Lillian's mouth went wide open in shock.

"THEY DID WHAT?!"

Grace plopped down on her bed and crashed against the covers, hiding her face with her

palms. Lillian stood beside her closet, staring at her sister in disbelief.

"And they said all that in front of Helen!", moaned Grace "I thought I was going to die of

embarassment, Lillian!"

Lillian opened the doors of closet fully as she shook her head in disbelief.

"How did Helen react?", she asked, turning around to look at her sister. As Grace remained

silent, Lillian slightly creased her eyebrows in concern and walked toward the bed. Crashing

down beside her sister, Lillian looked at her with worry.

"Did Helen say something that upset you, Gracie?", she asked in her comforting tone of voice.

Grace shook her head.

"No…She was amazing", slowly, Grace told her sister everything that Lucas' Mother said and

done today. By the end of the talk Lillian breathed out in relief and smiled.

"Well, that was amazing indeed! I don't think that you should feel embarrassed in front of Helen,

Gracie", said Lillian.

Grace closed her eyes and groaned:

"I just want to forget about it! I need a night out!", she removed her palms from her face and

looked at Lillian…and couldn't help but smile at her sister's grin.

Lillian jumped up from the bed and pulled Grace up with her as she said, her smile widening:

"And you will have it! You will have your bachelorette party tonight!", grinning, she pulled Grace

toward the closet "It is your last night as a single lady so what do you want to wear, Miss

Bennet?"

Grace's grin matched Lillian's as she pulled out a garment out from the closet.

"I wanna wear my little black dress tonight", she said.

Lillian eyed the garment with critical eye before saying:

"Okaaay…Little black dress it is. But, Grace, you are a bride, you need something white."

Grace bit her lower lip as she scanned her clothes…only for her smile to turn possibly wicked as

she slowly took out a crisp white garment.

"I have just the right thing", she showed it to Lillian and both sisters burst into laughter.

Lillian rushed her back toward the bed and commanded:

"Okay, let's get dressed!"

Both of them took special attention in getting dressed for tonight. Grace put on her little black

dress, the one she wore for the date she organized for Lucas. She smiled as the memories of

that evening flooded her mind and she quickly grabbed the white garment from the bed and put

it on, her smile growing.

Turning around, Grace put her hands on her hips and quipped:

"How do I look?"

Lillian grinned as she took her sister's outfit in…little black dress and Lucas' white dress shirt!

"Like you got it BAAAAAD for Lucas Bouchard!", teased Lillian and both sisters burst to laughter.

Lillian quickly took something from the cosmetic table and walked toward Grace "There's only

one thing missing."

Grace watched Lillian as she came closer and noticed red lipstick in her hand. Thinking that she

will put it on her lips Grace was surprised when her sister went behind her and started to write

something on the back of Lucas' dress shirt.

Grace gasped and giggled as she tried to turn her head around to look at the mirror and find out

what on Earth was her sister writing.

Only to hear her saying the words, emphasizing letter by letter:

"L-U-C-A-S' B-R-I-D-E!"

Grace started to laugh and Lillian straightened up, closing the lipstick and winking, she said:

"You can wash it later, it is not ruined. But I have a feeling Lucas is going to like it!", she giggled

together with Grace and grabbing their purses, she pulled her sister by her hand and rushed

toward the doors "Come on! Let's have some fun!"

—--

Lucas, Carson, Gustave and his two brothers Jean and Pierre were out for the night too and just

had ordered their drinks in a bar, talking and laughing when Lucas was approached by a waiter

who gave him a note.

Pierre took a sip of his drink and quipped:

"Government work never ends", he grinned as Lucas sent him a glare.

Jean leaned over to try and peek at the note, but Lucas quickly put it away in his dress pants,

his face smug.

"Well, whatever it is, you are not going", Carson deadpanned and pointed with his drink to Lucas

"It is your bachelor party tonight and I as your best man forbid you to ruin it!"

Lucas chuckled and took his drink before he asked, his smile almost devilish:

"What if it was worth it?", he pulled out a note from his pocket and showed it to Carson who

burst to laugh.

"Hey! Not fair!", laughed Jean.

Gustave raised his eyebrows.

"Are you going to let us in on your secret, mon frére?"

Lucas' grin grew, bordering on smug and he announced:

"We are changing the location of the bachelor party."

Gustave's mouth gaped slightly open.

"What?! But Carson had it all planned for here…what are you thinking trying to ruin all that?"

Lucas chuckled.

"I'm not ruining it. I'll just upgrade it", at those words Carson's laughter grew, annoying Gustave

even more.

"What is going on?!", asked Gustave, his face annoyed.

Lucas handed him over the note and Gustave looked down at it and read it out loud:

"They are at the jazz club", his eyes went wide open as saucers "We're not doing what I think

you'll suggest we're doing?!"

Lucas smirked smugly and happily before replying:

"Oh, yes…We're going to crash their party!"

Carson gave Lucas' upper back a friendly slap on his back before quipping:

"You do understand that Lillian is going to kill you, don't you?"

Lucas laughed as he fixed his cufflinks.

'Yes, I do", his dark eyes sparkled mischievously "But it's going to be worth it!"

—--

Grace let her hair free from the updo she was wearing as she danced with her sister and her

friends Eve, Sally and Mei Suo.

Let's go girls! Come on

I'm going out tonight

I'm feelin'

alright

Gonna let it all hang out

Wanna make some noise

Really raise my voice

Yeah, I wanna scream and shout

Lillian leaned down to Grace and quipped:

"Is this kind of behaviour politically correct, future Mrs. Bouchard?"

Grace laughed as she swayed her hips in the rhythm of music and replied:

"If it's not, I'll make sure it becomes politically correct!"

Eve's eyes went wide open in mock shock.

"By influencing the Governor?!", she asked and all the girls laughed as Grace wiggled her

eyebrows and grinned.

No inhibitions

Make no conditions

Get a little outta line

I ain't gonna act politically correct

I only wanna have a good time

Sally smirked.

"Somehow I don't think that the Boss would mind having so much fun", she quipped, sending

the girls into another fit of laughter.

Eve giggled.

"Or seeing you dressed like this!", she said, making Grace gasp and laugh even more. She

tossed her hair back and fixed non-existent cufflinks on Lucas' dress shirt she wore before

quipping:

"I think this dress shirt fits me better than it fits him!"

Eve laughed:

"Oh, what an excuse to take it off of him!!", she exclaimed, sending them all in hysterics.

The best thing about being a woman

Is the prerogative to have a little fun

Oh, oh, oh, go totally crazy

Forget I'm a lady

Men's shirts

Short skirts

Oh, oh, oh, really go wild

Yeah, doin'

it in style

Oh, oh, oh, get in the action

Feel the attraction

Color my hair

Do what I dare

Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free

Yeah, to feel the way I feel

Man! I feel like a woman!

Unbeknownst to the ladies, the doors of the jazz club opened and five men entered and mingled

through the crowd.

Lucas slightly craned his neck and looked around for a few moments…until Carson tapped his

shoulder and showed with his head to their left, his eyes sparkling with good humour.

And that was when Lucas saw her.

And what he saw took his breath away.

Grace was dancing with the girls, her long hair wild, her body hugged with a little black dress

and…

Is that my dress shirt?

As if Grace heard him, she rolled up the sleeves before straightening up from her dance moves

and Lucas saw the words written on the back of the crisp white dress shirt.

Lucas' bride.

His heart thumped wildly, his entire being warming up with love he felt for her, his hands itching

to pull her in his loving embrace, his lips wanting to kiss her and never let her go.

He could hardly breathe.

This beautiful, kind, brave, strong, passionate, loving, endearing woman will become his wife

the day after tomorrow.

And the day after tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.

Lucas swirled a drink in his glass, but completely forgot to take a sip as he was unable to take

his eyes off his bride. His entire face brightened with a happy, lip-closed smile.

Turn around, my love.

—--

As the song ended girls laughed and applauded to each other on some, as Sally put it, seriously

dangerous moves. Eve turned around to get her drink from the table when she caught a sight

of…

Her eyes widened in surprise.

No way!

Grace glanced sideways at her friend, smiling as she asked her to bring her drink too.

Eve pressed her lips tightly together as she listened and got back to her friend. Huddling close

to Grace, she murmured, only one side of her lips moving:

"Don't look right away, but there is a seriously hot guy checking you out, Grace!"

Grace huffed out and picked up her nose in the air as she said in mock haughtiness:

"Not interested. I am marrying the hottest guy in the world tomorrow and that one cannot

possibly be hotter than Lucas!"

Eve stifled a laughter as she suggested:

"Wanna bet?"

Grace looked at her friend and noticing that she is barely holding back her laughter, she creased

her eyebrows in confusion and opened her mouth to say something when Lillian's shrieking

startled the hell out of her!

"LUCAS BOUCHARD, YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!!!"

Eve burst to laughter and Grace gasped and spun around quickly…only to smile widely as she

saw Lucas and other guys a few steps behind their table!

Lucas raised a glass to them and smirked smugly as he yelled across the club:

"Want to drink something, ladies? My treat!"

Grace put her drink down, ready to run in Lucas' arms, her smile widening at the mere sight of

him. She was about to move when Lillian stopped her. Grace frowned as she looked at her

sister and gasped as Lillian stood in front of her, blocking her way as she yelled back to Lucas:

"How dare you to crash our party?!"

Grace tried to step out from behind Lillian, but her sister stood firm, her back to Grace as she

barely held her laughter back.

Grace playfully pushed Lillian's shoulder:

"Lillian!"

Carson grimaced and addressed Lucas, loud enough for ladies to hear him:

"I think you may have a hard time getting to your fiancée tonight, Lucas", he held back a chuckle

and cleared his throat as he quipped "Looks like she is well guarded. I wouldn't go against the

General if I were you."

Lillian nodded in appreciation and smirked as she exclaimed:

"You have a smart friend, Governor! You should listen to him!", she giggled as she saw Lucas

frown at Carson who was in absolute hysterics!

Lucas fixed his cufflinks, smugness returning to his face as he quipped:

"Oh, we'll see about that!", and with those words he swagged toward Lillian, his smirk growing.

Lillian cleared her throat as she tried to hold back her laughter while she held Grace's forearms

in firm grasp from behind.

She pulled up a serious, almost furious facial expression and bit her cheeks as Lucas stopped

a few steps from her. Shaking her head, Lillian huffed out:

"How did you know where we are?", as Lucas pressed his lips tightly together and raised his

glass to someone on Lillian's far right side, she turned to look…and Lucas took a chance to

reach out behind her and grab Grace's hand, quickly bringing her to his side. Grace burst to

laughter at Lucas' antics and laughed even more as Lillian turned around and gasped in a mock

shock "You didn't use your position as a Governor to blackmail poor Alfonso to tell you of our

whereabouts?!"

Lucas laughed as he wrapped his arm around Grace's waist and pulling her closer to him, he

quipped:

"What if I did?!"

Lillian gasped in mock shock and started to scold the hell out of him:

"Lucas! That would be outrageous! And he would be an accomplice to you in ruining the last day

of Grace's freedom!"

Lucas gasped in a mock offense, his palm covering the left part of his chest.

"Oh, really?! So tell me, what does that make me, Lillian?! Grace's captor?!", he asked, trying

with all his might to stay serious.

But before Lillian could even open her mouth to reply, Grace giggled and snuggled into Lucas'

side, wrapping both of her arms around his waist and looking up, she smiled happily and

murmured gently:

"Oh, I wouldn't mind being captured by you, Governor!"

The whole world ceased to exist for Lucas as he saw his Grace looking up at him and saying

those words.

Not paying any more attention to the banter he and Lillian were having, Lucas slowly tightened

his hold on Grace's waist before leaning down and kissing her. She kissed him right back, their

smiling lips colliding in a loving, passionate kiss.

Lillian let out a laugh of disbelief and rolling her eyes she stepped away from the two of them

and went to the guys' table, frowning at Carson:

"Isn't it the best man's job to make sure that the groom behaves properly?!", she deadpanned

and crossed her arms, pretending to be upset.

Carson shrugged, his lips twitching in a desperate attempt to hold back his laughter.

"What did you expect me to do, Lillian?! Put him in the chains and lock him in his room until the

wedding?!", he asked, barely holding his laughter back.

Gustave shook from suppressed laughter before saying:

"I would have done that!", and with those words, he burst to laughter, alongside his brothers

Jean and Pierre.

That was the last drop - Carson burst to laughter and Lillian giggled as she looked back at her

sister and Lucas, still wrapped up in each other's arms.

Carson rubbed his forehead, his blue eyes sparkling as he said:

"You know how stubborn Lucas is when he makes up his mind about something, Lillian. There

was no way of stopping him", he said and smiled as he also looked back at Grace and Lucas.

Lillian shook her head, her mind at ease at seeing her sister so happy.

"Typical annoying little brother", she grumbled.

Carson creased his eyebrows as he glanced at her in confusion.

"I thought Lucas was older than you", he barely finished when Lillian playfully slapped his upper

arm.

"Ssssh! Silence when I'm lying, doctor Shepherd!", she deadpanned, causing Carson to laugh

again. Lillian's lips curled up and she added "Well, I'm not the one who disobeys orders. So,

annoying little brother it is."

—--

Away from the others who by now had joined the parties and were having a good time singing

along to the jazz band performing on stage, Lucas held Grace in his loving embrace. Her rosy

lips never stopped kissing him and he could feel his resolve cracking slowly, but surely at the

edges as her hands roamed against his back and through his hair. With every loving caress

their kisses grew more urgent, eager, passionate, the space between their bodies barely

existable.

Lucas reluctantly broke the kiss and still holding onto Grace, he murmured, his voice laced with

emotions:

"I had to see you…I was going crazy."

Grace breathed heavily and her lips curled up into biggest, loving, most beautiful smile Lucas

has ever seen on his gorgeous fiancée's face.

"I'm glad you did…because I missed you too", stepping on her tiptoes Grace cupped his cheek

lovingly and gave him a slow, sensual kiss, robbing him completely out of breath.

As she slowly broke the kiss, Grace watched mesmerized as her handsome fiancé fought hard

with himself not to lose control. His eyes closed, his eyebrows creased, his palms shaking

slightly upon her waist.

"What are you doing to me, Grace", she heard him whisper and her heart swelled upon hearing

how affected he was by her love.

Trying to also calm down her own racing heart and slow down her own breathing, Grace gently

caressed Lucas' cheek with her thumb, resting it on a place where his dimple was.

Just to feel it coming to life.

Gently, she leaned her forehead against his, breathing in the same air he did. He opened his

eyes, dark as the stormy night, and Grace felt her heart catapulting into her heels and rushing

back up, her insides burn at his heated gaze.

"One day left, my love", he whispered "And I will never let you go."

Grace smiled, her hazel eyes sparkling as she locked her gaze with his.

"And I will stay beside you until my last breath, my Lucas", she whispered and her heart raced

as his eyes sparkled right back at her before he leaned down and kissed her passionately.

Grace pulled him closer to her, kissing him back with all the love she felt for him, wishing that he

would never let her go.

And after the day after tomorrow, he will never let her go.

And she will never let him go.

—--

Well, he shines like a penny in a little kid's hand,

When he's out on a Saturday night,

He's a real go-getter and the best two-stepper you'll see.

But when I'm sittin' alone at a table for two

'Cause he's already out on the floor,

I think about somethin' that my mama used to say to me.

You gotta dance with the one that brought you,

And stay with the one that wants you,

The one who's gonna love you when all of the others go home.

Don't let the green grass fool you,

Don't let the moon get to you,

Dance with the one that brought you and you can't go wrong.

He's got his old best buddies and his new best friends,

And all the girls give him the eye,

He's a good time Charlie and the life of the party tonight.

But when I think about another, well I don't think twice,

'Cause there'll never be another like him,

I know he really loves me and I think maybe mama was right.

You got to dance with the one that brought you,

And stay with the one that wants you,

The one who's gonna love you when all of the others go home.

Don't let the green grass fool you,

Don't let the moon get to you,

Dance with the one that brought you and you can't go wrong.

You've got to dance with the one that brought you,

And you can't go wrong

("Dance with the one that brought you" - Shania Twain)

(First song that I used in the chapter when the girls danced was "Man! I feel like a

woman!" by Shania Twain)