THE LUCKIEST EX-BACHELOR IN LA
Written by Ann Rivers ann.rivers@virgin.net
Summary : After many years of disastrous relationships, is Steve's luck finally changing ?
This story follows on from the events in Holy Fundraisers !!
Spoilers: None for the story itself, but reference made to Love Is Murder, Discards, Retribution,
Drill For Death, Food Fight, Murder X 4, Down Among The Dead Men, Voices Carry,
Murder By Remote, Unluckiest Bachelor In LA and Less Than Zero.
Disclaimer : DM and its characters belong to CBS and Viacom. I'm not making any profit here… just giving LA's unluckiest bachelor a bit of a break… :o)
I know I'm creating an alternate universe here, bringing back characters that had died in the series – especially the sadly missed Carol Sloan and Dane Travis. But I hate it when people die too early.
So the characters of Carol Sloan and Dane Travis live on, if only in the world of fanfiction…
"You know, Steve, I just can't figure this out…! I – I mean, with everything you've seen as a cop,
all those car chases, stakeouts and shoot outs and stuff, I didn't think you'd be scared of anything…!
I mean, jeez…! All you gotta do is get out of the car and go into that jewellers…!"
Rolling his eyes, Steve Sloan then cast a brotherly glare towards his grumbling passenger.
"Gee, thanks for the encouraging pep talk, Jess…" he muttered dryly, raising a quizzical eyebrow.
"Okay, wiseguy, how long did it take you…?"
To his dismay, Jesse merely shrugged while grinning an infuriatingly smug grin back at him.
"Out the car, into jewellers, ring chosen and back in the car going home… twenty minutes, tops…"
Thwarted on that point, Steve started to ask what incentive there'd been for such envy-making haste.
Then he saw the sly grin on Jesse's face and, rolling his eyes once more, wisely changed his mind.
With a second little Travis already on the way, you didn't need to be a detective to work that one out.
Instead he sighed while glancing back across the street towards that close yet so distant jewellers –
pointedly ignoring the sniggers of laughter from the seat beside him.
Much as he hated to admit it, but Jesse had a point. Jeez, this was starting to get embarrassing…!
In the time it had taken for Jesse to buy Susan's ring and hightail it home to the delights of his fiancée,
he'd not even managed to make it out of the car…!
And the ongoing chuckles from his soon to be throttled best-man-in-waiting weren't exactly helping…
In fairness to him, though, this change in his relationship with Tanis had been… well, pretty rapid.
Within days of her return to LA, they'd slipped back into that effortless rapport of working together.
And while he'd always resisted letting that relationship cross the line from professional to personal,
it had soon become clear to everyone around him that he was fighting a losing battle.
So he'd stopped fighting – and found, to his delighted amazement, that sometimes it paid to lose.
They'd grown increasingly close during the past two months. Intimately, and very enjoyably, close.
Whatever spare time they had was spent together, in casual enjoyment of the other's company.
For the first time since Lily's tragic, needless death, Steve knew he was falling in love again.
And at least with Tanis, he could rest assured that his luck in finding love was finally changing.
For starters, she hadn't tried to seduce him and murder him… well, not yet anyway…
Now he was facing another battle – a lousily timed attack of pre-popping the question jitters.
Still, at least he knew he could always count on his ever loyal 'little brother' to…
"Awww, jeez, come on, Steve…! It's way past lunch time, and I'm getting hungry…!"
… support him through thick and thin…
Roused from his musings, Steve cast another glare towards his nourishment-challenged friend.
"Really…? I can't imagine why…" he retorted, nodding pointedly towards Jesse's feet.
From the centre of this pile of snack wrappers and drink cartons, Jesse pouted sulkily back at him.
"Yeah, well… for the time we've been sitting here, it's as well I came prepared…" he shot back – putting those preparations to very familiar practice as he munched his way through yet another donut. Clearly deciding enough was enough, he then leaned across a startled Steve's lap to open his door.
"Now get out of this car and into that jewellers, you six foot two inch wuss…!"
At Steve's mildly threatening glare, Jesse gulped slightly before adding a wisely ingratiating smile.
"Now get out of this car and into that jewellers, you six foot two inch wuss… please…?!!?"
Knowing better than to retaliate, especially when Jesse was on such a donut sugar high as this,
Steve just rolled his eyes in familiar, long suffering tolerance and stepped out onto the kerb.
Besides, he knew another surefire way to keep his irrepressible young friend in line…
As they crossed the street, Steve reached across to give Jesse's hair a gentle yet vigorous tousle –
a broad grin spreading across his face at the exasperated protest that he received in response.
If there was one thing that Jesse hated, it was people giving him the dreaded 'kid brother' hair-ruffle.
Which, needless to say, was why Steve delighted in frequently doing so…
Steve was still grinning, and Jesse still complaining, when they bickered their way into the jewellers – the scene that met their eyes within causing both to stop dead in their tracks and stare in surprise.
What followed next could have come straight out of a slapstick movie – a moment of stunned silence,
followed by a rapid fourway crossfire of names.
"Steve…??!!?"
"Tanis…??!!?"
"Jesse…??!!?"
"Amanda…??!!?"
Another brief pause, before Steve fumbled out the inevitable, somewhat obvious question.
"What the…? I – I mean, what are you two doing here…?"
"Oh, just browsing…" Amanda replied, trading glances with an equally amused, intrigued Tanis.
Oh boy, talk about catching two kids with their hands in the cookie jar !
As Steve and Jesse continued to flounder, it seemed only right for Tanis to take up the interrogation – which she now did with a distinctly mischievous smile.
"More to the point, Steve, what are you two doing here…?"
Clearly inspired by that donut sugar high, Jesse now offered them his very best grin while nodding towards a showcase of bankrupting jewellery.
"Susan…" he explained quickly, grabbing the first remotely plausible excuse that he could think of.
"I – I mean, with the baby coming, I just… um… well, wanted to buy her something special to…
well, to… um… to mark the occasion, ya know…?"
"Oh yes, I see…" Amanda nodded, for once unconvinced by that notorious, glacier melting smile.
And judging by the deeply sceptical look on Tanis' face, she wasn't buying it either.
"And you're buying her something so expensive that you need a bodyguard…?" Amanda went on,
nodding to where Steve was trying, and failing, to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.
Oh, this was getting to be fun ! If there was one thing she loved more than tormenting Jesse,
it was making life equally hell for their shared big brother.
Just as she'd hoped, Jesse looked totally thrown while he struggled to think out another reply –
one that, hopefully, would sound a lot more believable than his first.
A few moments later, after much clanking of mental cogs, the bright and breezy grin reappeared.
"No, actually he's gonna buy it for me…" Jesse explained, giving Steve a grateful pat on his back.
Glancing up to where Steve now stared at him in total, bewildered shock, he then hastily improvised – making a show of patting over his pockets while praying that Steve would follow his lead.
"No, see, I – I kinda just realised I forgot my wallet, and… well, I really want to get this ring before… well, you know, someone else beats me to it, and… well, um, Steve kindly agreed to get it for me…"
This was certainly news to Steve – as his shellshocked expression clearly indicated.
"I did…?" he whispered – wincing slightly as Jesse's boot collided non too gently with his ankle.
A pointed glare later, the penny blessedly dropped – bringing with it a grin of rather too obvious relief.
"I – I mean, yeah, that's right…! I did…!"
"Oh, I see…" Amanda nodded once more, still clearly far from convinced as she turned back to Jesse.
"Didn't you check your shoes…?"
The donut sugar high was clearly wearing off, since Jesse stared back at her in genuine puzzlement.
Then memories of a certain hospital drill returned – bringing with them a telltale blush of realisation.
Of course, he thought peevishly, if he'd remembered that hastily invented excuse for finding Susan, you could bet your shoe-tucked dollar that Amanda had remembered it too…
Guessing from Amanda's wickedly shrewd grin, and Tanis' laughter, that this was indeed the case, Jesse sought refuge behind another of his well honed talents – that of 'play dumb' bewilderment.
"My – My shoes…?" he asked at last, hoping against hope that Amanda would let the matter drop.
Unfortunately, his wicked big sister was having far too much fun to let him off the hook so easily.
Besides, she'd seen that wide eyed and innocent ploy much too often in the past to be fooled by it now.
"Yes, Jesse, your shoes…" she went on, thoroughly enjoying this chance to see him squirm.
"You know, those same magical shoes that can conjure up borrowed banknotes out of thin air…?"
Glancing forlornly down at his feet, Jesse then grinned and snapped his fingers in gleeful triumph.
"Aha ! Different shoes…!" he shot back, balancing on one foot to waggle the other in evidence.
Laughing too much now to pursue the point further, Amanda then glanced across at Tanis –
noting, as Jesse now did with Steve, that the attention of their companions was now firmly elsewhere.
As Jesse wryly thought to himself, the place could have been overrun with burglars right now,
and two certain detectives wouldn't know a thing about it.
Seeing the teasing mischief that was brewing in Jesse's eyes, Amanda moved quickly to avert it –
silencing the inevitable protest with a single, meaningful glare as she steered him out of harm's way.
Watching this less than subtle retreat, Steve then turned to offer Tanis a sheepishly wry smile.
"Of all the jewel joints in all the world, sweetheart, you walk into this one…" he drawled in what,
to him at least, was a pretty accurate impression of the late, great Humphrey Bogart.
While amused by his mimicry, it had to be said that Tanis wasn't quite as impressed as he'd hoped.
"Not bad…" she shrugged, choosing her moment before leaning in to whisper seductively in his ear,
"But your Batman was soooooo much better…!"
It took some doing to make Steve Sloan blush. Tanis Archer had managed it with worrying ease…
Still laughing at the expression on his face, she then nodded towards the far end of the store,
where Jesse now stood happily, and genuinely, browsing for a gift for Susan.
"I'd imagine that Susan's going to be a very happy lady when that baby's born…" she said at last – guessing from the broad grin on Jesse's face that Mrs Travis was, indeed, in for a lovely surprise.
Maybe it was just his nervous imagination, but Steve thought he could detect some envy in her voice.
A silent, wistful yearning that she could find the same settled happiness that Jesse and Susan had.
Not sure what to say, even whether he dared say anything at all, Steve just smiled and nodded instead.
"I'm sure she will… especially since this is where Jess bought her engagement ring…" he said at last,
so pre-occupied with watching Jesse that it took some moments for him to realise what he'd said.
Needless to say, Tanis looked just as surprised as he did, staring up at him out of wide, startled eyes.
Then she raised a quizzical eyebrow, favouring him with another mischievous smile.
"Really…?" she asked at last – loving the effect which that smile and one simple word had on him.
Damn, he was gorgeous enough already, but… ooh boy, when he blushed…
Realising that the cat wasn't just out of the bag but halfway down the street, Steve grinned back at her.
"Yes, really…" he said softly, leaning in to place a gently acknowledging kiss on her cheek.
Watching this most significant moment, Jesse and Amanda traded equally delighted smiles.
"Hallelujah…" Jesse muttered, giving his stomach a gently appeasing pat as he strode toward the door.
"Now we might finally get around to getting some lunch…"
Rolling her own eyes at his lack of priorities, Amanda then laughed and gently hauled him back.
"I wouldn't bet on that, Jesse…" she chuckled, nodding to where Steve and Tanis now stood together, arm in arm while studying some rings from a certain, very significant display…
Pulling a face at yet another delay to his already suffering appetite, Jesse resignedly shook his head –magically brightening, though, as a hopeful search through his pockets brought an unexpected bonus.
"Hey, I forgot I had this…!" he enthused, eagerly peeling the wrapper from a large bar of Hershey's.
While not one to encourage excessive junk food, either for CJ and Dion or her adoptive kid brother,
Amanda had to admit that she was feeling rather hungry too… and that Hershey's did look tasty…
Now came the tricky part… getting a piece from Jesse before the entire lot disappeared…
To her amazement, Jesse was already passing over not just one piece but a whole and generous half.
Or perhaps he just knew that she would have throttled him if he hadn't…
Smiling her thanks, she then followed him to some rather welcome, comfy looking armchairs – enjoying this chance to catch her breath from what had been a rather hectic shopping trip.
From their earlier, more formal working relationship, she and Tanis had now become firm friends.
Joining forces with Susan, they now made a formidable team in keeping 'their boys' in line.
Of course, the main responsibility for keeping Steve on the straight and narrow now lay with Tanis.
And from what she'd seen so far, Amanda knew that soon to be Mrs Sloan was going to do just fine…
Despite the circumstances of their first meeting, Mark's fatherly intuition had told him the same thing.
True, that first meeting between them, the horrific cause behind it, still privately haunted him.
As if seeing Steve almost shot to death hadn't been traumatic enough, his ordeal had only worsened as Mark found himself framed for murdering the crime lord responsible for Steve's shooting.
And in the strangest twist of irony, Tanis had actually helped to secure that conviction.
But then she'd really come through for him, working tirelessly with Steve to catch the real killer.
At his welcome home party, a guilt-ridden Tanis had, unsurprisingly, assumed she'd not be welcomed.
In fact it had taken a personal visit to her apartment from Mark himself to persuade her to come.
But eventually he'd managed to talk her round, assuring her that there really was nothing to forgive.
Since then, her relationship with Steve, professional and personal, had gone from strength to strength.
Now, judging by the especially broad smile on his son's face as he strode briskly into the kitchen,
that more personal relationship had taken a significant, not entirely unexpected turn…
"Very smart, son, but aren't you a little… um… overdressed for a rack of ribs…?" he asked mildly,
quickly scanning Steve's brand new, clearly expensive suit for any telltale sales tags.
Seemingly doing the same thing, Steve looked puzzled for a moment then, to his father's amusement, pulled a face back at him in sheepish understanding.
"Don't worry, dad… I'll be changing out of it as soon as you've told me what you think…"
Briefly tugging his sleeves, Steve glanced up at his father again with a telltale excitement in his eyes.
"So…? Do you… um… reckon it's okay…?"
Mark couldn't help but feel touched. After all, he'd waited for this moment for an awfully long time.
Unfortunately for Steve, he couldn't help teasing him either…
"Okay for what…?" he asked, with a play dumb bewilderment that even Jesse would struggle to equal.
Caught off guard by this unexpected response, Steve frowned at him for a moment, clearly puzzled.
Then he saw the giveaway glint in his father's eyes and, from much practice, ruefully rolled his own.
With the wedding now just two days away, his normally pin-sharp mind was understandably addled – something which his father and soon to be throttled best man had gleefully exploited.
"I could always wear my Hawaiian print instead…" he shot back, raising a mischievous eyebrow.
"Don't you dare…" his father warned, laughing too though as he came to stand in front of him –
placing his hands on Steve's shoulders while casting him a genuinely proud, approving smile.
"Son, you'll be the best dressed ex-bachelor in LA…"
"I'll certainly be the happiest…" Steve grinned, clearly looking forward to this most momentous day.
Yet there was a trace of regret in his voice as he said it. A sadly resigned yearning in his eyes which,
needless to say, was not lost on his father as Steve headed back downstairs to change.
Already guessing the cause behind that yearning, Mark waited until his son was safely out of earshot.
Then, his smile widening, he picked up the phone to arrange a very special wedding day surprise…
Jesse, too, was in for quite a surprise when he returned home – one that left him completely floored.
"I was going to call you at the hospital, Jesse, but… well, we've got company…" Susan greeted him, a broad smile reassuring her suddenly anxious husband that there was no need to panic.
Following her down the hall, Jesse then stopped and stared. Just as he'd done that day four years ago…
Already alerted by their approaching voices, Dane Travis now appeared in the living room doorway –
smiling back at his dumbstruck son before nodding to where Leo lay contentedly napping in his arms.
"Y' know, Jess, this little fella looks as sweet and cute asleep as you did at his age…" he chuckled – yet despite the light hearted words, there was still a slight strain in his voice as he looked back at Jesse.
Although reconciled after many years of estrangement, Dane still felt a crushing guilt for those years. Bitter regret for all that precious time together that he, and Jesse, had been so devastatingly denied.
The relationship between them was certainly easier now, but it could – should – have been even closer.
And if he felt that regret, Dane knew that his son would feel the same way, probably even more so –
hence the unease with which he now waited for Jesse's reaction to both his presence and his words.
In hindsight, he thought ruefully, that hadn't exactly been the most tactful thing to say…
To his relief, Jesse didn't seem to mind this slight lapse in tact as he finally recovered his composure – a broad if rather sheepish smile spreading across his face as he greeted his father with a delighted hug. "Yeah, so I've been hearing since mom sent Susan some of my baby pictures…" he retorted dryly,
glancing ruefully towards his wickedly grinning wife.
"Well, I need some kind of leverage to keep my still sweet and cute husband in line…" Susan retorted, laughing outright at the martyred expression on Jesse's face as she playfully patted his cheek.
Laughing too, Dane then forestalled the inevitable protest with a fatherly wise shake of his head.
"Trust me, son, it's far better for you to quit now while you're still not too far behind…" he chuckled,
winking at Susan while gently passing Leo to her, leaving him free to proudly hug and study his son.
"Still, for all the marital blackmail, Jess, you certainly look well enough for it…" he said at last,
clearly grateful that his son's marriage was proving to be a lot more successful and settled than his.
He didn't even need to ask how much his son was enjoying his new life as husband and father –
the pride and settled happiness from that new life was there for all to see in a broad, beaming smile.
"Yeah, I don't really have any complaints…" Jesse grinned, casting Susan a lovingly proud glance.
"He wouldn't dare…" his wife retorted, a playful glare warning against any possible wisecrack.
Jesse, needless to say, had other ideas as he cast a comically plaintive look towards his father.
"You see what I have to put up with, dad…?" he sighed, a study of put upon, henpecked sufferance.
"All the teasing, and the tormenting, and the…"
"And you're not fooling me for a moment, son… you love every second of it…" Dane chuckled, hiding well any regret that he may have felt for his own broken marriage as he added proudly,
"You and Susan were just born to be together, Jess… I've never met two people more suited, or…
well, so destined to be together as you two are…"
Clearly touched by his father's words, Jesse then smiled as he recalled where he'd heard them before.
"Yeah, so Steve said the day we got married…" he said at last, still smiling fondly at the memory.
Reminded of his best man's own momentous day, Jesse's smile then excitedly and hopefully widened.
"Hey, talking of which, guess what…? Steve's getting married too…! This weekend…!"
"So Susan was telling me…" Dane replied, anticipating his son's next question with a broad grin.
"And yes, assuming that Mark and Steve would want to invite me, I'd be delighted to come…"
"Hey, of course you're invited…! In fact, as best man, I'll take care of it myself…" Jesse enthused,
forgetting in the delight of his father's visit that it was normally the family who issued such invitations.
About to remind his son of those traditions, Dane then smiled wryly to himself and thought better of it.
He knew that once his Jesse set his mind on something, very little could be said or done to stop him.
To try, as Mark had once fondly warned him, was rather like telling the tide to turn around…
Instead, trading a wry smile with Susan, he nodded towards a photo proudly displayed on the mantel. Jesse and Steve, arm in arm – clearly sharing one hell of a joke with the wedding day cameraman.
Dane felt his smile widen, again struck by the closeness between his son and his adoptive big brother. He could almost feel the love between them… hear their exuberant laughter coming though the frame.
There'd been a time when he'd secretly envied that closeness… resented the Sloans for giving his son the love and support which he and Eleanor hadn't been able, or prepared, to give him themselves.
Now, though… well, the sheer delight in his son's eyes assured him those days were thankfully over.
"Well, if you do half as good a job as Steve did on your big day, you'll do just fine…" he said at last, still smiling even as he cast his notoriously mischievous son a fatherly stern, meaningful glance.
"Now you're not planning any embarrassing surprises for him in your speech… are you…?"
Thinking for a moment, Jesse then glanced back up at him… and simply smiled…
It was probably just as well that Steve remained oblivious to the mischievous plans of his best man.
He was having enough of a shock already, dealing with his father's equally devious plotting,
without having to worry about what Jesse was going to say in his speech.
Roused from a delightful dream by the gentle tickling of fingers across his chest, he started to smile – his eyes remaining closed, though, as he tried to lightly swat them away.
"Go 'way, Tanis… I'm dreaming, and I'm just getting to the interesting part…" he mumbled drowsily, trying to wriggle away from those incredibly persistent fingers.
As they continued to torment him, he groaned in protest and rolled over, grudgingly opening his eyes –
fully expecting to see those of his fiancée glinting friskily back at him.
Instead of finding Tanis smiling back at him, though, he found the slyly grinning face of his sister,
looking down at him with a mischief in her eyes that could only come from their father.
"Morning, sleepyhead…" Carol grinned, casting a playfully approving glance towards his bare chest.
"Hey, great pecs, Steve… I guess it's true, working out really does pay dividends…"
Blushing to much the same bright red as Carol's shirt, Steve made a hasty grab for the bedclothes, tucking them coyly around him while he continued to stare up at his sister, totally mortified.
"C - Carol…?" he finally spluttered, uneasily wondering just how long she'd been standing there.
Then again, with that wicked smile on her face, he was probably better off not knowing.
And to think that he'd just mistaken her for… oh boy, he was definitely better off not knowing…
"Well, I'm certainly not Tanis…" Carol laughed, clearly enjoying his still shellshocked expression.
Settling herself neatly on the edge of his bed, she thought for a moment then shrugged her shoulders.
"Apart from the obvious differences between your fiancée and your sister, there's our hair…"
"Y – Your hair…?" Steve echoed, still staring at her with all the comprehension of a potted plant.
"Yes, I'm just an ordinary blonde, whereas Tanis is more a strawberry blonde…" Carol replied,
in a tone of voice which seemed to suggest her brother should have known this already.
If truth be told, Steve didn't really need, or want, an explanation on the finer points of hair colouring.
He just wanted to know who'd instigated this little bombshell of a surprise.
A broad smile then spread across his face as, composure regained, he drew Carol into a delighted hug. Just a few years ago, he and his little sister had seemed as distant as two different planets –
pushed apart, by the strangest irony, by a big brother's natural instinct to protect.
Now though… well, they seemed closer than ever… closer than he'd ever thought possible.
Little wonder, then, that Steve could feel a lump forming in his throat as he hugged Carol tighter.
Along with his finally finding his soul-mate, he never thought he'd see this day happen.
He really should have known better, though, than to ask himself such a dumb and obvious question.
Jeez, even the greenest new recruit at the academy would have worked that one out by now…!
Still, he thought wryly, those brilliant detective skills would kick in once he'd had some coffee.
"So when did dad call you…?" he asked at last, releasing Carol into a rather more leisurely embrace – the emotional joy in his eyes indicating just how grateful he was to his father for making that call.
"Well, after getting my answer machine a few times, he finally caught me yesterday…" Carol replied,
tilting her head slightly, raising an eyebrow while regarding her brother with a mock-scolding smile.
"Though you have caught me by surprise, getting engaged and hitched all in the same week…!
I've not even had time to buy myself a new outfit…!"
"Yes, I know it's pretty sudden… dad's pretty surprised too…" Steve admitted with a sheepish grin.
"But… well, we've known each other a long time already, and… oh boy, she's the one, Carol…
I mean, I know I've not exactly been lucky in finding my perfect woman, but… well, I have now…
and after waiting all this time to find her, I had no intention of letting her get away…"
Carol just nodded, finding it impossible not to smile at seeing her big brother so thoroughly smitten.
With so much mischief in her genes, however, it was impossible for her not to tease him too.
"So what did you propose to her with…? Your set of handcuffs…?" she asked, grinning back at him – quickly dodging the pillow which a helplessly laughing Steve hurled at her in response.
Before he could retaliate further, however, Tanis herself appeared in the bedroom doorway –
trading a wicked grin with her soon to be sister in law as Steve hurriedly re-arranged his bedclothes.
"Awww, Carol, don't you just love him when he gets all coy and embarrassed…?" Tanis said at last, laughing out loud now as she came to stand behind Carol's shoulder.
"You think he's embarrassed now…? Wait till dad brings out his old baby movies…!" Carol grinned – guessing from her brother's slightly pained expression, and the unrestrained delight on Tanis' face,
that a certain person had already treated his new daughter in law to one hell of a cringe-making show.
Right on cue, that certain person now appeared – conveniently ignoring Steve's exasperated question.
"Hey, doesn't anyone in this house know how to knock…??!!?"
"Well, son, if you can tell me how to knock with this tray in my hands, I'm all ears…" Mark retorted,
casting a sly wink towards Carol and Tanis as Steve's exasperation magically disappeared.
"Breakfast in bed…?" he asked mildly, studying the contents of this unexpected treat with eager eyes.
"Awww, dad, I'm touched…! You haven't made me breakfast in bed since I was a kid…!"
"Well, thanks for that, son, but… well, actually this was meant for Tanis…" his father replied,
offering her an apologetic smile before casting his rather red faced son a mock glare of exasperation.
"It's okay, Mark…" Tanis grinned, laughing outright at the sheepish expression on Steve's face.
"Carol and I can just grab something later while we're in town getting our outfits, so don't worry…
and if the worst comes to the worst, I can always sweet talk a free meal out of Jesse…"
"Yes, I've always wondered how you manage that…" Steve mused, glancing enviously up at her. "You're the only person I know who can shang-hai a sandwich out of him and get away with it… whenever I try, all I get is a whacked hand… or, if I'm really lucky, a cremated corn chip…"
"Well, it might help if you didn't threaten to gouge his eyes out with your spoon…" Mark chuckled – loving the face that Steve pulled in response to both his teasing and Tanis' equally chiding reply.
"Gee, I guess that would explain how you'd never made the diplomatic unit…"
"Yes, poor Jesse…" Carol chipped in, feeling a natural empathy for her adoptive little brother.
"You know, Steve, it's as well he's so sweet-natured… you really are rotten to him sometimes…"
"Yes, well, most of those times he deserves it…" Steve retorted defensively, pointing to his door.
"Now if the Jesse Travis Adoration Squad is quite finished, my breakfast is getting cold…"
"Um, whose breakfast…?" Tanis asked mildly, folding her arms while raising a meaningful eyebrow.
Studying the bacon rasher that he playfully offered her in return, she then sighed and rolled her eyes. "Gee, whoever said romance was dead…?"
Eating it nonetheless, she then leaned in closer to him, stealing a lingering, cunningly distracting kiss.
By the time he'd noticed that another rasher was missing, she was already stepping neatly out of reach, bowing to the laughing applause of Mark and Carol as they headed towards the door.
For all his own laughter, though, Steve now felt a deep sense of foreboding as he watched them leave.
In the mischief making stakes, his sister and his fiancée were clearly getting on like a house on fire.
He could just imagine the two of them, howling with laughter over his antics in those home movies.
And of course, there were those countless scrapes and escapades from his childhood to hear about too.
Those alone would keep Tanis in ribbing credit for at least the next decade…
Wincing slightly, Steve shook his head. This, he now worriedly reflected, did not look good…
Time to seek solace, he decided, brightening considerably as he turned back to his breakfast.
And what better way to do that than with a huge trayful of bacon, eggs and coffee…?
A more familiar wedding tradition now crept into his mind as Steve tucked eagerly into his meal.
He wasn't especially superstitious, but he and Tanis would still be spending the coming night apart – something that, after becoming so used to waking up with her beside him, would seem awfully strange.
Still, it would just be this one night – something which they'd soon very happily make up for.
Besides, catching up with his sister's latest exploits would probably last well into the next morning.
Those alone would keep him equally, although not quite so enjoyably, entertained.
For now, though, it was his exploits that were providing much entertainment in the Sloan household –
the sound of delighted laughter from the kitchen causing Steve to wince in both dread and realisation.
His complete humiliation at the hands of his sister, it seemed, was already well under way.
By the time he'd re-lived blowing up the school's chemistry lab, getting stuck up their old apple tree,
rescuing his ball from the fearsome, hopelessly mis-named Cuddles and crashing his first dirt-bike,
Steve felt sure that things couldn't possibly get any worse.
Two words changed all that – and prompted a mortified, face-saving dash towards the front door.
"It broke…?" Tanis echoed, joining a wickedly grinning Carol in fits of delighted laughter.
"Steve's voice broke right in the middle of his altar boy solo…?!!?!!?"
To Steve's eternal relief, that lousily timed onset of puberty remained diplomatically untold –
although Tanis' silence did carry a sizeable price. After buying her coffee and donuts all morning,
a free lunch at BBQ Bob's came as a real relief to both his nerves and his wallet.
On the more serious side, he wanted to spend as much of this day with Tanis as he possibly could.
In just over six hours, they'd be going their separate ways – Steve, needless to say, to the beach-house, while Tanis and Amanda enjoyed the traditional bride's shower party at Susan's.
Still, he thought, glancing fondly to where his father, sister and Jesse were sharing a joke together,
at least he'd have his family around to help keep his mounting nerves at bay.
Jesse would be staying over too, of course, to ensure that he reached that all important church on time.
And in such mischievous company, Steve was hoping that he wouldn't miss Tanis too much.
How wrong he was. In spite of this threeway effort to keep him amused, entertained and occupied,
mounting nerves and Tanis' absence left Steve oddly restless and unable to settle.
Of course, Mark had already faced the predicament of dealing with a nervous, pining bridegroom –
solving it now, as he'd done then, by a gentle smile, and the wonderful invention of a cordless phone.
Across town, Amanda too felt an odd sense of déjà vu as she called Tanis through from the kitchen.
She'd even been playing with Leo when the phone rang… just as she'd been those few months earlier.
"Guess who…" she grinned – delighted to see that Tanis' reaction was just as Susan's had been.
Half an hour later, Steve returned from the sundeck with a smile on his face which, if not for his ears,
might have stretched right round the back of his head.
Grateful as he was for his friend's cheerier mood, Jesse couldn't help but feel slightly peeved by it too, as Steve committed not just one but two unforgivable sins.
The kid brother hair ruffle was bad enough, but pretty much emptying his bowl of popcorn too…?
And slapping his legs down from the coffee table…? Well, that really was asking for trouble…
Still, Jesse mused, casting Steve a quietly calculating smile, vengeance would soon be his.
Not served cold so much as… well, more served early… really early…
With such a momentous day ahead, Steve had been hoping for a nice relaxing lie-in the next morning.
But then he'd reckoned without a popcorn-robbed best man on a mission of revenge…
In his dreams (or was it a nightmare…?), a bright and breezy voice was singing loudly in his left ear…
"I'm getting married in the mor-ning…!! Ding dong, the bells are going to chiiiiiiime…!"
Groaning in protest, Steve rolled over and sleepily flung a pillow towards the source of his torment – assuming from the soft thump and merciful silence that followed that he'd found his target.
He'd thought wrong. A few seconds later, the voice returned – louder, and more off key, than ever.
"Girls, come and kiss me…!! Tell me you'll miss me…!! But get me to the church on tiiiiiiiiime !!"
As extra incentive for him to reach that church on time, the bedclothes were now whipped away –
an appreciative wolf whistle for his Valentine's hearts boxers proving to be the final straw.
"So help me, Jesse, if you don't shut up right now, we won't be needing a church…!" Steve yelled,
backing up his exasperated warning with another sleepily hurled, neatly sidestepped pillow.
"We won't…?" Jesse asked innocently, grinning still more at Steve's menacingly growled response.
"No, we'll be needing an OR to put you back together again…! Now, go away and let me sleep…!!"
Undaunted by this dire threat of dismemberment, Jesse pouted then sighed and shook his head.
"Now Steve, is that a sensible way to treat your best man…?" he asked at last, tutting in disapproval – meeting Steve's threat with one of his own… one so horrifying that Steve stared uneasily up at him.
"I mean, the speech is all safely written… and very complimentary it is too, I might add, but…
well, it's still on my laptop, just in case I need to… well, you know, make any last minute changes…"
Of course, he could have been bluffing… but with so much ammunition to blackmail him with,
not to mention that devilish smirk on Jesse's face, Steve knew he dared not risk calling that bluff.
Instead he just smiled a deceptively pleasant smile up at his friend while idly flexing his knuckles.
"And just how do you plan to make those changes, Jess, with two broken arms…?" he asked mildly – his turn to grin as Jesse's gleeful smirk predictably faded.
"I guess you're just not an early morning person, are you, Steve…?" Jesse sighed, shaking his head – heading smartly for the safety of the hallway before Steve found out just how early a morning it was.
Listening at the door to muffled protests of 'For crying out loud, Jesse…! It's only just gone six…!'
Jesse grinned and, whistling happily, headed back upstairs to gloat in safety.
Of course, he knew that Steve would never actually hurt him, no matter how often he threatened to.
But that didn't stop Jesse from sheltering behind Mark when Steve finally joined them in the kitchen – the baleful glare which Steve threw towards his friend, and Jesse's limpet-like closeness to his back, causing Mark to cast a glance of long suffering patience towards the ceiling as he re-filled his coffee.
It had barely turned eight, they'd not even had breakfast yet, and his boys were at it already.
Something told him it was going to be a very long day…
Not that he knew it yet, of course, but it was going to prove a rather long day for Jesse as well.
Four months earlier, just as now, Steve's love for his 'little brother' had been tested to its limit.
Keeping Jesse and his mischievous energy under control was almost impossible at the best of times,
but keeping his wedding day nerves in check had run his best man's nerves completely ragged.
It had only been the happiness of the occasion that had saved Jesse from a brotherly throttling.
Now the roles were reversed – now it was Jesse's turn to bear that day's many responsibilities.
And after all Steve had suffered that day four months ago, it was finally payback time…
That payback began as soon as they'd finished breakfast, as Steve wrestled Jesse from his stool, holding him in a gentle head-lock while rubbing the backs of his knuckles through Jesse's hair.
And while Mark would normally leave his boys to do the washing up, for once he decided otherwise – a kitchen full of crockery was hardly the best place for a couple of high spirited, overgrown kids.
Instead, as sternly as his restrained laughter would allow, he sent them outside onto the beach –
letting both vent out some mischievous steam before that afternoon's rather more serious occasion.
As that occasion drew closer, though, so that mischief inevitably gave way to mounting nerves –
to the extent that even Jesse's legendary, easy going patience soon found itself being sorely tested.
"Steve, you know how much I respect you, right…?" he now sighed through a rather forced smile.
"I – I mean, we've always been real close, and I've always kinda looked up to you, haven't I…?"
Realising what he'd just said, and ignoring Steve's gleeful comparison of their vastly differing heights, Jesse then drew himself up to his full if rather modest five foot six inches and glared at his friend.
"But so help me, Steve… however much I love you…" he muttered through tightly gritted teeth,
"If you don't stand still and let me tie this tie, I'm gonna climb up there and strangle you with it….!"
"Oh, really…?" Steve grinned, taking cheerful delight in the advantage of those eight extra inches –
his amusement soon fading, though, as Jesse found a typically ingenious way to negate that advantage.
"Yes, really…" he replied pleasantly, stepping up onto a conveniently nearby footstool.
For once eye to eye with his friend, he then smiled and gently took hold of the lapels of Steve's collar.
"Now, as your best man, best friend, and most of all as a doctor with full knowledge of your anatomy,
may I politely suggest, for the third and final time, that you stand still…!"
Laughing too much now to argue further, Steve held up his hands in equally light hearted surrender, standing obligingly still while Jesse finished adjusting his tie.
Sensing the nervousness behind that laughter, Jesse then grew more serious as he glanced up at him.
"Guess you're getting kinda nervous…" he said at last, casting Steve a gently commiserating smile.
Surprised for a moment, Steve then grinned back – wryly wondering why he'd felt that surprise.
It had never ceased to amaze (not to mention alarm) him that Jesse could always read him so easily.
Beyond all their bickering, he could always rely on Jesse to say or do the right thing at the right time.
And right now that gentle smile was… well, just what the detective, if not the doctor, could ask for.
"Kinda terrified would be more accurate, Jess…" Steve admitted ruefully, shrugging his shoulders – finding it impossible not to laugh, though, as Jesse reassured him as only Jesse Travis could.
"Hey, look at it this way, Steve…" he went on, draping a brotherly arm around Steve's shoulders.
"I mean, what's to be nervous about…? You're getting married, your whole family will be there,
it's gonna be a great day, and you've got me as your best man…!! What could possibly go wrong…?"
Pausing for effect, Jesse thought for a moment, then grinned wickedly and shrugged his shoulders.
"Of course, with your dad around, there's a strong likelihood of someone ending up murdered, but…
well, hey, at least you and Tanis will be there to grab the bad guys…! Just do me a favour, okay…?
If you really must rugby tackle them over a table, can you at least try to avoid the one with the food…?
I mean, I really don't think the guests will take too kindly to having you land across their lunch…!"
"Thanks, Jess, I'll try to bear that in mind…" Steve retorted dryly, still chuckling with laughter.
Beyond that laughter, though, there was genuine gratitude in his eyes as he glanced back at Jesse –
the mischievous, trouble-prone friend that he'd come to love as the brother he'd always wanted.
"Thanks, Jess…" he added softly, clearly feeling that he needed to say so much more than that –
a familiar, gentle smile assuring him that he didn't need to.
Mission accomplished, Jesse then grinned up at his friend while nodding towards the door.
"Ready to go…?"
"As ready as I'll ever be…" Steve nodded with all the enthusiasm of having to visit the dentist.
No stranger himself to that feeling, Jesse grinned while nodding instead towards Steve's stomach.
"How are the butterflies…?"
"I think they've invited some friends over…"
By the time they reached the church, that little party of butterflies had grown into a full blown colony.
Steve's only comfort was the knowledge that Tanis was probably feeling as nervous as he was.
Still, at least he had the reassuring presence of his father there, smiling encouragingly back at him.
And Jesse too, of course, loyally at his side – patiently answering the inevitable, anxious question.
"And you've got the ring, Jess…? You've definitely got the ring…?"
"Yes, I have definitely got the ring…" Jesse sighed, waving that special little box under Steve's nose.
"And before you ask… yes, it is definitely in there… see, it's right there, in the box…!!"
Pulling a face back at him, Steve then glanced self consciously around a touchingly crowded chapel – wryly thinking the criminal element of LA were going to have a field day for the next few hours.
The entire precinct seemed to be there…! And was that really Captain Newman smiling at him…?
"Jeez, I had no idea so many people were going to be here…!" he went on, still studying the crowd –
his eyes then widening in complete astonishment as three familiar faces smiled warmly back at him.
"Jack…? Delores…? Norman…?" he breathed, clearly delighted but utterly stunned by their presence.
"B – But how…? I – I mean, dad and I still see Norman pretty often, but Jack…? And Delores…?
The last I heard, Jack had moved on to Aspen, and Delores… well, we had no idea where she was…!
I didn't even know their addresses for the invites, so how did they find out I was getting married…?!?"
Puzzled by Jesse's uncharacteristic silence, Steve finally turned to glance quizzically back at him –
delighted realisation spreading across his face as Jesse grinned and modestly shrugged his shoulders.
"Guess all these years I've spent hanging around with you have kinda paid off…" Jesse said at last, raising a cautionary eyebrow as Steve swallowed hard, clearly moved by this wonderful surprise.
"Now you're not going to get all mushy on me here, are you…?"
Remembering when he'd said those same words himself, Steve just grinned too and shrugged – echoing Jesse's reply from that day as fondly as Jesse had just copied that affectionate question.
"Hey, it's my wedding day… and on my wedding day, I'm allowed to get mushy…!"
Laughing too now, Jesse allowed his friend a few more moments of tension-breaking laughter before, glancing towards the rear of the chapel, he nodded back at Mark and gently nudged Steve to his feet.
"Okay, buddy, here we go…" he said softly, giving Steve's shoulder a gentle, heartening squeeze.
"Now remember, I'm right here if you need me, so just try to relax and enjoy it now, okay…?
If you forget your vows, just look at the priest, he'll always give you a prompt if you need it…
So just take a nice deep breath… that's it, just take your time and enjoy this… okay…?"
Steve just nodded, prompted by traditional bridegroom's curiosity to glance over his shoulder.
Even if he'd not been too nervous to speak, he doubted whether he could have said anything anyway.
The sight of his bride, smiling happily back at him, completely took his breath away.
He'd seen her dressed up before, of course, for special occasions or a romantic dinner, but this…
Tanis didn't just look beautiful as all brides do on their wedding day. Instead she looked stunning.
Clearly guided by Susan's advice, she'd chosen a classic, elegant dress in the palest ivory silk.
A modest veil covered her face, but still allowed him to see the nervously excited smile beneath –
her eyes never straying from his as Mark walked her gently and proudly down the aisle to meet him.
Behind them came Carol, Amanda and Susan, forming an equally proud escort of honour,
while CJ and Dion repeated their roles as page boys with the same slightly overwhelmed seriousness.
By the time Tanis reached him, and under Jesse's whispered advice, Steve was breathing again –
although it still took a gently discreet cough from their priest to regain his distracted attention.
No doubt accustomed to dealing with distracted bridegrooms, Father Peter Donnelly now smiled, casting Steve and Tanis an especially warm smile of encouragement as they came to stand before him.
"Dearly beloved…" he finally announced, glancing up to address his eagerly waiting congregation,
"On this happiest of days for Steve and for Tanis, we are gathered here together…"
The service itself was short and simple – good news for a still rather nervous, tongue tied bridegroom.
But it could have been from a Laurel and Hardy movie for all that either Steve or Tanis knew or cared.
As they stood together, quietly reciting their vows, the rest of the world seemed a long way away.
And just as Susan had done, Tanis had a wonderful, deeply moving surprise for her new husband – smiling so proudly up at him as she gently guided a matching band of gold onto his finger.
Glancing at Jesse, receiving a dubiously innocent 'I don't know how she did it…' shrug in return,
Steve then glanced towards Tanis – wryly shaking his head as she too merely shrugged her shoulders.
Oh boy, if these two were in cahoots over finding out his ring size, then he really was in trouble…!
Clearly enjoying this light hearted conspiracy, Father Donnelly now turned to address him once more –
adding a special, highly appropriate twist to the announcement which they'd all waited so long to hear.
"Lieutenant Sloan, you have the right to remain silent… and to kiss your beautiful bride…"
Amid a chorus of laughter and cheering applause, Steve glanced across at Tanis and grinned –
needing no further incentive than that to lift her veil and enjoy their first kiss as husband and wife.
Needless to say, there were several calls for an encore – needless to say, they happily obliged.
After the photo calls came the inevitable crowd of hand-shaking, back-patting, hugging well-wishers.
Eventually they came to the three unexpected well-wishers that Steve had wanted to see most of all – the dilemma of who to greet first settled as all four fell into a delighted, exuberant hug.
"Hey, Steve, lookin' good…!" Jack Stewart said at last, a study of health himself as he stepped back, casting his long time friend a trademark grin while draping an amiable arm across Jesse's shoulders.
"Boy, I tell ya, when Jesse here told me you were getting married… I mean, really getting married…!
I tell ya, Steve, you coulda knocked me down with a feather …!"
"Yes, I must admit I felt the same way when I first saw you all back there…" Steve retorted dryly, joining his father in casting a proudly grateful smile towards the person who'd made it all possible.
Both had often privately wondered how Jesse would react if Jack had ever re-appeared in their lives –
worried that he might have felt left out or slighted by 'the old team' getting back together again.
To the relief of both of them, though, such fears and worries had proven to be thankfully groundless.
With such mischievous natures in common, Jesse and Jack had clearly hit it off as soon as they'd met, causing Mark to fondly smile as his two protégés, past and present, shared a joke with Steve and Tanis.
Norman, too, was clearly delighted to be back in the company of his 'treasured amigo' while Delores, having taken quite a motherly shine to Jesse, spent much of the reception with 'that adorable boy…!'
It was a day filled with love and laughter – one that neither Steve nor Tanis really wanted to see end.
Inevitably, though, friends and guests gradually filtered away throughout the afternoon.
Among them was Dane Travis – wincing in frustration as he turned to face his son, shaking his head.
"I'm sorry, Jess, but… well, I'm needed at the office…" he sighed, offering Jesse an awkward smile.
To his relief, Jesse simply shrugged and grinned back at him, with no trace of any past felt resentment.
"Hey, you were here for this very special day, dad, and… well, I can't ask for more…" he said softly,
seeing his father on his way with a final, typically heartfelt hug before calling excitedly after him.
"Hey, give my love to Cinnamon, okay…?"
By early evening their other guests had left too, leaving only Mark and his 'family' behind.
Both old family and new, he thought, fondly watching Jack and Jesse tormenting the hapless Norman, while Delores and Amanda sat nearby, animatedly catching up on several years worth of gossip.
With the tension and nerves of their big day behind them, Tanis and Steve could now gratefully relax, taking time to reflect on what had truly been a most unforgettable day.
And for Steve, that evening's celebratory barbecue at the beach-house would be especially enjoyable –
because it would let him take sweet revenge for everything that Jesse had put him through earlier.
Watching his boys jokingly wrestle with each other while they set the barbecue up on the sundeck,
Mark could guess from the wicked glint in his son's eyes that some form of mischief was afoot.
And after hearing about the less than gentle wake up call that Steve had endured from his best man,
he'd already worked out where that mischief was heading.
Part of him couldn't help but feel sorry for whatever brotherly retribution Jesse was about to face.
Then again, if he'd been woken at six in the morning of his wedding by his best man singing
"I'm getting married in the morning…!" at the top of his voice as he'd whipped off the bedclothes…
well, he might have felt inclined to dish out some punishment afterwards too.
Needless to say, everyone else had been ruefully told about that rather abrupt wake up call as well –
everyone guessing, too, that at some point that day, there would be some seriously evil payback.
So when Steve innocently suggested to Jesse that they took a 'nice refreshing walk along the beach'
Mark, Carol, Amanda, Susan and Tanis had their excuses all ready for why they needed to stay behind.
"You go ahead, son, but I've… um… well, I'd better make a start in feeding you all…"
"And with you two's appetites, dad's going to need all the help he can get…!"
"Speaking of which, I still need to finish making up my famous coleslaw…"
"You know, I really think that Leo needs his feed right about now…"
"And I have to change… this dress is far too gorgeous for me to get gravy all down it…"
Accepting all without a second thought, Jesse simply nodded and followed Steve down to the beach – happily unaware of five intrigued spectators lining up on the sundeck, all ready to enjoy the show.
Sensing too that Jesse was in for one hell of a shock, Jack, Delores and Norman came to join them – Delores' hopes that her 'adorable boy…' wouldn't suffer too much met with even more laughter.
As they walked together past the patio, Jesse saw little reason to suspect that anything was amiss.
After all, it had been a pretty emotional day for all of them – especially, of course, for Steve.
Nor did he see any cause to question the brotherly arm that Steve now draped across his shoulders.
If truth be told, he'd always enjoyed this gesture of affection between them.
Being gently lifted up and dumped in the jacuzzi, though… well, that was a wholly different matter.
While the others doubled over in hysterics, Mark turned to an equally amused Amanda and winced.
"Oh boy…" he said softly through his own chuckles of laughter. "This means war…"
Sure enough, war was being declared in a series of coughs and splutters as Jesse finally surfaced.
"Hey…!" came the inevitable, indignant protest as he stared up at his wickedly smirking friend.
"Wh – What did you do that for…?"
"One word, Jess… payback…" Steve explained, totally unmoved by Jesse's spluttering protests.
"I mean, you didn't really think you'd get away with that charming little wake up call, did you…?"
Clearly enjoying the laughing applause from the sundeck, he turned back to Jesse and shrugged – taking full advantage of his friend's plaintive silence to make his vengeance gleefully complete.
"Besides, it's a well known tradition that the best man at a wedding gets thrown in a jacuzzi…"
"Oh yeah…?" Jesse, it had to be said, looked far from convinced as he glared quizzically up at him.
"So how come I didn't know this so that I could chuck you in the jacuzzi after my wedding…??!!?"
"Well, I didn't want you to strain anything, Jess… especially on your wedding night…" Steve grinned,
turning away slightly so that he could cast a mischievous glance towards Susan.
Suddenly grateful for the water that cooled the heat from his face, Jesse then felt himself smile.
Steve was still enjoying the approval of his audience… his guard dangerously, and unwisely, down…
"Aw, gee, Steve, that was real nice of you…" he said at last, sarcasm dripping as much as his clothes.
Bracing his feet in readiness at the jacuzzi's base, he then held out a hand to his still distracted friend.
"Now it would be even nicer of you if you'd stop laughing yourself sick and get-me-outta-here…!"
The oldest trick in the book… and to everyone's amazement, Steve actually fell for it.
Not thinking for a moment that Jesse was actually strong enough to pull him in, Steve took his hand –
whatever he planned to say next lost in a loud yell… and an even louder splash…
By the time he finally surfaced, and recovered his breath, Jesse was safely out of retaliatory reach –
standing outside the jacuzzi, proudly flexing an impressively toned bicep.
"Guess all those gym sessions have really paid off…" he gloated with a wickedly gleeful smirk –
that smirk predictably fading as Steve glowered up at him while flexing his own impressive muscles.
"I sure hope so, Jess…" he shot back, his tone deceptively pleasant as he climbed out of the jacuzzi. "Because when I get hold of you, I'm gonna…"
But he was threatening thin air… Jesse was putting those gym sessions to excellent use again,
already half way down the beach before Steve, to yells of laughing encouragement, took off after him.
With both already soaking wet, being rolled through the surf wasn't really going to do any more harm.
It was just more a question of who got grabbed and dunked most often.
They were clearly having so much fun that, inevitably, CJ and Dion were soon pleading to join in too – their mother laughing too much at their eager expressions to say anything but yes.
"Well, you must admit, Mark, things are just a little bit one sided down there…" Amanda chuckled, nodding to where Jesse was enduring yet another playful roll through the waves.
"Yes, I'd say Jesse definitely needs some help…" Mark agreed, glancing playfully round at the others.
"Any volunteers…?"
They didn't need to be told twice. Hell, they'd barely been able to wait long enough to be told once.
Five minutes later, safely changed into more suitable clothes, Mark led his cavalry down the beach. Just in time too, it seemed, as Jesse received yet another thorough dunking.
Within seconds, chaos reigned. It was every doctor, detective, child and pathologist for themselves,
whatever rules that may have existed soon forgotten in an all out game of dodge or be dunked,
while Norman and Delores remained safely and wisely dry by keeping Susan company on the beach.
Not to be left out just because she was pregnant, Susan followed the tussling fray through the surf,
yelling advice and encouragement to her no longer quite so beleaguered husband.
Forever gallant and, more to the point, wise to the last, Mark soon left the fray to rejoin her,
keeping her company while watching the ongoing shenanigans with a fatherly humouring smile.
Seeing his thoughtful expression, Amanda gratefully left the ongoing water-fight to join them too,
linking her arm through his while casting him a gently quizzical glance.
"Mark…? Are you alright…?"
Startled for a moment, Mark then grinned sheepishly back at her and nodded.
"Oh yes, honey, I'm fine…" he chuckled, nodding to where Tanis and Carol had now joined forces,
finding all too willing accomplices in Jesse and Jack in gleefully rolling Steve through the surf.
Laughing out loud at the yells, shrieks and hysterical laughter that followed, he then shook his head –
an expression of complete contentment settling on his face as he watched his kids at play.
"No, I was just thinking…" he went on, glancing back over his shoulder towards the beach house.
"At the rate this family's growing, I'm going to need to build an extension…!"