A/N: I know this took me a little longer than usual, but work and planning for school has been crazy. Plus, I wanted to give you all a little bit beefier chapter this time around. Also, I have no money to spare for the bookstore, so until Breaking Dawn comes out I'm left with fanfiction. Please, those of you who are currently writing some MP fanfiction, or any other kind, GET TO IT PEOPLE. I need something to read too :( Anyhoo, enjoy this chapter!
That same night, Bert and Mary had perched atop their favorite rooftop spot, feet dangling in the cool London air and Bert's arms around his soon-to-be wife. They had sat in silent bliss for some time. Finally, Mary brought up her surfacing concerns.
"Bert? I don't think I could give up my work," Mary said softly, shyly.
"Who said you had to?" Bert replied.
"Well, we're getting married," Mary said matter-of-factly. Bert smiled, enjoying the sound of her statement.
"Yes," Bert said simply.
"Well, doesn't that mean I can't work anymore?" she inquired.
"Now who said that?" Bert asked.
"No one but I thought, well I hardly spend any time with you as it is, and if we're going to be married and have a home and...and..." Mary paused in thought.
"And what?" Bert prodded.
"Bert...do you want a family?" Mary asked tentatively. Bert remained unfazed.
"Do you Mary?"
"I...I'm not sure. I always thought I'd just be a nanny but lately..."
"Would meeting me be a factor of that?" Bert joked kindly.
"I think I'd like a family of my own- with you Bert," Mary said softly.
"Let's have a wedding first and make it official," Bert laughed. Then he pulled Mary tight and whispered in her ear. "I'd like to have a family too, afterward- with you Mary." The pair smiled, and shared a quick kiss.
"I can't imagine not being a nanny, or getting married," Mary mused. "Oh! The wedding! There's so much to do. I need a dress and we have to pick a day and..." Mary stopped when she saw Bert smile in a mysterious smirk. "What?"
"You remember that statement about your magic? The one you made about giving it up-"
"Give up my magic before our wedding? Bert don't be ridiculous. How can I ever plan and prepare a wedding if-"
"Now 'ear me out. I meant giving it up to me," Bert smiled.
"Well yes, I did say that but-"
"No buts. I want to take care of this wedding myself. You work so 'ard all the time- the last thing you need to do is go about preparing a wedding," Bert said. "That is, if it's alright that I borrow it for a little while."
"Oh Bert, you know I'd do anything for you," Mary smiled.
"Is that a yes then?" Bert laughed. Mary simply replied by pulling him tight and planting a kiss right on his soft lips, feeling part of her leave and become part of her fiancee.
"Did it work?" Bert asked, astounded and out of breath. Mary's reply came with a snap of her fingers...to which absolutely nothing happened. She smiled.
"Does that answer your question?" Mary chuckled softly. Bert smiled, snapped his fingers, and handed Mary a fine bouquet of roses, causing her to blush.
"I won't get tired of doing that to you," Bert said.
"Are you sure you can pull this wedding off?" Mary asked in all sincerity as she smelled her roses.
"Positive. You just worry about your dress and who you want our guests to be and leave the rest to me."
"I can't wait to tell Uncle Albert...he was so concerned before I left that...oh...oh that old sneak!" Mary exclaimed, discovering the reason behind her uncle's funny behavior earlier that evening. "He knew didn't he! He kept going on about some engagement...ENGAGEMENT! Why didn't I see that?"
"Do you think you lose a bit of your logic when you give me your magic?" Bert teased.
"Oh ha ha. You think you're awfully funny when you've got my powers. Very daring of you. You just know that I can't snap my fingers at you and-"
"And do wot?" Bert laughed.
"Let's hope you never have to find out smart-aleck," Mary grinned, a sly look on her face.
"I'm so very scared of you Mary Poppins," Bert said, leaning in close to her face.
"Really? How scared?" she replied, leaning closer.
"So scared I just might have to do this," Bert said, closing the small gap between them and kissing Mary as passionately as he had done before. After disentangling themselves, Mary sighed, signaling her desire to go home. "I know that sigh," Bert said, sighing as well.
"It is getting late. And now I have to go back to Uncle Albert's, and my umbrella will do me no good since a certain someone has decided to plan a wedding with my magic," Mary said with an air of frustration.
"Might I suggest taking that someone's arm and lending him an umbrella to let his fiancee down?" Bert said, standing up and putting his hand out for Mary. As Mary struggled to get up, she slipped, nearly falling off of the roof. Luckily, Bert was quick enough to grab her by the waist an pull her in very, very close to him. Mary could only blink in surprise, to which Bert let out a laugh of relief. "I forgot 'ow clumsy you were without that magic of yours."
"I am not clumsy," Mary said, still out of breath from her brush with almost certain disaster. Bert raised one eyebrow in question. "When I'm completely myself," Mary relented.
"May I borrow this?" Bert asked, picking up Mary's umbrella.
"You'll have to ask him," nodding at the parrot head. "But don't bet on anything just because you've got my magic. He doesn't even listen to me," Mary said with an exasperated sigh.
"SQUAWK! You're the one who doesn't listen to me!" the parrot exclaimed, taking Bert by surprise.
"You see my dilemma," Mary said with a straight face. Bert had to chuckle.
"SQUAWK! Oh my, look at that finger. Goodness Mary Poppins it's about time. I kept saying, I knew that Bert fellow would be the one, but did you listen to me? No you just-"
"That's quite enough out of you!" Mary said, cutting off the chatty bird. "Were we leaving?"
"Of course. But this is my first time you know," Bert began, realizing he had no idea how to fly Mary's umbrella, let alone float her down with him off the roof safely. "'Ow do I...um..."
"Here," Mary said, taking her umbrella, opening it up, and handing it back to Bert. "Do you feel a slight tugging? Sort of like, well you know, I'm sure you can feel it?"
"Yes, at least I think so," Bert replied. Mary smiled and pulled Bert in close to her, wrapping her arms around him. He placed his one empty arm around her waist as well. Mary looked up into Bert's eyes and smiled.
"Now, extend your arm, nice and straight. There, now, as soon as your ready, just let yourself give in to that tugging feeling. I always sort of acknowledge the wind with a nod, let it know that I'm ready. It will wait for you though, so don't worry."
"Alright. Got 'old of me tight? Well here we go..." Bert said nervously, gave a quick nod at the umbrella, and felt himself rise up a foot from the rooftop. Mary tightened her grip on him, and he chanced a look at her. She was all smiles, with a proud look on her face, much like the mother of a child who's just come home with a glowing school report. Bert smiled back, then returned his concentration to the umbrella, and on getting the two of them down safely onto the streets of London.
"It's rather strange, not having that feeling you get when you're flying. I mean, it feels different without my magic. I know how you feel, and how I should feel, but it's very different. Exciting and frightening at the same time," Mary said as they floated down towards the pavement.
"This is absolutely glorious!" Bert said, with an enormous grin. "Why I never tried this before I will never know."
"You were having too much fun as a cat, as I recall," Mary said with a smirk. As she and Bert neared the pavement, Mary expertly put out her right foot to land, and alighted with the other. Bert let go of her, but continued to fly up the street, bumping up and down a foot or so off the pavement.
"Uh-oh. Mary!" Bert exclaimed. Mary picked up her skirts and ran after Bert, yelling advice at him.
"Let go!" Mary said.
"WOT?!" Bert exclaimed, sensing that this would be a painful and stupid course of action as he was rising higher.
"I mean of that tugging feeling. Let go of it!" Mary exclaimed. She had caught up to Bert, who was now about three or four feet off the ground before her. During her last effort to catch up to him, Bert decided to let go of the wind, falling right beside Mary, knocking both of them to the ground.
"OOF!" they said in unison, both lying flat on their backs on the cobblestone.
"Oops. Didn't mean to fall on ya Mary," Bert said shyly, blushing.
"You've always seen me as a graceful flier, but I told you that wasn't always the case. Let's just say your first time was better than mine," Mary chuckled, looking at the night sky.
"I had such a wonderful tutor," Bert complimented her, also looking at the brilliant sky. "How did your first try go?"
"Oh no it's too embarrassing," Mary said, turning a deep shade of red.
"Oh come on now," Bert said, giving her a peck on the cheek as she gazed at the stars.
"Maybe some day I'll tell you, we've got the rest of our married lives ahead of us you know."
"They're beautiful, ain't they?" Bert said quietly, joining Mary in her star-gazing as the two remained lying on the cool pavement.
"Mmm. And some of the nicest people," Mary said. Bert was taken aback.
"Wot?"
"Oh yes, the constellations. Orion is a very nice fellow you know," Mary said with a smile, remembering fond memories.
"I'm sure," Bert said, quite impressed.
"Jealous?" Mary asked, teasing Bert.
"Not with that ring on your finger I'm not."
"Good, you never should be."
"Never," Bert stated firmly. "Now shall I escort the lady home?" Bert got up and gave his hand to Mary. After lifting her up, he gave her back her umbrella, and the two linked arms to walk back to Uncle Albert's house.
"Don't go in yet," Bert said as he and Mary reached Uncle Albert's front doorstep.
"Why, you're coming in too," Mary said. "After all, you must have spoken to him earlier- he was dropping hints all afternoon."
"Yes, but I want a moment with you first," Bert said.
"You've had me all evening," Mary laughed lightly. Bert only smiled and snapped his fingers, causing the curtains in Uncle Albert's front room to close, much to Uncle Albert's surprise and dismay. With only the night sky watching, Bert went in for his last kiss of the evening, the grand finale to the greatest night of both of their lives. Mary was gasping for breath in-between Bert's endless caressing and lip-locking. They only stopped when they heard the front door creak open, revealing a sneaky Uncle Albert.
"Ah-hem," he cleared his throat.
"I was...well..." Mary stammered, turning scarlet at an alarming pace, still panting from her embrace and a now elevated heart rate.
"We were...I mean I was..." Bert stammered as well, though not nearly as red in the face as his fiancee, a trace of Mary's brilliant red lipstick on his cheek. Bert wiped it away quickly.
"Oh stop your mumbling, you're acting like two kids getting caught. You're getting married! Right?" Uncle Albert beamed.
"Goodnight Mary," Bert said fondly, pecking her on the cheek.
"Goodnight!" she called as he skipped down the street, happy as a cricket.
"Well? Was I right?" Uncle Albert asked excitedly, still in the front doorway.
"You really are a nuisance sometimes Uncle Albert, and now I'm positive my manners never came from you," Mary said slyly, her spirits too high for Uncle Albert's interruption and interrogation to bother her as she walked inside.
"You're quite a nuisance sometimes yourself, talking in riddles all the time. Tell me!"
"Yes...he proposed to me," Mary said with a smile.
"AND?" Uncle Albert could hardly contain himself. Mary's reply came in placing her hand out for her uncle to inspect. "Oh my," he whispered, looking at the elegant band upon her finger.
"Exactly," Mary whispered, astounded once again by her ring.
"I always knew he'd be the one," Uncle Albert said delightedly, finished gazing upon his niece's finger.
"Oh tosh. You were just as oblivious as I was he was going to actually get engaged to me."
"Well, I've been hoping for so long, I'd figure he'd come around eventually."
"I know you're excited Uncle Albert, but I've had quite an exhausting and exciting evening, and I'd like to retire to my bed, if you please," Mary said.
"Oh yes my dear, I'm just so happy for you," Uncle Albert smiled, pulling Mary into a loving hug.
"Thank you Uncle Albert, I'm the happiest woman you'll ever meet right now," Mary said, before heading upstairs to get some sleep. After changing into her nightgown and climbing into bed, Mary let out a heavy sigh and smiled. She knew she wouldn't be able to go right to sleep, but she wanted some quiet time to just herself after all that had happened. The ring on her finger felt heavy and foreign, but comforting and exciting at the same time. She looked at it in the moonlight, letting it sparkle like the starlit sky outside her window.
"I'm getting married," Mary whispered aloud to the empty night. I'm getting married, she thought, before closing her tired eyes and welcoming sleep.
Ok so remember I think of Bert as Gavin Lee, and lately I've sort of pictured Ashley Brown's interpretation of Mary for this. She plays a much funnier, cuter, playful sort of Mary. If you've seen the show you know what I'm talking about, so she's my inspiration for my writing in this story. And, Ashley is a bit clumsy. I watched an interview of her when she played Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and she mentioned all the getting stuck and falling over and ripping costumes she did offstage. I was howling with laughter! (And it's given me an idea for a funny little unrelated fic) Anyways, I imagined her doing this in the MP show as well, and then I thought, I bet back in the day Mary Poppins wasn't as graceful as she is now. It creates cute romantic tension I think. Well I hope you enjoyed it and please review! AND GO WORK ON YOUR STORIES TOO!
Love, Elizabeth