Gemma kept telling herself that the wedding party was not going to go to waste. People would still eat cake, drink champagne, and have fun. It was just... going to be an after-party, of sorts. All the fun, minus the... well, the actual wedding.
There had been a lot of planning involved, and Gemma was the first to admit that, despite being a second time bride, she went a little overboard with it. Jorge had been patient, and Chase had been moderately excited about the details, but in the end, organizing a wedding with the involvement of a crazy, large, mixed mutant family was not going to be the easiest thing to pull off. And things came to the point where neither the timing, nor the planning was quite right.
And that was one thing Gemma was sure of: She wanted this to be right.

So, they eloped.

In the middle of the craze of evil doppelgangers, inter-dimensional rips, and their shapeshifting child suddenly becoming two identical shapeshifting children, the one thing Gemma knew had to be constant in her life was her family. With Jorge. She'd already lost him once, and damned if she was going to wait any more to make this second chance official.

It was an idea that felt slightly insane.

And yet, here she was, sitting in the car with her blue wedding dress bunched up against the dashboard, with two kids in the back seat and Jorge at the wheel. The whole thing was kind of just dawning on her now.

"So... uh, where to?"

The world was crazy. The rift was still open, dopplegangers were running wild, suddenly he and Gemma had another kid (an exact clone of their first), it was enough to drive anyone mad. As a matter of fact, he had seen that happen a few times. Working for the MRC, they were getting calls left and right and not all of them were good. People were freaking out about meeting dead relatives from this dimension and the unit could not have been busier these days. But, through all that, there needed to be some light, the only thing that could pull Jorge through this madness and come out on the other end -- and that was keeping a promise.

2012. It was six years ago that Jorge had asked Gemma to be his wife. They had plans for the future until Jorge went missing at sea for several years due to a desperate decision that backfired. But he was back now, he was among the living, and he wanted to keep his promise to the woman that he loved. The world was descending into insanity but Jorge wasn’t going to let that get in his way; he wasn’t going to let anything get in his way anymore.

They tried to make plans. Gemma worked hard but with everything going on, both in the world and at home, she eventually came to Jorge with an idea -- a great idea. They had a history of plans going awry. And it seemed that the more precautions the more likely something will go wrong. So why not take the choice out of fate’s hands and back into theirs?

Elope. They would go out, get married, and not tell anyone except for their kids. Some people may have hurt feelings about not seeing the ceremony, but it wasn’t supposed to be about what everyone else wanted -- it was supposed to be what they wanted. This would make them both happy and it would mean that, finally, they would be married. In the end, that was all that mattered to both Jorge and Gemma.

So this was it. They were doing it. Sneaking out of the mansion. The small, makeshift family made their way to Jorge’s car. Gemma was sitting in the front seat, her dress folded in front of her on her lap. Jorge’s tux was hanging in the back seat, guarded by both kids. He smirked to everyone as he climbed in, closing the door behind him and sighed.

”Alright guys, seat belts,” he said with a grin. Pulling his own seatbelt across his chest, he snapped it into place and turned, smiling to Gemma. She already looked amazing. He could only imagine what she would look like in the dress.

>>"So... uh, where to?"

He nodded. ”Merle will meet us in city hall,” he explained. Merle worked at the precinct and was a licensed officiant. Her readily agreed to marry both Jorge and Gemma. ”Once we’re turn, we turn the paperwork, and...voila.” He smiled, watching her. He then picked up her hand and squeezed it. ”You sure you still want to marry this old goat?”

"Window seat," Toby insisted quietly, as the family of four approached the sedan. Well within Gemma's aura, the boys walked arm-in-arm-- Chase's arm straight, and Toby's arm hooked securely under his doppelganger's. The twins liked being lose to one another-- and, so long as their mutation wasn't active, neither of them minded the proximity.

"Sure," Chase agreed. Toby had explained his rationale earlier, when Chase had complained that he couldn't see out the window as well from the middle seat-- something about "the middle seat being the safest" and how Toby "felt better equipped to handle possible attacks from beyond". Chase didn't suspect that sort of thing to ever happen... but, as the genetic residue from Toby's old uniform suggested, Toby had lived a much more difficult life than Chase... so Chase was quick to yield.

The boys unfastened themselves from one another to get into the car-- Toby got the door, Chase slid in, Toby followed, the door was shut.

>> "Alright guys, seat belts."

Toby nodded.

"Aye aye, Captain," Chase said brightly.

Both did as they were told. Uncomfortable suits aside, Chase was excited. Mama and Papa were officially going to be "Mama" and "Papa". They'd be a real family! Not that they weren't already a "real family"... Chase had been calling Jorge "Papa" for years... but... now they'd be a married Mama and Papa, and that made some degree of difference.

Toby, meanwhile, didn't really get it. But if his brother was excited, he'd go along with it. Toby quirked a smile at Chase's bright declaration, assuming the expression to be appropriate. He rehooked his arm under Chase's, and leaned against his shoulder.

Chase leaned over to whisper to Toby as Jorge went over the game-plan.

"Usually weddings happen in churches, but Mama and Papa want a more top-secret wedding... so they're skipping straight to city hall for their marriage license," Chase explained. He felt very grown-up for knowing this information, but only because Mama had explained it to him a good three times or so.

"Ah, so it's a more covert operation," Toby murmured, distinctly more audible.

"Yeah." Chase didn't know what "covert" meant.

They all piled into the car, kids, clothes, and all. Gemma felt giddy, with butterflies in her stomach, at the speed of how all of them seemed to just accept the crazy idea, and roll with it. Toby seemed a little lost, but Chase was supporting him just fine. The two kids were already behaving like real twins who had known each other all their life.

>>”Merle will meet us in city hall. Once we’re turn, we turn the paperwork, and...voila. You sure you still want to marry this old goat?”

"I waited six years for this, you are not getting out of it now." Gemma smiled at Jorge as he started up the car "Oh, and I love you. Drive."

With the kids safely in the back seat, Gemma felt like they had everything they needed for the impromptu wedding. Sure, her own children would not arrive in time for the ceremony, but she called them earlier, and they were very forgiving. And a little smug. And made some jokes about pregnancies. But they gave their blessings, and that was all that mattered.

"Are you guys okay back there?" she asked, twisting around to look at Chase and Toby "I didn't have time to ask before, but we might need you two to help us out with the rings..."

Jorge smirked when he heard both Toby and Chase collaborating in the backseat. It was certainly an adjustment having a new kid in the fold but given the life that Toby lived, Jorge was happy with the outcome. He wouldn’t have wanted to separate him from Chase, especially now that the two of them were getting along so swimmingly. Jorge was never one to put limits on family. Gemma was his love, Chase his kid, and there was plenty of room to add more there. Besides, it wasn’t as if he could really tell Gemma no; not that he would want to in this case.

Smirking when the pair of kids settled on this being a covert mission, he turned his attention back to Gemma. If she wanted out, now was the time. He only said it jokingly but he wouldn’t have held it against her if she tried to take him up on the offer. Thankfully, the smile on the lips and the twinkle in her eye said that it wouldn’t be the case.

>>"I waited six years for this, you are not getting out of it now...Oh, and I love you. Drive."

He chuckled out loud. With a final cursory glance to ensure that the boys were properly placed in their seatbelts and Jorge pulled off into the road with a cheery, yet gentle, ”Here we gooo…”. Soon enough they were on the road and were making their way towards the heart of the city.

A smirk and he sighed feeling the breeze slip in through the windows and ruffle up his hair. There was something almost about sneaking away to get married that quickened the pulse. They had friends in the mansion, relatives all around the country, but they would all understand. With how insane things have been, with their luck in trying to get away for private time, it was only natural that they would try to take this by the horns.

>>"Are you guys okay back there? I didn't have time to ask before, but we might need you two to help us out with the rings..."

”That’s right, buddies,” he said with a smile and a glance in the rearview mirror. ”We’re making you bonafide ring bearers.” He then smirked. ”But don’t worry, you won’t have to throw the rings in a volcano.”

Lord of the Rings had been watched a few times in their home. It was a reference that Jorge couldn’t help but utter. Leaving Gemma to explain the situation to the boys, Jorge kept his eyes on the road and soft smile on his lips. It was happening -- finally. Come hell or highwater, he was marrying this woman by his side, no matter what evil dopplegangers or broken physics said. This was their day and it was going to stay that way.

>> "Are you guys okay back there?"

Both boys smiled at Gemma, Chase's smile was an all-out grin while Toby's smile was far more subdued.

"We're good," Toby confirmed.

"I'm super excited," Chase agreed.

>> "I didn't have time to ask before, but we might need you two to help us out with the rings..."

>> ”That’s right, buddies. We’re making you bonafide ring bearers. But don’t worry, you won’t have to throw the rings in a volcano.”

Chase snickered at that, "But that would be the best part! Next to maybe eating as much as a hobbit."

Toby looked mildly concerned, his gaze cutting towards his doppelganger. So maybe Chase's twin from the other side still had some acculturation to do. Chase exchanged a glance with his brother, confidently reassuring his mother, "We've totally got it covered, Mama."

Chase then went about whispering to his brother, explaining the fiery demises of rings in certain fictitious universes. Toby nodded almost imperceptibly, an intense concentration in his eyes. This of course led to conversations about where the nearest active volcanoes might be, which Chase assumed to be Hawaii, and the possibility of setting things that weren't meant to be burnt aflame, via volcano, lighter, or perhaps microwave. Chase had introduced his brother to ViewTube, and one of their favorite shows was one where a trio of gentlemen stuck all manners of items in microwaves, none of which should actually have been stuck in said devices.

Perhaps it was a good thing that Papa's mutation was water-magic.

They did have rings picked out at least. They got that far in the planning process, and Gemma was glad that they gave something exciting to do to the kids. The grins were nice, and for now, snugly set inside a small box.

>>"That’s right, buddies. We’re making you bonafide ring bearers. But don’t worry, you won’t have to throw the rings in a volcano.”

Gemma gave Jorge a look and a small smile. Leave it to him to make strange jokes. Chase seemed to get the idea, but Toby was slightly confused. It was easier to tell them apart that way.

>> "But that would be the best part! Next to maybe eating as much as a hobbit."

"Well, we can have second breakfast after this." Gemma chuckled, before she held out the small box to Chase.

>>"We've totally got it covered, Mama."

"I know you do" Gemma smiled, and turned back to her seat, letting the twins whisper between themselves. She reached out and put a hand on Jorge's shoulder.

"This is the last time I'm gonna ask... Are you sure you don't want to do the whole big wedding thing?"

A smile on his lips, he listened to the sounds of the twins as they began to discuss the literary masterpiece about destroying evil jewelry and he couldn’t help but feel completely and utterly blessed. He had always wanted a family of his own. Sure he had his sister, his niece, and his mother still with him, but that was the family he was born into. He wanted a family that was dcrafted with his own two hands. He didn’t think that was something that would ever come to him because of his career and the danger that it entailed, and yet here he was. This, right here, was the perfect moment, the tableau of “family” that he kept framed in his mind.

And he couldn’t be happier.

Gemma turned and began to speak to the kinds, entrusting them with the rings that they would need to hang to them during the ceremony. Jorge kept his eyes on the road but he loved listening to the exchange. Before long, with promises that they could handle this together, Gemma turned back around so that they could face the road. After only a moment his lovely bride-to-be drew his attention with a half-joking, half-serious admission.

>>"This is the last time I'm gonna ask... Are you sure you don't want to do the whole big wedding thing?"

They had had this discussion before. When they were in the midst of planning the big thing, they had finally decided that they were spending too much time trying to plan for every eventuality, every guest, every surprise, and it was becoming more work than anything else. That was when the notion of just eloping was tossed around and Jorge was immediately on board with it. Not because he didn’t want to spend the money or because it would be easier, but because they would finally be together as husband and wife. And he didn’t need a big gathering to tell him that.

After a pause, Jorge reached over, taking one of Gemma’s hands and giving it a tight squeeze. In that moment he wasn’t thinking about his job, his obligation to the X-Men, or Poseidon running around his city. The only things that mattered to him were all sitting in this car.

”Gemma, for me, this is the whole big wedding thing,” he smiled. ”And that’s all I need. Just you and the kids. We’re doing this for us. So long as at the end of the day I get to call you my wife and the twins my kids, that’s all that matters to me.” Pulling her hand up he kissed her knuckle. ”You and me, all the way, Love.”

The rings were passed to the boys, and these were eagerly recieved. Unsurprisingly, Chase cracked the lid of the box open to glimpse at the ring. It was sparkly, very sparkly. Toby appraised it, too, and the lid was carefully shut once again. They didn't want to be the ones responsible for misplacing the ring. Papa and Mama were having a... well... Papa-and-Mama conversation in the front seat, about weddings and marraiges and all that they needed. Lovey-dovey stuff.

The boys were still at the age where that kind of thing was... kind-of gross. Toby cast a sidelong glance at his twin, his mouth forming a line and a wrinkle touching the bridge of his nose. Chase stuck-out his tongue, squinting his eyes. Eeewww, lovey-dovey stuff. But they both had smiling eyes. It was nice to have a Papa and Mama that really wanted to be together. A family. So after exchanging their teasing expressions, the two of them glanced out the window, letting Papa and Mama do Papa-and-Mama things, like kiss each others' hands and stuff.

She had to ask, just one last time. So many things had gone wrong so many times, that her faith in coincidences was shaky at best. And now that they had made a spur of the moment decision to get married like this, she really wanted to make sure that it was what they both wanted. Too many things had been messed up in their lives to make another mistake, if it could be avoided.

>>”Gemma, for me, this is the whole big wedding thing. And that’s all I need. Just you and the kids. We’re doing this for us. So long as at the end of the day I get to call you my wife and the twins my kids, that’s all that matters to me. You and me, all the way, Love.”

Gemma smiled a brighter smile this time. She was relieved to hear those words. They were becoming a family, and they were all more than ready for that.

"Alright then" she smiled, glancing back to the back seat where the boys were making faces "Let's get to it."

The office was not very far by car. Once they managed to find a parking place, the next steps of the plan had to be put into action - for one, Gemma needed to get the dress out of the bag and wiggle into it somehow. "I'm going to need some help, Chase" she said as they got out of the car "I can't put on this dress alone... Toby, stay with Jorge so that he doesn't wander off, okay?" of course she worried about that, taking Toby out of the Mansion. He was safer with Jorge than he would have been with her. Just in case.

>>"Alright then...Let's get to it."

He smirked and bowed his head. ”As you wish.”

***

They were at city hall before they knew it and with plenty of time to prep for the occasion. Maybe they should have spent the extra money and reserved some room in the park or in a hall somewhere. Downtown City Hall was probably not the most ideal place but considering how much time was wasted trying to make this happen, it seemed only necessary that they make it happen with as few complications as possible. So, with no regrets in his heart, Jorge found a parking place, and followed Gemma and the twins out. All the while, he couldn’t help the goofy smile on his lips.

This was it. It was happening.

As Gemma struggled to remove the bagged dress from the back of the car, Jorge pulled out his hanging tuxedo. They needed to get dressed for the occasion. Luckily there were plenty such private rooms in City Hall used for this kind of thing. At least that was what Merle had told him and, secretly, he hoped the old codger wasn’t referring to just the bathrooms.

>> "I'm going to need some help, Chase...I can't put on this dress alone... Toby, stay with Jorge so that he doesn't wander off, okay?"

Jorge smirked. Toby being in charge of making sure Jorge didn’t wander was amusing but he would play along. Reaching down he patted his newest son’s shoulder and nodded. ”Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to stay within eyeshot.” He grinned and hefted up the tux, setting it over his shoulder. ”Okay, Merle will meet us on the third floor. He says there are changing spaces up there. Once we’re done, we’re ready to rock n’ roll.” A beaming smile and he clapped Toby gently on the shoulder. ”Let’s go, kid. Time to make me look somewhat respectable for your mom.”

The boys spilled out of the car once it was parked, Chase hooking his arm around the back of Toby's neck in a friendly (if not slightly rough) gesture of camaraderie. Natural forms aside, Mama's aura had its perks, including making rough-housing possible.

>> "I'm going to need help, Chase. I can't put on this dress alone..."

Chase's eyebrows leapt skeptically. His experience with dresses wasn't extensive. But if t.v. had taught him anything, it was that Papa wasn't allowed to see Mama's dress until they were actually getting married.

"Okay Mama," Chase agreed. Chase didn't unwind his arm from around his doppelganger's shoulder until Toby was tasked with supervising Papa and making sure he didn't leave.

>> "Toby, stay with Jorge so he doesn't wander off, okay?"

Toby nodded curtly, making no indication of realizing that this was said in jest. His eyes, slightly pinched, lingered somewhere in a curious, confused orange. His confused stare was only broken when Chase untangled his arm, squeezing his brother's shoulder.

"See you soon, 'kay?" Chase promised him. Toby nodded.

>> ”Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to stay within eyeshot.”

Toby nodded again, following his brother with his eyes. Eventually, he glanced towards Jorge, processing the sequence of events that the detective was laying out. Meet Merle, help Jorge change out of casual dress... and then, the ceremony, Toby supposed. A massive hand clasped Toby's shoulder, and the boy followed the gesture with his eyes. It made the skin of his neck prickle with the inclination to shift, but Toby was better at resisting involuntary shifts than his brother. Jorge was smiling, so the boy deduced that the gesture was a kindly one.

>> "Let's go, kid. Time to make me look somewhat respectable for your mom."

Toby quirked a tootless smile back. There was a lot of questions on his mind... why was it necessary for Gemma and Jorge to change clothes? Why was Jorge insistent on calling Gemma "mom"? Why was he separated from Chase? Toby didn't want to ask too many questions, though. He'd have to watch and learn.

"I think your normal clothes look fine," Toby remarked, smiling. The shifter-child lightly touched his forehead to Jorge's side, much in the way that a cat my press its head against their owner. Chase had explained to Toby that Jorge and Gemma-- Mama and Papa-- were good people, and that he should be nice to them. Toby dislodged himself, starting in the direction that Gemma and Chase had left, before turning to face Jorge, "But I will accompany you nonetheless."

Gemma headed for the third floor with the dress in a bag, resisting the urge to glance back at Jorge and Toby. Jorge was the safest person she could leave the kid with. And Toby needed to learn that as well. It was one thing, your recently acquired mother telling you that Jorge will protect you from everything... but trust had to be built and earned. Besides, Chase seemed more excited about the whole dress thing than Toby was.

"Alright, let's see if I actually fit into this" she muttered as they found an empty room. All that made it a changing room was a sign on the door, and a small mirror inside, but it would have to do for now. Gemma hung up the dress bag, and unpacked the shopping bag that contained shoes and stockings and the like.

"Honey, could you open that bag for me, and get the dress out?" she prompted Chase as she shrugged out of her coat "I don't want to make Jorge wait forever... But this wardrobe change might take a hot minute."

It would take more than that, in all likelihood. But at least she had help for doing the zippers and the buttons...

It was going to take some used to to having a second son, especially one who was essentially an alternate version of the one he already had. Toby was a good kid who had been stuck in a real shitty situation. His powers were favored by SUPER because they allowed him to infiltrate practically anywhere with precision. To imagine his own son, Chase, being used in such a way was terrifying enough, but to see it actually happen was quite unnerving. He would never want Toby to experience something like this again.

Jorge accepted the boy with open arms but he still needed to be careful. The boy’s powers made touch outside of Gemma’s field a bit difficult. But the detective was skilled enough with Chase to ensure to not touch his bare skin and to avoid lingering on his clothes for more than a second or two. He was sure that the kid’s abilities were trying to reach through the fibers, to siphon whatever memories or appearance that he possessed. So he would tread carefully.

With the instruction that they should press on, Jorge moved towards the building and the elevators within, only stopping to glance down when Toby bopped his head against his side.

>>"I think your normal clothes look fine...But I will accompany you nonetheless."

He smirked.

The two eventually made their way into the building where Jorge tried to explain some of the particulars of what they were doing. It all seemed strange to Toby so the older man would do what he could to explain. He went into as much detail as he could about the tradition of dressing up nice, of having a party to celebrate, about spending your life with someone who you cared very deeply about. It was a heavy subject so he tried to explain it as best he could but he was by no means an expert.

Making their way to a private men’s room, Jorge proceeded to step into a stall while Toby waited just outside. When he came out he had on his sleek black trousers and was starting to button up his nice white shirt. Next to him, hanging on a hook, was the casual attire he had on moments ago, as well as a small bag with everything else he could need, including cufflinks and a tie. As Jorge moved to step in front of the mirror and was buttoning his shirt, he glanced to Toby and smiled before gesturing to the bag that was hanging.

”Can you get my bag, Toby? It has my tie in it.”

Both boys were, unbeknownst to them, fulfilling the same roles with Mama and Jorge. While Chase was excitedly running to the dress bag to unzip the white, billowing monstrosity from its container, Toby was similarly venturing towards the small bag. The former was practically uncontainable with his excitement—a big, beautiful wedding dress! Chase hadn’t gotten to see the dress when Mama had bought it, so it was very new and exciting for him. The latter—Toby—seemed politely intrigued by the process of dressing for one’s wedding.

Toby passed the bag to Jorge with both hands, solemn. He was familiar with ties, but not-so-much cufflinks. Weddings already seemed really complicated.

“When Ms. … Mama… marries you, will she take your last name…?” Toby asked Jorge. Chase had been explaining to Toby what it meant, that Mama and Papa were getting married, so Toby was trying to fit their marriage into his poorly constructed schema.

Chase, all the while, was sizing the wedding dress up—he carefully took hold of the hanger, and tucked one arm under the skirt. It was so sparkly. The dress only stung a little with the remnants of alternators and fitters, so Chase as able to carry the gown to his Mama without much trouble.

“I love the sparkles,” Chase advised his mother, beaming.