Hey everyone, the final chapter of this story! I think this is the most difficult chapter I've ever had to write as I wanted it to be just right, but it's also a chapter that made me smile all the time while I wrote it. I loved writing this story so much and I loved that you guys loved it as well! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, thanks to all followers and thanks to everyone who has added it to their favorites - it means so much to me that you enjoyed this story!
I really, really hope you enjoy this final chapter and that you're happy with the ending - please let me know in a review! :)
Chapter 28 - Future
When Morgan entered the church with her mother, Sara and Catherine, her father waiting at the entrance first gave Catherine a surprised look before he turned his attention to his daughter. Speechless he just looked at her.
"You look…" he finally started, but then he seemed lost for words again. Morgan shyly smiled at him.
"We'll be inside," Sara softly said. She, Catherine and Morgan's mother left the two of them alone at the entrance of the church.
"I can't believe you're getting married!" Conrad whispered as soon as they had left. "My little girl… And I can't believe I get to walk you down the aisle… All those years where you ignored me or shouted at me… I really believed you hated me!"
"I never hated you, Dad," Morgan whispered back. "I was just mad at you! And right now I feel horrible about being so mad at you for all those years…"
Her father shook his head. "Don't. It's your wedding day, I don't want you to feel bad today! And besides, you had your reasons to be mad at me, so stop worrying about it. I'm just really happy we worked things out and that I get to be here today…"
Pushing back her tears Morgan smiled at him. "I'm really happy you're here today as well…"
When he hugged her, she saw he had tears in his eyes as well.
"I love you, Dad," she whispered in his ear.
"I love you too, M!"
She quickly took a deep breath to push back her last tears. The last thing she wanted was to walk into the church with her eyes red and swollen and mascara all over her cheeks!
Her father let her go and smiled at her. "You ready?"
She nodded, the smile back on her face. "I'm ready!"
She took her father's arm and then waited for the signal to enter the church. When the door opened, she immediately caught Greg's eye. The look in his eyes was one she'd never forget – warm and full of love. He had an almost proud smile on his face, which made her smile as well. Yes, Greg, I'm really marrying you, she thought as she started walking down the aisle with her father. And I really get to marry you!
As she walked down the aisle, she hardly noticed all the people around her, her eyes focused on Greg. From the corner of her eyes she vaguely noticed all their co-workers, her mother and stepfather and Greg's parents. Her mother and Greg's mother were already sharing a box of tissues, which made her stepfather and Greg's father grin a little. When her father saw it, he wasn't able to hide a smile either.
"Who gives this woman to this man?"
Morgan looked at her father as she waited for his answer. She had never seen him prouder than she saw him right now.
"Her mother and I do."
She tried to hide her surprise, but didn't fully succeed. She had expected him to just say he would, not that he would mention her mother as well. When he gave her a quick kiss on her cheek, she could see the reassuring look in his eyes. He would do anything for her today to make sure her wedding day was perfect, including accepting her mother was here as well.
"Thank you," she whispered before she turned to Greg. He smiled at her as he took her hand.
"You look beautiful," he whispered. Smiling she walked up to the wedding official with him, her stomach suddenly full of butterflies. Not because she was nervous, but because she had never been so happy.
"Welcome everyone," the wedding official started. "Welcome to Greg and Morgan of course and to their family. Welcome friends and colleagues and everyone else who is here today to celebrate with us that Greg and Morgan have decided to share their love for each other."
He paused for a moment before he continued: "In the past few weeks I got to know Greg and Morgan a little and even after those few meetings I can see how much they love each other. When I get to the official part later on, I'll have to talk about being together in sickness and in health, for better or for worse… Well, you know what I mean!"
A small laughter went through the church and Greg and Morgan smiled as well.
"I have no doubt these two will do exactly so," the wedding official continued. "They told me about a few things they've been through together since they first met and even without being there, I can see how all of those events only made their love for each other stronger. This will, without a doubt, really be a marriage 'till death do us part'. I know talking about death on a wedding day seems a bit weird, but after hearing about what a lot of you do for a living I figured it was safe!"
Another laughter went through the church. The wedding official smiled at Greg and Morgan before he said: "Normally this is the part where I wish the couple in front of me all the luck and happiness in the world, but I know that as long as you two have each other, you'll have all of that. Now, let's proceed with your vows. Since ladies always go first: Morgan, you may go ahead with your vows."
Morgan turned to Greg, a loving smile on her face.
"Greg, that first time we ever met… I know you don't like to be reminded of that moment, but I'll never forget it," she started with an apologetic smile. "It was the first time I saw you… and it seems like everything changed with that very first moment. I always said to you that I thought you were just a nice guy back then, but I think there may have been a first bit of falling in love right there and then. After that, we worked our first case together, a case where you discovered the first personal thing about me – although me loving chocolate is not really that personal of course – and I discovered the first personal thing about you: that you really can't hide it when you're jealous!"
He gave her guilty smile, knowing exactly what she meant.
"At the time I didn't understand why you were jealous," she continued. "I didn't understand it until a few weeks later… The first time you tried to protect and rescue me… and the first time you showed me you really cared about me."
She looked up at him, trying to hold back her tears. "We've had so many firsts after that – the first time we had a drink together after shift, the first time we went out to dinner, our first official date, our first kiss, our first Christmas together… I could go on forever, because to me it feels like every day is a first for us. And I can't wait to discover all those other firsts that are still to come in our future together with you. I love you so much, Greg!"
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close for a hug, whispering "I love you too!" in her ear before he let her go again.
"Thank you, Morgan," the wedding official said. He looked at Greg. "Greg?"
Greg looked at Morgan and smiled before he started: "Ever since I was a kid I've been trying to figure out who I am. At school, I was the quiet child who studied hard and always did what he was told. When I went to college, I was the student who still wanted to study hard, but who also wanted to discover what else there was. I tried to go to parties, just because I wanted to see what they were like, but I never felt comfortable, making me realize that wasn't who I was either. I then started working as a DNA lab tech, trying to pretend I was this girl-crazy guy who knew everything about everything. I was the guy who played rock music in the lab, who danced through the hallways and who had a wardrobe that should never be seen in daylight."
Morgan smiled, remembering the photos Greg had shown her of himself when he was still working as a DNA tech.
"It wasn't who I was either," Greg continued. "When I went from the DNA lab to working out in the field, I slowly started to feel more comfortable with myself. I realized I had found what I really wanted to do, but something was still missing. Until I met you… Thanks to you I finally know who I am. You are that final piece of my life that I've been missing ever since I was a kid."
This time Morgan couldn't hold back her tears anymore. Sara quickly handed her a tissue so she could dry her eyes. In the front row Morgan's and Greg's mother had grabbed the tissue box again as well.
"Thank you, Greg, thank you, Morgan," the wedding official said. "May I have the rings, please?"
Nick and Sara stepped forward.
"Gregory Hojem Sanders, do you take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?"
Greg looked at Morgan with a warm, loving look as he gave his answer: "I do."
He carefully placed the ring he had taken from Nick on Morgan's finger. She smiled at him before she looked at the wedding official.
"Morgan Brody/Ecklie, do you take this man to be your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?"
"I do." She took the ring from Sara and placed it around Greg's finger.
"Then, since you have promised your commitment to each other by these vows and the giving of these rings, by the authority vested in me by the State of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Congratulations, you may kiss the bride!"
Smiling, Greg pulled Morgan close and kissed her. She felt her heart explode with love when their lips touched. She had really never felt this happy before.
"I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Sanders!" the wedding official called out over the noise of the applause. Proudly, Greg took Morgan's hand and walked down the aisle with her. As soon as they were out of sight, he pulled her into a tight hug.
"We're actually married!" she whispered in his ear before she kissed him. Smiling, he kissed her back, running his hand down her face. "I can't believe it just yet… Mr. and Mrs. Sanders…"
"Mr. and Mrs. Sanders…" she softly repeated. Yes, she really was Mrs. Sanders now!
At their wedding reception one special guest immediately started about her name as well.
"I would have gone with Mrs. Hojem-Sanders," Donna said as she came up to them to congratulate them. Morgan smiled at her. "I did think about that, actually, but I was afraid it would all get too confusing with Brody and Ecklie already… I know that I officially took my stepfather's last name, but on my birth certificate it still says Ecklie… With all these names, I probably would have never gotten a visa again and since we're flying to Paris tomorrow, I didn't want to take any risks!"
Donna happily laughed. "Yes, I understand! Well, congratulations anyway, Mr. and Mrs. Sanders, I'm really very happy for you two!"
As the reception continued more guests came up to them to congratulate them. Their co-workers of course, some old friends they had invited, Russell's and Doc Robbins's wife… Even David's one-year-old son Joshua congratulated them in his own cute way!
With everyone coming up to them, Greg and Morgan hardly had time to talk. Finally, when the DJ played a slow, romantic song as last dance of the night, they had a moment to be together.
"Alone at last," Greg softly whispered in her ear. Morgan smiled at him. "We've got three weeks ahead of us of being alone, just the two of us in beautiful Paris… And we should probably enjoy it."
Greg gave her a confused look. "Why wouldn't we enjoy our honeymoon in Paris?"
"Oh, of course we'll enjoy our honeymoon in Paris, I just meant that we should enjoy being alone, just the two of us," Morgan explained to him.
"Yeah, of course, no one to interrupt us or call us or send us off to a crime scene…" Greg nodded with a grin. Morgan looked at him. "That's not what I exactly meant…"
Greg narrowed his eyes. "What are you trying to tell me?"
She pulled him a little closer to make sure no one else could hear her. "That in about thirty-two weeks it's going to be the three of us… I'm pregnant, Greg."
He stared at her in amazement. To hide his surprise to everyone around them, she quickly kissed him. It had been one of the most difficult things she ever had to do, keeping a secret like this from Greg. She had suspected something for a little over a week now, but she hadn't been sure until two days ago.
"Are you sure?" Greg asked her. She nodded. "Yes, I saw a doctor two days ago, she confirmed it. You're definitely going to be a father!"
He stared at her for another moment, but then a huge smiled appeared on his face. "I'm going to be… This is amazing, I can't believe it!"
He pulled her into a tight hug, the huge smile still on his face. Morgan smiled as well, she always loved seeing him this happy. It always made her feel happy as well, even though she could hardly feel any happier today.
"Eh… sorry to interrupt, but I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye." Conrad looked a little uncomfortable having to break up their hug. Morgan gave him a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Dad. We'll see you tomorrow, when you come and pick us up to take us to the airport."
"I won't be late," her father promised her. He gave her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before he gave Greg a nod. "We're officially family now, Sanders. And to be honest… I don't think I could have asked for a better son in law!"
Smiling, the two men gave each other a friendly hug. Morgan couldn't help but smile as well when she saw them. Her husband and her father… There were really no two other men, no two other people in this world that she loved more than she loved them.