Hopefully chapters will be longer this week than last week. Things should be calmer at work allowing me more time to write but since we're still working out the kinks in the new systems it might still be a little crazy.
Ch. 51 Christmas Love
(LUCAS)
******July 2nd one year since Reese's adoption party*******
"You look so handsome," Mom smiles with pride, "I didn't think I'd ever see this day with you when you were a teenager."
I'm getting married today and since Dad isn't around I wanted to walk down the aisle with my mom. So once Johnny, Reese, Fitz, Owen and I were all dressed she came in and she's been gushing ever since.
"Hey I know how to tie this thing now," Reese grins tying his own tie. Reese loves mechanics school and his job at Jay's garage. He and Sean are even fixing up an old car together. And Reese and Jane are still together, they're good for each other and I'm happy for them. Maybe in a few years they'll have their own wedding.
"I'll go check on the girls it's almost time to start," Mom comments.
She leaves the room and we all check ourselves over in the mirror one last time. Mom tells us the girls are ready so we take our positions. First Fitz escorts Izzy who we decided to make a bridesmaid and not a flower girl, then Owen escorts Maya, Johnny escorts Clare, Sean escorts Paige and finally Reese as my best man escorts Jane who is Mia's maid of honor. I walk down the aisle with my mom who kisses my cheek when we get there and finally Mia is escorted by her mom. I take her hands when she reaches the end of the aisle and the officiator begins. He greets everyone, talks about love, commitment and marriage. Then it's time for vows and we wrote our own.
"Mia Elizabeth Jones I love you more than I can say. It's been a long and winding road to this destination but we made it and I wouldn't want to take this journey with anyone else. We were just kids when were first together and a stupid decision led to an amazing and beautiful daughter. I didn't know what I had until it was gone and I wish I had those years back but I needed to grow. I look forward to the years ahead, to quiet winter nights by the fire, summer nights roasting marshmallows, to watching our daughter grow together. I promise to be the best man I can be for both of you, to love, honor and cherish you both with all the love I have in my heart," I finish my vows and Mia is smiling with a happy tear rolling down her cheek which I wipe away.
"Lucas you have come so far from the trouble maker you were when I first met you. I am endlessly proud of the way you've grown and the man you've become. I have fallen deeply in love with you and I love what you've brought to my life and Isabelle's. I love who I am when I'm with you and I love how Isabelle loves and admires you. The bumps in the road, the time apart it's made us stronger and coming back together after so much time means that we were truly meant to be. We have so many good years ahead to enjoy and look forward to, so many milestones and momentous occasions. We will have so many celebrations, joyous moments and times of elation to share together as a family and with our extended family. We will also have times of sorrow, times where struggle, times of strife and hardship but I don't fear those times because I have you to help me get through them. I love you Lucas and I can't wait to start the rest of our lives together."
Mia stops talking and I want to kiss her now but we haven't gotten to that part yet. The officiator says a few more words and then we exchange rings while saying I do. Finally it's time to kiss and my lips ensnare Mia's for a passionate one. Everyone claps and cheers and after a moment we break the kiss. The reception is down the street so the whole wedding makes a procession down the block. Mia and I stand at the doors with Izzy and our moms to greet all the guests and thank them for coming. When everyone is inside Mia and I have our first dance as husband and wife and I can't stop smiling. I kiss her when the dance is done and we take our seats at the table to eat.
"Mommy can I go play with Blake?" Izzy requests. Blake is Emma and Spinner's five month old son.
"You can go ask Emma if you can help with him," Mia tells her and Izzy runs off.
We eat and talk with our friends and family. I dance a lot with my wife of course but also dance with my mom, Izzy, Jane, Clare and Mia's mom. Just before leaving for our honeymoon I take off Mia's garter and throw it, Reese catches the garter and he looks at Jane who smiles. Mia then throws her bouquet which Bianca catches and Drew grins. Just before leaving we say goodbye to Izzy, she'll be staying with Sean, Paige and Reese. We wave goodbye and get into the waiting car.
"I love you Mia," I smile kissing her as the car begins driving.
"I love you Lucas."
(CLARE)
******Christmas Eve same year as Lucas & Mia's wedding*******
Mom parks outside of Spike and Snake's house and we get out, Dad rings the bell and Jake opens it. We greet Jack with a hug then do the same with Emma, Blake, Spin, Spike and Snake. We're still saying hello when the doorbell rings again and it's Darcy and Peter, just when we're finished greeting them the doorbell rings again and it's Owen and Fitz. Maya and I greet our boyfriends with a kiss before sitting down for Christmas Eve dinner.
"We have news," Darcy says when we're done eating, "we're going to have a baby."
"Congratulations," nearly the whole table says.
We all hug Darcy and Peter and congratulate them. After dinner we sit in the living room and exchange presents with Spike, Snake, Jack, Darcy, Peter, Emma, Spin and Blake. We'll have Christmas morning with our family tomorrow and see Owen and Fitz tomorrow night for Christmas dinner at the Milligan house. After dinner Owen and Fitz follow us home and we hang out in the basement with our brothers. Anya and Bianca come over and we watch Christmas movies with the Christmas lights on. After the first movies we turn off the TV and I take Owen back to Dallas' old bedroom while the other couples take the sofa and one of them moves to floor. I give Owen a gently loving kiss and we lie on our sides on the bed, Owen has his arms around me and I lean my head against his chest.
"I love Christmas, it's always been important to me and was one of the few things Glen didn't completely ruin. I'll always be grateful that he and Jake left and Maya and I were able to spend the time with you and Fitz. It was special and meant a lot to both of us."
"Meant a lot to me and Fitz too, I'm glad we all had that day together."
I smile and nuzzle into Owen, we don't talk much but I'm just happy to be in his arms. At 11:30 our boyfriends and girlfriends have to go home and the family leaves for midnight mass at our church. The service is nice and when we return home everyone goes to bed. Waking up on Christmas morning Maya and I go downstairs and have breakfast with the family. Then we go down to the basement and open presents. Maya and Adam get lots of music stuff, I get writing stuff, Drew gets sports stuff, we all get clothes and stuff for school. After a relaxing day with the family Owen and Fitz come to pick Maya and I up for dinner at the Milligan's house. Fitz's mom is here as well and we all eat dinner, then Maya and I exchange presents with Owen and Fitz. Maya, Owen and I all got Fitz art supplies. Fitz drew a portrait of me and Maya for the two of us, one of Maya for just her and one of Owen and I for me and Owen. I already gave Maya her present and I used some favors and connections to get all of Owen's poems, I knew of, published and I present him with the book which he loves. Owen wrote me a poem which I read twice and can't help crying when I read it.
Warrior Girl
Warrior girl you have so much strength
You've been through so much pain
Suffered so much degradation and humiliation
With all you've been through you're still so sweet
You're so kind and generous and protective of those you love
I admire the strength you posses
I admire your kind nature and sweet disposition
Someone with less inner strength would have withered
But my warrior girl you have blossomed into a beautiful and amazing person
I love you more and more every time I look at you
Clare you are my hero and my warrior girl
"It's beautiful thank you Owen, I love you too," I grin and lean over to kiss Owen softly.
We have dessert with everyone and then Owen and Fitz drive us home. We say goodnight and kiss them before going inside. We tell our family about our night at the Milligan house, show them our presents and then we all go to bed. In the morning after breakfast Drew drops me at The Interpreter on his way to the mall to work at the cell phone kiosk where he's been working for the last few months.
"Hey Clare how was Christmas?" Johnny asks when I get into the office.
"Great we had a wonderful Christmas. Owen loved his present and he wrote me a beautiful poem. How was your Christmas?"
"It was alright, spent it with my family which always has drama."
"We didn't have any drama thankfully but Darcy and Peter announced that they're going to have a baby."
"Awesome tell them I said congrats when you see them," Johnny requests.
"I will," I smile going to my desk and getting to work.
Mom picks me up from work and the family eats dinner together. When I go to bed that night I have a dream about Owen. A dream of us married, in a little house filled with books and walls that are lined with poems and love letters we've written to each other. He holds me in his arms and we read to each other and kiss a lot and we're wonderfully in love. It's a wonderful dream and I fall asleep very happy.
(OWEN)
******May 25th five months since Christmas******
"Hey Owen," Drew greets me when I walk up to his kiosk at the mall.
"Hey when's your lunch?" I inquire.
"About ten minutes," Drew replies.
"Cool I'll buy you lunch," I tell him.
He gives me a look but doesn't say anything and goes back to work. When he's on lunch we go to the food court and I buy us both pizza.
"Okay so what's up?" Drew questions as we sit at a table.
"You know that I'm deeply in love with Clare."
"Yes," Drew nods with a suspicious tone.
"We've been official for over three years now and even before that I have been there for her and cared about her."
"Well aware of your relationship with my sister," Drew nods. "Why are you reminding me how much you care about and love Clare?"
"Because I want to ask her to marry me, I just want to talk to you, Adam, your dad, and probably Peter, Spin and maybe Simpson too. I know she's in love with me but after everything she went through I want to be sure she's ready and I want you all to know and would like your permission too."
"Well you have mine, I know you love Clare and I know you'll take good care of her and that she's deeply in love with you. Seeing her happy and married to the man that she loves, would be good for her and for you. You've got my permission."
I smile and we finish lunch, I hug Drew before leaving and I call Adam. He's got some free time so I meet with him and ask him the same thing. He says pretty much what Drew said, that he'd be happy to see us married and he knows how much I love Clare and she loves me and we're good for each other. Then I call Principal Simpson, Spinner and Peter asking to meet the three of them for dinner tomorrow night, dinner alone because if Jack, Spike, Darcy and Em are there they might not be able to keep the secret.
I really wasn't worried about asking Drew and Adam, they're my close friends and they've seen me with Clare. She also talks to them about me and they know how much I've done for her. I am pretty nervous about talking to Peter, Simpson and Spinner though. I would have spoken to Peter individually like I did with Adam and Drew but Peter is not the same. He's Clare's brother-in-law and he wasn't around when everything happened. He saw the aftermath but he wasn't here when it all happened. Omar might be the worst and I realize I'd better talk to Audra as well and not just Omar. Thankfully classes are out for the summer so I spend the whole next planning what to say to them and to Audra and Omar. I have a job now and it will be full time over the summer but I don't have work today. I meet Spin and Simpson at Swiss Chalet at six.
"Thanks for meeting me," I say when the waiter has taken our order. "You're both part of Clare's family so I wanted to talk to you. I want to ask Clare to marry me. I love Clare more than anything; I love her very deeply and care about her deeply. I want to spend the rest of my life with her and share every good moment and be with her for all the hard ones. And I'm getting permission from all the important men in her life, well most of them anyway, all of her family at least. I want to be sure that she's ready and I'm seeking your permission before I ask her. She's been through a lot and I will do everything I can to make her life wonderful."
"We appreciate your seeking our permission because Clare is a member of our extended family. However Clare is the only one to know if she's ready to be married and we know that you love her and will make her happy," Simpson says.
"Yeah you have our permission and we know you'll take good care of her," Spinner nods and I smile.
"I love Clare but I can't speak for her, I know you make her happy and if you want to ask her to marry you then go for it," Peter grins and I smile again.
We finish dinner and they all offer suggestions on how to do the proposal. When I return home I call Omar and he invites me to lunch tomorrow, all the kids will be out at school or work so we'll have the house to ourselves. Talking to Clare's parents is going to be even harder and Audra is very protective of her kids. I'm not sure it will be as easy as telling them I love Clare and I want their permission to marry Clare. I'm even nervous when I ring the bell of the Torres house the next day.
"Welcome Owen come on in," Audra smiles when she opens the door.
"Thanks, we are alone aren't we?"
"Yes we're alone is everything okay?" Audra questions when we sit down at the table. They made sandwiches but I'm too nervous to eat.
"Yeah everything is fine, great actually but I wanted to talk to you both. Ask your permission really," I tell them.
"Our permission for what?" Omar questions.
"To marry Clare. I'm going to ask her to marry me; I've already talked to Drew, Adam, Simpson, Spinner and Peter. I wanted everyone's permission, and for them to know. I'm going to ask her to marry me but we won't get married until after she graduates in two years."
"Well I think that's a good plan," Audra smiles.
"And we know how very much you love Clare and she loves you. We know much you care about her and how much you've done for her and been there for her. We would be very happy for you to marry Clare and you have our permission to ask her but it's her decision," Omar says.
"Yes I know and I would never pressure her into anything but I am very much in love with her and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I would wait to ask her to marry me but she's been through so much. Neither of her mom's marriages worked out very well, her dad left and Glen well there aren't enough bad words to describe him. I want to give her time to get used to the idea of being married and being a wife. I know she's seen the good side of marriage with you guys, Spike and Snake, Emma and Spinner, Paige and Sean, Lucas and Mia, even my parents. But for most of her life all she saw was the bad side. And even though she knows I love, care about and respect her and would never do anything at all close to what Glen or Jake or even Reese did, before he became her friend, I want to give her that time."
"I think that's very wise and probably exactly what Clare needs Owen. As Omar said you have our permission," Audra smiles.
"Thanks, that's what everyone else said too and now that I've talked to everyone and gotten everyone's permission I'm going to ask Clare. I want it to be perfect and I need some time to plan so I won't ask her for a few days."
Having their permission I'm finally hungry and eat my lunch. I spend the next few days planning and getting ready. I've been thinking about this for a while and decided to propose on prom night. Not that Clare and I are going to prom, I took her to my prom and she took me to hers. Fitz and Maya are going to her prom. Tris is going with his boyfriend, they've been dating a few months, Zig is taking his girlfriend she was new to the school this year. June 5th is prom night and I've already made a date with Clare I just didn't tell her what we were doing, I did tell her to dress up. I arrive at the house and ring the bell, Drew opens the door and Bianca waves at me, they look like they're getting ready to go out as well.
"Hey Owen she'll be down in a moment. So tonight is the big night?"
"Yeah wish me luck."
"You don't need it," Drew grins just as Clare comes downstairs.
"Wow you look incredible," I smile. She's wearing a knee length blue halter dress that brings out her eyes and she just looks amazing in it.
"Thanks you said to dress up and you look quite handsome as always," Clare smiles and kisses my cheek.
"We'd better go our dinner reservations are in half an hour," I tell her. I offer Clare my arm and she takes it, Drew waves to us and locks the door behind us. I open the car door for Clare and I get in driving us to the restaurant. "Reservations for Milligan," I tell the host when we arrive at the office. He looks at the computer and then grabs two menus showing us back to private booth.
"This is very romantic," Clare smiles.
"Well at my prom I surprised you with a hotel room full of poetry and quotes and I read to you. At your prom we left early and spent most of the night on my roof stargazing and writing poems to each other."
"That's true and they were both very romantic nights that are very special to me and two of my favorite memories of all time. However it's not my prom or your prom, we're both out of high school. It's Maya's prom and she and Fitz are at prom," Clare comments with a smile that hasn't left her face since I picked her up.
"But it doesn't make tonight any less special," I tell her reaching across the table and taking her hands. She squeezes my hands and her already bright smile brightens even more.
"Every minute I'm with you is special because of how you make me feel," Clare says leaning over the table and giving me a soft kiss.
"Do you two need a minute?" The waitress asks and we break the kiss.
"No I think we're ready," Clare says.
We order and when the waitress leaves we kiss again. We have a nice dinner but this is not where I want to propose, I have other plans for that. We talk over dinner about various things, a lot about Peter and Darcy's baby they're having a boy and he's due in a couple of months. After dinner we return to my house, Tris will be at prom until at least one and Mom and dad are at dinner. The only light in my room is several flameless candles and Christmas lights strung up on the wall above my bed that spell out Owen Loves Clare, I had to clear my wall to do so. Actually I cleared all my walls every wall in my room has been cleaned of posters and everything, just for tonight I'll probably want to put it all back up and it was a lot of work but it was worth it. I have my laptop hooked up to a projector and it's projecting pictures of Clare and I over the last three years.
"Owen it's beautiful," Clare gasps when she sees the room.
"Tonight is special," I grin picking her up and taking her to my bed.
I set her down then kneel down and take off her shoes. I take off my shoes and get on my bed behind Clare, I put some pillows behind me and lean back opening my legs and Clare leans against me. I hold her in my arms and we watch the slideshow listening to the music. I was sure I'd be nervous so I prepared for that and the last few slides do the speaking for me. I become slightly tense when the last few slides play and Clare watches intently as they play in order.
Clare Diana Torres I love you more than anything in this world.
I care about you deeply, I respect you and I will never hurt you.
You are the most important thing in the world to me.
I will spend the rest of my life making you happy.
Will you marry me?
Clare's breath hitches in her throat when the last slide comes up I can actually hear it. She stares at the last slide asking her to marry me. She stares at it and looks back at me.
"Is that…Do you…Are you really asking me to marry you?" She fumbles over her question.
"Yes, I want to marry you and spend the rest of my life with you but not until you're out of school. I know that's still two years off but I want you to be sure about marriage. About being married to me and married at all with all that you've been through. For the next two years I want us to spend a lot of time together, alone and with people. I know how much you've been through and how far you've come and I know you love me but this is a big step. One that I want you to really truly be ready for before we take it so I thought a long engagement would be good, for both of us," I tell her pulling the ring from under the mattress where I had it hidden. I open it and show her the ring; it's not new when I told my mom I wanted to propose to Clare Mom gave me her grandmother's engagement ring.
Clare doesn't say anything but her lips attach to mine; the kiss is not like any we've shared before. There's more passion, more love and more bliss in the kiss than I've ever felt not just in a kiss but in my life. When our lips finally part she's smiling not just with her lips but her whole self.
"Yes," is all she says before clasping her lips to mine again. We stay locked in the kiss but I take the ring from the box and slip it on her finger.
The update next Sunday will be the last for this story.
