Those Who Favor Fire
by LSquared

Author's Note: As I'm sure everyone has, I've been thinking a lot about the missing scene from Nikolas and Emily's wedding. I needed a little writing exercise to get the creative part of my brain working again, so I decided to try and fill in the blanks. I couldn't come up with a title so I stole a line from one of my favorite Robert Frost poems.

Ric stood outside the church, facing the heavy wooden doors. He had casually told Alexis he would meet her outside while she mingled with the likes of Jax and Ned after the ceremony ended. With the wind biting at the back of his neck, and his coat a paltry shield from the cold, he regretted not staying with her.

The doors opened and the musky smells of the church bled out into the cold air. Ric smiled in anticipation but Alexis wasn’t among the stragglers. He waited a moment and stepped back into the church, finding her near the altar.

Though her back was to him, he could tell by the set of Alexis’ shoulders that she was deep in thought. Not wanting to startle her, he called to her quietly from the back of the church. “Did you want some time alone?”

Alexis turned and shook her head. He took it as a silent invitation and walked the narrow aisle, still covered in rose petals. He stood at her side and gazed down at the candle she had just lit. The flame flickered wildly in its red holder. “Did you light that for Nikolas and Emily?” he asked her.

“For Nikolas and Emily. For Kristina. For Sam’s baby,” Alexis told him. She pressed into his side, slipping one slender arm beneath his coat.

He smiled at her gesture. “Did you want to head right to the reception?” Ric asked, almost hoping she would say no. He couldn’t remember the last time they were alone together outside of the hospital, away from the sterile white walls and the astringent smells.

“I’m terrible,” was her answer.

Ric looked down at her and tightened his arm around her waist. “What? Why would you say that?”

“Because,” she told him, “my nephew just married the love of his life and while I couldn’t be happier for them, I don’t feel like going to the reception. And I’m not really sure why. Except I must be the most selfish person in the world.”

“You want to get back to Kristina. I don’t think anyone expects you to be in the mood for a party.”

She nodded. “Of course. But this isn’t just a party. It’s a celebration.”

“He would understand, Alexis,” Ric assured her.

Alexis looked down at the candles. She slowly drew her arm away from him, and Ric’s breath hitched at the loss of that warmth so close to his skin. He kept quiet while she paced the floor and then finally settled into a pew.

“I’m sorry,” she told him.

“For what? You haven’t done anything wrong, Alexis.”

“But I will.”

He tilted his head. Ric spent most of his time trying to understand his wife, and while it was fun to navigate through her complex and exciting mind, there were times he was left feeling an overwhelming sadness rather than amused and smitten. He sighed heavily and sat at an angle beside her. “You’re going to have to help me out here. Are you apologizing for not wanting to go to the reception, or something else?”

She held her hands up. “Yes. And for whatever else I will probably do.” She reached for his hand, cupping it between her own, warming his frigid skin. “I’m a terribly difficult person to like. How could you ever know what I’m thinking when I’m not even sure myself? You’re going to tire of me. You’re going to get sick of trying to figure me out. The trial starts tomorrow and if things go the way I hope, I just want you to know that I don’t expect you to stay. You don’t have to stay married to me.”

Ric felt a sharp pain coil in the center of his chest. Was she ending their marriage? Was she asking him to end their marriage? “Is that what you want?” he asked.

Alexis shook her head and he breathed easier. “I just don’t want you to feel stuck.”

He laughed quietly. He pulled his hand free to reach up and tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers grazed her cheek and Ric told her, “I don’t feel stuck. I thought I made myself clear before, but I guess I didn’t. I’m sorry for that. So I’m going to tell you now, and I want you to listen very carefully. I didn’t just marry you to help you get custody. I want to be married to you, Alexis.” He paused, glancing quickly at the altar. “Look, I know we didn’t have a big, ceremonious wedding like Nikolas and Emily. There was no tossing of the bouquet. No standing ovation when I kissed you. But it was real. It was beautiful. And someday I’d love nothing more than to stand in front of a roomful of people and tell them how much I… adore my wife. But if that never happens, I’ll always cherish that day in the chapel.”

Alexis blinked and his thumb caught the single tear rolling down her cheek. She grabbed the knot of his tie and pulled Ric toward her, covering his mouth with her own. The urgent way she kissed him sent a wave of warmth through his body, stealing away any traces of the cold.

The distant chime of bells reached their ears and they slowly broke apart. Ric looked toward the altar with an almost apologetic expression for the less than pure thoughts playing over and over in his mind. He cleared his throat and told Alexis, “We should probably go.”

She nodded and reached for her coat. Ric took it from her, holding it out so she could easily slip her arms into the sleeves. “Maybe we could stop at the reception, just for a while,” she suggested.

“Whatever you want.” He kissed her cheek and took her hand. He stopped halfway down the aisle and said, “Just one second.”

Alexis watched him walk back toward the candles. He held the lighter’s wick to her candle and used it to light one of his own.

“Who was that for?” Alexis asked, taking his hand.

“For us.”