"Eyes, hair, mouth, figure, dress, voice, style, movement, hands, magic, rings, glamour, face, diamonds, excitement, image." sang Lydia as Stephanie pushed the last bobby pin back in her hair. "Wasn't the ceremony beautiful? I love weddings."

"You?" Stephanie asked in disbelief, securing the do with some hair spray. "You, who considers marriage to bean old fashioned concept designed to keep women barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen instead of in their rightful place in society, loves weddings?"

"Yeah, I know. I just don't plan on ever having the lead role in one." Lydia replied, looking at the back of her dress in the mirror. "This one doesn't make my hips look big."

"You've lost weight since November." Steph pointed out, checking the clock. "It's nearly time for the photos. Where are our escorts?"

"Probably still talking to my almost-but-not-really mother in law. Mrs C looked after the twins during the ceremony and I think she's going to take them during the reception." Lydia grinned, sneaking a packet of cigarettes out of some hidden pocket. Stephanie stared her. "Integra will murder you slowly and painfully."

"Only if she finds out." She looked pleadingly at Steph, who snatched the packet off her. "She'll smell it, she'll kill you, then she'll kill me, get someone to move our corpses like puppets, then get the photos done without a second thought."

"Not that we were, but speaking of Chris Jericho," smirked Lyd, eyes sparkling with mischief. "What happened with you two?"

"What? When?" Stephanie stammered. Lydia sighed and threw her hands in the air melodramatically. "This is me Steph! I know these things. Or I make them up and sell them to the tabloids. Something happened and I'd like to know what. Are you two back together?"

"I.. I don't exactly know." She replied, turning pink under her make up. "Something happened.. and I've only seen Chris a few times since.. and it's been weird."

Lydia took one look at Stephanie's face and started jumping around as best she could in her light blue satin dress, screaming in delight. "Oh my god! Oh. My. God. It's about freakin time!"

"Lyd, don't." Stephanie pleaded. "I just.. I don't know where this is headed, if it's headed anywhere at all and there's some stuff I still haven't told him that I should and.. I'm married remember?"

"Honey, trust me, that wedding ring is the least of your problems. Besides, you can always get a drive through quickie divorce to match the wedding. This time you can drug Hunter!" Lydia started to giggle hysterically, before composing herself. "Actually you got off lightly. You should see the planning that goes into one of these old fashioned legalising of a relationship."

"How did they get everything ready so quickly?" asked Stephanie curiously.

"They've been planning it a while. You know how Edge promised soon after winning the tag belts? Well Teg had everything arranged just in case." Lydia looked mystified, unable to understand why anyone would actually want to be married.

"You know Lyd, some people consider it an honour to make the commitment to spend the rest of their lives with the person they love." A voice said sharply from the doorway. The girls whirled around in surprise to see Christian and Chris standing there. Lydia winced slightly, then did a small twirl. "How do I look?"

"Gorgeous baby." Christian's voice softened. "I just checked up on the kids. Mom is more than happy to keep them until tomorrow. She's going to head back to the hotel so she can hand the kids over to Benoit and have a nap before the reception."

"Benoit's babysitting?" exclaimed Chris in surprise. "Are you insane?"

"Well duh." teased Lydia. She glanced at her reflection. "Have I got time to say hello to your mother before the photographer whisks us away?"

"She'd be offended if you didn't." Christian laughed. Lydia grinned at Stephanie and put her arm around him, practically dragging him out the door. "See you later. Be good!"

"Lydia's not very subtle is she?" Stephanie asked, leaning in to check her make up in the mirror. She looked up to see Chris staring at her intently. "What? Have I got something on my dress?"

"No, you just look so beautiful." He replied softly. Stephanie smiled at him, but the serious look on his face didn't fade. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but you look so beautiful it hurts to look at you."

"I'm not feeling any pain." She teased gently, trying to lighten the mood. Still no change. "Chris.. we need to talk."

His eyes glittered with some emotion that Steph couldn't quite recognise. "Yeah, we do. But not now. This is Integra and Edge's special day and if anyone ruins it for them, I will hurt them."

"Are you two getting your photo taken with the rest of us?" Christian stuck his head in the door. Chris nodded and held his arm out to Stephanie. She linked her arm through his, something she'd done countless times before. It was a familiar thing for them both, and should've provided Stephanie with some comfort. Yet as she walked with Chris into the warm spring sunlight, she couldn't stop a small shiver from running right through her.

~~~~

"Congratulations man." Chris said to Edge as they watched while Integra, Lydia and Stephanie were artistically arranged in the gardens. "It's about time you two got your act together and tied the knot."

"It's weird. Teg has been at my side from the beginning. She's supported me through everything." Edge said, watching Integra laughing with a smile. "There's nothing that I've done over the past five years that she hasn't been a part of. Now she's my wife... we're married. It's everything I could've hoped for."

"Then why'd it take you so long to do it?" teased Chris, remembering the times he'd heard Integra complaining about it to Lydia. Edge shrugged, still watching his new wife. "I have no idea. But I can tell you this - if I'd known how happy getting married would make me, I'd have done this years ago."

"It's that good huh?" Christian asked wistfully. He sighed watching Lydia made rabbit ears behind Integra's head. Chris followed his friends look. "I'm not meant to tell you this, but it's not Lydia's half hearted feministic attitude that has her so against marriage. It's because -"

"She just doesn't believe that marriage, which is nothing more than a ring, an expensive shindig and a legal changing of a last name, is needed to prove that you love someone with all your heart and soul." recited Edge and Christian in unison.

"Actually, no." Chris laughed. "Well, yeah that is part of it. It's -"

"No." Christian said suddenly. "Tell me later. Otherwise I'll end up asking Lydia about it and she'll get defensive and the reception will end in things being thrown. Anyways enough about us. What's the story with you and Stephanie?"

"There is no story." Chris said tightly. "The bad outweighs the good, I've been to hell and back because of her. I was willing to overlook it all, cause despite everything, I love her. But I've learnt something that's impossible to ignore because it tells me exactly how much she believes in me and trusts me. Not at all."

The other two nodded silently. Both their relationships had been strong and steady over the years and they could only imagine the hell that Chris had gone through because of Stephanie. Over in the garden, Lydia was under fire from the other two. "Getting married is not the Eighth Deadly sin Lydia. And if it was, it wouldn't matter, cause I think you've broken the other Seven anyways."

"Shut up Teg." smirked Lydia, "Or I'm going to smoke in this dress."

"If you do, then my niece and nephew will be growing up in a single parent family." replied Integra, smiling through gritted teeth. Stephanie laughed. "You two should hear yourselves. Lyd, being married is actually rather nice."

"Damned straight." added Teg as the photographer rearranged the train of her dress. Lydia was ready to hit them both with her bouquet. "How would either of you know? Teg, you've been married for all of 30 seconds and Steph you've only been in your marriage of convenience for three months and you've already broken the 'forsake all others' vow."

"Shut up Lydia." gritted out Stephanie as Integra shrieked "What? When? Why wasn't I told?"

"I don't want to talk about it." She muttered as the photographer finished snapping the photos. Integra looked confused. "Why not?"

"Because I don't know where we go from here. Over the past two days, he's avoided me as much as possible. When we are together, there's been something in his voice and eyes that scares me." Stephanie looked at the ground. "The thing is, I still haven't told him the whole story. If he's pieced it together or heard it from someone else, it really doesn't sound good."

"Well no offence Steph, but it's not a good story." Lydia said bluntly. She checked the time and looked at her best friend. "We have an hour to kill before the reception. I have some old clothes, can I change into them so I can have a smoke?"

"I give up!" shouted Integra throwing her hands in the air. "Do what you want, but I swear, if there is one piece of ash or even the faintest smell of smoke on that dress..."

"Yes!" yelled Lydia gleefully punching the air. "I win!" She hugged Integra and scurried off, dragging Christian along with her. Integra shook her head. "Sometimes its easier just to give in. Otherwise she'll be bitching all through the reception."

"All finished with the photos Mrs Cage?" Edge came over, wrapping his arms around Integra's waist. She leaned into him, grinning. "I certainly have Mr Cage. What shall we do until the reception starts?"

"Oh I can think of a few things." He grinned back, leaning down for a kiss. Chris coughed loudly. "Can you save it for the honeymoon?"

"No." The newly weds replied, laughing happily. Stephanie smiled wistfully at them. "Congratulations." She said softly. "I'm really happy for you."

"Thank you." Edge replied, smiling at her. He knew that Chris had been through a lot because of Steph, but he also knew that not every relationship was smooth sailing. There was no doubt in his mind that Chris and Stephanie were made for each other and one day, when the time was right, they'd get it together. Until then, however it was simply sit back and enjoy the fireworks.

Chris watched Stephanie talking to Integra and Edge out of the corner of his eye. How the hell could she act so normally? After all that had happened? Did she have blood in those veins or was it ice? She was damned lucky that it was Edge and Integra's wedding day and that he'd sworn not to let anyone do anything to ruin it. Because Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley had some long over due explaining to do and he was not going to let up until he got them.

"Hey Chris -" Stephanie reached out to touch him on the arm. He jerked away from her and stalked off in the direction Lydia and Christian were last seen heading. Integra looked a little confused. "What the hell?"

"I'm sorry." Stephanie said quietly. Edge frowned slightly. "Don't worry about it Steph. He won't do anything to make a scene."

~~~~

Lydia smiled, resting her head on Chris's shoulder as they danced. As she'd told Stephanie earlier, she really did enjoy weddings, but never planned on having a lead role in one. Sure, Integra and Edge would make each other blissfully happy, there was no other option, they'd been doing that for years. But marriage was Teg's thing. Not hers.

Over Christian's shoulder Lydia watching Stephanie and Hunter dancing. Behind them, she could see Chris, sitting alone at the head table, polishing off the left over champagne. She nudged the father of her children with a small smirk. "Marriage is the reason he's a shitty mood."

"Damnit Lyd, why can't you take this seriously?" Christian sighed exasperatedly. She looked up him, then stepped away from him. "Fine then. You want serious? As far as Chris and Stephanie are concerned, the shit is about to hit the fan. Agree or disagree?"

"What the hell are you on about?"

"Agree or disagree?" Lydia repeated, tapping her foot. Looking extremely confused, Christian nodded. "Agree."

"Good. Then I'll do you a deal." She grinned at him. He raises an eyebrow slightly suspiciously. "I'm listening."

"If either of them makes any kind of PDA towards the other within the next 6 months, we'll get married." She smiled sweetly; confident this was a bet she couldn't lose. "Deal?"