Author's Note: Thanks for reading and reviewing. I'm glad there are other people as crazy as me who haven't been able to sleep since FM ended without a true finale for Laura and Steve. Season X is almost ready for an update. I painted myself into a little writer's block corner, but I've learned that lesson, and I'm almost out. Should be updated soon. This story may slow down a bit if I get back into the swing of things with Season X, so if you're a fan of this one, but haven't checked out my series, you should!
Saturday night, Steve put on his best pair of jeans, brand new, and a polo shirt. He tucked it in and found some clean, new, very expensive sneakers. He threw a light jacket over top and finished the outfit with his classic glasses and his platinum watch. He had changed his outfit a dozen times but ended up back in his original choice. He tossed a small, velvety box in his jacket pocket, just in case the moment struck him. Just as he began to consider changing again, the doorbell rang.
"Well," he said to himself, "I guess this is the look." He turned and ran for the door, but by the time he had made it downstairs, Maven had already let his guests in. The first person he saw was Harriette. "Harriette!" he called as he ran down the marble stairs. "What are you doin' here?" He hugged her as he reached the bottom of the staircase.
She hugged him back. "Hey, Steve. I'm your babysitter for the evening."
He released her but held excitedly to her shoulders. "You are?" he beamed. Suddenly, his face grew thoughtful. "Shouldn't you be at your house?"
Harriette shook her head. "Laura asked me to spend the night with the boys here."
"Why?" he asked.
Harriette smirked. "You oughta ask her because I'm certainly not explaining it to you."
Steve was still confused, but his mind was torn from the puzzling line of thought when he heard the pitter-patter of tiny feet behind him. He turned to find Michael running toward him.
"Uncle Steve!" he called as he sprinted as quickly as his little feet could take him.
"Michael!" Steve yelled back. He squatted and opened his arms so his little buddy could run right into them. He hugged him tight and inhaled. He wanted one of his own so badly. He squeezed Michael tighter, but he wiggled uncomfortably. Regretfully taking the hint, Steve set him back down. He squatted in front of him again. "What's up, Little Man?"
"Mama said Grandma, Eli, and I get to hang out here while you two go out for a meeting! Then we get to sleep over!"
"Is that what she told you?" Steve asked, uncomfortable with the fact that Laura had lied about their date.
Michael turned to his grandmother. "Grandma!" Michael yelled.
"Yes, Mikey?" Harriette answered.
"Can I show you my favorite room in the whole house?"
"Sure!" Harriette said, following him in the direction of the pool. "Have fun tonight, Steve!" she called over her shoulder.
Steve was suddenly left alone, contemplating both what Harriette and Michael had told him. Soon, he was again distracted as a hand pinched his butt. He jumped higher than he knew he could, picking both feet well off the ground. "Wah!" he screamed. He turned around to find Laura giggling as Eli watched with wide, surprised eyes.
"Hey," she smiled sweetly.
He took a deep breath and smiled back. "Hi, Sweetums," he whispered, moving closer to her. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "How are you?"
"A little nervous, honestly," she shrugged.
"Oh, you have nothing to be nervous about, my love. You know we're gonna have a great time."
"You don't even know what we're doing," she reminded him.
"It doesn't matter to me, as long as we do it together."
She rolled her eyes as the cheese oozed from him. "Are you ready to go?"
"You bet!" he grinned.
"Ok, one sec." she smiled. She headed back to the pool, where she knew Michael would be with her mother and handed Eli off. She said a quick goodnight and ran back to Steve.
It was after she had ditched the baby that Steve began to feel like they were really going to go through with this. As she approached him, he allowed himself to stare at her body, memorizing every detail of her on their second first date, years later. Her hair was pulled off of her face with a black headband. Her lips were a soft, glossy pink. She wore a low-cut, but very simple, burgundy sweater. It was tight, and he could see that her breasts were ready to pour out of it. The sweater came down to just above the waist of her low jeans, exposing the slightest bit of her skin. Her dark jeans were tight all the way down. She wore black and white sneakers on her dainty feet. Steve couldn't believe how fantastic she looked in such a casual outfit. To others, she may have even looked like a mom, but to Steve, she looked like a Victoria's Secret model. His heart pounded in his chest, and his breath shortened as he watched her approach him with a huge smile on her lips.
She grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the door. "Ready?"
"Ready," he agreed breathlessly as he followed her and locked the door. They climbed into Laura's junker, and she still refused to tell him where they were going. Steve didn't mind, however, because he knew wherever they were, they were going to have a magical night, but the curious scientist inside of him could barely take the suspense. He tried to add up all the clues, but he came up with nada. When they eventually pulled up to the old bowling alley not far from the Winslow house, he assumed she had missed her turn and was turning around.
Then she turned off the car. "Surprised?"
"Very," he admitted as he looked around him to see if he was being Punk'd.
She smiled. "Do you remember the last time we came here, just the two of us?"
He smirked. "I do. I was begging your father to go with me, but he bribed you to go."
"How long did we last? Like an hour?" she laughed.
He nodded. "That's about right."
She pulled the keys from the ignition and opened her door. "Well, I bet we can do better than that this time," she said as she stood from the car.
Steve followed her out of the car and toward the front doors. "You're serious?" he asked in disbelief.
"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?" she asked, pausing in front of the doors.
Steve shrugged uncomfortably. He didn't want to accuse her of being a golddigger, but… "I don't know," he said. "I just assumed that since I have money, you might want to… spend some of it."
She shook her head. "I don't want money from you, Steve. I wish you could have learned that years ago. I just want to spend time with you."
He smiled bashfully. "That's all I want, too, my queen."
"Then let's go in," she said, tugging him through the double doors. She led him to the counter and asked for a couple of games and two pairs of shoes, slapping her cash down.
Steve grabbed it off the counter. "Nuh-uh. No way. Not happening, Lady," he said, trying to hand it back to her with one hand as his other went for his own wallet.
She took the money back from him and placed it back on the counter as he struggled to free his wallet from his stiff new jeans. She slid the cash to the gentleman behind the counter, ignoring Steve's objections.
"Laura," he pressed as they were handed their shoes and pointed to lane 20, the very last one, "why wouldn't you let me pay?"
"Because I asked you out. Remember?"
"But, Sweet Pea, I have the money, and you're a single parent."
"Steve, it wasn't expensive," she argued.
"No, but if we go on enough dates, that can add up."
"Let's see how this one goes first, ok?" she suggested, setting her purse down in their lane. She sat and slipped off her sneakers. She put on her bowling shoes and leaned forward to tie them.
Steve let the subject drop as she leaned forward, giving him a great view of her deep cleavage. He sat across from her, hoping to enhance his sight. He bit his lip softly as her breasts jiggled with the tying motion.
When she looked up, she smirked as she caught him drooling over her. "Steve," she said, but there was no response. "Steve," she tried again. Still, nothing. "Steve!"
"Huh? Wha-?" he asked, snapping out of his trance.
She laughed. "Try to keep the drool to a minimum, at least until we get back to your place, ok?"
He nodded, embarrassed that she had caught him. "Yes, Ma'am." He slipped on his bowling shoes and tied them tight. He stood and slipped off his jacket.
Then it was Laura's turn to drool. She hadn't expected him to look so good without his tailored suits, but his tight polo shirt exposed his large biceps and hugged tightly to the muscles in his chest. As he turned to set his jacket down, Laura's eyes were immediately drawn to his firm butt in those tight jeans. She placed a hand over her heart to order it to slow. She was supposed to take the lead tonight so that she could control just how hard she fell for him. So far, it wasn't working. She forced her eyes away before he turned back to her, so he wouldn't catch her staring. She stood to find a ball.
As they began their games, they fell quite naturally into their old patterns. Steve made silly jokes and complimented her relentlessly. Laura teased him and tried her best to ignore his worship. They both forgot that Laura was a mother, that Steve was a billionaire, that any of the past five years had happened. They played two games, ate greasy bowling alley food, and finally, everything died down.
When their last game was finished, their food was eaten, their drinks were gone, and they'd run out of things to say, Laura just stared at him. He held his breath as she moved closer to him. Soon their lips were touching, and they were wrapped tightly in each other's arms. It felt like their first kiss all over again. Their hearts were pounding. Their blood was flowing to all the right places. Neither of them remembered to breathe. When she finally pulled away, they were both panting heavily. Laura was surprised to find that she had wrapped one leg around his waist. She had no memory of that. Steve was surprised to find his hands up her shirt, touching her bare back. As they untangled from each other, they remained silent. They looked at each other, blushing deeply. Then Laura walked to the shoe counter, returned her shoes, and walked out. Steve followed immediately behind her. When they got into the car, Laura put the key into the ignition and began to drive. Still, neither of them said anything.
Laura tried her best to focus on the road, but that became much more difficult when Steve's hand landed on her thigh. He rubbed it gently, sliding far too high up her leg to be considered decent. Soon he kissed her neck. He tugged at the skin gently, being careful not to leave any hickeys this time. When she felt his hand land on her breast and his fingers pinch her nipple, she couldn't take it anymore. "No!" she yelled.
He pulled back immediately, thinking he had crossed a line and offended her in some way.
"Please, don't do that while I'm driving, Steve. It's too much for me. If you want to fool around, we have to pullover," she offered.
He hesitated for a moment. Was that an option? "Do you want to do that?"
She shook her head. "No. I just wanna get you home. The boys are asleep by now. We can sneak upstairs unseen and…" she trailed off, trying to maintain her focus.
He nodded. "I want you so bad," he whispered.
She nodded but remained silent. She couldn't handle dirty talk either. They were both silent for the rest of the ride. When they pulled into Steve's circular drive, Laura parked right in front of the door, and they sprinted inside. Steve chased Laura up the stairs and into his bedroom. When they were safely alone, he locked the door and dimmed the lights just a bit. He went to a panel on the wall and turned on some romantic music. He got a match out of his dresser drawer and lit the candles he had placed around the room.
Laura sat on his bed, which was already covered in rose petals, and watched him prepare their little love nest. Only moments before, she had been nothing but horny. Now, as she watched him nesting, her heart began to pound for a different reason. Was this too big of a commitment for them? Steve was certainly taking it seriously.
He turned back to her. "Dance with me?" he asked as he switched the song to one of his favorites.
Laura swallowed hard and joined him as he walked out to his balcony, overlooking Lake Michigan. She took his hand and stepped into his arms as he offered them to her. She began to feel faint as he pulled her in close, firmly against his body. She could feel his erection pressing into her, grinding against her softly as they began to dance. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face against him to avoid his eyes.
Steve began to sing to her softly, "Share my life. Take me for what I am 'cause I'll never change all my colors for you. Take my love. I'll never ask for too much, just all that you are and everything that you do. I don't really need to look very much further. I don't wanna have to go where you don't follow. I won't hold it back again, this passion inside. Can't run from myself. There's no room to hide. Don't make me close one more door. I don't wanna hurt anymore. Stay in my arms if you dare, or must I imagine you there? Don't walk away from me. I have nothing, nothing, nothing, if I don't have you…" As Whitney continued to vocalize, Steve whispered, "I've always thought the second verse would come from you."
Laura listened carefully as Steve stopped singing, and the words were meant to represent her feelings. He had a point. You see through right to the heart of me. You break down my walls with the strength of your love. Mmmmm… I never knew love like I've known it with you. Will a memory survive? One I can hold on to? I don't really need to look very much further. I don't wanna have to go where you don't follow. I won't hold it back again, this passion inside. I can't run from myself. There's no room to hide. Your love I remember forever.
Suddenly, as tears streamed down her face, Laura pulled away from him. She sprinted back inside and out of his bedroom. As soon as he realized she had left him, he followed her. The song echoed behind them as he chased her. "Laura!"
Don't make me close one more door. I don't wanna hurt anymore. Stay in my arms if you dare, or must I imagine you there? Don't walk away from me. I have nothing, nothing, nothing…
She turned and headed down the stairs, still sobbing. He followed closely behind her, all the way out the back door. She ran down to the beach. She kicked her sneakers off and pulled off her socks. When she finally reached the water, she dipped her feet in. She covered her face as she cried. Finally, she collapsed to her hands and knees sobbing into the wet sand and the waves, water soaking straight through her jeans.
When Steve finally caught up to her, he dragged her out of the lake and onto dry sand. He held her close as she continued to sob. He shushed her comfortingly, but it made no difference. Feeling her pain like a needle in his heart with her every sob and sniffle, it felt like it had been hours by the time she had calmed down, when it had really only been minutes. When she was finally silent, he pulled back to look at her. "What's wrong, Laura? What did I do?"
She shook her head, still sniffling. "You didn't do it. I'm just scared, Steve."
"Of what, Sweetheart?"
"Of losing you," she cried.
"You won't lose me again, my love. I'll never leave you again. I learned my lesson the last time."
"That's not what I mean. I'm worried that you'll go to prison!"
He scoffed, "Oh, that's not gonna happen."
"But that's just our luck, Steve. We went on this amazing date. I feel ready to go out on more, maybe even go steady or something, but we have this trial looming over us, and I know something's gonna go wrong. I don't wanna wait for you anymore, Steve. I need you now."
He kissed her softly. "I won't let that happen, Sweetums. I promise. I'm not going anywhere."
"You can't make that promise, Steve!" she shouted. She moved to climb out of his arms, but he held onto her tightly.
"Don't leave, Laura. I know you're scared. I am, too, but if something's really gonna go wrong, I don't want to spend my last nights free alone. I want you and the boys here with me through the end of the trial. Please? I need you, Sweetheart," he asked, tearing up.
"I can't put my kids through that, Steve," she answered flatly.
"Just tell them it's a vacation. We can go out on the boat tomorrow. The trial starts Monday, but we'll have the evenings this week to spend time together. I can't sleep alone, Laura."
"I can't put myself through that, Steve. What if I lose you again?"
"Wouldn't it be better to have me this week than not at all?" he begged.
"I don't know," she hesitated.
Feeling sick of her indecision, he took advantage of her pause and pinned her to the ground. He kissed her passionately and began to grind against her. Her legs and arms wrapped around him immediately, but he wanted to be sure she was as excited about what he was doing as he was. He broke their kiss and looked down at her. They were both breathing heavily. "Is this ok?" he asked, trailing a hand up her thigh and under her shirt.
She nodded.
"Say it out-loud for me, Babycakes," he commanded as his hand squeezed her bra cup.
"Yes, Steve. It feels nice," she replied.
He smiled at her. "I want to make love to you," he whispered.
"Not here," she cringed as she already felt the grainy sand scraping the fragile skin on her smooth back.
Steve pouted. "Isn't it romantic?" he pressed.
"It's uncomfortable," she corrected.
That's when he got an idea. Maybe there was a way to keep the romantic atmosphere, but ditch her concerns. He stood and offered her a hand to pull her to her feet. He led her out onto his dock and helped her onto his yacht. He led her down into the cabin and into the dark. When they reached the master bedroom, he flipped on the lights. The room was tiny, but luxurious. The bed was smaller than the bed in his room in the house, but he didn't think they'd be needing much space. The real reason he had led her here was the view. As the lights came on, a skylight opened to reveal the stars. The wall at the back of the boat was covered in windows, giving them a view both above and just below the water. He walked to a few windows in the center and popped open the upper portion. As the beachy air filled the room, he turned back to his guest. He walked close to Laura and took her into his arms. "Let's get you out of those wet clothes," he whispered.
She nodded and began to undress. She slipped her sweater over her head and tossed it beside her. She struggled as she slipped her wet jeans off. Steve knelt in front of her and helped her tug them down. She moved her hands up and undid her bra as he tugged her panties off. When she was completely nude, she pulled away from him and moved toward the bed. The bed faced the windows and above the pillows was a mirror, so it reflected the view. She crawled shyly under the covers and watched as Steve began to undress.
He did not take his time. He threw his clothes across the room as quickly as possible and climbed into bed beside her. He moved as close to her as possible, needing to be near her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "Will you wait for me?" he whispered into her ear.
She turned to look at him, her face contorting in heartbreak. "I don't want to wait anymore, Steve. I just want to be with you."
"But if I lose the trial, will you wait for me?" he pressed.
She shook her head as tears began to escape her eyes again. "I don't know."
He nodded, accepting that that was likely the best answer she could give him. "Well, then I better not lose." He climbed on top of her and between her legs. He kissed her, taking the time to calm her down before he began to touch her most intimate areas. When the tears finally stopped, he broke their kiss and looked down at her. "I'm so sorry about all of this Laura. I don't regret punching him, but it wasn't worth all of this. Had I known he was going to do this to us, I wouldn't have done it."
She looked at him seriously. "It's ok, Steve. He deserved it. It's not worth this, but I didn't see this coming either."
"Laura, I'm gonna do something, and I don't want you to freak out. You can say no, if you want, but I have to ask." He stood and moved toward his pants. He pulled the tiny box out of his pocket and turned back to her. She was sitting up now, watching him intently. He got on one knee before the bed. "Laura Lee Winslow, I know I've asked you this a hundred times before, and I'm sure I'll have to ask you many more times, but I love you with all my heart, and I want to be your husband more than anything else in this world. I would give up everything I have for you. I made the biggest mistake of my life five years ago, but maybe it was the right thing for us because now we have your incredible kids. I know this is fast, but you seem to be coming around, and I would always regret it if I didn't ask, so… will you marry me?"
She paused for a long moment. "Ask me after you win the trial," she answered eventually.
His eyes widened. "What? Really?"
"If you win the trial, ask me again, and then we'll see," she repeated.
Suddenly, he pounced on her. He kissed her passionately as he took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her finger.
When he finally let her break away, she pulled the ring back off. "Hey, wait. I haven't said yes yet. I'm not wearing this until then." She handed it back to him.
He looked down at it and then back to her. "Wear it tonight. You can take it off in the morning. I want you to wear it while we…"
"We'll have time for that if we ever actually get engaged."
"Wear it tonight," he repeated. "Please?"
She looked down at the ring for the first time. It was beautiful, and the diamonds were huge. He had billions of dollars now, so she wasn't sure why she was surprised, but it was honestly too much for her. Still, for one night, to make him happy, it was worth it. She slipped the ring on her finger again and looked up at him. She uncomfortably showed him her hand.
He grabbed it and kissed it. Then he kissed his way up her arm, landing on her neck. "Laura Lee…" he purred as he sucked on her favorite spot.
"Oh, Steve…" she cooed in response.
"I'm going to be such a good husband," he promised.
"I haven't said yes," she reminded him as he sucked aggressively on her hickey.
"You haven't said no." He moved his hands up to play with her breasts. He massaged them gently, tracing his fingertips across her sensitive skin. Soon, he grew impatient and began to kiss his way down her body, landing between her legs. "When we're married," he promised, "I'm going to do this every day." Without waiting for a response, he began to eat her out, licking her slit and tongue fucking her as he got her clit ready.
"Oh, God, yes..." she purred.
"Mmmmm..."
"Oh, Steve..." she moaned as her hand found its way to the back of his head. She stroked it gently, encouraging him as he licked her.
He lapped happily at her entrance, enjoying her flavor, but soon, he kissed his way up to her clit and began to suck it.
"Ohhhhhhhh, yessssssss..." She pushed harder on the back of his head, begging him for more. She tightened her legs around and his face. She gasped as two of his fingers slid deep inside her. "AHH!"
He grinned happily into her pussy, thrilled he was able to make her make those sounds. He sucked harder and stroked her G-spot with his strong fingers.
"Oh, Steve... I'm almost there. Don't stop! Please, don't stop!" she panted.
He reached his free hand up to her breast and pinched her nipple hard.
"Oh, God, Baby. I'm gonna come for you. Make me come!" she begged.
"With pleasure," he purred, happily continuing his mission.
Soon, she began to shake and whimper uncontrollably. Her breath hitched, and her body warmed in ecstasy. "Ohhhh, Steve…" she purred one final time as her body finally relaxed.
He kissed his way up her body, landing on her lips. "Mm. How'd that feel, Sweet Thang?"
"Amazing," she whispered.
"Are you ready to make me feel amazing, my love?"
She nodded, but didn't move.
He leaned over the bed and pulled a condom out of his pants pocket. He was prepared for the possibility that they wouldn't make it all the way to his bedroom. He climbed on top of her and looked at himself in the mirror above the bed. He hadn't designed this boat, but he was grateful to whomever had. He got between her legs and watched himself as he rolled the condom on and then slid his member deep inside her. He poured all of his worries into this one moment, and he took her hard. He took her like he was never going to be able to take her again, which was a real possibility.
She couldn't believe how rough he was being. It felt incredible, but it didn't feel like, Steve. Still, Laura was just as worried as he was. She wanted it like this. She needed it. "Oh, GOD. Steve. Steve. Steve. Steve. Steve!" she yelled.
"LauraLauraLauraLaura. OH, YES!"
"Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Oh, fuck me harder, Steve!" she screamed. "Fuck me harder."
He groaned when he heard her dirty, little mouth. He followed her directions and took her as hard and as fast as he could, but it wasn't good enough. He pulled out of her and sat up on the bed.
"Oh, noooooo…" she whined. "Why'd you stop?" she moaned with a wiggle. "I need you."
He shook his head. "Get up on all fours, Pet."
She did what he asked and turned around for him. She looked at herself in the mirror. God, this is kinky, she thought. I wonder if the boat came like this or if he had this installed.
Steve took a moment to breathe and relax as he was getting far too close. He got up on his knees behind her and rubbed her back and her butt. He met her eyes in the mirror and spanked her.
"OH!" she yelped.
He grinned mischievously at her and did it again.
"AH!"
"Laura, you and the boys are going to stay with me through the trial," he said firmly.
"Steve," she said beginning to argue, "I don–"
SMACK.
"Ow!" she yelped as his hand came down on her sensitive skin again.
SMACK. "You're gonna stay with me, and we're gonna make love every night."
"Oooooo," she whimpered as the pleasurable sensation of impact faded into a less pleasurable stinging sensation.
He rubbed her butt softly with his hand, which was also stinging. "I love you, Pet. Make me happy," he whispered as he placed his member at her entrance. "Are you mine, Laura?"
"Yes, Steve," she moaned. "Please, take me."
He slid himself inside of her slowly. "Ohhh, Laura Lee…"
"Steve…"
He met her eyes in the mirror and began to thrust in and out of her savagely, their skin making a slapping sound each time. He watched her breasts shake each time he pounded into her.
Laura couldn't believe how deep he was. Sure, they had done it in this position before, but apparently he had gone easy on her previously, because she felt him in places she didn't know existed. He showed her no mercy, and she enjoyed every minute of it. She reached down and began to rub her own clit.
As he watched her begin to pleasure herself, he found it very arousing, but he feared it meant that he wasn't doing enough for her. Suddenly, he knocked her down so she lay flat on her stomach.
"Oh!"
He pulled her hands out from under her and began to grind into her slowly, but forcefully. He held her hands as he did.
Laura felt the friction between her clit and the sheets and moaned. "Oh, Steve, yes…"
He looked down at her left hand and looked at the sparkling diamond. Excited by the prospect of making her his for the rest of their lives, he began to grind faster. He heard her breathing quicken and felt her womanhood pulsing on his member. He leaned close to her ear. "Please, come for me, Laura. Please, Pet. I want to feel you come. I need to feel you come."
"Oh, Steve," she purred as she began to slide over the edge with his encouragement. "Oh, Steve… Oh, GOD! Steeeeeeve…"
As Laura began to orgasm on his member, he allowed himself to release. He switched from a grinding motion back to his hard rapid thrusting as she continued to squeeze him tighter and tighter. In seconds, he was coming with her. "LAURA…" he moaned as he began to shoot his cum into the condom. When they had both stopped trembling in ecstasy, he pulled out of her and plopped down onto the bed. He pulled the condom off and tossed it haphazardly to the ground.
Laura, who was still breathing heavily as her head began to clear, was surprised he left her so quickly. She rolled back to look at him and was struck by the sadness on his face. "Steve? Are you ok?" she asked softly, placing her sparkling left hand on his bare chest.
He turned to look at her. "I'm scared, too, Laura," he admitted softly.
"Really? About the trial? But you seemed so confident?"
"I put on my brave face for you, Laura, but I'm terrified."
"Steve, I know the idea of going to prison, even for such a short time, is–"
"God, Laura, I don't care about that. I just care about us. I can't lose you again, Sweetheart," he whispered as he teared up. He held her left hand tightly.
She felt her eyes moisten, too. "I understand, Steve," she said softly.
"I need you to stay with me, Laura," he said again.
"Ok," she nodded, pulling her hand away to wipe his tears. "Ok, we'll stay here until this whole thing's over."
He leaned forward and kissed her. "Thank you, my love."
"Just don't lose, ok?"
"Ok," he agreed, kissing her again.
Laura and Steve did eventually head back up to Steve's bedroom, where they made love again, just as Steve had initially planned. In fact, it wasn't until the early morning that he actually let her fall asleep. When she woke up in his bed, she was alone again. She sat up and looked around the room. They needed to have a conversation about that. She stood and headed into the shower, not wanting to face her mother or her children looking and smelling like she had had sex all night long. When she was clean and fresh, she pulled her change of clothes out of the bag she had packed and headed down to the kitchen. She smiled when she saw her boys at the breakfast table with Steve and her mother. She kissed each kid on the forehead. "Good morning," she smiled.
Harriette smirked at her. "Good morning. Someone sure seems to be in a good mood. Did you sleep well?"
Laura blushed and smiled at Steve. "I did, Mom. I was… exhausted last night."
Steve blushed too and glanced away shyly.
"Mama," Michael chirped, "I like your pretty ring."
Laura and Steve's eyes widened as they glanced down at Laura's hand. Oops.
Harriette looked down at the ring and then back up to Laura several times, unable to believe what she saw.
Laura looked at her mother. "No… It's not… We're not…" Laura removed the ring from her finger and handed it back to Steve. She looked at him apologetically as she saw his face fall as he clenched the ring tightly in his fist. Laura turned back to Michael and attempted to smile. "Thank you, Baby, but it's not my ring. It's Uncle Steve's. He just let me borrow it."
Michael's brow furrowed. "I don't think it would look very good on him."
Harriette glared at Laura. "Laura, Honey, can I see you in the other room?"
"Yeah, I kinda saw that coming."
"Mm-hmm," Harriette mumbled as she stood and led Laura into the next room. She turned to her quickly when they were far enough away and whispered harshly, "Did you accept that boy's proposal and then give him his ring back the next day? In front of your kids and your mother? What is wrong with you?"
"No, Mom, that's not what happened. I never accepted. I told him to ask me after the trial, and then he begged me to wear it for the night. That's all. He knew I was going to give it back."
Harriette relaxed and exhaled, "Oh, thank God." She paused. "What are you going to say when he asks you after the trial?"
Laura blushed. "I don't know. I think I'm gonna say yes," she smiled. "We still have a lot of hoops to jump through. He needs to get on good terms with everybody again. We need to figure out work stuff. I need to talk to the kids, but I think I'm gonna say yes."
Harriette smiled at her. "That's wonderful, Baby." With that, she walked back into the kitchen, and Laura followed closely behind.
Laura sat next to Steve and served herself breakfast. She glanced at him when his hand came down to her thigh. She smiled at him as he slowly began to rub it.
When Michael had finished eating, he asked to be excused and ran up the stairs to play with more of Uncle Steve's awesome toys. The second he was out of sight, Laura turned to Steve and grabbed his cheeks. She pulled him toward her for a kiss. When she released his lips, she said, "Good morning."
He smiled at her. "Good morning," he purred.
Harriette stood and began to clear the table, grabbing Steve's attention.
"Oh, Harriette, you don't have to do that," he said, standing to take the plates out of her hands.
"I don't mind, Steve. It'll save you the trouble after we leave."
"No, Harriette, it won't be any trouble for me. I have people who do that kind of thing around here."
Harriette furrowed her brow and set the plates on the counter. "Oh."
"Please, you're my guest. Sit down."
"Well, actually, Laura, I think we should get going," Harriette said, turning to Laura. "Your father's gonna start worrying soon."
Laura grimaced. "Well, actually, Mom, the kids and I are gonna stay here with Steve until the trial's over, so you can head back without us."
Harriette looked at her nervously, "Laura, Honey, are you sure that's a good idea?"
"No," she admitted, turning to look at Steve, "but I made a promise."
Harriette sighed, "All right, Sweetheart. If that's what you wanna do… I'll just go say goodbye to Michael, and then I'll head out." She hugged Steve and walked over to Laura. She kissed her cheek. "I'll see you kids later," she said, walking out of the room.
Steve returned to Laura's side and sat back down. He looked at her and smiled. "So what should we do today, Honey Knees?"
"Whatever you want," she shrugged.
He shook his head. "I just want to spend the day with you and the boys."
She nodded. "Ok, why don't we ask Michael what he wants to do?" she suggested.
"I think that's a great idea," he grinned, kissing her again.
Neither one of them was prepared for what he'd suggest.
"I want to go to Disney World!" he announced when they told him it was up to him.
Laura chuckled, "No, Baby. We just have the day. You have to pick something in Chicago."
Steve thought for a minute. "No, he doesn't," he said.
Laura looked up at him. "Steve, we have to be in court tomorrow at 9 am."
"So? Urkorp has a private jet. We could be in Florida three hours from now, spend the day with Mickey and his pals, and fly back tonight."
"Steve, that's crazy."
"No, it's not, Sweetums," he said seriously. "I want to do something special today. Let's go."
Laura looked at the determined, desperate twinkle in his eye. Then she looked back at her very hopeful son. "Ok," she sighed.
"YAY!" Michael cheered. He rushed to wrap his arms around Steve's legs. "Thank you, Uncle Steve!" he cried as Steve lifted him high in his arms.
Steve pulled him tightly against him, inhaling deeply. He wanted to memorize what he felt like, smelt like, sounded like, just in case he was going to jail. He wasn't certain Laura would be waiting for him when he got out. This may have been his very last chance to be a father. When Michael eventually began to squirm in his arms, he set him down. "You're welcome, Buddy."