From Forbidden Fruit to Love Renewed ~

Chapter 10

“We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of this man and this woman, they have decided they would like to say a few words, Gabrielle..”

“Bo,” Gabrielle starts speaking to Bo, he appears to be looking at her, but in reality is looking right through her, a huge smile starts to spread across his face.

*flashback

"A few minutes ago, we were gonna call the whole thing off because something felt wrong and we're not used to that feeling when the two of us are together. It's the one thing we've always had. One thing that was never wrong, not for a minute, was this love we have....

“Bo, Bo?”

“Huh?” He sees Gabrielle, and the smile fades, “Oh Gabrielle,” he starts to speak but he is just saying words, all he is thinking about is her, all he is seeing is her.

"My life's never felt so full. I’ve never felt so alive."

“It’s time for the exchanging of the rings…” He turns and looks into those big brown eyes, the same eyes that have been a beacon for him since the first time he saw them, and realized he had no choice but to go to her, she was his home, winking at his son, as he set the ring back on the pillow, he turned to face Gabrielle, “Bo, what are you doing?”

“I'm sorry, I really am, but I have to go to her…..” He turns to leave.

“Bo, she's moved on, she’s pregnant with another man's child.”

“No, she's not,” he whispered, “but, even if it were another man's it doesn't matter, I learned a long time ago, love isn’t about blood, especially when it comes to children.”

”What, what do you mean it’s not another man's?” She looks at him questions in her eyes, his look betrays the truth, "You bastard, how could you?” She goes to slap him across the face, but he grabs her arm.

"I tried to love you Gabrielle, and I really am sorry, but...I have to go,” unable to think of any more to say to her, as Max comes forward to comfort her, he goes over to his son, kneeling in front of him, “Hey buddy.”

“You going to go get mom, bring her home?”

“Yes,” hesitantly at first, then more assured, “Yes champ, I am bringing your mom home, where she belongs.”

“Can I come?”

“No, I need you to stay here with gramma and grandpa, but I am going to go get her and we will all be together real soon." He gives him a hug as he heads for Asa and Renee. “Look after Matthew for me?”

“You know we will. Go get her son.”

”Good luck darlin,” She hugs him as he turns to leave the church.

She arrives at the church 15 minutes later and hearing the commotion fears she is too late, ‘Well I guess it really wasn't meant to be for us,' as she approaches the back of the church, the door is opened as people begin to leave, Matthew catches sight of his mother, “Mom you're here, dad said we would all be together real soon, but that was faster than superman!” He wraps his arms around her as he looks around her for his father, “Where's dad?”

"What do you mean, sweetie?”

“He was coming to get you, didn't he find you?” He looks up at her.

“He was coming to get me?" She looks up at Renee who has now joined them.

“Yes darlin, they got through the vows but you could tell he wasn’t really there, and then he turned to take the ring from Matthew, and he put it back, and told Gabrielle he had to go to you.”

“Yeah, he even said he didn’t care if the baby wasn’t his, he said it didn’t matter….” Matthew added, “I knew he would love my little sister too.” She raises one hand to wipe the tears from her cheeks, pulling Matthew closer with her other arm.

“Yeah, that’s your daddy, one great guy.”

Gabrielle, raises her head from Max’s shoulder. Seeing the crowd gathered at the back of the church she goes to see what has happened. She spots Nora, “You,” she approaches her, but Asa grabs her by the arm, “You have caused enough heartache for MY family, missy,” then pushing her away, “Come on, Nora, let's go to the house, we can call Bo on the way.” They head to the car.

Meanwhile at Llanview Airport *”Final Boarding call for flight 1620 to Chicago”*

Out of breath, he arrives at the gate, handing the agent his ticket, he is allowed to board, “I'm coming Red, I'm coming.”

"Dammit," she throws the phone down, "I can't get through on his phone. Where is he?”

Asa comes in from the other room, “On his way to Chicago.”

“What? But how...I mean to get there and get a ticket, that all takes time…”

“Money talks honey, so does authority and he has both. He called ahead and got them to hold the last flight for him,” smiling, “he really wanted to get somewhere!”

She places her hand on her stomach and looks up at her former in-laws, “I really screwed up, didn't I?”

Renee goes to hug her, “Nah, you just took a little detour…”

“What's done is done. Time to go on from here.” Asa said as he headed into the other room. “I'll call the airlines and have him call us when he gets there.”

Noticing she looks a little pale, “Darlin why don't you go lie down a while, there's really nothing else to do now, but wait.”

”I think I will, I am kind of tired,” Matthew comes in the room rubbing his eyes, “You want to lie down with me?”

He nods his head as he takes his mothers hand. They head upstairs and lie in the bed cuddled together, she runs her fingers over her wedding band, “Almost Bo, we're almost where we all belong.”

At Chicago-Midway he gets off the plane and is grabbed by a security guard, “Mr. Buchanan?”

“Yes?”

“You need to call home.”

He flips open his cell and dials, the line is busy, he calls Rachel, “Rachel, is your mom there?”

”No, Bo, where are you?”

“I'm at the airport in Chicago, why?”

”Mom's in Llanview Bo, she got the letter, but not until this morning, she got on the first plane she could…”

”Oh Red,”

*“We are now boarding flight 1620 Chicago to Llanview”*

“Rachel I gotta go, there's a flight boarding right now. Bye.” He clicks the phone shut and runs to the gate agent, explaining his situation, the agent directs him to the ticket counter.

*“Flight 1620 has been delayed and will be taking off shortly”*

“Here is your ticket Mr Buchanan, seat 1A. Thank you.”

“When will we be boarding?”

“Should be 10 minutes, 20 at the most, the storm on the east coast has been causing all kinds of delays.”

”Ok thanks,” he goes and sits down, 20 minutes later, he is still sitting there, unable to sit still, he heads to the counter.

*"Flight 1620 has been delayed, the new boarding time is 10:30 p.m."*

“Damn!” He runs his fingers through his hair as he looks at the clock, “that's 3 hours from now.” He walks away from the gate.

She wakes from her nap and goes downstairs, looking at the time, “Did he call?”

“Not yet darling.”

“Surely he must have gotten there by now.” She goes to the phone, no dial tone. “Asa, did you hang up the phone after your last call?”

“Of course I did why?” She hands him the phone.

“Dammit,” he walks in the other room.

As soon as it is back on the hook, it rings. She picks it up, "Bo!”

“Mom, is that you?”

“Rachel? Is Bo there?”

“No, he called here and I told him you were in Llanview, the phone has been busy I couldn't get through.”

”What did he say?”

Matthew comes downstairs, plopping on the couch, picking up the remote and flicking the TV on, ”They were announcing a flight to Llanview he was going to try to catch it.”

*Special Report from Channel 2 NEWS*

“I am trying to remember the number.”

*A plane taking off from Midway International headed for Llanview Pa crashed shortly after takeoff*

Nora turns towards the television, the phone still to her ear, “It was flight #, I remember thinking how loud those speakers were, I know I heard it, that's right it was...”

*The flight number was 1620*

“1620.”

She drops the phone as she falls to her knees, screaming his name, “BO!”

TBC....