Title: For Better or Worse…
Chapter 1 – The Wedding Crasher

Summary: As Jade and Steve plan their wedding, a foe from the past surfaces to threaten their future. But who is the real target? And will the wedding take place as planned? Amada learns something startling about Shane.

Disclaimer: This is a piece of fan fiction. It is written for pleasure and not for profit. The characters Steve and Mark Sloan, Jesse Travis and Amanda and CJ Bentley are borrowed for the purposes of this story. All other characters are my own. Any resemblance to anyone living or dead is pure coincidence.

A/N 1: Follows after my 3 other Jade/Steve stories (last one: By Any other Name). They were engaged at the end. PS: any reference to Dean Richardson, Jade's murdered fiancé is from story 1 - Nothing's as it seems.

A/N 2: Yes I'm back after a bit of a lull. A friend who's in the hospital asked me to write her a DM story so here it is. Dedicated to BA. Enjoy!

"M…must warn them…" the man muttered as he slowly staggered towards the hospital Dr. Mark Sloan was attending that day. "He…he's here…must…warn…"

"Sloan….Marshall…must…warn…them…"

XXXXXXXX

"Do you think we'll ever have a quiet day off?" Shane Phillips sighed as he finally pulled himself off the goon he was wrestling and let the local cops take over. He brushed some street debris from his dark curly hair and frowned.

"Sorry guys," Steve offered sheepishly as he slowly walked over to Jade and smiled broadly at her. "Did I put a kink in any wedding plans?"

"Oh don't worry I'll make you pay for that tonight," Jade winked, as Shane rolled his eyes and offered a sigh.

"Yeah you own me one too Steve. Actually I don't mind the distraction. Beats shopping for china!"

"You were trying to find a gift for Amanda remember?"

"Oh right," Shane frowned. "Later," he called out as he headed back to Jade's truck to wait.

"How are things going?" Steve asked noticing the look on Jade's face turn from a smile to a frown.

"I hate this. Shopping for china, registering…I…Steve it's so…domestic," Jade lightly grumbled. "Do you care what color the china is? I mean I am only doing it to please my mom and…" Jade started to rattle off again, only to be quickly silence by a soft kiss that lasted regrettably only a few seconds. "Thanks," she sighed.

"I'd rather you register for some hot lingerie," Steve smiled. "I don't care what kind of dishes you pick because you won't be cooking with them anyways."

"I'm trying, remember!" Jade protested as Steve was called by his team. "I'll see you tonight. Have fun for both of us."

"You call this fun?"

"You want to trade places with me?" Jade offered eagerly.

"Uh me and Shane shopping for china? Not a good impression," Steve lightly laughed as he turned to leave.

Jade watched Steve head back to the police cruiser and then disappear from her view. He was so different from Dean. Steve was more open to trying new things; always keeping her on her toes, not knowing what to expect. She loved that about Steve, how he filled the gaps in her life almost seamlessly. And now she was to be wed again. With another happy sigh she got into the truck and soon her and Shane were back in the department store, they both longed to be free of. Today, she had a feeling would be boring.

She'd be wrong.

XXXXXXX

"Can I leave now Doc?" The male patient uttered in an annoyed gruff tone.

"If you hold still a second longer you'll be a free man," Dr. Mark Sloan smiled kindly. As soon as he was finished he let his nurse tidy up the wound and see the patient off. Mark prided himself on being a good judge of character and he knew something wasn't right with this guy. "Is everything okay? You seem very nervous for just having a minor surface wound?"

"D-don't like hospitals," he spat angrily. "Doctor's e…either," the man finished with a slight slur.

"Oh we aren't all bad," Mark smiled.

"Dr. Sloan we are taking…"

"Dr. Sloan?" The man asked weakly. "You're…Sloan…"

"I'll be with you…"

The man's demeanor instantly changed and his nervous eyes started to dart around the area Mark was standing in and finally let his gaze narrow on the picture on his desk. "D-do you know them?" He asked fatefully; knowing the two he had to warn.

"Steve is my son and Jade Marshall is his fiancé," Mark uttered proudly. "Do you know them?" Mark then asked in suspicion.

The man pushed his way off the table and glared at Mark angrily just as Amanda entered the doorway. "Warn them," he hissed as he grabbed the picture, smashed it on the door frame and raced out of the room. "Warn them he's here…" the man shouted before he was out of the room. "He's…coming…"

"What was that all about?" Amanda asked in wonder.

"Not sure," Mark frowned as he turned to follow the angry patient. "Jesse, stop that man!" Mark called to his other trusted physician.

Jesse noticed the gruff looking man storming his way and gestured to security for help. The man noticed Jesse's actions; charged him; barreled him over and then headed into the street. He hopped into a waiting cab and was gone.

"What was that all about?" Jesse echoed Amanda's earlier stated words.

"I don't know," Mark frowned as he reached for his phone. "But I better call Steve. If there is this kind of nut targeting them, they better be warned…just like…" he paused as he remembered the man's words. "But that man said to warn them…"

"What's going on?" Jesse wondered out loud.

"I am going to find out," Mark declared dialing Steve.

XXXXXXXX

"Okay so if you buy a lot of dishes then when you fight you'll have more to throw," Shane smiled.

"Funny," Jade remarked dryly. "How are things going with you and Amanda?" She asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Good," Shane casually smiled. They slowly headed out of the china section and stood waiting for the elevators. "I guess I never thought of myself as…" he continued but was interrupted with the sound of a silenced sniper shot whizzing past him and embedding itself into the thick door of the elevator. Their training told them to drop to the floor immediately; assume a defensive position and draw their weapons.

"What the hell!" Jade shouted as she drew her gun. "Can't we ever have a quiet day off?"

"Good question," Shane grumbled as he opened his phone. Just as he was about to dial for help he heard Steve's anxious voice on the other end. "Thanks for the warning," he replied in sarcasm, "but we are under fire!"

He heard Steve lightly curse before he hung up. "That was Steve. He said you are in danger and he's calling for backup."

Jade lightly rolled her eyes and crawled behind a large information post. She heard two more shots whiz past her before all was quiet. In a matter of seconds both her and Shane were on their feet and running in the direction they thought the sniper was. They reached the end of the long, cluttered hallway only to find it empty.

"Damn it!" Shane cursed. "Anyone not want to see you get married?" Shane yelled as he ran down the stairs and outside the building. He quickly scanned the area and found nothing amiss. This guy; whoever he was; had everything planned; even the getaway, he was good. Shane headed back inside with a grumble.

Jade continued to scan the area as she called her father in Washington DC; while Shane arranged with store security to get a copy of their surveillance tapes.

"Uh hello?" Asked the nervous floor manager, rushing towards them. "Y-yes who are you people?"

"Your turn," Jade uttered as she dialed Steve's cell; directing her partner to answer the anxious store manager.

XXXXXXXX

"Well they are both okay," Mark informed Jesse and Amanda. "For now."

"Who would want to kill both Steve and Jade?" Jesse pondered.

"Well the forensic team just sent Steve's office the partial print they collected from the man that gave the warning so hopefully they'll find something. And hopefully the DNA from the bloody cloth will turn up something."

"And don't forget his picture from the entrance security camera," Jesse chimed in.

"What was his name?" Amanda asked Mark.

"John Doe. Had no money and no ID. Said he was living on the street. That's what the triage nurse registered him as."

"Great," Jesse sighed. "Will they ever have a normal day?"

"With those two, this is normal," Mark sighed heavily.

XXXXXXXX

"I got the shell casings," Shane stated as he walked over to a place that Jade was still examining. "What did you find?"

"Nothing. And if you look around there are no security cameras in this area," she spat angrily. "Who the hell was that guy? What else did Mark say?"

"Dad said a man was in his office and ran out saying "Warn them he's here…" Steve said walking up to them. He gave Jade a quick kiss before quickly eyeing her to make sure she was okay. "But dad said he did start to act strange as soon as he heard the name Sloan…"

"He?" Shane repeated. "He who? Who's here?"

"No idea," Jade said looking at Steve. "Piss anyone off lately enough to want to kill your future?"

"Maybe it was you," Steve shot back with a light smile. "I'm sure you have a lot more enemies then I do."

"True. But it was your name that started this all," Jade said slowly as she eyed something in the corner and hurried over to it.

"Franklin down at the office is running the messenger's prints now. And…what is it?" Steve asked, stopping his explanation to Jade and Shane.

Jade looked at the blue object in her hand in horror. "It's…oh god it can't be…" she uttered looking up at Steve.

"What is it?"

"Remember the first place you took me to eat on the boardwalk so many moons ago?"

"You mean when you were…"

"Chasing Carmen…" Jade's voice trailed off in anguish. "It's from there. The Blue Lagoon."

"Jade just because…I mean anyone could have dropped it. A lot of people…"

"Th-there are initials on the back…" Jade mentioned in a low whisper as if the very wind has been sucked out of her at that very instant.

"What are they?" Steve dared to ask.

"DR…oh…my…god…"

"Dr?...Dr who?" Steve continued.

Jade looked at Shane and both shook their heads – no. "Not possible Jade, Dean's dead."

"Shane…" Jade said handing him the small pin inside an evidence envelope.

"Who is DR?" Steve asked, forgetting a key figure from Jade's past.

"Dean Richardson. My murdered fiancé."

"That's ridiculous. Dean is dead," Shane mentioned firmly; breaking Jade from her morbid stupor.

"It's his ghost?" She wondered deftly.

"Now you are being silly," Shane said lightly shaking her arm. "DR is a coincidence…and…"

"Warn them he's here…" Jade repeated as she looked at Steve with a frown and then Shane. "I have to go."

And before either man could say a word, Jade was hurrying towards the stairs and down.

"If you want to marry her I'd follow," Shane huffed. "I've seen that look before and it's not good…not good at all."

"Jade wait!" Steve called out as he rushed after her. Shane turned to one of the nearby police officers and handed them the small envelope with the pin inside it. "There is one partial from an FBI agent. I need to know who else has touched this pin. Go now!"

Shane watched the commotion around him and then started to think back on the events that led up to the murder of Dean Richardson. "Could we have made such a mistake?...Could we have been wrong all this time?"

XXXXXXXX

Jade heard Steve calling her name but didn't stop until she was outside the building and breathing fresh air.

"Wait…" Steve called one last time; forcing her to stop just before she got into the waiting police issue car.

Jade stood with her back to Steve, fixing her gaze at something non-descript in the distance; both unaware of a pair of eyes watching the scene unfold with great interest.

"Jade it could be anything," Steve tried to reason as he stepped a few inches closer.

"I have been going over that again and again in my head. I don't believe in coincidences Steve and neither do you. That's what's so great about us. We make our future and our destiny happen," Jade stammered nervously. "H...how could I have been so wrong?" She uttered in tormented words.

"Jade it's not…" Steve tried, taking another step closer; causing her to back up another step.

"It's Dean…" she lightly choked.

"What? Jade it could have been anything," Steve said; gently turning her to face him. "You are level headed; most of the time. Think this through," Steve tried to reason. The sight of her teary eyes broke his heart instantly. "Dean's gone, remember? You are much more reasonable than this. Just work it through. Don't jump to a rash conclusion – again."

"I don't jump…okay I do sometimes," she said angrily pushing her dark hair behind her ears. "Steve you don't understand…today is…"

"Today is what?" Steve dared to ask.

"It's been…it's the anniversary of…"

"Jade someone is just messing with your head," Steve tried to reason. "Someone obviously has a hit on you and Shane and it had to be today. It could have been any day. Today isn't spec…"

Jade rolled her eyes but felt her anxiety starting to rise. "It's a sign…don't you see…"

"You were almost killed in there and…" Steve tried again in vain.

"He's here…" Jade whispered in sorrow; not really understanding the words her brain was forcing her to utter.

"Who's here?"

"Dean…he's here…we…we can't get married," said forcing the engagement ring off her finger and pushing it into Steve's hand. "I'm sorry…but…"

Steve, unable to say the next words he wanted to, watched numbly as Jade Marshall, his future wife and the reason for his existence, turn and got into the car and sped away from him. He stared down at the ring and then looked back up to see her car turn the corner and disappear from his view.

"Jade…" Steve uttered in sorrow, not realizing both of them had just played into hands of a madman.

A madman from the past…

A madman bent on revenge…

"Perfect…" a voice laughed as it faded into the late afternoon shadows.

Waiting…waiting for another moment to strike…

And strike he would…and soon…

Dear readers. Hope this was an interesting start. Lots more to come. Please review if you like. Thanks!