Challenge 7: Wedding Planning
Jack Carter and Nathan Stark, Eureka
The Engagement:
It was so hard to believe they had reached this point. After Nathan was deleted from time Jack thought that was it. He was lost forever, and he moved on without truly understanding why his heart had hurt so much at the loss. Marrying Allison had dulled some of the pain for a time but the marriage didn't last more than a few months, just long enough for Allison to fall pregnant with his child. Unlike with Abby, Allison saw no benefit for either of them in staying together for the baby's sake.
Jack figured out the truth of his feelings the moment Nathan was brought back from the dead. Standing before him once more, Jack felt a heavy weight lift off his chest and shoulders. He wasn't sure which of them made the first move but it came a few weeks later after Jack nearly got killed by one of Eureka's science experiments, waking up in the Global medical unit with a throbbing head from yet another concussion and with a very worried Nathan sitting beside his bed looking unkempt.
A chance meeting at Cafe Diem a few days later had them deciding to sit together to eat. The next time was intentional, their first date, followed by dinner with many, many drinks, which led to their first kiss. Months later they were far beyond kissing with Jack moving into Nathan's house while Fargo moved into SARAH's bunker. Zoe was away studying to become a doctor and had no objections as long as she could decorate her own room at Nathan's.
Jack wasn't sure which of them first mentioned marriage, or maybe they just gravitated towards the idea, but on their one year anniversary they surprised each other by proposing.
The Wedding Invitation:
Nathan and Jack began planning, setting the date and venue, and together they sent out the invitations, nervously awaiting the replies.
The Wedding Venue:
The beauty about Eureka was the ability to control the weather in the area surrounding the town so Jack and Nathan were guaranteed a beautiful day. The obvious outdoor venue was Copernicus Park, near the monument that held a few memories for Jack that were, admittedly, not his own but Doctor Thatcher had fond and romantic memories of that place so that was good enough for Jack.
They had agreed to choose their own suits rather than turn up looking identical, which pleased Jack because Nathan looked amazing in dark colors whereas Jack preferred to avoid the all-black look as if he was attending one too many funerals. He did have some concerns over the bridesmaid dress.
"That's not a bridesmaid dress. It barely covers your..."
"Ass?"
"Zoe!"
"Mom and Allison chose it, and where does it say I have to wear a dress down to my ankles?"
Jack caved in as it was the prettiest pink dress he'd ever seen her wear, and she was happy, and that's all that truly mattered. Kevin was far easier to dress, happy to wear a suit similar to Nathan's, and Allison dressed Jenna in a similar dress to Zoe's.
The Ceremony:
Jenna was just old enough to walk down the aisle holding onto Zoe's hand as they led the two grooms. Jack made Nathan go first, accompanied by Kevin who was the best man for both of them.
At the ceremony Jack was so nervous and yet so proud too as he joined Nathan at the front. Zoe stood close by, beaming happily as Henry officiated.
Jack had always hated all the fuss over making vows when the traditional words of the wedding service said everything - Love and honor, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. He had made those vows once before to Abby but this time he intended to keep them, though he wanted to make one change. Death had brought them together - or rather, bringing Nathan back from the dead - and Jack didn't plan on letting death part them again, believing there was something beyond. He spoke his vows first with the subtle differences Zoe and SARAH had suggested and approved during his rehearsal at home. Afterwards he listened as Nathan spoke his vows to him, smiling as the normally pragmatic scientist spoke so eloquently of his love and of his hopes for their joint future.
Then it was time for exchanging...
The Rings:
When Henry asked for the rings Jack and Nathan each produced a small velvet pouch and dropped the ring for their husband-to-be into Henry's palm. Neither had seen what the other had bought and Jack was intrigued. He remembered mentioning to Nathan how much he hated gold bands after the failure of his first marriage. It was a sad association to past mistakes so seeing the bands of silver and blue made him smile.
"It's made from a meteorite," Nathan murmured, "And it matches your eyes," he added, making Jack flush with happiness.
Nathan was smiling too as he looked at the ring Jack had chosen with a little help from Henry. Black Tungsten with circuitry engraved onto the surface - for his scientist husband.
"You may kiss the groom," Henry stated, and as everyone applauded and whistled, Jack reached up and pulled Nathan down into a sweet kiss full of promises, laughing as Nathan kissed him back harder.
The Reception:
They had left Vincent in charge of the Reception and he had done an amazing job setting up a marquis tent just a little way off with everything seeming to match the color scheme of their wedding right down to the written menu, flowers, and an amazing cake that fed into Jack's love of gemstones, and moon rocks, and meteors. He wondered if Zoe had helped Vincent choose the design. The menu didn't have Jack's favorite greasy cheeseburger but he figured he could try something different just this once.
The speeches were the usual mix of funny, whimsical, and on occasion maybe a little too saccharine sweet. Jack had a few worries in case either Allison or Abby, their ex-wives, decided to make any snide comments about them wrapped in a smile, but both of them were gracious and seemed happy throughout. All the guests were laughing and seemed to be having fun. Jack and Nathan had asked for no gifts because they simply didn't need anything beyond the company of their friends and family, although that didn't stop a small side table slowly building with gifts.
The first dance was traditionally for the Bride and Groom - or the Groom and Groom in this case as Jack refused to be the bride at this wedding so neither of them wanted a waltz. They took to the floor for a quiet dance, holding onto each other with Jack's head on Nathan's shoulder. The strains of the A Thousand Years by Christina Perri.
"As much as I'd love to see you dance, I banned the Macarena," Nathan murmured in his ear, making Jack snort.
Jack still couldn't believe Abby had let that slip on her first visit to Eureka a few years earlier, how they had won a Macarena dance competition on their honeymoon.
"Thank God," he replied, deciding he had already embarrassed himself enough in this town without adding to it by dancing the Macarena.
The Guests:
All of the guests seemed to have a great time eating, drinking, and dancing, especially some of their closest friends - and ex-wives!
Transportation:
All too soon it was time for Jack and Nathan to say their goodbye and slip away, leaving the others to continue into the night. Nathan had previously insisted on them taking his car, saying he had no intention of starting their honeymoon in Jack's Cherokee emblazoned with the word 'Sheriff'. Plus Nathan swore Jack's vehicle (and its many predecessors) were trouble magnets, mentioning how many times he'd had to repair or replace it after it was destroyed or damaged by experiments gone wrong.
Jack shrugged. It was fine by him as long as he could drive. They bickered all the way to the car only to stop short when they realized what someone had snuck out and done to the car while they were at the reception.
"Yeah... No," Jack stated at the over-the-top decoration only to notice a small crowd gathering to wish them off.
Nathan gave a smug smile, jingling the keys, and slid into the driver's seat leaving Jack rolling his eyes and climbing into the passenger side. They drove off with a wave to everyone, determined to put Eureka into the rearview mirror as soon as possible as they headed to the Eureka airstrip where a private jet was already fuelled and ready to take off. Jack had no idea where they were heading but as long as there was cold beer - and Nathan - then it really didn't matter.
END
The Engagement:
It was so hard to believe they had reached this point. After Nathan was deleted from time Jack thought that was it. He was lost forever, and he moved on without truly understanding why his heart had hurt so much at the loss. Marrying Allison had dulled some of the pain for a time but the marriage didn't last more than a few months, just long enough for Allison to fall pregnant with his child. Unlike with Abby, Allison saw no benefit for either of them in staying together for the baby's sake.
Jack figured out the truth of his feelings the moment Nathan was brought back from the dead. Standing before him once more, Jack felt a heavy weight lift off his chest and shoulders. He wasn't sure which of them made the first move but it came a few weeks later after Jack nearly got killed by one of Eureka's science experiments, waking up in the Global medical unit with a throbbing head from yet another concussion and with a very worried Nathan sitting beside his bed looking unkempt.
A chance meeting at Cafe Diem a few days later had them deciding to sit together to eat. The next time was intentional, their first date, followed by dinner with many, many drinks, which led to their first kiss. Months later they were far beyond kissing with Jack moving into Nathan's house while Fargo moved into SARAH's bunker. Zoe was away studying to become a doctor and had no objections as long as she could decorate her own room at Nathan's.
Jack wasn't sure which of them first mentioned marriage, or maybe they just gravitated towards the idea, but on their one year anniversary they surprised each other by proposing.
The Wedding Invitation:
Nathan and Jack began planning, setting the date and venue, and together they sent out the invitations, nervously awaiting the replies.
The Wedding Venue:
The beauty about Eureka was the ability to control the weather in the area surrounding the town so Jack and Nathan were guaranteed a beautiful day. The obvious outdoor venue was Copernicus Park, near the monument that held a few memories for Jack that were, admittedly, not his own but Doctor Thatcher had fond and romantic memories of that place so that was good enough for Jack.
They had agreed to choose their own suits rather than turn up looking identical, which pleased Jack because Nathan looked amazing in dark colors whereas Jack preferred to avoid the all-black look as if he was attending one too many funerals. He did have some concerns over the bridesmaid dress.
"That's not a bridesmaid dress. It barely covers your..."
"Ass?"
"Zoe!"
"Mom and Allison chose it, and where does it say I have to wear a dress down to my ankles?"
Jack caved in as it was the prettiest pink dress he'd ever seen her wear, and she was happy, and that's all that truly mattered. Kevin was far easier to dress, happy to wear a suit similar to Nathan's, and Allison dressed Jenna in a similar dress to Zoe's.
The Ceremony:
Jenna was just old enough to walk down the aisle holding onto Zoe's hand as they led the two grooms. Jack made Nathan go first, accompanied by Kevin who was the best man for both of them.
At the ceremony Jack was so nervous and yet so proud too as he joined Nathan at the front. Zoe stood close by, beaming happily as Henry officiated.
Jack had always hated all the fuss over making vows when the traditional words of the wedding service said everything - Love and honor, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. He had made those vows once before to Abby but this time he intended to keep them, though he wanted to make one change. Death had brought them together - or rather, bringing Nathan back from the dead - and Jack didn't plan on letting death part them again, believing there was something beyond. He spoke his vows first with the subtle differences Zoe and SARAH had suggested and approved during his rehearsal at home. Afterwards he listened as Nathan spoke his vows to him, smiling as the normally pragmatic scientist spoke so eloquently of his love and of his hopes for their joint future.
Then it was time for exchanging...
The Rings:
When Henry asked for the rings Jack and Nathan each produced a small velvet pouch and dropped the ring for their husband-to-be into Henry's palm. Neither had seen what the other had bought and Jack was intrigued. He remembered mentioning to Nathan how much he hated gold bands after the failure of his first marriage. It was a sad association to past mistakes so seeing the bands of silver and blue made him smile.
"It's made from a meteorite," Nathan murmured, "And it matches your eyes," he added, making Jack flush with happiness.
Nathan was smiling too as he looked at the ring Jack had chosen with a little help from Henry. Black Tungsten with circuitry engraved onto the surface - for his scientist husband.
"You may kiss the groom," Henry stated, and as everyone applauded and whistled, Jack reached up and pulled Nathan down into a sweet kiss full of promises, laughing as Nathan kissed him back harder.
The Reception:
They had left Vincent in charge of the Reception and he had done an amazing job setting up a marquis tent just a little way off with everything seeming to match the color scheme of their wedding right down to the written menu, flowers, and an amazing cake that fed into Jack's love of gemstones, and moon rocks, and meteors. He wondered if Zoe had helped Vincent choose the design. The menu didn't have Jack's favorite greasy cheeseburger but he figured he could try something different just this once.
The speeches were the usual mix of funny, whimsical, and on occasion maybe a little too saccharine sweet. Jack had a few worries in case either Allison or Abby, their ex-wives, decided to make any snide comments about them wrapped in a smile, but both of them were gracious and seemed happy throughout. All the guests were laughing and seemed to be having fun. Jack and Nathan had asked for no gifts because they simply didn't need anything beyond the company of their friends and family, although that didn't stop a small side table slowly building with gifts.
The first dance was traditionally for the Bride and Groom - or the Groom and Groom in this case as Jack refused to be the bride at this wedding so neither of them wanted a waltz. They took to the floor for a quiet dance, holding onto each other with Jack's head on Nathan's shoulder. The strains of the A Thousand Years by Christina Perri.
"As much as I'd love to see you dance, I banned the Macarena," Nathan murmured in his ear, making Jack snort.
Jack still couldn't believe Abby had let that slip on her first visit to Eureka a few years earlier, how they had won a Macarena dance competition on their honeymoon.
"Thank God," he replied, deciding he had already embarrassed himself enough in this town without adding to it by dancing the Macarena.
The Guests:
All of the guests seemed to have a great time eating, drinking, and dancing, especially some of their closest friends - and ex-wives!
Transportation:
All too soon it was time for Jack and Nathan to say their goodbye and slip away, leaving the others to continue into the night. Nathan had previously insisted on them taking his car, saying he had no intention of starting their honeymoon in Jack's Cherokee emblazoned with the word 'Sheriff'. Plus Nathan swore Jack's vehicle (and its many predecessors) were trouble magnets, mentioning how many times he'd had to repair or replace it after it was destroyed or damaged by experiments gone wrong.
Jack shrugged. It was fine by him as long as he could drive. They bickered all the way to the car only to stop short when they realized what someone had snuck out and done to the car while they were at the reception.
"Yeah... No," Jack stated at the over-the-top decoration only to notice a small crowd gathering to wish them off.
Nathan gave a smug smile, jingling the keys, and slid into the driver's seat leaving Jack rolling his eyes and climbing into the passenger side. They drove off with a wave to everyone, determined to put Eureka into the rearview mirror as soon as possible as they headed to the Eureka airstrip where a private jet was already fuelled and ready to take off. Jack had no idea where they were heading but as long as there was cold beer - and Nathan - then it really didn't matter.
END