Sometimes, even when an addict thinks he has his demons beat, those old cravings still come back to haunt him.
Yesterday had been a rough one for Dakota. Out of nowhere, his body started screaming for a hit of cocaine, or any other kind of narcotic. This was something he hadn't felt in quite a few weeks, and this was the first time Dakota had decided that he was going to fight it. He had been clean for a while now, and he had a great thing going with Rosie, who was now his fiancee, by the way.
Yeah, he proposed to her several nights ago. He knew it was right, he knew she was right, he knew she was the one that he wanted. So right there in the middle of the bar at the Red Dragon Inn, he proposed to her. Surprisingly enough, at least for Dakota, she actually said yes.
Those memories from a few nights ago were what kept him going through the day as his body began breaking out into a cold sweat, aching for just one hit...just one needle. It was all he needed. He didn't want to get high, he just needed something to get him going again.
NO!!!!
He had to keep telling himself no, had to keep picturing Rosie's face as he kept himself closed up in his new home which he had just recently moved into, the villa which Brian and Charlotte had sold to him for a dollar. He hadn't had much stuff moved in yet....just the bare necessities for the moment. He was gonna get the place looking nice soon enough.
As the sun began going down, Dakota finally decided he felt strong enough to head towards the Inn, hoping Rosie would be there. She usually was this time of evening, anyway.
He'd barely made it halfway before he started feeling sick all over again. By the time he got to the Inn, his hands were shaking, he was sweating once again, his body was screaming, and he was just as sick as he had felt in quite a while.
Rosie was sitting there as usual, and Dakota tried so hard to hide the pain in front of her, but that was an immediate failure. She was already onto him, asking what was wrong. He tried to play it cool, letting her know he was just a little sick tonight, and that he'd be better in the morning. She wasn't buying any of it, and she pressed him more to tell her what was wrong. All Dakota could do was sigh and let her know what he'd been going through that day. He didn't want to hide anything from her, so he might as well be honest with her about EVERYTHING, even the bad stuff like this. It was pretty obvious how embarrassed he was to be in this condition in front of her. He had promised himself that he would ALWAYS be strong in front of her. NEVER let her see you at your weakest, especially when it comes to Rosie...that was what he was trying to live by.
But unfortunately, Dakota was human...and he pretty much laid it all out for her. Rosie simply sat there, listening to him, and she only offered this suggestion..
"Let's go for a walk.."
That was the best idea he'd heard all day, so off they went. Within just a few minutes, he realized where they were heading. Dakota and Rosie had this little pond outside the city that he had discovered a while back, and they'd made some memories there. It had kinda become their special place. Upon reaching their destination, they both settled down into the grassy area surrounding the water, neither one of them saying too much. They were just enjoying each other, which is one of the greatest qualities that two people in love can have. If they can enjoy just being around each other while doing nothing else, that's a good sign.
It began to dawn on Dakota as he lay there....the pain was gone. The sickness...gone. She'd helped him get through this episode, and he didn't even realize it until after the fact. Well, he lay there on his left side, his head resting on his folded up left arm...fingertips of his right hand tracing along her belly button as they just talked about little random things that crossed their mind, when all of a sudden, the topic of their wedding came up. He was the first one to mention it..
"What kind of weddin' do you want, baby..?"
She seemed to think about this for a moment, and she actually brought up the idea of possibly having a ceremony that went along with the rituals of his Choctaw people. Dakota let that sink in for a few moments...how great was this woman? She didn't have a drop of Native American blood in her, but she offered to have a wedding ceremony which complied with his people. A few moments passed before he shook his head, and he let her know that this was HER day. He realized that every little girl fantasizes about her wedding day, and he wanted it to be exactly the way she pictured it, whatever that may be. It didn't matter one single bit to him. As long as he came out of it with a beautiful 4'8" redheaded wife, that was ALL he cared about. Rosie just gave him one of those smiles that melted him every single time, and she let a few more moments passed before speaking up once again.
"Dakota..?"
"Yeah...?"
"What if we eloped...?"
That one TOTALLY caught him off guard. I mean, yeah...that sounded GREAT to him. He'd marry the girl right now if she'd allow it. But he wanted her to have her memorable wedding day. He would not be the one to take that away from her. The discussion went on for a few more minutes, with Rosie basically reassuring him that this was what she truly wanted. She didn't care about the fancy ceremony, she just wanted Dakota Steele to be her husband. Well, the next question out of Dakota's mouth was simple.
"When do you want to do this..?"
She looked at him with a grin.
"Right now..."
As it turns out, she knew that Destre was working at the Inn that night, and Destre just so happens to be qualified to perform wedding ceremonies. Well, after making absolutely SURE that this was what Rosie truly wanted, he took her by the hand and they were heading for the Red Dragon Inn, the biggest smile on this ol' outlaw's face.
The Red Dragon Inn had its usual crowd for a Sunday night. It was loud, bustling..a little obnoxious. It was his kinda crowd. Dakota and Rosie approached Destre as she stood there behind the bar, and asked her if she would be willing to marry them right then and right there.
Des was only more than happy to help out two people who were legitimately in love with each other, and who deserved a chance to be truly happy. Her next question was if they had two witnesses. Wyheree was already in the place, so she was thrilled to get up there and stand beside Rosie. Brian was there too, but for whatever reason, he couldn't take a few minutes to stand beside his friend. That bothered Dakota, but only for a moment or two, before his eyes landed on the ice dragon named Icer. She had been a good friend to him, so he got her to stand up there with him.
Des then began with the ceremony, in the middle of the usual chaos that was the Red Dragon Inn. To Dakota and Rosie, it couldn't have been more perfect or more beautiful. As it came time to exchange their vows, Rosie went first, looking up at her Indian man, and spoke softly..
"Dakota, I have told you so many times that you had me from hello. Our love is still growing and we're stronger everyday. Thank you for being in my life and wanting to share it with me. I love you so much. And I promise to you here and now that nothing will ever tear that apart."
He stood there, watching her as she spoke her vows to him. There was nothing recited from memory here. They barely had time to even think about what they were gonna say. These were words coming straight from the heart. Well, it was Dakota's turn...after regaining his composure, he simply said to her...
"Baby...there ain't much else I know to say right now. I can't sit here and promise you the world. I don't know what tomorrow holds for us...but I do promise you that whatever does happen for us, I want to face it with you. You saved my life, Rosie...and you showed me how to love somebody. Baby...I love you, and and I thank God every day that you came into my life."
It was simple, it was real..it was Dakota. Tears were streaking Rosie's face as she watched her man speak to her everything that was on his heart.
The "I do"s were then exchanged, along with a simple pair of rings. There was nothing spectacular about either one of them, but who cared? Those rings represented everything that this couple was about. They may not have a lot of fancy possessions, but as long as they had each other, it was all that truly mattered. Destre then spoke these final words to the two of them, with the biggest grin on her face.
"You have both made promises before God and before those of us standing here tonight. You have both given each other rings as tokens of those promises. Now by the power vested in me by the Government of Rhydin and the Red Dragon Inn I pronounce you, Dakota and Rosie, husband and wife Many happy years of marriage to y'all! Huzzah!!! You can do that kissing stuff now too!"
Oh, and he most definitely took part in "that kissing stuff", as he took his Rosie into his arms, and dipped her EXTREMELY low for that kind of kiss you see only in the movies. His black Stetson hid the both of their faces as they held onto the kiss for more than a few moments. Finally coming up for air, he released her, and grinning from ear to ear, he removed the hat by its brim, and flung it into the middle of the bar, letting the whole world know what just happened here.
"WE JUST GOT MARRIED, YA'LL!!!!"
And what a scene it was...champagne flowed freely, glasses were raised in their honor, congratulations were offered all the way around. But the two of them, they only stuck around for a few minutes after the ceremony. Their arms locked around each other as they took the traditional drink of champagne. Granted, Dakota had to stoop WAY low to do it, but he pulled it off. After they thanked Destre for marrying them, and thanked their friends for standing up there with them, Dakota and Rosie made their way through the crowd, and a white horse was waiting at the door for the two of them. He didn't have a clue who arranged that, but he was simply thankful that he had some good friends who would do things like that for him. Lifting his new bride onto the horse, he mounted up, and they were off, with Rosie's arms wrapped tightly around Dakota's waist as they headed for his new house.
Rosie had a funny thought on the way..
"I guess Charlotte needs to know I won't be coming home tonight."
"She'll figure it out soon enough, darlin'.."
A little while later, they arrived to their destination. After stepping down, he then helped Rosie down, but never put her to the ground. Ohno, he was going to be CARRYING his new bride into the house. She already knew that he didn't have much in the house yet, but she could have cared less. He had a bed...that's all they needed.
As he stood out front holding her, he handed her the keys so she could unlock the door. Upon doing so, Dakota Joseph Steele carried the new Rosalind Elizabeth Steele into their new home, and the door was closed behind them.
Hey....some stories are best left to the imagination, right...?
It wasn't the fanciest wedding in the world. There was nothing traditional about it at all, really. But for Dakota and Rosie Steele, it was the storybook wedding that they had both always wanted.
Yesterday had been a rough one for Dakota. Out of nowhere, his body started screaming for a hit of cocaine, or any other kind of narcotic. This was something he hadn't felt in quite a few weeks, and this was the first time Dakota had decided that he was going to fight it. He had been clean for a while now, and he had a great thing going with Rosie, who was now his fiancee, by the way.
Yeah, he proposed to her several nights ago. He knew it was right, he knew she was right, he knew she was the one that he wanted. So right there in the middle of the bar at the Red Dragon Inn, he proposed to her. Surprisingly enough, at least for Dakota, she actually said yes.
Those memories from a few nights ago were what kept him going through the day as his body began breaking out into a cold sweat, aching for just one hit...just one needle. It was all he needed. He didn't want to get high, he just needed something to get him going again.
NO!!!!
He had to keep telling himself no, had to keep picturing Rosie's face as he kept himself closed up in his new home which he had just recently moved into, the villa which Brian and Charlotte had sold to him for a dollar. He hadn't had much stuff moved in yet....just the bare necessities for the moment. He was gonna get the place looking nice soon enough.
As the sun began going down, Dakota finally decided he felt strong enough to head towards the Inn, hoping Rosie would be there. She usually was this time of evening, anyway.
He'd barely made it halfway before he started feeling sick all over again. By the time he got to the Inn, his hands were shaking, he was sweating once again, his body was screaming, and he was just as sick as he had felt in quite a while.
Rosie was sitting there as usual, and Dakota tried so hard to hide the pain in front of her, but that was an immediate failure. She was already onto him, asking what was wrong. He tried to play it cool, letting her know he was just a little sick tonight, and that he'd be better in the morning. She wasn't buying any of it, and she pressed him more to tell her what was wrong. All Dakota could do was sigh and let her know what he'd been going through that day. He didn't want to hide anything from her, so he might as well be honest with her about EVERYTHING, even the bad stuff like this. It was pretty obvious how embarrassed he was to be in this condition in front of her. He had promised himself that he would ALWAYS be strong in front of her. NEVER let her see you at your weakest, especially when it comes to Rosie...that was what he was trying to live by.
But unfortunately, Dakota was human...and he pretty much laid it all out for her. Rosie simply sat there, listening to him, and she only offered this suggestion..
"Let's go for a walk.."
That was the best idea he'd heard all day, so off they went. Within just a few minutes, he realized where they were heading. Dakota and Rosie had this little pond outside the city that he had discovered a while back, and they'd made some memories there. It had kinda become their special place. Upon reaching their destination, they both settled down into the grassy area surrounding the water, neither one of them saying too much. They were just enjoying each other, which is one of the greatest qualities that two people in love can have. If they can enjoy just being around each other while doing nothing else, that's a good sign.
It began to dawn on Dakota as he lay there....the pain was gone. The sickness...gone. She'd helped him get through this episode, and he didn't even realize it until after the fact. Well, he lay there on his left side, his head resting on his folded up left arm...fingertips of his right hand tracing along her belly button as they just talked about little random things that crossed their mind, when all of a sudden, the topic of their wedding came up. He was the first one to mention it..
"What kind of weddin' do you want, baby..?"
She seemed to think about this for a moment, and she actually brought up the idea of possibly having a ceremony that went along with the rituals of his Choctaw people. Dakota let that sink in for a few moments...how great was this woman? She didn't have a drop of Native American blood in her, but she offered to have a wedding ceremony which complied with his people. A few moments passed before he shook his head, and he let her know that this was HER day. He realized that every little girl fantasizes about her wedding day, and he wanted it to be exactly the way she pictured it, whatever that may be. It didn't matter one single bit to him. As long as he came out of it with a beautiful 4'8" redheaded wife, that was ALL he cared about. Rosie just gave him one of those smiles that melted him every single time, and she let a few more moments passed before speaking up once again.
"Dakota..?"
"Yeah...?"
"What if we eloped...?"
That one TOTALLY caught him off guard. I mean, yeah...that sounded GREAT to him. He'd marry the girl right now if she'd allow it. But he wanted her to have her memorable wedding day. He would not be the one to take that away from her. The discussion went on for a few more minutes, with Rosie basically reassuring him that this was what she truly wanted. She didn't care about the fancy ceremony, she just wanted Dakota Steele to be her husband. Well, the next question out of Dakota's mouth was simple.
"When do you want to do this..?"
She looked at him with a grin.
"Right now..."
As it turns out, she knew that Destre was working at the Inn that night, and Destre just so happens to be qualified to perform wedding ceremonies. Well, after making absolutely SURE that this was what Rosie truly wanted, he took her by the hand and they were heading for the Red Dragon Inn, the biggest smile on this ol' outlaw's face.
The Red Dragon Inn had its usual crowd for a Sunday night. It was loud, bustling..a little obnoxious. It was his kinda crowd. Dakota and Rosie approached Destre as she stood there behind the bar, and asked her if she would be willing to marry them right then and right there.
Des was only more than happy to help out two people who were legitimately in love with each other, and who deserved a chance to be truly happy. Her next question was if they had two witnesses. Wyheree was already in the place, so she was thrilled to get up there and stand beside Rosie. Brian was there too, but for whatever reason, he couldn't take a few minutes to stand beside his friend. That bothered Dakota, but only for a moment or two, before his eyes landed on the ice dragon named Icer. She had been a good friend to him, so he got her to stand up there with him.
Des then began with the ceremony, in the middle of the usual chaos that was the Red Dragon Inn. To Dakota and Rosie, it couldn't have been more perfect or more beautiful. As it came time to exchange their vows, Rosie went first, looking up at her Indian man, and spoke softly..
"Dakota, I have told you so many times that you had me from hello. Our love is still growing and we're stronger everyday. Thank you for being in my life and wanting to share it with me. I love you so much. And I promise to you here and now that nothing will ever tear that apart."
He stood there, watching her as she spoke her vows to him. There was nothing recited from memory here. They barely had time to even think about what they were gonna say. These were words coming straight from the heart. Well, it was Dakota's turn...after regaining his composure, he simply said to her...
"Baby...there ain't much else I know to say right now. I can't sit here and promise you the world. I don't know what tomorrow holds for us...but I do promise you that whatever does happen for us, I want to face it with you. You saved my life, Rosie...and you showed me how to love somebody. Baby...I love you, and and I thank God every day that you came into my life."
It was simple, it was real..it was Dakota. Tears were streaking Rosie's face as she watched her man speak to her everything that was on his heart.
The "I do"s were then exchanged, along with a simple pair of rings. There was nothing spectacular about either one of them, but who cared? Those rings represented everything that this couple was about. They may not have a lot of fancy possessions, but as long as they had each other, it was all that truly mattered. Destre then spoke these final words to the two of them, with the biggest grin on her face.
"You have both made promises before God and before those of us standing here tonight. You have both given each other rings as tokens of those promises. Now by the power vested in me by the Government of Rhydin and the Red Dragon Inn I pronounce you, Dakota and Rosie, husband and wife Many happy years of marriage to y'all! Huzzah!!! You can do that kissing stuff now too!"
Oh, and he most definitely took part in "that kissing stuff", as he took his Rosie into his arms, and dipped her EXTREMELY low for that kind of kiss you see only in the movies. His black Stetson hid the both of their faces as they held onto the kiss for more than a few moments. Finally coming up for air, he released her, and grinning from ear to ear, he removed the hat by its brim, and flung it into the middle of the bar, letting the whole world know what just happened here.
"WE JUST GOT MARRIED, YA'LL!!!!"
And what a scene it was...champagne flowed freely, glasses were raised in their honor, congratulations were offered all the way around. But the two of them, they only stuck around for a few minutes after the ceremony. Their arms locked around each other as they took the traditional drink of champagne. Granted, Dakota had to stoop WAY low to do it, but he pulled it off. After they thanked Destre for marrying them, and thanked their friends for standing up there with them, Dakota and Rosie made their way through the crowd, and a white horse was waiting at the door for the two of them. He didn't have a clue who arranged that, but he was simply thankful that he had some good friends who would do things like that for him. Lifting his new bride onto the horse, he mounted up, and they were off, with Rosie's arms wrapped tightly around Dakota's waist as they headed for his new house.
Rosie had a funny thought on the way..
"I guess Charlotte needs to know I won't be coming home tonight."
"She'll figure it out soon enough, darlin'.."
A little while later, they arrived to their destination. After stepping down, he then helped Rosie down, but never put her to the ground. Ohno, he was going to be CARRYING his new bride into the house. She already knew that he didn't have much in the house yet, but she could have cared less. He had a bed...that's all they needed.
As he stood out front holding her, he handed her the keys so she could unlock the door. Upon doing so, Dakota Joseph Steele carried the new Rosalind Elizabeth Steele into their new home, and the door was closed behind them.
Hey....some stories are best left to the imagination, right...?
It wasn't the fanciest wedding in the world. There was nothing traditional about it at all, really. But for Dakota and Rosie Steele, it was the storybook wedding that they had both always wanted.