|
|
Jean Grey stood on a step stool, surrounded
by some of her closest friends. It was her wedding day, and she couldn't
be happier.
"Stop fidgeting," Jean's mother scolded.
"You'll ruin the hem!"
Jean looked down at her mother with a
loving smile. It had taken Jean an hour to get into her dress.
Now her mother was trying to finish the hem just minutes away from her
daughter's big moment.
"I'm sorry, mom," Jean said.
"Don't be sorry, my friend," Ororo Monroe,
the X-Man called Storm, said. "This is YOUR day."
"A day I once believed would never happen.
I'm so happy for you!"
Jean and Ororo looked over at the third
member of the party, Rachel Summers. This day meant a lot for Rachel
too. It meant that, one day in the future, she would be born, and
that her future might have a second chance. She was very pretty in
her knee-length, low cut, solid blue dress. For the first time since
she met the young woman, Jean saw a part of herself standing there.
Ororo came to stand beside Jean and her
mother. Ororo looked beautiful in her blue and magenta dress.
The hem stopped just above her knees, and the sleeves lay lightly off her
shoulders. Jean's mother was wearing a similar style dress, but a
more conservative version.
"Don't tell me you're nervous?"
Everyone's attention turned toward the
doorway where a ravishing young girl stood in a light peach party dress.
The skirt stopped several inches above her knees. The neckline came
up to her chin and was covered with lace. Her hair was tied back
into a French braid and weaved with a peach and cream ribbon that hung
half way down her back like extended curls.
"No second thoughts?" the young girl asked.
"None at all," Jean said with a smile.
"But Tiara, tell me. Which one of us is getting married?"
Tiara came to stand beside Rachel opposite
Ororo and Mrs. Grey.
"You picked the dress," Tiara reminded
her.
"And it's lovely," Mrs. Grey said.
She had gone with them to pick out the dress, too. She made a few
final adjustments to Jean's gown before standing. "There, the hem's
complete. Are you ready?"
"I think so," Jean said. Then after
a pause she corrected, "I'm ready."
"We'll see to the band," Rachel said,
grabbing Tiara's hand and leaving the room.
"I'll take my place outside," Ororo said,
following the two young girls out of the room.
"And I'll go get your father," Jean's
mother said. Then she burst into tears. "My baby's getting
married!"
Jean quickly hugged her mother.
Jean had always dreamed of marrying one day, having a husband and children.
But that was before she came to Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.
After she became and X-Man those dreams slowly faded. Then came Scott
Summers, Cyclops the fearless leader of the X-Men, and Jean began to revive
her dreams.
Today, those dreams became reality.
"I remember when you were still a baby.
Now look at you! All grown into a beautiful woman."
"I love you too, mom."
XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX
"Look at them all," Bobby Drake said as
friends, old and new, filled in the seats outside. Through the window
of the sitting room, he had a wide view of the courtyard. "Welcome
to the last day of your free life."
Scott Summers shook his head and glanced
at his friends.
"Don't let Bobby fool you," said Scott's
brother and best man, Alex. "This is the BEST day of your life, big
brother."
Scott shook his head again. "I can't
believe this," he mumbled to himself. Slapping his forehead with
the palm of his hand, he said aloud, "I think I'd be more comfortable walking
into the Danger Room, naked, instead of standing in front of all those
people."
In reply, something hit Scott on the back
of the head.
"Sorry, Slim," Hank McCoy apologized.
He picked up his bow tie from the back of the chair with a rare smile.
"Give it here." Warren Worthington
took the tie form Hank and began fumbling with it. "I know how to
tie it."
Bobby smiled at Warren. "But didn't
you used to wear clip-ons?"
Everyone laughed.
Their laughter reached out into the hallway
as Tiara and Rachel walked past the sitting room door. They slowed
down when they heard the laughter, and giggled among themselves.
"Why don't you go ahead," Tiara said.
"I just want to check on something."
Rachel patted Tiara on the shoulder, smiled,
and nodded in response. Tiara smiled back and stepped over to the
sitting room door. Laughter continued to pour out from behind the
door until she knocked. When there was no immediate answer, Tiara
cracked the door and peaked her head through the opening.
"Don't let me interrupt anything." Tiara
smiled. "May I come in?"
Hank immediately stepped over to the door,
ushered the young girl inside, and offered her his arm.
"Of course," Hank said. "It would
be bad manners to deny anything to a lovely young lady."
Tiara giggled and accepted Hank's arm.
They walked further into the room.
Scott had to stand and turn around to
see Tiara. Alex stood up from his chair next to Scott, a grin on
his face. Bobby turned away from the window and Warren dropped the
bow tie.
Alex was the first to step up to Tiara
and give her a hug.
"How's my great-niece?" Alex asked,
embracing the young girl.
"I am pretty great, aren't I?" Tiara smiled.
"And I'm just fine, Uncle Alex."
As Alex stepped away, Scott quickly took
his place. Without a word, he enveloped Tiara in a bear hug.
It seemed strange - how things were suddenly falling into place.
The future began to look so much better.
Tiara gently pushed herself away from
the bridegroom. She said, "I don't want to wrinkle the tux."
Her comment brought a smile to Scott's
lips and a chuckle from everyone else.
"I just wanted to make sure someone wasn't
getting cold feet," Tiara said, poking Scott lightly in the chest.
Scott raised his hands in mock surrender
saying, "Absolutely not."
"Good." Tiara smiled at Scott.
"Jean's almost ready and you've got five minutes to get out there and say
your prayers."
"See," Bobby said. "I told ya."
"We're still trying to tie Scott's bow
tie," Warren said, holding the loose piece of fabric helplessly in his
hand.
Tiara sighed and shook her head.
"Give it here."
She took the bow tie from Warren and fastened
the strap of satin around Scott's neck. With the greatest of care,
she tucked it under his collar. Swiftly, she tied the bow and said,
"There."
Hank and Warren stared at her, mouths
agape.
"Now I think you're ready," Tiara said
giving Scott a brief hug.
"So do I." Scott leaned forward
and gave Tiara a kiss on the her forehead. "Let's go outside."
XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX
The crowd kept growing outside the mansion
as the time for the big moment drew closer.
Cable and the rest of X-Force entered
the grounds through the mansion. It somehow felt like going home.
Once they reached the back patio, everyone went their separate ways.
Cable was amazed at all the people.
Although he recognized most of them, he didn't know Scott and Jean had
so many friends. He had had many friends in his lifetime, but after
a short while, they all seemed to disappear.
Boomer and Jubilee ran to each other down
the main isle and Cable smiled briefly. They were the same side of
the coin, only a few years apart, Cable thought. Typical teens who
thought of nothing but shopping and boys.
Sam and Berto had found Kitty Pryde and
Rahne Sinclair, and began talking about the old days.
Rictor and Shatterstar immediately headed
for the food table. They each grabbed a drink and began socializing
with some of the other guests.
Cable noticed Jimmy and Teresa talking
with Teresa's father, Sean Cassidy. Sean greeted the two young people
with open arms. He hugged Teresa and extended a hand toward Jimmy,
which the young Indian shook wholeheartedly.
Seeing Teresa and Sean made Cable think
of his own daughter. Tiara was there, somewhere. He wanted
to see her again, but was unusually nervous about it. There was so
much he wanted to say and he had no idea how he was going to say it.
"There are some seats left close to the
front." Domino's voice cut into Cable's thoughts. She placed
a hand on his arm and he turned around. "I saved a few of them for
the team." She paused. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." He let Domino
lead the way to their seats.
As they were seated, the preamble to the
wedding march was played. Scott came out of the mansion followed
by Alex. Warren walked a few paces behind them, with Hank and Bobby
behind him, both escorting a young lady.
"Is that her?" Domino whispered
to Cable.
Cable was surprised Domino had been watching.
He closed his eyes and nodded. He began to relax and opened his eyes
when he felt Domino's hand on his shoulder in a motion of comfort.
"She's beautiful," Domino whispered.
Tiara gave Bobby and Hank a quick hug
and left them to find their seats. She walked over to Storm, Jean's
Maid of Honor, before heading for the stage where Lila Chenney and her
band were waiting for the bride to make her entrance. Tiara and Lila
exchanged a few comments and a big smile. As the young girl turned
away from the stage, the band began the wedding march.
All the guests stood from their seats
and turned around as Jean and her father emerged from the mansion.
The music disappeared from Scott Summer's
ears the moment he laid eyes on Jean. He was as spellbound as the
guests, watching his bride walk toward him. She was the most gorgeous woman
he had ever seen. This was definitely the best day of his life.
Tiara joined Kitty Pryde in the front
row. As she walked to her seat, she couldn't shake the feeling that
she was being watched. Her head followed Jean's movement down the
isle, but her eyes were quickly scanning the crowd. Just before she
sat down she saw him.
Cable. Her father.
She had pictured this moment since she received her birthday card a week ago. Even still, she had no idea what to say to him. So, she simply smiled, and he smiled back. Settling into her seat, her eyes focused on Scott and Jean, who just reached the preacher and her husband-to-be.
The ceremony was short. Scott and Jean wrote their own vows, which the preacher read aloud. All too soon, the preacher told Scott to kiss the bride, and he did so happily. A roar of applause arose from the crowd, along with loud cheers and screams.
Cable was surprised at the amount of emotion
he was feeling. Happiness mixed with hope. He clapped loudly,
a broad smile reaching from one ear to the other.
He caught a glimpse of Rachel, his sister
from another future, standing a few rows in front of him. She was
literally beaming. It was indeed a happy occasion.
The band started playing again as Scott and Jean made a dash for the patio doors. Rice and rose petals hit them from all sides until they disappeared into the mansion. The crowd then began to stand and mingle once more. Some hurried about to get in line for the food.
Cable stood up with the others and scanned the crowd. He couldn't see any sign of Tiara.
"Can you see her?" Domino asked, standing beside him.
Cable shook his head. "She's disappeared."
Domino laughed lightly and smiled at Nate. "Just like her old man," she quipped. "C'mon, let's join the others at the buffet."
About 20 minutes later, Scott and Jean reemerged from the mansion, all smiles. The wedding party wasn't far behind. When everyone was out of the mansion, a voice came over the loud speakers.
"Excuse me," Tiara said over the microphone. She shifted a little uncomfortably on stage as everyone's attention shifted to her. The girl smiled and continued, "The bride and groom have requested a special song for their first dance."
There was a hushed silence as the newlyweds walked closer to the stage. They smiled at Tiara as she motioned for the band to begin.
The piano started with the opening cord and Tiara cleared her throat. She was an absolute nervous wreck but refused to show it. Once she began singing, the nervousness vanished. She had picked the song out months ago, but it was only a sweet melody then. Now, it appeared to be a powerful spell - a beautiful song echoing every feeling Tiara could muster.
Eventually, others joined the bride and groom on the make-shift dance floor. Gambit pulled Rogue out of her chair and into the sway of the music. Alex and Lorna strode hand in hand into the growing crowd of dancers. Domino reluctantly accepted Cable's offer to dance.
Tiara was a little stunned to hear people clapping as she hit the final note of the song and held it even after the music had ended. When she was finished, she smiled slightly and bowed as the applause continued. She looked up to see Scott and Jean applauding as well.
The girl exchanged a look with Lila and the band began to play another song. Tiara practically ran off the stage, grateful to be finished, only to be stopped by a small group of people at the foot of the stairs.
"That was wonderful!" Mrs. Grey exclaimed with a smile.
"You have an amazing voice," Scott's grandfather told Tiara.
"And the song was beautiful," Mrs. Summers said, giving the girl a brief hug.
"You were terrific," Jean's father beamed.
"It was perfect," Scott said as he and Jean walked over to join them. "Just like we knew it would be." He paused. "But I believe they're playing our song now, Mrs. Grey." Scott offered his arm to Jean's mother and she accepted excitedly. With a whoosh, she whisked her new son-in-law to the dance floor.
"And would you honor me with a dance?" Philip Summers asked Jean.
"Delighted." Jean accepted his proffered arm and walked to the join the others on the dance floor.
Tiara smiled to herself.
"Well then," Mr. Grey said. "I believe that leaves us Mrs. Summers. Would you care to dance?"
"It would be my pleasure, sir," Deborah Summers replied with a smile.
Tiara nearly laughed out loud. It was good to see them all happy. This was indeed a rare occasion.
"Tiara!"
She turned around at the sound of her name. Kitty Pryde was standing there, with Rachel and Rahne.
"And what's this?" Tiara commented with a wry smile. "The singles club?"
Kitty stifled a laugh. "Nah," she said. "Just saving our energy."
"Yeah, waiting for them to come to us." Rachel smiled broadly.
Tiara giggled with Rahne.
The four of them chatted during several songs before Rachel admitted she was hungry.
"I'm hitting the food table," she said, clutching her stomach. "Anyone want to join me?"
Kitty shook her head. "Not just yet. I'm going to join Meggan and Amanda on the dance floor. Rahne? Tia?"
Rahne shrugged. "Sure. If'n ye don't mind me two left feet."
Tiara smiled at Rahne. "Looks like two perfectly good feet to me," she replied and waved to Kitty and Rahne as they hurried off.
Before long, the crowd was screaming for the wedding cake to be cut. Tiara grabbed her camera and pushed her way to the front of the crowd. She kneeled next to Artie and Leech, camera poised, as Jean and Scott pushed the knife into the bottom layer of the cake. She also snapped several shot when Jean shoved Scott's piece into his face. Storm and Alex helped clean up the mess, then everyone rushed for a plate.
The band continued to play all the while. There were many requests from guests, and Tiara was asked to sing again. She took the stage happily and sang her heart out beside Lila.
When the song was over, Jean stepped up to the stage. She exchanged a few words with the band. They nodded, and as Lila got ready to join her band, Tiara made an announcement.
"Excuse me everyone. The bride has requested a special dance."
The band began to play as Jean walked over to professor Xavier. From the side of the stage, Tiara could tell that Charles had been caught off guard. The scene looked pretty intense, then the Professor reluctantly accepted Jean's invitation to dance. Of course, she didn't leave him much choice as she lifted him out of his chair using her telekinetic talent.
Tiara smiled as she watched them dance.
"Would you like to dance?"
Tiara whirled around so quickly, she nearly knocked Scott off his feet. She started to apologize when he raised a hand to stop her. Without a word, he offered her his arm. She accepted with a smile.
About half way into the dance, Scott felt a light tap on his shoulder.
"Mind if I cut in?"
Scott turned, pleasantly surprised to see Cable standing beside him. He happily stepped away and offered Tiara's hand to his son.
Tiara could do nothing but stand speechless and let Cable sweep her into his arms for the rest of the dance. She was dancing with her father. Her FATHER! She had practiced everything she'd wanted to tell him, but for some reason she couldn't remember. She felt trapped and, for just a second, she was angry at Scott for leaving her.
It had taken all day for Cable to gather the courage to approach Tiara. Even still, he had no idea what to say to her, or even where to begin. He felt a little silly being so speechless. She was his daughter, after all. His DAUGHTER! The thought was both thrilling and frightening. Just for a moment he believed he'd be more comfortable fighting Apocalypse than be in her presence.
"Hello," Tiara finally spoke.
A touch of a smile tugged at Cables lips. "Hello, yourself."
Tiara sighed, trying to gather as much courage as she could. "Thank you," she said her eyes meeting his for the first time since he cut in. "For the birthday card."
Cable nodded. "You're welcome."
"I didn't think you'd remember," Tiara said.
"Well, it was late," Cable admitted.
Tiara laughed lightly. "Yeah, it was." There was a moment of awkward silence between them before Tiara continued, "So, how have you been?"
Now it was Cable's turn to sigh. Why was it so difficult to hold a conversation with his own daughter? "Okay," he replied. "And you?"
"I was worried," Tiara admitted. "After what happened . . . that night . . . I wasn't sure if . . . well, if you were okay or not." She paused. "I wasn't sure if you'd be coming back . . . again."
Cable wasn't sure what to say to that. Not trusting his head to tell her what his heart wanted to say, he stopped dancing, pulled her closer to him and hugged her.
Tiara immediately hugged back. "Jean and Scott told me what happened after Tyler and I left, and after Stryfe was defeated. They said you were okay, but I wanted to know for myself. And after I got the birthday card. . . ." Her voice trailed off as she began fighting back tears.
"I'm sorry," Cable said, hugging her tighter. "So much has happened, I don't even know where to begin."
Tiara pulled away from him slightly. She looked up at him, a small smile passing her lips. "Then we'll talk later. Let's just dance."
Cable nodded and smiled back, the first honest-to-God smile in a long time.
Domino smiled to herself. She had been leery when Cable first cut-in, saw the look of sheer terror on Tiara's face and the tension in Cable's body. They had both been longing for and dreading that very moment. But the smile they shared as the song ended was a sign of great promise. They separated shortly after, as Sam and Rictor appeared and towed a giggling Tiara away with them.
She wouldn't admit to it, but it felt good
to see Nate happy. Finally.
It had been hours since the ceremony and most of the guests had left. Scott caught up with Charles Xavier in his study. He was siting behind his computer, a perplexed look on his face, when Scott entered.
"Alex has agreed to drive us to the airport," he told Charles.
"It couldn't have been a better day," Charles said wistfully, his eyes never leaving his computer screen. "I wish your father could have been here to see it."
Scott nodded. "I received a Shi'ar comm link message from him earlier today. He sends his best."
Charles looked up at Scott and smiled. "And I wish nothing but the best for both of you. Always."
"I know, sir." Scott smiled back. It was odd to see him smile, Charles thought. Why didn't he ever smile more often? "Just like I know that, if it weren't for you, today never would have happened." Scott stepped closer to Charles. "If it weren't for you, there'd be no hoping for a better tomorrow."
In something so uncharacteristic it took Charles by surprise, Scott leaned over and hugged him. But then, Charles chided himself as he hugged him back, today was a rare and unusual day.
As Scott pulled away, Charles said, "It is hard to imagine how a day could be happier than this one."
Charles watched Scott walk back toward the door. Scott leaned over, picking up his duffel bag and throwing the strap over his shoulder. He turned back toward Charles and replied with a smile, "That's the point, sir. Because of what you've taught us, how you raised me, I fully expect that it can, and will, be a better day.
"I just wanted to finally tell you that, if it weren't for you - your guidance and courage - I would have been lost. You gave me a sense of purpose, a dream. You saved me, and gave me hope. For all of this and more, I just wanted to say," He paused. "I love you , Charles Xavier."
That said, Scott turned back toward the door and left the room, feeling as if a weight had just been lifted from his shoulders. He was happy, and thankful, to be and X-Man. So much had happened, both good and bad. But Scott wouldn't have traded it for anything else in the world.
Except for maybe the next seven days at the beach with his new wife.
As he made his way to the front door, Scott heard voices - familiar voices -- coming from the parlor. Curiosity getting the better of him, he stopped to listen.
". . .I tried to get her to move, but all she'd say is 'Go find your father.' Eventually I did leave, but I ran into Tyler and Stryfe." Tiara's voice was filled with sadness. Scott had heard this story before, but he couldn't help but clutch his fist in anger.
"I. . .I found Aliya, your mother, shortly before I came upon you and Tyler." Scott blinked when he recognized the second voice as Cable's. "She. . .was very close to death. There was. . .nothing I could do. I wanted so much just to. . .but she died in my arms. I made her a promise. I promised to watch over you and Tyler." He paused, trying to keep his overwhelming emotions from taking over. "Unfortunately, I've only been able to keep half of that promise."
Well, there's still the other half, Scott thought as he steeped away from the parlor entryway and over to the front door. He turned the knob slowly, pausing to look back at the parlor.
"You don't have to be sad anymore. Either of you," he whispered. Alex honked the horn and Scott stepped out onto the front porch. "Today was a new beginning, and nothing will hurt either of you again."
With that, he closed the door.
END
