"I object"

Relief washed over Lucy like rain on a hot summers day, cooling her burning cheeks and soothing her nausea. The priest made a comment but she didn't catch what he said, all she knew was it was the end, this was it, she would have alot of explaining to do but she knew deep down she was doing the right thing for herself and for Peter.

Then she heard a voice and her head snapped up, the gravelly voice of Jack that warmed her heart and soothed her soul spoke in an almost defiant tone,

"I would have to object too"

She stared at him, open mouthed, unable to speak, unable to think. Had he just said what she though he had, what did this mean? What should she do?

There was some other talk around her but none of it registered, all she could do was look into Jack's eyes desperately trying to read his expression and decipher the meaning of his words.

Lucy was drawn back into the room suddenly, as Ox shouted,

"What the hell is going on?"

She turned to face the front row of the congregation where Midge and Ox were seated, she looked at them but didn't speak. She knew she would have to tell the truth, the whole truth but she just didn't know where to start. Lucy had hoped, though maybe this was too much that she would be able to speak to them privately. It was going to be hard enough to expose her deceit to them without doing it infront of a whole room of on lookers, she guessed this was too much to ask for. Ox gave her a gesture to hurry up and start talking so she spoke the first truth, the most undeniable of them all.

"I'm in love with your son"

"I know" Was the irritated reply she recieved from Ox and Midge just looked at her still bursting with pride.

"Not that one" she said in a small voice, pointing at Peter,

"That one" and she pointed at Jack.

She looked over at Jack briefly, just long enough to see a brilliant smile spread across his face, it sent a thrill right through her and even after Ox shouted,

"Jack! What the hell did you do?"

Lucy couldnt keep the wide smile from her face as she explained that he hadn't done anything, that it was all her.

But now it came, now was time for explanations, she couldnt put it off any longer. The memory of Jack's smile gave her the courage she didnt know she had. She could have ran, she could have hidden but she owed them the truth it was the least she could do, and if they wanted answers here and now then they would get them.

She asked Elsie if she was alright before begining to speak. Lucy's revelation that she was in love with Elsie's youngest grandson not her eldest may have been too much for her weak heart to take without the rest of the story to tip her over the edge, Lucy had to be sure the lovely old lady was OK. Elsie replied by raising her camera and taking a picture of all the action with a grin on her face. Lucy took this as confirmation that it was safe to continue.

So she started talking, she tried to stay calm and she tried not to cry. She started at the beginning, explained about the accident, the train and what happened in the hospital. She paused for a second, it was time in the story to say the words, tears started to well up in her eyes but she had to continue,

"I was never engaged to Peter."

Silence feel across the room, Lucy though the look of horror on Midge's face would be something she would never forget, she had to look away. She turned to Jack to try and gauge his reaction. He ran his hand through his hair, tears glistening in his eyes and when he spoke, his words were only for her,

"Why didn't you say something?"

"I didnt know how to tell you"

Her reply had been in whispered tones and directed solely at him. For that moment it had been as if everyone else in the room had evaporated into smoke, this conversation was for them two, and them two alone. Lucy continued to look at him but the hurt in his eyes was causing her physical pain, it teared at her insides and caused he eyes to sting with tears. Then he looked away from her and in that second she knew what she had broken could not be repaired. She had always known that she would lose Jack if he every found out the truth but seeing him slip away from her as he stood rooted to the spot was more painful than she had ever anticipated.

She turned away, it was the only thing she could do if she held any hope of keeping it together, she hadn't finished, she wanted to explain herself further. She knew that trying to justify her actions was pointless, but she had to try, she had to try and make them see that she wasn't really a bad person.

She looked back to Ox and Midge and she continued, she told them how she had fallen in love with all of them (not just Ox!), how she had been so alone and what it meant to her to be a fiancee, a daughter, granddaughter, sister and friend.

She then turned to Peter, it was the first time she had really address him, he had stood quietly listening, taking it all in. She told him that she may have saved his life on the tracks that day, but really he had saved her for allowing her to be part of his family, even if it was only for a little while and that she would always love them.

At this the tears stung her eyes again, she had tried to force them down but they were too powerful, the emotion she felt was too strong, her voice cracked as she turned back to the Callaghans one more time,

"I'm very sorry!" was all she had left to say.

That's was it, she had said her piece and now it was time to go. Midge, Elsie and Mary sat in front of her with tears in there eyes, they said nothing and she was grateful, she didn't want questions and she certainly couldn't stand shouting, she was done.

Then a random thought came to her, she turned to Peter,

"And I'm very sorry about your carpet!" as she remembered the blue liquid she and Jack had smashed over Peter's prestine white floor. Lucy wasn't even sure why the thought had even come to her in that moment but she was glad as it had allowed her to pull herself together slightly.

Then she started walking, she wanted to break out into a run but she would try and keep any shread of dignity she had left so she just put one foot in front of the other.

She had only moved a few steps when what only could be described a chaos rained down. A blonde, immaculately dressed women burst into the Chapel. She had a face like fury as she march down the aisle stopping right next to Lucy,

"Peter Callaghan is engaged to me, I object to this wedding"

Everyone turned to look at the new comer as a second new person joined the scene. A tall man in a grey linen type suit, he also stopped as he reached Lucy and the blonde, leaving Lucy sandwiched between the two, he said,

"And I object to your objection!"

"Who is that?" Mary asked her brother,

"Ashley's husband" Peter replied very calmly.

"You proposed to a married women?!?" Midge exclaimed over the crowd.

Lucy saw this as her cue to leave, she squeezed herself out from the newcomers and made her way to the door, she grabbed her coat, her head was spinning. She heard Peter saying,

"Yes, and while I was in a coma my brother makes a play for my...sort of my fiancee."

At this she looked up, she caught Jack's eye and they gazed at each other for a moment. She was surprised by the expression she found on his face, it wasnt a smile but also it wasn't anger. It was understanding and it was resignation, she thought they both knew that Peter's words had been a little to close to the truth for comfort.

She knew this would be the last time she saw him, the last time she held those those beautiful eyes with hers, she could stare into those eyes forever but what good would it do, she had ruined everything with her lies and deceit. She looked away and in that second she felt bereaved of his face, an emptiness crept over her. She sought something else to look at, anything else to fill the hole that was forming in her chest. She caught Sauls eye, he gave her a sad smile, it didn't help, infact it did the opposite and she felt the loss of Jack's face more keenly than she had a moment before.

She had to get out, she dipped her head to the ground and left, all the other Callaghan's were busy in up roar with Ashley and her husband, they didn't see her leave.

She walked slowly as in a trance down the hospital corridors. She had done the right thing she knew this much and when she thought about the blonde, Ashley, Lucy felt very glad not to mixed up in that mess. There was a women that Lucy would not want to size up against.

She reached the entrance to the hospital and was relieved to see a number of cabs lined outside awaiting passengers. She jumped in the closest one, gave her address and settled back as she sped further away from the scene.

Lucy closed her eyes and lay her head back on the head rest. His face floated into her mind and she sighed. Jack's face with that smile, just after she had announced that she loved him had been the most magnificent thing she had ever seen. She was sure that she hadn't miss read the signs, he felt the same way as she did, he had objected to the wedding for christ sake!

A smile spread across her lips, she thought maybe her first true smile since Jack had stood outside her apartment the night before. Had that really just been 24 hours ago? He had been relaxed, he had joked, what she wouldn't give to go back to that night now. She should have been more direct, told him she loved him there and then in the privacy of her own home. They could have spoken about it like adults rather than like a side show at the circus. She shook her head, she was kidding herself, anyway it made no difference, what was done was done. All she was doing was torturing herself, what ifs wouldn't help her now.

The cab came to a stop outside her apartment, she looked round praying that Joe Jr wasn't out front, though she knew he had eyes and ears everywhere. She paid the driver and got out, she didn't feel like rushing, her legs felt like lead and her head was aching but with the prospect of Joey seeing her looming she decided that forcing her legs to move quickly was the least of two evils.

Small piles of snow still lay on the ground around the entrance to her apartment, Lucy's mind flashed back to memories of Jack in the snow, the ridiculous night they had slipped on the ice, her pressed against a snow covered pillar with Jack leaning in. She allowed herself a small smile at the memory, it was a time when even though things had been complicated, Peter had been asleep and the moments they had shared were just for them. They could have been just two people falling in love during a snowy Christmas in Chicargo. It reminded her of the stories her dad would tell her about how he had fallen in love with her mom. How she wished these could have been the start of her stories to tell her children, 'how their dad had ripped his pants falling on the ice while he tried to keep their mom upright', she pictured two children, one with dark and one sandy coloured hair, both with the most beautiful grey/blue eyes, sitting on her bed listening intently to her stories...

She realised she had stopped and was standing staring into the snow, they weren't her stories to tell, there would be nobody to listen to them, she was alone again and there certainly wouldn't be any sandy or dark haired children to hear her tales. The sadness of this fact threaten to overwhelm her. The hole that had opened up in her chest felt wider all of a sudden, there were too many puzzle pieces of her soul missing to make her feel whole. Her dad, Jack, the family, her own family with Jack that would never be, all needed to stop her feeling hollow. Tears began to creep into the corners of her eyes, she wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to make herself feel less exposed, less vulnerable but the hole in her chest remained and pain began to burn round the edges like a ring of fire.

Lucy turned and pushed the door of her building open, she climbed the stairs as she pulled her key out of her pocket. She slowly unlocked her front door and stepped inside, all was quiet, even her cat Mel hadn't come to meet her. She closed the door with her back, leaning her full weight onto it until she heard it click shut, she was home, she was safe and she never wanted to open the door again.

Lucy stumbled into her bedroom, kicked of her strappy heals and sat down on the bed. She hugged her knees tight to her chest as the tears began to fall freely, she didn't try to stop them, she didn't wipe them away she allowed all the emotion she had been bottling up to flow from her eyes, muffled sobs escaping from her lips. She didn't want to think, she didn't want to feel she just let the oblivion of tears take over as dusk fell on the tiny apartment, she gave herself up to it.

Lucy woke as the wintery morning sun shone through the bedroom window. Her eyelids felt too heavy to open and her face stung with dried tears. She lifted her head from the pillow but soon replaced it when her neck ached and her head span. She tried a second time with more success and looked down at herself, she was still wearing her ivory wedding dress with her Dad's trench coat over the top. She hugged the coat around herself and looked in the mirror before her. Her face was red, with salty tear tracks down her cheeks, her eyes were blood shot and her eyelids were double their normal size. She looked how she felt. She allowed her head to fall back into the pillow as the memories of the previous day flooded back.

Firstly she thought of Peter, he was the easiest for her sore head to deal with. When she had left he was getting abuse from the Ashley girl, her husband and his family for having an affair with a married women. She hoped he was OK and didn't suffer any set backs from all the stress that she and to be honest everyone had caused him yesterday. At least the Dr's now knew he didn't have amnesia, she cringed at this thought and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment until the wave of guilt subsided. Peter had proposed to a married women! He didn't look like the kind of guy who would do that sort of thing, but then she didn't know Peter at all did she. The Peter of her token booth fantasies would not have been that sort of guy, but she had recently realised that the man himself was nothing like the man she dreamed of. Yes they both had the face and the smile but that was were it ended, especially if fidelity was not high on his list of priorities. But she did like Peter and she hoped that today he still had the same positive outlook and would continue on his road to recovery.

Next her mind moved to the Callaghans, Ox, Midge, Mary, Elsie and Saul, (though Saul wasn't technically a Callaghan she put him in the same box.) What did they think of her today? Were they angry, they must be. Were they calling her all the names under the sun? The idea that they were sitting at home speaking ill of her made her feel sick, but it was nothing she didnt deserve. She had lied to them, decieved them, allowed them to take her into their hearts under false presences and the look of shock on Ox's face and the pain in Midges eyes yesterday weren't easy to forget. In their opinion they thought she had waited til the last possible, most public moment to expose her lies infront of their priest and their friends. She could have handled the whole situation so much better, but she had been selfish and only thought about how the situation affected her not how they would feel if and when the truth came out. In that moment Lucy felt utterly ashamed of herself, all she had wanted was the love and support of this kind, caring family but what she hadn't realised was that she didn't deserve it if this was the way she treated them.

She hoped against hope that Elsie was doing OK. The old lady had seemed well enough in the Chapel when she has enquired but once things had sunk in had poor Elsie's heart coped with the chaos that yesterday had brought? Lucy hoped so.

Then there was Mary, she was so young and sweet. She had told Lucy that she was so excited to have a big sister and that all the other girls Peter had brought home were stuck up snobs who didn't give her the time of day. Mary had said she was so pleased that Peter had chosen her. They had hugged and Lucy told her she was looking forward to having a sister too. None of it was a lie, she would have loved to have been Mary's sister, to do things like take her shopping and help her through the mine field that was teenage love. But when Lucy had told such lies how were they to sort out the fact from the fiction in her words? 'They probably think I'm some sort of psycho who gets a kick out of this type of thing' she thought to herself.

What about Saul? He knew the truth, did he tell them he knew, did they fall out? God she wished she could speak to them all today, see there faces, but she knew this wasn't possible, none of them would ever want to see her again.

None of them, including the one person she had not yet let herself think of until now. How was Jack this morning? She allowed his face to swim into her thoughts, the last memory she had of him. He hadn't looked angry with her, but he'd had time to think things through, listen to his family, see the hurt she had caused them. The pain she knew so well seared her chest. It had only been 12 hours since she had seen him but she missed him so much, she longed to talk to him, hear that gravelly voice that she loved so much, see the sparkle in his eye as he waited for her to react to one of his jokes. Did he still have any feelings for her or had her lies washed them away? No, Jack wouldn't be that shallow, she was sure he was in pain right now, stuck in the limbo between his feelings for her and his hurt for the way she had treated him and his family. She wished she could tell him, really tell him how much he meant to her. She had only known him a couple of weeks, but in that time he had become more dear to her than most people she had known for years. He knew she loved him, she had blurted that out yesterday in the most unromantic way possible. She wanted to sit him down, hold his hand and spend hours explaining to him exactly what made him so special in her eyes and how nobody could ever love him as much as she could. She wanted him to know how she would spend every second of the rest of her life trying to make it up to him, if he would only give her the chance. But she wouldn't get the chance. She thought briefly about writing it down, maybe putting it in a letter would be cathartic for her but also allow him to read and re-read her words, maybe he would believe them? No, she was sure Jack didn't want to hear from her, it had been 12, no, more like 16 hours since she walked out the chapel. He knew where she lived, he had been here enough, had no issue before turning up if he wanted to discuss something, but he hadn't come, he hadn't followed her out of the Chapel, his absence spoke volumes.

Lucy closed her eyes and rested her head back, she was reminded of the grief of her Dad's death. In so many ways the pain she felt was so similar, it was all consuming and washed over her so that nothing else mattered, but this time she had done it to herself and the aching pain stabbed between her ribs. Loss was not something she was a stranger to but this pain, knowing that the people she loved were walking and talking and breathing but not wanting her as she wanted them was something else.

A knock at the door suddenly woke Lucy, her head shot up, she squinted at the clock, it was 4pm in the afternoon how had she slept so long?

Then a thrill shot through her! Could it be him??? Had she written him off too soon? Maybe he needed time to cool down, time to talk to his family about how he felt and discuss his next step.

'Knock, knock'

She realised in panic and embarrassment that she was still wearing her wedding clothes. Jumping off the bed, ripping off her coat she launched herself into the bathroom but she stumbled crashing into the door realising she hadn't moved off her bed for nearly 24 hours and her legs were actually quite wobbly. At the sound of crashing she heard a voice through the door which made her heart do a nose dive,

"Luce, hey Luce, are you's in there? Is everything alright?"

Joe Jr.

Disappointment crashed through her with the force of a hurricane. She righted herself and moved slowly towards the door, she caught her face in the mirror, it wasnt good but she didn't care. She walked to the front door, but didn't open it, she hovered for a second then replied throught the door,

"Hey Joey, yes I'm fine thank you" she noted that her voice sounded hoarse and cracked.

"Are you sure? Pops said he saw you coming home yesterday and you looked ...weird! Weren't you supposed to be marrying that pretty guy yesterday?"

The pain that had been flickering round her chest increased 10 fold and she sunk her back into the door lifting her head to look at the ceiling. She took a deep breath, Joe Jr. had thought she was marrying Jack and the pain of that image burned.

"Yeah, well Joey, it hmm, well it didn't happen"

Was all she could say in a small voice, as she slid down the floor.

Silence came from the other side of the door, Lucy could hear Joe shuffling round, she could tell that he was thinking what to say.

Then he started,

"Well Luce, you know I'm..."

She cut him off, "Look Joe I'm really not feeling well today, thanks for popping by, I'll hmm... speak to you later".

She pushed up from the floor and walked into the lounge, she could hear him mumbling something as he walked away.

Lucy looked down at herself, she was a mess, she lifted her head and caught her reflection in the mirror, she only looked slightly better than she had this morning.

She couldn't go on like this, she undressed slowly and headed for the shower, she allowed the warm water to wash over her and by the time she had emerged wrapped in a towel her head was starting to feel clearer.

She quickly dressed in her most comfortable clothes, made some tea, fed poor Mel and then flopped on the sofa.

She realised for the first time in weeks that she didn't actually have anything to do. She had spent so much time with the Callaghans recently, either in the hospital, at their home or out with Jack, she couldnt think how she used to fill her time. She stared around the apartment, she could dust and hoover, but she just didn't have the energy. Tomorrow was 6th January, she really should take her Christmas tree down, but the motivation for that just wasn't there either.

Before she met them, met him she had been sort of content ambling through her day to day life, suiting herself with her cat for company and with the occasional visit from a friend. She had been ok, and had sole possession of the remote. She had known it wasn't perfect but she got on with it as she always had the image that in the future things would be different. She would fall in love and get married (probably to Peter) and have her own family and she would never be lonely again. But now she had the experience of being part of a family and falling in love, for it to be all taken away somehow made her current state of loneliness seem so much worse.

She had her work, but due to the wedding she was working reduced hours this week, though the thought of seeing Celeste and Jerry caused a wave of embarrassment to engulf her. What must they think of her?

Lucy suddenly had an alarming thought. The image of her sitting in the token booth day after day dreaming about Peter flashed into her mind.

He was on me mend now, how long would it be before we went back to work? Catching the 'L' every day! There was no way on earth she could sit in her booth seeing him every morning, she wanted the ground to swallow her up at the thought. Then Mary, she and her friends used the 'L' to visit the city, it was all too much, something had to be done.

She jumped up grabbed her filofax and rummaged through for her most resent bank statement. She wasn't a rich girl by any means but she had always been sensible with money. She hardly went out to spend it and had nobody to share it with so with the little her dad had left her she had a small nest egg.

That would be enough, enough to keep her going for a few weeks until she could find something else. Maybe she could go back to school and finish her exams, she could work evening and weekends. Lucy had never intended to stay long term at the 'L' but she had been stuck in a rut, the same rut her whole life seemed to be in. w

Well that ended today before the threat of Peter returning to work became a reality.

Lucy picked up the phone and called Jerry, she told him she wanted to hand in her notice and finish ASAP. He wasn't happy, she was one of his best, most reliable, most flexible workers but after 15 mins of trying to convince her otherwise Jerry had been given no other option but to accept her resignation. They agreed that with all the holidays she had worked and days she was owed that Friday would be her last day. That was in just 2 days time, she look a deep breath and sighed. She could manage that, then she wouldnt have to run the risk of bumping into them again.

She scanned the local paper and ringed a few potential jobs, this would be a good move for her, she would get on with her life and who knew in a few years she may meet someone else, she could still find happiness.

Lucy's gazed moved towards the mantle and rested on her snow globe. Who was she kidding, who could ever compete with Jack, every other man would pale in comparison. She had never met another man like him and she doubted she would again. The only man she could think of that came anywhere close had been her own dear dad. Jack was beautiful inside and out and though she knew nobody was perfect, her was perfect for her and that was all that mattered.

She stood and walked towards the mantle, she picked up the globe and inverted it slowly, then turned it back allowing all the snow to swirl and flutter round the buildings of Florence. She watched intently as each flake fell. How she would have loved to visit the real thing with Jack by her side, walking round under the Italian sun hand in hand, breathing in the culture, the food and his presence. Tears pricked her eyes, that was her new dream, no her new fantasy, as the very definition of fantasy was to imagine the impossible.

She didn't know how she spent the rest of that evening alone in her apartment but the hours slipped by and soon she forced herself to move to the bedroom in an attempt to sleep. She curled up under her quilt and closed her eyes but all she could see in the dark spaces behind her eyelids was him. He smiled at her, he laughed with her, he gazed deep into her eyes. The tears began to fall again and hopelessness filled every part of her body. If love was pain, then this was true love.

The next morning Lucy rose early with the sound of her alarm to go to work. Anxiety seeped through her every pore as she made her way to the station, she knew there was a very good chance Peter was still in the hospital and therefore would not materialise on the platform but just being in the place where it had all started made her want to run back home and lock the door.

However, the day had passed uneventfully. Celeste had been very gracious about what had happened in the Chapel and had done everything she could to persuade Lucy to stay on at the 'L' but had understood her motives and was very supportive. Soon it was time to leave and Lucy grabbed her bag and left as swiftly as possible, just in case, she didn't want to tempt fate, she had one more day to go, that should be easy enough to get through.

Arriving home Lucy realised that she would have to spend the evening taking down her decorations, it was already 6th January, was it bad luck or something to leave them up after then? Either way Lucy thought she'd had enough bad luck already this year so wasn't going to risk it. She relished having something productive to do, she carefully removed all the delicate ornaments from the tree and put them in tissue filled boxes. Then came a knock at the door, her heart gave an almighty flip, she flung the door open and tried to hide her disappointment that it was Joe Jr standing before her,

"Hey Luce, I just wanted to say I'm sorry that, err, things didn't work out with that guy. And hmm you should get intouch with the child within and explore your feminine side and don't start eating cakes and cookies and stuff like that coz you'll blow up like my aunt Roberta, you know? You deserve better than that."

As irritating as he was, Joe Jr. could be so sweet at times, Lucy smiled and stepped forward and gave him a bear hug. He might always hope for more but Joey really was a good friend. Though she had been pleased to see he had been dating someone from the apartment above hers recently,

"How are things going with miss third floor?" She asked desperate to change the subject.

His face dropped and he waved his had around, then suddenly his face crumpled and he started to cry!

"Oh Joey!" She flung an arm round his shoulder and lead him into her apartment.

"Do you have any cookies?" He continued to sob.

"No, you know what? we can try on some of my shoes"

"Okay"

Lucy lead him into the bedroom, Joey had a weird fetish for women's shoes which she should have been freaked by, but she actually found rather hilarious. It had been a strange evening but she was grateful for the company and to focus on someone else's problems for a change instead of obsessing about her own.

By the time Joe Jr. had left and she had finished packing away her decorations Lucy actually felt tired enough to sleep and though Jack's image had been there as soon as she closed her eyes she actually found his presence soothing, she never wanted to forget one detail of his face.

Lucy woke early again to the bleeping of her digital alarm clock. She had been having a wonderful dream about her and Jack walking though the streets of Florence. It had seemed so real that it took a few moments to realise that it was infact a dream and that was when the hollow pain had stabbed at her chest.

It was her last day at the 'L' and she was feeling rather sad. It had been the job she had taken when she moved to Chicargo and she had been through a lot while working there. Through her dad's illness, his deterioration and finally death her collages have been so supportive, she truly had been grateful to have a place to go to take her mind off the pain of his loss, unfortunately the job couldn't do that for her this time so it was time to move on.

Lucy made her way to the station as usual, anxiety still tugging at her insides, she had one more day to go, one more. She had a couple of part time jobs interviews lined up for the next week and had requested some brochures for local schools, she was determined to change her life for the better and it was starting now.

She spent the morning collecting token from all the city commuters, some would smile and greet her good morning, others would blank her as if she were a faceless machine. Once the morning rush as over she would see friends going into the city for lunch, old couples doing their shopping, she loved people watching it fascinated her.

As lunchtime came round Celeste, who was only on the morning shift got up to leave. They embraced tightly and Lucy promised she would keep in touch, she really did like having Celeste as a friend and fully intended to keep her promise. Lucy would need all the friends she could get as she embarked on this new stage of her life.

Lucy was starting to regret agreeing to take a double shift on her last day. She sat in her booth listening to the monotonous chime of tokens hitting the metal tray as she pulled the lever to allow each passenger threw. She had this down to a fine art, she didn't need to look, she knew the sound the small round piece of metal would make and pulled the lever at exactly the right time. She would get into quite a routine and keeping the clink, beep musical rhythm in her mind kept it from letting anything else creep in.

She felt rather than saw the next passenger step up to the window, she was watching the express pull into the platform. A new and different tinkling noise came from the metal tray in front of her. She looked down, someone had thrown a beautiful solitaire diamond ring into the tray, it had an intricate yellow gold setting holding the diamond proudly on the band. Puzzled, she carfully picked up the ring between thumb and fore finger, examined it for a split second then lifted her head to see who had dropped it.

"Lucy?" a very familiar gravelly voice said.

She felt her face break out into a wide grin. Jack was standing before her looking into her booth, he looked nervous but she thought she had never seen anyone looking so strikingly handsome in her life. Along side him where his family, Midge, Ox, Elsie, Saul and Mary all beaming in at her. Lucy started to laugh, she didn't know why she was laughing, but she was so happy to see them that the giggles just escaped.

She looked down at the ring again and composed herself, she didn't want to get over excited, he was here and she was holding an engagement ring, but until he made his intentions clear she wouldn't run away with herself.

She looked up into his eyes, she felt like she had seen his face in her mind and in her dreams every second over the last few days but nothing came close to the real thing. God she had missed him so much, had it really only been two days since she had last seen him, it felt like a life time.

"I need to ask you a question" He had the tiniest hint of a smile on his face as he spoke.

She tried to keep her smile in check but it was impossible as it kept trying to burst onto her face.

Elsie chimed in with "get down on one knee it's more romantic!"

Saul cut over her "he's proposing let him do it!"

"I am letting him do it" Elsie snapped back as she shoved Saul with her elbow.

He was proposing, he was truly proposing. Jack looked at her and shook his head. Lucy burst with laughter again, her heart felt so light she couldnt help it. He wanted to marry her, she loved him so much and he wanted her too. That should have been enough to lift her as high as a kite but also his family were here. This ordinarily would be a bit weird, a man bringing his family along to propose to a women, but them being here just made every even better if that were possible. Them being here showed her in no uncertain terms that they had forgiven her, that they approved of Jack's proposal and they would welcome her back into the family.

"Can I come I there please?" He suddenly looked serious.

She didn't know why she said it, she felt so light hearted, but he was so serious, she stared back at him with an equally serious expression and said,

"I can't..."

His face fell and pain flashed across his beautiful features, he swallowed, she suddenly felt guilty and quickly added,

"Not without a token."

He looked her straight in the eye and threw a token into the metallic tray, a slight smile playing on his lips. She answered with a sly smile in return, their eyes never strayed from each other's as she leaned forward to beep him through, he have her a small nod of approval and made his way through the barrier.

The family burst into an eruption of excited chatter, Lucy could do nothing but giggle, with the ring hooked over her thumb, she waited with excited anticipation for him to make the short journey into the booth, she wanted to squeal, she wanted to stamp her feet, she reined herself in but it wasn't easy.

Then he was there in front of her, she gazed into his eyes, he was so close as he leaned into her, one arm resting on the back of her chair. His eyes flicked down to her lips for flash, then he locked his gaze back on hers. Her whole body tingled with the electricity between them, she could smell his aftershave on the collar of his coat and it was utterly exhilarating, she could see his chest rising and falling, I was clear that he was as affected as she was.

"Marry me" he whispered,

"Yeah...I love you" it was the most amazing thing to finally tell him how she felt.

"I love you back" was his response.

No, she was wrong, hearing it from his lips was so much better.

He leaned forward to close the gap between them as she planted her hands on either side of his face so she could meet his lips. At first his kiss was soft and sweet but quickly need over took them and she threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer to deepen the kiss. She had imagined kissing Jack a million times but even her wildest dreams couldn't simulate the heady feeling of having his lips on hers, it was breath taking, overwhelming and he was hers.

They broke apart briefly and remembered that his family were watching their passionate exchange. She continued to hold him close not wanting to let go, she giggled in slight embarrassment. Ferventley kissing a guy in front of his mom, gran and baby sister, even if he was your new fiancee was awkward. Jack seemed too have the same thought as her buried his red face into her shoulder and she gripped him tightly against her. She laughed and he lifted his face to look at her, he truly was beautiful. He tilted his head momentarily to look at his family but she missed his face on hers, she reached up and brought him back to her lips again. This time there was no soft slow begining, she crashed her lips on his, the light stubble on his chin scratched her slightly causing goose bumps to rise on her skin. He used his tongue to open her mouth wider and she could taste every inch of his mouth. Her breathing became more rapid and butterflies erupted in her stomach.

She pulled back, missing his mouth on hers instantly, but this type of kissing was not a spectator sport. He sank to his knees infront of her, she pushed his sandy hair back from his forehead and stroked the soft hair at the back of his neck,

"I love you" she said again in a small voice, looking deeply into his eyes,

He gave her a small smile as she pulled his head slightly forward, she bent down so close that her lips grazed his ear, tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke,

"I'm sorry, I never meant to hurt you"

He brought his head up quickly to look into her face, the emotion she saw there startled her and she held on to him tighter still. He shook his head slowly,

"I know" and he buried his face in her neck again as she ran her fingers through his soft hair.

They would talk about what happened, they would have to so that they could properly move on, but now want the time.

PLEASE BE AWARE THE NEXT CHAPTER IS RATED M.