Stormwatch – A Wedding in The Wood

Even though they had been legally married for weeks, all the forms signed, and Veronica's driver's license now says Veronica Gravely, to both Josh and Ronnie it felt like their lips joined for their first kiss as husband and wife. This simple ceremony, which legally meant nothing, made their marriage real to Nica and Effi. Even though they have kissed a thousand times they were so glad that Macy forced them to practice the kiss. The emotions of the moment are so overwhelming it would have been easy to screw up something as simple as a kiss. Finally, they broke the kiss and gazed at each other joyfully. Macy placed a hand on each of their shoulders and said, "May I introduce... wait a minute." Macy looked at Josh and said, "Chéri, you promised Veronica a song, did you not?"

"Yes ma'am, I did."

"Ok, no song, no honeymoon. Chantez s'il vous plait." (Please sing)

Josh sighed as John started to play gently on his guitar. Josh was nervous and missed the intro so they started again:

I am dreaming dear of you

Day by day

Dream when the skies are blue,

When they're gray;

When the silv'ry moonlight gleams,

Still I wander on in dreams

In a land of love it seems

Just with you...

Mike, Anthony and Paul clustered close with Josh and joined him in the refrain in beautiful four-part harmony

Let me call you sweetheart

I'm in love with you

Let me hear your whisper

That you love me too

Keep the lovelight glowing

In your eyes so true

Let me call you sweetheart

I'm in love with you**

It was the first song he ever sang to her, months ago in the cold wet early December night at the Ellicott Manor, the night of their very first date, and he did it with a barbershop quartet that expanded to a full chorus in four-part harmony. Through her tears of joy, they kissed again until the sound of Macy clearing her throat reminded them that they weren't done yet. Without explanation they stepped apart and got back in line as practiced, causing no little confusion in the audience. Now Audrey and Mike were in the center, Josh stood as best man, and Veronica as matron of honor.

Macy once again started speaking. "Beloved we are here today to witness the joining of these two souls. Both felt lost and rejected, but luckily, they found each other and now they walk together, side by side, passionately in love and devoted to each other." A quiet gasp of surprise went through the invited guests as Macy continued, "Michael von Köster, do you take Audrey Mitchell to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day forward for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until parted by death?"

Magda's gasp was mingled with the gasps around her. "I do," said Mike.

"And you, Audrey Mitchell, do you take Michael von Köster to be your husband, to have and to hold from this day forward for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until parted by death?"

"I do," said Audrey.

"Then by the power vested in me by the state of New York I can happily call you husband and wife!" Macy was almost overwhelmed by the emotion of the moment as they were, "Cheri, please kiss votre femme," (your wife). This was all she could get out as tears of joy filled her eyes.

The gathered friends were surprised, confused, and delighted. No one knew this was coming, Audrey was merely known as either a former co-worker's daughter or as Mike's caregiver, this was completely unexpected. The only thing that kept Magda from screaming or leaving in a huff was the threat of a year in prison or more. The crowd was applauding! And now her father and the girl he married walked right past her without even looking at her, and now her sister did the same thing, she just walked past Magda and instead of stopping for a reception line they just turned to the right and kept walking.

Inside the pavilion Macy called, "If you follow our bride and our groom... and our bride and our groom, you'll find the reception area ready for us. If you brought a folding chair, please bring it with you." The guests chuckled but many were still confused, two weddings? Many of the guests didn't know who Audrey and Mike were, but some were able to make the connection that Mike was Veronica's father.

It was a beautiful warm autumn day, perfect for the last outdoor gathering of the year. The sun was warm, the breeze was cool, and the food and drink were delicious. Roasted young calf over a fire, a multitude of side dishes, ice cold beer and soft drinks, the pre-game show on the radio. "You Bills fans!" gasped Veronica as they set up the reception line and soon friends joined the reception line and began shaking hands, kissing, greeting and Veronica was shocked to see that "casual dress preferred" on the invitation means Buffalo Bills shirts on game day to these people. Children ran laughing between the picnic tables playing tag and avoiding tickles from the guests. Several children found a pile of flat rocks that Josh left by the pond and a few young fathers were teaching their children the art of skipping rocks. Off to the side footballs were being thrown and punted while ghosthole and bocci was played nearby.

Over by the pond a voluptuous redhead and a skinny blond man were engaged in an animated discussion with Macy. The beautiful black psychologist seemed amused at the couple's anger. "Why do you insist that the marriage of Mister Michael and Miss Audrey is invalid?"

"Because" whined Magda, "you didn't ask if anybody objects to their marriage."

"Oh," said Macy, "I did not ask for objections when Mister Josh married Miss Veronica, but you did not object to their marriage."

"I didn't care about that one. So, you admit that their marriage is invalid?"

"No, do not be silly," Macy pronounces it "see-lee." Her husband stepped closer ready to step in and help, but Macy surreptitiously signaled to him that she had this well in hand. "There is no requirement anywhere to ask if anyone objects to a wedding, except maybe in a Hallmark Christmas movie."

"What kind of pastor are you?" demanded Magda.

"I am not a pastor," said Macy. "My husband John is a pastor. I am a psychologist."

"Then what were you doing performing a wedding ceremony?" Magda was almost shrieking now.

"I wasn't," shrugged Macy, "They were married two weeks ago at the courthouse, this is their wedding reception. Same as Monsieur et Madame Gravely."

The sound of Magda's shriek of frustration could be heard across the pond.

Meanwhile the wedding party finished with the reception line and were relaxing at the head table and were enjoying the "fatted calf" along with the potluck side dishes. "How did we get so lucky?" Josh whispered to Audrey who sat to his left at the head table with her lucky charm, Katarina, on her lap.

"I don't know," she gasped. "I thought I loved you; I thought I knew what love was, and then you introduced me to Mike and my whole world changed." She shook her head in wonder.

"That's when you know it's good," said Josh softly.

"Thank you so much." Audrey kissed Josh's cheek and as usual Katarina pushed Josh's face away.

"Katarina is the jealous type I see," chuckled Josh and he turned his head to the right and there she was, the woman he loved more than he has loved anyone ever before. Veronica turned and smiled at him, a sudden snapshot of the perfect smile appeared in his mind, and he recognized that smile and he now realized it was a memory from years before he met Veronica, and from the depths of his soul the fear came roaring back.

The roaring and rumbling of the wounded AC-130 filled his ears, the wind roaring past his aching body froze him to the bone, he gripped Ellie's safety strap as tightly as possible as he dangled in the slipstream outside of the crippled bird, the desert passed beneath him at two hundred miles per hour. Five feet further down the safety strap dangled Ellie Stadelmeyer, she was blown out of the side of the airplane when the missile hit and was dangling from the safety strap she always wore. Josh tried to haul her back inside the plane, but his feet slipped on the blood on the floor, and he fell out of the airplane and he now clutched desperately to Ellie's safety strap. Was that Ellies blood he slipped on? Was it Craigs? Craig was his best friend and was blown to pieces when the guns sighted in on them and opened fire and the horror of seeing his friend's mangled body compounded everything.

Josh had covered Craig's body and patched up the other injured members of his team nicknamed "The Double You's" Wyatt and Wayne, then as he settled in for landing, he realized that Ellie was missing. The easiest way to find Ellie is to look up at where the safety strap she is always wearing is connected to the airplane and follow it to Ellie. Josh followed the strap with his eyes to a big hole on the side of the airplane - Oh Shit! He dashed to the hole, early tripping over Craig's remains and saw that she was there. If he lives to be a hundred Josh will never forget the bone chilling terror of seeing her dangling from the safety strap sawing away at the strap with her knife so she wouldn't be dragged to death on landing - it was the most terrifying thing he had ever seen in his life. He grabbed her strap and screamed for her to stop cutting. She dropped the knife and began weeping in bitter terror knowing that her death was going to be horrific. He tried to haul her in, but his feet slipped on the bloody floor and he ended up clasping to the same safety strap that held Ellie. But his blood-soaked hands were slipping.

If he held on, he'd slide down the line and end up holding on with Ellie. They'll be too heavy to be pulled back in the plane and both be dragged to death on the runway, a horrible way to die. Her only chance is if he let go, maybe someone can pull her in. Maybe if he let go he'd hit her on the way down and knock her out, she wouldn't see the ground coming if she didn't get rescued. Yeah, that was the humane thing to do. Either way, at least he wouldn't have to watch her die...

He could feel the plane slowing down for landing, the rising sun allowed them both to see the pinkish brown dirt and rocks that were getting closer, he'll hit the rocks at over 150 mph if he let go now... it won't hurt but for a moment... But he doesn't want to die, he had a dream that he can fix it all up with his wife Yesenia when he gets back... she'll be happy to see him when he gets back, he's been in this shithole for almost a year, she'll be glad he's ok!

Then common sense hit him with a bat to the back of the head. Bullshit, she hates him. "Let go you coward!" He cursed himself, and now he hated himself for being such a coward. "Just end it!" he screamed at himself. "Loved? No one has ever loved you. Your parents drank themselves to death to avoid you, your sister is a junkie, your wife is a slut. Shut up, let go! At least die like a man!"

"I'm sorry I fucked up!" he shouted at Ellie, and he closed his eyes and let go of the safety strap.

A ripping pain tore down his left side and the first thing that Josh thought was that slamming into the ground at 150 MPH would hurt a LOT less, but someone pulled him back in the plane! A sharp edge on the hole in the side of the airplane ripped his flesh open, but who rescued him? He opened his eyes and there was Veronica looking at him, that flash of memory seared into his mind, the smile remained a perfect goal to attain, and slowly the plane faded away replaced with a warm autumn afternoon, her smile was still perfect, but it became concerned. The wedding celebration swam back into focus and now he KNEW who saved him.

"Effie? What's wrong?" Veronica was worried. "You're looking at me so strangely."

"It was you, Nica, it was you all along."

"What? You're not making any sense Effi."

"Just now I was back on the plane, I was on Ghostrider, I was hanging on to Ellie's safety strap," he explained.

"Oh no," gasped Veronica. Josh was a gunner on an AC-130 that was shot up on a mission that will probably never be declassified. A hole was blown into the side of the airplane and a crew member was dangling outside on a safety strap, he went to save her, slipped on blood and ended up outside clinging to her safety strap until he was pulled inside. He then pulled Ellie inside and saved her life. He's a hero, the medals on his uniform testify to that, but emotionally the price is horrific. "Do you need to talk to Doctor Lennox?" she said reaching for her phone. Doctor Helen Lennox is his psychologist that's been working with him dealing with his PTSD.

"No, no I'm fine. It all came back... the part I refused to admit... I gave up... I wanted to end it, so I let go of the strap."

"What? I'm getting Macy..." Veronica panicked but she realized that Macy is a psychologist, she can help Josh, right?

"No, listen to me. It's the part I never told you... it's the part I couldn't tell Doctor Lennox. She knows I'm holding back... listen to me." Josh was "as giddy as a schoolboy" as Ebenezer Scrooge described it, he took Veronica's hand. "As I was hanging on to Ellie's safety strap, I knew that there had never been any love in my life, and I didn't see any heading my way. So, I decided to go out on my own terms, and I let go of Ellie's safety strap... just as Hal Rainey grabbed me and hauled me into the plane. I remember that I wanted to see who saved me and I opened my eyes and saw you."

"You saw me right now and..."

"No!" gushed Josh, "I saw you back then! It confused the hell out of me for years."

"You saw me. Back then." Veronica looked confused, her brand new husband was crazy, but she knew that. Now it's a matter of finding out just how crazy he is.

"Yes, I did. Just for the briefest of moments, just a quick flash, like if somebody splices in a half dozen frames of a picture into a movie, I saw a subliminal flash of you and that smile I love. I carried that picture with me when I went home and found Yesenia knocked up. That picture of you gave me the intelligence to not beat her to death..." Josh had been deployed for nearly a year and returned to find his wife was six months pregnant.

"Wait a minute, she was fucking around on you while you were in a military hospital after being shot down?" gasped Veronica.

"Who did?" asked Audrey.

"I'll kill her," snarled Veronica.

"She was already knocked up when I was shot down. Yeah, I wanted to slap her," said Josh, "but I just said, "Get out," because deep down inside I knew you were waiting for me. I just turned around and told my first sergeant what happened, and I divorced her ass. If I had done anything else, I would have ended up in jail and never would have met you. And when the Air Force fucked me over and threw me out, that picture of you gave me the strength to just calmly deal with it. If I had punched every office weanie who desperately deserved a thorough ass kicking, I would be way too busy to meet you."

"You really believe this, don't you?" Ronnie gave him that pleasant smile that he absolutely lives for. He will work himself to death for her as long as that smile keeps coming.

"This is my version of reality, let me enjoy it for a while, ok?"

"You are such a goofball, no wonder why I love you," Veronica gave a lusty growl and threw her arms around Josh's neck as they kissed.

"You need to stop that kissing an' shit," said Terri a bit too loudly. "You're embarrassing the guests."

"Who?" asked Veronica.

"That scrawny blond guy and the red head with the droopy boobs," said Terri. "They won't take their eyes off of you."

"Droopy boobs..." snorted Josh, "now that's some funny shit right there," he said in his best Larry the Cable Guy voice, which got Audrey howling. She had to explain what Larry the Cable Guy was to Mike as Josh asked Veronica, "what did you ever see in that Jameson guy?"

"He was rich," she shrugged and ate some more of the beef, man was this stuff good! Why do people do pig roasts when they can do calf roasts?

"Bullshit," said Josh as Veronica fed him some of her beef.

"What do you mean?"

"If he's so damn rich, why did his wife pilfer his disabled father-in-law's retirement? Why is he driving a beat-up old Buick? Why did they try to steal our Halloween money? I thought they moved to Hawaii, why are they bothering us real people?"

"I love you when you're right," she purred. "Let's go somewhere, I'm in the mood to have sex with a married man."

"Can I watch?" he grinned.

"Will you two please?" laughed Anthony. Because the China, silverware, and stemware are all disposable and he couldn't clang his spoon on a glass and get any sound out of it, Marj brought a bell for Ant to ring when it was time to make the toast and he now rang desperately. He took the microphone to one of the children's Karaoke machines and said, "Several years ago my wife asked me to hire a personal assistant who was perfect for both of our needs. My only superpower is to hire the right person for the right job and this personal assistant was doing a great job, but she was lonely, so I hired a technical manager to keep her entertained. I couldn't believe how long it took them to get to this point."

He paused for the crowd to chuckle. "One of the great parts of being the boss is the ability to watch your people grow and to interact, and Josh and Veronica are the best. Friends from day one, then only one month after their first date they were engaged, it's like we were all fated to be here today celebrating with them, just as we're all fated to be celebrating their anniversaries for years and years to come. Leave it to Ronnie and Josh to change the holiday of ghosts and goblins to a celebration of love and harmony. If you had problems with that whole thing you can blame me, it's my fault, I started this whole thing." He raised his plastic wine glass filled with fruit juice, "To Josh and Ronnie, may your love show us all how it's done right for years to come."

After the toast, Anthony handed the microphone to Josh who took the neon green plastic mic and said, "You wouldn't believe how many men are not asked at their own wedding to say make a toast for their father-in-law because it's his own wedding also. There's a possibility that I may be the first to attain this honor. I met Mike almost two years ago, I didn't meet him in person, I met him through his daughter. I found her to be polite and humble around people she cares for, smart, beautiful, wise, and respectful. These are all qualities you can be born with, but they only grow when nurtured by the love of a wise parent. When I finally met Mike in person, I found him to be that wise parent. I asked him for his blessing to marry his daughter and he said "sure, but I ain't the pope, I'm not sure how far that blessing will get you." It got me the most wonderful woman in the world. Thank you Mike for raising Veronica to be perfect.

"Mike is the kind of guy... a parent I grew up wishing I had to guide me, and now I do have him. When the opportunity to move him into our house arose, I jumped right on it, we already had someone living in the in-law suite, so we moved her out... now Mike is moving her back in." He raised his glass full of fresh apple cider, "We love you two so much, thank you so much for being in so much love, Mike and Audrey von Köster."

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The cleanup from the party went quickly, the only hard part was blowing the water lines clear on Terri's camper so it could be stored for the winter, then Terri and Mateo decided to stay another night because they both have roommates, and they want to spend the night together in privacy. Mike and Audrey chose to spend the night at home in Springville while Josh and Veronica remained in their cabin.