The Marriage of Nathan West

The End

It was so faint, Nathan almost didn't hear it. His head snapped to his left for the first time since she had walked up the aisle. He looked at her now, really looked at her. She was looking at him and he saw the spark in her wide blue eyes and the delicate arch of her eyebrows. Maxie. He didn't know how she had done it; he didn't actually care. But he was standing at an altar with her while a minister married them. He would have laughed if they weren't still in a lot of trouble.

The minister frowned, his head tilting ever so slightly. "Pardon me?"

Before anything or anyone could react, Liesl Obrecht, bless her crafty brain, groaned loudly from her seat, "Ya, we know who she is! Get on with it!"

Flustered, the minister straightened and continued without question, "Will you have this man to be your husband; to live together with him in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful unto him as long as you both shall live?"

Maxie nodded, turning to look at Nathan through her veil. "I will."

"Will you join hands? Nathan, repeat after me..."

Nathan took her hands in his and smiled down at her as he began to recite the vow he had hoped to say to her one day. "I, Nathan, take you-" He paused and whispered her name so only she could hear. "To be my 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 we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow."

"Yes, and now you. Repeat after me."

Nathan knew that once Eric heard Maxie's voice there would be trouble. He searched the room for Josh, catching his eye. With a jerk of his head, he motioned toward the terrace doors hoping Josh would understand.

"I take thee, Nathan, to be my husband," Maxie began leaving out her name. Behind him, he heard Eric gasp in recognition. "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 we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow."

Instead of releasing her hands, Nathan held tight to Maxie, locking her eyes with his trying to give her a reassuring gaze. "Can we skip the ring part? I didn't have time to get a proper one. Would you mind just moving on to the part where you declare us man and wife?"

"Oh, of course!" Flustered again, the minister closed his bible and began, "Now that Nathan and... I'm sorry, is it Chelsea or Maxie?"

Eric cursed under his breath as Nathan and Maxie replied in unison, "Maxie." There were murmurs of confusion and a sudden shifting motion among the guests. This needed to end quickly.

"Right, now that Nathan and Maxie have given themselves to each other by solemn vows, with the joining of hands and the giving and receiving of rings, I pronounce that they are husband and wife, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Those whom God has joined together, let no one put asunder. Nathan, you may kiss your bride."

Eric bolted at that exact moment. Nathan dropped Maxie's hands and ran after him, dodging wedding guests. Josh threw himself in front of the terrace doors blocking Eric's escape. Trapped, Eric whirled around searching for another way out. He spotted the path through the hedge and pushed his way towards it. Both Maxie and Liesl were on their feet ready to assist but Marinelli appeared at Maxie's side, gun drawn.

Nathan made a split second choice to go after Eric. Maxie had more than proven that she could take care of herself. He tackled Eric halfway through the hedge, taking him to the ground amidst the branches. Eric kicked at Nathan but he was no match for Nathan's police training. They scuffled for a moment but it only took one solid blow to the jaw to settle him until Josh appeared, handcuffs in hand. Together, they hauled him to his feet and dragged him towards the same secluded spot Alicia had taken Nathan earlier. Eric was pissed off and jerked wildly in the cuffs.