The Twelve Tables Ch. 16

Authors Note: My apologies for the delay in this chapter. My muse went walkabout and left me with no words to string into the web of this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you to everyone left comments or sent me feedback about previous chapters of this story. Thank you also to Margaret who proofread for me. ~ellie

*****

Peri and Andie had done some expert shopping that afternoon, and Peri had driven home in a rush, keen to put all of the preparations in place. Andie had had a great idea, but they had bantered back and forth perfecting it to Peri's liking.

Peri looked around at the back deck she was pleased with the effect the decorations had. She went in to continue preparing the meal. She knew, with her nausea, that cooking was not going to be in her immediate future, so she had opted for fresh seafood for the evening. She had sniffed the air at the fishmongers deeply before going ahead with her purchases. The evening she had planned was not going to go well if she was going to be sick from the smell of the food. She had opted for a non-alcoholic cider for herself and beer for Josh rather than their usual wine.

She looked at her watch and went to change. She dressed in a pair of his loose boxers and one of his shirts leaving the top two buttons undone. Andie had suggested some new lingerie, but Peri knew Josh's preference for loose more accessible clothes particularly his shirts and no bra. She was glad and walked comfortably back through the house making sure everything she needed was in place. Then she went to lay on the daybed and read until Josh got home. She dozed off while reading and woke with a start to the sound of the door opening and closing.

"Peri?" Josh called into the dimly lit rear of the house.

"Your home!" she smiled coming to her feet to greet him.

"You should have told me you had something prepared, I wouldn't have been so late," he held a bag of takeaway food. "I thought with your tummy and all I would grab something on the way for us."

"That's so thoughtful, but I have something special planned, will it keep?" she asked nervously.

"It's Chinese food, we can reheat it tomorrow," he dropped it to the bench and pulled her into his arms. "I wouldn't mind if we skipped dinner all together," his voice became husky as his hands travelled down her body.

"At the risk of sounding like a nagging woman, we need to talk first," she laughed and squirmed out of his arms.

"Uh oh, nothing good ever comes with those words," he grumbled following her into the kitchen.

"Here take these out to the deck," she passed him a beer and a small bottle of cider, continuing to laugh. "I have the first course all ready for us." She took the two small plates of natural oysters and followed him out taking a seat and smiling.

"You know you don't have to feed me aphrodisiacs to get into my pants," Josh laughed.

"I know, I'm already in them," she flipped the bottom of the shirt up.

"You always look better in my clothes than me," he laughed with her. "Between the food and your outfit, you better talk quick before I get totally distracted."

"Just eat," she laughed nervously sipping the cider Josh had poured into a glass for her. She had planned it all in her mind, exactly what she would say and how she would do it but now, here in the moment, she was suddenly very nervous. "How was the lunch with everyone?" She asked procrastinating.

"Maryanne wanted to confirm her engagement party dates for May when everyone is home for the gathering, and she is considering November for the wedding, assuming no one has anything else planned," he said warily. "Why don't you just tell me what you wanted to talk about. I'm starting to get worried," he said seriously.

"I'll just grab the next course, and then we'll talk," she said pleased that oysters on the half shell were a quick entrée.

"This cider is new? Is your stomach still giving you problems?" he asked concern heavy in his voice making her feel guilty for the big build up.

"Yeah, it's nice, try some," she said walking back out with a prawn and crab salad. She sat, and they began to eat. "What happens if you couldn't make it in November, I mean if something you couldn't change came up?" She said doing mental calculations in her head and frowning.

"I'd let Maryanne know, but there isn't much that I wouldn't change around for her wedding," Josh said easily. "She's the baby of the family and deserves her day to shine. She's been there for all of our big days so far."

"I guess it would have been hard having eleven older siblings to pick on her," Peri commiserated with her.

"Not really most of them were so much older than her they just gave her what she wanted most of the time. Nik picked on her the most because they had to share a room but boarding school fixed that and Nik had been thrown out of the best ones by the time Maryanne got there," Josh shrugged.

"I would have thought the Donati's would have had tutors and the like rather than boarding school," Peri mused idly.

"We did until we were old enough to board, then it was all about making connections with the right families and so on," he explained. "We had to be socialised to be able to fit into the society our parents were a part of."

"That makes sense I guess," she nodded. "That's how I got my job in the research dungeon, through connections at the university."

"Peri it's nice that you're interested in my family but seriously, tell me what's bothering you because I am starting to get more than a little worried now," Josh said in a pained voice as they were almost finished eating.

"You're right," she said nervously and took a sip of her drink. She stood and walked around to where Josh sat. She knelt down beside him smiling at his stunned expression and lifted a small leather box in her hand. "Joshua Craig Donati, will you marry me?" she asked

"Oh my God," he squealed in a high-pitched feminine voice. "Yes, yes, oh my god yes!" He snatched up the box and opened it, the funny voice and silly demeanour dropping as he took in the ring. The onyx and gold design was spectacular, and he was rendered speechless by the perfect square cut diamond that sat on a bed of Onyx in its setting. "This is amazing," he breathed. "I'll marry you tomorrow if that's what you want," he said pulling her up into his arms and kissing her.

"Maybe not tomorrow but I was hoping in a few weeks," she said softly disentangling herself from his arms and kissing his stunned expression. "Let me sit back down and I will explain," she murmured into the kiss.

"A few weeks," Josh said in confusion. "Why the rush? What aren't you telling me?" Panic and dread combined with his voice making his words sound harsh. His mind immediate went back to everything that had happened to her.

"It's nothing bad," she hastened to reassure him. "At least I hope it's not a bad thing. I'm not dying or anything like that." She saw him relax slightly, but his face still showed his dark emotions. "You see there was a side effect from my injuries," she paused and watched his face. "I'm fine," she reassured him again.

"What side effects?" Josh asked, the sick feeling in his stomach returning as she spoke slowly.

"Well, I have this little rod in my arm here," she pointed to the inside of her upper arm. "It got damaged somehow and stopped working," she explained carefully. "I didn't know, and no one thought much about checking on it, least of all me." She shrugged trying to read his face.

"Why do you have a rod in your arm exactly?" Josh asked not understanding the significance in the context of her injuries. She hadn't broken her left forearm and he didn't think any rods were inserted to heal it. He considered the possible side effects of a head injury despite the fact that she was talking about her arm.

"For birth control, you knew that didn't you?" she asked wondering if he had known.

"So it's not dangerous for you or anything," he let out a breath of relief. "Pete can probably fix it or give you a new one. We'll just have to be more careful until then," he said in relief. "You had me so worried. This was all about birth control?" he asked. "That can be fixed easily enough."

"I don't think you understand," Peri said softly. "This one has to be taken out, and I won't need another one for a least another nine months."

"Wait, what?" he exclaimed. He had been so focused on her recovery from her injuries that pregnancy had been the last thing on his mind.

"I'm having a baby, your baby," Peri said softly still unsure of his reaction.

"I'm gonna be a Papa?" he asked in bewilderment, and she nodded tears springing to her eyes thinking he wasn't happy about the prospect despite having spoken to her about starting a family right away once they were married. This just sped things along a little bit.

"I know it's not what we planned, and I didn't mean to fall pregnant, I just didn't know it had stopped working. Pete said there could be a few reasons why it didn't work anymore, but he wouldn't know for sure until he took it out," she babbled put off by his reaction to her news. "I want to be married before it comes Josh, it's important to me, will you still marry me?"

"I'm gonna be a Papa!" Josh burst out laughing and stood up gathering her into his arms. "This is amazing, this is wonderful, this is stupendous! Yes, yes, a thousand times yes, I want to marry you over and over again." He twirled her around and kissed her still laughing.

"Josh there's more," Peri said, but she was smiling and laughing with him now.

"More? How can there possibly be more?" he asked putting her carefully back down on her feet again. "Will I get a free set of steak knives too?"

"Possibly," she laughed.

*****

Two weeks later, Joseph stood with Charles in the hallway of his son's new house greeting people as they came through the door and directing them to the living area and back deck which would lead them to a temporary support structure put in place to extend the deck. While Josh and Peri had maintained that they only wanted immediate family and close friends to attend the house warming party, it had been difficult for Joseph to rein in his wife when Peri had asked her to help out, and the guest list blew out to include more than a few uncles and aunts as well.

"She can't possibly still be getting dressed," Lucia said to her father as she tried to move past him to enter Peri's bedroom. "I'll just see if she needs a hand."

"Good, you're here, get your Papa another beer like a good girl. I think your mother has forgotten I exist," he complained shaking his head.

"I'll get it," Dino said helpfully from his position a few feet further up the hall and turned to walk away.

"I think it's time for Josh's speech," Charles said, "Why don't you and Lucia go and gather everyone together and I will hurry up the lady of the house."

"Good idea," he said cheerfully and guided Lucia away from the door they had been blocking back into the gathering.

Charles watched them go and cracked open the door to Peri's room, "Just a few minutes now, are you ready?"

"I've been ready since the first guests arrived," Peri laughed. She smoothed out the ivory coloured evening gown she wore. It was simple but beautiful and highlighted her curvaceous figure. It was the only thing she hadn't shared with Josh about the party.

"You look gorgeous, baby," Andie grinned. "How are you feeling?" she asked cautiously.

"I'm good," she smiled placing a hand on her belly. "I'm nervous but not nauseous."

"Then let's go and enjoy your party, we've kept everyone waiting long enough for your entrance," Andie picked up a plain white box and Josh's jacket passing it through the door to Charles.

Stepping out of her room into the hallway to follow Andie and Charles to the other end of the house, Peri could hear Josh begin to thank everyone for coming. She was walking through the living area still shielded by Charles and Andie when Josh finally turned around to check on her progress. She could see him breathe a sigh of relief and smile as he turned back to the people gathered out on the deck and extended area.

"We've invited you all here not just to warm our home with your presence and good thoughts for our future together but also as witnesses to our commitment to each other as we join in wedded bliss," Josh went on as Peri finally stepped out from behind Charles and Andie to stand beside Josh. "With the blessing of our parents, we have invited Father Vincenzo to perform the ceremony today."

There were gasps and cries of delight as Antonia escorted the elderly priest to the front of the small crowd. In that his family held to the archaic law that the best man at a wedding would in the event of the husband's demise care for his widow, Josh and Peri had discussed who Josh would ask to stand with him and who would stand with her as their official witnesses.

"Thank you, everyone," Vincenzo addressed the small crowd raising his hands slightly to quiet the noise of surprise. "Those of you who are able please take a seat and those who are not, please make yourselves comfortable. Could we please have Dante Donati and Louisa Giles come to the front and join the wedding party?"

Andie stepped forward with the plain white box and as they were asked if they would be part of the wedding party, presented Josh and Dante with rose boutonnières and Peri and Louisa with flower garlands for their hair and small bouquets of ivory coloured roses.

The ceremony was short but sweetly romantic as Josh and Peri vowed to love honour and cherish each other forever and always while the sunset bathed them in beautiful colours. As Vincenzo pronounced them man and wife, Josh took her in his arms and kissed her passionately before Vincenzo could direct him to kiss his bride.

"You realise that this means I have to plot your murder," Dante smirked at his brother as they finished signing the registry and accompanying paperwork.

"So I can haunt you for all eternity?" Josh quipped chuckling.

"I could live with that," he shrugged.

The surprise wedding had been a big success with Josh's brother's congratulating him on escaping the formal rituals of a wedding day and all the trappings that went along with it. Carlo alone had grumbled but only because he had thought he would finally get the chance to be a best man when Josh got married and was disappointed. He cheered up considerably when Peri introduced him to the few friends she had invited that were single.

Having a buffet set up on the open deck Peri found that she could manage the small bouts of nausea she felt as the night went on. It seemed odd to her that rather than morning sickness she felt nausea most keenly in the evening.

"Just don't spin me," she said in a whispered giggle as Josh took her in his arms for the first dance.

"You will always be safe in my arms," Josh said gently and bent his head to kiss her as they slowly circled the makeshift dance floor.

Peri found she was passed around the dancefloor by almost every man who had been invited until she finally asked for a reprieve to get some water. She had seen that Josh too had danced with both of their mothers and other relatives and was still on the floor as she went in search of a cool drink. As if reading her mind Dante appeared before her holding a glass of iced water.

"Oh gosh, thank you! That's exactly what I needed," she said with a smile and took the glass gratefully.

"Part of the best man duties," he chuckled. "Come and sit for a few minutes you must be worn out."

"So it's a secret honeymoon Josh tells me," Dante said once they had taken a seat.

"We haven't planned to go away if that's what you mean. Being here away from everything and everyone has been like we've already had our honeymoon," Peri laughed. "We've done everything the wrong way around it seems."

"Everything?" Dante raised an eyebrow.

"Oh you know what I mean," Peri tried to make light of her gaffe. "House, living together and honeymoon all before the wedding."

"Mmhmm," Dante said suspiciously knowing she had been unwell and that she had seen Pete on a number of occasions recently. "This happened pretty fast are you sure this isn't a shotgun wedding?" he said only half joking and looking at her critically.

"Do you see any guns?" Peri laughed off his question and cast her eyes around for someone to come and interrupt their muted conversation.

"No, but if you give me a proper answer now, I won't have to go and spread the rumour by asking Josh in front of whoever he is talking to or dancing with," Dante pressed her on seeing her evade his question.

"Your mother was right when she said you were too clever for your own good," Peri huffed. "Don't tell anyone yet please, we don't know for sure if everything is okay. There have been some side effects from my injuries and such." She tried to downplay her concerns about the medications she'd been taking even though Pete had reassured her that everything would be fine.

"What sort of side effects," he asked in concern scowling at Josh, who was still on the dance floor.

"My birth control is not working for one," she giggled softly. "We didn't plan this," she reassured him as he turned his scowled on her and then back towards where Josh stood. "We didn't know it had stopped working until it was too late."

"You're happy about it though aren't you?" Dante asked concern still lacing his voice.

"Over-joyed," she laughed. "I don't think I have ever been happier than I feel today."

"Damn," Dante shook his head. "I've been looking for a reason to kill him since he made me best man." He said it seriously, but his sparkling eyes betrayed his dark humour.

"Don't dirty your hands. He's planning on building an airstrip out here and learning to fly. As if he wasn't crazy enough behind the wheel of a car," she advised Dante with a perfectly straight face.

Dante looked at her speechlessly for a moment then burst out laughing making those around them look over to see who it was.

"I think it might be time I reclaimed my beautiful bride. You two seem to be having way to much fun over here," Josh said extending his hand to Peri.

"Just doing the job you gave me and looking after her for you. Happy to step in any time you can't perform your husbandly duties," Dante teased. "She was just telling me that you were a good choice for a first husband."

"First and only," Josh chuckled good-naturedly and wrapped his arm around Peri's waist proprietorially. "Let's go cut the cake and then we can start the honeymoon."

"That sounds wonderful," she said taking his hand and walking to the table that held the three-tiered cake. Peri was happy that the whole event had gone perfectly, and the guests had been pleasantly surprised. She mingled with the guests as the cake was served and eaten noticing that no one seemed in a hurry to depart despite many having a long drive ahead of them.

"No one seems ready for the party to end," she whispered to Josh as they sat talking with Andreas and Marisol.

"They're waiting for us to leave," Josh whispered back with a grin.

"But we're not going anywhere, except our bedroom," she laughed.

"You didn't think I would miss out on taking my bride on a real honeymoon did you?" Josh asked with wide-eyed astonishment.

"But we agreed. What about the publishing house?" She began to protest.

"I never agreed. You just told me that you understood that we wouldn't be able to get away for a honeymoon right now and went on with the rest of your plans," he laughed. "Rick can handle things for a few days," he reassured her. "Are you ready to go?"

"No, I haven't packed or anything!" Peri gasped.

"Andie has packed for you and if she forgot anything I am sure we can get it where we are going," Josh said calmly.