"Ok, what kind of cake do you want do for the reception," Jazz asked Alex, as the two sat at a table in Jazz's bakery called Enchanted Delights.
It was only a few months until the wedding and Alex still had a lot of details to work out. Perry and her had talked about a ceremony sometime in August before Thanksgiving and Christmas arrived, which was always a very busy time for everyone. August was a good month as Alex was off for the summer that school didn't start up again for sometime. She and Perry would have time for a nice, long honeymoon after the reception before school started. She had told Perry that she didn't care where they went so long as it was nice and warm and had left him to plan their honeymoon, as she was certainly busy enough planning her wedding and teaching her classes.
"Chocolate cake," Alex said having thought about it quite a bit. "Is it possible to do one with banana pudding in the middle?"
"Yes," Jazz agreed. "I might have to experiment some, though there are such things as cakes with pudding in them, so I'll just substitute banana pudding for vanilla or something."
"I'm sure you'll come up with something spectacular," Alex said.
"At least I have plenty of time to come up with the design, since your wedding isn't for a few months," Jazz said. "How many people will be attending?"
"You know how large your family is and Shonda said at least half of those will probably be there, so plan for at least 200 to 300 which doesn't include my family or the other people I want to invite, so I would plan for at least 50 or 60 additional guests. If there's some cake left over we can always freeze it, as Perry has a extra freezer in his garage."
"So probably around 400 or so," Jazz estimated. "If there's extra cake it doesn't matter, as it will get eaten at some point, so I'm gonna do a five layer cake."
Jazz and Alex discussed ideas for the design of the cake for a few minutes before both women were satisfied.
"That cake is going to be massive," Alex said, "but then it is my wedding."
"I'll transport it to the venue the day of," Jazz promised. "We might have to put it together after it gets there and just bring the different sections separately."
"You can send the bill to my father," Alex told Jazz. "He's paying half of the cost for my wedding."
"Oh no, they'll be no charge your family," Jazz said simply.
"But..." Alex started to protest.
"It's been my policy for very long time," Jazz told her firmly in a quiet voice not wanting to be overheard. "You can ask Perry and he'll tell you the same thing I just did. I don't charge family."
"But that's not fair you," Alex tried to protest. "You deserve some compensation for your expertise if nothing else."
"You know my son-in-law Spencer told me basically the same thing when I didn't charge him for the treats he picked up for my daughter and we convinced him to just drop it. I am very wealthy I promise you and I don't need the extra money that this cake would bring. Even if I didn't open a bakery every time Dave and I moved somewhere new he's helped me invest, so that I'll never go broke. I've never been a spendthrift, except on rare occasions, but it's nice to have just in case you need it."
"I'm not gonna change your mind am I," Alex said, as she studied Jazz's expression, which was stubborn and one could've said mulish.
"Nope, you're not, so there's no point of arguing," Jazz told her. "I told Spencer the same thing at one time. It's my expertise and my time and if I don't want to charge you then I won't."
"Alright, fine, but I feel guilty for not paying you something, as a cake like that would be several hundred dollars. It feels like I'm cheating you out of what you rightfully deserve," Alex said.
"You're not and you'll never pay whenever you choose to get something from my bakery," Jazz told her firmly.
Alex gave in then, but she still didn't like it.
~~~Perry and Alex~~~
"Nope, Aunt Jazz never charges family for any of her products," Perry said shaking his head once Alex had told him about her conversation with Jazz. "I'm sure she already told you that she's very wealthy and not only from opening a bakery every time she and Uncle Dave move somewhere new, but because my uncle helped her to invest a very long time ago."
"I suppose there's no point of talking about it," Alex sighed. "I'm not going change your aunt's mind so there's no point to arguing with her about her practice of giving family her desserts for free. I suppose it does cut down on the cost for the wedding, which isn't necessarily a bad thing."
"No, it's not," Perry agreed, even as he took Alex in his arms and kissed her soundly. "I'm looking forward to our wedding day."
"So am I," Alex promised him smiling.
Alex was already mostly immortal, since she and Perry had started having sex several months ago and it wouldn't be long now before she was fully immortal, certainly before the wedding.
Alex had enjoyed having sex with Perry a great deal and she suspected that she'd always love it when they did the deed. Perry was an excellent lover and she participated wholeheartedly.
"Sometime in the next few days we need to see if you're immortal, as I don't want to risk getting you pregnant until after we're married," Perry said.
"How do we do that?" Alex asked curiously.
"You simply take a knife and cut yourself on your finger shallowly and if it heals in a few seconds then you're immortal," Perry explained.
"I should've known as that's what your father did when he was demonstrating his immortality," Alex said in understanding.
"Exactly, it's easier and less painful than breaking a bone, which is another way for an immortal to show someone what they are," Perry said.
"Well, we've been having sex for awhile now, so it's possible I already am," Alex said.
"So we need to test it," Perry said.
"We can do that now if you like, so we're not left wondering if I am or not," Alex suggested.
"If you want," Perry agreed. "Let's do it into the kitchen and you can hold your hand over the sink, so you don't get blood on the floor or your clothes."
"A good idea," Alex agreed, as she in Perry went to the kitchen.
Alex held her hand over the sink, as Perry took a knife out of her knife block and barely cut a shallow place on the back of her finger below the knuckle. If it didn't heal right away it wasn't anything that a little medicine and a Band-Aid wouldn't cover if necessary.
Both of them watched intently as the cut healed up in just a few seconds. Perry cut a deeper place on the back of her hand this time and Alex winced at the sharp pain but also watched, as that place also healed in 10 seconds.
"Well, I would say you're now immortal," Perry said beyond pleased if his smile was any indication. "I'll have to start using a condom whenever we make love until our official wedding night, as I don't want to get you pregnant."
"No, I don't want to get pregnant either, as my father would kill me," Alex said winced, as she imagined her father's reaction.
"Our wedding is not far away and it won't be long at all until we're married. The time will pass fast," Perry said soothingly. "If you get pregnant on our honeymoon I'll be ecstatic."
"I have no idea how fertile I am since I've never had a child, but I'll be very happy if I do get pregnant then just not before," Alex said. "I should get a prescription for birth control pills at least until after the wedding and that way you wouldn't have to use a condom."
"I'll just use a condom, as it's not that long until the wedding and you won't get through more than one bottle and part of a second. You can get birth control pills after we're done having children for a few decades."
"I should've thought about getting some after we started having sex but since you were immortal I didn't think it was necessary, but since I'm now like you are I can get pregnant," Alex said thinking about it.
"I know you've had a lot on your mind," Perry said. "It's no wonder you didn't think about it until now."
"I guess you could just use condoms from now until after we're married," Alex decided.
"That's fine with me," Perry promised, even as he kissed her tenderly. "I can't wait to marry you and I am looking forward to sharing my immortality with the woman I love."
"I feel exactly the same," Alex promised him cuddling into Perry's arms contentedly.
~~~Perry and Alex~~~
Epilogue
"Congratulations to you both. It was a lovely ceremony," Damon told Alex and Perry.
Damon had proudly walked his daughter down the aisle to where Perry was waiting at the end. Damon and his wife and had been introduced to Perry's parents as well as as his aunt and uncle. While none of the above looked like their supposed age they had put white or gray in their hair to make them look a few years older and the lines around their eyes and mouths from smiling and laughing a lot helped age them a little.
Damon and Hanna liked the Rossis and the Hotchners a lot as they got to talking before the wedding.
When Hanna had asked how they were related as they didn't look a thing alike Shonda had explained, that technically they weren't, but she and Jazz had been best friends all their lives and so they just thought of each other as family.
"I was an only child," Shonda had explained. "Jazz, is the sister I never had. We did everything together when we were growing up. I was the first person Jazz thought of to be named godmother to her oldest daughter as she met Dave first. The Rossis are family, it's as simple as that."
Damon at that time had observed that just because they weren't technically related didn't mean they didn't think of each other as family.
"Thank you, it was," Perry agreed, even as he held Alex close. "It was certainly the happiest day of my life."
"That's the way it should be son," Damon told Perry patting him on the back.
"So what about a dance my lady?" Perry offered.
"That sounds good kind sir," Alex agreed taking her new husband's hand.
"Don't they look great together," Hanna asked her husband.
"Yes, they do. They remind me of us when we married over 40 years ago," Damon said. "Alex looks blissfully happy and that's all we ever wanted for her."
"That's true, though some grandchildren would be nice," Hanna said.
"I'm sure they'll provide some in due time," Damon said.
"I'm so glad that they met," Hanna said. "I won't say I was happy to hear how they met, but that doesn't mean I'm not overjoyed for them."
"Sometimes the strongest bonds are forged out of circumstances exactly like what happened to our daughter," Damon told Hanna. "I know Alex was lucky that Perry was running around the track in Central Park and he heard her scream. Yes, I know very well what could have happened if Perry hadn't been there, but why dwell on what ifs?"
"Just listen to you," Hanna said looking at her husband in amazement. "That doesn't sound like a man I've been married to for over 40 years now."
"I'm retired now," Damon told Hanna. "The fact that I really like Perry helps me forget how they met."
"There is that," Hanna agreed, as she watched her daughter and her new husband dance closely together. Alex was completely relaxed in Perry's arms her head on his shoulder. As for Perry, he was looking down at Alex his expression reverent. It was as if he was holding a precious treasure that he couldn't believe he had found.
Damon and Hanna watched, as Perry kissed Alex on the top of the head and held her a little tighter.
Alex looked up and said something softly and Perry replied. It was then that Damon finally turned away as he saw how happy his daughter was and that was all that mattered.
"Come, let's go get us some food and quit spying on our daughter and her new husband," Damon told Hanna softly.
"I suppose so," Hanna feeling a little sad that her daughter now had a husband of her own and that she was all grown up. Really though, she'd been grown-up for years so she was just feeling nostalgic. It would pass she knew and so she finally turned away and follow Damon over to where the food has been placed on several long tables.
This was a very happy day for her as she had seen her daughter marry the man she loved. Hanna knew they would be happy for many years and have several children she was sure.
She would look forward to those grandchildren and spoil them rotten when they were born. Hannah glanced over at Alex and Perry one more time before she concentrated on the plate of food she had gotten from the buffet.
Life at the moment was very good.
