MARRIED BY MISTAKE
AN: Many, many thanks for the encouraging reviews. They make my silly efforts worth it! Without further ado, here's the finale:
In hindsight, interrupting Paige and bluntly telling her she needed to calm down and stop talking wasn't the wisest approach. She certainly didn't take it very well. But in his defense, Walter observed she was approaching hysterical and that condition wasn't conducive to listening to the explanation she herself requested much less to contriving a logical and mutually beneficial solution.
Plus, he was slightly…perturbed she would be so upset to find herself accidentally married to him. He'd always assumed they would end up here at some point. It just happened a little sooner than they both expected. It bothered him more than a little to think she might not have had that same eventual goal in mind.
He still should've taken 'the high road'.
Because Paige snatched her hand out of his and stormed out claiming to 'want some air'.
He let her go. It was considerate on his part to give her space. He was definitely not pouting.
After less than five minutes into 'allowing her space', he couldn't leave it alone any longer. He had to go and find her. Walter owed her an explanation. Plus, he was compelled to discover exactly why she was so upset by the situation in which they found themselves.
The genius spotted her on the little stretch of beach north of the airstrip. She was seated on a small, dry dune, her sandals beside her, and her bare toes were digging twin mounds in the soft, sugar-white sand. She stared out at the ocean, tossing her toffee colored hair over her shoulders when the breeze blew it across her face.
Walter was temporarily struck dumb. She was absolute perfection.
And she was his wife… if only for the moment.
Shaking his head to clear it, he forced himself to look at the water, concentrating on the undulation of the waves and mentally calculating the acceleration and amplitude to give his overheated brain something else to do. His normal source of calm wasn't happy with him, so he resorted to other methods to regain some equilibrium.
Paige shaded her eyes and looked up at his approach, but she didn't say anything.
His first apology got snatched away by the wind, so he waited until he was settled next to her and tried again. "I was rude. I'm sorry."
Walter didn't realize how much anxiety he'd been experiencing until he was swamped with relief when Paige leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder.
He felt rather than heard her sigh. "I was shocked and I over reacted. I'm sorry too," she said softly, but she still sounded upset.
Walter couldn't think of the necessary words to broach the touchy subject of their unexpected and evidently unwelcome marriage, so he was grateful when Paige was the first one to speak.
"Do you want to tell me exactly how this happened?" She finally asked.
He'd learned a few things in the time they'd been together, so he wisely chose not to remind her he was attempting to do that very thing previously when she'd gotten angry and walked out.
Instead, wincing slightly, he answered, "It was the initiation ceremony when we were trying to infiltrate the cult." When he received an incredulous look in return, he quickly continued, "I know. I know. The leaders are crackpots and con artists, but unfortunately they are also legally ordained officiates. And we willingly participated in the 'hand fasting' ritual at the beginning. Then we signed the register with our true, legal names."
Paige pulled away from him, her jaw dropping, "But… we never applied for a license! There was no waiting period. How can this be legally binding? I still don't get it!"
Walter scrubbed a hand down his face. "Sylvester told me it actually has to do with the lack of official government on this island. The permanent residents here are self-governing. Licenses aren't required. It won't affect Toby and Happy because they're already married. Similarly it won't affect Brady and Kylie because she's underage." His voice trailed off when he added, "You and I though…"
Wrapping her arms around her bent legs, she let her forehead drop to her knees. "What are we going to do?" Her words were muffled, but her tone was distressed and it twisted something inside him.
Eyeing her sidelong, completely out of his depth, Walter was grasping at straws trying to find a way to reassure his girlfriend even as he was fighting the hurt of knowing she plainly found the idea of being married to him repugnant. In a resigned voice he said, "Don't worry. Sylvester tells me we can have it annulled in a matter of a month or two. If you want I can tell him to start working on the proceedings right away."
Her head came up and her eyes met his. The hopeful expression in them…was painful to see.
Abruptly, Walter stood and brushed the sand off the back of his pants. "I'm going back to the airport to await our plane," he said sharply, not willing to hear how happy she would be to dissolve her union with him.
Before he could stride away, she grabbed his hand and tugged insistently until he sat back down beside her.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Paige asked, her gaze narrowed on his face. When he offered no reply, her eyes widened and she said, "Wait. You can't want this?"
He glowered at the ocean. "What if I do?" He bit out then resumed his well-justified sulk.
Paige leaned in and tried to kiss the corner of his mouth, but he jerked his head to the side and scooted away earning him an amused and indulgent smile. "You want to be married to me?" She asked, her smile widening and her eyes brightening.
"I don't guess it matters considering they way you obviously feel about it," he grumbled.
She hugged his arm. "You're misunderstanding me. I'm not upset about being married to you. I just wouldn't have chosen these circumstances."
Suddenly his heart was pounding in his chest. "So… So, uh, there are circumstances where you'd be okay with being married to-to me?"
"There are many circumstances where I would love to find myself married to you, Walter O'Brien. But my idea of a dream wedding never happened in a cult compound during a case. I've pictured it more taking place after a sweet proposal then having a nice ceremony with our friends present. That would be ideal. And I always thought if I ever got married I'd want Ralph to walk me down the aisle. Why? Are you proposing?" She tilted her head to one side and her eyes were teasing but there was an underlying uncertainty in her face too.
Walter's mouth tipped up at one corner. "I've always kind of thought I'd want Ralph as my best man. He's a smart kid. I guess he could probably serve both functions." Looking down at his hands, he continued quietly, "Hypothetically if I was proposing under these particular circumstances, what would you say?"
Paige playfully swatted his shoulder. "That's a cop out. I said I wanted a sweet proposal. Not a hypothetical one. You should at least say why you'd like to be married to me," she prompted.
Throat feeling dry all of the sudden, Walter swallowed hard. His pulse was jumping around erratically. "Um, P-paige…"
"Go on," she coaxed when he fell silent.
"You already know I'm in love with you. B-because I, uh, told you. At-at Toby and Happy's…well, you know. We could have whatever kind of ceremony you'd like when we get home…maybe not in a parking lot if possible. Even though I'd marry you any place you want. Because the fact is, being with you has made me happier than I ever thought possible. I would strive to be a good husband… with your help, of course." He scratched nervously at his neck. "I never thought I'd want to spend the rest of my life with a normal human, but I can't imagine my life without you any more. The thing is… Would you consider staying married to me? I would appreciate it… a lot." He stopped and sat stiff and frozen waiting for her response to his stumbling, confusing, garbled question.
Her answer was to pull his face down to her level and kiss him tenderly on the lips.
"Now that was sweet," Paige said once they drew apart. "Walter, I would love to stay married to you. And have the do-over celebration of our choosing once we get home. We're a little out of order, but I think I can live with that."
The genius couldn't prevent his ear-to-ear grin, his happiness and the rapid reduction of nervous tension making him light headed. When he finally went back and analyzed what she'd said, he had to ask, "What do you mean out of order?"
Paige giggled, seeming a little giddy herself. "Well, we fell in love. Then we dated other people. Then we got married. Then you proposed. And we've already started planning the wedding all before I get my engagement ring. My life has been pretty unpredictable since we met."
"I guess we've never done anything the convention way. At least it's never boring?"
In the next instant they were kissing like it would be their last opportunity, when in fact it was the first of a lifetime of opportunities.