A/N

HELLO! Sorry this took so long for me to update. Had a test in class that I needed to study for and a project that was due, and I'm currently suffering from a cold so I didn't have time to write let alone post.

Also: I don't know a DAMN thing about Indian wedding ceremonies so if anything is wrong or weird, I apologize. You can blame my ignorance. Also, I skipped the whole walking down the aisle and the first part of the ceremony. Again, I don't know anything about Indian weddings, and the middle part of the ceremony is where the action starts. I figured you'd rather read that anyway.

So Enjoy! Reviews are not required, I'm going to finish the story anyway, but just know they do make my day!

I do not own New Girl. At all. I wish.

*Present time.*

Jess took another sip of her drink and sighed. She reached for her cell phone which was sitting on the counter near her and pressed the home button hoping for something, anything from Nick.

Nothing.

No text message, no phone call, nothing.

Jess pressed the heel of her hands into her eyes. She could feel a headache forming.

It had been such a long day.

*Flashback*

Cece and Shivrang stood at the alter, hands clasped together. The two were smiling at each other although Cece's seemed a bit forced. She looked nervous, very nervous. Jess had the urge to reach out and put her hand on her shoulder for support, but she kept still, holding her bouquet in front of her still stained dress.

Jess glanced at the audience and her eyes immediately found Nicks. He was sitting between Schmidt and Winston, both men looking very dapper in their suits, their dates arms linked with theirs. Nick smiled at Jess who returned it, a slight blush tinting her cheeks. Every time he smiled at her she felt a flutter in her stomach that did crazy things to her nerves and made her palms sweat. When he smiled at her she had flashbacks to two nights ago.

Two nights ago. It had all reached a head two nights ago when he had told her that sweet, romantic story about his first time and she had melted into him. All thoughts had disappeared from her head replaced only with desire, want and need.

Jess shook her head and focused back on the present. This was definitely not the time or the place to be having dirty thoughts about one Nick Miller.

The officiant was still speaking about love, marriage and the joining of two families and Jess smiled. She thought of everything that Cece had gone through to get to this moment, a moment she had talked about since she was a little girl, sitting on Jess's bed eating ice cream and watching Clueless.

"The rings?" the officiant asked.

Shivrang's best man stepped forward and handed him the ring. The two hadn't written their own vows so the typical vow was repeated and Shivrang placed the wedding band on Cece's finger. Cece glanced at it and wiggled her finger around for a second before looking back at Jess. The smile was gone from Cece's face replaced with one of what looked like dread as Jess handed her the ring, her brow furrowed in concern.

"Cecelia, repeat after me…" the officiant began, "I, Cecelia…"

Cece looked up at Shivrang. Her eyes were wide, her hands shook and Jess's concern grew.

"I…." she stopped and looked down at their joined hands again. Alarm bells were going off in Jess's head now. As much as her friend talked about wanting to do this, she sure as hell didn't look like she wanted to right now.

"I…." Jess saw Cece glance at the audience, directly into the eyes of Schmidt, and Jess knew. She knew that Cece just couldn't do it. She couldn't marry a man that she didn't love, because the one that she did was sitting in the crowd. Schmidt looked like he wanted nothing more than to jump out of his seat, sweep Cece in his arms and race off into the night.

"I…" Cece's voice shook, she looked back at Shivrang when….

"STOP!"

Jess, along with everybody else turned their heads to the back of the audience. The young woman that Jess had seen at the bar earlier stood there, eyes wide, focused directly on Shivrang.

"Elaine?!" Shivrang gasped, he had dropped Cece's hands and both were looking at the woman, whose name apparently was Elaine. She was pretty, curly blonde hair, about the same height as Cece. Jess glanced from Elaine to Shivrang and it clicked.

Oh boy.

"Shavi, please don't do this." she spoke. "Please."

"Elaine, what are you doing here?" Shivrang stepped in front of Cece directly facing Elaine. His looked confused, but he also had a spark of something that looked like wonder in his eyes.

"I… I came here for you." Elaine looked scared and nervous. "I can't let you do this, not without telling you."

"Elaine, I'm… I'm getting married…" Shivrang shook his head, looking around at all the guests. Many looked confused, a couple looked angry. It was dead quiet in the garden. Eerily quiet. It was as if they all had stopped breathing.

"I know… and I know this is probably the worst possible moment, but… " Elaine took a deep breath, tears in her eyes, "I love you. I am…. SO in love with you and… and you know that saying 'when you love someone, let them go?' Well that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard because when you love someone, when you're lucky enough to find someone that you truly, really, deeply love, you should hold onto them. You should tell them everyday, and… and I know, I know I should have told you this from the start but… I promise to tell you every day from now on if…" She trailed off.

Jess's eyes had once again found Nick's during Elaine's speech. She held them and forgot about everything going on around her The only thing that was in her mind was Nick… Nick, the man who was always there for her. Nick, the man who was there to cheer her up when she was feeling down, who knew how to make her laugh when she wanted to cry. She was lucky to find him.

And then she knew…. Jess's eyes went wide and she clutched her bouquet even tighter.. She blinked several times, focusing back on the situation at hand. She would deal with her Nick Miller feelings later, there were more pressing things at hand.

Shivrang stepped off the platform he and Cece had been standing on, walking towards Elaine, "Why didn't you ever say anything?" He stopped in front of her, his eyes searching hers.

"I was scared. I… I…"

"But…. Ellie… I love you!"

"Really?" Elaine's lips turned up at the corners, her eyebrows lifting

"For so long, but… I didn't think you felt that way about me!"

Shivrang beamed at her as Elaine threw her arms around his neck and the two kissed. Jess's mouth dropped open in shock and she looked over at Cece who had a blank expression on her face. She didn't look upset or angry, but she definitely didn't look happy either. Jess reached for her, but Cece stepped away.

And then chaos ensued.

Schmidt, who had been sitting between Elizabeth and Nick, sprung up from his seat where Nick had been holding him down, sprinted down the aisle, and punched Shivrang straight in the face. Shivrang fell, holding his bleeding nose, which appeared to be broken. The crowd gasped and a few members of Shivrang's family got up, making their way towards Schmidt. Nick and Winston had followed Schmidt down the aisle and were now holding him back from attacking Shivrang again.

"How could you do this?" He spat at Shivrang, struggling against Nick, trying to get free. "How could you do this to that beautiful, kind, angel of a woman?!" He struggled harder.

"My nose is broken!" Shivrang moaned from the floor, his head being cradled in Elaine's lap. She stroked his hair and glared at Schmidt.

"Good!" Schmidt spat. He suddenly stopped struggling and lifted his eyes to meet Ceces.

"Cece…" he whispered, taking a step towards her.

Cece's eyes had gone wide and she looked as if she was going to die of embarrassment, or cry. Not only had her fiancé left her at the altar, but her ex had just punched him in the face. In front of her entire family and friends. She brought her hand up to her mouth, and took off down the platform and through the garden.

Nick looked up at Jess and she shook her head, running after Cece.