Book 9-Wedding Bells Ring

Lady Takersangel's Domain | home

Ever since the minute I said yes to Mark, life has gotten even more stressful. The constant planning for the wedding, and everything that goes along with it, begins to get to me. Don't get me wrong, I love every minute of it, but sometimes, a girl's gotta have a break.

It is the bright Tuesday afternoon of June 19th that I decide I need a little quiet break; with the date set for June 21st, and that day approaching fast, why not? Noticing that no one seems to be around, I go into the library, and sit myself down at the plush bay window with a good novel, enjoying how the sunlight washes over me warmly. "A great time for a break from the constants," I say to myself, smiling as I open the book in my hands. "Thank God for the few weeks off as well."

I'm so engrossed in the novel that I don't realize the time passing. "Hey," comes Mark's voice from across the library. I look up, blinking a few times at the change from paper pages to life. As I look up, I notice how much better Mark has gotten since the coma. He gained the weight he had lost, and was close to his one hundred percent. I can't say how much I'm relieved that he was able to get right back into his life so quickly. It may sound a bit selfish, but that's what I feel. I feel that it's best for him to get back on track instead of dwelling on the whole mishap.

He walks toward me. "Aren't you supposed to be at the dress fitting or something?"

I look at my watch, and gasp as I realize that I'm half an hour late. "Oh, shit!" I exclaim as I stand up, dropping the novel on the seat.

I brush past Mark in a hurry, but he catches my arm before I can get too far, pulling me back to him. "Hold on, not so fast," he says. "Don't think you can get away so easily."

My eyebrow lifts, and I reply, "Really, is that so?" Mark nods, bringing his lips to mine for a long, lingering minute. Using all my willpower, I pull back from him. "I gotta go. You don't want me to come down that aisle in an unflattering dress now, do you?"

He laughs, and returns, "I guess not." I kiss his lips once more before rushing toward the door.

Driving as sanely as I can, considering how late I am, I arrive at the dress shop in one piece. I breathe a sigh of relief as I step into the shop, and see Sharon and Joanie talking with the woman who owns the shop. "'Bout time, girl!" Sharon calls out as I come up to their little group.

"Don't be hard on her," Joanie replies with a grin. "I bet I know what made her late." They crack into laughter.

I smile at the joke. "Despite your little insinuations, nothing of the sort happened to keep me," I tell them. "I lost track of time." Sharon and Joanie nod in a `yeah, right' manner. "It's true!"

The dressmaker clears her throat. "Ladies, if you're ready, we can start," she says, and leads us toward the dressing room area.

The dresses are beautiful, and only need to be taken in around the waists. I stare down at the dress as the dressmaker sticks pins in the waist. "How did you two convince me into white?" I ask Sharon and Joanie as I look through the mirror at them.

"Why not?" Joanie replies. "It's not like you've got any other choice. If you had your choice, it'd be black, and that's not really right for a glorious celebration as this." She begins to laugh, with Sharon beginning to catch it contagiously. "Besides, I love making you suffer."

I glare at the two with a laugh. "When I figure out why I'm mad at you, I'll make a comeback," I say, which gets them to laugh harder.

"Are we there yet?" I ask for the millionth time since Sharon and Joanie put me in a car with a blindfold over my eyes. We had just finished the ceremony rehearsal at the house, and the two had whisked me away before anyone could protest. As soon as they had me in their hands, a blindfold had gone over my head. Now, here I sit between the two, wondering what they had planned.

"No, so stop asking!" Sharon replies, laughing. "Just enjoy the ride."

"It's kinda hard to enjoy the ride when I haven't any idea what's going on," I return. "It doesn't help when you might get carsickness from this."

Joanie begins to laugh. "Please, Ally!" she says. "You've been through so much worse than this. Hell, we're making you wear a white gown tomorrow, and you're living with that."

I laugh as well, and reply, "That's because I wanted to turn the tables on you, and make you think I can live with it."

The car stops with a sudden jolt. "We're here!" Sharon calls out, then opens the door to get out. She pulls me out gently by the arm, and Joanie follows after. After going through a few doors, the blindfold is taken off of my face, and I blink at the sudden light. Once my eyes refocus, I realize we're in a hotel suite, and the lights are dim. Most of the female staff is sitting around. "Happy Bachelorette Party!" everyone shouts.

"You guys!" I say, surprised. I hug Sharon and Joanie. "I can't believe you did this!"

"What else would we do the night before the wedding?" one of the other hairdressers comments.

Debra nods, and replies, "And trust me, the guys are doing the same thing with Mark."

I have to smile as they begin to pile gifts on the center table. "You all are too generous," I tell them, and they just laugh.

A few hours later, after unwrapping all the lingerie and other gifts, playing a few games, and eating a great meal, a knock comes to the door. "I'll get it!" Joanie says, beaming as she walks toward the door.

She returns with a guy dressed in a full wolf costume. "Is there an Ally O'Malley here?" I hear him ask through the head as he places a boom box on the table, turning it on.

"Yeah, that's me," I reply, giving Joanie a questioning look.

The wolf guy comes toward me. "I'm here to tell you what a howl you are, baby," he says, then removes the wolf head to reveal a head of short, blonde hair, and ice blue eyes. Before I can protest, the wolf costume is off, and the guy is dancing around the room in a seductive stripper manner, using his lean body to his advantage.

Laughing since I knew this would happen, I grab Sharon's arm, and tell her, "Just wait till I get to play around with your Bachelorette party!"

"Oh God, no!" she returns, watching the dancer move toward one of the office staff girls. "You aren't touching my party!"

"Just you wait!" I say. The guy removes his tight shirt, and starts toward his pants; I can't remember when I've been more repulsed. "Oh, come on. The shirt's enough for me."

The other women just smile. "Yeah, right," one of them says. "Since when is a half-nude man ever enough?"

Laughing with the others, I watch in quiet contempt at the spectacle the man makes of himself as he removes his spandex pants. As he does do, all I can think is, `I hope to God that he's wearing something else.' My thoughts are answered when I see that he's wearing a thong thing. `It's better than nothing…a lot better, I suppose.'

The guy starts gyrating toward me. "Hey, how `bout you and me meet up later on tonight, when I get off work, and go do some…stuff?" he asks in a whisper as he leans toward me.

I smirk, and reply loudly, "How `bout you meet your hand later tonight, because it'll do a whole lot more for you than I ever want to do for you." The guy laughs hesitatingly as the music stops. He then picks up his clothes, dresses, and leaves quickly as his face turns beet red. The other women just stare at me as he leaves. "What?"

"What was that about?" Debra asks. "The guy left with a tomato-red face."

I laugh, and reply, "Trust me, he's wishing he'd never met me. The guy wanted me to meet him later for extra curricular activities, and I told him to meet his hand." A couple of the women wrestlers roll their eyes. "The guy was a jackass, plain and simple."

Joanie nods with a smile. "Or is it that you were actually intrigued at his question, but felt guilty about the attraction?" she comments

Sharon laughs, and replies, "Oh, she was attracted, all right. Her eyes didn't leave him for a second!"

I scrunch my nose up at the insinuation. "Are you kidding me?!" I exclaim. "That was the most repulsive thing I've seen recently."

Debra returns, "She's just saying that `cause she doesn't want Mark to catch on that she was attracted to some stripper guy."

I roll my eyes. "What must I say to get you all to realize that I was not attracted, in the least bit, to that disgusting display?" I ask with a sigh.

"Okay, okay," Joanie says, then sits back in her chair. "So you weren't attracted to the guy." She shrugs nonchalantly, and smiles mischievously. "The night's young. We've got a whole lot more planned for you, Ally!"

I laugh with them, and wonder if Mark is having as hard a time as I am.

Someone shaking me forces my eyes to open. The change in brightness makes the motion seem blinding. "Ally, come on," I hear Sharon's voice call. "Wakey, wakey!"

Groaning, I sit up slowly. "It's too early," I mumbled. "I just got to sleep."

She just laughs at me. "Early?" she restates. "It's about ten in the morning, and today is the day you've been waiting your entire life for."

Forcing myself to stand, I stumble to the dresser, picking out undergarments. "I can't believe how tired I feel," I say to Sharon.

"All that planning does that to you," she reassures me. "Joanie and I are gonna be by in half an hour to help you dress and stuff, all right?" I nod, and she leaves the room.

I enter the bathroom, turn on the hot streams of water, and step in after stripping. "Man, I think I might fall asleep standing," I grumble to myself.

Half an hour later, as Sharon had said, a knock comes to the bathroom door just I'm drying myself off. "Hey, Ally!" Joanie calls through the door. "You ready yet?"

"Almost," I return, and hurry to put my underwear on. As I step out into the bedroom, Joanie hands me the wedding gown we had all agreed on. I pull gown over myself, pull my calf-high, white boots on my feet, then turn so Sharon can tie it up in the back. I glance at myself in the full-length mirror across the room. The dress I'm wearing is of a bright white color, as if I were a completely pure person. The bodice is tight, kind of pushing my chest up a bit, as Sharon ties it in back, and is strapless. The skirt part of the dress slants down slightly, making it appear bell-like by the ankles. Sharon and Joanie's dresses are a soft lavender color, and are of the same style.

"There ya go, Ally," Sharon says, and I turn to my two best friends. "Now, for your hair and makeup." For the next hour, Sharon works my hair into an up-do of curls, with a few tendrils hanging down on both sides of my face, and Joanie sets herself to working on light makeup. Once those tasks are complete, they place the very long veil over my hair, using bobby pins to hold it on my head. "Stand up, and take a look."

I do as Sharon tells me, making sure not to trip over the long train, and am astounded at the difference. "Oh my God," I comment softly. "I don't believe I'm doing this."

"You better," Joanie says with a giggle. "We didn't force those wrestlers down there to wear tuxes for nothing."

"Oh, we can't forget the bride thing!" Sharon exclaims.

"What?" I ask, not really paying attention. The fact that this day has arrived finally hits me as I stare at myself in the mirror.

"You know, `something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue'," she replies. "Let's see…something old."

"I've got the perfect thing," I state, and go to my jewelry box. I pull out a gold chain that has a gold eagle's foot that holds a sparkling emerald, and place it around my neck. "This was my mother's. My father had given it to her at their wedding." I stand beside them again.

"Okay," Joanie says, "now, something new." She hands me a small, gift-wrapped box. "I guess now's as a good time as any."

I open the little box to see a pair of heart-shaped diamond earrings. "Joanie, they're beautiful," I tell her, then put them on. "Thank you so much."

"Now, for something borrowed," Sharon comments, and hands me a bracelet of small, white pearls. I stare at her in astonishment, trying to say something. These pearls are her great-great-grandmother's, and here, she hands them to me. "Put them on, Ally!"

I place the bracelet around my wrist. "Thank you, Sharon," I finally manage to say.

"And lastly, something blue!" Joanie says.

I smile at the two, and hold up my left hand, showing my engagement ring that holds a blue sapphire. "Got it covered," I say, then pull the two into an embrace. "I'm so thankful you two are here to help me through this."

"Hey, we're happy to help, Ally," Sharon comments as we pull apart from each other. "Besides, we knew you'd be a wreck if we didn't."

Joanie looks at the clock on the bedside table. "We've got a few minutes before Vince comes to get us," she states. A sudden knock startles us. "Or maybe not." Joanie opens the door, and Vince steps in.

He beams as he looks us over. "Everything's all set outside," he tells us. He looks back at me. "Are you ready?" I nod, and he holds his arm out for me to take. Taking a deep breath, I place my arm through his, pick up my bouquet of fresh-cut tiger lilies, and we make our way downstairs.

When we reach the glass doors, Joanie and Sharon each give me a quick hug. "We're gonna be right beside you up there, so you're not really alone," Joanie tells me, then takes Hunter's arm as they walk out to the path.

Sharon smiles as she takes Glenn's arm, then pulls the nylon over my face. "We're with you all the way, Ally," she states, and they depart as well.

Vince holds my arm tighter. "Everything's gonna be just fine," he comments softly.

I smile up at him, and reply, "I know it will." The familiar tune of `Here Comes the Bride' begins to sift through the air. "Here we go." Vince and I walk outside to the stone path that is lined with burning incense sticks, passing the area where the caterers are setting up the food. We follow the path to the pond, where everyone is standing. I look further up the path, and see Mark gazing back at me. He looks absolutely gorgeous in the tux, and with his hair tied back, I can't help but smile. His lips curl up into a smile, and I can only smile more.

We reach the end of the path, where Mark, Glenn, Hunter, and Luke stand on one side, and Joanie and Sharon stand on the other. The priest stands in the middle, dressed in white. Vince loosens his hold on my arm, kisses my forehead gently, and places my hand into Mark's before he goes to his seat.

Staring into Mark's eyes takes me away from reality, and I don't even notice the priest begin the ceremony. I'm lost in his green pools. `Ally, look at the progress you've gone through,' a voice speaks gently to me. `You've gone from die-hard man-hater to a hopelessly in love woman with an overflowing heart for this man standing before you. You two have gone through just about everything together. Everything, except-'

The priest interrupts the thought when he says, "Do you, Alisha O'Malley, take this man as your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?" I don't notice that the ceremony had been going on for a while now, and it's almost near the end.

`Without a shadow of a doubt,' I think. "I do," I reply, looking into Mark's eyes again.

The priest then turns to Mark, asking, "Do you, Mark Callaway, take this woman as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

Without breaking his gaze with mine, Mark replies, "I do."

"The rings, please," the priest says next. Luke comes between us with a white pillow, where two golden bands are carefully placed. Mark picks up the smaller band. "Place the ring on her left ring finger, and say the words you wish to say."

He places the ring on my finger, saying, "With this ring, I take you into my life fully, and like this ring, I promise our lives will be as one for everlasting eternity."

I then pick up the larger band, and wait as the priest says, "Place the ring on his left ring finger, and say the words you wish to say."

While sliding the ring onto his finger, I say to him, "With this ring, I take you fully into my life, and will do everything in my power to let our lives go on into eternity together, as one whole, forever and ever."

"With the power invested in me by the state of Texas, I now pronounce you man and wife on this beautiful first day of summer, June 21st, 2001," the priest says. "Mr. Callaway, you may now kiss your bride."

His lips come to mine almost immediately, his arms coming around my back. I place my arms around his neck, enjoying the pressure of his body against mine. The applause reaches my ears a few seconds after it starts, and we pull apart. Taking my arm into his, Mark leads me slowly back down the path, and all the way to the tables that are set up for the reception.

The reception is great, and the food…nothing short of magnificent. During dessert, Vince starts a toasting round by standing, clanking his glass with his spoon to get everyone's attention. "I just want to say a little something to the newlyweds," he says, holding his glass toward us. "You two are quite possibly the only two that are right for each other. Your contrasts make all that you have in common that much more apparent." He raises his glass higher. "I wish the two of you the best, and God willing, you don't get a divorce, because if you did, it'd be the end of us all." Laughter erupts as he sits back down.

Bri stands up next. "Let me just say this," he starts. "I can't be happier for you two. It's about damn time you two finally tie the noose, er, knot." Laughs start. "In all seriousness, I only want to say, Mark, hurt Little One in any way, and you're definitely getting gravy down the pants."

Hunter and Joanie stand up. "Ally, I've known you since the day you stepped into the arena in LA, ready to start your first dark match, and dead-set against any male advances," Joanie says. "Now, here you sit, nearly two years later, and do you know what I see? A completely different woman. The Ally I first met was a hard worker, hard against the opposite sex, and mentioning anyone of the male race was a sure-fire way of getting you all bent out of shape. Mark walks into your life, and the next thing I know, you're having fun while working, and then, you're involved in the first loving relationship since I don't know when." She smiles. "Lucky woman, lucky man, congrats. Do well, and don't kill each other."

Hunter smiles as well, and adds, "It's just too bad, `cause now that they're married, Mark will pound the life out of anyone who touches Ally. You can basically say goodbye to the business as we leave tonight." More laughter sounds as they sit down.

The others say more things, and ending it all are Glenn and Sharon. As they stand up, I feel Mark take my hand, and smile as I look up into his eyes. I turn my attention back to the two standing beside us. "I have been around these two from the beginning," Glenn says. "I've been with them through their ups and their downs. From the time they started their friendship, through their break-up, and their reconciliation, and now, we're all sitting here, celebrating their wedding." Glenn smiles down at us. "I've got to say, it took you two long enough! I knew from the beginning that once they got together, they'd be together until one of them decided to croak. Now that they've made the union official, I say to them, stay together, or I'll never hear the end of it."

Sharon smiles, and adds, "I've only known you two for a short while, but in that short while, you've become family. Like any other family, it had its trials. I'm just glad the worst part of the trip is over. May this bliss continue on for as long a time as possible, so we can all get out of town before the eruption hits!"

Vince stands up again, announcing, "Now that we've all eaten, it's time for some dancing!" Joyful shouts come from everyone as a lot of us stand to head out into a wide space of the backyard.

"The bride and groom get the first dance, people," Mick states, pushing a few of the rowdier guys out of the way. "Come on, let them through."

Mark and I follow after Mick as he makes a path for us, and his arms are around my body as soon as we stop in the middle of the crowd. Placing my arms around him, my head rests on his shoulder, and my eyes close in contentment as the song starts.

From the Heart--Another Level

I know you've heard these words

A hundred other times before

And you've been hurt

And so, your heart has chose to close the door

Love broke your heart and brought you lies

You'll see a love that's deep and true

Tender and strong and all for you

You can trust this love

Honest, that's the honest truth

I'm giving you everything

I promise you that I'll be there

I'll be there to love you

I'm showing you all I feel

I will protect you and respect you

And when you reach for love

You'll only need to reach for me

These arms will never let you down

They're staying around

I'll walk with you through every storm

I'll keep you safe, I'll keep you warm

And you'll have no doubt

You're the one I'm living for

I'm giving you everything

I promise you that I'll be there

I'll be there to love you

I'm showing you all I feel

I'll provide the love you need

I'll never make you cry

With all I've got inside

I'm giving you everything

I promise you that I'll be there

I'll be there to love you

I'm showing you all I feel

Dancing together so slowly to this beautiful song pulls me into a realization that from here on in, things will be different. I open my eyes, and sigh quietly. "I love you, Mark," I say in a whisper.

"I love you, too, Ally," he replies, gently pressing his lips against the top of my head.

The reception lasts another couple of hours, and ends after I toss the bouquet toward a sea of raging females, scrambling for it. Who should catch it but Sharon, and the silly grin on her face tells me it might not be long before we're all at another wedding.

Luke comes down the stairs with a backpack full of overnight things, and walks toward the door where Mark, his parents, and I stand, talking. "You guys really do need some privacy tonight," he says, and grins. "It's about time."

"Thanks, Ring-bearer," I say with a laugh, and kneel to hug him. "You be good at your grandparents' house, all right?"

Luke hugs me back tightly, and replies, "I'm always good for them, Ally." He pulls back with a giggle. "If I'm not, I don't get any candy." He gives Mark a big embrace, then returns to his grandparents' side.

"Thanks for taking him tonight," Mark says as he hugs his parents. "We really appreciate it."

Gina smiles, and returns, "It's our pleasure, dear." She folds me into her arms. "You two be good."

"We will, Gina," I tell her as Tom hugs me next. Mark and I watch as the three of them leave the house, shouting our goodbyes as they leave the driveway. "Well, now that it's early evening and all the guests have left, Mr. Callaway, what shall we do?"

Mark raises his eyebrow with a mischievous grin. "I could think of a few things, Mrs. Callaway," he replies. "Although I think a nice, quiet night is in order." He takes my hand, and leads me into the kitchen.

We have a small, quiet dinner, prepared by Mark himself after we change into more comfortable clothes. For the next few hours afterwards, we sit quietly in front of the fire in the study, reading to one another. At the end of one of the last chapters, Mark closes the book, and places it on the coffee table. I look down at my watch, but it is still early. "I think I'm ready for bed," Mark says.

"Tiring day it's been, hasn't it?" I reply, standing and pulling him up at the same time as he nods. "Same here."

We head up to the bedroom, with Mark going into the shower first. As he showers, I sit on the bed, the thought I had during the ceremony returning strongly. "We've shared everything, except the most intimate thing people can share with one another," I say quietly to myself. I look toward the closed bathroom door. Flashes of the past surface into my mind's eye: Greg in his drunken state, the star athlete and his rage, my mother's sad expression she often wore when I was in trouble. The images stop spinning in my head, and settles on just one, Mark standing at the end of the aisle, waiting for me to walk to him.

The phone suddenly rings, and I make a mad grab for it. "Hello, Ally speaking," I say into it.

"Ally, chile! It's Paddy." I hear my uncle say.

I smile, and reply, "Hi, Paddy. How are you?"

"I'm be just fine, m'dear," he answers. "I called to ask how your big day went."

I sigh happily before I say, "It was perfect, Paddy. The ceremony was beautiful, and the reception was great. I think the only thing that could make it any better would have been if my parents were alive to see it."

"Ah, Ally, that would have been the cherry on top of the sundae," Paddy replies. "I'm sorry t' end this so soon, but I've got t' go. I'll call again soon."

"All right, Paddy," I say. After saying our goodbyes, we hang up.

Just as I place the phone on the cradle, Mark walks out of the bathroom. "Who was that?" he asks.

"Paddy," I answer as I gather my things. "He wanted to see how the wedding went." I walk into the bathroom, closing the door tightly behind me. I step into the hot streams of water after I strip out of my jeans and T-shirt, and again, the earlier thought enters my head. `It's your wedding night,' the voice tells me. `This is a night that one should remember forever.' With that statement, I make up my mind, and quickly finish washing. I put on only a short, black satin robe, and blow-dry my hair. Smiling at myself for confidence, I back away from the mirror, and head for the door.

Stepping out into the bedroom, Mark stands up from the bed. I walk to him, tucking my fingers gently into the waistband of his boxers, and kiss the center of his chest. My hands travel around to the back of his boxers, my lips continuing their pursuit on his skin. Mark takes my hands out of the waistband, making me look up at him. "Ally, we don't have to do anything you don't want to," he tells me.

I smile up at him, and let my hands travel up his chest. "Mark, you taught me to love again," I reply, watching as my hands pass over his pectorals, then I look up into his eyes. "I think it's time I repay the favor."

His hands gently make their way under my jaw line, and his mouth comes down to mine. Almost hungrily, I deepen the kiss even more, wanting more and more of him. Breaking the kiss, I step back from his warm embrace. With my eyes set on his face, I untie the robe, and let the garment slip from my shoulders, landing soundlessly on the carpet as it reveals my bare flesh. His eyes smile, as do his lips. Mark sits back down on the bed, and pulls me to straddle his leg, our lips recapturing as I come down. The shift of our bodies becomes apparent when I feel my back gently connect with the mattress. My fingers tangle into his hair as his lips move from my mouth, making a hot, burning trail along my cheek and down my neck wherever his lips touched.

He pauses for a mere moment as he reaches my chest, his breath hot on my skin, then continues the trail. Tenderly, he takes one nipple into his mouth, sucking the tip until it is hard while massaging the other breast. I moan deep in my throat, arching my back at the sensation. He moves on to the other breast, giving it the same treatment as the first.

Continuing on down, his lips cover my stomach with sweet kisses, his hands running down my legs as they do. The nerves in my stomach jump when those hands caress my thighs as his lips go lower still, and my eyes close at the thought. I feel the heat of his lips leave my skin, forcing my eyes to open halfway. Suddenly, the feeling of his finger sliding inside me penetrates my nerves, making me jump slightly. When the shock wears off, I moan in pleasure, the moan increasing as he places another finger inside. With gentle strokes, those fingers begin to move, and my hips respond in the like, meeting his fingers at every stroke.

Just as suddenly as he entered them, Mark removes his fingers completely, only to be replaced with his wet tongue. I moan again as he licks the outer lips clean, then inserts his tongue into the opening. With loving gentleness, his tongue moves within the well, making my hips move against him again. The tempo speeds up, and I can feel the climax nearing, as the muscles contract around his tongue. Yet again, he removes his tongue before the climax hits. Annoyed, I open my eyes to meet his grin as he sits back on his heels. "You don't think I'm gonna do all the work, do you," he states.

"You can be such an ass, Mark," I reply as he crawls up beside me, then lays down to place his arms around my body, taking my lips into his. He rolls onto his back, bringing me on top of him, tangling his fingers into my hair as my tongue enters his mouth, tasting myself on his tongue still. After a thorough exploration, I bring my mouth away from his, then let my lips travel down his chin and throat. My hands slowly search the flesh of his chest and stomach, with my lips following after just as slowly with gentle nips. I stop the kisses as I watch my thumbs rub against his nipples, feeling them peak beneath my skin. They aren't the only things growing erect, as I feel his member grow even harder against my stomach through his boxers.

While running one hand through the soft curls of reddish hair that lead downward, I use the other hand to remove the only other garment separating us completely, discarding the clothing item to the floor as my attention turns back to pleasuring Mark. Using two fingers, I rub up and down the side of the shaft, watching in satisfaction at the slight frustration the surfaces on his face. "Please, Ally!" he moans out from deep in his throat, his hands clutching onto the bedspread.

At his request, I place my mouth around his member, taking it all in. He begins to thrust his hips to meet with my mouth moving over him, with my hand fondling his scrotum. Before too long, I can feel his member start to shudder harder, and purposely release him. I smile evilly as he opens his eyes to look up at me, letting my fingernails gently scrape on his thighs. "Paybacks, my dear, are indeed a bitch," I tell him.

Quickly, he sits up, grabs my waist with one arm, and turns me onto my back. "Indeed, they are," he replies just before he kisses my mouth with unexpected harshness, which takes me by surprise. What surprises me more is how I return the roughness. With a slow, gentle pressure, Mark spreads my legs with his knee, tenderly pulling away from my lips as he does so. Our eyes lock as he strokes my cheek, moving my hair out of my eyes, and a second later, he enters me. I gasp as the feeling hits me, especially when he waits as my body adjusts to his large size, and instinctively, my legs wrap around his body, my hands resting on his shoulders. Moving slowly, he pulls almost completely out before plunging back in. With each thrust, our tempo grows faster, his thrusts become harder, and my hips meet him stroke for stroke, my moans growing louder. Soon, I feel my inner muscles contract around his member, and within a few more thrusts, the orgasm spreads over my body, my fingers clamping down hard on Mark's shoulders as I cry out his name. Not much longer afterward, Mark plunges deeply into my body one last time before spilling his seed inside of my body, then collapses, supporting himself on his arms.

Gently, he removes his member, and lies on his side beside me. As the both of us begin to calm ourselves, I study the way the sweat drips from his skin and how out of state his tangled hair looks, and all I can think is, `God, he's beautiful this way.'

The stroking of Mark's finger on my cheek brings my focus back to him. "Ally, do you know how tempting you look when you're all disheveled like this?" he says with a smile, running his fingers through my own tangled mess of hair.

I lightly laugh, taking his hand out of my hair, and look into his green eyes. "Tell me, Mark," I say softly, "why did you stay with me so long?" I shrug, and add, "I mean, without sex, most people would have just said `forget it' and leave."

"Because, Little One," Mark replies, pausing long enough to kiss my forehead, "I knew everything about you would be worth the wait." He chuckles as he stands up, and starts pulling down the covers; I follow suit. "I'll tell you one thing, Ally. It was pretty damn hard to keep myself under control around you."

Crawling under the covers, I snuggle up to Mark's body, his arms automatically going around my body to hold me closer. "Sometimes, I thought I wouldn't be able to control myself when I thought about you," I tell him. "Hard to believe, but I thought over the options so many times, and I swear, that many times I had prepared myself for the next level."

Mark's chuckle starts deep in his chest. "I guess that temptation does get to a person sooner or later," he states, and hugs me tighter to him. "I love you, Ally."

"I love you, too, Mark," I respond, closing my eyes as I listen to his heartbeat.

The sound of the door opening and closing brings my attention from the book I'm reading in the study. As I step out of the room, I see Luke walk in with one of his friends. "Hey Luke," I call as I walk toward him.

"Hi," he responds, and embraces me. He points to the boy behind him. "That's Ryan. He moved in next door just a few days ago, and I invited him over."

I smile at the brown-haired eight-year-old. "Hi Ryan," I say to him, and hold out my hand.

Ryan steps closer, and shakes my hand. "Hi," he shyly replies.

I turn my attention back to Luke. "Hey, you better get ready if you wanna get to the arena on time," I tell him.

"Can Ryan come?" Luke asks with a pleading look. "His parents already said he could."

"Sure, why not," I reply, and smile at the two boys. "Just hurry up, all right?"

"Okay," Luke responds, and motions for Ryan to follow him.

As the boys headed upstairs, I hear Ryan say, "I don't believe it! Your stepmom is DC!"

Luke laughs, and says, "Wait till you see who my dad is."

We arrive at the arena after the pay-per-view starts, and I take the two boys to one of the open locker rooms. Throughout the event, Ryan is going ballistic, trying to figure out who Luke's father is. "I think I've got it," Ryan states, grinning widely. "Dean Malenko!"

I stifle a laugh as I say, "Nope, sorry bud, but wrong yet again."

Ryan's smile falls. "Man…" he says, snapping his fingers in frustration.

Realizing the time, I stand up, turning off the monitor. "C'mon boys," I tell them. "Time to go watch the rest with the guys."

With Luke in the lead, we head toward the front monitor, where we find Bri, Dwayne, Sean, Monty, and Mick sitting in front of it. "Hey, guys!" I call out. "A lady has entered your presence."

They turn their heads toward us, and grin. "Since when have you ever been a lady?" Sean asks with a laugh.

I raise my eyebrow toward them, which gets Dwayne laughing. "Since when have you ever been a man?" I retort.

"Touché!" Bri comments, and stands to embrace me. "Welcome home, Little One. It's been, what, a month now?"

"Yeah, guess that's about right," I return, then bring their attention to Ryan. "This is Ryan, one of Luke's friends. He just moved in next door to us, and I'm assuming he's a huge fan."

Ryan smiles shyly. "Yeah, kinda," he says. Bri takes Ryan around the table to meet all the guys, and soon, he and Luke are in the middle of the group, chatting away with the crazies.

Within another hour, the main event `explanation' video begins to roll on the screen. Once the video finishes, Mark rides down on his Titan, with the crowd screaming in response. He circles the ring, parks the bike in its usual spot, and climbs into the ring, saluting the crowd once he gets through the ropes.

Next out comes Hunter, carrying the WWF title around his waist, staring a death-stare at Mark. Cautiously, he approaches the ring, and even skips his regular intro to climb into the ring to start the match right away. Hunter takes a swing at Mark, but Mark ducks it, and makes a swing of his own, connecting with the side of Hunter's head. He manages to punch Hunter into a corner, then proceeds with body shots. The ref starts yelling for Mark to stop, and he does, but only to turn and intimidate the ref right out of the ring.

Mark turns back to Hunter, who has rested up a bit, and Hunter is able to kick at Mark's knees a few times. He then uppercuts at Mark's chin, which sends the bigger man stumbling backwards. Hunter follows up with a few punches, then bounces himself off the ropes to ram his body into Mark's. The move has almost no effect, and Hunter tries a few more times with the same result. He bounces off the ropes a last time, hoping for the desired effect, but Mark gets his boot up to hit Hunter in the jaw. Hunter falls, then rolls out of the ring quickly, with Mark on his heels.

They head toward the entrance area, and Mark manages to grab Hunter's head in time to bang it a few times on the steel steps. Hunter stumbles from the steps, and starts walking toward the entrance arch. Mark runs after him, and knocks him down onto the floor. He then brings Hunter up to his feet, punching the fatigued man up to the arch itself. Once there, Hunter gets a second wind, and starts to defend himself by giving back some punches. One big punch sends Mark to one knee, and Hunter scrambles for a loose cable cord, wrapping it instantly around Mark's neck. The ref starts a count, and Hunter releases the pressure at four. Once the ref starts to back away, he tightens the hold on the cord again, and again, the ref begins his count.

Mark stands up swiftly, holding Hunter on his back, and he back-bodydrops Hunter onto the concrete. Both men roll away from each other, then lay still in pain. The ref begins another count, and as soon as he hits seven, both men start to move again, and are on their feet by nine. Hunter grabs Mark's arm, and whips him toward the ring. Mark reverses it with a whip of his own, and Hunter reverses that as well. Mark ends up hitting the side of the ring with his back. Hunter passes by Mark quickly to head to the announcers' tables.

Hunter sits down at the English announce table with Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross, and places a headset over his head just as Mark turns to spot him. "You see that big lug there, King?" Hunter says to the man beside him, and Jerry nods. "That is what people in Greenwich call the `loser' in the `game of society'. He couldn't beat me with both hands tied behind my back, plus my feet shackled. He's a has-been, guys. An old, ugly, stupid has-been." Hunter and Jerry begin to laugh.

Mark reaches the table then, ripping the headset off of Hunter. Hunter stands up, and shoves Mark. Mark, in turn, shoves Hunter. Hunter steps around the table to shove Mark yet again. Not to be outdone, Mark grabs Hunter by the throat, and chokeslams him hard through the announce table. The table breaks on contact, sending pieces scattering around on the floor, not to mention sending Jerry and JR fleeing from the wreck. Hunter lies still for a minute before Mark decides to pick him up again. Once more, Mark places his hand tightly around Hunter's throat for another chokeslam, but Hunter kicks at Mark's knees again, getting himself a saving grace as the big man backs away. Hunter then grabs Mark's head, bangs it against the pole hard enough to get an audible ring from the impact, and tosses Mark into the ring. He then goes to take the chair from the timekeeper, and gets inside the ring himself.

Hunter stands toward the corner with the chair ready to swing as he waits for Mark to stand up. Mark stands up slowly, then turns to meet Hunter's chair swing. The chair hits Mark in the head with a hard impact, the force causing the big man to go down yet again, and the ringing of the bell can be heard directly after the shot. I notice that Mark didn't put his arm up to block the shot, either, which causes me to wince when I hear the chair connect with Mark's skull. The next thing we see on the screen is Mark's face covered in blood. Instantly, my concern goes way up, considering Mark hadn't mentioned this when we discussed the match last night. "Did he blade?" I ask the guys beside me, and turn to look at their empty faces; they aren't saying anything. "Well, do any of you know if he bladed?"

They all look at one another. "We're not sure, Ally," Bri says finally.

I give them an exasperated look, and reply, "You guys are around him most of the time. You should know whether or not he was supposed to blade!" I turn my attention back to the screen, and see Hunter on the receiving end of the Last Ride. A close up comes after the move, and the blood pouring down his face frustrates me even further. I stand up in anger as the show closes, and begin to pace.

"Ally, settle down a bit," Mick calls out with a reasoning tone. "I'm sure it's nothing to be concerned about."

I stop pacing to stare at those five men. "How can you guys not know if he bladed?!" I shout loudly, startling the two younger boys. Seeing the fear on their faces, I take a few deep breaths to calm myself. "I-I-I guess you're right; it's nothing to be concerned about." `But I will determine that,' I think to myself.