Standing on the edge of the cliff, Kara takes a big gulp of briny air. She lets the salty particles clean her lungs, then exhales slowly. She feels better outside, less constricted and oppressed ; less trapped. It's not really that she minds having everyone around, it's nice ; but at times the house gets overcrowded and she feels like she can't breathe, like the walls are going to cave in on her, and she has to step out, no matter how awkward it makes her feel to flee her own childhood home. Eliza doesn't seem to mind though, which is a small comfort. To be fair, she doesn't seem to mind either her house absolutely overflowing with people. Alex, Kelly, Sam and Ruby might go back to Patricia's house at night, but this still leaves J'onn on her couch, Nia and Brainy in her small guest room, and Kara and Lena in the former's bedroom ; there is only one bathroom. She's probably happy to see them all for another reason than one of them getting hurt or outright dying. An engagement and the arrival of spring are much happier things to celebrate.
She hears footsteps approaching, doesn't need to turn around to check who they belong to even if this is not who she expected to come find her. The steps are deliberate, quiet yet easy to distinguish from the come and go of the waves far beneath her feet. J'onn pauses behind her, breathes in too, then sits at her side.
"I made this with your mother," he says, handing her a piece of lemon cake wrapped in a napkin.
"I didn't know you baked," Kara remarks.
J'onn turns his gaze to the sea. "Occasionally."
Kara lifts the piece of cake, "thank you," she says, and takes a large bite out of it, crumbs tumbling all over her jeans. "It's very good," she mumbles, mouth full.
J'onn laughs, hands her another napkin so she can clean the mess. "Thank you. I thought you could use a little pick me up."
Kara sighs and takes another bite, remembering to swallow this time before she speaks. "And you were right," she says. "Thanks. It's, um, a little loud in there."
"In there, in your mother's house, or in your head ?" J'onn asks.
His question is warranted, but his wisdom is annoying, and Kara sighs. "Both," she says, trying to instil as little weight as she can in the word.
"I've come to realise we might be a little overbearing," J'onn remarks, "and if that's the case, you can tell us."
"I can't blame you for that," Kara mumbles. "I got kidnapped, tortured, and also lowkey died what, a year ago ? It's bound to be stressful for the people who care about me." She takes another bite of cake, just so she has an excuse to shut the hell up.
"'Lowkey ?'," J'onn repeats with a short laugh. "You spend too much time with Nia."
"I don't spend nearly enough time with her," Kara counters, hastily swallowing her mouthful of cake. "I don't spend nearly enough time with everyone."
"Because you blame yourself for the heaviness of the world and spend too much time rehashing this in your head."
Kara scoffs. "You spend too much time with Kelly," she says, echoing his previous words in deflection.
"I'm 300 years old Kara, I don't need a degree to psychoanalyse you."
Kara rolls her eyes at that, but before she can think of something or another to throw back at him, slowed down in her process because she doesn't want to be mean, J'onn slaps his knee, and gets to his feet.
"Come," he says, "I'd like you to try something."
Kara hastily pushes the last of her cake into her mouth, struggling to both chew and get to her feet at the same time. She stumbles, teeters a little too close to the edge, and takes a large step back, reducing a huge rock to thin powder in the process. J'onn starts leading her higher up the cliff before she's had any time to really gather her wits.
They climb until they can't go any higher, the forest at their back, the ocean and the open sky in front of them. Kara imagines that she can feel her legs and lungs burning from the effort, like they would if she were normal. The view is admittedly gorgeous, bright blue sky with nary a cloud in sight, deep blue sea with snow white foam ; Kara feels at peace here, but she still doesn't understand why the change of scenery was needed, and she lets J'onn know exactly that.
"Why are we here ?" she asks bluntly.
J'onn doesn't answer right away. He marks a long infuriating pause instead, casting his wise gaze over Kara and the ocean in one fell swoop. "What Lex did to you," he begins eventually, "is terrible. But what you're doing to yourself is unfair." He raises a finger to stop her from interrupting and she could ignore it, but her curiosity is piqued. "So I want to open two paths for you. If you're okay with that of course."
Kara nods, hesitates then says, "okay." Her agreement to listen to him is not contractually binding, is it ?
"Either," J'onn says, "we find a way of inhibiting your powers, striping you of them temporarily or permanently. Or," he pauses in what to Kara appears to be a needless dramatic effect, "you jump off that cliff, and fly."
Kara chokes on her next intake of air. Her first instinct is to reply, quite vehemently, that she isn't going to jump off a fucking cliff ; but she stops herself before she can say it aloud. She stops herself, words stuck halfway between her brain and her mouth, not of her own volition, not because her entire being revolts at the idea of deliberately using her powers, but because her hearing tunes it, despite herself, on Alex's heartbeat trekking through the woods to join them here. If Kara didn't have powers, if she weren't who she is, she wouldn't have caught that plane, her sister would be dead right now, and this is more insurmountable than the thought of being an immortal destructive robot. If Kara didn't have powers, if she didn't make good use of them, she wouldn't have stopped that bullet, Lena would be dead too, and that thought is more haunting than her worst nightmares.
Behind her, Alex emerges from the forest, grumpy, out of breath and so full of life ; Kara jumps off the fucking cliff.
The fall lasts forever, and if she's being honest, Kara entertains the thought of not taking flight and simply crashing into the waves below. It wouldn't hurt, it might even be refreshing, but if she makes the inconsequential effort of reversing her course, of flying instead of falling, Alex will live, and Lena will live, she will live, and Lex will have lost, once and for all. She lets her feet graze the crest of a wave, and rockets up.
She keeps close to the cliffside as she flies, not caring much to adjust her angle until she shoots straight past the edge and above the tree line to the sound of Alex incredulous laughter. She hovers in place for a moment, not feeling particularly free or any lighter but alive at least, alive for sure.
J'onn morphs into his true Martian form and takes off after her. Together, they take a lazy lap around the world, flying past cities, lakes, mountains, competing with birds and dragging their fingertips against treetops and clear cool streams, until they're over Midvale again and touch down, Kara all but stumbling into her sister's open arms.
Alex holds her tight, tight enough that it might be damaging for her human body, and whispers, right in her ear, "I'm proud of you. So, so proud of you."
They get ice-cream after, a shit ton of it, with cookies and brownies and chocolate sauce and, in Kara's case, two strawberry milkshakes because she's thirsty. They talk, a lot, making up for lost time and Kara's silences, Alex cries about her upcoming wedding, not because she's nervous, but because this time, her sister will be at her side. When the sun is starting to set, they're joined by Lena, and Kelly, and Sam, because "it's dinner time dammit !" and one of them is an adult sized child who cannot wait one more second to stuff her face with her mother's lasagna.
They start making their way back to the house, Alex sandwiched between her wife and her fiancée and Kara and Lena right behind, Lena's hand a little cold in hers, like it always is. She squeezes it, tugs on it and smiles when Lena gets the hint and slows to a stop.
"What ?" Lena asks, smiling too but clearly a little confused.
"Thank you," Kara says, basking in the last rays of this day's sun, "for sticking up with me."
Kara is well aware that her constant pacing has sailed straight through endearing, rocketed clear past annoying, and landed firmly in "for the love of Rao stop doing that" territory ; but she just can't stop. To her credit, Lena doesn't complain, but she's also been engrossed in her phone on and off all morning so she might not even be aware of Kara's existential crisis going on a few feet away from her.
Kara straightens her tie, then does it again, tugging on the other side just in case she straightened it too much the first time. Should she even be wearing a tie ? Her suit is going to be covered by her robe for the major part of the ceremony anyway but she doesn't want to risk overshadowing any of the three brides ; this always seems to be a major problem in movies and she doesn't want to cause any trouble. She looks down at her light grey suit, takes in her pristine bronze boots ; she absolutely needs to change, doesn't she ?
On the couch, Lena finally puts her phone away in a small clutch that is definitely not big enough to store the amount of snacks Kara needs to alleviate her anxiety. "Kara ?" she calls out. "Love ? You're going to wear out your soles."
Kara stops dead in her tracks, raises her head from where she's been observing her shoes and just stares at Lena. At the foot of the couch Krypto exhales loudly, midway through a sigh and a snarl ; she thinks he might be fed up with her.
"I've never officiated a wedding," Kara squeaks, "I've never even been to a wedding. What if I mess up and ruin everything ?"
"You're not going to mess up," Lena says kindly, "but if you do," she continues, rising from her seat to come redo the knot of Kara's tie, "then it's okay. It'll be a fun story to tell to the children."
"It's not fun, it's Alex's wedding !"
"And Alex loves you," Lena says, kissing her on the corner of the mouth. "Just don't trip while you walk her down the aisle and the rest will be okay."
Kara freezes. She hadn't even considered the possibility of stumbling, but now that Lena's brought it up, she doesn't see any other outcome to the situation. Of course she's going to trip. And probably leave a Kryptonian sized indent on the floor of the venue too and Lena will have to write yet another check to fix something that she did.
"You're not going to trip Kara," Lena says decisively. She's got that look on her face though, the one that tells Kara she's suddenly afraid she's spoken it into existence. Just for that reason, Kara is going to do her best not to blunder down the aisle.
Lena smooths her thumb on her cheek, then steps away from her and walks back to the couch where she delicately picks up the folded Kryptonian ceremonial robe. It's deep blue, with golden highlights on the edges ; an exact replica of what Kara would have worn on her planet, and it makes her heart ache a little. Lena looks at it for a long moment, smiling softly, then unfolds it carefully, and makes her way back to her. She helps her into it, passing it over her head without messing her hair and fastening it at the front with a golden brooch bearing the crest of the House of El. It's brand new, done especially for the occasion, and its design mirrors, down to the engraved words, Lena's necklace currently resting perfectly on her pale exposed skin right above where her cleavage disappears in her black floral and flowy dress.
She takes a step back again, presses her hands on Kara's shoulder and down her arms under the pretext of smoothing her robe down, then grabs both of her hands and lifts them to her mouth, leaving a perfect lipstick mark on her knuckles. "You look terribly handsome darling," she says, "it should be illegal."
Kara gulps. Now that the robe is arranged properly, she does feel terribly handsome, and good about herself, and so Raodamned happy ; and she can't stop thinking about her own wedding. She knows it's considered improper to get engaged on someone else's big day, but she also knows Lena carries her bracelet everywhere and they could do it right now, quickly, and just not tell anyone.
No sooner as the thought entered her mind that she's already dropped to her knees, Lena's hands clasped tightly in between hers. Lena arches an inquisitive eyebrow, eyes her with the beginning of gleeful understanding.
"Lena I..."
Behind Kara, the door bursts open.
"You better not be eating her out right now," Alex says rabidly, "I am having a crisis."
Kara flounders to her feet immediately, clears her throat nervously and turns around to see her sister standing on the threshold, face flushed, eyes wide, lips trembling at a speed somehow different from the rest of her body.
"James called," Alex says, "he is definitely not coming and Kelly was very upset, of course, but Brainy stepped in and offered to be her brother for the day and now she's cried her whole makeup off and Sam is hyperventilating for an undefined reason and I've sweat through every layer of my clothes and God ! Kara ! What is that fucking robe made of ? I'm dying here !"
"I'll go see how I can help," Lena whispers, padding out of the room quickly after she's kissed Kara's cheek. The door closes behind her silently and Kara is at her sister's side in less than a second.
"Take off the robe," she says, her hands already tugging at the heavy garment covering Alex.
"I'm not taking it off," Alex heaves, batting her hands away. "Sam is Kryptonian. We are doing this the Kryptonian way."
"You're suffocating," Kara snaps. "I promise you can put it back on before the ceremony but right now you need to take it off or there'll be no wedding at all."
Alex stops fighting and Kara pulls the garment over her head in one clean motion, discarding it on the floor in favour of loosening her sister's tie and opening the first few buttons of her shirt.
"You're panicking," Kara says, "but you're alright. Okay ? I swear it, everything is okay. Just breathe with me." She grabs Alex's hand, places it over her own heart and breathes in deep. "Breathe with me okay ?"
Alex takes one shuddering breath. "I don't know why I'm freaking out."
"Shhh." Kara cradles Alex's hand to her chest, inhales deeply again in encouragement, "just breathe."
It takes a while for Alex to stop shaking, for her to get her breathing and her heart under control, but when she's settled down a little, and Kara no longer fears crowding her, she gathers her in her arms and rocks her side to side, humming quietly.
"You're freaking out," she says, "because it's your wedding day and you're nervous. You're going to be the centre of attention because you're my handsome big sister and everybody is happy for you and you're probably going to sweat some more and it's going to be terrible but you and your wife are marrying the woman you have loved your whole life, and it's worth it."
Alex nods shakily. "It's worth it."
"Are you having second thoughts ?"
"No !" Alex shouts, loud enough that Kara can't help but wince at the volume. "None at all. I'm just really really nervous. And you weren't here for my first wedding so it's really important that it goes right and-"
"You're going to do great," Kara cuts, "I know it." She steps away from the embrace, frames her sister's face in her hands gently, barely applying any pressure at all, and leans in to kiss her forehead. "Now," she adds, "you're gonna go freshen up, put the robe back on, and go get married. And I'll be there every step of the way."
Alex sniffles, rubs at her eyes and frowns when her hands come back covered in black mascara flecks. "Will you make sure I don't trip down the aisle ?"
Kara smiles. "I promise you'll make it safely to the altar."
They settled on an outdoor venue ; a bright open space just outside of Midvale, next to a wide flower field, and outlined with worn trellis and white gauze. Bees bumble around, mixing in with the low buzz of conversations ; and the altar has been arranged to stand right in the middle of a circle of light, the canopy breaking open to let the sun shine unfiltered. Three aisles lead to it and Kara stands at the very back of the middle one with Alex clutching desperately at her arm. She's still not entirely convinced that her sister isn't going pass out ; either from the stress or from the heat.
They wait silently as the guests make their way in, shepherded to their seats by the coordinated efforts of J'onn, Eliza and Patricia. Lena sits at the front, an open spot for Ruby at her left. Kara keeps her eyes on her, her gaze trailing on her exposed neck, her skin glistening softly with sweat. She can smell from here the truckload of sunscreen Lena applied this morning. Tangerine and vanilla is what it says on the tube, but to Kara she smells like a freshly baked cake, appetising, no doubt delicious, and terribly attractive.
The first long note drags her out of her daydream. It immediately melts into a second one to form a continuous airy sound, deep, and previously unheard on this planet. Kara counts three beats, and starts walking. They've practised walking in step, but the whole experience is still nerve wracking, with everyone's eyes on them and their fear of tripping on the imperceptibly uneven ground. Like Kara promised though, they make it to the altar unscathed, and she leaves Alex to the side so she herself can go stand behind it, hands clasped in front of her, shoulders straight.
Kelly walks in next, from the aisle on the left, and her gait is light and giddy as she makes her way to them at Brainy's arm. Kara swallows a clump in her throat, shakes her head softly to herself to hold back her tears at the sight of her, bright and happy in her deep blue House of El robe. At the altar, Brainy leaves her with Alex, clasping their hands together before he walks to his seat, tripping on his feet in the process.
Finally, in come Sam and Ruby from the right. They walk in time, their excited happy faces contrasting sharply with the severe grey of the House of Vex. Kara watches as Alex and Kelly move in tandem and zero in on Sam, their lips spreading in equally as bright smiles. Mother and daughter stop a few feet away from the altar, just on the edge of the light, on their rehearsed marks, and let out a twin shaky breath. Kara smiles at them softly, trying to project a wave of calm and confidence even if now that the ceremony is about to begin her heart appears to have decided to break through her ribcage. She closes her eyes as the music swells to a stop and when she opens them again she is ready to do what she never even dared to dream of.
"Friends," she says, "family, children of your Houses, we are gathered here today under the light of Sol to witness the union of two great Houses, their fires rejoining to become one. Rao has shone down on me, and it is as his humble servant, and as his voice, that I stand before you now." The calm Kara feels now is no longer an illusion. She spreads her arms wide, her metal hand shining under the sun, and continues.
"For many centuries, the House of El has shared its power and wisdom with the children of Krypton, and Earth, but from today on, it will stand stronger, better, for two incredible souls are about to join its ranks. Friends, let us open our hearts and homes so that Sam, and Ruby, last scions of the House of Vex, can step safely into the light and shelter of the House of El." She turns to Alex and Kelly, draws strength from them, and resumes her speech. "Alex of the House of El, and Kelly of the House of El, do you accept Sam and Ruby amongst you, to treat them as your equals, and protect them as your own, so that they may thrive at your sides ?"
Alex and Kelly nod, and speak in unison. "We do."
"And Sam of the House of Vex, and Ruby of the house of Vex, do you renounce your ties and privileges to your House, do you swear to be doing so of your own free will, to join the House of El and treat its children as your equals, to protect them as your own, so that they may thrive at your sides ?"
Sam and Ruby nod too, their faces equally serious. "We do."
Kara inclines her head, biting back a smile. "Then I," she says, voice loud and solemn, "Kara Zor-El, daughter of Zor-El, himself son of Seg-El, welcome you into my House. You may shed the robes of your past, and step into the light."
There is an awkward moment, a lag in the ceremony, during which Ruby struggles out of her robe, gets stuck halfway out of it and ends up bumping blindly into her mother, in turn causing her to stumble and teeter into the light before she's fully out of her own robe. A full minute of fumbling and throat clearing later, they both manage to get free of the heavy grey of Vex, and together, Ruby hanging on tight to her Yeyu's hand, they step into the light. It shouldn't carry that much significance here, in a place where Rao doesn't shine, but it does, and Kara gives up on holding back her tears, letting them fall freely while Alex and Kelly help Sam and Ruby into their new garments and pin their new crest to their chests. Krypton may no longer be here, Rao may no longer shine on her ; but Kara's house lives on.
Slowly, she starts clapping, intent on leading a round of cheers and applause before they move with the program, but before it can really take off, she finds herself engulfed in the biggest hug of her life, two Kryptonians and two humans pilling up on her with enough enthusiasm to make her knees buckle. She lets out a loud sob against Sam's shoulder, squeezes whichever limb she can reach, then wiggles out of the embrace and wipes at her wet cheeks awkwardly.
"Alright," she says, clearing her throat, "now that I've made a fool of myself, time to make everyone else cry. On with the wedding."
Ruby skips to her seat, happily settling next to Lena who timidly waves at Kara. Once the room has settled again and Kara has not so subtly waved back, she carries on with the ceremony.
"Friends, family, we are still gathered here today," she says, interrupting herself to let a chuckle run through the crowd, "under the light of Sol, to celebrate the union according to the ancient laws of Krypton, of Alex Danvers-Olsen, Kelly Olsen-Danvers and Sam Arias, Daughters of the House of El. Now, I'm sorry, but there's a boring bit I have to read so bear with me." She stops herself, grabs and smooths in her hands a piece of heavy formal paper that reeks of ink and administration.
"Following article 13 of the Alien Immigration Act and considering that Samantha Arias', hereafter S. A., Kryptonian origins have been demonstrated via DNA testing, that S. A. is of age according to the laws of Krypton and the United States of America, that S. A. has committed no punishable offence and that S. A. benefits from the full rights of citizenship, S. A. is allowed to partake in a polygamous marriage with Alexandra Danvers-Olsen and Kelly Olsen-Danvers. Following the union, and should all parties consent, S. A. will be known on Earth as Samantha Arias-Danvers-Olsen. This union will be fully recognised in all fifty states of the United States of America as well as in all countries of Earth signatory of the Alien Immigration Act." Kara inhales loudly, swears under her breath, and exhales just as uncouthly. "Do all parties consent to the union ?"
The three brides nod in unison, then, faced with Kara's silence and realising they need to give a verbal answer, they nod again, this time with a happy and unanimous "yes." Alex, whose fingers were up until now tightly threaded with Kelly's, reaches out with her other hand to hold onto Sam's, squeezing it lightly before she turns her attention back to Kara.
"Great," Kara says, "I thought so but I did have to check anyway for legal reasons." Another laugh sweeps through the room. Kara locks eyes with Lena for a brief second, smiles, then returns her attention to the brides. "Before we proceed with the vows, I would like to say a few words. Less boring, or at least I hope so." She breathes in deep, taking the time to gather herself so she isn't the first one to break. She has a feeling it won't work, already wants to cry all the tears in her body, but she tries anyway.
"I never thought I would be here today. For multiple reasons. Here, first and foremost, at my sister's wedding, for those of you who are unaware of that little annoying fact, I was dead the last time, but here, also, at a Kryptonian wedding, officiating a Kryptonian wedding. Now, that isn't a thing we did on Krypton, marrying for love. I'm not saying that we'd eradicated all feelings and emotions, but in most old Houses, we married for convenience, and love was only an afterthought. However as I stand before you today, I have no doubt that the wedding that takes place today is born of deep mutual love, of the likes I've never seen before, and I couldn't be more proud of the trust you three have vested on me." She pauses, clears her throat, feeling both incredibly parched, nervous, and unbelievably light and happy. "I've been told you have prepared some words. Who would like to go first ?"
"I'll go first," Sam says, smiling softly, before it quickly devolves into a frown and she sighs. "So this is a bit embarrassing, but I'd written a whole speech and it's in the pocket of my suit which is under my robe so I'm not stripping alright, just trying to reach it. What are these robes even made of ?"
"Merino wool !" Lena shouts from the crowd, cupping her hands around her mouth in a terribly endearing manner.
"Oh," Sam mumbles, "that's expensive. Not gonna criticise it."
Part of her words are lost to the guests as she starts wiggling to reach her pocket under the heavy garment, but Kara hears her loud and clear. Her own attention though is quickly divested to her sister who is also wiggling out of her robe. "My speech is also in my pocket," Alex grumbles when she catches her eyes between the folds.
When a minute before, Kara was fighting hard not to cry, the battle she wages now is against a poorly timed fit of laughter. She knows there's no way she'll win when Kelly starts stripping off her own robe, much more gracefully. "I didn't write anything down," she says, "but I couldn't let these two make idiots of themselves without me."
Kara sighs, barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes at the spectacle. Sam finally extirpates herself from her robe and retrieves her speech, but just when Kara thinks they'll be able to resume the ceremony in a timely manner, her friend seems to suffer from a minor malfunction.
Her eyes are fixed on Kelly's silhouette and after a second of complete silence, she croaks, "sorry. Wasn't expecting the dress." She glances at Alex, probably trying to gauge her reaction, but it's no use ; Alex is lost to the world, eyes glued to Kelly's shoulders like they're the Eighth Wonder. Kara clears her throat, to no avail.
To be fair, it is a spectacular dress. Light blue, the colour not unlike Kelly's first wedding dress, but in a completely different cut, long and fluid with a slit running mid thigh on the right side and an open back, as if the tailor encountered some sort of fabric shortage while making it. Her outfit is the paler of the trio, Alex's suit being just a shade darker and Sam's just a smidge deeper ; and they complement each other perfectly.
Kelly smirks. "Can we get married now ?"
"I second that idea," Kara says, with just a hint of false exasperation.
Sam glances down at the cards in her hand. They tremble a little, a byproduct of her obvious nerves. "I don't believe in love at first sight," she says eventually, "I honestly think it's a ridiculous concept. Recognition at first sight, now, that is real. When you see someone for the first time and your heart just knows. I was nine when I met Alex, and some will argue that I might have been a bit too young to understand what was going on and they might be right, but I remember coming home after school that day and telling my mum that I'd just met my best friend in the entire universe, and that I was going to spend the rest of my life with her. I was wrong." She pauses, smiles a little crookedly, a smile that Kara knows by heart, then continues. "I was wrong, for various reasons of various sizes that I will not dwell on right now because they are not all happy, but let me just say that if you'd told twenty years old me, bawling my eyes out on a Greyhound to Metropolis, that not only would I be here today, but that I would get to experience twice as much love, I would have probably started screaming."
A sniffle reaches Kara's ears. Alex is the one who broke first, and she watches as Kelly tenderly wipes a tear from her cheek before kissing her temple, her heels giving her the necessary height boost.
"I love you so much," Sam says, "you know that, right ? It's the first thought I've woken up with and the last thing I've thought about before falling asleep for years now. And if today I consider myself the luckiest woman in the world, that wasn't always the case. Especially after I experienced my second 'oh fuck it's you moment', with your then soon to be wife." She marks a pause there, for dramatic effect. "Really inconvenient if you ask me."
Kelly laughs good-naturedly. "Oh wow, thanks."
Sam pockets her cards, drops to one knee, and gently takes Kelly's hands in her own, holding them like they're the most precious and fragile thing in the universe. "I owe you so much, you know ? I owe you everything. For being there for her when I wasn't, sure, but also for taking me in as I am, and for loving me back when I didn't think that was possible, for showing me there is no such thing as too much love. Thank you, for cracking my chest open and making your home there. I love you."
Kelly wrangles her hands free from her grasp, frantically rubs them on her cheek and eyes before all her makeup can melt with her tears. "If this payback ?" she asks with a strangled laugh. "Because we proposed before you could ?"
Sam gets to her feet, smooths her hands down her slick trousers. "Yeah, because I'm such a spiteful person and plan on making your lives a living hell."
Kelly inclines her head to the side. "I look forward to it."
"You absolutely do not," Alex grumbles, "she can be a real asshole when she wants to."
Kelly gently elbows her, then turns her attention back to Sam. "You make me happy," she says, straight from the heart, no notes for support, nothing, "extremely happy. And not to make this into a competition, but I think I'm the lucky one. You say I showed you there is no such thing as too much love but see, Alex showed it to me first. She taught me that. I remember being so confused, because I was so heartbroken, still so in love with Dylan and yet I loved her so much and I didn't understand how my small shrivelled heart could fit so many people inside. On insight, I feel ridiculous. There's always been so much space in my heart, so much space for you. Some days, I still can't believe you're in my life, but I think you were destined to be. I was always going to love you, so don't thank me for it. My heart didn't give me the choice and even if I've had it, I would have still chose you."
Someone sniffles loudly in the crowd, Kara clears her throat with some difficulty, surreptitiously wiping a tear from her eye ; Alex is sobbing like a child. She stops mid gasp when she notices everyone looking at her, lets out a shuddering breath, and frowns, looking rather annoyed for someone who is getting married. "I should have gone first," she mumbles, "there's no way I can top that."
"Just read your cards babe," Kelly says, tucking away a strand that has come loose from Alex's gelled hair.
Alex ruffles in her pocket, extracts her notes, and flips the card for everyone to see ; it's blank.
"Last time I got married I wrote a whole speech and I didn't read it, so I thought I'd do without, keep the card for moral support. I think that was a bad idea." She pouts, wipes her nose with her sleeve, and lets her eyes wander between Kelly and Sam. She looks both small and radiant, and it's in moments like this that Kara remembers that technically, Alex is the younger one. Her sister is so strong, usually larger than life, that she often forgets that compared to her, she's nothing but a baby, a fragile and emotional child. "I'm just the idiot who loves you," Alex says softly.
Sam shrugs. "It's good enough for me."
"But it's not for me," Alex says, her broken tone rendering most of her words inaudible, "and if I don't tell the whole world right now how much I love you, I won't be able to breathe." To prove her point, she takes another difficult breath, the air catching in her throat. "It's just," she continues, "I never thought I'd get to have it all, and some mornings when I wake up and you are both there, it still feels like a dream. If it's one, I never want to wake up. I am the lucky one. And yes, this is a competition, and I intend to win. I am the lucky one, because I get to love and treasure you both for the rest of my life. I am the lucky one because I get to be loved in return in ways I didn't thought were possible."
She pauses to catch her breath, Kara can hear her heart beating wildly, and she knows Sam can too. Alex steps away from her wife, and slowly makes her way to Sam, stopping when there's nothing but a mere inch between them, and they stand chest to chest. "I am the lucky one," she croaks, "because I won't ever have to miss you again, because you came back and you tried and," she turns around, keeping a hand pressed on Sam's heart while she looks at Kelly, "there was a place for you." She pauses again, briefly, and closes her eyes. "I promise to love you both, to give you my all, until the end of everything, and beyond."
With measured controlled steps, she regains her place between Sam and Kelly, looks up at Kara, eyes brimming with tears and says, "can you do the think now before I start crying again ?"
"You haven't really stopped crying," Kara remarks, vividly aware that she's crying too and maybe shouldn't make fun of the bride if she doesn't want to be roasted to hell and back. "But sure, let's move on." She clears her throat, distantly wondering how it's possible she still has one after coughing like that so many time and speaks, as loud and clear as she can.
"Samantha Arias of the House of El, do you take Alexandra Danvers-Olsen, and Kelly Olsen-Danvers, of the House of El, here present, to be your wives, to love, cherish and protect, to treat as your equal in all things, in sickness and in health, now and forever ?"
With steady hands, Sam grabs the bracelets Kara hands her, and slowly slides them on, first on Alex's wrist, then on Kelly's. "I do."
"And Alexandra Danvers-Olsen, and Kelly Olsen-Danvers, of the House of El, do you take Samantha Arias of the House of El, here present, as your wife, to love, cherish and protect, to treat as your equal in all things, in sickness and in health, now and forever ?"
In tandem, Alex and Kelly grab the remaining halves of the bracelets, and slide them on Sam's left wrist, one after the other. They remain close to her, and with teary twin voices say, "we do."
"By the power vested on me by Rao and the State of California," Kara says, "I now pronounce you wife and wife and wife, you may kiss the bride. The brides."
Seamlessly, because it was always meant to be this way, Sam kisses Kelly, Kelly kisses Alex, and Alex kisses Sam. The room erupts in cheers and applause, and with the attention definitely off of her, Kara allows her happy tears to fall freely. She catches sight of Lena in the crowd, holding Ruby in a one armed embrace while she dabs at her eyes with one of Kara's handkerchiefs. The next couple at the altar will be them.