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Chapter 111 - Garrison Part 2 - Maria: Yep, Not fussed on Alex and the beauty of FanFiction is that I can change it! Thanks for sticking with me.

I truly dislike it when I am only writing the next chapter and not a good chunk ahead! I've been trying to get this one polished and out for a few days but just couldn't get myself happy with it. The more I think about it the more I realise when I was ahead I did keep editing things coming up over and over again so by the time I got to post it, it had already been through at least six edits and tweaks. Oh well. My apologies for leaving you all hanging with the wedding. This chapter had some last minute major changes, probably why it's taken me extra days to feel that I've done it justice.

So without further ado, and to let me start working on the next chapter, here's part 3. Enjoy. Love to hear your thoughts.


Chapter 180 - Wedding Day Part 3

Jessie watched Trevor's reflection as he fastened the clasp on the delicate necklace Callen had left for her to wear. A small heart shaped gem sat at the perfect level, hanging from a platinum chain. She had no doubt Callen had had it made as the heart matched her ring as perfectly as a multicoloured unique gem could.

"Perfect," Trevor said when he caught her gaze in the mirror.

Jessie smiled. It was. All of it. She took a slow deep breath. "The dress is so beautiful." She ran her fingers over the material that was so smooth and delicate, soft and warm beneath her touch. "I doubt I could've chosen anything so perfect myself. Thank you."

"Told you I knew what I was doing. You should've trusted me," Trevor teased with a smile.

"I did." Jessie turned to look at him in person rather than his reflection. "I do," she assured him even though she knew he didn't really need it. "You know that." He was the person she had trusted completely for most of her life. Nothing was going to change that. "It's just hard to picture what you were thinking." Especially when he wouldn't tell her.

"Jace is fabulous." Trevor cupped her face in his hands and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Thank you for letting me do this for you." He brushed away a tear before it could leave her eyelash though Jessie was sure she saw a hint of his own in his. Not that any tears would dare ruin the make up he had applied because Trevor knew her well. It was tear proof - at the very least.

"Thank her for me," Jessie said.

Jace was Trevor's favourite costume maker. Her skills with needle and thread were amazing and intricate. Trevor had wanted to do this for her - choose the dress, make it a surprise. He claimed that she'd missed out on the pretty dress the first time round and wanted to make that up to her. He also claimed he knew what would be perfect for her. He'd had it in mind for a long time. Given how much she'd sensed it had meant to him, she hadn't been able to say no. Which was just as well because this was indeed perfect and Jessie knew she wouldn't have found anything like this in a shop - where she would've been looking. Her fingers brushed over the dress again.

The smooth, incredibly soft and flowy material was heaven to touch, broken only in places by the slight bumps of the intricate crystal work that was scattered lightly from the shoulder and down across the neckline to the other side. It was a simple off the shoulder style that fell to mid-calf and a split up one side to above her knee. The crystals had been hand stitched with platinum coloured thread and all around the hem was a repeated pattern in that same thread - the pattern of their tattoo, but with a slight adjustment.

Inside the rock was a heart.

Trevor had brought Callen into it.

When Jessie had first glimpsed the pattern at the bottom of the dress and realised what he'd done, tears had jumped to her eyes in an instant. She knew why, even though it wasn't necessary. It was Trevor's way to show her that he knew, and accepted, that Callen was just as important to her, in a different way, and that they all fitted together perfectly. She loved the connection of the pattern to him, something old in a way, and the connection that was now there for Callen - something new. She smiled as another thought came into mind now. Something blue was certainly in the necklace and her ring. As for borrowed, well that was missing but then she hadn't really been planning ahead for it. It wasn't important, not really. Just a little fun if it had happened. What was important was that those she cared about the most were here to share this moment.

"She already knows. Now," Trevor caught another tear before it slipped away. "Enough of these, for now. Save them for later when things get really mushy."

Jessie laughed softly and Trevor smiled because they both knew out of the two of them, Trevor was likely to shed more tears today than she would. He was the most…. mushiest … of the two of them when it came to romantic and sentimental things like weddings. That wasn't to say Jessie wouldn't, she had no doubt that she would.

"Better," Trevor said. "Okay. Now you are all set, I'm going to check that everyone is ready. Back soon."

Trevor slipped out the door and Jessie turned back to the mirror. But not to look at the dress this time. This time she studied her face, her eyes and the soft smile. Oh yes, she was ready. No nerves, just excited little butterflies intent on coming along for the ride.

The knock on the door took her by surprise. She wasn't expecting anyone other than Trevor and he wasn't likely to knock.

"Come in," she called out.

Gibbs popped his head around the door. The butterflies leapt into action, not the good kind, and tension swiftly flooded her body.

"Is everything okay?" Jessie asked quickly while fighting to stop any fear taking hold.

Gibbs smiled, a flicker of apology in his eyes. "Fine. Sorry. Nothing's wrong. Didn't mean to worry you. Mind if I come in?"

"Not at all." The butterflies settled, the tension fled but curiosity remained.

Gibbs moved into the room, closed the door and then turned to face her. "Wow. You look beautiful."

"Thank you."

There was a pause. Jessie waited for Gibbs to speak but nothing came. He shuffled his feet a little, seemed nervous - not very Gibbs like at all.

"Gibbs why are you here?"

He finally stopped fidgeting and looked at her. "Callen sent me," Gibbs admitted. "He thought that…"

"Thought that what?" Jessie prompted after a prolonged silence. She'd never seen Gibbs like this. The man always seemed to have a word for any situation and never seemed nervous. Had her at a loss for words more than once but never the other way around.

"He thought you might like someone to walk you down the aisle," Gibbs rushed out. "He thought I might like to..."

Jessie frowned. The plan was she'd do it on her own since she had no father to. Trevor would go in front, close but not next to her.

Gibbs cleared his throat and continued. "He thought since you didn't have your dad here…" He sighed. "No. You know I'll head off." He turned toward the door. "I'm sure you know -"

"Gibbs." He stopped and slowly turned back to face her. Jessie smiled. "He thought we could both help each other didn't he?" Because she suspected she knew exactly what had been behind Gibbs turning up on her door at this point of the day.

"Yeah." There was a brief pause before Gibbs added. "I'm not trying to replace your dad."

"And I would never dream of replacing Kelly," Jessie said. When they'd had the miscarriage, Gibbs had come out to see them. During that visit he'd talked about Shannon and Kelly and how they died, at least vaguely anyway. It gave her a bit more understanding of the man and someone Callen could rely on who had been there and lost a child, even if it had been at different stages of their lives and very different circumstances. Jessie suspected there was a lot more to the story though. She also suspected she'd never hear it, though she was sure Callen knew. The trust Gibbs had placed in her, sharing that painful time to hopefully help them, had started a slightly more personal bond between her and Gibbs rather than just professional … and Callen related.

Gibbs shrugged. "We're both missing out on something and I guess he thought..."

"That we could give each other a little something that we wouldn't have otherwise."

Jessie felt the tears push against her eyes and blinked furiously to stop them - because if they fell it would be more than just a couple. She wasn't ready to test out just how waterproof the make up was yet.

Jessie knew Callen. She knew his relationship with Gibbs and knew, even if he had never said the words to the man himself, Callen had felt for a long time that Gibbs was the closest he'd had to a father figure in his life - aside from those brief few months with Alina's father.

As well as the relationship with Garrison was going, it still had a way to go. The trust was being rebuilt and they were learning about each other but Callen was yet to feel and trust Garrison, or depend on him, in the way a son could with his father. The way Callen could with Gibbs, even with the distance of them living on opposite sides of the country.

So this was Callen sharing his 'family' with her, and her with Gibbs, in a very personal way. Giving them both the opportunity to experience something they'd had ripped cruelly from each other - that of having her father walk her down the aisle for her, and of walking his daughter down the aisle for Gibbs. Not a replacement - just a little something.

"Gibbs," Jessie said gently and took a closer to him, "if this is something you want, not because G is pushing it but that you would want to do, then I would be honoured to have your company."

Gibbs smiled. "I would." Jessie knew from the tone he meant it, could see it in his eyes.

A knock on the door broke the moment before she could respond and Trevor poked his head around this time. "Everything's set. You two ready?"

The way Trevor had completely accepted Gibbs being in the room told Jessie he knew. That led to the high probability that Callen had run the idea past Trevor in the first place. It shouldn't have surprised her yet it did - but only briefly - before she understood. Callen knew her so well. He had asked Trevor because Trevor was such an important part of her life and he had no intention of making him feel like he was being cut out. Jessie smiled.

"We're ready." Jessie picked up her bouquet and stepped closer to Gibbs who held out his arm. She settled hers into place and they followed Trevor down the stairs and through the B&B onto the front porch. They would eventually follow the steps and path that led to the back of the house but here they would wait until everything was in place and it was time.

The sun hid behind the clouds, the lack of blue sky unable to take any of the happiness from her. Sun or cloud, nothing was going to interfere with today. A light breeze played with Jessie's hair - hair that was partly in and partly out, a combination of braid, flowers and curls - and her dress but it was as gentle and soft as the material. A curl of hair danced against her cheek briefly, almost kiss-like and Jessie had the crazy feeling it as her parents saying they were happy for her. She shook off the sadness that came with the thought of them not being here, lifted her bouquet to her nose and took a slow deep breath. The perfume from the flowers helped calm her, reminded her of who was waiting. Hard not to be reminded since one look at the flowers when Hetty had delivered them earlier had been all it took to bring him to mind. Red and white roses, with pink carnations surrounded by soft greenery and tied with black, gold, dark and light blue ribbons. All the colours that he'd used in his promises to her with the handfasting ribbon. She took another deep breath and focused harder on the flowers when visions from last night tried to push into the forefront of her mind. She would not let them win. Not today, not ever.

"You okay?" Gibbs asked from beside her.

Jessie opened her eyes and smiled. "I'm good." And she was. Because even though Callen wasn't right there beside her, she still took strength in his love and support.

"He's a good man."

"I know."

"And a lucky one. You know if he screws up maybe you'll give a slightly older man a shot."

Jessie eyes went wide in shock and then narrowed in suspicion at the twinkle in Gibbs' eye that suggested something different to his serious tone. Then she laughed and felt the last of the tension ease from her body.

"If you thought," Jessie said with a smile, "that he was going to screw this up you would've done something already."

Gibbs shrugged and his lips twitched, almost breaking into a grin. "Maybe. Maybe I'm just biding my time. I do have a thing for redheads you know."

"I.." she started in disbelief. And then it hit her. Callen. She'd been wrong. "Are you carrying a gun?" Jessie asked.

A guilty expression flicked across Gibbs' face quickly before it was replaced by one of resignation. "You weren't supposed to know."

Which was as good as a yes.

Gibbs being beside her right now was so much more than just what she had originally thought. Callen had so many layers to his plans. That was just one of them.

There was the chance for them to have something they wouldn't otherwise have. Actually, now she thought about it some more, there was her something borrowed - a borrowed father.

But there was also protection. The gun, and the skills of the man who would weld it in case anything happened between now and when she was with the rest of the party. Just another part of Callen's plan to make sure she was safe - someone by her side to protect her. Even if she wasn't supposed to know about it. She now suspected there were a few more security upgrades that he hadn't mentioned this morning. This didn't worry her though because she knew him. Even though it was just a dream Callen wasn't one to take any chance with her or their safety, not when he could do something about it. Dream or not he would've reacted as if it was a real threat - just in case - and then with plans in place he would relax and enjoy, just as he would want her to.

Then there was the distraction. Gibbs had obviously picked up quickly on the tension just before, between the thoughts of her parents and the memories of last night trying to grab hold. Callen would've known, and counted on, Gibbs' instincts to know if and when she needed help.

And it was also yet another change in plans to distance the day from the nightmare version.

Jessie smiled. "So are you the one who taught him about distraction?" Because the way Gibbs had just been with her was very reminiscent about a certain someone.

"Nah. Just helped hone it when he was with me. It's a simple option to get what you want without having to fight for it. I take it he uses it on you?"

"In some ways."

"Ways I probably don't want to know right?"

Jessie smiled even as she felt a hint of a blush rise to her cheeks as some of the thoughts that quickly came to mind regarding Callen and distraction.

"Some of them no but others," Jessie said, "well they were effective and G rated so I can tell you if you want."

There was a look of curiosity in his eyes so Jessie gave him one. "Bugs, rocks and guns." At least the first time round was. Definitely not the second.

"Now that," Gibbs said, "is a story I think I'd love to hear."

"Later." They both turned to Trevor who had returned. "There's an anxious groom and I have a feeling if we don't have the music going and you walking toward him in the next sixty seconds he'll come find you himself. And I don't want that kind of trouble to add to the trouble I'm already in."

Jessie smiled. "You're not in trouble. And won't be. I promise."

"Oh but darling," Trevor drawled, the look in his eye spelled trouble all on it's own. "The trouble I'm already in is the kind I like." He winked. "Ready to get your groom?"

"Absolutely."

"Thank you," she said softly to Gibbs knowing he'd know what she was meaning.

"Anytime," he replied with a gentle squeeze of her hand.

Jessie took a deep breath, the butterflies jumped and swooped. She smiled. "Let's do this."

They walked down the steps and followed the pathway around the B&B where another change put more distance with today than before. Instead of being set up on the beach, the wedding would now take place just behind the building surrounded by the beautiful gardens that the owners took great pleasure coaxing into life so that it was full of colour all year round.

The murmurs that had drifted to Jessie's ears stopped when they rounded the corner, the music though quiet could now be heard clearly. Gentle yet uplifting. Jessie wasn't sure what it was but had no doubts that Trevor had chosen it for a very specific reason.

The breeze still danced along her skin, the sun though it had come out for a moment dipped back behind the clouds and then Callen's gaze caught hers. He smiled and her heart leapt just a little. Sam stood beside him and Eric stood just to the side and behind, yet again the official for another team wedding.

It was a mismatched wedding party. Both an easy and a hard decision for Jessie when it came to her choice. Trevor was always going to be beside her on this day. That was easy. But when it came to the others, to choose between them was too hard. She'd have had to have them all so they'd made the choice to just have one. And the beautiful thing was the girls had understood. There were no hard feelings and they had taken great care in making sure she knew that. Sam was beside Callen, another given.

Jessie's gaze danced over the rest of the guests but as the distance between her and Callen diminished her gaze locked completely with his. Love shone in his eyes so very clearly but there was more than just love. The trust and the desire for what was about to happen, the care and compassion - all those things he'd given that little boy he'd locked away safe were there, for her, for what was happening and for those surrounding them to see. Callen wasn't hiding. He had no doubts. Neither did she and she hoped he could see that too.

Gibbs handed her over to Callen without a word, but Jessie didn't miss the look that went between the two men. Silent communication. A thank you from both, a reassurance that all was good from Gibbs to Callen. When Gibbs stepped away, the rest of the world slipped away too. As much as they cared about those here with them, for a moment it was just her and Callen.