Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews of the last chapter! I'm glad most of you liked the cheesiness, because this has some of that too. I just really need something lighthearted to keep my sanity while the show is so dark and tense. I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 10: Ambush
As Lisbon's final day at work approached, Jane noted the steady increase in her level of tension. Unfortunately, he couldn't chalk it up to Fischer's repeated attempts to "reason" with either or both of them. Fortunately, he had a plan in place to deal with it. As they got ready for work on the final day, he began putting the finishing touches on it.
"Could you wear your hair down today?" he asked as she finished her cup of coffee and pushed the remaining half of her eggs around her plate. She was dressed, wearing his favorite emerald green blouse with the scoop neck, but her hair was still damp, hanging around her face waiting to be dried and styled.
"Why?" she grumbled.
Oh, she was definitely having a case of buyer's remorse. Or was that quitter's remorse? He would turn it around, he knew, but it was still a little painful to watch. He pulled out a hopeful smile. "Because I love it that way? You can make a request in return. Would you like me to wear a tie?"
"Do you own a tie?" she asked, looking at him in surprise.
"I do, actually." He was a little worried he was giving the game away; if she looked closely, she'd surely realize that he'd shaved more carefully than usual and that his hair was freshly trimmed. Though she hadn't noticed it yesterday when he'd gone to the barber's on his lunch break, so maybe not.
"I can't really imagine you wearing one," she said, eyeing him speculatively. "A bowtie, maybe."
He laughed. "Sorry. I don't have one of those. I guess that settles it, then. No tie."
"There's no need to dress up for our last day of work," she sighed. "Especially since I'm going to make you help me carry my stuff."
"Rumor has it Cho is springing for a nice restaurant for your good-bye lunch," he noted.
She grimaced. "I wish he wouldn't. It feels perverse for him to thank me for landing him with this thankless job."
"If he didn't want it, he wouldn't have taken it," Jane pointed out. That was the great thing about Cho: you knew where you stood. "Anyway, you earned this lunch. You earned a medal, really, but since California's too broke to buy you one, take the lunch."
"I guess." She pushed back from the table and stood, carrying her plate to the sink before heading upstairs to finish her morning routine.
Jane worked on cleaning up, then did some quick texting to ensure all the components of his plan were in place. It always paid to double check when airline travel was involved.
When Lisbon came back downstairs, he smiled and kissed her lightly. "You look amazing," he said.
"Yeah, well my hair's not going to look amazing on the other side of a red-eye to Chicago," she pointed out. "A ponytail would have been more practical."
"A ponytail wouldn't have helped, because I would have undone it the moment you fell asleep. Half the reason I love you is for your beautiful hair."
She smirked. "Have I told you lately how weird you are?" Then she frowned. "Wait. Is that why you tried to get me to cut it, way back when? So you wouldn't love me?"
"Don't be absurd. You would be lovable bald," he replied. "I do confess to an urge to remove a temptation, though."
She "accidentally" elbowed him as she walked past to the door. "I promise to wear it down on our honeymoon."
"Which comes after our wedding. Which is when, exactly?" he asked. "After we get back from Chicago?"
"It's not like we'll have anything better to do," she replied.
He would be worried about her refusal to talk seriously about the ceremony if he wasn't so confident in his knowledge of her. She'd been right when they'd first talked about it in Napa: he needed to just hand her the plane tickets.
It was a good thing he intended to do just that.
mmm
The day passed quickly. Lisbon spent most of the morning going over paperwork with Cho, occasionally putting a personal item in the box set aside for that purpose. Jane spent it surreptitiously working on his plans and saying good-bye to his couch, which he would miss. But it had been old when he'd claimed it a decade ago, and he'd reluctantly concluded there was no point in taking it with him. There was no room at Lisbon's place, and they wouldn't be moving until they decided whether to stay in Sacramento or start fresh somewhere else.
The lunch was enjoyable, though Jane wasn't a fan of chili dogs. He and Cho had agreed to make Lisbon believe she would be subjected to someplace with multiple forks in the place settings, but Cho took the Major Crimes division to their regular hangout down the street, where the beer was cold and the walls were covered in sports paraphernalia and the food was reminiscent of what a stadium would offer. Lisbon loved it—to the point of misting up a little—and that was what counted.
After lunch he could see it starting to really get to her. She'd spent so much time here that the thought of saying good-bye was overwhelming. He was very glad he'd planned things the way he had. Cho was on board, which was also comforting. He'd known Lisbon longer, and in some ways he understood her better.
Jane had pointed out repeatedly that no one worked the full day on their last day of employment, but Lisbon just said that she didn't trust him as an expert since he'd never had a regular job. He prodded her a little by offering to help her pack around 2 p.m., but she banished him from her office, saying she'd rather do it herself after she finished her exit paperwork. She did remember to remind him to pack his tea and teacup, so at least he knew she wasn't mad at him.
Around 4 p.m., Cho went into action, going into Lisbon's office and saying, "We're up." Jane followed him in, as if curious.
"You're kidding. Now?" Lisbon replied, glancing at the computer screen to check the time.
"I got this if you want to get going," Cho offered.
This was the risky part, Jane thought. She might actually agree, in which case Plan B would go into effect.
"No. I'm still on the job," she said, getting up. "What do we got?"
"Dead body in a state park. It's on the edge of town, not far."
"Then let's go. Jane, you're with us. Fischer can stay and get the phones."
"Just what I was thinking," Jane grinned.
mmm
The park was as beautiful as he remembered it. There was a little flower garden on the slope of a hill leading down to a creek and a gazebo perfectly placed among the late-summer blooms. The body was sprawled face down in the shadow of the gazebo. Jane scanned the trees but couldn't see anyone hiding there.
"Is he a priest?" Lisbon asked, looking stricken as she took in the long black robe. "Who called this in? Where are they?"
"Oh, hey, boss," Rigsby called, starting down the slope toward them. Van Pelt was a few steps behind.
Lisbon turned. "What are you guys doing here?"
"We got a call," Van Pelt replied. "Is this your case?"
Cho said, "Yeah, so back off, Feds."
The couple grinned. Rigsby said, "So what's the story?"
"We're trying to figure that out," Lisbon said. "Jane? Theories?"
"Hm." Jane wandered over to the body, kneeling down to examine it closely as he normally would. He was grateful the man was facing away from him; that would make this easier. "Lisbon! Come look at this." He stood and pointed.
"What is it?" She strode over to stand beside him, then sucked in a shocked breath and walked around to get a good look at the man's face. Her expression made Jane want to put his arms around her and confess all, but it was too late now. "Father Riley?"
The priest's eyes opened. "Hello, Teresa."
Lisbon jumped, one hand going to her heart as she stumbled back a step with a muffled shriek. Jane moved to steady her but stopped when she regained her composure, careful to stay out of punching distance.
But he'd underestimated her childhood training. She drew in a breath but didn't yell or come after him, holding herself still. "What's going on?"
Jane was a little disturbed that she addressed Father Riley rather than him. The priest got to his feet and brushed himself off, smiling. "I was told there was need of my services. Your young man is very persuasive."
Lisbon stared at him, then at Jane. Then at Cho, Rigsby, and Van Pelt, who were all grinning madly. She was still too stunned to really react, but he could see she had figured it out, so he smiled at her and said, "Welcome to our wedding, my dear."
She gaped at him, glancing uncertainly at her priest before saying, "But—this is a joke, right?"
Father Riley said, "I assure you I take marriage quite seriously, Teresa."
She had a moment of panic where she was clearly afraid she was about to be told she either had to marry him or stop sleeping with him to avoid going to hell. But she quickly recovered, jerking her head at Jane and hissing, "Jane. A word?"
He smiled confidently at everyone as he followed her to the creek bank. She whirled on him and said, "What the hell, Jane? You can't throw a surprise wedding!"
"I beg to differ. Allow me to point out the priest—"
"Shut. Up," she ground out. Then she put her face in her hands and took a deep breath.
He stepped close to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Breathe, Teresa. You can kill me later. Right now you're going to calm down, and then we'll go greet our guests and promise to be with each other forever."
"Jane," she whispered, looking at him with desperation. "I can't get married here, now."
"Why not?"
Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to think of a reply. Finally she managed to say, "I'm wearing boots!"
It took everything Jane had not to burst out laughing, but he managed to confine himself to a grin. "You wear boots all the time, darling."
"I can't get married in boots and a blazer," she protested. "They're not even high heels!"
"Why not? It's what you wear every day. When I think of you, that's what you're wearing. Well, if you're wearing anything at all," he couldn't resist adding.
She gave him the look that meant she was punching him in her mind.
"But that's what makes it perfect, Teresa. Just you and me, the way we are. The way we fell in love. Not all dressed up and pretending to be people we aren't." He looked into her eyes, willing her to see his sincerity, and saw her begin to give in.
"You've been planning this all week?"
"I have. The license is in my pocket, and our witnesses have the rings. We have your priest—who gave me the oddest look when I introduced myself. Someday you'll have to tell me exactly what you've been confessing to him. And we have our friends."
"But my family—"
Jane grinned and turned her so she could see her brothers and their families walking down toward them.
"Oh my God!" Lisbon stared only for a moment before running forward and flinging herself at her nearest brother. A moment later she was lost in the midst of the three men, looking for all the world like they were in a football huddle.
Jane watched the family reunion with great interest. It was worth every penny it had cost him to fly the entire Lisbon family out here at fairly short notice. After a while, he went to stand with Cho, Rigsby, and Van Pelt, the closest he had to family these days. Though he supposed he was about to acquire the boisterous one currently interrogating his fiancée from several directions at once. Tommy and Annie were the only two he'd met before, but he knew James and Peter from photos, and it was easy enough to pick out James' wife and kids since Peter's wife was clinging to his arm and keeping a firm grip on their son Jack.
Father Riley stayed by the gazebo, beaming at the family long after Jane would have expected him to become impatient. At last Lisbon freed herself from the group and led them over to Jane. "Everybody, this is Patrick Jane. Patrick, this is everybody. You know Tommy and Annie, but this is Peter, Karen, Jack, James, Mary, Timothy—"
"Tim!" corrected the not-quite adolescent with the dark mop of hair.
"Tim," Lisbon continued, "Sarah, and this little guy here is David." She ruffled her nephew's red hair, obviously a throwback to a distant ancestor since his mother was a zaftig blonde whose features owed a great deal to her obvious Dutch ancestry.
"Hello, Lisbon family. Thank you for coming," he said, smiling his most charming smile.
Mary grinned at him and engulfed him in a hug. "Thank you for the tickets and the hotel suite! And welcome to the family!"
He patted her back gently, aware of James' eyes on him. When Mary let him go, he moved a little closer to Rigsby, hoping his stature would discourage any brotherly wrath. Lisbon introduced her soon-to-be-former coworkers with enthusiasm, obviously enjoying this meeting of her two families.
She had almost finished when Minelli arrived with his wife May, and that brought a fresh round of hugging and introductions. Jane waited for a temporary pause to say, "Madeleine sends her best wishes, but she had a school thing today and can't make it."
Lisbon nodded, obviously overwhelmed as she looked around at nearly everyone she cared about all in the same place. All expecting to watch her get married.
"I hate to rush you, Teresa," Jane continued, "but Father Riley does have an evening engagement. And we have reservations for dinner. I had to make them early so we'd still have time to pack and make our flight."
"But there's no reason to go to Chicago—" she began, then broke off. "We're not going to Chicago."
He chuckled. "Not for our honeymoon. I promised you Ireland, so Ireland it is." He held out his hand to her.
Her eyes got big with the realization of the major commitment she was about to make, but he was reassured that her pupils dilated at the same time. After a moment, she put her hand in his, and they went down to Father Riley, the others trailing behind them and arranging themselves so they could all see. Jane led Lisbon up the few steps to the gazebo where Father Riley waited with a smile.
"It is always a joy to marry two people in love," the priest began. "But it is also a great satisfaction when that couple has persevered against adversity. Patience, trust, and forgiveness are necessary ingredients in a good marriage, and it is reassuring that Teresa and Patrick have already demonstrated these qualities before committing to each other for the rest of their lives."
Jane reminded himself to find out exactly what Lisbon had been telling her priest all these years. It was a wonder the man hadn't driven him out of the church at the end of a crucifix if she'd told him half the sins he'd committed. He lost the thread of the speech as he reflected on all the things he'd done that had lessened the chances of this day ever happening.
Jane had worried that a second wedding would be a painful reminder of his first, but this simple ceremony in a beautiful park surrounded by family and friends couldn't be more different than the traditional affair he and Angela had had. And while Angela had looked at him with adoration and excitement from under her veil, Lisbon's expression was more of the "God, I hope this isn't a terrible mistake" variety. But that was okay. It was an expression he was used to seeing on her. He loved her all the more because she was purely herself as she promised to love, honor, and cherish him. He wouldn't have liked this nearly as much if she'd gotten all dolled up like a princess and beamed tearfully at him.
Cho stepped forward and handed him the ring, and he slid it onto her trembling finger. Father Riley was a traditionalist, so he obediently repeated, "With this ring, I thee wed."
Then it was Lisbon's turn. After a few moments, Jane turned to see what the delay was, only to find Van Pelt patting her pockets in dawning horror. He barely had time to register the disaster before Annie stepped forward and handed the ring to her aunt with a cheeky grin. She winked at Jane, and he winked back. That girl would go far, he thought. Though he bet that would be the last pickpocketing she ever did after her aunt got hold of her.
As Lisbon slid the ring on his finger, he felt tears threaten. He'd forgotten what it felt like to be claimed. His other ring had long been a symbol of guilt and failure, far removed from its original meaning. But this one represented Lisbon's promise to love him, and it made him feel at once exalted and humbled. He would never be worthy of her love, but he would spend the rest of his life trying to be.
"And now you may kiss," Father Riley said cheerfully, and Jane leaned forward to give her the chaste peck he thought would be the only thing allowed in front of this audience. But Lisbon surprised him, opening her mouth and sliding her hands into his hair. He smiled and did the same, trying to express his love and happiness with his lips and tongue while enjoying the silkiness of her hair in his fingers.
Then it was over, and they were married. He was Teresa Lisbon's husband, the luckiest bastard on the planet.
"Thank you, Father," he said.
"It was my pleasure. Now remember, I expect to see you in church once in a while, Patrick. You married a good woman, so make her happy by letting her believe she's saving your soul. At least at Christmas and Easter."
"I should be able to manage that," he replied. He was astonished as Lisbon hugged the priest, then thanked him with a smile before going down the steps to join her family, clinging tightly to his hand.
With all the hugging and chatter, it was quite a while before Jane managed to get everybody moving to the restaurant he'd chosen for their early dinner. He was painfully aware of the need to keep on schedule, wondering if he should postpone the flight so Lisbon could spend more time with her family. But though James invited her to ride with them, she chose to get in the back seat of Cho's SUV and lean against Jane, who slid his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. She was trembling a little, overcome by all the unaccustomed emotion.
"Are you okay?" he murmured.
"Mm hm." She slid her arm around his waist and hugged. "Thank you for making sure everybody I wanted there came."
"None of them would have missed it for the world," he assured her.
"That doesn't mean you're off the hook for ambushing me," she warned him, but the way she rubbed her nose against his neck told him she wasn't really angry.
"But just think. Now I'll stop bugging you to set a date," he pointed out. "And no one will expect you to go spend a thousand bucks on a dress you'll only wear once. Or throw you a bridal shower and expect you to wear a hat made out of a paper plate and bows."
"Nobody was going to do that," she said dismissively.
"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you. Van Pelt and Anne from Narcotics seemed to be strangely attracted to the idea."
Cho said, "And you should see what Rigsby wanted for the bachelor party."
Jane shuddered. "Don't tell me. I have enough fodder for my nightmares. See, Teresa? I saved us from a hideous fate. Now we're safely married, and all we have to do is go eat a good meal, listen to a few toasts, and make our escape."
"I'm not packed," she said, trying to sit up in alarm.
He held her against him. "Don't worry. Cho's going to take care of the office for us, and I packed most of our things last night while you were sleeping. We just need to stop by the apartment and throw a few last minute things in. And grab our passports."
She relaxed against him again. "Okay." She was quiet for a while, then said, "You realize this means we're spending our wedding night on an airplane."
He chuckled. "Yes, that is the only flaw in this plan. But I'll make it up to you on the honeymoon. Our first stop is a lovely suite at a very nice hotel in Dublin. We're there for several days, so if you don't feel like sightseeing right away, that's fine. Then we're off on a driving tour and will be staying in quaint bed and breakfasts and little inns."
"How long is this trip?" she asked.
"As long as we want it to be. If you like, we can hop over to England for a while, then take the Chunnel over to Paris. If we're still not ready to come back, there's Barcelona, Monte Carlo, and Rome, not to mention all the lovely places in between. Oh, and I hear Dubrovnik is beautiful."
"That sounds like months." She sounded like she was trying very hard to be okay with the idea. It would be an uphill battle getting her to learn to relax and play rather than work, but he looked forward to it.
"If you like. We could have Christmas in Switzerland. Or Chicago if you prefer. We can do whatever we want, Teresa." He threaded his fingers through hers and stroked her palm with his thumb, then put his mouth down to her ear to whisper, "I want to give you the world. Please let me."
She put her free hand on the back of his neck and pulled him down to devour his mouth. He decided to take that as a yes.
mmm
Jane had initially wanted to have the wedding dinner at a sophisticated restaurant, but when he'd put his guest list together and realized there were children and Lisbons involved, he'd switched gears. He'd ended up renting a small ballroom at the hotel where he'd put up their out of town guests and having his new wife's favorite Mom and Pop Italian place set up a buffet. This had the advantage of removing any concern about the open bar, since no one had to drive home except Cho and the Rigsbys, and they could take cabs.
The wedding cake he'd allowed Van Pelt to handle, since once he let the team in on the plan they'd all wanted to contribute. Cho was in charge of the limo to the airport; Rigsby had wrangled the arriving Lisbons and made sure they all had directions to the wedding site from the hotel.
If he'd only had his own preferences to consider, he and Lisbon would be home right now consummating their marriage before finishing their packing. But he wanted her to have time with her family and friends, not to mention a wedding cake. And he wanted to prove to her that he could get along with her family. He knew she had doubts about that. For some reason.
So after the meal was finished and the cake cut and consumed, he reluctantly left Lisbon to her sisters-in-law and headed toward the bar. He decided to start with Tommy, who was standing a little apart from his brothers and nursing a beer while talking to Rigsby.
"Tommy, good to see you again," Jane said, offering his hand. Rigsby grinned and moved off toward the bar.
"Yeah, you too. Listen, I want to apologize for that stunt Annie pulled. I don't know where she learned that."
Jane grinned. "I taught her that, so I have no one but myself to blame. I'm just glad you could both make it."
"Well, who turns down a free trip to California? Anyway, I figured it'd be good for Annie to see her aunt and get away from that boyfriend of hers for a while."
"Ah, she's dating someone you don't approve of?"
"You could say that, yeah." Tommy scowled and took a swig of his beer.
"Best just to ignore it, but I'm sure your sister could scare him if you want. Or I could hypnotize him for you," Jane offered, only half joking.
"No thanks. She'd just find a worse creep to torture me with. Sometimes I really wish she was more like Reese."
Jane refrained from voicing his opinion that Annie was probably just like her aunt would have been if her family had remained intact. "Give her time. Teresa's wisdom is hard won. She'll get there."
"I guess," Tommy said doubtfully. Then he said, "Heads up, man. Here comes trouble."
Jane turned to greet James and Peter with his best smile. "James, thank you for coming. You too, Peter. I've been looking forward to meeting you both."
"Yeah, we've heard a lot about you, too," James said. "What's this about Reese quitting her job?"
"It was time," Jane said. "And now we can take a longer honeymoon."
"It was because of you, wasn't it?" James continued.
Tommy gave a snort. "Please. It's not like anybody can tell Reese what to do."
"True," Jane agreed. "I didn't ask Teresa to resign. In fact I asked her not to. But it worked out. We're going to take some time off and think about a fresh start."
Peter asked, "And what are you going to live on while you do that? You spent all this money bringing us out here, and now a trip to Ireland. You rich or something?"
Ha. He'd thought Lisbon would omit that detail, particularly since he'd told her not to. "I made quite a good living as a fake psychic. Most of that money's still there. And I can't think of a better use for my ill-gotten gains than to make the best woman I know as happy as possible."
There was no complaint to be made about that, he gloated to himself as James and Peter glanced at each other. Tommy said, "Hear, hear" and made a mock toast with his beer bottle.
"Are we toasting?" Rigsby asked, coming back over. "Hey, Cho! You're up."
Jane could only be grateful as Cho cleared his throat, making everyone turn to look at him. "I propose a toast," he announced.
Jane looked around for his bride and found her heading toward him with a smile. He smiled back and took her hand in his.
Cho began, "Despite all the crap Jane's pulled, and all the times Lisbon has punched him when he richly deserved it, they still managed to put up with each other for ten years. That's longer than a lot of marriages. So, Boss, Jane: just keep doing what you're doing. I'm only sorry not to have a front row seat for the show anymore. So here's my toast: to being smart enough to hang on to a good thing when you find it."
Jane whispered in Lisbon's ear, "Does that mean he thinks I'm a good thing?"
"It means he thinks I think you are," she replied, smiling up at him.
Next, Minelli called for a toast. "Teresa Lisbon was the best young agent I'd ever seen. When she took a grieving widower and turned him into a walking polygraph, I thought it was either going to make her career or be her downfall. Turns out, it was both. But I never dreamed she'd be reckless enough to fall in love with him. And I certainly never thought he'd have the good sense to fall in love with her. I guess sometimes it's good to be proven wrong. But Jane, you are the most undeservedly lucky SOB I've ever met. You better not make me regret foisting you onto Lisbon all those years ago. And Teresa, you call me if you change your mind about this. This time I promise to help you get rid of him."
"You tried to get rid of me?" Jane said to her in mock horror.
"Once or twice. A long time ago," she added quickly.
Minelli raised his glass. "Patrick, my advice to you is: you may be the smartest man in the room, but Teresa is the better person. Smart isn't always right. And Teresa, you are the sensible and level-headed part of this marriage, but let Patrick tempt you to goof off once in a while. It's good for you." He raised his glass. "May you always reach your goals. And may you always agree on what those are!"
"Hear, hear," Lisbon chuckled.
Tommy stepped forward and said, "To my sister, who finally found someone she can't keep in line. And to Patrick: give her as hard a time as you want, but if you make her cry, I gotta hurt you. It's a brother thing."
Jane grinned as they drank the toast.
Rigsby and Van Pelt wished that the new couple find as much happiness being married as they had, and Mary Lisbon advised them never to go to sleep angry. "Mind you, I'm not saying never go to bed angry," she added with a wink.
Jane noticed with fascination that James blushed the same shade as his sister.
After the toasts were done, Lisbon corralled her brothers, making them tell her all the latest news. Jane entertained the kids with coin tricks, making Annie his assistant for the more elaborate ones. The rest of the evening passed quickly, and it seemed like no time at all before Cho was tapping him on the shoulder. "Time to go."
"Right." Jane squared his shoulders and went to fetch his wife. It took them a long time to get out of the room with all the hugging and congratulations and promises to call, but at last they made it to the lobby with only Cho for their escort.
"Boss," Cho said as they went outside to the waiting limousine. "I'm sorry, but you need to turn in your badge and gun." He held out his hand.
Jane laid a hand on Lisbon's shoulder as she nodded, slowly removing both and giving them to Cho. She was already emotional, and she'd managed to forget that this wasn't just her wedding day, but also her last day as a CBI agent. So he wasn't surprised when tears started rolling down her cheeks. She waited for Cho to secure her gun and then threw her arms around him.
"Thanks for everything," she managed to get out.
"You go be happy," Cho whispered. Jane thought he saw a telltale shimmer in the agent's eyes as he stepped back. "Jane?"
Jane handed over his CBI ID card, smiling. "It's been fun. Be safe, Kimball."
"You too," Cho replied, extending his hand. "Stay out of trouble."
Jane shook it firmly. "I'll do my best."
He turned and helped Lisbon into the limo before getting in himself, glancing back at Cho with a smile before the driver closed the door.
As they pulled away, Jane pulled out his handkerchief and wiped at Lisbon's wet cheeks, then kissed her gently. "Try not to focus on what's ending," he said softly. "Focus on what's beginning. This is the first day of our new life. And it's going to be great. I promise you that."
"I know," she whispered, sliding her arms around him and holding on tightly. "I love you."
"I love you too, Mrs.—" He broke off. "Are you changing your name?"
"I don't know. Not until we get back, at least, since you didn't give me enough notice to change my passport," she said, sounding more like her usual self.
He chuckled. "Admit it. This was one surprise you liked."
She snorted into his neck, which tickled a bit. "If I did, it's only because nobody but you would ever do such a thing. So in a weird way, it was perfect for us."
"Yes, it was," he said with complete satisfaction.
After a moment, she added, "I also really liked that there were no Elvis impersonators."
He chuckled. "And I liked that we were sober. And that you didn't come to your senses at the last minute."
"Well, we haven't consummated our marriage yet, so technically there's still time for an annulment," she mused thoughtfully.
He smirked. "Good thing I built time into the schedule for a quickie while we finish packing."
She chuckled, smirking back. "Yes, it is."
A/N: So now there's just the epilogue to go! A story called "Wedding Planning" kinda has to end after the wedding, after all. :)