Dinner had been strange for Jim, but him for that day every thing had been strange. He was free and he didn't believe it yet quite. He had actually had a choice of what he wanted and he had taken time to choose, for these was so much to choose from. Liz had blushed as he looked at him but ending up laughing at HIM. It was so good to hear her laugh again after she had been so upset when they had first recoiled in the prison. And to know he could still make her laugh gave him such joy.
"You dint know how good this tastes," he said to her as they had there meal. He had been waiting this for so long. He remembered all the guys back at the prison. And he smirked. He was never going back there.
"No I don't." she said as she smiled adoringly at him. As they both finished they decided to go for a quick drink in the hotel bar, just one, before going upstairs. It was then the real nerves kicked in. For them both.
What now? Did the other want too? Was it too soon?
Neither knew the others and so Elizabeth simply sat down and waited to see what he wanted to do. She was more than willing, if he was.
As she sat down the power in the relationship which had held them all afternoon changed. She had been the leader she had been the one who had been helping him, talking to him, telling him every thing as if he had been an idiot and he hadn't minded but now. The easiest thing in the world was to take control.
Kneeling down beside her he took her hand and he kissed it just to see what she would do. She smiled. She couldn't stop. He simply meant the world to her.
"Well," she whispered "we never did consummate that second lot of vows." she said trying to tell him what she wanted with to saying the s-e-x word.
"Come here Liz," he said seducing her. "Be a woman to your man."
---
Liz woke up early to find her self still not released from his arms. He had held her close literally all night. Last night had been perfect to begin with once they had stopped dancing circles round each other but clearly the change of getting out was effecting him. She didn't know why bit he had had a bad dream last night, she was sure of it. He had cried out on numerous occasions and she had been able to do nothing but hold him and wait for it to pas. Part of her had wanted to wake him but she knew he was too proud to accept her comfort. She still hadn't knocked down all the walls he had built up around his heart in the past eight years. She didn't believe she left him. She had just been so mad with him at the time. It had seemed sense.
Kissing him gently, she removed his arm from her waist and she looked back at him. He was sleeping easier now. He had a long day ahead of him. Going home and all. She'd let him sleep, just a bit longer
Going in to the bathroom she brushed her teeth and washed her face as quietly as she could. It was nearly half nine, so she decided to ring Bev, just to check every thing was going well back at home.
"We are fine." said Bev once she got to the phone and realised who it was. "The decorations are set, and some people have volunteered to come help decorate, and Andy arrived safely last night." she promised.
"Good, that's a weight and a half of my mind." she said as she looked out to the sea front.
"How's Jim?"
"Not himself yet, but I guess I'm just going to give him some time and space to get his head round coming home." Liz shrugged.
"Ok then darling, give him our love. We'll see you both tonight. Six sharp."
"We'll be there." Liz promised.
Putting the phone down she looked over at the bed where Jim lay with very open eyes very much awake.
"Good morning." she smiled as she went and sat down next to him on the bed. "How'd you sleep?" she asked.
"Great," he lied not wanting her worry over him. After all he was fine he really was, it was just...
"Good darling. Now what do you want to do. We don't have to be back till five." she said. "Then we can settle you in to the flat, before heading over the road for a drink with the twins. they've missed having their father you know." she said and he nodded.
"I've missed them. I missed you all."
She nodded and embraced him. "You're coming home. By the time we get to the pub this past eight years are going to be just one big horrid nightmare. we can get on with our lives now." she promised.
"Yeah," he said.
After a morning of strolling along the sand hand in hand Liz and Jim decided it was time to get off. She had to get him home in plenty of time for the party and he was growing anxious to see their two sons. He may take the mick out of the constantly but Liz knew he thought the world of their boys.
Coming in to the street after a three hour long drive, Jim looked around. Well, it hadn't changed a lot.
Suddenly though the tell tale signs of the times had changed came in. Ashley and Josh were walking along who they had saved when Liz and Jim had tried to get away to Ireland and he saw the two Webster girls.
"Ruddy hell, they've grown up." he commented as they drove by. Last time he had seen them they had been a lot smaller. He had been away a very long time though.
"I think a lot of the kids have. Sarah Lou's little un is at school, and our amys at is too." she said before biting her tongue. Did he even know about there grand child? She hadn't told him and she had not heard that Steve had.
"Who's Amy?" Jim asked curiously as she had said she was 'theirs'.
Apparently not.
"Ask our Steve." she said as she stopped the car. "Welcome to weatherfield darling." she said simply and he smiled. This Amy whop ever she was could wait.
Getting out and picking up the small holdall he had with him as he left he waited for Liz to come round to the pavement before smirking and whisking her off her feet.
"Well your getting back to your old self, you devil." she said laughing at him being so playful. It was a good sign. yesterday he had not been pathetic so to speak but he had been so, well not himself and she had missed the side of him that was crazy, and fiery as well as untameable. Believe her she had tried to tame it but there were some things that were just meant to room free. His crazy side was one of them
"What lass, I never got to carry you over the threshold. Bout time I fulfilled my duty as your husband." he said to her.
"But we're divorced." she said looking at him sadly.
Pushing his lip against her, he smirked. "Yeah. We may have to change that. Marry me?"
"Any day of the week." she said as she changed his hold on her so he didn't put her down put she could let them in. She wasn't sure if he had said that in the heat of the moment of he really he really wanted her as his wife, again. She was going to have to figure it out.
"Welcome home." she said as he carried her in to the living room. "Right we have a hour till we are meeting the boys." she said to him.
"Just enough time to chrysene the bedroom then?" he said hopefully.
"No just enough time to get you unpacked and settled in." she said as she went over to his bag. "Having you home... l don't believe it." she said suddenly. He was really here, she thought to herself. And he was it was like a dream come true. He didn't have to leave her ever again.
"Liz don't get yerself upset. There no point know. It's like we keep telling one another." he said as he went over and hugged her from behind. "It's done. We're together and that is not going to change again. Not now. Not ever. I love you something rotten Elizabeth, so I do. And I'm going to treat you like the princess you are till the end of our days." he declared to her passionately. He was never going to break her heart again, or at least he was not planning too. He just wanted things to be care free for them like when they had met in there teens, when they hadn't had to worry about losing each other to other, better, sweeter seeming lovers. When they had been able to leave each other with out so much of a thought of, 'is it going to be me, or them who strays next?'
But his words had the wrong effect. Turning in to him she broke down.
"Promise. Don't leave me. Please, never again." she said.
"I'd have to be insane. I love you, and your never going to be alone as long as I breathe." burying her head in his chest though she couldn't stop crying. The thought of losing him was too much. Just too much for her to face.