[ 15 ] 1963 

-

"I told you she was pregnant. That's why they got married so quickly. There is no way this happened during the honeymoon."

-

Ashton drove up to the Feeney's home, excited about that particular afternoon. It had been four weeks since Con and his wife Anne-Sophie had travelled to Paris, in the Fontaine family's home town, for their honeymoon. They would be returning in the afternoon of a warm day in mid-February. The newlyweds needed a ride from the airport to their new home, which had been a gift from the groom's family. Ashton and Claire quickly offered to help.

When the security guard at the front booth saw him, he went to open the gate. Ashton found it strange to see someone other than Bobby there, but he had been told by the young man that he had gotten accepted into the Sydney Marine Academy two hours away from the Feeney home. Due to that, he was required to dorm at the academy and was only allowed out on the weekends, which he would be working part-time.

He drove up the dirt path stopping at the steps that led up to the front door. 

A maid was at the door, already waiting. The guard at the front had announced that Ashton was there to visit his fiancée. The young maid greeted him with a smile and led him into the livingroom while she went to tell Claire that he was there.

The nineteen year old loosened the black tie around his neck, uncomfortably. He was dressed in clothes Claire had picked out for him. She didn't approve of his leather jacket, jeans, and bandana. Instead, she persuaded him to dress in black and white suits, hair always combed neatly and pushed back. She had even tried to get him to cut his hair, but that was one thing he wouldn't do. "As the son of a wealthy lawyer, you need to dress the part." She would say to him. For her, Ashton changed the way he dressed, especially when he would visit her.

He knew her father already wasn't very fond of him and he hoped that by dressing like a respectable young man, he would approve of him.

She walked into the livingroom in a bouffant silk dress with a rounded neckline. Her dress was a navy blue in color with white actual sized daisy patterns all over and white gloved hugged her delicate hands. Her hair was made up into a neatly combed flip that barely touched her shoulders.

As the daughter of a wealthy family, she was dressed in the most expensive and conservative clothing, reminiscent of the nineteen fifties. That was one way in which the two were different. Ashton preferred to dress in more modern clothing of his era, but his mind and morals remained conservative for the most part. Claire's mind was more liberal, but her fashion tastes had stayed in the fifties. Or at least if she did it to please her parents, Ashton had no way of knowing. She truly looked like she enjoyed dressing in the most expensive clothes and wearing beautiful jewels.

A smile touched her lips at the sight of him. "Oh, Ashton! You look so handsome. Don't you feel better dressed like that?"

He bit his lip. "It feels quite uncomfortable actually." He was now tugging on the collar of his shirt.

Stopping just inches from him, she slapped his hand away scoldingly. "Don't do that." She warned. Her hands reached to adjust his tie and shirt collar as she spoke. "When we get married you'll need to dress this way all the time, so you need to get used to it. I can't have my husband in commoner clothing. How would people distinguish you from guys like Bobby? When you two hang out together I can't even tell who the one with money is."

"That's not important, kitten." Ashton sighed.

"Yes it is." She pressed, not letting the sibject drop. Claire was that way. She could never let an argument go until she could make the other see she was right. 

And Ashton was so in love with her that he always ended up agreeing with her. In his mind, he knew what he saw as the truth. But for the sake of her happiness, he would tell her what she wanted to hear. "Anything you say is the case." He smiled at her, setting a hand on her shoulder and bringing his lips to her forehead. He loved her too much to make her mad. So much so that he would say anything to make her happy.

Linking arms with him, she happily grinned, "Let's go. Con might already be waiting for us."

.

.

.

.

Claire and Ashton waited at the airport terminal for their friend, a piece of poster board hung by his side from his hand. On it were the words; 'Annie & Con. Here's your ride home!' with an arrow that would be pointing at Ashton once he held it above his head for everyone to see.

And he did just that when he saw them in the small crowd of people that had gotten off an incoming flight from Paris. Weaving through the crowd was Con, with an annoyed look on his face. Behind him, trying desperately to keep up with his stride was Anne-Sophie, who was already showing a baby bump. It was somewhat visible in the clothes she was wearing and Ashton thought they were probably trying to hide it. She looked to be calling after him and almost lost him in the crowd of people, but even so he continued walking.

"What's eating Con?" Ashton wondered out loud, lowering the sign slightly as he turned to Claire.

She seemed satisfied with herself at their apparent troubles. "Do you see Anne-Sophie?" She gestured to the French young woman. "I told you she was pregnant. That's why they got married so quickly. There is no way this happened during the honeymoon."

"Claire don't assume things." He scolded her and the smile came back onto his face when the newlyweds reached him. "Welcome back, mate." He greeted, putting the sign down.

"Hey." Con greeted back, without enthusiasm. He set two heavy luggages at his feet. Looking at the poster board and reading the words on it, the reven haired twenty year old cracked a tiny hint of a smile. But his smile was one of a person who had hidden motives. Ashton was oblivious and failed to catch on. "You really are the nicest person I know."

"And you're my best mate." Ashton replied to him with sincerity. "Well, you, Bobby, MJ and Lucas, and Annie of course." He added to his list with a grin, counting the number of friends he had with the fingers of his right hand.

Claire crinkled up her nose. "Apparently Ashton likes to associate himself with commoners." She said with disdain, referring to Bobby and the way in which Ashton was always making conversation with the other security guards or gardeners around the Feeney home when Claire was up in her room getting ready. Ashton shot her a look and the blonde changed the subject with a roll of her eyes. A hand shot out to feel Anne's baby bump, faking a smile she said, "And you're pregnant! Oh my gosh, congratulations!"

"Thank you." Anne-Sophie smiled politely.

"I'm sure you both will be so happy with the baby." Claire continued.

"If its a boy." Con muttered.

"That'll be us, huh kitten?" Ashton wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a light squeeze. "By the end of this year we'll be happily married and we'll have at least five kids." He chuckled.

Claire gasped. "Five? No!" She shook her head. "Maybe one or two. I don't want to spend half of my life fat."

Reaching for one of the luggages Con brought with him, Ashton told the newlyweds, "I'll help you with that." Taking Claire's hand in his and with a luggage hanging from his other hand, he led them out to the parking lot where he left his red Mustang car.

Because of Anne's condition, Ashton thought it would be better for Claire to climb into the cramped back seat with Con. Claire didn't mind at all.

The whole way back to Con's new home, Ashton and Anne didn't notice the two in the back seat holding hands.

-

christmas update! because i promised.

thank you all so much for reading my story.

i'm really grateful for all of you. and here in los angeles there is one more hour and a half before it ends. 'tis the season to be jolly, my loves.

i'll try to update again in two days and then i'll update again either on new year's eve or new year's day. so i hope you like the update. i know its only a flashback one, but an update is an update.

question of the day: what did you get for christmas? i honestly just got a blanket and a transparent cover for my bible. AND I LOVED THEM. my blanket is three shades of purple and is decorated with white butterflies. and its SUPER SOFT. and my mom's friend gave it to me. he's like her dad. and my mum gave me the bible cover AND I WAS THRILLED. no joke. cause my bible is white (my favorite color) and i lived in constant fear that it would get dirty. i know this sounds totally sarcastic, but its not. and my grandma always gives me a lot of presents, but i have to go to her house to get them. and i feel awkward. like, how am i just gonna be like, "yo i'm here for my presents. kay, bye." cause she loves me and i never visit her.

anyway, i'd like to hear from you ^.^ 

have happy holidays!

oh, and i made a twitter account for my wattpad stuff. so follow me if you want (please). my username is @brizueIa (the letter after the 'e' is a capital 'i', so its actually @brizueia). and add me on snapchat (@claryvettee)?

thank you.

i love you.

-clary xx