Reflections Chapter 76- Temporary Exile - Part 2, a castle fanfic

A/N: Thanks for your reviews; and for the love and support offered to me on the passing of my grandmother. It's been a very difficult week and there are still long days to come but I appreciate knowing that you thought of us during this difficult time and please forgive me for not responding to reviews for the last chapter but I did appreciate them as always.

Chapter 76 – Temporary Exile-Part 2

The week wore on slowly with Johanna doing her best to divide her energy between work and trying to figure out details for the wedding so that she could prove to people that she was trying and interested…but she still felt like she was failing. She still didn't have a color scheme, although she liked the shade of pink she had mentioned to Jim. She didn't have a clue about where to have the reception…no inkling about meals or flowers or bridesmaids dresses. This trip to Baltimore, with the exception of business, was supposed to give her some respite from her stress...but it wasn't fully working…and that was her fault, no one else's. She just couldn't make her mind turn off, no matter how much she wanted to…no matter how many times Jim asked her to. The only time she could escape dwelling over the wedding and everyone's perception of her disinterest was when she was working…or when Jim had found something to distract her with.

She glanced across the table they were sharing at the latest restaurant he had found and she smiled a little. So far there had been dinners out every night; they had gone to the movies…they had gone to the Aquarium that afternoon after work as he had promised the day before. They had gone to museums and small little clubs. He was doing everything he could to keep her occupied. She loved him for it…and she enjoyed all the things they did together…but it didn't keep her mind from drifting back to wedding planning details.

"You're thinking awful hard over there," Jim remarked, breaking into her thoughts. "What's wrong? Do you not like the food?"

Johanna shook off her thoughts for a moment and gave him a smile. "No, it's nothing like that; the food is great. This is a nice place."

"Then what's on your mind?"

"The wedding," she replied.

Jim sighed. "Sweetheart, you're supposed to be taking a break from it."

"I can't just keep putting it off," she remarked; "I have to get some things decided…I keep telling you that."

"I know; and I keep telling you that you're pressuring yourself and that's why you can't decide anything."

Her brow arched. "Maybe I can't decide anything because no one is helping me."

"What do you mean no one is helping you? Isn't that why your mother is driving you crazy? Because she's desperate to help you…and you have Maggie as your maid of honor; isn't she supposed to do something?"

"Maggie will do what she's supposed to do when the time comes," Johanna replied. "As for my mother, she's more into the 'order me around' mode at the moment."

"It'll get done," he said as he took a bite of his potatoes.

Johanna sighed deeply, giving her fiancé an unamused look that he missed completely as he concentrated on his meal. She picked up her glass of wine and took a sip; maybe food would interest him in the wedding scheme of things. "What kind of food should we have for the dinner at the reception?" she asked.

Jim glanced at her. "I thought we were having cake like all people do."

"We are…but there's a meal too, Jim; you know this…you've been to weddings. We just went to Antonio and Isabel's in January."

"I forgot about the meal part; I remember the cake and drinking part."

She rubbed her fingers across her forehead. "The cake and drinking part is a given…I'm trying to get an idea of what the meal might be."

"Isn't that something you should decide with your mother?" he asked. "Isn't that part of her domain?"

"I'm sure she'll have some input but I thought maybe you'd like to offer suggestions since food is one of your favorite things," she remarked; trying not to lose her patience.

He shrugged. "I don't know anything about wedding food, sweetheart; you should do that with your mother."

Her eyes narrowed as she took another sip of her drink. "Is that right?"

He nodded. "I'm sure she'd know more about it than I would."

"I think you know quite a bit about food, Jim."

"Jo," he sighed; "As far as I'm concerned you can serve hamburgers and I'll be happy."

"I think you know that hamburgers aren't likely."

"Yeah; I know…I'm just saying…I don't care what food we have. No one remembers the food. They remember the cake."

"The guests have to be fed anyway, Jim."

"Isn't it too early to be thinking about that anyway? We don't even have a place for the reception so should we be worried about the food right now?"

Annoyance flickered in her eyes. "It doesn't hurt to think ahead. You know…like you think ahead on date nights."

Jim eyed her. "What do you mean?"

"Oh you know what I mean...you have certain expectations on date night…you take me out for dinner, maybe a movie or a drink…to hear a band…and the whole time you're thinking about the end of that date where there's supposed to be sex. Well let me go ahead and tell you right now, you're not inspiring me to be naked later…so you might not want to be thinking too far ahead tonight either."

"I'm not inspiring you to be naked?" he asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Not in the slightest."

"I can inspire you," he stated.

"Oh, yeah?"

He nodded. "All I have to do is get my hand under your dress; you'll be inspired."

"You're not getting your hand anywhere near my dress or anything under it," Johanna remarked. "I'm sleeping in my own room tonight."

He blew out a frustrated breath. "There's no need for that. This doesn't need to be a fight, Johanna."

"Then give me a goddamn opinion for a change," she retorted.

"So much for this trip being relaxing," he muttered.

"Just forget it, Jim," Johanna stated; "Forget I asked. Don't worry; I'll do everything myself and won't ask you anything because that's how you want it. So don't worry; I'm not going to bother you about it anymore. I'll let you know what time you're supposed to show up. Do you think you can at least manage that part?"

"I don't know, if this is the attitude you're going to have from now until August I might not feel too inspired," he said sarcastically.

Her features hardened. "I can take the ring off and we can cancel it now if you want," she said hotly.

"No," he said, forcing himself not to lose his temper as he had clearly already provoked hers. "I don't want you to take your ring off. I don't want you to cancel it. I just don't know what you want me to do; this is the stuff you and your mother are supposed to do. The wedding is about you…"

"I was under the impression it was about both of us."

"Yeah; technically…but everyone knows it's the bride's show...so…"

"So you shouldn't have to do anything for it?" she asked.

"I have done things. I got you a list from my parents of people to invite. I helped pick a date and a wedding party…I'll buy the rings. I kind of think wedding law dictates that the rest is yours, honey," he told her.

"Well, darling," she said, her tone somewhat biting; "I'll make sure not to trouble you with woman's work again. Please forgive my critical error in asking you to have an opinion. I know how hard that is for a man to do when he has to shift his thinking from below the belt to above the neck."

Jim gave her a small smile. "Now don't be like that. We both know how weddings go…it's the bride's doing."

"Yeah; I got your message, Jim. You're not going to help me; now I know and I won't ask again. You can rest easy."

He sighed once more as silence fell over the table; it was going to be a long five months. Fighting hadn't been in his plans for this trip…but then again neither was her constant need to find some detail to settle about the wedding. He glanced at her seeing that her jaw was tight, her gaze on her plate as she pushed her fork through her potatoes without bothering to lift it to take a bite. He didn't want this to turn into a long drawn out argument…he did have those concert tickets to surprise her with and he didn't want that spoiled. "I don't want to fight, Jo," he told her after a few moments.

"We're not. I know what I need to know; we're good," she replied.

"It doesn't seem like we're good."

"Perfectly fine," Johanna told him.

"Perfectly fine is never a good statement when it comes from your lips," Jim said as he picked up his drink to take a sip. "I've heard 'perfectly fine' before and it's never good."

"I said it's fine, Jim; don't worry about it."

"Oh God, that's even worse," he muttered. "Can we just get through this quickly…because I have a surprise for you Saturday night and I'd like for you to enjoy it."

"I'm looking forward to whatever you have planned," Johanna replied; and normally she would've been more inclined to needle him into providing a few clues…but tonight she couldn't find it within her to ask for hints even if it was expected of her.

"Jo," he murmured. "Please…I want us to have a nice time. What do you want to do after dinner?"

"Go back to the hotel."

His brow rose, a small smile playing on his lips. "You're feeling inspired?"

"Nope. I'm feeling tired. I think I'll just read and then go to bed early."

"You did that last night."

"Yes, I did…it went well so I think I'll do it again."

"But I was lonely," Jim replied. "You were asleep before me."

She shrugged. "That's how it is sometimes…there have been times when you've fallen asleep watching TV with me so don't like this is a one sided thing."

"I know it's not a one sided thing…but I also know it's what you do when you're mad at me. I mean I know you weren't mad last night but tonight you are…so…I know it's an anger thing this time."

"I'm not angry, Jim. It's always good to know where things stand…and now I know you're not interested in helping me decide things and that's fine. I'll do it myself."

He frowned a little as she gave her attention back to her plate; he supposed it wouldn't kill him to offer up a suggestion about the food. "Alright…what about steak for the dinner?" he asked.

"Steak!" she exclaimed. "Are you crazy? Do you know how much it would cost to provide everyone with a steak dinner?"

"It shouldn't cost you anything; your parents are supposed to pay for it."

"Well they haven't mentioned that so I'm assuming that I'm paying for it and it would cost me a fortune to feed everyone steak."

"Why don't you just ask your parents if they're contributing?"

"Because I'm not," Johanna replied. "If they bring it up that's fine but I'm not going to be the one to do it."

"Maybe that's why you're having a hard time deciding on things…you're worried about the cost because you think you're the one paying for it."

"I most likely am the one paying for it, Jim."

"It's tradition though for the bride's parents to pay. They paid for your sister's wedding."

"Yeah, well, that doesn't mean Dad's going to pay for mine."

"I'm sure he will."

"We don't know that for sure. He knows I make a good living so he might say I can take care of it myself which is fine…I don't expect him to pay for things for me anymore; I'm a grown woman…but I'm not buying everyone a steak dinner."

"Well you already vetoed hamburgers."

"We can't have hamburgers unless we're getting married in someone's backyard. I would like an outdoor reception but not in my parents yard."

"Do you want my parents yard? It's got a lot of flowers already in it; that would save you some money."

Johanna narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you calling me cheap?"

"No…I was offering a solution and saving whoever pays some money."

"I'm not getting married in your parents backyard and I'll want flowers that match our colors…whatever they end up being."

"So definitely no burgers…I still think steak sounds good," Jim remarked. "If your parents do pay can we have steak?"

"No! I'm not going to make my parents spend a fortune on steaks."

"Fine," he muttered.

"Maybe we can have chicken," she mused out loud.

"Fried chicken?" he asked hopefully.

"No! You're supposed to have a more refined chicken dish."

"If it's not fried chicken then what's the point in having chicken?" Jim asked.

"To have some class," Johanna replied.

"I'm not worried about being overly classy."

"Well I'd like some class," Johanna remarked.

"I don't want our wedding to be snobby and prissy, Jo."

Her brow rose. "I didn't realize I was a snob; when did that development occur?"

"You're not a snob…but if you get too fancy with a dinner people might think we're going for a snobby affair and that's not what I want. I'd rather have fried chicken and be thought of as a fun wedding."

"Well why don't we just break out paper plates and plastic forks too while we're at it," she replied, sarcasm dripping from her tone. "I mean how dare I want a little bit of elegance for my wedding day."

"See, it is for the bride," Jim said with a smile; "You said it was for both of us but it's really your show, sweetheart."

"I just want to have a little bit of class, Jim," she said tartly. "If people are going to talk about our wedding I want to be for good reasons."

"I'm sure it will be no matter what's served. What about fish?"

"Eww!" Johanna exclaimed, wrinkling her nose in distaste. "You know I don't eat fish and I sure as hell don't want a fish smell at my reception."

"Then I don't know what to tell you, Johanna. Serve the damn cake and let it go at that. People are mainly there for cake and free booze; they don't give a damn about elegant chicken."

"That's what you think," she remarked; "And we're probably having chicken."

"I'm sure your mother will be pleased with your decision making," he said sarcastically.

"I'm definitely staying in my own room tonight," Johanna retorted. "I may even lock the door."

Jim blew out a breath. "I don't know why we had to go from a nice dinner to arguing about this. You wanted suggestions, I gave them to you and you vetoed them on the spot so I don't know why you asked."

Johanna sighed in disgust. "Fine, Jim; I'll spend a small fortune on steak to make you happy. I sure don't hear you offering to chip in on the expense."

"I'm not supposed to; it's your parents job. I'm supposed to pay for the license and the rings."

"Tradition says that you're also supposed to buy my bouquet but don't worry, I'll take care of it. I wouldn't want you to overextend yourself or risk taking on a job that might not be yours in your mind," Johanna said as picked up her glass and took a sip.

"I've never heard that tradition," Jim replied; "But I'll be more than happy to buy your flowers."

She scoffed slightly as she scooped up a bite of her dinner. "Don't worry about it; I'll buy my own damn flowers."

A feeling of remorse flicked through him as he took in the look on her face and it made him glance down at the turquoise colored napkin lying next to his plate. That was a nice color he thought to himself…it made him think of the ocean…and they had chosen August not just because it was her favorite summer month but also because that's when they had taken their road trip. It was a small nod of commemoration to that trip that had deepened and changed things between them which lead them to becoming a couple several months afterwards. She had asked him to think of a color a few nights before and he hadn't given it a second thought…but now maybe he had found one.

"I have a color I like," Jim said quietly, catching her attention.

"What is it?" she asked.

"This one," he said, holding up the napkin. "I like this color."

"Turquoise," Johanna murmured as she studied it.

"Yeah; it makes me think of the ocean…and we've made a lot of good memories by the ocean…and we're going to Hawaii for our honeymoon so that's more ocean side memories. Is it a wedding color?"

Johanna nodded as she picked up her own napkin. "Yeah; I can see this as a wedding color…and I like the sentiments behind it…we do have good memories at the ocean…and it's a very nice summer color."

"So it's a good choice?"

"It is," she smiled; "And that darker, brighter shade of pink I want would go well with it I think…it would make it pop and we'd have some white mixed in of course. I like the idea of it…it's bright…I just really didn't want those soft pastel colors that everyone does…and I didn't want to be too bold with reds or greens…but this color and the pink should be just right…that pop of color for summer. I like it."

"It sounds pretty," he replied.

Johanna worried her bottom lip. "I know we said black ties but would want this color for a tie?"

"I wouldn't have a problem with it if you wanted to change it."

"Well, it might look nicer…I'm not saying I'm definitely changing it. It'll depend on what I pick for bridesmaids dresses so we'll just leave it open for now."

"Sounds good."

She smiled. "So we finally have our colors?"

Jim nodded. "Yeah; it seems that way."

A feeling of relief spread through her, lifting the heavier mood that had started to settle on her shoulders ever since she brought up the topic and ran into Jim's reluctance to help her. "You're sure you're fine with the colors?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied. "We each picked one…and both of them have meaning to us; the turquoise reminds us of memories we've made by the ocean and the pink is for the roses I gave you on our first official date. I think those colors are us…anyone who doesn't like it can go to hell because we're not changing it."

A soft laugh crossed her lips. "I think they're perfect."

Jim smiled. "Do you feel better now?"

"Yes," she breathed. "Much better…but I need to take the napkin with us."

Puzzlement furrowed his brow. "Why?"

"So I can show my mother."

"We can't just steal the napkin!" he exclaimed quietly. "They'll know we're the ones who took it."

"I'll take one off one of the empty tables when we're on the way out."

"They'll see you."

"Not if you're in front of me."

"Jo…"

"Oh come on," she said; "I need it! I have to show the colors to my mother! It's very simple; you walk in front of me, make sure no one is looking and I'll grab one and shove it into my purse which I will have partly unzipped and ready."

"Are you crazy!?"

"Yes," she replied. "That's what happens when you plan a wedding."

"Can't we just go find something that color?"

"We'll do that for the pink…but this color is right here in front of us in the form of a linen napkin…which I'm sure they have more of in the back. It's not going to be a big deal to swipe one…it probably happens all the time."

"No! We're here for work; the last thing we need is trouble over you stealing a napkin."

"Fine," she huffed as she finished her drink. "Is it okay if I go to the bathroom before we leave…or is it some work related offense?"

Jim smirked at her. "Bathroom trips are acceptable."

"Thank you," she smiled as she picked up her purse and headed for the bathroom.

Jim blew out a breath; this wedding planning thing wasn't going to be fun at all. His fiancée already wanted to steal napkins and pick fights in the name of planning…and she had been so desperate not to be a crazy bride. Well, there probably wasn't much he could about that…it was just inevitable, he figured as he signaled the waiter and asked for the check as he awaited her return.

He wondered if her happiness of finding a color scheme would mean that she would stay in his room after all…and maybe, just maybe she'd feel 'inspired' again and date night could proceed as usual…unlike the night before. Jim frowned a little; he supposed he wasn't being very fair in that respect…she had been tired the night before; they'd had a long day and he knew she had things on her mind. But he had hoped that since they were away from home that a romantic atmosphere would fill their nights in Baltimore. So much for that, he thought to himself as the waiter arrived with the check. Jim looked over the bill and handed over his credit card; catching sight of Johanna as she made her way back through the restaurant.

"You ready to go?" Jim asked as she neared the table.

"I'm ready," she smiled, grabbing her jacket from the back of her chair. "Are you?"

"As soon as I get my credit card back and the receipt," he replied.

Johanna slipped on her jacket as the waiter returned with the slip for Jim to sign and then gave back his credit card. He rose from his chair, slipping his card back into his wallet and putting it back in his pocket before reaching for Johanna's hand.

They were quiet as they made their way out of the restaurant but Jim broke the silence once they were settled in his car. "Are you sure there isn't anywhere you'd like to go before we go back to the hotel?"

"I need to find a craft store or something…any kind of store that might sell ribbon," Johanna remarked.

"Why?"

"Because I need to find the exact shade of pink I want to show my mother."

"You'll need the turquoise too."

"No, I won't," she said as she pulled a linen napkin from her purse. "I've got it."

"Where the hell did you get that!?" he exclaimed.

"Off an empty table on the way to the bathroom," Johanna answered; "There was nothing to it; just casually took it off the table while no one was looking."

"I can't believe you did that!"

"I needed it, Jim!" she exclaimed. "I have to have it! I promise nothing bad is going to happen because I took a napkin. They have more."

"I just can't believe you did that," he said as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"It's not a big deal; now let's find a store so I can get my pink ribbon or paper…whatever I can find."

"Can't we do that tomorrow?" he sighed.

"I want to do it tonight."

"Jo," he sighed.

"If you take me to the store and I find my other color, I might start feeling very inspired again," she stated as she eyed him.

"And by inspired you mean inspired to be naked?"

"Yes," she said with a nod. "I will be so happy that I will be very inspired to be naked like you want at the end of this evening."

"Okay then, let's go ribbon shopping," Jim replied with a smile.

"I knew you'd see it my way," Johanna said as she shoved the napkin back into her purse.

They found a department store several minutes away from the restaurant and Jim allowed Johanna to drag him through it to the craft and sewing department department.

"You're not going to look through every spool of ribbon in here, are you?" he asked, once they had found the correct aisle.

"No; just the pink ones," Johanna replied.

"Good to know," he remarked; eyeing the two rows of spools containing various shades of pink ribbon.

"These ones here are way too light," she said, skimming her fingers across the first half dozen selections.

Jim nodded. "That's baby pink."

"Right; one day in the future, they can use that at a baby shower for us but we don't want it at our wedding."

"Which is why Turquoise is better than blue, right?"

"Exactly," she smiled. "Turquoise is far from that baby blue color that can be used at a baby shower in the future. No baby colors for our wedding…or my luck it'll jinx us and I'll have morning sickness going down the aisle and your mother will really have a stroke then."

"Definitely no baby colors allowed," Jim said with a nod; "We don't want to be jinxed and ruin our honeymoon."

"Damn straight," Johanna remarked as she studied the next few shades. "I'm looking forward to Hawaii."

"Me too…I noticed as we were passing through the store that they're starting to put the swimsuits out…you know…if you'd want to take a quick look before we leave."

She glanced at him, a small flicker of amusement in her eyes. "You just want to pick out one of my honeymoon bikinis."

"I didn't say that," Jim said innocently; "I just thought you might want to look…and I was okay with that…like a good future husband on a shopping trip with his future wife would be."

"Wow," she said with a laugh; "Laying it on thick aren't you?"

"Not at all…I just thought shopping for the honeymoon might inspire you to think ahead to the more fun aspects of this wedding planning and…"

"And help inspire me to practice for our honeymoon tonight?" she asked with a raised brow.

He smiled. "Well you did say if we found a the color of ribbon you want that you might start feeling inspired again…and we're here…shopping for ribbon…and I'm offering more shopping…so…I'm not sure how else to inspire you without touching you and you were vetoing that at dinner."

She smirked at him. "And you really really want me to be inspired tonight, don't you?"

"Desperately."

"Desperately?" Johanna laughed. "You act like it's been weeks…it's only been a few days."

"Feels longer when we've got a nice hotel room that we haven't been taking advantage of as much as I had hoped."

"You poor thing," she teased lightly; her eyes skimming over a few more shades of ribbon. "You're just suffering so much this week."

"I am," he said with a nod; "Why else would I be ribbon shopping?"

"Because you love me," she replied.

"That's true…"

"But you want to be rewarded."

"You're the one who dangled a reward, sweetheart; I'm just trying to encourage you to follow through with some bikini shopping…and those warm honeymoon thoughts."

"Mhmm."

He smiled. "You know you'd feel better if you…let me inspire you."

Johanna laughed as she shook her head at him. "I think it's the other way around; I think you want me to inspire you."

Jim shook his head. "I've been inspired since you came out of the bathroom in a towel before we left for dinner."

"Maybe I should wear a towel on our honeymoon."

"Okay; but I still want to see bikinis too…bikinis by day; towels by night…see, I'm totally inspired," he told her.

She stepped away from the ribbons long enough to kiss him. "We'll look at the bikinis before we leave…I guess since you did think of a color I can use and you didn't protest ribbon shopping too much that I can reward you with allowing you to pick out one special honeymoon bikini."

He grinned. "And what about the you being naked later part? Is that still in the equation?"

"Only if I find the right shade of ribbon."

"Then you better get back to that," he said, giving her a gentle, playful shove back toward the shelf.

Johanna laughed. "You're all for planning now."

"If I had known it made you inspired for certain things, I would've joined in sooner," he remarked.

"Uh huh."

"I would have."

She smiled but said nothing, returning her attention to the spools of satin ribbon until finally the shade of pink she wanted caught her eye and she snatched it from the shelf. "This one," she exclaimed. "This is the color I want…it looks like the roses you got me, doesn't it?"

"It does," Jim agreed.

"Hold it for me," she said, handing him the spool and then opening her purse to take out the napkin she had swiped at the restaurant. She took the ribbon from his hand and held it against the linen napkin. "I think it looks pretty; what do you think?"

He nodded. "I like it; it's very summer like…different from what everyone else does and I like that. I don't want our wedding to be like everyone else's. I think it's just right."

"You're not just saying that to appease me?"

"No; I like it…it's us," he assured. "We picked those colors for a reason; they're perfect."

A smile touched her lips as she stepped toward him and kissed him again. "Thank you for helping me with this," she told him as she tucked the napkin back in her purse.

"No problem," he murmured. "I'm sorry I was giving you a hard time about giving suggestions."

"It's okay; I forgive you…I'm sorry I was being bitchy."

Jim shook his head. "You weren't; you're just frustrated. I didn't take it personally."

"I'm glad," she said softly, her fingers rubbing against the smooth satin ribbon.

He wrapped an arm around her. "You ready to go?"

"No; not yet," she replied, her arms slipping around him. "We need to look at those bikinis."

A grin touched his lips. "Really?"

"Yes; you can pick out one bikini to add to my honeymoon collection as a reward for your cooperation and participation in wedding planning tonight."

"See, we get through things; don't listen to your mother."

She laughed softly as they made their way through the store. "I'm not going to think about her lectures anymore tonight."

"Good; because thinking about lectures wouldn't be inspiring."

"Not at all," she agreed; seeing the racks of swimsuits coming into view. "What color are you going to choose for my bikini?"

"I haven't decided yet," he said, eyeing the racks as they came closer.

"Remember, no yellow."

Jim shook his head. "I'd never even think it."

"There's a turquoise one…that could fit our wedding theme," Johanna suggested.

"Nope; not that one," he replied as he browsed the racks.

"How about the white one?"

"No," he told her and then thought that maybe he better let her know that he had no problem with those particular colors just in case she had already brought one. "I'm not against those colors in any way…but I'll know the one I want for you when I see it."

"Okay," she said, allowing him to look as she plucked the white bikini off the rack anyway. She liked it and it seemed fitting for a bride on her honeymoon. She spotted a hot pink one and remembered Jim's fondness of the one she'd had in that color before…and it was nearly a perfect match for the ribbon in her hand. She smiled and grabbed it as well, figuring there would be plenty of other honeymoon wardrobe items she could buy that he wouldn't see before hand.

"This one," Jim declared, holding up a red bikini for her to see. "I like this one; I want this to be the one…does it meet your approval?"

Johanna smiled as she looked over the somewhat skimpy red bikini. "Yes; that does seem appropriate for a honeymoon bikini and I don't have that color so I think it's a very nice selection."

He grinned as she took the swimsuit from his hand. "Is it making you feel inspired?"

"You know what?" she asked as she stepped closer; "I am feeling a little inspired to practice for our honeymoon...so I think we should go pay for these things and go back to our room."

Jim gave her a quick kiss. "I'm so glad we turned this evening around."

"Me too," she agreed sincerely; she hadn't liked how the evening was going and she knew it had been her fault that things had taken that downturn and she felt badly for it despite them clearly getting past it.

"You okay?" Jim asked as they headed toward the check out line. "You got quiet on me again…you're not planning again, are you? Because you accomplished a lot tonight planning wise; we have colors, you can feel proud of that for awhile before going to the next thing."

"No, it's nothing like that. I just feel bad that I ruined our dinner with planning talk…well…bickering."

"It wasn't ruined, sweetheart. I told you it was alright…don't feel bad."

"Feel inspired instead, right?" she asked lightly.

"Yes," he grinned. "If you feel inspired then you'll forget about the rest of the stuff…I know dinner is way behind me already."

Johanna laughed as she leaned into him. "You bounce back so quickly."

"I'm good like that."

"You are," she agreed; "In so many ways."

He pressed a kiss to her head. "That's mutual…and hey, not only did we do some planning tonight; you got a start on honeymoon shopping. See you're totally on top of the game here, sweetheart. You deserve a break and I'm going to see that you have one as soon as we get to the hotel."

"I'm looking forward to it," she replied lightly as they got in line. Maybe a long night wrapped up in him was just what she needed.

"You know, tomorrow we don't have a full work day," Jim said quietly later that night as he raked his fingers through Johanna's hair as she laid against his chest.

"I know," she replied. "They invited you to some basketball game."

"They invited both of us," he remarked.

Johanna sighed softly. "Would it be wrong if I didn't go?"

"Don't you want to go with me?"

"Honey, I'm really not into basketball…all they do is run back and forth all day. I don't mind going to a baseball game but the rest of those sports they can keep. But if you think it would make trouble, I'll go."

"No, I don't think it'll cause any problems…I think Fielder knows you weren't overly impressed with the idea," he said with a laugh; "You did get that 'oh God, not another sports thing' look on your face."

She laughed softly. "You'll have more fun if I don't go…you know I love to share my boredom."

"I don't want you to be here by yourself though," he told her; curling a lock of her hair around his finger.

"I'll go out," she replied. "I could go look in the stores, do some shopping. I don't mind going by myself."

"Are you sure? Because I'll go with you instead of going to the game if you want."

Johanna shook her head, her fingertips brushing across his bare chest. "No, you go to the game, you'll enjoy it. I'll go shopping. We've done a lot of things together so far while we've been here, it's okay for us to do something on our own tomorrow. You can enjoy your game without me complaining that I'm bored and I can take my time shopping without you getting impatient and wanting to buy me slutty underwear."

Jim laughed softly. "Well when you put it that way I guess we should do our own thing tomorrow after work."

"No offense," she said lightly.

"None taken, sweetheart. I know how you suffer through sports events…despite being a former cheerleader."

"I told you, I wanted to be a cheerleader because I liked the uniforms and the routines; it had nothing to do with being a big sports fan."

"I know," he said, patting her hip. "But you're still a cute cheerleader."

"I'm not putting that uniform on for you again."

"Oh come on, just once…we can have more fun with it this time around since we're engaged…the last time you put it on we weren't even dating and I didn't think you'd let me get very far if I tried anything."

She shifted to look up at him, amusement in her eyes. "You just want to see your cheerleader fantasy all the way through."

"Only with you," he quipped. "I'm very sorry that we didn't go to the same high school."

"I can just imagine how that would've gone."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"It means that I probably wouldn't have been able to hold on to my virginity as long as I did," she replied. "You would've talked me right into your backseat."

He smiled. "I can't deny that I would've tried."

"Mhmm…and my luck I would've ended up pregnant at the prom."

"We still would've been the best couple there," he quipped; "Of course that would depend on if we got to go…I might've still been in the hospital from your father shooting me and you probably would've been shipped to an out of town relative for nine months."

"That's not a pleasant thought; it's a good thing we didn't go to high school together."

"Maybe so," he agreed.

"College would've been good though if we had gone to the same school," she commented.

"I wish we had…see, you should've gone to Cornell and ran into Jeff and I; college would've been so great."

"Or you and Jeff could've gone to Columbia and ran into me," she suggested.

"I got into Columbia," he commented; "But I chose Cornell."

"You never told me that you got into Columbia."

Jim nodded. "I did…NYU too."

"Why didn't you go to Columbia?"

"Because Cornell was further away and I was desperate to get away and live a life of no parental interference," he replied.

"All you had to do was move in the dorm at Columbia like I did."

He shook his head. "My mother would've shown up every time I turned around and I wanted to avoid that."

"So you could have all those girls in your room," she quipped.

"No comment," he laughed. "What other schools did you apply to? I think you said once that you applied to Yale."

"Yeah; but they didn't want me. I got into NYU and Fordham…Princeton and Penn State if all else failed but I didn't really want to leave New York. Columbia was always my first choice. Frankie was at NYU and I didn't want to follow him there unless I absolutely had to."

"I understand that. I would've applied to Princeton but Michael went there and I didn't want to go to the same school my brother did even if it was for a different degree."

"You can tell we're middle children," Johanna said with a soft laugh.

"I guess that's true," he chuckled.

Johanna allowed her fingertips to dance across his chest. "Speaking of Michael; any chance of them changing their mind and letting us have the girls for our flower girls?"

"I haven't spoken to them since I called for their answer," Jim admitted. "They haven't tried to contact me either so I think that's our answer."

"I'm sorry," she murmured.

"There's nothing for you to be sorry for, it's not your fault."

"I know…but I feel bad just the same. You know I worry about coming between you and your family."

"You're not. They're the ones who acted the way they did. It doesn't have anything to do with you. It's them and their lack of backbone…and their laziness and snootiness that I didn't realize they had until recently. So let them be that way; they don't even need to come to our wedding. The hell with them."

"I'm sure they'll be there."

"I don't care if they're not."

"Yes, you do," she murmured; "Just like I would've cared if Colleen refused to be a bridesmaid. We don't want to care but we do…it's just how we're wired."

"I'm going to learn to rewire," Jim commented.

"Don't rewire too much; I like you the way you are."

"Except for the eating pizza on the couch without a plate thing, right?" he asked lightly.

She laughed softly. "I don't consider it a fatal flaw but I'm glad were working on training you to use a plate in those situations."

"You're going to ruin my reputation with things like that," he teased.

"You'll survive…maybe you'll maybe start a trend among men of using plates when eating on the couch."

He shook his head. "No; I think only married men do that and all other men just understand why and shake their heads behind his back and call him whipped."

"Having proper table manners isn't a case for being 'whipped'."

"That's probably for when I'm holding your purse outside a dressing room."

"You've only done that once and I could see you dying inside over it," Johanna laughed. "I think you're still fine. I don't ever see you being 'whipped'."

"I guess we'll see," he teased. "At least you don't have to worry about anything like that."

"Yeah; because I'm not going to be like Sharon."

"Thank God for that," Jim remarked.

She breathed deeply as she settled back down against his chest, pressing a kiss against his skin. "I'm sure we'll be fine."

"I'm sure we will be," he replied, his fingers returning to her hair.

"At least once we get through the wedding," she muttered.

"Just think of Hawaii, sweetheart…we'll be alright once we get to Hawaii."

"That's a happy thought," Johanna said as she closed her eyes. "Just keep reminding me of that."

"I will," he promised. "We'll both think of Hawaii and everything will be fine."

As Johanna window shopped the next afternoon, she found herself standing in front of a shop with a wedding gown in the window. The gown was of the same fashion she had been shunning in New York but she glanced up at the store's sign anyway. "Miss Hattie's Bridal Boutique" was written in flowy golden script on the somewhat faded sign above the door. Should she go in? Johanna wondered as she worried her bottom lip. Her mother wasn't with her…neither was Maggie…but she supposed there was no law requiring your mother to be present while you looked at dresses. Besides, maybe she should look…she wasn't having much luck in New York, perhaps Maryland had something tucked away that would be more to her liking. If she did see a dress, she could ask the owner to hold it until the next weekend when she could drive back with her mother for her to see it. That seemed like a reasonable plan…and if she didn't see anything she liked then there was no harm done and she didn't have to tell her that she had shopped without her.

With her mind made up, Johanna pulled the door open and slipped inside.

"I was wondering if you were going to come in or not," the African American lady behind the counter said with a smile. "It seemed like you were debating it."

Johanna returned her smile. "I was…I haven't had much luck lately with dress shopping where I live."

"Where are you from?" the lady asked.

"New York."

"The city or are you from somewhere else in the state?"

"Manhattan," Johanna answered.

The woman's brow rose. "What brings you to Baltimore?"

"Business," she replied as she examined a few dresses on display.

"What do you do if you don't mind me asking?"

"I don't mind," she said with a smile. "I'm a lawyer."

"A lawyer," the lady replied with a smile of her own; "Good for you. We women have to make our own way in the world."

"Very true," she answered; "Are you Miss Hattie as the sign outside says or is that just a name for the shop?"

The woman grinned. "Oh I'd never use a name that wasn't mine. I'm Hattie; I get top billing."

Johanna laughed softly. "Top billing is always a good thing. I'm Johanna."

"When are you getting married, Johanna?"

"In August," she replied.

"So you're down to five months to go."

"Yeah…and I haven't accomplished much from what my mother tells me," she sighed. "I've hated every dress I've seen…the fashion this decade is just…"

"Hideous," Hattie proclaimed. "I agree wholeheartedly. It seems like good taste has gone out the window."

"That's how it feels," she agreed, her nose wrinkling at the sight of yet another high necked gown. "I just don't understand it. I'm not into these hippie like dresses or these high necked, long sleeved things…my mother says I'm not giving anything a chance…but I know by seeing it on the hanger if I like it or not."

"The heart wants what the hearts wants," Hattie replied as she rounded the counter.

"Do you make any of these yourself?" Johanna asked as she looked through a few more selections.

"Oh no, honey; I don't make them, I just sell them. I do have a lady who does alterations and things like that but I don't make them. I make other things though, like little hairpieces to hold the veils and things like that."

"I understand," she replied. "I just keep hoping someone will have made one I like."

Hattie gave her a patient smile. "What is your dream dress?"

"I guess something like my mother's," she admitted. "My mom got married in 47 when Dior was all the rage. She had a beautiful strapless gown, white satin with a beaded lace bodice; the top fitted tightly like the mermaid look of those days but the skirt flared out in the typical ballgown type of the decade. It was beautiful and classy…elegant…that's what I want. But I've been told that it's out of style…and I can't help thinking 'why?' why is that out of style and these get ups all the rage? Because the gowns I've seen don't scream beautiful bride to me…they say hot mess…no offense."

Hattie gave a soft laugh. "None taken, honey; believe me, I don't like these dresses anymore than you do but they're what the supplier sends. Your dream dress sounds beautiful…and fitting for a pretty girl like you. You'd be lost under these heaps of ruffles…and you have a graceful neck that shouldn't be covered up in those high necked wedding gowns."

"I hate the poofy sleeved ones too."

"Those are a monstrosity aren't they?"

"God, yes."

"I wish I had the dress you're looking for, but I'm afraid I don't," Hattie told her gently. "Classic looks should never go out of style and yet they seem to take a beating at times…I'm afraid this is one of those times."

Johanna's heart fell a little. "I don't know what I'm going to do…I'm running out of time."

"You still have some time," Hattie said as she eyed her; "You look like you'll fit in any dress straight off the rack so you won't have to worry about ordering a certain size…I'm pretty sure you're the sample size. If you needed an alteration with the hem length, it would be minor and easily taken care of…so don't feel like you're down and out yet, you still have some time."

"Not according to everyone I know…all I hear is I'm wasting time…that I'm not giving enough attention…that I'm not acting like I should be…that there must be something wrong with me."

Hattie shook her head. "I doubt that. You're excited aren't you, despite the stress of dress shopping?"

"I'm excited to be married," Johanna replied, drifting toward the rack holding veils. "I can't wait to be his wife…to get to go home to him every day. It's just the planning I'm not overly excited about…I don't want to be one of those crazed brides like my sister was and my friend was…I just…I don't want to be that person and people act like if you don't act that way you're doing it wrong."

"No, you're not. I've seen those crazed brides who drive everyone around them insane in the quest of perfection…and while I don't see anything wrong with wanting the day to be perfect, you don't have to be a nut because of it. Those people aren't necessarily right or wrong for being crazed and obsessed…and there's nothing wrong with you for not wanting to be that way."

"It feels like it though," she murmured.

Hattie shook her head. "You're perfectly fine. You're not the only bride who doesn't want to be one of those crazy ones. So you like to take your time, you don't want to settle and you don't want to obsess. Being different doesn't make you wrong…it just makes you your own person as God intended. Getting married is supposed to be about being joined with the person you love…it's not supposed to be about how crazy you can make yourself planning a wedding."

Johanna gave her a small smile. "That's all that matters to me…being with him. As long as were married on the day we chose…I don't care if something doesn't perfectly match or that someone doesn't like the cake we wanted or that I didn't invite some cousin I hate."

"Then you see, you care about the part that matters…marrying the person you love. The rest will fall into place…you just have to do it our own way."

"I wish my mother believed that."

"You should've brought her with you," Hattie laughed.

She laughed with her. "I have to admit, I was glad this business trip came up so I could get away."

"I bet…but you probably miss your fiancé."

Johanna shook her head. "He's with me; he's a lawyer too. We're working on this case together. One of the clients we're working for invited him to some basketball game and I sent him on his way and told him I'd do some shopping. We've been working a lot but it's nice being here…away from everyone else. We've got some time back for each other the last few days."

"Then I guess this business trip has been a blessing in disguise," Hattie remarked.

"It definitely has been. He says he has a surprise for me tomorrow night…I'm more excited for that than wedding planning," she said with a laugh.

Hattie chuckled lightly. "There's nothing wrong with that. What do you think it is?"

"I don't know, honestly…but I figure he must've done some research and found something we'll like to do while we're here. We were in Maryland the summer before last for part of our vacation but we were in the western part of the state that time. We always seem to have fun in this state."

"We're always happy to have visitors…personally; I'd like to see New York City."

"You should come to the city sometime," Johanna told her. "It's a wonderful place; so much to see and do…and it's not too far away. You should go sometime."

"I just might do that," Hattie remarked. "I'd like to see some of the dress shops there…I hear they have huge ones that make my place look like a hole in the wall," she laughed.

"I've been in some of those huge dress shops," Johanna remarked; "I prefer yours…no one in those shops would stand around and talk to me for as long as you have. They can be very snotty in those places; trust me, I know."

Hattie shook her head. "If there's one thing I can't stand it's snotty people."

"You and me both," Johanna replied as she continued to look through veils. "Even veils aren't very pretty lately…either way too long or too thick…too full of lace. I don't want a veil as long as my dress…and I don't want one that's thick or covered in lace. I want one…like this!" she exclaimed, pulling the veil from the rack. "This is what I like for a veil! See, it's very sheer and no lace…it's trimmed in those little sparkly things…it's not too long."

"It's a fingertip veil," Hattie replied as she turned the small tag over. "It's trimmed in small crystals to give it some sparkle at the bottom.

"I love it," Johanna murmured.

"Well let's try it on you," Hattie said, shooing her over to an area that was set up with a vanity. "Let me find you a pretty hair piece to attach it to."

Excitement flickered in her veins as she sat down at the vanity and waited for Hattie to reappear. Finally she returned, the veil attached to a sparkling silver and crystal studded headband that she gently settled onto Johanna's head, fussing with it until it was fixed perfectly. "Come over to the full length mirror so you can get the full affect," Hattie said, nudging her to rise from the vanity.

Johanna followed her to the full length mirror and looked into it, admiring the veil and sparkling headband that laid against her dark hair. "I love it," she murmured. "It's perfect."

"It does suit you," Hattie said warmly; "And that headband matches the little crystals that trim the veil…and it looks so pretty against your dark hair."

"It's just what I wanted," Johanna replied, stepping closer to the mirror. "Is it wrong to buy the veil before the dress?"

"You're the lawyer; do you know a law that says a bride can't buy her veil first?"

"No…but the way people talk, I'm not well versed on bridal law."

"Bridal law is what you make it, honey. If that's the veil you want, that's the veil you should have…and I'm not saying that to make a sale; I'm saying it because it's the truth. It's your day, you should have what you want…and this veil will look beautiful with whatever gown you choose…because we both know it isn't going to be any gown on display here. You'll find it somewhere…and this veil will be beautiful with it."

"I want it," Johanna stated. "I'll take it and the headband…do you have any pretty hair clips or something I can wear for the reception after I change into a different dress?"

"Oh, yes," Hattie proclaimed. "Let's put the veil behind the counter so I can wrap it up for you and then we'll go look for something pretty for you for the reception."

Her heart felt a little lighter as she followed Hattie through the store; at least she had one thing she liked…and she had found it on her own without anyone's input or unwanted opinions. Maybe things were going to start looking up planning wise…at least she hoped so.

Early that evening, Johanna was sitting on the small loveseat in her hotel room, admiring the veil that was in the box beside her. She loved it; it was perfect…and she hoped her mother didn't have a ft about her buying it without her input but she just couldn't leave it behind when it was exactly what she had wanted. She smiled, reaching in the box and picking up the smaller boxes that had been tucked carefully inside for safekeeping. The sparkling crystal headband rested against black velvet inside its box and carefully ran a fingertip over the smooth crystals before she closed the lid and placed it back into its spot before she opened the next box, revealing the sparkling hair comb that she had chosen for the reception. They were perfect…they gave her that feeling of class and elegance that she had been craving for her wedding. She placed the small box back inside the larger one; she was so glad she had gone into Hattie's shop and she already planned on going back when it was time to buy accessories for her bridesmaids and flower girl. It would be worth the long drive to have the look she wanted; that air of elegance she so wanted.

"Jo," Jim's voice called out from his room where the connecting door had been left ajar.

"Don't come in yet!" she called back, scrambling to put the lid on the box containing her veil.

"What do you mean don't come in yet?" he asked; pushing through her door.

"Jim!" she exclaimed, her fingers fumbling with the ribbon that Hattie had tied the box with.

"What? You're dressed…not that it would matter if you weren't, I've seen everything you have," he quipped.

She rolled her eyes as she quickly tied the white ribbon. "That's all you think about it and it's nothing like that."

"What's in the box?" he asked, nodding at it as she moved away from it.

Johanna smiled as she came toward him, her arms slipping around him and she caught his lips in a kiss. "I went in a bridal shop today," she said softly; a tinge of excitement coloring her tone.

He returned her smile, his arms settling around her waist. "Did you?"

"Mhmm…I bought something."

Jim's brow rose. "You found a dress?"

"No," she said with a shake of her head; "But I found the veil I wanted…it's perfect and just what I wanted and I had to have it…it's not like those hideous looking things I've been seeing it…it's beautiful…and I bought it."

He smiled, his fingers rubbing against the small of her back. "Let me see it."

"No!" she exclaimed.

"Why not?"

"Because you're not supposed to see any of it until our wedding day," she told him; "But I love it…and I got a pretty hair piece that holds it in place…and a pretty comb for my hair for the reception. I'm so happy with the things I got…they're just what I wanted."

"I'm glad, sweetheart," he told her with a smile before he stole a kiss. "I guess it's a good thing we had to come to Baltimore."

"It is," she murmured; "And I'm going to go back to that shop on our next trip to get hair things for the bridesmaids and our flower girl. Miss Hattie has such beautiful pieces."

She was so happy and settled, Jim thought to himself and he was glad to see it. "We'll make sure you have a chance to go when we come back…or if nothing else, I'll just drive you back one weekend, it's not a problem."

Johanna kissed him softly. "Finding the veil makes it feel more real."

"Did she have any dresses you liked?" he asked.

"No," she breathed; "But at least I found the veil….and you have to promise you won't try to peek at it."

"I promise," he told her, tightening his hold on her.

"When we get home, I'll take it over to my mother's and leave it there for safekeeping," Johanna replied; "That way I won't be worried about something happening to it and you won't be tempted to look."

He nodded. "That's a good idea…and I'm sure she'll be happy that you found something you like."

"I hope so," she said, shifting closer to him, her fingertips skimming against his jaw as she drew him back for another kiss.

Jim smiled. "I'm starting to think you missed me."

"I did," she replied; "But I'm also happy with the things I found…and it makes me excited…it makes it feel real…that we're getting married…and I'm so very happy about that…even when I seem crazy and uninspired with planning."

"I know," he murmured sincerely. "I don't doubt that."

"I hope you don't…I don't want you to think I'm not excited about the wedding or getting married…I just…"

"We talked about that," Jim replied; "I know you're happy, I know you're looking forward to being married…it's just the planning that drags you down because it's a pain. I get that…and I know you're trying to avoid it being like it was with Colleen and Sharon. I understand that and I know that it doesn't take away from how you feel about us so don't worry about it, okay?"

"I'll try not to," she murmured; her lips brushing against his.

"What do you want to do tonight?" he asked, his fingertips slipping under the hem of her shirt to skim against her lower back.

"I just want to stay here with you," Johanna whispered; her lips capturing his once more. "I just want to be with you…no interruptions or distractions."

He smiled. "Now that's the trip I had in mind."

"I'm sorry I've been…well…you know."

Jim shook his head. "There's nothing to be sorry for…I'm just glad you're feeling better…I do have that surprise for you tomorrow."

A gleam of excitement lit up her eyes. "What is it?"

He was quiet for a moment as he studied her face, debating whether to tell her that night or wait until the morning.

"You know you want to tell me," she coaxed sweetly.

Jim smiled. "Alright, I guess I can go ahead and tell you. The Eagles are having a concert in D.C. tomorrow night…and I have tickets for us to go."

Her eyes widened. "Really!?"

"Yes."

"I didn't know they were going to be near here; how did you find out?" she asked excitedly.

"My client I had that meeting with the other night when you went to your mother's…he was giving me his sob story and brought up having these tickets for the Eagles this weekend and that his wife didn't want to go because she's mad at him so I told him I'd buy them. We made a deal; I got the tickets and he gets some money knocked off his bill."

Johanna laughed and then kissed him. "I'm so excited to see them in concert again. It'll be like our first date all over again."

"It seems like it was meant to be," Jim agreed. "It's been hard not to tell you."

She kissed him again. "Thank you for getting those tickets…for making our trip special despite work."

"Anything for you, sweetheart," he murmured before capturing her lips in a long, sweet kiss.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too…and for tonight and tomorrow; nothing matters but us, okay? No work, no wedding planning, no worrying about family…just us."

Johanna nodded. "That sounds perfect to me…let's get started on that now."

He smiled as he took her hand and led her back through his room; he was so glad to see that sparkle back in her eyes…to see the frustration easing away. With work settled and some small wedding decisions made, they could enjoy their weekend like he had wanted.

Saturday night as they left the concert venue with their bag of souvenirs, Johanna snuggled into Jim's side. "Thank you for this," she murmured. "It was a great concert and I'm so glad we got to be here."

Jim smiled down at her, his arm tightening around her. "It was nothing, sweetheart; anything for you."

"I kind of feel like I don't deserve the treat that today has been," she admitted.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I've had the planning stuff dragging me down and it's caused a little bit of tension between us," she replied. "This whole trip was supposed to be relaxing and I let my brain interfere with that until yesterday when I finally let it go after finding my veil."

He shook his head. "I told you last night that everything is fine. I know you can't turn off your thoughts or what's bothering you as easily as you might like. I'm not mad or bothered by anything."

"I know…but you had this wonderful surprise for me and I could've ruined it."

"I wouldn't have let that happen," Jim replied, giving her waist a gentle squeeze. "You deserved this…you've been working on a lot of hard cases and you've been dealing with the planning. I'm glad I could bring you here and do the typical D.C. tourist things this afternoon and then we had a nice dinner before the concert which was great as you said. I know it hasn't been the easiest week for you but we still had fun and enjoyed the things we did…a few little blips over wedding planning didn't mar that for me…I don't want it to mar it for you either."

"Nothing can mar today and tonight…or even last night," she told him; "It was perfect…I almost hate for us to go home tomorrow."

"We don't have to rush," he stated; "We can take our time getting home tomorrow; we don't need to leave early. We can leave after lunch and still be home before evening."

"That sounds like a good plan," Johanna said as they made their way to the car; "But for now we still have tonight."

"Is there somewhere else you want to go?"

She smiled up at him. "Just back to our room with you."

A grin spread across his lips as he met her eye. "You're feeling inspired?"

"Very inspired," she quipped, giving his side a squeeze; "Which is good since I'm going to need help getting out of this dress…the zipper is a bit stubborn."

"It won't be stubborn for me," he promised; "And if it is, I'll still get you out of it…I'll just buy you a new dress to replace it."

She laughed. "You'll take drastic measures, huh?"

"Oh yes, the dress will be a causality but it'll be worth it."

"That's what you say about the pairs of pantyhose you've ruined."

"It's been true every single time," he replied as they paused by the car. "Go ahead and try to deny it."

Johanna caught his lips in a kiss. "I would never deny it."

He smiled, his hands slipping around her waist. "I love you," he murmured; "Even when you think you're driving me crazy with planning, know that I love you and that I understand and I'm not being driven crazy at all."

"It's easy to say that now; we're just getting started."

"I don't care what part of the process we're in; you're not going to drive me crazy…and even if your toe would slip across that line, I'll still love you…and I'll still try to make it better like I did when I took the opportunity to buy these tickets for tonight."

"I love you too," she murmured; "Even when it seems like I'm frustrated with you out of nowhere."

"I know," he assured.

A smile touched her lips. "Let's go to our temporary home…so I can properly thank you for a wonderful evening."

Jim kissed her once more. "After you thank me, I'll thank you."

She grinned at him. "Sounds like a long night of thankfulness."

"They're the best kind of nights to have," he quipped as he released her so he could unlock the door. "We've got to make the most of our hours away from home while we still can."

"I'm in total agreement with that," Johanna replied; "And I'm already looking forward to us coming back next month for the trial."

"Me too," he smiled as she got into the car. They'd had a few bumps in the road this trip but it was ending on a high note and he was glad for that. There might not be concert tickets for their next trip but he'd find something just as special so she'd have a small reward for whatever wedding planning she had accomplished between now and then. Maybe that was all he needed to do…find small things that would distress her and then she wouldn't slip into that crazy bride mode she so feared. As he rounded the car to get in on the driver's side, he promised himself he would give that idea further thought in the next few weeks.

"Are you sure you want to do this today?" Jim asked as they made their way to Naomi's door Monday evening. "You know we got back last night and had to get right back to work today."

"I'm aware of that," Johanna said as juggled the box containing her veil and her keys. "But I already called and she's expecting me. I told you that you didn't have to come if you didn't want to."

"I know," he replied as he took the box from her hand; "But I figured that maybe I should just in case something doesn't go well."

"She should be happy," Johanna said as she found her key and shoved it into the lock. "I made a decision…she better be happy."

"I hope she is," Jim murmured as she opened the door and stepped inside.

"Mom," Johanna called out as they moved into the entryway.

"In the living room, dear," Naomi answered.

They made their way into the living room where Frank was seated in his favorite chair and Naomi was on the sofa, a skirt she was hemming on her lap, her sewing box open on the coffee table. "You brought Jim with you," Naomi remarked as she caught sight of him. "It must be important."

"No, I mainly brought him so you'd know that he does still drive his car," Johanna commented as she took the box from Jim's hands.

Naomi smirked at her. "It's good to see you anyway, Jim."

"It's nice to see you too," he replied before greeting Frank and taking a seat in the unoccupied chair nearest to the end of the sofa Johanna was claiming.

"How was your trip to Baltimore?" Frank asked.

"It was good," Jim replied. "We got everything taken care of so now we can put the case together. We did some of the typical tourist things too."

Frank nodded. "I've been there a few times; there are some nice places to see there."

"We'll be going back in April for the trial," he told his future father-in-law.

"That's in time for baseball season…maybe you can go to Camden Yards."

"That would be nice," Jim said, "My luck it won't work out that way."

"What brings you by?" Naomi asked; eyeing the box her daughter held. "I'm sure you didn't come by just to tell us about your trip."

"I came by to show you the colors we've picked for the wedding," Johanna said as she opened her purse and took out the linen napkin she had swiped from the restaurant in Baltimore. "Jim chose turquoise," she stated, happiness coloring her tone as she laid the napkin on her denim clad knee; "And I chose this pretty pink," she told her as she laid the pink ribbon on top of the napkin.

Naomi's nose wrinkled slightly. "Johanna…that's not a shade of pink for a wedding."

"Where is that written?" Johanna asked. "It's a pretty color; it's the one I like."

"Darling, if you want pink why don't you pick a pale pink? And instead of turquoise, why not a sky blue? Those are much more suitable colors, don't you think?"

"No," Jim stated; "It's a wedding, not a baby shower."

Johanna glanced at him and smiled, knowing that he was using the words she had spoken in their hotel room in Baltimore. "That's right; we don't want baby shower colors…we'll save those for one day in the future when we have a baby shower."

"But, Johanna," Naomi said; "These colors are a bit…bold, dear…weddings are supposed to be soft."

"Pale pink and blue are baby shower colors, Naomi; we don't want people thinking she's pregnant. Besides, there wasn't any thing soft about Colleen's egg yolk wedding," Frank commented.

"Yellow is an acceptable wedding color," Naomi stated.

"So are mine," Johanna remarked.

Her mother sighed. "It seems a bit garish, Bambina."

"No, it's not!"

"It's too much…perhaps you should pick one or the other instead of both."

"I want both," Johanna said firmly.

"But, Johanna…think about how this is going to look."

"It's going to look beautiful. There's going to be white mixed in…and I can use the turquoise for table cloths and things like that and the pink for flowers and accents to make it pop."

Naomi shook her head. "I don't think it's going to look as nice as you think. Soft pastels are for summer weddings."

"I don't want pastels for my wedding!" Johanna exclaimed. "Everyone has pastels; I want to be different. I want something bright."

"It's not done that way."

"Says who!?" she yelled as she got to her feet to pace. "Those colors say summer to me."

"Why?" Naomi asked. "What is summer about them besides the fact that they're loud?"

"Why do I always have to give a specific reason for why I want something?" Johanna asked. "You wanted me to make a decision; you wanted me to commit to something. I did and you're still not happy!"

"I'm happy that you were giving it thought but these colors just aren't wedding colors," her mother replied.

"We don't care," Jim stated. "That's what we picked. That's what we want. End of story."

Frank glanced at him. "You'll learn that in this family when it comes to the women there's never an end to the story until they say so…although I agree with you."

"Frank," Naomi sighed; "Surely you don't think these are wedding colors."

He shrugged. "What's wrong with it? Summer is bold and loud and bright; so why the hell not. Soft colors should be for spring…like orange and green and brown are for fall; reds and blues for winter. Summer should be bright colors."

"Reasoning like that is why it's up to women to plan weddings," Naomi remarked. "Johanna, pick the turquoise and white or the pink and white…not all of them."

"No; it's going to be the way I said," Johanna remarked.

"Why!" her mother exclaimed. "Why must it be this way? Is it to spite me for trying to get you to make a decision?"

"No; it has nothing to do with you," she stated. "Those colors have meaning to us."

"What possible meaning could colors have to you?" her mother demanded to know. "I think you just want to make this difficult."

"No, she's not," Jim retorted. "She chose the pink because on our first date I gave her pink and white roses…not those baby pink roses; those bright pink ones that stand out against the white they were mixed with. I chose the turquoise because it reminds me of summer and the trips we've taken to the beach; we've made a lot of good memories at the beach…it's part of why we chose August for our wedding…because summer is our season…and those are the colors we chose and she's happy with them and that's how it's going to be. We don't care if no one else likes them…it made her happy when we chose them; it made her excited for the wedding. We're not changing them to suit someone else's taste."

"It won't look good," Naomi stated.

"It'll be beautiful to us," Jim replied.

"And that's all that matters," Frank stated. "It's Johanna's wedding, Naomi; not yours. You already had yours…and demanded a very specific shade of blue for it yourself so just be happy that she made a choice and that she's happy with it."

"I just don't think she's seeing the big picture."

"I see the big picture!" Johanna exclaimed; "And I like it."

"Those colors don't go together!"

"Yes, they do," she retorted; "You just don't want to accept what I picked because it's not what you would pick…and that's what it comes down to, you want to pick it because you want it all to be done your way…or even Colleen's way instead of my way. Well I'm not Colleen and I like what I picked."

"Fine," Naomi replied; "You talk about your sister's wedding being ugly, yours is probably going to be right up there next to it with this color scheme."

"Well then I'll know for sure that we're related," Johanna remarked, "The sisters who had ugly weddings; there won't be anymore doubts that you brought the right baby home from the hospital."

"Johanna!" her mother exclaimed. "Colleen might say that about you!"

"She can't; I wasn't born in a hospital…Grandma delivered me; I know I came out of there," she said, waving her hand at the bottom half of her mother's body.

"That's true," Frank said with a nod. "You were trapped at your mother's; there's no doubt at all that you brought home the right baby the second time."

"I brought home the right one all three times," Naomi remarked; "Frankie looks just like you, Johanna acts like you and Colleen's got your nose. They're all the right children."

"I do not act like him!" Johanna exclaimed.

"You do, dear."

"No, she doesn't!" Frank retorted; "She acts like you."

"No, she's definitely your daughter, Frank," Naomi remarked; "But who exactly she acts like doesn't matter. What matters is this wedding and seeing it done nice and properly. It's our last one and I'd like it to be perfect."

"And it won't be perfect if I use the colors I want?" Johanna asked.

Her mother sighed. "Darling; weddings are supposed to have that soft, romantic air to them…that's why spring and summer weddings have those soft colors."

"I don't want it to be like everyone else's wedding," she replied. "I want it to be my wedding…I want it to be us and what we like not what 'everyone does'…and really it's not up for debate; I made my decision…it's my wedding, I'll have it the way I want it or it won't be done at all because we'll just go elope and be done with the whole damn thing."

Naomi glanced to Jim. "You wouldn't do that would you?"

"If it's really what she wanted, yeah, we could do that," he said with a nod. "She just has to give me enough notice to get the license."

The older woman narrowed her eyes at them. "Fine; have those odd colors at your wedding…if people talk it's on your heads not mine…but I'm telling you it won't be very pretty."

"People will talk no matter what," Jim commented; "If it's not the colors it'll be the meal or the music we like or the cake or who wore something someone else didn't think was right. That's just how it is, we don't care."

"I think Johanna probably cares more than what either of you want to believe," Naomi replied; "But if you're determined to do what you want, by all means, pick those colors…you're the ones who will have to see them in the photos for decades to come."

"The colors are fine," Johanna stated; "I'm going to enjoy looking at my wedding pictures…I don't care if anyone else likes it; we like it."

"Alright, dear," Naomi pacified. "If that's what you want that's what you'll have. What's in the box?"

Johanna ran her hand over the smooth white lid of the box she held. "I went a shop in Baltimore," she said; a shy smile on her lips. "I found the kind of veil I wanted…it's so pretty and perfect…I bought it."

"Johanna!" her mother exclaimed; "You're not supposed to buy a veil before you find a dress! What were you thinking!?"

"I was thinking 'thank God, I finally found something for my wedding that doesn't make me want to throw up'," Johanna remarked. "I love this veil; it's exactly what I wanted and I haven't been able to find it here…but I found it in Maryland and I wasn't leaving without it."

"Johanna," her mother ground out; "You don't pick a veil before the gown! What if they don't match!?"

"There's no reason this veil won't watch whatever gown I choose," she replied; "Because I'm not picking any of those hideous things we've seen. This veil is very simple, there's no pattern to match."

"It's not done this way!" her mother exclaimed. "You should have waited."

"If I had waited, someone else might have bought it!" Johanna yelled. "It was meant for me! The lady at the shop even picked a pretty headband to attach it to and it looks so pretty."

"You are just determined to do this ass backwards and with as many complications as possible, aren't you?" Naomi thundered as she surged to her feet.

"No, I'm determined to have what I want whether you like it or not," Johanna shot back.

"It's not about liking it or not; it's about doing things in order and correctly," her mother stated. "Why do you have to be so goddamn stubborn! You're just like your father; I could just rip my hair out!"

"If I'm stubborn, I probably get it from my mother!" Johanna yelled. "You inspire some hair ripping yourself!"

"That's the damn truth," Frank remarked; "No doubt about it."

"Oh hush," Naomi told him.

"You hush yourself," he told her. "It's not your damn wedding, let her alone. She found something she liked, be happy."

"It would've been nice to have been a part of it," Naomi said tartly.

"I can't help it that the veil I liked was in Baltimore, Mom. I wouldn't have found it if I hadn't been there on business."

"Yes, on business…with your fiancé…he's not supposed to see anything before the wedding, you know that!"

"I haven't seen it," Jim stated. "I wasn't with her; I was at a basketball game with one of our clients. Jo was invited but it's not her thing so she went shopping. When I got back to the hotel she was already there; the veil was in the box and that's where it's been since she bought it. I haven't so much as touched the ribbon that has it tied shut. I didn't even load it in the car when we were leaving; she put it on the backseat herself. She told me I couldn't see it and I've respected that. I know she was looking forward to you seeing it though…although now I'm sure she probably wishes she had left it at home."

"Yeah; that's the truth. I was going to leave it here for safe keeping," Johanna remarked; "But I'll just take it back home."

"Take it upstairs and put it in your closet," Frank stated; "Your mother will get over herself in a few days. I'll make sure nothing happens to it."

Johanna worried her bottom lip as she pondered the suggestion. "Go on," her father said; "Go put it away; don't even show it to her right now…it's what you liked and wanted and that's all that matters. Your mother is just fussy today for some reason. It'll be safe here."

"I want to see it," Naomi said as Johanna debated what to do. "I want to see this perfect veil…that you picked out without me."

"I didn't do it on purpose, Mom. I just went in to look; I didn't go in with the intention to buy anything."

"Fine…but I still want to see it."

"Why, so you can tell me that you hate it?"

"No…I'll only hate it if I think it's ugly."

"It's not ugly," Johanna said firmly. "It's beautiful…much more beautiful than that thing Colleen had on her head that you thought was wonderful."

"Well then let's go take a look at it," Naomi stated. "We'll take it upstairs where the men can't see it."

"Fine," she replied as she rose from the sofa. "I know you're going to hate it, I'll just go ahead and brace myself for it."

"You don't know any such thing," Naomi said as she laid aside her sewing and followed Johanna to the stairs. "For all you know, I'll agree that it's beautiful and perfect for you."

"I don't think I'm that lucky."

"Darling, don't be stubborn…I thought you didn't like being like your father," her mother remarked as they started up the stairs.

Frank sighed deeply as their voices and footsteps floated up the stairs. "It's going to be a long five months," he commented.

"Tell me about it," Jim muttered.

A hint of a smile ghosted across Frank's lips. "Is Johanna turning into a crazy bride?"

"No, she's railing against that…but she was very frustrated with the planning stuff for half of our trip," he said, keeping his voice low. "She was desperate to make a decision about something so she wouldn't come home empty handed so to speak."

The older man nodded. "Naomi got in her head."

"Most definitely."

"Well, brace yourself," Frank stated; "It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better…trust me, I know."

Jim grimaced; that wasn't exactly a happy thought.

Once they were in her old bedroom, Johanna sat the box on her bed and untied the ribbon, staying quiet as she lifted the lid and carefully took out the two small boxes that were nestled inside.

"What are those?" Naomi asked.

"This," Johanna said, opening the first box; "is the headband the veil will be attached to."

"It's very pretty," her mother remarked; "Very sparkly."

Johanna eyed her mother; her tone had been a bit to sedate and not the reaction she had expected but she said nothing as she snapped the box shut and opened the other one. "This is the hair comb I got for the reception."

"Very nice, dear."

"You talk about my lack of enthusiasm," Johanna muttered, snapping that box shut as well. "I guess we better get the main event over with so you can dislike what I bought and I can go home angry because I can't ever please you when it comes to this wedding."

"That's not true," her mother sighed.

"Yes, it is," she retorted, tears stinging her eyes as she looked down at the veil in the box, somewhat unwilling to pick it up to show her mother. "You don't like my colors, you don't like the things for my hair, you don't like anything I do lately."

"That's not true, Johanna," Naomi said quietly; "I just wish you'd do things in a more ordered manner. I wish you'd give it more attention and that I didn't have to make you angry to get you to accomplish something…because that's exactly why you came home with a color scheme and a veil…because I made you angry…and just like Frank McKenzie when someone makes him angry, you had to prove yourself. I know you hate to hear it, but you are your father's daughter, darling; up one side and down the other…so much like your daddy."

"If your goal tonight is to piss me off more, you're succeeding," Johanna said sharply; "So just drop the comparison crap because I don't want to hear it."

"Yes, I know…you never do…because you know it's true."

"Mom," she warned.

"Show me the veil, Bambina."

Johanna reluctantly lifted the veil from the box to show her mother, watching her reaction closely. "Here it is."

A small smile touched her mother's lips. "It is beautiful, darling."

"You like it?" she asked cautiously.

"Yes," Naomi said with a nod; "I do wish you had found a gown first though."

"This veil will go with anything…it just has some little crystals around the hem to make it sparkle a little…there's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"No," her mother said with a shake of her head as she stepped forward to touch the veil. "It's the length you mentioned you wanted."

"Yes, it is…and it's not heavy…it's very sheer."

"That is something else you mentioned that you wanted," Naomi stated. "It is very beautiful…very fitting for you."

"You think so?"

"Yes," her mother nodded. "It's perfect for you."

"You really mean that?" Johanna asked quietly; her excitement over her choice beginning to rekindle. "Because I do want you to like it."

"I do," her mother assured as she kissed her forehead. "It's beautiful and perfect…just like you. It's just right."

"I really do love it," she murmured.

"Then it was the right choice to make," Naomi remarked with a smile. "I can see in your eyes that it's special to you."

"It is…when I tried it on…I felt like a bride."

Her mother smiled, her hand reaching out and caressing her cheek. "I wish I could've seen that look on your face. It's a feeling I remember from my own wedding planning…when I tried on my dress. I wanted so much to see that look on your face."

"You will…when I find a dress," Johanna promised. "I didn't find the veil on purpose, Mama."

"I know, honey," she said as she took it from Johanna's hands so that she could carefully repackage it as it had been. "I always want to be a part of everything but it's okay…I'm glad you went into that shop and found it; it was meant for you. Maybe it's just what we need to get things turned around planning wise…maybe it's a good sign that you'll find a dress soon."

"I hope so," she breathed; "But somehow I doubt it."

"We'll see," her mother replied. "Put your hair things back in the box and we'll put it in the closet. I promise it's perfectly safe here and I won't even let your father think of taking a peek inside this box."

Johanna repacked the smaller boxes containing her hair combs and then put the lid back on the box so that her mother could retie the ribbon. They carefully stored the box on the shelf in the closet and then made their way back downstairs.

"Well?" Frank asked when they re-entered the living room. "What's the verdict?"

"It's a beautiful veil," Naomi replied. "It suits her."

He nodded. "I figured it would; she's not likely to buy something hideous like Colleen did."

"Both of our daughters are beautiful, Frank."

"I didn't say they weren't," he remarked. "I know my girls are beautiful. I just said Colleen chose hideous things for her wedding. She looked very pretty at the rehearsal…but that getup for the wedding…good Lord."

"That's enough, Frank," Naomi sighed.

"On that note, I think we're done here," Johanna said as she glanced at Jim. "I'm ready to go home."

"You don't have to rush off," her mother said; "You could stay awhile longer and we can discuss some more things for the wedding."

"Not tonight, Mom," she replied as she gathered up her purse. "You got a color scheme, you know I have a veil…"

"She bought some honeymoon clothes," Jim added.

"Yeah; I bought some honeymoon wardrobe selections," she said with a nod, neglecting to mention that they were bikinis. "Take the win for the night because I'm going home. We just got back last night and had to be back at work this morning. We're tired and I'm not even unpacked yet."

"Alright," Naomi sighed; "But you're not going to put off the next steps forever, Johanna. You come over this weekend so we can do some more work."

"Fine," she relented. "I'll talk to you later."

"Alright, dear," her mother replied. "Jim, you get her home safely."

"I promise," he stated as he rose from the chair.

"Goodnight, Dad," Johanna remarked as they began to drift toward the entryway.

"Goodnight," Frank said; "I won't let your mother call with wedding planning in an hour."

"I appreciate that," she replied; "But I'm going to make sure my answering machine is on just the same."

"Good idea," her father said with a nod.

"I hate that damn machine," Naomi muttered; "And I know it was your idea, Jim."

"Was it?" he asked as he glanced at Johanna. "The details are a little fuzzy."

"I'm not sure…it might have been a mutual idea…it doesn't matter though, we have one and we enjoy it."

"I don't," her mother stated.

"I know," Johanna smiled. "I have a tape of you yelling about it and honestly, it just adds to the fun for us. I love you, I'll talk to you later."

"I love you too," Naomi said, accepting her kiss on the cheek; "Despite your answering machine."

"Good to know," she replied as she slipped her hand into Jim's.

"And just for the record," Jim stated; "She hasn't monopolized my car…which in my mind is partly her car too…and will be legally in August."

Naomi favored him with an indulgent smile. "Alright, dear; I stand corrected."

He smiled. "See you next time."

"You're free to come with her Saturday for wedding planning."

"I think I have plans," he replied.

Johanna laughed softly as she opened the door. "Nice try, Mom. He's not that easily wooed into wedding planning chats."

"Oh?" she asked with a raised brow; "Why is that?"

"Because he's a typical man," Johanna stated.

"Then how did you get him to pick a color scheme with you?"

"Oh you don't want to know what I threatened to accomplish that," she said with a shake of her head.

"No, you don't want to know that," Jim agreed; "Just know that it worked."

Naomi sighed. "I'm starting to draw a conclusion and I don't think I like it and I definitely don't want to know. You two have a nice evening."

"Goodnight," Johanna told her as they slipped out of the house.

They were quiet until they were settled in the car and on their way and then Jim broke the silence that hung between them. "Do you feel better now?" he asked her.

"Yes," Johanna replied; "For now."

"For now? You don't think it's going to last?"

"Oh it's definitely not going to last," she remarked.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because nothing ever does and I still have a million things to figure out and my mother isn't going to let me forget a single one. I don't know what's next on the agenda…but believe me, the peace won't last."

"We can hope though."

"We can hope but it's not going to happen," Johanna said as she watched the neighborhood pass by her window. "It's going to be a long five months in more ways than one."

"I'm starting to feel depressed," he quipped.

She dropped her hand onto his thigh and smiled. "Don't be, honey; we've still got tonight."

Jim laughed. "And every night the answering machine is on."

Johanna nodded. "God bless that answering machine…it's our thread of sanity that we'll hang on to in the coming months."

"Maybe it won't be as bad as you think," he suggested.

"Honey; I know how wedding planning goes and I know my family…we're not out of the woods yet…nowhere even near being out of it."

He nodded. "We better think about Hawaii."

"That's our other thread of sanity," Johanna remarked; "We've got Hawaii to look forward to…we just have to get through the rest to get there."

"We will," he said with confidence; "Maybe we've gotten through the worst and now that you've settled on a couple things it'll all go smoother and we'll be good to go."

"We can hope," Johanna replied; but inside she knew that nothing was ever that easy when it came to her. The wedding planning fiascos and frustrations were far from over.

A/N: There really was an Eagles concert in D.C. in March of 1977; a tidbit I found out about while browsing Youtube. Also, I will be posting some pics on Twitter of the veil and hair pieces Johanna chose (and yes, I know they're probably on the modern side but just go along with me;) I'll also post some pics of what the color scheme looks like for the wedding.