These things I do (it's all because of you) (Jackson)

Friday, 8 May 2026

Nerves bubbled inside the witch's stomach as she stepped out of the room she'd finalised her look in, moving back along the hallway to collect Dominique and Sasha's friend Ellie from their rooms as they'd agreed. Everything was ready now, everything was coming to the final crescendo, and nothing could change the path that had been laid out for them.

Sasha had insisted she would like to walk down from her rooms on her own. Apparently the English witch did not wish to be fussed in the run up to her big day, and Victoria had happily agreed to such things. The three of them would wait down by the doors to the ceremony room for the bride. The music would start, and the redhead had told them all that they were to walk the aisle when it came on, leaving her to her own big entrance.

Whether this was a British custom, or Sasha's personal preference, Victoria would never know, but it had been a gift from some heavenly deity that the older with would have to keep giving thanks to as she knocked on Dominique and Ellie's door to let them know it was time. As the American witch waited, she gently tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear, thankful for the lightly curled streaks being down to cover her shoulders. Victoria had done her absolute hardest to try to persuade Sasha that another style of dress would be better suited to Dominique's small frame, but the English witch had stood fast with her decision.

The pink dress of Sasha's choosing was not one Victoria had been comfortable in donning, truthfully. Today marked the first time she'd worn a dress since... for six months, and her discomfort showed in how her hands rested gently across her middle, or how the witch frequently touched her shoulders, her arms shielding her chest from view. Subconscious though it was, Victoria had caught herself doing it in the mirror, and try as she might, she could not help how her hands kept fussing with the straps she'd magically enhanced to ensure they would not move from their place. Loathe as she might be to wish such things, today needed to be over as soon as possible.

No one would have known differently, though, as the two doors opened almost in unison with the other two bridesmaids, Victoria's lips grew in to a radiant smile for them both. "You both look amazing!" Victoria insisted, offering each of the girls a small bouquet of white and pink flowers for the day. A small jewelled tiara sat atop Dominique's head, denoting her place as the maid of honour for the day, and the young witch looked like she was going to burst with excitement.

"Thank you!" Ellie responded gently, clearly still not comfortable with the trio of bridesmaids that had converged, but undoubtedly trying her best. It was a mismatched trio, even Victoria could see it, but Sasha had made her choices, and they all had to deal with it.

"Shall we?" Victoria asked, offering her hand to Dominique to aid the younger witch who had opted for a pair of small kitten heels, despite the other two donning a minimum of four inches each. The child couldn't be expected to walk in such things, though, so Victoria had made the correct alterations that Sasha had overlooked.

As they descended from their rooms above, Dominique quickly took up the forefront of conversation, discussing the flowers she'd been cultivating at school with her professor and how was a little bit worried about the end of term exams that would be coming up when she returned to England. Victoria offered her the gentle reassurance that everything would be okay, whilst Ellie followed close behind, teetering slightly in her own heels that she'd insisted she could manage, but Victoria believed otherwise.

As the trio drew up before the Imperial Ballroom of the Pfister Hotel, the mutterings of nearly 300 people could be heard from within. Camera crews had been given the back row of the event for their own use, making sure the event would go public all around Milwaukee live. In front of the camera crews would come those politicians within the party that Jackson knew enough to give them an invite, but not well enough that they would be invited to come closer.

In front of those people, there came a handful of friends from school that Jackson still spoke to on rare occasions such as happy celebrations like these. Then came the whole of their office and their partners who had been invited as a means of getting to know the office just a little bit better. The politicians who needed to be kept close came next, including Mrs Jameson, probably still donning some kind of black despite the happy occasion, the woman vying for Jackson's place as the Senator for Milwaukee. After today, if the woman still won, Victoria would forever doubt the general public of America for once again putting the wrong person in charge.

But those thoughts could wait.

Before those politicians came Jackson's friends from all over Milwaukee. Jim Sarbh and his wife had been all too happy to attend the wedding, Victoria had had spent over an hour on the phone to Preethi Bhabhi discussing the wedding one day at work that had left the lawyer staying an additional two hours just to feel like she'd made up for the time she'd spent idle that day.

The front row had been left empty on Sasha's side. Two seats would be taken by her Maid of Honour and her best friend, Ellie once they reached the front of the room, the rest remaining empty in a quiet nod of the head to her parents who had chosen not to come to the wedding, despite Victoria's invitation beseeching them to come and join them for such a happy day.

On Jackson's side, his mom sat alone for the moment. Merida had been as excited as Victoria had ever seen the witch to know her son was getting married, how could she not be? Victoria had aided the older woman in choosing an outfit that befitted the mother of the groom, before finally insisting the witch have fun, get her hair, nails and makeup done too for the whole event. It had taken some gentle persuading from Victoria, apparently Merida wasn't quite sure how to go about these things, but they had finally settled on something that made Merida's hidden beauty shine radiantly for the big day.

It had hurt deeply to see the happiness in the older witch's eyes, knowing what Victoria did.

And though the younger witch had been smiles herself, the knot of dread that kept the youngest Newbury awake at night had grown tighter after that day.

The clock between the two sets of double doors that opened in to the Imperial Ballroom showed that it was two minutes to two.

They had just two minutes until the music would start.

***

"Vic?"

"Hmm?"

"You haven't eaten your lunch," Jackson explained, moving in to her office with the plastic box of pasta salad she'd made for them.

"Busy," Victoria had replied without looking up from the work she was pushing through.

"You have to eat."

That was a valid argument, Victoria realised as she looked up from the paperwork to the man who had made his way from the doorway to her desk before depositing it on top of her work, forcing any continued work to be halted in favour of moving the box out of the way. The fork was placed down on top of the box to emphasise the point, and with a soft sigh, Victoria gave in. Jackson took up his place in the chair opposite her without another word.

"I'm just trying to finish this up before tomorrow." Victoria explained, putting down her pen and instead taking up her fork to tuck in to the pasta that smelt amazing as she opened the lid. Jackson's old retort of 'it can wait' didn't materialise, he'd learned enough of her work ethic now to know she would not be leaving the office until her work was at the point expected.

"Why give everyone the afternoon off to prepare if you're not going to make use of it?" Came the only retort Victoria had expected, and, smiling around her fork as she took the mouthful of pasta from it, Victoria waved him off with the utensil in a good mannered way. A small laugh came from the man's lips, and there was a pause. Somewhat stifled in nature.

He didn't need to say anything.

"I promise it's going to be okay," Victoria told him softly, noting how he seemed to almost be bashful of the fact he'd 'asked'. Unnecessarily, of course, but how could you not have a question about your future when you'd left it in someone else's hands? "Everything is in place, everything is going to end up how you want it to. I promise."

The silence resumed once more, Victoria carefully managing her pasta with steady bites so not to get indigestion. Nothing more was said as they sat quietly in one another's company, not needing to talk, but drawing all the confidence they needed from one another's presence. Ten minutes passed, the pasta pot slowly emptied, and only then, after the feeling of warmth had prevailed, did Jackson speak once more.

"Thanks, kid."

Victoria's smile grew in that moment as Jackson lifted himself from his chair, fastened his button on his suit and made his way to the door.

"Jackson?"

"Yes?" The man asked, turning back before he reached the door.

"Go and get a hair cut." Victoria told him cheekily, earning a face from the man before her which made her laugh, before he left her in piece, no doubt following her instructions because everything tomorrow had to be perfect.

***

"Ready, everyone?"

The wedding planner asked, hurrying in to place some thirty seconds ahead of time.

"Of course!" Victoria insisted, putting on a warm smile as she looked across to Ellie and then slightly down to Dominique to find them with similar responses on their lips.

"As we practiced, remember?" The woman asked, pointedly looking at young Dominique. The youngest bridesmaid nodded eagerly, completely missing the worry on the planner's features because this was her 'big moment'. "Three, two..." Her fingers counted down as her voice faded away, the doors opening before the three bridesmaids as the Wedding March sounded through the hall. Dominique stepped forth with the music, proudly walking out to the middle of the room before turning towards her Uncle at the front of the room. Upon seeing Jackson, the young witch's features shone beautifully with excitement, and after her first step up the aisle, Victoria and Ellie stepped in to the room, following just after Dominique who had been allowed to steal the show with her solo entrance.

Everyone's eyes turned towards them in that moment, taking in their beautifully classic gowns and snapping pictures happily. The press lapped it up, their cameras flashing distastefully against the beautiful background that had been chosen for the event. The urge to bring her hands up to cover herself was fresh, but Victoria pushed those thoughts away as they turned towards the front of the room, her eyes easily finding the raven haired male who made all of this easier to bare.

The soft smile on her lips showed as much as both she and Ellie made their way up the aisle in unison. Her eyes never left Jackson's on the whole way up, silently promising that everything was going to be fine. That this was going to work out. At the top of the aisle, Victoria turned off left, moving to stand to Merida's left as Dominique and Ellie took up the front row on the other side.

All eyes turned back towards the doors then, the Wedding March filling the room with anticipation.

Twenty seconds passed since the bridesmaids had completed their walk to the front of the room.

Thirty seconds...

Forty seconds passed, and the eyes of the room started to look away from the door, to one another with uncertainty...

***

The previous evening had been the perfect relaxing experience. The Pfister Hotel offered a lot of things Victoria had never heard of when it came to their wedding packages. The different experiences had led to eye watering sums of money, but Sasha had been over the moon with it all. They'd been in the spa all evening being pampered thoroughly, Victoria's skin feeling cleaner than she'd ever known it to be. Her body had melted beneath the touch of the masseuse who had insisted she needed to think more of her posture if she was working in an office as she worked out a particularly difficult knot in the base of the witch's spine.

Victoria had promised to take the advice on board, not letting on that it was not the work but more likely the stress she'd been dealing with that had left her worse for wear.

From there, the girls had all moved to Sasha's room, enjoying the Champagne (or, sparkling apple juice in Dominique's case) in ice buckets, strawberries and chocolates that had been set aside by them. A movie was on in the background, but the four of them had been talking excitedly about the events of the following day until Dominique had fallen fast asleep in Sasha's bed, denoting they should probably head to bed for the next day.

Even with the light helping of alcohol, though, Victoria had felt uneasy as she climbed in to bed that evening after checking she'd locked the door three times. It had taken a short call from Jackson to finally get the witch to settle, the promise that she was okay, a reminder that she had a wand and could secure the door behind her. It had only been when the man had offered to come and check on her that Victoria had softly declined the offer, denoting the fear as silly and thanking Jackson for being there for her. The slight hitch in her voice had told Jackson enough, though, and he'd taken the next ten minutes from his evening to talk about nonsense to make her relax

It had, oddly, been Jackson that had wished her luck for the next day before they hung up that had resonated through the room until Victoria had fallen in to a fitful sleep that evening.

***

A whole minute had passed by.

The room had started to fidget now, and as Victoria's eyes left the back of the retreating wedding planner to Jackson, she could see the confusion on his features in that moment. His eyes remained on the back of the room as the song finished, and Victoria's eyes returned to the back of the room too.

"I'm sure she's just nervous..." Someone behind them managed, trying to console Merida in that moment.

"She'll be here in a minute. She said she would be right on time, I'm sure it's nothing." Victoria added, gently touching Merida's arm to offer a little bit of stability as they waited. The lie left a bad taste in Victoria's mouth, though, she knew better than that, of course, but she couldn't say such things aloud.

***

At half past seven that morning, the four girls had gone down for breakfast together, as they'd agreed. Dominique was talking excitedly throughout, asking everyone what they thought her Uncle Jackson's reaction would be to her dress. Then the reaction that would be to Sasha's dress. Then back to her own dress, and her hair, and her tiara. Sasha kept up with all of it, Ellie joining in happily as Victoria simply encouraged the conversation with her own 'what do you think it will be?' to the questions that were asked.

The breakfast was light, Sasha had barely eaten because -- as she'd admitted -- her stomach felt all fluttery with nerves. Ellie barely ate at the best of times, Victoria had come to learn, and Dominique being much younger and smaller than them all had managed a sizeable portion, but not quite enough to last her as long as she would probably need to be sustained for. Victoria's own breakfast remained half untouched in the end, knowing that she wouldn't be able to stomach anything more than that.

From there, the four of them had gone back to their own rooms to shower and change in to their robes, before their hair and makeup were done by the stylists that had cost far more than Victoria would ever admit. By one o'clock, everyone was beautifully made up ready for the ceremony that would be starting in an hour. The photographers had been in and around them the whole time, making sure to get as many shots of Sasha getting ready for her big day as they possibly could, whilst also trying to remember to include the bridesmaids in a similar fashion, too.

Time was running away from them.

As the four of them finished with the makeup and hair section of the day, a small pause for jitters, final preparations and almost anything else one could think of was given to them. The opportune moment slowly ebbing away from Victoria. She couldn't let that happen.

"Why don't we all head back to our rooms to change in to our dresses, give Sasha a little bit of time to get herself ready, without us being here, just one final moment to truly take everything in, and I'll come and get you two at about ten to two, so we can go down, as agreed?" Victoria had posed, quietly pleased that Ellie agreed so quickly to such things. Perhaps her boyfriend had wanted to see her for a moment, or perhaps she genuinely agreed, Victoria didn't wish to guess, but as Dominique and Ellie stood and moved to leave, Victoria got up and followed them to the door, waiting for them both to be gone before she gently closed the door behind them, leaving her alone with Sasha.

A gentle breath left Victoria's lips as she turned the lock on the door, ensuring they would not be disturbed by a photographer, or someone else who didn't need to be here.

Sasha had looked slightly confused as Victoria appeared once more in the room as she threaded the dangling diamond earrings she'd chosen for the day. "I thought you were going back to your room?" The redhead asked in the mirror, not stopping what she was doing for Victoria's sake.

"I was," Victoria conceded, gently resting on the edge of the bed that had yet to be made back up from the night before.

"Okay," Sasha replied, checking how she looked in the mirror without an ounce of doubt about the situation unfolding in the room. Perhaps preoccupied with her own beauty in the mirror, or the excitement of the day, Victoria would never know, but it didn't really matter.

"Sasha, I need to tell you something." Victoria began, waiting for a moment for Sasha's eyes to find hers in the mirror. "Something I should have told you quite some time ago, but... I just couldn't."

That seemed to get the English witch's attention as she swivelled around on the seat before the dressing table. A light frown touched her features. "What are you talking about?"

"May I show you something?" Victoria asked, waiting for the nod to come from the redhead before she drew out the envelope that she'd hidden in the oversized pockets of her dressing gown. "I know that what I'm about to say could be doubted without any evidence, and I don't want you to think that you're being lied to in this moment. Sasha... I'm really sorry to have to be the one who tells you, but I don't want you to get hurt. You're young, you're beautiful, and you deserve someone much b-"

"What is it?" The redhead snapped impatiently. With a small grimace at the words, Victoria slowly slid the pictures form the envelope in which they had been stored. Carefully, the older witch laid them out one by one to Sasha, ensuring the witch took each picture in carefully before handing the next.

The first was one Jackson had taken himself, kissing Tessa whilst posing for the photo. The next picture highlighted a conversation between Jackson and Tessa which discussed things Victoria had not felt comfortable reading. It had been necessary, though, and proved exactly what it needed to with its lustful content. Another photo followed of the two of them in bed -- Jackson Blake had not been too careful with his choices of pictures taken, and the next a picture of Tessa in a less than appropriate state of undress, with the details of when it was taken and the fact it had been Jackson's phone that had taken the picture.

Tears were prickling in Sasha's eyes by the time she'd looked over the four pictures thoroughly, and Victoria's own chest ached for the younger witch. "I'm really sorry that I haven't told you sooner. I had hoped that Jackson would tell you, that he would do the right thing and postpone the wedding until you two could sort these things out. Or, maybe that he would stop seeing Tessa, but you know how he goes to DC frequently, he meets her every time he's there. Asks me to book the flights and cover for him if he's coming back late.

"You don't deserve to be with a man who doesn't love you wholly. Nor to a man who can't be faithful, honest." Victoria continued, tentatively reaching out to hold the younger witch's hand in a manner she hoped would be comforting. The hand was snatched away from her, though, the redhead's eyes aflame with anger, hurt, disappointment.

"You knew?!" Sasha asked, her voice growing angrier with each syllable.

"I did."

"How long?"

"Six months. I wanted to t-"

"Six months!" The witch managed, before turning away, holding on to the table for strength. "Six months and you couldn't even drop a hint that you knew? What kind of woman are you? You would let another woman be hurt like this?"

"It wasn't my pl-"

"But now it is?"

"I just don't want you to get hurt," Victoria replied softly, regaling her own strength in that moment because no tears had yet to touch her own eyes. "And, you still have time to walk away from this. You don't have to marry him. You can humiliate him, the same way he's humiliated you."

No answer came from Sasha, instead the uneven rise and fall of the witch's back denoted the witch was crying in to her arms, even if no sound came.

Victoria made no move in that moment, though, waiting just a little longer because if she moved too quickly, if she made this read too well, it could backfire.

"Do... do you still want to marry him?" Victoria asked, gently tucking the pictures back away, counting them and ensuring they were safely back in her pocket before they could be taken away from her.

The redhead's head shook from side to side.

No.

Another time, Victoria would have felt triumphant, but the sobs sounded, denoting the breaking of the younger witch's heart as she came to terms with the idea the man she'd fallen in love with at the tender age of seventeen was not the man of her dreams, and that the man she loved did not love her back at all. From her other pocket, Victoria retrieved a whistle and placed it on the dresser beside Sasha's arm.

"I made a portkey for you. It will take you back to yours and Jackson's home. You can pack your stuff up, and you can leave before any body knows your gone. Nobody will see you leave, which means you won't be splashed across the media leaving today." Victoria explained, waiting for a nod to come from Sasha once more, before she did the final part of this.

"Sasha?" Victoria continued, waiting for the witch to sit up and half look at her. "I appreciate that this may not be something you want to do, and I know in your position I would be horrified if I was asked, but I need to ask you to sign something."

The confusion was apparent on the witch's features, but Victoria knew that this would come. Sasha Denver was not a clever witch, she was easily swayed from pillar to post, and that was what Victoria had been banking on when she came up with this plan. The witch had played her part beautifully, though, which allowed the lawyer to do the unspeakable in that moment. Gently reaching in to the pockets of her gown once more, Victoria pulled out two single page documents, and placed them before Sasha.

A non-disclosure agreement had been the first must have when this had come in to being. The idea of Jackson's affair becoming public knowledge could not happen, and though Sasha was hurting, betrayed and confused in that moment, she was not aware enough of the magnitude of her signature to truly understand what she'd just done as she eagerly signed the paper to free herself from Jackson's clutches.

The second much simpler, signing away any claim to the property that Jackson had bought when Sasha had moved to the country and all the assets within it, Sasha had rushed to agree, mumbling about not needing him, or his money, or his home. That she wanted rid of him. In her emotional state, Sasha had lost sight of revenge in that moment, instead wishing only to be away from the world she'd created with the man who had lied and cheated her numerous times.

The questions had started from there. Why would Jackson do this to her? Had their love meant nothing to him? Did he not realise that she loved him? The tears had been ugly as they streaked the redhead's features, and Victoria could do little to console her.

"You and Jackson can go to hell!" Had been the redhead's final offerings, grabbing forcefully at the portkey and bringing it around to Victoria in an overly aggressive manner as she insisted again and again that Victoria make it work. Victoria had not asked the witch to reconsider, instead bringing her wand up to the whistle to make it work.

Sasha had disappeared only a few moment's later, leaving Victoria to collapse on the floor as the foot of the bed, sucking in air as if she were suffocating. Gulping it down in an effort to compose herself, steady herself. Her hands shook violently in that moment, she should have been feeling triumphant, but instead, she felt empty. She'd just ruined someone's life, torn up the hopefulness of a young woman in a world that needed more of it.

Even if it wasn't her wrong doing, Victoria felt like a monster who'd just torn the world apart.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket.

Quarter to two.

***

The wedding planner had come back in to the door way, her eyes meeting Victoria's in that moment. The witch did not need to be told as she moved out of her space beside Merida and quickly back out of the room. They'd been waiting ten minutes now, and whilst Jackson had tried to assure the room his bride was coming, everyone was getting very shifty.

Outside the room, Victoria's features turned to concern upon seeing the wedding planner.

"What's going on?" Victoria asked, looking up the stairs to try to find someone she knew not to be here.

"Sasha's not here. But we found this in the room." The wedding planner explained, passing the witch the note she'd forged and left upon the dresser in the room. Automatically, Victoria's fingers moved to unfold the paper, and she carefully, purposefully, read the note that was there.

Jackson,

I'm sorry, I can't do this. America was never for me, and I know I could never take you away from America. I'm going home to my family. I'm sorry for hurting you like this, you're a good man, and you deserve the world.

All my love,

Sasha
x

Victoria finished the message before looking up to the wedding planner once more. "Can we put some music on, just something soft, I'll tell Jackson and... we'll go from there." The witch finalised, not waiting for the affirmative because both she and the woman in charge of the wedding moved in unison. A small smile touched Victoria's lips as she returned to the room, her footsteps measured as they moved to the man stood at the front of the room.

"Jackson," Victoria breathed, gently touching his arm as she turned them away so nobody could read her lips. "Sasha's not coming... She's going back to the UK. I... I'm sorry." She whispered, waiting for the realisation to dawn on the man's features, and for him to make the next move. She'd done all she'd needed to, but from here, it was Jackson's time to write the script.

________________________________________________

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The eighth of May.

The date would have been seared into Jackson's memory from exposure alone. The month leading up to his wedding, the date had been splashed across every media outlet imaginable, countless countdown clocks had been superimposed on social media and every low grade Page Three and Insider gossip and society columnist talked about the impending ceremony. Jackson hadn't even been aware the Milwaukee Gazette had a Page Three until a photo of himself and Sasha at a "quiet" dinner had been splashed all over it. The girls were reporting news traffic from as far up as LA and New York surrounding the wedding and it did not sit well with a man.

The more published the event, the worse the consequences from its eventual fallout wold be. For Jackson may not know what his Princess was planning, he was slowly starting to realize that he was going to have to marry Sasha. Victoria was personally in charge of doubling down on wedding coverage so the wedding was going to happen. He could only assume she had a graceful divorce planned a few years down the road.

And he was ready to concede to it. If Victoria thought it was the only way, then she was right. And the man was willing to spend the next few years married to a woman he did not love just to further his career. It had made him face some hard truths about himself, truths that would not have come to light had he not been in this situation and truths that drove him to the gym more excessively as the month grew nearer. Beings advised not to see Tessa before the big event, Jackson had little chose but to divert his energies into working out, leaving him to hit the gym before and after work. Most nights he returned too exhausted to even say a proper hello to his bride to be, merely stripping of his clothes and falling into bed in an exhausted stupor - only to get up in the morning a few hours ahead of ehr and do the whole thing over again.

The workout was showing in the growing frown lines of the designers engaged to craft his weeding tux. The entire idea had been abhorrent to Jackson who didn't even enjoy trying on clothes at stores before buying them. The man had been additionally spoiled by Victoria and his wordbook girls who made it a point to remember his measurements and simply purchase whatever the fuck was in style these days. To spend hours with another man running a measuring tape down his body was an unpleasant experience to say the least. And now that overpaid buffoon had the gall to look disappointed because Jackson's waist size kept dropping inches and his chest and biceps kept expanding.

Two weeks before the grand event, the politician was forbidden from all workouts, and told to eat unless he wanted a refitting in the final two days. Jackson had grudgingly agreed, leaving him to spend all that extra time at his old apartment with his legal counsel. They got a lot of important things done. Together, he and Victoria unlocked new levels on Fortnight, rescued Princess Peach and even watched random foreign films. A random Bollywood flick on TV staring a vaguely familiar face caught his eye and three hours later, Victoria was openly crying while Jackson watched a woman running towards a train in full bridal finery, hand extended to her lover who waited at the compartment door.

It was really moments like these that made him forget what a shit show his life was becoming. Siting on the couch with the Goblin wrapped in a blanket beside him. Life had been simple a year ago, or maybe two. Had life been simpler before he'd met Sasha? Maybe, maybe not, It had just been different. He'd had Judith then who was nothing like the current woman in is life. or the current women in his life. Sasha, Tessa... and the woman sitting next to him now, cheering Raj and Simran's union after some challenging family events he hadn't completely kept track of.

Judith had won her special election in a landslide due to a combination of her perfect announcement and low voter turnout. Representative Judith Jameson now officially presided in her husband's place, all set and primed to compete with Jackson for the midterms coming up in November. The dozen or so rewriting of the districts in their core area were gerrymandered to hell and back making an outcome less predictable than ever before and in the end, it would really depend on which candidate had more party support.

Jackson's huge advantage came from being a perceivable white male while Judith had the monopoly on tits and ass, also a winning formula in some states. In the end, the RNC would have to decide where to throw its money and here at least, Jackson felt better. They had ninety nine problems but money wasn't one. Thanks to the almost criminally unchecked liquidity flowing from FOX's various ventures into the Blake offices, they were lucrative like they ah never been before. A team of three accountants had been hired to manage just the stuff that was coming in while their existing number girls looked at what was going out. A large portion of their receivables were being used for the wedding and justified as "campaign" expense which didn't make sense to the man but he left it to people who actually knew their shit.

Yes they had the money, and through this wedding they would have good public opinion. But then what? Come November Judith would be playing her widow card while Jackson would be happily married and out of the news cycle. When the thoughts became too ark, too worrying, he turned to Victoria. Not to speak to her about them, no, there was no point. She was doing the best she could with what she had, he was sure of that. And the last thing he wanted was to make her feel like she wasn't doing enough. No he turned to Victoria to distract both ehr, and himself. Whether it was by reminding her to eat, telling erh he would smash her at PvP or just discuss something random Merida had said. All in all, he days spent up tot eh wedding were spent getting distracted.

His bachelor party was again, a big public affair and one that had raised eyebrows for the lack of alcohol and strippers it contained. The news stories however had managed to spin it as the groom's loyalty towards his soon to be wife, giving it an aww factor that secretly made the politician sick. A group of sixty nine men, half of whom he did not even know, were asked to an evening of cards, cigars and billiards and bi d goodbye at almost two in the morning with bags of sponsored vouchers, inappropriately shaped edibles and the traditional sparkly bra and thong straps of strippers who had not been to the party.

Which was a shame because after losing to a bunch of old farts at pool, Jackson could have used a lap dance. But then again, the only person he wanted a lap dance from was halfway across town, getting her daughter ready to be his bridesmaid. Despite not having a drop of alcohol through the entire event, bad judgement almost prevailed, making him drive to Tessa's hotel and piledrive her into the bed. Thankfully Victoria appeared quietly by his side. The women were of doing their own bachelorhood party and Jackson didn't really care what it was. Sasha didn't have many friends and her gathering would not be covered by reporters so Victoria had skipped it to wait out his shin dig. With her guidance, he made it back home without indulging in what would have been the biggest mistake of his career.

The day of the wedding dawned clear and crisp, allowing Jackson to enjoy waking up on his bed alone for a change. The womenfolk had been sequestered away in hotel suites at the Pfister. Of course, he didn't have much time, he had to get to his office where the fussy designer and his team of stylists were waiting for the politician. But by this time, Jackson had absorbed the fact that he would be getting married today. That there was no way out of this now. It also felt oddly hollow to realize that he would sacrifice personal happiness over his career. A bitter laugh escaped his lips as he pulled the SUV into the parking, noting the limo that would take him to the Pfister already there and parked. Michael Bloomberg had taught him well after all, everything was simple politics.

Perhaps he and Judith had more in common than he'd ever realized.

The next few hours flew by, the snug fit of his tuxedo reducing the designer to tears of joy before he ordered his stylists to attack Jackson's hair and face. Two hours later, the wizard was being ferried to his wedding venue where guests had already started arriving for pre ceremony drinks. Unlike his bachelor party, a free flow of alcohol washed over the event, reminding the man once again to be on his guard. Thankfully the suite where he and his groomsmen were taking shelter was free of the devil's drink - no doubt a detail seen to by a certain Goblin who never failed him even when she wasn't by his side.

Finally, at a quarter to two he was making is way down to the grand ballroom. The groomsmen included Jim Sarbh and Zayne Henderson, one of the few Nightshades Jackson was still on good terms with. For Dominique, Jim had been kind enough to provide Preethi Bhabhi's thirteen year old nephew, Saif. The most odd member of the group for Ella's boyfriend, made even odder when he'd blisteringly corrected Jackson by saying Sasha's friend was Ellie, not Ella, though it was an easy mistake to make.

A sea of unrecognizable faces passed by as Jackson made his way at the front of the room where the priest waited to declare him and Sasha man and wife. For a moment, Jackson fancied he could feel Tessa's betrayed gaze on him. Did she hate him? She certainly had a right to, he was getting married in front of her very eyes. Bu they knew this going in. If today was the end for him and Tessa, he was willing to accept that.

No matter how much it would hurt.

Somewhere around him, the music started. Dominique made her grand entrance with Saif, then Ella and her boyfriend, and finally, Zayne took the Goblin's arm, escorting her gently down the aisle as the wedding planner waited. The bridal march began, solidifying the end of all of Jackson's dreams for the foreseeable future save the most important one.

Soon, Sasha would be here beside him, soon he would be saddled with the biggest mistake of his life. Soon... Jackson closed his eyes, they may not be at a church but any time as a good time to pray. So pray he did.

When he finally opened his eyes, it was to a confused room, reflecting his own state of mind. Had prayer actually worked? No bride in white floated down the aisle, instead the music had stopped, the band unsure how to proceed. Jackson's eyes found Victoria's in that moment, connecting for only a split second for him to realize what had happened.

The Goblin looked worried just like everyone else, anyone would have said she was the picture of trying to hide her anxiety and calm people down. But Jackson had seen her in more distressed situations than he cared to count and this was not his princess distressed.

This was his princess pulling of the finest performance seen anywhere in the world.

She had promised him she would take care of it, and she had come through. He would not be marrying today.

There was no time to wonder how she had puleld it off, no tiem to pull her aside and ask. Now it was his turn. As the planner came with the note written in language too good to be Sasha's, Jackson felt his knees buckle with relief. A thousand cameras flashed, capturing his grief strike pose as the man stared stunned at the world around him. The words "left at the altar" were not minced but directly sued in the media coverage and soemone or other was streaming this whole thing live. He had to make it count.

"A-are you sure," he managed, staring blankly from the planner to Victoria to his best man to erh chief bridesmaid. "May-Maybe she's running late? You know women and getting dr-dressed...?" In response Jim put an arm gruffly around him, steadying him on his feet. The planner merely shook her head, her face flitting between light and dark from the amount of camera flashes going off.

"No... I'm going to wait for her," Jackson insisted calmly, directing his determined gaze to the cameras lapping it all up. "I promised to marry her and an American keeps his promise. I'll wait as long as it takes." With that, the politician turned his back to the cameras and returned to his vigil by the confused priest, the picture of a man bent on waiting for his bride.

Who of course didn't come. Ten minutes later however he felt a small arm press through his. Victoria had found him. He silently allowed her to lead him away from teh crowds, into the privacy of the suite previously occupied by the groomsmen. And for the first time in what felt like forever, they were finally all alone.

Everything was quiet.

And he had the only person he ever needed in the world.

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These things I do (it's all because of you) (Jackson) Rsz_mi10

These things I do (it's all because of you) (Jackson) Rsz_ja12

These things I do (it's all because of you) (Jackson) Rsz_rs13

Pretending not to be aware of everything going on was difficult for Victoria, the worry on her features a mask in the moment as Jackson caught sight of her. But her eyes turned away quickly, unable to keep up her charade if she looked at the man who had asked her to complete the worst task imaginable in the world. She didn't hate him for it, she understood, but right now, she could not look at him for fear of losing the charade she'd made up over the six months.

Her feet worked on autopilot as they tried to find Sasha. The redhead would not be found, of course, by now, she'd probably packed up the few possessions she'd brought to America and fled the country. Not looking back, was all Victoria could hope for with all that she had done. The evidence of which was carefully secreted in to the lining of her bra in order that no one could happen upon the information that had forced the red head away.

By the time the news had been confirmed, the adrenaline rush was at its highest point, and Victoria had found Jackson to pull him away from the silent vigil he'd enacted. Everyone had believed it, and that was all that mattered now as she steered him silently out of the room, asking their team to keep the cameras at bay as they headed out of the ballroom and towards the room that had been set aside for the groomsmen to change and finish their final preparations.

Nobody tried to stop them, nobody tried to follow them, and as Victoria closed and locked the door behind them, taking out her wand and casting a silent charm that would ensure nothing they said in this room would ever be overhead, the younger witch could finally relax as she leaned back against the door.

"I'm sorry," Victoria managed in that moment, the tears already sliding down her cheeks even if her voice stayed even. What else were you supposed to say to a man who had been stood up at the altar? Even if Jackson had not wanted the wedding to take place, a runaway bride was not the best way for this to be thrown off, but this was what Jackson had wanted. He did not want to marry Sasha, and Victoria had kept her promise of ensuring he would never have to marry the English witch who had been nothing but trouble for the man from the moment Victoria had found out about her.

"There was no other way for me to do this, I couldn't find another way to do it, but... I... I did it." The witch explained, hoping Jackson would not be mad at her for making him look so helpless at the altar as she did. "But I needed a story big enough to rival Judith's. We needed the story to be as big as it could be, and, I'm sorry." Victoria repeated the apology again, though it didn't sound right even to her in that moment.

More tears spilled down her cheeks in that moment, mostly from relief of having pulled off the biggest stunt in Jackson's political career, but also because the reality of what she'd done had finally dawned.

She'd purposefully hurt another woman to further Jackson's career. Instead of making the man who had lied and cheated to his current place in life look like a monster to the world, she'd made him look like a saint in the eyes of everyone gathered there. They did not know the truth, they would never know the truth, but Victoria did. Every moral she'd ever held close had been tested, or abandoned in this, and despite the fact she wanted to be happy Jackson would not be tied to a woman he didn't love, she couldn't.

"And," Victoria added, trying to keep her voice steady in that moment. "You don't have to worry about retaliation of any kind. Sasha has signed all of the estate in America to you, and abandoned all her claim to the property that she had in American law. As well as that, she's signed a non-disclosure agreement, so everything she knows, she cannot go to the media about. She can't tell anyone the truth."

The summary was meant to make it seem better, but forcing someone to sign documents under such emotional distress was just another ethical code Victoria had broken to make this work out for Jackson.

"You and Jackson can go to hell!"

The words echoed in Victoria's mind once more as she looked to Jackson helplessly for the umpteenth time since she'd come back stateside, wanting him to tell her now, more than ever, that what she'd done, what they were doing was right.

Because it certainly did not feel like it.

"I'm sorry..."

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~ Slender ~ 30 ~ Bookworm ~ 5' ~ American ~

As soon as he heard the door snap behind them, a weight lifted off Jackson's shoulders. A part of him was still dazed, processing what had just happened, processing how much was real and now much an act. What could have made Sasha agree to this? How had she just given up her claim to the man she had actively lied to ensnare? A hand reached to tug at the buttons securing his coat in place, unconsciously removing the garment and tossing it on the bed he was already halfway towards. The tiny grey waistcoat underneath would have gone next had he not noticed an absence by his side.

"Vic?" he turned around only to see the woman shaking where she stood, her back against the door and murmuring sorry's as if she had done something wrong. Too stunned to speak, the politician merely watched as she struggled with words. She mentioned how this was the only way, she spoke of securing his properties and getting an NDA signed, she spoke of him not having to spend his life with Sasha.

But the only thing Jackson heard were her repeated apologies, as if she'd made some grave mistake instead of doing what she actually had. Victoria Newbury had saved his life, in a very monumental way.

She had not only saved his life but, upon reflection of how this would look to the media, she had also all but ensured his victory come November.

His princess had given him everything he wanted, on a platter.

Refusing to let more tears mar her porcelain features, Jackson reached forward to pluck his coat from the bed, noticing her bare arms and back for the first time. She hand't worn a dress in forever so she must be out of her comfort zone. Just one of the many things she did quietly without impressing on anyone how inconvenienced she was. Walking quietly to her, he reached out to pull her forwards, so that her back was no longer flush against the door. With a gentle sweep if his arm, the coat was draped securely over her shoulders, almost drowning her tiny frame in the fabric.

Next Jackson bent down slightly to scoop her up off the ground and into his arms, making the short walk to the bed and depositing her there. She had masterminded this entire operation and the exhaustion and guilt showed in her features. Victoria had never looked more beautiful as she sat on the bed, crying her eyes out over something he could only see as a huge accomplishment.

But he knew he didn't have to understand it, he only had to be there for her. So the wizard sat down beside her, one arm automatically going around her tiny body while the other reached to gently wipe her tears.

"You were amazing," he told her quietly as she continued to cry. "You did something no one else could have done. You saved a lot of people from a lot of unhappy endings. Me, Tessa, Sasha... You were downright amazing, kid." Jackson kept repeating the reassurances into her hair as she buried her face in his chest, sobbing openly at what had happened.

And he would keep repeating them, over and over, until Victoria was no longer crying.

Until she believed him.

Even if it took all night.

Or a hundred years.

*Even if it takes all night, or a hundred years."
Lovely
Billie Eilish

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