Dead Girls Like Me

"Is everyone assembled?"

"All present and accounted for, sir," Victor said, looking around the assembled group with a smile.

"We have all necessary witnesses?" the registrar pressed. "Miss Liddell's aunt and uncle, and--"

"My father and cousin, Mr. Drapewell," Victor provided, feeling a deep, warm glow inside at introducing his friends as such. "Emmett Brown and Martin Brown-McFly."

"Pleasure to meet you, sir," Doc said, extending a hand.

Mr. Drapewell stared for a moment, before slowly accepting it. ". . .You're his father?"

"Yes, is there a problem?"

"I think it's the accent, Unc," Marty said, rolling his eyes. "Vincent's adopted, Mr. Drapewell. Which is probably pretty obvious, but still, if you want proof--"

"No, no, that's fine," Mr. Drapewell assured him, waving a hand with an embarrassed look. "Excuse me, I was just surprised." He coughed softly and resumed his stern look. "Now -- you two have a full understanding of what's expected? Neither of you are doing this through coercion?"

"We're both fully ready and willing," Alice said, glancing at Victor lovingly.

"Well then--" a few papers and a pen were produced and laid in front of them "--it's simply a matter of signing the correct paperwork."

"Er--" Victor rubbed the back of his head. "You wouldn't object if we exchanged vows? Quickly?"

"It is the closest our girl will get to a proper church wedding," Aunt Susan added.

"It's a common enough request," the registrar said with a nod. "Do you have vows prepared?"

"We do," Alice said.

"All right -- first sign here, then you can exchange them before we prepare the marriage license." Mr. Drapewell pushed a few papers toward them, and Victor and Alice added their signature where necessary. Finally, all that remained was the license. "Mr. Brown? If you would?"

Victor turned to face Alice, a few butterflies fluttering in his stomach. It had been years since he'd said these vows (excepting to himself in the mirror last night). What if he got them wrong again? For a moment, all he could think about was the disaster of a rehearsal at the Everglots, and the shame with which he'd been forced to flee --

Then Alice reached forward and took his hand, giving it a squeeze. The silent reassurance there -- that she didn't care if he messed up; they would be married regardless -- quieted his nerves. He squeezed back and smiled. "With this hand, I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine. With this candle, I will light your way in darkness." He reached into his pocket and produced the gold band he'd gotten earlier in the week. "With this ring--" which slipped so easily onto her finger you'd think it had been waiting with the same anticipation he had "-- I ask you to be mine."

Alice beamed at him, pure sunshine on a warm spring day. "With this hand, I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine. With this candle, I will light your way in darkness. With this ring--" She caressed his cheek, engagement and wedding rings glinting in the lamplight. "--I will always be thine."

Mr. Drapewell did not oblige them with a "you may now kiss the bride." But in that perfect, beautiful moment, Victor did so anyway.

((Follow-on from: this Nexus post))

". . .We could actually go back?"

Alice nods, patting her boyfriend's arm. "Néo and company apparently know someone who can fix 'quantum signatures.' That's the very thing Doc says got altered with your trips through the rifts, isn't it? It means you two could go see your hometowns again. No more mysterious barriers blocking your way."

Doc and Victor look at each other, processing this information. Finally, Doc lets out a faint laugh. "Funny. . .when I first landed in the Nexus, that news would have been music to my ears. Now. . .well, I barely ever think of Hill Valley anymore. The one person I wanted to return for instead followed me here."

"I haven't wanted to return to Burtonsville for ages," Victor confesses, rubbing the back of his head. "Now that. . .well. . .I couldn't go through with the arranged marriage. April told me Victoria would be all right some time ago."

Alice blinks. "So -- ah -- you're actually not interested in their offer?"

Doc frowns thoughtfully. "I wouldn't say that. . .it just doesn't have the importance to me that it might have earlier in my time displaced. While I don't care about moving back to Hill Valley, it would be nice to see it once more. Marty could finally introduce me to all of his friends down at Darkness Falls," he adds with a smile.

"I -- I don't know," Victor admits. "Sometimes I do want to see my parents again, just to make sure everything's all right, but on the other hand. . ." He looks into Alice's eyes. "They'd try to make me marry her. Even with at least two extra years on me and my heart belonging to another. I don't want to have to go through that." He reaches out and takes her hand. "Not when I'm so close to being with you for the rest of my life."

Alice gives his fingers a squeeze. "I understand that. Though I have to say I fall into the 'you should see your parents one last time' camp. Nothing hurts worse in my opinion than missing the chance to say a proper goodbye."

Victor sighs, eyes falling to his feet. "I know. . .and I do feel guilty about just disappearing, even if it wasn't my fault. . .could you give me a little more time to think it over?"

"Of course." She smiles. "I just want you do to what's best for you -- with no regrets."

Victor smiles back at her. "I can't say I'll have none -- but I could never regret any of this."

(Set a few days after Alice breaks up with Victor to try and protect him. For reference, the King took over Victor on January 30th, visited the Nexus (and was dealt with by April) on the 5th, and Alice broke up with him on the 6th.)

It’s been a tough few days for Victor Van Dort. After Doc and Dee came home from their expedition to meeting the other living car (bringing Marty with them after telling him what’s been going down), they discovered him sobbing in his room. A few minutes of questioning revealed what Alice had done: “She left. . . .”

“She what?” Thunder boomed outside as Doc’s fists clenched. “That – that – I’m going to find her, and when I do--”

“No! No, please, she – she s-said she was doing it to p-protect me, she said it was all her fault. . . .”

After hearing the explanation of Alice’s guilt issues, Doc calmed down, and both he and Marty tried to contact their friend. All that came back was a message stating You’re safer not knowing me. All other attempts at communication failed. Marty suggested PINpointing to her, but Doc said that they didn’t have her PINpoint address; and that “even if we did, all she has to do is scream for her uncle and we’d be thrown out on our ears, if not worse, for invading her room. She does live in the Victorian age. Not to mention I don’t want anyone having any interesting reactions should I let off steam. . . .”

And that was it for the past three days. Nothing but Victor existing in his room, eating only to please his friends, sleeping when exhaustion takes him, and otherwise just sitting on his bed, staring at the walls and trying not to cry. He knows Doc at least has begun to come up with plans on how to get rid of the King (he’s asked not to know about them, for everyone’s safety), and that he should probably be doing the same, but – he can’t bring up the energy. He feels – numb. Broken. Like there’s a black hole where his heart used to be, and it’s sucking everything he is in. Alice is gone. Alice is gone.

( Victor Finally Snaps )

Victor's feeling quite festive -- it's been a good year for him. As such, he has some presents he'll be getting to the proper places:

For John (hart_on_sleeve), there's a book he's found on various "weird places" around the globe. John likes to travel, after all -- might as well go someplace interesting. As for Alina, she gets a picture book.

For April (slayers_desire), he has a nice white heart-shaped picture frame. He figures she can use it for a nice picture of her and Clark.

For Alisa (enigmassweet), there's something from both him and Alice -- a nice box of high-quality chocolate. It appears that when he's a little unsure, Victor follows his sweet tooth.

As for his other friends, Doc's getting a saxophone (he mentioned once he played); Marty's getting a VHS of Huey Lewis music videos; Alice is getting a blue stuffed cat Victor painted to look like Cheshire (complete with grin); and Dee is getting a remote-controlled car (irony?).

(And there's other stuff for anyone else who thinks a gift-exchange is appropriate -- the mun just sucks a bit at remembering everyone she plays with. ^^;)