Disclaimers: I own nothing or anyone associated or affiliated with TNA. I own only the original characters. This is just a fictional story that came from my imagination.
Chapter Content & Trigger Warnings:
Chapter 22
"Joe Seanoa and Giselle Roberts?"
Ella took a deep breath as she, Joe, Nina and Jeff all stood to enter the magistrate's office.
"Ready," Joe asked, watching her face to make sure she did not show signs of apprehension.
She looked up at him and smiled happily as she smoothed her hands over her dress and brushed her hair over her shoulder. "I couldn't be more ready."
He nodded and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently. "Neither could I."
They walked into the office then, and watched as the magistrate prepared the final paperwork and forms to be signed.
"Your driver's licenses and marriage license please," he stated, grabbing a couple of paperclips for the papers.
Joe handed over his driver's license along with the marriage license and Ella placed her driver's license next to Joe's.
"Alright, let me make copies of these for the file while you both sign this last form," he indicated Joe and Ella, "and we'll get started with the ceremony."
He walked over to the copier for a moment and the two quickly signed the form. The magistrate then returned to his desk and paper clipped all the documents together. Then he gave back their licenses, and came around his desk to stand before them.
"Joe, do you take Ella for your lawful wedded wife, to live in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love, honor, comfort, and cherish her from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto her for as long as you both shall live?"
Joe smiled and squeezed Ella's hand. "I do."
"Ella, do you take Joe for your lawful wedded husband, to live in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love, honor, comfort, and cherish him from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto him for as long as you both shall live?"
Ella smiled even as her eyes began to well up with tears. "I do."
"Do you have vows prepared for each other?"
They nodded, and Joe spoke first.
"Today, Ella Roberts, I take you to be my wife. I vow to love you and cherish you, to keep you safe and protect you always and at all costs. I promise to share the good times, and the bad. I swear I will always love you, and to be faithful to you. I will always be there when you need me, and to be the best husband I can be. I vow to make this day, and each day after, one that you will cherish. Now and forever."
Ella reached up and wiped a tear from her cheek and spoke softly, but clearly.
"Joe Seanoa, I've been dreaming of this day for over half my lifetime. You came into my life, and made all my dreams come true. I'm so proud to accept you as my husband. I vow to support and encourage you. To love you with all of my heart for the rest of our lives. I promise to be there in good times, and in bad, and to support you in every situation. I vow to never let anything come between us, and to put you before anyone else. And I vow to do anything and everything in my power to protect you as you've protected me—at all costs. I give you all my love, and all my life. O oe o lo'u ola—now and forever."
Joe's heart swelled when he heard Ella tell him he was her life in his native tongue. The fact she said the beautiful phrase in his language, made the words all the more special and meaningful.
The magistrate carried on with the ceremony then.
"The wedding ring is a symbol of eternity. It's an outward sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two hearts in endless love. And now as a token of your love and of your deep desire to be forever united in heart and soul, you— Joe—may place a ring on the finger of your bride."
Joe pulled out the matching band that went along with Ella's engagement ring, and placed it on her left ring finger.
"Ella, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all I am, and all I have, I honor you. With this ring, I thee wed."
"And Ella, by the same token, you may place a ring on the finger of your groom."
Ella took the wedding ring bought for Joe and placed it on his left ring finger as well.
"Joe, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all I am, and all I have, I honor you. With this ring, I thee wed."
"The ring is the symbol of the commitment which binds these two together. There are two rings because there are two people, each to make a contribution to the life of the other, and to their new life together." He looked at both Ella and Joe. "Now by the power vested in me, and in accordance with the laws of the State of Tennessee, I now pronounce you husband and wife." His eyes shifted to Joe then, "You may kiss your bride."
Joe smiled and leaned down, gently brushing his mouth over Ella's in a soft, tender kiss. "We're married now, Mrs. Seanoa," he whispered, gazing into her eyes.
Ella giggled happily and threw her arms around Joe. "We are, aren't we? I love you."
"I love you too," he said, kissing her again.
Ella turned then to Jeff and Nina. "We're married!"
Jeff and Nina were both crying, and not even trying to hide it.
"Be happy. Both of you. Be happy," Nina sniffled and smiled as she and Jeff pulled them both into a hug. "We love you both."
"We love you both too," Ella cried softly, and returned the hugs.
"You all have a wonderful night," the magistrate said kindly. "I think I will be closing up here, since you were my last appointment. The best of luck to you both," he said, smiling at the newly married couple.
"Thank you," Joe and Ella said in unison.
The four then headed down to the parking garage so the couple could head back to the house, and so Jeff and Nina could call for a cab to take them to their hotel.
Minutes later, both couples headed in opposite directions.
}i{}i{}i{}i{
AJ was cuddled up asleep with Jennifer and Kayla on the sofa, when the vibration of his phone woke him. He jumped slightly and managed to fish the phone out of his pocket without waking the two little girls.
"Hello?"
"AJ, it's Joe. Me and Ella are in the garage. Can you come unlock the door and let us in?"
"Yeah, give me a minute," AJ said quietly. "The girls fell asleep here on the sofa with me. I'll try not to wake them."
"Yeah, okay," Joe replied patiently.
A couple minutes later AJ was up and heading through the kitchen to the garage's door, letting Ella and Joe inside.
"Congratulations," he exclaimed, hugging his friends.
"Thanks, AJ," They both said, hugging him back.
"The girls are ready to go anytime," AJ reported. "I just need to get them out to the car."
"The car's ready too," Joe told him. "All their bags are in the back. So you just have to go directly to the hotel."
"Okay, if you can help me get the girls I'll get going."
Joe nodded and headed for the living room with AJ, while Ella stayed in the kitchen and began searching the refrigerator for some food to heat up. She had pulled out some meatloaf and scalloped potatoes when Joe and AJ walked through the kitchen, carrying her still-sleeping cousins out to the car.
Her absence of anxiety was no more. She wasn't afraid, exactly, just unsure. Her hands shook slightly, as she heard Joe re-enter the kitchen, then the door closing and locking. His silence did nothing to soothe her rattled nerves. I shouldn't have been so confident when Aunt Nina talked to me about this, she thought as she heard Joe punching in the security system's code.
Joe's slow deliberate footsteps were her undoing. She turned from the counter and faced him. His gaze was already fixed on her face as he continued toward her. She noticed he had already removed his suit jacket and tie and had draped them over a kitchen chair.
"I-I was just heating… A-are you h-hungry," she stuttered out. He nodded with an intensity in his black eyes that made Ella shiver. "It shouldn't take long," she prattled on. "I just need to heat up the meatloaf and potatoes, and-"
Joe was right in front of her then, and placed a finger over her lips. A slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and he shook his head. "I'm not hungry for food." He closed in on her then, placing his hands on the counter tops on either side of her. His large frame gently pinned her against the counter.
Ella felt her face flame as his body pressed against her. He tilted her chin upward, forcing her to meet his gaze. Her breathing became uneven as she lost herself in his eyes.
"You're not tired," she asked, trying to stall a bit.
He shook his head again, brushing his thumb over her cheekbone. "Not in the least," he replied purposefully. "Are you?"
"N-no," she answered with honesty, and shook her head. She was torn. She wanted this night to happen, but she had to admit her nerves were starting to get the best of her.
"I can tell you're scared," Joe whispered, bringing his face down to hers. "Don't be," he said softly, a second before sweeping his mouth across hers. "I won't hurt you." She felt the tips of his fingers brush across her collar bone and reach up to caress her neck. Then his lips replaced his fingers, leaving the tender skin blazing. "I'll take it very…" He kissed her jaw. "…very…" His lips moved to her neck. "…slowly." He tasted the hollow of her throat, and then his mouth traveled ruthlessly back up her neck.
Ella felt his mouth brush lightly against her skin and gripped his forearms, which still had her pinned against the counters. Her pulse sped up as he kissed his way back up her neck, his teeth gently nipping her ever so often. A soft whimper escaped her lips, and finally, Joe's mouth found hers, bestowing her with a fiery kiss that left her head spinning.
"Joe," she managed to whisper shakily. Her nerves were finally ebbing away as his skilled mouth coaxed her into serenity.
"Are you ready to take this upstairs?"
Ella looked into his eyes and saw the hunger smoldering in their black depths. The effect his gaze had on her was mind-blowing. Her legs threatened to give way as she nodded. "Yes."
Stooping, he lifted her up into his arms in a bridal carry, and then carried her through the living room, across the foyer and up the stairs. Within moments they were in her bedroom and Joe stopped short, both of them taking notice of the decorating job their friends had done. Music played softly in the background as well. Ella recognized the current song to be a film score from The Last of the Mohicans.
"Oh, wow," Ella gasped. "It's beautiful."
"This screams Angelina and Talia got a hold of this room," Joe chuckled, closing the door and setting Ella on her feet. "But it is really nice."
"There's a note," Ella exclaimed, heading over to the night table. She picked up the small card and read it aloud:
Happy Valentine's to you both, and congratulations! Hope you enjoy the makeshift honeymoon suite and film scores (hey, there are some really beautiful ones on this cd, so shut up, Joe)!
We love you guys,
Talia and Angelina
"They thought of everything," Ella said softly, turning to Joe and smiling. "We've got great friends."
"Yes, we do," Joe agreed, walking toward her. "Let's not let their hard work go to waste."
She blushed, and smiled shyly. "Let me go change, okay? I bought something to wear for tonight."
"Okay," Joe said, kissing her softly. "Don't keep me waiting long," he teased with a twinkle in his eye.
She shook her head, giggling. "I won't."
With that, she headed into her bathroom to change, while Joe began unbuttoning his dress shirt and pulling it off. Next, he pulled off his pants, opting to leave his boxers on for the moment so as not to overwhelm Ella. Draping the garments across her desk chair, he spotted the picture of himself and Ella from when they were children, setting on the desk's surface. He remembered the day clearly. Ella had turned his face to hers, and he was clearly annoyed with her. She, however, was obviously smitten with him. Even then.
Why did everyone else know but me, he wondered. Sure, I realized she had a crush on me, but everyone else knew she was actually in love with me. Why did I take so long to figure it out? Seeing this picture, it was so unmistakable.
He moved over to the large bed and scattered pillows this way and that, eager to yank the puffy comforter back and get the bed ready.
The bathroom door opened then, and Joe turned to see Ella standing in the room clad in a white, satin, spaghetti-strapped nightie that stopped at the very top of her slender thighs. The lingerie had a plunging neckline that traveled all the way down to her belly button, revealing plenty of alabaster skin.
Joe couldn't take his eyes off her.
She'd unpinned her hair and let the bulk of it flow free down to her waist. She currently had a lock of it in her fingers, nervously coiling it and uncoiling it.
"Do I look okay? Or is this…" She trailed off and shifted her eyes away from Joe, suddenly feeling quite vulnerable. "I should go change-"
"No," Joe choked out, finally able to find his voice. He started toward her. "Don't. Don't change a thing."
Ella watched the hunger in his eyes escalate to starvation and she nearly took a step back from the intensity of his watchful black eyes. The next thing she knew, she was in his arms. His warm, naked chest burned against hers as he pulled her closer.
"Beautiful," he whispered, his eyes trailing from her face down her neck to the pale ivory of her bared shoulders. "Just stunning."
Her breath trembled from the passion of his gaze, and he smiled softly at her. "Just relax. It's okay," he said. "You know I won't hurt you. Not ever."
She nodded, "I k-know. Just…a little nervous, is all."
"We'll go slow," he promised, dipping his head down. In the next instant, his mouth was on hers. His kisses started out light and soft, teasing pecks that woke her senses completely. Little by little, the kisses became firmer and more passionate. His mouth coaxed hers to open beneath his, and then he slipped his tongue past her lips, tasting her fully. She moaned softly, bringing her arms up around his neck and holding him tightly to her. Her fingers ran up through his thick hair and gently tangled into it. Joe groaned and melded their bodies even closer.
"Oh, Joe… Please…"
His fingers teasingly stroked over the skin of her back and sent a thrill coursing through her body.
Joe could tell her breathy plea had nothing to do with fear, so he kissed her again. He heard a broken cry escape from her lips and her nails dug into his shoulders as her head dropped back. He growled low in his throat as he kissed over her shoulders and exposed neck, being careful of her scars.
Ella felt a wall at her back then and Joe's mouth was on hers once more.
Then he was carrying her across the room toward the large bed.
Ella stroked his jaw as he carried her. She reached up and kissed him then, eager to show him she was no longer afraid. She ground her lips against his and relished the warmth of his mouth.
Joe reached the bed then and gently lay Ella down on it, amidst the colorful rose petals and dreamy sheets. Then he was lowering his large frame down next to hers…
