Chapter 11: Buried Secrets

A/N: The main context of this chapter occurs about three months later, so the babies are eight months old.

Once the weekend was over, Manny and Chris went back to their normal lifestyle, with the exception of Chris' therapy. He was getting better every day, and by the time his month of therapy was over, he could walk as if he never lost his leg in the first place. Chris did not allow himself, or anyone else for that matter, feel sorry for him. He was simply grateful to be alive and able to be with his fiancé and children every day.

From time to time, he would think about what Craig had told him. I know what you did to her after they were born. Those words rang out in his head over and over again. Sometimes he thought that maybe he should tell Manny and get it over with, but he decided to let the secret stay buried. It wouldn't do anyone much good to tell.

It was a Saturday afternoon, and Chris was sitting with Manny in the living room. He was holding his eight-month-old son and daughter. Manny was looking through their small pile of mail, which consisted mostly of doctor and car insurance bills, when she noticed an envelope with Spinner's return address. She quickly opened it and was very surprised at what she saw. That very same instant, the phone rang. She picked up the cordless phone next to her and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Manny! It's me!"

"Oh, hey Paige," Manny said.

"Did you get an invitation from Spinner?" Paige asked.

"I was just looking at it and about to call you," she told her truthfully.

"I cannot believe that Spinner and Hazel are getting married!" she yelled into the phone. "If it's not bad enough that they both disowned me when I found out that I was pregnant, now they're inviting me to their wedding? I'm so mad right now!"

"You still like Spinner, don't you?" Manny asked.

"Well, I was in love with him for a long time. Then the whole thing with Matt happened, but that was only because I thought that Spinner didn't like me. I never told you this, but after we graduated, he told me that we had a chance and he still loved me when I was with Matt. But he knew that if I had a baby that things would be different. When I told him that I was keeping Avery, he said that he couldn't raise a baby right now. Then I told him that if he really loved me that he'd give us all a chance, but he went off to college," she explained. "I'm not sure if I still love him. I mean, he moved on with my best friend. And they're getting married after being together for God knows how long. It's crazy!"

"Well, my advice is that if you do love Spinner, you should be happy for him and support him. I think we should all go to the wedding," Manny told her.

"Maybe you're right, but the only reason I'm going is to prove that I'm fine without him. Well, and I want to buy a new dress. I've only got two weeks to shop!" she said, laughing. Manny laughed too, but then the twins started to cry.

"I gotta go. I'll talk to you later!" Manny said. "Bye."

"What was that all about?" Chris asked as he handed Lucas over to Manny.

"Hazel and Spinner are getting married, and we're invited to the wedding."

"What?" Chris said. "That is the weirdest couple I've ever heard of."

"Yeah, no kidding. They both went to the same college, and probably developed feelings for each other," Manny told him. They walked into the kitchen to make dinner for the twins. When Lily and Lucas were six months old, they made the transition from baby food to solid foods, but only cereals, mashed potatoes, and soft cooked fruits and vegetables. Manny mostly pumped breast milk into bottles by now, so it was easier for the babies to be fed when she was gone. By now they ate chopped up chicken and hot dogs.

"That's really bizarre. When's the wedding?" he asked.

"Two weeks. I was thinking we could all go shopping together next weekend," Manny suggested. She was now finishing mincing their chicken. She and Chris put them in their high chairs and began to feed them.

"That works," Chris said.

The next weekend, Paige, Manny, Chris, Marco, and Dylan went shopping for their outfits. Dylan and Marco came from college. They brought Lily, Lucas, and Avery with them too. The past week was Chris' first week back to work.

"So, how was it going back to work?" Marco asked Chris as they walked into Petals and Promises, a bridal shop nearby.

"It was great. It felt like I had never left," Chris answered.

The girls separated from the guys in search of dresses. All the guys were going to get plain old black tuxedos. They just needed to find their sizes. Chris took Lucas, Dylan took Lily, and Marco had Avery with him. They were all in their strollers, so the guys took turns watching them while they tried different sizes on. After about twenty minutes, all three of them had their suits and paid for them. They went to find the girls, who hadn't picked out anything yet.

After an hour and a half, the girls found the perfect dresses. Manny's dress was strapless and a light green color. It hugged her curves and flared out at the bottom. Paige's dress was similar, but was coral colored and had one strap across her right shoulder. The girls paid for their dresses and they all headed to Target.

Manny and Paige bought dresses for Lily and Avery that matched but were different colors. Lily's dress was purple and Avery's was pink. Manny also bought a little suit and tie for Lucas.

The week went by quickly and it was finally time to go to the wedding. Even though Spinner and Hazel were going to college in Boston in the states, they decided to have the wedding back in Toronto. It was at Spinner's church.

"It looks so beautiful in here," Manny commented as they sat down. There was a side for Spinner's family and a side for Hazel's family and they chose to sit on Spinner's side. They sat in the third row. Paige chose this because she did love Spinner and was mad at Hazel for marrying him, but she didn't tell anyone that was the reason. Manny noticed Jimmy sitting a few rows behind them. She called his name and motioned for him to sit with them. He sat at the end of the pew, next to Paige.

"Maybe she's pregnant," Paige said.

"Or maybe they're in love," Manny said, shrugging.

"I don't think so," she argued. "They couldn't be in love this fast."

"Paige, I thought you were going to be supportive here," Chris said.

"Actually, Paige is right," Jimmy spoke up. "Well, sort of."

"What do you mean?" Manny asked.

"Well, I talk to Spinner usually every weekend. He told me that there was a crazy party in his dorm and him and Hazel ended up having sex. She got pregnant and when they told their parents, her dad flipped out and said that they had to get married," he explained in a whisper.

"When did this happen?" Paige asked with a disgusted look on her face.

"Two months ago," Jimmy answered. "But Spinner did tell me that he had feelings for her and she liked him back before they ever had sex."

"Oh please, Spinner was just looking for ass. And Hazel was probably desperate," Paige said.

"Paige, stop being so bitter. You know how hard it is to have an unplanned pregnancy, and now Hazel is going through the same thing," Chris pointed out. He was a little sick of her bickering.

"By the way, don't mention this at all for the rest of the day while we're here. Only Spinner and Hazel's parents know about the baby. Well, and me and you three. But Hazel doesn't even know that Spinner told me," Jimmy told them.

"We promise not to say anything," Manny told him. Chris nodded his head. "Right Paige?"

"Fine, I won't," she said through gritted teeth. Right then the music started and the flower girl started walking down the aisle. Paige had just noticed that Spinner had been standing at the altar ever since they had arrived. She looked at him and saw him smiling at her. She gave him the most fake smile she could muster up and looked away. By then, the bridesmaids had all walked down and Hazel was now walking. Paige stood up with everyone else, but wouldn't look at her. Since she was only two months pregnant, she wasn't showing, and no one would suspect that she was.

Throughout the wedding, Paige didn't pay attention to anything that the priest was saying. She only wanted to hear them say 'I Do.' A part of her was hoping that he wouldn't say it. That he'd just come back to her. She was snapped out of her own little daydream when the words actually came.

"I do." Paige looked up and noticed that it was only Hazel who'd said it. There's still hope with Spinner.

"Gavin Mason, do you take Hazel as your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?" the priest asked.

"I…" Paige closed her eyes. But he didn't say anything. She opened them again and realized that he was looking at her. She looked down at Avery who was asleep in her arms.

I still love her. She's so beautiful with her daughter, Spinner thought to himself as he looked at the love of his life. What am I thinking? I got Hazel pregnant and I have to stand up to my responsibilities. Besides, my chance is gone. Paige was smiling at Spinner but Hazel was glaring at him.

I don't believe it! He still wants to be with her! Hazel yelled inside her head.

Spinner smiled at Paige again and shook his head. He turned back to Hazel, still smiling and finished his sentence, "…do."

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." Spinner leaned down and kissed Hazel lightly. She smiled at him and they held hands as they walked back down the aisle and outside.

Dammit! Paige screamed in her head. She got up and stormed out of the church and got into her car. She buckled Avery in her car seat, put her head onto the side of it, and cried.

A/N: I stole the Petals and Promises name from BlueEyedDolly's story (the sequel to A Nightmare Returns). I'm not sure if it is a real place or not but B.E.D. if you are mad at me, I will change it…I just liked the name a lot.