Gene Dandridge belongs to my good friend vkm11/boomba.

Renee looked up at the storefront with a sigh. Curie was able to go to Fallon's Basement for a wedding dress—or rather, a dress suitable for a wedding, as proper wedding dresses no longer existed—but Renee was forced to go to a different store for her wedding wear. Wicked Aesthetics, owned and operated by one Gene Dandridge…who just so happened to be Piper Wright's new flame, if the rumors she'd heard were to be trusted. She sighed again.

The door opened and a dark blue Assaultron poked her head out. "Oh! Ma'am, can we help you?"

"Is that a customah?" A voice asked. Gene.

Might as well get it over with. Renee nodded and entered the store. She looked around and found Gene behind the counter. "Sorry to bother you, but—"

"Wait, I know you." Gene leaned on the counter, one ebony eyebrow arched. "General of the Minutemen, right?"

"Yes, that's me."

Gene frowned. "Pipah's told me a lot about you."

Renee winced and shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I'm sure." She cleared her throat. "Listen, I'm getting married soon and I need a suit."

"Married, huh?" Gene straightened. "Well, I can help you with that." She walked out from behind the counter.

Up close Renee realized Gene was much taller. She looked up at the woman. "O-oh."

"What? Is theah a problem?" Gene's eyes were narrowed again.

"No, no problem. Just, uh, I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Renee Jones." She held out her hand.

Gene just looked at it before brushing past her. "Gene Dandridge."

Renee took a deep breath. "You know, I'm trying to be a paying customer here. The least you could do is be decent."

Gene stopped and turned slightly. "After what you did to Pipah I should just throw you outta heah."

"That is none of your business." Renee faced her. "Piper and I parted amicably—"

"Theah wasn't anything amicably about it." Gene crossed her arms. "You hurt her. She trusted you. And you just fucked her ovah."

"I did no such thing!" Renee felt her anger beginning to rise. "She was asking me to choose between her, or my son and the entire Commonwealth!"

"She nearly died because of you!"

They stood only inches apart now. Renee's gaze flitted over the shopkeeper. Dark, intense sapphire eyes, shoulder-length black hair, pronounced muscles even through her bomber jacket… Renee got the feeling that in another universe she could be attracted to Gene. But not now. She looked away and exhaled in a rush. "I know. I was there, I'm well aware of what happened."

Gene referenced, of course, a particularly nasty fight against a Deathclaw where Renee was unable to protect the reporter, and Piper was badly injured as a result. She survived—obviously—but it was something Renee could never really make up for. She sighed again. "I know you don't like me. I get it. But I need a suit and if you're not gonna help me I'll go over to Fallon's."

"Oh hell no." Gene's eyes flashed and her demeanor changed in a snap. "I don't hate anyone enough to send them ovah theah. Follow me."

Renee blinked rapidly but followed after the shopkeeper. "Well all right then."

"Miss Jones?"

"Come in, Cods."

The door opened and Renee heard Codsworth jet inside. She put another bobby pin in her hair and tilted her head this way and that to look in the mirror. "What do you think?"

"You look quite…handsome, mum."

Renee turned in her chair with a smile. "Thanks." The smile disappeared and she sighed, gazing at the two gold rings laying nearby. "Codsworth?"

"Yes, mum." He floated closer.

"Do you think Nate would…" She shook her head. "What am I talking about. If it had been me who died he would've found someone else too." She chuckled bitterly. "It's not like he even waited for me to die before…"

Codsworth swiveled so all three of his eyes could focus on her. "Mum, don't you think you deserve to be happy?"

Renee looked up at him, her brow furrowed. "I…"

"Miss Curie loves you very much, you know. As do I, and several others." He reached his claw forward to rest on Renee's hand. "This world is not the one you left. I understand that. And I cannot imagine the hardship you have been through; I am, after all, only a robot. But I do know that you deserve to be happy. We all do."

She stood and wrapped her arms around his spherical body as best she could. "Thanks, Codsworth."

"I live to serve, mum." He pulled away from her. "Right then! Don't you think it's time you got married?"

"Heh. Yeah." Renee grabbed the rings and dropped them in the pocket of her slacks. She spared a final glance at herself in the mirror and straightened her tie. She wondered, briefly, if Nate was this nervous on their wedding day. "Lead the way."

She walked out of her new Sanctuary home and made her way down the makeshift aisle, lined with candles. The late afternoon sun cast an orange glow over everything. Preston met her at the end and stood off to the side. "Lookin' good, General," he whispered.

"Thanks, Preston." She smiled.

Codsworth situated himself at the very end of the aisle as he would be officiating. "Ready, mum?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

Codsworth nodded and gestured to a nearby settler. They started up a holotape Renee managed to get from a trader in Diamond City, and soon an old French tune crackled through the player. Renee swallowed hard. Her heart beat hard in her chest and she forced herself to remember to bend her knees lest she pass out.

A few stragglers to the wedding slid into their seats. Renee was pleased to see that Piper, Nat, and, yes, even Gene had come. Nat waved while Piper gave her a weak thumbs-up. Gene just crossed her arms and looked bored.

"Nous aurons pour nous l'éternité. Dans le bleu, de toute l'immensité." The holotape player rang out.

X6-88, also wearing a suit minus the tie, strode down the aisle. He still wore his sunglasses and was obviously uncomfortable, but Curie insisted he be in the wedding party. "Since you 'ave been so helpful to Renee and myself," she'd said. And X6 couldn't refuse that.

He nodded at Renee. "Ma'am."

"Thank you, X6." She returned the nod with a smile.

"Dans le ciel plus de problems. Mon amour, crois-tu qu'on s'aime?"

As the song swelled, Shaun led Curie down the aisle next. He had her on one arm while his other hand gripped his cane. Renee's breath caught in her throat. She hadn't seen the outfit Curie picked for the day, and even she had to admit the Synth looked so much better than she did on her own wedding day, over two hundred years ago. A modest white dress hugged Curie's curves, stopping just above her knees. And she was smiling, gazing directly at Renee.

"You okay, General?" Preston nudged her.

Renee blinked and felt a single tear roll down her cheek. She nodded, reaching up to swipe it away. "Never better." Her heart beat faster now. All at once she began to panic. Was she capable of protecting Curie? Treating her as she deserved? Loving her? Could she really care for the woman before her, until the bitter end?

"Dieu réunit ceux qui s'aiment…"

As the song ended, Shaun and Curie stopped just before Renee. Shaun glanced between them. "Well, Mother. I believe my job here is done."

Renee stepped forward to press a kiss to his wrinkled cheek. "Thank you."

"It was my pleasure." He smiled and looked to Curie. He patted her hand where it rested on his arm. "She's all yours. Look after her, won't you?"

"Nothing would give me more joy." Curie grinned.

Shaun stepped off to the side, next to X6-88, and Codsworth began the ceremony. Though honestly Renee wasn't paying much attention to his words; she couldn't stop staring at Curie. "You look beautiful," she whispered.

"Merci." Curie ducked her chin as she blushed.

"Ahem, mum?" Codsworth cleared his throat (as if he needed to).

"I do!" Renee snapped her head up to look at him.

"That isn't what I asked."

She rubbed the back of her neck. "Oh…"

Curie, as well as their small congregation, giggled.

Codsworth sighed. "I asked if you have the rings."

"Oh, right." Renee dug them out of her pocket and handed the larger one, the one that had originally been Nate's, to Curie. She prepared to slip the other onto Curie's finger.

Codsworth went into another spiel but Renee could only focus on how much her hands were shaking. Curie gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. It helped, if only a little.

"Well then, do you promise to love and cherish, no matter what may come, the woman before you?" Codsworth looked between them. "Miss Jones?"

"I do." Renee slid the ring onto Curie's hand.

"Miss Collins?"

Curie nodded. "I do." As Nate's ring was a fair bit larger, she had to slip it on Renee's thumb; but it was the gesture that mattered, after all.

Codsworth bobbed up and down. "Then by the power 'vested in me, I now pronounce you wife, and, well, wife. You had better seal this with a kiss before either of you change your minds."

And Renee grabbed Curie by the waist, pulling her close. She gave Curie only a moment for a breath before kissing her, bending her backwards.

Beside them, Preston whooped and threw his hat into the air. The crowd clapped and cheered and Renee pulled back. "I love you, Mrs. Jones." She smirked.

"I very much like the sound of zhat." Curie threw her arms around her wife and kissed her again.

Thank you for being patient while I took my sweet time to write this. Thank you for reading, as well! I appreciate it.