xSamiliciousx - Thank you! I'm glad you stuck it out and I'm glad you like it!

CaitlinTierney - Aw thank you! I have the email and I shall sit down with it tonight! (And I agree - he's totally hot!)

BlueEyedGunSlinger - Oh, I forgot about Dr. Seuss! Definately! Glad you enjoyed!

Aphina - I think I need to read that one! I know what you mean - god help my kids if I ever have them, because they'll hate me for keeping them safe!

Trizzy - I haven't thought that far ahead in my story - I haven't even worked out where to put Lucy in it. So there's probably nothing to worry about for the next hundred chapters (LOL)

Bmangaka - yeah, I will accept that comparison. My urge to write disappeared for the longest time. I'm hoping it will make a reappearence for this story soon! (it feels forever ago but I did have a good Christmas, thanks)

DreamerChild88 - Oh, I just want to go out and increase my book collection now! Chase will be about - I just have to re-channel him - it's been so long!

sparkyCSI - I have one chapter for you. Hopefully two :s I hope you're feeling better, btw!

DannyMessersGirl324iLOVEhim - I'm glad you enjoyed! Did you get your book finished?

Thoren - :) Occasionally I can surprise! Sadly not this time though.

meadow567 - The Hungry Catapiller is my favouritist (I know I made that word up) book! My friend had a baby and I got it for him, even he can't read it for a few years

animeotaku88 - thank you!

TVjunkie323 - I have seen it, and I will admit, I didn't see that coming. And I don't think it's been mentioned since... Like Louie, that will go onto the shelf of mystery.

Hmmm, I was going to say there are no spoilers, but I suppose there kinda are for 5:18; Point of No Return. Other than that, as usual - enourmous thanks for my beta, sparky!

Chapter 231: Today could be the last day of your life

'Taylor?'

Taylor stuck her head out of the laundry room. She hadn't had a ghostly visit and whilst Flack was in the living room playing on his latest obsession – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – she was taking the opportunity to catch up on some chores. 'In here, Marty,' she called.

Marty appeared in the kitchen moments later looking a little… nervous.

Taylor arched an eyebrow as she stepped out of the laundry room. 'Are you alright?' she asked him.

'Tay, I need a favor,' he frowned.

Taylor returned the frown. 'What's up?'

He scratched the back of his neck and shrugged. 'What would you say if I asked you to be my best man?'

Taylor blinked. 'I'm not a man,' she said, blurting out the first thing that came to mind.

Marty rolled his eyes at her. 'So is that a no?'

'No,' Taylor told him. She shook her head. 'You're getting married?'

Marty nodded. 'And she catches on.'

Taylor grinned and leapt at him, tripping on a pile of laundry. He caught her, accepting her clumsy hug. 'When?'

'In about an hour's time?'

Taylor let go and took a step back. 'I beg your pardon? I thought you just said you were getting married in an hour,' she told him, eyeing him suspiciously. 'And you can't possibly have said that, because that would be insane, and there's no way in hell that Dallas would let you two have a wedding without having a little more notice.'

The hand was back to scratching the back of his neck. 'Actually, I did say an hour's time. And I'm not marrying Dallas.'

Taylor's mouth flopped open for all of five seconds before she gave her friend a shove. 'When did you finish things with Dallas and why the hell am I only now finding out about this?!' she snapped at him.

Marty sighed, leaning back against the counter. 'A while ago. Things just weren't… working out,' he shrugged at her. 'I've been working a lot,' he added.

Taylor's hands found her hips as she glared at him. 'So let me get this right? You have been working so much that you couldn't find two minutes to say, oh, Taylor, by the way… me and Dallas aren't a me and Dallas anymore, but you could find the time to not only start dating someone new, but also propose to them?' With an exasperated grunt, she punched Marty's arm.

'Hey!' he objected.

'Oh, you deserved it,' Taylor snapped at him. 'So who is the woman?'

Marty cracked a half grin. 'Jealous?'

Taylor made a noise resembling a growl in the back of her throat and punched his arm again.

Marty opened his mouth to object but instead sighed. 'Yeah, I deserved that one too,' he admitted.

'Damn right you did,' Taylor snapped at him. 'Well, who is the woman that is happy to marry you after knowing you all of five minutes? What corner did you find her on?'

'It was the ER, actually.'

Taylor whirled around to find a young woman with wavy dark hair, wearing an off-white cream suite, standing in the doorway.

'You brought her here?' Taylor screeched.

'You'll have to forgive Taylor,' Flack announced, appearing behind Marty's fiancé. 'When she gets excited she tends to reach decibels that only bats can hear.' He squeezed past the woman and walked over to Taylor placing both hands squarely on her shoulders. 'She also forgets her manners.'

'Marty is getting married,' Taylor started to explain, trying not to grit her teeth as she did so.

Flack nodded. 'Yeah, I heard your half of the conversation over the sound of gunfire and explosions as a fourteen year old in Belgium kicked my ass.'

Marty laughed. 'You got owned by a kid half your age?'

Flack turned his head to roll his eyes at Marty. 'I was distracted by the screeching in the kitchen.'

'I do not screech,' Taylor said, pouting.

'You do, Tay,' Flack told her, patting her shoulder. 'However, that's not the issue here. Neither is who won or lost on Call of Duty.' Flack turned and extended his hand to the woman who was still standing in the doorway. 'Hi, I'm Don Flack. Welcome to our very dysfunctional household. And congratulations!'

'I'm Anabel,' the woman smiled at him. 'And it's alright. I would be a little shocked if my best friend only gave me half an hour's notice on her wedding, especially when I hadn't had chance to vet her choice.' She stepped into the room and smiled at Taylor. 'I know it's sudden, but it's what we want.'

Taylor frowned and stared over at Marty, who was watching her warily. He smiled at her, but for some reason, the smile didn't quite meet his grey eyes. 'If it's what you really want?' Taylor asked him.

Marty glanced at Anabel before nodding.

Taylor inhaled sharply before turning to Flack. 'Right, we'd best get changed.'

Marty let out a groan, his head falling backwards. 'Come on, Taylor! I'm getting married in an hour!'

'Marty Pino, let's get one thing straight. I am not turning up to any wedding in my sweat pants and flip flops. You can wait five minutes while I get changed.'

'Yeah,' Marty agreed. 'I can wait for you to get changed, but I am not waiting for you to shower, do your hair, get your make up on…'

'If you'd have given me more notice, I would have already done those things. However, you're going to have to put up with me unshowered and smelling of cleaning products. And that's your fault,' she turned on her heel and strode out of the kitchen. Her head was in the wardrobe, fishing out a dress when Flack appeared in the room, pulling off his t-shirt. 'I can't believe he didn't tell me.'

'I can't say I blame him when you react like that,' Flack shrugged.

Taylor pulled the sky blue dress over her head. 'Riley's going to be pissed. If I'd have known, I'd have made sure she wasn't spending the day with Chase.' She frowned. 'He's supposed to be coming around for dinner later.'

'And he still will do. He can join us in our celebrations,' Flack told her as he ushered her out of the door and back downstairs.

---

"You're quiet," Flack whispered into Taylor's ear as they were seated in a noisy section of Chili's. Taylor glanced over at Marty who was explaining an emergency operation he had done in the ER, complete with his steak and a bottle of ketchup, that Anabel, Riley and Chase were thoroughly engrossed in.

She frowned and prodded the salad in front of her. She hadn't had an appetite when she'd ordered and now that the food was in front of her, she was still waiting for it to make an appearance.

There was just something about the whole thing that didn't feel… right. They made it to the church on time. Or rather, to the courthouse, for a quick ceremony. She and Flack had been the only witnesses – none of Marty's family had turned up, and Taylor was certain that when Pauline, his mother, found out that he had gotten married without her knowledge, she would never forgive him. There was also the fact that even though she and Marty were close, at the very least, Sheldon should have been there too. And Danny. And even Marty and Sid got on well.

She could get past the lack of guests though. At the end of the day, plenty of people upped and eloped. Or, got married in secret without their friends and family there. If she had to put her finger on it, it was the lack of conviction on either the bride or groom's faces. Even their kiss didn't seem particularly convincing, rather clumsy and awkward.

Even now, the pair seemed relieved that the two teenagers were there, occupying the time, almost as though they didn't want to spend time alone. In fact, seated in the middle of the restaurant, it seemed like nothing more than a family meal.

"Taylor?"

Taylor glanced over at Flack and gave him a small smile. "It's nothing," she muttered softly.

"I guess it means we get that spare room back," he muttered.

"Huh?" Taylor frowned up at him.

Flack frowned back. "Where has your head been?" he asked her. "He's moving in with Anabel. Hell, judging from what they were saying, it sounds like he's already in. That's one less person to worry about."

"One less person to worry about what?" she asked him, her eyes never leaving the newly married couple.

"Really?!" Flack asked her in amazement. "You really had to ask that?"

Taylor turned her head and stared at Flack in confusion. "Huh?"

"Taylor, are you jealous?" he asked her calmly.

The confusion turned into a look of bewilderment. "Huh?!"

"You haven't stopped glaring at Anabel since we sat down," he informed her.

"I'm not jealous," she snapped at him. "I just think this whole wedding is a sham and she's probably marrying him for his money." Taylor froze, suddenly aware that the table had gone quiet. She slowly turned her head, and sure enough, everyone was staring at her. She sighed and pulled her napkin off her lap, dropping it on the table. "Excuse me," she muttered and left the table.

"Sorry, Pino," Flack apologized as he got to his feet.

Marty shook his head, getting up. "I'll be honest, I expected worse," he told him. "I'll go talk to her."

He found her outside, leaning against a mailbox, staring down the street. "Well as far as speeches go from the Best Man, that's gotta be up there," he told her.

"Not my finest moment, I'll admit," Taylor sighed.

"So, you jealous or something?"

Taylor looked up at him and rolled her eyes. "Puh-lease, you're as bad as Don. I'm not jealous. I'm just concerned."

"You're the only person voicing that opinion," Marty shrugged.

Taylor narrowed her eyes. "Oh, so you mean Sid knows, and he approves? Or Stella? I bet even Grace the stalker sidekick of Don's would agree with me."

Marty let out a long breath and kicked at the leg of the mailbox. "Yeah, you're right, they don't know."

"There's a shocker," Taylor muttered. "Did you knock her up?"

Marty moved from her side so he was stood in front of her and waited for her eyes to meet his. "You trust me?"

Taylor nodded.

"Then trust this: I have not gone into this lightly and I know what I'm doing," he grinned. "And I can assure you, she's not marrying me for my money."

---

The drive home was a long one, after making a slight detour to Jersey to drop Chase off, but it seemed like every other car was a yellow cab – with someone in the back. 'I never thought that would be such a nice sight,' Taylor muttered from the passenger seat.

'What's that?' Flack asked her.

'The thriving ant colony that is the NYC Yellow Cab company,' she mused. 'It will be nice to have a peaceful night tonight.'

Flack shot her sideways glance. 'You know you've just jinxed it, right?'

Taylor shook her head. 'Nope. Positive thinking is going to win this one and I'm looking forward to spending a night with you,' she grinned.

'Ew!' Riley exclaimed from the backseat. Taylor laughed, pulling her phone out of her purse.

'You really haven't gotten a text at this time of night, have you?' Flack asked in disbelief.

'Nope,' Taylor told him. 'I'm making sure to put it on silent.'

'You're asking for trouble,' Flack warned her as they neared the house.

'Who's sitting on the steps?' Taylor asked with a frown, as she stared at the person sat in the shadows, two obvious lumps beside him.

They pulled up outside the house and the figure looked up. For a second, Taylor was almost convinced she was looking at Flack.

'Sean?' Flack said in surprise, getting out of the vehicle. Taylor quickly followed him.

'Surprise,' Sean said, beaming.

'What are you doing here?' Flack asked him.

'I can't pay my big brother a visit?' Sean asked with a grin which was uncannily similar to his brother's. He glanced at Riley and frowned. 'Wow! How long have I been gone?'

'She's not mine, you doofas!' Flack told him.

Sean arched an eyebrow. 'Doofas?'

Taylor let out a laugh and held out her hand. 'That's my influence. Sorry. Taylor,' she introduced herself.

Sean ignored the hand and pulled her into a hug. 'So you're the crazy one?'

'Excuse me?' Taylor asked incredulously.

Sean took a step back and shrugged. 'You said yes to my brother. You must be insane.'

'You might be on to something there,' she laughed.

'Hey,' Flack objected. 'If we're going to spend all night insulting me, can we move it inside?'

Sean winked at Riley. 'Probably a good idea. The tales I could tell about Donnie here will have you up all night.'

Flack ushered his brother into the house amid the laughter. 'I think we will be keeping all conversations to a PG-13 level, tops.'

I'm back! Have you missed me? lol!

On a more serious note - big thanks to everyone who has added me on alerts and favourites, and also big thanks to all of you who are still reading!!!!