CHAPTER NINE
(chapter title – Maids of Honor, Groomsmen and Bridesmaids – oh my!)

Justine and Roger sat on the couch in the loft, sipping iced tea and talking to their friends – Benny, Alison, Mark, Maureen and Joanne – about plans for the wedding. The kids – Taye, Breanne (the Coffin's five-year-old daughter) Adam, Chel, Andi, Lizzy and Nicki – were off somewhere.

"What Roger and I wanted to talk to you guys about is our wedding." Justine told the people sitting in front of her.

"We were talking and we want Benny and Mark to be Best Men and Alison, Maureen and Joanne to be Maids of Honor." Roger said, wrapping an arm around Justine's shoulders.

"Of course, you guys." Mark told them, smiling at Maureen.

"I don't know if I'll be able to fit into a bridesmaids dress by the time the baby comes." Maureen joked. She was seven months pregnant with her second child.

"I'm sure we can find something." Justine told her, smiling.

"What about the kids – I mean teenagers and young ones?" Benny asked.

Justine looked at Roger – she had completely forgotten about the assignments for the kids.

"We were thinking that Breanne could be a flower girl. My six-year-old niece, Taylor, is gonna be a flower girl, too." Justine told Benny and Alison.

"Adam, Taye and my nephews Connor and Daniel could be groomsmen." Roger said.

"Chel, Andi, Lizzy and Nicki could be bridesmaids." Justine put in.

"Well, it's settled then – we have two Maids of Honor, two Best Men, two flower girls, four groomsmen and four bridesmaids." Justine and Roger told the group in unison.

"It's like Noah's Ark." Benny teased, making the others laugh. Suddenly, Maureen stopped laughing and looked down at her stomach.

"Oh my God." Maureen squealed.

"What?" the others asked.

"I felt my baby kick." Maureen answered, putting her hands on her belly. Mark put his hands on top of hers and smiled.

"Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?" Joanne inquired.

"Girl/Boy." Mark and Maureen answered at the same time.

"I've never heard of a girl/boy before." Roger joked. Mark hurled a pillow at his head, but missed.

"Daddy!" Breanne whined, walking into the room.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Benny asked, scooping the little girl onto his lap. She had his dark complexion, but had her mom's curly brown hair.

"T-Taye and the others won't let me play with them." Breanne sobbed, burying her face in Benny's neck. Benny rubbed her back and looked at Alison.

"I'll talk to Taye." Alison told her daughter, excusing herself and went to the room where Breanne had run out of.

"We should get going anyway." Mark told Justine and Roger, standing up and helped Maureen stand up.

"Thanks for coming over you guys." Justine thanked them, hugging Maureen carefully as Roger hugged Mark.

"ADAM! GET YOUR BUTT OUT HERE!" Maureen yelled, making the others cover their ears.

"Coming!" Adam called back, coming out of the room, holding Andi's hand. The two of them had been going steady for a couple months and made the cutest couple.

"Call me tonight." Andi told Adam, kissing his cheek.

"I will. Love you, Andi."

"Love you, too." Andi smiled and watched Mark, Maureen and Adam walk out of the loft.

"I've got a meeting in about an hour, so would it be okay if Nicki stayed here?" Joanne asked.

"Sure. That's fine." Roger answered, walking behind Justine and wrapped his arms around her. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

"I love you." He whispered in her ear.

"I love you, too." Justine whispered back. Roger smiled and trailed kisses up and down Justine's neck. She laughed and spun around so that she was facing Roger. She felt his hands slither up her shirt and start to unfasten her bra when Benny, Alison, Taye and Breanne walked back into the room.

"Get a room you two!" Benny teased. Roger laughed and playfully stepped away from Justine.

"We'll call a sitter for Taye and Breanne tonight so that we can have an 'adult' night out." Alison said, smiling at Benny. The four of them said goodbye to Justine and Roger just as Joanne hurried out of the loft.

"Bye Joanne!" the adults called after her.

"Bye Auntie Joanne." Breanne and Taye called after Joanne.

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An hour later, Andi, Chel, Lizzy and Nicki had left for a movie – giving Roger and Justine time to spend together.

"Wanna practice slow dancing?" Justine inquired. Roger shook his head as Justine sat down next to him. Roger wrapped his arms around Justine and pulled her onto his lap, kissing every spot his lips could touch.

"Well – what – do – you – want – to – do?" Justine asked in-between kisses.

"I'm gonna kiss you to death." Roger told her, a gleam in his eye. Justine laughed as Roger pulled her on top of her and quickly discarded her shirt and bra. She opened his shirt and kissed his chest.

"I love you." Justine told him, kissing Roger's forehead.

"I love you, too." Roger told her, smiling.

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Ten minutes later, both of them decided that they needed to take a hot bath. Justine got up off of Roger and followed him to the bathroom. Sliding the door shut behind her, she watched Roger turn on the hot water and remove his clothes. He is so damn sexy Justine thought to herself. Taking off her jeans and underwear, she got in the tub, Roger getting in right behind her.

"You okay?" Roger asked, pouring water on Justine's back and watched it cascade down.

"Yeah – just a little stressed, that's all." Justine answered, closing her eyes as Roger brought her closer to him and breathed in her scent.

"How come you always smell like strawberries?" Roger inquired, putting his hands on Justine's breasts and squeezed them gently.

"It's my favorite scent." Justine told him, leaning back and looked up into her loving fiancée's face. Roger leaned down and kissed Justine passionately on the lips. She smiled against his lips and looked into his emerald green eyes. She couldn't be happier than she was already.

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Later that night, Roger and Justine were in bed, sleeping, when all of a sudden, Justine woke up and ran to the bathroom. Sliding the door closed, she reached the toilet just in time and emptied the contents of her stomach. She sat in front of the toilet for a good five minutes before throwing up again.

"Justine? Everything okay?" Roger asked sleepily.

"Yeah. Just feeling a little queasy." Justine answered, watching the door as it slid open and Roger stepped inside. He instantly went to Justine's side and held her hair out of her face.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Roger inquired as Justine flushed the toilet and brushed her teeth.

"For the millionth time, every thing's fine." Justine told him, squeezing toothpaste onto her toothbrush and brushed her teeth. Roger sat down on the toilet seat, keeping Justine company.

"I love you so much." Justine told him as the two of them made their way back to the room that they shared.

"I love you, too." Roger said, holding Justine's hand.

"I can't believe in less than a year, we're getting married." Justine observed, climbing into her side of the bed. Roger nodded and climbed into his side of the bed.

"Justine – can I ask you something?" Roger started.

"Sure. You can ask me anything – you know that."

"I know." Justine could tell that Roger was a little nervous about asking the question.

"I was wondering if you – never mind."

"What?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to hear my latest song."

"Now?" Justine asked, opening her eyes and sat up in bed. As she fumbled for her glasses, she saw Roger's blurred figure in the darkness reaching for his guitar.

"Come with me to the living area." Roger told her, motioning for her to stand up and follow him. Mumbling to herself, Justine pulled her sweatshirt closer to her body as she followed Roger to the living area.

"This song is called I'm With You. Hope you like it." Roger told her, smiling up at her as he got his fingering right on his guitar. Justine shifted her position on the couch so that she was comfortable as she listened to Roger sing.

"Starlight and wonder
The universe seen through your eyes
The moon is a glorious halo
Hanging high over your head every night
Spinning and spinning
A flick of the wrist and a smile
And in the morning so early
Deep conversations are spoken
In tongues by sunlight

Tonight, you can dream you're a star
You can walk on the clouds
And float to the ground
And I'm with you

We stare out the window
And look to the sky every night
The stars are the beacons of heaven
And maybe one day you'll go up for a ride
Oh, you are the sunshine
You are the face that I dream of
You are your mother's religion
Down on her knees as she
Kisses your heartache away

Tonight, you can dream you're a star
You can walk on the clouds
And float to the ground
And I'm with you
Tonight, you can get very far
The calm and the storm
Are forever yours
And I'm with you

I've thrown coins in the fountain
I've been to the mountain
I've lived through the violence
I've seen what man can do to man
I can't promise you peace
I can't promise you money
But I promise to make you the best man I can
Hold on to something
Cause your life's about to begin

Oh, oh, oh, oh
Ooh, ooh
Aah, hey, aah, ooh, oh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
Whoa-hoah, oh
Oh-oh, oh, oh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, aah

Tonight, you can dream you're a star
You can walk on the clouds
And float to the ground
And I'm with you

Tonight, you can dream you're a star
You can walk on the clouds
And float to the ground
And I'm with you."
As he sang, he could see tears in Justine's eyes.

"I love you Justine Hailey Griffin." Roger whispered after he finished singing.

"Roger, that is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me." Justine told him, wiping the tears out of her eyes. Roger leaned over and kissed Justine's forehead.

"I'm glad you liked it." Roger said, smiling. He wiped the tears out of Justine's eyes and kissed her cheek. He had a feeling the two of them would be together for a very long time.


A/N: don't own the lyrics to I'm With You. belongs to the ever so wonderful Adam Pascal. 'nuff said.