29

A number of months later with everything set in place for Alexis and Phoenix's wedding, the time had come for the rehearsal dinner. In mere twenty-seven hours, Alexis would no longer be a Castle. As the days and weeks had passed by, Rick had become quite nostalgic. After all; his first born child, his first daughter was no longer his little girl. It had dawned on Rick that even after Alexis said I do to Phoenix that there were still three little girls at home that called him Daddy and it would be a very long time before they got married.

The day before the rehearsal dinner, the bride's family had gotten wind that Meredith was going to be late. Apparently the diva had done everything she could to get an earlier flight to New York but she didn't have much luck. So things went on as normal. When it came to the wedding rehearsal, both families were with the bride and groom at the church in Upstate New York where the ceremony would be taking place. Much like Rick and Kate's wedding, Alexis and Phoenix were having a judge officiate their wedding.

"Can everyone please take their places so we can get this show on the road?" the wedding planner said.

With that out there, everyone took their places for the rehearsal. Phoenix walked down to where he was supposed to stand with three of his four groomsmen in tow. Shortly after that, Phoenix's parents walked down the aisle and took their seats. Once the wedding planner had made sure that everything was all good with Avery and Aria, she sent them on their way down the aisle. Alexis's three friends/former college roommates and Harley followed next. While that was happening the wedding planner walked to the main aisle that everyone was walking down with Alexis, Rick, Kate and Martha.

"Now of course, this will be different when Meredith is here but you get the general idea."

After a nod from Alexis, her parents and Martha, the quartet were on their way down the aisle. When they were midway down the aisle, the diva extraordinaire from Malibu had arrived and made sure everyone knew she was there.

"No, no, no; I don't like this at all. This isn't right for my daughter's big day!" Meredith said.

"Is that Alexis's mother?" Phoenix's mother asked her son in a low whisper.

"Yeah that's her."

"This won't do, neither will this. All of this has to go now." Meredith demanded.

"Where's the closest bar?" Martha asked.

Kate tried her best to hold back the smile that came to her face after she heard her mother in law's comment.

"And that definitely won't do either, I demand that we change that right this instant." Meredith said as she pointed to her ex-husband, her ex-mother in law, her daughter and her ex-husband's wife in the middle of the aisle.

Rick was about to step in when Alexis stepped in herself.

"Now Meredith, we talked about this before. This isn't your wedding, it's mine and Phoenix's. So if you want to be a part of it then do us all a favor, do what you're told to do and when you're told to do."

"Alexis, darling; please call me mom. I am your mother after all."

Years ago when the twin sets were no longer babies, Alexis had decided that she only refer to Kate as Mom and she would refer to Meredith by her name so that her siblings wouldn't get confused. That was something that Meredith was not too pleased with once Alexis had told her what she had decided all those years ago.

"When they are around you're Meredith…" Alexis said as she directed Meredith's attention to the twin sets.

"And she's Mom."

With that being said, Meredith begrudgingly took her place in the group that was escorting Alexis down the aisle.