So sorry for the delay. I'm back in school and have a huge project due in February so updates are going to be slower. I'm aiming for once every 2 weeks, but no promises. Thanks for reading and please review.
It had been 2 months since Amanda gave birth to Asher. Olivia and Amanda were both exhausted and thrilled at the same time. It's hard. Taking care of three children, but not something either one of them want to change.
They had a quiet Christmas and New Year's. Amanda had still been recovering from giving birth, so they kept things simple. The kids enjoyed themselves which is all that mattered to them. Overall, Jesse and Noah adjusted well to Asher. Jesse was having trouble. Which was understandable since at 3 she can't grasp why Asher needs more attention sometimes. Noah, however, had really taken to his little brother. He was already excited to teach him how to play baseball when Asher is big enough and Noah loves to hold him as soon as he gets home from school.
Jesse and Noah also started therapy and while they had only had a few sessions, it seemed to help. Noah's been through so much over the last year and he needed someone to talk to about it. Jesse had seen Al's abuse towards her mother and Olivia get shot is more than any child should at 3. Amanda was still reluctant about therapy, but she was coming around towards it. Jesse had also started to attend daycare a couple days a week for a few hours after her therapist suggested it. She had thought it might be good to get Jesse around kids her own age again. It also gave Amanda a little break during the day since taking care of a toddler and a newborn can be exhausting.
Liv and Amanda are in the middle of wedding planning. They decided on driving into Denver and having a courthouse ceremony with the kids. Neither woman was interested in a big ceremony. Plus, everyone here thought they were married already. They were planning on discussing a bigger wedding once this was all over.
Asher has been a good baby so far. He was still only sleeping for about 4 hours at night before waking up for a feed, but Amanda didn't really care. She was so happy to have her baby in her arms. Liv loved watching the blonde with her baby. She didn't even mind that they hadn't been able to spend a ton of time alone together. Their nights were now, after the kids went to bed, were now spent with Asher. Alternating between taking care of the baby and cuddling on the couch. Olivia had learned that Amanda was even more of a cuddler now that her bump wasn't preventing her from getting closer. The younger woman had a habit of laying almost entirely on Liv, resting her head on her chest. Olivia didn't mind. She enjoyed playing with the blonde's hair and holding her close.
That's what they were doing at the moment. Amanda was lying in between Liv's legs. Asher asleep on her chest. The older woman had her arms around them both. "When do we want to plan the wedding for?"
"As soon as we can." Amanda said.
"And you're still okay with a courthouse wedding? No big, fancy party or anything."
"I'm sure. You know me. I'm not very comfortable being the center of attention. Besides, we can always do that later if we feel the need to."
"We can go in the morning and get a marriage license and then all will have to do is call to set up the date. I've looked into it. It won't be hard to schedule we have to pick a date. And decide if we want the kids there or not. Noah will have to miss school."
"I want the kids there. How about March 29th? That gives us a couple of weeks to get everything in order." Amanda says as she rubs Asher's back. He's fussing, and the blonde is hoping he'll sleep for a little longer. "C'mon, Ash. Let's sleep for a little longer." She says, to the boy. His face is scrunching up and Amanda knows he's about to cry.
"He's hungry, and he needs his diaper changed. I'll change him. Do you want the boppy pillow for when you feed him?"
"Please." Amanda says letting Liv stand up and then handing Asher to her.
The older woman had been a huge help since they brought Asher home from the hospital. She had a habit of getting up most nights with Amanda and Asher even though she didn't have to. She did it because she wants to. Olivia was just happy to have Asher and Amanda in her life. The brunette had never imagined that she would have this. A beautiful fiancée and three amazing kids. Just having Noah was unbelievable to her because she never thought that she would have one child. Asher and Jesse were just added blessings in her life. Liv couldn't wait to marry Amanda for real.
Amanda was still adjusting to the reality of just having a baby. Her body had been experiencing several changes and her hormones were still a little all over the place. It hadn't all been smooth sailing since the birth. Liv had the tendency to hover because she was trying to help. But Amanda is pretty independent and found the other woman to be a little too helpful. Which got on Amanda's nerves. But it was something they were working on.
Liv comes back with Asher and the nursing pillow. Amanda gets herself situated on the couch with the baby so she can feed him. Liv sitting next to her and placing an arm around her shoulder. Their usual position while Amanda nursed.
"Thank you, Olivia. For helping so much over the last couple of months. I couldn't have done any of this without you."
"You don't have to thank me, Amanda. I'm here because I want to be. Thank you for letting me be a part of his life and Jesse's life."
"You let me into Noah's. I love you, Olivia and I wouldn't want to do this with anyone else, but you. I was so scared that I would have the baby and Jesse and I would be all alone. And I didn't want that, and I didn't want Al around. Liv, what am I supposed to tell him about his dad when he's older? Declan's not around, but at least he's a decent guy. He just works a lot and his job is too dangerous for him to be around Jesse." Amanda says looking down at Asher, seeing how innocent he is. Knowing at some point she'll have to explain to him the awful things his father has done. Because he has the right to know about him.
"When he's old enough, we'll explain this all to him. And sure, it'll be hard, but he'll get through it. Cause Asher will have all of us here to support him." Liv kisses Amanda's temple. "We won't have to worry about this for years, Amanda. There's no point driving yourself crazy with this now."
"Yeah, you're right. Why don't you go to bed? I'll be in when he's ready to go to sleep."
The next couple of weeks were focused on finalizing their wedding plans and taking care of the kids. Then it was time for their wedding. They were getting married at 3 in the afternoon and they kept Noah and Jesse home from school that day so they had time to get them ready to go. The house was filled with nervous energy radiating off of the two women. This is a big step for both Amanda and Liv, but one they were very ready to take. This all seemed like it was going so fast, but that's what happens when you're thrown into such an unlikely situation. Liv was ready to refer to Amanda as her wife for real, not just because some marshals asked them to pretend to be married for their own safety.
The kids were excited, though that was probably because Noah got to miss school and Jesse was feeding off of Noah. The morning of the wedding, Amanda and Olivia are both nervous, anxious, and ecstatic. They did their best to keep Jesse and Noah calm and prayed that Asher wasn't in one of his fussy moods today. So, he would sit in his stroller during the ceremony without a problem. The whole wedding wouldn't take long. Half an hour at most.
It helped, having the kids to focus on. They had gotten Asher a little outfit complete with suspenders, a plaid shirt and a little bow tie. Noah's outfit matched his. Jesse had picked out a dress, the same shade of blue as Amanda's. They had decided that neither bride would wear white. Liv had decided on a dress in a nice shade of purple.
The family piled into the car at 2. Denver was about a 45-minute drive from their house. So, they left early to make sure they got there in time.
The courthouse wasn't anything special, not unlike the one they used to frequent in New York. The difference was, this one wasn't filled with memories they'd rather forget. They're sitting outside the chambers where they will get married, waiting for their scheduled time. Amanda's feeding Asher, while Jesse and Noah play games on Liv's phone.
"Are you sure about this? It's your last chance to back out." Olivia says, half-jokingly, insecurities showing.
"Liv, I'm not changing my mind. You're stuck with me." Amanda says gazing up at her, a smile on her face. "You aren't going to run out on me our you?"
"Never. Here, I'll burp him." Liv says while reaching for Asher. She burps him and gets him to go to sleep. Perfect timing because the clerk calls their names telling them to come back to the judge's chambers.
The judge is a kind older woman who introduces herself as Judge Collins. Two of the clerks in the office and now it's time for the ceremony.
They go through the usual questions, and exchanges before they get to the vows. Amanda and Olivia had decided they wanted to write their own.
Amanda went first. "Oliva, I love you. I've never felt about anyone else, the way I feel about you. You're an amazing mother and I love that you treat my children as if they are, you're own. Just like I love Noah like he's mine. I know I'm not always good at accepting it, but I do like how protective you are and how you're always trying to take care of me. I promise I'll be better at accepting your help. We fight sometimes, and I know things aren't perfect, but I wouldn't change anything. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you and our kids."
Liv wipes the tears from her eyes and takes a deep breath before starting her vows. "I should have gone first." She pauses takes another breath. "Amanda, first I love you too. I think I've always loved you. Thank you, for never giving up on me even when I tried to push you away or when I wasn't treating you right. You gave me a second chance, and you didn't have to. I never imagined that you would be my best friend, the person I trust most in the world, or my wife. But I wouldn't change any of that for the world. You mean everything to me. All I need to be happy is you and our children. You've given me all I've ever wanted, Amanda."
Now they're both crying while the judge finishes the ceremony. They exchange rings. Amanda's goes with the engagement ring that Liv bought her. Olivia's matches a platinum band with a few small diamonds. The judge tells them they're allowed to kiss and they both reach for each other. Their kiss is deep, but brief because Jesse and Noah are watching. Liv takes Amanda's bottom lip into her mouth, sucking on it. They pull away, the older woman's hands framing the other woman's face, foreheads together. Both pull back and open their arms, allowing Jesse and Noah to run into them. They exchange hugs, and kisses. Olivia gets Asher out of his stroller to join the celebration. He had slept through the ceremony which was the perfect scenario. The clerk offers to take pictures for them and they agree.
They walk out of the courthouse holding hands, all smiles, filled with happiness. They stop at the car, and then Liv gets an odd feeling. Like she's being watched. All the hair on the back of her neck stands up and Olivia searches the area surrounding them. Falling back into her cop instincts, her hand automatically reaches for the gun she no longer carries on her hip. Amanda didn't notice anything. She had been helping Jesse with her car seat and getting Asher into the car. The brunette doesn't see anything, so she tries to brush it off, but that uneasy feeling won't go away.
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah, I just thought I heard something. Let's go to dinner." Olivia doesn't feel good about lying to Amanda, but she doesn't want to get her worked up over nothing.
They eat dinner at a nice restaurant and Amanda surprises Liv with a small cake. The women are having a hard time keeping their hands to themselves in front of the kids. Something they rarely have an issue doing. Both are hoping they'll all go to bed early and Asher will sleep for some solid hours so they can celebrate.
This ends up happening. The kids play for a while after they get home. Then, Jesse and Noah are tired out from their day and Asher goes down without a complaint. Liv lights candles in their bedroom and puts music on while Amanda puts Asher down. "Liv, you didn't need to do all this."
"Come dance with me. We can have our first dance as a married couple." She walks over taking Amanda into her arms. They had both changed into pajamas when they got home. Liv wraps her arms around Amanda's waist, while her arms find their way around her neck. They hold each close, swaying to the music. They dance for a while.
Amanda leans up kissing Olivia hard, working her tongue into the other woman's mouth. Liv lets her hands find Amanda's ass, squeezing. "I want you. More than I've ever wanted anyone." Amanda says pulling away long enough to speak. Then, letting her lips find Liv's neck sucking, kissing, biting, and licking. Causing Olivia to moan. The brunette turns their bodies, walking Amanda backwards until her knees hit the mattress. She follows her onto the bed.
They take things slow. The first and only time they slept together was rushed. Amanda was very pregnant, and they hadn't been able to stop themselves. This time they explore each other's bodies. Caressing and whispering there for love for each other, undressing each other one piece of clothing at a time. The brunette tells Amanda how beautiful she thinks she is. The blonde wasn't completely confidant with her body having only given birth 2 months ago.
Liv eventually moves her way down, in between Amanda's legs, tasting her for the first time. Working her until she finishes. The older woman loves hearing her moans and groans of pleasure. It doesn't take long for Amanda to return the favor.
The blonde lays with her head on her wife's chest, leg thrown over both of the other woman's. Completely sated and falling asleep. Liv is just as tired, but she can't seem to fall asleep. Her mind still stuck on that moment outside the courthouse. Filled with worry that Al has found them and that he will threaten her family. On one hand, she feels paranoid and the other feels like the worry is necessary. Now, she has to figure out the best way to protect her family.
