House of Cards Series # 3 One Shots (QoS, KoH)

Romeo and his Shiv

"This can't be right. I'm at a wedding and I'm not pregnant." Alice muttered under her breath to her friend and partner in crime, Maddison. Mad snorted and bounced her daughter on her hip. Little Grace James was as red headed as her mother and adorably chubby for a one year old. Maddison was wearing a lovely bridesmaids dress in a soft green color that suited her coloration well. Alice's dress was identical but a different shade of green. In fact all the bridesmaids that Siobhan had picked for her wedding were in the same dress, different green hue. Except for Adri and Grace; the two infants were still in green, but in baby friendly clothing.

Maddison was proud of her little sister, and relieved that she and Romeo had finally decided to get married. Romeo was West's best friend and Mad loved the symmetry involved. The night she'd hooked up with West, Maddison had all but dumped her sister on Romeo's lap. The fact that they had found the same happiness Mad had, just tickled her pink. Looking at her brother-in-law, Mad gave the Trinidadian her seal of approval. Romeo was handsome, brown skin silken soft, hair baby fine and luscious looking and the quirkiest grin ever. He mad Shiv laughed and treated her like an extension of his own body. It was weird but they were that couple, the one that could finish each other's sentences. It was creepy and cute and really, really eerie. Right now the yin of the duo was standing at the altar, listening to the strains of the bridal march ring into the air.

Romeo was wearing a full tuxedo, with tails, and a top hat. It looked ostentatious, but it was the Trini tradition and he looked good in it. As best man, West looked stunning in a suit and tails, Maddison having all kinds of impure thoughts about her husband until Alice kindly reminded her to stop drooling by elbowing her ribs. It must have looked funny to anyone who glanced at the bridesmaids. Two young women with infants who were also bridesmaids. Since auntie Shiv had often gotten coerced into babysitting not only her own niece but Alice's babies as well, she wanted those babies in her wedding. So Malcolm stood with Nate in a suit, trying to look solemn but the four year old was bored and it showed.

Finally Siobhan stepped out and Mad grinned at her sister. Shiv wasn't wearing the traditional bride's dress, and seemed to enjoy the shocked gasps of those who didn't know the woman's odd streak was as big as her sister's. Siobhan was wearing an almost white dress though so it wasn't too startling. The dress had two layers, the bottom layer was the traditional white satin, but in a fine, delicate layer over the dress was a faint, mint green tinted lace that sketched beautiful filigree over Siobhan's slim figure.

Maddison saw her sister beam up at the man waiting for her on the altar and couldn’t help but look across at her own husband. West caught his wife looking and winked at her, making Maddison flush a cute crimson as she saw the electricity in his gaze that promised a repeat of their own wedding night when they got home. Her attention was taken off her husband and placed back on her sister as Shiv walked up the aisle with their father as her escort.

Although the words differed in specifics, the wedding was like every one ever performed and yet perfectly unique and special to the couple taking the plunge. Maddison listened as her little sister promised to love, honor, cherish and support the man holding her hand and shaking like a leaf. In return, Romeo’s voice actually broke when he tried to say the vows and everyone got a good laugh in at his nervousness. Of course Mad was close enough to see the Trini was a little green under his brown skin and she knew that the tradition that Malcolm’s family had started was translating well into her own family. The night before the wedding, all the men had conspired to kidnap the groom and take him to places unknown. Mad had never learned all the details of her own husband’s stag party, she had no desire to know what they did for Romeo’s turn. Whatever it was they did, most of the men here were looking good for pictures and then like zombies the rest of the time.

The moment Romeo and Siobhan kissed as husband and wife, the entire church started to cheer. That of course woke the infants, and since Adri and Grace were nearly on display at the front of the church, everyone heard the babies start to cry. “Not yet.” Siobhan stated calmly, seeing the besotted look on her new husband’s face as he gibbered at the babies instead of walking down the aisle with her. Romeo laughed, walking with his bride up the aisle and enduring the confetti everyone was throwing. It was a good day to get married.