PerspectivesII: Epilogue
Perspectives II
MarshAngel

Epilogue

Serena awoke the morning of her wedding feeling extremely nauseous. Mina had warned her about this god-awful feeling. She hoped she wouldn't feel this way for the rest of the day. She had stopped taking her birth control pills a good three weeks ago, knowing Darien wanted children as much as she did and as soon as they were married. She had intended to surprise him but if she threw up all over his tuxedo in the middle of the ceremony, it wouldn't be quite the surprise she'd intended.

After spilling her guts to an accommodating toilet bowl she felt much better. She went over in her head all the details that three mothers and two fathers and a host of aids and a wedding coordinator had taken care of. All had gone smoothly and here she was the day of the wedding more excited and hopeful than she had been at any other moment in her life.

The entire female section of the wedding party had stayed at her father's house, While Darien Michael, and the other guys had spent the night in the hotel in which the bachelor party had been held. She wasn't too worried about what went on, after all how badly could Darien or Michael have misbehaved with their fathers-in-law in the same room?

He knew he was dying. He must be dying. His head was pounding beyond all belief. The light from the windows was piercing through his skull like a hot laser.

"Uggggggghhhhh." Darien tried to get up but half the body of his fellow groom-to-be Mike was thrown across his, in the same condition as his own.

"Get off me, you ass!"

"Will you two please cut it out! I have a headache!"

"Shut up Jay!" Mike and Darien yelled at the price of having the ringing of their own voices echoing through their ears. From below them somewhere on the ground, Nick groaned, his fingers still hanging on, as if for dear life, to a large bottle of Russian Vodka. What the hell had they been thinking?"

"Room service," two cheery male voices sang out, mocking the horror of their situation.

Everyone groaned, squinting through half open eyes to see the two fathers-in-law-to-be walking through the door looking far more refreshed and spry than anyone should be allowed after a night like the previous one.

"We've brought the cure for what ails you!" Richard yelled to his inattentive audience.

"Move your lazy butts, you've got a wedding to attend! I'll be damned if I'm going to let my daughter be surrounded by drunken fools on the most memorable day of her life!" Kenji yelled.

"Darien, Michael! Get your drunken asses over hear and get some of this medicine," Richard yelled at the two grown men sprawled on the mattress like strawless scarecrows. The young men groaned but managed to drag themselves up and out of their drunken stupor.
They stared at the glasses of brown liquid skeptically, taking a whiff of the disgusting smell emanating from the glasses.

"This is a cure for something?" Darien question skeptically. "Smells like pureed shit and dog pee!"

"Just drink it!" The two men yelled, watching as Mike and Darien tentatively lifted the glasses, giving them one last long hard stare. The two men gave each other a final look as if wishing each other the best of luck in the afterlife, before pinching their noses and pouring the brown concoction down their gullets.

Moments later, gasping and sputtering, but cured. They screeched out their disgust.

"What the hell was that shit?" Michael yelled slamming the empty glass down.

"An old family recipe, Kenji said, maybe I'll pass it down to Darien one day. Works fast doesn't it?" He grinned at the two disgusted but now sober young men who glared at him. It was very fortunate that looks couldn't kill or he'd have died a very painful death.

Neither Michael nor Darien bothered to mention to Richard and Kenji that their being drunk was mostly their fault. They'd insisted on challenging the two young men to a drinking contest. Obviously Darien and Michael had lost but they had no doubt in their minds that they had somehow been tricked.

Irene awoke to a rather enormous mess of blonde fluff sitting atop her.

"Wake up call, it's your wedding day!"

"Yes it is, and I'm entitled to sleep late without your fat butt on top of me!"

"Don't make me bite you! How can you think to spend so much time in bed. It's our wedding day for crying out loud! Get your lazy butt out of bed!"

There was no hope for it. She would have to get out of the comfortable bed. Serena was obviously excited, not that she wasn't, but a little extra sleep never hurt anyone. Serena got off her and allowed her to get up. Serena however was now standing on her bed, bouncing like an over-excited rabid bunny.

"I have news!" Serena was practically hopping with excitement. She had at first thought to let Darien be the first to find out but after the enormous plus sign had popped up in the bathroom just a few minutes ago she had to tell someone.

"Wait let me guess," Irene muttered sarcastically, "you're getting married." Serena was not to be deterred, she merely rolled her eyes.
"Guess again!"

"Just tell me!" Irene sapped irritably. She didn't like waiting for surprises.

"I'm pregnant! I'm going to have a baby!" Serena squealed hopping up and down. She hopped down from the bed when she soon felt that nauseous feeling building again. It probably wasn't a good idea to be hopping about like her little sister.

Irene's jaws hung open in shock, before she let out and undignified squeal.

"I'm going to be an aunty, I'm going to be an aunty!" They were both yelling and squealing happily and hugging each other until Serena, due to all the excitement, ran to hug the toilet bowl again and Serena's mother and CeCe came bursting in through the door.

"Is everything all right in here?" Ikuko questioned in a panicked tone! At the sight of Irene jumping around the room like an excited five year old who'd just been informed of a trip to Disney world, the two mothers sighed, reasoning that she was merely excitable because of the glorious day before them.

They reformed their opinion as they heard Serena finish the last of her retching and exited Irene's bathroom looking pale but composed.
"What's the matter sweetheart?" Ikuko rushed to her daughter's side. "You don't look so well. You're so pale!"

"I'm fine mom," Serena replied grinning happily, "You're going to be a grandmother!"

"What!" CeCe and Ikuko shouted simultaneously.

"I'm pregnant." Serena squealed for what wouldn't be the last time that day. Soon the entire house of females from Irene's mother and sister to the housekeeper, her bridesmaids, half of whom were more pregnant than herself, and the maids, knew Serena was going to have a baby.

It was as though a special request had been put in for the perfect day. The sun was shining and the view of the San Francisco bay and the Golden Gate Bridge seemed more beautiful than any previous day. Flowers and tents were being set up at the country club overlooking the bay while Serena and Irene stood in the living room of their house looking each other over. Neither had seen each other look more beautiful.

Serena's long pale hair had been piled atop her head in a mass of curls and topped by a crystal and sapphire tiara in a silver setting. Irene's brown curls had been put up in a similar fashion with deep mahogany tendrils drifting down to frame her face. Her own hair was topped by a silver tiara of amber and crystal, the colors shone in the sunlight every now and then reflecting the myriad of highlights in her hair.

Their dresses were very different from each other. Irene had chosen a modern gown with a fitted satin bodice that cut straight and low across the chest giving her cleavage that could make men blind, it had spaghetti straps and a was cut across the middle of her back. The tight bodice ended just above her hips where the layers and layers of sheer taffeta settled around her like a ball. She looked like a princess. The image was complete with two-tiered necklace of silver and white and yellow diamonds that were at least five times her age.
Serena had gone for something vintage. It was an extremely sexy slinky sleeveless white silk gown. That cut in a deep V down the front and an even deeper cut of draped fabric down the back that ended just at the lowest curve of her back. She wore a white satin choker with a single pear shaped diamond in front and had a long silver and crystal chain that ran down her back splitting into three separate chains that connected to the two sides of open fabric, the central chain ended just in the curve of her back in a round diamond solitaire that nestled itself in the delicate hollow formed by her curves. The dress had a moderate train and both brides had decided against veils.
Irene decided that her sister looked like an old Hollywood movie star. They smiled at each other enjoying the moment before they both went outside to the limos. Serena was happy to share the joy of this day with her sister. She could only hope they both remained this happy for all eternity. She didn't doubt in her heart that they would always be together; their immortal souls would forever be intertwined in an endless dance throughout time and space.

She also knew that one-day things would be very different. Although she'd made a promise to Raye and Lita that they'd be friends forever she couldn't promise them they'd always be in the same places. Destiny and the natural flow of life was guaranteed to take them all down different paths much as it had over the last few years. The memory of this day, more than a wedding, would be one of a time that they had been together physically but they had also been bound together spiritually. Even when they weren't all in the same place, in spirit they'd always be together.

She knew she should probably save the deep thought until after the honeymoon. There was no point in ruining her makeup with tears of mixed emotion now. She had a man to marry.

The bridesmaids awaiting the two gorgeous brides on the front steps were all beautiful in icy lavender silk. The gowns were simple spaghetti strapped dresses, with high straight necklines and low backs. They looked perfect even on the slightly swollen stomachs of Amy and Mina. In addition to Raye and Lita, two other tall women had arrived from Paris, friends of Serena's sister Irene. One was a tall beautiful blonde, the other, a slightly shorter aqua-haired beauty.

Darien waited nervously glancing at his watch every few seconds. Mike didn't seem outwardly nervous but Darien knew better. The poor guy was so stiff he wondered if he'd be able to move when the ceremony demanded it. The girls weren't late yet but by god was she cutting it close.

Had he not been too nervous to think, it might have occurred to him that Serena had never once been earl as far as he'd known her. She had been better recently and most people considered her reasonably punctual but by his standards she was always at least 49.5 seconds late for every event. He glanced at his watch again. If she didn't arrive soon she would be lat in approximately 25.42 seconds.
He began tapping his thigh again.

"Cut it out you're making me nervous!" Michael snapped through gritted teeth. Their four friends, Andrew, Nick, Jay, and Zach, as well as two new men, William and Marcus, grinned at the two nervous men.

"You don't need any help, you're as stiff as a board!" As if to negate that fact, Mike straightened the rose on his Tux. Darien opened his mouth to say something but lost the will when he heard the music began to play and a pregnant Amy led off the bridesmaids and Zach met her half way down the aisle. They were five seconds early.

He was getting more and more impatient as one bridesmaid after the other came down the aisle. It wasn't that he didn't want to see them, they were all very nice girls, but they were more like obstacles in front of his true goal.

Michael was equally impatient. When he finally did see her, the stiffness that had been in his body left him suddenly. She was like a princess. Women like her only existed in dreams. The tafetta swirled around her and every now and then he got a glimpse of her dainty feet in delicate silver slippers. He looked her over from head to toe his eyes resting for a long moment on the curve of her breasts before resting on her beautiful face.

Richard held her hand firmly in his as though not quite willing to give his daughter up to him. Irene gave him a reassuring pat on the arm however and he let her go placing her into Michaels care. She gave him a brilliant smile that made him want to toss her over his shoulders and jump to the honeymoon. He restrained himself however and continued the walk up the remainder of the aisle.

Darien could barely control the whoosh of air that left his body unwillingly at the sight of Serena walking down the aisle with the bouquet of cream and peach roses in her hand. Perhaps she should have lifted the bouquet a bit higher to cover the exquisite display of cleavage the daringly revealing low v of the gown exposed. Of course there was also the sway of her curvy hips to be concerned about and nothing could be done about that. He couldn't wait to capture her from Kenji. The view of her beautiful skin as she turned slightly to kiss her father on the cheek almost stopped him in his tracks as he got his first glimpse of the back of the gown.

He sucked in some more air so he could manage to breathe again and took her hand from her father who gave him a look of warning before letting him take his daughter's hand. He was never happier when she looked up in his face with unconcealed love and joy. Had he been made of sugar he might have melted on the spot. He couldn't wait to take her into his arms. They might never see beyond their hotel room when they finally began their honeymoon.

The vows had been said, the champagne drunken, cake eaten and dances danced. The wedding had been pronounced an expensive exhibition of sophistication, class, and beauty born of pure romance by the society pages. The guest list had been exceedingly long, consisting of some of the wealthiest, most beautiful, and successful people to be found anywhere. The newly wed couples had hardly taken notice.
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Strafford and Mr. and Mrs. Chiba left the party held in their honor far earlier than anyone had expected. It had been no surprise however, considering the way the two men were taking in their new wives watching them like a stealthy lioness and her prey. They had taken the first opportunity to pounce on the beautiful women as soon as they had escaped the laughing, drinking guests.
Darien had been most impatient to get his new bride to himself, especially after she had merely whispered in his ear the most important news of the child nestled between them as they dance closely together. He had stopped and stared for a long while before kissing her to his hearts content. This was the stuff dreams were made of.

Tomorrow Michael and Irene would be settling in a small open hut surrounded by endless blue water, somewhere in Tahiti. Darien and Serena had chosen some hidden lodge in Austria surrounded by lush hills and snow-capped peaks. No one would be seeing them for a while.

Isn't she adorable? Darien held the baby high in the air, staring adoringly at her giggling, drooling face.

"She is sooooo cute!!"

Andrew and Mina rolled their eyes. They had never seen a man so nauseatingly obsessed with a small child before, especially one that was one of his own. Looking at him you'd never have guessed that he'd ever had to change a diaper, or quiet a squealing babe. He was so in love with his two young children. It was positively embarrassing!

"Oh please! He's fascinated because that little girl is a tiny replica of his wife." Lita said grinning, holding Darien's quiet son resting on her lap.

"Is Serena this nauseating with these kids of yours?" Andrew muttered. His own son was waddling around in a sandbox. The child was so unlike his mother, quiet and independent but with a brilliant smile he only offered to special people.

"Oh, please! What does she have to complain about! She gave birth to a pair of twins and then shrank down

to a size four two weeks later," Raye said bitterly. That is neither natural nor fair.

"Oh let it go Raye," Mina said. I'm sure you'll be equally resilient once you've give birth. It's not our fault you feel fat right now. We've all been there and done that, well except for Lita and Irene of course. Lita stuck her tongue out. She wasn't ready to have children just yet. Being surrounded by her friend's children however, she could almost change her mind. Irene had decided against having children so soon as well, she wanted a little more time alone with her husband. Lita supposed she felt the same way.

She hadn't known him long but at the same time she felt as though she'd known him forever. They were so in love and completely infatuated with each other. They figured they'd soon get tired of seeing each other for hours on end and then they would have children. So far she didn't see that happening. He was still and always would be the most beautiful man she'd ever known.

She looked over at Mina and Andrew sitting together under the tree their son a few feet away under their watchful eye. Raye was enormously pregnant, sitting on a bench waiting impatiently for her husband to arrive to rub her back. Amy and Zach were off together doing whatever it was they did when they were alone, probably a medical convention. Their tiny brunette angel of a daughter had been left in Mina's care and was playing happily with their son.

Life was so beautiful now that they were all together. One could only hope that it would last… forever.