knightsoflegend | new orleans ♔ and you were the light that brought me back

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new orleans ♔ and you were the light that brought me back

War of Hearts - Russell Taylor

WHO ||Dean, Rose, Sam, Alainn [closed]
WHAT || Dean & Rose spontaneously tie the knot
WHERE || The French Quarter 24/7 Wedding Chapel, New Orleans
WHEN || A couple weeks post LA, after the Rafael rescue (2017)
HOW || Actionspam (single thread)

[ No one probably ever thought this day would come, probably least of all the bride and groom.

But a surprise proposal (of sorts) from Rose has led them both here, as the clock clicks close to midnight, to one of the only 24/7 wedding chapels there is, conveniently located right here in New Orleans, where they happened to make the decision. Neither one of them seems to want a big wedding, so much as they just want to get married already, although everyone is a little concerned that Dean is going to develop cold feet as the time draws nearer. With a nat 20 will save though, he's actually eerily calm about the whole thing as Sam drives him to the place and they fill out the paperwork, while Alainn gets Rose ready in a nearby room. Dean takes a moment to slip the guy running the place some cash money under the table not to put their name up on the public registry that they keep on their website, to at least not flagrantly advertise their location. By the time anyone traces them here from the actual signing of documents, they should be long gone. Once all that's done, Dean and Sam have a few moments alone while they go to process everything, and he steps into the chapel room, walking slowly down the aisle with his hands shoved in the pockets of the suit that Alainn picked up for him and Sam talked him into actually wearing, studying the kooky decor with a pensive look on his face. ]

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[Sam's face breaks into an even wider grin because it's so them and it's just getting progressively more surreal that this is...actually happening.

He looks to the priest, eyebrows lifted expectantly.]

[ the priest nods at that, and then continues: "The wedding ring is a symbol of the unending power of love between two beings. Its circular shape has no beginning and no end, representing a boundless spiritual connection. The rings should be worn proudly as a symbol of the commitment between you and your spouse. Even when you find yourselves apart, your rings will provide a powerful reminder of the eternal love you share." He nods to Rose to take the one she'll be giving Dean.

"Please repeat after me: With this ring, I, Rose, commit my love to you, Dean, for all time, giving you all that I am and all that I will be. Please accept it as a symbol of my love." ]

[ It’s as if suddenly, with the exchange of rings imminent it all becomes incredibly real to her, not in a terrifying, show me the exit way but in a way that threatens to emotionally bowl her over. Because… he isn’t the only one who had never seen this in their own future. She’s had many roles over the years. A protector. A soldier. Even a Lover, but Wife had never been a title she thought would suit her. She isn’t soft enough. She is, as Dean had described her, suicidally stupid and she is just as likely to bring home a bullet wound than something for dinner. She’ll never be the kind of wife you see in those TV shows that somehow make it look easy.

It’s all come so easily to her until now but as she reaches for the ring, there’s a definite tremor in her hand. As if the weight, not of committing herself to him but of becoming his wife is enough to make her feel unsteady. So with her heart hammering hard and fast in her chest, she tries to focus on just repeating the words. (WIS 16, WS not great LOL) ]

With this ring, I, Rose, commit my love to you, Dean, for all time, giving you all that I am and all that I will be... [A beat.] Whether you like it or not, lets be real here...

[ Her eyes lift to meet his, a soft huff of soundless laughter passing her lips and the sudden onslaught of nervous energy dissipates, as if just by looking at him she can breathe again. And then with the most unnecessarily OP roll the world has ever seen (Dex 27), Rose will slide the ring onto his finger like she’s been practicing since she was a little girl or something... ]

Please accept it as a symbol of my love.

[ her joke makes him grin, clearly putting him at ease. in fact, her own momentary stumble in her easy confidence with all this probably helps too. his hand squeezes hers once, and then he takes the claddagh ring as the priest repeats:

"With this ring, I, Dean, commit my love to you, Rose for all time, giving you all that I am and all that I will be. Please accept it as a symbol of my love."

dean takes her hand in his, and looks her right in the eyes, the smile across his face coming more easily now. ]

With this ring, I, Dean, commit my love to you, Rose. For all time. Giving you all that I am and all that I'll be. [ he pushes it onto her finger with slow deliberation ] No takebacks.

[ so mature.

"By the power vested in me by the state of Louisiana, I now formally pronounce Dean and Rose to be husband and wife. Dean, you may now kiss the bride." ]

Now that's the part I'm talkin' about. [ his hand wraps around her waist and pulls her close, taking a second to study her face, before he pulls her into a long, joyful kiss, as the priest announces: "May I present Mr. and Mrs. Dean and Rose Winchester." ]

[ There's a long reverent moment when the newly married bride and groom kiss, before there's a soft shift of movement from the chapel's entrance as the unknown audience they'd had finally steps forward into the doorway and makes himself known. (Hide 20, look they were distracted.)

He's not dressed for a wedding. In fact, he's in faded jeans and a dark blue flannel shirt, with a battered baseball cap atop his head that has certainly seen better days. His beard is scruffy and unkempt and he looks a good deal older than when anyone had last seen him, but his face is unmistakably familiar to at least two of the people in the room.

He doesn't say a word at first - can't, because he's damn well choked up himself, eyes shining with unshed tears and his grin wide enough to practically stretch off his face. Instead, he just rubs his hands over his mouth, smoothing down his beard in a nervous gesture, and softly clears his throat before finally speaking up. ]

If I'da known this was gonna be a fancy shindig, I woulda worn my good boots.

[ If there were any doubts remaining -not about them, but about her own ability to be what he deserves - they're quickly erased by how sure he seems in this moment, as if half the struggle was getting here and from now was easy in comparison. No matter what comes, the inevitable shit storm that was likely to rain down on them? It felt as if it wouldn't matter anymore. They had each other. Sam. Alainn. So many more who despite not being here, still had a role in them being here now.

In that second he'd find no trace of doubt, just this blissful mix of joy and wonder. The shine in her eyes filled with something she's barely allowed herself to feel for far too long;

Hope.

The priests words barely register as he pulls her in, Roses hand sliding up to cup the back of his head and the smile she feels as their lips meet is too easily matched by her own. It's a moment that she knows will sustain them, through the very worst that will come their way and there's no denying the sense of right that she feels, not just from loving him - being with him - marrying him, but from staking a claim on something that nobody will ever be able to take away from them.

And it's almost too short lived when the sound of footsteps slowly penetrates her bubble of happiness. Rose still wrapped up in Dean as the voice cuts through proceedings. Despite the epic strength of will it requires (31), Rose manages not to immediately try and move to stand in front of Dean... but nothing would ever stop her from instinctively trying to protect Alainn. (... Declares In Harms Way for Alainn. As she do. I know OKAY.).

In her life, she's always been taught not to hesitate. To hesitate means to die, but as she's standing there, still gripping Dean... it's a lesson she can't help but think she's right to ignore this time. Standing here, staring at the face of a stranger? She doesn't feel the throb of danger in her pulse. Without understanding who this man is, or why he's here? She's quite certain - No - positive, that he's not here to ruin their day. (Sense Motive... Nat 20. It hurts ma).]

Dean? [ Her voice low, cautious as she turns her gaze on him. Far more concerned with his reaction, than who this man could be.]

[That voice. He knows that voice.

Sam's head turns in what feels like slow motion, his body not reacting as quickly as his mind wants it to, but by the time he tears his eyes away from this happy moment between his brother and Rose, his heart is in his throat and his eyes are wide.

He hears Rose say something, Dean's name maybe, but it's drowned out by his pulse in his ears. Sam knows exactly who he is, as if being here at all wasn't miraculous enough.]

Bobby? [There's an unfair amount of sheer hope in his voice.] Is that really you?

[He needs it to be real. It has to be. (sense motive 23)]

[ older chests - damien rice

beneath rose's touch, dean's entire body goes rigid, as he draws back to look up as well, drawn towards that voice with an expression that seems more deer in the headlights than anything. his mind reels, every instinct screaming at him to go into defensive mode, to assume the absolute and total worst, to warn everyone of what this could be and probably is, but something stills him from snapping to that too fast (sense motive 23, will save 22), and he's left instead with one hand on rose's arm as if to either stop her from going too far or to give himself some ballast in the situation.

he doesn't dare hope as much as sam does. knows better, much better, than this sam, how unfair the universe really is when it comes to their lives.

but all that he can say is a completely stunned: ] ... Can't be. It can't be you. [ despite all his above thoughts, there's still a smidge of hope in there ]

[ His expression turns more serious once more as they turn to face him and his gaze takes in first Sammy's reaction before moving to Dean. The young woman at his side gets a curious glance, assessing and thoughtful, but for the moment, his attention is fixated on the Winchester brothers.

At Dean's denial, Bobby spreads his hands out to either side in a helpless sort of shrug, as if to say 'what can you do?'. ]

Why? Because I'm supposed to be dead? [ Bobby makes an exasperated face at that and scoffs in derision before pointing at Sam. ] Before today, everything I could dig up on you two said so was he.

[ That sure had been a Research 35 that had him chasing down every lead he could find, which was hard enough in their line of business in the first place. Hunters didn't exactly make themselves easy to locate as a rule and Winchesters were more paranoid than most. ]

[Alainn is so ready to protect this moment, to guarantee their single moment of happiness without interruption that at another, unexpected voice she is already readying a spell, turning to cast it. She pauses as Rose steps in front of her, looking to Sam and Dean and their reactions to this unannounced stranger. She will hold her spell at the ready, willing to use it at the first sign of trouble.]

[ Bobby.

It's like the air in the chapel has been sucked out, robbing her breath along with it. The flicker of recognition, immediate in Rose's face and her hand, circles Dean's forearm as he holds her.

That pure and unbidden hope in Sam's voice is almost enough to undo her, but it's hearing it in Dean's, in the man who never allows himself to have such hope that cracks something in her chest. If this is a trick, if this is them... She swears to the God she has no love for, that she'll kill them all - or die trying.

It's hard to believe it's possible, though, given all they've seen. Hard to truly accept that good things do happen in their world and while every one of their experiences should see her reaching for her stake? Rose can't shake the feeling of trust that came over the moment he made his presence known. She'd made a promise to Dean, however, many years ago. When Sam first came back into his life. That she would always look for the truth when he was too emotionally blinded to see it.

So slowly, she turns her gaze back towards Bobby, allowing herself to see what's beyond because they need to know - they have to know now, or it will only hurt that much more. ( Detect Shadows. Will last 8 rounds. Concentration 29.)

What she sees causes what air was left in her lungs to rush out, like a weight is pressing on her chest. Her shoulders shaking as she breathes in again, gripping his arm a little tighter as she dares to give voice to what she sees.]

Dean... Sam?

He's human.

Edited 2019-03-23 01:09 (UTC)

[He's human.

Air leaves his lungs before he sucks it back in, taking a step toward the man on the other side of the room.

Bobby wasn't dead when he fell through the Veil. He'd been one of the last things he'd seen, other than his brother. Everything he's heard since then has been tragic. Sam didn't expect to ever see him again.

Was this his Bobby? Did it even really matter anymore?]

I came through the Veil years ago.

[His explanation for why he isn't 'dead.' He looks over at Dean, trying to see how he was reacting to this before looking in between all of them.]

We should do this somewhere else.

[ dean honestly looks unbalanced by the entire situation, the delicate emotional equilibrium he had managed to find in the face of getting married toppled over in an instant by this unexpected reunion. but the priest, at least, appreciates sam's suggestion, apparently, looking between y'all like you nuts. ]

... Yeah. Yeah we should. [ his voice sounds a million miles away, but he finally manages to tear his eyes off from bobby to look back at sam and rose, a distance in his eyes that almost seems to indicate that he's having a hard time reconciling these two parts of his life being in the same place - the time that he clearly links to bobby and his death, and his life with this sam and rose. either way, despite what he said, dean is going to disentangle roses's arm from his with a gentle motion, and start walking across the room slowly to where bobby waits, with slow, measured steps. as he draws closer, he studies him from head to foot, complete disbelief etched in every line of his expression.

the priest looks to sam and rose, realizing that he is outnumbered here and he says quietly to them, "It's alright. I'll just... step out." with a nod, he excuses himself through a side door, casting another look towards what is happening across the room before he leaves.

dean stops right in front of bobby, and it's hard to read exactly what he's going to do, the tension in his shoulders making it possible that he's coiled for nothing less than an attack, or to toss holy water in his face, or any other number of things.

but instead, he abruptly reaches out to wrap his arms around the man, pulling him in tightly to clasp him in a hug, his voice heavily compromised with emotion as he says: ] It's really you.

[ Bobby keeps his mouth shut for a moment, his eyes on the priest as he excuses himself, unwilling to say more in front of a relative stranger. Well, so were the girls, but if the brothers trusted them enough to involve them in an impromptu wedding... well. Bobby would give them the benefit of the doubt. For now.

But he doesn't have time to say anything before Dean is moving towards him and wrapping him in a tight hug. He's surprised by the move - it shows on his face. He's not really the most tactile of people at the best of times and considering Dean was the one who'd been eyeing him with the most suspicion...

To be honest, he'd been expecting a flask of holy water to the face. A hug? Not so much.

So he stands there frozen for the tick of a heartbeat before awkwardly patting Dean on the back - a hearty clap, but still clearly done by someone who's not all that comfortable with hugging. ]

Yeah, it's really me. No need to get all weepy on me. [ Says the man who's still sounding a little choked up himself. ] I might melt.

[ Another clap on Dean's back before he pulls back enough to reach out and squeeze Sam's shoulder - did you get even damned taller since he last saw you? Knock that off, you asshole - before dragging him in as well. Aw, why the hell not? Apparently, it's a day for hugging. ]

Color me just as shocked. I didn't actually expect to find either of you when I showed up here on this wild goose chase.

[Alainn will... let the spell she had prepared dissipate from her mind, her shoulders relaxing bit by bit as no one else seems keen on restraining or maiming the gruff man.

This very much seems like a family moment and doesn't want to stare as they reunite, so instead, she reaches her mind out for Fede, her eyes turning from green to burnished gold as she sorts through what her winged companion is seeing as she sits on the roof outside. Gonna keep up that good ol' paranoia.]

[ Rose watches, breath held, her focus solely for Dean as he closes the distance between him and Bobby. Her heart in her throat as she doesn’t quite dare to allow herself to believe he could accept this… because why would he? Why when his life had been an endless stream of loss.

The priest earns little more than a silent acknowledgement, a nod of gratitude as he slips away and Rose braces for what she worries will be an inevitable confrontation that will end in her needing to save Dean from his own actions. She can almost see it, every doubt curling around him with every step that he takes and while she understands that for Sam, this must be an emotional reunion… for Dean? It has to be both better and worse.

Her own body is a mirror of his, taught with tension and ready to act but when she sees his arm shift, she can feel the energy rushing out of her as if knowing which way he’s going to go before he can do it.

Rose allows herself to sag with relief, to simply be happy for the boys, choosing to hang back because this really isn’t a moment that’s about her. He didn’t know she existed before today more than likely, and she’d only heard what little Dean had told her. Yet, seeing him now with the two of them? Rose perhaps knows Bobby better than she realized. He might not have been their blood… but he was in both Sam and Dean.

Alainn isn’t the only one who can’t quite allow this moment to pass without taking precautions and while the three of them are otherwise occupied, she’s keeping an ear and eye out for trouble. ( Spot 31 + Listen 31 ).

She is a Winchester after all. ]

[He isn't sure what Dean's about to do either, not until his brother embraces their father figure.

Sam is probably the least against all this hugging, so he goes perfectly willing into the old-school family hug as Bobby drags him into it. His arms go around the both of them, his eyes downcast as he tries to keep it together.

After a long moment, he pulls back, his smile weepy but happy as he looks at Dean.]

Well, this is one hell of a wedding present. [He claps both of them on the back, releasing them and looking at Bobby.] Let's head back to where we're staying. We can all talk there.

[ dean is not quite suppressing the tears either, his eyes a little more watery than he'd like as he draws back and glances between the rest, before reaching into the pocket of his suit and... pulling out a silver flask, that he extends to bobby ] Just... gotta be sure.

[ Bobby eyes the flask for a moment. And then eyes Dean. ]

What, not even saving it for the toast? Slacker.

[ He reaches out to take it.

....Even as he pulls his own out from his vest and holds it out to the brothers, his expression serious. ]

I will if you will. Fair's fair, right?

[ And he's still a paranoid sonofabitch. ]

[ This is the face of somebody who has been living this life for too long bc... not only is she not offended but she's actually relieved at not having to be the one to make everyone drink.

She even takes a step closer, like she's ready to do her part, only hesitating for the one member of their group who has yet to fully experience the levels of paranoia that comes with their lives. ]

Holy water. [ Glancing back at Alainn and shrugging like... this is what we do. ]

Fair's fair.

[Whatever they gotta do to calm any lingering paranoia. It'll make everyone feel better, right?

He'll take the flask that Bobby holds out first, taking a quick swig out of it and handing it over to Dean.]

[Alainn won't hesitate to take the flask when it's passed her way, taking a deep swig as well. She doesn't even blink at all the paranoia flying around them. It's fine. This is all fine.]

Bottoms up.

[ dean takes it back from alainn to complete the circle, but lifts it up and locks eyes on bobby, noticing that he hasn't drank the flask dean gave him yet either, and indicating that he's only lifting his in sync with the old man. presuming he follows suit, he'll take a swig, and then offers it back to swap ]

Satisfied?

[ Bobby matches him, move for move, lifting Dean's flask to swallow the holy water himself as the younger Hunter does so. Making a face at the taste, he nods as he caps it once more and hands it back. ]

Well enough.

[ There are still things in this world not affected by holy water that are still weird as shit, but their particular brand of bad? This is still reassuring.

As he takes back his own flask and tucks it away in his vest once more, his gaze finally moves away from the brothers to settle on Dean's new bride, giving her a long once-over before his lips quirk into a crooked smile. ]

Considering that didn't even phase you a wink, I take it you been with these two a while now? [ He holds out a hand to her in greeting. ] Sorry 'bout my manners, they're a bit rusty. You can call me Bobby. I'm not sure whether to offer you congratulations or condolences, but you look the sort who knows what you're getting into, so I'll stick with the congratulations.

[ She watches this without apprehension, her shoulders shuddering with relief at how easy this is and it's an affirmation that maybe, not everything in their lives always has to be so hard.

In the space of a heartbeat she slips from observer to the focus and manages not to shrink under the scrutiny. The Dhampir, who has never really cared what anyone thinks of her? Suddenly aching for the approval of another.

A huff of laughter that's more breath than belly spills over, because there are just so many layers to her answer that she can't begin to explain and her gaze skates to Dean, briefly to Sam before she accepts his hand with a grip that is deliberately restrained (Str 10). ]

You think he'd be standing here any other way? [ There'd be time to explain the rest of it, all the awful reasons why the three of them were still a new concept or why she understands this life as well as she does but it didn't matter now, not yet anyway. Not when he'd just come back into the boys lives. ]

It's... really good to get to meet you. [ Emotion threatening to choke her words, because honestly? Until five minutes ago? She hadn't thought this could be possible. ] I'm Rose.

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FUCKING CRASHES IN HERE LIKE THE KOOL AID MAN

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/finally rolls back to a computer

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