Title: Both Alike In Dignity

Author: QueenWillie

Pairing: Daniel/Wilhelmina

Rating: PG/R for suggestion

Disclaimer: How many times people!? NOT MINE!

Summary: Dedicated to raquelmina, at her insistence! LOL. One shot Fluff fic.

Wilhelmina stood in front of the full-length mirror and took a deep, shaking breath. She turned her head slowly, right and left, making sure her make-up was done to perfection. She lightly brought a hand to her hair, smoothing it in place, ensuring no errant hair had escaped from where it had been clasped in an elegant chignon. Bringing her hands down, she smoothed the fabric of the dress down her body. The dress was magnificent; it clung to her upper body like a second skin, as it hit her hips it grew out into an understated, yet beautiful train.

She suddenly realised she had forgotten to exhale the breath she was holding, breathing out she tried to rationalise the events that were to come, in her mind. When she had started seeing Daniel, there was no way on God's green earth she would ever have envisaged this scenario, that their relationship would lead her to this place, this day.

Hearing someone clear their throat behind them she turned to see Claire standing behind her. She was still uneasy about being alone in her presence and having to play nice, but she had to for Daniel's sake. Claire was wearing an elegant two piece suit. The fitted jacket was synched at the waist over a cream bustier top. A little risqué for a woman of her age, Wilhelmina thought, but she kept it to herself. This was not the time to be resuming a war of words with the woman that was soon to become family.

Claire walked up behind her and fussed at the straps at her back. Wilhelmina saw her, through the mirror, bite her cheek to stop a smile and shake her head as she untwisted the fabric at her back. 'What's so amusing?' Wilhelmina asked, trying to keep her irritation from her voice.

'Oh nothing, I'm just having a hard time believing this, that's all.'

'You and me both.'

'I had thought, given Bradford's drastic escape from your clutches, that I would never live to see the day a Meade married a Slater.' She pulled hard on the straps, making Wilhelmina wince.

'Never say never, Claire darling.'

Claire slapped the strap of the dress, over Wilhelmina's skin. 'All done.'

Claire walked to sit on the long chaise in the middle of the room. Wilhelmina sat in the chair opposite her, smoothing the material of her dress as she did so, ensuring it would not get wrinkled. The two women eyed each other with a sense of amusement. All their years of bitching and fighting, and now they were about to walk down that aisle and become a family.

'Does this mean I get to call you Mom?' Wilhelmina raised her eyebrow.

'Not if you want to live, Willie dear.'

xXx

In an adjoining room, Daniel was pacing back and forward, checking his watch every two minutes. Alexis rolled her eyes and watched as he wore down the tread on the carpet. 'Will you calm down, Daniel?'

'I just want to make sure everything goes to plan. Anyway, leave me alone, I'm sure she's just as nervous as I am. This is a day nobody ever thought would get here, given the circumstances.'

'Oh for God's sake Daniel, it's not like this is her first wedding...remember.'

He stopped pacing and looked at his sister. He nodded at her, and knew they were both thinking of their father, missing him, wondering if he'd approve. Daniel was suddenly distracted by the clap of hands behind him, he spun round to see DJ throwing something small in the air and trying to catch it. As DJ was the ring bearer, he knew exactly what he was throwing in the air. 'DJ! No, stop that, you're gonna lose it. Wilhelmina will kill me, that was her grandmother's ring!'

DJ looked to his Uncle, at the sound of his yelling, and his concentration was broken, the ring fell to the floor and rolled out of sight. 'DJ!' Daniel berated him and the two of them quickly got on their hands and knees and began scouring under the sofa for the heirloom.

Behind them, the door opened and an older gentleman walked in. Stopping, staring, bewildered at the two asses jutting into the air, he cleared his throat. 'Just what is going on in here?'

Daniel jumped up and hit his head on the coffee table. 'OW!' he exclaimed, rubbing the spot where he had smacked the piece of furniture. He quickly regained his composure, and straightened his suit jacket. 'Senator Slater...we uh...you see...DJ here...' He clasped his hands together in front of his face.

'We dropped the ring.'

He saw the Senator's nostrils flare and eyes darken just as his daughter's did when she was mad at him. Something told him he couldn't get around the Senator with candles, wine and concussion inducing sex though.

'But it's gotta be in here somewhere, we JUST dropped it, I'm sure we'll find it. We have plenty of time.'

'That was my Mother's ring Mr Meade, I trust Wanda explained to you how dear it is to me?'

He nodded. 'She did...and I will find it.' He swallowed. 'Sir.'

'I hope so, because you'll be the one telling my daughter if you don't.'

Daniel swallowed harder.

xXx

Outside, the guests were filing into the church. Some where there out of a genuine desire to wish the couple well, many were there purely to say "I was there when." Finding a seat, Marc and Amanda weren't sure which side they were on. They had seen them together as a couple, granted it was strange, but nobody could deny it worked. Marc groaned as he saw a bright smile facing him, the colourfully dressed woman waving emphatically to them. 'You guys, I saved you seats.'

Amanda and Marc walked down to the second row of pews and sat next to Betty. 'Who's your plus one Betty?'

The answer came in the form of a woman dressed in a skin tight purple dress, showing way too much cleavage and her hair sprayed to within an inch of its life. The woman sat down, her gold earrings jangling loudly. 'Betty, check this out. These gift bags are off the hook!' she exclaimed.

Betty looked in the bag her sister was holding. 'Hilda, that's not a gift bag. We're at a wedding, that's a present for the bride and groom!'

Hilda huffed. 'Whatever, they're rich, who's gonna tell 'em?'

Betty raised her eyebrows at her and Hilda snorted. 'Fine, I'll put it back after the ceremony.'

Marc leaned forward, past Amanda, to talk to Hilda and Betty. 'I thought Justin would have made sure you would bring him as your date?'

Hilda leaned closer to Marc. 'Are you kidding me? After what happened at the last Slater/Meade wedding, I wouldn't miss this for the world. I got my camera, my camera phone and my back up camera, just in case.'

Amanda smiled. 'I like her, how come she didn't come work at Mode, how'd we get landed with Lumpy bear?'

'Amanda!' Betty squawked.

'Aww, thanks.' Hilda replied.

'Hilda!' Betty admonished her sister.

Hilda shrugged. 'What, it's nice to be nice.'

Betty rolled her eyes and faced forward. Marc once again leaned over Amanda to speak to Betty. 'Can you actually believe this is happening?'

Betty smiled, 'Kinda...I admit it's taken some getting used to, but it's a good thing. I mean, since Daniel and Wilhelmina got together, they've been trying to show the world that their families aren't at war anymore. What better way to show unity, than a wedding?'

She heard Amanda tut. 'Whatever Suarez, I'm still hoping for some drama.'

'Amen sista.' Hilda chorused and the pair high fived over Betty's head.

xXx

Back in one of the dressing rooms, Daniel was still frantically searching for the missing ring. DJ had grown tired of searching and Alexis had left to go help Wilhelmina and his mother with their final preparations before the ceremony. With each minute that passed, growing closer to the "I do's" he felt his gut clench. The thought of what Willie would do to him if he told her he had lost her grandmother's ring, made it tighten so much he could be sick. The Senator came back in the room, saw Daniel still on his hands and knees and rolled his eyes in the manner his children had inherited from him.

'Tell me you're cleaning the pile on the carpet with your tongue and you're not still looking for the wedding ring?'

Daniel sat back on his haunches, an expression of worry painting his already nervous complexion. 'It's got to be here, I swear I'll find it.'

Senator Slater shook his head. 'No time my boy, the ceremony is due to start any minute.'

'We have to stall!' Daniel blurted.

The older man nodded slowly. 'Fine, fine...YOU go tell Wanda.'

'I can't.'

'You lost it, you tell her.'

'She'll kill me.'

The Senator laughed. 'I'm well aware of that, I raised her.' Wilhelmina's father felt a rare moment of pity overcome him as he looked at the man his daughter had chosen. He walked over and put his hand on his shoulder. 'I'll come with you.'

Daniel looked at the man, hopeful. 'Can't you just go alone?'

He laughed again, heartier this time. 'Son, do you know how mad she'll be that you lost the ring? Do you know how much madder she will be if you send someone else to tell her you lost it?!'

Daniel nodded. 'Okay...thank you Senator.'

He put his arm around Daniel's shoulder and led him from the room. 'Call me Dad.'

xXx

Wilhelmina was, once again, staring at her reflection with a sombre expression. Her hands ceaselessly moving along the fabric, not quite allowing herself to believe she was here; that the Slater and Meade houses were about to be joined. Not by a selfish desire or greed, as she had done with Bradford, but with love. There was a knock at the door, she looked at Claire and Alexis, Claire was currently fussing over Alexis' make up, as the younger woman was afraid she saw the beginnings of a 5 o'clock shadow. Rolling her eyes at the pair, she walked to open the door. She jumped back behind it, leaving only her head on display as she saw Daniel and her father at the door.

'What the hell are you doing? You can't see the bride before the wedding!' She hissed at them.

Daniel remained speechless as he looked at her, if she was mad now, how was she going to react when he shared his news about the ring? The Senator slapped him on the back. 'On you go son.'

Wilhelmina looked worriedly, back and forth, between her Father and Daniel. 'We have to stall.' Daniel erupted, suddenly.

'What!?' She snapped. 'Oh God, this isn't some last minute nerves, cold feet thing is it? We went over this!' Her tone was exhausted.

Her Father laughed brusquely. 'No, it's nothing like that.' He turned to Daniel. 'Just tell her m'boy.'

Daniel took a deep breath. 'I lost the ring.' He closed his eyes and braced himself for the onslaught. When it didn't come, he peeked one eye open. She was staring at him with a murderous expression.

'You lost the ring? You lost my grandmother's, antique, priceless, diamond ring?'

'That would be the one.'

She inhaled and exhaled deeply through her nose. 'Well you have ten minutes to either find it or somehow manage to find another hundred year old, one of a kind, piece to replace it with.' She fumed.

He bowed his head, like a scolded child. 'I will, just give me some time...I'm sorry.' He looked up at her. 'Please don't let this ruin the day. It's supposed to be special.'

'Find the ring and it still will be!' She closed the door in his face.

The Senator looked him up and down. 'What?' Daniel queried.

'I count two arms, two legs, one head, still attached. I think it went better than expected.'

xXx

Back in the room, Claire and Alexis turned to the irate Wilhelmina. 'Who was that?'

'Dum-dum Danny and my father.' She replied, hands on hips, still mindful of the delicate fabric under her touch.

'What, he can't see the bride before the wedding, it's bad luck.' Claire said.

'Yes, yes, I know. But we already have our bad luck for the day. Daniel has lost the wedding ring.'

Claire laughed. 'I'm glad you find it amusing.' Willie barked.

Claire flapped a hand. 'If that's the only thing that goes wrong today, then I think you should be thankful.'

'Has she been drinking?' Wilhelmina asked Alexis, sarcastically.

Alexis smiled at her soon-to-be-sister. 'What do you need me to do?'

'Stall, I've given him ten minutes, but knowing your brother, it will take longer.'

'How?'

Wilhelmina laughed, despite herself. 'I don't know; just don't ask Amanda for anything in her repertoire.'

xXx

Back in the other room Daniel was once again on his hands and knees. The Senator had now conceded the man needed help. This did not involve him getting down on the floor himself though, instead directing Daniel and DJ to spots which they had not yet covered. As Daniel's head collided with his nephews for the third time, he jumped up. 'This is ridiculous! I'm never gonna find it, it's gone.'

'Fine, shall I go tell my daughter?' The Senator pretended to leave the room.

'NO!'

He dropped his hand by his side. 'Thought not.'

DJ stood next to Daniel and stretched. The young boy reached in his pocket and felt his fingers touch something cool. Drawing his hand out, he produced the illustrious missing ring. 'Ta-da!' He exclaimed.

Daniel stared at him in shock. 'You mean you had it this whole time?!'

DJ shrugged. Daniel let out a burst of relieved laughter, too thankful to be angry. The Senator looked at them both. 'Let's get this show on the road then, shall we?'

The three of them stepped out into the hall, in time to see Alexis returning from the main hall after speaking to the pastor. 'You found it?'

Daniel nodded at her and she smiled. 'You ready?'

'Ready.'

xXx

Alexis opened the door and stuck her head in. 'It's time.' She smiled at the pair.

'Daniel found the ring?' Wilhelmina asked, hopefully.

'He found it.' Alexis confirmed.

Wilhelmina released a breath and reached for her flowers. Claire and Alexis left before her, leaving her alone to have one last look in the mirror. She left the room and saw DJ standing at the beginning of the procession. Alexis was standing, with her mother, their arms linked as she was to escort her down the aisle. Looking to the man who would be accompanying her, she smiled. She walked over to him and smiled, linking her arm with his as he kissed her cheek gently. 'You look beautiful.' He whispered.

The music struck up and the doors were opened. All heads turned as the party began their walk down the aisle.

She looked at the man standing at the end and her mouth lifted in an uncharacteristic smile. The man next to her tightened his grip on her arm.

'Could be us next huh?'

She snorted. 'Don't count on it Meade.'

She returned her gaze to her father, waiting for his bride at the altar. No one would have thought that when Daniel and Wilhelmina had forced their parents to meet in would culminate in this. Her father and his mother had found something in each other that they had long needed; companionship. If it was another way to end the great Meade/Slater rivalry then their children could put aside their unease of their parents remarrying and give the union their blessing.

DJ reached the altar first and stood to the side of the Senator; Daniel and Wilhelmina taking their places at the other side. Alexis and Claire arrived at the foot of the altar; Alexis kissed her mother's cheek and handed her mother's arm to Wilhelmina's father. She moved back to stand with DJ, putting an arm around her son's shoulders.

Daniel and Wilhelmina knew that all eyes were on them, rather than the happy couple. It was a rare public outing for the couple, an uncommon display of unity. They both tensed as they felt the stares of the congregation on them. Daniel leaned his mouth into her ear and whispered, trying to diffuse the tension. 'It's not incest if I'm doing my step-sister, is it?'

She laughed and the wedding party all turned to look at her. She took Daniel's hand and bit her lip, lifting her hand to the pastor in a signal to commence. He nodded at her.

'Dearly beloved...'