A/N: I meant to upload this yesterday... but that didn't happen!

Hope you all had a lovely day!

x

"What time did you get in last night?" Serena asked, arching an eyebrow at Emily.

The younger woman winkled her nose and slowed to a halt at the traffic lights before answering. "About two... Gordy made sure we didn't go too wild."

"Your mother wouldn't let me leave until one." Her fiancée replied, slightly huffily. "She was adamant that I was going to stay and enjoy myself." When Emily just snorted in amusement, Serena frowned out of the window. "Hang on a minute... this isn't the way to your mother's house."

"I know. We need to make a slight detour so I can get your present."

It was Christmas morning and they were supposed to be heading over to Kate and Osgood's to spend the day together. It had been strange enough when Gordon and Lorna had arrived at the house to give Jason, Greta and Gwennie a lift, rather than meeting all five of them later.

Serena couldn't deny that Emily had been acting slightly strangely over the past few days. That was saying something when she considered her fiancée's usual behaviour. The younger woman had simply shrugged and said that she thought Gordon and Jason had wanted to discuss the new board game that they'd decided to buy to play that evening. Serena had shot her a look that she hoped conveyed just how unconvinced she was by her story, but said nothing else on the matter.

"I have a confession to make." Emily admitted suddenly, about ten minutes later.

Serena's heart started thumping in her chest as she considered what the younger woman might have done. "What?"

"I didn't actually get you a present."

"I... that's... what?" Serena blinked at her in complete bewilderment. "But you said..."

"I know. I lied. I'm sorry, babe. I didn't have time."

"What do you mean you didn't have time? What's going on, Emily?"

"Wait and see."

Before Serena could argue, demand answers to all of the questions flitting around in her mind, they turned off the road and onto a track that seemed to wind its way through a small forest. She furrowed her brow as she tried to work out what Emily could possibly have got her that they'd have to come somewhere like this to collect. Then she remembered that Emily hadn't actually got her a present after all and tried to work out why they were even there and not safely ensconced in Kate and Osgood's home with a large glass of Shiraz.

As the car crunched to a halt on a large gravel driveway, Serena looked up at the building in front of them. It was a large, sandstone Georgian property and she severely doubted whether Emily knew anyone who lived in such a house. Turning to face the younger woman again, she raised an eyebrow wordlessly.

"Gimme five minutes and then I'll explain everything." Emily promised her seriously.

She hesitated for a moment, before leaning in and kissing Serena lightly. Then she climbed out of the car and strode away. Her fiancée watched her pushing open one of the wooden doors and disappearing inside. Her confusion was heightened as, after less than the five minutes Emily had requested, the front door opened again and Osgood appeared.

"What the hell is going on?" Serena demanded, climbing out even before Osgood had reached the car. "Why are you here? Why am I here?"

"Follow me and you'll see." The younger woman promised with a bright smile.

Serena folded her arms and fixed her with a petulant look. "I'm not going anywhere until you explain what's going on."

"That would completely ruin the surprise and, considering Em's managed to keep it all a secret, I'm not going to risk spoiling things."

"What surprise?"

"Just follow me, Serena, and you'll see." Osgood assured her gently. "It'll be OK."

"Honestly?"

"I promise."

With a final huff, Serena allowed herself to be led up to the front door and ushered inside. Her eyes swept around the grand lobby quickly, finally settling on a large board propped up on a stand near the sweeping staircase. With a gasp, she read the swirling script in the board, before turning back to Osgood with an unspoken question written all over her face.

Osgood smiled broadly. "Happy wedding day, Serena."

"This... Em did this?"

"She organised everything, using the notes you'd made. She wanted it to be the perfect surprise."

"But…" Serena's eyes darted around the lobby for a minute or two as she attempted to get her head around what was going on. "We've already booked the church and…"

"Em didn't want you to get upset, but the Vicar called a couple of weeks ago and cancelled the service. Apparently there was a mix up and you'd been double booked." Osgood saw Serena furrowing her eyebrows and smiled warmly. "If she hadn't managed to pull this off she was going to tell you, of course."

"But… there's so much… I mean, my dress… it's not…"

The younger woman couldn't help a soft laugh escaping at the total bewilderment on her friend's face as she struggled to take everything in. "Em's sorted everything. Kate and I helped a little bit, but most of it was Em. She convinced them to finish altering your dress in record time."

"She hasn't–?"

"No, she hasn't seen it." Osgood assured her quickly. "She sent Kate to collect it, but she was the one who talked them into agreeing to work round the clock on it. Emily can be incredibly persuasive when she wants to be."

"Don't I know it?" Serena muttered. "Are we really getting married today?"

"Yup," the younger woman glanced at her watch, "in just over three hours."

"But I… I don't… I…"

Laughing, Osgood grasped her arm gently and started directing Serena up the staircase. "Everything is under control. You just need to relax and enjoy the day. I promise you, everything is sorted."

Twenty minutes later, Osgood found herself in the middle of a fancy suite, ducking as a stiletto flew threw the air and narrowly avoided smashing a lamp standing on a nearby table. She straightened quickly, but was forced to drop down again as the second shoe joined its partner.

"Emily!"

"Emily Stewart, stop it this instant!" Kate snapped, barely moving from her position on the sofa in the corner of the room.

"It has to be perfect!" Her daughter told her angrily. "I want it to be perfect!"

"It's not going to be perfect if you get arrested for smashing up your hotel room, is it?" Her mother reasoned calmly.

Apparently seeing the truth in her words, Emily immediately flopped down onto the bed and scowled at them both. She looked like a child having a tantrum halfway through playing dress-up; her hair and makeup already done, but still wearing the pyjamas she'd arrived at the hotel in.

Taking the opportunity to get a word in while she was apparently sulking, Kate stood up and moved towards her. She smiled down at her daughter, placing her index finger under Emily's chin and tilting her head upwards. When the younger woman reluctantly met her eyes, Kate arched an eyebrow.

"Stop being a brat."

"Mum!"

"Emily, it is not the end of the world." Kate reminded her, moving across to pick up the bouquet of flowers that had caused her daughter's meltdown.

There had been a slight disaster when Emily had got overexcited at her mother and Osgood's arrival, leading to the bouquet being slammed in the room door. Now all Emily was left with was a handful of stems, held together by a crimson velvet ribbon. Considering it had been hard enough to pull together the Christmas Day wedding at such short notice anyway, there was absolutely no chance of getting a replacement.

"Honestly, Em, no one will even notice that you aren't carrying any flowers." Osgood promised her.

"They'll be too busy laughing about you being in a dress." Gordon added unhelpfully from the corner.

As a trio of voices ordered him to, 'get out', he sauntered towards the door, still chuckling. Knowing that Kate and Osgood were right, Emily allowed herself to be cajoled into getting changed, before staring in the mirror and pulling a face at her reflection.

A soft sob from behind her made Emily turn quickly, catching sight of her mother watching her. Kate's head was resting on Osgood's shoulder, her wife's arm wrapped around her shoulders. Realising that Kate was attempting to hide her tears, Emily wrinkled her nose.

"I don't look that bad, do I?"

"I just wish your hair wasn't still blue." Kate told her, failing to stifle another sob.

Osgood laughed, shaking her head slightly. "What your mother means is that you look absolutely stunning, Em. You look stunning and this wedding is going to be beautiful. We're both incredibly proud of you."

Lurching towards her, Emily grabbed Osgood in a tight hug. She squeezed her eyes closed and fisted her hands into the back of her stepmother's jacket, clinging onto her tightly.

"Thank you." She whispered in the older woman's ear, squeezing her tightly again.

When they had all managed to get themselves under control and make up had been touched up, Emily was suddenly very aware that it was time to head down to the main reception room. Nerves immediately flooded through her and butterflies erupted in her stomach. She was filled with an unnatural sense of self-doubt, wondering whether she should have organised the wedding in the first place. Serena had set the date, had decided on the venue and made most of the plans. It would make total sense if she was furious about the unexpected change.

"Serena is over the moon." Osgood informed her, seeing the expression flitting through her eyes. "When I took her up to the room, she was almost crying with happiness."

"Don't worry about anything." Kate told her daughter, cupping her cheek and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "It's going to be wonderful."

Emily had reluctantly agreed to let her father walk her down the aisle. He had come round to the idea that she was marrying Serena, although he had asked her plenty of times whether she was completely sure it was what she wanted. Finally, though, Daniel had refused to even contemplate anyone else walking his daughter down the aisle and, miraculously, had managed to stop her grandparents causing any problems at all.

Daniel smiled as he entered the room, exchanging brief, civil pleasantries with his ex-wife and Osgood as they passed. Emily waited a couple of moments for him to say something, fiddling nervously with her bracelet as they stood in silence.

"You look… Emily, you look beautiful."

"Thank you."

"Serena is a very lucky woman."

Emily smiled. "No, I'm the lucky one."

"Right, well… let's get you married, then." He said, clearing his throat slightly awkwardly and offering her his arm.

During the ceremony, Serena and Emily had both cried. Almost everyone had cried, in fact, apart from Jac – although Emily could have sworn she'd seen the redhead wiping her eyes surreptitiously when she thought no one was looking.

"I can't believe you did all this." Serena had whispered as they made their way out of the room, a broad smile plastered over her face. "How did you manage to keep it a secret?"

"It was hard." Emily admitted, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. "I hate keeping things from you. It was worth it though, right?"

"Definitely. I love you, Emily."

"I love you too, Serena, more than anything."