Final Chapter

On with the ending!

2 Years later

"Garfield!" Rachel called to her fiancé. "Come here for a second."

Rachel had been sitting on the floor in the room they would now share as a couple. It had taken them two years but Garfield had finally proposed and they were to be married in a couple of months, though they haven't picked a specific date yet

Although Rachel practically lived in his house, she had not been ready to give up her old apartment until now. And now she was finally officially moving in. Numerous boxes had been strewn about the room and she was currently going through one unpacking her stuff.

Garfield who had just finished bringing a box into another room immediately went to her.

"What is it babe?"

"Look at this." She picked up a piece of paper and handed it to him.

"What's this?"

"It's the note you gave to me when we first met. Remember that was your old phone number."

"Oh yeah! Seems like forever ago." He said reminiscing about the day he first met her and how he has grown to love her so much since then.

"Yes it does."

She then picked up a book and placed the note inside.

"Hey, isn't that the book I bought from the store you used to work at?"

"Yes it is, you bought it the same day."

"You know I never actually got the time to read through it."

"So you never got to the ending?" Rachel looked up at him.

"Nope", he said shrugging his shoulders. "So what happens?"

"I don't think I should tell you."

"Aww why not?" He exclaimed.

"If you weren't so busy pursuing me, you would have had time to read the book and would have known the ending."

"Well it doesn't matter now. I think I know what the ending is."

"Please enlighten me." Rachel said, the corner of her mouth pulling in a smirk. She would humor him.

"Well if I remember correctly, it was basically a bet between the dude and the girl that if he impresses her that she's got to marry him, right?"

"Crude, but accurate, yes."

"So they definitely end up together then."

"How do you know that?"

"Cause we ended up together! Duh Rae." Garfield knelt down beside her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"There are numerous reasons why your logic is wrong. You know that right?"

"Maybe. But you know that I'm right, and I know that I'm right. So screw logic." He said with a smile.

Rachel made no comment but continued to rummage through the box of mementoes.

"Oh here is the program from Kori and Richard's wedding." Rachel pulled out the program staring at the picture of her friends holding hands and looking at each other with complete love and bliss on the cover.

"I ate so much cake that day, I couldn't drive home!" Garfield smiled widely remembering the sweet vanilla frosting that made his mouth water. However, Rachel was still in deep thought.

"Gar, do you think we'll be as happy as them?"

"Of course Rae, why not?" He replied after a while.

"We didn't have a conventional relationship. We didn't even get together in a normal way. With all the altercations we've had to go through so early in our relationship, how can you know that we'll have a peaceful marriage?"

"Rae, I can almost guarantee that we will not have a peaceful marriage. Look who you're marrying! But I will say that it'll be worth it. We've been through the real crazy stuff already, so we know what we're capable of and what we can endure together."

After a while she replied. "You're right", Rachel smiled. "Besides what can be worse than ex's?"

"In-laws."

"But you're parents weren't bad at all."

"I meant yours."

"Oh."

"Will I ever meet them?"

"Hopefully never. The last thing you want to do is go barking up my family tree." She said distastefully.

"I'll take your word on that then."

Now it was Garfield's turn to reach his hand in the box when he saw something he didn't quite recognize.

"What's this?" It was a small collection of papers stapled together in different colors.

"Those are my hospital release forms after the infamous Michael incident."

"Why'd you keep those?"

"I'm not really sure, maybe to remind myself to never make the same mistake twice."

"You can say that again. Sometimes I'm still afraid Terra might show up one day wielding an ax or something."

"She also might drive a truck through our house one day. These are all 'if' questions that we shouldn't worry about."

"No offense Rae but that doesn't make me feel all that better."

"Well how about this, if she does come back Karen can fight her instead. I doubt she will be as merciful." Rachel said remembering the Thanksgiving fiasco.

"Sounds like a plan." Garfield got up and left the room to get another box of Rachel's books.

Terra had fallen off the map three months after showing up to Thanksgiving. She had grown obsessed with Garth for a while, but when she saw he did not want her either, she decided to leave. Garfield had been on edge for an entire month, but it seemed she was gone for good. Or so he hoped.

Rachel folded up the papers again and put them away in a file cabinet nearby.

"Rae I think you read too much." She heard his voice upon returning to the room. He sounded as if he were struggling with something.

"I think you don't read enough." She replied evenly.

"That's cause I play video games."

"Video games are a waste of time."

"Maybe, but they don't weigh a ton." He stressed his point by dropping the box full of her books on the floor, which landed with a loud THUD!

"Rae, I want our kids to inherit all my games to learn my perfect hand-eye coordination and intellect."

"There is no way I am letting you poison my child's mind with your senseless never ending mega monkey series."

"It's not senseless! It's educational! It shows that we should all fear the power of the monkey."

"It shows us that some humans have the brain of a monkey…"

"Ouch Rae, that cut really deep." He said in a mock hurt tone.

"We have Band-Aids downstairs." Rachel replied simply.

"You know, it I didn't love you so much, I probably would have to tickle you to death."

Rachel didn't reply but instead finished emptying out the box and putting the items where they belonged.

"Rae, have you though much about us having kids? I mean I guess we both want them, but have you thought about when? Or how many?"

"Actually Gar I haven't. I'd prefer to wait until we are completely comfortable and settled in to start having children."

"Okay, fair enough. Just a head's up though, I want six." Garfield said with sly smirk on his face.

Rachel immediately turned around from unwrapping some of her possessions and looked him in the eye.

"There is no way in hell I'm having six kids!"

Garfield just ignored her and walked out of the room whistling a happy tune.

"I swear that man is going to be the death of me.

An hour had passed and Victor and Karen had showed up to help with the moving. Karen and Rachel had been currently putting away Rachel's clothes in her new drawer. Victor and Garfield had been taking a lunch break from all the "heavy lifting".

"So Rachel did you hear yet?" Karen asked.

"Evidently not. What are you talking about?"

"Jenny and Wally are expecting."

"Wow, when did this happen?"

"About two weeks ago apparently. But she just found out this morning."

"And she told you?" Rachel said inquisitively.

"Well yeah! Jenny's scared but Wally couldn't be happier."

"Oh well that's good I guess," Rachel paused. "Gar and I were talking about kids earlier."

"Let me guess, he wants four."

"Six."

"Get out of here! Rae I don't think your body can bounce back from six." Karen said obviously amused.

"Karen six was never even up for discussion."

"So how many do you want?"

"Not sure. But I have a while to think it over."

"Okay next question, have you guys picked a wedding date yet?" Karen asked seriously. Which she emphasized by putting her hands on her hips.

"Well we know we want it to be late August."

"Warm temperature yet not too hot. Sounds good to me!" Satisfied, Karen went back to work folding Rachel's clothes.

"I guess everyone can hold stop holding their breath now."

"Yeah and Kori can start getting to work. You didn't give us much time to plan this wedding Rae."

"I didn't think it was necessary. I'm not planning on anything too big. Something small and simple should be fine."

"Small and simple?" Karen asked. "Gar is anything but small and simple."

"Yes, but I will not allow him to turn our wedding into a circus." Rachel said.

"If he doesn't Kori will."

"Then I'll have to have a talk with her."

"And it better be soon, once we tell her the wedding is set for August, she'll be like a runaway train."

"Hmmm"

After 2 more hours, Rachel had been moved in completely. What she didn't bring to Garfield's house, she put into storage. Karen and Victor had left leaving Garfield and Rachel alone in what seemed like their house for the first time. The couple now lay in their king sized bed together admiring the room.

Garfield didn't complain about the new things his girlfriend brought in for they were very simple and made the place feel more like a home. However he did make sure that Rachel's full length mirror stayed in their bedroom so she could look at herself every day. He wanted her to be reminded of how beautiful she was whenever she woke up.

Rachel decided to take the opportunity to finalize the date for their wedding once and for all.

"Gar?"

"Yeah babe?"

"I think it's time we finally picked a day for our wedding." Rachel said.

"Yeah me too."

"So we agreed on August..."

"Yep." He said smiling. "And we both agree that it should be late in the month."

"Granted. So now we just need to decide which day."

"Well definitely a Saturday."

"Okay then." Rachel went into her bedside table and pulled out her planner. "That gives August 17th, 24th, or 31st."

"24TH!" Garfield said immediately.

"Why the 24th?" Rachel said surprised by his quick answer.

"Cause."

"'Cause' is not an answer Gar."

Garfield hesitated for a while. He wasn't sure if he should go into detail with his selection.

"Well I kinda don't wanna tell you Rae."

"Gar, we're going to be married, we can't keep secrets from each other; especially something important like our wedding date."

"Fine. Promise you won't laugh?"

"Of course not," Rachel said concerned.

"Well…it's kind of the day Steve and Rita officially took me in. I mean they had adopted me months earlier and it wasn't August 24th, it was May. But it was the day they made me feel part of the family. The first time Steve ever called me 'son'. I don't know I guess it's stupid, but 24 I guess is kind of a special number for me now." Garfield avoided Rachel's eyes out of fear of what she would say to such personal information.

"The 24th it is then."

Garfield snapped his head up to face Rachel.

"You mean it?" He said excitedly.

"Yes. If it means something to you, then why shouldn't we?"

"Aww Rae you're the best!"

Garfield took Rachel's face into his hands and kissed her. He kissed her with all the love and passion he could muster for her. He truly felt in love with this woman. She took something as trivial as a number and understood its importance and that was something he didn't take lightly.

"Rae, our marriage is gonna be awesome." Garfield said after finally releasing her."

"Yes it is." Rachel said still a little dreamy from the kiss.

After her senses came back to her, she said "I'm just glad you didn't pick 24 because it was an even number or something stupid like that."

"Well that just makes it all the better now doesn't it!"

Rachel smiled at him and went to pick up her cell phone.

"Who are you calling?" Garfield asked.

"Kori, I want to tell her we finally picked a day."

Rachel dialed the number and waited while the phone rang. Meanwhile Garfield slid closer to her and began to kiss her neck and her shoulder.

"Must you do this now?" Rachel said trying to keep a strong tone but failing.

Garfield didn't respond, but continued to shower her with butterfly kisses. His way of giving her little 'thank you's'

Kori finally picked up the phone.

"Hello Rachel, how was the moving? I am sorry I could not assist, but there is much preparation we are doing to the house." Kori said.

"What are you preparing for?"

"Oh we are painting a room for a nursery!"

"Kori, you're pregnant too?" Rachel said surprised.

Upon hearing Rachel say this, Garfield raised his head from resting on Rachel's shoulder to make sure he heard right.

"Oh no, not yet, but Richard and I will be trying very soon, and we want to be prepared ahead of time. But who is pregnant?"

"Uhh doesn't matter right now, I'll tell you tomorrow. But I just wanted to tell you some good news."

"Oh? What is it?" Kori said.

"Garfield and I have decided on a wedding day and as my maid of honor, I wanted you to be the first to know."

"Oh that is wonderful news! What is the day?" Rachel could almost hear Kori's smile through the phone.

Rachel put her hand to the receiver and looked back at Garfield.

"So we're going with the 24th?" Rachel asked.

"Yep." Garfield said "It's a date."

I'm happy to end on an even chapter. Call me crazy but that's the way I like stories.

Yes it has been nearly 2 years, and that is why I placed the chapter "2 years later".

But I really wanna focus on 'First Times' now because that's the story I have the most inspiration for.

Thank you for every single review, criticism, flame (if there were some), favorite, follow, reader…all that jazz. You guys are amazing!

Until next time….peace love and animals