Rating: PG

Summary: We might actually get them to the altar.

Spoilers: Don't think so.
 

"May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is better than wine."

The Song of Solomon 1:2. New American Standard Version.
 

Zeman
 

May 15, 2000
T minus 15 minutes and counting

"God, Mom, got enough buttons on here?" Miranda grumbled as she and Shelby attempted to place the lace loops around each fabric-covered button-and there were a bazillion of them.

"Gonna make it hard to get out of that," Ellen warned.

I had to smile. The entire party looked absolutely gorgeous in navy satin. Ellen actually looked like a high-priced call girl, and the look seemed to suit her. It was quite a switch from her usual Ross-Dress-for-Less suits and hair worn in a barrette. And having her ankle holster strapped on above her fuck-me-quickly strapped pumps completed the look.

Funny, I thought I'd never get used to guns on the immediate landscape. Now they were just...there.

Dana, having 'retired' from law enforcement, no longer carried a weapon, although it would have made an amusing incongruity with the china-doll looked she possessed today. Navy was a great color for her-set off her red hair and light skin and enhanced her blue eyes.

Joan looked like what she was-an attractive middle-aged woman in a nicely styled cocktail dress, with well-coifed and sprayed blonde hair. The jewelry was real-and expensive. Miranda and Shelby oozed admiration for it.

Shelby looked five years older, what with her hair done up, her makeup immaculately applied, and a dress that accentuated every curve-and she had a lot of them. But she had the happy, excited expression of a young girl with no worries-and that made me feel very fortunate indeed. She had way too many concerns for someone of her age. I was grateful to see her brush them off, if only for a day.

And Miranda. My daughter. My maid of honor. She was...breathtaking.

"Eric, she's beautiful," I whispered into the air. "Thank you." I felt a few tears sting my eyes, but I didn't want to have to do my eye makeup again, so I took a couple deep breaths.

"Mommy," Miranda whispered conspiratorially. "Were you just talking to Daddy?"

"Yeah," I whispered back.

"He was there last night. He told me not to worry."

"I'm glad."

There was a rapping on the door. "Everybody decent?" Frohike's muted voice came through.

"Yes, we are," Shelby chimed out.

"Too bad." He let himself in. "Oh, my goodness...ladies, you are a vision of loveliness. My eyes are burning." He  particularly let his eyes rest on Ellen. "Ellen, I hope you don't mind my saying so...but you don't exactly look like a rabbi's wife."

"Hey, I've done this look. I hated undercover, but I always did like the clothes," she quipped, grinning broadly. "And nobody's gonna give me shit about it, because I've got a gun." She indicated her ankle holster to Frohike.

"Ah...yes," Frohike cleared his throat. He walked over to where I was standing. Miranda handed me my bouquet of flowers, and the others all grabbed theirs from the florist box.

"Allison, my dear," and I thought I saw tears creep into the corners of his eyes, "you are positively radiant."

"Thanks," I said softly.

"Well, ladies? I think it's time." Frohike motioned to the door. "Miranda, I'm just going to ask you once: do you have the ring?"

Miranda waggled her thumb in the air.

"All right." He held his arm out to me and smiled gently. "Ready, my dear?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for everything, Frohike."

"My pleasure," he responded.

"Did you see Langly?" I asked quietly as we filed out.

"I did."

"He okay?"

"He's just nervous. He'll be fine." He smiled at me-he hadn't stopped, actually. "I think I got the better end of the deal. Byers has to keep him calm, and I get to walk you down the aisle."

"I don't know. This dress, I hope I don't trip on it."

"Here, just take my arm, you'll be fine."
 

T minus 7 minutes and counting

"Joan!" A fierce, familiar masculine whisper permeated the quiet where all the female party members were standing.

"Oh, shit," I muttered to Frohike. "Joan's ex is here."

"Oh, Lord, no." Joan looked as if she were about to faint, and dropped her flowers to the ground; Shelby bent down and quickly picked them up.

"Joan, we need to talk," he kept his voice down as he approached.

"No, Roy, we're past that." Joan kept her eyes on her flowers, now recovered. "And this is not the time or place."

"Please, Joan," his voice was wheedling now.

"No, I'm sorry," she said softly, never lifting her eyes. "My brother is getting married in less than five minutes, and you need to-"

He grabbed her harshly by the arm. "Now you-"

"Hold it there!" Ellen, in a perfect isosceles stance, her gun trained on him. Her voice was a whisper, but it was harsh and angry. "I'm a trained law enforcement officer, and this is a real gun, and you're going to leave right now, and if you don't, I'm not going to have too many problems using it."

Roy looked defiant, but he released Joan's arm. Frohike dropped my arm and walked over to him.

"If you leave now, we'll forget this happened," Frohike volunteered, quietly but firmly.

"You'll be hearing from my lawyers," Roy hissed as he departed, head defiant, but obviously shaken.

Ellen waited until he was out of eyesight before reholstering her weapon. She stuck it into her ankle, then took her bouquet again.

"You wouldn't have really shot him, would you?" Joan asked in a small voice.

Ellen's face was a frightening blaze of fury. I barely recognized her. "Yeah, I would have."

Dana shook her head. "You know it's against regs to pull your weapon like that-"

"Yeah, but it felt damn good!" Ellen's face relaxed.

"I know, I'd have done the same thing," Dana conceded. "I miss my old friend."

"Figured as much." Ellen's face now wore its familiar, broad smile. The strains of 'In Dulce Jubilato' began to filter in-okay, an odd choice for a Jewish wedding, but I love the piece-and we straightened up.

I could see the guys all filter in-Langly, not slouching for a change; Byers, smiling and keeping a slow, even pace; Jason, also smiling, a yarmulke topping off his red head; Michael, looking solemn and maybe a little scared, at least from where I was standing, which admittedly was a long way back; a yarmulke'd, grinning Mulder-with teeth, even; and Renegade-dressed as an Elvis impersonator.

"That's who you're walking with, El," I giggled at Ellen.

"Hey, beats the monkey suit. Okay, here's my cue. I'm outta here. See ya at the other end." She began a slow, sensuous walk down the aisle, with five inches of thigh showing and a killer smile. You could feel the hormone levels in the room begin to rise.

"Dana, you're on," Joan tapped her arm, and Dana began her walk with her typical catlike grace and poise.

"Joan. Go on." Frohike urged her, and she tentatively stepped into the room, studying the crowd carefully. She was more than a little nervous, but she was fundamentally a graceful woman, and she approached the altar carefully.

"Shelby, honey. Go." Frohike instructed her, and Shelby's response was immediate. She was a little out of pace with the music, but hey, it was probably her first time on the job as a bridesmaid.

"Miranda." Frohike squeezed her shoulder gently.

"See you up there, sweetie," I said as I leaned over to kiss her; she was now as tall as me, and still growing.

"Love you, Mommy," she said, and turned to complete her trip to the front.

"Oh, God, she's so grown up," I felt the tears in my eyes.

Actually, there was a giant tsunami of emotions flooding over me at that moment-so many I couldn't pick them out.

The final strains of 'In Dulce Jubilato' gave way to a momentary silence.

"It's time, my dear," Frohike took my arm gently. "Now, remember what I told you. Just look at your boy, and everything will be fine."

"Thanks, Frohike. For everything." I kissed him again.

And the music started.
 

My knees felt like gelatin as Frohike and I began to slowly make our way through the massive crowd. I thought I would faint for a moment.

"Straight ahead," Frohike said, gently but firmly.

I did. And there he was. Whitish hair shining, no longer looking as if he were going to be ill, but open-faced and smiling broadly. I saw him wink at me as I made my way down.

I couldn't help but smile. I just prayed for the giggle gods to leave me alone.

I have a vague memory of a sea of faces, lots of smiles, of the scratching of the lace of my train against the runner, my mother's face strangely pensive...but my clearest memory was that of Langly's face. He looked almost transfixed by the time we made it to the front. I'll remember that expression of pure love and joy for as long as I live.

"Family, friends, honored guests, we're here today to join this man and this woman in marriage, which is sacred in the sight of God..." Dave began. The words began to blur a bit. "We're assuming that there are no objections to this union, so we'll proceed." Not that anybody in the peanut gallery would seriously object, but to pass up five minutes in the spotlight? We could be here all day. It was an intelligent pre-emptive strike on Dave's part.

"Who gives this woman?" Dave turned to Frohike and me.

"That would be me," Frohike smiled broadly, and kissed me on the cheek. I think he had mist on his eyes as he handed me over to Langly. I know I did.

We faced Dave. "Everyone be seated, please." He chanted a prayer in Hebrew, and those who knew how to respond, did, myself included.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Mulder signing for Dana. She had her eyes on him, and while I'm certain she could follow the ceremony without his help, it was a touchingly sweet gesture on his part. You could tell from his expression just how much he loved her, and how much she returned that.

"I'll ask you at this time to state your intentions," Dave instructed us as we continued to face him. "Ringo Patrick Langly, do you come here of your own free will with the intent to enter into marriage with this woman?"

"That's why I'm here," he answered, and Dave grinned. Thank God the guy had a sense of humor.

"And you, Allison Ruth Rausch Gerstein, do you come here of your own free will with the intent to enter into marriage with this man?"

"Yes, I do." I didn't hesitate, and I was amazed that my voice didn't squeak, which it does if I get really nervous. I'm not certain if I was nervous at that point or not. The whole thing is sort of vague from that point of view.

"Seeing as you have come here of your own free will and agree to enter into the marriage, we'll now present you with the ketubah, a symbol of your commitment to one another." He read off in Hebrew, but then translated into English, each time he read.

More prayers in Hebrew, rememberance, hope, love, joy.

"At this time, we will have a presentation by Miranda Gerstein and Shelby Roberts. This is a wedding song that was written in the concentration camp of Terezzen, and it is offered with love and dedication by these two young ladies in the care of the bride and groom. As memory of times past and of hope for things to come. The Marriage of the Mice."

I looked at Langly. He apparently didn't know anything about this either.

Shelby and Miranda looked at each other nervously, and after a few moments' hesitation, began to sing a cappella. Miranda went off-key a bit, but I didn't care. To me, it was beautiful. They had to have worked very hard on it. It was a loving and wonderful tribute to many things, not the least of which was us.

Langly smiled encouragingly at the girls as they sang, and I think there might have been some moisture lurking in there.

When they finished, I think there were a lot of damp eyes in the house, and mine were among them.

"You guys did great!" I whispered.

"We wanted to surprise you," Shelby whispered back as she and Miranda assumed their places again.

Dave chanted a nonresponsorial prayer in Hebrew, and then instructed Langly and me to face one another. Miranda straightened out the train of my dress and took my flowers from me. We then joined right hands, trying to at least get it the way Dave had instructed us the night before, which took a bit of effort...

And then the giggle gods zapped me.

Langly was definitely in an emotional state, so he let go as soon as he realized I was about to lose it. Within moments, we had the whole place laughing. And no one knew the hell why.

I finally looked over at my mother, who was laughing, but when she saw me, changed her expression to a glare, and I pulled it together, with the congregation following suit in short order. It's amazing how much power you have as the bride.

"Since you've agreed to this union, I ask you now to pledge yourselves to one another," Dave said simply. He really was keeping it Lite.

"I, Ringo Patrick Langly..."

"I, Ringo Patrick Langly," Langly repeated, grinning.

"Take you Allison Ruth Rausch Gerstein..."

"To be my wife...to have and to hold from this day forward...for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in illness and good health...forsaking all others if necessary...for as long as we both shall live." He didn't miss a single word. I winked at him, and it was my turn.

"I, Allison Ruth Rausch Gerstein..."

"Take you Ringo Patrick Langly, whom I will continue to call Langly-" which the ensemble felt was terribly funny, for some reason-"to be my husband...to have and to hold from this day forward...for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in illness and good health...forsaking all others if necessary...for as long as we both shall live." I think I got it all right.

The rings came out. I slipped Langly's on his third left finger, with the words, "Let this ring be a symbol of my love eternal for you. I am my beloved, my beloved is me."

He then slipped mine on; I think Byers and Miranda got it backwards, but nobody seemed to care. "Let this ring be a symbol of my love eternal for you. I am my beloved, my beloved as me." And to my surprise, he repeated the phrase in Hebrew. I smiled, surprised, and he simply mouthed, "Mulder."

More prayers, in Hebrew. It's convenient to have a language of prayer-it does set it apart from the other sections of your life.

"You have come here of your own free will and made your promises to one another in the presence of God and these witnesses. I now pronounce you husband and wife, and you may kiss your bride." Dave was grinning wickedly.

Langly and I reached out to one another, and the kiss was probably too long for a religious ceremony, but we did get plenty of applause.

"What has been joined here, let no man divide." Dave concluded the ceremony.

A moment of unreality, of being in this dreamlike haze, and then, we heard the recessional music-the theme from 'Star Wars.'

"I think that means we go outside," I smiled at Langly.

"Oh, God, we did it," he shook his head, almost disbelieving. "We did it, didn't we? We got married!"

"Yes, we did! C'mon!" We high-fived one another and then ran outside to where we could receive our million and two guests...
 

The receiving line consisted of Langly, myself, my mother, Frohike, Miranda, and Joan. Joan just about tackled her baby brother, sobbing unreservedly, but the guests were pouring out, and she took her place as a proud big sister. Miranda hugged me, then Langly, then my mother, then Frohike, then Joan.

Byers and Juliet were the first to congratulate us.

"You did good," Byers shook hands with Langly, then bear-hugged him. Juliet kissed Langly, hugged me, and then Byers kissed me. "You, too. He's your problem now," he grinned, not without evilness.

"I hope we'll get to return the favor," I whispered to Juliet, and she just said, smiling, "Me, too!"
 

"Oh, God, Langly, how many times have we heard, 'Thank you very much' Elvis-style?" I laughed after I was kissed by what had to be the 20th Elvis impersonator among the guests.

"Not sure. Lost count," he murmured. We were standing in the sun, a mind-numbing blaze of people coming across our paths, congratulating us, embracing us. "Who are all these people, anyway?"

"I haven't got a clue, but they've certainly been kind," I marveled, hugging a woman who looked to be one of my mother's friends-I couldn't place her.

"I need a beer," Langly stated as the line was almost at an end-God knows how long we'd been standing there.

"I've been jonesing for a smoke for about forever," I added.

"They're going to do some pictures inside," Frohike reminded us. "Wait."

"Oh, yeah. Pictures," Langly mused. "We oughta give 'em something worth taking, Ally." He had a devilish grin on his face. "Hey, Frohike! Weren't they supposed to take 'em during the ceremony?"

"They did, Blonde Boy."

"They did? Oh, God, I'm losing my touch. Didn't even notice." Amazing what terrifies the paranoid.
 

We posed for the endless array of family shots, bridal party shots, couple shots, couple with Miranda shots, couple with Miranda and Shelby shots, couple with the bride's mother, couple with the maid of honor and best man, couple with Joan, couple with Frohike and Byers...yada yada yada. I felt like my teeth were going to fall out.

"How do Miss Americas do it?" I marveled.

"Vaseline on their teeth," Frohike stated.

"Okay, one more shot," the photographer barked. "Rings." He placed our hands together, examined our severely bitten-up nails...and shrugged. "Hmm. On second thought-"

"It's okay, we bite 'em all the time," I informed the photographer. "Part of who we are."

"Whatever." The photographer shot the hand shot, and we high-fived one another again.

"Okay, now can I go to the bar?" Langly whined. "I'm thirsty here."

"They're going to announce us. Just a few more minutes," Frohike soothed.

"Okay, let's have it quiet, we're going to introduce the bridal party," I could hear the DJ in the distance. He was a friend of Langly's, and I was happy to have him there.

"At least he's got decent stuff," Langly whispered. At which point the theme music from "Mission: Impossible" started up.

"It's not the original from the TV show," I commented.

"Nah, it's the U2 version from the flick," Langly confirmed.

"Mrs. Ellen Sternberg, escorted by K.C. Conrad." Renegade conceded to have his real name used in this event. Applause, and lots of noise from the hacker contingent, and Ellen had her own fan club at the FBI.

"Mr. And Mrs. Fox Mulder." Mulder took her arm, and they beamed like the semi-newlyweds that they were. Lots of applause, probably heavy on the Fibbie side.

"Ms. Joan Langly, sister of the groom, escorted by Michael Frohike." The hacker contingent was having a field day.

"Ms. Shelby Roberts, escorted by Jason Rausch, brother of the bride." Shelby was eating it up, and so was Jason, who was a performer by trade and at heart. Heavy noise from the hacker contingent.

"Our maid of honor, Ms. Miranda Gerstein, daughter of the bride, escorted by the best man, John Byers." Big-time applause and lots of shrieking.

"Mr. Melvin Frohike, standing in as father of the bride." The noise was getting deafening. I could see Frohike beaming.

"Mrs. Eleanor Rausch, mother of the bride." My mother was getting into the partying spirit, and she stepped forward, no longer pensive. Her friends were among the noisiest in the lot of them.

"And ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, for the first time ever in public, Mr. And Mrs. Ringo Langly!" There was an amount of noise utterly disproportionate even to the massive crowd assembled, but if they were happy for us, well, you can never have too much of that.

"All right! We can drink!" I cheered as we ran in, laughing.

"About time!" Langly responded happily.

END OF PART 86