Blessings

"Madeline Genevieve Catherine Fitzpatrick, will you do me the incredible honor of becoming my wife?"

This is absolutely crazy. We're both so young. I could never picture myself with someone else in my life besides Zack though. I have never felt such utter devotion to someone in my whole life, such a need to be with a man before him. But still, this is absolutely insane. There is no way I can tie myself to someone forever, while I'm so young. Absolutely no way.

"Yes." I whisper, unable to contain the large smile and tears overcoming my face.

As I looked down at his face the moment before I made my decision, I got my answer. Zack looked up at me with fear and anxiousness, but the emotion most clearly expressed was love. Pure, sweet, and genuine love. The kind that won't go away, no matter what happens, or how many years pass. At that moment, I realized I must have mirrored his expression. Because under my fear and anxiousness at the thought of being married so young, my love for him was deep to my core. I could, never would want to, look at another man the way I viewed him. I loved him more than any other being in my life. And I always would. That's when I realized also, that if he hadn't had proposed marriage to me at this moment, I would've gotten down on one knee to him, no matter how unconventional it seemed.

The change in Zack's facial features is instantaneous. His mouth turns up in a smile and his eyes glisten with happens. Zack slowly, but surely slides the diamonded ring onto my finger, beaming with joy before we embrace. I hysterically cry onto his jacket, clutching him to me without leaving a millimeter between us, yet he still feels miles away. Zack presses his forehead against mine and whispers, "I can't believe you said yes."

"I can't believe you didn't think I would." I say immediately.

After many moments of kissing, hugging, crying, and laughing we start to heads towards Zack's suite once more, where the party is still going on. I glance down at the rock on my finger and my cheeks hurt as I smile again. I don't know much about diamonds, having never owned one before, but I know this must not be cheap. The diamond isn't ostentatious or anything like that, but it's no little thing either. It's absolutely perfect and for once, I don't feel guilty of cost, since I know I have the rest of my life to make it up to him.

"It's your birthday you know." I tell Zack, leaning into his arm that is around me. "You're not supposed to be giving gifts."

"It was a gift for me too." Zack says with a grin, kissing the top of my head.

"It's absolutely perfect." I say, once we come to the suite door and stop walking.

Zack brushes my cheek with his hand before admitting, "London helped me pick it out. We went to the jeweler's that afternoon when you found us in her suite. I had to direct her away from the shinier, bigger ones. Once I told her my budget she almost passed out, but not before she motioned towards the one you're wearing now."

I have to chuckle at that. I can practically see London's eyes turn into saucers at being surrounded by shiny objects. "What was your budget again?" I asked curiously.

"A secret." Zack says with a smug look before kissing my cheek. "But let's say that I've been saving up for a while."

I beam at that remark. "You've known you've wanted to marry me for a while?"

"Since the day I walked into the Tipton." Zack says, giving me a chaste kiss again. "Ready to face everybody?"

"They don't know?" I ask, surprised.

"Nope. Just London." Zack says, before opening the door, pulling both of us inside. "Excuse me everybody." Zack says loudly. I can't help but think of the movies where the announcer taps a knife on a wine glass. I doubt that would help us now though, considering the loud music and buzz from the people. When everybody quiets down and some gracious person turns off the thumping music, Zack continues. "I have just asked Maddie to marry me. And she said yes." Blunt and quick. Typical Zack.

Although the room was as loud as a zoo a second ago, you can literally hear a pin drop. And let me tell you, hearing a pin drop on a carpet is not an easy thing to do. The loud silence almost consumes me before I hear London sing, "Yay you!"

I stare back at the faces in the room. The most frequent expression I get back is one with eyes bugging out and mouths hanging open.

Cody comes up to London, putting a hand behind her back and says, "Maybe we should leave these two alone to talk to the 'rents." Once he leads her out, the large group of people that was in the room follows as well. Before leaving, most wish up congratulations and luck.

Kurt is one of those people in the crowd leaving. Before he goes however he whispers "You scored a good one." In Zack's ear before patting his arm and exiting the room. I would have expected more words than that from the father of the groom, but this is Kurt we're talking about. He doesn't really know how to be a father.

Now the only people left in the room are me, Zack, and…Carrie. I suppress a shudder when I look into her furious eyes. "Sit." She orders, pointing towards the coach.

When we all get settled, she lets out a large breath and says, "Leave it to you Zack to get engaged the day that it's legal."

We're all silent again and once more you can hear that dang pin drop.

"I love Maddie." Zack states finally.

Carrie groans and puts her head into her hands. When she finally straightens herself, she looks at Zack and says, "I don't understand why you won't wait."

"And I don't understand why we should." Zack says immediately. After another pause, he continues. "Look mom, I'm not saying we're getting married tomorrow or anything. I just want to spend the rest of my life with Maddie, and I want her and everybody else to know that too."

"Your father and I got married when we were young too." Carrie says with a sigh. "I thought we were so in love. But as it turns out, we were just in lust. By the time I realized that though it was too late, not that I regret you or Cody in any way. How do you know that you're not in lust?"

"Because," Zack starts, "I know that her favorite color is magenta, she likes to watch Soap Operas, giggles when she's nervous, and got stung by a bumblebee when she was four and has been traumatized of bees ever since." I can't believe he remembered my phobia of bees. I only remember telling him that once or twice. "The list goes on and on mom."

Carrie doesn't look convinced, so I decide that it's my turn to come out of my shell and speak now. "Zack's favorite color is orange; he eats when he's upset, ran away from home at nine, but only made it down two blocks, and he still likes to play on playgrounds." Zack and I share a secret grin after that.

"It's pretty obvious that you two love each other." Carrie says, gesturing at us. That's when I realize our postures. Zack has an arm around my shoulders, while I have one around his waist, with my legs entangled in his. "But sometimes that isn't enough. I mean, just last month you guys broke up with each other. Twice in fact! How do you know that the probably frivolous thing that tore you apart won't do that to you again? You guys aren't mature to handle all the problems of life."

Zack immediately stiffens and clenches his jaw. My mouth gapes open in shock at the realization that Zack didn't tell his mother what happened at the party. If she knew, she wouldn't call it a "frivolous" incident. Cody probably didn't tell his mother, thinking as I would, that Zack would want to.

"What happened?" Carrie asks, seeing our change in expressions.

I urge Zack on by taking his hand in mine and rubbing soothing circles on his palm with my finger. This is going to be so hard for him. We haven't really spoken of the event since we've gotten back together, wanting to keep it in the pass and forget it.

Zack takes a deep breath and begins, "Maddie and I went to a party-"

Carrie's laugh interrupts him. "Oh boy, I know where this is going. Let me guess. Got drunk and said something hurtful?"

Zack stares furiously at his mother and I realize that he is shaking slightly. "I need to get out of here." he says. I reluctantly let go of him and watch as he leaves the room to his bedroom.

"Typical male." Carrie sighs.

I'm torn at the decision of whether to follow Zack or stay here to defend him. Although I ache to be with him and comfort him, more would be accomplished if I stay here. Carrie doesn't understand the situation, but I can't help feeling angry at her for making Zack close up right before he was about to open himself up completely.

"He's not a typical male. You should know that." I say, coldly. "We went to a party. And yes, Zack did something hurtful, but he didn't get drunk. Some insane admirer thought it would be a good idea to drug him so he'd get into bed with her. And then the fire started. Do you understand how terrible it must have been? To be drugged and left in a room to burn alive! Imagine how confused he must have been! The fucking girl didn't even bother to get him out of the house, probably too high herself!"

Tears are running down my face. I try hard to never think of that night, but Carrie needed to hear this. I don't look at her face as I say, "We're so lucky that not only did Zack survive the fire, but she didn't overdose him."

When I finally muster up the courage to look at her, my heart clenches. Gone are the fury in her eyes, instead replaced by tears and a look of sadness and regret. Her mouth hangs slightly open and her hands are clenched into fists.

"He…he…" Carrie says, hyperventilating.

Zack picks that moment to enter the living room again. When Carrie looks at him I almost think she's going to have a mental breakdown. But instead, she leaps up from her chair and runs to Zack. Once she tightly wraps her arms around him, she kisses his head over and over again while chanting "my baby". Zack barely puts his arms around her, looking at me the entire time. I recognize the look of thanks on his face, for saying what he couldn't, and I nod slightly.

"I'm so sorry…I didn't know." Carrie sobs.

"It's not your fault. I didn't tell you." Zack says passively.

Carrie then takes Zack's hand in hers and comes over to me. I stand up and she holds my hand in her free one. "You have my blessing." She says firmly.

"Where are we going Zack?" I ask, once we are settled in his car.

Zack pulls out of the Tipton parking lot and says, "Your parent's house."

"Hell no." I respond immediately. When he continues to drive, I try to plead and reason with him. "Please Zack. Don't put me through this please. If you thought your mom was bad…They kicked me out remember? They want nothing to do with me."

Zack sighs and asks, "Maddie would have wanted to get married without my parent's blessing?"

"No, but-"

"I'm already doing this the wrong way. I'm supposed to ask them first." Zack briefly looks at me and holds my hand in his. "Please…for me."

"Fine. But if you die, you brought it on yourself." I say stubbornly.

"I'll take the risk." Zack says with a smirk.

When we get to my parents door, my hands start to shake. Zack once again clasps my hand in his and rings the doorbell. Once the door opens and I see my mother for the first time in months, my heart clenches. Her face goes from surprised to happiness at the sight of me before she hugs me. I hug her back awkwardly, since my hand is still in Zack's, and I'm refusing to let go of it.

"It's good to see you again Maddie!" my mother says and leads us inside. "Richard!" She calls out for my father.

I'm shocked by my mother's' reaction. How she can so heartlessly throw me out and then welcome me with open arms and a smile on her face is beyond me. When my father enters the room, I squeeze Zack's hand, needing all the support I can get. It's my dad that I'm really mad at. He's the evil mastermind behind everything. He's the one who shoved me out and called me horrible names.

"Oh, Madeline!" he says. "What are you doing here?"

"Can we sit?" I ask, avoiding his question.

Once we are settled on the cheap couches in the living room, déjà vu hits me. We were in this same position less than an hour ago, except in a nice suite, and not in a shack of a house.

"What's going on?" Richard asks. I was expecting more of a declaration to get out of his house than that.

I muster up all my courage and once again squeeze Zack's hand before I say, "Zack and I are getting married."

That's when both pairs of eyes glance down to my ring finger. Instead of becoming angry and knocking things around, my father points at Zack and asks, "He rich?"

"No!" I yell, shocked. "That's not why we…I'm not a gold-digger dad!"

"Then why the hell are you getting married?" he asks, completely beside himself.

Zack picks this time to speak up and says, "We're in love."

"But I wouldn't understand either of you to recognize what that is. You are both so obsessed with money, that you would throw your own child out!" I shout, really becoming angry from the bottled emotions in me.

My father takes my mother's hand and after taking a deep breath says, "I was high when I did that."

"No…" I mutter. My father became an alcoholic soon after he married my mother and had me. She sent him off to rehab, and he had been clean ever since I was five.

"Yes." He admits with his head down. "I'm not proud of it either. I'm not making any excuses for myself, but I wasn't thinking clearly or rationally." He looks into my eyes and says, "I'm sorry Madeline."

Then my mother speaks up and states, "I only supported what he did, because I thought you would be safer and happier not living in this house. I didn't want it to happen exactly the way it did, but I can't change that now."

"Are you…" I stutter, not managing to ask the question eating away at me.

"I haven't had a drink in two months." My father says.

After I tell them about all that has happened to me since I've talked to them, the tension in the air seems to lessen. When telling my experiences to them, they laughed, they cried, and most importantly, they seemed like they genuinely cared.

When I finished talking, my father says, "Well…looks like I'll be walking you down the aisle doesn't it?"

"Does that mean…" I say, seeming to not be able to finish my sentences today.

"You have my blessing." He says, my mother nodding beside him.

As soon as Zack and I enter London's suite, I attack him, pushing him against the wall and kissing him into oblivion. Zack responds eagerly, picking me up and taking us to my room. I wrap my legs around his waist and fist my hands through his hair. When we make it to the bed, I don't let go of Zack as we continue our intense make-out session.

"I love you Maddie." Zack whispers into my ear.

"I love you more." I say, kissing his neck.

"I can't wait to make you happy for the rest of your life." Zack says, cupping my cheek and looking into my eyes.

"You know what Zack?" I ask with a smile.

"What?" Zack chuckles.

I grin and say, "You never cease to amaze me."

Yay! Finally it's done! Since this is the last chapter, I would really LOVE a review…especially since I only got four last time. Thank you all for reading and hope you like this ending. I love you all! Stay tuned for the sequel. Add me to your Author Alert so you know when it comes if you want.