Catherine[mary]

To you kids asking about Darren, I just faded his character out of the story. He was a year ahead of Emmy so he had already graduated by the time this was written. I just had no more use for him so he didn't show up anymore.

            Emmeline

            As time had a habit of doing lately it flew by. Courtney and I were on tour and then we were in England. We had to touch down in London and then take a train to Essex.

My mom was with us, Alex’s mom and dad, and our friends were all there. We checked into the hotel that we’d made reservations in. Alex and I shared a room, but the night before the wedding we were allowed to stay together as was tradition. Courtney was going to come stay with me and Alex was going to go stay with Zack. A trade as Courtney called it.

The first things we had to do were go look at where we were getting married, make sure that what we had asked for was going to happen, and to check on our food for the wedding. Everything seemed to be in order.

Courtney and I went out to go check on my dress and have the final fitting. She left Mikaela with Zack for the day. I knew that she wanted to get home as soon as possible to be with her baby, but she wanted to make sure that I got everything I needed done.

We went into the bridal shop. They knew who I was just because I wasn’t English. They had my dress in a fitting room for me already. We were led into the back of the store and I went into the fitting room.

The alterations specialist came in and buttoned up the back of the dress for me. She walked around me in circles and made notes. Then she asked how I felt in it and if there was anything that had to be done. The skirt of the dress had to be taken up an inch and the bodice had to be taken in just a little bit but other than that it was perfect.

Courtney wanted me to come out and show her. She’s seen me in the dress before, but she wanted to see me again. Her face was awestruck when she saw me. She hugged me and told me that I looked amazing.

“We still have to get you into your dress.” I told her.

“It’s ready?” She asked.

“Yep, it’s hanging in here.” I said gesturing to the white garment bag.

“Can I?” She asked picking up the bag.

“Go into the next room.” The alterations specialist told her.

Courtney took her dress and went to the next room. I stood in front of all the mirrors just looking at myself. It was all hitting me now that I was about to be married. I was going to be Emmeline Morgan Gaskarth, not Steingarten anymore. Tears came to my eyes because of how happy I was.

“Get ready!” Courtney said from behind the door.

She walked out in her dress, which needed no adjustment. She came to stand next to me and stared at the both of us. She ran her hands over her stomach to flatten the fabric and turned to the side. I assumed she was checking out what her butt looked like.

“That’s good, you can’t tell.” She mumbled to herself.

“Can’t tell what?” I asked her.

“Oh, just that there’s been a few changes in the last month.” She shrugged.

“Courtney…” I narrowed my eyes at her. “What kind of changes?”

“I’m… well, I’m pregnant again.” She smiled.

“Really?”

“Yea, I found out for sure this morning. I haven’t told Zack yet though so don’t say anything!”

“How do you know it’s been a month?”

“Well it’s been a month since we were doing stuff with out preventative measures…” She smiled.

“I’m happy. Baby numbed two!” I hugged her. “Now you’re just showing off.”

“No, I just love Zack too much for my own good. We’re going to keep making babies!”

“I’m jealous. I haven’t even gotten one yet.”

“Hey! You’re getting married in two days. It’s not my fault that you told Alex you had to wait until you guys were married!”

“But I’m happy for you!” I said hugging her again.

She stood there rubbing her stomach for a little while longer and checking every possible angle to see if you could tell that there was a tiny little baby hiding under there. I told her there was nothing visible. She nodded and then went back into her dressing room.

Hesitantly I took off my dress. I didn’t want to because I felt so perfect in it. It made me feel so good that I wished I could wear it all the time. I stepped out of the dressing room and the alterations specialist went in to get my dress. She took it to another room and went to start on what needed to be done.

Courtney came out with her dress in its bag.

“Check this out.” She said lifting up her shirt so her stomach was bare.

She turned to the side and traced her finger over her stomach.

“See that tiny little curve?”

“Yea.” I said getting closer.

“That’s my baby!” She squealed. “Touch it!”

I reached out and traced my hand lightly along her stomach. She started dancing around and making up a song about how she was going to have another baby. I laughed at her.

She was able to take her dress with her and I had to come back in two hours to try my dress on again. We put her dress in the trunk of the rental car and made sure it was laid flat so it didn’t get wrinkled.

We went for lunch and then came back. I put my dress on again and everything was perfect. I paid the last of what I owed on it and then we left the store. My dress got hung in the back of the car since it wouldn’t be able to lie flat in the truck.

I got into the right side of the car, weird, and drove home, on the wrong side of the road. It was so weird to be driving around here because it was all backwards.

Alex had Jack, Zack, Mikaela, and Rian in our room when we got back. Sebastian was sitting comfortably on the pillows just watching everyone. Courtney went and curled up against Zack on the bed and started playing with Mikaela like he had been. I took my dress to my mom’s room. She wanted me to put it on and show her so I did. She started to cry just like I had. I tried to make it as short as possible and took the dress off as soon as she’d let me. Then I was back to my room.

“What took so long?” Alex asked sounding very British kissing me as I sat in his lap.

He’d been talking like he’d lived here all his life since the first time he talked to another person here. He said it was just his accent coming back, but I knew he was doing it just to annoy every one because he thought it was funny.

“Mommy wanted to see me in my dress.” I smiled.

“Oh, I don’t suppose I can see that?” He asked with puppy dog eyes.

“Not until I’m walking down that isle.” I said.

“Fine.” He acted like a defeated child.

I pulled his face to mine and kissed him. He smiled seemingly satisfied. When I wasn’t looking he licked my cheek. Everyone laughed at the face I made.

“Okay, so not to steal the attention for the cute little about to be married couple, but…” Courtney said.

Zack looked at her confused. I knew what was coming but he had no idea.

“I just wanted to say that you see three Merricks sitting in front of you, but there’s really four.”

Zack looked at her and smiled. She nodded at him.

“Really?” He asked as his hand went to her stomach.

She nodded again.

This clued in Jack and Rian who were lost. Just from Zack’s hand they figured out that Courtney meant she was pregnant again. Alex knew from the second she said she didn’t want to steal attention from us because he’d asked me in my ear if that was what it was.

“Yea, I’m preggers again.” She said kissing him.

“Yay!” Jack squealed. “More babies for me to play with!”

“Oh, you just like the fact that there’s another person that understands you and you understand them.” I said.

“Not my fault that I never matured past the age of five.” Jack smiled.

“Then whose fault is it?” Alex asked.

“Mom’s. She drank.”

“That’s a lie.”

“Okay, maybe it is. I did get my head stuck in my cradle one time if that helps.”

“Now that I can see.” Zack laughed.

“Explains a lot right?” Jack smiled.

There were a few more jokes at Jack’s expense before everyone filtered out of mine and Alex’s room. He was content to stay sitting in the chair with me on his lap. It would have been nice to go on the bed but he wanted to say in the chair.

“I love you.” He mumbled in my ear.

“Stop that!” I said shrinking away from him.

“What?” Alex was confused. “Stop loving you?”

“No! Never do that. I meant stop it with the British accent.”

“I can’t help it. I had one for seven ish years you know. It’s not my fault that I come home and it came back too.”

“It’s annoying. What if I don’t know it’s you in the middle of the night?”

“You’d know it was me Baby.”

“How you sound different!” I accused.

“I sound the same. I just talk differently.”

“Whatever. It’s weird.”

“I could just stop talking around you.” Alex offered.

“Mmm I guess it’s okay.”

“Most girls would think this is sexy.”

“I’m not most girls, Alexander. You know that.”

“Thank God for that. I might be deaf by now.” Alex giggled while kissing my collarbone.

“I could scream every time you walked into the room if you want.”

“Mmm there’s only one type of screaming I want to hear from you.” Alex said pushing his lips to mine.

I kissed him back for a while letting him think that he was getting somewhere. Alex’s hands went under my shirt. I didn’t mind much because he didn’t have a shirt on so I could just let my hands touch his chest. It was only fair that I allowed his hands to be where they were lingering.

Alex locked his arms around me a moment later and stood up to carry me across the room to the bed. I was vaguely aware that Sebastian hopped off the bed and scurried into another part of the suite. At this point it was hard to decide whether or not to let him have what he wanted or to torture him and make him wait until we were married. That was two days from now. It was do able.

“Alex.”

“Emmy.” He breathed in response.

 Of course it wasn’t working. He was too far into the mindset that he gets into. There was no way to get his attention now so I just went along with it. It was pretty easy to get caught up in the moment with him and I would have been lying if I had said that I had it in me to stop Alex.

It was just that when we were together like this it was like the entire world was perfect. We were made for each other.

These thoughts I would never say to another human being–save Alex–but I couldn’t help but think them. To me they were true.

That night I laid against Alex and thought about the wedding that was happening the day after tomorrow.

“Are you nervous?” I asked Alex.

“About the wedding? No.”

“I am. I’m afraid I’ll trip.”

“The only part I guess I’m nervous about is the kiss. I don’t want to miss or anything.”

I giggled. That seemed like a lot less to be scared of.

 

There was a rehearsal the next day and Jack goofed off the entire time. There was just no calming him down. We couldn’t figure out what had him so excited that he couldn’t help but mutter–or scream–random thoughts that were in his head. Some of them weren’t even coherent.

People that Alex and I had invited to our wedding started to show up. They were pouring into the hotel and getting rooms that had been reserved for them. There were so many people to talk to that Alex and I were barely together or even on the same floor of the hotel.

I was on my way up a floor and got into the elevator. The elevator stopped and when the doors opened there was Alex. He grinned and stepped into the elevator.

“Hi.” I said.

“Hey.” Alex said before pushing his lips to mine and pinning me against the wall of the elevator.

The doors closed. I wound my fingers into his hair.

“Should we hit the emergency button and stop this thing?” Alex asked.

“Sounds fun.” I said reattaching his lips to mine.

We were to slow, or just to caught up, and the doors opened. Alex backed off of me and turned to see if anyone was looking at us. Thankfully there was no one there.

“Where are you heading?” Alex asked taking my hand as we stepped out of the elevator.

“Going to see my dad.”

“Can I come with? I haven’t said hi to him yet.”

“Sure.”

Together we walked to where I was told my dad was staying. I knocked and he opened to door. I hugged him with one arm because I was still holding Alex’s hand. Alex did the same and then we walked into his room.

“I’ve missed you.” I said.

“I missed you too hun.” My dad said.

We talked for a long time. I had to show my dad the picture my mom had taken yesterday of me in my dress. Alex had to go in the other room.

After that we still talked. There was a lot to say since I hadn’t seen him for a year.

“What’s with the accent?” My dad asked Alex.

“What? Oh, it’s just coming back since I’ve been here. Emmy hates it.”

“I don’t hate it. I just think it’s annoying.”

“You hate it.” Alex said pulling me into a hug.

“Oh, well I guess it would come back, you being from here and all.” My dad said.

A little while later I said good-bye to my dad and Alex and I split up again to see people. I was a little sad to be without him again but I knew there were tons of people I hadn’t said hi to yet and the same went for him.

We met up for a little while before Alex had to go to Zack and Courtney’s room and Courtney came to my room for the night. After all it was the eve of our wedding and Alex could not spend the night with me.

 

“I think that’s about all you need.” Courtney said stepping back from me.

She put a mirror in front of me and I looked at myself. This was not the girl that came into the back room of the church. She was totally different from me.

This girl that was in the mirror was staring back at me with my dress on and my veil was being put in her hair elegantly combining with the hair that Courtney had just finished. She had a smile on her face that was entirely mine. Her face had been made up to be something that was more beautiful than I could have imagined.

The hardest part of all this was realizing that the girl in the mirror was me, not someone else. I was about to walk out of those doors and meet my father in the hall before he wrapped his arm around mine and we walked into the church. It was all starting to be real for me.

Courtney looked at me and smiled mischievously. I looked at her confused. She held her hand up for me to see. In her hand was the soft and lacy blue garter she’d bought me as a present to serve as the ‘something blue.’

My earrings were old, my dress was new, the garter was blue, and my necklace was barrowed. I was ready to go with all the traditions covered.

Courtney lifted up the front of my dress. I picked my leg up for her and she slipped under to slide the garter into place on my leg.

“Ready?” She asked me.

“Nervous but so ready.” I said taking one last glance in the mirror.

My mom opened up the door to the room we were in. My dad was outside waiting. I walked out of the room and up to him. He seemed to not have any words at the moment.

“Do I look okay?” I asked him.

“Okay? You look amazing.” He said. “You’re so beautiful.”

“Thanks.” I blushed.

Courtney was behind me fixing my train so that it was straight when I walked out. My mom went to let the priest know we were ready to start. The music flowed up from the church and I felt butterflies flutter through me. This is it I thought.

My dad curled his arm around mine. Courtney handed me my bouquet. The doors opened and we started walking.

My eyes settled on Alex right away. Seeing his face was priceless. I could see how taken back he was by my appearance. I could see that it wasn’t what he was expecting and that it was better. I smiled and his face broke into a smile.

Before I knew it we were standing in front of each other. My dad kissed my cheek and then put my hand in Alex’s. He went to sit down and Alex and I took a few steps to be front and center.

Jack wiggled his eyebrows at me and winked when I looked at him. I smiled at him and looked over at Courtney. She was glaring at Jack and I knew that meant behave. Jack looked at her with an innocent expression.

The ceremony started. Alex and I giggled the whole way through it.

Jack pretended that he couldn’t find the rings, which caused people to laugh when he pulled them out. Of course Jack would pull something like that. I couldn’t have expected him to be totally normal the whole way through.

“Alexander William Gaskarth, do you take Emmeline Morgan Steingarten to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I do.” Alex said looking at me.

“Emmeline Morgan Steingarten, do you take Alexander William Gaskarth to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do.”

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

Alex turned to me and lifted my veil from my face. I smiled at him. He smiled back. I thought back to when he’d said this would be the only part he was nervous about. He put one of his hands on my cheek and curled his other arm around me. I out my arms around his sounders and pulled myself closer to him. Alex tilted his head and closed his eyes. I closed my eyes and then our lips met.

When people started cheering I heard Jack finally able to let out that screech he’d wanted to do so badly.

Alex and I pulled back and smiled at each other.

“’Ello Wife.” He said, that annoying accent still there.

“’Ello Husband.” I said trying to mock him.

Alex laughed and rolled his eyes at me. Together we walked out of the church and got into the waiting limo while people threw rice at us. Zack, having a pretty good arm, got us in all the places that would cause the rice to get into our attire.

I got into the limo and then Alex jumped in behind me. The door shut and rice was still thrown at the limo. Alex leaned over and pulled me into him. I connected our lips and the limo started on its way to the reception.

Alex’s hand made it’s way up my leg underneath my dress. He pulled on the garter but didn’t pull it off. He knew he had to do that later when everyone was watching. He just caught his hand in it and played with it while we kissed.

The limo ride wasn’t long enough. Alex pulled back from me and I straightened out my dress. The limo driver opened the door for us and we got out. There were people there already and they were happy to see us. The congratulations started up. We went from person to person hugging them and thanking them.

It was time for wedding pictures then. Alex and I were able to get away for a little while and take pictures. It wasn’t long enough–which seemed to be the theme of the day–and then we went into our reception.

There never seemed like there was a moment to eat. Every time Alex and I went to eat something someone would knock their knife against their glass and we’d have to kiss. It was fun to do it over and over.

More traditions were covered in that reception. Alex pulled me with him out to have our first dance. I clung to him and hoped that my dress didn’t get in the way of our dancing. He held onto me and we stuck to a small circle to dance in.

The song ended and then it was time for the removal of the garter. I sat in a chair and Alex walked up to me with a devilish grin on his face. I knew this was going to be interesting.

He walked up to me and got down on his knees. He lifted my dress up and slid it until my garter was visible. I was highly aware of the people watching this and turned a shade of pink.

Alex kissed his way up my leg–that tickled a lot–and then caught the garter with his teeth. He pulled it off slowly while looking up at me. I laughed at him and at the fact that people were watching this.

When it was off Alex shot it across the room at Zack. He caught it and smiled. Courtney stole it from him. I knew that she was going to give it back to me later.

All the single girls at the reception then gathered on the dance floor. I stood with my back to them and tossed the bouquet behind me. I listened and waited. One girl screamed when she caught it. I turned to see Kara standing victorious with it in her hands.

The night continued on with a lot of fun and jokes.

Alex’s parents came over to us. His mom had something in her hands. She smiled as she presented it to us. It was the game monopoly. Alex laughed.

“This is so you have something to do later on in bed.” His dad smiled.

“Yep, because nothing else will happen.” Alex rolled his eyes at the joke.

I took the game and thanked his mom for saving me from boredom.

Similar jokes went around that Alex and I weren’t going to have anything to do when we got back to where we were staying or on the honeymoon. It was all in good fun and we laughed at the jokes.

We left our reception early and get into the limo again. I snuggled into Alex’s side and put my head on his shoulder.

“I love you.” I said.

“I love you.” Alex lifted up my chin and pushed his lips to mine.

The limo took us to a new hotel that was far away from where we’d originally been. All of our luggage had been transferred during the day. This was the start of our honeymoon. We were starting out in England then going around Europe for two months before we made it back home. This was the part that we had saved our money for since we got engaged.

The limo pulled up and we got out. The hotel desk gave us our key and we went to our room. It was the biggest and nicest room the hotel had on the top floor with a beautiful view.

“We should have brought Sebastian.” I said looking out the window.

“He would be doing a whole lot of hiding. Besides he likes Courtney, he’ll have a good vacation in California with her and Zack and the baby.”

“I’m going to miss my baby.” I said.

“Me too, but for now let’s be us.” Alex said pulling me into his arms.

None of what I had worried about mattered anymore. All that did matter was where the bed was and how fast we could get out of our attire.

Alex pulled me to him and started with the kissing. I had to help him with the buttons on the back of my dress. At least all of his clothes were rather simple to remove.

Once we were down to our underwear we got on the bed. From there it was easy to slip into our mindset of just being together and doing what came natural.

The entire night was beautiful. After the initial first as husband and wife we put on the robes that came with the hotel room and Alex ordered a bottle of red wine.

The wine was brought up faster than any room service I had ever had. He opened the bottle and poured us both a glass.

We dank the entire bottle and then got back into bed feeling warm. We continued on where we had been before the wine.

 

 

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One more chapter!