Wedding Bells
The Guardsman Chronicles, Chapter Fourteen
by Rick Federle
The group materialized at the temple, behind the main
building, where there was plenty of privacy. The sun had just set
and the shadows were fading into night. The Guardsman turned to
look at the Scouts, who stood watching him warily. Venus took a
hesitant step forward, her eyes questioning. "It's really me." He
told her, holding out his arms to her.
Venus took another hesitant step than ran to him and
jumped into his arms. He spun her around as she pressed her lips
against his, spinning her around once before setting her back on her
feet. "I love you." Mina whispered quietly as the kiss broke and
their transformations shimmered away.
"I love you, too." William agreed, resting her forehead
against hers.
The two raised their heads as the other approached. "Thank
you." Mina told them, turning her head to look at the other girls.
"I'm sorry I went off like that earlier." Mina apologized. "I kinda
lost my head."
"It's okay, Mina." Serena told her. "We forgive you."
The others echoed Serena with a nod.
"Let's get married." William drew Mina's attention back to
him.
"We will." Mina promised.
"I mean right now." William clarified. "There's no reason
to wait."
Mina looked at him for a heartbeat. "We'll need some
witnesses."
"What about the girls?"
"What about a best man?" Mina asked.
"Will I do?" A voice asked, causing the others to look over
at the speaker.
"Darien!?" Came the chorus.
"But how did you get here so fast?" Serena asked.
"I was in Japan anyway and William called me and told me
something was going on so I hurried to get here." Darien
explained, joining the group.
"Anything else?" William asked.
"What about rings?" Mina stalled.
"I think I can find a jeweler open even at this time of
evening." William exchanged a smile with Mina.
"All right. Let's do it." Mina kissed him again.
"Mina!" Mina's parents ran out of her house as she stepped
out of the car. They flung their arms around her, hugging her.
"When Amy called and said you had run out on them crying, we
were worried."
"I'm fine." Mina reassured them. "You remember
William." Mina said as William came up behind her.
Her father's eyes darkened as Mina's parents let go of her.
"So this is the man who's been keeping you away from us."
"It's not like that, papa." Mina stated. "We love each
other."
"Sure you do." Her father agreed. "Why don't you come
inside and we'll talk about it?"
"Actually," William put his hands on Mina's shoulders,
drawing a frown from her father. "We were on our way
somewhere and wanted to ask you to come along."
"And where is that?" Her father asked defensively.
"We're getting married." Mina stated, reaching up and
resting her hands over William's.
Her parents stared at her in shock. "That's nice, dear." Her
mother said after a moment. "But are you sure? I mean, have you
thought it over? It sounds rather sudden."
"Yes, mother." Mina shook her head. "We decided a long
time ago to get married. We were just waiting for the right time.
Now that I'm eighteen there's no reason to wait any longer." She
looked at her father. "Will you come?"
Her father nodded slowly. "If that's what you want, then
we'll go along with it."
"And so I pronounce you Mina and William . . . "
"Johnson." Mina interrupted, causing a number of raised
eyebrows at the choice of last name.
"Johnson." The person performing the marriage agreed.
"You may kiss the bride."
Mina threw her arms around William neck as he leaned
forward to kiss her. The kiss was enthusiastic and very passionate.
"Save some of that for tonight." William murmured to her, causing
Mina to giggle.
"I love you." She smirked at him.
"I know, and I love you too." William agreed.
"Good." Mina kissed him again, just as enthusiastically.
"I can't process these until the morning." The chapel owner
told them on the way out. "You won't be legally married until
tomorrow."
"That's fine." William agreed, one arm around Mina's
waist. "Just mail them to me." The two emerged from the chapel
to find their friends waiting outside for them. Darien held the
passenger door of William's car open for them. The two paused
and Mina kissed William again.
"Just throw the bouquet already." Lita called.
Mina tossed it over her shoulder without removing her lips
from William's.
"SERENA!!!!"
Mina smiled as she stood looking out the window of
William's or rather their bedroom, watching the sunlight reflect off
the tree leaves as they rustled in the autumn wind. Her parents
hadn't meant for her never to come home again, she'd found out
when she had a chance to talk to them at the reception. Her
parents had agreed to have the reception back at the house and
once they had gotten over the initial shock of her being married,
they were delighted that she'd married someone who could take
care of her. Her father was happy that she'd finally found someone
who would be there for her.
Mina and William had come to what was now their home
and collapsed into bed, the entire ordeal had been exhausting for
both of them, physically, mentally, and emotionally. They'd slept
all night and she'd just gotten up to look outside. She leaned back
against William as he put his arms around her waist from behind,
resting her head against his shoulder.
After a moment, she turned to take him in her arms. They
looked wordlessly into each other's eyes for a moment. "The
nightmares are gone." William told her.
Mina smiled, drawing one from him as well. "I figured
when you weren't thrashing in your sleep like you used to." She
snuggled up against him and he rested his cheek on top of her head.
"You need a shower." Mina commented suddenly, raising
her head to look at him.
"And breakfast." William agreed.
"And breakfast." Mina echoed. "But I think we can skip all
that. I have something else in mind."
"Like what?" William looked at her, meeting her eyes.
Mina smirked at him. "Let's go back to bed. It's our
honeymoon, after all. And you know what couples do during their
honeymoon."
The Guardsman Chronicles, Chapter Fourteen
by Rick Federle
The group materialized at the temple, behind the main
building, where there was plenty of privacy. The sun had just set
and the shadows were fading into night. The Guardsman turned to
look at the Scouts, who stood watching him warily. Venus took a
hesitant step forward, her eyes questioning. "It's really me." He
told her, holding out his arms to her.
Venus took another hesitant step than ran to him and
jumped into his arms. He spun her around as she pressed her lips
against his, spinning her around once before setting her back on her
feet. "I love you." Mina whispered quietly as the kiss broke and
their transformations shimmered away.
"I love you, too." William agreed, resting her forehead
against hers.
The two raised their heads as the other approached. "Thank
you." Mina told them, turning her head to look at the other girls.
"I'm sorry I went off like that earlier." Mina apologized. "I kinda
lost my head."
"It's okay, Mina." Serena told her. "We forgive you."
The others echoed Serena with a nod.
"Let's get married." William drew Mina's attention back to
him.
"We will." Mina promised.
"I mean right now." William clarified. "There's no reason
to wait."
Mina looked at him for a heartbeat. "We'll need some
witnesses."
"What about the girls?"
"What about a best man?" Mina asked.
"Will I do?" A voice asked, causing the others to look over
at the speaker.
"Darien!?" Came the chorus.
"But how did you get here so fast?" Serena asked.
"I was in Japan anyway and William called me and told me
something was going on so I hurried to get here." Darien
explained, joining the group.
"Anything else?" William asked.
"What about rings?" Mina stalled.
"I think I can find a jeweler open even at this time of
evening." William exchanged a smile with Mina.
"All right. Let's do it." Mina kissed him again.
"Mina!" Mina's parents ran out of her house as she stepped
out of the car. They flung their arms around her, hugging her.
"When Amy called and said you had run out on them crying, we
were worried."
"I'm fine." Mina reassured them. "You remember
William." Mina said as William came up behind her.
Her father's eyes darkened as Mina's parents let go of her.
"So this is the man who's been keeping you away from us."
"It's not like that, papa." Mina stated. "We love each
other."
"Sure you do." Her father agreed. "Why don't you come
inside and we'll talk about it?"
"Actually," William put his hands on Mina's shoulders,
drawing a frown from her father. "We were on our way
somewhere and wanted to ask you to come along."
"And where is that?" Her father asked defensively.
"We're getting married." Mina stated, reaching up and
resting her hands over William's.
Her parents stared at her in shock. "That's nice, dear." Her
mother said after a moment. "But are you sure? I mean, have you
thought it over? It sounds rather sudden."
"Yes, mother." Mina shook her head. "We decided a long
time ago to get married. We were just waiting for the right time.
Now that I'm eighteen there's no reason to wait any longer." She
looked at her father. "Will you come?"
Her father nodded slowly. "If that's what you want, then
we'll go along with it."
"And so I pronounce you Mina and William . . . "
"Johnson." Mina interrupted, causing a number of raised
eyebrows at the choice of last name.
"Johnson." The person performing the marriage agreed.
"You may kiss the bride."
Mina threw her arms around William neck as he leaned
forward to kiss her. The kiss was enthusiastic and very passionate.
"Save some of that for tonight." William murmured to her, causing
Mina to giggle.
"I love you." She smirked at him.
"I know, and I love you too." William agreed.
"Good." Mina kissed him again, just as enthusiastically.
"I can't process these until the morning." The chapel owner
told them on the way out. "You won't be legally married until
tomorrow."
"That's fine." William agreed, one arm around Mina's
waist. "Just mail them to me." The two emerged from the chapel
to find their friends waiting outside for them. Darien held the
passenger door of William's car open for them. The two paused
and Mina kissed William again.
"Just throw the bouquet already." Lita called.
Mina tossed it over her shoulder without removing her lips
from William's.
"SERENA!!!!"
Mina smiled as she stood looking out the window of
William's or rather their bedroom, watching the sunlight reflect off
the tree leaves as they rustled in the autumn wind. Her parents
hadn't meant for her never to come home again, she'd found out
when she had a chance to talk to them at the reception. Her
parents had agreed to have the reception back at the house and
once they had gotten over the initial shock of her being married,
they were delighted that she'd married someone who could take
care of her. Her father was happy that she'd finally found someone
who would be there for her.
Mina and William had come to what was now their home
and collapsed into bed, the entire ordeal had been exhausting for
both of them, physically, mentally, and emotionally. They'd slept
all night and she'd just gotten up to look outside. She leaned back
against William as he put his arms around her waist from behind,
resting her head against his shoulder.
After a moment, she turned to take him in her arms. They
looked wordlessly into each other's eyes for a moment. "The
nightmares are gone." William told her.
Mina smiled, drawing one from him as well. "I figured
when you weren't thrashing in your sleep like you used to." She
snuggled up against him and he rested his cheek on top of her head.
"You need a shower." Mina commented suddenly, raising
her head to look at him.
"And breakfast." William agreed.
"And breakfast." Mina echoed. "But I think we can skip all
that. I have something else in mind."
"Like what?" William looked at her, meeting her eyes.
Mina smirked at him. "Let's go back to bed. It's our
honeymoon, after all. And you know what couples do during their
honeymoon."