Band of Blue TOCEpilogueLois stood in front of the full length mirror. She held her breath in shock. Reaching up to her hair she tested the strength of the comb keeping her curls up. She forced herself to continue breathing and brought down her hand to her stomach to try and calm the butterflies. As she rubbed soothingly she felt the bumps of many tiny pearls stitched into her dress. Fingering a few in nervousness she gave herself a swift pep-talk.
“You can do this Lane. Tomorrow you’ll be living in a whole new world.” She grinned at herself. She’d used that pep-talk on herself once before. It was more true than she could ever imagine.
The world was new. It was brighter and better than ever before. All due to Superman.
Her world was brighter and better than ever before. All due to Clark Kent.
She reached up to her neck and grasped the heart necklace in her palms. She smiled to herself and then turned away. Reaching down to the bed she picked up the bouquet of flowers and brought them up to her nose. She sniffed in the beautiful scent and then blinked her eyes to hold back a sneeze.
She was continuing to blink furiously when the door opened and Chloe strode in.
“Ready for the march of death?” she said cheerfully. Lois grinned then laughed.
“Chloe, you should know better than anyone not to joke about death around me.” She lifted her flowers and began to strike at Chloe in jest, then realised her mistake. “Oops, I nearly destroyed my bouquet. Get a grip Lois.”
Chloe laughed and stepped forwards with her arms open. “Come here,” she said and enfolded her cousin in a hug. “Oh Lois,” she said as they rocked side to side. “I’m so happy for you, I can’t really express it.”
Lois pulled back and glared at Chloe. “You did perfectly fine at the engagement do.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, a little loudly, and turned away. “How many times do I have to apologise. I drank a little too much and got a little carried away.”
“Hmm,” Lois admonished. “Carried away is definitely the word. Although I think you enjoyed getting ‘carried away’ by a particular blonde billionaire.”
“It was sweet of him to come to my rescue.” Lois saw the blush creep up Chloe’s face and wondered if she should deliberately aim the bouquet at her when it came time to throw it.
“Well,” she gave a dramatic twirl, “do you think I’m ready.”
Chloe smiled and nodded.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Clark stood at the front of the church and paced. He stopped and adjusted his jacket, then continued. He stopped and adjusted his tie, then continued. He stopped and adjusted his buttonhole, then continued.
“Stop, Clark. You’re making me dizzy.” Ollie firmly put his hand on Clark’s arm. Clark looked down at the hand which had stilled him then looked up at Ollie.
“I’m sorry, Ollie,” Clark sighed. “I’m just nervous. Something always seems to go wrong for me and Lois. I mean, our rehearsal dinner was a disaster. Lois spent the whole time coming up with pathetic reasons for me to be missing.”
“Clark, you were digging out a bunch of miners trapped in Mexico.” Ollie looked at him sternly, reprimanding him for doubting himself.
“And our engagement do. I was seriously late. And then had to leave early.”
“No-one cared. It was a great party.” Ollie waved his hand, as if to wave away Clark’s worry.
Clark lifted his eyebrow in question. “Yes, I hear you had a great time.”
Ollie coughed. “Mmm.”
Suddenly everyone stilled and the organist began to play loudly. Clark caught his breath and ran his fingers through his hair to slick it back. “Ok, everything looking ok?” he asked.
“Um, you got a smudge on your glasses,” replied his best man.
Clark mouthed ‘Oh’ and turned away from everyone to quickly clean them out of sight. When he turned back he saw a commotion at the bottom of the aisle. When the guests began to rise the miniature crowd parted to reveal a vision of loveliness.
Clark’s heart was in his throat as she walked steadily down the aisle to him. After only two steps she looked up and captured his gaze. She looked into his eyes all the way, never leaving his gaze even once she made it to his side. He smiled down at her as she turned to face him.
“Hi,” he spoke softly and she smiled at him.
“Dearly beloved ...” came the minister’s voice but Clark was lost. He hardly paid attention to the words until it came time to repeat his vows. He just gazed into Lois’s eyes.
“And now the Bride and Groom have a little time to say something personal.” The minister stepped back a little and Clark turned fully to face Lois.
“Lois, I feel so honoured to be here. I’m humbled that someone as passionate, beautiful ... wonderful as you would love someone as simple as me. I have loved you in a thousand lifetimes.” His training in the fortress flickered through his mind. “I will love you for a thousand years ... and longer.” He took a deep breath and took hold of her hands. “I promise to stand with you through difficult times and to share joy with you in happy times. I will be your best friend, your lover, your inspiration, your husband ... if you will be my best friend, lover, inspiration ... and wife.”
Clark felt his breath shudder as he finished speaking. He smiled, embarrassed and then dropped his head a little indicating that it was her turn. Lois smiled brightly and her eyes sparkled.
“There is nothing simple about you Clark Kent. I thought it would be too complicated to love you. I was sure it would be hard so I tried to keep away because I didn’t think I would be able to deal with the difficulties that come with your life. But I was wrong. It’s easy.” She lifted a hand up to his face. “Oh it’s so easy to love you, but that doesn’t mean you are simple. You are full of such depths, Clark, and I want to travel them. I want to uncover more and more of your compassion, your devotion to truth and justice. I want to be your friend, your lover and your inspiration. I want to be your wife ... for a thousand years ... and longer.”
Clark lost concentration again after that and just followed instructions from the minister, taking rings, reciting words, until ...
“You may now kiss the bride.”
He took her in his arms and lowered his head very slowly. Brushing his lips across hers tenderly he refused to deepen the kiss yet. He pulled back ever so slightly. “I love you, Mrs Kent.” Then he took her mouth fully.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“You do know I’m keeping my maiden name, Clark,” Lois spoke brightly as he carried her over the threshold to their honeymoon suite.
Clark smiled down at her. “I know. You’ve made a name for yourself as Lois Lane. It’s important.” Once inside the room he put her down but she kept her hands tangled behind his neck.
“It’s not a reflection on you, or our love, Clark.” She looked him directly in the eyes and spoke earnestly.
“I know, Lois.” He reached up and took her hands from behind his neck. He brought them down in between their bodies and then held them up to chest height. “A name isn’t what’s important. This,” he kissed her wedding ring, “is what’s important.” He put a hand to her heart. “This is what’s important.”
Her heart burst with love and joy inside her chest and she blinked her eyes to avoid shedding embarrassing tears. “Oh Clark. That was the perfect thing to say.”
“You do know, Lois,” he tightened his eyes mischievously, “that I’m gonna insist on calling you Mrs Kent whenever you are in my arms though.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way, Smallville.”
THE END
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