The two young women took turns hugging McCoy; followed by alternately helping each other place the necklaces they each had just been given around the others neck. While Malinowski and Collins had their get acquainted drink, McCoy completed the last task that had been delgated to him; the task of giving the maid of honor and the bridesmaid their gifts from the couple.

While his sister took on the job of conferring with the hotel staff regarding the room McCoy had reserved for the wedding and dinner for the wedding party following the ceremony, the groom had taken his daughter and future niece to his suite to give them the matching silver necklaces he and Malinowski had purchased several weeks before, while looking for an engagement ring.

Each silver heart bore the inscription: Always in our hearts. Each one appropriately signed Love Dad & Brooke or Love Aunt Brooke & Uncle Jack.

As the pair went to the bathroom to see how the necklaces looked with the matching green lace tea dresses they wore, Malinowski greeted McCoy with a kiss.

"Looks like you survived your interrogation none the worse for wear," he said with a grin. "It's almost four, shouldn't you be getting dressed for the ceremony?"

"As soon as my dress arrives from the seamstress," she said glancing around the room."It's not at the front desk or in the girl's room. I was hoping they delivered it here by mistake," she said as she straightened his bow tie."It looks like you're set. Now, you're sure you want put those cabinets doors off one more weekend, just so we can do this?"

McCoy chuckled at the reference to the kitchen cabinet doors that had been laying untouched against the living area wall in the loft for almost a month.

"You know 'The Don' isn't starting his 'buy one get one free' deal on the stain until next weekend,"he deadpanned. "Can't finish 'em until then. Might as well marry you and not have the weekend be a total bust."

"Oh, so that's how it is. You and 'The Don'. I swear, you should be in the ad's for Don's Hardware," she said with a laugh. "You must be the man's best customer. By the way, it was a stroke of genius on your part to book the adjoining room for the girls."

"I figured we wanted to keep the girls close,"he said as he gave her a sly smile."But not too close."

After giving the bathroom door a quick glance, Malinowski lowered her voice, as she added suggestively."Have I ever told you what I want to do to you, every time I see you in a tux?"

McCoy gave her a lecherous grin as he took her in his arms and started to reply, only to be abruptly interrupted.

"Brooke, it's bad luck for my Dad to see you before the ceremony. Dad, close your eyes," Becky McCoy commanded as she opened the door to the adjoining suite.

"Yeah Aunt Brooke, you're going to jinx your own wedding if you don't get out of here."

"Girls, I'm not in the dress yet so we're safe," Malinowski said as she playfully squeezed each of their hands."You both look beautiful! All you need are the bouquets, otherwise you girls look perfect."

"Aunt Colleen's going to call us when they arrive,"Becky replied."We're ready, but Brooke the cermony is in less than an hour. Why aren't you in your dress?"

"The dress still isn't here,"Malinowski said anxiously."Can one of you call over to De Mills while I do my makeup and hair? The phone number's on the business card on the dresser."

"I'll take care of it," Lindsay Malinowski replied, moving towards the dresser."But you need to get out of here, Aunt Brooke. You can play kissy face with Jack for the rest of your life, after you marry him."

"Lindsay," Malinowski sputtered as the other three chuckled. "Maybe you better just concern yourself with that phone call, missy."

"Whatever," the fiery redhead replied as she started to dial.

"Brooke do you need help with anything?"

"Actually I do, Becky," she said as she quickly kissed McCoy's cheek."Better start sayin' your prayers, handsome. Your single days are about to come to an end ... and without a bachelor party...and this time it will be for good."

"Damn, I knew I'd forgotten something when I planned this thing," McCoy countered, as he slapped his forehead in mock dispair while the pair entered the other suite.

While Becky secured the door behind them, Malinowski began rifling through the bags she had left on one of the two double beds.

"How can I help?"

"You can slip this into the pocket of your Dad's tux, before the ceremony," Malinowski said as she handed Becky the box wrapped in gold foil; an envelope taped to the top. "I was almost late meeting Jeff because it took the engraver so long to finish these. I know your Dad doesn't wear cufflinks often, but he already has your Great Grandfathers pocket watch, so I thought maybe cufflinks..."

"Brooke, he'll treasure anything you give him," she said taking the box."I know he has something for you as well, but you have to wait until after the reception, for your gift."

Malinowski's eyes shined with curiosity, as she moved closer to her future step daughter.

"Aw, come on Becky. No hints?"

Becky shook her head as she stepped towards the door.

"You know Becky, I can be a good stepmother... like Julia Roberts in StepMom... or a bad stepmother like Cinderella's," she warned.

Becky glanced back over her shoulder with a smirk.

"If I wanted Julia Roberts for a stepmom, I would have been nicer to Claire and Denise,"she said lightly, while opening the door. "Besides, your evil self works just fine for us. For me and Dad, both."

Before she could respond Becky gave her a wink and swiftly closed the adjoining door.

Malinowski sighed as she reached for the purse beside the bags on the bed. There was one last thing she had to do before she ran out of time before the wedding. One last person she had to call, even though she knew the conversation would be less than pleasant.

"Couldn't get the time off huh," she said when she heard her brothers voice on the other end of the phone. "Even if you couldn't come up with a better story, I do appreciate you sending Lindsay up here for the ceremony."

While she and her brother went back and forth about the wisdom of her marrying Jack McCoy, she heard a knock at the door. Assuming the dress she had purchased for the ceremony had arrived, she opened the door.

"Rebecca McCoy," one of the two burly men asked, holding a garment bag that bore the name of the store from which the dress had been purchased.

"…Andy, it's high time you accept the fact Sam and I were finished long ago," she said as she remembered that Becky had insisted on paying for her wedding dress.

The younger woman had made the gesture being that there had been no time for her to find another gift for her soon to be stepmother. Malinowski nodded at the man and reached for the bag. "If you can't accept that, then maybe you and I are finished, as well. Brother or no brother you're out of line, Andy. If you..."

The cell phone fell out of her hand as the man with the garment bag suddenly grabbed her arms and pushed her back into the room, while the other man pressed a handkerchief over her mouth and nose. Her scream stifled, she tried to bite the hand over her mouth, causing the man to pull slightly back, but not enough for her to be able to made her crys for help audible.

When she realized the cloth was damp with chloroform, Malinowski tried to hold her breath; thrusting her elbows out and a foot back to hit a shin, but it was too late. She could already feel her legs growing heavy. Her eyes had started to blur.

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McCoy finished dressing for the cermony alone; the girls having been summoned by Colleen MacBride once the flowers had arrived. As he slipped the tuxedo jacket on, McCoy noticed the extra weigh in the right pocket.

He smiled as he pulled the box and card from the pocket while he sat on the edge of the bed. Opening the envelope, he moved back and propped his head up with a pillow that still held the scent of his fiancées perfume.

If I'd been single when Adam introduced us all those years ago, you'd of had me at 'hello'. Fate is a funny thing isn't it, Jack? All those years I thought I was a widow, I was going through the motions. I never thought I'd find love again.

Until you.

You taught me how to love again.

Always Yours,

Brooke

McCoy thought about the look that had passed between them when they were introduced, so many years before. The fact they both remembered that meeting in spite of the fact they were both committed to other people, said volumes.

He opened the box and read the elegantly engraved words; Forever yours on the face of the shiny gold circles.

He was in the process of exchanging the cufflink that had come with the rented tux, for his gift when he heard the muffled ringing of his cell phone.

McCoy grabbed his old stand by off the chair beside the bed. As he pulled the cell phone out of the all weather jacket, he looked at the caller ID and did a double take.

"Andy? This is a pleasant surprise," he began, only to be cut off by the frantic fireman.

Brooke's brother demanded that McCoy find his sister and child, as he hurriedly relied his phone conversation from just minutes before. As McCoy listened, his gut instrictively tightened. In two quick strides, he had the door to the suite next door open. His heart sank as his eyes fell on the cell phone and garment bag that laid by the door.