Death Do Us Part

Chapter One - 10/1/78 - 7:30pm

The futon in Oscar's den seemed so much more comfortable when Jaime was there, curled up beside him. Oscar tended to the fire and sat back down, angling sideways to face her. He was amazed at the transformation she'd made in the three months that Steve had been in Thailand. The day he'd left, Oscar had found her at the Tranquilty fountain in front of OSI headquarters, basically shattered in a million pieces. She was sobbing brokenheartedly, even though she and Steve hadn't been a couple in more than a year. She'd looked so small, so bereft and alone, that Oscar (who had loved her from a distance for far too long) couldn't just leave her sitting there.

He had taken her up to his office and tried his best to comfort her. In the process of offering support to the vulnerable young woman, Oscar had found himself falling even more deeply - and outwardly - in love with her. At one point, their eyes had met and he felt a sudden two-way spark. Jaime's reaction told him she'd felt it, too, and they'd begun almost immediately to explore what it meant, turning the spark into a blazing fire.

The woman sitting next to him on this night bore little resemblance to the sobbing waif in his office three months earlier. Color had returned to her face and light and sparkle to her eyes. She had gained an inner strength and confidence that showed in the way she moved, spoke and interacted with the world. Oscar was so proud of her for that, and still amazed at the depth of his love for her - more than he thought his heart would ever be capable of again. Tonight, he had something serious on his mind. With Steve returning in three days, Oscar was more than a little afraid he would lose Jaime the minute her former fiance got off of the plane. He hoped their love was strong enough to weather the conflicting emotions, and he desperately needed to hear Jaime's viewpoint.

How do you feel about Steve coming home early?" he asked, as casually as possible.

Jaime shrugged. "He can do what he wants. But if he didn't finish whatever he was sent over there to do, his boss'll kill him. Real whipcracker, I hear."

"Oh really?" They shared a chuckle and then Oscar quickly turned serious again. "Babe, you were so upset when he left. How do you think you'll react if he gets off that plane and says he wants you back? The two of you used to be so close."

"That was practically in another lifetime."

"I know he still loves you," Oscar said gently.

"Honey, you know a lot more about that relationship than I do. For me, there's nothing there." Jaime reached up to touch his cheek. "I love you, and I want - no, I need - to be with you."

"Steve knows about us now," Oscar pointed out. That morning, he'd answered her phone at 7:00am, and it had been Steve.

Jaime smiled. "And - your point is -?"

"That doesn't bother you?"
"He'd have found out in a few days, when he got back. Besides, I'm the one who was talking about announcing 'us' to the world, remember?"

"Of course, I remember. When you said that, it really struck a chord in me, but possibly not in the way you intended."

"What -?"

Oscar smiled, ran his fingers through her hair and let his hand rest on her shoulder. "I'd like to announce 'us' to the entire universe, the right way. Jaime, you mean more to me than I'd imagined any woman ever could. I can't even begin to picture my life without you in it." He took her hand in both of his. "I love you with every fiber of my being and I'm offering you my entire heart and soul for the rest of our lives. Will you do me more of an honor than I could ever hope to be worthy of, and be my wife?"

"Oscar...absolutely, positively, definitely yes!" Oscar produced a ring out of nowhere and slipped it on her finger. "It's beautiful," she whispered, awestruck.

"You're beautiful." Oscar gently drew Jaime very close and kissed her: a long, slow, deep kiss as if he never intended to stop. In many ways, now he didn't ever have to...