Author's note: This series of scenes is included for a reason - a loose end that needed to be taken care of before our lovely couple can ride off into the sunset... I've tried to craft it with as much taste and delicacy as I could.


Epilogue: Forsaking All Others


City Center Radisson Hotel

10 p.m.

Elizabeth sat at the dressing table in the bedroom, brushing her dark hair out in long, even strokes, and trying desperately to calm the pounding of her heart. The day had been a blur; the only clear memories she had of the past 14 hours were a voice— "I now pronounce you husband and wife"— and the look in Myles' eyes as he'd lifted her veil to kiss her.

Elizabeth Catherine Anne Leland. The name change would take a little getting used to, after thirty-four years of saying "Dillingham," but she was more than ready to spend a lifetime adjusting.

If I can just get through tonight, she thought ruefully. She gave her reflection a stern look, and the brush flew through her hair as she chided herself. Here I sit, on my wedding night, finally married to a man I could no more stop loving than I could stop myself breathing, and I'm hiding like some terrified adolescent.

She shook the brush at her reflection. "Enough," she said aloud. "Get yourself out there and start enjoying being married to the man of your dreams." She stood, smoothed down her dress and walked resolutely toward the door.


&
Myles leaned on the balcony railing, looking out at a sparkling late-night Washington, D.C., and smiling to himself. A big part of the smile was for the fact that today he had finally married a lady who filled his soul, fired his passions (not just the romantic ones), and would very likely keep him on his toes for the rest of his life.

The other part was a gentle amusement that this same beautiful, stubborn, wonderfully sweet lady was, at this moment, essentially hiding from him.

It wasn't totally unexpected; they were both pretty much exhausted, and he'd already known she'd be nervous. So he'd undone the buttons on her dress so she could change into something casual, then left her to herself for a few minutes. They had the rest of their lives; he wasn't going to rush things.

The truth be told, he was a little nervous himself, thanks to a conversation a few months back. The mess with Graham had not only driven her to sleep in his guest room more than once, it had given him nightmares as well. One night the two collided, and she'd been there to help him through the panic attack, hold him while he cried out his frustration and fear, then gently chide him for apologizing about it. She had fallen asleep next to him after they had talked some more, and the next morning…

A soft moan escaped her lips, and she whispered something too softly for him to make out as he stirred and looked over at her. Myles started to wake her, thinking she was having a nightmare as well, then stopped when he heard the sigh that followed. A smile touched his lips; he knew that sigh all too well, having had a few dreams of his own like that. …

"Good morning."

She gasped again, then looked over her shoulder at him. "Where did you learn that?"

"What?"

"That velvet baritone purr that just about buckles my knees every time you use it on me."

His smile turned into a mischievous grin. "I don't think my voice had anything to do with it this morning. Nice dream?"

She felt her face grow warm, and her eyes dropped. "You could say that," she said quietly.

Myles slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. "I hope I was in it." He purposely tried to keep his voice a little more neutral, but he couldn't resist teasing her.

Her breath came out in a cross between a laugh and a sigh. "Of course you were in it. You're the only man I've ever even come close to—" She stopped abruptly.

"You mean...ever?" It wasn't that he was shocked, just...well, maybe that was a good word at the moment.

Elizabeth nodded, her cheeks coloring again almost to the deep pink of her Oriental-patterned silk pajamas. "Well, a couple of guys in college tried, but…yes, ever. It's just…I remember having a conversation with my grandmother when I was about 15. She wasn't really prudish, but she felt very strongly about some things, and she made sure I knew it. I'll tell you, it was a strange feeling, discussing human intimacy with her."

He laughed softly. "I can imagine, at age 15."

"Anyway," she continued, "the one thing I remember most was her saying that it was the most wonderful thing God had ever created, and that it was worth waiting for the right person to share it with. And not just finding the right person; it was worth waiting for the vow to go along with it."

He was silent for a minute, resting his cheek against her hair. The initial shock had given way to something else; a bit of awe that there really were still "old-fashioned girls" out there, and he'd been fortunate enough to find one. …

Myles shook his head, still a bit in awe over that. But, at the same time, he couldn't help but chuckle at the fact that this intelligent, refined woman was currently a bit…afraid…of him.

"Now, I sincerely hope that my new husband isn't standing out here laughing at me."

Myles turned and saw Elizabeth standing there, her arms crossed, giving him a mock glare. Her green eyes were alight with resigned laughter.

"I would never laugh at you, sweetheart," he replied softly. "I was laughing near you."

"My word," she breathed, "you look like James Bond, casually leaned against the railing in that tux, with your tie loose and those two shirt studs undone…" He raised his eyebrows at her, and she shook her head slightly. "By the way, I saw that movie, too, love, and I don't think the context is quite the same."

Her green eyes dropped for a minute, even as she took the hand he extended and stepped over to him. "Actually," she said softly, "I wouldn't blame you if you were laughing at me. I would be. A grown woman, hiding in the other room on her wedding night."

Myles gently lifted her chin so that she was looking at him again. "Fear of the unknown is a perfectly human response, love."

"Yes, well, maybe I'd feel better about it if we were at least on the same level of 'unknown.'" She started to pull away, but he refused to let her, drawing her fully into his arms.

"Is that what you're worried about?" he asked, his breath coming out in a laugh. "Sweetheart, I can count my intimate experiences on one hand. And they don't fill up the whole hand, even. In fact, one of them shouldn't count at all, because I was so drunk I don't think I was physically capable of anything."

"I—"

He placed a finger on her lips. "Elizabeth, I married you because I love you. Those words have never come easily from my lips, not until I met you. I would sooner take my own life than hurt you intentionally, in any way."

Tears of joy filled her eyes, and she reached up to touch his cheek. "I know. And I feel the same way. I love you so much, it's all I can do at times to refrain from shouting it to the whole world. I'm sorry I'm being so silly about this."

"You're not being silly," he said gently, tracing his fingers over her face and then tangling them in her dark hair. "It's been a very full day. I think we're both still reeling a little, and we have a bit of traveling yet to do tomorrow. Let's just relax for awhile, have dinner, and actually take a minute to let everything sink in. I don't know about you, Dr. Dillingham, but I'm still adjusting."

"Apparently." Her genuine laugh relieved him greatly. "Since you've already forgotten that it's Dr. Leland now."

Myles' expression went serious for a moment. "Are you really sure about that? Won't it confuse your patients, your research colleagues?"

Elizabeth gave him a gentle look. "My love, what do you think I was doing during the nearly five months we were engaged? I wanted everyone to be clear on it before we actually got married." She slipped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "I'm your wife now. I have willingly taken your name, and I want the whole world to know it."

He had no answer for that, simply drew her closer to him and kissed her tenderly. When he released her, she tilted her head sideways, a mischievous smile brightening her face.

"So, when are you going to tell me where it is we're traveling to?"

Myles laughed. "When there is no longer any possible way to keep it from you. Which probably means when we get to the gate at Dulles tomorrow."


&
After a light dinner, Elizabeth sat down on the sofa in the hotel suite, drew her feet up under her, and folded her arms on the back of it, resting her chin on her arms and smiling. She watched as Myles attempted to open a bottle of wine for them; the cork was being difficult, and his concentration allowed her a moment to study him unobserved.

Study was probably the perfect word, for the sheer complexity of him; she knew that a lifetime wouldn't be enough to figure him out completely, but she would certainly have fun trying. For now she just watched him— from the first moment she'd laid eyes on him, he'd captured her attention, and it hadn't taken long at all for her heart to follow.

She knew there were a lot of women who wouldn't call him handsome, not in the 'drop-dead movie star gorgeous' context, but he took her breath away. Tall, broad shoulders and chest tapering down to a lean waist and hips; the blond hair with just a touch of a wave to it, and the strong facial features. The warmth of his arms could comfort her like nothing else, and his slender fingers left her skin tingling every time he touched her. She could get lost in his blue-grey eyes, his deep voice could make her melt or stop a perpetrator cold, and his lips…

Dear heavens, what am I afraid of? Elizabeth's smile widened as he finally won the battle with the cork and walked toward her with two glasses of wine in his hands. He'd been right; a chance to stop and let the events of the day sink in had relaxed her considerably, and she welcomed the warmth that spread over her as he sat down and gave her a soul-penetrating gaze.

"Good thoughts?" He handed her a glass and sat down, stretching one arm across the back of the sofa and smiling at her.

Elizabeth moved over into his embrace, snuggling against his shoulder. "Very good."

"I certainly hope so," he grinned. "From the way you were staring at me, I was starting to wonder."

She started a little, then laughed softly. "I forget that you're used to being able to tell when you're being watched. And here I thought I was being so sneaky."

"Hazards of the job. Besides, you were so lost in thought, I don't think you realized I was watching you in return for about half of that time. I was curious as to what could bring such a smile to your face."

She felt her face grow warm, but didn't look down this time, just reached up and began to run her fingers through his hair. "How about I tell you later?"

Myles gave her another deep look, then very gently took both wineglasses and set them on the table behind the sofa. "I have something for you. Well, something I want you to hear." He stood up and went over to the CD player tucked into a corner cabinet in the suite. He flipped it on, and chose a track from the CD that was apparently already in there. Then he walked back over to her and extended a hand. "Will you dance with me?"

"Always." She let him draw her to her feet; then a soft laugh escaped her. "You're not going to make me tango again, are you? Your luck can only hold out so long."

"As I recall, that last tango turned out rather well," he replied softly, giving her a look that made her tremble from head to toe. "You just needed a partner you trust. I hope that never changes, sweetheart."

Elizabeth slid her hands up his chest and around his neck, and moved very close to him. "I wouldn't have any other," she whispered. "What's this you want me to hear?"

"Well," he said, "fair warning first: it's a country song."

Her eyebrows went straight up. "Aren't you the one who told me that country is the 'soap opera' of the music world?"

"You hush," he chuckled. "You'll understand when you hear it. I came across it a few months back when the guys were hanging out at Jack's place. We were supposed to watch a game, but his cable went out. I got thumbing through his CD collection and found this. The lyrics were perfect— you almost got serenaded when I proposed. But I thought, if you said yes—"

She laughed, her eyes going very bright. "As if you had any chance of getting a refusal."

"— that I would sing it for you on our wedding night." He reached over and pressed the play button. The opening strains of a soft ballad filled the room. Myles pulled her close and they began to dance. He kept his eyes locked with hers, and his deep voice filled her soul:

I'll admit I could feel it the first time that we touched,

And the look in your eyes said you felt as much.

But I'm not a man who falls too easily,

It's best that you know where you stand with me.

I will give you my heart, faithful and true

And all the love it can hold— that's all I can do.

I've thought about how long I'll love you;

And it's only fair that you know,

Forever's as far as I'll go.

When there's age around my eyes, and grey in your hair,

And it only takes a touch to recall the love we share

I won't take for granted, you'll know my love is true

'Cause each night, in your arms, I will whisper to you:

I will give you my heart, faithful and true

And all the love it can hold— that's all I can do.

'Cause I've thought about how long I'll love you;

And it's only fair that you know,

Forever's as far as I'll go.

Forever's as far as I'll go.

(Alabama, "Forever's as Far as I'll Go" , from Pass It on Down)

The music stopped; they stood there for a moment, gazing at each other. Silent tears were running down her face, and there was moisture in his eyes threatening to spill over as well. Finally, he let out a breath. "Please. Say something. I know my singing isn't—"

Elizabeth cut him off with a shake of her head. WORD NOT ENOUGH she signed. AND YOU SING BEAUTIFUL.

There was no confusion in his expression, and a rather shy smile lit his face. THANK YOU, he signed in reply. YOU BEAUTIFUL ME KNOW. IN SONG ME MEAN EVERY WORD. I LOVE YOU.

"Wow," she teased gently. "You're getting good. Amazing what happens when you give up fighting it, huh?"

Myles raised a brow at her, his eyes bright with amusement. "You keep it up, young lady, and I might just have to take you over my knee."

Slim hands slid down his shoulders and arms, then wrapped around his waist. "I'd like to see you try it," she replied, her voice low and soft.

Elizabeth watched his eyes darken, but he was still hesitant. My lead tonight. He's waiting for me to let him know it's really all right, she realized, and the realization deepened her love for him even more. Okay.

She stretched up and kissed him, reveling in the feel of his embrace and the way their bodies fit together. Her hands caressed his back, and she felt a shiver run right up his spine.

When their lips parted, she held his gaze and drew her hands around to his shirt, slowly undoing the last three studs. He didn't move, just looked at her, seeming to drink in her very soul. She pulled the shirt free of his trousers, then let her fingertips run lightly over his skin before flattening her hands against his back once more.

He gasped, and an almost violent shiver took him. Elizabeth drew her hands away in surprise. "What?" she asked in concern. "What did I do?"

Myles pulled her back into an embrace before she could back away. "Nothing," he chuckled softly. "It's all right."

She couldn't help but laugh in return, although she was completely confused. "If a simple touch can do all that…how's your cholesterol level, dear? I'd hate for you to end up in the ER from a heart attack on our wedding night."

"You're going to get that spanking yet," he countered roguishly, then took both of her hands in his and kissed her fingers. " I just…your hands are freezing. I just wasn't expecting it, is all."

"Oh!" Now she truly laughed. "Sorry. I guess I'm still a little nervous."

"It's all right," was the deep reply. "If it helps at all— so am I." He squeezed her hands and guided them back around his waist. Then he placed a hand on each of her cheeks, tracing her features with his fingers, exploring her ears, her neck. He bent to kiss the hollow of her collarbone, and she responded with a sigh, her lips finding the soft skin just beneath his ear.

Sweet mercy, she's intoxicating… and if he didn't find a gentle way to take control of the situation in short order, all his good intentions of savoring their first time together would go right out the window in a wave of heat. The last time she'd touched his bare skin, it had taken a mental image of Arlene to get him out of trouble. He didn't want to back up quite that far this time, but he needed to do something.

Her hands had drifted back up his chest and around his neck, and now he took them gently and backed her up against the wall, pinning her hands over her head with one of his own as he stroked her cheek with the other.

"Patience, love," he murmured, smiling. "We have all the time in the world."

His words exploded in her head and became another voice; You will beg me to kill you, and then you will die. It is simply a matter of time, my beautiful creature. And we have all the time in the world. A dark shadow flickered across her eyes, and an involuntary shudder swept through her, one that had nothing to do with his touch. A cry escaped her lips, and he felt her cringe against the wall.

Myles looked at her for a moment, puzzled; then he realized the position they were in. His eyes widened and he drew back from her as if he'd been burned. "Oh, Elizabeth, oh, I'm sorry…I forgot…"

She grabbed his arm before he could retreat. "Myles, come here. It's all right."

"All right?" he said hoarsely, his eyes betraying his anguish. "Elizabeth, I totally forgot about what Graham did to you…" His eyes closed tightly, and his head dropped. "Dear Lord in Heaven, how could I—?"

"Stop." She placed a hand on each of his cheeks and made him face her. "Myles, stop." When he finally stopped trying to pull away, she drew him close and gently brushed at the tears in the corners of his eyes. "Hold me, please."

He hesitated.

"Myles, please. I need to feel your arms around me," she repeated. He complied, and held her tightly, drawing her face against his chest and clinging to her as if she were his only lifeline out of hell itself. He rested his cheek against her dark hair, and the utter sadness in his voice brought tears to her eyes as well.

"I'm so sorry."

She pushed away from his chest and looked deeply up into his eyes. "Myles. Listen to me. I'm the one who's sorry. Dr. Sutherland warned me about this, said I might very well still have some flashbacks, especially… well, especially tonight. I'd forgotten all about it myself until just now."

"You knew this could happen?" His eyes widened again. "Why didn't you tell me? I would have—"

She cut him off, smiling radiantly through unshed tears. "You would have been a nervous wreck, and you probably wouldn't have come within ten feet of me. I was nervous enough about tonight without worrying about you, too. That's why I didn't tell you, love. I'm sorry. But I'm fine….really. It was just a momentary thing."

"Are you sure?" His eyes searched hers. "Are you really sure?"

"Myles," she answered softly, "I want your touch to be what sweeps all that away. For good." She gave him a stern look and shook a finger at him. "I will not have Evan Graham haunt something I want to share with you, alone."

His breath came out in a short laugh. "Well, if you're resorting to throwing my own words back at me…" He gently lowered his mouth to hers, taking his time to let the flashback fade. She sighed and wound her fingers into his hair again, deepening their kiss until it was a mating of lips, teeth, tongues…

Elizabeth pulled back just slightly and looked up into his eyes, then tugged gently on the collar of his shirt. Her voice was soft with love. "And forsaking all others, I give myself to thee."

He smiled and took her hand, leading her toward the nearby door. "Forsaking all others," he responded tenderly.


&
Elizabeth laid her cheek against the warmth of his chest and silently thanked her grandmother for her wisdom. She'd never dreamed that loving could be so heart-breakingly gentle and so incredibly passionate at the same time. That the man by her side would be the only one she'd share such a treasure with brought tears of joy to the corners of her eyes.

A slender finger caught the one tear that broke free onto her cheek. "Now there's something no man ever wants to see," an amused voice murmured softly against her hair. "Especially in this situation."

"Tears of joy, love," she replied with a smile. "What else could they be, after such a gift? Thank you for being all I could ever dream of."

He stroked her cheek, searching deep in her emerald eyes. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied with a smile. "More than fine. Wonderful. I love you, Myles Leland."

He raised a brow; she laughed and added, "The Third."

He gave a curt nod, his eyes twinkling. "That's better." Then he smiled, his eyes softening to a pale blue. "And I love you, Elizabeth Leland. My precious, infinitely sweet wife, lover, companion and friend. And I really do mean the words of that song…my heart is yours, faithful, true, and forever."

Myles kissed his wife tenderly, then settled down with her in his arms, and began to sing to her again, both of them drifting off to sleep with the words in their hearts…

I will give you my heart, faithful and true

And all the love it can hold— that's all I can do.

'Cause I've thought about how long I'll love you;

And it's only fair that you know,

Forever's as far as I'll go.


&
"If you don't hurry up, we're going to miss our flight." Myles walked into the bedroom where Elizabeth was just brushing her hair.

"Well, if someone hadn't insisted that showering together would be faster, we wouldn't have had to take a second shower now, would we?" She dropped the brush into her makeup case and stepped into his arms.

Myles gave her a wicked grin. "So I miscalculated your allure quotient. I didn't hear you complaining."

"You didn't give me a chance," she countered, matching his grin with her own. "It's a good thing I can breathe through my nose." She reached over and closed the makeup case with one hand. "There. That's it. Everything else is out in the entryway."

"Good." He glanced at his watch. "Because we really do have to go."

Twenty minutes later they were weaving their way through the international terminal at Dulles Airport, carry-ons in hand. Myles finally paused at a gate, and took her hand. "Here's our stop."

Elizabeth looked at the flight information above the boarding desk. "Lisbon? We're going to Portugal? That's wonderful!"

"Well, actually," Myles replied mysteriously, "Lisbon is merely the starting point. This trip is Sam's wedding present to us."

She stared at him. "Your multi-millionaire twin brother is paying for this? At what point did he actually let you stop adding plans?"

Myles laughed. "You know him well. He wouldn't let me stop until I'd assured him that this was the honeymoon of our dreams. We are about to spend an entire month on a private yacht, complete with full crew, sailing the northern Mediterranean. Portugal, Spain, the south of France, Italy, Greece, even Monte Carlo if you like. And this is no small yacht, either. He showed me the specs on it, and it's huge…well, not Vanderbilt huge, but big, trust me. And, he handed me a credit card and informed me he'd be forever insulted if we didn't rack up at least five figures on it."

Elizabeth's eyes were wide. "Does he ever do anything small?"

"Never did when we were kids," was the bemused reply, "No reason he should start now. We can call him when we get there and you can chew him out if you want."

"I know better. I'll just thank him profusely." Elizabeth slipped her arms around Myles' waist again. "Now there's just one problem."

He tangled his fingers in her hair. "And what might that be?"

"How on earth am I supposed to survive eighteen hours sitting next to you and only being able to hold your hand or lean on your shoulder?"

Myles' eyes were very bright. "We'll just have to make up for that when we get to Lisbon, I guess."

-FINIS-

(Stay tuned for Volume 6 of "The Dillingham Chronicles" - we move ahead 13 years. Myles is approaching his 25th year with the Bureau. What's changed? Who is still around... and who is not?)