Chapter Five – The Ceremony.

John glanced at Wally and tapped his watch nervously, Mari hadn't arrived yet and she should have.

"Maybe she knows you better than you know yourself," Wally whispered.

"Give it a rest!" John growled in reply.

John watched with growing frustration as Wally placed his hands up in the air in mock defeat and then grinned brightly. John didn't see any humour in the situation. His bride to be was late and his thoughts were all over the place. Before he could give it another thought, the prelude started and then the big, heavy church doors swung open. In walked Diana who was closely followed by Mari. His eyes widened as she walked towards him, she did look stunning dressed in gold. He felt Wally touch his shoulder and he nodded.

"This is it, big man," he heard Wally mutter.

Wally was right, this was it and he shouldn't have let it get this far. It was wrong but he couldn't turn back now because Mari was here and he couldn't walk out now. If he walked out in front of all these people, he would be hurting her. It would be bad enough cancelling the wedding privately but publicly would be devastating. Why hadn't he listened to Wally while he still had the chance?

"Buddy," hissed Wally who had apparently felt him tense up.

John shook his friend off and planted a smile on his face. He had to try and look the part, for Mari's sake. He smiled brightly as she approached him; she was walking gracefully down the aisle carrying a bouquet of white lilies and roses. He had to admit that she was breathtakingly stunning dressed in the gold silk dress that looked like it had had to be painted on because it fitted so snugly. She was soon by his side and he felt her take his hand.

"Hello," he greeted

"Hello yourself," was her answer as she smiled up at him.

A typical Mari answer. He had to smile at that. John could feel Wally's eyes boring into the back of his head and it was making him uneasy. He looked around at Wally and arched an eyebrow at him. He hoped the look in his eyes would let Wally know, not to stir anything now.

The minister's voice broke into his thoughts, Wally and Diana went to sit down and all eyes were upon John and Mari. John was regaining his composure. He was going to do this and he was going to make Mari happy. He was unaware that Mari was looking at him closely. He could feel eyes on him but he presumed that it was his wedding guests.

"We are gathered here today," spoke the minister "to join in this happy occasion where John and Mari will declare their love before us and God. They will make a lifelong commitment to one another."

John looked at Mari and smiled. She was looking at him intently and he put it down to the fact that she wanted to keep focused and feel the words the minister was saying. Mari had written the vows herself; he had cast an eye over them briefly and had agreed to them. He had felt they were very apt for them and he had told her that. She had beamed brightly at him before kissing him on the cheek.

"No!" came Mari's voice from out of nowhere.

A collective gasp sounded around the room, shocked faces looked towards the front of the church. John looked at Mari with surprise. Had he just heard right? She was looking at him and shaking her head, he could see tears gleaming in her eyes and he didn't understand.

"John," he heard her whisper "We need to talk but not here!"

John felt her take his hand and lead him out of the church, away from prying eyes and into a small cloakroom off the main lobby. For the first time in a long time, he couldn't read her. He didn't know what she was thinking and her eyes gave away nothing. She was like a stranger to him.

"Mari?" he asked, "What is going on?"

"Do you love me?"

"Yes."

"Are you in love with me?"

John was taken aback by that question. He knew the shock was written all over his face. His mouth dried up and he found that he couldn't answer her. He was aware of the hurt look in her eyes but he couldn't take that hurt away.

"John," she almost begged, "are you in love with me?"

He shook his head; he had to be honest with her.

"I am sorry, Mari," he told her. The words were just words as they left his mouth. They were empty words compared to the hurt and pain Mari was suffering; they brought no comfort to her and none to him.

"Sorry," he heard her choke "Why didn't you tell me?"

John reached out to touch her but she stepped back and glared at him. He knew she didn't want him to touch her, to try and smooth things over. She was actually rather calm and collected for a woman who had just had the rug pulled from under her feet. He had expected her to lash out at him; it was what he deserved for making this go for as long as it had done.

"Just don't, John," Mari asked him. "Just go to her and don't say anything."

"What?" he asked.

"You are in love with her," she told him "I have always known and I thought I could deal with it especially since you always come back to me. But it isn't enough and hearing the minister say those things made me realise it. We would both be unhappy, John, maybe not at first but within time, we would. I am worth more than second best and we both deserve to be happy. I can save face for calling the wedding off. It was my decision and people will know that."

"Mari," he said, "I care deeply for you and I never meant for any of this. I never wanted to cause you pain. Believe me."

"I believe you," she replied. "Now go to her and make things work, and not just for your sake but for mine as well. I want to know I am doing the right thing so don't mess it up. I loved you, John Stewart, but that is not enough for you. It was time that I realised that before it was too late."

John watched as Mari stepped forward and cupped his cheek in her hand. He felt her fingers brush against his cheekbone and he looked into her eyes. He closed his eyes as he felt her lean forward, gentle pressure was applied against his lips and then it was gone and when he opened his eyes again, Mari was gone.

The whole situation felt so surreal to him. He felt like he had been watching the scene from above. He had felt detached from his body as he listened to Mari, he had heard the words fall from her lips but they had seemed like echoes. As she was speaking, he kept thinking of Shayera and the chance he had now. He did feel bad about causing Mari pain and he admired her for doing what she had just done. He knew it had not been easy for her to come to that decision and yet, she did. She put his happiness before her own and given him a way out. She had loved him and her willingness to let him go proved that.

The door to the small room, Mari had led him to opened and Wally poked his head around. Behind Wally, John could make out the forms of Diana, Bruce, Clark and J'onn waiting for answers.

"Hey GL," Wally asked as he shot into the room as quick as a flash. Something about the look on his face told John thatWally'd been the one nominated by the rest to walk into the lion's den. "What is going on?" he asked with a false jollity.

"I need to get to the Watchtower," John told them with a smile as he walked by them; he winked at Diana before disappearing.

To be continued...