ivy too much.' If she could see you now..." he sneered folding his arms across his chest.

Derek stood up slowly, his hands shaking with anger. His bloodshot eyes finally met with his brother's gaze. He looked down on him, he always did. Ethan was not any better than him. With all the strength he could muster, he punched him squarely in the mouth causing him to take several steps backwards and fall into the wall.

Shocked, Ethan held his hand to his mouth before spitting blood, that was seeping out of the fresh wound, onto the floor. "Well that was very mature of you, resorting to violence isn't going to sort your mess of a life out. Did you really think you could get married and live happily ever after? Look at you. Drinking yourself to sleep in an old shed when you've got a fiancé and daughter at home. Good God! You're turning into your father-"

"-Don't you dare say that," snarled Derek clenching his fists. His father was the reason he had felt the need to return to a place of comfort and to the only way he knew how to numb pain. Drinking enough alcohol to forget.

"Well what do you expect? You're supposed to be getting married in an hour and a half and instead you're hiding away stinking of booze," Ethan retorted thickly, his mouth partially covered by his handkerchief, "were you planning on telling anyone you weren't going to show up?"

"I'm still going to get married! My father is a selfish bastard. I am not him."

Ethan snorted loudly, "you? Not selfish? Oh you are making me laugh! I mean coming from one egotistical maniac to another, I think we know where our priorities lie. Yours are not with your family, if they were you wouldn't be lying here feeling sorry for yourself because you've got Daddy issues."

"I am nothing like you," he answered slowly through gritted teeth.

"Really? Then why are you still here wasting your time arguing with me over your own shortcomings when you should be getting ready for your wedding? You wouldn't want to leave precious Ivy at the alter now would you?"

Derek's eyes widened with the realisation at his half-brother's words. He was being selfish again. Why did he let his brother and father get to him? Without another word he ran out of the shed, across the gardens and back towards his car. He had just over an hour. He could make it. He hoped.

Leigh Conroy was pacing the foyer of the wedding venue when Tom and Sam walked through the large oak double doors to find her. Scarlett sat in the composer's arms, happily playing with his bright purple bowtie as the three adults shared a look of distress amongst them. The wedding was supposed to start in five minutes. They had a room full of guests, and still no Derek.

The car which had brought Ivy and her father to the hall had already been asked to take a longer route. They didn't want the bride to worry, but they all knew that she would. They wouldn't blame her; they were worried themselves. They all knew Derek Wills, and he wasn't the most reliable of people. All they could do was pray he didn't hurt their dear Ivy in the process.

"Any sign of him?" asked Leigh, her voice was tinged with desperation. Everything was going to plan for her daughter's perfect day, and now that man was going to ruin it.

Sam shook his head.

Leigh smoothed a hand over her luscious red curls and purposefully snatched her phone out of her gold clutch bag, "well I'll just have to keep calling him then, won't I?"

The call was just about to go to voicemail when there was movement behind them. The doors opened and all three of them held their breath. But it wasn't Derek. It was Ivy.

They forgot to exhale for a few moments at the sight of the blonde actress. The dress looked even more beautiful than when she modelled it in the shop. Her smile lit up her face and she gave a light laugh at their expressions. Her arm was locked through her father's; he couldn't stop staring at her proudly. He had missed moments such as her prom and graduation, there was no way he was missing her wedding day.

"Have you finished stalling me?" she asked with her lips pursed slightly. She wasn't stupid.

Leigh's poker face was that of a trained actress. She smiled at her daughter and then her ex-husband innocently, "we haven't been stalling"

"Yeah, right! It just so happened that the driver deemed it necessary to take an extra ten minutes to get here?" she scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. Ivy looked at her friends, she was trying to hide the panic that she knew was in her eyes. "He's not here, is he?" she asked quietly.

Tom gave a small sigh, placed his goddaughter on the ground and took Ivy's hands in his own. He had always feared Derek Wills would hurt her, he just wished his fears hadn't come true. "I'm sure he will be-"

He was interrupted by the sound of the doors opening behind them. It was Peter, the best man. He gave them a smile and a nod. There was a communal sigh of relief.

In turn, both Sam and Tom kissed Ivy on the cheek, told her how much they loved her, and wished her luck. Ivy couldn't stop her heart working overtime, she had never experienced so many emotions in the space of a few hours. She was then alone with her parents and her daughter.

Scarlett tugged gently at her mother's dress at her feet, "Mommy? Potty," she informed her with a sense of pride to her voice. They had just started training the little girl to use the 'big toilet' and so felt it an accomplishment to inform someone before she had to go.

"Don't worry, I'll take her," David offered, scooping his granddaughter into his arms. Ivy smiled at him gratefully but this meant it was just her and her mother, she really wasn't in the mood for another lecture.

Leigh stepped towards her hesitantly, "Ivy…" she began softly taking her daughter's hand, "I know I haven't always been supportive of your decisions but I am truly proud of what you've achieved here. You have found the balance between your family and your life on stage which is something I never managed to get right. You've found your light in this dark world and I no longer worry about you. You're happy and that's all that matters, and I wish you the best of luck on your wedding day my darling girl." She leant in and kissed her forehead gently.

Had Ivy not been concerned her makeup would be ruined, tears would have been falling down her face. Moments of genuine care from her mother had been rare throughout her life, it meant so much that she chose to express this love on the day of her wedding. "Thank you," she whispered squeezing her hands tightly.

"Mommy! I did it!" announced Scarlett proudly as she ran down the corridor towards them, her cream dress swaying around her ankles.

Ivy smiled broadly, "well done baby! Now remember what I told you, you're going to do your really important job of walking down the aisle with Grandma and smiling at everyone, ok?"

The little girl looked nervous but nodded slowly taking hold of Leigh's hand tightly, "ok…"

David offered Ivy his arm and kissed her cheek as the large double doors opened for them, "this is it," he said quietly, "I love you, Princess."

"I love you too Dad."

Ivy's world then began to move so slowly, as if everything had been paused just to allow her to register the details she may have otherwise missed. She watched as her mother confidently stepped through the doors, walking at Scarlett's pace, flashing her much practiced smile to the guests sitting on either side of the aisle. Her daughter did not have such confidence yet, but Ivy could see that with encouragement from her Grandma she too was sporting a toothy smile which could melt the hearts of the most stoic of people.

The wedding march was ringing in her ears as it was her turn to step out. 'It is just another curtain call,' she kept telling herself. 'You have performed for thousands of people. What is saying a few lines in front of friends and family?'

The truth was she couldn't define why she was nervous, she just was. She couldn't control her heart as everyone's eyes turned to face her. Ivy could hear the murmurs, see the smiles, but she couldn't see him. She needed to see him. There weren't many people she could recognise amongst the crowd, Derek had a lot of family and friends who were unfamiliar to her. Her nerves steadied as she saw Eileen and Nick, and then Julia and Michael. She held her head up and grinned in their direction, this was her moment.

Then further down the aisle, the end was in sight, and the only person she really wanted to see came into view. Leigh and Scarlett had taken their seats and her line of sight was now clear. And there he stood. Dark grey hair combed, but still untamed, Ivy liked that. His suit was sharp, and matched his best man and her Guys of Honour with a cream waistcoat and purple flower in his right buttonhole. His eyes were tired, there was a reason he was late, but now was not the time to know it. Nothing else mattered.

Derek Wills looked up and took in a deep breath. He had never seen her look so beautiful. He smiled at the sight, and she smiled back. If someone had tried to speak to him, he would not have been able to find the words. His heart swelled with pride and love for the woman walking towards him, he didn't know what he had done in his life to deserve such happiness. He would forever be grateful that Ivy Lynn didn't give up on him, and God, there were so many times she could have. But, such times were gone.

David kissed Ivy's cheek once more as they concluded their entrance, and he shook Derek's hand firmly. He placed daughter's hand in her fiancé's and took his seat beside Leigh on the front row. Derek circled his thumb over her soft skin. "Hi," he whispered.

"Hey." Her grin was so bright it radiated her happiness. All nerves had long since disappeared.

"Are ready to be my wife?" he asked calmly, though even the great Derek Wills was concerned she may be having last minute doubts.

But, there was no doubt in Ivy's mind. She squeezed his hand tightly, "I've never wanted anything more," she replied turning towards the registrar who was waiting patiently in front of them. And no truer words had ever been spoken.