Small Packages

Rose grinned up at Marcus. "No I'm looking for ggie." She said swinging her arms at her side. "I have to ask him a question."  

She walked in and walked up to Angus, she looked at him with her head tilted to the side slightly. "I wanted to see mommy. I saw mommy and she told me that your gonna be my step daddy. Mommy looks pretty in her dress." She said with a grin at him. "Mommy said I had to ask you. I wanted to call you daddy." She looked down shyly her hands picking at her dress. "I didn't know if that was okay with you." She peeked a look at him with a shy smile on her face.

"Yeah?" Bella said with a smile. "To be honest I'm a little nervous myself. Rose went down to the room to talk to him. I told her that she would have to ask him if it was okay for her to call him daddy." She said with a smile knowing Rose would be shy about it.

She looked over when she heard the knock and opened the door. "Thank you Marcus." She said with a smile. "That's good. I thought it was a lovely dress when I saw it. I think that would be good to tidy my hair, it's still in a french twist." She was felt the butterflies start fluttering in her stomach.

"Of course its alright," Angus said to her. "Just so you know, though, I've never been a dad before. I might not always get it right, but we've got lots of years to practice, right? I don't know all the ways it will change us, but I do know it makes us a family, and that's a good thing. And, that means that Papa Edward will be a great grandpa. That's a very good thing. He tells great stories, and sometimes he does magic with them."

Marcus drew his wand and flicked it at Bella's dress and shoes doing minor tailoring and adjusting until they had a perfect fit. He cast a glamour spell to save her from all those pesky muggle cosmetics.

"Khaat," he asked, "can I use a couple of your hair ornaments?"

"Whatever you want. You know that," Khaat said.

"Splendid." He went into her closet and came back a few minutes later with a fairly large wooden box. Khaat knew that box well. She hadn't worn it in four or five years.

"That's a good thought," she said.

"Well, now you'll have the whole rhyme, won't you? Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." She had the something old from the brooch that Kate had given her. She had the something new from the necklace that Angus had given her. She had the something borrowed right in the box in his hands, and she had the blue dress and all the sapphires.

He opened the box to reveal a one of a kind, large jeweled hair comb. It was done in platinum, with diamonds and moonstones and an enchantment to make it glitter and shine. It was an exquisite piece--one that her parents had given her when she'd gotten married the first time, to Rob. She'd worn it again when she'd married Brian, and then she'd tucked it away for safekeeping.

"Shall I use one of your updos?" Marcus asked Khaat.

"Half up, half down," she said.

"Alright. I think I know the one," he said. He flicked his wand at the hair comb and cast the hair spell. It took a moment to curl and braid and weave, but the haircomb secured it finally in place. "You shouldn't need any of that muggle spray shellac for it," he told Bella. "It should stay until you remove the haircomb. Take a look in the mirror and see what you think. If you want to change it, it isn't a problem."

Rose looked up with a big grin on her face. "It's okay. Mommy sometimes makes mistakes too, some of them are really funny. Yeah we gots lots of time to practice. We was always a family daddy. He gave me some chocolate earlier, he said it came from where he lives. It was yummy." She put her hand over her mouth at that. "Don't tell him I told you that. It was a secret. Do you think he'll tell me stories sometime?" She asked looking at him.

Bella felt like the butterflies were going to fly out of her stomach as Marcus did the tailoring and adjusting to the clothes as well as the shoes.

She looked at him confused about hair ornaments.

She saw the box he brought out of the closet and her eyes got wide. "How many hair ornaments are in there? That's a big wooden box." She said looking at Khaat.

She was completely confused as to what was exactly in that box. "Yeah that's almost all of it. The last part is a sixpence on your shoe. I don't think we'll need that though." She teased softly. She knew that she was nervous about what his expression would be when he saw her. She could feel her nervousness kicking in so she took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

She looked over at the box when it opened it and her mouth fell open at the hair comb he pulled out. She was stunned at the beauty of the comb. "Khaat that's beautiful." She said looking at Khaat then back at the beautiful piece.

She held still while Marcus did her hair in a half up half down hair do. She felt him put the hair comb in place and nodded when he said she wouldn't need hair spray. "Okay." She walked over to the mirror and was surprised at how she looked. She didn't think she could ever pull off a look like this again but she loved what was done. "Thank you Marcus and Khaat." She said with a big smile.

"Papa Edward knows where the best chocolate is," Angus laughed. "Maybe we'll go to Papa Edwards this summer. He's got a big house, and we can go sailing and maybe go to the beach. I'm sure he will tell you stories if you ask. Papa Edward was my papa. Now he's yours too. When I was your age, Papa Edward was the one who took care of me. You'll get along fine with him. While Mom and I are gone for just a couple days, though, you'll be here like you always are. Oh, and, in case nobody's told you, Uncle Brian loves to play in the snow. If the weather's good enough, he might take you outside."

Khaat smiled when Marcus got the hair comb out. "My parents gave that to me as a wedding gift for my first wedding. And, when I married Brian, I wore it then too. I haven't had another occasion I wanted to wear it to. But it looks perfect."

"I'd forgotten that sixpence thing," Marcus laughed. "Just a minute. Sixpence hasn't been made as a single coin since way back in 1980, but old men keep old things. I know where there's a jar of random spare change."

"Yeah," Khaat laughed. "My father's room. That jar where he throws spare change and forgets about it."

"Exactly." He went over to Robert's room, rooted through the jar of change and found a few sixpence. He only needed one. He put the rest of the coins back in the jar. He took it back. "Here. Sixpence."

"Marcus, if I'm to give the groom's ring to the bride, it would be helpful if I had it," Khaat said.

"Yeah, well, I have that too. I took that from him." He took it out of his pocket and handed it to Khaat. "And don't worry, I took the bride's ring from him too. He's covered."

When Bella said thank you, Khaat smiled. "Every bride deserves to feel like its the best day of her life. Even if it is a last minute choice. Do you need a few more minutes, or are you ready?"

"Yeah he does." Rose said with a giggle. "Can we? I gots lots of nice friends there. Really? I've never been on a boat. Momma said I was too little before. The beach is lots of fun, I can make sandcastles with mommy and you. Papa Edward is your papa too? He did? He's a good papa and he's really tall. Mommy said that you going away, it's ok though I still get to stay with Aunt Khaat and Uncle Brian, Papa Robert and Mama Kate. Papa said that mama would read to me if I asked her. He does? So do I, I hope that we can go play in the snow. I likes making snow mens." She hugged him tightly. "I love you ggie." She said softly.

"That's a beautiful wedding gift Khaat." She said smiling at her

"I was just teasing." She said looking at him. "Really you don't have to find one." She didn't think that Marcus would start looking for a sixpence.

She smiled softly when Marcus left the room to get a sixpence out of the jar in Robert's room. When he got back and she saw the sixpence, she looked at it then wondered how it would go on her shoe.

She smiled when Khaat said that she would need Angus' ring. She still had the flowers in her hand as she mentally checked everything off that was needed. She smiled at Khaat's next words and nodded softly, "Yeah. Um no I'm ready to go." She said with a big smile. "I'm definitely ready."

"The sixpence goes inside your left shoe," Marcus told Bella. "My wife told me it was some sort of tradition about a father's blessings for happiness for his daughter when she marries. I don't know. My mother always said it was just for good luck. So, I guess you can pick the story you want." Marcus picked up the winter coat that Khaat had gotten out for Bella. Without a word, he went back into Khaat's closet and got out warm leather gloves for her, a scarf and a stylish winter hat.

"I don't know if you'll need all this, but its better to be prepared," Marcus said. "I'll meet you both downstairs. Lets hope the groom is still on schedule. I'll check on him on the way." Marcus went back to Angus's room, with Bella's winter gear in hand.

"Let's go then," Khaat said, heading for the door to go downstairs.

"I love you too, Rose," Angus said, hugging her. "Now, I don't want to be late for your mom, do I?"

"Hey, Mate," Marcus called from the doorway, "grab your coat, and let's go. You're keeping the lady waiting. You want watch, if you want, Rose."

Angus stood up. "What am I forgetting?" he looked around, picking up his wallet and tucking his wand in his jacket.

"Your coat," Marcus repeated. "Come with me, if you're coming, Rose."

"Yeah, okay," he said, picking a sharply tailored pea coat in a gunmetal gray wool and a pair of black gloves. "I think I'm ready." He went downstairs with Marcus.

Bella looked down at her shoe and then lifted her foot placing the sixpence on the side of the shoe hoping it didn't roll down her shoe. "I was always told it was just for good luck and it brought happiness. I guess there's many stories to the sixpence." She said shrugging as she watched him pick up the coat she was borrowing from Khaat. Seeing him go into the closet then come back out with a hat, gloves, and scarf.

"Yeah I agree." She said and looked at Khaat with a smile. "Hopefully Rose isn't talking his ear off." She said with a laugh knowing how much her daughter loves to talk now.

She nodded at Khaat's words following her to the door so they could head downstairs.

"Nope, come on let's go." Rose said to Angus as she headed for the door.

She walked up to Marcus with a big grin. "I wants to watch."  
Rose stood patiently beside Marcus as she looked at Angus.


Rose walked with Angus and Marcus downstairs with a big grin on her face.

Angus went downstairs and found his grandfather in the kitchen brewing a pot of tea.

"So," Edward said, "you're going to finally take the risk, are you?"

"What's life without a little risk?" Angus asked. "Got a favor to ask. Would you stand with me today, as my best man?" Edward stopped, the tea bags only an inch or so from the teapot and he looked at Angus.

"Me?" he frowned. "You'd want an old man like me to do that? What about Brian? He's your best mate."

"Yeah, but everything I have, all that I am, its because of you. I'm sure. Its what I want."

Edward laid a hand on Angus's shoulder. "I am so sorry your dad just, well, wasn't a dad. Someday he'll regret all that he's missed in your life. Mark my words."

"He'd have to care more about someone other than himself first," Angus said coldly. "And that's not going to happen."

"We can only hope," Edward sighed. He looked at his grandson, so proud of all that Angus had achieved--all the things that his parents looked down upon. "I don't know of anyone I've been more proud of than I am of you. I'd be honored. You've got the ring, right?"

Angus started to search his pockets and started to panic, not feeling the ring. Marcus came in behind him, already having been to the living room to put Angus' and Bella's coats on the sofa.

"Relax," he said calmly. "I have it." He handed the ring to Edward. Edward looked at it, remembering the day he'd put the same ring on his own wife's hand decades ago.

"You suppose the magic is still in it?" Angus asked.

"Oh, I'm positive," Edward said. "All those happy years your grandmother and I shared certainly went for something. Its time her rings were worn again." He frowned. "Where's your boutonniere or at least a pocket square?"

"This is supposed to be an elopement. I'm not wearing any freaking flowers," Angus frowned. "But she can have all she wants." Edward and Marcus laughed out loud. Edward shook his head and pulled out a white silk pocket square from his pocket. "I knew you'd forget."

"Allow me," Marcus said. He changed the pocket square to royal blue and put it in place in Angus's pocket. "That's as close to a flower as you'll get him to do, I think." Edward plunked the teabags into the teapot and followed Angus and Marcus into the living room where Robert was sitting, flipping through an old book to find the wedding vows.

Khaat went downstairs, finding everyone was gathering in the living room. Marcus handed her the ring intended to go to Angus.

"Over there on the table," Robert said, pointing to an end table where a parchment waited with a quill. "You and Bella need to sign that before we can begin."

Bella started to feel the butterflies move more and more in her stomach. She couldn't wait to see what his look would be when he saw her.

Rose found Robert sitting in the living room flipping through an old book. She stood next to him waiting as patiently as she could. She looked up when Edward, Marcus, and Angus entered the room. She ran over to Edward and hugged his leg before looking up at him smiling.

Bella followed Khaat down the stairs looked at everyone in the living room. She saw Marcus hand Angus' ring to Khaat then she heard Robert talk about signing something. She looked at Angus and saw how handsome he looked in his suit, she smiled at him.

She walked over to the end table that had the parchment and quill so she looked down at it to see what it said. She read it then signed where she needed to before placing the quill back then moving away so that Angus could sign as well.

"Stand here with me, if you want to see," Edward told Rose quietly, "It won't take but a moment."

Angus saw Bella come downstairs. She was beautiful. He was actually glad that they hadn't had to go through months and months of planning and worrying. This felt to him more like how it should be. He watched her sign the license, and then he followed and signed the parchment himself. Robert put a bookmark in his place in the old book and then got up, laid the book on the table, looked over the parchment himself and then signed and dated it and took a moment to put his seal as Minister on the parchment. Then it took just a very quick spell to make a duplicate copy for Angus and Bella. He folded the parchment and handed it to Angus.

"You may need it for identification for a few days until the original and all the rest of the paperwork is filed," Robert told him. Angus nodded and tucked it into his jacket. "Are we ready, then?" He looked at both Bella and Angus.

"Yes," Angus answered. Robert took his place with them, opened the book, and began the vows. It wasn't that Angus wasn't paying attention. He was. He was able to recite his part without a problem. He was thinking about her, about him, about how they got to this point, and what a risk she was taking to choose to be with him. He thought about how close he'd come just yesterday to none of this happening at all--ever. He didn't want to waste more time. Whatever time they had, whether it was forever, or whether it was only now, it was theirs to take.

When he took Bella's ring from Edward, he glanced at Edward. Edward seemed to be so sure that this was possible. It reminded him of how many decades and decades his grandparents had had together, despite Edward's deadly career. It wasn't an impossibility. Edward had done it. It gave Angus a bit of confidence that perhaps he and Bella could too.

He had always liked his grandmother's rings. Both the engagement ring and the wedding ring were set with heart shaped sapphires. He had remembered them a bit differently when she wore them though. Now it looked like each ring had a gentle curl of white gold surrounding its heart shaped stone. It made the two bands look identical.

When he slid the wedding band on Bella's finger, though, he saw a small white light come from the uniting of the two bands. the stones and the white gold spun magically, and when it stopped, the bands were interlocked. The heart shaped stones rested against each other, and the white cold curls had swirled into one beautiful white gold heart that encased and surrounded the two stones, binding them together. That was what he had remembered. How the two hearts were always one. He hadn't realized they were magical until this moment. It had fit his grandparents so well, and now it seemed perfectly fitting here too. And it was just as right and fitting when Robert pronounced them Mr. and Mrs. Angus Donohue. He didn't have to be told to kiss her. He kissed her softly and gently. A year ago, he didn't even know her. Today, he felt like he'd known her all his life.