Author's Note: Y'all, we're unpacking a lot in this chapter. No wedding just yet, but they are making some PLANS.

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Chapter 27-I Can't Wait to Be Your Wife

Hank and Jenna were sitting on his couch, Hank softly rubbing Jenna's feet. Jenna was texting with Addison and Audrey, who were asking a bunch of wedding-related questions. It had been two weeks since their engagement, and they hadn't discussed any details about a wedding. Jenna didn't want to pressure him, but she felt like it at least warranted a conversation.

Jenna poked Hank's chest with her toes to get his attention. He looked over at her, tickling the bottom of her foot as payback.

"What was that for?" Jenna asked, jerking her foot away for a moment.

"You poked me."

Jenna sighed, pretending to be annoyed by him. "Well, I was trying to get your attention. I've been thinking. We've been engaged for two weeks now. Should we...do you think we could maybe have a conversation about...moving forward from here?"

"You're asking if we should set a wedding date?" Hank asked.

Jenna shrugged. "Not necessarily set a date today, but start thinking about when we want to do this."

Hank pulled out his phone to look at his calendar. "What's on your schedule for tomorrow?" he asked.

"You're funny," Jenna said, poking his chest with her foot again.

Hank dropped his phone and grabbed her foot. Jenna gasped as he quickly pulled her across the couch toward him before pinning her down on the couch beneath him. He grabbed her wrists, holding them down over her head with one hand while he tickled her side with his other.

"No! Stop! Let me go!" Jenna squealed, trying to wiggle away from him.

"You finished poking me in the chest?" Hank asked.

"Yes! Yes, I'm done! Please, stop!"

Hank stopped tickling, a smirk on his face as he slipped his hand up the back of Jenna's shirt, pulling her close as he leaned over and kissed her deeply. "Gosh, you're cute," he said softly, his voice sending chills racing down her spine.

"If you're trying to get me to marry you tomorrow, your odds are looking pretty good, Sergeant," she said, grinning at him.

"Is that right?" he asked.

"Whatever you want," she said as he kissed her again.

Hank let go of her, sitting up and taking her hand to help her up. Jenna moved to sit in his lap, straddling his waist as his hands went around her, holding her close against him. She put her arms around his neck as she leaned her forehead against his.

"You would really marry me tomorrow?" she asked.

Hank nodded. "I would. In a heartbeat. But I feel like we probably need to plan something, invite a few people, things like that. Erin would probably kill us if we did this without her."

"Do you want a big wedding?"

"I'll do whatever you want, but I really don't want a big wedding," Hank said.

"Good, because I don't either. The frilly dress, the venue, the guest list, the flowers...it didn't appeal to me the first time, so I definitely don't want it now. I think we should keep it small and simple. Erin and Jay, Nick and his family. I'll invite my girls, but it's highly unlikely that any of them will come. I'd like to invite Addison and Andrew, Audrey and Ben. Your unit."

"My whole unit? You want all of them?" Hank asked.

Jenna gave him a look. "Babe. They're family."

He sighed. "Ok. I guess you're right. So when do you want to do this, if not tomorrow?"

"What about end of April? Maybe after Easter we'll have a little bit of spring-like weather."

"Are we doing this outside?"

Jenna shrugged. "I don't know. If it's warm enough, we could. But it's not a requirement."

"Ok. Because I'd really like to not wait quite that long," he said, running his fingers through her hair and stroking her cheek. "I was mostly kidding about tomorrow, but two months away feels too far. I'm ready for this sooner if you are."

"I'm definitely ready. Ok, so let's think about when and where."

Hank thought for a moment. "The church? It's pretty in there, and weather wouldn't be a problem. We're not planning for a lot of people, so it would accommodate everyone."

"I like that option. I'll call tomorrow and check their availability."

"Great."

Jenna just looked at him for a few moments, a small smile on her face. "So we're really doing this. You really want to marry me."

Hank chuckled. "Yeah, when I asked you to marry me and gave you that ring, it was because I want to marry you."

She kissed him hard. "I love you."

"I love you Jen."

Jenna leaned in, resting her forehead against his as she gently brushed her nose against his. "I can't wait to be your wife."

"I can't wait to be your husband," he said as Jenna kissed him. As they kissed, Jenna slowly unbuttoned Hank's shirt, before pushing it off of his shoulders. "What are you doing?" he asked softly.

"Are you watching this movie?" she asked.

Hank shook his head. "I'm not watching anything but you right now."

"Good," she said, slipping her shirt over her head and tossing it onto the couch next to his.

Jenna tightened her arms around his neck, pressing her body against him as she whispered in his ear, "Take me to bed."

Hank slipped his hands under her thighs, wrapping her legs around his waist as he stood up. He carried her upstairs, where they spent the rest of the night in each other's arms.

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The next day, Jenna called the church, and they were able to get a Friday night in three weeks. It was quick, but since they were keeping things small, Jenna was confident they could make it work. She made the reservation, and she FaceTimed Hank to make sure it worked for him.

"Hey beautiful," Hank said as he answered the phone.

"Hey. Got a question for you."

"What's up?"

"What are you doing three weeks from Friday?"

Hank pulled up his calendar. "Unless there's a difficult case that needs attention, I don't have anything special going on. What's up?"

"Wanna get married?" Jenna asked.

A smile crept across his face. "I can't think of anything better to do that day."

"Great!" she said excitedly. "The church is available, so I told them we would take it."

"That sounds perfect. I'll put in for leave. This close I can probably only get a few days off, but at least we'll get a little bit of time together."

"That is perfectly fine. I just want to be your wife."

"Well, I'm glad we have an official date, and I can't wait to get to be your husband."

"I love you."

"I love you, Jen. So much."

"Tell your team. We have to move quickly to get people here, so let them know we'll send them something official later, but we want them to know."

"I'll take care of it."

"Thank you. I'll see you this evening."

"See you." He smiled as she blew him a kiss before hanging up the call.

Hank put his phone in his pocket as he walked out into the bullpen.

"So, I just talked to Jenna, and we officially have a wedding date. Three weeks from Friday. It's going to be very small, very casual, not a big fuss. I think she's doing some sort of invitation, but she wanted me to go ahead and let all of you to know that we'd love for you to be there."

"Really Sarge? We're all invited to the wedding?" Kevin asked.

"Does that mean we get the day off?" Adam asked.

"Yeah, you'll get the day off. But that can be revoked, so keep it together, Ruzek."

"She's going to put together a wedding in three weeks?" Erin questioned, concerned about the timeframe Jenna was working with.

"Like I said, it's going to be small and casual. It's going to be a simple ceremony, minimal things, just the important parts so we can get on with the rest of our life together."

"I'm so happy for you, Sarge. We'll be there," Kim said.

"Thanks Burgess."

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Later that evening, Jenna made the call to her children to let them know the wedding details. After going back and forth a bit, Hank and Jenna decided she would make the call on her own, hoping the call might be smoother if Hank wasn't on the call. She also asked her ex to be on the call so that maybe he could encourage the girls. Jenna and Jake had spoken several times since the engagement, and Jenna greatly appreciated his support and genuine happiness for her. Of course a part of Jake would always miss her, but her happiness would always be his priority.

The call unfortunately went how Jenna was afraid it would go. While Nick promised to be there, the girls remained quiet. Jenna expressed that she understood if they couldn't be there, but she loved them and still wanted them to be a part of the important events in her life. Tears were shed, especially when Taylor quickly disconnected, but after encouragement from Jake, the call ended with the girls agreeing to consider it and give Jenna an answer soon regarding their attendance. Jenna's heart was still broken as she desperately wished that her girls would share in her excitement. As she dropped her phone, she covered her face with her hands and cried into them.

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Jenna walked out of her room to find Hank sitting on the floor just outside the door. She looked down at him through her tears, saying nothing, her eyes asking the question for her.

"I know that you wanted to do this on your own, but I just didn't want you to be alone. I needed to be close in case you needed me."

Jenna nodded. "So you heard their lack of enthusiasm?

"Yeah. I'm so sorry Jen."

Jenna leaned against the wall, her tears coming harder. Hank took her hands, pulling her down to the floor beside him. He moved her into his lap, cradling her against him as she sobbed into his chest.

After awhile, Jenna's sobs subsided a little. She pulled back to look at him, and he brushed her tears away with his thumb.

"I love you, you know," Hank said.

"I know. And I love you. So much, Hank. I just...I wish my kids could understand."

He rubbed small circles on her back, trying to comfort her. "They'll come around, babe. It may take awhile, but they'll come around."

"I miss them so much. I wish they were here, planning with us, picking out a dress with me, everything. I want them to be happy for us. I want them to be there," she leaned farther into him, her tears coming hard again.

"I know, honey. I know. I want all of those things too. I'm sorry we're not getting that. I'm so sorry."

They held each other until Jenna's phone interrupted them. It was Paige, Jenna's twenty-one-year-old daughter.

"Go talk to her. I'll fix dinner for us." He kissed her softly as he helped her up from the floor.

Jenna sat on her bed, answering Paige's FaceTime call.

"Oh Momma," Paige said, fighting back tears when she saw her mom's.

"Hi baby."

"I was hoping the tears would be gone by the time I called."

"I'm ok, Paige. I'm just sad."

"I'm so sorry. I know the call went really bad."

Jenna shrugged. "It's fine. You are all entitled to your own opinion about this. It's just...I'm so happy, and it's so hard knowing all of you aren't happy for me."

"Mom, I..." Paige's tears started to fall. "I'm so happy for you and Hank."

"What?" Jenna asked.

"This has been hard, because I've tried to support the others, but you're SO happy. Seeing the two of you together at Christmas...it's obvious how much he loves you, and you wouldn't be marrying him if he wasn't a good man."

"Thank you, Sweetie. It means a lot to me to hear you say that," Jenna said, wiping at her tears.

"I'm sorry the others can't, especially Taylor. She wants you and Dad back together so bad."

Jenna shook her head. "Paige, that's...over. It's so over. We've both moved on."

"I know. They know that too, but it's just hard for them. So...can I come for your wedding? Stay the week with you and help you with the final plans and things?"

Jenna's tears came harder. "I'd love to have you here, Paige. It would mean the world to me."

"I love you Mom."

"I love you, baby. Look at flights and let me know, and I'll get you booked."

"I can't wait to see you."

Jenna was crying harder as she walked out to the kitchen. When Hank saw her tears, he rushed to her, pulling her close as she cried into his chest. He rubbed her back, closing his eyes, wishing he could take away her pain.

When Jenna finally pulled away, she looked up at him. "Paige wants to come to the wedding."

"Really?" Hank asked, wiping her tears.

Jenna nodded. "Yeah. She said she's happy for us, but she's been hesitant to go against the other girls. She wants to stay the week leading up to the wedding."

"I'm happy she's coming, Jen. It means a lot that she wants to be here."

"For me too."

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A few days later, Hank and Jenna had Erin and Jay over to Hank's house for dinner. Life had been so crazy that they hadn't really spent time with them since the night after they got engaged.

"Jen, what are you doing on Saturday?" Erin asked.

Jenna looked at Hank. "I don't know that we have any plans. What's up?"

"We should go wedding dress shopping!"

Jenna sighed. "I don't know..."

"Oh come on!" Erin said. "You need someone to go with you, and since your daughters aren't here, it defaults to me."

"Oh, is that how it works?" Hank asked, laughing at her.

"It's exactly how it works. So come on. What do you say?"

Jenna looked over at Hank, who shrugged his shoulders. "Um...yeah, ok. Let's do it."

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Saturday came, and Erin started their day early, dragging Jenna to several bridal stores. Jenna was having trouble finding the right dress. Everything was too gaudy, too frilly, or too fancy for the kind of wedding they were having. Finally, they found a store that had a few more appropriate options.

Jenna stepped out in the third dress. Erin's face immediately lit up. "Jenna," she said softly.

"This might be the one," Jenna said as she stepped in front of the mirror. The dress was white lace. The three-quarter length sleeves were solid lace, hit just below her knees, and came to a V in the back. It was simple but elegant, and it fit perfectly, like it was made for Jenna.

Tears came to Jenna's eyes, and when she looked over at Erin, she saw tears in her eyes as well. "This is it," Jenna said softly.

Erin agreed, and they both wiped their tears. Jenna questioned if Hank would like it, and after Erin assured her that he would, she confirmed this dress was truly "the one".

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"I found my dress today," Jenna said as Hank climbed into bed next to her. She curled up against his side as he held her close.

"You did?" Hank asked. "What does it look like?"

Jenna shook her head. "That is one thing you don't get to know until the wedding day."

Hank sighed. "Fine."

Jenna giggled. "I have to keep at least one thing a surprise."

Hank kissed her softly. "I'm sure whatever it is, I'm going to love it."

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The next few days, Jenna finalized the plans for their day. Everything was coming together exactly the way it should, and the small, simple event they wanted was going to be perfect. What she didn't know was that Hank was working on his own plans, plans that he was keeping a secret from her until he had everything figured out.

Ten days before the wedding, he was ready to put his plans into motion, so he called Jenna on his way out of his office.

"Hey Jen. Can you meet me somewhere really quick? I need to get your opinion on something," Hank said.

"Sure babe. What's up?"

"I'll text you the address. Leave now."

Jenna grabbed her keys. "I'll be there soon."

Hank smiled, hoping Jenna would be excited when she saw his surprise.

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Hank was waiting on the front porch of a house that Jenna had never seen before when she arrived. "Hey beautiful," Hank said, taking her in his arms.

"Hey," Jenna said, giving him a quick kiss. "What are we doing here?"

Hank took her hand. "Just come inside with me."

Hank walked her around the house, showing her all the rooms and the outside space. It was a really beautiful house, but Jenna didn't understand why Hank brought her there.

When they made their way back to the entryway, Hank asked, "So, what do you think?"

Jenna shrugged, looking around. "It's a great place, really beautiful. But I don't understand why we're here. What's going on?"

Hank smiled down at her, surprised she hadn't picked up on his agenda yet. He took her face in his hands, kissing her deeply. When the kiss broke, he softly asked, "Do you want to live here with me?"

"What?!" Jenna asked.

"Jen, I know you love your apartment, but it's too small for the both of us. My house...there's too many memories there. I'm not running from them, but it's not fair for me to ask you to move into that space with me. This place...it's a little closer to your kids, still close to Erin and the district, it has three bedrooms, so there would be room for your girls to come and stay, and it feels...like we could make this our home, our fresh start, together. I had the realtor put it on hold, and we have to give them an answer in an hour. So. What do you say?"

Tears came to Jenna's eyes. "Hank, this place is amazing, and I would love to live here with you."

"Really? You're ok with this?"

Jenna threw her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply. "I can't wait to start our life together, and this house is the perfect place to do that." She kissed him again. "I love you so much Hank."

"I love you Jenna."

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The wedding plans fell into place. A week before the big day, Jenna picked up her daughter Paige from the airport, and they finished all of the last minute preparations. As they neared the date, instead of nerves, they were both feeling nothing but excitement and confidence in their decision to join their lives forever. This was it; this was what they'd been waiting for.