Release (Open)

[Izzie McFadden]

With every stretch, Izzie could feel her body easing the tension she'd been wearing for weeks now. From her brother's wedding, to her brother-in-law's funeral, she had been nothing but stressed, sometimes distressed, and she'd even feared for her life. You didn't come away from being tortured without some sort of mental scars, and although she was doing the best that she could to lessen them, it wasn't that easy. Even with Gordon's help.

He was feeling guilty for letting her get caught, she knew that. She'd given up trying to tell him that there was nothing he could have done, and that she wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for his determination, and Anna's ingeniuity, and neither would her sisters. The Black Suns would have left her family and the Earth in tatters. His mood seemed to improve as hers did, but she wasn't 100% there yet, probably not even 50%. But she'd figured out what would help.

Dancing.

Finally, she was warmed up, taking a lot longer than usual as her body still ached after all that she'd been through.
"Computer."
"Yes, Ms. Fritz?"
"Music selection: Fancy Footwork by Chromeo."
"Playing now."

There was about twenty seconds or so of build up to the song, which allowed her to find her way onto the mats, pulling both arms out tightly behind her in one last stretch. As the music started properly, she let her body carry herself to the rhythm, she found it was the most organic way to dance. The lively music allowed her to do whatever she wanted, using the mats as a springboard to indulge in a back flip or two. It felt good being able to use her body like this again. Dance had been such a release for her, a way to showcase her skill and personality. She missed it a lot.

As the song drew to a close, she did a 360 degree spin in the centre, before landing on her back, knees bent underneath her body. That's better.

[Gordon McFadden]

Gordon leaned against the doorway to the entrance of the gym, arms folded across his chest and a little smile across his face as he watched Izzie prance around the gym. She moved with so much grace and it looked like it took such little effort, which frustrated Gordon whenever they danced together. He could never grasp the concept of timing and rhythm on the floor and she could dance circles around him. Not that he was jealous of her ability, but he wanted to be the best at everything...key word being wanted. His competitive nature was slowly dying, being replaced with a kind of warmth that he never thought he could exhibit. Talk about emotional rehab. And it was all thanks to the woman who he was trying to restore. She had gotten better over the last couple of days, but he couldn't fathom how long the scars would last. The ship psychologist even told him that from what she had seen from Izzie's emo-scan that it could take months, maybe a year or so till she was back into the full swing of things.

Which made what Gordon wanted to talk about even harder.

He remained silent all the way through the song's end, clapping slowly as she completed the spin, saying as the music died:
"Your flexibility is back." He walked to the center of the room, helping Izzie to her feet as he asked:
"You got more of this stuff you wanna do? Or you got a few minutes to spare? Gotta lay some truth on you." He was never about dancing around an issue, rather saying what he needed to in the most direct manner. No, it wasn't tactful, but it communicated his message in the purest form possible.

[Izzie McFadden]

Izzie seized Gordon's hand, stepping back onto her feet despite her urge to spring instead. It seemed at the moment that wherever she went, Gordon wasn't far behind, looking out for her. It was almost like both he and Jennifer, the ship's psychologist (who was, funnily enough, the Captain's wife which no one knew he had), thought she was going to prove the whole 'it has to get worse before it gets better' sentiment. She didn't feel like she was going to have a break down, but then, could someone really predict something like that?

In all honesty, she wanted to keep going, keep dancing. It was helping her to release all the feeling she needed to shed. But the look on Gordon's face made her intrigued. What truth?

"I've got a few minutes to spare," she said with a nod, after all, she could always dance again later.
Going over to quickly grab her water bottle, she took a long gulp before joining him again on the mat.
"What's this truth you want to lay on me then?"
It could be anything. Especially if it came from Gordon. He wasn't afraid to throw her curveballs.

[Gordon McFadden]

Gordon rubbed his hands together absentmindedly for a few moments, attempting to gather the words he wanted to put into sentences so he wouldn't sound like a total idiot. Ok, words formed:
"It hasn't been but a few days since we've been back, so I know this is comin at a bad time, but with all the downtime we're gonna have over the next month or so, I wanted to lay this on you so you can twiddle it around, see what ya think." He rubbed his hands over his face before he told her quite plainly:
"I've loved you since I saw you prancin around here the first time we met and...you've helped me, I've helped you. We're a team. I think we checked that idea a long time ago off the 'going steady' checklist. Now...now I wanna make it permanent." He drew a bit closer, taking one of Izzie's hands as he said:
"I want you to marry me." There! It was finally said. Gordon had been thinking about this idea for three months, weighing the possibilities and silently berating himself for thinking that a marriage between them would work. That all changed right before they left for Earth, when he had come back from yet another operation and Izzie was standing just outside the hangar with the brightest smile in the world. It was then that he knew...they could do it.

Now for her reaction.

[Izzie McFadden]

There was a brief moment where Izzie froze. How had she not seen that coming? They'd been together for way over a year now, getting slowly steadier on their feet, closer and deeper in love. Despite their arguments in the beginning, if there was anything that they'd proved, it was that they could get through anything together. Anything and everything.
The moment passed, and her body moved, throwing her arms around Gordon's neck. Her answer was a no brainer.
"Yes," she breathed, pulling back to say, "I want to marry you too."
Then she kissed him, the most passionately she'd managed since back in the hotel room when everything had begun to unravel. Her fingers caressed his neck and the bottom of his hair line as she did so, making sure that he understood just how much she meant it.
Yes yes yes yes yes yes.

[Gordon McFadden]

Well, that wasn't exactly the response he had in mind, but Gordon wasn't complaining. He could feel the passion coming through her lips, the biotic returning the emotion just as fervently, hands coursing down her back, savoring every moment of their engagement. For a while, the biotic didn't think they would break off(which would have been fine with him), but he knew that if someone walked in on them doing this...well, it wouldn't look good. At all. Especially with kids running around the ship. He broke off reluctantly, smirking as he told her:
"I knew you couldn't resist me. It's just all that charm, baby. I mean, the moment that you locked eyes on me, I just said: 'Oh, this girl is in love with me.' Didn't even hafta to think twice about it." Of course, Gordon knew it was quite the opposite, but he liked getting Izzie wound up. Watching her face scrunch up in mock disgust, eyes filled with playful fire...so...much...fun.
"How are we gonna tell your family that you wanted to marry a joker like me?"

[Izzie McFadden]

Well, Gordon certainly knew how to make her feel better. Proposing marriage wasn't exactly what the Doctor had prescribed, but if she was honest, it was better than anything a Doctor could have given her. Who wouldn't want to be married to the one they loved?
Shrugging her shoulders innocently at his question, she said, "video call? E-mail? Holo message? Something impersonal and completely far away from their wrath." After a moment of looking at him with earnest eyes, the smirk crept onto her face and she prodded him. "In person, straight out. And then you prep yourself for hugs and shoulder claps by the bucket load. Wear your armor underneath your shirt, that might help."
See? This was what she was more used to from herself, teasing playfulness.
"We should probably do that soon, before they get wind that something's going on." It would be easy with the amount that she would probably be smiling over the next few days.
She was getting married.
They'd just set a brand new rollercoaster in motion, one that would hopefully lead to happiness.
"Don't even think of asking me to elope," she said, wagging a finger at him, "my family has to be there. They will invite themselves one way or another, that I promise you."

[Gordon McFadden]

"Like I was gonna get away with that. My fantasy of takin you away to some paradise somewhere with just the two of us wasn't gonna happen. Your fam deserves to see you gettin married off, especially with all the hubbub they've gone through." He hadn't mentioned Izzie's family since they had come back from the funeral, but he assumed she had at least had some contact with them since her return to the ship.
"Hope they don't squeeze on the back too hard. Flesh is still tender."

The flight to Earth was a bit shorter than usual due to the Venia's positioning, the couple landing on their home planet in a little under five hours. Gordon didn't know if Izzie had called ahead to let the family know they were coming back, but that didn't matter...they would find out sooner or later.
"Your dad's place...you're gonna have to lead the way. Ain't ever been there." It was true: Gordon had never been to the family compound in the year that he had known Izzie. He had heard it was extravagant.

[Izzie McFadden]

"Lead the way I shall," she said, making sure she had a secure hold on her... fiancee (weird, and yet, she couldn't help but bubble with happiness inside when she thought about it).
Taking a cab out to Brooklyn, one of the older parts of the city, they pulled up outside one of the shorter buildings in the neighbourhood, an old red brick building which had been built in the style of those from the 20th Century. The top two floors of the building belonged to her family, as David and Sara both still lived at home, they needed some room. They'd started off in a tiny flat in Queens when Izzie had been born, but as her Dad's salary went up, they moved into bigger and bigger properties, eventually moving here when Izzie was sixteen.
"Here we go."

The private elevator took them to the top, and none other than David was waiting to greet them. He was looking a lot better than when she had seen him at the funeral, where he'd only just stopped being sick with worry about where the girls were and whether they were still alive. She pulled him into a hug.
"So," he began, shaking Gordon's hand, "what brings you two here then? Didn't expect you back so soon."
"Well, we have news, but it's probably best to gather everyone in the same room so I don't have to say it several times."

Mia had taken up residence in her old room now that Hunter was gone, she wanted to be at home with her family. And Shaun would no doubt be around somewhere, he usually frequented the house on a near daily basis.
Once everyone was together, Izzie looked at Gordon.
Who was going to say it?
She had thought it was going to be easy, but now they were all staring at her with expectant eyes, she wasn't quite sure how to get the words out.
Come on Izzie, you've performed for thousands of people, you can do this.

[Gordon McFadden]

Private elevator, materials that were just about extinct...yeah, he was getting married into some big money. Not as if they would need financial security in the next few years(the Alliance had upped Gordon's commission by a lot after R4 was taken out, as if to justify sending him into suicide missions over the past year), but it was nice to know in case there needed to be some strings pulled back on Earth. Gordon gave David a smile, returning the gesture of greeting as he added:
"Yeah. Don't want you to get a heads-up on this info."

Gordon was shocked that all of the family had gathered together so quickly, but then again, Judah ran the office as he pleased and Gordon was sure when he heard his little girl was going to be back on Earth, he shut the place down. As the last family member filtered into the room(Sara was still looking down. He would try to cheer her up sometime after the soon coming familial onslaught of congratulations), Izzie looked at him as if to suggest that he should talk. Fine, he could do that. Before Izzie could formulate a response, Gordon spoke rather bluntly:
"Big Shaun over there set such a great example a few days ago that we're followin his lead. Iz and I are getting married."

[Izzie McFadden]

Of course, there was a pause. Izzie thought her family were probably trying to figure out if they were serious. But when they saw the sincerity on both their faces, Violet was the first to come up and pull her daughter into an embrace.
"Congratulations!" David piped up, the next one to move, giving Gordon the aforementioned clap on the shoulder before pulling Izzie under his arm, kissing her on the side of the head, "you guys deserve it, you really do."
It didn't take too long for everyone else to move as well, it wasn't that they disapproved, it just came so close after everything else, they were surprised.

Izzie watched her father gesture for Gordon to go to one side, while she sat with the girls as they started throwing about ideas for the ceremony. Mia and Sara both seemed to perk up as they were told that they would be the bridesmaids, of course.
"With your skin, you can't wear plain white," Mia said, "it'll wash you out."
"Thanks for the tip, Mia."
"We can worry about that another time," Violet reassured her daughter, running her hand through her hair lovingly.
"Do we get to pick our dresses?" Sara asked.
"Of course, you can wear whatever you want. I just want you guys to be there, and for us to have a good time."

[Gordon McFadden]

Gordon saw the gesture and raised an eyebrow, as if he wasn't expecting to be summoned by the head of the Fritz household. Not that he DIDN'T think Jude would want to talk to him: this was his little girl after all. He wasn't about to allow Gordon to whisk her off into the sunset without at least setting down parameters. The biotic walked over to Jude, who led him away from the living area, down an ornate hallway and into a room on their left, which was Jude's study(an assumption from all the bookshelves, study terminals, and holocubes around). There were two very comfortable looking chairs propped up against a bookshelf, which Jude retrieved and placed in the center of the room, the elder Fritz telling Gordon:
"Take a seat."
"Thanks." Gordon complied, Jude sitting down a few seconds later. A few moments of silence passed between the two before Judah opened his mouth:
"I love my girl, Gordon."
"I know you do."
"You sure you know? Because let me tell you, son, we've been through an awful lot."
"Izzie has told me. Have a lot of respect for how you've treated your family."
"Appreciated. You have to understand something, Gordon...I am apprehensive about this. Not due to your character. That's not the issue."
"Then what is?" Gordon knew the answer.
"You're not just an Alliance officer, Gordon. You go into operations that no other squad could or would want to handle, putting your life on the line every time."
"I understand where you..."
"Let me finish, son. My baby girl willing committed to someone who could lose his life every time he leaves for a mission. And I know you're confident in your abilities and I know that you can use them better than anyone I've ever seen. But I can't allow her to go through that pain."
"Want me to be honest?"
"You would have to be." Judah cracked a small smile.
"Iz and I have talked about that. A lot. To be fair, I understand that. But I have a galaxy to defend and Iz is backing up one hundred and ten percent. I don't like leavin her behind....in fact, it's the worst thing I do to her. But that's what comes with this position and I can't shove that on the side of a dirt road. She knows that, Jude. Ask her yourself."
"I'll talk to her after we're done here. One more question for you."
"Yeah?"
"Do you love her?"
"More than I think, respectfully, you could ever know. She's been my anchor over the past year, the one person I can rely on. And she feels the same way. I know it." Jude mulled the words over in his head, nodding as if in approval.
"Your words are sincere. I appreciate that. Why don't you go back out there and talk to the kids? I have to go take care of something."

Jude walked back into the living area the same time as Gordon, the biotic contently walking over to the group of girls and started a conversation with Violet about the area as Jude put a hand on Izzie's shoulder and said quietly:
"Lets talk."

He brought Izzie to the rooftop, where Violet's gardens were beginning to blossom in the spring weather, flowers budding, promising hope. Jude led her near to the edge of the roof where all of Queens was visible before them. It was there he turned to her and said:
"Tell me the truth...the honest truth, honeybunch: Do you love this man?"

[Izzie McFadden]

Being the protective and thoughtful man that her father was, Izzie wasn't surprised when he wanted to talk to her too. It had taken a good long while for both Liv and Hunter to win her family over completely. Even though Gordon had saved their lives, they'd only really just met him.

She looked out over the mish mash of buildings that made up Queens and the surrounding area. This had been one of her favourite places to come and dance, the rooftop. It had such an atmosphere, it made her feel like she was on top of the world. She'd learned, however, the hazards of dancing on rooftops all too acutely. She hadn't done it since.

Looking at her Dad, she smiled slightly. "You know how I was with Trey? It was all heart and no head. He seemed to make everything effortless, like we didn't need to work in order to be together. And... well, it fell apart." She took a breath. "Gordon has never made it easy. At first I thought I was making the same mistake as last time, dive in head first, damn the consequences. But as the challenges came, he didn't run away. I didn't either. I've probably never screamed at someone so much in my life, or got into so much trouble, but every time we pick ourselves up and keep going. He's a part of me now and I can't even describe..." she laughed slightly as she realised tears had begun to leak from her eyes. "I can't imagine a life without him, Dad."

Taking one of his hands in both of hers, she said, "so, you think you can bear to part with me?"

[Gordon McFadden]

Trey. That moron. Judah had nearly torn the boy apart when he heard that he wanted to marry his daughter. He was a charmer, but he was lazy, gutless, not willing to lay himself out on the line and sacrifice for the good of the family. Jude raised an eyebrow at her explanation of the nature that her and Gordon's relationship had taken on, but he knew that couples had shouting matches. It wasn't as if he and Violet had NO arguments whatsoever(the kids never saw the arguments. They had made sure of it.), but they had become closer because they were willing to work out their differences. And that's what Izzie was telling him. They would work at it. As tears began to come out of Izzie's eyes, he knew as her father that she was going to marry this man whether he approved or not. She was in love. What was he going to do to be able to stop her? He could say no...she loved him enough to respect his opinion and probably break off with Gordon. She could find another man who was more stable, who would be a fantastic father, who could be level-headed in cri...

Izzie had spoken to him.

"Sorry, honey...I was just thinking. Don't want to leave you in suspense and all, eh?" He wrapped the girl in his embrace, remembering all the years that she would come to him for a hug, whether it was a teenage fling gone wrong or a celebration of her latest dance triumph. Was he willing to risk her?

"Do you love her?"
"More than I think, respectfully, you could ever know.

Jude sighed, releasing his daughter as he told her:
"He was willing to risk his life for you. He brought the three of you back when I thought hope was lost completely. Even at that, I didn't think you would recover so quickly from your experience, but two days later, here you are, back to normal...I have him to thank for that. He may be a loose cannon, but you two seem to work together quite well. " He paused for a moment, then smiled and said:
"I assume you want me to say yes or no, eh? I'm defying my lawyer creed. Yes. Marry him. But you will come visit us on a more regular basis, you understand?" He kissed Izzie on the forehead, putting an arm around her shoulder as he turned towards the dying sun, watching the celestial body sink below the horizon.
"You know, there's a wonderful place on Staten Island that I could get for the wedding."

[Izzie McFadden]

Her Dad wasn't won over easily, this she knew. He was a lawyer after all, he had to get the truth, be absolutely sure it was the truth, and the decide what to do with it. He'd obviously got the truth from Gordon, and now he had the truth from her as well. There wasn't any way she wasn't going to marry Gordon, whether he agreed to disagreed.
Hugging him tightly, she grinned as she buried her head in his shoulder. He had terms, of course, but they weren't hard to agree to.
"Of course," she said, "as often as possible." She had missed them all so much while she'd been away, and with all that they'd been through, she wanted to be with them whenever she could manage it.

"Oh really?" she said, chuckling a little, "nothing big. We're not making a fuss, just family and close friends. Oh, and I already know who can cater for us. There's no way he's saying no."

Coming back into the lounge, it seemed her Mom had convinced everyone to stay for dinner. She many meals that could feed the five thousand, so it wasn't a stretch to feed everyone.
"So, what's the verdict?" Shaun asked, seeing Judah and Izzie come back.
Judah gave them all a nod at the same time that Izzie stuck both of her thumbs up signalling that it was a goer.
Sara, who had cheered up quite a lot in the time that they'd been out of the room, crooned with joy, and Mia managed a laugh.
"You have to let me help you plan it."
"Yes, Iz, Gordon, let Mia do all the work. Sit back and have drinks with us," David grinned.
"We have to get the game's cube going later too," Sara said, "I've been practicing, and I can kick all your asses at the dance game."
"The young padawan is so sure of herself," Izzie chuckled, before joining Gordon. "You cool with hanging out here for a bit?"