A/N: sorry if this chapter seems a bit choppy but I've been writing it on the go and in between a hectic personal life. Thanks again for the reviews and your patience.
Chapter 13
For the next two days after agreeing to get married, Don and Rose-Marie's life was an absolute whirlwind of meetings and shopping. Due to the speed of the wedding, they both agreed a simple ceremony would be best but because the wedding was a first for both, they also wanted it to be special. Since neither of them wanted to take the time to go through the church, they decided a judge would be easier and faster.
Fortunately, Jonathan knew someone who knew someone who knew a judge who would be willing to perform the ceremony and could be counted on to be discreet. As security was of importance, the courthouse where the judge worked was warned about the upcoming event and they were promised security and discretion from the press.
Then it was time to shop for wedding clothes. Jonathan, in his generosity, gave Don unlimited use of a credit card and the name of a good men's clothing store, one that specialized in tuxedos. He wound up choosing a really nice Ralph Lauren wedding tuxedo suit with a white shirt, black vest, and black bow tie. He would later put a white rose boutonniere on the jacket lapel.
As for Rose-Marie, her choice was easy; she already knew what she wanted and that was a Kristie Kelly bridal gown, specifically the Collection Two Ariel sheath dress in ivory chiffon with a rouched neckline, soft cap sleeves, and rouched skirt back. A matching crystal necklace, earrings, and tiara, all from Kristie Kelly Ariel's Collection Three accessories, were added to the gown. A waltz-length veil would be pinned to the top of her hair, which she planned to put into an elegant French twist. Her flowers, like Don's boutonniere, would be white but interspersed with red roses and dark green greenery and in a simple bouquet.
Because of the nature of Don's work and the fact that Rose-Marie liked to work with her hands, they settled on simple, wide gold wedding bands and a matching engagement ring that had the stone embedded in the band.
Jonathan would attend the ceremony in a wheelchair due to his health, and so would Amy, who was flying in from New York to give them a hand and to serve as a witness. The Desmond family lawyer, a man by the name of Andrew Seeley, would also attend the wedding and serve as a second witness.
There would be a small reception afterwards, nothing fancy, but there would be a large party in New York when they got back for the Flack family and their friends as a way of making up for the quickie wedding.
Then, on the second night, Rose-Marie got a call that threatened to derail her sanity and peace of mind.
"Hello?" she asked sleepily, answering her cell.
"Bella? Il mio dio! You are okay! Ringrazi il signore!"
"Mama Gema?" Rose-Marie asked, sitting up, puzzled by the call and the odd-sounding tone in her friend's voice. "Are you okay?"
"Oh, Bella, Bella, promettami you' il ll sta attento! La persona che ha preso la vostra sorella e la vostra matrigna, gli ha promesso più dolore, più dispiacere! Prego, Bella, è molto, molto attento!" Promise me you'll be careful! The person who took your sister and your step-mother, he promised you more pain, more sorrow! Please, Bella, be very, very careful!
Realizing that Mama Gema had slipped into her native language, Rose-Marie responded in kind. "Che persona, Mama? Mama, siete giusto? Dove siete? La persona che ha ucciso Jay è andato dopo voi? What' s che accende? I don' la t capisce!" What person, Mama? Mama, are you okay? Where are you? Did the person who killed Jay go after you? What's going on? I don't understand!
"Oh, bambino dolce, già avete perso così tanto. Stia attento, stia molto attento. È andato dopo che me ma io ha combattuto, io lo ha combattuto, ma lo ha voluto vivo dirgli he' s che viene per voi, Bella. Prego, Bella, sta molto attento. Non desidero perderlo…." Oh, sweet child, you have already lost so much. Be careful, be very careful. He went after me but I fought, I fought him, but he wanted me alive to tell you he's coming for you, Bella. Please, Bella, be very careful. I do not wish to lose you....
The line went dead, and Rose-Marie, feeling the panic rising, turned to look at Don, who was already awake.
"I'm calling Mac," Don said, grabbing his cell. "Did she say where she was?" Rose-Marie shook her head.
"He went after her, Don, the bastard went after Mama Gema!" she said, trying to stem the hysteria she could feel bubbling up in her chest. "It wasn't enough that he took my sister and my step-mother, now he goes after Mama!"
"I'll find out what's going on, I promise," he said, listening to Mac's cell ring. Then Mac picked up. "Mac, listen, Rose-Marie just got a call from Mama Gema. Something's wrong; it sounds like the guy who murdered Jay and Marion attacked Mama Gema." He rattled off an address that belonged to the Little Italy Bakery even as he gestured for Rose-Marie to hand him her cell. Then he gave Mac the number that had come up on Rose-Marie's cell. "Can you find Mama Gema and find out what's going on? Okay, call me when you know anything." He hung up. "Mac is going to try and find Mama Gema and trace the number I just gave him. Sweetheart, what did Mama Gema say? Tell me everything." So she repeated what Mama Gema had told her. When she finished, Don was swearing. "How many people know about your relationship with Mama Gema?" he asked.
"Not that many," she admitted. "Obviously the stalker knew about the Little Italy Bakery because of the roses he sent to me twice, but me and Mama? Not too many people. Jay knew how I felt about her and so did the people I worked with who also worked with Mama, but I mostly kept in the back and our relationship wasn't something that ever made the papers. I don't even know if Dad knows about how close we are."
"Okay, so whoever knows about you and Mama Gema has to be someone close to the family," Don said. His cell rang and he checked the number before answering it. "Flack here," he said. He listened for a moment then swore again. "Damnit, is she okay? She had the bracelet with her? How? Hang on, I'm going to switch to speaker." He hit a button and said, "Okay, could you repeat that?"
Mac's voice came over the phone and Rose-Marie leaned forward to listen closely. "Mama Gema is at Bellevue Hospital Center and she's being treated for assault. She was able to call for help and she apparently put one hell of a fight, but according to the officer that took her statement, her attacker wore all black and a black mask. He also left a MedicAlert bracelet that's been identified as belonging to Judith-Ann. It's got blood on it and we're running it through DNA now. Mama Gema is apparently frantic with worry about you, Rose-Marie, but I assured her you were safe and out of the city for now. I also told her you were getting married and she immediately started going on about making big plans for a very big party for you. Seems she's quite fond of you." There was a tone of amusement in his voice.
"She's been like a grandmother to me," Rose-Marie admitted. "Is there anything we can do for her?"
"She's in good hands now but because of the connection to the murders we're placing her under protective custody," Mac said.
"What if I could do you one better?" Rose-Marie offered, "And it would be at no cost to the city? Plus, it would make me feel safer."
"I'm listening," Mac said.
"Dad's security people. His head boss is still in New York; I can call him and send an Italian-speaking, former SWAT member over to the hospital ASAP and then have Mama relocated to some place safer," she offered. "The less public knowledge there is about Mama Gema's location, the safer she is."
"That would work," Mac said. "How good is the security company?"
"Dad only hires the best and so does the head boss, a guy by the name of Brandon Markham. If I recall correctly, he's a former SWAT member himself and a veteran of the NYPD," Rose-Marie said. "I'll have him work with you guys to keep Mama safe."
"Okay, call me when it's set up," Mac said. "Now, get some rest; Mama Gema is safe, we've got plenty of evidence to work with thanks to the fact that she caught this guy off-guard by fighting. One way or another, he made a mistake by going after Mama Gema."
"Thanks Mac, we appreciate this," Don said.
Mac signed off and Don put his cell back. He could see Rose-Marie was struggling to hold on to her emotions and he put her arms around her, holding her tightly. "Call Brandon Markham and get him working with Mac, okay?"
She nodded and scrolled through her contact list on her cell before selecting an entry. Brandon answered right away.
"I'm sorry to bother you at this time of night but something's come up," she explained. "The bastard who took Jay and Marion went after a friend of mine and put her in hospital. I spoke to an officer there, Detective Mac Taylor, and he's willing to let one of your guys watch her and put her in safe custody if you'll coordinate with him over it." She gave Brandon Mac's cell number and continued. "Mac knows exactly where Mama Gema is right now, but I know she's at Bellevue Hospital. I'm thinking someone who speaks Italian well because when Mama gets upset, she starts speaking Italian, so if you have someone who knows the language and can charm the socks off her...." She laughed. "That sounds good. Just keep her safe, that's all I ask. Let me know when it's done. Thanks again, Brandon." She hung up and turned to Don. "Brandon says he has someone in mind and the guy is a former Marine officer with an Italian background so Brandon figures he'll have no trouble with Mama."
Don smiled. "Good. Then she's in good hands and she's safe."
Rose-Marie nodded. Then, try as she might, the tears came and they came hard and fast. All Don could do was lay her down and hold her while she cried. He knew she was crying out of grief, out of fear, confusion, stress, and heartache. The stalker was trying to destroy not just her life but her sanity and her peace of mind. She was holding on as best as she could but there was only so much one person could take.
It was a long while before the flow of tears finally eased off, leaving her feeling drained and wrung out. He left her long enough to get a cold washcloth so she could clean her face and a box of tissues for her nose, both of which she accepted gratefully.
"You're going to be okay," he soothed. "You're not going through this alone, I promise."
"I know, and that's probably the only thing that's keeping me sane right now," she admitted.
"Try getting some sleep, sweetie; Mama Gema is safe and we've got a lot to do tomorrow," he coaxed. "There's nothing else we can really do right now."
She nodded and snuggled against him, trying to get some rest; he was right. They still had a few things to do tomorrow and she had done all she could for now. By letting the stalker get to her like this, he was winning.
Two days later:
The wedding went off without a hitch, with Judge Clayborn walking Rose-Marie and Don through their marriage vows. Jonathan, looking tired but good in a suit and tie, sat in a wheelchair in a part of the courthouse that was like a sunroom, where the ceremony took place. Amy and Andrew were also in attendance, with Amy serving as Rose-Marie's maid-of-honour and Andrew serving as Don's best man, aside from serving as witnesses. For security reasons, a security guard had been invited to attend, partially to keep an eye out for the press and partially to ensure the safety of the group. Jonathan had also hired a wedding photographer and the photographer, Brian Newborn, was busy during the ceremony and afterwards, when he did a number of posing photographs with the newly-wedded couple.
Don hadn't seen Rose-Marie's dress and once again he nearly swallowed his tongue when he did see her in her wedding finery. She blushed as she approached him and the judge and eagerly reached for his hand. He barely heard Judge Clayborn as they were walked through their vows and when it was time for him to kiss his bride, he did so eagerly, holding her tightly.
"I can't promise you the world," he whispered in her ear, "but I will promise to keep you safe and I swear I will never, ever deliberately hurt you. No matter what happens, remember that I love you."
"I love you too, and I know you won't hurt me. I promise I won't deliberately hurt you either; you mean too much to me," she whispered back, feeling a sense of peace for the first time in nearly a week as she snuggled close to him.
Brandon had called her yesterday and assured her that Mama Gema was safe and in good hands with an Italian-speaking guard who, by all reports, had managed to charm Mama Gema completely. She was now resting and in a secure location, already making plans for a party for Rose-Marie and Don when they returned to New York.
As per suggestion and agreement, a proper and formal photograph of Rose-Marie and Don would be released to the Post upon their return, along with a carefully worded statement to a reporter Andrew knew and trusted. Then they would wait and see what happened next.
Jonathan, knowing his health was failing, had agreed to retire from his position as head of his shipping company. The task of naming his successor was already in the works, as well as a number of other tasks. He was planning to relocate to a family vacation house in Miami, where he could rest, relax, and enjoy retirement. As for the main house, it was agreed that it would be sold and a portion of the sale used to purchase a home for Don and Rose-Marie.
It would be a busy month for Rose-Marie and Don and Jonathan as they attempted to organize and sort out their lives and deal with the effects of letting go of loved ones while starting a new life in the process. It would not be easy, but, as Don had promised his new wife, she would not be doing it alone.