#well well well if it isn’t pawpaw no knees

[bogdanovics]

[atc74]

Blood Bond - Chapter 10

Word Count: 1718

Warnings: Mild language, angst

Characters: Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester, Moira Stewart, Ainsleigh Stewart, Rowena, Crowley, Cas, Mary Winchester

Pairing: Sam Winchester x Ainsleigh Stewart, Dean Winchester x Moira Stewart

Summary: A blood bond oath must be honored or there will be consequences for each generation until the bond is fulfilled. With each generation that passes, the bond requires more. How much will each family have to give before the bond is satisfied? Is it too late to break the curse after more than 300 years?

A/N: This was co-written with the amazingly talented and twisted, my Angel of Angst, @chelsea072498. We are beyond excited to bring you this story.  We hope you love it as much as we do! We will be alternating posting each chapter and will be posting Sundays and Wednesdays unless life gets in the way! An enormous thank you and a large bottle of wine is owed to the best beta EVER @just-another-busy-fangirl. Laura, thank you for your patience and keeping us on track!

Don’t want to miss out? You can add yourself to the tag list here.

Blood Bond Masterlist

Hey y’all, posting for my partner-in-crime on this, @chelsea072498, today since she has been under the weather. Send her some love, maybe some fluff about the boys taking care of her cause she is sick...

~*~  ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~ The Bunker, Lebanon, Kansas ~ Spring 2017

Moira sat on the bed waiting for Dean to come back inside from the garage. He'd want a shower, a beer, and food. She contemplated when the best time to tell him would be…

“Hey, Sweetheart.” Dean walked in, grease all over his arms and face.

“Hey,” She looked at him, seeing the small smile on his face. Moira was scared on what Dean’s reaction to the news would be. They'd been careful, mostly, but there were a couple of times…

“I'm going to jump in the shower, then I was thinking about making some burgers for dinner. You, me, beers...”

“Burgers sound good.” She slowly stood up. “I'll leave the beers to you.”

Dean's brow raised. “You feeling okay? I've never known you to let me drink alone.”

“You'll have to get use to it.” Moira bit her lip. “Dean, I….”

A loud cry of excitement rang through the Bunker. Dean walked into the hallway, Moira slowly behind him.

Sam rushed from his room, a huge smile on his face. “Leigh's pregnant!”

“What?” Dean looked at his brother. “A baby?” Sam nodded. Dean rushed to his brother and embraced him. “Congrats, Sammy!”

“Congratulations.” She saw Ainsleigh watching her and gave a subtle shake of her head.

Dean was still smiling when he looked back at Moira. “You're not drinking because Leigh can't?”

“Kind of.” Moira took his hand. “Come here.”

“We got to celebrate! I'm going to be an uncle!” Dean kissed Leigh's cheek. “You sure you’re ready for two kids?”

“Two?” Ainsleigh was puzzled.

“Sammy and his spawn,” Dean teased.

Moira started shaking. “Dean, I'm going to our room.”

He looked at her and noticed immediately that something was wrong. “Moira?”

Ainsleigh grabbed Sam's hand and pulled him back toward their room. Sam saw the look on his wife's face and realized what was happening. “We'll celebrate soon. I need some time with Mrs. Winchester.”

“Seems like you two already had some time!” Dean laughed. He turned his attention back to Moira. “Hey,” He pushed red tendrils from her face. “What's wrong?”

“Let's talk in our room. Please.”

She sat on her side of the bed and pulled her knees to her chest. “What do you want to do tonight?”

Dean knew better. “Moira,” He took her face in his hands. “I know this is probably….” He bit his lip. “I'm sorry, Sweetheart. I know you want kids and I know it's not going to be easy but we'll...”

“Dean, I'm pregnant too.” Moira reached over and opened the nightstand drawer. She retrieved the pregnancy test from earlier, now secure in a plastic bag and passed it to Dean. “I started to think something was up and I wanted to know before I said anything and freaked you out.”

Dean's face went blank. “You're pregnant?”

“I know we weren't planning on this...”

“We were careful.” Dean’s face contorted as he thought back, “except for that one night in the back of the car.”

“The first night.” Moira managed a small smile.

Dean took a deep breath. “This complicates thing, Moira.”

“Yeah, I know. Things have been quiet mostly. Maybe it's not a bad thing. We can take some time off and figure out how we're going to do this...”

“I won't have a kid involved with what we do.”

Moira agreed. “I don't want that either. I can get a job. I can't really do too much while I'm pregnant but I can at least get established somewhere, save some money up, and we can figure things out.”

“Figure what out?” Dean looked at her.

“We can't stay in the Bunker forever. Maybe a year or so. We'll need a house.”

Dean looked down. “The apple pie life.”

“Maybe.” Moira smiled slightly. “Maybe we work out of the Bunker but live elsewhere.”

“This complicates everything.” Dean shook his head. He looked at her, fear in his eyes. “Moira, this is...”

“It's overwhelming, I know.”

“It's life changing,” Dean snapped. “A change I really never thought would actually happen.”

Moira put her hands up. “I get it, Dean. You don't want this. I'm sorry. I'll figure it out on my own!” She stood up but he was in front of her immediately.

“I didn't say I didn't want this.” Dean stared into her eyes. “I don't know what to do, Sweetheart. This is new for me too.” He put his shaky hands on her lower abdomen. “I put a baby in your belly.”

Moira laughed softly. “Yeah,” she wrapped her arms around his neck, “you did.”

Dean kissed her softly. “Just let me figure this out. I want to be here for you and our little Princess.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh,” Dean smiled. “The baby's a girl.”

Moira raised an eyebrow. “And you've come to that conclusion how?”

Dean's smile only grew. “I just know. We're going to have a beautiful baby girl.”

“You're okay?” Moira asked him.

“I don't know,” he was honest with her. “I'm scared shitless. I always wanted kids, I just never thought it would happen.” He looked into her eyes. “I can't imagine having kids with anyone else. This changes things though. You can’t be hunting anymore. Leigh's out. Sam and I are going to have to take into account that we've got families to take care of now.”

“Mary's been working with those Men of Letter fucks for a reason.” Moira said. “Maybe they can help. Maybe if we gave up the bunker, they'd help us all get settled somewhere else. I hate the idea of asking them for help but….”

“I hate that idea too.” Dean shook his head. “They don't want us out of the game. Not yet.”

“Hey,” Moira touched his cheek. “Babe, we'll figure this out. We will make this work.”

Dean nodded. “I know, Sweetheart. I just want to take care of you and our baby.”

“We will. Together.” She promised him. “I love you, Dean. Everything is going to be okay.”

~*~

“Mom said the Men of Letters offered to help us relocate. They’re willing to wipe our records clean, erase anything and everything in the databases,” Sam told Ainsleigh. “There's plenty of cabins to choose from; we could just pick up and go.”

Ainsleigh knew it wasn't that easy. “Sam, if we do that, Moira and Dean can't come with us. I mean, they could, but you're talking about permanent. None of the cabins are big enough for the four of us and kids.”

“I know Baby, but maybe that's how you and I start this chapter of our life together.” Sam smiled again. “Leigh, this is what we both want. We were able to live the apple pie life the year Dean was gone. We had it.”

“I know.” Ainsleigh had loved that year they were alone. “Moira and Dean...”

“Dean's going to have a hard time with this. He wants kids, a real family, but Dean's a hunter. It's all he's ever known.” Sam sighed.

“Moira will always have a home wherever I am. You know that.”

“Same for my brother.”

Ainsleigh snuggled closer to her husband and kissed his cheek. “Things will work out. I just know it.”

A loud knock at the door startled them. Dean opened the door, a look of annoyance on his handsome face. “Pawpaw's here.”

“What?” They asked in unison.

“Crowley,” Dean sighed. “He said there's something he needs to talk to all of us about.”

Ainsleigh was slower to get up than Sam. “I don't feel well.”

“Babe?” Sam looked at her concerned. “You want to stay here?”

“Yeah, right.” She rolled her eyes. “He'll just bring everyone here.”

Moira was sitting at the table when they arrived in the war room. Dean sat next to her, one arm protectively moving around her slender frame. Crowley's eyes widened, but he noticed Ainsleigh, pale and taking deep breaths. He studied her for a few minutes and smiled.

“Well, well, a baby?”

“Two babies.” Dean said.

Crowley looked at Moira. “This is a happy occasion, isn't it?”

“Why did you come?” Moira asked. “What is so damn important it couldn't wait until tomorrow?”

“I need some help rounding up some rogue demons. They've decided to make deals and take souls early. This kind of thing is happening more and more often.”

Sam shook his head. “Sorry Crowley. We've got to start making some changes.”

Moira felt Dean tense. She reached over and squeezed his hand.

“Just come home to me,” She whispered.

“Sam, we can handle this,” Dean replied with a slight nod.

Ainsleigh opened her mouth to protest but Sam spoke up, “Dean, my wife is pregnant.”

“Mine is too. My girlfriend is pregnant.” Dean realized his slip.

“Man, we have to rethink our priorities,” Sam said. “I know this is our life. I know this is what we do. We can't just...”

“Maybe one more,” Ainsleigh looked at him. “Just this one last job and then we hang it up.”

“Hang it up where?” Dean asked.

Sam smiled at Ainsleigh. “We've got some ideas.”

“Interesting.” Crowley watched them. “Boys, I trust you'll stay safe.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “Like you care.”

“I do.” Crowley said. “It's not just your family that's cursed, Squirrel. It's mine too.”

Moira spoke up. “Arguing about it isn't going to help anyone. I don't want you to go, Dean, but this is an easy job.” Dean agreed with her. “After this, you’ll both be more selective about the hunts and take on less.”

Sam kissed Ainsleigh. “Dean, let’s go grab some supplies. I don't want these two to have to worry about anything while we are gone.”

“You okay here?” Dean knew Moira wasn't scared of Crowley.

“We're fine.” Moira smiled at him. “Go on. He'll be gone soon.”

~*~

She heard her sister's voice. “I can't believe this. I've been doing everything you've asked for years. Can't you just let me go?”

“I'm sorry, Love. Your work isn't done.”

“I'm pregnant! My sister is pregnant! The curse will be broken. We’ll get out. None of us will ever bother you again.”

Crowley laughed. “I don't believe that for a second. I am certain if I agree to release you from our deal, the Winchesters will take that blade and put it straight through my heart.” He was pacing. “You will get the rest of what I'm asking for or I'll kill your sister and her baby.”

“No!” She cried.

“I'll kill everyone. You'll be the last….”

“What the hell is going on here?!”

Her voice caused her sister, already crying and shaking, to jump up. “This isn't what it looks like...”

“You've been working with Crowley?”

Her eyes met her sisters and she wanted to lie.

~*~  ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~

Chapter 11

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[rubyphilomela]

Too Much is Sometimes Enough (chapter 2)

Chapter 2.

Ok guys, here is chapter 2 of my main fic, it is Prompto X OC Ruby Philomela and will feature pretty much all the main characters from the game and a special OC of @xladyamicitia and Nyx Ulric will be in attendance. Enjoy!

Before Prompto could panic he spotted several shadows on the ground in front of him, he looked up into the concerned and confused faces of his companions.

Ignis a dirty blond haired taller well dressed gentleman wearing glasses looked down in concern at the bleeding girl and handed Prompto his handkerchief to stop the bleeding.

“Apply pressure gently”

He nodded as the bleeding lessened while Prompto followed his instructions.

Prompto was lost in his watch over the girl in his arms, his reverie only broken when the driver of the vehicle that had nearly hit her walked over.

“Is she alright? She darted out so quick!”

Glancing at the car behind the group he asked the two remaining men as the others were focused on the girl.

“Car trouble?”

“Not sure.. she quit running about a mile ago”

Gladiolus the larger, well muscled man wearing a jacket over an exposed and well muscled chest with longer dark hair and tattoo covered arms announced

The truck driver pulled out a cell phone and a few moments later he smiled at the group.

“I’ve got the best mechanic this side of Eos on the way, she’ll get you taken care of”

Gladiolus and Noctis, the other more taciturn dark haired man also wearing all black his untidy dark hair nearly covering his eyes, thanked him before turning their attention back to the girl unconscious in Prompto’s arms.

“We should get her to the Regalia, itl be safer”

Gladiolus spoke up cutting through the silence. He then moved to help Prompto carry the girl but was surprised when Prompto himself picked her up and carried her, leaving Gladiolus to pick up the pup and kitten respectively who greeted each other affectionately much to his surprise. Once settled in the regalia Prompto arranged the girls head in the nest of his lap as Gladiolus arranged her companions in the floorboards much to Ignis’s shagrin.

Ignis handed Prompto a Hi-Potion

“See if you can get her to drink a bit of this, it should help until we can get a better look at her injuries”

Prompto nodded and gently eased the girls mouth open and slowly poured a bit of the potion down her throat, relaxing when she swallowed it and her breathing began to ease.

They were startled out of their collective watch over the girl when a blond headed woman walked over, curls framed her smiling freckled face and she wore a jean jacket with bra showing above jean shorts and boots that went to her knees.

“Y’all need some help?”

Ignis smiled warmly at the women and nodded gratefully.

“Our car has broken down and we have an injured girl that needs medical attention”

Cindy, the mechanic as she introduced herself nodded,

“lets get y’all to hammerhead so pawpaw and I can look at your car and you can get that girl settled and looked after.”

The group nodded gratefully and as they hooked the Regalia to the tow truck they agreed to leave Prompto and the girl in the backseat as the others rode in the cab of the tow truck.

A bit later the group found themselves at Hammerhead, a small outpost with a gas station, body shop and diner with a few people milling about and an RV parked to the side. It was nothing compared to the crown city they had left behind but it was paradise compared to the side of the road. Quckly they were divided, Gladiolus followed Cindy to look after the Regalia while Ignis, Noctis and Prompto settled into the RV that Cindy had lent them. They hurried to the back where Prompto settled on the bed with the girl her head pillowed on his lap while her companions waited on the floor as Prompto watched over her like a hawk.

Ignis lifted the handkerchief gently from her wound and saw that the bleeding had slowed however the cloth was soaked through and her skin was very pale.

“She has lost a great deal of blood and has a bit of bruising around the wound, see if you can get her to drink a bit more of the potion”

Ignis said while looking worriedly at the girl who appeared to be around Prompto and Noctis’s age and he wondered what had brought her to that road, to living in such a dangerous area alone.

Ignis was startled out of his thoughts when green eyes blinked dazedly at him, glancing between the both of them, pain swirling clearly in them as she began to move.

“Easy, easy..its ok..please breathe in and out..and try not to move, you are going to be Ok, you’re safe here!”

Prompto spoke softly soothing you as he softly stroked his fingers through her long hair.

“Where am I?”

Ruby asked surprised from the weakness in her voice.

“We’re in Hammerhead”

Prompto answered softly, eyebrows raising in worry as confusion crossed her features and she moved to get up only to realize she was wearing nothing more than bedsheets and that bit of movement had caused her head to throb and pound painfully, sending waves of dizziness to crash over her. A choked sob escaped her throat as a feeling of helplessness and confusion joined the pain in her head and she burrowed into the sheets crying softly, the pain grew as she moved increasing your tears.

Prompto moved quickly yet gently pulling her into the warmth of his arms, whispering reassurances into your ears as she wept. Ruby didn’t know where she was, who these men were or why she was here instead of her bed at home or how she came to be in the strong arms of the man with hair like a Chocobo. Tears slowly dwindled to a soft hiccup as a gentle hand pulled her out of her nest so that she was face to face with the same man she vaguely remembered when she had run out to stop that car from hitting Krypto. He was quite handsome and she would have blushed if she had the blood to spare, his blue eyes soft and gentle with freckles kissing his cheeks and blond hair fluffed looking touchably soft on his head.

“Feeling better?”

Prompto asked, gently wiping the tears from her cheeks his calloused hands warm and soothing, a balm on her soul as he moved slowly so as not to startle her. She nodded softly even as her head pounded.

“A little bit…I hurt all over though, kind of like I got hit by a car..”

Ruby answered wryly and Prompto smiled softly, relief clear on his face.

“You almost were! What made you dart out in the road like that? Camping trip that bad?”

He asked teasingly and she winced at the questions she had no answers to, hating that she knew so little about her situation.

“I can’t tell you why I’m here or even why I’m wearing nothing but bedsheets..I went to bed last night and woke up here and I have no idea why. I was trying to save my dog as he decided to chase who knows what into the road…”

At that moment she remembered the truck and her heart pounded in her chest causing the wound on her forehead to trickle fresh blood as she sat up far too quickly nearly blacking out from the quick change in equilibrium.

“Where’s Krypto?? Where’s Wolfe?? Are they OK??”

Ruby asked through gritted teeth as fresh waves of pain washed over her.

Prompto wrapped his arms around her gently pulling you back into his lap as he stroked her hair soothingly earning him a soft sigh as tension drained from her slightly.

“Easy now.. that’s it..breathe in, breathe out”

Prompto soothed softly

“You don’t want to hurt yourself any worse than you are.”

She nodded weakly in his arms fresh tears pouring down your cheeks.

“A..are they Ok though? Please tell me they’re ok…”

Ruby’s voice was choked with unshed tears causing Prompto to take your hands gently in his squeezing them softly sending warmth through you. Seeing that she had calmed slightly he nodded to Ignis who moved to pick up and then placed a purring kitten and an excited puppy beside her, the latter of which he restrained softly until he calmed and rested his head on her leg.

Seeing them both right there unharmed sent fresh tears of relief down her cheeks.

“Wolfe…Krypto…your both ok..thank the gods…”

Prompto smiled at the scene before him happy that the beautiful woman that he was slowly but steadily becoming attached to had the same love and compassion for animals that he did.

Once he saw that she was breathing normally Ignis asked her.

“Miss, I know that you must be in quite a bit of pain and Noctis will be helping you with that shortly, however it would be helpful if we knew what to call you”

Ruby smiled wryly, glad to finally have a question she could answer.

“The names Ruby Philomela, but you can call me Red”

Ignis bowed his head politely,

“It’s wonderful to meet you miss Red, now if it is alright Noctis would like to start healing you”

Ruby blinked confusion clear on her face,

“Do you mean Reiki?”

At that 3 pairs of eyes widened in confusion,

“Reiki?”

They asked as she nodded,

“Reiki healing is where you focus your aura and energy into bands or ribbons of light that can heal others, not everyone knows about it or can even do it or see the energy involved, it is very powerful when used by a person who’s trained and it works. I’d use it myself if I had the energy to spare but sadly I don’t that and self healing Reiki isn’t quite as effective in the short term, its more for long term healing.”

Confusion and shock ran rampant in the minds of the males in the room, how did she have access to healing abilities that use magic usually only found in the royal family or the oracle? Holding their questions until Red had recovered Noctis came forward, causing to his surprise Red’s eyes to widen in confusion and recognition as she stared intently at him and through him. Did she know that he was the prince? How could she?

“What is is Red?”

Prompto asked her as she stared eyes wide at the man in front of her.

Noctis’s aura swirled like a living thing before her with a mind of its own, so laden with power and intertwined intricately with the group of men it dwarfed the abilities of the others while somehow empowering them.

Noctis looked at her eyes wide in confusion as he managed to find his voice,

“What do you see?”

Clearing her suddenly dry throat she answered,

“Your aura…its so..intense..”

Ruby faded off squeezing Prompto’s hand as he held her gently, support if not understanding flowing off of him onto you.

“What do you mean? You can see my aura?? My magic?”

Noctis asked, surprise clear in his usually stoic expression, she nodded and his eyebrows rose to his hairline as he slowly approached the now shivering pale girl on the bed. Kneeling softly before her,

“Please Red get some rest, close your eyes.. Prompto and I…all of us are going to take care of you so please relax  and allow me to heal you”

Ruby nodded as she worked to take slow and even breaths and closed her eyes feeling the first waves of energy coming over her overtaking senses and leaving peace behind, that was your last thought before unconsciousness once more claimed her.

Noctis pulled the light of energy from his soul and focused it on healing the weakened girl on the bed. He was quickly surprised though as waves of power came to greet his and wrapped around him leaving warm sparkles of soothing power behind before returning to its mistress on the bed.

Even Prompto who held the sleeping girl felt the wave of peace overtake him leaving him content and drowsy, he then gently wrapped himself around the healing girl and allowed sleep to take him.

[eyez-ff-blog]

○○ eyez | thirty-nine

The date was set—May 25. Five months to properly put everything together, but for this to be the most stressful thing in Beija’s life to date was a blessing to her at this point.

The bombshell of New Year’s Eve was probably one of the most bittersweet things that had happened between she and Jermaine since his divorce—of course blogs got wind of Mariah’s arrest, and of course a frenzy of blogs ‘just discovering’ the now closed investigation became the hot topic. At least the two as a couple weren’t under attack by the public...at least, not completely. Of course there were bitter individuals saying that this was ‘karma’ for how Jermaine had dealt with his divorce with Melissa, among other things. But the fact that Beija knew the truth of everything kept her from really responding to any of it. She had better shit to attend to than to try to convince people who would never like her that she wasn’t a homewrecker. They were about to be married, and she wanted to focus on that.

To add to that, their first anniversary of them being together was coming about, along with Janiya’s first birthday. Beija had no reason to be worried about what some dumb ass blog or internet personality had to say. They’d never say it to her face anyway, and she was sure some had an opportunity to do so.

For this particular day, Beija was back home in Houston—for her, it was a ‘girls’ trip’ with just she and Janiya. She had a seamstress at one of the city’s black-owned boutiques put together a dress for her; it was the first thing she did once Jermaine proposed and now the moment of truth had arrived. The seamstress had sent her three dress ideas, and with her team, had put together all three dresses for Beija to choose from. It would now be Beija’s decision of what she would be walking down the aisle in.

The boutique was fairly large, or at least large enough for a bridal party to fit into—mannequins wore light colored garments, and the royal blue furniture seemed to bring intense color and life into the space. In the fitting area, stood the seamstress herself, along with Beija, Ayana, Sara, Lauren, and Janiya, who was occupied with her small stuffed animal.

“Are you sure this dress fits?” Alisha’s voice could be heard from the dressing room, and the girls laughed softly as Beija gently bounced Niya on her lap.

“Yes, mama—get them over them hips of yours!” Beija joked.

“Girl, don’t get popped. My hips aren’t that big,” Alisha complained.

“Uh...Mama ‘Lisha, you know you’re who Beija got her hips from, right?” Lauren commented, causing Alisha to laugh.

“Right? She trying to act like she’s petite or something,” Beija shook her head before the door to the dressing room opened, and the women gasped. “Mama! You looking good,” She complimented.

Alisha turned around in the dress she’d wear to the wedding—it was an Ivory colored dress that flowed down from the fitting bodice and silk band that wrapped around her waist and cinched it properly. The skirt stopped just short of the knees, and with it came a jacket that held an elbow-length sleeve. Alisha looked in the mirror and posed. “Huh. I still got it,” She snapped.

“You sure do, Mama! You look amazing,” Sara laughed softly.

“Beautiful. Now I can’t wait to see our bridesmaid dresses,” Ayana said before she glanced over at Beija. “But B, you sure you don’t mind us wearing white, too? I thought it was only for the bride,” She tilted her head.

“It usually is. But I figured with the lilac and blue accessories, it will work out fine. Plus, after going through all those swatches, I just thought this color was perfect. The groomsmen’s suits are so nice with that color too,” She said.

“Well, what the bride wants, the bride gets,” Lauren chuckled. “I wanna see my dress now, though. Because if it ain’t cute you and me are gonna have it out,” She playfully nudged Beija as the two laughed.

“There’s in the dressing rooms, go ahead,” She said as the women got up to go to the other dressing rooms that were set out for them.

Alisha walked over and grinned as she smoothed out her dress briefly. “This is pretty flattering on me, Beija. You know your mama well,” She chuckled as she posed again. “What do you think, Niy’? Nana’s looking jazzy, huh?” She leaned down and tapped Janiya’s nose lightly, causing the little girl to smile.

“Mhm. Nana’s gonna blow Pawpaw away for sure,” Beija kissed the top of Janiya’s head, and the baby stared up at her mother before leaning back against Beija’s body. “I can’t wait for you guys to see Logan and Niya’s dresses. I am not a frilly girl but I’m breaking down this once—I couldn’t pass up the dresses I saw,” She explained as Alisha went to change out of the dress.

“I was about to say, don’t dress my grandbaby like a boy at your wedding,” Alisha grimaced, causing a flurry of laughter from the other three women.

“Oh, haha. So funny,” Beija frowned before she began to laugh herself. “I’ll let her be a complete girly girl this one day. Live in that moment, mama—soak it in! You won’t see it again,” She added.

“Sure, Beija. As soon as you see Niya in the dress you’re going to want her in lacy socks all the time and all types of mess. It never fails,” Yana chuckled before she came out of her dressing room first. Lauren and Sara came out soon after, and Alisha returned in her regular clothes before sitting next to Beija.

“Oh wow. You ladies look amazing,” Alisha marveled. “These dresses are beautiful!”

The bridesmaids’ dresses were highly similar to Alisha’s dress; they shared the same Ivory color and the silk band that separated the fitting bodice from the flowing skirt that flowed to the floor as compared to Alisha’s knee length. The slit on the left leg was also a difference, and added the flair and slight sensuality that matched Beija’s style completely.

“Oh yeah, I am definitely getting a man in this dress. Mm!” Lauren posed in the mirror before she looked back at Beija. “Any of Jermaine’s friends need a lady? Put me on sis,” She joked.

“Girl! Get out of my face,” Beija laughed softly. “Although, I know for sure that Damon and Cody are single,” She shrugged. “You do what you want with that information.”

“You know Lauren is not a light skinned chaser,” Yana laughed. “Her best bet would be Bas, wouldn’t it?” She asked.

“Yeah, but she didn’t say he was single,” Lauren huffed softly.

“Well I don’t know for sure. I never know with him,” Beija assured.

“Eh, no matter—when he sees me in this? He’ll wish he was,” Lauren smirked, and Beija laughed before shaking her head. “Let me stop playing. It’s time to see your dress! Let’s get out of these,” She chuckled before she returned to the dressing room.

Once the ladies had changed out of their dresses, Beija gave Janiya to Alisha before she headed inside the dressing room specified for her. She closed the door behind her before she got out of her clothes, leaving her in the strapless bra and underwear she had worn for the occasion. She glanced over the three dresses that the seamstress had made for her, and her eyes locked on one in particular. “Yes...yes, this is the one,” She mumbled to herself.

“Hey, do you need any help getting into the dresses?” She heard the seamstress at the door, and Beija opened the door to allow her inside. Quietly, she pointed at the dress that she had chosen, and the seamstress smiled brightly. “Oh, I knew you’d like this one...”

“What’s taking so long? Come on with it,” Sara called out.

“Right? I’m anxious,” Yana mumbled.

“Just a moment!” Beija laughed softly before she and the seamstress worked to get her into the dress. Once the seamstress zipped up her dress, Beija looked in the mirror before she placed her hands over her chest, the delighted look on her face being undeniable. Eventually, she opened the door and the women nearly screamed in surprise.

Beija’s wedding dress was something straight out of a fairy tale; the fitting sweetheart corset seemed to give her breasts the proper support they needed, and the crystals that were embroidered into the satin material seemed to glisten in the light. The ball gown style skirt that seemed to trail behind her was almost sheer, and though it looked grandiose and heavy, the material used make it lighter so she could maneuver a bit better. Either way, the look that she wanted to achieve was in this dress, she felt it in every bone in her body. “This is the one. I know it is,” Beija finally said.

“It is. It’s perfect—Oh my God, let me take a picture for Nic and Courtney,” Lauren pulled out her phone and snapped a couple photos.

“Beija, you look amazing,” Yana said, seemingly in awe of her friend.

“You really think so? I really want it to be perfect. I just love it, though—it’s exactly how I imagined it,” Beija seemed to be speaking in an almost trance-like tone, the awestricken expression being a testament of how she felt.

“Wow,” Alisha sighed, and Beija looked up to see her mother’s tearful eyes.

“No, no tears! I’ve gotten this far without crying,” Beija laughed before she looked away, wiping her eyes quickly.

“I’m sorry, but I’m just so happy. I never thought I’d see the day my daughter getting married. I should be used to this; I’ve already watched two sons get married. But this is different...you’re my little girl, B,” Alisha said, and Beija nodded in knowledge. Alisha didn’t have to say much more to get the point across.

“What do you think, Niya? Isn’t your mommy so pretty?” Sara looked down at Janiya, who hadn’t taken her eyes off of Beija yet. “I think she loves it. She hasn’t stopped looking at you,” She laughed.

“I’m just hoping that when J sees it...he’ll love it,” Beija said softly.”Guys. Holy crap. This is really happening,” Beija began to laugh as she slowly turned around in her dress. “I’m seriously about to be this man’s wife. Yo, Lauren—predict something else for me, because you’ve been on a roll,” She joked to keep more tears from coming.

“Girl, what else? I mean, there’s always a brother for Niya,” Lauren raised her eyebrows, and Beija sucked her teeth.

“We’ll see! How about you get me a nephew? Let’s talk about that,” She playfully argued before all of the women began to laugh.

“Okay...caterer, baker, photographer, and videographer are hired. Venues are secure, clothes are bought, invite list finished...” Beija mumbled to herself as she paced the master suite. “Pastor notified and confirmed for the ceremony and...what am I missing,” She sighed as she placed her hands on her hips.

“The DJ,” She looked over her shoulder before she saw Jermaine enter the bedroom, stretching his arms over his head slowly. “But I contacted him and got that together,” He said with a small chuckle before he wrapped his arms around her waist. “Now, can you shut your mind down for a moment? I think you forgot what today is,” He said.

“What’s today?” Beija chuckled softly as she felt his lips press against the side of her face. Her eyebrows suddenly rose in realization. “Oh! Happy Anniversary!” She laughed a bit as she wrapped her arms around him slowly.

“Yep. Go ahead and get yourself together—I called Gina up and she’s on the way over; we’re going out tonight,” He said, and she raised an eyebrow slowly.

“Oh?” Beija laughed softly before she leaned up on the tips of her toes. “Sounds good. Let me get myself together then,” She chuckled before pulling away from him. “How should I dress?” She asked.

“Uh...after five casual? It’s still cold too, so keep that in mind,” She heard J explain, and she nodded as she disappeared into the bathroom.

After her shower and usual primping, Beija put on a simple sweater and jeans combo, deciding on some flat boots instead of her usual heels. She did her makeup and glanced over at her jewelry box before she walked over to it and put on a pair of earrings. She felt two arms around her waist, and she smirked a bit before she laid her head back against her lover’s shoulder. “Ready to go?” She asked as she turned around, inspecting Jermaine’s simple outfit of a button up and jeans.

“Yep. Let’s go,” He grabbed her hand before they exited the room, and they made sure that Gina had everything handled with Janiya before they headed towards the garage. “Wait—close your eyes,” He chuckled before he shielded her vision.

“What—man,” Beija laughed before she closed her eyes. She could hear Jermaine shuffling around her. “They’re closed, Lamarr,” She huffed.

“Gotta make sure,” He said before he slowly led her towards the garage. Beija patiently walked alongside him before she felt the chill of being within the garage, and she pressed her nude-painted lips together in anticipation. “Go ‘head.”

When Beija opened her eyes, she couldn’t help but to let out a scream as she noticed the new car sitting alongside Jermaine’s. The luxury sedan was smaller and a lot sleeker, and the dark blue coat of paint gave it some sophistication and style. “Baby, what the fuck?!” She turned around and hugged him tightly.

“I know you get tired of just driving my shit around, so I wanted you to have something for you,” He explained, and she huffed as she smacked his chest.

“You stay trying to outdo me with gifts! I can’t stand you,” She chuckled as she looked back at the car, a smile crossing her face. “Can we drive it?” She asked.

“Sure; I’ll have to give you the directions to where we’re going, though,” He dangled the keys in front of Beija’s face, and she grabbed them quickly before hurrying towards the car. Unlocking the doors, she slipped into the driver’s seat of the vehicle.

Beija took a glance around before she slowly ran her fingers along the black leather interior, noting the light blue stitching within the fabric, and the black wood grain that complimented the look. “This shit is so clean. I’m gonna be the cutest wife on the block with this,” She chuckled as she glanced up to see Jermaine getting into the car. “Do you see this wood grain? This stitching—baby,” She groaned as she started up the engine. “And that purr!”

“You really sounding like a mechanic or something right now,” J laughed as she opened the garage door with the opener that sat on her overhead flap. “But it is pretty nice. And check this,” Beija glanced up as he pulled back a roof shutter to show off the sun roof.

“Nice,” She grinned as she slowly backed out of the garage and headed down the street once she closed the garage door. “So, where we headed to, Romeo?” She teased.

“Head downtown first, and then we can go from there,” J chuckled as he relaxed in the seat, fiddling with the radio. After turning it onto a station they both enjoyed, he reclined in the seat.

The ride downtown wasn’t too long thanks to the light traffic, and the two couldn’t help but to converse or sing and rap along to the music on the radio. As Beija got closer to wherever she was supposed to be going, she noticed Jermaine sit up in his seat. “Here. Park right over here,” He pointed, and she nodded before she pulled up to the curb of what looked to be a restaurant. She shut off the engine before she got out of the car, walking around before seeing a valet parker. She passed him the keys and he wrote them a ticket for their car before he went to park their car. Beija slipped the ticket into her clutch before she followed Jermaine inside the restaurant.

Beija looked around and noticed the warm and cozy atmosphere, and she licked over her lips as she took a sniff at the air, noticing the fragrant scents of food. “Smells nice,” She chuckled as he nodded.

“Heard this was the spot for the best Italian in town,” He said before he fulfilled their reservation. The hostess skipped grabbing menus, and led them through the dining hall before they were ushered into an elevator.

Beija twisted her lips to the side as the translucent doors shut, and she glanced over at Jermaine, who had that smile on his face—he always had that look when he was up to something. She huffed softly before she clasped her hands together, waiting for the elevator to stop. Once it did and the doors opened, she glanced out before she looked around, a small smile spreading across her face.

The rooftop area of the restaurant seemed more like a garden than a roof, with its abundance of flowers and shrubbery. The views of downtown from where they stood were nothing short of amazing, and the arrangement of their dinner table oozed with intimacy and deep thought. White and light pink rose petals seemed to scatter the ground, making a trail to the table, and matching whole roses sat as a centerpiece at the table along with some lit candles and two covered plates. As she walked the trail and stopped at the table, she noticed her favorite bottle of Pinot Noir on ice. “Damn,” She chuckled as she felt Jermaine’s hands slowly slip up her arms, and she closed her eyes as she felt his lips against her cheek. “You make me sick,” She mumbled before cracking a smile.

“Yeah, I know. I’m not done though, so let’s eat,” He mumbled before he moved to pull out her chair.

The appetizing course consisted of classic Caprese Salad, then with an Alfredo first course. Next came a grilled chicken dish with sautéed green beans. Lastly, the dessert of Tiramisu paired with caramel flavored gelato rounded off the meal. The whole meal consisted of nostalgic and reminiscent conversation, leaving them both in stiches as they joked about outrageous moments they endured on tour, or Beija’s many dramatic diva moments during her pregnancy.

After dinner, Beija was led back to the elevator before she ran a hand over her stomach. “This place is amazing. Their food is definitely top notch. I’ve got to learn how to make gelato for home,” She said before a small burp slipped from her lips. “Sorry,” She chuckled.

“Somebody ate well,” J teased before laughing a bit. Beija looked in her clutch to try to find the ticket for the valet, but Jermaine took it from her before she could truly grasp it. “Not yet,” He urged, and she raised an eyebrow as he slipped it into his pocket. She allowed him to lead her off the elevator before they headed through the restaurant, and out into the cold again.

Beija looked around, and she sucked her teeth when she saw the horse-drawn carriage waiting. “No, you didn’t,” She laughed.

“Yes, I did. Come on here,” J smirked before he led her towards the carriage and helped her onto it. He got on after her, and soon enough the rider began to make the carriage pull away. “You down for a walk in the park?” He asked. “It’s a bit of a walk from here, but I figured we could hitch a ride.”

“I’d like that,” Beija chuckled softly before she looked up at him. “Now, I thought you weren’t good with this romance stuff! You’ve been holding out on me?” She elbowed him playfully, causing him to chuckle.

“Nah. I did some research and got my shit together,” He said before he wrapped an arm around her waist. “How am I doing so far?” He asked.

“It’s on the nose! You’d swear we were in some cheesy romantic comedy,” Beija laughed as she laid her head on his chest. “But you know...I don’t mind,” She said softly.

“I know you don’t mind. I don’t think you realize it, but you’re a hopeless romantic,” J commented, and Beija furrowed her eyebrows as she looked up at him. “Don’t give me that look. You are,” He insisted.

“Am I? I never realized,” She shrugged, and he nodded. “I guess deep down I have always wanted to be pampered on Valentine’s Day. I always saw the girls at my high school get chocolates, flowers, and balloons every year for four damn years—I was envious,” She laughed.

“I’d love to say that I would have done the same if we went to school together, but I’d be lying like shit,” Beija rolled her eyes as her laugh came out effortlessly and louder than intended. “I’m serious. I have never been good at this. And plus...if I had met you in high school, I probably wouldn’t have even spoken to you,” He said.

“What? Why? I told you I was a nerd in school. Aside from cheerleading, I was always in a book. And I only had one boyfriend back then, too. It didn’t even last long,” She explained.

“So? I’ve seen your old pictures. You were as beautiful then as you are now. Have you seen me at that age? Beija,” J shook his head as the two began to laugh. “I wouldn’t have had the balls, baby. Not at all.”

“Well I wouldn’t have cared how big your head was,” Beija snickered, laughing again when Jermaine glared at her. “I’m sorry! Your head is big,” She giggled.

“Thanks. I appreciate it so much,” He sarcastically countered.

“But seriously—I wouldn’t have minded getting to know you. If you were as amazing as you are now, I would have definitely liked you,” Beija smiled as she reached up and rubbed his face. “And you were cute back then! You act like you’re gruesome or some shit,” She rolled her eyes as the carriage came to a slow stop. Soon enough, the couple got off of the carriage and Beija grabbed J’s hand as they walked together through the park, keeping to the lit trail. “Wait, how are we gonna get back to my car?” She asked.

“He’s gonna circle around for a bit. He’ll be back when we’re ready to go back,” Jermaine said before he looked up at the sky for a moment. “Ain’t this shit crazy, though? Two years. We’ve really been together for two years,” He mumbled.

“Known each other for three. When you think about it, that is kind of crazy. So much has happened,” Beija thought for a moment before she laid her head against J’s arm. “But you know, I wouldn’t take any of it back,” She said.

“Word? Not even the fucked up parts?” J glanced down at her as he let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist. “I mean, most people would use the things they learn and change the past if they could,” He said.

“I wouldn’t change one thing. It made me appreciate what I have,” Beija glanced up at him before she smiled. “I mean, I’ve always been thankful to have you, but a lot of what we went through put shit into perspective,” She said.

“Hm...that’s true,” Beija stopped near a fountain before taking a seat, and she sat her hands in her lap as Jermaine sat next to her.

She glanced up at the sky and she chuckled softly to herself. “You can kinda see the sky from here. Hard to do when we’re surrounded by lights,” She said, only glancing over when she noticed that Jermaine was looking over at her. She bit the inside of her cheek before huffing softly, feeling the slight heat within her face. “What?”

“I can’t look at you?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because,” Beija looked away before she pouted slightly. “Three years, and you still look at me like that,” She mumbled. She felt his hand cover hers, and she smiled gently before she sighed, glancing back at him to see him still gazing at her. “Stop!” She laughed.

“I’m sorry,” J laughed a bit before he rubbed the back of his neck. She chuckled before she laid her head down on his shoulder.