A/N: This is a short one shot from my Payson the Guardian universe. Becca's pov during Payson's and Sasha's wedding.
.:.
Most people would say Becca has lived a rather tough life. Her parents died when she was 14, she had been compared to her Olympic medalist sister all her life, and for years she had been forced to hide her relationship because of a no dating rule from the NGO. All those things had been tough, but it was nothing Becca was thinking about a day like this.
It was an early morning in September. Even though the sun was barely up it was already warm enough so Becca had to keep to the shadows as she drank her morning coffee. It was a month since she had retired from gymnastics, but her inner clock still woke her up at five every morning. It was kind of ironic. She had spent every morning the last six years wishing she was a morning person, and now when she was, all she wanted was to sleep in.
"There you are Becca!" Kelly suddenly said from behind. "Payson is up, it's time to get ready."
Becca nodded and rose, today was no day for dwelling on the past. On the second floor of the bed and breakfast they were renting for the wedding Payson was waiting for them in her room. She and Allie were playing with cars on the floor.
"Good morning bride to be," Becca smiled as she entered the room. "Have you had breakfast? Do you want me to get you something?"
"I wouldn't say no to some coffee," she said and looked up from the cars Allie was crashing together on the floor. "And cookies, I want cookies for breakfast on my wedding day." The smile on Payson's face lit up her whole face.
"I'll go get it," Kelly offered and disappeared out of the room before anyone could stop her.
Becca sat down on the floor with her sister and Allie. "Are you nervous?" she asked, taking the car Allie offered her and starting to drive it around the three year old.
"Not really nervous," Payson said, pushing a loose stray of hair away from her face. "Excited. I'm excited."
"I saw Sasha last night," Becca said. "He was nervous."
Payson didn't say anything, she only smiled.
"Of course you knew that," Becca shook her head. "I thought you would spend the night apart!"
It was so typical Payson and Sasha. They were two very strong and independent people, but when it came to spending time alone? Not their strong side. Becca had spent the previous evening with Payson and Becca, and since they had gone to their separate bedrooms very late Becca had thought the newlyweds to be would actually be able to spend the night apart. She guessed she shouldn't be surprised though.
"He was all cute, sneaking over to my room. How could I stop him?" Payson said with a smile on her lips.
"Coffee and cookies for a first breakfast, then champagne and strawberries for a more proper wedding day breakfast!" Kelly announced as she entered the room. She put a big tray on the floor between them and Becca jumped at the strawberries.
"You know Becca, you're not old enough to drink of the champagne," Kelly said. "So I brought you soda." She pointed at one of the four tall glasses that held a slightly more pink liquid.
"Aw, come on Kelly," Becca whined. "I'm allowed to drink at my sister's wedding! And, I'm only like five months off from being able to drink legally!"
Kelly and Payson both laughed. "I'm just kidding Becs, that one's for Allie."
Kelly took a glass and motioned for the others to do the same. Becca helped Allie to hers and then took her own and looked up at her friend.
"To Payson and Sasha, for the second best wedding ever!" Kelly announced and rose her glass.
"To Payson and Sasha!" they repeated.
Becca couldn't help smiling as she took a sip from the champagne. It would be hard to top Kelly and Austin's wedding, but Becca had a feeling it might.
.:.
The music started and Becca took a deep breath before starting to walk down the aisle. She was walking arm in arm with Sasha's best friend Chris. Behind them Austin and Kelly followed.
On either side of the aisle were row after row of people. Becca recognized many, but not all. There were relatives, friends, current and former gymnasts. Everyone was smiling and looking beautiful in their summer dresses and suits.
Reaching the front of the area and the waiting priest Becca took her place on the left, turning to watch just as Allie started walking down the aisle. They had rehearsed time after time and Allie looked really focused as she walked slowly down the grass path. She walked about halfway, stopped, emptied the basked upside down so all the rose pedals fell in a heap of the ground. Everyone laughed as the little girl looked up, looking very pleased with herself, before taking of running the last part to joint Becca and Kelly up front by the small lake. Becca reached down and smiled at the girl.
"Best flower girl ever!" She whispered.
"Very good job," Kelly agreed.
When the music changed they straightened up and looked down the aisle just as Payson and Sasha showed up. Since their father wasn't there to walk Payson down the aisle, they had decided to walk in together. Becca thought it had been a good idea, and watching them smile at each other before starting to walk she knew it had been a good decision. They looked so happy.
Sasha was dressed in black pants, a white shirt with an open collar and folded up sleeves. Next to him Payson was dressed in a loose fitting white summer dress. Payson was beautiful, and she looked so happy, as she walked down the aisle. Her hair was loose and curly and Becca had probably never seen a more beautiful version of her sister.
The fact that they had decided on a very simple wedding was so obviously right. Payson and Sasha didn't need expensive and fancy clothes, they didn't need a big hotel or grand church. The backyard of a small bed and breakfast, friends and family and each other were everything they needed. The smiles on the couple would probably have been as big even if they had gotten married in dirty clothes in a rundown courthouse.
When Payson and Sasha reached the others Becca took the flowers and hugged her sister tightly.
"You look beautiful," she whispered. "I love you so much."
"I love you too," Payson whispered back. When they let go they gave each other one last smile before Payson turned to her soon to be husband.
The priest asked the guests to sit down and then continued to welcoming them. Becca searched through the guests and found the face she was looking for on the third row. Even though he wasn't supposed to be there, she wasn't too surprised to see him. His hair was styled and he was dressed in a white, short sleeved, button up shirt. She smiled as their eyes met. Jason was supposed to be at a competition in Chicago, but there he sat, at her sister's wedding.
.:.
"You may now kiss the bride!"
Becca dried a tear and then joined the cheering as Sasha and Payson leaned close and kissed. She had always wished happiness for her sister. They had been friends, despite the big age different, their whole life. But she had never been so happy for her sister. It was impossible to keep the tears away as she watched her sister get her happy ending.
The happy couple broke apart and turned to face the cheering guests. They were smiling and waving as they walked down the aisle. Becca and the rest of the wedding party followed behind.
They gathered at the edge of the small lake to take photos.
"Congratulations Pay!" Kelly said and hugged the beautiful bride.
Becca followed, hugging first her sister, then her new brother-in-law. "You'll be good to her, right?" Becca asked the smiling groom that no matter how long time he spent in the US always spoke with his heavy British accent.
"I'll protect her with my life," Sasha whispered back and hugged her tighter. "I'll always put her first."
"I know," Becca smiled. She did know Sasha would do anything he could to make her sister happy.
"Okay people, let's start with the photos!"
They posed in all possible different combinations. The whole party, the lucky couple, the bride with her bridesmaids, the groom and the bestmen, the Parker-Tucker family, the bride and her sister, the bride and her goddaughter… The photo session went on and on until none of them could stand still without starting to laugh so hard that everyone cracked up.
"Okay, Mr and Mrs Belof, one last photo and we're done!" the photographer said, making a shooing motion to Becca and Kelly who stood on each side of Payson in front of the lake.
"It's Keeler-Belof actually," Payson said, but she still motioned for her husband to join her in front of the camera.
"You're going to keep your last name?" Becca asked her sister. They hadn't talked about it before, but Becca had thought quite a lot about it. They didn't have much contact with their father's family and on some dark and lonely nights Becca had felt a little sad over the fact that she would be the only one left with the Keeler name.
"Of course, we're Keelers, right?" Payson smiled.
Becca smiled and nodded. Their father always told them that as long as the family, the Keelers, stuck together, they could do anything. It would have been sad, being the only one left. "I love you," Becca whispered and pulled her sister into yet another hug. "Thank you."
She wanted to express how much she had her sister to thank for, but she didn't manage to form the words. The photographer waved for them to get out of the shot so Becca only kissed her sister's cheek and repeated herself. "Thank you." She had their whole life to express her gratitude for everything her sister had done for her.
While the newlyweds took their last photos Becca looked around the backyard. People had long stopped watching them and were instead talking with each other, nursing drinks in their hands. The sun was still high and it was hot out, Becca wished she had a drink herself. But she knew they would eat soon. On the other side of the small bed and breakfast, in the shades, several long tables had been set up.
"Okay people, welcome around the house and the food will be served shortly," Mr. Luton, one of the bed and breakfast's owners, said. The gray-haired man showed the gathered people the short way around the house.
The front of the garden was absolutely wonderful. Tall trees were marking the property lines, providing shade for almost the whole area. The white tables were set beautifully, but sparsely, the only decorations were vases with lilies. People shuffled around to sit down and Becca made her way over to the head table. She would have liked to talk to Jason, but there was no time for it. She spotted him through the group of people and waved a little.
.:.
"By tradition it would have been our father standing here to hold the first speech," Becca said. She had a paper with the speech written down on, but her hands were shaking too much for her to be able to read from it. She looked up at the people around her instead. "He would have loved the attention." Everyone around the room chuckled.
"He would have joked about how Payson never played house and never wanted to get married when she was younger and he would also not have hesitated about telling you all about the fact that Payson used to have a poster of Sasha over her bed as a teenager." Becca laughed as she saw her sister's cheeks turn red and Sasha laugh.
She took a deep breath. "He would also have told you Payson, how proud he always was of you," she bit her lip for a moment before continuing. "Him and mom both. Not only because of your Olympic medals and degree, but because of the person you've always been. If there truly is a heaven, they're watching you today and they're feeling as proud as I do, because you're a wonderful person, Payson Keeler-Belof, and an even better sister," Becca had to look away from her sister when the elder Keeler sister shed a tear.
"Dad would also have addressed you Sasha," Becca said and turned to the blond man next to her sister. "He would have made some silly threat about treating Payson right. But we all know you will. I've known you for half my life. You've been my sisters coach, you've been my coach, you've been the man sneaking around our apartment," everyone laughed. "And now you'll be my brother-in-law. Which I'm sure you'll do an as good job as with all other roles you've had. But just so you know: even if dad can't, I'll hurt you if you hurt my sister."
Becca took another deep breath and reached for the glass in front of her. "This became kind of a long speech... What I wanted to say is: Payson, I love you. Sasha, I love you. I'm so glad you found and finally got each other." She rose her glass. "To Payson and Sasha!"
.:.
"That was a beautiful speech you held for your sister."
Becca turned around, surprised at the voice interrupting her daydreaming by the lake. Jason sat down next to her on the bench.
"What are you doing here Jay?" Becca asked. "You should be in Chicago."
"I sneaked away," he smiled.
Becca couldn't help laugh. "Sneak away? Are we fifteen again?"
Jason also laughed. "Remember when we were fifteen and had to hide from both Sasha and Payson? We were making out in the annex as soon as we could get two minutes away from them."
"I remember," Becca said and leaned her head against his shoulder. It wasn't long ago they had been fifteen and met in the gym in New York. Beccas first day had been so much easier by the smile and encouraging words from the now man beside her. In front of them the sun was on its way down over the lake and the air had gotten cooler and cooler, it was almost chilly out now.
Jason put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. "You look beautiful," he mumbled against the top of her head.
"You don't look too bad yourself," Becca said through the smile on her lips.
They sat in silence for a long time, letting the laughter and music from the other side of the house provide the only other sound to the bugs and flies around them. Becca played with the hem of her light green summer dress, letting her mind wander again. Her eyes fell close on their own accord.
"Hey, Becs?"
"Hmm," Becca made a sound to let him know she wasn't asleep just yet.
"I was thinking… Now when the wedding is over and you're done with gymnastics…"
"Yeah?" Becca asked, stifling a yawn, she was so relieved that everything had run smoothly with the wedding and she felt like she could sleep for a week or two when the evening was over.
"I wanted to ask if you want to move in with me," Jason said.
Becca sat up straight, causing Jason's arm to fall of her shoulder. She turned and looked at her boyfriend of three or so years. "What?" she asked.
"Move in with me," he repeated, looking her square in the eyes. She loved his dark eyes. The dark brown was almost impossible to separate from the black of his pupils.
Biting her lip she couldn't keep from smiling. "Yeah," she said. "Okay… Let's move in together."
Jason pulled her into a tight hug before loosening his grip a little so their lips could reach each other. "I love you," Jason whispered between kisses.
"I love you too."
The kissing was interrupted by the announcement that it was time for the newlyweds to leave the party. Becca and Jason moved to the front of the house, keeping close as they joined the rest of the party. With Jason's arm around her shoulders Becca waved to her sister and her brother-in-law. Payson's smile brightened as she spotted them and she blew a kiss across the sea of people. Becca did the same just as her sister turned around to get into the waiting car.
Most people would say Becca has lived a rather tough life. Her parents died when she was 14, she had been compared to her Olympic medalist sister all her life and for years she had been forced to hide her relationship because of a no dating rule. All those things had been tough, but not as though as people made them out to be.
Sure, her parents died when she was 14, but Becca was lucky, because she had a sister who was willing to put her own life on hold to make Becca's life as good as possible. And sure, she was compared to said sister every day, but Becca saw it as a compliment. And truth is, when you've got more Olympic golds than your sister, all other comparisons are rather easy to dodge. And the fact that she, initially, had to hide her relationship? Well, when it's true love it does conquers all.
So to tell the truth? Becca's life was pretty good. She missed her parents, and she had wished they could be here for her sister's wedding day, but all she thought when she saw her sister and Sasha drive of in a car marked just married, was how happy she was. Her sister had gotten her man, Becca would go home with her man later that evening. Payson was soon done with her degree, Becca had the whole world by her feet and was in no hurry to decide what to do with it. Life was good for the Keeler sister, despite everything, they got their happily ever after.
.:.
A/N 2: This came to me the other night and even though it was almost 1 am, (and I had to be at work at 7 am) I had to get up to write down Becca's wedding speech. I finished it this weekend. Please let me know what you think, I love reading your comments.