First chap = disclaimers
Thanks to all my reviewers. I finally got time to write again after I got done with the immediate necessities of real life. Trust me this is much more fun…
Oh, I realized that the thing with Jesse and the video tape (in the previous chapter) kind of contradicts with an earlier chapter. I'll try to fix that later.
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A gentle push switched on the coffee pot in the doctors lounge. In seconds, the aroma of coffee filled Jesse's nostrils. It was bad for him. In fact, it was bad grade coffee and he really shouldn't be wasting his health on it. Still, it would keep him awake which would probably keep him from falling over onto an unsuspecting patient.
A few minutes later, Jesse was vigorously stirring artificial creamer into his coffee.
"Man, this stuff keeps getting worse. You would think I would have killed my taste buds with it by now."
"Actually, I think that it targets specific areas so that the destroyed areas re-grow, thus continuing a never ending cycle of disgust."
Jesse whirled around at the sound of Mark's voice unaware that he had been talking to anyone but himself.
"Yeah, well they should start putting warning labels on the stuff. "Harmful to your sanity." No wonder Steve started to like hospital food if the coffee at the station was this bad." Jesse froze for a second. The words had just come out of his mouth. He hadn't even considered how Mark would react to his own son's name being mentioned.
"Relax Jess." Mark said when he noticed the 'deer in the headlights' look Jesse had developed. "I hardly think that you shouldn't be allowed to say his name."
Jesse relaxed a bit and offered Mark a cup of coffee. Mark took it and sipped gingerly at the hot substance. Soon, he was following Jesse's example and dumping artificial creamer into his mug.
"You know, Jess, this stuff is so bad, I think they could use it to kill bacteria."
"Yeah, I can see it now. 'Doctors run out of antiseptic: Use bad coffee instead.'"
It was a stupid thing to say, but Mark chuckled anyway. Soon, Jesse started to giggle next to him. A few more snorts and chuckles later, Jesse was paged and left. Grudgingly, Mark went to refill his mug. Then it hit him. That was the first time he had truly laughed since Steve's death, and oddly he didn't feel guilty. He felt good. With a small smile he toasted Steve with the wretched coffee. Somehow, he knew that his son would approve.
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Steve waited impatiently outside of Angel's door. They had been 'seeing' each other for almost two months now. Three weeks ago, he had passed his drivers test and bought a run down 1989 Ford Taurus. It was rusty, but it ran. And, more importantly, it made him feel normal. Angel had looked at it dubiously, but never said a word about its condition. She had simply gotten in the passenger's door and asked where they were going.
Tonight though, she had asked him out, and due to their dating rules, he knew they would not be seen in his rusty car. He was nervous. It was not like it was their first date, but still, he couldn't help but be nervous when she had asked him how he felt about flying. He had gotten even more suspicious when he had seen Jim taking a bag out of Steve's apartment earlier in the day. It scared Steve. Maybe she was going to send him away. Maybe she thought he should work elsewhere for awhile to make their relationship look respectable.
Her door opened. "You look like I sprouted fangs or something." Angel said when she took in Steve's worried countenance.
"What? No! I mean, I was just thinking."
"Really? What about?"
"I was wondering what Jim was doing in my apartment earlier today. He was taking out what appeared to be a suitcase. You wouldn't know anything about that would you?"
Angel muttered under her breath before replying. "Jim never could sneak around well. Yes, I do know something about that. I was going to wait until after dinner to tell you, but I suppose I should tell you now."
"Tell me what?" Steve's voice did not tremble, but his face showed his trepidation about what she was going to say.
"I suppose tell is the wrong word. I should say ask. Steve, in our relationship, you have always been the aggressor."
"That isn't true. You asked me out to dinner first."
"Okay, in our romantic relationship you have always been the aggressor. You initiated our first kiss; you made me face my feelings; you initiated our first date."
"Yes?" Steve shivered slightly even though they were still indoors. He had a bad feeling she was going to be the one to initiate their first breakup.
"Steve, I love you, and you love me, right?"
"Yes."
"And, we both want a family right?"
"Yes."
"And, we decided that your past doesn't matter and that we would deal with it together should a problem arise, right?"
"Yes. Why?"
"Well, I was thinking that neither of us is getting any younger, and at the very least it will be easier to have children now than later. So, I was thinking that maybe, if you want to, we should get married?"
Steve blinked. Then he blinked again. A grin slowly spread across his face. "If that is a proposal, then I accept."
"Really?"
Steve answered by pulling her against him and kissing her soundly. His left hand fingers gently mussed up her carefully styled hair as his right arm held her close to him. She smiled at him when he let her go.
"When do you want to get married?" Steve asked.
"I was thinking Thursday."
"Thursday? As in this Thursday?"
"Yup, that Thursday." She replied.
"Today is Tuesday."
"Well, see, I don't think that my father is going to be too thrilled with the idea of me marrying the amnesiac groundskeeper. Seems how I do not fancy the idea of having to take two years to swing my family around to my side before I get married, I figure that I should do it afterwards."
"But…"
"I already have the plane tickets for Vegas. We leave tonight at 11:00. We make it there in the early morning, sleep, let Jim waste some money, buy the proper dressing and rings, and get married on Thursday."
"You want to elope?"
"Do you have a better idea? Unless, of course, you want to wait, I mean, I totally understand if you want some time before we actually do it."
"No. No, Thursday is good." Steve answered quickly.
"Good, then why don't we catch dinner before we catch our plane?"
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Later, as Steve sat on the plane to Las Vegas, he turned what he knew of his life over in his head. Ever since he had fallen in love with Angel, he had felt the urgent need to solidify the relationship. It was almost like he had a terrifying fear that she would wake up and leave him because of his lifestyle. It was stupid. He filled potholes for a living. One couldn't get more mundane than that. Besides, she had started dating him with full knowledge of his situation. It wasn't like he was hiding anything.
She had repeatedly assured him that she had no problem with what he did for a living. In fact she supported his stubbornness in the fact that he didn't sit around and do nothing when he was given the chance.
Still, that hadn't shaken the strange need to make sure she wasn't going to leave him. It wasn't like he had a stalker mentality about it. He wouldn't have taken after her had she decided to break up. It was more of a fear that she would be too afraid to become close. Which was another silly idea, he had nothing in him for her to be afraid of. She knew everything about his past that he remembered.
Steve pushed his inspection of his fear back in his mind. Now was a happy time. He was going to get married. Apparently, Jim had already arranged things with a chapel when they were out to dinner. On Thursday, Jim would witness their marriage in "The Bell Flower Chapel." Of all the things Steve could have asked, his only concern was that the place had never sold ice cream cones. That was another strange thought that he was not about to inspect.
A loud snore from his right distracted Steve's train of thought. Jim twisted in his seat as he dreamed. Steve shook his head and sighed. He didn't think he was going to sleep on this flight with or without his rampant thoughts.
Steve smiled. He was getting married. That was the important thing. Angel's family would be upset, but they had agreed that after her family accepted the idea they would re-marry with the family present and have a real ceremony. It was not the picture perfect scenario, but it was the best they could do. Besides, if Steve was really truthful with himself, he couldn't help but hope that by the time they had the family ceremony, his own family would be there.