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Fan Fiction

CHAPTER 2

She pulled up in front of Kim's house. It was just the kind of house she wanted when owned one someday. It was brick and had a wrap around porch and lots of trees and flowers. It was very inviting. She would be living in Stuart's house after they married, and it was nice. Very contemporary, and not really her style, but oh well. Sometimes you gave up stuff when you were in love.

She walked up the stairs and knocked, but walked on in.
"Hey! I'm here." she called out. Bob hurried into the foyer.
"Hey Sweet Pea! I've missed you this week, darling." she smiled.
"I've missed you too, Papa" she said, calling him by his nickname "Where's that gorgeous wife of yours and what's the big deal about me wearing a dress tonight?" she asked, with a puzzled look on her face.
"I don't know Sweet Pea, but you sure do look nice." Bob told her. 
She smiled again and thanked him. She was wearing one of her favourite spring time dresses. It was a pastel green and blue plaid, with some white and yellow in it. It hit just above her knee and tied around the neck. She had a pair of backless white tennis shoes on and she had curled her hair. She felt really pretty.
She followed Bob out back and found Kim out on the patio, grilling chicken. "Yum! I didn't know you were gonna grill tonight." she said.
"Sunshine, you look great!" Kim said "Could you do me a favour? Go on inside and keep a lookout for our special visitor. He should be here soon. Oh and Sunshine? Is Stuart coming tonight?" Kim asked, crossing her fingers behind her back.
"No, he's got a conference call or something like that for his fellowship tonight. Hey, who's this special guest tonight?" she asked as she walked inside. Kim called something out, but she couldn't hear her.

She walked back into the living room and flopped down on the couch.

She looked out the window, watching for a car to pull up. She sighed. She wished that Stuart was going to be here tonight. She really wanted to be around him tonight. He might be able to make her forget about her fight with Paddy. She hated lying to Kim and Papa, but well, she didn't want to tell them that Stuart didn't like them. They had used to get along great, but all of a sudden Stuart developed some gigantic issues with them and never wanted to do stuff with them anymore.
She looked down at her hand and admired her engagement ring. It was platinum and the diamond was huge. She smiled. She looked up when she heard a car. Her jaw dropped. It was Paddy's! She watched him walk up the drive and onto the porch. She heard him knock, but just stood there for a minute. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Hi" he said "You look awesome" he said after looking her up and down.
She felt her cheeks get red. She made a face and turned around and said "come in."
She hated the fact that she liked the fact that he had checked her out. She tried to ignore the fact that he looked hot. He was wearing khaki pants and a polo shirt. He smelled incredible too.
"Kim" she said "The man of the hour has arrived." she said sarcastically.
"Paddy!" Kim ran over to him and welcomed him and introduced him to Bob. They immediately hit it off and began to talk about vintage cars or something like that. She took the opportunity to go chew Kim out while the men were occupied.
"KIM! What is he doing here?" she glared.
"Sunshine, he's a very nice boy. He's in town while his brother is here and he happened to mention today that he wanted some home cooking, and I knew that you two knew each other, so I invited him. I hope you don't mind." Kim said innocently.
"You do know that I mind. HE BROKE MY HEART! He's an awful guy and I never want to see him again. You were the one that made the fact known today that I needed to blow him off and remember Stuart, my fiancée." she said.
"Sunshine, just grin and bear it, ok? For me, please?" Kim asked.
She sighed and said "Ok, for you I will."

Kim had fixed a wonderful meal, grilled chicken, baked potatoes, fruit salad, green beans and squash. It was delicious. Paddy hadn't had home cooking in a while, so he ate like she had never seen him eat before. Most men looked nasty when they ate, but Paddy didn't. He looked good all the time… she shouldn't think things like that. She snapped out of the fog that she was in and rejoined the conversation.

"So, tell me Paddy" Bob said "What does a fine young man like you do for a living?"
Paddy replied "I'm in a band."
"That's wonderful. What do you play?"
"I'm one of the singers."
"What's the name of it, son?"
"Kelly Family, sir. Have you heard of us?"
"Kim, isn't that the group that Jessica is so fond of?" he asked his wife.
"Yes, dear. Jessica is our granddaughter, Paddy." she told him "She really likes you. We went on vacation with them this summer and we practically wore the CD out. Bob, they're the ones that sing the Why Why Why song. That's Bob's favourite." she added. Bob looked embarrassed. "What are you laughing at, Sweet Pea?" he asked.
"Just the thought of you guys listening to Why Why Why. That's all." she said, practically gasping for air, she was laughing so hard.

Paddy watched her laugh. She was so beautiful. She used to be his, but now she was Stuart's. Not for long though. He was gonna get her back, and this time, he would never lose her again.
"Earth to Paddy, come in Paddy Kelly... P.?" he heard her calling him.
"Oh, I'm sorry. What did you say?" he asked, turning slightly red.
"Kim just asked where you were staying." she informed him. She shook her head. He was such a dope sometimes, but it was cute.
"I'm renting a house in Stadtstrasse. It's really nice." he said.
"That's right over near Sweet Pea's apartment. How about that." Bob commented.
"How long are you going to be here Paddy?" she asked, afraid to hear the answer. It had been nice having him around.
"When Angelo's ready, that's when I'm leaving. His surgery's tomorrow, but we don't know how long it's gonna take for him to recover." 
"It shouldn't take too long. I've been in this business forever. I've seen thousands of young men like him with the same injury. They recover pretty quickly and are able to bounce back." Kim offered.
Then I've only got a little time to take care of a big job, Paddy thought to himself.

Since Kim and Bob had cooked, Paddy volunteered her and him to do the dishes and clean the kitchen. 
"You can go ahead and leave now. I can take care of everything from here." she told him as they brought the last few dishes in from outside.
"It's alright. I've got nothing else to do. Besides, it would be rude, and I'm a gentleman."
They worked in silence, Paddy putting away the leftovers and she loaded the dishwasher. When he was finished, he said "Hey, I'm sorry."
"For what?" she asked.
"The way I acted today. It was just really... surprising, that's all. I really, desperately want to be your friend. I've missed you in my life and I'll take you in whatever capacity I can get you in." 
She didn't say anything. Her back was toward him. He walked over and turned her around. "What do you say? Friends?" 
"Yeah" she said softly. "Friends."

The next few days came and went quickly. Angelo's surgery went fine. They were able to fix the torn ligament successfully and his recovery seemed to be progressing nicely. She was still his nurse, so she saw both him, and Paddy on the regular basis. She was also surprised when Patricia, Maite, Barby and Joey showed up. It was nice to see them too. The four of them and Paddy and her went out to dinner one night and it was a lot of fun.
So, she was having fun, but she was also really depressed at the same time, which is kind of hard to do, but when someone's true love is getting ready to leave for six months, it makes it a little easier. She helped Stuart pack up and board a plane to London just 6 days after he received word that he got the fellowship. She took him to the airport and as she watched the plane disappeared into the sky, she felt as if her world was being turned upside down. They had had a conversation about Paddy before he left. Stuart didn't know who he was, and he didn't care to learn anything about him, but he made it clear that if anything happened between the two of them, it would be over.

So, there she sat at home, on a Friday night on her couch. She was wearing some boxers and a tank top and she looked a fright. She was waiting to see if Stuart would call her. There was a big time difference and they still hadn't figured out exactly when the best time would be to call each other, so she was receiving phone calls at all times of the day and night... well she had only received two phone calls, but it was ok. So flipped on the TV and began to watch "Blind date", when there was a knock at the door. She got up and looked out the peephole. She was greeted by the sight of long blond hair. She gasped and frantically looked at herself in the mirror. She couldn't open the door like this. He knocked again.
"Who is it?" she called, knowing good and well who was on the other side.
"Paddy Kelly."
"What do you want Pad?"
"I rented a movie, and I thought maybe we could watch it together." he called back.
"Now's not really a good time..." she began to put him off, but came back with 'Give me one good reason why.'
She paused for about 2 seconds to think and he said "Buzz... time's up! Come on, let me in. It's hot out here."
She sighed and reluctantly unlocked the door.
He walked in and looked at her. Damn she looked good. She had the best legs ever known to man.
"Your place is nice." he said, making himself comfortable on the couch.
"Thanks. Move over. That's my seat." she said as she put the video in. "What are we watching anyway?"
"Pretty Woman." he said, casually looking at her to read her response.
"Ok, what's going on? Pretty Woman is my all time favourite movie, not to mention a chick flick, which you Paddy, would never watch unless we were dating." she said accusingly.
"Hey, I think Julia Roberts is hot. That's why I got it."
"Typical male answer."
"Yeah, the only reason you watch it is cause Richard Gere is in it and you've some twisted fantasy about him." he teased back.
"Shut up. It's starting."

He looked over in her direction about half way through the movie. She was sound asleep. He knew that she had been staying up at night to talk to that prick if he called her. She had to be exhausted. He had to act carefully now. He considered his options. He could either stay there and fall asleep with her on the couch, or he could take her into her room. He decided that the second option was the best. He waited a few more minutes and watched her sleep. She looked so peaceful. He got up and picked her up and then carried into her bedroom. He layed her out gently on the bed and covered her up.
He went back out the living room and was just about through writing her a note to tell her what happened when the phone rang. He instinctively answered.
"Hello?"
"Who is this?" a mans voice said back.
"Well, who is this?" Paddy came back.
"Dr. Stuart Gooding. Let me speak to my fiancée!"
"Dr. Stuart, this is Paddy. I've got some words to say to you. I don't know what you know about me and her, but I still love her and I still want her. I'm not gonna stop until I get her back." Paddy said.
"Fine. You play your little games, but she loves me. She would do anything for me. I've got her wrapped around my little finger."
"Are you gonna sleep with other women throughout your marriage? Or are you gonna stop after you say 'I do' cause no one, especially her, deserves that." he told him.
"I'll sleep with anyone that I want to sleep with. I've been doing it since our first date. Took her out and then fucked another woman." he said, bragging.
"You're a stupid prick, and she's gonna find out about it." Paddy said and slammed the phone down.

It was a beautiful day and she decided to take her lunch break outside today. She flipped through the latest issue of the magazine 'Brides', marking pictures of dresses that she liked or flowers that caught her eyes. She really had her work cut out for her. All her bridesmaids lived back home and Stuart was in London, so no one could really help her plan her wedding. She couldn't ask Kim. She didn't want to start another fight like when she insisted that Stuart was cheating on her. She had suspicions, but she didn't want to investigate them for fear that they might be true. She continued to leaf through the magazine when someone sat down beside her. She looked over and saw Paddy sitting there.
"Hey! How's my favourite nurse today?" he asked.
"Good. How's my favourite superstar?" she replied.
"I don't know how Angelo's doing." he said and she laughed. "Seriously, how is he?" he asked concerned.
"Alright, considering his infection. He's gonna be fine. Just a few more days in this joint and then you can bust him out. I guess you'll both go home then, right?" she said.
"Not necessarily."
"I wish I was at home right now." she sighed. She looked sad.
"Hey, what's wrong. You don't look like the sunshine that everyone knows and loves." he said, putting his hand on her arm. She felt a jolt of electricity. She had never experienced the chemistry she had with him with anyone before him or after him, not even Stuart.
"Oh, it just hit me that I'm going to have to plan a wedding all by myself, that's all. If I was at home, I would have help from Mom and my sisters and all the girls." she explained.
"How are you folks? I haven't seen them in forever." he sounded like he really cared.
"Good. I told them that you were in town and they said to tell you that if you were home anytime soon to drop in and visit. They miss you." she added the last part quickly.

It got silent. He broke it by saying "So how hard is it to plan a wedding anyway?" 
"You've got to be kidding me. The church, the minister, the dresses, the flowers, the cake, the band, the tuxes, the limo, the reception... Pad, the list goes on and on. And I'm gonna do it all by myself" she said exasperated.
"I'll help. I've not nothing better to do. Angelo's laid up in the hospital, who knows when we'll be back into any kind of routine." he offered. He couldn't believe his ears. He offered to help his dream woman plan her wedding to the world's biggest jackass.
"Paddy, you'll really help me?" she gushed "You don't know how much this means to me!" she hugged him.
He smiled.
"Where do we start?"
"Well, me and Stuart decided to get married on September 1st, so now we've got to decide what church we're gonna do it at and see if they can do it then, if not, back to the drawing board."
"Wanna go drive around and look at churches tonight?" he asked.
"Sure. Pick me up at 6?"
"It's a date." he got up and left.

She watched him walk into the hospital. She smiled. What an awesome guy. She watched as he disappeared, and then he was gone.

"Fifth time's the charm" Paddy told her. She pulled off her sunglasses and ran her hand through her hair.
"I hope so" she told him "cause if this isn't it, I'm gonna give up and get married outside." she said.
He laughed, but told her "No you wouldn't. You would never get married outside… you would complain that it's too hot" he said laughing out loud.
"Well... you're right! You know me too well, Paddy." she said. He opened the door to the cathedral and said "Thank you."

He watched her as she walked around the church in amazement. He knew from the second she walked through the door, that this was it. It was exactly the kind of place he would pick and he knew that she would love it too.
"So, what do you think?" she asked him.
"It's your wedding! What do you think?" he said laughing at her.
"Call me crazy, but I love it. Paddy" she said beaming "This is where I'm going to get married!"
Her smiled disappeared as she saw the expression on his face. She turned so her back was to him and said to herself 'What was that all about?'. She didn't have time to analyse it like she did everything cause he said pretty chipperly.
"Ok, now that we've established this, let's go get something to eat!"

He dropped her off at her apartment and he went on home. 

Angelo got much better and was released from the hospital soon after that night. She missed having him as her patient cause he cracked her up and it didn't feel like she was at work, but she wanted him to get better and be able to do stuff again. She had called Paddy the night before he was to be released. 
"So, I guess that now he's well, you're both leaving?" she asked.
"Well, I wasn't really planning on it." he said, his voice sounded strange.
"What?" she questioned.
"Well, you've still got a wedding to plan and you need help. I'll stick around as long as you need me to, ok?"
"Sure! You've got a deal!" she agreed. She was kind of glad that he was sticking around cause she was realized that they had been spending so much time together that she would really miss him when he left. Plus, he had been such a help. He went along with her everywhere and helped her plan every detail of the wedding. They never really talked about the fact that she was marrying Stuart, it was just kind of like they were kids playing, pretending to get married.

"What am I doing here?" Paddy thought to himself.
He was sitting at a bridal boutique, waiting to see her in the first of many dresses that she was planning to try on. He sighed. So far, he had felt like he was "practicing" for his own wedding, it was surreal. She had picked out everything that he would have picked anyway. But now, sitting here in waiting to see her come out, reality hit, and it hit hard. 
"Ok, dress one!" she called. She walked in and his breath caught in his throat. She looked beautiful. It was strapless and had a fitted bodice, which was covered in tiny pearls.
"What do you think?" she asked, spinning around.
"Umm, ugh.... you look… you look gorgeous." he blushed and she smiled. "Dress two on the way!" she spun around and went back into the room.

He exhaled loudly and rubbed his hands over his face. He couldn't take this. He was so stupid. He had been trying to tell her about Stuart for a long time now, but he just couldn't let it out. He saw how her eyes lit up whenever he called, or when she spoke about him. 
"Dress 2!!" he took a deep breath and prepared himself.

She tried on a billion dresses and finally decided on the first one. They decided to go over to his house and let him change and then go to Bob and Kim's to watch movies and eat. As they walked out of the store, Paddy noted "Looks like a storm is coming in." 
"You mean a storm's brewing?" she asked.
"Yeah, a storm's brewing. You're such a nerd." he said laughing.
"Whatever. You're the one who laughed."

The rain started out slow and then it got heavier very quickly. It was so bad that Paddy had to go about 5 miles per hour at certain points of the drive. There was lots of thunder and lightening. They pulled into his driveway and ran to the house. For the few seconds they were exposed, they got soaked. The wind was howling. They walked through the front door and he flipped on a light switch. It didn't come on.
"Great. The power's off." 
"Hey, I know that we were gonna go over to Bob and Kim's, but I don't think we should go back out in this." he told her "At least not right now."
"Yeah. I was gonna say the same thing." she said "Paddy, it's really dark in here. Do you have flashlights or something?" she asked.
"Yeah. You stay here. I'm gonna go find some." he disappeared. Thunder crashed and lightening struck. 
Paddy came back with some candles. "I'm gonna change, ok?" he said after sitting down a large candle "I'll be back soon. Hopefully this will die down and we can leave."
She nodded.
She walked over to a window. It was really coming down hard. She seriously doubted that they would be going anywhere soon. She was soaking wet. 
"So, what do you want to do?" he asked. 
"Well, I'm wet and cold, so do you think that maybe you find something for me to change into?" she asked.
"What's the magic word?" he said playfully.
"Ummm..." she said pretending to think "NOW! Don't you know that I'm a princess and I get what I want when I want it?"
"Well, your royal highness, this way." he said. He took her hand and led her to the bedroom. He went over to a drawer and pulled out a tee shirt and a pair of sweatpants with a drawstring. "I hope these aren't too big." 
"Turn around, Pad. Don't want you sneaking any peeks." she kidded.
He turned around, wishing desperately that there was a mirror in front of him so he could watch. "Ok, all done."
He turned around and said "Do you know that you look good in anything that you wear? You could have on a paper sack and pretend it was a dress and you would still look hot." 
"Well, thanks. I think." she said nervously. She was suddenly aware that they were in bedroom that was light by candles and that he was hot.
"I'm hungry" she lied "We better go attack the food in the refrigerator before it spoils." she slid around him and went out back to the living room.

They spent the rest of the evening eating and laughing and talking. The rain wouldn't let up. It was about 2 in the morning when they realized this and decided that she would just have to spend the night.
"You can have the bed and I'll sleep out here on the couch" Paddy told her like a real gentleman.
"Ok, I don't want this to sound stupid, but I'm kind of freaked out by this weather. I would feel much better if we were in the same room." she said.
"Wow... ummmm.... I don't know if I trust myself to be honest. I almost lost it earlier." he admitted.
"I know, but I trust you, so we're set. PLEASE P!! For me?" she said pouting.
"Ok."

They lay on either side of the bed, no contact whatsoever. She didn't realize how tired she was until she laid down. She feel asleep quickly and he watched her sleep. She rolled over and snuggled up against him. He sighed and put his arms around her. He gently kissed her forehead. She wasn't his, but he wasn't going to think about that tonight. He drifted off to sleep, holding the woman of his dreams in his arms. 

She woke up in the middle of the night. She panicked for a minute when she would remember whose bed she was in or whose chest she was lying on, but she looked up and saw it was Paddy and it was all ok. He looked so handsome when he was sleeping. She wanted to kiss him so badly. She laid there for a minute and then sat up and kissed his lips.
"I wish you were awake when I did that." she whispered. She lay back down and heard his voice whisper back.
"I was." He rolled her over on her back and looked down over her and kissed her. She sighed. She had wanted this for so long, and it was finally happening. She kissed him back and began to run her hands up his arms and then up in his hair. He pulled back for and said "You do not know how long I've wanted to do that" he said breathlessly. "OH, yeah, I do. It felt so good." she whispered back. She tried to pull his head back down to her lips, but he resisted. "Let's chill for a minute, ok? You've got a fiancée, remember?" he said gently. 
She lay back down in his arms and fell asleep peacefully.

She woke up the next morning to an empty bed. She rolled over and found a note on his pillow.
It read:
SUNSHINE!!
Wake up! I got a call early this morning and am now at the studio in Koln. I'll be back soon so we can talk about what happened. You know what I'm talking about don't ya ;) 
I'll call you when I get back. Make sure you lock the door on the way out. Oh, and seeing as your stranded here, you can take my car. I caught a cab to Koln.
PADDY

She laughed. Like she would really drive his car. He would kill her if anything happened to it. She got up and drew some water in the bathtub. She sat in the hot bath for a long time and it helped to calm her nerves. Did she really love Stuart? Did he make her as happy as Paddy did? But could she compete again with all the stuff that came along with Paddy? She thought about the kisses she shared with Paddy last night and it made her shiver. Stuart had never evoked passion like that in her before. And this whole wedding she was planning, it was hers and Paddy's, well it seemed that way. They got along so well and agreed on pretty much everything except he thought that Stuart should have a baby blue tux. She laughed at that thought. Stuart had never made her laugh the way Paddy had. She got out of the tub and knew what she had to do. She was going to tell Paddy that she loved him. The ball would be in his court from there.

Paddy yawned. It had been a long day. He was going back tomorrow. He knew he had to call her because they had to talk about what had happened. He didn't necessarily want to talk about it. All he had thought about recently was breaking her and Stuart up and now that he was on the verge of doing it, he was getting cold feet. Would this really be the best thing for her? She loved Stuart and maybe one day he would settle down and be faithful to her. Or maybe he wouldn't it. Paddy knew that he did love her with all his heart, but he also loved his job too. She hadn't been able to handle his job in the past, granted they were younger, but who was to say that she could deal with it now?

He walked over to the phone and picked it up. He dialed her number and listened as the phone rang.

"What Stuart? Could you please repeat yourself?" she asked, her jaw practically on the ground.
"I'm coming home. I just miss you so much. My flight leaves tomorrow." he repeated. She sat there, stunned "Aren't you going to say anything?"
"Oh, yeah. That's great..." she trailed off.
"Well, don't try to sound too enthusiastic. Anyway, so since I'm coming home early and you've pretty much got the whole wedding planned, what do you say that we just move it on up? I mean, I'm ready to be married to you." he suggested.
"Stuart, that's a lot to try to change. I've got to call the church and the band, and the caterer and the florist, the bridal party, all the people we invited..."
"What are you saying? Don't you want to marry me? You haven't gotten cold feet have you?"
"N..n...no... it's just, that's a lot of work and we don't even know if..."
"Well, if you loved me and wanted to marry me, you would do it for me." he snapped angrily.
"Ok. When were you thinking?" she asked. "Oh, hang on a second Stuart, I've got a beep."
"Don't beep over! This call is costing me a fortune!" he commanded.
She clicked over anyway. "Hello?"
"Hey, it's P."
"Hey!" she said excitedly.
"You busy?" he asked.
"Well, I'm on the other line with Stuart.." 
"Well, I'll make this quick then. So, I'll be back tomorrow night. I think we should talk then."
"Ok. Why don't you call me when you get in?" she suggested.
"Sounds fine. Be good, girl."
She clicked back over. All she found was a dial tone. "I guess Stuart was pretty pissed with me" she thought to herself. "Oh well."

Paddy's cab pulled up in front of "his" house. He really loved the house that he was renting here. Maybe he would buy it. It was a great house after all.
He saw her car in the driveway. She wasn't in it. He felt kind of panicky. Why was her car here and why wasn't she in it? What had happened to her? He looked around quickly and noticed some of the lights were on in the house. "How'd she get in?" he thought to himself. He walked up the steps of the porch and opened the front door. He looked around. The entire living room was lit by candles, and there was a trail of them leading out to the deck on the back of the house. He walked out there and found a table sat for two and she was sitting in one of the chairs. She stood up when she saw him and he almost lost his breath looking at her. She looked so beautiful. She was wearing a black sleeveless short dress and her hair was piled up on her head. She smiled at him and said "Well, I knew we were gonna talk tonight and I figured we might as well do it over dinner." 

He sat down, without saying a word and she put a plate down in front of him. He thought to himself 'How can I do this to her? I'm gonna be on the road all the time, she'd gonna be all alone, it's not fair to her. She deserves so much better.'
"PADDY!!" she said for the fourth time.
"Huh? Oh… sorry. What'd you say, baby?" he asked, then his eyes got big. Baby had just slipped out.
She smiled and said "Um, I said how was your trip?"
"It was fine." he said shortly.
"Oh, ok." she looked hurt. Where did this attitude come from? He was acting so cold towards her. They sat in silence.
"So, how are they?"
"Fine."
"Paddy, are you ok?"
"Yeah, I fine." he saw the look on her face and he took her hand and said "I'm fine. I really am."
She felt a little better so she said.
"Well, good. I guess you're wondering what I'm doing here. You see, I've come to realize over the past few weeks that I shouldn't be with Stuart..." she paused. "You're the one I want."
He sat there for a moment. Looking down at his plate, he said "I appreciate this greatly, but I can't give you what you need and Stuart can. I won't be at home every night, I won't be here to share all the good days with you and I won't be here to help you through all the bad days. I love you and this is why I'm telling you this. I want you to find someone who's better for you than I am." with that, he stood up started to go inside.
"But I want you" she whispered.
He turned around and shook his head.
"You belong with Stuart, not me." he eyes welled up with tears. She jumped up and ran through the house and out the door. He followed her and watched her disappear again down the road in the same way she had done two years earlier.
He watched until she was gone.

She walked into the apartment and went straight into the bedroom. She crawled into without taking off her shoes or clothes or anything. She was stunned. She couldn't cry any more tears over him. She knew she should be bawling, but she just couldn't do it. It was so odd. She had thought that he wanted her and deep in her heart, she wanted him, but she was now faced with the reality that this wouldn't come to be.

Stuart boarded the plane that would take him back to Germany. It was a good thing that he had his fiancée to fall back on. He couldn't let people know that he was dismissed from his fellowship because he was caught having sex with a nurse in a supply room in the hospital in London. He would just look like a stupid prick that was in love and couldn't stand to be apart from his 'true love.' He laughed. This is what it would boil down too. He would marry her and become a boring married man. Well, he knew he really wouldn't. He would still sleep around on her, even after that ring was on her finger. So why did he want to get married? Because she was perfect for him to the rest of the world. She would make a good wife and mother if they ever had children and he would be able to draw in more patients if he fit that 'family man' image.

She had so much to do and not enough time to get it done in. After she picked Stuart up, she took him home and let him try to sleep off his jet lag. Then she had to go swap dates and move things around for the wedding. Why was she going thru with this she had asked herself. The only answer she had was Paddy didn't want her and Stuart did. It was a sad conclusion, but one that she was going to have to learn to live with. She put on a fake smile and kept repeating to herself "Mrs. Stuart Gooding, Mrs. Stuart Gooding."
She pulled up in Kim's driveway. She knocked on the door, but went on in. She called out "Kim! I need some major advice."
Kim come out from the kitchen and said "Good morning Sunshine! What's the deal?" 
"The wedding is in two weeks. Where do I start? What do I need to do first? HELP!" she sank down on the couch and closed her eyes.
"Sunshine... why is the wedding moved up?" Kim asked. Her voice sounded funny.
"Stuart got back this morning. He left his fellowship early and since he's here now, he, I mean we decided that we should just go for. There's not since in waiting."
Kim sat there stunned. What had fouled this up? The last report she had gotten from Paddy had been very promising. "Well, honey, let me ask you something. What about Paddy? It seems to me that you still have feelings for him."
"Paddy? No. We're just friends. And that's all we'll ever be" she added softly, with her head to the ground.
"Well, Sunshine. Have you called the church to see if they are available?" 
"Yes, they are."
"Well, you've already mailed out the invitations with the old dates, right?"
She nodded.
"Now you've got to get busy contacting all the guests and telling them about the change. Get in touch with the ones out of town first, then do the ones here. Once you've done that, we'll go from there."
She hugged Kim and kissed her on the cheek.
"You're the best, you know that?"
"Yeah." Kim said back.
Sunshine left and Kim waited until her car had backed out of the driveway and then she pounced on the phone.

The phone rang.
"Hello?" he said groggily.
"Paddy! What the hell is going on?" Kim yelled at him.
"Good morning to you too Kim." he said sarcastically.
"Paddy, why is Stuart back here and why is the wedding moved up? Why is Sunshine still with him?" she began to fire questions at him without waiting for an answer.
"Kim, I can't be the man that she needs." he said.
"Well Stuart certainly isn't what she needs." she shot back.
"Stuart will give her a good life and she doesn't have to know about what a prick he is." he said.
"Paddy, I thought you had to balls to do this, but obviously, you don't. I don't know what to do now." Kim hung up.
Paddy sat up. He dialled Kim's number again, but she wouldn't answer. He got up and got dressed. He was leaving to go get something to eat when the mail truck pulled up at the mailbox. He got in the car and stopped at the edge of the driveway. He got out and got the mail. The first thing he saw was an envelope with her handwriting on it. It was the invitation to her wedding. He sat there, stunned. He couldn't go to that wedding. He knew it would mean a lot to her, but could he really sit there and watch her marry Stuart when it should be him standing at the end of the aisle? He crumpled it up and threw it on the ground. He wouldn't be there. By the time the wedding day rolled around, he would be gone.

She had called what felt like a thousand people already and told them about the change in the date of the wedding. She picked up the list that had the last few remaining guests on it that she would have to contact. She groaned. Paddy was the next name on the list. She decided to skip him and call Angelo next instead. She dialled the number and waited for him to answer. He didn't. She left a message and moved onto Maite.

"Hello?"
"May I speak to Maite, please?"
"This is she. May I ask who's speaking." she busted out laughing. She knew it was her. She had always ragged on her for being so polite and this just proved her point.
"Hey. I'm just calling to let you know that you should be receiving an invitation to my wedding in the mail soon, but there's been a change in the date."
"Cold feet?" he asked.
"No" she laughed. "Actually, my fiancée is very eager to get married, so two Saturdays from now, you better be here!"
"Wow. That's soon. How do you feel about it? Well, I guess that was a dumb question. You're marrying him, so I guess you're alright with it."
She sat there for a minute. "Yeah, I guess I am."
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure Maite."
"Don't tell Paddy I told you this, he'd kill me, but he told me the other day that you two had been spending a lot of time together again and well, to tell you the truth, we were all kind of hoping that you two crazy kids would end up back together again."
She sat there in silence.
"I mean, not to diss your fiancée and all… Dr. Stuart? Isn't that his name?"
"Yeah, his name is Stuart. I don't know what happened. We were spending a lot of time together and it was like it used to be, but better and I confessed my love for him the other night and he blew me off again. Well, he didn't blow me off. He told me that he wasn't good enough for me." 
"Wow. I'm sorry. But you want to be with him again, right?"
"I did. But he doesn't want it to happen, so I'm marrying Stuart. I'll see you at the wedding, right?" she asked.
"Of course. Take care. Call me if you need to."
"Thanks. 'Bye."
She hung up. She called Joey and Jimmy and they gave her pretty much the same lecture. Paddy was the last person she had to call. She summoned up all her courage and dialled his number. To her relief, the machine picked up.
"It's Pad. You know what to do." BEEP
"Hey Paddy. Um, it's me. I was just calling because the wedding invitations got sent out, but we're changing the date. Two weeks from Saturday." She paused. "Paddy, I know things are weird right now, but I really want you there, ok? Please come. Bye"

The last bridesmaid just walked down the aisle. The orchestra finished playing the last few bars. She drew in a deep breath and looked at her dad. "Ready, Daddy?" she asked. He wiped away a tear and said "I can't believe my little girl is getting married. I'm ready if you are, sweetie." He took her arm in his and the wedding coordinator threw open the doors at the back of the cathedral. The Wedding March began to sound and she slowly made her way down the aisle with her father. She was a beautiful bride. She had a glow about her. The cathedral was lit by candles and was filled with roses. The bridesmaids wore lavender dresses. Everything was perfect. As she walked down the aisle, she looked out at the pews and looked at all the people that had come to help her celebrate this special day. Kim and Bob were there of course. They had huge smiles on their faces. She saw friends and family from back home, as well as friends from here. She saw Angelo, Joey, Maite, Jimmy, Patricia and even John.

Father and daughter made their way to the front of the church and they stopped. The minister asked "Who gives this woman?" and her father replied "Her mother and I." He kissed her on the cheek and she watched as her father took her hand and put it in the hand of the groom, her future husband. She looked up and met a pair of intense eyes. She gasped and became instantly confused. Her groom… it was Paddy!
She jumped as the alarm clock sounded. It had been a dream. She laid back against the pillows and wiped the tears from her eyes. This was the third night she had had that dream, hopefully it would be the last. Today was her wedding day. She began to listen to the song that was playing on her clock radio. 
"All of my life,
Where have you been?
I wonder if I'll ever see you again..."

She turned it off and got into the shower. Would she see Paddy again? If he didn't come to the wedding, probably not and even if he did, it would most like be the last time she ever would see him. That sadden her greatly.
"Mrs. Stuart Gooding, Mrs. Stuart Gooding, Mrs. Stuart Gooding..." she repeated to herself through gritted teeth.

He tied his tie and left the house. He didn't want to go to the wedding, and he wouldn't be on his way if she hadn't left that message. The station he was listening to on the car radio started playing commercials, so he changed it to another station and he heard "How Do I Live."

How do I get through one night without you?
If I had to live without you, what kind of life would that be?
Oh I, I need you in my arms, need you to hold,
You're my world, my heart, my soul, if you ever leave, baby that would take away everything good in my life, and 
How do I live without you?
I want to know.
How do I breathe without you?
If you ever go?
How do I ever, ever survive?
How do I, how do I, how do I live?
Without you---

He arrived at the cathedral and turned off the car.

"Sweetie, need any help?" her mom asked her.
"No, mom. I think I'm fine. Thanks for everything." she said as she hugged her mom. She had missed her mom so much since she had moved away and she was so glad that her parents were here today.
"I love you, baby. It's time for me to go get seated" she told her.
"Ok. I love you too, Mom."
Her mom left the room and there was a knock. Her bridal party came in. She smiled at them and hugged them all.
"I love you guys so much. Thank you all for being a part of my wedding."
There was another knock and it was the unofficial wedding coordinator, Kim's daughter, Katie. Katie had helped out so much since the date had been changed that she had given Katie the title. 
"Ok ladies, places" Katie told them. The bridesmaids filed out and Katie said "Alright Sunshine, good luck. Let's go find your dad." Katie hugged her and they walked out of the room.

"Ready, Daddy?" she asked. He wiped away a tear and said "I can't believe my little girl is getting married. I'm ready if you are, sweetie." He took her arm in his and Katie threw open the doors at the back of the cathedral. The Wedding March began to sound and she slowly made her way down the aisle with her father. She was a beautiful bride, but she seemed sad. The cathedral was lit by candles and was filled with roses. The bridesmaids wore lavender dresses. Everything was perfect. As she walked down the aisle, she looked out at the pews and looked at all the people that had come to help her celebrate this special day. Kim and Bob were there of course. They had huge smiles on their faces. She saw friends and family from back home, as well as friends from here. She saw Angelo, Joey, Maite, Jimmy, Patricia and even John. Then her eyes settled on Paddy. He took one look at her and left the cathedral.
She continued down the aisle. She breathing began to become rapid.
"Sweetie, are you ok?" her father whispered. She smiled and nodded. They continued down the aisle. She saw Stuart, waiting at the end and she felt sick to her stomach. She thought about what she was getting into a life without love and she jerked her hand away from her fathers. She said "I'm sorry Daddy. I can't do this." 
She turned around and ran back up the aisle. She had to find Paddy. 
They audience watched run away and began to murmur. Stuart stood in shock at the front of the cathedral. He stood there and watched until she was gone.
Kim ran after her.
"Sunshine! Wait up!" she finally caught up with her. "Where are you going?" she asked, out of breath.
"Kim, I've got to find Paddy."
"Are you planning on running? How about I give you a lift?" she said as she dug through her purse for her car keys.
"Come on! We've got to get to his house!"

They sped to his house and she jumped out of the car practically before it had stopped. She ran to the door and pounded on it with all her might. "Paddy! Open the door! I've got to talk to you! Paddy! PADDY!! OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!" The sobs erupted from her and her body shook as she continued to scream "PADDY!"
Kim sat in the car and watched. His car was gone. He was gone. Kim got out of the car and slowly walked over to where she stood, banging on the door. She gently put her hands on her shoulders and pulled her away, back towards the car.
"Oh Kim... he's… he's... gone..." she sobbed.
Kim began to drive her back to her apartment. By the time they got there, she had calmed down a little.
Neither of the noticed a car parked in the parking lot.

He slid the letter under the door and turned around to leave. He was going home to Koln and was going to jump right back into the group's music. Angelo was better than ever and he needed to be distracted for a while. As he began to go down the stairs, she was coming up them.
They both paused.
'What is she doing here?' he thought to himself. Her eyes were red from crying, but she looked so beautiful.
"Paddy!" she ran up the few remaining steps and threw her arms around her neck. 
"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be married" he yelled happily as he spun her around.
"Whoa… put me down."
He laughed and sat her down.
"I couldn't do it. Paddy, I love you and I want to be with you. Paddy, I'm supposed to marry you."
He pulled her towards him and kissed her, gently at first, but then the kiss deepened. It was amazing.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, with a grin spread across her face.
"Leaving you a letter. It's under the door."
"I don't have my keys" she said, suddenly realizing that she was locked out of her house.
"Ahem... that's where I come in." Kim spoke up. She used the key Sunshine had given her as a spare and unlocked the door. 
"Kim, thanks." she gave her a huge hug. 
"You two go make up or whatever. I'll go take care of the guests and such." Kim said.
"Huh... ok." Kim laughed. The two were lost in each others eyes.
It read:
Sunshine,
I will always think of you as Sunshine. That name sums you up. You are bright and beautiful, like the sun, you can light up a room like the sun, and you warm my heart like the sun. It broke my heart today to watch you walk down the aisle toward another man. I love you with all my heart and at one time I thought that it wouldn't be possible for the two of us to be together and have lives where both of us would be happy, but today I wish that I didn't feel that way. I will always love you. Paddy

She sat there in silence for a minute and looked up at him. He watched her nervously. Her face broke into a huge smile and her smiled back.
"So what do you think, Sunshine?"
She stood up and walked across the room to where he was leaning up against the kitchen counter. She kissed him with all her might and "I love you, Michael Paddy Kelly and with all of my heart I believe that we can both live a happy life together."
"Good" he reached into his pocket and pulled something out. "That night you left two years ago, I had come home ready to ask you a really important question. I've played it over in my mind a thousand times how it could have happened, but asking you while you were in a wedding dress never happened in my head." He got down on one knee and took her left hand. He removed the engagement ring Stuart had given her and slid on the one he had picked out two years earlier. "Will you marry me?" he asked.
She smiled and said "Of course… and hey… I've already got the dress."

There was a knock on the door. Bob got up from his big leather chair and answered it.
"Hey! Kim, Sweet Pea and Paddy are here!" he hollered.
Kim came down the stairs.
"What are you two doing here? We just saw you an hour ago! You're supposed to be on your honeymoon" she chastised.
"I know" Sunshine said sheepishly " I just wanted to tell you two good-bye and well, to thank you for everything you've done."
"Me too" Paddy interjected "Without you getting in everyone's business Ms. Kim, we would have never gotten together again." 
Bob and Kim laughed. They all exchanged hugs and the newlyweds got in their car to leave.

Bob and Kim watched as the car backed out of the driveway.
"They're gonna be really happy, Kim, just like us" Bob said as he placed a kiss on his wife's lips.
"Yeah" she said in agreement.
They watched as the car drove out and sight and they were gone.

THE END