Author: Raven Shadowrose

Title: To Catch a Falling Star

Rating: M

Pairing: Dixie/Hannah, Jeff/Emilie, ?/?

Summary: A sequel to The Ties That Bind. What will happen to the Holby paramedics and their partners when a traumatic event tests the bonds of their relationships and friendships?

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Casualty, any dialogue from the show belongs to the writers and I claim no ownership. All original characters and the story are my property and I do not give permission for them to be used.

A/N: There will be some chapters in this story that may upset some people, a warning will be placed at the start of each chapter that contains sensitive/upsetting material. Reviews are welcome :)

Thank you to BeethovenRIP, sarah4steve, Sparkles and Rainbows and dixieandjeffforever for your reviews, happy tears all around this time. I hope that you enjoy this chapter just as much :)

Party time, more celebrations of the wedding, and cake, there will be lots of cake in this one :)

A/N2: The song lyrics in this chapter are from the song Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift and the Civil Wars, you can find it on the Hunger Games soundtrack. I do not own the lyrics.

Chapter Thirty-Six.

The guests filed into the barn that had been converted into a reception room for couples to use after their wedding, each place setting had been labelled with a name of a guest that was attending the reception. Every table had a white cloth on top of it and a garland of flowers sat in the middle, there were party favours at every seat. The chairs were white and had a blue ribbon tied around the back of them. All of the curtains at every window had been closed, the lights in the room had been turned down low and candles had been lit on every free surface. The middle of the room had been left clear for dancing, a table at the back of the room was filled with food and the wedding cake that Jeff and Emilie had picked out. More of the guests came into the room and sat in their places, they were all waiting for Emilie and Jeff to arrive so that the party could begin. Members of the serving team from the farm were going around the assembled guests and pouring drinks for them all. Quiet music was playing in the background as the guests sat in their places. Talking and laughter could be heard from all around the room, the mood in the room was a happy one.

Polly took her place on the table that had been reserved for the wedding party and members of both families. It pleased her that Jeff and Emilie had let Owen sit with her, she took it to mean that Jeff had decided that he liked Owen and thought that he was good for her. She looked over at Owen where he was sat beside her and she noticed that he was looking at her, he also had a smile on his face. 'Polly, you look beautiful, that colour suits you.'

'Thank you, I am glad that you think so. I wasn't sure about wearing the dress as it shows some of the scars that I have from my operation.'

'You are beautiful, scars and all. You are a brave woman Polly, I am very proud to know you and to spend time with you.' Polly couldn't help herself, she smiled at Owen's words and then she kissed him on the cheek. 'Sometimes I think that you are too good to be true.'

'I'm just me.'

'I think that it is a good for you to just be you.' Owen put his arms around Polly and she hugged him back, she felt him kiss her on the head and she smiled. 'Polly, I have been meaning to ask you something for a while.'

'What is it?'

'We've been seeing each other for a few months now, I've enjoyed your company a great deal and I hope that you feel the same about me.'

'I do, these past few months have been lovely.'

'Will you be my girlfriend? I'd like us to make our relationship more serious.'

'I'd like that too, I'd be honoured to be your girlfriend.'

'Thank you, I am honoured to have such a brave woman as my girlfriend.' Polly smiled at Owen, she liked how he had asked her to be his girlfriend, it made her happy.

Dixie and Hannah sat next to the twins, they were holding hands and Hannah smiled at Dixie. 'Are you nervous about your speech?'

'A little bit.'

'You will do very well Dixie, don't worry.'

'What about you, are you nervous about singing in front of everyone?'

'I am, I want Jeff and Emilie to have a beautiful first dance, they deserve it.'

'They do. I saw the way that Jeff was looking at Emilie, he is so in love with her.'

'He is, I can see that he is very happy, so is Emilie.'

'They have been through so much together, there was a time when I thought that they wouldn't make it. Jeff is my best mate, to see him here and married to the woman he is in love with makes me happy. I am glad that Jeff and Emilie have survived the bad times.'

'Of course you are, you want the best for Jeff and I think that he has that in Emilie.'

'He does.' Dixie smiled at Hannah and then she kissed her. 'I love you Hannah.'

'I love you too.' She turned to the twins, Elizabeth and Thomas were sat in their seats and they were playing with Lawrence.

'Look at our little ones, they look so grown up.'

'I know, Thomas looks so handsome in his suit and Elizabeth looks so beautiful in her dress.'

'They do, I am so proud of our little ones.'

'Me too.' Dixie smiled again, she put her arm around Hannah and rested her head on Hannah's shoulder, she was enjoying herself and she noticed that everyone was doing the same.

Once all of the guests had sat down Emilie and Jeff went to the door of the barn, Emilie held onto Jeff's arm and he looked down at his wife. 'Emilie, are you ready to go in?'

'Can I have a moment with you first? We're going to be very busy from now on, I want to spend some time with my husband.'

'Of course you can princess, I will do anything for you sweetheart.'

'I will do anything for you too.' Jeff stroked his finger down Emilie's cheek and he tilted her head up so that he could look into her eyes.

'I meant everything that I said in my vows, I promise you that I will look after you for the rest of our lives.'

'I know you will, we will take care of each other.' Jeff wrapped his arms around Emilie and he kissed her on the head.

'I am a lucky man.'

'I am a lucky woman.' Emilie smiled up at Jeff as he held her in her arms, she closed her eyes as Jeff leaned in to kiss her. She responded to the touch of Jeff's lips on hers and she kissed him back. Emilie opened her mouth beneath Jeff's kiss and she let him kiss her deeper, she moved closer to Jeff as their kiss intensified. She moved away a moment later and smiled as Jeff kissed her on the nose. 'Emilie, say that you will be mine later on.'

'I am yours, always.'

'I want us to be together as husband and wife.'

'I want that too.'

'I'm glad to hear you say that princess.' Emilie and Jeff looked at each other for a few moments more and prepared themselves for going into the barn to start the celebration of their marriage.

The sound of applause echoed through the room as Emilie and Jeff made their way to the seats that had been left free for them to sit in. Emilie held onto Jeff's arm as they walked amongst their guests, she was pleased to see that they all looked happy. She picked out all of the people that she recognised from work and members of her family, she was very happy to see them all. Emilie let Jeff pull her chair out for her, she hugged him and then she sat down. Jeff held his hand out to Emilie and she put hers in it, she smiled when he kissed it and then stroked it with his thumb. She saw the smile that Jeff gave her, he looked so happy, she was glad that Jeff was happy. 'I love you Jeff, so very much, I am happy to be here with you and to be your wife.'

'I love you too princess, always, I am glad to be your husband.'

'You are a sweet man Jeffrey Collier.'

'I'll always be that way for you, my brave and beautiful wife.' Emilie smiled at Jeff, she loved him so very much.

'You are brave too, I am so very lucky to have you in my life.' Jeff kissed Emilie on the head and he smiled at her, he loved her and wanted the best for her.

Emilie's father stood up and he waited for everyone to go quiet before he started his speech. 'Many years ago, my wife and I were blessed with the birth of our second daughter, we'd had one child and we were pleased to find out that we would be having another daughter. Emilie was born and she grew up to be a happy child that was very close to her older sister. I am very proud of both of my daughters, they have done very different things with their lives, they have chosen to follow the paths that make them happy.' A moment passed and then he continued with his speech. 'Emilie, has always been a loving person, first as a child and now as a woman. Her mother and I have always hoped that she would find someone to make her happy.' Emilie looked up at her father and she smiled at him. 'It took Emilie some time to find the man that completed her, to find the person that gave her the happiness that she had been looking for. She came to see us one day and told us that she had met someone, that she had started seeing a paramedic. We were pleased with her choice, we saw how happy Emilie was. She had a light in her eyes after so long of being unhappy.' Emilie squeezed Jeff's hand as she listened to her father's words. 'It pleased me to grant Jeff permission to ask for my daughter's hand in marriage. He has given Emilie love and happiness and I am very proud to welcome him into our family. I know that Emilie will be very well taken care of and that you two will have an excellent life together.' Emilie's father picked up his glass and he raised it. 'If you will all join me in a toast, to the bride and groom.' Everyone in the room lifted their glass and drank a toast to Emilie and Jeff. Emilie stood up and she hugged her father, listening to his speech had made her very happy.

John quietly stood up and he waited until he had the attention of everyone in the room before he started speaking. 'All of my life my dad has done the best he can for myself and Sophia, he did that the day that he let us go to London. We've always known how much he loves and cares for us. That is why we are glad to be here today.' John took a breath and then he continued speaking. 'We visited dad whenever we could, after a few months of visiting him we saw a change in him, he looked a lot happier than he had in a long time. I wasn't surprised when he told us that he had met someone and that he liked her a lot. I hoped that the woman wouldn't hurt my dad, he had been through a lot already.' John saw his dad smile at him. 'When I eventually met Emilie I saw how much she loved my father, I was pleased with his choice. It made me happy to see how strong their relationship was, how together they were.' John turned to Emilie and he smiled at her. 'Emilie, I would like to thank you for how happy you have made my father. I know that you love him and that you will look after him, he will look after you too.' Another moment passed and John saw Emilie smiling up at him. 'The day that my father asked me to be his best man made me proud, I am glad to be here with you all and celebrating the wedding of my father and Emilie. Congratulations to you both, I know that you will be very happy together.' Jeff stood up and he hugged his son.

'Thank you, I am proud of you son and I always will be.'

'You deserve this, dad, I am glad that you're happy.' Jeff listened to the crowd as they applauded and he eventually sat back down next to Emilie and let her hug John too.

The guests fell quiet and Dixie took that as her cue to stand up and begin her speech, she was nervous, she wanted to do her best for Jeff and Emilie. 'When I sat down to write this speech, I thought about the friendship that I have with Jeff. He turned up on his first day and annoyed me so much that I wanted to fire him there and then. Something stopped me from doing so, I am glad that I changed my mind because Jeff became a good friend to me.' Dixie looked at Jeff and she saw him smiling at her. 'Our friendship has seen us through many a difficult time, we've survived so much. Jeff, you have been there for me when I needed you the most. You've given me your friendship and I am glad that I am here on the day of your wedding to the woman that you love and who loves you.' Dixie smiled to herself and she started speaking again. 'I saw how lonely you were, then you met Emilie, she made you happy and I saw how much love she had for you. When you told me that you wanted to marry Emilie, I just knew that she would say yes. Here we are, the day of your wedding, I am so happy to be with you and witnessing the start of your life together.' Dixie smiled at Jeff and she put her hand on his shoulder. 'Emilie, Jeff, your love for each other is strong and true, I see it every day. I wish you both the very best in your life together, married life is a wonderful thing, make the most of it and the love you share.' Dixie found herself being hugged by Emilie and Jeff, she smiled at them both, she was so happy to share in their wedding day.

Jeff waited until Dixie had sat back down and he stood up, it was time for his speech and he was a bit nervous. 'In starting this speech I would like to thank Mr and Mrs Banks for their kind welcome into their family. I would also like to thank you for trusting me with Emilie's heart and I want you to know that I will look after her.' He looked over at Emilie's parents and he was glad to see them smiling at him. 'We would like to thank all of the people that made this wedding possible; all of our friends, our families that are with us to celebrate today. To the bridesmaids, you have done a wonderful job, you all look very beautiful too.' Jeff looked at Sophia, he saw that she looked very happy. 'I want to thank my son and my daughter for being here today, having you with us means everything to me and Emilie, I am happy that you are sharing in this special day with us. My sister and my nephew are also here, I am glad that you could make it to the wedding and see me marry the beautiful woman that is sat beside me.' Jeff took a deep breath, he had come to the part of the speech where he had to talk about Emilie and his love for her. 'My wife, my beautiful Emilie, the woman that has made my life so much better by being in it. We've been through so much to get here, I hope that you know how much you mean to me. Your love has brought so much to my life, I hope that my love for you has done the same for you. I love you princess, always.' Jeff took Emilie's hands in his and he kissed her on the cheek, he held her close to him and whispered how much he loved her into her ear. He heard some of the people in the room getting tissues out of their bags, it was obvious that his words had made some of them very emotional.

Once the speeches were over the guests helped themselves to the food that had been laid out for them. Jeff had guided Emilie around the room and they had talked to their friends and families before sitting down together and eating. He looked at Polly, Owen was making sure that she got something to eat, it made him happy to see Polly so well looked after. 'Jeff,' Emilie said and he looked at her. 'Polly is happy, you do know that, don't you?'

'I do, Owen is good for her.' Emilie smiled at Jeff, she knew that he would come around to the idea of Polly seeing someone soon enough. 'What do you think of Sophia in her dress?' Jeff looked over at his daughter, she was helping Elizabeth to eat the food that was on her plate. 'She is even more beautiful than on the picture. She is so grown up and yet she is still my little girl.'

'Of course she is.'

'I am so proud of my children, I love them both very much.'

'I know, I can see your love for them in your eyes.'

'Do you see the love that I feel for you in them too?'

'I do, I know that you love me.'

'I always will princess.'

'I will always love you too.' Emilie smiled at Jeff and she closed her eyes as he kissed her, she lost herself in the sensation of Jeff's arms around her and his lips on hers.

Jeff and Emilie watched Polly and Hannah setting up the guitar and microphone for their performance. 'Emilie, this will be our first dance as husband and wife.'

'I know, I will be happy to be in your arms.'

'I will be happy to be in your arms too.' Jeff kissed Emilie on the head and then on the lips, he looked at his wife and then he smiled at her. 'Come on princess.' Jeff held his hand out to Emilie and helped her to stand up, the guests had all gathered round the dance floor and they watched at Jeff and Emilie went into the middle of the floor. Everyone in the room listened to Hannah as she spoke into the microphone. 'Emilie asked Polly and I to play this song for her and Jeff for their first dance. We are very honoured to have the privilege of singing this song for you both. We would like to extend our personal congratulations to the happy couple in their new life together.' Jeff turned to Emilie and he put his arms around her, he looked into her eyes and he felt her arms move up his body until they rested at the back of his neck. He heard Polly start playing her guitar and saw Emilie smile at him as Hannah started to sing, the lyrics made him realise why Emilie had chosen the song that they were playing for their first dance.

I remember tears streaming down your face

When I said, I'll never let you go

When all those shadows almost killed your light

I remember you said, don't leave me here alone

But all that's dead and gone past, tonight

Just close your eyes

The sun is going down

You'll be all right

No one can hurt you now

Come morning light

You and I'll be safe and sound

Don't you dare look out your window

Darling everything's on fire

The war outside our door keeps raging on

Hold on to this lullaby

Even when the music's gone, gone

Just close your eyes

The sun is going down

You'll be all right

No one can hurt you now

Come morning light

You and I'll be safe and sound

Just close your eyes

You'll be all right

Come morning light

You and I'll be safe and sound.

Hannah's voice singing the beautiful lyrics of the song that Emilie had chosen brought tears to Emilie's eyes, she saw that Jeff understood what the lyrics meant. She saw tears in Jeff's eyes and she smiled at him. 'It's okay my love, we made it through.'

'I made it through because of you, because you never gave up on me.'

'I believe in you Jeff, I always will.'

'Thank you princess.' Emilie rested her head on Jeff's chest as he held her in his arms, she felt him kiss her on the forehead and wrap his arms tighter around her. She felt safe in Jeff's arms, she knew that he wouldn't let anyone or anything harm her.

Jeff looked down at Emilie as he held her in his arms, she was the focus of his attention and he wasn't aware of anything else. Other couples had joined them on the dance floor, Owen and Polly were dancing together, Cyd had picked Thomas up and was holding him in her arms. Dixie had gone over to Hannah and they were holding hands as Hannah performed the song. Lawrence was holding Elizabeth and he stroked her hair as he held her in his arms. The various guests had started dancing with each other too and they all clapped when the music stopped. Jeff felt Emilie move and look at him. 'Come with me,' she said, she led the way over to where Polly and Hannah were stood. She briefly let go of Jeff so that she could hug Hannah and Polly. 'Thank you, both of you, that was very beautiful, I loved it.'

'You're welcome,' Hannah said and she smiled.

'You two looked so lovely together,' Polly said as she hugged Emilie. 'Congratulations.'

'Thank you.'

'You're welcome, Mr and Mrs.' Jeff went over to Polly and he hugged her.

'Thank you Polly, I am so glad that you're here with us.'

'I'm glad I am here too, you looks so happy Jeff.'

'I am happy, you look beautiful princess.'

'Good, glad to hear it. Thank you, you look very handsome Mr Collier.' Jeff held onto Polly for a few moments more and then he let her go, he was very happy that Polly had recovered from the shooting to be here with him as he married Emilie.

The photographer had been taking pictures of everything that had been going on throughout the day, the ceremony had also been recorded so that Emilie and Jeff could watch it back again later. They stood together and cut into the cake as they had their picture taken again, Jeff kissed Emilie on the nose and he smiled down at her. He handed Emilie some cake and then he took a bite out of his own slice. 'Emilie, have you eaten enough?'

'I have, the food here is so wonderful.'

'I think that our guests have enjoyed themselves.'

'I'm glad, it has been a lovely day.'

'That it has.' Emilie and Jeff looked up when Margaret and Jamie came over to them. Jeff stood up and he hugged his sister. 'Thank you for coming here today.'

'I wouldn't miss it for the world, you scrub up well my brother.'

'Do you think so?'

'I do indeed. You have an amazing woman behind you Jeff, don't forget that.'

'I won't, I know how amazing she is.' Jeff hugged Margaret again and then he went over to Jamie who had been talking to Emilie.

Jamie looked at his uncle, he wasn't sure what to say to him now that he was with him. 'Jamie, thank you for coming.'

'You're welcome.'

'How is your course going? Do you still want to be a nurse?'

'I do, very much so.'

'Good, I am proud of you.'

'Thank you.'

'Do you have a girlfriend Jamie? We might see you getting married one day.'

'I don't have a girlfriend.'

'A good looking boy like you doesn't have a girlfriend, I am surprised.'

'Uncle Jeff, I don't have girlfriends at all, I have boyfriends, I'm gay.'

'Does your dad know?'

'No, I don't dare tell him.'

'Don't worry about it, he doesn't need to know.'

'You're not bothered?'

'Not at all, my best friend is a lesbian and is married to a woman, they have two beautiful children together. You should be with the person that makes you happy, if that is a man then so be it.' Jeff hugged his nephew and he patted him on the back.

'Thank you.'

'You're welcome.' Jeff let Jamie go and he saw the he looked very relieved now that he had managed to tell someone about his sexuality. He was happy that Jamie felt that he was able to come out to him, he just wanted his nephew to be happy and with someone that loved him.

Once he had a moment, Jeff took Emilie away from the guests and to the edge of the farm that overlooked the river. They sat down together on the bench that was there and Jeff took Emilie's hand in his, he touched her wedding ring and then kissed the back of her hand. 'It feels strange to be wearing a wedding ring again, I've not worn one for a long time.'

'I will get used to wearing one, I want to wear it.'

'When I was with Lucy I didn't wear it towards the end, it didn't mean anything because she didn't want to be with me, she wanted to be with someone else.'

'It won't be that way with us, I love you and you only. I don't want anyone else.'

'I don't want anyone else either.' Jeff noticed that Polly was stood close by, she was obviously giving them some privacy. He looked at her and saw her smile, she had obviously come to tell them that the room was ready for them. 'Emilie, I have something to tell you.'

'What is it?'

'We don't leave on our honeymoon until tomorrow night, I want to spend our wedding night with you somewhere special. I have booked a room for us and I want to share it with you.'

'Oh, I want to share it with you too.'

'Just us, as husband and wife.'

'Lead the way Mr Collier.' Jeff helped Emilie to stand up and he took her hand in his as they walked across the grass to where Polly was waiting for them.

Jeff and Emilie stopped in front of Polly. 'Your room awaits, everything is ready for you.'

'Polly, I have something for you.'

'What is it?' Emilie pressed her wedding bouquet into Polly's hands. 'I can't take this, it is yours.'

'You can take it, I want you to have it.'

'You have already given me a gift for being your bridesmaid.'

'Consider this a good luck token, after all, the one the bouquet goes to will be the next to marry.'

'Shouldn't you throw it to everyone?'

'No, that is one tradition that I don't want to keep.'

'Okay, I will keep it and press it when I get home.' Polly found herself drawn into a hug by Emilie.

'Thank you for all of your hard work.'

'You're welcome. Come on Mr and Mrs Collier, I'll show you to your room.' Jeff and Emilie smiled at Polly as they joined hands, they were looking forward to having some time alone.