Martha squinted as the sun squeezed through the narrowest of gaps of her heavy bedroom curtains - curtains she had purchased with the knowledge that they would not allow any light to enter her room until she was good and ready. Burrowing her head under the light sheets, she felt him move slightly beside her. She smiled and felt the fluttering of excitement in her stomach as she remembered the events of the night before. The fireworks, the sparklers and the ring that adorned her left hand. Wriggling to a sitting position, she pulled her arm to her eyeline and watched as the sun rebounded off the large diamond, sending rainbows of color around her room. After playing with the different ways she could make her rainbows dance for a few minutes, she looked at the sleeping form beside her. She loved to watch him sleep. Granted, she didn't get to do it very often. He was a morning person, she wasn't. He was up showered and dressed by seven. She was just about to hit the snooze button for the hundredth time. But mornings like this when she was awake first, she loved to watch his face. He looked so peaceful, like all of the worries in the world had been smoothed from his brow. Of course in the last year they had been together, they had little to worry about anymore. But she knew he still worried about her. In fact, she often told him she never worried any more because he was doing enough for the both of them. He would smile at this and insist he was fine, but she knew he still worried. Her safety, her happiness, her. Just her. She knew she was always at the front of his thoughts, and this made her feel safer and happier than she had ever thought possible. Looking at the rock on her finger again, she grinned and reached out to him. Allowing her hand to lazily trace a line from the top of his head to the curve of his jaw, she smiled and moved closer toward him. He didn't stir. She lay her head back on the pillow and under the blankets, allowed her bare legs to intertwine with his. She reached out for his head again and pulled it so he rested under her chin his breath hot and shallow on her bare chest. She rested her own head on top of his, and without thinking pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"Am I still dreaming?" a voice muttered against her chest.

"Depends on what you're dreaming of," she quipped without missing a beat.

He turned his head slightly so he was looking up into her eyes. "That I was lying in bed with a very beautiful, very naked blonde, who just happens to be my fiancee."

"Then my darling, you are most definitely awake." She bowed her face and captured his lips in a slow and sensuous kiss. She pressed her body as close as was humanly possible to his, and he in turn moved so he was hovering over her. Her hands traced small circles on his back and he reached behind him for her left arm. She allowed him to pin it behind her head as he began at her shoulder and almost painfully slowly began to trace a trail of kisses up her arm. Finally reaching her finger he let go of his grip and kissed her hand gently, stroking the finger that he had placed the ring she was wearing on the night before.

Martha looked up at him -- he had not moved in a few seconds -- and she smiled as she saw him staring at her ringed finger. Pulling her hand from his grasp, she held her hand in front of his face. "You do realize that this means you're stuck with me now." She smiled and moved forward to kiss him again, but stopped, confused, as he pulled his head slightly out of her reach.

"Darlin', I have been stuck on you for longer than you will ever know." He dropped back down and allowed their lips to join in a fusion of passion and desire. Yes, he was normally up, showered and dressed by seven, but a quick glance at the clock told him that this would not be the case this morning.

Four weeks Later

"Mom, please, can we just give it another five minutes? I already told you he's on his way." Martha glared at her mother who was pulling her coat on and heading to the front door. "I mean it, Mom! I am not going to have a wedding rehearsal without my groom!"

Grace Lawrence stood by the open door and looked back at her daughter, who was at this moment standing with her hands on her hips glaring at her. A trait she most certainly got from her father, Grace thought. But she did as she was asked and closed the front door walking back toward the living room. "Martha, all I was saying was that maybe Aaron could have met us at the church...if you can call that pile of bricks a church!"

Martha glared again at her mother and headed back to the kitchen. Leaning against the side, she took two deep breaths then headed back to the living room where her mother was sitting on her couch, coat still on. Sitting in the chair opposite, she once again tried to placate her mother. "Mom, I already told you, Aaron and I -- we don't want any fuss. We just want the people closest to us to watch us on the happiest day of our lives. Can you understand that?"

"There's no need to talk to me as if I were a child, Martha. I just don't understand why we couldn't have invited a few more people. Your Aunt Rose and cousins in Wisconsin are simply devastated not to be coming."

"Mom! I haven't seen Aunt Rosie since I was ten years old, and have never met my cousins. In fact, if I recall the reason for that was that you cannot stand them!" Martha found her voice raising.

"Martha. I did not bring you up to raise your voice to me. All I am saying is that if you chose to marry this...man, then you might have had the decency to do it in front of your whole family."

"This...man, as you keep referring to him, his name is Aaron. He is going to be your son-in-law in a few days time. Please, will you have the decency to remember his name!?" Martha gave her mother one last stare, and taking them two at a time, ran up the stairs to the safety of her room. Flinging herself on the bed, she resisted the urge to give in to the hot tears that burned behind her blue eyes. She knew her mother didn't mean it. She was Catholic, and was having a hard time getting used to the idea that Martha was remarrying. She had been perfectly civil to Aaron, but Martha knew that Grace would have been far happier seeing her marrying another Senator, or even a Governor. Taking another couple of deep breaths, Martha picked up the phone on the bedside table and punched in some numbers. She breathed a sigh of relief when the voice on the other end answered. "You have to come here now. I mean it! She is driving me insane. Why am I not having the wedding at home? Why am I not getting married in a cathedral? Why is the damn pope not presiding over the ceremony? I mean it, Cath, get here quick or we are gonna be orphans!" She stopped as she heard the laughter coming from her sister over the other end of the phone. "It's not funny!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, come on, Marty -- you knew this was not going to be an easy ride once mom found out. In her eyes, you were married to the President, and now you're marrying a guy who used to work for you..." Catherine stopped as her younger sister launched into another tirade. "Honey, stop! I know that Aaron is perfect for you. I knew that from the first moment I met him, but its gonna take Mom more time. She will eventually realize you two are made for each other. Now, take a deep breath and go wait for Aaron and Nate. I will be there in five. Okay?"

Sighing dramatically, Martha lay back on the bed. She knew her sister was right, but patience around her mother had never been one of her strong points. "Okay, just hurry up." Hanging up the phone, she lay back on the pillows and closed her eyes. Her mother had arrived from Boston two days ago, and already she felt as if she was a child back home in Massachusetts. But she knew Catherine was right. Her mother was not unreasonable, and to give her credit, she had only found out about hers and Aaron's relationship recently. Not wanting to hurt her more than was necessary, Martha had omitted a lot of the details of her divorce from Charles and the part Aaron played in saving her life. She knew this was probably more information than her mother could handle. Sighing again, she sat up and looked at the table on Aaron's side of the bed. As always, it was neat and organized. A photograph of the two of them taken on a trip to Texas last year, a small digital clock and a book she had given him at Christmas. Smiling, she glanced over at her own bedside table. A picture of Aaron in his dress uniform smiled at her through the mass of tissues, loose earrings, two magazines and a book. No clock. She didn't care to know the time when she awoke, besides, she had Aaron to wake her these days. Reaching out, she gently stroked the face captured in a frame and mentally urged him home as quickly as possible. Perfectly timed, she heard the front door open and the familiar voice echo through the house.

"Martha. You still here? Sorry we're late, we..." He stopped as he walked into the living room and found his future mother-in-law sitting upright on the couch. Smiling at her, he ushered the young man who had been hovering in the hallway into the room. "Mrs Lawrence. I would like you to meet my son, Nate. Nate, this is Martha's mother, Grace Lawrence."

Nathan Pierce took a step toward the formidable-looking woman on the couch and stretched out his hand. She took it with a firm shake and looked him up and down. Nate felt as if he was on parade and being inspected by his drill sergeant. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Lawrence. My father has told me a lot about you," he said politely.

"You are in the Navy, I hear," Grace asked, her posture relaxing slightly as she looked at the young man facing her. Clean, polite and in the armed services. Maybe Aaron had done something right.

"Yes, ma'am. Going on ten years now." He studied her profile and thought to himself that if you took away the slightly upturned nose and the colder, watery blue eyes, she was the spitting image of his future stepmom. He smiled inwardly as he thought if Martha aged as well as her mother, his father was a lucky man.

"Is Martha not here?" Aaron's voice interuppted Nate's thoughts.

Grace turned to face Aaron and allowed a smile to pass her lips. "She's upstairs -- I think I may have upset her. Why don't you go on up, it will give me a chance to get aquainted with my new grandson. Come, Nathan, sit by me and tell me your stories from overseas."

Giving his son an apologetic smile, Aaron headed up the stairs. He found Martha in the bathroom reapplying her smudged mascara. Leaning against the doorframe, he grinned at her. "How ya holdin' up?"

Martha leaned back from the mirror and held out the mascara wand she had been applying. "Let's put it this way, shall we? How much damage do you think this could actually do to a human being? She twisted the wand and brandished it like a sword toward him...I'm not talking actual permanant damage, just slight maiming."

Aaron laughed and walked toward her. Putting his arms around her waist, she let her head fall against his chest. "Grace giving you a hard time, still?"

"Just keep on reminding me that I am fifty-four years old, and not a preschooler in bobby socks and pigtails. I am a grown woman who is able to make her own desicions." She spoke the last line as if reciting a Buddhist mantra, and Aaron laughed again. She lifted her head up and smiled at him. "Cath's on her way."

"Good, you gonna be okay?" He pressed a kiss in her soft hair. "I think we're good for a few minutes; Nate's got us covered."

"You know, sometimes I wish we had just run off and done this with just the two of us. No family, no problems, just the two of us in a beautiful garden. Flowers everywhere, the sun beaming down on us as I say the two most important words in my life: I do." She nuzzled into his chest and smelled the familiar scent of him, making her relax in a way that nothing else ever could. She often wondered what she would do if she had to be separated from him; she knew it was a possibility with his job. She wasn't sure how she would cope. After a year together, they had not spent a day apart, and she felt as if he was an extension of her. She pushed the thought from her mind and allowed herself to enjoy the feeling of his arms around her.

"Martha. Do we have to keep the priest waiting all day? Catherine has just pulled up and we are all ready. How long does it take to make yourself look presentable?" Grace's voice called up the stairs and for once, Martha didn't mind; she giggled and looked at Aaron.

"Showtime. You really sure you want to marry into this family?"

"The surest!" he laughed, pulling her toward the door. " Let's go pretend to get married!" Smiling at her, and placing a butterfly kiss on the end of her nose, he led her down the stairs.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Martha shouted as she paced the length of her living room.

"It wasn't that bad." Aaron watched his fiancee's face, which had been turning a delicate shade of red ever since they had left the church.

Martha stopped at his words and turned suddenly to face him. "Not that bad? Not that bad? How can you even say that?"

"Alright I admit, your mother apologizing to the priest about it being your second wedding wasn't the best way to introduce herself to him. And yes, he did seem a little nervous when he realized who you were." He smiled placatingly at her.

"A little nervous...Aaron, he said, "the Father the Son and the Holy Goat" for crying out loud! He called you Andy! How am I supposed to know if its you i've married or some guy called Andy!"

"Teething problems, Martha. Trust me, things will be fine. We still have a week, and I'm sure Nate's foot will be fine. It wasnt Father Kerr's fault, that vase was an accident waiting to happen. I'm sure Cath will call from the hospital any minute to say its just a nasty bruise. I am sure Nate will be fine to walk you down the aisle."

As if on cue, Aaron's cell rang, and he quickly fished it out of his pocket. Seeing his son's name on the display, he flipped it open. Martha watched as he turned away from her mumbling quietly into the phone. After a few seconds, he ended the call and turned to face her, a look of panic on his face.

"What now?" Martha exclaimed.

"Honey, don't panic but ..." He stopped.

"No...don't say it." She pushed her hands to her face.

"Yeah, it's broken."

Martha threw herself on the sofa, her hands still covering her face, her shoulders shaking. Aaron quickly sat at her side and pulled her toward him, concern etched on his face. "Martha, darlin'..." He wrapped his arms around her shuddering frame and tried to pull her hands from her face. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that the tears rolling down her cheeks were not ones of despair, but laughter. Looking at his concerned face, she burst into a fit of giggles.

"You ever think destiny is trying to tell us something?" she managed to get out in between spurts of laughter.

"You know I don't care. I don't care if I have to sit you on Nate's lap and wheel you both down that aisle, in a few days you will be Mrs. Aaron Pierce, and I will be the happiest man alive." He wiped the tears from her cheeks and leaned forward to capture her lips in a kiss that made her immediately stop laughing and melt into his embrace.

After a few seconds Martha pulled away slightly and leaned her forehead on his. "You know, I was going through the wedding list again, and I honestly don't think I know half the people on there. What happened? When I last looked, the list was half that size."

"Yeah, your mother had a few.." he coughed, "last minute additions." He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'm sorry, honey. It's just, your mom can be very..." he struggled to find a diplomatic word. "persuasive. Look, you look exhausted; why don't you go upstairs and lie down? Cath and Nate will be back soon, and your mom is resting at the hotel. Go and enjoy the peace while you can. Go on."

Lifting her head, Martha thought to herself she really did feel exhausted after today's events; a few hours' sleep wouldn't kill her. Besides, her mother would be back for dinner in a few hours, and she really needed to regroup before facing her. Pulling herself off the couch, she bent to give Aaron one last kiss before slowly making her way up the stairs.

Watching Martha as she walked away, Aaron thought to himself things were rapidly spiraling out of control. The wedding they, or at least she, had wanted was turning by the minute into the biggest event L.A. had seen in years. He pulled himself off the couch and reached for the phone. "Yes, this is Aaron Pierce, could you connect me with Mrs. Lawrence, please." Smiling to himself, he prepared for the fallout that was bound to follow when he revealed his plan to his future mother-in-law.

Valentine's Day, two days before the wedding.

Martha rolled over in bed and reached for Aaron. Finding his side of the bed empty, she glanced at his clock, 7:15. Groaning, she curled herself into a ball and snuggled back under the covers. She reached for his pillow, pulling it toward her and inhaling the scent of him. Moving her arm slightly, she opened her eyes as she brushed against something resting on the top. Pulling herself to a sitting position, she looked at the small box that had been placed next to her and smiled. It was a red box tied with a bow. She opened the small card that was attached to the top and smiled. To the future Mrs Pierce. Picking up the box, she wriggled out of the bed and reached for her robe. As she made her way down the stairs, she could smell the freshly ground coffee coming from the kitchen.

"So what's this?" she smiled at him.

He looked up from his seat at the kitchen table and smiled, "Happy Valentine's Day, darlin'."

Martha grinned and opened the cupboard above her and rooted around for the package she had placed there the night before. Pulling it free, she walked over to him and sat on his lap. Seeking his lips, she pressed a kiss on them and handed him the package. "Happy Valentine's Day." Looking at him, she noticed that he was dressed in his work clothes and let out a sigh. "Today? Really?"

"I'm sorry, honey, I got the call a few minutes ago. I will be three or four hours, tops. Then we can celebrate. I promise."

Pouting slightly, Martha looked at the gift in her hands. "But I get to open my present first, right?" she grinned.

Grateful that she had made little fuss over him having to work yet again on a significant day for them -- first Christmas, then New Year's and now today -- he pulled her closer to him. "Of course." He pressed a kiss into her soft hair as she giggled and tore at the bow he had earlier so carefully tied. Watching her face as she opened the box, he smiled as her expression changed from one of excitement to surprise.

"Oh, Aaron...this is too much. I...I don't know what to say. Its beautiful." She pulled the diamond bracelet from the box and held it up to the light. I thought we said we weren't gonna go crazy. You got me so much for Christmas. She stroked the contours of his face and smiled as his cheeks began to flush slightly.

"But you like it?"

"I love it. Here.." she held the bracelet out to him, "put it on for me." She watched as he fixed the clasp around her delicate wrist. She had been given many gifts of jewelry from Charles in the past, but they were gifts mainly to apologize or to appease his guilt for ignoring her. This, she knew, had been carefully chosen by Aaron with the intention only of making her happy. And to her, the bracelet could have been made out of dried pasta and it would still be the most precious gift she had ever received. Blushing slightly, she reached for her gift -- a large box wrapped in red tissue paper. "Well, its not diamonds, but I hope you will enjoy these." She grinned as he tore at the wrapping.

Opening the box he peered inside. There was a lot of shredded paper and carefully placed in the middle was a can of whipped cream, strawberries and a very expensive bottle of champagne. Turning to her, he grinned at the mischevious look that had spread across her face. "I have to go to work and you let me open this first. You're trying to kill me, aren't you?"

"Look on it as an incentive to get home as quickly as possible." Finding his lips again, she pushed her body close to his and wrapped her arms around him, holding him to her. Pulling back slightly, she whispered in his ear. "I love you, Aaron."

Gazing back at the face he so often thanked the Lord he got to see every waking day, he whispered back. "I love you, too, Martha. But now I have to go. Trust me, you put these in the fridge, and I will be back as quick as I can."

Slipping off his lap, she smiled and made her way over to the freshly brewed coffee. Watching him pick up his coat and head for the door, she looked again at the bracelet, smiling to herself. Hearing him call out, she turned to the door.

"Oh. I forgot to tell you, Nate is going to come by around ten. I think he wants to take you for lunch, so maybe hide my...gift before he arrives." Grinning at her, he left the house.

"Coming, coming." Martha shouted as she hurried down the stairs to the front door. It was just before ten, and she had spent most of the morning since Aaron left admiring her new bracelet, until eventually remembering at around nine that Nate was due in an hour. Hurrying down the stairs, putting in her earrings as she went, she flung open the front door. Staring at the sight that faced her, she burst into laughter.

"You like?" Nate grinned at her.

"It's...well, it's very appropiate." She glanced down to his leg covered in a fresh white cast and laughed again as she saw hundreds of red hearts carefully painted onto the surface. "That must have taken you hours." She laughed again as she walked into the house.

"Well, your sister helped a little." He hobbled into the living room and sat on the couch.

"Catherine? You've seen her today?" Martha asked, puzzled.

"Oh...um, yeah...we met for breakfast..last minute arrangements, you know how it is," Nate stammered.

Martha eyed him suspiciously. "Whats going on, Nate?"

"On? Nothing. I just thought, since Dad had to work, I would come take my favourite stepmom out for an early lunch." Nates cheeks flushed at her scrutiny.

"Early being the operative word -- it's ten a.m., and unless you had breakfast around five, I'm sure you're not hungry yet."

"Yeah, I know -- I thought maybe we could go to your mom's hotel and pick her up first; you know, make it a family affair. Cath's agreed to meet us there. Come on, Martha, it's Valentine's Day. You don't wanna be stuck at home alone pining for my dad to return, do ya?" He flashed her the famous Pierce smile -- the one that could get her to agree to just about anything -- and she smiled back.

"Picking up mom it is, then." Glancing down at his leg, she smiled again. "I guess I'm driving."

Half an hour later, Martha found herself battling through the Bel Air traffic to get to the hotel. She glanced over at Nate, who had been very quiet since they had left the house, and again wondered what was going on. She knew her sister and Nate got along. But early morning breakfasts seemed a little strange to her. Pushing the thought from her mind, she approached Stone Canyon Road, and began the descent to the Hotel Bel Air. Pulling the car into the lot, she handed the keys to the valet, and alongside a hobbling Nate, made her way into the foyer.

"Martha! Nate!"

Martha looked around and saw her sister heading their way. "Hey, Cath. No Mom yet?"

"She's in the restaurant waiting. Nate, why don't you go through? I need to talk to my little sister a minute."

Puzzled, Martha smiled as Nate made his way across the lobby and turned back to her sister. "Catherine, what's going on? And don't tell me nothing. Everyone has been acting strange all morning. Tell me this hasn't got anything to do with the wedding. It's done, the invites are out, the press passes have been handed out. Mom has gotten her wish; this will be one of the society events of the year. But it is two days away. Let me enjoy these last few stress-free days."

"Martha, I'm sorry. That's why I wanted to catch you before you saw Mom. She has arranged a small pre-wedding luncheon. Just us and a few hundred of your "closest" friends!"

"Oh, Cath, no!" Martha wailed. "It's Valentine's Day! Aaron will be home from work in a few hours and. ..well, we have...plans."

"Yeah. Okay, I'm not sure I want to know any more. Look just come up to my room, change, you can go in, smile for the cameras and be home in a few hours. I promise. I will make sure you are home before Aaron, so you two can...celebrate. Okay?" Grabbing Martha's hand, they headed toward the elevator.

Martha dragged her feet as they came to Catherine's room. Walking to the bed, she sat heavily down on the soft mattress. "No offense, Cath, but what exactly am I supposed to get changed into?" She looked at her sister's slender form and down at her own curves. "I'm hardly gonna fit into anything of yours."

"Ah ha! That's why I went to Rodeo first thing and picked you this up." She reached into the closet and pulled out an elegant cream satin dress, crystals decorating the bodice. Ushering her sister into the bathroom, she yelled back at her. "Ten minutes, Marty."

Fifteen minutes later, Martha came out of the bathroom, the dress hugging her curves in all the right places. Catherine looked up at her and felt tears springing to her eyes. "Oh, Martha. You look...perfect. I wish Aaron could see you. Now come on, wipe that frown from your face and smile." Pulling her to the door, the sisters made their way downstairs.

"Where are we going?" Martha frowned as Catherine, still holding her elbow, pulled her toward the garden. She looked around at the glorious flowers and lake, watching the swans, wishing she was back at home with Aaron.

"Just around this corner. Here." She stopped and Martha looked up, preparing herself for the flashes of photographers' bulbs. Instead, she felt her heart jump into her throat. Turning to her sister, she found she couldn't speak. Instead, she looked back at the sight that lay before her and saw him striding toward her in his tux. Catherine let go of her arm and quietly moved to one side.

"Aaron...what? I...I..." As he reached her side, she looked over his shoulder, and her mouth dropped at what she saw. The priest from the rehearsal stood under a archway of flowers. Her mother and Nate, dressed in their finest, sat on two white chairs smiling back at her. Turning back to Aaron, she punched him on the arm.

"Ow!" he exclaimed.

"You said you were working!" She grinned back at him. "Is this?...I mean, are we...?"

"Well, your mother and I had a chat yesterday, and I told her a story you told me a few days ago. I think it went something like ...You know sometimes I wish we had just run off and done this with just the two of us. No family, no problems, just the two of us in a beautiful garden. Flowers everywhere, the sun beaming down on us as I say the two most important words in my life. I do. And for once, your Mother agreed. So, what do you think? You want to get married? Here. Now." He looked down at her, hoping he had done the right thing.

Martha looked back at her family, old and new, all smiling back at her, and uttered two words. Words she would repeat a few minutes later. Words that she said with all of the love in her heart. "I do."