Jim's Folly
Holy cow, this is so exciting. I can't believe how much fun it is to write about a wedding!
Chapter Thirty Four
7:02 PM. The wedding would commence in approximately twenty-eight minutes. Already, the people were arriving and finding seats. Jim was standing with Mark and they were trying to partake in small talk. Both of them found the other to be hard to talk with, as they were both equally nervous.
The girl whose night this was, was important to both of them.
Final touches were being made on the decorations. The flowers were gorgeous. The wedding was a pink and white theme, chosen by Sarah, Amelia and Amy, who hadn't let Raven do any of the deciding besides her dress.
Raven didn't mind. Less stress on her part.
It was now 7:17 PM, and Jim's heart was beginning to pound. Music was playing. His palms were sweating. Agonized, he turned to Mark. "Buddy, I don't know about this…"
Mark grinned. "Jim, the second you lay eyes upon her all your fear will be gone. Trust me."
"You snuck a look at her, didn't you," Jim asked in monotone. Mark's mischievous smile gave him away and Jim rolled his eyes. Mark shrugged.
"You're a lucky man, Jimmy."
Jim didn't know how to take that, so he just nodded in agreement. He'd be married in a few minutes' time. He was terrified.
--
The girls were ready, and Raven just needed some final touches. The girls swooned and fawned over her, adding final sweeps to her makeup, to her hair, to her bouquet of flowers.
Posing for a few pictures taken by Beth, the girls were ready.
Tara, Scott, Angie and Mia were ready. Scott looked adorable in his little suit, and he had the rings in his front pocket. Mia was making sure he still had them by double checking almost every thirty seconds.
Sighing heavily, Raven looked around at the women surrounding her, save little Scott.
"Well, ladies...and gentleman," she said quietly, addressing the tiny canine who smiled up at her. "It won't be long now…"
Amy giggled. "Do you know how LONG most of us have waited for this day? You two met, what, seven years ago? It was a stinking long time for you two to finally hook up!" Amy hugged Raven and sniffed back tears. "Well, honey…it's time!"
A runner came and told the girls it was time to get in line.
The wedding was about to begin.
---
From the back corners of the seats, two eyes watched the groom as he warily wrung his hands and talked to the slightly older man next to him.
The man looked a lot like he wasn't from Montressor. The man was dark and had dark eyes, accentuated by the dark suit he wore.
The young boy, obviously the groom, laughed at something he said.
The eyes that watched could tell he was nervous. The owner of the eyes smiled. He was just as he remembered.
--
7:32 PM. The music started. The girls had walked down the aisle. Now it was time for the star. Raven, wishing within the very pit of her soul that she had the admiral next to her, took in a deep breath, clutched her flowers, and entered the yard alone.
She didn't know how to take the gasps. Was she missing something?
She stared straight ahead. Looking at Mark, who winked at her with a proud smile, she ignored her beating heart as she moved her focus to Jim, who was waiting for her at the altar with wide eyes. She could tell he was breathing heavily. This was a good sign.
Mark had told her he'd be spellbound. She guessed he probably was.
Sarah wiped away tears, as did Amy and even Amelia, as Raven joined Jim at the altar. Jim took her hand and smiled faintly.
"You look so beautiful," he whispered to her. She smiled, blushing faintly.
The priest cleared his throat and raised a hand. "Dearly beloved…we are gathered here today to witness the holy matrimony of Jim Hawkins and Raven Calls."
The priest went through his blessings, and Raven and Jim never moved their gazes from each other.
"The rings, please."
Scott, in his cute little suit, approached and held out the rings in his chubby little hand.
When the two had taken the rings, the priest carried on as Scott scampered off to his seat again.
"Jim Hawkins, will you take Raven to be your lawfully wedded wife, to cherish and to hold? To be with her from good to bad? To comfort her and be with her forever and ever until death do you part?"
Jim smiled. "I sure do."
The priest repeated the lines to Raven, who grinned and replied, "Certainly."
Smiling, the priest looked over the crowd. "Now, if there shall be anyone who objects to the union of this couple, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Raven tensed as silence befell the room. Relief flooded her when the priest continued.
"Then by the power invested in me by the planet of Montressor, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Jim, you may kiss your bride."
Letting out a huge breath of relief, he laughed and took Raven into his arms.
Kissing her, he let go and laughed some more.
Holding her hand tightly, he smiled at her as she returned his smile, bewildered. She knew what the priest was going to say next.
"May I present to you all, Mr. And Mrs. James Hawkins!"
Applause roared from the crowd and the two walked down the aisle, hand-in-hand, back into the manor.
Stopping at the end, Jim grinned. "You're gonna kill me," he whispered to her. Before she had time to object, he turned to his audience and spread his arms wide. "I love this woman!" he cried out, sweeping her into another kiss.
Mark let out a whoop and the crowds hurried inside to start the party where the dancing, food and festivities would begin.
The dark eyes followed the newlyweds as they walked inside, hugging many, but never letting go of each other. He found it amusing, yet beautiful. He remembered a time like that.
He decided it would be best if he approached them later.
---
The ballroom looked spectacular. Mark got onto the microphone and tapped it. "Attention, everyone! May I have your attention please?"
Chatter stopped and eyes turned to Mark.
"May we all witness the first dance of Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins?"
Music began to play and Jim blushed. "May I have this dance?" he whispered. She smiled faintly. "Of course. I want to see if all those lessons from many years ago paid off."
Jim chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, oblivious to the staring eyes of the onlookers.
"Mark was right," Jim said quietly into her ear as he rested his head on top of hers, his eyes closed. Raven frowned. "What was he right about?"
"I was nervous enough to call the whole thing off…then I saw you and all my fear melted away, just like he said it would."
Raven smiled. "My brother's no idiot, Jim. He may be single…but he knows his stuff."
To her surprise, she heard a familiar voice begin to sing from the speakers. Looking up, she was delighted to see her brother singing into the microphone, pointing at her.
"I have a smile stretched from ear to ear
To see you walking down the road
We meet at the lights,
I stare for a while
The world around us disappears
It's just you and me on my island of hope
A breath between us could be miles
Let me surround you, a sea to your shore
Let me be the calm you seek
But everytime I'm close to you
There's too much I can't say
And you just walk away
And I forgot to tell you
I love you
And the night's too long
And cold here
Without you
I grieve in my condition
For I cannot find the words to say
I need you so."
Jim smiled as he held his new wife close. "Talent runs in the family, I take it," he asked her, referring to her brother's singing voice. Many couples were dancing now.
Raven nodded, resting her head against Jim's chest. "Yeah…music-wise, anyway."
Jim took her hint and stopped talking, taking the time to enjoy the moment. However, he knew from then on, this moment would never disappear, nor would the happy feeling he felt inside.
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Author's Note: What a sappy ending. I could SO totally end this story right there, but lucky for you, I don't want to. Ooh, tough break. Totally, though, this could totally be the ending to this story. Remember, though, there's much to come…like who is that guy who is watching them from the shadows? Creepy stuff…
Wedding ceremony words, yadda yadda, copied pretty much from the story "Will you…?" by Cathy-chan. (Wedding words are from chapter nine.)
Her site is at : geocities.com/ angelwingsrinoa/ will_you9. Html. Ditch the spaces. Obviously.
Lyrics are Sarah McLachlan's "I love you". Lyrics at Letssingit.com.