Two Kingdoms, Chapter Seven

[judicious_imitation]

Title: Two Kingdoms, Chapter Seven
Canon: Polyfaceted
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Original characters (Meyers family); Brenda (Young) Meyers/Bill Meyers; past Brenda/Brett Saunders
Rating: R
Word Count This Chapter: 3,631
Warnings This Chapter: Reference to recovering from alcoholism.
Summary: In this chapter, Karen moves to New York to live with Lena.

Master Post

Chapter Six


Bill finishes carrying the last box out to the waiting pickup and wedges it into the bed. Karen follows with the black garbage bags of clothes and tosses them on top; almost right away, Brenda and Johnny stretch the netting over the top and secure it to the bed.

Bill turns to his daughter. “You’re sure you want to leave us?”

Karen laughs, her eyes bright. “It’s just New York, Daddy. Not that far. You could take the train down.”

“Just might,” he agrees. He wraps her in a hug. “It looks like you won’t lose anything. You do, just get Johnny to replace it. Or get Lena to ask Johnny.”

Karen laughs and presses her face into his shoulder. “I’ll miss you.”

“Hey, it’s like you said. Just New York. You can take the train.”

“No fair using my words against me.”

“Then you shouldn’t use them in the first place.” He kisses her head. “Tell us before you get married. I’ll be very unhappy with you if I don’t get to be there.”

“We’ll make sure you know,” Karen promises. She looks him in the eye. “You think we will.”

“I think you love that girl more than life, and I think she loves you the same.” Bill brushes away the moisture escaping her eyes at that. “You’ll stay with her, Kare. I know you will.”

“Thank you, Daddy.” She kisses his cheek and turns away, to her mother.

Bill lets them have some relative privacy and glances toward the truck. Johnny’s leaning against the tailgate, turning a cigarette in his fingers but not lighting it, and Bill strides over. Johnny looks up at him, then smiles crookedly.

“Lemme guess. Take care a your little girl or you’ll shoot me.”

“Pretty much,” Bill agrees.

“Think we already had that conversation,” Johnny says mildly. Either he doesn’t think Bill means it, or his line of work comes with those threats routinely. Which, okay, it probably does, but it’s still a surprise that someone so highly ranked would get direct threats. “Anythin’ either a these girls need, they’ll get. I’ll take care a ‘em. Ya wan’, I’ll email ya ‘bout how they’re doin’.”

Bill actually considers it, then thinks about how betrayed Karen would feel. He settles for, “Only if they’re having problems or are in trouble or anything. Then I need to know.”

Johnny nods. “Fair. Me, I’d go for daily updates, but I’ve been tol’ I’m overprotective a Lena.” He twists enough to look over at his daughter, standing by the passenger door and looking nervous, then looks back at Bill. “Think I have reason ta be.”

Bill knows enough of Lena’s history to agree with that. Of course, by that logic, he’s entitled to be overprotective of Karen, but that’s a temptation he won’t give in to. Not now that she’s doing so much better. “When they visit us, I’ll keep you updated,” he says instead.

“’Preciate it.”

Bill glances to Brenda and Karen, who are just parting. “I think everyone’s about ready to leave.”

“Looks like,” Johnny agrees. He produces a cigarette case from somewhere and puts the one in his hand away. “Been nice meetin’ ya for real.” They met briefly at Zach and Adamo’s wedding.

“You too.” They shake hands, and Bill walks back to Karen, who’s standing by the passenger door, gripping Lena’s hand and looking some combination of nervous and ecstatic. “Call us when you get there,” he tells his daughter.

“Mom already made me promise.”

“Now I am.”

Karen laughs a little. “I promise I’ll call.”

“Even if you stop for dinner or something, call us, whatever the time,” he reiterates.

“I promise, Daddy.”

Bill looks at Lena. In a much gentler voice than he used with her father, he says, “Take care of my baby for me, will you?”

Lena smiles shyly. “I think we’ll take care of each other.”

Brenda nods. “Good. I think you can both do that.”

Johnny slams his door shut and starts the truck.

“That’s our cue,” Karen says. She lets go of Lena and steps aside so her fiancée can open the door. Once Lena’s in, Karen rushes over to hug Brenda and Bill at once and kiss their cheeks. “I love you.” Then she breaks away and repeats, “I’ll call,” before climbing into the truck and closing the door.

They’re pulling away from the curb then, and all Bill and Brenda can do is look after their little girl, leaving for good.

*

“Hello?” Brenda says absently when she tells her phone to answer without glancing at the number. She doesn’t have the video display turned on right now; she doesn’t like to when she’s making dinner. But she does have the speaker on.


“Mom?” Karen says. “Are you busy?”

A grin spreads across Brenda’s face. Karen sounds so good every time she calls now. Brenda couldn’t be happier about it. “No, honey, I’m just making dinner. Just about at a point I can stop.”

“Oh. Well, you can call me back. I want to talk to you and Dad at the same time, anyway.”

“He’s out for a run with Will. We could get on Skype in about ten minutes, if you want, or we can put the display on a bigger screen.”

“No, Skype’s good. I’ll be ready. Just call me on it when you have a minute.”

“About ten minutes,” Brenda reiterates. “Love you, sweetheart.”

“I love you, too, Mom.” Karen ends the call, and Brenda turns back to dealing with the chicken.

Bill and Will get home in about eight minutes, just after Brenda’s finished stuffing the chicken and has gotten it into the oven. Bill stops in the kitchen to tell her, “Smells good.”

Will, meanwhile, thunders up the stairs.

“Liar. I just put it in.”

“It will smell good,” he amends.

“You’re just hoping there are leftovers so you don’t have to cook Monday.”

He grins. “Possibly, except with Will’s appetite and the run we just went on, there won’t be. I’m going to shower.”

“No you’re not.” She drops the innards into a bag to put in the freezer; they’ll make stock with them later.

“… I’m not?”

“I told Karen we’d catch her on Skype in two-ish minutes from now.”

He frowns a bit. “She all right?”

“She sounded good. I think it’s a good thing.”

Bill nods. “I’ll make sure the mic’s in.”

“Thanks.” She turns the tap on so she can scrub her hands as Bill leaves the kitchen, then seals the bag of innards and puts it away. That done, she heads for the office and snags the chair from her desk.

“Set?” Bill asks.

“And match.” She smiles, sitting beside him. “Call her.”

Bill does, and a moment later, Karen answers it. She looks relaxed, wearing a worn t-shirt she stole from Bill just before she moved, her hair loosely braided. “Hi!” she says. “How’s dinner, Mom?”

“I just put the chicken in the oven.”

She nods. “How was your run?” she asks Bill.

“Good. Your brother’s endurance is great.”

She smiles. “That’s good to hear.” She pauses a moment, then blurts out, “We set a date.”

Brenda beams at her. “That’s fantastic, honey! When?”

“November. We both wanted it then. So we have time to get everything set up, and Johnny and Nic are willing to pull strings if they have to. And Michael’s so excited about helping to decorate. Lena says I have to be the one to overrule him if there’s anything we don’t like.” Brenda vaguely hears Lena’s voice, and Karen laughs. “She says it’s because she doesn’t want to make him pout.”

Bill snorts. “Good reason.”

“Yeah, you wouldn’t want to make your dad pout, would you?” Brenda asks.

Karen laughs as Bill shoots her a look. “I don’t think either of you compare to Michael. But yeah, it’s going to be November fifteenth. We told Lena’s parents and Nic first, just because they’re here and we could catch them for lunch, but you’re fourth and fifth to know.” She frowns a bit. “At least, from us. Michael’s probably told Emily by now…”

“Are you calling Zach next?” Bill asks.

“Um, duh, Dad.”

“When did we teach her that was acceptable?” Bill asks Brenda.

“When she met Dawn.”

“Exactly,” Karen says smugly. “Yeah, Zach next, then Sam, then Dawn. I could tell Will now.”

“He’s in the shower,” Bill says. “Want us to pass it on?”

She shakes her head. “Just tell him to give me a call tonight. I want his reaction.”

“He’ll be happy for you,” Brenda says, “but he is a sixteen-year-old boy. He won’t be overexcited.”

Karen waves that off. “As long as he’s a little excited, I’m good.”

“So what are our jobs in this whole thing?” Brenda asks. She pulls open Bill’s desk drawer, where he keeps a notepad, and steals it, then one of his pens, and ignores his mock-offended look.

*

Karen keeps her eyes closed as Zach smooths on eye shadow. “Do you think she’s ready?” she mumbles, since her sibling has strictly instructed her not to move her face until he’s done.

“I could call,” Jeannette offers.

“S’okay.” Jeannette would just end up freaking Lena out somehow.

“I think you’re a prettier bride than I was,” Zach comments. “Done, you can open your eyes.”

She looks in the mirror. “Oh, wow,” she breathes. “Zach, you’re amazing. I’d kiss you, but…”

“I’d kill you? You’re right,” he says with a grin.

“No killing on a wedding day, you know the rule,” Dawn says from the bedroom.

“Ears like a bat, that’s you,” he calls.

“It comes from listening for a certain child being too quiet,” Dawn returns. “Just wait until you have your own.”

“Hopefully next year!” He looks at Karen. “Okay, you should get dressed. Do not touch your face or hair.”

“Who’s willing to do my corset?” Karen asks, standing.

Jeannette wrinkles her nose. “Seriously, a corset? I couldn’t ever wear one.”

“Believe me, it’s worth it,” Zach says.

“Can I do a case study on your relationship?” Jeannette asks for what must be the millionth time.

“Nope,” he says, as always.

“I’ll do it, Karen,” Dawn says.

“Okay, just leave me room to breathe.”

“Hold your breath while I cinch it,” she advises. “Come on, we only have half an hour before we have to leave.”

“Coming, coming.” Karen steps out of the bathroom and opens the armoire to find the pink-embroidered corset, matching underwear, and stockings and garter belt. “Clear out of the bathroom so I can change my underwear,” she says as she heads back.

Zach and Jeannette oblige her, and Karen takes care of that, plus her stockings, before opening the door. “Dawn, in here so I’m not flashing them, too?”

“Oh, like I care,” Zach says, “I shared a room with you for how long?”

“Okay, fine, so I’m not flashing Jeannette.”

“I’m a doctor,” Jeannette points out.

Karen rolls her eyes. “Fine, everyone gets an eyeful.” She steps out and hands the corset to Zach so she can drop her robe. The corset is custom-made, more like a bustier in cut except that it still laces up in the back. She puts it on and carefully does up the hook-and-eye latches before turning away from Dawn. “Lace me.”

“Inhale,” Dawn instructs and barely waits before she starts pulling the ribbon taut.

Karen holds her breath as long as possible before reaching back to tap Dawn’s wrist so she can get fresh air. Dawn waits, and they do it a few times, until it’s laced tight but Karen can still breathe.

“Okay.” She takes a few breaths to test things, then nods. “Thanks, Dawn.”

“You’re welcome. It’s a lot easier than doing your own.”

Karen eyes her speculatively. “Voice of experience?”

“Yes indeed.”

She smiles. “Pay off?”

Dawn grins. “Oh yeah.”

“Congratulations.” Karen turns to her closet; one of the benefits of her soon-to-be fathers-in-law buying their condo is that the master bedroom has two closets and enough space for two dressers or armoires or whatever. Lena’s is a dresser. She grabs the garment bag her dress is in and brings it out.

Zach does the unveiling of the dress while Karen finds the box holding her new heels. Getting her into the dress is a bit of a ceremony, in a way; Zach’s repaying her for helping with her dress when he got married. Also because there are so many buttons. Zach takes the lower ones, Dawn does the ones at her neck, and Jeannette finds Karen a pair of flats so she doesn’t dirty her heels in the slushy snow.

“You have a wrap or jacket or anything?” Dawn asks.

“Yeah. Faroese shawl in my armoire, the light pink one.”

“I love your dress,” Jeannette says.

Karen slips her flats on, using Zach for balance, then twirls. “Thanks. Zach helped pick.” The tulle is a pale, pale pink; over it is a layer of cream lace, heavily detailed in the bodice, fading out to patches of detail down to the train, then heavy again around the hem.

“I mean, I could never wear it,” Jeannette adds, matter-of-fact.

Karen squints, trying to picture flame-haired, freckly Jeannette in a pale pink dress. Add in her talent for getting tangled in clothes…

Zach evidently pictures the same thing, given her sudden burst of laughter.

“Okay, here we go,” Dawn says, passing Karen her shawl. “Where’s your umbrella?”

Karen drapes her shawl on. “Front closet.”

“License?”

“Dad has it.”

“Purse?”

“Side table.”

“Shoes?”

“I have them,” Jeannette volunteers.

Dawn nods. “Let’s march.”

“You realize we’re not your underlings, right?” Jeannette asks, even as Dawn herds them out of Karen and Lena’s bedroom.

“We are not being late to Karen’s wedding,” Dawn says briskly. “Dad, Brenda, ready?”

“We’ve been ready,” Dad says. He’s in a tux, black with a dove grey-patterned waistcoat; he wore it to Zach’s wedding two years before.

Mom stands. She looks elegant in her plum-colored sheath. Her shoes and purse match. “Bill, still have the license?”

He pats his jacket. “Yep.” It must be in his inside pocket. He gets to his feet, offering Karen his arm. “May I have the bride’s company?”

She laughs. “One of the brides,” she corrects, and her stomach fills with butterflies.

“I’ll get your bride for a dance later,” he says blithely. “For now, I get my daughter.”

“Come on, let’s go,” Dawn says. She picks up the assortment of umbrellas from the floor beside the front closet and passes them out, then opens the closet to find Karen’s. The only differences between the bunch are colors; Mom invested in those hundred percent recyclable ones a couple of Christmases before and gave them to the entire family.

“Eva’s meeting us there?” Jeannette asks.

Zach nods. “They were running late leaving. Something about Jimmy’s shoes.”

“Keys?” Dawn asks Karen.

“In my purse.” Karen snatches that off the table as she walks toward Dawn to claim her umbrella. “Oh!”

“Oh?” Dawn echoes.

“Reception dress.”

“I’ll meet you down there, just give me your keys,” Zach says. Karen hands her sibling her purse, and Zach heads for the bedroom as Dawn shepherds everyone else out.

“The military has done terrible things to you,” Dad remarks to Dawn. “You should get out while you can.”

“Daddy, you haven’t been late to a single thing since… I can’t remember you ever being late to anything.”

Dad waves that off. “The point stands.”

Dawn ignores that and calls the elevator. Zach rushes down the hall toward them just as it dings and the doors open. Dad holds the doors open while Jeannette carries the train of Karen’s dress over the probably-filthy threshold of the elevator doors, and then Zach joins them, holding another shoebox and the garment bag.

Outside, the sky is overcast and spitting freezing rain. The limo has pulled up outside the building, and this time both Jeannette and Dawn carry Karen’s train so they each have a hand free and can also use their umbrellas. Then the lot of them pile in the limo, Karen tucks the train up under her, and the butterflies rise up in a flurry.

“Nervous?” Dad asks knowingly.

“How did you get through this?” she asks despairingly. “Any of you!”

“Except me,” Dawn says.

“Except Dawn,” she amends.

Jeannette shrugs. “I knew I was getting Sam forever out of it. It wasn’t that hard with that at the end.”

Karen points an accusing finger. “You’re far too practical.”

Zach smiles. “I was nervous, you remember?”

Karen laughs. She’d been tempted to sedate her just so he’d get through the ceremony without throwing up. “Yeah, I remember.”

“But I had you there. That helped. You kept reminding me how much I love Adamo.” He shrugs. “It helped. You know how much you love Lena?”

She nods. It’s beyond her ability to find the words at the moment.

“Just focus on getting to be with her forever and have it be something you can prove.”

“You’re going to get the certificate,” Mom puts in, “and you’ll want to frame it, just to show the world that you have a legal claim that shows how you feel.”

“A legal claim,” Dad repeats.

“That was how you put it, babe.”

“You got the copy to frame,” he counters.

If she and Lena are like that in twenty years, Karen decides, she’ll be incredibly happy.

Once their limo pulls up to the hall, Dad says, “Wait here, I’ll make sure Lena’s hiding,” and gets out of the car first. A moment later, he comes back and gestures them all out.

Karen has to be careful with the train, yet again, but it’s going to look wonderful in picture, and besides, it’s the only time she’ll have an excuse to wear a dress with a train. Once inside the hall, she and her entourage step into one of the two little rooms off the hall rented for the ceremony that are intended for this kind of preparation. There’s a chair—and an Eva, in her bridesmaid dress and everything.

“Sit, let me fix your hair a little,” Zach orders.

“With what?” Karen asks. He’s not carrying anything other than her reception dress and shoes.

“I have the rescue kit,” Eva says, pointing. She reaches over and squeezes Karen’s hand. “Excited?”

She laughs. “More like butterflies are about to fly out of my throat.”

“Yeah, I get that.”

Karen sits, and Zach fusses with her hair again, then touches up her lipstick—that, Zach had in her purse.

“Shoes, please?” Karen asks Jeannette, who’s been dealing with all the paper packed in and around them. Jeannette hands them over, and Karen slips them on. “Where’s Sam?”

“Wrangling my son,” Dawn says.

“I’ll have Michael do it.” Eva slips out of the room.

Karen nearly bites her lip, then considers Zach’s wail of frustration that would result and stops herself. “This is really happening, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Dad confirms. He rests a hand on her shoulder. “The part you’re nervous about doesn’t take long.”

And, in the end, it doesn’t. Mom and Dad walk Karen down the aisle first, followed by their attendants, who file off to the sides, and then Lena’s parents walk her down, and she stands with her attendants, eyes fixed on Karen. When their Unitarian minister begins to speak, Karen barely hears a word; she’s so focused on Lena. Lena’s chosen a dress very similar to Karen’s, though the bodice is cut higher, and it doesn’t have a train. Hers is ice blue lace over deeper blue tulle; she looks radiant.

Karen doesn’t remember saying her vows later, and she barely remembers Lena saying hers. She does remember the “I do”s, the proclamation that they’re spouses, and the kiss, which leaves Lena flushed and both trying to catch their breath.

Then they walk down the aisle together, followed by their attendants, and the rest is a party until they get to leave on their honeymoon.

Granted, the party is a little much for both of them at points. Every so often, one squeezes the other’s fingers tightly, the signal they’ve agreed upon, and they make excuses to go out of the reception hall to one of the rooms outside the hall they had the ceremony in.

“I bet everyone thinks we’re having sex,” Karen says during one of those escapes.

Lena winces. “I hope not.”

Karen fidgets, rubbing her fingers together, and barely realizes she’s doing it or touching her lips every so often.

“You want a cigarette, don’t you?” Lena asks.

Karen halts and looks at her—at her wife. “What?”

“The way you’re fidgeting and…” She trails off, then shrugs. “It’s like when we met, except you had cigarettes then.”

“Oh.” Karen studies her manicure for a moment, debating her answer. “They helped with anxiety,” she says at last. “Not with depression or—or the rest, but the anxiety, they worked well on.” She shrugs. “I’m not taking anything for that until the plane, if I need it then.”

Lena nods. Softly, she asks, “Are you okay with the alcohol? I’m sorry we couldn’t have a dry bar, but…”

“No, my family probably would have revolted, too.” She smiles. “It’s fine, honey. Really, it is. Just stick by me, and you’ll keep me from wanting to drink.” It’s only a little bit of a lie, really; booze was never her biggest temptation.

Lena gets one of her looks of wonder, the ones that tell Karen she doesn’t realize how much she’s loved. “Really?”

“I have you. Why would I need alcohol?” She reaches out for Lena’s hand. “Ready to go back?”

“Ready,” Lena says confidently, and they turn to leave the room together.

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