Stags and Hens

The Stag Party

Joshua cursed silly little wedding rituals. Some he found endearing, of course. "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" was always nice. They did something similar on Gallifrey. But this whole "groom can't see the bride in her wedding dress until she's walking down the aisle" was complete rubbish in his opinion. Big weddings irked him as well. On Gallifrey, weddings consisted of close family and friends. Weddings were also generally arranged so the ceremony was mostly formality. Bonding, like what he and Rose had done, was almost unheard of. When Rassilon did away with such urges through looming, the urge to Bond also waned. The only reason it had happened with him and Rose is because of instinct. Joshua was the last Gallifreyan. It was his duty to carry on the species, so to speak. He wasn't sure if he was fertile, though. Another one of the reasons Gallifrey had switched to looming. It was less messy than procreation, sure, but it was also the only way they could produce.

All these thoughts bounced through Joshua's head as he was getting ready for his Stag Party. It was the night before their wedding, so of course that was all that was on his mind. His stomach was knotted from anticipation. They were already married in their own minds, but solidifying it in front of so many people had him nervous. This party had him nervous. Jake had orchestrated it, just as Melody had orchestrated Rose's Hen Party. It was supposed to be their last night before their wedding and was yet another tradition he hated. He would much rather spend the evening wrapped around Rose. Or with Rose wrapped around him.

Jake had brought him to one of the local pubs, away from where he knew Rose to be. Tonight, Joshua was to spend the night at Jake's after the party. Rose and Melody would be going back to the mansion so Melody and Jackie could help Rose get ready in the morning. Joshua couldn't wait to see Rose in her dress. The only hint she had given him was that he could wear his blue suit with it. She had kept the rest of it hidden very well behind a solid door in her mind and would give him no more clues.

Joshua dressed in casual clothes for the party. Black khaki slacks with a t-shirt (required by Jake) that read "I'm the Groom". He hated it. He hated everything about the wedding except for seeing Rose in her wedding dress. He sneered at his reflection in the mirror before reluctantly exiting the bathroom to get this disaster of a night over with.

The pub they went to was called "Rusty's". It was one of many where the alien residents were openly welcomed. The owner, Kyle Carter, was from Andalusia, a commerce planet. On the outside, he looked mostly human. The only outward sign that he wasn't was his slightly pointed ears and lavender eyes. His wife, Annetta, helped manage the pub alongside him. They served mostly Earth beverages, but also catered a few of the weaker foreign beverages as well. And by foreign, they meant from other planets.

Jake ordered the entire group a round of shots to get the night started. It was a purple colored whiskey that smelled sweet, but burned on the way down. After two shots, Joshua was feeling slightly inebriated. They sat at a table close to the stage. Each night, the pub had a different performance for local bands. Tonight was "The Western Winds". Joshua had heard some of their music and actually enjoyed it, so this was a pleasant surprise. When he asked Jake about it, Jake winked.

"I knew I couldn't get you to agree to a stripper, so I made sure that a band you liked was playing." Joshua smiled and thanked Jake for the sentiment. A stripper would have been a very bad idea. One of the worst ideas, really. A Gallifreyan Bond was a powerful thing. A true Bonding, like what he and Rose had, would keep each partner from straying. Even wayward thoughts would strain the Bond. It was one of many reasons why they had been done away with on Gallifrey.

Joshua expected Jake to have the guys to get him hammered, embarrass the Hell out of him, then take him home. He was pleasantly surprised to find that the group that was there with him consisted of his Team he worked with at Torchwood. There were also a couple of other Professors from the University he worked at. They sat, listened to the music, and played some pool. Basically, it felt like just another night at the pub, for which Joshua was very grateful.

Joshua was pleasantly buzzed by the time Jake brought him home. While Jake was distracted, Joshua got out his cell phone. He typed four little words to his Bond-mate.

I love you. Goodnight.

The Hen Party

Across town, at another pub which catered to the more alien residents, Melody had Rose trussed up and was parading her through the crowds. Melody had insisted on a conga line with Rose at the front. Rose would be embarrassed but she'd had just enough to drink. It was the night before her wedding and she was celebrating. Tomorrow was more of a formality and she knew it. Melody also knew it. So she was more than content to let Rose celebrate and to join her.

Melody did orchestrate a few games. Mostly drinking games. After a couple of rounds of "I Have Never", the entire group was giggling at the table. A few of the other patrons ventured over, to share in the excitement of the night. Rose knew, once they were close, that they were empaths that were drawn to the happy atmosphere. She invited them to sit at the table, which they happily did. Rose even got them to participate in a few rounds of their drinking game, much to the amusement of Melody.

Rose contemplated on several occasions to text Joshua and see how his night was going. She had no doubt that he was having as much fun as she was. One of the many great things about having a Bond, she mused. She could feel him in the back of her mind, happy and quite content. That alone made her loosen up and enjoy her little party. She danced with everyone in her party, as well as a few of the other patrons. She expected to be hit on a little more, but Melody had made her wear a shirt saying, "I'm the Bride".

At some point during the evening, Rose started a game of darts. She was one of the best marksmen at Torchwood, but it was different aiming a gun and throwing darts. Still, she ended up winning three games before quitting and hitting the pool tables. This was an area where she excelled. One of her Degrees she had acquired during her stay here was in Physics. She did that in honor of the Doctor. It was one of his favorite subjects. Engineering would have to be his second. Rose didn't have a degree in Engineering but she knew how to hold her own with most people in R&D. She had helped build the Dimension Cannon after all. It had been her concept, her design, and mostly her work

Rose ended up winning two games against Melody. She lost the third game and decided to call it quits. Not because she lost, but because it was late and they all needed to get up early in the morning.

Rose drank two bottles of water on the way to her parents' mansion and a third before heading to bed. Jackie and Pete had gone to bed long before they got there, so Melody and Rose went upstairs the guest wing as quietly as possible. Once settled in, Rose checked her phone. She smiled as she read the message from her Bond-mate.

I love you. Good night.