Before the Wedding

Antonia/Jen

Jen takes her dress out of the box and lays it on the bed. Antonia is due to arrive any minute to begin preparations for the big day. ~~I hope she can help me with my hair ... she's always got hers up so nicely.~~

Antonia walks down the corridor to Jen's quarters. She has the box containing her dress in one hand and her shoes in the other. Upon arriving at Jen's quarter's she rings the chime.

Hearing the chime, Jen grins and calls out, "Come on in!" while walking to the door to greet her friend.

Antonia smiles as the door slides open. "Hi there. I hope I'm not to early," she says as she steps inside of her friends quarters.

"Oh no, you could never be too early! Here, let me take something from you." She takes the box containing the dress and carries it into her room, laying it down beside hers. Turning to her friend, she says, "Tonia, would you like something to drink?" And grinning, "Any butterflies residing in your stomach yet?"

"Thank you," she says following Jen into her room. She places her shoes on the floor and sighs. "Yes, just a few," she says with a nervous laugh. "I would love a glass of ice water though."

"Well, try not to be too worried. You've got a great man there. If you couldn't see it, he absolutely beams whenever you walk into a room. He absolutely adores you. He'll take care of you, as if you were the princess you are." Grinning, she goes out and replicates ice water for both Tonia and herself. Bringing the two glasses into the bedroom, she hands one to Tonia, and flops on the bed.

Antonia takes the ice water from Jen. "Thanks," she says and then sits own on the bed beside her friend. "I know that he adores me and I him and I'm so lucky to have him in my life. He treats me really well. My father doesn't see that but hopefully he will come around and will see what a great man Liam is."

Knowing that her father was a sore point in Antonia's life, she tried to show her displeasure, yet not bring the mood down. "I'm sure he will. And if he doesn't, well, you've still got your family here." She gives Tonia a big hug.

Antonia smiles and hugs her friend tightly. "I will always consider everyone on the Fed my family no matter where I go and even if he doesn't come around I have decided that it will be his loss and not mine." Antonia decides to change the subject. "So, are you ready to create the bouquets?" she says smiling.

"Oh, yes! You said white and purple orchids, right? Let's see if there's anything in the computer ... if not, we can make them ourselves." Jen stands up and goes to the replicator to see what is in the menu.

Antonia stands up and walks with Jen to the replicator to scroll through the menu. Antonia points to the white orchid and says, "This is the white one that we had picked out now lets find the lavender one."

Jen scrolls, and finds the proper lavender orchid. "This is the one. Now, we just have to get bouquets made using these two flowers."

Antonia smiles, "That shouldn't be to hard. We won't have to use to many flowers, because of the size of them. I think we should stick some baby's breath in with them as well though. What do you think?"

"Yes, definitely baby's breath. I think I'd like some flowers in my hair too ... maybe just a few sprigs of baby's breath would look nice."

Antonia nods in agreement. "I bet that would look good. What did you have in mind for your hair other than the baby's breath," she asks as she begins to put her bouquet together.

Taking her flowers, she fashions a bouquet. "I was thinking of having it up somehow ... to show off the back of the dress." Looking at her friend sheepishly, she said, "Do you think you could help me with that part?"

"I would love to help you with that, as long as you will help me with mine," she says smiling at Jen. "I have an idea for your hair if you want to hear it."

Laughing, "Sure, I'd love to hear your idea, and of course I'll help you with yours!" Jen puts her finished bouquet on the table for safe keeping until they were ready.

Antonia continues to work on her bouquet. "Well, I was thinking of a French braid, but starting the braid at the base of your neck and going toward the top of your head. Once we get to the top we could secure the braid with a clip and curl what's left into ringlets and allow them to fall around the braid and securing some of them with pins. What do you think? " she says placing the finishing touches on her bouquet and

placing it on the table.

Sighing, Jen says, "That sounds lovely! Did you have any particular idea for yours?"

Antonia smiles, "Well, I was thinking of a French twist with ringlets framing my face. How do you think that will look with the veil?"

Pondering the thought, and envisioning it, Jen replies, "I think it'll be perfect. Are you ready to start getting dressed?"

Antonia sighs a happy sigh as the butterflies begin to come back. She nods her head, "Yes, I am more than ready."

Grinning, Jen goes to the bed and picks up Antonia's box, taking the flowing dress out. She lays it out on the bed to make it easier to put on, and says, "Oh, don't forget to check the buffet table at the reception ... we ... the Science Department ... put a special gift to you there."

Smiling, Antonia walks over to the bed and looks down at the dress that Jen laid out on the bed. "I will be sure to do that," she says as the picks up the dress and holds it against her.

Jen sighs, looking at the lovely vision Antonia made with her dress. A tear of happiness slides down her cheek, and she brushes it away. "Antonia, you look lovely! Now, lets get you into that thing for real."

Antonia places the dress down on the bed. She looks that chronometer that Jen has beside her bed and realizes that they only have a short time before they have to go to the holodeck. "I guess we better get ready, huh? Do you want to help me get dressed first or would it be easier for you to get ready and then help me?"

Thinking for a minute, "I think it'll be easier for me to work on you in my dress, than it would be for you to do the same. So, let me slip this on, then we'll get started." Jen quickly removes her clothing, and slips the dress on. Turning her back to her friend, she says, "Here, could you lace this up for me?"

"Of course." Antonia walks over to where her friend is standing and laces up the back of her dress. "That's not to tight is it?"

Moving around her shoulders to gauge the fit, "Nope, feels just about perfect. I'm going to leave the heels off until we head down to the holodeck though. My feet are gonna kill me by the end of the night, but that's OK." Grinning, she turns around and does a quick spin in her dress. "I love it ... it's so comfortable!"

Antonia smiles brightly at her friend. "You look absolutely beautiful in that dress. I think it looks even better than when you tried it on in Garak's. Why don't you sit down in this chair and I'll go ahead and do your hair." Antonia motions to the chair in front of a mirror.

Jen seats herself in the chair, and picks up her brush. She pulls it through her hair several times, being sure that there are no knots left in it. "OK ... do you want me to bend over to do this, or, what?"

Antonia thinks for a moment and then nods. "Yes, it might be easier until I get the braid finished if you would lean forward a little."

Jen leans forward at the waist, and pulls all of her hair away from her neck. "I'm all yours," she said, grinning.

Antonia smiles and runs the brush through Jen's hair. She begins to fashion Jen's hair into an upside down French braid. As she reaches the crown of Jen's head she secures the braid with a hair clip. "Okay, done. You can sit back up now."

Jen sits back up and admires Antonia's handiwork in the mirror. "Wow ... now, a few baby's breath, and it's all done."

Antonia nods, "Yeah, I need to stick the baby's breath in the braid and then curl the rest into ringlets and then it will be done." Antonia goes into the other room and gets a few sprigs of baby's breath. She walks back into the bedroom. "Got the baby's breath." Antonia moves the hair that hasn't been curled into ringlets out of the way and adds the baby's breath to the braid. "What do you think of that?"

Wiping another tear from her cheek, "Wow ... you've made it look like this is MY day. Thanks so much! It's wonderful!" She stands up and gives her friend another hug. "OK ... your turn!" Jen goes to the bed and gets Antonia's dress ready for donning.

Antonia smiles, "I'm glad that you like it. I've always loved fixing other people's hair. I never had a sister to do that with, before now that is." Antonia smiles again as she slips out of her clothes. She begins putting on her dress with Jen's help.

"Well, I've had sisters, but they are younger ... about all they could do to my hair was tangle it up." Jen slides the dress over Tonia's head, and helps her to settle it about her body.

Antonia chuckles as she helps Jen situate the dress. "I can understand why you wouldn't want them doing your hair."

"I'm sure they're better now, but they've got each other." Jen shakes her head lovingly thinking of her twin sisters. "They don't go anywhere without the other." Jen steps behind Antonia and zips up the dress.

"I have heard that about some twins. It's good that they have each other." Antonia looks at herself in the mirror and sighs. "I can't believe that it's almost time."

Grinning, Jen puts her hands on Antonia's shoulders and smiles into the mirror at her. "Yes, Ms. Trull ... your days are soon numbered. As of about an hour from now, you'll be Mrs. Kincaid for the rest of your life. Now, let's get that hair done."

Antonia smiles, "and I can't wait." She walks over to the mirror and begins to brush her hair separating what will be curled into ringlets and what will pulled up into a French twist. "If I get this up into the twist can you help secure it with a clip and then put my veil on?"

"Of course!" Jen gets the clip and veil ready for donning.

Antonia twist her hair and gets it ready for the clip. "Okay, Jen it's ready." She holds the twist just below where the clip should go.

Jen places the clip in place. "There ya go."

"Thank you." Antonia begins to curl the hair around her face into ringlets. Once she is done she places the curling iron back down on the table and turns to Jen. "Well, what do you think?"

Taking in the entire vision that is Antonia, she says, "You're gonna break a lot of hearts tonight. You're beautiful, just as a bride should be."

Turning around she looks at herself in the mirror. Quickly she turns around and looks at Jen. "Jen, I forgot Liam's ring. It's still in my quarters."

Thinking quickly, "OK ... you grab that, I'll get our bouquets and meet you in the holodeck. Don't forget your shoes, either!" She places her shoes on her feet, and grabs the veil from the bed, as they quickly head into the living room.

She stops Jen as they reach the door of her quarters. "Wait. I need to know where Liam is at first. I can't risk him seeing me before the wedding. Computer, Locate Major Liam Kincaid."

The Computer responds, "Major Kincaid is in Holodeck Three."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Jen gives her friend a gentle push out the door. Now, go! I'll meet you there in five minutes!"

"Okay, five minutes. I'll see you there." Antonia rushes toward her quarters.

Jen grabs the bouquets and the veil, takes one last sweep about her quarters, and exits for the holodeck. ~~It's time!~~

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