Nikki took the final step and smiled at Isaac. Isaac smiled back.
"Dearly beloved," said the pastor. "We are gathered here today..."
Natalie smiled from the side. She loved weddings. So beautiful. She was rather glad that Isaac got to have a wedding, although she certainly understoof his frustration with the whole unregistered celebrant thing. That sucked. And now Nikki was pregnant. Natalie tilted her head slightly and looked at her - you couldn't tell, but it was early days yet. It was the internal changes rather than the external ones you notice first. Why she only knew she was pregnant with Ezra because she realised she was late.
Natalie stood stock still for a moment, pondering that last thought.
"If anyone has any objectsions to these two getting married, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Zac noted a few pairs of eyes flicker in his direction. He rolled his eyes and ignored them. He's already given Isaac a piece of his mind about this, and he wasn't about to give up his duties os Best Man. Because, Murphey's Law, this would be the one time they would listen. Ha!
"Isaac, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have..."
Mackie sat in the front row bored out of his mind. Booooorrrrrrriiiiiiinnnnnnggggggg. Bored, bored, bored, bored, booooorrreeeddddddd.
"The rings?"
Zac stepped forward, a little puffed up with his own importance, and handed the first ring to Isaac.
"With this ring, I thee wed," Isaac said to Nikki.
Zac then handed the seond to Nikki who solomnly repeated the line.
"May I now present Mr and Mrs Hanson. You may now kiss the bride."
"Aww!" was the cry from the peanut gallery.
Ashley & Taylor
"No, it was great! Really," Taylor insisted half heartedly an hour later at the reception, "it just needed some more... music."
"Of course it did, I was waiting for you guys to come up with the score," Ash chortled.
The two were sitting at the bridal party table, waiting for the food to be dished up, and everyone was just mingling so far.
"...Oh. Anyway... have you seen Nat?"
"Nope."
"Weird. She's been gone a while."
"By the way, how's Ezra going? I heard you were having some troubles initially with his powers?"
"Nothing's changed," Taylor mused.
Zac, Natalie and Isaac
Zac had wandered away from the bridal table and was now closing the distance between himself and Kate.
"Hey," he greeted. "Glad you could come."
**********
Natalie stepped back into the reception hall, looked around enough to see everyone still mingling, and returned to her seat.
"Hey welcome back," Nikki teased. "Did you fall in?"
"Huh?" Natalie blinked.
"The loo."
"Oh, no I had to make a phone call. One of those nagging things that would have irritated me all afternoon if I'd waited."
"Ahh. Left the oven on or something?"
Natalie giggled.
"Something like that."
"Hey Tay, your wife's back," Isaac grinned at him.
Kate
"Well, you know," Kate said, grinning faintly. "I like to spend some time with my fans."
Her eyes twinkled cheekily.
Taylor & Ash
"I noticed," Taylor replied with a nod, getting up to go over to her.
"And speaking of wives, I should go find Mindy," Ash gulped down the last bit of his champagne and left.
"Everything ok?" Taylor asked, kneeling down beside Nat's chair.
Isaac, Zac, Natalie and Nikki
"Very generous of you," Zac nodded.
A childish grin appeared on his face,
"I take it you got all my postcards?"
**********
"Oh, yeah sure," Natalie replied, nodding. "I just... do you mind if instead of going back with you guys tonight I pop back to Georgia for the day tomorrow?"
Isaac leant over and gave Nikki a kiss.
Avery, JD and Kate
Avery and JD made their way over to Isaac and Nikki to give their congratulations.
~*~*~*~
Kate made an innocent face.
"You sent postcards? I just showed up here by coincidence!"
Taylor
"Sure, I don't mind," Taylor insisted.
"Have you organised anything on that end?"
Zac and Natalie
"What's that, you say?" Zac asked, cupping his ear. "You want me to send them to you more often? Okay, I can do that."
**********
"Sort of," Natalie replied. "I suggested that I might do that, but I was going to run it by you first. I'll call back a bit later to confirm. Or maybe I'll just show up."
Kate and Avery
"I'll move," Kate joked.
~*~*~*~
Avery made her way over to Isaac and grinned.
"Hey big bro, what's shaking?"
Taylor
"It mightbe fairer to give them a bit of warning," Taylor suggested.
Zac, Natalie, Isaac and Nikki
"Aww," Zac replied.
He gave her a pathetic puppy dog look.
**********
"Yeah, you're probably right," Natalie nodded.
She wondered if she should tell him about her hunch, and decided a surprise might be better.
**********
"Well, we just got married," Isaac grinned.
"Way to state the obvious," Nikki commented.
Kate and Avery
"Nope, that doesn't work on me, cutie," Kate laughed.
~*~*~*~
"Really? I thought you guys were putting on a play," Avery replied cheekily.
"Congrats though."
Zac, Isaac and Nikki
"What does work on you then?" Zac asked cheekily. "But seriously, if you don't want me to send you any more postcards I won't. I don't want to creep you out or anything."
**********
Isaac chuckled.
"Thanks," Nikki replied.
"Oooh look food coming," Isaac said, pointing to the door to the kitchen.
Kate, Avery and JD
Kate laughed.
"It's ok, you can keep sending them. I like getting postcards. Makes me feel important."
~*~*~*~
Avery looked up as JD wandered back over to her.
"Hey," she smiled.
"'Lo little lady," he replied, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Hey, congratulations you guys."
Zac, Natalie, Isaac and Nikki
"Yay," Zac cheered.
He grinned broadly.
"I suppose I should go sit down now that foods coming... but talk to you later okay?"
**********
"Thank you," Isaac said. "How have you guys been?"
"Where's Zac anyay?" Natalie asked.
"Over there with... I don't know her name... must be someone Ike knows," Nikki frowned.
Natalie glanced over.
"Oh! It's Kate! I have to say hi to her!"
She started to get up, but Nikki pulled her down.
"Everyone sitting down - food coming."
"Okay, after food then."
"Good plan."
Taylor
"I agree," Taylor nodded, standing up.
"Hey Zac!" he beckoned him over, before moving back to his own seat.
Zac, Isaac, Nikki and Natalie
Zac wandered back to the table.
"You hollared?"
"Food," Isaac pointed.
"Really? I hadn't noticed."
"Good thing Tay called you then, isn't it?"
Zac poked out his tongue and sat down. Stella and Jess also returned to their seats. It was good timing too, for the MC stood up at that point and annouced that the food was ready. Starting with the bridal table if they could all take a plate and line up.
"What? No personal service?" Zac pouted.
"You try organising a wedding in a month," Nikki glared at him as she stood up.
"Nat did and she got the food delivered to us."
"My uncle owned the restaurant," Natalie pointed out.
"That's convienient," Nikki replied.
"I thought so."