Chapter 7
Title: Strangers in a Bar
Disclaimer: See an earlier chapter, s'il vous plait.
~(X)~
"I feel like a princess," Dana said, doing a full spin so her mother could see her from all directions. She came to a stop, and there was silence except for the rustling of the tulle and satin fabric which made up her wedding dress. Maggie stood, clutching a crumpled tissue, crying and smiling at the same time.
"Mom, would you help me with the veil please?" Dana asked, seating herself. Maggie stood behind her daughter and placed the rhinestone tiara and attached veil on top of her head, securing it with bobby pins.
She put her hands on Dana's shoulders and said, "This is your 'something old'." She fastened a string of pearls around Dana's neck. Dana watched Missy rise from the chair she had been sitting in across the room from them. She kneeled in front of Dana and said,
"Here's your 'something borrowed'," she paused, and handed Dana a set of gorgeous diamond earrings, which had been given to Missy by their grandmother when she turned sixteen. Dana put them in, feeling touched at the gesture. Missy continued, saying,
"Here's your 'something blue'." She grinned mischievously at Dana, who opened the box and found a blue and white garter inside. Dana laughed out loud, wrapping her arms around Missy saying sarcastically,
"It's just what I've always wanted." She rolled her eyes, and slipped it on.
"Now, about your something new..." Maggie began, but Dana looked up at her and smiled, saying,
"I think Fox has given me the perfect something new." She placed a hand on her swollen stomach, and gave her mother a nervous smile, saying, "It's time to go get lined up. The ceremony starts in a few minutes." Maggie gave her one last hug before heading off so she could be seated before everything commenced. Missy and Dana joined the rest of the bridesmaids who were lined up in the entryway of the church, bouquets in hand.
The doors were opened, and the music began playing. Dana took a deep breath, feeling her accelerated heart rate as she watched her bridesmaids walk slowly down the aisle and take their places at the front of the church. She jumped when she felt someone touch her elbow.
"You okay, Dana?" Bill, Sr. asked, nervous himself.
"I'm fine, Dad. Really," she replied. "Just jitters."
"Ready?" he asked, hearing the slow in the music.
"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied, and he helped her pull the veil over her face. The two linked arms, and stepped up to the doors. Evenly paced, Dana and her father walked down the aisle. The two paused, just as they had rehearsed the night before, and Bill Sr. lifted the veil off of his daughter's face, gave her a quick kiss, and replaced it. The ceremony progressed without event, and it came time for Dana and Fox to exchange vows . Fox spoke first.
"Dana," he began, pausing to look into her eyes. "I don't know that I ever truly lived before you. I felt trapped in my own skin. My work was mediocre and boring, my love life was...non-existent, and I felt like I wasn't going anywhere or having any fun. But you changed all of that for me. In the time I've spent with you, I feel like I've known you my whole life..." he paused again, and just as he was prepared to speak again, Dana gasped and put her hand on her swollen stomach. Fox looked at her in fear, and whispered, "What is it?" She looked up at him, with tears in her eyes and said,
"The baby kicked." She guided his hand to where she could feel the fluttering kick, and with her other hand, wiped away the tears which had slid down her cheeks. Father McCue looked at the two of them, whispering,
"Everything alright?" Fox nodded, and Father McCue said, "Continue."
"I um, I forget everything else I had to say," Fox said, turning red. There was some laughter from the guests, as well as the members of the bridal party. Dana grinned at him before beginning her vows.
"Fox, you were the best surprise of my life. I met you feeling in low spirits, but in a matter of hours, I felt that I could trust you, and I began to open up to you, and feel much better. I fell in love with you in a matter of days, and my feelings have only continued to grow stronger as time has gone on. Every day, you are my light, my touchstone. I love you, and I wouldn't want to spend the rest of my life with anyone else," Dana said, feeling the tears slip down her cheeks once again.
After the rings had been exchanged, it came time for the kiss. Fox lifted the veil away from Dana's face, and wiped away her tears. She smiled up at him, and stood on her tip toes. He put his arm around her waist, drawing her in to him. In an instant his lips were on hers, and Dana felt a shudder go through her body. The things that man could make her feel should be illegal. His hands were practically burning holes through her dress. The two had forgotten where they were until Father McCue cleared his throat, saying,
"If you don't mind, Dana and Fox, I'd like to wrap things up here." The two pulled apart and faced the guests, and Father McCue said, "I'd like to introduce to you, for the first time ever, Mr. and Mrs. Fox Mulder." There was applause, and Fox scooped Dana into his arms, practically running down the aisle as she laughed hysterically. They stopped in the entryway of the church, and Dana put on her jacket, as did Fox. Having forgotten something in the dressing room, Dana took her husband by the hand, and the two raced down the hallway. She picked up her purse from the table, and turned back to Fox. By the time they had reached the entryway of the church again, the guests had all lined up outside, and Fox and Dana were pelted by handfuls of birdseed. They rushed to climb into the limo, joining the rest of the bridal party as they headed off toward the restaurant were the reception was being held.
Hours later, after the first dance, and dinner and the cake, Dana and Fox stood on the balcony, under the stars. Her gloved fingers were laced with his bare ones, and they stood in silence, shoulders touching, breath creating clouds. They kissed again, and Fox said,
"Happy Valentine's Day, Mrs. Mulder." Dana smiled at him, kissing him before saying, '
"Happy Valentine's Day to you too, Mr. Mulder."
Title: Strangers in a Bar
Disclaimer: See an earlier chapter, s'il vous plait.
~(X)~
"I feel like a princess," Dana said, doing a full spin so her mother could see her from all directions. She came to a stop, and there was silence except for the rustling of the tulle and satin fabric which made up her wedding dress. Maggie stood, clutching a crumpled tissue, crying and smiling at the same time.
"Mom, would you help me with the veil please?" Dana asked, seating herself. Maggie stood behind her daughter and placed the rhinestone tiara and attached veil on top of her head, securing it with bobby pins.
She put her hands on Dana's shoulders and said, "This is your 'something old'." She fastened a string of pearls around Dana's neck. Dana watched Missy rise from the chair she had been sitting in across the room from them. She kneeled in front of Dana and said,
"Here's your 'something borrowed'," she paused, and handed Dana a set of gorgeous diamond earrings, which had been given to Missy by their grandmother when she turned sixteen. Dana put them in, feeling touched at the gesture. Missy continued, saying,
"Here's your 'something blue'." She grinned mischievously at Dana, who opened the box and found a blue and white garter inside. Dana laughed out loud, wrapping her arms around Missy saying sarcastically,
"It's just what I've always wanted." She rolled her eyes, and slipped it on.
"Now, about your something new..." Maggie began, but Dana looked up at her and smiled, saying,
"I think Fox has given me the perfect something new." She placed a hand on her swollen stomach, and gave her mother a nervous smile, saying, "It's time to go get lined up. The ceremony starts in a few minutes." Maggie gave her one last hug before heading off so she could be seated before everything commenced. Missy and Dana joined the rest of the bridesmaids who were lined up in the entryway of the church, bouquets in hand.
The doors were opened, and the music began playing. Dana took a deep breath, feeling her accelerated heart rate as she watched her bridesmaids walk slowly down the aisle and take their places at the front of the church. She jumped when she felt someone touch her elbow.
"You okay, Dana?" Bill, Sr. asked, nervous himself.
"I'm fine, Dad. Really," she replied. "Just jitters."
"Ready?" he asked, hearing the slow in the music.
"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied, and he helped her pull the veil over her face. The two linked arms, and stepped up to the doors. Evenly paced, Dana and her father walked down the aisle. The two paused, just as they had rehearsed the night before, and Bill Sr. lifted the veil off of his daughter's face, gave her a quick kiss, and replaced it. The ceremony progressed without event, and it came time for Dana and Fox to exchange vows . Fox spoke first.
"Dana," he began, pausing to look into her eyes. "I don't know that I ever truly lived before you. I felt trapped in my own skin. My work was mediocre and boring, my love life was...non-existent, and I felt like I wasn't going anywhere or having any fun. But you changed all of that for me. In the time I've spent with you, I feel like I've known you my whole life..." he paused again, and just as he was prepared to speak again, Dana gasped and put her hand on her swollen stomach. Fox looked at her in fear, and whispered, "What is it?" She looked up at him, with tears in her eyes and said,
"The baby kicked." She guided his hand to where she could feel the fluttering kick, and with her other hand, wiped away the tears which had slid down her cheeks. Father McCue looked at the two of them, whispering,
"Everything alright?" Fox nodded, and Father McCue said, "Continue."
"I um, I forget everything else I had to say," Fox said, turning red. There was some laughter from the guests, as well as the members of the bridal party. Dana grinned at him before beginning her vows.
"Fox, you were the best surprise of my life. I met you feeling in low spirits, but in a matter of hours, I felt that I could trust you, and I began to open up to you, and feel much better. I fell in love with you in a matter of days, and my feelings have only continued to grow stronger as time has gone on. Every day, you are my light, my touchstone. I love you, and I wouldn't want to spend the rest of my life with anyone else," Dana said, feeling the tears slip down her cheeks once again.
After the rings had been exchanged, it came time for the kiss. Fox lifted the veil away from Dana's face, and wiped away her tears. She smiled up at him, and stood on her tip toes. He put his arm around her waist, drawing her in to him. In an instant his lips were on hers, and Dana felt a shudder go through her body. The things that man could make her feel should be illegal. His hands were practically burning holes through her dress. The two had forgotten where they were until Father McCue cleared his throat, saying,
"If you don't mind, Dana and Fox, I'd like to wrap things up here." The two pulled apart and faced the guests, and Father McCue said, "I'd like to introduce to you, for the first time ever, Mr. and Mrs. Fox Mulder." There was applause, and Fox scooped Dana into his arms, practically running down the aisle as she laughed hysterically. They stopped in the entryway of the church, and Dana put on her jacket, as did Fox. Having forgotten something in the dressing room, Dana took her husband by the hand, and the two raced down the hallway. She picked up her purse from the table, and turned back to Fox. By the time they had reached the entryway of the church again, the guests had all lined up outside, and Fox and Dana were pelted by handfuls of birdseed. They rushed to climb into the limo, joining the rest of the bridal party as they headed off toward the restaurant were the reception was being held.
Hours later, after the first dance, and dinner and the cake, Dana and Fox stood on the balcony, under the stars. Her gloved fingers were laced with his bare ones, and they stood in silence, shoulders touching, breath creating clouds. They kissed again, and Fox said,
"Happy Valentine's Day, Mrs. Mulder." Dana smiled at him, kissing him before saying, '
"Happy Valentine's Day to you too, Mr. Mulder."