18. Vows
Ruby couldn't stop grinning at herself in the mirror. She had slept over at Snow and David's place, since her friends insisted on upholding the tradition of the bride and groom not seeing each other the day before the wedding. She wasn't aware of the bride not seeing herself, but Ella and Snow insisted she keep her eyes closed while they worked on her hair and makeup. Ruby had to admit the results were breathtaking. Then again, both of her best friends were already married- had in fact married their husbands twice- so they had the preparations down to a science.
Her dark hair was delicately curled with the red extensions she used to wear making a reappearance. Her dress was accented in red as well. It was her signature look and the only color Victor could see, so even though she honored the look of a white wedding dress, she made sure to sew in touches of red and even had red dusting her lace veil.
Emma helped her make sure she had covered the four things: something old, new, borrowed and blue. The "something old" was her red hair extensions; "new" was the wedding dress- a cheat, but it worked; "borrowed" was a pair of earrings from Snow, and "blue" was the garter she wore to be thrown at the single men.
"Liza." She turned at her grandmother's voice. The older woman's eyes were misted over as she gazed at her granddaughter. "You look absolutely beautiful."
"Thank you, Granny." The two hugged, Ruby holding on for a long time before letting the embrace end. She could feel a few tears pricking her eyes and carefully dabbed them away.
Ruby took a moment to appreciate that this was really happening. She and Victor were about to stand before family and friends and declare a commitment to one another. "Okay," she said out loud to her waiting friends. "Let's do this."
Victor stayed with Geppetto and August the night before the wedding. The two of them were on their way to being family with Geppetto's relationship to Liza's grandmother, and Victor and August actually spent a lot of the evening pestering Geppetto on when he was getting married. The old man was relieved when David arrived with the tuxedos.
The other men in the wedding party would wear modern-day tuxedos, but Victor had customized his to resemble the style worn in his world. A little piece of his old life here in the new. Instead of flowers, he and his groomsmen were wearing red glass wolves held in place by a lightning bolt-shaped pin. He'd sketched a picture of Gerhardt, wanting to feel like his brother was at least there in spirit, that he kept tucked in his breast pocket.
Victor glanced over at the men who would stand beside him. He felt incredibly lucky to know these men and have them call him their friend. "Right." He took in a steadying breath. "I'm ready."
An open section of the forest was chosen for the ceremony. The dwarfs were in attendance along with members of the hospital staff and workers at the diner. Belle sat with Ella's young daughter, and Regina sat with Henry. It was as small an attendance as Victor and Liza could manage with so many people wanting to see Frankenstein and the werewolf get married.
Victor escorted the Blue Fairy, who would be residing over the wedding. Snow White and her husband were matron of honor and best man, respectively, and followed close on his heels. Then came Ella with Neal and Emma with August. Victor waited for everyone to settle before giving a nod to Henry. The boy got up from his seat and turned on the sound system. To the surprise of everyone, what came out wasn't the traditional wedding march but an upbeat tune from the 1980s. Victor and Liza had discussed it and both agreed that they wanted to embrace that part of their history, reclaiming the curse and changing it to something good.
After all, the curse was what brought them together.
Liza appeared through the trees and Victor felt like time had frozen again. His mind flashed back to the first time he saw her. It must have been the very first day of the curse. He walked into Granny's Diner, as his cursed mind assured him he always did, and sat at the booth. Ruby came out from the back carrying trays of food. His eyes drew to her immediately, moving from the red hair extensions to the red skirt and even the red nail polish. He drank her in, this wonderful splash of color in his otherwise gray vision.
Victor drank her in now, fighting the temptation to move from his spot. She was wearing the hair extensions again and had hints of red woven through her wedding dress. It didn't matter that one leg was in a cast and she was using a crutch to make her way down the aisle. The smile on her face and the look in her eyes was all Victor noted.
Of course Ruby had noticed the handsome doctor that came into her grandmother's diner every day. She had, on multiple occasions, made it a point for him to notice her by giving him a nice view of her ass or cleavage while cleaning tables. She thought the way he tried to help her when she wanted to leave town was sweet and more awkward than she expected from him. He was different and she could never get a handle on how or why until the curse broke.
She limped toward him and would've left her grandmother behind if the woman hadn't picked up the pace to keep up. Victor wavered on his feet and Ruby grinned. They would run to each other if they could. Ruby managed to tear her eyes away from Victor long enough to hug her grandmother. Then they settled back on him, their hands clasping and fingers twining together.
"I hardly need to tell you all why we are here," Blue began, smiling at the wedding guests. "In a small town like ours, it's impossible to miss when two people find each other and fall in love. That is exactly what Liza Lucas and Victor Frankenstein have done. They stand before you all now to declare that love and commit to each other in marriage. I understand that they have personalized vows. Doctor?"
"Simply put, you saved my life, Liza. I was ready to give up and you helped me see I could still do good, that I didn't have to be burdened by the past. You saw me in a way no one had in years, that I myself had stopped seeing. You understand me like no one else ever could. You're my friend, my partner, my lover and my family. Whatever happens next, I want to do it with you. Monster to monster."
"I was lucky to have people like Snow and David who knew what I was, but even with that acceptance, I felt like I was apart from them. You were the first person who really understood what that felt like. I've watched my friends find love, but never really believed I would have it for myself. Then you had to go defy everything, like you always do. You are my friend, my partner, my lover and my family. I can't wait to go on adventures with you. Monster to monster."
They exchanged rings next. Victor's was rose gold and Liza's was silver. Blue finally declared them husband and wife, and the two sealed it with a kiss.
Doctor and Misses Frankenstein. Victor told her she didn't have to take his name, that he understood if she wanted to stay "Lucas". But Ruby had assured him she was proud to be a Frankenstein. Their guests were applauding but the new couple only focused on each other. Victor leaned in like he wanted another kiss.
"How fast can you go with that leg?" Ruby raised a questioning eyebrow and he explained: "I'm wondering if we can make a run for it and start our honeymoon early."
Ruby laughed, slapping him on the arm. "There's no way we'd get away with that. Besides, my grandmother baked the wedding cake. Do you really want to make her mad by not eating it?"
Victor, wisely, did not, so they went on to the reception. Everyone stayed in their wedding apparel long enough for pictures and for Victor to do a few sketches, then they all dressed down to something more comfortable. As they sat in Granny's Diner eating and laughing, now and then the newlyweds would catch each other's eyes and exchange overwhelmed but happy looks. All of these people were here to share in their happiness, a happiness neither of them thought was possible.
David stood up to deliver the best man speech. "I think I can speak for all of us when I say that today shows how powerful love truly is. It crossed realms and helped these two find one another. My wife and I have known Ruby for a long time and we can both say that we've never seen her as happy as after she started dating Victor. I admit that Victor and I didn't have the greatest first impressions of each other after the curse broke, but you can see how time and getting to know each other has changed that. I was honored when he asked me to stand as his best man."
"Victor... You and I both lost our blood family in our own realms. Our father, our mother, our brother. But being in this world has given us all the opportunity to form new friendships and bonds that we never thought possible. Ruby, you've always been a loyal friend to me and Snow; you're family to us. You encouraged us and stood by us, and we are both so happy that you've found love. You were my doctor, Victor, and you've grown to be my friend. Today, I see you as my brother."
Victor swallowed hard, squeezing Liza's hand tightly as the wedding guests applauded David's speech. He turned and saw that Liza's eyes were misted over in tears. They weren't seen as monsters anymore; they were family.