John rolled over, reaching for his wife, only to find her side of the bed cold to the touch. He cracked his eyes open as the sleep fog cleared, allowing him to remember that Ellie and Alex had crashed at the hotel. Some nonsense about not seeing the bride before the wedding day... as if they hadn't already been married nearly four months already. It was early October and Ellie's fellowship had ended five weeks earlier. She now worked at the Oceanside campus of the San Diego Childrens' Hospital in the Neurology department.
Alexandra's adoption was finalized two weeks after the girls' birthday, the case expedited at the urging of the - recently promoted - Brigadier General Beckman. Which meant that the adoption process was completed in just enough time to list John and Ellie Casey as her parents on record when it came time to register for kindergarten. They had chosen to hold off on telling Alex of the adoption until after the wedding, lest she spill the beans to their family and friends who were not in the know.
Since Ellie had been busy finishing up her fellowship, John had put together the wedding plans. He secured the chapel for their Saturday morning nuptials. Paster Joe was aware that they were already married, but would go through the normal wedding service, the only difference being that they wouldn't have to bother with signing the marriage certificate, since it was already on file with the Clark County Clerk's office in Las Vegas, Nevada. John and Ellie had sat down with the pastor a couple times to plan out their vows and the scripture that would be read at the wedding.
When it came to their attire, at his wife's request, he would wear his dress blues, which were now hanging in the closet, back in his garment bag after spending a good portion of the night checking and rechecking that everything was in order. His shoes where polished to a mirror shine and sitting on his dresser next to his cover, belt, sword, and socks. The service was at 10:30, pictures would be immediately after, and then the wedding party and guests would head to the social hall for their reception luncheon, which was to be served at 12:30. The immediate family, namely, the Caseys, Bartowskis, and Helen would then go home to change into less formal attire and meet up around 17:30 at La Bella Rosa for dinner. They would also meet up for brunch at John and Ellie's on Sunday morning before Chuck and Sarah had to head back to San Francisco.
John's ruminations over the schedule for the next day and a half were interrupted by the smell of fresh brewed coffee. Which would only mean his brother-in-law was already up. He grunted as he got out of bed and made his way to the kitchen to see Chuck at the stove, coffee cup in one hand, spatula in the other as he stood at the stove.
"Good morning, John," The younger man greeted him with a warm smile, "Wedding day pancakes?"
"Sure," John grunted with a nod as he poured himself a cup of coffee and took a sip. Apparently, Chuck liked his coffee strong, which suited John just fine.
"I'm just about done with these," Chuck advised, "Would you mind getting the butter and syrup?"
John nodded, setting his coffee on the counter, and grabbed the requested condiments. Once they were set on the table, he grabbed plates and utensils, setting two places, and returned to top off his coffee and his brother-in-law's.
Chuck finished cooking the last couple pancakes and added them to the stack he was keeping warm in the oven before pulling the plate out and carrying them to the table. "Bon appetite!" He announced, taking his seat.
The men didn't speak much as they doctored their pancakes and ate. By the time they'd finished and cleaned up, it was just about 09:00 and time to start getting ready for the wedding. John was thankful that the house he'd been assigned to came with a guest bath, which allowed both men to get ready without tripping over each other or fighting over who got the shower first.
John quickly showered and pulled on his boxers before going to the sink to get a good shave. Once he was sure that his face was whisker free, he applied the aftershave that Ellie loved on him, adding a little extra for good measure before heading back into his room to finish dressing. As a kid, he'd watched his old man don his dress uniform for formal events, and even now followed the same order his father did. Undershirt and socks first, followed by the dark blue dress pants with the red stripe down the outside seam – since it was fall, then his shoes. Next was his dress shirt, which was tucked in, and his cufflinks. He pulled on his jacket and buttoned it up, securing the collar, then checked his belt to make sure the sword attachment for his belt was in good shape. Securing the belt around his waist, he picked up his gloves, his cover, and his sword – which he would attach to his belt upon arriving at the church - and headed toward the living room.
His brother-in-law was waiting for him, dressed in a tailored dark navy suit and red tie. "Ready to go?" Chuck asked, getting a nod from John before the men headed out to the garage to get into John's Crown Victoria, which had been detailed for the occasion.
The drive to the church was short, and the men made their way into the sanctuary, where some of the guests had already started to arrive. They greeted those they knew as the headed to the room that was designated for them until it was time for the ceremony to begin. John quickly secured his sword to his belt and waited until it was time for the ceremony to begin. Luckily, they didn't have to wait long as, shortly after they arrived, they heard a knock on the door.
"Well, don't you two look handsome?" Helen smiled at both of the men as the entered, she wore a conservative navy sheath dress with a gauzy long sleeve duster over top. On her wrist was a corsage with a cluster of red begonias. She also carried a matching boutonniere, which she pinned to Chuck's suit jacket. "Well, I think it's about time we get this show on the road. Chuck, you know where to meet your sister?" Chuck nodded, "Good, she's waiting for you and the other ladies in the prayer room. We'll give you a few moments to get over there."
Chuck smiled, gave Helen a quick kiss on the cheek, and took his exit.
"You look just like your father," Helen sighed, "He'd be so proud of you and the life you've built for yourself."
"Thanks," John blushed slightly at his mother's observation. "I wish he were here."
"Me too," Helen nodded, wiping a stray tear from her eye, "But I bet he's looking down from heaven on us. He would have loved Ellie."
"Yeah," John chuckled, "And he would have spoiled Alex."
"Oh, without a doubt that little girl would have had him wrapped around her little finger in a blink of an eye," Helen agreed.
"I wish Alex could have known him," He shrugged.
"Well, she still can," Helen insisted, "We can tell her about him, show her videos and the like."
"I guess you're right," John admitted.
"Of course I am," Helen chuckled.
Whatever retort John had was cut off by a knock at the door followed by Debbie entering, "What's the hold up? Everyone is waiting. You're not getting cold feet, are you? Because, let me tell you, Sarah and I spent too much time on Ellie's hair and makeup for it to go to waste."
"We were just giving Chuck enough time to get over to where Ellie is." John explained.
"Well, he sent me over here to let you know to get a move on." Debbie countered.
"Debbie, why don't you go let the pastor know we're ready to begin?" Helen asked her daughter, who nodded her agreement and headed out, "Let's go get you married, care to walk me to my seat?"
"Let's do this," John smiled, opening the door of the room and guiding his mother through. As they approached the doors to the sanctuary, he offered his arm to his mother, who gladly took it. He walked her to her seat, kissing her on the cheek before heading toward the pastor, shaking his hand, then taking his place facing the back of the church.
A moment later, Alex skipped down the aisle in her white dress, dropping red silk rose petals as she went. When she reached the front of the church, she waved at her daddy and blew him a kiss before taking her seat with her nanna.
Sarah entered next, carrying a small bouquet of red begonias. She wore a red dress that matched the color of her husband's tie. When she was about halfway down the aisle, the doors to the church closed. Once Sarah had reached the front of the church, she took her place across from where John stood, and slightly off-center.
The music changed and the doors opened to reveal Ellie on her brother's arm. John was nearly struck dumb by the sight of his wife. He thought she'd looked beautiful when they'd gotten married in Vegas over their birthday weekend, but seeing her now, she was absolutely radiant! She wore a sleeveless gown with a lace overlay that flowed along her natural shape and had trailed ever so slightly behind her. Her hair was left mostly down in soft waves, and she had a gauzy veil attached at the crown of her head that flowed down to just below her waistline. Her eyes, those mesmerizing green eyes, sparkled with love for her husband as she met his gaze and gave him a half-smile, which he returned.
When Ellie and Chuck had reached the front of the church, the pastor asked who presented her.
"On behalf of our family, I do," Chuck responded to the pastor's question before kissing his sister's cheek and handing her over to her groom before taking his place as John's best man.
The pastor read a passage from Genesis before speaking briefly on the character love and the blessings and responsibilities of marriage. Soon, the time came for the vows to be exchanged, the pastor instructed them to join hands before prompting John to speak.
"Eleanor… Ellie, I never have been a man of many words," John started, earning soft chuckles from their friends and family gathered in the sanctuary, "So I'll keep this brief. I found love once, and from that love was born Alexandra, even if I didn't know it at the time. When I was called on to make the difficult decision to walk away from that love in order to serve in the way I was being called, I had no hope of ever finding love like that again, and I still haven't." He took a deep breath to gather his nerves, "What we have, what we share, is so much greater than I ever had before. In you I found a deep and abiding love that was built to stand firm through good times and bad, sickness and health, peacetime and deployments… I never would have imagined when I walked into that clinic over a year ago that I would find, not only the true love of my life, the woman who would love my daughter just as much as if she'd borne her herself, but the other half of my soul. Today, I pledge myself to you, to protect you, love you, and grow with you from here on out. I love you, Doc."
"Thank you, Jonathan," Pastor Joe gave him a soft smile before turning to the bride, "Eleanor?"
"All my life, I've dreamed of three things. To become a neurologist, to be a mother, and to find the man who would love me like no other." Ellie smiled up at her husband, "As all little girls do, I dreamed of finding my knight in shining armor, or my prince who would sweep me off my feet as we ride off into the sunset. I looked forward to the day that I would experience love at first sight. Years passed, and I kissed more than my fair share of frogs, but never felt that spark, the instant draw to another person, let alone anything resembling prince, or a knight in shining armor. I figured that's just not how love worked, sure there might be attraction, chemistry at first sight, but love at first sight was nothing more than a lovely work of fantasy fuel. That was until the day I met you. Instead of riding in on a white horse, you came in a black Crown Vic, and carrying your daughter. You wore no royal attire, nor shining armor to make your stand apart, but the same service uniform your brethren wear. I never knew what love at first sight meant until I walked into that exam room and saw you. I don't know what it was, but something told me that I needed you, you both, in my life.
"With the encouragement of a trusted mentor, who shall remain nameless," Their guests chuckled, "I took that first step, or really, that first flying leap into what I hoped to be something good. What I found was way more than that. We've had our good times and bad, and as each day passes, I fall deeper and deeper in love with you. I also love your daughter, more and more every day. I aways thought I would fall in love, get married, and eventually have kids. Well, that went out the window the day my dad disappeared. I more or less became a mom to my little brother, who let's face it, I was already raising with little to no help from my dad. When I look back, I realize those experiences prepared me to dive headfirst into motherhood again when you and Alex came into my life. Like you said a few minutes ago, I love that little girl like my own. Alex may not have grown in my womb, but she grew in my heart, and I consider it an honor to be called her Mama. I look forward to the day we can give her a sibling or two, I can't wait to see the look on your face the day I can tell you that you're going to be a daddy again. Our life together won't always be easy, we've experienced a bit of that already, but we came out stronger on the other side of every hard situation we've had to deal with. I love you, and promise to always have your six, through all the ups and downs, joys and sorrows, that life may send our way. I love you, always and forever, Marine."
Pastor Joe then asked for the rings, which Sarah and Chuck handed to him. "Jonathan, please place this ring on Eleanor's hand and repeat after me. With this ring as a token of my love and fidelity to you, I thee wed."
John repeated the words the pastor guided him through, sliding the ring back where it belonged on her left ring finger. Ellie was then guided through the same ritual as she guided John's ring onto his finger. Overwhelmed by love and happiness, Ellie began to mist up, a small tear trying to make a break for it, only to be stopped by John's thumb brushing it off of his wife's cheek.
"Jonathan and Eleanor, in the speaking of your vows and the exchange of rings, in the sight of God and this congregation, you have declared your commitment to each other and your family. By the power invested in me by God through his Church and the United States Marine Corps, I pronounce you husband and wife. What God has joined together, may no man put asunder. Jonathan, you may kiss your bride." Pastor Joe announced, stepping back a bit, to give John and Ellie the space they needed to seal their vows with a kiss, and they did not disappoint. When it looked like they were just about finished, "It is my great honor and privilege to present for the first time in public, Captain Jonathan and Doctor Eleanor Casey!"
Cheers and applause rose from the congregation as John and Ellie shared a kiss before making their way out of the church. While their guests made their way over to the social hall, the family stayed back for pictures. Since the wedding party and family were more or less one and the same, the pictures didn't take long, and soon they were joining their guests at the reception. Before the dancing began, John and Ellie got everyone's attention and asked Alexandra to join them.
"As some of you may or may not know, Alexandra's biological mom lost her life about a year and a half ago." John started, "When Ellie and I got engaged, I floated the suggestion of her possibly adopting Alex. Ellie, wise woman that she is, suggested we include Alex in the discussion. Needless to say, the decision was unanimous, and we started the process for Ellie to legally adopt Alex. Thankfully the process wasn't dragged out and the adoption was finalized pretty quickly."
"Alexandra," Ellie turned to the little girl, holding a rectangular box in her hands, "Your daddy and I gave each other rings to show the world that we are now a family. I thought it would be nice if you got something that showed that you and I are now family, too." She opened the box revealing a silver necklace with a heart-shaped pendant hanging from the chain. The pendant had a small etching of a bug and was inscribed around the outside edge of the pendant. "Over the past few months, we have talked about how you grew in your first mommy's tummy, and how much she loved you. The same way you grew in my heart, and I love you just like any other mommy would love her baby girl. When I bought this necklace for your, I had them write 'You grew within my heart,' to remind you of how much I love you and promise to always be your Mama." Ellie lifted the chain from the box and motioned for Alex to turn around as she fastened the necklace around the girl's neck. It was a little long on her, but not so long it could slip off over her head and would last her a few years before they needed to buy a longer chain for the necklace.
Once the necklace's clasp was closed, Ellie turned Alexandra to face her again, "I love you Doodle Bug. Nothing will ever change that."
"I love you too, Mama," Alex threw her arms around her Mama as their guests cheered and applauded for them.
The deejay gave them a moment more before calling John and Ellie to the middle of the dance floor to share their first dance. They swayed to the music, sharing loving looks, and brief kisses as Etta James' At Last played. As the song drew to a close, John dipped his wife low then brought her up to place one last deep kiss on her lips before handing her over to her brother for their sibling dance since their father wasn't there for the traditional father/daughter dance.
Since they had to rely on each other for most of their lives, they'd chosen Lean on Me by Bill Withers as the song they would dance to. Ellie couldn't help but smile as Chuck sang along softly with the lyrics so that only she could hear. When the short instrumental interlude started, she was surprised by the question her brother spoke low in her ear, "So which anniversary are you going to celebrate? Your first one or this one?"
Ellie gave him a shocked look, earning a chuckle from her brother.
"I'm not as think as you dumb I am, Sis." He snickered, "I saw the ring you wore on your necklace when you bent down to hug Alexandra when you and John got back from wherever you went during your birthday weekend. You officially moved on to base shortly after that, something you can only do if you are military personnel or a dependent. Not to mention that there was a distinct lack of marriage certificate signing today, which means that the wedding today was not done for legal reasons."
"And you say I rubix cube you all the time," She giggled, pulling her brother into a hug as they swayed along with the music, "You're not too bad at figuring out puzzles either, little brother."
"What I haven't figured out is why," Chuck mused, "I mean you're clearly not pregnant, unless you're one of those women who don't show until they are nearly full term."
"Not pregnant," Ellie informed him, "You're not going to be an uncle again just yet. My roommate in the apartment had to move home after a death in her family, and I was struggling to pay rent on my own. I was barely home, since on the rare occasions that I wasn't in San Diego for my fellowship, I was at John's. We figured why delay the inevitable, the only reason we waited until now for the big wedding was, I wanted to get my fellowship out of the way first, so we hopped a flight to Vegas and were legally married by a justice of the peace there."
"So, we go back to the original question, which anniversary will you celebrate?" He asked.
"Does it really matter?" Ellie challenged.
"For babysitting purposes, yes," He countered, "We need to know when to clear our schedule to be on nibling duty so you and John can celebrate."
Ellie just rolled her eyes as the song ended and they cleared the floor so that John and Hellen could share their Mother/Son dance.
John hadn't told his mother which song he'd selected but wasn't surprised when she began to tear up as the opening notes of Nat King Cole's Unforgettable began to play. He knew it might trigger a lady feeling or two from his mother since it was the same song that his old man would put on to dance with her in the kitchen. The location of that kitchen changed throughout John's childhood, but the song and his parents dancing in the kitchen remained the same.
"Your dad used to dance with me to this song," Helen sighed, wiping away a stray tear, "It was what we had our first dance to."
"I know, Mom," John gave her a soft smile, "That's why I chose it. Figured if Dad couldn't be here in person, he could be here in spirit through your song."
"You really are your father's son," His mother sighed "You put on this tough persona, but he was, and you are, just old romantics at heart. …Don't worry, I won't tell anyone that doesn't already know."
John grunted a chuckle as he swayed with his mother on the dance floor, giving her a kiss on the cheek once the song was done.
John and Ellie had chosen not to do a bouquet or garter toss, so once they cut the cake, their guest enjoyed music, dancing, and company until the early evening when the reception was wrapped up so that everyone could go home for dinner. John and Ellie received congratulations, hugs, handshakes, kisses, and the like as their guests made their way out to where their cars were parked.
Helen took Alexandra with her while John and Ellie headed home to change for their private family dinner. Ellie couldn't help but giggle when John insisted on carrying her across the threshold of their home.
"Hey, vows were exchanged," He teased her, "Way I figure, means I gotta carry my bride over the threshold again, and consummate those vows again for good measure."
"Well, the last part of that will have to wait, Marine," She pressed slow kiss to her husband's lips as he set her back down. "Now, we have people waiting on us, so we'd better get changed and to the restaurant. Now I need you to undo some of these buttons so I can get changed."
"Yes, ma'am," John rumbled low in his throat as he released half of the buttons that ran the length of his wife's back until she told him she could take it from there. With more than a little restraint, he watched as Ellie sauntered down the hall to the guest room, sending him a salacious look over her shoulder before disappearing into the guest room to change.
Knowing the sooner he changed, the sooner they could get to the restaurant and eat dinner, and the sooner he could get his wife into their bed to recreate their first wedding night. He gave a passing thought to whether that little slip of nothing she'd enticed him with in Vegas would make a reappearance that evening, but quickly shook it from his head on focused on the task at hand as he quickly unbuttoned, unbuckled, and unfastened his uniform, carefully packing everything away before pulling a suit from the closet and quickly getting dressed.
He was already in the living room when his wife joined him. She wore the same form fitting dress she'd worn in Vegas the first time she pledged herself to him. She'd taken some time to sweep her hair up in an elegant updo and had freshened up her makeup while she was at it. Just like the last time he'd seen her dressed like this, he had to pick his jaw up off the floor.
"Now that just ain't fair, Doc." He pulled her into his arms, whispering low in her ear as he dotted kissed along her jaw, "You're lookin' temptin' enough to eat, and here I gotta behave myself through dinner with our family and our daughter, when all I wanna do is drag you back into our room and take my time pealing you out of this dress and make love to you until you scream my name so loud it shakes this house from its foundation."
"Well, waiting will make it all the better," She gave him a Mona Lisa smile, "Besides who are you to claim I'm too tempting when you're over here looking all sexy in that bespoke suit you had made for our first wedding?"
"What do you say to ditchin' dinner?" He asked as he pressed a kiss to the junction of her neck and shoulder, "It's not like they'd really miss us."
"Tempting as that is, you're wrong," Ellie giggled, pushing him back slightly to meet his eyes, "As the guests of honor, we would very much be missed. That being said, we know what we like there, we can decide what we'll order on our drive over that way we can order and eat quickly, Chuck and Sarah and your mom are already arguing over who will foot the bill, so we can take off while they duke it out and get back to... more pleasurable activities."
"I like that idea," John smirked, "I like mine better, but yours avoids ruffling as many feathers... let's go. I wanna eat dinner quickly before I come back to devour you."
Ellie laughed as her husband quickly helped her with her wrap and practically dragged her out to the car to make their way to the restaurant. Despite their original intention of making a quick exit, their family spent a few hours enjoying great food and each other's company before going their separate ways.
As soon as John had parked in the garage and they were in the living room, he swept his wife into his arms, kissing her passionately as they made their way into the bedroom. Just as his fingers brushed the zipper of his wife's dress, she pulled out of his arms and promised to return shortly. He watched as she ducked into the bedroom and busied himself with stripping down to his boxers and lighting some candles and turning down the lights. As if on cue, the bathroom door opened just as he had finished turning down the bed.
"Hey there Marine," His wife greeted him huskily, and God help him the lingerie she was wearing was even sexier than what she'd worn in Vegas, the white satin complementing her creamy skin in a way that made his fingers itch to take her in his arms.
"Hot damn, Doc," John gasped, "Every time I think you can't get more beautiful, you go and surpass the mark."
Ellie grinned, walking over to him, running her hands up his arms and over his chest before letting her fingers trace patters over the hair at the back of his head that was cut in the traditional high and tight that was common of those in the Corps. "You'd say that even if I were wearing a burlap sack."
"Which just goes to prove my point, Ellie Faye," John insisted warmly as he wrapped his arms around her thin waist. "But your physical beauty is nothing compared to how sexy I find your mind, or how awe-inspiring the depth of your love is for our family. I don't know what I could have done to deserve to have someone as amazing as you fall in love with me."
"I feel the same way, John," Ellie smiled up at him, "But I've decided to just embrace it, and cherish it with no question."
"Good idea," He agreed, guiding her over to their bed, "Now speaking of cherishing…"
They took their time, stripping each other and reconsummating their marriage vows through most of the night.