A Wedding Song 22/?: Open Your Heart
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THE FOLLOWING DAY
"What's up with you? You look like Saddam hawked up one in your banana split." Bobby commented, shifting their daughter from one hip to the other as the couple approached Betsy's office. Darien narrowed his eyes and gave his partner an utterly disgusted look.
"Hobbes.... Why can't you ever just say 'You look upset.' "
" 'Cause I got style, that's why."
"Style? I wouldn't call it that..."
"Okay, okay. No fightin' in front of the kid. Answer the question."
"It's this.... this session."
"Betsy? I thought we both said we liked her..."
"I like her fine. I'm just not sure we should tell her the truth about Bobbi Claire. So far, we haven't told anybody except the ones who needed to know or who would've found out anyway."
"She already knows about the Q gland an' she saw the C-section scar durin' your checkup. She's gotta be wonderin'. I mean, if she's gonna marry us, it's only right she gets the whole picture. It's better than havin' her pass out at the ceremony if either one of us mentions the pregnancy in our vows."
"You trust her?"
"Ari, you know how careful I am since Alex.... Yeah, I trust Betsy. I get a good feelin' about her."
"Me too. We can always use one more pillar in our support system, right?"
"That's the way. You ready?"
"Almost. Lemme see that angel-face for a minute..." he said, reaching out for Roberta. Bobby passed her to her mother, understanding that Darien intended to touch her mind directly and, though they never strictly needed it, physical contact seemed to make it easier on Bobbi. "Hey. We're gonna go see a new friend, baby girl. You okay with that? Who is it? The lady that's gonna marry your daddy an' me, at least we hope so anyway. Marry... it means you wanna be together forever, so you say a lot of words that all pretty much boil down to I love you. Then you give each other rings an' you eat cake an'... that's about it."
Bobbi frowned lightly and sent a question at Darien. In response he lifted his left hand and showed her the glowing silver engagement band. Her eyes stayed locked to the shining object for several seconds, then she met Darien's gaze again, her expression somber and intent. The next question she transmitted brought instant tears to her mother's eyes and he hugged her close to his body, her arms slipping automatically around his neck. "No, baby. Never. He promised me... now I'm promising you. That'll never happen again. "
"What?" Bobby asked, concerned. "What'd she say?"
"She.... she showed me a picture of you driving away in the truck.... then I saw one of those really dark paintings I did when.... I think she was askin' if us gettin' married means you won't ever go away again."
"Oh, God.... she still worries I might... but that was...."
Quickly, tears sprang to Bobby's eyes as well and he embraced both his fiancée and his daughter. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. That's what married means, alright. I'm never gonna be that stupid or that far away from you ever again. Daddy loves you Bobbi...."
Just then, the door to the office opened and Betsy stepped out.
"Well. I was wondering where you'd gotten to. Now I see what the holdup was."
"Ummm... yeah, we..."
"Don't worry about it. Your lateness is forgiven. Just for future reference, though, sudden bursts of affection are the only excuse I'll accept and I validate people, not parking." she joked, grinning. The group hug dissolved gradually and Darien beckoned to Betsy. She advanced slowly, giving the baby time to examine her and decide how she felt about the situation. When she drew within touching range, however, all her concerns were erased as Bobbi smiled and leaned out, reaching for the redhead. Darien chuckled and transferred his daughter into Betsy's arms. "Wow." she exclaimed softly over the baby's shoulder. "Does this mean I've been accepted into the clan?"
"Looks like." Hobbes replied. "Once he told her you were gonna put her parents together forever, I don't think there was much chance a'you gettin' rejected."
"So that's what the tears are about. Thinking romantic thoughts, were we?" she teased gently.
"Kinda. That's only part of it. Let's go in and sit." Bobby suggested.
Betsy leading the way, the group made their way into the office and found seats. For several minutes, silence reined as Bobbi stared unwaveringly at the woman holding her. Betsy held the infant's gaze steadily. Eventually, Bobbi scowled, huffed out a short breath and looked to her mother. Finally released, Betsy shook her head and laughed uneasily.
"That.... was unnerving. I felt like she was trying to get something across to me... and I just didn't have the right receiver to pick up the signal."
"Don't feel bad. Neither do I." Bobby said, turning to Darien. "Go on. Tell us what she said."
"Not much. Basically she's just confused an' a little frustrated. She thinks Betsy should've been able to understand her. Don't ask me *why* she thinks that, but...."
"Understand her? What are you talking about, Darien?"
Darien sighed.
"First things first. You never mentioned my scar during your exam. You had to have noticed it. Right?"
"Of course I did, but I wasn't about to pry. I figured if it was something vital it would have been in your records or you would have told me yourself."
"Yeah... there's a reason I didn't. I was afraid you wouldn't believe me. That scar? It's exactly what you thought it was."
"How do you know what I thought?"
"You're not stupid is how." Bobby replied. "There's only a couple things it could be, an' as smart as I think you are, you woulda thrown out the first two or three right off the bat. You thought it looked like a C-section... an' you're right."
"That makes no sense."
"It didn't to me either when I first found out." Darien said. "Claire assumed she knew almost everything about the gland. We all did. What none of us counted on is that if you mix extreme amounts of beer, testosterone and Quicksilver, you land smack in the middle of the Twilight Zone."
"You mean you and Bobby...."
"Yeah. Without going into graphic detail, we got drunk, we got busy.... I got pregnant."
"Pregnant. Incredible. So.... tell me that's not why you feel like you need to make this official. I can almost guarantee it isn't from the way you are with each other, but if you confirm it for me, I'd feel a lot better about performing this ceremony."
Bobby stared at Darien, who returned his incredulous gaze.
"She's not freaking out."
"I know." Bobby responded, turning back to Betsy. "Why ain't you freakin' out?"
"I have a really open mind and I'm a rabid X-files fan. Thanks to David Duchovny's phenomenal acting ability, I can roll with almost anything if you give me a couple minutes to think about it. Now, can we get back to you two and the reasons you're considering marriage?"
After one more shocked glance at each other, Bobby and Darien both burst out laughing. Roberta Claire joined in and the general atmosphere of mirth drew Betsy in too. Once they had all calmed down, the real interview began.
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TWO HOURS LATER
"Well? C'mon, Betsy. You've been sittin' there for ten minutes now. Say somethin'." Bobby encouraged. He had been as patient as it was possible for him to be up to that point, but he knew their wedding probably rode on this woman's evaluation, so he was getting antsy. Betsy teased the couple by waiting a few extra seconds then she sat forward and smiled brightly.
"I'm impressed. You took a difficult situation and turned it into one of the most obvious cases of devotion and adoration I've ever seen. Your little girl has been blessed with two great parents. Let's set the date, guys." she announced, pulling out her schedule book and flipping it open.
"Well... we were thinkin' maybe Christmas. It'll be close to Bobbi's birthday an'..."
Betsy looked up and threw Hobbes a skeptical glance.
"That's 4 months. I don't think there's any way you two can wait that long."
"We have to." Darien countered. "There's way too much to plan. I mean, the food..."
"Grocery store party platters and I'll make the cake. Next."
"The music...."
"You said you were doing this at your place. I think a DJ would be too much for a home setting. CD's and a boom box is a better choice and you probably already have both. Keep going."
"Tuxes?"
"Two weeks at the most for fittings, even with your height and his shoulders. Matter of fact, I know a fantastic guy that'll do it in a week and a half if I bribe him with Godiva chocolate and a good bottle of cognac. C'mon. Don't stop now. I love a challenge."
"Rings." Bobby said smugly. "We're gonna need rings and no way can...."
Betsy flipped through a business card holder on her desk while Bobby was still talking and handed him one before he could even get the rest of his sentence out. His confidence vanished.
"I send all my couples to this store. They do the best work in town, they're fast and when you see their prices you'll wonder how they stay in business. Anything else?" she asked, grinning at the two men as if she knew the game was over before it started.
"Okay, okay. We surrender." Darien replied, laughing. "So how's your schedule look for two weeks from this Saturday?"
"You just happen to be in luck. I've got one on the books for this weekend, then I'm pretty much free for the rest of the month."
"Bobby? Is that okay with you?"
"Sooner the better, baby. After all the stuff we've made it through, even half a month feels like another whole year."
"I know.... but it sounds like that's the minimum to get everything done. You got it, Betsy. Write it in pen. Use permanent marker if you have to. Two weeks from Saturday we make it official, even if it's not legal."
Betsy grimaced and made a derisive noise.
"Leave that crap to the politicians. You two love each other, you love your child and you're already a stronger family than ninety percent of the so-called ' normal ' couples out there. You'll be fine. Now go order your rings. I've got planning to do. I'll see you two in a week to discuss the details, right?"
"Yeah. Sounds good. Thanks, Betsy." Bobby said gratefully as he stood up, sliding Roberta over to his hip so he could hold her with one arm and quickly shake hands with the other.
"You're more than welcome. I can't wait. I just know this'll be a blast and once I add commitment ceremonies to my JP business card, my phone is going to explode. I might even have to quit the Agency."
"I've tried. It isn't that easy." Darien joked before also shaking hands, turning and following his fiancée out of the office. From there they took a minute to check with the Official and make sure nothing major was brewing then they left to go ring shopping.
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"I don't know. I can't decide." Bobby murmured, peering closely at the case of rings the shop assistant had set out for them to look at. "I like the platinum and the price is decent. The gold's gonna stand out against the silver. It'd be real noticeable. Do we want that, though?"
Darien chuckled quietly and ran a hand over his face. "What? You look like you got somethin' to say on the subject."
"I had a talk with Eberts about that a while back. I wasn't sure what I'd say if someone saw my ring an' wanted to.... discuss it. He said if I'm not ashamed of you or of how we feel about each other, the best thing I could do would be to tell the truth an' let whoever asked the question deal with the fall-out."
"Yeah? And?"
"I'm not ashamed. I like the gold."
Bobby laid his left hand next to one of the gleaming yellow rings in the tray and studied the combination of metals for a long moment.
"Me too. Okay. Gold it is. Miss? We'll take a matchin' pair in this style." Bobby requested of the young woman behind the counter.
"A lovely choice. Will you want engraving?"
Hobbes looked up at his partner, who nodded.
"You go over there while I tell her though." Darien said, mischief sparking in his eyes.
"What? Why?"
"I don't want you knowin' what I picked until the wedding."
"Fawkes...."
"Just go. It's gonna be a surprise. I'll do the same for you."
"Geez... okay. But don't take all day. We told the boss we wouldn't be gone too long."
Bobby stepped away, watching Darien lean in and put his head close to the ear of the counter girl. She looked thoughtful then whispered back. Her conspirator nodded, both smiled and Darien straightened up.
"Okay, Hobbes. Your turn. Hey. Can I have a new name for you too?" he asked as they passed each other.
"New name? What're you... oh. You mean the Ari thing. I guess... long as it's not weird or girly or somethin'."
"Depends. I've been thinkin' about it.... would you mind Bert?"
"Bert. That's okay. Kinda cool, actually. It'll do."
"Good. I'm gonna wait outside."
"Be right there. This won't take long."
A few minutes later, Bobby stepped out of the store and touched Darien on the arm.
"What's wrong? Bobby?"
"Nothin'. I'm great. This is really gonna happen ain't it?"
"In two weeks. Oh. Oh, yeah. Two weeks. God...."
"Easy, babe." Bobby soothed, regretting passing on his sudden anxiety to his love and touching Darien's face to soothe him "It's got my guts in a knot too.... but I think that's a good thing. I love you.... I love you so much, Ari."
"Every day, in every way, Bert." Darien responded, wrapping both hands around Bobby's face and drawing him in for a long, tender kiss. When they finally separated, a small group of people standing nearby provided them a smattering of discreet applause and at least one enthusiastic wolf- whistle. Bobby flushed and tried to escape into the truck, but Darien held him in place.
"I said I'm not ashamed, baby. You don't have to be either."
"Well... damn. What am I supposed to do?"
"I don't know. Try taking a bow and saying thank you."
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TBC......
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THE FOLLOWING DAY
"What's up with you? You look like Saddam hawked up one in your banana split." Bobby commented, shifting their daughter from one hip to the other as the couple approached Betsy's office. Darien narrowed his eyes and gave his partner an utterly disgusted look.
"Hobbes.... Why can't you ever just say 'You look upset.' "
" 'Cause I got style, that's why."
"Style? I wouldn't call it that..."
"Okay, okay. No fightin' in front of the kid. Answer the question."
"It's this.... this session."
"Betsy? I thought we both said we liked her..."
"I like her fine. I'm just not sure we should tell her the truth about Bobbi Claire. So far, we haven't told anybody except the ones who needed to know or who would've found out anyway."
"She already knows about the Q gland an' she saw the C-section scar durin' your checkup. She's gotta be wonderin'. I mean, if she's gonna marry us, it's only right she gets the whole picture. It's better than havin' her pass out at the ceremony if either one of us mentions the pregnancy in our vows."
"You trust her?"
"Ari, you know how careful I am since Alex.... Yeah, I trust Betsy. I get a good feelin' about her."
"Me too. We can always use one more pillar in our support system, right?"
"That's the way. You ready?"
"Almost. Lemme see that angel-face for a minute..." he said, reaching out for Roberta. Bobby passed her to her mother, understanding that Darien intended to touch her mind directly and, though they never strictly needed it, physical contact seemed to make it easier on Bobbi. "Hey. We're gonna go see a new friend, baby girl. You okay with that? Who is it? The lady that's gonna marry your daddy an' me, at least we hope so anyway. Marry... it means you wanna be together forever, so you say a lot of words that all pretty much boil down to I love you. Then you give each other rings an' you eat cake an'... that's about it."
Bobbi frowned lightly and sent a question at Darien. In response he lifted his left hand and showed her the glowing silver engagement band. Her eyes stayed locked to the shining object for several seconds, then she met Darien's gaze again, her expression somber and intent. The next question she transmitted brought instant tears to her mother's eyes and he hugged her close to his body, her arms slipping automatically around his neck. "No, baby. Never. He promised me... now I'm promising you. That'll never happen again. "
"What?" Bobby asked, concerned. "What'd she say?"
"She.... she showed me a picture of you driving away in the truck.... then I saw one of those really dark paintings I did when.... I think she was askin' if us gettin' married means you won't ever go away again."
"Oh, God.... she still worries I might... but that was...."
Quickly, tears sprang to Bobby's eyes as well and he embraced both his fiancée and his daughter. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. That's what married means, alright. I'm never gonna be that stupid or that far away from you ever again. Daddy loves you Bobbi...."
Just then, the door to the office opened and Betsy stepped out.
"Well. I was wondering where you'd gotten to. Now I see what the holdup was."
"Ummm... yeah, we..."
"Don't worry about it. Your lateness is forgiven. Just for future reference, though, sudden bursts of affection are the only excuse I'll accept and I validate people, not parking." she joked, grinning. The group hug dissolved gradually and Darien beckoned to Betsy. She advanced slowly, giving the baby time to examine her and decide how she felt about the situation. When she drew within touching range, however, all her concerns were erased as Bobbi smiled and leaned out, reaching for the redhead. Darien chuckled and transferred his daughter into Betsy's arms. "Wow." she exclaimed softly over the baby's shoulder. "Does this mean I've been accepted into the clan?"
"Looks like." Hobbes replied. "Once he told her you were gonna put her parents together forever, I don't think there was much chance a'you gettin' rejected."
"So that's what the tears are about. Thinking romantic thoughts, were we?" she teased gently.
"Kinda. That's only part of it. Let's go in and sit." Bobby suggested.
Betsy leading the way, the group made their way into the office and found seats. For several minutes, silence reined as Bobbi stared unwaveringly at the woman holding her. Betsy held the infant's gaze steadily. Eventually, Bobbi scowled, huffed out a short breath and looked to her mother. Finally released, Betsy shook her head and laughed uneasily.
"That.... was unnerving. I felt like she was trying to get something across to me... and I just didn't have the right receiver to pick up the signal."
"Don't feel bad. Neither do I." Bobby said, turning to Darien. "Go on. Tell us what she said."
"Not much. Basically she's just confused an' a little frustrated. She thinks Betsy should've been able to understand her. Don't ask me *why* she thinks that, but...."
"Understand her? What are you talking about, Darien?"
Darien sighed.
"First things first. You never mentioned my scar during your exam. You had to have noticed it. Right?"
"Of course I did, but I wasn't about to pry. I figured if it was something vital it would have been in your records or you would have told me yourself."
"Yeah... there's a reason I didn't. I was afraid you wouldn't believe me. That scar? It's exactly what you thought it was."
"How do you know what I thought?"
"You're not stupid is how." Bobby replied. "There's only a couple things it could be, an' as smart as I think you are, you woulda thrown out the first two or three right off the bat. You thought it looked like a C-section... an' you're right."
"That makes no sense."
"It didn't to me either when I first found out." Darien said. "Claire assumed she knew almost everything about the gland. We all did. What none of us counted on is that if you mix extreme amounts of beer, testosterone and Quicksilver, you land smack in the middle of the Twilight Zone."
"You mean you and Bobby...."
"Yeah. Without going into graphic detail, we got drunk, we got busy.... I got pregnant."
"Pregnant. Incredible. So.... tell me that's not why you feel like you need to make this official. I can almost guarantee it isn't from the way you are with each other, but if you confirm it for me, I'd feel a lot better about performing this ceremony."
Bobby stared at Darien, who returned his incredulous gaze.
"She's not freaking out."
"I know." Bobby responded, turning back to Betsy. "Why ain't you freakin' out?"
"I have a really open mind and I'm a rabid X-files fan. Thanks to David Duchovny's phenomenal acting ability, I can roll with almost anything if you give me a couple minutes to think about it. Now, can we get back to you two and the reasons you're considering marriage?"
After one more shocked glance at each other, Bobby and Darien both burst out laughing. Roberta Claire joined in and the general atmosphere of mirth drew Betsy in too. Once they had all calmed down, the real interview began.
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TWO HOURS LATER
"Well? C'mon, Betsy. You've been sittin' there for ten minutes now. Say somethin'." Bobby encouraged. He had been as patient as it was possible for him to be up to that point, but he knew their wedding probably rode on this woman's evaluation, so he was getting antsy. Betsy teased the couple by waiting a few extra seconds then she sat forward and smiled brightly.
"I'm impressed. You took a difficult situation and turned it into one of the most obvious cases of devotion and adoration I've ever seen. Your little girl has been blessed with two great parents. Let's set the date, guys." she announced, pulling out her schedule book and flipping it open.
"Well... we were thinkin' maybe Christmas. It'll be close to Bobbi's birthday an'..."
Betsy looked up and threw Hobbes a skeptical glance.
"That's 4 months. I don't think there's any way you two can wait that long."
"We have to." Darien countered. "There's way too much to plan. I mean, the food..."
"Grocery store party platters and I'll make the cake. Next."
"The music...."
"You said you were doing this at your place. I think a DJ would be too much for a home setting. CD's and a boom box is a better choice and you probably already have both. Keep going."
"Tuxes?"
"Two weeks at the most for fittings, even with your height and his shoulders. Matter of fact, I know a fantastic guy that'll do it in a week and a half if I bribe him with Godiva chocolate and a good bottle of cognac. C'mon. Don't stop now. I love a challenge."
"Rings." Bobby said smugly. "We're gonna need rings and no way can...."
Betsy flipped through a business card holder on her desk while Bobby was still talking and handed him one before he could even get the rest of his sentence out. His confidence vanished.
"I send all my couples to this store. They do the best work in town, they're fast and when you see their prices you'll wonder how they stay in business. Anything else?" she asked, grinning at the two men as if she knew the game was over before it started.
"Okay, okay. We surrender." Darien replied, laughing. "So how's your schedule look for two weeks from this Saturday?"
"You just happen to be in luck. I've got one on the books for this weekend, then I'm pretty much free for the rest of the month."
"Bobby? Is that okay with you?"
"Sooner the better, baby. After all the stuff we've made it through, even half a month feels like another whole year."
"I know.... but it sounds like that's the minimum to get everything done. You got it, Betsy. Write it in pen. Use permanent marker if you have to. Two weeks from Saturday we make it official, even if it's not legal."
Betsy grimaced and made a derisive noise.
"Leave that crap to the politicians. You two love each other, you love your child and you're already a stronger family than ninety percent of the so-called ' normal ' couples out there. You'll be fine. Now go order your rings. I've got planning to do. I'll see you two in a week to discuss the details, right?"
"Yeah. Sounds good. Thanks, Betsy." Bobby said gratefully as he stood up, sliding Roberta over to his hip so he could hold her with one arm and quickly shake hands with the other.
"You're more than welcome. I can't wait. I just know this'll be a blast and once I add commitment ceremonies to my JP business card, my phone is going to explode. I might even have to quit the Agency."
"I've tried. It isn't that easy." Darien joked before also shaking hands, turning and following his fiancée out of the office. From there they took a minute to check with the Official and make sure nothing major was brewing then they left to go ring shopping.
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"I don't know. I can't decide." Bobby murmured, peering closely at the case of rings the shop assistant had set out for them to look at. "I like the platinum and the price is decent. The gold's gonna stand out against the silver. It'd be real noticeable. Do we want that, though?"
Darien chuckled quietly and ran a hand over his face. "What? You look like you got somethin' to say on the subject."
"I had a talk with Eberts about that a while back. I wasn't sure what I'd say if someone saw my ring an' wanted to.... discuss it. He said if I'm not ashamed of you or of how we feel about each other, the best thing I could do would be to tell the truth an' let whoever asked the question deal with the fall-out."
"Yeah? And?"
"I'm not ashamed. I like the gold."
Bobby laid his left hand next to one of the gleaming yellow rings in the tray and studied the combination of metals for a long moment.
"Me too. Okay. Gold it is. Miss? We'll take a matchin' pair in this style." Bobby requested of the young woman behind the counter.
"A lovely choice. Will you want engraving?"
Hobbes looked up at his partner, who nodded.
"You go over there while I tell her though." Darien said, mischief sparking in his eyes.
"What? Why?"
"I don't want you knowin' what I picked until the wedding."
"Fawkes...."
"Just go. It's gonna be a surprise. I'll do the same for you."
"Geez... okay. But don't take all day. We told the boss we wouldn't be gone too long."
Bobby stepped away, watching Darien lean in and put his head close to the ear of the counter girl. She looked thoughtful then whispered back. Her conspirator nodded, both smiled and Darien straightened up.
"Okay, Hobbes. Your turn. Hey. Can I have a new name for you too?" he asked as they passed each other.
"New name? What're you... oh. You mean the Ari thing. I guess... long as it's not weird or girly or somethin'."
"Depends. I've been thinkin' about it.... would you mind Bert?"
"Bert. That's okay. Kinda cool, actually. It'll do."
"Good. I'm gonna wait outside."
"Be right there. This won't take long."
A few minutes later, Bobby stepped out of the store and touched Darien on the arm.
"What's wrong? Bobby?"
"Nothin'. I'm great. This is really gonna happen ain't it?"
"In two weeks. Oh. Oh, yeah. Two weeks. God...."
"Easy, babe." Bobby soothed, regretting passing on his sudden anxiety to his love and touching Darien's face to soothe him "It's got my guts in a knot too.... but I think that's a good thing. I love you.... I love you so much, Ari."
"Every day, in every way, Bert." Darien responded, wrapping both hands around Bobby's face and drawing him in for a long, tender kiss. When they finally separated, a small group of people standing nearby provided them a smattering of discreet applause and at least one enthusiastic wolf- whistle. Bobby flushed and tried to escape into the truck, but Darien held him in place.
"I said I'm not ashamed, baby. You don't have to be either."
"Well... damn. What am I supposed to do?"
"I don't know. Try taking a bow and saying thank you."
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TBC......