Author's Note: Alright, so I haven't been to a wedding for a while and I tried my damnedest to look up the sequence of a wedding and what exactly the priest says at a wedding but I couldn't find ANY of it online! I was pissed. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, cut me some slack in that arena. Enjoy!

Bleeding Hearts

The Sequel to Weeping Willow

An X3 Fanfiction by Carrie

Epilogue

It was a warm, beautiful spring day. The flowers were in full bloom and things were just about as back to normal as they could have been. The back lawn of Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters was bustling with people from decorators to caterers, making sure that everything was perfect. After all, this was a wedding.

One hundred white folding chairs were arranged into rows, each ending with a bouquet of white roses, orchids, lilies and little blue forget-me-nots. The strip of lawn between the two groups of chairs was scattered with white rose petals, leading up to an oak alter. A net of twinkling little lights was suspended above the whole area. It was exactly as Willow had asked, but she had yet to see it.

"Don't be so nervous," Jackie said as she watched Storm gently tug at Willow's stunning white wedding gown, making sure that it sat right on Willow's frame. Willow stared at herself in the full length mirror in front of her. It was surreal. She had picked the dress out last month: it was a sleeveless, simple gown with embroidered flowery designs on the bodice and train. The back of the bodice, from the straps down, was cut into a V shape. A pair of ribbons laced up the back like a corset. Willow's flowing green hair had been put up in elegant curls, a cluster of small white roses, baby's breath and ivy leaves masking the clip that fastened her two-tier veil to her head.

"Are you getting married today?" Willow asked her maid of honor. Jackie smirked.

"No, but it's just Kurt. What've you got to be afraid of?" she asked. "You look awesome."

"Likewise," Willow sighed. All of Willow's bridesmaids (Jackie, Kitty, Rouge and Jubilee) were outfitted in simple, spaghetti strap light green dresses. The asymmetrical hem of each bridesmaid dress was longer in back than in the front. Willow had picked them out because the dresses reminded her of foxgloves.

"I think you're ready," Storm said, giving Willow a smile. "You look beautiful."

"I hope I don't trip on my dress," Willow sighed.

"You won't," Storm assured her. Willow stared at herself in the mirror, wondering if Kurt was going through the same thing upstairs.


"Vater unser im Himmel, Geheiligt werde dein Name. Dein Reich komme. Dein Wille geschehe, wie im Himmel so auf Erden…," Kurt muttered to himself, clutching his crude rosary tightly. He finished up the Lord's Prayer, crossed himself and sighed shakily.

He glanced at himself in the mirror and thought how very ridiculous he looked in a tuxedo. His jacket and pants were both black while his shirt, vest and bow tie were blazingly white. The boutonniere pinned to his jacket lapel consisted of a white rose, baby's breath, blue forget-me-nots and a couple of ivy leaves. He twisted around to look at himself from the back. The jacket ended in a pair of tails. His own tail stuck out between them. Kurt remembered the nerve-wracking couple of hours Storm spent tailoring his slacks to accommodate his tail. Now that he had the whole ensemble on, he thought himself silly for questioning Storm's sewing skills: the pants fit like a glove.

"You clean up nice," Logan grunted as he entered the room. Kurt had named Logan his best man and, as such, Wolverine was required to wear a tuxedo, which he was not happy about. He couldn't remember the last time he'd dressed up for anything, let alone worn a tux. His was almost a mirror image of Kurt's, though his vest and tie were light blue to match the forget-me-nots scattered around the wedding spread. However, his overgrown sideburns and out of control stubble were still present.

"I think I need a drink," Kurt said, his voice wavering. He had never been a heavy drinker at all, but today he felt the need to take the edge off.

"Ah, don't sweat it, Elf," Logan said, thumping his friend on the back. "It's just Willow, she doesn't bite."

"I look silly," Kurt groaned.

"Nah, you just never been in a tux before," Logan said.

"Have you?" Kurt countered. Logan muttered something that hardly qualified as an answer. "Zat's vat I thought. Vere is Warren?"

"Somewhere around here," Logan said with a shrug, not particularly caring where the winged groomsman was. The door opened suddenly, startling Kurt. The beastly frame of Hank McCoy ambled in, fully decked out in a tux (tails included), a light blue vest and bowtie and a black top hat.

"Everything alright in here?" he asked.

"You got a tranquilizer for the groom?" Logan said wryly, watching Kurt get increasingly nervous.

"I seem to have forgotten them," Hank said with a smile. "It's time."

"Was?" Kurt choked in German. "Now?"

"All the guests are present and accounted for," said Hank. "And they're already seated."

"My mother…?" Kurt asked with hope in his voice. Margali's flight had run hours late due to airport complications and so far as Kurt knew, she wasn't anywhere near New York.

"She just arrived, safe and sound," Hank reported.

"Good…," Kurt said, wiping the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. "Er…how do I look?"

"Like a perfect gentleman," Hank replied. He brought out a silver pocket watch that was attached to his vest pocket, the chain hanging from one of the buttons up his front. "I'd better go collect the bride."

"Come of, Elf," Logan said, slinging an arm around Kurt and muscling him out of the room. "It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding."


Jackie had left to join Kitty, Rogue and Jubilee on the lawn, leaving only Willow and Storm in the room. Willow's heart pounded nervously, made worse by the sudden presence of Hank McCoy in the doorway.

"Willow, you're a vision," Hank said affectionately.

"Thanks," Willow muttered, her cheeks growing pink.

"You too, Ororo," he said, gesturing at Storm's long light green dress. She smiled at him.

"Are you ready?" Storm asked her.

"As ready as I'm gonna be," Willow sighed. Storm helped flip the veil over Willow's face before handing her the bouquet of white roses, lilies and light blue forget-me-nots. Willow took a deep breath before they made their way out of the room.


Kurt stood in front of one hundred people, ringing his hands. His tail twitched nervously every once in a while. He glanced at the Father Colton, one of Professor Xavier's long time friends, to his left. The old priest flashed him a reassuring smile. Willow and Kurt had compromised in making their wedding a casual and lighthearted one with Catholic undertones. Kurt knew that religion was not on the top of her list of priorities, but he had always been appreciative of the fact that she respected his beliefs and opinions enough to let him worship God in his own way.

Kurt looked over at the three headstones that looked on from the garden. He and Willow had both wanted the wedding on the school's lawn for two reasons: one, because this place had become their home and two, so that the Professor, Scott and Jean could attend.

Storm slipped into her front row seat, signaling that she was no longer tending to Willow. Kurt swallowed hard as the bridesmaids and groomsmen began coming down the aisle. The pairing was a little backwards: Logan escorted Jackie since they were the best man and the maid of honor. Rogue came second escorted by Warren, Kitty third with Bobby and Jubilee fourth with Peter. They split up when they got to the altar, flanking both sides. All that was left was the bride.

Moments later, the pianist off to the side began to play the Wedding March. The entire congregation rose to their feet and directed their attention towards the pair that was coming toward the altar. He looked up the petal-strewn isle and nearly fainted; escorted by Hank McCoy was his bride, looking more beautiful than he'd ever seen her before. The music in the background seemed to fade away as she approached him, tiny white flowers growing and unfurling in her wake. He noticed her cheeks turn that faint, embarrassed pink that he'd grown so fond of, so he smiled as if to say 'don't be shy.'

When the pair reached the front row of seats, Hank turned to Willow and gave her a fatherly peck on the cheek.

"I'm so proud of you," he whispered, a smile spreading across his face. Willow's lips quivered as she tried to smile, but a few rouge tears fell onto her cheeks instead. Hank removed his handkerchief from his breast pocket as he'd done at Xavier's funeral and gently dabbed away her tears. "Now, now," he said firmly. "Chin up! Do you want your mascara to run?"

"It's waterproof," Willow said with a little laugh. Hank chuckled as he quickly folded the slightly moistened cloth and tucked it back into his pocket.

"I think if you don't go up there now, the groom may just suffer from a nervous breakdown," Hank muttered quietly, eyeing Kurt, who was still shaking like a leaf.

"Thanks Hank," Willow said. "For everything."

"Go on!" he urged, shooing her away and finding his seat next to Storm. Willow took a deep breath before joining Kurt at the altar. Both of them were smiling uncontrollably: Kurt out of a mixture of pure anxiety and awe upon seeing his beautiful bride, and Willow out of mild self consciousness and unbelievable happiness.

"You look beautiful," Kurt managed to whisper.

"Thanks," she muttered. "Is your mother here?"

"Right over zere," Kurt said, trying his best to gesture discreetly toward the front row. Willow glanced over her shoulder and saw that indeed; Margali was there, looking happy if not a little flustered from her airline fiasco.

"Shall we begin?" the Father Colton asked them kindly.

"Yes," they said together. He cleared his throat and looked out over the family and friends of the husband and wife to be.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here on this beautiful day to witness the union of Kurt Wagner and Willowtree Stevens, two very special and gifted young people who have persevered through times of great struggle and great tragedy. Because of their undying companionship and unyielding love for one another, they stand before you today to be joined in marriage," the priest said to the spectators.

"After hearing the story of their meeting, I was both touched and inspired. It amazes me still that two people, living on opposite sides of the world, facing its cruelty and intolerance alone, can find each other and endure together. To me, this kind of relationship is one of God's greatest gifts: something so perfect, so serendipitous that it could not possibly be just another accident in the universe. From the day they were born, I believe that Kurt and Willow were made for each other. And it is for this reason that I'd like to quit wasting time and get these two happily wed." The audience chuckled at this last remark, along with the bride and groom. "First and foremost, is there anyone here that does not wish for this union to take place? Speak now, or forever hold your peace."

Kurt's palms began to sweat. What if someone spoke up and they had to call it off? Did anyone really ever stand up and object to a marriage? Luckily, no one said a word.

"I thought not," he said gently with a smile. Willow exhaled in relief. She'd been holding her breath while the priest waited for someone to speak their mind. She felt sort of silly now: who would have anything to even object about?

"Are you ready to take your vows?" the priest asked them quietly. Kurt and Willow looked at each other for a moment before nodding. "Alright, then do you, Kurt Wagner, take Willow Stevens to be your wife, your partner in life and your one true love?"

"I do," said Kurt, his voice wavering.

"And will you cherish that union and love her more each day than you did the day before?"

"I vill," he said, his lips quirking into a smile.

"And will you trust her and respect her, laugh with her and cry with her, loving her faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles you may face together?"

"I vill," he said with a nod. Then reciting the vow that he and Willow had both memorized, he added, "I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from zis day forward for as long as we both shall live." The priest then turned to Willow.

"And do you, Willow Stevens, take Kurt Wagner to be your husband, your partner in life and your one true love?"

"I do," Willow said softly.

"And will you cherish that union and love him more each day than you did the day before?" he asked.

"I will," she answered.

"And will you trust him and respect him, laugh with him and cry with him, loving him faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles you may face together?"

"I will," said Willow. "Always. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live."

"Will the best man please present the rings?" Father Colton asked. Everyone looked to Logan, who looked a little confused. Then it dawned on him.

"Oh, I guess that's me…," he muttered, plunging a hand into his inner jacket pocket and producing a pair of gold wedding bands. He handed them off to Kurt, who gave Willow his ring.

"If you would please exchange rings," Father Colton instructed. Kurt took the lead, taking Willow's green hand in his awkward blue one.

"In ze name of ze Father, ze Son, and ze Holy Spirit, take and vear zis ring as sign of my love and faithfulness," he said, slipping the delicate gold band onto her left ring finger. Willow smiled from ear to ear as she took his left and in hers. Kurt's ring was a little larger than the average male wedding band due simply to the fact that his fingers were bigger.

"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, take and wear this ring as sign of my love and faithfulness," she recited, sliding the ring onto his third and last digit.

"In front of the eyes of your family, friends and the eyes of God, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," Father Colton said with a kindly smile. Kurt and Willow beamed as he flipped her veil back over her head. They leaned in close to each other and shared a modest, but very tender kiss. Jackie, Rouge and Jubilee all sniffled with happy tears. Logan, Warren, Bobby and Peter were grinning like madmen. "May I present Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Wagner," Father Colton announced. As rehearsed, Willow and Kurt, followed by their bridesmaids and groomsmen, exited down the aisle to the sounds of the Wedding March. The guests rose from their seats and proceeded toward the area of the lawn that had been set up for the reception. Small, round white tables had been set up before a long table adorned with catered food, more flowers and, on a small, round table off by itself, their fantastic three-tiered wedding cake topped with a small bouquet of white rose buds and blue forget-me-nots sat. However, the food was largely ignored as everyone practically attacked Willow and Kurt with congratulations.

"Oh, Willow, I'm so happy for you!" cried Yolanda, the nurse from the hospital that had made her trip to New York possible.

"Thank you so much," Willow said. The two women exchanged tight hugs.

"It's nice to meet you, finally, Kurt, I've heard all about you in Willow's letters," Yolanda told him fondly.

"I should probably sank you for all of zis," Kurt said. "Had you not been so generous, Willow and I would never have met."

"Oh, honey, I don't deserve that much credit," she laughed.

"Hey, Mrs. Wagner, planning on throwing that bouquet sometime today?" Jackie asked, nudging her best friend in the side with an elbow.

"I almost forgot!" Willow laughed. "Whoever wants to get married next, come over here! I'm gonna throw the bouquet!" Jackie, Rogue, Jubilee, Kitty, Husk, Siryn, Moonstar, Storm, and a gaggle of the school's younger female students crowded behind Willow. "Ready?" Willow called.

"Throw it!" cried Kitty. Willow bent down and, like a catapult, flung the bouquet over her head. The group of girls squealed and snatched at the bouquet, but Willow had put a little too much 'oomph' in her throw. It sailed right over their heads and collided with Logan's barrel of a chest. He caught it on it's descent to the lawn. His expression looked both surprised and uncomfortable.

"Aw, c'mon!" Jackie groaned, throwing her arms in the air.

" Nah…," Logan grunted, chucking the bouquet back into the crowd. The girls grabbed for it again, but in the end, Rogue came out on top.

"Ah got it!" she cried happily, holding it in the air. Everyone clapped enthusiastically. Bobby was beaming.

"I guess ve should do ze garter as vell?" Kurt said, eyeing Willow's hidden thigh.

"I guess it's only fair…," Willow grumbled, not excited to expose more skin in public than was necessary. "All the guys gather round!" she called. She hiked up her dress, revealing one porcelain skinned leg and a white lacey garter. Kurt grinned broadly, unable to help it, as he slid the garter off Willow's leg. Jackie and Kitty whistled loudly just for the sake of making Willow uncomfortable. Willow felt her cheeks turn pink, her mild embarrassment only made worse by Kurt twirling the garter around on one finger as the group of men materialized.

"Oh, stop it," Willow muttered, punching Kurt softly in the arm.

"Everyvan ready?" he asked.

"Do it, Elf," Logan said, undoubtedly more enthused to catch a piece of women's lingerie than a bunch of flowers. Kurt covered his eyes with the broad, arrow-shaped tip of his tail and shot the garter into the crowd like a rubber band.

"I got it, I got it...!" cried Bobby, clawing for it as it soared over his outstretched fingers.

"No you don't!" Hank returned jovially, making a grab for it as well.

"I got it," Warren said triumphantly as he plucked the delicate piece of fabric from the air. Jackie whooped, feeling that the victory was partly hers too.

"That's my Angel!" she crowed, approaching her boyfriend of nearly five months and planting a kiss on his cheek. Warren chuckled as he put and arm around her shoulders as everyone applauded his catch.

As planned, the caterers began pouring and serving champagne for those over twenty one and sparkling cider for those that weren't. The guests found seats at the tables that littered the lawn and prepared to hear the toasts made to the bride and groom. As soon as each guest had a delicate crystal glass in hand, Henry McCoy rose to his feet, facing Willow and Kurt at their own private table.

"I propose a toast to the bride and groom," he announced. The side conversation stopped as all eyes fixed upon his burly frame. "It is written: when children find true love, parents find true joy," he began, holding up his glass. "And judging by the look on Ms. Szardos' face, this is true," he said, gesturing to Margali who simply smiled, suppressing a good natured laugh. "While I, technically, have no children, I consider the young woman before me something of a daughter, and I have to say that there have been few times in my life that rival this one in my own personal joy." Willow smiled as tears welled up in her eyes. Kurt grasped her hand for emotional support. "May she share everything with her husband, including the housework," he said enthusiastically, holding his glass higher as everyone chuckled at his last remark. Thank you, Willow mouthed to him as he sat down again. Kurt was the next to stand up.

"I first vant to sank everyvan here for attending ze happiest day of my life," he said, receiving smiles and raised glasses in response. "And to my beautiful vife, Villow. I vould not be ze same person zat I am today visout you. You saved me from ze darkest loneliness and you have taught me how to be truly happy vis myself. I never in my vildest dreams sought zat finding somevan who vould love me for who I am, not vat I am vas possible. To be quite frank, you have made my dreams come true. Danke, meine Liebe."

"Bitte schön," Willow responded. Kurt raised his glass a little before taking a sip and sitting down. He and Willow exchanged a quick kiss before Logan rose from his chair, clearing his throat a little and looking very uncomfortable with all eyes on him.

"Hang on a sec, I got it around here somewhere…," he muttered as he searched his pockets for something. Finally, he extracted a crumpled scrap of paper. He smoothed it out before he began speaking. "I wrote this down 'cause I figured if I didn't, I'd stand up and forget it. This is fer you, Elf," he said, gesturing at Kurt. Logan cleared his throat again awkwardly began reading off his script's surface. "I've lived a long time, longer than I probably shoulda, and I've known a lotta different people. Been friends with some, enemies with others, but I've never met no one quite like you. Probably you're one'a the best friends I've had so far, and I just wanted you wish you guys luck with the marriage and all. Don't kill each other, 'cause lord knows you could both put up a hell of a fight." He held up his glass briefly before quickly sitting back down and taking a swig of champagne. Jackie stood up next, a cue card of her own in her left hand.

"I actually do have this memorized, I just didn't want to mess up at my best friend's wedding," she told everyone with a sheepish smile. A few amused guffaws issued from the surrounding tables. "Here's to my best friend, Willow, who's been there for me more than even my family. I had a pretty tough patch of life a while ago, and I honestly thought I'd pushed you away so much that I'd never be able to fix the damage I did. But when I snapped out of it, you let me back into your life, like nothing ever happened. I thought it was too good to be true, but there you were! And I really wanna thank you for that. Here's to being friends, and complete basket cases, to the end," she said, raising her glass a little as everyone around her laughed politely. She sat back down, taking a sip of sparkling cider. Willow rose next.

"Hi," she said, looking around at everyone, inspiring a few chuckles here and there. "I want to say thank you to Jackie, Logan and Hank for their kind words today. Also, thank you all so much for coming, it means the world to the both of us," she said, raising her glass a little. "So now here's a little something for my hero, Kurt Wagner. When my life fell apart, you came to me like an answered prayer to help me pick up the pieces. You've stuck by me through the thick and thin of it, even when we were both still complete strangers. You've comforted me when I was in pain and you've made me laugh when I thought I couldn't. Basically, you're my knight in shining armor, bamfing to my rescue whenever I needed saving. Thank you so much for everything, Kurt, and know that I'll always love you." A few 'aww's could be heard coming from the direction of the bridesmaid's table. Everyone else either clapped politely or took a sip from their glass. Making sure not to get tangled in her dress, Willow sat back down, allowing Storm to make the final toast.

"Again, thank you all for coming," she began. "When I look at Willow and Kurt, now blissfully married, it's hard to think that the two of them only a year and a half ago were frightened, confused and wronged by the world around them. They've grown so much together, drawing upon each other for the kind of strength and will to persevere that most of us can only imagine. It has taken me along time to be able to even believe in faith," she said, making eye contact with Kurt, "but if there is one thing that I have faith in, it's that this union will last forever. So here's to the lamp of love - may it burn brightest in the darkest hours and never flicker in the winds of trial." She held up her glass while everyone else drank. "I would now like to invite you all to have some lunch that these fabulous caterers have cooked up. Dancing is encouraged while the band plays, and we'll have the newlyweds cut the cake afterwards." There was a light patter of applause as the guests got up from their seats to partake in the food provided. As planned, the hired band began to play a slow, soft little tune.

"Shall ve eat or dance?" Kurt asked Willow.

"I'm so happy that I'm not hungry," she replied with a little laugh.

"Dancing it is, then," he said, offering his hand to her. She took it and was swept out into the vacant patch of grass they'd reserved for those who chose to dance.

"It's a good thing you taught me how to dance, or this would be really awkward," Willow said with a smile.

"It's a good sing you came along, or I vouldn't even sink of dancing in front of a crowd," he said. Other couples began to make their way into the dancing area as Kurt lead Willow swaying in a slow circle.

"I never got a chance to tell you how dashing you look in a tux," Willow said, looking up into his yellow eyes.

"Vell take a good look," he said, "because zis may be ze last time I agree to wear one."

"At least we'll have pictures of all of this," she said.

"Ven are ve getting zose professional pictures done, anyvay?" he asked.

"Oh, I don't know. Sometime today," she said with a little shrug as they passed Hank and Ororo who looked like they were enjoying themselves. Willow had only heard of Dr. Henry McCoy's prowess on the dance floor, but now that she had seen it with her own eyes, she was extremely impressed.

"I vonder about zose two," Kurt said quietly with a little smile.

"They're just really good friends," Willow assured him.

"So are ve," he pointed out.

"Yeah, but it's different," she insisted.

"If you say so."

"I do say so," she replied with a coy smile.

"Hey, are you excited for our Hawaiian honeymoon?" he asked raising a suggestive eyebrow.

"Yes, but a little nervous," Willow replied. "All I want is a week of lying on the beach without being hassled. I just don't know if that's possible these days."

"Ve can alvays come home early if things get too complicated," he reminded her.

"That's true," she sighed. "Everyone else gets to go to Hawaii without a hitch, but here we are again, with the short end of the stick."

"Don't go borrowing trouble, Liebchen, we haven't even left yet!" he said in a soothing voice.

"Tomorrow," she said, sounding more nervous than she'd let on.

"It'll be fine," he promised.

"If you say so," she countered as the song ended.

"Vould you be terribly disappointed if I vent off for somesing to eat?" Kurt asked, eyeing the table.

"Go ahead, I'll mingle," Willow said. Kurt lightly tapped her under the chin with his tail as he turned to leave: an affectionate gesture that still gave Willow butterflies. In Kurt's absence, she looked around and finally realized how very real all this was. She was married. Gone were the days that she signed her name 'Stevens'. Gone was her mother's last name, the only thing she had left of her besides the memories. Willow bit her lip, trying not to have a 'my mom's dead' episode right here at her own wedding. Lately they had been few and far between, but it simply had not been long enough yet for her to cope completely. As soon as she thought she might lose it, she saw a big blue someone out of the corner of her eye. She looked up and saw the smiling face of Hank McCoy.

"May I steal you for this dance?" he asked. Willow hadn't even noticed that the next song had started playing.

"Oh, sure," Willow said, forcing the best smile she could. Hank gave her a little theatrical bow, producing a few suppressed giggles from his young dance partner, before he led her out onto a vacant patch of grass.

"I'll try my best not to shed on your dress," he promised as grasped her right hand in his left. She put her other hand on his shoulder while he rested his politely at her waist.

"A few Hank hairs would be the least of my troubles," she told him as they swayed to the music.

"A young bride shouldn't be troubled on her wedding day," he said. "What's bothering you?"

"I guess it's just that I wish my mom could have been here," Willow said awkwardly. "I don't even have a picture of her."

"She would have been very proud of you, I'm sure," Hank said comfortingly.

"I'm always afraid that I'm going to forget her," she admitted. "And it'll be like she never existed."

"One can never forget those dearest to them," he told her. "She lives on in your heart and in your memories. No amount of time can change that." Willow smiled, her will to keep her more embarrassing emotional displays at bay winning over.

"I guess in a way, though, if she hadn't died, I wouldn't be here and this wouldn't be happening," Willow mused.

"Perhaps," Hank said with a thoughtful nod. "Or, maybe you were destined to be here, regardless."

"Could be," she agreed. There was a lull in their conversation that left the two of them enjoying the music and the company. After a moment or two, Willow spoke up again. "Did you really mean what you said?"

"Which part?" he asked, looking down at her inquisitively.

"The part where you said you thought of me as a daughter," she replied.

"Every word of it." Willow smiled.

"That means a lot to me," she said. "Thank you."

"Well, you're very welcome, my dear," he told her. "Ah, and while I have you all to myself, I've finally come to a conclusion about the sample of skin cells I took from your arms last month."

"And…?" Willow asked curiously

"Algae," Hank said simply.

"…Algae?" she parroted.

"Yes, a new species, to be exact," he said with a little nod. "One that thrives on the energy of other plants, hence its spread whenever you strain your power. Like most other species, it likes to live in moist places: in the case, your skin. You may very well have created it yourself the first time it appeared."

"Oops," Willow said wryly as Hank dipped her like a professional ballroom dancer.

"I also have a feeling that it augments your preexisting plant-growing abilities so, in essence, the more it spreads, the stronger your power becomes," he explained as he brought her back into an upright position.

"Great," Willow grunted.

"You don't sound entirely fascinated with my ground-breaking discovery," Hank said flatly.

"Oh, it's fascinating enough," Willow replied. "I just don't want it spreading everywhere."

"Maybe I'll look into stunting its growth this week when you and Mr. Wagner are sun tanning in Hawaii," he said with a smile.

"I'd appreciate it," Willow said, still not thrilled about the fact that she had plant life growing under her skin.

The song ended shortly thereafter.

"Thanks for the dance," Willow said.

"It was my pleasure," Hank said, acting the gentleman that he was and planting a kiss on the top of her hand.

"I think I'm gonna go find that husband of mine," she said, excusing herself. It took her a moment to catch sight of Kurt amongst the throngs of people milling around the mansion's back lawn. She finally found him sitting at a table with his mother, Logan, and Jackie, up to his pointy ears in finger sandwiches. She sat down, stole a sandwich and listened in on the conversation that was taking place, which involved Margali revealing embarrassing childhood stories of Kurt. Willow laughed in all the right places but her mind was elsewhere. She casually looked around at all the guests that had attended. Had someone told her when she was getting beaten up in school that in a few short years, her life would be overflowing with people who cared about her, she wouldn't have believed them. And yet, here was proof right before her eyes.

"Do you remember, Schatz, when you first began performing and you didn't want to wear your costume?" Margali asked with laughing eyes.

"No, don't tell zis one!" Kurt moaned, burying his face in his hands.

"Tell it, I wanna hear it!" Willow cried.

"You're a traitor!" Kurt told her, his cheeks turning a darker blue.

"Well, he was very young, maybe four, if that, and he wanted to be part of the show," Margali explained, trying to suppress her laughter as she watched Kurt squirm in his seat. "So I told him he could, but he would need to wear a costume."

"Here it comes…," Kurt groaned.

"Opening night, we were all ready to go and I had him dressed in his little cherub costume, and right as his cue came, he took it all off and ran out in front of the whole audience, completely naked!" The punch line sent everyone into fits of laughter. Kurt was obviously mortified, so Logan gave him a hearty thump on the back, which can only be described as a manly, comforting gesture.

"Mom…," he muttered. "I'm going to be tventy five, ven vill you stop telling everyvan embarrassing stories?"

"Never," she laughed. "Even on my death bed, I'll tell that story."

"He was prolly so cute!" Jackie laughed, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Shoulda known you were never gonna live that one down, bub," Logan said.

"I sink I must have been dropped on my head as a child, ozervise I vouldn't have done somesing so stupid," Kurt grumbled.

"I love you anyway, even in your birthday suit," Willow assured him.

"What would you know about his birthday suit?" Jackie asked suggestively.

"That's something we don't talk about in front of the mother-in-law…," Willow told her through gritted teeth.

"I don't mind," the gypsy laughed good-naturedly.

The pleasant banter continued until everyone had their fill of post-wedding food and Storm called Willow and Kurt up to cut the cake. The newlyweds made their way up in front of the guests one more time. Willow picked up the knife they'd bought for this very purpose and felt a pang of regret at the thought of destroying the work of art in front of them. Kurt placed his hand over Willow's and together they made two neat cuts in the bottom tier of the cake. They set down the knife and Willow carefully pulled out the tiny piece they'd cut for themselves and split it in half. Kurt took his piece and they fed one another nicely (during the rehearsal, they'd shoved the mock-wedding cake into each other's faces and, after accidentally getting some up his nose, Kurt decided he didn't want to repeat their slightly childish behavior in front of masses of people.)

The guests clapped politely before Logan ambled up to the cake and popped his claws. Willow had been a little reluctant to let Wolverine cut and serve everyone else cake, but Kurt had already told him he could. Everyone else sidled up to Logan, who quite literally chopped Willow and Kurt's lovely wedding cake into little bits with his claws before plopping each mutilated chunk onto its own little paper plate.

"Why did I agree to that?" Willow sighed, watching her cake disintegrate before her eyes.

"Because you love me," Kurt said, trying to give her his best debonair smile. "Plus, look, people sink it's funny."

"Har har," Willow said in a deadpan voice. "So much for saving that top part for our one year anniversary," she groaned as Logan plucked their flowery topper off the top tier and began gouging the cake apart.

"It's just cake," Kurt pointed out.

"Yeah," Willow said with a sigh. "It was a pretty cake, though."

"I'm sure we have a picture of it somevere," Kurt said. The two of them watched everyone milling around, enjoying their desecrated pieces of wedding cake and visiting with one another.

"Good turn out," Willow remarked. "As stressful as it was to put everything together, I really enjoyed myself today."

"Me too," Kurt agreed.

"All that's left is packing the rest of our stuff for tomorrow morning," Willow said.

"And growing old and wrinkly together, don't forget zat part," Kurt said with a grin.

"Will you still love me when I'm wrinkly?" Willow asked, looking him in the eyes. "Even if I'm cranky and a big pain in your ass?"

"Especially if you're cranky and a pain in my ass," Kurt said, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "You can't get rid of me now, Weide."

"I'm glad I'm stuck with you, handsome," she told him.

"Let's find zat photographer and get zose pictures taken before she leaves," Kurt suggested putting an arm around her and leading her away from the sight of Logan cleaning off his claws with a napkin.

Willow and Kurt were at the mercy of a professional photographer for the better part of a half an hour, trying out different angles and poses. Before she let her models go, the photographer got a few group pictures with the bridesmaids and the groomsman. The guests looked on with interest for a little while, but soon after the photographer finished up, some of their friends bade them farewell and good luck before leaving. Yolanda and her husband's good-byes went on for some time, ending in a pair of tight hugs. They made Willow promise them letters and phone calls before they left to catch their plane back to Seattle. In less than an hour, the only people left were the mansion's own residents.

"Why don't we help you two with the gifts up to the marriage suite?" Hank offered as some of the younger denizens were put to work folding up chairs.

"Marriage suite?" Willow repeated, sounding confused.

"Come with us," Storm prompted, leading Kurt and Willow back into the immaculate house. Willow and Kurt's rooms were both on the second floor, however they bypassed them entirely, continuing up to the fourth and last floor. There wasn't a whole lot up there, save a few rooms, two of which housed Storm and Kitty. Hank led the way to an apparently vacant room. He turned the brass knob and pushed open the door. Willow gasped happily when she saw what was inside: an enormous, king sized bed sat in the middle of the room, on which were a modestly floral patterned down comforter and a matching set of pillows and sheets. An entertainment center with a fairly large TV was situated opposite the bed, complete with DVD player and a VCR. There were two nightstands that flanked the bed on either side. A bathroom, bigger than most around the mansion, was down a very small hallway to the right as they came in. There was a closet set into both of the tiny hallway's walls, which had already been stocked with all of Kurt and Willow's clothes. There were colorful balloons and confetti everywhere and, above the bed, a banner was hung that read: "Congratulations!"

"Oh, wow…," Willow said slowly. "This is…"

"Wunderbar," Kurt finished.

"Yeah," Willow agreed.

"So you like it?" Storm asked, beaming.

"Like it?" Willow scoffed, "I love it! It's so big! How'd you…?"

"We got it furnished over the last month," Hank explained. "But we had some of our more sneaky residents install your personal belongings today while you were distracted with the wedding."

"How did I miss a king sized bed coming up the stairs?" Willow wondered.

"We made sure you were in class at the time," Storm told her.

"Ve have a sunken tub!" Kurt exclaimed from inside the bathroom. "I sink it has jets!"

"Wow," Willow reiterated, unsure of a better word to describe her speechlessness.

"Now you'll have your own little place when you get back from the honeymoon," Storm told them.

"This is…wow, thank you!" Willow stammered.

"It's more zen ve could have asked from you guys," Kurt said as he came back from his bathroom inspection.

"Consider it our gift to you, since neither of us bought you anything," Hank said, sounding a bit sheepish.

"I sink you can forgo Christmas presents for a few years…," Kurt muttered, sitting down on the bed, bouncing on it a little to test its firmness. Hank chuckled.

"You may regret that, come the holidays," he said.

"I think waking up Christmas morning in this room will be more than enough," Willow assured him.

"Alright," Hank said, suppressing a laugh. "Well, perhaps we should let you two finish packing for your trip."

"Hopefully they didn't unpack our suitcases…," Willow muttered with a hint of sarcasm.

"Sank you both," Kurt said in earnest. "Zis is more zen ve could have ever asked for."

"Don't mention it," Storm said with a dismissive shake of her head. Hank and Storm excused themselves from Kurt and Willow's new room, leaving the newlyweds to their own devices.

"Now what?" Willow wondered, looking around at the fantastic room.

"Vell…," Kurt said slowly.

"Well, what?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow at him.

"It is our vedding night tonight," he said. "I say ve try out zat sunken tub."

"You do, do you?" Willow countered with a coy smile.

"I do," he said, closing off the space between them.

"Well, then," she said as she helped him shrug out of his tux jacket and discard it on the bed, "Better sooner than later…"

Fin.


Author's Note: What do you think? Please everyone let me know! I've started on another Willow-centric story so that my hardcore fans (of which there are two…) can enjoy more story. Cya then!