Laws of Motion – Book 2
Written by: Ms Maggs / Edited by: KJT

Chapter 9

Friday - September 9, 2005
Bridal Elegance
3:37 p.m.

Upon seeing Sara and Carrie in their bridesmaid dresses Tawny squealed with delight. "I know they don't match my new dress as well as they did my original choice for a wedding gown, but they look so beautiful on you, I wouldn't want to change them even if we could. The elegant fuchsia gowns flowed perfectly and Tawny couldn't wait to see the looks on Nick and Gil's faces when they admired their mates. "I knew that would be a great color for both of you." Then she pointed to the hem on Sara's. "Ooh...I do think yours needs to be taken up just a tad though."

While Tawny and the seamstress were fussing over Sara's dress and Sara was busy fidgeting, Carrie seized the opportunity to speak with the shop owner. "Psst...Mrs. Garcia." She glanced over her shoulder to make sure she wasn't followed. "I need to speak with you...discretely...about my wedding dress."

"Sure, Dear." The matronly woman retreated behind the counter to pull up her customer's file. "What's your concern?"

"I wear a size four." She smoothed her hands over the perfectly fitted dress she was wearing. "But I ordered a size two wedding gown for my February ceremony, thinking that I'd get in the best shape of my life."

Florinda Garcia had heard that declaration a million times and smiled at her customer. "Of course you will." They rarely did.

"Well..." She glanced over her shoulder again. "We've moved up the wedding to November 26th ."

"Not a problem," Florinda assured the anxious woman. "It's due to arrive at the end of the month."

"The thing is...um...I know for a fact that I won't be able to get down to a two by then."

"Not to worry. The seamstress can bring it up to a four."

"Uh..." Her cheeks flushing, Carrie whispered, "I'm thinking I might be a six by then...if you catch my drift."

"Ahhhh."

Knowing the woman was a rather devout Catholic, Carrie tensed. "I'm really a very good girl in all other respects. I practiced celibacy for most of my life as a matter of fact."

"I've seen your fiancé, Ms. Blake." Florinda chuckled. "While it's not something I would endorse, I can certainly understand why you were tempted. I'll have to bill you a fee for the change, but the new dress will arrive in October, in plenty of time."

"Thank you, and please don't mention this to anyone...not even my bridesmaids."

"Like a therapist, I'd never divulge a client's secrets."

Dr. Myers Office
4:00 p.m.

Never feeling better walking into his therapist's office, Greg plopped into one of the comfy armchairs. "Great to see you, Doc. I know you'll be crushed, but I can only spare fifteen of my fifty minutes today. I need to meet my parents at the airport."

"How are you, Greg?" He was so relaxed he looked like a different person. "Nice tan, and you've changed your hair."

"Tawny lightened it and chopped it before we left for California. I took it easy on the gel today because I had a meeting with the Assistant DA and I was going for a more professional vibe."

"Did the meeting go well?"

Smiling he answered, "He said he was impressed with me getting out of the basement crisis, then he went on to hypothetically attack my personal life to prove a point. He pointed out that a jury would be easily convinced that I was a homosexual sympathizer who gave off a gay vibe and I had loose morals because I'm marrying an ex-stripper."

"And how did that make you feel?"

"I knew you'd ask that," he chuckled while kicking his feet up on the ottoman in front of his chair. "Well...since I do have sympathy for homosexuals trying to live in an intolerant world; have been known to give off a gay vibe to some people; and am marrying an ex-stripper in twenty-six hours and twenty minutes...not that I'm counting, I felt he was accurate yet a slightly judgmental jerk who was taking a little too much pleasure in the exercise."

"Nice honesty."

"Thank you." He cleared his throat and dumped the rest of his thoughts. "Okay, here's what's new since we last spoke...I became a Reverend, but that's a work thing, a group of us did it. I punched a cop for disrespecting Tawny. I've taken under my wing a conflicted gay Mormon boy named Daniel, who's on suicide watch in the Psych Ward in Boulder City. Becca's in town trying to ruin the wedding...this is after she had someone drug me in California so she could perform oral sex on me...which she didn't get to complete, thank god. You'll be happy to know that I told her to go to hell after I regained consciousness and scalded my privates to rid myself of her cooties. Oh, and on Wednesday night, Tawny's mother showed up out of the blue to extort money from me and ripped out my future wife's heart all over again. I think that's it...yeah...that's it."

Not expecting all that Dr. Myers took a seat next to Greg. "You do realize you only have ten minutes left."

"You don't think we can cover all that in ten minutes?" he joked. "You have some nerve saying you're the best."

"Maybe your folks could take a taxi from the airport?"

"I don't think that's necessary." Grinning, Greg proudly informed her, "I called my dad the other day and told him I love him for the first time in seventeen years. I spoke to my old roommate from college this morning, and he told me that when he was scared to death about coming out of the closet, it was me who gave him hope that not everyone would be an intolerant ass. Becca...she's really not worth mentioning, other than to say that the lower she stoops, the higher Tawny ascends. The cop...he was just helping me grow a spine, which I'm proud to say has fused nicely. Tawny's mother was brutal, but she gave me a chance to show Tawny how well I can take care of her...and gave me a chance to believe I really can. She also gave me an opportunity to fall deeper in love with my future wife, because once again I was in awe of her perseverance. And Daniel..." Suddenly caught with tears in his eyes Greg laughed. "Check it out...you finally got me to cry, which is kind of ironic since you're not saying anything." Taking the tissue the doctor was offering, he dabbed his eyes. "Today at the hospital, when I held Daniel in my arms and comforted him, I realized that some of the things I was saying to him, I really needed to hear me say to me too." Smiling at his therapist Greg prompted, "One minute left. Ask me the question."

Playing along she sweetly said, "And how did all of that make you feel, Greg?"

Tossing his crumpled tissue in the trash, he answered in a voice free of burden, "Frabjous."

Rising from her seat Dr. Myers headed for her bookshelf. "I really wish I could attend the wedding, but as I told Tawny the other day, these plans my husband made can't be changed. I'm sending a gift to your home, but here's a little something for you." She pulled her copy of Through the Looking Glass. "Oh Frabjous day! Callooh Callay!" Handing it over she smiled wide. "I hope that's how you feel after the ceremony and every day thereafter. Read this book to the babies while their in the womb, it's good for them." Breaking formality she hugged her patient. "I want to see lots of pictures."

Bridal Elegance
4:11 p.m.

"You really did take pictures," Sara remarked as Carrie showed her the photo of Nick and Greg cuddling on the couch snoozing.

"I was thinking they might want to show it to the guys at the bachelor party," Carrie joked.

"Thank god they're wearing socks," Sara returned the photo shivering from the reminder of Tawny's 'Nick and Greg toe-sucking joke' that she still couldn't get out of the far reaches of her brain. "Hey, Carrie...do you really think Tawny is doing okay, or is she just fronting? Because the whole thing with her mom..."

"I really think she's doing okay." Carrie checked to make sure Tawny was still in the restroom. "Honestly...I think her mom showing up was a good thing. Accepting the truth, while heartbreaking, brings relief. I learned that when my mom was sick. Lying to yourself and dreaming of a happy ending that's never going to come isn't a healthy way to live, Sara."

"I don't know." Studying her abdomen in the mirror, Sara told her friend, "That's what most people would have said to me about Gil, but here I am married, pregnant and happy." She smiled at herself for pooching out her belly to get a glimpse of the future. "Of course, it took me almost dying and then packing up for San Francisco for him to come around...and you're right...it wasn't a healthy way to live all those years. I should have thrown in the towel and moved on years earlier...but I'm glad I didn't."

"Greg and Nick will be keeping tabs on Marlene," Carrie assured Sara. "If Tawny wants to open that door and try again in the future...she'll be able to find her."

Jackson Apartments, Las Vegas
4:22 p.m.

Marlene let out a heavy sigh when she stepped inside the bleak studio apartment that made her old trailer look palatial. At least Johnny's not here...and you'll be able to get cash out of Greg whenever you need it. After seeing the passion in the young man's eyes when he spoke protectively of her daughter, she knew he'd be a pushover. When she needed money, she'd just tell him that if he didn't fork some over, she'd confront Tawny and open old wounds. He'd pay. She was sure of it. After all, he was a self-proclaimed sap who didn't want her anywhere near Tawny or his children.

Sighing again, she dropped onto the lumpy mattress taking up a third of the room. Though, with the two grand from Kent Jackson in the bank for telling him all he wanted to know about Tawny, she was set for little while.

The Mirage – Becca's Suite
4:25 p.m.

Sitting in the living room of her suite sipping a martini, Becca waited impatiently for the PI she hired to investigate Tawny to pull files from his briefcase. "Kent...come on already. The suspense is killing me."

"She's not Amish...she's a high school drop out from some hayseed town, and..." Holding up a Las Vegas adult entertainment guide he gleefully announced, "...until recently she was a stripper. Check out page twenty-eight."

"Are you serious!" Becca snatched the magazine and flipped to the specified page. Staring at the Tweeters ad she choked out, "Glitter! Her stripper name was Glitter! That's so uncreative. What, did she see a stripper wearing glitter and say 'Hey, I'll call myself Glitter'? That's like when you're a kid and someone gives you a stuffed dog and you name him doggy because you're incapable of thinking more creatively."

"When she started dancing she was a kid."

"Ugh...how can Hoj possibly think they have a future together? He's a genius and she's a GED wannabe." Jumping from her seat she announced, "I need to go glitter shopping!" Her new plan was to burst through the doors of the chapel while releasing a handful of glitter and yelling, 'Do you know you're marrying a slutty stripper girl, Hoj!' "Oh! Oh!" Becca rushed the PI. "What if they're not his babies! What if Slutty Stripper Girl tricked him into thinking they were his because she figured out Hoj is a sap and the real Baby Daddy wouldn't give a rat's ass? Did you find anything out about her love life prior to Greg? Or even better...has she ever cheated on him?"

"I'm not that far yet," Kent replied while holding up another magazine. "But I've got porn. Your enemy is on page seventeen wearing a parochial school uniform...well, barely wearing it is more accurate."

"She really does have fantastic boobs, doesn't she? I wonder who did her work?" Overflowing with joy Becca danced around the room. "Contact the photographer and see how much he wants for the rights to the photo."

Holding up a receipt Kent grinned. "You owned the rights as of two o'clock. I'd like to be reimbursed in cash, thank you."

"I'll grab my purse." Ecstatic from the news she waved the magazine. "Then I'll go down to the business center in the lobby and make color photocopies of this and the strip club ad."

The Grissom Estate
5:01 p.m.

Nick and Grissom followed Ron as he showed them to the freshly stocked bar and poker suite in his palatial home. "Think this will do for the bachelor party?"

"Whoa..." Nick's eyes jumped open. "This is like having your own High Rollers Room."

Grissom shook his head at the sight. "I still can't get used to the idea that my father lives in a place like this. How am I going to explain this level of extravagance to my child when he visits his grandfather?"

"When did you find out you were having a boy, Gris?" Nick teased.

"I was using the masculine in the general sense. Sara's only in her sixth week," Grissom stated. "Sex organs aren't distinguishable until later. We do have an appointment for our first ultrasound next week though, and we'll be able to see the heartbeat on the monitor."

"I bet that'll be exciting." Nick did the math to figure out how long it would be before he and Carrie would have their first ultrasound appointment.

"Nicky..." Grissom tapped him on the shoulder. "Where'd you go just now?"

"I was running through the party checklist in my head. I've got a bartender, two dealers and four girls coming to serve and dance on the bar. They're all drop dead gorgeous Double-D experienced dancers and one-hundred percent lesbian."

Grissom spit out the sip of water he just took. "One hundred percent lesbian strippers?"

"Hell, yeah." Nick slapped Grissom on the back to help with his choking. "You didn't think Carrie and Tawny were going to let me fill this place with a bunch of hot women who would actually want to sleep with any of us, did you? Tawny hand picked them so they'd be sexy as hell, but uninterested. Yeah...even my brother the stud couldn't get lucky with the chicks showing up here."

The Mirage – Becca's Suite
5:20 p.m.

Expecting her long overdue bottle of Cristal from room service, Becca opened the door to her suite with anticipation. "It's about time!"

"Yeah...I had a feeling you missed me," Drew replied as he cracked his sexiest smile. "Hello there, Tense Elevator Girl."

"What are you doing at my door, Mr. Happily Married?" Although she tried not to give him a once-over, she failed miserably because the suit he wore was top dollar and the body underneath it, priceless.

"Funniest thing..." He poured on the smarm and said one of his oldest lines, "I can't seem to open my mini-bar." Faking a dry cough Drew said, "I'm really parched, so I thought I'd mosey on down the hall and ask an acquaintance for a drink." While letting his eyes boldly rove Becca's body in the sexy black dress she wore very well, he lowered his voice, "I'll take it to go if you'd rather not invite me in."

In desperate need of a little release Becca asked, "Where's your wife, Mr. Happily Married?"

"Where she always is...out spending my hard-earned money of course." He inched closer. "Where's your dream guy? Why isn't he here kissing your feet?"

"He's working," she lied as she sauntered into the suite and over to the bar, letting him see her ass in motion. "What do you like?"

"To drink?" His playboy laugh filled the room as he shut the door. "Whisky's fine...and your ass is finer." Drew meandered through the suite while Becca preened and fixed his cocktail. The payoff came when he got to the desk. "Lookie who likes porn," he announced with a Texas twang as he picked up the magazine. Underneath it was a stack of color photocopies of Tawny dressed in a parochial school uniform in a risqué pose. "You like it a lot apparently...and strip club advertisements too." She had a whole stack of one-page Tweeters ads featuring Tawny.

"You don't strike me as the type of guy to have a problem with that," she cackled and poured him a double. "After all...you're here looking to cheat on your wife...I mean, have a drink."

"Girl porn...hmm...maybe I'll come back tomorrow and bring you a friend for a playdate." With his back to the schemer he quickly assessed the other information she had amassed. "Maybe I'll bring someone like this girl you seem to like enough to copy her photo fifty times. Is she your type? She sure as hell is mine."

"Ugh...here's a piece of advice. If you expect to get in my pants, then you better not say anything nice about her." Strutting over she extended his drink. "She's my archrival. I'm compiling a little portfolio of her skankiest moments, and then I plan on distributing it to her friends." Pressing her body to her guest's crotch she rasped, "I'm taking her down hard. That little tramp will be bawling her eyes out and wishing she never met me by the time I'm through humiliating her. You got a problem with that?"

"No, you're even sexier when you're a bitch." After sipping his drink Drew spoke in a husky whisper. "Is this thing with the stripper what's making you so tense Elevator Girl?" Turning her so her back was plastered against his body, Drew distracted her by breathing his words on her bare neck. "Maybe I can help you release some of your tension. Hmm?" Stealthily he folded the two sample photocopies he was snatching. "Would you like that?"

"Definitely," she answered between blissful moans. It had been far too long since she had an outrageously sexy man at her disposal.

"What would you like to do first, Baby? You call the shots." With the two copies secured in his suit pocket, Drew pressed the ring button on his cell phone. "Shit."

"Don't take the call," Becca pleaded, her body heated to an extreme.

"Sorry, Darlin'...I'm trying to close a huge deal and I need to take it." Slipping out from behind her he pretended to answer the phone. "Talk to me, Buck." Growing up, it was the name of one of his family's dogs. "What do you mean they're backing out? God dammit! I'll lose millions if they walk!"

"Now who's tense?" Becca teased as she reached for her guest's Italian leather belt. "Mmm...hearing a powerful man talk business gets me sooo hot."

When he saw Becca drop to her knees Drew knew it was time to get the hell out of Dodge. "You keep those bastards there, do you hear me? I'm on my way." Snapping the phone closed Drew lamented. "Sorry, Baby...Capitalism calls. I hope you understand."

"Being a cutthroat corporate woman myself, I most certainly do." Refastening the stud's belt Becca smirked. "Good luck with your acquisition." Running her hands over his chest, she rose to her feet. "I look forward to acquiring you some time in the not too distant future."

"I bet you do," he cockily replied while rushing for the door.

"If your wife goes shopping again tonight...come by for another drink."

"Thanks for the invitation."

The Willows/Brown Household
5:45 p.m.

After accepting a large envelope from the courier who had arrived at the door, Lindsay took it to her mother, who was getting ready for Tawny's shower/bachelorette party. "Mom, a guy just dropped this off."

"Thanks, Honey." Catherine eyed the envelope and wondered what it could be. "Huh?" she commented while staring at the white envelope embossed with gold writing she found inside the larger one.

You're invited, but shhhh...don't tell anyone else.

Lindsay looked at her mother with disdain. "Give me a break, you're way too old for a rave." She rolled her eyes. "This is so embarrassing."

"Thanks for making me feel ancient, Honey." Catherine tore open the envelope and found yet another. "Your name is on here with mine and Warrick's, so I doubt it's for a rave."

An important announcement regarding the wedding of...

Tawny Ann Cooper

and

Gregory Hojem Sanders

Due to circumstances beyond our control, the wedding will no longer be held at the Bellagio.

Arrangements have been made for a limousine to pick you up at your door on Saturday at five forty p.m.

You will be driven to the new ceremony and reception location.

We look forward to celebrating the joyous occasion with you.

- Your hosts, Beverly and Scott Sanders

"Whoa..." Lindsay grabbed the invitation. "This is so Hollywood Celebrity! It's like we're going to J Lo's wedding or something. We don't even get to know where we're going! Too cool!" Running out of the room she said, "I have to rethink my outfit!"

"What the..." Catherine stood and walked down the hall clutching the invitation. When she saw his door was closed Catherine rapped, "Warrick..."

"Come in." Clad only in a towel while shaving, he knew she'd be enticed and looked forward to tormenting her.

"Check this out." After shutting and locking the door, she crossed the room waving the invitation. "Do you know anything about this?" Grinning, she warned, "Uh oh...your towel looks like it's about to fall off. Wouldn't that be a pity?" She bumped into him trying to knock it off. "Come on...you don't really want to go to a bachelor party pent up, do you?"

"No." He snatched the paper she was waving. "That's why I took care of business in the shower just now."

"That's so self-centered," she groaned while lounging on his bed. "Why do you think they changed to a secret location?"

Laughing, Warrick tossed the invitation next to Catherine, who was poised seductively in her red silk robe. "I don't have to guess, I know. Some psycho chick from California, is pissed that Greg's getting married. Some girl he's known since he was thirteen. She's out to ruin the wedding. The girl is apparently sexy as hell, but certifiable. Greg took Tawny to a house party in Beverly Hills last weekend, and this FAB had some guy slip Greg GHB so she couldhave her way with him. Tawny came to the rescue before she could finish the job."

"Our little Greggy? The same guy who was pent up for years, had a sexy girl so desperate tobed him that she had him drugged?" Laughing riotously Catherine crashed back on the bed. "You're making that up!"

"No...I'm not." He loomed over her with his fingers wrapped around the towel. "But I did make up the part about taking care of business in the shower."

"You know, we're going to see some male strippers tonight," she warned as she coiled her fingers around her robe's belt. "Maybe you better give me something to remember you by, so I don't run off with one of the hunks tossing his trunks."

"I can't." He climbed into bed next to her, pressing his body to hers. "Because we don't have enough time to complete our required hour of talking and relationship building that we swore we'd do prior to engaging in any physical activity."

"I've always felt that rules were meant to be broken." Teasing, she tugged at his towel. "Last warning... the men of Club Thrust are probably pumping up right now."

"Are you kidding me? All those male strippers are gay," he laughed in her ear. "I'm not worried." With that he rolled off the bed.

"And all the strippers Nick hired are lesbians hand picked by Tawny for their big boobs and complete lack of interest in men."

Nick and Carrie's Apartment
6:17 p.m.

Listening to Nick as he made the puppy's dinner Jillian laughed. "Tawny hand picked the hottest lesbian strippers for her fiancé's bachelor party?"

"Made my job easier." Chuckling, Nick set the small dish of food on the floor.

"At least I don't have to worry about you carousing after this bachelor party."

"Mama..." he groaned while filling Binda's water dish. "Andy's been married for a decade. I think it's time you stop harassing me over what happened at his wedding."

"What happened at the wedding?" Carrie asked as she breezed into the kitchen in her robe. "I'm thirsty." Grabbing the orange juice from the fridge she smiled at Nick. "What is your mommy harassing you about still?"

"Uh..."

"There ought not to be secrets in a marriage, Son." Jillian couldn't control her grin. "You wanna tell her, or shall I?"

Nick made it short and sweet. "Two bridesmaids ended up in a cat fight because they both wanted to dance with me."

"I'd believe that," Carrie giggled, thinking back to Flagstaff and her tiff with Vicki Lynn. "You're a very good dancer. So, which one got to dance with you?"

Before Nick could answer he heard his mother's reply.

"That was exactly the problem, Sugar. Both of the sisters had already taken a turn doing the horizontal mambo with Nicky...one after the bachelor party on Thursday, and the other after the rehearsal dinner on Friday. That's why they ripped each others gowns off in a drunken brawl at the wedding on Saturday. Did I mention they were the daughters of another judge? We barely averted a scandal."

Nick forced a smile. "Funny story, huh? Yeah...she loves telling it. Andy has a real nice picture of her beating me with her purse. I'm sure he'll show it to you the first chance he gets."

Jillian tossed her arm around her embarrassed son's shoulders. "Carrie, you should have seen his date's reaction to the revelation. Actually you can...we have it all on video."

Holding her full glass of juice Carrie shook her head. "You were sleeping with two of the bridesmaids and you still brought a date to the wedding?"

"In all fairness, I made the date way before I met the sisters, so...yeah...it still sounds bad to you I'm sure." Nick picked up Binda and petted her, hoping it would earn him cute points. "Look...I was twenty-four and never had sisters. It was on my list." Why the hell did I tell her that! Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Jillian sat at the table and waited for Carrie to pounce.

"You had a list with 'do sisters' on it?"

Having seen the list, Jillian corrected. "It was 'do twin sisters' actually, and because my son wasn't completely devoid of sexual immorality, there was a side note that specified 'not at the same time'. When I confronted him about it, he explained that it was his science-obsessed brain making him crave the experience. He wanted to see if identical twins made love exactly the same way."

As Carrie shook her head, Nick cracked his best grin. "Too late to dump me now, Darlin'...you're having my baby."

The Grissoms
6:30 p.m.

"Ooh, Baby," Gil jokingly exclaimed like a horny teen when he saw his wife sashay into the living room in her clothes for the evening. "Sexy jeans and a spaghetti strap top? What will the men at Club Thrust think when they see you?" He laughed at the name of the club for the tenth time that day.

"They'll be thinking 'Look! There's another ridiculous women waving a dollar bill hoping for a glimpse of my python and a chance to bed me later. Duh...don't these chicks know we're gay?'" Smiling, she said, "That's what Todd told us he thinks when he's grinding towards a group of giddy girls."

"Having an inside source takes the mystique out of it."

Sliding onto her husband's lap Sara replied, "I think the mystique is lost the moment the guys pull off their snap-away pants."

"So..." Gil swirled his fingers up Sara's leg. "After you spend the night with gay men, and I spend the night with lesbians, how about we spend a little time together?"

Sara smirked at her husband. "Hmm." Little did he know that it wasn't just Greg who would be getting a surprise that night. Tawny had convinced her, Carrie and Catherine to join in...not that Catherine needed any convincing when she was told sexy costumes were involved. While Sara normally wouldn't have gone along with the embarrassing charade, she agreed to make Tawny happy because the girl was having a hell of a week. "Plan on it."

Nick and Carrie's Apartment
6:36 p.m.

Handing over the two picture copies he had swiped, Drew told his brother, mother and Carrie, "She said she's putting together a little portfolio of Tawny's skankiest moments."

Taking the photocopies Carrie asked, "She let you walk into her suite, take copies and leave? Wasn't she suspicious?"

Drew and Nick exchanged glances and then he answered, "Actually it was Nicky's idea." Next he looked at his mother. "We ran it by Lissa and Greg too, so they knew the plan. I went there pretending it was a booty call. It took all of two minutes for her to confirm we'd be getting it on. I snuck the copies when I was whispering sweet nothings and then I pretended I had a cell phone call and bolted for a business meeting."

Carrie huffed out her reply, "This woman, who is supposedly obsessively in love with Greg to the point that she followed him here and is planning to stop his wedding, agreed to sleep with you after only meeting you in an elevator for a few minutes? That doesn't make any sense."

"She's a horny psycho, Sweetheart," Nick explained the obvious.

Drew nodded. "She's FAB, Nicky."

"I'm afraid to know what a FAB is," Jillian muttered as she noted the photography studio's name at the bottom of the photo. "Maybe we can nail her for copying the photo."

"Can't," Drew told her before she could get to the computer. "I saw a document selling the rights of the photo to her. She owns it as of today."

Her curiosity getting to her Carrie blurted, "Tell me what FAB is."

"It's code for Fatal Attraction Bitch," Drew answered. "A girl who you know if you score with, she'll go nuts on you later, so, you don't go anywhere near her. When you're out with your buddies it's a courtesy move, 'hey, stay away from the blonde chick in red, she's FAB."

Nick took Carrie's hand. "I always used BB...Bunny Boiler. Carrie, Becca's like that chick in Swimfan, that movie we watched in the hospital. She didn't have a problem having sex with her obsession's best friend because she closed her eyes and pretended he was her guy."

"Maybe that happens in the movies, Nicky," Drew laughed heartily. "But if I had been interested, and Becca tried to mistake me for Greg, by the time I was done with her, she would've been going 'Greg who?'" Then he remembered his audience and cleared his throat. "Sorry, that was a really crass and insensitive thing to say. You know...my ego does the talking for me when it's threatened. My sincerest apologies. Okay...uh...since my work here is done, I think I'll get back to Liss and the kids."

Jillian snipped at her boy, "Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out, Stud."

"Sorry, Mama."

"Andrew," Jillian called before he slipped out the door. "This investigator won't be finding any evidence of you and Tawny, will he? Something that could be tied back to your father and used to embarrass him?"

"No, ma'am," Drew answered without hesitation. "I didn't even use my real name."

"What name did you use, Son? And I'd be careful about lying to me, because maybe Tawny already told me the truth."

"Uh..." Dropping his gaze to the floor he quietly replied, "I used McGregor."

Nick shivered and grabbed Carrie's hand, inching her towards the bedroom.

"How thoughtful..." Jillian smiled at her eldest son. "You used my family's name to carry out your duplicity." The sharpness of her voice cut through the room. "Your granddaddy must have been rolling in his grave while you were rolling in the sack."

"I..."

Walking toward the guestroom Jillian barked, "Save it!"

When the guestroom door slammed Nick pointed at his brother from across the room. "On the drive back to the hotel, do yourself a favor and have a Come to Jesus meeting with your overblown ego, because if you ever say something like that in front of Greg or Melissa I will ki..." Catching a glimpse of the rubber band on his wrist Nick took a deep breath and shot a disapproving stare in his brother's direction. "I will be very disappointed in you, Andrew."

Drew remarked in amazement, "Shit, Nicky...you were Dad just then...you had the look, the voice, the stance...everything."

Carrie's frown tipped up into a smile as she thought of the one positive in the situation. I've only been pregnant for a six days and Nicky's dad material!

Keeping up the fatherly impression Nick calmly said, "Thank you, Andrew. You're free to go now and ponder the error of your ways."

"You did it again! Damn that's creepy," Drew shivered as he walked out and shut the door.

"You're a dad!" Carrie rejoiced.

"Yeah, but I don't want to be my dad!" Nick freaked out and grabbed his head. "Think about how screwed up all of us Stokes kids are! We were raised to be high-strung, anal-retentive, over-achieving ulcer candidates, who had to down a bottle of Maalox before bringing home a B on a report card! It was hell, and we're all displaying the effects of it as adults! Andy's a competitive workaholic egomaniac, Karen has OCD and..." Then he saw his mother had opened the guest room door and was standing there. "We were so lucky to have a warm, loving mother to nurture us and balance out our father."

The Townhouse
6:51 p.m.

While Tawny was in the bedroom showing his mother the wedding dress, Greg sat on the couch drinking beer with his dad.

"Feeling calmer?" Scott asked as he dropped his hand on his son's knee. "Or rephrased, do you think you can be in the same room as your mother without strangling her?"

"Yes," he tried to sound convincing. "I purged all my frustration with her on the drive home from the airport."

"Yeah...good call asking me to drive so you could flail your arms freely while you vented at her...not that she didn't deserve it."

"I thought so." Greg polished off his first beer and rose from the couch to grab another round. "Isn't it hilarious that Mom hates Becca for interfering with my life when mom is guilty of the same crime?"

"I think they're both suffering from the same fear."

From the fridge Greg raised a Corona to see if his dad was ready and when he nodded, he returned to the couch with two open bottles. "They're both afraid of losing me to another woman."

"Absolutely." Scott paused for a sip. "Why do you think they kept trying to convince you that you were gay all these years?"

Laughing into his beer Greg said, "There's some strong evidence that being gay is a genetic predisposition instead of a choice, if Becca and Mom didn't turn me off women, I'm obviously unchangeably straight."

"Maybe that can be the basis for your next paper."

As the two men laughed, the house phone sounded and Greg lunged to get it. "Reverend Nicholas," he greeted when he saw Nick's name on the caller ID. "How may I help you this evening?"

"Here's the deal, Buddy...Drew acquired information that will piss you off. You want it now, later when you're numb, or tomorrow on the happiest day of your life?"

"Your brother really got into Becca's suite?" Greg was surprised by the level of disappointment in his voice. "She wanted to sleep with him?"

"And you sound disappointed because?"

"Because if she was doing this shit to Tawny because she really was madly in love with me, it would be less painful than knowing she's just doing it because she's an out of control bitch." The feel of his father's hand on his shoulder reminded him to take a deep breath. "Tell me what he found while I'm sober and sitting next to my dad."

"He saw a report from a conversation with Marlene; a full page Tweeters ad from one of those adult entertainment guides; and..."

When Greg heard the awkward pause he said, "She has the magazine photo of Tawny posing in the school uniform, right?"

"I wasn't sure if you knew she did that, so..."

Grabbing a pillow he screamed into it, and then replied, "She was tricked by herscummy boyfriend. She signed a paper and thought she was doing it for his eyes only for Valentine's Day, but instead he had it published because he thought it would be cool to show his friends he was dating a girl who posed for porn."

"Nice. Do we have the name of the bastard, and was she legal at the time, because if she wasn't..."

Greg glanced toward the bedroom and closed his eyes. "Yeah, she was, and she wouldn't tell me his name for fear I'd confront him, which I took meant he's some muscle head who could pound me into the ground with one punch." Glancing over at his dad Greg saw Scott wearing his concern like a neon sign so he mouthed 'I'm alright'.

"Okay, Greggo...the real bad news is that your psycho chick now owns the photo rights and she's copied the picture, along with getting more copies of the ad. She's also typed up a summary of Tawny's life and she's going to bind it all together for distribution...most likely at the wedding. It's all public domain stuff and true, so we can't bust her for slander. Carrie however, came up with a plan I'd like to run by you."

The Grissoms
7:01 p.m.

"My bag is packed," Sara announced as she left the master bathroom. They planned on staying at Ron and Lina's since the partying was expected to go late into the night.

"Mine too." Gil stepped into his shoes and tucked in his azure blue button-down.

"Uh..." Sara fidgeted physically and mentally. "Okay...I'm not supposed to tell you this, so please don't repeat it even after you've downed half a bottle of your dad's outrageously expensive Scotch."

"You definitely have my attention...not that you didn't have it already wearing those jeans."

After a deep breath, Sara placed her hands on her husband's shoulders. "Tonight, in the interest of making Tawny happy, and because I'm apparently bound as a bridesmaid to do the bride's bidding, I have to do something really ridiculous...and I do mean really, ridiculous."

"Like what?"

"That's just it...I don't even know yet!"

Confused, he inquired, "Then how do you know it's really ridiculous?"

"I know from Tawny saying..." She mocked her friend's overly bubbly voice, "'This is totally going to be the most ridiculous thing you've ever done in your life Sara!' And there's a costume involved."

"Oh." He tried not to laugh, but promptly failed.

"Whatever it is, I'm doing it as charity work, so don't hold it against me personally."

After stealing a kiss Gil grinned, "Will you be wearing something sexy underneath the costume? Maybe something butterfly themed?" It had been a while since she wore his favorite Lepidoptera thong.

Backing away she groaned, "You really are a horny teenage boy trapped in a man's body sometimes."

Nick and Carrie's Apartment
7:24 p.m.

"Roxie!" Nick clapped his hands as he entered the bedroom. "Pick some shoes already! It's time to hit the trail! I've got tequila to drink, lesbian strippers to watch, and money to lose at poker." When he saw her standing in front of the mirror laughing at him, Nick wrapped his arms around her from behind. "What's the word, Roxie? Hmm?" He kissed her neck. "Will I be getting a surprise later?" He planted a second, juicier kiss in the same spot. "What'd ya say?"

"I say I'm still in shock that Tawny and Greg still want to party after the latest news."

"It was your plan that lifted their spirits again. They're twice as excited. God was kind when he gave them manic personalities, considering their rollercoaster personal lives. The more crap thrown at them, the more they seem to thrive." Nick moved to the other side of Carrie's neck for fear of leaving a mark if he kept kissing the same place. "Now, you still haven't answered my question, Roxie."

"Mmm...there will definitely be a surprise in store for you tonight." Although she had no clue what it was since Tawny was keeping it a secret. Facing him, Carrie teased Nick with her eyes and voice, "Don't worry, Tex...go ahead and get weak from too much tequila, get tense from watching naked lesbian strippers kiss, and get depressed when you lose all your money at poker." One enticing kiss later she whispered, "I'll meet up with you later and nurse you back to health."

The Willows/Brown Household
7:30 p.m.

Seeing a blush on her daughter's cheeks Catherine gently placed her hand on Lindsay's forehead. "Are you running a fever?"

"No," Warrick answered as he strolled into the living room laughing. "She just got off the phone with Jake. He called to tell her that since his father is officiating at the wedding tomorrow that he'd be there too. I think he asked Lindsay to be his dance partner."

"You heard me!" Lindsay yelled when she realized he was onto her.

Laughing at her, Warrick replied, "I'm a six foot three black man, you didn't see me standing in the kitchen with you? Sure you did, you just thought you were being sly."

Watching her daughter turn a deeper shade of red Catherine asked, "What about Sean? Are you going to save some dances for him? Because Wendy said that Tawny told the boys they could bring friends and Ryan is bringing Celine. I'm sure Sean assumed you'd be there to hang out with him."

"Oh, well." Lindsay floated away still on cloud nine from Jake's words. "If he's really a genius, then Sean should know better than to assume anything and because he did, he'll have to dance with his kid sister."

Bummed for their geeky neighbor, Catherine sighed, "Looks like Sean's out and Jake's back in.

"Well, you snooze you lose the girl...someone needs to mention that to Gil Junior." Warrick took Catherine's hand. "Speaking of being out...ready to part ways, Ms. Willows?"

"What are you going to do while the guys are playing cards?" Fixing his shirt collar Catherine eyed him warily. "Will you be conversing with the bodacious babes?"

"I'll be watching sports, not babes," he replied after bestowing a sultry kiss on his woman. "Nicky said there are five TVs in the room. I'll have five ball games to choose from to keep my eyes occupied."

Walking him backwards towards the door Catherine purred, "Meet me later and I'll let you get to second base."

"I'll steal third," he rasped in her ear.

"Why stop there?" She slapped his ass and sent him out the door. "Until then...have fun with the boys."

The Townhouse
7:36 p.m.

"Just one more kiss," Greg pleaded when Tawny tried to open the bedroom door. "Just one more...I swear."

"You're stalling." Not that she minded.

"I have no idea what they're planning to do to me." But he was certain it would be humiliating.

"I know everything they're going to do to you," she boasted while running her fingertip over Greg's lips. "The farm animals are a bit weird, but Nick's from a ranch so I just figured it was a tradition."

"Farm...animals?"

"Kidding!" After giving him the kiss he requested Tawny told him, "Don't hit on the girls working the party, because I know them and they'll tell me."

"As if."

"You have to go now."

His smile fading slightly Greg whispered, "Are you sure you're okay? I feel so bad about..."

"I've never been better." Cupping his face Tawny expanded her grin. "In less than twenty-three hours I'll be married to the man of my dreams and starting a new exciting chapter of my life while Becca will still be the same bitter bitch without a hint of happiness in her future. I know I'll be okay, I doubt she can say the same."

Crushing her with a hug Greg closed his eyes. "I love you."

"You're stalling."

"No, I'm loving you."

"While stalling."

"One more kiss."

"I already gave you one more."

"Then give me a bonus kiss."

"Then you'll go?" she asked with a raised brow.

Laughing at himself he replied, "Kicking and screaming, but yes...then I'll go."

His slowsmooch sent her stomach into a giddy swirl. "Now I don't want you to go," she giggled after gasping for air. "I'm so excited! We're getting married in less than twenty-three hours!"

"Shh...it's a secret." Sweeping Tawny off her feet he twirled her around. "Crash the party later. Turn the traditional fairy tale ending on its ass and rescue me, Princess."

"How?"

"Just show up at the door crying and pretend we're having a personal crisis. They might buy it." As they laughed together he moved further away from the door.

"You're going the wrong way."

"Because they're coming for me."

"Hoj!" The bedroom door flew open and Robbie burst in with Nick. "Since your best man isn't allowed to lift more than ten pounds, I'm throwing you over my shoulder while he makes fun of you for not peeling yourself away from your woman for five measly hours."

"Bye, Chuckles!" Tawny waved as Robbie hoisted him over his shoulder. "Have fun!"

"Don't you worry about your favorite clown, Tawny." Nick gave her a bear hug. "We'll resuscitate him after he dies of embarrassment."

"Mommy!" Greg yelled as Robbie whisked him through the living room, hoping a joke would let her know he wasn't still pissed. "Write me a note and get me out of this!"

"Sorry, Sweetie." Bev waved and smiled. "I don't want to get involved in your personal life."

"Now you say that!"

As soon as they were out the door Nick whooped, "Finally! It's party time!"


Author's Notes:

And indeed it is party time! The next 3 chapters are stress-free. LOL well it is for you as readers, for Greg as the guest of honor at the bachelor party in chapter 10...not so much. After that it's a love fest for 11 and 12.

Next chapter posting: Saturday morning (US MST) 1/21.

Thanks for reading! And if you reviewed, I've replied :-)

Maggs