Title is a line from an episode of 'The Office.'

Let the Bells of the Nine-Nine Chime Out Your Love

"I got a lot to work– lot of work… Wha! Give me a half hour! Whoa!"

x / x

It takes exactly 28 minutes and 9 seconds for Charles to get everything done.

28 minutes and 9 seconds during which he doesn't take one break, not even to breathe, running from one place to another in the middle of the usually calm precinct at such a late hour, gathering people together, making sure everything is perfect for the most perfect couple. He already ruined one venue, he needs this new one to look absolutely stunning and make them forget about the awful day they had because of him.

His life depends on it.

He's going full-Nana Boyle on the poor beat cops he found on his way and hired for the task, he's well aware of that, yelling at them when he sees the chairs they're putting in front of the precinct aren't perfectly lined up and making them re-do everything from the start until it looks perfectly like what he has in mind, but right now he couldn't care less.

He couldn't care less if he makes some enemies tonight – he'll find a way to make up for them later, thanking them for their help and offering them some apology-food.

(Though, in truth, he thinks they should thank him for allowing them to be part of putting together the most important wedding in America– nay, the whole world– who cares about the Royal Wedding anyways?)

He couldn't care less because, after all this time rooting for them from Day 1 of their meeting, witnessing their love story grow stronger each day, Jake and Amy are finally getting married.

And he needs it to be perfect.

He carefully watches as Officers Jones and Leroy tie some lights he found in the storage room from one building to another, enlightening the scene where soon enough both the future bride and groom will be standing face-to-face, exchanging their vows. His heart clenches in his chest at the simple thought of it, already knowing he'll be a sobbing mess when the moment happens.

As his eyes wander around the place, scanning it to make sure everything is going according to plan and no one is messing with anything, he notices something's missing somewhere; the paved floor in-between the two rows of chairs, where Amy will walk down to the podium where Jake and Holt will be waiting for her to join them and let the ceremony start, feels too grey, too empty.

Not joyous enough for such an important event.

Quickly, he rushes back inside the building, and towards the evidence room, in search of something, anything that could be used as a carpet, until he finds it. A pile of shredded paper, put away in a huge cardboard box should it be needed again someday, reminder of that Seamus Murphy case which threatened Kevin's (and later, Jake's and Holt's as well) lives a few months ago.

The flash of a scene suddenly comes back to his mind when he lays his gaze on it, and a smile spreads across his face at the memory.

He sees Jake's hand curling gently around his fiancée's hair when he's finally back at the precinct and greets her after yet another forced separation, taking away one of those remaining pieces of paper still stuck in there despite her change of clothes, an amused beam covering his features when he asks about it. He sees the same light expression in her own eyes and the heartfelt chuckle that escapes her lips when she explains everything to him.

He sees their hands reaching for their twin, fingers curling perfectly together, and hears the I missed you and I love you.

He remembers all of this, and so many other small moments they shared inside this same precinct, under his and the rest of their squad's eyes. And now, they're getting married.

Wiping out a tear from his cheek, he takes the box into his arms and urges outside, fully emptying it in a perfect line going from the entrance of the building to the altar. Everything else has been put together already. Even Holt is there now, wearing his Captain uniform and waiting on his designated spot as the wedding officiant.

The detective takes a moment to look at the place one last time, then stares down at his watch with a content sigh.

28 minutes and 9 seconds. It took exactly 28 minutes and 9 seconds for Charles to get everything done, and now's the time to go search for Jake and Amy.

He climbs into the elevator, squealing, unable to remain still as he not so patiently waits for it to stop and open at the right floor, then doesn't spare one second when he finally runs out of the engine.

"It's wedding time!"

He's feeling both very excited and very nervous when he opens the exit doors of the precinct, the main couple of the night on his feet, ready to show them his (and half of the night squad's) work – he truly wishes they'll like what he did with the little he had in the small amount of time he got to do it. He'll never forgive himself otherwise.

But then in his back, he hears an echoing surprised gasp, and it partially calms him down – he still needs confirmation that he did them right, though.

"I really hope you like it. If you don't, I will kill myself."

"Charles, it looks amazing."

"It's beautiful."

His friends' words instantly warm his heart, worry and guilt about ruining their day instantly flying away.

"How can I ever repay you?"

Charles doesn't need to think for a second to answer Amy's question, the thought always lingering somewhere in the back of his mind. "Get pregnant! Use your body to give the world more Jake!"

Really, he's not sure there's something he waits for more than the day the couple will announce they're expecting – it would be like his wildest dream coming true.

(Given how reacted to their engagement, though, he's a little afraid he might just burst completely when he'll hear the words 'I'm pregnant' coming from the newly-graded sergeant's mouth – still, it'll be worth it.)

After that, Jake takes him away to the front of the scene, where he's supposed to seat in the very front row not to miss anything from the ceremony. As soon as Mlepclaynos starts playing his music, and Amy slowly walks down the aisle to reach her very-soon-to-be husband, he can feel his eyes start to water and his heart fill with emotion. This is it. The moment he rightly predicted eight years ago.

He's never been happier to be right about something than he is about this.

The feeling clenching his chest doesn't leave him once throughout the whole ceremony. It becomes harder with every sentence the two let out to keep his excitement inside, especially when time comes for them to exchange their rings and, when Holt finally declares them married, he can't contain his happy squeal any longer.

Jake and Amy are married. America's dream couple has officially been united.

The only thing preventing him from fainting at the overwhelming thought is that he'd hate himself if he missed just one second of the event.

As the newlyweds go back down the aisle hand-in-hand, glowing in bliss and wearing the same grin on their faces, all of his friends and colleagues clapping for them, Charles suddenly takes his phone out of his pocket, searching for something inside of it. Through speakers, the sound of bells instantly come ringing around the venue, celebrating the couple's union and making them frown in surprise.

They both turn in his direction, but the man only smiles a knowing smile in return through his tears, now fully sobbing as he watches them move away.

He heard these wedding bells all those years ago when he witnessed Jake and Amy's first meeting, and now they're finally chiming for realz.

(Later at Shaw's, when he comes to congratulate them once again and takes them in his arms, full of emotions, the couple of the night doesn't have the heart to correct him when he tells them, "We did it, guys. We're married." They simply exchange a half-amused, half-disgusted look behind his back before tightening the embrace, grateful for their friend and how he saved their wedding.)