Houston – Saint Luke's Hospital – earlier
The elevator doors opened as Eunice quickly walked out of the elevator car and she saw the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes standing near the nurses' station. She had been in her office when he called her and she felt a ball of ice building in her stomach.
"Sir," she said and the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes turned to look at her. "Is it true?"
"Yes. It's true. Agent Smecker is awake," the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes said.
"Has he been told about his medical condition?"
"Yes."
"How did he take it?"
"He nearly died."
"Have you been in to see him?"
"Yes. He asked to see you and…"
"No! Tell me he didn't ask to see the Saints!"
"He is addiment about seeing them."
"Sir…."
"I know. But we have to keep him alive so he can stand trial for his crimes."
Eunice cleared her throat as a small smile appeared on her lips and the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes coughed a laugh.
"Is he awake now?" Eunice asked.
"Yes."
"Then I better go get them."
"I am sending a detail with you."
"I don't think they'll cause any trouble."
"They might refuse to go with you."
"You're right. They might. But sending armed forces…."
"We desperately need them to come see him."
Nodding, Eunice headed back down the hallway as she sighed and she felt anger boiling inside her. She pushed the button to call the elevator and she walked in the elevator car a few seconds later.
The Golden Cactus Ranch
"Connor and Murphy MacManus? You are needed," Eunice said as she looked at Connor and Murphy.
"Why is she actin' like that?" Murphy whispered to Connor. Connor looked at Eunice, the FBI agents, Lisa, Annie, Annabelle, Darcy, the ranch hands and the wedding guests when he got an idea and a blank look appeared on his face.
"What is it now?" Connor asked with the surfer accent and stood a little straighter.
"It's him," Eunice said after she figured out what he was doing. She watched Connor's face as he tried to figure out who she was talking about when he figured it out and Connor sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Again?!"
"Yes."
Murphy glanced from his twin to Eunice when he realized who they were talking about, and what Connor was doing, and Murphy folded his arms over his chest.
"I thought he was dead," Murphy as he curbed his accent and Eunice looked at him.
"He faked it. Again. The Head Office….," she said and Connor held up his right hand to silence her.
"Tell them we're busy," Connor said.
"As I was about to say…," she continued and Connor liked how she was ignoring him. "The Head Office demands your cooperation."
"They want our help in capturing him?" Murphy asked.
"No. He's been captured, but he is was injured and he is in the hospital."
"The Head Office want us to go see him?" Connor asked.
"Yes. He's addiment about seeing you."
"Why would the Head Office want us to see him?" Murphy asked.
"They're worried he will die before he can stand trial for his crimes."
"Is he that bad?" Connor asked and she nodded. He looked at Lisa, Darcy and Annie when he sighed and he lowered his head. "We have no choice. We have to go."
"No! You're not going anywhere!" Annie said after she figured out what her brothers were doing and she fought the urge to laugh. Eunice watched Annie heading for Connor and Murphy and Eunice's eyes widened when she saw Annie was in a wedding dress.
"Uh…," Eunice said and Annie glared at her.
"Yeah. You're interrupting my wedding," Annie said. Eunice glanced around for Diego then she frowned as she tilted her head to one side.
"Where is Agent Walker?"
"Right here," Diego said after he and Eric got out of the red truck. Eric had gone to get Diego and Eunice noticed the dark stains on the suit jacket, the shirt, the tie and the pants Diego was wearing. "What's going on?"
"We're needed," Connor explained and Diego looked at him then at Eunice. Diego thought for a few seconds then figured out what was going on and he frowned.
"Now?!"
"I am afraid so," Eunice said. "Mind explaining what happened to your clothes?"
"I was hit with rotten cattle feed balls," he said as he looked at his nephews.
"Why?"
"I guess it was their way of dealing with a demon."
"Wait! Who called you a demon?!" Annabelle asked while walking to him.
"They did," he said as he pointed to his nephews.
"An' why did you little heathens call him that?!"
"Because he is one!" Diego's sister, Frannie, said.
"He's the reason our father died!" Diego's sister, Alice, said.
"He died of a heart attack," Diego explained.
"You got shot and didn't die!" Diego's brother-in-law, Luke, said.
"He nearly died three times," Lisa said.
"He's got that demon dog!" Diego's sister, Mary Sue, said.
"Is he talkin' about yer wolf?" Annabelle asked as she looked at Diego.
"Yeah," Diego said then he looked his family. "Ok. His name is Devil, but he is a normal wolf and I have a license to keep him."
"He's right. He does," Lou said as he walked closer. He and his deputies has arrived shortly after Diego's sister called about Diego's nieces and nephews running off and he looked at Connor and Murphy. He had figured out what they were doing and he fought the urge to laugh. "Knew there was something odd about you two. Didn't figure you were FBI. Would explain how you knew so much about police stuff."
"Hank said you guys were cops," Kenny said.
"Yeah. Wish he was here to see this. He'd piss himself," Jeffrey said with a grin.
"That mean you're gonna stop treatin' us like shit?" Connor asked and they nodded.
"Now that we got that settled," Diego said then looked at Eunice. "We need to get going."
"Hold on! You're not going anywhere without us!" Lisa said after she and Darcy figured out what was going on and she and Darcy headed for Connor and Murphy.
"This might be dangerous," Connor said as he looked deeply into Lisa's eyes and Lisa arched an eyebrow.
"I survived being kidnapped by my crazy ex-husband. I think I can handle him."
"And I'm not going to be left behind," Annie said.
"Neither am I," Darcy said and Connor looked at Annabelle and Darcy's mother.
"Mother, will you and Darcy's mother look after the children until we get back?" Connor asked and Annabelle nodded after she figured out what was going on and tried hard not to laugh.
Connor led Annie, Lisa and Darcy to Lisa's car and they got in the car. Diego, Eric and Murphy got in the black sedan and the FBI agents got back in the black van. Eunice noticed the confusion on the faces of the wedding guests and the ranch hands as she nodded then got in the black sedan and the black sedan, the black van and Lisa's car headed down the drive.
Houston – Saint Luke's Hospital
The man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes watched while Eunice led Connor, Murphy, Diego, Eric, Annie, Lisa and Darcy toward the nurses' station and he saw the anger on Annie's face.
"It appears I have interrupted something," the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes said as he looked at Annie's wedding gown.
"Yeah. My wedding," Annie said and he looked at Diego.
"What happened to you?" he asked and Diego looked down at his clothes.
"Got pelted with rotten cattle feed balls," Diego explained.
"I see."
"Can we get on with this?" Lisa asked and the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes looked at her then he looked at Connor and Murphy.
"Why did you bring them?" he asked.
"They go where we go," Connor said then he looked down the hallway at the doorways to the hospital rooms. "Which room is he in?"
"Follow me."
They headed down the hallway while Annie held up the skirt of her wedding dressed and Diego walked next to her. He knew she was angry as he glanced at her and Annie looked straight ahead. They came to the ICU room with two FBI agents on either side of the doorway and Connor, Diego and Murphy thought back to their stay in the hospital.
"He's in there," the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes said and they looked in the room.
Smecker was lying on the bed with sheets pulled up to his lower chest and he was looking up at the ceiling. He had oxygen prongs up his nose and his hair stuck up around his head. He was connected to a heart monitor and the nurse was looking at the screen. The needle to the intravenous bag hanging on the metal pole was taped to his left forearm and the pulse clip and blood pressure gage was wrapped around his right index finger and his right bicep.
"Agent Smecker? You have visitors," the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes said.
"I don't want to see anyone," Paul said with a raspy voice.
"An' here we came all this way t'see you," Connor said and the nurse noticed the numbers on the screen to the heart monitor were going up.
"Are both of you here?"
"Not of our own free will," Murphy said.
"Get your asses in here."
"Sorry. That is not going to happen," Annie said and she entered the room. She walked to the bed as Smecker looked at her and he noticed Annie was in the wedding dress.
"What are you wearing?"
"It's a wedding dress."
"Oh. Right. You're engaged to Walker."
"Now that the pleasantries are over," Annie said as she leaned her hands on the mattress and he saw the anger in her eyes.
"Are you trying to intimidate me?"
"You bet yer fuckin' ass."
"And what, exactly, are you going to do? She'll call security if you try to hurt me," Paul said and Annie looked at the nurse.
"Would she think it's harmin' you if I do this?" Annie asked then she started sucking on her left index finger. Murphy and Connor glanced at each other then they looked at her and their eyes widened.
"Annie! You wouldn't!" Connor said and she turned to give him a sly grin.
"What is she going to do?!" Paul demanded and the numbers on the screen rose.
"You have to leave. His vital signs are getting too high," the nurse said.
"Not until he promises t'stay outta my brudders' lives," Annie said as she placed her hands on Smecker's shoulders and he barely felt her pushing down on him. The rage in her eyes reminded him of the look he had seen in Connor and Murphy's eyes back at the ranch.
"Annie? Come on. He's not worth it," Diego said as he walked to her and Smecker moved his eyes to look at him.
"Look at me," Annie said with a growl while Smecker quickly moved his eyes to look at her. "I need you t'understand summat. My brudders have been given a second chance. They no longer need t'hunt down an' get rid of scum wads like you. But they can't do that as long as you're on their asses. That means they will never know peace. They will always be lookin' behind them t'see if you're there. They will never be able t'settle down an' have a family. An' that is because they'll worry about you takin' their family an' usin' them as bait. Or turnin' their family members against them. You already did that with me. I was bait! Not jus' t'lure Diego into doin' what you wanted, but t'lure them out of hidin'. What I am tryin' t'say is they will have t'go back into exile. Hidin' somewhere they hope you will never find. Never seein' anyone. Never speakin' t'anyone. An' jus' not them. I will have t'go into exile. Why?! Because I will not allow them t'live out th'rest of their lives alone. Can you live with that?! Can you live knowing you have destroyed our lives!? Our peace of mind!? Our happiness?!"
Diego pulled Annie into a hug as she started sobbing and he started rocking her.
"She's right," Connor said and Smecker moved his eyes to look at him standing on the other side of the bed with Murphy standing next to him. "We are on th'cusp of havin' a happy endin'. Havin' a family. One that we've been lookin' fer since… Since… Hell… Since ferever. But we can't chance it. Not if you're gonna constantly be on our asses. It will break us inside, but we'll give it all up if it means keepin' them safe."
Lisa heard the truth in his voice and she swallowed the lump in her throat.
"I don't know if I could handle bein' in exile again. Not if I have no way of knowin' what's goin' on with th'people I've started carin' about. Never knowin' if they're alright. Missin' out on th'little things. Missin' out on th'big things. I'd go nuts," Murphy said.
Darcy heard the truth in his voice and she wiped the tears from her eyes.
"I'd go nuts as well," Connor said as he glanced at Murphy then he looked at Smecker. "But you don't care, do you? As long as you're able to…."
"Do you really think I'm going to be able to do anything?" Paul asked.
"Aye. We do," Annie said as she looked at the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes, Eunice and the FBI agents. "An' they're gonna help you."
"That will be enough," the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes said and Smecker watched them leave the room. He glanced at the nurse then went back to looking at the ceiling and Smecker frowned.
The Golden Cactus Ranch
The black sedan and Lisa's car pulled up in front of the farmhouse as the doors opened and Lisa, Darcy, Annie, Diego, Connor, Eric and Murphy got out of the cars and the black sedan headed down the drive. The screen door opened as Annabelle walked outside then she went down the stairs.
"Where is everyone?" Lisa asked.
"They're waitin' out back," Annabelle said.
"Even my sisters and their families?" Diego asked with a disgusted look on his face.
"Aye. Don't worry. Kenny an' Jeffrey are keepin' an eye on 'em. I also told those little brats that they're gonna have t'apologize t'you before th'weddin'. Didn't go well with their mothers, but I don't give a shit," she said and they headed for the porch. Connor held the screen door open as they went inside and he closed the door behind them.
A short time later, the guests sat on the white wooden chairs while soft wedding music played and Sibeal stood under the white wooden arch with Diego standing to his right. Connor and Murphy stood next to Diego's best man, Mark Williams, and Chandler and Peter stood at the end of the line of groomsmen. Both boys were surprised when Diego asked them to be junior groomsmen and Connor had smiled at them as they escorted guests to their seats.
The music changed as people stood and they looked down the aisle. Murphy could see Nichole standing at the end of the aisle, but she didn't seem like she wanted to move.
"Uh-oh," Murphy whispered and he headed down the aisle. Nichole looked up at him as Murphy knelt down on his haunches and she held the handle of the basket filled with rose pedals in her hands. "What's wrong, Princess?"
"There're people here," Nichole whispered.
"I know."
"They weren't here yesterday when we played wedding."
"Right. But remember what Mrs. Amy said?" he asked while glancing at Amy Sanders, the wedding coordinator.
"She said not to look at 'em. But they're looking at me."
"I got an idea," he said then stood so he was facing her. "Just look at me."
Nodding, she looked at Murphy while Murphy carefully walked backwards and she scattered the rose pedals onto the white runner going down the aisle. Murphy heard the whispers and soft laughter as they went by the guests and he smiled down at Nichole. They came to the end of the aisle when he knelt down on her haunches and he gave her a hug. Standing, he watched her head for Darcy's mother then he walked back to Connor.
"You're such a dad," Connor softly teased and Murphy lightly shoved him.
"Boys," Sibeal whispered with a tone their father would have used and they nodded then turned to watch Mark head down the aisle. Diego has asked him to be the ring boy and Mark held the white silk pillow with shamrocks imprinted on the fabric in his hands. He stopped near Diego when Mark handed the white silk pillow to Sibeal and Sibeal nodded. Mark went to sit next to Nichole and they watched Doc walk Annabelle down the aisle. She was wearing an emerald green dress and shoes and Doc wore a black suit, a white shirt, a black tie, a black leather belt and black shoes.
"You look amazing, Ann," Doc whispered and Annabelle blushed.
"Nah," she whispered.
"Aye," he said and he helped her sit on the white wooden chair. He headed back up the aisle and Connot and Murphy looked at each other.
"Where is he goin'?" Connor whispered.
"Dunno," Murphy whispered and the music changed. They watched the junior bridesmaids walking down the aisle then the bridesmaids and Connor smiled when he saw Lisa heading down the aisle. Darcy walked next to her and Murphy felt his stomach doing small flips. They both were the Matron of Honor and they nodded to Connor and Murphy after they got to the end of the aisle.
Lisa had her hair down and was wearing a green, sleeveless dress, nude hose, green high heels and the silver necklace Connor had given her for Christmas was around her neck.
Darcy was wearing a dark green, sleeveless dress, nude hose and black high heels and her hair floated down around her shoulders.
The music changed as everyone looked to see Annie heading down the aisle and Doc was walking next to her. He was shocked when she asked him to walk her down the aisle and he blinked the tears from his eyes.
"Fuck," he whispered and Annie patted his right arm. They came to the end of the aisle as Connor and Murphy smiled and Diego walked closer, taking hold of her right hand. They headed for Sibeal as Doc went to sit next to Annabelle and Annabelle took hold of his right hand, folding their fingers together.
"Be seated," Sibeal said and the guests sat on the white wooden chairs. He started the service while Diego held onto Annie's hands and Connor and Murphy glanced at Lisa and Darcy. "If there is anyone here who knows any reason these two should not be wed then let them speak now or forever hold yer peace."
Diego held his breath as he hoped none of his sisters, nieces, nephews or brothers-in-law said anything and he held tightly onto Annie's hands.
"Uh…," Lisa said and Annie shot a shocked look at her.
"Well….," Darcy said and Annie's eyes widened.
"Are you kidding me?!" Annie demanded.
"No. We want you two to get married. It's just…," Lisa said as she looked at Connor.
"We talked about this while you were getting your makeup redone," Darcy said and she looked at Murphy. Connor and Murphy locked eyes as they had a silent conversation then they walked to Lisa and Darcy.
"Is there summat you wanna say t'me?" Connor asked as he took hold of Lisa's hands and looked deeply into her eyes.
"I was thinking about what Annie said at the hospital. You really do deserve a happy ending. But I wasn't sure if you want to have it with me," Lisa said.
"You an' th'boys, you mean?" he asked and she nodded. "Of course, I do."
"Even with what happened with Sam?"
"Aye," he said when he remembered something and he smiled. "You really do know how to ruin a surprise."
Lisa watched as he reached into the right inner pocket of the suit jacket and he removed the small, black velvet box.
"Whoa!" Peter said as he ran to Connor.
"No way!" Chandler said and he went to stand next to his brother.
"I was gonna give this t'you at th'reception," Connor said as he opened the small, black velvet box and Lisa looked at the silver ring with small diamonds embedded in the ring. She removed the ring from the small, black velvet box and she looked at Connor. "Are you sure you wanna spend th'rest of yer life with me?"
"Does this answer your question?" Lisa asked as she held out her left hand and he slid the ring onto her left ring finger. The guests cheered as he lightly kissed her lips and the boys hugged them.
Darcy looked at Murphy as Mark and Nichole ran to them and Murphy was slightly startled when Nichole pulled on his fingers. His mind replayed the dream he had about the house and he looked down at her.
"Are you gonna give Mommy the surprise now, Papa?" Nichole asked. She had seen the small, black velvet box Murphy had sitting on the night table and he told her he was going to give what was inside to Darcy when they got to the hotel after the reception.
"What surprise?" Darcy asked with a small grin.
"This," Murphy said as he removed the small, black velvet box from the left inner pocket of the suit jacket and he held the small, black velvet box in his right hand. He opened the small, black velvet box and she looked at the silver ring with three small diamonds embedded in the ring. "Like Connor, I was gonna give this t'you at t'reception. But…"
"But what?"
"I wasn't sure if you wanna get married again. Not after what happened with Anthony."
"It is true that I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life alone after Anthony died. Ok… I have Mark and Nichole. But they're going to grow up and go off to have lives of their own. Then you came along and I had a feeling I wasn't going to be alone."
"Dos that mean you wanna spend th'rest of yer life with me?"
Darcy held up her left hand as he slid the ring on her left ring finger and she kissed his lips. They placed their foreheads against each other and Connor looked at Annie. He noticed she didn't seem angry as much as disappointed and he frowned.
"Annie?" Connor asked and she sighed, rolling her eyes.
"So much for that idea," Annie grumbled.
"What are you talkin' about?"
"I was the one who was going to stop the wedding."
"Why would you do that?!" Diego asked with a stunned look on his face.
"To get those two to ask Lisa and Darcy to marry them."
"You knew we were going to do that?!" Connor asked with wide eyes.
"I found the rings when I was putting away the laundry. Knowing how you two have a habit of putting things off for one reason or another. I decided to give you a little push."
"Was that why you said what you said at th'hospital?" Murphy asked.
"No. That was different."
"What if they had said no?"
"Would you have said no?" she asked while looking at Lisa and Darcy.
"No," Lisa said with a disgusted look.
"No," Darcy said with a shake of her head.
"Then get over here," Annie said.
"Hold on. We don't have wedding rings," Connor said.
"Yeah. You do. There are six rings on the pillow," Mark said.
"Good thing I know all of your ring sizes," Annie said.
"What about marriage licenses?" Connor asked.
"They're in the dean with ours."
"You really had this all thought out," Murphy said with a laugh.
"You really want to share your wedding day with us?" Lisa asked and Annie nodded. Lisa and Darcy walked to her as they hugged and Annie blinked the tears from her eyes.
"Looks like I'm doin' a triple wedding," Sibeal teased and a soft sound of laughter filled the air. "Now… Will all of you take yer places so we can get on with this?"
Laughing, Connor and Murphy held out their right hands as Lisa and Darcy took hold of their hands and they walked to Diego and Sibael.