Celebration Time
By Donna and ABs

The crowd milled around the church for a while, congratulating the happy couple. Everyone told Temperance she made an absolutely radiant bride! There were so many people there, hardly anyone noticed the new girls in their midst. Fiona and Fae were making their way through the crowd, trying to get to Faith, who was standing by the door of the church, waiting for things to settle down before she gave her own best
wishes to the bride and groom.

But Melissa, who had been staying in Edan with Giles, who of course had to be on hand after Gideon's transplant, certainly did notice the women making their way toward the young Scottish girl. Grabbing her betrothed's hand, she said, "Come meet my sister! 
Sisters," she amended, feeling the others’ presence, too. 

Giles nodded and said, "Whatever you say." Ever since coming back to Edan, he had taken quite a bit of good-natured ribbing from his friends, but they had also heaped good wishes on him. No one could say the young doctor did not deserve to be happy. And Melissa made him happy.

They weren’t the only ones heading that way. Father Philip whispered into Alec's ear that he had had his fun, now he had better sit down and rest, and that it would be a good idea if he took Miss Faith with him. Steering him away from the excited crowd, Philip headed Alec over to where Faith stood.

They all converged on the same spot about the same time. "Fiona!" Philip said with a huge smile. "You came!" He looked around, wondering where all the fairy women were. 

Fiona chuckled, and asked how the new priest was settling in.

Philip just indicated said new priest, who was watching everything with a mildly disapproving glare.  That is, until Hydra, Vanessa and Endora made their way through the crowd, heading to meet Fae and Melissa. They were all dressed prettily, and all well covered. Hydra saw him and waved, smiling with childlike innocence. She was a very cute girl, and there was something about her that he just could not help but admire. 

Fiona lifted an eyebrow when she saw the faintest touch of a smile on Herrera's face, then laughed. "Now wouldn't it be a grand thing if me good friend Hydra
took a wee bit of the starch out of that man's collar and put it somewhere else?" she said saucily. Both Philip and Alec looked a little scandalized, and then laughed themselves. 

"Alec, you haven't meet her, but this is Fiona McFadden. She is new in town. And I can see already with her and the others around, things will never be dull." 

Alec greeted her, then was introduced to Fae, who was hugging Melissa and Faith both. "Faith, child, you look like I feel right now. Can I take you home? I hate to say it, but just this little bit of activity has worn me completely out,” he said, concerned about how pale she looked. Faith looked longingly over at the beaming bride and then shook her head in agreement.

"We'll be sure to pop in on you," Fae said. "Maybe if you have a nap, you might feel up to coming back later. And we'll be sure to send some food your way!"

Faith thanked her, and then she and Alec made their way back to her house. In the meantime, the announcement was made that the party outside of the hotel on the street was about to begin, and they had all better get their tails over there if they wanted some of the food.

The mood was festive to the extreme, especially with Melissa and her sisters rejoined once more. And there was more than enough food for everyone, so that little threat came to nothing. Methos was beaming like a proud father - something that became even clearer when Phoenix showed up from Esperanza, and the Old Man spent the rest of the afternoon with an arm slung comfortably over her shoulder and a hand slightly resting on her belly. He was also proud of the entertainment - the THREE (so far only three) got up and put on quite the little show. Those who were not completely stuffed got up to dance!

There were a few slow dances mixed in with the livelier stuff, including the song "Yesterday". Connor immediately steered Katherine out to the area on the street being used as a makeshift dance floor, with his cousin Duncan and Sarah Jo just behind them. As the couples danced to the music, no one noticed that Sarah Jo was being checked over *VERY* thoroughly by someone on the sidelines.

Marcus Grisham was recovered - at least he could leave the confines of his room and the nearest toilet. He had *never* been so sick in all his life. Still weakened by the effects of the laxative, he was not really into dancing this night, and that gave him
ample opportunity to watch the girl they said was an eternal virgin. Not only did this interest him on a purely carnal level, but he was sure, once he tired of her, that he could get a fair price for her across the river. Only Edan was without gold; Grisham needed something marketable, and she was it!

As the others continued to celebrate the momentous occasion of the town's first wedding, they were unaware of the sinister plot forming in Grisham's head, or the effects it would have on their lives in the near future.