Part 19A *************** Michael and Maria’s Wedding Day. “Argh!” Michael threw his arms up in the air, letting out a frustrated growl. “This sucks, I can’t tie this stupid thing.” He began pacing, biting his fingernails as he began rambling nervously. “If I can’t even tie this stupid bowtie how in the heck am I supposed to get married and make a good husband?” He ran a shaky hand through his slicked back hair, shaking his head. “That’s it, I’m just not gonna get married.” He walked towards the door, but before he even got within two feet of it, Alex pulled him back. “Michael, relax.” Alex smoothed down the lapels of Michael’s tux jacket giving him a goofy grin. Kyle looked up from where he was lacing up his shoes. “Don’t even make have to get up Guerin. You know you’re like a brother to me, but if you so much as make Maria upset, in any way shape or form today, I’ll have to get all big brother on you. Got it?” Michael’s eyes were dancing like crazy, his Adam‘s apple bobbing up and down wildly. Max shook his head, moving to stand in front of Michael. “Don’t listen to him. This is your wedding day. All you should be worried about is seeing Maria on that altar.” He reached out to tie Michael’s bowtie for him. “You don’t think Maria will show up?” He began pacing again. “Oh my God. Maria’s gonna leave me standing on the altar by myself.” Alex grabbed Michael by the shoulders, stopping his movement. “Michael, buddy. Relax. You and Maria will be fine today.” He gave him an encouraging smile. “I bet you she’s in her wedding gown, fidgeting because she can’t wait to marry you.” Michael smiled a dopey grin. “You’re right. I just have to relax.” He dug into his pocket opening up a bottle of cypress oil and sniffing it. When all of his friends looked at him funny, he got all defensive. “What? It’s cypress oil. It helps reduce stress.” Kyle chuckled, whispering to Max. “Two peas in a pod, I tell you.” *************** After Amy put the finishing touches to Maria’s make up, she stood back, her heart swelling at the sight of her first daughter getting married. She sniffed, putting a hand to her mouth. “Maria, you look so beautiful.” Maria fanned at her eyes, trying desperately to keep herself from crying. “Mom stop it. You’re gonna make my makeup run.” Amy threw her arms around Maria, giving her cheek a kiss. “You knock him off his socks, sweetie.” They hugged, before Amy left Maria in the care of her three best friends. Once the door shut tight, all four women yelled out. “Group hug!” Maria grinned widely. “You guys, I can’t believe I’m getting married.” The four women just gathered around, giggling like teenagers. A knock at the door startled them apart, causing them to laugh out loud. “You ladies decent?” Jim’s voice seeped into the room, making the girls smile. “Come on in, sheriff.” Jim poked his head inside, smiling. “Wow. Don’t you ladies look lovely?” He stepped into the room, nodding at each girl in turn. Maria cleared her throat. “Hey guys, you think you can give us a few minutes?” The girls quietly excused themselves, leaving Maria and Jim alone. Maria grinned. “So what do you think? Think I look ready to get married?” “Maria, you look absolutely beautiful. Michael’s not gonna know what hit him.” Maria blushed. She picked up the edges of her dress, walking towards Jim. “I just wanted to say thank you, for agreeing to walk me down the aisle today.” Jim smiled fondly at her. “Frankly I would’ve been hurt if I didn’t get to walk you down that aisle, because even though you’re not my blood, you’re my daughter in every sense of the word. I’m gonna be so proud, having you on my arm today.” Maria felt tears sting her eyes. She threw her arms around him, kissing his cheek. “Thank you. And I want you to know, that you’re the only father I’ve ever known. And I want to thank you for loving me like I was your flesh and blood.” When the first bars of the wedding march began to play, they pulled apart, smiling at each other through their tears. Maria held out her arm, smiling. “Ready to marry me off, dad?” Jim felt his heart thunder in his chest. In his eleven years of being married to Amy, Maria had never called him dad. It had always been Jim, or sheriff. His tears brimmed over, anchoring Maria’s arm to his. “I guess so.” He kissed her temple, moving to the door. Part 19B ********************* With the sound of the wedding march being played on the old church organ, the people in the small church stood up, waiting to watch the bride and groom make an arrival. Jade was the first to walk down the aisle, well, actually, more like skip down the aisle as she threw flower petals from her little basket, smiling and waving at everyone sitting in the pews. Noah was next, taking calculated steps as he carried the pillow that held the rings. Isabel held onto Alex’s arm tightly as they made their way down the aisle. “Alex?” “Hmm?” She whispered through her smile. “There’s something I need to tell you. After the wedding.” Alex gripped her arm. “Sure Iz.” Courtney held onto Kyle’s arm, taking a deep breath. “Ready?” she asked with a smile. Kyle nodded, walking them down the aisle. “Court, I know that every time we walk down the aisle at one of our friend’s weddings, I always say that it’ll be us next. But with everything that’s happened, our lives have been put on hold while we try to make a new home for the boys.” His voice was determined, full of conviction as he met Courtney’s blue eyes for a few seconds. “Before the summer gets here, I promise you that we will be married.” Courtney smiled through her tears, feeling her heart swell up at everything that Kyle had said. “I love you.” “Love you too Court.” Max looked down at Liz, grinning at how beautiful she looked in her bridesmaid’s dress. She was the most breathtaking girl in the room, and all he wanted to do was take her away where he could have her all to himself. Liz looked up at Max, feeling a little self-conscious with the way he kept smiling down at her. “What?” He gripped her hand, his smile widening. “Nothing. I just think you look very beautiful today.” His thumb stroked her knuckles gently. “You’re glowing.” Liz bit her bottom lip, feeling her cheeks pinken with her blush. “You sure know what to say to get lucky,” she teased. He felt his heart speed up. “Are you saying I’m gonna get lucky?” She chuckled as they neared the altar. “Tsk, tsk, Max. Behave yourself. We’re at a wedding.” Max snapped his teeth at her, before letting her go. Michael looked at either side of him, smiling his gratitude to the Parkers. “Mr. and Mrs. P. I just, I wanted to say thank you for walking down with me. I...” his voice was all choked up as he continued. “You guys and the Valentis are the closest I’ve come to real parents, and well.....just thank you.” Nancy squeezed Michael’s hand. “Michael, we’re honored to walk down with you today.” “Even more so that you would consider us as your family,” Jeff finished. Michael exhaled loudly. “I think I’m ready,” he chuckled. Jim turned to Maria, kissing her cheek before placing the veil over her face. “Ready?” Maria nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” ***************** After the vows were exchanged, and the rings were placed on the appropriate fingers, the minister smiled. “With the power vested in me by the state of New Mexico, I pronounce you husband and wife.” He nodded. “You may kiss the bride.” Michael pulled up Maria’s veil with shaky hands, grinning like crazy. He took a deep breath, bending his knees slightly as he kissed Maria for the first time as her husband. She ran her hands through his hair, smiling as she spiked up his hair. They pulled away, both of them breathless. Michael smirked, spiking his hair up the rest of the way. “What? You didn’t like the slicked back look?” Maria shook her head. “Nah.” She fingered his spikes. “This is who I fell in love with.” ****************** The reception was in full swing, with everyone dancing and celebrating Michael and Maria. Jade looked up at Noah as they danced around. She tugged on his jacket. “Noah!” “What?” He stopped twisting them around as he listened to what Jade had to say. “My feet hurt.” She pointed to her cute little feet in her shiny white shoes. “But I don’t wanna stop dancing.” Noah smiled at her, taking her hands in his. “You can stand on my feet,” he offered. Jade grinned back at him, standing on his feet as Noah stepped from side to side, continuing to dance them around. Liz sat in a chair, smiling at her son fondly. Max came up behind her, kissing her cheek. She leaned into his kiss. “Would you look at that?” She pointed to their son, who had so gallantly taken Jade dancing with him. Max chuckled as he held up his hand to Liz. “Would you like to dance with me?” Liz shook her head sadly, sticking her feet from under her dress. “My feet are swollen.” He smiled as he brought her into his arms. “Well, we’ll just improvise then.” He placed his arms around her, swaying their sitting bodies to the music. Liz giggled as she buried her face in Max’s neck. “What are you doing?” “We’re dancing.” He kissed her earlobe, swaying the top halves of their bodies. *************** Alex waited patiently as Isabel prepared to tell him what it was that was bothering her. “Iz, whatever it is- “I’m pregnant,” she blurted out. Before Alex could respond, they were ushered to the dance floor where everyone had congregated to say goodbye to Michael and Maria. “We just wanted to thank you, for sharing this wonderful day with us.” Michael squeezed Maria to his side. “And we’re hoping, that by the time we get back from our honeymoon, that you’ll all join us for another wedding, with Kyle and Courtney.” Maria clapped her hands excitedly. Kyle and Courtney were stunned speechless as the crowd clapped and cheered. Maria walked up to them, offering them a smile. “I’m sorry if I stepped on any feet, but well, I know how tough things have been for you guys, so I’ve made most of the arrangements for the wedding. You guys can look over everything while Michael and I are away, and decide if you want to have- Courtney grabbed Maria, pulling her into an embrace. “I can’t believe that you would do this for us.” Maria patted Courtney’s back. “Hey, what are sisters for?” They pulled away, both of them smiling happy tears. Kyle came up to Maria, bringing his arms around her for a hug. “You know, you’re absolutely crazy for planning two weddings, but you know I love for it.” Maria just laughed, looking into Kyle’s baby blues. “You’re welcome.” Part 19C Rated: NC-17 ******************* Isabel shifted nervously in her seat, turning her head to look at Alex. She was worried about him. He hadn’t said a word since they had left the reception. “Alex, please, say something. Anything.” She pleaded with him, her voice trembling. “Alex, you’re scaring me.” Alex just looked at her and tipped his head to the side. After what seemed like forever, a smile danced across his lips, but he didn’t say anything. He turned his head back to face the front as he continued to drive. All of a sudden, he rolled down the windows, honking his horn as he stuck his head outside, screaming at the top of his lungs. “I’M GONNA HAVE A BABY!” He began thumping his hand against the horn, continuing to scream things out of the window, his patented Whitman grin, plastered to his face. “I’M GONNA BE A FATHER!” They stopped at a stop sign, when somebody gave them a thumbs up after hearing Alex’s little announcement. Alex’s grin grew wider as he held up both of thumbs. When they drove up to their apartment complex, he turned to look at Isabel who was seemed a little dazed. He reached over to touch her arm. “Iz?” Isabel turned to face him, looking a little perplexed. “What was that?” Alex blushed as the magnitude of what he had done just hit him. But he just sat up straighter, not letting his smile fade. His knuckles caressed Isabel’s cheek, as he whispered. “Iz, you just gave me the best news you could’ve ever given me- Before he could even finish his sentence, Isabel climbed over the middle console, dropping herself on Alex’s lap as she fused her lips to his. “I love you.” Alex’s head thumped against the headrest. He wove his fingers through Isabel’s hair, his other hand, gingerly laying on her stomach. “And I love you both.” ****************** Maria clung desperately to Michael’s arm as their plane began to take off. Her eyes were shut tightly, as she began mumbling obscenities. Michael gripped her hand, kissing her temple. “Hey, you ok?” Maria shook her head. “No.” She turned wide, frightened eyes at him. “Michael, I’ve never been on a plane before, much less been out of New Mexico.” She tilted her head back, taking shallow breaths. “Omigod, I think I’m hyperventilating.” “Shh...” He rubbed her shoulder consolingly as he dug into his pocket. When he found what he was looking for, he smiled, handing the small bottle to Maria. Maria clasped the small bottle in her hand, looking at Michael. He just grinned. “It’s cypress oil, it helps reduce stress.” Maria uncapped the bottle, inhaling the calming scent. After getting some relief, she shook her head in disbelief. “Since when did you start carrying around cypress oil?” He shrugged his shoulders as he sat back in his seat. “When I realized I wasn’t a stone wall.” She pushed up the arm rest, cuddling herself under Michael’s heavy arm. “Love you.” “Ditto.” ****************** Kyle and Courtney stood at the doorway of the boys’ room, both of them smiling to see them so peaceful. Kyle wrapped his arms around Courtney’s waist, speaking softly in her ear. “You know, in a few weeks, all of this will be a reality. We’re all gonna be family.” Courtney sighed, snuggling back against Kyle. “I can’t wait. I just my sister were here to see it.” “I think that wherever Carrie and Chris are, they’ll be there to see you walk down the aisle. When people die, they don’t just go away. They just move on to a better place,” Kyle whispered. Courtney cupped Kyle’s jaw, bringing his lips to hers for a kiss. ******************* Max tucked the covers securely around Noah, his fingers finding their way through his soft locks. He smiled, kissing Noah’s cheek before rising. “Nite nite, little man.” Max walked to the door, taking one last glance at his son’s sleeping form before shutting off the light and closing the door. Before he even made it to his and Liz’s room, he began stripping, taking off his shirt, then kicking off his shoes. He kicked the door closed behind him, his hands poised on the fastening of his pants, when Liz came out of the bathroom, fresh from her bath. The room was filled with the aroma of strawberries, making Max’s nostrils flare, his manhood stirring in his pants. She smiled at him, inching off her robe, revealing her golden skin as she got up on the bed. She sat on her knees, holding up a bottle of lotion. “Wanna give your pregnant wife a hand?” Max nodded mutely, kicking off his pants as he joined her on the bed. Liz threw her hair over one shoulder, grinning at Max. “I couldn’t reach my back.” Max took the bottle from her hands, easing the rest of her robe away. He gasped when he realized that she was naked underneath, her soft supple skin, on display for his eyes only. Closing his eyes from the onslaught of lust, he tried to keep himself under control. He didn’t want Liz to think that he was some sort of sex depraved maniac. He could definitely help her out without letting this get sexual. Or so he thought. Liz turned playfully eyes at Max as she leaned her weight on her forearms and elbows. “Earth to Max! Do you copy?” Max had to blink a few times to get moisture into his eyes. He hadn’t even realized that he had been staring. “Wh-what?” She gave him a coy look, as she eyed the bottle of lotion in his hands. “Lotion?...On my back?” Max’s eyes traveled down her naked back, all the way down to her cute little tush. He couldn’t help but lick his lips, before shaking the bottle in his hands. “Right, lotion.” He popped the top, pouring a generous amount on his hands. He rubbed his palms together, wanting to warm the lotion so as not to shock Liz with it’s coldness. He leaned over her, starting with her hands, massaging them as his breath hovered hotly against her ear. Liz bit her pillow, stifling her moan. She felt her cheeks burn at her wantonness. He was just massaging her hands, and she could already feel herself getting wet. When had she become this sex crazed maniac? She didn’t want Max to get the wrong idea. This wasn’t a ploy to seduce him. She really did just need help with putting lotion on her back. She bit the inside of her lip as his large hands continued down her arms, brushing lightly over the sides of her breasts. She tapped down on the urge to thrust her hips back. She could get through this without mauling Max. For goodness sakes, he was just giving her a massage. Max could feel the sweat forming on his brow as he continued to work on Liz’s back. It was if his hands had a mind of their own. He could feel himself trembling with need, and he wanted to get this done as soon as possible, but his hands had other ideas. They wanted to explore each and every part of her smooth skin. He moved forward, reaching to squeeze the tension out of her shoulders, when his hardness brushed against the softness of her behind. He froze, scared of how Liz would react to his uncontrollable body. Liz groaned when she felt Max’s erection brush against her butt. She could feel him straining against the cotton of his boxers. Smiling despite her sexual predicament, Liz reached her hand around, slipping her hand through the slit of Max’s boxers, grasping him tightly in her small hand. So maybe she wasn’t the only one who was so affected, she thought amusedly. “Liizzzzz......” Her name came out as one long moan, his hips thrusting against the movement of her hand. His eyes closed as her hot little hand continued to stroke him, to ignite the fire deep within him to burn brighter. Liz get go of him reluctantly, throwing a heated glance over her shoulder. “Max, I need you.” Max met her molten stare, nodding as he shed his boxers. He placed his hand on her waist, trying to get her to lie back, but she shook her head. She grabbed his arousal, bringing him to her opening, as she lifted her hips in the air. “I want you like this.” Max threw his head back, forcing himself to slow down instead of ramming into her like a raging bull. He placed his hands on her delicate hips, slowing easing himself inside her. Both of them let out a long serrated moan at their joining. Max drew back, slowly sliding himself back inside Liz’s warm depths. “Yes....Oh God.....” Liz reached her hand behind her, her hands gently cupping Max’s sacs. Max was surprised at Liz‘s bold movement, causing him to sit up, changing the angle of his penetration. “Oh God.....Yes.....right there....Maaaax.....” Liz’s breath came out into broken pants as she rose her hips to meet his frantic thrusts, her hand continuing to fondle his sensitive sacs. “Lizzzz.......:Lizzzzzzz.....Oh God......Lizzz....” Her name was a mantra on his lips, as he increased the force of his thrusts, his skin glistening with sweat as he worked to bring them to that mind blowing place. The sound of his flesh slapping against hers, drove him wild, causing him to lean over her back, his hands, cupping her breasts. His thumbs brushed over each of her nipples, working it with his thumb and forefinger as he made them harden into stiff peaks. Liz moaned, bucking her backside to him. “Maaax.....please.....” Max lay a sloppy kiss on her shoulder, his hand, reaching for her chin, his mouth devouring hers, trying to swallow her whole. His hand gripped her hip tightly, holding her up as he felt his thrusts gain momentum. He reached over her leg, between her silky thighs, his fingers brushing against her special bundle of nerves. Liz sucked Max’s tongue hard in her mouth as she felt herself go over, her walls closing over Max’s heated flesh rhythmically. Max continued to buck his hips, as he emptied out the last of his seed inside Liz. When their orgasms subsided, Max slumped forward, his forehead resting against Liz’s shoulder. Liz reached for his hand, bringing it up to her lips for a kiss, both of them still trying to regain a normal breathing pattern.