Chapter 29
Amelia and Oliver walked into her house to find her brothers fighting over who was going to cook dinner. "I'll do it," she said, ending the argument. "Just all go to your corners." She set to making dinner, with Oliver's help.
"When we're done, do you want to sneak out to your tree house?" Oliver suggested.
"What did you have in mind for that adventure?" she teased.
"I thought we could talk about things," he said. "It will give us privacy, at least for a while."
She nodded and led Oliver to her room to drop off his belongings while dinner was cooking. Then, they joined her brothers in the sitting room until it was time to eat. Amelia's brothers started to pester Oliver, but she cut them off.
After dinner was done, Amelia ordered her brothers to do the dishes and she and Oliver went to the tree house. "What has you looking so scared?" he asked.
"What they're not telling us about my dad," she said. "I'm worried his condition is worse than anyone is letting on." Oliver had sat with his back against the wall and she sat next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. He grabbed her hand and entwined their fingers together.
"I'm sorry," he said, quietly. "I wish I could do more to fix it."
"Oliver, can I ask you something?" she said after a few minutes of silence.
"You can ask anything you want," he promised.
"Can we not talk about us tonight? I need one night of just knowing that we're o.k. right now," she begged.
"We are o.k.," he said. "We always have been o.k. We each just needed a night alone. And for tonight, we can talk about anything you want. Everything else will wait."
"Will you sleep with me tonight?" she asked.
"Of course, but you have to promise to keep your brothers from bludgeoning me," he joked.
"I thought I've told you already that I won't be able to keep my brothers from bludgeoning you," she teased. "But, really, I'll keep them off your back."
They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes. Then, Amelia turned to Oliver and said, "I got a call yesterday from one of my instructors."
"And?"
"I've been offered a gig," she said, triumphantly. "I'll be playing at a pub on a Saturday night after I get back to London. Will you come?"
"Nothing can keep me away," he promised. "Are you ready to go inside?"
She nodded and Oliver stood; then he helped her up and they climbed out of the tree house and returned to the main house. What Amelia saw only made her want to go back to the tree house. "What the hell is wrong with you lot?" she shouted. "I asked you to do one bloody thing and you've now left the dishes for me to clean?"
"But you can do magic," Jack whined. Mike, Jaime, and Brandon all had the decency to look rather sheepish.
"In that case, Jack, I'll hex you until you go and wash the dishes," she threatened. She even pulled her wand but Brandon led the way and forced the others to help him clean the kitchen and put away the dishes. Amelia led Oliver up the stairs to her room where new tears threatened to spill.
"What do you need?" he asked.
"I need my dad to be o.k.; I need my mum to come home and beat that lot senseless, and I really need a bath," she cried.
"Alright. The first two, I can't really help. But the last, can be arranged. I'll go draw you a bath," he promised. She lay on her bed while Oliver went and got the bath ready for her. When he returned, he carried her into the bathroom and let her have a nice soak.
"Where is Amelia?" Brandon asked from her doorway. Oliver had plopped himself on her bed and was reading a book.
"In the bath," he answered. "And if you disturb her, I will make your life hell."
"I have no intention of disturbing her," Brandon promised. "I came to apologize for our behavior earlier."
"It's fine, Bran," Amelia said from behind him. "I'm going to bed since I've got the early shift at hospital tomorrow." She tossed Brandon from her room and climbed into her bed. Oliver got up and tossed his trousers and shirt off. Then, he climbed into bed with her.
"Marry me," Oliver whispered to her.
"I thought we weren't talking about us tonight," she scolded.
"I'm not talking; I'm asking," Oliver said. "And if the last few days have taught us anything, it's that life is fragile. Marry me?"
"Yes," she answered. "Do you have it?"
"Of course," he promised. He leapt out of bed and grabbed her ring from his pocket. "Promise not to give it back again?"
"Of course," she replied. He slid the ring onto her finger and they went to sleep happy.
Amelia woke and found that she had rolled on top of Oliver in the night. She looked down and noticed him waking. "Is this why you stripped to your pants before bed?" she asked.
"Yes, love," he answered. "You frequently find you way on top of me in the night. Usually, I roll you off, but apparently I didn't."
"I'm sort of glad you didn't," she said, taking full advantage of the fact that she was in a good position to snog him silly.
He had just flipped them over and started on her shirt when Jack burst in the door. "What is going on?" he shouted.
"Bloody hell, Jack, get out!" Amelia ordered.
"Shut up, Amelia," Jack countered. "I'm here making sure you lot aren't doing anything Mum and Dad would disapprove of."
"And it's none of your business," Amelia growled. She had gotten out of her bed and was standing toe to toe with her brother. "Now, get out of my room."
Jack glared until Oliver added, "Look, we have to get dressed for our shift at hospital with your dad. Leave so she can change and I can nip into the shower." Jack was not thrilled, but he appreciated Oliver's logic and left, but not before throwing a murderous glare at Oliver.
Amelia and Oliver arrived at the hospital and sent her mother home for some much needed rest. Oliver fetched them coffees from the hospital café and chatted with her. They were tossed from the room for a brief period so that the doctors could run some tests.
"Marry me tomorrow," Oliver suggested.
"Ol, there are so many things wrong with that suggestion that I wouldn't know where to begin," she protested.
"Start listing them at random," he ordered.
"We don't have a license, I don't have a dress, your parents are in Scotland and my father's not even out of a coma yet," she started. "And don't forget that we don't have a venue, a cake, flowers, or anything else, and we got engaged last night. Not to mention that until yesterday, we weren't sure about getting married at all. Once it's done, it can't be undone."
"We can get a license and you'll look beautiful no matter what you wear. My parents can apparate here and I don't need any of the other stuff," he reasoned. "As far as being sure, I've been sure I wanted to marry you for years, Ames. I need you and I need to know that if forever ends next week I got to marry you. Is there anyone other than my parents that you would want here that isn't here?"
"No," she answered, truthfully. "But I'm still not sure about tomorrow."
"Marry him," they heard her father say.
"Daddy!" she cried. "You're awake?"
"For about half of that conversation," he mumbled. "Marry that boy tomorrow. You can do it here."
"But Mum and the rest," she started.
"They'll be here, Amelia. Marry that boy and do it as soon as possible," Joseph ordered.
"Fine, but Oliver has to tell Mum, and we should call her and tell her you're awake," Amelia said. Oliver was already on the phone to her mum.
"She's on her way," he said when he hung up. "I'm going to step out for a moment, but I'll be right back." Oliver left the hospital and went to get a marriage license; then, he apparated to his parents' home in East Kilbride.
"Mum! Da!" he called. "Where are you?"
"We're here," Jane replied. "What's going on? Did something happen with Amelia?"
"Yes and no," he answered. "Something's happened, but it's something good. Her father was in an accident a few days ago, so she's been in Leeds. I came to her yesterday and we got engaged. You should probably sit down." He noticed that his parents were standing in the front room and assumed that they would be marginally upset by the news that he was planning to marry the next day.
"We're getting married tomorrow," Oliver stated.
His parents gasped and then his father shouted, "What is wrong with you, Oliver? Did you get that girl pregnant?"
"No, Da, but if her father's accident has taught me anything it's that life is fleeting and I'd rather have a day of being married to her than a lifetime of regretting that I didn't do it when I had the chance," Oliver explained calmly. "I've loved her for years, Da. And everything else, we can work out."
"You'll want us there?" Jane asked.
"Of course, Mum," Oliver said. "That's why I'm here. I want you and Da to come to Leeds tomorrow. Her father's in the hospital, in room 346."
"What time?" Jane asked.
"Be there at one o'clock," he said. "I've got to get back." Then, he apparated back to Leeds and walked into the hospital hallway to hear Camilla shouting.
"What do you mean you're getting married tomorrow?!"
"Mum," Amelia started, "we want to get married. Daddy said we should."
"It's true," Joseph groaned.
Camilla turned and noticed that Oliver had joined the group in Joseph's hospital room. She glared at him until he stepped to Amelia's side. "And where have you been?" Camilla demanded.
"I've been getting this," he said. He pulled out the marriage license. "It won't, strictly speaking, be legal for 2 weeks, but we can get married tomorrow. I've also gotten a justice to perform the wedding and stopped by my parents' house to invite them."
"You're really doing this?" Camilla asked.
"That's the plan," Oliver said; Amelia nodded.
"Alright," Camilla sighed. "You should go and get something appropriate to wear, Amelia."
"Yes, Mum," Amelia replied. "Come on, Ol. You get to go dress shopping with me again." She grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the hospital.
They left the hospital and went to a shop nearby. Amelia refused to show Oliver any of the dresses and insisted that he simply wait for her while she tried them on. She eventually chose a very simple dress in light pink. Then, she asked whether he had a suit with him. When he answered that he did not, she took him to get him proper attire for an elopement.
An hour later, she ducked them into an alley to apparate back to her parents' house to drop off their clothes and then back to the hospital. Her brothers were there and all, but Jack, offered Oliver pats on the back and congratulations. Jack didn't say anything, but glared. Amelia whispered to Oliver, "Give me a minute." He nodded and she took Jack into the hallway.
"I know this is sudden, Jack," she started.
"It's not like you," he said. "What happened to my little sister?"
"She grew up and isn't a child anymore," she said. "And I wish you could just be happy for me for once."
"I'm happy for you, Ames, and I'm scared for you, too," Jack admitted. "I just don't want to see you hurt again."
"I won't get hurt again," she promised. "I won't let it happen."
"Then promise me this," Jack said. "Name your first child after me." She giggled and smacked her brother on his arm; he smirked at her and put her in a headlock. "Seriously, Ames, promise me that if it gets bad or doesn't work out, you'll call me."
"I promise," she said.
"Jack," Oliver said, startling them both. "I'm going to need a best man tomorrow. Will you?"
"Sure," Jack promised. "But know this, Wood. If you hurt so much as a hair on her head I will murder you in ways you can't even imagine."
"Fair enough," Oliver replied.
Jack left Oliver and Amelia in the hallway. "Thank you," she said. "For including Jack."
"He obviously cares a lot about you," Oliver said. "And it's important to me to include your family members as much as possible. Not to mention that I don't have any siblings and I've no intention of bringing any of my teammates in."
"I still appreciate it," she said. "And Jack appreciates it."
"I heard what he said," Oliver admitted. "And just to ease your pretty mind, I've no intention of ever hurting you again."
"You have to promise you won't run," she said. "Whenever we get into a fight, you run and I need to know you'll stick around and fight with me."
"I promise," he said. "So, are you hungry? I think the rest of them are planning to get something to eat."
"Yeah," she answered.
They left with her brothers and went to get food. When they returned, her mother informed them that she had managed to reserve the hospital chapel for the next day so that they could get married. Oliver and Amelia were touched by her efforts.