"Oh, dear, I told you that we shouldn't suddenly frighten our granddaughter like that, George!", a woman's voice reprimanded as Rebecca instinctively turned around, protecting her daughter before her eyes widened, her heart pounding as before her is her and Bucky's parents, Winnifred and George, floating and gleaming like ghosts, no, spirits, as she can see faintly of their colors.
She knew sometimes she wondered if they would still love her, even with the situation of things before Dazis, and then after finding out that Helena became part of Dazis permanently, even if the conception was rather spontaneous and full of love instead of that bastard, it was genuinely true love. And now, they're here...She whispered nervously, "Please don't be mad, Mother, Father...I know I made a mistake with that...that brute, but I came out stronger thanks to Dazis, and I never, ever will be regretting my love for him and our daughter.", standing firmly even if her heart is racing with nerves.
"We know.", Winnifred assured her. "You were young and presumed to be in love; it happens, not like you were the first nor will be the last for that sort of thing to happen. And you certainly couldn't have predicted what that man was going to do.".
"Trust me, if I was still alive, I'd be in jail after hunting that bastard down for all the pain he caused you.", George told her.
Rebecca's eyes prickled with tears, "You...you don't hate me?", and Winnifred came forward, resting a hand on her daughter's cheek, "Honey, we love you so much. If we were still alive, we would have done anything to make you comfortable, even when Helena was a different child of blood before Dazis came in.".
George came closer, "She's right...Sure, we wouldn't have thought at first that we'd see Atlantis as a real place, but we would still be happy especially when Dazis turned out to be your soulmate, and the way he treats you like an equal, like a precious person to love and cherish, well, I wouldn't imagine anyone better than him now...", with a smile.
"And you aren't upset for me wanting to stay here down in Atlantis for a long, long time, even when I would check on the others occasionally in secret?", Rebecca asked quietly.
Winnifred smiled gently, "Upset? No, honey, seeing you glow and actually living, and of course, ending up with an amazing job as a teacher in this planetarium to show all of those amazing kids the mysteries of outer space and all with a side hobby of stitching beautiful tapestries, we are so happy for you, Dazis, and little Helena. Two granddaughters and one grandson on the way from you and James...And before you ask, the others with the rest of our grandchildren are doing just fine.".
Rebecca started to smile in happiness and relief, and heard Helena's shy voice, "Mommy? They not strangers?", as she looked down to see her daughter peeking in an adorable way, glancing at Winnifred and George who looked like they just fell in love already with their granddaughter.
"No, not in the slightest.", Rebecca chuckled. "It's alright... it's just your grandma and grandpa, my Mommy and Daddy.", she told her as Helena still was a bit shy; though it was understandable considering that George and Winnifred weren't 'exactly' there.
Winnifred cooed, "Oh, she's simply precious! Isn't she, George?", and George smiled, "Sure is. She sure takes after her mommy in some ways like those red highlights, and those beautiful eyes and nose, yet she is also like her daddy with the main hair color, the skin tone, and that little silver in her eyes. Hello, Helena...".
Helena blushed, smiling shyly as she heard the compliments, and blinked, "Granny and Grandaddy?", and Winifried gasped, smiling, "That's right...Oh, Rebecca, she's wonderful! And look at you, you're simply beautiful for your big day!", looking over to her daughter.
Rebecca blushed, smiling, "You don't mind that it's not exactly surface traditional all the way?", and George replied, "Not at all. Seeing you on your big day, it doesn't matter as long as you're happy with everything. Your mother's right, you're very beautiful...Just like your mother when I married her.", with a smile.
"George!", Winnifred blushed, playfully swatting her husband's chest, and George laughed heartily before a knock was heard with a concerned voice, "Rekki, is everything alright? I'm starting to think I'm imagining our folks' voices.", revealing the person behind the door to be Bucky.
Rebecca was in a bit of a quandy at what to do at that moment. Should she tell the truth about the situation? Would their parents still be here the moment Bucky opened the door?
George smiled reassuringly at Rebecca, "We're witnessing your wedding, daughter, and if you don't mind, can I join you in escorting you, along with James? We want to see him too.", and Rebecca sniffled, nodding with a watery smile, and called out to Bucky, "More than alright, Jamie! You aren't the only one who wants to escort me down the aisle.", with a happy sob.
"What do you mean by that?", Bucky asked as the door was still closed. It wasn't clicking for him by what she meant with that as Rebecca finally sighed and walked to the door. Helena probably would've said in a few minutes anyway that 'Grandma and Grandpa were visiting' or something along those lines.
Rebecca opened the door a bit, "Don't shout it out to the world, you better not scare Helena. I know you said that you saw Ana, because Audrey wanted her to be there. Well, the same thing happened to me. They want to see you too.", seeing Bucky's eyes widen as it finally clicked, and she then fully opened the door, glancing back to see Helena giggling as she showed off her flower basket to Winnifred and George, touching the flowers with compliments.
Bucky found his mouth going dry as he couldn't speak; he was just so taken over with emotions that were all conflicting at once that he practically was just frozen on the spot as Rebecca tried nudging him. "Jamie... you can say hi if you want...", she gave a small chuckle.
George nudged Winnifred gently when he noticed his son, and she looked up, smiling happily, "Oh, James!", gliding forward, gently touching his arm with a transparent hand, "Look how you've grown! I'm so proud of you, James...".
Bucky choked out, "Mom...", tears in his eyes as Winnifred held his prosthetic hand warmly, smiling gently, "You fought so hard, James...just like your father...", with a glance as George joined them, with Bucky's eyes looking straight at him with nervous longing.
George warmly landed a transparent hand on his shoulder, "Breathe, son, we're not going anywhere for a while today when we are able. And James, your mother's right...I'm sorry that I wasn't there through your teenage years, but I watched over you, and I'm damn proud of you...You fought not just for America, not just for Rebecca here, but for a future I never imagined seeing from the heavens, yet you did...You faced your problems and more. And now, you're a husband, a father, an uncle, and more.", having a proud, fatherly smile.
"I... I'm sorry that I was kinda shitty for a while there before Audrey...", Bucky admitted. "I know that I was a mess with how I acted in such a way during that time...".
George lightly squeezed his son's shoulder, "James, you don't have to apologize, but it's very much accepted...The way you've grown into a respectable, honorable, and open-minded man, actions sometimes mean more than words as an apology, and that's saying something, coming from me.", with a chuckle.
Bucky chuckled, exhaling in relief to hear that from his father, and then cleared his throat, "Right, it's almost time...You look radiant, Rekki...Dazis will be struck by love if he hasn't already.", looking at Rebecca with a warm smile.
Rebecca gasped, "Oh, I can't be late to my own wedding!", and Helena walked to her, "Mommy, Gramma help with flowers?", as Winnifred gasped, clasping her hands, looking at Rebecca with tears.
"Of course, darling. Just try to not run to Daddy, I know he will be waiting, but listen to Gramma, okay?", Rebecca smiled, and Helena smiled widely, "Okay, mommy! We go now!", bouncing and skipping on her feet.
The small family laughed warmly as they left the room, the planetarium, using one of the back doors to the large clearing, using a shortcut.
Dazis exhaled deeply, waiting at a beautiful altar of flowers and lights, relieved to have such a lovely day with few mist clouds and such with the Heart shining warmly upon the clearing, with their closest friends and family in the seats between the aisle, while the rest of Atlantis is scattered around usable few ruins that hasn't found a place to fit into other pieces like a puzzle, sitting, taking a couple of hours from their jobs as it wasn't every day that a unique mix of Atlantean and American wedding is made, even if the American bits are more of the setting, than in the ceremony.
He has waited a long time as he has promised to have Rebecca as his wife on her birthday when she finally became an adult in the eyes of several surface friends like Mr. Roosevelt and Eleanor, and that included even keeping modesty in bed when Helena needed them, which was remarkably a bit difficult on both of them, but they managed by having pleasure with clothes on, even with no articles underneath their clothes, and their wedding night, it will be the first time for him to see her without a pregnant belly between them, and he knew Rebecca is anxious even if he had reassured her many times that he loves her, pregnant or not.
He then heard the familiar sounds of faint Atlantean drum music, growing stronger and louder, echoing through the clearing, and he stood at attention in his usual guard position, watching the vines and cloth at the beginning of the aisle, and it then parted slightly to let through his adorable daughter as his eyes widened, recognizing that she wasn't alone, for he saw a woman, a mother that was in Rebecca's few, rare pictures, Winnifred blowing air to the flowers little Helena tried to throw properly with her aim as the audience cooed and awwed over the adorable sight of Helena being herself, not noticing Winnifred at all except for Audrey and Marina, with Audrey recognizing Bucky's mother with tearful joy, thanks to Bucky's pictures of his parents.
Dazis locked eyes with Winnifred who smiled at him, nodding slightly, causing him to realize with a racing heart that he got her blessing, and he took a deep breath as Helena finished her job, and skipped to Dazis's side, "I do good job, Daddy?", barely noticing that her grandma took her seat in one of the empty seats that is spiritually in honor of her and George, waiting for her granddaughter to take her seat.
"You did great.", Dazis smiled at her as she had a glowing look on her face with the proudest smile. "Think you can stay quiet for some minutes while Mommy and Daddy have their ceremony?", he asked.
Helena nodded, "Yes, Daddy! And Daddy, Mommy really pretty!", with a giggle before sprinting to her seat, smiling at her grandma and Audrey who was next to Bucky's empty seat, climbing up and sitting down.
Dazis smiled amusedly before the music changed slightly, and he looked up, watching the fabric drapes draw back fully, revealing Bucky and a man that Dazis recognized from the pictures, George if he remembered the name right, but he didn't bother to notice long for he was struck by the glorious view of his bride who is escorted by her brother and father on either side, holding a bouquet.
His breath caught as Rebecca was more than really pretty...She was stunning...Dressed in a bared-armed Atlantean designed dress of blues, pinks, and whites in different shades, in a length of American style, her red hair is in a waterfall design of waves, lush and long, her dark blue eyes sparkling in happiness and love, and her tattoos...
Gods, even from this far, he loved her even more as he understood the meaning of her tattoos, and he smiled widely, causing Rebecca to smile in a blush as she saw her husband-to-be, her soulmate, her best friend waiting and standing, looking so handsome with his hair in his custom hairstyle.
He's wearing a Atlantean toga of Greek design yet in American length in blues and golds and whites, baring his arms, and one shoulder where her heart raced to see one of his new tattoos which is a beautiful Atlantean heart with flames, showing that he loves her, for it's his pet name for her by meaning, and then the other new tattoo, right on his thigh on front is a Atlantean design of a infinity knot with a familiar symbol like one of her tattoos, symbolizing family.
Rebecca took a deep breath as she was trying to mentally prepare herself and put her nerves behind her. She wondered just how Bucky was able to make it look so easy but at least she knew that she wasn't the only one to have the jitters.
Bucky and George, son and father, escorted the bride successfully down the aisle, and Bucky spoke warmly with a glancing smile at George, "In spirit of our parents, I give my blessing on my sister and her soulmate, and so, I do give her away.", gently passing Rebecca into Dazis's hands, kissing his sister on the cheek with a smile as she passed her bouquet into Bucky's hand.
Dazis nodded, smiling, with a glance at George subtly, grateful for both of their blessings, as Bucky and George went to take their seats, and exhaled with a whisper, "I have to agree with Helena a bit, but in truth, you are more stunning next to being very pretty, Becca...".
Rebecca squeezed his hands, blushing, whispering, "You're very handsome, Dazis...", and Dazis smiled widely as they walked a bit more into the altar, as the music changed a bit, the beam of the Heart shone stronger on them, and their crystals became a bit brighter, holding hands as they looked at each other lovingly.
They decided to go with a bit of American tradition by having the groom go first, and Dazis took a deep breath, "I, Dazinish Antares, take Rebecca Primrose Barnes as my wife, to love her with my heart, soul, mind, to listen to her words when she's of need in advice, to be by her side when she is sick or in grief, to live with her through days of peace, days of turmoil, and to hold her hand or be close with her when she is giving life to our children, past and future, and to be there with her to the end of our days.", as he rested his right hand on her heart.
Rebecca smiled as she closed her eyes for a moment, took a breath and found the words flowing without worry from her tongue. "I, Rebecca Primrose Barnes, take Dazinish Antares as my husband, to love him with my heart, soul, mind, to listen to his words when he's of need in advice, to be by his side when he is sick or in grief, to live with him through days of peace, days of turmoil, and to hold his hand or be close with him when he is being a father to our children, past and future, and to be there with him to the end of our days.".
Dazis smiled brightly as he then took a deep breath, speaking next, "I, as your husband, swear to be there for our children, including our daughter, to treasure them as mine as much as yours, to love them through and through, for they will be always part of us, from the moment we have created them, to the day in the future where they will be in our arms, past and future.", holding her closer as his hand used his crystal to touch her belly through her dress for a moment.
Rebecca's eyes prickled with tears and declared from her heart, "I ask as your wife to take your surname, forever and ever, for you have given me a life here in Atlantis. Love is stronger than time. Time can fleet, but love will not. Time will leave us, but love will never leave us. And my love for you is stronger than my grasp on time...", as she took out a ring and an earring, combining their traditions this way as she donned his wedding finger lovingly, and gently put the wedding earring into Dazis' right ear, smiling happily for the first part was actually not planned like in practice, but she knew that her parents and brother would understand as she never belonged to the surface world completely, even if she will certainly visit out of family wellness checkups and seeing the progress of the surface to have news occasionally to tell Kida and Milo.
But Atlantis, and Dazis was her home now, a home that took her in and nurtured her when she was at her lowest and rescued her from the despair and gave her a future that she had thought at her darkest moments one that would no longer exist at her own hand.
