We do not own "Sailor Moon" nor any of the characters.
SAILOR MOON ETERNAL
"The 6th Season of the Sailor Moon Saga"
By Haruka Kou
Chapter 20: In the Home Stretch
The flight back to Tokyo runs smoothly, though our little group was concerned about their missing companions, wondering if everything back in France was all right and hoping sincerely that it was.
Upon arriving back in Japan, they pick up the sedan they left in the secured parking lot, and drive home. There were more than a few luggage mishaps at the airport, with Sayer having to climb up the motorized conveyer belt for Susan's lost suitcase, he and the heavy bag almost coming in for a crash landing in result.
Home at last, they find the front door unlocked.
"I locked this door before we left." Alex drops her suitcases on the ground, pushing ahead, always the suspicious one. She readies her stance for danger as she kicks the door in cautiously and looks around.
"Maybe you just forgo-" Sayer starts to say as he comes in behind her, very "gentlemanly" not bothering to retrieve her fallen luggage.
'SURPRISE!" A chorus of voices sing out merrily as the lights in the house pop on to reveal Tara, Rini, Mina, Rei, Amy and Lita, plus little RiRi too. They were all crowded around a returned-from-her-honeymoon (and looking none the worse for wear) Serena who was holding a cake with twenty red candles on it, ablaze.
"Happy Birthday, Sayer!" Serena leans over the cake, and kisses the surprised birthday boy on the cheek.
"Meatball! You remembered." He smiles, their friendship warming his heart, and the sight of the delicious cake makes his mouth water.
"Of course! How could I forget? I'm a responsible lady now, you know." Serena smiles with a mischievous air about her.
"Yeah, I know. So where is Dar?" Sayer winks back at her, as he fingers a scoop of the icing off the cake and into his mouth.
"He's working right now. But he'll be here soon. Don't worry, he wouldn't miss your party!" Serena slaps Sayer's wandering fingers from devouring the entire cake before it's served.
"Lita made the cake, so you don't have to worry about that either." Rei pipes in, not wanting Serena to get credit for anything she didn't deserve.
"Yeah, well I decorated the room, Rei." Serena rebuts. Though now a grown-up married "lady" she wasn't above her little quarrels with Rei.
"YOU decorated the room!? We all helped decorate!" Rini, looking silly with an angry face since little grey kitten Diana was atop her head, was the third cog in the argument. Tara obediently nods in agreement with her best friend.
"Don't forget how I brought the balloons! Didn't I, Artemis?" Mina says haughtily, just as one of those balloons decides to pop on a sharp edge from the grandfather clock, with a loud bang, scaring the catnip out of Artemis.
"Girls, let's not argue about who did what." Amy tries to smooth over, smiling at Terry and Susan, embarrassed at the girls' rude behavior.
"Yeah, let's just eat the frosting off the cake before the candles all melt." Sayer jumps right in the fray, taking hold of Serena's arm and guiding her to the table of divine sweetery.
Soon the cake pieces are dispersed around the room (after Sayer blows out the candles in one big puff!) and then the gossip begins.
Sayer busies himself with chatting up the girls, happy to be part of their group as he was always the life of any party, especially at a surprise one for himself.
Terry and Susan calmly converse with Amy, Lita and Tara, the more sublime members of the gabbing girls. Though they leave out a certain bit of news they too had to share that was just the tiniest bit significant as they wait for just the right moment to spring it upon their friends.
Watching the merry crowd before her, Alex finds herself amused at how boyish Sayer turned around them. He had that sweet, childlike innocence about him that she would always find so attractive.
"Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?" Alex asks, as the girls all scurry off to fetch their presents for him. Sayer shrugs.
"He told me this morning not to tell you." Terry smiles with a tease, stirring up trouble, as Susan takes her place on his lap.
"What? Why?" Alex asks with an incredulous chuckle at how strange men could be at times. All right, most of the time.
"'Cause guys don't really care about birthdays and that sort of thing. That's why. I'm only playing along so the girls don't feel bad." Sayer smiles the bluff, but Alex could see in his eyes that he was enjoying himself to no end, that it was all a big show.
"Oh, all right." Alex smirks knowingly, letting him think he got away with that bluff.
"PRESENT TIME! PRESENT TIME!" Mina sings out as she trots back into the room, as she almost steps on poor Luna, and holding something behind her back.
"Close your eyes, Sayer." Serena orders, as she peeks around the corner before coming in.
"And don't you dare open them!" Rei warns, as she follows Serena in.
Amy, Tara and Rini follow close behind them.
"Okay, okay." Sayer smiles obediently. "What're you guys doing anyway? Remember there are ladies present." He jokes, with eyelids tightly shut.
"We are ALL ladies here - except for Terry of course! And you too, Artemis." Mina twists her lip at the jab, giggling at herself.
"You can open your eyes now!" Lita coos, as they all scramble behind the table they just placed the gifts upon.
There, lying on the table was a beautiful long, wooden baseball bat, a professional leather catcher's mitt and softball. On top of it was a light blue baseball cap. It was a baseball fan's dream come true and Sayer was certainly an avid one.
"Wow! Guys, this is great! Thanks!" He picks up the glove, and sees an inscription on it, written in indelible blue ink.
"It's a fortune I chose for you today at the temple." Rei smiles, glad her handiwork stood out and not Mina's chasing that famous baseball player for a week to sign that dumb old ball.
"'Keep on reaching for your dream.'" Sayer reads aloud, and as he does his eyes travel across the table, at Alex, who looks away from his intent stare quickly. She never wanted to look weak in front of Lita and the other girls.
"Thanks gang!" Sayer's smile envelops all the girls. "You can count on it!" He looks back to Alex, who finds his gaze too tempting today to turn away from this time.
Sayer soon recruits the whole gang for a game of baseball. The group of friends trot outside the green grassy field to the back yard, and soon turn it into an impromptu baseball diamond. It was complete with old leather school bags, and even some of Susan's fine dinner china, in literal place of the four 'plates' around the diamond.
Sayer chooses a spot in the field, and piles up a small mountain of dirt for the pitcher's mound. He was the pitcher of course.
The girls change into some of Alex's offered shorts as they divide up who was to be on whose team. The birthday boy naturally assumes the role of team leader and coach for those less than athletically inclined.
Serena, an old trainee of his from not so long ago, takes the opposing team when Alex surprisingly declines Sayer's insistence that she had the makings of a great baseball player. Alex had responded that she had something more important to do than play games with "the children." She took off in her much missed on their vacation Ferrari to speed down the road.
This turn of events cast a bit of disappointment for Sayer, but the other girls cheer him up soon with their not-so-inspirational baseball tactics. Terry and Susan watch them from the side, happily supplying them with homemade lemonade and iced tea on this hot summer day. They prepare a lunch together for the hungry players.
RiRi, in her excitement, had a little accident when she nearly caught a foul ball and "Mother" Susan has to set her right again. Everyone soon comes in from the steaming late July day for lunch. Darien soon arrives, joining his wife, listens to her and girls gossip over the latest buzz about Michelle, after she makes a long-distance telephone call from Paris to make certain that the residents of the house had gotten home safely.
"Michelle said Robin actually faced her strict parents. He told them he loved her right in front of them!" Lita nods up and down seriously, being the one who had answered the phone, though all the girls just had to say "Hi" and get the gossip first-hand from their elegant friend.
"Her parents said they'd allow the two of them to stay together on trial for one year to see if their love lasts! How romantic!" Mina sighs, almost in tears, just imagining how much courage it took to do such a thing on Robin's behalf.
"How romantic!" Lita sighs as well, as the rest of the girls nod in dreamy agreement.
"Oh! How romantic!" In a feminine high voice, Sayer sighs sarcastically at their girlish tendencies.
"Get real, guys." He smirks as he polishes off a second grilled cheese sandwich. "Makes a guy sick to see them all blubbering over Rob like that. Don't you think, Dar?" He gives Darien, who had expertly scooted himself between his new wife and this youthful cad, a nudge.
"I don't know about that… Sayer." Darien gives the younger man an all knowing smile. He wraps a possessive arm around Serena, who was happily chomping away at a bowl of potato chips. Rini and RiRi were in close competition with her on the other side of the table.
"I believe romance does have an important place in this life." He gives his newlywed a quick kiss on the forehead. With her mouth full of chips, Serena smiles, giggling, causing Sayer to burst out in a chuckle.
"I am glad to hear you say so, Mr. Shields." Terry says suddenly from his quiet seat across the table, patting the empty seat next to him, to which Susan quickly rushes to claim. She puts down immediately the soda bottle she was pouring drinks from, and comes to his beckon.
"Mr. Shields, Terry? So formal still, old man?" Darien found himself liking this man and his innate respect towards him more and more.
"What I am about to ask of you is a very formal request, Your Highness." He bows his head down reverently at Darien and then at Serena.
"Princess." He lowers his eyes.
"Wow, Princess?! Terry! What's up!?" Serena says in shock, and almost chokes on her potato chips at her very dear friend's sudden formality.
Terry looks up at them, with his eyes intent and serious. "I do realize that we, as soldiers, should be fully prepared to devote our lives to you and you alone, Princess. It is a task in which my brothers and I, I know I may speak for them both, have discussed this subject at length, being now permanent residents of this planet. We will wholeheartedly pledge our loyalty to you and this bright Earth kingdom of yours Prince, destined by the moon and the stars." Terry exchanges a nod with Sayer, who goes all serious and gives Serena a short, respectful bow of his head. In shock, potato chips fall out of her gaping mouth to the table.
"And as soldiers of your court, we will lay our lives down for you if necessary, Sailor Moon. This we vow to you." Terry bows his eyes down, much to Darien and Serena's awestruck gazes. "But through all this, I am not only a soldier, but now a man as well. One who is desperately in love with a fellow soldier under your command, here in this room."
All eyes turn to Susan at his side, who suddenly, for support, grips Terry's hand on the table firmly. "I will swear to you her protection, her safety, and our eternal devotion to you still, your Majesties." Terry looks into Susan's eyes as she gives him a quick, encouraging smile.
"I am asking your permission to take this lady's hand in marriage." Terry finishes with a final bow, his eyes lower as Susan looks up hopefully to Serena and Darien. They look across the table, blinking.
"Why, Terry, of-" Serena was still in training before she could take her rightful place as Queen. Darien holds up a hand, sending her into immediate, obedient silence.
"You have our permission." Darien adds ominously, knowing to deserve such respect, he would have to earn it first and uphold the command they expected of him.
"Thank you, your Majesties." Terry smiles, triumph in his soul. He feels his path with Susan totally clear of all obstacles.
"Thank you!" Susan rushes over to Serena, throwing her arms around her and hugs her beloved Princess warmly, as Darien shakes Terry's hand.
Watching the scene in silence, the rest of the gang all burst out at once in congratulations and "oh-my-gosh", not to mention Mina's fainting spell.
Susan is no longer reluctant to show off her beautiful engagement ring that she had kept hidden all day from the eager eyes of the younger girls.
"Good job, Ter. A little talky, but…good job." Terry soon feels Sayer's loud slap on the back. Terry smiles himself, feeling proudness welling up in his soul as he exchanges a loving gaze with his Susan across the room.
After the excitement of this announcement dies down, and the sun starts to sink low in the July sky, so the gang goes back out to finish their game.
Darien takes over poor, trodden upon Artemis' unenviable task as the umpire, and he tallies up the two team's scores so far. He finds to his wife's and Mina's chagrin, that their team had fallen way behind the stronger team's opposing force, for it consisted of Team Leader Sayer, powerful batter Lita with Rei and even little Rini pulling their weight. Serena had even taken RiRi under their wing, though some good she was to their team, mostly blundering in their way. Everyone had to dash to pull her out of the way of incoming balls and stolen mitts in her path.
So in the bottom of the eighth inning, when all seemed lost to the "Moon Team" (Sayer had named his the "Stars Team") it just happens that Sayer is last at bat. One of his signature home runs would cinch the game for his overconfident team, who were already throwing jabs and jeers at their less athletic opponents, to which ace volleyballer Mina takes great offense.
Glancing nervously at the makeshift scoreboard Luna and Diana were expertly controlling, and seeing that her team only sadly had one home run, on account of Mina's "Oh look! What's that up there in the tree?!" causing Sayer to look up and slow his fast ball just enough for Mina to wham it into the outfield triumphantly, and nearly knock Rei's brains out in the process.
The opposition had 10 homers, 3 of which Lita whipped out with her strong arm, one Rei had expertly fielded between Serena and Mina, causing them to crash. The other six could be chalked down to Sayer's expertise.
Sighing at her assured defeat, Serena closes her eyes as, though calculating the exact trajectory to perfection, she did not allow for the indominable spirit of a sportsman, Amy's curveball pitch was not enough to elude Sayer's wicked batting skills. The softball hits the wooden bat with a loud CRACK, sending it high through the air at a blinding speed. Sayer had given it that extra "oomph" knowing it to be the winning hit.
As he drops his bat, he leisurely trots from first base to second, then second to third, third to-
When he looks up after hearing his teammate's warnings, Sayer finds it too late to stop at third. Somewhere far out in left field, a sudden new player enters the game. She and the ball dash forward towards the batter making for home on third. She taps him out with such force, she knocks him to the ground, mere inches from the home plate.
"OUT!" Darien calls, almost too happily for Sayer's taste. But it wasn't him that Sayer's attentions are now fixed upon in rapt astonishment.
"You heard the man." Alex holds her hand out to help him up.
"I thought you weren't playing this "children's game." Sayer stands up on his own, dusting his pants off.
"Somebody's got to help those poor girls on the other team you're trashing." Alex smirks at that cute, pouty expression on his face. And, despite the shocked gasps of the audience watching intently, Alex lands a full kiss on his pouty lips. Everyone witnesses the scene, save for Terry and Susan, who had seen this replayed too many times to take much notice any more. All other jaws drop at the sight.
Parting the long kiss, Alex gazes at the changed look on his now pleased features and pulls the blue cap over his eyes. "Now let's play ball, Birthday boy!" Alex dashes off to impart strategy to her underdog team, though she does all the talking. Her skillful direction and agile playing techniques quickly even up the scores into the next inning, until the "Moons" and the "Stars" were at a tie. Sayer was the last hitter once again, but this time, in Amy's place, Alex was the pitcher.
Staring each other down across the field, the tension in the air was palpable, as Alex readies her curve ball, winds up the pitch and sends it flying like a speeding bullet towards the plate. Sayer follows the difficult ball, waiting, waiting….
Don't overjudge it! SWING!
WHACK!
A mighty hit sends the ball soaring so high into the sky that they think for a minute it may actually hit the sun as it disappears into the tree line. Everyone claps at this dramatic ending to a perfect summer day in July. All of them were exhausted from the close game and rush into the house for a cool refreshment. Sayer sticks around outside, gathering up the bat and the plates. He stops by Alex as she passes by.
"Thanks, Ally." He smiles appreciatively.
"For what?" Alex asks, brushing her hair out of her eyes, sweat dripping from her soaked bangs.
"For just being you." He hooks his own sweaty baseball cap on her head, and trots away into the house with the others.
"He knew." Alex smiles to herself, proudly putting the hat straighter on her head. How easily she could've won that game. But it was something more, deeper inside of her, than victory that made her throw the game to him.
"Happy Birthday, Starr." She smiles at his departing form.
Another week passes by, with Robin and Michelle staying on in Paris for an extended vacation. The two of them utilized their time in France to really enjoy the city this time. And more importantly, each other. They knew that what they had would be able to go on forever now.
The gang back home in Tokyo run themselves into a frenzy of excitement over Susan's rushed wedding preparations. Though they had recently experienced the field of wedding arrangements, that had taken the planning of over three months just to get Serena and Darien's marriage off to a flourishing start.
Serena's dress just had to be made by that now famous fashion designer friend of hers, Peggy, but Susan, on the other hand, wanted to make her beautiful and elaborate wedding gown herself.
"But you don't want to delay this wedding anymore than it already has been!" Rei had said with insinuations and with a tongue-click at the rumors of Terry and Susan's rumored naughtiness prior to their marriage.
"Never mind all that! She's marrying one of the Three Lights! AHHH! Susan sooo is lucky!" Mina had to be slapped back into reality by Lita, who herself had sighed. And to Terry too…..sigh….. Lita always had a soft spot for the Three Lights' tall lead guitarist.
After informing their new agent, Mr. Pym, of Terry's "good" news, the poor man nearly went into shock, looking like he was about to have a nervous breakdown.
"MARRIAGE?" He had shouted incredulously. The staff at his office all stared at each other over the loud yellings with the Three Lights behind closed doors. (Well, two Lights, plus Susan.)
"Are you crazy, boy? You're only nineteen! How do you expect me to promote you as an eligible bachelor idol if you're no longer a bachelor! What will my advertisers say!" Mr. Pym's red balding head would have looked comical were he not so angered with them.
"I expect you to promote me as I am, Mr. Pym, Sir. And I don't care what the advertisers say. I believe the fans will learn to accept it over time. I don't see my marriage as a problem to anything, as long as we keep up our singing and songwriting quality as usual. Anyway, if it did, it wouldn't matter." Terry firmly states his position on the matter, and pulls a frightened Susan closer to him defiantly.
Pym, for once, was at a loss for words to rebut this eloquent young man.
"Besides, Pym old man! You've still got me to promote as your sex symbol." Sayer leans strikingly against the doorway, his shirt was hanging open, and the familiar wicked smirk was in his devilish eyes, proving his worth as any girl's fantasy idol.
"Yes, weeeeellllll…." Pym was starting to see there was still a small light through this dark news just dumped upon him. "You had just better give it all you got, Sayer! With your one brother off gallivanting with that Moreau woman in Europe when he should be hard at work. And now this other one…." Pym offhandedly motions at Terry and the lovely bride to be in his arms. Pym sighs audibly, and shakes his head as he gives up trying to convince Terry's set mind against this unwise career move into marriage. He sees this young man seemed to care more for love than for career anyway. Sigh. Kids these days!
"Congratulations, anyway, you two. She is lovely, Terry." Pym wasn't the totally heartless sort, even through his money grubbing eyes he could spot true love when he saw it as he shakes Terry's hand.
"Thank you, Sir. Of course, you are invited to the wedding in one and a half-"
"Just one." Susan corrects gently, getting more and more excited as she counts down the days.
"One." Terry repeats, corrected, with a smile, as he too grew impatient for the joyous day to arrive. "In one month, if you would honor us as a guest at our wedding.' Terry finishes, and gives the older man a respectful nod.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll be there. If only to make sure the bloodhound reporters and brainless photographers you know are going to leech onto such an event take all the right shots and get the right stories down. Might as well not waste the free publicity." Pym, ever the promoter had the attitude "if you can't beat 'em you might as well join 'em."
"All right." Terry and Susan chuckle at this funny man as they head for the door.
"And Sayer," Pym puts a fatherly hand on his young charge's shoulder. "Don't be getting any ideas from your big brother here. Some of us weren't meant for the old ball and chain life. Right?" Pym says, almost pleading, not wanting to lose his overwhelming female crowd-pleasing star to such a horrifying thing as marriage. He had been through two of those mistaken atrocities already himself, and vowed never to again.
"ME? Get married!" Sayer almost shrieks, his pain-stricken face in shock at the thought. "You don't have to worry one little bit about that, Pymmie." Sayer says with a nervous giggle. The very idea was mind boggling to him as he follows Terry and Susan (who, for some reason, were laughing at him) out the door of their agent's office.
"Oh, good, Sayer, my boy. At least I can count on you." Mr. Pym plops at his desk, and continues to sort through good mail (advertisers) and junk mail (bills) before this unsettling meeting with his most successful clients happened.
"Poor young Terry. He has no idea what he has wrought upon himself." Pym glances out the blinds on his window to watch Terry and that fiancee of his strolling out to the parking lot, arm in arm, stealing a few kisses along the way, ignoring Sayer who was bouncing up behind them. "A nice looking woman, but...stilll…poor boy." Pym clicks his tongue at Terry's foolish mistake, to which Terry himself would disagree wholeheartedly, as he believed it not a mistake, but the best thing that would ever happen in his entire life.
The month shoots by like lightning. Mr. Pym, purposely it seemed, filling the Three Lights work roster to a frantic pace, (before young Terry would take the plunge off the deep end). Goodness, even within this worldly old bird, wins out in the end, as he gives them the final day off the before the wedding to spend as a singular bachelor trio, for the last time in their lives.
Robin, (returned from Paris in a sunny disposition, well, enough for him) though he would miss his brother very much, was not too distressed over Terry's departure from the way things had been for forever it seemed. Just the three of them living together as a family, as the closest three brothers this world or any other had ever seen.
Robin simply saw this as the next step in their growing into adulthood.
Sayer, on the other hand, had a harder time of seeing it like that. Though not showing it - not at all - he was boisterous and teasing, happily jabbering at the upcoming wedding like it did not bother him at all. But Terry knew Sayer, knew his tendency to cover up his true feelings that were burning a hole inside his passionate soul, and could see the pain of their soon-to-be separation in his brother's blue eyes. Because, more than Robin, as close as the three of them were, it was always, in the end, the two of them. Sayer and Terry, Terry and Sayer. Two as different as night and day people, but with deep inside the same passions, hopes and dreams that made them more than merely brothers. More than best friends. They were each other's confidant, protector, and inspiration.
And now, Sayer felt like it was all going to be changed. All going to slip away from him. As much as he liked Susan, and as much as Alex was taking hold of him, Sayer still felt this intensely, as his beloved "brother" would no longer be always at his side.
Becoming good friends with Terry in the few weeks they had come to know each other, old experienced married man Darien, along with his best friend Andrew (who had decided Terry was an all right guy now that his intentions seemed to be far flung from Lita), throw the younger man a bachelor party on the night before the wedding, with all the usual trimmings. These boys were the same gang that had graced Darien's bachelor shindig not so long ago. Through their associations with their respective young lady friends, this group of men, consisting of Darien, Andrew, Chad, Greg, Ken and the Three Lights had slowly become a close-knit bunch. (As far as men usually go, that is.)
Sayer was not in the mood for much mischief, though. He tried for Terry's sake, to put on a brave face, and Terry did his best to lift his usually light-spirited brother's mood up, and he succeeded somewhat, as the bachelor party stretched long into the night.
Terry wondered why they held such events, and was told that is was held on this last night before a wedding so there could be no regrets of things missed as a single man. But Terry knew, deep inside that there COULD be no regrets if Susan was to be his wife tomorrow.
Across town, in Serena's new apartment, at Darien's familiar (but now changed totally around) touched here and there by clumsy hands, to make the place more her own, the girls congregate together, at Susan's request, to have a final sleep over with the girls as a single lady. Serena had kicked out husband for the night, to go find someplace else to sleep that night.
Susan enjoys all the giggling and rumor filled chattering immensely on this girls night together. Finally, they all go to change, preparing for sleep.
Lita shows off her lacy pink nightgown, which seemed a little too adult for her age. The other girls' cute and girlish attire did not compare to Lita's showy low cut nightie, even Alex and Michelle's attire were more modest than usual. That is, until, upon wondering where Susan was, they all sneak into the bathroom, to find her, trying on a very tiny lacy lavender lingerie adorned with roses from her wedding trueso.
"Susan!" They all exclaim, in unison.
"OHHH! Girls!" She quickly puts on a long sleeved red button up shirt, rather embarrassed to have been seen posing in front of a mirror.
"Pretty lady." Alex says, leaning against the door, as Michelle teases "I'm sure Terry will be very pleased this time tomorrow, eh, Susan dear?" Causing Susan to blush and the other girls to sigh.
"Lucky Susan!" Mina sighs at the thought of marrying an idol, especially one as handsome as Terry. "You're marrying Terry tomorrow!"
"Yes, I'm so lucky…" She trails off, in a wistful voice and expression, "….Terry…"
In the morning sky of early autumn, September 21st, a breathtaking sun rises over Susan. Too excited for sleep to claim her for very long, she is up with the sun. She takes in the gorgeous view from Serena's high rise apartment balcony.
"Excited, Susan?" Susan hears a voice through the stillness of the morn. She finds Alex standing there in her sleepwear, with one cup of green tea for Susan and a mug of coffee for herself. "Isn't it a little cold out here for you, just in that?" Alex offers the cup to Susan with a raised eyebrow. Susan was wrapped in one of Terry's 'borrowed' shirts.
"Thank you." Susan accepts it, and sips the hot drink gingerly. "I'm not cold at all Alex. I feel so warm inside." She whispers, putting her hand to her heart, and with a dreamy expression on her lovely face. Alex, leaning on the edge of the balcony rail looks at her in consternation.
"I suppose it's a little too late for this. And I'm not anyone to be asking you this, but…..are you sure about this, Susan? Is marriage the right thing for you - for any of us?" Alex asks, concerned. She never put much stock in a ceremony or the establishment that put a man so high in position over you. "I don't mean just as a soldier, but as a woman. An individual too. Won't you feel possessed by him?" Alex voices her anxieties to the woman she has come to consider a dear friend.
"Oh, Alex." Susan smiles at her wispily. "I've never in my whole long, empty life been so absolutely certain of something. I want to be possessed by him. More than that, I want to be able to say it with my head held high, that I belong to Terry Starr and he belongs to me. Forever. Do you understand that? Forever! Marriage isn't simply about possession. It's about love. To love someone enough to swear your life to him. To promise you'll keep this love for all time. And I've known since that moment my eyes met his, that he was the one for me. The one who will love me, and the one I will love through eternity. That's what marriage means to me. That's what marriage must mean to all who love each other as much as Terry and I do." Susan smiles at her friend, hoping this heartfelt answer was enough to convince her that she was doing the right thing. Because, for some reason, she wanted Alex to understand.
"And you're wrong about something else too, Alex. You're not just "anyone" to me." Susan sees something in Alex's eyes that told her that her message of love had been conveyed. She wraps her arms around her strong friend in a sweet embrace.
"I don't think I've told you yet, Susan, but - thanks for asking me to be your Maid of Honor at the Wedding today. I never imagined I would be in that role. " Alex says with a small smile, still wondering why Susan chose her of all people to such an honored position above the other girls.
"I wanted it to be you." Susan says sweetly, as her thought-provoking gaze then turns to the sun, slowly shining its warmth upon the sleepy world below. Susan, lost in her own reverie again, meets Alex's gaze across the beautiful view. Her blissful eyes then travel to a balcony not so far away in the distance, where someone else with the same blissful smile searches the skies for the fuschia eyes of the woman he would soon be lucky enough to call his wife.
In a whirlwind, every little thing, every last minute arrangement is rushed toward the preparation of this joyous event. The girls, all happy to don bridesmaids' dresses again, this time made to Susan's taste. Even Alex reluctantly wears the fancy, feminine maid-of-honor gown Susan made just for her. (She looks dazzling in it too, much to the Best Man's delight).
Amazingly, without a hitch, this miracle wedding is about to start. All the bridesmaids were primped and prepared. The pink and magenta flower girls had stayed over for their last day in this time to watch their timeless guardian as a gorgeous bride in her lovely off the shoulder gown, of her own creation and design.
Surveying herself in the mirror, Susan smiles as her friends help apply the endless strings of diamonds that Terry had insisted she wear as her headdress. It surrounded her soft hair, swept up in a fashionably lovely style.
"Susan-mama, you look so beautiful!" Tara looks up in awe at the beautiful bride, and hands her her white lily bouquet. After their problems earlier, not so long ago on the particular subject of this man, Tara has considered kind Susan as her idol - that someone she would like to be like someday.
"Thank you." Susan just about manages to say, feeling as if inside she would burst. Her heart was filled to the brim with overwhelming excitement, now that her every dream, which she once thought could never happen, was just about to become no longer only a fantasy.
Across the hall, the dashing groom feels the same emotions surging through his veins as well. Not one bit nervous as a normal husband-to-be would be, but he was worried - not about his marriage, but about the brother he would be leaving behind, one in particular….
"Sayer." He says, as he tucks a white rose in his best man's top jacket pocket. "I'm glad to have you here at my side, in this important step for me." He smiles. "But I want you to know that no matter what, I will always be at your side whenever you need me." In those few meaningful words, Terry relieves his brother's troubled soul. The fondness for him and for each other passes through their eyes. He was trying to express to Sayer that things were not changing - they were just getting better.
"Thanks, Ter." Sayer smiles his brightest, for his important brother and smacks his back with a big bear hug. "I knew that." He says with a wink.
"Let's get going anyway. You don't want to make Susie wait any longer than she has to." He smirks.
"Oh, no." Terry smiles. "I don't think I can wait any longer either." For Terry Starr was about to receive the rewards of his love and efforts for the most perfect woman in the world.
"Sayer, do you have the ring?" Terry whispers to his best man as they stand at the alter of the lavishly decorated church. It was all decked out in white and lavender ribbons, with beautifully chosen sprays of flowers lined each pew.
No, Terry wasn't getting nervous. He just knew this brother's tendency for forgetfulness at times. And he wanted everything to run as smoothly as possible for his Susan's wedding. Our wedding….Terry smiles dreamily to himself, looking dashing in an all-out handsome white, double breasted tuxedo, complete with tails and cummerbund. He made all the female members of the audience sigh, wishing they could, perhaps, trade places with the lucky bride.
"'Course I do, Terrrrrr." Sayer says, a bit miffed. He looked quite dapper himself, in his own black tuxedo. His face goes through several cute contortions as he searches his pockets for the golden band surrounded in sparkling diamonds that Terry had entrusted to his care only minutes ago.
"Oh! Here." He whips it out of his back pants pocket. How'd it get there? Sayer thinks, as he triumphantly holds it up to Terry. He smiles at his younger brother's penchant for trouble and foolishness.
I will miss it. Terry straightens Sayer's continually crooked bow tie with brotherly care. Suddenly, he stiffens as the organist begins to play that familiar melody that was celestial music to Terry's wanting ears.
RiRi, an expert at this, looking oh-so-cute in her little flower girl dress, scatters white rose petals everywhere. Two by two the lavender bridesmaids walk down the aisle. Amy and Rei look lovely, Lita and Mina radiant, Tara and Rini darling, and Michelle and Serena dazzling, as the Maid-of-Honor brings up the rear. Alex takes her place in that frilly lavender dress, ignoring the quick wink from her counterpart, the Best Man, and all turn anxiously as they await the arrival of the beautiful bride.
Terry sighs softly to himself as he feels her presence enter, as the music soars to full orchestral bloom. The bride, was indeed beautiful, indeed lovely, and more than that, she was breathtaking. The audience stands at rapt attention in awe of her splendor. This gown of her own design was one of the most beautiful any of them had ever seen. A vision in white, Susan seems to float on Darien's arm. For he was the one to give her away. A fitting tribute Susan and Terry had requested of the man who was their Princess' Prince, and would one day be their King.
Darien, proud to give away one of his soldiers, justified befittingly to another, who has devoted his life to her and to Serena. As Susan and Darien make their way down the aisle towards him, Terry finds himself standing in awe of her once more. In awe of the lady who would soon truly be his-and his for all time. For he was still in disbelief that she of such perfection would agree to love him, to marry and promise her life to him, as he would eternally swear his to her.
In a beautiful white, misty dream she comes to him, linking her arm through his offered one, as their souls were about to be linked and melded into one as well.
"My precious lady." Terry whispers softly to her, with such adoration and love for her in his beautiful violet eyes.
My darling. Susan can only say in her mind, too overwhelmed was she by the moment she has longed for so very long a time to even speak. The wedding march slowly fades, and the entire church grows silent, awaiting the priest's recital of their solemn marriage vows. Those were which Terry and Susan had written special verses for each other and each other alone.
"I, Terry Starr," He takes both of Susan's delicately gloved hands in his, and gazes into the sea of her eyes, speaking what he considered the most important words he would ever say, coming straight from his heart. "pledge to you, my lady Susan de Venici, my eternal devotion to honor, to protect, to keep you safe in my heart for all time. Because of you I have found the truth in my soul. Because in you I have discovered everlasting dreams become reality. Because for you I will do anything, my precious one. This and more, I vow to you a lifetime of my undying love, stretching into the far reaches of eternity and blessed by the One above who brought us together. For as long as there is a forever, I will love you."
Finishing his vows, Terry kisses her hands lovingly, his beautiful poetry cause Susan and everyone else to fill with joyous tears in their eyes. A sweet smile passes between them as Susan answers with her sacred promises to him.
"I, Susan de Venici," Susan's voice wavers in a whisper, trying to find the strength amidst surging emotions to speak. Looking into Terry's eyes, she finds the inner calm, bringing peace to her soul as he hands squeeze hers tenderly, giving her the strength she needs to continue. "pledge to you, my beloved Terry Starr, my unending emotion to honor, to cherish, to keep your heart safe in mine forever. Because for you the door to my lonely soul has been opened. Because of you I believe in impossible dreams. Because to you I will give everything, my darling one. This I promise to you, a lifetime of my truest love, reaching into the far corners of eternity, sanctified by He who has blessed me with you from the Heavens above. For as long as there is a forever, I will love you."
Susan gazes strong and true into her love's eyes, meaning each sentence and each line with every ounce of her soul. Many a tear falls in the crowd, the bridesmaids who know the happy couple so well, leads the tearful waterfalls at the inspiring vows the bridal couple just swore to each other.
"With this ring, I thee wed."
Sayer dutifully hands the ring over as Terry slides the golden jeweled band on Susan's now ungloved slender hand.
Smiling, Susan takes the gold band Alex offers to her. "With this ring, I thee wed." She repeats the unbelievable words. They echo through her and she begins to tremble, as she slides it on Terry's finger.
"Such beautiful devotion, such perfect love. The Lord has truly smiled upon this happy couple." The Father says as tears fill his old eyes too. "I am now so pleased to announce you as man and wife." He says. Terry and Susan's eyes lock, and their hands link. Terry needs no further prompting, as he takes the woman who was now his wife - my wife! -in his arms, and kisses her tenderly, lovingly. It was a kiss that Time itself seemed to stand still for, as the audience watches in silent awe, then suddenly breaks out in cheers of good will. The deliriously happy Susan and Terry make their way from the church out to the front steps.
The best man and his counterpart were right behind them and the bridesmaids follow, arm in arm with their chosen escorts, as the anxious bride awaits them to crowd around, ready to throw her bouquet.
As soon as her friends gathered, Susan sends her white lily bouquet flying through the air towards the anticipating women welcoming the floral spray in with open arms.
But in mid air, the flowers seem to change direction, a sudden violent wind taking hold, to send the bouquet soaring in the opposite direction. It crash lands onto Sayer's head and bounces off into Alex's unsuspecting arms. All the girls gasp in horror at the one woman who did not welcome it or it's significance catches the sought after bouquet.
Alex had stood as far back on the sidelines as she could, not in the least trying to catch the air-lifted flowers. A chance breeze? Or was it something deeper that had carried the omen to the golden-haired beauty standing in utter shock at the object that has somehow made its way into her hands.
Similarly surprised, and knowing what that certain tradition meant, (and seeing what it got Terry into - remembering Susan was the one who had caught the bouquet at Serena's wedding not so long ago), Sayer swallows hard, the look on his face was obvious scared-out-of-his-wits shock.
"Don't look so scared, Starr." Alex says, a little indignantly. Nonchalantly, she hands a giggling Michelle the lily bouquet. "It's just a silly old superstition anyway." Her scoffing words reach everyone's eavesdropping ears, cementing their belief that this time, this was a wasted bridal bouquet brought on by an unfortunate sweep of the wind.
But somehow, from far away, the new bride catches a glimpse of something in her formidable friend's eye that makes her not believe in mere chance.
There is no chance in this life….there is only fate, only destiny.
Susan's thoughts turn upward to the husband now on her arm, rushing her down to the white limousine waiting for them at the bottom of the church steps. He lifts her in to the car as the crowd forming sees the couple off with a shower of lucky rice and good wishes. Terry and Susan no longer could hear their cheers or applause as the door of the limousine closes.
"Terry, my love." Susan whispers, still trembling in exhilaration of this happiest of happy moments for her life, beaming with radiance.
"Susan, my darling." Terry just manages to whisper back as he wraps his beautiful new wife in his strong arms, and kisses her lips passionately, giving them both a glimpse of the future ahead, and of the unending honeymoon they were embarking on together.
At Terry's stern request, Pym the agent had kept the exact time and location of the actual wedding a secret, staving off the droves of reporters and photographers, just itching for such a celebrity media event. But he didn't promise anything about after the ceremony, the bridal couple's white limousine arrives at the reception hall to find the sidewalk leading to it, crawling with reporters and cameramen.
"Oh." The sudden flash of bulbs and noisy crowd anxiously waiting to greet the newly wedded couple surprises Susan, still trying to catch her breath.
"I am sorry my lady. I should have insisted that there should not be-" Terry starts to say, knowing Susan's shyness in front of all those pushy people.
"No. It's fine." Susan's combs her fingers carefully through her hair, and then Terry's too. She straightens her veil that had become a little mussed during the trip. "I will be proud to be able to tell the world that I am Mrs. Terry Starr, your wife." She smiles adoringly at her husband, as the dark tinted glass window shields the passionate kiss from the reporters eyes.
"Ready?" Terry signals for the limo driver, a friend of Alex's who was very obliging to the couple, and he goes around the limo, and opens the back door.
FLASH. FLASH. FLASH.
A seemingly endless stream of cameramen want to be the first to get the photograph of Three Lights' idol Terry Starr and his mysterious bride, whom they had been able to dig up very little about since the announcement of the sudden engagement. This unknown young woman, now because of her fiancé', had shot to star status and was on the front page of many a newspaper magazine-all for the fame of her new husband.
Terry steps out of the car, as always nods politely to the reporters, though he ignores their barrage of questions. The photographers get a few quick snaps of the handsome groom on his own, but a strange stillness comes over the media when Terry turns and leads his new wife from the car.
In awe of her radiant beauty, the reporters mouths stop yapping for a full five seconds. The camera shutters pop out of control. The gorgeous, breathtaking bride on the arm of Terry Starr was certainly a sight to see.
Mr. Pym, from out of nowhere it seemed, suddenly rushes up, as heroically (yeah, right) he presses back the media. "Please, gentlemen, ladies! This is a very private affair. Don't keep pestering the happy young couple with questions that no pair in their right mind would tell you about! Have some respect for privacy." Pym smiles amiably, referring to the persistent question: "Where's the honeymoon at?" and "Where are you off to right now?" that Terry already was deftly avoiding.
"If you were young Mr. Starr here, would you say where you were headed for your honeymoon with such a ravishing creature? Hmm?" Pym was a pressman extraordinaire, making the reporters and photographers amicable with his pleasant jokes. He was hopefully swaying what they would print about the event with all favorable comments as he protectively leads his charges into the reception hall area.
Susan graces the photographers with a final, dazzling radiant smile as the three disappear behind the door.
"Good show, old man! Good show!" Pym slaps Terry on the back. "I believe you have picked a winner." Pym was more than a little impressed with Susan's graceful poise and charm with the media.
"Yes, I have." Terry nods, and pulls Susan close.
"And may I say, my dear, how lovely you look." Pym kisses her hand. "And many congratulations to both of you."
Terry and Susan arrive at the reception already in progress. Sayer and the rest of the gang had gotten the party into full swing. The orchestra played romantic ballads in the background, the hall was decorated just as the church was, to a tee. For Terry lavished all the decorations to Susan's taste.
Cordially receiving the rest of the guests and the countless congratulations and good luck, the bride and groom were both anxious to get a start on the long journey to their honeymoon location.
They soon find themselves cutting the wedding cake, hand in hand. Susan takes the first slice, raises it to Terry's mouth and lets him take a nibble of her fingers as well as the cake. Everyone giggles at the playful scene, wondering if Susan was going to do the smashing cake in the face ceremony. But somehow, they liked it better this gentle way. Terry gentlemanly feeds his lady, tenderly wiping a bit of frosting from the sides of her lips, and then kisses her sweetly as everyone applauds.
The girls help serve the pieces of wedding cake to the guests (little RiRi makes the expected mess all over her future mommy's pretty gown. Serena doesn't do too badly in the mess department herself, just having moved onto her second piece half of it going down her none too dilly-dilly lavender dress. Sayer and Alex have an argument over something as usual. and get more cake on each other than the bridal couple did.
And then, in a whirl, it's time for gifts. The yards and yards of gift-wrap Susan must undo seemed endless as Terry manfully comes to her aid to speed up the gruelling progress.
The pleasant gift-giving session over and the orchestra plays their song. Terry and Susan waltz, seeing only each other in the clouds of their dream world. They fill the hall with their romance and love for each other.
After the dance, they disappear, and soon return changed from their wedding attire, to some very striking casual wear.
"Are you sure you're not going to stay for that garter thing? It's sure to be exciting." Sayer says wickedly to his brother and Susan, then looks at Alex mischievously.
"We're not doing that, okay." Alex states angrily.
"Come on, Ally! It'll be fun! Tradition, too."
"One we can do without." Alex retorts, giving him her evilest eye.
"Goodbye!" Susan hugs each of her beloved girls, as each one feels the happiness glowing from within her.
"Good luck!" Lita says.
"Have fun!" Mina waves.
"Of course she'll have fun! Behave yourself Terry." Rei observes haughtily.
"'Bye, Puu! Terry-papa!" Rini says, a bit sad, knowing this would be the last time she would see either of them in this era.
"'Bye bye!" RiRi repeats. "Chibi!" She gurgles with pink frosting all over her face.
"Goodbye." Tara smiles.
"Roses wither quickly, but I know that the love between you will never fade." Darien gives a trademark Tuxedo Mask speech, to which Terry and Susan both thank him as he hands Susan a single red rose.
"We'll see you soon!" Serena smiles.
"But…not too soon, eh, Ter?" Sayer nudges his brother with a knowing smirk.
"Keep him smiling, okay, Susie?" Sayer kisses his new sister-in-law with a wink.
"And make sure he keeps you smiling too." Alex knocks Sayer out of the way and kisses Susan warmly with the good advice.
"I will certainly try." Terry says, pulling Susan to him, his turn to kiss her hair.
"Enjoy your vacation, you two. It certainly sounds promising." Michelle squeezes Susan's hand and gives Robin a coy glance as he exchanges a brotherly nod with Terry.
A few final hugs and farewells and the newlyweds are off to the airport, packed and ready to go to the honeymoon they have both been waiting for.
Soaring through the by now darkened skies, the flight to their honeymoon destination of Italy could be very long and tiring but Terry and Susan find themselves not the least bit exhausted. He had wanted to take his Susan to someplace wonderful, a place that would suit their romance and dreams.
All through the plane ride, he couldn't close his eyes for even a moment. For then, he would not be able to gaze at the beautiful lady resting beside him, her head on his shoulder.
Oh my darling, how much I love you. He gently rubs his cheek against her soft hair. The two of them remain this way for most of the flight, though sometimes Susan was awake as they whispered tender promises to one another.
All the other passengers and stewardesses around knew that these were two young people very terribly much in love. The plane finally lands, hours later, in Italy. It was late in the night of their wedding. Terry gently awakens his Sleeping Beauty and leads her to the waiting taxi.
The Italian cab driver spoke no English but somehow understood they were a newly married couple and hurries to the hotel Terry directed him to, in perfect Italian.
Arriving at the finest hotel in all of Venice in record time, the driver helps Terry carry in the many bags of luggage. The hotel manager at the front desk sends out a volley of boys to retrieve the suitcases and bring them to the room, upon hearing of Mr. Starr's illustrious name.
The hotel's luxurious honeymoon suite had been reserved for these newlyweds for a full two-week stay.
"Bella, bella!" The driver kisses Susan's hand in a farewell gesture, to the most beautiful creature ever to grace his taxi cab.
"Your bride is indeed very lovely, Mr. Starr." The hotel manager says, smiling at Susan with approval. "But ah! Such beauty could be only of Italian descent." The manager says dreamily, certain that this dark haired vision of beauty must be one of his own country's tan-skinned beauties.
"Thank you." Terry smiles, not so sure of Susan's lineage himself. Her past was still shrouded in mystery somewhat, for his only concerns were her present happiness and her future. He was certain though her past held many surprises for him yet.
He felt not a bit of jet lag, as he pulls his lady close to him on the elevator ride to their suite.
They ignore the elevator boy traveling with them, as they kiss all the way up to the top floor. The doors open and the boy brings the rest of their luggage to the spacious suite before them.
Knowing it was a honeymoon, the smart lad scurries away, even before Terry could tip him. I'll give him double tomorrow. Terry smiles to himself at the respect for their privacy, as he puts the "Do not disturb" sign on the door and shuts it tightly.
Turning to his new bride, he finds her standing perfectly still, but the closer he walks towards her the more she begins to tremble.
"You tremble, my love?" Terry whispers softly as he comes to her, a smile on his lips.
"Oh Terry, is this real? Or am I still in one of my endless, lonely dreams?" She breathes, looking deeply into his eyes.
"If this is a dream, then let us never awaken." Terry whispers, his voice low, as he sweeps her away into an endless honeymoon of their love.