The gentle romance of the piano ghosted through the main hall of Maple Grove Manor, lauding the passage of the bridal party as they came into view, one by one. First the groomsmen and bridesmaids - Michael and Elena Donnelly; Tommy King and Helena Granger; Cian Granger and Leilani, his mate; and Jonathan Granger with his baby sister, Drusilla; all of them resplendent and just a little bit giggly as they stepped down the aisle laid out between the rows of chairs to take their places by the officiant. As violins joined the rise of the tender music chosen for the procession, all eyes turned to the ring-bearers - Caroline and Richmond's son, Jack, toddling along with one hand firmly attached to Cosmo's collar - followed swiftly by Lyneth, Piper's daughter, waving her flower wand and prancing like a small princess in her own right.

The music rose once again as, side by side, the Maids of Honor made their way down the aisle together - Harper in blue, Gabi in red, more than happy to stand up with sister and cousin respectively as they, too, took their places, their eyes turning upward toward the head of the stairs that swept majestically down from the gallery above.

At the tender crescendo that brought piano and strings together, the two brides came into view - Piper, her dark hair artfully curled and pinned back to flow between her shoulderblades, her gown a pale shimmering blue, a unique creation of Miranda's own imagination; and Bethany, her more traditional white gown embellished with deep red, a pearl and diamond comb sparkling in her own brunette hair. Sharing one shy smile, they walked downward together, each step perfectly in time with one another, slow enough to give everyone there a chance to appreciate the beautiful gowns they wore. At the foot of the stairs were stood Daniel and Rufus, the fathers of the brides, both brimming with pride as their daughters took their arms. And again, side by side, the brides walked down the aisle under the gaze of their family and friends until, at last, they stood together with the men they loved, the grooms who awaited them, as the gentle piano faded away.

It would have been an absolutely perfect romantic moment, were it not for the tiniest female in the bridal party piping up from behind her flower wand. "Is it time for dinner yet?"

The mothers of the brides and grooms had been escorted in earlier, seated now in a place of honor where they could watch their children join together in marriage - all but Desmond's mother, who was no longer living. Jason's mother, Anna, who had until recently been ill and confined to a nursing home, sat beside Humphrey and Vicki and baby Emily, looking healthier and happier than ever now that she'd been given a new lease on life. It had been a miracle of healing, and though Jason had worried he might have made the wrong choice, she was beaming with happiness to be able to witness this important event in her beloved son's life. She had been given a gift of a little more time, and she intended to use it wisely. Miranda, seated beside Piper's mother, Hannah, giggled a little at Lyneth's outburst and reached into her purse to fish out a box of animal crackers to keep the little girl happy for just a little while longer.

The groomsmen were lined up to mirror the bridesmaids, all of them looking handsome, happy, and proud to be part of the ceremony. All of them with adoring eyes on their own significant other, if only for a moment, before turning their attention to the pair of couples who were about to be wed. Both Desmond and Jason looked about ready to burst with happiness as they collected their brides from their respective future fathers-in-law with a whispered wish of thanks.

The officiant, a kindly-eyed old gentleman who had leaped at the chance to marry two couples at once, smiled at the little interruption as a ripple of laughter edged through the hall, pausing until there was near silence before he began to speak. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen. We are gathered here, not to witness the beginning of what will be, but rather what already is. We do not create marriage, because we cannot. We can and do, however, celebrate with Desmond and Piper, and Jason and Bethany, the wondrous and joyful occurrence that has already taken place in their lives, and the commitment they make today."

There was a moment of quiet before he went on, a moment in which everyone there could see the love that was shared between the brides and grooms as they looked into each other's eyes. The officiant gently joined Desmond's hands with Piper's, and Jason's hands with Bethany's, holding them as he offered a benediction on their unions.

"These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever. These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other. These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind. These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow, and tears of joy. These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children. These are the hands that will help you to hold your family as one. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it. And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch."

With warmth and confidence, he released them, drawing in a slow breath as the words sank into those gathered there. "Now we come to the exchange of vows, which both couples have written themselves," he explained for the benefit of anyone who wasn't aware of how a wedding ceremony worked. "We will begin with Desmond and Piper - Desmond, in your own time."

Once again, Des was up first. He took the ring from the officiant and turning to face Piper, reached for her hand and slid the ring very carefully onto her finger. "I give you this ring as a symbol of my undying love, that you will always be reminded of my vow to love and cherish and protect you from this day forward until my last dying breath."

Smiling, Piper could feel the fizz of excitement rush through her as Des set the ring on her finger, nervous and joyful and a little bit wary of what was going to come out of her lovely daughter's mouth next. And speaking of Lyneth ....Before taking Des' ring from the officiant, Piper turned, beckoning for the tiny girl to come up to them. Beaming, Lyneth was lifted into her mother's arms and the ring was handed to her as she giggled, reaching out to hold Des' hand. After a moment of quiet discussion as to which finger she was going to put the ring on - the little Fae-girl was holding out for the thumb and refused to budge - tiny fingers slid the ring into place as Piper spoke. "With this ring, we give you our hearts. We promise from this day forward, you shall not walk alone. May our hearts be your shelter, and our arms be your home."

As if Des' expression wasn't warm and fond enough for Piper, it softened further at the unexpected inclusion of her little girl in the ceremony. He was, after all, not only making his vows to Piper, but to Lyneth, as well, to always be there for both of them, to love and protect them. In a little while, they'd officially be a family, though in their hearts, they already were. Des smirked faintly as Lyneth chose to put the ring on his thumb. It wasn't a very good fit there, but it didn't have to stay there for long. Piper's words, spoken for both her and Lyneth, touched his heart so deeply, his blue eyes grew a little misty with tears, his heart swelling with joy to know they were his, to know he truly would never be alone again. He resisted the urge for now to take them both in his arms, waiting for his cue from the officiant.

"Oh, how lovely." In the quiet that had fallen over the gathered witnesses, Humphrey's unexpected exclamation of approval was clearly audible, and resulted in a quiet snicker rippling through every single member of his family as the Old Man's fearsome reputation took a hit from his own sentimentality. Grinning, the officiant turned to Jason, offering the second set of rings to the man on his palm.

Humphrey's declaration only made Desmond smile all the more. He had already witnessed the Old Man's sentimental side first-hand, but it amused him to no end to hear him voice it aloud amidst family and friends. Though Desmond had never doubted Humphrey's approval, he was glad for it, just the same. Jason, on the other hand, was not as sure of Humphrey as was Desmond, and he knew he couldn't possibly top the sentiment that had just been expressed between the trio beside him, but it wasn't a contest. What anyone else thought didn't really matter, except for Bethany.

Jason took Beth's ring in his hand and mirrored Desmond's exchange, sliding the band onto the ring finger of Beth's hand with a slightly trembling hand. For a man who made a living at investigating crime, he looked a nervous wreck at having to say a few sentimental words in front of a roomful of witnesses. "Beth, let this ring be a symbol of my undying love and devotion and let it remind you always that my heart belongs to you now and forever."

He wasn't the only one feeling the strain of being in the spotlight. Beth's fingers were trembling as she took the last ring from the officiant's hand, and promptly dropped it, ducking down to get it up off the floor with a blush that very nearly matched the beautiful crimson detailing on her gown. Embarrassed, she hastily slipped the ring onto Jason's finger. "I give you this ring - only slightly dusty - as I give you myself, with love and affection. Forever and always." Looking into Jason's eyes, she recognized the expression there and felt a giggly grin rise on her lips. "And please God, let this end soon."

A single gasp went up from Miranda as Beth dropped the ring, loud enough to be heard amidst the crowd, clapping a hand across her mouth so as not to embarrass her daughter further. Things had been going so well so far. She exhaled a sigh of relief when Beth came up with the ring and offered it to her groom. "I'll second that," Jason whispered back with an equally relieved smile, knowing the ceremony was nearly at an end.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen ..." The officiant stepped between the two couples to make sure he was heard as he explained the next step. "Before our newly wed couples sign the register, Lyneth has a traditional blessing she would like to recite for them, I believe." He looked at the tiny girl in Piper's arms, who looked completely nonplussed by this for a split second before nodding imperiously.

"Put me down, Mummy, I got a blessin'." Surprised but smiling, Piper bent to let Lyneth find her own feet, and the entire gathering was treated to the sight of the tiny girl dragging her seat from between Miranda and Hannah, her grandmother, to set it in front of the officiant, refusing any and all offers of help. She climbed up onto the chair, and beamed at everyone, waving her flower wand once again.

"Um ....Mummy and Daddy, an' Jason and Bef'ny," she began importantly. "May you never lie, cheat, or steal. But if you has to lie, lie next to each other and don't snore because you won't sleep proper. And if you has to steal, steal each other's hearts and don't sell them. Keep them in a special box with a key and everything. And if you has to cheat, then cheat Death, because, um ..." She faltered, turquoise eyes widening for a moment before she shrugged, grinning sheepishly. "I forgot what comes next. Happy Christmas!"

Desmond chuckled as Lyneth gave herself an even bigger role to play in the wedding, amused but not really surprised, accustomed as he was to Lyneth's charms.

From a few rows back, came an unexpected whoop and fist pump from Johnny Storm in agreement with Lyneth's blessing, though it was a little premature, as they had not yet been pronounced officially married. Seeing all eyes turn from Lyneth to Johnny, he flushed in embarrassment and slunk lower in his chair to try and hide behind Olivia.

Jason looked to Beth and smiled as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. They didn't have to cheat Death; they were promised to each other for all eternity, to be together always, one life after another.

Hugged into her father's arms, Lyneth giggled, absolutely convinced that her cheeky subterfuge had worked perfectly. "Can I draw a smiley face on it?" she asked sweetly, settling on Des' lap as Piper leaned over to hand them the pen.

"It's not exactly legal, but sure, why not?" he replied, as he settled her on his lap and took the pen from Piper to scribble his signature upon the document - Desmond D. Granger. There had been a time when he'd hated his last name, hated the fact that he was the son of a man who had abandoned his mother, but today was not one of those days. Today, despite his father's philandering and abandonment, he was thankful to be a Granger, thankful to have been accepted into a family who had never even known of his existence until a short year ago, thankful to have met this delicate flower of a woman and her impishly-adorable daughter. But it was not a signature on a piece of paper that made them a family; it was the unending love they shared for each other and the bond they had forged over that last year. Once he was finished signing, he handed Lyneth the pen to add her own little flourish, making it official at last. "There. Now, we are officially a family, and no one can tear us apart."

The smiley face seemed to take an age to draw, done as it was by a small person who was determined to make it the best she possibly could. But when it was finally done, Lyneth abandoned the pen to throttle Des in a hug that very nearly put an end to him altogether. "I love my Daddy! And my Mummy, I love her, too," she added hastily, releasing Des to bestow the same throttling hug on Piper, who was laughing a little too hard to care that she couldn't breathe for a moment.

With the register signed and the photographs taken, there really was only one thing left to do. The officiant gathered the newlyweds to him once again, gently guiding them to face their friends and family.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor and great pleasure to present to you ....Mr. and Mrs. Desmond Granger, and their daughter, Lyneth; and Mr. and Mrs. Jason Daly!"

From a few rows back there came that exuberant whoop again, followed by a congratulatory whistle from Mr. Storm, who had a hard time keeping his excitement contained, even though he didn't know either of the couples very well. Applause broke out from the gathered group to welcome and congratulate the happy newlyweds, as they stood arm in hand in front of the congregation, beaming happy smiles for all to witness. For both Jason and Desmond, it was a dream come true, not only because they had married the girl of their dreams. Brothers of the heart, they were now officially related through their connection with the Granger family. Jason had his mother back, due to the magic that was Rhy'Din, and the Goddess had kept her promise in finally giving him and Bethany a life together that he was determined wouldn't end in tragedy. Desmond had not only become a husband, but a father, erasing the mistakes of his own father, and along with his brother Jon, restoring the pride and honor to that line of the family.

Now all they had to do was survive the reception.

((If any friends or family would like to add their own voices appropriately to the ceremony, this is the place to do it! Everyone is welcome - the thread will stay open until the 12th.))