Deirdre was so unbelievably and indescribably happy.
Her closest friends and family-members (minus the one contentious objector and her dear, lost Flynn) had completely taken over a beautiful manor-house and just four hours earlier she had stood in front of them in a medieval-looking hall and they had exchanged vows to love each other forever.
And they would. Deirdre honestly believed it. She would love Giles forever, or as long as his mortal life lasted. She had no idea her marriage was rushing headlong towards disaster before it would ever really get the chance to begin.
The wedding had been officiated by someone Deirdre didn't know because Peter had informed her that he couldn't perform a legal wedding ceremony when she had asked him. Instead of presiding over her wedding, the man who had saved her life on more than one occasion was asked to give Deirdre away. Deirdre couldn't help but notice that he hesitated letting go of her. She mistook it for fondness and flashed him a bright smile he hadn't quite returned.
Their wedding attendants had lined up, not adhering to gender because Deirdre had so wanted Flynn to be her Best Man. Instead, the spot beside her was left empty to signify his absence. Deirdre didn't feel like covering it up and throughout the ceremony, she felt his absence like a hole in her heart, but she carried on. She said the words she was supposed to say. She smiled and slid the ring onto Giles' finger and she let Giles put a ring on hers. She kissed Giles when they were announced as man and wife, and she smiled brightly as they made their way back down the aisle as one.
The reception was loud and happy. Deirdre mingled now, flitting between small groups of the people she loved as Serenity and Godric played piano duets on stage. Giles and Deirdre's twins were being looked after by the nanny, and every once in a while Deirdre glanced over to make sure they were getting on okay.
Deirdre was sipping strawberry champagne cocktails, her favourite, and trying not to get so completely drunk that she started talking like a pirate. It was what she did was she was drunk, but it was her wedding day, not 'Talk Like a Pirate Day'. Her name was Deirdre Raines now. They had signed the license and it had been witnessed and everything. It was legal. Maybe Deirdre Raines didn't talk like a pirate like Deirdre Gallagher had. She honestly believed she had time to discover these things about her New Self. Which meant she also believed that being married meant she would have a New Self.
She didn't feel any different yet.
Peter walked over to her and Deirdre downed the rest of her drink quickly out of respect for him. She wouldn't drink in front of her Peter. "Hey," she smiled widely at him and then she rushed into his arms. "I love you, you know." She looked up at him and then she nuzzled his face with hers, which caused him to laugh out loud. Music to her ears.
"You're a little bit tipsy, aren't you?" Peter asked, his voice conveying his fondness. Deirdre was one of the reasons he had come back to London. She was the reason he was still here. She had been the catalyst for so much, and he in turn was the reason she was still here. Nothing would ever break that bond.
"Just a little, but hey look, no pirate!" she said, beaming at him before nuzzling him again.
"But I like pirate Deirdre. Though face-hugger Deirdre is new and interesting. You're getting make-up all over me..."
"Maybe he's born with it, maybe it's secondhand Maybelline!" Deirdre sang loudly into his ear as only Deirdre could. "I could give you eyeliner and then you'd be so pretty!"
"Oh please no," Peter begged her lightly, because he knew he would do anything if she asked him. And Deirdre didn't usually ask anyway, she just did it. "Thomas already called me a girl because I cried the entire ceremony. But it was so beautiful!"
Deirdre laughed heartily and she pulled back so she could survey the damage. "Just a sec." Deirdre grabbed a napkin from the nearest table and before Peter could stop her, she had licked the napkin and wiped at the make-up on his face.
"Augh she licked me!" Peter screeched, since he was, at heart, a germaphobe.
Giles, who had been chatting with Quinn, came up behind Peter and Deirdre and he laughed, "my wife is licking someone else already?" he asked, grinning at her.
"Yes, would you like me to re-enact it?"
"No please!" Peter said, wiping at his face now with an entirely different napkin. He would have to find his wife. She would have his hand sanitizer.
"I'd rather just kiss you again," Giles said, before dipping Deirdre and kissing her deeply. It sent a happy little thrill through her body and when they straightened up again, Deirdre promptly grabbed Giles' wrist and dragged him somewhere Peter had absolutely no intention of following. And this the marriage was consummated in typical Deirdre-style. In the bridesmaids dressing room, wedding dress up over her head, her garter around Giles' hair.
And when bride and groom returned, changed into their party clothes, it was almost time for dinner to begin.
Her closest friends and family-members (minus the one contentious objector and her dear, lost Flynn) had completely taken over a beautiful manor-house and just four hours earlier she had stood in front of them in a medieval-looking hall and they had exchanged vows to love each other forever.
And they would. Deirdre honestly believed it. She would love Giles forever, or as long as his mortal life lasted. She had no idea her marriage was rushing headlong towards disaster before it would ever really get the chance to begin.
The wedding had been officiated by someone Deirdre didn't know because Peter had informed her that he couldn't perform a legal wedding ceremony when she had asked him. Instead of presiding over her wedding, the man who had saved her life on more than one occasion was asked to give Deirdre away. Deirdre couldn't help but notice that he hesitated letting go of her. She mistook it for fondness and flashed him a bright smile he hadn't quite returned.
Their wedding attendants had lined up, not adhering to gender because Deirdre had so wanted Flynn to be her Best Man. Instead, the spot beside her was left empty to signify his absence. Deirdre didn't feel like covering it up and throughout the ceremony, she felt his absence like a hole in her heart, but she carried on. She said the words she was supposed to say. She smiled and slid the ring onto Giles' finger and she let Giles put a ring on hers. She kissed Giles when they were announced as man and wife, and she smiled brightly as they made their way back down the aisle as one.
The reception was loud and happy. Deirdre mingled now, flitting between small groups of the people she loved as Serenity and Godric played piano duets on stage. Giles and Deirdre's twins were being looked after by the nanny, and every once in a while Deirdre glanced over to make sure they were getting on okay.
Deirdre was sipping strawberry champagne cocktails, her favourite, and trying not to get so completely drunk that she started talking like a pirate. It was what she did was she was drunk, but it was her wedding day, not 'Talk Like a Pirate Day'. Her name was Deirdre Raines now. They had signed the license and it had been witnessed and everything. It was legal. Maybe Deirdre Raines didn't talk like a pirate like Deirdre Gallagher had. She honestly believed she had time to discover these things about her New Self. Which meant she also believed that being married meant she would have a New Self.
She didn't feel any different yet.
Peter walked over to her and Deirdre downed the rest of her drink quickly out of respect for him. She wouldn't drink in front of her Peter. "Hey," she smiled widely at him and then she rushed into his arms. "I love you, you know." She looked up at him and then she nuzzled his face with hers, which caused him to laugh out loud. Music to her ears.
"You're a little bit tipsy, aren't you?" Peter asked, his voice conveying his fondness. Deirdre was one of the reasons he had come back to London. She was the reason he was still here. She had been the catalyst for so much, and he in turn was the reason she was still here. Nothing would ever break that bond.
"Just a little, but hey look, no pirate!" she said, beaming at him before nuzzling him again.
"But I like pirate Deirdre. Though face-hugger Deirdre is new and interesting. You're getting make-up all over me..."
"Maybe he's born with it, maybe it's secondhand Maybelline!" Deirdre sang loudly into his ear as only Deirdre could. "I could give you eyeliner and then you'd be so pretty!"
"Oh please no," Peter begged her lightly, because he knew he would do anything if she asked him. And Deirdre didn't usually ask anyway, she just did it. "Thomas already called me a girl because I cried the entire ceremony. But it was so beautiful!"
Deirdre laughed heartily and she pulled back so she could survey the damage. "Just a sec." Deirdre grabbed a napkin from the nearest table and before Peter could stop her, she had licked the napkin and wiped at the make-up on his face.
"Augh she licked me!" Peter screeched, since he was, at heart, a germaphobe.
Giles, who had been chatting with Quinn, came up behind Peter and Deirdre and he laughed, "my wife is licking someone else already?" he asked, grinning at her.
"Yes, would you like me to re-enact it?"
"No please!" Peter said, wiping at his face now with an entirely different napkin. He would have to find his wife. She would have his hand sanitizer.
"I'd rather just kiss you again," Giles said, before dipping Deirdre and kissing her deeply. It sent a happy little thrill through her body and when they straightened up again, Deirdre promptly grabbed Giles' wrist and dragged him somewhere Peter had absolutely no intention of following. And this the marriage was consummated in typical Deirdre-style. In the bridesmaids dressing room, wedding dress up over her head, her garter around Giles' hair.
And when bride and groom returned, changed into their party clothes, it was almost time for dinner to begin.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 07:51 am (UTC)From:"I love weddings!" Paula beamed to everyone nearish the bar when she went to get another glass of bubbly. Not that she'd ever been to any other weddings, but this one was pretty good.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 07:55 am (UTC)From:"Guys!" she yelled, practically jumping into her sister Paula's arms. "I'm a married lady! I'm respectable! This means I can't flash you any more, Jason!" And she leaned over to kiss Jason's cheek, still in Paula's arms.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 07:58 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 08:03 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 08:25 am (UTC)From:"Oh no," she stated, hearing the last words. "She's gone full-pirate!"
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 08:35 am (UTC)From:Seeing Helena and Deirdre together, Evey left Lee's side and she joined them. "Did you just ask about a parrot?"
"Arrrr, every pirate queen needs her parrot!" Deirdre replied.
"Does chicken count? You're about to eat some," Evey winked at Helena.
"Oh no, me birdy, arrrr!" Deirdre laughed and then she reached out her hand to hold Evey's. "All pirates aside, I'm glad you're here."
"Me too, Desi," Evey answered with a wide smile.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 08:53 am (UTC)From:When she spotted him he was smiling and sitting with what she could only assume were his children. She stalked across the room and it wasn't until she was standing right in front of him that she hissed, "you cheating, fucking asshole!"
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 09:18 am (UTC)From:When Marina stormed in, Daria stopped talking midsentance to watch. "Easy," she said, sliding her arm around Phoebe just a little more. Cassandra wasn't worried about was trying to pull off one of Eiley's shoes.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 09:29 am (UTC)From:And then someone was yelling and Giles looked up and it was Marina. Marina, who he loved and hadn't wanted to hurt. And she was above him and yelling. Giles passed his son over to Juliette so the nanny could keep him safe, and he stood to take Marina's arm. "Marina, let's talk outside." Inside, his heart was racing and breaking at the same time. He loved her and he loved Deirdre and now they were both in the same room and it wasn't going to end well.
Deirdre was dancing with Evey when she saw a strange woman speaking with Giles. "Paula, who's that?" she asked, as if Paula would have a clue. "Who's there talking to my husband?"
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 09:32 am (UTC)From:Paula looked over and shrugged. "Was she at the wedding? She's dressed kinda sloppy."
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 09:49 am (UTC)From:Jesus, Giles had slept with someone else? Daria raged internally, and would have got up to join in the yelling - didn't matter that it wasn't her place, it was Deirdre she'd be standing up for - but the kids would get upset. Daria settled for sitting on the floor and glaring daggers and ninja stars up at Giles.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 09:59 am (UTC)From:Giles made a mistake then. He tried to put his hand over Marina's mouth so she wouldn't announce to the entire reception what he had done.
Noah dropped his plate of food as Giles advanced on some woman he didn't know. "Hey! That's not on!" he yelled, but a moment later he realised he wasn't needed.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 10:03 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 10:12 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 10:21 am (UTC)From:The music had stopped abruptly when Giles had screamed and then he was being yelled and and Serenity and Godric sat, stock still, their fingers still poised over the keys as they stared at the mess that had quickly become of the Gallagher-Raines wedding.
"What in the hell?!" Deirdre screamed, pushing through her cousin and her siblings then to rush over to where Giles had just been assaulted. She made sure Juliette had removed her twins before she faced Marina. Deirdre hadn't heard the woman's words in her haste to rescue her husband, who was on the ground, cradling his broken wrist. "What are you doing?!"
"Deirdre-" Giles groaned. She was going to hear. He was about to lose everything.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 10:23 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 10:36 am (UTC)From:With one arm around Phoebe, Daria grabbed Noah's sleeve and tugged him through the first door she saw, into a quieter, and hopefully safer, room. "You okay?" she asked Noah, swinging Phoebe from side to side in her arms.
Leon had stepped back to avoid getting in Daria's way, as he was heading across the opposite end of the hall to be nearer to Serenity. The argument and the accusations being thrown around were disturbing, and the fact that Giles was on the ground moaning was even more so. Leon put his hand on the stage as a brace and jumped up onto it, moving to stand between the two pianos and Serenity and Godric. He knew neither one of them was very good around violence. He didn't say anything, just let himself be a quiet presence nearby, his hand touching Serenity's arm.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 10:59 am (UTC)From:He felt physically ill.
"I think I might throw up that chicken," Noah said, turning slightly green.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 11:09 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 11:26 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 11:36 am (UTC)From:"Aya, said Cassandra in return, bunching her fists in Noah's shirt as if trying to climb up him.
"Jesus, poor Deirdre," Daria said, looking toward the door. "What an arsehole. If it's true."
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 11:44 am (UTC)From:He pushed the thought out of his mind, sure it was only there because of the bone-snapping.
Noah cleared his throat. "I can't understand why someone would do such a thing," he admitted softly. His father had cheated on his mother and Noah honestly couldn't fathom it. He would gladly harm himself before cheating on Daria and he liked himself unharmed. "I don't like...eugh, violence is gross, but I can't say as I blame that woman."
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 10:54 am (UTC)From:Deirdre felt like she couldn't breathe. Because this woman had barged in on a wedding and you didn't just do that and lie unless you were a crazy person. And it was rather a far way to go for a crazy person, since the manor house was outside London. So the woman was probably telling the truth, but that meant that Giles...her Giles...the father of her children, was lying to her and cheating on her and surely he wouldn't. He was the love of her life, wasn't he?
"Giles?" Deirdre asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
From across the room, Peter had been sitting with Thomas and his family. Without a sound, he rose and made his way over towards Deirdre. Deirdre was a demon and if Giles had done what this poor woman had said he had done, Peter had a feeling he would be needed to pull Deirdre off of him soon enough. There were children here, and people who could end up getting really hurt. They couldn't have a raging demon on the loose.
Thomas remained where he was, seated beside Stephie, but he glanced sideways at her, worried that she might be upset by the violence.
Serenity took her fingers off the piano keys and she inched closer to Leon, leaning up against him. She knew he was worried about her getting lost in the violence again, but she was okay. She was only worried about her friend and band mate, so she watched Deirdre carefully, wishing she could make this better.
Godric wrapped his arms around Leon's torso, glad for the presence of the other man since he, himself, was absolutely terrified now that there was shouting and fighting and screaming and broken bones.
"Giles, what did you do?!" Deirdre demanded.
Giles' wrist was throbbing with pain, but he stood up and he gave Deirdre the most apologetic look he could manage. And then he realised his heart hurt more than a broken bone ever could. The women he loved were in front of him and this was probably the last time he would see either of them. "Deirdre-" he said, his voice breaking. The rest of the room faded away into nothing. They didn't matter. All that mattered was Deirdre and Marina. "Deirdre, Marina, I'm so sorry..."
Deirdre let out a pained wail and instead of attacking Giles with demonic rage, she sank to the floor in a heap.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 10:58 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 11:01 am (UTC)From:She turned and stalked out of the room, breaking into a run as soon as she was outside.
Jason may have been the supporting sibling, but Paula was not going to be that. "You're a dick!" Paula screeched and then, in a rage she threw herself at him with a scream, fists flying at his face.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 11:06 am (UTC)From:"Paula!" Peter had expected it to be Deirdre who attacked Giles, not Paula. He jumped to pull Paula off of Giles and was incredibly glad when Razvan rushed to help him, since Paula was ten times stronger than Peter would ever be. As a demon, Razvan would actually be useful. Together, they lifted her off of Giles.
"We need to get her out of here!" Peter commanded Razvan.
Deirdre didn't care. She just leaned forward into her brother's arms, and she cried against his shoulder. "Jason," she whispered. "Jason Jason Jason, everything's breaking Jason."
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 11:11 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 11:12 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 11:24 am (UTC)From:Spectre and stood from his seat near Thomas and Stephie and immeditely after squeezing his husband's shoulder, he went to go stand with Deirdre. If he was going to be with anyone right now, he was going to be with her. "Jason," Spectre said softly. "We should take her out of here."
"Yes-" Deirdre breathed desperately. "Jason, I want to go. I want to go away now."
Razvan cried out when Paula bit him and then struggled so hard his hat fell off. "That was my hat!" he hissed at Paula. "Don't bite me, it's not my fault the jerkoff cheated on your sister."
"Not helping," Peter growled at Razvan, his teeth gritted as she struggled. "Paula, calm down! You can't do this here." No matter how much he agreed and secretly wanted to let her do whatever she wanted to Giles for hurting his Deirdre.
Quinn, who was a pacifist at heart, hated Giles for what he had done but didn't wish violence on anyone. He moved to Giles' side as Giles groaned on the ground, blood staining the ground. Jinx came over as well, already dialling an ambulance so Quinn didn't bother, instead remaining at the other man's side. "That was pretty shitty," Quinn informed Giles, who didn't even hear him. "But we're getting you some help.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 11:42 am (UTC)From:She turned around the headbutt Razvan in the hopes that he'd drop her.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 11:55 am (UTC)From:"Paula, your exploding his head will only mean you won't be able to ever leave the hospital again," Peter hissed, trying to use reason to calm her down. "Don't let a dirty, rat-bastard cheater take away your freedom!"
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 12:01 pm (UTC)From:She couldn't get loose to kill though and so she screamed as loud as she could, feeling like her lungs were exploding with the force of it.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 12:14 pm (UTC)From:Razvan growled as Paula tried to get free again. It was harder to hold her now with the wings and the crazy. "STOP BEING BLOODY OVERDRAMATIC!" he screamed at her, which probably wouldn't help.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 12:31 pm (UTC)From:Katia wasn't a demon any more. She couldn't fight Paula herself, so instead she had to scream out, "Razvan, I have a tranquiliser!" Sure, it gave her away, but it was better than not telling Razvan.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 12:34 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 03:15 pm (UTC)From:"He did hurt her, but I can't let you hurt him," Peter said, as if it was an apology. And it sort of was. "I'm so sorry."
Razvan grabbed the tranq out of Katia's hand and he slammed it into Paula's side before she could run away. Immediately, he depressed the syringe, administering enough tranquiliser to stop the demon cold.
Her wings faded and she stumbled forward, pitching right into Peter's waiting arms. He caught her so she didn't fall, and then he turned to Katia and he gave her a tired smile. "Thank you, Katia. That was slightly distrustful and yet entirely perfect timing."
Katia just winked and she reached into her bag to call someone to come and fetch poor Paula who had only been trying to fight for her sister.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 11:27 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 11:32 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 11:38 am (UTC)From:Deirdre allowed Jason to help her up, and she clung to him, even with Spectre there. She had no idea where she was going, and she didn't care. She just wanted to be anywhere else but surrounded by her failure of a wedding.
Spectre led Jason and Deirdre into another room of the house, a small library, and once they were in there, he reached out and he put his hand on the small of Deirdre's back. "Deirdre, darling, do you want us to take you home?"
Deirdre sniffed. She couldn't think. She couldn't contemplate what had just happened. "Home?" she said softly.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 11:42 am (UTC)From:No. No. No more fighting. Besides, Deirdre had collapsed now, and easing Deirdre's pain was more important than causing Giles'. "Fuck fuck fuck," she said quietly, though bitterly, and pushed herself out so fast the chair tipped backward. She ran after Deirdre and the others, catching up to them in the hall. "Oh Deirdre," she said, finding nothing else that wasn't a swear word to say.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 11:43 am (UTC)From:He went to hold Deirdre again, the stupid flower in his buttonhole all crushed and in the way. He reached and ripped it out with one quick movement, before throwing it on the floor, irate that someone could do this to his sister.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 11:52 am (UTC)From:Stephie was one of her oldest friends. She had lived with Stephie on and off since she was 17. Stephie reminded her of when things had been simpler. The both of them now had kids to look after and so much more to deal with-
And now Giles had- No. Deirdre couldn't think about it any more.
"I don't want to go home," Deirdre said, still holding on to Stephie.
"Where do you want to go, Deirdre," Spectre asked. "You're always welcome at our house..."
Deirdre wanted to be with one person, and one person only. The only one who had actually spoken up about her dislike of Giles. The one who wasn't here because she refused to watch Deirdre marry a man like Giles. "I want to go to Jude's."
no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 11:58 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 12:02 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2010-11-20 12:18 pm (UTC)From:"Okay," Deirdre sniffed, leaning her head on Stephie's shoulder. Then she added, "thank you," because it wouldn't do to be impolite.
Deirdre Raines, the new Deirdre, she wasn't impolite. She was heart-broken. And Deirdre was sure that wasn't supposed to be how you changed on your wedding day. You were supposed to grow and mature and join two hearts as one. You were supposed to suddenly be happy. That was how it worked with everyone else, right? She was sure it did.
But after everything, she finally felt different.