A/N: For Meowser Hotchner who helps me with too much no matter what, including part of Jimel scene :D Love you! xx Mariah

Katie and Ned had to travel all the way to Raleigh so they could be married. Mostly because their pastor at home was not comfortable marrying them in such short notice and because they were so young. He'd actually tried to talk her parents into forbidding Katherine from seeing Ned before he left because if she still loved him when he came back then he'd marry them, if Ned came back.

"I'm going to sweat through my dress," Katie muttered, not looking in the mirror yet.

Her mother looked up from her book and smiled. "Sweetheart, will you calm down?" Melinda said softly. "You look beautiful and Ned is going to love how beautiful you look- more than he does already."

"What if he gets cold feet?" She asked, letting her thoughts slip out. "What if I'm a widow before we even get to enjoy being married?"

It was a rushed process when they got engaged, and when asked she didn't have to think before the word yes slipped past her lips. And she'd never regret it at all. But what if Ned does five years down the line? What if he realizes that he was not ready to spend the rest of his life with her? What if he realized that some other girl was the one that got away and he regretted marrying her on such a quick pace before he left for war.

What if he never came back?

"Calm down," her mother said to her with a smile. "I was just as nervous as you were when I married your father because I'd run off with him. I kept worrying he'd leave and I'd have nothing or that he would turn out to be some different man years down the line. But that was just the nerves talking, your father is the same man I fell in love with when I was twenty. And Ned, he is so in love with you it's sickening. He'll make you happy, Katie, even if you don't get much more time with him before he leaves."

She knew they fit together perfectly. Her strengths were his weaknesses, and his strengths were her weaknesses. They could complete each other's sentences. They know when the other needs space. And he made her feel so impossibly safe and happy.

"You know when he proposed and you said yes, he told me that night that he was the luckiest man to ever live." Her mother added.

She smiled and finally turned around, facing the mirror. Her hair was braided and pinned to her head, just the way she wanted it to be, and a few strands framed her face. Makeup was minimal, but she could ignore the wide smile on her face.

Twenty minutes pass before it was time. With last-minute fussing and unshed tears, her mother finally left the room to find her father.

Today was the day. The day Jim had dreamed of and partly dreaded. The day he gave his daughter away on her wedding day.

"Daddy?" Katherine's soft voice came behind him and for a moment, when he looked at her, Jim saw her as that perfect six-year-old little girl of his. The shining light of his eye approached him, her chestnut hair in a simple braid around her hair.

"Hey princess, are you ready?" He smiled as he took his little girl in. Her dress was perfect, it looked as if it had been made for her.

She looked stunning. Just like her mother had on their wedding day.

Today was the day he would pass her on to another man to protect and love her as he had all her life.

"I am," she smiled brightly as she fixed her mother's pearl necklace in the mirror. "Are you?"

He wasn't sure if he was, but he knew he had to be. "Of course. I'm glad to see you so happy, Katiegirl."

She smiled and took his arm. He didn't say anything else, but she knew he was just trying to hold it together. He wouldn't let anyone know that he's really touched. Ever. Except for her mother.

But she forgot all about that when they round the corner of the church, and there, standing at the altar was Ned in a black suit and tie. The nervous sweats come back, but with the way he was looking at her, Katie knew he would never regret this.

It had finally happened. They were man and wife.

Katherine had walked down the aisle with Jim who gave her away with tears in her eyes. He'd never seen the man cry, and it warmed his heart a little to see him happy for them.

They had said their vows, Katherine's utterly beautiful and Ned's heartfelt and meaningful. She had rattled off something about a flower in the spring, and how Ned represented the one thing that had been elusive her whole life so far. Hope after what had happened to her.

Both mothers had dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief as they both said the I do's.

Her father cheered the loudest when they were pronounced man and wife.

They had gone back to the hotel and changed into something more casual for their dinner together, they just wanted to be alone after, but with Ned's mother deciding to plan the after party to feel included, they couldn't expect less, so they enjoyed their dinner with their families.

They were about to cross over the threshold of their room at the hotel that her parents had specifically booked just for them. The first check on their list as a married couple. A couple wasn't really married unless you followed tradition, in Katherine's opinion. Ned was carrying her in his arms, and he looked down to her with a mischievous grin.

"What?" She asked, looking up into those bright, green eyes, shining brighter than the stars above them.

"Nothing…. It's just, you look so beautiful…." He pressed his lips to hers and then he set her down, closing the door behind them.

"….yeah?" She said smiling him.

"And I'm just this mechanic, and you're this beautiful girl who wants to be a nurse and help people." He cupped her cheek. "I gave you a tire change in what seems like a lifetime ago, which started something and now you're my wife. How did I manage to land you?"

"Oh, Ned… I love how humble you are," she hung her head and shook it from side to side, a fit of giggles coming over her.

When they finally settled back down, she looked back up at him. He looked like he was about to burst.

"Come on," she laughed, grabbing his hand and leading him to the bed. "We've got a marriage to consummate."

Ned moaned and reached behind her to swing her onto the bed and she laughed, but found himself laughing again too, as she lightly slapped his chest.

"Oh, hush," she said kissing him. "I love you."

"I love you too girl." His hands peeled the cotton dress from her and skimmed over her lace brassiere and panties. "You look heavenly."

"Ned, Ned, Ned…" His name was a whisper on her tongue as she bit her bottom lip and rocked her hips toward him gently.

Her fingers undid the buttons on his shirt and found his nipple and licked around the sensitive skin.

"Katherine," he chuckled. "You first."

She threw her arms around his neck and blushed hard, but he smiled at her, and pulled her to him, hungrily crushing his lips to hers. She kissed him back, her fingers tangled in his thick curls as their tongues dueled for dominance and he nips at her bottom lip with his teeth. Ned turned his attention to her neck and lapped gently at the hollow just under her earlobe.

"Are you thinking about me touching you?" His voice was low, barely audible.

She desperately sought out his mouth with hers, unwilling to give him an answer, but he moved quickly and grasped her hips tightly, reclaiming her neck with his lips.

"Were you? Were you thinking of how good it would feel if I touched you?" He whispered.

"Y-yes…" She muttered as her hands fell for his waist to pull him more tightly into her body, to feel him pressed against her, and she gasped as his hardness brushed against her inner thigh. "I want you to touch me."

"Do you?" He chuckled against her neck.

"Yes, please Ned." She was humming with desire for him. "Touch me."

She didn't mind it though. Just the opposite, in fact. She could feel herself getting wetter and wetter with every word he muttered against her skin.

"Show me." He nibbled her earlobe. "Show me how you want me to touch you."

Ned pressed his broad hands to her stomach, awaiting instruction, and she tentatively covered them with her own. Slowly, almost timidly, she brought his left hand to her breast and squeezed gently. He responded by tweaking her nipple between his thumb and forefinger even through the fabric, and she keened, wondering for a fleeting second if it was possible to explode just from this feeling alone.

His fingers didn't still against the sensitive skin but once again, he whispered against her neck. "Where else, Katherine? Where else do you want me to touch you, baby?"

Before she could stop to think, she guided his right hand down the flat expanse of her stomach, right to the apex of her thighs where she ached for his touch. He peeled her panties off and probed her folds with the lithe fingers she loved so much and the proximity of his hands to her core was too much so she tightened her grip on his hand and pushed him down further, until his long digits brushed against her entrance and the rough heel of his hand was firm against her.

"Show me," he hissed, and even though she was positive that he knew exactly what she wanted him to do, she could deny him this.

So she began to bend her fingers over his, administering a burning touch that she never thought possible. Their bodies worked together, hips bucking, one hand squeezing her breast, the other sliding over her slick center over and over until finally her mouth feels open and her gasps of his name echo against the room's walls. She clenched her thighs around their hands as she thrashed against him while wave after wave of wonderful release rolled over her.

Finally, when the last of the aftershocks have wracked her body, he withdrew her hand from the apex of her thighs and kissed her languidly.

"We're not quite done," he groaned. "How was it?"

She sighed and rested her forehead against his broad chest. "You know how it was," she panted.

Her hands drifted down along his torso, over his pectoral muscles, following the streams of sweat, and then her fingers found his belt and undid it. She slowly brought his slacks down and he kicked him off and down to the floor with her dress. Her hands slid underneath his boxers and clasped around his erection gently. She turned her gaze up to him, her brown eyes meeting his green.

"You ready for part two?" She grinned.

"Always," he found her lips and kissed her passionately.

The fingers she loves so much grip her hand tightly and brought him toward her entrance, and together they begin to move. And together they became one as man and wife.

Jim carried Melinda through the door into their hotel room laughing.

"We're not the ones who just got married!" She laughed.

"Still, you said your feet were aching and I am the one who got your pregnant." He looked up at her. "Would you like to take a bath? I made sure this room had a nice tub because I knew your feet would be swollen by the end of the night."

"That sounds nice," she let her head lean on his shoulder as he brought her into the bathroom.

He sat her on the toilet and turn the knob on the clawfoot tub.

"You should let me pamper you more often," he kneeled before her and slide off her shoes and pressed a kiss to the tops of both. "Your poor feet."

He pressed a kiss to both of her knees and then lifted her dress to kiss her thighs.

"Jim," she gasped and leaned into the back of the toilet. "Oh, not yet."

"Honey, I need to distract myself from what is happening next door with our daughter," he laughed and kissed the tops of her thighs.

"Alright, but wait until we're in there." She pointed to the tub which had filled very quickly.

He turned the knob off and turned to help her out of her dress. His hand fell over the swell of her stomach.

"You're starting to show. I love it," he smiled and kissed her belly button. "Come on. Let's get you in here."

He helped her into the water and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Make a show out of it," she smiled at him. "You're so handsome and I want to enjoy you."

Jim had already removed his jacket, and Melinda sat in the water, watching him, as his hands moved to his cuffs and carefully and slowly undid them. She always tensed when she saw him do that; such a simple gesture but it seemed to promise so much more. It symbolized him relaxing, or getting to work. It promised that he'd soon roll his sleeves up to reveal muscular forearms or remove the shirt entirely.

She watched as his hands went to the buttons on his shirt straining over his chest, and he carefully slipped the first one from its hole, keeping her gaze all the while, his movements business like and matter of fact but when she moved closer she could tell that his hands were shaking a little in their eagerness. She wondered if Jim even noticed his hands shaking, or if he was so absorbed in her, in the task at hand, that it was dismissed in his mind as unimportant.

She reached out as he finished unbuttoning his shirt.

"Let me," she breathed, her hand going to the clip on his belt that attached to his suspenders.

His hands stilled and his eyes were dark as he glanced at her hands, tiny compared to his, pale compared to his, but just as strong, equally nimble. She realized that her own hands were shaking and laughed at herself, raising up on her knees to try and get it done, but instead she found herself leaning against him, her stomach pressing against his trousers, feeling the hardness there. She gasped a little, before pulling away, getting one side from its clip and quickly moving to the other, moving faster this time.

"You're acting like it's your wedding night," he breathed. "Why so nervous baby?"

"I don't know," she breathed, settling back in the water, watching him pull his shirt from his trousers and slowly pull it over his shoulders, letting it flutter to the floor, leaving him in a simple white undershirt.

She loved this view of him. The view that she was pretty sure only she had ever seen. She moved back onto her knees, her fingers alighting on his shoulders, admiring the muscles there, the rounded shape that only came from hard work.

"Undress for me," she whispered, her tone so pleading that she surprised herself.

Jim's adam's apple jumped in surprise and he slowly pulled the undershirt from his body, stretching at the top, letting her admire the play of muscles in his arms.

"After all these years," he whispered, voice a little hoarse. "And I can still bring you to this point."

She nodded, reaching again, dragging her small hands over his torso.

His hands fell to the belt which he slowly undid with a smirk, letting it clamor to the floor. His fingers then went to the buttons on his trousers, undoing it, letting them fall to the floor as well. She whimpered in the back of her throat as he stepped out of them, and he caught the sound, glancing up at her with an intensity that took her breath away.

"Still mine," he murmured, his large hand reaching out to grab her cheek, bring her face closer to his, capturing her lips in his for an all too brief moment.

"And you're still mine," Melinda whispered against his lips, her bare arms wrapping around his neck for a moment before he released her again, eyes dark.

"Come in with me," she requested.

"What do you think I'm doing?" He whispered and hooked his fingers in the last remaining piece of clothing on his body, which still clung provocatively to his hips.

Melinda pressed her hand to her mouth as he carefully dragged them down, biting hard on her lip as he revealed himself to her gaze. She would never get over this sight of him either, she knew in her heart, in her soul, in the way her nipples were pebbled and her thighs were tingling; how she felt waves of desire rippling from her abdomen to her pelvis.

He was...magnificent. Always magnificent. Size didn't matter, it truly wouldn't if he was small, but as it was...

She loved that he was larger than what she expected to be average. Loved how well he filled her. Loved the feel of him deep inside her, reaching before unknown depths of her body. He slid in behind her and she relaxed against his chest, his erection pressed into the small of her back. She turned around and faced him, her lips touching his before drifting.

"Melinda…" He stuttered as her lips drifted down the length of his body.

They were in the bath, both completely nude. Their hands were wandering over each other's warm skin and as Melinda's lips trailed hot, wet paths across his chest. Jim couldn't think.

He was hard and ready. Usually by the time they both got undressed he didn't have to wait long to be inside her. He remembered when she was pregnant with Katherine, she'd been in the same sort of drive where she wanted him every moment she could have him.

This time was turning out to be no different.

And now as her lips drifted lower, down the hard muscles of his stomach, and even dipping below his bellybutton, he could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest. He felt himself throb at just the thought that she was maybe going to do what he was thinking she was might to do.

"Are-are you…sure?" He managed to gasp out as it became apparent what she was going to do.

She took him in her hand, her head hovering near his now throbbing erection. She chuckled and said, "Jim watch…"

He just managed to pry a single eye open, glancing down at her when he saw her tongue extend out and lick the head of him. "Ahh," he hissed, reaching out and grabbing the bedsheets in a clenched fist. "Melinda…"

His pained pleas of ecstasy spurred her on and he was breathing heavily now and when his length finally slid into her mouth he cried out. His hands flew to the top of her head involuntarily and dug themselves in the dark strands. He didn't care that he could kinda feel her teeth and she only had her mouth around the first few inches or so. The sight of him in his wife's mouth was too much.

"Oh my god," he grunted and when his hips jerked forward he slipped completely inside her mouth. "Melinda..." He could feel the familiar tightening of his stomach muscles and he let his head settle back against tile.

She hadn't even done much. She released him from her mouth and let her tongue lick him with broad, flat strokes.

"Melinda!" He called out, pulling away and putting an arm on her shoulder to push her back a bit. He gripped himself tightly in his hand and then came in long spurts on his stomach.

Later, when he cleaned himself and came back down to earth a little bit he had Melinda lying on his side, rubbing her back and stroking her hair.

"Can I return the favor?" He whispered and she looked up at him with wide eyes.

She nodded, but she was biting down on her bottom lip and if all of his time with her had taught him anything it was that that meant she was getting wet. Slipping two fingers between her thighs confirmed this fact and he drifted down the length of her body without another word.