A/N: There are some extra chapters to this story on archiveofourown (ao3) and I have decided to post the next part and all related chapters on ao3 alone henceforth. I hope that is not much of an inconvenience. The story title and my username are the same on both sites.
Thank you for all the feedback. I appreciate it truly.
Disclaimer: I do not own Law and Order: SVU or any of its characters.
Et Fin
A quarter to midnight remained when Rafael rushed to the reception. The receptionist was chugging coffee out of a novelty mug. He smiled at the groom.
"Mr. Barba, good evening"
"Evening, Paul", he said, "Listen. Someone joined our wedding party today. My fiancee booked her a room. Can you check if it was Shirley?"
"Sure", he clicked some keys on his computer, "Yeah. Shirley Adder"
Rafael seemed relieved.
"Thank goodness she is here. Can you believe I forgot the wedding ring in my office?"
"Whoa", Paul grinned, "Yeah. That's quite a pickle you got there"
"I know, right? I asked Shirley to bring it here. My fiancee doesn't know"
"It's better that way", Paul advised.
"Yeah. Shirley is not answering her phone. Can you tell me what room she is in?"
"Of course"
Rafael set out for this Shirley Adder's room. He knocked on the door, heart in his throat.
"Who is it?"
He said,
"Rafael?"
If their last minute guest hadn't heard the name before, he would have sufficient cause to question Annie. The door opened. A tall woman held it ajar, smiling,
"What's the groom doing here at this hour?"
Oh well. He lied,
"I just wanted to make sure you were settled in"
He extended his hand,
"We've never met before"
"No, we haven't. I seldom travel outside Massachusetts or Vermont. Nice to meet you, Mr. Barba"
"If you need anything..."
She told him,
"I'll let you know. Thank you"
"Yeah. Anyway, good night. See you at the wedding"
"See you there"
She closed the door to his back.
How smoothly he had lied. And how swiftly his brain had come up with an action plan. Perks of being a lawyer? Rafael didn't think so. His actions that night were of a jealous lover. The absolute faith he held in Annie's fidelity had been shaken. He needed to find out who the man was. The way Annie had reacted to this Shirley's coming told him that's where the crux of the matter lay.
"Lohan? It's Rafael Barba", he spoke on the phone, "I need everything you can get on a Shirley Adder and I need it by morning. Yes, you heard right. She might be from Boston or somewhere in Vermont but I'm not sure. She's uh, heavyset, at least 6', African American, short hair, in her fifties maybe. Don't worry about the money. And hey. Get as many pictures as you can"
Cece adorned Annie's hair with the floral headdress. She stepped back to admire her efforts. Aunt June gasped.
"Oh Annie, you look so beautiful!"
Annie was off the chair.
"Thanks, Aunt June", she adjusted her slip, "I think I'll look better with my clothes on though"
Lucia and Cece helped her into the wedding dress.
Sonny knocked on Barba's door. Not getting any response, he tried to open it.
Unlocked?
"Hey?", Sonny frowned.
The ADA was sitting half-dressed on his bed. His tie lay on it next to him.
"Barba?"
He looked up. Then his attention went to the phone. He raised it to his ear and said,
"Thank you. I'll call you later"
"Everything all right?"
Rafael seemed to contemplate it. His face had gained 10 years overnight.
"Yeah"
"You getting cold feet or something?"
"No", he took the tie and walked to the mirror, "What are you doing here?"
"Annie asked me to check on you"
Sonny lingered for a moment. Fascinated, he watched Barba turn that tie into a perfect bow.
"We done here?"
"Yeah. Yeah", he opened the door.
Sonny said, mostly to cheer the groom,
"Heads up"
Rafael looked at him.
"She's gonna take your breath away", Sonny smiled.
As soon as he was gone, Rafael held the dresser and closed his eyes.
Annie was looking at the watch, at her aunt, at her dress, at herself in the mirror. She was about to lose her breath when a hand touched her bare arm.
"He's getting ready", Sonny told her.
"Good. Good", she breathed.
A knock on the door, and Olivia and Noah came in.
"Annie", Olivia smiled, "You look gorgeous"
Annie was too absorbed in Noah's golf cap and that navy blue sweater. She knelt before him with with her hands apart.
"Noah! You look so handsome!", she held out her hands, "Can I get a kiss?"
"But your dress?", his mother said.
"Doesn't matter", Annie took him in her arms and cooed, making Noah giggle, "Doesn't matter. No, it doesn't. Noah is a sweet boy. Noah won't ruin Aunt Annie's dress. He is such a sweet-sweet boy"
"You're baby-talking me, Nannie!", Noah chortled.
"Well, I am sorry, sir. I should have realized you are a big boy now"
Cece spoke to someone through the door,
"It's bad luck for you to see her before the ceremony!"
"Who is it?", Annie asked her.
Cece turned and raised her arms to heaven.
"Your groom! He wants to talk to you"
Everyone but Olivia murmured how it was bad luck and blah blah. Annie hushed them all and said,
"Let him in"
"But Annie...", Aunt June tried to say.
"It must be something important. Cece, please. Let him in"
Olivia took Noah's hand. She said to the wedding party,
"Let's give them some space. We should head to the lake"
Lucia began to hustle them like her students.
"Yes, we should! Everyone, go ahead. I'll bring the bride and groom. Come on, come on. Let's move"
Annie waved a 'bye' to a smiling Noah. The bride's room emptied in seconds. Rafael came through the door and closed it.
When he saw his bride, his heart actually ached. She was smiling at him. Decked with lace and flowers, Annie looked as if every dream of his had personified into the beauty that was she.
"Couldn't wait until the ceremony to see me?", she wiggled her brows.
He was taking his time watching her. Whatever may happen, he wanted to remember the way she looked as long as he lived.
"You look good. But you don't look like you feel good. Did you sleep at all?", she grinned, "Or was I a bit too much?"
Annie, how could you?
"Say, did you go to check on Shirley..."
"Who was the man in your room last night?"
Her smile froze. He watched her mirth disappear. Fear took its place. It looked like love was dying.
"Who was he?"
"Raf", Annie began, "Listen to me very carefully. I will explain everything. But not now. I'll tell you the second we get home, I promise"
He came forth.
"Why? Is he a lover? You want to spend time with him here behind my back?"
Annie winced. Her calm was stretching his fury to its limit.
"Please don't say things you are going to regret"
"Oh", he walked to her, "So you can lie, but I can't ask you why you lied. Is that so?"
"Raf, please..."
"Get your hand off me!"
He had pushed her hand away from himself. The hurt in her eyes did nothing for his anger.
"Are you going to tell me who it was or should I tell you?"
He held his phone to her eyes. An old mugshot of a handsome prisoner was on the screen. Annie stared at it, her mouth pursed tight. Rafael put the phone back in his pocket.
"He looks a bit different now, wrinkles and grey hair. But you must know who it is"
He said through gritted teeth,
"Victor Dalton. Your father"
Annie leaned back against the dresser, a hand on her face. Seemed like all the bridal glow had been sucked out of her.
"You were never going to tell me, were you?"
Her voice was full of defeat,
"It wasn't your secret to keep"
"I wouldn't have kept it a secret. I would have put that thief where he belongs"
"He is my father, Rafael", she warned.
"Really? The man who let you think he was dead and left you to be molested in foster homes?"
"Watch your mouth!", she advanced, "You don't know him. And you don't know what happened"
"Then fucking tell me, Annie!", he yelled.
She looked away. Rafael shook with rage. Tears threatened to mar his speech, but he sniffed them away.
"You had me believe your sob story of being an orphan. God, I can't believe I was so stupid. How does a foster kid get her student loans paid off by the time she turns 27? What foster kid goes to fucking Vermont every month for her weekend with the girls?!"
He held her chin,
"Daddy let you use his pension fund, didn't he?"
She swat his hand off. He went on, his eyes wild with anger.
"You lied to me. What else haven't you told me? Is Michael alive too?"
Annie pleaded,
"Raf, please. Listen to... Raf, please. Please! Do you trust me? Then trust me on..."
"Don't you talk to me about trust", he sneered.
Years of love - they had all turned foul in less than a day. Rafael said, now more in control of himself,
"Tell me the truth, Annie. Or the wedding's off"
She was offended,
"Are you threatening me?"
"You tell me everything or I walk"
Annie took a moment to think, never looking away from him.
"I can't tell you. Like I said, it's not your secret to keep"
"Fine"
He turned to go.
"And", he faced her again, "I'm sorry for what I said. You were only doing what's in your blood - deceiving. It's no fault of yours. I'm just the mark who should have known better"
The door shut after him on the bride, abandoned moments before what was to be the happiest day of their lives.