Leesha let out a shaky sigh as their car pulled up to the jet and clutched onto David's arm. "Remember, not one word about the tests to either of them." She curled her arms around her stomach. "Fuck, I'm hungry," she pouted.

"Darlin', you need to calm down. Don't get yourself worked up into an anxiety attack," David said calmly, pulling her into a hug. "Let's get you on the plane and settled. See what you feel like eating." Leesha nodded and they climbed out onto the tarmac.

She and Julie embraced each other in a show of solidarity between mothers while the men stood silent. Jon gave David a deathly stare, the latter balling his hands into fists and fighting the urge to break Jon's nose. "Guess we'd better get this show on the road," Jon relented, grabbing Julie away from Leesha.

Both couples boarded in the jet without a word, David and Leesha taking seats down two rows and across the aisle. Leesha pulled out her laptop and took the purple throw blanket from the stewardess, Natalie. "Hey, Nat?" She said quickly. "Thanks for getting the kids to California safely."

"It's my pleasure, Mrs. Bryan. Can I get you something to eat or drink?" Natalie asked with a genuine smile.

"Ginger ale and crackers. I'm..." she lowered her voice. "I'm not feeling great."

Natalie nodded and turned to Jon and Julie. "May I get you two anything?" Jon ordered a Jack Daniels straight and Julie shook her head at him.

The plane started off down the runway and slowly raised up, leaving New Jersey in the distance. Higher and higher they climbed. At 30,000 feet, the seatbelt sign was turned off and Natalie came around with their drinks.

Jon smiled as his wife and reached over for her hand, kissing her wedding band. "Everything ok, sweetheart?"

"Hmm? Yeah, a little nervous about all of this but I'm okay," Julie replied. She glanced over at Leesha, who was typing away on her laptop and curled into David's side.

"I just wanna get this over with," Leesha confessed, a little louder than intended, "I hate the tension this is causing our families."

Jon peered around his seat and snorted, "You're the ones that came up with this brilliant idea."

"Don't blame me for this. It was my husband's idea," Leesha snipped, feeling her hormones kicking in. David rolled his eyes and leaned over to whisper something in his wife's ear. She rubbed her eyes and slammed her computer shut.

"Hey! Can we dial down the snark for at least the next couple of days?" Julie snapped at them both, "Whether we all agree on what the kids are doing or not, we should all at least put up a united front."

"Yeah well I don't like it," Jon replied and took a healthy swallow from his glass, glaring at David. "Or him..."

"I'm not gonna be in any mood to be dealing with a bunch of whining toddlers," Julie said, "which is what you two are behaving like."

David sighed heavily. "Jules, how about you sit down and be quiet for once?"

"Says a lot from the biggest mouth here," she replied.

"You'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" David smirked, pulling his now crying wife into his chest.

"Your mind's always in the gutter, isn't it?" Julie noted, "Is it lonely there, mate?" Her accent always broadened back to true Australian when she was angry.

Leesha stood up abruptly and threw David's whiskey glass into the wall, storming off towards the back bedroom. David went to follow and tossed over his shoulder at Jon, "Of all the blondes backstage and you chose this one. 18 years gone...I'd go look for an upgrade if I were you," before slamming and locking the door.

Jon went to chase after him but Julie grabbed at his hand. "Leave it, baby," she said shakily, "You know how violent he can get. Don't make it worse."

"Doesn't mean he gets to insult you with no consequence," Jon fumed.

"I know you don't like the situation, baby," Julie soothed him, "but please just try. For Ari's sake?" Jon fell quiet and Julie turned toward him and lowered her voice, "Play nice for the rest of the flight, Rockstar, and I'll take you to heaven when we get to the hotel."

The rest of the flight was spent in relative silence save for the whispers between Julie and Jon. Once they'd landed in Santa Monica and were brought to the airport, the couples split into their respective hotel suites.

"I'll let Becca know we're all here," Julie said to Jon as she quickly sent a text, "So what do you think is going on between Leesh and David?"

Jon kicked his shoes off and laid across the bed. "He knows I'm pissed at him for helping Ari do this madness. Leesha, I'm not sure about." He continued after a moment of silence, "You know what? I don't really care that much. Fuck! What a circus we've become. Why those two decided to procreate, I'll never understand."

"I'll try and have a word with her before tomorrow," Julie said sitting beside her husband on the bed, "Speaking of which...are you okay with how this is panning out? Be honest too, Rockstar."

Jon smiled and pulled Julie onto her back, curling up and trailing a hand down her stomach. "You know I'm not happy or okay with this, but knowing our daughter, she'd make good on her threat and disappear for good. So what choice do we really have?" His fingers slipped the buttons of Julie's shirt through their holes, "What I do know is that this is the first time in a long time we've been completely alone."

"Oh yeah...," she smiled up at her husband, still handsome after all these years, "It's been a while, hasn't it baby? I've missed you," she slipped her hand down to between them, squeezing his cock gently, "especially this guy."

"I didn't even get to make love to you that night at their home," Jon pouted, kissing his way down and sweeping his tongue along her breasts. "To say it's long overdue is an understatement."

"Then let's make up for lost time, shall we?" Julie pulled him closer and hooked her leg over his and drew him closer.

*~*The Next Day*~*

Ari stepped into the bodice and skirt of her wedding dress with help from Courtney, her heart beating loudly in her chest. She'd been on the verge of an anxiety attack all morning, starting to regret not having her parents there. Her eyes darted from her reflection in the mirror to the picture perfect day beyond the window.

"What's the matter, honey?" Courtney asked noticing Ari's change of mood.

"Nothing really. I..I just realized," she said, "that you guys have been right. I wish they were here, I guess. I wish they wouldn't be so uptight about me and Ethan"

Nikki lowered his camera from shooting the bouquet and shoes, his eyes filled with compassion for the young woman. "I've known your dad for a long time now, darlin', and I'm sure they regret the stuff they've said and done. If not now, they certainly will later."

"I'm so proud that you took the first step though," Courtney said as she fussed if Ari's hair and makeup. "There...Perfect!"

"Not quite," Jon's quiet voice came from the doorway.

"Daddy?" Ari turned in surprise.

"Nikki...wanna give us some privacy?" Jon said without taking his eyes from his daughter, "I'll talk to you later." Nikki nodded and led Courtney from the room, leaving Jon and Ari staring at each other.

"What are you doing here, daddy?" Ari asked nervously.

"I couldn't let my little Princess get married without me," Jon smiled and moved to stand in front of her and sighed heavily before continuing, "I'm sorry, baby mine. So, so sorry...for everything that's happened in the last few days."

"I...you were always my special little one, don't you know? I was so happy when you came into our lives. You yelled and flailed around until they handed you to your mama, then you just laid on her chest with those big blue eyes of yours while we spoke to you. When I went to touch you, you gripped my finger so hard...I fell head over heels for you. So did your mama."

Jon swallowed hard and continued, "When I thought we'd lost you to that woman as a baby, I swore I'd always protect you...no matter what."

Ari looked up into her Dad's eyes before rushing into his arm, crying softly. "And I love you for that, Daddy, but I'm not a baby anymore."

"I know...Just looking at you now has brought that home to me more than anything else has this week," Jon swallowed over his tears, failing to catch one from escaping down his cheek. "We're so proud of the woman you're becoming. Your mama and I only ever wanted the best for you and your siblings. Please never forget how much we love you, Arielle."

"Never, Daddy. I promise," Ari sniffed and nuzzled into Jon's chest the way she would as a baby. "Does this mean you accept Ethan and I marrying each other?"

"I'll never be happy with how it's happened," Jon frowned, "but I accept your decision. You have your mother and my blessings." He continued, "I have something for you." He pulled out a velvet jewelry box from his jacket and opened it to show Ari.

Ari gazed at the antique gold and opal necklace. "Daddy, it's beautiful!"

"Just as beautiful as you are," Jon smiled, "It was your grandmother's. You look so much like her too. Grandpa gave it to her on their wedding day. He gave it to me when I went to him yesterday for advice on how to be a better dad for you....and now it's yours."

Jon slipped the chain around Ari's neck and fastened it with shaking hands. "What if I'm not a good wife?" Ari asked, her voice small and fingers caressing the pendant. The question had been weighing heavily on her heart ever since she accepted Ethan's proposal.

"You've been brought up by the best wife of them all, baby. You've learned it all from her from the moment you opened your eyes," Jon tilted her face to his, "You'll figure it out...and if you can't, your mama will always be there for you. As I will be. Now...can I drive the beautiful bride to her wedding?"

Ari nodded and kissed Jon on the cheek. "I love you, Daddy," she whispered.

Jon crushed her to him and choked out, "I love you too babymine." After a moment, Jon cleared his throat and said, "C'mon...Mookie's left one of his sports cars for us."

*~*~*

The Bryan family had stepped aside for a private moment, David and Ethan praying in Hebrew over a beautifully knitted prayer shawl belonging to David's late father, Eddie Rashbaum. "I wore it for my wedding," he started.

"All three..." Leesha chimed in.

"Don't make me take you over my knee, woman," David growled. Ethan perked an eyebrow at his parents and shook his head. David smiled and took his son's head in his head. "Ben sheli, ani kol kach ga'eh becha." He kissed each of Ethan's cheek and draped the shawl over his son's shoulders.

Leesha hugged Ethan tight and whispered, "My little boy grew up so fast. The first step of starting your own family. Daddy and I are so proud of you." All three turned around as Nikki and Courtney came down onto the sand, calling out for them.

"Jon just messaged me!" Nikki shouted, nearly losing his footing. "They're almost here!"

Ethan walked over to the flower and tulle chuppah, David and Leesha standing to the side with the officiant. Julie glanced over at them, giving Leesha the tiniest hint of a smile. Richie slipped his guitar strap over his head and started plucking at the strings until the bride arrived.

Nikki poised himself as Courtney nodded to them and stood next to Rebecca. Richie began strumming the intro to his song, 'In It For Love', as Jon and Ari appeared, her dress fluttering in the cool breeze.

"Love is a road, Forever winding. Where it leads us I don't know. In it together, For better or worse. Searching for our pot of gold. Time leaves a trail of broken hearts. So many arrows just keep missing their mark - but baby that ain't us," Richie sang.

Ethan smiled at his bride, surreptitiously wiping the tears from his eyes. David clapped him on the shoulder and Ethan took a deep breath to steady himself. "She's so beautiful," he sighed to his Dad.

Jon escorted Ari down the sand dune as the sun dipped a little lower in the sky. Ethan and Ari's eyes connected and all doubt, hurt, betrayal and anger disappeared. Richie's powerful voice washed over them, the sound of rolling waves enhancing the romance.

"Nothing else matters if you're in it for love. Together we can only go higher. We can reach any rainbow that we're dreaming of. Nothing else matters at all. When you're in it for love. We'll share in the laughter

We'll share in the tears in the promises we keep. Life can be crazy and love can be cruel. But it's always been a two way street," crooned Richie and Ethan mouthed the words to Ari.

With a tranquil orange sun on the horizon, Leesha looked up at David and Julie to Jon as he escorted Ari. Both couples drank in the lyrics and the Bryans hugged each other. Nikki moved around the scene, lining up his shots and checking lighting and angles.

Jon stopped beside Julie who enveloped Ari in her arms. "Be happy, my beautiful princess," Julie whispered in Ari's ear, "We love you so much!" Ari pulled away from her mother and Jon hooked her arm in his again to complete the last few steps to her new life.

He kissed her forehead, reluctantly placing his daughter's hand in the palm of the new man in her life, before turning back to Julie who held her arms out to him. They smiled at each other and shared a small kiss as Julie wiped away a tear from Jon's cheek.

Julie's eyes widened when they looked back to the ceremony, squeezing Jon's arm. Ethan handed Ari over to David and Jon bristled when his daughter bowed her head, her new Father-in-Law walking her around Ethan seven times.

By the fourth circle, Jon's teeth were grinding and his jaw popping as he fought to contain his anger. His daughter was a strong woman, yet with her head bowed she resembled...well...she resembled David's own wife instead of the fierce Italian-Australian of her heritage.

Nikki's camera was the only unnatural noise as he moved in and around everyone as unobtrusively as possible as tradition blended with contemporary. He managed to capture some choice moments by being disassociated somewhat from the familial constraints.

When he had a few brief moments to check the screen he had to hold back a wry smile at the shot of Jon glaring daggers toward David. The famed stink-eye, Nikki thought to himself.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life's greatest moments, the joining of two hearts. In this ceremony today we will witness the joining Ethan Alexander Rashbaum and Arielle Caroline Bongiovi in marriage. If there is anyone present who has just cause why this couple should not be united, let them speak freely."

There was a nervous, awkward pause as though everyone was expecting someone to object. It seemed as though the birds had stopped their song and the ocean fell quiet in expectation. The parents, however, resigned themselves to silence.

The officiant nodded and continued, "You fell in love by chance, but you're here today because you're making a choice. You both are choosing each other. You've chosen to be with someone who enhances you, who makes you think, makes you smile, and makes every day brighter."

Leesha cried quietly into a tissue and chanced a glance at Julie, mouthing, "I'm sorry," to her long time friend and business partner.

Julie returned with a small watery smile and a nod as she slipped her arm around Jon's waist.

"You're about to make promises to each other that you intend to keep. You're going to vow to take care of each other, to stand up for one another, and find happiness in the other. There's a simple premise to each of these promises: you're vowing to be there. You're teaming up and saying to the other, 'Every experience I am going to have, I want you to be a part of.'"

David met Jon's eyes and raised an eyebrow. What had been a lifelong brotherhood had begun to fracture, a rift drawing up between the two men. One was as stubborn as the other and David started to believe that nothing could repair it.

"Do you Ethan Alexander take Arielle Caroline to be your wife? Do you promise to love, cherish and protect her, whether in good fortune or in adversity, and to seek with her a life hallowed by the faith of Israel?"

"I do," Ethan said, his heart jumping into his throat.

"Will you, Arielle Caroline , take Ethan Alexander as your husband? Do you promise to be faithful to him in good times and in bad, support him through life's tough moments, to love and to laugh with him? To share in his achievements and find new reasons to love him all the days of your life?"

Ari breathed in deep and answered with a soft, "I will."

"Will you, Ethan and Arielle, be each other's partners from this day forward? Will you bring out the best in one another, share your happiest moments and adventures together, love each other absolutely and grow old together — for the rest of this lifetime and for whatever may come next," the officiant finished with a smile.

"We will," Ethan and Ari responded in unison. David handed over the wedding bands and the officiant handed the first to Ethan.

Ethan poised it at Ari's fingers and said, "With this ring, I bind my life to yours. It is a symbol that you are my lover and you are my best friend in all times, and the promise of all my tomorrows." Jon bristled at the word 'lover' but kept quiet.

Ari took the second ring and slid it onto Ethan's finger. "This ring is a token of my endless and abiding love. You are my lover and best friend in all times and in all ways. Just as this circle is without end, my love for you is eternal."

At the officiant's prompting, Ethan swept Ari into a passionate kiss as everyone clapped and whistled. "Mazel Tov!" David shouted.

Leesha smiled and walked slowly towards Julie. The two women stared at each other for a moment, lost for words. "J, I..."

"I know," Julie cut off, "I am too." They embraced and cried quietly as their husbands looked on, pulling their children into the hug.

After the official part of the ceremony was complete, Nikki whistled to grab everyone's attention for Courtney. "I think we need to celebrate the joining of these two beautiful young people. If you'd like to make your way down to the little cove further down the beach, you'll find the next part of tonight's festivities."

"Hey also thanks for not brawling, you two," Nikki gave a pointed look to Jon and David before they wandered off, "We'll be following in a moment."

Ethan kissed Ari's hand and they strolled off down the beach leaving the adults in their wake. "Oh my!" Ari gasped as she caught her first glimpse of the scene Courtney had arranged.

When they rounded the rocky outcrop there was a small marquee set in the sand, lit with tiki torches and fairy lights in amongst the white canopy. At the entrance were two waiters with silver platters holding a variety of beverages.

Under the snow white tulle were clusters of small white lounges with brightly coloured cushions. There was another smaller marquee set up to one side where a chef was working with a couple of offsiders creating a fresh arrangement of hors d'oeuvres.

"Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Bryan," the waitstaff greeted them.

"I still don't see why she couldn't at least hyphenate her name," Jon said quietly to Julie.

"You try rolling Arielle Caroline Bongiovi-Bryan off your tongue, baby," Julie tried kidding him out of his mood. He relented a little and smiled, kissing his wife's neck.

"Hey, congrats Jonny," Richie clapped him on the shoulder, "I'm proud of you, brother. Hey Jules, how are you, darlin'?"

"I don't think congratulations are in order, Rich," Jon grumbled, "I thought it was bad enough Stephie marrying into that lot. Now I've lost another one to him."

"Jon!" Julie scolded before she hugged Richie and Becca, "It's so good to see you both."

Ethan chuckled at a private joke with Ari and took a glass from one of the waiters, draping his arm around Jon. "So do I get to call you Pops now?"

"Don't push it, kid," Jon frowned and slipped away to go speak with Nikki as he and Courtney made their way into the party, leaving an awkward moment for the others. Richie and Becca looked at each other as Julie offered Ethan an apology.

"I'm sorry Ethan," Julie said, "Jon will come around eventually. He's still hurting."

Ethan gave his new mother-in-law a tight hug and kissed her cheek. "Hey speaking of Pops...where did Mom and Dad go?" He asked, looking around for his parents. "Weren't they right behind us?"

"Yeah, they've stopped just around the bend," Nikki offered before shaking Jon's hand and falling into conversation, as Courtney excused herself to speak with the chef.

Ethan and Ari busied themselves with the fresh fruit, feeding each other sweet red strawberries and juicy pineapple.

David escorted his pale wife into the reception and helped her into a chair. "There's my new daughter-in-law," he called out, catching Ari as she ran and jumped into his arms. He swung her in a circle before setting her down.

"Uncle Lema, I can't thank you enough," Ari gushed. "This may not have happened without your help. I love you so much!"

"I love you too, Ladybug," David said, kissing the top of Ari's head. He laughed as Ari pulled his light blue scarf off and twirled it around her own neck. "Absolutely beautiful." He and Ethan shared a tender father son moment, and David turned to Julie. He took a couple steps towards her, his face softening. "Jules?"

"Hmm?" she turned to him with a questioning look. Richie and Becca stepped away and found a seat together.

"I..uh...I wanted to apologize to you...about everything I said to you on the plane," he whispered, his brow furrowing as he swallowed his pride. "I shouldn't have taken my anger with Jon out on you."

"Thank you for apologising, however," she nodded stiffly, "I'll have to think about the forgiveness part, David. Things have gone way past normal boundaries these last few days. You overstepped those by helping the kids do this and by doing that you may have permanently harmed your friendship with Jon. Insulting me on the plane may have just been the last straw." She turned and walked off to thank Courtney and Nikki, before slipping into Jon's arms.

The waiters walked between the party with platters of food and drink. Leesha took one of the hors d'oeuvres, biting into the warm mini crab cake. She'd only chewed it a couple times before she gagged and rushed away from David and the party towards the water.

David followed close behind and held his wife's hair as she vomited violently into the ocean. "Maybe I should get you back to the hotel," he lowered his calming voice, "I don't remember it being this bad with Ethan or Ellie."

"It wasn't," she choked out, taking the bottled water David held out to her.

"Hey...mom...you okay?" Ethan asked as he jogged over.

"I'm fine, sweetheart," Leesha forced a smile and hugged her eldest. "C'mon...it's your night..." Ethan and David walked beside her to rejoin everyone and hugging the passing bride.

Ari had spied Richie and Becca in an intimate conversation with each other on one of the couches in the shadows and noted how they only had eyes for each other. She smiled and walked over, forcing her way in between them as she used to do as a small child. Even her Aunt Becca couldn't have her Uncle Mookie.

"Hey kiddo," Becca laughed, "Happy?"

"Uh huh," she said, picking up their hands in hers, "I just wanted to thank you both. I hope I didn't make things awkward between you and daddy, Uncle Mookie?"

"Ha, not as bad as Lema and your dad, honey," Richie scoffed before turning serious, "I hope you and your dad had a meaningful conversation today?"

"We did. Thank you for convincing both sets of parents to come out," Ari smiled up at Richie, "It means a lot to me."

"I'd like to take credit, but it was actually your Aunt Leesha that came up with the whole idea," Richie said and Becca nodded when Ari looked to her for confirmation.

Jon appeared just then, "Ari, honey, can you give a moment please?"

"Sure dad," she nodded and kissed her aunt and uncle before she stood and did the same to her father and wandered off in search of Ethan.

"Want to sit down, Jon?" Becca asked as she moved closer to Richie. He nodded and perched on the corner of the couch.

"You okay, Jonny?" Richie asked.

"Fuck, Rich, I dunno," Jon dropped his head and scrubbed his hand over his face. "I'm not really sure how the fuck to deal with all of this, ya know? I mean one minute she's running to Julie at our wedding...and now we're running to hers." His voice drifted a little toward the end. Becca ran her hand down his back soothingly.

"Jonny, you blink and they grow," Richie leaned into the conversation, "You think I don't know where you're coming from? I went through it with Ava. You've done it before with Stephie. She turned out fine and you've got two beautiful grandbabies as proof of that."

Jon closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. "From Colton. Why the fuck are my baby girls joining that family? Fuck, Rich, you grew up around Lema..."

"Why do you think I moved away from all that, huh?" Richie smiled slightly, "No offence, but you're all kinda a little sequestered back in Jersey, you and Lema. Maybe it's time to move, my friend. Or at least to break free from them for a while and socialise with others."

"That's gonna be hard to do since the girls work together now," Jon said, "They're practically joined at the hip."

"They've been through a lot together. Can you blame them?" Becca asked.

"No...no, I don't," Jon sighed with a shake of his head, "Ahh fuck...I dunno what the solution is. Thanks though, both of you, for keeping them safe. I do appreciate it. I miss ya, man." Jon clapped Richie on the knee, their eyes meeting and saying more than what his words could.

"Anytime, Jonny," Richie nodded in understanding, "But maybe cut him a bit of slack, huh? He thought he was doing the right thing by keeping it within the brotherhood. He could have just told them both to fuck off and the lot of you would be missing out on their futures." He pointed to Ethan and Ari dancing to their own music, smiling at each other, oblivious to the world.

"He's right, Jon," Becca said softly.

Jon gazed over to his daughter and sighed, nodding slightly while he contemplated their words.

When the time came for David and Leesha to speak, they stood firmly hand in hand and gazed out at their friends and kids. David took a neatly wrapped box from his jacket and fiddled with the bow as Leesha started to speak.

"If you would have told me 18 years ago that not only would I marry the man of my dreams, but also giving my son away to such a beautiful woman, I would have said you're nuts. Maybe we were a little nuts," she looked over at Julie who gave a small nod. "Arielle...I feel blessed to call you my daughter-in-law and no matter how bumpy things have been, David and I are so happy to have you as part of the family." She handed over to David when she felt her stomach turn.

"I realize I'm probably the last person that should be up here so I'll make it quick," David started and turned to the newlyweds. "You two really do look beautiful together. Seems like yesterday you were chasing each other in the backyard with snowballs or water balloons. Ethan, you've given me hell for 17 years but I'm proud of you and I know you'll make a great husband. Ladybug, you've also given me hell and I wouldn't trade the world for it."

Ari and Ethan smiled at David with watery eyes, the two curled up on one of the lounges resembling a blonde God and Goddess. "That's why," Leesha piped in again and took the box from David, "We wanted to make sure you all started your marriage on the right foot."

She handed Ari the box and watched as the girl opened it, her new husband watching over her shoulder. There were two sets of keys inside with the engraving 'Bryan' on the tag. "Since you two are only 17, the basement apartment that you two loved to play in as kids is being furnished for you to live in," David said, "Each of you has a key to the outside door, your own mailbox and a fob for the front gate."

"The fuck?" Jon breathed angrily. He felt Richie's hand clasp firmly on his shoulder holding him in place as he heard Julie's surprised gasp.

"Really?" Ari shrieked and launched herself at her Uncle and Aunt. Ethan stood and shook his Dad's hand, the four embracing and the kids thanking them profusely.

Leesha kissed her niece and choked back her sobs. "Like I said, we just want you two to have a great start. There's gonna be house rules, but we can discuss those when we're back home. Once you two are 18, you'll be able to..."

"Oh so you'll discuss things with them?" Jon sneered, "How about doing us the same courtesy?"

"Oh shit," Richie murmured, "Calm down, Jonny."

"Jon, our home is closer to the school. They'll have their own space and still be under supervision," David said, attempting to remain calm.

"Fuck you, Bryan...fuck you and your perfect little world," Jon spat and stalked off down the beach.

"Lema, when you gonna learn to think first before you act," Richie said with a heavy sigh, "All you had to do was talk to him, man."

Leesha's breath was unsteady and she managed to get out, "It's a little hard to do that when Jon won't even look at him. Please don't be mad at D."

"I'm not...," Richie started to say.

"Stop it! All of you," Ethan yelled, "You're the fucking adults, or so you keep telling us. But you're all acting like brats that had your favorite toy taken away! Now this is a night to celebrate my new bride and I, so everyone put a fucking smile on your face and get the fuck along!"

"Well said, kid!" Nikki agreed. "Should someone go after him, or will he keep walking into the ocean?"

"I will," Leesha volunteered and jogged off towards Jon's silhouette before waiting for an objection.

"Mama? What are you thinking?" Ari stepped up to her mother, "Please say you understand."

"Oh god, honey," Julie sighed, "It's not my decision. You've told us loud and clear your intentions, whether we like it or not. I can only give you my blessings. Give daddy some time to cool down. He'll understand it's for the best eventually. Let us 'adults' deal with our communication skills." Ari almost knocked her mother over with the fierceness of her hug.

"You, however," Julie said to David and making him jump, "You both could have at least given us the heads up. I don't get it, David? Why are you doing it this way?"

David let out a deep sigh of relief, thankful that he wasn't on the receiving end of Julie's fist again. "Jules, I promise it wasn't out of malice or spite. We really do just want the kids to finish high school and graduate into the bigger world. They can't live on their own yet and we have a space that they can make their own."

"I get that and can appreciate that, but," Julie poked him in the chest to get her point across, "put yourself in Jon's shoes though. Imagine it was Janelle. Let's say she and Romy started something like this and we encouraged her to leave the family home. We put them both on a plane without you and Leesh knowing and then...," she paused for effect, "and then arranging for them to get married and move away from you."

"Can you picture your youngest darling girl being taken from your grasp without any warning? And don't deny that Janelle has a special spot in that off-beat heart of yours. Now do you get what you're putting Jon through?" She waited for any hint of acceptance at what she'd said.

David pursed his lips as he thought and took Julie's hand and stroked it between his. "You're absolutely right, Jules. I would be pissed off. Probably enough to beat the shit outta him. You know Ellie as well as Lily and Gabby hold a special place in my heart, like any daughter does with her father. However," he turned Julie so his back was blocking everyone's view and whispered, "If I hurt you like Jon is hurting my wife, I'd expect him to make me suffer as well."

Julie looked up in confusion and pulled her hand free, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Excuse me, newlyweds are summoning me," David winked and walked away to Ethan and Ari, leaving Julie alone and looking down the beach at the two figures silhouetted against the full moon light.