3 Families Vol. 03 Ch. 01

"No, you really do look good." Sam reached up and brushed a lock of hair from her face.

"Thanks." She smiled warmly.

Abbey

"You think they will have sex?" Angel wrote on a pad they typically took orders on as they sat in the booth and finished their cheeseburgers and fries. Angel was the only one who hadn't gone off to college so they got together almost every day and hung out. Angel had moved in with Aunt Maggie which was good so Aunt Maggie didn't feel totally alone with Kitty and Candy gone.

Abbey kind of wanted Spaghetti but was sure there would be some left or hoped there would be. If mom didn't finish it off when she got home today being her late day. Abbey felt bad about leaving Nicky and Sam alone with the baby but Sam did need a little taste of what having a baby was like since Nicky was about to have one of her own.

"Maybe." Abbey shrugged as she laughed. She was glad she had Angel to keep her company while everyone else had gone off to college.

"Think they will let us watch." Angel wrote grinning.

"Angel." She bumped her with her elbow as Abbey laughed. She loved Angel's humor or at least she thought it was humor. Hell she could see Angel sitting there with a thing of popcorn just watching and making faces.

"Can I get you girls anything else?" Aunt Vicky said.

"No I am good." Abbey shook her head but Angel bumped her arm and pushed the note pad toward her.

"Sundays." Angel had written and pointed between the two of them. Meaning for the both of them.

"No." Abbey shook her head. Angel shook hers yes and pouted. Gee where she learn that Abbey thought.

"Fine." Abbey smiled. "Two Sundays." Angel clapped her hands happily. Angel could be as tough as Jo or Kitty sometimes or as playful as Abbey and Candy at others.

"Okay coming right up." Aunt Vicky smiled at them.

"If I get fat I am blaming you." Abbey pointed at Angel not that Abbey wasn't already chunky. Angel poked Abbey's tit and then held her arms out spreading them slowly. "Uh, it does not all go to my tits." She smirked at Angel.

Joanna Summer 2003

Joanna awoke to the sound of an alarm going off. Alex's not hers.

"Alex, turn that damn thing off." She covered her head under the pillow, it was her birthday today, she was off from work and Alex's daughter was at moms so she just wanted to sleep in. After several seconds of it still buzzing she reached over to give him a push but felt nothing. She looked over to see he was already up. She held up her hand to find a red string tied to her wrist. Now she was awake she thought as she turned off the alarm wondering what this was about. She slid out of bed seeing the thread run out of the bedroom and through the side of the closed door.

She smiled wondering what the hell Alex was up to as she walked through their small apartment and collected the string. Alex loved his games she thought but so did she. She found him in the kitchen getting food out of the fridge.

"Morning." He smiled. "Happy birthday."

"What is this?" Jo said holding up the string.

"Red string of fate. How do you want your eggs?" Alex shrugged. She noticed the string ran into his pocket.

"If you wanted sex you shouldn't offer me food. I will choose food first babe." Jo teased as she came over and kissed his cheek.

"Nothing like that, I got a present in my pocket for you." Alex grinned.

"I bet." Jo smiled. She would play along she thought as she came over and pulled out a small jewelry box. Not that Jo was one for Jewelry she thought but she could always use some for when she got dressed up. She opened it to find a diamond ring and not a pair of earring or a necklace like she had expected. Alex got down on his knee. He had acted so calm and collected a second ago now he looked nervous as hell as he took the ring sliding it on her finger.

"Oh my..." Jo covered her mouth as she stood there frozen.

"Joanna Elizabeth Miller, on this day years ago before I can even remember, you came into my life and have been a part of it ever since..." Alex began to say.

"Yes. Fuck yes." Jo said wiping her face not even sure when she had started to cry.

"Can I at least finish?" Alex grinned. Jo was sure he had more to say, probably spending weeks thinking it out.

"No. Get up here." She grabbed him pulling him close, kissing him, and hugging him. "How long have you been planning this?" She asked slapping his chest as she wiped away tears from her eyes again.

"A little while now, I even had a long speech planned out but." Alex shrugged as he rubbed her face and put his head against hers.

"Who else knows?" Jo asked.

"Just your dad. I figured I let you tell moms and everyone else this afternoon." Alex smiled.

"My dad? You asked my dad for my hand in marriage." Jo's eyes went wide trying to picture that conversation in the prison.

"I am old fashioned; I went and asked him for his blessing." Alex grinned.

"And he said yes." Jo bit her lip looking at him.

"Well he didn't shiv me so." Alex shrugged making Jo laugh.

"How did you afford this?" She looked at the ring, both of them where fresh out of college so she didn't want him wasting money.

"My dad gave this ring to my mom and our granddad to his first wife before that." Alex smiled. "So how do you want your eggs?"

"Why don't you put up the eggs and stuff and come find me." Jo pulled the string off of her wrist and put it around his. "This is the only thing I will be wearing." She held up her hand showing off the ring.

"What about food first." Alex teased.

"Bring the whip cream." Jo shrugged and smiled as she began to unwind the string and walked backwards.

"Yes dear." Alex smiled.

Later That Day

"Hiya Bubba." Little Frankie said as Alex pushed his little sister out on the swing out by the lake. Now four she was a handful to say the least. He looked over to see Jo surrounded by all the girls showing off her ring still. It was a little too deep in the estrogen ocean for Alex. Alex saw Sam coming over having Nicky's little one wrapped around his leg as the little girl laughed while he walked, Standing on his foot while she held his thigh tightly. It was funny sometimes to see a guy as big as Sam was being used as a Jungle Gym but he didn't mind it in the least. One would never know that she wasn't his biological daughter the way he cared for her.

"Hey brother." Sam smiled as he held out his hand. "Congratulations."

"Thanks." Alex smiled shaking his.

"Alex and Joanna sitting in a tree..." Little Frankie started and his Niece Samantha joined in though the girls both misspelled kissing making Alex laugh more.

"Since I got you alone, I wanted to ask you. I don't have that many guy friends and you are family now so I wanted to know if you do me and Jo the honor of being my best man." Alex grinned.

"Of course." Sam nodded.

"Jo wants to ask your dad to walk her down the aisle." Alex said since Jo's own dad couldn't do it.

"What about me." Little Frankie asked, I want to be in the wedding.

"Me too." Samantha added.

"You two can be flower girls." Alex smiled.

"Yeah." The girls said in unison.

"You think Jo will let me throw you a party." Sam grinned, knowing he meant a bachelor party.

"Only if she can come." Alex joked.

"I want to go to the party." Samantha said.

"This is a party for adults." Sam grinned at her.

"Hey Sam." Alex looked over to see Nicolette standing there rubbing her pregnant belly, her and Sam's soon to be second child.

"Yeah." Both dad and daughter said at the same time.

"One of you guys want to come start Dinner, some of us are getting hungry." Nicky smiled.

"Yeah I'm coming." Alex smiled. "She is always hungry." Alex said softly, making Sam laugh a little, both her and Sam could eat some food. "Can you watch her?" He looked at Sam and then to Frankie.

"Yeah, Come on you two lets go walk along the lake." He said holding out his hand.

"Will you throw us in again daddy?" Samantha said as she swung from his arm.

"Yeah please Uncle Sam." Frankie asked as she did the same from the other side hanging on as he lifted them both with ease.

Wedding Day: One Month Later

"Nervous." Sam asked as Alex looked out the window to see his and Jo's friends and family gathered out by the lake, he was worried if they had enough chairs for everyone. "Not too late to run."

"Jo would just send Angel or you after me." Alex grinned at him as he walked across the room.

"I said you could run, I didn't say you would get far Brother." Sam grinned adjusting his suit.

"You got the rings?" Alex smiled walking to the mirror messing with the cuffs.

"I thought you had them." Sam glanced at him; Alex quickly checked his pockets looking for the case. "Relax I am just messing with you kid." Sam patted his shoulder and grinned. Alex shook his head at him looking back at the mirror and fiddled with his tie.

"Come in." Alex said as they heard a knock at the door.

"Well don't you guys look nice?" Kitty smiled as she entered.

"Thanks." Alex and Sam said.

"Here let me help, you really got to learn how to tie one of these one day." Kitty teased walking over and started messing with Alex's tie.

"Thanks for helping with the tux rental Kitty, just let me know when I need to have them back by." Sam said. Kitty had been the wedding planner and go between for Sam the best man and Izzy the maid of honor helping with different duties, which helped considering they had thrown ever thing together in a month with her help. After three years of dating and nineteen as friends it wasn't like they were rushing into things. Neither of them wanted to wait any longer.

"Actually it's not a rental." Kitty grinned. "I figured you boys could really use new suits besides you know how hard it is to find something in Sam's size."

"Kitty, you shouldn't have." Alex groaned. She had waited till now to tell them knowing there wasn't a damn thing they could do about it now. She was right though.

"Yeah, heard that a lot in my life, but it hasn't stopped me yet." Kitty grinned. "I couldn't let one of my best friends get married to some guy in a cheap suit; I want this day to be perfect for her."

"If Sam wants to pay me back, I got a parking ticket the other day." Kitty looked over at the big guy. "Or at least take the old lady out one night, though I would suggest an all you can eat restaurant." Sam let out a little laugh. Kitty loved to pick at the big guy to see if she could rattle the gentle giant.

"Sam, the old lady needs you." Abbey said sticking her head in the door. Sam nodded and headed out into the hall. Nicky was probably busy wrangling the flower girls and making sure they stayed clean.

"Jo almost ready?" Alex knew she was here somewhere but not where the girls were hiding her so Alex couldn't see her.

"I think so. She is about as nervous as you are." Abbey smiled pulling his tie taught. "Just promise me something Alex. I know you will take care of her and love her. Just don't forget to have fun."

"I am sure you will be there to make sure we do." Alex grinned.

"If not the present I got you two should help. Jo will like it anyways." Kitty smirked in her playful little way. "Congratulations Alex." Kitty leaned in and gave him a light peck on the lips. "Now go get the girl already." She gave him a smack on the ass and sent him toward the door with a little push.

"Speaking of wedding present, did mine for Jo get here yet?" Alex grinned.

"I spoke with Uncle John they're on their way now." Kitty grinned.

-

Jo sat looking at herself in the mirror rubbing her palms and tapping her foot wondering if Alex was as nervous as she was. Izzy fluffed out her veil to make it looked fuller. Jo's dress was simple yet beautiful hugging her slender body nicely. Izzy and Kitty had done a fantastic job. It was nothing overblown so she didn't have to worry about changing afterwards, plus she wore a sexy bridal lingerie underneath which Alex could rip off her tonight. Kitty had talked her into wearing it during the service as a boost of confidence knowing something no one else did. Well Kitty's first suggestion was to go commando teasing that she had to have some Scottish blood in her because of the red hair.

A knock came on the door and Izzy walked over and cracked it before letting Kitty in. The girls had been real protective of her not seeing Alex before the wedding not that her or Alex cared about that stuff but Jo played along.

"Hey, you almost ready?" Kitty asked.

"Yeah, is Uncle Ben ready to do this?" Jo smiled.

"Actually someone else wanted to walk you down the aisle." Kitty grinned in her typical Kat ate the canary kind of way.

"What, who?" Jo gave her a look.

"You might need this." Kitty said handing her a tissue.

"I am not going to cry." Jo said. All the girls had said she would but Jo was determined not to. Kitty stepped back and in walked Jo and Izzy's dad grinning from ear to ear.

"Daddy." Izzy yelled and ran over wrapping her arms around him.

"What are you doing here?" Jo asked as she slowly stood up and came over to him; it was like looking at a ghost. Knowing he was there but knowing he couldn't be at the same time. She grabbed him hugging him tight. Neither Jo nor Izzy seemed to want to let go.

"Your boy really will move heaven and earth for you." Dad teased as he held one of them in each arm.

"I mean how." Jo said finally pulling away and wiped her face. Kitty offered her the tissue which she took this time trying to dry herself before her makeup smeared as she dabbed at her face.

"Alex talked to his grandpa, Old man Smith used to be the sheriff round these parts and he has a lot of old friends. Managed to get me out for a day."

"Even got me a date and he bought me some jewelry." Dad said as he raised his pants leg to show off his ankle tracker then glanced back at Detective Taylor, Kitty and Candy's Uncle John. Jo had a feeling the handkerchief had been from his pocket. Izzy wasn't crying but she was still holding onto him like she used to when she was little.

"Damn Alex, Making me cry, I am going to kill him." Jo pouted.

"Shh. Not in front of the pig." Dad smiled and pointed at Taylor over his shoulder. John just shook his head and smiled not saying anything wanting this to be a family moment.

"And you knew about this?" She swatted at Kitty with the handkerchief. Of course she knew Jo thought if her uncle was involved.

"Yeah. I am the wedding planner." Kitty teased. Jo heard a snap and looked over to see Angel taking her picture.

"Dang it Angel, not while I am crying." Jo playfully pouted.

"Okay all three of ya'll together." Kitty motioned for Izzy, Jo and Dad to get together as she backed out of the room so Angel could take her picture. Kitty quickly touched up her makeup; if they were late she could blame it on Alex. Afterwards dad led her down stairs where detective Griffin, the grumpy old man had been waiting for him and John though the look on dad's face said he wasn't going anywhere. Joanna watching from the window half wishing she could be out there watching her own wedding. After the flower girls and bridesmaid went out, dad led her out arm in arm as the two detectives stayed back. Jo was glad they had come and not two plain clothes officers but she would have even taken that if it meant having him here. It took everything in her not to cry again. Damn you Alex she thought as she saw him grinning at her down the aisle.

The look on Mom's face was worth it when she saw her ex-husband leading their daughter down the aisle as was everyone else's who saw him and knew who he was. Dad shook Alex's hand and gave Jo's arm to him.

"See you got my present." Alex smiled.

"You're going to get it later." Jo grinned.

"I sure hope so." He teased. It wouldn't be their wedding if they weren't picking at each other she thought.

-

"You look beautiful Ms. Smith." Alex grinned as they danced together in the grass with their shoes off. The wedding had been short and sweet and now everyone was enjoying themselves. Some were dancing; others were eating, having a picnic out by the lake, while some had their kids out in the lake. From the sound of it the parents would be ready to go way before the kids who were having a ball in the lake enjoying the warm afternoon water. Alex thought he saw Abbey and Candy giving the kids swimming lessons so their parents could relax while the kids swam.

Alex and Jo had sent out the invitation for everyone to dress casual and bring swimsuits for afterwards wanting their guest to enjoy themselves as much as Jo and Alex were, at what would tonight be their home just like it had become when mom and dad had married. Mom had been very insistent that that was what dad would have wanted.

"That is going to take some getting used to. Still say we could have gone with Smiller."Jo teased calling them by their college nickname that Lillian had given them.

"Um, no." Alex shook his head wondering where Lil's had gotten off to. Alex found himself keep touching his ring. It felt funny having it on for the first time.

"Still can't believe you made me cry, twice." Jo smiled, she meant her dad showing up. She had been very emotional during the father daughter dance. He was dancing with Izzy now who seemed to be having a ball having her dad back if for just one day. His two escorts seemed to be happy enjoying some Miller barbecue Bear had cooked up. Kitty had even joked about getting free security out of the deal. He saw Sam and Nicky over there as well who were both probably going back for thirds or fourths.

"I am just glad it all worked out." Alex smiled. He hadn't known if granddad would be able to get him out for a day but the old man had come through. Alex would have to drive up and bring him photos since his health didn't allow him to get out in his age with all the old wounds he had from his sheriff days. Hell knows Angel had probably taken enough of them. Speaking of photo's Alex thought.

"You ready to go talk to moms?" Alex glanced over as he tapped his breast pocket.

"Yeah." Jo nodded. Mom, his now mother in law Vicky, and Aunt Maggie sat on blanket eating and talking.

"Hey moms." Alex smiled.

"Yes Dears." Mom said looking up at Alex and Jo.

"You guys enjoying yourselves moms." Jo smiled as they joined them on the blanket, Alex helping Jo sit down.

"Yes dears. I don't think I could be happier." Mom smiled.

"I don't know about that." Jo grinned looking at Alex.

"What are you two up to?" Mommy Vicky smiled. Knowing her daughter well enough to know that grin.

"We wanted to give you something, sort of a present of sorts." Alex reached into his pocket and pulled out the photo and handed it to their moms.

"What is it?" Mom took it.

"Oh my." Momma Vicky covered her mouth looking at the ultrasound picture.

"Is this?" Mom looked back at them.

"Yep." Jo nodded touching her belly. "Something she is my something new."

"You're the first to know, we didn't want to tell anyone before the wedding and it end up on MySpace or something."

"Come here." Vicky said almost dropping her food and pulling her daughter to her then grabbed Alex as well. Then Alex and Jo hugged his mom and then Aunt Maggie had to give her congratulations.

"Alex wanted to save the pregnancy test and give it to you but I wouldn't let him." Jo smirked at him, it had been a joke he thought.

"Daddy." Alex heard. He saw the black haired little toddler tearing her way through the grass toward him.

"Hey Baby." Alex said.

"No don't you will get him all wet." Alex heard his sister Abbey yell as she gave chase but the little one was almost there so Alex held out his arms as she ran into him.

"It's okay. I tried to get Jo to jump in with me after the wedding, you know to take the plunge but she wouldn't go for it." Alex said to her as he grinned and hugged the little girl smiling at Jo. "You having fun?" Alex smiled as he kissed her cheek hugging her tightly.