Triton [hs au | completed]

55) With a Little Help From My Friends

||Arden||
 
"So, wedding dress shopping?" Mariah as we approach the subway platform.  She eyes me skeptically, waiting for my reply.

"Just say it, I know you're dying to."

"You're not seriously going to marry him are you?" she asks. She's stood on the platform with her arms crossed over her chest, watching me swipe my MetroCard.

"I seriously am." I reply, joining her on the platform.

"Let's not even get into him being arrested and allegedly kidnapping you. You've barely known each other four months. Why would you marry him?"

"Because he gave me a library." I smirk as the train pulls to the platform. She side eyes me, but says nothing.

We board a car that appears completely empty at first glance, which is never a good sign. Once we're inside are noses are greeted by the reason for it's vacancy: a man is passed out on the floor and appears to have wet himself. We make this discovery after the car is already in motion, forcing us to take our seats at the opposite end of the car. 

"Should have known better." Mariah grumbles, glancing towards the man. "So, tell me everything."

I give her an abridged version of what's happened since I've been gone. Starting with the wedding and ending with Harry's arrest. I don't give the specifics of the casino or Devon's involvement and I leave out the Butcher completely. Mariah listens intently, only stopping me occasionally to ask a question.

"Holy shit." she answers, once I've finished. "So what happens from here?"

"He's going to cut a deal with the district attorney; he's exchanging information for a reduced sentence."

"So you're going to marry him before he goes to prison for life?"

"He's probably only going to serve a few years."

"So why not get married when he gets out?"

"Because we're trying to keep him from getting deported." I explain. She opens her mouth, I assume with another objection, but I cut her off. "I would marry him right now regardless." 

"What does your family think?"

"They respect him stepping up and taking responsibility for his past." I reply. She sits silently for a few moments, her face softening before speaking. 

"I guess I've been a little harsh on him." she starts. "And I do like watching 'Say Yes to the Dress'." 

We stop by the sorority house briefly - so she can change - before taking the subway to Manhattan. 

"So, when is the wedding?" she asks as we push our way through the thick crowd covering every inch of concrete. 

"January fifteenth."

"In a week?!" 

"We have to file his immigration paperwork before his arraignment." I explain. "We were just going to go to the courthouse, but Vera wouldn't hear of it."

"Vera? Is that your mom."

"Yes." 

"You don't you call her mom?"

"It just doesn't feel right yet. She definitely feels like my mom, they all feel like my family, I'm just not to that point yet. Does that make sense?"

"Yes, it does." she smiles. "So how much do you have planned?" 

"We have a venue and an officiant. I still need to invite people. We're not expecting a lot to turn up on short notice."