disclaimer same as beginning. Stargate is owned by those with many loonies and toonies, and coincidently enough who are loonie and toonie.
Thanks again for the reviews. I really appreciate them.

Prying Sam to come try on wedding gowns took all of her energy for the next week. Finally after convincing her that she had narrowed the pool down to two probable dresses, and had made arrangements for the men to come, Sam had agreed. How she wished she had a camera to record the three men squirming, surrounded by layers of tulle and taffeta.

She followed Sam into the depths of the store as the men waited up front. Sam was terribly nervous as she looked around at all the frothy gowns. This was one thing neither of them had ever done. Sam because she had never married and her because of the timing of her marriage. The saleslady brought out a long plain silk sheath and shut the curtains.

Sam's fingers glided over the luminous material and glanced over at the price tag. Sam gasped, but she quickly nudged her fingers away from the offending numbers and got to putting the thing on her. The dress fit as close to perfectly as anything off the rack could. Sam ran her fingers over the material again, and looked at herself wide eyed in the mirror. The strapless gown perfectly accentuated every curve she had. Even with the workweek on her hair and face, Sam looked like an angel. Sam twirled twice on the stand before looking back down at her.

"I can't possibly afford it."

"I know." She soothed the fabric down to the train, cleaning the line. The gown really was made for her. This was the way it was supposed to be, she thought as she smiled. "Why don't you go show the guys?"

Sam skipped off the platform and went back through the trenches. This was something she was looking forward to with great interest. While bringing the men along for moral support was Sam's idea, it also aided in her quest to figure out which option the general was. Seeing the woman you're in love with in a wedding gown tended to have a profound effect, even for the best poker face man on earth.

Pushing past some stray silk rosebuds, she got a better angle on Sam's approach. The better angle of course being the general's face. She hoped this would push him over the edge. Men pining without action was a severe annoyance. The moment of truth came. The three men rose, each with their own expression of appreciation. Daniel was flustered beyond words and began mumbling something about how stunning she looked. The man not named Murray practically beamed with pride as she twirled and asked his opinion. The general stood, thrust his hands into his pockets, and remarked warmly that she looked great.

Her heart practically stopped beating. That was probably the last reaction she had expected. After rapidly thinking it over, she stopped at an almost sure conclusion. There it was, within a moment she was certain that he was not in love with her. Loved her that was for sure. Cared deeply and maybe even at one time he was in love with her. But standing there in that shop, he could warmly wish her well into the arms of another man. So, for now it seemed she was wrong.

As she emerged from behind the gowns, Sam turned to express her admiration for the gown. Maybe she had had it all wrong. Maybe Sam really did need someone to simply love her as a woman. Pete could do that. He could give her a family, possibly even make her laugh. He could simplify her complicated world. Perhaps she hadn't given him enough credit. The guys turned and smiled at her, each offering their praise of her choice.

"It's the woman that makes the gown beautiful." She smiled at Sam. "This is my present for you, for your wedding." Sam's eyes widened, obviously considering the cost. "Every woman should have a gorgeous dress to be married in." She insisted.

She hoped Sam would understand and allow her to bestow the costly gift. The guys all sighed and smiled at the happy scene as Sam went in to back to talk to the seamstress. Daniel smiled and turned to look at her.

"That's got to be the most beautiful dress on earth."

She gave him a small nod, still thinking and processing everything that had just happened. The general nudged Daniel for some reason, prompting Daniel to speak again.

"Except for your dress."

"Don't worry about my dress's feelings. It never existed." Daniel's insatiable curiosity was peaked again.

"I thought you said you were married."

"I was." Ever so slight roll of her eyes and she continued. "My husband and I were in the service together and we were about to be shipped to separate locations. So he proposed. My wedding dress was his dress shirt and a makeshift skirt I threw together."

"Oh." Daniel again looked disappointed for some reason. She was about to let him have it when the general cut her off.

"And I'm sure you looked wonderful in it."

Her temper died down, a touch. Daniel came out of his reverie to agreeingly nod at the general's comment. Sam came out in her normal clothes again, with the bridal glow still fully intact. It was time to look at the Bridesmaid dresses she had chosen. The men said their farewells and three overly excited blondes came into view. Oh Lord. Pete had neglected to mention to her that he was the eldest. The oldest blonde looked to be in her mid twenties, the youngest was sixteen at most. Thankfully they had met Sam earlier, so much of the excitement was over the gowns and not the girl.

Pulling Sam aside for a moment, she showed her two colours for the gowns as the girls pranced around the tulle. An eggshell blue or a shade of porcelain lavender, and she hoped one would work. Sam pointed to the lavender after snickering lightly at the blue, and she was thankful that she had created a backup plan. After letting the lady at the front counter know their decision, she went into the back and pulled out a gown. It was strapless and undecorated, perfectly matching the bride's gown in texture and sheen. The other girls were less than thrilled with the plain choice, so she was sent into the back to try it on and convince them.

Walking into the back she slipped the gown on and zipped up the side. She felt exposed with her shoulders uncovered. The dotted freckles ruined the line on her collarbone and her brown curls looked like they needed an overhaul. Suddenly she didn't want to go back out to Sam and to the other girls. She felt ashamed in the pale gown, as if she didn't belong in it. She could almost feel Brian's fingertips on her neck, pulling her hair to the side as he usually did to bestow a kiss on the nape of her neck. The cold rush of reality returned as the mirror revealed her alone in a drab room. She needed to let him go and yet he haunted her at every step. Every time she looked at her pale blue eyes she wished she could see his deep brown eyes coming towards her. And she could almost see him, almost feel him. Shaking off the bits of memory, she started walking to the front, hearing the fabric swish with her every move.

The girls ohhed and ahhed, and all agreed she was quite beautiful in the gown. She didn't feel it at all, but she accepted their praise and turned to Sam in relief when they eagerly went to try on their own gowns. It was almost all over. With little left to plan, she didn't know what was next.