Chapter Text
Wedding bells were ringing throughout the morning. We'll in reality an alarm was set to church bells. Avery was woken up by her mother and father with breakfast in bed.
Massive smiles were placed on the old couples face. They couldn't believe their oldest daughter was getting married. She wasn't their little girl anymore. She was a fully grown adult who was soon going to be married.
"Remember when she was our little girl running around refusing to wear clothes." Jughead pulled his wife into his embrace.
"Yeah now she escaping us." Betty pouted.
"That's a lie, I'm just blossoming as Cher would say. I'm growing up but I will never want to escape you two looney toons."
"That's because you love us."
"I thought that was obvious Dad. Now shut up and get out! Go wake up Ray I have a suprise for her!" Avery ordered.
"Something never change she's till ordering you around. She's a daddies girl." Betty teased, kissing her husband.
Whilst her parents shared a kiss Reagan ran in with pure excitement for the day. She was going to be a bridesmaid for the first time ever. "Goinh to the chapel and your going to get married." The teenage girl sang at her sister.
"And I can't do that without you wearing this can I now?" Avery handed her sister her favourite necklace. The one Reagan bought her as a present last year.
"Really?" Her eyes lit up as she happily took the piece of jewellery out her hands. "Of course Ray. I'm wearing something borrowed. This was our great grandmother's on Mum's side of the family. Grandma gave me it to wear. Now I want you to wear something borrowed too. We have to stick to some tradition." The girls giggled softly, as their parents left to let the glam team in.
Getting ready felt so weird. Avery thought it reminded her of prom, yet her mother refused to believe that. Jughead just sat in the corner laughing. He took is old camera taking pictures of his girls as Carson came bouncing in kissing his sisters cheeks.
"You look stunning Av."
"I feel it."
Avery looked at herself in the mirror. Betty behind her delicately placing her vale in her hair. "Darling you're absolutely beautiful. I can't believe this days happening." Betty teared up fanning her tears.
"Our little Princess all grown up." Jughead teared up himself.
"We really thought you were gone. That's the worst thing a parent could here. Yet your here and you're fighting strong. This is the begin of a new chapter."
Avery playfully rolled her eyes, it was a ploy to avoid her own tears. Avery instantly hugged Betty. Jughead joined them tearing up more. "This is just the beginning Av. You've grown so much, you've always been a protector and a carer. You're a doctor, a paramedic and a solider. This is your time to live in the now with your soon to be husband. Soak up every moment as it goes so fast."
"I promise I will. This is my wedding day, I didn't think I would be here either and I am. It feels weird."
"That feeling is love darling." Betty reminded her. "Now what do you say, we get you hitched?
______
Pulling up to the Church nerves ran wild. However with one glance to her parents she'd know she was making the best decision of her life. If their journey were similar to her parents they would make it through anything.
The church was beautiful and well lit. It was the perfect venue to watch their daughter get married. Betty and Jughead were outside with the bridal party. Carson was stood inside as Enzos best man. Avery has a wheel chair she uses when she's too tired. She has been on physiotherapy for over 5 months as she was in the hospital months on end.
Enzo hasn't seen her funny walk yet. Avery couldn't wait to show him the properly. The bridesmaids started to head in first as the music started to play. Regan was the last bridesmaid closest to her sister.
All the bridesmaids were now standing opposite the groomsman. Betty and Jughead held her hand as they began to walk down the aisle. At the end of the aisle Enzo was stood there with a wide smile on his face.
Betty and Jughead let go of Avery's hand as she used her crutch to help her walk the rest of her way on her own. There was an audibly pause in the church. All their loved ones were taking those moment to witness the progress Avery had made. Tears already began whilst Jughead automatically connected arms with his wife again. Betty leaned on Jughead's shoulder as she watched her eldest start to get married. Betty and Jughead sat down on the front row as they watched Avery marry the love of her life.
She stood up at the alter shaking nervously as she began to say her vows. Vows that struck deep with her parents. Similar vows they once shared when she was little. Did she remember those shared words on their day?
"I've spent forever laying in the silence, just waiting for the sirens. Waiting for any signs that I was still alive. I didn't want to lose hope, if I lost hope that meant I'd lost ant chance of seeing you again. So I prayed to myself, to a God to find hope in the hopeless, I knew it was something you'd do. You're mother always taught you to have faith in the big guy, I guess I wanted to believe that in that moment. Anyway I prayed to pull me out of the train wreck. I wasn't ready to die, not yet." Avery took a moment as tears just flooded down across her face.
"Underneath the bad blood of the past. We still have a sanctum, a home. You taught me it's not too late to build it back because there's a one-in-a-million chance. And that's still a chance. And I would take those odds in heart beat as long your by my side. You pulled me out the train reck. You were my help and you were my savior. Not only that you have always been the one. No matter where I was in the world or even at the other side you were my one constant. The one person that I want to share all aspects of my life with. I promise to be your home. I promise to be your help and most importantly be the one you always want. No matter our history we move forward and focus on the now. We might not get the future we planned but as long as I have you, nothing matters. I love you Enzo with every ounce in my body. In sickness and in health, till death do us part. My mind, body and soul is truly and will only be yours. I love you."
By the time Avery finished her vows there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Knowing their history, knowing their love and friendship. They knew that the couple will be just fine as long as they have each other.
Enzo was harden with his emotions, yet standing there in front of his bride tears wouldn't stop rolling down his face. Avery brought her hand to his face wiping the tears away.
"Avery, my tigger. You've had my heart for as long as I can remember. You've been the one for so long now. No matter what will happen or has happened I will never let you go again. Once upon a time I told you this. 'Well Tigger you bounced your way into my heart and I'm not giving you up." I meant every word Av. Through the darkness, through the pain and through our brightest of days. It will forever be me by your side. We've been through a life time of events. I've loved you, I've lost you and we've faced a world both good and bad together. I want to continue this path we're on together. Whatever, universe, whatever happens we'll face it together."
After the rings were exchanged there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Cheering and confetti rang through the air as the couple walked out together. Enzo supporting his wife as they made it outside for photos.
At the venue for the after party the parents crowded around their table with their family, with watching the couple sit away in the corner having a moment of peace whilst their guest danced away.
"Do you remember the day we found out they were together?" Sweet Pea asked.
"We'll never forget. It's the day I got the job at the hospital." Betty smiled.
"You mean when your wife wouldn't stop teasing the poor souls." Jughead smiled as well, kissing his wife.
"You're wife was in on it too."
"True, I can't believe we're actually here." Jughead confessed.
"You mean because we thought we'd be bachelor's to the day we die." Sweet Pea joked.
"Jones!" Betty scolded him.
"That was a very long time ago. Then I met you and fell madly in love."
"Correction you only fell for me because of my mad coffee skills." She teased, kissing him once again.
"Not true, that just came a part of the package deal." Jughead was interrupted by Avery. She had exhausted herself out from all the walking.
"Hey honey." The parents smiled as she collapsed next to them. "I haven't got any energy to do my first dance." The woman teared up. "My leg is in pain. It throbs and I can't dance with my husband."
Both Betty's and Veronica’s heart ached for her. "Don't worry, me and V will come up with something." Betty promised. Her heart broke for her daughter. She remembered every step of her first dance wit her husband.
She remembered the scent of Jughead's aftershave. The smell of smoke, like he hadn't just been for a sneaky cigarette to calm his nerves. She remembered how fast his heartbeated just for her. She remembers the small steps and the secret hushed whispers in her ear as they shared sweet kisses and small laughter.
"Baby fancy helping me hold our daughter up for her first dance?" Betty asked her husband.
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Reqlly you'd guys do that?" Avery couldn't help the fell from her face. Her parents embraced their eldest in a hug.
Enzo made his way over hugging Veronica from behind. "Hey mum, are you and dad ready? Archie's waiting for you." Veronica nodded as she kissed her sons cheek.
Enzo had requested for her, Archie, Veronica, Sweet Pea, Kevin and Fangs to get the band back together. In Veronica’s case she was added into it for one night only. They were singing the first dance song.
Setting up in position, Veronica announced their first dance. The Jones were holding their daughter up trying to fight the tears on their face as the photographer began taking pictures.
"Your mouth is a revolver firing bullets in the sky.
Your love is like a soldier, loyal 'til you die and I've been looking at the stars for a long, long time
I've been putting out fires all my life. Everybody wants a flame, they don't want to get burned. And today is our turn." Veronica sung whilst the men behind her played an instrument.
The chorus began as Enzo whispered something in Avery's ear making her blush. The sounds were so soft, neither Betty or Jughead could hear. Yet with the blush on their daughter's cheek, they chuckled softly.
"This world is getting colder, strangers passing by. No one offers you a shoulder, no one looks you in the eye. But I've been looking at you for a long, long time. Just tryna break through, tryna make you mine. Everybody wants a flame, they don't want to get burned. Well, today is our turn." Kevin sung next.
Betty glanced at Jughead as they gave one another a proud nod. Despite everything. Despite all the heart break, all the pain and the tough roads they've faced. They were all here as a family.
The group came together for the last chorus. Avery completely exhausted and ready to call it a night.
"Days like these lead to, nights like this lead to, love like ours. You light the spark in my bonfire heart. People like us, we don't need that much just someone that starts. Starts the spark in our bonfire hearts."
The song came to an end whilst the happy couple shared a kiss. In that moment everything seemed right. The Cooper and Lodges surround the happy couple dancing to one last song before they snuck off.
Reagan, Carson and both their parents held the happy couple close. In this moment everything seemed at peace. There was no war outside their tents. There's no panic of what tomorrow will bring. There's no touring to fight for theor country, there's just fighting for themselves.
There's no coming home because they're already home.
But mostly the love in this room has travelled thousands if not million of miles just to be with one another. Life can be a war itself. So surrounding yourself with the pure love and joy you need makes that tour of life just that little bit better was all worth while.
It's no secret that life will drag you any which way. So when it does, collect people that become family. Explore the unknown whilst falling madly in love.
After all in life you will have a flame, home and a heart.