Closed Unsuspecting - A Wedding

[Saveli Pendleton]

A wedding was quite the beautiful thing. Saveli loved the idea of seeing one before starting her planning - and to top it off the fact the Roo had made friends with a mother from the daycare was just as exciting. This gave a secured playmate for Carrot and a friend for Roo when Saveli adn his brother were busy. The blonde had decided on a plain blue gown. SOmething that wqould definitely not outshine the bride that Roo had befriended.

The invitation itself was a little strange. Verbally the two were invited, as it was a semi-casual event at a nice outdoor venue. The woman whom had greeted and seated them for the ceremony had said it was her back yard with some extra enchantments. Saveli was so distracted with the enchanted lights and other objects it took her a moment to even notice who the groom standing adn waiting was. At first Saveli was unsure, but the harder she stared the more she was sure. Then the man's ice cold orbs struck her own steely ones and she was sure. With an obviously shocked and angry expression Saveli turned and looked at Reuben. "What the hell, Roo?" She asked

 

[Reuben Pendleton]

Reuben squeezed Saveli's hand as they took their seats in preparation for the ceremony. He wished Saveli could have met Lexy sooner - he was sure they were going to get along - but her wedding invitation had come at an opportune time. What better way was there to meet someone than on one of the happiest days of their life? Reuben smiled, admiring the beautiful decorations strung up around the garden. He definitely wouldn't have minded an outdoor wedding. It wasn't like they weren't used to mud, at any rate.

He startled as he met the thunderous expression on Saveli's face. "What?" He glanced around, his eyes settling on the figure waiting by the altar. "Merlin's beard. No way. Is that..?" He dared another glimpse at his fiancee. Yes. Yes it was. The groom was Gabriel. Lexy was marrying Gabriel. "I - I didn't know. She never told me his name! Saveli, I swear, I had no idea. I'm so sorry. We can leave. Maybe we can leave. OK, nope, no, it's starting. Cool. This is fine."

 

[Lexy Fletcher]

Zero had held Lexy's hand through the entirety of wedding planning. It was quick and put together with almost no notice. Zero had become Lexy's minister even - ordained to marry she and the love of her life. Sera walked staggeringly down the Aisle in front of Lexy passing out flowers, and the brunette was unaware of the glares coming from her new friend's fiancee. She smiled approaching in her unconventional gown. The events that led up to this wedding were odd, a whirlwind of passion and emotion and love - Lexy was grateful for every opportunity.

As she reached the archway they were to be married under, she took both of Gabe's hands in her own. "I love you." She whispered, just for him to hear. What a wonderful moment. Zero waited for the music to stop and begun to read the words written to seal Lexy and Gabriel together forever. At the end of the day she'd no longer be her own - but one with the man she loved. And who loved her.

 

[Gabriel Fletcher]

Though he'd deny it later, Gabriel had a tear in his eye as Lexy walked down the aisle toward him, their small son clutching a bright bouquet of flowers in front. Gabe didn't deserve them. He'd done some terrible things to good people - things he daily wished he could take back, or at least apologise for. But Lexy was no angel, either, and she was perfect in his eyes, so perhaps it didn't matter. Perhaps all that mattered was the here and now, the days ahead, the things he could and would do to make his family as happy as possible.

He took her hands, a stupid grin plastered on his face. "I love you too," he whispered back. As if she didn't know that. As Zero began to speak, Gabriel glanced out across the crowd, looking for his father. He'd invited his old man, but only out of moral obligation, and he wasn't sad to see he wasn't there.

The colour drained from his face. His dad might have been absent, but in his place was somebody he wanted to see even less. Saveli. What was she doing? He hadn't invited her, and Lexy didn't know her. Not as far as Gabriel was aware, anyway. Memories of their last night together shouldered into his head. Childhood days in the sun. The day at the pool. Bellybutton rings. All of it, the good and the bad, like a warped and broken slideshow. He closed his eyes, turned his head back to Lexy, tried to focus on the vows. This was the happiest moment in his life. Damn it! Saveli was ruining everything. She always ruined everything.

He got through it. He married Lexy. The love of his life. The ceremony ended, and the reception began. Gabriel tried not to look around for fear of catching Saveli's eye. Reuben was with her, too; he hadn't noticed right away. What would he do if they came over? Well, first of all, he'd ask what the hell they were doing there.

That was a thought. Gabriel touched Lexy's arm gently. "How do you know Saveli?"

 

[Saveli Pendleton]

Saveli was ready to leave the moment she had made that eye contact, but it was starting - everything was happening so fast. For the first time in a long time a panic welled in Saveli's chest. Suddenly she felt like she did the day in the kitchen when Gabe had showed up on her doorstep. She'd trusted him every step of the way, every time he'd lifted her up or put her down. Memories of when they were a child filled the blonde's head, and she didn't think she could stay. She couldn't. Half way through the ceremony she quickly removed herself from the smothering lights that dazed her as she left.

Making it a good twenty to thirty feet from the house Saveli tried to catch breaths that weren't coming back to her and the most overwhelming feeling of abandonment entered Saveli's chest. WAs this woman why he never spoke to her again after they'd. Saveli covered her mouth. She hadn't wanted to be with Gabriel, never in the way he wanted. But she had trusted him in every sense of the word and suddenly the fragile person she had been before was no longer pushed deep within her but instead brought out to the surface. It was as if rather than ever handling the emotions she'd been forced to feel, she just pushed them so deep within her she wouldn't need to feel them anymore.

There was no part of Saveli that could go back to that place and see Gabriel again. And whoever this child was that was Carrot's best friend, that boy - he'd never have a chance to hurt her daughter the way Gabriel had hurt her.

 

[Reuben Pendleton]

Reuben was sitting on the very edge of his seat, desperate for the moment he could stand up and get the hell out of there. It came about half way through the ceremony. He stood up and squeezed past the other guests, avoiding their glares at his interruption. Screw the wedding. Screw Gabriel. Screw Lexy. No, it wasn't her fault. But it wasn't Reuben's fault, either. He couldn't have known...

He hurried after Saveli, his mind racing with apologies. She believed him, right? She knew he wouldn't have done this to her on purpose. He caught up with her a little way from the house, where she'd stopped to catch her breath. "Sav? I am so sorry, I didn't - hey, are you OK?" She didn't look angry. She looked distraught. A horrible feeling came over him. Why was she so upset? She didn't still feel for Gabriel, did she? Surely, after all this time...

 

[Saveli Pendleton]

Sav hadn't wanted Reuben to see her in such a state. Saveli always assumed if she saw Gabe she'd rub in his face what he had mistreated. She had been such a good friend to him - and he couldn't have just that could he? He had to push things and ruin everything - the little family they'd built up being like marauders. He was her best friend and a hole was in her heart, that Saveli had packed full of putty like it was dry wall. But the flood was coming and the putty was washed out. "No. Roo..." She whispered. "Stay please, I need... I need to see my dad." She said with tears welling way past her waterline. "Please stay here, say hi to that girl." She said before disappearing with a crack.

 

[Lexy Fletcher]

Lexy didn't notice anyone moving or leaving. Her eyes stayed trained on Gabriel until they finally kissed after the I Do. The brunette was so eager to meet the guests - all five or six of them - and smile and tell them how happy she was. After all, most of the guests were Gabriel's Mechanic friends or Zero's friends and a few others she'd met. She'd have invited Arlo had he not been in prison. "Didn't know I knew who?" She whispered, shaking hands with the guests, stood next to Gabriel. They came and complimented her and talked one after another - as if it was a small train of socializing before they ate food.

 

[Reuben Pendleton]

Reuben felt hollow. Saveli needed her dad. Right. Not Reuben. Because he was the one who'd caused this. Or maybe - and this was even worse - it was because she really did still have feelings for him, and she couldn't talk to Reuben about it. He ran a hand through his hair, staring numbly at the spot his fiancee had disappeared from. A few minutes passed. He wandered slowly back towards the house. What was he going to do? He should say hi to Lexy, like Saveli had asked. This was her special day; he didn't want to spoil it by making her worry where her guests were disappearing off to.

They were shaking hands with the guests when Reuben got back to the garden. He glared coldly at Gabriel as he joined the end of the line. It made sense, now - Seraphiel pushing Ainmere over in the sandpit. Like father like son. Reuben was never letting his kids near that boy again.

It was his turn. Reuben shook Lexy's hand first, congratulating her - though he wasn't sure what for. She'd just married Gabriel. Reuben stared into the man's lifeless blue eyes as he shook his hand, squeezing a little harder than necessary. "Congratulations," he said. "You really got your fairytale ending, huh? How lucky."

 

[Gabriel Fletcher]

"Some girl," Gabriel muttered. Why did they have to meet the guests? And where was Saveli? As he stood there, shaking the hands of his coworkers and some other people he didn't really care about, he glanced around the garden nervously. He hadn't seen her or Reuben since just before the vows. Maybe they'd left. He was just starting to relax and enjoy himself again when Reuben joined the end of the line - alone. Merlin, this was almost worse. At least with his girlfriend around he'd have had a reason to control himself. He held the man's gaze as they shook hands. "Yes," he said. "I'm very lucky." There was only one way to deal with this, and that was to be the bigger man - and to say something before Reuben could. "Lexy, this is Reuben. We went to school together. He doesn't like me because I used to date his girlfriend, and now he's probably going to say something to make me look bad. Unfortunately for him, Lexy already knows that I am a d***, so the only thing he'll do is make himself look like an idiot." He said all of his very pleasantly, with a smile on his face, completely unaware Lexy and Reuben already knew each other.

 

[Lexy Fletcher]

Lexy shrugged and kept her face all smiles. She was stressed as it was, she didn't need other things on her mind. When Roo approached she felt strange that Gabe would introduce him, and all the words that left Gabriel's mouth left her shocked. But like a poised queen, the girl smiled. "Listen, I'm sorry to find out you and my new friend from the daycare don't get along. That sucks. But I spent a lot of time getting myself into this dress and putting on my makeup. So the first person to make a scene will join my father in heaven. Okay?" She asked, voice sickeningly sweet. "Thank you so much for coming Roo - I was excited to meet your girlfriend, did she get sick?"

 

[Reuben Pendleton]

Reuben actually snorted. Used to date Saveli? They hadn't been dating. Only in Gabriel's dreams, anyway. Or was he actually deluded enough to think there had been something going on between them? Reuben suddenly felt uneasy again. What if he wasn't lying? What if there was something Saveli wasn't telling him? She'd apparated away so quickly, told him to stay... she didn't want him around. He opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by Lexy. He blushed. Right. This was her wedding day. He wasn't going to ruin it over his personal grudge against Gabriel, even he did look very slappable right now. "Yeah. Something like that. I should probably go," he said to Lexy. "Thanks for inviting me. And - uh -sorry." And with that he ducked away, keen to get out before he said something he couldn't take back. Where would he go now? Not to Monty's. He had so many questions, so many concerns, but they would have to wait. Meantime, he'd go to Viv's and see his children.

 

[Gabriel Fletcher]

Gabriel's smile fell, and he shrank a little. Only Lexy could make him shrink like that. She was a lioness. But she was a lioness who was on his side - sort of. Something told him he hadn't heard the last of this, yet.

He didn't dignify Reuben with a goodbye.

---

It was dark outside. The bedside lamp cast a honey glow on Lexy's face. He cupped her cheek gently in one hand and planted a kiss on her lips. He'd got away with it. She hadn't asked him about Reuben again; in the heat of their passion, she must have forgotten all about it. "Mrs Fletcher," he said, grinning. Merlin, that sounded good.

 

[Lexy Fletcher]

Lexy smiles and reciprocated every second of the kiss. “Mm, My husband.” She whispered back. It was official. She was his forever. “Thank you for not making a scene with my friend earlier.” She spoke, kissing him again. “But I didn’t appreciate you lying to me.” She replied, with a small back up to look into Gabriel’s eyes. “Gabe. We are married now. I spilled my soul to you. You know all my skeletons, and if you show me the ones in your closet I won’t stop hanging my clothes in their. So really. Why don’t you and Roo get along?” She inquired.

 

[Gabriel Fletcher]

Gabriel moaned and rolled his head back against the headboard. Correction: he'd almost got away with it. "I was telling the truth," he insisted, though he couldn't quite meet Lexy's gaze as he said it. He sighed. "Look, his girlfriend and I have a history. We were best friends. I wasn't expecting her to turn up at our wedding. He's just upset because..." He stopped. This was Lexy he was talking to. His wife. The mother of his kid. She was right; she'd told him all her secrets, shown him all her skeletons. Maybe she could forgive him for his, too. It was better than lying - right? "OK, I was kind of a d**k," he admitted. Out of nowhere, his eyes filled with tears. What the hell? He wasn't upset about this. He wiped at the tears in annoyance, but fresh ones immediately replaced them. "I was a bad person, Lexy. I lost my best friend. He's got every right to be angry with me, honestly. Look, do I have to talk about this? It's our wedding night, for God's sake..."

 

[Lexy Fletcher]

Lexy listened to Gabriel speak honestly, and ran her hand gently up and down the skin of his arm as he did so. She enjoyed the fact he could be honest, but his reluctance made it obvious that he had a long way to go. “Gabriel.” She spoke gently. “Nothing you say about your past will make me run from you. Things happen, we all make bad choices. But I’m in love with you, and that’s not going to change just because you were a jerk. That’s not who you are anymore.” She kissed him. “And the fact that Reuben isn’t going to get to know the you that you’ve grown into, that’s his loss. Because I think the way you’re turning out is wonderful.” She kissed him again and smiled. “Besides, you can’t be a jerk to me. I’d win in a fight.” She teased.

 

[Gabriel Fletcher]

Gabriel managed to look Lexy in the eye. Even now, he felt like he was deceiving her. Even though he was about to tell her the truth. She didn't know the man she'd just married - not really. Admittedly, Gabriel hadn't known what Lexy was capable of until recently, and he didn't think of her as a liar. But that was different. Lexy's past didn't change who she was today. What if Gabriel had been faking it this whole time? What if deep down he was irreversibly corrupt? He closed his eyes, unable to kiss her back, or to smile at her playful teasing. What if, once he told her, she regretted marrying him?

"OK," he exhaled at last. "I was... I was jealous. Well, not jealous. Look, Saveli was smart. Popular. Funny. I figured... it was only a matter of time before she realised she was too good to be my friend. I got scared." He stopped to rub his face. Why was he telling Lexy all of this? "So I... I put her down. I didn't even know what I was doing, then. It just felt good. I mean, not good. I just didn't want her to leave me. I didn't have anyone else." The tears he had managed to suppress came back with a vengeance. "I didn't have anyone else."

 

[Lexy Fletcher]

It was strange for Lexy to see Gabriel so transparent and raw. It was obvious the situation bothered him more than he had let on, but Lexy wondered which parts of it exactly bothered him. It was painful to hear every word Gabriel said, and for a moment Lexy was silent. They had nearly grown up in similar conditions - but they'd chosen different paths to deal with their bad upbringing. "Gabriel, that was then." She reassured finally after gathering her thoughts. She sat up slightly in bed to speak better, glad Zero had Sera so their conversations could be continuous. "You were raised to mirror your dad. You may have known better, you may regret it and you may not, remember that what is important is the changes you are making now. When I met you you were pathetic and in pain, and obviously trying to hard to be who you aren't, but Gabe..." She took his hands. "I've never met anyone who has such a deep soul and careful love. You are growing up into someone more amazing than the you you used to be. Please just remember that. I love you."

 

[Gabriel Fletcher]

Gabriel shook his head as Lexy tried to tell him he'd grown as a person. "What if I haven't, though? What if I haven't changed?" he said. He didn't understand how Lexy could look at him and see a good person, someone with a deep soul. No matter how hard he tried to deceive the world, he would always be just like his dad. Manipulative, lazy, and narcissistic. He even looked like him. How was he supposed to believe he was any different when every time he walked past a mirror he was reminded how similar they were? He took Lexy's hand suddenly and looked her in the eyes. "I love you. I want to be a good person. I want to be a good dad. That means something, right? I just don't want Sera to grow up like me. I don't want him to hurt people. But what if it's not enough? Like father like son, right? What if there's nothing I can do?"