Chapter 64: Wedding Preparations - Part 2
The bachelor party started at the Alibi at 8 PM.
Ben walked into the bar to find it decorated with "LAST NIGHT OF FREEDOM" banners that he found ironic considering he'd never felt freer than since committing to Fiona. Kevin had set up the pool table, stocked the bar, and invited every male within Ben's orbit.
"Bachelor!" Kevin shouted. "Time to celebrate your last night as a free man!"
"I've been living with her for over a year," Ben pointed out. "Not sure what changes except paperwork."
"Everything changes," Lip said, handing him a beer. "Trust me on this."
The crowd was mix of family and friends—Lip home from MIT, Ian and Mickey, Carl (technically underage but nobody cared), Tommy and Marcus from the shop, Kevin, and even Frank looking surprisingly sober.
"Speech!" someone shouted.
Lip stood with his beer, went quiet until everyone was listening. "I'm supposed to tell embarrassing stories about Ben, but honestly? I don't have any. He showed up January 2011, integrated into our family, saved Ian's life, built a business, and loved my sister through chaos that would've destroyed most people."
"Boring!" Carl yelled.
"Shut up. I'm being sincere." Lip raised his glass. "Ben, you saved our family. Not dramatically—just by being steady. By preparing for problems, building stability, showing us what responsible adults look like. You married Fiona in every way that matters months ago. Tomorrow's just paperwork."
"To paperwork!" Kevin added.
They drank. Then Carl stood.
"My turn. Ben taught me mechanic skills when I was getting in fights daily. Gave me something to focus on besides neighborhood chaos. He's the best mentor I ever had—which isn't hard considering Frank's the competition—but still. Ben's good people."
Marcus from the shop stood next. "Boss gave me a job when I was blacklisted for union organizing. Paid fair wages, treated me with respect, trusted me with responsibility. Tomorrow he's marrying Fiona, but he's been family to everyone here for months. That's worth celebrating."
Ian went next. "Ben prevented me from dying from that gunshot previously. Saved my life literally and then helped me find stability after. He's the most consistently good person I know. Fiona's lucky. We're all lucky."
Mickey stood reluctantly. "Fisher's alright for a do-gooder. He helped when Ian needed it, paid me fair for surveillance work, and hasn't snitched on any of my various illegal activities. That's basically love in South Side language."
Everyone laughed. Even Frank stood with his beer.
"I'm a disaster father," Frank said. "We all know it. But Ben—Ben's everything I should've been. Responsible, prepared, caring about consequences. My daughter's marrying someone who's already been more father to her siblings than I ever was. That's... that's good. That's what she deserves."
The sentiment was surprisingly genuine. Ben felt emotion building in his throat—these people, this family, this life he'd built from transmigration and preparation and love.
"Thanks," he managed. "All of you. For accepting me, trusting me, becoming family. Tomorrow I marry Fiona, but you're all part of that. This wedding is about family, not just couple. So thanks."
They played pool, told stories, drank responsibly (mostly). At midnight, Ben left for the shop where he'd agreed to sleep—wedding tradition demanded he not see Fiona until the ceremony.
Fiona
The bachelorette party was smaller, quieter, and more emotional.
V had organized it at her and Kevin's place—just women, wine, and conversation. Fiona, V, Debbie (supervised, no alcohol), and a few neighborhood women who'd become friends over the years.
"To Fiona!" V toasted. "Who survived chaos, cocaine arrest, house arrest, and pre-wedding jitters to get here!"
"I barely survived," Fiona said.
"But you did survive. That's what matters."
They drank cheap wine and ate snacks V had prepared. Conversation flowed easily—stories about relationships, advice about marriage, laughter about the chaos that led to this point.
"Tell us how you knew," Mrs. Rodriguez requested. "How you knew Ben was the one."
Fiona thought about it—the moment she'd known. "He prepared for disasters I didn't know were coming. Had Narcan positioned before cocaine appeared. Trained Debbie to protect Liam months before Robbie showed up. Built systems that saved me from prison."
"That's preparation, not love," V said gently.
"The preparation was love. He saw disasters approaching and instead of warning me—which I wouldn't have believed—he just prepared to protect me from consequences. That's love. Active, careful, obsessive love."
"Obsessive is right," V agreed. "But in the best way."
Debbie spoke up. "Ben taught us drug safety when we didn't know why. Then when Robbie appeared with cocaine, I knew exactly what to do. That training saved Liam. That's not just preparation—that's love for the whole family."
Fiona was crying now. "He saved me from myself as much as from Robbie. Showed me stability isn't boring—it's freedom. Gave me resources to choose the life I want instead of just surviving. That's love."
"So you're ready?" V asked. "Ready to marry him tomorrow?"
"I'm ready. I choose him. Consciously. Forever." Fiona wiped tears. "He's the best decision I ever made."
They talked until after midnight—about marriage, family, futures. When Fiona finally left for V's spare room where she'd sleep, she was exhausted and happy and certain.
Tomorrow she married Ben. Tomorrow forever officially started.
Ben
Ben lay awake in the shop's small office reviewing vows he'd written.
Simple words about choosing each other, building together, facing whatever came as partners. Nothing flowery—neither of them did flowery. Just honest commitment expressed in direct language.
His MacGyver Mind reviewed tomorrow's logistics—ceremony at 4 PM, photos after, reception at 5:30, food at 6, dancing at 7. Weather forecast showed perfect August evening. Every detail was managed.
But underneath logistics was emotion he couldn't calculate. Tomorrow Fiona became his wife. The woman he'd protected, built with, fought for, loved through impossible circumstances. Tomorrow made it official.
I transmigrated into this world January 2011. Became Ben Fisher with no identity, no resources, just powers and foreknowledge. Chose to protect the Gallaghers instead of running. Built stability from chaos. Fell in love with Fiona somewhere between protecting her family and building our future.
Tomorrow that transmigrator becomes a husband. Those TV characters become permanent family. This world becomes home not just temporarily but forever.
His phone buzzed. Fiona: Can't sleep. Too excited/nervous.
Ben: Same. Reviewing vows for the hundredth time.
Fiona: Are they good?
Ben: They're honest. That's better than good.
Fiona: I can't wait to marry you.
Ben: Few more hours. Then you're stuck with me forever.
Fiona: Best stuck ever. Love you.
Ben: Love you too. Get some sleep. Tomorrow's a big day.
Fiona: Tomorrow's THE day.
She was right. Tomorrow was the day. The culmination of nineteen months of preparation, protection, and building. Tomorrow Fiona Gallagher became Fiona Fisher. Tomorrow their forever officially began.
Ben finally slept around 2 AM, vows memorized, logistics confirmed, heart full of anticipation for the ceremony that would transform everything while changing nothing about what already existed between them.
Tomorrow. Wedding. Forever.
We're ready.
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