Claire Winchester (née Bennet) (regenerating) wrote in parabolical, @ 2009-12-15 18:58:00 |
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Dean shuffled his weight from his right foot to his left and back again. He wasn't AFRAID of crowds, but they did make him wary. He was less likely to be caught when there were only one or two people in a room, not a crowd, and though he wasn't necessarily wanted here in LA the way he had been back home, all of the eyes on him still made him a bit edgy. For what had to be the thousandth time he adjusted the collar of the stupid tux, and wished that he could pull out the pocket knife in the back pocket of his pants without anyone noticing. "Damn," he whispered. A quick glance to his watch told him it hadn't been more than 30 seconds since his last time check. This was not good at all. He missed Claire. Was that what the whole point of a night apart had been about? To make him miserable? It certainly had. Ever since he dropped her off at 6 am, Dean couldn't help but wonder what Claire was doing, if she was alright, if she was nervous or getting cold feet or... Which was stupid, he told himself. They had been apart for a lot longer than a few hours before, but in the face of such a huge commitment, he wanted to lean on Claire, he wanted her leaning on him like normal, and not seeing her felt wrong. Maybe, he thought, that was why he knew, despite his apprehension at the tux and people and real ceremony, that he was doing the right thing. Not doing it just wasn't acceptable anymore. The beginning of the processional went by with a fuzzy, slow speed, as Claire's focus was on what was moments ahead. Though each person's start down the aisle in this corner of the large room at the Lux was noted in her peripheral vision, her mind was occupied with a litany of This is it. I'll see him soon. He'll see me. But what if he's not looking? What if he's not there? Oh, Sam wouldn't let him run. What if he got around Sam? OH GOD. on repeat. Her cold feet had never manifested - instead, the fear he would get them right at the last minute had, to the point she'd feared that insisting on the luck tradition had been the wrong idea. She realized that doing it was part of the point, that each of them were making a choice to show up here without the other there to be sure they arrived, but it was also the biggest fear. Knowing he was out there as of the point she had emerged from the room they'd used to get ready had helped, but only seeing him with her own two eyes would truly send the anxiety away. When she finally stepped into the aisle with Lyle at her side, her gaze was resolutely forward, waiting for the moment she would see Dean past the rows of standing guests. Had Claire's processional included Mother Theresa or one of the girls from the Busty Asian Beauties magazines, Dean would not have noticed. He glanced at each face just long enough for 'not my Claire' to register and then moved on. With each passing moment the weight in his chest grew heavier, and the sensation of being strangled increased. He wasn't afraid of only committing himself to one woman, as by now he knew there would never be a woman who could match Claire. He wasn't afraid of being married, as everyone pointed out he and Claire were more or less an old married couple now. No, what Dean was afraid of was failing her. He had no crystal ball to predict the future, but he wanted more than anything to be the sort of strong husband for her that his own father had been for his mother. He wanted to be her rock, the person she could depend on to keep her safe. He could promise her his fidelity, he could promise her his love, but he couldn't promise that he'd always be there in time to save her from the bad guy. He couldn't promise that his past wouldn't come back to haunt them. He couldn't promise her a lifetime of safety, and that bothered him. Those fears went to the back of his mind, however, when he saw her. The processional shifted slightly as one more person stepped forward, and for one brief moment he caught a glimpse of her behind everyone. It wasn't all better, Dean was not naive enough to believe in that, but when he saw her he felt a sense of relief. Together they could do this. Left. Together. Right. Together. Whoever had invented this bridal march was clearly some sort of sadist, Claire decided in that moment. Her nerves were still at work enough that she might have happily taken the aisle at a run, but spotting Dean between the standing people was soothing. The glimpses were brief, however, which still made the trip down what was a relatively short aisle feel interminable in this moment. It was Lyle walking her down the aisle that helped her keep pace, his presence something that touched Claire deeply, but when they reached the end, it was Claire who let go of her brother's arm and stepped forward. Had Noah been here, the father of her heart and time, she would have left in the passing of her hand and "who supports this woman in her commitment to this man?" parts, but he wasn't. There had been a part of her than had foolishly hoped the PTB would give him back to her for just this day, but that foolish hope had been quiet, muted by logic. But he'd given his blessing before he was sent back and so she just needed to keep telling herself that that had to be enough. Still, the one tear that slipped down her cheek and vanished into the decoration on the bodice of her dress was not one of happy bridal emotion, but a sadness that was quickly banished because it had no place here, not in this moment. One step became two and then three as she held her hand out to Dean, finally able to take him in entirely, finally able to draw in a breath that was deep, rather than the short, shallow ones of worry. He was there. They were getting married. She was coming down the aisle so slowly that Dean was half tempted to rush out and pull her and Lyle down the aisle at a more reasonable pace, but, somehow, he resisted. It was worth it when they finally made it to the end and she was just an arm's reach away. He took a deep breath and reached out for her hand. When his hand touched hers, Dean grinned, feeling infinitely better. Stupid tradition. Dean thought, blaming his fears and apprehension on the forced separation. "Glad you could make it." he said, teasing clear in his voice. "I've been waiting forever up here in this penguin suit for you, Supergirl." Their hands joined, Claire moved close to Dean, the only space between them due to that posture. From that place, she could look up at him, search his whole face for the reassurance upon reassurance that was there in the way he looked at her, the way he teased her, the way his body had seemed to relax just as hers had done, and speak quietly to him even though she knew they should actually be quiet. "I'm glad we both made it, Batman," she said, squeezing his hand with the force of her relief. "The whole thing felt like forever." In a voice that carried over the softly-spoken exchange, the suited officiant - no priest or religious man now, thanks to the false life Dean had been placed in, just a judge with the legality necessary to marry them - began. While they both knew they could have asked Castiel to marry them, there was a rightness in the angel standing there with Dean. What blessing he could bestow as an angel of the Lord weren't as important as the blessings he could bestow by being there as their friend. "Friends, we have come here today to celebrate love. We see it in the faces of Claire and Dean, who stand before us, but we experience it in our own hearts as well. This love is powerful enough to untie the strong entangled knot of life. It is a love which is spoken of in all religions, which kindles our souls with hope and which is our true home, our true meeting place. "Claire and Dean have opened their hearts to one another, and today in just a few moments will share their vows of marriage together. We are deeply grateful to them for opening their hearts to us as well, inviting us to witness and share in this precious moment. To this day they bring the fullness of their being as a treasure to share with one another. Their marriage is being entered into reverently, with the recognition of a true union which has been discovered. For what greater joy is there for two human souls than to join together to strengthen each other in all their endeavors, to support each other through all sorrow, and to share with each other in all gladness?" Dean was grateful they were not using a cookie cutter sort of marriage script for he ceremony. He had been grateful before, but now, after serving as a priest and officiating a wedding or two on his own, he appreciated the honest, true words far more than he would have the generic one. There was so much he wanted to tell her, about how he had missed her, about how there was a song by Justin Timberlake on the radio as he was switching through the channels on his way to be married, about everything, but he dutifully kept his silence as the judge spoke. He was only doing this once, so he was going to do it right. When this was over, he was going to kiss her hard, and not let go of her again, and then he could tell her anything he wanted for the rest of their lives...somehow forever felt comforting in that moment where before it had been nothing but intimidating. The corners of his lips turned up into a smug smile, but his eyes were nothing but honest as he looked solely at her and waited on his turn. As long as he didn't forget to say 'I do' or something equally catastrophic, maybe this wedding thing would go off without any major problems. The rest of the room, as loved by Claire as many in it were, all but faded away for those few moments. His smug smile drew a responding smile out of her, but hers was soft and loving, clearly already - well, overwhelmed would be too strong a word for it, so perhaps marginally overcome by what she could see in his eyes. Moments of doubt - outside wedding nerves - were rarer now after all they had been through together, but she had never been more certain of his love for her, or hers for him, that she was right now. Curbing the urge to lean in and kiss him - but only just barely - Claire let the officiant's words wash over her. The focus of the address turned from those gathered to Dean and Claire themselves. "Today, your separate lives, each with your individual memories, desires and hopes, merge into one life - a new dimension. This is a love which need not be tarnished by common events, but which can flower both in deepest adversity and in greatest joy. We ask that the vision you have of one another be always informed by that radiant power which first brought you together. Love is stronger than your conflicts, bigger than life's changes, the miracle always inviting you to learn, to blossom, to expand. It is to love that you must always return. "Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens. A good marriage must be created. In the art of marriage the little things are the big things. "It is never being too old to hold hands." "It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day." "It is never going to sleep angry." "It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family." "It is at no time taking the other for granted... for what you take for granted, disappears." "It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in a spirit of joy." "It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways." "It is having the capacity to forgive and not bring it up later." "It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow." "It is a common search for the good and the beautiful in each other." "It is not looking for perfection in each other. It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humor." "It is not only marrying the right partner, it is BEING the right partner." "Marriage can be a great adventure when it is the outward expression of a great love; such a love is characterized by compassion, passion and courage. It allows you to see through to your partner's essence, willing to be in total support of your partner's well-being, goals, purpose and spirit; and unwilling for your partner to be less than all he or she can be spiritually, mentally, and physically. "Such a love requires that you be totally honest with yourself and your mate, that you ask for what you want, take action even though you are afraid, share your feelings and listen but leave your partner free to be who they really are. In other words, always love your partner for who they are, not for who you think they should be. "Always remember, relationships are something that must be worked on all the time, not only when they are broken and need to be fixed. Never stop doing the things that brought you together in the first place." Dean had mocked the vows at first, especially the parts about holding hands or forming a circle of love, but he had recognized the truth in the words even then. Now, though, hearing them said so solemnly while he held Claire's hands, put everything into perspective. Maybe if he did those things, he could be the right sort of husband. Maybe it could make up for all of the times when he was inevitably going to do the wrong thing. Dean knew he was an unrepentant ass, and a stubborn one at that, but he was hoping that with hard work it would be worth it to Claire to put up with him for a lifetime. Realizing it was his turn, Dean opened his mouth and began to speak. "Today, Claire..." Dean paused, and gave her a wicked grin before adding "Supergirl..." in a mischievous whisper and continuing. "I join my life to yours. Wherever you go, I will go, whatever you face, I will face; not merely as your husband, but as your friend, your lover, and your confidant." That was the single most frustrating thing about Claire at times, that she was his match in everything rather than just some random chick he picked up at the bar. She was his everything, and she understood him better than anyone, so she knew what was bugging him, she knew what he wanted, and she knew how to get him to talk if it came down to it. He wasn't sure if he could pull it off, if he could really be a good husband after all he had done and been, but he was promising to do his best now to build on their foundation of friendship, the the later stage of being lovers, to be the very best husband, confidant...everything...he could. "Let me be the shoulder you lean on, the rock on which you rest." His Claire was so strong. She had to be, with her ability, and yet sometimes she wouldn't just let herself catch a break. She'd push herself to the breaking point and then insist to Dean that she was fine, that it didn't matter because she'd heal back good as new. He was thankful for that particular part in the vows, so that later he could remind her he had agreed to protect her, to be her rock. "Before those here with us today, I, Dean, pledge to be true to you, to respect you, and to grow with you through the years. No matter what we may encounter together." Odds were, with LA being as crazy as it was, they'd have to go through a lot, but if there was one thing Dean had learned, it was that if he had her and the rest of his family there, he could get through damned near anything. "I vow here that this love will be my only love. I will make my home in your heart from this day forward." That was quite a promise for Dean Winchester. There had been a time when even the word "love" was too much for him. There had been a time when the only place he could call home was the backseat of the Impala...but that was all over now. Now he had family, real family. He had a large extended family, and now this smaller unit of three that he and Claire were making. Someday, maybe there would even be more. Her gaze unwavering, Claire listened to Dean speak all of the vows they had come up with from the suggestions and cues the officiant had given them during their meeting, as well as several different pamphlets about 'non traditional' vows. For all Dean's prior mocking of them, these were special vows, ones they hadn't even said in rehearsal, choosing instead to make up hilarious, joking vows for that so that these words would be special. Special, for they were said once, for they were meant forever. Video would record this moment for as long as the technology remained playable, but right now, each word Claire inscribed on her heart, impressed on her soul, to remember for as long as she remained on the earth. Less than eternity now, thanks to a gift from God, but still likely longer than most would get. And for all of those hours, days, months, years, this love would be her one love. "Today, Dean," she said, offering up a similar whisper, "Batman," before continuing, her smile tremulous, "I join my life to yours." Not just dating, not just living together, but all of their lives, all of them, connected always. Though she'd understood the weight of 'marriage' before, enough that she had faced this day without reservation of her own, it was even more clear right now. There was no turning back. Claire didn't want there to be. "Wherever you go, I will go," It was perhaps the hardest part of all of their vows, this promise that they didn't have entire control over, but they had agreed that with every last bit of ability and life, they would try to keep it, and try to fix it if the Powers intervened, to bring them back together to keep it. "whatever you face, I will face; not merely as your wife, but as your friend, your lover, and your confidant." Though not her first relationship, he had been her first lover and he would be her last, a distinction that Claire came to with a full understanding and no fear. She didn't need to have any others to know what she had was what she would always need - she knew it now Truly, she'd known it for a long time now. She'd even known it when they were 'just' friends, known that their lives - even if only platonically - would remain intertwined, that their friendship would stand the test of time, because there had been a connection there, even from the start. "Let me be the shoulder you lean on, the rock on which you rest." To the world, Dean would always refuse to admit weakness, or blow off any sign of 'weak' with jokes and diversions, but with her he'd let his guard down, piece by piece. Sometimes it wasn't him coming to her, it was just letting her be there when she came to him, and in the end that was all she wanted. To be there for him in every way she could, in every way he was there for her, was a thing so simple and yet so complex, but it was what they both wanted to promise, and hold each other to that promise later. "Before those here with us today, I, Claire, pledge to be true to you, to respect you, and to grow with you through the years." She could never promise to physically grow old with him, but to simply grow, and to do it with him, that she was able to promise without reservation. While her physical body remained forever stuck as a teenager, her heart, her mind and her soul would grow old with him, every day more deeper entwined with his own. "No matter what we may encounter together, I vow here that this love will be my only love. I will make my home in your heart from this day forward." The last few she said slowly, as though savoring the words, making those promises the most distinct. Wherever they would go, as long as he was there with her, it would be her home. And with the fact that 'only' for her could end up spanning a longer stretch of time than it would for him, she wanted him to know that if or when that time came and passed, he would still be her only love, forever. Gaze locked with his, eyes shining with that love, that was her most solemn vow. The smirk didn't waver as Dean listened to Claire recite her vows, but there was a softer look in his eyes by the time she was finished. Dean took in every word of Claire's vows, for the first time understanding them for the promise that they were. This wasn't some formality of a ceremony just done so they could sign the piece of paper and be married, it was her making a real promise to him to do the things she said. She would make him the one love of her life. She would be with him for as long as she had the power to be, and make her home with him. There was an honesty to her vows that was reassuring, and while he would have mocked phrases like "make my home in your heart," at any other time, now it was just what he wanted to hear. For a man who didn't like to rely on anyone, Dean had grown to love relying on Claire. She was someone he could trust with his secrets, trust with his son...and more than anything trust with his love. Even when they fought and were angry at one another and sulking in their respective corners of the house, Dean would do anything for her, and he could feel his love for her. That was something he'd never felt before...not with anyone. When Dean gave Claire the piece of his baby, he was giving her a piece of his heart. That one original bolt was worth far more to him than the cash he had doled out for the engagement ring and band, and he thought that putting the wedding band on her finger wouldn't mean as much as it did, but the ceremony moved forward, he realized that one small circle of white gold meant everything. Realizing it was his turn, he motioned for Ben to come forward with the ring. It was time to add another bright sparkly thing to Claire's hand, and this time it was one that would mark her his wife for life. Ben had been waiting, somewhat impatiently, to do one of his parts in the wedding, hand the rings to the officiant. It was about freaking time, after all. But that was also the cool part, that even the worst crap - and Ben considered losing almost his whole family for those weeks to be the worst of everything - hadn't really stopped anything. When his dad motioned him forward, he moved quickly to stand opposite the officiant, the rings clutched tightly in his hands so they didn't roll away. That would be really bad and Claire would probably freak out and it would suck. The officiant looked to Ben. "May I have the rings, please?" Grinning like mad, Ben carefully handed over both rings, placing them on the opened spine of the book so they didn't slide away. Forgetting he was supposed to step back briefly, Ben remained in place. Choosing not to prod Ben back - because he was right where he should be, for their sakes, Claire nodded to the officiant to continue. "A ring is an unbroken circle, a symbol of unity and love, representative of the greater circle of life of which we all spiritually are a part of. Having neither beginning nor end, but a continuous cycle of which you are an element. For you, it begins with the gift of life, and will continue through the end of time." The officiant turned, indicating Dean should take up the ring meant for Claire. Though he didn't know it, Dean's thoughts mirrored his son's as he reached for the ring. Don't drop it...don't you dare drop it, Winchester...just don't... The warm weight of the ring felt very delicate in his hands, and slippery too. Somehow, though, he managed to slide it on her finger as he started to say the vows. "I give you this ring to wear with love and joy." Dean's voice was nothing but sincere as he spoke, and his words were directed solely to her, not to the group of family and friends gathered to support them. In the end, this ceremony was about them and Ben and their new family more than it was anyone else. "As a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you." It wasn't even a stretch for him to make that promise. In Claire he had found his match, his companion, as the vows had said. He knew now that no one else would ever match her because no one else could be her...and that was all he wanted now. His "Supergirl." "I choose you to be my wife this day and forevermore." Dean spoke the words slowly, with a seriousness far more fitting to the commitment than the rushed way he had rehearsed them. He meant it, and it showed. Dean was relieve to see that, when it mattered, he remembered the words exactly as they were supposed to be recited. Following Dean's recitation, the officiant turned to Claire, offering her the ring still on the book, the one meant for Dean. Taking it with hands that still trembled a bit, Claire bit her lip until the ring was on the tip of his finger and no longer in danger of slipping entirely out of her hands. "I give you this ring to wear with love and joy," she said, smiling in a bit of amusement in remembrance of how he'd protested the overly-emotional wording of this section, but the smile was ultimately soft and her expression was even a little awed, for he had made the words sound so perfect and right when he'd said them just now. "As a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you," she said, voice still carrying solidly, even with the tremble of her hand as she slid the ring over his knuckle, breath catching for a moment as the ring seemed to catch. She forced herself to slow down, recalling ring horror stories about overeager shoving resulting in broken knuckles, and then let out a tiny sign of relief as it slid - with no issue - over his knuckle onto the last digit of his finger. "I choose you to be my husband this day and forevermore." With the words, the ring slid home and Claire's fingers lingered there, touching the ring, before she took his other hand again. Both of their hands now held between them, her focus and gaze went once more entirely on his face, rather than split between there and the ring, her eyes glittering with unshed tears at the sincerity of his own tone and the feeling that came with saying those same words herself. It was a choice, made not in the need to have someone, but to be unable to live without the man in front of her, connected to her in a way only a husband could be. She had nearly come to this point once, pledging herself to another, but even accepting Dean's proposal had been worlds away from the engagement with Andy. Dean was her equal, he knew everything about her, even her deepest and most painful secrets and memories. What she had with him was unlike anything she'd ever had before; a relationship that wasn't just one part, but many parts that could stand and had stood alone once, parts that all fit together perfectly. "It is the desire of Claire and Dean to extend their commitments to each other by making promises to the child of this new family. As you all join hands to form a new circle of love, we will seal this union with spoken promises like the rings this bride and groom have exchanged." Without other prompting, Ben slapped his hands on top of theirs, like some formal sports huddle. That done, he grinned up as his dad and Claire, looking from one to the other with that wide smile that could be so like Dean's at times. Smiling back at him, Claire slid one of her hands from Dean's and laid it on top of both of Ben's, the boy's hands now mostly between hers and Dean's. Hearing Claire say the words meant even more to Dean than saying them himself. He smirked at the mild resistance the ring met on his knuckle, because he had no doubt that it WOULD go. He'd measured twice to get the correct ring size, after all. It was just nerves. Just as he predicted, it did go on, but the resistance was something he'd tease Claire about later. When she was his wife. Though he never thought much about the ring on his right hand (it had long since become a part of him as much as the gold pendant he wore around his neck), the new ring felt warm and weighted...completely unfamiliar, but somehow right. It was an outward sign of the change that took place inside of him a long, long time ago--likely before even he knew what was going on. Ben came forward, and Dean smiled proudly at him. The kid was so much like him...he could see that now, and it made him proud. He took his free hand and smacked it on top of Claire's the same way Ben had, so that his hands were more or less on the bottom and the top. He liked it that way, because it felt like he was supporting them both. He wanted to be the rock his family could rely on, and in that moment, it felt like he was. With a small show of amusement, the officiant continued. "Will you, Dean, and will you, Claire, be faithful, loving, tender and nurturing parents, always there for Ben, not only providing for his physical needs, but his emotional needs as well, always a good listener, a loving counselor and a friend?" This part of the ceremony was something that Dean had stood behind one hundred percent. The thing with Ben was, Dean sometimes felt he sort of got a raw deal. He grew up without a Dad, then they took the test and found out he was indeed part of the Winchester family, but Dean could see that sometimes he felt a little insecure in his position, like he wasn't really a Winchester or was still just a guest of the family. This was, in Dean's opinion, a ceremony that held just as much promise to Ben as it did for him or Claire. Just like the wedding, it was a promise more about making things which had gone unspoken official, because he had loved them both long before today. He was gaining a stepmother, as well as making his spot in the Winchester house official. He considered each of the officiant's words as carefully as if he had said them himself. He would do his very best to be a good father, husband...a good everything for his family. It was good, he thought with a brief glance at John, that he had such a good father to learn from. "We will." The in-chorus words were said with certainty, hardly revealing how this part had been the most nerve-wracking for Claire. She'd had so many doubts from the change from just Claire to 'stepmother', worried that Ben would resent a new authority or worried that she wouldn't be able to be that authority, but with that adorable face grinning up at her, all her worries seemed very far away right now. At the nod from the officiant, she turned her attention solely to Ben for her own vows, as the 'newcomer' to the family they would be making. "I want you to know that I love your father very much. I will not and cannot replace a mother loved by you; however, I can promise you that I will love you and care for you as if you were my own. I promise to be a committed listener. I promise you my trust, my support and what knowledge I can share. I promise to be fair, to be your friend, and to provide a shoulder to cry on." At Ben's face over the 'cry on' part, she grinned a bit, but kept on steadily. "I promise to be available to you as I am to your father, loving you with all my heart forever-" And then came the bit that Ben hadn't heard yet, the one added special for today. Claire had read it in an article about weddings with children, that adding something fun and lighthearted, a private joke, would be good. She'd thought it perfect for their relationship, this joking on a serious occasion. "-even when you beat me at Guitar Hero." Unable to help himself, Ben laughed right out loud at the new addition of Claire's. He'd listened as attentively as possible for a ten-year-old to what the officiant had said, but his Dad and Claire had been who he had looked at throughout it. With his mom not here, there had been a part missing from Ben's life - a part that would never be quite filled without her - but he thought Claire did a pretty good job of taking on some of that stuff. She had been in his life for over a year now, so if pressed to be all "chick flick" about it, he did love her and was not only pleased, but proud, at the chance to be able to call her his stepmom, to even someday call her 'Mom' like his future self did. She'd still be Claire to him, but all of this - his dad marrying her, them making all these fancy, mushy promises - meant they were a family. They were Winchesters. There were a pile of documents stating this now, from all of Claire's stuff being changed to the newly added 'Braeden Winchester' for his stuff following the paperwork that wasn't like an adoption but Ben still sort of viewed it as that, but even he realized that it was pretty much this moment right here that really made this official. Clearing his throat to get Ben's attention, the officiant proceeded to the question for Ben. "Will you, Benjamin, accept the promises made, this family and this marriage?" Despite the 'Benjamin', there was a smile on his face as he looked once more between his Dad and Claire, one that became a near-face-splitting grin as he spoke. "Yep!" His young voice, clear and strong, carried over the assembly. "Look at you, spoiling the kid already," Dean said in a stage whisper to Claire after she said the part about Guitar Hero. Dean never admitted that Ben beat him at the game...but if Claire wanted to be a total girl about it and admit it? He'd love her that much more for it. He'd just make sure that he was there to take the kid back to reality when his ego got too big. Dean had been worried, at first, and at times he still was, about what kind of a father he was, so he could only imagine what Claire was feeling about becoming a stepmom. Still, he couldn't imagine a better stepmom for Ben, or one that would try harder to do right by the boy. He also couldn't imagine a better son. Ben had his faults, and sometimes he was too much like his bulleheaded father for his own good, but at the end of the day he was smart, mature, and, above all, a GOOD kid. Dean looked between them, his eyes more emotional than he'd ever admit, approval clear on his face. Already he was ready for the officiant to draw the ceremony to a close, not because he was bored or unhappy, but because the rest of the day, the rest of his life was too exciting to wait for. In a matter of minutes, the three of them were going to become family, and Dean didn't think that could happen quickly enough. "Now that Claire and Dean have given themselves to each other by solemn vows, with the joining of hands and the giving and receiving of a ring, I now pronounce you wife and husband. Those whom love has joined together, let no one put asunder." Smiling, the officiant nodded his head. "You may kiss the bride." 'You may kiss the bride.' Pfft. They expected her to wait placidly for this man to make the first move? Please. Maybe they did, but she knew Dean wouldn't make that mistake. Not after all they'd been through. With a grin, Claire disentangled her hands from Ben and Dean's, wrapped her arms around Dean's neck and pulled him in for a whole-hearted, unreserved kiss. They were married. He was her husband. After all the struggles and delays, after all the uncertainties and fears, after all the good and the bad, they had finally made it, and it felt more wonderful than Claire had ever imagined it would. She'd told herself and others that this wasn't really a change from how things were now, given they'd still be doing everything the same, but that had been said as someone who had never experienced what it was like to get married. It was a change, but it was a change for the better, a change to bring them all closer - not just the two of them, not just the three of them, but everyone they loved. Ben's good-natured groan as he stepped back only registered peripherally, as Claire was happily losing herself to these few brief moments where it seemed there was only she, Dean and this kiss. Dean made a move to kiss Claire, as he had been waiting to do all through the service, but she beat him to it. She kissed him. It was a little unconventional but so them that Dean wouldn't have it any other way. Instead he made up for the fact he hadn't started the kiss by deepening it, and using every last one of the tricks that he knew Claire liked during the kiss. The goal was to make her feel just as happily unsteady as he did. He carried the kiss on for a little longer than was perhaps necessary, then finally pulled away with a wide, beaming grin at his wife. The room was full of friends and family, but for him, in that moment, there was only her. "Hi there, wife," he whispered, voice a little more rough than normal. His tone held promise for later, when they were alone at the yet to be named honeymoon destination, and beyond. Breathless and unsteady by the end of the kiss, Claire could only laugh with a giddy air as he said the word. Wife. His wife. They'd done it, they'd made it to this moment, and now it was theirs. "Hi there, husband," she whispered back once she'd found her voice, nuzzling his nose briefly before pulling back enough to reach out for Ben and pull him into a group hug. Placing a hand on each of their shoulders after the hug, the officiant turned them to the front as he pronounced, "Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce to you, Dean and Claire Winchester and Benjamin Braeden-Winchester." |