A/n: Many thanks to everyone that has taken the time to read and review this story. I am over the moon that you seem to be enjoying it.

Many thanks to my wonderful beta Mtgat.

On with the chapter...

Chapter Four – It's my day.

Mari stood in front of the mirror running her hands down her gold silk dress and admiring herself. Even she had to admit that she looked good and she was bound to take John's breath away. After a mad few weeks of planning, her wedding was finally here. In an hour's time she was marrying John Stewart and they would be jetting off to Paris for their honeymoon.

As she looked into the mirror, she sighed sadly. When she had been younger she had always imagined a grand wedding where she was surrounded by family and friends and her father would not be there at all. Today she would be surrounded by her friends but not her family and her father would not be walking her own the aisle. Their deaths had left an empty void in her for many years; she still ached to be with them and there was nothing she wanted more than to have them sit on the wooden benches in the church, watching her. She wouldn't be taking John's surname; she wanted to honour her family's memory by keeping her surname. She hadn't been surprised when he had agreed to her keeping her maiden name. He hadn't even fussed.

Mari was honest with herself; she would freely admit that she had never thought that she and John would get this far. She had always known she had been the rebound girl. She had accepted it and continued living her own life, jetting off to photo shoots and taking to the catwalks when she was offered the jobs. She wasn't going to pine away for him while he figured himself out; she thrust herself into her modelling work and her League work. But when they were together she made sure he wouldn't even think about straying when she was away. Shayera's presence in their life had worried her at first. The winged beauty had made it clear that she was interested in John but nothing had come of it. There had been many chances for Shayera to make her play for John but they had not been taken.

Mari walked into the canteen of the Watchtower and saw Shayera sitting at a table on her own. She could make out Shayera picking at her food with disinterest and made her way over to join her.

"Hey," said Mari. "This seat taken?"

"Knock yourself out," replied Shayera, without even looking up. "There is hardy a line for the seat."

"Maybe if you smiled a bit more," said Mari, as she sat down. "Having said that, I have seen your attempt at a smile and I am not sure it would help matters."

Mari watched as Shayera looked up at her and shot her a small but real smile. Other League members could not fathom how they got on because it always seemed that they were snipping at one another. What they didn't know was that it brought amusement to the two women, they took the snipes and jests on the chin because they weren't meant to hurt.

"So why are you crowding my space?"

"Just thought I would let you know that I'm out of town for the next week," replied Mari. "You can take a crack at John."

"Just might do that," said Shayera with a determined glint in her eye.

"You sure you could handle the rejection?"

"I guess we'll just have to see," said Shayera as she rose from her seat. "Worried?"

"Me?" said Mari with a look of surprise. "Never! See you around."

Mari made her way over to the dressing table and picked up the delicate white gold chain that had once belonged to her mother. A small pear-shaped opal hung for the centre, complimenting the chain perfectly. Mari had always admired the necklace and as her mother lay dying, she took the necklace off and placed it in Mari's hand. Her mother had whispered for Mari to wear it on her wedding day and never to take it off throughout the marriage.

Mari lifted the chain around her neck and fixed the clasp. She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed as she fiddled with the chain.

She couldn't help but wonder what her mother would have made of John. Would she have liked him or said that he wasn't good enough for her daughter? Mari was sure that her mother would have been won over by John's eyes and his occasional smile. Mari knew that her father wouldn't be impressed with John. He would say that John didn't treat her right and that she was better off without him. Mari never listened to what her father said and she wasn't about to start now.

The door opened and Diana appeared wearing a plain cream off the shoulder dress. She was carrying a bouquet of flowers and a small box. Mari had asked the Amazon to be her bridesmaid at the last moment because her original bridesmaid had abandoned the role for a photo shoot in Milan. Mari hadn't been surprised when she had received the phone call last night from Scarlet who had been very apologetic when she explained the job and that it wasn't a chance to be missed. Mari would have done the same if she had been a bridesmaid. In the fashion world, she had to grab jobs while she could because sooner rather than later, the jobs would dry up. Diana had been in the corridor after Mari had received the call and that had made the Amazon her first choice as substitute bridesmaid. Mari had been surprised by Diana's reaction to being asked, anyone would have thought it was some great honour to be asked when it reality, there was no one else to ask. Mari couldn't exactly ask Shayera to do it; that wouldn't go down well at all.

"I have brought you something blue," said Diana as she handed Mari the small box.

"Thanks." Mari replied as she took the box from Diana and opened it.

Inside the velvet box Mari found a royal blue garter with a blue ribbon. It wouldn't go with her dress and Mari found it a bit trashy but she wouldn't tell the princess that.

"I hadn't even thought about one of these," commented Mari as she walked away and slipped into the powder room to slide the garter on under her dress.

"It is a good job that I am your bridesmaid then." Diana replied.

Mari reappeared from the bathroom and picked up her bouquet of flowers from the dressing table. She looked at herself in the mirror once more and made sure she looked perfect.

"It's time!" she told Diana as she strode past the Amazon and opened the door. "I am getting married."

Mari swept out of the room purposely. As she walked down the stairs, she couldn't shake off the sound of her father's voice.

To be continued...