Thanks, everyone! I won't keep you in suspense any longer, lol! :)
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Daniel impatiently waited in his black Armani tuxedo at the peony and rose-covered altar, the arch a ray of plum and white. Alexis, wearing a black triangular-halter Halston dress with thin white straps and trim at the top, gently patted her brother's shoulder in reassurance.
As a violinist played Sonny and Cher's "I Got You, Babe", Hilda came down the aisle in a deep reddish-purple satin strapless Oscar de la Renta dress with brooch-like beading at the waist and a high-low hemline, carrying a bouquet of white calla lilies. Betty followed, on her father's arm, in her ivory-colored satin strapless Vera Wang gown with subtle beaded metallic embroidery, chapel pick-up train, and champagne-colored sash that draped around her waist, tying in a long bow in the back.
Daniel couldn't take his eyes off of her; she looked more beautiful than he ever could have imagined. Knowing in a few short minutes she would be his wife made him grin uncontrollably from ear to ear. Betty caught his gaze and couldn't help but grin, herself. He looked so sexy in his tux and she found it hard to believe she was actually walking down the aisle to marry such an amazing man.
As she finally reached him, she was silently thankful for not tripping and falling in Hilda's four inch Manolos – especially since she was just getting used to her new contacts Hilda and Justin had given her a few days ago, insisting a bride 'couldn't be caught dead in glasses'.
After Ignacio kissed her cheek and shook Daniel's hand, Betty gave her eggplant-colored calla lily bouquet to Hilda and took Daniel's hands in hers, nervously exhaling. "Are you ready for this?" she whispered. "More than anything," Daniel smiled.
"Listen up, people! We are gathered here today to witness the joining of two more straight people in holy fashion matrimony. I'll admit, when Betty walked into MODE with her hideous poncho and blinding metal mouth grin I thought that Mexican mess didn't have a chance in hell of surviving a day – much less four years. And I certainly wouldn't have thought she could've snagged herself a mildly attractive man – much less New York's most eligible bachelor," Marc began.
It took everything in both Betty and Daniel not to strangle him for being his vocal opinionated self. However, after Daniel sent him stern looks and Betty discreetly stepped on his foot with her stiletto, they gave him another chance to redeem himself.
"Ow! But the more I saw Betty and Daniel together, the more I knew that the 'fashion impaired' and the 'intellectually impaired' were meant to be. Trust me – those two were joined at the hip like Siamese twins not a week after she started," he continued.
"Marc, just stick to the script!" Betty muttered, subtly but firmly. "I'm getting to it – just let me finish . . ." he insisted, going on. "I know I make fun of them all the time, and in the past I've found ways to undermine their success. But honestly, I've always admired some part of them. Sorry, Willie!" he cringed, noticing Wilhelmina evilly glaring at him.
"To have the strength and confidence that they do . . . to have such a solid, loving bond without any strings attached – not caring about appearances or superficial things . . . It's amazing how much these two have gone through for each other. I only hope to one day have what they have," Marc confessed, timidly glancing at Troy. "Okay – enough with the lovefest - on to the legal stuff! Daniel, your professions for your Perky Princess . . ." he signaled Daniel to speak.
Daniel took a deep breath, hoping he wouldn't screw anything up. But then he remembered he had the lucky handkerchief, the one that kept Betty's father from floundering. He thought of his own father, how poised he was during any public speaking, and knew if they could get through those important moments that he could, too.
"I-I remember you slamming into that glass door in your poncho like it was yesterday, thinking you couldn't possibly be my new assistant . . . all the horrible things I did to make you quit . . . but then I began to see something in you that no one else did – your fiery spirit, your intelligence, your loyalty, your selflessness, your creativeness . . . the way you hardly let anything get you down," Daniel nervously squeezed her hands.
"You could always see the good in people – in me - even when I wasn't so sure of myself . . . You're beautiful, Betty – inside and out. Over the years that I've known you, you've inspired me to be a better person . . . you've inspired so many other people," he looked around at all of their guests, knowing Betty had touched so many of their lives in one way or another.
"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. The one regret I have is not seeing it sooner. I never want to spend another day without hearing you laugh or seeing you smile – giving you everything you could ever dream of; you deserve it more than anyone I know," Daniel confidently smiled, drawing his hand to her cheek.
"We've been through so much already that I hope I'll never have to see you cry again. But life has a funny way of creating obstacles on the road to happiness. I-I can't promise you we won't have our problems, but I can promise you that we can get through anything as long as we do it together. We're a team, Betty, and I love you - more than anything in this world," he finished, a crack forming in his throat.
"Betty," Marc sniffed, drying his eyes with his loosened ascot. Betty could feel the puddles forming and quickly blinked the tears away before her mascara started to run. How could she possibly follow Daniel's heartfelt words? She searched in her mind for what she had rehearsed, but knew it wasn't enough. So she decided to start with it and go from there.
"Daniel, nothing can come close to expressing what you mean to me. You're my rock, my strength . . . when everything goes wrong you're always there to catch me when I fall. If I need a shoulder to cry on or someone to make me laugh – or just to understand what I'm going through, you've been there. You're my best friend . . . I-I can't imagine my life without you in it," she shakily spoke.
"Looking back, I never thought we would ever be here - standing in front of our family and closest friends, promising to love and stand by each other for the rest of our lives. I guess in retrospect, it all makes perfect sense, because it's what we've always done for each other," she shyly smiled.
"When we met, you were a rich playboy whose only concern as far as the public knew was which model you'd take to the next big party or what fancy restaurant you'd eat at for dinner. But underneath all that posturing, I got to see the real Daniel Meade - the guy who has real problems, a kind heart, and deserves his Harvard degree . . . You were always an amazing man, you just needed a little push – some guidance in the right direction - just like I did. You did that for me," Betty swallowed back tears.
"We helped each other grow. And somehow along the way I slowly began to care for you more than I realized. Face it – I sacrificed so much over the years to help you or to hang out with you. I can't believe it didn't hit me much earlier why you were more important to me than anything else. But I'm so glad you finally got through to me, because being with you has made me happier than I've ever been before. I love you, Daniel, and I will never stop," she assured him.
"Okay, let's get to the rings before I start blubbering all over again," Marc wept. Daniel and Betty wiped each other's tears before Daniel made a strange hand signal. "Daniel what was that?" Betty asked, puzzled. "Shh . . . you'll see," he told her, motioning for her to look up as a white owl flew over to them carrying a small bag which held their wedding bands. "Oh my god – this is incredible!" she beamed. Everyone else was awestruck as well.
"I thought you might like it," he smiled, handing her his ring, and indicating for Marc to continue. "Okay, Daniel, repeat after me: I, Daniel Nikolas Meade, take you, Beatriz Maria Suarez, to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live," Marc instructed. "I, Daniel Nikolas Meade, take you, Beatriz Maria Suarez, to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live," Daniel vowed, placing the platinum diamond band on Betty's finger.
"Betty - I, Beatriz Maria Suarez, take you, Daniel Nikolas Meade, to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live," Marc directed. "I, Beatriz Maria Suarez, take you, Daniel Nikolas Meade, to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live," Betty promised, sliding the 8mm platinum band with smooth beveled edges on Daniel's finger.
"By the power vested in me by the Priests of Prada, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride," Marc smiled. Betty and Daniel both gave each other perplexed looks, but shrugged it off. Daniel gently cupped her face in his hands and drew her in for a passionate yet tasteful kiss. They happily walked back up the aisle together before briefly greeting their guests and taking pictures, prior to the reception.
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"I can't believe Lindsay's wife was my nurse, Aubrey!" Betty said as she and Daniel danced at their reception, located in the castle's formal ballroom. "Small world, isn't it?" Daniel replied before dipping her. Betty giggled as a panicked Marc approached them. "How's my favorite non-gay couple? Betty, you look fabulously gorgeous as usual!" Marc gushed.
"What'd you do, Marc?" Betty turned to him and judgingly crossed her arms. "Do? I didn't do anything! What makes you think I did?" he nervously questioned. "Because you never call me anything but fat or ugly unless something really bad has happened," she pointed out. "Okay, fine. I was talking to that old British guy with the glasses and he mentioned something that could be a teeny tiny problem . . ." Marc fearfully cringed as he led them into a back hallway.
"What?" Betty and Daniel both demanded an explanation. "You're gonna laugh at this I swear. I'll have you rolling so hard –" he stalled. "Marc!" they yelled. "Weeeelllll . . . he said since we didn't have an official witness or whatever at the ceremony that you're not technically married," Marc hurriedly spat out and tried to run. "Get. Back. Here," Daniel commanded grabbing Marc's arm. "Now, you're going to explain to us why you didn't look into this like I asked you to," he insisted.
"I-I was certified over the internet – I-I thought that meant everywheerree!" Marc whined. "Damn it, Marc!" Betty groaned. "You idiot! What the hell were you thinking? I'm gonna kick your freakin' ass so hard –" Daniel threatened. "Daniel – stop! Calm down. As much as I wanna kill him right now, it won't solve anything," Betty reasoned.
"Marc – I'm giving you a chance to save your ass before I change my mind. But if you tell anyone we're not legally married, Daniel and I will both come after you!" Betty warned, clutching his collar. "Okay, okay. I swear on my favorite Gucci ensemble!" he promised, scurrying back into the reception.
"How are you not that pissed about this? Are you happy we're not really . . . legally bound?" Daniel incredulously flailed his arms. "Of course not, baby. I just think we might be over-reacting a little," she told him. "Over-reacting? Over-reacting? I think it's under-reacting not to pommel Marc into the next universe – one where there are no fashionable clothes or beautiful people anywhere!" he argued.
"And the only food available is high in fat, calories, and carbs?" she joked, managing to form a small smile on his face. "Daniel, this isn't what I imagined either. After the beautiful ceremony and this great reception . . . all of the people we truly love around us . . . It was perfect and I thought nothing could ruin it. But it did and we have to deal with it. So I'm trying to be rational and look on the bright side," Betty said. "I should've guessed," Daniel shook his head.
"Think about it," she coaxed, lightly tracing her fingers over his chest. "Not only do we get one wedding night, but we'll also have another wedding night in Cabo San Lucas," she smiled, slyly. "I can't argue with that . . ." he deviously grinned, creating a path of kisses down her neck and over her bare shoulder.
"I think it's time to throw the bouquet," she suggested as she nibbled on his ear, feeling a pleasant shiver run down her spine. "Let's go – we've had to wait way too long for this," he agreed. "Definitely," she smiled, knowingly, and took his hand.
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"Babe, what are you doing? I thought I ripped everything off of you an hour ago," Daniel complained as he lay impatiently underneath the sheets of the king-size bed in the plush honeymoon suite of the gothic castle. Their wedding attire and shoes decorated the room, haplessly thrown everywhere. "I'm cold," she said. "Then come back over here and I'll find creative ways to warm you up . . ." he replied with a devilish smile.
"Daniel . . . I told you – I want to make sure we'll have everything we need to make our marriage legal," she told him as she sat in a white fluffy robe at the hotel-provided desktop computer. Daniel sighed, but knew not to argue when Betty had her mind focused on something. "Now, it says here that we need our birth certificates, Tourist Visas – we'll get those on the plane - but we'll have to get blood tests done once we're there. Let's see . . ." she said, scrolling down the page.
"Spend at least two to four days – which won't be a problem because we'll be there an entire week . . . can have the civil ceremony wherever you choose if you pay extra . . . Uh-oh," Betty suddenly got quiet. "What? What's wrong?" Daniel asked, sitting up. "Um . . . it's nothing!" she lied, not wanting to ruin the moment.
"If it's the money, you know it's not a problem," he assured her. "No – that's not it . . ." she trailed off, feeling a little guilty. "Then what is it? Some strange ritual?" he joked, curiously approaching her in his boxer briefs.
"They need a d-death certificate," she revealed. "Because I'm a widower . . . they want proof Molly's dead before I marry you . . ." Daniel solemnly finished for her, slowly sitting at the edge of the bed. "I'm sorry, Daniel. M-Maybe we shouldn't be doing this – maybe this is a sign we should stop," Betty began to doubt everything. "What? No! Betty, what are you talking about?" he said, confused.
"I-It just hit me that I'm stealing someone's husband in a way. I know she's gone, but I feel guilty. It's not like you were divorced – like either of you wanted to be apart . . ." Betty confessed. "Betty, we weren't having an affair either. When Molly knew she was dying, she told me two things – that she never wanted me to forget her, and that she wanted me to be happy. No one wants to think of their partner with someone else, but Molly liked you. She saw the lengths we would go to for each other," he smiled.
"And I don't know what I would've done without you, when she died. Even though I didn't know her for that long, I wanted so bad to save her – to give her a life without any pain. In my head, I knew there was nothing I could've done, but my heart wouldn't let it go," he admitted.
"It took me so long before I didn't feel responsible – you helped me finally see that. You helped me to move on. You were always so selfless. You made me happy again – truly happy - without sex or drugs or cults, but by simply being my friend. You have nothing to feel guilty about," Daniel assured her.
"I'm sorry . . . I didn't mean to screw up our night. It's just we've never really talked about this – not since we've been together, anyway. It kind of snuck up on me out of nowhere; I've never thought about it before now and maybe I should have," she lowered her head. "Betty, look at me," he said, lifting her chin. "You are not replacing Molly – just like no one could ever replace you. I loved you both, in different ways," he told her, pulling her onto his lap.
"I guess we never talked about it because it was an awkward subject to bring up once we became more than friends, even when you had seen me hit rock-bottom – or maybe because you did. I wasn't comfortable saying much around you anymore; you feeling guilty or second best was what I was trying to avoid. But I obviously failed at preventing that from happening," he chuckled, disappointed in himself.
"It's okay. I don't want you to feel like you can't talk about her. She was your wife and you loved her. And you're right - look at Papi and Elena. It took a while for me to get used to seeing him serious with someone besides my mother, but I know she'll never replace Mami even though he loves Elena just as much," she reflected.
"Exactly. Now, can I interest you in a happier activity?" Daniel proposed, his lips against her cheek as he untied her robe. "What did you have in mind?" Betty formed a not-so-curious smile. "Showing you just how much I love you . . ." he replied, sliding the robe off of her shoulders, exposing her naked body. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt," she teased as he gently laid her back on the bed.