The mansion was a place which provided home and comfort for all mutants who needed a safe haven. On top of that, it was a place that would provide those who were denied a traditional education, a place where they could safely learn and grow and become functioning members of society. It wasn’t all classes on controlling mutations or combat ability. The mansion also provided a more well rounded education such as the arts, science, and math; and yes, even those subjects that were more mundane such as swimming.

When the call came in, Jorge was more than happy to take part. The usual swim instructor, a Mr. Grant, a last minute emergency out of state and needed a replacement on the fly. Who else could have been more suited for the job than a man who could manipulate water? Jorge had some experience in the classroom, but mostly those were police talk (i.e. say no to drugs, follow the rules, etc.) but none involved swimming. This would be an experience.

So far the class consisted of only a few students. It was beginning level stuff for teenagers, mainly. The class was small, only five or so, and they weren’t completely hopeless. Only a thirteen year old by the name of Samantha was having trouble working her way into the water beyond just dipping her feet in. He understood her dear, which was why he didn’t push her, but she still needed to try.

Standing off to the side, stopping in his patrol of the edge, Jorge was dressed in scarlet and gold swim trunks and a loose, white tank top. Despite his age, the man was clearly still very well fit, he had even gained some of his muscle back after being fished out of the water over a year ago. His rich, caramel skin had tanned a crisp color, and his black and gray beard and mustache added to his aged, yet extinguished look. Upon his nose was balanced a dark, black sunglasses to keep the rays of the sun off. The man almost looked like an extra from Baywatch.

Still, the man djdn’t care if he looked like a cliché. He was comfortable. It was his day off from the station, he was working with the mansion kids, he was happy. This infectious smile on his lips continued as he made his way to young Samantha who continued to jab at the water with her toe. He tilted his head as he watched her.

”You know, if you want to learn to swim it takes more than just poking water, right?” he wasn’t trying to be mean, more he was just trying to break through her nervousness. ”You don’t need to be scared of it. I won't anything happen to you.”

His warm look made the young girl smile shyly and dip her head. “Y-yeah. Thanks Professor Cervantes. Just…scared.”

He nodded. ”Ok. Well, let's take it one step at a time.”

Taking a breath, Jorge raised his hands, turning his palms and manipulating a section of water before the student. Students watched in awe and Jorge parted the smallest section of water, just enough for Sam to stand in and only get her ankles wet. When he had parted the water enough, he smiled to the young woman and gestured for her to climb in. She looked at him awkwardly before she gulped, nodded, and climbed in. Only when she did did Jorge slowly bring the water back, bringing it up to get knees, then thighs, them elbows, and so on until Samantha started to float – a sensation that immediately brought her panic. However, with a calming word, Jorge confined to slowly bring up the water.

”Just breathe, kid. You're ok. Hold onto the ledge and just let yourself float,” he waited as Samantha did as he instructed, and grinned when she started to float and shot him a beaming smile. ”See? You're safe. Just travel along the edge for now and get used to it, ok?”

“Ok! Thank you, professor! “

Jorge nodded his head and crossed hours arms over his chest. He moved on, traveling along the ledge, checking each student. Everyone seemed to be doing well, except for a pair of boys who were busy icing more more reason to splash one another. Not wanting it to descend into a fight, he put on his stern voice.

”Ten minutes left in your exercise. Get ‘em done.” he then eyed the boys closely. ”You two. Last warning. You don't stop and I’m calling Ms. Taylor, got it?”

That got them. He smirked in satisfaction and returned to patrol along the pool side.

Gemma liked making lists. It was the only thing that kept her afloat on all her daily tasks, running administration for the school, keeping up with students, being a mother... and, recently, organizing a wedding. While Jorge did his fair share of the work, there were still things Gemma needed to keep an eye on. Of all of her tasks (except for raising Chase), this one was definitely the most enjoyable. She had managed to avoid becoming a complete bridezilla. It was not her first wedding, and neither her nor Jorge were the type to make it into some ridiculously extravagant shindig. And yet, she found that she got a warm and fuzzy feeling from planning the details. Sometimes, like now, she would go find her fiancé to get his approval of the plans.

She located Jorge at the Mansion pool, running a swim class for some of the students.

>>”You two. Last warning. You don't stop and I’m calling Ms. Taylor, got it?”

"Uh-oh, that sounds serious." Gemma chuckled, stopping just far enough that Jorge would not be blocked by her aura. If he needed to use his powers to help the kids, she did not want to interfere with that. She smiled warmly at Jorge, holding a stack of notes under one arm. He looked attractive as ever, and a lot healthier than when he got out of the hospital. "How is the lesson going?"

>> "Uh-oh, that sounds serious."

The voice of the school’s guidance counselor cut through the air like a clap of thunder. It was a voice that demanded respect from colleagues and students alike. Most cringed at it, other’s steered clear of it, for Jorge Cervantes, the sound brought a smile to his lips. It was the voice of one of his most favorite in the world, the woman with whom he was suffered being dispersed amongst the ocean, for. The voice of the woman with him he would move heaven and earth and traverse the heavens in order to rejoin. She was the love of his life and he was not ashamed to admit that.

Turning to face her, he smirked, his arms crossing over his chest as he watched her keep her distance. He knew that she was an adapted and that her ability to cancel out his powers would affect his ability to be a good swim instructor. Of course he didn’t need his abilities to swim (he had always been an excellent swimmer), but he was thankful that she was being cautious here.

With a smile on his lips, he approached her until he had just reached the point where he could feel his water senses diminishing. Of course he wanted to go over and embrace her, but for the moment it was best that he keep his powers intact so that he could assist students like Samantha if she had any trouble. However, while he couldn’t get too close to his intended, the warm look on his face was enough to show just how much he wanted to.

Gemma was so worth suffering what he had suffered. Coming back to her had been his only goal in the several years he spent drifting through the ocean. Her sweet face and her boldness had been benchmarks that reminded him to not give up. He loved, as much as he could love a person.

>> "How is the lesson going?"

”Pretty good,” he said with a nod, turning to glance at his kids to make sure they were still okay. ”Couple are getting a bit rambunctious now that they found their water legs, but overall, it’s been good.” As he turned back to her, he noted the bundle of notes under her arms and gave her a sympathetic smile. He had a feeling he knew what brought her to him today.

They were getting married, and obviously that was going to bring up some issues. An event liked that required so much planning, so much attention to detail, that it was bound to bring up some stress. Of course Jorge jumped in and took over wherever he could, but it seemed as if his bride-to-be was taking the brunt of the work.

”Let me guess,” he said with a understanding chuckle and gestured to the notes. ”Wedding stuff? Are you okay?”

Gemma smiled as Jorge greeted her, responsibly staying out of her aura to be able to keep an eye on the children, and intervene if help with his powers was needed. All students seemed to be enjoying themselves, learning... or at least not drowning, which was a plus.

>>”Pretty good. Couple are getting a bit rambunctious now that they found their water legs, but overall, it’s been good.”

Gemma smiled and glanced at the kids in the water. Some of them smiled back and waved. They clearly had more fun with Jorge and his powers around than with her talking sessions, but Gemma was still generally liked by most of them at least. As much as any teacher wood be on a good day.

"Good. No one is allowed in the pool unsupervised until they are certified to be competent swimmers."

And old enough to be trusted with it. That went without saying.

>>”Let me guess. Wedding stuff? Are you okay?”

"It's a wedding, not a school full of mutant children." Gemma chuckled, setting the folders down on a nearby bench "I'll manage." she did need some support from her would-be husband, though, even if it was only to run a few things by him, like right now. "My children have their tickets, and I wanted to see if you would be able to pick them up at the airport. Valerie is also bringing her girlfriend. I'm going to set them up at the Mansion. Is there anyone else I should be making room for?..."

Jorge sighed as he tilted his head towards the woman whom he cared so much for. He didn’t like to see her running around, trying to get all this solved without him, but if anyone could do it, it was her. Still, he wished that she would let him handle some of the load. It wasn’t as if he were made of glass. He was actually doing far better than he was doing a year ago. But, at the same time, he could understand her reluctance. Besides, it was their wedding and the devil was in the details; there was no better person to find evil details than Gemma.

Thankfully the smile she gave him proved that it wasn’t anything too bad; more than likely she just needed to help him confirm a few things and that was really all. Of course Jorge would insist on doing more but now that the date was getting closer, maybe she would be a bit more willing to split the duties a little.

>> ”Good. No one is allowed in the pool unsupervised until they are certified to be competent swimmers."

He snorted and nodded his head. Turning back around to face the pool, he noticed that one of the younger kids was getting dangerously close to the deep end and Jorge knew the kid was a lousy swimmer so far. Safely out of Gemma’s aura, Jorge lifted his hand, immediately causing the water in the pool (more specifically around the boy) to churn and turn him around. The boy squealed delightfully but Jorge mere shook his head, smirking. He sent the boy off with another slight burst of water, back towards the shallow end.

He sighed. ”Kids.” he said, turning back to Gemma with a grin.


>> "It's a wedding, not a school full of mutant children…I'll manage."

”Yeah but this is supposed to be enjoyable too, love,” he said with a laugh. ”I don’t want you to do all this work by yourself. At least let me pick out a napkin color.” He then grinned a little impishly. ”There’s nothing wrong with plaid pokka dots.” Kidding, of course. The man couldn’t help a small jab of fun.

>> "My children have their tickets, and I wanted to see if you would be able to pick them up at the airport. Valerie is also bringing her girlfriend. I'm going to set them up at the Mansion. Is there anyone else I should be making room for?..."

He nodded his head, understandingly. ”Of course. Don’t even need to ask.” he said with a wide smile. ”And I only need room for my sister and my niece, Maya.” He tapped his chin in thought, noting that anyone else coming had already planned to claim a hotel room so they could also sightsee. But, the man sighed a bit begrudgingly. ”Sadly mi madre got back and said she can’t make it. She cried on the phone for about an hour,” he said with a slight dip of his shoulder. ”She’s finally having that hip surgery she’s been needing the last couple years so she’s going to be settled in Florida for awhile. But she doesn’t want us to change the date or anything. Already threatened me with a beating if I did that. And, apparently, the same applies to you." he beamed innocently. "But a cousin of mine may try to set up a webcast so she can at least watch it live from her bed.”

Hearing more splashing coming from behind him, Jorge sighed, turned back around and spotted that the kids were getting rambunctious again. Authorative Jorge was required. He motioned for Gemma to give him a second as he moved over to the edge of the pool. He waited a moment before he stepped off the ledge and onto the water. From there the man strolled out into the middle of the pool, using his abilities to harden the water beneath only his feet to support him. He narrowed his eyes as he made his way to the group who stared at him in awe; their instructor was walking on water!

”All you little seadogs!” He shouted. The voice was stern, but the smile on his lips proved he wasn’t all together angry at them. ”We’re calling it for the day. Everyone out.”

He walked around, helping those who needed help out of the pool and making sure everyone collected their belongings. A slight smirk on his lips and Jorge sighed, shaking his head as he returned to Gemma, crossing the pool and back onto the concrete. Now safely able to walk into her aura, he took a few steps in, smiling as his watery senses died away, leaving him just like everyone else. Unable to really help himself, the man immediately stepped over, wrapping his arms around the woman’s waist and pulling her close to him where he planted a kiss on her lips.

”God I’ve missed you.” he grinned.

>>”Yeah but this is supposed to be enjoyable too, love. I don’t want you to do all this work by yourself. At least let me pick out a napkin color. There’s nothing wrong with plaid pokka dots.”

Gemma smiled gently at Jorge's reminder that they were in this together, and that he was more than happy to help. She had always been very independent, but that did not mean that she wouldn't take her fiance's support when he offered it. She also arched an eyebrow at the polka dot idea.

"You think you are joking, Jorge, but I really don't care that much about the napkins" she chuckled "You can be in charge of the entire table layout if you want. Go crazy."

For now, it was more important to make sure everyone who was coming to the wedding would get there, and have a place to stay.

>>”Sadly mi madre got back and said she can’t make it. She cried on the phone for about an hour. She’s finally having that hip surgery she’s been needing the last couple years so she’s going to be settled in Florida for awhile. But she doesn’t want us to change the date or anything. Already threatened me with a beating if I did that. And, apparently, the same applies to you. But a cousin of mine may try to set up a webcast so she can at least watch it live from her bed.”

"That's a good idea." Gemma agreed with a not. She was a little disappointed, but it all made sense "I'll see if we have some tech at the school that would make the webcast better. And we can visit her after the wedding at some point, and bring Chase too..." they had not really planned for a honeymoon yet, but Gemma was sure that eventually they could make the time for a short trip to Florida.

The kids in the pool went crazy, and Jorge reverted back to being a teacher and a guardian, as he ordered all of them out of the water. Gemma chuckled as she watched him walk on water; just another completely normal day at Xavier's. Kids squealed, and some made a beeline for the Mansion building, avoiding Gemma with a wide margin - those were the kids who relied on their powers in some way, or simply did not like being in an adapted aura. Most of them waved and smiled at her as they ran past, though, and Gemma smiled back. Jorge joined her a few moments later to steal a kiss.

>>”God I’ve missed you.”

"I've missed you too, love." Gemma smiled, leaning against his shoulder for a moment "And I can't wait to be actually married to you, after all this time..." something she never expected to happen, not for years after Jorge's disappearance. Gemma mused about fate for a moment, before her practical mind pulled her back to the wedding itself. "Oh, that reminds me... Do you have a best man yet?"

>> "You think you are joking, Jorge, but I really don't care that much about the napkins…You can be in charge of the entire table layout if you want. Go crazy."

Jorge grinned, wide, and couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. ”Such a generous, generous woman I’m marrying.”

He was merely teasing her, of course. Jorge knew the type of woman that he was marrying. She was independent, she was used to doing a lot of things on her own, raising a family and building a life for herself, so it was of little surprise that she wanted to tackle most of this by herself. Jorge didn’t take offense to it, rather he stepped back and let his bride-to-be do what she needed to – until she was willing to accept his help. That was probably the safest way to navigate those waters.

Jorge wasn’t going to go with polka dots, of course. He would make sure that what he chose fit whatever theme Gemma had decided on; even if it was polka dots. All he knew was that he was was more than happy to be marrying this woman, finally, after all this time.

His attention was partially divided, talking about the big day with his fiancé but also making sure that the kids were safe. He kept his head turn, warning them, keeping his eyes open, but he was engaged in the conversation. When she asked about anyone else showing up, he had to break the news he got this morning about his mother. He knew that she would be fine and while it was tragic that she couldn’t be there, he knew better than to deviant from what she said. Gemma would understand and they could always visit her afterwards.

>> "That's a good idea…I'll see if we have some tech at the school that would make the webcast better. And we can visit her after the wedding at some point, and bring Chase too..."

”Read my mind,” he said with a broad smile. However, his smile faltered when he heard the kids getting a bit more rambunctious and whipped around. It was time for teacher Jorge to come out.

As he moved across the water, walking upon it like a biblical figure, he informed them all that pool time was done. They were disappointed but knew better than to question him. Clamoring, safely, out of the pool, the kids all started to disperse, gathering their belongings and returning back to the Mansion. Once they were gone, Jorge returned to the poolside, crossed the distance between himself and Gemma and embraced her. Lord he had missed her.

>> "I've missed you too, love…I can't wait to be actually married to you, after all this time…Oh, that reminds me... Do you have a best man yet?"

He beamed. Hearing her say those words, that she was excited to be married to him, were some of the best words he would ever hear. He honestly couldn’t think of anything else better. Placing his hand upon the small of her back, he gently started to walk, gesturing towards a poolside table where they could sit and continue going over plans.

”Me too,” he admitted. ”We waited long enough.” As they headed towards the table, he stopped when she inquired after choosing a best man. That was probably the awkward part. As much as Sam was respected around here as a good leader, he and Gemma had clashed…a few times. Nothing major, of course, but still. Jorge chose his words carefully. ”Well…there is one that comes to mind…but I’ve yet to ask him.” Jorge said. As he marched over to the table he pulled out the chair for her. ”But I will.” As soon as he’s sober.. He quickly tried to change the subject. ”You? Maid of honor? Did you decide to ask Valerie after all?”

Gemma could see the hesitation in Jorge's face as she asked him about his best man. It was not the biggest decision about the wedding (that would be getting married, obviously), but it was an important one, and with someone as popular as Jorge, also one that a lot of people would have opinions (or offense) about.

>>”Well…there is one that comes to mind…but I’ve yet to ask him. But I will.”

Gemma nodded. She trusted Jorge to figure that part out for himself. It was hard, not to be in control of everything involving the wedding, but she sometimes had to remind herself that it was alright to leave things up to her would-be husband. He was competent enough to be a cop and a teacher, so he was obviously competent enough to help organize a wedding. People made too big of a deal of weddings anyway.

>>”You? Maid of honor? Did you decide to ask Valerie after all?”

"I think I will." Gemma nodded with a smile. Her daughter would be happy to be there for her "I also need to go out and buy a dress... but I'm hesitant to do it alone. I'll have to ask someone to come with me and help. I don't buy dressed very often." she admitted, shaking her head "And no, you can't come. Bad luck."

Sam wasn’t a bad choice. Okay, so maybe he wasn’t the best choice considering the man alcoholism and the kinds of shenanigans that would eventually befall them should they ever go out drinking together. In actuality it was probably the worst idea possible for Jorge to put the man into such a position where drinking, strippers, and vices would be involved. But, Jorge did like Sam, saw him as a good individual, a real caring person once you got passed his issues. He was more than just a bottle of whiskey, Jorge firmly believed that.

It was just a matter of finding the right time to ask him. Jorge knew that Sam was having a hard time lately. He was getting better, from his own accounts, but he was still hitting the bottle pretty hard and his attempts at self-harm weren’t really encouraging. Jorge was just glad that the man had a girlfriend who really seemed to be looking out for him. There was no way that was an easy job, so she definitely had his respect.

He really did hope to meet her one day.

Jorge joined Gemma at a table, sighing as he finally got to extend his legs and get off of his feet. He turned, looking over all the work that Gemma had so far. The woman was taking on so much by herself; he was lucky he actually got to do the table settings. Still, he wasn’t going to mess it up because, if he did, there went his chances of ever being trusted again!

Not really, but still. He wanted to do good.

Moving on from the subject of his best man, he moved the question back to his bride-to-be, inquiring if she had decided on a maid-of-honor yet. Valerie seemed like the most natural choice but, then again, not everyone would want their own child in that role. But how crazy could things possibly get?

>> "I think I will…I also need to go out and buy a dress... but I'm hesitant to do it alone. I'll have to ask someone to come with me and help. I don't buy dressed very often…no, you can't come. Bad luck."

Jorge opened his mouth. He would volunteer. If she were having trouble, this was just another incident where he could step in and help! However, before he could even get the words out, she quickly shot him down. His hand over his heart, the man feigned being offended as he gawked at her.

”So cruel. How dare you say I’m bad luck.” He stood up, leaned over the table, and gave her a kiss on the lips, a wicked smile pulling upon his features. His voice dropped a bit to a tone that was more intimate. "If I was such bad luck, how’d I snag you?” he asked innocently.

Jorge was in a kissing mood, and Gemma was not complaining. They were both busy people, especially with all the recent events going on around the Mansion and the city; they had stolen moments, more than quality time spent together, and she had learned to cherish those where and when she could take them. Hopefully, as a married couple, they would settle into their life together better, eventually. She smiled as she kissed him back.

>>”So cruel. How dare you say I’m bad luck. If I was such bad luck, how’d I snag you?”

"You stood too close to an adapted, and got splashed by rain water." she grinned at him, answering his question "It was some sort of luck, anyway..."

She leaned against his shoulder, running her hand over her notes.

"But I want the dress to be a surprise. You can pick the flowers, if you want. It is one of those things I might not find the time for..."

It was needless to say how much Jorge cared about this woman. In his lifetime he didn’t think that something like this was possible for him. The man had dedicated himself to his work, had a few rocky relationships that never went very far, and for the most part the man was okay with how his life was turning out. Yes it was sad and his mother constantly berated him about not settling down and needing to give her grandchildren, but by the time Jorge got to his 40s, it just seemed like a ship that had sailed. Sad, yes, but it was a life full of decisions that Jorge had made and stood by.

However, life it seemed wasn’t done tossing Jorge for a curve. When he had met the lovely woman before him, thanks to his dog, Lizzie, he had never realized just how much it was going to change his life. The lovely pooch had inadvertently brought him to the woman of his dreams, a woman whom he was close to marrying, and who had helped him in some of the hardest times of his life. He thankful for Gemma and hoped that now that they were getting married, he could express that to her each and every following day.

A teasing smile on his lips, Jorge leaned in closer to Gemma, grinned a bit impishly as he asked her how it were possible for him to be bad luck when he was able to get her in his life. A kiss was met on the lips, something that Gemma certainly didn’t seem opposed to. However, there was an answer to his hypothetical – one that was far more matter-of-fact than just the ebb and flow of luck.

>> "You stood too close to an adapted, and got splashed by rain water… It was some sort of luck, anyway..."

He snorted. Their first meeting. He knew it all too well. It was akin to those meet-cutes that they talk about in romantic movies, where the two leads meet in some totally cutesy way that inevitably led to much deeper feelings. He had attempted to use his abilities to prevent the water from splash him, but considering that he was within her adapted field, his abilities were nullified. It was a sweet and cherished moment, one that Jorge would always admit was a pinnacle in the road of his life. Honestly, he couldn’t have imagined where he would be without her.

”Well I’m calling it ‘good luck’ no matter what you say,” he grinned, a little defiance in his voice.

>>"But I want the dress to be a surprise. You can pick the flowers, if you want. It is one of those things I might not find the time for..."

Setting down next to her, Jorge listened as he Gemma explained her reasonings behind her decision. In all honesty, he completely understood. She wanted it to be a surprise, and it should be a surprise on one’s wedding day. In all fairness he was really just kind of teasing her about wanting to weasel into the moment. He would always respect Gemma’s wishes and so, with a nod of his head, he agreed.

”Okay, I get it.” he said gently, his hand finding hers. His thumb ran over her knuckles. ”I’ll stay out of the hunt.” He peered at her book and the selections of flowers that were presented but a decision not yet made. Heartily he agreed to this task. ”Napkins, table cloths, flowers,” he said, running the list through; he gave her an sweet smile. ”Anything else you deem within my power to do?”

They sat together on a bench by the pool, taking about their wedding, and for a moment, everything seemed perfectly normal. Gemma liked the feeling. She knew there would be craziness again soon enough, and things to take care of; but if they were lucky, they would have a nice, friendly wedding, and get to celebrate it together with their family. As far as luck went, between the two of them, they had a pretty good record. Jorge was not wrong about that.

>>”Okay, I get it. I’ll stay out of the hunt. Napkins, table cloths, flowers. Anything else you deem within my power to do?”

"Music." Gemma nodded promptly "I thought you'd enjoy making decisions about that... you can ask someone, or hire someone, or make a playlist... whatever you think is appropriate." she smiled at Jorge. She knew he liked his music, and she liked his taste in it too. It was going to be a perfect task for him to spend time on - and make the wedding more like himself.

It was a moment of rare calmness for the both of them. Considering the lives that they both led, Jorge as a police officer and X-Man, and Gemma as the guidance counselor for a school full of mutants, they certainly had a lot heaped on their plates. And that wasn’t to mention just firm beliefs of the two of them. Both of them could be fairly stubborn, trying to take the world onto their shoulders themselves, but this adventure was going to be wholly different for the both of them. They were going to share a life together (legally speaking) and that meant needed to accept that others can indeed help.

Jorge didn’t like to see Gemma taking so much onto herself. Part of him wondered if it was because she didn’t want to stress him out after what he had gone through. The years he spend as living water, the physical therapy that followed, all of it was rather traumatizing, to say the least. But Jorge was not one to let such things stop him for long. He needed to keep moving, he needed to keep working; he just needed to feel useful. To feel otherwise was, well, a little blasphemous for him. He wasn’t made of glass, something that he had to remind everyone, including himself.

But, it seemed that the two were finally coming to an agreement. Gemma was seeing that it couldn’t all be done by herself and handed off a few small tasks for him to complete. With the matters she was already going to have to contend with, Jorge was thankful for the chance. He knew that he wasn’t going to mess this up, at least he believed so. Besides, he had a feeling that when he got down to it, he could make the right decisions. He knew what they both liked and didn’t like, after all.

He confirmed his tasks and asked if there was anything else. Sitting next to the woman, Jorge began to look over selections of things, already bringing out his phone to get to work on certain aspects of his duties. Gemma, seemingly endeared by his behavior just leaned against him. He smiled as he curls is arm around her shoulders and gave her arm a squeeze.

>> "Music…I thought you'd enjoy making decisions about that... you can ask someone, or hire someone, or make a playlist... whatever you think is appropriate."

He perked up. Oh when it came to music, Jorge had a deep love of the field. He listened to loads of it, all through growing up, even played some himself. However he immediately nixed that idea as he felt that Gemma probably wouldn’t want him pulling double duty on the day. It’s a lot hard to march down the aisle while having to periodically run back to the music stand to play a few notes.

A nod followed. ”You got it. You talk music, you talk my language.” he gave her a cheesy grin. However, after a moment, Jorge put his phone down as he turned, sharing a grin with Gemma. ”But…I think for today…” he reached over, attempting to pluck the wedding book from her arms, maintaining persistence if she attempted to fight him. ”…you need a break. How long have you been working on this today?”

>> ”You got it. You talk music, you talk my language.”

Gemma smiled and leaned against Jorge's side. She knew he'd enjoy making the music decisions, and it was likely that his decisions would make the guests happy as well. Jorge had a good taste in music, even Valerie had admitted that every once in a while. And it was something that would have been a chore for her, but fun for him.
Jorge tugged at the book of notes in her hands, and after a moment, Gemma released her hold so that he could take it. At first, she thought that he was trying to take a look at what she had done so far, but it was not his intention.

>>”But…I think for today… …you need a break. How long have you been working on this today?”

"A few hours?" Gemma admitted sheepishly. It was not like it was real work; she made phone calls and took notes and the like, but it was not like the actual job and the usual responsibilities she had. "But I actually enjoy it this time..." she sighed "My first wedding, I wanted to do everything by the book, make everyone happy, look perfect... This time, it is just for us."

She felt good as she leaned against him. Jorge was all too happy to allow her to do so, wanting to be there for the woman, to be (as clichéd as it sounded) a rock for her to lean against. She was a good woman, one who had some challenges and yet managed to make it through all of them with a smile on her lips and steady head on her shoulders. He could scarcely imagine what she could be like if she had gone a different direction. Thankfully that wasn’t the case as there was only one Gemma Taylor and she was sitting next to him, plotting out their wedding.

However, the man also knew when someone was working too hard. Having been on the police force as long as he has, seen officers burn out way too quickly and for a variety of reasons, he didn’t want Gemma to get exhausted from this experience. She was trying to handle most of this on her own and, while he could respect that, Jorge wanted her to have fun to.

So he took her book away. She didn’t put up much of a fight, much, but the man had to question her on exactly how long she had spent looking this thing over. Therefore, he asked…

>> "A few hours?"

He tilted his head, momentary concern in his eyes. ”Gemma…”

>> "But I actually enjoy it this time...My first wedding, I wanted to do everything by the book, make everyone happy, look perfect... This time, it is just for us."

A sigh and he looked her over. Truthfully, he did understand. From what she had told him of her first marriage, there wasn’t a whole lot good that happened, other than her kids. He couldn’t begrudge her actually being excited for this second round, though he was still concerned that she was going to overwork herself. He nodded, a smile on his lips.

”Okay. I get it. And I’m glad that you’re enjoying it. I am too. Though it’s been significantly easier on me since you haven’t allowed me to do much…until day.” A teasing smile. ”But I do think you can do with a break. Come on. What if I make us some lunch? Wrangling kids is hungry work. Then again, you should know that already.”