"Come on L, we are going to be late."
"Oh, that sounds so funny coming from you. You're never on time-"
"Whatever, just come on."
"I can't do this thingy here."
"Its a tie and let me see." She moved to properly tie his tie. "OK, now are you ready?"
He cheesed at her and they headed for the door.
They walked into the church hand in hand, Klaire's eyes looking for Stacy. She spotted her.
"Where's the soon to be Mrs.?"
"In the back...waiting for you Miss Takes-All-Day."
"I'm telling you, she'd be late to her own funeral."
Klaire rolled her eyes at L. He had the nerve, it was his fault they were late.
L detached from her and followed Stacy as Klaire went to help Allison with her dress.
"...you look amazing, Alli."
She smiled a nervous smile. Klaire knew the feeling.
"All you need to know is that the man you love is out there waiting for you no matter what you look like."
"It feel a little...too much. You know I'm not a flashy person, Kay."
"Well today calls for "flashy".
"...eh."
She smiled at her best friend happy that she found the happiness that she deserves.
"Don't give me 'eh', you look great, more than great but regardless of how great you look thats not what todays about. You're getting married-"
Allison sighed.
"Um, hello! That was meaningful-right-before-you-walk-down-the-aisle speech."
"I'm sorry Kay. I just can't shake the feeling...Is he still out there?...What if he left...changed his mind?"
"Well to be fair I didn't see him because I came right in here, but I doubt he left. Chad is so into you, its so obvious."
She smiled, but it quickly left her face. "Oh my God. Is he near my father? You know they can't stand each other...and his bitch sister? If she's around Marrissa-"
"I'm sure Stace is handling everything, relax. Breath, in. Out."
Allison mimicked Klaire, as she laughed out at her.
She remembered her wedding jitters...both of them, this wouldn't be easy for her friend to shake. However she knew that once she cross the threshold of the door and saw her groom standing at the alter waiting for her her feelings would change.
Just as hers did.
Another smooth wedding, L thought as he bit down on his scone. He took in the scenery ignoring the raunchy looks of Bryan Harding. It seemed he would never get over it. To him it seemed like a game or something but to L, Klaire was much, much more than that.
He enjoyed Stacy's company, she was a person you could easily love, but being around Bryan...pissed L off. His attitude with him was allowed. He even expected it but he doesn't say anything to Klaire.
A sad thing, a man's pride.
After reception, and Allison and her husband left, L and Klaire headed back to her parents place with Stacy.
Bryan declined the offer.
"Now all of us are married!" Stacy smiled. Her and Bryan married the year after L and Klaire.
"Yea, finally. It was a beautiful wedding, I'm so happy for her."
"Goodness Klaire if you cry or say that one more time I swear I'll kill you."
"It was getting annoying, hearing her say that so many times." L agreed. Klaire elbowed him.
They stayed there for a few days before L had to head back.
While he worked and planned, Klaire prepared for their anniversary party they held every year. Not their marriage but the anniversary of the day they met, officially.
She also planned for hers and L's upcoming birthdays.
"So little time."
She looked down at L asleep in her lap and smiled. It amazed her how far they've come. All the things they've been through, it only made her wonder what was next. What would they accomplish together next? Where would they go? What would they see?
But in honest truth she didn't care. If it was with L nothing else mattered.
That's how far they've come.
The start to the year 2006 was an exciting one for the pair. L took Klaire on her first trip to Japan for the New Years holiday. Then to Australia for a safari ride, her request. Their final stop was to Egypt visiting several historical pyramids and sights, even Klaire was into it.
"Is there something you want to tell me L?"
"No, why would there be?"
"All this traveling. You usually do something to sweep me off my feet right before you tell me you broke something, lost something-"
He laughed. "Klaire its nothing like that. I just wanted to spend a little more time with you. I've been very busy lately and I haven't seen that much of you-"
"Not to mention we haven't had sex during those days..."
"And I'm not too happy about that, he kissed her, but now we can make up for it now."
The next couple of days went by nice, they were both so happy until L got a call.
Klaire watched him sit in his study with his head low and shoulders hunched.
She went over to him. "L, what is it? What's wrong?"
He wouldn't say anything, just shook his head. Not as if to say he meant 'nothing' but as if he meant 'I don't understand'.
"Tell me."
He shook his head again and she held onto him.
He would tell her he just needed a bit more time.
After he calmed down he told her that California State Pen. had called and told him that B was dead.
That he had a heart attack.
"Heart attack? He was so young how the heck could he have..."
L continued to shake his head as he spoke. "There wasn't a thing wrong with him...a heart attack...its impossible..he was as healthy-"
He stood up, still shaking his head.
It was worrying Klaire. His eyes have been even more hollow and deep than they were already. It worried her. "Someone did this."
"What?"
"Someone did this to him. There is no way he would just out of the blue-"
"L honey I understand that you want someone to blame...I know what you felt for him but-"
"No Klaire! I know for a fucking fact that someone did this to him! It wasn't accidental or natural and you or anyone else can't make me believe otherwise!"
Klaire was shocked. L had never cursed at her, or at all. The most she had heard him say was damn or sometimes hell but he never spoke that way.
He wasn't like himself again.
But she had no choice in the matter, she had to believe him.
For his sake and B's.
Besides L wasn't wrong about these kinds of things.
Not ever.
Time ticked away with L loosing himself more and more. Beyond's death took more than a toll on him and it was not needed. On top of the cases he was handling and that...not to mention his side project, finding out more about his death...Klaire didn't know what to do for him. When she tried to help he declined. When she tried to get closer her pushed away. Nevertheless she kept trying even as she too was loosing herself.
Her parents thought she should just give him a bit more time.
"He lost someone dear to him Klaire he's not supposed to get over it so soon."
"I'm not asking him to...I just want him to let me help him. I'm his wife I should be there helping...instead he pushes me away."
"I understand how you feel Klaire I do but it takes a strong wife to realize when she has to step back."
"..."
Adriano slightly shook his head. Bethany wasn't getting through to her. If Klaire wasn't anything else she was very stubborn. She would push her way back into L's affairs whether he or anyone else liked it or not. He knew it well, he was the same way. However in the situation she really did need to back away.
"Klaire I know what you're thinking right now but it wouldn't be wise."
"Daddy, I can't be the useless wife who sits back and allows her husband to sit and rot right before her. That's not how I am. You should see him. He's so dead looking. Like he's drained of energy. He's loosing weight, drastically. And I'm not really about looks but he doesn't look good daddy. I don't want him like that. He could get sick. What if he got sick? What if he's like this forever? What will happen to us?"
"We're not saying stay away until he decides to finish sulking, we are saying give a little more time...stop thinking you'll become a nuisance to him, you've helped him in the past and he let you in but things right now are still touchy. It was only a month ago."
"...it seems longer than that."
"Of course it would to you...listen to us OK? Give him a little more time."
A/N: L has sunk. He's more like, how we know him today. Not completely, but he's getting there.
T_T