This is a much longer chapter than usual (sorry, Shawn!). I didn't really want to break it because I was afraid it might break the mood. So here it is, in all its glory, the conclusion of Realisation.

I hope you enjoy it and that you enjoyed the story. Again, a VERY BIG thank you to Mererid (friendoftheearth) for her encouragement and her valuable assistance in doing the beta work, and to Ginny (ginnynotonic) for originally suggesting I go with my own idea. It's been fun to write and very encouraging to read the comments from the readers. Indeed, thank you to everyone who took the time to read – reviewers and non-reviewers.

Chapter 35

Before going to Paddy's, the boys had a leisurely morning in bed. They were still on a high from the event of the previous night at the cricket pavilion. Jackson had recovered from the initial shock, albeit a most pleasant one, but he was still so chuffed by Aaron's gesture. His heart was just bursting with joy.

They finally made it out of bed and came downstairs to have a light breakfast and to open their gifts. Sitting on the sofa, each with a cup of tea, they took turn to bring their gift to their boyfriend.

Aaron was first to play Santa and he brought a heavy package that he put on Jackson's lap. For once, Jackson had no idea what it could have been. All Aaron said was not to shake it too much. Now, after hearing that, Jackson was very curious, so he opened the package carefully. His reaction was priceless, he was like a kid in a sweet shop. In this gift box were three expensive bottles of wine that he had seen and considered at the wine tasting he attended with Mark. Considering their price, he had chosen something less expensive but still good, although he had wanted them so much. Well, they were now sitting in his lap.

"How did you manage that?"

Aaron smiled at Jackson, very proud of himself. "I asked Mark to pick up some nice stuff he knew you'd like and I managed to get them from him without you being around. Did you notice there is even one called Jacksons Limited Release pinotage? And I can even pronounce the word!"

Jackson laughed at that comment, he still remembered the conversation they had on the very same sofa a few months ago. "Yes, I noticed, and it's an amazing wine. Thank you so much, this is great. What a smart idea you had." He leaned in and kissed him, smiling at him and losing himself in the sparkling blue eyes that were staring back at him.

Pulling away slowly, Aaron didn't miss a beat, "So, what did you get me?" He was excited like a kid. Jackson liked that in him, the sense of fun. He could be serious, but he could be foolish too, and they enjoyed that in each other.

Jackson went under the tree and brought back a box, a bit smaller than a shoebox. Aaron ripped the paper off, took the lid off the box and brought out a nifty wireless computer mouse that was actually a fine scale model of a red Lamborghini. It was beautiful, it was fun, but it was only a flippin' computer mouse! Aaron's facial expression was a picture Jackson would never forget. He figured Aaron was expecting more than a silly computer mouse, but he was not really going to say he was disappointed. His eyes were going between the mouse and Jackson, who had that silly grin on his face. "You're winding me up, aren't you?" Aaron said. He could see it in Jackson's eyes.

"If you could see your face right now," Jackson said, laughing like an idiot. "Of course I'm winding you up. There's tissue paper in the box, keep digging."

Aaron removed the tissue paper and found an envelope at the bottom of the box. It was a gift certificate for a one-hour driving experience on closed circuit at the facility in Liverpool. It was with the same company that was at the car show Brian and Aaron attended back in September. He will have his choice among three luxury sports cars, the Lamborghini being one of them.

"This is brilliant, oh my god, this is brilliant! Thank you so much!" He jumped forward and took Jackson into his arms and gave him a big hug, then a long, tender kiss. "We can make it a day, go up for that, then have lunch somewhere and visit around. What a great idea you had."

"It's a good thing Brian noticed how interested you were by the driving experience at the show, even though you decided not to do it. So he helped me get this for you."

"What would we do without our friends?" Aaron said. "He for that and Mark for the wine."

"Without them, the computer mouse is all you would have gotten and I would have gotten a jug of rotgut!"

Christmas day in Emmerdale had been a joyous affair. After opening their gifts, Aaron and Jackson had gone to Paddy and Rhona's for dinner.

The boys were proudly wearing their rings and the two of them made a point of holding their cans in a way that made their rings evident to their hosts.

"This is new," Paddy said pointing to the ring on Aaron's finger.

"Look at Jackson's hand," exclaimed Rhona, all excited, putting her hands to her mouth as an expression of surprise when she noticed it. "Did you guys… get married or something and you didn't tell anyone?"

Aaron was now smiling broadly. "No, we didn't get married, but I offered Jackson the ring as a sign of my commitment to him," Aaron explained, very comfortable with this revelation, "and he accepted it." Joy was evident on his face, the big smile saying all that needed to be said. "It's a kind of engagement, I guess, but we're not planning on getting married any time soon."

Rhona and Paddy jumped to their feet, congratulating and hugging the two boys. They were so happy for them and Paddy said how very proud he was of Aaron to have done that.

Jackson told them, in general terms, what had happened the previous night at the cricket pavilion. Poor Aaron was blushing something furious, but he was so happy, he didn't care, he let his boyfriend tell them some of the story. He knew he wouldn't go into details. Besides, Jackson was so happy and so proud of him, Aaron didn't want to dampen his excitement.

Aaron was indeed pleased and proud of himself, well, proud of both of them, but he was particularly proud of himself. Only a few years back, he would never have thought that he would express his love for a man in such a public manner, but years of growing up with his fantastic boyfriend showed him that being himself, being true to himself was the way to go. It was the only way to live a real, fulfilling life. And Jackson was the man for him. He was thankful for his boyfriend's patience with him, for his understanding, the older man had been his guide and his rock. Today, the two of them were very much in love but they were also committed to each other, and that was an important next step for Aaron.

Their Christmas meal was delicious, they certainly ate and drank too much but they had a grand time together. Aaron also enjoyed spending some time with Leo and seeing how much progress the little boy was making.

After dinner was cleared and dished cleaned up and put away, Jackson went to the bathroom and Rhona was tending to Leo in his bedroom. Aaron and Paddy were by themselves in the kitchen. Paddy noticed that Aaron was in deep thought, he was somewhere else.

"A penny for them," Paddy said, a smile on his face.

Aaron smile at his dad. "You know, if you ever wondered about me finding happiness one day, well, don't wonder anymore, because I've found it, Paddy. I am truly happy, I'm happy in a way I never thought possible."

"I know, I can see it in your eyes, in your behaviour. And you have no idea the joy it gives me. Years ago, when you went through your troubles, in my heart, I knew that eventually you'd find your soul mate, you'd find the right person for you. And you have. But I wasn't going to tell you that then, you wouldn't have believed me!

"Yeah, you're right. I would have thought you were a right nutter. And remember, I didn't want to be gay!"

"I know, and I told you then that you didn't have a choice, you just were who you were. And thank God things went the way they went. In the end, you found Jackson and you found a good, happy and stable life. He's a good man, you know, he loves you to bits, and you two are made for each other. Come here," Paddy said, motioning for him to come closer, and he took him in a big hug. "I'm so very proud of you and I'm so happy for you, Aaron, I don't think you can imagine just how much."

"Thanks, dad." Aaron held his hug because he felt Paddy shaking a little bit and he knew then that he was fighting tears. That's why he held on to him, until Paddy was fine. Paddy pulled back, his face a little red, and he adjusted his glassed by pushing them back up his nose.

"You big softie!" Aaron said with a warm smile and soft punch on his arm.

Paddy gave him a smile. This was his boy, his pride.

December 27th at Dale Head

A longer table had been set up in the living room to accommodate everyone. Aaron was determined that he would do beef Wellington for this dinner and he asked Marlon for some tips. Actually, Marlon offered to help him prepare it and all he'd be left with would be to cook it in the oven for the appropriate time. The rest was easy: carving, serving and taking all the praise!

Aaron was quite excited. It was a special dinner with their friends and he wanted it all to be as perfect as possible. Jackson took care of setting the table and decorating it a bit. He went for simple, yet elegant. He had put several large candles in the middle of the table, and the base of each candle was wrapped up with a gold and red ribbon. Some holly was draped among the candles to add a bit more colour.

A fire was roaring in the fireplace and everything was ready. Mark and Brian arrived around 6:30 p.m., arms loaded with gifts, lager and wine. Mark wasn't going to let beef Wellington go without a decent bottle of wine he knew he and Jackson would enjoy. Who knows, maybe Ray and Scott enjoyed a nice glass of wine, too. They'd soon find out.

Shortly after, Ray and Scott arrived. Not knowing exactly what to give their hosts, they had decided to bring along a flower arrangement similar to the one Scott had given Ray's parents. Aaron and Jackson thanked them for their generous gift. They found a nice spot on a table next to the fireplace, which actually wasn't far from the picture that Ray had given them.

"Looks like the flowers will have good company," Aaron pointed out to his friends as he pointed to the painting on the wall.

"That's a very beautiful portrait," Scott observed. "Who did that for you?"

"Your talented boyfriend did that amazing painting for us," Jackson piped in. "As a thank you for services rendered, apparently." Aaron and Jackson looked to Ray at the same time and smiled at him.

"Ah, now I remember," Scott continued, "he mentioned he'd done a little painting for you but he never said how beautiful it was nor that it was this elaborate." Turning to Ray, "You're quite an artist, sweetheart, I'm impressed."

It was the first time that Scott had called Ray 'sweetheart', and in front of other people. He thought this was a good time to do it, he felt comfortable doing it. As soon as he entered Dale Head earlier, he felt welcomed, the place was warm, it was giving good, positive vibes, and the four other people in the room were indeed thrilled to see him and Ray, so it encouraged him to be himself.

Ray reacted sweetly to this new, affectionate expression of Scott's feeling for him. He leaned into him and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, to which Scott actually blushed a bit, but it didn't matter. This was OK. He smiled. All these people here were his friends.

The six young men spent a little over an hour talking about their Christmas, the gifts received and the large amount of food they had eaten. Ray shared his experience at Hope House and they talked about the Christmas dinner he and Scott had at the Campbells'. Overall, Scott thought things had gone quite well. Progress was made with his dad, and that was good, he felt encouraged by that.

Eventually, 'the chef' went to the kitchen to get things ready. Seeing that, Jackson sprang into action, poured some wine into the glasses––even Aaron was going to have wine tonight––and the guests were invited to the table.

Aaron and Jackson were chuffed to have their friends over for this meal. Aaron told them about the menu and how he wanted to cook for them. Well, he had almost done everything, and he was honest about Marlon's contribution!

Jackson didn't miss the opportunity to say how good a cook his boyfriend had become lately and that they had been enjoying some very nice meals. Aaron was turning five shades of red… "Shut up, you!" he said, smiling warmly at his boyfriend.

"Remember, Aaron," Mark added, "the compliments are well deserved and you know it."

"Alright, alright, fine, but I want to make a toast before we eat."

Now, that caught Jackson's attention! This was a first and this was special, because he could see Aaron was serious.

"Well, for one thing, we're both really glad to have you here, it's great that you could come tonight. A lot of things happened over the past several months and they brought us together." Aaron paused for a moment, "I know I'm gonna sound soft right at the moment, but bear with me. I heard a line in a Christmas movie we were watching last week, it went like this…" and he pulled out of his pocket a folded piece of paper where he had written the line so he wouldn't forget it, "Christmas isn't just a day, it's a frame of mind. So today, it really is Christmas for us with you here, because this is about being together and celebrating the good things in life. And you guys are all good things in our lives. So let's raise our glasses to our friendship!"

"To our friendships," they all said in unison.

Jackson had listened to what Aaron said, he thought it was beautiful, and it expressed his own feelings, too. Aaron had surprised him again. He just loved him for these little moments.

Everyone took a sip of wine and then started their meal. Compliments were addressed to the chef who nodded and smiled. Conversation was going easily and soon they were working on their second and third glasses of wine.

"Brian and Mark have been our friends for many years," Jackson observed, looking at Ray and Scott, "but you two have found your way into our hearts in very quick and painful ways, so to speak, but we're glad to see things are much better now."

"I'll say," Ray responded, a smile on his face, "I would have preferred a gentler way of making friends but I guess you never know what life will throw at you. Life put you in my path and that was lucky," Ray said looking at Aaron and Jackson, "and then it put Scott in my path, that was even luckier!"

"I suppose we're both lucky, how about that?" Scott replied knowing very well where this was going. He was not going to win the battle of the luckiest bloke with his young boyfriend, so they would have to settle for both being lucky.

Mark enquired about Scott's hand.

"It's almost back to normal now, thanks," Scott replied. "I'm getting my strength back and there is no residual pain. I'll be fine.

Listening to the conversations that were going on around him, Brian noticed that these four young men had had a rough past few months but, through some weird luck, they all came out of it stronger and new friendships had be forged. Scott and Ray seemed to be well suited for each other. They seemed to have formed a bond with Aaron and Jackson and he really liked that. He and Mark had been friends with Jackson and Aaron for many years and they enjoyed their friendship, their kindness. But he thought that it was good to see other people now being treated to the same kindness and generosity. He was also looking forward to opportunities to get to know Scott and Ray even more.

The conversation had moved now between Jackson, Mark and Aaron. Scott was observing. Not so long ago, he was a teenager who was trying to come to terms with being gay, then came the difficult time with his father, but all through that, he was secretly hoping he'd find a boyfriend with whom to share his life. He never expected to find the boyfriend, his supportive parents and a few more friends who were more than happy to help him, to welcome him, to make him feel safe and loved. He suddenly realised how fortunate he was, even after what happened with his dad. His life was going to be good because he already had key elements to build on. He was excited about becoming a teaching assistant and his plans for his future were starting to shape up. This was good and these thoughts made him smile.

He hadn't noticed, but Ray had been looking at him out of the corner of his eyes, had seen the small smile on his face. Not sure what it was about, Ray tilted his head slightly and brought his hand under the table to put it on Scott's leg. Scott then came out of his reverie and smiled earnestly at his boyfriend.

"Where were you?" Ray asked. "What was that smile about? Thinking about your other boyfriend?"

"Oh no, one is enough trouble, thank you very much!"

"Hey!" Ray replied, faking a shocked expression. "You should consider yourself lucky to have me as your boyfriend."

"I do, don't worry." He leaned in and gave him a quick kiss.

For a moment, everyone was a bit quieter, finishing off their salad before moving on to dessert. Suddenly, Mark noticed the rings on Jackson and Aaron's hands. He looked at them with a smile on his face and his face was a big question mark.

"What's this," he said in a slightly loud and inebriated voice, pointing at Jackson and Aaron, "are you planning on telling us about the rings you're wearing? You didn't have rings before, so, come on. What happened?"

"Who proposed?" Brian asked excitedly.

Ray and Scott were smiling, they were all ears and so happy to be here when this was happening. Was there an engagement?

"Come on, guys," Scott added, "tell us."

Jackson looked at Aaron and asked him if he could share the good news. He was still so excited. Aaron agreed, of course. So Jackson went on to relate their little outing to the cricket pavilion on Christmas Eve, freezing their bits off under the watchful eye of the moon. His excitement was beautiful to see and their guests were so happy for them.

"I knew my life was going well," Jackson said, "but then I realised it was getting even better. I was happy before, I'm happier now. Thank you, Aaron." Aaron's reply was to lean in and kiss his boyfriend sweetly.

"Alright, this is big news, this needs to be celebrated properly, Mark said. Looking at Brian, he added, "I think I need to go to the car."

Jackson got worried. "You're not leaving, are you?"

"Oh no, don't worry, I'm just going to get something that happens to be right handy for the occasion." Earlier in the day, before driving over, they had stopped at their local off-licence and bought the wine, but Mark had seen a product he'd never seen before, a sparkling wine from Italy, a prosecco called Terre Gaie. How appropriate! The store was doing a tasting, so he tried it. A few sips were all he needed to convince him to buy a few bottles. It was easy on the tongue, flavourful and sweet in the mouth without being a sweet wine at all. Just perfect.

Coming back with a bottle, he showed it to Jackson who immediately agreed with him. It was indeed cold, considering this was December and the bottles had been sitting in the boot of their car, so it was ready to enjoy. Jackson got some champagne glasses they had in the back of a cupboard and set them on the table. He actually couldn't remember how they ever got champagne glasses, but they were there!

While Mark was taking care of opening the bottle and pouring the bubbly, Brian turned to Aaron and Jackson and gave them a serious look. The two of them immediately paid attention. They actually wondered what was on his mind.

"OK, guys, this is a great occasion, a beautiful occasion. Would you do us a big favour?" Brian asked. "It would certainly mean a lot to Mark and me, and I'm pretty sure it would mean a lot to Scott and Ray."

"What is it, then?" Jackson asked, totally unaware of what the request was going to be.

"First, give me your rings. Don't worry, I'm not gonna run with them. This is not a joke."

"You what?" Aaron asked, incredulous. Somehow, since he trusted Brian, he actually made a move to his hand, while looking at Jackson, and was about to remove his ring. "What are you doing?" Aaron asked again.

"Just trust me", Brian replied in a warm voice, a smile on his face.

Looking at each other, wondering what was to come, they agreed and took their rings off and gave them to Brian. The rings were identical, so it didn't matter if they got mixed together.

Now, with the rings in his hand, Brian stood up, "With the four of us here, four good friends who value your friendship a lot, would you give us the pleasure of witnessing a repeat of your commitment to each other?"

The boys were gobsmacked. They had no idea that was the favour he was going to ask. Aaron and Jackson looked at each other and thought for a moment. Aaron had a smile on his face, one that he usually sported when he was about to do something he would really enjoy. As for Jackson, his smile couldn't have been any bigger. Without saying anything, they understood each other and agreed to do that for their friends. They were actually glad to do it, to do it in front of people who meant so much to them.

Taking a look around at their friends, their faces illuminated by the warm glow of the many candles in the centre of the table, they got up and stood next to each other.

Aaron was actually the first to go. He took one of the rings in Brian's hand and then took Jackson's hand in his.

As he slipped the ring back on his boyfriend's finger, he looked lovingly at him and simply said, "Jackson, I give you this ring as a sign of my commitment to you, as a sign of my love for you. I hope that you'll let me stand by you and show the world how much you mean to me. I love you so much, Jackson." He took Jackson's hand and raised it to his lips to kiss the ring and the finger it was encircling.

Those words came out of Aaron's mouth so easily and naturally that Brian and Mark were left speechless. Well, Jackson was actually quite moved himself, his eyes were fighting back some tears.

Reaching for the other ring in Brian's hand, Jackson took it and then took Aaron's hand in his. Slipping the ring back on Aaron's finger, he looked directly at the sparkling blue eyes and said, "Aaron, thank you for the ring you gave me and the commitment it represents, but I can only accept it if you'll let me as well stand proudly by your side to show the world how much you mean to me. I've told you before and I'll say it again, I knew from the moment I laid eyes on you that you were the one for me. I'm still sure of that today. I love you, Aaron." Tears rolling down his cheeks, he brought Aaron's hand to his lips so he, too, could kiss the ring and the finger it encircled.

They kissed each other briefly. Aaron was so happy. Seeing the state of his boyfriend, he smiled at him and delicately wiped the tears away with his fingertips. They finally turned to their friends who all got up at the same time and raised their glasses to toast the couple.

"Thank you," Brian said, very grateful to his friends for accepting to do this.

For a brief moment there, it seemed each young man came to realise the positive in his life, the beauty of it, the challenges ahead, of course, but also that he had a companion with whom to walk on the path leading to his future. Each one of them would walk much more easily now realising his partner was by his side.

The moment had been very special for everyone, serious and touching, but the mood was soon going to get back to cheerful.

"Alright, muppets, I drank some of that bubbly, which isn't bad really, but I'll need a can soon," Aaron exclaimed in an effort to lighten up the mood.

"In time, in time," Jackson said, now back to his normal self. "Let's have desert first with some tea and then we'll get into the cans and some fun."

Their meal was fantastic and everyone congratulated Aaron for his work. They all ate too much, of course, but it was so good, they didn't care. After clearing everything, they removed the table from the living room, got some music going and more drinks were handed around.

But before the party got going for real, Ray got their attention because he wanted to say something. Scott was by his side. "I'll be brief. First, thank you for allowing us to witness your commitment. It means a lot to us, it really does. And I want to say thank you again for what you did for me in the Spring. Like you said earlier, it was a hard way of making it into your hearts but, hey, it worked!" he said jokingly. "But really, seeing you two, and also Brian and Mark here, it helps us see that it is possible to be happy and to enjoy life with the right person. Scott and I, we seem to think we're pretty much made for each other and it's inspiring, it gives us hope, because one day, it might be us who'll be exchanging rings in front of you." Turning to look at Scott, he added with a big smile, "And I would really like that." Scott had his arm around Ray's waist, and he responded to his boyfriend's last words by bringing him even closer and smiling broadly at him, "If you play your cards right!" he told him.

That comment got everyone laughing and a last toast was made to Aaron and Jackson.

"Well, if you two decide to do it," Jackson said, "we'd love to help you arrange it; we know a really nice little spot near a cricket pavilion that is quite romantic late at…ouch!" Jackson stopped abruptly when an elbow connected with his ribs. It was Aaron's elbow.

"You're such a comedian!" Aaron said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, but I'm your comedian." Jackson's reply came with a smile. He raised his drink, inviting Aaron to raise his, "To us."

"To us," Aaron replied.

THE END