William and Martha had just finished breakfast and getting dressed when Nate arrived with Alex through the back door. Both were well dressed, though they were wearing tennis shoes and were carrying their dress shoes in their hands.
"I promised I'd have Nate here on time to go," Alex stated.
William glanced to him and then to Nate and then back to Alex. He hadn't expected Alex to come along. The invitation for the Anderson family was largely based on the fact that William was Jenny's professor and had made a personal promise to help her and provide what fatherly advice that she may need if her family rejected her outright. In that, Martha, Nate, and Eric were "invited" because they were his family. He didn't think that the invitation extended to Alex.
"I can see..." William said slowly, "though it looks like you're out for more than just bringing Nate here..."
"I'm his plus one," Alex answered.
William glanced to Martha and then back to Nate and Alex and then shrugged. Jenny was just as new to Moon Lake as he and his family were. He eventually figured that more support for her could be helpful.
"Well... the invitation didn't make any mentions of plus ones..." William spoke, "but I don't suppose it could hurt... so long as you remain friendly and polite."
"Scout's honor!" Alex declared and mimicked the boy scout salute.
"Okay, let's get going," William gave a small chuckle and then lead the small group toward the door.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Jenny was quick to notice a lot of activity going around the small Baptist church that Moon Lake had as Peter pulled into the small parking lot beside the church. She could notice some of Akane's grandsons looking over things around the outside of the building, likely making sure that there was nothing that would pose a threat to get into the church through any other means than the front door. However, there were also at least seven other adult men, mostly gathered around Yamato at the church door. That actually left her rather curious about things and it left her staring with some surprise.
"This is a bit more than I expected," Jenny said slowly. Her surprise was still evident.
"They're my father and his brothers," Peter answered from the front seat, "Karen did tell you that she asked about getting help for security... right?"
"I did," Karen spoke slowly.
"She did... but it's still more than I expected," Jenny spoke as they began to climb out of the car.
Peter gave a warm as he looked to Jenny over the top of the car, "Well, Moon Lake often stands together... and Karen is here as your Maid of Honor. As such, I will defend her... and like mundane lions, male werelions will take the lead in defending the pride's interests... Karen guessed at that, and she was right."
"It's also the right thing to do," Karen pointed out.
Peter gave a bit of a chuckle and then nodded while Karen and Jenny both moved to collect their dresses for the ceremony. For Jenny it was a slight handful as she had to collect two dresses. Both were protected by a plastic covering, but the fact that she had to carry two of them while Karen only had one to carry. Jenny also had to lean into the car to get her dresses while Peter opened the trunk so that Karen could get hers. As Jenny backed away from the car with her dresses in hand, Peter was just shutting the trunk and moving over to close the door on the passenger side. As he approached, Jenny gave him a warm smile before looking to Karen.
"Well, just tell your father and uncles thank you for me," Jenny spoke, "and be kind to Karen. She's my best friend here."
Peter smiled back and nodded, "Don't worry on that last bit. She's special to me too."
"Come on Jen," Karen commented, "it shouldn't be too long before everyone gets here for the first wedding."
Jenny nodded and moved on toward the door to the church, and despite it being early on a Saturday morning, she could hear car engines in the distance, and at the same time she could even see a car or two turning onto the road in the distance, including the Jenkins. In many ways the lack of a traditional road layout made it easy to look down the street and see what traffic was coming, particularly in the way the road itself was headed. In that, tracking who was headed toward the Baptist church was. It wasn't like anyone could easily hide onto intersecting streets. It wasn't too long from the first wedding and she could see new arrivals headed toward the church. As she made after way toward the church she could hear Karen signing.
"She's getting married in the morning," Karen sang, "Ding dong, the bells are gonna chime! Pull out foxes! For Jenny loves 'em lotses! But for God's sake get her to the Church on time!"
Jenny could only chuckle as the two rushed in the door, nodding Peter's male relatives as they went.
+++++++++++++++++
Breakfast at the Stovall house may have been quick and in a way that wasn't too unlike a school day, but the fact that he had woken up next to Julie made it worth it. And while Eric knew this would only be a short term thing that presently related to all the "excitement" related the Jenkins/Harper wedding, that didn't mean he didn't like waking up next to his one true love. It also didn't mean that he wouldn't eagerly look forward to both graduation from High School in four years and then college after that when he could officially take the blond haired blue eyed weremermaid as his wife. Simply being with her was enough to give him joy and hope for their own happy future, and that was enough to get through the early morning start and getting dressed.
And as he rode the in the backseat of Melissa Stovall's car, he did notice that both his parent's car and the the Twist's car had left their respective homes as well. From there it rapidly felt like a parade up from their street toward the center of town and then turning onto the first intersecting road that they came to. At that junction, the turn took them in a more easterly direction, though that road was circular that fit the outer most part of the inner ring that made the core part of Moon Lake mean that the journey went on something of a curve. They then came to the intersection where they could see Moon Lake's hospital and then turned onto a more south/southeast direction before heading toward the edge of the city.
They arrived to find that there was a fair amount of activity already going on at the church. Eric thought he noticed Harold Jenkins and his parents heading into the church as Melissa pulled into the parking lot, though it looked like there might have been some others with the Jenkins family. He guessed they were also family, but for the moment couldn't know for sure. Martin and Melissa parked their vehicles next to each other, and Eric noted that his parents and the Twists hadn't parked that far away either.
"Why don't you all go in," Martin urged as he came up to Melissa as she got out, "I shouldn't be too long... and all I'll want to do is make sure that all things are in order with the first ceremony."
Melissa nodded and soon ushered both Julie and Eric toward the church. They soon ran into the rest of the Anderson family along with the Twists and Alex gathering on the sidewalk near the church door. Samantha nodded to Melissa as Eric lead Julie toward his parents.
"How did your meeting go?" Eric asked to his father.
"It went well," William nodded, "The Skulk has its plans for Halloween in order and the main plans and congratulations for the happy couple have been made... and hopefully things go well."
"Though in the end, all of us hope to see a happy wedding for Jennifer and Harry," Martha commented and glanced to Frances and Samantha, "Right?"
"Right," Frances agreed.
"The only "trouble" will be later," Samantha commented, "and that's what we hope to be ready."
"I'd still think you ought to let me be there," Ben spoke up from behind his adopted mothers, "If this guy goes nuts... he could go after both of you. I mean... his his definition of how a wife should act with a male husband is outdated, it's clear that he won't be supportive of same sex marriages. He may..." There was a very pregnant pause which then made it clear what Ben was getting at. "I don't want to lose either of you, moms."
Frances turned to be and put a hand on his shoulder, before she assured him, "we'll be careful... but if Mr. Harper or Dieter Wilhelm truly come in causing trouble... don't think for a moment we wouldn't want to lose you."
"Parents should NEVER bury children," Samantha added, "we'll be careful and will be more comfortable knowing you're safe."
"Let's go in," Melissa urged, "It shouldn't be too long before it starts and Martin is only checking to make sure everything is understood."
The others nodded in agreement.