Sorry. I know, I didn't keep my promise. I have no excuse. So here's the chapter I should have posted 2 months ago! Don't be too angry with me. Enjoy the "famous" wedding chapter! Let me know what you think about it!
D-Day
Dawn was slowly appearing and the first rays of sunrise broke through the windows of the car. Lucas could feel the warmth of the light passing through his eyelids. It took him half a second to remember the events of last night and a smile broke over his face. He tightened his arms around Alexandra who was still against him and opened his eyes slowly to see that she was already awake, staring at the sky.
"Hello, love," he murmured against her hair, rousing her from her reverie.
She turned her head to face him.
"Hi," she whispered with a smile.
"Thinking are we?" he guessed.
"Imagining," she replied, her smile still on her face.
"Happy?"
"Definitely," she answered before turning to give him a soft kiss.
Lucas caressed her cheek gently, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Glad to hear it," he grinned, his eyes looking deeply into hers.
The way he was looking at her, so intensely, made her stomach twist. God, he was so beautiful. Tasha's words came back to her memory 'Lucas has eyes for you and no one else.' At that precise instant, she knew how much Tasha was right. Lucas was hers. Completely. She reached for his lips and let the burning desire that was coming from her core invade her body.
Lucas responded immediately to her kiss, feeling the urge hidden in it. In a second, he slid her under him, parting her legs so that they rested on each side of his hips. His touches were inflaming her. As they were still naked, it was not too long before Lucas was inside her, sending her waves of pleasure. Moans and groans filled the air until they both reached orgasm and let their bodies rest intertwined, out of breath. It was quick but passionate.
After a moment which seemed too short, Lucas told her they should get dressed and leave the rhino before the car's owner find them in it. Reluctantly, they both picked up their clothes and went out discreetly. Lucas walked her slowly back to Skye's house, her hand in his. Once in front of the door, Alexandra turned to Lucas, sighed loudly and swung her arms around his neck.
"Tell me why I have to go back in here instead of going home with you?"
"'Cause your little friends in here must not know that you escaped their captivity last night."
"Right," she exhaled.
"I'll see you soon," Lucas murmured against her cheek before giving her a chaste kiss.
"Indeed," she smiled happily.
"Go!" he commanded her before pushing her gently. She stepped to the door before remembering something, and she turned quickly back to face him.
"Oh! Before you leave… Huh… I wanted to know something about your stag party."
"Are you sure you wanna know anything about it?"
"Why? Is there something I shouldn't know about?"
"No."
"Did you have a striptease?"
Lucas opened his mouth but it took him time to answer the question. Too much time.
"I…"
"Oh my God! You had one! I can't believe it!"
"What?" He chuckled, half shy, half proud. His cheeks blushed unintentionally. Lucas had never thought he would be embarrassed about it.
Alexandra shook her head.
"I'm not scary enough."
"What's the scary point about?" He smiled.
"No man in the colony would strip for me!"
"They better not!" He said seriously, his smile vanishing in a second.
"They were too afraid to be killed by you! No girl is afraid of me!"
"I doubt that."
"But you had a girl who's done it! She took her clothes off in front of you! Oh God… Was it intimate? No wait. I don't wanna know. It's only one girl, one time," she reminded herself.
"Actually, there was not just one," Lucas said lightly, the corner of his mouth kicking up at the thought of it.
Alexandra's mouth dropped open, her face going slack.
"Are you kidding?"
"Nope," he beamed. "But…"
Alexandra turned her back to him, pretending to be annoyed. Lucas grabbed her waist and turned her back to face him, his face inches from hers.
"But, even if it was a nice show…" Alexandra turned her head to look away, the story beginning to really bother her.
Lucas smiled to himself and pressed his mouth to her ear.
"But, even if it was a nice show, I truly had no interest in it at all. Because it was not you," he pointed out in a whisper, his warm breath sending goose bumps all over her body. Lucas felt her quiver and knew he had all of her attention. He stepped back, his hands still on her hips. Yet, she kept staring down. Lucas sighed loudly, smiling tiredly, chewing his bottom lip absentmindedly.
"You're not really upset, are you?"
"I dunno," she sighed.
Lucas' hand left the hem of her shirt and his palm went to her cheek, moving her face in front of him so he could stare straight into her eyes. A thin smile appeared on his face when he saw her childish regard on him, the ghost of a smile still visible. Lucas sighed again loudly, and pressed her against his chest.
"My stupid love," he murmured, while rocking her gently. Alexandra's fist quickly ended on his ribs. Lucas exhaled a groan in response, yet he kept her in his arms, tightening his embrace. "My so sweet love," he corrected.
"That's better," he heard her mumble in his shirt.
He kissed the top of her head and lulled her slowly.
"I love you too."
Her arms surrounded his body in response, pressing him closer. Lucas couldn't stop grinning, his chin rested on her head. In few hours, they would be married. In few hours, he could brag proudly that she was his wife, no one else.
Alexandra walked back to the bedroom she was supposed to be in and slid silently under the sheets. She glanced at her watched. It was 7ish, she would be able to sleep a little bit more. The bed she was in, even if Lucas was not in there, was a lot more comfortable than the rhino she had spent the night in. She had thought sleep would not come easily with the big event that was coming, but the second she had closed her eyes, she was deeply asleep.
"Alex… Alex! Wake up!"
"Hmmm", she groaned.
"Alex, you need to wake up. It's half past ten already," Maddy insisted.
"What is so urgent?"
"We need to get ready for your wedding!"
Alexandra sat quickly, suddenly very awake.
"What time did you say it was?"
"Half past ten. Don't worry, we're not late. We have 6 hours before the wedding starts. But time is running fast on the big day. So let's not get a slow start!"
Maddy was already overexcited. She spent the next six hours running everywhere, taking her role as a witness very seriously. She was almost just a blur for Alexandra who just absentmindedly followed her orders. People came and left for her so quickly, she had the feeling they had not been here. But here she was, a discreet layer of make up on her face, her hair dressed up in a lovely braid with falling curly hair in the front, and, of course, she was wearing a beautiful wedding dress that could not let her forget that today was the big day. She was going to get married. That was it. The thrill of the moment she had in the morning in Lucas' reassuring strong arms had vanished.
Fifteen minutes before the wedding, Jim came to pick her up and he drove her to the main place which had been transformed into a magical wedding tent. Alexandra's throat tightened even more, witnessing how much people had put in for her wedding to be perfect. She stayed silent until Jim stopped the rhino and held his hand out to her to get out of the car. She looked at him, her eyes unsure, and he smiled.
"If you ask me, I'll drive you away," he joked lightly.
A grin appeared on Alexandra's face and she put her shaky hand in his steady one.
"Not today, Jim. Not today."
They walked to a small room where she was supposed to wait for the music to start before to walk to Lucas. She stepped to the entrance to catch a glimpse of what was happening outside, and it almost scared her. To see everyone gathered for her, for them, made her heart flip. She had not expected to feel so happy, so grateful for the love people had for her, for them.
At the sight of this wonderful family portrait, her mind wandered to the time she was a younger girl, hoping to marry the prince charming. And then her mind froze. Her eyes started to prickle and her gaze went to a lost, far away place. Away from here. Back to her real life. The life she had always known. The life where she had friends and family. Where problems were never really important.
99% of her was filled with joy. But that 1% of melancholy seemed to be enough to bother her. Her chest felt heavy and sadness overwhelmed her for a fraction of a second.
Then, she saw him. Lucas was there, waiting for her. He was waiting next to his father and his face was awed as he saw her. A smile played at his lips until it reached his entire face, radiating. His eyes were shining with love. He was clearly fighting to not cry and his mouth kept switching between a wide smile and tight lips. The way he looked at her made every sad thought melt away. He was looking at her the way a man looks at the woman he will love and care for the rest of his life. Her body and mind reconnected together, back to a total symbiosis, wishing for the same thing: to run to the man she loved and gaze into his eyes. Drown in them and never come back.
Lucas was struggling to keep his face composed. To see her, even if it was her head only, generated deep feelings within him. Feelings of joy, of pride, but above all, of love. He knew he loved her more than anything. And he had thought he knew very well this feeling. But today, it seemed increased. His stomach was tightly knotted. He had played the cool man in front of her in the morning, but it was to reassure her in the first place. Leaving her in front of Skye's house was an excuse to keep her away from him before he started telling her his fears, or worse, cries.
The music they had chosen started to fill the air and their witnesses walked slowly to him, cutting him off from his reverie. They were soon followed by Alexandra, her hand on Jim's arm. Lucas had difficulty swallowing and his eyes were playing with his nerves. He had to blink a lot for the tears to not come out. The whole way, Lucas and Alexandra kept their gazes locked on each other's.
Jim gave Alexandra a soft kiss on the cheek and gave her hand to Lucas who couldn't stop himself from kissing her, making the crowd laugh a bit.
"You can't wait, can you?" Mark said with a smile.
"How could I resist?" He replied, looking at his wife-to-be with love, making Alexandra blushed.
Taylor, who was standing before them, cleared his throat, making everyone silent.
"We are here today, to celebrate the union of Lucas Taylor, my son, and Alexandra Paris, our favorite French girl," he smiled.
Alexandra smiled at him warmly. She was not sure what kind of speech he was going to do. Obviously, it was a light one.
"Dear children, you have come to this place so that I may seal your love in the presence of this community. Terra Nova is about second chance, but of course, it's also about life. And what would be life without love? You found each other in difficult circumstances, but you fought hard for each other. Now here you are, proving to everyone that love will always win. Lucas and Alexandra, you are about to celebrate the sacrament of marriage. Have you come here of your own free will and choice and without compulsion to marry each other?"
"We have," they replied in chorus.
"Will you love and honor each other in marriage all the days of your life?"
"We will," they confirmed in unison.
"Now, children, I think you both prepared your vows. Let's hear them."
Lucas took a deep breath and took Alexandra's hands in his.
"I, Lucas Taylor, take you, Alexandra Paris, to be my best friend, my lover, my partner in life, the mother of my children, my one and only true love and my wife. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will always trust you and respect you, care for and protect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for all eternity. You're the one and even death won't stop me from loving you."
Alexandra's throat tightened and she fought hard not to cry. She swallowed with difficulty and took a deep breath to steady her voice.
"I, Alexandra Paris, take you, Lucas Taylor, to be my best friend, my lover, my partner in life, the father of my children, my one and only true love and my husband. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will always trust you and respect you, care and protect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for all eternity. You're the one and even death won't stop me from loving you."
Lucas had to control himself for not kissing her again. This ceremony was already way too long for him. Taylor looked at Mark and he held the rings out to him.
"I, Commander Taylor, Chief of this colony, bless these rings, which will be the sign of your love and fidelity for each other."
Then he gave them the rings that they both put on each other's finger.
"I declare you man and wife. You may kiss the bride," he added with a wink to Lucas.
Lucas put his palms on her cheeks and gave her many few kisses, before dipping her and kissing her deeply, sending the crowd to whistling and applause. Lucas brought her back up and greeted everyone with a low bow.
"Now, let's celebrate!" He shouted happily.
The dinner that followed went fast. Talking to everyone, thanking everyone, eating, and drinking a bit. Alexandra and Lucas had not thought it would be such a hard job to play the married couple. The dessert was the very first time they got a chance to sit next to each other and talk a little bit.
"Are you happy?" Lucas asked with a smile.
'God, he is so beautiful when he's smiling' Alexandra thought to herself. And he had been smiling the whole way. Except for the last couple of minutes.
"I'm perfectly happy, love," she answered, caressing his beard with her hand. "What about you?"
"More than happy," he replied, grabbing her hand which was still on his cheek and kissing it.
"Why are you looking around every second then? Are you waiting for someone?"
"I'm not, I'm just…"
"Checking the area's security?"
Lucas frowned.
"No, I'm not," he denied. "Why? Are you?"
Alexandra bit her bottom lip, ashamed.
"It's just so weird. It's been ages since I spent a day without a weapon on me. I feel totally naked not having a gun or a knife within easy reach."
Lucas smiled sheepishly, glancing away.
"Don't worry, love, you'll be really naked soon enough."
"Right," she giggled, a hint of excitement rising.
"And my father, that smart man that is my father," Lucas said with a smirk while waving at Taylor. "He dealt with the security shifts so everyone could enjoy the wedding but keep the colony safe. So don't worry, nothing bad's gonna happen today."
"Right," she smiled.
"It's our turn," he suddenly said, standing up.
"Our turn to do what?"
"You'll see."
"Why are you like that?"
"Like what?"
"Anxious."
"I'm not anxious."
"Yes, you are."
"No, I'm not," he denied with a frown.
"Then, why are you biting your lip now?"
"Nothin', come on," he just said while grabbing her hand to pull her on the dance floor. Lucas looked at Josh who picked up the mic.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, Mister and Misses Taylor will have their first dance," he announced solemnly.
Lucas smiled nervously at her and now Alexandra knew why Lucas was so tensed.
"You don't dance."
"I know."
"I don't know how to dance properly either," she reminded him.
"I know," he repeated.
"Why did you do it then?"
"For you."
Alexandra held his gaze, realizing the depth of his words.
"You didn't have to," she almost apologized for putting him into such a situation. She knew Lucas loved to be the center of the attention, yet dancing or doing something as private as dancing with her, exposing his real love - not the proud and cocky one - was something really hard for him.
A soft music started to fill the room and Alexandra noticed Lucas was, again, biting his lip.
"I could drag you from the ocean, I could pull you from the fire, and when you're standing in the shadows I could open up the sky. And I could give you my devotion, until the end of time. And you will never be forgotten with me by your side. And I don't need this life. I just need…"
Alexandra's heart quickened its pace as the words were sinking in, making sense. She let Lucas lead the whole dance, totally absorbed in the lyrics.
"I've got nothing left to live for, got no reason yet to die. But when I'm standing in the gallows I'll be staring at the sky. Because no matter where they take me, death I will survive. And I will never be forgotten with you by my side."
"Are you alright, babe?" Lucas dared to ask after a moment. He would always imagine the worst when Alexandra was silent.
"I don't know this song," she explained absentmindedly.
"You were already here when it went out."
"And I don't need this life. I just need somebody to die for."
"This song is so sad…"
Alexandra stared at her husband, her eyes suddenly watery and wet.
"I'm sorry," Lucas apologized immediately. "I didn't mean to pain you. I felt this song was right for today, for you. For us."
Her fingers reached his lips to cover his mouth and make him stop speaking.
"This song is… beautiful," she said with tremor in the voice. "It's sad, but beautiful. So beautiful. It's perfect. You're perfect."
Lucas' worried face shifted to a happier one. Alexandra took his hand and put it over her heart.
"It's beating fast, for you. Can you feel it?"
"Yeah," he whispered, totally reassured now. Their foreheads met gently as they continued dancing.
"It's because I love you so much," she continued, her eyes shut. "So much," she insisted.
People started to come and dance too, and it was now the time for partying.
After few dances with Lucas, Damon asked Alexandra for a dance and she said yes, to Lucas' delight.
"You know that if you're bored, I'm right here," Damon murmured.
"Yeah right," she chuckled. "Thanks, you are a real friend, aren't you?"
"Exactly!"
"Tell me, did Mark lie to Maddy about no strippers at the bar, or did you lie to him so Maddy wouldn't know the truth about Lucas' stag party?"
Damon chuckled.
"We did not tell Mark because we knew he would repeat everything to Maddy. That guy can't keep his mouth shut with her," Damon smiled.
"You're horrible," she chuckled. "As my best friend, you could have thought about me and my disagreement with strippers for my husband's stag party, couldn't you?"
"I thought about it… And then I thought, why not?" He giggled, getting a slap on his chest from Alexandra. They fought gently, laughing, until Damon surrounded her arms with his and stopped her. "You know I love you right?"
"I do," she replied sincerely.
"So you know I would never do something to hurt you. Those strippers were only a game."
"I know," she affirmed. "Don't worry, I know. And I'm not really mad at you either. Actually, it gives me leverage to bargain with Lucas one day!"
Lucas watched them a moment until he couldn't stand it anymore. He walked to Damon and tapped his shoulder.
"May I have my wife back?"
Damon nodded with a smile and approached Lucas with a funny face.
"Treat her with respect. If you hurt her I swear I'll kill you with my own hands."
"Don't make promises you can't keep," Lucas smirked back.
Damon smirked at him and squeezed his shoulder friendly.
"You're lucky. Enjoy every moment of it," he told him sincerely.
"Thanks man," Lucas replied as sincerely as Damon.
"Wow, this is a change," Alexandra stated.
"See, I'm a good guy now," he grinned.
"My good husband," she whispered.
Lucas pulled Alexandra to him and pressed his lips to her forehead, leaving his nose in her hair.
"You're okay?" His hands were on her hips, rocking them back and forth.
"I'm fine."
"Great, because I have a surprise for you."
"What kind of surprise would that be?" She wondered aloud, her eyes bright with cheekiness.
"It might involve clothes," he revealed with innuendo.
"I think I might like this surprise," she said, playing his game.
"Follow me," he ordered her, grabbing her hand.
Alexandra followed him away from the tent, excited as ever by the surprise that was about to come. Lucas led her to their house and once they were in, he looked back at her mischievously.
"Ok, you need to get changed now."
"You mean, get this dress off, right?"
"No, I mean change your clothes into something more…"
"More sexy?"
"More casual. Like a pair of shorts and a tank top. I think that should do."
"You think it should do?" She grimaced.
"Yep."
"Why?"
"I'm going to take you out."
"Out?"
"Out."
"Out the gates?"
"Out the gates."
"Stop repeating my questions in affirmation. Where are we going?"
"We're leaving."
"We're leaving?"
"I'm kinda taking you on a honey moon."
"Honey moon?"
"Who's repeating who now?" He mocked.
"Can we leave? I mean, are they gonna be alright without us?"
"Nobody is irreplaceable."
She frowned at his comment.
"Your father is allowing this?"
"My dear father seems to think I won't put us in much danger."
"Are you saying your father believed something that you said? How amazing, he trusted you?" She mocked.
"No, I think my father trusted you and that you'll keep me in line… And also the fact that I'll do anything to keep you safe."
"So… He said yes with no condition?"
"I negotiated it."
"What did you bargain?"
"It's only one week Alex."
"One week?"
"What? Is that a problem?" He asked, suddenly concerned.
"Just the two of us?"
"Just the two of us."
The smiled she gave him made his worry vanish immediately.
"Hell no it's not a problem," she beamed, jumping to his neck. "It sounds like heaven to me. I'm looking forward to being alone with you!"
"Let's go then!"
