Part 2: The Wrath of the Unplanned Sequel

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All things considered, the ceremony was really nice.

Even if Rick spent it absently mussing up his tidy ponytail and Kai almost had a meltdown to see his hard work ruthlessly destroyed.

Even if little Stu Greene put a bug on his little pal May right in the middle, reducing her to a bundle of squirms and shrieks, until the doctor took pity on his humiliated, teary-eyed little wife and hurriedly scooped up and removed both children because she was too afraid of the bug to go near May.

Even if Cliff started shedding clothes the minute he was finished escorting Ann to the front of the church, and didn't stop until his shirt was half unbuttoned, his tie gone, and his tux jacket a rumpled pile on the floor.

Even if Ann started doing much the same thing as soon as she was safely ensconced in the row of bridesmaids.

Even if he himself spent the hour having serious thoughts about doing the same thing for his bride, because it was too damn hot for all these layers, and he didn't quite like the little wobble she was doing, or the way her arm was tightening in his every few seconds as though hanging on for dear life.

But now they're out of that crowded, baking hot church, and blessedly alone in a prettily decorated room in a little bed-and-breakfast just outside of Rose Shore, so he's free to peel awat a few layers of heavy lace and tulle until that feverish flush goes away and her breathing regulates a little.

Although, undressing his wife isn't supposed to make her cool down and go to sleep, if a guy's doing it the right way. Just the thought is making beads of sweat form anew on his forehead.

Damn it.

A temporary retreat is in order.

"Lilli?"

She turns from the little dressing table, where she's busily tugging away a dizzying profusion of hairpins and brushing out a shining mass of rosepink hair from its elaborate updo, and gives him a sweet, contented little smile that puts his pulse rate – and other things – immediately on the rise.

"Hmm?"

"I'm going to get us something cool to drink. Iced tea, right?"

"Right, but Zack, wait—"

The door clicks quickly shut behind him, and Lillia indulges in a brief pout.

I might have to pry him out of that tuxedo with a crow bar.

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It's only about ten minutes, and a little more than a quarter of the buttons along the back of her dress, before the door swings open again.

At the sound of footsteps and the jangle of keys, Lillia hurriedly pulls her hair over one shoulder, gathers up her voluminous skirts, and leaps from the chair before the vanity with more exuberance than either of her children, or her concerned friends, or the aloof-but-kind Dr. Emily and his cuddly little nurse would believe.

Carefully hiding her impish smile behind wide, pleading eyes, she fixes her gaze on the door and waits for her new husband.

"Zack," she calls sweetly as soon as his broad-shouldered frame appears in the doorway, "can you come help me out of my dress? I can't reach all the buttons."

He stares for a long moment, strongly resembling a small woodland creature quite happily facing down a nuclear meltdown, at the line of her creamy white neck and shoulders, arms covered but just barely in something filmy and trailing and almost see-through for the sleeves.

Finally, he manages to nod mutely, and moves around behind her, his spirits steadily rising the closer he gets to the scent of her sweetly floral perfume.

"Man, this thing's like a cage," he observes, shaking his head as he works at the first button on the stiffly structured corset with shaking fingers. "It doesn't look too easy to move in. Which one of your fluff-brained little bridesmaids came up with that?"

She raises one hand to hide her grin.

"Actually, it was my idea. I've always loved how corsets look, and it's not something I'd ordinarily wear, but for just this once, I really wanted to look nice for you, sweetie."

"Ah, you looked fantastic!" he assures her hurriedly, and she laughs. "But can you really breathe in that thing?"

"Wedding gowns aren't supposed to be comfortable," she giggles, and casts a teasing look over her shoulder. "Neither is what you're wearing, if the way you've been fidgeting all day is any indication."

"Nah, it's not that bad, without the jacket and the tie," he shrugs, starting on another tiny shimmering pearl button.

She makes a happy little noise as his fingers brush against her back, and he jumps.

"Sorry," he mutters, face bright red, working carefully at the buttons.

"Zack, did your father forget to tell you what happens on a honeymoon?" she asks teasingly, peeking over her shoulder at him. "Chances are, you'll have to touch me at some point before the night is through."

He gives a loud, nervous laugh, and she jumps like a skittish little kitten at the sudden sound.

"Of course not! Uh, I mean, yeah. I just meant, I didn't know if you'd be up to it. It's been a long day, with the wedding and the trip here. I thought you might just want to have a drink and go to sleep."

As soon as he pushes the last button free, she turns to face him, letting her wedding gown slide to the floor, a frothy pool of rustling silk and lace.

"I'm not ready to sleep yet," she murmurs, reaching for him.

Somewhere between stooping to kiss her and her hands sliding up inside his jacket to unbutton his shirt, his mind shuts off – almost – completely.

But it's the little bit left over when subtracting almost from completely that makes him still able to stop himself from tumbling with her back onto the bed.

"What?" she asks breathlessly, staring up at him as he pulls back.

"I don't want to crush you." He shoots her a weak grin. "I'm a heavy guy, you know?"

What a problem solver his sweet Lilli is! Within seconds, the issue has been resolved, and he's flat on his back, groaning with want of more as she crawls topless up over him, brushing kisses over his chest where his shirt hangs open, the texture of gossamer-fine silk stockings smooth in his hand when he grips the backs of her thighs to pull her up closer and nibble gently at the soft skin of her throat.

She's gasping for breath, deeply flushed, chest heaving rapidly where it's pressed to him, lost in the sensations of his hands and mouth on her, the breaking of a seven-year spell. His teeth nip sharply, and she's hardly had time to realize that it's her that cry came from before he's bolting up and pulling her close into a gentle hug.

"Sorry," he murmurs, face buried in her hair.

She pulls away to look at him incredulously.

"For what?"

"I don't want to hurt you."

With a long sigh, she snuggles close against him.

"Zack, we're supposed to look after each other now. You can't do it all yourself, so you're going to have to trust me to know my own limits." She peeks up at him with a beaming smile. "I've been this way all my life, and judging by the existence of all the bickering going on in my house when Popuri and Kai are in town, I am fully capable of doing what leads to children."

He gives a weak chuckle.

"Yeah, I know, but—"

"Sweetie, I love that you want to protect me. But you don't need to protect me from you. I promise, if something is wrong, I'll tell you."

His arms tighten around her.

"I'm sorry, Lilli. I don't mean to worry like an idiot, but I'm so afraid of losing you."

She pushes him back to the pretty patchwork quilts, and stretches out next to him on her side, giving him a stern look.

"Is that why you didn't tell me when you got that letter from Rod?"

He chokes, halting abruptly in the act of running one hand over the curve of her hip.

"Uh—what?"

"I found out from Won. Popuri mentioned that she had noticed a letter from her father's traveling party, and I knew that if you hadn't told us about it right away, there must be a reason. I wanted to find out for myself, so I went while you were doing your rounds, and asked Won to let me sort through the week's return mail." She frowns at him, playfully stern. "Zack, when you're trying to keep secrets from people, you should lock up incriminating evidence, and swear your housemates to secrecy."

"I thought Won would be less likely to tell you if he didn't know there was anything to tell," he admits, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Lilli, why didn't you just tell me that you knew?"

Her smile borders on a grin.

"Because I thought you would postpone the wedding for another year, for my own good, and I was already starting to worry that I might have to drag you to the altar in chains."

He gives a loud, startled hoot of laughter, joined by her beautiful, silvery laugh. Turning over on his front and propping himself up on one elbow, he runs one hand reverently over the curve of her cheek and pushes her hair back from her eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't want to see you get hurt again."

She brushes a light kiss against his palm.

"I know. And it did hurt, at first. But once I'd had a little bit of think about it…to be honest, I wasn't upset so much as angry, and mostly for Rick and Popuri's sake. Popuri still thinks that her daddy is a hero, and Rick might try to put up a jaded, hard-boiled front, but I think that he would be disappointed."

"Yeah, he was," Zack says with a grim little smile, and she stares. "I had to ask him if he thought I was doing the right thing."

"He hasn't said a word," she marvels.

"He said he would leave it up to me if I wanted to tell you or not."

"Yes, but it's Rick." Her eyes sparkle teasingly up at him. "He's about as good at keeping a secret as you are."

"Yeah, yeah, okay," he grumbles, catching her hand as she tries to tickle him. "I'm glad you're not angry."

"Of course not. Although," she adds with a stern look, already moving to climb over him, "that doesn't mean you're going to get out of fulfilling your duties as a married man."

With a grin that risks breaching the confines of the average human face, Zack slides his hands over her hips and pulls her closer.

"Yes, ma'am."

Which, incidentally, is the last coherent phrase to be uttered in the little room for many an hour.

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End Notes: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand, that's that. Written as a request. Both for Zack/Lillia fluff, and Zack/Lillia honeymoon fluff, whoo-ha! XD

Anyway, given my complete and utter hatred of both the characters in the pairing, I don't know how it turned out. I don't know; Zack's little smirk-sneer thing just irritates the hell out of me, and Lillia...well, I've just begun to see her as lazy, selfish, melodramatic, and kind of...using her illness as it's most convenient at the moment. But that's just me. I can't stand when people try to pass off their own opinions on the characters as OMG CANON AND ALL MUST BOW (hint-hint, Elli-bashers and Rick-bashers), so I accept this as my uniquely bizarro view on Lillia.

And, I thought it might be a good idea to post this in the interest of upping the number of stories I have that aren't completely Elli-centric. sob I can't help it! I wuvs her...