a/n: Wow, chapter 20. That's a lot of words. The first scene is an homage to Ryan Johnson's early morning tweet on February 15th.

Ben woke at four-thirty in the morning, as he sometimes did, a time when everything was still and quiet and dark. He could relax, stare at the ceiling, then fall back asleep.

This morning, though, he woke with a mass of wavy dark brown hair covering his chest, and the gentle breath of his new fiancée tickling his chest hair.

He laced his fingers behind his head in satisfaction, feeling the new ring that he wore to bed, briefly pondering the billion tasks they'd need to do together for the wedding, then dismissing them from his thoughts. He couldn't do them now, and the old Jewish saying, "don't borrow trouble" was a personal mantra of his. He liked to be able to sleep, and there'd be enough sleep lost for other reasons over the next few weeks.

Ben closed his eyes and willed himself back to gentle slumber.

#

Kate woke up in a new place in a new bed with new arms around her and a new ring on her finger, and the enormity of what had transpired the night before overwhelmed her. It wasn't like the kind of painful overwhelm she'd been feeling before things ended with Justin, nor with the deep pang of loneliness she'd been feeling since. This was mostly comfortable, just an awful lot of change for even Kate to take in.

The thought that struck pure terror into her, though, was the idea that Ben wanted to get married in three weeks. She hadn't even figured out how to tell Justin she was dating again - especially after having emphatically denied it - but she was going to have to tell him she was getting married. Dating was private; marriage involved a public record.

The ToDo list for the next few weeks would be impressive, though, but Ben said they'd hire a wedding planner. Good idea. Yesterday evening while they were out, he'd already arranged for their venue, so the bar was theirs.

He stirred, looked at the alarm clock, turned it off, then cuddled her close. "Good morning, love."

"Good morning, loverboy," she said, wondering what other cute names she could think up for him. Bucko came naturally given his love of money, but she'd initially meant it sarcastically and not affectionately. Darling only felt right after his full first name. She didn't like Benny because she associated it with Beth.

"Soon to be husband," he winked.

"I know. That means I'll get to take advantage of your naked body whenever I please," she said, running her hand along his side.

"You needn't wait," he said, running his hand along the flat of her belly, making her arch her back with pleasure. "You can come over here and take me right now."

She smiled then slid across to straddle him, leaning over to kiss him. "You want me to take you, hmmm?"

"It's my thing, Katie. I like being seduced more than I like seducing, though I do like both."

She smiled, and teased him with her hips, her breasts, her kisses until he yelped in frustration. Then she took advantage of him, her new favorite way to start the morning.

#

Ben walked into the bedroom with a cup of coffee for her and saw the look on Kate's face.

"Katie, what's wrong?" He sat on the bed next to her, putting the coffee on the nightstand.

She kissed him. "It's not you. It's not me. It's that I'm not looking forward to telling Justin. He needs to hear it from me." She put her head in her hands. "Ohh."

"You have time, Katie."

"Look, it's going to take him time, and much as I'd rather put it off, I'd rather have it done so he can blow off steam between now and our wedding." She looked up at Ben. "You know, he figured out I had a thing for you long before I did."

"I know. I heard him accuse you of dating me months ago when we'd finished the Chernof case."

"And then you asked me out to drinks and I got smashed and tried to seduce you. Badly."

"I don't have sex with drunk women, and I did ask you if you wanted to eat, remember. As for the rest, I wanted you as much then as I do now, I just didn't want to sleep with you until I was your first choice, and it sure didn't seem like it that night."

"Anyhow," she waved, "all that crap is, well, past. You know what I first saw when I woke up this morning?" She smiled.

"Tell me."

She held out her wedding ring. "It beamed at me."

Ben smiled, looking relaxed for the first time this morning, curled up next to her and took her into his arms. "You're right, that is the important part. Apart from work, what would the soon-to-be-Mrs. Reed-Grogan like to do today?"

"Oh, shoe shopping," she teased. "No, really, I need to get the right dress and shoes for our wedding, but I'd like to go simple and contemporary. Knee-length dress, probably look like something I stole from Lauren's closet. Hell, I might even check out Lauren's closet."

"You can wear whatever you want, Katie. I do like Lauren's taste in dresses, but you are not Lauren. Are you going to have someone walk you down the aisle?"

A thought popped into her mind, and she let it rattle around in her head. Then she started laughing as she had a brief flash about what she'd wear.

"Or, I could just buy some over-the-thigh patent leather boots." She kept laughing. "You'd probably like that."
#

"Okay, tiger, I admit to a certain fondness for the look," Ben said, smiling at Kate. "I don't see why it's so hilarious, though."

Katie started laughing so hard she started hiccuping.

"What's going through your head?" He tilted his head in the way he did when Kate puzzled him, and that only made her laugh harder. "Would you please share whatever you're smoking with the rest of the class?"

"Catwoman," she finally managed to squeeze out between coughing fits.

Ben grinned so hard his face ached, but tried very carefully not to laugh. "I'd pay to see that."

Kate's laughter had subsided into giggles. Kate rolled her eyes. "You would say that."

"Seriously, you're not with by-the-book stick-in-the-mud any more, and I have no problem with having a superhero wedding the weekend before Halloween, especially not if it involves you in tight leather."

"I don't think I can come up with a Catwoman suit by then," she said.

"Oh as if you couldn't just walk down to Folsom Street and yell out, 'Anyone into leather around here need a rush job?' Dozens of them would materialize with their black leather outfits trimmed with pink tulle tutus - well, those who didn't appear wearing only a half-dozen leather straps with their schlong hanging out. It'd be a madhouse."

Kate started laughing again.

"Plus, you have to admit, it's a really brilliant idea for getting Lauren far away from the idea of using our wedding as a platform for Reed, Reed, and Grogan public relations."

"I hadn't thought of that. I really am brilliant, aren't I?"

"And surprising. Besides, you know Leo would help, and I'm sure he knows people."

"So you're in?"

"Yes, with two conditions."

"Which are?"

"I'm not dressing up as Robin or any villain or sidekick. Batman, yes; Robin, no."

Kate giggled and coughed. "Fair enough. Second condition?"

"Justin walks you down the aisle."

"Oh, no no no no." She shook her head, then a curious look crossed her face, and she looked at Ben. "Why Justin?"

"Because it amuses me to have everyone see what a ridiculously beautiful and hot wife he gave up, especially when she's dressed as Catwoman. Plus there's something metaphorically cool about the ex-husband leading the wife to the new husband."

"If he says no?"

"I'll resort to baser methods you'd rather not hear about."

Katie frowned. "That sounds harsh."

"I'm not talking violence. Dude creamed two attackers. I'd be an idiot to try that, especially with an ADA. I'm talking cold, hard cash. Or maybe a couple of actually decent suits for his new job and maybe some ties that don't suck high school prom dick."

"Ugh," she said, turning away.

"See? I told you you didn't want to hear it," he whispered in her ear. "Now, you've gotten me all worked up again." He rubbed up against her then kissed her neck. "Want to do something about it?"

"Mmmhmm," she smiled.

#

They managed to make it to work on time, and Leo was waiting with a cup of coffee for each of them.

Leo asked Kate, "So how's the new place? I'm kind of surprised you didn't call last night."

"Oh, I'm all moved in, except I have no furniture."

"Shocker." Leo looked at Kate's hand as she held the cup. "There's something you're not telling me."

Kate realized she'd forgotten to take off her ring. She held it out for Leo to see.

"Ben finally ask you?"

Kate blushed, wondering how exactly to explain the proposal, as she was sure she'd have to, over and over. She turned to Ben and looked pleadingly into his eyes.

"Don't look at me, Leo asked you. Besides, I want to hear how you explain it."

Kate sighed. "You don't want the real story, 'cause it's kinda dirty, but Ben basically teased me into asking him."

Ben snickered. "Kinda dirty?"

Leo laughed. "That sounds like Ben. Does Lauren know yet?"

"No, and aside from Ben's parents, she'll be the only person we tell until I talk to Justin sometime this weekend. Not looking forward to that conversation."

"Speaking of, he called once yesterday after you'd left, then called once already this morning."

"Jeez, can't he give it a rest? We're not together any more. He could join the twenty-first century and use email or something."

Leo drummed his fingers on his desk awkwardly. "Kate, what he wants to say he won't say in email, you know that."

"Ugh. I'm just so done with that."

"I know. Please tell me you'll tell him this weekend? Because dealing with your ex when you're not is my absolute favorite part of my job. Not."

"I promise, so long as I can reach him."

Leo rolled his eyes then looked pleadingly at Ben.

"She'll reach him," Ben promised.

Leo relaxed visibly.

#

Ben and Kate walked into Lauren's office. She was studying a printed spreadsheet from a client's doc requests. She put a ruler down to mark her place on the page and looked up.

"What's up? We don't have a meeting, do we?"

Ben said, "I know this is kind of strange and Kate's going to object to me asking, but may I have your stepdaughter's hand in marriage?"

Kate's mouth dropped and she stared at Ben. "Hey, I was the one who proposed. I should be asking your folks."

Lauren looked at the two of them. "Well, this is unexpected news. I didn't know you two were that close."

Kate laughed. "Oh, we're not. I still mostly hate him." She caught Ben's wounded look and added, "I'm kidding. I fell for him."

To Ben, Lauren said, "About your question, yes, yes of course. Congratulations, both of you." To Kate, she asked, "Have you-"

"Not yet," Kate said. Ugh. That was going to be everyone's question, wasn't it? "Look, I'll call him this weekend. I already promised Leo."

"Good. Got a date?"

Kate told her the date and the venue.

"Wow, rings, date, and a venue already. That's impressive." Lauren opened her phone only to discover there was already a calendar invite for the date and time, which she accepted. "I see Leo's already on the ball with the invitation."

"This is Ben we're talking about," Kate admitted. "You remember my last wedding."

"Yeah, kinda impromptu. Got a wedding planner this time? I'm overwhelmed with work or I'd offer to help."

"We'll get one," Kate promised. With that, Ben and Kate headed back to their offices.

Leo had a huge floral arrangement of pink roses on his desk. "Kate, I would very much like this not to happen again."

The color drained out of Kate's face. "Oh. No."

"Oh. Yes."

Ben tilted his head. "Justin?"

Kate and Leo nodded.

Kate asked, "How many associates do we have right now?"

"One fewer than the number of flowers," Leo said.

"Great. I'll make the rounds."

"I could do it," he offered.

"No, this is my job. Thanks, Leo." She sighed and picked up the arrangement, heading to each associate's office, handing each a pink rose and some greenery. The last she gave to Lauren.

Lauren said, "Justin doesn't give up easily, I see."

"Well, he does, but he usually tries to get me to forget that. Not this time."

Kate took the vase into the company kitchen, dumped the water and remaining greenery, then put it on the counter with a note, "Free to good home."

Kate said, "Leo, dearest, could you get me the list of our employees?"

"It shall be done."

Ben popped his head out. "Wedding planner's meeting us here at noon."

So it began. Kate went into her mediation between feuding brothers with more than the usual spring in her step.

#

After the meeting with the wedding planner, Lauren pulled Ben and Kate into her office. When they arrived, Ben was surprised to see Robin Archer there. From the look on Kate's face, so was she.

"Well, Robin, nice to see you again."

"Ben, Kate," Robin nodded at each of them. "I hear congratulations are in order."

"You told him?" Kate sounded wounded.

Lauren soothed, "Well, I was hoping you'd invite me to your wedding, Kate, and I needed to see if he was available that day."

"It'd mean returning home from London a day early, but I'm happy to do it for the three of you," Robin said. "But that's not why we're here."

Kate jutted out her chin. "Then why are we here?"

"So that I can change my attorney of record for my various firms. Given my involvement with Lauren, that can be a conflict of interest, so I'd like to spread some to you two. For Kate, that'd mostly be mediations, of which I have a lot at times. Also, Kate, as you think I'm not aboveboard, this would give you access to everything."

"Everything?"

"Everything. Except for the much-rumored nude photos of me, I'm afraid."

Kate snorted. "Those I can live without."