Disclaimer: See chapter 1

A/N: I'm gonna put more detail into the wedding now that we got the new baby thing out of the way.

Chapter 7 – Maid of Honor

It was the day after Stephanie's birthday. She had recently started her camerawoman job and loved every minute of it. Danny liked having his daughter on the set as much as she liked being there.

The wedding was going pretty well too. DJ and Steve had decided to have the wedding at the same place Becky and Jesse got married. Steve's parents offered to have the reception at their house, and a family friend of the Hales owned a catering place and said they'd be happy to serve at the reception. The couple had also decided on a flower girl dress. That day they were going to pick the wedding party that day.

Steve came over after lunch and sat in DJ's bedroom. Stephanie and Michelle were there looking at brochures. DJ walked in with about five more and sat next to her almost husband. "So, who do we have to pick out again?" Steve asked.

DJ sighed. She told him this atleast five times. "The flower girl, brides maids, maid of honor, best man, ushers, and the ring bearer."

"Right."

They thought for a while. "Doesn't your cousin have a daughter?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, and she's half a year old," Michelle answered.

"Never mind."

"Well, the brides maids are pretty easy," DJ said, "Michelle will definitely be one,"

Michelle smiled. "But what about Steph?"

"Duh, Michelle! I might be her maid of honor!"

"Uh…" DJ said.

"Uh, what?"

"How many people did you consider for that position, anyway, Deej?" Steve asked, thinking of which one of his friends would be ushers.

"Steph, Kimmy, and Aunt Becky," DJ answered.

"Kimmy?" Michelle and Steph asked at once.

"How can you give her my place!" Stephanie shouted.

"But I never said that you…"

Stephanie cut her off, "Just forget it." She stood up to leave.

"Why are you so jealous!" DJ stood up to follow her.

Stephanie ignored her and left.

"Uh-oh" Michelle said.

"I didn't think she'd take it that hard," DJ said sadly.

"What else can we expect from Stephanie?" Michelle said in fake hatred, trying to cheer her sister.

DJ laughed. Still, she had no clue what to do. She needed advice. Her aunt had been good at that in the past. She decided to go there.

Nicky and Alex were sitting in their room having "races" with Hess trucks.

"Ha! Beat you again, Nicky!" Alex said, his truck flying across the room.

Nicky laughed. "You know, Steph's idea was really good," he said. "I can see how she got the job,"

"Yeah," said Alex. "Maybe we could use the same method on Dad and Mom when they want to lower our allowance!"

Nicky laughed and the boys raced again.

Jesse and Becky were watching TV downstairs. A commercial came on and Jesse put the TV on mute.

"How do you think the boys took it?" Becky asked her husband.

"Better than I thought."

"They sure looked happy."

"Yeah."

Someone knocked on the door. Becky went up to get it. DJ stood on the other side.

"Hi, Deej."

"I need to talk to you about something,"

DJ walked in and Becky shut the door. They walked into the kitchen. "You want something to drink?" Becky asked. DJ shook her head.

"What's wrong, Deej?"

"Well…" DJ explained the whole maid of honor story.

"I can see why she…you considered me?" Becky said.

"Well, yeah," DJ answered, picking at her chipped nail polish. "You've been there for me so much that I…"

Becky smiled. "You should give the position to someone you really feel comfortable with, someone you can really talk too…"

"Are you hinting?"

"By April I doubt I'll even fit in a dress that nice,"

DJ laughed. "But how do I decide? They both mean so much to me,"

"You remind me of your uncle," Becky remembered the best man fiasco before her wedding.

"I remember that," DJ remembered her Dad's "woe is me" thing. Eventually her uncle picked both. But if she picked both, Stephanie would feel like she was sharing her.

"What am I going to do!" DJ buried her heads in her hands.

Alex, who had walked in the kitchen right around that point, asked, "About what?"

"Alex, you know you shouldn't eavesdrop like that," Becky looked at her son.

"I wasn't," he defended himself, "You just said that when I walked in."

Everyone was quiet for a minute, then Alex asked, "About what?"

"If you have to know," DJ answered, "I can't choose between Steph and Kimmy for my maid of honor."

"You can switch half way through the ceremony,"

"I am pretty desperate…"

"Alex," Becky said, "Why don't you go see what your Dad is up too?"

"Fine! Ignore my help!"

DJ laughed.

Back at the Tanner house, Michelle was helping Steve decide who should be his best man. Michelle had written down about 40 names, and Steve was still listing them. "There's Jim, oh yeah! And Tucker…"

"How many friends do you have?"

Steve shrugged.

"Just let your cousin do it or something!"

Steve thought of his family. He had been pretty close with Dill, his cousin. He was only two years younger than Steve. "That's it!" he said, "I'll use Dill! Thanks, Michelle!"

"As long as I don't have to…"

"Now what should we do about the ushers?"

Michelle groaned and threw the pencil at Steve.

Stephanie was sitting on her bed. "Why would DJ pick Kimmy over me?" she thought over and over. She was getting all these ridiculous ideas. "I need to talk to someone," she thought out loud. She chose Jesse since he had a lot of trouble choosing between her father and Joey for his best man. He would probably understand better than her father, and Joey was still "grieving" the loss of Hailey.

Steph walked over to her uncle's house. Nicky answered the door. "Hi, Steph!"

"Hey, Nicky. Is Uncle Jesse home?"

"He's rotating the tires on his motorcycle,"

"I guess he won't want to be disturbed," Steph turned to leave but Nicky called after her.

"Maybe I can help,"

"I doubt it," Stephanie turned around.

"I owe you one," he said, "You helped me and Alex out with our problem,"

Steph shrugged and followed Nicky into his and Alex's room.

"Hi, Steph," Alex said, barely looking up from his trucks. He was trying to change the batteries.

"So, what's the problem?" Nicky asked.

Stephanie sat down on Alex's bed. "DJ wants to pick Kimmy for her maid of honor!"

"Mom and DJ were talking about that in the kitchen," Alex said, joining Stephanie on the bed.

"She's here, too!" Stephanie said. Alex nodded.

"What's so bad about that?" Nicky asked.

"I'm supposed to be her sister, aren't I?"

"Stephanie's jealous!" Alex chanted.

"Shut up!" Stephanie shouted. Alex returned to his Hess trucks.

"It's not that bad, Steph," Nicky tried to cheer his cousin up.

"Yes it is!" Stephanie said, "Everyone knows the brides maids are useless!"

"Not completely useless," Alex said, "You get to sit in the front row!"

"So?" Stephanie

"Why don't you talk to DJ about this?" Nicky asked.

Stephanie shrugged and Alex said, "Because eavesdropping is lots more fun!"

Stephanie had to admit he was right. She followed Alex to his parent's room. "If you listen through this thing," he said, "You can hear everything perfectly."

They listened.

"DJ, you don't have to make a decision right now," Becky said.

"The wedding is in April!"

"It is?" Becky was surprised. "Well…I guess you do,"

There was moment of silence.

"Becky," DJ said, "I really want Kimmy, but then Steph has been my sister for eighteen years,"

Steph smiled.

"I think you should talk to your sister about this,"

"I think you should get home," Alex whispered.

"How do I get out without them seeing?" For some reason Stephanie didn't want to face DJ yet.

"How'd you get in?"

"Back door, but that's where she's leaving."

"How do you know?"

"The front door squeaks when you open it."

"Can you climb a rope?"

"…I'm not climbing out your window!"

Nicky came in. "You can use the front door. Mom's outside with Dad,"

"Thanks, guys," Stephanie gave her cousins a quick hug and left.

"You think it worked?" Alex asked his brother. He answered with a shrug and they went to figure out the batteries again.

DJ went to her room to see how Steve and Michelle were coming along.

"DJ, how does he have 78 best friends!" Michelle asked

"You must be exaggerating," DJ and Steve answered at the same time.

Michelle held up the list. "And if you count DJ, 79!"

Michelle left, tired of writing down his "closest" friends. As she walked out the door, she nearly collided with Steph.

"What's with you?" she asked her little sister.

"Steve's fan club!" she went to her room.

"Whatever," Stephanie mumbled and walked in her room, closing the door behind her.

A few minutes later, DJ walked in. "Can we talk?" she asked.

"If you want too."

DJ sat next to her sister on her bed. "Steph, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," she began, "But it's so hard to decide between your two best friends."

"Best friend?" Stephanie almost laughed at that.

"Of course!" DJ said, "I've known you since day one,"

"Exactly," Stephanie said, "I've given you a lifetime. Kimmy's only given you 13 years,"

DJ thought about it. Steph was right. Although Kimmy and DJ had shared a lot, DJ and Steph had just a little bit more.

"Your right Steph,"

"I am?" Steph looked up. "I mean, yes, I am."

DJ laughed, "Will you be my maid of honor?"

"Of course!" Stephanie hugged her sister.

"I did act kind of jealous, didn't I?" Steph said.

"Do I have to answer that?"

"…I'd kinda prefer you didn't,"

A/N: Chapter eight coming soon! Please review!