Round Three

I've been a naughty girl... I decided to change skintones after becoming fixated by Enayla's Pixie series. I used them for a good while after this before discovering my current choice.

Wedding Bells

It wasn't hard to get Joe to forsake his coffin for one day. Now we finish getting ready in our room, while I struggle to fight the unpleasant feeling in my stomach that threatens to start a wave of nausea.
"Damn, is that butterflies or pigeons I can hear down there?!" Joe quips.

"I can't help it," I confess, "It's not just the wedding either..."
His smile softens. "I know," he replies, "Just try to focus on what you're here for, huh?"
"I never heard anything back..."
Tap tap tap.
We both look towards the door, and it's Joe who answers. For a moment I watch bewildered as this green man with leafy hair comes in, but something about him looks familiar, to say nothing of the way Joe greets him.

"You look wonderful Evan," he smiles.
At first I frown. "Who are you?" I ask quizzically.
Joe and he exchange looks before the half-alien speaks.
"Evan, this is Mu... your Dad."
I freeze. My heart jumps into my throat and a hand covers my mouth in shock. No longer caring what he looks like - nothing would surprise me anymore! - as he approaches with tears welling at his eyes, I practically collapse into his waiting arms, tears of my own streaming down my cheeks.

When we eventually break away, I have all sorts of questions running through my mind, but the most important one for now is...
"How did you get like that?"
He smiles dryly in reply. "Be careful when you're out gardening," he replies, "Some plant life have a mind of their own."
I frown at the riddle he gives, but can only let him dry my face as he explains he'd been going to therapy of some kind - all I can make of it is, it helps werewolves get their old selves back, after a fashion anyway. He's still a clown and hyper-active, but he's got his tenderness back... and it shows. All of a sudden, how well the rest of the wedding goes doesn't matter anymore; the worst of it's over for me.

Although it doesn't help when your soon-to-be father in-law messes up. As my bridal party gathers in the bar and I say hello to my two nephews, Joe comes back looking slightly irked.
"Marco's been a right pillock," he curses, "There's barely room for your own guests out there. You'll have to wait your turn I'm afraid."
Trivial by comparison, but enough to bring me back to Earth.

"D'oh!" I curse to myself, although I quickly calm my irate thoughts. Still, with our wedding now delayed there's nothing else for it but to sit at the bar for a while.
"What're you having?" Joe asks, "Or is that a silly question?"
I smile up at him. "It's a silly question," I reply dryly, and let him order as we get joined by Dad, and Chris and Andy, Joe's twins.
"I'll have one too please," Chris chips in.
Joe scowls as his head turns sharply in his direction. "You won't you know!" he pointedly replies, "You're not a vampire anymore, remember that."
He merely shrugs, but I run a hand along his brow in concern, frowning at its clammy touch.
"Are you alright?" I ask, "You don't look so good."
"Yeah, I'm fine," comes his reply, but I'm not convinced. Strangely Andy seems to not be much better.
"We've already told them to go to the doctor," Joe muses, "It's been going on too long."
"Okay, okay," Andy replies as he fights a feeling of nausea.

After playing catch-up with Dad, or rather starting to since it's been several years since we last spoke, the sounds of the first wedding filter through the doors, picked up by not only my heightened hearing, but his.
"Do you want to watch?" he asks.
I look towards the door, then back at him.
"Go on," he coaxes, "She's your Mum after all."
Smiling, I get down from my seat and invite any others along as I go.
On seeing Mum I can't contain my giggles; I just knew she'd find a loophole. I make a mental note to not accept wedding invites in the future as I find myself reaching for my pocket, before a tissue appears in front of my face. Smiling knowingly I take it from its green owner, but as I look up to thank Joe I notice him using another.
"I hope you've brought enough," I mutter to him, "There's ours to go yet."

The time comes eventually, but Marco's in an ultra-silly mood and keeps messing about. Mum's being just as bad too, and I have to call out to them that it's meant to be a double wedding. In other words move off the stage, it's our turn!

That's just how I feel now, as I wait for her to arrive - like a performer ready to hit the stage. The butterflies are back, but it's nowhere near as bad as the "pigeons" I'd felt earlier. Before long it's time, and my eyes widen at the sight of her as she approaches.
"You look amazing!" I whisper to her when she's within earshot.
"Thank you," she smiles, "You also."

I remember just in time that I'm supposed to start the vows. However, despite everything that's happened, with our "initial whirlwind" that I mentioned before, I'm a gentleman.
"Ladies first," I offer with a smile. The titters rising from the crowd is a bonus.

"I have been on this Earth for centuries," she begins, "Yet never have I met such a gentle, affectionate, kind youth such as yourself... You ask so little yet give so much... and it is my solemn vow, to give what it is you need, to be a good wife and mother, to protect in times of need, and to stay true to you."
I clutch her hand with trembling fingers as I look into her eyes.
"You've already been giving me what I need," I tell her, "at a time when I felt no one else would, even if it turned out to not be true... you were there when I thought no one would listen or understand, you never judged... I needed someone my age to confide in, and you've been my rock for years... I can only promise in return to be faithful, to be a good father to our kids, to look out for you..." A thought then occurs to me, and I add an afterthought. "Oh, and one thing I'll promise not just to you but to me and everyone else - to keep away from black wolves with glowing yellow eyes!"
Sore point maybe, but people laughed. Even Dad did, which is just as well as I need to keep my mood high - all this talk of my past was starting to bring me down again. Needless to say though, I need no prompting to kiss the bride.

With the heavy stuff out of the way it's time for photos. The cameraman makes it clear that only the "more special" family members join us for the picture; after the fun he had with Mum and Marco's lot I don't blame him. I do however eye the others among my guests apologetically.
"Sorry guys," I tell them as the select group assemble, "but too many more and the poor guy would need to shoehorn us into the frame."
"Tell me about it," he grumbles, "And behave this time, okay?"
"Alright," Marco relents, muttering "Spoilsport" under his breath.
Mum and he chose white for their theme, and got our poor son Leo to dress accordingly - he spent the whole of yesterday moaning about it! Emily's Mum Nadia got asked to stand behind her next to Dad and Joe went next to me. As we're getting ready to pose though, my eye catches his sons - far from identical twins, Andy looks more like his Dad including the skin colour.
"Come on you two!" I call across, beckoning with a flick of my head, "He said special didn't he?!"

After the flash nearly blinds us the crowd starts to disperse, although all too soon Marco is up to his old tricks. Joe seems very subdued and slopes off back to the restaurant area and bar, and on watching him go I excuse myself to follow, finding him sat at the bar with a large glass of red wine.
"Are you okay?" I ask him.
He smiles briefly in his reply. "I'm starting to miss the effects of alcohol," he says softly.
I stare at him in disbelief as he takes the last gulps of his drink before setting down his glass. Of all the people turning to alcohol to drown their sorrows, I never in a million years imagined Joe would be wishing he was one of them.
"You're not serious are you?" I utter in my shock.
He merely shrugs in reply as a green finger runs along the rim of the glass.
"Come on, what would it solve? And anyway, weren't you always saying that about others?"
"I know, I know," he mumbles in reply.
I move closer and lay a hand on his arm. "Weren't you always telling me it's better to talk?" I hint.
He smiles sadly, before shaking his head. "I don't know how much longer I can go on like this," he says, "It's been one thing after another, with no sign of letting up..."
"What's wrong?"
I frown as he looks cautiously about himself before looking back at me. "Guard this with your life, okay?"
"Of course," I reassure him, at which point he leans forward, his head closing in on mine before whispering something in my ear.
My jaw drops. I pull away from him, staring at him aghast.
"That's pretty much what I nearly said," he remarks dryly.
"But how...?"
"I only found out it was possible from talking to Dad earlier," he says, "but just watching them these past two or so months, it's all too familiar. I've seen it with your Mum, I've seen it with Gina, now I'm seeing it with them."
Gina is what he calls his wife, but her real name's Giana. His Dad is the now retired alien who put him in my Dad's belly, along with his twin sister.
"Do they know?" I ask him.
"I haven't had a chance to tell them yet," he says, "I will though, I'll make sure of that."
We then get told the meal's finished. As I approach the cake I slap his shoulder before saying to him "Just remember, if you need to talk... you know?"
"Thanks," comes the soft reply as he briefly lays a hand on mine.

Now I really do need a lift. Too much is happening at once; any more heavy talk and I'll go mad. I smile to myself as I cut the cake which looks good, and I start to wish I could enjoy the true taste of it.
"Now then," I remark as I work, "You have to ask yourself one thing; do I feel lucky?" Turning to her with the plate, she can probably spot the glint in my eye a mile away.

After she's wiped the rest of the cake from her face, I hear Marco not far away, saying something about there not being a dance floor.
"You can't be serious?" I remark to myself as he takes Mum outside.
"Marco, wait!" Andy calls after him, but they've already left.
"What're they doing, dancing alone outside?" I ask as we approach, peering out the window.
"I thought you vampires had good vision?!" the green lad retorts.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I counter, but all he does in reply is grab my arm and lead us away, his other hand firmly gripping his brother's.
He leads us past the now puzzled couple on the bridge, and back to the spot where we married.
"Hold tight!" he grins before moving off, still holding Chris's hand. On following his gaze and looking about me, I suddenly burst out laughing.
"Marco, you berk!" I exclaim as I turn to the now nearby couple, before pointing downwards, "This is the dance floor! We've even got a pianist..." So saying I thumb in the direction Andy left with Chris.

Not stopping to watch Marco's cheeks turn as red as his eyes, I turn to my new wife.
"Shall we?" I offer, holding out a hand.

"You know," I say to her as I dance, "despite all the pain, I wouldn't change a thing. If Dad hadn't got bitten by that dog and become such an a***hole I would never have had a reason to sneak out at night... I'd never have met you, I wouldn't have these lovely kids... and I'm sure I wouldn't be the person I am now."
"Eternity is too long for regret," she smiles in reply, "Time to leave all that behind and look forward."
"Yeah, you're right," I tell her as I stroke her cheek, "I just wanted to say thanks, for everything."
"And thank you also," she says.
"What for?"
"For being you," she says just before we kiss.