Jake couldn't really hear anything over the blowtorch and the sounds associated with welding, but he saw Officer Furnell step into his peripheral vision and turned it off. He must have lost track of time. Jake removed the protective mask. "Sorry. Guess I got a little caught up."

Furnell shook his head. "Nah. I'm early. I thought maybe we could grab lunch before your last drug test."

Jake shot a look at the clock, then at Chance for permission.

"Already gave the okay," Chance said without looking up from an older squad car.

"Um… okay. Just give me a sec to change."

Jake ran upstairs to switch into something with significantly less grease on it and returned, shoes in hand.

"So twelve weeks, huh?" Furnell smiled at Jake.

"Yep," Jake squeezed out a mound of ketchup for his fries.

"You excited about Chance getting married?"

"Um… yeah I guess. It's about time."

"And how about this week with your grandfather?"

Jake looked up. "Chance told you?" Then he laughed. "Of course he told you." Jake jabbed an unusually long fry into the ketchup and swished it around. "I'm pretty anxious about it. I don't know what William expects to happen. You can't just pop into someone's life and expect them to accept you."

They sat in awkward silence for several minutes before Jake spoke again. "Hey can I ask a favor?"

Furnell had just taken a large bite of his tuna melt, so he nodded.

Jake looked apprehensive. "Can you… Maybe… check in on me sometime this week?"

Furnell swallowed. "I guess I can. When?"

"I don't know. Don't tell me when. I just need to know that if I screw up that I'll be held accountable."

"I'm pretty confident you'll be okay," Furnell offered a slight smile. "But, if it will make you feel better, sure. I kind of like doing pop up visits."

Jake wasn't exactly sure why, but the whole process was taking a lot longer today. Worry knotted his gut. Chance had let him take some acetaminophen for a headache a few days ago. Was there something in that that would be a red flag on his drug test? What about the vaccines he had to get? Finally, Furnell came out of the office. "Hey sorry about that, kid. I had to fax the results to close your case, and the machine went down. You ready to go?"

Jake felt relieved. "Yes."

"Alright. Let's hit the road before Chance thinks I kidnapped you."

When they got back to the salvage yard, Furnell got out. "Hey I just want to have a word with your guardian before I go."

"Oookay…" Jake felt suspicious, but went inside. The garage was empty. Jake hoped there wasn't a call. He went upstairs, Furnell closely behind him. Jake was busy trying to think of ways to explain why Chance might have left when he opened the door and…

"SURPRISE!"

"Shit!" Jake swore. It wasn't often anyone could get the drop on him.

"Jake!" Rita admonished the curse.

"Sorry. What's going on?"

"Hey twelve weeks sober is a pretty big deal," Chance grinned, lightly docking the boy in the arm. "Well that and I couldn't have a bachelor party since there's no one to invite and I can't take you to a strip club."

Jake feigned disappointment. "Why not?"

Chance glared for a moment before his face split into a wide grin. "I'm really proud of you, Jake." He pulled the boy into a tight hug. "We all are."

Jake stretched and turned his head to look at the alarm clock. It was almost eleven. He was surprised Chance hadn't woke him up yet. Jake figured, with it being the big day, the tabby would be an anxious mess trying to have everything perfect. "Well, maybe he really isn't nervous," he mumbled, rolling over and burying his face back into his pillows. He was almost asleep when Chance pounded his fist on the door.

"Breakfast is ready! We don't have all day!"

Jake cracked a smile. "There it is," he thought, pushing himself up and out of bed.

Callie stayed the night with Rita, so they wouldn't see her again until she was walking down the isle. That meant it was just the two of them. Jake looked from his plate filled with eggs, toast, and bacon to Chance's cup of coffee. "You're not eating?"

"Ah… No. I'm not really hungry." Chance took a sip of coffee. "You go ahead and eat though."

Jake eyed the tabby suspiciously but shrugged and dropped into his chair. "You want my eggs?" Chance knew he liked his eggs scrambled.

"What's wrong with your eggs?" Chance asked, not looking up from the paper.

Jake poked the whites with his fork. "They're still clucking."

Chance looked at the teen's plate. "Crud. Sorry, Jake. I don't know what I was thinking." He stood up and took the plate, dumping it in the trash. Jake stared at the now empty spot in front of him. "That's okay. I can eat cereal."

Chance dragged a paw down his face. "I didn't get enough sleep last night."

"It's not a big deal, Chance." Jake tried to be reassuring.

Jake waited until Chance was in the shower to stash his guitar in the trunk under his suit. He's practically begged Chance to let him but his own after Cadence taught him how to play. He came back inside and plopped down on the couch.

It wasn't long before Chance was out of the shower. The tabby stopped to glare at the teen with his nose buried in something on his laptop. "You plan on taking a shower today?"

"Yeah…" Jake looked up. "We have plenty of time, Chance. It doesn't take that long for me to…"

"It takes forever for your fur to dry. Get moving."

Jake placatingly held his paws up. "Okay. I'm going. Sheesh."

Chance waited until Jake was in the other room to run a shaking paw through his damp hair. Soon he was going to be a married kat.

Callie was giddy with nerves when she and Rita arrived at the church after getting their hair and claws done. "Oooh! This is so exciting!" She purred, bouncing on her feet like a kitten.

"I know!" Rita grasped her paws in hers and smiled brightly. She could feel the deputy mayor quivering. "I'm going to grab your gown and get it in here before the boys get here. Deep breaths. Jake messaged me and said Chance is a nervous wreck. Can't have both of you fainting at the altar."

Rita had just got the gown in when she heard Jake's voice in the hall. She slipped out the door. "Why aren't you in your tux?"

"Why's everyone in such a rush?" Jake rebuked. "The guests have even started to arrive."

Rita took a deep breath, smiled, and calmly asked, "where's Chance?"

"Is Callie in there?" Jake whispered, motioning at a closed door. Rita nodded. Jake grabbed her and pulled her away. "Your hair looks nice."

"Where is he?" She repeated.

"Um… he's here…" Jake looked anxious.

"What's wrong?" Rita's eyes widened with worry.

"Okay, so…" Jake fidgeted. "He's been kind of puking his brains out for the last hour, and I was wondering if maybe we could just go ahead let him have a few drinks to calm his nerves."

"Oh lord help me," Rita covered her face with her paws. "That won't work."

"Why?" That was Jake's only sound idea.

"Well, given your recent… er… history… they decided to have a dry wedding, save for some champagne for the reception." Rita tried not to sound accusatory.

Jake blanched. A flicker of emotions flashed across his face before he clenched his fists and hissed, "well go talk to him or something."

Rita nodded. "Okay. You stay here in case Callie calls for me. Don't tell her he's sick. You'll make her worry."

Jake nodded and sat on the bench outside the door. No sooner was Rita out of sight did Callie fling the door open.

"Hey Rita, can you help me with the…"

Jake quickly averted his eyes. "Oh my God!"

"What the hell, Jake?!" Callie slammed the door shut, covering her bodice with her bare arms.

"Sorry! Just… sorry!" Jake felt his whole body burning with embarrassment. "Rita will be back in a minute. She just went to see Chance. I swear I didn't see anything!"

Callie let out a chuckle and grabbed the robe she'd brought for just this occasion. When she opened the door again, she saw that Jake still had his face covered. "It's alright. You just startled me."

"Are you decent?" He asked into his paws.

"Yes," she replied, her voice thick with amusement.

Jake slowly removed his paws and exhaled loudly. "Well today's off to a good start," he joked.

"How's Chance? I heard he's a little nervous."

Jake kept his expression neutral. "I think we're all a little nervous. Mostly excited. Buut… Still a little nervous."

Callie took a deep breath. "You know, we, um… That is, you and I never really talked about how you feel about all this."

Jake mouthed a silent "oh" before cringing. "If I wasn't okay with it, don't you think you would have heard about it by now?" He tried to make it sound like he was joking. Callie tilted her head. She could sense there was something else. Jake looked at his paws. "So you're not going to be the wicked crazy stepmother, are you?"

Callie made a face. " Only if you promise not to go turning pumpkins into carriages or go running off with strange dignitaries late at night."

They stared at each other for a few seconds before dissolving into giggles. Then Callie took his paws into her own. "Jake, your mother is still somewhat off a mystery to me, but it's clear that she was incredibly special to you. I would never do anything to replace her."

Jake bit the inside of his cheek to keep his emotions at bay.

Callie was unprepared for the tight hug. After a moment of shock she returned the embrace.

Rita easily followed the sound of retching to the tom's room. Without hesitation, she went inside. "Oh Chance," she sighed, stopping outside the stall. "I keep some candied ginger in my purse. It will help settle your stomach."

After a few more minutes, Chance, shakey and sweaty, came out. Rita fetched a damp towel and wiped his face. "Now you can't get married looking like this."

"What if she changes her mind?"

Rita paused. "Why on earth would she do that?"

"I don't know. I'm not perfect. Pick a reason."

"Now is not the time to suddenly be modest." Rita admonished. "She's over the moon in love with you, and she's been going on about today like a kitten for weeks now. You have a better Chance of Feral catching Dark Kat by himself than that young she-kat changing her mind. Now, you wash your face, and for goodness sakes, brush your teeth, because you will have to kiss her at some point today. I'll get your tuxedo. Just relax. This day is about the two of you."

Chance nodded quickly. Rita escorted him to the room where he and Jake could get ready. "I will send Jake with your things. Until then, relax."

She left and returned to where Callie was, and smiled. Jake was talking very animatedly about something, and Callie was smiling and laughing. "I hate to interrupt," she said. "But we've got a wedding to get ready for."

Jake stood up and pulled Rita away. "Is he cool now?"

"He's fine."

"Great. Can you do me a favor?"

"Now what?" Rita teased.

"I'll leave the car unlocked. Can you sneak my guitar into yours for the reception?"

"You got it. Now go get dressed."

Chance stood back from the full length mirror and let out a breath. Jake stood beside him. "Hey I look pretty good!" Jake made a face as he straightened his bow tie. Chance huffed out a laugh. "Yeah you do." He pulled the wedding rings from his pocket. Jake held out his paw. "Relax, Chance. Another hour and we'll all be eating cake."

Chance huffed out a laugh. "Come on, kiddo. Let's get this thing going."

Jake stuck the rings in his pocket.

Jake found it odd that Callie had asked Felina Feral to be her maid of honor. "I mean, she's saved her tail as much as the swat kats, so I guess they're pretty close," he thought. It made him nervous to walk down the isle with her. He'd been really quiet during the practice run, but now, seeing her in a light pink, slim cut satin gown and matching heels, he felt even more anxious. Peering through the door, he could see the back of Commander Feral's head. The ushers opened the doors and a string quartet began playing Pachabel's Canon in D. Felina looped her arm through Jake's. "Ready."

Jake meant to say affirmative, but instead, he awkwardly replied, "you're taller than I thought, and I forgot to put on deodorant."

Felina snorted loudly, then quickly schooled her expression. The usually stoic and serious lieutenant had to stifle giggles all the way down the isle. Red faced, Jake took his spot beside Chance.

"What's wrong with her?" The tabby whispered.

"Nothing," Jake hastily squeaked.

Chance shot the clearly mortified teenager a look, then a questioning gaze at Felina. The she-kat had resorted to biting down on her knuckle to reign in her laughter.

The music changed to the traditional "here comes the bride" and everyone stood. Chance shot a look at his mother. Rita gave him two thumbs up, and he relaxed, shifting his gaze to the entrance. He felt his knees weaken when he saw her, draped in creamy satin and lace, her fair complexion and light fur hidden behind a delicate veil. Beside him, Jake whispered a quiet "whooaa," that somehow made Chance's grin even larger. God, she was perfect.

With her father's arm intertwined with hers, Callie felt like it was taking forever to reach Chance. When he finally gave her over to the gaping tom, it was with a quiet, affectionate chuckle. Chance was so lost in how beautiful she looked that the priest had to clear his throat a couple of times to get his attention.

They kept the vows short and sweet. When it was time for the rings, Jake clumsily fumbled the box and then stepped back.

"I know pronounce you 'husband and wife.' You may kiss the bride."

Chance purred loudly before pulling her close for a passionate kiss. An old Enforcer buddy whistled a cat call. "Hey save it for the honeymoon, okay," Jake teased, wearing a genuinely happy smile.

The reception was being held in a historic building a few miles from the church. When the arrived, everything was already set up and the catering was ready. Jake shot a look at the small band they had hired for the event and let out low breath when he saw his guitar. He quickly schooled his expression though when everyone started filing in.

"Are you giving a speech?" Rita asked him quietly while everyone found a seat and the band played softly.

"Isn't the best Kat supposed to?" Jake tried to joke, but he looked nervous.

Rita smiled. "You'll be fine."

"I just don't like talking in front of large groups of people. Singing, playing the piano, that's fun. Talking?" Jake made a face. "Not so much."

"Do you have one prepared?" She was curious. Would Jake try to embarrass Chance or take the serious route?

"More or less," Jake tapped the side of his head.

"Oh," Rita felt suddenly anxious for the boy. "Good. You'll be fine."

Jake let out a breath and made his way to the table. He wiped his paws on his pants legs as he sat down. "This is going to be bad," he thought, remembering his faux pas with Felina at the church.

Jake watched the waitstaff distributing champagne to the adults. When they appeared to be finished, he felt a nudge. Jake looked nervously at Rita. She tilted her head towards his crystal water glass. Jake closed his eyes and licked his lips. "Here goes nothing," he mumbled and stood up.

Chance had been whispering something to Callie when Jake startled him by loudly sliding his chair back and then banging his glass with a spoon.

Jake stood awkwardly for a moment before clearing his throat.

"So… uh… I was informed that it was kind of this big deal for the best kat to give a speech, because, you know, it's a tradition and all." He cleared his throat again. "So marriage is a pretty big change, and a lot like some traditions," Jake inhaled sharply. "Change can be weird, but it's also imminent and infinite. Change is constant, but we fear it anyway. In the beginning, when Chance and Callie started to get really… serious. It was pretty scary. I had all these misillusions of being left behind and treated differently, because, you know, that's what change had done in the past. Then, one night, I bumped into Chance, because insomnia is contagious in our house sometimes, and he asked me if it was okay if he proposed. You know, I think when he asked me that, I was kind of just like 'yeah okay whatever,' but now I think 'kats, what if I would have said no'? So I'm pretty glad I didn't. But, um, back to this traditions thing, and then I'll wrap this up… You know, Chance raised me, and he has some pretty weird ones, and I find myself following them without even thinking about it. It's like a family just decides 'hey, it's game day. We're all wearing the blue striped socks inside out. You down?' And you just do it. Because it's what your family does. So I guess, you know, I'm looking forward to maybe adding some new traditions. So um…" Jake exhaled slowly. "Callie, I know you said earlier that you weren't trying to replace my mom, and you were right when you said she was irreplaceable, but I think, if she had to pick someone to hold the hands of the kat who got picked to take my dad's place, Because I know that's a lot of work, then I think she would approve. So… Yeah. Mom, dad, congrats."

Jake dropped back into his seat. Rita had just leaned in to tell him he'd done well when he felt Callie's paw on his arm. He looked up nervously. There were tears shimmering in her pale blue eyes. "Jake, I… that meant a lot to me. Thank you."

"Sure," Jake replied, licking his lips again. "I mean… I meant it. Every word."

Callie enveloped him in a tight hug.

When she let go, Chance leaned close to him. "Weren't nervous were ya?" He winked.

"Are you kidding? I'm still talking myself down from a panic attack." Jake replied, green eyes open wide.

"You did fine. You've only embarrassed yourself maybe twice today."

"Oh there's still time," Jake's eyes drifted over to the band. He spotted his grandfather managing to swipe another glass of champagne from a pretty server.

"Thanks," Chance interrupted Jake's train of thought. "For giving Callie a chance, and for having my back today while I was freaking out."

"You've only had mine, like, a million times," Jake replied. "I gotta start making it up at some point."

Jake slipped away while Chance and Callie were enjoying a slice of their cake. He grabbed his guitar and went out into the hall to tune it and practice for a moment. He was still pretty new at it, but the song Chance and Callie chose for the first dance was in his range and not too difficult.

He was on a second run through when Rita slipped out the door to let him know it was time.

"At this time, we would like to call the bride and groom for the first dance," the young band leader said into the microphone before stepping off the stage.

Excited, Callie grabbed Chance's paw. They didn't realize Jake had taken the lead singer and guitarist's place until he started to softly sing.

"take my hand and let go,
i just want you to know,
you're the only one that pulls me in,
you changed everything.

like one small shaft of light,
flooding into my eyes,
i will never see things just the same,
but i'm not afraid…"

Chance rested his hand on the small of Callie's back. With her body close to his, he could smell her perfume and hairspray, feel her breath on his neck and her heart beating.

"and all i have, it doesn't seem so significant
and at the drop of a hat,
my whole world's getting different,
so here we go, off road.

won't you step out into the wild,
there's a beautiful storm in your eyes,
we're perfectly intertwined
and if it's quite alright maybe it's time to
step out into the wild,
there's a beautiful storm in your eyes,
we're perfectly intertwined and if it's quite alright,
you could be my way of life."

Jake shot Chance a quick grin before relinquishing the stage to the band so that they could get on with the party.

Lyrics from "Into the Wild" by Lewis Watson.