Author's Note: Seeing as how it's my birthday today, I'm feeling very happy and generous. I'm a few reviews shy of my goal but you all will fix that next time right? (hint hint) LOL. Anyways, I hope you like this chapter...it is near and dear to my heart since it was written with love songs playing continuously and driving my family up a wall. :)

Plus, to further celebrate, there is a new mvid that kind of goes with this chapter on my motionbox account (stupid copyright on YouTube *grumbles*). After motionbox dot com, just put the following: /videos/7a9cd0ba1f1fe7c7f5

Please go view and let me know what you think!
As always...ENJOY...everything!
~JP

True North
By Jaclyn Parker

"You don't marry someone you can live with, you marry the person who you cannot live without."
~Unknown
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When Jack led her into the ballroom, Carly paused just inside in order to look around in amazement.

Tall, seven foot high, arrangements of what looked to be gold painted branches with pale cream and pink roses interwoven among the sprigs were placed intermittently around the room. Elegantly designed trellises made up in the same design but accompanied with classic white decorative lights, were arched over the cocktail buffet table, the two open bar areas, and the entrance to the room. The centerpieces looked like the bridal bouquets, only they were placed in frosted glass vases with soft glowing waterproof LED lights amongst the stems.

Since the smaller ballroom was made to accommodate between 150 and 200 people, their little group of 75 was slightly less than the norm. However, the tables were placed in a manner that used the extra space well, yet they weren't too far apart from each other that conversation would be a burden. Over all, the effect of the room was like walking into their own secluded section of an enchanted forest.

The extra space in the front of the room was transformed into a large dance floor, with a DJ set up off to the side, who was already playing a few well known pop songs from the last couple of years.

"The DJ is a friend of Luke and Noah's." Lily said, coming up to loop her arm with Carly's. "Who, by the way, are so upset that they couldn't make it tonight. But Noah got invited to this last minute major film festival in Chicago where he could meet some top film school scouts and Luke wanted to go support him. Trust me, a party or a film festival...it was a very tough decision."

"Oh, that's okay. I'm really glad that they were even debating missing it for this!" Carly said, squeezing her friend's arm to show that she was fine.

"They still chipped in and bought you guys a gift though!" Lily said, pointing to a small table near the cocktail buffet and left side bar. Surprisingly there were several gifts and more than a few envelopes peeking out of a small white gift basket.

"Lily, I said no presents." Jack said, frowning uneasily in the direction to which she had pointed.

"Too late, Jack." Lily said and shrugged casually. "Anyway, I think they got you one of those new Keuring coffee makers. You might as well keep it now."

"Yeah, Jack." Carly chimed in, grinning at her husband with mischievousness gleaming in her blue gaze. "We might as well keep it now."

Jack just rolled his eyes when Carly and Lily exchanged conspiratorial smiles. Somehow he didn't think poor Luke and Noah had come up with the idea themselves. He seemed to recall a conversation where Carly had mentioned getting one of those machines and he also knew that Lily wanted to talk Holden into getting one too. Now, with this "wedding gift", it was one husband down and one to go.

The professional photographer, Dean Barkley, who had been taking pictures unobtrusively during the ceremony and beginning of the reception, now took a moment to introduce himself. He then made preparations to have them meet the bridal party in the hallway for a few quick select shots. The vibrant man, who they all took an instant liking to, had taken the initiative to set up a simple backdrop of a wooden and wrought iron park bench and two of the 7ft arrangements on either side to border the frame. Dean was true to his word and not more than fifteen minutes later he had quickly and efficiently gotten off at least thirty to forty posed pictures. He had made the whole process so easy and fun that Carly and Jack already knew they were going to have trouble picking their favorite shots.

The small group made their way back inside the room, talking amongst themselves about which pose they thought would turn out best. Their mini pow-wow was interrupted by the small squeak of a microphone and all eyes turned to the young man at the DJ table.

"Hello, everyone, my name is Eric and I'm honored to be your DJ for this evening. If you have any special requests, please don't hesitate to ask and I'll try and make them happen. To get the night started right, I'd like to invite our wonderful newlywed couple out onto the floor for their first dance. If you would all, please, give it up for Mr. and Mrs. Jack and Carly Snyder."

Over the din of applause, Carly heard the first strains of the song start up and felt Jack's hand slide into hers. Bringing their interlaced fingers up to his lips he pressed a quick kiss to her knuckles, just above her new rings, and then led her out onto the dance floor.

Seeing as she had no hand in any part of planning this impromptu wedding, she had to admit that she had been curious about the song that Jack had chosen for their first dance. But as Michael Bublé's vocals flowed over her, along with the soft jazz melody, she found herself smiling up at her renewed husband with watery eyes.

Jack just knowingly bent his head to kiss the tip of her nose before gracefully spinning her out away from him. Surprised by the sudden movement, Carly released a short tear-filled laugh and when he pulled her back in, she happily let herself be wrapped in his embrace. Jack placed held her tightly to him with one hand on the small of her back while the other clutched their still joined hands against his chest. Carly looked up into Jack's face again and saw his lips moving as he sang the song softly to her and her alone.

"In my mind we can conquer the world, in love, you and I; you and I; you and I."

The emotion in his expression as he sang the loving words to her caused tears to slide down her cheeks and, in an uncharacteristic display of shyness, Carly tucked her head under Jack's chin. While they were no Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, as Jack led them enchantingly around the dance floor with Carly matching him step for step, they created a stunning display of love in motion.

They finished the dance, moving to the last notes of the song with their eyes closed and his lips pressed to her hair while she listened to the familiar rhythm of his heartbeat against her ear. Carly and Jack only realized the song was over when clapping sounded out again and they both opened their eyes to look around the room at their wedding guests. Many of them, specifically Emma, Lily, and Molly, were openly crying but there was a surprising amount of other who seemed to barely be holding their emotions together. Carly blushed and Jack chuckled, sweeping a hand out over the floor.

"Okay, show's over. Time for everyone else to be on display."

Quiet laughter sounded throughout the ballroom and those who decided to dance moved to pair off, while others drifted back towards the cocktail buffet and open bars.

Carly was surprised to see J.J. ask Mattie to dance while Parker unexpectedly started in their direction.

"Hey, Dad, mind if I cut in?" Parker said, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his suit pants; his familiar nervous gesture.

"No problem." Jack replied, grinning at his oldest son and patted him on the shoulder. When Parker moved to take his father's place in front of Carly, Jack looked around the room. "Maybe I'll go see if my daughter wants to dance with her old man."

"Which one?" Carly said teasingly as she placed her one hand on Parker's shoulder and let her son take the lead.

"Um, the one who can walk and talk and isn't costing me an arm and a leg in babysitting fees right now." Jack joked back and with a wink, went on his way.

"So, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Carly asked, leaning back somewhat and raising an eyebrow at Parker.

"I dunno. Maybe I just wanted to make sure I wasn't grounded until I went off to college for helping Dad do all this." Parker said shrugging, giving her that lazy grin that had been getting him out of trouble since he was a toddler.

"Hmm, well…we'll see about that." Carly smirked, but her smirk soon disappeared as she took in the full image of her grown-up son.

Dressed in his brand new tuxedo suit with his hair neatly groomed, along with the fact that, even with her in heels, he was still a foot taller than her caused Carly to feel a lump in her throat.

"You look mighty handsome, you know that?"

"Thanks, Mom." Parker said and blushed at the compliment.

For some reason that innocent and ageless reaction only caused the lump to get bigger, forcing Carly to look away in a vain effort to try and control her emotions.

"You look really, really, beautiful, you know?" He told her and Carly laughed quietly.

"You don't have to suck up. You're not grounded." She joked and although Parker smiled back he shook his head, his eyes searching her face.

"No, I mean it, Mom. I've never seen you like this. You look…" He said and tilted his head to study her, as if trying to figure out exactly what it was that was different. After a moment he just smiled and shrugged again. "…happy."

"I am, Baby. I really am." Carly said and placing a hand on her son's cheek she stared just as intently into his face as he had done to her a moment ago. "Are you?"

"Yeah, Mom. I'm very happy." Parker said, nodding and giving her another smile.

"Parker, for every single one of my mistakes and all of the stupid things I've done, that is all I've ever really wanted; for you, your brother, and your sisters." Carly said earnestly. "To be happy."

Even though Parker couldn't overlook everything that she had done in her life there had been a defining moment, when he had almost really lost her this time around, that had made him realize something.

His mother, while she was flawed in many ways, loved him and his sibling with something so fierce that he knew he would never be able to fully comprehend it. And, more than people would like to give her credit for, she had changed through her trials and tribulations and she grown into someone that Parker was damn proud to have in his life. He was even prouder to be able to call her "Mom".

"We know." Parker said and then more softly, but just as sincerely he added, "I know."

In that one moment, something that had been off kilter between mother and son for a very long time, shifted and righted itself. No words could have expressed what they were both feeling inside and so when she just hugged Parker, his echoing answer was in the fact that he was holding on to her as tightly as she was to him. Closing her eyes, she sent up a silent thank you to whoever it was that invented waterproof mascara. She was sure getting her money's worth out of the product tonight.

"Okay," Carly said as she felt Parker reach his breaking point in comfort level at the overt display of emotion and pulled back. "I know the mini eggrolls are calling your name. You're free."

Parker grinned at her and after kissing her cheek, he promptly headed in the direction of the cocktail buffet.

The music changed to a faster paced song and in an instant, Molly had latched onto her hand and was pulling her farther out onto the dance floor and just like that, the party was in full swing. In truth, after that, the night moved rather quickly.

Dinner was delicious and Carly tipped her fork to Emma for her choices, who just nodded and grinned back. The DJ was more than competent, playing a mixture of classic party songs and some new stuff, edited for content of course. The adults even found themselves doing a couple of fun line dances to songs like The Cha-Cha Slide and a new one that had everyone laughing as they participated, called The Cupid Shuffle.

Shortly after that song, Carly and Jack knew by the way the kids were eying the large three-tiered marble cake with thick butter cream frosting that if they didn't cut it soon, there would be finger streaks marring the perfect decorative roses tumbling down the left side. Although they both eyed each other warily when they held the cake slices near each other's mouths, the exchange was friendly with no cake being shoved in either direction. It turned secretly seductive when Carly purposefully sucked a bit of icing off of Jack's thumb when no one was looking and the consquent look he had given her had sent shivers up and down her spine.

It was a little after ten when Jack noticed that his wife and a few other key persons had been missing from the party for a good half an hour at least. However, he had a sneaking suspicion as to where they had gone and wasn't worried in the least.

Instead, Jack's attention was drawn to his oldest son who was hovering, by himself, at a small table by the ballroom doors. On the table burned a thick white candle surrounded by rose petals; a symbol of remembrance for those who weren't able celebrate this night with them in the physical sense.

"Hey, Buddy." Jack said, coming up to place a hand on Parker's shoulder.

The startled teen jumped and then looked up at him, shifting uncomfortably.

"Oh, hey, Dad. I was just...thinking about Aunt Rosanna. She would have been really happy to be here today." Parker said and Jack nodded.

"Yeah, she would have." Jack said and then added, "Your Dad would have been too."

Parker stared at Jack with wide eyes and when he glanced away, Jack sighed and frowned.

"Parker, it's okay to miss your dad."

"I just don't…I don't want you to…" Parker started to say and Jack could read the conflicting emotions on the boy's face.

Reaching out to cup a hand behind Parker's neck, Jack made sure that the teen was staring him directly in the eyes before he spoke.

"Your dad was my best friend and he loved you so much, Parker. I am honored to share the title of being your dad with the memory of someone like Hal Munson. Don't ever think that you are going to hurt my feelings by talking about him or the fact that you miss having him in your life. Because you know what? Your mom and I…we miss him too."

Parker blinked tears back and then willingly allowed Jack to pull him closer in a hug. After a long moment, he clapped a hand on Jack's back in the "guy sign" that he was done with the hug and Jack let him go. Catching something out of the corner of his eye, Jack smiled at the sight of Mattie lingering next to a nearby dinner table just in case she was needed.

"I think someone else is waiting to make sure that you're okay." Jack said, nodding his head subtly in the young girl's direction. Parker gave him a knowing smile and then walked over to Mattie.

Jack watched as Parker placed an arm around Mattie's waist and, resting his chin on her shoulder, said something into her ear. Whatever it was made her laugh and hit him on the chest at the same time, before kissing his cheek and leading him back out onto the dance floor.

A moment later Jack felt a hand on his back and his face lit up, knowing that touch anywhere.

"Hey, Beautiful." He said, turning to stare into Carly's bright blue eyes. She smiled up at him and after kissing him quickly, she brushed a thumb over his lips to wipe the excess traces of lipstick away.

"Hey, yourself. Penny for your thoughts?" Carly said and he turned her so that she was leaning back against his chest with his arms crossed over her waist, hugging her from behind.

"Just thinking about how fast Parker has grown up." Jack said and Carly's eyes followed his to watch the boy in question charmingly slow dance with his girlfriend.

Her gaze then moved over to where J.J. was dancing with Bonnie, desperately trying not to blush at the same time.

"Both of our boys are becoming mature men." She said, sighing.

But before Jack could respond, the waiters walked by with extra slices of wedding cake and both Bonnie and Mattie found themselves abandoned on the dance floor while the two boys followed the pastries.

"Then again...maybe not." Jack drawled out and Carly laughed, nodding her agreement.

"Hmm, at least we don't have to worry about Sage for a few more years." Carly said, causing both her and Jack to search out their older daughter.

She felt Jack's entire body stiffen as they watched Sage walk up to Adam Tyler, one of the young police cadets that Jack and Dallas had been helping Margo train. At Sage's request to dance Adam grinned, casting a discreetly amused glance back to the people he had been talking to. With a small bow, he held out his arm to a now blushing Sage in order to escort her to the dance floor.

At the low growl emanating from Jack's throat, Carly forced herself to maintain a straight face as she shrugged.

"Huh…maybe not." She said, like he had a moment ago about J.J. and Parker. At Jack's subsequent glare, she shrugged again."Well, look, Sweetie, you still have Emmy."

"Yeah, and she's going be placed under lock and key until she's thirty!" Jack rapidly proclaimed and Carly couldn't help it as her confined laughter burst forth out of her.

Jack's lips reluctantly twitched too as he looked down into Carly's joyful expression. Then his eyes narrowed playfully and he released her from his hold, turning her around to face him fully.

"Speaking of Emmy…how was she when you snuck off to go check on her?"

Carly simply blinked at him and lifted her chin.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Jack raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, staring down at her with an amused expression.

"Oh, Carly, please. When three mommies, whose small children are only six floors above them, and an adoring aunt disappear only to return thirty-seven minutes later with goofy, happy faces it's not too hard to figure out where they went."

She tried to hold onto the innocent face before caving and she smiled up at him, slipping her arms around his waist.

"Okay, you found us out." She said and Jack leaned down to kiss her quickly in triumph. "Katie fed Robby and I let Gwen give Emma her bedtime bottle, while Lily checked in on Ethan. According to Lauren, he watched reruns of Go, Diego, Go on the TV until his eyes glazed over and then he conked out around nine."

As Jack chuckled he tenderly brushed the swoop of her bangs away from her eyes, earning another small kiss for his assistance before she continued.

"I rocked Emmy to sleep and when I laid her down in the crib I told her that, while we love her and her brothers and sister more than life itself, Mommy and Daddy also love each other very much and that's why we got married today. Then after Katie tucked Robby into his crib too, we headed back down here to the party. No harm, no foul."

"And what did Emmy say when you told her all of that stuff?" Jack said, holding her to him.

"Oh, she already knew." Carly whispered back and Jack bent his head down to nibble at her lips. She shifted closer and deepened the kiss, until the sounds of the party reminded them that they had an audience.

It was about an hour and a half later when Eric spoke into the microphone as the last strains of Madonna's Vogue remix died away.

"Okay folks, it's time for that last wedding tradition, the toss of the bouquet and garter, to be followed by the last dance of the night." Eric said and gestured at Carly. "So, Carly, if you would be so kind as to make yourself the center of attention on the dance floor once again, we'll get started."

Molly appeared at Carly's side and handed her the "throwaway bouquet", which was basically just a smaller version of the bridal bouquet. Carly waited patiently as the single females gathered in a small group behind her, choking back a laugh at the sight of both Jack and Holden's faces when they saw their daughters join the group. She briefly wondered if, when it came to the Sage's first school dance in another year or so, whether or not she would have to slip Jack a mild sedative on the night in question.

Funny enough, it was Mattie who caught it and when Adam Tyler was the one who caught the garter both Lee and Parker hovered nearby as he went to put it on Mattie's leg. There was no need, though, because Adam was a total gentleman and stopped sliding the garter on just above her knee. Then he reached down to help Mattie out of the chair before placing a small kiss to the back of her hand. At that, Parker gave a little glare and immediately took Mattie's hand back from the young cadet. However he was properly chastised for his possessive behavior by a quick elbow to the ribs from his girlfriend.

As the last song began to play, Nat King Cole's version of That's All, people either paired off or prepared to head home. Carly and Jack professed their gratitude as people left, even though their verbal sentiments weren't even close to the appreciation they actually felt towards the group of people who had taken the time out to celebrate with them.

Not a stupid woman, Lily had booked the other newly renovated double suites for family to stay over at the hotel. But when she had offered the rooms to Meg and Paul, as well as Katie and Brad, both couples had been grateful but confessed they would rather go home to their own beds. After Brad collected Robby, but before they headed out, there was a pledge to have a family get together to watch the wedding video when Carly and Jack got the final copy.

Soon the only adults left were Lily, Holden, Molly, Lee, Jack, Carly, and Emma. The kids, who had partied like good little rock stars while it lasted, were now sporadically draped over chairs and people in various states of consciousness.

Sage was sitting on Jack's lap, her arm hanging over his shoulder and her face hidden in the crook of his neck as she vainly fought sleep.

Natalie was already out cold, tucked into Lily's side, and Faith's head lay on Lily's shoulder. The young teen's hand was entwined in her mother's grasp as she glassily stared straight ahead, already having mentally shutdown a good ten minutes beforehand.

J.J. was huddled up in a chair with his forehead pressed against the top of Carly's bare shoulder, his eyes blinking sleepily while she affectionately ran her fingers through his hair in that familiar calming rhythmic motion.

In a group of about five chairs pulled together to create a long bench, Mattie was drowsily stretched out with her head pillowed on Parker's thigh and with his suit jacket wrapped around her shoulders. Parker, the poor boy, was trying desperately to keep from yawning every five seconds but failing horribly.

As he returned from helping Molly load the wedding gifts into her SUV to drop off later to Jack and Carly, Lee looked around at the kids and chuckled in Jack's direction.

"Well, mate, I think we can all agree that you throw one heck of a banger party."

"Here, here." Molly agreed, leaning into Lee's side and closing her eyes happily when he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Lily said suddenly, lowering her voice when Natalie stirred grumpily. "Carly, can you reach inside my clutch? It's on the table behind you."

Carly turned slightly to reach for it, causing J.J. to grunt a protest when she stopped her attention to his head.

"Oh, hush." She said jokingly, bending her face to kiss his hair before opening Lily's purse.

"There should be a gold and black key card in the left inside pocket." Lily said and nodded when Carly lifted it up for confirmation. "Yeah, that's it."

"What is it for?" Carly asked and then reading the words scrawled across the bottom of the card, looked up at Lily in astonishment. "Oh, Lily, thank you!"

Jack looked confused for a moment and then it dawned on his the only reason that Lily would have a special key card for them. Turning to look at her he grinned.

"Yeah, Lily, thank you."

J.J. frowned, leaning over slightly to read the words "Honeymoon Suite" on the card and shuddered.

"Oh, spare me." He said, closing his eyes and making a face.

Carly playfully shrugged him off her shoulder and he sent her an impish smile, before yawning loudly.

Suddenly Holden appeared in the room, coming from having checked on the babysitters, with a sleeping Ethan in his arms. The little boy had woken up at the sound of his father's voice and insisted on coming to see everyone, but had conked back out on the short elevator ride back down. The toddler was dressed in his HULK costume minus the gloves as pajamas, having successfully negotiated that as a stipulation when told he was having a babysitter for the night instead of going to the party.

"Good timing, Hun." Lily said, nodding around the room at the various stages of sleeping children. "We're all fading fast."

Holden shifted Ethan in his arms and grinned, the exhaustion in his eyes showing that he wasn't far behind them.

"Lauren already left to go home since she lives a little farther away, but Allie is waiting in the suite until you and the kids get there, Mom. I told her you were on your way up."

Emma nodded and stood, stretching lethargically. She and Sage would be sleeping in the main bedroom of the suite the babies had been in, with Emmy's crib situated by their bed, while the boys slept out in the living room area on the pullout sofa.

As kisses and hugs were passed around, plans were made to meet up in the restaurant for a nice family brunch around noon.

Sage was roused just long enough to mutter a half-asleep goodnight to her parents along with her brothers before J.J. literally had to steer her out of the room by her shoulders and towards the elevator. Parker waved one last time, then groggily reached out to take the hand of Mattie, who had been waiting for him to leave the ballroom. The happy, but exhausted, group was riding up to the 12th floor together since they all had rooms within a few numbers from each other.

After they had gone, Jack looked around at the empty room, with the lights still twinkling merrily, until his eyes landed on Carly standing a few feet away.

"You tired?" Jack asked, his eyes watching her. Carly stared back just as intensely and she slowly shook her head.

"Not in the least, G-man." She said, a deliciously sensual smile spreading across her face. "But I am more than ready to see our room."

Jack stretched out a hand towards her and winked, even as his warm brown eyes darkened with barely concealed desire.

"Your wish is my command, Mrs. Snyder." He said and together they exited the soft glow of the ballroom, not sparing a glance behind them as they eagerly headed towards the elevators.