AN: So here it is, the wedding! I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 9-The Wedding

Anna stared at the small, white box in her hand that was tied up in a pink bow. Part of her wanted to throw it out of the window, and a part of her was curious as to what it might be. She wondered how her mother had gotten her address, but there hadn't been a Paladin attack in months, so maybe her mother was protecting her as well.

Anna slowly untied the ribbon and opened the box. She gasped as two stunning, turquoise, tear-drop earrings, along with a matching pendant necklace, stared back at her. When she set the top aside, a piece of paper fell onto her jeans.

Anna set the jewelry aside and read the note.

Dear Anna,

I know that it is too late for me to make up for lost time. I've missed out on you becoming the smart, beautiful young woman that I always hoped you would be. I bet it doesn't help the situation since you are engaged to a Jumper, and I am a Paladin. Nevertheless, you are still my daughter, and I want to be a part of your wedding day, even if I can't be there physically. This jewelry has been in our family for generations, and has been passed down from mother to daughter. Today, I pass it onto you, my eldest daughter. I wish you and your new husband well.

-Your Mother

P.S. I have temporarily withdrawn my unit from your zip code under strict orders. So, as for now, enjoy your wedding day and honeymoon.

Anna re-read the note several times before she burst into tears and discarded it. It was a touching gesture, and very bold of her mother to say to her. This was a time where mothers and daughters usually bonded, but Anna was separated from her mother by estrangement, war, and prejudice.

Plus, she had not spoken to her father since his attack over two years prior, but David called him occasionally. Their father was now in a rehabilitation program, and his new girlfriend was taking him to church every Sunday. Despite these improvements, Anna still didn't want their father to be a part of her wedding, and David dropped the subject after some time.

Anna pulled herself together and put the jewelry away until she made up her mind to wear them or not.

Anna stretched her arms out in the full bed and reached over to the empty spot next to her. Then, she started to remember that Mrs. Benson forced her to sleep in her old room at the mansion until the day of the wedding two days ago, so that Griffin wouldn't be tempted to run off with Anna and elope. All of the wedding planning stuff was getting to him, since training had been postponed for the past two weeks so the recruits could recover before the wedding. He was very restless, and spent as much time with Anna as he could before she was dragged away because of wedding business.

Mrs. Benson, Millie, and Naomi had gotten the older boys and men to build a deck, and set up a giant tent in the backyard for the reception later on this evening. The ceremony was going to be in the grand ballroom hall, which had been serving as a dining room beforehand.

Anna had no idea what she was in for, but she had no doubt that it would be beautiful and romantic with those three involved. Anna sat up, and murmured to herself, "I'm getting married today."

She had no doubt that Griffin had barely gotten enough sleep as she had. She was nervous, excited, terrified, and happy all at the same time. It was very overwhelming.

She glanced at the clock and sat up quickly. It was about one in the afternoon, and she still needed to get ready. Millie and Ruby burst through the door to greet the young bride-to-be.

"Ready for the big day, Anna?" Millie asked gleeful.

"Yeah, and scared to death to be honest," Anna answered as she hurried into the bathroom to shower.

Afterwards, Ruby and Millie rushed the bride-to-be into Mrs. Benson's bedroom on the second floor. Her bedroom was much bigger than Anna's old one, with a giant canopy bed with red curtains, oriental rugs spread out on the wooden floor, and a large vanity desk and mirror in the corner. Mrs. Benson and Kida were conversing quietly.

Mrs. Benson's hair was pinned back from her face, and her makeup was already applied. She, along with Millie, Naomi, and Kida, wore silk robes that were similar to Anna's.

Anna yawned and Mrs. Benson tsked and shook her head at the young girl. "Look at your eyes! What did you do? Stay up all night?"

Anna sat down on the cushioned stool in front of the desk. "You could say that. You know, pre-wedding jitters."

Kida glowered. "We only have so much time to make you look jaw-droppingly gorgeous, Anna. You could have taken better care of our raw material."

"I think the bigger problem would be the Paladins taking a cue from Voldermort and ambushing my wedding, rather than me possibly falling asleep during before the 'I do's'."

"Well, in that case, as one of your bridesmaids, I'll throw my bouquet at you if it gets close," Kida joked as she started on Anna's face, making sure to make her face as beautiful and flawless as possible.

A few minutes into it, Anna's stomach growled, and Ruby fetched her a granola bar to snack on in the meantime. Ruby was the flower girl, and wore a purple dress that was a mini-replica of the bridesmaids' dresses. Her hair was curls all around her head, complete with a headband decorated in small purple and white flowers. Anna smiled at the girl and thanked her before she skipped out of the room.

"They're back," Millie suddenly announced, as she entered the room. Mrs. Benson was now working on Anna's hair, braiding and twisting it into a low bun. Kida finished the final touches on Anna's makeup before grinning with pride at her finished masterpiece and brushed past Millie to go get dressed.

Millie looked absolutely beautiful, with her hair styled in an elegant side ponytail and her makeup simple, yet stunning. Her bridesmaids' dress was a long, flowing deep purple number that hung off of her shoulders, and a silver ribbon wrapped around her waist, showing off her petite frame. Anna felt a twinge of insecurity for a bit, but then she let it pass as quickly as it came.

"Oh, good. If you don't mind, make sure that Kyle and Steven finish up with the decorations out back and check to see if everyone is dressed and ready. I won't tolerate any delays. It'll throw the whole ceremony off track, and Griffin and Anna might miss their flight," Mrs. Benson ordered, her full concentration on Anna's hairdo.

"Yes, ma'am. Oh, and Anna? You look beautiful, "Millie commented as she left. Anna smiled.

"Do you happen to know where we're going?" Anna asked in a sugary voice.

"Sorry, but I have no clue. David only mentioned that your flight heads out around ten tonight. He is still keeping it under wraps at the moment." Anna sighed as Mrs. Benson managed to fit the veil onto Anna's head.

Anna let out a breath as she stood up and stretched a bit. She stared at herself in the mirror, and was taken aback by her appearance. Her pale skin had a creamy texture to it, highlighted by her flushed cheeks. Her bright, blue eyes were framed with thick lashes, and her heart-shaped face was framed by soft blond curls. She had never really paid attention to her looks, but today, right now, she felt like the most beautiful woman in the world.

Kida entered the room with the plastic bag that contained Anna's dress, and Anna took a deep breath. It was time.

Griffin couldn't stop fiddling with his hair; no matter how many times Kida and David had begged him to stop. He just couldn't help himself. It was slicked down and jelled back, and with the expensive tux he wore for added effect, he looked like a completely different person. He looked happy.

But he was also nervous and scared as hell. A small part of him would rather fight 100 Paladins to the death than go through what he was about to do. But he knew that if he did go through with that plan, Anna would kill him, and since she was going to become a doctor soon, bring him back to beat some sense into him.

David and Mr. Benson kept telling him to calm down, but he was too restless and anxious to sit still. He had to keep moving; he was used to it, and it made him feel better. Today was the day that he was getting married to the woman that he loved. A woman that was brave, strong, beautiful, selfless, and smart. She balanced his hot-headed, intense, reckless, and headstrong personality well. He couldn't imagine marrying anyone else, and he felt in his heart that his parents would have loved Anna almost as much as he does.

But Griffin's happiness was also clouded by his fear of fully bringing Anna into his unpredictable lifestyle. She was his weakness, his only weakness thus far, and the Paladins knew that. He would go to hell and back for her, and vice versa; in fact, both of them had proven that already. But this was different, this was a lifelong commitment to honor, love, and protect each other. By gaining back the love and family he never got the chance to have, Griffin also knew that he had a lot more to lose this time.

Griffin's thoughts were abruptly interrupted when Kida and Naomi announced that it was only a short while until sunset, and everyone needed to be in place for the ceremony. David patted Griffin on the back before he jumped off to go find his sister. Mr. Benson jumped with Griffin to the hallway of the mansion and they walked into the ballroom together.

Several floral fragrances filled Griffin's nostrils as he put on a neutral face when he made his way down the aisle. Flowers were everywhere, decorated across the aisle, hung from ribbons from the lavender canopy on the ceiling, and glued to the satin-draped chairs on both sides of the ballroom. Griffin took his place as they had rehearsed a few days prior, and nodded at Joe. Joe was the minister, since he had gone online and taken a course.

Soon, the all of the U.R., young and slightly older, had taken their seats and quieted down as the lights dimmed slightly, and two of Griffin's rookie trainees opened the thick drapes to reveal the sunset through the giant windows behind the altar. Griffin raised his eyebrows in surprise. He knew that with Mrs. Benson, Millie, and Naomi behind the wedding planning that it would be a lot more extravagant than he wanted it to be, but he didn't think it would be like this. He wondered how much Anna had signed off on.

Then, he took another deep breath as the music started, signaling that the ceremony was about to begin.

Anna was sure that she would start hyperventilating soon if they didn't get this over with. Now she wished she had opted to elope, instead of having to go through with this grand ceremony. It was like everyone's dream wedding sown together, with only a few signature touches of her. After blue, purple was Anna's favorite color, and wanted to incorporate that into the wedding without it being too much. She could only get a glimpse of what the ballroom looked like since she was waiting by herself in an empty office room off to the side of the entrance.

She smiled as Ruby skipped down the aisle happily, followed by Kida and Kyle, Naomi and her new boyfriend, Ian, Millie and Duke, a cousin of the Benson's, and finally, Mrs. Benson and Mr. Benson.

The music swiftly changed from a soft piano melody to Incubus' Dig, one of Griffin's favorites. It was only request as far as wedding planning went. Once Anna had listened to it, it made sense to her why he had chosen that one. It was about redemption, love, and forgiveness, and it was very beautiful. It defined their relationship, the hardships that they had gone through, what they still had to overcome.

David knocked on the door and held his arm out to her. "Ready?" he asked.

"Yes, but don't let me fall. If you do, I will kick your ass in front of all these kids. I don't care if I'm in a wedding dress," Anna said in a playful voice as he pulled her towards the entrance and they stood in front of the aisle.

"Never," David whispered to me as he grasped my hand with his free one tightly.

Anna's strapless, sweetheart neckline subtly showed off her bosom and shoulders, while the embroidered band around her waist gave the illusion of a slight hourglass figure. At the bottom, flowers splayed across the mermaid skirt which flowed out into the short train behind her. Anna couldn't feel more like a bride in it.

Blood flooded to Anna's cheeks as she took in her overwhelming audience, who were staring back at the beautiful, blushing young bride in awe and elation. Anna's mouth fell open a bit as she took in the thoroughly decorated decorum of the ballroom, and was touched and amazed at how much thought and hard work had been put in to make it look so wonderful.

When some of the younger kids giggled at her reaction, she immediately shut it, and held onto her brother as they made their way down the aisle, petals rustling past their feet as they passed. Anna made sure to take her time, but not too much, as the 3-inch heels that she currently wore were already starting to hurt her feet.

Finally, she glanced and made eye contact with Griffin's awed gaze. His face seemed constrained by the huge grin that seemed to grow bigger and bigger as she got closer to him. This had to be the happiest she had ever seen him, and it made her heart soar that she was the only one who could do that to him.

At last, Anna and David reached the altar, and Griffin held out his hand. David placed his beloved little sister's hand in Griffin's and murmured to him, "Take care of her, man," before he sat down in the audience and smiled at Millie.

The vows were quick and simple, and once the rings were placed on each other's hands and the I do's were said, Anna and Griffin were officially husband and wife. As much as Griffin wanted to deepen the kiss with his new bride, he had to keep reminding himself that children were present and there would be time for that later. Anna grimaced at him when he pulled back, but then, she blushed when it also dawned on her that they would be all alone after the ceremony was over…

The happy couple was engulfed in hugs, kisses, and applause as they tried to hurry back down the aisle, hand in hand.

Kyle and Joe were the DJ's and a nearby catering service was supplying the food. Naomi once interned for a bakery in downtown New York, and had supervised the making and handling of the cake. It was huge, four tiers, and had both chocolate and vanilla insides. Griffin and Anna cut the cake together and wasted no time shoveling it in each other's faces.

Then, it was time for the first dance, which was to Paramore's "The Only Exception". It was Anna's favorite song, and it had started to grow on Griffin. Soon, after, other couples joined them, and the fast music came on. All of the kids and teenagers crowded the dance floor, clearly enjoying themselves.

It made Anna happy to see everyone laughing and living carefree. It was like a giant weight had been lifted from her shoulders. It had cooled down significantly since the sun had gone down, and Griffin noticed his wife shiver slightly from the cool breeze.

He placed his jacket around her bare shoulders, and she kissed him lightly. Then, she asked, "Griffin, I know this probably wasn't what you pictured when you said you wanted to get married, but, are you happy?"

Without hesitation, Griffin answered, "Of course, I'm happy. Whoever said that I wasn't? I will say that this wasn't what I had in mind, I was thinking more along the lines of Mexico or Vegas, but every girl wants the fairytale wedding, right? I'm just happy that we could have the chance for you have that, if it makes you happy."

Anna smiled at her husband and leaned over to sit in his lap. She kissed him tenderly, not caring at all if anyone was watching them.

AN: I put a lot of detail and thought into this chapter, probably more than any of the others. I was trying not to make it too sappy, but hey, it's a wedding, they're supposed to be that way. So, what did you think of the wedding? Where do you think their honeymoon should be?

Also, would it turn you guys off if I wrote a lemon/smut piece for this? I could just suggest it, and write a one-shot for it later, but I wanna know what my readers think.

Please Review!