Okay so this is long but I hope that you enjoy it.

Thanks for reading

The Court House

Bill pulled in to a lane beside the courthouse and turned to Ryan. "I'll just call my contact. His name is Eric and if you just go and stand beside the fire escape door near the loading dock then he'll come and let you in."

Ryan nodded but as he reached for the door handle Bill added. "You did bring the cash?"

"Yeah. It's here." Ryan replied pulling a hotel envelope out of his jacket pocket.

"Okay. Because you won't get far without it." Bill added.

The four got out of the car and made their way to the door and waited.

Meanwhile Bill called Eric. "They are outside the door now."

"Okay. I'll look after them. He's got the money?"

"Yeah. I checked. Just remember not to go and gamble it all away tonight. I want my cut." Bill stated. He'd been caught before and he didn't want it to happen again.

"Yeah. I know." Eric replied.

"If there are any dramas, let me know."

"Are you expecting something?" Eric asked.

"Not really. I just figured that there is a very faint chance that Atwood and Cooper could decide to do the deed as well. Can you imagine how much that sort of information would be worth? We could retire tomorrow." Bill suggested.

"Are you serious? What would make you think that?" Eric asked.

"Wait until you see her. If I could get her in to my bed then I'd never let her out. She got those long scrawny legs that could hook around you and …" he faded off as his imagination took over. "… if you know what I mean?" Bill replied.

Eric laughed. "From the photos I've seen of him, I doubt that he has to use force to keep a woman in his bed. But I'd better go and let them in before someone notices them standing in the lane and starts asking questions. And don't worry; I'll let you know if anything unexpected goes down."

"Okay. Thanks. Talk soon."

---

The door was opened by a guy in his early thirties who asked them to follow him down a hallway and into a small office. He closed the door and turned and said. "Okay. So I believe you need a marriage license quickly and quietly?"

Keith looked at Ryan who then answered. "Can you help us with that?"

"Sure. For a price, I can do almost anything." Eric replied. "I just need the bride and groom to come and fill out the relevant sections on this form." He pushed it towards Annabel and Keith who didn't move.

Ryan spoke up. "Can you just explain a couple of things for us that we're not too clear on?"

"Sure. As long as it doesn't take too long." Eric replied looking at his watch. He hoped that they weren't going to take too long.

"This marriage license that you issue … is it legal and binding? Or is there something issued at the chapel?"

"No. The certificate that they give you at the chapel is just a rubber stamp. This is the legal document. Once this is all signed, sealed and delivered, you are in fact, legally married. The service in the chapel is purely ceremonial. Just the icing on the cake." Eric said as he ran his eyes over Annabel thinking that she could in fact be perched on top of a cake.

"So if you have the ceremony without a license?" Ryan asked.

"Then you're still not legally married." Eric replied wondering where all these questions were coming from. They really seemed to be pointless. "Now. Can we get this over and done with? I've got other people to attend to. I gather you have the money?"

"Sure." Ryan replied and then looked back at Marissa who was still standing beside the door. "Ris? You set?"

Marissa smiled and then made her way to the desk and sat down and picked up the pen.

Eric looked at Marissa and said. "I don't need the witnesses' signatures just yet."

Ryan replied. "There's been a change of plan. It seems that my friends have cold feet but we didn't want to waste your time so we'll fill in for them."

Eric gulped as he realised what was happening. "But …. are you saying …? … that you …?"

"Surely that's not a problem? I have brought the money you asked for. It was for a marriage license on the quiet. And that's still all we're asking for." Ryan explained. "I have the cash you asked for right here." Ryan added as he pulled out the envelope and handed it to Eric.

Eric took the envelope and held it in his hand for a moment wondering if he could ask for more money given the enormity of what was happening. He looked up at Ryan and when he met with his cold eyes he decided to just put it in the top drawer. He'd make his money when he sold the information.

"I'd prefer you count it and make sure that its right, while I'm still here?" Ryan stated.

Eric looked at him and then pulled the notes from the envelope and counted them. "It's fine." He said and returned the envelope to the drawer.

"I like a man with initiative." Ryan added trying to get Eric to open up more. "You must have quite a nice little business going on here?"

Eric looked up. He knew that Ryan was an astute and very successful businessman. Maybe there was a chance that he would have a position for him with his company. "You have no idea. I make 10 times as much out of this sideline as I do out of the actual job. The pay here is atrocious. I can lose more on the tables in one night than I make here in a month." Eric stated.

"Great. Then we'll just fill out the paperwork." Ryan stated as he and Marissa sat and went through the form in front of them.

When they were finished, they handed the form to Eric and waited while he completed the official parts and then entered the information into the computer and then stamped the form and handed them a copy. "That's it."

"We're done?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah. You are now legally married." Eric stated.

Ryan looked at Marissa, scared that she may have been upset and regretted the way that it had all taken place but she was smiling from ear to ear.

"We've done it." She said breathlessly. A smile edging its way onto her face.

Ryan nodded. Suddenly he was speechless as the impact of what had happened finally hit home.

He pulled the ring box from his pocket and opened it. Taking the smaller of the two rings from the box he slid it on to Marissa's finger as she beamed at him. She took the other ring and slid it onto Ryan's finger. They held one another's hands as they silently committed themselves to one another.

Keith broke the silence by saying. "I think that you can now kiss the bride."

Ryan smiled at Keith but needed no further encouragement as he took Marissa in his arms and met her lips with his own, the kiss achingly sweet. When they had finished they stood up from the small desk and thanked Eric and moved to the door.

"Thanks for your help. We'll see ourselves out." Ryan stated as they all left the room.

Eric instantly picked up his phone and dialled Bill's number. He couldn't believe his luck. His mind boggled at just how much money they could make out of this information and wondered how would be the best way to make sure that he maximised his take.

---

As Eric waited for Bill to answer, Ryan and Keith appeared back in the doorway.

Eric quickly hung up. "Couldn't you find you way back out?" he asked.

Ryan and Keith came back into the room and closed the door. "No. That's not a problem." Ryan stated. "I just thought that I should make something clear to you before we left."

Eric looked puzzled but waited.

"I thought that I should tell you that, thanks to my friend here, we have the whole of out marriage on film, including some very nice shots of you accepting the payment from me; a very happy keepsake for us no doubt. Plus we have the whole of our conversation recorded as well just for insurance." Ryan paused as he let the information sink in. "If any knowledge of the marriage gets leaked to the press, then I will more than happy to hand a copy of both over to your employers. So I think that it would be best for you to keep the information to yourself." Ryan stated. "You may be tempted to share the news with… say … Bill. But I don't think that's a very good idea."

Eric stood silently saying nothing, trying to work out the implications of what was happening.

"You see … I figure that the worst that could happen to him would be that he would lose his job. But I don't think that he would care because he would no doubt be able to sell the information for a sizeable amount of money. So losing his job would not be too big a problem. You however … I can guarantee … would be in jail for graft and corruption. I'm not an expert … but I figure that you'd be looking at around 10 years." Ryan suggested.

"All I did was issue you with a marriage license." Eric stated clearly. "That's my job."

"True. But you see …the legal definition of graft is the unscrupulous use of one's position to derive profit or advantages. In other words you are in deep shit." Ryan explained. "Plus of course by the time you actually get out of jail, the chances that Bill won't have spent all the money are extremely remote." Ryan shook his head. "I don't think that it's worth the risk."

Keith just smiled and held Annabel's camera and Ryan's digital voice recorder clearly in his hands. "The wonders of technology." He stated.

Eric looked from Ryan to Keith and then back again unsure of what to do. He knew that they were right. If he gave this information to Bill then he would certainly sell it to the highest bidder. And where would that leave him.

"But just because I'm a nice guy, I have a proposition for you." Ryan suggested.

Eric was all ears. "What?"

"If you can make sure that all knowledge of what happened here remains a secret until I'm ready to announce it, then I'll personally come and pay you 4 times what I just gave you … as a private thank you from me to you." Ryan said.

Eric couldn't believe what Ryan was saying. He wouldn't even have to split that money with Bill. "But it will become a matter of public record after 12 months. There is nothing I can do to stop that." Eric explained.

"That's fine." Ryan replied. "As long as you don't divulge the information for 12 months then I will accept that you have kept your end of the bargain. I suspect that we will choose to reveal it before then anyhow."

Eric knew that he had no other choice. He could tell from the look in Ryan's eye that he may have been a successful businessman but he wasn't a man to be crossed. He gave a shudder. There was something about Ryan's eyes. When he had first come into the room, Eric had thought him to be just another businessman on holiday but looking at him now, his eyes were cold as ice. He didn't think that he would like to run into him in a dark alley, especially if you had crossed him. He gulped as he contemplated the outcome of such a meeting. And his body guard would no doubt finish off the leftovers. "Sure. I can do that."

Just then Eric's phone rang. He glanced at the screen and was about to hit the end button when Ryan stated clearly. "Answer it."

Eric looked at Ryan and then decided to do as he was told. He didn't want to cross him. "Yeah?"

"Did you just call me?" Bill asked.

"Um … yeah." Eric replied and held Ryan's gaze.

"What did you want?" Bill asked. "Is there some sort of problem?"

Eric stared back at Ryan. "No. No problem."

"Well what then?" Bill asked.

"Um … I just thought I should let you know that they are all finished. They'll be back with you soon." Eric stated.

"Okay. So it all went according to plan? Just the one license?" Bill asked.

Eric gulped. "Yeah … Just the one license." He replied honestly.

"Okay. I'll see you later to get my cut." Bill said and ended the call.

Eric closed up the phone.

"Good." Ryan stated. "It's been a … pleasure … to do business with you. Just remember. You have two choices. You can sit on what you know and I'll see you in 12 months time with a hefty bonus OR you can spend the next few years in jail wondering what Bill is doing with your money and whether there will be any of it left by the time you get out. It's up to you."

Eric knew that he really didn't have a choice at all. "I'll see you in 12 months."

"I'll look forward to it. We might come back for our 1st anniversary." Ryan replied as he turned and he and Keith left the room.

The girls were standing just outside the door.

"How did it go?" Annabel asked.

"Great. The guy never had a chance. I almost feel sorry for him." Keith replied.

Marissa looked at Ryan. She knew that there were a lot of good reasons for keeping it all a secret. But right at the present time she didn't really care. All she cared about was that she and Ryan were husband and wife. She looked at him coyly as they all made their way back to the fire exit door. Just before they got there, they passed a small kitchen off to the left and Ryan pulled Marissa inside. "Tell Bill we've gone to the bathroom. We'll be with you in a minute." Ryan said to Keith and Annabel.

Keith nodded as he and Annabel moved on. He knew that Ryan and Marissa wanted some time alone together.

Ryan closed the door and took Marissa in his arms and looked deeply in her eyes. "I'm sorry if it wasn't quite the small chapel wedding that you wanted."

"Are you kidding? Can you imagine just how much better this will be to tell our kids? They'll never be able to say that we were staid and boring. It's not everyone has a little extortion to remember their wedding day by." Marissa laughed. She played with the ring on her finger. "You know you might have to pay me off to keep it quiet. Right now I feel like shouting it from the rooftops."

"You can have all my money. Will that be enough?" Ryan asked.

"I hate to tell you but it's not your money I'm after …it's your body." Marissa leered suggestively at him.

Ryan laughed. "You can have that too." Ryan stated and he bent his head to kiss her. Starting slowly, the kiss deepened as the mirth went from their words and their true feelings took over.

Ryan pulled back. "I think we'd better stop while we still can. We have a wedding to go to." He said.

"Well we'd better not keep the bride and groom waiting, Mr Atwood." Marissa replied.

"We'd better not, Mrs …..Atwood?... Cooper?... Cooper Atwood? What do you want to be called?" Ryan asked.

Marissa tilted her head to one side and frowned slightly as she pondered the question. "I guess for now I don't really have a choice. I'd better stick to Cooper or I'll give the whole thing away."

Ryan nodded understanding exactly what she was saying..

"But when we have children, I want to be Marissa Atwood." She added a small smile making its way across her face as she contemplated the thought of a family of their own.

"I can't wait." Ryan replied.