October 11th, 2019
Chloe sighed with sublime satisfaction as she looked out over the sweeping, sunlit scope of Arcadia Bay.
Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Thank you God, for actually coming through today.
It was pleasantly warm for early autumn, although the clear skies guaranteed plunging temperatures once the sun set. But for now, just a bit past noon, the light was warming without being scorching. Which given Chloe's attire, she was wholly grateful for.
Max wanted to do something different for their wedding ceremony. Something 'fun', but meaningful at the same must have bounced a million ideas back and forth in a creative maelstrom, but when they finally arrived at their final choice, it seemed so obvious.
The theme was "We Can Be Heroes: A Celebration of Love and Triumph." At least, that was how the public announcement was titled. Now painfully aware, thanks to Maggie's constant prodding, that this was as much a public spectacle as it was a private occasion, Max and Chloe chose something that was not only enjoyable for them and their friends, but that the public could take if not pride, then at least good-natured amusement in. Not only was it their wedding day, but the sixth anniversary of the megastorm; the day would be largely festive, with time taken in for solemn remembrance of those who never lived to see this day.
Gotta admit, part of me was afraid this was going to be too much for her; that Max'd kind of freak out, that the guilt would pile on as we got closer to today. But she's in a good place, at least when I saw her last night. Serves me right for ever doubting her in the slightest.
Max was being a bit of a traditionalist, insisting that the two of them not lay eyes upon each other until the wedding, going as far as playfully kicking Chloe out of the house to stay with her parents Thursday night.
In keeping with the theme, Max, Chloe, and the bridal parties would be dressed up as various comic book heroes and heroines, with all those in attendance encouraged to follow suit, though obviously not required. Some of the audience - such as Steven Exeter - had been invited out of social obligation and expectation, and he did not seem particularly amused by the less-than-solemn atmosphere. Glenda O'Meara, still the town's largest employer, was being a good sport about it; her dressing as Doctor Light amused the hell out of Chloe.
Nice pun. Glenda's either a secret comic geek, or she's getting good advice from someone.
Chloe, with her short black hair, cut a striking figure as Zatanna, decked to the nines in the stage magician's trademark tuxedo outfit, with a black and white bodice, fishnets, high heeled boots, and bolero dress jacket.
The top hat's a little too much maybe? But that's the best part, damnit!
She glanced over her shoulder to David, in full Batman regalia. Her step-father was never a fan of comic books, but at the same time, was clearly enjoying the chance to play 'dress up'. It was a fitting choice, and Max apparently had a long, bemused talk with Joyce about how appropriate it was for someone in a wheelchair to decide to be Batgirl.
"You have no idea how many permits the state made me obtain to pull this off, Big D." Chloe murmured. "Even for the mayor of Oregon's fasting growing town. But damn if that view doesn't make all the work worth it.
David chuckled. "You mean, all the work Maggie did for you?"
Chloe crooked her lips in a impish grin. "It's called delegation. It's what us mayor types do." She turned towards him now, as they stood at the dais near the edge of the cliff, waiting for the wedding ceremony to begin. She took another deep breath - at least as deep as her restrictive outfit would allow for - and then slowly let it bleed out.
"Can you imagine? That we'd ever be at this point?" she asked.
"What? That you'd be getting married, or that I'd be your best man?" David replied.
She laughed. "Both."
David gave a slight shrug, which prompted a faint creaking noise from his outfit. "Yeah. I can imagine. I mean...we've been at 'peace' now longer than we were at 'war', right?
"Yeah." Chloe said with a smile. "But don't get a swelled head about it; I only picked you to be my best man because...frankly, I don't have any other friends to take the role." She softened the blow by reaching over and giving her stepfather a one-armed hug, making it clear that she was joking. Mostly.
David mock-growled, "Yeah, well it's not like I've got any other daughters getting married anytime soon." He then took a gentler tone, and said, "Chloe...I know I'm not William. But I also know he'd be so proud of you, and what you've accomplished. And he'd no doubt approve of who you're settling down with, too. But I'm just as proud of you, kid. Thank you...for sharing this day with me. It means the world to me."
Chloe swallowed back at the lump rising up in her throat, and hugged David tightly. She then glanced up and said, "You know, I'm tempted to hand down a new order to the police department. Can you imagine it, everyone dressed up like Batman?"
They both laughed as Michelle Grant walked up to take her place as the officiator; an ordained minister in the Unitarian church, she'd graciously accepted Chloe's request to see Max and her wed; given that she had a foot in each of their worlds, as a town alderman and a teacher at Blackwell, it seemed appropriately fitting.
"Ms. Grant!" Chloe turned to hug her in greeting. "Hey! Just in time but...uh?" She regarded the older woman, who wore a sharp blue business suit. "I thought you said you were going to dress to theme?"
Michelle smiled. "As popular as comic book movies and television shows are these days, Chloe, I still know nothing about them. One of my nephews was kind enough to make a suggestion: apparently, I'm someone named Amanda Waller, who he assured me would be..."
"...that is so cool! You're The Wall!" Chloe unintentionally interrupted, her exuberance getting the best of her. "Sorry! Yeah, she was the best, in those old episodes of Justice League Unlimited! Kinda fitting..." she glanced between her and David, "...'cause she was one of the few people would give freak out Batman. Kinda-sorta."
Michelle smiled good-naturedly. "Well, glad to see it was so well-received. I imagine we'll be starting in a few minutes?"
"Yeah. Barely five, maybe less? God, I hope Jeff shows up, he's pretty much the only other guy I have for my side of the wedding party."
As if on cue, Jeff Stevens, her old boss from back in her construction days, ran up, wearing an odd outfit consisting of a baseball catcher's chest pad, miner's helmet, jeans and kneepads, heavy gloves, and shovel strapped to his back.
It only took Choe a few seconds before it clicked in her brain. She pointed and exclaimed with glee, "Ooooh holy shit! You're The Shoveler from Mystery Men! Ha ha!" They fist bumped each other, and Jeff smiled wide. "Hey, you got it! I loved that film, although you were like what, a baby when it came out?"
"Five, but yeah. So what? I wasn't born when Star Wars was first out, but that doesn't mean I don't know and love that film either."
"Rock on. Thanks for asking me to be a groomsman, Chloe. Uh...is that the right term. For this sort of thing?"
She shrugged and snorted. "Works for me. Not gonna get hung up on labels. But yeah...thanks for coming." They gave each other a hug.
Chloe stood, trying not to fidget too much. She glanced over at the audience, which was at least a hundred people strong, if not twice that number; Chloe had wanted to open up the ceremony to the entire town, a notion both Maggie - currently milling about, dressed up as the Invisible Woman and chatting up some of the VIPs - and Max shot down. Still, Maggie went the distance, making sure that a good cross section of the town was represented.
There was a part of Chloe that still wished her wedding day could be so much smaller than this. No more than her, Max, maybe a few friends and family members. There was a side of her that chafed at the notion of somehow belonging to something much larger than herself, but...
...we can always do a cute little Vegas wedding another day, right? Why not? A wedding's more like a party for everyone else. It's not just about the people getting married, weird as that seems.
The string quartet in the background suddenly stirred to action, beginning to play a rendition of the Superman Movie Theme - the old Seventies classic, not one of the disappointing modern reboots - arranged as a wedding march. The crowd at the back parted, and Max was revealed at last, dressed in white leather and fishnet, with a matching bodice, opera-length gloves, and knee high boots. A white gauzy veil was gathered about her head, her hair bleached a bright, brassy blonde. She was tightly clutching a bouquet of roses, looking equal parts overjoyed and sick to her stomach, her social anxiety clearly warring with the delighted glow of what was shortly to come.
H-holy shit! I get it! She's Black Canary when she was getting married to Green Arrow!
It was one of Chloe's favorite issues, circa 2007, back when she was still actively collecting. It'd been one of Max's favorites as well.
She was absolutely radiant; Chloe was stunned, her heart skipping beats. For a few moments in time, she had eyes only for Max, her beloved. Her best friend. Her true love. It was as if the world was theirs and theirs alone. The tunnel vision that seized her slowly lifted, and she started to take note of the others escorting her wife-to-be up to the dais.
Ryan was there, of course, giving the bride away. A big-ass secret geek at heart, he was absolutely overjoyed at the creative direction his daughter and soon-to-be daughter-in-law chose for their wedding; Chloe had to admit he went whole hog, and made a really awesome looking Iron Man, wearing the entire getup, sans the helmet. Vanessa strode along by Max's other side, dressed as Wonder Woman.
Damn! Way to rock the amazon garb!
Kate, as the Maid of Honor, followed next, holding up Max's train behind her. Comics weren't her thing, but she seemed to gravitate towards the character of The Huntress. As she explained to Chloe earlier...
"I don't approve of the violence but it's a modest outfit for something skin tight? And I like that she's a rare character with a religious conviction!"
Victoria had to be talked out of her original idea, which was to dress up like Emma Frost. Fortunately, she cut just as stunning a figure as Captain Marvel, in the newer red, blue and gold bodysuit with the mandarin collar.
"So much more fashion-forward than whatever the hell that black unitard thing was supposed to be!"
Chloe locked eyes with Max at last; she had to fight the almost violent urge to giggle with glee, and it must have shown, given how painfully wide she felt herself smile. Max returned the grin, quickly reaching up to dash away a few happy tears from her eyes. She and her father finally arrived at the dais. She leaned in to kiss his cheek, and they hugged, before Max turned to do the same thing with her mother. Chloe reached out a hand to her father-in-law to be, and he instead insisted on pulling her into an absolutely crushing hug, before tweaking her top hat playfully.
Chloe took her place, looking down at Max, and laughed softly again. The two of them started to whisper to each other at the same time.
"Oh my God, you look hella..." Chloe began
"...totes amazing, for cereal!" Max concluded.
Chloe wanted to kiss her, right then and there. Get the rings on, get the vows said, and start her life as a Missus.
Now now now, damnit!
She reached up and over, tenderly brushing the back of her fingers against Max's cheek. Her heart seized pleasurably in her chest as Max captured her hand, keeping it held against her face as she nuzzled affectionately in return.
The air clicked with the snapping of cameras, as Chloe mouthed silently, "I love you so much right now."
"I know, bitch." Max teasingly, silently replied, winking before tracing just the merest wisp of her tongue tip against her upper lip.
Chloe took a deep breath; it was exactly the sort of coquettish expression Max had perfected over the years, designed to completely reduce her to jelly. She almost might have fallen to her knees and simply professed undying love and servitude had Michelle not cleared her throat, and said with a smile. "Well, let's get started then, shall we?"
Waiting until the music drew to a close, and the murmuring of the audience fell to an appropriate hush, Michelle raised her hands to chest level and said, projecting her voice outward, "Cherished family, beloved friends, and honored guests. I thank you, one and all, for gathering here today to bear witness to the union of these two two women, Chloe Price and Maxine Caulfield. It has been my proud privilege to not only watch them grow from adolescence into adulthood, but also to work side by side with them. Chloe, of course, originally as a fellow Alderman, and then as the first mayor of Arcadia Bay." At this, Chloe felt the heat rise to her cheeks at the cheers and applause at this, so grateful she was keeping her gaze fixed solely on Max.
"And Max, first as a student, and then as one of Blackwell's finest teachers."
A few of Max's favorite students were in attendance, and made their feelings known. At the top of their lungs.
"Ms. Caulfield! We love yoooou! Wooo!"
Max shifted nervously from foot to foot, not an easy thing given the heels on her boots, and tried her best to keep from bursting out into nervous laughter
Holy fuck, those girls can shriek. Wow...were we ever that young? Oh shit, I'm already starting to ask questions like that. Damnit, I'm only twenty-five!
"'Fairytale romance' is a phrase many consider overused," Michelle continued, "but I can't think of a more fitting description for the relationship between these two. Like all truly great love stories, theirs started out with deep friendship. And while time and distance pulled them apart on multiple occasions, they always found their way unerringly back to each other. I wouldn't say that Chloe and Max fell in love so much as they started out that way from the first day; the passing of years naturally transforming that love from the purely platonic into something far deeper."
Chloe felt herself vibrating from head to toe, acting on impulse and taking Max's free hand in her own. Darting her eyes over to the left, she smirked to herself, seeing both Vanessa and Joyce weeping, wide smiles on their faces.
"Max and Chloe have written their own vows, and I invite the two of them to recite those now."
Chloe had to fight the urge to simply toss Max over her shoulder, scream out "I'll take her!" and then run off to begin the rest of their life together as quickly as possible. She felt marvelously ill, gloriously nauseous. She was seized with an awful burning she fervently prayed would never end.
Okay...okay. I can do this. Oh...shit. Wait...I forget...who was supposed to go first...oh. Oh hell! It was me! Ha, God, I look like a fucking moron right now and...
Chloe blushed, a soft ripple of laughter from the unintentional, overlong pause. She wet her lips and recited the words she'd committed to memory, reminiscing in the struggle to craft something that conveyed even a fraction of her feelings for the woman in front of her.
You know, hella babbling like an idiot.
"Max Caulfield, you have been so many things to me over the years. Best friend, first mate, superhero and sidekick, partner in crime. Mistress of time and space. Lover, teacher...beautiful photo nerd." Another soft peal of laughter arose from the audience. "You are my shining star, my angel. Time and circumstance tore us apart, and it seemed for the longest time like we'd never see each other again. But fate brought us back together, just as the tide always returns to the shore. I ah...I was in a real deep, dark place when we found each other again, six years ago. But we fell back into our groove so quickly, like no time passed at all. You gave me hope...you gave me love. But most importantly, you gave me..." her throat tightened, threatening to close. "...courage."
Blinking the tears from her eyes, Chloe took a deep breath, and willed herself to continue. "You will always be the guiding star that I turn my ship towards. I am yours, for as long as you will have me. Body and soul. For all of our years, unto eternity."
Max squeezed her hand tightly, her smile beaming brighter than the moon in the darkest night. They began to drift closer to each other, without meaning to.
"Chloe Price," Max breathed out, almost too soft to be heard at first. Clearing her throat and finding her voice. "I'd never been in love before you...and I can't imagine that I'll ever be in love again. You are my heart's home. Five years is a hell of a long time to press pause on a friendship, but we came back to each other...we pressed play together, and let destiny take care of the rest. You make me laugh, you make me sing. You are the first thought I have when I wake up, and the last person on my mind when I go to sleep. You are...annoying, and bratty, and patient and giving and terrible and wonderful. You are my gorgeous paradox. We've seen each other at our worst as well as our best, and yet, here we still are, together. Life saw fit to send so many challenges our way, but together, we overcame them two of us joined as one are unstoppable. Without you in my life, I am...I'm..." she swallowed hard, eyes wet, and shook her head, "...shit, I had this!"
She blushed, hiding her face behind her bouquet at the good natured laughter that overtook everyone in the crowd.
Dropping her hand, she said, "Damnit Chloe, you are mine, plain as that." she giggled and pantomimed stamping her foot down, like an obstinate eight year old having the last word, before concluding, "And...I am yours, for as long as you will have me. Body and soul. For all our years, unto eternity."
Oh...oh Max! You are so adorable right now, it's breaking my heart! I love you! I simply...love you!
David had to poke her a good two or three times before she came back to her senses. Dazed, as if waking from a dream, she worked on autopilot, receiving the ring from her stepfather, and then working it onto Max's left ring finger. Max bit down on her bottom lip, as she quickly took the ring Kate offered her, following suit and placing it on Chloe's finger in return.
Like the rest of the wedding, the rings themselves were custom crafted with a superheroic theme in mind: Max wore the symbol of the Star Sapphires, a white-gold band encrusted with amethysts; Chloe sported a chunky platinum-titanium Green Lantern band, with a decent sized emerald in the center.
Michelle spoke up, "Just as our famous lighthouse guided ships into our welcoming harbor for so many years in the past, so too do we hope that the the light of Max and Chloe's love will serve as an inspiring beacon to others, for years to come." She then gave a meaningful look to each of them. "I believe this is the part you kids have been waiting for."
Reach down and cupping Max's cheek, Chloe thought to guide her gently into a deep, firm, heartfelt kiss. She gave a yelp of surprise, finding all of those plans being immediately tossed out the window, as Max encircled her with eager arms. She somehow managed to dip her low, enough so that the top hat fell off, into a passionate, scorching, all-consuming smooch, tongue practically forcing it's way past lips that were more than happy to accept.
After a few seconds, Max confidently pulled her back onto her tottering feet. There were hoots, catcalls, cheers and applause. Kate wept openly, unable to help herself as she hugged them both. Even Victoria smiled through exasperated tears, planting a kiss on each of their cheeks.
Chloe thread the fingers of her left hand through Max's, letting the rings clink against each other. Then leaned in to whisper, "Holy shit, woman! You win at The Wedden-ing! And I thought I was the 'boy' in this relationship."
Max waggled her brows, leaned in close, nipping at her earlobe, and breathed out, "What can I say, baby? I'm an uke on the streets, a seme in the sheets."
Chloe bit down hard to keep from dissolving into hysterical laughter as Michelle concluded, holding out her hands towards the pair. "Ladies and gentleman, I give you the Price-Caulfields."
The reception was in full swing at the Elk's Club, the only facility large enough to hold all of the merrymaking guests in attendance; even then, it was practically fit to bursting. The buffet was a big hit, with a little something for everyone. Spirits were incredibly high through the rest of the afternoon, and well into the evening. Along with the invited guests, well wishers from the town passed in and out over the course of the reception, Chloe and Max gratefully receiving everyone who came to pay their respects and heartfelt joy, as if they were local royalty.
I suppose that's exactly what we are! At least for today.
Max and Chloe shared their first dance immediately after the meal. They tangoed - Chloe would forever deny how much initial difficulty she had with the dancing lessons the two of them took - to Roxy Music's "Love Is The Drug." Max apparently developed an appreciation for Seventies and Eighties New Wave during her time in San Francisco. The song wasn't anything Chloe was familiar with it, but she was immediately hooked on the idea after the first time Max played it for her.
Karaoke was the next activity of the hour, as various guests took turns regailing the others with their singing talent, or lack thereof
"I'll send you myyy love on a wire. Lit you up, every time! Everyone, ooooh, pulls away, ooooh!"
Chloe belted out her best rendition of Metric's Black Sheep.
"Oh my God, sweetie, that's literally the only song you ever try when we do karoke!" Max teased.
"It's because I know I sound damn good every time I sing it!" Chloe poked back.
For her number, Max forced Chloe to sit in a chair in the middle of the dance floor as she serenaded her, warbling out La Roux's "Tigerlily" while she alternated between cozying up in Chloe's lap and strutting around as she sang at the top of her lungs.
"Damnit..." Chloe breathed out. "...I humbly submit to your obvious superiority, woman."
"Of course you do." Max answered. "I'm your wife, after all."
Chloe grinned giddily. "Oh yeah. That's right! Yaaay!" she playfully cheered, before stealing yet another kiss.
Victoria busted out a surprisingly good set of pipes, dedicating Madonna's "Hanky Panky" to the happy couple, and confirming that if photography ever failed to pan out, she had a potential career ahead of her as a Vegas lounge act. But it was Kate, with her heartfelt, soulful rendition of Mary Lambert's "She Keeps Me Warm" that brought a tear to their eyes.
Eventually, Kate, Max and Chloe were roped into a rendition of the Spice Girls "Wannabe" by Victoria, who harbored a secret, shameful soft spot in her heart for the act. They all tried their best to be good sports about it, but eventually all devolved into hysterical giggles, especially after Chloe shrugged her shoulders and asked the audience with exasperation, "What the hell is a zig-a-zig-ah?"
The evening dissolved into a warm blissful haze as it wore on, and Chloe couldn't help but feel that at long last, the ghosts of the past, the scars left on the town by the passing of the tornado, not to mention the horror visited upon the populace by Nathan Prescott and Mark Jefferson were finally being laid to rest. At one point, she vaguely recalled John Bartley, dressed fittingly as Thor, coming by and all but crushing the wind out of her with a massive bear hug. His wife Jenny, appropriately complimenting him as Sif, handed Max a few fancy looking bottles, and explained, "It's mead! Please enjoy it...John and I brew it ourselves!"
Somewhere, around eleven thirty, Chloe realized that Max wasn't anywhere to be found. Operating on a hunch, she managed to stagger out the back door, where she found the other woman hugging herself against the cold. She immediately wrapped her arms around her wife.
"Hey," she whispered out. "Thought I might find you out here. Everything okay?"
Max smiled, and nodded rapidly. "Even better, now that you're here. Sorry though just...crowd. Got to be a little too crazy, overwhelming. Didn't want to drag you away. FIgured you'd find me, yeah? And you did."
Chloe leaned in, nuzzling noses together and then covering her face with a thousand tiny kisses.
"S'okay, babydoll. I understand. Way the crowd is carrying on in there, everyone's gonna be going til dawn. I mean, I like to hella party, but god damn, yo! So yeah, let's just...chill a moment." She reached into one of her jacket pockets, and removed a hash oil vape pen, holding it out to Max. "Avadra Kedavra, Ala-shazam, etc etc."
Max gratefully accepted it, sucking in a large lungful. She breathed out, the vapor mixing with the condensation of her warm breath, and teased, "You're Zatanna. You gotta say it backwards. That's your thing."
Chloe blinked. "Uhhh...ash-hay en-pay...ummm."
"That's Pig Latin, dork." Max laughed, gently headbutting her.
Chloe took her own hit, and breathed out calmly.
"You know what, Mrs. Caulfield?"
"What, Mrs. Price?" Max asked, eyes shining.
"People always say shit like 'Oh! This is the happiest day of my life! Yadda yadda.'when they get married. But...damn, it's true, you know. Today? Here with you. This amazing vibe flowing in the air. I just want to bottle it, save it, make it last forever somehow. Uh, so, you sure your time power didn't come back, just a little? So you can't rewind, take us back, and make this last a whole week?"
Max wrapped her arms around Chloe's neck and smirked. "No, dummy. Believe me, if I did get it again, I would have used it to buy more prep time for the wedding!" She sighed delicately and reached over to brush her thumb over Chloe's lips. "Me too though, Che. Part of the reason I had to get out of there was because...you know...afraid I was going to burst out crying from being so happy. Like it's so good right at this moment, it literally hurts."
"Yeah...but it hurts so good. This is probably the best I've ever felt in my life, baby."
"Mmmm...well. You know what? The best is still to come."
Suddenly Chloe acted on impulse, leaning down and scooping Max up into her arms, spinning her around, barely managing to keep on her feet. Max shrieked with delight in response, gently kicking out her legs.
They kissed again, absolutely love-drunk. Chloe husked out against her ear. "I think I found a utility closet that locks from the inside. Wanna see if we can get in a quickie before we rejoin the crowd?"
Max gave her a meaningful gaze, and then snorted. "Fuck yeah I wanna quickie!"
Chloe struggled a bit to carry Max back into the lodge, over the threshold. Once she made it back inside, she put her back down on her feet, stroked her hair, and then whispered. "I love you with all my heart, dear wife."
Max mouthed the word, "wife" in return, glowing effusely at the term, before they made their way to the closet.
As they started to needfully attack each other in the cramped darkness, Chloe couldn't help but think to herself...
...okay life. Is this it? Is this the point where you finally come and say 'Hey Chloe. You had six good years o after that storm, but it's time now to pay up. Time for you to die. Well...it's okay. I'm ready. I am so happy, I could literally die. If this is the end of the line for some reason...I couldn't have asked for a better send off than this.
To her delight, Chloe survived to continue partying on through the rest of the night and into the morning, although the hangover she suffered later made her briefly wish otherwise.
A/N: Whew...well that was a slog to drag out. I always have a lot more trouble getting motivated to write once the late fall/early winter kicks in. And this was an important chapter...a little too important. Like...if I don't draw a line and force myself to publish, I will just continue to polish and tweak and freak out over it. So to paraphrase a certain villain, sometimes you just have to take the shot and deal with it. The time jumps are going to start coming a little more fast and furious from this point onward. If I had to guess, I think it's only about 4 or 5 chapters left til the end, but I also tend to underestimate the time I need, too.
I knew, from the moment I saw that video of Ashley Burch singing Black Sheep that I was somehow, somewhere, going to have a scene where Chloe was singing it at karaoke. :-)
I also now want a picture of Max wearing a t-shirt that says "Uke in the streets, Seme in the sheets."
So this is probably the last Grande Dame instalment for the rest of the year. I've got some catchup to do for Black Swan (along with a special surprise for when that publishes next!), and a holiday order to fulfil, as it were. I hope you all have a wonderful ChristmaHannuKwanzika!