My Saving Grace

Alexis felt as if her intestines were macramé-ing with intricate little motions as each gentle kiss was placed and each stroke of the thumb was brushed upon the ringed hand. It was torture in the worst and the best way and it took all of her self control not to ravish Izaak with kisses then and there. The months had been too long and unkind to her while away from Izaak and returning to his arms, where she belonged, made her happy in the most confusing of ways. So she had not explained what had happened last night with all the eloquence in the world but the fact that she had been able to form one sentence was surprising to her because all she wanted to do was laugh from her overly joyful mood and cry from what had been lost between them and between that she just wanted to hug and kiss and exchange words between her fiancé. It was all rather strange and she felt like a wreck of emotions despite the true happiness and love she did feel. She wondered if it was because of the full moon as it quickly approached or if it was because of Izaak Finch and all that she felt for him, about him and from him. It was a wonder that she wasn’t shaking and rattling in Izaak’s perfect hold or she thought it was. It had not sunken in completely that Alexis was back here with Izaak, never mind that she was his fiancée and one day she would be a Finch and her heart questioned her mind repeatedly. Was this really happening or was this a dream? Was Izaak not just a figment of her imagination? Had she not just died instead of being cursed for the rest of her life and was this her version of heaven?

Watching as the Finch siblings hugged and speak short words she couldn’t quite hear or understand from the muffling of the loud heart thuds in her ear drums, Alexis smiled. The smile was affectionate in nature and simple and as always it touched her eyes with the proof of her overwhelming green hues in her eyes. This green stayed in her gaze as she was pulled in for a hug with her best friend. She had noticed a small exchange as she was hugged but only truly realized that instead of Leah, she was hugging her love, when she felt the warm breaths breeze past her skin and swarm her with the familiar sounds of his voice. Instantly the jittery heart that had been overwhelmed by all the people soothed and Alexis could hear Izaak tell her he loved her, to which she slowly sighed a response that was similar to his words and yet barely comprehendible. Inching in closer, even though one would suggest that it was impossible, Alexis groaned as Izaak’s lips spoke about hunger rather then kissed her own. But she was hungry too so she laughed and nodded, forgetting all about the small amount of cold cuts that had been strewn onto the plate carelessly and took a step forward, following Izaak until a small tug at her jeans was taken.

Turning her head to the side curiously, she looked down at the blonde boy whose height was at her mid-thigh. Despite Jay’s youth, he was a striking resemblance to both his uncle and her love and his mother. She laughed softly, bending down to his height and spoke to him. “You know I missed you right Jay? Well, to celebrate coming back to see my favorite boy, we’re going to get some ice cream, all of us. And you can buy what ever you want because you have twenty pounds.” Kissing the top of the little boy’s head, she took out the money from her pocket and held her hand open for his stubby fingers to take the quickly made gift. “But first, breakfast, don’t want Izaak’s stomach to break the house down,” she joked as she held out a hand for the boy to take as she stood back up to her full length so they could walk into the kitchen together. Alexis was certain Jay did not understand that she was to be his Aunt in some time but she simply adored the small child and every little mannerism and personality trait he seemed to have learned from Leah and Izaak, the two people who had stolen her heart so easily. Feeling only a small tinge of guilt because Leah would have a five year old boy that would be all sugared out before the day was over, she glanced over her shoulder and shrugged softly. It had been the only thing she could think of in that short amount of time.
 
Jay Finch excitedly fawned over the money he had been handed, he was rarely given notes and although this one wasn’t of the colourful calibre of Australian currency there was no mistaking its obvious value. He gushed with wide-eyed wonder at Alexis before turning to hold the money up for Leah to see. “Wow, did you say thank you to Aunty Lexis?” The young boy nibbled at his bottom lip and reached up to hug the young woman by the hips. “Thank you Aunty Lexis.” He murmured musically, taking the ‘aunty’ as just another affection and not quite thinking, or rather understanding how literal it truly was. “Hear that Izaak? I’m her favourite boy.” And with that he poked his tongue out cheekily at his uncle. There had always been a joking rivalry between them over Alexis’ affections. Jay was six; all he cared for were toy cars and ice cream cones, relationships counted for nothing of his attention but it was fun teasing his uncle, he always had the best time.

“But first, breakfast, don’t want Izaak’s stomach to break the house down,” With a cheeky huff of a sigh, Jay grinned wildly up at Alexis, casting only the smallest and slyest of gazes towards Izaak before continuing in a hushed and secretive whisper to her, "When we were going to Byron Bay Mummy said it would have brake’ded the car if we didn’t stop at McDonalds.” Pulling away Jay laughed chirpily at the tall man now staring right down at him though unintimidated, he tapped a finger against his lips to let her know it was a secret to his uncle. But feeling the note crumpled in his hand, Jay suddenly became eager for the ice cream he had been promised and began to pull Alexis with Izaak naturally in tow. But something seemed to catch his eye as he did so, something that had caught a ray of sunlight and sparkled spectacularly beneath it. “That’s a pretty ring.” The young boy observed, staring transfixed at the piece of jewellery on his Aunty’s finger as he led the both of them towards the kitchen.
 
Alexis' eyes flashed with joy as she was called 'Aunty' by the young boy. She knew he didn't know that she actually would be his aunt in due time but it felt great to hear the title from the little boy because she knew that he felt she was a part of his family already. Then again, she always had been like the unofficial aunt. Sparing a glance to Izaak over her shoulder, she smiled at him, letting him know with just her eyes how happy she was to become a Finch; to become his wife. Looking back towards Jay she laughed softly at the boy jesting with his uncle, the young boy was exactly like her love and it amused her so. "That's right, I love you best," she said playfully to the young boy as she ruffled his hair with the palm of her hand.

As Jay seemed to lean in to say something, Alexis listened curiously, only to laugh in amusement at his words. As the two pulled away from their secret she watched the little boy put a finger to his lips and she mirrored the image with a nod and a playful wink to the boy. Standing up once more, she was instantly tugged towards the kitchen and she grinned, once again looking over her shoulder to Izaak and mouthed, "I love you." It wasn't a secret by any means but she put a finger over her lips just to play around with Jay's actions.

“That’s a pretty ring.” Returning her gaze to Jay and then to her finger that held the ring on it, Alexis smiled brightly and eagerly. "I think so too. Izaak gave it to me yesterday. Do you want to know what it means?" she asked softly, uncertain if the young boy actually knew that she was really going to be his Aunty one day.
 
His stomach made sure its demands were heard, drawing Izaak to groan as via Alexis, he was stopped in his tracks by his nephew. Of course it would have been logical to let his fiancée negotiate with Jay whilst he grabbed breakfast from the kitchen but since their reunion last night the couple had scarcely left one another’s side. After they re-familiarised with each other of course they’d become a little less physically clingy but for now, Izaak didn’t even have to think twice about keeping her by his side, it were almost as if Alexis was a permanent fixture like an extra limb of sorts. So no matter how much his rowdy stomach protested she was coming to him with the kitchen and that was final. Izaak’s attention was focused much less on his hunger however as wide eyes teeming with azure observed her conversation with Jay. By the toothy grin silly on his lips and the excited shine in his eyes the young boy was clearly enrapt by (unbeknownst to him) his soon-to-be Aunty. And Izaak could think of no better girl to have his babies. There was no cloud of uncertainty in his mind; Alexis would make a wonderful mother, someday, when the two of them were ready to put such a spin on their lives.

What need did they have for children right now anyway whilst Jay was keeping them on their toes with his hilariously adorable remarks? Between him and Kobe, they were trouble enough. By now his lover and his nephew were sharing a secretive exchange in whispers and with arms drawn across his chest, Izaak took a defiant but grinning stance above them. It was a secret that obviously had no shot at being spared but knowing Jay and the ways in which a six year old’s mind worked, it wouldn’t be that scandalous anyway. So he grinned and allowed himself to be pulled to the kitchen as well only to see Alexis glance over her shoulder and mouth that she loved him. The shape of his azure eyes squinted in affection and he placed his finger to his own lips, mouthing the very same words beneath it with a smile.

The engagement ring soon came into the conversation and Izaak wondered how a child with an eye like a magpie for all things shiny, had not noticed it sooner. “Do you want to know what it means?" The young man smiled down at his fiancée as his nephew nodded eagerly in his peripheral vision. Jay had never thought that rings could mean anything, to him they were just another piece of girly jewellery. With a knowing smile Izaak lifted his nephew up into his arms and continued to walk to the kitchen with Alexis by his side and Leah close behind. “You know how Lexis and I love each other very much?” Setting Jay down on the kitchen counter, Izaak heard him say something along the lines of “not as much as she loves me” and could not help but chuckle at the fierce determination of his nephew to have Alexis all to himself. “Yes well, I gave her that ring when I asked her to marry me.” Jay had never had the chance to witness a marriage, not one in his immediate family anyway. But Izaak was sure he copped an earful of it from the little girls in his class that fantasized over such things.

“So you’re actually going to be my aunty?” The little boy asked with his inherited blue eyes wide as he gazed over at Alexis for a conformation. Izaak merely smiled slyly and wrapped himself around his fiancée, holding a kiss to her jaw lovingly as he stood directly behind her though unable to take his eyes away from the antics of his nephew.
 
Alexis watched as Izaak scooped up the small child in his arms and wondered briefly if he would ever be able to do the same with a child of their own. She wanted to believe desperately that being pregnant when you were a Werewolf wasn’t more dangerous then falling down a flight of stairs but she knew the truth. It had been in her readings and it was simply common sense. Maybe when they wanted children they would adopt or get a surrogate mother… It was a little early to think of such things but she knew she wanted to have her love’s babies sometime or another and was certain that he wanted the same thing but now it was too fresh. Besides just last night they had been engaged. As they entered the kitchen, Alexis stood beside Izaak and chuckled gently at Jay’s response to Izaak, “That’s right.” Winking playfully at the little boy, she curled her arms around Izaak’s own and rested her head lightly on his shoulder.

Yawning, the lids to Alexis’ hazel orbs slid shut gently and a bright smile pressed onto her lips as Izaak explained to Jay that it was an engagement ring. Opening her eyes at Jay’s question she smiled and answered, “Yes I am.” As the girl smiled, she could feel Izaak shift so he held her close to him and she curled her body closer to him, but finding that there was simply no way. Turning slightly towards Izaak after his lips touched her cheek and wrapped her arms around his waist but kept herself slightly turned towards Jay.

Taking a moment to look towards Leah, Alexis could feel joyful tears form in her eyes. This was her family. Leah was her sister-in-law and Jay was her nephew and Izaak was going to be her husband. This marriage, she felt, would make their family whole again. “Uh I’m an emotional wreck, sorry,” she said as she wiped her eyes free of tears that threatened to spill from her soft eyes. The hand that had wiped away the tears found its way to Jay’s head gently and asked, “Are you okay with being my nephew?” She knew he would be but it was only right to ask and even if he did mind she was sure she was not going to reconsider her answer. Alexis loved Izaak Jay Finch and it had been proven from their time apart, she could not live without him. To attempt such a thing would be suicide; slow and painful suicide and she had no intention of doing that to herself. As Alexis waited for Jay's answer her hand wrapped around Izaak once more, allowing her to inch in closer.
 
To love and to be loved triggered the best feelings in the world and neither Izaak or Alexis were strangers to that. But between his infidelity and her infatuation with a certain Zaire Adams, the once so estranged couple had never caught a break long enough to embrace it fully. Now, back together and stronger than ever, they had their entire lives with each other to relish it. The thought caused Izaak’s head to spin; each and every day for the rest of his presumably long and healthy life he’d wake up beside this extraordinary strawberry blonde in his arms and think to himself just how much of a lucky bastard he truly was. A whole lifetime, it would be a feat for sure and a certain one at that. He had Alexis now, and he was not ever letting her slip through his fingers again.

The tears that began to crowd and glass her green-flecked irises crowned Izaak’s expression with a sliver of a smile, only because he knew why they were there. Twenty-four hours ago he never would have thought that he’d end up getting to propose to his love but with a ring in hand she had turned up on his doorstep and here they were now, engaged and standing in their kitchen together. It was a wonder that they weren’t dumb-founded enough to render their ability to speak. In a gesture of comfort his lips ghosted over the porcelain skin on Alexis’ cheek once his hips had been pressed to hers, holding the couple in an almost face-to-face hug yet still allowing her the room to converse with his nephew. The answer that Jay returned was all that Izaak had expected; a beaming smile and a gushed ‘yup’. The little boy adored Alexis after all, when would he ever turn down the opportunity to include her into his family? They were family now, a real family. These tiny epiphanies kept winding Izaak at every given minute but he did not mind in the very least.

Grinning, Izaak cupped a palm against the side of his fiancée’s face and swivelled her attention back in his direction with a roll of his striking blue eyes. “Like you even needed to ask.” But from there he did not halt his slow advances, instead he leant down to brush his nose against hers gently in an Eskimo kiss and allow a chuckle to breeze past his lips. Of course with a six year old nearby, the young couple were bound to be left in the lurch for their time alone but Izaak barely noticed as he scrambled down from the counter top to fetch the bread and the Vegemite from the pantry. “Izaak Jay, your nephew.” He heard his sister smile and responded with a groan to look over at Jay as he attempted to operate the toaster. Throwing Alexis a smile and another playful roll of his eyes, Izaak let his arms fall from around her so he could make the toast that he assumed his nephew was trying to prepare for him. “Thanks buddy.” With ease he lifted Jay back onto the bench top and scrubbed and a appreciative hand through his hair before turning to Alexis. “Did you want some of this or...” Though the little voice piped up once more. “So I get a cousin too?” Aunties, uncles and cousins were supposed to all go together; at least that’s what Izaak thought might be processing through the six year old’s mind. Azure eyes moved from his nephew to his lover and decided with an amused shake of his head in her direction that he’d leave this one to her.
 
A smile matching her future nephew’s pressed onto Alexis’ lips at his response. Looking to Izaak, her eyes lit up with love and she could feel butterflies flutter around in her stomach as it had been since she had woken up to her love’s side. The tender touch to her cheek molded her smile into one that expressed her awe and love for the person standing before her. “Mmm,” she said as she closed her eyes as Izaak gave her an Eskimo kiss before she responded playfully, “I didn’t, I just love hearing how much people love me.” With a sly grin she added, looking for Izaak to tell her the words she had longed for for so long, “Oh look, it’s about that time.” However, before Izaak could tease her for what she had said as she figured he would, Leah piped in. A temptation to say “Leah Samantha, your son” washed over her as Izaak dropped from her because she wanted to be selfish with her fiancé’s time but she didn’t, only smiled and watched as Izaak spoke to the six-year-old. At Izaak’s question, Alexis remembered that she had brought out some cold-cuts into the living room and opened her mouth to tell him she was alright and would just run at get them but her words were caught in her throat.

“So I get a cousin too?” Alexis looked to Izaak and she coughed uncomfortably before she playfully glared at Izaak. “No sweetie. Maybe in the future but I’d have to talk to a Healer first and…” Alexis trailed off gently, stopping herself from speaking further into the topic so she told Jay what would be in place of herself having a baby at nineteen. “But you’ll have a sister and brother-in-law and I have a niece who I guess would be your cousin, I’m not really certain,” she said with a laugh of uncertainty. Looking from Jay to Izaak to Leah she grinned as warmth rose to her cheeks, dusting them with a rose hue. Alexis wasn't exactly ready for children and she wasn't even certain if she could have them now but she did want them, whether it was through adoption or her own children (which she would prefer but due to her condition it could be very much impossible).

Moving closer to Jay she wrapped her arms around the small child. “Besides, you just got a baby brother.” Alexis knew that Jay and Leah didn't see Gabriel very much, if at all but she was trying to keep the pressure from her thoughts of the possibility of there not being a possibility to have children with her husband-to-be. Besides, she had just gotten engaged! The pressure was a little much for her at the moment. “Oh, Izaak would you mind making me some toast? Sans Vegemite.” Alexis wasn't a particular fan of the brown paste but was still hungry, so she flashed her love a smile as she ruffled the little boy's blonde locks lightly. Looking from Izaak to Leah after their gaze had met, she said to her best friend, “Are you gonna say 'I told you so'?” Skipping happily from Jay to Leah she embraced the girl tightly. Her best friend in the world was going to be her sister-in-law! This was perfect and she had a feeling that it was going to get even better for herself and her love, how she wasn't sure but she could feel it deep in her gut. “I've missed you soooooo much!” she exclaimed to her best friend, with a wild grin as she pulled away from the tight hug to give the girl another once more.
 
It was often when Leah watched her younger brother and Alexis share embraces or kisses that she was taken by the urge to quip them about getting a room. But each and every time she held her tongue and simply grinned instead. Having the two of them back together seemed to be the final piece of the puzzle; she had her wonderful Fletcher, and her sons (it broke her heart to see him but she did try and visit Gabriel), she had her sturdy support system in her brother and now he was giving her the best gift imaginable; her very best friend for a sister in law. Every time the thought came forth in her mind, the young woman could barely contain her jittery excitement. And like she was sure Izaak and Alexis felt, she could not for a moment believe that the two of them were engaged to be married. It had nothing to do with the fact that her little brother, almost seven years her junior, would be wed before her. Nor did her reasons retain any amount of jealousy, not now anyway. And even though Leah had somewhat seen it coming, it couldn’t have surprised her anymore than it did.

Jay seemed relatively unrivetted in comparison to his mother. Sure he was excited but he was six years old, he wouldn’t grasp the entire situation with that inquisitive little mind of his. Instead he resorted to his questions in the typical manner of a young child and asked them with such a degree of innocence that no adult would ever be able to pull off. Even questions of a cousin were nowhere near as demanding as they could have been if Leah herself or anyone but Jay for that matter had asked them. Even so, Alexis grew uncomfortable and at the word of a Healer the fair woman was quick to remember why. Being as close as she was to the both of them, Leah knew that they had been hoping for children somewhere in the distant future when they had been together last but now things had changed and things weren’t quite as possible as they had been before. Her heart went out to her friend as she could do nothing but begin to imagine how awful this ordeal truly was. But Alexis took the question in her stride and made a reasoning conversation with her ever eager son. If not a mother, she’d still make the best aunty in the world.

“Are you gonna say 'I told you so'?” Leah chuckled slyly and rolled her azure eyes up at her friend in the moment before she was tucked giggling and grinning into a tight embrace. “Well next time you’ll listen to your best friend, won’t you silly? I mean, you two could have been married by now if you’d have just believed me.” There was a teasing tone in her voice as she jabbed her fingers into Alexis’ sides, cracking onto their young age as she jarred them about marriage. But she could not help an excited squeal once her friend had conveyed just how much she had missed her. “You have no idea! I mean now we can actually do things together without having to travel halfway across the world! Shopping at the Junction, having lunch together, going dancing… Surfing! I’ve finally got you back! And you’ll finally, finally get to meet my Fletcher! Ahh, I love you Alexis Marie!” The twenty-seven year old was practically bouncing in circles as she held her best friend in another tight embrace, unaware that the toast had popped or that both Izaak and Jay were watching on with bemused smirks, clearly puzzled by the enthusiasm women tended to take on in these situations.
 
Alexis laughed with her friend as she teased her but laughed harder as she was poked in the side, tickling her. “Oh Lee,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Nineteen and twenty is a little too young, still,” she said, looking over to Izaak to gage his response to her words but she was sure that there was no way she would actually get married at nineteen, besides her family would never let her anyway. Mmm, I should talk to them, she thought as she crinkled her nose at her thoughts, knowing that with telling her family of the good news, the bad news would come. It wasn’t exactly something she was prepared for yet, but it had to happen and soon. Shifting her gaze from her love back to Leah as her blonde friend spoke, Alexis smiled. “Oh god! I can’t wait to go surfing again!” she said eagerly, jumping with her best friend in circles. “I can’t wait to meet him! Eeep! I love you too Leah Samantha!”

“Be my maid-of-honour!” Alexis blurted out. Leah was her best friend and her sister-in-law to-be and there was no way she was not going to have someone other then Leah being her maid-of-honour on her most important day of her life. Looking at Leah expectantly, she could feel a grin of silly proportions find its way onto her lips. Running her fingers through her red hair as a make-shift comb while she waited for her friend to answer, expecting that she would say some version of an excited 'yes'.

lame sorry.
 
It went without saying that a marriage more often than not included the births of sons or daughters and it was naturally concluded that one day he and Alexis would not be an exception to this. They had spoken about it before in fact, well over a year ago when he had brought home the life-changing news that he was going to be a father and to a child that didn’t belong to her in the least. Of course Cassie had never quite made it into the world; instead her journey had been sliced heartbreakingly short. But even as he thought of her on days such as these it was hard to imagine her ever having been born at all. Would he have been with Isabella now if she had? That too was a difficult image to conjure in his mind, now that he had settled his heart dotingly on the wonderful young woman exchanging words and smiles with his nephew. It was not one that he wanted to dwell on either, knowing now that Alexis was the only girl he was supposed to wed, make babies with and grow old with together side-by-side, hand-in-hand.

As for children, the two of them would figure something out. Not now, now was too soon to have the wedding let alone a family, they hadn’t even been engaged for twenty-four hours yet. But the thought was one that he kept safe in the back of his mind because for the two of them to fulfil the dreams they had scratchily relayed to one another, would be amazing. Taking to the toaster then to take his own two slices out and slip Alexis’ in, Izaak found himself amused and yet oddly excited himself by his fiancée and his sister’s ecstatic squeals. Jay was just a tad puzzled as he watched his mother bounce around like a thirteen year old and fired out questions in whispers to his Uncle as he kept one suspicious eye on the two women. “They’ve gone crazy.” He finally concluded out loud with a curt nod of his head. But for Izaak, the excitement was beginning to catch as well. “Be my maid-of-honour!” The room had fallen silent, there was a sparkle unlike any other he had ever seen before in Leah’s azure eyes and for the space of a heartbeart she seemed like she might burst into tears. But the silence was shattered with squeals of yes’s and of course’s. As he watched the two embrace tightly, as he saw the tears finally slip from his sister’s shimmering eyes, Izaak could not have been more content. They had finally got there, all three of them and they had come a long long way since the winter of his graduation.

The mention of a maid-of-honour spark a train of thought within Izaak and he began to think about the wedding itself and all that it entailed. Guests, invitations, dresses, suits, the bouquet, the cake, catering, marquees, the reception... The list could go for a mile and admittedly it intimidated the young man a little. But if they stayed true to the nature of their sex, chances are Alexis and Leah wouldn’t let him near the wedding plans. As long as he had a ring on his finger and a wife in his arms by the end of it though, Izaak would be euphoric. Leah was sniffling and wiping tears from her eyes as he approached the two of them with his fiancée’s toast on a plate in his hand, but the smile on her lips did not waver once. Izaak pressed the plate into his lover’s hands and squeezed her tight to him. “Eat, beautiful.” He pressed his lips gently to his fiancée’s temple and observed Leah’s smile grow as she hiccupped, “Wait. Only if you’ll be mine.” Izaak could not help but grin madly at their likeness to little girls in the school yard fantasising about a day that, unbeknownst to them, was still many tears and many boys away. But of course, this was reality.
 
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