Guess what!
I still have nothing but my imagination.
~~~
Sorry it took so long, but I have no experience writing about weddings or vows. I am more of an action adventure kind of girl. So, please forgive me if this chapter sucks.
~~
Salem Park
1 year Later
Looking at her surroundings, Mac once again felt out of place. Here she was an invited guest to what people called the wedding of the year, and she would rather fight off a group-armed gunman with a toothpick. She glances at her "date" and finds that O'Neil seems to be enjoying himself, and looks quite at home at this little town gathering.
"Smile, Mac or people will think you don't want to be here." Patrick had seen the look of distress that came over his friends face, and he could understand it completely, after all Mackenzie and Machiavelli had been invited to a lot of social events during their time, but Mac had always found a way to make it part of a mission. She was always working, and for once she had to attend a function without the benefit of her disguises, or covert operations.
"Why, I am even here?" Looking around she saw many of Salem's finest citizens, and tries to find a reason for an ex-DiMera mercenary, but can't find one. "Shouldn't this day be reserved for family and friends."
"You saved my daughters life, several times, you count as both in my books." At the sound of Craig Wesley, Mac turns and is greeted by the sight of not just the chief of staff but also his bubbly wife.
Mac stands and shakes the man hands and turns to take Nancy's when she taken in the woman arms in what could only be called a bear hug.
"Thank… you… Dr. and Mrs. Wesley, I'm honored."
"Think nothing of it Mac, after all we've done how could we think of you as anything else." Nancy pats the mercenary's' cheek, and smiles at her. "Now, you'll have to excuse us we have a daughter to marry off."
Mac watches as the couple walks off, and remembers the moment that Craig Wesley is talking about.
FLASHBACK
"What happened to my protective big sister?" Christian raised a questioning eyebrow as he moved the gun to point it at Chloe. "Are you honestly going to defend her against me, your own flesh and blood."
"Don't remind me that I'm related to you, I have enough shame just being in the same room with you." Mac raises the gun and fires three shoots before Christian can get off one, her brother gets pushed back by the fore of the bullets but raises his gun again and fires toward Chloe. Mac pushes Chloe to the floor taking the bullet in her arm.
Mac struggles to get up and is just in time to see her grandfather standing over Christian firing several shots into her brother. He looks over at her and smiles. "I knew that as usual Machiavelli, you would rise to the occasion and serve your family well."
Mac looks, but can only hear the words he saying, but suddenly she not seeing Stefano, but a young Hank Red Wolf, as he teaches a much smaller Mac how ride a horse. "One day Mackenzie all this will be yours, and I know you will serve your family well." Mac eyes tear as she remembers her real father and coming back to reality sees the man responsible for his death.
"Thank you, I do my best." Stefano smiles, but the grin is short lived when he sees Mac aim her gun again, but this time with him as the target. "Stefano DiMera, today is the day you lose, permanently."
Mac pulls back the hammer, and is about to fire when the door bust opens and reveals Patrick O'Neil and John Black and what had to be most of Salem PD.
"NO, MAC." O'Neil rushes farther into the room and raises a hand to stop his boss. " DiMera can do his time, like any other criminal."
Stefano gives a maniacal laugh as he puts his gun down, following the polices' orders but sends Mac a wink as his snaps his fingers, leaving the room in complete darkness, except for the light that emits form Mac guns as she fires several shots in her grandfathers direction.
The lights come back on, and stunned is the only word that can describe the reactions from the audience in the room as several officers move to stand where Stefano was last see, and where he body now lies stationary and unmoving.
John goes to the body and checks his pulse." He's dead."
Flashback Over
Those two words were the sweetest Mac has ever heard. Looking back it was probably the best day of her life. The though brings a grimace to her face. It's a sad thought that the happiness moment in her twenty-seven years is when she realized that she had killed her three members of her dysfunctional family.
Mac turns and catches O'Neil, staring at Lucas Roberts and his wife Greta, with a look of envy and longing. She takes the time to look at Patrick O'Neil without his approval. Thinking of him without any of her usual criticisms and mercenary outlook, she notices that Patrick is not like her other agent. Her agents are usually like her, anti social, military minded people, with no family or friends to speak of. O'Neil however seems to get along with people, and didn't seem to enjoy being in the Red Wolf Society.
Patrick felt her looking at him, but decided to just let her; Mac did just what she wanted to anyway. He had been happy that they had been invited to the wedding, and the when Mac suggested they go together he had to hide his excitement, he knew that she was just trying to deal with everything that had happened and he was content just to wait until Mac decided she wanted him.
"I was thinking." Mac sees O'Neil turn to her and continues. "Maybe it was time to step back and reevaluate the Society, after all there's no need to keep this secret low profile vigil, with DiMera gone." O'Neil just nods his head. "I was thinking maybe a vacation is called for and of course as my second in command you are more then welcome to come along."
"Are you asking me to come away with you?" Patrick tried to hide a smile, but it was just too funny to her his confident friend, hem and haw over something.
"Mac narrows her eyes at the smile. " Yes, but I am only asking once, so you in or you out?"
"Sure, why not."
"Good decision O'Neil."
"You know, after what's happen you think you can start calling me Patrick."
Mac tilts her head, and closes her eyes as if she's in deep thought, and when she opens her eyes he sees a twinkle that he never thought existed in her eyes. "I like O'Neil better, but whatever."
Patrick opens his mouth to say something, but is stopped by the start of music.
It was strange music for a wedding march, it sounded like a song from Sound of Music, but Mac couldn't be sure, since she never really watched much of the movie, once she realized there was any fighting in it she had gotten bored with the plot, but it did seem familiar.
She stands with rest of the guest as Chloe comes down the aisle on Craig's arm, and tears up when she notices the raven-haired girl sends her a smile. Shaking the tears away hopefully before anyone can see them she watches as Chloe joins Brady at the specially decorated gazebo. She takes her seat when the reverend begins the ceremony.
"We are gathered here today to join this man and woman in holy matrimony."
"Marriage is a sacred state, and should only entered into when both parties are unsatisfied with the thought of spending their life without their partner." "Brady and Chloe have reached that point, and I'm honored that I could be here for their joining."
The gray haired reverend looks toward Craig. "Who gives this woman to be married here today?"
"Her mother and I do." Craig takes Chloe hand and kisses it before joining it with Brady's. He smile at the couples and steps back to take his seat, and comfort a distraught but happy Nancy.
" If there's anyone here that knows of any reason, why this two should not be joined together in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your piece." The park got deadly quiet, until it seemed as if Philip Kiriakis was about to speak, but several glares from various guest in attendance kept him quiet.
"Good, it is at this point that the vows are recited, but with Brady and Chloe not being average people." The reverend stops as the guest laugh at his assessment of the strange but happy couple, and continues when they stop. " This is the part where they recite they're written vows."
Chloe turns and hands her bridal bouquet to Belle, as she turns back to the love of her life. "Brady Victor Black, my best friend, soul mate, and black knight in shining armor." Chloe stops to catches her breath as the emotion of the moment catches up with her as Brady takes his hand caresses her cheek. " I once believed that my life would be complete when I was attended Julliard, but you made me see thing s differently." "Then I met you and you began questioning everything I had ever put stock in, and I want to thank you for that." " You helped open my eyes and gave me my family and friends, and you gave me love." "Unconditional, unstoppable, and unwavering love, and I the only way I can properly say thank you, is by spending the rest of my life making you as happy as you made me. "
Brady tries to blink away the tears that Chloe words had caused, but finally gives up, as he moves closer to take both her hands. "Chloe Michele Lane, My best friend, love of my life, and my Diva." "Amazingly enough I am for once speechless." The guest begins to laugh at the thought of Brady Black being without words, but quieted down when Brady began speaking again. " Your beauty, intelligence, talent, heart, and soul, leaving me searching for the right words to correctly describe the feeling that you evoke in me, and I am finding that ignorance is indeed blissful." "I love you, and I don't need thank yous or anything other, then you to make me happy for the rest of my life. "
The reverend looks toward John and Belle, and nods. "The rings?"
The best men and maid of honor hand the couple the rings, and step back into their place, at the bottom of the gazebo steps.
"These rings are merely symbols of the love and commitment you share, they are only shaped metal, the love you feel for each other will bond you for until death takes you."
"By the power vested in me by god, and the sate of Illinois, I now pronounce you man and wife, you may now kiss your bride."
The kiss is supposed to be chaste and brief, but as usual whenever Brady and Chloe get together things quickly get out of hand. After the reverend spent a good three minutes coughing and trying to get their attention, Lucas had to intervene.
"Come you two, don't make us bring out the hose." Lucas leaves his place by John and walks up the step to drag his brother-in-law away form his sister. "I think the Reverend Peters had more to say."
"Thank you Lucas." Reverend Peters waits until Lucas resumes his place by John, and continues. "Ladies and Gentlemen it is my honor and pleasure to introduce to you for the first time Mr. And Mrs. Brady Victor Black."
As Mac watched the woman she thought was her sister run down the aisle with her new husband, she was overcome with the feeling of wholeness, a feeling she hadn't felt since her parents died. O'Neil catches the look of contentment on her face and raises an eyebrow.
"This Patrick is what they call a happy ending."
The End
Or
Is It?