CJ/Danny, many others
G-rated
Spoilers through end of series
Feedback welcomed
Not mine, never were, never will be, but they consume my soul
West Wing characters belong to Sorkin, Wells, et. al.
John Blackwood Ryan, PhD., DD belongs to Andrew Greeley
Roger Mahoney is titular Cardinal Priest of Santi Quattro Coronati in Rome and Archbishop of Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles.
This is the first of 3 planned chapters about the wedding. This one is the ceremony itself. Okay, I admit it, this is a combination of the dream wedding I never had, some weddings I've been to, and some imagination. Total schmaltz.
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Friday of Memorial Day weekend, 2007
Abigail Bartlet stood in the back of Mission Santa Barbara. Hogan Cregg was to have been her aunt's maid of honor but the Annapolis women's lacrosse team had made it to the NCAA final four and after today's victory, they would be playing for the title on Sunday. They couldn't do without their star attacker, and CJ would not have wanted to deny her niece the chance of a lifetime in her senior year. Hogan and her parents were in Baltimore. So here she was, the world's oldest matron of honor.
CJ had chosen not to make her attendants buy a dress that might or might not look good on them and that they would never wear again. She had told Carol, Margaret ("They looked after me for 8 years, they can do it for one more long weekend") and Hogan to wear an evening dress of their choice in a bright color of their choice. Margaret was in emerald green and Carol was wearing a deep teal. Abbey had brought a honey/ambercolored dress for the reception and it blended in perfectly.
The younger members of the bridal party were a different story. Danny's nieces were excited to be in their first formal dresses and their first heels. ("Heels", Carol said. "If I thought I could get away with it, I'd be wearing Keds".) Andy said that Molly didn't have a single dress, let alone one that would suit a flower girl, but here was Mollyi n dotted swiss. The older girls werea deep red, which apparently was the color that Hogan had planned to wear. Everyone had a single white tiger lily stem in perfect bloom.
She looked around the beautiful old mission. She didn't realize that several of the old California missions were still used as active churches. This one had been kept in good repair for almost 200 years. Blackie Ryan and Jed had lobbied Cardinal Mahoney to waive the usual 6-month waiting period, and by scheduling the wedding for a Friday evening, they were able to get the church. Abbey and Jed also contacted a nearby small resort complex and by pulling strings and offering paid-in-full accommodations at another location to already booked guests, the entire place was taken over for the wedding. No one would have to worry about being the designated driver. She was glad that CJ and Danny had been to speak with Jed's "funny little bishop friend", as she called Blackie, and that he had helped the two of them to see that "those people in Rome" had no right to keep them from the church of their heritage, the church they would like to share with their families and their children.
Erin MacDonald finished singing "Lord of All Hopefulness" as the servers, the groomsmen, her brother, her husband, Danny's roommate turnedJesuit, and Blackie reached the altar. Erin had talked her brother out of wearing kilts ("Trust me, I've been to many, many kilted weddings. It looks dashing and romantic for the ceremony, but if the dancing includes anything more rambunctious than a polka, it's not a pretty sight"); they were all in elegant black tuxes.
The flute, clarinet, and violin began playing the "Triumphal March" from Aida. Molly Zeigler started down the aisle with her basket of rose petals. She did very well by herself , and reserved her biggest smile for her father. Huck totally refused to be ring bearer and Danny insisted that he not be forced into the role as he was so many years ago, so she had Danny's ring on her thumb. Robin MacDonald did not look like the type to have misplaced CJ's. Danny's nieces, and then Margaret and Carol followed Molly. Each of them was met at the first row of pews by one of the groomsmen, all old friends of Danny's from Notre Dame. The couples alternated sides as they entered the first pew. Now it was her turn. As she approached the altar, she saw her husband in the fourth row on the bride's side, right behind the one for the bridal party to use during Mass and the two occupied by CJ's family. Robin stepped up to escort her to her place at Blackie's right side and then returned to stand beside his brother-in-law.
The music stopped. She looked over at Danny, saw only a slight twitch in his right hand as he stared at the doors in the rear of the church. Verdi's music began again, but this time, trumpets and cymbals joined the other instruments. The doors opened and there was CJ on the arm of her younger brother.
CJ had planned to walk down the aisle by herself but couldn't refuse the pleas from her brother ("We stopped after 5 boys, CJ, I'll never get the chance to do this with a daughter. Please let me do this for Dad.") Her dress was creamy ivory lace lined with dyed to match cotton, with a V neckline and sleeves that stopped just above her elbows. She was wearing her mother's pearl necklace. With help from his future sisters in law, Danny had managed to find earrings and a bracelet that matched in color and size. ("When I first started proofing copy at the Post, there was a wedding announcement that read 'The bride wore pearls, gift of the groom', and it stuck with me".) His grandmother's ring had been moved to her right hand. She had no veil ("I'd feel like an idiot"); burgundy red tiger lilies held her hair back from her face; they matched the ones she carried. Her eyes never wavered from Danny's face; his were fixed on her.
There were chairs with kneelers for the 4 of them in front of the altar.
They wanted to make a few changes to the standard ritual. Luckily, they were dealing with Blackie and not some tight-assed guy with his eye on advancement up the hierarchy (not that going against the grain did Blackie any harm).
When CJ's mother had died, her brother had read the "Worthy wife" passage from Proverbs; it would bring back too many sad memories for her so they replaced it with a single verse from Song of Songs -- "Deep waters cannot quench love, nor floods sweep it away".
CJ requested that their confirmation names be included in the vows ("One of the best things about being Catholic is confirmation names. Here you are, a teenager who thinks everything your parents ever did was total shit, and you get to pick your own name.") Abbey stifled a laugh as she remembered the rehearsal last night.
"I, Daniel Michael Fabian..."
"Fabian, fishboy?"
"Hey, I figured I was getting both a pope and a rock star...anyway, I , Daniel Michael Fabian take you Claudia Jean ?" he paused.
"Gabrielle", she supplied. "soft 'a' in the 'gah', major accent on the 'elle'".
"I don't believe that's a saint's name, but 'Gab' does suit you."
"The archangel, patron saint of communication. Turns out mine fits better than yours."
"That was Gabriel".
"No, the evangelists got it wrong. Do you really think that an all-wise God would send a man to ask a 14-year old to consent to something that could very well get her stoned to death for adultery?"
Danny said he'd really like the part about obedience put back into CJ's vows, but he would settle for using the old Anglican words for the exchanging of rings. Abbey wondered how many people would gasp when they each in turn said "With this ring, I thee wed; with my body, I thee worship. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost".
Tim pronounced them married "with exceedingly great joy".
Hands gently on the side of her face to avoid disturbing the flowers, he kissed her.
Blackie's homily was sweet, funny, spiritual, and, most importantly, short. Erin sang "Panis Angelicus" at the Offertory, with the parish's children's choir singing the round on the repetition. The Communion hymn was "Lord of the Dance". They chose "Pescador" for the post-Communion meditation; an English translation was provided in the programs for those who didn't know Spanish. CJ was not going to put her bouquet at the feet of the Blessed Virgin. Abbey remembered how some of the girls at St. Mary's really believed that if they weren't virgins, the statue would crack when the bouquet was placed there. They received the traditional blessing, and Mass was over. Danny had chosen "Holy God, We Praise Thy Name" for the closing hymn ("Number one on the all-time Catholic hit list"). Abbey picked up CJ's bouquet, handed it to her, helped her with her dress, and prepared to take Robin's arm. Everyone recessed to "Ode to Joy".
At the rear of the church on a table was a huge posterboard with calligraphy and artwork that duplicated the Book of Kells. It proclaimed that Claudia Jean Gabrielle Cregg and Daniel Michael Fabian Concannon were joined in the Sacrament of Matrimony on May 25, 2007 at Mission Santa Barbara,Archdiocese of Our Lady, Queen of the Angels, California, USA. There were specific lines for CJ, Danny, Blackie, and the bridal party to sign. There was a big blank space under the heading "Witnesses". Everyone was to sign it on their way out of the church. The junior bridesmaids were in charge of making sure this happened.
And then,outside, on the steps of the church, said Daniel Michael Fabian Concannon grabbed said Claudia Jean Gabrielle Cregg Concannon, twirled her around in a circle, and started singing the "Hallelujah Chorus".