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Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry for the huge delay, life has been hectic and writer's block has not helped one bit! First of all I have just a few days of school left, just started my fulltime internship/job as a line cook for a brandnew restaurant. So I hope after this week with just work being in the way of taking up my time that I'll have more time to write (and won't need to study anymore woo!) lol. OH! And a very HUGE thank you goes to Darby (cabybakes) for all her help with the speeches! Since she's been in quite a few weddings, she shared some of her speeches that she's given and I "borrowed" a few lines that were simply awesome. So thank her by going and giving her some awesome reviews on her story Casual! Enjoy everyone!

Chapter Thirty-Six: All You Need Is Love

Nick and Alyssa were whisked away to another part of the beach, seeing everyone except the wedding party and their immediate families for pictures. The minister led them over to the side where he had the marriage license for them to sign. "Be sure to have this filed as soon as possible, once you've signed it."

Both of them nodded and Alyssa moved in taking the pen signing her name, grinning as she did so. She thought to herself how sneaky her surprise was. How her mother, sister, and two best friends had gone earlier in the day to the local government offices to not only pick this up but to make an all-important change.

She moved to the side handing the pen over to Nick. He took it smiling at her. He moved to the side writing his name then glanced over to her signature, pausing when he didn't see the normal "M" of her last name and instead the fine script had curved into a C, and led to spelling out his last name. He looked over at her, recognition strong in his eyes.

She smirked at him and kissed the hinge of his jaw, "I didn't want to wait until after the tour to change my name." She whispered before taking him over to where their families were. Andre made quick work of the group, taking photo after photo, each time the crowd getting smaller until it was just the bride and groom standing together.

Alyssa grinned up at Nick as Andre took another few shots of them together for the evening, planning on getting the majority of the candid pictures done the following morning with the wedding party, families and all of the guests.

"All right you two, I think I'm done here for tonight." He said with a grin as Nick looked and nodded his gratitude.

Nick looked back over at Alyssa who was staring out over the water. He took her hand in his lacing their fingers. She looked over at him and a slow smile spread over her face. "Come on..." He said leading her away from the hotel.

She stopped short and he turned to her. "Um...where are we going? My room's back this way. I have the presidential suite." She reminded thinking that the plan was to go back into the main part of the hotel for their wedding night.

He smiled and shook his head. He always kind of liked surprising her like this, to where it would be something she may not expect. "Yeah I know, but I did something better than that for us. Come on..."

Alyssa smirked and walked along side him. "You're not going to do something extraordinarily cheesy right? Nothing like sex on the beach at moonlight because seriously honey, I don't want to completely ruin my dress, nor get sand in places that are a little difficult to clean."

Nick snickered and shook his head as he took her away from the beach along a stone pathway. "Christ woman, seriously you think I'm that corny?"

Alyssa's face crumbled in laughter and she shrugged, "I don't know you've surprised me before with insane romanticism so I'm guessing..." She trailed off when she saw a small beach bungalow in front of them. "Is that ours?"

"For tonight, yeah." He replied leading her by the hand behind him up the small stairs to the porch and leading her to the door. "I figured some extra privacy was in order."

"Am I really that loud then is that why you wanted the extra privacy?" She joked back. He smiled and opened the door and pulled her inside. "What no carrying me over the threshold?"

He laughed and pushed the door closed and pushed her up against it bringing their mouths just mere inches apart. "You said you didn't want corny..." He replied before pressing his mouth to hers.

She sighed into the kiss and slid her hands up the front of his vest up to his tie pulling it from its spot nestled between his shirt and vest. She wrapped the black material around her hand and pulled him in closer to her until they were pressed completely against each other.

He held her body against the door his hands at the sides of her ribs as he moved his mouth away from hers breathing in the sweet scent of her perfume and trailed his mouth down her jaw to her neck. She arched her neck against his mouth letting out a breathy moan and moving her hands to his neck making goosebumps rise over his skin from the cold platinum and diamonds of her rings on her left hand. She pushed him away after a moment taking her hands down the front of him and began unbuttoning his vest. He smiled and placed his hands over hers.

He took her hand and turned them walking her to the bedroom smiling as she hugged him from behind kissing along his shoulders through the material of his vest and shirt. She leaned up and placed her chin on his shoulder. "I love you." She said quietly as if it were some great secret between them. He smiled wider and repeated the same as she reached around him untucking his shirt and slipping the vest from his shoulders.

Alyssa walked around him unbuttoning his shirt as he pulled her near him wrapping his arms around her and moving up to the straps of her dress from underneath her arms. Before he could move them much if at all Alyssa had already made short work of his shirt and was pushing it off his shoulders and onto the floor behind them leaving him a simple white v-neck undershirt.

At that moment Nick turned her around facing away from him, his mouth latching onto her collarbone as his hands moved to the button at the back of her dress that hid the beginnings of the zipper. He unzipped her dress seeing the clasp of her white bra behind the fabric. He kissed his way up her neck sucking on her pulse point. As soon as he'd unzipped her dress she turned around holding the dress to her so it wouldn't fall off from her movement.

She smiled coyly and replied to his questioning glance. "I'll be right back." She watched his knowing smirk grow across his face as she bent down grabbing his shirt and going over to the bathroom glancing to him as she closed the door.

Once inside the bathroom she turned and saw the basket on the vanity grinning figuring that the girls had something to do with this. She saw the note and smirked:

Figured this would come in handy

K, L and O


Alyssa smiled seeing a garment bag for her dress and a small pink striped box. She opened it seeing the lingerie her mother had insisted on paying for earlier that day. She smiled wider and took off her dress slipping it into the garment bag along with her bra, and garter leaving her underwear on the bathroom floor. She took the garment, a sheer, embroidered eyelet baby doll chemise and a matching bikini panties. She slipped them on and took the white button down tux shirt pulling it on over her lingerie buttoning it fully.

She looked in the mirror and smiled then placed her left hand on the door handle freezing. She looked at her ring finger the two rings glinting back at her and that's when it finally hit her. She was a married woman....no longer a Miss but a Missus. She smiled and turned the knob seeing Nick sitting on the bed his hands in front of him, elbows on his knees as he twisted the ring around his finger examining it closely liking how simple  yet defined it was against his skin.

"Having the oh shit moment?" She asked making him look up at her surprised that she had so quietly slipped into the room.

"A little...it's crazy you know?" He remarked as she walked towards him he took in the shirt she was wearing and smiled.

"I do know...I had it myself a minute ago." Alyssa admitted making him nod. "So how's it feel to be a married man?" She said as she placed her hands on his shoulders.

He grinned as he moved his eyes over her. "Pretty damn good so far." He replied pulling her to him. He stood and kissed her slowly as she inched up his shirt. He broke the kiss and let her lift the shirt up over his head tossing it across the room. She moved her hands to his pants as he moved his to the shirt both of them unbuttoning  and undoing the garments. Nick's breath caught in his throat at the sheer white material underneath the tuxedo shirt. "Wow..." He managed to mutter as she shed the shirt to the floor.

She chuckled and pushed him onto the bed making him lay back. She grabbed the material of his pants at his ankles and pulled them down and off of him leaving him in his black boxers. Alyssa climbed up onto the bed straddling his waist and leaned down smiling at him as he leaned up as well kissing along her neck. She sat back pulling her hands on his shoulders and pulling him up to sit with her.

Alyssa bent her knees, planting her feet behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck and grinned at him as he skimmed the backs of his fingers down her sides to her hips up her thighs and the back down to her hips underneath the short material of her chemise. She smiled at him but that faded in favor of a quiet gasp as he pulled her closer against him grinding her hips against his gently but with great force. She smirked and leaned in and kissed him ferociously biting his lower lip making him pull her hips sharper against his in instinctual reaction to the intensity of her kiss.

He broke the kiss needing to breath, his lungs burned feeling like he'd been holding his breath for the longest time when in reality had been mere seconds. He looked at her face and smirked the moved to her neck just under her chin making her tilt her head back to give him better access to it. She sighed and dug her toes into the top sheet on the bed. As he made his way down her neck his hands moved out from under the white sheer lingerie and back up her body to the outsides of her shoulders removing the thin straps from them.

Nick breathed her in as he kissed along her collarbone completely intoxicated by her scent and provoked to no end by the soft moans that fell from her mouth. Alyssa moved her hands between them crossing them in front of her and pulling up her lingerie pulling it up over her head and tossing it across the room. Nick smiled at her and let his eyes roam over her freely, without inhibition she let him stare. Wrapping his arms around her he twisted them around placing her head on the soft pillows that had been behind them and went to pull her bikini briefs off of her. She lifted her hips in response snickering slightly when he tossed them over his shoulder.

Her hands went to his boxers slipping them over his hips as his hands joined hers as well pushing them off to were he kicked them down to the end of the bed. As if almost on instinct her hand wrapped around him as he looked down at her meeting her eyes his hand already on the same path of it's own on her body. He watched her face tighten as he drew his hand across her giving her a small taste of what she was doing to him as well. Feeling their body heat rise he reluctantly pushed her hands away and pulled his own from her, not wanting to drive them to insanity from mere touching and give them both what they really wanted.

They didn't speak, but only maintained eye contact as he settled himself on her sighing as she wrapped her legs around his hips. He held himself on his elbows as he slid inside of her reveling in watching the range of emotions cross her brow. She grasped onto his shoulders as he began moving inside of her slowly, purposefully dragging out every movement just to torment the both of them.

Needing him closer she pulled on his back gently, and he lowered himself down to her taking both her hands in his left and placing them above her head, her right hand at the bottom of the pile, he kissed her then feeling the metal of her rings on his left hand as he was sure she felt the metal from his on hers. He moved faster feeling the need within them rise up higher and higher. She stared up at him removing her right hand from above her head to hold onto his arm that still lay, holding her left hand against the bed as they moved together, fluidly every moment and movement that passed brought them much closer to their climaxes.

He kissed along her jaw feeling her breathing get even shallower than before. She sighed as he kissed her mouth, the contact doing nothing to silence the growing volume of the sounds both of them were making. Alyssa broke the kiss arching her back against him and moaning rather loudly. Nick saw the look on her face knowing exactly what she was about to request. He moved harder against her making her gasp and clasp her legs tighter around him.

Finally she broke the contact between their hands and moved to clutch at his shoulders as he slipped his arms beneath her shoulders holding her up closer to him as he moved harder and faster feeling her body let go and a long low moan escape her mouth. He continued for a few moments then exploded against her kissing along her collarbone as he slowed his pace.

Hours later...

"Ali we should really get up and get a shower, or at least try to get a couple hours of sleep..." Nick tried to reason. He looked to the window momentarily seeing the sunlight streaming in and knew that there wouldn't be time to sleep with the sun already up high in the sky.

She giggled and kissed along his shoulder. "Sleep is so overrated." She retorted reminding him of the blissful hours they'd just spent together. Some was spent talking, about the future plans they had, other parts of the time they spent enjoying each other physically, just completely happy to have finally have taken the next step in their relationship.

He smirked and rolled her onto her side mirroring her himself. "Yes, but Mary and Clark will kill me for making you have dark circles under those eyes."

"Puh-lease like Clark and Lori came up for air at all the day after their wedding." She remarked making him laugh. "Or mom and dad? They always joked about sex around us so I'm pretty sure she was expecting that I wouldn't be getting much sleep."

"Or the fact that everyone is going to look at us and know we had sex..."

Alyssa at that point outright laughed at him, "And since when has every one knowing that you scored, ever been an embarrassment for you? Besides they all know we've had sex before, it's not like you married a virgin or something."

"Still...maybe we should skip it and just run off for a few days..." He suggested. It wasn't that he didn't want to spend time with his family, his friends or even his new family. It was simply his own selfish nature showing through. He didn't want to share Alyssa with anyone, friend, family, fan or colleague. For once he was incandescently and completely happy and he didn't want to do anything but stay in the moment, forever if he could.

"Oh yes because Jeff and Tim, not to mention the boys and the fans would totally love that idea right in the middle of a tour."

He sighed and gave her a look, "Okay...then can I tempt you with a shower? Figure we better milk all this alone time now because in about..." He looked over at the clock seeing it was already 10 AM... and the reception was in an hour. "Fuck..an hour...we're not going to get a second alone."

Alyssa got up and pulled him to stand with her, both of them still completely naked. "Come on, let's get showered and go party with our families. Besides what bride can say she gets to wear her dress twice?" She remarked as they made their way into the bathroom. They showered in the large shower kissing, talking and getting ready for the day. Once finished they each made themselves up as they had the previous night. Nick pulled on his clothing smirking to himself as he buttoned his shirt smelling the faint mixture of his cologne and Alyssa's perfume.

He glanced up seeing Alyssa walk out in her dress, her hair falling in soft curls like the night before. "I love that dress..." He said eyeing her with a prideful look on his face.

She grinned and swayed her hips from side to side making the light fabric swish over her feet. "I love it too. Something told me that you'd love it."

He stood and went to her placing his hands on her sides and stared at her for a moment, just marveling at the fact that she wasn't just his girlfriend, or fiancée, she was really now committed to him, she'd given him her promise of forever the night before and it made a thrill run through him just at the thought of it. He took her hand and lead her out of the little bungalow chuckling at how the sand and grass were warm against their bare feet, having opted against shoes for the ceremony and not remembering to bring any with them on their walk to the bungalow the night before.

Luckily the party was held inside the same space as the tent from the night before, the walls of the tent had been taken away leaving only the top and it's supports still in place. Tables had been strewn around with chairs draped in plum slipcovers and an ivory ribbon around it. Kellie was the first to spot them, a wide grin spread across her face as she watched them approach the crowd of loved ones. She held Cedric to her chest with one hand and wolf whistled at them making them stop for a moment and start laughing as everyone's attention turned to them.

"Figures she'd do something like that. At least we didn't get the cheesy introduction most weddings have." Nick remarked under his breath just loud enough for Alyssa to hear and snicker in response.

"If she would have done it like that, she'd have done it Oprah style, free cars and all." Alyssa quipped back.

"I'm glad she didn't, I would have felt compelled to jump on a couch with a triumphant fist pump for good measure." He retorted watching as Alyssa laughed at his joke her cheeks flushing red as they were descended upon by Aaron and Olivia.

"Well good morning..." Olivia said with a Cheshire grin. Alyssa rolled her eyes and hugged her sister and then hugged her brother-in-law, her thoughts making her shake her head at the mere words that crossed her mind. Brother-in-law...so odd. She thought to herself bemused at the change in dynamic.

"Hey sis..." He said to her with a grin. "Have a good night?" He asked wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Alyssa rolled her eyes and punched his arm. "Be nice, I'm a married woman now." She shot back making him chuckle at her. The four of them smiled as they joined the larger crowd hugging their immediate families.

Jane hugged Alyssa close and whispered, "You look really beautiful." She said with an air of sincerity that made Alyssa step back in shock. Alyssa shrugged and smiled, nodding her thank you as they moved down the line, hugging Bob, Ginger, the siblings each giving their congratulations

Then Alyssa's family dominated Clark holding his sister for a moment before smacking Nick on the shoulder. "Be good to my sister."

Nick rolled his eyes and put his hand on his shoulder, "You know I will. Besides we're family now, you're stuck with me dude."

"Oh joy..." He shot back grinning at him emphasizing his sarcasm even more than the obvious tone in his voice.

Mary hugged Nick closely, "I've always thought of you as a son you know...it's nice that it's come to fruition." She whispered in his ear making him hold her just a little tighter.

Then Elettra came over a bright grin on her face hugging the both of them wishing them well and gushing over them appropriately. Once through the family they got a chance to breath and everyone made the rounds, Nick's bandmates hanging back slightly waiting for the opportune moment to swing in and give the couple their congratulations.

Nick led Alyssa over to their table where their party were already beginning to gather, "Hey losers." Nick remarked to their closest friends.

Chris laughed and smacked his shoulder. "Hey you two." He said smiling. "Happy to have it over with?"

Alyssa smiled, "Yeah, it's nice, the pressure is off now. Seriously if you and Britt ever decide to get married, elope...the details will annoy the hell out of her. By the way where is she? I saw her last night."

"She's talking with your friend Lindsay. Which by the way is she dating Aaron? He seems to be pretty fond of her."

Alyssa chuckled and shook her head, "He wishes. She's my research assistant and a former student of mine. Once I'm done with my PhD program and move up to grad level teaching I'm hoping she'll take my place."

"Wow, that's pretty awesome, so she's like your protégé?"

"Pretty much." Alyssa shrugged smiling. She hugged Brent and Mike then went over to her girls, leaving Nick momentarily. "Hello ladies"

The girls all gushed over her and the wedding band. "I'm so happy for you." Kellie spoke sincerely.

"I think we all are. So how's it feel to be a married woman?" Olivia giggled.

"Ask me in like 40 years and I'll tell you how it feels then. Right now it's just nice and relaxing, we had our wedding night, and it's technically still our wedding day so we kind of cheated in a way, we get two wedding nights out of the deal."

"Yeah but you'll be on a plane tonight remember? Backstreet Boys....World tour?" Kellie retorted making her sigh.

Lori chuckled and smacked Kellie's arm. "Don't be such a buzz kill." She remarked making all the girls laugh.

Alyssa moved over to Leslie and hugged her. "You're really my little sister now...you okay with that?"

Leslie smiled and nodded as they broke apart. "More than okay. I don't think any of us would have been okay if Nick had married anyone else but you. It just wouldn't have felt right you know?"

Alyssa nodded and grinned. "This is crazy...but I think I am being called..." She replied seeing Nick motion to her. "First dance I guess." She said as the DJ announced from his spot under the ramada 15 feet away from the tent creating a sand dance floor of sorts between the two spaces.

Nick took her hand and pulled her in close as the music began to play. Alyssa glanced up at him grinning brightly as she felt him bring their hands to rest against his chest and his other hand crept around her to her lower back pressing gently into her.

We all have a weakness, but some of ours are easy to identify, look me in the eye.
and ask for forgiveness, we'll make a pact to never speak that word again, yes, you are my friend.

We all have something that digs at us,
at least we dig each other.
So when weakness turns my ego up
I know you'll count on the me from yesterday.

If I turn into another
dig me up from under what is covering
the better part of me.
Sing this song
remind me that we'll always have each other
when everything else is gone.


Nick hummed the tune as his chin pressed against her temple. He looked around seeing everyone watching them as they swayed and circled around the sand to the song. He bent his head kissing her shoulder as she whispered the song lyrics to him.

We all have a sickness
that cleverly attaches and multiplies
no matter how we try.
We all have someone that digs at us,
at least we dig each other.

So when sickness turns my ego up
I know you'll act as a clever medicine.
If I turn into another,
dig me up from under what is covering
The better part of me.
Sing this song!
Remind me that we'll always have each other
when everything else is gone.
Oh, each other when everything else is gone.(**)


As it kept playing Nick turned her, spinning her a little making her giggle as he brought her back to him a little more quickly than he had intended making her brace herself against his chest. He leaned in at that moment kissing her. Everyone cheered a little, some whooping and hollering as well as wolf whistling. Alyssa broke the kiss chuckling as the song ended and blushed at their crowd of loved ones. They continued to mingle as the waiters from the hotel brought out appetizers making the rounds with food and glasses of sparkling cider.

"Congratulations you two!" Mandy said excitedly as she approached them her tall husband on her arm.

"Amanda!" Alyssa exclaimed, "God it's been forever! How have you been, where have you been?"

Mandy grinned and sighed, "I'm married myself now, this is Mike my husband."

"Nice to meet you two, Manda's told me lots about the both of you." He said with a polite grin.

Nick smiled and shook his hand, "It's really nice to meet you too. You're a hockey player for Dallas Stars right?" He added.

Mike smiled and nodded, "Yeah, we live in Dallas now. Far away from LA. Which I think has been harder on her than me."

"Oh stop it, it's been fine I like living the quiet life now."

"Sounds like us, we have a place in Tennessee and they just finished our home in Monterrey." Nick replied back remarking at how different things had become since they had dated years ago.

"Seems we've grown up Mr. and Mrs. Carter." She said giving them both a snarky grin, "Although that's going to take some getting use to."

Alyssa nodded and shrugged, "Tell me about it, it's so weird just to know that my last name is different now is just pure insanity."

"So you legally changed it?" She asked curiously.

"Yes I am officially no longer a Monroe." Alyssa replied back. Alyssa smiled as they departed from each other. She spied her sister and new brother-in-law holding microphones and standing near all the tables as everyone was sitting down at their tables. Alyssa and Nick moved over to the main table taking their spots at the round table smiling at their friends and looking over at the two of them.

"Many of you know me as Alyssa's big sister, Olivia. And as much as that is true, she's even more so my best friend and my baby sister. I remember the day back when Mom and Dad brought her home from the hospital and how tiny she was. I had already settled into the role of big sister with Clark and was showing him the ropes on how to be the older sibling. Ever since she had come into our family she'd always brought all of us together. The heart of our family...even in the darkest of hours and the most confusing of times, Alyssa was there for us and we have been there for her. A great example of her devotion to us as a family goes back to when she was a teenager. I was going through a very difficult time in my life, struggling with who I am and the probable consequences of accepting myself. I confessed what was going on to her and she was the first one to say that she loved me no matter what and assured that no one in our family would think any different than she did. And she was right...It astounded me and still does that there I was scared and going to my little sister for advice...and she delivered it so openly, sincerely and simply." She paused for a moment collecting herself since the topic brought out a lot of emotions in her.

"Naturally I've always tried to do the same for her. She's always been a tom-boy, never liked wearing dresses in fact I do remember having to help hold her down so Mom could get her to wear a dress for her reconciliation back when she was 8 years old. However her teen years came along and she started getting an interest in boys. She dated here and there, but then after she turned 16, she started wearing makeup and skirts. I did not notice this since I was all the way in New York at college but when I came home for Christmas, the Alyssa I saw, was not my little sister anymore. I wondered why such a big change and I soon got my answer when someone came to visit for New Years. I'd known about Nick for a long time, but really only as Ali's friend Leslie's musician older brother who talked with Alyssa through letters and phone calls occasionally. By this time he'd become a household name and so I knew a little more about him and what he did for a living. Still I was anxious to meet someone who had inspired such a transformation in my little sister." She said getting a little bit of a laugh out of the crowd. "After I met the bloke, I realized something in just mere observations between them, how things just seemed to flow between them, an easy friendship and an underlying chemistry that I don't think either of them were aware of yet. So flash forward 4 and a half years later, Alyssa's graduating college, the family members, her closest friends and Nick's bandmates all joined us to party with her and I wasn't the only one noticing something was definitely different between them and I wasn't the only one that noticed the drastic change between them. Come to find out months later that they had started secretly dating each other. To say I was surprised would be a lie. I was ecstatic for them and had hoped it would happen eventually. From my own experiences I've learned that the best relationships come from a strong friendship..." She said glancing to Angela who beamed with pride at her holding her rounded stomach.

"Soon enough Nick had expressed to my grandmother and aunt, of his intentions to marry my sister. Having already had our late father's approval and mine as well, I was excited of the prospect of gaining another brother. The year that followed after his proposal was certainly one of the most tumultuous years for all of us. Yet here you are, stronger, happier and healthier than ever, celebrating your marriage. Separately, you are two special, remarkable people, but together you are complete. As you sit side by side through this roller coaster of life, remember to scream from the peaks, hold hands through the dips, laugh through the loop the loops, and enjoy every twist and turn. Please raise your glasses while I toast Nick and Alyssa: Here's to love, laughter, and happily ever after. Cheers!" She finished making everyone clap and clink their glasses in toast to the couple.

Aaron sighed hoping that his speech could live up to his in-law's. He waited seeing the crowd die down a little and began to speak. "Growing up as the youngest in my family, I got the chance to really see my siblings grow up, see them all change and adapt before my eyes. I've always looked up to my older brother, although at times it may not seem like it. I used to despise any of his girlfriends and his career for taking him away from the family. I realize now looking back, that it wasn't because he didn't care about us, but that he was growing up and I was just a kid and didn't quite understand that with such a difference in age between us. However, Alyssa was always different in that respect. She never tried taking anything away from us, but always gave more generously of her time and friendship than most of us had ever really experienced before. I met Alyssa the same day that Nick did, all those years back that summer when she came to stay with us for Leslie's birthday. I was about 8 years old at the time and I liked Ali, she was nice, funny and just  a lot of fun to be around. I didn't really get to know her until years later when she moved in with Nick out in LA. I had recently moved out to LA for my career as well and found myself hanging out a lot with her when Nick wasn't in town. When Nick was around, it wasn't hard to notice how he felt about her. You could see it just in how he would watch her walk around a room. So being the annoying younger sibling, I took the opportunity to see how far his feelings really went for her by developing a crush. I'd always thought Alyssa was a beautiful girl and so it wasn't hard to do so. I realized soon that he didn't take kindly to other guys showing interest in her. Sorry to say bro, but jealousy has always been your Achilles heel when it comes to Alyssa." He remarked making Nick chuckle at the truth to his words.

"After I found out they were dating I realized that I was happy for them and even almost protective of what they had started to become. They're relationship wasn't always perfect or easy, but then again nothing worth anything ever is. Even as they began planning their future together, it seemed like fate had some cruel sense of humor. But being the two most stubborn people I know, they braved every storm that was thrown their way. To say that I envy you is an understatement. The two of you have taught me so much about life and have been two of the best role models someone could ever hope to have in their lives. And because of your example I hope to find the same measure of happiness that you've found in each other. So please once again, raise your glasses to toast my big brother, and new big sister with all the happiness luck and love that any marriage has ever had..."

Once he had finished Nick and Alyssa went over to the both of them hugging them. "Ollie, you're the best sister...ever." Alyssa whispered, normally to them that was a cheesy joke when one would do something nice for the other. But this time there was an air of sincerity in her voice. They smiled and then switched, Alyssa went to Aaron hugging him closely. She pushed back from him for a moment and asked, "Since when are you so frighteningly mature?"

He grinned widely and shrugged, "No idea..."

Alyssa and Nick smiled at their friends and made their rounds again before going over to cut the gigantic cake they'd gotten. It was beautiful, four large tiers, the colors were black, cream and plum with every tier holding characters from the Nightmare Before Christmas. At the very top were obviously Jack and Sally holding hands and gazing at each other and holding hands. She giggled at it when she first saw it, it was everything and more what she had imagined it would be. They posed for pictures as they cut the first piece of course smashing it into each other's faces laughing at each other for doing it at the same time without warning.

After that they made their way back out to the sandy dance floor with the rest of their guests just enjoying losing themselves in such a large crowd of people. Alyssa looked around seeing everyone dancing and enjoying themselves and smiled to herself. This was exactly what she had hoped for with all the months and months of planning and obsessing over every last detail she had gotten all of her friends and family to enjoy themselves. "Liss..." Nick whispered capturing her attention.

"Yeah?" She asked looking to his face seeing his gaze fixated on something that wasn't her, a completely amused grin upon his face at what he saw. Alyssa turned following his gaze and smirked widely at the sight as well. There dancing just a few feet away from them was Aaron and Lindsay. "Seems he won some major brownie points with that speech." She remarked as she saw Lindsay smile at something Aaron had whispered in her ear.

"Yeah, I think there just maybe something brewing there." Nick replied smiling at her hoping that Aaron might just find some happiness there. "Let's just hope he doesn't fuck it up."

"I have a feeling that it'll be fine...good for him even." Alyssa answered back. She leaned up kissing him slowly. She broke it and leaned her head against his jaw. "Don't worry so much about him, he's an adult now, and has grown up a lot lately."

"I know...still I'm his brother it's my right to worry."

She grinned up at him and chuckled a bit. "And just imagine how worried you're going to be when you're a father if you get this worked up for your own brother."

He laughed and kissed her forehead and continued to dance with her. Before long they realized that it was time for them to leave. They hugged their friends letting them know they'd meet up with them at the airport. Both of them got a big laugh out of the crowd handing the bouquet and garter to Leslie and Mike informing them that they were to be the next to tie the knot.

Bob stopped Nick before they got very far and hugged his son much like earlier in the day. "I'm proud of you. You learned from your mother's and my mistakes and I'm glad you found her."

Nick stepped back for a moment and nodded at his father, giving him a hug again thanking him for the vote of confidence, before taking Alyssa's hand again and saying goodbye to everyone. They ran back to the hotel changing quickly and grabbing their bags and getting into the car that was waiting for them. Once at the airport it didn't take long for AJ, Howie, and Brian as well as the girls to find them at their gate. Kellie grinned widely seeing them both standing at the window, Nick behind Alyssa, his arms around her waist as they stood in simple jeans and tee-shirts a stark contrast to the dress and suit they were wearing less than an hour beforehand.

"Ready to go back on tour?" Kellie asked as she approached them cradling Cedric's car seat with him sleeping soundly inside.

Nick and Alyssa looked over at her and nodded in agreement. As much as neither of them really wanted to get back to the real world just yet, they knew that from experience that good things always come to those who wait.

 

 

 

(**) Dig - Incubus

Chapter End Notes:
Thank you all for reading, much more to come!