A/N Thank you for reading, and extra special thanks to my reviewers xxx

(i)

While Max was being sobered up at the bridal table, Roger returned to his seat beside Marion. He was in a good mood, having downed a couple of drinks for Dutch courage before his 'father' of the bride speech. He noted that his return didn't seem to register with Marion.

"You look like you're miles away," he said smiling.

Marion came out of her reverie and smiled back at him, "I was. Well, not so much miles, but years. I was thinking back to my own wedding."

"A happy memory, judging by the look on your face?"

"A very happy memory. It was the start of a wonderful life together."

"You must miss him dreadfully," Roger said sympathetically.

"I do indeed. Have you ever been married, Roger?"

"Yes."

"And did she…"

"It didn't work out," said Roger, cutting her short.

"I'm sorry to hear that," replied Marion.

"Don't be. I think it all worked out for the best. I don't think I'm cut out for relationships. Too set in my ways you see."

"I know what you mean," nodded Marion. "Ah, look. The Bride and Groom about to dance,"

They sat for a moment in silence and watched Max and Millie as they took to the floor.

"Do you ever get lonely, Roger?" asked Marion dreamily.

Roger looked uncomfortable. "Well, I…"

Marion laughed. "It's not a proposition Roger, just a question. Sometimes, don't you just feel like sitting down and having a nice cup of tea and a biscuit with a friend? Up until last week, Harry Carter was that friend for me. He'd help with a few chores around the house and then we'd chat. Good, honest friendship, without the slightest hint of him being after… you know. It was lovely."

"It sounds lovely," agreed Roger.

"But then he fell off my roof. I'm sure you've heard about that. And you've no idea how much I've missed him this last week."

"You know what," said Roger. "I'm pretty handy with a drill myself. So if you ever need anything done, or you've made a fresh batch of scones you need to share…"

Marion laughed again. "So, you only want me for my scones, eh? Thanks Roger, I'd like that. But, as long as you realise I'm not looking for anything more than friend?"

"Nor am I," he replied. He held out his hand to Marion and said, "Now, as Mother and stand-in father of the Bride, we really should be dancing. Would you do me the honour?"

Marion took his hand and stood up beside him. "I'd love to."

(ii)

All eyes were focused on the dance floor as Max and Millie took their first dance as Man and Wife. Millie hoped no one would notice how drunk Max was, although the coffee had gone some way to sobering him up. Was it her imagination, or was he swaying slightly? It soon became apparent to Millie that the best thing for her to do was to draw Max closer to her to hide the fact he was having a bit of trouble remaining upright. Luckily this was a remedy Max accepted willingly.

As the onlookers seemed genuinely touched by their display (as opposed to amused) Millie concluded that her cover up had succeeded.

Soon the rest of the bridal party was dancing beside them.

"What's wrong, Maxie?" said Mag as she and her husband Paul hurriedly danced over to her siblings and their partners.

"Max has had champagne," said Johanna, as Malcolm swirled her around.

"Oh, no," replied Mag. "Well, sorry Millie! There goes your hope of getting any wedding night action."

"Hey," protested Max. "I am here you know. And I'm not deaf."

"I suspect someone else might have had a glass or two herself," Paul said, chiding his wife.

"Ah, but in my case it works the other way. It makes you more likely to get some action tonight!"

"I don't want to hear this," complained Max. "Can we dance away from them now?"

"Yes," Millie and Johanna replied in unison.

The couples dispersed around the floor. Magda had noticed their discussion and danced with Harry towards Johanna to find out what had been said.

"Everything all right?" Magda asked her oldest child.

"It's fine, Ma, don't worry," Johanna said, as Malcolm swirled her away from them.

Magda pursed her lips in frustration.

"Come on Luv," consoled Harry. "Why don't you just leave things be and enjoy a dance with your old husband instead? You know it's been a while."

Magda grinned. "You may be old, but you still know how to cut the carpet."

"I think you mean 'the rug' my sweet," smiled Harry, as swirled his wife around in a way that put Malcolm's attempt to spin Johanna to shame.

It was at this point that Roger and Marion joined the dancers. The floor gradually filled up as the other guests took to the floor. Jo and Mickey spun around together laughing, Stevie and Smithy giggled and flirted as he twirled and dipped her, paying little attention to the actual music playing. Annie and Will crept back in and seamlessly took their place amongst the other dancers.

Neil reached out a hand to Grace, who accepted it and took to the floor with him. The relatively rocky number they started dancing to soon ended, only to be replaced by a ballad that could really only be danced to cheek to cheek. After a short period in which they both seemed to be looking for an opportunity to flee, Neil shrugged and took one of Grace's hands in his and slowly moved the other as if to request her permission to bring it to rest on her hip. She shyly consented. Soon any trepidation was forgotten and they moved gently in time to the music.

Various Sun Hill couples (including Max and Millie) came together on the floor to discuss this development.

"You see Grace and the DI?" Stevie said, reclining back as Smithy dipped her in towards the others.

"Bit hard to miss really," replied Jo. "They seem to be getting into the spirit of this song."

"I hope they don't start snogging on the dance floor," moaned Terry.

"You're such a romantic," retorted his wife. "Do you have any idea how many people meet their spouses at weddings?"

"Or have a quickie with a bridesmaid," interjected Smithy, nodding in the direction of Annie and Will, who had moved off into the shadows for a private moment.

"Speaking of which, Jo, here comes Max's sister," said Mickey winking at her.

"Hey!" exclaimed Max. He'd been keeping quiet as the effects of the champagne wore off, but was alert enough to be protective of his sister.

"What's up with you now, Maxie?" demanded Mag, seeing the frown on his face.

"He's worried I might make a move on you!" laughed Jo. "But surely, Max, you know your sister well enough to know she's only flirting?"

"Now, don't underestimate my willingness to try new things!" winked Mag.

Mag's husband Paul was at first troubled by the sound of this conversation, but once he'd had a good look at Jo, he decided that perhaps he should keep an open mind.

"Oh, the music's stopped," pouted Stevie.

"It's a shame Grace and DI Manson haven't realised that," Terry pointed out.

All eyes turned towards the unfortunate twosome, who continued to sway along to a gentle rhythm that was now only in their heads. Grace woke up to the fact first, and tapped Neil to bring it to his attention also. Their hands fell quickly to their sides and they moved back to their seats hurriedly, hoping vainly that no one had noticed what had just happened, but knowing too well from the sniggers and looks from the others at their table, that everyone had.

(iii)

The newlyweds were enjoying a moment of respite in the midst of the activities, sitting together at their table. Max was beginning to feel like himself again, and he put an arm around Millie. She snuggled into him.

"So, my love, was Mag telling the truth when she said you wouldn't be able to, you know, perform later, because of the champagne?" she asked reproachfully.

"No way! She was just teasing you. How would she know what I can and can't do in the department anyway?"

"Well, you seemed to be claiming before to know about what she does - or doesn't - get up to."

"Well, maybe I was joking too," he said, softly kissing her hair.

"Just as well," said Millie. "Because, judging from when I was expecting Thomas, pregnancy makes me feel especially...you know?"

Max's curiosity was clearly roused. "No, I don't know. Maybe you'd better clarify."

She whispered hotly in his ear, saying things that only a husband should be privy to.

Max gulped. "I see," he said shortly. "You know, no one would miss us if we just ducked out now..."

"Before the speeches? Before cutting the cake? I think they might!"

"Sometimes, Mrs. Carter, I think you think too much."

"Well Mr. Carter, I know of at least one night when I didn't."

"And when was that?"

"The night we conceived Thomas."

Max pulled her close to him again and grabbed her hand and kissed it.

"The luckiest night of my life!"

"Is it lucky to have a condom fail on you?" asked Millie.

"Maybe it didn't. I've been thinking that perhaps it was my fault."

"Ah! Finally a confession! Didn't you put it on properly or something?"

"More like I didn't take it off soon enough. I think it might have got a bit…lost."

"I see. Even then, I don't think it was down to you. I still think it was fate."

"You think fate saw how much you needed me?"

"Or perhaps it saw that you needed me. Or..." added Millie on sighting a weary toddler padding his way across the room towards them. "Perhaps it saw we both needed Thomas."

Thomas planted himself on his mother's lap and lay against her breast.

Max patted his son's head. "Well, let's hope Fate feels the same about Babies Two, Three, Four..."

Millie pinched Max's arm. Tony was tapping a glass with spoon to attract everyone's attention.

"Time for us to get back to our public." said Millie, as people returned to their seats.

"Okay, Mrs. Carter. Let's get it over with."

"And remember, no more champagne," ordered Millie.

"Of course not, what have I got to celebrate anyway? My life might as well be over, I'm a married man! Ow! Hey! That's spousal abuse you know?"

"Right, well, rather than ruin a good wedding, and waste all the money we've spent on it, maybe you can arrest me later?"

"Consider it done. I have just the pair of hand cuffs in mind to use too."

"Really?" purred Millie. "Lucky I brought along my asp then."

Max wasn't sure whether he should be excited or frightened the possible uses Millie could put her asp to on their wedding night. Still, he consoled himself, at least it showed that she was open to trying new things. Maybe what he'd heard was wrong and married life wasn't that predictable after all?

Once Magda had ensured Thomas was safely with his parents she returned to her seat and into the outstretched arms of her husband. She couldn't think of anywhere in the world she'd rather be than where she was; beside her husband, surrounded by her children, her grandchildren and friends of the family, both the newly acquired ones like Marion and those that had been with her since her own children were little.

"God had been good to us, hasn't he?" she said to Harry, clasping his hand.

"My darling, I suspect you might have done some of the hard work creating our family yourself, actually," corrected her clearly still besotted husband.

"I suppose I did," agreed Magda as she drew Harry's arm around her and surveyed her dominion with an even greater degree of satisfaction.

Although Harry might have appreciated a bit of praise for his own role in the scheme of things, he resigned himself that it was unlikely to be forthcoming.

Magda nodded her head in the direction of Max and Millie. "He's chosen well, you know. She will be a good wife to him."

"Well," said Harry. "If the Carter men are good for nothing else, they have a talent for finding perfect wives."

"Hmm, I can think of at least one other thing they might be good for," grinned Magda.

Max glanced over at his parents and noticed the loving interaction between them. A vision of himself and Millie at Thomas's wedding started to form in his head. Would they be as contented as his parents now appeared to be? His father met his eye and gave him a wink as if to welcome him to the joys of married life.

Tony started to speak. "I heard something very interesting today. Apparently, a few weeks ago, Max had a Stag Night. Now Max, Paul, Malcom, your dad and I were wondering, what happened to our invites? What exactly did you get up to that you didn't want us to see? I tell you what though, I can't imagine it would be worse than anything you and I used to get up to in our late teens. Remember the time we..."

Millie narrowed her eyes at Max and propped herself forward on her elbows, displaying her desire to listen really close to what was being said. Max was starting to believe that allowing that Stag Night had been one of the worst decisions of his life. But then he looked a Millie and saw that a grin was breaking through that facade of disapproval. Whatever he had done in the past, she had forgiven him for it. As he thought more about it, in actual fact, they had forgiven each other. She hadn't been entirely innocent herself, as he recalled. He wondered if Johanna was going to bring the stripper and the g-string up in her speech?

His attention returned to the tales of his youth that Tony was describing to all, including his mother, someone to whom he had really hoped that these incidents in his past would never be revealed. Avoiding his mother's glare, he turned to look once again at his new wife, whose face was alight with laughter. The twinkling eyes that met his own seemed to be spilling over with love. He put his arm around Millie and Thomas and slyly sneaked the other hand to Millie's belly to give Baby Number Two a pat. Whatever fate had in store for them, thought Max, with his and Millie's own little growing family, and the crazy mob of parents, sisters, in laws and friends surrounding them, it was very unlikely to ever be boring!