Disclaimers - See Part 1 for disclaimers.

Chapter Twenty-nine

The small, furry gray head poked under the edge of the newspaper, and Marika chuckled at her pet's bid for attention. She shifted the paper away, allowing Spooky to curl up next to her on the bed.

"You know she's going to kick you out of that spot when she comes back," Marika cautioned the cat, even as she stroked him affectionately. She returned to her perusal of the news, folding the paper so she could read one article of particular interest. She only looked up when Rhi walked through their bedroom door, balancing two glasses of orange juice with a sheet of white paper.

"I was starting to wonder if you were squeezing the oranges yourself," Marika teased as she accepted the juice.

"Nah, just stopped to check our e-mail." Rhi set her glass on the bedside table and scooped Spooky away from Marika's thigh, resuming her favourite position-angled across the bed with her head in her lover's lap. Accustomed now to having his former spot usurped, the cat merely shifted to curl up next to the younger woman. "We got another letter from your sister."

Marika smiled. She and Britt had been tentatively building a relationship since July when the girl had sought her out while she was in town for the Stampede. The lawyer very much enjoyed her little sister's letters, often finding herself laughing out loud at Britt's dry sense of humour. When she'd told Britt about Rhi, the girl had instantly adopted her as a sister-in-law, and now addressed her e-mails to both of them.

"What does she have to say?"

Rhi chuckled as she read the letter. "Well, apparently the jerk that was bothering her in chemistry class is no longer quite as jerky. He invited her to the fall dance, and she's agonizing over whether or not she should go. She wants to know what you think." The younger woman twisted so she could look up at her lover's face. "So what do you think?"

Long, slender fingers ran through the tawny, unkempt hair spread over her bare thigh, as Marika grinned. "I think he's probably nowhere near good enough for her, and that she shouldn't even consider dating until she's at least 21."

Laughing, Rhi captured her hand and kissed the palm. "You're going to be ruthless if we ever have kids, aren't you?"

"Mm hmm. Our children are all attending parochial school, and there'll be no dating without chaperones," Marika bantered, bemused by the thought of actually having children one day. She had never even considered it before, but with Rhiannon in her life, all things felt possible. "Hey, there's something in the paper you'll be interested in."

Rhi regarded her with interest. "Yeah? What?" It had become an established part of their weekend routine to have breakfast and then return to their bed to read the papers, sharing the crossword and laughing over the comics and their horoscopes.

"It's an update on Cass' case. Her army of lawyers again moved that bail be granted, this time predicated on the fact that the Crown is predicting at least twelve more months before the case goes to trial. They argued that holding a fine, upstanding citizen such as Mrs. DeAndre on unproven charges for that length of time would be an affront to justice."

Rhi snorted. "Don't tell me they got her out?"

"No, they didn't," Marika replied cheerfully. "Cass is still securely locked up."

The women smiled at each other. They had avidly followed the sensational events of Cass' arrest and the subsequent crumbling of her criminal enterprises. DeAndre's former chauffeur and right-hand man had plea-bargained down to lesser charges in exchange for testimony against his erstwhile employer. According to Lee's sources, between Liang and Gao, the Crown was wading through a mountain of incriminating evidence that had forced the delay in proceeding with the trial.

"I hope they gave her Biker Bertha as a cellmate," Rhi snickered as she returned her attention to the classifieds she'd been perusing before she left to get them some juice.

"They'd probably end up bosom buddies!" the lawyer snorted, turning another page.

They both read quietly for a while until, noticing that her lover had circled several ads, Marika asked casually, "See anything interesting?"

"Mm hmm," Rhi answered, tapping her pen against the paper. "I'm trying to decide between a '97 Civic and a '96 Cavalier at the moment."

Ever since getting her licence earlier in the month, Rhi had been set on buying a used car for herself. Marika again ventured the same argument that had thus far proven ineffective. "You know, honey, I don't understand why you don't just save your money. You really don't need a car when you're welcome to full use of mine."

"I know, and I do appreciate it," Rhi murmured abstractly, still focused on the classifieds. "But I have the money, and I'd really like my own car. Never even dreamed about having one before." She flashed a mischievous grin up at the lawyer. "Besides, all the other kids have one."

Marika smiled indulgently. Sometimes she forgot how young her mate was, and that she hadn't had the experiences of a normal upbringing. Rhi had never gotten to ask her father for the car on a Friday night to cruise the teen hotspots with her friends, or scrounge for dollars to fill up the tank before she brought it home again.

The lawyer was well aware that her partner had abandoned a dream of many years to stay with her, and while she'd never put any pressure on Rhi to do so, she was profoundly grateful that the younger woman had chosen a life with her instead. Buying a second hand car was such a small thing in comparison, that Marika decided in that moment not to put forward any further objections, but simply to support her partner in fulfilling what was obviously an important goal for her.

"I think I'll call later about the Civic. Do you want to come with me to take a look at it?"

"Sure, but I don't know anything about cars. You might want to take Lee or David."

"David drives a Volvo." Rhi wrinkled her nose expressively. "He'd probably advise me to buy a safe, dull, four-door family sedan or something. And Lee will be on her honeymoon for the next two weeks."

"Would the world end if you had to wait two more weeks to buy a car?" Marika asked lightly.

Rhi sighed. "I suppose not; but what if this Civic is the best bargain I'd ever get, and I miss out on it because I don't move quickly enough?"

Laughing, Marika tugged the paper out of her lover's hands and tossed it aside. "Honey, I'm pretty sure there will be lots of other once-in-a-lifetime-bargains available once Lee is back. Now come on up here and let's talk about other things."

She watched Rhi sit up and shift to straddle her legs, noting the familiar gleam in her partner's dark blue eyes. Grinning, Marika ran her hands along the younger woman's smooth thighs and up under her long t-shirt, taking full advantage of the absence of undergarments as she enjoyed the curves and dips that had become so familiar to her.

Rhi squirmed a little closer, resting her hands on Marika's shoulders. "So you want to talk about other things, do you? What did you have in mind?"

Marika pretended to ponder that, but abandoned the act when small, determined hands traveled over her shoulders and slid inward to undo the tie on her short robe, folding back the silk to expose her breasts, their nipples rapidly hardening.

"Um..." Coherent thought was rapidly vanishing as Rhi's hands began working their magic on Marika's flesh caressing and stroking the lawyer's eager flesh. "We could...uh...talk about the wedding..."

Rhi giggled, the sound somewhat obscured as she leaned forward to suckle softly on her lover's breast. Wriggling down so that she lay between her partner's widespread legs, she teasingly danced her tongue over soft, silky skin before pausing for a moment. "We could...but we have a few hours before we have to get ready, so why don't we find another way to fill the time?"

Marika just had time to glance at the clock and determine they had three hours until they had to be over at Lee and Dana's for their ceremony, before Rhi's tongue slipped between her wet folds and drove everything else out of her mind.

With a deep groan she surged upwards, one hand gripping the bed sheets convulsively while the other kept her sweet tormentor's head firmly in place. Consumed by physical sensations, and the joy of loving and being loved without reservation, she could only moan.

"Oh God! Rhi...my love, my love..."

*********************************************************

Rhi sat on the edge of the now neatly made bed watching with great pleasure, as her partner finished getting dressed for the wedding. Marika slipped on her pumps and moved to the dresser to put her earrings on.

"You look beautiful," Rhi said appreciatively. It was true. The lawyer's new peach and gray dress was very flattering, though the younger woman was proudly confident that her lover could wear a paper bag and look smashing. The younger woman was dressed more simply in deep burgundy-coloured wool trousers and a pale gray blouse that her lover had helped her pick out.

Marika smiled her thanks as she affixed the pearl clusters to her ears. "Thanks, honey. Given Lee's lack of instructions, I'm just hoping that I don't clash with whatever they're wearing."

"What did she say?"

The blonde woman laughed and shook her head. "I believe her exact words were, 'Wear something pretty, and be on time.'"

Rhi chuckled. "Uh huh. That sounds like her. So, are there going to be a lot of people there?"

"I'd expect so," Marika said as she sleeked the fabric down over her hips. "I know Dana invited everyone on her team, and Lee invited her staff, not to mention all their friends and family."

"Bet Danny will look cute. I think it's great that he's standing up with his mom." A thought occurred to Rhi, and she frowned. "Did you say all her team...Does that mean that firefighter will be there?"

Laughing, Marika turned to look at her partner, leaning back against the dresser as she shook her head in amusement. "Sweetheart, I would assume she'll be there, but why should it matter?"

Pouting, and fully conscious that she was being childish, Rhi mumbled, "I dunno." She scuffed at the carpet with the toe of her shoe, knowing that her feelings about the firefighter were irrational, especially since she and Marika had been living together for a couple of months now.

Marika crossed to stand in front of her. A soft voice filled her ears. "Don't you know that I'll never again have eyes for anyone but you?"

Rhi looked up, abashed at her momentary jealousy. Seeing the profound look of love in the gray eyes that were regarding her, she was filled with a sense of security and contentment. The handsome firefighter was no rival for her lover's affections. No one was.

Rising smoothly to her feet, Rhi gently encircled her mate's slender waist, allowing Marika's tender kiss to erase the last vestiges of doubt. When they broke apart, her lover smiled and smoothed tawny strands back over her ears.

"We should probably get going. I want to get there a bit early in case Lee is having any pre-wedding jitters."

Rhi nodded her agreement, but took an extra moment to enjoy the feeling of Marika in her arms before stepping aside. "Yeah, we should go. They may need help setting up or something."

"No, that should be all taken care of. Lee said she wasn't going to let Dana do any work on her own wedding day, so she hired a company to do everything from the decorations to the catering."

Marika grabbed her purse and took one more glance in the mirror. She held out her hand, and Rhi willingly took it as they departed, stopping to pick up their wedding gift on the way. Dana and Lee had told everyone not to worry about gifts because they already had everything they needed, but Rhi had spent a month working on a large charcoal and ink portrait of them, which Marika had then had professionally framed. They'd both been well pleased with the way it turned out, and knew that their friends would be too...gift restrictions or not.

When they arrived at Lee and Dana's, the younger woman smiled at the sight of David's car in front of the house along with several others.

"I'm really glad that David is going to conduct the ceremony for them," she remarked as Marika parked behind the Volvo.

"Mmm," the lawyer agreed, turning off the ignition. "Lee said they didn't want to put him on the spot so they weren't even going to ask him, but he came up to them during their Labour Day barbeque and volunteered his services."

Rhi was proud of her friend. She knew from one of their discussions during driving lessons that the Anglican Church was split on the issue of same-sex unions. David had told her that the Anglican Church of Canada practiced an informal 'don't ask, don't tell' policy while they tried to come to a consensus on the matter. She knew that some would censure David if they knew that he'd conducted a commitment ceremony, but she doubted if that had even been a consideration for the priest. Rhi had faith that her friend would simply do whatever he thought right, as he had time and again.

Rhi allowed herself to daydream for a moment of a day when David would do the same thing for Marika and her, but then she shook herself. Today belonged to Lee and Dana, and she hoped that it turned out perfectly for the two friends who had become so dear to her.

The two women walked up the driveway to be met by Danny, nattily attired in what was obviously a brand new suit, a big grin on his boyish features. "Hi, guys. Lee said you're to go right downstairs, Marika. She's getting ready in the guest bedroom. The others are gathering in the backyard, Rhi."

They smiled at their young usher and parted ways, with Marika taking the gift to leave in the house. Rhi rounded the house to see a large knot of people chatting in a gaily decorated back yard--rows of chairs set up in front of an arbour, fall coloured foliage entwined through the trellis, and streamers woven through the fence. A long table, covered in white linen and manned by a formally clad waiter, was set back against the house and offered a selection of beverages and finger foods.

Rhi made her first stop there, asking for two Cokes and preventing the waiter from pouring them into glasses. "No, thanks...I'll just take them like that." She picked up the Cokes and carried them to where David was standing, his back to her on the edge of the circle listening to the conversations.

"Hey, stranger," she said, slipping in next to the priest. "Can I interest you in a cold Coke?"

David smiled at her and turned away from the group. Accepting the can, he gestured to the front row of chairs with a questioning look. Rhi nodded and followed her friend to the seats. They sat down beside each other, their knees touching. The young woman regarded her friend. He wasn't wearing his formal vestments, but he did have on a dark blue shirt and trousers, with the white badge of his office affixed to his collar.

"So are you ready?" Rhi asked, taking a sip of her drink.

The priest nodded. "I think so. I've never done a commitment ceremony before and a lot of the usual texts don't apply, but the basic principles do." He chuckled. "I was informed that it was to be short and sweet, so everyone could get to the real reason they came...to party."

David turned his gentle, pale eyes on his companion and held up the Coke. "We've come full circle, eh?"

"Guess so." She laughed a little. "You know, I thought you were the most irritating man when we met. I tried and tried to figure out what you wanted. I was so sure you had a hidden agenda."

David smiled. "I had an agenda, but it wasn't hidden. I just wanted to be your friend."

Rhi shook her head in wonderment. "I don't know why, Ichabod. I was the orneriest kid on the block."

A deep, rich laugh greeted that statement, and the young woman couldn't help joining in. "Yeah, yeah, I know I was a pain in the ass."

The priest, still chuckling, agreed. "Well, I can't say you were the easiest person to get to know."

They were silent for a few moments, sipping their Cokes and remembering those hot summer days when they'd bickered, bantered and learned about each other---only a few months ago in reality, but eons ago in terms of their friendship.

"Thank you." Rhi's voice was soft, but sincere.

David raised one eyebrow at her. "For what?"

Rhi stared at the lawn, losing its lustre now in the late fall days. "For sticking with me...For not giving up on me when most people would've in a heartbeat. I don't know if I'll ever understand why you decided I was worth your attention, but I'm awfully grateful that you did."

"I just used the eyes that God and Conor opened, and what I saw was a wounded young woman with huge potential for being more than what she was."

"And what was I?"

David smiled to take the sting out of his words. "A lonely, bitter, angry young woman, bordering on misanthropy."

"Geez," Rhi snorted. "I'm amazed you came back."

"Ah, but I didn't tell you about what happened when the chrysalis fell away," David teased gently. "I didn't tell you about the beautiful butterfly that emerged...the courageous, intelligent woman with a huge capacity for love and devotion that sits beside me today."

Rhi blushed. It was a moment before she could get her throat to cooperate, but finally-in a shaky voice-she averred, "You saved my life."

A warm hand closed briefly over hers. "No, Rhi. You saved your own...and Marika's."

The young woman knew he wasn't just referring to the events at the Shuswaps, and she felt her heart swell with gratitude. Blinking back a suspicious wetness, she drained her Coke to cover her emotions, hearing David chuckle before he did the same.

"So will you be asking me to perform a ceremony for you two soon?" David asked nonchalantly, turning the empty can over in his big hands.

"You never know," Rhi said, matching his casual tone, and grateful for the change in conversation. Getting serious again, she looked at him directly. "You know if I were a traditional 'walking down the aisle' kinda gal, I'd want you to be the one walking me to the front of the church, don't you? My Dad's been gone many years, but I know he'd approve of you standing in for him."

It was David's turn to be speechless, and Rhi saw his prominent Adam's apple jerk convulsively. "I...you honour me, Rhiannon. I would be proud to do either--walk you down the aisle to meet Marika, or perform your service." He smiled then. "Or both...I can be very flexible, you know."

Rhi grinned at him, but before she could seize the opening, Danny popped up in front of them. "Excuse me, David. Mom wants to see you, please."

The priest nodded and handed his empty can to Rhi with a wink. "Duty calls. I'll talk to you later."

The young woman tucked both cans under her seat and relaxed back in her chair, surveying the yard that had been steadily filling with people while she and David talked. She saw Lee's business partner and his equally corpulent wife. They were talking to the tall police lieutenant she'd met before they had fled to the Shuswaps. Rhi grinned as she saw a couple of shady looking characters that she was sure were on Lee's guest list, then she frowned as she spotted the firefighter engaged in conversation with Lee's employee, Barb.

Inwardly chastising herself for her Pavlovian reaction, Rhi turned her attention to a couple of new arrivals, and waved as Jan and Terry made their way over to her. She was glad to see the couple, who had become good friends and frequent visitors to her and Marika's home in the past two months. Jan was a particular favourite of hers, and she'd come to rely on the older woman's sound and sensible advice.

"Hi, guys," Rhi welcomed her companions as they took the two seats beside her. "How's it going?"

Jan smiled at her warmly. "Well, and with you?"

"Couldn't be better," Rhi said sincerely. "Looks like it's going to be a perfect day for a wedding."

"They got lucky," Terry chimed in, her arm settling around the back of Jan's chair. "I heard the forecast earlier this week, and I was afraid it would be too cold for a backyard ceremony."

They passed the next half hour in small talk until David emerged from the house and made his way to the arbour. The crowd fell silent as he raised his hands and smiled at them.

"Could I ask you to please take your seats, and we'll get underway."

The crowd obediently filed into the rows of chairs as the strains of soft classical music filled the air. Rhi smiled, knowing that Lee and Dana had turned the selection of music over to her partner. Marika had spent long hours making and discarding choices, until she'd finally been satisfied with the musical program for the ceremony.

David gave everyone a moment to settle, then as Danny, Marika, Lee and Dana appeared at the rear of the lane bounded by the banks of chairs, requested, "Would everyone please rise?"

The crowd stood, and Rhi smiled at the sight of her lover on Danny's arm. The boy was marching stiffly, his nervousness readily apparent. Marika whispered something to him, and he visibly relaxed a little.

The young woman let her gaze drift past her beautiful partner to where Lee and Dana stood for a moment, letting their attendants move ahead. Rhi had thought Lee might be as nervous as Danny, but judging by the joy beaming from her big friend's face, nerves were not a problem on this day. Dana was only slightly more reserved, the happiness evident on her face as she stood with her arm linked through her mate's.

Rhi thought Lee looked very sharp in a dark blue suit and white shirt, while Dana was wearing a champagne-coloured dress and carried a bouquet of miniature white roses.

The music began to swell as Lee and Dana began their walk down the aisle. Rhi glanced over to see Barb in charge of the sound system, a big grin on her face as she watched her boss reach the arbour, and the couple take their places in front of David. Marika stood beside Lee, and Danny flanked his mother.

The priest motioned for everyone to take their seats, and turned his full attention to the women in front of him. His resonant voice rose, and for a brief moment Rhi thought how perfectly this man was suited to his calling. Then she concentrated on his words as he spoke.

"Today you have entered this place together to stand before God, your family and your friends, prepared to pledge to one another your love and loyalty, your constancy and dedication, through whatever your lives may hold in store. It is not an easy road you embark on, but it is one of the most satisfying and fulfilling that humankind can travel. As you journey this road you have chosen, sometimes you will pace hand in hand, sometimes one will support the other, but never will you go down that path alone. God and your partner walk with you...always."

"As your hearts have summoned you here...called by the need to fully and formally entwine your lives from this day forward, we are here today to bear witness to the depth of your love, devotion, and commitment, one to the other. When heart calls to heart and two become as one, God rejoices. For God has fashioned eternal laws which transcend the laws of man. He commands you to cherish each other...to treasure the bonds you now willingly embrace...to honour each other always, and never forget that the love you share is a reflection of His vast, eternal and immeasurable love."

Out of the corner of her eye, Rhi saw Terry take Jan's hand, and she smiled. She knew if her partner were sitting beside her, she'd be doing exactly the same thing. David's soaring words exhilarated her, echoing the depth of her love for her mate, and she promised herself that someday she and Marika would make this same public commitment.

Returning her attention to the ceremony, she realized Marika's soft, warm gaze was focused on her. Thrilled to realize her partner was equally affected by the celebration of love, she closed her eyes for a moment, overwhelmed once again at how much she felt for this woman.

"Lee and Dana have prepared their own vows." David nodded at the couple, who turned to each other. Dana handed Danny her flowers and the two joined hands. Lee spoke first, her voice ringing out clearly and confidently.

"My love, my Dana...when I first saw you, you were picking gravel out of my hide, mopping up my scrapes, and lecturing me about the dangers of motorcycles. I don't think I heard a word of that lecture..."

A chuckle ran through the crowd, all of them familiar with Lee's love affair with her bike. She shot a grin at them as she continued her declaration.

"...'cause all I could think of was how cute you were, even when you were chewing me out. When I finally convinced you to go out with me, I think it was the third happiest day of my life. I've been enchanted by you from the very beginning, and when you said you'd marry me, it was the second happiest day of my life. This day, when I stand before you and our friends to declare my lifelong commitment to you, is the happiest day of my life."

Rhi saw her big friend straighten even further, locking her eyes on her partner as if no one else in the world existed for her.

"Dana, I promise to love, cherish and care for you and for Danny. You are my family...and nothing is more important than family. I freely pledge you all my tomorrows, because they are already yours. Without you, my tomorrows would be endlessly empty and meaningless. Thank you for giving me your tomorrows, my love. It is the greatest gift anyone has ever, or could ever, give me."

She raised Dana's hands to her lips, and Rhi felt her eyes fill. She saw Jan brush at her eyes too, and knew she wasn't the only one affected by the emotion in Lee's husky voice.

It was Dana's turn to speak, but Rhi could see that she was almost overcome, the tears spilling freely from her warm, brown eyes. After one false start, she began to speak, her voice quieter than her mate's, but carrying every bit as much conviction.

"My love, my Lee...I remember that first day too, when I thought you were a reckless, arrogant, cocky biker. I remember too how you persisted, even when I brushed you off time and again. But even as I said 'no', I was looking twice and liking what I saw. I'd never met anyone with such integrity...with such joy in life. I've never met anyone who so lived her life, even when the consequences were painful." She smiled at Lee, and again a ripple of laughter ran through the crowd at the memories of all the times Lee had had to be patched up after one escapade or another.

"The day I said 'yes' to going out with you, I know you thought you'd just worn me down with your persistence, but in truth, if you hadn't come back to ask, I'd have sought you out. I wasn't just saying yes for that night, Lee. I knew even then that you were a keeper...the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with." Her voice became softer, more serious. "You were right with me through some very hard times, love...as I knew you would be. I plan to spend many years repaying the devotion you've shown me, with an equal commitment to you and our family. Lee, I promise to love and cherish and care for you to the end of my days, for those days would be nothing without you."

David nodded at Marika and Danny, who obediently produced the wedding rings and passed them over to him. He closed his fingers around them and looked at the couple before him, their hands still linked.

"These rings are a symbol, and as a symbol of what lies within your heart and the commitment you have made this day, must be honoured as you honour your partner and the vows you have made to her."

He opened his hand and extended his palm to Lee, who selected the smaller ring. Slipping it on Dana's finger, she said simply, "With this ring, I thee wed."

Dana took the remaining ring and, repeating the words, slid it onto Lee's finger.

The priest then invited them to sign the document of commitment that he had drawn up, with Marika and David adding their signatures as witnesses. David completed the form with a flourish, then rolled it and tied it with a ribbon. Handing it to Dana, he placed a hand on the couple's shoulders and beamed at them. Looking out over the crowd, he pronounced, "I call on all of you to bear witness to the joining of these women today. Whom God has joined, let no one put asunder."

Without waiting for the customary permission, Lee pulled Dana into her arms and kissed her thoroughly as the crowd erupted in applause and cheers. When they broke apart, Lee punched her fist into the air victoriously.

"All right!!"

That drew a round of laughter, and the crowd began to stand and surge forward to congratulate the new couple. Being in the front row, Rhi was one of the first to reach them and hugged each of them hard. She was sure she'd never seen Lee's smile as wide or her hazel eyes sparkle as brightly. Dana was only slightly less effervescent as she accepted the good wishes directed their way.

Rhi backed out of the way, and sought her partner. She found Marika wiping away a few tears as she stood with David under the arbour. Slipping one arm around her lover, the small woman grinned at the priest. "You did well, Ichabod. That was beautiful."

David smiled. "Lots more where that came from." He winked and moved away, leaving the two of them standing together.

Marika turned and locked her arms around Rhi's neck. "It was beautiful, wasn't it?" Her words were soft and her voice filled with love as she gazed at the small woman who had turned her life upside down.

"Almost as beautiful as you are to me," Rhi said huskily, overcome with emotion. She stepped forward, needing to meld with her lover as she buried her face in Marika's neck.

Long, slender arms went around her, locking her in a tight embrace, and although Rhi knew that it was only one of a thousand embraces this woman would give her in the lifetime they would share, the sweetness of it sank into her soul, growing and expanding as it healed all the cracks and crevices left there by empty, loveless years, and then mellowing into a sense of completeness. That which had been broken, was finally mended.

The End