Instead, she just visibly calmed and slid her hand into mine. That meant all was right in the world. We walked into the hangar, where a couple of the ships had been moved out. It was lightly decorated, and half a dozen folding tables had been placed inside, covered by some obviously borrowed tablecloths from what looked like an Italian restaurant from the seventies. LED lanterns were draped across the room, giving it a cozy backyard patio feel. It was perfect.
Mary was wearing her ring, and the other Earth Defense members flocked around her, asking for a look, and I realized something like this was a great distraction for the whole base. It was an event that could make them forget for a night that Earth had been invaded, and that we were now fighting for our lives.
Even President Patrice Dalhousie was there, with General Heart at her side. Slate, the oversized ED sergeant, loomed beside them. They waved at us, Heart sipping what looked like a Scotch while he stared at us over the edge of the glass.
Natalia walked in wearing a sleek black dress, the skirt slit to the thigh. I let out a low whistle, getting an elbow for my efforts. Nat was smiling widely at the beautiful setting, pointing at the lights and decorations. Magnus stood tall and wide beside her, filling out what could only be a custom tuxedo. I laughed, knowing how much the man hated confining clothing on his large frame.
“Congrats, you two lovebirds,” he said giving us a wink. “Dean, let’s go get a drink.”
“Nat, you look beautiful,” I said, before being pulled away by Magnus. Mary and Nat were hugging and chatting. I hadn’t told Mary about the surprise engagement.
“Change in plans, buddy.” Magnus shifted side to side, either nervous or excited about the proposal.
I didn’t like the sound of that. “What do you mean? Don’t tell me you’re not going through with it. She loves you. You guys are perfect for each other.” I looked back, getting a wave from Mary, who was beaming at all the attention.
“I really hate to do this at your engagement party, but just remember it was all my idea,” he said.
The bartender walked up to us, and I ordered a beer, getting Magnus a double Scotch, and wine for the ladies.
“Spit it out,” I said, tired of the drama.
“I’m not just asking her to marry me.” He paused, a big grin cast over his face. It was infectious, and I was smiling now too. “I’m asking her to marry me tonight.”
“Yeah, that was the plan.”
“No. I’m asking her to marry me, then getting married tonight.” He was almost jumping up and down in joy, and I put my hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down. Only then I noticed the white-collared young man leaning against the far wall, chatting with Clare.
“Congrats to you, then. Don’t mind us. We’re the last people worried about wanting to be in the limelight. Take the spotlight. Take all of it!” I yelled the last bit, the room looking my way like I was crazy.
Lowering my voice, I told him he had my blessing. This got him laughing, and we hugged, quickly brushing it off as the room’s many eyes once again looked to us.
“You will be my best man, right?” he asked with a raised eyebrow, as if he had to ask.
“Only if she says yes,” I replied, and got a light shot in the arm.
Mary and Nat crossed the room to join us, and I passed them each their wine glasses. I raised my beer glass, the other three following suit. “To us. May we find new happiness in our new worlds.” We all clinked glasses and took a drink.
“Where’s Mae?” Magnus asked, and I felt a fool for not having noticed she wasn’t there.
“I haven’t seen her. I think she’s getting her stuff together for the trip. I have seen her canoodling with a guard, so maybe she’s having her own little love connection,” Mary said, trying to divert how upset she really was by Mae not being there.
The night was getting on, Dalhousie gave us a nice speech about love and hope, and we drank to it, me starting to get a little lightheaded with all the liquor and ambiance.
Music played through some speakers, the hangar becoming a dance hall, and couples and friends alike paired up, slow-dancing to some nice music. This was when Magnus did his business.
In the middle of a song, everyone walked away, circling the couple. Nat didn’t seem to notice, her eyes closed, her head nestled on his big chest.
He stopped moving, got to his knee and held her hand.
A tear slipped down her cheek, and the room was silent for a moment.
“Nat, baby. I’ve loved you for years. The second I saw you…” He stopped, probably not wanting to ruin it by reminding her of her capture at the hands of Russian mobsters all those years ago. “My heart loved you even then. A scared young woman, who took that negative part of her life and turned it from a scar to a badge. You are the single strongest person I’ve ever known, and the most beautiful soul I can imagine. I know I’m just a big oaf who sometimes speaks before thinking, and shoots before negotiating, but I’ll be there by your side for the rest of your life. You may think that I rescued you all those years ago, but the truth is, you rescued me. I’m forever in your debt. Will you make me the happiest man on Earth, New Earth, and Proxima b, and marry me?”
Natalia was openly crying by then, but so was the whole room. I unashamedly wiped a few tears from my face alongside everyone else, knowing how much the two of them had been through. Mary squeezed my hand tight.
“Of course I will,” Nat said, letting him slip the ring on her hand. He got to his feet, picked her up, and spun her around in a hug.
“One more thing, baby,” he said. “How about tonight?”
Music started up again, and the partygoers rushed to line up their chairs on the empty dance floor. The priest stood at the front of the rows, smiling widely.
Natalia blushed but shrugged. “Let’s do it!”
Soon Magnus and I were at the front of the group, Mary opposite us as the maid of honor, and when the here-comes-the-bride music kicked on, Natalia was there looking resplendent on the arm of General Heart, who was walking her down the aisle.
The setting was beautiful, and I took it all in, knowing everything was about to change with them leaving us here and going on a crazy adventure to another world. It didn’t seem real.
They went through the process, quick but classic nuptials. Mary was dabbing her eyes as they kissed, and the whole room stood up and cheered them on.
It was official. Natalia and Magnus were married.
Before the noise died down, Mae came into the room, bleeding from the face and limping. Her clothing was torn, and when she was close enough, I saw her eye was swollen.
I ran to her, the crowd spreading apart. “What happened?”
Mae pointed toward the sky. “They got away. Terrance and Leslie escaped.”
We sat in Dalhousie’s office, discussing what to do. Leslie and Terrance had somehow gotten free from their cells, stolen a ship we’d moved from the hangar, and gotten out the ceiling.
“How did this happen?” The president sat with her hands on her face. I’d never seen her so flustered. “They just happened to get out when we had the ships outside, and conveniently escaped as the hatch up top was opened for a nighttime test flight.”
Heart assured her the pilot was one of his best and wasn’t involved. They must have had secret information, and someone on the inside. That didn’t bode well for the base’s security.
“We need to go after them,” Mae said, repeating the same thing for the tenth time. No one seemed to be listening. She was right.
“If they left, as you say, and aren’t hanging out at Earth, hell-bent on blowing shit up, then we need to go after them before they get word to the Bhlat, or anyone else for that matter.” I would be the voice of reason and back Mae up on this. She looked at me, her eye covered with ice, and her smile quickly turned to a grimace as the pain of moving her mouth registered.