2009-09-23: Marrying Into Insanity

Starring:

Teresa_V4icon.pngRandall_V4icon.pngLachlan_V4icon.pngCam_V4icon.pngDaphne_V4icon.pngCass_V4icon.pngEmily_V4icon.pngChurch_V4icon.pngPeter_V4icon.pngBenjamin_V4icon.pngMeryl_V4icon.pngQuinn_V4icon.pngDrAldric_V4icon.png

Date: September 23, 2009

Summary:

Meryl and Ben get married. The wedding is strange, but awesome.


"Marrying Into Insanity"

Central Park

The wedding was beautiful. Surprisingly so. Sure, there were a few oddities, like the fact that the Maid of Honour was a man in a dress, and that Benjamin's mother - also in the wedding party - was wearing a badger hat, since she was the Badger of Honour, and also the fact that the tiniest Bridesmaid was a guinea pig in a tiny dress, but everything else was normal! The bride wore white, the bridesmaids wore purple, and all the groomsmen had lime green accents here and there, since Meryl just wasn't ready to surrender the most perfect colour combination ever to Benjamin's will. She compromised. See, she'd wanted the tuxes to all be green.

Most off about the wedding was that it was held outside, in Central Park. The weather turned out to be gorgeous, even if it was a little humid. At least it was warm, and there was no rain to hamper the day. A lot of people ended up showing, so that eventually it became unclear who was here for the bride, and who was here for the groom.

Vows were said. Benjamin's were predictably mundane. Meryl's went surprisingly without incident. There might have been some brief arguing about whether or not their last name would be 'Pies' or 'Winters,' but only people that were particularly close got to hear that one.

But, moving on. The reception was quite easy to find, as it is being catered in the same place. Well, the same place, and a little to the west, so there's at least a pavilion where people can sit and eat. Spilling out from that are more tables, some of which have smudged writing on them where Meryl attempted to assign seats, found something shinier to do halfway through, and wandered off. Thusly, guests are free to sit where they will. The centerpieces are a little odd, though strangely fitting, as well. Toasters, with various coloured panels, each with flowers stuffed inside. Meryl figured they ought to toast the guests, but, lacking a flamethrower or the financial ability to buy each and every single person a toaster, she went with what was easiest.

There is a band. There is music. All the decorations are in purple and bright green. For awhile, Meryl, Ben, and the wedding party hve been wandering, but at some point, Meryl started going around and pointing each of them up toward the head table. Go. I need to say WORDS soon! … was the rough demand given. And it's not too long before the bride, with her hand around Benjamin's wrist, is heading up to the head table herself.

—-

There were profuse apologies to the groomsmen about the lime green accents. Benjamin had to compromise with Meryl on a lot of things about the wedding. He also had to do a lot of changes behind her back. There was a also a LOT of apologizing to Church about having to wear a dress.. but you try telling Meryl no, thus breaking her heart. (More like having a few personal bits broken in the ensuing disappointment.) The wedding pictures have been taken and now he's finding himself running to keep up with Meryl as she leads him back to the head table.

—-

Quinn rarely refuses an opportunity for free food. Men and animals in dresses, garish colors? Reminds her of home. She lingers on the edge of the crowd, dressed in a perfectly fitted tux that, yes, she actually owns and indulges in a little people watching.

—-

Nevermind the lime green accents, Peter's just happy he didn't have to wear a dress. Dark hair is combed nicely, with a stray lock falling into his eyes every so often, only to get pushed behind his ear. The rings were handed over, as the Best Man is supposed to hold onto it, and he stayed quiet and watched, with a hint of a lopsided smile through most of the service— and avoided looking at Church as much as possible. No tears in his eyes. He doesn't cry at weddings, but as he moves to join the table, he makes sure that Ben and his hair stay in the corner of his eyes, so he doesn't have to look at the Maid of Honor. How he's going to do the dance is anyone's guess.

—-

Keeping the oddities in line falls to much of the wedding party, including handling of the smallest bridesmaid, Basil. That fell to Church. Also known as, the grown man in a purple dress. Also known as the Maid of Honor. He almost expected something like this to happen- the purple-accented tux being replaced with a dress in the middle of the night within the past week or so. He told himself time and time again that it wouldn't be so bad- that he'd do it just for Meryl!

Well, when the time came, all he found solace in was the fact that it at least has straps on it. And no slit up the thigh. Then again- he hasn't exactly been checking himself out to see that for himself. Basil's dress is much nicer on her- animals look cute in women's clothes. Church, not so much. He has been making a valiant effort, though is at the point where he is about to ask for even a jacket. As Meryl rounds everyone up, Church distracts Basil from her crunching on a cracker to scoop her up again and follow the trail of people. It is no surprise that more people than Peter avoid him. He hasn't exactly looked at the little Petrelli much either. He might be more open in the end, but there's always some lines being crossed somewhere.

—-

Emily does what Quinn does, lingering at the outskirts of the reception 'area' in the park. Though newly arrived in town, she figured this might be a good place to get to know some of the people in this city, start to figure out if any of them were Evolved, and…start noting who was a threat, and who was not. The sheer absurdity of the wedding thus far…it makes her chuckle now and again. Near the back in an silk olive dress, black leather pumps, hair in a lose, 'messy' bun at the back of her head she mumbles to herself, "This should be…interesting."

—-

Cam isn't exactly fitting in with most of the guests, given he came to the wedding in casual clothes that are just a bit too big for him. Given that, on the visible inside of one rolled-up pantleg is written the name Jason, the clothes probably aren't his. He originally came just because of the promise of free food, but now he's actually found people he knows! Seeing Church in a dress was a bit of a laugh, but he hasn't approached anybody yet. At the reception now, he sits by himself, at the end of one table. No sign of Niki, D.L., or Micah, who those who know him would probably expect to see him with.

—-

Pictures done, it's warm and Benjamin's feeling a bit sorry for Church. (He wants to laugh more than feel sorry though.) Working his wrist loose from Meryl's grip, he sheds his jacket and throws it at Church, "Catch!" Later, he may try and distract Meryl long enough for Church to lose the dress. It shouldn't be too long before things collapse into utter chaos, giving Church ample wiggle room.

—-

When the majority of people have settled in their seats, Meryl picks up a fork and hits a half-full glass of water with it. Strikes it, really, so it's a wonder that it doesn't just shatter. "Excuse me— Yah, there we go. Everyone quiet down. Thanks- thanks, I love you, too. Now park your arse in a chair— There you go. And you. All right."

Once she's satisfied, she raises her glass. So busy is she getting everyone's attention that she misses that tossed jacket, and Church is safe. For now. "I've a few things I'd like to say. First, thank you all for your lovely presents." She pauses. "And your lovely presence, if you didn't bring anything. That's okay, too. Admittedly, I don't know half of you, but I've always wanted to feel like a rock star and you've totally given me that chance, so, cheers. And I'd like to raise a toast. To myself. Because without me, none of this would happened, because it'd look damn silly if Ben married no one, I suppose." She waits for laughter. If there is any.

"And, I know this isn't really the bride's job and all, but I really — I never expected all this. Ever." People who really know Meryl would know why. "So thanks. Now, if you'll continue eating, Ben and I don't have a fridge large enough to stash all the leftovers, so we'd appreciate it if you pretended that calories didn't count today."

—-

There's enough people distracted by the wedding party antics (and clothing options) that Daphne's usual entrance goes unnoticed. What sudden breeze? Once she's there, she looks mildly unhappy to be, fiddling with the strapless top of her cute green dress and shuffling feet clad in high-heels instead of worn tennis shoes. At least she's in the right section of the color wheel for the affair. Under the bemusing tones of the bride's half of a toast, the speedster picks her way around full table after full table before arriving at one occupied only by some kid who opted to dress down. Managing to look utterly casual, despite being uncomfortable, she flops into a chair at this table. One hand goes under her chin as if she were already bored. "Yo."

—-

The Aldrics (or the Deatleys + Aldric) are gathered at a table they have mostly to themselves. Abby has been left to a babysitter at home and, already, Cass is nervous about leaving her behind. She and Lachlan had decided, however, that it would best to leave her behind. Nothing worse than a crying baby at a wedding - even if she thinks that everyone should love Abby for her being the most wonderful baby in the world. Twiddling, she keeps looking over her shoulder as if expecting to see the babysitter with Abby right behind her. "Do you think we should have left her? Maybe I should just nip back and bring her back. She'd like Central Park, don't you think? Benjamin and Meryl wouldn't mind."

—-

As requested by the bride, the best man takes whole plate fulls of food, and when people aren't looking, he's loading up another one. Peter's certainly willing to help them with the left overs in the best way he knows how— and he can return the plates later. It'll also save him from cooking for the next week or two. "I think one of us should give Church a coat soon," he adds, while leaning in closer to Ben. And unfortunately he snickers a bit, before he can stop himself. And while he's leaning closer, he catches sight of a head of hair and a cute dress. It's not the dress that is recognizable, but something else. And she's sitting with a kid he recognizes. There's that smile, but this one is less 'there's a guy in a dress' and more that he's surprised and pleased to see someone.

—-

Cam, once Meryl's done talking, starts to eat rather hungrily, as if he hasn't eaten in days. Still, he stops as Daphne plops into a seat at his table, swallowing his current mouthful before saying, sounding just a little shy, "Hi."

—-

Thank god for best pals. Church looks like Ben just tossed him a life vest post-Titanic. He doesn't have time to thank him for it, so his thank you comes in the form of juggling little Basil while he pulls it on. Hopefully still wearing the dress under counts for Meryl. Basil gets her own special seat at the table, consisting of a piggie-sized high chair. It's like a baby, really, and Meryl wouldn't have it otherwise.

As Meryl strikes the glass and begins speaking, Lawrence is one of the first to completely come to attention, mildly worried she'll call him out about the jacket while doing so. He finds it charming enough now to laugh when Meryl does pause for it. At the last bit, there's a glance given across tables and space. "…I don't know about the rest of the bachelors, but my fridge is empty." Church says this just loud enough for the people surrounding him, for the most part.

—-

Dr. Aldric sits on one side of Cass, his chair twisted so he can see the bride and groom's table. He isn't in his element. Then again, there are very few places and situations that are his element, but a large wedding with such myriad guests, including Church in a dress and a small animal that could get lose at any time, is— well, it's a wonder here's here at all. The reason for the good doc's presence (and presents) is the person he's watching right now, while dabbing a napkin at his increasingly broom-like moustache: the bride. "Hhhmmhm," he answers Cass, then pats his napkin down on the table. "Mothers, they never appreciate getting a break. Enjoy it when you can."

—-

Benjamin grabs up a glass of his own, and his free arm is around Meryl's waist. He's content to let her talk.. and talk.. and talk. It gives him a moment to reflect on, Odin's Raven, there's a /lot/ of people out there. Addressing large groups of people is /not/ a strong point of his. So when Meryl stops talking, he kisses her on the cheek, before raising his glass, "I don't think I have anything else I can add to that. Thanks everyone, thanks for showing up! Thank you for being good sports and indulging us." (Well, indulging Meryl.) He's not going to embarrass Meryl by reiterating that this /really/ means a lot to her. He wanted something small, no fuss, but he wasn't about to deny her the big affair. He takes a drink from his glass before leaning away from Meryl and towards Peter, "One step ahead, for a change."

—-

Quinn gives a polite clap at the speech, fitting in with the crowd. She then braves the crush to make her way toward the buffet table. She doesn't really fit in, the bright red hair and fe.. well, rather androgynous figure in a tux, but she does her best.

—-

Emily nods and claps appropriately at the end of the toast. She may not know or even like some of these people, but she's not rude. The tables in the back seem to be the stranger tables, the ones for the random people off the streets that showed up, but she doesn't hesitate to take a seat. Rather than dig in emphatically like the odd young boy at the table slightly ahead and to the side of the one she's at, she eats slowly, daintily, not a care or rush in the world…not like the blur who seems to blow in and sit herself down at the table with the boy. "Wow…that's neat" she says to nobody in particular. "Intriguing" she says…just a bit too deviously to be a casual, off-the-cuff remark.

—-

"Cassie, she's fine," Lachlan sighs. It's been only a couple of months since he was crippled in one knee and thus he still wields a cane, which is propped up against his chair, placed on the opposite side of Cass from her father. For the most part, the Scotsman's tone is one of patience. "Really. The apartment's no' gonna catch on fire 'r anythin' while we're gone." Yes, he's very reassuring.

—-

Meryl loves speaking in front of people, so she'll talk enough for both herself AND Benjamin. "Anyone else wan' ta say anythin'?" she asks, looking around at the head table, noting there are two people in particular who simply MUST shower them with complements and praise, namely, the Best Man and the Maid of Honor. When her eyes fall on Church, she notices that he's wearing a jacket now. Oh, well. He made it through the wedding. More than she could have hoped for!

—-

"Oh thank god, I can actually almost look at him, now," Peter says, without needing to snicker as he loads up another plate— this one for eating instead of whatever he's been doing with the others. One might wonder if there's a bottomless pit underneath. "Meryl, did you invite half of the city?" Cause from the amount of people… his eyes scan over the tables until he's caught more than a couple people he knows. Including another married couple whose insane wedding he'd attended not too long ago. Only thing more insane would've been the wedding he attended in the future— which is now the past. On a bus. In the middle of a fire fight. In a nun outfit.

—-

"Jeez, Oliver Twist." Yeah, Daphne notices the panicked way Cam is devouring his food and adds this little mutter as observation. She glances over her shoulder towards the buffet but the crowd seems hardly worth it. Shifting in her seat so that her legs are crossed under the table, she returns to watching her boy-company. Sizing him up. After a couple seconds, she trails out a hand in front of her and plucks at one of the flowers in the toaster centerpiece. "Sooo…. there's a guy in a dress up there." Look, it's there. It has to be

—-

At the mention of the apartment catching on fire, Cass' eyes bulge a little. It's not hard to imagine what Cass is now thinking about. Their entire apartment building going up. "F-fire?" It could happen. Stranger things have happened to her. In fact, that's kind of what she's known for. Crazy things happening to her out of nowhere. Immediately, she stands up. "I—I have to go home. I have to check on her." Dr. Aldric's right. No mother ever welcomes a vacation.

—-

Meryl's private, smug smile at Peter's noting that he can look at Church now is nothing short of devious. "No," is her answer to her partner. "No, Peter, I invited the whole city." Arching her eyebrows, she looks at him and smirks, before adding, "Keep up, will you?" But it's all in good fun. "Anyway, Peter, I think you've a toast to make to me. Maybe to Ben, too, if you really want to. And, you know, just make it memorable." Like the rest of the wedding won't be.

With everyone sitting, PLUS with her finely-attuned Company reflexes, she notices Cass standing. OH NO. "Ah! Arse in the chair! We're not done yet! You can leave when people are done showering me with adoration. Continue."

—-

"I really need to make this up to him," Benjamin says, although he's horribly amused as he talks to Peter. He keeps his arm around Meryl's waist, and is just so happy he could burst. He's been married before, and oh god.. there's his mother going off at her table, informing anyone who'll listen.. just what a horrid person she had for a daughter-in-law before. Margie Winters is quite enjoying herself, and has had a few drinks. And…

Margie has spotted Lachlan. "Excuse me!" She tells her table partners before striding over to Lachlan, "Excuse me," she politely tells Cass.. before she whips the hat off her head, SMACKS Lachlan a couple of times for good measure, then strides off.

Benjamin loves his mom, but dangit, she's embarrasing.

—-

Cam goes back to eating after greeting Daphne, though only for a moment. Totally clueless on the reference, he perhaps thinks she's saying a name, as he then introduces himself, "I'm Cam." Then he nods quickly to the mention of the man in the dress, "That's so funny. That's Mr. Church, he used to be my guidance counseller before I changed schools last year. He's awesome." Opening up more now, at least, though he continues to eat at a more normal pace now.

—-

Dr. Aldric coughs suddenly after Lachlan's … reassurances, nearly seeming to choke. He starts to fuss with his napkin before reaching out to awkwardly pat Cass's arm, trying to get her to settle down (and sit down). "I-it was a turn of phrase." The man eyes his son-in-law over the frames of his rectangular glasses, which are exactly the same as they were a year ago. "Why don't you just call the sitter after the toasts. You'll feel— " Suddenly, Meryl is yelling. That, he can go unfazed by, but when some old woman starts to molest Lachlan, Dr.Aldric just stares. "… uh, better," he finishes to Cass. "I don't know if I should ask. What did you do to that poor woman?"

—-

Christ, Cass. Lachlan also half-rises from his chair to stop Cass from leaving, but the words — "Cassie, c'mon." — are cut off very abruptly by the sudden assault that he now finds himself attempting to fend off with arms defensively raised. "Ah! Jesus bloody Christ!" he bellows. "The hell're ye doin', woman?!"

—-

Daphne's eyebrows lower, along with her general opinion of certain people in the vicinity. But, for Cam's sake, she lightens her expression again and nods the flower she's holding at him. "I'll… bet he is. He looks like a really fantastic counselor in all that purple." They could go on, but commotion up front perks the speedster in her seat. "You know," she comments aside to her new friend Cam, "I've seen this movie before. Only it was about a funeral and everybody was British." If she had popcorn, she'd be tossing it in her mouth pointedly right now. But since she doesn't, she'll settle with whatever finger food is closest to her on Cam's plate.

—-

When Meryl looks at him like that, All Church can bring himself to do is give her a wink before rising from his seat, drink in hand and a semi-swagger in his stance. When he's standing, he does give an apologetic glance to Peter. For his own sake, firstly. Second, so Peter has time to gather what wits he has left. Church was totally ready, beginning as if he were at an AA meeting.

"My name is Lawrence Church, and I'm a man in a dress… and I'm proud to be the Maid of Honor at this wedding for two of my best friends." Notice how he does not say he's proud to be in the dress. His glass tilts up to the head of the table, to the lucky pair, before he looks around and regards the tables of people that he knows and does not know. He'll never hear the end of today. Ever. "I'll be honest when I say I never expected this for Meryl, who I've known since her miniature days. In that- my congratulations for her in particular carries a lot of weight. Ben, I haven't known you even half as long as I'd liked to have known you, but you're still like a brother to me, and I'm glad to be here to see this. I'll keep myself from taking up too much of everyone's time and vision, lest you go blind-" Church lifts his glass again, to the party, and then to Ben and Meryl. "Congratulations, you two. I hope that every day after today is just as special."

—-

Randall has finally stopped job-hopping for a while, otherwise he'd probably be among the waitstaff. As it is, he's just hovering around the edge of the crowd; after joining the others in raising a glass to Church's toast, and once Mrs. Winters is safely out of earshot, he leans over and stage-whispers to Lachlan. "Fake a leg cramp!" Oh, sure, that'll help.

—-

Quinn starts to fill a plate, after having waded into the crowds. Her tastes seem to be a little of everything.

—-

"Don't act like you don't remember, boy!" Margie calls at Lachlan, and she puts the hat back on her, ajdusting it to a jaunty angle. Anyone but Ben's mom should be embarrassed about the hat. Then again, the woman's had to act on stage wearing worse before. Upon resuming her seat of honor, she blows a kiss up at her son and daughter-in-law.

"Mom! Behave!," Benjamin mouths at Margie, but she's not paying attention. In fact, the woman puts her fingers to her mouth and whistles at Church. The look on Ben's face says loudly what he's thinking. Can I please crawl under the ground now? Or at least put his mother to sleep until it's time to take her home. Oh snap, Church is toasting. "Please put on some pants!," that's all he can manage to choke out at the moment.

—-

Cam grins and says, "Well, he is. This is just weird." He looks up to the commotion over at Lachlan, as he takes a sip of his drink. A slight layer of frost covers the glass for a moment, when he thinks nobody's looking. He grins, nodding to Daphne at her comment about the movie, and says, "This wedding isn't like any wedding I've ever heard about. It's not boring, it's fun." His attention is drawn by Church's toast, and he laughs again at the joke about going blind.

—-

Ah damnit. For a moment Peter looks like he got hit between the eyes with a piece of ice, before he clears his throat and listens to Church's part of the speech. He's being given a small refrain, and at least he has a moment or two where things can cool down. For him. There's a split second where he shifts. One moment he's sitting down, with his head tilted one way, and his eyes closing, and the next moment he's sitting straight up. Nothing's better for last minute speech making than… well… "Um, thank you Church. I've known him since I was minature too, so this whole site is a little terrifying for me, I admit," he says, trying to bite back the smile. "But we're not here to talk about the man in a dress, no matter how much he needs pants." Cause god he really does.

There's a small pause, before he continues, "To be honest I didn't know Benjamin and Meryl well until after they were engaged. But I've been close friends with them for a year now, and when I was honored and relieved when Ben asked me to be Best Man, cause otherwise I'd be on the other side of Church there, and I think we can see where that would go." Two men in a dress. Even if he might look a little better in one, as skinny and pretty-ish as he happens to be… not that he would ever admit it. "Meryl and Ben compliment each other's… personalities." Very interesting personalities. "And styles, and I know that they'll find happiness. And in fact, I feel sorry for anything that tries to stand in the way of their happiness, cause Meryl is the type to climb a mountain top and wrestle a bear for what she wants. But I also know Ben'll be the one to pull her back down when she goes to far. So congratulations and I hope whatever mountains there are are small— and that the bears are stuffed— like we're all about to be."

—-

Aw. She remembers when she was mini-Meryl. Those were the days, where she could put mud pies in the oven and turn it on to 'high' without suffering too many repercussions. Or when she could fill Angela Petrelli's shoes with goldfish and end up with a pat on the head. At least, she thinks those were Angela Petrelli's shoes.

But now she's all grown up and getting married. Embarrassed by nothing, she is, instead, amused by the interaction between Ben's Mom and Crazy Scottish Guy Who's Sitting with Phyllis.

After Church's toast, she gets up to hug him, whispering something in his ear - he's free to go put on the tailored purple suit, it's just under his chair - before she returns to her own seat. She gives Ben a squeeze, because she loves him, and because this is the best day of her whole LIFE (except maybe that time she went BASE jumping off her house - that didn't end well, but it was still awesome!).

In any case, Meryl can't help a giggle when Peter states the obvious, that Meryl would have doubtlessly asked him to be one of the Bridesmaids if Ben hadn't gotten to him first.

She almost cries. Almost. Instead, she gets up again and puts her arms around Peter until she's nearly breaking him. Hey, he'll heal! "That was awesome. You're the best best man ever." And then, she kisses him on the cheek, before returning to her chair.

—-

Emily shakes her head a little from the way back. Sure the maid of honor is a big dude in a dress, but at least the toasts are traditional, and quite lovely at that. And as much as Cam thinks nobody is watching…someone is. Probably the last person he wants to see him using his little trick. "Little kid just froze the glass, cooled his drink" she mumbles to herself, with a wicked little grin on her lips. Super speed. Iceman. This wedding is turning out to be a birthday party on her end…all these gifts she's getting!

—-

Benjamin looks embarrassed, even as he raises his refilled glass to both Church and Peter, following their toasts. He then sets his glass down, and is following after Meryl to give both Peter and Church a fraternal hug each. Church is then given a whispered warning about how his mom is eyeing for a dance, and she, well, she's had some to drink. He returns to Meryl, but doesn't sit down. There's so many people here, good lord, how is he going to go around, and talk to many of them? (Jeez, he really should have kept a closer eye on Meryl with the invites!) If they do a receiving line, they'll be there for days!

—-

"I've *heard* of one other," Daphne informs Cam importantly, "There was something about the nacho cheese fountain overflowing in the newspaper later." Little does she know that these people are also in attendance. And yet, shouldn't it somehow have been assumed, considering? Further small talk is delayed when the speeches come up, if only because Cam is listening to the first and then because, well, Daphne is listening to the second, herself. A little absent smile pulls at her lips as she watches the Best Man up there giving his words and she even pulls her hands together to clap when he's done. After that, though, she pulls up straighter in her seat again and eyes the crowd with pouted lips. What next, what next.

—-

"I'm not a bear, Mer," Peter says, though he's smiling more than a little. "This is you and Ben's day. Go get showered with attention and well wishes," he adds on, touching her shoulder. "Besides, what are partners for." It's not a designation known by most of the crowd, but a few would know of that. It's not said loud enough to be easily heard over the clinking of glass and silverwear. His eyes slide back toward the table with Cam and Daphne, unaware of the woman watching them. There's far too much going on for the buzz of one mind to stand out.

—-

RIGHT. Well, toasts are done - as far as Meryl is concerned - and if anyone else wants to say anything, they're going to have to wait 'til she gets back, 'cuz… "I gotta pee," she indicates eloquently, getting up from her seat once again. It's entirely possible that she just can't keep herself still for more than two minutes, or she wants to run around Central Park in a wedding dress. WHO KNOWS!? Anyway, she gives Ben's hair a pat. "This is the part where the band plays and you all start dancing. The Bride and Groom's first dance is going to have to wait just a tick. I'll be right back. Promise."

—-

Pulled back into her seat by both Lachlan, her father, and Meryl's words, Cass is right there when Mrs. Winters (the elder) comes over to accost her husband. Gasping, she jumps up a second time and points an accusing finger at her. "Keep your hands off my husband, crazy lady!" To her father, she attempts an explanation. "He was drunk. It was awhile ago."

—-

Even without the whisper that causes a relieved look to wash over his face, Church hugs Meryl right back, his free arm hugging her close. There is also a quiet 'thank you' as she slips away. Hay- he wore it for the wedding! That is superhuman. And almost the same hug for Ben- it's a far more masculine embrace, as far as that goes. He sits again and listens closely to Peter, smirking at the opportune times and actually laughing at others. But once everything on the toasting end is finished, Lawrence searches under his seat with one arm, looking for where Meryl has stuck the savior of his day. When his hand comes back, it is with the folded purple suit he had known would disappear when the wedding came around. The sigh he lets out is audible to everyone around him as he excuses himself from the seat.

"I will return very shortly too- I'm going to save Peter from stepping on my skirt."

—-

Maybe it's something in the water; maybe it's that she just HAS to see what this woman is all about. Either way, Emily is the third person to decide she just has to use the bathroom. There's nobody at her table from which to excuse herself, and with the toasts done and the crowd starting to mingle and dance, she stalks off across the park to the restrooms after Meryl. This woman is just too strange, and she's too much a student of people to let the chance to see what she does in the woman's inner sanctum to let this opportunity slip.

—-

That, perhaps, is the worst possible answer Cass could have given. However, Dr. Aldric fails to look surprised; instead, his slightly wiry brows lower over a blandly unamused stare at Lachlan. "Well, it uh, it looks like you haven't apologized," he mumbles to Lachlan and mutters something into his glass. "Look, uh, Mr. Church is wearing pants." The fact is as much of a conversation as when Mr. Church was not wearing pants. It's a diversion, in the doctor's case.

—-

Quinn finishes at the buffet, grabbing a few pieces of fruit. Holding the plate in one hand, she idly juggles the pieces of fruit, one at a time, in the other. Well, at least it starts out just two pieces, but, as she moves back to the edges of the crowd, there's a third.. only a very observant eye would notice when it suddenly.. was there.

—-

Lachlan still looks slightly bewildered at the elder Mrs. Winters, then turns a bewildered expression on Randall. He's not sure how faking a leg cramp will help. Then he blinks at Cass and then at Cass' father, and he scowls at the latter's expression. "Look, it was a bloody long time ago, a'righ'?" he growls. Yeah, maybe he's dumb, but he's not stupid. "An' she's daft as all hell." The latter referring to Margie, of course.

—-

"Mer.." And the rest of his words are cut off in embarrassment. Benjamin knows Meryl just has no reservations what so ever. So while Meryl goes off to talk to pigeons or whatever, he sidles away from his mother and starts to mingle with the guests. Cass, Lachlan, he's trying to refamiliarize himself with the pair. So much of the first year he knew them is gone, courtesy the Haitian, but it's not something he's thinking about today. He walks towards the Aldric and Deatleys first, "Dr. Aldric, thanks for coming." He addresses the doctor first, who's more familiar, then Lachlan, "And sorry about mom." The memory of that incident is gone from his head, "She's had a few drinks and is pretty danged happy." Ah, there's a faint discomfort. He should KNOW these faces, but they're still more of file images than anything. "Thanks for coming," he says honestly.

—-

Much better. In one way, anyway.

Eventually, Meryl returns, making her way through the crowd and toward Benjamin. There's this… smile on her face. Somewhat between serene and mischievous, though considering the fact that they're almost at the Good Part of the wedding day, this is only to be expected. Right?

Right. Except, it's kind of like she's dreaming. Ever have that feeling like you're not the one driving? Yeah, that's Meryl at the moment. Maybe she just had too much to drink or something. In any case, she'll reach for Ben's hand. It's gentle. Tender. And she meets his eyes. "I love you," she says. "Will you dance with me?"

—-

"Can't we just skip the dancing?" Peter asks outloud as Church moves closer to him. Why can't he go and dance with his mom or something… but he doesn't get to say the rest of it. He just lets them go, and moves over from the main table to one of the smaller ones, with a young boy and a speedy woman. The boy that waved at him. "Hey Cam. I'm surprised to see you here." He's surprised to see both of them, actually! "I haven't seen you in a while." No scar across his face. He's the Peter that belongs in this time. His eyes move over to Daphne, when he says, "You look good in a dress, Daphne," he says, as if he knew she would. "Are you enjoying yourself?" Maybe if he talks to guests he can be saved from dancing with a man?

—-

Skip the dancing? Not if Cass has anything to say about it. To her father and then to Lachlan, she finally settles down. Margie is gone, her loved ones are here - other than Abby - and the apartment will not burn down while she is here. "It was awhile ago, dad. And, Lachlan, don't talk to my father that way." To Benjamin, she smiles. There have been many differences between the two of them, however, she can't wish him ill on his wedding day. That would be bad karma. "Thanks for inviting us. And half of the city," she grins. Shooing Benjamin to go off and dance with Meryl, she eyes someone else she can cajole. To Peter and Daphne nearby, she adds, "What he really means is that he'd like to dance with you." She'd offer Lachlan a hand to dance, but what with his injury that would be cruel of her.

—-

Cam gives another small wave to Peter as he comes closer, "Hey." Then he nods quickly and says, "Came back to New York to look for you, or Kory, or Hiro. Need help." He looks around a moment, then adds, "Don't wanna mess up the wedding, though, can talk after."

—-

When Meryl returns to his side, Benjamin smiles down at her as she takes his hand, "Of course. You don't have to ask." He looks a biiiit on the puzzled side, wondering just what Meryl is up to. He expects the unexpected from her, and he doesn't think she's had /that/ much to drink. Huh. Well maybe it's the excitement of the day in general. "We're supposed to lead off the dancing anyway, but not much is traditional about today anyway." Taking Meryl's hand in his, he leads her towards the area reserved for dancing.

—-

When Church returns, a bit after MEryl- Hey, he's mastered the whole 'getting dressed' thing and at this point probably has a record time- he is fixing his collar and checking his sleeves. The tailored purple suit is considerably better than the dress. And the first thing he does when he gets back is amble up to Peter, giving Cam and Daphne a wary smile as he stops.

"No." He finally answers the question posed before he skirted away. "It's part of the deal, Pete. Last time I danced with you, you puked on me. You owe me." Peter was like, six, but it still counts.

—-

Dr. Aldric will let sleeping dogs lie — for now. Looking up from his glass, he sets it down and gives Benjamin a kindly smile — barely visible, but commending. "Mr. Winters, congratulations. A big day, hey." As Meryl approaches, he nods at the both of them, telling Benjamin especially as they head off: "You uh, you take good care of that one."

—-

Daphne has been keeping herself busy with crowd-watching, her leg bouncing anxiously on top of the other, but Peter's appearance warrants some sudden attention. Her little seat-wiggle makes it seem like she might bolt, too. But she doesn't. False alarm. Instead, she tilts her head and sets her hands prettily in front of her on the table. "What, this old thing?" She chirps, eyeing him and then other people who have sudden opinions about what they should do. "I'm meeting your friends." She says, instead, deflecting before - oh look, here comes the man previously known as the one in the dress. "Looks like he has prior engagements," she says, aside, in whoever-Cass-is' direction. Her eyebrows raise challengingly to Peter, good boy Peter. He isn't getting out of anything. Oh, guess Church gets part of that eyebrow look too, just for good measure.

—-

Quinn finds a place to settle down against a tree. She finishes up her plate rather quickly. Must've been hungry. Fruit for dessert. More than she started with.. She really can't seem to resist a little juggling, to keep herself busy.

—-

"What, I didn't say I wanted to…" Peter says with a startled straightening as he looks over at Cass. "I mean, not that I don't, I…" It seems he decides it would be best to shut up now, which is also when Church reminds him of when he was a child, and danced with an older man at an event quite a long time ago. At least he hadn't been in a dress. "All right," he says, before he flicks a wrist and suddenly hands Cam a card. "I still live in the same apartment. I might be able to help you find the others too, but if you need something, you know where to find me." He's nothing if not always trying to help.

"All right, Church, but no one's dipping anyone," he says, joining the man to the dancefloor— and while he was the best man, it's very likely that Church will end up leading. Non-traditional wedding this is.

—-

Scowling again, this time at being chastised, Lachlan settles into his chair silently, giving Benjamin an expression that is, well, not exactly friendly, but not exactly as hostile as it might once have been. Neutral, it is. All the talk of dancing causes him to soften a bit and he finally leans over to give Cass an affectionate kiss on the cheek before whispering in her ear: "Wanna dance?" It's not cruel if he's the one suggesting it, right?

—-

A huge grin and a thumb's up is flashed towards Cass, Lachlan and Dr. Aldric as Ben walks off with Meryl. He catches sight of Quinn and doubletakes just slightly. She looks familiar to him, and he just can't place the face. As for Church and Peter dancing, oh please let someone take a picture of that. Despite wanting to run for a camera, just in case, he steers Meryl onto the dance floor, "Did you have a bit too much to drink already? You're uhm, a bit calm." Not that he's complaining, it just seems 'off'.

—-

It's not cruel, indeed, if it's Lachlan suggesting it. "You said it with your eyes, Peter," she teases the other man with a grin and then allows Lachlan to escort her out onto the dance floor. She can't miss this opportunity, can she? "Only if you insist," she tells the Scotsman with another smile. "Want me to lead?" she adds with a giggle.

—-

Cam waves to Church, Cass, and Lachlan too, as each come over, saying, "Hi." He takes Peter's offered card and nods quickly, looking a little relieved as he smiles and says, "Cool, I'll for sure come find you." He pockets the card quickly.

—-

At least Meryl is happy. It's a good day. A perfect day. And she hasn't yet done anything to call ridiculous embarrassment onto her and her loved ones! See, she can behave, and as she lays her head on Ben's shoulder, enjoying the music and the (excessive) company, she sighs contentedly. This is everything she could have hoped for. Her world. "I'm fine, love," she says to Ben. And…

…And…

Green eyes watch the crowd, waiting for the opportune time. Of course people are going to clear the floor for them, which means they'll be the centre of attention, at least for a little while. The thought makes her smile.

As the song that the band is playing comes to an end, well. Somewhere along the line, Meryl managed to loosen Ben's belt without him realising it, and, well, she pantses him, before stepping back to admire her handiwork.

—-

Milling through the crowd, dressed in jeans and a fake-jacket-and-tie T-shirt that would be horribly out of place at 98 weddings out of 100, Randall rises up on tiptoe for a moment to scan the crowd. He's had his share of food and drink, now if… but no, the one he's looking for isn't here. Well, then, he'll keep himself occupied as best he can. "May I have thi—" he starts, tapping Emily on the shoulder - only to cut off in mid-sentence as the crowd starts rubbernecking in poor Benjamin's direction.

—-

Daphne stares expectantly at Peter right through his word-fumbling but once he's gone off she nudges herself uncomfortably forward in her chair and doesn't watch the dancefloor. Once, she leans over towards Cam with a, "What'cha got there, then, Twist?" But, as it vanishes into his pocket, she doesn't expect much of an answer. Instead, she plays fingers against the table and glances up to find a warped impression of her own face in the toaster there.

But who has time for sentimentalities anymore? A second later and somebody's shrieking in laughter - or indignation - and the speedster shoots up to see… actually, she can't see anything. There's, like, half the city in between her and some sort of sight.

—-

Someone is, somewhere. You can count on that. Same for the dress. There's a small, bark-like laugh of triumph from Lawrence as he wins at cajoling Peter to dance. It's silly, but it's for Meryl and Ben! And for their sake, both Peter and Church would probably do far worse to themselves than dancing or putting on a dress. It's a test of commitment, isn't it? That, and Church is a pretty good dancer.

"No dipping, so no puking either. Once was enough. You wanted spun, and I regret doing it. You had spaghetti for dinner." Storytime is Funtime. Almost as fun as seeing Meryl pants Benji.

He can't help it- Lawrence chokes on a laugh. That's Meryl for you.

—-

Cam blinks at Daphne's question, "Oh, Peter's address and phone number I think." He pulls the card out to take a look at it to be sure. He just assumed, earlier. He's distracted by the sudden laughter, he, too, trying to see what happened.

—-

"You /sure/ you're okay?" Benjamin looks down at Meryl, who doesn't use that term of endearment excessively. It's usually Bingo that she uses. So that's a faint red flag. Although what happens next.. that's more the Meryl he knows. At least, his boxers aren't terribly embarrassing, although they do have patterns of black bowties on them. Bright red, he yoinks his pants back up, and looks at Meryl.. Oh there's gonna be words, but not here. They're not even a day into their vows, no fighting! "What was that for!?" he asks, zipping up his fly and buckling his belt back into place. He's more embarrassed than angry, and well, it was something to expect out of Meryl. He just hoped, she wouldn't have done something like that. Hopefully in his embarrassment, he's not losing /too/ much control of his power. It wouldn't do to knock out a few of his guests.

—-

Teresa makes her way into the area with just a slight hint of a limp in her stride. She has a purse over her shoulder that's as large as a briefcase. Seeing the festivities she slows to watch for a moment.

—-

"Ha ha," Lachlan snorts sarcastically, though he's grinning at Cass' comment. "Can lead jus' fine, thank ye." He's left the cane with Doc Aldric and is flying solo, painful though it is. Though there's really not much leading to do when suddenly the groom is pantsed. Lachlan blinks, stares. "Save it fer the honeymoon!" he calls finally.

—-

Wait, Meryl is starting to feel a little sleepy. Crap. There's so much more she has to do!

Must! Stay! Awake!

She gives Benjamin a smack on the backside, before running off toward the buffet table. Hey. Hey, guess what!?

Par for the course for Meryl, yes.

Reaching her hand inside the sterno pan full of hot potatoes - perhaps a bad idea, in hindsight - she casts the first stone - er, spud, - in what will likely be the singular most epic food fight of all time. But she's not waiting to see who the potatoes hit before she's reaching for another handful. "FOOD FIGHT!" she calls.

Hadn't Ben banned this? Wasn't a lack of food fights part of the agreement!?

—-

"Oh god," Peter says, shaking his head and very nearly wanting to lean against Church for the embarassment. "My partner is insane," he mutters softly under his breath, before returning back to the dancing, even if it's awkward and not at all fluid. Probably because he's not great at dancing, cause he doesn't seem completely tense, at least. "Ben is going to have a very interesting wedding. I bought them plane tickets for a vacation sometime. Open ended." He glances into the crowd, until he spots the woman who helped him get those. Kitty said she would come, and she obviously did— oh god what.

"Hey. Meryl!" he calls out. What is she— "This is a rented tux." He quickly does his best to stay away from any food that gets fired. He's wonderful at dodging bullets, so he should be able to dodge potatoes. …Suddenly he is reminded of the nun wedding.

—-

"Meryl!" Benjamin yelps as he suffers further indignities at the hand (Ha ha!) of his bride. "We agreed! No foodfights!" Yes, be afraid that they /had/ this conversation. Numerous times. In fact, just this morning. His mother is gleefully joining in, not that she ever had such reservations anyway. The champagne isn't helping. It's a losing battle. He rushes over to Meryl, trying to scoop her up over his shoulder!

—-

Quinn is glad she is on the outskirts of the fight. There's a little moment of distraction, when the four apples she juggles becomes.. two. Those she pockets as she moves further back to avoid any staining of the tux she actually owns, and performs in on occasion.

—-

Teresa looks startled and a little amused as she watches the wedding start to switch to a food fight. The spectator shifts to be out of the direct line of fire, moving to the side of things so she can continue to watch.

—-

Quickly averting her eyes from Benjamin's pantsing and then ducking out of the way of flying food, Cass blinks. "And I thought Nima jumping out of our cake was crazy," she asides to Lachlan. As a stray bit of food - was that chicken cutlet? - narrowly misses her head, she glances at her husband. "Sure you're alright? Want to sit down?" They've had their dance and she knows that standing up too much hurts him.

—-

A what — a foodfight? Daphne is conveniently in the back row, putting tables upon tables in between her and any spuds. Not that she couldn't get out of the way better than anyone else here. Yeah, anyone. After some consideration, she looks expectantly over at Cam. "Well. Aren't you going to throw something?" Oh, she looks all calm enough, snappy and all that, but she's tensed right on the edge of bolting out of there. Fight or flight, man. Even versus edible items.

—-

Maybe he felt the embarrassment. Church gives Peter a curious look when he mutters under his breath. And then 'Food Fight' rings in his ears. It's reflex, dealing with Meryl's quirks- and the man instinctively puts his arms over his head for makeshift cover, all while a laugh bursts forth. At least it wasn't before they ate? A separate note is made to get Peter his own tuxedo- every man needs one. He may or may not relay this to Angela first.

—-

And… And the cake. Of course, with that terrible gleam in her eye, Meryl goes for the wedding cake, which, while not big enough to serve everyone ever, is pretty substantial in size. Pulling large chunks out of it, she starts lobbing those into the crowd, too.

While some people are hesitant, others have no qualms about throwing food around, and soon, everything is a mess. There's food flying everywhere, and, well, the wedding is ruined. Kind of. If Meryl really had her say, this would be the best wedding ever. At least her dress isn't looking so great anymore.

When Ben comes to scoop her up, she takes a step back from him, an unfamiliar, almost hostile look in her eyes before the expression on her face completely changes. It looks… Surprised. Startled. Horrified. For a moment, her eyes meet Benjamin's, and then… "Look, it's already happening. I'll explain later. Here."

One hand reaches for the cake, the other for Ben's hand. "Have a little fun while it's lasting." That said, Meryl places the handful of cake into Ben's hand.

—-

Cam grins as the food fight starts, ducking a little. He glances to Daphne and around again, waiting just long enough to be sure it won't be just him and the crazy bride participating, before he joins in. He doesn't throw anything at Daphne, though.

—-

DODGE. Cause that's what Peter is good at. He moves out of the way, jumps back, quite quickly, really. There's a small blur before he settles, a good distance away. With food flying, who's going to notice? Hopefully no one. Or no one that matters. A food fight is way more interesting than a guy zooming backwards a good few steps. He looks down at his tux, to make sure it's okay to send back, and looks relieved. "Is the dance over, then?" No more dancing with Church?

—-

"Meryl.. ?" What was about to be chastising, turns into concern as Benjamin notes the change in her eyes. Already happening? The Company reprogramming has him wanting to say to hell with the party, we need to work… and then cake is thrust into his hand. He sighs, and doesn't throw it. Instead? It's the pseudo-traditional feeding of cake. Just with a little bit of force as he advances on his bride. (He'll be horrified at himself later.)

—-

Well across the reception area, in the direction of the bathroom Meryl came out of shortly before the nonsense starts, Emily slips out quietly…about the time Ben and Meryl are standing there with cake in their hands, looking totally confused. When she emerges, she's smirking, and looks a little faraway. Her hair's a bit tousled and out of place, and she gently nudges a bump on her forehead. For a second, she wobbles in her heels, a bit jelly-legged. Overall though, she looks as pleased as can be, with that content 'glow' about her. You know the one. A moment is all it takes to get herself straight, and slide back into her chair at the back of the reception tables, far enough away that it's fortuitously not covered in any food at all.

—-

Church has followed Peter offsides, recipient of a few well-aimed things himself. He smiles as the younger man wonders aloud about the dancing, only to pry a smooshed cream-pastry from his shoulder. He reaches over while Peter is in that mode of relief to squash it in his face. No more dancing, at least?

—-

She's not going to let a food fight spoil this day! "No, Ben. No! No!" Having cake stuffed in her face is somehow less appealing than throwing it at people! Even so, she cannot avoid the confectionary to the face, and squeals as she stumbles back against the table! It doesn't fall over, thankfully.

But it's not long before Meryl's reaching for a handful of cake for herself, which she presses into Ben's face, not even trying to get it into his mouth. Then, she licks her fingers, because the cake-potato-chicken-green bean-etc. combo she has going there is delicious.

—-

Randall ducks down, just eyes and forehead peeking out above the tops of the chairs; in lieu of taking part in the food fight directly, he slowly works his way toward the edge of the crowd, making sure he has a clear escape route. Only then does he pop up, imitating a thick British accent for just a few seconds.

"Right! What's all this, then?"

Sure enough, this draws a goodly portion of the ordnance in his general direction. Having expected no less, he turns and makes a run for it… and promptly bumps into Emily's chair, tumbling onto the ground in a one-man heap. Wait, what? That chair was just empty a second ago! And oh yeah, that's the same woman he crossed paths with earlier, briefly, and. Um. Please let that look on her face not be what he thinks it is.

—-

And there goes his pristine tux. Most of it ends up in his face and hair, yes, but some of it falls down onto the lapels. Peter makes a face, and then suddenly there's a plate of cake that he saw unattended that's in his hand, and he's shoving it at Church's face. It just moved into his hand. If he's going to ruin his tux, he's going to get revenge doing it.

—-

And so the night goes. It's salvaged, somehow, and might be one of the strangest wedding parties anyone's ever been to. Of course, the fact that the NYPD is going to have to clean up after a food fight means there will be some cops around who are very grumpy for the next few days.

It's not until fairly late that everything starts breaking up. There's dancing and music into the night, but at the end, there's a limo waiting for Ben and Meryl. There is, after all, still a plane to catch!

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