The Wedding, a general hospital fanfic

Inside of the church:

"Carly, I wish you would have let John be here. He is your father and you took all that trouble to find him, " Bobbie said as she helped her daughter with her hair. It was Carly's wedding day; the day that the town had been waiting for.

"Mama, you know that John will never win Father of the Year. Why are you worrying about this? Today is about Lorenzo and I. It is not about John, Sonny, Reese or anyone else who has tried to stand in my way." Carly fiddled with her dress before she stood up to the knocking sound at the door.

"Carly, It's Skye. The boys are dressed. Would you like to see them?" Skye wasn't Carly's friend but she was willing to help out with the boys since Courtney was still on her honeymoon.

The though of Courtney caused Carly to pause and remember that her best friend won't be there for her today. Instead she's asked Maria, her stepson's mother, to stand up for her today.

"Come in boys," Bobbie hollered out while Carly finished struggling to get her bodice up so that Bobbie could zip it and lace it. To Carly's surprise in walked Michael, Morgan and Diego in matching tuxedos. Morgan's hair had been fixed to match Lorenzo's and Michael's red hair was fixed identical to Diego's.

"Mom, Diego said we were studs. What's a stud?" Michael asked innocently.

"Diego! You are corrupting my sweet boys!" Carly giggled.

"Mommy, pretty!" Morgan pointed at Carly in her simple white gown as Bobbie fixed the tiara on her head.

Carly walked over and gave her boys a kiss on the cheek, "Thank you, Morgan." Carly suddenly smelled something that wasn't a bouquet of roses. "Diego, I think you should have Skye or your mother change his diaper. I'd do it but I don't have time," Carly said, "and I'm sure 'studs' don't do diapers."

"Bye Mom," Michael smiled as he held the door for Diego who was holding Morgan outward like he was on fire.

When the door closed Carly looked up at her mother and saw the tears in her eyes.

"Mama? Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry, Carly, it's just that since Maxie's been in the hospital for her heart I've been thinking about your sister more than usual. I guess I'm finally realizing that I'll never get to see her do the things that you and your brother can. B.J. will never get married or have children. She won't get to graduate high school or go to medical school like her father. Sometimes I don't even think that Lucas and Tony remember she ever existed," Bobbie sank into Carly's arms as she began to cry.

"B.J. is with us Mama. Her body may be gone but her spirit is here. I see it every time I look at my boys. I know she would have been a terrific aunt to Michael and Morgan," Carly reassured her mother. Carly had been thinking about the loved ones in her life that had passed on: B.J., Virginia, Sage, her second son, and especially Charlotte. Of course Charlotte was always on her mind. The days she wished she'd been the one taken instead of her best friend. Caroline and Charlotte made such a pair that Carly hadn't realized it'd been so long since her best friend died but in some ways it seemed like forever.

Wiping her eyes Bobbie began to hurry around the room gathering some bags. "Okay Everyone! She's ready!" Bobbie yelled out of the small dressing room as Tracy, Maria, Michael, Morgan and Diego filled the room. "Carly, it's tradition that every bride have certain items for the ceremony and everyone here has a gift for you. Who has something old?" Bobbie asked the crowd.

"I do," Diego stepped forward and handed a small gift box to Carly. As she opened the box he told her about the gift inside, "This belonged to my Abuela Alcazar. Her mother gave this bracelet to her on her wedding day but she only had two boys so she had no girl to pass it down. Sage inherited it when Abuela died and after Sage died my father held onto it until today. He wants you to wear it and so do I." Diego kissed Carly on the cheek and then stepped out of the room.

"We have the something new, Mommy," Michael spoke up as he coaxed his little brother to hand their mother the box in his hand, "Uncle Jason said you liked jewelry so he helped us pick this out. It has our pictures in it." Carly was touched at Jason's sentiments on her wedding day to the man that he and Sonny both despise. The locket had "Mommy" engraved on it and inside was a picture of her boys.

"Something borrowed is from me," Bobbie spoke up, "This is a piece of the blanket that you were wrapped in after you were born. I've kept this piece all these years and for a long time it was almost all I had left of you." Bobbie hugged her daughter as she pinned the piece of yellow fabric to the inside of Carly's dress.

"I have the something blue," Maria spoke up, "this is a lace garter that I had made on my last trip to Mexico." Carly smiled at the woman who gave Lorenzo his first of hopefully many children. Bobbie helped to put the garter on so that they could focus on the final and more surprising gift.

"Let me say that I do not like you. I've never been fond of you but you are my niece at least until I can prove that this is not a real marriage," Tracy stopped as Bobbie intentionally cleared her throat. "This sixpence is genuine English. My mother was fond of you and you did give her a great-grandchild although no one in the family has blamed you for keeping A.J.'s spawn to yourself except my poor misguided brother Alan." As Tracy handed the sixpence to Carly she continued, "May you have a long and happy life with Lorenzo and all that other gushy stuff that I can't say about Luke and I. Speaking of Luke I think I'm going to go see where the old man is hiding. He's probably trying to figure out how many Cuban cigars can be bought with fifteen million dollars."

Tracy excited the room as Lucky knocked on the door, "Aunt Bobbie, Carly, they're ready." Carly had chosen her cousin Lucky to give her away. She'd of asked Jason but he didn't approve of this marriage and she couldn't blame him.

"Just a minute," Carly hollered out as she gave her mom a quick kiss, "Well Mama, this is it."

Bobbie stared at her little girl. She was thirty years old and had children of her own but she would always be Bobbie's little girl. "I'm so proud of you, Carly. I don't know about Lorenzo but I trust you. Never go to bed angry and all that mushy stuff that a mother is supposed to tell her daughter on her wedding day."

As Bobbie exited the room Lucky came inside and took a deep breath. "Are we ready, Carly," Lucky started as he grabbed his cousin's arm, "you can back out if you want to."

"Not a chance," Carly replied with a smile as big as the Earth.

The small crowd turned their heads as Luke escorted his sister down the aisle as Shania Twain's "From This Moment On" played softly in the background. Diego and Maria followed Luke and Bobbie and then went to their respective sides as Maid of Honor and Best Man. Carly's cousin Lesley Lu, the flower girl, followed Michael and Morgan, the ring bearers or sing bears as Morgan said it, and daintily dropped the petals of pastels on the cream aisle. At last it was Lorenzo's turn as he walked to the alter from the side door as grooms usually do.

The traditional wedding march began to play as the doors opened to the aisle for Carly to make her entrance on Lucky's arm. Her simple dress was appropriate for someone who had been married before with no long train or veil and simple beaded detailing on the bodice.

"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" The priest asked as Carly and Lucky reached the altar releasing the guests to sit down in their seats.

"On behalf of her mother, I do." Lucky replied and took his seat next to his aunt.

"Dearly beloved we are gathered here today before God and this church to unite Lorenzo and Caroline in holy matrimony. In marriage, as stated in the Book of Matthew chapter nineteen verse five, 'The two shall become one flesh.' In this marriage it is the uniting of two families to create one family. If there is anyone here who can see just cause why these two should not be married, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Carly looked to the back and prayed that no one would say anything or would show up out of no where. Her father had been mysteriously quiet the last several days and she feared he would do something to ruin her wedding day.

"Carly?" Lorenzo looked at her as if he were waiting for her to back out in front of everyone.

"Please Father, go ahead. I don't think anyone here will mind," Carly stated as the crowd laughed.

"Diego, Michael and Morgan, this day is as much for you as it is your parents and while people may be congratulating them, we must all remember that you are becoming brothers which is a special gift and a bond that will never go away. Now, Carly and Lorenzo have chosen to say their own vows to each other. Lorenzo?"

"Carly, my beloved, I simply adore you. I look forward to sharing the rest of my life with you and our growing family. I promise that nothing and no one will come between us. I will always listen to you and respect you. I will never give you reason to doubt me or our marriage. I will be a role model for your sons and I will be their friend. I will never do anything to cause harm to this family and I will always be faithful to you and to our boys." Lorenzo couldn't help promising Carly the moon and the stars and if she said she wanted them he would move Heaven and Earth to do so.

"Carly?" The priest looked at Carly as she began to speak.

"Lorenzo, the moment I met you, I didn't realize I would fall in love with you. All I could think about was the ways that you had hurt me and I didn't see how you tried to help me. You have never let me down. You have never insulted me or treated me like a child. Your love has made me want to be a better companion for you and a better mother to my boys. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you and our boys." Lorenzo lovingly wiped a tear from Carly's eye with the pad of his ring finger.

"The rings?" The priest looked at Michael and Morgan as they each placed a ring on the Bible.

"Lorenzo? Repeat after me please. With this ring I thee wed."

"With this ring I thee wed," Lorenzo repeated as he slipped the band on Carly's finger.

Carly picked up the other ring with her fingers as the priest began, "With this ring I thee wed."

"With this ring I thee wed," Carly's voice turned soft as she realized what she was doing.

"Carly and Lorenzo, you have pledged your love to each other in front of these witnesses. Marriage is not to be taken lightly. With the good times there will be difficult times but as long as you put God first in your life together you will be able to conquer anything. You have pledged your unwavering devotion to your three sons and as long as you have each other by your side your sons will grow into fine men. And now, by the power vested in me by the church and the state of New York, I now pronounce that you are husband and wife."

The crowd stood and applauded as Michael and Diego shouted, "You may now kiss the bride!"

With that Lorenzo pulled Carly into a kiss that was 2 years in the making.

"I love you, Mrs. Alcazar," Lorenzo said as he kissed Carly's nose.

"I love you, Mr. Alcazar," Carly replied.

"Ladies and gentlemen for the first time here are Mr. and Mrs. Lorenzo Alcazar."

The End

Credits:

Scripture taken from the New King James Version ®.