They napped for a few hours before they were awaken by the passing of the dinner cart. A flight attendant stopped and spoke to them.

"Hello, we'll be arriving in Atlanta shortly. Would you like me to bring you your meals now?"

Bruce looked at Amy and they nodded in agreement.

"Yes, thank you," he replied to the attendant.

The flight attendant nodded politely and walked off to bring their dinner.

"That was a good nap," Amy said while stretching and sitting up.

"What's after Atlanta?" Bruce asked, still laying back.

"Six hours to LA and then another five hours to Maui. I think we have an hour layover in Atlanta and LA," she said while fixing herself.

"I'm going to the ladies room before dinner gets here."

Amy started to get up and Bruce pulled her down slightly on top of him. He grinned mischievously at her.

"You want me to join you?" he asked in a whisper.

Amy giggled and stared in his eyes.

"Later tonight, when the possibility of interruptions is less," she said as she kissed him softly.

"If you're scared, say you're scared," he teased as she attempted to get up again.

Amy rolled her eyes but grinned at him as she got up. She headed for the facilities. This was the first vacation like this for her. First class even had luxurious restrooms. The bathroom was not the usual closet sized airplane latrine. It had a changing area in addition to the sink and toilet. Her mind raced with visions of what was to come.

Flashbacks of Bruce's kitchen ran through her mind. She splashed water on her face and told herself to get a grip. She wanted to run and bring him in there. Bruce was the best lover she ever had. She fantasized that he was great in bed, but she didnt think he was capable. Everything about Bruce always screamed 'boring'. He was always stern, serious and very moral. It was nice to see another side of him. Amy reflected on all his 'sides' for a moment. Yes, very nice. She knew it wasnt the right time now and forced herself to get the thoughts out of her mind. She washed her hands and went back to her seat.

Their meals had already been brought out. Filet Mignons, baked potatoes, steamed asparagus and a glass of Chardonnay. She noticed that Bruce hadn't touched his plate. The man was all gentlemen; he waited on Amy to eat.

"It looks delicious. Sorry I took so long"

"It smells really good too... Are you ok? You're not getting sick are you?" Bruce asked wondering what took her so long.

"I was getting lovesick. The bathroom was nicer than I imagined. My mind got carried away. I had to get control of myself," Amy said coy.

"All that work to get control when you're just going to lose it again in a little while," he teased and gave her a sly grin.

"Mmm hmm... Lets eat; we're going to need the energy," she returned the smile and giggled.

There was a private eleven inch monitor overhead which they could view movies and listen to digital music. Bruce turned on the jazz channel while they ate. The meals were exquisite as was the wine. He started worrying about the cost of the trip.

"Amy how much did all this cost?"

"This trip? It's the most that I've ever spent, even though my travel agent got me a really good deal. Stu was spending a fortune on the wedding, so I felt it was only right to go all out on the honeymoon."

"Did he know how much you were spending?"

"It was such a fight to begin with. I wanted tropical, he wanted to trek through the wilderness somewhere foreign. He finally agreed to Maui and I redid the arrangements. I know he saw the final bill, so yes, he knew. Why?"

"Because this is expensive. Stu Collins made a very good living and he wasn't a single parent. If he wanted such an elaborate wedding, it was only right for him to pay for it. I know you wanted to keep things simple. God, the man was an ass. How much is this trip?" Bruce asked with great concern.

"It doesn't matter. It's not refundable. We're on the plane for Christ's sake. I think I deserve this and I can't think of a better person to be with," she initially snapped but ended in a loving manner.

Bruce put his silverware down and turned to Amy. A familiar look plagued him again. Amy could see his eyes full of worry.

"Don't get me wrong; I want to be with you more than anything. It's just become a little overwhelming. I'd love to be able to do this again for you, but the reality is that I won't be able to. Not for a long time. And you don't deserve that. You–"

Amy put her hand over his mouth. She was shaking her head no. Her eyes were filled with compassion and love.

"I deserve to be loved the way you love me, the way you've always loved me. I've been wined and dined and none of it compares to how you make me feel. You haven't listened to me: I want you. I love you. I don't care if you live in a tent or the Taj Mahal. I don't care if you clean toilets or work as a nuclear physicist. I am no different than you Bruce; I love you for who you are as you love me for who I am. That's all we've been looking for in life and that's what we finally have. We keep questioning it because we both have waited so long to be loved this way -it seems unreal. I questioned you in the parking lot and now you question me. Well now we've confirmed how we feel and it won't be on our minds any longer. We have a week to look forward to. It's a good thing that its out of our systems now."

She smiled kindly at him. His anxiety left him and his expression softened. Bruce stared intently at Amy as he gently moved her fingers from his mouth and pulled her chin to bring her face within an inch of his.

"It's a very good thing," he kissed her sweetly.

They smiled approvingly at each other when their lips parted and returned to their dinner. Amy asked Bruce if he would mind if she changed the music, he didn't. She started flipping through stations.

Amy came across "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You". She beamed as she remembered Bruce's heartwarming story about his daughter's birth: How he couldn't get Mia to the hospital on time and Rebecca was born in the bathtub. How she was screaming and crying when she was born and Bruce didn't know what to do. How he started singing to her the song he had sung while she was in Mia's belly. How Rebecca suddenly stopped crying and looked at him as if she recognized who he was. Most of all, Amy remembered him singing the song to her. It was one of the times he had really let her in his life.

Bruce smiled immediately as he heard the song. He saw Amy watching him and he began to sing along. Amy watched him in awe. She loved to see him in 'daddy' mode. She adored how dedicated he was to Rebecca. It reminded her of her own father, for not even Michael cherished their daughter the way Bruce treasured Rebecca. Amy didn't doubt Michael's love for Lauren but it wasn't the same devotion Amy had hoped for Lauren. The devotion Amy felt her father had given her and the devotion she saw Bruce had toward his daughter. Memories of her childhood flashed through Amy's mind. She then fantasized briefly of having a child with Bruce. All these thoughts and images went through Amy's head as Bruce sang.

After the song, they exchanged stories about their girls and their own childhoods all the way to Atlanta. Bruce and Amy continued chatting as they leisurely strolled to their connecting flight. They shared old and new accounts of their lives, even some hopes for the future. The conversation stayed focus on their individual lives and families, as though they were tap dancing around their new relationship. Amy was the first to cave in.

"Would you want to live together for awhile before getting married or would you rather get married?" she asked very seriously.

"I don't think it would be appropriate to live together with the girls and not be married Amy."

"Why? Would you want them to just get married and not really know who they are with? You don't think it's wise to try living together first? I'm not saying I believe that, I've never done it. I'm just curious. I wonder if living together would've prevented such disastrous relationships."

"Think of how much better off you were that you hadn't. You'd be moving Stu's stuff instead of traveling with me," Bruce pointed out somewhat humorously.

"I'd hate to think that I wouldn't be with you. I would love for you and Rebecca to live with us. I'm really starting to feel like marriage isn't necessary. Sometimes I'm terrified of that piece of paper. It seems cursed for me. Things change so much when you say 'I do'. It makes me think that I'd rather not."

"It's just because you've done it with the wrong people. I've never done it and my love life hasn't been any better than yours. I still look forward to getting married. I can easily see spending the rest of my life with you. I hope, in time, I can set your mind at ease. I'll prove to you that you aren't cursed."

Amy leaned up and kissed Bruce as they walked. He released her hand and wrapped his arm around her. They arrived at the gate and boarded within seconds of their arrival. First class on this aircraft was even nicer. There were two restrooms; one in the middle of first class and one behind Bruce and Amy's seats. Their seating actually had a curtain that could be closed for privacy. The seats were even larger and more comfortable. They were the last seats in first class.

"Wow, two bathrooms and a curtain. This is going to be fun," Amy said coyly as she sat down.

Bruce smirked.

"What exactly do you have in mind?" he asked as he leaned in to her.

Amy whispered in his ear.

"I'm going to show you really soon."

She gently bit his earlobe before sitting back and fastening her seatbelt on. Bruce had to adjust himself to hide his excitement. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined Amy to be so sexually provocative. This was a very pleasant surprise. He chuckled as fastened his own seatbelt. A flight attendant came by.

"Our flight information says you're newlyweds. Congratulations!" she spoke excitedly.

Bruce and Amy both let out a laugh.

"Yes we are. Thank you," Bruce responded quickly.

Amy looked at him curiously with a smile. Bruce had a mischevious grin and winked at her. The flight attendant continued.

"Well enjoy your private seating. We'll bring out complimentary champagne and you have a choice between a slice of cheesecake or angel food cake. Which would you prefer?"

"Cheesecake," they replied in unison.

"Ok, I'll be back shortly after we're in flight. At that time, in addition to your having your desert, you may recline the seats and unfastened your seatbelts until the pilot announces otherwise. It seems that you are all set right now," the flight attendant smiled and went on her way.

Amy turned to Bruce.

"So am I Mrs. Van Exel or do I keep my maiden name?" she asked coyly.

Bruce laughed and he grabbed Amy's hand. He kissed it softly before he spoke.

"No woman of mine is going to keep her maiden name. As a matter of fact, changing your name isn't enough; it's going to be branded somewhere on you," he teased.

"Oooh, can you brand me now? Where do you have in mind?" Amy asked as she put her hands around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss.

"We have cheesecake and champagne coming..." Bruce said as Amy kissed his lips delicately.

"... we'll have to leave the branding for another time," he replied in between kisses.

"If you're scared, say you're scared," Amy giggled as she pulled away from his face after gently biting his lower lip.

She went from a giggle to a full fledge laugh. Bruce looked like a poor kid in a toy store. He smiled but scowled with his eyes.

"We'll see who's scared when this plane is up in the air," he said defiantly.

He knew Amy could see how anxious he was getting. All this teasing was getting him revved up. It seemed like an eternity since they had been together. Bruce had never behaved this way with a woman before. There was something about Amy that made him feel free, safe to go outside of the box slightly. It wasn't all about the physical contact, he was also letting loose on an emotional level. The knowledge that Amy would never purposely do anything to hurt him was very empowering. Their flight finally took off... May the games begin!