The Wedding

Wren settled in for the long haul, knowing just how many presents they had to go through.

Eventually, all the presents were opened and everyone had left. Wren spent the next hour cleaning up after everyone while her mother and sister took a nap.

Talon watched it all with disgust.

“You do not have to clean too, you know,” he said.

“I know, but this way, we will be able to leave on good terms,” Wren replied.

If she did not help out, she would hear about it the next time she saw them.

Soon, everyone was up and moving.

“I believe we need to be off,” Talon said.

“I suppose we will not see you again for some time,” Claire said from where she was triple-checking the money they had received.

“I have permission to call once or twice a month. I will make sure to call when I can,” Wren said quietly.

“Whatever, whatever. I know you are busy, you do not need to call often,” her mother said, still counting.

“Alan, would you walk us out?” Talon asked, turning to Lucy’s husband.

He had something to give the man before they left, never to return if he could help it.

“Of course,” Alan replied.

Alan followed them out, leaving Claire and Lucy going through the gifts.

“Is there something you need before you go?” Alan asked as they stopped before the car.

Wren shook his hand. “Thank you for everything. It is good to know my sister will be taken care of. She really is a good person at heart.”

“I know she is. I love her and am very much aware of her faults,” Alan replied seriously.

“I am glad to hear you say that,” Talon said as he handed him a large envelope. “This is for you. I am sure you will be upset, but I did do a bit of research. I know her debts have put a strain on your finances. This is our wedding gift to you.”

Alan opened the envelope to see various documents and numbers.

“I have given you various stocks and bonds to produce a cash flow and cash to cover the debt you have had to pay for Lucy,” Talon explained.

Alan looked at the two before him. “I do not know what to say.”

“There is nothing to say.” Wren smiled. “If you had not loved my sister as you do, we would not have done this. We know you will do right by her, so we wanted to do right by you.”

~I just hope she will do right by you.~

“I had heard so many things about you,” Alan confessed. “None of them are really pleasant. Now I am glad I let my own eyes decide. You are truly a good person. I am sorry your family cannot see it.”

“It is all right. I never quite fit in,” Wren replied.

“Besides, I know they love me in their own way.”

They shook hands once more just as Lucy and Claire exited the house.

“Wait,” Lucy called out. “Where is my present from you?”

Wren got into the car. “We gave it to Alan. Goodbye.”

***

“You look much happier,” Talon commented as they took off.

“I am,” Wren said, looking out the window of the plane.

“Are we really going to get married?”

“Having second thoughts?” Talon asked.

“Just worried about everyone else’s reactions when they find out we did this without them.”

“Is that all you’re worried about?” Talon asked, certain that there was something else.

“A Vegas wedding?”

“What is wrong with that?” Talon asked. “Do not tell me you are like your sister and want a circus.”

“No, but I do want our family and friends there,” Wren admitted. She could not help it.

“I would prefer to have it someplace other than a Vegas wedding chapel,” Wren told him softly, not looking at him.

“Understood.”

Wren did look at him now. “What do you mean by that?” she asked.

Talon shrugged his shoulders and moved to sit next to her, folding her into his arms.

“It means I understand your wants, but make no bones about it, we will be getting married today.”

“I am fine with that, I just wish…”

Talon covered her mouth with his hand. “Let me take care of it. I promise I will not let you down.”

Wren could only nod her agreement.

Talon gently removed his hand from her mouth, giving her a saucy smile. “Now…want to join the mile-high club?”

Wren punched his arm, then settled into his arms more securely to take a nap.

It seemed it was going to be a long day. Talon smiled as she curled up in his arms.

~If only we could always be like this.~

***

“Wake up, hon. We have arrived.”

Wren opened her eyes and looked up at Talon. “Huh?”

“We are here.”

Wren sat up and looked around, disoriented.

Talon laughed. “Come on, sleepyhead.” He took her hand and helped her off the plane.

“We are home,” Wren commented.

“Of course we are. You wanted to get married with family, right?” Talon replied.

Carrie and Michael appeared from the front door. They looked gaunt, and Michael looked a bit worse for wear, but they were there, in front of them.

Wren grinned ear to ear and took off at a run, throwing herself into their arms.

“Oh my God, when did you get back?” she asked.

“This morning. Welcome home,” Carrie said, smiling.

“Now,” she turned to Talon with a glare, “what is this about getting married today? There is a Father in our garden, and Mr. Lee is in the kitchen decorating a cake!”

Talon shrugged. “She would not go to Vegas with me.”

“Of course not!” Carrie snorted, startling everyone.

“Men!”

They had never heard her snort.

“Well…if you are insistent on this, then come along, Wren, we need to get you ready.”

Wren nodded and followed. “See you in a bit,” she told Talon as she left.

“Only you would rush something like this,” Michael commented after they left.

“Why wait?”

Michael smiled. “You have changed.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No,” Michael commented. “We are all very thankful every day that Wren came to us.”

“I am too,” Talon whispered.

“Now come along. We have to get you ready as well.” Michael took Talon’s shoulder and steered him toward the house.

***

“You want me to wear this?” Wren looked at the wedding gown before her.

It was gorgeous, but where had it come from?

“If you want,” Carrie said, coming out of her closet. “I wore it when I married Michael, and Lily wore it before me. It seems to have become a tradition in this house.”

“And I’ll wear it when I marry Evan.”

“Huh?” Wren turned to Emerald. “You are going to marry Evan? I thought…”

“If I want a family, then we will be married,” Emerald shrugged. “I do not have any other options.”

She laughed at the look on Wren’s face. “Do not worry. That occasion is many, many years down the road.”

“Can I ask a question?” Wren wanted to know something about their relationship, but she had been afraid up until now. Emerald, mentioning family and children, gave her the opening to ask.

“What is that?”

“You have finished the bonding process.”

“Yup.”

“Then you and…Evan… You guys…” ~How do I put this?~

Emerald let out a laugh. “We do not have sex.”

“Then how do you do the physical bonding?”

Emerald shrugged. “Your guess is as good as ours. However, we do need to have extended physical contact. Just not sex.”

“Then why do we?”

Emerald shrugged. “I think it has to do with the type of bond we have.”

“Or their age,” Carrie added. “We just do not have enough data to understand how the partnering works.”

“For all we know, there may be more bonding.” Emerald thought about Lily and her unborn child.

“Or if our children will carry the gene. There is more we do not know than we do.”

“But as time goes on, we will learn,” Carrie finished.

“Enough of this serious talk. We have a wedding to attend.”

Emerald jumped off the bed. “Now, let’s get you ready.”

***

“Why do I have to wear this monkey suit?” Talon looked at the tux Michael was forcing him into.

“It is required,” Michael commented.

“Like hell it is.”

“Shut up and wear it. It will make her happy, and that is the whole reason we are doing this,” Evan commented from the bed.

“And you, what are you doing here, dressed like that?” Talon gestured to their clothing.

Evan looked down at his own tux.

“We are standing up with you,” Michael commented. “Now, quit acting like a child and finish dressing.”

Talon let out a sigh. “Fine.”

Talon tidied his hair and made sure he was clean-shaven. Michael adjusted his tie for him as Evan brushed imaginary lint off his suit with a grin on his face, enjoying Talon’s discomfort.

***

“Thank you, Father, for doing this,” Talon shook his hand. He and Father Bane had been friends since he opened the orphanage.

The Father and his parsonage took the children on outings and always provided presents for their birthdays and Christmas. Talon owed him so much.

“I would be insulted if I were not the one to bind you in marriage,” Father Bane said, smiling at the man before him.

“Of course, I did not think I would ever get the chance.”

Talon pulled on the neck of his suit.

“Where are they?” he asked.

“They will come when they come,” Mr. Lee commented.

“What are you doing here?” Talon asked. He turned his attention to where Mr. Lee and The director stood.

The two were dressed in suits for the occasion. He had thought he was going to miss the circus wedding, but this was starting to get out of hand.

“What? And miss this? Not on your life,” Mr. Lee informed him.

“Besides, Miss Wren needed a proper wedding cake for the occasion.”

“You and your baking,” Talon muttered.

“Do you have a problem with that?” Mr. Lee asked quietly.

Talon threw up his hands. “Oh no, I have no problem. No problem at all. Swear.”

Mr. Lee smiled.

“Good.”

“I take it you were unable to reach Lily and Eric,” Evan commented.

“If I tried, I might get them killed. I am sorry,” The director replied.

“That is all right. As long as they return to us eventually, we will forgive you.”

Michael tapped Talon on the shoulder as the others scrambled to take their places.

“Your bride.”

Talon looked down the path and watched as Wren floated toward them. She was smiling, and he had never seen a more beautiful sight.

They waited silently as she and the others came up to the party. Talon took her hand to help her when she got close, afraid that she would trip over all that fabric.

“Thank you.”

“No, thank you,” Talon said. He took in a deep breath, her fragrance surrounding him.

“May I introduce you to Father Bane, a good friend of mine.”

“Hello, Father.”

“Hello, my dear, I am pleased to meet you,” Father Bane said. He motioned for everyone to settle in.

“Shall we?”

***

Later that night, Wren lay in Talon’s arms.

The wedding had gone smoothly, and it had been wonderful to spend the day with everyone, even if Lily and Eric could not be there.

“Happy.”

“Mmm.” Wren nodded.

“I cannot believe we did that.”

“Did what?”

“Got married.”

“Do you have regrets?”

“No.” Wren curled up and let out a yawn.

“Sleep,” Talon said, folding her into his arms more securely. “I will be here when you wake.”