'Matrimony'

01-Sep-2030, 1455R

Clarisse La Rue, Daughter of Ares

Camp Half-Blood

New York City, New York, USA

Special thanks to @dovahkiin_of_legend for the very interesting idea!

"So... It's your big day. How do you feel?" Annabeth asked as we finished prepping my dress in the Big House. "Any of those pre-wedding jitters?"

"Nah, just glad that it's today!" I exhaled, smiling in relief. After such a long wait, it was finally here, and I didn't even feel that nervous or hesitant. Just ready to do the ceremony, have the reception, and start flying to Hawaii—we once heard Paris as an idea, but Chris and I thought that was just a little too much for a honeymoon. Not only was a domestic tourist spot cheaper, we didn't know any French (despite me hanging around Silena for several years).

"Alright, just don't lose yourself, alright?"

"I know, I know..."

Truth be told, there was a bit of a melancholy element to it. There were a lot of friends that I wish were here for this: Lee, Michael, Beckendorf, and Silena, for instance. Even my own mom—who I had a halfway decent relationship with at best—but she lost her battle with lung cancer some years ago. But I made peace with all of it, for I couldn't change the past, only focus on the future.

"Okay... we gotta get rolling," my maid of honor said, snapping me from my thoughts. "Okay, big girl. We're all prepped. Nyssa, get Gleeson in here, please."

"You got it!" the daughter of Hephaestus replied, heading for the door to call for the satyr. "Coach—oh... uh, hi. She's in—"

"I know, kid," a rough male voice replied, making me jerk my head towards the doorway. Standing there was none other than my father, Ares. However, rather than his standard biker outfit, he wore a clean, crisp suit. With the sunglasses on, he looked like a Secret Service agent (or literally any fed in existence).

"Uh... Lord Ares," Annabeth greeted after a moment of silence, cutting off whatever speech she had when he held up his hand.

"It's fine," I said, standing up the best I could with the dress on. "Dad."

"Clarisse. You look... nice," he said after a moment, before motioning for Annabeth and Nyssa to leave. The two quickly left, closing the door behind them.

"Something up?"

"Just came to attend. And before you say anything, I'm not here to muscle into Hedge's spot as he walks you down the aisle. Just here to attend, give my best wishes, all that jazz."

"Oh... well, thanks."

"Honestly, I know I haven't been the best father. And I'm not expecting forgiveness. But I'd rather be here now than never, especially when my daughter's getting married. And I've heard the father-daughter dance is an important element... if you'd rather do it with Hedge, it's fi—"

"That's... actually pretty sweet, Dad," I said with a smile, cutting him off. Honestly, I was glad he was here. I had longed for his approval for a long time and still did, to a degree. Plus, we'd improved our relationship a decent bit—not to a normal level, but to a good one at the very minimum—over the past twenty years. "I'm glad you're here, really."

"Yeah... me too. If it's any help, I told Aphrodite and just about everyone else to stay the hell away from the wedding and not interfere. Also, regarding Rodriguez... don't tell him, but I approve of him."

"Well, that's rather convenient, isn't it?"

After some discussion and photos with Gleeson, my father, my bridesmaids, and my brothers (the ones that weren't Chris's groomsmen), it was decided that Ares would take over for walking me down the aisle (with Gleeson assuring me that he was one hundred percent okay with this, saying that it was good that Ares stepped up).

Finally, it was time as my bridesmaids made their way down to the beach to join the groomsmen, guests, and Chris. Meanwhile, I stood further back up the path, taking some deep breaths as Dad stood after removing his shoes.

"I still don't understand why a beach wedding was absolutely necessary," he grumbled as he knocked sand from his shoes.

"It's a pretty stupid reason," I admitted. "In other words, Percy Jackson."

"That kid is a whole other level of weird, I'll tell you that."

"Okay, it's time!" Ty—my brother and the oldest in Ares Cabin after me and Sherman—reported as he jogged towards us. "Knock 'im dead, sis!"

"Thanks, bro," I replied, patting him on the shoulder before Dad took my arm and began taking me down to the beach. It was a relatively small group—I had Annabeth, Nyssa, Kayla, and Katie as bridesmaids; Chris had Sherman, Mark, Percy, Connor, and Travis as groomsmen; Chiron was officiating; both of our cabins, plus select people from other cabins, sat on each side of the aisle; Gleeson, Mellie, Chuck, and Sylvester sat by my cabin; and Tyson was there because he made our rings.

Dad and I slowly made our way down as Austin played "Bridal March" on his guitar, making it as dramatic as he could without turning it into a rom-com score. At the end of the aisle between the groups of no more than twenty chairs each was an arch of metal and flowers created by Harley, Jake, and the Gardiners (as jacked up as it sounds in theory, it actually looked amazing in execution), Chiron in the center with a small book in hand. And right next to him was—cheesy as it sounds—the love of my life and soon-to-be husband, Chris.

"Lord Ares, are you giving this woman away?" Chiron asked as we reached the end.

"I am," he replied firmly as he slowly unhooked his arm from mine and, in an unexpected move, grasped me in a gentle, yet strong hug.

"Hey, so are we!" Ty exclaimed, with my brothers shouting in agreement before Chiron made them shut up.

"Aww, you do care!" I teased, shoving my brother lightly.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah... focus on the right man, dingus!"

"If you say so," I chuckled as I turned towards Chris—who looked really damn handsome in that suit of his. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself," he replied with a grin as he took my hands. "Goddamn, you look pretty."

"Rodriguez!" Dad called before he sat down with Ty. "I expect everything more than the best from you."

"Will do, sir. With all my heart."

"You better."

"Anyways!" Chiron loudly interjected, trying to get things back on schedule. "Lord Ares, my children, as you are all aware, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Christopher Rodriguez and Clarisse La Rue in holy matrimony. Please be seated. Now, love is not just the force that brings us together on this glorious day, but it inspires us daily: whether it be between parents and children, brothers and sisters, friends and family, and beyond. It inspires togetherness, sacrifice, heroism, and beyond. Chris and Clarisse—"

Frankly, I tuned out most of what Chiron was saying. Not because I didn't care for my old teacher's words, but I was far too focused on Chris. He looked handsome—the suit nicely fit him, and his beard made him look sexy and mature. But beyond that, when I gazed at him, I could see a slew of great things about him: bravery, intelligence, humor, and kindness. Many days, I hoped to have half as much as he did—though he often said the same thing about me (no, he wasn't kissing up, considering that he's taller than me).

I expected myself to give some sort of snarky remark when he popped the question (i.e., "took you long enough!"), but it never came, and I had a slight emotional breakdown... okay, I was crying like a baby, shut up. At least it was happy crying and my brothers didn't tease me too much.

"Now, if anyone believes that this man and woman should not be joined together, speak now or forever hold your peace," Chiron prompted.

"NOBODY BETTER TRY IT!" Dad loudly threatened, drawing a machete out of nowhere.

"Dad, I don't think anyone's gonna try it," Ty assured him. "But you've definitely made a few people crap their underwear."

"GOOD!"

"Olympus's sake," Chiron muttered under his breath before recomposing himself. "Our couple has some things they'd like to say. Clarisse, ladies first."

"Okay... Chris, I gotta say, I'm surprised it took this long for us to get to this point. Not that I blame you, but it did take a while... at least, I'm pretty sure that's what Silena would say. We're here now, though, and it's been a journey. From the bullcrap at the Battle of Manhattan and everything before and beyond, I'm glad you've been with me. You've had my back, pulled my ass outta the fire more times that I can count, and taught me a good few things. I can't promise to be the perfect wife, but I'll stop trying when hell freezes over," I vowed.

"Damn, sis!" Ty shouted, eliciting chuckles and shushes from other audience members.

"Clarisse... I honestly never expected this to occur, 'specially after the shit I pulled back in the day. But hey, better now than never, right? Well... can't say I have much to say, but I do promise to continue to have your back and teach and learn with you, whatever life throws at us. And I'll definitely continue to pull your fine ass outta the fire," Chris promised, eliciting snorts from the groomsmen, sighs from the bridesmaids, and a very loud throat-clearing from my father. "Jokes aside, like your pop said, you ain't gettin' nothing less than the best from me."

"Everything more than the best, not 'nothing less than the best,'" Dad corrected.

"Thank you for your input, Lord Ares. Now... rings," Chiron prompted, with Annabeth and Sherman handing me and Chris the rings. "Chris, place yours on Clarisse's finger and repeat after me: with this ring."

"With this ring," Chris echoed.

"I, Christopher Rodriguez."

"I, Christopher Rodriguez."

"Take Clarisse La Rue."

"Take Clarisse La Rue."

"To be my lawfully wedded wife."

"To be my waffle—waffley—er," Chris stumbled, making me giggle. But before I could lock it down, he had to throw in a joke: "And pancakey."

That did it for me as I burst into uncontrollable laughter, with much of the audience following me. It was corny and a complete dad joke, but it was still one of the funniest things I'd ever heard (I was probably an emotional mess).

"You know how scared I've been of this?" Chris asked Chiron before looking towards the audience. "Seriously, I've been terrified and this happens. Sorry folks, just give her a sec."

"I knew I should have retired years ago," Chiron sighed defeatedly as I continued to howl with laughter, trying and failing to compose myself.

"Dammit, La Rue! You were supposed to become Clarisse Rodriguez seven minutes ago!" Percy barked. "C'mon, boys! Let's give her a bath n' wake her up!"

"Okay, okay, okay," I snorted, finally calming myself down and warding off the crazy groomsmen. "Okay... I'm good. You ain't ruining this dress, jackass."

"Whatever you say, princess."

"But yeah, I take her to be my lawfully wedded wife," Chris interjected, bringing us back on track.

"To love, cherish, and protect through all circumstances of life," Chiron prompted.

"To love, cherish, and protect through all circumstances of life."

"Until death do us part."

"Until death do us part."

"Now for the bride... I, Clarisse La Rue."

"I, Clarisse La Rue," I repeated, trying (and failing) to keep my tone calm.

"Take Christopher Rodriguez."

"Take Christopher Rodriguez."

"To be my lawfully wedded husband."

"To be my lawfully wedded husband."

"To love, cherish, and protect through all circumstances of life."

"To love, cherish, and protect through all circumstances of life."

"Until death do us part."

"Until death do us part."

"With these public promises and the exchange of wedding bands... by the power vested in me by Olympus, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss—" Chiron declared, cut off by Chris grabbing me and pressing his lips to mine. "—the bride. Oh, I really should have retired."

"HELL YEAH, BROTHER!" just about every man in the audience bellowed, with Sherman slapping Chris on the back in congratulations.

"And now," Chiron said loudly, evidently wanting to get the situation over with, as we broke apart. "Please stand in recognition of Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez!"

At that, Chris and I began making our way back down the aisle at the cheers and congratulations from our small audience, hands clasped together as we laughed the whole way out of the area.

"Holy crap, we just did that!" Chris exclaimed. "You're my wife now!"

"Yeah, I know!" I replied, exhaling a sigh of relief. "You're my husband!"

"Hot damn! That's right! Sheesh!"

As my bridesmaids helped me change out of my dress back at the Big House (with the groomsmen successfully restraining Chris from entering, under the decision to consummate the marriage later), we went back to the beach for the reception. Food and drink were brought from the dining pavilion for the event along with a makeshift dance floor, speakers, floating disco balls, tables, chairs, and some other miscellaneous items.

After photos and the ceremonial dances—with Hedge still taking part in a section of the father-daughter dance "because [he] could," and Mellie joining Chris in the mother-son dance given that Chris's mom was dead—we quickly got everyone seated as Sherman stood to do his thing as the MC and best man.

"Hello? Hello? Is this thing on?" he asked into the microphone, quickly making the crowd silent. "Coach, you have some words to say?"

"Thank y'all for bringin' your butts out here this evenin', cupcakes!" Gleeson barked. "And welcome to the Rodriguez wedding reception! Lord Ares?"

"I approve of this union fully. There are no disadvantages to it whatsoever. Thanks for coming," Dad added before shrugging. "Speeches aren't my thing, nor are they Hedge's. Mars on the other hand..."

"Okaaay, now that the fathers of the bride are done... Annabeth?" Sherman prompted, with the blonde taking the microphone.

"For a long time, Clarisse and I weren't friends, but bitter enemies. Sometimes I still wonder where we stand. Nonetheless, I'm honored that she made me her maid of honor, and am very happy to see her and Chris finally tying the knot," Annabeth said, eliciting several "damn right"s from the audience.

"There are plenty of people that can't make it today: Michael Yew, Lee Fletcher, Charles Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, and many others..." she added, making me internally wince briefly before letting the hurt go. "But I'm sure all of them would've been really happy for you. Clarisse and Chris, congratulations to you both and all the best in this next chapter of your lives. Love you guys!"

After Chris and I each gave her a hug and thanks (seriously, I was an emotional mess), Sherman took the stage for his best man speech.

"When I heard Clarisse got herself a boyfriend, I was suspicious like a good brother should be," he began, getting several snickers from the rest of my brothers. "Beyond some other matters, Chris was a freakin' Hermes kid... related to the jackasses we all know as the Stolls."

"HEY!" the nearly identical brothers shouted indignantly.

"Shaddap, you idiots. But this 40K nerd proved himself, not only because he could communicate with Clarisse and make her happy, but he bulked up and took on some of our traits—seriously, if you saw a before-and-after picture collection, you'd think this boy was on 'roids," he joked, making Chris grin and flip him the bird. "He may not share any blood—okay, any direct blood, considering all the godly non-DNA bullcrap involved—but we accepted him as one of us. And now, he is our brother. Clarisse, we love you and wish you the best. Chris... welcome to hell."

"Love you too, buddy," Chris laughed as he stood, Sherman giving him a bro-hug before embracing me.

"Oh, and we have a very special speaker as well: Percy Jackson!"

"Wait, what?" the sailor asked as Ty and Mark pulled him from his seat. "Dude, I didn't prepare squat!"

"This is what you get for disappearing for twenty years!"

"I hate all of you!"

"Shaddap and man up, Perce!" Chris shouted as Sherman thrust the microphone in Percy's hands and shoved him up front.

"Damn y'all," Percy grumbled before composing himself. "I hated Clarisse for a long time and honestly still do. Seriously, the hazing at the beginning? Not cool... but hey, I remember when I was the new guy in my first unit and got forced to scrub the toilets by my chief. Ended up doing the same thing to another new guy when I was the LPO... good times. La R—er, Rodriguez here, ultimately, was a bit of a turd. So imagine my surprise when I find that she's knockin' boots with Chris over here. I could only pray for the poor dude. Hell, I once told him it wasn't a good idea and offered to stick her in a chum-flavored sack and throw her to some sharks. Now, though... I still want to chuck her into a school of sharks from time to time."

"Feelin' the love, Jackson," I scoffed with an eye-roll as Chris was laughing his head off.

"Nonetheless, any man that can reign in this tempest is a legend, and like Yang said, he bulked up and got accepted by the Ares boys, so while he may be insane, Chris is definitely one you should respect. My man, best of luck to you with this one. And Clarisse, don't screw it up. God bless, guys."

"Son of a bitch," Chris mocked as he exchanged a hug with Percy, before I did the same.

"Sea bastard," I whispered into Percy's ear.

"War bitch," he shot back before releasing me with a grin. "Though you're now technically Chris's bitch, so have fun with that."

"Okay, that's enough out of you, cupcake!" Dad interjected, with Percy looking at him in shock.

"What?!?"

"Cupcake," he repeated with a grin, sharing a no-look high five with Gleeson.

"Dammit."

"SPEAKING OF!" Sherman shouted, bringing us back to the script. "CAKE TIME!"

After a quick cake-cutting in which Chris and I ultimately put more food on each other than in our mouths, the dance floor was opened and the party was kicked up to eleven. Of course, mine and Chris's brothers (technically my brothers-in-law now) sowed more chaos than the primordial itself. Even Mikey, who could barely stand on his own two feet after sustaining injuries in Operation Azrael, was in on the action, with Kayla supporting my lanky brother as the two danced like lunatics.

But of course, the reception came to an end. After tossing my bouquet (which split in half because it wasn't secured properly, resulting in Kayla and Annabeth each snagging a section), I shared a few words and hugs with my brothers, the Hedges, and my father while Chris got his own final congratulations.

"It's a wild ride, but definitely a fun one. Be safe, dear," Mellie said as she gave me one last hug, with her departing to put Chuck and Sylvester to bed.

"Lemme know if your other half acts out, and I'll have a word with him," Gleeson said.

"I second that," Dad added.

"Thanks guys, but I think we'll be okay," I replied as Chris made his way back to me.

"You two behave now. 'Specially you... son," Dad said, looking straight at my husband as they shook hands.

"Yessir!" Chris acknowledged with a grin. "We'll keep it from getting too crazy."

Dad just grunted, nodding to each of us before walking away and disappearing in an explosion of red light. Gleeson just rolled his eyes, gave each of us his final best wishes, and strolled off to find his family.

After the final (yes, final) goodbyes, we changed out of our formal attire, grabbed out suitcases, and loaded up in one of the SUVs, with Percy having volunteered to drop us off at JFK so we could make our 9:30 flight to Honolulu.

"Okay, you two behave yourselves back there," he ordered as we began the drive from the camp, waving goodbye. "And up there, I guess."

"What, did you seriously think we'd try to join the Mile High Club, Perce?" Chris joked.

"Hey, you married her."

"Screw you, Jackson!" I scoffed.

"No way, you're married!"

The rest of the drive there was much like this—almost like the times we hung out together after the Battle of Manhattan, which mostly consisted of Percy hanging with me and Chris claiming that if it weren't for him, the two of us would be dead by now.

"Okay, we'll be at your terminal in two mikes—er, minutes," Percy announced as we got closer to JFK, with Chris's watch reading 8:27. "Looks pretty crowded, so this is gonna be touch-and-go. Still, it's twenty twenty-seven, so you've got time."

"That reminds me of something, Perce. When Max's dad came to pick him up—First Sergeant Turner, or something like that—he mentioned 'OIR' and Mosul," Chris recalled, piquing my curiosity.

"Operation Inherent Resolve. What about it?"

"You said you were over there at one point, didn't you?"

"I mean... yeah."

"What Turner said about a sailor taking a machine gun when his soldier went down and protecting the Humvee, that was you, wasn't it? You saved that guy's life, didn't you?"

Percy simply took a deep breath as the vehicle came to a halt among vehicle and foot traffic in the crowded terminal.

"What happened in '15 happened. I was just trying to process the situation," he sighed. "Didn't expect to meet someone I briefly saw in Iraq."

"2015? Percy, does that mean that... well, Max..." I stammered out, shocked at the revelation, before he held up his hand to cut me off.

"I'll tell you what: you come back from your honeymoon alive, then the next time we meet, I'll tell you how the story goes. 'Cause in all seriousness, you two gotta worry about your honeymoon and your future lives, not the stories of an old sailor. Okay?"

"... okay. Deal."

"Check. You two take care, now."

"Thanks, bro," Chris said, the two sharing one final handshake as we disembarked with our suitcases. "Perce! Thanks for comin' back!"

"Thanks for invitin' me!" he replied. "Now get your butts to the gate!"

"Aye-aye, sir!" I acknowledged with a mock-salute, getting a grin in return before he drove off. Truly, he had evolved into a different man, but it was comforting to know a few things would remain the same.

"Well, Mrs. Rodriguez," Chris said, holding out his arm. "Shall we?"

"We shall, Mr. Rodriguez," I replied with a grin, looping my arm in his before making our way into the terminal.

And thus, a chapter ended.

Well, hooray for the happy couple! Don't worry, this is just a quick break before we get back into SEAL Percy (and as much as I don't understand romance, I'd figure I'd take a crack at writing it... FOR I FEAR NO CHALLENGE!). I know it was a bit odd putting Ares in here, but my own wishful thinking has me believe that in the twenty years between The Blood of Olympus and Warfighter, that some god-demigod relationships evolved in a positive manner.

I swear, I've seen too many Hallmark movies.

As always, thanks for reading, and be sure to leave a comment to let me know what's good and what's bad! Next up: FUR TANK!

Until then,

- ADF-2