Chapter Twelve
Okay, people! Cue the big action sequence! Lights, camera, and...ACTION!
Jen woke up on the air mattress at Tish's place, stretching as the sun trickled through the blinds of the bedroom window. She sighed as she allowed herself to relax in the early morning.
Last night, Tish, Jen and Piper had crashed in Tish and Priestly's apartment after the bachelorette party as the other girls had gone home. Priestly had opted to stay with his dad and brother in their motel room to give the girls privacy in Bride Central. Jeff was back at his and Jen's place to get ready for the wedding.
"Happy wedding day!"
Jen looked up to see Piper and Tish at the door of the bedroom, a breakfast tray in their hands.
"You guys, you didn't have to," smiled Jen as she sat up.
"Oh, nonsense," Piper waved off. "That's what bridesmaids are for."
"Alright, up, up, up!" said Tish, gesturing at the bed.
Jen peeled the blanket back and climbed up into the bed next to the air mattress, leaning back against the pillows as they placed the tray over her lap.
"We have a wonderful entrée of French toast topped with whip cream and strawberries," began Piper with a stiff, as-close-as-she-could-get-it French accent. "And for your sides, we have eggs over-easy with hash browns and applesauce. And to top it all off, freshly squeezed orange juice. Bone appétit, madam!"
Jen laughed as she dug into the French toast first.
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Priestly stood in front of the bathroom mirror, combing his dyed, black hair straight up. He didn't do this hairstyle often, but he felt a wedding didn't call for Mohawk or spikes.
"Huh."
Priestly turned to see Sam in the doorway, leaning on the frame with his arms crossed.
Sam stared at the jet black hair on his head with a frown. "Kinda mild for you, isn't it?"
Priestly glanced upwards at his hair and looked back at Sam with a chuckle. "Yeah, well…I don't wanna draw attention away from Jen."
"Thoughtful," smiled Sam.
Priestly put the comb in the toiletries bag he had grabbed from his apartment yesterday along with his suit for the big day. He grabbed the eyeliner pencil from the bag and leaned toward the mirror a little, outlining his eyes.
"Mild, huh?" said Sam.
"Mild, not subtle," said Priestly, starting on the other eye.
His cell phone began ringing in the other room to the tune of "Speaking in Tongues" by Eagles of Death Metal.
"Hey, can you get that?" asked Priestly, concentrating on the eyeliner.
"Sure," said Sam, heading into the main room.
After a moment or so, Sam stepped back into the doorway.
"It's Jeff," said Sam, holding the phone out to him.
Priestly finished up his eye and put the pencil down, grabbing the phone as he stepped past Sam. "Hey, Jeff."
"Hey, Priestly," said Jeff on the other line. "Can you do me a big favor?"
"Sure thing, man," said Priestly.
"My cousin is laid up in the hospital with bronchitis," said Jeff. "Can you stand in as an usher?"
"Yeah, totally," Priestly told him. "No problem."
"Great!" said Jeff. "Uh, what kind of suit do you have?"
"Black, white shirt, blue tie," said Priestly.
"Perfect," said Jeff. "I'll give you the black tie when you get here. Hour and a half?"
"Sounds good," nodded Priestly.
"Thanks again, Priestly," said Jeff.
"Hey, no worries," said Priestly. "See ya later." He hung up. "Okay, change of plans. I gotta be there an hour early. You guys coming with?"
"Yeah, why not?" said John from the table, finishing his breakfast. "We'll help them finish setting up."
"Rolling and on the road in thirty minutes!" Priestly called, heading back to the bathroom to apply his piercings.
Angled in the mirror, he saw John give Sam an affronted look. "Who died and made you dad?"
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Jen stood in front of the mirror as Zo pinned the last of the veil into the top of her bun. Ever since Jeff had proposed, Jen had been growing her hair out, and it had finally gotten long enough to pin it back into a functioning bun.
"There," said Zo, pulling the edges of the veil out to just barely drape over Jen's shoulders. "Perfect."
Jen smiled at the white gown she was wearing. It was sleeveless with just one strap that went across her chest and up over her right shoulder. It flowed in layers down to the floor, trailing behind her for about two or three feet.
"Thank you, Zo," said Jen. "It's beautiful."
"Well, you make it beautiful, Jen," Zo told her.
The door of the back room opened, and Tish and Piper walked in, Piper with a hand over her stomach.
Jen gave her a sympathetic frown. "Your stomach gonna be okay?"
Piper nodded. "Don't worry. I'm all yours now. Morning sickness usually fades about now anyway."
"Good," said Jen. "I'd hate for you to miss this."
"Me, too," said Piper. Her eyes suddenly widened. "Aw, Jen!" She stepped closer to her. "You look so beautiful!" Her shoulders hitched as tears sprang into her eyes.
"Oh, Piper," said Tish, putting an arm around her shoulders. "You okay?"
Piper nodded as she hastily wiped away the tears that kept coming. "Yeah. I don't know why." She gestured at the tears.
"Aw, the hormone bomb," frowned Tish. "Sorry."
"I'll be fine," said Piper, wiping away the last of the tears. She smiled up at Jen. "Oh, my God! You're getting married today!" She clapped her hands excitedly.
Tish and Jen exchanged raised brows at Piper's rapidly changing moods, and they smiled.
Jen looked down at her wedding gown. "What do you think?"
Tish smiled and shook her head. "Damn, girl, Jeff won't know what hit him."
Jen smiled. "You think?"
Piper nodded. "Definitely."
"Well, then…" said Jen, turning back towards the mirror and sighing, "let's do this."
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Priestly accepted the black tie from Jeff at the door of one of the church's back rooms, gesturing at his hair. "Now, I'm really glad I went with the black."
Jeff chuckled. "Jen probably would've had a heart attack if you walked my mother down the aisle with a lime green Mohawk."
"Yeah, I'll bet," said Priestly. "Now, remind me again. What am I doing?"
"Just mingle for now, but keep close to the auditorium doors," Jeff told him. "When someone wants to be seated, ask them if they're friends of the bride or groom. I'm the right side, Jen is on the left. Always escort the eldest woman of the group. Wait for them to be seated and then head back to the auditorium doors. The only people you don't seat before the ceremony starts are the parents of the bride and groom.
"When it is time, you'll seat my parents on the right in the front. Then seat Zo on the left in the front. Trucker, of course, will be giving Jen away. Don't seat anyone after that until Jen has entered. If anyone's late, put them in the back. Think you got it?"
"Oh, yeah, piece of cake," said Priestly.
"You need the after-ceremony instructions?" asked Jeff.
"Nah," said Priestly, waving him off. "It's basically the same thing, but in reverse, right? Wedding party leaves, we escort Zo, then your parents, then the grandparents, then everyone else."
Jeff nodded. "Good job. And thanks again."
"Happy to help," said Priestly, flinging the tie around his neck as Jeff went back into the room.
Priestly took ten minutes to get his tie done up and straightened, using the mirror there in the hallway to make sure he looked at least halfway presentable. He nodded confidently at his reflection. "Haven't gotten this dressed up since the day Tish and I hooked up."
Priestly headed down the hallway towards the front of the church, coming upon the small crowd of wedding invitees as they milled about the foyer. He made his way towards the closed auditorium doors, taking up his usher post. He greeted a few people before Sam and John found their way to him, both wearing distinguished suits.
"Well, don't you look smashing," said Sam.
"Yeah, yeah, very funny," said Priestly. He frowned at their wardrobe. "Where'd you get the suits on such short notice?"
"They're our F.B.I. suits," John told him in a lowered voice. "For questioning."
"Gotcha," nodded Priestly.
"I never thought I'd see the day."
Priestly glanced over to see Tish and Piper headed his way, both wearing lavender spaghetti-strap dresses that came down to their knees.
"Priestly dyed his hair a natural color," said Tish.
"Well, don't get used to it," Priestly told her.
"Don't worry, I haven't," Tish replied.
Priestly smiled at her. "You know, you should wear dresses more often. You look amazing."
"Mm," hummed Tish. "If it gets me more compliments like that, maybe I will." She leaned up and gave Priestly a deep, loving kiss.
Sam coughed a little to break them up.
"How's Jen doing?" asked Priestly.
"Couldn't be happier," said Piper.
"Great, then, I'm happy for her," said Priestly.
"Excuse me."
Priestly turned to see the minister next to him.
"It's time to start seating," the minister told him.
"Got it," said Priestly, turning towards the doors as the other usher—Jeff's old college friend—helped open them.
"Priestly?" asked Tish. "You're helping to seat? Are you an usher?"
Priestly popped the door's kickstand down and stepped a little inside as the first guests headed for the registry. "Yeah. Jeff's cousin took a sick day, so I'm filling in."
"Oh, yay!" exclaimed Piper, nearly bouncing on her feet. "You get to participate like the rest of us!"
Priestly raised his brows at Tish in question, and Tish mouthed "hormones."
Priestly nodded and smiled at Piper. "You bet." He watched the other usher escort the first guests as the second signed the registry. "You girls better head into the back now."
"Okay, good luck!" said Piper, turning away with Tish.
"Good luck to you, too," said Piper as he offered his arm to the woman approaching him.
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Trucker knocked on the door of the back room. "You in there, angel?"
"Come in," Jen called.
Trucker eased the door open, finding Jen sitting at the vanity on the other side of the room.
Trucker stopped in the doorway, smiling at her. "Look at you."
Jen turned to beam at him.
"You're glowing," said Trucker, walking over to her.
Jen blushed, looking down at her lap. "Oh, you're too kind."
"It's the truth," shrugged Trucker, sitting in the chair next to her. "You are glowing."
"It's the dress, I promise you," Jen told him. "Every girl glows when you put a wedding dress on them."
Trucker leaned forward a little. "You make the dress glow. And I think Jeff agrees."
Jen smiled as she fingered the engagement ring on her hand. "Thanks for giving me away, Trucker."
"Happy to do it," said Trucker.
Jen gazed down at her left hand before sliding the engagement ring off her finger. "Can you hang onto this during the ceremony?"
Trucker took the ring from her. "I'll guard it with my life." He slid the ring into the inside pocket of his suit jacket.
Jen looked at her reflection in the mirror.
"Half hour to go," said Trucker. "You ready?"
Jen smiled over at him. "More than ready."
Trucker stood and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm gonna go make sure everything's going okay. I'll see ya in half an hour."
"Okay," said Jen, turning to apply the last minute touch-ups to her appearance as Trucker closed the door behind himself.
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Priestly stood at the doorway of the chapel, looking in at the small auditorium of full pews. The guests all sat talking quietly amongst themselves, most of them looking around in confusion or worry. Priestly glanced across the way at the other usher, who was frowning down at his watch.
Priestly looked back into the auditorium, where Jeff and the minister stood at the front of the stage. Jeff was watching the doors where he stood nervously as the minister held his Bible close, tapping his foot almost impatiently.
Priestly turned slight to look at Zo, Jeff's parents, Jen's grandparents and Jeff's grandpa gathered in the foyer, waiting to be seated and start the ceremony. They had all been standing there for twenty minutes now, waiting for the cue to begin. Priestly glanced back into the auditorium at the anxious guests and worried groom.
It's not like Jen to be late, he thought.
Priestly looked back into the foyer as his new hunter's spidey sense tingled. As his gaze locked onto Zo, she silently communicated the same thing back to him: something was very wrong.
Priestly nodded at her before turning and heading down the hallway that led to the back rooms. He made his way to the green room where the wedding party was supposed to wait until the ceremony. He opened the door to find the two groomsmen, the best man and Julia sitting inside.
Priestly glanced around real quick and looked at the rooms' four occupants. "Where is everyone?"
"Piper and Tish left a while ago now," Julia told him with a small frown. "They didn't say where they were going, but they looked worried."
Priestly did not like the sound of that. He turned and started to head further down the hall when Piper came around the corner, tears falling down her face.
"Piper?" Priestly called.
Piper looked up at him. "Priestly!" She stumbled forward into his arms.
Priestly held her tight. "Hey, hey, it's okay. What happened?"
"She's—" sobbed Piper, too overcome by her emotions to speak clearly. "I don't—I can't—"
Priestly held onto her arms as he pulled away from her, hunter instincts kicking in. "Piper, breathe. What happened? What's going on?"
Piper took a couple breaths. "We can't find Jen."
Priestly stared at her in shock as his eyes widened, his spidey sense spiraling into full blown alarm bells.
"She's missing!" Piper cried.
And...CUT! That's a wrap!
Bet you didn't see that coming, huh?