Hey guys! Thank you all so much for the reviews. I'm so glad you're enjoying it. I know there's usually a longer gap between update from me, but I'm kinda on a roll here.

Again, thanks to my fabulous Beta G.Eliot. Thank you for the comments, ideas and support.

(Contains slight reference for Season one's Sleeping Dogs.)

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Funny, he always thought he'd be nervous.

In his youth, whenever he though of this day, he expected himself to be a bundle of nerves, ready to throw up and was positive he'd feel like he was signing his life away.

But instead, he felt nothing but peace, and a sense of fulfillment, as he stood waiting for Hoshi to walk up the aisle towards him.

Jon stood slightly behind him clothed in his dress uniform. Trip and Travis stood beside Malcolm, both ready to do their duty as best men and catch Malcolm if he decided to run. But Malcolm had no intention of running. In fact, nothing short of being physically overpowered and dragged away could have forced him to leave the park this day. He wasn't leaving until he and Hoshi were married.

The twin suns of the Bentak system shone brightly down on Bensal's main park, which was quickly becoming crowded. The majority of Enterprise's crew, and Malcolm and Hoshi's parents were seated in the sunshine, as they waited for the wedding to begin.

Jolan had left to report to his superiors once Malcolm and Hoshi were safely back on Enterprise, but now he was back; an honoured guest with a delegation of representatives from his system. The rest of the park was filled with other government representatives from Bentak, and lots of curious people from Bensal, who had turned out in force to see this curious Human ceremony of marriage.

Ensigns Carter, McCarthy and Rhodes had volunteered to play the music at the wedding. And when Sarah Carter began to strum the guitar, everyone stood and turned. The four men at the top of the make-shift aisle stood straighter, and a wave of amusement passed over the crowd when Travis muttered 'Here we go' (Malcolm had decided to ask Travis to be his other best man after he had babysat Celeste a few more times. The man was actually getting quite adept at changing a diaper.)

Madeleine came down the aisle, carrying Celeste who was too little to walk by herself. She and Celeste were scattering rice paper petals as they went, though Celeste was eating more than she was scattering. Hoshi had asked chef to make the petals, and make them edible, as she knew her daughter well.

Malcolm heard Trip suck in a breath when he saw Maddy. She was dressed in a pale blue dress that swirled around her ankles, and she looked beautiful.

"Are we going to have to have one of those: 'You hurt my baby sister and I break your legs' talks Trip?" Malcolm whispered.

"Don't worry Mal. She's a big girl." Trip whispered back.

"That's what I'm afraid... of," Malcolm trailed off as his sister and daughter reached the top of the aisle, and Hoshi appeared on her fathers arm at the end. She wore her mother's wedding dress, which sparkled white in the sun. The short veil covered her face, and she held a bouquet of fresh cut roses, which had been a gift from the botanists on Enterprise. They had presented her with two dozen long-stemmed red roses that they had grown in hydroponics especially for her, and Hoshi was truly touched by the gesture.

She looked so beautiful that Malcolm had to resist the urge to pinch himself to make sure this wasn't some fever induced dream. (Knowing his track record, it would be a possibility) Her pregnancy was just starting to show, and she looked blooming.

Hoshi and her father reached the front, and Agama sat down next to his wife, who was already crying. Malcolm couldn't take not touching her anymore. He took Hoshi's hands, and kissed them, causing Hoshi to blush and the female members of the crew to sigh in jealousy.

"Alright," Jon began, addressing the crowd. "I think we're ready to begin." He cleared his throat, and took a deep breath.

(I don't know the marriage ceremony off, cos in Ireland we have a full mass first, so I'm just winging it. Also, if Jon seems a little long-winded, it's because he's being serious captain guy)

"There are many joyous aspects of captaining a starship, and I can't think of one more joyous than what we are here to celebrate today: The joining of these two people in matrimony. I think you will all agree that Lieutenant Malcolm Reed and Ensign Hoshi Sato are made for each other, two halves of a whole, and join me in wishing them all the happiness that they so richly deserve. And, on a personal note, I'm glad you both finally woke up and saw what was right in front of you"

"Amen to that!" Trip added, soliciting laughter from the assembled crowd.

"Now," Jon continued, trying to keep the grin off his face, and failing miserably "Malcolm and Hoshi wanted to write their own vows. So, Lieutenant..."

"Hosh" Malcolm began, feeling nervous to have so many eyes on him at once "I've been going crazy trying to think of what to say, until Travis recommended that I just speak from the heart. So that's what I'm going to do."

"I love you. And I think I always have. I certainly wanted you ever since I first saw you

across the compound in Starfleet command. You didn't know that, did you? I was walking across the courtyard in the command centre, a few days before we launched, when I first saw you... You were talking to the Captain, and laughing. The sunlight hit your hair, and your smile... That was the beginning of it. You can imagine how I felt when I learned that you were coming on this mission. And every day since then, I have grown to love you more."

"You are so full of life, and so brave and strong that I can't help but love you. I don't know what I've done to deserve you, or our daughter, but I swear to you today, I will spend the rest of my life trying to live up to that honour."

"You are my life. Without you I'm incomplete. I love you. I always will."

By the time he had finished, the sincerity and conviction in his voice had tears streaming down the faces of many of those assembled. Maddy even caught Trip trying surreptitiously wiping his eyes. 'Aww', she thought, a little surprised by the happy feeling spreading through her at the sight, 'Trip is crying. He's so adorable!' Hoshi looked so stunned that Jon had to call her name twice before she could tear her eyes away from Malcolm's.

"Hoshi, your vows...?"

"Oh, right. I... I had this whole speech written about devotion, and now I'm here, I can't remember a word of it. You wouldn't think I was a linguist, would you?"

Malcolm laughed a little at that one.

"I... I saw you too," she told him. "That day across the courtyard. I felt your eyes on me, and looked over. You had just looked away, and I saw you in profile, and I was drawn to you right away. I felt like bouncing when we were introduced, and I found out that we would be working together."

"You were always so kind, and patient with me, especially during those target practice. You know, I'm not as bad a shot as I made out to be. I just didn't want our time together to end."

Malcolm grinned at the deviousness Hoshi had displayed. She'd make a great tactician.

"And on that Klingon ship, when it was sinking, the fear I felt when you didn't answer your comm. when Buk'Ah attacked you, made me realize that I loved you. So much. I told you that I didn't come all that way to die in an unnamed gas giant. The truth was I wasn't going to die without telling you how I felt. But, you were so by-the-book, I thought you felt nothing for me, so I stayed silent."

"When you saved me from those creatures, I knew I couldn't hold it in anymore.

"I love you. I will for all eternity."

With that, she stopped talking, and kissed him. Jon's protest of 'Hey, you're not supposed to do that yet" was drowned out by the cat-calls and whistled that filled the air. (Started by Trip and Travis, of course.) They broke apart, breathing heavily.

"Ok, ok, let's get back on track. Then you can kiss her all you want." Jon broke in. The crowd settled down, and was silent once more.

"Malcolm, will you take this woman, to have and to hold, to cherish and protect, to honour and love until death parts you?"

"I will."

"Hoshi, will you take this man, to have and to hold, to cherish and protect, to honour and love until death parts you?"

"I will."

"Excellent, who has the rings?" Jon asked.

Maddy put Celeste down, and gave her the pillow with the rings tied on to it. Malcolm knelt down, and she ran into his arms. He took the pillow from her, and hugged her. She hugged him back, then ran over to her 'Uncle' Travis, who, being used to this by now, swung her expertly up into his arms.

"Repeat after me, I Malcolm Stuart Reed..."

"I Malcolm Stuart Reed..."

"Take thee, Hoshi Machiko Sato to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, all the days of my life until death parts us."

"Take thee, Hoshi Machiko Sato to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, all the days of my life until death parts us."

Malcolm slipped the engraved white-gold wedding ring onto Hoshi's delicate finger, and her mother let out a little sob. Agama put his arm around his wife, and held her close. He was remembering their wedding day; almost thirty years ago, and felt himself tear up also.

Jon was continuing the ceremony.

"And Hoshi, repeat after me, I Hoshi Machiko Sato..."

"I Hoshi Machiko Sato..."

"Take thee, Malcolm Stuart Reed to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, all the days of my life until death parts us."

"Take thee, Malcolm Stuart Reed to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, all the days of my life until death parts us."

She put a matching ring on his finger, and then his mother started crying. Stuart rolled his eyes, and put a stiff arm around her shoulders.

"By the power invested in me by Starfleet Command, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss..." Jon trailed off as Malcolm kissed his new wife before Jon had even finished speaking.

Thunderous clapping filled the air, as for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Reed turned to face their friends.

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Chef really had out-done himself with the food for the reception, which was being held at the town hall in Bensal. The wine or local equivalent. The Bentak people had been honoured to provide the wine for the wedding was flowing, and the guests were having a ball.

Right now, Malcolm and Hoshi were dancing. As they swayed gently to the music, she rested her head on his shoulder and he held her close. Trip watched from the sidelines, a small smile on his lips. He heard a peal of laughter and looked towards the source.

Maddy was talking to Travis and Liz Cutler, balancing Celeste on one hip. She looked so at home with a child in her arms, and Trip felt a tug of something inside him that he couldn't identify.

'Come off it Trip' he chided himself. 'She's your best friend's little sister. You're pretending to like her to piss off Malcolm.'

Still, he couldn't stop himself from walking up behind her and whispering in her ear, "Would you like to dance?"

He could no more stop his heart from racing when she smiled up at him, and said yes.

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Stuart stood in the corner and watched his son and new daughter-in-law dancing. He hadn't been aware that the boy could dance. He had to talk to him though. There were some things that he had to say.

The song had just ended, and the couple was moving back towards the head table. Stuart cut them off before they could reach it.

"Re... Malcolm" he began. Malcolm's head whipped around when his father called his name from behind him.

"Yes sir?"

"I need to talk to you for a moment."

His son looked hesitant, but straightened his shoulders and consented to go with him. They left the room, and found the corridor empty.

"So..." Malcolm began, unsure of what to say. "What do you want to talk about?"

His father was silent for several minutes, and Malcolm began to get impatient. He was about to turn and walk away, when his father said something softly, so softly that he didn't hear it.

"What was that?" he asked.

"I said, I'm sorry"

Malcolm stared at his father for a full minute in shocked silence. In his entire life, his father had never, ever, apologized it him for anything. Stuart took advantage of his sons' silence to think of what he was going to say next.

"What I said about Hoshi... I was wrong. She's a wonderful woman. And your daughter, well, you know how you feel about her. I adore that child."

"I thought you were making the biggest mistake of your life marrying Hoshi, but then I met her. I apologize."

"I'm sorry for what I said to you. You are not a disgrace, and after listening to your friends talk about you for the past few days, I realize that I was wrong to say you had no honour. Your crew depends on you, which is evident from the lengths they went to to get you and Hoshi back from the planet."

Then he uttered the words that Malcolm had waited his entire life to hear.

"I'm proud of you Malcolm. I've spent a lot of time talking to the crew, and hearing everything you have done for them over the years, how you've saved them time and again. What you've done out here... It surpasses anything you could have done in the Navy. It just took me a long time to realize it."

Malcolm was struck dumb.

"Who are you and what have you done with my father?" he asked, completely serious.

Stuart smiled slightly.

"It's me. I'm just seeing clearly for the first time."

Then, Malcolm did something he thought he'd never do again. He pulled his father into a tight hug.

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Hoshi listened half-heartedly to what Phlox was saying to her. Where was Malcolm? They had left the room half an hour ago, and she was worried that they'd had a fight, and that Malcolm was upset. She nearly fell off her chair in shock when, a few minutes later, her husband and father-in-law walked into the room together, smiling broadly.

They made their way over to her, and Malcolm sat down beside her. Stuart halted in front of her.

"I do believe it is tradition for the father-in-law to dance with the new bride. Would you care to dance?" Hoshi was shocked. She looked at Malcolm, who smiled encouragingly at her.

She took Stuart's outstretched hand, and they made their way onto the dance floor. The three musicians were playing something that resembled a waltz, so they began to waltz.

After a few moments, Stuart spoke.

"I have an ulterior motive for asking you to dance."

'Uh oh. Here we go,' thought Hoshi.

"I wanted to apologize for what I said when you and Malcolm told us what your plans were. I was inexcusably rude, and intentionally hurtful. I've already apologized to Malcolm. I know I don't deserve it, but I was hoping if we could start again."

Hoshi stared in silence for a moment, and then she impulsively hugged the man in front of her.

"I'm Hosh Reed. Pleased to meet you."

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Jon and T'Pol watched the scene in front of them.

"It appears that Lieutenant Reed and his father have come to an understanding, and Ensign Reed is supporting them," T'Pol observed.

"Looks like it" Jon answered. He had his arm around her waist, and she was leaning slightly against him for comfort. "So," he asked her, "what did you think of your first Human wedding?"

"It was... educational. I enjoyed their vows. They were spoken from the heart."

"They love each other. It's just natural for them to express their feelings for one another." He was silent. "I know I would speak form the heart also, about you. I'd tell you how beautiful you are, and how you changed my life, and how much I loved you."

T'Pol studied him for a moment.

"Is that a proposal Jonathan?" she asked, one eyebrow raised.

"It depends. Would you say yes?"

"If it was a proposal, then I would say yes."

"Then it's a proposal. T'Pol, will you marry me?"

"I will Jonathan."

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"Alone at last," Malcolm whispered in his wife's ear, as they stepped into the darkened hotel room. They had three days to themselves in the capital city of Bensal before Enterprise was to leave orbit.

Maddy and Trip were taking care of Celeste, which Malcolm grumbled about but Hoshi just laughed. The engineering crew was building a double room for them as a wedding present, and they had orders to stay away until it was finished. That meant a three-day honeymoon.

Now, they were alone for the first time in days; no baby, no work and no responsibilities, and they intended to make the most of it.

"It was a beautiful wedding," she breathed.

"It was. I had so much fun, and I nearly died when my father told me he was proud of me."

"He finally saw sense" she teased, kissing him lightly on the nose. She held him close, and rested against his solid chest. "I can't believe we're married. And it was like a fairytale."

"So Mrs. Reed," he teased, "what comes next?"

"Why, we live the fairytale. We live happily ever after."

"I like the sound of that."

Neither of them spoke for a long time after that."

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So, what do you think? This is the second last chapter to this fic.

The epilogue is half written, and should have it up early next week. It's called "Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time."

As one fiction ends, another one begins. I have started on a sequel to 'Remember Me?' It should be up within a fortnight.

R&R please.

LieutenantsLady