Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men:Evolution or it's characters. Just my OC, Molly Callum/Creature and any original characters/background characters that may pop up from time to time.
AN: WARNING! Because I don't want to trigger anyone in case they've been abused in some way or something, just so you know, one last time, there's a little stuff in here. Just a small mention of education and class on techniques for humors sake, again, nothing graphic, but I don't know what sets people off. I try to be more aware of people's feelings now, that's why this fic has 2 billion warnings in it. (Long story, but I wrote a pregnancy imagine and it triggered someone with a huge fear of pregnancy called Tokophobia, so I try to be aware of people's potential situations and feelings towards big stuff. I can't help with everything, but I can warn you first.)
Molly shut the door to Remy's car, and they drove to town. She felt proud of herself, but Logan said it was only the first session of many. He was determined to help Molly through her issues, not only for herself, but for her future and the good of everyone. Molly knew he was right, she had to gain control before something awful happened.
"Where are we going first, _Fiancée_?" Molly cooed at Remy.
"First, the Bayville florist, then Kendra's Flower Mart, then Addison's Wedding Boutique." Remy explained.
"I guess we should work out some kind of timeline for when we want to start everything and get it all done," Molly observed, "I asked Jean to be our wedding planner, but she hasn't gotten back to me one way or the other." Molly had run it by Remy early on, and he'd thought it was a great idea.
"Yeah, I tried to call Henri, but he was out. I'll get back to them later," Remy said, "I know we're both excited, but we really shouldn't let the wedding overtake our lives either, you know?"
"I know and you're right. But it's just the first week. We'll probably feel less excited in a month or two," Molly said.
"You might, but I won't. It's another great adventure for us, Molly. I'm not going to feel calm until it's all said and done," Remy smiled.
"Maybe you're right," Molly couldn't imagine coming down from all the emotions she was feeling. At the moment, it seemed impossible.
They reached the first florist, going into a small yellow building between a sandwich shop and a federal shipping store. It had been some time since Molly had been to a florist, being taken to a few as a child for funerals and the like, but it was as she remembered. A cramped space, filled with black flower pots, vases, baskets and such, all filled to the brim with colorful flowers, white lillys, pale orchids, and exquisite roses. Remy ducked to avoid bumping into a hanging wire basket filled with pansies as he gently held onto Molly's shoulders.
A small, thin, red-headed woman in thick glasses, a long denim shirt and a yellow apron with elbow high rubber gloves behind a white counter smiled at them. "I'm Kat. How can I help you today?" She said in a wire-y voice.
"Uh, we're getting married and just wanted to see what kind of flowers you had available," Remy smiled back.
"Of course, of course. Did you have anything in mind? Do you have wedding colors picked out yet?" Kat wondered.
"We like red and I like roses, but no colors picked out yet," Molly said.
"I like carnations...bluebells...lillys," Remy gave it thought.
"Let me show you what other couples usually pick out," Kat came out from behind the counter, leading them to several black pots with various flowers, "We've got white and red roses with baby's breath. A bit expensive, but they make good centerpieces and to take down the aisle. Carnations in various colors. Orchids, lillys, and mixed flowers if you're not sure what you want. Isn't much call for bluebells in weddings, but we can put them in the arrangement if you like. Now, what are you thinking? For decoration at the wedding and reception or just for holding and taking pictures?"
Molly felt annoyed a moment. They hadn't thought all this through, clearly. Who got flowers before even picking the wedding venue? But Remy did say they were just looking. Except they hadn't planned out things like this yet. "We...we hadn't gotten that far. We just came to look, but I guess, for now, just holding and pictures. Right, hon?" She looked to Remy for reassurance.
"Yes. This is both our first time getting married, so we're winging it. And our lives are really, really busy, so we weren't sure where to start," Remy admitted, looking put out. Molly could tell he felt bad for making the suggestion to go out like this.
"We can think about decorations later," Molly said, "I'd rather not have a bunch of flowers on the tables at the reception anyway. It's nice, but everyone does it. I want something different."
"Agreed," Remy said, "It's _our_ wedding, we should do something different to make it unique."
Molly looked at all the flowers. It wasn't a hard decision, because the red and white bouquet called out to her in its elegance. It was sixty dollars, not cheap, but it looked amazing on its own. Except Molly had her usual second thoughts. Maybe it was too expensive. And she told Remy she wanted him to have a say in everything. "Baby, I love the roses, but what do you think? What looks good?"
"I'm not going to be holding them, sweetheart, you are. We can afford them."
"Yeah, right now. I don't want this to be like the rings, I don't want us to feel bad," Molly said.
"Okay, I get it. But, at the end of the day, they're just flowers and I want to see you happy. Why don't we split the cost if you like them that much." Remy said. He didn't worry about offending Molly's sensibilities, since he'd been clear that he wasn't going to pay for everything in the wedding. Molly didn't mind paying for anything, since Remy had already taken care of the rings. It summed up their relationship-fairness.
"That's such a great idea.-But, delivery? We don't have a venue picked out yet." Molly said.
"We usually deliver it to your home a day or two before, unless it's a special request," Kat explained.
"Okay, so we'll go with that bouquet to start," Molly said.
They kept looking around. Kat showed them books of flowers they could order, since they told her the decided wedding date was eight months out. For the moment, Remy and Molly decided white was a safe choice, so they went with various flowers in that color to decorate whatever the future venue was going to be. They gave her a big thanks and left the place feeling satiated and a bit less apprehensive.
They skipped the second location and headed right for the boutique. They stepped through clear glass doors, faced with a lot of white. White-washed walls, white wood paneling, white counters and black tiles. A very tall woman with long dirty-blonde hair in a pony-tail, wearing a gray suit stood behind the counter, which, behind that was a thick wall not connected to anything, purely for decor purposes. It had wainscoting at the top, swirling towards each other at the ends of the wall. She was talking on the phone animatedly, waving her hands about. "I see! Well if that's the way you do business, our company won't have you! Good day sir!-I said good day!" She slammed the phone down back into it's receiver. "I'm sorry you had to see that. My name is Gretchen, how may I be of service?" Her light blue eyes twitched a little. Too much coffee and overworked?
"Umm...we're getting married. May third," Molly explained, "We're excited and planning things a little early. We just wanted to see what you have in stock. We, uh, don't really have wedding colors picked out yet. We don't have a lot of things picked out."
"We just got engaged Saturday," Remy said proudly.
"Congratulations! We're happy to be helping you. First, I'll need your names," Gretchen said, taking out a notepad and paper. Molly was noticing this was important in the world of wedding planning. They told her their names.
"Good start, beautiful couple," Gretchen smiled a little too widely. Yeah, this woman clearly needed a vacation, "Did you have any idea what you wanted?"
"Cake toppers, where to get a DJ, venue ideas if you have them, bridesmaids dresses I suppose," Molly said.
"Invitations, caterers, a photographer and videographer." Remy said.
"We're a boutique, so we try to specialize in almost everything. We don't sell any dresses, but we have an extensive list of shops in Bayville and surrounding areas," Gretchen said, "Come with me, please."
They sat at a glass table, surrounded by other glass tables and several small black and white square plastic bins inside white cubbies on top of each other, like you found at hobby stores or food markets. They were filled with all kinds of wedding things, napkin rings, cake toppers, fake jewels, bingo cards and pieces, bridal accessories like hair clips and fake nails. There were tall, rectangular windows to their right, and behind all the tables was a wall of white binders and more bridal magazines than Molly had ever seen. This place was unusual, but thorough.
"We can help you pick out a DJ, a photographer, a wedding planner, and an officiate. We basically do everything but the clothes, it's too competitive. We have a five star rating, and we've been rated number one in Bayville five years running, so you're in good hands. Here's a list of all our services and quotes, and here's another list of wedding dress retailers and Tuxedo outfitters for you to keep, Miss Molly." Gretchen said. She went and grabbed a couple of white binders from the massive selection.
Looking at the list, Molly suddenly felt overwhelmed. It included everything they wanted, plus things like a coordinator, transportation/limo services, website creation, cake and accessories, seating chart planner, designs for wedding maps and programs, printing and mailing, live band, hair and nails for bride and groom, waxing, massage, dancing lessons, honeymoon destinations and booking, wedding timeline creation, bridesmaid and groomsman accessories, suggestions for gift registry, suggestions for venues for bachelorette/bachelor parties, and even a sex-ed refresher course and an actual class on "innovative love-making techniques".
"Do they help you push out a baby and plan for its college too once the wedding's over?" Remy joked, gripping Mollys hand as he sensed her stress.
"I think... I think we need a minute to talk," Molly said, looking pale.
"Certainly," Gretchen nodded, making herself scarce.
"We're in over our head with this," Molly groaned, putting her head down on the table.
"No we're not," Remy said, "Cherie, this is the best place we can be. It looks like they do everything for you and then some. The prices are up there, but I expected that. I'll chip in some, you can chip in some, and your family can handle the rest. Just like the flowers, it's an 'us' decision, it's not all on you or me."
"Yeah, good point. Thank you, but, uh, how are we gonna ask my family for the money once we figure out the massive total without spoiling the surprise?" Molly wondered. Not that her family was poor, but they weren't swimming in money either.
"Let's figure out what we want first. Feel better? I know this is a big bunch of decisions, but it's what we always knew going in. Weddings are a big deal, and they need a lot of accoutraments. Details. Stuff." Remy said, his red-on-black eyes only shining with love for Molly. They both knew it was an expensive undertaking, but Molly also knew that Remy would've given her the moon and the stars were it possible. (And the same went for her, of course, but she always tried to let him be the man in the relationship and not overtake things. She knew she could be bossy.)
Molly took a deep breath in and looked at the list again, eyeing a few things she could do without.
"Yes. I feel better."
"Good. I'll go get Gretchen," Remy said.
The couple poured over the list, with Gretchen's careful advisement. She said most people don't get the printing and mailing, or the waxing, but Molly thought it over slowly, adding up the total cost with the calculator on her phone. They picked what seemed necessary, (things concerning the cake, hair, coordinator, invitations, music, ect.), things that would help them distress or look better (massages and waxing), and, for the moment, nixed the things that they didn't need or could easily do themselves (wedding gift registry and bachelorette party venue suggestions, bridesmaid accessories, and website creation. Molly thought a website was a bit conceited, and Remy thought it was overkill.) Lastly, they talked each other into the refresher course and the class, because one wanted to do one and the other didn't, so it was a two edged sword.
"Should we do the honeymoon one?" Molly stared down at the paper, then back at Remy, "It seems nice, and I like that they have suggestions, but I'd have fun doing our own research for it.-And rumor has it, the Professor gave Jean and Scott one of his old safe houses from his younger days. He might give us one too. I mean, if he likes us enough."
"We won't check it off, but we'll keep the idea in mind as a last resort," Remy said, "No pun intended."
They added up the total and it came to a grand total of 56,000 dollars.
"Uh...let's look over the list again," Molly's voice cracked while Remy sat there sweating. Sweating heavily.
"I hate to break it to you, but weddings in New York run about seventy-six-thousand dollars," Gretchen calmly explained, "Even before honeymoon and clothing costs, all this is practically a bargain."
"Okay, okay," Molly waved her hands around, playing with the calculator again, "If I chip in, let's see...thirty-thousand? And Remy does twenty-two...that leaves my family with only four thousand! Remy, I think we can do this!"
"You pay twenty-two, I pay thirty," Remy said, "I make more than you and to do otherwise would shatter my sensitive male ego."
"Of course. Now we just have to come up with a convincing ploy to make my family pay for it without letting them know what's going on," Molly said.
"... Car repair is a popular one," Gretchen said, semi-boredly holding her head in one hand.
They stared at her.
"I've been doing this for twelve years, it's all old news to me." She smiled.
"Hi daddy! Daddy, listen, I need some money. A lot of money. It's _really_ important," Molly squeezed Remy's hand, "I had to take my car in. The engine and the gas line are shot, and the tires need replaced. A-and there's a big ding in one of the doors. How much? It's, um, four...thousand.-No! FOUR thousand, not fourty!...really?...okay, thank you, daddy! Love you, I'll call you again soon, byyyye!" Molly pushed end call on her phone and breathed heavily.
"You did good, Cherie, I'm proud of you," Remy beamed, "I know you don't like edging around the truth, but you handled it like a trooper."
"That wasn't the hard part, it was trying to get the money," Molly said. Her phone dinged with the promise of a digital payment. Four-thousand in full.
"Okay, why don't we start looking at cake toppers, and we can talk about cake flavors and styles?" Gretchen led them over to one of the many bins,
"We have a large selection for toppers, in a variety of races, themes and hair colors."
Molly was a bit surprised. Gone were the days of yore when cake toppers were just two standing figures who looked nothing like the couple getting married. Now, in the digital age of 3-d printers and creativity, they had a choice.
"Ooh, I like this one," Remy smirked, holding up a rather salacious, taudrey couple. The bride, showing too much leg, along with her legs, lips and arms wrapped around her groom from the waist up.
"In your dreams, hon," Molly said, rolling her eyes.
Gretchen dug through the lot for them, pulling out toppers that were both brunettes with different themes. Fishing, bee-keeping, horseback riding, ice cream truck, mermaids, cute teddy bears, and a few others that seemed geared toward one thing about Remy and Molly specifically. The bride kissing the groom as she on top of luggage, a stack of books, a chair, a table, or the groom just picking her up by the back of her dress.
"... I don't need three suitcases to kiss you," Molly grumbled under her breath, crossing her arms.
"My petite, cutest, sweetest little amour," Remy bent down close, giving her big eyes, "I like those cake toppers. I like our differences and your height is one of the things that I found endearing and cute about you in the first place."
Molly grabbed the one with the books. They both liked reading, and none of the other ones truly seemed to fit them. Besides, they could always change it later.
...But looking at it, and looking back at Remy, Molly thought of the many of the times and the weird ways they'd kissed. Maybe it was more fitting then she thought.
And, hey, she knew better than anyone that she was pretty short.