Alternate Realities

Interruption

Modern AU, wedding thing for funsies.

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"This is wrong." Cameron corralled her body between her arms and looked at the gaudy valances over every window of the church.

"Too blue." Kilorn was three shots into his flask.

"Too... wrong." Cameron couldn't find a better word besides wrong.

Kilorn faced the guest book, his hand hovered over the pen, but he shook his head.

"Aren't you gonna write something?"

"Pretty sure anything I might write–well, when you don't have anything nice to say."

Cameron pulled at the hem of her dress, and wrote, "Good Luck." then wondered if that sounded almost like she didn't believe they'd last. She didn't. But maybe she should have written, "Best Wishes" instead.

Cal came through the side door with his father and walked with him to the front pew to receive instructions, words of wisdom, and the careful examination of his fiance, Evangeline. He pulled away from her pawing fingers and retreated to the side door.

"He doesn't look happy," Kilorn said, a subtle smile on his face.

"Miserable, I'd say." Cameron glanced at the invitation.

"At least one thing is right about today."

Cameron had to yank hard to get the flask away from his lips. He reluctantly let her take it and put it into her clutch. He folded his arms and tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling and began theorizing all the different outcomes of each moment where he almost reached out, almost told her how he felt, when he almost kissed her under the moonlight on the docks, or the shadows between the houses, or in the rain after racket ball last week.

"It must be close to starting." Cameron nudged him and pointed to Diana taking her seat with the rest of the Barrow family. She looked back and saw Shade ready to escort Ruth into the church and to her seat, an usher at his sister's request.

"Traitor," Kilorn mumbled, carefully pulling Cameron's clutch towards him.

"He's supporting his sister. Just like you're supporting her."

"Yeah, but he's supposed to have talked her out of this. He promised."

"He promised he'd try. And obviously, he failed." She smacked his hand and put her clutch on the other side of her legs.

The music started, Shade began walking. Ruth looked grim under the mask of her smile. Cameron looked forward and saw Cal and Maven already next to the priest at the front, appearing unexpectedly. Elara held Maven's eye contact like if she let him glance away, he'd be out the door. Ruth passed. Shade lead her to her seat. Shade took his seat next to Diana, and then the priest commanded everyone to rise.

Mare Barrow, dressed in layers and fluff beyond her own tastes, approached through the double doors of the church, Her father rolled beside her, her hand on his shoulder.

"Don't." Kilorn hissed as she passed. She huffed. Cameron winged him with the back of her hand straight in the stomach, and they waited for the priest to give his first blessing and instruct them all to sit.

When the priest pronounced the hallowed words, "Anyone who objects to such a union, should stand now, or forever hold your peace." Cameron's fingers were digging into Kilorn's side holding him silent. The priest inhaled. Cameron relaxed. Kilorn whimpered and looked away.

"She doesn't love him."

The congregation gasped. Heads swirled. Cameron looked at Kilorn to explain his unusally high tone, but he too was looking for the source of the voice.

"Excuse me?" The priest said it like he'd been bumped in the hallway, then with more force as it registered, "Pardon, me, my dear–"

"She doesn't love him. And they shouldn't be married," Evangeline declared.

"I think they know their own hearts," Elara glared, standing and accusing.

"Then why was she kissing Cal last week in the hallway at the Holiday Inn?" Evangeline started pulling at her hands, ripping of her glove. Cal looked stunned, white faced, and unresponsive.

"What?" Maven whirled on Mare, and she turned red. He started yelling.

Mare didn't explain, or talk, or move.

Cal kept his eyes on Evangeline's struggle. Elara was on her feet and moving to her son's side.

Tiberius was heaving himself up with a loud, "Cal, what is going on?"

Evangeline pried her ring off her finger and threw it at Cal, who watched it fall through his hands instead of facing the bellowing of his father. Evangeline's hand crossed his cheek just when he looked up, catching him completely unaware. Cameron could have sworn she saw a little wink before Evangeline stormed off to the comforting arms of Elaine.

The church hung in the silence between startling smack and the impending chatter of gossip and astonishment that waited for someone, anyone, to make the next move.

It was Mare, looking at Maven, then at Cal, then locking confused eyes with Kilorn. "I need a minute," she croaked, bunching up the overstuffed skirt and moving as fast as a bloated marshmallow could move down the erupting aisle.

Cal took the punch to his jaw like a duty he was bound to from birth. Maven flexed his hand and shouted curses that made the priest pale. Maven wriggled out of his mother's grip and disappeared back through the side door. Kilorn had his flask back out of Cameron's clutch and held it up like a toast to Cal, who cupped his jaw and waved off the chorus of Elara's mounting shrieks and his father's heaving scolding.

"Guess it's not so bad a day after all." Kilorn smiled broadly, surveying the turmoil all around them.

"Kilorn Warren!" Diana Farley approached from the other side of their pew. He shrank away from her, but Cameron kept him from escaping. "You better wipe the smug off your face and go find her before she runs out into traffic or something."

Cameron didn't have to pry so hard to get the flask before pushing him out and down the aisle.