A/N: Okay, this is probably my first and last Emergency fic, but this is one of those things where I just couldn't sleep until it was written. I'm dead serious, I couldn't sleep last night because I got this idea. I realize this is probably a little long for a oneshot, but I didn't want to separate it up. Anyways, I could never figure out why Brackett and Dixie cooled it on the show, because they were such a cute couple. So this is my take on their relationship and how it would have ended up if I had been writing the show. Which, unfortunately, I wasn't even born when this was on. So obviously, the characters aren't mine.

"Good morning, Dixie," Dr. Kelly Brackett greeted his head nurse with a wink and a grin.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise," Dixie McCall replied, giving Kel a confused look. "What makes you in such a good mood this morning?"

Kel grinned as if he had a secret. "Oh, today is just a good day. I can feel it."

Dixie raised an eyebrow. Kel Brackett wasn't ever this optimistic. "Uh-huh," she replied, the corners of her mouth twitching as she tried to hold back a smile. "Well, maybe this new-found optimism will make its way into your bedside manner today."

The chief of emergency services laughed. "And maybe you should get back to your job, nurse," he needled.

"Yes, sir," she replied sarcastically as she went into Treatment Room One.

Kel smiled again as he made his way to the Base Station next to all the elevators. His good friend, Dr. Joe Early, sat at the counter doing paperwork. "Good morning, Joe," he said, giving his friend a smile.

"Good morning to you too, Kel," Joe replied, looking over the top of his reading glasses. "What makes you so chipper this morning?"

Kel bit his lip, as if he had a secret. "Tell you what. I'll buy you a cup of coffee and tell you all about it."

"Sounds like a fair deal." Joe picked up his paperwork and followed Kel to the break room. He sat at a table as Kel poured the coffee. He waited until Kel slid him a cup and sat down beside him. "So," he began as he sipped his coffee. "How long are you going to make me wait before you tell me why you're in a good mood this morning?"

Kel sipped his coffee too. "I'm gonna do it, Joe."

"Gonna do what?"

"I'm gonna ask Dixie to marry me."

Joe nearly choked on his coffee. "You're going to do what?"

"I'm going to ask Dixie to marry me."

Joe put down his cup and looked Kel in the eyes. "Are you sure about this, Kel? I mean, I know you two have been at it for almost three years now. And no one would be happier about this than me. But you both work forty-eight hour shifts, you're both in high stress jobs, and you've been a confirmed bachelor for nearly twenty years."

Kel leaned forward a little. "Look, I know all of that, Joe. Trust me, I tried to talk myself out of it last night. But I know that I can't live without her."

Joe grinned, blue eyes twinkling. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear." He drained his coffee mug and stood up, laughing internally at his colleague's confused expression. "Don't look so perplexed. I just wanted to know where you stood. Just promise me two things."

"Anything."

"Promise me you'll take good care of her."

Kel smiled. "Absolutely," he said sincerely. "You have my word on that. What's the other thing?"

"Promise me I get to be in the wedding."

He laughed as he washed out his coffee cup. "You got it."

That night at Kel's apartment, Dixie leaned back in her chair with a sigh of satisfaction. "You know, you're bad for my figure."

Kel grinned, clearing the dishes away. "I didn't think anything could be bad for your figure."

"Oh, you'd be surprised. Prime rib, baked potatoes, and rolls are prime methods of destroying what figure I have left."

"I like your figure the way it is."

Dixie raised an eyebrow again. Compliments like that from him were rare. He was sitting on something big; she just knew it. "What's with you today?" she asked.

He turned away from the sink to stare at her with his deep blue eyes. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about, Dix."

"You're in a good mood, and I want to know why."

The corner of his mouth turned up like it always did when he had a secret. "Oh, I'll tell you in a bit. Why don't you go sit down while I finish up the dishes?"

Dixie glared at him, suspicious. But she took him up on his offer, taking a seat on the couch in his living room. She sipped her drink as she watched him rinsing off the dishes. All of this, the cooking, the cleaning, the compliments- it was so uncharacteristic. Oh, sure, he was a great guy and a fabulous doctor. But the kindness in him was rarely brought out. Nurses and patients saw him as impatient, with a bedside manner that could quickly disappear. Only Dixie saw the soft side of him with any regularity. And it was a side of him that she loved deeply.

"Champagne, Dix?" His voice broke into her reverie. He held up the bottle and the glasses and gave her his famous smile.

"What are we celebrating?"

He grinned. "How about us?"

She returned his smile, her blue eyes twinkling. "I'll drink to that." She got up to put on one of his many jazz records.

Kel made sure she wasn't looking before he slipped a ring into her glass. He quickly poured the champagne over it and took their glasses into the living room. "To us," he said as he handed Dixie her glass and raised his.

"To us." Dixie touched her glass to his and raised it to her lips. Suddenly, something at the bottom of the glass caught her eye. It looked like a… "It can't be," she whispered, staring into her glass.

"Something wrong?" Kel asked, sitting next to her and taking her glass.

"There's, uh…" she stammered, speechless.

Kel furrowed his brow as he held the glass up to the light. "Oh, I see the problem." He got up and grabbed a bowl from the kitchen counter. Setting his glass on the coffee table and the bowl on the carpet, he knelt down on the floor and dumped her champagne into the bowl. Slowly, he dried off the ring and held it up for Dixie to see.

The nurse sat stunned on the couch. There he was, on one knee in front of her, holding up the most beautiful diamond ring. "Oh, Kel," she whispered.

"Dixie McCall," he began, taking hold of her hand. "I know I'm a jerk sometimes. I know I can be arrogant and self-centered. But you've loved me through it all. And maybe I haven't told you enough, but I loved you the moment I saw you." He smiled softly as her eyes began to well up with tears. "Dix," he said, sliding the ring on her finger, "will you marry me?"

She opened and closed her mouth several times, not quite knowing what to say. "Oh, Kel," she finally got out.

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I don't really know what to say."

He softly caressed her hand. "How about 'yes'?"

Dixie smiled at him, lacing her fingers in with his. "So this is the big secret you've been keeping from me today?"

Kel cocked his head slightly and frowned. "Uh-huh. And it would be really great if you could tell me a little secret too, like how long it's gonna take for you to say yes."

She grinned and inhaled deeply. "About three seconds."

He looked down at his watch. "Three, two, one…"

"Yes."

And as they kissed, for once in their lives, time seemed to stand still, and nothing else seemed to matter.

"Good morning, fellas," Dixie said, greeting Firemen/Paramedics Johnny Gage and Roy DeSoto with a warm smile.

The two men looked at each other, then back at her with perplexed expressions on their faces. Johnny slapped his partner lightly on the arm. "What's with her?"

"I don't know. Why don't you ask her?"

Johnny glared at Roy and looked back at Dixie. "Hey, Dix…"

"I know, I heard you," Dixie said, a huge smile plastered on her pretty face. "I'm pretty sure I'm acting the same way I always do."

"No," Roy said, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the counter. "There's something different about you. I can't quite put my finger on it."

"You're getting warmer."

Johnny raised an eyebrow. "Warmer?"

Dixie nodded.

"Oh," Johnny said, grinning. "I see how it's gonna be. You want us to guess, huh?"

Dixie jerked her head toward Johnny. "He's a regular Albert Einstein, isn't he?"

Johnny frowned at her. "C'mon, Dixie. Just tell us!"

"You'd better say something," Roy interjected. "The suspense is killing him."

"You were close, Roy, when you said 'finger'."

Johnny tilted his head, puzzled. "Finger, finger… is it something to do with your fingers?"

Dixie smirked. "Boy, you're boiling hot."

Johnny glanced down at her fingers, right before his jaw dropped. "You're kidding." He gently took her left hand in his and fingered the diamond ring. "When?"

"Last night," she replied, beaming.

"You and Brackett?" Roy asked.

Dixie nodded. "And you can be expecting an invitation in the mail soon."

"Man," Johnny said, completely surprised. "Well, congratulations, Dix."

"Yeah," Roy chimed in. "Congrats, Dix." He reached around the counter to give her shoulders a squeeze. "We'll be looking for that invitation."

"Thanks, guys. I really appreciate it."

"You bet," Roy said as they walked down the halls. "Maybe I'll get you a cookbook or something."

"If you're lucky, it won't have any of his homemade recipes in it," Johnny called, grinning at the dirty look Roy shot him.

"Hey, my recipes are plenty good."

"In your dreams, Roy." The paramedics strolled to their truck and pulled away from Rampart. On their way back to the station, Johnny shook his head. "Dixie and Brackett."

"Yeah, well, I guess she really loves him."

"Man, I thought he was a confirmed bachelor."

"So did everyone else. Scuttlebutt is that they've been dating for a while."

Johnny shook his head again. "They must have been pretty good at hiding it. They're the last people I could see married, especially to each other."

"You're forgetting someone."

Johnny glanced at his partner, puzzled. "Huh?"

"I don't think I could see you married anytime soon." Roy grinned as his partner shot him an evil look.

"Ha, ha, ha."

"Morning, fellas," Kel said as he stopped nervously pacing long enough to greet his groomsmen.

Joe, the best man, smiled at his friend, amused at his nervousness. "Good morning. If you don't stop pacing, you're going to wear yourself out before we even get started here."

"Or hyperventilate," Johnny added, straightening the tie on his tuxedo.

Roy clapped Kel on the shoulder. "At least you're in good hands if you do hyperventilate. Or pass out."

Kel frowned. "Thanks for the support," he replied sarcastically.

Johnny grinned. "You bet, Doc."

"What time is it, Joe?"

Joe glanced down at his watch. "You've still got twenty minutes."

Kel wanted desperately to loosen his tie. "Oh man. I'm never gonna make it through that service. We shoulda gone to the J.P."

"And make us miss this?" Johnny asked, pulling up a chair for Kel to sit in. "Not on your life."

The nervous groom sank into the chair. "Too bad getting married isn't a surgery. I could do one of those easy."

"Well, Doc, think of it like a bypass procedure," Roy offered, squatting in front of his friend. "You got the prep, which is what this is. Then the machine starts whirling, and instinct kicks in."

"You're terrible at analogies," Kel said, the corners of his mouth turning up.

Johnny nodded vehemently. "You should hear the one he made for when Nurse Julie dumped me. Something to do with dogs and cats."

The other two men, besides Roy, chuckled. Kel wiped the back of his neck with a handkerchief and stood up. "Thanks guys. I mean it."

Joe smiled. "No sweat, Kel. You'd do the same thing for us if we were getting married and having a nervous breakdown."

"This is not a nervous breakdown," Kel said, smoothing down his black hair. "This is merely a slight anxiety attack." He turned to face Joe. "Got the rings?"

Joe patted his breast pocket. "Right here. No worries." He glanced at his watch. "We'd better get going."

"Yep," Johnny chimed in. "We gotta get you to that church on time."

Kel glared at the fireman. "This is what I get for picking a bunch of clowns to be in my wedding."

The four men wound their way through the church to the side choir door. Johnny opened it for them, and they slowly walked to the front of the church. Kel waited anxiously next to the minister, keeping both eyes peeled on the doors.

Finally, the pianist started the wedding march, and the double doors flung open wide. Dixie strolled down the aisle to the beat of the music, face covered by a transparent white veil and white dress flowing behind her.

Kel caught his breath as his beautiful bride smiled at him. Johnny nudged Roy, who was grinning from ear to ear. After what seemed like ages, Dixie reached the front, and Kel offered her his arm. She smiled as she took it, blue eyes twinkling at the man she loved.

"Beloved," the minister began. "We are here today to celebrate the union of this man and this woman in holy matrimony. It is a sacrament that began in the Garden of Eden long ago, when God first created man and woman. He said that it was not fitting for man to be alone. And to this we hold today.

"Kelly and Dixie have written their own vows, which they will now present to each other." The minister gestured at Kel.

Kel maneuvered her hands so that he was holding tightly onto both of them. "Dix," he began, clearing his throat. "I have loved you from the day you walked into my hospital. It's been rocky in places, and it's been wonderful in places. I'm not going to promise that we will always be happy. I'm not going to promise you that it won't get rough. But here and now, I promise that I will always, always, love you and only you. You are the one that I want to spend the rest of my life with. And today, I give you my solemn vow that I will cherish the time we have together. Because I love you."

Dixie sniffled, trying desperately to hold back her tears. "Kel," she said, briefly letting go of his hand to wipe her eyes. "I didn't really believe in marriage, until I met you. I didn't believe that I could ever really love someone. But then you came along, with your crazy temper and wild hunches, and I believed in love again. Seeing you every day renews that belief. Your smile, your kindness, your generosity, make me want to be a better person. And I promise that I will always love the person you are, the person you were, and the person you will be."

By that time, there wasn't a dry eye in the entire church. Even Johnny, the least sentimental person present, was wiping his eyes. The minister took a deep breath and turned to Joe. "Do you have the rings?"

Joe nodded and handed one to Dixie and the other to Kel.

"Kelly, place the ring on Dixie's left hand and repeat after me. 'With this ring, I thee wed.'"

Kel slid the ring onto her finger and smiled at her. "With this ring, I thee wed."

"Dixie, place the ring on Kelly's left hand and repeat after me. 'With this ring, I thee wed.'"

"With this ring, I thee wed."

"Kelly, do you swear before God and before these witnesses, to take Dixie as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live."

"I do."

"Dixie, do you swear before God and before these witnesses, to take Kelly as your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, to love and to honor, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"Then I now pronounce you husband and wife." He gestured at Kel. "You may kiss the bride."

Kel grinned and lifted Dixie's veil. She smiled at him tearfully before he pulled her close and gently touched his lips to hers. She invited him deeper by slightly opening her mouth, allowing her tongue to softly graze the edge of his bottom lip. Reluctantly, he pulled away and smiled softly at her.

"I now pronounce to you," the minister said proudly, "Dr. and Mrs. Kelly Brackett."

"Good morning," Kel said, smiling at his new bride as she rolled over next to him.

"Mmmm," she groaned. "The Caribbean sun is bright."

Kel looked out the window. "Sure is. Can you hear the crash of the waves?"

Dixie moaned into her pillow. After a minute, she looked up at Kel. "How long have you been awake?"

"Oh, just a few minutes. No big deal."

Dixie raised an eyebrow at her husband. "Were you watching me sleep?"

He grinned impishly. "Maybe."

She laughed as she hit him with a pillow. "Maybe that'll teach you to stare at me while I'm sleeping," she admonished playfully.

Kel smirked as he gently flipped her onto her back. "And maybe this'll teach you to sleep in on our honeymoon." The beach would just have to wait.

Kel watched his sleeping wife. It had been thirty years since they had been married, and she still took his breath away. "Good morning," he said as she stirred, softly kissing her neck.

Dixie moaned with pleasure as his lips traveled to her hairline. "Good morning," she whispered back. She rolled over and put her head on his chest, letting him stroke her hair gently. "Were you watching me sleep again?"

He smiled at her. "Just thinking about our honeymoon."

She glanced to his bedside table, where a picture of them splashing around in the water sat next to one of his many medical books. "Yeah," she said softly, turning onto her side and wrapping her arms around him. "We should go back."

Kel raised an eyebrow at her. "Really?"

She looked up at him. "Why not? You're practically retired, I'm practically retired. It's been thirty years."

Kel beamed at her and softly kissed her. "I love you, Mrs. Brackett."

Dixie sat up and kissed him harder. "I love you too, Dr. Brackett."

Fin. Leave a review if you want.