potus } { of wedding planning and compromises

[arbalete]

Derek: [how did he get wrangled into this? He had known he would help with planning the wedding, but the fact they were having a meeting with a wedding planner, Peter, and Allison's mother was giving him a headache. when they finally go to take a break from china patterns he heads out to one of the empty ballrooms for a walk]

Allison: [and she will get up to follow him because she also needs some air, leaving Victoria to squabble with Peter. You're welcome] Hey!

Derek: [and he will turn to look at her] Hey, sorry I just needed to clear my head a bit.

Allison: It's okay. I know there's ... a lot happening in there. [she reaches over to take his hand and pulls him in closer] You know, I was serious when I mentioned eloping earlier.

Derek: After two hours of that, I'm thinking along the same lines.

Allison: The only problem is, how many people would kill us if we did?

Derek: Let's start with the president of the United States and work our way down.

Allison: Probably shouldn't piss her off.

Derek: Probably not. [cuddles her] I do love you.

Allison: I love you too. [she pushes up to kiss him] How about we ride out the next hour before I have to go dress shopping which you are legally not allowed to come to, and when I get home we can figure out a better game plan for planning this thing.

Derek: That works. Though do we have to stick with this wedding planner? You'd think she was planning the wedding for Prince Harry.

Allison: Yeah, I'm not necessarily feeling something that elaborate either.

Derek: I mean, I know we can't have something small because of who our families are, but I want it more intimate.

Allison: Maybe there's a way around that.

Derek: Oh, what are you thinking?

Allison: A very small, very private ceremony just for us and family, and ... a bigger thing after for everyone else.

Derek: [thinks] Could we actually do that?

Allison: We could try. We'd have to really trust the person helping us with the smaller thing not to leak it. [a beat] Or we only tell Peter so that your mother is free and spring it on everyone else.

Derek: Well, if we want someone to help without leaking it, that's what the Mikaelsons are for.

Allison: Do they have a wedding planner?

Derek: No... but Freya can find anything. She's a miracle worker.

Allison: All we'd have to do is break the plan to our parents.

Derek: And we can let them plan the grand reception that can be the family, friends, and all the political needs wrapped into one so we don't accidently insult someone and ruin a career.

Allison: Precisely. It's either that or we run away to Atlantic City with your sister and Lydia as witnesses. I think they'll find it an acceptable compromise.

Derek: Exactly. But I think that's something we need to talk to our mothers about, not Peter. Peter will give us that look he has.

Allison: Well, Peter doesn't get a say. If he wants a big fancy wedding, he can propose to Freya.

Derek: [snorts] Yeah, don't see that happening anytime soon.

Allison: Still. It's not his wedding. He should be able to consider it acceptable. And I only mentioned telling him because he controls your mother's schedule.

Derek: Yeah, but he'll need to know he doesn't have to plan the ceremony.

Allison: Can he handle that loss of control?

Derek: Honestly, I think he might appreciate one less thing to do as long as he can control the reception.

Allison: Let's hope that's true.

Derek: So what should we do now?

Allison: Do you want to sit your mom and my mom down together or should we tell my mom now?

Derek: Tell your mom, Peter, and the planner now. i can talk to my mom later.

Allison: Okay. Let's go. [and they will head back into the room where Allison is going to give the planner a small smile] I'm sorry, but I don't think this is going to work.

Planner: But we've only just started...

Victoria: Allison ...

Allison: I know, and I'm sorry we wasted your time, but I think we're going to go in a different direction. [and she gestures to the door so that they can walk her out] I'll pay you for your time to compensate, of course.

Peter: Derek, do you know just how hard it is to get an appointment with...

Planner: [stands up, huffing] Well, I never. [and will storm out]

Allison: [will wait until the door's closed (with a slam probably) and the woman is gone before she turns back to her mother and Peter] Derek and I have decided we don't want a large elaborate ceremony.

Victoria: And I thought that we discussed ...

Allison: It wasn't a discussion. You told me what I was allowed to have and I didn't get a say. But this is my wedding, and we have come up with a real compromise.

Peter: [his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at his nephew] Compromise?

Derek: Yes. We realize that between the political parties and the presidency, there's a lot we don't get a say in on the guest list. However, we want our wedding to be more intimate. So, compromise. We plan the wedding ceremony, you plan the reception.

Allison: The reception can be as big as you want and you can send as much political capital as you want, we don't care. But we want our ceremony to be for us.

Victoria: And if we don't agree?

Allison: Derek and I take a weekend up to Atlantic City, and you get no wedding at all.

Peter: You'd break your mother's heart like that?

Derek: [licking his lips] I'm sure she'll understand that what's going on right now isn't making us happy.

Allison: And we don't want to exclude anyone. But we don't want our ceremony being used as political currency either, which we think is more than fair.

Victoria: [and she'll glance over to Peter to see what he's thinking]

Peter: [watching them both, then takes a deep breath and looks at Victoria] Pretty sure they aren't giving us much of a choice here.

Victoria: [sighs] I'll discuss it with your grandfather. [and she'll get up to pull out her phone] I'm sure he'll be so pleased.

Allison: [clearly is not budging]

Derek: [and he will look at Allison, then shrugged. He stood in solidarity with her]

Victoria: [and off she goes to talk on the phone, and Allison finally relaxes lightly, before moving to retake her seat]

Allison: Is it really such a big deal? People have ceremonies just for family all the time.

Peter: Well, first I'm going to have to pay a lot to get that planner back to help plan the reception. Second, you're going to have to make a lot of hard choices to cut down who exactly you consider family. Then planning something that will still give you the security you will need for the event, working with the secret service to help with location scouting, making sure the press doesn't sneak in... there's a lot more that goes into this than a guest limit.

Allison: I don't have a lot of extended family. My parents, my grandfather, my aunt. Lydia. Cora and Laura, and their dates if they want them, Talia and Thomas, you and your date. The Mikaelsons? [and she'll look to Derek to see if there's anyone else he wants to contribute] Maybe some of your platoonmates?

Derek: Yeah. The Mikaelsons for sure. And the guys from the corps can double as extra security.

Allison: I wasn't really fond of that wedding planner in the first place, so if you want to find someone else I wouldn't consider it too great a loss, but I was going to pay her to compensate her for her time. Maybe we can choose a location that the secret service has already scouted for one reason or another.

Peter: You'll have to talk to them about that.

Allison: We will. [a beat] I'm sure that Freya or Rebekah will be able to help as well in terms of planning.

Peter: Well, if you don't need me anymore today, i have other things I can be doing with my time. [stands and grabs his planner]

Derek: Peter...

Allison: [sighs and silently conveys that Derek can go after him if he wants to. her mother is coming back so she's going to have to deal with Victoria anyway]

Derek: [shakes his head. No, he will deal with Peter later. Let Freya or his mom calm him down.]

Allison: [okay then. and Victoria will come back and convey that their grandfather is being passive aggressive about their choice by being passive aggressive herself and they all will be saved by Lydia swinging in for dress shopping]

Lydia: [walks in, senses the tension] ... Did the potential venue explode?

Derek: No, but we're pretty sure that this place is about to. Are you sure I can't escape with you two?

Allison: My mother is coming with us. Also against the law, remember?

Derek: Not a law. I won't get arrested walking into the dress place with you.

Allison: No, but you're not supposed to see the bride in the dress before the wedding. Bad luck. I am not taking any chances.

Derek: [sighs] Alright. I'll go talk to my mom then. You guys have fun. [and he will lean in to kiss her goodbye]

Allison: [kisses her back] Good luck. [and off they go to look at dresses]

Derek: [and off he goes down to find his mother]

Talia: [who he'll happen to catch between meetings] How did the wedding planner go?

Derek: Well, that's what I came to talk to you about. We.... fired her.

Talia: [her eyebrows went up] ... I'm sure that went well.

Derek: Peter is probably still cursing me out under his breath.

Talia: Can I ask why?

Derek: It was going in a direction that Allison and I weren't comfortable with.

Talia: And you didn't think trying to redirect her would be effective?

Derek: It's more than that. We also weren't comfortable with what Peter and Victoria were doing either.

Talia: Oooooh.

Derek: [he's going to take a seat] Mom, we don't want to make a huge deal out of this. We just want it to be us and our family. I know political wise there's people who's egos need to be stroked for the parties and we get it, but it's not what we want our wedding to be about.

Talia: Alright.

Derek: So we are willing to compromise. We get to plan a small, intimate wedding, and Peter and Victoria can plan the huge reception.

Talia: That sounds acceptable to me.

Derek: [looks up at her] So you're okay with that?

Talia: It's your wedding, Derek.

Derek: [smiles] I know, but I also don't want to set off a war by insulting someone.

Talia: [shakes her head] I may be the president for the next few years, but you and Allison are the ones who are going to have to live with this wedding twenty to thirty years from now. This isn't like the Royal Family where I'm in a permanent position. You have every right to make it what you want it to be.

Derek: Okay. Okay. [and he grins] It'll be nice and small. Just family and close friends.

Talia: That sounds lovely.

Derek: So you're not mad.

Talia: Why would I be mad? Because Peter is mad?

Derek: Yeah.

Talia: Yes, well, Peter and I don't have the same priorities. He wants to milk the political capital of a bipartisan wedding for all it's worth. I just want my son to be happy.

Derek: [and that gets her the happy son smile, and he will get up to hug her]

Talia: [well she does love getting hugs and will just give him a good mom hug back]

Derek: I love you Mom.

Talia: I love you too.

Derek: Think you can talk Peter down off the ledge for me?

Talia: I will do my best.

Derek: Thanks.

Talia: Anything else?

Derek: No, though one day if you have time, Allison and I would love to have dinner with just you and dad.

Talia: I think we can try and arrange that.

Derek: Good. Well, I should probably go bother Klaus for a bit. I think he's feeling abandoned with me getting married and all.

Talia: [laughs] I'm sure he'll get used to it.

Derek: Yeah, until he can start telling my children stories about me.

Talia: Well, Hope already exists. You can get your revenge that way.

Derek: Oh, true. I can use that as a preemptive deterrent.

Talia: See? Strategy.

Derek: That's why you're the commander in chief.

Talia: Exactly.

Derek: Well, I'll let you get back to work. See you later?

Talia: [she nods] Have fun with Klaus?

Derek: Always do. [and usually it stays out of the press]

Talia: [it's true, Klaus only winds up on the news when he's trying to distract from something that happened to Cora]

Derek: [he's a good friend like that]

Klaus: [yep. and he'll be at the club if you want to play this out]

Allison: [and hours later, after getting a call from Kol to come collect her drunk fiancé, she makes her way over to the club and finds him and Klaus and Beks having fun] Looks like you guys had all the fun without me.

Derek: The bride is here! [holds up the beer to cheers her]

Klaus: [does the same] Hello, Allison. Can we get you a drink?

Allison: Normally I would love that, but I was told that you're all drunk and it's time for me to take Derek home.

Derek: Is Kol trying to ruin our party again?

Allison: I wouldn't say that, but I do think that you guys might be a little loud.

Derek: Pssh. The music is loud.

Allison: Yes, yes it is, but I still think it's time to go home.

Derek: [sighs] But we were planning on how to plan the wedding.

Allison: Oh really. And what have you decided?

Derek: Courtyard garden. Near a fountain.

Allison: That does sound lovely.

Derek: Rebekah has a few locations we can scout to find the right one together.

Allison: I'll be sure to have her email them to me.

Derek: [sighs] Well, guess I have to go, Klaus. Talk more later?

Klaus: If you wife-to-be must drag you away.

Rebekah: Are you still you can't say for one drink, Allison?

Allison: [glances to Kol from behind the bar and then back to the table]

Kol: [hey at least they are behaving and he doesn't have to babysit them right now]

Derek: Come on, it was a long day. You know you need one.

Allison: I did just spend all day dress shopping with my mother. [and she sits down to order herself a glass of wine]

Derek: [grins and leans into her] That's my girl.

Allison: [smirks as she kisses him, and they all proceed to get very drunk until Kol has enough and dumps them all either into an uber or one of the upstairs bedrooms he reserves for family]

Derek: [like it's such a hardship, Kol]

Kol: [you are all loud, he was hoping that Allison would be an adult. But instead he's steering both of them towards an uber] Go home you two. I've already ordered you a pizza for when you get there.

Allison: Thanks, Kol!

Derek: You're the best little brother I never had. [clamps Kol on the shoulder]

Kol: [shakes his head and closed the uber door before tapping the roof to send them off]

Allison: [and she'll just curl into Derek's side because she's feeling buzzed and snuggly]

Derek: [he likes cuddly girlfriend] I love you.

Allison: I love you too. And I'm really, really, really glad I'm marrying you.

Derek: Me too. You're the best person ever.

Allison: [she grins] And I'm really, really glad you're home all the time now so I can do this. [and she leans in to kiss him softly]

Derek: [oh hey. Yeah, he's down with kissing her in the back of the Uber]

Allison: [but just kissing because it's not far to their apartment and they can do the more fun stuff once they're inside]

Uber Driver: [darn it, he was getting a good show there]

Derek: [nope, want to do the fun stuff in the apartment]

Allison: [yep, Allison isn't that drunk. But eventually they arrive and Allison will pull him up to the apartment and unlock the door to let them both in]