Whew! Sorry it took so long for me to get this out.
I present to you, the last chapter of Romance & Regret. (Actually its more of a short epilogue, but hey it works : 0
It occurs to me that I've written a similar ending bit to this fic as "Pictures & Frames"
*sigh* But, as I'm too lazy of an author, just over look it PLEASE????? (gives big, sad puppy dog eyes)
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Steve shook his head as he finished moving Ellen's last box, "Promise me I'm not going to have to move you again?"
"Well, not any time soon anyway. Be happy that I decided to sell most of my furniture. Besides, I thought you liked showing off all of those hard earned COP muscles."
"How do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Make certain phrases sound like newspaper headlines," Steve grunted as he struggled with removing some of the packing tape. "'COP muscles,' it sounds like I'm a current event."
"Oh, like you don't make everyday things sounds like crimes. I thought that leaving that ketchup out on the counter was a prosecutable offence from the way that you talked," Ellen jabbed back as she started pulling her things out.
"Is it my fault that no one realizes that ketchup needs to be refrigerated after opening? Does nobody else read the label?"
"Fighting already?" Marks voice floated down the stairs as he carried down a single pillow.
"How come he gets the easy job?"
"Because, this is my house young man," Mark replied as he tossed the pillow onto Steve's bed.
The three of them looked askance at the flowery thing laying on Steve's rather masculine bed.
"It looks like you're going to have to redecorate," Mark smiled.
Steve blanched, "We could just get rid of the pillow."
Two stares focused on him. Ellen grunted in disgust, and Mark laughed.
"Steve, how can you have reached your age and not realized that it is a woman's prerogative to redecorate?" Mark glanced over at Ellen as she moved around various and sundry clothing items, "In addition to taking over the majority of storage space, of course."
Steve groaned.
Marks laughed again, "It isn't my fault that you proposed."
"I think it is, you're the one who was sneaking around my back, tricking us putting video camera's in my truck…"
"It was a microphone."
Steve snorted, "Dad, I found the camera. You don't have to pretend."
Mark shook his head, "Steve, I'm telling you all I had was Amanda putting a simply bug in your truck. And she didn't even succeed."
Steve frowned, "Then who put the camera in there?"
A faint clomping was heard coming down the stairs, "Hey, you guys down there?" Jesse grinned as he reached the bottom step.
Three pairs of eyes regarded him suspiciously.
"What?" Jesse grinned nervously, "Do I have something on my face?"
"You wouldn't happen to know anything about my truck and a video camera would you?" Steve queried as he stepped closer to his friend.
Jesse backed a step up the stairs.
"For that matter, how did you swing that job for me so quickly?" Ellen countered.
Jesse swallowed. Hard.
Mark frowned, "And just how did you know what I was doing when Steve found out I was going behind his back?"
"Well, that is I…I… Hey! Don't you guys trust me?"
Steve shook his head, "Not particularly."
"Oh Steve, can't you stop interrogating the good doctor for one second?" Carol smiled as she appeared next to Jesse on the stairs.
"Carol?" Steve, Mark, and Ellen's voices sounded at the same time. Steve and Mark looked at Ellen confused while Ellen stared back at the two Sloan men with an identical expression of confusion.
A click and a bright light signaled that a picture had just been taken.
Jesse grinned unrepentantly as he slid the small camera back into his pocket, "Man, you should see the looks on your faces. Oh, thanks for the slim line camera Mark, you were right. I t did come in handy."
Steve turned on his friend, "Jesse…"
"On that note, I think I'll leave you to the angry masses," Jesse said to Carol as he sprinted up the stairs.
Mark smiled at Carol, "I didn't think you were coming until Thursday."
"Well, I decided that I should probably come a little sooner than that. I didn't want to provide undo stress to the happy couple so close to their nuptials."
"Wait a second," Ellen flustered, "You already know them?"
"Of course I know them. Although, why you want to marry a man who hasn't been able to make toast since he was five is beyond me."
"Carol," Steve growled in frustration.
"It is the truth, Steve."
Ellen shook her head, "How?"
Steve looked at his intended, "Ellen, why do you know my sister?"
Ellen blanched, "Your WHAT?"
"My sister. I mentioned her once, didn't I?"
Ellen stared at him, "I think you muttered something about it once, when we were putting out the invitations. What bothers me is the fact that SHE didn't mention anything about it."
Carol smiled innocently, "Why whatever do you mean? I told you I had an irritating brother that lives with his nosy father."
"You didn't mention that I happened to be in love with your brother."
"Well, I didn't know. Then, when I did know, I figured the two of you were too stubborn to admit anything without help. Then, when you finally wised up, I thought it would be a touch funny to surprise you."
Ellen fought back the tiniest of smiles; it was somewhat amusing in a very twisted way.
Steve, on the other hand, did not appear to be sharing the merriment.
"Hold on one second. You two obviously know each other. Why?"
Carol smiled sweetly at her brother, "I met Ellen shortly after she moved to Chicago. She kept ranting and raving about this stud she knew back in California. After that one visit, I figured out that she seemed to be stark raving mad in love with you for some unknown reason."
Mark laughed then quickly sobered. His mouth opened slightly in wonder, "Jesse brought you here from the airport! You two have been working together all along!"
Carol nodded.
Steve's face turned red, "Jesse put the camera in my truck!"
"You're very perceptive, Steve. And I must say that you've trained Dr. Travis very well, Dad."
Mark smiled, "You know, I feel strangely proud at this moment."
Steve sulked, "Well I don't."
Ellen snickered, "Lighten up, Steve. He didn't do any harm."
"Well, he does have that photo he just took," Mark commented mischievously.
Ellen look wide eyed at Steve. In unison, they bolted for the stairs, neatly sidestepping carol.
"JESSE!"
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The End.