I seem to always seem to be behind over here so you guys get two parts in one day! I'm posting 24 and 25 today! Make sure to get both in.

Chapter 24

"Alright, Liz, that does it." Isabel set the glimmering tiara on her head. It sat delicately among the mass of curls that Isabel had meticulously curled, once she got Liz to let her use the curling iron on her.

Isabel, Maria, and Gracie all had matching dresses, spaghetti strapped, and ankle-length swaths of satin — lilac colored. They stood to go into the back of the church to get ready for the processional.

"Where's Lily?" Gracie asked hoping somebody knew where the little girl was.

"I here." She peeked from behind Liz's traditional, off white, wedding dress.

She had been surprisingly good all day, despite the fact she had gone to bed late and risen early that morning.

Her dress was of a darker purple and went to her knees, completed in the back with a bow that she was proud of. She was to hold a small white basket of flowers.

Liz looked from the flower girl to each of her bridesmaids. "I feel outnumbered, I'm the only brunette in the party, and I'm the bride."

"You'll stand out more that way, dear sister." Isabel bent to straighten Lily's tiara that matched Liz's. "You know," she stood again, "we're already technically sisters, and you're sort of marrying your brother-in- law."

"No." Liz said with a smile. "You married your brother-in-law and just had his baby three months ago. But it does sound a bit incestuous, doesn't it?"

"Yes." Both Isabel and Grace answered together.

"You look beautiful, my dear." Liz looked up and saw her father.

"Hi, Daddy, thank you." She blushed.

"We'll wait for you out here." Maria shuffled them all out into the entryway. Lily clung stubbornly to Liz and refused to leave her.

"Looks like I've acquired myself a new granddaughter." He lifted Lily up in his arms.

Not one to be shy she smiled brilliantly at him.

"I've done this once before, Lizzie, and I'm sure this will be the last time that I'm going to do it. I hope you'll be happy, sweetheart, because you deserve it. I know this isn't the time to really discuss this, but I talked to Diane and Phillip, I'm gonna take the kids tomorrow and I'll return them before supper. Your honeymoon isn't very long."

"We're sort of surprised we got one at all, with the two kids. Are you sure, is Nancy ok with that, both of them?" Liz had so many questions swirling around in her head.

"Yes, yes and yes. I spoke with Nancy and she says she won't help me with them, but she won't mind them being there." He stepped closer and cupped her cheek in his hand. "It's not much, but it's a start and I hope to progress more, being around these two kind of melts you."

"Well it'll make or break you, she's not an easy one." Liz looked at Lily, who grinned.

"Yeah, well, we'll try. But you don't mind?"

"No, I'd be delighted." Liz hugged him. "We'll call tomorrow night to see how it went."

"No, no need, you two will be enjoying yourselves, are you ready, baby?"

"Yeah." She took his elbow.

By some act of God, Aidan and Liz talked Lily into walking down the aisle beside Aidan.

Aidan looked adorable in his tiny tuxedo, though he didn't look too comfortable. He matched the other groomsmen, Michael, Alex, and after a few arguments, Gracie's fiancé, Kyle—Max wasn't too fond of him yet.

Lily sat quietly during the wedding and through the first part of the reception until she decided she wanted a piece of the fun and attention as well.

Max looked over Liz's shoulder as the danced and noticed restlessness in his daughter.

"Lily's starting up." He warned.

"She's been good today I'm surprised she didn't start sooner." She rubbed her thumb over her wedding ring again and felt a wave of giddiness flow through her.

"True, Mrs. Evans." He smiled down at her.

She smiled just as brightly right back. "That sounds strange but wonderful. I'm gonna have to have all my papers in college changed now."

"Not so horrible. Liz, our son is a genius." He turned her so she could see too. "Aidan distracted her so she wasn't so antsy.

Aidan's adoption papers had been easy since the absent parent was deceased. Max decided not to tell Liz that Lily's were going to be much more difficult. With Tess still alive, they were going to have to find her and have her forfeit her rights. Though Tess had no interest whatsoever in the child, she wouldn't give up her rights to another woman.

It was a tearful goodbye, Max felt his heart breaking at Lily's cry for Liz, she ignored him. He didn't know what he had done but decided he would call and talk to her later. Aidan tried to be brave but broke down when they were walking out the door of the Evans' house.

"Don't go, Mommy." He clung to her neck.

"I'll be back the day after tomorrow, sweetheart." Liz promised and kissed him. "We need you to take care of Lily, and Grandpa Jeff is going to come get you tomorrow."

He nodded and rubbed his tired eyes.

"Max." He held up his arms.

"Alright, Aidan." He said once he had him in his arms. "It's up to you to hold down the fort. Don't let your sister get into too much trouble, and she's gonna probably miss Mommy and I a lot. Do you think you can help her?"

"Yes." He flexed his nonexistent muscles which Max tested with approval.

"Remember, that monster that lives under her bed. She's gonna need a strong soldier like you to fight it off."

He nodded seriously. "I won't let it get her, Max, I promise."

"Good, now I know she'll be safe." Max mussed his hair and set him on the ground.

"Take care of Mommy." He told Max.

"I will."

"Good." They gave a man to man nod and both seemed satisfied with it.

With a few more waves and kisses Max and Liz set off to the cabin the Parkers had rented for their honeymoon, in the mountains little over an hour away.

Jeff Whitman stared at his grandchildren and wondered what had possessed him to bring them both at one time. They looked so innocent while they slept. While Aidan was more like his daughter, subdued and quiet, Lily was loud and had an attitude that would put his wife's to shame.

Lily stirred.

Dear God, it couldn't have been an hour already. Just a little longer, Lily, please.

Her eyes fluttered and she sat up. "Dan-dan up!"

Aidan opened his eyes and felt the doll jamming into him.

"Lily why don't you let Aidan sleep for a while?" The poor boy was obviously tired.

She looked at her brother in disgust then turned to Jeff. She smiled innocently at him and hauled herself up. "Potty!"

He helped her to the restroom and coming back into the bedroom saw Aidan had gone back to sleep.

"What do you want to do, Lily?" He stifled a yawn. He could do this, he thought, only a few more hours.

"I can play with her, if you want to go rest with Aidan?" Nancy said carefully.

"I don't want to trouble you."

"It's no trouble at all." She picked up Lily. "I think we have a lot in common."

"If you want to, don't hesitate to wake me though." He said looking between the two females, both glaring.

Lily was shocked to be hit with her own attitude at every turn she made. Aidan would concede after a pout, Max was putty in her hands, Liz would sort of stop her, Jeff was a rug, Nancy was a force to be reckoned with, and she loved it.

"Down." Lily demanded after she finished her cracker.

"What do you say?" Nancy raised an eyebrow.

"Down, please?" She batted her eyelashes. "Nana?"

"Alright, thank you." She set her on the floor.

"How'd you do that, Nancy?" Jeff was astonished. "I'm a natural." She shrugged. "Is Aidan hungry?"

"Nancy, why are you being so nice to the children, not that I'm complaining."

"I...I didn't treat Liz too well, when she was little or ever, really. I think I was jealous of her mother, or rather your love for her mother. I was hoping maybe I could make it up with her children?"

"I'm sure she'd appreciate that. She's willing to try to start over, Nancy, just say the word."

"Grandpa Jeff, Lily's doing something bad." He had never before tattled on Lily but now he felt he was obligated to.

"Lily no!" Jeff called as she was getting ready to dump the entire can of fish food into the tank. "I thought we moved the chair.

"We did." Nancy huffed. She plucked Lily off the chair and hauled it behind her to the away from the tank. "If you're so intent on using this chair, you will sit in it correctly, with your bottom on the seat, you will not move until I tell you to, understood?"

Aidan blanched, not even his mother talked to her that way.

She started to pout. "Nancy." Jeff said.

Aidan didn't know what to call her so he just watched.

"No, Jeff, she'll learn discipline when she's in my house. If she behaves she gets rewarded, if she acts up, she gets time outs. Aidan, come with Nana, and we'll get something for you to eat."

"But, Nana," that sounded funny on his tongue he had never called her that before. "Lily's gonna cry."

"Next time she won't climb in the chair, Jeff you have time out duty, if you let her up in less than five minutes, you'll be the one in that chair."

Gulping and turning away from Lily's pouting face he took on sentry watch.

"Aidan your mommy's on the phone." Diane whispered in Aidan's ear so Lily wouldn't get jealous, though her manners improved since yesterday.

He got up, delighted to speak to her.

"Hi, Mommy." He said lovingly held the phone against his ear and almost burst into tears at her voice. "I miss you."

"I miss you too, baby." Liz spoke to her son on the phone.

"When you coming home?" He asked, it was the day after tomorrow they should be there.

"Soon." Aidan paused when the doorbell rang. He was tempted to get it but his parents were adamant about him not answering the door.

"Who's at the door, honey?" She asked.

"I don't know, Grandma hasn't gotten it yet." He looked at it anxiously.

"Aidan get the door!" Diane called from the back.

He ran to it, he loved seeing who was there. Pulling on the door with one hand and the phone in the other was impossible. "Hold on, Mommy."

"Alright." She laughed.

He set the phone down on the table by the door and used both hands. He picked up the phone again before he looked.

He turned and his eyes grew huge. "Mommy!" He launched himself into her arms.

"Hi, I missed you, Aidan." She hugged him close.

"Me too!" He hugged her close. "Don't go again."

"I won't." They weren't even supposed to be home till that evening but both her and Max wanted to come home.

"Daddy!" Lily ran to him and hugged his legs. Max lifted her into his arms and hugged her close. "I missed you, Lilybird, were you good for Grandma?"

"Yes." She answered. Nancy had instilled fear into the child. "We go to Nana's house."

"Who's Nana?" Max asked.

"Nancy Whitman, your daughter took a liking to the woman, According to Jeff, they had quite a showdown, Nancy coming out triumphant, Lily, I guess, loved every minute of it." Diane smiled. "Phillip isn't home since we weren't expecting you home anytime soon." She held the kids overnight bags.

"Thank you so much for watching them, Mom."

"You'll want to call Nancy Whitman and thank her." She said. "Lily almost had a heart attack when we came to get them. I'd keep you guys, but I know you want to get home. Classes tomorrow and all, we'll call you later." She handed Max the bags.

"Thank you again, Mom." Liz said. It felt funny to her ears, but Mrs. Evans was no longer appropriate considering that was her name as well now.

"You're welcome my dears." She kissed them both on the cheek. "It was my pleasure."

[TBC