Wedding Bells

There was nothing Shane could do about it. The paint Alex used on his face for the Tunnelers' game left dark stains that had not come out, even after a good scrubbing last night and again this morning. To make matters worse, there was a bruise on his jaw from when Sam tackled him to the ground to avoid seeing Emily last night. Shane looked like he lost a fight with an alien life form and today was the worst day possible to look like this.

Shane braced himself against the edges of the bathroom sink and stared at his reflection. Should I postpone the wedding? the mayor deliberated silently. He shook his head. No, I couldn't do that to her. Not over something this stupid. Still, the man did not want Emily to be embarrassed by how he looked on their wedding day. Sure, the suit would make the rest of his look presentable, but how the hell could he fix this?

The mayor was not sure how long he stood brooding in the bathroom when he heard someone come in the front door. "Shaaane!" the female voice called out. "Come on out, mister gonna-be-a-married man today!"

Shane's stomach dropped. It was Samantha. He turned his body to slam the door shut, but his sister was already standing in the doorframe, her dark eyes wide as her mouth slowly fell open. Within seconds, her composure disintegrated and Samantha threw back her head in a cackle. "Shane, what did you do to your face?!" she demanded, her body slowly crumpling inward as her body convulsed with amusement.

"It was the stupid paint!" Shane growled from his clenched jaw. "And now I look ridiculous. Emily's going to be so disappointed in me…"

Wiping the tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes, Samantha wheezed a response. "I'll fix it, don't worry!" She tried to stop giggling, but they began anew each time she caught a glimpse of her older brother. "You're lucky… we both have… mom's complexion or… you'd be so screwed!"

Shane frowned as he noticed Samantha reach into her bag and pull out a plastic tube. "Makeup?"

His younger sibling grabbed either side of his head to face her, then removed the top of the tube and went to work. "I'm gonna have to use crazy amounts of concealer on you," Samantha declared, her lips glued in a wide grin of delight. "And then I'm going to have to apply other stuff so you don't look like a freaky mannequin on your big day," she complained light-heartedly. "I'll be lucky if I have any left for me at the end of this."

Shane did his best to remain still so that Samantha could work her magic. "Thanks for helping me out, kiddo," the man muttered appreciatively. "I've been a shit brother and you're being really cool about all this."

Samantha sniffed. "Well, I won't argue that ditching me at such a tender, impressionable age was a dick move," the woman pouted as she swept the wand of makeup over Shane's brow. "But knowing what I know now, I don't blame you." Shane could see her bite her lip, even from her close angle. "I just… For the longest time I thought you left because of me, and I always wondered what I could have done differently to make you stay."

Shane's heart dropped. He should have explained things to his little sister, but he was so caught up in his own pain that he did not take her feelings into consideration at the time. Now the harm was already done and he could not undo it. "I wasn't you, Sammy. I just felt like such a failure," he confessed, "and all the pressure from dad was just too much to handle after my injury."

He could feel the emotion begin to flood his mind and Samantha slapped his shoulder. "Don't go ruining your makeup!" Shane's younger sister scolded him, but he could tell when she pulled away that her eyes were tearing up, too. "I've spent a lot of time and effort on it, you know."

The man nodded and did his best to take deep, calming breaths. "So uh, how are mom and dad?" Shane finally dared to ask.

Samantha sighed audibly. "Oh, you know. Dad just comes home from work and watches way too many sports. Mom fusses about his lack of exercise and diet, but she's too much of a pushover to cook things he won't eat or make him fend for himself if he refuses the 'rabbit food' she makes." The woman rolled her eyes and leaned back against the door frame as she searched her bag for something. "He's such a man-child!"

Shane certainly had his own impressions of their parents. It was nice to know that Samantha came to the same general conclusion as she matured and came to the realization that their parents were flawed individuals, too.

His sister pulled out a few more supplies and brushed some other makeup here and there. When she went for his eyes, though, Shane objected. "What are you doing?"

The woman groaned, "C'mon, Shane. It's just a little eyeliner. It'll bring out your eyes and Emily's gonna love it!" Noticing that he was not convinced, Samantha relented. "If you don't like it, we can remove it afterward," his sibling compromised, "but at least see how it looks first!"

"Whatever," Shane grumbled. Samantha squealed with happiness and went to work straightaway. When she was finished, she stepped back and beamed at him.

"You look fantastic!" Samantha professed, tooting her own horn.

The mayor spun toward the mirror and realized he looked… normal, just cleaned up. It was as if his skin were never blemished at all. The only real difference was that his attention was automatically drawn to his own eyes.

"How did you…?"

Samantha straightened her stance to bask in the implied compliment. "Didn't you know I graduated summa cum laude fromYouTube beauty tips boot camp?" the woman replied with a chuckle. She grabbed her phone and switched it to camera mode. "Let's take a selfie!"

Before Shane could object, Samantha snapped a picture and showed it to him. She glanced at it and frowned. "Ugh, I'm a total uggo next to you right now, it's unfair!" She immediately began to correct the problem by performing her own beauty routine for the big event. "At least I don't look so white girl wasted anymore…"

Shane scowled. "Did you drink last night?"

Samantha paused. "Look, I know you probably don't approve, but it was a party and everyone took great care of me last night," the woman reasoned. She was clearly in a good mood. "Especially Haley! She made sure I got plenty of snacks and water so I wouldn't be miserable in the morning." His younger sibling resumed her rambling, "And I guess I have you to thank since I'll have two new sisters after the ceremony today! Emily and Haley are both really nice." Somehow she was able to apply mascara even when talking so much, it amazed Shane.

It was true that Samantha did not seem to be suffering the negative effects of a hangover and she had been safe among friends last night. Or at least friendly neighbors who were inclined to keep the mayor's little sister out of harm's way. While he did not like it, his sister was an adult and he could not tell her what to do anymore. Shane could not treat Samantha as the eight-year-old he remembered. "Just don't make a habit out of it, okay?"

She placed a hand on his shoulder to assure him. "Don't worry, Shane. I'll be careful!" Samantha tilted her head toward Shane's and extended her arms to take another picture. "Cheese!"

Samantha was satisfied with this photo and showed it to him. Shane was stunned. They really did look like siblings. It was a weird, but welcome sense of awareness. Even after all this time apart, they were still family. Shane just hoped that catching up would be enough to repair their bond.

His sister's eyes darted toward him bashfully. "Is…" she hesitated. "Is it okay if I send this to mom?" Samantha requested quietly, her thumb hovering over the button. "She really misses you. I can tell."

A lump caught in Shane's throat at the idea of hearing from either of their parents. But the look in Samantha's eyes was so confident. "Yeah," he dipped slowly to give his consent, "go ahead."

Leah and Violet hiked through the Cindersap Forest in search of natural decorations for Shane and Emily's wedding. The whole town was pitching in to set up the ceremony and reception areas and Gus tasked the two of them to find holly, especially any with the berries still intact.

"I usually harvest holly to sell to Pierre during the Winter," Leah informed her friend as she led them toward the places she knew from experience would produce some of the popular plants. "If we look in all the areas it normally grows, I think we'll have plenty to decorate Town Square and The Stardrop Saloon like Emily envisioned."

"That's great!" Violet responded, her empty basket swinging from the crook of her arm. "The faster we get the holly, the faster we can pitch in for another project."

Leah bobbed her head absently as she concentrated on her steps on the frosty ground. The earth was frozen hard, but the tiny patches of ice here and there made the walk more treacherous than it would be in the warmer seasons.

"Did you have fun at the club last night?" Violet inquired as she followed in Leah's tracks to avoid any footfalls.

The redhead shrugged. "It was fine, I guess." Leah's idea of going out was clearly different than Emily's, but that was fine. "I guess I prefer quieter gatherings, but it's nice to get a change of scenery."

Violet groaned. "Same. I couldn't keep up with Emily and Samantha! Those two were on a completely different energy level," the farmer smirked. "At least I wasn't dealing with all those guys trying to grind on me like Abigail and Haley. I would have noped right on out."

Leah had not seen the guys with Haley. "Do you think that's why Samantha was with Haley most of the night?" she queried her friend. "To keep all the guys off her?" The sculptor observed how closely the two danced, their faces just inches from one another. It suggested a certain intimacy in their relationship, even from where Leah stood across the room. Shane's sister touched Haley in a flirtatious manner here and there, the dark-haired woman smiled at her, and when they were on the bus back home, the blonde fed Samantha little snacks and made sure she drank sips of water every once and a while.

The floral-haired woman hummed as she deliberated over the situation. "You know, if they were, that was probably a good idea. Guys are less likely to creep when a girl is with a friend, right?"

"I suppose…" Leah was not entirely persuaded. "I just figured Samantha might have a little crush," the artist admitted. A nervous laugh escaped her. "But Haley wouldn't be interested in her."

Leah's comment piqued Violet's interest. "Why not? Samantha's super cute!"

That was not what the artist wanted to hear. "But Haley's into Alex…" the older woman countered as they approached the grove where the holly tended to grow. Leah spotted a few bushes and pointed them out to Violet, who began to carefully harvest a few branches from each shrub.

Violet scoffed at the idea. "And Alex made it clear he wasn't interested," she reminded the ginger. "Remember their fight the night of Sam's birthday?" The wavy-haired woman shook her head. "Haley isn't the type to wait around after someone has explicitly said they aren't into her. She has more self-respect than that."

Leah recalled the night before the Flower Dance when she revealed that she found Haley attractive and lamented the ill effects of heteronormativity on lesbians like herself. "Isn't Haley straight, though?"

The farmer raised her shoulders briefly, signaling her uncertainty. "Plenty of people don't really explore their sexuality until college or later," Violet suggested. "Maybe Haley's still figuring things out?" Even if that was the case, Leah assumed that Haley would have mentioned it to her. But Leah could not shake the image of the blonde looking so adorably flustered at Samantha's forwardness at the nightclub.

"Then there's the age gap," Leah offered, as if begging Violet to agree with her on some level that there was no way that this new girl would just swoop in and take Haley.

But Violet unknowingly thwarted Leah's efforts to disprove the possibility once again. "Isn't the gap similar to the one between you and Haley?" the farmer countered as she snipped a few berried branches of foliage and gently lowered them into her basket. "Only in this situation, Haley's the older one, obviously."

Leah was alarmed by how calm Violet was regarding Samantha's interest in Haley. "But they're going to be in-laws!"

"Yeah, okay, you got me there," the farmer agreed with a laugh. "That would weird me out for sure, but it's not unheard of for people to get involved with their spouse's sibling." She grimaced as she stretched her arms upward to relieve the ache from hunching over. "Though it would make family gatherings awkward if they broke up…" Violet concluded, making a face. "I personally wouldn't risk that kind of situation."

Violet confronted Leah. "But why do you care so much?" the farmer questioned curiously. "Did something happen?"

Leaning against a nearby tree, Leah ran the smooth strands of her braid through her fingertips, as she always did when she got agitated or nervous. "No?" But the artist's own uncertainty did not satisfy Violet, either. She let out a defeated sigh.

"I told Haley ages ago that I found her attractive, but mean." The artist frowned. "At the Flower Dance, she tried to kiss me, but I told her I didn't want to be part of her bi-curious experiment because I had feelings for her and that wasn't fair to me."

The farmer did not comment, so Leah pressed on. "I assumed I was over it, but the more I've gotten to know Haley, the more those old feelings get stirred up." The ginger twirled the end of her braid along her index finger absently. "I don't think I'm as over her as I thought."

Violet set down her basket to join Leah against the tree. "And now that you see another woman might be showing interest and Haley's not immediately shutting her down, you're wondering if you made the wrong assumptions?" Violet conjectured.

Leah did not like hearing that aloud. It made her feel petty. But it did not make it any less true. "Yeah, I guess so," she conceded. Her grey eyes flickered toward Violet. "Do you think I'm too late?"

"Why don't you ask her at the wedding tonight?"

She flinched at the suggestion. Could I really put myself out there again? Leah wondered. What if I'm completely off-base and there's nothing going on between Haley and Samantha? "I don't know, Violet."

The younger woman lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "Well, in that case, you'll never know. You'll just have to be okay with that," Violet foiled her indecision. Picking up her basket, the farmer went back to work while Leah continued to brood.

Without realizing, Leah zoned out, staring at the bright red berries among the prickly emerald green leaves. They looked like dazzling gems against the white of Winter.

Meanwhile, Violet finished filling both their baskets with large prickly stems of leaves and their signature red orbs. "I think that's plenty. We should head back now," the farmer proposed, yanking Leah free of her own inner world.

"Right," the artist agreed, hoisting her basket up and into her grasp. "Sorry…"

Haley was physically ready for her sister to get married - her hair and makeup were done, she was in her dress, and she had been walking around in her heels for a while to make sure she did not trip and embarrass herself later. But emotionally, the blonde was not sure she would ever be prepared for this.

As much as she and Emily butt heads and argued, Haley was attached to her older sister. Just the idea of living in their parents' house by herself made her feel lonely. She was so used to Emily's routine and quirky mannerisms, which would soon be lost to her. Now it was Shane's job to learn all the little things about Emily with which Haley was already an expert. Could he handle it? Could she handle the quiet, empty space that Emily once occupied?

Haley heard Emily's heels clack on the hardwood floor as she stepped out of her bedroom. "Could I get a little help with the back?"

The blonde spun around to see Emily in her wedding dress. Haley did not expect to get so instantly emotional. The long-sleeved dress was form-fitting until about mid-thigh, where the fabric flared outward. Lace patterns adorned the entire length of cloth, accented with tiny beads of semi-precious stone scattered throughout to add little pops of color.

Emily's dress bore a relatively modest v-neckline, but it was low on the backside - all the way down to her waist. She wore a mixture of colors in her accessories, a necklace and matching earrings with glittering white stones accented by rubies and sapphires, her signature color and to complement the hue of her hair.

"You look so beautiful!" Haley gasped, admiring her sister.

Emily turned her back to Haley to receive the assistance she requested. "Don't sound so surprised!"

The curly-haired blonde fastened the buttons and motioned for Emily to twirl around. Her older sister obliged, radiating joy. "Isn't it gorgeous, Haley? It was grandma's wedding dress, I just added some details of my own."

"Granny had good taste!" Haley agreed, perching on the arm of the sofa, "but all the work you put in made it suit you."

Emily's grin was infectious. "It's my 'something old,'" she revealed, indicating that she hoped to accrue luck for her marriage with the old phrase.

Haley tilted her head. "What about the rest?"

"'Something blue' could be my hair, or any of these sapphires on my jewelry." Her brown eyes scanned the room. "Ah! And this," she picked up a barrette she made earlier this morning, decorated with fresh holly, "is my 'something new!'"

The younger sister rose to her feet. "Wait here!" she ordered Emily. Rushing to her bedroom closet, Haley went through her neatly organized collection of accessories and found exactly what she needed.

Emerging back into the living room, Haley presented her sister with a thinly women, yet voluminous white scarf that could serve as a classy shawl to keep Emily warm while they were outside for the ceremony. "Here's your 'something borrowed,'" the photographer indicated, holding out the cashmere for Emily's approval.

Emily instead pulled her younger sibling into a hug. "Oh, Haley, I love you so much!" The breath from Haley's lung was squeezed out by the bride's embrace, but the blonde let it slide, just for today.

"Promise not to be a stranger," Haley pouted as Emily finally loosened her grip enough for the blonde to breathe again. "This house is too big to live in alone, so you'll need to visit."

The sapphire-haired woman beamed. "I'll come by as often as you like," Emily comforted her younger sibling, petting her blonde curls affectionately. "And you are always welcome at our house!" She winked at Haley. "But who knows, maybe you'll find a new roommate to live with?"

"Ugh." Haley took her sister by the hand. "Come on, we don't want you to be late for your own wedding!"

"Late?" Emily echoed as she dramatically draped the warm scarf over her shoulders. She glided across the room to the door that Haley held open for her. "I'm the guest of honor, the wedding can't start without me!"

Emily hid behind a bush, waiting anxiously to reveal herself to those gathered to witness her marriage ceremony to Shane. Jas looked up at her with concern. "Are you okay Auntie Emily?"

The woman froze, overwhelmed with emotion. Jas just called me "Auntie…" Emily realized, her heart swelling with pride. Emily hugged the girl. "I'm just a little jittery."

Jas pushed away and looked distressed. "Do you not want to marry Shane anymore?"

"Oh, no, that's not it!" Emily exclaimed, lowering herself to the girl's level. "I just don't like waiting. I want to run up there right now, but I have to be patient." She frowned and peeked beyond the shrubs toward the wedding arch. "Waiting can be hard sometimes."

The girl's dark eyes sparkled. "How romantic!" Jas giggled, twirling in place to flare out the long skirt of her red dress.

Emily could hear Gus' violin music waft through the air and knew it was time. She stood and readied her bouquet. "Are you ready, flower girl?" the woman asked.

"Of course," Jas assured her. "I've been practicing at home with Aunt Marnie!" The dark-haired lass hopped out from behind the bush and began her graceful promenade down the aisle, announcing Emily's arrival with a flurry of flower petals and decorative leaves.

The bride's heart felt like it would burst from excitement at any moment. Emily closed her eyes and took a deep breath before stepping out into the Square. Her heels clicked against the cobblestone as she approached the beautiful arch adorned with boughs of holly and evergreen branches. Finally, her fiancé came into view. He was so dapper in his dark suit. When he noticed her, Emily locked eyes with her lover and felt her knees go weak. Everything was perfect.

Shane could hardly breathe when Emily walked down the aisle on her way to meet him. It was surreal how beautiful she looked that the mayor was positive that he was dreaming. But the flash of Haley's camera convinced him otherwise. Shane was really about to marry the woman better than the one of his dreams. Emily was everything he never knew he needed and everything he wanted in a partner. His bride accepted his flaws and did her best to support him, just as she trusted him to lean on when things got rough for her. Her trust meant the world to Shane.

When Emily finally stood facing him and reached her hands out to him, Shane smiled at her. "I'm glad you're here," he said.

Gunther, dressed in a stark white suit, stroked his goatee and cleared his throat prior to addressing the villagers. "Seeing as how the mayor cannot perform his own wedding ceremony and I am the only other gentleman in town licensed to do so," the librarian began, eliciting quiet laughter from a few members of the audience. "It is my honor and privilege to unite Emily and Shane as a married couple with the people of Pelican Town as our witnesses."

Shane liked the sound of that already. The man directed his attention to Shane. "Shane, when you first moved into town, you were a troubled young man," the museum curator professed. "But in the years you have been a part of our community, we have seen you at your lowest lows and your highest highs. And young man, I know I speak on behalf of all of Pelican Town when I say that we are incredibly proud to have you as our mayor."

The groom felt Emily squeeze his hands tightly. He had not expected to start tearing up when they had not even begun their vows, yet he could feel them in his eyes.

Gunther then addressed Emily. "Emily, I do not exaggerate when I say that you are a pillar of this community. You help Gus run The Stardrop, you are always the first to volunteer for the town festivals, and bring joy to anyone who has the pleasure of your company."

The officiant looked out to the crowd. "I will not ask if anyone has objections," Gunther declared firmly, "because that tradition leads to melodramatic bullshit."

A collection of muffled guffaws could be heard from the audience, then the bespectacled man grinned at the couple. "Do you have your vows?"

Shane felt slightly sick from anxiety, but he volunteered to go first, just in case it got the better of him. The mayor gazed into his bride's eyes. "Emily, you always saw the good in me and nurtured it until I could finally see it for myself," Shane uttered, his voice catching slightly. "When I could finally see what I was capable of, I saw a life worth living, together with you." He hoped he was loud enough for the people in the back, but right now it only mattered to him whether Emily could hear.

"I owe you my life, Emily," Shane acknowledged and he meant it literally. "And I swear to work hard every single day to be the man - and the husband - you deserve."

It was short and sweet, but it conveyed his feelings.

Emily made her own vow in return. "Shane, I feel so safe and treasured in your arms." She smiled demurely. "My love for you built up slowly over time, from little things, like your story-telling and how cute you are with Jas." His fiancée paused and stroked the back of his hand with her thumb. "With each day that goes by, I find more things to love about you."

"I promise to cherish you always, especially on the days when you don't feel so loveable," Emily pledged and he could tell she meant every word. Her energy was like the sun, lifting Shane's spirit and filling him with warmth, even on a day as cold as this. "I look forward to remaining by your side as your wife for the rest of our lives."

Gus was already blubbering softly off to the side with his violin and Gunther took that as a cue to get things moving. "Do you have the rings?"

Charlie, who had been held by Marnie the entire ceremony and was slightly damp from the woman's happy tears, was released into the aisle and strutted her way toward the poultry farmer. Her cream-colored feathers were puffed out against the chill, making her look more like a walking marshmallow than a hen. Shane stooped down to pluck her off the ground and untied the cord around her neck that held their wedding bands. After giving his feathered friend a pat, Shane allowed Charlie to roost on his shoulder for the remainder of the ceremony.

Gunther accepted the rings and distributed Shane's ring to Emily and vice versa. "Emily, please present to Shane his ring," the official instructed.

Emily smiled and eased the metal band onto his finger. "I offer this ring as a sign of my love and devotion," the barmaid proclaimed. Shane echoed her words back as he slipped Emily's wedding band on her ring finger as well.

The goateed celebrant beamed proudly at the sight of them. "Now, do you Shane, take Emily to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do." Shane replied. He had never been so sure of anything in his life.

Gunther then focused on Emily, but he never got the chance to repeat the process. She simply shouted, "I DO!" and lunged at Shane face first, causing Charlie to flap away with a cluck of alarm. Shane was surprised, but reacted quickly enough to catch her. Before the tuxedo-glad man could say anything to suggest they should wait until the ceremony officially ended, Shane lost himself in a barrage of Emily's affections.

Gunther backed away from the couple. "Well, it seems you don't need my permission to get things started!" he chuckled. Pushing his spectacles up the bridge of his nose, the officiant made his declaration. "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce the two of you husband and wife! Now run along, it's freezing out here!"

A roar of applause and cheers erupted from the villagers, and a few high-pitched whistles pierced the air. Shane swept Emily off her feet and carried her in his arms toward The Stardrop Saloon to kick off the reception party. Their neighbors all fell in line behind the new married couple and paraded into the bar for a night of good food and dancing.

When the night came to an end, Shane and Emily stumbled into the Mayoral Manor, the home in which they would start their lives together as husband and wife. The dark-haired man went to wash up for the night and Emily gasped when she saw what secret the makeup had hidden. "Shane! What happened?" touching his cheek gingerly.

Shane shook his head, eyeing the green and blue splotches on his face. "I'm fine, the paint just stained my skin last night. Samantha took care of things for me." He glanced up at her. "Would you still have married me if I showed up looking like this?"

Emily's mouth pinched inward as she restrained herself from laughing. "I may have let a few giggles slip out," his wife admitted with a smirk, "but I still would have been just as eager to marry you, Shane."

Touched, Shane kissed her. Emily then took his hand and led her husband toward the bedroom. "I'm going to need some help getting out of this dress," his wife crooned seductively, and Shane lips pulled back in a smirk as he got to work. He was the luckiest man alive.

Author Note:

As of yesterday 2022/04/21, it's officially been two years since I posted chapter 1 of this series! (I posted on AO3 first, which is why the date is off on FFN.) It's kind of crazy to think about.

Like, what the hell?

Where did the time go?

How did did I write so many words?

Why am I still nowhere near finished?

Anyway, as always, thanks for reading! :)