Chapter 50

It was a long, gruelling climb to the top of the stairs as Neal mentally counted down the 15 steps up to the second floor. By the time he reached the landing, he needed the support of both Sara and Liam to take the last few remaining steps into their bedroom. Sara's focus was on Neal and getting him safely to the room without any mishaps and although she was vaguely aware of the love nest Neal had managed to create in their bedroom, it wasn't until he was safely seated in the armchair by their bed that she looked up to see the magic he'd created.

True to his nature, Neal had instructed the kids to litter the room with gorgeous aromatic candles, some of which were obvious new purchases Sara had never seen before. In his typical romantic fashion, he'd gone the traditional route of placing a trail of rose petals leading to their bed and had them scattered all over their bedspread. The two bedside table lamps had been covered by beautiful silk scarves giving the room a soft orange glow and gentle jazz could be heard in the background as the four of them finally settled into the room. Sara noticed the chocolate covered strawberries by the bed as well as the champagne flutes and ice bucket with a bottle of what looked to be a Veuve Clicquot, her favourite champagne. Neal had gone the full nine yards to set the stage and Sara looked around appreciatively, taking in all the minute details of their transformed bedroom.

Neal was visibly disappointed that everyone's concern for his physical safety had eclipsed his grand romantic gesture but he settled into the armchair out of breath and watched Sara take in the room around them with pure delight. She giggled nervously. It was obvious Neal had amorous intention and she glanced i his direction, noticing his mischievous smile.

'You've really outdone yourself Caffrey' she said as he beamed at her despite the fatigue and sheer exhaustion which had momentarily overcome him.

'Well, I was hoping for a less dramatic entrance...' he said, eyebrows raised.

'Honey, you shouldn't be pushing yourself like this' she admonished as she stood by him, running her hand affectionately through his thick head of hair.

Neal wasn't going to let the kids' presence disrupt the mood he'd worked so hard to create and he reached for her wrist, pulling her resolutely towards him until she landed squarely in his lap, a big smile on both their faces.

Hope and Liam looked sideways at each other; it was definitely time to take their leave but they had a surprise for their parents before they finally left them to their own devices. Liam reached over, grabbing what looked like a large book from the nearby dresser and brought it over to where his parents sat. Neal was recovering and had begun to make 'goo goo' eyes at his wife who was nestled in his arms.

'We have something for the two of you' he said as Hope looked on.

The couple's focus shifted from each other to what Liam was holding as they struggled to see in the dimly lit room without the benefit of their reading glasses.

'Do you mind?' Hope asked as she reached over for the overhead light switch, instantly breaking the mood and filling the room with unwelcome yet much needed brightness.

Liam handed both his parents their reading glasses so they could truly appreciate what they were holding in their hands and he heard them both gasp as they took in the beauty of what appeared to be a photo album. The cover page was, at first glance, a photograph of Neal and Sara taken on their wedding day but with the added benefit of proper lighting and 20/20 eyesight, they were both quick to discover that it was a painting of a photograph and their eyes turned to Hope who sat there looking smug and proud.

'This is a painting...' Sara said, stating the obvious.

The canvas was approximately eight by ten inches and Neal and Sara instantly remembered it had been taken by Elizabeth in June's garden on the day of their wedding. In the photograph, the two of them stared ahead, champagne flutes in hand as they glowed, beaming for the camera.

Neal looked up at Hope, her face aglow. 'Honey, you've really outdone yourself!'

'There's a photograph for every year you've been married' Liam explained, looking just as pleased as his sister. Neal and Sara opened the book and began to peruse the photographs. Hope had added gorgeous yet discreet embellishments on each page, making the album a true work of art.

'Hope did the artwork and I did the research and assembled the album' Liam said proudly as he took in their parents' joy at the gift.

The foursome gathered around the album as Neal began turning the pages one by one, all of them commenting on dress and hair styles, the variety of shades of Sara's hair colour throughout the years, the appearance of a few stray grey hairs on Neal's temples as time advanced. Amazingly, as they ventured all the way through to the last few photographs, both Neal and Sara still looked incredible and what was most obvious was the happiness in their eyes as the years passed. Eighteen years of a life shared was nothing to scoff at and both Hope and Liam were thrilled to have parents who still had eyes only for each other.

They arrived about halfway through the album, noticing the rest had been left blank.

'Those are for all the years you guys have left' Hope said as Liam pulled out a camera seemingly out of thin air.

'We have to take a picture to add to the book' he said as he positioned himself to take the shot.

Neal and Sara curled up in the chair, Sara bringing her face up against her husband's as both of them smiled broadly for the camera. Each anniversary was special in its own way but this one would always be remembered for being a particularly difficult year where they'd overcome hardships, facing them together.

'Guys, this is... amazing' said Sara as she finally rose to hug each one of the kids.

'Well, I think we should get going, huh Liam?' Hope said as she elbowed her brother.

'Yeah' he agreed as he took the album from Neal's hands and placed it back on the dresser for safekeeping.

'You guys, enjoy the rest of your evening' Hope said cryptically as she pulled Liam along and turned off the light on her way out. 'We'll see you tomorrow.'

And just like that, Neal and Sara were left alone, the mood reverting to romance.

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'They loved it!' Liam exclaimed as he sat in the passenger seat of the family car.

Hope nodded, a huge grin on her face. The evening had been magical and she was thrilled that she and Liam had been able to help their dad pull off the surprise.

'Don't forget, Aunt Elizabeth needs you on the decorating committee tomorrow afternoon' she reminded her brother as they pulled into Will Allenby's driveway.

'I won't. Pick me up on your way to the airport' he said as he climbed out of the car.

Hope waved him off as she began the trek to Manhattan to join Cameron. The romantic mood they'd just witnessed was rubbing off on her and she was looking forward to snuggling up to her cute boyfriend and making some magic of their own.

WCWCWC

Sara sat on Neal's lap, running her lips languidly from behind his ear down towards his neck as he moaned softly. They'd been making out like a couple of lovesick teenagers for about twenty minutes and she was beginning to feel the burn on her face from his prickly five o'clock shadow's constant rubbing against her cheek.

'I love you Repo' she heard Neal murmur in her ear as she slowly began to unbutton his shirt.

She pulled away to look into his eyes, mischievous and dark and she hesitated for a moment, unsure about where this was all going. She sure as hell didn't want to be making any assumptions about what Neal was capable of doing.

He seemed to read the inquisitive look in her eyes and he responded to the unspoken question, bringing his lips to rest against her neck and tugging persistently at her dress.

'I want to make love to you' he said softly, his voice rough.

'But...'

'No buts tonight babe' he replied, not even bothering to pull his lips away.

He reached behind her, finding the zipper of her dress and, without hesitation, he began to tug gently as she repositioned herself to help him along in his quest to get her naked. The sensation of her body pressed against his was doing unspoken things to him and the little blue pill seemed to be contributing to giving him the staying power which had previously eluded him. He could feel himself swelling under the weight of her buttocks and he fought the urge to rut against her, preferring to take his time and enjoy the feeling of her body pressed up against his – at least for the time being.

He wanted to enjoy every moment of foreplay before launching into the main event and he reached over and grabbed a strawberry from the bedside table, lovingly placing it between her lips and watching as she closed her eyes to take a bite. He brought the rest of the fruit to his own mouth and hummed as the sweetness hit his tastebuds and he immediately returned his lips to hers, both of them tasting each other as their mouths met, ravenous for one another.

'Neal, I...' Sara began again. She didn't want Neal pushing himself beyond his limits and she knew that he'd be upset if he set the bar too high and was unable to perform to his exacting standards.

'Sara, look at me. I'm telling you, it's going to be fine' he murmured, his voice confident yet soft.

She continued to look at him questioningly and he realized that if he didn't tell her about his little medical aid, she'd continue to worry, wondering at what point he might start to fade. Their previous attempts at lovemaking had ended in disappointment and he wanted her to enjoy the moment and stop worrying.

'I got a little... extra help' he murmured in her ear.

'Extra help?' she repeated, not quite sure what he was saying.

Neal pulled away and gave her an exaggerated eyebrow wag before returning to the important job of sucking on her earlobe.

'Ohhh' she finally said, clueing in to what he was saying. 'Extra help…really?'

He nodded, his lips continuing to roam. 'So stop worrying and enjoy it. I know I will' he added with a wicked smile.

Sara let go of her apprehension, enthusiastically throwing her arms around his neck and bringing her lips to his in a passionate kiss.

Neal laughed through the kiss, pulling away as she fought him valiantly.

'Hey, hey. Take it easy. We've got all night' he reminded her, his hand stroking her hips.

She gave him a naughty look. 'What are we waiting for?'