CARBO FANFICTION- FALLEN PART 23

Taking her by the hand, Bo led Carly to the upper deck. After the ceremony, they had to pose for several photos, share their first dance as a married couple, cut the cake and listened to speeches from Roman, Shawn Douglas, Melanie and then Caroline. After more dancing, Bo wanted to be alone with his bride.

Drawing Carly into his arms, they moved in time to the music, eyes on each other. ‘Have I told you how much I love you?’ Bo asked softly.

Carly smiled at him. ‘Not nearly enough, no.’

‘My mistake. I love you, Mrs. Brady. Very much.’

‘Mrs. Brady, how wonderful that sounds.’ Her fingers linked behind his neck, looking up at him intently. ‘And you’re the most wonderful man in the world, you’ve always been.’

Bo’s arms tightened round her waist, touched by the heartfelt words and the love in her eyes. ‘And?’

‘And kind, caring, utterly selfless and you’re the love of my life.’

‘And?’

Carly saw the teasing glint in his eyes and laughed. ‘I’m not going to give you a swell head, Bo Brady!’

Chuckling Bo kissed her again, possessively and Carly returned it, clinging to him. ‘I love you,’ she whispered after it ended. ‘And I’m so happy. Finally marrying you, finally going to share my life with you in the truest sense. Definitely not what I imagined when I came back.’

‘Things turned out differently and in a good way.’ Bo replied. ‘The night I was at The Java feeling sorry for myself, there you were. Even then I thought about how you happened to be there, at that time.’

‘Just like the time you happened to be at the café in Alamainia, and saving me from Lawrence even though I was a complete stranger. And then seeing you again in Salem, in the middle of your grief.’

 ‘Yeah,’ Bo’s expression was rueful as he vividly remembered the encounter on his pier. ‘I went away angry but you were already on my mind. And I was scared of falling in love with you and almost threw away happiness. That day you flat lined and Dr. Horton pronounced you dead, I rode off to Green Oakes. I was so angry and heartbroken… and felt so cheated, thinking about the fight we had before you got called to the hospital.’

‘It was my fault,’ Carly said tearfully. ‘I had no right to accuse you of resenting Nicky.’

‘No… no… it wasn’t your fault; don’t say that.’ Bo placated her. ‘It wasn’t. You just wanted make up for the lost years, you couldn’t know Lawrence was egging Nicky on like that, using him against us. If there’s anyone to blame, it’s Lawrence. And he’s dead; he can’t hurt you or come between us ever again.’

‘I know.’ Carly nodded again.  

‘Fate’s a whole lot kinder to us this time. We’re together, for good. Don’t you ever believe otherwise.’

‘I won’t, ever again.’ Carly promised. ‘Bo, can you do something for me?’

‘Of course, princess. What is it?’

‘Say the Mayan prayer to me, please. The second part.’

Stroking Carly’s cheek, Bo recited softly: 

‘‘I know now that the voice of man can reach to the sky

I know now that the gods have heard as I prayed

I know now that the gifts I asked for have all been granted

I know now that the word of old we truly have heard

I know now that our future days will have no number

I know that only good will come, my love, to us.’’

The last word faded off as his lips met hers again.

As soon as The Blue Pearl docked, they exchanged heartfelt hugs with their family and friends, thanking them all for celebrating such a special day with them. Marcus was the last to hug Carly, once again congratulating her.

 Before they walked down the gangplank, Carly tossed the bouquet and they hurried down hand in hand to the waiting limousine in a hail of rice and rose petals, everyone waving at them frantically.

In the car, Carly brought something out of her white purse; Bo’s jade ring from their symbolic Mayan wedding. After staring at it, unable to speak, Bo gave it to Carly and held out his right hand. Carly slid it onto his third finger.

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The bedroom was dark except for the flickering flames of the candles. After their impassioned lovemaking, Bo and Carly lay against each other under the sheets; swimming in blissful afterglow.

‘Are you asleep, princess?’ Bo whispered after several minutes of silence.

‘No… just resting my eyes.’ Carly murmured, rubbing his chest.

Bo kissed the top of her head, his hand moving down her naked back. ‘It’s like we’re back at the hut.’

‘Our hut,’ Carly smiled in the dark, eyes still closed. ‘I always remember our hut and that night; the happy feeling it was just the two of us in our own special world. Corazon Del Cielo.’

‘“The heart of heaven.”” Bo translated, also smiling at the memory. ‘It sure felt like it, after everything we went through because of Victor. I could finally call you mine and make you mine.’

‘That’s where we are right now; in the heart of heaven.’ Carly replied, still rubbing his chest.

‘And it’s always going to stay like this, princess; for the rest of our lives.’

Nicholas had surprised Bo and Carly with first class tickets to Cancun and said he booked a bungalow at a marvelous hotel there- all-expense paid- insisting it was his wedding gift to them. Knowing how much his stepson wanted to atone for the past, Bo had joined Carly in thanking him sincerely. They were going to set off for Cancun in the morning. Carly especially, couldn’t wait to see their beloved Chichén Itza again after so many years.

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Two years later

‘Caitlin Alice Melissa Horton, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.’

Bo and Carly watched as Father Matt made the sign of the cross over the forehead of their granddaughter before handing her over to her godmothers, Maggie and Chelsea; Caitlin’s godfathers were Max and Brady.

Carly held her granddaughter at the end of the ceremony, smiling down at the rosy cheeked, green eyed baby. ‘She’s so beautiful, just like her mummy.’ She said.

Melanie grinned. ‘I got that from you, Mum.’

 ‘Maybe the next one will look like me,’ Nathan suggested.

Melanie gave him a playful swat on the arm while Bo watched Carly as she held their first grandchild; smiling at the happy expression on her face. Two years of marriage and they were still as close as two people deeply in love could be and more than happy. Fate was definitely been kinder to them this time around, the shadows of the past firmly behind them.

‘Here, let me hold her,’ Caroline said and Carly placed the baby into her arms. ‘Oh… aren’t you a precious little thing!’ she murmured, everyone exclaiming over the child. Justin was present with Adrienne, having long made up with her and finally got Bo and Carly to forgive him. Victor was another story however. He was yet to warm towards Carly and Melanie, Melanie especially; still unable to forget his son had a romantic relationship with a girl who turned out later to be his granddaughter. Melanie and her parents could care less about him or his opinions hence didn’t bother inviting him to Caitlin’s baptism. Besides, there was another reason to celebrate that day and his presence would only ruin things for everybody.

At Bo and Carly’s house, the guests sang “Happy Birthday” to Carly; Melanie setting down a large cake with lit candles in front of her.

‘Make a wish, make a wish!’ Ciara urged, clapping her hands.

‘Yeah, go on Carly!’ Shawn Douglas added.

Smiling, Carly blew the candles amidst a round of applause. Later that night, when they were alone, Carly told Bo what she wished for. ‘Many more years with you and our family.’

‘I certainly second that, princess. Which reminds me,’ he took out a small box from the nightstand and gave it to Carly. ‘Happy birthday, with all my love.’

‘Oh Bo…’ Carly’s eyes filled with tears as she pulled out the white-gold chain. Dangling from it was a star shaped diamond pendant, as beautiful as the first one he gave her so long ago. ‘The North Star, which guides the weary traveller home.’ she sniffled, hugging Bo. ‘I love it and I love you.’

‘I love you too, princess.’ Bo’s kiss was that of heartfelt tenderness. Taking it from her, he clasped it round her neck, the pendant glittering in the light.

‘You aren’t still sad we never had another child, are you?’ he asked, as they lay on the bed; arms round each other. Nursing a faint hope she might be able to conceive again, Carly had consulted one of the doctors at the hospital. But after going through some tests, she was gently told it just wasn’t possible.

‘No. I feel a bit down sometimes when I think about it but then I remember what I already have; our Melanie and Shawn D, Ciara and even Chelsea. And now we have a granddaughter. So no… I’m not sad at all. I’m happy with what I have. Especially you, sailor.’

‘I’m really glad to hear that, I don’t ever want to see you unhappy.’

‘I’m more than happy,’ she whispered, staring at the hazel eyes looking back at her.

‘Remember what I told you on the first day of our honeymoon?’

‘I remember,’ she stroked his cheek.  ‘“Once Fallen, Now Blessed.”’’

‘So we are princess; now and forever.’ 

                            THE END