Tad knocked on the door and waited for an answer. It swung inward a little and a pair of eyes peered through the tiny opening and then the door opened the rest of the way and Tad entered.

"What?" Tad asked. "Were you worried I was Greenlee or something?" Jake shut the door and walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. "You're not getting cold feet, are you?"

"No," Jake said. "Just a little nervous, that's all."

"Well, that's normal," Tad said, walking around the room. "Look at this place," he said. "It sure was great of Edmund to let you use Wildwind for this."

"Greenlee said she wanted a fairytale wedding," Jake said, standing and walking up to Tad. "What's more fairytale than a castle?"

"Not much." Tad paused. "Hey, listen. I've got to go back out to the chapel and greet some of the guests before Pop bores them all to death." Jake laughed. Tad made his way to the door.

"Tad," Jake called to him. Tad turned. "How do I look?"

Tad tapped his finger up against his lips as he looked Jake over. "Something tells me that the suspenders go under the jacket." Jake looked down and saw the suspenders still hanging from his pants. He shook his head. "Take it easy, Jake. Don't stress out. This is going to be fine."

"I know it is," Jake said. Tad nodded and went for the door again. "I'm glad you're the one who'll be standing up there with me today."

"I'm more honored than you'll ever know." Tad smiled. "I'll see you down there." Tad exited the room and stood outside the door for a moment before he made his way down the long hallway to another room.

He knocked on the door and again waited as the door opened a crack, a pair of eyes peered through and then opened completely.

"How's everything going in here?" Tad asked Brooke.

"She's ready," Brooke said. "She's nervous, but she's ready."

"You think I could talk to her alone for a little while?"

"What, you're going to try to talk her out of it?"

"I'm going to tell her to run while she still can," Tad laughed.

Brooke shook her head. "I'd better not see her run out of here in tears."

"Ha, Ha, very funny," Tad said. "I just want to talk to her." Brooke nodded. "Did I ever tell you you're the greatest?"

"Every time you want something," Brooke smiled. The bathroom door started to open and Tad shot Brooke a glance. "OK, OK, I'm going." Brooke turned and left the room as Greenlee stepped out of the bathroom.

Greenlee stopped short. "Are you supposed to be here?" Greenlee asked him.

"As long as I'm not the one who's saying 'I do' at that alter, I think I can be here." Tad sat down on the edge of the bed. "Wow," he said. "You look amazing."

"Do you really think so?" Greenlee asked.

"If you weren't just about to marry my brother, I'd propose."

Greenlee smiled. "Well... I have the old, the new and the blue. I just have to find something borrowed."

"That's actually what I cam e her to talk to you about," Tad said. "I was talking to JR and we decided that you should wear this... If you want to, of course."

Tad went into his pocket and handed Greenlee Dixie's necklace. "Oh, Tad," Greenlee said, sitting down. "Of course I'll wear it." She handed the necklace back to him. "Will you put it on for me?"

Greenlee turned her back to Tad and he draped the chain around her neck, fastening the clasp.

"There," Tad said. "You're all set."

Greenlee brought her hand up and felt the star shaped pendant hanging around her neck. "I..." Greenlee began. "I didn't really know Dixie very well. I mean, aside from the fact that she was married to you." Tad was silent. "You really loved her a lot."

"She was everything to me," Tad said. "She was the reason I got out of bed in the morning. And... at the end of the day, nothing else mattered as long as we could meet eachother at the front door." Tad paused. "It's a crazy thing that love. It makes the rest of the world disappear."

"I only hope that me and Jake will be as happy as you two were."

Tad smiled. "I know you will." Tad could see a tear start to roll down Greenlee's cheek. "We won't have any of that now." Tad laughed. "You run out of here crying, and Brooke's going to come after me with a baseball bat." Greenlee laughed, dabbing her eyes as they stood. Tad leaned down and kissed her cheek. "See me after the wedding and I'll be sure to kiss the other one." Greenlee was silent as Tad walked towards the door. "I'll let you finish getting ready," he said. "The next time we get to talk, you'll be Mrs. Jake Martin."

Greenlee smiled. "I'll see you down there." Tad walked out of the room and through the halls. he made his way down the stairs and out the front doors.

Tad stood there alone for a minute, before taking a seat on one of the steps. He stared out at the bright blue sky. Everything about the day seemed like spring, and it very well could have passed for a spring day if it wasn't for the snow on the ground.

Tad leaned over, resting his arms on his knees and interlocking his fingers. "You would have liked to see this, Dixie," he said. "You always did love this kind of stuff." Tad brought his hands up and ran his fingers back through his hair. "God, I miss you so much," he paused. "I don't know if you can hear me."

"Sure she can." JR was standing in front of him. "You're the on who told me that."

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?"

JR sat down beside Tad. "They're wondering where you are down at the chapel."

"You found me," Tad said, smiling weakly. "I had to give Greenlee your mom's necklace."

"Did she wear it?" JR asked.

"She was honored." Tad paused. "That was a good idea, JR."

"Yeah, well... I just figured that it's probably what mom would have done."

"You're right," Tad said. "That's exactly what she would have done."

"Is it ever going to stop hurting?" JR asked.

Tad was silent for a moment. "Truthfully?" he said. "Sometimes, JR, there are days when I think it'll never stop. And to be honest with you, I think that there will always be times when it really hurts. But... we have eachother to help get through those times." Tad paused. "What really matters, JR is that your mom is in there." He pointed at the boy's chest. "That she's in your heart."

JR nodded, his mouth slightly open and his eyes glazed. He sniffled and took a deep breath as his bottom lip began to quiver. Tad wasn't prepared for what happened next. JR threw his arms around him, crying.

"It's alright," Tad said bringing his arms up around the boy. "It's OK. Go on. Let it all out. It's OK." Tad pat JR on the back as he sobbed noisily and then looked up over his shoulder.

Brooke was standing about ten feet from them, a look of concern on her face. Tad nodded faintly, assuring her that everything was OK.

"It's alright," Tad said to JR. "It's OK."

"Why did she have to die?" JR asked. "She never did anything to anybody."

"I know," Tad said. "I know it's not fair."

"She should have stayed in Pine Valley... then she would still be here."

"Don't think that way."

"It's true though, isn't it?"

"If that's the case, JR, it's my fault she died," Tad said. "I'm the reason she went to Europe in the first place."

"She went to Europe because she had to."

"Why did she have to?" JR didn't answer. "Don't you see what I mean? You can't blame anyone for this. You can't JR." Tad paused. "I'm not asking you to accept what happened. It was a terrible accident. But that's what it

was... an accident. I'm not to blame, you're not to blame, and your mom was certainly not to blame. Because for you, JR... that woman would have moved the world." JR managed a small smile. "See?" Tad said. "There it is. There's the smile that she loved so much." Tad smiled back and then turned his head and saw Brooke still standing there. "Brooke," Tad said, pretending that he hadn't seen her there the whole time.

"I'm not interrupting anything I hope," she said playing along.

"I think everything's OK now," Tad said looking at JR who nodded.

Brooke smiled. "I sent JR up here to look for you and he disappeared too, so I figured I should see what where everyone was going." She paused. "Just in case you two forgot, there's a wedding about to start."

"Oh," Tad said. "So that's why I'm wearing this incredibly uncomfortable suit."

"Funny," Brooke smiled. "I should remind you, Sir Rent-A-Tux, that you're the best man. We can't start this without you."

Tad walked down the stairs towards Brooke. "I happen to own this suit," he said.

"Get going," Brooke said.

"Geesh," Tad said. "I disappear for a little while and the whole wedding is going to fall apart."

"Go."

"Alright, alright," he said. "Come on, JR." JR shook his head, a smile on his face. "We have a wedding to attend."