Penelope was the nervous one and Hope found that absolutely hilarious. The girl paced back and forth, her shiny new shoes squeaking on the carpet. Hope sat calmly in a lounge chair and watched as Penelope glanced outside to where everyone gathered
"You're making me dizzy." Hope commented sharply. Penelop flipped a half-hearted middle finger in her direction and looked outside again. Rows and rows of white chairs were being rapidly occupied. Some faces she recognized, some she didn't.
"Holy shit that's a lot of people." Penelope muttered. There had to be at least fifty people there and more were coming every second. Penelope didn't even realize that they knew that many people. Most of them were family, coming from all over the US and some from out of the country. They shared the same friends though so that number was kept to a minimum.
"Stage fright?" Hope teased.
"You are the worst maid of honor, best man, whatever." Penelope said angrily, drawing the curtains closed a tiny bit.
"Please, like you had a choice." Hope rolled her eyes and folded her arms.
"Jed." Penelope pointed out.
"Yeah, like you really want Jed as your best man of honor or whatever this position is called." She replied. "Get him in this dress, then we'll talk." Penelope laughed aloud when he pictured Jed in the turquoise, shimmery dress that had a slit up the side, revealing his hairy man thighs. Ok, so the last part made Penelope cringe a little and she shuddered.
"Feel better?" Hope asked. Penelope fiddled with her cuff links and looked at herself in the mirror.
"A little." She wore a tuxedo that was specially tailored by Freya Mikaelson. She remembered how long she slaved over it and made a mental note that maybe she had her uses after all. She straightened the blazer for the thousandth time.
"I feel like you'll run out the door at any moment." Hope observed. Penelope smiled.
"That's why you're sitting in front of the door." Penelope smirked. Hope looked down at the chair propped against the door to the hallway.
"You know, I was wondering why you hauled the chair to block the door. I assumed it was to keep Lizzie out." Penelope grinned and shook her head, then looked back outside. In that short amount of time, the chairs had all but packed full. Her eyes widened.
"Holy shit." She jumped up and down, shaking her hands trying to get rid of her excitement and paralyzing fear.
"Should we have boarded up the windows too? You could still jump straight through." Hope asked coyly. Penelope stared at the guests now seated. The orchestra picked up their music, a cue for Penelope to start moving.
"I'm willing to bet $100 that Josie's no where near as terrified as you are." Hope said. At the mere mention of Josie's name, Penelope took a step closer to the window and looked straight down. It wasn't that far to the ground. She'd survive and still be able to run. Penelope stood up, seeing Penelope's gaze.
"Park!" She shouted sternly.
"Relax, I'm not going to." Penelope snapped back though she had to admit, it was mighty tempting. The door opened, slamming into the unoccupied chair after Hope vacated to put an hand on Penelope's arm. The loud bang caused both of them to jump and the sound following was an "Ow, motherf..."
"Hey Jed." Hope said as he squeezed through the open door, holding his nose. He glared at the chair blocking the way.
"Can someone please explain this?" He demanded, gesturing at the blockade. Hope flashed Penelope a satisfied smile.
"Trying to prevent Park from going AWOL at her own wedding." Hope explained.
"Yeah, well, I don't see why just keeping an eye on her wouldn't have been enough." He said angrily, rubbing the sore spot on the bridge of his nose. "Anyway, we're all ready for you down there." Penelope felt fresh sweat break out all over and she wrung her hands.
"Already?" She asked.
"Wow, Park, didn't expect you to get cold feet." Jed said with some surprise. "Hey, if you won't stand up there, I'll be happy to." Penelope shot him the deadliest glare she had ever seen.
"Don't you dare, Jed." She growled. Jed moved the chair away so he could open the door fully. Outside, the music swelled.
"Then move your fine ass!" Jed said, making grand sweeping motions towards the hallway. "I've got a bet to win with wheels!"
"What bet?" Hope asked, guiding Penelope towards the door.
"That Park would show." Jed replied with a cocky smile. Penelope grabbed Hope's arm urgently.
"Hope, I'm getting married." She whispered.
"Hell yes you are." Hope replied and shoved her outside.
//
"You what?" Hope stopped in the middle of the entry way to her office. Penelope shrugged.
"I think I'm going to ask Josie to marry me. It makes all kinds of sense. We're in love, we've been living together for a year. The neighbors refer to us as that married lesbian couple already. I don't see why not."
"Penelope, that's a big step. Don't you think you should wait?"
"We're 27 and getting older. I don't see why we shouldn't." Hope sat down at her desk and Penelope closed the door.
"Well, damn, Park. Did you have a date in mind to pop the question?" She asked. Penelope fished a box out f her pocket and placed it on the desk. Hope's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. She looked from the box to the several times. She reached out and grabbed the box and opened it. Just as she did, Maryanne, her secretary, a woman in her 50's opened the door.
"I have those forms you asked for..." She stopped in midsentence. She saw the ring box in Hope's hand and Penelope sitting in the chair opposite Hope.
"It's not what it looks like!" Hope said quickly. Maryanne smiled widely.
"Congratulations!" She exclaimed. "I knew she was a friend but..."
"What's going on?" Mark, an intern, heard the commotion.
"Ms. Mikaelson needs to decide yes or no." Maryanne said cheekily. Hope let out an exasperated sigh.
"No! Penelope and I are just friends!" She insisted. Penelope merely chuckled to herself as Hope scrambled to explain. When they finally understood, Hope shooed them out again.
"Nice employees." Penelope commented.
"Shut up. Where did you get this?" Hope demanded.
"Dollar store." Penelope replied. Hope shot her a dirty look and Penelope laughed. "Some jeweler crafted it specifically for me. Cost more than my goddamned car." Hope raised an eyebrow in surprise. Penelope's car was used but had still cost somewhere along the lines of $8,000. How much did this ring cost?
But that was Penelope for you. When it came to money, she always spent it on Josie. She looked down at the diamond ring. The jewel wasn't gaudy, it was a decent size, crystal clear and it reflected light beautifully. The ring itself as half gold half platinum and the metals intertwined in waves, making almost a braid-like design. It was beautiful and completely something Penelope would buy for Josie.
"So when are you going to pop the question?" Hope asked.
"Tonight." Hope almost jumped out of her chair.
"Penelope! Don't you think a little warning would've been nice?" She hissed. "Holy crap..."
"It's the night we first said 'I love you.'" Penelope explained. "I'm going to take her out to dinner, then out to the bridge and pop the question." Hope knew what bridge they were talking about. It was an old wooden bridge on the far side of town obscured by willow trees. Hardly anyone went there. She also knew the significance. Josie had told Penelope she loved her a long time ago, back when they were all living in Mistic Falls. But it took years for Penelope to come out and say it back and she did so overlooking the river with the city lights in the background. Hope leaned back, absorbing all the information.
"Well, shit." She said with wonder. "Go for it, I guess." Penelope got up and took the box.
"Want to be my maid of honor?" She asked. Hope waved her away.
"Ask again if she says yes."
"When she says yes." Penelope corrected smugly.
//
The crowd waited patiently for the bride. MG took pictures of everything and Penelope would've found it obnoxious had it not been for the fact that she was literally shaking. Lizzie sat next to him, dabbing her eyes over dramatically. Penelope caught Emma eye and the woman gave her a thumbs up. The next person she saw was Freya, sitting back a few rows in a flashy silver suit. Shee looked Penelope over, admiring her handiwork.
The wait was killing her. She felt nauseous she was so stressed. Hope stood calmly beside her.
"What's taking so goddamn long?" She hissed, glancing at the priest to make sure he hadn't heard.
"Maybe she ran away." Hope suggested, causing Penelope to stare at her in horror. "Joking! Jeez, you're about to have an aneurism." Suddenly, the orchestra music picked up and Penelope thought her heard was going to explode. First the groomsmen and bridesmaids walked down the aisle, all men and women Penelope met in college and had become good friends with. She saw Jed eye his partner lecherously and made a mental note to kick him later.
"Sweet." He muttered. As he got in line, Penelope glared at him from her spot. She turned her attention back to the aisle where the flower girl and ring bearer made their way, strewing white petals all over the carpet. And then her breath caught in her throat.
Josie looked drop dead beautiful and Penelope almost passed out. She wore a shiny, satin white dress. The dress was form fitting and the bottom fanned out a tiny bit. Her hair had been done up into an elegant bun and the veil, woven with lace and adorned with flowers at the top, covered her face just barely. Her arms were bare except for the white lace trimmed gloves that extended halfway up her forearms. Her face was lightly done up and a small blush crept up her cheeks when she saw Penelope. She was the perfect image of a blushing bride.
"Wow." Hope breathed and Penelope remembered that she needed to exhale. Jed whistled low, deftly moving his feet away in case Penelope decided no mercy on his toes. But Penelope was completely transfixed by the woman walking towards her.
Josie's father reluctantly handed her over to Penelope, not because he didn't like Penelope. On the contrary, he and the rest of her family loved the other woman from the moment they met her at age 13. He was reluctant because it was in his fathering instinct to hesitate handing over his precious daughter to anyone. But he let Penelope take Josie's arm and his daughter kissed him on the bearded cheek before proceeding to the alter.
The orchestra quieted and Penelope stared lovingly at her bride-to-be. Josie couldn't stop grinning and looking at Penelope. The priest launched into his speech but Penelope couldn't hear any of it. She focused on how tightly Josie gripped at her hands. The bride was radiant. She wore a sapphire bracelet that matched her eyes and a pearl necklace she'd gotten from her mother. Penelope made another mental note to thank Lizzie for helping pick out the dress. Josie couldn't stop smiling and Penelope beamed. She felt silly, grinning like an idiot but to be honest, she didn't care. Josie was going to be her wife today and she could look as stupid as she wanted.
"Does anyone have any objections to these two women being forever bound by the ties of marriage?" The priest asked. Jed raised his hand.
"I do." He said. "Two women this beautiful should not be taken out of the gene pool!" Everyone laughed, including Josie and Penelope.
"Don't worry, Jed, we'll take care of it." Josie promised. Penelope gave Josie a surprised look. She mouthed "babies?" and Josie squeezed her hand.
"If no one else has any real objections...?" The priest asked. The crowd remained silent. Penelope felt like leaping out of her skin. The priest looked at the young couple. They had decided, instead of vows, to sing their favorite songs to each other. Penelope chose "Drops of Jupiter" and Josie chose "I'm Yours." When Penelope finished her song, she took the ring from Hope's hand and slipped it onto her finger. Her hands stopped shaking and she had never been so sure of anything in her life. The ring fit snugly and sparkled when it set in place. When Josie finished her song, she did the same thing. Together, their voices rang out clear and beautiful. The audience clapped loudly and the priest started the closing of the ceremony.
"Do you, Penelope, take Josie to be your lawful wedded wife?"
"I do."
"And do you, Josie, take Penelope as your..."
"I do!" Josie said, cutting him off. Everyone laughed at her excitement. The priest couldn't help but smile.
"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you married. You may kiss the bride." Josie practically leapt into Penelope's arms and kissed her hard and passionately. Penelope wrapped her arms around her and pulled her in tightly. The audience erupted in cheers, drowning the area with a deafening din. Penelope and Josie did not hear, however, too engrossed in each other.
//
Penelope knew that Josie loved that bridge. It was the site where Penelope first told Josie that she loved her. The stars never burned so brightly that night. It was as if the universe was smiling down at them. She was nervous to say the least. Dinner had gone over without a hitch but now it was time for the big moment and Penelope couldn't bring herself to do it. She fingered the ring in her pocket. Josie leaned against the railing of the bridge.
"I must've been a good girl." She said, grabbing Penelope's collared shirt and pulling her close. "What's the occasion?"
"It's when I first told you I loved you." Penelope replied. Josie looked at her with a smile.
"Oh yeah! How could I forget?" Josie said. Penelope steadied herself.
"Baby...I just want to let you know that I love you so much." Josie looked at her with questioning eyes as she pulled away.
"Pen?"
"You've been with me for so long, my love"
"Are you breaking up with me?" Josie asked. Penelope got down on one knee and presented the ring to her.
"No, Jojo. I'm asking you to marry me." Josie's jaw dropped as she eyed the ring and her girlfriend. She fell to her knees as well, clutching Penelope's hands.
"Are you serious?"
"As serious as I'm ever going to get." Penelope replied.
"That's pretty serious." Josie said before tears of joy leaked out of her eyes. She kissed Penelope over and over again.
"So that's a yes?" Penelope asked quietly.
"Yes."
//
The reception was lively and well decorated. Penelope didn't pay much attention to the flowers, or the table clothes despite the fact that she took months deciding on both. She couldn't take her eyes off of her beautiful bride.
"Save it for the honeymoon!" Jed leered as they leaned in for another passionate kiss. Penelope stood up to pummel him. Josie laughed when he ducked behind Kim and pulled her wife back down onto the chair. This seemed to mollify Penelope and the brunette settled for glaring at him.
Lizzie clinked her champagne glass and everyone quieted. She cleared her throat for the speech.
"Ok, honestly, who here didn't know that these two were going to get married? Seriously." Everyone chuckled. "Well, Jo has been my big sis for my whole life but Penelope's been there too. I remember her coming over since she was thirteen. All I could think of was that she was going to be my big sister some day and now she is. I remember back when you two were first fooling around. Oh don't give me that look! I knew exactly what you two were doing in your room, Josie. I have ears!" People clapped and hooted. "I'm so happy for the two of you. May you two be together forever." Josie kissed her sister on the cheek and Jed took the microphone.
"Testing...great! Well, I'd like to congratulate these two young ladies. You've broken many a guys' heart here and fulfilled their wildest dreams at the same time." Laughter. "But seriously, you two were meant for each other. Josie, you bring out the smile in Penelope and Penelope...well, I have absolutely no idea what you bring out in Josie that's good. How do you stand her, Jo?" Penelope huffed and glared at him but Josie kissed her hand.
"Well, anyway, I don't think anyone here would object to me wishing you the best of luck." The microphone got passed around some more and Penelope found herself holding it.
"Ahem. Thanks guys. Um...Josie, you've been the greatest force in my life. We've known each other, what, fifhteen years? Wow, that's...that's a long time. But, um, Jojo... I've been in love with you for...for probably just as long. I know it took me a long time to realize it but that's the truth. You've been my best friend, my dance partner, my singing partner and my one true love for so long. It's still not enough. I hope that we will be together for the rest of our lives." The audience clapped and Josie gave her a warm hug.
The couple's dance was set to Josie's favorite song and the two danced in circles, heads pressed together. Penelope didn't know if she'd ever been that happy. Josie was all hers and she was Josie's. Their gold rings glimmered in the candle light and they felt right. Penelope laughed at the sheer joy of it all.
"Guess what?" Josie whispered.
"What?"
"I get to wake up next to you from now until the rest of our lives." She said giddily. Penelope's grin only got wider. She saw the flashes of light from the photographer. Years from now, they'd look at the pictures and comment that they'd never looked happier or more alive.
When their dance finished, Josie danced with her father and Penelope navigated to the punch bowl.
"I haven't seen you this happy since you toldo me you kissed Jo for the first time." Jed noted.
"I am fucking married to the most beautiful woman in the world!" She exclaimed. Jed grinned and punched her lightly on the arm.
"A lot of guys are pissed about that, you know." He joked.
"They can suck it. She's mine." Penelope smirked. Jed shook his head and grabbed a cup.
"Hey, how about videotaping your honeymoon suite." He said joking. Penelope socked him in the arm.
"Dream on." She laughed, rolling her eyes. Josie came over and draped her arms around Penelope.
"My dad keeps bugging me about kids." She said. Jed raised his hands.
"I volunteer my services." Penelope kicked him in the shins but he continued smiling.
"Hell no!" She snapped.
"Well, you know where to reach me." He wandered off. Josie smiled as Penelope reached up to kiss her but had to reach on her tiptoes.
"Those heels are unfair." Penelope muttered, causing the taller woman to laugh. Her laughter sounded sweeter than any music, Penelope decided. Josie leaned down and pressed her lips against the brunette's.
"You know." A voice cut into Penelope's mind. "I want kids from both of you." Penelope's mother strode over to them. Penelope grimaced at the thought.
"Mom, do I look like I'm fit for carrying a baby?" She demanded.
"You've got hips." Her mother observed. "I want my beautiful grandchildren, one from each of you, got it?" Her mother shook her finger in Penelope's face. Penelope dragged Josie away. Josie held onto her waist.
"You don't want kids?" Josie asked. Penelope gaped.
"Not you too?" Josie smiled.
"One day." She promised. "You'd be a great mom." Penelope growled into Josie's ear.
"Can we talk about it later? Right now all I want to think about is you in that honeymoon suite on your back and naked." Josie shivered deliciously and grinned.
"Yes please." But the guests called the two of them over and Penelope found herself wishing that the reception would end a little faster.
In time, the guests started leaving, with the exception of Jed who was still dancing on the table. Penelope sat with Josie's head on her shoulder. One hand held the punch glass and the other rested on Josie's leg. She smiled at nothing in particular, feeling drunk on love and alcohol.
"Jed! Get out of here so that I can properly enjoy my wedding night!" Penelope shouted. Jed fell off the table and stumbled over to the taxi. Penelope kissed Josie's forehead.
"About fucking time." She murmured. "Come on, it's time for us to go." They walked away hand in hand and Penelope paused to glance over the location one more time. The catering service was just cleaning up and the candles were getting dim. Moths floated around the light, a reminder that it was getting dark and the wedding was drawing to a close. Penelope wanted to memorize this moment and Josie squeezed her hand.
"You ready, Pen?" She asked. Penelope turned around and flashed her a confident smile.
"Yeah." She replied. They walked across the grass and it occurred to Penelope that tomorrow, they would wake up in a grand suite and Penelope would open her eyes to see Josie either sleeping or awake, staring at her with those crystal, clear caramel eyes. And Penelope could officially say that they were married, and she looked forward to being able to slyly show off her wedding band, the jewelery telling the world that she was taken and vice versa. Penelope let out a satisfied sigh. This was how life was supposed to be, she thought. The two got in the limo, ready to begin the rest of their lives together.