Chapter Text
Another day, another job to do, something Reese is aware of, as he wore an outfit that’s unbecoming to some who know him.
Tasked by the Machine, Reese infiltrated a wedding, what should be a happy occasion to some, yet it’s saying that something is amiss if Reese is here.
What is to happen hasn’t yet; the Machine has been interpreting data as it comes and goes, but the general idea involves multiple people at the wedding and the person of interest potentially being either the groom or his blushing bride.
Having already gone through both families’ personal lives, the Machine confirms the powder keg Reese is metaphorically walking around will be a difficult task.
Worse is yet to come as there’s a metaphorical wick that hasn’t been lit yet.
Already, Reese had to deal with emotional bridesmaids who were envious of Debbie being the bride and groomsmen with liquor breaths masked by copious amounts of mouthwash.
There are internal disputes within both families, there’s bad blood between older generations, and Reese needs to do whatever he can to prevent a catastrophic event from happening on his watch.
Having been involved with drunken uncles fighting each other since everyone came together, Reese isn’t sure which family member will do something, but if everything he’s done since that fateful day, he met Finch taught him anything, that anything can and has happened.
Seeing gaggles of children running amok, it only drove Reese even more concerned about what is to come.
Subtly patrolling the chapel as everyone mingled waiting for the moment the wedding ceremony commences, already Rees helped break up familial squabbles amongst members as bad blood is still prevalent in the air.
It wouldn’t surprise Reese if the bride and groom never allowed their families to step near their wedding ceremony, but given what he witnessed as a replacement groomsman, though their families aren’t exactly picturesque, they still loved them.
An argument broke out over the food. Two older gentlemen squabble about the dishes that the young couple ordered for the wedding, complaining about them not being traditional enough.
Before it devolved into regional differences of the dishes and the superiority of one over the other.
Getting heated enough causes Reese to have to step in as he’s noticeably taller than the men.
Throwing foreign words at one another, the men continue to fight verbally over their perceived superior regional dish.
“Come on, today’s supposed to be a happy occasion!” Reese groans as he appeals to the men to put aside their differences for the few hours, they’re at the chapel.
Throwing up their hands, the men grew disgruntled at the thought of being in the chapel for any more time on top of how long they already spent.
In his earpiece, the Machine gave Reese helpful advice on how to get the men to go their separate ways without further incident, and finally, the men do just that, still cursing at each other in their respected native language.
Narrowly avoiding a full-on brawl, Reese sighs as he shakes his head, unsure whether he’s there to protect someone or preventing the next set of families being featured on a countdown video.
Assuring him, the Machine reiterates its concerns that someone at the wedding is a target, but given the two families’ histories, its having problems discerning which person is the target.
Seeing the families interact with one another, Reese can’t help but wonder if there are multiple targets, and how he won’t need to go far to find the culprits, with how boisterous some of the family members are about their accomplishments and willingness to defend them with fisticuffs.
Spotting the other groomsmen drinking tiny bottles said to alleviate hangovers, as if it were going out of style, Reese can’t help but wonder if at funerals this was the families’ response to the wedding.
Grim thing for him to think about, but Reese has seen enough of these families that it was only natural to consider other gatherings.
Taking his spot with the other groomsmen, as the antsy groom-to-be Devon stood by waiting for Debbie.
Keeping tabs on every individual at the wedding, Reese deduces Devon wanting nothing more than the wedding to be over and done with, something Debbie can relate to as stressed she is about fitting her wedding dress, and even Reese since he hasn’t worn a suit like this in years, it felt off for him, something he shouldn’t wear again, yet here he is doing so on a job.
After what felt like an eternity of waiting for something to happen, Reese watches the wedding ceremony commence with the organist playing the traditional music as Debbie appears with her father walking down the aisle.
His mind retreats to a corner where Reese finds himself reminiscing of times before, where he was in Devon’s spot, nervous to the point of his legs rattling to their core, and seeing everyone sitting in the rows ahead of him.
The memories play out as Reese listens to the organ echoing throughout the chapel, until finally he’s snapped back to reality, as the appointed priest began to speak.
Same as always, Reese didn’t listen, and as the priest goes through the process of wedding Debbie and Devon, he subtly surveys the people in the room.
No one stuck out to him as a threat, but with everything he has been exposed to since he arrived, easily the one person he never suspects is the one to be the biggest threat, and that rule of thumb is how he has lived this long.
His attention drawn back to the now-bride and groom, the priest then asks the guests if someone objects to Debbie and Devon’s union.
Easily, the most stressful part of the wedding, around them the air shifts as there’s an agreed silence amongst the families that kept quiet as the priest asks aloud if anyone objects, and when no one says anything, he officiates the marriage.
A triumphant kiss, Debbie and Devon march along the beat of the organ as they walk past their families to the entrance of the chapel where their limousine with cans tied to the back waits for them.
Everything civil for the most part, though they haven’t had the dinner yet, Reese joins the others as they follow the bride and groom outside.
Someone seemed glaring, but there’s a reason for its absence as Reese learnt, throwing bouquets wasn’t something either side wanted, bad luck they claimed, but really Debbie and Devon didn’t want a fight breaking out over who should’ve gotten the bouquet.
The same goes for the traditional petals and rice thrown, didn’t want an altercation breaking out over someone feeling slighted by a mistaken throw.
Excitedly running down to the limousine as she hoists up her gown, Debbie touches the door handle as she turns around to face Devon as he struggles to keep up with her.
As he reaches to the bottom of the staircase, something screeches through the air, so loud everyone stops in their tracks as they cover their ears in shock as a vehicle zooming past the chapel with its back passenger window down, and gun smoke starts filling the air around.
In seconds, screaming women, crying children, panic and disarray rapidly destroy what should been a wonderful occasion.
Amid the commotion, Reese watches the vehicle, a Jeep, disappear into the unknown as quickly as it arrived.
At the bottom of the staircase with blood oozing out of his chest with his dazed eyes staring up at the skies above, only a groom for ten minutes, Devon.
THE NEXT EPISODE… Wedding Crasher