Love and the White Wolf - Book 1

10. Pre-wedding Preparations

The days leading to the wedding went fast. True to her word and reputation Pepper did a masterful job organizing our wedding. She sent me photos of the venue for the ceremony and the reception, flowers, decorations, photographer. For everyone that was coming she booked the entire hotel where the reception was being held. It even had a helipad on top that was being refitted to allow the landing of a space craft for some extraterrestrial guests known as the Guardians of the Galaxy. I looked forward to meeting them but was also a little concerned based on some stories I heard. One thing that I hadn't been able to decide on was who would walk me down the aisle, since my own father was dead. I could have walked down the aisle myself but James was still a man of his time and I wanted to honour that part of him. It was Pepper who made the best suggestion. At 1500 years old Thor would be the oldest one there and would likely feel honoured. We placed a call to Avengers headquarters and brought him up on a Zoom call. I had met him at the engagement party and had hit it off with him very well.

"Beautiful lady!" he boomed. "How can I help you?"

"I have a request of you, Thor," I began. "My father passed away several years ago and I need someone to walk me down the aisle. As the oldest person at our wedding would you do me the pleasure?"

"I am honoured by your request," his voice started to break. "I hope I can do justice to your late father."

He broke down crying, which was not the response I was expecting. I started to tear up myself and James had to intervene and sign off. He looked at me quizzically as I blubbered while I was straightening up.

"Are you alright?" he asked concerned. "You've been crying a lot lately."

"I don't know," I confessed. "It just comes upon me out of the blue and I can't stop. I hope it's just pre-wedding jitters."

James gave me a big hug and I started feeling much better. I went to bed early that night as I had to fly to New York with Alison to pick up the wedding dress. Of course, James had other plans which I never said no to because it always turned out amazing. Eventually I fell asleep and dreamed of dancing at my wedding with Thor, then Groot, the tree being, then Rocket the sentient raccoon who pulled James artificial arm out from under my dress. My husband to be definitely had weird friends.

It took Alison phoning me from outside our building to get me up as I had slept in from the previous night's activities. I told her to come up as I still needed to shower. I gave her the elevator code to bypass the card reader.

"Thanks a lot, James," I tried to sound crabby. "I'm running late now."

He threw a pillow at me and burrowed under the covers. I could hear Alison come in and popped my head out the bedroom door. Her mom was with her.

"Surprise!" said Alison weakly.

I threw a robe on and hissed at James to get up. He sleepily asked why and I told him Alison's mom was there. He jumped up, threw on a T-shirt and sweatpants and running a hand through his bed head hair we both went out to greet her.

It had been over five years since I had seen Alison's mom Brenda. As I introduced her to James I could feel her appraisal of him. Whatever it was he must have done well as she grasped his real hand with both of hers. She beamed at him, in fact. I apologized for how we looked and she waved it off saying some things were worth staying in bed for. I must have looked shocked because she laughed saying "Honey, look at him! He's gorgeous!"

James offered to make coffee and I escaped to the shower. Ten minutes later I came out to an animated conversation between her and James about the merits of Tony Bennett. I interrupted to say we really had to go and Brenda reluctantly stood up to leave. She gave James a kiss on the cheek when he suddenly jerked up and backed away. He gave me a huge kiss then said his goodbye.

When I got in the car there was a text message from him: She grabbed my ass! I giggled a little and stole a look at the 50 year old mother of my best friend sitting in the back seat. It was a good thing I knew she didn't have a chance with him otherwise there would be blood tonight!

We returned later that afternoon with my dress in hand. When I tried it on at the store Brenda had cried and said it was truly beautiful. I had chosen shoes and my veil when I was there before so the outfit was complete. Brenda asked if I had something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. I knew James was getting me something new and knew it would be a necklace and earrings. She asked if I would wear a blue garter she had just bought from the bridal salon. I graciously agreed. Alison was keeping the dress at Sam's so James wouldn't be tempted to peek at it.

Alison was about to ask me something before I left the car when I suddenly felt light headed. I thought I was going to faint. Brenda started fanning me with her hand while Alison phoned James. He came down instantly and looked at me with concern. He felt my forehead and decided I felt too warm. Scooping me up in his arms he bid good evening to Alison and Brenda (who practically swooned when he effortlessly picked me up) and announced that my day was now over.
Once he got me upstairs he laid me on the couch and put a cold compress on my forehead. I protested but he wouldn't hear of it. I reminded him that we both had functions to go to that night and he said absolutely not. We could check in virtually later but he wanted me well for our wedding day. I knew he wouldn't budge and was privately happy he had decided for me.

We spent a leisurely evening listening to music until James carried me to bed at 10 pm. As I snuggled into him I wondered out loud if I could be pregnant. He sat up looking at me in the darkness. Then he jumped up, threw on some clothes and grabbed his wallet.

"I'll be right back," he said.

I had only said it as a joke but it had obviously struck a chord. I had been overly emotional, then had felt faint. I wasn't feeling nauseous. I remembered joking with Pepper two weeks previous about it being my time of the month but I hadn't had my period yet. By this time I started looking for James out the window and could finally see him running down the street with a package. I met him in the great room and he silently gave me the package. There were two pregnancy tests inside - the type advertised as being able to detect a pregnancy in the first two weeks. I peed on both sticks then brought them out to the living room area where we sat and looked at them wordlessly. After ten minutes I picked up the first stick. Positive for pregnancy. I handed it James and then picked up the second stick. Positive for pregnancy. He took the second stick from me and looked from it to me and then back to both sticks.

"I never thought..." he began, then started to get emotional, "I never thought I could father a child. Whatever they put into the serum they gave me was pretty toxic. I always assumed..."

He started sobbing big sobs and leaned his head into my neck. I held him. Surprisingly considering the circumstances I didn't cry with him. I just comforted him as best I could.   When he settled down he apologized for not telling me sooner as he thought I wouldn't stay with him.

"James, so much of our lives have changed since we met," I admitted. "The changes have happened so fast but have felt so right that I sometimes wonder if fate put us together. I can't imagine a life without you."

"I feel the same. I'm so fucking happy!" he exclaimed jumping up and lifting me up high. "We're going to be parents!"

It was the most glorious but unexpected news that either of us never expected. We went to bed and we both found we couldn't sleep as we talked about our hopes and dreams for this baby who had made its presence known so early. Eventually we whispered ourselves to sleep and I dreamed of children - some red heads like me, and some blue-eyed brunettes like their father.