Gifts and Curses
By Todd Fan
Disclaimer: "I don't believe in perfect love. But I do believe that there are people who's lives are inextricably intertwined"
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Prepare for a fluff fest. Don't say I didn't warn you…..
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Chapter 35 – I turn to you
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The day after the 'festivities' dawned, and took both bride and groom by surprise…probably because both were in a severe state of hangovers. Todd and a large number of the guys (and Shan) were attempting to recover in the Brotherhood House.
"Leave me alone ta die", groaned Todd, burying under the covers, "Sid won't mind if I'm late"
"Yes, yes she will", said Freddy, giving him a poke, "Todd, she'll kill you, then she'll kill me. Up!"
"Don't wanna", said Todd sleepily, "I'll do it tomorrow"
"Todd, as your best man, it's my duty to get you to the church on time", said Freddy, "even if it's in pieces"
"Waa?", blinked Todd.
Before he could register anything else, Freddy picked up Todd's bed…and tipped it upside down. Todd, however, clung to the bed desperately, dangling there.
"Leave me alone!", whimpered Todd, "I got cold feet, yo!"
"You're a frog!", snapped Freddy, "you're supposed to have cold feet!" (1)
"That wasn't even mildly funny, Fredrick", said Todd.
"Okay, buddy", said Freddy, putting the bed down, "you asked for this"
"….Asked for what?", frowned Todd, as Freddy picked up a com link.
"Code Blue", said Freddy into it, "repeat, Code Blue"
There was a slam of the door as Franck bustled in, a headset on his head. He took one look at Todd and squeaked.
"Akakakakaka!", he said, "groom est not evehn reahdy? Dis est not gooud"
"Oh god….no", whimpered Todd as Franck pulled him forcibly out of bed.
"You mooost get up Meehster Tolehsky", said Franck, "you'll meess your wehdink"
"I don't understand this man when I'm sober", said Todd, "I can't do it hung-over and in a mild panic"
Franck ignored him, jabbering into his headset.
"You'll thank me some day, Todd", said Freddy, "trust me, you will"
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Over at Alison's apartment, the women (and Doug) were slightly better off. Wanda had retired to a dark corner of the bedroom, and refused to come out, everyone else was at least semi-conscious, though.
"This is it!", squeaked Sidney, bouncing around the room as Dazzler tried to get the cat-girls dress right, "I'm getting married today"
"No, you'll be going into the emergency room due to having a dress pin being stick in your hip if you don't stop bouncing", said Dazzler, "Sid, chill out, please"
"Can't", said Sidney, "this is my wedding day, wooooooooo!"
"Please stop shouting", said Doug with a wince, "head.. hurts"
"Do guys thinking white is a good plan?", asked Sidney, "I mean….Kevin…"
"Honey, if you want to wear white, you wear white, I would", said Tabby with a grin, patting her very obvious belly, "and it sure as hell doesn't apply for me"
"You have a point", mused Sidney then gave another bounce, "besides, it's my wedding day!"
"Look, why don't you list off what you have and haven't got?", asked Kitty, "it might calm you down a bit"
"Okay I got my something old, my family ring", listed Sidney, "I got my something new, this dress, I got my something borrowed, thanks for the pin, Ali"
"No worries", said Alison, "thank me by standing still. Do you know how hard it is to adjust a wedding dress for a tail?"
"And I got my something blue", said Sidney, holding a tuft of Kurt's fur, "I….ahem…'borrowed' it while he was sleeping"
"I thought he had a bald patch", murmured Tabby.
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"Oh my God, I've got a bald patch!"
A couple of hours later, and Kurt had noticed his missing fur. He and a large group of the guests were already waiting patiently in the church, Todd was being held down by Freddy's hand, in an attempt to stop him from bolting.
"It's not that noticeable", lied Bobby.
"Yes, it is", said Kurt, craning his neck, "aww, man!"
"Sidney did it", said Tabby, "she wanted a something blue"
"…And she couldn't have taken it from somewhere that no one would have noticed", said Kurt, then paused, "….you know vhat? Forget I said that"
"Okhay, okhay", said Franck, pacing up and down speaking into his headset, "the brahde is dehu sooon. She is on hehr wahy nouw, yehs?"
He paused.
"Weel, mooouve her quickher Howard!"
"Talk about military precision", said Evan, then blinked at Lucid, who was trying to become invisible, "look, he's gonna find out eventually"
"Not if I hide really well", said Lucid, ducking again as Logan glanced their way.
X-23 gave her clone-father a wave then looked at Lucid.
"He won't kill you, I promise"
"Gee…I feel so much better now", said Lucid dryly.
"Well, you're doing better than Todd", pointed out Callisto.
"Ntoggodnotgoodnotgoodnotgood", chanted Todd, from the altar "gonnahurlgonnahurlgonnahurl"
"Todd looks really ill", mused Jean from the stalls, "you weren't that bad, were you?"
"I threw up in the collection pot before you arrived", said Scott, "…then I cried a bit in the toilets…….then I tried to squeeze out of the window to escape, but it was too small and……stop talking, Scott"
"You're lucky I don't want to cause a scene", hissed Jean.
"At least you didn't bring up the fact you tried to bribe the minister to 'turn a blind eye' while you made a run for it", piped up Alex, then winced as his brother glared at him, "…..errrmm…. oops?"
"….You have the tact of a dead lobster, Alexander", said Jean, "why are you here, anyway, none of the rest of your team are!"
"That's because the rest of my team hate Bobby, who is also here", said Alex, "sure, I'd like to make itty bitty little ice cubes out of him, but this place has free food, so I'll cope for a day. Weddings are great for free food. I got loads in yours….."
He trailed off, being glared at again.
"…Not that I only came to your wedding for the food….I'm family…and all that", he chuckled nervously, then looked around, trying to change the subject, "where's the bride, then?"
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The bride, at that moment in time, was pacing up and down across Alison's living room.
"The car is supposed to be here, and so is Uncle Vic", said Sidney, "so far, I have no cars, and no Uncle Vic! I need these things!"
"Sidney, calm down, they'll be here", said Alison, rolling her eyes.
From outside came the sound of a motorcycle pulling up, followed almost instantly by a frightened meow. The door opened and Howard forcibly shoved Sabertooth into the room.
"We have Uncle, Franck", he said into his headset as he left, "repeat, we have Uncle!"
"You're lucky I don't want ta get blood on this tux", said Sabertooth darkly as the man left.
"Uncle Vic, you're here!", grinned Sidney, "I thought you wouldn't make it"
"An' miss this?", asked Sabertooth with a smile, "never"
He gave a fanged grin.
"You look beautiful, Kiddo", he said, "if you don't knock the wind out of the frog, I'd be shocked"
Sidney chuckled, giving her uncle a hug, his much larger frame dwarfing her own.
"Thanks, Uncle Vic", she said, "now, remember, Logan's there, and you promised me you wouldn't kill or maim him"
"I know", sighed Sabertooth, "I'll be civil. I promise. Only fer one day, though"
"Well, I can't expect miracles", chuckled Sidney
The door opened as Howard bustled in, tidying up Sabertooth's tie as he went.
"Okay, car is here, we're moving now", he said, then spoke into his headset, "yes, we are go, Franck!"
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And so, the time had finally arrived. After a minor freak-out, Todd had been calmed and was now looking at the floor nervously as the wedding procession started it's way in. He finally glanced up as Alison breezed past, giving him a grin and a thumbs up. Todd could only manage a nervous laugh. His eyes flicked up to the isle as the wedding march sounded up.. and the breath was taken out of him.
Sidney walked down the isle arm-in-arm with a very uncomfortable looking Sabertooth. Her hair was tied up, a rareity for her. Her feline eyes shone out, even from under her veil. She was beautiful. Any and all doubts fled from Todd's mind…and it had noting to do with the fact that Sabertooth could have cracked his skull open with one movement.
When they arrived at the altar, Sabertooth lifted his nieces veil, kissing her cheek before standing back, ignoring the fact that the distinct sound of metallic claws being popped was heard. Todd smiled hopelessly, taking Sidney's hands in his.
"Friends, family, loved ones", began the minister, "we are gathered here today to join in matrimony Todd Mortimer Tolensky and Sidney Emily Cagney. If anyone present objects to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace"
Todd didn't even glance around the room, his eyes were locked on the woman in front of him…he couldn't look anywhere else if he tried. The minister cleared his throat, then smiled.
"Who gives this woman to be wed to this man?"
"I do", said Sabertooth, heh, right, as anyone 'gave' Sidney to anyone else.
His job done, Sabertooth thankfully sat down, where he could generally hide away from everyone else.
"You have chosen not to have a reading, but to say your own vows", said the minister, "Todd…if you'd begin?"
"Hmmm? what?", blinked Todd, coming out of his trance, then coughed, "oh..right..sorry"
Sidney chuckled, shaking her head in amusement as Todd cleared his throat, looking into her eyes.
"Sid, ya the closest friend I've ever had", he said, "I mean, no one knows me better than you. You know me better than I know me, an' I'd never change that. Sure, we've had times when we've been apart…but we've always ended up together again, like some bizarre piece of karma. There 'aint much in my life I can be grateful for, but you, you're top of the list, always have been, always will be. I'm not the most attractive guy, or the most intelligent…but you love anyway, an' fer that, I love you even more. How could I not marry ya? I know I never want ta have ta live without you again, ta always have you in my arms"
He smiled, taking her hand, sliding the ring on her finger.
"So, with this ring, as a token of my love an' affection, I thee wed"
Sidney smiled at it, letting out a breath.
"Sidney, your vows", said the minister, bringing her out of her goofy smile.
Sidney gave Todd's hands a gentle squeeze.
"Todd, what can I say to prove how much I love you? It's so hard to say in words, to describe how deep my feelings run for you. You're everything to me. You're my world, my universe, everything", she said, "I neither want or can imagine a life without you by my side. I trust you utterly and completely with my heart, my soul..my life. All I've wanted in my life is someone to share it with…and that someone has always been you, Todd. I love everything about you, your quirks, even your faults. And I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you, knowing that I'm marrying a person who knows me as I know him, completely"
She slid the ring on his finger with a smile.
"With this ring, as a token of my love and affection, I thee wed"
The minister smiled as the pair ginned hopelessly at each other.
"By the power vested in my, I pronounce you husband and wife", he said, "you may kiss each other…but please don't overdo it…please"
Todd chuckled, lifting Sidney's veil, pulling her into a deep loving kiss.
"Woooo, go Sid and Todd!", cheered Torpid.
Callisto rolled her eyes at Torpid, before joining in with the crowds cheers.
"I now present Mr and Mrs Tolensky", said the minister, as Sidney grinned, dragging Todd along the isle, "….and there they go. God..I need a drink"
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Xavier had, rather bravely, offered his home for the reception of the couple…mostly because it was big enough to allow the sheer number of people present. Of course, he hadn't had the foresight of the mess it would cause.
"…Um…why is there a man floating in my pool?", he asked.
"Oh, that's Mike", said Jay, giving a shrug of his wings, adding, as if it explained everything, "he's our drummer…"
"You only have to worry about him when he starts to sink", said Mr. Sakano.
"Hey, you're calm", said Alison, smiling at him, then narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "why are you calm? This is a wedding of one of your stars. This is an opportune time for a Sakano-spazz-out"
"I'm feeling good and calm", smiled Sakano, "like a gentle autumn breeze"
"We pumped him full of sedatives before we brought him here", said Jay, "it was all we could do from stopping him trying to kill himself"
"Couldn't you have saved some for Ted?", asked Alison, pointing at Sidney's lawyer, a tall, thin man, with a slowly balding head. (2)
"I'm calm!", said Ted, "I'm just dreading the bill for this mess. Oh God, it's going to ruin us!"
"…..Where does Sidney get these people?", blinked Lance, "does she randomly pick them up off the street or something?"
"I happen to pick them very carefully, thank you", smirked Sidney, now in a more…sensible dress as she walked over, hand in hand with Todd.
"Hello, Mrs Tolensky", smirked Lance, "how's that sound, huh?"
"Music to my ears", said Sidney with a grin, then smiled as Callisto came over, "Calli! Missed you at the bachelorette party"
"Well, me and Evan had more pressing matters", said Callisto, smiling slightly, "…we're pregnant"
"Really?", Sidney grinned, hugging her friend, "oh, I'm so happy for you, honey!"
"I'm happy for me, too", said Callisto, watching as Freddy began sneezing, "is he okay?"
"He's allergic to me and Uncle Vic", said Sidney with a shrug, "don't worry, he'll live"
"Damn cat-people", said Freddy, popping a few more antihistamines.
Sabertooth, meanwhile, as was to be expected, had run into Logan, and the pair were glaring at each other.
"I 'aint gonna be hostile today", said Sabertooth, "I promised my niece I wouldn't. So lets keep away from each other, huh? I 'aint gonna cause a fight today. Now, if ya excuse me, there's a big plate of seafood platter with my name on"
With that, Sabertooth stalked past Logan, leaving the shorter man slightly confused. He sniffed the air, a grin forming on his face. No matter, he had bigger fish to fry.
"Hello, Morlock", he said.
"His name is Lucid", said X23, dragging a less than willing Lucid over.
"…Ummm……hello", said Lucid, it coming out as a pathetic squeak.
"So, you're the guy dating X-23, huh?", said Logan, "ya either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid"
"So I've been told", said Lucid dryly.
Logan smirked, putting an arm around Lucids shoulder.
"You break her heart", he said in a low growl, unsheathing the claws on one hand, "and I'll rip out your intestines and eat them while you watch" (3)
"Logan, stop threatening my boyfriend with bodily harm!", scolded X-23.
"Oh, that looks like fun", commented Lance where he sat, watching them, "I almost feel sorry for the poor bloke"
"Talk about an in-law to reckon with", said Doug.
"Not as bas as when my parents met Magsie", said Pyro, "….never before has a conversation started: 'So….you're a megalomaniac super-villain….how does that work out for you?"
"At least you don't have the father-in-law from hell that made you lose a vital part of your anatomy", whined Lance, "and me and Kit aren't even married yet!"
"Only the tip, you baby", said Scott, "Jean's mom decided to adopt me….she buys me sweaters….lots of sweaters…and tries to make me eat huge piles of food because she thinks I'm too skinny"
"I had to explain to my super-straight-arrow father that, not only was I gay, but also happened to be dating outside my own species", said Doug, downing his champagne.
The rest blinked at him for a few moments.
"Language boy wins", said Lance, "where is E.T anyway?"
"Don't ask", said Douge, "please….just don't ask"
"Who do you have to probe around here to get some chocolate?", muttered Warlock, as he weaved through the crowds, slightly embittered he'd lost out on anything to make him merry. (4)
"A'h don't know", said Sam, then grimaced as his stomach grumbled, "ugh, a'h think a'h ate a squirrel last night"
"Thanks for sharing", said Warlock, "I really needed to know that"
"….You've been spending time with Forge again, haven't ye?", asked Rahne, "I can tell, ye got cynical again"
"Lahdies and gehtleemen", shouted Franck, calling attention to himself, "now the briahde aund grooum will sharue theiur firust daunce as mahn aund wahife"
"Who's' doing who with the what-now?", blinked Sam.
The band started playing the song that had brought the pair together.. and kept them forever linked. What other song could they pick as their first song? There was no contest. Sidney smiled, resting her head on her husbands shoulder as they swayed to the music, lost in their own little world.
"Seriously", said Pietro, tilting his head, "I still don't get this song. 'I turn to you'? I mean, come on!"
"Pietro, shut up, you're running the moment", said Wanda.
Pietro didn't have the cance to reply, as his sister had lovingly trodden on his foot as the rets of the guests watched the young couple happily where they both belonged, in each others arms.
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(1) – From Muppet Treasure Island. You just know I was waiting to use that, don't you?
(2) – Ted the lawyer is from Scrubs. I love Ted. "Who's the man!" "…..Is it me?"
(3) – Changed Larry quote from Father of the Pride. I found it very Logan.
(4) – An altered Roger quote, change chocolate with 'chardonnay' and you got the original. Gotta love Roger. That kitty can scratch.
And there we go, Sid and Todd finally tied the knot! Incidentally, today I became an auntie again, having a niece, wee! The next chapter, will, alas, be the last for this Chronicle. Do review. Until next time….