I work intently at tying Ella's bow just right and making sure that her little pink dress is free of wrinkles. I slip her white shoes on and kiss her head before standing up, "What Do you think,Ella? Does your outfit meet your standards?" I ask with a smile as I look down on my red-headed little girl. Ella responds with a grin and saying, " I'm pretty." "Yes You are very pretty my angel," I say with a laugh. This girl has only been in my life for three years, but I honestly can't remember what life was like without her. It was certainly not as good as it is with her.
"Addison?! Why aren't you dressed yet? You need to be walking down the aisle in a hour!" Amelia exclaims in exasperation as she walks in the room and picks up Ella. "Is it already four? I totally lost track of time!" I say before running into the hotel bathroom.
I take a second to just take it all in. My dress is hanging on the shower rod, and all my jewelry is neatly laid out in their boxes on the counter. I am getting married today, for the second time. This time it's different though. This time I am marrying the love of my life, and I am sure of it. I have no doubts this time.
I snap out of my trance and quickly start getting ready. I do my makeup and curl my hair before putting it up in a bun, just leaving a few gently curled strands to hang down and frame my face. I slip my robe off and step into my dress, I am just pulling it over my midsection when Naomi walks in. "Big day!" She says with an almost scary amount of excitement. " Why are you so happy?" I ask with a laugh, she wasn't nearly this excited when I married Derek. " Mark is the one for you, I can feel it," she says. Naomi zips up my dress and fastens my necklace. She leaves to make sure the bridal party is ready while I have a minute to myself. My dress is exactly what I dreamed it to be. Elegant yet sexy. It is a mermaid gown that hugs my curves just right. The ivory satin really makes my red hair stand out and I know Mark will like that. I smile at the thought of Mark and how much he loves my red hair.
Mark loves me more than anyone ever has. He doesn't even have to tell me, I can see it on his face when he looks at me. I never feel more loved than when I am with Mark Sloan and Ella. I can't imagine my life without Mark. He is my best friend, my lover, and my rock. Maybe our story hasn't been picture perfect, with the fact that I cheated on my husband to be with him, but here and now is all that counts. I found him. The one for me and I couldn't be happier. I try to hold back the tears that are clouding vision. Taking a deep breath I pull myself together. It's time. Time to go make the love of my life my husband.
I walk out of the hotel room and down the hall. Amelia and Naomi are following behind me as Ella holds my hand. I don't feel like running, there is no fear. There is no other place I rather be.
I peak into the ballroom and take in what all my planning and work has accomplished. The room has floor length windows on two sides, giving a breathtaking view of the skyline of New York. Everything is white or silver, with classic and elegant touches. Just the way I imagined it would be.
When I glance towards the alter, I see him. Mark is standing under the dim lights wearing his tux. His eyes are glassy, and I can tell he is emotional. This is a big day for both of us, this is the day that the life we have always dreamed of having starts. Not that a marriage means all that much, it's just words written on a piece of paper after all, but for us this is a victory. We have made it this far against all odds and there isn't anything we can't overcome as long as we are together.
I watch as Naomi and Amelia walk down the aisle as soft music plays. My palms start to dampen as I realize that I am going to be walking under that alter in just a few moments. I am not afraid, just anxious. This is really big. The Captain touches my arm and brings me back down to earth. "Ready to go, Addison?" My father asks with a smile. We haven't had the best relationship but I am glad he is here. He hooks his arm around mine and gives my hand a reassuring squeeze. The Captain has his moments.
The doors open wide to signal my entrance, and I start my seemingly long walk down the aisle. I feel eyes on me, all around me. I see many smiling faces that I recognize. Derek is even here, along with Meredith. This may seem like it would bother me, but it doesn't. I am glad Derek is happy, we have both found who we are meant to be with. We were never meant to be together, and that's okay. My brother is standing behind Mark beaming at me, Mark chose him as his best man despite my warnings. It means a lot to me to see everyone I love here.
I get closer to my husband to be and I notice the way he is looking at me. He is grinning from ear to ear, he has never looked this happy before. I make eye contact with him and smile. All my surroundings fade away when I am looking at him, it's just Mark and I, in our little world. I step up onto the alter never breaking eye contact with Mark. He takes my hand and all my anxiousness fades away.
The vows go by in a blur. I am just waiting for the part where I get to call him my husband. Finally, the minister says, " You may now kiss your bride." Mark wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me as close as possible. My lips meet his and the electricity is amazing. I have never had chemistry with anyone like I do with Mark, he is like my missing puzzle piece. My hand reaches up to stroke the side of his face as his tongue grazes against my lower lip. I pull away as I remember that other people are witnessing this. Mark lets out a small laugh realizing that we might have taken the kiss a little far for a wedding ceremony. We walk down the aisle hand in hand as people clap and wave.
Mark and I are back in my hotel room now. We will make an appearance at our reception in fifteen minutes. Just enough time to celebrate a little. " I think it's time that I give my wife a wedding present," Mark says with a mischievous grin. "We only have a fifteen minutes, Mark," I say. " I am not going to give you the gift right now Addison. I am just going to let you undo the ribbon and have a little peak inside the paper." After saying this he lowers his lips onto my neck and kisses me softly, slowly working his way up to my jaw. I moan softly and close my eyes in pleasure as his lips send shivers up my spine. He reaches my lips finally and kisses me deeply. His tongue runs along my bottom lip asking for entrance. His tongue enters my mouth and softly caresses mine. I meet him halfway and we work in perfect harmony.
He unzips my dress and lowers me down on to the bed. He hovers over me, one knee on each side of my hips. He kisses me deeper as a kneed the back of his neck softly. I run my hand down his torso and back up again teasing him. He smiles as he kisses me and we both giggle a little. Mark traces my sides with his hands and slowly runs his hands down my thighs, he knows what this does to me. I say his name breathily, "Mark..it will be to hard to stop if we go any farther." He moves down and kisses my stomach softly, moving up my torso until he is kissing my neck again. After planting one last kiss on my lips, he pulls away and stands up. "Time to go Addie, our guests are expecting us," he says. "Damn it Mark! You're such a tease," I say in frustration. He just winks at me as he fixes his tie. I know he did that on purpose, he just wanted to get me thinking about what is going to happen tomorrow morning when we get to Mexico. I get up and slip my wedding dress back over my white lingerie and Mark zips me up. "That was just the appetizer," he whispers sweetly in my ear before he takes my hand and walks with me out of the room.
The reception is beautiful and Mark and I have a wonderful time. We eat our dinner and talk with our guests and never leave each other's side. I don't want to be even a foot away from him right now, I belong right here by his side.
When it's time for our first dance, everyone silences as Mark and I make our way to the dance floor. He takes me in his arms and holds me close as we sway. My hand reaches to the back of his neck and I stroke where his skin and hair meet gently. He smiles at me and I feel totally safe.
Could this even be real life? My life has never been as good as it is now. I look out amongst the tables lining the dance floor and I see Ella looking at us with a big smile. I wave her over to us and she runs up onto the dance floor. Mark picks her up in his strong arms and holds her close as he gives her a quick kiss on the cheek.
Everyone used to view Mark as just the man whore who would sleep with every girl that glanced his way. Now that we have Ella, everyone sees him differently. He is so much more than "the man whore", he is a strong and caring family man that will fight for the people that he loves. I always knew this about him, but now it shows through more than ever. Mark keeps one hand on my waist and I keep mine on his shoulder as he holds Ella. We dance together as a family. If this isn't perfection, I don't know what is.
"Bye! We will see you in a week!" Amelia yells after Mark and I as we make our way to the limo. We wave at her and Ella before stepping in, I blow one last kiss to my little girl as she disappears from sight. Mark and I are headed for our honeymoon in Mexico, and Ella is staying with her aunt Amelia. I know she will be perfectly happy and safe with Amelia, but I can't help feeling a pang of sadness as I leave her. I know this is tough for Mark also. We have never left our little girl for this long before, and Ella has my husband wrapped around her little finger.
We step out of the limo into the chilly night air. Mark takes off his jacket and drapes it over my shoulders. I give him a quick kiss as a thank you before we head into the airport. We sit in the waiting area of our boarding area and Mark decides to drive me crazy with temptation. He rubs my denim covered thigh with his hand slowly, he sneakily works his way over to my inner thigh and I quickly grab his hand. "Stop it Mark, there are other people here you know," I say with a laugh. Honestly, I wish he would continue. "The things I am going to do to you when we get to that hotel room," he mutters into my ear. These words send a chill up my spine causing my breath to hitch. He laughs at my reaction and withdraws his hand. He knows exactly what he is doing to me and he isn't even sorry.
We were so caught up in our own little world of desire that we didn't even notice the blizzard that has started outside. The city lights are blurred by the sheet of white coming down and you can barely see the pavement anymore. "Flight 56 to Mexico has been cancelled due to bad weather. We are sorry for any inconvenience," a voice says over the intercom. "Damn it.. what are we going to do for our honeymoon now?" I say as I pout. I was so looking forward to our honeymoon, especially with the anticipation of what Mark was going to do to me once we got to our destination. "I know exactly what we can do," Mark says with a smile. Why is he so happy? Our sexy getaway has just been shot down and he looks like he just won the freaking lottery.
Mark turns the key in the lock of our house and we step inside from the freezing outdoors. "What are you guys doing here? What happened to Mexico?" Amelia asks us. "Our flight got cancelled on account of bad weather," Mark says, "Aw I'm sorry you guys!" Amelia says. "We're just fine here!" Mark says with joy as he walks over to Ella to give her a kiss as she sits in her high chair. I smile at Amelia letting her know that we are all good. " I think Mark missed Ella more than he will admit to. That's okay though because I did too," I say with a laugh. " Okay than. Well..have fun tonight," Amelia says with a wink as she grabs her bag and walks to the door. "Amelia!" I say with disgust because I know exactly what she is implying. She turns around and holds her hands chest width apart with a mischievous grin. It's pretty obvious what she is referring to. "This is true," I say with a smile.
When I go to see what Mark and Ella are up to, I see Mark playing with dolls and watching his daughter explain to him the story lines that are occurring between the plastic figures. I smile to myself. Mark quickly notices me watching them, "Do you want to order some Chinese food?" He asks me. "Sounds great!" I say as I head for the telephone. I order the food as Mark pops a Disney movie into the DVD player.
I am sitting next to Mark eating my noodles as Ella sleeps in my arms. The Little Mermaid is halfway through and the food is almost gone. Mark leans over to whisper in my ear, "Sorry that our honeymoon got cancelled Addie." I reach up and stroke his stubbly face with my palm, "Mark, this is right where I am supposed to be." He smiles and kisses me softly. He places his hand on my neck and pulls me in to deepen the kiss. I pull away, "We better put Ella in bed," I say with a wry smile. "We probably should," Mark replies with a laugh.
Mark carries Ella up the stairs and we tuck her into her bed. We creep out of her room and shut the door. As soon as the door is shut Mark's mouth is on mine. He presses me against the wall and lets his hands roam all over my body. His tongue slips into my mouth as we deepen the kiss. I moan as his lips meet my neck and suck. My hands find his belt buckle and I fumble to undo it. Before I can finish undoing his pants, he picks me up and starts carrying me down the hall. "Are you ready for the main course?" He asks with a smile. " I've never been so hungry," I say with a wink.
"I think non-honeymoon honeymoons are underrated, that was amazing," I say as I try to catch my breath. "Agreed," Mark says with a sigh. I turn my head over on the pillow so that I am facing him. I take my finger and trace his soft lips with it, taking in his beauty. "Mark, thank you for being the most wonderful father and lover any woman could ask for. I am so lucky to have you as my husband." "I am the lucky one! You and Ella are the best things that have ever happened to me," Mark replies with a smile. He reaches out to rest his hand on my waist. " Also, Mark.." I say. "Yes?" He asks with curiosity. " Can I have seconds?" I ask with a naughty smile. He laughs and pulls me on top of him, "This is an all you can eat buffet, darling. You can have as much as you like." I laugh and proceed to kiss him. I hope this "buffet" is open all night.
AN: Thanks for reading! Please R&R, I love to hear your guys' feedback. :) Hope you liked the story, it was really fun to write!