Justin's surprise for his partner risks being ruined by an unexpected turn of events. Will Kaylee wind up saving the day for both her fathers?

Ten O'clock...

"Kaylee, you have got to be kidding!" Brian groused at his daughter as she held up one of his shirts in front of him and a pair of linen dress pants; he was presently clad only in a white, Egyptian-cotton bath sheet, wrapped securely around his waist. Somehow, a few minutes ago, his daughter had decreed this morning that, as one of the 'birthday girls,' she would get to choose what he would wear to her and her sister's soiree. He had congenially agreed to go along with her decision. After all, they were still his clothes in the master closet; how could she go wrong with her choice, then? Nothing he had would really clash color-wise; with his wardrobe that was virtually impossible. He always wore darker clothes for the most part that all complimented each other. But he soon found out in a way that he was wrong, as she held up what she had decided he should wear: a long-sleeved, maroon shirt that shimmered under the bedroom's overhead light, a dark, gray button-up vest with light gray pinstripes, and a pair of dark, charcoal dress pants. The pants would be fine at Kinnetik for an important meeting with a client, and the shirt might have been appropriate if he were trying to focus everyone's attention on him at Babylon - which, for the record, he rarely visited now - but a child's 12th birthday party?

He sighed as she eyed him from a few feet away. "Kaylee...Princess...I'm sure you have good taste in clothes," he began in an attempt to mollify her, "but this is a birthday party up on a mountain, and we're riding up there in one of the ATVs. Don't you think maybe a nice pair of my good jeans, and a cotton shirt might be more appropriate?" Surely she would see the rationale in that; after all, his daughters - both of them - were impetuous at times but also very sensible. To his consternation, however, she shook her head stubbornly.

"Dad, don't you want to look nice for our birthday party?"

"Well, yes, of course, but..."

"You told me I could pick out what you were going to wear because it's my birthday, remember?"

"I know, but..."

"Are you going to go against your word now?" she asked him pointblank, her blue eyes boring into his.

Brian opened his mouth to speak, but then shut it again. "I guess not," he finally decided as she smiled at him in triumph and nodded. "Am I going barefoot, then?" he asked, one side of his mouth quirking upward in amusement.

She grinned as she walked over and handed the clothes to him. "No, but I thought you could handle that part. Just make sure the shoes are black and not brown to go with your pants. When I take pictures, I want you to be color coordinated."

Brian had to guffaw at that statement. "Color coordinated, huh?" he replied as he took the pants and shirt and laid them flat onto the bed. Kaylee nodded. "Well, I'll make sure my socks and underwear match, too, then."

"Dad!" she responded, blushing as he grinned back at her, tongue in cheek. "I'm going to go check on Daddy now," she reported as she headed toward the door. Just before she left, however, she turned around to add, "And NO cheating! I'm not riding up with you unless you're wearing that outfit."

Brian rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Yes, Ma'am," he responded with a smile. He shook his head in amusement before he walked over to the dresser to find the rest of his clothing, wondering if Justin had been subjected to the same treatment as he.

He hadn't seen his partner since they had showered a while ago, and Justin had told him afterward that he was going to go check on the girls to make sure they were up and getting dressed themselves. At the time, he had been wearing a pair of his favorite, ratty, old sweatpants and a short-sleeved t-shirt. But something told him he wouldn't be the only one subjected to the 'royal treatment' today. He grinned as he grabbed his clothes and walked over toward the bathroom to start getting ready. After all, this was a special day for his girls, and, overdressed or not, if it made them happy, it was good enough for him.

He glanced over at the clock on top of the nightstand just before he entered the bathroom, determining it was still fairly early - only 10:00. The party wasn't due to start until noon, and he knew Daphne had yet to show up. She would be riding up with Katie once she got here, probably together on Eton, the larger horse. She had been wanting to get into horseback riding again, but Katie had mentioned that it might be better and safer - for both of them - if they rode up on the same horse, and her mother had agreed.

Justin and Gus would be taking one of the two ATVs, since they were toting the party supplies up there in the backseat. That left him - and his 'fashion-conscious' daughter - to take the remaining ATV to join them. Justin had told him earlier to make sure he had Kaylee up there no later than noon; he and Gus would be heading up about an hour before that to get everything ready for the celebration. He wasn't sure why there was such a tight schedule everyone seemed to want to follow - it was just an informal party between the six of them - but it seemed to be important to his partner and his daughters, so he really didn't mind. He grimaced as he closed the bathroom door behind him and, dropping the towel into the hamper nearby, slid his arms through the slippery fabric of the shirt. "You sure want me dressed up for this shindig, don't you, Kaylee?" he murmured. Shaking his head, he proceeded to continue getting dressed in his 'assigned' birthday outfit.

Same Time - Downstairs

"I'll get it!" Katie screamed before her father had a chance to respond, turning from her place at the kitchen counter and rushing down the hall toward the front door. A few seconds later, Justin could hear the door being opened and his daughter greeting her mother, followed by the sound of Kaylee chiming in a few seconds later as she flew down the steps to join them. Then their voices grew decidedly quieter, punctuated by an occasional giggle as they walked back toward the kitchen. He looked down at the coffee cup in his hand, noticing his hand shaking and wondering if their nerves were as on edge as his were. He didn't know why he was so restless or worried, especially after his talk with Brian earlier.

He groaned inwardly as he replayed it back in his mind; it's a wonder his partner didn't somehow figure out what he was up to with his questions. Why did he ask Brian if he was happy? Shit. Didn't he already know that? He knew Brian loved him, just as much as he loved HIM. Was there really any doubt what his answer to his proposal would be, then? "Hell, yeah," he couldn't help muttering as the girls and their mom approached. If there wasn't any doubt, he wouldn't be questioning himself right now. Brian was, if anything, still on the unpredictable side. Until he was able to slide that wedding band onto his partner's finger - and see it on his hand - he would still be left wondering and fretting. Well, one thing was clear: he was going to find out soon enough...

He nodded with a half-smile as Daphne walked up to him, noticing she was wearing a pair of long, flared, dressy, beige culottes, a chocolate-brown, long-sleeved shirt, and a matching vest; a simple strand of delicate pearls and a set of small, matching pearl-drop earrings topped off her outfit, along with a pair of dark brown, leather boots peeking out under her calf-length cuffs. Her outfit was an exact replica of the ones the girls were wearing, except theirs were a shade of maroon with a charcoal shirt to match the color scheme their father upstairs had been told to wear. "Howdy!" she greeted him with a grin. She glanced behind her down the hallway before she lowered her voice. "Ready to get hitched, pardner?" she teased him. The two girls giggled as she frowned at the somewhat pale look on her friend's face. "What is it? Are you feeling ill? Justin, why aren't you wearing your shoes?" she inquired; her friend's bare feet stood out conspicuously against his dressy outfit, which consisted of a navy vest and matching pants, and a light, gray-blue shirt that highlighted his eyes. "You only have a couple of hours, and you need to get up there ahead of time! Where's Gus..." she lowered her voice conspiratorially as she added... "and the minister?"

"Shh!" Justin hissed, his eyes wide as he glanced down the hallway to make sure Brian wasn't coming down. "Do you want him to hear? I'm nervous enough as it is!"

"Ohhh," she responded knowingly. "So that's why you have that look! For crying out loud, Justin, I thought we already discussed this! Will you just calm down? You have nothing to worry about! Besides, he can never say no to his girls, and they'll back you up 100% in this...Right, girls?"

Two blond heads nodded vigorously as Justin bit his lip. "Thanks...I think."

Daphne rolled her eyes. "You still didn't answer my question. Where're the best man and the minister?"

"They're out back at the barn already. Gus texted me a few minutes ago; they're going to head on up there and wait for us in the cabin until we get there. He's got all the paperwork Brian and I will need to sign before the ceremony."

Daphne's eyes sparkled. "Good thing West Virginia is a no-wait state," she told him with a smile. She reached over and squeezed his shoulder briefly, noting the worrisome look on her friend's face. "It's all going to work out," she told him. "Before this afternoon is over, you will be a married man! And I'll be a happy woman!" She glanced over at her daughters. "And you'll have two happy daughters!"

Justin winced, feeling like he was presently drowning in a sea of female hormones. "Uh...shouldn't you and Katie be going, too?" he quietly urged, needing some time alone for some reflection before he and Brian hopefully took this monumental step in their relationship. He thought briefly of spiking his now lukewarm coffee with some Beam to bolster his wavering self-confidence, but he thought better of it, although it was tempting.

"Yeah..." Daphne agreed, noticing they had 90 minutes now until it was time. "Ready, Honey?" she asked Katie, who nodded with a smile. "We'll meet you up there, Justin. Now go find your shoes and the rest of what you need."

Justin nodded before he called after their retreating forms. "Wait!" Mother and daughter stopped to turn around as he explained, "There's something I want to give Katie first."

Katie walked over to stand next to her father. "What is it, Daddy?" she asked peering up at him.

Justin smiled as he walked over to the pull-out, spice cabinet and retrieved two, small, thin, white boxes. "These are for you," he told his two daughters as he handed one to each girl. "I guess you can call this a combination birthday/maid of honor present," he told them softly as both girls opened the lid of their box simultaneously before they erupted with a collective gasp: nestled inside was a gold locket with the words Special Daughter inscribed on the front.

"Go ahead; open them," he urged both of them softly.

Inside the heart-shaped lockets were two compartments where Justin had placed a couple of photos - one showing him and Brian when they were younger, and another of both girls. "That picture of the two of you was taken when you were about a year old," he told them softly, his eyes misting over in memory. "You were always such happy little girls back then. And the other one was taken of your father and me not too long after we first met."

He paused as he walked over and took Katie's locket out of the cotton backing to separate the clasp from the chain. Walking around to stand behind his daughter, he reached to drape it over her chest as he reconnected it, adding, "And finally, today, my two daughters are back together again. Which makes today all that much more special."

He repeated the procedure as he took Kaylee's necklace out of her palm and hooked it around her neck. Smiling at both of them tenderly, he slightly straightened out Kaylee's locket as he told them approvingly, "There...they look perfect on both my special daughters now." He glanced over at Daphne, whose eyes were glistening. "Don't they look beautiful, Daph?" he whispered.

She nodded with a smile. "They certainly do," she agreed as she peered over at them. They had both become such wonderful, young ladies. She couldn't help how her heart swelled with pride over that fact. Justin and Brian had raised them well, despite their separation.

"Daddy..." Kaylee's eyes welled up as the fingers of her left hand brushed reverently over the two photos. "It's so wonderful...These are for us?"

Justin smiled warmly at the two of them, noticing that Katie's eyes were watery as well. Her mouth was open slightly in awe as she held the gold locket in the palm of her hand and peered at the writing on top. "Of course," he told them. "It's always customary to get a gift of appreciation to the bridesmaids on a groom's wedding day."

Katie burst out then, "Oh, Daddy!" Justin had just enough advance warning to stoop down and accept his daughter into an embrace as she flung herself into his waiting arms. "Thank you," she whispered as she burrowed her face into his side, Justin instinctively knowing her expression of gratitude wasn't just for a piece of jewelry. She wasn't the only one, however, who was grateful for everything he had been blessed with. He held out one arm as Kaylee joined them a few seconds later. Glancing over at Daphne, he blinked, the tears trickling freely down his face now unabated as she smiled back at him in understanding.

He held them for a few seconds until he took a deep breath to compose himself and wiped his tears away with his sleeve. Exhaling, he disentangled himself gently from his daughters' embrace as he reminded them, "We'd better get busy, girls, okay?" They nodded at him. "Kaylee, will you go make sure your father is finishing getting dressed, and that he waits about thirty more minutes before the two of you head up to the cabin? Maybe you can talk about your cameras, and the photos you'll want to take later. Or about the cats," he said with a grin. "That should keep him occupied for a while. And Daphne, you, Katie, and I had better be heading out to the stables so we can get a head start on him. I just have to pick up a few things that we'll need up there first."

Daphne nodded. "Ready to go?" she asked Katie, who nodded back at her with an excited smile. "Well, then, let's get saddled up!" She looked over at father and daughter as she told Justin, "We'll see you up top shortly, then."

Justin nodded as Daphne and Katie walked over to the sliding glass door and exited onto the back patio. "I guess this is it," he told his daughter with a nervous smile. "I have some things I need to carry out to the ATV before I leave. But I'm counting on you to keep your father busy upstairs until I can get everything out there. It shouldn't take me more than a few minutes. But give me a little extra time, just to make sure I have all of it out of the front closet. I'm counting on you, Kaylee. Can you do it?"

"Of course, Daddy!" she exclaimed as if it had never been a question. "You know me!"

Justin chuckled. "Yes, I do," he told her with a grin. "And I think I picked out the perfect person for the job. Now get going, Sweetheart, before your Dad comes down to see what's going on."

Right on cue, Justin's heart pounded as he heard Brian calling him from their upstairs bedroom. "Justin!"

Father and daughter exchanged a nervous look as Justin rushed down the hall to stand by the end of the staircase. "Yeah?"

"I can't find my black boots!" Brian told him. "Where are they?"

Shit, Justin silently exclaimed as he rushed to press his slender body up against the nearby wall so Brian wouldn't see him in case he came out of the bedroom. He knew it made him sound like some hetero bride, but he wasn't taking any chances on anything going wrong today, and that included Brian being aware of how dressed up he was, too. That would only add to his partner's suspicions, and Brian was a very perceptive, shrewd person; besides, one look at his face, and he would know that something was up. "Uh...Kaylee knows where they are!" he finally shouted back at him. "I'm busy taking things out to the ATV for the party! She'll come up and show you, okay?" He held his breath as he waited for a reply.

Just as he feared, he heard a creaking noise coming from the second-floor hallway as Brian came to stand at the top of the steps, scanning the area below for his partner's presence as he placed his hands on his hips. He frowned slightly when all he saw was Kaylee standing there. "Where did your father go?" he asked.

The lie came smoothly off their daughter's lips as she answered quickly, "He went back into the kitchen, Dad. Said he had to find some more plastic silverware and the birthday candles for the cake. I'll come up and find your boots for you," she told him.

Brian stood there for a few seconds before he finally nodded. "Okay, but good luck! I've looked all over for them." He scowled before he turned and headed back toward the bedroom. Unbeknownst to Brian, however, Justin had moved his boots from the master bedroom closet to the guest bedroom he had been sleeping in before, instinctively knowing that his partner would choose those to wear with his dressier outfit today. It seemed his hunch - and possible delaying tactic - was going to come in handy.

Kaylee grinned - having been let in on the subterfuge with the boots yesterday - as she nodded back at her father before shouting up the steps, "I'm coming, Dad!" Letting out another deep breath, Justin set out quickly to get to work.

Fifteen Minutes Later...

"Well, Kaylee...Are you satisfied, Birthday Girl?" Brian asked as he emerged, fully-dressed and groomed, from the master bathroom. He laughed as his daughter left forth with a decidedly, unladylike wolf whistle of appreciation. "You can whistle?" he asked in surprise. "Your father can't whistle at all."

She nodded as she proceeded to whistle him a short version of "Happy Birthday to You," just catching herself from whistling the initial strains of "The Wedding March" instead. "I know...we used to have a cockatiel," she reported to him. "And it always drove Daddy crazy, because he was the only one in the house who couldn't whistle the theme to the "Andy Griffith Show." She grimaced. "But Creamsickle wound up being too messy, and the cats drove him crazy, so we finally gave him to my best friend, Carrie."

"Creamsickle?"

She nodded. "He kind of looked like an orange and white Creamsickle, so that's what we named him."

Brian chuckled. "I see. Well, hopefully, I meet with your approval," he told her with a grin. "I'd hate for you to give ME away."

She giggled. "Don't worry, Dad, you're here to stay," she reassured him as Brian nodded.

"You bet I am," he whispered back to her. "So, you like?"

She nodded vigorously. "You look beautiful, Dad," she told him firmly. She mentally thought about how wonderful her two fathers would look in their wedding photos later. She couldn't wait to take their picture together once they were married!

"Kaylee?"

She blinked, not realizing she had been daydreaming a little about the near future. "Yeah, Dad?"

Brian smiled warmly over at her. "I was just saying that I'm not the only one who looks beautiful today," he told her. He furrowed his brow in curiosity as his eyes lit upon the gleaming piece of jewelry around her neck. "Is that new?" he asked her as he walked up and noticed the words Special Daughter inscribed on top of the locket.

Kaylee nodded with a sort of shy smile. "Daddy gave it to me a little while ago as an early birthday present. He gave one to Katie, too," she reported. "He put some pictures inside of all of us," she added.

Brian walked a little closer as he gently grasped the delicate, heart-shaped locket and pried it open with his fingernails. His heart skipped a beat as he immediately recognized the photos inside. He couldn't help smiling in recollection as he told his daughter, "That was very thoughtful of your father. And he chose a couple of my favorite photos to put in there, too." He gently closed the locket back up as he told her softly, "And you ARE special daughters; both of you."

Kaylee beamed back at him as he asked, "All set to head up to the mountain now?"

She nodded, realizing that sufficient time had lapsed now for her father and the others to have gone on ahead of them.

Brian reached for her hand as he told her, "Well, let's get this party started, then."

Fifteen Minutes Later - Barn/Stables

Kaylee sat on a nearby bundle of straw, biting her lip fretfully as she heard her father let forth with a string of frustrated profanities under his breath. She watched wide-eyed, as he unexpectedly flung the heavy, metal wrench he had been holding in his hand across the dirt floor of the barn, hearing it clank against a metal feeding tub for the horses.

"Shit!" Brian roared, his shirt sleeves rolled up and sweat pouring off his forehead. He sighed heavily as he finally stood up and faced his daughter regretfully. He hated like hell to have to tell her this, but there was no point in putting it off any longer. "Princess...It's no use. This damn machine is not going to come to life. I have no idea what else to try at this point," he admitted. Normally, he was quite adept by now at tinkering with the various machines scattered around Britin. Over the years, both he and Katie had honed their mechanical and carpentry skills to the point where he could pretty much instinctively figure out how to fix something around the house. In fact, normally he enjoyed being able to secretly gloat over his successes without even looking at the manual. But this time, he had to admit he was in the dark. The damn thing had started the other day, when the girls and Gus had ridden them around the trails with Daphne. Today, however, the best he could get out of the thing was a sputtering engine. Despite his best coaxing - and pulling the sparkplugs out, adding more oil and more gas, and waiting in between attempts to start it - it was not turning over.

He wiped his brow with a white rag as he told her sorrowfully, "I'm really sorry, Kaylee. It's just not going to start. And there's no cell signal up at the cabin, so I can't call anyone up there to ask them to come down and get us. We'll just have to hope they figure out something's wrong eventually, and they send someone down to pick us up. I'm sure they will...but it might take a while."

Kaylee's reaction to his news, however, was unprecedented, even for her, as she jumped off the bale of straw, scrunched up her face in dismay and wailed, "NO, Dad! We HAVE to get up there now! Please, you have to do something! Call a mechanic! Wash it out with a hose! Put a new part in it! But we can't stay here! We have to get up there somehow right away!"

Brian peered over at her, astounded by her melodramatic, emotional outburst. "Kaylee...I know it's been a long time since we've been able to celebrate yours and Katie's birthdays together, but it's not the end of the world! We'll still get up there," he assured her with a smile. "Although, with your father's penchant for eating sweets I can't guarantee all of the cake will still be there before we do. Don't worry, though; it'll be all right."

"No, Dad!" Kaylee cried out as she walked up to him and grabbed his wrists. "You...You don't understand! Please! Think of something!" She had recalled her father mentioning the other day to her mother that the minister would have to leave no later than 3:30 today, since he had another wedding to officiate in the evening back in Wheeling. She knew, then, that if they didn't get up to that cabin soon, there was a good chance the wedding would have to be postponed...or worse. That was a chance she wasn't willing to take. She sniffled, the tears running down her face as she thought about what her Daddy must be going through up on the mountain. He had to be worried sick by now about them. But what could she do? She sniffled in heartbreak, just before she heard a soft whinny coming from Ceres' direction over in his stall located a few feet away. Her eyes widened as an idea began to bloom; a crazy, desperate idea that both terrified but also excited her.

Brian looked down at his distraught daughter helplessly. Why was she so upset? It wasn't as if the world was coming to an end, although to a 12-year-old, perhaps it felt that way. "Kaylee..." he began, wondering if it might be a good idea after all to call in a mechanic. But he knew if he did, it would take far longer than it would for Justin or Gus to realize something was amiss and come find them. In the small 'burg they lived in, there wasn't even a mechanic in town; he would have to summon one from the next town over. It simply wasn't worth doing under the circumstances, but at the same time he couldn't stand to see his daughter so upset. He took a deep breath, prepared to explain again that they would just have to wait until someone noticed they were missing, but he did not have the chance before Kaylee interrupted him.

"Dad...I know a way we can get up there," she told him quietly, staring up into his concerned eyes.

Brian frowned. "How?"

Kaylee swallowed hard. She could do this...She had to do this... "We...We can ride up there...on Ceres."

Her father's eyes widened in astonishment. "Ceres? The horse you were injured on?"

She nodded as she bit her lower lip; her heart was pounding in trepidation over the thought of getting back up on top of the horse, but she could do this. She could do this, because her desire to see her fathers married - and her love for them and for the rest of her family - would provide her with the shield of protection she needed to triumph over her fears. "Dad...I can do it," she pleaded. "I know I can. Please! You don't know how important this is to me. We have to get up there!"

Brian sighed. "Kaylee, are you sure?" he pressed, eyeing her doubtfully. "Absolutely sure?"

Kaylee nodded her head again, more resolutely this time. "Yes, I'm sure. Please..." Her eyes bored into his, reminding him so much of her father's. He never could resist Justin when he looked at him much the same way, and with the same, beseeching tone of voice. "Well...we'll need to find you a helmet..." he began, and Kaylee knew he had made his decision.

Her heart was a mixture of both joy and anxiety as she nodded again in agreement.

Brian gently released himself from her grasp to walk over to the metal cabinet and retrieve a helmet. As he held it up, he realized it was the same one Kaylee had worn on that horrific day, and quickly put it back to reach for a different-colored one in the same size. Turning around, he heard his daughter command softly, "You, too, Dad. I want you safe, too."

He smiled then wistfully, remembering another time when he himself had made the same statement to her father. Had it been that long ago? The truth was, though, he still wanted Justin safe. He would always feel that way about him - and his daughters, and Gus. Nodding, then, he lightly tossed the helmet to Kaylee as he donned his own, taking care to attach the strap under his chin before doing the same to his daughter's, ensuring that hers fit snugly and properly.

Noticing the worried expression on her face, he reminded her, "Kaylee, we don't have to do..."

She shook her head obstinately. "No, Dad, we do! I'm okay. As long as you're with me, I know I'll be okay."

Smiling tenderly at her, he nodded back. "Let me go get Ceres, then, and we'll get started."

Her heart pounding in reluctant anticipation, Kaylee watched as her father walked toward Ceres' stall, soothed somewhat by the knowledge that what she was doing would mean the difference between success or failure. That knowledge served to bolster her courage as she waited to mount the horse; that, and her father's love and strength for her.

Chapter End Notes:

I really did try to conclude this in one last chapter - honest! LOL! But when I got to over 17,000 words, I knew it was getting way too big. So I'm posting part of it now, and will post the other part probably no later than Sunday. Just a little more to write. Thanks for bearing with me. Conclusion will definitely be in the next chapter!