Disclaimer: I don't own the right's to Christy the only thing I own is my crazy imagination that came up with this story.
A/N ok I want to thank those of you who have reviewed this story and put it either on story alert or have favorite'd it you guys rock!!. I want to thank hippogriff-tamer for beta-ing this for me. I know there is a lot of mountain talk in this chapter and please don't flame me for it I tried to get it down as best I could but I will let you guys use your imaginations for Neil's brogue I won't even attempt to write it for I could never do it justice.
"Dear, are you ready?" Julia Huddleston asked her daughter.
Christy smiled at her mother and answered in a soft whisper, "As ready as I will ever be."
Her wedding day had arrived. She stood in the room that had been hers for the past two years she sighed. She would miss this little room, it was the place that had seen her struggles with her life here in the Cove and it had seen her tears and her joys. It was also her haven in her times of trouble and so much more. Yet, when she thought of the man she was about to bind her life with, she couldn't help but smile at how she loved him. He was her rock, her anchor; he meant the world to her and even though she would miss the mission house, she was looking forward to being with the man that she loved, forever. She knew that it was not going to be easy, she remembered what Margarete had said to her at one point, about being cooped up in the cabin with nothing but the walls to talk to. She shook her head at the memory for she knew that Margarete had been wrong on that account, she would have people around to talk to. She had her friends here in the cove and if she ever felt the need to go and talk to someone when he wasn't home, all she had to do was go for a walk and meet them.
She was brought out of her memory by her mother telling her it was time to go. She nodded and looked at herself in the mirror one last time. 'By this time tomorrow I will be fully married,' she told herself with a smile. She then turned and walked out of the room.
She met her mother, father, Fairlight, Opal and Mary at the base of the mission steps. They would be taking her to Neil's cabin for the ceremony. They both wanted to get married in the exact spot where they had finally told each other how they felt. It held so much meaning for them both and they felt it was the perfect place for them to wed. She smiled, blushing crimson, when another thought came to mind, one that she hadn't thought of in a long time. They would be married, near the spot she had seen him bathing, nearly a year ago, when she had come to talk to him about Dan.
"Miz Christy, my yer turning a right pretty shade of pink," Opal said, with a wink and a laugh.
Christy tried to stop the train of thought but she couldn't get the image out of her head. Her thoughts kept going back to how he had looked and exactly what she had wanted to do that day, when she had burned his dinner.
"Yes, dear, what has got you so flushed? Are you alright?" her mother asked.
"I am fine really," she answered, but Fairlight knew better. Of everyone in the Cove, she knew where her friend's thoughts had gone and why she was blushing.
"Miz Christy, don't you go minding them, I knows you are fine and I also knows why yer blushing up a storm rights now."
Christy looked at Fairlight in wonder. She knew Fairlight could see right through her, almost as well as, if not better than Neil. "Fairlight," she began with a light laugh. "You know me too well."
Fairlight grinned and simply nodded.
Finally they arrived at the sight and Christy almost gasped in awe. There beside the river, right in the spot he had proposed to her, was a small gazebo decorated in mountain laurel, mountain roses, lilies, Queen Ann's lace and bee balm. She looked over at the women in the wagon with her, only to see them beaming at her. 'Thank you' she mouthed, gratefully.
Her father helped each of them down before taking her arm and asking, "You ready, Girlie?"
Christy gave her father a watery smile and nodded. They then began to make their way to the gazebo, where her heart awaited.
meanwhile....
"Not nervous are we Doctor?" David asked, a mischievous grin spreading across his handsome face, as he walked into Neil's bedroom.
"Nervous? Me? Never!" Neil replied, as he adjusted his kilt for the umpteenth time in the last few minutes.
David smiled at the doctor's obvious nervousness before walking out of the room saying, "I will see you outside, Neil."
Neil looked around the room that after this afternoon would no longer belong to just him. Though he had cheekily told David that he wasn't nervous, the doctor knew that he was. In fact, he was a wreck. He so wanted to make her happy living here that he had done some much needed work on the cabin in the past few months. He had moved his lab to a building outside the cabin, so that they could use that room for other things, 'such as a nursery' he thought with a grin. Sighing, he left the room and walked out into the sunlight to await his bride.
Christy and her father slowly made their way up the aisle towards the small gazebo by the river. Ruby Mae, being the town herald, announced her arrival to the gathered throng and they all turned to watch the young woman, who had become one of them, make her way to the front to join herself to one of their own.
Miss Alice and her mother stood, both with tears in their eyes, as they watched the young woman coming towards them. She was a vision of loveliness. Her dress, which her mother had brought with her, had been remade by her friends to suit her height and style. The white lace and linen gown complemented her complexion to perfection and her female students had sewn all kinds of seed beads onto her veil, along with several different kinds of flowers. As she made her way to the gazebo on her fathers arm, she heard several of her students say that she looked like a princess. She smiled at this and continued to walk forward, her heart beating in triple time as she got closer to the man she adored.
Neil watched as she made her way to him, a smile creasing his ruggedly handsome face. He felt his nervousness dissipate and a strange feeling of contentment take its place. Soon she would be his forever; his to love, his to protect, his to care for until they both closed their eyes for the last time.
Finally, they stopped a few feet from him and her father leaned over and kissed her cheek. He then turned towards him placing his daughters hand into his, "Take care of my Girlie, Doctor."
"I will," he answered as his fingers closed around her small hand and turned to face David as he started the ceremony.
David looked at the couple before him and smiled. He was glad that they had asked him to perform the ceremony for them. At first he was hesitant because of the rivalry between he and Neil at one point over Christy, but after returning his heart to God and the mission he was sent to do, he actually asked them if he could do the honor of joining them together. He had been ecstatic that they had agreed. So, as he began the ceremony, he smiled on the pair before him.
"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of God and in the face of this congregation, to join these two people in the Holy union of marriage. If there is anyone present that does not feel that these two should not be joined together speak now or forever hold your peace," he began and then waited, though he knew that there really wasn't a need to ask the latter part. He knew everyone in the Cove had been looking forward to the day for a long time. When no one spoke up he continued in the same strong voice as before.
"Do you Neil Rodrick Robert MacNeil, take Christy Rudd Huddleston to be your lawfully wedded wife forsaking all others and being faithful to her alone? Will you be there for her in times of sickness and in health? Will you love her to the best of your ability and honor and protect her for as long as you both shall live? If so please say I do."
Neil looked deep into her clear blue eyes and said with barely contained emotion, "I do."
David then turned to Christy and asked, "Do you Christy Rudd Huddleston, take Neil Rodrick Robert MacNeil to be your lawfully wedded husband forsaking all others and being faithful to him alone? Will you be there for him in times of sickness and in health? Will you love him to the best of your ability and honor and protect him for as long as you both shall live? If so please say I do."
Christy, a glimmer of tears in her eyes, looked up into her beloveds face and answered, "I do."
David then took the ring and handed it to Neil. "The wedding ring is a symbol of unity and eternity. By placing this ring on her finger you are pledging to bind your life together as one. Neil, repeat after me, with this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship and with my heart I thee adore."
Neil repeated the vow and slid the ring onto her finger.
Because Neil had insisted on wearing a ring too, David turned to Christy and repeated the same to her, which she repeated and slid the gold band onto Neil's left hand.
"The marriage ring has been given and received. I now pronounce that these two are husband and wife in the sight of both God and man. What God has joined together let no man pull asunder. You may now kiss your bride, Neil."
Neil gently tugged her into his embrace and kissed her tenderly, knowing that passion would come later, much later.
A/N ok the ceremony has been performed but for those of you who would like to see the next part and you Christy fans know what that is (need I say Shiveree?) You need to leave me some sort of a sign to continue or this is all you will get......you wont know if they get Shivereed if you don't leave me a hint/ review…..J