Title: Dance With My Father

Author: Jeanine (jeanine@iol.ie)

Rating: PG

Pairing:  Catherine/Nick ish

Feedback: Makes my day

Disclaimer: If it was in the show, it's not mine.

Archive: At my site Checkmate () , Fanfiction.net; anywhere else, please ask.

Summary:  Everyone says your wedding day should be the happiest day of your life

Notes: For the LiveJournal Writer's Choice "Dance" challenge. Title chosen because Luther rocks.

***

Everyone says that your wedding day should be the happiest, most perfect day of your life. Actually, I'm not sure if it's everyone that says that, or just my mother. And I'm not really sure if she says it because she believes it, or because her wedding to my father – in a Vegas wedding chapel, knocked up and high on coke, her mother crying in the front pew – was anything but perfect.

Mom's gone to great trouble to make sure that my big day was nothing like hers. Except for the mother crying in the front pew bit, but at least I know those were tears of happiness, because Mom loves Paul, has done ever since she first met him. She was beyond thrilled when I told her we were engaged, immediately went into wedding planner overdrive, talking about dresses and bridesmaids and venues and caterers. It was enough to make my head spin, and I would have been perfectly happy with a small affair, but it made Mom happy so I went along with it.

And I've got to hand it to her; it's been a wonderful day. Everyone's been saying it. From when I woke up this morning to right here and now, dancing my first dance in my new husband's arms, I can't remember a day where I've smiled more, been so happy.

Except for the fact that I lied to my mother.

It was when we were getting the photographs taken, and we wanted one of just the two of us together, the way that we were for so long. The photographer was messing around with his camera, trying to get the setting just right, and Mom hugged me tightly, leaned in to whisper in my ear, "Isn't this perfect?"

My answer caught in my throat, and I paused long enough to look her in the eyes and lie through my smiling teeth.

"It really is Mom."

There was no way I was going to tell her the truth, and anyway, that was when the photographer told us to look at him and smile, and we did, and the moment was lost. Then the rest of the family came in and joined us, and my feet haven't touched the ground since.

The music fades into the background on our first dance, and Paul smiles at me, takes my hand in his and kisses it, giving me what I know to be a rueful smile. "Loath as I am to let you go Linse," he says. "Tradition demands it."

I nod, and watch him as he walks over to his mother, taking her hand in his and leading her out onto the dance floor. I'm about to follow his path when I feel a tap on my shoulder, and I turn to find myself looking into a familiar pair of brown eyes and a wide smile.

"Hey Peanut," he says. "You up for a spin around the floor?"

I grin. "As long as you promise not to step on my toes Nick."

He chuckles, as I knew he would. "All those dance lessons your mom's been giving me these last few months? Not a chance."

True to his word, Nick manoeuvres me around the dance floor like a seasoned pro, and I catch Mom's eye as we move, see her crying again, exchanging a wry glance with Nick as he notices the same thing. "I hope this place is insured against water damage," he murmurs in my ear. "Otherwise we're in some serious trouble."

I've known Nick a long time, in fact, I can't ever remember not knowing him but it was still a surprise when he and Mom began dating when I was eleven. I was old enough to know that he was younger than she was, to understand that a lot of people looked at them and didn't give them a chance of lasting. But Nick moved in with us when I was twelve, and when I was fourteen, Mom talked to me, told me that Nick had asked her to marry him. She actually asked me my opinion, said that she wouldn't say yes to him if I didn't approve, and I think my answer, that I was only surprised it had taken so long, shocked the hell out of her. But they got married the next year, and we've been one happy family ever since.

Nick told me, way back when he and Mom first began dating, that he'd never try to take my dad's place, and he's always kept that promise. He was genuinely surprised when I asked him to walk me down the aisle today, and I've never seen him as nervous as he was when he made his father of the bride speech. And now he's here with me, fulfilling the second dance tradition, father and daughter, and he looks so proud, so happy.

I'm proud and happy too, because I love Nick. I really do, and I'm so happy that he's in my life.

But at the same time, the one thing that would really make this day perfect is if I was able to dance with my father, just once.