"I don't…" This time, he was going to keep her. Rip took a deep breath. Time to give ridiculous traditions sway.
He knelt.
"Bonnie Baxter. Will you… will you marry me?" His voice dropped, the words husky.
Bonnie stared at him, her eyes wide. A second ticked by, another, more. Then her face melted, whether in tears or happiness he wasn't sure. "Y-yes. Yeah, of course yes. Always."
Rip's breath caught in his throat. Some sort of anomaly, it couldn't… it wasn't possible.
"Rip?"
He glanced up at her.
She smiled. "I said yes."
He hugged her, held on as tight as he could. Her fingers knotted into the back of his shirt, and he lost every thought of breathing.
Who knew how long they stood there. Time itself was immaterial, none of it mattered. Nothing but her. "Pick a time," he whispered. "We can go anywhere you want."
For their wedding. He swallowed. Sometimes, things had to be said.
"Any time you want to get married."
Rip stared into the mirror, ran a hand over his unfamiliar, shaven face. "I'm doing the right thing." He glanced over to where Dad leaned against a wall. "Right?"
His question was met with a chuckle. "Quit panicking."
Rip turned back to the mirror, his face hot. He watched as his eyes flashed gray, then amber, gray again, green. "But what if… this could make her even more of a target. Our very marriage could create an anomaly, overwrite time as we know it, what if…"
"Teddy."
Rip gritted his teeth. "I don't want her doing anything she might regret."
Dad pushed off the wall and slung his arm around his shoulders. "She's not going to regret anything. Bonnie's been waiting for this almost as long as you have." He ruffled his hair. "C'mon, kid. You're gonna do great."
"But—"
"Bonnie loves you, and you love her."
Rip gripped the edge of the vanity, his veins taught as his knuckles turned white. "More than time itself," he muttered.
Dad nodded. "You're doing the right thing."
He stared at the black outline of the priest's back. The bustle of noise died in the main room down. Rip braced himself, then followed the priest out the side door and took his position at the altar.
Michael came close behind him. Memory erasure or no, there would be no wedding without his best man.
They were erasing the memory of several of the guests anyway. It felt strange, knowing how many people where there not for themselves, but for him.
Next came Jeff, walking arm-in-arm with Aunt Michelle. Given the shortage of bridesmaids, the sole groomsman had come with a laborious argument, mostly between Rip and himself, over who it would be. But of course the final conclusion had to be Jeff. An original Time Master, one of four, close friend to both of them for many, many years.
Rani followed not far behind, tossing petals as she walked. The corner of Rip's mouth twitched. A pair of striped socks and buckled black shoes poked from beneath her dress with every step. Somehow she'd managed to slip the socks past Michael, despite the number of times he'd traded them for something more formal.
Corky walked beside her with the rings. The last original Time Master, taken from before his own death, so he could see his sister's wedding.
Then the maid of honor. Rani, his Rani, a bouquet clutched in one hand the other holding the edge of her skirt. She took her position next to the altar and winked at him, deliberately sticking a toe out from under her dress. Striped socks again. At least the universe held some constant.
Rip rolled his eyes in an effort to hide his smile, turning out towards the small audience. Ted Kord, Brainiac 5, Daniel, Rose, Michelle, Skeets. There was Mom in the gratuitous front row, perched on the edge of her seat, leaning so far forward it was a wonder she didn't tip. She caught his gaze and shot him a frantic thumbs up.
He told himself no one was watching and shot one back. Now just to wait for Dad to walk her down the aisle.
Then the music swelled
Rip's hands dropped to his side.
There. Her usual dress done over in white, her improbable mess of dark hair poking out from under her veil.
He took a step forwards, his foot scuffing against the church floor. She turned.
His heart pounded in his throat, but he swallowed and forced out her name. "Bonnie."
She smiled. "Rip."
He offered her his hand, prayed she wouldn't notice how it shook. Her grip on it tightened, and they turned towards the priest.
The priest started, his voice a low hum. "Repeat after me. I, Theodore Jon Carter."
"I, Theodore Jon Carter."
"Take thee, Bonnie Baxter."
"Take thee, Bonnie Baxter."
"To be my wedded wife."
"To be my wedded wife."
"To have and to hold."
"To—" The words caught in his throat. He blinked hard. Felt like her eyes were
going to smother him. She squeezed his hand. He swallowed. "I can take it from here, Father." He couldn't let go of the look in her eyes. "To… have and to hold, from this day forward." Bonnie. "For better." Here. Alive. "For worse." I don't… "For richer." It's
impossible. "For poorer." The fact that you'd even be standing here. "In sickness." With me. "And in health." I can't… "To love and to cherish." Can't begin to comprehend how this could happen. "Till do us depart. And beyond." The last words came out as a whisper. "And thereto I plight thee my troth."
I love you. He gasped in a breath, his vision clouding over. Some sort of moisture, he didn't…
Her chin jutted upwards, light glinting off the tears in her own eyes. "I, Bonnie Baxter. Take thee, Theodore Jon Carter, to be my wedded husband. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, and to obey, till death do us part and beyond." She flashed him a shaky smile. "And thereto I plight thee my troth."
The priest closed his book. "You may kiss the bride."
She slammed into him and he kissed her, his eyes closed as tight as they could. He could feel her shoulders shake against his arms. His own tears broke free.
And they kissed.
Booster hucked another handful of rice at them, his grin wide. Bonnie shrieked and laughed, clinging to Teddy's arm and glowing so bright she'd probably throw off the camera. And Teddy… Booster hadn't seen Teddy grin like that since he was a kid. Skeets snapped another pic.
Teddy glanced over his shoulder, his eyes vibrant blue. He stopped for a moment, glanced at Bonnie, then back up at Booster. "Thanks Dad," he mouthed.
Booster shook his head. Didn't know it was possible to grin this wide.
"Teddy," he called as his son mounted the steps to the Time Sphere. Teddy looked back again. "I'm proud of you."
Teddy swallowed, then nodded his understanding.
Booster watched as he turned back to Bonnie, his face split by that ridiculous grin.
Way to go, kiddo.
Rip opened the door of the Time Sphere, rolling his eyes at the "Just Married" sign adhered to the side. Thanks, Dad.
He offered her his hand, half-lifted her into the Sphere. His face ached from smiling, but he wasn't about to stop. Not now. The knot in his throat had long since melted… and he could finally say the words.
"I love you, Bonnie Carter."