"Come on, you can do it. Come on, there's my good girl."
"Shut up, Henry. I am not a child." Rose held onto two barriers as she took her third step her knuckles were white with the effort. Her fiancé was grinning at her madly and she was trying to return the gesture.
"Come on, come on who's a good girl."
"I'm not a dog either." Rose sucked in air as her leg collapsed. Mutt picked her up and carried her to her wheelchair. She had progressed wonderfully in two years she could now do at least five steps without falling over. Rose shook her head and stared at the barriers she had been holding they were wooden bars held up by a metal frame.. Mutt had built them when she returned from her three month journey.
"Don't worry," Mutt said looking down at the woman he loved. "it doesn't matter how far you can walk but that you can walk. It's a miracle you can walk this far in this amount of time." He kissed her forehead and held her hand. "I wanted to be able to walk down the isle, Mutt." She was forever pushing herself, never happy that she had beaten the odds.
"This is not going to ruin our day. I didn't fall in love with you because of your ability to walk." He chuckled to himself. "You have done so well. I'm so proud of you." He sighed wistfully, "Two years have shot by."
A small child crawled into the room. "I would have liked to be able to walk before he did." She laughed and pulled him onto her lap. "Hello, James. Did you enjoy your walk with Grandma and Grandpa?" She blew a raspberry into his tummy and James squealed with delight. The child had dark brown hair like Mutts and bright green eyes like Roses.
Mary walked in red faced and windswept. "There he is. He ran off as soon as we walked in the door. Why aren't you ready? That's why me and your father took him out so you two could get ready." Mary tried to move the family but ended up taking Rose by force.
Two years certainly had shot by. Rose picked up her white dress and started to dress herself.
A week after they returned from their adventure Rose left the family with a note saying she was going travelling. She vanished for three months writing reviews of restaurants to earn money. When she returned she sat in front of the door with a guilty expression on her face. She was pregnant with Mutt's child. Mutt was angry because she had left so suddenly and hadn't told him she was pregnant, so didn't wish to get back together with her yet. Of course this didn't last as she was living in the same house as him.
A few months after James was born Rose took her first step and Mutt proposed to her. Now she was getting ready for the day she had been waiting for, for two years.
Rose looked at herself in the mirror. Mary started to cry. "Y-you l-l-look b-be-beautiful." She gasped.
Rose stared at herself, Why on earth did I run-away? This is the life I've always wanted. I finally have a family. Tears started stinging her eyes and she blushed.
Mary put her hand on her daughter-in-law-to-be's shoulder and smiled. "Today, today is going to be a good day." Mumbled Rose. "Come on. Everyone else will be at the church already." said Mary. She pulled on Rose's wheelchair and took her outside the annex towards the front of the main house and into the car. The annex had been built so Mutt and Rose could have their own home but stay (very) near to their family.
Rose stared out of the window of the car she was exhausted. She liked to push herself to the limit when walking. Slowly her eyes began to close, she was excited but so tired that she couldn't stay awake…
*
A large stone room with a chasm in the middle, a large golden eagle but there was no glass boxes and Excalibur was floating in mid air. Rose jumped from the ledge and caught it before falling down the chasm. As she fell she could see a corridor with an object at the end. She couldn't make it out but it was calling her name…
*"Rose!" Mary shouted shaking her daughter-in-law-to-be. Rose stirred and rubbed a slight dribble of saliva off of her face. "We're here." Mary said smoothing down Rose's hair. Indy walked out, gave his grandson to his wife and picked Rose up so that he could put her in the chair. As soon as he did Indy couldn't stop smiling and started to cry. Mary held the squirming James who was dressed in a blue page-boys outfit. Indy took the handles of Rose's wheelchair. They waited at the door of the church, it was closed so they were concealed. "You look beautiful." He whispered into Rose's ear. She smiled up at him, "Thanks, Dad."
"I know I don't say it enough but, I love you." He grinned at her and tears started stinging her eyes. "I love you too, dad." She whispered and kissed his cheek. "Don't start me off already." She laughed wiping her tears away gingerly with a handkerchief.
There was a man at the door he was wearing a large suit that only just covered his muscles. His blonde hair was reflecting the sun. He sighed, "Your father-in-law is right you look gorgeous." Cobra smiled flashing brilliantly white teeth. He still had his Bristolian twang which was now accompanied by a slight American. He had moved to America shortly before James was born. "You ready?"
He was Mutt's best-man. "Yes I am." Rose replied in a mock southern accent. Cobra returned to the church. Rose turned to see her son very slowly crawling away from Mary onto a patch of grass. "James Henry Jones!" She cried mockingly. James looked at his mother and grinned mischievously.
Mary laughed and grabbed her grandson. "He reminds me of you. He looks like his father but reminds me of you." Indy said wisely. Rose sighed and positioned herself in front of the door once again.
The doors opened with a noisy creak and Indy mumbled, "Here we go." He pushed Rose forward to the sound of "The Wedding March." Mutt turned to see Rose his breath was snatched from his lungs and his heart leapt. I have been waiting for this day for what seems like a lifetime and it is better than I expected. He couldn't wipe the smile off of his face.
When Rose arrived at the front she took Mutt's hand and sighed, this was where she was meant to be, by his side. The vicar droned on but nothing could make Rose unhappy. "The vows?" He said in a voice that would make a funeral director proud.
Rose smiled and nodded "Henry, as soon as I saw you I knew I could marry no other man, which was awkward because I thought I was your adopted sister." She paused so that her friends could laugh, Mutt then dropped to his knees and smiled up at her. She continued "I'm so sorry I ran-away. But if I hadn't maybe we wouldn't have had our beautiful boy." She turned to look at her son, "I have no regrets other than leaving you for three months. I want you to know I will never leave again. I love you, Henry Jones the third and I always will." She kissed her husband and the vicar made a weird noise to tell her to stop.
"Rose, you have given me a hard act to follow. I will try my best to top that. The moment I met you an empty part of my heart that I didn't know was empty filled. I fell for you during our adventure to England and I know that we will have adventures on our own whether they are at home or elsewhere I will stand by your side, always. Even if you run-away again this time I will follow because with-out you, baby I'm nothing. I love you, Rose and I always will." Mutt grinned at her and they exchanged rings.
As the second ring was given, the door swung open. Rose and Mutt both looked at it and grinned. "You may now kiss the bride." Droned the vicar. Mutt kissed Rose passionately letting her know that what would happen later on would be better. Mutt and Rose looked at the doors again, "I don't think we are going to be able to stay at home for long." said Rose, Mutt laughed. The sound of Ecalibur hitting the floor of the chasm filled his head, It was only a sword, it wasn't her. He thought as he took the handles of the wheelchair. Rose picked-up James and placed him on her lap. The dying light of day bathed their faces in orange.
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And that is it. The sequal to this story is called "Indiana Jones: The Adventures of Mutt"
Splish xx