A recommendation but not a necessity. Pull up Star-Spangled Man With a Plan while reading this chapter. I rewrote the song to fit the mood and that's just a touch of the chaos still to come.

It's perfect for the almighty 200th chapter.

Chapter 200: There's Something in the Box Cake

"Who's strong and brave, here to save our amazing Camp SHIELD?

After the ceremony, James kept the newlyweds outside for wedding photos as the cadets finished setting up the reception. He kept some with him to take photos with their cell phones.

At James' order, Xavier had to fetch the Captain America shield from his cabin. He said it was "necessary" for the photos and upcoming reception, the first never seeming to end. James made him pose like his father back in the day when he was a propaganda puppet for the US government, the overly macho poses in a Camp Dad windbreaker. Xavier only agreed because it made his wife happy. His wife. Even she imitated some of Captain America's propaganda poses which made him laugh.

"Okay," James says, lowering his phone, "I just got word that the reception is set up and your wedding papers have gone through to the government via emergency transmission thanks to our clearance levels. Our only song is the other track on that military alphabet record. You'll love it. We tailored it just for you."

"Really?" Sigyn asks intrigued, holding Xavier's hand tightly as he holds the shield in his other hand.

"I don't like the sound of this," Xavier says.

James grins. "Why do you think I made you get the shield?"

Xavier hates the sound of it, especially when he hears the familiar sound of the patriotic marching tune that made up his childhood. He and Angela used to laugh at their dad when they would watch old films of their father's early days as Captain America, selling war bonds and making promotional reels for the war. Sigyn holds his arm excitedly as she bounces along.

Now it's his entrance song as a married man. He'll be disowned.

"God, why?" Xavier whines as the marching music grows louder.

"Camp music at its finest," James responds, laughing. "It's Camp's new theme song."

"This is blasphemous."

"Shut up, Husband," Sigyn orders.

"Listen to the Mrs.," James orders him. He kicks open the doors to the cafeteria where the cadets were waiting. "And now for your camp parents, Captain and Mrs. Xavier Rogers."

Who vows to fight like a man for what's right night and day?

The cafeteria hasn't really been decorated but the tables were pushed to the side except for one at the other end meant to be their newlywed table. There were streamers hanging from the ceilings that are pinned on the walls and bordering tables, Camp colours to match the modified Star-Spangled Man With a Plan song. Their only food was the supplies left for their Camp meals, standard stuff to get them through the day. At least they had the alcohol that the staff kept on site (allegedly, Dr. Pym pointed to where it was hidden). Underage drinking is allowed on this occasion. Besides, what happens at Camp stays at Camp.

Before any of the reception festivities could start, Xavier and Sigyn sit at their newlywed table, his arm over her shoulders, as three cadets, one from each program stand before them with a plastic red cup in their hands.

They had to draw straws to see which program got to speak first. Xavier and the other Operations cadets cheer when they win. Sigyn and Communications didn't falter when they were chosen last because she knows they'll have the best toast if it was anything like their pine tree prank. James found that Sci-Tech having the middle ground was fair since he wasn't the married party.

"One of the things we were warned about Camp was Camp Dad," the Operations cadet starts, opening an arm towards Xavier. "We've heard horror stories from those who went to camp with him or were under his supervision when he was an RA. Never smiling, always brooding, giving orders, but still a nice guy who will take a bullet for you. We didn't even think you'd be here this year since you were finally sent to the field. We can't wait to tell the cadets back at the Academy that they were wrong since you were smiling the whole time you were here minus all your sobbing at the wedding. We owe it to the windbreaker we gave you at the start to soften you up and Camp Mom, in that order."

Sigyn nudges Xavier, finally getting an explanation for why the Operations cadet got him the Camp Dad windbreaker.

"We honestly thought you two were married the whole time since Camp Mom introduced herself as Sigyn Rogers," the Sci-Tech cadet continues and the other cadets nod. "Dr. Pym didn't comfort us but scared us even more when he said he and Camp Dad were teaming us up against Communications. Communications joining for the first time was already monumental but that team-up was something else. We've heard the story of the feral hog attack and the earthquake that destroyed Camp so we were scared to see what you two would concoct together. The shrunken cabin in a hamster ball in the lake was the best thing we've ever seen and done. We've theorized that moment as the catalyst for this wedding."

James stands on a table to cheer as the other Sci-Tech cadets join him. Operations protests that their program came up with that idea too until Communications cadets shush them so they could speak.

"Please," the Communications cadet scoffs. "You wish your program kicked off the wedding." She looks at Xavier and Sigyn with a smile. "Camp Dad, Communications thanks you for bringing us our Camp Mom. We as a program never cared about the prank war but she made it enjoyable for us. Aside from being a wizard and an informal Communications child from SHIELD's orphanage, she's the best program leader for us. We didn't think much of her when she first came since we saw her as Captain Rogers' Plus-One but now she's Camp's co-leader - or real leader since she's your wife - and it's only been about a week. And since it was our prank was last and led to the wedding and now our programs are unified, we win."

Sigyn stands, breaking from Xavier's embrace to cheer with her cadets, louder than the other programs combined. All the program speakers toast their cups and drink.

Who will campaign door-to-door for Camp SHIELD?
Carry the flag shore to shore for Camp SHIELD?
From Jersey to Ohio
Our Camp Dad with a Plan!

Sigyn stands in the centre of the room as the Camp SHIELD anthem is about to restart. She conjures some magic and waves her hands over her body, a thin coat of magic runs over her and changes her outfit. Her wedding ceremony athleisure shifts to the Star-Spangled Man showgirl outfit from the '40s. A short dress with a red and white pleated skirt and a dark blue backless and sleeveless top that clips at the back of the neck like a swimsuit. Her sneakers turn to small silver heels and her dark blue flight attendant hat that sits on her blonde pin-up curls has her small veil hanging from the back. To top it off, she has a silk pageant girl sash strung across her body with Camp Mom written in cursive.

Cadets (and James) cheer, roaring in excitement as she rounds up other interested cadets. When she turns back to Xavier, who had to take a seat after seeing her change into that look but couldn't keep his eyes off her. He slouches back as he covers his mouth with his palm. She knows he's grinning just with his eyes and underneath his hand.

She turns her back to him as she looks at the cadets who have joined her. She dances a little to show them their choreography as she did back as a cheerleader, which is the same dance number from the performances back in the '40s.

"Goddamn…" James mutters as he pats Xavier's shoulder. "As much as I love the Camp Mom ensemble, she should've married you in that."

"What do you think I'm thinking about?" Xavier mutters and James nods encouragingly.

When Sigyn turns around, she snaps her fingers and her assembled cadets appear in a matching showgirl outfit minus the veil and sash. They line up and cock a hip. Once Sigyn stands front and centre of her backup dancers, the song starts again and they all salute Xavier. On the tune, they start the performance from the '40s, beaming along with the riling crowd.

"How does she know that dance?" James asks as he starts taking a video of it.

"I don't want to know," Xavier responds.

To his surprise, Sigyn scurries up to him in her showgirl outfit. The moment she takes his hands, she grins as his outfit changes into the '40s version of the Captain America uniform from the spangles to the mask and the red boots. Xavier screams, even when he notices the shield is the old pointed version. Sigyn smiles, kissing him as she pulls him up to his feet and pushes the mask off his head. She straps the shield to his back and gestures for him to join her on the dance floor.

James hollers, leaning over to hold his cramping side. He begins taking photos as cadets start cheering and chanting for him to get up there.

We can't ignore there's a drill and a prank we must do

The modified version of Star Spangled Man With a Plan is now known as Camp's anthem Camp Dad with Camp Mom was growing on Xavier. It could be that it was so cheesy that he loved it or that it was on loop so he's grown used to it. In reality, it was that the cadets made the song, the windbreaker, the wedding. It made Sigyn happier than she thought she would get from Camp. He was not only happy that she was his wife but that she got the wedding she didn't know she wanted or expected after those horrendous seven years on Asgard.

So here they are now, having their first dance as husband and wife in the middle of the dimmed cafeteria in the '40s Captain America and showgirl outfit. His hands hold the small of her back and hers are wrapped around the back of his neck since she's leaning into him.

"When did you buy this?" Sigyn asks. She lowers her wrist with the charm bracelet, referring to the S charm.

"After Stark and Daniel's wedding," Xavier responds, "yet before I went to the South and you went to prison. We didn't explicitly establish what we were when you came back so I figured the charm would be a good start. Turned out better than I thought, wouldn't you think?"

Sigyn looks out at the cadets who are dancing amongst each other, lots of intermingling within the programs. "Agreed."

Xavier leans into her. "So are you taking my name or is it still a cover?"

Sigyn looks at him and pauses. Sigyn Rogers was her cover to keep her true name to herself. But her real name - her birth name - was said during the ceremony when he was making her his lawful wedded wife. Nobody flinched since they were too caught up in the moment and they were more interested in her magic. Sigyn was born as Sigyn Lokisdottir. She's gone by so many names her whole life, each representing a new chapter symbolized by a charm on her bracelet. She always thinks she's weak whenever her former self would break but she always rises stronger than before. Now she's Sigyn Rogers, starting this part with matching windbreakers and spangled costumes with her husband.

The strongest she's ever felt.

Sigyn grins. "Oh, it's mine now."

Who'll hang a noose on the goose-stepping cadets from home?

"Sorry that it's not some multilayered delicacy."

Xavier and Sigyn didn't expect a cake. They didn't even think about one but then James came out of the kitchen with a flat plain brown cake on a sheet pan. It smells like chocolate and there are no icing, sprinkles, fondant or bridal cake toppers because it's a camp wedding with a budget of working with what's already provided.

"I love it," Sigyn says as she makes a knife appear in her hand. "Matches the wedding theme."

"What is this cake?" Xavier asks as Sigyn starts cutting out pieces.

James shrugs. "Some old box mix in the kitchen cupboards. I think it's been here since even before Vander was a cadet."

"Not comforting but comforting," Xavier says.

He notices Sigyn lifting a piece for them but neither of them has a plate. Xavier takes his shield off his back, thankful Sigyn turned it back to the circular vibranium version that looked more like a serving plate.

"Blasphemous!" James yells sarcastically, pointing at the sacrilegious. He takes a picture for their wedding album.

Sigyn happily puts a piece of sheet pan box cake on the shield. The campers and James got sporks to eat their dry pieces but Xavier and Sigyn broke off bites with their hands and shoved them in each other's faces. It tastes exactly how it looks but that makes them love it even more.

Who will indeed lead the call for Camp SHIELD?
Who'll rise or fall, give their all for Camp SHIELD?
Who's here to prove that we can?
Our Camp Dad with his Wife!

Xavier and Sigyn were sitting at their newlywed table, cuddling each other with their shield of box cake in front of them. Both of them wearing their matching Camp windbreakers over their '40s costumes as the cadets took over the dance floor for the time. Out of Xavier's seven years at Camp, he doesn't remember ever seeing cadets this happy, even when he was a freshman. It's refreshing.

"So, wife…" Xavier says before his voice trails off from grinning at the term.

"Gods, I'm your wife," Sigyn says, gripping his windbreaker excitedly.

Xavier nestles on of her head, kissing her there. "My wife. I now know why Daniel loves saying it so much."

Sigyn smiles softly. "I feel bad only James is here."

Xavier sighs, resting on her shoulder. "I do too. My parents did something like this, you know that. They eloped after a mission and came back married unbeknownst to everyone."

She lights up a little. "Then let's have a vow renewal like your parents. It was fun. James can write new vows for us."

"We've been married for five minutes and you're already thinking of a vow renewal. I love you so much." He kisses her cheek. "Speaking of parents, was I supposed to ask your dad for a blessing? Or Thor or Jane? Or even Apollo?"

Sigyn shrugs with a laugh. "Too late for that. But Loki would just tell you that it's up to me which it is. Fate can kiss my ass."

Xavier waves that idea off. "Like James said as the officiant, fuck Fate."

"First cross-program couple on the record too," James states as he approaches them. "Operations and Communications wedded in Camp matrimony by Sci-Tech. No wonder we all get along now."

Xavier nods at him before looking at Sigyn. He holds her shoulders so she's looking at him. "And most of all, my darling wife, since we were talking about parents, fuck your mother who haunted you with the 'most powerful in the realms' tale because of your magic. Okay? There I finally said it. I wouldn't ask her for shit let alone a blessing. I'm no Norn but taking over Camp SHIELD is what the prophecy meant by being the most powerful in all the realms. Actually, fuck the Norns too while we're at it."

Sigyn's face drops as she stares at him. Xavier exhales but doesn't take back what he said. It's the first time he's ever really spoken out about Amora and the Norns, and Fate in general. It's impacted and affected all of them so much to the brink of insanity and he's tired of it. Like James said in his officiant speech, their wedding was telling those parties to screw it and he's confirming it.

"Wow…" James mutters, taking a drink. "Just going after your dead mother-in-law like that. Respect. She deserved it and more."

Sigyn collapses into Xavier's embrace, hugging him tightly as she rests in the nook of his shoulder. Xavier readjusts in his seat and hugs her back as she looks up at him. She wears a sad smile with tears brimming her eyes.

"You have no idea how much I love you," she whispers.

Magical, loyal, and true,
(See all the spells she casts, we tell ya, she's a wizard!)
Forceful and ready to unite the Blue, Green, Yellow!

"You know I'm aiming at you, Pym!" Sigyn screams.

"Not if I can't help it!" James yells.

Sigyn grips her bouquet and whips it right at him. James lights up his hands to blast it but the flowers don't incinerate. For a moment, everyone thought Ohio floral was that extreme but Sigyn holds it in her protection in a small sphere of magic. She thrusts it forwards by pushing her other palm forwards to shove it into his arms. Sigyn blows the magic from her fingertips like flames on a wick as cadets cheer for her and James.

Who'll give Operations the sack and is smart as a fox?
(Far as a counsellor will drop!)
Who's making Sci-Tech afraid to step out and fly?
(She knows what we're fighting for!)

They didn't have a garter to toss nor did they want to do that tradition in front of all the cadets. With their non-existent Camp budget of using their surroundings, Sigyn removed her small veil from her showgirl hat and passed it to Xavier who bordered his shield with it. He looks out to the cadets who read his mind as they all pointed to where he was hiding, which was shrunken and on a lighting fixture on the ceiling.

"Get him," Sigyn orders her husband, staring daggers at James.

"I thought you didn't want me marrying your sister!" James screams as Xavier whips the shield at him, narrowly missing the lighting fixture.

Who waked the giant in Communications?
We know it's no one but our new Camp Mom!

As the cadets start winding down, heading back to their cabins for the night or sitting down although the anthem is still playing loudly, Sigyn sits crossed-legged at her newlywed table with a laptop she had a cadet fetch her. She glances up from typing when she sees Xavier approaching her from the kitchen after finding James in there after throwing the shield at him. Sigyn arches her head back to look at him and he leans forwards to kiss her.

"What are you doing?" Xavier asks, gesturing to her laptop as he takes a seat next to her.

"Typing wedding notice letters to let everyone know we're married," Sigyn says.

She turns the laptop towards him and he leans in closer to read it. His brows furrow before he grins, looking at his wife who's beaming as she watches him read it. He pats her knee as she turns the laptop back towards her to finish it off.

"God, that sounds exactly like Communications," Xavier says. "You were really raised by them. Have Vander show you the letter they wrote after James and I destroyed Camp."

"That was my goal," Sigyn states. "So circling back to my question from when I dropped you from the tree."

"God, you really are Communications," he smiles at her, "but which question?"

"Can we come back to Camp next year?" Sigyn asks.

Xavier looks at her and how genuine she was when she first asked that question in the pine tree. It led them to sitting at their newlywed table because they got married. "So you were serious about that."

Sigyn nods. "It'll be our anniversary and we're now the parents of a unified Camp. We even have a song. We have to be here. Being Camp Mom and Dad is a big commitment."

"A bigger commitment than getting married a few hours ago?"

"Yes."

Xavier tries to hide a grin at how fast she answered. "You're right. Camp and I really are lucky to have you."

He pulls her close and kisses her again. Despite having separate lives on Earth and Asgard, they've managed to find a common ground at Camp SHIELD to be themselves again. Marriage is a loving alignment of two individuals who could live parallel lives next to each other but not give up and dreams or hopes. They're in love and married. They've become a part of each other's lives and everything they do.

Who'll finish what SHIELD began?
Who'll kick the cadets to Camp?
Our Camp Dad with Camp Mom!
(Who's strong and brave, here to save the Camp SHIELD way?)"

Again, I'm not crying. You are.

It's still May 2021 as I'm typing this chapter but you're reading this in June 2022. I can't believe we've had weekly updates for this long (the only thing I'm thankful for the endless lockdowns on my end).