nextgenerationmarvel | Power of Two

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Power of Two

It had been a very long yet oddly quick week since Stephanie finally came home. They got the paperwork squared away, Sancho to the vet, and a few last patrols done. Well, he did the patrolling to keep his nerves steady. Marcelo's father sent a private jet to pick up his son, his soon-to-be daughter-in-law, their growing kitten and Brooke to bring them to São Paulo.

Marcelo had packed his wedding attire and a few toiletries for the most part. Also, a few things for the wedding night. Other than those, he still had belongings in Brazil he could still use. And whatever else he needed, he could buy. Thus, the cargo in the jet was left to the ladies.

He had not mentioned it was winter in Brazil until they landed. Once they all deplaned, it was a nice 65 F outside. There was a couple days to settle in. Brooke was set up in a five star hotel while Marcelo and Stephanie had the family's northern mansion to settle into. The back of the mansion's grounds nestled up to a national park with a lush bit of rain forest.

The day of the wedding, Marcelo couldn't stop pacing. Even with his father assuring him everything would be fine. The rooftop of the Hotel Unique was rented out for privacy so the vows could be said looking out over Ibirapuera Park. The civil servant was on time. Marcelo was decked out in his HUGO 'Amaoro Hill' Trim Fit Chintz Wool Suit, David Donahue Blue Dress Shirt, tie, belt, mercury dime cuff links, purple polka dot pocket square, and To Boot New York 'Winston' Oxfords.

Marcelo swallowed and tugged a bit on his Robert Talbot Lilac Woven Silk Tie. Per tradition for good luck, he hadn't seen Stephanie this morning. He wasn't completely sure she would show up. Mostly sure, but then her father might kidnap her or she changed her mind or karma would come back and bite him for leaving Helena before they married.

His father, as steady as ever and filling in as best man, readjusted his son's tie back properly and told him it would be fine. Also, Marcelinho needed to get ready. Stephanie would be there shortly.

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She'd taken a lot more of the private jet's space than he had. She'd insisted on having some stake in the wedding preparations, so the catering would be provided by her chefs from Langudoc, who had been training to provide a dinner that reflected the interests and tastes of both bride and groom.

She'd worried a little about the dress, which would have been a little ... racy for American interests, but in Brazil? If anything, it'd probably be modest. And it would be quite warm that day. And when she really thought about it, if she wasn't already nervous about getting married, she wouldn't have given it a thought.

She was glad to have a friend there, to help her with the practical tasks of the day, but also to give out hugs and encouragement as necessary. True, it was Brooke. But Brooke was her best friend.

"So ... how do I look, Brooke?" Stephanie asked, uncharacteristically nervous and vulnerable. She was happy. She was happier to marry Marcelo than for anything in her life. But it was big. She was getting married.

Marriage was a lifelong commitment. She'd be a maried woman. She'd be Stephanie Shaw da Silva. She'd elected to keep part of her name, not as any sort of honorific for her father, but to make sure that he realized that she hadn't forgotten what she'd have from him one day, and also because, even if she preferred not to dwell on it, it was part of her heritage.

She wondered how Marcelo was doing right now. Was he nervous like she was?

For her part, Brooke had scaled her own fashionable extravagances way back. This was Stephanie's day, and Brooke wasn't going to allow herself to outshine her best friend on her wedding day. She smoothed down the skirt of her dress and grinned up at Stephanie. "Flawlessly beautiful," she said, reaching over to give Stephanie a hug. "You're glowing. Not in a weird radioactive, gamma-infused way, but in the way of someone who's in love." Brooke could feel that emotion emanating off of Stephanie in warm, sunny waves. It almost felt like a day at the beach, the way that Stephanie was beaming.

"Tell me you aren't nervous."

The gesture was deeply appreciated by Stephanie.

"Good." She couldn't help but take another once-over in the mirror. Everything looked to be perfectly in place. She then looked at Brooke, eyes shining.

"Thank you for coming here. It means more than I can really say. Especially right now." She laughed slightly.

"I am nervous! Happy, beaming, delighted, but nervous! This is big! What if I do something stupid like fall while I walk down the aisle?" She laughed again. She hugged Brooke tightly.

"I'm getting married!" It came out as closer to a happy squeal than most people could ever think her capable of.

"You're my best friend," Brooke grinned. "I wouldn't have missed this for the world. Barring kidnappings and, you know, stuff like that." She shook her head and reached for her clutch. "You won't fall down the aisle, you won't trip...sweetie, I don't know if you've realized this yet or not, but we don't live in a romantic comedy." They lived in a science fiction action movie.

Albeit one in which the women were allowed to be kick-ass.

While also sometimes being eye candy.

She reached into her clutch and pulled out a small, velvet jewelry box. "I'm not sure how much you are for traditions, but my mom gave this to me back on my first day at Woodbridge-Robillard, as a piece of good luck. Something borrowed, something blue, and something to ward away anyone's unlucky gaze." Brooke pressed the box into Stephanie's hands. "Plus, it's delicate enough not to clash with your dress."

When opened, Stephanie would find a diamond and sapphire evil eye bracelet.

Edited 2014-05-25 21:28 (UTC)

"I'm a little emotional." Stephanie replied. "Not thinking incredibly logically at the moment." She laughed, though. If anyone fit the model of a kick-ass woman, in most circumstances, it would be her.

"Brooke." Stephanie replied softly, surprised at the sentimental gesture, but then beaming. "It's beautiful. I'm ... I'd be honoured to wear that down the aisle." Something borrowed, something blue AND good luck?

"Thank you."

Well, Brooke had gone on to rule Woodbridge-Robillard with a jewel-encrusted iron fist, so clearly, her mother's token had brought her some measure of luck.

"Don't mention it," Brooke smiled. Sentimentality wasn't something that Brooke was generally prone to. To be honest, Stephanie Shaw was the only person who'd ever been able to bring that particular emotion out in the empath.

As well as this particular feeling of happiness. It was novel, but Brooke was happy for Stephanie. She deserved every ounce of happiness she could get, and if it was Marcelo to provide it...well.

So be it.

Brooke could get behind that. She'd force herself to. Because that's kind of what love was about. Supporting the ones you care for, despite what your personal feelings may sometimes have been.

"Believe me, I think this is the one day that you're allowed to be incredibly emotional and no one will judge you for it," she then added. "It's a fairy tale day. Throw logic to the wind and just revel in your love and happiness," she added. "You don't get married every day, after all."

Granted, some socialites she knew did, but Brooke had a feeling that Stephanie's story wasn't going to go quite that route.

"Hm." Stephanie replied with a faint smirk, which could not help but turn into a gigantic smile. She'd known that Brooke had at times not been particularly thrilled with Marcelo, but either she'd wholeheartedly grown to accept it or she was doing a very good job of putting a game face on. She was impressed either way, really.

"Once in a lifetime." Stephanie confirmed, beaming but with every ounce of conviction she could muster. She was well-aware of the serial marriage habits common amongst socialites. "No more logic today, yes. It is a bit like a fairy tale." She laughed. "Though the surroundings aren't quite like most fairy tales. I guess if we wanted more traditional fairy tale surroundings, we might've done Spain."

Then again, Spain was ungodly hot this time of year. The day, even in a Brazilian winter, would be warm enough, but still pleasant and comfortable.

"Well, you never were the typical, classic, Cinderella type," Brooke said. "I can't imagine you in a floofy dress with a tiara. Not that you wouldn't look gorgeous, but it's just not you." On the other hand, if Brooke ever got married, it was going to be a ridiculous, extravagant affair. "And thank god you didn't choose Spain," Brooke said, echoing Stephanie's own thoughts. "The heat would've made us a mess. Though the wedding might have felt perhaps a touch more bohemian in nature."

"I'm not very much of a Cinderella at all." Stephanie replied with a grin. "Floof works for other people. I'd feel ridiculous in it, and that'd just make me look ridiculous." You had to be able to own a look in order to make it truly work.

"Doing a wedding in 100-degree temperatures is not a smart idea. And I don't know that Spain would be any more bohemian than Brazil." It really had more to do with the fact that she wanted a small wedding, and circumstances had only reinforced that. In a different world, there might have been a big society wedding and she would've gone with it.

There would be a huge reception later on after the happy couple returned, naturally, but this suited her desires more. And Stephanie knew that being in Brazil was important for Marcelo.

"In terms of fashion, at least," Brooke grinned. "You'll be happy to know that things are all ready for the reception back home, too." The New York wedding reception was part of Brooke's gift to the soon-to-be-married couple, as well as a show of solidarity for them.

"So. Are you ready?"

It was time for Stephanie to walk up to the altar. After today, she would no longer be Stephanie Shaw, but Stephanie Shaw da Silva, a married woman. Her and Marcelo would be starting a new family, and one day, she was certain, they'd have children as well. That would be some years in the future- they were both young and their life circumstances weren't stable enough to allow for children at the moment.

It wasn't really traditional for her to walk up there with a friend, as opposed to a father or similar figure, but there wasn't anything to be done about it. There was no 'giving away' here, this was her and Marcelo entering into marriage together. Freely.

Yes, she was a little nervous, but she couldn't help but smile incandescently as she stepped out. That smile, if anything, grew even wider when she caught her first glimpse of her soon-to-be husband. Her eyes grew a little moist and her heart started hammering like a schoolgirl's.

Despite everything, they were here, together. And they would be, for the rest of their lives.

Marcelo was extremely fidgety before Stephanie came out. It took a gentle elbow to the ribs and a fatherly 'calm down.' The Brazilian still wasn't sure Stephanie would show up. Fate had been so not kind to him lately. Why would it change its mind at this point?

Except Stephanie did show up. And she was breathtakingly gorgeous. He tried hard not to get slack-jawed, but it was a near thing. He swallowed hard and shifted on his feet. His smile was nervous, but most of his worry had dropped away when he saw the woman he was marrying.

It wasn't proper wedding protocol to run down the aisle and sweep the bride up in one's arms, was it? So, he behaved himself. Brooke and his father would give him the stink eye. That could hold him in check.

It has hard to play nice and keep her hands off of him. It was a tempting though to just grab him and run off. But they'd have to wait for awhile for that. If they were lucky, they could ... or maybe it was best to just wait until the wedding night.

Instead, she firmly kept a radiant smile on her face. There were some nerves, but mostly, she was just beyond joy. It took every bit of discipline she could muster up not to simply tackle him right up there on the altar. She took her place and her smile widened just a little at him.

"Mi amor." She mouthed delicately at him, eyes meeting his.

He was getting a little misty-eyed. This was theirs. He was choosing a tougher road, but he wouldn't be alone. Marcelo almost missed the ceremony starting for staring and smiling blissfully at Stephanie.

It wasn't a very long ceremony, really. He knew that. This wasn't in a church. Just them and the two people who meant the most to them. It all just kind of blurred until he turned to face Stephanie and held her hands. As he carefully took her ring from her right hand and slid it onto her left-hand ring finger, he hoped he remembered the vows he wrote. He even remembered to say them in English.

"Stephanie, I give you this ring, wear it with love and joy. Today, I choose you to be my wife. I love you unconditionally and without hesitation. I accept you as you are, and I offer myself in return. I will care for you, stand beside you, and share with you all of life’s adversities and all of its joys from this day forward, and all the days of my life."

A tear rolled down her cheek, one that she could not blame on allergies or anything else. She was, simply put, getting overwhelmed by the emotion and the beauty of the moment. The smile never left her face, however.

Her smile broadened if anything when he put the ring on her hand. When it came time for her to speak, she did so clearly without a moment of hesitation.

"Marcelo, I give you this ring, wear it with love and joy. Today, I choose you to be my husband. I love you unconditionally and without hesitation. I accept you as you are, and I offer myself in return. I will care for you, stand beside you and share with you all of life's adversities and all of its joys from this day forward, and all the days of my life.

Yo soy tuyo y tú eres mío."

He softly repeated back that he was hers and she was his in Portuguese.

With their vows exchanged and their rings on their permanent homes, the civil servant pronounced them husband and wife. Marcelo could now kiss the bride.

Only slightly mindful of the very small audience, he pulled her closer and kissed his new wife.

Any social expectation that this would be a little, 'cute' kiss delivered mostly for the benefit of people's smartphone cameras, was out the window. Stephanie kissed her husband, passionately and deeply, and until they both needed desperately to breathe.

"... we should sign the certificates." She managed to mouth almost more than speaking, her face lit up in an incandescent grin.

He blinked and tried to catch his breath. Man, his wife had some great lips. His smile got wider at that thought. My wife.

They'd done it. His heart was still beating against his ribcage, but Marcelo had managed to marry the love of his life. He stepped back slightly. Just enough to not make it awkward for him to brush the back of his fingers gently down her cheek. He nodded in agreement.

They needed to sign and... oh yeah. His papai and Brooke, too. They were still here right?

She was thinking the same thing about her husband.

It had been a long road getting here, with a lot of joy and a lot of pain. But it all seemed more than worth it for this moment. And even more so later tonight. Though they had a wedding reception and a dinner to get through before that.

She kissed him again, a little more briefly this time.

"Signing with our witnesses, yes."

He cleared his throat to get his voice back. "Right, yes."

Marcelo grabbed Stephanie's hand and held onto it. They'd made it. The pair was now a them.

He nodded to the civil servant to let him know they were ready to sign. He glanced at his father and Brooke with a smile.

"I can't think of better people to share this moment with."

Luíz had something for his new daughter. A sort of welcome to the family gift. She was going to meet a lot of the other relatives later, so he thought a little fatherly bribery would be nice.

She did make his son happier than Luíz had seen him since Letícia had died.

"Stephanie, if you have a moment..."

Stephanie's immediate answer was with a hug, though she was careful not to crush him. Killing her father in law would make a bad impression. After she was done, she practically beamed at him.

"Of course I do. I ... I guess I'll have to get used to calling you Dad." She liked the informal sound of that. She'd never have called her own father that.

Luíz gave Stephanie a hug back and a kiss on the cheek. "Sim, I would like that very much."

He gave her a gentle smile. He couldn't think of a better person to gain as a daughter.

"When you're ready, I have a present specifically for you. It's waiting downstairs. Sort of a... welcome to the family gift."

"You didn't have to." But of course, she would accept it graciously. "But thank you." She couldn't stop smiling. Her muscles were going to be all sore tomorrow. Though probably from a lot more than just smiling.

For her part, she was also thinking that he was a lovely man to gain as a father. She waited for him to lead on, because she wasn't quite sure where all to go yet.

"Não, I didn't have to. I wanted to." He offered his arm to her.

"Marcelinho gets you the rest of his life. I think he can handle escorting your friend to the ground floor. While the most beautiful woman in the city holds up her new yet old Dad." There was an unmistakable twinkle in his eye. Possibly because he had kind of sort of spurred this on in New York. By accident.

She took his arm happily.

She laughed. "I don't think you need holding up, but thank you." She actually blushed slightly. "I see Marcelo got all that charm from somewhere." She grinned and followed him downstairs to where the surprise was waiting.

He put his free hand to his chest. "That does my heart some good. Young people don't think I'm frail."

He was far from it. He wasn't as in as good of shape as he was in his prime, but he was still fit and vital. He just had a full head of silver hair to go with it.

Marcelo's father lead Stephanie down to the lobby and out of the hotel. There was a truck with a trailer waiting out front.

"Now, Marcelinho has told me quite a few things about you. So, I took a guess from something he once mentioned. I thought I could put something right for my new daughter."

"Good. It would be terrible if I broke your heart just after marrying your son." Stephanie teased lightly. She looked at the trailer with a truck. That was certainly interesting. It narrowed down the list of things it could be.

And what he said intrigued her further.

But before that, she kissed his cheek. "You already have, more than you know." The look she gave him was a very sincere, even serious one. She didn't know what Marcelo had told his father about hers, and what had happened, but likely, he'd heard enough about it.

"You remember that in a few years when I start pestering for netos ." He grinned a little. He would let them enjoy being married for a little while, but he wanted little ones to spoil some day. Though right now, he was going to spoil Stephanie.

Luíz gestured to the driver of the truck to get what was in the trailer out.

"I hope you don't mind gray. I thought it would remind you of the silver bull who gave it to you."

Out of the back of the trailer came a Mangalarga Marchador mare.

Stephanie practically gasped when she saw the horse come out. It was beautiful. It reminded her of some of the things she actually missed about home. It'd been so long since she'd been able to ride a horse. Seeing the mare brought up something that felt ancient inside her.

"She's beautiful." Stephanie replied, awed. And then she hugged Luiz again, a little too hard, before she remembered herself and kissed his cheek. "I'll have to think of names. Thank you!"

He had never been on the receiving end of one of Stephanie's powerful hugs. He had heard Marcelinho joke about them. Now, Luíz knew it was true.

He grunted at the rib compression and found it a little hard to breathe. He grinned when she kissed his cheek. Partially because she liked his gift and partially because he could draw air into his lungs again.

"Go on. Go introduce yourself. She was the one who listened when I sat in the stables and explained what kind of daughter I'd be getting. And the horse I wanted you to have."

Marcelo sat out by the pool. The sun was setting, and he watched long shadows creep across the surface of the water. Last he knew, his wife was taking a shower. He chuckled to himself. Stephanie had actually married him. It made his heart beat lighter even though there was one sad thought on his mind.

He looked down at his left hand and fiddled with his ring. He didn't know why it had hit him now. He hadn't been happier in his life, but it was something that had slowly encroached after the wedding.

Stephanie's legs still sort of felt like jelly. Married life had been just about perfect so far. Truthfully, they'd seen little other than the bedroom, save for one morning ride with her new horse.

She came out of the shower and came up behind him, wrapping herself around him. He looked a little pensive, even sad.

"Penny for your thoughts, mi amor?" She asked softly, resting her head on his shoulder.

He startled slightly. He'd been so deep in his thoughts he hadn't been aware Stephanie had approached him until her arms were around him.

He gave her a chagrined little smile. "I was... just missing her. My mother, I mean. She wasn't at the wedding."

"She would be so proud of you, Marcelo. You've grown up into such a kind, brave and caring man." She smiled softly and kissed his cheek. "I wish I could meet her. She sounds like she was an incredible woman."

"She was." Almost as incredible as Stephanie. Though it felt a little wrong to make the comparison. He stopped fiddling with his ring.

He took a breath. "I'm not supposed to know, but I overheard an argument between papai and my aunt once. I was supposed to be a big brother."

Stephanie would have been flattered by that statement, though it was a very different sort of bond. And the last thing she wanted to do was to intrude on that.

"... oh?" It actually seemed a little odd that Marcelo didn't have any siblings. She'd always figured that for whatever reason, his parents were not able to have another child. "You would've been an incredible brother, for what that's worth."

"She was pregnant when she died. It was why we were going to visit my aunt. I was supposed to be told when we got back home, but that... never happened." He swallowed thickly.

"So, two lives for my one."

"Oh my God." She breathed quietly and held him a little more tightly. It wasn't the time to get in a debate about when people became people or anything like that. In fact, she really had no idea what to say.

She opted to just hold him for a moment.

He slipped his arms around her. Holding Stephanie at least made things feel better. Or at least safer.

"Sorry. I should be either over the moon or passed out in exhaustion. I have terrible timing."

"No. Don't feel bad." Stephanie replied and kissed him softly. "It's okay. We're supposed to share everything, not just the good times and good ... feelings." She smiled softly at him.

He chuckled. "I'm surprised you could walk out here."

His mood could use a little lightening. He kissed her cheek.

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Power of Two

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