Fic -- Leaping Feet First
Title: Leaping Feet First
Rating: PG
Word Count: 4020
Characters: Roscoe Dillon/Lisa Snart, Hartley Rathaway/James Jesse, Len Snart, Rosa Dillon, Patty Spivot, Owen Mercer, Sam Scudder, OCs (Spencer the blatt and Rosa Dillon).
Summary: You are cordially invited to attend the wedding of Lisa Snart and Roscoe Dillon.
Warnings: Some sappiness.
Notes: Set in an RPverse. I took some of the ceremony dialogue (because I've attended very few weddings) from a website called frugalbride.com, which is apparently now defunct. And before you ask, yes this is pure wish-fulfillment because of DC crapping all over my OTP -- it was written shortly after the Lisa/Sam stuff started in the New 52, and has been sitting in a folder for nearly two years. This is a continuation of some earlier stories.
Today was the big day, and no one paid much attention to the tiny older woman wandering tentatively into their midst. She felt intimidated and out of place, and it took a great deal of courage to finally approach someone.
“Excuse me…” she said politely to a young man who seemed a bit bored. He looked startled to see a stranger, and prepared to gently usher her out; the Rogues tended to scrupulously guard their privacy.
“This is a private party, ma’am,” Owen told her with a friendly grin, and she nervously smiled back.
“Isn’t this the Dillon-Snart wedding? I’m Rosa Dillon, the mother of the groom.”
Owen winced, because he really should have expected that. He’d heard Roscoe’s mother had been invited, and knowing Roscoe he suspected there would be a shitfit over this later.
“I’m so sorry,” he grimaced, hoping she wouldn’t tell her son. “Please, won’t you sit down?”
“Oh thank you, but I’m looking for the happy couple. I’m supposed to help them dress,” she replied with a smile that seemed almost mischievous, and he couldn’t resist grinning back.
“I think they’ve commandeered some rooms nearby, so I’ll show you the way,” he said cheerfully, quite relieved that she seemed to be more easy-going than her son. He put a friendly hand on her back to steer her in the right direction, and escorted her to the impromptu dressing rooms.
Lisa had been having a hectic morning. The flowers hadn’t arrived, the caterers had gotten their order wrong and she knew Roscoe wouldn’t eat what they’d brought, and now one of her expensive new shoes had gone missing.
“Can this day get any worse?!” she demanded in frustration, and her brother smirked calmly in the midst of all her raging.
“You know that’s just an invitation for trouble, sis.” She threw some torn stockings at him.
“Settle down and put on the dress,” Patty ordered firmly, finally having had enough. “You don’t want to make the ceremony late, do you?”
“Is Roscoe ready yet?” Lisa asked, hoping he’d also fallen behind so any lateness couldn’t be blamed solely on her.
“He was hyperventilating last I saw of him,” Len replied, and his face was so deadpan that she couldn’t tell whether he was serious or not.
“Please say you’re joking…”
“Exaggerating, but he was pretty nervous. Threw up a couple of times, and Hart got him some Gravol.”
“Poor thing, I should go see him…” she fretted, only to be roundly scolded by Patty and reminded to get back on track. Len was banished to the hall while Lisa began the lengthy process of putting on a dress which now seemed needlessly elaborate.
“Everything all right in there?” he called after five minutes, and received a distracted assent. He paused, and though he’d wanted to talk to Lisa privately before the ceremony, it seemed like there was always someone else with her. He decided that he didn’t mind if Patty overheard the conversation.
“Y’know, I just wanted to say how glad I am that things worked out for the two of you. Wasn’t sure you’d make it to this point,” he admitted.
“…I wasn’t sure either,” she replied after a long pause.
“You did the right thing by sticking to your guns, and he did the right thing by finally getting some help. I’m proud of you both. I think you’ll be happy together…and I hope so.”
“Thanks,” she said quietly, and he could hear the smile in her voice. “I really appreciate your support, Len. You’ve helped in ways you probably don’t even know. You too, Patty.”
“Anything for you, sweetheart,” Patty answered with an affectionate hug. “We just want you to be happy.”
“And I am, I really am. Helped by the love and support of my family. This is my dream come true, guys, I kind of can’t believe it’s happening.”
Patty could detect that there would be tears soon, and didn’t want Lisa to spoil her makeup, so it was time to change the subject.
“It’s definitely happening, but the herd will get cranky if they’re kept waiting for the beautiful bride. So let’s not dawdle, dear.”
“You need more Gravol?” Hartley asked sympathetically, unfortunately all too aware of the sounds of vomiting. Roscoe stopped himself from wiping his mouth on his tuxedo sleeve at the very last second.
“Please,” he replied, and was quite obviously miserable, quickly downing the tablets handed to him.
“Well, the good news is that you’ve probably emptied your stomach by now and there isn’t anything else to come up.”
“Lisa will kill me if I vomit on her,” Roscoe said despondently as he brushed his teeth for the fourth time that morning.
“Don’t worry, James and I will run interference if she tries,” his best man joked. “C’mon. I know you’re excited about this, so calm down. Breathe deep, it’ll be okay.”
“What if I screw up and ruin her big day?”
“It’s not just her day, it’s for both of you. But you won’t be able to enjoy it if you’re fretting so much. Relax and let yourself be happy.”
Hartley was right, of course, but stress was making Roscoe whiny and combative.
“You would not be so calm in my place.”
“I can’t get married, remember?” Hartley reminded him placidly, determined not to get into an argument.
“As if we have ever cared about the law. You should do it, and to hell with what anyone outside the family thinks. We will all happily attend the ceremony.”
“…that might be an idea,” Hartley mused quietly, rather touched by the support. “I’ll think about it and talk with James.”
“But I may skip part of your bachelor party if it has strippers,” Roscoe said with a friendly laugh, finally looking calm for the first time all day.
“Did I come at a bad time?” Rosa asked politely from the doorway, having heard talk about strippers.
“No, Mom, not at all. He has just been giving me a pep talk.” He walked over and hugged her tightly, as he was so glad she’d been willing to attend. “Thank you for coming.”
“I wouldn’t miss it, dear, though it looks like you’re already dressed. And hello, Hartley.” She’d met him briefly once before.
“Hiya. We were holding off putting on the cufflinks, so you can help with that if you’d like.”
“Oh, it’d be my pleasure.” She was handed the jewellery box, and spent several minutes affixing her son’s custom-made top cufflinks, which somehow looked tasteful despite the green and yellow stripes. “They’re lovely.”
She often worried that she was indulging an unhealthy obsession with tops, but tolerated it because they seemed to make him happy. Tops usually had a calming effect on him, and he tended to smile more when they were at hand.
“Does anyone know if Lisa’s ready?” Roscoe wondered aloud, and his stomach suddenly lurched upon thinking about it. Hartley stepped out to check on her, realizing that his friend might want to talk to his mother alone.
“Are you nervous?” Rosa asked as he began to pace. He hesitated, hating to admit weakness, and then nodded silently.
“You haven’t changed your mind, have you?” she said with some worry, and he shook his head forcefully.
“No. I’m just afraid I am going to make a mess of the ceremony…a mess of Lisa’s life, really. I seem to do that frequently without intending it.”
“From where I’m standing, you’ve definitely cleaned up your act over the past few years. I wouldn’t have stayed in contact with you if you hadn’t done so.”
“Yes, but I keep making mistakes, often serious ones. And as people like to remind me, I’m quite crazy.”
She had to smile. “Everyone makes mistakes; it’s part of being human.”
“I am not human, and never used to make mistakes.”
“Oh, shush,” she scolded gently, although was somewhat disturbed to hear the supervillainy in his tone. “You’re human in the ways that matter, and I know for a fact you made mistakes. So stop being silly, and sit down before you wear a path in that floor.”
There were very few people who talked to him that way, and he looked incredulously at her for a few moments before starting to laugh. “Yes, Mother.”
“It’s all right to be afraid, Roscoe. Just don’t let it rule your life and you’ll be fine. You’ve made so many good changes over the past year, and I think you can handle this one too.”
“What if I can’t?”
“Then you pick up the pieces and carry on, just like the rest of us. I’ll be here to support you, and I think your friends will be too. Hartley is a good friend.”
“Yes, he is…I suppose you’re right about everything.” It was an admission he found very galling, because he preferred to think of himself as perpetually infallible. But that certainly wasn't always the case (as he’d been painfully learning over the past few months), and he was slowly trying to accept it.
“Lisa won’t be ready for at least another fifteen minutes,” Hartley announced upon his return, and Roscoe sighed heavily. She always took a long time to prepare for anything.
“I’m going to the main hall to make sure everything’s okay in there,” Hartley said, and Rosa decided to accompany him in case there were any last minute crises. Roscoe opted to stay where he was, as his stomach had begun to flutter again and he feared throwing up in front of the crowd.
The hall was a bit more intimidating than Rosa had bargained for, however. It was now filled with strangers, mostly men.
“Are those…are those the Rogues?” she asked Hartley hesitantly, and he chuckled.
“Yeah, they’re ex-Rogues and some speedsters. C’mon, I’ll introduce you.”
Rosa met everyone in turn, finding some more odd or likable than the others. Everybody was curious to meet her and wondered if her personality was as prickly as her son’s, but were privately relieved when she turned out to be more friendly. Within two minutes of greeting her, Josh Mardon had already invited her to dinner and insisted she be welcomed into the family, which she found nice but bewildering.
“That’s just Josh,” Len declared when he noticed her polite confusion, and offered a hand for her to shake. She accepted it with some uncertainty, unaccustomed to the Rogues’ informality and general gregariousness. “I’m Len Snart…Lisa’s brother.”
This surprised her, because he looked as old as Rosa herself.
“Yeah, it’s a long story. Glad to have you here and finally meet you, since you’ll be Lisa’s mother-in-law and all.”
“She’s a lovely girl, and my son’s lucky to have her.”
“Pretty much, yeah,” Len laughed. “She does keep him out of trouble. I just wanted to say that no matter what he might have told you at some point, I don’t hate him. I like him fine.”
That was a slight fib, as Len still found him somewhat exasperating, but relations between them had improved since Roscoe had started medication and therapy.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Rosa replied politely. She wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to such a comment.
“Well, things started out bad between us, but you know how it goes. A lot of guys are protective of their sisters.”
“He did say he was glad that everyone agreed to attend the ceremony,” Rosa mused, thinking back to some of the things Roscoe had told her weeks ago. Perhaps he wasn’t especially popular.
“He just needed to get his head on straight,” Len said with a gentle smile, having decided that honesty was the best policy. “He seems to be doing that now, so good for him. I agreed to give my blessing and give Lisa away at the wedding if he got help, and he did. He used to be pretty crazy sometimes.”
Rosa made a pained face, as no parent likes to hear their child described that way. But she knew it was true. “Yes,” she answered uncomfortably, and Len realized he might have been a bit too honest.
“A lot of us Rogues have had mental problems at one time or another; it’s why we became what we did and why we formed a family. He’s part of the family, for better or worse, and that’s why we’re here. We’ll always look after him, you have my word.”
“…thank you,” she said quietly after a few moments’ pause. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t worry about him sometimes. The things I’ve heard…it’s not what I wanted for my son. And someday I won’t be around to help him.”
Len could relate to that, as he’d felt the same about the Lisa from his native universe. He wasn’t sure if Rosa would understand the situation if he explained it, so he simply nodded. “He’s lucky to have you too.”
“I can’t help but feel like I gave up on him too quickly, though -- the son I actually gave birth to, I mean. From, er, this universe.” She shook her head, still in disbelief over the concept of inter-dimensional travelling. “I cut off all contact with him, and then he died and we never made amends.”
“There’s only so much one person can do. I was a Rogue, but I’m older now and know it ain’t easy to deal with people like us. We can be scary. And Roscoe…well, yeah, I think we both know he’s a bit scary. I don’t blame you, and at this point I doubt he would either.”
Len put a friendly hand on her shoulder, and she smiled gratefully at him. He seemed like a welcome addition to the family even in spite of the bluntness, and she liked him.
"Let's take some seats at the front," Len began, but was rudely interrupted when Spencer bounded past him. James ran not far behind, bearing a frantic expression on his face.
“Stop that blatt!” James yelped. “Lisa will kill me if he gets into the punch again!”
Spencer was indeed making a beeline for the food table, but James was far more agile than Len. The acrobat managed to tackle the little creature right before reaching his goal, but not without banging into the table. Punch sloshed out of the bowl and stained the once-pristine tablecloth.
“Oh hell…” Len muttered, pinching his nose in frustration. “James, weren’t you supposed to be babysitting him?”
“He broke loose while we were playing! He’s pretty slippery!”
Spencer happily tooted his agreement, and James couldn’t help but laugh.
“Why did they have to bring that thing?” Rosa asked with a resigned expression. She’d met Spencer before but didn’t particularly like pets, and a sentient music note was well out of her comfort zone.
“Aw, Roscoe and Spencer would be sad if he wasn’t allowed to go,” James said affectionately, scratching the note’s flag as it purred delightedly. “We’d all miss him.”
“Well, keep him out of trouble,” Len ordered, shaking his head as James picked up the blatt.
“At least tell me the rats aren’t here too,” Rosa said in exasperation.
“Nah, they’re at home. But they’re nice rats,” James replied with some defensiveness. They were the offspring of Hartley’s animals, after all. Rosa shuddered at the thought of them, and Roscoe’s former feelings about rats suddenly made more sense.
“Guys, the bride and groom are ready!” Hartley called, and everyone began to buzz excitedly. Several people pulled out their cameras and waited for Lisa’s arrival. “You’re supposed to sit down!”
As everyone slowly filtered to their seats, Roscoe nervously wandered down the aisle with Hartley in tow, worriedly watching all the people staring at him. He looked like a deer caught in headlights, so Hartley nudged him gently. “Relax, you’re doing fine.”
Rosa smiled at him from her seat at the front, and despite his fear he smiled back. It seemed to calm him somewhat, and he gradually began to feel more at ease.
And then Lisa appeared at the back of the room, taking his breath away. She’d insisted on the old custom of the groom not seeing the bride before the ceremony, so he’d never seen her in the gown until now. His jaw momentarily dropped and he broke out in a wide smile, which James fortunately caught on video for posterity. Even Len thought to himself that he’d never seen his new brother-in-law look so joyful. Lisa was smiling too, confident and happy, and the entire audience’s eyes were soon fixed on her.
Len walked her down the aisle to the accompaniment of the wedding march (Lisa was hewing strongly to tradition), and she found herself completely satisfied with the arrangement. In the months leading up to the ceremony she’d felt saddened that her parents wouldn't be attending, but right now it didn’t seem to matter. Len was there, as both brother and father-figure for her, and that was all she needed. She squeezed his arm fondly as they walked together, and he turned to smile at her.
When they joined Roscoe and Hartley at the front, it took all of Roscoe’s self-restraint not to hug her. He was excitedly antsy and rocking back and forth on his heels, so Hartley discreetly tugged at his sleeve to get him to settle down. It didn’t help that Spencer had escaped James’ grip again and was bouncing happily behind them, trilling cheerfully and dodging attempts to catch him. The justice of the peace had taken all the weirdness in stride so far, but even he seemed a bit taken aback by the creature.
“Just ignore the music note,” Len muttered softly to him, and the man got on with the business of the ceremony.
“We are here today to join these people in the union of marriage,” he began, and there was a “Hear, hear!” from someone in the audience. Sam was slightly drunk.
“Marriage is a promise made in the hearts of two people who love each other, and takes a lifetime to fulfill,” the justice of the peace continued, and when he asked the crowd if there was any reason the couple shouldn’t be married, nearly everyone held their breath. Roscoe closed his eyes and was half-expecting someone to make a smart remark, but there was silence. Len had honoured his promise of a blessing in exchange for Roscoe seeking professional help, and the others respected that decision. Relieved, the groom exhaled more loudly than he should have, and Hartley cast him a sympathetic glance.
“The bride and groom have written their own vows to each other, which they will now share with us,” the justice of the peace announced with a smile. He nodded at Roscoe, who immediately froze up.
“I…” he began in a flustered tone, and Hartley poked him, pointing at the paper he held. “Right. Yes.” He squinted at the paper and began again. “Lisa, you are the love of my life. I’ve already come back from Hell to be with you, and if we are honest, it will probably happen again.”
Everybody but Lisa laughed at this, which puzzled him because it hadn’t been intended to be funny. “People say ‘til death do us part’, and that is not the case: I will be with you until death and well beyond it. I will fight Hell itself to be with you, to protect and care for you. To bring you the happiness you deserve, and show you how much I love you. To thank you for giving me a chance when I probably had not earned it, and for making me the happiest man alive. I will do all of that and more, and anything you ask of me, because you are that important. This I promise.”
They’d kept their vows secret from each other before the ceremony, so this was the first time Lisa had heard it. Tears welled up in her eyes and she quickly wiped them away, not wanting to cry in front of everyone. “Oh, Roscoe.” He could be remarkably sappy sometimes, and she adored that. “Oh wow.”
Patty handed her the paper with her own vows, having been entrusted to hold it while Lisa’s hands were occupied. Lisa quickly skimmed it to remind herself of how to begin, and then smilingly cleared her throat as she looked at her husband-to-be.
“Roscoe: you’ve always been there for me, and I’ll forever be there for you. I’ll look after you, will help and sustain you, and you’ll never need to feel alone again. I’ll stand with you whenever there’s a crisis, and will always have your back in both the good times and the bad. I’ll give you companionship, undying love and moral support, and offer patience when you need it. We’ll be together and will have each other, and that’s all we’ll ever need.”
She blushed and looked down as she finished, and he took her hand with a loving smile.
“That was beautiful,” the justice of the peace assured them both before continuing. “Roscoe, do you take Lisa to be your wife: to have and to hold, to love and respect, in sorrow or in joy and in hardship or in plenty, so long as you both shall live? …and beyond, apparently.”
He was now remarkably calm. “I do.”
“Lisa, do you take Roscoe to be your husband: to have and to hold, to love and respect, in sorrow or in joy and in hardship or in plenty, so long as you both shall live?”
“I do.”
The couple exchanged rings, placing the inscribed bands on each other’s finger with obvious affection. Patty hid her face behind Len's shoulder because she was having difficulty remaining composed, and the justice of the peace smiled broadly.
“And now that you have made your vows to the other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving your rings, I pronounce you husband and wife. Roscoe, you may kiss your bride!”
Roscoe leaned in to kiss her, but Lisa had never been one to play second fiddle. She pushed forward and kissed him first, much to his surprise and the audience’s delight. Sam drunkenly shouted “You go, girl!” as everyone else broke into applause and laughter.
“She’s a Snart,” Len observed proudly as the couple turned to the crowd and posed for photos. There was a hired photographer for the event, but nearly everyone else had brought cameras too. Now Spencer was finally encouraged to join them, and joyfully bounced in front while the wedding party was photographed.
“Oh, I have to throw the bouquet!” Lisa exclaimed after a few minutes. She closed her eyes and threw it in the direction of the audience…and James ran through the air to catch it with a fancy flourish.
“James!” Hartley said in embarrassment, and James hurried over to kiss him to the accompaniment of more applause.
“Looks like you will be next,” Roscoe smirked at Hartley as gears obviously turned in his head, and his friend just laughed helplessly.
“I’m so screwed,” he grinned, with one arm around Roscoe and the other around James. But there were worse fates.
“Okay, more photos now, and then lunch,” Patty reminded them, since the photographer was only booked for another half hour. The wedding party and close family members broke away for pictures while the other guests chatted contentedly. The day had been much better than expected, and everyone was enjoying themselves.
“This is the happiest day of my life,” Lisa said softly to Roscoe, and he kissed her.
“Mine as well, sweetheart. You’ve never looked more beautiful.”
“Do you think we can sneak away for some alone time?” she asked with a playful grin as the photographer continued taking pictures, and he laughed.
“I imagine everyone would notice and your brother would skin me alive. You’re not trying to get me killed, are you?”
“Oh no, you aren’t getting away that easily. I’ll hold you to your vow to come back to me, mister.”
“You know I’m good for it,” he replied with a smile, and pulled her over for an embrace.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 4020
Characters: Roscoe Dillon/Lisa Snart, Hartley Rathaway/James Jesse, Len Snart, Rosa Dillon, Patty Spivot, Owen Mercer, Sam Scudder, OCs (Spencer the blatt and Rosa Dillon).
Summary: You are cordially invited to attend the wedding of Lisa Snart and Roscoe Dillon.
Warnings: Some sappiness.
Notes: Set in an RPverse. I took some of the ceremony dialogue (because I've attended very few weddings) from a website called frugalbride.com, which is apparently now defunct. And before you ask, yes this is pure wish-fulfillment because of DC crapping all over my OTP -- it was written shortly after the Lisa/Sam stuff started in the New 52, and has been sitting in a folder for nearly two years. This is a continuation of some earlier stories.
Today was the big day, and no one paid much attention to the tiny older woman wandering tentatively into their midst. She felt intimidated and out of place, and it took a great deal of courage to finally approach someone.
“Excuse me…” she said politely to a young man who seemed a bit bored. He looked startled to see a stranger, and prepared to gently usher her out; the Rogues tended to scrupulously guard their privacy.
“This is a private party, ma’am,” Owen told her with a friendly grin, and she nervously smiled back.
“Isn’t this the Dillon-Snart wedding? I’m Rosa Dillon, the mother of the groom.”
Owen winced, because he really should have expected that. He’d heard Roscoe’s mother had been invited, and knowing Roscoe he suspected there would be a shitfit over this later.
“I’m so sorry,” he grimaced, hoping she wouldn’t tell her son. “Please, won’t you sit down?”
“Oh thank you, but I’m looking for the happy couple. I’m supposed to help them dress,” she replied with a smile that seemed almost mischievous, and he couldn’t resist grinning back.
“I think they’ve commandeered some rooms nearby, so I’ll show you the way,” he said cheerfully, quite relieved that she seemed to be more easy-going than her son. He put a friendly hand on her back to steer her in the right direction, and escorted her to the impromptu dressing rooms.
Lisa had been having a hectic morning. The flowers hadn’t arrived, the caterers had gotten their order wrong and she knew Roscoe wouldn’t eat what they’d brought, and now one of her expensive new shoes had gone missing.
“Can this day get any worse?!” she demanded in frustration, and her brother smirked calmly in the midst of all her raging.
“You know that’s just an invitation for trouble, sis.” She threw some torn stockings at him.
“Settle down and put on the dress,” Patty ordered firmly, finally having had enough. “You don’t want to make the ceremony late, do you?”
“Is Roscoe ready yet?” Lisa asked, hoping he’d also fallen behind so any lateness couldn’t be blamed solely on her.
“He was hyperventilating last I saw of him,” Len replied, and his face was so deadpan that she couldn’t tell whether he was serious or not.
“Please say you’re joking…”
“Exaggerating, but he was pretty nervous. Threw up a couple of times, and Hart got him some Gravol.”
“Poor thing, I should go see him…” she fretted, only to be roundly scolded by Patty and reminded to get back on track. Len was banished to the hall while Lisa began the lengthy process of putting on a dress which now seemed needlessly elaborate.
“Everything all right in there?” he called after five minutes, and received a distracted assent. He paused, and though he’d wanted to talk to Lisa privately before the ceremony, it seemed like there was always someone else with her. He decided that he didn’t mind if Patty overheard the conversation.
“Y’know, I just wanted to say how glad I am that things worked out for the two of you. Wasn’t sure you’d make it to this point,” he admitted.
“…I wasn’t sure either,” she replied after a long pause.
“You did the right thing by sticking to your guns, and he did the right thing by finally getting some help. I’m proud of you both. I think you’ll be happy together…and I hope so.”
“Thanks,” she said quietly, and he could hear the smile in her voice. “I really appreciate your support, Len. You’ve helped in ways you probably don’t even know. You too, Patty.”
“Anything for you, sweetheart,” Patty answered with an affectionate hug. “We just want you to be happy.”
“And I am, I really am. Helped by the love and support of my family. This is my dream come true, guys, I kind of can’t believe it’s happening.”
Patty could detect that there would be tears soon, and didn’t want Lisa to spoil her makeup, so it was time to change the subject.
“It’s definitely happening, but the herd will get cranky if they’re kept waiting for the beautiful bride. So let’s not dawdle, dear.”
“You need more Gravol?” Hartley asked sympathetically, unfortunately all too aware of the sounds of vomiting. Roscoe stopped himself from wiping his mouth on his tuxedo sleeve at the very last second.
“Please,” he replied, and was quite obviously miserable, quickly downing the tablets handed to him.
“Well, the good news is that you’ve probably emptied your stomach by now and there isn’t anything else to come up.”
“Lisa will kill me if I vomit on her,” Roscoe said despondently as he brushed his teeth for the fourth time that morning.
“Don’t worry, James and I will run interference if she tries,” his best man joked. “C’mon. I know you’re excited about this, so calm down. Breathe deep, it’ll be okay.”
“What if I screw up and ruin her big day?”
“It’s not just her day, it’s for both of you. But you won’t be able to enjoy it if you’re fretting so much. Relax and let yourself be happy.”
Hartley was right, of course, but stress was making Roscoe whiny and combative.
“You would not be so calm in my place.”
“I can’t get married, remember?” Hartley reminded him placidly, determined not to get into an argument.
“As if we have ever cared about the law. You should do it, and to hell with what anyone outside the family thinks. We will all happily attend the ceremony.”
“…that might be an idea,” Hartley mused quietly, rather touched by the support. “I’ll think about it and talk with James.”
“But I may skip part of your bachelor party if it has strippers,” Roscoe said with a friendly laugh, finally looking calm for the first time all day.
“Did I come at a bad time?” Rosa asked politely from the doorway, having heard talk about strippers.
“No, Mom, not at all. He has just been giving me a pep talk.” He walked over and hugged her tightly, as he was so glad she’d been willing to attend. “Thank you for coming.”
“I wouldn’t miss it, dear, though it looks like you’re already dressed. And hello, Hartley.” She’d met him briefly once before.
“Hiya. We were holding off putting on the cufflinks, so you can help with that if you’d like.”
“Oh, it’d be my pleasure.” She was handed the jewellery box, and spent several minutes affixing her son’s custom-made top cufflinks, which somehow looked tasteful despite the green and yellow stripes. “They’re lovely.”
She often worried that she was indulging an unhealthy obsession with tops, but tolerated it because they seemed to make him happy. Tops usually had a calming effect on him, and he tended to smile more when they were at hand.
“Does anyone know if Lisa’s ready?” Roscoe wondered aloud, and his stomach suddenly lurched upon thinking about it. Hartley stepped out to check on her, realizing that his friend might want to talk to his mother alone.
“Are you nervous?” Rosa asked as he began to pace. He hesitated, hating to admit weakness, and then nodded silently.
“You haven’t changed your mind, have you?” she said with some worry, and he shook his head forcefully.
“No. I’m just afraid I am going to make a mess of the ceremony…a mess of Lisa’s life, really. I seem to do that frequently without intending it.”
“From where I’m standing, you’ve definitely cleaned up your act over the past few years. I wouldn’t have stayed in contact with you if you hadn’t done so.”
“Yes, but I keep making mistakes, often serious ones. And as people like to remind me, I’m quite crazy.”
She had to smile. “Everyone makes mistakes; it’s part of being human.”
“I am not human, and never used to make mistakes.”
“Oh, shush,” she scolded gently, although was somewhat disturbed to hear the supervillainy in his tone. “You’re human in the ways that matter, and I know for a fact you made mistakes. So stop being silly, and sit down before you wear a path in that floor.”
There were very few people who talked to him that way, and he looked incredulously at her for a few moments before starting to laugh. “Yes, Mother.”
“It’s all right to be afraid, Roscoe. Just don’t let it rule your life and you’ll be fine. You’ve made so many good changes over the past year, and I think you can handle this one too.”
“What if I can’t?”
“Then you pick up the pieces and carry on, just like the rest of us. I’ll be here to support you, and I think your friends will be too. Hartley is a good friend.”
“Yes, he is…I suppose you’re right about everything.” It was an admission he found very galling, because he preferred to think of himself as perpetually infallible. But that certainly wasn't always the case (as he’d been painfully learning over the past few months), and he was slowly trying to accept it.
“Lisa won’t be ready for at least another fifteen minutes,” Hartley announced upon his return, and Roscoe sighed heavily. She always took a long time to prepare for anything.
“I’m going to the main hall to make sure everything’s okay in there,” Hartley said, and Rosa decided to accompany him in case there were any last minute crises. Roscoe opted to stay where he was, as his stomach had begun to flutter again and he feared throwing up in front of the crowd.
The hall was a bit more intimidating than Rosa had bargained for, however. It was now filled with strangers, mostly men.
“Are those…are those the Rogues?” she asked Hartley hesitantly, and he chuckled.
“Yeah, they’re ex-Rogues and some speedsters. C’mon, I’ll introduce you.”
Rosa met everyone in turn, finding some more odd or likable than the others. Everybody was curious to meet her and wondered if her personality was as prickly as her son’s, but were privately relieved when she turned out to be more friendly. Within two minutes of greeting her, Josh Mardon had already invited her to dinner and insisted she be welcomed into the family, which she found nice but bewildering.
“That’s just Josh,” Len declared when he noticed her polite confusion, and offered a hand for her to shake. She accepted it with some uncertainty, unaccustomed to the Rogues’ informality and general gregariousness. “I’m Len Snart…Lisa’s brother.”
This surprised her, because he looked as old as Rosa herself.
“Yeah, it’s a long story. Glad to have you here and finally meet you, since you’ll be Lisa’s mother-in-law and all.”
“She’s a lovely girl, and my son’s lucky to have her.”
“Pretty much, yeah,” Len laughed. “She does keep him out of trouble. I just wanted to say that no matter what he might have told you at some point, I don’t hate him. I like him fine.”
That was a slight fib, as Len still found him somewhat exasperating, but relations between them had improved since Roscoe had started medication and therapy.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Rosa replied politely. She wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to such a comment.
“Well, things started out bad between us, but you know how it goes. A lot of guys are protective of their sisters.”
“He did say he was glad that everyone agreed to attend the ceremony,” Rosa mused, thinking back to some of the things Roscoe had told her weeks ago. Perhaps he wasn’t especially popular.
“He just needed to get his head on straight,” Len said with a gentle smile, having decided that honesty was the best policy. “He seems to be doing that now, so good for him. I agreed to give my blessing and give Lisa away at the wedding if he got help, and he did. He used to be pretty crazy sometimes.”
Rosa made a pained face, as no parent likes to hear their child described that way. But she knew it was true. “Yes,” she answered uncomfortably, and Len realized he might have been a bit too honest.
“A lot of us Rogues have had mental problems at one time or another; it’s why we became what we did and why we formed a family. He’s part of the family, for better or worse, and that’s why we’re here. We’ll always look after him, you have my word.”
“…thank you,” she said quietly after a few moments’ pause. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t worry about him sometimes. The things I’ve heard…it’s not what I wanted for my son. And someday I won’t be around to help him.”
Len could relate to that, as he’d felt the same about the Lisa from his native universe. He wasn’t sure if Rosa would understand the situation if he explained it, so he simply nodded. “He’s lucky to have you too.”
“I can’t help but feel like I gave up on him too quickly, though -- the son I actually gave birth to, I mean. From, er, this universe.” She shook her head, still in disbelief over the concept of inter-dimensional travelling. “I cut off all contact with him, and then he died and we never made amends.”
“There’s only so much one person can do. I was a Rogue, but I’m older now and know it ain’t easy to deal with people like us. We can be scary. And Roscoe…well, yeah, I think we both know he’s a bit scary. I don’t blame you, and at this point I doubt he would either.”
Len put a friendly hand on her shoulder, and she smiled gratefully at him. He seemed like a welcome addition to the family even in spite of the bluntness, and she liked him.
"Let's take some seats at the front," Len began, but was rudely interrupted when Spencer bounded past him. James ran not far behind, bearing a frantic expression on his face.
“Stop that blatt!” James yelped. “Lisa will kill me if he gets into the punch again!”
Spencer was indeed making a beeline for the food table, but James was far more agile than Len. The acrobat managed to tackle the little creature right before reaching his goal, but not without banging into the table. Punch sloshed out of the bowl and stained the once-pristine tablecloth.
“Oh hell…” Len muttered, pinching his nose in frustration. “James, weren’t you supposed to be babysitting him?”
“He broke loose while we were playing! He’s pretty slippery!”
Spencer happily tooted his agreement, and James couldn’t help but laugh.
“Why did they have to bring that thing?” Rosa asked with a resigned expression. She’d met Spencer before but didn’t particularly like pets, and a sentient music note was well out of her comfort zone.
“Aw, Roscoe and Spencer would be sad if he wasn’t allowed to go,” James said affectionately, scratching the note’s flag as it purred delightedly. “We’d all miss him.”
“Well, keep him out of trouble,” Len ordered, shaking his head as James picked up the blatt.
“At least tell me the rats aren’t here too,” Rosa said in exasperation.
“Nah, they’re at home. But they’re nice rats,” James replied with some defensiveness. They were the offspring of Hartley’s animals, after all. Rosa shuddered at the thought of them, and Roscoe’s former feelings about rats suddenly made more sense.
“Guys, the bride and groom are ready!” Hartley called, and everyone began to buzz excitedly. Several people pulled out their cameras and waited for Lisa’s arrival. “You’re supposed to sit down!”
As everyone slowly filtered to their seats, Roscoe nervously wandered down the aisle with Hartley in tow, worriedly watching all the people staring at him. He looked like a deer caught in headlights, so Hartley nudged him gently. “Relax, you’re doing fine.”
Rosa smiled at him from her seat at the front, and despite his fear he smiled back. It seemed to calm him somewhat, and he gradually began to feel more at ease.
And then Lisa appeared at the back of the room, taking his breath away. She’d insisted on the old custom of the groom not seeing the bride before the ceremony, so he’d never seen her in the gown until now. His jaw momentarily dropped and he broke out in a wide smile, which James fortunately caught on video for posterity. Even Len thought to himself that he’d never seen his new brother-in-law look so joyful. Lisa was smiling too, confident and happy, and the entire audience’s eyes were soon fixed on her.
Len walked her down the aisle to the accompaniment of the wedding march (Lisa was hewing strongly to tradition), and she found herself completely satisfied with the arrangement. In the months leading up to the ceremony she’d felt saddened that her parents wouldn't be attending, but right now it didn’t seem to matter. Len was there, as both brother and father-figure for her, and that was all she needed. She squeezed his arm fondly as they walked together, and he turned to smile at her.
When they joined Roscoe and Hartley at the front, it took all of Roscoe’s self-restraint not to hug her. He was excitedly antsy and rocking back and forth on his heels, so Hartley discreetly tugged at his sleeve to get him to settle down. It didn’t help that Spencer had escaped James’ grip again and was bouncing happily behind them, trilling cheerfully and dodging attempts to catch him. The justice of the peace had taken all the weirdness in stride so far, but even he seemed a bit taken aback by the creature.
“Just ignore the music note,” Len muttered softly to him, and the man got on with the business of the ceremony.
“We are here today to join these people in the union of marriage,” he began, and there was a “Hear, hear!” from someone in the audience. Sam was slightly drunk.
“Marriage is a promise made in the hearts of two people who love each other, and takes a lifetime to fulfill,” the justice of the peace continued, and when he asked the crowd if there was any reason the couple shouldn’t be married, nearly everyone held their breath. Roscoe closed his eyes and was half-expecting someone to make a smart remark, but there was silence. Len had honoured his promise of a blessing in exchange for Roscoe seeking professional help, and the others respected that decision. Relieved, the groom exhaled more loudly than he should have, and Hartley cast him a sympathetic glance.
“The bride and groom have written their own vows to each other, which they will now share with us,” the justice of the peace announced with a smile. He nodded at Roscoe, who immediately froze up.
“I…” he began in a flustered tone, and Hartley poked him, pointing at the paper he held. “Right. Yes.” He squinted at the paper and began again. “Lisa, you are the love of my life. I’ve already come back from Hell to be with you, and if we are honest, it will probably happen again.”
Everybody but Lisa laughed at this, which puzzled him because it hadn’t been intended to be funny. “People say ‘til death do us part’, and that is not the case: I will be with you until death and well beyond it. I will fight Hell itself to be with you, to protect and care for you. To bring you the happiness you deserve, and show you how much I love you. To thank you for giving me a chance when I probably had not earned it, and for making me the happiest man alive. I will do all of that and more, and anything you ask of me, because you are that important. This I promise.”
They’d kept their vows secret from each other before the ceremony, so this was the first time Lisa had heard it. Tears welled up in her eyes and she quickly wiped them away, not wanting to cry in front of everyone. “Oh, Roscoe.” He could be remarkably sappy sometimes, and she adored that. “Oh wow.”
Patty handed her the paper with her own vows, having been entrusted to hold it while Lisa’s hands were occupied. Lisa quickly skimmed it to remind herself of how to begin, and then smilingly cleared her throat as she looked at her husband-to-be.
“Roscoe: you’ve always been there for me, and I’ll forever be there for you. I’ll look after you, will help and sustain you, and you’ll never need to feel alone again. I’ll stand with you whenever there’s a crisis, and will always have your back in both the good times and the bad. I’ll give you companionship, undying love and moral support, and offer patience when you need it. We’ll be together and will have each other, and that’s all we’ll ever need.”
She blushed and looked down as she finished, and he took her hand with a loving smile.
“That was beautiful,” the justice of the peace assured them both before continuing. “Roscoe, do you take Lisa to be your wife: to have and to hold, to love and respect, in sorrow or in joy and in hardship or in plenty, so long as you both shall live? …and beyond, apparently.”
He was now remarkably calm. “I do.”
“Lisa, do you take Roscoe to be your husband: to have and to hold, to love and respect, in sorrow or in joy and in hardship or in plenty, so long as you both shall live?”
“I do.”
The couple exchanged rings, placing the inscribed bands on each other’s finger with obvious affection. Patty hid her face behind Len's shoulder because she was having difficulty remaining composed, and the justice of the peace smiled broadly.
“And now that you have made your vows to the other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving your rings, I pronounce you husband and wife. Roscoe, you may kiss your bride!”
Roscoe leaned in to kiss her, but Lisa had never been one to play second fiddle. She pushed forward and kissed him first, much to his surprise and the audience’s delight. Sam drunkenly shouted “You go, girl!” as everyone else broke into applause and laughter.
“She’s a Snart,” Len observed proudly as the couple turned to the crowd and posed for photos. There was a hired photographer for the event, but nearly everyone else had brought cameras too. Now Spencer was finally encouraged to join them, and joyfully bounced in front while the wedding party was photographed.
“Oh, I have to throw the bouquet!” Lisa exclaimed after a few minutes. She closed her eyes and threw it in the direction of the audience…and James ran through the air to catch it with a fancy flourish.
“James!” Hartley said in embarrassment, and James hurried over to kiss him to the accompaniment of more applause.
“Looks like you will be next,” Roscoe smirked at Hartley as gears obviously turned in his head, and his friend just laughed helplessly.
“I’m so screwed,” he grinned, with one arm around Roscoe and the other around James. But there were worse fates.
“Okay, more photos now, and then lunch,” Patty reminded them, since the photographer was only booked for another half hour. The wedding party and close family members broke away for pictures while the other guests chatted contentedly. The day had been much better than expected, and everyone was enjoying themselves.
“This is the happiest day of my life,” Lisa said softly to Roscoe, and he kissed her.
“Mine as well, sweetheart. You’ve never looked more beautiful.”
“Do you think we can sneak away for some alone time?” she asked with a playful grin as the photographer continued taking pictures, and he laughed.
“I imagine everyone would notice and your brother would skin me alive. You’re not trying to get me killed, are you?”
“Oh no, you aren’t getting away that easily. I’ll hold you to your vow to come back to me, mister.”
“You know I’m good for it,” he replied with a smile, and pulled her over for an embrace.