Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the TV series, Criminal Minds.
Work and family stuff have been very busy for me lately, sorry for the lack of updates. Thank you for reading!
Forgiveness
By
N. J. Borba
She felt Derek squeeze her hand as they faced the young man with a gun aimed at them.
He was the teenaged son of Edward Ziven; a man who'd been one of the nastiest criminals they'd ever taken down.
Emily wanted to kick herself for jinxing them earlier, the way she'd so casually stated that their lives weren't in danger. It seemed, no matter how hard she tried, she always drew danger in close. Even inside Marta's quiet, soothing hideaway. It was a place Emily had come to cherish the last few months. All of its white wood, shutters, thatched roofing and sparkling clean windows that revealed views of the purest green rolling hills. An oasis. A retreat.
The serene setting always helped Emily relax when she visited.
Now she tried to draw on that same power, to remain calm in the face of danger. Derek was right – there would be no backing out now.
By his actions and his words, she knew Derek was worried this event in their lives would send her spiraling back into her desire to keep him at a distance. But that original attempt hadn't worked out so well. And their current predicament actually made her realize that she'd rather face death with Derek at her side than have to face a lifetime without him. Nara was her biggest concern at the moment. Not being able to save Laren would be nothing compared to losing her daughter.
With the little girl's safety in the balance, Emily made her move.
"Grant, I can't imagine what you're feeling right now," she began. "But I don't think you want to hurt us," Emily ventured. "And I hope…"
"I don't want to hurt you," the boy cut her off, affirming her insight. "Is that what you thought?"
"Kind of hard not to when you've got a gun on us," Derek spoke up again. But even as the words escaped his lips he could see a difference in the boy's eyes. Not as dangerous as they'd first seemed. More sad than anything. And also filled with what Derek could only guess to be remorse.
The boy immediately lowered the gun a little as he strained to see behind Derek. "Is that her?"
Morgan's eyes narrowed, confused by the boy's sudden shift in demeanor. "You already identified Emily," he cautiously pointed out, still doing his best to block Emily and Nara.
"No, not Emily. I meant the baby," Grant responded as he took a small step to his left to gain a better look at the little girl in Emily's secure hold. "Is she my father's other child, his daughter?" he asked, following his instinct. "I don't know her name, but she has my dad's eyes. Same as my eyes," the boy hesitated a moment. "I know he was in a relationship with some woman other than my mother. I'm pretty sure she was the one I heard about that died in Russia. And her daughter… that's her, right?"
With her heart beating a little swifter, Emily stepped out from behind Derek's protective stance. "Yes."
"So she's my sister?" Grant sought further verification.
"Look, youngster," Derek eased slowly toward the boy. "Why don't you hand over that gun there and we can all talk about this?" he suggested.
The boy tensed up again. "No, I can't… I need it," he eyed Emily, knowing she was his best chance at an honest answer. "She's my sister?"
"Yes," Emily confirmed, seeing that the boy needed the truth more than anything at the moment. "Her name is Nara," she further hoped to put the boy at ease. "If you do as Derek mentioned and put the gun down, you and Nara can talk," she suggested. "Well, she doesn't say much yet, but she loves blocks. We could find her blocks so the two of you could…"
"No," Grant's head shook unwaveringly. "I don't want to know her any more than this. I just… I came here to see her once before I… she's little enough she won't remember me being here, right?" he asked. "She won't remember anything that happens here today, will she?"
His words caused alarms to go off in Emily's head. "No, Grant," she deliberately used his name to appeal to him on a personal level. "I don't think she'll remember any of this. But you obviously came here to meet her, so maybe you can see her again someday. We could arrange something like that. The more she gets to know you the more chance she'll remember you. And she'll want to get to know her big brother."
"No," the boy was adamant again as he gripped the gun tighter. "She doesn't need to know me. And I don't want her to remember me. I just came here to apologize to her."
Derek and Emily exchanged a look that let them both know those words were not what they'd been expecting. "Grant, why do you need to apologize?" Morgan asked.
He moved back to the door and leaned heavily against it. "My father did horrible things," Grant expelled the words as if they were his greatest burden. "I loved him; I wanted to be just like him. Strong and successful. But ever since he died I realized what a bad person he was. I found out how he made his money – the things he did to people," the boy sagged. "I came here because I want Nara to know I'm sorry he hurt her mom."
Emily thought her heart might break as she listened to the boy's outpour. "The things your father did are not your responsibility, Grant," she tried to assure him.
"She's right," Derek added, suddenly feeling a kinship with the kid. He'd just explained to Emily how he'd vowed to be like his father out of respect, out of a sense of duty. He understood that most sons felt that same duty to their fathers, whether they'd done good or bad things in their lives. "You're not your father, Grant."
"But I could be some day," the boy maintained. He looked Emily in the eye. "I'm sorry if I scared you. My father left us a lot of money and it really wasn't that hard to find you," he explained. "I'm good on the internet. I know where you live and I followed you here this weekend. I want to ask your forgiveness for what my dad did. When you forgive me I plan to kill myself. I don't want to risk being like my father."
Those words did break her heart.
"Listen to me, Grant," Emily pleaded. "As noble as you are, seeking our forgiveness, you're not the one who needs it. You don't have to be like your father. By telling us you're worried…" she sighed, patting Nara on the back. "That shows us that you already know you don't want to end up the way he did. You just need some help. Will you let us help you?"
"Why would you do that?" Grant held the gun higher, edging toward his temple. "I came here with a gun, endangering you and Nara."
The girl fussed a bit at the mention of her name. Emily kissed her chubby cheek and bounced her gently. "Grant isn't going to hurt us," she spoke softly to the girl before directing her concern to the boy again. "How would you feel if Nara found out about this someday?" she tried another tactic. "What if she found a news article, say in twelve years from now. How do you think she'd feel knowing you killed yourself in a room with her when she was just a baby?"
"I…" the boy began to shake.
Emily feared her words had been too harsh, but it seemed the boy needed a reality check. "She might feel guilty, Grant. Maybe she'd wish she could've done something to save her brother's life. Maybe she'd lament the fact she never got a chance to know you. Or maybe she'd feel responsible. Maybe she'd want to end her life out of a misguided sense of duty to your memory, just like you're doing now in regard to your father."
Grant struggled with that for a moment, but the gun slipped a little to his side. "I never thought about that."
Seeing she'd made a dent, Emily attempted to make the hole bigger. "What's your mother's phone number, Grant? Derek can call her up right now so she can come pick you up," she offered. "I'm sure she's worried about you," Emily made her appeal. "She can come get you and we can forget any of this ever happened."
"I didn't leave a note, and I left my cell phone behind," the boy lowered the gun some more. "She probably thinks something bad happened to me."
"It's okay," Emily assured him. "She'll be upset for a while, but I think she'll forgive you. I'm sure right now she just wants to know you're safe. So why don't you give Derek the gun and we'll call her. And while we wait you and Nara can get to know each other like I mentioned earlier. How does that plan sound to you?"
He shrugged. "I guess that would be okay," Grant agreed.
Derek knew the kid was still in a delicate state of mind. He remained cautious as he approached Grant, but the boy was true to his word. The gun was let go easily and Derek immediately checked it. He unloaded the weapon and breathed a sigh of relief that things had gone so well. When he locked eyes with Emily he knew the swift end to their ordeal had been in large part due to her patients and kindness while dealing with the teenager. His admiration of her seemed to have no end.
"Are you going to call the police?" the boy wondered as he was directed by Emily to take a seat at the table.
"No. Just your mom," Emily replied as she pushed her plate of scones toward him. "Eat something for me, okay," she encouraged, knowing the shock of the ordeal had probably caused low blood sugar. With Nara still snug in her arms she moved toward Derek, keeping a close eye on Grant. "Why don't you call his mom and then you can shower while I watch him," she suggested. "Then you can watch him while I shower."
Morgan nodded in agreement to her simple plan. Then he wrapped his arms around her and sighed, kissing her before doing anything else. "Love you," he whispered.
"Love you, too," she smiled against his shoulder. Nara squirmed as the two of them pulled apart. Emily readjusted the girl's weight in her arms, not wanting to let her down or out of her sight just yet. "Take that with you, will you?" Emily pointed at the gun in his hand.
"In the shower?" Derek questioned.
She shrugged. "Whatever works for you," Emily winked.
Her ability to joke after such an intense moment reaffirmed his love for her. "Woman, you really don't know how much I've missed you," he concluded.
xxx
Emily greeted the disheveled woman outside the Inn's main entrance.
"Where's Grant? Where is my son?" his mother was slight and friendly looking, but worry marred and creased her brow as she practically leapt up the porch stairs.
"Mrs. Ziven," Emily experienced an irrational bout of disgust speaking that name. "I understand you want to see Grant right now, but I'd like to talk to you for a minute, alone," she guided the woman inside and then immediately toward a sitting room off to the left of the main entrance. She and Derek had informed Marta of what was going on and the graciously understanding Inn keeper had made sure to clear the room for Emily to talk to the boy's mother.
"Harriet," the woman said. "Please, call me Harriet. I may still legally carry the Ziven name," she practically shuddered with disgust herself. "But I plan to change that very soon."
Emily nodded. "Harriet, I want you to know that your son is okay," she implored the woman to have a seat near the window before joining her. "Grant is with my fiancé, Derek, at the moment. They're both playing with Nara."
"Nara," the woman spoke that name without question. "She's the baby, Grant's sister."
"She is," Emily answered. "You know about her as well?"
"Edward told me," Harriet revealed. "Those last few months before he finally moved out were horrible, but at least he started being honest with me. He told me about the other woman. He mentioned the baby. I suppose Grant must have overheard our conversation," she realized. "I wanted to despise them, the woman and child. But by then I knew it was Edward who deserved my loathing." Her head shook with regret that only came from hindsight.
"How can you love a man and not know his evil?" Harriet pondered. "Or know it and ignore it, think you can change it. Think love can better it?"
With a heavy heart, Emily sighed. "It happens more than you might think," she spoke from experience.
"What did Grant come here to do?" Harriet asked. "I…" she hesitated a moment. "I fear he brought a gun. Edward left so many at the house. I thought I'd found them all, but…"
It was clear she needed the whole truth and Emily gave her that. She relayed it all and sat with the woman as she shed tears of regret. "Grant will be okay," Emily reinforced. "I believe that. But he needs help, and more than just from you. He needs to speak with someone, a psychologist. His heart was in the right place by coming here, but some of his thoughts are conflicted. He's hurting and confused. We don't ever want him to try anything like this again, do we?"
Harriet smiled weakly, thankful for the kindness from a complete stranger. "No," she agreed.
"You'll need to be strong for him. Do you think you can do that?" Emily held the woman's hand and patted it reassuringly.
With a nod, Harriet swiped at her tears. "May I see him now?"
"Of course," Emily led her up to the room where she and Derek had spent the night. Derek was there with Marta and the children. Marta hovered close to Nara. Emily and Derek hung back, watching as Grant interacted with his baby sister. Harriet stuck to Emily as they all watched Grant help Nara build a tower of blocks. "I'm not sure if you'll be receptive to this idea or not," Emily spoke softly to Harriet. "But Marta has agreed to allow Grant to visit his sister. I think it would be good for both of them, if you're willing?"
"I could never lay blame on an innocent child," Harriet replied. "Grant should know his sister," she agreed.
The boy looked up to see his mother and he jumped to his feet. He hesitated for a moment before running into her waiting arms.
Emily breathed out, relieved to witness the happy reunion. Grant looked so much younger in his mother's arms. Like a little boy, not the young man who'd just tried to take his life. She felt Derek's presence behind her and sunk into his embrace, allowing his arms to snake around her waist from behind. Her head rested wearily against his sturdy shoulder. "Nice to know we still make a heck of a team," she whispered for his ears only.
"That we do," he agreed. "Though I think you took the lead on this one," Derek admired.
"When?" she asked.
He eyed her curiously. "When did you take the lead?" Derek found it to be an odd question. "Well, I guess…"
"No," she turned to look at him and then glanced down at the ring on her left hand. "When can we get married?"
His answer was swift, "As soon as you want."
"Very soon," Emily assured him. "We just need to decide where?"
Morgan shrugged as she turned around and leaned against his chest again. He held her a little closer, his cheek pressed against hers. "Doesn't really matter, but maybe somewhere we've had only happy memories," he suggested. "That would be nice."
She chuckled softly. "Yeah, except that pretty much rules out everywhere we've ever been together." Emily delighted in the way his warm breath blew gently against her shoulder. It was pretty pathetic how in love she was with him. And it still scared her to think something could happen to him; that she might lose him. But she did her best not to let those thoughts cause her to freeze up again. As his hand rested against hers, softly pressed against the ring he'd given her, Emily realized something.
"There is one place…"
xxx
A bird chirped happily outside as Emily stood inside by the mirror, surrounded by most of the important women in her life.
The room was the same one Marta always leant her when she visited, and would never take a single bit of money for. The same room she and Derek had made love in for the first time after their engagement. It was also the room where Grant Ziven's life had nearly ended, but instead had changed for the better. The white wood seemed to sparkle brighter than usual as rays of early spring sunshine drifted through the white, gauzy curtains. That sunlight erased most of the bad memories. But it was not the spot she would soon be married.
"You look gorgeous," JJ said as she admired Emily's silky, pale blue dress.
"Exquisite," Sarah beamed.
"So pretty," Elya excitedly added as she cuddled Sergio in her arms.
"Positively radiant," Garcia noted cheerfully.
"Beautiful," Tasha smiled.
"Em, Em, Em…" Nara chattered as she toddled about the room.
"Stunning," Desiree added.
"Very impressive," Molly grinned.
"Lovely," Fran concluded.
Emily marveled again at the gathering of her favorite women, all strong and beautiful in their own right. Her wedding gown swishing a little as she turned back and forth in front of them. The top half hugged her closely. The bottom flared ever so slightly and hit the floor, even with her heels on. "I think you all may be laying it on a bit thick, but thank you," she smiled, feeling a little self-conscious but fortunate to have them all there. She found she'd been smiling like a fool rather more often the last three weeks.
Three weeks was the time frame they'd decided on.
In that time Derek had stayed with her for a week before heading back to DC to pack his things and make arrangements for a few of his properties. He'd returned to London with a small load of boxes, mostly clothes and books that they'd easily worked into her flat; the flat they both now referred to as home. "I debated for days about the color, but I fell in love with it instantly," Emily recalled. "And I didn't want my doubts to be the something blue at my wedding, so I made it the dress."
"Doubts are okay," JJ assured her. "They can be healthy."
"Agreed," Tasha said. She put her hands over Elya's ears. "I had plenty the day I married Elya's father..." she paused. "But maybe that's not the best example," Tasha realized.
Fran placed a comforting hand against Tasha's shoulder. The whole gang of them had grown closer over the two days they'd spent at Marta's Inn preparing for the big event. "I had a whole stomach filled with doubts the day I married Shawn," Fran revealed. "It's completely natural." She moved to where Emily was standing and smiled at the younger woman who was about to become her daughter-in-law. Fran took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.
Quietly, the rest of the women and girls slipped out of the room.
"Fran, I…" Emily swallowed a small lump in her throat. "I haven't had a chance these last few days to apologize," she began. "No, that's not true. I have had chances, I've just been a bit of a scared-y cat," Emily admitted. "But I want you to know how sorry I am for the way I ran off after Christmas without a word of goodbye to you or..."
"You're forgiven," Fran instantly replied.
Emily bit her lip. "Just like that?"
With a nod, Fran agreed, "Just like that." But she could see the worry still clouding Emily's eyes. "I know you told Derek the truth that night before you left. Even if it wasn't the truth he wanted to hear. That's what matters." The woman smiled, sensing Emily needed a bit more from her. "I forgive you," Fran said. But with a stern face she added, "Of course, if you ever hurt my son like that again I will be the one to hunt you down."
"I believe you," Emily cracked a smile as she hugged the woman. "I love you so much, Fran. I hope that's okay."
"Of course that's okay," Fran whispered lovingly. She spotted a figure in the doorway and kept Emily close for a moment. "You know your mother loves you very much as well. She paid for all of us to be here today. Sarah, Desiree and I could not have afforded it otherwise." With a quick kiss to her cheek, Fran pulled away and turned Emily toward the door. Seeing the look on the two women's faces let her know they needed some privacy so she slipped out silently.
"Mother," Emily breathed out. "I wasn't sure if you'd be here."
"Where else would I be?" Liz said as she took a few steps into the room and regarded her daughter's pale blue dress. "Not very traditional," she noted. A second passed before she locked eyes with Emily and smiled. "I'd expect nothing less from you."
Emily took that as a compliment, whether it had been meant as such or not. "Thank you," she responded to what Fran had just told her, "Making it possible for everyone to be here today… I know that must have cost a small fortune with airfare and…"
"Please," Liz held a hand up as she interrupted her daughter. "Money isn't important, family is," the woman insisted. "This is my wedding gift to you and Derek. We've had our differences throughout the years, but I've only ever wanted you to be happy, Emily. I see that Derek makes you happy."
A satisfied smile upturned Emily's lips. It was as close as they'd come in a long time to an understanding. "And daddy?"
Liz shook her head. "I'm sorry, he couldn't make it," she revealed. "You know he…"
"I know…" Emily stopped her and sighed heavily. "I know he's not here and you are," she bravely continued. "I know you spent a lot of money for everyone to be here. I know you tracked me down in a remote village in Russia when I needed your help, your resources. I know that even when you're completely frustrated by my actions you try and understand me, and he… he never tries. I know everything I need to know," Emily concluded as she surprised her mother by pulling her in to a hug.
Emily held her mother until Liz's stiff body relaxed a little. When she pulled out of the embrace, Emily wondered if she might ask one more thing of the woman. "Marta lets me stay here a lot and she always gives me the best room she has available and never allows me to pay her," she relayed to her mother. "I was wondering if maybe you could give her some money for me and I'll pay you back," she proposed. "I figure she'd be more likely to take it from you."
"I'll make sure she takes payment for all of this, but it's my treat," Liz insisted.
With a smile, Emily nodded. "Will you do me one more favor?" she ventured. "Walk with me?"
"Certainly. We wouldn't want to start being traditional now, would we," the ambassador amicably agreed.
xxx
"You certainly clean up nicely," Rossi teased.
Derek chuckled as he stood among his guy friends, young and old, all of them considered family. They'd been allocated a large room on the ground floor of the Inn for their preparations. Having opted for slightly casual attire, Morgan wore a navy blue button shirt tucked into black slacks. No tie or jacket. "Any advice from the married men in the room?" he asked good-naturedly, looking to his brother-in-law, Nathan, and Will. "Perhaps advice for how to stay married?"
"Not our expertise," Hotch replied, clapping Rossi on the shoulder.
"In my defense," Dave jumped in, "One of them was not my fault."
"A lot of successful marriages have been associated with higher age and higher education," Reid informed the group.
Easter entered the room at that particular moment. "Am I interrupting?"
"Yes," Morgan replied gratefully. "And thank you from saving us from what was sure to turn into a percentage and statistics lesson."
Spencer frowned. "I was just trying to say that you and Emily stand a good chance of a long union."
Morgan smiled and apologized to his best man, "Sorry, Reid. I appreciate the sentiment."
Hotch shook Easter's hand in a show of there being no hard feelings over how things had gone down between them nearly two years ago. "I do hope you're all done poaching my profilers," he commented with a not-so-serious tone.
"No promises," Clyde replied. "I have had my eye set on agent Jareau. I find her particular combination of profiler and Defense Department liaison skills to be quite tempting."
"That's my wife you're talking about there," Will drawled, "She's not going anywhere."
"It was a joke," Easter assured them all with his hands held aloft. "I do occasionally have a sense of humor."
They all laughed when it was JJ who stuck her head inside the room a moment later. JJ eyed them suspiciously for a second, "We're ready when you are," she finally let them know.
"I guess that means we have to get down there first," Derek realized, slightly nervous for the first time as he directed the others out of the room.
Within twenty minutes everyone was gathered by the river. They stood, informally, along the grassy bank in pretty much the exact spot where Derek had proposed to Emily. There was no bride or groom family separation. Will stood close to Fran, Sarah and Nathan. Hotch and Rossi bunched together with Desiree, Garcia, Marta and Nara. Molly's mother lumped herself with Easter, Tasha and Sophie. Even young Grant and his mother were present for the Monday afternoon wedding.
Derek stood closest to the river with Reid slightly to his right. They waited patiently as the ceremony began.
No music played, but a slight breeze blew off the water as the kids arrived.
Jack and Henry started the procession, cheery smiles on their faces. Molly followed after them holding fast to Nara's little hand. Shawn walked with his little brother Marcus who toddled along to keep up. Boys and girls alike dropped flower pedals along the grassy path. Elya was the last, her face aglow with pride as she carried an amazingly mellow Sergio. The kids scattered to stand with their respected parents as JJ glided down the makeshift aisle with a small bunch of wildflowers in hand. She took a step to her left and waited for the bride.
Blue sky reflected the shade of Emily's dress as she approached with her mother.
Emily gripped Liz's left hand tightly while a bouquet of Scottish bluebell and primrose resided in her other hand. She hadn't thought out the impracticality of heels and the landscape ahead of time and had ditched her shoes half-way to the river. That lost height caused the dress to bunch at her feet, almost making her look as if she were walking among the gentle crests of ocean waves. Liz kissed Emily's cheek and melted into the group behind her, standing beside Fran.
"Are you ready for this?" Derek asked as he took Emily's hand.
"Yep," Emily bit her lip and leaned toward him a little, whispering, "Are you as freaked as I am?"
"Now that we're here…" he glanced around and nodded. "Terrified, but mostly thrilled," Derek lovingly added, "Are we really doing this on April Fool's Day?"
She shrugged and smiled, "Figured it'd be a good way to always remember our anniversary."
They held hands through the humble beginnings of the officiant's ceremony. They spoke simple vows, but made the more difficult ones in their hearts. They watched as Elya untied the blue satin ribbon around Sergio's neck where two wedding bands dangled. They placed those rings on each other's fingers and again made promises they knew would take not only love, but hard work, to keep. They kissed under the blue sky, by the river, surrounded by their loved ones.
They knew in their hearts they would not be parted, even upon death.
xxx
Cool wind swirled around them as it swept down the hillside.
"So," Derek hiked close behind her. "This is your idea of a romantic getaway?" he almost chuckled but the cold air caught in his throat and he shivered.
Emily turned her head and glanced over her shoulder at him. She smiled softly and resumed her hike along the slightly sloping hillside. They'd parked their rental car within the property lines, but the last half mile to the cabin was only accessible on foot. It had been that way for as long as she could remember; a preservation measure. "I told you it was a very remote location," Emily replied. "I offered up Hawaii or the Italian countryside and you said…"
"Yeah, yeah," he stopped her before she could remind him. "I know, I said I wanted our honeymoon to be somewhere away from everyone else in the world so we could be alone. Didn't quite think we'd find a place like that, though. But leave it to you, smarty pants," he teased, playfully swatting her backside.
She was still laughing as the cabin finally came in to view. Emily paused for a moment and regarded it. The place was a simple wood A-frame structure with a gable roof that hit the ground on both sides. Good for the kind of snowfall that could occur in the area. The view behind the cabin was breathtaking - a rich blue sky with the taller French Alp spires sprouting up all around them. Derek stopped beside her and wrapped his arms about her waist. "This is breathtaking," he whispered in awe, admiring the serene landscape.
"I can't believe this cabin is still here," Emily was surprised that her mother had given her and Derek the place as a wedding gift, another gift on top of her generous one of flying everyone to their wedding. "I didn't even know mother had held on to it and the land," she sighed, recalling her fond memories of time spent there with her grandfather when she'd been so much younger. "I honestly figured she'd sold it years ago after granddad died."
Within three minutes their extremities began to grow chilly and Emily eased open the cabin door. She was impressed by how well preserved the inside was. It was in great condition, obviously having been well looked after. Clean and tidy, no dust or cobwebs. They found food in the cupboards and even a small fridge. Emily fiddled with the sink faucet, a new addition. She marveled at the running water that trickled forth. "Hot water," she smiled brightly at the prospect. "Obviously my mother made some improvements."
"Must have cost a small fortune considering the workers had to hike in, and where they hooked to a water source is anyone's guess," Morgan was impressed as he dropped his pack and settled right in. He flopped on a small, comfy loveseat in the open-plan cabin. "Perfect honeymoon spot," he declared.
"Oh, yeah?" Emily removed her pack and laid it by the door. She made her way to the loveseat and sat down on Derek's lap. "You didn't even carry me over the threshold."
He cringed for a second but covered quickly, "That's only for the home you share together."
"Hmm," she frowned for a moment, pretending to ponder the validity of his words. "You could be right," Emily gave in and kissed him. The union broke off far quicker than she had planned, but a door she didn't recognize had sparked her interest. The cabin consisted of one large room and a sleeping loft with a full staircase. There had never been any interior doors before. She stood and moved toward it, pushed it open and discovered something that made her knees weak. "No way."
Derek followed and found her seated on the side of a claw foot bathtub. "A bathroom," he noted.
"Not just a bathroom, Derek," she looked up at him. "This was never here before. There was always just the outhouse."
"Outhouse?" he was shocked. "You were seriously going to spend our honeymoon somewhere with only an outhouse?"
She shrugged. "I don't mind roughing it. But this is too good to be true," Emily turned the faucet nob and was once again amazed by the flow of hot water. "I could kiss my mother right now," she remarked excitedly. "She definitely made improvements to the place," Emily noted as she plugged the tub and joyfully began to fill it. "The most wonderful improvements," she let go a relaxed sigh and kicked off her shoes. "Are you planning to join me?" Emily held a hand to him.
"I don't take baths, at least not since I was five," Derek replied.
Her eyes narrowed a little. "So I'm about to strip down and recline, naked, in this tub full of hot water and you won't join me?"
"It's just not manly," he maintained.
"Interesting," Emily regarded him for a moment, trying to figure out if he was telling the truth or not. She opted for a slightly different plan of attack. "I recall someone being very intrigued when I mentioned having a date with a hot tub, once upon a time."
He grinned. "And I recall someone shooting me down without a chance," Derek reminded her. "Anyhow, hot tubs are different. They're manlier," he remarked.
She laughed loudly at that comment. "You're just making this stuff up aren't you?"
"Pretty much, yes. I'd love to join you in that tub," Derek agreed as he swiftly began the process of shedding his clothes. He was down to just a pair of bright red boxer briefs when he approached Emily. "I can't help notice you stopped with your shoes," his chest pressed against hers while his hands pushed the hair off her shoulders. "Maybe you were enjoying the floor show?" Derek asked as he leaned forward and gently caressed her neck with several kisses. "Need a little help?"
"I was admiring the view," Emily admitted as she licked her lips and nodded. "And I would very much like a little help, please."
Emily delighted in the way he very excitedly obliged her.
xxx
Their tub soak hadn't lasted very long before they'd consummated their marriage and christened nearly every corner of the cabin in the process.
The last of their love making spree had finally landed them upon the queen sized bed up in the loft. A large window across from the bed gave them a perfect view of the snow-capped Alps. And the fireplace downstairs was large enough to fill the entire cabin with cozy heat. They listened to the spark and crackle from the fire below as a gentle snowfall began outside. Derek thought he might not ever want to leave the sanctity of that bed, but he remembered the gift he'd brought along with him.
Pulling on a pair of sweats, he made a quick dash downstairs to grab their packs. He was back in bed with Emily minutes later, presenting a small box to her.
Emily smiled, "What have you done now?" she asked, unable to stop her curiosity as she pried open the box. Nestled inside she discovered her grandfather's Scrabble tiles, which seemed to be surrounded by a silver chain of some sort. As she pulled the chain free she realized the tiles were connected to it.
"I hope you don't mind that I had those small holes put in them," Derek wore a worried look for a moment as he watched her remove the item from the box.
She carefully inspected the object some more, impressed by the simple but solid craftsmanship. "These are the original tiles?" Emily asked, though she was fairly certain. His nod gave her confirmation as she held the item to him for help.
Derek clasped the bracelet around her wrist and looked to her for some sign that it was okay. "I had it made so the tiles dangle a little from the bracelet. They should be long enough for you to hold them in your hand but still be attached to your wrist," he pointed out. "I figure this way they're less likely to get lost." He turned them over for her. "I also had them engraved; G for Grace and H for Humor," Derek pointed out. "Two qualities I admire most about you, your grace under pressure and ability to find humor in most situations."
Doing her best to keep tears at bay, Emily smiled. "This is unbelievably thoughtful," she managed to say before kissing him.
"You like it?" he guessed.
"Yes, very much," she spoke emphatically, still captivated by the gorgeous way the tiles had been integrated into the bracelet setting. "I have something for you, too," Emily almost forgot. She reached for her bag and pulled out a long rectangular box. "Not wrapped," she said, "And not nearly as unique as your gift."
He grinned; amused to see it was a new Scrabble game. "This is great," Derek insisted.
"I don't know if we'll ever have kids or grandkids to pass it along to someday," she shrugged. "But I figured this cabin is ours now and it needed a new Scrabble game."
"I love it," Derek assured her. "And maybe the next time we're up here we can bring along that Sorry game you gave me for Christmas. We could even make it a tradition to play games when we're here at the cabin," he suggested.
She was touched by his apparent enthusiasm, and delighted by the prospect of creating new traditions with her husband. "I'd like that."
"Good, then shall we play now?" he asked, already laying out the board right there atop the bed.
They lounged for several hours on the bed with the Scrabble board between them, taking small breaks to eat and drink, stoke the fire, and occasionally gaze upon the snowy landscape outside their window. The words they made were long and short, silly and serious. And kisses were shared between some of the rounds. "Oh, now wait just a minute there," she said after he'd made a two letter word that sparked her interest. "I'd like to challenge this word," Emily smiled. "J-O, what the heck does that mean?" she joked.
He smiled and took one of her hands in his. "It's a term of endearment," Derek explained needlessly. "Chiefly Scottish, meaning sweetheart or dear."
Emily's cheerful smile grew as she let herself recall another Scrabble game they'd played. It seemed like such a long time ago, yet had been less than a year. So much had happened to them in that time. They'd forged a bond unbreakable by the grittiest criminals, the harshest climates and the deadliest self-doubts. "This is certainly a fitting end to the story of our romance. Married now and playing Scrabble again like that first time you visited me in London," Emily declared.
"Ending?" Derek's brow bunched as he shook his head. "Not a chance," he vowed, kissing her palm, "This is just the beginning, Jo."
The End
