Rebecca looked at the long list of names she had in front of her and furrowed her brows in indecision. "Do you think I should invite my parents, Jor?" When she received no answer, she looked up and saw her lover staring at the invitations to their wedding, tears pooled up on the bottom rims of her reading glasses, and a few strays rolling down her cheeks.

"Huh?" the drummer looked up and asked foggily. She looked back down and continued staring at the eggshell colored invitation with two young girls sitting on the sand together on a beach, smiling as they built a sandcastle together, representing the life that the reporter and her were planning on building together. Next to the picture of the two young girls was the inscription they picked out.

This day, I will marry my best friend

She opened up the card and read the rest of the inscription, not believing that her name was actually one of the names on a wedding invitation.

The one I laugh with, live for

Dream with, Love.

"Are you all right, Jor?"

"I feel like I'm going to wake up and find out that none of this is real and it has all been a dream," the dark-haired woman answered, never taking her eyes off of the invitation.

Rebecca cupped her lover's wet cheek with the palm of her hand. "My feelings for you are very real, Jordanna. Don't ever doubt that."

"I won't." Jordanna pulled her glasses off and put them on the table before she got up and started to go into the kitchen. "You want something to drink, baby?" the drummer asked, her voice trailing behind her.

Rebecca sat up in her seat and called out to Jordanna. "Iced tea?"

The drummer emerged a few minutes later, a glass of cold iced tea in each of her hands. She placed Rebecca's glass on a napkin right in front of her, since condensation was already dripping down the side of the glass. "Did you say something to me before, Rebecca?"

Rebecca picked up her glass and twirled it nervously around in her hand before taking a sip. "Do you think I should invite my parents?"

Jordanna didn't have to think about the question before answering. "Yes, I do."

"But, what if they say no?" Rebecca asked, bringing her fears out into the open.

The drummer shrugged. "Then they say no, baby. At least by inviting them, you put the ball in their court. No matter what happens, you'll always know that you tried."

Rebecca sighed and started to write out her parents' address on the envelope, feeling like she was sending them an open invitation to break her heart. "Yeah. I guess you're right. At least I know that Ryan, Lisa, Catherine, Jimmy, and Aunt Grace will be here for the wedding."

"Rebecca, speaking of that…" Jordanna frowned, remembering something she had to talk to her lover about. "I, uh…" she said and paused. "This is really embarrassing."

The reporter crooked her head to the side, waiting to hear what could be so embarrassing for the dark-haired woman. "What's embarrassing?" she asked, and placed her hand on top of Jordanna's for comfort.

The drummer snorted. "I don't have anyone to stand up for me, baby," she admitted with a defeated shrug. "I don't have any siblings, or really any friends except for Kelly and Rachel and I couldn't choose between the two of them. I would ask Gary, my drum tech, but I think he's kind of angry with me for changing my whorish ways."

"I really wouldn't want you to ask him anyway, Jordanna," Rebecca whispered immediately.

The drummer lifted a brow in silent question.

"He's not a good influence for you, Jor. He's as sleazy as they come," the blonde woman explained further.

Jordanna narrowed her eyes and took a sip of her tea, giving her time to think about the comment. "He's exactly who I used to be, Rebecca," she snapped angrily, her voice sounding a lot nastier than she would have preferred it to sound. "It wasn't that long ago that you were thinking the same damn thing about me."

"Used to be, Jordanna!" Rebecca argued, upset and quite surprised that what she said bothered her lover. She didn't realize that Jordanna's feelings for Gary ran as deep as they apparently do. "But you aren't that person now, and that's what's important. You've changed. He hasn't."

The drummer sighed and put her glasses back on, flipping roughly through the invitations they already took care of, and pulled Gary's out of the pile.

"I didn't say I didn't want you to invite him, Jordanna," Rebecca muttered, and put the invitation back on the pile. "I just don't particularly think it would be wise to have him in the wedding party."

"I'm still left without someone to stand up for me, Rebecca," the drummer said quietly, trying to calm her anger down.

"I understand that, Jordanna." Green eyes bore into hers. "Do you still care for him?"

"What?"

Rebecca swallowed the lump in her throat and repeated what she asked. "Do you still care for Gary?"

The dark-haired woman stood up and circled her chair, coming to a stop standing defensively behind it. "Rebecca, I've told you already that Gary and I are… were… just friends that fucked occasionally, okay?" She stood quiet for a moment. "You just hit a raw nerve there before, that's all. I'm sorry I snapped."

Rebecca stood up and wrapped her arms around Jordanna's waist, letting her know that she forgave her. "Cindy can stand up for you, love," the reporter suggested. "I'm sure she'd absolutely love it if you asked her. She adores you, Jordanna."

"And I adore her, too, Rebecca. I don't know why I never even thought of Cindy." The frown on Jordanna's face quickly turned into a smile. "That's a wonderful idea. There is one other thing we haven't discussed, though."

Rebecca wiggled her eyebrows playfully. "Our honeymoon, perhaps?"

"Perhaps," Jordanna repeated, a wicked grin gracing her lips. "So, where would you like to go? Hawaii, Bahamas, Europe?"

"Actually, Jor," Rebecca walked the tips of her fingers up Jordanna's arm, making the dark woman flinch. "I was kinda thinking about going to Arizona."

"Arizona?" The drummer looked at her lover with a completely baffled look on her face. "How romantic."

Rebecca laughed at the dark-haired woman's reaction. "I've always wanted to see the Grand Canyon, and I can't think of anyone I would rather see it with than you. And besides… romantic is lying in your arms, not where we are when I am lying in your arms. We could be in Idaho for all I care."

"Okay," Jordanna teased. "Idaho it is. Potato picking, here we come."

"You are so bad," Rebecca said, giving the drummer's arm a playful little slap. "If you want to go to the beach, Jor, then that would be fine with me. I just figured… well… we live in an oceanfront home on an island, so the thrill of going to the beach isn't like it would be for someone who lives out in the country."

"I see your point," Jordanna said, and picked up the cordless phone that was sitting on the table, dialed a number that she had memorized and proceeded to talk to someone about making reservations for the flight and the resort. She put her hand over the receiver on the phone and leaned toward Rebecca, who had since sat back down at the table, to whisper a question to her. "Is Scottsdale okay with you? It's around a three hour drive to the canyon if you go north, and three hours to Tucson if you go south," she asked, repeating the information the person on the other end of the line told her.

Rebecca smiled and nodded her consent, listening to Jordanna as she finished up her phone call. "Who was that?"

"Erica Mullins," Jordanna answered. "She handles all of the band's traveling arrangements. She's actually an Arizona native, so she knows all of the places to go there."

"She'll have to plan our itinerary then, Jor."

As a rock star used to having somebody do almost everything for her, Jordanna fell for the bait. "We could," she answered hesitantly.

"I was joking, Jor!" Rebecca laughed and then gave her lover a kiss. "And just how many sessions of lovemaking would you like for her to schedule for us?"

The embarrassed drummer shook her head and laughed at her own stupidity.

Jordanna slipped a twenty-dollar bill under the glass window at the ticket booth. "Two adults and a child." The old lady behind the window pushed three tickets through the slot, and gave the three women her best fake smile. "Enjoy your day."

As they stepped away from the booth, Rebecca and Cindy stopped to look up at the Montauk Point Lighthouse, which was just a quick walk up a small hill away from them. The lighthouse grounds were crowded, littered with both tourists and locals alike, all there to get a peek at the white and brown lighthouse that proudly welcomes all to the very end of Long Island.

"That woman in the ticket booth has worked here since I was a kid," the drummer reflected, breaking the silence between all of them. She flipped her sunglasses on, and ran her hand down the long braid in her hair that Rebecca spent what seemed like half the morning doing for her. "You want to go in right away or walk around the grounds first?"

Rebecca turned to look at her lover, and shielded her eyes from the strong sun. "How about we walk around first?"

Jordanna nodded and, as had become habit for her, took Cindy's little hand in hers, leading their way to the west side of the lighthouse, where you get the best view of the cliffs overlooking the ocean. They sat down on the man made rock steps in the embankment, and looked out at the relatively calm sea. "This is beautiful, Jor," Rebecca mused, from her seat on the other side of her daughter, who sat in between the two of them. "So peaceful."

"Mmm, it is, isn't it?" Jordanna responded, and leaned over to steal a quick kiss from her lover.

"It's pretty here," Cindy piped in, making her opinion known.

Rebecca stood up and opened the cap on the camera that hung around her neck, clueing people in to her tourist status, if you could call her that. " I'm going to take some pictures, okay?" she said, and then walked down the embankment. She stood there for quite some time, taking photos of the cliffs at all different angles, admiring the scenery through her lens. She turned around and walked back up the grassy hill, and stopped a few feet away from her lover and her daughter, admiring that scenery even more.

"What are you doing?" Jordanna asked dryly, as Rebecca snapped photos of the two of them sitting there.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she responded, and stood lining up another shot of her two favorite women, who were dressed similarly alike in white shorts and baseball jerseys. "At least smile for me, guys, will you?"

Jordanna picked Cindy up and lifted her onto her lap, going along with Rebecca's instructions. "Okay, now you get in them," the drummer suggested after Rebecca took a few shots, and then switched positions with her lover. She lined up a nice shot of Rebecca and Cindy; white, puffy clouds behind them in the sky, lighthouse looming in the background, and snapped the photo. "That should turn out really nice."

Rebecca stood up and took the camera from her lover. "I want a family shot before we leave."

"We'll ask someone to take it a little later, okay?" Jordanna said, and then shook her head, before she started to climb the stairs back up to the area in front of the lighthouse. "Let's go in." They walked into the dark lighthouse, feeling the heat buildup, and the stale, musty air that inhabited the room immediately.

"Is it always this hot in here?"

Jordanna turned her head and looked at Rebecca, blinking a few times before she answered her question. "Yep." They stood in a small room to the side, looking at a replica of the light that was in the lighthouse. They listened to the tour guide's explanation of how it works, besides giving a brief history of the lighthouse, which was built in 1796, by order of George Washington himself.

"Can we go to the top now?" Cindy asked, in a typical impatient child voice.

Rebecca, who was listening intently to what the tour guide was saying, rolled her eyes and then looked down at her young daughter. "In a minute, sweetie. I just want to hear the rest of this." Cindy puffed out her cheeks, crossed her arms over her chest and impatiently leaned against the small wall that surrounded the replica of the light.

"Baby," the semi-bored drummer whispered in Rebecca's ear. "I'm going to take Cindy up to the top now, okay?"

"Mm?" Rebecca answered absentmindedly, trying to listen to what was being said. "Yeah, I'll meet you up there in a few."

Jordanna took the young girl's hand again, and walked toward the winding staircase that led to the top of the lighthouse. "Watch your step, kiddo," the drummer said, as they started their climb up the tower. "Stay on this side of the steps, okay? People come down on the other side."

The young girl looked down at her, nodding her understanding, and quickly made her way up the stairs. "Not so fast, Cindy," the drummer called after her in a more parental tone of voice, afraid that she would hurt herself on the narrow metal stairs. "Stay with me." Cindy waited for Jordanna to catch up to her, and then they climbed the stairs together, moving to the side to let people coming down the stairs pass by them easily.

"Why don't we wait here for your Mom?" Jordanna suggested, as they hit a small landing at the halfway point. The drummer leaned over the side of the railing and looked down at the spiral staircase to see if she could spot where her lover was. She caught a glimpse of Rebecca's blonde hair as she stood at the base of the stairs, waiting for the slow moving line of people to make their climb ahead of her.

Cindy pointed to a small porthole in the wall just behind Jordanna's head. "Can you see out that?"

The drummer turned around to see what Cindy was talking about, stood on the tips of her toes, and looked out the porthole, seeing nothing but water. "Not really, kiddo. You wanna see?"

The young girl nodded. "Can I?"

Jordanna bent over and lifted Cindy up until she could see out the porthole. "All I see is water."

"You'll get a better view when we get to the top," Jordanna assured her. She leaned her back against the wall, sighed softly and wiped a bead of sweat that ran down from her temple to her neck, remembering that going into the stuffy lighthouse on a hot and humid day was definitely not a smart idea. She smiled when her lover climbed the last step and walked over to the spot they were standing. "You didn't have to wait," Rebecca said, trying to catch her breath. "That climb… I guess I should start running in the morning with you, huh?"

"Yeah." The drummer smirked. "I guess you should." She waited for the stream of tourists to pass, held out her hand for Cindy to take and then started on her climb of the remaining stairs. "C'mon, we'll race you to the top, old lady."

"No fair," Rebecca pouted as she ate her lover's dust. "You cheated!"

**

The view from the top of the lighthouse gave them a good view of the damage caused by the numerous Nor'Easters that pounded Long Island's south shore coast over the last ten years or so. Jordanna looked down at the erosion with sadness, wondering just how long, and how many more storms, it was going to take before there was no beach left, and the lighthouse would be totally surrounded by water.

"I can't believe how little beach there is left," the drummer muttered to no one in particular, and pushed a strand of errant hair that escaped from her braid out of her face.

The tour guide at the top of the lighthouse, a young woman in her mid-twenties, answered her. "Yeah, it's gonna look like Dune Road here soon," she answered, letting her eyes roam up and down the drummer's sweaty, muscled body.

"Mmmm, yeah," the drummer agreed with her, drawling out her words. "It's a shame."

Rebecca cleared her throat. "Dune Road?"

"A street in the Hamptons," Jordanna answered as she put her hands on the metal bars around the outside of the lighthouse, and looked out at the ocean. "Got wiped out by one of the storms a couple years ago. Houses floating in the ocean, the works. I believe it is now an inlet."

Rebecca gave what her lover said some thought. "Jor?"

"Hmm?"

The reporter just then caught the look of recognition in the tour guide's eyes and wondered if Jordanna did, too. "Do you think that could ever happen to our house?" she asked, putting emphasis on the word our for the sake of the guide, who looked as if she was very interested in Jordanna.

"It's always possible," the drummer answered, as a swift breeze blew her bangs back. "You always take a risk purchasing an oceanfront home, baby."

"Are you Jordanna Fox?" the curious guide finally got up the courage to ask.

Jordanna hesitated, like she usually does when people recognize her, but answered the young woman honestly. "Yes."

"I knew it!" The excited woman put her hand on Jordanna's arm and moved closer to her. "All these years I've lived out here, I've never run into you. My friends always see you at the Hill, but whenever I go there, you're never there."

Rebecca stepped in between the two of them. "The Hill?"

Jordanna smirked and enjoyed Rebecca's obvious jealousy. "Crooked Hill. That bar I took you to the night before I got shot."

"Oh."

"I don't go there much anymore," the drummer explained to the guide. "This is my fiancée, Rebecca, and her daughter, Cynthia," she said, introducing them to make it known to the woman that she was unavailable.

The woman frowned at the words, and reluctantly said hello to them.

Rebecca smiled wickedly at the dejected girl. She's mine, kid. 

**

The drummer placed the tray down on the only empty table in the dining area just outside of the concession stand. Cindy sat down on the bench next to her, and Rebecca sat down across from them, propping the two overpriced prints of the lighthouse she bought for their bedroom up against the side of the table, catching the look she got from her lover. "They are for our bedroom, Jor," she argued. "We need to personalize the place, love."

Jordanna shook her head and raised a brow. "I didn't say a thing."

"But you're giving me the look, so you don't have to say anything." Rebecca placed Cindy's hotdog on a napkin and put it on the tray in front of her daughter, doing the same with the french fries. "Want mustard on that hotdog, sweetie?"

The young girl shook her head. "You know I don't like mustard, Mommy. I want ketchup."

Jordanna cringed as she watched Rebecca douse her daughter's hotdog in ketchup. Thirsty from the heat, she took a large sip of her Coke, and then bit into her cheeseburger. "You can paint the room purple and orange for all I care, Rebecca, as long as you are happy with it," she said, getting back to the decorating subject.

"Purple and orange, hmm? I just might do that," Rebecca teased. She looked at the print. "And it will just clash so well with the colors in the print. It'll look lovely."

Cindy finished chewing her mouthful of hotdog. "I want purple walls in my room."

"We just finished painting your room, Cynthia Marie," Rebecca said, giving her daughter a stern look only a mother can give to their child.

Jordanna turned in her seat, seizing the opportunity to talk to the young girl. "Do you remember that morning we went for a walk on the beach a couple of months ago, Cindy? You got that pretty shell for your Mom?"

Cindy looked up at Jordanna and nodded. "Uh huh."

"Do you remember what you said to me about your Mommy?"

Rebecca listened intently, wondering where her lover was going with the conversation. Cindy blinked and looked at Jordanna with a confused look.

"You said that you thought your Mommy and I should get married."

Cindy blinked again, looking very much like she had been caught doing something that would get her into a lot of trouble. "Uh huh."

Jordanna cleared her throat. For some reason she was nervous and unsure about Cindy's reaction. "Well, I took your advice," she said, and poked the young girl on the tip of her nose. "I asked her to marry me and she said yes."

The child's eyes lit up and she turned to look at her mother. "Does this mean Jor will be my Daddy now, Mommy?"

"No, sweetie," Jordanna answered the question for her lover, who almost spit out the soda she just sipped. "You already have a father and I could never replace him." She lifted Cindy's chin with the tip of her finger. "But it does mean that I will always be in both of your lives. I will be here for you whenever you need me, okay?"

"Okay."

The drummer gave the young girl a kiss on her forehead. "Now, how would you like to help me out with something, kiddo?"

"What?"

"How would you feel about standing up for me, as my best… um… person in the wedding?"

The way Cindy's eyes lit up told Jordanna her answer, even without her voicing it.

"You would have to stand with me while I wait for your Aunt Lisa and your Mommy to walk down the aisle. Plus, you get to hold your Mommy's wedding ring until the pastor says it's okay for me to put it on her finger. It's a very important job, Cindy. Do you think you are up to it?"

"Yeah!" the young girl said happily, and gave the tall drummer a big hug.

Rebecca wiped the tear that fell from her eye, and reached across the table, entwining her fingers with Jordanna's. She mouthed the words she needed to say, but her voice was too weak with emotion to get them out.

Jordanna squeezed her hand tight, and said the words for her. "I love you, too, Rebecca."

Rebecca sat dazed, mindlessly twirling her engagement ring around and around on her finger. She sought refuge in the sunroom, trying to stay out of the way of the people walking in and out of their house. The band, already in pre-production for their next CD, prepared to pose for a photo shoot for a new press bio that the record company wanted to release, announcing Stephanie Sorensen as Linda's replacement.

She watched Jordanna come down the stairs from the bedroom, and noticed that she changed from the shorts and tank top she was wearing into a pair of black leather pants and a vest, assuming her role as Jordanna Fox, rock star, once again.

Rebecca could see it right away. The change in lover's demeanor, her attitude… everything. She realized that Jordanna is a performer in every sense of the word, and it comes out most when she has to be what the band, her fans, and everyone that's in her rock and roll world wants, no, expects her to be.

And she never lets them down.

The photographer, a tall, thin man with long, dark hair, walked around the house looking for the best locations to shoot the photos in. "I think," he said, in a thick French accent that Rebecca thought was probably not his own. "I think we should shoot a while outside, and then in the sunroom, and maybe I can get Jordanna to show me her bedroom. Roger?" he laughed at his own joke and called out to his assistant, who came scurrying quickly. "Get the band to go outside, and get Jordanna to take that vest off. I want to see some tits."

Rebecca disgustedly got up from the couch in the sunroom when she saw her lover walking by, and called out her name, imitating the photographer's faux French accent. "Oh, Zshior-danna, honey? Could you come in here for a minute?"

The leather clad drummer stood in the doorway, and arched a brow at her. "Zshior-danna? What's up with that?"

Rebecca crooked her finger at her lover. "Would you come in here, please?"

Jordanna walked into the sunroom, and stood by Rebecca. "What's up, baby?"

"That photographer wants a few T & A shots, Jor."

The drummer shrugged her shoulders. "And he'll probably get them," she said dryly, and started to turn back around to join the band.

"He also wants…"

The drummer stopped walking and faced her lover. "What else does he want, Rebecca?"

"A piece of your ass," she answered calmly, noticing the difference in her lover's personality again. "He wants you, love."

Jordanna snorted and pulled Rebecca into her arms. "Baby, the only person that's ever gonna get a piece of my ass is you. Don't worry about it, okay? I've dealt with bigger idiots than that little pansy ass photographer in my time." She kissed her lover on the top of her head and let go of her. "I've got to go, baby. They're waiting for me for the photo shoot."

Rebecca watched her lover turn and leave the room, leaving her alone with only her thoughts. Feeling just a little left out, she walked out of the sunroom, dodging a few too many people in the hallway, and went in the den. Her eyes scanned all of the books Jordanna had in her bookcase, and she pulled the latest Mary Higgins Clark out. She sat down on the couch and tried to read.

Unable to concentrate with all of the activity going on in the house, Rebecca went in the kitchen, and grabbed the pile of mail that Rosa left waiting for them on the table. She grabbed a blanket, slipped out the side door, and walked down the boardwalk to the ocean. She found a nice spot in the sun, spread the blanket out on the sand and sat down. She flipped through the mail, separating the wedding invitation RSVPs from the rest of the mail. Her heart started to pound a little harder when she saw the envelope postmarked Lancaster, and knew that it was her parents' response, since they had heard from all of her relatives from back home already.

Her hands shook slightly as she held the envelope, hoping that her parents wouldn't let her down. She hated the distance that her relationship with Jordanna caused with some of the members of her family, but in weighing the options, living the rest of her life without Jordanna just wasn't an option.

Hearing the distinct crunching of feet walking on sand, she knew someone was approaching her from behind. Bare feet came to a stop next to her, and the leather-clad figure sat down Indian-style next to her. The reporter ran her hand along the supple leather, loving the feel of it against her fingers. "You're going to ruin the leather, Jor."

The drummer shrugged her shoulders and looked at the envelope in Rebecca's hand. "What's that?"

"My parents' response," Rebecca said quietly. "I can't," she mumbled, and shakily handed the envelope over to Jordanna, for her to open it. "Could you open it for me?"

The drummer slid her callused finger under the edge and ripped it open. She slid the card out slowly, and her face remained unreadable as she scanned the contents. Her brain registered the neat check mark next to the pre-printed words will not attend, and then she looked into her lover's expectant eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered, and shook her head. She handed the RSVP to Rebecca so she could look at it for herself.

Rebecca angrily crumpled the card up in her hand, got up and chucked it into the ocean, and started to walk away. Jordanna grabbed her by the arm to stop her, but pulled back quickly as Rebecca shrugged out of her grip. "Don't," the reporter hissed, and walked back up the boardwalk to the deck. She sat down on a chair on the edge of the deck and just stared out at the very calm ocean, letting the tears that wanted to fall loose.

She watched as her beautiful lover walked back up the boardwalk by herself, her long, dark hair blowing in the ocean breeze, and her sun-kissed skin, only covered by the material of her black tank top and leather pants, glowed in the bright sunshine. "I want to be alone, Jordanna," she said sadly, and turned around to look at the solemn face of the drummer, who was standing behind her.

Jordanna nodded and although she didn't want to, she abided by Rebecca's wishes and left her alone.

**

Sweat dripped down between shoulder blades as muscled arms and legs beat the living shit out of the undeserving drum set. The dark-haired woman got up from the stool, toweled herself off and picked up one of the many acoustic guitars in her studio. Within minutes, an angry song was formed and shaped by angry hands, the hands of an even angrier woman.

Her body automatically relaxed, though, as gentle hands began to massage her tense shoulders. "What did that poor guitar ever do to you, Jor?" Rebecca asked teasingly, trying to break the ice.

Jordanna looked down at the broken and battered instrument and ran her fingers across the two broken strings. "You alright?"

"I'm okay," Rebecca answered quietly, and met the concerned blue eyes of her lover. She took the hurting guitar out of the drummer's hands and placed it on the floor. She slid onto the dark-haired woman's lap and wrapped her arms around her neck, pulling her in for a gentle kiss. "I just thought that…"

"You thought your parents would have a change of heart regarding our relationship, didn't you?"

"Yeah, something like that," Rebecca confirmed, and placed a gentle kiss on the top of Jordanna's head. "I'm sorry I pushed you away before."

The drummer ran her hand through Rebecca's shiny hair and smiled at her. "Everybody needs their own space sometimes, Rebecca. Don't ever apologize for needing it. I certainly understand."

"Well, I am sorry, for what it's worth," Rebecca repeated. Curious, she picked up the sheet of paper with scribbled lyrics on it and read it. "I think you surpassed the quota for using the word fuck in one song, Jor. Angry about something?"

"Ignorance," Jordanna said, and sighed. "How can a parent hurt their child like that, just for loving someone they don't quite approve of?" She shook her head. "Promise me we will never do that to Cindy, no matter what, okay?"

"Never," Rebecca replied, and sealed that promise with a kiss.

 Jordanna pulled her overnight bag out of the bedroom closet, and grumbled with each piece of clothing she packed in it. "This is so fucking stupid," she complained, and stuffed a final pair of panties into the bag.

Kelly, leaning in the doorway, laughed at the flustered drummer. "It's a tradition, Jordanna. Deal with it."

"Deal with it," the drummer mumbled under breath, as she zipped the bag closed and strapped it over her shoulder. "Rebecca and I have slept together every night since we became intimate, so I don't see why tonight should be any different!"

"Would you stop complaining, you big baby!" Kelly said emphatically as she pushed the tall, reluctant woman out the bedroom door. "C'mon, let's go. We have a bachelorette party to attend."

They walked down the hallway, and Jordanna stopped in the doorway of Cindy's room, only to find the young girl sitting on the edge of the bed, ready and waiting. "You ready to go, kiddo?"

"Yup," Cindy answered, and jumped down off of the bed. She tried to pick her overnight bag up, but nearly toppled over from the weight of it. Jordanna picked it up for her and pretended that she could barely lift it herself. "What do you have in here? Rocks?"

Cindy smiled, her laughter brightening her emerald eyes. "No, Jor. You're so silly."

"Ugh," Jordanna moaned as she put the bag over her shoulder. "Sure feels like it." They met the waiting Kelly at the end of the stairs, and stopped briefly in the doorway of the noisy den, where Rebecca was sitting on the couch, surrounded by her sister, her Aunt Grace, and a few friends and co-workers, having a small bridal shower of sorts.

Rebecca looked up and noticed her lover standing in the doorway, and excused herself from her guests. "You're leaving now?" she asked, as she approached the tall woman.

"Yeah," came the drummer's sad response. "We're going now." She smiled. "Where we are going, I don't know, but we're going there."

Rebecca wrapped her arms around her lover's waist and laid her head on her chest, hugging her tight. "I'm going to miss you tonight." Jordanna ran her hands through Rebecca's hair, and leaned her head on top of the reporter's. "I miss you already."

Rachel and Kelly stood by the front door, watching the nauseating scene going on in the den doorway. "Oh, God, I think I'm gonna barf!" Rachel blurted, and then coughed.

Jordanna turned her head and shot the bassist a look that could kill. "Bathroom's upstairs, Rach. Barf all you want," Jordanna deadpanned, and turned her attention back to her lover. She lifted Rebecca's chin up with her finger, and leaned down to place a tender kiss on her lips, which quickly wanted to turn passionate. Jordanna pulled back with sad reluctance, knowing that her companions for the night were not so patiently waiting for her. "Gotta go now, baby," she said as she picked up both overnight bags and slipped them over her shoulder again. "I will see you at the altar tomorrow."

Rebecca pulled her back for one final kiss. "Don't you dare be late, love."

The drummer smiled brilliantly and cupped the blonde's cheek. "Never," she answered in a whisper, and walked to the door to meet up with the rest of the group. "So, where are we going?" she asked, as she slipped into the back of Kelly's Grand Cherokee and sat next to Cindy.

Kelly smirked and put her seatbelt on. "You'll see when we get there, Jor." She waited for the security gates to open and pulled the SUV out of the driveway, heading west out onto the open road.

**

"Oooh," was the word of the night as Rebecca opened all of the gifts that her friends gave to her for her upcoming nuptials to the drummer. She blushed profusely as she pulled out the lacy white crotchless panties and matching nippleless bra that her aunt gave to her. "Aunt Grace! Do you really think that I would wear these?"

The older woman took a sip of the very spiked punch they were serving and smiled at her niece. "If you don't, I will," the older woman answered, chuckling lowly. "And I'll wear them for that gorgeous hunk of a woman of yours, too."

Rebecca shook her head, surprised that her aunt would say that in front of other people. "I'm sure she'd appreciate that, Aunt Grace."

"No problem, kid. I'm here to please."

Lisa handed the next package to Rebecca. "Speaking of Jordanna, where are they taking her tonight?" she asked, wondering where her boyfriend was going to be, since he went with them.

Rebecca smirked as she tore the wrapping paper, with tiny little wedding bells all over it, off of the box she had in her hand. "Somewhere she'll never expect."

**

Jordanna shifted in her seat to get comfortable on what was turning out to be a very long ride. In the distance she could see the skeletal remains of what's left of the New York World's Fair, a steel replica of the globe, and the abandoned sky-high restaurants that they erected next to it. "You're taking me somewhere in Queens?" she asked, as Kelly merged onto the Grand Central Parkway. "I figured we were going somewhere in Manhattan."

"Well, you figured wrong, Jordanna," Rachel said, suppressing a laugh. "You, being the extremely difficult woman that you are, don't have many choices of places to go, where you won't get yourself into trouble."

Jordanna lifted an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"No bars or adult clubs for you."

The other eyebrow lifted and met its mate. "So where does that leave us with then?" she asked, trying to get the plans out of her secretive friends. She knew, with Cindy with them, they wouldn't be able to go many places, and that was fine with her.

Kelly pulled into the entrance of the stadium, and got behind the long line of cars lined up to get in.

The drummer's mouth dropped open. "Shea Stadium? You're taking me to a baseball game on the night before my wedding?"

"Yep. Makeup game versus the Yankees in the subway series, Jor." Kelly smiled and looked at her friend in the rear-view mirror. "It'll be fun!"

Bases loaded. Two men out. Mike Piazza steps up to the plate.

"Wipe that drool off of your face, Kel," the drummer teased, as the sexy catcher for the New York Mets swung at the first pitch and missed. "Now I know why we came here. So you can look at Piazza's tight ass all night."

"You got that right," Kelly said, as she turned around and winked at Jordanna, who was sitting with Cindy in the box seats behind her and Rachel. The sight of her childhood friend, and Rebecca's adorable dark-haired daughter, was too cute not to capture on film. She quickly pulled out the disposable camera that Rebecca insisted she bring along with them, and took a photo of the two of them sitting there, with their newly purchased Mets hats on backwards, and goofy smiles on their faces.

The sound of the bat hitting the ball caught everyone's attention, and all eyes turned to the field as the catcher hit one over the fence for a Grand Slam homerun. "Whoohoo!" Jordanna screamed, and stood up with the rest of the excited crowd, whom, unbelievably so, didn't recognize the famous musicians in their presence and left them alone.

Kelly lifted a brow at the tipsy drummer. "What was that you said before, Jor?"

**

"She probably thinks they are taking her to a titty bar, or something," Rebecca slurred, and laughter erupted throughout the den. "I would pay to see the look on her face when they got to the stadium." She stood up, and the strap on that someone bought her as a joke slid down her legs to the floor. "Whoops, it seems all this booze is making me a little limp."

"Rebecca Anne?"

The drunk reporter looked up to see who was speaking to her as she was bending down to pick the toy off of the floor, and nearly fell on her backside at the sight. "Mom? Dad?"

Her parents and her brother, Ryan, and sister-in-law, Catherine were standing in the doorway, luggage in their hands and shocked looks on their faces. "I think coming here was a mistake, Harold," her mother said, and turned to look at her husband's just as stunned face. "Look what that woman's turned her into… a perverted drunk. Let's go home."

Rebecca laughed as she picked the dildo up off the floor, and quickly handed it to Lisa to put away. "No, wait…" Rebecca said, and chased after them, sobering up very quickly. "Don't go," she pleaded as they reached the door. "I… I didn't know you were coming," she stammered, not knowing what to say. "Please, can we talk about it at least?"

Her father nodded his head and she led them to living room, where it was more quiet and private for them to talk. "Sit down," she said, pointing to the couch across from the seat she was sitting on. She waited as they made themselves comfortable. "Would you like something to eat or drink?"

They all answered in unison. "No, thank you."

Rebecca shifted in her seat and leaned forward. "So… why… what… made you change your minds?"

Harold took a deep breath, closed his eyes and spoke. "You're our firstborn daughter and we love you, Rebecca, no matter what." He opened his eyes and looked into Rebecca's moist green eyes. "Whether we agree with what you are about to do with your life, we can't turn our backs on you. I'd like to walk my daughter down the aisle on her wedding day." He leaned over and patted his daughter on the hand. "Since you didn't give me the chance to do it the last time."

The reporter wiped the tears that were slowly making their way down her cheeks, stood up, and gave her father a tentative hug, which he returned. "Thank you, Dad."

"Kelly?" The drummer took one last look in the mirror and turned around to face the smirking guitarist. "Are you sure I look okay?" She pulled on the two thin braids in her hair, one on each side of her head near her temples. "Are you sure these don't look stupid?"

Kelly shook her head, remembering how nervous she was on her wedding day. "For the last time, Jordanna. You look incredible, as usual!"

"Why do I feel like I'm going to throw up then?"

Kelly lovingly smacked her on the shoulder. "That's also a tradition."

The drummer frowned. "Great."

Cindy walked out of the bathroom and stopped in front of Jordanna and Kelly. "What about me? Do I look okay?"

The drummer smiled at the young girl, who was wearing a tailored, off white sleeveless Armani pantsuit, the exact same outfit that Jordanna was wearing. She crouched down, ran her hand through a few of the long, dark curls that hung over the shoulder of the young girl's vest, and cupped Cindy's cheek. "You look absolutely beautiful, kiddo."

The young girl broke out into a smile. "So do you, Jor."

"Are you ready to go, Jordanna?" Kelly asked impatiently. "Your bride awaits."

**

Rebecca ran her hand down her stomach, and turned for a side look in the mirror. "I look fat in this dress!"

Lisa rolled her eyes. "No, you don't. You look fabulous!" She handed her sister her garter. "Don't forget to put this on."

Rebecca's mother, Jennifer, poked her head in the room. "Do you mind if I come in?" she asked quietly. Lisa looked at Rebecca, who slipped the garter on her leg and nodded her consent, and left the room so her mother could be alone with her sister.

"You look beautiful, Rebecca," her mother said, as she gave Rebecca the motherly inspection. She sat down in a chair in the corner of their bedroom and nervously looked out at the ocean. "This is a beautiful home."

Rebecca pulled a chair up next to her mother, and cautiously sat down so she wouldn't wrinkle her dress. "Thank you," she answered. "I love it here."

"Rebecca?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you doing this to us?"

Rebecca sighed, stood up and walked to the window on the other side of the room. "To you? What makes you think this is about you?" she asked, looking out the window to inspect the progress of the wedding preparations going on down on the deck.

Jennifer took a deep breath. "Why on earth would you want to marry a woman? Especially a woman like her?"

Rebecca turned around and looked her mother directly in the eyes. "Because I love her more than life itself," she answered quietly. "I've never felt that kind of love for anyone, Mom."

"I hope she can return it, Rebecca, for your sake. I hope this is not just a game to her."

"Mom." The reporter shook her head and approached her mother. "I'm glad that you and Daddy changed your minds about being here for me today, but please, it's my wedding day. I don't want to ruin it by arguing with you about Jordanna's intentions."

"You're right, Rebecca, and I'm sorry." Jennifer stood up and gave her daughter a hug. "You know we only want what's best for you and for you to be happy, honey."

"I know that, Mom, and I have never been happier than I am now," Rebecca answered, taking one final look in the mirror before going outside to commit her future to the drummer.

**

Jordanna looked up into the clear blue sky as she paced back and forth near the white gazebo behind her home, and shielded her eyes against the sun. "How in the hell did the press find out about the wedding?" she blurted out angrily, after Cindy spotted the helicopter hovering rather low over her property.

"What is that 'copter doing, Jor?"

The drummer bent down and looked into Cindy's eyes. "They probably want to take pictures of the wedding, sweetie," she said quietly, and stood back up. And sell them to the highest bidder.

"Isn't that man doing that?" the young girl asked, pointing to the photographer that they hired to photograph the wedding.

"Yeah, but we hired him, Cindy. The people in the helicopter are probably from a magazine," Jordanna answered. Her eyes nervously scanned through the casually dressed guests sitting in the rows of white chairs set up on the deck, and her mouth nearly dropped when she spotted Rebecca's mother, brother, and sister-in-law all sitting in the front row. That could only mean…

Kelly began strumming a pretty tune on her acoustic guitar, and all of the guests stood up and turned around. Lisa stepped out of the sliding glass doors, and down onto the deck. She slowly made her way down the aisle, and stood to the side. The tune quickly changed to a slightly faster, acoustic version of "Here Comes the Bride," and then Rebecca and her father made their way down the deck for their walk down the aisle.

For Jordanna, time stopped at that very moment, and everything and everyone around her ceased to exist except for the beautiful vision that stood at the end of the aisle, sent to her from heaven above. Her legs nearly buckled as she locked eyes with Rebecca, and tears of utter joy ran freely out of her eyes as the woman she loved, her arm linked through her father's, walked down the aisle to commit her life to her.

Rebecca smiled and wiped at the tears on her face when she reached the end of her journey, and met her lover at the white gazebo decorated with hundreds of white carnations and red roses, the gazebo that they would begin a new life together in.

"You hurt her and I'll hunt you down and kill you," Harold whispered quietly in the drummer's ear so that only she would hear him, and handed his daughter's hands over to her for her to take in her own. The smirking drummer winked at her father-in-law to be, and turned to face Rebecca as the pastor began to speak.

The tall, stocky, dark-haired pastor, a reformed friend of Jordanna's back from her strip club days, cleared his throat and looked at the two women standing in front of him. "We are gathered here today, as friends and family, to share this special day with Rebecca and Jordanna, the day that their two hearts and two souls shall become one in the same in the bond of love."

Jordanna felt like she couldn't breathe anymore, and took a deep breath, only to feel the gentle, comforting squeeze of her lover's hands, relaxing her immediately. Her eyes took in the handmade eggshell colored summer dress Rebecca had on, with its intricate, yet simple design that accentuated her slim, fit body. She wore a crown of baby's breath in her shiny, golden hair, and the drummer closed her eyes when she saw it, suddenly feeling a sense of sad déjà vu, and wondered if Rebecca could have possibly worn the same on the day she married David.

"When Jordanna called me a few weeks ago and asked if I would perform the service for her upcoming nuptials, I was shocked, to say the least. I never expected that someone like her, a woman that I've known for many, many years, would want to put her wild ways behind her so she could settle down and start a family."

Laughter snapped the drummer out of her thoughts, and she looked up, wondering what was said that the guests, and her fiancée, would find so funny.

"But when I met up with them for the first time," he continued. "I could see it right away. The love that they share for each other is so strong and prominent, it's written on their faces when they look at each other. It's like a love so old, and so meant to be, that it simply can't not be."

He smiled and took each of the women's hands in one of his own. "Rebecca and Jordanna have chosen to say a few words to each other, in front of God, and their family and friends."

Jordanna let go of the pastor's hand, and took Rebecca's firmly in her own. She took a deep breath, and looked into the reporter's moist green eyes. "Rebecca," she said, and cleared her throat quickly, having difficulty speaking. "You saved my life. Not just from a fatal gunshot wound, but you saved me from a far more destructive force. You saved me from myself. You saved me from the lonely path that I chose, years ago, to walk down. A path that slowly, but ever so surely was killing me, and more importantly, killing my soul. You give me life, Rebecca, and you gave me that soul back." She paused, wiped her eyes and cleared her throat again. "You are my life, and I plan on spending the rest of that precious life that you gave me back loving you like you deserve be loved and making you happy. I believe that if I can make you half as happy as you've made me, then I will have succeeded. I love you." She bent down, and kissed the small blonde woman gently on the lips.

"Patience, girl! You have to wait until I tell you to kiss your bride, Jordanna," the pastor teased, getting another round of laughter out of the guests, who quieted quickly, leaving them with only the sounds of the ocean caressing it's beach and the shrill shrieks of the gulls flying overhead.

And the pesky drone of the helicopter hovering above.

"Well… wow," Rebecca squeaked out, in a voice filled with emotion. "I guess it's my turn." She looked in Jordanna's eyes, seeing nothing but her reflection there. "You said I gave you life. I think it's quite the opposite. You've shown me what love is, Jordanna, a selfless love that I never knew could possibly exist." She briefly looked at the guests, finally focusing her eyes on her ex-husband, who was sitting behind her parents. "You've shown me what true passion is, and you've shown me what true strength is. You took on the toughest battle of your life simply because I asked you to, and you did it for me, and for us. I couldn't ask for a better partner in life, and I'm the luckiest woman in the world because you chose me to share that love, and that passion with. I'll love you always."

The drummer bit her lip to keep herself from actually sobbing out loud, and lifted a brow at the pastor. "In a few minutes, Jordanna. Give me a break!" He turned to Cindy. "Do you have the rings?"

The young girl pulled them out of her pocket and nodded, smiling happily as both her mother and Jordanna looked at her with pride.

The pastor lifted both of the rings up in the air. "The ring is symbolic of your infinite love. There is no definite beginning, and there is no absolute ending. Your love will never die, just like the path of the ring will never end." He gave Rebecca's ring to Jordanna, and Jordanna's ring to Lisa to hold.

"Jordanna, do you promise to love, honor and cherish this woman, Rebecca Anne, today and every day, now and for the rest of your life?"

"I will," Jordanna answered as she pulled Rebecca's engagement ring off and slipped the ring on Rebecca's finger with unsteady hands, and then slipped her engagement ring back on.

"Rebecca, do you promise to love, honor and cherish this woman, Jordanna, today and every day, now and for the rest of your life?"

Rebecca took the ring out of Lisa's hand and slipped it on Jordanna's finger, bringing her partner's hand up to her mouth for a kiss. "I will."

"By the power vested in me…" the pastor said and laughed, and gave the impatient Jordanna the go ahead. "Kiss your bride already, will ya!"

The drummer picked Rebecca up in her strong arms and spun her around, and they kissed until they were dizzy and couldn't breathe. Kelly played another pretty acoustic piece as Lisa and Cindy walked down the aisle, followed by Rebecca and Jordanna. Smiles painted on their faces, they walked hand in hand, ducking the birdseed flying at them, and then greeted their guests on the deck.

As the small wedding party posed for the usual barrage of photos in the gazebo, the guests made the extra long trip from the deck to the tent set up in the sand. The distant sounds of firecrackers, bottle rockets and M80's echoed across the ocean, reminding everyone at the wedding that it was indeed the fourth of July.

Three hired lifeguards waited patiently for the wedding festivities to turn into a typical Independence Day celebration at the beach, and joined the guests in the tent for a bite to eat during the cocktail hour. The disk jockey played soft jazz music while the guests spent their time waiting for the wedding party to finish with their photographs.

Jordanna and Rebecca pulled off their heels on the deck, and walked with panty hose clad feet through the sand to the shore. They posed for what seemed like a thousand photos of just them alone, from every angle, in every different type of light, before the photographer asked Cindy and Rebecca's family to join them.

The photographer pointed to the drummer, motioning for her to join Harold and Jennifer as they stood on the shore. "Jordanna, how 'bout you stand with your new in-laws alone in the next photo?" The drummer hesitated, but finally acquiesced, and walked over to where Rebecca's parents were standing. They stood as far away from the drummer as they possibly could, making their discomfort with Jordanna obvious to everyone around them. "I don't bite," she finally said, relaxing the tension between them slightly.

Very slightly.

They finished off the photograph session and went into the house, to nibble on the appetizers and wait for the cocktail hour to end. The bridal party retired into the den, and Rebecca and Jordanna slipped away and sat on the couch together in the sunroom, sharing kisses in between nibbles, trying to make up for the night they spent apart from each other.

"I can't believe I'm Mrs. Fox," Rebecca said dreamily, jolting Jordanna out of her own daze.

Blue eyes opened wide. "You want to use my last name?"

Rebecca ran her fingertips along the drummer's pink lips. "Yeah, I'd like to use Rebecca Hurley-Fox, if you don't mind, love." She sighed. "Actually, I'd love to ditch Hurley completely, but I can't because of Cindy. I think our names should be the same, in some form."

"Mmm, yeah, I agree, baby." The drummer grabbed a fancy toothpick and poked at a piece of fresh melon from the fruit salad that she was sharing with Rebecca, and fed it to her lover. "I just wish Fox was my real name, and not my stage name, you know?"

"It's your legal name."

"I know," Jordanna mumbled quietly, and bit down on the strawberry Rebecca ran across her lips. "But it doesn't mean anything to me. It's just a surname my agent picked out for me," she continued, once she finished chewing. "Speaking of family names. What's the deal with your parents? I almost shit when I saw your mother, Ryan and Catherine sitting in the front row."

"Yeah. I was shocked they came, to say the least," Rebecca answered, and blushed, remembering what she was doing when they showed up. "You are never going to believe what I was wearing when they showed up!"

"Wearing?" Jordanna asked, and then nibbled on Rebecca's neck.

"Jenna, one of the women that I work with, gave me a strap on as a joke, and I was testing the fit when my parents walked in the door."

The drummer stopped nibbling and burst out laughing. "Testing the fit? What did they do?"

Rebecca chuckled. "They almost left, actually, but I talked them out of it."

"Mm." Jordanna nodded, and then lifted a brow, her mind still on the strap on. "So, how was the fit?"

Rebecca blushed. "Well, I don't think I had it on right, and it fell off. But you can show me the right way to wear one, can't you?"

"Oh, absolutely," the drummer answered, feeling an instant jolt of desire course through her veins. "I'd love to show you right now, actually."

"It's already packed away in the suitcase, love."

"Oh, yeah?" Jordanna asked in a sexy purr, filled with innuendo and promises of the night to come.

"C'mon, enough already, guys. Cocktail hour is over and they're ready and waiting for you to make an appearance," an embarrassed Lisa said, popping her head in the door of the sunroom, obviously overhearing their private conversation.

Jordanna took Rebecca's hand and stood up. "You ready, Mrs. Fox?"

"As I'll ever be, Mrs. Fox," the reporter answered, as the butterflies made their way back into her stomach. They slid the sunroom doors open, and stepped out onto the deck, hearing the sounds of the ocean, laughter and fireworks in the air.

The disk jockey put on livelier music to introduce the small wedding party, as they walked into the tent. Rebecca's parents were introduced first, and the drummer felt a pang of sadness as she realized that she had no family of her own to introduce. She was snapped out of her dark thoughts when Cindy and Lisa were introduced, and watched as Rebecca's dark-haired sister, and her young daughter, her new family, walked across the dance floor together.

"Now… the moment we've all been waiting for. Please join me in giving a warm welcome, for their first dance together as a married couple, Jordanna and Rebecca Fox!"

The crowd whistled and howled, and the drummer squeezed Rebecca's hand as they slowly walked along the dance floor together, and stopped in the middle. They waited for the music to kick in, and Rebecca slipped into Jordanna's open arms when their wedding song, Lauryn Hill's cover of "Can't take my Eyes off of you," came on.

Their bodies melted together, and not a word or a sound was uttered from either woman as they danced together, completely in time with the music. They were so lost in each other that they didn't notice the floor become crowded when the disk jockey invited the rest of the guests to join them half way through the song.

They reluctantly broke apart and made their way to the table set up for them, and sat down in the two traditional white wicker chairs waiting for them. Within seconds, the sound of silverware against glass pulsed through the large tent, and Jordanna leaned over to give the guests, well, at least some of them, what they wanted. "Mm, that was nice," Rebecca murmured, after breaking off their kiss.

The drummer flagged the bartender down. "You want something to drink, baby?"

Rebecca looked at Jordanna for quite a while; deciding whether or not she felt like having a drink. "Uh… I think I'll have a glass of white wine," she said, finally answering.

"I'll have the same."

Rebecca waited for the bartender to leave, and picked up her glass of wine and tapped it against Jordanna's glass. "Jor?"

"Hmm?" the drummer mumbled, after taking a sip.

Rebecca pointed to the table that her aunt was sitting at, and wondered who the woman sitting next to her was. "Who is that woman talking Aunt Grace's ear off?"

Jordanna's eyes opened wide. "Oh my God! I forgot to tell you!"

Rebecca lifted a blonde brow. "Tell me what, love?"

The drummer stood up, and took Rebecca's hands, dragging her across the dance floor to introduce her to the woman she was wondering about. As they approached the table, Grace stood up and practically threw herself around the two women, giving them both heartfelt hugs. "I can't believe you did this," the older woman said, her voice showing her emotion. "I can't believe you found her and flew her all the way out here."

"Flew who here?" Rebecca asked, unsure of what was going on.

"Rebecca." Jordanna smirked at her lover. "This is Sally, the woman your aunt told us about at Ryan's wedding."

"Sally?" Rebecca looked over at the smiling woman, then to her aunt, and then back at her lover. "That's the Sally?"

"One in the same," Sally said, and stood up to greet Rebecca. "It's very nice to meet you, Rebecca. I'm so thankful to you both for giving me and Grace the chance to get to know one another again." She put her hand on Grace's shoulder, and gave it an affectionate squeeze. "I never thought I'd see her again."

"I can't believe you did…" Rebecca got all choked up at the surprising gesture, and just wrapped her arms around Jordanna's waist to let her know how she felt. "You are so wonderful, Jor. Thank you for doing this," she whispered into her partner's ear. "I love you."

**

The heat of the day became too much for Lisa, Cindy and the happy couple, and they excused themselves and went into the house to change into something more comfortable and appropriate for a day at the beach.

The bedroom door slammed closed behind them and Jordanna and Rebecca were on top of each other like two dogs in heat, clawing at each other's clothes. "Wait, wait, wait," the drummer finally said, naked, breathless and throbbing like crazy. "We only get to have one wedding night, Rebecca, and I think we should wait until later and make it special."

"I don't," Rebecca growled, pulling her lover on top of her for a kiss.

"I do," Jordanna said, and slid off of her new partner's body. She padded across the room, opened their dresser drawer and pulled out a pair of shorts and a black bikini top to put on. "Today is the most special day of my life, Rebecca. I don't want my memory of the first time we made love as a married couple to be the memory of a lustful quickie, do you?"

"No," Rebecca sulked, and then pushed herself up off of the bed to join her lover while she got dressed. She started to pull her dress off when she remembered that she still had the garter on underneath. She put her hand on her lover's still bare back and whispered in her ear. "You never removed my garter, Jor."

The drummer smirked and then turned around. "I didn't, did I?" She got down on her hands and knees and crawled under Rebecca's dress, nibbling and kissing her way up Rebecca's leg. She grabbed the garter with her teeth and then slowly pulled it down her lover's leg. Rebecca lifted her foot when she felt the drummer reach the bottom of her leg, and Jordanna emerged out from under the dress, garter still in her teeth, eyes blazing with fire.

Rebecca pulled Jordanna up gently by her nipple rings, and grasped the garter in her own teeth, pulling it out of Jordanna's mouth. She let it drop to the floor, and met the drummer's lips with her own… seeking, searching, and joining together as one. The drummer sighed and with all of the discipline she could possibly muster up, pulled away again. "Rebecca, please. You're not making this easy."

"Oh, alright." The reporter gave in to her lover's weak pleas, and went to the dresser to pull her own clothes out. "Can you help me with the back of this dress at least?" she asked, and waited for Jordanna to help her with the zipper. The drummer zipped it down, pushed the dress away from each shoulder, and watched it fall to the floor in a small heap, letting out a little gasp at the delicious sight. "I was right. You are an absolutely beautiful bride, Rebecca."

Rebecca stepped out from the dress, and slipped on her panties and shorts, also deciding to wear her bikini top on the hot day. She picked up the garter from before and joined Jordanna, who was waiting for her by the door, and they emerged from the room. "You're gonna need this for later," she said, and slid the garter up the drummer's arm all the way up to her biceps.

Jordanna looked down at the lacy garter on her arm. "Well, don't I look cool? Couldn't they make these in leather and spikes or something, baby?" she teased, and then they walked down the hallway. They descended the stairs together, hand in hand, and Rebecca stopped short at the bottom. She turned and looked at her lover. "What in the hell did you do to my daughter?" she asked, after she got a good look at Cindy, who changed into white shorts, the Mets jersey that Jordanna bought her at the game, and had her Mets hat on backwards.

Jordanna raised a brow, wondering what on earth she was being blamed for. "What'd I do?"

"Jordanna," Rebecca said and sighed, tapping her foot on the floor in annoyance. "My daughter is a Yankee fan."

The drummer smirked. "Not in this house, she isn't."

Rebecca crossed her arms over her bare stomach defiantly. "Oh, yeah?"

Jordanna did the same. "Yeah."

"This is grounds for divorce, you know," Rebecca said, and spun around and walked out the door by herself.

 Loud dance music was playing, and half naked bodies were bumping and grinding on the portable dance floor, while a grueling game of volleyball was going on out in the sun. The drummer took another sip of her beer and went back to watching the festivities. "You wanna dance, baby?" she asked her lover, who just sat back down next to her after mingling with some of her family and the guests.

Rebecca stood up, and held her hand out to the drummer. "Yeah, let's dance."

They walked across the dance floor, feeling the vibration of the constant thudding of the bass in their legs as they walked. When they reached the center of the floor, Jordanna slid her hand along Rebecca's bare waist, and pulled her close. They both began to sensually move to the beat, sliding their bodies against the other, causing an instant heat to rise between them. Jordanna slid her thigh in between Rebecca's legs, and put both hands on her lover's waist, continuing on with the dance. Rebecca just about jumped out of her skin with the sensation that the drummer's thigh was causing, cursing loudly when the song ended, but the stimulation didn't, and the disk jockey put on a slow song. She looked up into Jordanna's loving eyes when she recognized the song, and listened to the announcement the disk jockey was making.

"This next song was requested by Jordanna, and she wants to dedicate it to the love of her life. You know who you are."

Rebecca laughed at the announcement, the same one she had the disk jockey make at Ryan's wedding, and wrapped her arms around Jordanna's neck, pulling her down for a passionate kiss. "Thank you, love of my life," she whispered, and then they danced slowly to Shania's "You've got a Way," the song she requested at her brother's wedding.

Half way through the song Jordanna whispered in Rebecca's ear. "Look at this," she said, and they turned around slowly so Rebecca could see what Jordanna was talking about. Dancing next to them, in each other's arms, were Rebecca's Aunt Grace, and her former lover, Sally. Rebecca smiled and held out her hand to her aunt when they made eye contact, and Grace tapped Rebecca's hand with her own, mouthing the words 'thank you' to her at the same time.

"That's just so darn adorable," Rebecca whispered into her lover's ear as they danced. "Thank you for doing that. How did you find her?"

"I have a friend who is a private investigator and I hired him to find her. He's the same guy that helped me find out where my father was living when I was wondering where he was, and what he was doing a few years ago."

"You really are a mushball, aren't you?"

"No!" Jordanna stepped back slightly to look into Rebecca's eyes. "I'm a bad ass, wild child, rock and roll drummer." She leaned down and kissed Rebecca gently on the lips. "But a mushball on the inside, thanks to you," she added quietly.

"It was there before I came along, Jordanna, deep down inside. Don't kid yourself."

"Mmm," the drummer said in agreement. "Yeah, I guess maybe it was." She kissed the top of Rebecca's head and continued. "It was just waiting for you to come along to show itself." They danced quietly for a few minutes and the drummer spoke again. "You know, now your father is really going to hate me."

"Why?"

The dark-haired woman looked over at Grace and Sally, making Rebecca do the same. "For getting them together again."

"That's none of his business," Rebecca said, and thought further. "He was the one that forced them apart in the first place," she said, a hint of anger in her voice.

"But they were having an affair, baby. And her husband was your father's best friend, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, but…"

"No buts, Rebecca," Jordanna interrupted, quieting her lover. "You can't blame him for trying to protect both of them."

Rebecca ran her hand across Jordanna's cheek, letting her know just how special she was to her. "You are too much, love. God, I love you."

**

The sound of the distant fireworks weren't so distant anymore as the setting sun painted the sky in magnificent colors, and shimmered off of the water in the choppy Atlantic Ocean. Rebecca and Jordanna stood together over the three-tiered wedding cake filled with chocolate, strawberries, and bananas. They held the knife in their hand and made the first cut, as the guests stood around them taking pictures.

"Be nice," the drummer said, as Rebecca got ready to feed the first piece to the tall woman. Jordanna stood smirking, waiting to take a little cake in the face from her lover when Rebecca approached her with the plate. The reporter fooled her with the mischievous grin she had on her face, and neatly fed Jordanna a piece of the cake.

Jordanna had other plans. She somehow managed to drop the piece of cake, and it somehow managed to land right in Rebecca's cleavage. "Whoops. Now how on earth did that happen?" she asked innocently, and wiggled her eyebrows provocatively. "I guess I'll just have to clean that up myself," she said. She leaned down and placed a few kisses on Rebecca's neck, where some of the icing had fallen, and then slowly licked the cake off of Rebecca's chest. Her tongue snaked under her lover's bikini, and she made sure she licked the reporter clean of the offending stickiness. She stood up when she was finished, with a huge smile on her face. "Good to the last drop."

Rebecca looked at her and shook her head. "You planned that."

Jordanna's face took on a stunned look and she pointed to herself. "Me? No. I would never…"

The reporter handed her the plate again, and winked at Jordanna. "This time, get it right, klutz." Jordanna winked back and neatly fed her lover a piece of cake this time, tasting it herself afterward with a kiss.

**

Darkness fell over the shore, and the guests sat on blankets drinking, watching the fireworks, and listening to an impromptu acoustic jam session by Plenty of Nothing. Kelly started playing Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" on her acoustic guitar, waiting for Jordanna to join in on vocals. "C'mon, Jor. You gotta do your Stevie Nicks impression for everyone. It's so good."

The drummer shook her head. "No. I can't."

Rebecca turned to her and batted her eyelashes at her lover. "Please, Jor? I want to see you do that."

Kelly looked up from her guitar and spoke to Rebecca. "She hasn't done it for you yet?"

"No, she hasn't."

"Oh, alright. I'll be right back." Everyone watched Jordanna get up from the blanket she was sharing with Rebecca and Cindy, and walk back to the deck. She quickly ran into the house, and came out with a lacy black curtain in her hand. She stood barefoot in the water in front of everyone, and draped the curtain over her head. "Start it from the beginning, Kel."

"Okay," Kelly said, and started the song over again. The drummer stood there and looked at Rebecca's family, who seemed to be enjoying themselves, and she began singing.

She spun around and around with the curtain on her head, and sang the rest of the song, sounding exactly like Stevie, complete with the strange inflections of her raspy voice. She got a standing ovation when she finished, and she took a bow and sat back down on the blanket with Rebecca. "Spinning like that makes me dizzy," she whispered in her lover's ear, and then bit on her earlobe. "Loving you like this makes me dizzy."

"A good dizzy, I hope," Rebecca said, and turned to meet Jordanna's lips with her own.

"Very good dizzy," Jordanna confirmed.

A show of fireworks began to light up the night sky over the ocean, and the guests were treated to a famous Grucci family firework display. "Wow," Rebecca said, getting comfortable in her partner's arms. "Did you do this, too?"

"Mmhmm," the drummer answered lazily. "I thought it would be a nice way to end the wedding, don't you think?"

Rebecca looked around at the guests, who were all huddled up with their significant others, enjoying the fireworks, including her mother and father. "Yeah, it's a very nice touch, love." She gave the drummer a kiss on the cheek, and Jordanna pulled her closer, showering her with gentle kisses as the colors fell from the sky in front of them. They sat and necked for quite a while, until Jordanna pulled away suddenly. "We can't miss the end of the display," she said to a very surprised Rebecca, and wrapped her arm around the reporter's shoulder, rubbing it gently.

Streaks of color painted the sky, as green, yellow, blue and red fireworks exploded one after another. Jordanna smirked and looked at Rebecca's face, as the two boats sitting in the ocean lit their names up in brilliant sparkling colors; similar to the way Macy's does it on Independence Day. "Oh, my God," Rebecca said, and put her hand over her mouth as she watched the show, which ended with a choreographed burst of red fireworks in the shape of a heart high in the sky in between the colorful boats. She turned and looked at the dark-haired woman with tears streaming down her cheeks. "I hope someone got that on tape," she said and wrapped her arms tightly around her partner. "That was amazing."

"I guess you liked it?"

"Are you kidding? I loved it!"

**

"Hey! You didn't throw the bouquet or the garter into the crowd," someone pointed out as Rebecca and Jordanna made their way into the house to get ready for their flight to Arizona.

Jordanna turned and looked at her partner, and lifted a dark brow. "I guess we didn't, huh Rebecca?"

Rebecca picked up the bouquet as Jordanna pulled the garter off of her arm, and they walked over to Rebecca's sister, Lisa, and her boyfriend, Jimmy. "Here ya go," they both said, and handed the bouquet and garter over to their respected recipients before retiring into the house.

Continued in Part 7