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Part 2 of Full Circle
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2018-12-06
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Chapter 12: A Very Short Engagement

Notes:

Whew. Okay, this is a really long one. It wasn't suppose to be. But, um, well yeah. So Claire-Grady143 has been suggesting for a while that I cover Claire and Owen's wedding. I'm not a big fan of weddings, and generally find them really boring to read (seriously, they all go down the same way). On top of that, based on what I'd already said in Full Circle, I had a tight timeline to work with, along with a preset guest list.

I was hoping to put in more Maisie meeting Zach and Gray stuff, but it ended up very much a Claire, Owen, Karen story. I'll do something else with the boys at some point. Because I do like them. :)

Oh, I also realized, after I finished and looked at the note I'd made that CG143 had specified the wedding *ceremony* and um, sorry? Hopefully the fact this ended up being a 10k monster makes up for that?

And... yeah, it's me writing, so enjoy the angst. :P

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

A Very Short Engagement

"So, I've been thinking," Claire announced as she approached Owen, who was sitting on the couch watching tv.

"Is that suppose to surprise me?" Owen asked, quirking an eyebrow in her direction. "I mean, do you ever stop?"

"I'm being serious," Claire frowned at him, as she joined him on the couch, angling towards him.

Owen, aware of her tone, muted the tv and turned towards her. "Okay, what's up?"

"It's just… when we were talking to the lawyer the other day, about Maisie…"

"Yeah?"

"I know it's too early to be really thinking about adoption, but…"

"Can't help yourself?" Owen knew the line sounded like a joke, but he meant it seriously. His mind had been going down the same path. Sure, they had temporary guardianship of her for now. And, he knew it wasn't the right time to be pushing anything more with Maisie – she was still trying to understand and deal with the betrayal of her grandfather and Mills. But he found that he wanted it, really wanted it – for his future to be tied tightly to Claire and Maisie. It hadn't worked before, for him and Claire, but he thought, he knew, this time they could get it right. That they would get it right.

"Owen," Claire said warningly.

"I've been thinking about it too," Owen admitted. "I know she's not ready. And that it's too soon and all that. But, someday?"

"Right," Claire looked nervous over his answer, which made Owen wonder if he had said something wrong. Was she thinking the opposite? He thought she liked having Maisie there.

"What's wrong?" Owen blurted out, when the silence stretched out. "Do you not want that?"

"No, I mean yes, I mean – I do want it," Claire looked flustered. "I just… I've been more thinking about something else the lawyer said. That it would be easier– Well, not easier, but simpler? Maybe that's the word. But that it would–"

"Just spit it out, Claire. It's just me."

"That-it'd-help-if-we-were-married," Claire blushed as she said it, the whole sentence coming out as a single word.

"Um…" Owen paused, his heart racing forward. Had she said what he thought she'd said? It was a topic that Owen had thought of before. Mind you, most of his thinking on it had been over a year ago, before they had… separated, and then in the months after. And a bit since they had ended up back together, but he'd always thought it was too early. Too fast. "Did you say married?" He looked away, trying to hide his own blush when his voice almost squeaked on the word.

"Yeah," Claire almost deflated into the couch cushions, not sure how to interpret Owen's response. "It's just... " She straightened up, regaining her confidence. "I mean, we've already gone in on a house. I just thought… I mean, well, it's you."

"It's… me?" Owen wasn't sure how to take that.

"Yeah," Claire shrugged, looking both a little sheepish and embarrassed. "I wouldn't ask just anyone. There's really never been anyone–"

Owen wanted to tease her. He knew that she was on the edge and it wouldn't take much. But, he couldn't do it. Not on a topic like this. Not when he'd owned, for well over a year, an engagement ring that he'd hoped to give her. When things had gone sideways, when he'd left in his van, he'd spent a lot of time pondering what to do with the ring. She'd never known about it. He'd never asked her, and the topic had really never come up – outside of the occasional push that Karen would give them. But he'd never been able to return the ring. It was still tucked away in the back corner of a drawer in his trailer out on his lot. It hadn't even crossed his mind when they'd taken Maisie out there to bring it back. They were just getting back together – trying to find their new rhythm, now with a child in tow.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Claire raised an eyebrow in response. "I mean… that simple?"

"Claire, there's no one else I'd want to be married to," Owen shrugged. "Whether we do so tomorrow or a year from now, it doesn't make a difference to me. I'm in."

"Okay." Claire looked a little stunned in response. When she didn't say anything more, just sort of gazed off into the distance, Owen turned his attention back to the tv and un-muted it. A couple more minutes went by, before Claire spoke up again. "What about this week?"

"What about this week?" Owen asked, his attention having already moved on from the topic at hand.

"Getting married. What if we did it this week? I mean, Karen and the boys are already coming out for a visit."

"I don't know that we can arrange it all that fast," Owen looked a little doubtful. "I mean, I thought there were huge lists of things that would need to be done. Guests to invite. Flowers to order. A place to rent."

"We don't need all of that," Claire disagreed. "Something small. Us. Maisie. Our families. Maybe a dinner for any friends who are also around."

"Really?" Owen was still unsure. "You don't want something big?"

"What's the point?" Claire shrugged. "It's just as valid either way. And… marriage is really just between the people getting married. It could just be the two of us, but Karen would be pissed. And my mom. And yours. Let me look into it."

"If you're sure…" Owen turned to face her. He grabbed her hands and waited until he was sure he had her attention. "I can wait. It doesn't have to be fast. I don't want you to look back and wish we did it differently."

"Let me see what it takes," Claire gave him a smile. "I've had more than enough attention thrown on me between Jurassic World and now the whole Lockwood disaster. I don't want or need anything more." She got up from the couch, ready to find her laptop and start researching. As she passed in front of Owen, he reached out, grabbing her by the waist and pulled her towards him. She let him pull her into his lap, where he wrapped his arms around her, leaning his forehead against hers.

"You know I love you, right?" Owen asked and Claire nodded. "Good." He tightened his grip on her, one hand sliding up her back and into her hair, as he shifted just enough to pull her into a kiss. Claire sank against him, her own arms wrapping around him.

A couple minutes later, Claire pulled back just far enough to meet his gaze. "I love you too."

x x x

"Why do you look so dressed up?" Owen asked, looking up from the table where he and Maisie were having breakfast.

"Dressed up?" Claire looked down at her jeans and blouse. It was a far cry from what she use to wear at Jurassic World.

"Yeah, like you're going–" Owen cut himself off, narrowing his eyes and he looked her over again. "Are you going into work?"

"Just for the morning," Claire replied, moving into the kitchen area and grabbing her travel mug to fill with coffee.

"Your sister arrives today," Owen reminded her, pushing back from the table and moving over to lean against the counter next to her.

"I know," Claire nodded, popping a piece of bread into the toaster.

"You can't leave me here," Owen hissed, glancing over at Maisie who, thankfully, seemed more interested in her cereal than what they were talking about.

"With Maisie?" Claire turned to him confused. "Why? You're always here with Maisie."

"With your sister."

"I'll be back well before she gets here," Claire dismissed him.

"I thought you agreed you weren't going to work while she was here? Didn't she make you promise that?"

"I agreed that I'd take time off," Claire nodded. "But I didn't agree to no work, even if she may have interpreted it that way. Besides, I'm going in now so I can work before they get here."

"Great," Owen groaned.

"I don't know why you're so worried," Claire looked over at him. "She likes you."

"I know she did," Owen agreed. "But that was… before. I don't know what she thinks now."

"She likes you," Claire repeated. "And the boys will be here, and you know they love you."

"Right, and her boyfriend… Josh?" Owen guessed at the name. For some reason, he could remember the first letter but never the right name.

"Jake," Claire corrected him. "You've met him. You need to remember his name. And… don't call him her boyfriend."

"Wait, why?"

"She thinks it's juvenile," Claire shrugged, slathering her piece of toast with peanut butter before taking a bite.

"What am I supposed to call him?"

"Jake," Claire replied with a smile, after swallowing. She hurriedly ate the rest of her toast as she moved about the kitchen area, unplugging her cellphone and gathering a blazer and her purse to take with her. Grabbing her coffee, she moved over to the table to say goodbye to Maisie, before heading for the door, Owen trailing behind her.

He followed her into the hallway, letting the condo door almost close behind him. "Have you told Karen yet?"

"Told Karen what?"

"Claire."

"Owen."

"About the wedding. If we're going to do it this week you know we're going to have tell people, right? I mean, our parents will need time to get here."

"I know." Claire shifted her gaze away from him, staring at the wall behind him and avoiding his gaze.

"Oh. I get it." Owen looked smug when Claire finally looked back at him.

"What?"

"You're waiting to see how Karen reacts first," Owen nodded. "Although, I don't know why you're worried. You know she'll be excited."

"Says the man who refuses to be here alone when she arrives."

"She'll be excited for you," Owen shrugged. "I'm still not sure what she thinks about me."

"It'll be fine," Claire reassured him. "But, I've got to go. If I don't leave now I won't be back before they get here.

"You better be here," Owen warned. "If you're not, I'm going to tell her."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me." Owen put on an innocent smile, before leaning forward to give her a quick peck on the lips. "Seriously," he added, when he pulled back. "If you think I'm nervous? Maisie's… She's never had a lot of family to deal with. Be here."

"I will. I promise," Claire nodded. She gave him another kiss, before turning to head to the elevator.

"Wait, one last thing," Owen caught up with her at the elevator.

"Yeah?"

"Rings," Owen blushed.

"What about them?"

"Do you … would you care if I picked them out?"

"You?"

"Yeah. I know even with a City Hall wedding there's a bunch of things to do. I thought I could take this one on."

"Sure," Claire replied, if a little hesitant. There was a ding and the elevator doors opened beside them. Claire moved in, before looking back at him. "Just… something simple, please?"

"I know," Owen gave her a quick grin. "Promise."

x x x

True to her word, Claire was back at the condo before Karen and the gang arrived. Claire considered herself a pretty neat person. But with the addition of two more people living in such small living quarters, the condo was usually struggling to keep everyone's belongings tucked away. She was a little surprised when she walked in and the place felt almost empty. It took a moment before she realized it was because everything had been put away. No books gathered on the side table or half done puzzle on the coffee table. No sweatshirts draped over the back of a kitchen chair.

As Maisie and Owen emerged from Maisie's room upon hearing her entry, Claire had bit her lip to prevent the grin from taking over. They were both radiating nervous energy – energy that apparently Owen had been channeling into them cleaning up.

"The place looks great," Claire told them, draping her own blazer on a kitchen chair, before moving towards her desk to drop off her purse and other belongings.

"Wait, you can't leave it there," Maisie said immediately, pointing at the blazer. "Owen said everything has to be put away."

"I'll move it in a second," Claire promised, looking past her to Owen who gave a sheepish shrug. "Besides cleaning, what did you guys do today?"

"We went the park," Maisie proclaimed eagerly, following behind Claire as she picked up her blazer and headed into her bedroom to put it away. Claire listened as Maisie chattered away, nodding appropriately.

When they re-emerged in the main area, Owen interrupted. "Have you heard from them?"

"Yep," Claire nodded. "They were going to check in at the hotel first and then walk over. I thought we'd probably just hang around here for a bit before going somewhere for dinner. Maybe sort out what people want to do this week." She glanced down at her watch. "They should probably be here any minute now."

The next few minutes felt like they went by agonizingly slowly. The way time would always feel like it had slowed down when you were wait for something to happen. Claire and Owen both kept encouraging Maisie to talk about her day, just to have something happening besides them staring at the clock. And they both jumped, when Claire's phone rang, announcing their arrival. After buzzing them in, Claire had looked around the place again, but there was nothing out of place. Maisie and Owen had done an excellent job. Taking a deep breath, she moved to the doorway, opening it and waiting. She felt Owen come up beside her, and when he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, she sank gratefully into his side.

When the elevator doors opened, it felt like everything went from zero to sixty in a flash. Zach and Gray pushing to be the first out, both of them heading straight to Owen, by passing Claire completely. Claire didn't mind, meeting her sister in the hallway for a long hug, Jake standing just off to the side a little awkward.

After a minute, Karen pushed back, holding onto Claire's upper arms, inspecting her sister carefully. "You look really good," Karen finally said, before pulling her into a second hug.

"I am good," Claire laughed, "and we've been facetiming. It's not like you haven't seen me since everything happened."

"It's not the same," Karen shrugged, finally pulling away. She reached a hand back, grasping Jake's and pulling him forward.

"Jake," Claire greeted him, giving him a quick hug. "It's good to see you again."

"You too," Jake nodded. "I'm surprised you managed to get Karen to wait this long. She wanted to jump on a plane the day we found out."

"Yeah, I know," Claire rolled her eyes at her big sister. "Always in protective mode."

"Well, if you stopped having close encounters with dinosaurs…" Karen shrugged.

"Come on, let's get inside," Claire ushered them towards the apartment, where Owen and the boys had already moved inside. As they crossed the threshold, she could see the guys deep in conversation already. As her gaze drifted around the apartment, she finally found Maisie, who'd tucked herself into a corner by the counter in the kitchen, looking like she was trying to disappear. Claire debated for a moment on what to do. She decided to start by breaking up the small group.

"Zach, Gray, no greeting for your aunt?" She asked them, moving over to Owen's side. The boys both looked chagrined, before they each smothered her with a hug. Letting go of them, Claire moved towards Maisie, noting that everyone's eyes followed her movements. Owen, having also caught Maisie's somewhat terrified look, quickly moved after her.

"Everyone, we want you to meet Maisie," Claire announced, gently pulling Maisie in front of her. Owen stopped by her side, resting his own hand on Maisie's shoulder in comfort. "Maisie, this is my sister Karen, her partner Jake, and her two boys Zach and Gray." The four each gave a small wave or hello as Claire mentioned them.

"Hi," Maisie whispered.

"Oh, you didn't tell me she has a british accent," Karen couldn't help herself from saying. However, being a mother herself, she had noticed Maisie's reticence. "I love british accents. Wish I had one." As she spoke she moved towards the three of them, before crouching down a bit, to talk directly to Maisie. "You know, as Claire's big sister, I've got a lot of stories about her when she was your age."

"Really?" Maisie looked intrigued over the idea.

"Really," Karen winked at her. "And while I didn't know Owen when he was little, I have some stories about him too."

"Don't believe anything she tells you," Owen immediately told Maisie. "You know me. I'm perfect."

"Perfectly–" Karen got cut off when Claire elbowed her.

The ice semi-broken, everyone relaxed a little. Owen was quickly sucked into a conversation on video games with Zach, Gray and Jake and they moved over into the living room area, collapsing onto the chairs and couch. Maisie had stuck close to Owen, and she sat beside him on the couch, tucked into his side, but not contributing as they talked. She still looked nervous but at least she hadn't retreated from the room.

Claire and Karen had stayed in the kitchen, taking the chance to catch up.

"So, I um, I have something to tell you," Claire finally confessed.

"Oh?" Karen was not use to seeing her sister unsure. Even from a young age, Claire had always been confident in her actions. Too confident, if you asked Karen.

"Owen and I, we've … we're getting married."

"You're what?!" Karen shrieked, drawing the attention from the other group, who paused mid conversation to look over.

Claire caught Owen's eye, pleading with him to come join her, but he quickly turned back to the conversation at hand, not missing the glare she sent his way.

"Wait," Karen grabbed Claire's left hand, holding it up. "Where's your engagement ring? Don't tell me he didn't get you one."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Claire grabbed Karen's arm before she could make a move towards Owen. "I asked him."

"You… what? Why? Are you…?" Karen looked pointedly at Claire's stomach.

"No!" Claire's response was sharp enough that they drew a second look, and this time Owen didn't look away as fast, looking a little concerned by her reaction. Claire just waved him off. "We're not pregnant. No way. We just took in Maisie. It's hard enough adjusting to a kid who already knows how to talk and use the bathroom. No baby. No way. Not… ever, hopefully."

"Oh," Karen looked a little disappointed by the news.

"I know you've always wanted to be an aunt," Claire comforted her. "And look, you are. She's just a little older than you were expecting."

"Are you guys adopting her?" Karen asked.

"There's been talk," Claire admitted. "But not yet. It's too soon. And Maisie's not ready. It'll be up to her if we do."

"I just…" Karen reached up and wiped away a tear before pulling Claire into another hug, as other tears fell readily. "I've been waiting years to see you become a mom. I'm so glad it happened."

"Yeah, well," Claire shrugged nervously, pushing gently against Karen. "Life works in odd ways, doesn't it?"

Karen nodded, before looking at Claire's hand again. "I can't believe you asked him. Way to take that away from him."

Claire just pushed past her comment, not really sure how to respond. She didn't think Owen was offended by her asking. And… well, she really didn't need to be thinking about that now. Or she'd be obsessing over that all week, and there were enough other things to do.

"When are you guys getting married?" Karen asked. "In the fall? Or, oh, a winter wedding?"

"Actually," Claire winced, "we're thinking about Friday."

"FRIDAY?" Again, the boys stop talking to look over at them at Karen's screech. "That's less than a week away."

"I know," Claire shrugged.

"So, you're eloping?"

"No."

"Sounds like it."

"You'll be there. And… we're planning on inviting mom and dad. And Owen's parents. And his brother Lucas. Besides, it's not last minute."

"A week! That feels pretty last minute to me."

"Eloping would be Owen and me going to the City Hall the day we decided. We're planning it in advance."

"By a week. Who does that?"

"Do you want to be invited?" Claire glared at her sister, until finally Karen relented.

"Sorry," Karen sighed. "I feel like I've been waiting for this day forever. I've pictured what it would be like, and it wasn't like this."

"You've imagined my wedding?" Claire raised an eyebrow at her sister.

"Someone had to," Karen shrugged. "You were always too busy with school or work." She looked over at the boys and Maisie for a moment, before looking back at Claire. "What have you guys sorted out so far? What needs to be done? Have you told mom and dad? I can't believe they kept it from me!"

"You're the first to know," Claire calmed her down. "Besides Maisie. I… we wanted to tell you first. And the boys. And then," Claire paused for a deep breath, "and then we'll tell our parents."

"Good luck with that," Karen patted her on the shoulder in sympathy. "Well, we're here for the week. What do you need me to do?"

x x x

The next couple of days flew by in a whirlwind of activity. Which was good, at least in Claire's opinion, because it meant that she didn't have time to focus on the results of her phone call with her parents (or Owen's).

Her parents' reaction had been mixed. Her mom had never been completely sold on her relationship with Owen (seemed to think Claire and Owen were "too different," which Claire had always scoffed at – she felt like they were too similar at times). She knew her mom was also disappointed that she wasn't having a big wedding – that none of her parents' friends or extended family were going to be invited. Claire had promised to book their flights and hotel before her mom could use that as a reason to delay it, and tried to play the granddaughter card by dangling Maisie, although her heart just wasn't in it. It wasn't that she didn't want Maisie to meet and know her family, it was more that she knew grandparents, specifically the idea of a grandfather, was going to be a sore subject for at least a while.

Thankfully, her dad and Owen had always got along really well, so at least he had been on board. And she was refusing to allow herself to worry over the fact that this could be another wedge between her parents.

Owen's parents had taken it much better. They had always liked her, and Owen had admitted, that after they had parted ways a year ago, both his parents had been on his case for letting her go. "I think they like you more than me" he had confessed, to which Claire had replied, 'that's easy to believe" before having to quickly dodge Owen's playful attack. They had moved to Oregon a few years ago and insisted that they would drive down and to not worry about them, they'd sort out all their details. To just tell them when and where to be and they'd be there. If only her own family was so simple.

Tracking down Lucas, Owen's brother, had been a bit harder, as he, similar to Owen, was happiest in nature. He was a photographer who took stunning photographs out in the backcountry, which meant he was often incommunicado for days. They had ended up having to leave him a message asking he get a hold of them asap, but that no, no one was dying. Considering some of their past adventures, it would've actually been a completely fair conclusion for Lucas to jump to. He'd reached out a couple of days later and had, similarly to Owen's parents, been surprised but happy by the news, promising he'd be there. He had questioned Claire's sanity, wanting to confirm that she really did want to marry his brother, as Owen had grumbled in the background. Claire had a feeling that Maisie was going to love Lucas.

Owen had managed to escape the chaos at some point (Claire still wasn't sure how) and had nervously presented her with the wedding rings he'd chosen (they had been perfect), so at least another task had been checked off. Not that Claire had a long list. They had to get their marriage license (which could be done the same day), they had booked a time slot for the actual ceremony, and they had picked out a restaurant for dinner. She was going to go with Karen and Maisie to pick out a dress (not white, even if she loved the colour) and Lucas was going to take photos.

Claire was actually feeling very relaxed over the whole ordeal. Considering the tizzy she remembered Karen being in, she was starting to really think this was the way everyone should get married. There just wasn't time for family drama to really rear its head or for people to panic over small details.

In between all of the random wedding moments, they had managed to get in some sightseeing. Going on a tour of Alcatraz and spending some time hiking through the redwoods. Today was a planned beach day, all seven of them piled into two vehicles and loaded down with picnic coolers, towels, beach toys, umbrellas, and anything else that might be remotely useful.

Once they finally managed to claim a piece of sand and dump all their belongings into a pile, Owen had pulled off his shirt, leaving him clad in his boardshorts (which he'd been taunting Claire about all morning) before pointing at the ocean and declaring "last one in is a rotten egg." Zach, Gray and Jake had all taken the bait, dropping their own t-shirts in the sand as they raced after Owen with clamors of "not fair." Karen and Claire had just looked at each other shrugging and rolling their eyes, before trying to organize the pile of stuff and then working to set up a couple of umbrellas to provide some shade over one of the blankets, so they could hide from the sun.

Claire blamed it on the fact that she'd only been a "mom" for just going on two months now, that it took her a few minutes to notice that Maisie was just standing off to the side, watching the guys playing in the ocean. She realized she'd assumed that Maisie had just gone with them. But, now as she watched Maisie fidgeting, she was realizing that over the past few days Maisie had actually been with her and Karen more often than not. It had been nice, and Claire hadn't questioned it. But, usually Maisie hung closer to Owen than Claire, and now she was wondering what she had missed.

"Hey Maisie, are you going to go join the boys?" Claire asked, drawing Maisie's attention away from the ocean.

"No," Maisie shook her head. "Can I stay with you?"

"Of course," Claire smiled at her, gesturing for her to come closer. "You're always more than welcome to hang out with me. But, you know," Claire looked back towards the ocean for a moment, trying to get Owen's attention, but his back was to her, "they'd be more than happy to have you join them, if you want to."

"I don't," Maisie shook her head again.

"If you're sure," Claire looked a little doubtful, but didn't pry further. Maisie loved being outdoors, climbing and running around. It was one of the reasons she and Owen got along so well, the two of them happily exploring new trails and hanging from the playground equipment. For Maisie to choose to sit on a blanket at a beach… it definitely wasn't expected. But since Claire didn't want to go get wet, she would have to wait until Owen was out of the water to say something.

Claire looked at Karen, who had been watching, and raised an eyebrow waiting for some parenting advice. Karen just shrugged, before suggesting that maybe they could work on a sandcastle, to which Maisie had enthusiastically agreed. After they had made the basic shape, Maisie started wandering a little farther away in search of shells, twigs and seaweed to decorate with. Using the bit of alone time they had, Claire turned to Karen again.

"I wonder what's with Maisie? Normally I can't get her away from Owen's side."

"I think she's feeling a little jealous," Karen replied, eyes moving from Maisie to the guys in the water and back. "Gray and Zach have been monopolizing Owen's attention. Jake too. I think she's just a little unsure as to her place. You said she hasn't spent a lot of time around other kids, right?"

"Yeah," Claire nodded, her eyes tracking Maisie across the sand, watching how the girl avoided getting too close to anyone else on the beach, but also stayed back from the water. "She was raised by her … grandfather. And a nanny – who wasn't all that young either. She seems to have mainly interacted with adults her whole life, and a small group at that."

"So not a lot of close family," Karen summarized. "This is probably all throwing her off. It's a lot of people, none who are shy about speaking up or asking for attention. It'll just take some time, she'll get used to it."

"Hmm," Claire hummed absently, gaze moving from Maisie to Owen, watching as he was tackled from behind by Gray, causing the two to fall, crashing into the waves. The four were seemingly in the midst of some game with confusing rules. If she listened closely, she could make out some of their laughter, before it would get swallowed by the crash of the next wave. Occasionally flicking her gaze over to Maisie, she focused on Owen, waiting for him to finally turn and look up the beach, so she could catch his eye. When he did, she waved him to come over. It took a couple back and forths of him gesturing "why" before he headed out of the water.

"What's up?" Owen asked, collapsing onto the blanket beside Claire, sending a spray of water in her direction, causing her to squeal.

"I'm just gonna…" Karen looked around for a moment as she got up, before adding, "I'll just go see how Maisie's doing."

Claire waited for her sister to take a few steps away before she turned her attention to Owen. "I think you've been forgetting about someone."

"You?" Owen asked, confused.

"Maisie," Claire nodded her head in the direction Karen had gone, the two of them taking a moment to watch the young girl. "Don't get me wrong, I'm really enjoying spending time with her, but normally I can get her away from your side."

"I spend plenty of time with Maisie," Owen protested.

"I know you do," Claire laid a hand on his arm, bringing his gaze back to her. "It's just… since everyone's been out here, she's been sticking to my side like glue. Even though I know she'd much prefer to be doing what you and the boys are doing. I think she's a little… well, Karen used the word jealous. I'm not sure it's that exactly, more just feeling out of place."

"Oh," Owen said thoughtfully, leaning back, resting his weight on his hands as he considered what Claire had said. He was feeling a little guilty. He hadn't even noticed when she hadn't joined in, just sort of assuming she had. Then again, even though they still referred to Zach and Gray as "the boys," Zach was now 19 and Gray 15, both significantly older than Maisie. Older and taller. He could see how Maisie would be feeling a little insecure. Not that he had any doubt that she could hold her own among them. In fact, he was sure she could take on Gray no problem, clumsy as that kid was. Pushing back up, he reached over into the cooler, pulling out a bottle of water. After gulping down about half, he turned back to Claire. "You think it's something I did?"

"What? No," Claire shook her head. "I didn't even really notice until today. I think… I think we're just still getting used to this parenting thing."

"It's definitely harder than it looks," Owen nodded.

"And it has never looked easy," Claire agreed. "I did really think we were going to have it easier, not having to deal with the baby-toddler stages."

"I still think we do," Owen said. "But, easier doesn't mean easy."

"Yeah…"

"Claire, Claire!" Maisie's voice had them both turning to watch as Maisie raced towards them, Karen following slowly behind. "Look what I found!" Maisie barely managed to stop herself as she reached them. "Owen!" Maisie looked surprised but pleased, when she realized he was sitting beside Claire. She stuck out her hand, where, resting in the middle was a sand dollar, about two inches across.

"Wow," Claire commented, ahhing appropriately.

"Nice find," Owen agreed. "I've always loved hunting for sand dollars. Did you know, they're actually a sea urchin?"

"Really?" Maisie looked at him in interest, and Claire found herself zoning out, as the two started discussing classification of various sea species.

"So?" Karen asked, sitting down on the other side of Claire, carefully putting the bucket she was carrying down beside her. Claire peaked in, and saw that it was filled with shells and other small items Maisie had been collecting.

"So?" Claire asked back.

"Did you say what you needed to say?" Karen pried. "Feel a bit better now?"

"Yeah," Claire nodded. "You know, you've done an amazing job with Zach and Gray. I mean, I've always known that and I've always known it's not easy but… I'm realizing there's still so much to learn and be aware of."

"Don't sell yourself short, Claire," Karen admonished. "Or Owen. You guys are doing great. It's clear that Maisie is comfortable with both of you. Everything else? Well, that's what time is for."

x x x

"Claire," Karen said, getting her sister's attention as the two made their way to the door of the cafe. They had managed to get a break from everyone else. Maisie was still struggling to find her footing, but this afternoon Jake, Zach and Gray had decided to go check out the Golden Gate Bridge, and Owen had begged off, saying that he and Maisie had plans, to the girls obvious delight. It was decided that they would all meet up again for dinner. Karen and Claire had taken the opportunity to go grab a coffee while doing some window shopping.

"What's up?" Claire asked, holding the door open for her sister, before following her out of it.

"You know I like Owen. You know I love Owen. And I've always thought you two were great together. But...I gotta ask, are you sure about this?" Karen stumbled over the words.

"About … what, exactly?" Claire questioned.

"Getting married," Karen shrugged. "I mean… It's barely been two months since you got back together and took in Maisie. You don't even know if she's going to stay with you permanently."

"We're not getting married for Maisie," Claire denied. It's not like Karen needed to know that it was part of the reason. But it wasn't the only reason.

"Then what's the rush?"

"No rush," Claire looked away from her sister. She took a few moments to gather her thoughts as they walked down the sidewalk. "You know… when I asked Owen, I wasn't asking because I thought we should get married this week."

"So why are you?"

"It's just… when I asked, Owen just said he was 'in.' That it didn't make a difference to him, whether it was tomorrow or in a year. And I just, I guess, I just–" Claire sighed, not really sure how to explain it.

"You just wanted to be married?" Karen asked, sounding unsure about that reasoning.

"Yes. No. Not exactly," Claire paused. "I don't know what it was, really. But, I guess, part of me just thought, why wait? What difference would it make if we got married today or in a year?"

"It's just–" it was Karen's turn to waffle. "I love Owen. And I know I was a little unsure when you first got together, but you guys always seemed to bring out the best in each other until… whatever happened. And I still don't get what happened. But, if it's happened before? I guess, I'm just… I want you to be sure. I don't want you to end up like me and Scott. We were best friends and can now barely have a civil conversation. And while it's been hard on me, it's been hardest on Zach and Gray. You guys have Maisie now. And it's only been a couple of months. There's still so much you guys are going to find out about each other."

"I know Owen," Claire disagreed.

"I don't mean just about Owen, but Maisie too. It's different when there's a kid. When you argue? When something doesn't go right? You can't walk away so easily. You can't even fight as easily. Because there's always someone else right there. It changes everything."

"I know," Claire led them into a small park they were passing by, sitting down on a bench. "It's… Karen, I think he's it."

"It?"

"You know, 'the one,'" Claire rolled her eyes even as she said it. "I've never thought I'd get married. I've never even thought I'd have a kid and yet… if it was going to happen with anyone, I think it was always going to be Owen."

"Aw, Claire," Karen hastily put down her cup of coffee, before reaching for her sister and pulling her into a hug. "I'm just so happy for you."

After a few minutes, Claire managed to extract herself from her sister's grip, watching as Karen wiped away the tears on her cheeks. "Besides," she said nonchalantly, "we've already bought a house together. Marriage sounds like peanuts compared to a mortgage contract."

"Claire!" Karen laughed, hitting her on the arm.

"Seriously," Claire laughed back. "Have you read those contracts? I don't know of anything that gets the 'til death do us part' as well as one of those."

"I'm still so happy for you," Karen repeated. "And Owen… I can't believe he's settling down. And in a city of all places."

"We're keeping his cabin," Claire reminded her. "And the place we bought backs onto a small forest area and park."

"Still, after the whole van thing…"

"I guess we're both growing up," Claire shrugged.

"At least you're doing it together," Karen smiled at her.

"Enough about me," Claire tried to change the subject. "How are things with Jake? The boys seem to really like him."

x x x

The night before the wedding, with everyone in town, Claire and Owen had decided that they should all go out for dinner. It had seemed like a simple thing to do – the twelve of them having dinner together as a family. Especially since they had invited several of their friends to come to the dinner after the wedding, turning it into a bit of a low-key reception. In hindsight (considering it's 20/20 after all), they probably should've known that many opinionated people, sitting at the same table, with the topic focused on what at least a few of them thought was a hasty decision, was not going to end well.

It ended up being a super frustrating evening, with arguments flying left and right over whether or not the wedding should be happening, with people seemingly changing sides mid-debate. Eventually, as more than one argument had brought up Maisie, and then having watched as Maisie had started to shrink back in her chair, barely able to touch her food, Claire and Owen had had enough. The two of them had pushed back their chairs in unison and stood up from the table.

"That's it!" Owen exclaimed, throwing his napkin on his plate. "We invited you all to come because we want to share this with you. But if you can't keep it together, if you can't shut your mouths, then for–"

"Owen!" Claire grabbed his arm, stopping his tirade before it went where she knew it was going. Turning to the table, she took over for him. "This is our decision, and we've made it. You all know when and where it's happening. If you can't respect it, then don't come. But, we hope we'll see all of you at City Hall tomorrow. As for tonight? We're done. Come on, Maisie." Claire grabbed her purse and moved towards the door, knowing that Owen would make sure that Maisie followed after them.

"I'm sorry," Maisie whispered, once they had settled into the car and were driving back to the condo.

"What for?" Claire asked, turning to look at her.

"That all of this is happening because of me."

"Oh no. No, no, no," Claire was quick to negate her concerns, but Maisie was already crying.

"That's what they were saying. That if I wasn't here…"

"No, Maisie," Owen spoke up. "They're grasping at straws and trying to find something. But they're wrong. One hundred percent wrong. Every family… no family is perfect." Owen sighed as he said that, reaching across the console to grab Claire's hand, giving her a crooked smile.

"Every family has issues," Claire agreed. "If anything, all of this is on us, Owen and I. We're the ones who decided we wanted to do this now. And we're also the ones who decided to invite them all."

"But they're your family," Maisie pushed. "Why aren't they happy?"

"They are… sort of. They will be," Claire amended. "I bet you, that tomorrow, every single one of them will be waiting for us at City Hall. Because they are family. And as much as they were making a big deal of things tonight, they'll be there to support us tomorrow."

"She's right, kiddo," Owen nodded, catching Maisie's eye in the rearview mirror. "I have no doubt that they will be there. And, everyone will act like tonight didn't happen. It's just the way things go, sometimes. It's… family." Owen shrugged, glancing over his shoulder at Maisie and then over at Claire. He wasn't sure of a better way to explain it.

"I'm still sorry," Maisie repeated. "I don't want to be a problem."

"You're not a problem," Claire replied immediately.

"Not at all," Owen agreed. "We love having you with us."

At that, the car fell silent, and Owen focused his attention on driving. As they were pulling into the parking garage, Claire's stomach let out a growl, breaking the silence.

"Sorry," Claire blushed, as Owen turned to look at her with a grin. "I didn't manage to eat much. I'm still hungry."

"Me too," Owen nodded, pulling into their parking spot. "What about you Maisie? What do you think of ordering in pizza?"

"Hawaiian?" Maisie asked with a hopeful grin, hopping out of the back of the car.

"Pineapple on pizza? Yuck," Owen made a face, pulling up the app on his phone.

"Please?" Maisie begged, pulling on his arm, as he led the way to the elevator. "It's so good."

"Claire?" Owen turned to her, knowing she was always changing her mind as to her favourite toppings.

"Hmm, vegetarian?" Claire requested, causing Owen to groan.

"I think we're going to need more than one," he said, flipping through the choices. "I'm not eating pineapple, and pizza isn't pizza without some kind of meat."

x x x

Friday morning, Claire and Owen were both feeling so thankful that no one, besides Maisie of course, was staying with them. After the previous night's dinner, they couldn't imagine having to have dealt with family first thing in the morning. As it was, they had to arrive at City Hall earlier than everyone else to sort out the marriage license.

Karen had texted them the previous evening, apologizing for the disaster over dinner (not that she'd really been involved, except for defending them) and asking if they wanted to drop Maisie off with her beforehand. They had opted to keep her with them. They knew that the week had been overwhelming for Maisie, and that the dinner the previous evening had left her shaken. They were hoping that spending the morning with just them, and keeping it mostly lowkey would help settle them all.

Standing in line as they waited their turn, all of them were feeling a little antsy, with Claire continually looking at her watch, even though she knew they'd arrived with tons of extra time. Eventually, they made it to the front and after answering a series of questions and showing their ID, they were given a form to fill out and told to move to the side while they did so. Claire took it on to fill the form in, with Owen looking over her shoulder.

"Oh, we have to specify names," Claire stopped as she reached that part of the form. She hadn't even thought about changing her name. Had Owen? Did he… would he expect her too? "I… I'd kind of like to keep Dearing, if that's okay."

"Of course," Owen replied immediately. It's not like he was going to force her to take his name. And… did it really matter? "Did you, um, did you want me to change to Dearing?" He asked hesitantly, hating that he was hoping she'd say no. Because if she had asked him what he wanted, he would've admitted that he liked the idea of her becoming a Grady.

"Uh… did you want to?" Claire asked, surprised by the question.

"No." Owen winced, he hadn't meant that to come out so strongly. "I mean… I would if you wanted me to, but…" He looked away, both embarrassed and nervous. How had they never had this conversation before? It was such a normal part of the marriage process and yet, it had never come up. After a few moments, he looked back at her.

"I've just… Claire Dearing is my identity," Claire said, meeting his gaze. "Just like Owen Grady is yours."

"It doesn't make us less married if we both keep our names," Owen said after a moment. "The name's not the important part."

"Yeah," Claire nodded. She swallowed over a lump in her throat, but turned back to the form, skipping the name change section. She really didn't want to change her name, and she meant it – her name was her identity and brand. But, bucking traditions always carried with it a bit of an uncomfortable feeling, like you were doing something wrong, even when you weren't.

After flipping through a few more pages, Claire signed off with a flourish, before handing the pen and papers to Owen for him to sign. She glanced over at Maisie, who had retreated to a chair to wait, playing a game on Owen's phone as they filled out the forms. A couple more hours and they'd be one step closer to being a family.

x x x

They'd booked the 2pm timeslot, and just after 1:30, Claire received a text from Karen, letting her know that they had parked and were on their way in. Lucas showed up first, weighed down with a couple of bags full of camera equipment, his parents trailing not far behind him. Karen, Jake and the boys were just a few minutes behind them. And Claire and Karen's parents trickled onto the scene not long after.

"Told you so," Claire heard Owen whisper to Maisie, as her parents arrived and Claire moved to greet them. She had to admit, while she had been sure everyone would come, there had been a small part of her that had worried that someone wouldn't show. But, now that everyone was there, she was ready to have it all over and done with. Ten minutes with a marriage commissioner and it would be done. It seemed crazy how quickly it had all come together and how quickly it would be over, now that she thought about it. For something so life changing (supposedly), it sure seemed like most of the kerfuffle of it all was wrapped up in trying to just get to the day of, and not the actual event itself.

As the clock ticked down, the group of them waited nervously in the waiting area. She knew, from her research, that each half hour block could accommodate three weddings (it really was a revolving door), but as they waited, no one else showed up or appeared to be hanging around for the same reason. Maybe they would luck out and get the place to themselves. Make it feel a little more personal.

Just before two, the door opened and the couples from the previous session filed out, along with their witnesses and any guests. A man in a suit and tie, standing in the doorway looked at a sheet of paper before calling out, "Owen Grady and Claire Dearing?"

The twelve of them moved as a group towards the door, only to be stopped by the man.

"I'm sorry, but you're only allowed six guests, and that needs to include your two witnesses," he informed them. "Some of you will have to wait out here."

"Only six?" Claire asked weakly, turning back to face those behind her. How were they supposed to choose which six? Everyone there was invited for a reason.

"I can wait," Jake offered immediately, trying to reduce the burden.

"Me too," Maisie spoke up.

"No!" Claire and Owen both said in unison, reaching for Maisie before she could back away.

"Maisie, you're one of our witnesses," Owen reminded the girl. "We need you there."

"You're a part of our family," Claire added. "It wouldn't be right without you." She paused, looking at everyone gathered there, her eyes resting on Jake. "It wouldn't be right without any of you."

"How did you miss the limit of six?" Owen murmured to her quietly. "You normally catch all of these things."

"I don't know," Claire moaned back, mentally berating herself. "I guess this is what we get for trying to do this the easy way."

"Well, I think the parents should get to be there," Claire's mother put forward, hesitantly. "But that takes four of the spots."

"Five with Maisie," Owen's dad nodded at the young girl. "That only leaves one left."

"I want to be there," Gray raised his hand. "Owen said I could be like his best man."

"He said we could share it," Zach pushed his brother, "If you get to go, then I get to go too."

"I've been dreaming of this day for years," Karen put forward. "I can't miss it now."

"Hey, I'm the photographer," Lucas reminded them. "If I'm not in there, there won't be any pictures."

Claire turned her back on her family, looking at the man in the suit. "Is there anyway you can just let them all come in? They'll be quiet," Claire winced as the volume rose behind her, as everyone squabbled over who had the "right" to be there. "I promise, they can be better behaved than this."

"Well…" the man looked into the room behind him, before down at the paper in his hand.

"I know there can be three couples per slot," Claire added, working on her defense. "It looks like it's just us. If you can fit three couples and their guests in, you've got to have more than enough room for just us and everyone else. It's less than the total guests for two."

"Please," Owen joined in. "Don't turn this into Sophie's choice."

The man glanced behind him again, before looking at his watch, calculating whether it was worth arguing over it all. Finally, he stepped aside and waved them in.

Owen let out a whistle, and the noise around them lowered in an instant, everyone turning to him. "Thanks. This man has generously agreed that you can all–" Owen held up his hand as he saw everyone was about to speak. "He's agreed that you can all come in, but you have to be on your best behaviour. No more squabbling. Ten minutes. That's all we ask for. Can you do that? Because if you can't…"

Everyone nodded, no one daring to open their mouths, not with the look on Owen's face. His gaze relaxing, he stepped aside, and let them all flow into the room, hanging at the rear with Claire. Once everyone had entered, he turned to her.

"You ready?" Owen asked, reaching for her hand and lacing his fingers through hers.

"Ready," Claire smiled up at him. "More than ready, really."

"Let's do this," Owen squeezed her hand, before leading her into the room.

x x x

The ceremony was short and over in a hurry, and before they knew it, Claire, Owen, Maisie and Karen had signed all the necessary forms, and the group was filing back out into the hallway.

"So, what's next?" Owen asked, now that it was over.

"Pictures," Lucas reminded them. "We need to get some group shots." He looked around. "Although, maybe not in here. At a park or on the beach?"

"Outdoors would be good," Owen agreed easily, and Claire nodded. They chatted about locations, as they moved through the building.

As they were stepping outside, Karen moved to walk beside Claire, looping her arm through Claire's. "Thanks for letting me witness."

"Of course," Claire looked at her sister in surprise. "Always."

"Hey, there were 9 other people there today, you didn't have to choose me." Karen shrugged. "It's just nice that you did." She sighed, looking down at Claire's left hand, now sporting her wedding band. "I never thought I'd see this day."

"And yet, you always thought I'd have kids," Claire reminded her sister.

"You don't need a man to have kids," Karen dismissed.

"Hey!" Owen sidled up on Claire's other side looking offended on behalf of all men. He reached for his wife's hand, tugging her away from her sister.

"So, just how involved were you in creating Maisie?" Karen asked, raising an eye at Owen.

"Leave him alone, Karen," Claire laughed, tugging Owen towards her, so she wouldn't have to move away from her sister. "Besides, I didn't create her either."

"Eh," Karen dismissed it with the flick of her hand. "How they come into your lives isn't important. The fact Maisie's here is what matters."

Claire and Owen locked gazes over that, both immediately searching out Maisie, hoping that she may have heard it. They found her following close behind them, and Owen reached back, tugging Maisie forward until she was walking beside him.

"You're right," Owen winked down at Maisie, before looking towards Karen. "And we agree wholeheartedly. Having Maisie here makes all of this even better."

x x x

If the ceremony had felt fast, the rest of the day felt like it went by even faster. By the time they had taken pictures, including in every possible combination of people imaginable, they had just enough time for everyone to go back to their hotel rooms and homes to freshen up before meeting together at the restaurant for dinner.

The dinner had been fun. There had been almost twenty of them there in the end. Claire and Owen. Their ten family members. Zia and Franklin. Barry. And a few friends of Owen's from his Navy days. Not small, but not big. Just the right number that they felt like they got a chance to talk with everyone and celebrate, without turning it into something massive.

Arriving home, Claire held the door of the condo open, watching as Owen led an exhausted Maisie who could barely keep her eyes open through the doorway, the two heading straight for Maisie's room. He emerged a minute later, heading into the kitchen and grabbing a glass of water, looking over at Claire who was leaning against the counter, staring down at her ring.

"Hardly feels real, right?" Owen asked, holding up his own hand and looking at his ring.

"Yeah," Claire nodded. "I guess I sort of expected to feel different. I don't know why, but…"

"I know what you mean," Owen agreed. And he did. But, that didn't mean it didn't feel like a bit of a stab to the heart to hear. He'd been waiting, hoping, for this day for well over a year now. It was kind of disappointing for it to feel this way. "I mean, it's a major life milestone, right? Feels almost… anti-climatic."

Claire snorted, and Owen turned to her in surprise. "Sorry," Claire said, before bursting into giggles. "I may have drank too much tonight," she said laughing louder, before finally gasping, "Anti-climatic."

Owen looked at her, rolling his eyes at her juvenile humour. He had drank, but not as much, considering he had to drive them home and someone had to be the grown up with Maisie.

"I hope that's not how the evening's going to end," Claire laughed again, raising her hand to cover her mouth, trying to muffle her giggles.

"What's so funny?" Maisie asked, coming out of her bedroom dressed in her pjs.

"Nothing," Owen replied firmly. That was not a conversation he wanted to have with a nine year old. "Come on," he moved towards Maisie. "You need to brush your teeth and I'll tuck you in." As he guided Maisie towards the bathroom, he glanced over his shoulder at Claire. Her giggles had died down, and she was staring at her ring again, a soft smile on her lips.

While he didn't feel different, he could feel the weight of the band on his finger. But he liked it. It let him know that the day was real, and that it really had happened. When they had… taken a break, he had spent more nights then he was comfortable admitting, debating what to do with the ring. More than once, he'd almost returned it or thrown it into the lake (which seemed like the less embarrassing way to get rid of it). But he'd never been able to follow through. He had always hoped, slim as it was, that they would find their way back to each other. That one of them would finally step up and re-open the doors of communication. He hadn't expected dinosaurs, or a little girl, to be the key, but, maybe, it was fitting that they were.

He didn't regret how quickly they had got married. Or anything about the day, really. Well, maybe, that they weren't having a honeymoon. Maybe that's why it didn't feel different. They were back home, putting Maisie to bed, just like any other evening from the past couple of months. Except… except, now they wore rings, binding themselves to each other. Making it just a little bit harder for either one to walk away. And he had to admit, he liked that. Liked feeling tied to her, and her to him.

Okay, maybe he had one other regret about today. He hadn't made it back to his cabin and so the engagement ring he'd bought was still sitting tucked away in its box. He had hoped he'd find the time. That he might be able to give it to her under the pretense that he'd just bought it. But now that they were married? How do you give someone an engagement ring after the wedding? At this rate, that ring was going to haunt him for life.

But he wasn't going to dwell on that tonight. That was for another day. Instead, he encouraged Maisie to finish up in the bathroom, because the sooner he got Maisie into bed, the sooner he could follow up with Claire and show her just how very not anti-climatic the evening was going to end.

 

Notes:

You made it! Thanks so much for reading. Please, please, please, drop me a review/comment/*something* below. Let me know what you loved, what you hated, what you want to see next, what you never want to see, anything.

(Oh, which reminds me - for the one who asked - there will be *NO* pregnancy and/or clawen baby in this series).

And if you're wondering what Owen ended up doing with the engagement ring, you need to go read Full Circle. It's in there. Along with a whole ton of clawen angst. AND, I actually read through it and edited it and updated it the other day, so there are fewer errors then before. Including fixing the name of Karen's fiance (I had said Ryan, but choose to stick with Jake now), and Maisie has a stuffed orange sock monkey, not a teddy she kept from Lockwood (it's shown in the movie).

PS - Please go read Swipe Right if you haven't. I'm so proud of it and yet it seems to have been missed. It's pre-JW clawen fun. :)