Getting a lot of votes for what will replace He Touched Me & I Let Him Love Me. It's a really close race so far between Swirling Storm Inside and Until the Moment I Found You. I'll leave the poll up until Sunday October 12th so get those votes in. You can vote multiple times so vote away. Everyone remember no matter what wins all three stories will get written eventually so if your story doesn't win that doesn't mean it will never get written.
April I don't like replacing Clowen with Clowen and Clew with Clew because I have other ships. I prefer to replace drama with drama and fluff with fluff if you want Until the Moment I Found you to win then keep voting for it.
Ch. 6 I'll Take You Just the Way You Are
(OWEN)
"Man I can't believe you're getting married tomorrow," Dallas says as we skate out onto the ice for the last game of the season.
"Yeah it's a bit of a shotgun wedding but I'm happy dude and I really love Clare," I say and blow a kiss to Clare. She's in the stands with Bianca, Clare smiles at me and blows me kiss back.
"Well you stole her from Eli which according to Drew is quite a feat," Dallas responds while we skate into the bench. I just smirk, Eli dumped her and didn't know what he had, I actually didn't steal her from Eli but Adam is the only other one that knows that.
The opposing team skates out and we stand for the national anthem and finally the game begins. Well I sit on the bench since I'm second string; I watch the game and sneak peaks at Clare while thinking about our wedding tomorrow. We're getting married at the Torres house, in the backyard and Reverend Baker is officiating. We chose not to do a maid of honor and best man but Mom did manage to coordinate gifts with the people coming.
I do get to play in the second period, I body check a few people and clear the path for Dallas and Luke to score goals. Coach let's me play for half of third period too and when I return to the bench Clare is cheering for me. We win our game and we all skate out onto the ice in celebration, hugging and high fiving as the crowd cheers for us. After much celebration in the arena we skate back to the locker room. The coaches come in and congratulate us giving us our trophy and we each get individual trophies. After showering and changing we meet the coaches at Little Miss Steaks which has been closed and reserved for our victory celebration. The coaches reserved it anyway; if we'd lost it would have been a party because we played a good season. We eat pizza and drink sodas, for a while the excitement of the game has everyone talking about the season and hockey in general. Eventually talk turns to my wedding tomorrow.
"We wanted to get you a stripper but the coaches said no way, however they did approve of this," Dallas tells me as a cake is brought out. There is a girl in a bikini on the cake, the girl looks a lot like Clare and she's in a red and black bikini for the Ice Hounds colors.
"Nice, thanks guys," I smile.
We all have some cake; Dallas takes the piece with her breasts not so surprisingly. After cake we say goodnight to the coaches and the team starts going home.
"Hang on we're not done yet," Dallas says taking my keys. I get in the passenger seat in of my car, Dallas starts driving and I notice that Luke is following us. "Coaches wouldn't let us have strippers but we can see strippers and Luke has a fake I.D. and your bachelor celebration isn't over yet," Dallas tells me.
We go to the red light district, Luke parks next to us and we go into the first club. We get stamps because we're not old enough to drink but we all get in. Sitting in a booth near the stage and watching the girl dancing on stage. We order soft drinks and Dallas purchases club money which we use to tip the dancers. When Dallas and Luke tell the dancer on stage that it's my bachelor party she goes on her knees to kiss my cheek and then leans back so I can put money in her G-string. We stay at the club for a couple of hours, Luke drives Dallas home and I get home just after two in the morning. Clare is home, the lights are off in the bedroom and I try to sneak in but she wakes up as soon as the door opens.
"Owen?!" She asks with a tone that trembles with fear, sitting up and holding her knees to her chest.
"It's just me, sorry I didn't mean to wake you," I apologize sitting on the bed.
"That's okay I was only half asleep anyway," she says.
"How was your bachelorette party?" I question closing the bedroom door.
"Interesting, having Bianca, Jenna and Alli all together for three hours was…interesting. Bianca got me a stripper," she says.
"Dallas and Luke took me to a strip club," I confess as I get undressed and get in bed with her. As soon as I'm in bed she gravitates to me, wrapping my arms around her and putting her head on my chest, she's shaking just slightly and I hold her a little tighter. "Are you okay? Do you feel sick? Did something happen?" I question stroking her back softly.
"No I don't feel sick, I just…I'm worried about tomorrow I guess," she says.
"Having second thoughts?"
"No not at all, I want to marry you, I'm just…I don't know worried about my mom and…" she pauses and then releases a breath, "never mind I think I'm just tired and making myself paranoid."
"Get to sleep Clare Edwards because tomorrow you become Clare Milligan," I remind her and she smiles against my chest.
I stroke her back for a while longer, feeling her fall asleep and I drift to sleep a couple minutes after. We wake up late the next morning; our ceremony isn't until this evening so we got to sleep in. We wake up at the same moment locking eyes with each other, Clare smiles at me and gives me a soft kiss.
"We're getting married today," Clare smiles at me.
"Yes we are," I grin, "but let's eat first, I'm pretty sure I can smell that mom has breakfast ready for us," I comment.
Clare puts my robe on and I pull on my pajamas bottoms, after a nice breakfast of pancakes with my family and making a plan for tomorrow, we shower and gather everything for the wedding before driving to the Torres house. Clare goes straight to Adam's room to get ready, it will take her a lot longer to get ready than it will take me. So while she starts getting dressed the rest of us work at getting the yard ready. There's a latticed archway with white fabric draped over it, the archway was rented along with all the chairs but the folding tables and table cloths were collected from friends and guests coming to the wedding. Drew, Dallas and I get chairs set up, Mom helps Audra with the flowers which Audra convinced a local flower shop to donate since we're on a budget. Also because we're on a budget and we had only a few days to plan the wedding is a pot luck. Simpson let us borrow hanging lamps from the school we use for dances and some colored string lights.
While Clare and I decided not to have a best man or maid of honor, or anyone else in the wedding party, she asked Adam to walk her down the aisle. Her father won't be here and she didn't feel comfortable having Glen do it, or even Jake and in her exact words Adam was the most important guy in her life aside from me. Adam changes into his suit and comes out just as Helen, Glen and Jake arrive. Helen is giving me an interesting look, I'm not sure why or what she's thinking but I understand Clare's fear last night.
"I should go get dressed the guests are starting to arrive," I say to Drew.
"Yeah, you can use my room I'll change after you just don't peak at your bride," Drew teases.
I grab my suit from inside and go up to Drew's room to put my suit on, then do my hair and Mom has to help me with my bow tie. Alli, Jenna, Connor, Dave, the Baker family, Bianca, Katie, Maya, Bo, Ingvar and a few other guys from the team are here. My family is already here as they came with us and since all our grandparents live far away we didn't invite grandparents or any other family, but my mom will send out announcements. Principal Simpson is coming with his wife and son, they're mostly coming because he's our principal but he does know Clare pretty well and me too after all the time I spent in his office. Everyone is here and everyone is dressed so we're just waiting for Clare, Adam grabs her bouquet and people sit down, music starts and I look at the doorway to the basement waiting for Clare.
She appears now, her arm linked with Adam, she holds a bouquet of lily's and red roses. She has white heels, her white dress goes to just above her knees and is three quarter sleeve, the top part is all lace and the silk dress underdress is sleeveless and stops at her mid-thigh. It's demure but also sexy, her hair is swept up, she has on simple jewelry and light makeup and she looks beautiful. I smile and she smiles back, I admit it's a little weird to be getting married to a girl that seven weeks ago I hardly knew but this is what I want and I know without a doubt that I love her. Adam walks her to me, kisses her cheek and hands her to me, I take her hand and Adam sits down. Reverend Baker starts talking, welcoming everyone to our wedding and he says a prayer.
"If anyone has just cause why Owen and Clare should not be joined let them speak now," Reverend Baker says and Clare bites her lip darting her eyes around.
"I won't let anyone stop this wedding," I assure her in a whisper and she smiles again.
No one says anything and Reverend Baker begins speaking again. I'm really only half listening as I gaze into Clare's eyes and picture our future together. I know a semi-shotgun wedding to a girl I only fell in love with a few weeks ago, and while helping her keep her sanity after a rape, and who is carrying the baby of that asshole rapist is pretty crazy, but love is insanity in itself. I envision Clare and I together throughout our lives; awaiting the birth of our first child, from the moment I stopped Clare at the clinic it became my child and only the two of us and Adam will ever know that Bryce was involved. I can see Clare graduating from Columbia, and pregnant again with another child, one that we made but is no less our child than our first. I picture family Christmases, birthdays and our anniversary, our children's first day of school and graduations. I'm so caught up in envisioning our life together I almost miss Reverend Baker asking for the ring.
"Owen Nicholas Milligan do you take Clare to be your wife? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only unto her?"
"I do," I grin.
"Clare Diana Edwards do you take Owen to be your husband? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him, forsaking all others and holding only unto him?"
"I do," she replies with a soft smile.
"Owen place the ring on Clare's finger and repeat after me," Reverend Baker says and I take the ring out of my pocket taking Clare's hand as the reverend begins speaking again. "I Owen take thee Clare," he says and I repeat it while sliding the ring onto her finger, "to be my wife and promise my love to you forevermore."
I repeat the vow and Clare looks at the ring and smiles at me, since Clare has no pockets Adam stands to hand her my ring and she takes my hand. Reverend Baker asks Clare to repeat after him while she puts the ring on my finger.
"I Clare take thee Owen, to be my husband and promise my love to you forevermore," Clare repeats with a grin and bites her lip slightly when she's slid my ring onto my finger.
"Wedding rings are an outward and visible sign of an inward spiritual grace and the unbroken circle of love, signifying to all the union of this man and this woman in marriage. Owen and Clare as the two of you come into this marriage uniting you as husband and wife; I would ask that you always remember to cherish each other as special and unique individuals, that you respect the thoughts, ideas and suggestions of one another. Be able to forgive, do not hold grudges, and live each day that you may share it together, as from this day forward you shall be each other's home, comfort and refuge, your marriage strengthened by your love and respect for each other. Owen and Clare in so much as the two of you have agreed to live together in Holy Matrimony, have promised your love for each other by these vows, the joining of your hands and the giving of these rings, I now declare you to be Husband and Wife. It is my privilege to present to you Mr. & Mrs. Owen Milligan. You may now kiss your bride," Reverend Baker tells me.
I lock eyes with Clare; gently placing my fingers under her chin and with my arm around her waist gently caress my lips to hers in our first kiss as husband and wife.
(CLARE)
Owen's lips touch mine and I am his wife now, I can't say that I'm giddy with unimaginable joy to be marrying a man I am deeply in love with and have no doubts in my mind. I do love Owen, very much in fact, and I am happy to be his wife, he is a wonderful man and I am extremely lucky. However this wedding would not be happening if my mother hadn't pushed us into it, and I will probably have lingering doubts for a very long time about this rocket blast of a relationship. Not only was it a swift courtship, if you can even call it that, but we only came together because of something terrible so I do worry. I know Owen loves me and I know he means what he says but this is not his child and I'm still dealing with being raped, I worry about this lasting, about him straying, about well everything. Of course I tend to do that with everything, worry and overthink, I'm trying not to, I'm trying to enjoy my wedding and with an exhale I melt into the kiss.
Everyone cheers and blows bubbles at us, we smile and people start taking pictures. We had a very tight budget for the last minute wedding so we didn't hire a photographer or even buy disposable cameras, but in this day of cell phones and social media it isn't necessary. All our guests are taking pictures on their cell phones, naturally Audra insists on several, me and Owen together then us with his family and then us with my family. After that Veronica takes one of the two of us with the Torres family which includes Bianca and Dallas.
While we take pictures people have been moving the tables around and bringing out more folding tables so we can eat. There's a ton of food and of all kinds, after Owen and I are done with pictures we sit down to eat. Some people are eating inside because there isn't enough room out here, mostly because part of the patio has been made into the dance floor. Owen and I are in the middle of the longest table, next to him is Bianca, Drew and Dallas, and next to me Adam, Alli and Jenna. Alli almost had a heart attack when she heard about the wedding from Jenna but at least they were both super supportive. I'm very hungry but I'm trying to eat carefully so I don't get anything on my white lace dress. As people finish eating they begin to mingle or go out to the dance floor.
"I think you should have your first dance as husband and wife," Adam says when I've finished eating. Owen is throwing away our plates, not very elegant to have plastic plates at a wedding but again we had a budget, Adam is right though so I get up and walk to Owen.
"I believe my husband is supposed to get the first dance," I tell him. He grins taking my hand and spinning me around before we walk out to the dance floor.
"You look beautiful," he smiles as we begin to dance.
"Thanks everyone did a good job turning the Torres yard into a place for a wedding," I reply.
"Yeah not too shabby for the budget and time we had but I think I owe you an actual wedding. Maybe for our five year anniversary, it doesn't have to be a huge production but it might be nice to have all our families there, your sister especially. Not to mention something a little fancier than plastic plates and paper wedding bells as decorations," he comments.
"If we last five years I can see celebrating with a renewal of vows ceremony but I will just be gradu…"
"Hold it!" Owen interrupts me. "If?! If? You mean you have your doubts?" Owen questions in a wounded tone as we begin dancing away from the crowd to the darkness under the trees.
"Not that you love me, or even that you want this baby but you can't blame me for having doubts Owen," I reply and he twists his face at me with an offended expression. "There's just a lot to worry about, under normal circumstances this would be hard, getting married as teenagers and raising a baby, and what we have is far from normal circumstances. I just have my doubts," I sigh.
"About me or about us?" Owen inquires.
"Both but…"
"How can you have doubts after everything?" Owen asks cutting me off.
"How can I not? You can't really tell me that eight weeks ago you were thinking about having a baby and being married with any girl and least of all me," I counter.
"No I wasn't but that doesn't change how I feel about you or the baby or what I know that I want and that's this. I thought you did too, I thought you were sure," he argues.
"I do want this and I am sure but that doesn't take away the fear or the doubt," I point out.
"Then what will?" He questions.
"Time, our life together, knowing you still love me and want to be with me when I'm huge and pregnant. Watching you when the baby is born, coming home to you every day and you being happy about it," I tell him. Our slow song ended a few minutes ago and we danced our way into a dark corner to finish talking. I look at Owen, he's silent and sullen, I didn't mean to wound him but I had to be honest. "I do love you and this is what I want," I try to assure him taking his hand and go to kiss him but he pulls away.
"So I'm going to spend the next several years living my life proving myself to you while you question everything I do," Owen responds with a bitter tone.
"No Owen that's not…" I try but he's already walking away.
I sink down in the shadows onto a planter; we may have had the shortest wedding in history and all because I couldn't keep quiet. I consider just running from my own wedding but I don't really have anywhere to go, except to Bryce. Not that I would but I'm having an emotional crisis and the thought did cross my mind.
"Trouble in paradise already?" Taunts a voice in the darkness, a voice I am all too familiar with but his mere presence here makes me jump. I leap up with a gasp backing away from Eli but only back into the fence, he steps closer to me, the only thing I can see are his green eyes and I swear they're glowing.
"Eli what are you doing here?" I inquire trying to hide the fear that I'm feeling.
"Morbid curiosity I suppose, how much can he love you if he couldn't even give a wedding with proper plates?" Eli mocks.
"We had a very small budget and a couple days to plan, anyway it's not the wedding it's the man I marrying," I shoot back trying to walk past Eli and back to the wedding but Eli grabs my arm. He pulls me to him, his arm going around my waist and he brushes the loose strands of hair from my face.
"You mean the one that just stormed off and didn't want to spend his life with you in doubt," Eli whispers against my skin with an almost gloating tone. "He doesn't love you Clare, he never will."
"You don't know anything Eli, Owen is a hundred times the man you are now let me go," I assert in a firm voice struggling in his arms but he's rather strong.
"You cheated on me and you're carrying his child, you had sex with him for no reason while dating me. You are a terrible person, you are dead to me and I will make sure I do everything possible to make sure you two are miserable because you are a worthless cheating cunt," Eli's venomous words bite into me and make me shiver, tears form at the corners of my eyes. Eli spins me around so that I'm still in his arms but now I can see the evil scornful smirk on his lips. "Oh and congratulations on the wedding, one last kiss for old times sake."
Before I can stop him Eli crashes his lips to mine, I try to push him away but he's holding me firm. I struggle in his grasp before I'm pulled away, by someone strong but it's not Owen.
"You were not invited Eli get away from her, she's Owen's wife now you lost get over it," Drew barks at him.
"We'll see about that," Eli says and then disappears back into the darkness.
"Well that was creepy," Drew remarks. Now that Eli's gone and I'm in Drew's arms instead I shatter, I begin shaking and tears roll down my cheeks. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you? What do you need?" Drew questions rapidly.
"To go home," I reply answering only the last question.
"Sorry but I'm pretty sure people will notice if you slip out of your own wedding," Drew responds turning me so he can wipe the tears from my cheeks.
"Where's Owen?" I ask honestly a little afraid that he already slipped out.
"He went inside to use the washroom and now he's talking to Dallas and Luke. I came over to toss mine and Bianca's plates and heard Eli's voice so I knew there was trouble but figured it was better not to make a scene, besides I can deal with Eli alone," Drew says.
"You always like to play the hero;" I smile a little, "Eli was whispering how'd you know it was him?"
"Eli's been over here a lot, come we should get you back to your wedding," Drew says.
"I've been crying, I don't want people to see they'll think I didn't want to marry Owen or something," I shake my head.
"Okay come on I'll sneak you around to the front," Drew replies taking my hand.
We go through a gate I didn't know was there and into his neighbor's yard taking the long way around to the front door. Drew says he'll tell everyone I'm freshening up and will be out soon, I also make him promise not to say anything about Eli as that will surely ruin things. Since the festivities are confined to the yard and basement no one is on the ground level. Going upstairs to the washroom Adam and Drew share I splash some water on my face, dry it and then start reapplying my makeup. I'm just reapplying my mascara when a face appears in the mirror, but it's Owen's face and I'm not afraid. He has his hands in his pockets; he's looking down with a remorseful expression.
"I'm sorry," he apologizes. I set my mascara wand down and turn to look at him. "I was hurt by what you said and I wasn't exactly thinking about what you're going through. You're still dealing with being raped, and now you're pregnant and being forced to marry a guy you barely know. I realize how scary that must be for you and how that would make you worry," Owen tells me and I give him a grateful smile. Walking over I take his hand, interlacing our fingers and joining our rings, my other hand grips his jacket and I pull him into a gentle kiss.
"I wasn't forced to be with you, I want to be with you and I do love you, I fall in love with you a little more each day. Yes if my mother hadn't forced us to marry then we wouldn't be but that doesn't change how I feel. My doubts and fears aren't because of anything you've done, Owen you've been incredible, you've gone above and beyond what most anyone would do. With everything, and just who I am, I can't help but go through all the what ifs and cause myself to worry. You won't have to prove yourself to me every day because you already have, and I won't be questioning every little thing you do. These fears and worries and doubts are my own and I have to prove to myself that they're needless. I am happy, you make me happy and I can't wait to start our lives together," I assure him and he smiles kissing me again.
"Why are you up here reapplying your makeup anyway? It took me forever to find you," he comments.
"I cried some of it off and didn't want anyone to know I'd been crying."
"Sorry," Owen apologizes again scratching the back of his head sheepishly.
"Actually most of the crying wasn't brought on by our argument, although that has to be a record, having our first martial fight at the wedding. We really don't do anything slow," I remark. We're back on ground level now and Owen stops me at the bottom of the stairs.
"I told you it will be the first time we make love," Owen says and I grin. "So if you weren't crying because of our fight then what was it?"
"I'll tell you later," I reply trying to walk through the kitchen to get to the stairs but he doesn't let go. "I don't want to tell you now and have the wedding ruined I promise I will tell you at home tonight," I insist.
"You're lucky it's time for cake," he grumbles.
We leave through the kitchen going down the cement stairs; we got the cake for cheap because it was ordered for another wedding that was called off. The bakery covered the other couples names with more frosting and piped ours on. We cut the cake together and feed each other a bite, Audra takes over cutting the cake and we sit down to eat ours. We finish and Owen asks for another dance when the slow song comes on so we go out to the dance floor. After dancing with Owen I dance with Adam and then Owen's dad. Since most people are coming over early to help us clean out the cottage we end the wedding at ten. Alli and Jenna take us home and help us bring in our gifts before they leave, Owen's parents stayed behind to help clean up and Tris is sleeping at Maya's tonight. Owen sits on his bed, well our bed, and pulls me onto his lap.
"I love you wife," he says almost in a whisper and gives me a tender kiss.
"I love you husband," I smile back when our lips detach.
"So why were you crying," Owen inquires.
"First promise me that you'll stay with my all night," I assert and he narrows his eyes at me.
"I promise," he says somewhat reluctantly.
"Eli was there, he'd probably been there a while, snuck in and stayed in the dark," I tell Owen and he stiffens up.
"What could he possibly want?" Owen growls.
"To threaten me, us really," I say and Owen swiftly places me on the bed as he leaps up.
"I'm going to kill him; fucking emo punk comes to my wedding and threatens my wife!"
"Owen," I jump up grabbing his hand, "you promised to stay all night with me remember? Besides beating up Eli will only get you in trouble and provoke him."
Owen growls for a second and then relaxes just slightly; he sits on the bed again interlacing our fingers.
"What did he say?"
"He's angry that I cheated on him, that I'm pregnant with a baby he thinks is yours. He called me some hurtful things and promised to make our lives miserable. He scared me but it also hurt that he doesn't know me well enough to know that I'd never cheat," I sigh and Owen kisses the top of my head.
"I won't let him hurt you, if he tries anything I will kill him," Owen assures me. "Why don't we open our gifts," Owen suggests after a silent minute.
"Sure, although we pretty much know what everything is," I point out. I lean down and pick up a box looking at the tag, "This one's from the team."
"Uh let's open another one," Owen says trying to take the box from me.
"Why?" I inquire ripping off the paper and opening the box; as soon as I see the contents my cheeks go red. It's a sex kit, a rather adventurous sex kit actually, besides lube, massage oil and scented candles there's handcuffs, two sizes of vibrators, a string of beads, an ostrich feather, something called body chocolate and something that looks like a finger puppet with no face and only little bristles. "There's no condoms," I remark slowly really just in shock over the contents and trying to guess what most of this is even for.
"You're already pregnant we don't exactly need birth control," Owen laughs lightly.
"Right," I nod feeling tears at my eyes again I set the box down and jump up trying to run out of the room. Owen is a lot faster though and he gets in front of me wrapping his arms to keep me from running out.
"Clare they think we've been having sex for weeks, no one else knows, just Adam. I'll throw it all away," he says but I shake my head.
"I'm a bad wife," I wail but lean against his chest.
Owen picks me up sitting me back on the bed and in his lap again, "You've been my wife for about four hours you have nothing to base that assumption on."
"It's our wedding night; we should be having sex but I c…"
"Stop," Owen says in a firm but gentle tone cutting me off, "you were raped, brutally raped. I know that, I knew that getting into this and it doesn't change anything. I told you that when you are ready it will be incredible, and when you are ready we will go slow and I can wait. Don't worry about it, you have more than enough to stress over as it is. I'll wait until you're ready because you are worth waiting for."
I stop crying with a very blissful and honored grin on my lips, "I love you Owen Milligan."
"That should be I love you husband," he corrects me and I giggle slightly.
"I love you husband," I reply and catch his lips for softly grateful and passionate kiss.
"I love you wife, now why don't we open the rest of these gifts," he says handing me another box.
I smile at my husband, he kisses my hand and we open this gift together.
Update next Wednesday with a little more of the wedding night and getting their wedding home cleaned up the next day.