Chapter 7
Monday February 9th, 2009
Henderson, Nevada
Stark Residence
8:45 a.m. P.S.T
"Little One? Little One, what's wrong?" asked Peter when he ran into Vittoria on her way into the house as he was making his way out to head into work.
"I'm fine, Big Brother," Vittoria said
"No, you're not fine, Little One," Peter said, taking a hold of Vittoria's upper arms and holding her still. "You've been crying. Was it Stokes? Did he do something to you?"
"It wasn't Nick, Big Brother, well not directly," Vittoria said.
"What's that supposed to mean, Little One? What did he do?"
"Peter please, I…I can't take anymore questions right now," Vittoria pleaded. "I'm really tired and I'd really just like to lie down for a while. It's just too much right now, Big Brother please, just let me lie down," she begged as more tears started to fall.
"Shh, it's alright, Little One," Peter said pulling his sister into his arms and holding her close while she cried. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright, Big Brother," Vittoria said a short while later after her tears had calmed. "I've just had a really busy weekend and Robert helped me face a few things that I'd been putting off and I barely got any sleep last night, especially since Brandon called us about four thirty this morning and we'd gotten to sleep barely two hours before that."
"Then go get some sleep, Little One," Peter said. "David and Ken are here and they'll keep you safe while you sleep," he said kissing her forehead. "I'll be home around the usual time."
"I'll see you then, Big Brother," Vittoria said as Peter made his way out of the house, leaving Vittoria alone with her two agents. When the door closed behind Peter, Vittoria made her way upstairs, leaving David and Ken downstairs, towards her bedroom, closing the door behind her. She sat on her bed for a few minutes before picking up the phone and dialing a familiar number.
"Vice President Kinsley's office," came a voice over the phone.
"Hi Cindy, it's Ali is Robert available?"
"Good morning Ms. Frey," Cindy greeted. "Vice President Kinsley is available if you'll hold for just a moment I'll transfer you."
"Thank you Cindy," Vittoria said as she lay down and curled up on the bed.
"Ali?" came Robert's voice over the phone.
"Hi," Vittoria said quietly. "I did it. I made peace with Nick."
"I'm glad Ali. Are you all right? You sound like you've been crying," he said worriedly.
"I can't do this anymore Robert. I want to come home. I can't take them looking at me and seeing who I was," Vittoria said breaking down once more.
"Oh baby, I know," Robert sighed. "Listen, can you manage one more day? We've been flying poor Jeremy back and forth across the country for the past few days and I told him to take the day off and spend it with his family. I can have him in Vegas first thing tomorrow morning. Can you hang on until tomorrow?"
"I'll try," Vittoria said, wiping her eyes. "It's just harder being here then I thought. Maybe if you were with me that would be one thing but I know that's impossible and I can't do it on my own anymore."
"I know, Baby. Jeremy will be there first thing tomorrow I promise," Robert said. "Now, why don't you try to get some sleep and I'll call you later."
"Okay," Vittoria said. "I love you."
"I love you, too," Robert said. "Sleep well."
"Thanks. Bye," Vittoria said.
"Bye," Robert said.
Vittoria hung up the phone, and rolled over, staying in her curled up position as she let her tears fall once more, eventually crying herself to sleep.
Monday February 9th, 2009
Henderson, Nevada
Stark Residence
5:28 p.m. P.S.T
"Is she up yet?" Sara asked Peter when he answered the door. She had stopped by after work only to be told by Ken that Vittoria was asleep.
"I don't know," Peter said. "I got home a few minutes ago and Ken and David both say they haven't seen her since she went upstairs this morning and if she's awake she's not moving around."
"Think I can go check?"
"Need you ask?" Peter said. "You're probably the only one she'd let up there other than me or Ken and David at the moment. She was in bad shape this morning Sara."
"I was worried about that," Sara sighed softly. "I'll head up then..."
"Good luck," Peter called after Sara before making his way into the kitchen to start fixing something for dinner.
"Ali?" Sara called softly as she tapped on the bedroom door.
"Go away," came the quiet muffled reply through the door.
"Ali...this is me, when do I ever listen?" Sara called back. "Please?"
"It's open."
Sara turned the doorknob before slipping into the room and crossing over to where Vittoria lay on the bed looking out the window. "Hey you," she greeted as she sat down on the end of the bed. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," Vittoria said quietly.
"Forgive me for not exactly believing you," Sara countered gently. "Ali...I know I've been miss overbearing mothering pain in the ass. But please don't shut me out..."
"I'm leaving in the morning. I'm returning to Washington," Vittoria said, her gaze never leaving the window.
Sara sucked in a breath before fighting down the initial wave of panic, "You're not going to not talk to me for two years again are you?" she asked fearfully.
"I just…I can't be here anymore Sara. This isn't my life anymore."
"Then don't stay in Vegas," Sara agreed. "Just promise me I get to be a part of your life in D.C. Me and Peter at the least...although Gil kinda comes with the package..."
"I'll try," Vittoria said quietly.
"That's good enough for me," Sara agreed softly. "So...how are wedding plans?"
"Things are slowly coming together. The bridal party is set for the most part; the dresses just need to be made now, as does my dress. Lindsay better be ready for a pen pal, Michelle was quite taken with her," Vittoria said.
"Something tells me Lindsey is ready for her...I just hope you and Robert are ready for any influence Linds has over her," Sara countered with a chuckle.
"They were nearly inseparable over the weekend. I think Michelle is looking at Lindsay like an older sister."
"Sounds like us at their age...except we were more twins than older and younger."
"I know. I kept thinking that all weekend watching them. Robert couldn't be more pleased. Michelle's always found it difficult making friends, first because she had no mother and then because of who her father was. And now with him as Vice President, it's even harder. Brandon's children are older so it's easier for them," Vittoria sighed as she rolled over. "I know how Michelle feels."
"You're good for her then," Sara smiled, "She's good for you too, I bet."
"Robert's asked me to adopt her after the wedding," Vittoria said.
"You want to?"
"She's the only daughter I'll ever know and I'm the only mother she's ever known," Vittoria said.
"I'm glad you have each other," Sara smiled softly. "So, this means I need to figure out a happy adoption day gift huh?
"It's not really necessary," Vittoria said sitting up so that her back was to Sara. "Why are you here?"
"Of course it's necessary, you're my best friend. And I'm here for that same reason, you're my best friend...you had this thing with Nick this morning and I worry...it's part of that contract I signed when we became friends. I get to worry about you for the rest of your life, you get to worry about me, we drive each other insane at times and we're stuck with each other for life."
"I only did what I did this morning because Robert asked me to."
"To make peace..."
"Yes. He knows how it haunts me, even though I never speak of it, he still knows."
"Do you feel any better?" Sara asked gently.
"Do I look like I feel any better?" Vittoria snapped defensively turning to glare at Sara for a moment before averting her eyes back to her hands.
"Not really no," Sara shrugged lightly, not taking offence at Vittoria's tone. "But I kinda can't do much except offer a hug and maybe get you to talk so...well, I could go beat him up I suppose...well, have Warrick and Greg beat him up..."
"I guess, I just never expected it to hurt so much. I thought I'd dealt with it when I left here. Robert showed me I hadn't and now I don't know what to do except run once more," Vittoria said quietly.
"Well, maybe it's not running if you're just returning home..." She countered softly. "Running means abandoning everything you love, which would include the life in DC. You're just going back to your life, laying demons to rest here..."
"Why did Robert have to tear down that wall," Vittoria mumbled quietly as her head dropped into her hands, her elbows propped up on her knees.
"Because he loves you and wants you to be free of the things that haunt you."
"But it hurts so much," Vittoria said, trying to hold in her tears.
"I know," Sara whispered as she reached a hand out to rub her back carefully.
"Why did he ask me to give up my control Sara? Why? At least when I was in control I didn't hurt like this. I didn't want to give it up and now that I have I don't know how to get it back. I shouldn't have run like I did this morning and I wouldn't have if Robert hadn't made me give up my control," Vittoria cried.
"Shh, he just wants you to be whole. It's alright to run, to escape things you can't deal with."
"Oh God, it was hard Sara. I fought every step of the way. My control was the one thing I had to protect me. If I stayed in control of everything than I couldn't be hurt again. First Jeth and then Nick, I couldn't stand a third heartbreak so I refused to be submissive to any man and yet Robert, he…he made me submit to him. To give up my control to him and now…now it hurts…"
"Oh Sweetheart," Sara whispered, carefully pulling Vittoria into her arms. "I know, I know," she continued as she brushed a hand through Vittoria's hair.
"Why does it have to hurt so much, Sara?" Vittoria asked as she held onto Sara as if her life depended on it. "I thought I was over him. I thought I'd moved on. I didn't love him the way I loved Jeth, nor the way I love Robert but it still hurts and knowing that he's getting married…"
Whoa...he was getting married. Shaking that thought away she focused on her friend. "It always hurts Ali, to learn someone you cared about is marrying someone else. It's normal...you did love him, it's entirely normal..."
"I shouldn't feel like this Sara," Vittoria countered. "I shouldn't feel like I'm being tossed aside again."
"Whatever you feel is right for you Ali. You can't help how you feel..."
"That doesn't make it any easier. Especially when you see what your replacement looks like and you know that against her…against her you would never stand a chance."
"Hey, no comparing yourself to this chick, you are a fantastic woman Ali. He screwed up, you were the best thing that happened to him, and he screwed it up. Okay, so he has this new woman, who cares...he still screwed up royally when he left you because you are a hell of a woman, Ali..."
Vittoria snorted as she pulled away from Sara. "A woman who was rejected by the first two men she gave her heart to. I still don't know why Robert wants to marry me. I was nothing more than a woman he paid to spend time with before becoming his mistress. He could have just left things status quo."
"Hey, you weren't the one at fault with those two. They're the idiots, and yes I'm calling my brother an idiot. As for Robert, he's the smart one who realizes what he's got in you. He saw the real you behind the mask you wore. He loves you Ali; never question that. Loves you like Nick and Jethro never did..."
"I just want to go home Sara. I'm tired of people looking at me and seeing the woman I was. Comparing who I am now to who I was," Vittoria said.
"Then go home Ali."
"Robert's sending Jeremy and the plane for me tomorrow," Vittoria said wiping her eyes. "I wanted to leave this morning after leaving the lab but Robert gave Jeremy the day off because he was flying back and forth most of the weekend. I was supposed to stay another week but when I called Robert this morning he agreed to let me come home. He knows what he asked of me and he could tell how much of a toll it took on me to do it," she said, before hissing slightly in pain as her wrist brushed the side of the bed.
"Why don't we do something about those," Sara suggested softly nodding towards Vittoria's wrist.
"I'm not going to a hospital Sara."
"Didn't suggest that, now did I?" Sara countered. "We just need some bandages and antiseptic, if Peter doesn't have any I can run to the store and get some."
"You'd have to check in the bathroom," Vittoria said.
Sara nodded before getting up and going to hunt, happy to find the supplies before returning with the gauze, antiseptic and medical tape, "So, you were telling me about wedding plans. What colors are the wedding?" she asked as she picked up one of Vittoria's wrists and began tending to it.
"Lavender and silver," Vittoria said, hissing slightly when the antiseptic hit a rather raw spot. I wanted light colors because it's in June."
"I bet it will be nice," Sara smiled. "Actually sounds familiar, my colors were lavender and white..."
"I wish you could be there. Next to Peter, you're the only family I have."
"Hey, you think I'm going to miss it? Even if I'm on bed rest because this kid decides to take his time, I'm going to try and force Gil into driving us there if need be..." Sara protested. "It can be his anniversary gift to me, since I'm giving him a son or daughter."
"I'd offer to fly you out but I don't know how your doctor would feel about that," Vittoria said.
"Screw the doctor," Sara chuckled.
"Lindsay asked if she could come out a couple of weeks before the wedding so she's flying out before Catherine, who's flying to Washington the week before. You're welcome to come with Lindsay or even before if you want. You just have to let me know and I'll have Jeremy pick you up and you can get submerged in White House Wedding chaos until the baby's born."
"I'll talk to Gil about it. He was planning to take a week off around the time I'm due so he could be home at night in case I go into labor then so..." she shrugged. "But it would be nice."
"Just let me know okay?" Vittoria said. "You can come out any time you want, actually. You just have to give me a bit of warning so I can let Secret Service and my assistant know."
"Deal," Sara smiled.
Friday June 19th, 2009
Washington DC
Blair House
5:56 p.m. E.S.T
The next five months flew by for Sara; she made her own peace with Nick, to an extent, and continued preparations for the baby. She was ordered out of the lab when she reached her seventh month, much to her annoyance at now having nothing to do with her time. With no other choice, she took up crochet and knitting, making outfits for the baby, much to the amusement of the rest of the team. A week before she was due, her water broke, while Gil was at work. Only to find out he was at a scene and she ended up having Greg be the one to meet her at the hospital, much to his panic. Gil arrived though, just in time to see Aiden James born. Aiden had dark hair like both of his parents, and his father's blue eyes, Sara refused to believe they might change.
Once they were home, after getting rid of the constant stream of visitors, Sara started back on pestering Gil about the wedding and finally he relented, the three flying out the day before.
Since returning to Washington after making her peace with Nick, Vittoria threw herself into her new life with Robert, and planning their wedding, although she hadn't been prepared for the surprise Robert had in store for her upon their return. It turned out that her wedding was no longer going to take place in the church she had originally planned on thanks to Brandon and Robert's inability to say no to his best friend. Instead of planning a church wedding, Vittoria now found herself planning a White House wedding.
She had thrown herself so much into the wedding planning and her life as Robert's wife that she had let her contact with those in Vegas slide a bit, her emails and phone calls getting fewer and fewer as time went on. Lindsay had arrived a couple weeks earlier and was enjoying spending time with Michelle and playing tourist in Washington, Catherine and Peter arriving about a week after Lindsay. Vittoria had made sure that all three were taken care of and had rooms at one of the nicest hotels in Washington.
She had received word of the birth of Sara's baby, wanting to send something but not sure what so had never actually gotten around to it. Sara had told her that she would be at the wedding but a part of Vittoria wasn't sure if she would really keep her word, knowing that Jeremy would have landed a short while ago, which is part of what lead to her pacing the living room for the past hour, the other part her own nerves about the next day.
"You look like you're about to have a heart attack or something..."
"You're here," Vittoria said spinning around.
"Did you think I'd miss my best friend's wedding a second time?" Sara asked with a smile.
"Well…" Vittoria trailed off.
"I know, I know...it looked unlikely and all that," Sara smiled. "And it only took pestering my husband for two weeks to get him to agree so...here we are."
"Here you are and here I am and here we both are…" Vittoria began babbling as she picked up her pacing once more.
"We both are babbling and just staring at each other?" Sara offered. "Take a deep breath and come see your godson."
Vittoria walked over to where Sara was standing, a car seat at her feet. "Hi."
"Hi," Sara echoed with a smile before bending down to unstrap her sleeping son. "Ali, meet Aiden James," she continued as she carefully handed him to her best friend.
Once Sara had handed him to her, Vittoria quickly sat down, afraid of what might happen if she didn't. "He's adorable Sara. He looks just like his father."
"I know," Sara grinned. "Gil insists he has my hair but I managed to get some baby pics from Gil and they're identical down to the dimples."
"You're going to grow up to be just like your daddy, aren't you," Vittoria said as she rocked Aiden. "I'm so jealous of you Sara."
Sara smiled sadly, "I can't make things different, but I can promise you get to spoil Aiden rotten..."
"Michelle can't wait to spoil her new 'cousin' as she's taken to calling him," Vittoria said.
Sara chuckled, "Maybe between the three of us we can get him hooked on things other than his father's bug collection..."
"We can try but I make no promises," Vittoria laughed. "I'm so glad you're here Sara. I don't think I could do this otherwise."
"Nerves?" Sara asked knowingly. "I was a wreak before my wedding, Cath was ready to get me a vodka and coke or something to calm my nerves."
"I'm about ready to pass out any minute," Vittoria admitted.
"Drink?" Sara offered with a smile.
"I would but Robert's hidden all the alcohol and the staff is forbidden to give me any," Vittoria replied in exasperation.
"Hmm, I could send Gil for some..." Sara offered. "I'm craving chocolate still so that could be added to his list."
"I would love Gil forever," Vittoria said.
"There we go then...now to find him. I lost him on the way up here," Sara laughed. "I'm not sure if he found Robert, or if he saw an ant or something that caught his attention..."
"Robert's still working so it must have been something else," Vittoria said standing up. "If you'll take your son," she said handing Aiden back to Sara, "I'll go send someone to find him," she finished before walking out of the room, returning a few minutes later. "Patty's going to find him for us."
"Good, cause I'd probably get lost looking for him," Sara smiled.
Sara found herself watching Vittoria as she began to pace once more, just shaking her head knowing she couldn't stop the other woman, until Gil showed up a few minutes after Patty had gone to find him. "So, was it an ant or a spider?" she asked, gathering Vittoria's attention to their new member.
"Spider, but the woman who found me stomped on it," he frowned.
"I'm sorry, Baby," Sara soothed before sending Vittoria a look that spoke of just how hard she was trying not to laugh.
"They're very particular about who and what is allowed inside Blair House Gil," Vittoria said, trying to hold in her own laughter.
"Its ancestors were here first," he pointed out before sighing. "You two can laugh; get it out of your systems..."
Sara chuckled, "God knows I love you Gil Grissom, any other woman would be running from your bug obsession."
"I still don't know how you do it Sara," Vittoria laughed.
"Love," she shrugged. "But we need you to make a store run for us," she continued to Gil.
"Oh?"
"Chocolate and alcohol, and no the alcohol isn't for me," she continued seeing the look he started to give her. "I'm taking Cath's approach to calming wedding nerves."
"Robert was kind enough to have the staff hide all the liquor and refuse to give me any," Vittoria said by way of explanation. "He's afraid I'll drink too much and wake up with a hangover."
"Don't worry, we'll make sure you don't," Gil smiled. "So any particular type I'm looking for?"
"Nerve calming but nothing too strong," Vittoria said.
"I know just the thing," he agreed before glancing at Sara. "I'll be back soon, no killing anyone who has coffee..."
"You're not still doing that are you?" asked Vittoria curiously.
"I'm not getting sick, but I still am being the coffee nazi as Greg calls me. I can't have any until I stop breast feeding and God help me, I'm not letting them enjoy it if I can't," Sara chuckled.
"You're not going to make a scene tomorrow are you? I can't really deny my wedding guests their coffee," Vittoria said worriedly.
"Don't worry, I'll play nice," Sara smiled.
"Thank you. The last thing I need is an international incident because you told the French President he couldn't have coffee with his dessert," Vittoria teased.
Sara laughed, "Can you imagine the headlines? New mother insults French President..."
"Not exactly the way I want to start off my life as the wife the Vice President. It's bad enough it's going to be a media circus tomorrow anyway, especially because Robert can't say no to Brandon and we're to be married in the White House gardens."
"At least it will be pretty, and very memorable," Sara pointed out with a smile. "I just got married in the same chapel Elvis got married in..."
"I can only hope this marriage turns out better than the last one," Vittoria sighed.
"I'm positive it will, Ali," Sara assured her. "Okay no worrying, I'll call your brother and sic him on you."
"You leave Peter out of this," Vittoria countered.
"Okay then, you'll quit worrying," Sara smirked slightly. "Come on, I need help planning how I'm going to get my husband to let me come back to work before my son is a year old."
"You really think you're going to change his mind?"
"If I don't try, he'll wonder what's wrong with me," Sara shrugged.
"True. You're nothing if not persistent and Gil will get suspicious if you don't try," Vittoria shrugged.
"Exactly, so I've already ruled out seducing him, and holding the bugs hostage, any ideas? Catherine suggests I seduce him long enough to tie him up then hold the bugs hostage and have this little guillotine, set up for show of course, until he signs a contract that he'll let me come back to work."
"Can I just say, I love how that woman's mind works," Vittoria laughed.
"I know," Sara agreed, "What's worse is Lindsey's got her mind and Eddie's scheming...now she's a scary little demon when she wants to be...held Gil's prize racing cockroach hostage to get Greg to take her to Celine Dion."
"Oh, poor Thomas," Vittoria laughed. "Brandon's already got his hands full since Lindsay arrived two weeks ago. She and Thomas have been almost inseparable. If she's not out with Michelle, she's out with Thomas."
"Hmm interesting... \should we tease Catherine about a wedding in her own future, and not her own I wonder," Sara mused with a smile.
"Give them a bit more time and I wouldn't be surprised. Lindsay's been drilling me on colleges in the area," Vittoria said.
"Oh, I'm definitely teasing Cath now," Sara grinned. "Come on, I managed to pack the old deck, what do you say to canasta while we wait for Gil to get back? Keep your mind off things, and we might be able to get him to play. I'm sure there's someone around here we can convince to be his partner so we can whip their butts... I taught Cath when I was going crazy the day before my wedding..."
"Anything to get my mid off tomorrow is a blessing. I'm so afraid everything is going to go wrong," Vittoria said as she led Sara over to where they could set up the deck.
"Breathe Ali, you got me and Catherine here...trust me, that woman is a wedding nazi and we all know I'm miss anal organization, we won't let anything go wrong."
"You promise?"
"Promise," Sara smiled.
Saturday June 20th, 2009
Washington DC
The White House
7:56 p.m. E.S.T
The day had been perfect. The weather had cooperated and the wedding went off without a hitch. They had been married in the gardens of the White House mid-afternoon, full Marine honor guard in attendance. After the wedding the entire wedding party had pictures taken in various places throughout the White House. Just as Vittoria had predicted, it looked like Lindsay and the President's eldest son had become totally enamored with each other over the course of the afternoon. She'd have to remember to ask Catherine how she felt about that.
After pictures had been taken, everyone made their way inside into the ballroom where the reception was being held. When dinner had been served and all the speeches had been made, Robert rose to his feet, tapping his fork against his glass to get everyone's attention.
"I'd like to thank you all for coming today," he said to the group at large which included not only close family and friends but a number of diplomats and politicians from around the globe. "I know it's not really customary for the groom to give a speech but I must ask your indulgence. I found this poem the other day and instantly knew that it applied to the beautiful woman sitting here at my side today. It is a poem written by E.E. Cummings," he said before turning and taking Vittoria's hand and gently pulling her to her feet so that she was now standing beside him.
"I carry your heart with me,
I carry it in my heart.
I am never without it,
Anywhere I go you go my dear
And whatever is done by only me
Is your doing, my darling
I fear not fate, for you are my fate, my sweet,
I want no world, for beautifully you are my world, my true,
And it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
And whatever a sun will always sing is you
Here is the deepest secret nobody knows
Here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
And the sky of the sky of a tree called life, which grows
Higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide
And this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart.
I carry your heart.
I carry it in my heart,"
"I carry your heart too, Robert," Vittoria said through her happy tears as she leant in and kissed him.
"All right Robert, that's enough," Brandon teased as he rose from his spot. "I believe it's now time for the bride and groom to share their first dance as husband and wife," he said indicating for the music to begin as Robert led Vittoria out onto the dance floor, everyone remaining seated to watch.
After dancing with a great number of the guests, including her brother Peter, Gil and Brandon, Vittoria was eager to dance with Robert once more and was finally able to get back to him just as a new song began playing.
Percussion, strings, winds, words…
Why do I have feeling about this?" wondered Vittoria with a laugh.
There you see her
Sitting there across the way
She don't got a lot to say
But there's something about her
"Should I be worried?" asked Robert, as he spun Vitorria around the floor.
And you don't know why
But you're dying to try
You wanna kiss the girl
When Robert leant in to kiss Vittoria, he soon found his arms empty and his wife in the arms of Brandon.
Yes, you want her
Look at her, you know you do
Possible she wants you to
There is one way to ask her
With a laugh, Brandon spun Vittoria back towards Robert, who quickly took her back in his arms.
It don't take a word
Not a single word
Go on and kiss the girl
Once again, when he went to kiss Vittoria, she'd been whisked away, this time by her brother Peter.
Sing with me now
Sha la la la la la, my ow my
Look like the boy too shy
Ain't going to kiss the girl
Sha la la la la la, ain't that sad
Ain't it a shame, to bad
He gonna miss the girl
Now's your moment
Floating in a blue lagoon
Boy, you'd better do it soon
No time will be better
Vittoria found herself once more being spun back to Robert's waiting arms.
She don't say a word
And she won't say a word
Until you kiss the girl
Sha la la la la la, don't be sacred
You got the mood prepared
Go on and kiss the girl
When Robert leant in to kiss Vittoria, for a third time, he found his arms empty and his wife being whisked away across the floor by Gill
Sha la la la la la, don't stop now
Don't try to hide it
How you wanna kiss the girl
Sha la la la la la, float alongAnd listen to the song
The song say kiss the girl
For a third time, Vittoria was returned to Robert's arms and they continued to dance once more.
Sha la la la la la, the music play
Do what the music say
You gotta kiss the girl
You've gotta kiss the girl
You wanna kiss the girl
You've gotta kiss the girl
Go on and kiss the girl
As the song came to an end, Robert was finally able to lean in and capture Vittoria's lips in a kiss, to much cheering by everyone watching.
"Think I'd get a Presidential pardon if I killed my best friend in the middle of our reception?" asked Vittoria as she leant her forehead against Robert's.
"Why do you want to kill her?" he asked curiously.
"Because she's the only one with enough guts to pull something like that off, here of all places," Vittoria replied.
"I see. You can try but I don't think Brandon would appreciate bloodshed in his ballroom," Robert replied.
"Damn," Vittoria smiled.
"Besides," Sara spoke up from behind her, "You'd have to kill me and your brother and your maid of honor and one of your bridesmaids and that would definitely go past moment of insanity into massacre territory."
"Wait, you got Peter, Catherine and Lindsay involved in this?" Vittoria demanded spinning to face Sara. "Stop that," she said smacking Robert's hands that were still on her waist as he laughed.
"I told you Lindsey was a scary little demon, especially when I told her my idea and she said she'd recruit help from others," Sara smiled bouncing on the balls of her feet.
"Oh that girl is so dead," Vittoria said as she started to walk off, only to stop suddenly when Robert suddenly picked her up and swung her around making her laugh.
"There will be no killing of anyone today Mrs. Kinsley, not when we have the honeymoon to look forward too," Robert told her as he set her back on her feet.
"Very smart man, and I think his best friend's son might be a bit upset if you kill his new favorite person in the world," Sara winked. "And I need to go rescue my son from said person so..."
"Do you think they'd notice if we snuck out early?" asked Vittoria leaning into Robert as they began to slowly dance.
"Unfortunately," Robert said.
"I thought as much," Vittoria sighed as she laid her head on his shoulder and let him lead her around the dance floor.