Today was the long awaited day. The wedding of Meryl Elizabeth Stryfe and Vash Saverem. Now he stood at the alter, waiting for the love of his life to enter the door. His hands were crossed in front of him. His vest was deep red, like his old jacket, and his tie matched it, both in a satin-like material that he could only find on the fallen ship. His top button on his jacket held a red fabric geranium and his hair was loose around his face.

Knives could sense his brother's nervousness as he stood behind. He was wearing a black jacket as well, only a red fabric rose was in his button. His vest was deep blue, and his tie was silver and made of cloth. His grey hair spiked up in its usual manner. He tried to calm his brother telepathically before the church doors opened to reveal the first person to walk down the isle.

Sandy walked down the isle, her hair in a single braid and twisted into a braid. She sprinkled fabric flower petals as she slowly headed towards the front of the church. It looked as though she was restraining the urge to skip down the isle and keep her steps in time with the music. Her blue dress was like any other dress one would see on a little girl, frilly at the ends with puffy sleeves.

Next to her with the rings was Tonas. He wore a simple classic black tuxedo with a bow tie.

After them were two bridesmaids wearing simple lavender strapless satin gowns. Karen and Jessica each held a bouquet of baby's breath in their hands. Karen's hair was loose with the exception of the thin sides pulled back into a lacy barrette. Jessica's hair was in the same style, but it waved more than Karen's and was darker.

Knives' attention was soon sparked by the next person. Milly. Her dress was midnight blue, flowing down to the ground with a split along her left leg from the knee down. From her right foot began a trail of glitter spiraling up her legs, around her back and over her torso. The top was held against her with a strap that went around her neck and connected back to the dress bodice. Milly's hair was twisted in multiple places in the back and pinned many times with white pins. Her bangs, however, since they'd grown a little more, were slid to the right of her face in a ribbon-lie style. Her brunette hair was highlighted lightly.

Milly had black eyeliner on, and no eye-shadow. But there were sparkles detailing her eyes and cheeks and light blush as well. She held a bouquet of white roses. She was so beautiful that it sent the destroyer of mankind into a state of awe.

Vash was the next one to stand in awe. The bridal march began to play as Meryl walked into the sanctuary. Her long white dress pooled at the floor, and dragged about two feet behind her. The neo silk material was the first layer and followed by a thin lace overthrow over the skirt. The bodice was almost a corset style, with the hourglass figure it gave Meryl. It was detailed with baby blue flower embroidery.

Her lavender eyes were lined with black and shadowed with blue. Her cheeks were shaded with a light sparkly pink, suiting her pale natural features well. In her hands was a bouquet of white roses and a few randomly placed red geraniums.

Karen and Jessica took their places with Milly soon gathering next to them. Meryl walked up to the man of her dreams and smiled at him, then turned to the preacher as planned.

"Dearly beloved, we gather here today to bind the two in holy matrimony. Marriage is an honorable estate in which they shall enter truthfully and for the rest of their lives. Into this relationship these two come to be joined unless anyone here has a reason these two should not be wed. If so, speak now or forever hold your peace."

He stood silent for a moment as the church members stared at the couple at the front.

"Very well, then Vash, you may say your vows."

Vash turned to Meryl and pulled a paper out of his pocket. "Meryl. I've known you for 4 years now. Always, I would gaze at you from across the bar that I dragged you into, hoping that you would loosen up long enough for me to confess the words I always wanted you to hear. I was screaming in my mind to tell you how beautiful you are, and how caring you are. Even though you were strict, I knew you cared. I knew you didn't want me in trouble, but I made you mad anyways, just to have some reason for you to touch me. I knew that even if you hit me in hatred, there was some sort of passion for me. Another reason is just to see the natural fire in your eyes. It was beautiful.

"I knew you were beautiful from the moment I met you, but I didn't know I loved you until I woke up in that small town outside of L.R. You nursed me back to health and feeling your gentle hands re-bandage me every day…I knew then I loved you. Just knowing that you cared so much as to die for me told me that you were the one for me. I fought back the urge so many times just to pull you into my arms and kiss you. I actually hugged you once and it felt so wonderful I didn't want to let go, feeling your body against mine, your scent of your hair…and just knowing that it was you I was holding made me want to hold you longer.

"You confessed to me in the snow, who could ask for more? You didn't even get to finish the sentence before I kissed you, hoping to God you were going to say you loved me, because if not I was going to look like an idiot. Once I realized I had kissed you though, I savored it, knowing that might be the only chance I ever get to be so close to you. That kiss, however, was only the beginning. Thanks to Knives and Milly I was able to propose to you. I knew you'd say yes, even though you fought against it at first, because you love me too.

"I can talk forever about the ups of our relationship, but there are so many more wrongs that you have suffered because of me. I hurt you physically, and emotionally. I have caused others to hurt you. I'm sorry for that. I used to cry myself to sleep at night, wishing to never see you again, fearing that if you followed me again, you'd get hurt even worse. The last thing I wanted was to lose you. And this will be my way of saying I never will. I love you, Meryl Stryfe…I will always love you, no matter what. So please, take this ring, and be my wife, for all of my days." He placed the gold band on Meryl's slim finger, holding her hand in his own for a moment, his other hand lightly wiping the tears from her cheeks.

Meryl was in awe just by the gentleness of his voice, and the words spoken caused her to weep in happiness. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to say her vows to him.

"Thank you Vash." The preacher said, as he turned to Meryl. "Now Meryl, you say your vows to Vash."

Meryl sniffed, taking a deep breath before opening the paper in her hand. "Your vows were so beautiful," she said, laughing lightly. "I saw you as nothing more than a goof the first time. I didn't want to admit to myself how handsome you were, or that you were so nimble as to save us and make it look like good luck. Jealousy ensued as you met Marianne, and she told me that I would know what love was one day. I just shrugged it off. Seeing you drunk with Frank Marlon that time, broke my heart more than ever. I had just decided how much I liked you, and how fast my feelings for you had appeared, and I saw you in a state I never wanted to see you in.

"Even though you did get drunk and act like an idiot however, you still saved thousands of people just the next day, even though you could have easily died in the process. And I fell for you again, and followed you into another town. When you were tied up and landed in my lap in that saloon so long ago, I blushed furiously , but didn't want to move, until you insulted me. And when you considered her a lady and never glanced twice at me, I took it hard and hated you for making me love you. I hated my feelings for you, and I hated you…I guess that's what they mean when they say there's a thin line between love and hate.

"After I realized exactly who you were, I knew I'd never have a chance with you. And the fact that you abandon me so may times in order to talk to other women hurt me even more. I hated your shallowness. I loved you more than any other women you flirted with, but they were beautiful and I was…well…I was Meryl. I was imperfect. I hated myself for loving you…I hated love…

"I thought you died in Augusta, and I couldn't do anything. I slept during work, I cried at night when I should have been sleeping. And other days I would sit and do nothing but think of you. I would think of all the missed opportunities, and the fact that I'd never see you again. Then I found out that you were alive. I had never been so happy in my life. Milly and I were gone within half an hour on a bus to find you.

"I sat with you on a cliff outside of New Oregon, handing you a handkerchief and sitting beside you. In my mind I was telling you so many things, and the words were coming out all wrong. I decided not to tell you then, because I was just happy that I could see you again. You ran away again just the next day. I was so mad at you. But I attempted to walk through the typhoon to get to you. Milly called me crazy…I guess I was, but I wasn't going to let you get away from me. By the time I got to you it was too late. You were hurt again and I didn't even know why. I just saw you crying. I wanted to hold you, hug you, and tell you everything was okay. But I was too scared. That was my weakness. Fear.

"I stayed awake one night and heard you and Wolfwood talking about everything. I wanted to take away your pain, but once again I couldn't say anything to you. When Wolfwood died I finally told you to let me know everything. I didn't expect for you to actually tell me. I guess you thought I would understand why you had to go. But it just made me want to be closer to you. And then you killed someone all because of me. I shouldn't have followed you, and what I did caused you to kill for the first time. For that I'm sorry. Even after I took you and patched you up, I didn't have the courage to hold you and let you cry on my shoulder. Instead I listened to your screams from outside the room. And it tore me apart from the inside out.

"When you left to talk to Knives I attempted to tell you everything. But I couldn't do it. The memory of sitting under the stars with you however, stayed with me forever. Giving me the fuel to stay and wait for you. To quit my job and wait for you to come back like I knew you would. When you came back to me, I ran to you, and unfortunately passed out. But I knew I was in your arms, and that was all that mattered.

"I finally realized that the thing that gave me courage to tell you what I felt, was the memory of being in your arms. And after I told you…well after we kissed…I knew that I would be able to go to your arms any time I wanted to. Vash, you can come into my arms too. Take this ring and be my husband, Vash Saverem, for all of my days." Placing the larger band on his finger she intertwined their hands and they both turned back to the preacher with teary eyes.

"The vows have been said. With power of the great God almighty, and the town of December, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

And that is exactly was Vash did. He kissed Meryl unlike any other time he'd ever kissed her. Expressing all of his feelings in that one kiss. "I love you." He whispered against her lips as they pulled away.

"I love you too." She said, before Milly tapped her on the shoulder.

Milly smiled. "The reception is waiting!"

Meryl and Vash laughed. "Right Milly." Meryl said, walking out of the church smiling at the many guests at the wedding.

This was the beginning of a new life.

Note: Yeah I started at the beginning. I couldn't think of a better way to start it off and so I did like this. Okay 1 more chapter and maybe an Epilogue left! By the way, this is the third wedding I've ever written and the first one without the help of Zhen Ji. How'd I do?

C-ya!

DPA(Pyro)