Maggie was starting to get her head on straight again after the shock of Nick cutting through all the relationship confusion. He proposed. He proposed! He proposed!!
Okay, maybe she wasn't quite over the shock yet. Still, her amped-up brain was scrambling to figure out what ca next. I should hurry up the marriage before he has ti to chicken out. Scratch that—I need to hurry up the marriage if I want any humans to see it, even on video!
Ceremony. Ceremony. Dress. Oh my God I need a dress! A venue...it has to be up here in space. There's no way Nick can set foot on Earth. Sobody to perform the ceremony...Father Mangiano, or a ship captain...The Elephant from Atlantis or the giant Space Hamster? I'll ask the Father. Flowers. There won't be any flowers! No bouquet! No one to throw it to!
Over a decade of daydreaming about her hypothetical future marriage had just gone out the airlock.
"Nick. My fiance. My love."
"Yes...?" Nick prompted warily.
"I need to plan our wedding. I...oh my God, Nick, I have so much to do."
"I don't..."
"You don't have to do anything but show up in a tuxedo and say your lines. I need to get...oh my God, there is so much I need to get."
"Maggie. Maggie. Scratch that."
"What!?" she asked, terrified.
"You don't need to do anything." Maggie aborted her heart attack. Nick continued, "Rember that. If you want to do fancy wedding things, that's cool, but you don't have to."
"You'll still marry either way?"
Nick blinked at her, looking surprised. "Of course I will!"
"Okay, then I want as fancy as I can manage for the most important day of my life."
"Maggie, Maggie. I understand and I don't object, but as far as I'm concerned, this," he clasped her left hand and shook it slightly, staring into her eyes, "is the most important day of my life. The rest is props and paperwork. I've already promised you. So long as you're having fun, go nuts. If it stops being fun, take a step back, okay?"
He just...when he gets it, he gets it. Maggie pulled him closer for another kiss. This one felt less awkward, almost normal. "I will, Nick. Thank you. I love you."
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"I love you, too." He didn't sound as if he were going to swallow his tongue this ti. Progress.
"Nick, when is the New Hope leaving to go back to Ooafa?"
"The plan is for July tenth, I think."
"All right. May I bring my family up for this?"
"Uh, sure, Maggie. Ask Captain Geh!aoa for a shuttle when you want it. It's her ship. There shouldn't be any problem, though."
"Great. Thanks." How am I going to get a dress made? How am I going to get Nick a tuxedo? What about flowers? Can I have soone bring them up? Maggie got an idea. Oh, that would help enormously if it works. "Nick, dear husband-to-be, may I make the announcent of our upcoming marriage?"
"Uh...sure."
"We might get a ton of free marriage stuff from fancy shops that want to advertise with our wedding."
"Ads?" Nick exclaid, looking mildly horrified. Maggie rolled her eyes.
"Not literal pop-ups or bumper stickers, you lovable dumbass. They'll do their own bragging on fashion shows or whatever. They'll compete for the privilege of supplying our wedding." She found Nick's obtuseness insanely endearing now, and reassuring. Proof that he's still himself, deep down.
"Oh. Yeah, yeah, I get it, I was getting there," Nick muttered a bit defensively. Then his eyes widened. "Shit, people on Earth are going to make a big deal out of this, aren't they?"
"The Emperor of Earth takes an Empress. Think of it that way and it makes sense."
"Oh, for fuck's sake..." She knew Nick hated that rumor.
"I'll handle everything for the wedding, Nick. You handle the easy things, like interstellar diplomacy, technological uplift, and whether you feel like ruling the Earth." She gave him a big grin, her hand on his chest. Hm, he definitely feels more fit than he used to. I need to get fit too.
"Compared to planning a wedding, Galactic peace does sound simpler," Nick shot back.
Maggie tapped her forehead. "I take it back, there is one more thing. You need to pick a best man."
"Gotcha." He looked unfazed by that. He's probably just going to ask Brian. It's convenient, and Steve is the only other candidate I can think of. But that part's not my problem.
"I need to call Mom and Dad, and then Ness," Maggie decided. "Can I pick the day for the wedding?"
Nick blinked. "Sure, just make sure it's not the sa day as the big quake."
It was Maggie's turn to blink. "Petra, when will the big earthquake happen?"
"It will be soti from June 30 to July 5 inclusive, Maggie."
"Thank you, Petra."
"You're welco, Maggie."
Maggie looked at Nick, who seed uncertain about what to do next. "You want to tell Brian while I make those calls?"
"Sure. Sounds like a plan." He started to get up.
"Wait! Wait wait wait."
"What is it?"
"I need a kiss and a hug."
Nick smiled and gave her a good squeeze, then an awkward kiss. We're going to have to work on that. "Back in a bit. I love you."
Maggie nodded and smiled. "Love you, too." I'm going to need about a thousand more of those before I really believe it. She waited until the door or hatch or whatever closed behind him.
"Petra?"
"Yes, Maggie?"
"Can you call my parents? Do you know their number?" Petra didn't respond. Did I confuse her by asking two things at once? "I'm sorry, Petra. Can you call my parents?"
"Yes, Maggie."
There was a pause. Maggie laughed. "Petra?"
"Yes, Maggie?"
"You know how sotis, Nick asks whether you can do sothing, and then there is a pause, and maybe he laughs, and then he asks you to do it?"
"Yes. That has happened 3,987 tis."
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