A Clean Slate

By Donna and Abs

After proposing to Hydra, Jose Herrera found himself in a bit of a bind.  On the one hand, he could not see himself marrying without a religious ceremony, but even to him, having a high mass seemed like throwing his vows in the face of his God.  What he wanted was something in between, and he was not sure he could get it. 

When he came to work the following day, after it had had time to settle in, he was even more morose than usual.  Father Alec noticed right away that something was wrong. 

"Jose," he said gently, motioning with his head to the comfortable little room in the church that they used for counseling sessions. "We need to talk, don't we?"  

Herrera nodded.  "I've asked Hydra to be my wife," he confessed. 

"Excellent," Alec said with a smile, giving his brother priest a hug to congratulate him. He knew that it had not been an easy decision for him. "It is better for you this way. Would you like to be married as soon as possible?" Alec knew the circumstances, and that Jose would not be comfortable *living in sin*.   

Herrera nodded.  "She may be  . . . with child," he said miserably. 

"Then that is a cause for joy, not a long face. Do you wish a public ceremony? If not, I can cover the two of you under the sacrament of holy matrimony this very day if you like."   

"That is the problem," the priest said.  "I do not wish it to be too showy.  It seems . . . heretic somehow.  I would appreciate it if we can do this quietly, yet still with an amount of sacrament to it.  Provided we are not struck down dead if we attempt it!" 

"I doubt very sincerely that will happen. Go and talk to your bride. If she is agreeable, we will have the ceremony this evening in the prayer chapel. Philip and Fiona would be delighted to stand up for the two of you, I'm sure." Alec squeezed the young man's shoulder. "Don't worry! Now go and talk to Hydra!"  

"I daresay we shall have plenty to stand up for us.  My bride has a rather large family," he said with a resigned sigh.  "As long as it is not too showy, I shall be content."  And he shook Alec's hand before going to discuss it with Hydra. 

She was in the garden, of course, sitting on the side of the fountain, trailing her hand in the water while she looked at the statue of the mother nursing her child with a soft smile. She talked to her *sisters* who were all gathered around her, smiling as she shared her good news with them. As they saw Father Herrera approach, the fae sisters all smiled brightly.   

Herrera nodded respectfully.  "Ladies," he said. 

"Did you want to talk to Hydra alone?" Vanessa giggled. 

"No, I suppose this should be at least this public,”  he replied.  "Father Alec said we could have a private ceremony in the chapel this night, if you are willing." 

The girls all clapped their hands with joy, congratulating them both. Hydra smiled brightly as she threw her arms around Jose's neck. "Tonight? Oh my dear Jose! I'm so happy!"  

He smiled shyly at the embrace.  "It won't be too fancy," he admitted, "but at least you'll have some of your family around."  And he kissed her gently, on the cheek before turning around embarrassed, and hurrying off. 

Hydra watched him go. Most likely he was going to try to find a house for them to live in so that they would have a place to spend their wedding night. "You will need a dress!" said Vanessa excitedly. No more sneaking around to find a place to make love! 

"A special one!" Hydra agreed.  "And let's get Quinn.  Do you think Shannon and the girls will sneak in from the forest?" 

Fae was sure they would. They ran to go tell Fiona, who suggested they see if Faith or Joy had a dress ready that would be suitable for Hydra's wedding. She gave her a hug, and told Hydra that she would be there for her too that evening.  

"Just not too many," Hydra said.  "Jose will be mortified if it turns into one of those city-wide dos!"  She giggled, but inside she wondered if it might chase him away.  He could still "jilt" her as the saying went. 

Fae took off in a little ball of light to go tell the forest fae of the coming nuptials, and Hydra and Fiona went to go see what dresses were available. The others were going to go decorate the prayer chapel with flowers and to make other arrangements as necessary. In the meantime, Herrera was looking at one of the unoccupied houses on the other side of the Mission church. The one next to the MacDonald's was still empty.  

He knew that would make Hydra happy, though he was not at all domestically inclined.  How to make it a home for her? 

The one he looked at seemed too big, too... he couldn't put his finger on why it wasn’t right. So, closing the door, he went to go look at another one, then another, until he came to a small house on the end of town. In its back yard was a tiny little garden, overgrown and untended, with a bubbling little spring flowing out of an outcrop of rocks into a natural pool!  

"She'd like that," he thought.  But the problem was still there.  She would be moving into a house, but to make it a home took a female's touch. 

He went back towards the church, and saw his bride to be and the tall Irish woman disappear into the MacDonald house. Vanessa and Endora were carrying huge armfuls of flowers and were heading to the chapel. Perfect! Who better to *decorate* Hydra's new house than her sisters, who knew her best. Perhaps they could even arrange for a wedding supper of some type. 

Going up to the girls, he pointed to the house in the distance and explained his problem.  "It won't be much of a wedding night in the condition it is now," he moaned. 

They assured him that they would take care of the problem! Once the forest fae started to arrive, there would be plenty of help! As to dinner, they suggested that he go see Lupe, and arrange for one either at the hotel, or to be brought over to the new house.  

Since he wanted it as small as possible, he opted for the latter suggestion.  As he started off, he suddenly stopped.  "Oh no!" he gasped. 

"What's wrong?" asked Vanessa, her pert little nose almost buried in the huge armful of flowers she was carrying.  

"I saw the bride!  It's already cursed!" he moaned. 

"Nonsense!" they told him. "The bride is okay, just not the bride in her dress!"  

He gaped at them.  "Are you sure?  I feel as if we're starting with God against us as it is.  I want to do the rest of it as perfectly as possible." 

They laughed at him. "God is with you!" they assured him. "Trust us on that one! Fiona said that Philip received a very special sign about that when he was praying for guidance. You can ask him yourself!" 

"Special sign?"  Pensively, Herrera went toward the church. 

He found the other priests there, placing new candles in the prayer chapel and a beautiful new altar cloth over the little altar. The room was a lot smaller than the main sanctuary, but it was plenty big enough for the wedding he wanted.  

"Philip," he began.  "I see you've heard." 

"Yes," the Irish priest said with a big smile. "I'm happy for you both! By the way, I will be getting married meself soon! Fiona accepted my proposal!"  

Herrera's light eyes opened wide.  "Is this the 'sign' they told me about?" 

Philip laughed. "No! I was praying at the altar, asking for confirmation that marriage was God's will, and when I looked up, I found my grandparents’ wedding rings hanging from a golden cord on the cross itself!"  

"That is odd.  And encouraging.  I wish I had seen some such sign.  Hydra has tried to convince me that her  . . . impending motherhood . . . was such a sign, but then why is her sister carrying the child of that monstrous Methos?" 

"All children are a blessing of God," Alec said quietly. "No matter who the parents are. There must be a special purpose for that child."  

Herrera nodded.  "I hope so, the Lord be praised.  But it is certainly not a sign that the Union was blessed!  You are truly blessed to have such a clear sign that what you intend is what God wants from you." 

"I think we can safely say this is a sign for all of us," Ralph suggested. "Perhaps one day, Alec and I will find brides of our own."  

"I am happy when I am with her," confessed the soon to be groom.  "But it is not easy to turn one’s back on all one knew to be so."  He shrugged.  "I am hoping once we are legally wed, I shall stop second-guessing it!" 

"I believe your unease comes from the fact you are outside of God’s covenant right now," Alec said gently as he trimmed a candle. "Once the sacrament of marriage covers your relationship with Hydra, you will feel better. If you wish, why don't I hear your confession? That way you can start your marriage off with a clean slate."  

Herrera nodded eagerly.  "Yes," he said.  "Please."  And he looked toward the confessional.  He did not know if Hydra would agree to it - what religion was she, any way? - but he certainly felt the need to confess. 

Together, the two priests walked to the small confessional room and went inside. Once inside, Herrera knelt and began the ritual, letting his heart spill out all he had been holding inside. Alec was right! This was what he needed more than anything. When he was done, Alec gave him his penance. He was to go home to the rectory and do the dishes (a chore he detested!) and to say the Rosary while he did them. When Father Alec pronounced that his sins were forgiven, and to go out and sin no more, it was as if a huge weight was lifted off his chest.  

He would do his penance - and the dishes - and then return to wed the woman he lloved.  From this moment on there was no looking back, just to the future!