A/N: My most heartfelt apologies for the tardiness of this. It has been the month from hell for me but I never intended to abandon this story. This story is a huge part of me, and it will be finished. This is Part 2 of 3 of this chapter. I know it's short but I promise more by the 15th. I wanted to have the entire rest of the chapter for you but this is a good break spot and the next part is... well.. involved soo..

Anyway, I promise no more month long hiatuses. I am back... Licking my wounds, but I am back. Thanks for sticking with me!

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Part II

Davina's Bridal was a small but interesting shop on the very edge of Springfield; the sign outside boldly stating that they had something for everyone. The main room was filled with every kind of wedding dress imaginable; from the understated simple white sheath to the loud and garish style favored by the 'higher the hair, the closer to god' set. And the colors... the colors were amazing. Although, why anyone would want a neon pink wedding dress was beyond her. She saw Ashlee touch it, a fond smile on her face, and Natalia had to bite her lip to keep from smiling.

She couldn't stop the small, nervous feeling that was running up and down her spine, however. The shop was quaint and the selection wide, but she wondered if she would actually be able to find a dress that suited her; one that would convey just how much these vows meant... to both of them. To be honest, Davina's looked to be geared more towards a younger generation. But Ashlee had gone to a lot of trouble to get them a rushed fitting, so she owed it to the younger woman to at least try to keep an open mind.

After announcing themselves, the two women were greeted by the owner herself and Natalia couldn't keep her eyes from widening slightly as she shook the hand of a woman that looked for all the world like Cruella De Ville come to life. She was tall, almost six feet, with jet black hair that sported two white streaks; one on each side. She was dressed head to toe in black and white, her brocade skirt and vest completed by a ruffled white poet's shirt. The hand she held out in greeting was adorned with multiple silver rings and tipped with long, black, wicked looking nails; making Natalia grip it gingerly. "I am Miss Davina. Welcome to my shop."

"He... hello."

Davina smiled at her, the warmth and friendliness in her eyes and voice doing wonders to soothe Natalia's fears. "Don't worry." The Amazon patted her hand gently. "We keep the really crazy stuff in the back."

Realizing she was being teased, Natalia laughed. "I'm sorry. I guess this... just wasn't what I was expecting."

"Things seldom are." Davina eyed her speculatively. "People either." She took both of Natalia's hands and held them out, leaning her head to one side and then the other as she looked her over from head to toe. Releasing the flustered woman, she turned to her assistant, a pretty, but serious looking young woman, mumbling off numbers and sizes too quickly for Natalia to follow. "Just give us a few minutes to get the room ready."

Natalia nodded, smiling as the women went to help another customer. When they were gone, she turned to Ashlee. "Are you... sure about this place?"

The blonde looked at her curiously. "Of course, why?"

"Well... it's a little... different."

Ashlee shrugged. "Different is good."

"Well, yeah, sure it is. I just... I kind of like the idea of a simple dress..." She touched the shimmering sequins on what looked like the bridal version of a poodle skirt. "Nothing here looks simple."

"I had a friend that came here." Ashlee pursed her lips. "She said this place was a little too traditional for her."

"Too traditional? Was she kidding?"

"I don't think so. Apparently Miss Davina is a little..." Ashlee waved her finger around her ear. "Eccentric. She prides herself on being able to read a brides 'aura' and picks out all the dresses herself. My friend thought her choices were a little too staid but Davina wouldn't budge on them. In the end the one she finally picked was gorgeous."

"Yeah but..." Natalia frowned, gingerly poking at a black leather veil that looked like it belonged in a completely different kind of shop. "Gorgeous on what scale?"

The blonde's face fell. "Do you... do you want to leave?"

"No." She took a deep breath and smiled. "We're here... let's see what my 'aura' is telling Miss Davina."

A few moments later, the assistant returned. "Ms. Rivera? Ms. Wolfe? My name is Amy; I'm the personal style attendant here at Davina's. If you'll come with me, we have a private room ready for you in the back.

They followed the redhead down a long hallway to a door all the way at the end. Amy pushed it open with a smile and waved them inside.

"Oh my..." Natalia's jaw dropped slightly as she and Ashlee stepped into the large, richly appointed room. There was a long, white leather couch that curved in a half circle around a gleaming glass table. Sitting on the table were two long stemmed crystal flutes and a silver ice bucket that held a frost covered bottle of champagne. The area directly in front of the couch was taken up by a brightly lit, raised marble dais set into an alcove and surrounded by mirrors. The walls on both sides were studded with ornate pewter hooks holding dresses that ranged from simple to elegant; from cream-colored to pristine white...every single one of them gorgeous in its own way. "This is incredible." She breathed as she walked down the right side, her fingers stroking gently over silk and lace, across brocade and buttons, until she came to the last hook. The dress that hung there was completely hidden from view by a black velvet bag. She turned to Amy. "What's... what's with this one?"

The assistant smiled. "That's the dress that you'll eventually pick."

Natalia's eyebrows rose. "I beg your pardon?"

"That is the dress that Davina has specifically chosen for you. She always places her choice in a valet case; otherwise you would never look at any of the others."

The brunette laughed. "Are you..." She glanced back at the bag, her lips quirking to the side. "Are you serious? That's... that's pretty cocky."

Amy shrugged, her smile knowing. "I've worked here for five years and she's never once been wrong."

"Well..." Natalia straightened her shoulders. "I think I'll still have a look for myself, thank you."

"Of course." She picked up the bottle of champagne and popped the cork, filling the two glasses and handing one to each of them. "Compliments of Davina."

Ashlee took it with a smile, tipping it back and draining the contents quickly. "Mmmm." She held the glass out again. "That's fantastic."

Amy refilled it with a smile. "It's from her private stock."

Natalia took a careful sip, her eyebrows rising slightly. She didn't have a lot of experience with champagne, but she knew what tasted good. "Uhm.. Not that I'm not grateful but why? I mean... why the big room and why the champagne from the private stock?" She turned back to the dresses, her eyes narrowing when she noticed something missing. "And why are there no tags on any of these?"

"Because your portfolio, whatever the final amount, has already been taken care of."

"By whom?"

"Oh...uh..." Amy looked down at her pad. "The groom? Oliver?"

Ashlee snorted, sending a spray of champagne all over the startled assistant. "I'm so sorry! It was just... it was funny... because he's a she... I mean she's the he...the.. groom! Oliver is Olivia!" She pulled her sleeve over her hand and used it to dab at the liquid, starting at the young woman's neck, but rapidly moving downward until she was brushing across her cleavage.

"You know," The redhead's voice was amused. "I usually expect a drink or two before a girl tries for second base. But you're cute, and I have a thing for blondes, so I guess I could make an exception."

She laughed softly when Ashlee turned bright red and Natalia's eyebrows rose as Amy went from serious to charming in less than a heartbeat. When she smiled, the young woman's whole face lit up; bringing attention to clear, cornflower blue eyes and a peaches and cream complexion. There was a light dusting of freckles across her nose and cheeks, making her all the more endearing. And while she was a little shorter than Ashlee, she was well proportioned, with all of the curves a woman was supposed to have, regardless of what the fashion magazines might say.

"I'm... I'm... I'm..." Ashlee swallowed, taking a deep breathe before trying again. "I'm... I'm..."

"It's okay!" The soaked woman grabbed her by the wrists to hold her still. "It's fine." She let her go and picked up one of the linen napkins from the table, using it to wipe up the last of the liquid from her skin before dabbing it against the wet spots on her shirt.

"You... you..."

Amy laughed, reaching out to squeeze the blonde's hand. "Breathe, hon. It's just champagne."

"Youhavetoletmepayforthat!" Ashlee forced out in a rush. "The... the dry cleaning I mean."

The redhead leaned her head to one side, one eyebrow raised as she looked at Ashlee speculatively. "I'll tell you what." She tucked the napkin into a pocket as she refilled the blonde's glass. "You can do that.... or you can buy me dinner." The grin returned as she watched Ashlee's mouth open and close without any sound coming out. "Just... let me know before you leave." She turned to Natalia. "I'll be down the hall. If you need... anything... just use the intercom." With one last smile in Ashlee's direction she left, closing the door behind her.

"Uh..." Ashlee looked like she was in shock.

"Are you all right?"

"She.. uhm...." The blonde swallowed. "I'm not crazy right? She was... hitting on me... right?"

Natalia smiled. "I don't know if that's the term I'd use but she was definitely expressing interest."

She shook her head slightly. "Why?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why would she..." Ashlee swallowed. "Do I... do I seem like I would be..."

Natalia frowned. "Single?"

"My mom... my mom is gay."

The brunette sighed. "Yes, I know."

"And... you... you're gay?"

There were a hundred different things she could have said at that moment. The same hundred things she had told herself over and over again in the past. But here, now... in this quirky little shop where she was picking out the dress she would wear to marry the love of her life...Natalia didn't flinch. "Yes."

"But..." Ashlee waved her hands at Natalia. "You're also... like.. all 'Yay God'... and stuff..."

Natalia bit the inside of her cheek. "I am..." She nodded, pressing her lips together firmly. "I am... all... Yay God..." She blinked. "And stuff..."

The blonde sighed. "And it's... okay? I mean... you're just... okay?"

She smiled a little sadly. "It took a long time to be okay. I made a lot of mistakes. We both did. But in the end, what Olivia and I felt for each other..." She closed her eyes, swallowing as she tried to keep the emotion from overwhelming her. "What we feel for each other... that kind of love... It has to be a gift from God." She blinked away tears as she smiled at Ashlee. "I just can't believe that anything this wonderful... this beautiful...could be random... or wrong."

Ashlee nodded slowly, a thoughtful look on her face as she glanced in the direction that Amy had gone. "She was... cute..." She leaned her head to one side.

"She's beautiful." The brunette agreed.

"You know I've..." She shuffled her feet as she looked down at the ground. "I've never had that competitive... thing... with women. I always thought it was because... well... you know... because I don't have much to be competitive about."

Natalia stepped closer, taking the younger woman's chin in her hand and raising her head to look into her eyes. "You are a lovely girl, Ashlee Wolfe. Inside and out. And that is a very rare thing."

"Thank you." Ashlee smiled shyly. "But I was thinking that maybe... maybe I'm a little bit more like my mom than I realized."

Natalia's eyebrows tried to crawl off her forehead. "Uh..."

"Is it... do you think it's something in the genes?"

"Actually..." Natalia squeezed her fingers warmly. "I think it's something in the heart. To be able to love... without limits... without constraints..." She felt tears begin to sting at her eyes and laughed softly. "People label it, Ashlee. It's something they need to do to make it fit right in their world. But what they call it... what they call us... doesn't change what we really are. We're just people... who fell in love."

Ashlee nodded.

"And you and I are people..." She smiled. "Who are supposed to be planning a wedding!" She looked around the room with a heavy sigh. "This is going to take a while."

"We could always just check out the one in the bag."

"Oh no!" Natalia squared her shoulders as she tossed her purse onto the couch and began to unbutton her sweater. "I think I know me a little bit better than Ms. Davina. And besides..." She grinned. "You're gonna need all the time you can get to decide what to do about that redhead!"