Chapter 23

Several months later:

"All right," Lorelei laughed the afternoon after they had gotten married by the precinct's chaplain, "where are you taking me this time?"

"Can't be the honeymoon suite," Joey piped up from the back seat. "I doubt you two would take me on your wedding night."

"Oh this will be better than any honeymoon," Brian offered happily. "I doubt you two would have even see this coming."

"Brian, what are you up to?" Lorelei asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," he grinned again, "just a little something I've been working on for months for your wedding present."

"Must be some wedding present," Joey said. "We've been on the road like forever."

"It's only been thirty minutes," Brian corrected her, "and we're almost there."

Lorelei looked around at the landmarks they had passed, with a feeling of familiarity coming over her. She didn't say anything, but couldn't help wondering why they were so far in the outskirts from town.

It hadn't taken her long to find out when Brian pulled into a driveway of a house that had a SOLD sign in the front yard.

"Bri….." she sighed, both surprised and elated. "This was my parents' house!"

"I know," he grinned. "And now it's ours."

"But….it was sold years ago to help settle the estate when my mom died. She didn't leave a will, and–"

He cut her off. "And I'm guessing the new owners couldn't keep up the payments, therefore it went into foreclosure. I got this major cut rate at a bank auction. I bid my ass off on this thing. And now it's all ours. Happy wedding present, babe."

"But how did you know about this house?" she pressed.

"Dad, did you have Paul all up in someone's business again?" Joey asked.

Brian cleared his throat knowing he'd been busted. "Um…..you could say that."

Under any other circumstances, Lorelei would have been annoyed that someone would have been checking around where she had grown up, but this she had found touching. She had had so many happy memories in this house, and now, thanks to the generosity of her new husband, Lorelei would be able to make new ones with her own family.

She smiled to herself, thinking that she should thank Paul royally for tracking down all the necessary information to help make it possible for her to have this part of her life back again.

"Furniture will be here on Friday," Brian cut into her thoughts as they went up the walkway.

"What?" she asked.

"Welcome back," he grinned. "The new furniture will be coming Friday."

"What's wrong with what we have at the apartment?"

"Nothing, but I didn't think you'd want my ratty futon in your childhood home."

"But it's going to be yours and Joey's home too. We can at least bring some of it."

"Sure, but since we're making a new start as a family, it wouldn't hurt to get some new stuff too."

He turned the key in the front door and the three of them walked in.. Joey immediately scampered toward the back, looking out excitedly.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "A yard! A real back yard!"

"Gee, don't sound so disappointed, kid," Brian laughed.

"This is so cool. I can have people over and we can go out in the yard and stuff! Oh please, Dad, can we have a pool?"

"We haven't even moved in yet," he replied. "One thing at a time."

"CanwehaveapoolDadcanwehaveapoolDadcanwehaveapoolDadcanwehaveapoolDad?" Joey pressed.

"Right, and every Tom, Dick and Mary would be invading the yard. Let's just get settled in here first, okay?"

"Oh Bri, let's get a pool," Lorelei encouraged. "The poor girl's lived in town for who knows how long without a real yard as it is. And I never had a pool even when I lived here when I was her age."

"Yeah, Dad, we're out here private, so it isn't like people are going to be using it when we aren't around," Joey begged. "Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeassssssse?"

"Tell you what," Brian said. "You keep your grades up the rest of the year like you have been and I'll see about a pool."

"Awesome!" Joey cried, hugging him. "I sure will! Thanks, Dad!"

"What else could I do?" he chuckled. "I'm outnumbered by women as it is."

The following spring:

With the furniture (along with some things brought from the apartment Brian and Lorelei mutually agreed to keep), the necessary repairs made, and the new pool installed, the new house had been finally completed and the three of them were now living there full time. It had taken a little longer for Brian and Lorelei to get to work than it had when they were at the apartment, but the fact they were now homeowners and not renters made them both happy nevertheless.

Since his promotion to head up the Major Case Squad with Captain Shields, Brian had pushed to get Lorelei out of the clerk's office and be his personal secretary. Of course, she had jumped at the offer.

In a few months, however, Lorelei would be taking leave from her job; therefore, Brian would need to find a temporary secretary until she was cleared to return to the precinct.

They had been to the doctor two weeks before, given the news Lorelei was twelve weeks pregnant. Joey would be getting a younger brother or sister, and she was thrilled.

This plan is working out better than I would have ever thought, Joey had thought to herself. I got a mom, a nice house with a yard, and now I am going to get a real sibling. It was indeed a dream come true for her.