What Money Can't Buy

Chapter Thirteen

By: Regina Guthrie

"Marriage... I do... I don't"

"Where are we going?" Momo giggled as she placed her hands on top of James's warm soft ones that were cupped around her eyes so she couldn't see her surroundings. She tugged lightly in order to peak but his hand didn't move.

"I told you, It's a surprise." He chuckled lightly while leading her forward. Momo sighed playfully and smiled. Where ever they were the ground was soft, and mushy. She was guessing it was sand and the wind that blew around her was moist and cool, telling her they were going towards something with water.

After a few moments of walking in silence, James stopped. Momo took in a deep breath as she heard the waves hitting the shore and crickets chirping near by. There were a few crackle sounds that sounded like fire and the smell of smoke and salt filled her nostrils.

"The beach?" Momo whispered. James laughed and pulled his hands away from her eyes. Instantly Momo's face brightened as she took in the scene before her. The beach was lighten with lanterns all around a board walk and led into a small hut looking thing. The stars were bright and shinning down from the sky, brighter then ever before. There was a waiter and bartender out, waiting to serve while a few coolers were placed in the small hut. Momo was guessing they weren't the only ones coming but she didn't care.

"Everyone was supposed to be here already... Sorta ruined the whole surprise party look." James admitted, rubbing the back of his head, embarrassed. Momo giggled and walked over to him. Throwing her arms around his neck she pushed herself into him lightly with a silly grin on her face. James chuckled at how cute she was.

"It's perfect! I'd rather it be the two of us anyways." Momo admitted with a blush staining her cheeks. She felt weird talking like that but in a way it felt so right to talk to him like that. He smiled down at her and lowered his head. He planted his lips on her forehead and let them linger there for a momeant before pulling away and resting his forehead against hers.

"aw! How sweet!" A voice came from behind. Momo and James looked to there right to see Kari standing there with a radio in her hands, with a couple people behind them. Maybe twenty or so. Momo blushed deeper and pulled away slowly from James who laughed. Kari pouted as she ran up to them. "Wait! Wait! Don't separate! You guys were cute! I can take a picture for you if you want!" She said hopefully, handing the radio to one of the servers who would probably go plug it in.

"No, it's fine Kari." Momo said with a nervious laugh. Kari pouted more and nodded before taking off to hang out with some other people. Momo shook her head. "I don't know about her sometimes." Momo said with a sigh. James laughed and put his arm around Momo's waist, pulling her against him. Momo giggled in response and re wrapped her arms around his neck when a slow song began to play from the radio that was just turned on. People paired up and started to dance as she and James started to do the same. He pulled her as close as he could before placing his head down in the crock of her neck. Momo giggled as his breath tickled her skin and leaned her head against his ear. Momo listened to the lyrics carefully as they moved as one. "My mom used to sing this to me when I was little." She whispered with a sigh, taking in the words. "I just wanna hold you close. But so far all I have are dreams of you. So I wait for the day. And the courage to say how much I love you." Her soft light voice sang along with the words. James closed his eyes as he pulled her closer and rubbed her back with his hands.

"Your so beautiful." He whispered in her shoulder, kissing it lightly. Momo smiled to herself. She was falling for James more then any guy she had ever met. He was so sweet and kind, he acted as though he really loved her... and she thought that maybe, just maybe... she loved him too.

"Everyone stop what you are doing and put your hands in the air! Anything you say can and will be held against you in the court of law!" Everyone turned to see a police officer standing to there right with two others on each of his sides. The music stopped as the bartender had stopped it. Momo withdrew from James and lifted her arms up as everyone did the same. The man look around and his gaze stopped on Momo. "You" He pointed towards her "You are free to go, Mr. Hitsugaya is waiting in the drive way for you, one of my men will escort you to him." She rolled her eyes and sighed, of course he had something to do with this. He always had something to do with her unhappiness. Momo walked over towards the police officer who grabbed her hand and led her away like a little kid. Momo could hear the police officer from the background explain the situation. "All of you are trespassing on Mr. Hitsugaya's property. As of you kids didn't know already, this beach belongs to him and him alone. He still hasn't decided what to do with all of you but community serves will be arranged. Momo growled lowly. She was overly angry with Toshiro for doing this to her friends.

"Toshiro! I am so angry with you!" Momo yelled as she through herself in the car. She was about to push to door closed but the man that led her out closed it for her. She huffed as she fastened her seat belt. Toshiro turned to her and glared at her as she did the same.

"You? Mad at me?! Your the one who ran off with that rat in the middle of the night when you know I don't want you near him!" Toshiro screamed back angrily. She had no right to be yelling at him when she had done something horrible too. Momo huffed and rose an eyebrow. Did he think he owned her?! He had no right telling her what she could or couldn't do, she wasn't his property! She could do whatever pleased her.

"Listen to what your saying! Your acting as though I belong to you! I can do what I want!" She yelled at him slamming herself back into her seat. Toshiro busted out laughing. Momo looked over to him and glared as he stopped and started the car.

"You, sweetheart, are living with me and you are my business and I have a right to take away some privileges since you are not eighteen and living under my roof." He informed her before speeding down the rode. Momo thought about that for a second. So, he thought he could tell her what to do and boss her around? She didn't think that was right and she wasn't going to let that happen. She owned herself, she would do what she wanted when she wanted without his two-since.

"Then maybe I shouldn't live under your roof anymore!" She blurted out. She didn't care anymore on hurting him or making him go back to his dark stage at the moment. She just wanted to get away from him. He was ruining her life and destroying everything. She wanted to be with James and if he was the one standing in the way of that she would do anything in her power to stop him. Toshiro glanced over to her and remained silent. As if he would let her leave. She was crazy! He wouldn't let her leave even if she begged. She was his everything and the only thing he wanted in life.

"If you want your family to be happy you won't even consider leaving again." He whispered coldly. Momo stared at him in disbelief, did he seriously say that? She had thought about him taking back everything from her family because of her leaving or going with James but she never thought he would, in person, say it and mean it. She frowned, maybe his heart was gone, maybe he didn't have one for saying such things. He didn't look over at her for a few minutes until something crossed his mind, he could have Momo as his own taking the opportunity that tonight had given him. Those kids and James were on his beach and Momo could get them out... at a price...

"What do those kids mean to you? the ones down at the beach?" He asked lowly. Momo looked at him and shrugged her shoulders.

"Why do you wanna know?!" She said harshly. Toshiro smirked at her and shook his head.

"You could help them you know, I was thinking about pressing charges against them... high ones." He whispered. Momo's eyes widened and she gasped. If he did that, they wouldn't be able to bail. All her friends would be locked up for some time and she wouldn't be able to forgive herself if that happened. And James... It was all her fault, he wanted to do something special for her and now he was paying for it. She would never see him for a long time if Toshiro pushed the charges.

"Please... don't." She begged, using a different tone of voice this time. Her heart clenched when she thought of them all, sitting behind bars for a few years. She couldn't let that happen. "How...How can I help them?" She squeaked out. Toshiro pulled into the drive way and parked his car in front of the huge house. He turned it off and turned himself to face Momo. She looked at him, waiting. He reached behind him and picked something up from a small opening in the door. Holding up the box, Momo noticed what it was and her heart clenched. He flipped it open to reveal a gold band with a white heart-shaped crystal in the middle.

"Marry me." He whispered to her. Momo felt tears form in her eyes, not happy ones, but sad. He couldn't do this... could he? Wasn't there a law against this or something. anything to stop this from happening. But she couldn't say no, if she did, her friends lives would be ruined, so would James's. Not only would they go to jail, but she knew there would be records of the happening of tonight and jobs... successful jobs would be hard to come by. Lowering her head she sighed and let the tears fall down her eyes. Toshiro smiled, thinking she was happy, not sad.

"I...I will..." She whispered to him. His smile grew as he reached for her left hand and slipped the ring onto her marriage ring. Happily he jumped out of the car and ran to the other side where he opened the door for her and picked her up in his arms carefully. Smiling up at her, he kissed her cheek, then forehead, then nose.

"I'll make you the happiest woman in the world Momo! I promise! Anything you want... anything! And it's yours!" He seemed so happy, Momo couldn't help but to smile sadly at him and wrap her arms around his shoulders as he carried her into the house. Even though she didn't want this, in a way she was happy that he was happy. He would try his hardest to make her happy but she knew... that that was not going to happen. She was angry and sad, mad and frustrated but she had to take in consideration that Toshiro had always gotten what he wanted, but never been loved but once. All he wanted was to feel that feeling again... She wished she could give it to him... but in reality... she couldn't...

Three woman were gathered around Momo as they laced and fixed up the most beautiful dress she had ever worn in her life... but she was wearing it on what she thought as her worst evening to come... Her hair was curled, something they had just got done fixing and she was standing in front of a wall of mirrors. It was her wedding day, the day she thought all her life to be the happiest moment of her life and... it wasn't. The women admired there work after it was all finished and started to chat to one another about there dandy work for Toshiro Hitsugaya. Momo just shook her head at them and smiled. The guests were probably already sitting in the church, waiting for her to make her appearance down the aisle where Toshiro would be so happy to see her, Momo shook her head and frowned. Her mother was already here, she had came in crying and saying how sorry she was for all of this to be happening. Momo tried to explain to her that it wasn't her fault, it was hers for letting everyone on the beach when she should have insisted everyone leave... but her mother still wasn't happy.

"Dear, it's time to go. Every ones waiting for you." One of the women who had helped her said softly, signalling her out the door. Momo gracefully walked over to the double doors where a flower girl was standing and Kari, who was let free to be apart of the wedding, She looked sad.

"Oh, Momo! I'm so sorry! this is all my fault..." Kari said softly. Momo smiled and hugged her as she shook her head.

"No, Kari, it's not, you just wait, this isn't the end, I'll get out of it someday!" She said with a smiled and looked hopeful even though she wasn't. She knew that she wasn't getting out of it, she'd have to drop James and hope that over time, she'd fall in love with Toshiro. The music started to play and Momo took a deep breath. This was the moment when her world would come to a stop for a while and hopefully pick up later in time. Everyone got into position and Momo put her Vail down as everyone started to walk slowly down the hall. When they entered the room, and Momo was walking down, all eyes were on her with 'aw'. She was gorgeous and graceful, everyone in the room couldn't get over how pretty she was. Although Momo didn't noticed there stares, but she did notice... Toshiro's shocked look. She smiled as a blush went over her face. When she reached the steps and walked up, Toshiro grabbed bother her hands in his.

"You look, beautiful, beyond words." He whispered to her with a smirk. Momo smiled at him and the preacher cleared his throat. Momo sighed sadly as he started. A pain in her chest came to present, but she tried not to cry. This was Toshiro's moment. After a while, the part came that she had been dreading, the preacher started as Momo felt her body go limp a bit.

"Do you, Momo Hinamori, take, Toshiro Hitsugaya, to be your husband? In times of plenty and in times of want in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph? Til death do you part?" The preacher asked. Momo looked into Toshiro's eyes with pleading, asking him to stop this whole thing. Toshiro didn't know what to do, he wanted her, more then anything in the world but, she didn't want him. After a few Moments Momo sighed sadly as tears were filling her eyes. She didn't want to do this, she wanted more then anything to not be here. She wanted to be with James not Toshiro... but what choice did she have?

"I...I...I...I do" She whimpered out closing her eyes tight and gritting her teeth together. Now she was stuck, the two words that made her bound to be with him had except her lips and now, when he said his part, she would be his forever. Never being who she wanted to be or with who she wanted to be with. This was an example of self torcher; marrying someone when your desperately in-love with someone else. She couldn't help when a few tears went down her eyes and landed on there hands that were holding onto one another. Toshiro's eyes filled with hurt. 'How selfish can one get?... How selfish can I get?' He thought to himself.

"Do you, Toshiro Hitsugaya, take, Momo Hinamori, to be your wife? In times of plenty and in times of want in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph? Til death do you part?" He asked. Toshiro opened his mouth but then closed it. Momo glanced up at him. He smiled softly. She was beautiful, even with her cheeks stained with tears. She would be his in a second if he said those words, his life would be what any man could ever wish for... but that was just what was making him think... his life.What about hers, she'd get everything she wanted if she married him but everything she didn't want at the same time. She could have all the riches, as many children as she wanted, the finest wardrobe in the world, the most loving husband... but what she wanted was to be with the other guy. She wanted to have him not Toshiro. Toshiro pulled his hand away from hers and Momo looked up at him shocked when he placed it on her cheek and stroked away the tears. He chuckled before shaking his head.

"When you truly love something, you give it the wings it needs to fly... but, if it doesn't come back, you know that it was truly not meant to be. In time, if this angel returns she'll be your world and lover to the boundaries of time." Toshiro whispered to her and himself. "Something my grandma had taught me." He whispered as he leaned towards her. Momo stayed frozen and closed her eyes tightly as she whimpered, trying to keep from crying. Toshiro pressed his lips against hers in a soft, loving kiss.

"I...I don't want to take those wings from you, my sweet beautiful Momo. The wedding... is off." He whispered and Momo's eyes went wide.

Shocker anyone? XD Well, next chapter will be the last and I have decided to do a second part... so far. I hope this chapter was good to you all and please review!