Reflections

by evitascarlett

A companion piece to 'Apologize'. Chronicling the lives and love story of Jim and Johanna Beckett through the years. See Authors Note at the beginning of Chapter One for more details! Cover art by LordofKavaka

64. Chapter 64- The Answer

Author's Note: As always, thanks for your reviews! Sorry for the delay with this chapter as I finished Like Mother, Like Daughter.

Chapter 64- The Answer

Johanna stared up at Jim; surprise and shock keeping her rooted in place; the wet snow seeping through her jeans barely registering as her heart pounded in her ears. He asked her to marry him…he wanted to marry her? Was she dreaming? Did she slip on the ice and smack her head? It was the last thing she had expected…the last thing she allowed herself to hope for. Oh she knew he kept making it a subtle point to convince her that he wasn't against marriage…but a small part of her had wondered if he kept telling her that out of fear that she would leave at some point if a proposal didn't come; but she wouldn't have. She had made her peace with being a long term girlfriend and she was completely content with that…but now he said he wanted to marry her. It was hard to wrap her head around it…feelings of love and excitement at war with a feeling of cautiousness and slight doubt.

"You want to marry me?" she whispered in awe; tears pricking her eyes.

Jim squeezed the back of his neck. "Yeah…that's what I said."

"Really?" she asked; her tone soft; hopefulness lighting up her eyes; a small smile beginning to tug at her lips that she kept holding back until she was sure.

Jim reached for her hands and pulled her up to stand in front of him. "Yes; I want to marry you. I want to wake up with you every morning; I want to come home to you every day; fall asleep with you every night. I want to make you happy and give you everything you dream of. I want to be the person who always keeps you safe and makes your bad days better. I want to take care of you. I…I just want you, Johanna. I just want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me, Johanna?"

It was really happening, Johanna thought to herself as he squeezed her hands, waiting for her answer; trying to hide his impatience. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry; but in the end, tears spilled down her cheeks as a wide smile broke across her lips. "Yes," she whispered breathlessly. "Yes."

"Yes?" he asked; wanting to be sure that he had heard her and not his own wishful thinking.

"Yes," she laughed; tears still sliding down her cheeks. "There's nothing I want more."

Relief filled him; the weight and frustration he had been carrying evaporating as she threw herself into his arms. He laughed; lifting her off her feet and spinning them around as the snowflakes tumbled down around them.

Finally Jim sat her back down on her feet and pulled her in for a long, slow kiss. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too."

It dawned on him then that he had proposed without the ring…that he had proposed in a snowy park and they were both wet from playing in the snow. He should've told her he loved her during the proposal not afterwards…and most of all, his brain reminded him again, the ring was back in his apartment in the drawer. He really had screwed it up. "Oh no," he muttered, stepping back and raking a hand through his hair.

"What's wrong?" Johanna asked; the happiness fading from her eyes, her body instantly on alert. "You didn't change your mind already…did you? Because if you did, I'm going to kill you right here and now for toying with me like that!"

"No, no, no," he hurriedly said, his hands grasping her arms lightly. "No; I'd never do that to you. I haven't changed my mind, sweetheart; I swear. I want to marry you."

"Then what's wrong?" she asked; her nerves settling a little.

"I don't have the ring," he told her. "I got you a ring...I've been trying to find the right moment all week and it just didn't happen...and now it has and I don't have the ring."

"It's okay," she told him; the smile returning to her lips. "It was perfect."

"But I didn't have the ring! You're not supposed to propose without the ring; only an idiot does that!"

"No!" Johanna exclaimed. "You are not an idiot!"

"I am," Jim said with a nod. "I proposed without a ring. I bought a ring and then didn't propose with it!"

"It's okay; I don't mind," she told him; the smile returning to her lips.

"I mind…I mind a lot. I blew it."

"You didn't, it was beautiful and perfect," Johanna murmured before capturing his lips in a kiss. "I loved it."

He sighed. "I really do have a ring for you."

She giggled merrily. "I believe you, honey; really I do. Everything is fine…you didn't blow anything."

He appreciated the sentiment but he couldn't help but feel like he had…he couldn't let that show right now though; her happiness in that moment was what was important. "Let's go home, sweetheart," he said as he raised her gloved hand to press a kiss to it. "I'll give you your ring there."

"In a minute," she murmured; her arms looping around his neck. "There's something we need to do first."

"What?"

"More of this," she whispered; her lips brushing against his before she caught them in a long tender kiss.

Jim could've stood there and kissed her all night; but eventually his feet started to feel numb and he didn't want her to have frost bite. "Let's hold this thought until we get home," he said between kisses. "I don't want you to be a human Popsicle."

She laughed softly. "I don't want you to be one either; being frozen could ruin the rest of our evening; let's go home."

Jim pressed one last kiss to her lips and then took her hand and led her back through the park so that they could begin the walk home…as an engaged couple this time. He couldn't help but smile…he had done it all wrong; but he had gotten his girl as planned.

---

Jim dug around in the back of the top dresser drawer until his fingers closed around the small velvet ring box that he had hidden there. He pulled it out and lifted the lid; gazing down at the ring he had chosen for Johanna, hoping that he had chosen wisely. He closed the lid but remained in place for a moment longer. Despite her assurances, he couldn't help feeling like he had made a mess of this whole thing. It should've happened somewhere romantic with candlelight and roses and the ring on hand for the moment. She should've been dressed up in one of those fancy dresses she loved so much. It should've been the type of thing he was sure women dreamed about. Instead, he had given her her moment in a cold, snowy park, sans ring which she was now waiting for in the living room, dressed in her emerald green nightgown that she had left there the other night. At least the nightgown was silk, he thought; that was close to a fancy dress...at least in his mind...he was sure the skimpiness of it made it far from a dress in her mind. Jim took a breath and moved away from the dresser; figuring that he had probably kept her waiting long enough.

When Jim entered the living room, he found Johanna on the sofa; a smile clinging to her lips, her eyes gleaming with love and excitement easily read in her body language. He moved toward her and sank down on his knees in front of her, a sigh crossing his lips as he shook his head. "Can I start over?" he asked.

"Why?" Johanna asked with a soft laugh.

He couldn't resist the urge to lay his head on her lap; weariness of his week long proposal torment catching up with him. "Because I've made a mess of this, Jo. I wanted it to be special for you. I wanted it to be everything you dreamed of."

Her fingers threaded through his damp hair. "What makes you think it wasn't?"

"Because I wanted it to be somewhere nice…"

"The park is beautiful tonight with all the snow all around; it isn't dirty or full of footprints yet…the snow was still falling; it was quiet and peaceful. I think it was a very nice place," she replied.

"I didn't have the ring."

Johanna gave a soft laugh. "It's alright; I didn't mind…and you have it now."

"There wasn't any candlelight and roses."

"We had moonlight…and the lights of the park that are scattered around. That's just as nice as candlelight."

He scoffed slightly and she laughed in response but he continued on. "You weren't dressed up in something fancy like you like to be for special occasions."

"I had on my new coat and my favorite boots," Johanna remarked. "I love those boots; they're perfect and make me feel dressed up all the time."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"Jim; I would never lie to you about my love of black suede boots; you should know me better than that."

He smiled; his head rising from its resting place. "That's true; you would never lie about your shoe collection."

"Which means what I was wearing really doesn't matter…it would only matter if I had on ugly shoes and you know I don't wear ugly shoes."

Jim nodded. "That's right; you don't."

"Then there's no issue."

He sighed; and she gave him an indulgent smile. "What now?" she asked softly.

"I just said whatever came to mind. I didn't even say that I loved you while I was asking you. I wanted to be rehearsed."

Johanna looked at him in amusement. "Honey; I'd like to think that you don't go into a marriage proposal the same way you do a closing argument for the jury. Unrehearsed is best in my opinion."

"But I didn't say that I love you…and I do…"

"Jim, you told me you loved me with every word you said. I don't care that you didn't have the ring with you. It's not about that. It's about you saying that you want me...that you picked me to be the one you want to spend your life with. As for making it the way I dreamed of...you did," she said with a smile. "My dream was never for a moment that had been tailor made. I always wanted a beautiful, spontaneous moment that would take me by surprise and make my heart skip a beat and you gave me that, Jim. You gave it to me and I loved it. I love you and I wouldn't change a single thing about it."

"Really?"

She nodded. "Really."

He breathed a sigh of relief and leaned his forehead against hers for a moment. "I've been trying to do this for at least a week," he confessed.

Johanna gave a soft warm laugh. "Is that what's been bugging you?"

"Yes; that and everything else in the universe. Every plan I came up with got interrupted or yanked away."

"That's why you didn't want the kids around," she said in realization.

"Yeah."

"Jim; I'm so sorry," she said in remorse. "You didn't tell me we were going somewhere fancy or anything so I didn't think it would be a big deal to change plans for the night. I'm so sorry."

He shook his head. "It's okay; sweetheart…I wanted to try to create the moment that night but I was flying without a real good plan then too. The next night we had that staff meeting; before those two times your mom called just when I was working up to it. Then the plan I liked the most got obliterated by Crane and his demands. That's why I wanted to take you to Tavern on the Green…I wanted to propose to you there, in the Crystal room. It would've been nice and special…it would've been perfect and that son of a bitch ruined it…then that night you came and made everything better but I didn't want to intrude on your plans because they were so nice and I needed that evening with you…but everything has gone so wrong every time I tried to do this."

"But it went right this time," Johanna murmured; her finger tips caressing his face. "It went so right…please don't doubt it."

Warmth and love for her flooded him; perhaps he had done alright after all. He kissed her tenderly; his thumb sweeping across her cheek bone. "I guess I should probably give you your ring now."

She grinned. "I'd really like that."

Jim gave a short quiet laugh as he turned the ring box to face her and then opened the lid.

"Oh," she gasped breathlessly as her gaze landed upon the emerald cut diamond set on a shining gold band. It was simple and elegant; gorgeous…bigger than she had expected. Colleen's engagement ring had been a one carat diamond…this diamond was bigger…that was definitely more than one carat.

"Do you like it?" he asked nervously; "Because if you don't, I'll get you something else. It's not a problem."

Her excitement made her giggle as she took his face in her hands and kissed him. "Are you crazy? I love it…I love it so much."

"Really?" he asked.

Johanna laughed, her eyes filling with tears again. "Yes. It's gorgeous and perfect. I know I shouldn't ask this, but how many carats is that because that's bigger than Colleen's."

Jim smiled; beating her sister's engagement ring had to be a plus. "It's not wrong to ask, sweetheart; it's three carats."

Her eyes widened as she looked at him. "Oh my God; did you have to sell a kidney to pay for this?"

He burst into laughter as relief filled him. "No; but don't go thinking I wouldn't; because I would have if necessary."

She kissed him passionately. "I would never want you to sell an organ to buy me something but that's sweet of you."

"You really like the ring?"

"Yes; I love it; it's perfect. I swear; I wouldn't lie to you about any of this."

His eyes gleamed with happiness and he smiled widely as he finally lifted the ring from its cushion and then set the box aside. He lifted her left hand, brushing a kiss against it before sliding the ring onto her finger.

"I love you," he said quietly as his gaze locked upon hers.

"I love you too," she whispered; her tears breaking free as she glanced down at the ring that now adorned her hand.

"Why are you crying?" Jim murmured as he brushed away her tears.

"Because I'm so happy," she whispered. "I'm so happy and I love you so much…I'm excited and surprised and so many other things I can't even name."

"They're all good things, right?"

Johanna smiled as she nodded. "They're all wonderful."

His hand cupped her damp cheek and pulled her close; capturing her lips in a series of heated kisses until finally he rose, his hands gently guiding her to her feet as well. Their eyes met for a long moment, her hand rising to caress his face. The soft light of the lamp caught on her diamond and made it sparkle and he couldn't help but feel like it matched the new sparkle in her eyes. He kissed her tenderly and then gently swept her into his arms. "Time to start the celebration?" she asked playfully.

He grinned as he turned toward the hallway. "Most definitely…and look; you're dressed in your special occasion nightgown."

Johanna laughed. "I knew I left it here for a reason…I just didn't know it would be for the best reason I could imagine."

Jim smiled as he carried her into his room. "I like making your dreams come true," he murmured before setting her on her feet and kissing her sweetly. "I always want to make your dreams come true."

"You do," she whispered. "In ways you can't imagine."

---

Johanna woke up early the next morning, still feeling like she was living in some sort of a dream. She raised her left hand to make sure her new ring was still there; and upon seeing it, she smiled and shifted her hand so that the muted winter sunlight that seeped through the curtains could hit the stone. It was so beautiful, she mused; and she wasn't quite sure she was worth the expense; Jim had likely paid a fortune for it but she appreciated it and loved him for it just the same. It was still hard to believe that this was really happening. He had proposed, she had a ring on her finger…they had spent a long passionate night celebrating the fact. She glanced over at her fiancé and smiled…fiancé…that was such a nice word. Love for him overwhelmed her; how could he have ever thought that his proposal had been done wrong? It had been sweet and romantic, it had been perfect; everything she had always dreamed of. She couldn't have been more surprised.

She wondered what her mother would say and for a moment she was tempted to call and wake her; tell her the news…but she held back; she wanted to tell her but not today; not just yet. She wanted to keep it to herself for a day or so; just enjoy the newness of her engagement with her fiancé. Johanna had to bite back a giddy laugh at the sound of that word in her head. She could so easily get used to using that term. The less pleasing thought of her father flicked through her mind for a moment, making her stomach dip as she knew she wouldn't be able to put off his meeting Jim for much longer. She knew they had talked about him going to her mother's with her for Christmas but the plan hadn't been concrete and Jim hadn't seemed too keen on it ever since the Thanksgiving debacle at his parents house…oh God; Elizabeth Beckett was going to be her mother-in-law. God help her. She had to swallow an anguished groan; the woman would probably have a stroke when she heard the news…or she'd try to think up a new way to poison her. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to vanquish thoughts of the nightmare mother-in-law she had just signed up for. Jim better never doubt that she loved him…willingly being related to his mother by marriage should be all the proof he'd ever need.

Still; she didn't want to be anywhere near by when Elizabeth Beckett got the news that Jim was marrying the woman she vowed would never have his name.

Thoughts of her friends flicked through her mind; she knew Maggie and Sally would be happy for her…but a tiny part of her couldn't wait to shove that gorgeous ring in Sharon's face and say 'look, what I got' just because she was still a little stung from previous comments her secretary had made about Jim never marrying her. She smiled; that just went to show what Sharon knew…and to make it even sweeter; her diamond was prettier than Sharon's.

Johanna knew that was a petty thought but she couldn't help it…sometimes Sharon deserved petty thoughts for the way she acted. She was going to keep her word too; Sharon wouldn't be her maid of honor…she could be a bridesmaid but she wouldn't hold the title she had always intended for her. No; her maid of honor would be Maggie; Maggie had been there for her more than Sharon had that year and she was the one deserving of the title. If Maggie would for some reason decline; although she didn't think she would; then it would go to Valerie.

She shook her head; what the hell was she doing already planning her bridal party? She hadn't even been engaged for twenty four hours…hell; she hadn't even been engaged for twelve hours yet. She didn't even want to tell people yet and she was plotting a bridal party. That had to stop; there was no need to get ahead of herself; she was enjoying the moment; reveling in the newness of being promoted from girlfriend to fiancée…and that was a good enough feeling.

Without her notice; Jim woke beside her, realizing that his fiancée's head was no longer resting on his chest although he could feel her warmth next to him. Fiancée, he mused; turning the word over in his mind. A few months ago that word and thought frightened him…but now it felt so right. His father had been right; it wasn't too soon; he wasn't rushing. They'd been dating for six months…and had been together in one way or another for nearly four years. The time was right and there was no fear now; just relief that she had said yes without question. He turned his head to look at her and found Johanna studying the sparkle of her new diamond ring in the morning sunlight. A soft smile was on her lips and he couldn't help but smile in response.

"You like it?" he asked quietly.

His voice startled her but the smile remained on her face. "I love it," she murmured happily; shifting slightly to rest her head on his shoulder.

Jim pressed a kiss against her hair. "I wasn't sure if you would or not…the stone is a decent size but the ring itself is somewhat understated."

"That's why I love it. It's elegant and simple, just the way I like. It's not gaudy or flashy. It's just right."

"You're sure? Because if you want to pick something else, I'll understand."

She moved back to her own pillow so that she could face him. "Jim; why did you pick this ring?"

"Because it was the one I could imagine on your finger…it looked like it would suit your hand and I thought it was prettier than the others."

"Then why would I ever want something else? I love this ring; it's gorgeous and it's the one you chose for me. No other will do."

A smile came to his lips as he took her hand and kissed it. "Then I won't mention it again."

"Good," she replied; amusement in her eyes. "I'd hate to have to smack my fiancé."

He gave a quiet laugh. "I wouldn't want you to have to do that either."

"Especially when we have better ways to spend our time," she remarked as she brushed a kiss against his shoulder.

"I can't argue with that," Jim said as he pulled her back into his arms. "I figured I'd wake up this morning and find you on the phone with your mother."

Johanna shook her head. "I'm not ready to tell anyone yet."

Worry suddenly gnawed at his gut. "Why not?"

She smiled at him. "Because I just want it to be ours for a little while. I'll tell her tomorrow night if I go over for dinner…but until then it can just be ours. This one little wonderful secret we have just to ourselves for a little while; you know what I mean?"

Jim gave a nod. "You want us to have the weekend to enjoy it by ourselves before we have to share it with others."

"Yeah; we can just have our little bubble, just the two of us enjoying the moment. If you don't mind that is."

"I don't mind at all, sweetheart. It sounds good to me."

Johanna kissed him and then settled back down against his chest; happiness coursing through her veins at the thought that she'd wake up this way every day once they were married. She smiled; it really had been so unexpected. After marriage in a joking sense had led to a break up, she had figured that it probably wasn't in the cards for them; that she'd have to make do with being a longtime girlfriend instead of a wife and she had been willingly to do so as long as she could have him. She was glad that he had apparently changed his viewpoint though; she couldn't be any happier or any more surprised.

"What do you think your mother will say?" Jim asked.

Her breath was warm against his skin as she gave a short laugh. "Knowing her she'll say "When? We need to reserve the church." She'll be off and running within seconds…which is why she can wait another day or so."

His fingers threaded through her hair as he chuckled quietly. "So you think she'll be happy?"

"Thrilled."

"She likes me enough for a son-in-law?"

"She thinks you're wonderful," she assured. "I believe she had you pegged as her son-in-law the first time she met you; you're safe."

"That's good to know."

"My brother likes you too; you know."

"I like him too; unless he's going overboard with picking at you," Jim remarked. "I wouldn't let him get away with that."

"I think Frankie knows that; but the point is; he prefers you to be his brother-in-law over Paul."

"Can't say that I blame him, knowing what you've told me about him."

"Colleen hasn't been around you as much as Frankie has but I'm sure she likes you too; and I know Valerie does and Greg."

Jim laughed. "And Greg's vote is most important after your mother's."

"Absolutely," she said with a giggle. "He's my little man."

"I'm going to have to work harder at an agreement with him for sharing you."

"Well you know he can be easily swayed with French fries and cookies, that's gotten you in good with him."

"True; we'll have to take him to dinner again."

"And here I thought you didn't enjoy our little date night with Greg."

"Well it wasn't the evening I had planned when I came to the door…but it ended up pretty great anyway. I enjoyed it, I think you know that."

Johanna brushed a kiss against the underside of his jaw. "You're right, I do know it. You were having so much fun playing trucks with him when we got home."

"It's nice to be a kid again once in awhile," he laughed.

"I agree," she murmured. "I don't want to be anywhere nearby though when you tell your mother the news of our engagement. You should probably have medics on standby; she'll probably have a stroke in her outrage."

Jim rubbed his fingers against her bare shoulder. "Don't worry about her; she'll get over it. What she thinks doesn't matter. I love you and I want you to be my wife, and as long as you're willing, that's what you're going to be."

"I'm more than willing," she remarked. "It's all I want."

"Then you have nothing to worry about. You know my Dad loves you and so does Andrew. Michael and Natalie adore you, Madelyn likes you and the kids are crazy about you."

"And Lilly?"

"Grandma loves you and will be beside herself with happiness…and she'll want to teach you that cherry pie recipe for sure now."

"My grandma loves you too," she told him. "I forgot to mention her earlier."

"We won't tell her about that lapse on your part."

"I appreciate that," she laughed.

"You also haven't mentioned your father…I'm going to have to meet him eventually now, Jo."

She laid her fingers against his lips. "Let's not spoil the moment with thoughts of my father."

"Sweetheart; I can handle him."

It wasn't that she didn't think he could handle Frank McKenzie; it was that she wasn't sure she could handle it just yet. She didn't want her father giving Jim a hard time just because he was the man she loved. She just wanted to protect him…to protect them.

"Jo."

"I know," she murmured. "We haven't really made any final plans for the holidays because of what happened with your mom; and I don't want you to give me an answer about it right now because I'd feel like I pressured you; but if you don't come to my mother's for Christmas dinner; then can we wait until after the holidays when it's less stressful? I promise I'll take you to meet him as soon as the holidays are over if you decide not to go with me on Christmas…which is fine, by the way; I'm not going to pressure you about that."

Unlike what he had done to her on Thanksgiving, Jim thought to himself. He had pressured her into going and she had ended up being fed pecans and spent the rest of the night miserable with hives. They didn't need to rush into a meeting this week anyway.

"Alright, that's a good plan" he finally replied; allowing the topic to drop. He didn't want to pop that bubble she wanted to keep them in for the weekend. "What should we do today to celebrate?"

Johanna laughed. "I'm surprised you're asking; I thought your number one choice would be to stay right where we are."

"I'd be lying if I said the thought hadn't crossed my mind…because it is a very appealing thought after all; but then I thought you might have something in mind that you wanted to do…and then we could get back to this."

She breathed deeply in contentment. "I don't care what we do as long as I'm with you."

Jim glanced at the clock. "It's still pretty early; so I say we linger here for awhile…and then, maybe around lunchtime if the city isn't buried under too much snow; maybe we can venture out and wander around a bit."

"That sounds nice."

An idea suddenly popped into his head and he smiled. "Maybe I can call in that favor today and get us into Tavern on the Green tonight to celebrate our engagement."

Johanna's eyes lit up. "That would be wonderful; the perfect special occasion for going there."

Jim tipped her face up for a kiss. "I'll make it happen this time, sweetheart; I promise."

---

Later in the morning, after breakfast had been eaten, Jim and Johanna retreated back to bed, taking the newspaper with them to share as they waited for the city to shovel out and open for business. Johanna looked through the store ads absentmindedly; her new engagement still filling most of her thoughts…and odd little doubts trying to poke through her bubble of happiness. She didn't want thoughts poking her bubble…but they were. She laid the ads aside and tugged the sleeve of the black t-shirt she had stolen from Jim's drawer back up on her shoulder. Maybe she needed to go back to sleep for awhile…maybe she needed to be entertained. With those thoughts in mind, she snuggled back down in her spot, pulling the covers around her tightly. "We need a TV in here," she murmured.

"I'll get one," Jim promised as he read the day's headlines.

She gave him a small smile; she had heard that before but she said nothing as she closed her eyes. When they were married; there would be a TV in the bedroom; it made for cozy evenings and mornings when they were feeling lazy, she mused. It was nice to think about them being married; of being together every night…it made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

And then those damn doubts and questions started poking her bubble again.

Johanna sighed softly; why did her brain always have to do this to her? Why did she always have to question things? Questioning things always tied her stomach into knots…but she couldn't deny that the questions were good ones. What had caused this sudden change in Jim? A few months ago a joke about marriage and picking out rings had sent him running; they had broken up all because he felt like she was rushing them into something he wasn't ready for, and in her opinion, had no desire to do at any time. So why now? What had changed to make him decide that he was ready to do this?

Was it because of her pregnancy scare back in October? Or was it because sometimes they still got caught up in the moment and he didn't always do his share of exercising caution? Maybe he was afraid that her pill would fail. She hated thinking such a thing; she knew that Jim loved her; she didn't doubt that at all…but still; something had to have changed his mind.

An even more distressing thought came to mind; he wasn't doing it to spite his mother in some small way; was he? He did sometimes make comments to his mother about marrying her whether Elizabeth liked it or not. It was also coming on the heels of their Thanksgiving disaster. She frowned; she didn't want to think that spiting Elizabeth had anything to do with this. Jim loved her; she knew that…knew that he clearly had planned on them being together for a good while when he told her that they'd have a baby in a few years when they were more settled. But he hadn't mentioned that they'd be married when that baby came along…well, the evening of Sharon's wedding he had made the comment that if they were going to have a baby that they should do it right and be married first…but she thought he had said that because he assumed she was depressed about her best friend getting married; even though she hadn't been depressed about it.

She breathed deeply; why did she have to think these things…thinking only made her want to talk about it to feel better and she was afraid to broach the conversation. Bringing up the questions could possibly lead her to having the shortest engagement in history. Was it worth it? Did she really need to know? Yeah…she kind of did need to know…she didn't want someone to marry her for the wrong reasons; even if the wrong reason only amounted to an ounce of the main reason. God she hated her brain.

"Jim," she heard herself murmuring; her stomach twisting into a million knots.

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?"

Jim laid the newspaper on the nightstand and shifted to lay beside her. "Anything, sweetheart."

Johanna hesitated, her fingers clutching the comforter and sheet. "Promise you won't get mad?"

"Oh God," Jim muttered; "This can't be good."

She cringed. "It's okay; it wasn't important."

"Jo," he sighed.

"Let's just forget it," she murmured hurriedly. "Really; it was stupid."

"I don't think we can forget it now," he replied; "So you may as well spit it out."

She shifted uncomfortably; wishing she had kept her mouth shut; that she didn't listen to her wayward thoughts so much. It only got her into trouble.

"Well?" he asked. "What is it?"

"I was just…wondering, what made you change your mind?"

"About what?"

Johanna bit her lip as she held his gaze; unsure of whether her question would dismantle their newborn engagement. "About marriage?" she murmured.

Jim shifted beside her. "What do you mean what changed my mind? I told you not too long ago not to count me out; didn't I?"

"Yeah, but…"

"But what?"

"Well…you know…we broke up over a joke about marriage. You thought we were moving too fast and that I was out ring shopping."

Jim sighed. "I told you I was being an ass," he said in exasperation. "Why can't you accept that?"

"Honey; I never denied that you were being an ass," she remarked. "I'm just asking a question; I'm not trying to start anything; honestly, I'm not…it was just something that came to mind this morning…why you went from feeling like you were being rushed to being ready within a few months? I'm not trying to make you angry."

He blew out a breath; he supposed that he couldn't blame her for wondering once the surprise had settled a bit. "That's not an easy question to answer."

Her gaze darted away for a moment and then returned to his face. "Was it because I thought I was pregnant awhile back?"

"No," he answered honestly. "I mean it made me think a lot about things but it didn't lead me to this decision in the way you mean…I think it made me less afraid of it though; if that makes any sense."

"Maybe," she murmured. "We talked about having a baby one day…that's a big commitment."

"I know…and a part of me realized that if I wasn't afraid to have a baby with you then there was nothing to worry about when it came to marriage. I was never against marriage; back when we broke up; there were just a lot of things in my head when that joke got made and I allowed those things to blow that moment out of proportion. But let me ask you something; if you think I have the wrong intentions; why did you say yes?" he asked; a touch of tartness in his tone.

Worry swept across her features and she clutched the blanket more tightly. "I said yes because I love you and I want to marry you…I…well…even before we were dating; there was this part of me that saw you as the only man I'd ever want to marry. When I'd think of the future; you were always there with me. It probably seems silly to know that I thought those things even before we were together, but I did…that's why I did anything I could to convince you to give us a chance.'

He softened; hearing her say that she always saw the future with him…because his father had told him that one of the ways he'd known he had found the 'one' was if he could picture the future and see her there. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to accuse you of anything," he murmured as he brushed a lock of hair of her shoulder.

"I didn't mean to sound like I was trying to accuse you of anything either," she murmured. "I was just curious I guess. I don't know why my brain thinks up the things it does."

Jim smiled, his index finger caressing the line of her jaw. "It's alright; I like your brain."

An amused grin touched her lips. "I'm fond of yours too…especially lately; its been coming up with very nice ideas."

He laughed. "That must be your good influence over me."

"Maybe so, imagine how good you'll be once you marry me," she teased.

"Don't get carried away; you might make too good and you won't be able to stand it," he replied, ticking her side.

Johanna giggled. "I'll use my power wisely."

He gave her a wicked grin. "You use your power for good…and I'll use mine for leading you into temptation."

"Like you don't already," she laughed.

"You do have a point," he stated before capturing her lips in a long, slow kiss.

Her hand moved, her fingers splaying against his cheek, the morning sunlight making her diamond glitter without their notice as their eyes met. "I'm so excited," she murmured; a shy smile coming to her lips.

"Are you still?" he asked. "I thought maybe the questions had come to mind because your excitement had waned."

Johanna shook her head. "No; not at all. "The shock wore off but the excitement is still off the charts."

"Is that right?"

"Mhmm," she said; her fingertips slipping from his face to dance across his bare chest. "So very excited."

"I still wish I had done it better," Jim remarked; his eyes following her gaze to her new ring.

"It was perfect," she murmured; her eyes meeting his once more. "Don't say otherwise."

"If you insist."

"I do."

"Have we decided what to do today?" he asked; his hand moving against her silk clad hip.

"Well; if we're going out to dinner tonight to celebrate; I'm going to need to buy a new dress. It is a special occasion after all."

A teasing smile curled the corner of his lips upwards. "Does that mean you'll be buying new special occasion underwear too?"

She grinned saucily as she gently pushed him onto his back and shifted over him. "Oh I'd say it's probably a requirement…and if you're a good boy; I might just let you pick them out," she said, her tone teasing and seductive as she caught his mouth in a kiss.

"I have never been so excited to go to Macy's in my life," Jim remarked.

Johanna laughed. "That can be your engagement present."

"I'll take it," he said; "Just don't be surprised when we come straight home after dinner."

Her eyes glittered with amusement and happiness. "I don't recall insinuating that we had plans to stay away from home for very long tonight…did I?"

"No; you didn't seem to," he quipped, his hand slipping beneath the hem of her nightgown and moving sensuously against her thigh; "But I didn't want any misunderstandings marring these special occasion proceedings."

"Oh I think it's a pretty safe bet that we're on the same page this weekend," she replied.

"Good to know," Jim said as pulled her closer to kiss her while he slowly eased her nightgown upwards.

"I thought we were going out," she murmured between kisses.

"We will…but this first…and then I'll call in that favor while you're in the shower," he told her. "I've got this all under control."

"Are you sure about that?" she teased as he tugged her nightgown up over her head and tossed it on the floor.

"Absolutely, sweetheart."

Her hand found his, their fingers entwining as they shared soft, passion filled kisses. "Everything feels different, doesn't it?" she murmured; a touch of awe in her tone. "At least it feels different to me…does it feel different to you?"

Jim nodded. "Yeah; it does feel different."

"You know," Johanna said softly; "I feel like the last few months everything has felt so much deeper…like we grew so much closer."

"We have," he agreed; drawing her back for another kiss.

"I know…and I wasn't sure it could feel any greater than that…but today, everything feels different than it did yesterday," she said; that coy smile tugging at her lips. "Like all that closeness went even deeper than I could've imagined. I feel like my whole world looks different…all because you love me enough to want to me as your wife."

Jim cupped her face, his lips brushing against hers softly. "You're the only woman who can fill the role…no one compares to you, Johanna. No one ever has, now one ever could…it's you and only you…I'm just glad you overlook my stupid moments and want to be saddled with me for the rest of your life because I'm not letting you back out of it now, so you're going to have to keep me."

She giggled softly. "Only for forever."

"Sounds like a good deal to me."

Johanna kissed him. "Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?"

"For proving that fairy tales come true."

He smiled. "I'm no Prince Charming."

"You are in my eyes," she said softly before capturing his lips in a kiss. "Don't say otherwise."

His eyes glittered with love and amusement, his hand moving to slide around her bare back. "You should probably occupy me if you don't want me say things."

Her laughter filled the quiet room. "Oh I'll keep you occupied; don't you worry about that," she said sassily.

Jim grinned. "I'm so far from worried, sweetheart. There are no doubts in my mind whatsoever."

---

Jim sat outside the dressing room at Macy's; his elbows resting on his knees and his hands clasped as he tried to wait patiently, Johanna's purse sitting beside him in the chair and he couldn't help but wonder if this was a glimpse of his future…of Saturday afternoons spent waiting for her to make up her mind about which dress was the best before finally putting him out of his misery. She had already tried on and modeled five dresses for him…and he had told her quite sincerely that she had looked beautiful in all of them…and they all had been rejected. He sighed; the promise of letting him pick out her special occasion lingerie was only going to carry him so far.

A man about his father's age chuckled from the chair across from him; making his head raise, his gaze colliding with the man's. "Newly married?" the man asked. "You have the look of a man who hasn't been through the art of dressing room waiting just yet."

Jim shook his head. "Engaged."

The older man's eyes lit up. "Ah; definitely a rookie then. How long have you been engaged?"

He glanced at his watch. "About 14 hours."

His companion chuckled once more. "Well she's getting your training started early, isn't she?"

"I guess so," he quipped. "I take it your wife is in there?"

The man nodded. "She's always back there…I'm afraid they might start charging her rent one day. They know me and my credit card by name here."

Jim laughed. "On average; how many dresses does it take before one is found?"

His companion looked thoughtful for a minute. "Well; the least is three; so I'll say somewhere between three and twenty."

"Damn," Jim muttered; "I've only seen five."

"As you gain more experience in this area; you'll learn what reaction your woman wants to a dress…and you'll learn to give it correctly at the exact moment you're tired of waiting."

Jim couldn't help but grin. "Then how come you've been sitting here longer than I have?"

"Because after 40 years of marriage; sometimes you just live to torment her by not giving her the reaction she's looking for," the man declared.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked.

"Sometimes…and sometimes you just don't know what the hell they're looking for because no reaction works."

"That's not a happy thought," Jim replied.

The man smiled. "It's not so bad once you get used to…after all; Violet's always worth the wait. What about your girl; is she always worth the wait?"

He smiled as he nodded. "Yeah; she's always worth it."

"Well then you'll learn to grin and bear these moments when you get taken along for a shopping spree…sometimes they reward your patience…and since your engagement is still practically a newborn; your rewards are assured for at least a week."

"Oh yeah?" he said with a grin. "Now that's a pleasant thought."

"Isn't it though?" the older man said with a wink. "I saw your girl; she's a beauty; where did you find her."

"She is beautiful," Jim replied. "I met her at work."

"Secretary?" he asked. "I had her pegged as a model or a dancer."

"She's a lawyer."

"Really?" he said with interest. "A pretty girl like that is a lawyer…makes me want to go get arrested so I have need of an attorney."

"What would your wife say about that?" he asked lightly.

"She'd let me sit in jail and then hire me the ugliest male lawyer she could find."

Jim laughed. "Somehow I had a feeing it might go that way."

"So are you a lawyer too?" his companion asked.

"Yes."

"Is working with your wife going to be an issue at work? Will one of you have to leave?"

"No; there's another married couple that works there; there's no problem with it."

Before the man could ask another question, Johanna stepped out of the dressing room area. "What do you think of this one?" she asked.

Jim's breath caught as he looked at her, taking in the sight of her in the black lace sheath dress she had plucked from a rack on the way to the dressing room with the dresses she had already rejected. The dress molded to her body; the neckline and cap sleeves modest; the lacey look of it was classic; the hem was daring by her usual standards; short and flirty…and truth be told, the sight of her in it took his breath away. "Gorgeous," he murmured.

A smile broke across her face and she leaned down and kissed him. "I'll get this one," she said before turning back toward the dressing rooms. "I'll be right back, honey."

The older man Jim had been talking to laughed quietly. "Well, my boy; you just found the reaction; try to remember it; you'll need it later in life."

"I'll keep it in mind," he replied. "Do you have any regrets about the whole thing?"

The other man shook his head. "No; not one regret. I'd marry her again tomorrow if she wanted me to. Are you having regrets already?"

"No; I feel like everything is right in the world at this moment. It's all I want."

"Then you won't ever regret it."

Jim was sure he felt the same way as Johanna returned with the new dress slung over her arm with her coat. "Now that you found the dress; are we going to shop for…" he began to say; a touch of excitement in his tone, but Johanna laid her fingertips against his lips.

"Yes, honey; we'll shop for everything…I wouldn't break a promise like that."

He kissed her fingertips. "Let's go," he said as he handed her her purse.

"Is my wife still back there or did she sneak out a back way?" the man asked as he caught Johanna's eye.

"You mean Violet?" she asked.

"Oh good; she's making friends again," he declared.

She laughed softly. "She's almost finished; I think you'll like the blue dress she keeps trying on. It's very pretty."

The man gave her a wink. "Thanks for the tip; I'll make sure the blue one wins. You two have a nice day."

"You too," Jim told him as Johanna's hand slipped into his.

They headed toward the lingerie department and Jim squeezed her hand, giving her a grin as he eyed her. "I really get to pick what you get for under this new dress?" he asked quietly.

"Yes…but I get to veto anything I don't like," she replied.

He released a dramatic sigh. "I should've known there was fine print of this deal."

Johanna nodded. "Yes; you'd think that given your profession you would've expected some small print."

"I believe at the time of the deal you were in the process of luring me into your web of seduction so I can't be held accountable."

Johanna scoffed. "Like I really had to try hard to lure you."

"That's beside the point."

"Uh huh, always is when you're losing," she teased.

Jim tweaked her side as they moved through the tables of lingerie. He spotted a pair of black panties and picked them up for her to see. "These are nice," he said. "I like these…I like them a lot."

Johanna smirked at him, plucking them from his hand and putting them back on the table. "They're practically see through."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," he replied as he picked them up again.

"I am not wearing those."

"Why not? They have a little bit of a fancy design; see, it looks like little flowers."

"They're still see through."

"I'm still not seeing the problem."

"I like to leave something to the imagination," Johanna replied.

"But if you're taking them off anyway, what does it matter? Because we both know you're taking them off," he said with a suggestive grin.

"Look at you, all sure of yourself," she quipped. "I'm not wearing those. What if the wind blew my dress up?"

"For one, you'll be wearing a coat. Two; that dress isn't going to move an inch, trust me. Three, why be modest when I've already see it all?"

Johanna smirked at him. "The argument could be made that since you've already seen it all, then why does it need to be so on display?"

Jim shrugged. "Because it's like a sneak preview of a movie you've already seen but you keep buying tickets to see it again and again and again because it's your favorite."

She plucked the underwear from his hand once again and put them back on the table. "It's a no...find something else."

"I don't understand," he sighed.

"I know, honey," she said as she patted his arm. "You just don't understand that those look slutty and I don't have a slut pile in my drawer."

"Do you want to start one?" Jim asked. "Because if you do, I, as your future husband, will support you in that endeavor, seeing as how I'm the only one who will have the benefit of seeing the collection."

"Oh my God," Johanna said as she pushed him away from the table. "I can see that this was a bad idea."

He shook his head. "Not at all; so you didn't like my first suggestion; my next one will be better."

"It's not like it could get worse."

"See; now you're showing faith in my ability," he replied with a laugh. "Let's see what we have here…these are definitely out because they're yellow," he stated, waving a hand at the garments.

Johanna smiled. "Good boy."

"See; I know what I'm doing. No yellow…and apparently until I can convince you at some other time, nothing to see through like."

"Mhmm."

"I think you've got plenty of white," he declared as they moved past a table full of white lingerie. "It doesn't seem like a 'white underwear' kind of special occasion. It's not pink either…pink seems a little too innocent for the mood we're going for. It's not blue either."

Johanna's brow rose. "I wasn't aware that these occasions had a color code."

"Well now you know," he quipped. "Special occasions demand something exciting; white and pink and blue are every day…but for a special occasion such as this, you need something that expresses who you are."

"Oh boy; this feels like one of those moments where you could be possibly digging yourself a hole."

"No; not at all," Jim declared. "I've got this all under control."

"That remains to be seen."

"Trust me," he remarked as he looked over the options available. His gaze settled on a pair of small red lacy panties and he smiled approvingly. "These," he declared as he picked them up. "These are the ones."

"My dress is black," Johanna stated.

"That doesn't matter," he said with a shake of his head. "You explained all that to me, remember? You said if you're wearing white; then you have to wear white underneath because dark colors show through. If you're wearing black; you can wear anything you want because nothing shows through black."

"I didn't realize you took notes."

"Sweetheart; I'm totally devoted to you…right down to the underwear; that's why I'm always so anxious to help you out of them."

Johanna swatted him. "You better stop," she laughed; a blush spreading across her cheeks. "Anyone can hear us."

"It's okay; I'll marry you," he quipped.

She grinned. "Oh I know you will; there's no getting out of it now."

"Then we have nothing to worry about…and these are my selection for our special occasion."

"Really? Red? Don't you think I should get black anyway because it'll match my dress?"

"No; I told you, you need something that expresses who you are…your dress is classy and ladylike; and these," he said, waving the underwear at her; "They're red hot and spicy; they're definitely you; they scream sassy…so you see; you'll be classy on the outside, but we both know you're sassy underneath," he told her with a slight leer.

She couldn't help but laugh. "Well; I guess when you put it that way."

"That's it, sweetheart; give in to it; you know you like these."

"I do," she admitted; grabbing them from his hand to check the size and seeing that he had the right one, she snatched up the matching bra to go with them. "Are you happy now?" she asked.

"Ecstatic…are we done now?"

"No; now I need shoes."

"Oh God," Jim muttered. "That's going to take forever. Keep in mind that our reservation is for eight."

"It's not going to take that long," she chastened. 'You'll survive…I did just let you pick out my underwear."

"I might need more compensation than that if this trip to the shoe department lingers too long…if it goes over ten minutes; you have to get the first pair of underwear I picked up too."

"Fine," Johanna told him; "But don't go getting your hopes up. I know exactly what pair of shoes I want; I saw them the other day."

"I can dream if I want," he declared. "Remember; dreams come true."

"I remember," she said; "But that one might have to wait awhile longer."

Jim smiled and held up her hand so she could see her engagement ring. "I've got plenty of time to convince you."

"That's true," she murmured, slipping her arm around his waist. "And I'm so excited for all of it."

---

After a late lunch, Jim and Johanna joined the throng of people window shopping despite the slush of snow and the cold air of early December slapping their faces. They paused at a newsstand; Jim wanting to pick up one of the city's other popular newspapers and a sports magazine that had caught his eye. As he looked over the other selections, Johanna browsed the magazines that she liked; grabbing the new issues of People, Cosmopolitan and Redbook. She grabbed the new TVGuide and then her gaze landed on an issue of a bridal magazine and her heart did a small flip in her chest. She was going to be a bride…she was still trying to wrap her head around that. One day it had seemed unlikely…the next it was done deal. She didn't want to get ahead of herself…didn't want to fly into crazy bride mode like her sister and Sharon had done. There was no need to rush; no need to start thinking about things like dresses and yet her gaze remained glued to that magazine.

Johanna silently chastened herself for feeling the urge to ask for a copy; it wasn't like she hadn't ever seen a bridal magazine. It wasn't like she hadn't gone through hundreds of them with Colleen and Sharon. They didn't hold any secrets; there was really nothing to be gained from them…but the argument could also be made that there was nothing to be gained from the People Magazine in her hand either…except entertainment. But bridal magazines weren't bought for entertainment. They were bought for wedding planning.

"Too soon," she told herself silently…and yet she wanted it.

Jim chuckled at her side and she tore her gaze away from the magazines to glance at him. "What?" she asked.

"You're already eyeing up bridal magazines," he laughed.

A blush spread across Johanna's cheeks. "I wasn't purposely seeking them out."

Jim didn't doubt her word; she hadn't made a single mention of when wedding plans should start being made or an idea of a date. He could easily recall Phil's complaint that the ring had been on Sharon's finger for a total of ten minutes when she wanted to start talking dates and venues. If he recalled correctly; his brother had mentioned that Natalie was out looking at wedding dresses the day following his proposal. He had a feeling that he might be a bit luckier than Phil and Michael; Johanna would want to take a little time…she wasn't asking about dates, venues or dresses…she just wanted a magazine; and no matter what she said; he knew she wanted it.

"Get it if you want it," he told her, his hand brushing against her back.

Johanna shook her head. "I've been engaged for less than twenty four hours; it's too soon to be buying bridal magazines."

He laughed. "Is there a law that says you have to be engaged for a certain amount of time before you buy a bridal magazine?"

"No," she said with a smirk; "But I think it would be jumping the gun."

"Why?"

"Because then I'd be like Colleen and Sharon."

"You're not Colleen and you're not Sharon…magazines didn't make them crazy; they made themselves crazy."

"I don't want to be like them," she told him. "I don't want to be like that at all."

"You won't be," he assured. "I really don't see the harm in buying the magazine if you want it…you're just looking at it; you don't have to go do anything it says yet."

"I can wait," Johanna said. "It's about upcoming spring wedding ideas; we're not getting married in the spring; that's too soon."

"Well that doesn't mean there aren't other things in there that you might want to read or look at."

"I really shouldn't…it's too soon for me to buy a bridal magazine."

"It's too soon for you to buy it?"

"Yes," she said with a nod. "It's too soon."

"Okay," Jim said with a nod as he took the magazines from her hand to add to the selections he had made. He handed them to the man running the stand and nodded at the bridal magazine. "Throw that in for her."

"Jim!"

"What? You said it was too soon for you to buy it; you didn't say anything about me buying it for you; therefore, it's not your fault at all that you ended up with it."

The man chuckled and added the magazine to their pile. "Women," he said.

Jim smiled. "I know; but what are you going to do?"

"Apparently marry them anyway," the man said. "Congratulations."

"Thank you; I'm sure she'll be back for more of those magazines when an appropriate amount of days has passed, so get used to seeing her."

"That won't be a hardship for me at all," he stated.

Jim eyed him as he handed over the money for the magazines. "Hey; she's practically married; you just look at her, that's as far as you go."

"Don't worry," he told him. "My wife would kill me if I did more than admire."

"She'd have to get in line," Jim said lightly.

The man put their magazines and newspaper in a bag. "I don't think your girl's face could get any redder at the moment."

"Yeah," he replied with a nod; "She's cute when she blushes…and usually not so silent. I think she's still in shock from the proposal; it hasn't worn off yet."

"I think I'm ready to go," Johanna stated. "Are we done here?"

"I don't know; do you see any other magazine you might need that you think you can't buy yet because the timeframe isn't right?"

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "One is plenty; we'll ease me into this bridal magazine thing."

Jim laughed and accepted his change as he thanked the man behind the counter. "Where too now, sweetheart?" he asked as he slipped his arm around her.

"I think I'm ready to head home for awhile," she answered. "I'm getting cold and before long we'll have to start getting ready to go out tonight. Unless there's somewhere else you wanted to go before we head home?"

"No," he admitted honestly. "I'm all for going home for awhile. We've got to rest up for the rest of the celebration."

"Why do I have a feeling that isn't as innocent statement as you'd like me to believe?" Johanna asked.

He smiled. "Because you know me too well, sweetheart…in fact; we have to get married because we know too much about each other."

Amusement lit up her eyes as she melded into his side. "You're right; we have to get married; we both know way too much…we're going to have to keep each other; not that I mind a bit."

"I don't mind either," he replied. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

---

"Well what do you think?" Jim asked after he and Johanna had been seated at their table in the Crystal Room of Tavern On The Green that evening.

"It's beautiful," Johanna murmured as she looked around the room; taking in the sight of the gorgeous crystal chandeliers and the elegant tables draped in luxurious fabrics and set exquisitely. The room carried a soft glow courtesy of the candlelight flickering from each table. "I'm so glad we were able to get in...especially for such a special occasion."

"Only the best for you, sweetheart," he answered.

"Who owed you this favor that you called in?" she asked curiously.

"Well its more like a favor of a favor...Andrew owed me a favor for a certain lie I covered for him...which on the grounds of brother confidentiality I can not disclose. Andrew was owed a favor by a colleague who is the brother of someone in management here...so he cleared the favor he owed me by calling in one of his own and here we are."

"One hand washes the other," she said with a laugh.

"True; I'm just glad there were a few hands that needed washed this weekend."

"Me too; I can't imagine a more perfect place."

Jim was relieved that Andrew had come through for him; the proposal plan might have gotten away from him but at least the celebration plan didn't have to be altered. "I guess we did end up saving this place for a special occasion," he remarked.

Johanna nodded. "Its funny how that worked out, isn't it? Ever since they reopened we've been saying we'd wait for a special reason…I had no idea it would be this one."

"To tell you the truth, neither did I but I'm glad it worked out so well," he quipped. "It couldn't have gone better if I had planned it for this reason."

She grinned. "I guess we can pretend that you did if you want to build up your ego a little."

Jim chuckled. "Alright; in the official telling of the story; everything went according to careful planning…and the ring was present at the time of the proposal."

"That's still bugging you, isn't it?"

"Yes," he said with a nod. "I blew rule number one; propose with the ring."

"I don't believe there are any set laws about how to propose," she replied.

"I'm pretty sure if we found a book about it that rule number one would be to have the ring with you."

Johanna gave a soft shake of her head, a smile clinging to her lips. "If there is a rule that says that; it's clearly a rule that is allowed to be broken when the occasion calls for it. Some women like a spontaneous moment that isn't tailor made and following a script. I loved it just the way it was, I wouldn't change a thing…especially since we were outside; what if you had the ring and dropped it in the snow? Do you think I would've let you leave the park without it?"

"Sweetheart, with the price that ring cost me; I would've called out the damn National Guard to help find it. No one would've gone home until it was located and glued to your finger."

She laughed. "Well then you see it was best that you gave it to me at home; we avoided any unwanted accidents and possible frostbite."

"Well I have to admit that dropping it or losing it in public never occurred to me which is making the at home setting seem better," Jim admitted; "But now that you've put the thought in my mind; it does fit your finger alright, doesn't? Do we need to take it and have it sized?"

"It fits fine," Johanna assured; wiggling her finger to show him that the ring wasn't sliding or in danger of coming off. "It's a 7; that's the size I wear. If it was loose in any way, I wouldn't wear it out in public until we had it fixed but it's perfect. Please stop worrying."

That was easy for her to say, he mused; she didn't see the amount he had to write on that check…but he couldn't say that, and so instead he smiled and gave a nod. "I just wanted to be sure."

"I know; but I promise it's fine; it fits and I love it."

"Okay; I won't say anything more about it."

Amusement gleamed in her eyes. "Good; I wouldn't want to have to punish you by refusing to allow you to see the items you picked out earlier today."

"You can't do that," Jim told her; "The constitution is against cruel and unusual punishment. You don't want to break the law, do you?"

"No; but if I have to, I will."

"You definitely don't have to," he declared.

"I should hope not; that might mar our memories of this occasion," she quipped.

"We wouldn't want that," he said as the waiter appeared at their table to take their order for drinks and their meal.

"Do we want wine or champagne?" Jim asked Johanna. "Your choice."

"Champagne," she replied. "I think it's more fitting; don't you?"

He smiled. "Yes; it should definitely be champagne."

"Celebrating?" the waiter asked.

"Our engagement," Johanna answered, a soft smile lighting up her face.

The waiter smiled politely and congratulated them before asking for the rest of their order and then hurrying off to fulfill their request.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" Jim asked, his gaze still upon her and that soft smile that had been clinging to her lips on and off since the night before.

"Yes; but it's always nice to hear again," Johanna replied; "And you look very handsome as always."

He grinned at her. "I know, I can see you struggling to keep your hands off of me."

She laughed. "No; I think that might be the other way around…you did want to check and make sure I was wearing everything that I bought today."

"That was purely innocent," he replied. "I was just showing you that I'm going to be an attentive husband."

"Mhmm."

"I will be; you'll see."

"Oh I don't doubt that," Johanna said sincerely as she reached for his hand. "And I will always try my best to be the best wife possible; I promise you that."

He smiled and gave her hand a squeeze. "I'm not worried; I know I'm in good hands. I just want you to know that you're going to be in good hands too."

"I already know that; you already take good care of me. You make me feel loved and appreciated and special…and a million other things in between. I just hope I make you feel all of those same things."

"You do," he murmured. "You always have…and I know you always will."

"I love you," she said softly. "I know I've been saying that a lot since last night but I just can't stop saying it."

"I don't mind," Jim replied, a small smile touching his lips. "I love you too."

Johanna held his gaze, feeling like a silly school girl who wasn't bothered with trying to keep all of the love of her heart under control. She knew she probably looked like one of those empty headed girls who always had a smile pasted on their lips but she couldn't help herself. She loved him so much; she was so glad that he was hers…that he had chosen her to be his wife…she was so damn excited. Like she had told him that morning, everything felt different now; different and new and exhilarating. She couldn't imagine being any happier and she wanted that feeling to last forever.

"What are you thinking about?" Jim asked, his tone quiet as his eyes remained upon hers.

"How much I love you; how happy I am…how excited I am," she replied with a soft laugh. "I feel so many things."

"Me too," he replied; "Mainly relieved that you said yes."

Johanna laughed. "Like there was any real chance I'd say no."

"Hey, you never know," he said with a chuckle. "You might've surprised me."

"Not a chance in hell, honey. I'm all yours."

Before Jim could reply, the waiter returned with the bucket of chilled champagne that he placed by their table. He opened the bottle and poured them each a glass and then promised to be back quickly with their food.

Jim picked up his champagne glass and gestured for her to do the same. "To us," he said.

"Forever and always," she added.

"Forever and always," he repeated as they clinked glasses and took a sip.

"That's good champagne," Johanna commented.

"It is but I would've rather kissed you."

She smiled. "You can do plenty of that later."

"You can count on that."

Johanna took another sip of her champagne. "Did you tell Andrew while we wanted to come here?" she asked.

'No; I just told him that we've been trying to get in. I can't tell any relatives about our engagement yet."

"You mean until after the weekend?"

"No; I mean until Christmas."

Johanna gave him a puzzled look. "Why?"

"Because if I tell any of them before the holiday, then they might slip up and tell Mom and that will ruin her Christmas gift."

Her brow rose. "Her Christmas gift?"

Jim nodded. "I'm going over there on Christmas morning and announce our engagement while she's in the middle of eating her standard Christmas morning pancakes and scrabbled eggs. Merry Christmas, Lizzie."

"You're not!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, I am," he declared. "That way I can tell everyone at once and it gets to be her gift…she gets the knowledge of a brand new daughter-in-law as her present."

"So basically you're giving your mother a stroke for Christmas?" she asked.

"Pretty much," he replied; "But I figure it's only fair; she poisoned you for Thanksgiving. I'm still surprised that you're willing to marry me knowing that she's going to be a part of your life…although I will make every effort to make sure it's a very small part and I will always test your food before you eat it if you ever decide to share a meal with her again…and if you don't; I don't blame you at all."

Johanna smiled. "We'll worry about future dinners when we come to that bridge; and just for the record; I'd never allow her to keep me from marrying you as long as you want me…and as long as revenge isn't the motive for our marriage."

"Not at all, sweetheart. I was already planning on asking you before Thanksgiving blew up in our faces. You can even ask my Dad; I talked to him about it, he'll tell you."

"I believe you, honey…but if you've talked to your dad about the idea of proposing don't you think he might've mentioned it to her?"

"No; he keeps my secrets; especially that one."

"That's good; I wouldn't want your holiday plans to be ruined…although she'll really hate me now."

"She'll just have to get over it."

Johanna grinned. "Just promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"If I ever hit her, you'll tell the cops that it was self defense; she hit me first."

"Sweetheart; I'll have it put in the vows, if you want."

Johanna laughed. "No need to go that far; just promise me."

"I promise…and if Andrew's there, he'll follow my lead."

She was quite for a moment. "Do you really think they'll be okay with it?"

The arrival of the waiter left her question hanging in the air as their meal was put in front of them but as the waiter left, Jim met her gaze. "Will who be alright with what?"

"Your family…with you marrying me?"

"Of course," he replied. "I already told you that. My father loves you; he has from the first moment he met you. Andrew likes you and so does Michael and Natalie. Grandma adores you; the kids will be ecstatic, especially Angie; she'll be so happy to upgrade you to Aunt Jo; she'll probably start before we're even married; there won't be any stopping her."

"I don't think your sister cares much for me; at least sometimes it seems that way."

"I told you; Maddy is like one of those people with multiple personalities; don't pay her any attention when she's having one of her mood swings. Everyone is going to be fine with it."

"Except your mother."

"No one asked for her opinion anyway," Jim quipped as he picked up his fork. "Speaking of mothers; have you decided when you're telling yours?"

Johanna nodded. "Yes; I figure I'll go over for dinner tomorrow; if I don't show up she'll know something is up; especially with my father being out of town. I never bail when he's not there. Is it okay for me to go ahead and tell her tomorrow or would you rather I wait until around the time you're telling your family?"

"No, sweetheart; go ahead and tell your mother tomorrow night; I don't mind and I don't expect you to wait. You know we're not going to be able to keep it a secret at work, so she should know before our closest friends and enemies."

Johanna laughed. "Melanie's just going to die when she hears the news."

"Make sure to show her the ring," he said with a wink. "Put it right up in her face so she gets a close up."

"Don't tempt me."

"While you're at it; shove it in Sharon's face for those comments she made a few months ago," he remarked.

"I'm thinking of waiting to see if she notices it on my finger."

"That's a good idea; and then if someone figures it out before her, she can stew about not being the first to know."

Johanna smiled as she swallowed a bite of her food. "I take it that you didn't mention to Jeff that you were planning on doing this."

"Hell no; I couldn't take that chance…and don't get me wrong, I trust Jeff with my life but it would be just my luck that he and Maggie would go out for a few drinks and he'd tell her what I was up to and she would've tipped you off and that would've ruined everything. I had to let him in the dark this time."

"What do you think he's going to think of that?" she laughed.

"I have no idea but I'm sure he'll let us know."

"Oh I'm sure. I guess if Colleen isn't at Mom's tomorrow, I'll have to tell her at a different time…I'm looking forward to that."

"Put her in the wedding party and buy her an ugly dress, sweetheart; Sharon too."

She laughed. "Believe me, when the time comes, I'll make them sweat it out about ugliness."

"That's my girl."

"I'll need to go to Brooklyn and see Grandma…of course it's likely that Mom might notify the whole family ten minutes after I leave tomorrow night."

He laughed. "Well that will save you time and you can still go see your grandmother."

"Very true. It's so much to think about, isn't it? Telling everyone and anticipating reactions."

"It is," Jim agreed; "But for the rest of tonight and tomorrow until you go to your mother's; the only two people in the world are you and I…we're all that matters."

Warmth spread through her body; her heart fluttering wildly. "I always feel that way with you," she murmured.

"Then put the rest from your mind," he told her. "It's all about us this weekend."

She rubbed her foot against his leg. "Do you think they'll let us take what's left of the champagne home with us?" she asked; her voice low and amorous; "Because I'm pretty sure we're going to want to go straight home after dinner."

Jim grinned. "Really? I don't have to take you to a movie or anything?"

"That's right…we'll go do something tomorrow."

"It really must be a special occasion if I'm getting away with just dinner and then straight home with a bottle of champagne," he remarked; "And trust me; we're taking that champagne home; because if the waiter says no; I'm having him go get the guy Andrew knows…and I'm going to let him know what Andrew told me and I assure you that we will have no difficulty leaving with this bottle."

She giggled. "You're a man on a mission."

"Apparently you've got a mission of your own, Miss McKenzie."

"You're right, I do…I want you all to myself…behind closed doors where we can do whatever we want."

"I'm definitely marrying the right woman," Jim quipped.

"I know you are," she teased; "And I'm marrying the right man; aren't we so lucky?"

"We sure are," he replied happily. "We got the best the world has to offer."

"We sound a bit conceited, don't we?"

"Yes; but who can blame us."

"No one I care to hear from," she replied. "We're all that matters tonight."

"That's right; no one matters but you and I."

---

Late that night, they laid beneath tangled sheets; their hands entwined; buzzed on champagne and each other as Best of My Love played on the record player. "You're still going to love me when I'm old?" Johanna murmured, her fingers sliding against his as she matched her palm against his.

Jim smiled. "Yes; are you still going to love me when I'm old?"

"Of course; I'll love you always."

"You're not going to be like some of those women who don't want to take their husband's name because they think it means a man owns them, are you."

"No, I'd never be like those women," she replied. "I can't wait to share your name; I want the whole world to know I'm yours."

"Good; because I'd be disappointed if you didn't want it."

"There's nothing I want more," she murmured before brushing a kiss to his lips. "I can't wait for the first time someone calls me Mrs. instead of Miss."

"Mrs. Beckett," he stated.

She grinned. "I love the sound of that."

"I love the thought of you answering to it."

"Are you going to be one of those men who doesn't want to wear a ring because they don't think it's manly?"

"No; sweetheart; if you're wearing a wedding ring, then so am I; that way you know I'm letting everyone know that I belong to you and you alone."

"Good," she whispered; the smile still clinging to her lips; "Because I would've been disappointed."

"Don't worry; we're going to do it right, sweetheart; you'll have my name and I'll wear a ring; just the way it's supposed to be."

"Can I ask one thing that sounds like wedding planning but I swear to you I'm not jumping into that right now, it's just a question."

Jim chuckled and brushed a kiss against her bare shoulder. "Go ahead, sweetheart."

"Is it alright if we're married by a Catholic priest? The ceremony doesn't have to be Catholic; I don't care about that; I'm fine with the standard wedding ceremony that doesn't take as much time but I know it would be important to my Mom and my Grandma that a Catholic priest marry us. Would you mind that? I mean I know you're not Catholic and if you don't want that, it's alright…"

Jim silenced her words with a kiss. "It's fine with me," he told her. "I don't mind at all."

She smiled. "Thank you."

"It's not a problem," he murmured; "And one day when we have our baby; if you want it to be baptized Catholic; that's fine too. That's the tradition in your family and I'm all for you honoring that if it's what you want."

"We could compromise on that," she said; "If it's a girl; we'll baptize her Catholic like my family; if it's a boy, he'll be baptized in your religion."

"Sounds good," he replied; "Because really in my opinion it's all the same thing anyway."

"Your mother doesn't share that opinion."

"No one asked her anyway," he laughed.

She smiled. "I guess that means we're still going to have our baby that we already talked about."

"Most definitely, sweetheart; I promised you a baby…we're going to have our baby one day. We already have the booties."

"I'm looking forward to the day I see them on tiny little feet," she murmured as he brushed her hair back from her face.

"Me too," he smiled.

"Do you want a boy or a girl?"

"I don't care as long as it looks like you," Jim answered.

"Maybe I want it to look like you."

He shook his head. "No; it has to look like you or we're sending it back."

Johanna giggled. "I don't think that's how it works."

"We'll see," he laughed. "I don't want as many as Michael though; I think that's too many…my parents were just crazy having five; someone always felt left out about something or that they weren't getting enough attention at times and I don't want to ever make a kid feel that way."

"You're right; I wouldn't want a kid to feel that way either; we're definitely not having four. I'll be happy with one; but if God wants us to have two; that could be our limit if you want."

Jim nodded. "I think that's reasonable…and we could always change our minds later on if we decided we were crazy enough to want more than that."

"Right; but I bet you want a boy."

He smiled. "And I'm sure I wouldn't lose any money betting that you want a girl."

"I can't deny that," she replied with a soft laugh. "I'd love to have a little girl one day."

"Maybe that dream will come true too," he murmured.

"Maybe…but we don't have to rush into that as soon as we get married. We can have some time for just us first."

"I like the sound of that," Jim admitted. "We should enjoy being married first."

"I agree."

"Where do you want to go for our honeymoon?" he asked.

She laughed. "You're already planning our honeymoon?"

"Sweetheart; I'm always looking for an opportunity to run away with you. Now where would we like to go?"

"Hmm; somewhere beautiful."

"Anywhere is beautiful as long as you're there," Jim told her.

Johanna caught his lips in a kiss. "You're a smooth talker, Jim Beckett."

"That may be but the statement stands as truth in my eyes," he replied; drawing her back for another kiss. "Where should we go?"

"I don't know…somewhere with a beach," she murmured. "I love the beach."

"So we're looking for a tropical destination," he remarked.

"Is that alright with you?"

"God yes; that means you'll be in a bikini all day; there's nothing wrong with that idea; I assure you."

'I should've known," she giggled.

"That's right; you should've known. Now we just have to decide where this beach is that we want to go to."

"There's a lot of possibilities…I'd like it to be away from the east coast though. Too many relatives on this side of the country."

"I love the way you think," he replied. "We're now aiming for a tropical destination that is in the vicinity of no one we know."

She laughed. "How long do you think we can get away from work for?"

"If we don't take any of our vacation time until we get married; we should be able to have two weeks for our honeymoon."

"That sounds wonderful…two weeks of just you and me on a beach."

"Makes me want to marry you tomorrow," Jim commented.

"My mother wouldn't stand for that; she'd be robbed of planning," Johanna declared. "You don't want to be on her bad side."

"Of course not; the bad side of mothers is already being covered by Elizabeth Beckett; we don't need a second one."

"That's the truth. Jim…"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think that one day we could have a house instead of an apartment?" she asked softly. "I mean not anytime soon; not right when we get married; but one day?"

Jim nodded, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "Yes; sweetheart; we'll get a house one day."

She smiled. "I've always wanted to have a house of my own…I just feel like it's so much better than an apartment. More cozy; more personal."

"I agree; and we both grew up in houses; we know what both are like. We'll get a house one day, I promise. I'll give you all of your dreams that I can."

"What about you?" she asked. "What dreams can I give you?"

"You already gave me my dream," he murmured. "All I ever wanted was you; and somehow I've convinced you to keep me in a permanent way. All you have to do to make my dreams be a reality is just promise that you'll always be mine."

"I promise to always be yours," she whispered; her lips brushing against his. "I promise to love you with everything I have in me; to make you happy, to give you everything I can. I'm going to be the best wife I can for you; I'll take care of you and do anything I can for you…and when we have our baby; I'll be the best mother I can be for our child. I'll do anything I can to make you happy all of your life; to make sure you know that I love you every day…that no one could ever love you better than I can."

"I already know that," he told her before kissing her. "You're going to be the best wife there is, I have no doubt. I just hope to be an equally good husband."

"You will be; I'm not worried," she replied. "You know; you're the only man I could ever picture becoming my husband…and I'm so glad that dream is coming true. I'm so glad I found you…that I get to keep you. I love you so much…you have no idea how much."

"I think I do," Jim said as he moved over her, his hand cupping her face as he looked down at her. "All I have to do is think about how much I love you."

She smiled; her eyes filling with tears of happiness. "I just want to stay like this forever."

He kissed her tenderly. "We've got all night."

"And so many more to come," she said happily as he swiped away the tear that fell onto her cheek.

"I hope that's a happy tear," he murmured.

"It is," Johanna replied with a nod. "So very happy."

---

Johanna hurried up the steps to the door of her parents house the next evening; shoving her key into the lock and letting herself in. She quickly shed her coat in the entry way and hung it up along with her purse before moving into the spacious living room where the kitchen table was always moved to the side of the room for the Sunday family dinner.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Mom," she said as her mother's gaze collided with hers.

Naomi smiled. "That's alright dear; you have a minute before dinner is ready. Go get yourself a glass of wine."

"Oh no wine for me," Johanna replied; wincing slightly as she thought of the amount of champagne she and Jim had drank the night before. "I'll have a soda."

"Why don't you want a glass of wine?" her mother asked. "You usually always have one."

She wasn't quite ready to share her big news so she made up a plausible explanation that really wasn't a lie at all. "Jim and I went out last night; we over indulged a bit."

Naomi raised a brow. "I do hope the two of you are careful when you're out drinking."

"We weren't out bar hopping, Mom. We had drinks with dinner…and we took the bottle home with us."

"Because drinks with dinner weren't enough?"

She sighed. "There didn't seem to be any point in letting it go to waste. We figured if we finished it at home, at least we'd be safe. It's not a big deal; it's not like we do that all the time."

Naomi gave her one of those expressions that hinted that she was having one of those pained moments that mothers often had. "Of course dear; I'm sure you're responsible."

She tried to refrain from rolling her eyes but Frankie's quiet snickering from across the table egged her into it without thought. Her brother was always good for making her react like a thirteen year old. "Where's Colleen?" she asked.

"Your sister is having dinner with her in-laws," Naomi answered.

"Again?" she asked as Greg demanded her attention from his high chair.

"Yes," her mother remarked; a note of distaste in her tone at having been thrown over once again for the Westons.

"I see you, little man," Johanna said as she made her way to the high chair to kiss her nephew and ruffle his dark hair. "How's my sweet boy today?"

"He dumped out a carton of milk on the kitchen floor and found it hilarious," Valerie stated.

Johanna smiled at him. "You didn't do that did you? Is Mommy making up stories about you? I bet Daddy did it."

"Daddy did it," Greg repeated.

She laughed and kissed him once more. "That's all you ever need to tell her, sweetie."

"Jo," Valerie chastened with a laugh.

'What?" she asked as she returned to her chair. "The boy is entitled to an attorney when he has charges against him."

"I'm never going to win if you teach him to call his lawyer every time he's in trouble," her sister-in-law teased.

"Those are the breaks, Sis," she replied with a grin. "He's my little man; I'll help him wiggle out of it."

"No doubt in my mind," Valerie replied.

"So Mouthy," Frankie said; breaking into the conversation. "What made you late tonight?"

Johanna arched a brow at him. "What; are you taking Dad's role since he's out of town?"

"I am the man of the family when he's away," he remarked; quoting the speech Frank had always given him throughout his childhood when their father's business took him out of town.

"Mhmm; if you must know; I lost track of time."

"Oh?" he said. "And what were you doing that caused you to lose track of time?"

Johanna smirked at him. "None of your business, big brother."

"Uh huh," he replied; "I know what that's code for. We're going to have to ask your boyfriend his intentions."

"I don't think that's going to be necessary," she quipped.

"I'll be the judge of that," he teased.

If he only knew, Johanna thought to herself; the ring on her finger going unnoticed for the moment.

"Let's not have any of that talk," Naomi remarked.

"It's nothing like that," she told her. "We went to see the show at Radio City Music Hall; we got out a little later than expected and there was traffic on the way here."

"Jim brought you?" her mother asked.

"Yes; he usually always drops me off."

"Why didn't you invite him in!" she exclaimed. "He could've joined us for dinner!"

"I did," she replied. "He said that had monopolized me all weekend; I could have some time with my family."

Frankie smirked in amusement. "Which means he wined, dined and bedded her and now she can do what she wants for what's left of the weekend."

Johanna's eyes narrowed as she thrust her leg out under the table and kicked her brother in the shin. "Shut your mouth, Frankie. My relationship isn't cheap like that."

Frankie rubbed his leg. "I was only kidding; lighten up."

"That will be enough, Franklin," Naomi declared as the timer went off on the oven. "Apologize to your sister."

"For what?"

"For being crass!"

"Apologize, Frankie," Valerie stated firmly. "Now."

Frankie sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Johanna."

"Don't do it again," she told him as she got up to help her mother bring the plates to the table.

Johanna held off on her announcement as dinner got underway; listening politely to the success her brother had recently had at work; landing a large contract for the company; listening to Naomi's trials and tribulations with her newest crop of piano students at the church and Valerie giving an account of Greg's check up earlier in the week.

She made comments when necessary; spoke of a few work related items to fill in some of her week but she kept quiet, her ring going unnoticed for the time being…and in all truth, she was waiting for someone to notice. The moment came when she picked up her glass of soda to take a sip, the light catching on her diamond without her realizing it.

"Christ, Sissy; where'd you get the rock that's on your finger?" Frankie asked; slipping back to the first nickname he'd had for her long ago; the one Colleen still occasionally used as well.

"Oh, this?" she asked, holding up her left hand. She heard a sharp intake of breath from her mother's end of the table and she braced herself as she kept her attention on her brother; Valerie's eyes growing wide as she studied the ring and which finger it was on.

"Yeah; that," Frankie said. "Where did you get that?"

"From my fiancé," she answered, a bright smile spreading across her lips.

"Fiancé?" Valerie repeated as Naomi's fingertips fluttered against her lips. "Jim proposed?!"

"Yes," she said with a giggle that told of how giddy she was.

"Oh that's so wonderful!" Valerie exclaimed as she got up from her chair and rounded the table to hug her sister-in-law. "I'm so happy for you and I need to hear everything about it. I'm so excited!"

"Me too," Johanna laughed as she hugged her. "So very excited and surprised."

Valerie squeezed her one more time and then moved back to her chair as they waited for Naomi's reaction with bated breath. "Bambina," she said softly; "You're getting married?"

"Yes, Mama," she replied; the smile stubbornly clinging to her lips.

"Is that thing real?" Frankie asked as he continued to study the ring.

"Yes it's real!" she exclaimed.

"How many carats is that sucker?" he inquired.

"Three."

"Holy hell, what did you do to that man to earn a three carat diamond?" Frankie asked. "That had to cost a small fortune."

"I guess he felt like I deserved it," she replied; unable to find it within her to be offended by her brother's words. Chances were he wasn't trying to be offensive anyway…and she was still a bit in awe of the diamond resting on her finger.

"You're getting married?" Naomi repeated.

"Yes!" she giggled. "Is it really so hard to believe? Did you think I was that hopeless?"

"No! of course not," her mother replied. "I'm just surprised; it seems so sudden. When did this happen?"

"Friday night," Johanna answered; her smile softening as the memory rolled through her mind.

"And you're just now telling me!" Naomi exclaimed.

The comment knocked the love haze off her face and shook her back to reality. "When was I supposed to tell you?"

"Right away!" her mother declared.

Johanna smirked at her in amusement. "We were kind of busy…making phone calls at that moment would've seemed rude."

"Johanna Elizabeth," Naomi chastened as Valerie laughed softly from her seat.

"What? I waited two days…Frankie and Valerie waited two months," she told her.

"What!" she exclaimed as she eyed her son and daughter-in-law. "Is this true?!"

"Way to go big mouth," Frankie stated. "You've just been waiting to use that one, haven't you?"

She offered him a small smile. "I had no idea how handy it would be."

"Do you mean to tell me that you didn't tell anyone for two months?" Naomi asked.

"I knew before you did," Johanna added.

"How?!" Naomi exclaimed.

"I told her," Valerie answered. "I was so excited I had to tell someone and Johanna called me the next morning to go shopping with her; so I told her over lunch."

"Why didn't you tell me right away!?" Naomi demanded to know.

Frankie shrugged. "We just thought you might not be happy about it…you were having jealousy issues at times."

"Oh for God's sake," Naomi declared before turning her attention back to Johanna. "And what's your excuse for waiting two days besides your celebratory romp?"

Johanna cringed. "Can we not call it that?"

"Oh of course not; call it whatever you want; my attempts at decorum in this family have failed horribly. Now why didn't you call me! You could've called and woke me up in the middle of the night!"

"She was probably still busy then," Frankie remarked.

Johanna nodded. "That's true. But I didn't call right away the next morning and tell you because Jim and I just wanted to have it to ourselves for a little while before we shared it with everyone else. We've been celebrating all weekend…and not just like that, Frankie," she added as a quick after thought.

"I suppose I can understand that," Naomi replied. "It's a monumentous occasion for a couple…at least you didn't wait two months."

Johanna glanced at her and held her gaze. "I thought you'd be happier for me…you might be disappointed in how long it took me to tell you but I am completely disappointed in your reaction. You're giving me nothing to work with here, Mom."

"Well…" Naomi said before trailing off.

"Well what?"

"Are you sure you wanted to be saddled with the mother-in-law that comes along with this marriage?" her mother asked.

Johanna cut her a sharp look. "I'm not afraid of Elizabeth Beckett and I don't care what she thinks of me. I'm marrying Jim and she can get over it or go commit herself to a nut ward; makes no difference to me."

"I'm sure you can handle her," Naomi remarked as she picked up a forkful of lasagna.

Johanna sifted in her seat uncomfortably. "You do like Jim, don't you?" she asked; doubt in her tone.

"Yes; he's a very nice young man," her mother answered.

"I like him," Valerie spoke up. "He's good for you; he makes you happy."

Frankie nodded. "He's a good guy; way better than Paul…and for that alone I thank you for making a better husband selection than Colleen."

"There is nothing wrong with Paul," Naomi declared.

"Except that he was born with that stick up his ass and has the personality of a dead gnat," Frankie remarked.

"Franklin Patrick McKenzie Jr; I've had just about enough of your mouth tonight."

"You're no fun when Dad's out of town, Mom," he declared. "You get a little uptight."

"What's your problem with my engagement?" Johanna asked; feeling that there had to be a problem due to her mother's lackluster reaction.

"Nothing, Johanna…I just can't help wondering what brought this on so suddenly."

Her brow rose. "Meaning what?"

Naomi shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe we should speak more about it when we're alone."

"No; I think we should do it now."

Her mother sighed. "How far along are you?" she asked.

Johanna's jaw dropped open. "What!?"

"Mom!" Frankie exclaimed. "You talk about the things I say and you just asked her if she's pregnant? What the hell?!"

Valerie recovered from her own shock and looked at her mother-in-law in surprise. "Naomi, why would you say something like that? That's so unlike you."

"I didn't enjoy saying it," Naomi replied; "But given what everyone already knows…I mean I did have to hear from Jim's mother that you thought you were pregnant a few months ago…she's not wrong about one scare eventually leading to the real thing."

Johanna's eyes flashed with anger and hurt. "And you clearly think the only reason a man would marry me is if he got me pregnant first?"

"No; of course not," she said; her tone wavering as panic set in. "It's just that the two of you seem to lack a little bit of responsibility. With as sudden as this engagement has come about, I can't help wondering…especially given the things I heard recently."

Hot, angry tears stung Johanna's eyes; one breaking free and rolling slowly down her cheek as her face flushed with embarrassment. "I don't even want to dignify that question with an answer but I will; I'm not pregnant and as for being responsible; you know I'm taking birth control pills because you found them on my counter that one day. I thought you'd be happy for me and instead you think I must be pregnant for him to marry me. I didn't think anything could ruin how happy I was feeling but you accomplished it; thanks a lot, Mom; I love you too."

Naomi's gaze lowered in shame. "I'm sorry, Johanna. I shouldn't have asked you anything like that. I know that Jim loves you and you love him and that's the only thing that matters, I'm very happy for you. You know I've wanted nothing more than for you to be settled with a family of your own."

"I just can't believe you'd think I was pregnant," Johanna said bitterly. "I wish I hadn't even told you."

Naomi rose from her chair and moved to Johanna's side, hugging her tightly despite her daughter fighting against the embrace. "I'm so sorry, Bambina," she murmured. "Please forgive me. I am so happy for you. I love you and I'm so excited for us to plan a wedding," she said as she pulled back and cupped Johanna's face as she pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Please forgive me."

Johanna hesitated as she eyed her mother. "Please," Naomi pleaded, her hands still cupping her daughter's face.

"Fine; this time I'll forgive you," she said grudgingly. "Next time you won't be so lucky."

Naomi pulled her into another embrace. "There won't be a next time; I promise. It was a foolish mistake. Now tell us all about your proposal. I'm so excited. When are you getting married?"

"What do you mean when?"

"The date, dear," her mother said.

Johanna wiggled out of her grasp. "I just got engaged Friday night; we don't have a date yet!"

'Well you should set one soon so we can get a start on things," Naomi said as she moved back to her chair; her mind already off and running with thoughts of flower orders and wedding dresses. "We'll need a date before we can book a church," she went on. "And of course to order the flowers and everything. Oh and we'll need to go out looking for your wedding dress! We should start looking right after Christmas!"

Suddenly Johanna felt overwhelmed and she looked to Valerie for help. Valerie gave her a smile and a nod. "I think maybe we should give her a week or two to enjoy her engagement before the planning starts," her sister-in-law stated. "Don't you think so, Frankie?"

Frankie nodded. "Yeah; why don't you give the ring time to settle on her finger? You've done sent her from outrage over the pregnancy accusation to looking like a deer caught in the headlights with the sudden need for a date and a church."

Naomi smiled at her daughter. "I'm sorry, dear; I didn't mean to rush you…but don't let it go too long. If you give a man a chance at a long engagement, you'll be engaged the rest of your life."

Johanna sighed; she should've kept her mouth shut until after Christmas. "I'm sure that won't be the case with Jim. He wouldn't have asked me if he didn't want to get married."

"I know, dear…but don't wait too long; especially if you want a summer wedding; those dates always go first, you know. Your sister was lucky to get that date in May. What month are you thinking, just off the top of your head?"

"I don't know!" she exclaimed. "I just got engaged!"

"I know, Bambina; but you need to start thinking about these things while you're enjoying this new phase."

"Yeah; I will; after the holidays," she replied. "I'd like to just enjoy this moment first; if that's alright?"

"Of course," her mother replied. "You should enjoy it all you want. We'll have time after the holidays to start properly planning everything."

Johanna began to breathe a little easier, a small smile touching her lips. "Right; after the holidays when it's less stressful."

"You'll have to come over when your father gets back from his trip and tell him the good news."

"You can tell him," Johanna replied.

"Don't you want to tell him yourself?" Naomi asked.

"No; I'd rather let you have that joy," she said with a smile.

Her mother smiled; giddy to be able to start spreading the news. "If you're sure?"

"Oh, I'm positive; please go ahead and tell him when he calls tonight."

"I will; I can't wait to tell him; he'll be so happy for you."

Johanna smirked but picked up her fork to continue eating. "Yeah, I bet," she muttered but her mother missed the sarcasm her words carried.

"You're going to have to bring Jim by very soon so your father can meet him," Naomi stated. "He's met everyone except your father and that needs to remedied quickly."

And that quickly, Johanna's appetite was gone again.

Frankie glanced at Naomi and shook his head. "You're sucking all the fun out of her engagement, Mom. Now she looks like she wishes she hadn't crawled out of bed."

"The thought has crossed my mind," Johanna replied.

"It's nothing to get upset about," Naomi remarked. "You're lucky you've avoided it this long. Your father is going to want to meet the man you're marrying. You can't wait until the day of the wedding."

"Why not?" she sighed. "It seems like the perfect time to me. Dad's always happy at a place with an open bar."

'She's got a point," Frankie said with a nod.

"Yeah," Valerie agreed. "Frank was very happy at our wedding…and once the bar opened, he was very happy at Colleen's."

"That's enough out of all of you," Naomi declared sternly. "Johanna Elizabeth; you can not wait until the wedding and you know it. It's going to have to be done soon…I know it worries you but I promise your father will be on his best behavior. How about sometime this week?"

Her mind screamed 'too soon' and she tried desperately not to betray the thought. She didn't want to have this discussion; she'd already had it with Jim and that was more than enough. "Jim and I already discussed this; if he decides to join me here for Christmas dinner; they can meet then. If not; we'll come after the new year."

"I don't think Frank is going to want to wait that long."

"Well he will if he doesn't have a choice," Johanna remarked.

Naomi smiled. "You're sister thought that too until he just took it upon himself to show up at her office in hopes of catching Paul picking her up for lunch when they were dating…and he did catch them…and invited himself along…and I wasn't there to help control the situation…you don't want that to happen to you, do you?"

"No; God no," she muttered. "But I won't be bullied into doing it at the exact moment he specifies. They'll meet when the moment is right."

"I'm afraid the moment won't be tailor made to your satisfaction, dear. Really; you have nothing to worry about. I know how your father can be but he loves you and he'll just want to be sure that the man who's asked for your hand is worthy of you. That's what fathers do, Bambina."

"Then why on earth did Grandpa Calabrese hand you off to Dad so easily?"

Naomi narrowed her eyes at her. "He knew that Frank was a good man; a man with ambition and a young successful company which meant I would be taken care. That's all that mattered."

Frankie caught his sister's eye and grinned. "What that translates into is that Grandpa didn't care who his kids married as long as they had money and knew how to make more."

She couldn't help but laugh. "It does sound that way; doesn't it?"

"That's not how it was at all!" Their mother declared. "My father wanted to make sure the man I married was capable of taking care of me and giving me and my future children a comfortable life. Frank was capable of providing that."

"Then how come we didn't get to go to Disneyland?" Frankie asked. "That's a big blemish on the face of my childhood."

"Mine too," Johanna added. "Talk about not keeping the children comfortable."

Naomi glared at her children. "When are you taking Greg to Disneyland?"

"As soon as he's old enough to remember the experience," Frankie replied without missing a beat.

"Hey; if I have a kid by then," Johanna said; "Let's all go together; that way we can say we saw Disneyland together as siblings are meant to."

"Deal," he said as he raised his glass to her. "And we'll leave Mom and Dad at home in their comfort."

"Sounds good," she replied; "Just give me a couple of years."

"That was the plan anyway," Frankie stated.

"Not that I don't love to see the two of you getting along and bonding," Naomi stated; "But the fact remains, Johanna; that you need to make the introductions soon."

"Yeah; I will," she said as she stabbed her lasagna with her fork.

"Think happy thoughts, Jo," Valerie said as she fed Greg a bite of his food.

"Somehow happy thoughts seem to go to Sunday dinner and die," she replied.

"That is enough!" Naomi declared. "What has gotten into all of you tonight?"

"Nothing," Frankie said; "We're just being ourselves."

"This is a happy occasion; your sister is getting married; let's be a little more positive!"

"In all fairness, Mom," he said; "You started the down swing when you asked her if she was pregnant."

"Well I apologized and that's over now," Naomi exclaimed; "Now be happy, damn it!"

"Oh God," Johanna sighed. "I hope McKenzie family meals won't send Jim running in the other direction."

"I don't know why it should; his mother is the one who poisons people, not me," her mother stated. "Now settle down and tell us about your proposal."

Johanna tried to settle the nervous fluttering of her stomach as she took a breath and began to tell the story of her proposal.

---

As Johanna stood by the window waiting for Jim to pull up in front of her mother's house; she had to fight the urge to ask her mother to please stop suggesting wedding venues that Colleen had rejected. She wasn't even ready to discuss venues; let alone Colleen's rejects; but she smiled politely; nodded in the right spots and murmured assurances that she would indeed think about the places her mother had mentioned. Finally she saw the car rolling to a stop in front of the house.

"There's Jim," she announced as she picked up her purse from the stand and quickly kissed her mother's cheek. "I'll talk to you later."

"There's no need to run off," Naomi declared. "Go ask him to come in so we can discuss things."

"Mom; we really need to get going, we have to work in the morning."

"It's not that late, Johanna," she declared. "I'll just go outside with you."

Johanna fought the urge to smack her head off a wall as her mother grabbed her coat from the hook but then the phone rang and suddenly Naomi was torn. "That's probably Dad," she told her. "You should get it or he'll worry. You'll see Jim and I sometime soon I'm sure."

"Well that's true, I'm sure," Naomi said as she quickly embraced her. "Get home safely; I love you…and I'm so happy for you. Congratulations."

"Thank you, Mama," she whispered; pressing one more kiss to her cheek. "I'll see you later."

As Naomi hurried to grab the phone, Johanna hurried out the door with relief filling her. She quickly made her way to the car and got in, slumping into the passenger seat with relief. Jim smiled as he looked at her. "I'm pretty sure the last time I saw you that you looked purely blissful…because I made sure of it before I drove you over here."

"Yeah; well, if my mother asks; we caught the later showing at Radio City and not the earlier one and I was late because the show ran over and there was traffic."

"Got it," he said as he pulled out. "Did you tell her the news?"

"Oh yeah; I told her."

"And?"

Johanna glanced at him. "And she asked how far along I am."

"What?!" Jim exclaimed. "Seriously?"

"Seriously," she stated. "She thought I was pregnant."

"I expect that from my mother, not yours."

"Well if that's where my mother went from the first second; just imagine what you're in for with your mother."

Jim shuddered a little but shook off the feeling. "That's alright; I'm ready for Lizzie."

Johanna laughed softly. "Are you sure about that? No doubts about your holiday plans yet?"

"Nope; it's definitely her gift; Merry Christmas, Lizzie Beckett; you pecan poisoning…"

"Jim!"

"I'm still bitter," he declared; allowing the sentence she had interrupted to dangle without being finished."

"Well I'm a little bitter too," she admitted; "But it's alright."

Jim took her hand for a moment and gave it a soft squeeze. "How did it go once you told her you weren't pregnant?"

"Well, she apologized and launched straight into the 'when' question…when are we getting married. She doesn't even give you time to get used to being engaged and she's rushing you to the church," she declared.

He chuckled. "Well you did say that would happen."

"I was right," she remarked. "She's talking about dates, churches, wedding dresses…and I just want to have the moment I've got for awhile. I'm not interested in starting in on any of that yet."

"Don't let it bother you, sweetheart; there's no need to get started on that already. We're enjoying our moment; no one is going to get in the way of that or rush it for us."

She smiled, scooting closer as her hand landed on his thigh. "Let's go home and forget all about all the planning hell my mother will put me through sometime soon."

"Does that mean you want me to work my magic and 'make' you forget?" he asked suggestively as she scooted closer, her head laying against his shoulder.

"That's exactly what I meant," she murmured; her fingertips moving against his denim clad thigh. "I want you to make me completely blissful again."

As they stopped for a light, Jim pressed a kiss against her hair. "I promise to make you blissful as soon as we get home," he told her, his tone low and warm; sending a shiver through her body.

"Do you know what the best part of being engaged is?" she asked softly as the light changed and he began to drive again.

"What's that, sweetheart?"

"That I can think about all the nights I'll get to spend with you," she whispered. "All the nights and all the days…it's nice to think about."

"It is," he agreed. "All I ever want is every night with you."

Johanna brushed her lips against the line of his jaw. "I love you so much…I'm so very happy."

He smiled; wishing that he could pull over somewhere and hold her for a minute but there was nowhere to do that at the moment. Holding her would have to wait a few more minutes. "I love you too…and I'm happy too. I couldn't be more happy."

"Good," she replied. "Because I'm not letting you get away now."

Jim chuckled and dropped one hand from the steering wheel to squeeze her knee. "Don't worry, sweetheart; I'm yours. I'm not going anywhere."

Author's Note: It might be time to meet Frank in the next chapter…