Razor's Edge of Love

A/N: Told you I wanted to update this soon… Hope you enjoy it.


Chapter 13, A Wedding:


The church was filling fast that evening and John could only watch as the people filed in. Most of them were there for Rick. He had Kate at his side, but he didn't care. All he could focus on was how he was about to watch the love of his life marry another man. He hadn't seen her more than a few times in the last year. But he knew he couldn't see her today.

Not until she was walking down the aisle at least. He knew he would fall apart at the sight of her in that dress, knowing it wasn't for him and that was one of the last things he wanted to be faced with.

"You're really here," Adam commented softly in disbelief as he took a seat beside John.

"My sister's getting married. Why wouldn't I be here?" he asked just above a whisper to keep Kate from hearing. Though as she was talking to a small cluster of women beside and behind her, she may not have heard anyway.

"I'm so sorry, man. I can't even imagine what this must be doing to you."

"Yeah, you can. Just imagine if Karen was marrying someone she only met a year ago."

"You know, it's not too late. You could go to her, stop her. Or you could leave, you don't have to watch this."

By now Julie was pacing in her dressing room. She was dressed in her flowing, corseted white off-the-shoulder gown, her pale purple, pink and mint green tinted make-up done to near perfection just as her dark waves were. All she didn't have was the groom she most wanted.

"Julie?" Karen called from outside. "Are you decent?"

"You should know the answer to that," she replied, fighting the urge to cry.

Karen stepped in, closing the door after her. "How are you holding up?"

"It's my wedding day and I feel like I'm at a funeral. You've even just asked me a question one asks at a funeral. Only I'm standing here in this dress and you're in yellow. Other than that, it all screams funeral to me."

"Julie -"

"At least tell me he's here."

"He is, front row, just a few seats down from where your father's gonna be sitting. Aside from him trying to overcompensate his sadness with his strength, he looks good, too. Like it really should be him waiting for you up at that alter."

"Is he here with Kate?"

Karen didn't answer, she knew she didn't need to.

She nearly cried again, having to take a seat. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Get you some waterproof make-up?" she asked, fighting to cheer her friend up.

"I'm serious," she told her as she wiped a black tear away.

"Get you out of here?" she asked with a partial smile.

"If I end up running out of here," she nodded.

Karen nodded. "Anything you want me to tell John?"

"That I love him, but he'd argue that at this point." She took a deep breath. "How did this get so fucked up?"

"Your father. He wanted this to happen and now it has. He knew when you left you'd get confused, that your brain would be twisted and now it's landed you here."

"I guess that's my cue," she said as she heard the organ begin to play.

"Julie, it's time," her father stated as he appeared in the doorway.

"I'll see you out there," Karen told her as she headed out.

Julie nodded and stood.

"You look perfect," her father said at Julie's painted on smile, unable to see the redness of her eyes through her veil.

"I just wanna get this over with," she told him as she took his arm.

"Aw, Rick's family isn't that bad. Besides, in ten minutes they'll be our family, too."

With each step Julie could feel more of her heart breaking. She could only manage to glance to John who could barely look at her. It wasn't hard to see how they truly felt, but both were fighting to conceal it.

Though it was Rick's smile to her when she reached him that almost caused her to be ill.

The minister spoke all the usual words, but when he reached, "If anyone sees why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace," John stood.

Julie smiled to him, silently begging him to speak, but he only turned and walked out.

Adam's words had sunk in and he couldn't take any more. Quickly, he climbed into his car and sped off. He wasn't sure where he was going, but he knew he couldn't stay in that church.

Julie was nearly in tears yet again. She didn't want to be there any more than he did, but knew she couldn't just leave like he had. Rick deserved an explanation before she could leave.

Moments later it was time for Julie to say 'I do.' But she couldn't.

"I- I-" Julie tried. But she couldn't force the word from her throat because it just wasn't there.

"Do, Julie. Just two letters," her father told her, irritation rather present in his voice.

"Julie, what's wrong?" Rick asked as he saw her starting to cry.

"I can't," she said through her sobs as she began to take the engagement ring off.

"Julie, what are you doing?" her father demanded.

"I don't understand, I thought you loved me," Rick said.

"It's not that I don't love you. I just can't marry you." She brought her voice down to a whisper, "Ever since I was little I imagined myself marrying one man and I just watched him walk out of here. I'm sorry," she told him just before she put the ring in his hand.

With that she was running out of the church, hoping one of her friends would follow her and offer her a ride.

"Julie," Karen's voice broke into her thoughts, seeming like an answer to her prayers.

"Get me out of here," she begged.

She nodded and waved Adam over for him to drive.

"Where to?" the slim brunette asked.

"Home. I have to see John."

"I can't believe he'd leave like that," Karen stated as her boyfriend drove.

"I can. I would've done the same thing if it'd been him up at that alter. I'm supposed to be with him. That's just all there is to it."

Her friends were worried for her, but remained silent as she tried to compose herself. Her veil was off and beside her, her make-up mostly ruined and her brain was racing with what she would say to her brother.

"John!" she called when she raced into the house. It was dark and her voice seemed to echo. There was no response so she tried what had been his room. He wasn't there. "John?" she called again as she looked into her room. Not there either.

"Not here?" Karen asked sadly at seeing her friend's tears.

She shook her head.

"I know where he might be," Adam told her. "It's where he's spent the majority of his time since, you know."

Without another word Julie was back in her friend's back seat, her heavy white gown surrounding her as Adam drove her to the gym. It was closed for the day, but the managers were allowed access nearly any time they wanted as a job perk.

"John?" she called when she ran inside, hoisting the skirt of her dress above her feet as she ran.

"Julie?" he asked when he saw her, trying to conceal how he had been crying himself as he stood from the juice bar area.

"Adam said I might find you here."

"Shouldn't you be at your reception now?" he asked as he glanced to the watch she had given him.

"I couldn't do it. I saw you leave and I knew that I was making the biggest mistake of my life. Hurting you, thinking I could be with someone else, but I can't be without you. It'd kill me."

"Don't talk like that," he told her softly as he took his sister into his strong arms, her tears instantly being absorbed by his dark blue suit jacket.

"I can't help it," she told him as she rested her head against his firm chest a little more. "I found out today how true it is. It killed me to see you walk out like that. But I knew I would've done the same thing because I can't stand the thought of you with anyone else either."

"Shh," he told her soothingly as he ran a hand down the back of her head and her back. It's okay. I don't blame you. You were doing what you thought was right."

"How can you be so nice to me after what I just did?" she asked as she pulled back to look up at him.

"Because you may not think so, but you did the right thing," he answered as he wiped her tears from her reddened cheeks. "If you don't love Rick enough to feel you could spend your life with him, then you did the right thing."

"I'm looking at the only man I could ever see myself spending my life with."

He smiled, relieved. "I love you, Julie."

She smiled as much as she could before stretching herself and claiming his lips in a short, tender kiss. "I love you, too, John," she breathed a second after their kiss ended.

"Hey, guys," Adam called.

"Yeah?" John asked.

"This might not be the best time, but -"

"Dad's here?" Julie asked.

"No. Just Karen and me. But if you two want to make it real, I can do it."

"What?" John asked.

"You remember about two years ago when Will and Trisha wanted to get married?"

They nodded, beginning to realize what he was saying.

"I'm still ordained. We're all still dressed for a wedding, if you two wanna do it today, I'm your man." He paused before adding, "Your best man," with a wink to John.

Julie laughed softly. "I'm not sure if it's a good idea."

"Do you love each other?"

They looked to each other and smiled as they nodded.

"Do you want to stop worrying about your father pulling any more underhanded tricks?"

They nodded again.

"Okay," John said as he moved to one knee. "This isn't how I imagined doing this, but I do love you. More than I ever thought I could love anyone. And we're lucky enough to have a friend here now, offering to give me my dream. If it's yours, too, then Julie, will you marry me?"

"Yes," she breathed. She couldn't believe how her day had changed, but she couldn't have been more thankful.

He stood, coiling his arms around her again. When they parted seconds later, he took her hands in his and looked to them. Saying, "I'm only sorry I don't have a ring to give you yet."

"With you I don't need a ring. I just need you. Besides, how do you like my something old?" she asked as she reached for the long chain around her neck, lifting the pendant out from her dress that had just been resting at her flat stomach, shielded from view.

"My fish," he said with a soft laugh as he looked at the silver pendant. "I can't believe you kept it."

"You gave it to me. Why wouldn't I keep it? I could say the same about this," she said as she held up her left wrist, revealing that she was still wearing the bracelet he had given her.

"No, no, none of that," Adam chimed as they leaned in to kiss each other.

"You've got to be kidding me," John stated.

"You two aren't married yet. No one's kissing until you're husband and wife. Unless we get interrupted here and then you can do whatever you want."

"Then get on with it," Julie joked.

It was only seconds more before Karen was beside Julie with Adam just in front of all of them, speaking the words both siblings had longed to hear.

"I do," John was finally able to say, now lost in the depths of his younger sister's dark orbs.

"I do," Julie followed after Adam's question to her, a strange calm falling over her as her gaze remained on her brother's equally dark eyes.

"Alright, I now pronounce you husband and wife, now you may kiss your bride," Adam said, unable to keep from smiling.

"You're sure? You won't stop us again?" John asked with a slight laugh.

"Just do it, you know you want to," Adam told him.

They were all laughing now, but still John was leaning in, claiming his sister's lips in a long, sensual kiss as their arms soon locked around the other.

"I can't believe this is real," Julie breathed with a smile when they parted a minute later.

Looking to Adam, John asked, "It is, isn't it? I mean, this is legal, right?" The thought hadn't occurred to him before now and it was now he was afraid of it all being an illusion. A beautiful illusion, but an illusion nonetheless.

"It is," Karen stated as she held up a piece of paper. "I knew you'd never go through with it with Rick. This is just another benefit to having good friends handle certain personal affairs," she told Julie as she stepped closer to her. "Read this."

Julie took the piece of paper from her friend's hand and read it. "Ohmigod," she breathed.

"What?" John asked, unsure of why he was worried.

"It's our marriage certificate," she told him as she handed it to him.

"How'd you get our signatures on it?" John asked their friends.

"You thought you were signing a receipt for new equipment," Adam said with a smile.

"And you thought it was a receipt for the things you got yesterday," Karen said to Julie.

Soon the siblings were both laughing in relief and kissed again, both thankful this wasn't for nothing.

"So, Julie, how are you getting home?" Adam asked with a smile.

"I don't know," she replied with a smile of her own. "Maybe my husband has an idea."

"I just might," John replied, his own smile yet to fade.

The others laughed, relieved themselves they had managed to pull this off for their friends.

"I guess we'll go then," Adam said as he curled an arm around his own lover.

"Adam, thanks," John told him.

"You, too, Karen. Thank you so much," Julie added.

"You're welcome," they replied in unison.

"Oh, Adam, one more thing," John told him as they were almost to the door.

"What?"

"If I'm not back to work in a week, don't come looking for me. Something tells me I won't want to be disturbed," he said with a cheeky smile to Julie who only laughed, feeling the same.

"It's true, we do have a lot of time to make up for," Julie replied.

"Have fun," their friends told them with their own knowing smiles.