| Love is All Around |
| �Jack, wake up already. You�re dreaming.� Lennie�s voice � and a sharp nugde in the ribs � brought Jack awake. He sat up, blinking, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. �What?� Lennie chuckled. �You were dreaming, Jack. Thrashing around so much you woke ME up. Figured the least you could do was join me. So what was it?� Jack groaned. Not only had he been dreaming, he had a bit of a hangover. The details of the dream were fading rapidly. �I�m not sure. I was on the bike � not sure where I was headed. Adam kept telling me to hurry up, we�d be late �� That got an all out laugh. �Adam? On the bike with you? Now that�s funny! You must have had way too much scotch last night.� Jack glanced sideways at him with a look that wanted to kill and groaned again. Lennie finally sat up and pulled Jack into his arms. �Oh, come here, ya big baby. You did have too much scotch, didn�t you?� Jack nodded as he settled his head on Lennie�s shoulder. His partner�s lips pressed gently against his temple. �It�s ok, I�ll take care of you. Gotta get you on your feet for the wedding, right?� Jack�s stomach clenched. // oh my god this is it. Our wedding day // �That must have been what the dream was about �� Lennie chuckled and kissed him again. �I�m sure your buddy Skoda would have a field day with that one, Jack. That is, if he can tear himself away from Don and Marge long enough!� �Don AND Marge?� Jack hadn�t heard about that development. �Uh, yeah, he�s bi, didn�t you know that?� Jack just shook his head, bewildered. �I don�t think I need to know this today, Lennie.� Lennie chuckled softly. Jack pulled away from him and cautiously stood up. And noticed something smelled wonderful. Although he wasn�t sure if food was such a great idea at the moment � Lennie laughed and pulled on his robe as Jack fell into the shower. He found Mike in the kitchen with breakfast well underway. �Morning, Mikey!� he called out as he helped himself to a cup of coffee. �Lennie! So you ready for the big day?� �Better than Jack.� Mike laughed. �Yeah, Ben�s running a bit slow this morning too; apparently they killed a couple of bottles of really good scotch last night.� Lennie sampled a slice of nicely crisp bacon. �Not bad, Mikey. When�d you learn to cook?� �Hey, I�ve got lots of hidden talents. Besides, Ben�s had people to take care of him all his life, lord knows HE never learned to cook. I�m more than glad to let Nettie take care of the housework, but I felt like I had to do SOMETHING to earn my keep, you know?� Lennie chuckled. �You mean other than in the bedroom.� Mike glared at him. �Hey, if it was based on the bedroom, even Ben couldn�t afford me!� �Oh, I see your ego hasn�t changed!� The laughed together as they set the table. Mike put the food in the oven to keep it warm until their hung-over partners made it downstairs. Finally the attorneys made their appearances, looking a little worse for the wear. Lennie shoved a coffee mug into Jack�s hand and kissed his cheek. �At least drink this, the caffeine will help.� Jack managed a wry smile, and actually got down some of the eggs Mike put in front of him. Ben was doing better, but he didn�t have the nervousness of his wedding day on top of the hangover. Lennie, of course, cleaned his plate then reached for what Jack had left behind. Mike had to laugh at that. �Hell, Jack, nothing to be nervous about. You two are already married.� Jack laughed and poked Lennie in the ribs. �Human trash compactor, that�s what he is.� Lennie grinned. �Hey, what can I say? If he�s not gonna eat it, I might as well �� The doorbell rang. �That must be the caterer. I�ll get it.� Jack got up and headed for the front door, but wasn�t expecting what he saw there. �Hello, Jack.� �Jeanne! What are you doing here? Kelly?� His ex-wife looked like she was sucking on a sour lemon. �I guess I over-reacted, Jack. Kelly can be here for your �wedding.�� It really looked like it pained her to say it. Jack couldn�t believe what he was hearing. �What changed your mind?� Jeanne softened just a bit. �Kelly hasn�t stopped talking about it for a month. And your partner can be very � persuasive.� �Lennie talked to you?� �He came to my office earlier this week. Said it wasn�t fair that his daughters would be there and yours wasn�t. He really loves you, Jack, although I�ll never know why.� Jack couldn�t believe what he was hearing. �Jeanne, I � thank you. This means a lot to me.� She sighed. �Just get her home by 10 tonight, OK?� Jack nodded. �Of course.� Jeanne turned to hug her daughter then headed back to the car as Jack ushered Kelly into the house. Once inside, Jack pulled her into his arms. �Oh, sweetheart, I�m so glad you�re here.� �Me too, Dad. Of course, Mom didn�t have a chance with me and Lennie double-teaming her.� �I need to talk to him about that �� Jack escorted her into the kitchen. �Mike, Ben, this is my daughter Kelly. I didn�t think she was going to be here today �� He looked pointedly at Lennie. Lennie got up and gave Kelly a hug, then looked into Jack�s eyes. �I couldn�t let that happen, Jack.� �So I heard.� His raised eyebrow looked menacing. But the look on Lennie�s face made it impossible to be mad. He folded, and leaned against his partner. �You took a big risk, Lennie �� Lennie chuckled. �Jack, I�ve got twice the experience you do in dealing with ex-wives. I knew what I was doing.� Jack looked into Lennie�s eyes and his heart melted. �Thank you,� he said softly. Lennie smiled, pulling him close and gently kissing his forehead. Kelly groaned and rolled her eyes. Turning to Mike and Ben, she asked, �So you guys a couple too?� Mike chuckled. �Yeah, but we�re not getting married today, so you don�t have to worry about that sort of stuff.� He nodded toward Jack and Lennie. Kelly laughed. �Tell you the truth, I think they�re kinda cute.� Jack pulled away from Lennie and wrapped his arm around her. �Thanks, I think.� Lennie laughed. �OK, now that you two are done hogging the showers, I�d better go get ready.� He kissed Jack and turned to head back upstairs. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ By the time Lennie came down from his shower, the caterer had arrived and begun setting up the buffet table. Shadow was curled up on the sofa, watching the bustling activity with distrustful eyes. He wondered where Max was, then realized he hadn�t heard Mike�s voice either; his old partner must have gone out for a morning run. He found Jack sitting quietly in the kitchen, out of the way of the caterer and Kelly, who seemed to have appointed herself the caterer�s assistant. Lennie grabbed another cup of coffee and sat beside his love. Placing a gentle kiss on his temple, Lennie smiled at him. �You sure you�re gonna be ok, Jack?� Jack leaned into his embrace. �Yeah. The aspirin is starting to kick in.� �Where�s Ben?� �Mike went out for a run, so he went back up to catch another half hour of sleep.� Lennie chuckled then looked up as the doorbell rang. �I�ll get it.� He got up and wandered over to the front door. And smiled brightly at the most beautiful sight in the world. �Cath! Julia! And � is that Jason?� His daughters beamed at him as he bent down to scoop up his grandson. Somehow everybody got through the door, including Julia�s husband Tom who was carrying an armful of wrapped presents. Jack emerged from the kitchen at the sounds of greetings. Seeing Lennie standing there holding the little boy stopped him in his tracks. His heart nearly burst at seeing the joy on Lennie�s face. Julia moved close to kiss his cheek. �Hi Dad! Jason, say hello to your Grandpa Lennie.� Shy eyes looked up at him. �Hi Gampa Lennie.� �Hey there, Jason.� Lennie thought his heart would melt at those words. Jack had found the ability to walk again and made it to Lennie�s side. Somehow Lennie found his voice again. �Julia, this is Jack.� Julia turned to him and smiled, pulling him into a hug. �Pleasure to finally meet you, Jack.� The affectionate gesture caught him off guard. �You too, Julia.� He felt the heat rising up his neck. Suddenly he remembered there was someone else who should be here now. �Kelly?� He called loudly. The sixteen year old poked her head into the suddenly crowded living room. �Yeah, Dad?� �Come here. I want you to meet Lennie�s girls.� Cathy and Kelly hit it off instantly; the younger girl somewhat surprised by the older one�s acceptance. Jack sighed, suddenly glad that Lennie�s girls were grown. He�d had a sudden vision of a �Brady Bunch� melded family that he just didn�t need to have had today. But there was a feeling of warmth in the room as both their families gathered around them. Just then the door burst open as Mike and Max returned from their run. �Whoa, did the party start without me?� He grinned. Max barked, scaring Jason, and pandemonium broke out. Mike dodged past the group, saying he�d greet everyone AFTER he�d had a chance to shower, and coaxed Max upstairs with him. Lennie caught Cathy and Kelly watching Logan�s ascent of the stairs; it was obvious that they were both enjoying the view. He chuckled and made his way over to them, slipping his arms around both of them and speaking very softly. �A, he�s much too old for either of you, and B, he�s gay. But I�ll admit he�s nice to look at �� Cathy stared at him. �Dad!� Her voice had that singsong quality that only an offended child can get. He laughed and let go of them. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mike found Ben sprawled in the middle of the bed in his underwear, apparently sound asleep again. He laughed softly, sitting beside him and letting his fingers slide through the silky, fine hair. Ben sighed softly but didn�t quite wake up. Mike�s playfulness asserted itself; he let his fingers slide down Ben�s chest, over his stomach, and finally over his groin. He teased at Ben through the thin cotton, smiling as he felt his lover growing into his hand. Last night with Lennie and Don had been fun, but he had missed this. He felt his own cock hardening as he played with Ben�s. Ben seemed to be really soundly asleep. Mike decided to see how far he could push this. He gently released Ben�s cock from the fly of his shorts, pulling it through and continuing to caress the soft skin. Ben moaned and thrashed in his sleep, obviously having slipped into an erotic dream. Mike chuckled as he spread the drop of pre-cum around, enjoying the show. Finally, he couldn�t resist any longer; he bent down and licked the entire length of it, balls to crown, then softly pulled it into his mouth. Ben finally woke up, immediately aware that the dream he�d been having wasn�t really a dream. He could feel the warmth of a mouth on his cock. His eyes fluttered open to the amazing sight of Michael bent over him, sucking him off. Michael had obviously just come back from his run; his face was still slightly flushed, his hair slick with sweat. He looked incredible. �Michael �� he managed to moan softly. Mike sat up and grinned at him, letting one hand take the place of his mouth for the moment. �Hey babe. Nice dream?� Ben laughed. �Very.� His eyes narrowed as he heard people moving around downstairs. �What time is it?� Mike shook his head. �Still early, love. Nobody here but Lennie�s daughters and his grandson. We�ve got time �� His hand had picked up the pace as Ben�s hesitation flagged his arousal. This was too much fun. Ben looked at him, uncertain. Mike grinned. �They�re all expecting to hear the shower, babe. Wanna come?� Ben had actually showered before breakfast, but the thought of Michael all wet and slippery was too much to resist. �Well, if you insist.� He smiled, feigning reluctance. Mike laughed and yanked him out of bed, dragging him down the hall to the bathroom. It was a bit cramped compared to the luxurious shower back home, but it would do. They both quickly stripped and climbed into the shower, kissing passionately as the warm water rushed over them. Ben grabbed the soap and began washing Mike�s back, working his way down the broad shoulders, over the narrow waist to the beautiful butt. His hands lingered on Mike�s ass, his fingers sliding between the cheeks, teasing, probing. Mike moaned softly when Ben pressed close to him, arms wrapping around from behind to tug at his nipples, his hard cock nestled between Mike�s ass cheeks. �Oh, yeah, babe. God, I want you. Do it!� Ben smiled, his heart soaring. Mike had truly put all his past fears behind him. He got some more soap on his hands and took a few moments to slide down Mike�s front, sliding all over that huge cock. Mike squirmed under his touch, thrusting into his hands. But that wasn�t what he wanted right now. Ben brought his hands around back and again got good and slippery with soap. Mike leaned against the shower wall with his legs spread, giving Ben access. He felt his lover�s hand sliding down his crack, working its way toward his opening. Then finally it was there, pressing into him oh so gently. He sighed as Ben penetrated him. �Oh, god, that feels so good, babe.� He pushed back against Ben�s hand, wanting more. Ben happily obliged, inserting the second and third fingers while his left hand wrapped around Mike�s chest, teasing his taut nipples. Mike groaned with the pleasure. �Come on, babe. Love me.� Ben smiled and gently removed his hand, quickly washing it in the warm deluge. More soap to get his dick nice and slippery, then he moved close, one arm wrapped around Mike�s waist as the other hand guided his entry. And then he was inside, feeling the tight warmth all around him. He slowly began thrusting until he was buried to the hilt. Mike let out a long sigh as it brushed his sweet spot. He felt like he was floating on a cloud. He wondered if Ben could really understand what this meant to him. To give himself completely like this. To trust someone so completely. After all the hurt in his life, to finally have somebody he could love, could trust, could lose himself in. He felt his throat closing up as the joy of it all washed over him like a waterfall. Now that he was seated, Ben brought both arms around Mike�s body, holding him tight as he pressed in as far as he could. He could feel his lover tremble, and realized what Mike was thinking. He leaned his chin over one shoulder and whispered. �I love you, Michael. Thank you for letting me show you how much.� His words touched Mike at the very root of his soul. Then Ben�s warm lips pressed against his neck as he thrust faster and harder into his lover. Hands caressed his stomach and chest, and finally his aching cock. He bit down hard to keep from screaming as his orgasm washed over him. He could feel Ben�s explosion inside him, felt his lover�s face buried in his shoulder to keep his own volume down. And then Ben pulled away from him and reached to him, turning him around and pulling him into his arms. �I love you, Michael. Love you so much.� Mike looked into his eyes, felt that love as something almost palpable. �Love you too, babe,� he finally managed to choke out, tears falling down his cheeks. Ben held him close until the moment passed. He wondered what had made this so special today. Was it just the day itself � a wedding day? Was it seeing Lennie and Jack together these past two days that made them both want to find that special magic their friends had? Whatever the reason, Ben knew that they had captured at least a little of it this morning. A gentle kiss, then Mike let go of him. �Go on; I gotta wash my hair then I�ll be out.� Ben smiled, kissed him again, then ducked out of the shower, leaving Mike room to finish bathing. He quickly dried off then dashed back down the hall to their room to dress. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lennie paced nervously across the bedroom, waiting. Don Cragen sat on the bed, watching him with an amused smile. They had, by some unspoken mutual agreement, decided to hold to the custom of not seeing your mate on the wedding day in their wedding clothes before the ceremony. So Jack had taken his down to the small guest room, which he thought of as Kelly�s room, and left Lennie the master suite. Downstairs, the guests were arriving, with Cathy and Kelly acting as hostesses. Ben and Mike were in their room, also getting ready. They had finally compromised on suits as halfway between the tuxes Jack wanted and the Hawaiian shirts Lennie had proposed. Lennie grumbled as he tied his necktie; he hadn�t worn a suit since his last day at the 27, and wouldn�t have minded if he never wore one again. After the third fumbled attempt at the tie, Don got up and did it for him. �So you�re nervous after all, huh?� Lennie shrugged. �A bit. And excited. I � this really does mean a lot to me, Don.� Don smiled. �I know, Lennie. Everything�s gonna be just fine.� His hands rested on Lennie�s arms as he gazed into his friend�s eyes. Lennie nodded. �Hey � did you get Jack�s ring? He said Adam had both of them.� �Oh, right. Hang on, I need to go grab that. You gonna be ok? You want me to get Mike to stay with you?� Lennie glared at him. �It�s only a couple of minutes, Don. I�ll survive.� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Adam watched Jack trying to pace nervously in the small bedroom. Finally, exasperated, he flung himself down across the bed. The older man chuckled. �Now that�s more like it. You were making ME tired just from watching you.� Jack sat up and glared at his mentor. �I thought you were supposed to help me through this.� Adam laughed. �I am. I didn�t bring any scotch, did I? Figured you�d had enough last night.� Jack groaned. �Too much.� Adam got up from the chair where he had been sitting and came to sit on the bed beside Jack. �Are you sure you want to do this, Jack?� Jack looked at his friend, shocked that he would ask such a question. But then he remembered the last time, and smiled. �You didn�t ask me that last time, Adam.� Schiff nodded. �And it was a mistake.� �This one�s not a mistake, Adam.� �I know.� �Then why�d you ask?� Adam shrugged. �For luck?� Jack laughed. �You? Counting on luck?� �It never hurts, my friend.� They looked up at a knock on the door. Adam got up and opened it, seeing Don standing outside. He waved the other �best man� in. �I think you have something we need.� Adam looked perplexed. Cragen went on. �The ring?� Jack looked up. �Oh, yes! Adam, they�re both in that box Jamie gave you yesterday.� Adam fished the box out of his coat pocket. �Jack? Which one�s which?� Jack chuckled. �Doesn�t matter. Would you believe we�re both the same size?� He held the box out letting Cragen take one of the rings and deposit it in his pocket; Adam put the other in his pocket and put the box down on the dresser. Jack looked up at Don. �How�s Lennie holding up?� Don chuckled. �He�s fine. A bit nervous, but fine.� Just then, Cathy�s head poked in the open door. �I think everyone�s here, guys. Anytime you�re ready.� Don took off down the hall to collect Lennie. Jack stood up, reaching for his jacket. Adam helped him into it, noticing the slight trembling of his hand. He laid his hand on Jack�s shoulder and squeezed. Their eyes met and Jack smiled. �Thanks, Adam. Thanks for being here with me today.� �Wouldn�t miss it for the world, my friend.� He surprised Jack by pulling him in for a brief hug. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ben�s descent of the stairs in his judicial robes seemed to be the trigger the gathered crowd was waiting for. Mike waited until his lover had taken his place before starting the music, Pachelbel�s �Canon.� Everyone got quiet as Jack and Adam came down the stairs, moving to stand to one side, followed a few moments later by Lennie and Don. Jack felt something twist inside his heart as his eyes met Lennie�s as his lover walked down the stairs. His heart was pounding as he waited; then finally Lennie stood beside him. He was barely aware that Mike had shut off the music; all that existed for him was the warmth in Lennie�s eyes. Ben smiled at them, once again amazed by the intensity of their bond. He took a deep breath and began. �Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to support our friends, Jack and Lennie, as they commit their lives to each other. I may serve the court as a Judge, but today I speak only as a friend; the law gives me no power to join them as I might a man and a woman. But that doesn�t matter to them; still they wish to publicly proclaim their love here before you, their friends and families. And so I will say only this: We who love them owe it to them to support them in this just as we would any other couple on their wedding day. I have never seen any two people more committed to each other as these two, or more deserving of a lifetime of happiness.� He turned his attention to the couple before him. �Jack, Lennie, you have chosen to take a step most men in your position would not bother with. It says a lot about the depth of your love that you choose to do this publicly. Are you ready to make your promises?� They looked into each other�s eyes again and nodded. �Before they begin, if there is anyone here who objects to this union, please leave now.� The crowd chuckled softly at Ben�s humorous dismissal of the tradition of asking for objections. Ben smiled. �All right then. Jack, do you take Lennie to be your partner in this life, to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, through good times and bad, until death do you part?� Jack swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry as the Sahara desert. He held Lennie�s hands and gazed into his eyes. �I do.� Adam handed him the ring which his trembling hand somehow managed to slip onto Lennie�s finger. �Lennie, do you take Jack to be your partner in this life, to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, through good times and bad, until death do you part?� Lennie took a deep breath; he had nearly lost it when Jack slid the ring onto his finger. // third time�s the charm // He�d made this promise twice before, but somehow it had never felt like this. He closed his eyes, feeling a tear slide down his cheek. He opened them again and gazed at Jack, feeling lucky beyond any reasonable measure. �I do,� he finally managed to get out, his fingers trembling as he slid the ring onto Jack�s hand. They clasped hands and somehow managed to turn back toward Ben. �Then by the power of their own love, which needs neither church nor state sanction to rule supreme, they declare themselves wed. Gentlemen, I believe a celebratory kiss is in order?� The crowd cheered as they came together, Jack�s fingers gently brushing the tears from Lennie�s cheek before meeting his lips. Mike found himself brushing aside a few tears of his own before remembering to cue the music, Beethoven�s �Ode to Joy.� Then Jack and Lennie were swamped as everyone wanted to offer good wishes. Mike was surprised to find Don Cragen beside him a few moments later. �You know, Donnie, you might just have to brush that �best man� suit off again sometime soon �� Cragen slipped an arm around him. �You�re serious about that, aren�t you?� Logan nodded. �I�d be honored, Mikey.� Marge Cragen and Emil Skoda stood off to the side, waiting for Don to make his way over to them and letting those who knew Jack and Lennie better have first opportunity to wish them well. She dabbed a hankie at her eyes. Emil chuckled. �Hopeless romantic, aren�t you?� Marge laughed. �Of course I am! Why do you think I�ve stayed with Don all these years?� �I�m glad you did, Marge.� She hugged him. �And I�m glad you found us, Emil. I think you may have helped us find a way to stay together.� Skoda smiled, hoping that the three of them would be friends � GOOD friends � for a long time to come. Lennie and Jack didn�t move for almost an hour as everyone just came to them with well-wishes. Anita Van Buren had surprised them both; the usually tough-as-nails Lieutenant had her makeup smeared from her tears. She had just laughed; �What can I say? I cry at weddings. And you both look so happy.� She had surprised them further, leaning up to kiss each of them on the cheek. Cathy, Julia, and Kelly surrounded them at one point as Mike dropped into photographer mode, getting a priceless photo of the extended family. Lennie was beginning to feel rather light-headed when he suddenly realized that he hadn�t eaten since Mike�s breakfast early this morning. He grabbed Jack�s arm. �Come on, let�s go get something to eat already!� Jack laughed. �You�re hungry? Why am I not surprised! OK, folks, we�ll be around, I promise we�re not going anywhere until tomorrow!� They loaded up some plates and collapsed for a moment at the kitchen table. Lennie laughed as his feet found Max, curled up under the table. �I saw Rey�s girls chasing him a while back; they must have tired him out.� Jack smiled. �Yeah. But you�ll never believe this, Lennie. Come over here, quietly.� Lennie got up and circled the table, curious. �Well, I�ll be �� he breathed softly. Shadow was curled up, snuggled close to the evil DOG creature she had attacked so viciously the other night. �Remind you of anything, Jack?� �Don�t think so.� �Remember the card Mike sent from Maine in June?� He stood up and dug in the kitchen drawer where �stuff� got shoved. �Here it is.� He handed it to Jack; a kitten and puppy curled up together. Jack chuckled. �Wonder if they�ll stay like that long enough for Mike to get a photo?� A little later, Lennie had once again retreated into the kitchen to find something to drink. As he sat at the table relaxing for a moment, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Rey smiling down at him. �So Lennie, you really did it!� Lennie laughed, reaching up to squeeze Rey�s hand. �Yup.� Rey grabbed one of the empty chairs, turning it around so he could sit leaning his arms on the back. �You look almost indecently happy.� �I am, Rey. I don�t think I�ve ever been happier. Everything�s just come together, the house, my kids, and being with Jack just gets better every day.� Rey smiled at him. �Nobody deserves it more than you, Lennie. Nobody.� Lennie got serious for a moment. �What about you, Rey? Debra? That lab test you were worried about?� Rey shook his head. �False alarm, Lennie. She�s fine.� Lennie sighed with relief. �Thank god �� �Yeah.� They sat in silence for a moment. Finally Rey stood up. �Well, we�re going to have to go soon, the girls are getting tired.� Lennie nodded, getting up himself. �Yeah, I�m surprised Cathy hasn�t come looking for me to come cut the cake yet.� �How�s she doing?� �Just fine, Rey. I can never thank you enough for taking care of her �� Rey shook his head. �Wouldn�t have let it go down any other way, Lennie. She�s a good kid, I hope mine have that much courage and good sense when they grow up.� �But still � thanks.� Rey nodded, smiling. His arm slipped around Lennie�s shoulders. �Come on, partner. Let�s go get some of that cake so I can take my ladies home. And you can get on with your wedding night!� �Rey!� Lennie blushed severely; Rey was the last person he�d expected to make that comment! Rey just laughed and pushed him toward the living room. Finally the festivities wound down. Cake had been cut and eaten � and worn. Jack hadn�t been able to resist smashing it into his face, and he�d retaliated much to the delight of their audience. The champagne had been poured and a toast raised, and Jack had even made sure theirs was non-Alcoholic. Lennie felt like he�d been hugged within an inch of his life today, but when all was said and done he was supremely happy. Cathy and Kelly flopped down onto the couch beside them. �OK Dad, I think that�s just about everything. Everybody helped clean up on the way out, and I�ll stop by while you guys are gone to check in on Shadow and get all the trash out.� Lennie smiled. �Julia and Tom head out already?� Cathy nodded. �Jason was getting really cranky. But you�ll be on the flight to Miami with them tomorrow.� Lennie nodded and let Jack pull him into his arms. �On the way to our honeymoon cruise.� Lennie sighed. �God, I love the sound of that!� Cathy and Kelly looked at each other and laughed; they really did look just too cute like that. Mike and Ben came down the stairs with their luggage. Jack let go of Lennie and stood up. �Guys, you really don�t have to leave �� Mike shook his head vehemently. �Uh uh. It�s your wedding night. And after all this today, you two deserve some privacy. Besides, Donnie�s got plenty of room. We�ll be here tomorrow morning to take you to the airport, then we�ll take this stuff back to the rental place.� Lennie sighed, getting up to stand by Jack. �You know, we�ve got some damned good friends, Jack �� �You can say that again, Lennie.� Mike laughed. �Save the goodbye�s for tomorrow. See you in the morning!� As they left, the girls got up to go as well. �Come on, Kelly, let�s get you home before your mom has a fit.� �Ok, sis!� Jack spun around, surprised by how much his daughter and Lennie�s had bonded today. Kelly stopped to give them both a hug. �Uh, Dad? I had an idea �� �What�s that, sweetheart?� �Well, there�s a big ice show coming to town next month. I was wondering if the four of us could go � like as a family?� Jack looked at Lennie and Cathy, an eyebrow raised in inquiry. Lennie looked at his daughter and smiled when she nodded. �Sounds like a plan, sweetheart!� Lennie responded. Jack turned to pull Cathy into a hug. �Thanks for taking her home, Cathy.� She smiled up at him. �Hey, we�re family now.� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Finally, everybody was gone and the house was quiet. Jack sighed and wrapped his arms around Lennie from behind, resting his chin on his lover's shoulder. Lennie purred softly, covering Jack's arms with his own and leaning back against him. They stood like that for a little while, each lost in his own thoughts. �So, shall we call it a night?� Jack whispered in Lennie�s ear. Lennie smiled as Jack�s hands slid down his chest toward his groin. �Lord, yes!� They shut out the lights and made their way back upstairs. Jack had one more surprise in store for Lennie. �Jack!� Lennie gasped softly as he saw the room lit by a dozen candles. Jack laughed. �I had Mike and Ben put them out while they were packing.� Lennie was speechless, so instead of talking he turned to Jack and kissed him, long and slow. Jack gently pulled him down onto the bed, laying back as one hand unbuttoned Lennie�s shirt. Their coats and ties had been abandoned long ago. Another long, soft kiss occupied his mouth as Jack pushed his shirt aside. Slowly, almost languorously, they undressed each other, as if time stood still in that candlelit room. When Lennie�s chest was finally bare, Jack bent to lay a line of kisses across the collarbone, then ducking down to let his lips tenderly trace the scar just to the left of the heart. He could hear Lennie�s heart pounding as his tongue focused on the thing that had ultimately brought them together. He looked up into Lennie�s soft brown eyes; acknowledging what that terrible day had ultimately meant to them. Jack smiled and let his hand float downward. Unlike their first days together, Lennie was responding quite strongly to his touch. He let his fingers float over the Lennie�s cock, feeling him hardening at Jack�s touch. Lennie sighed happily as Jack stroked him, arousing him slowly, deliberately. Something about the flickering candlelight and Jack�s gentle touches was getting to him. And when Jack�s lips found his nipples, he moaned softly. He felt like he was floating on a cloud of pleasure, wanted to stay there forever. But he also wanted to touch Jack, so he finally rolled over onto his side, turning the tables. Jack moaned softly as Lennie took his turn at slowly, extravagantly lavishing attention to his body. He glanced over into the mirror on the dresser, seeing Lennie�s face reflected in the soft flickering light. He felt something so powerful it threatened to overwhelm him. �Oh, Lennie �� Lennie�s mouth once again claimed his in a kiss so tender and yet so passionate. He caught Jack�s hand, bringing it to his lips, gently kissing the gold band. Letting go, he allowed his hand to caress the length of Jack�s body, coming to rest over his engorged cock, stroking gently, never getting too intense, just keeping his lover in a state of bliss. Jack lay there, loving every moment of Lennie�s lavish attention. He remembered one evening, shortly after they had begun exploring this new relationship, sitting on the couch at Lennie�s old apartment. Lennie hadn�t been up to anything too strenuous yet, still recovering from being shot. They had just been fooling around like this, gently touching each other for the first time. It was such a sweet, pleasant memory, their growing attraction and affection just beginning to assert itself. He wanted to share the feeling, so he rolled slightly to be able to reach Lennie. Now side by side, facing each other, they could kiss while continuing to stroke each other. Without conscious thought, their bodies moved closer together, legs intertwined, Jack�s arm wrapped over Lennie to hold them together. After a while, their ardor grew, and their touches intensified. Lennie sighed and whispered into his ear: �Jack? Um, remember that scene with Mike and the lube?� �Yeah?� �I didn�t want that to happen on the cruise. So I packed it already �� Jack chuckled softly. �So we don�t have any here, now.� �Nope.� �That�s ok. Don�t need that all the time. All I need to make me happy is you.� Lennie hugged him tight. �Me too, Jack. Oh, god, I love you so much �� Jack kissed him softly, showing him just how deep his own love was with his hands and his mouth. It didn�t take very long after that before both of them were breathing heavily, getting near the edge. Their hands joined as they pressed their bodies close together, maximizing contact, pushing them over the edge. They came together, bodies trembling, souls crying out in harmony. And then they were still. Exhausted by the day�s hectic activity and emotional wear, they lay wrapped in each other�s arms. Before he drifted off into sleep, Jack forced himself to get up. Lennie moaned and held on to him, not wanting to let go. �You want to burn this place down?� Jack laughed softly. �Stay there, keep the bed warm, I�ll be right back.� He grabbed a couple of wipes from the bedstand and cleaned up their mutual mess, then quickly doused the candles. He pulled down the covers, letting Lennie roll over so he could get them all, then settled back down beside his partner. Lennie�s arms wrapped around him, holding him close. �Jack?� he murmured sleepily. �Yeah?� �Love you.� �You too, Lennie. Forever.� �Mmmm. Forever �� And they all lived Happily Ever After! Cathy avoided her unhappy fate; Marge Cragen will NOT die in a plane crash to be conveniently gotten rid of, Debra Curtis does not have MS, and oh, yeah, since Mike left NY before the events of "Exiled" even poor Profaci gets off this time! And thus ends the "Love Songs" Series. Well, not quite. I've added another arc, inspired by my trip to NYC to see Chicago with Stef ...so Continue on to "All That Jazz" Send me some feedback Back to the Story Index Disclaimer: These characters belong to Dick Wolf and NBC. I'm just borrowing them for fun, not profit. |
| Chapter 7 |
| The big day arrives ... |