Title: The Preparations

Author: Rose

Email: buffybot76@hotmail.com

Rating: G

Genre: Romance

Pairing: Brandon/Marianne

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the movie Sense and Sensiblility. They belong to their creator Jane Austen.

Distribution: If you want it, just tell me where it's going.

Spoilers: The movie Sense and Sensibility, starring Alan Rickman as Col. Brandon and Kate Winslett as Marianne Dashwood.

Summary: Another missing scene, where they are preparing for the wedding.

Feedback: Yes, please

Colonel Christopher Brandon was happy. Happier than he had been in a very long while. He was in the middle of preparing for his wedding to, in his opinion, the most beautiful woman on earth. The woman he loved with his whole heart. Marianne Dashwood. The ceremony was to take place in just a few short hours and Brandon was overseeing the servant as he laid out his regiment uniform. He had chosen to wear it instead of the formal attire. The servant finished laying out the clothing and Brandon dismissed him, walking downstairs to his study to pour himself a drink of brandy to calm his somewhat frazzled nerves. He had just brought the snifter to his lips, when Sir John entered the study.

"Ah, there you are, Brandon. I've been looking for you." Sir John said, crossing the room to clap Brandon on the back a little too hard, causing the Colonel to spill his brandy.

Col. Brandon closed his eyes briefly and let out a dispairing sigh.

"Hello, Sir John. So good to see you." Brandon greeted his old friend in a less than enthusiastic tone.

Sir John didn't seem to notice this though, as he proceeded to help himself to the brandy. After taking a drink from his glass, Sir John looked to Brandon to state, "So, it's the big day is it, dear boy?"

*Oh no, please not this.* Col. Brandon began to pray in earnest. He was quite sure that Sir John was on the verge of relating some sort of horror story of what happened on HIS wedding day.

Before the man could begin though, a servant entered the room. "Col. Brandon, sir?" The servant began. "The carriage is ready to be sent for the bridal party, sir."

Col. Brandon nearly leapt forward in his haste to divert the onslaught of a long and drawn out mental torture.

"Yes, very good, Thomas." The Colonel stated as he moved to stand before the servant in the doorway. Col. Brandon turned back to Sir. John. "Sir John, please forgive me, but I must attend to this matter. Shall we continue this little discussion at a later time?"

Sir John nodded his head a bit and said in a joviant voice, "Of course, dear boy. I imagine you have plenty of things to attend to before the ceremony. Off you go, then." He waved Col. Brandon off as he turned to help himself to another snifter of brandy.

Col. Brandon hastened to make his escape and left the study. He walked to the foyer and was just reaching for the doorknob when a knock sounded at the door. Brandon started a bit, then composed himself and opened the door. Instantly, he wished he hadn't when he saw just who his visitor was.

"Mrs. Jennings. What a pleasant surprise." Brandon stated dryly. Sighing deeply, he stepped aside to admit the boisterous, older woman.

But Mrs. Jennings didn't move past him into the foyer. She merely stepped up to him and drew the Colonel into a huge bear hug, all the while exclaiming her happiness for the special occasion. Try as he might, Col. Brandon could not break the hold and finally resigned himself to it. Just when Brandon was fearing his air supply would be cut off, Mrs. Jennings released him and stepped back.

"Well, young man." Mrs. Jennings began. "Just where were we headed off to? I should hope you were not getting cold feet."

Brandon smiled slightly. "No, Mrs. Jennings. I was merely going to send off the carriage to collect Marianne and her party."

"Ahh, well, then go on. You shouldn't keep the girls waiting." Mrs. Jennings said as she practically shoved the Colonel out his own front door.

Col. Brandon sighed again as he stepped off of the porch and started across the grounds to the stables, he couldn't help but wonder if Marianne's nerves were as frazzled as his were.

*~*~*~*~*

Marianne Dashwood was in a state of panic. She was near hypervenitlating as she rushed about her room, gathering the things she would need to bring with her to the church. Her mother had come into the cottage's sitting room and called up to tell her that the carriage Col. Brandon was sending for them should be there at any moment. It was her wedding day and she did NOT want to be late.

"Mother, where is my hat?" She asked, a bit desperately. "It was on the bureau, but now I can't find it!"

Mrs. Dashwood came into the bedroom where her middle daughter was. Taking one look at Marianne she chuckled a bit.

"Have you tried looking on your head, love?" Mrs. Dashwood asked her distraught daughter.

At the dismayed and somewhat embarrassed look that passed over Marianne's pretty face, the elder Dashwood smiled. "Oh dearest Marianne. Don't get yourself in a tangle, love. Everything will be fine."

"But it's my wedding day! Everything has to be perfect." Marianne stated firmly. "I've waited for this moment for too long to have it ruined by something even minuscule."

With that statement, Marianne's features melted into a look of horror. "What if something happens to the carriage and it's late? What if I'M late? What if Christopher decides he doesn't love me? What if-"

Marianne's rambling of 'what if's' were cut off by her mother's stern look. "Now Marianne, listen to me carefully. Everything is going to be alright. The Colonel loves you deeply, anyone with half a brain can tell that. And nothing has happened to the carriage. It will arrive on time and we shall be off to the church, and in no time at all you shall be Mrs. Christopher Brandon."

By the end of her mother's pep talk, Marianne's horrified look had been subdued.

"I just want it to be perfect." Marianne said softly. "Ever since Willoughby..."

Marianne's voice trailed off as she uttered his name. The man she had once thought she was meant to be with. Her one true love and soul mate. The one she was intended to marry. But all those dreams had come crashing down on her. He had said he loved her, but that wasn't true. He had desired her, yes. But love? No, when his inheritance had been stripped from him and he had been faced with poverty, he had sought to marry another. Someone with the wealth that he craved. All of the heart break that she had gone through was due to his lack of loving her, as she had loved him. But she loved him no more. She had come to that realization after the gentle man, who had craved her company and attentions, had declared his love for her.

Throughout her obsession with Willoughby, she had thought Col. Brandon to not fit the image of what she dreamed a soul mate should be. Someone dashing, and brave, and handsome, and romantic. After she had learned of Willoughby's actions, she had pined for him, for the true love she had thought she'd lost. She had nearly done herself in really. Going to that hillside overlooking Willoughby's home, whilst a storm was on the rise. And still, when the first frigid raindrop had touched her skin, she had stayed. She would have stayed there until she had perished, if not for Col. Brandon.

He had come for her, carried her in arms she had not known where strong enough to do so. Taken her back to saftey and then when things had gotten worse, he had gone for mother. Even after that, he had remained by her side, ever faithful. Reading poetry to her on the days when she was still weak and meloncholy. It was during that time, whilst he read those lovely sonnets that she adored so much, that she had realized. He WAS dashing. He WAS brave. And looking at him then, she had to admit that he WAS handsome in a ruffled but elegant way. And OH, was he ever romantic! She had never heard such endearing words, as he had proposed to her that day in the garden behind the cottage. She wondered how she could have ever been blinded to such a wonderous man as Colonel Christopher Brandon.

But he was to be her's now. In just a short time, she was to be his wife. And he her husband. Oh yes, this HAD to be perfect. She was drawn out of her reverie by her mother's voice, declaring that the carriage had arrived. They were to be taken to the church where they would dress and prepare for the ceremony. She had a lovely dress. Her mother's from when she had married their father. With her older sister to be the bride's maid and Sir John to give her away. And the carriage had arrived and now she was off. Off to be married to the one man who could make her dreams come true.

Marianne looked around the bedroom that she had shared with Elinor whilst they had lived here. Up until Elinor had married Edward Ferrars two weeks ago that is. And now it was her turn. Marianne smiled a wistful smile and walked out of the bedroom. Exiting the cottage, she saw the footman helping her mother and Elinor inside. Taking a deep breath, she practically skipped as she went to the carriage.

Before she knew it, they were off to the church. She was off to be married.

The End

Next: The Ceremony