Jess and Nikole quietly made their way to the Pyramid in which Talia and Midnight lived. It was rather quiet, though they could hear some shuffling going on inside. While Talia and Midnight's home resembled the Ancient Egyptian pharaoh's tombs, its architectural structures had very little in common with them. It used more modern techniques for internal support, which allowed for windows and thinner walls that were stronger proportionately than the structures it was copied from.
"Do you think shi'll do it?" Nikole asked quietly, "I mean... shi and Midnight only gave birth this past Christmas and they took in Janice and Snowflake's children... Their hands are full."
"Talia would be more than willing to perform the ceremony," Jess answered, "and besides, it's not like we're asking hir to abandon hir children... it'd be like someone asking us to leave Silky and Foxy..."
"Or Heather and Shasta," Nikole finished, and then both of them shuddered. Neither of them could picture a world without their children in it. They were beautiful children, and Silky doted on Pumba at every opportunity, just as Nikole remembered doting Charlie and Brent, then with Silky and Foxy, and then with Heather and Shasta. And with the outbreaks over, they were now waiting until they came into season again to have more children. "But do you think that Talia will accept the idea?"
"I'm sure shi'd be willing," Jess answered, "after all, shi has been around to see how marriages were performed. Janice's idea isn't entirely a bad one."
"That may not mean shi has the legal authority to wed someone," Nikole commented, "And remember, Anubis is a Muslim. Yes hir name is based off of the Ancient Egyptians, but hir religion is still modern and still in existence... and hir age doesn't count for civil authority..."
"I'm not wedding my mother just because I own the land Janace has been built on," Jess said with a shrug, "Shoot... I'm not even on the city council..."
"You should sue," Nikole teased as Jess only shook hir head.
"It won't mean that our local preacher and Anubis's Imam from Egypt won't be involved, it's just that Talia will say all the appropriate words," Jess finally said, "Now, come on."
With that, Jess rang the doorbell and waited patiently. It took a little while, but the door was answered, though it was Midnight who answered the door. Shi had no shirt on and presently had Pinkie Christmas and Castro suckling from hir rather impressive breasts. Shi looked a little tired from hir work with the school and tending to hir children on hir arrival at the end of the day, but shi still managed to put together a smile to greet them.
"Hello Grandkat Nikole and Auncle Jess... what brings you here?" Midnight spoke, "I'm afraid I'm on the middle of dinner duty..."
"I can see that," Nikole smiled to the two infants suckling from Midnight, "You feel close to them, right?"
Midnight gave a proud nod. Even though Pinkie Christmas and Ashalin were hir biological niphews, shi felt very close to them. Closer than just being an Auncle, but shi kept that to hirself. Seeing Midnight smile, Jess and Nikole returned it. They knew Midnight's pride as well.
"We're actually here to talk with Talia, it's about my mom's wedding," Jess answered.
"Shi's getting married to Anubis while Timothy marries Casey Jones and Auncle Brent takes hir two mates," Midnight finished.
"Yes, a triple wedding," Jess nodded, "Janice had the idea of Talia performing the ceremony, but we want to talk with hir first."
Midnight then nodded and took a few steps back to let Jess and Nikole enter. They ultimately followed Midnight on in. They eventually came to the bedroom that Midnight and Talia shared. There, they found the Sphinx on the phone and while packing a suitcase.
"I shouldn't be gone for more than a day or two, just to check on the validity of something my sither-in-law reported," Talia spoke into the phone, "and given that you've proven to be a good substitute teacher... I'm asking you to take my classes while I'm out."
Jess and Nikole then faintly heard Jack's voice saying that shi would do hir best, though also wishing that shi could teach full time. Sally and Charlie's offer to their former neighbors had been a very noble one, but Janace already had enough full time teachers and that Jack would have to accept being a substitute for the time being. However, Jess, Ronnie, and Mina had all agreed to welcome Caitlyn into Janace's hospital. It'd lessen the workload that Ronnie and Mina handled. However, that wasn't why Jess and Nikole had come. They waited quietly while Talia was on the phone and Midnight went to the nearby nursery. Once Talia hung up, shi turned to address hir guests.
"Things seem busy this evening, can I do something for you, Jess? Nikole?" Talia asked.
"Just some help with the coming triple wedding, what are you up to?" Nikole spoke curiously as shi saw that Talia had been packing.
"Pinkie thinks shi found a piece of the Ark in Paris... and I'd be inclined to believe hir... hir phone was suffering from a lot of interference that I mostly only got static and could barely make it out," Talia answered, "Shi might be right..."
"I don't recall there being anything alien in Paris," Jess commented, "Though admittedly, Charlie and Sally saw more of it than Nikole or I did... It's how they adopted Luna and Midnight."
"Well... Nemo has said that the Ark broke up when it hit Earth's magnetic field...and given its age... even if all that was recovered were pieces of the outer hull... it could be possible that parts of the Ark were put into human structures without the builders noticing," Talia explained, "So, I'm going to double-check and make sure."
"Do you need any help?" Jess asked.
"No, I should be fine... and I'll be headed with your little vacation scheme for the coming newlyweds..." Talia commented, "I will be returning before them though."
"Speaking of the wedding..." Jess commented, "do you think you could play a part in it?"
Talia nodded, "I suppose I could, what part do you wish me to play?"
"The role of marrying them," Jess answered, "After all... you're from Egypt as is Anubis... and you married Midnight here. I figured you could provide the most culturally balanced ceremony."
Talia only blinked in surprise.
"You have witnessed Muslim weddings, have you not?" Nikole asked.
"I have witnessed the weddings dating back to the Ancient Egyptians... I have seen pagan Greek and Roman weddings... I have seen early Christian and Jewish weddings... and yes I have seen Islamic weddings..." Talia nodded, "but I am not an Imam or any other religious officer of any faith. I have observed the ceremonies and am familiar with the practices... but that doesn't give me the official power to do so."
"What if we could get permission?" Jess wondered, "as you are the combination of the cultures that would be represented in Janace's and Anubis."
"That would work, but they'd probably still wish to be present, just to give the wedding legitimacy..." Talia answered.
"But you'll do it if we can get permission and have the religious leader present?" Nikole asked.
"Yes," Talia answered, "Officially it'll mean I'll do very little in comparison to them... but they will give it legitimacy... which is what the law will want. I can declare them man and wife... but in terms of the Islamic tradition, a religious leader, such as an Imam would be needed to insure that both bride and groom honor one another."
Jess and Nikole traded looks. It complicated a few things from Janice's idea and would mean they'd have to still run the original idea, but in a way that might represent a greater sense of unity and that they'd all come together.
"We can do that," Jess answered, "Anubis did give us the phone number of an Imam that shi saw while shi was still living in Egypt with regards to advice and so forth... we just wanted to make sure you'd be willing to declare them to be Kats and Wives."