Disclaimer : I don't own the characters !
4 and a half months before the wedding !
S.W.A.T. HQ !
A quiet morning. No criminals to prosecute. No doors to break down. They had spent the morning practicing against Rocker's team in a mock hostage situation, with Hondo's team winning. At the start of the afternoon, the team had a workout / boxing session.
"Preparations are progressing ?" asked Deacon, who was holding the sandbag as Street punched into it.
"Yeah, slowly but it's going well." replied the latter. "I'm helping Chris the best I can, but luckily the girls are helping out."
"I bet they are." Deacon said. "Do you know where you're going on your honeymoon ?"
"Yeah, it's already booked, and Hicks has already validated our week off, plus the two days before the wedding." Street said, catching his breath. "Chris is bugging me trying to figure out where I'm going to take her, but I'm not giving up. And I'm also in charge of the song for our first dance."
Chris, who had heard the conversation between the two men from the ring, took support on the ropes and interfered in the discussion.
"And I would like you to tell me a little more about what song you have already discarded, and about your choice of destination for our honeymoon."
"Um..." Street said, pretending to think. "No, I wouldn't say anything even under torture."
"How about you get in the ring ?" she offered. "If I knock you out within, say, five minutes, you throw it all at me."
"I would knock you out in half." Street replied.
"Ooh !" Luca said. "Attention everyone, the bride and groom challenge each other."
"Have some trust in me." Street said, ignoring Luca and their colleagues. "And I prefer that we challenge each other in private."
"Why does it always have to be about sex, the two of you ?" Tan asked.
"Just cover your ears." Chris replied.
"I give up." Tan sighed.
"Chris, get out of this ring !"
It was an oddly familiar voice. Annie and Bonnie appeared.
"What are you doing here ?" Tan asked them.
"We came to get Chris." said his wife, who addressed the young woman. "Come on, get out of this ring and take a shower. You have ten minutes."
"Since when did you become bossy like that ?" laughed Luca.
"She's always been like that." Tan said.
"I'm on call until tonight, I can't leave like this." Chris said.
"Yes, you can." Hicks arrived as well. "You have your afternoon."
"Eh ?"
"You are getting married in exactly eighteen weeks." Annie said. "And it's time we went shopping and found you your wedding dress."
"But I still have time." Chris told them.
Annie and Bonnie crossed their arms, not taking their eyes off Chris. She abdicated, took off her gloves and hurried into the locker room to take her shower. Street met Annie's gaze, and they exchanged a knowing wink.
"Did you do it all ?" Luca asked him.
"I don't know what you're talking about at all." Street replied.
But the smile he wore said quite the opposite. He took off his gloves, put them in his gym bag and went to the locker room. A towel around his neck, he waited for Chris to finish her shower. He'd locked both locker room doors for some privacy, and he'd done well because Chris was only carrying a towel around her.
"You're lucky I locked it." he said to him.
"Did you organize this shopping spree ?" she asked, hands on hips.
"Maybe." He smiled, approached her and took her in his arms. "It bothers you ?"
"Are you going to tell me to get me the dress of my dreams ?" she quipped, not without a smile.
"Exactly." He kissed her. "Why do you think I work with Deacon in his security company ? I've already settled everything with Annie, all you have to do is go for fittings, and if you find your dress, then it's great."
"What if I can't find it ?" she asked.
"You will try again another time." He kissed her again. "Get dressed before your bridesmaids come and break down the doors to drag you away."
"If I have to find myself a dress within five months of the wedding, you have to find yourself a tuxedo." she told him.
"What do you think I'm going to spend my Saturday afternoon doing ?" he said. "I love you."
"I love you too."
He placed a kiss on her neck, before disappearing in the showers.
...
Annie Kay was an organized and resourceful woman. She had not hesitated for a second to agree to lend a hand to Chris for the organization of the wedding. She had helped her find the right design for the invitations, and today, while planning the bride-to-be's bachelorette party, she drove Chris downtown to find the perfect dress. If, in the shop where she went, nothing pleased the young woman, they would try again next time in another shop. With the complicity of Street, who had provided her with all the dates when Chris was off, she had made a list of all the bridal shops in town. It will be a daunting task, but she would succeed, with the help of Bonnie and Erica, in ensuring that Chris finds the perfect dress.
Entering the shop, she took things in her hands and spoke with one of the sales assistants who led them into the vast fittings area.
"So, what kind of dress are you looking for ?" asked the saleswoman.
Blonde, early forties and very elegant in a red suit dress, she stood out against the white of the dresses.
"Sober, and in which I can move with no doubt."replied Chris. "And that would go with my size."
"Leave your template out of this shop." advised Annie.
"I agreed." says the saleswoman. "I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for among our dresses."
"Let the fitting begin !" Bonnie said.
An hour passed, and Chris had tried on more than ten dresses, none of which pleased her.
"Too tight !"
"Too big !"
"Too much frills !"
"Not enough movement space !"
"Uncomfortable bustier !"
Etcetera, etcetera… at least, until…
"Wow !" Bonnie breathed.
"How do you feel about this one ?" asked the saleswoman, who had exited the booth before Chris.
"Amazingly well." she answered. "I don't feel pressured."
"Look at yourself in the mirror !"
Chris stood in front of the large mirror, and she smiled. She turned to her bridesmaids, who were also smiling.
"I think it's the right one."
"You think ?" Erica taunted. "You're perfect in it. Street will fall backwards."
"Okay, the case is settled." Annie said. "Go change. Unless you have to make alterations ?"
"No, the cut is perfect." Chris said.
"So I'll pick up the dress within the week and keep it at home." Annie said.
Annie moved away with the saleswoman, while Bonnie and Erica helped Chris out of the dress. Still following Street's instructions, Annie reserved the dress in the name of the bride-to-be, and handed over a wad of cash to settle the payment.
...
"How can a wedding dress be so expensive ?" Chris asked. "At least $300."
"Some make over a thousand dollars." Bonnie pointed at him. "It's a luxury, what can you do about it ?"
"To say that I will only wear it once." Chris sighed.
"If you're worried about money, know that you don't have to worry about it" Annie reassured her. "Jim took care of everything. He does a great job as a private security guard, and he earns very well with the few jobs he has had. If he does this, it's so that you can have the wedding of your dreams."
"We should have gone to Vegas, like Mumford did." mumbled Chris. "So, what are we doing now ? Looking for your bridesmaid dresses ?"
"No, it will wait a bit." Annie said. "We'll go find you a pair of shoes to go with the dress, then we'll just have to go shopping and put together a nice clothing for your wedding night and your honeymoon."
"For that, I would have to know where Jim is taking me." Chris said. "And no matter how much I try to get him to talk, he won't spill the beans."
They continued their shopping. Shoes for Chris, and dresses for the bridesmaids, finally. They took less time to find the right model and the right color than for the wedding dress.
Chris walked home, dropped off by Bonnie, and plopped down on her bed. She didn't really like shopping, even though she had spent a wonderful afternoon with her bridesmaids and friends. Without getting up, she kicked off her shoes, before settling into bed, lying on her side, her nose buried in her fiancé's cushion. She inhaled his scent deeply. She had never imagined, even in her wildest dreams, that she would be married when she was not yet thirty, let alone her partner/best friend, who had become, and that was it couldn't be clearer for her, the love of her life. She knew it now. She couldn't imagine her life without Jim Street.
The bed sagged behind her, and an arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her instantly from her sleep. The smell of an eau de toilette she knew very well reassured her.
"Jim !"
"How was your day, my love ?" he asked in a soft voice. "Have you found what you wanted ?"
"Yes !" she nodded. Chris opened her eyes and rolled over in his arms. "But the price was…"
He cut her off with a kiss.
"We don't care about the price." he reminded her. "Tell me more about your shopping spree with the girls."
"Oh, they wanted me to make a special clothing for our honeymoon, but I don't know where we're going." said Chris, who pouted like a child. "Give me a hint, please !"
"It will be wam." he said.
"But still ?" she insisted.
"You can invest in bikinis and beach accessories." he added, before silencing her with another kiss. "Enough questions. I would prepare the rest. Trust me."
"I trust you." she assured. "But I don't like not knowing."
"You will know in due time." He stroked her lips with the tip of his thumb, tracing the outline with a glint in his eyes she knew all too well. "I love you !"
"You've already told me twice today." she pointed out.
"I could tell you fifty times a day, if I wanted to." he smiles. "And you were supposed to answer me I love you too."
"I love you too !"
"Hmm, better !"
He sealed their lips and his hand slid down her back, feeling her ass in the process as she wrapped her leg around him. There was a knock on the door, loud enough to interrupt them.
"What ?" cried Street.
"The food is there." Luca replied.
"OK !" Street looked back at Chris. "Where were we before that bastard interrupted us ?"
"Um, I think your hand was caressing my butt." she says.
"Like that ?" he whispered, suiting the action to the word. She nodded. "What else ?"
"Your tongue was in my mouth." she breathed.
Mouth which she opened to allow him to plunge said tongue into it, which found hers on the spot.
When they finally got out of the room, it had been thirty minutes. On the menu : pizza.
"Sorry I fell asleep. I could have prepared something." Chris said.
"We'll burn calories chasing suspects down the street." Luca joked. "So, did you find your dress ?"
"Yeah. Annie picks it up within the week." said Chris, who lifted a box to take a slice of cheese pizza. "And I'll check in with her while you gentlemen are looking for the perfect tuxedo for Jim."
"Don't worry, we're going to make him more beautiful than ever." Luca said. "Are we watching a film, or are we continuing The Big Bang Theory ?"
"I vote for the gang of degenerate geeks." Street said.
"The same." Chris agreed.
They brought the boxes of pizzas to the table and, once seated, Luca launched Netflix and they spent the evening chaining episode after episode, and laughing out loud. When Luca offered Street a video game after cleaning up the traces of their meal, Chris left them between men time to go take a shower. Dressed in leggings, and a hoodie that belonged to Street, she went to retrieve her phone from the coffee table and kissed her fiancé on the corner of the mouth.
"I'm going to bed." she told him.
"I'll be there in five minutes, enough time to teach Luca a lesson." Street said.
She rolled her eyes with a smile. He spent five minutes during which the two friends challenged each other on the console before turning it off.
"She knows what you're up to ?" asked Luca who, contrary to what they both made believe, knew perfectly well what the bridegroom was up to.
"No, and that's fine like this." he replied." He got up from the sofa. "And I'm counting on you to keep it a secret."
"My lips are sealed." Luca promised. "I never thought I'd say this to you one day buddy but, I'm proud of you. And I'm surprised at all the trouble you're giving yourself. We can say that you put the real deal, as if you wanted to win the title of the best husband of the century."
"Oh, just the best husband of the year, that will suit me very well." Street joked, before turning serious again. "I just want it to be perfect."
"It will be, whatever you do." reassured his friend.
Street finally joined Chris, after a jump through the shower stall, and slipped into bed after putting on a jogging. She moved closer to him instantly.
"I don't like sleeping without you." she muttered.
"Me neither, but it will have to be the day before the wedding." he told her, hugging her. "And we have no choice when I have to work with Deacon."
"I know." She placed a kiss on his chest. "We should have gone to Vegas."
"Too late !" he smiles. "And I intend to make everyone cry with my vows."
...
Saturday arrived, and the future groom found himself at a tailor's with his three best men, plus Deacon, who wouldn't have missed it for the world. After taking Street's measurements, the tailor made him try on several tuxedos, and each time his colleagues and friends always found something to complain about...until he left the booth after the sixth fitting. Trousers and black jacket over a crisp white shirt. The cut of the tuxedo was perfectly symmetrical to Street's build, and he could move easily. A bow tie and a pocket square – perfectly folded in the pocket of the jacket located on the heart side – in navy blue to add a touch of color.
"What do you think ?" Street asked.
"That you are ready to get married." Hondo said.
The tailor, after giving his more than positive opinion, made the final adjustments, and the rest was just paperwork. And the store also offered shoes, and the pair that matched the tuxedo was added. It was decided to return once a month until the day before the wedding for adjustments, if they were necessary as a last resort.
"Can we go eat ?" Street asked.
"Yeah, good idea !" Luca replied. "I'm paying."
They sat down on the terrace of a food truck.
"Have you started writing your vows yet ?" Deacon asked.
"Not really." Street replied, before explaining: "Every time I try to start them, I cross out what I write and start over. I figure I'll know what to say when I come face to face with Chris on D-Day."
"Yeah, that's an idea." Hondo said.
"Annie told me that Chris was frustrated that she didn't know anything about what you're planning for your honeymoon." Deacon said. "She tried to tears something out from me but, since I don't know anything..."
"No one knows what you're up to." Tan said.
"Oh yes, I know." Luca said. "But I'm bound to secrecy so don't expect me to spill the beans."
"You only know because you heard me make the reservation for the hotel." Street retorted.
"We know how to keep a secret, you know ?" Hondo told him.
"Yeah I know, but I'm a little paranoid and I don't want Chris to know everything right now." Street said. "She knows I'm taking her somewhere warm and there will be a beach. The rest is confidential until the last moment."
Their dishes were brought to them, and they chatted, carrying Hondo about his relationship with Nichelle, who had got off to a flying start. After a long open-hearted discussion, the Sergeant and the head of the youth center had given themselves a second chance, and it worked perfectly. Hondo had even met the young woman's parents.
"You better take her to the wedding." Street told him. "Your mom and Darryl have their own invitation, so you have no excuse not to have a +1 to dance with."
"Who knows ? You may be the next to get married." Luca teased.
"What about you ? Who is this mysterious girl you've been talking to for months ?" Street asked. "She's Bonnie's girlfriend from the wedding ?"
"Nah, that's ancient history, and you don't know her." Luca said.
"You said too much." Deacon said. "Do tell."
Four pairs of eyes locked on him.
"Okay." he breathed. "Her name is Ally, and I have known her for a long time. We lost sight of each other for a few years, and we bumped into each other a few months ago."
"You have known her for a long time but still ?" Tan insisted.
"We were together in high school." finally admits Luca. "We brokeup by mutual agreement after graduation, even though we loved each other. I went to police academy, and she joined the Marines."
"Where did she serve ?" asked Hondo, himself a former Marine.
"Twice in Afghanistan, and once in Iraq." Luca said. "She returned to civilian life a year ago after the death of her father, who was Admiral. And there, she just lost her mother last month."
"Did you know them well ?" Deacon asked.
"Yeah, they were great, and they immediately welcomed me into their family when I dated Ally." Luca explained. "As she was an only child, her father was very proud that she decided to serve. Her mother a little less because she didn't want to lose her."
"It's understandable." said Street, who cracked a smile. "Are you going to invite her to the wedding ?"
The smile that Luca wanted discreet was not so much.
"Did you finally find a woman who could handle you ?" Hondo teased him. "We want to know her."
"I haven't always been a difficult person to live with, okay ?" Luca said. "It's just that after Ally, I could never get back to what I went through with her."
"She is the woman of your life, don't go further." Deacon told him.
"I knew it the minute I saw her. Luca admitted. "Okay, I'm not the bridegroom then, spoof Street a bit."
The concerned rolled his eyes.
3 more chapters will be updated this sunday. I wasn't planning on keeping posting my translation here because of the lack of reviews, but I will finish what I started ^^
