A/N So this is it for this story.

But ... I have had a few kind people suggest that I write again. I'm off on hoildays for a few weeks but I guess if there is enough interest when I return then I may start again. But I'm not sure what you would prefer. A sequel to this? A Ryan based college story - not necessarily THIS Ryan - that would be 'R' or 'X' rated. LOL Or something completely different. If you have any preferences then let me know and I'll think about it. Thanks for reading..

The Gift

It was much much later. They had celebrated the night away with their family and friends and it was the wee small hours before they finally returned to their room. Ryan insisted on carrying Marissa over the threshold even though she insisted that he'd done it before.

"Yeah well … I intend to do it every time I get married." He teased.

"And just how often do you intend to do that? Get married I mean." Marissa asked.

"Not sure. But it's a lot of fun. Maybe we should make it an annual event." He suggested.

"So I do get to be a part of it?"

"Of course. I'm not interested in being with anyone else … ever" he added … and as he slowly let her feet slide to the floor as he put her down, their playful banter of a moment ago was lost in the intensity of his feelings for her. He gave her a look that was pure love.

And it was returned in full. "So what do you want to do now?" Marissa asked softly, still leaning against his chest.

"I thought you were tired and wanted to sleep? At least that's what you told everyone else." Ryan replied a knowing smile on his face.

Marissa smiled shyly. "Suddenly not so tired."

Ryan grinned as he took in her unspoken message. "Hmmm. This could turn out to be … the best date ever." He teased as he moved to take her in his arms.

"It already is." She replied as his arms encircled her and their lips met.

After a few moments, as the kiss started to intensify, Ryan reluctantly pulled back "Don't you think that we should get you out of this?" he asked indicating her wedding attire. "It is beautiful and everything … but it covers up a bit too much of my beautiful wife. I was sort of hoping that I may get to see a little more of her now that we are alone."

"I think that we can help you with that." Marissa smiled. She pulled off her gloves and then moved to the mirror to take off her veil. As she reached for her brush her eyes fell onto the small gift wrapped package that she had hidden in her toiletries bag. She picked it up and then turned to him. "I have something for you."

Ryan frowned. "That's not fair. I didn't even know that we were getting married today. I don't want to live my life with you reminding me that I didn't return the favour. How about you keep it and give it to me tomorrow after I've had a chance to go and get something for you."

"Oh no. This isn't that sort of gift." Marissa explained.

"What do you mean it isn't that sort of gift? What sort of gift is it?" Ryan asked puzzled.

"Open it and you'll see." Marissa informed him stating the obvious as she offered it to him yet again.

"But …. I really don't want to. I have nothing for you. It's not fair." Ryan persisted, not wanting to take the small parcel from her.

"I promise you that this is as much for me as it is for you. " Marissa replied. "Plus I can't wait any longer. You have no idea how hard it's been for me to keep this from you."

"You've just managed to pull off a whole surprise wedding without giving me any hints. I'm sure that you are more than capable of keeping this to yourself for another few hours."

"No. Not this. This we need to share. And now!" Marissa informed him.

Ryan was getting more and more intrigued the more she said. The gift was so small. If anything it was shaped a bit like a bracelet case but that didn't make sense. Why would she give him a bracelet? And how could that be as much for her as for him? Unless of course she'd seen something that she'd liked and was buying it for him so that she could wear it to please him? But he doubted that she would do that.

"Go on." Marissa urged. "Unwrap your gift." She smiled and then added "And then I'll let you unwrap me … because there is no way that I can get out of this on my own." She said as she indicated the small silk buttons on the back of her dress.

Ryan laughed. "You have a deal. But … are you sure that we couldn't just get on with the unwrapping of you and leave this to later?" he said as she finally succeeded in handing him the parcel. He frowned. It was so light. It weighed almost nothing. What could it possibly be?

"No." Marissa growled playfully. "And you're starting to get me angry. Just do it. And then we can get on with the rest of the evening. I can't believe that you're the one holding proceedings up."

"By 'proceedings' what do you mean exactly?" Ryan asked.

"Stripping me naked … divesting you of your clothes … and making wild … passionate love to me." Marissa outlined. "At least that's what I had planned … but maybe you're not interested."

Ryan gulped. "I'm very interested."

"Then open the frigging gift." Marissa said her frustration finally getting the better of her. Maybe this hadn't been the right way to go about it.

Ryan knew that he couldn't put it off any longer. When he'd realised how much it meant to her, it had been funny to tease her but he knew that she was close to breaking point and he didn't want that so he gently untied the ribbon and pulled open the wrapping paper only to find … an empty foil and plastic blister pack. He looked at Marissa.

"There's nothing in it." He said.

"I know." She smiled.

"Um … okay … " Ryan frowned … this was getting weirder by the minute. "Should there be?" he asked.

Marissa realised that he still hadn't put two and two together. "Boy for a smart guy you really can be clueless sometimes." She remarked. "Did you notice what sort of pills they were?" she asked.

Ryan turned over the package and then looked up at her even more puzzled. "Their your contraceptive pills." He replied.

Marissa nodded.

"But there isn't any." He said.

Marissa nodded still saying nothing … hoping that he would put it all together himself.

"Why isn't there any?" he asked knowing that she expected him to play her game.

"Because I flushed them down the toilet." Marissa answered proudly.

Ryan's eyes started to bulge as the truth finally hit home. "Are you telling me … I mean …" he started. Unsure as to whether he could believe his own ears. "Are you saying that you're ready to start … that you want to …"

Marissa nodded.

"Really?" Ryan could barely dare to believe that they were going to start trying for a family; a family of their own.

Marissa nodded. "But you missed asking an important question."

"I did." Ryan frowned trying to think what it could be. "What?" he asked.

"You didn't ask when I flushed them away." Marissa supplied.

Ryan looked at her frowning slightly. "Okay. I'll bite. When did you flush them away?"

"In Paris." She replied smiling as the weight of her words hit home.

"Paris? But that was … we've been … all the time at the farmhouse … so you could be …"

Marissa nodded as Ryan's face broke into a huge grin.

"Really?" he asked. On top of the surprise wedding the thought that for the last week they had been playing for keeps … and boy had they been playing ... several times a day … and night.

She nodded.

"So you could be …?"

She nodded.

"Already?"

She nodded.

"Do you really? Think you might be …" Ryan added just in case she had misunderstood his question.

"Yeah. If woman's intuition counts for anything then I'm pretty sure that I am … but I haven't taken a test or anything yet" she explained not wanting to get him too excited just yet.

"But how … when?" Ryan asked still totally bewildered by what she was telling him. The day had already been almost too much for him to take in. This was the icing on the cake.

"The how … I think that you can work out for yourself … unless you were wanting a birds and the bees talk from me." she laughed. "As for the when … if I'm right … and I stress if … then I think it was that first picnic down by the stream."

Ryan remembered it well. When she hadn't let him move off her and he had fallen asleep still buried deep within her. "But how did you know? I mean we've sort of been … doing it quite a lot just recently." Ryan said pointing out the obvious.

"Well firstly I don't KNOW. But that's just what I think. And it was the perfect part of my cycle." She said as she moved to Ryan and started to slowly and deliberately rid him of his clothes.

"So you deliberately seduced me?" he asked smiling as she worked at unbuttoning his shirt. He thought back to their picnic and her standing naked in front of him.

She nodded. "And might I say that you didn't put up much of a fight." She said as she pulled off his shirt and then moved her hands to his belt.

He gently grabbed her by the wrists to stop the movement of her hands. "Well shouldn't we wait to find out for sure before we do anything? I mean if you are … and then we … " he nodded making sure that she got his drift. "I mean maybe we could hurt the baby?"

Marissa laughed out loud. "And what about all the times we've done it since then? The gymnastics in the car? " Marissa shook her head in disbelief. "Ryan Atwood, I assure you that I am not going to spend my wedding night without you inside me. Sure I want our child to be growing inside me but there better be room for the two of you because there is no way that I am going to spend 9 months without being with you. Plus what if I'm wrong and I'm not pregnant? Surely we should make the most of our opportunities? It could be a perfect night to conceive." Marissa added as she continued divesting him of the rest of his clothes and then moved to stand in front of him with her back turned so that he could start on the buttons of her dress.

"Are you sure?" Ryan asked.

"I'm sure about you … about us … the rest will just all fall into place."

---

Much much later they were lying in bed, their naked bodies entwined together. Marissa was dozing but Ryan couldn't close his eyes. Besides everything that had happened that day from waking up in Bellagio, to coming to Venice, to the wedding with all their loved ones … the thought that she may have their child already growing within her was like a miracle to him. She may have had time to come to terms with the knowledge but it was still like a dream to him. To think that they may have created a life together … a child made from their love... a living breathing human being. He placed his hand gently on her stomach marvelling about the very miracle of life.

Marissa stirred and then realising that he was still awake she asked. "What are you thinking about?" she asked tiredly knowing that he must have had something on his mind.

He kissed her gently. "I was just wondering what we'll have first. A boy or a girl."

She smiled. "I think that I know."

"You're just full of surprises aren't you?" he said knowing that either would be fine by him.

"I think that it will be a girl." She stated sleepily.

"Why?" Ryan asked.

Marissa wrapped her arms around her husband and snuggled into him before saying "She'll be another … Girl for Ryan."