Southern Cross - Pt. 02

"For the most part? Problems with family?"

"One of Jack's brothers -- but that is a story to be told over a glass of wine."

"I look forward to hearing the story, as well as the wine."

"Also, I'm not sure you would've been contacted by the FBI, but Jeff Murphy was killed in prison. Again, a story for another time, along with a bottle of wine."

"No, I was not contacted, but I'm not surprised to hear that news."

"I must be going, but please tell Madeline to call me to set up an evening when we all can get together."

"I certainly will. And again, welcome home."

The next weeks were busy for the couple, as demand for their service was higher than ever. Word had spread about Sara's expertise in the ocean, and the fact that Jack was a famous rock star. More and more people had downloaded his song and wanted to spend time with someone famous.

At the same time, they needed to find a date for their wedding. They decided to have the ceremony in Tahiti, so everyone could see where they lived. After kicking numerous dates around, they finally decided on August 9. They made arrangements to hold everything at one of the local resorts that Jack did business with, so Sara made sure the on-site wedding planner discussed their plans with both Rachel and Donna.

*****

Soon the wedding date was near. The week before was busy as family members flew in from Texas, California, and British Columbia. Each night as new family members arrived, they all seemed to gather on the beach for drinks, dinner, and conversation. Donna and Rachel fell into a warm embrace as the two moms met in person for the first time. Brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, all joined together as a new family.

The wedding rehearsal took place Friday evening on the beach, and afterward, everyone joined together for dinner, drinks, desserts, and lots of stories from everyone. Finally, Tiffany yelled for Sara to tell everyone how she met Jack and how he hired her. When she hesitated, Jack jumped in.

"It was by far the most unique job interview ever. Sara shows up one day, out of the blue, only hours off the plane. All she knows is that I'm looking for a deck hand, as the one I had left to go back to university. And this is what she said, word for word, all in one sentence, without taking a breath:

"Hi! I am Sara Owens from California and I was told you might be looking for a deck hand. I've been around water and boats my entire life, so I know how to sail. I also know how to work on engines, having grown up in a houseful of brothers who tore car engines apart daily. I have a Masters degree in Marine Biology and just need to do my dissertation to finish my PhD. I love to fish, cook, swim and sail, and I think I would be a great addition to your crew. Any chance I can sign on with you?"

Hearing all that, the families broke out in raucous laughter.

"I was so taken aback with that interview that I invited her to dinner that night. And that's when I found out I was dealing with a Philistine who had never heard of The Armstrong Brothers. But despite that, I hired her on the spot, and the rest is history."

As the night wore on, people slowly began to drift to their rooms. Sara was staying the night at the resort, because she said it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding ceremony. Tiffany, Susan, and both moms were going to help her with her hair and makeup, so everything she needed was already in her room. The last to leave were their parents -- Donna and John, Rachel and Larry. Jack and Sara gave hugs and kisses to all four of them.

"Mom, Dad, Rachel, Larry -- thank you so much for everything. I just found out you all paid for everything tonight, as well as tomorrow. You didn't need to, but thank you."

"Son, I'm sure I speak for all four of us when I say it's our pleasure. Sara's folks have been waiting for this day for many years, and what parent shies away from a chance to spoil their child? We're all just so happy you found each other; the way you love each other, the way you make each other whole, brings joy to all of us. I just hope you both have as happy a marriage as all of us have had."

After thanking their parents again, Jack and Sara decided to take a walk along the beach. The full moon shone brightly against the cloudless sky, and reflected brilliantly against the ocean. Soon the noise of the resort faded into the distance, and the two lovers were alone in their own world.

"I wish I could spend tonight wrapped in your arms, holding and loving you all night long."

"I know, baby, but we'll have the rest of our lives to spend just like that. Besides, it's a small price to pay to keep your new sisters happy. They are both so jazzed you asked them to help you get ready tomorrow."

"Yeah, between them and our moms, I'm not sure who is more excited. But we've got tonight, and right now I want nothing more than for you to kiss me and make love to me right here. Take me, Jack. Take me and love me right here on the beach."

Jack leaned down and gave Sara a soft and sensuous kiss. Moving to kiss her neck, he reached behind her and began to unzip her dress until it fell with a flutter around her feet. Now standing naked in his arms, Sara whispered for Jack to kiss her all over.

Kissing as he went, Jack moved from Sara's neck to her collarbone, to her shoulders and chest, stopping at her luscious breasts to suck her nipples until they hardened in his mouth. At the same time, he slipped one hand down her back to fondle her ass cheeks and his other hand slipped into her moistening pussy. Sara gasped as his fingers moved into her, and Jack began to slowly finger fuck his fiancée.

"Oh yes, Jack, finger me. Finger me until I cum. Please..."

Hearing her pleas, Jack began to move his fingers in and out quicker. As he did, he moved his thumb onto her clit and began to lightly rub, bringing her closer to her release. Moments later, Sara began to moan loudly as her body tensed as it was wracked by her orgasm. Head thrown back, eyes rolling back into their sockets, her pussy clamped down on Jack's fingers as her climax swept through her. As she came, Jack kept moving his fingers in and out slower, but enough to keep her orgasm alive.

As she began to come down from her high, Jack began to pump his fingers faster and faster in Sara's hot pussy, instantly recharging her orgasm until she once again was consumed from the feelings emanating from her sexual core. Screaming his name once again, Sara collapsed in his arms, drained of energy.

Holding her close, Jack sat on the sand, pulling Sara on his lap. They sat there for a long time as Sara regained her breath and her awareness of what happened.

"That was magnificent, Jack. Thank you. Now I think you better take your clothes off and finish what you started. Fuck me, Jack, right here on the beach."

After several minutes of kissing, Sara slid off Jack's lap and knelt in the sand, shaking her delicious ass at Jack. Taking the hint, Jack quickly stripped and positioned himself behind her. He teased her by rubbing his dick against her wetness, but soon she grabbed him and pushed him inside her waiting pussy.

"Yes Jack, fuck me. Fuck my cunt, Jack, until you make me cum again. And don't stop until you fill me with your cum. Yes baby, just like that."

Moving slowly at first to enjoy the sensations of Sara's warm and wet pussy, Jack began to work in and out at a faster pace. Soon he was slamming his dick into her, his balls slapping against her thighs. He knew he wouldn't last long, so he slipped his arm around her waist and began to play with her clit, hoping to get her off once again.

Sara's moans told him he was on the right track, and soon he felt her pussy tighten around his dick.

"Yes, baby, fuck me. Fill me up. Cum in me, baby. Yes..."

With a moan and a grunt, Sara and Jack hit their climax at the same time. Rope after rope of semen filled Sara's pussy, and leaked out as Jack kept pumping inside her.

Finally sated, Jack pulled out and laid on the sand, pulling Sara on top of him.

"Think that'll hold you until tomorrow?"

"No, but it will have to do. I love you, Jack, now and forever."

"I love you too, Sara. Always."

Saturday dawned clear and warm. The wedding was slated for 5:00, so they could take advantage of the beauty of the tropical sunset. Precisely at 5, the wedding planner got the music started, and soon the sounds of a string quartet filled the beach area. Annabelle and Sarah walked down the aisle, spreading flower petals along the way. When they got to the end of the aisle, they both ran up to Jack, doing exactly what their mom feared.

"Uncle Jack, did we do ok?"

"You girls did great. The aisle looks beautiful. Now go sit with your mom and dad."

The wedding party came next -- Isaac and Tiffany, Rich and Susan, followed by Charlotte and John, the maid of honor and best man. Once everyone was in the proper place, the music changed to Mendelssohn's Wedding March, and the gathered crowd stood and turned to see the bride. Jack looked up to see Sara coming down the aisle, escorted by her mom and dad -- and she looked stunning.

Instead of the traditional white, her dress was instead a tropical color, and molded to her figure. She had flowers woven through her hair, so the overall look was that of a tropical princess. Giving both her parents a kiss, Sara stepped up to stand with Jack. The rest of the ceremony went by in a blur, until it was time to exchange rings and to speak their vows.

"Jack Armstrong, you are the kindest, most generous person I have ever met. Growing up, I always hoped to get married, but a wedding like this never crossed my mind. My entire life led me to you, and despite everything that happened to me, I wouldn't change a thing -- because I am now here with you. You trusted me and gave me a job without knowing anything about me. You have no idea how scared I was to ask you for that job, but the first moment I saw you, I knew it was right. You saved me, Jack. You saved me from myself and from my demons, and for that I will eternally be grateful. But you loved me, and let me get comfortable in that love without pushing. You showed me what it was like to be truly loved by a partner, and it is a love I gladly share with you. I love you, Jack, so please take this ring as a symbol of my eternal love for you."

"Sara Owens, when we first met I was comfortable with my life, certain that love had passed me by. But when I set eyes on you, just off the plane, asking me for a job, I fell in love with what I saw. I also recognized the same look on your face as I had on mine, years earlier -- the look of someone trying to escape from their past. The more I got to know you, and the more we worked together, the more I fell hopelessly in love with you. Your kindness and generosity to others knows no bounds. You are smart, funny, beautiful of body and soul, and filled with that delightful Southern California sass. You complete me and make my life whole, and I will delight in spending the rest of my life loving you. I love you, Sara, so please take this ring as a symbol of my eternal love for you."

"So by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. Please welcome, for the first time as a married couple, Sara Owens and Jack Armstrong."

The reception was fun, noisy, and lasted well into the night. Finally, some of the guests started to drift off to their rooms, and Sara and Jack made sure they spoke to each one, thanking them for coming. When Sara's brother and family were leaving, Sarah and Annabelle each gave Sara a big hug.

"Auntie Sara, you are the prettiest girl here. You look like a princess."

"Thank you. But I think you two are the prettiest girls here, right Jack?"

"Absolutely. You two are the prettiest flower girls ever, and you both did such a wonderful job. Thank you."

"Auntie Sara, we don't want to leave. Can't we stay here with you and Uncle Jack? We're going to miss you so much."

Laughing, Sara looked at her brother and sister-in-law, who both looked shocked.

"No, sweetie, I don't think that would work too well. I know your mom and dad would miss you too much, and we don't have room on the boat for you. But I promise -- Uncle Jack and I will come visit you like we did last winter. Ok?"

Slowly nodding their heads in agreement, their nieces gave the newlyweds another big hug. Thanking Sean and Amanda for coming, Sara promised to stay in touch and to make plans to see them again soon.

As the week went on, the wedding guests headed back to their homes and Sara and Jack slowly got back to their own lives. Bookings for their boat kept them busy, and they realized that Christmas was soon to arrive. They had already made plans for another vacation to see their families, starting with Sean and Amanda, then Sara's family and finally Jack's family in Texas.

The last few days before leaving, Sara mentioned to Jack that she was feeling more tired than usual, and didn't have much of an appetite. They both thought it was just all the work they had been doing, and thought no more about it.

Several days after the New Year found them landing in Kelowna once again, and greeted by below zero temperatures. Sean and Amanda brought warm coats to the airport to greet them, and their nieces were thrilled to see them again.

The next two days found Sara again with little appetite and a growing weariness, now joined by nausea. After the second day, Amanda pulled Sara aside to talk.

"Sara, what's going on with you? Have you seen a doctor? We're all getting worried."

"I have no idea what's going on. I'm tired, especially in the morning, but better later in the day. Now I feel sick in the morning as well."

"Well, if I didn't know better, I'd say you had morning sickness along with being pregnant. Should we stop at the pharmacy and pick up a home pregnancy test to see?"

"Pregnant? I don't think so. My doctors pretty much assured me all my "internal lady parts" were damaged beyond repair and that I would never be able to have a baby. In fact, I haven't had a period since my time in the hospital. But maybe something has changed. Maybe we should make a stop and pick up a test or two."

The next morning, in between bouts of throwing up, Sara took the test. Several minutes later, Jack heard her say 'oh my god', before throwing up again.

Waiting for her to emerge from the bathroom, Jack had no idea what was going on. Finally Sara came into the bedroom looking like hell from throwing up. With a puzzled look on her face, she sat next to Jack on the bed.

"Sweetie, what's going on? What's in your hand?"

"Jack, I think I know why I've been sick every morning. According to this, I'm pregnant. I don't know how, but both tests came back positive. So it seems like we're going to have a baby!"

Stunned into silence, Jack held Sara's hands.

"But your doctors all said that was impossible. How did this happen?"

Sara sat next to Jack smiling, holding the pregnancy tests in her hands.

"Apparently, your little swimmers are more powerful than we realized. I don't understand either, but as of now, it seems like I'm pregnant. And I think I better call Dr. Mitchell right away and go see her."

After hugging each other, Sara suggested they get showered and dressed and make the call to her doctor. Before they could move, there was a soft knock at their door.

"Sara, Jack, it's Amanda. May I come in?"

"Come on in."

"Is everything ok? I heard Sara earlier and then it got very quiet."

Sara patted the bed next to her for Amanda to sit, and showed her the tests. Squealing in delight, she gave her sister-in-law a big hug and a kiss on her cheek.

"You're pregnant? How wonderful. But I thought your doctors said this couldn't happen."

"I know. So I need to call my doctor in San Diego and see when I can get in to see her. She'll probably be as confused as we are."

Four hours later, Sara and Jack were back in the air, flying to San Diego. Sara's appointment was first thing in the morning to see her astonished doctor. She thought about calling her parents, but decided to wait until she had more concrete information.

Eight o'clock the next morning, the couple were in Dr. Mitchell's office. Several other doctors were there as well, and Dr. Mitchell made introductions.

"Sara, this is Dr. Janice Wright and Dr. Amy Peterson. They are in practice together and are probably the best OB/GYN doctors this side of the Mississippi. I've filled them in on what is going on and with some of your back-story -- enough to give them something to work with. Doctors, this is Sara Owens and her husband Jack Armstrong."

The doctors spent the next hours talking with Sara, asking her questions with her answering as much as she could, with Jack filling in some details. They were both astonished to hear her story, and when their own pregnancy test came back positive, they knew they had their work cut out for them.

"Sara, Jack, this is what we'd like to do. We need to take x-rays of your to see more exactly what is going on. We'll use the lowest settings possible so as not to do any damage to the fetus. We'll also do a series of ultrasounds as well. We're setting this up right now, and should take several hours. After that, we want you to spend the night in the hospital, and tomorrow morning we'll meet again to let you know what we find. Does that sound ok to both of you?"

Sara worriedly looked at Jack to gauge his reaction. Jack just smiled at his wife and nodded his head.

"Let's do it."

Jack didn't see much of Sara for the next several hours as she was shuttled back and forth between examination rooms. Finally, at about 5:00, Sara was wheeled into her room for the night. Jack was waiting for her, and was surprised to see she was in a really good mood.

"I thought for sure you'd be a surly mess by now. How are you feeling?"

"Surprisingly good. However, I am really tired and hungry. The nurse took my order for dinner and it should be here soon. Sweetie, would you mind terribly if I went to sleep once I eat. I am so incredibly tired."

"Not at all. I'll tuck you in and head to the hotel down the block. I'll be here first thing tomorrow, ok?"

"More than ok. Have I told you recently how much I love you?"

"Every day, baby. And I love you too."

The next morning Jack was back in Sara's room by 8. She was just finishing some breakfast as he walked in, followed by her trio of doctors and several interns and nurses.

"Ok, by the sheer number of people you brought in with you, I'm going to guess you have some good news for us Dr. Mitchell?"

"That's a good guess, Sara. After looking at all your tests and x-rays from yesterday, we have all concluded that this is going to be a miracle baby. There is no good reason for this, but somehow your uterus and ovaries recovered enough for this pregnancy to happen. And because of all this, you are going to end up in several medical journals and textbooks. In short, in the OB world, you are going to be famous, as will your baby."

"So are all these people going to be hanging around for the next nine months watching my every move?"

"Oh no, nothing like that. Some of them are students who we invited in today only and others are the nurses who will be taking care of you anytime you are here. The only ones who will be hanging around all the time are myself, and Doctors Wright and Peterson. Now, I want all the interns, and nurses who are not assigned to OB/GYN, to leave. We have important items to discuss."

The next hour was almost mind-boggling to the couple with all the information they got. In short, Sara was to see Dr. Mitchell once a month for the next five months, with the other doctors stopping in as well. She would still be able to help Jack on the boat, but with a lighter load. After the sixth month, Sara was not to travel back and forth, so would have to stay in San Diego until the birth. They were planning to do a c-section for the safety of both mother and baby.