Truly long Bachelorette/Hen Party, it's in three parts, so sorry. The language and talk is a little vulgar, as are the decorations. 1936 Words, this chapter.

Jenny (Lewis) appears thanks to a reminder and suggestion from Cengiz. Thank you.

Chapter Eight, The Wedding: Bachelor and Bachelorette Parties

"I love you Abby, and I should think this makes that clear," said Jess, the next day.

Abby laughed.

"Ew! I can't believe I actually went into a shop and bought these things," Jess said, opening a bag of plastic male sex organs and dumping them on the table.

"I appreciate it, Jess."

"Good. Becker volunteered to get the pastries from the bakery. I just couldn't."

Abby smirked. "You didn't have to force him?"

"No, I did not. Where's Connor?"

"Helping Becker, and Matt at the bakery," said Abby, with a big smile.

"Perverts," said Jess.

"I thought Emily was the one I'd have to worry about being prudish," said Abby. Emily sat across from them eating one of the candy male organs. "Nope."

Jess turned pink. "I guess I'm a little..."

"Innocent?" suggested Emily.

"Wholesome?" offered Abby.

"Stupid, was the word I was going to use," said Jess.

"No," said Emily. "Not everyone is offended or accepting of the same things. Representations of the male intimate anatomy are not what you would consider viewable art. Who cares?"

Jess smiled, got up, and hugged her. "Thank you, Emily. May I borrow that line, 'viewable art?"

"You may," she said, sucking on the candy and causing Jess to shudder.

"Excuse me. I'm going to check on the food now. I need to get out of this room."

Jess looked around the living room of her flat. With the hen party decorations hanging from the ceiling, pinned to the walls, and set on the end tables, it looked more like a sex club.

"Gross," she said, moving into the kitchen.

Abby smiled. "Poor Jess. I forget how young she really is."

Emily nodded. "I am concerned. Do you think she is comfortable in her relationship with the Captain?"

"What do you mean?"

"She seems so timid around physicality, that I wonder if she is ready for that part of a relationship."

"You heard her last time we talked. She isn't...inexperienced."

"She may have had sex before, but that does not mean she has had much experience, Abby."

Abby nodded. "She and Becker are going slow. I don't know why, and really don't want to know, but I suspect it has something to do with her age and Becker's sense of honor."

Emily smiled. "I hope that is the fact. The Captain is a good man."

"He is. He won't make her do anything she isn't ready for."

Emily nodded.

The door opened and Becker, Matt and Connor walked in.

"So disappointing," said Connor.

"What's wrong?" asked Abby.

Matt answered, "Jess said she was too embarrassed to pick up the baked goods because they were...risque."

"And?"

"And they're all male!" cried Becker, holding a large pastry box.

The ladies giggled.

"Of course! It's a hen party, you idiots!" said Abby.

"Abigail, please don't insult me while I'm holding a bunch of sexy male pastry parts for your party!"

Abby laughed hysterically.

"Would a female please take this box from me?" he asked, turning pink.

Emily smiled, and took the box into the kitchen.

"We at least thought they'd have some...other things," said Matt.

"It's a normal bakery," said Abby.

"Well we know that now, Abby!" cried Connor.

Jess could be heard giggling from the kitchen, apparently Emily had filled her in. She came out, pointing at the men and giggling.

"Jessica, I'd advise you to behave," said Becker, in a cool voice.

Jess couldn't stop giggling. "What did you think it was, a Sex Bakery?"

Abby laughed, and Emily joined in.

"I'm getting a beer," said Connor.

"Get two more," said Matt.

"Thanks," said Becker.

"Oh, did you want one?" asked Matt, causing the girls to laugh harder.

"I don't understand why you didn't order...female...parts, for your own party," said Jess, slightly red still.

"Guys don't do that," said Matt.

"Pizza, beer, harder stuff, crisps, sausages, and strippers, what else do you need?" asked Becker.

Connor, returning with the beer, shrugged. "I was happy."

"OK, you guys, shoo! The party is in less than an hour," said Jess.

"I want to stay," said Becker, "and guard."

"What!" cried Abby.

"I want to make sure...everyone who comes here...is safe," said Becker.

"Dude, that's lame," said Connor.

"Yeah, use a health excuse, or sanitary conditions," said Matt, "but security?"

"I am security."

"Not here, you aren't," said Jess.

Becker narrowed his eyes. "Where you are concerned, security travels."

"Aw," said Emily.

"We've been over this," said Jess. "Many times. Strippers. No big deal. Not interested."

"You were at the club. Carlos."

"I can't wait to see that one," said Abby.

"You talked about him! What did you say?"

"Nothing."

Abby smirked. "Smoldering. Hot. Tight. Oxygen."

"Stop it!" cried Jess. "Do you want this party or not?"

Abby held up her hands in surrender. "Sorry."

"Jess!"

"He was hot," she admitted. "I don't want him. Promise."

Becker looked uncertainly at her.

"I may have looked at him, but I chose you."

"If he was in this room right now," said Becker.

"I wouldn't even notice him."

"Sure you would," said Connor. "He'd be hard to miss, dead on the floor."

The others all laughed, but Jess glared at Connor.

"Sorry," he said.

"Becker, do you want me to leave? Emily can take over."

Emily smiled. "I can."

Matt's face drained of color. "Just what would you be doing?"

"Matt," said Emily, " I'd be doing nothing nothing more than Jess: opening the door, greeting the guests, offering food, and congratulating Abby."

Becker chuckled. "Good one, Emily. I'm being silly."

"You are," said the Victorian, " and it would seem that Matt is joining you."

Matt laughed. "Right. Sorry."

"Semi-nude men do that to boyfriends," said Becker, kissing Jess. "I apologize."

"Thank you," she said.

"I'm not jealous," said Connor.

"You know, that's starting to bother me," said Abby.

Connor quickly said, "Did I mention that I have this place rigged to take their pictures, fingerprints and retina scans, in case I want to find them?"

Abby laughed. "No, you did not."

He smirked. "I trust you, it's just...semi-naked men, like Becker said."

Abby smiled and kissed him passionately.

"Are we all fine, now?" asked Jess.

The guys nodded.

"Good. We have a party to prepare for. I'll call you as soon as its over, promise."

Becker nodded, and kissed her one last time. "Have fun."

She raised her eyebrow. "I'm proud of you. You didn't say, 'not too much, though."

He smiled. "I'm proud of myself."

She laughed, and the men departed.

Jess came out a few minutes later, dressed for the party, in a bright pink skirt and light yellow, floral top.

Abby raised her eyebrow. "What are you wearing?"

"What?" she asked. "What's wrong with it?"

"It goes past your knees."

Jess blushed. "I couldn't bring myself to wear anything shorter. I'd feel like I was cheating on him."

Abby laughed, and hugged her. "I love you," she said.

Jess smiled. "I'm...innocent, aren't I?"

Abby shrugged. "So?"

"What if...never mind."

"What if what?"

"What if Becker doesn't want innocent?"

Emily came out, wearing a simple, modest black dress. "Then he would not have chosen you."

Jess smiled.

"And he did," said Abby. "If you're really worried, though, about your...lack of experience, talk to him."

Jess blushed. "I can't."

"Of course you can," said Emily. "You must. He would be angered if you had concerns and did not address them."

Abby nodded.

Jess looked doubtful. "I'll think about it," she said.

They put out the food, and soon after, the first guests arrived.

"You don't think the minister's...Eleanor will really come, do you?" asked Jess.

"I hope so. Mrs. Lester too," replied Abby.

"That would be weird, though, watching strippers with my boss' wife," said Jess.

Abby smiled.

The ladies all arrived, mostly ARC staff, and one ex-ARC member.

"Jenny!" cried Abby, jumping into her arms. "I thought you couldn't make it!"

Jenny blushed. "As an old married woman, how often do I get to ogle men who aren't my husband?"

"That's why we're here," said Helen Lester.

Behind her was a lady no one seemed to know. She wore jeans, and a normal, casual t-shirt, and dark glasses.

No one could place her, and Abby and her bride's maids were vague on her identity.

Jess greeted her, whispering. "Welcome Eleanor."

The minister's wife nodded. "I'm going with Elle, tonight. OK?"

Jess nodded, and Abby high-fived her. "Come on in."

Jenny stared at the new arrival.

"She looks a little like...no, the hair color is wrong," whispered Jenny to Beverly, ARC medic.

"Did you dye your hair?" whispered Jess.

"No, but isn't the wig smashing?"

"I had no idea!"

Eleanor grinned.

"Ooh, pornographic pastry," said Iris, Abby's lead assistant in the menagerie.

Jess winced as Iris ate a well-placed donut hole off the pastry.

"These spinach rolls are scrumptious, Jess," said Jenny. "Did you make them?"

"No, I had a private caterer," she said, winking at Kim, who worked in the canteen.

"I was happy to help. It's for Abby, after all."

Abby smiled.

Iris, and other menagerie ladies: Meira, and Jina were drinking shot after shot.

"Slow down girls," said Abby.

They giggled. "Yes, mum," said Meira.

Abby playfully kicked at her. Abby was lounged on the couch, beside Jenny, and the menagerie girls were strewn on the floor beside her.

"Everyone have a drink?" asked Jess. She sipped nonalcoholic punch, and Emily drank sparkling water. Both had agreed to remain sober since they were in charge.

"May we entice anyone with our special cocktail we have created for tonight?" asked Emily.

Abby lifted up her glass. "It's delicious. Tell them what you named it."

Her bridesmaids smiled. "It is a sweet, fruit punch drink," said Jess, "kicked up with vodka and a splash of prune juice."

"Sweet and capable of 'kicking butt," said Emily, as Jess' giggled at her use of slang, "therefore it had only one name."

They both said in unison, "The Abby!"

Everyone giggled.

"I'll take one," said Jenny.

"Me too," said Mrs. Lester.

Most of the room tried it, but not everyone could tolerate even a splash of prune.

"Do you like it, Elle?"

"Not for me, sorry. I'll stick with boring gin and tonic," she said.

The women talked and gossiped.

"Where are you honeymooning?" asked Iris.

"Not sure. We might not be able to get away. Work on that for us, huh, Mrs. L?" asked Abby.

Helen Lester laughed and nodded.

"What are you taking...you know, lingerie wise?" asked Meira.

Abby didn't answer.

"You have to buy something sexy!" cried Jina.

Abby blushed.

"Honestly! You act like you've been married for years!" said Iris.

"We've been together for a while," said Abby.

"All the more reason to spice things up," said Eleanor.

Abby blushed.

"We've looked," said Jess. "Abby's just being bashful."

"I don't like talking about...the bedroom."

"Now who's innocent, Abby?"

The menagerie workers agreed with Jess.

"I believe Connor would be just as pleased if she brought nothing along."

"Emily!"

Everyone laughed.

"I hope you've rested before the honeymoon, something tells me Connor's going to be keeping you...busy."

"Iris!"

"She's right, Abby, it's the quiet, nerdy ones that are sex fiends," said Meira.

"You animal girls would know," said Kim.

The girls giggled.

Abby was turning red.

"You and Connor have been together a while," said Jenny. "I should think you'll be prepared for whatever Connor should want."

"Can we talk about something else?"asked Abby.

"No! It's a hen party, and you're the major hen," said Jina.

Jess giggled.

End of Chapter Eight