Meant to Be

chapter 4

Alexx had just finished dressing when she looked outside the window to see a long black car pulling up to the church. She opened the shear further, trying to get a closer look, and groaned inwardly. A hearse had just came to rest in front of the building. She glanced at Calleigh as she stood in front of the mirror still admiring herself, then back to the window. Going against everything in her, Alexx walked to Calleigh.

" Um Calleigh, I think there is something you need to see," Alexx said as she pointed to the window.

" What is it? Has Tim gotten here?" Calleigh asked as she started to walk toward the window. Alexx held the shear back and gestured to the hearse as the doors to the eerie vehicle swung open and the mortician's attendants got out.

" Are you sure you confirmed the church?" Alexx asked as she noticed the color drain from Calleigh's face.

" This cannot be happening. I told Tim to confirm the church a month ago," Calleigh retorted angrily as she swung the dress around and headed back to her bag. " I just knew this was too good to be true."

" What are you going to do, Calleigh? Some of the guests are starting to arrive," Alexx said as she saw the well dressed people as they passed the hearse.

" I'm calling Speed," Calleigh returned as she flipped up the phone. Alexx stood back and glanced over to Maxine who had just come out of the bathroom. She only called him Speed when she was angry. " And he better have a damn good explanation for this."

S/CS/CS/C/S/C

"I would like to be able to walk into my own wedding ,Delko," Tim said as he held on to the door. Eric turned to him and sneered.

" Hey , I'm not the one who had to take a scene today," Eric returned as he made a sharp turn.

Tim picked up the box of shoes and opened it, taking one out and peering at the heel.

" What are you doing?"

" Delko, watch it," Tim yelled as he saw the car in front of them stop abruptly. Eric stopped quickly ,causing Tim to hit himself in the eye with the heel of the shoe. " Ow! Dammit!"

" What?"

" The shoe hit me in the eye," Tim explained as he held his eye. He turned to Eric with a certain anger in his voice, " How does it look?"

When Tim took his hand away, Eric saw as the hints of a very nasty black eye, beginning to form. Eric shook his head and turned his attention back to the road. Tim flipped down the passenger visor and gazed into the small mirror and saw the damage.

" What the ... Great, this is just great. Calleigh is not going to believe this! What the hell is wrong with you?"

" Who looks at a shoe on the way to their wedding?" Eric shot back.

" I was checking it to make sure that there were no scuffs."

" If you didn't keep your wardrobe in your locker, none of this would be happening," Eric said as he started off again.

Tim glared at him and turned back to the mirror. Within seconds, it had turned into a brutish black ring. Sighing, he searched for his sunglasses. Finding them, he slipped them on and looked out into the afternoon sky. It was two-forty .

S/C/S/C/S/C/S/C/S

The knock at the door startled Alexx as she continued to console a very upset Calleigh. She looked to Maxine, who instantly got up and went to the door.

" I can't believe this," Calleigh was saying tearfully as Alexx patted her on the back. " There's a crisis and I can't get him on his cell phone."

" Can't get who?" Horatio asked as he entered the room. At first, he was taken aback at the beauty of his CSI, that is until he saw the tears.

" Tim! There's a hearse out there with a casket, coming into the church. It's two-forty five and I haven't been able to get him. And guests are starting to arrive, I'm nervous, and I can't stop this damn crying," Calleigh rambled. It was obvious that she was a total wreck.

" I'm sure Tim's on his way, I left him at the lab..." Horatio said as he realized what had just slipped out.

" The lab? The lab? What was he doing at the lab?" Calleigh asked as she stopped crying and looked up at him.

" Umm Calleigh,..."

" He's here!" Maxine said as she saw the Hummer speed past the front of the church. Calleigh turned her fury to her cell phone once more and dialed Eric's number. Tim was in so much trouble and he didn't even know it.

S/C/S/C/S/C/S

" Wait ,was that a hearse?" Tim asked as Eric sped through the parking lot.

" Where?"

" Back there," Tim said as he glanced back. Eric shrugged and swung the Hummer into a parking space next to the church on the opposite side.

The engine didn't have time to cool before Tim was out of the truck and running up to the church door. Eric followed behind him with his own tuxedo in it's garment bag, and smiled at the frantic sight of his best friend. It was funny how little situations really showed one's true self.

" Timothy!" a voice called out near the front of the church. Eric turned slightly to see a handsome couple as they walked quickly to Tim. It was his parents.

Eric smiled as they continued to walk, meeting them, " Hi Mr. Speedle, Mrs. Speedle."

" Eric," Nicholas Speedle greeted with a nod. Tim turned to see his mother rushing up to him and he sighed heavily.

" Timothy, what are you still doing out here? It's two fif-... Oh my Lord, Timothy, what happened to your eye?" Claudia Speedle said as she cupped her hands around Tim's cheeks.

" Mom, I'm kinda late," Tim replied as he felt the glasses being slipped off by his mother's hands.

" Oh my..." Claudia exclaimed as she put a hand to her mouth. " What did you do?"

" It was an accident , ma. Really, I've got to go."

Nicholas walked up to them and pulled gently at his wife's arm, " Claudia, let the boy get ready for his wedding."

" I will. But Timmy, there's a hearse outside the church and a casket is being carried inside. Are you sure we are at the right church?"

" What!" Tim said as he glanced around the corner. Sure enough, the attendants were making ready to pick up the casket and walk it up the church steps.

" Looks like you have a problem, Speed," Eric said as he heard his cell phone chirp. He flipped it without looking at it and before he could speak into it, he heard her voice.

" Put him on the phone."

Eric got Tim's attention and shoved the phone at him ,wanting very badly to get rid of it. Tim squinted at him and then took it out of his hand.

" Speedle, you better fix this, and I mean right damn now," Calleigh yelled into the phone.

"Calleigh..."

" Didn't I tell you to confirm the church a month ago?"

" I did."

" Oh really? Then tell me why the hell there's a dead body getting loaded into the church? The very church that I am supposed to be getting married in. In about ten minutes," Calleigh said as he fury reached a height that he had never heard before.

" Alright, alright, I'm going to fix this," Tim said as he handed the tuxedo and shoes to his father. "Just let me go and find the priest."

" Take care of this," Calleigh said before she hung up sharply.

Tim jumped back slightly at the hang up and handed the phone to Eric.

" She's pretty pissed isn't she?" Eric asked with a toothy grin.

" What made you think that? Tim asked sarcastically as he started to walk to the side entrance. "Dad, can you take this stuff to the dressing room? And Eric, get dressed. I'll be back in a moment."

"Tim,..." Claudia began as she held her hands up with his sunglasses dangling.

" Mom, please," Tim said as he took the sunglasses from her and placed them back on his face. He then turned to the door. This was not going as planned.

" Father!" Tim called out as he entered the corridor that led to the sanctuary. He walked quickly as he glanced at his watch. Well ,so much for the three o'clock wedding, Tim thought as he met up with the priest.

The white haired priest turned around with surprise as he noticed that Tim wasn't dressed. He put on his glasses and smiled tightly, "Timothy, aren't you supposed to be dressed by now?"

" I'm getting there, Father Donahue. But first , we have a problem." Tim returned as he pushed the sunglasses up on his nose.

" Well?"

" There's a casket going into the church."

" A what?"

" A casket..." Tim said as a woman in an expensive suit entered into the corridor.

" Father, we have a problem," she said as she glanced at Tim then back to the father.

" Tell me about it," Tim said in a huff. He could only imagined what Calleigh was doing at that very moment.

" We seemed to have double booked," the woman said producing the a sheet of paper. " Mr. Speedle confirmed on Tuesday, but the Wilson family confirmed on Monday when their grandmother passed."

" What? When I called, the lady said that the date was still open."

" You know this lady's name?" the woman asked as she turned her attention to Tim. She saw the nasty black coloration that peeked from under his sunglasses.

" No, um , Jackson or Jefferson? It doesn't matter, because she said this date was free."

" Mr. Speedle, I'm sorry but the funeral was the first to confirm. You are going to have to move your wedding elsewhere."

" Your kidding me, right?" Tim asked as he put his hands on his hip.

" No sir. The funeral begins at three thirty," the woman said as she turned her back on him.

Tim started to say something but then he stopped. He turned and walked away trying to piece together what he would say to Calleigh, that is if he could get a sentence out before she blew him away. He shuffled out of the corridor and into the dressing room. He passed his father and Eric and headed straight for the restroom. Maybe if he hid , this would all disappear.

Alexx, walked down the long corridor and stopped at the men's dressing room. There was no way she was going to see this happen to them, they were meant to be together. She knocked softly and saw as Nicholas Speedle opened the door and smiled at her. He nodded her in and she walked in , seeing Eric buttoning his shirt.

" Alexx, it's been way too long," Nicholas said as he moved to hug her.

" Yes it has, Nicky. Where's our boy?"

" He went straight to the bathroom without saying anything. He's been in there for a while now," Eric said as he pulled his jacket on." I hope he hasn't killed himself."

" Not funny "Alexx said as she glanced between the two men and then moved to the restroom door. She knocked softly and put her hand to the door.

" Timmy, it's me Alexx. Let me in," Alexx demanded softly. Seconds passed as she heard the locks tumble and he opened the door slightly. She glided in and closed the door behind her.

" I've really messed this up, Alexx," Tim said as he held his head in his hands. The sunglasses where in between his fingers and dangled there.

" What happened?"

" The church double booked. I called to confirm on Tuesday but the funeral confirmed on Monday. They get first dibs. Calleigh is going to kill me, that is if she ever wants to see me again."

Alexx moved to comfort Tim, " Calleigh loves you, Timmy. She loves you so much until it hurts. If she didn't do you think she would've stuck around this long?"

Tim smirked at Alexx and let out a small chuckle. Alexx saw the black eye and inhaled sharply.

"Timmy , what happened to your eye?"

Tim gestured to his eye and asked, " What, this one?"

" Yes, that big black bruise on your eye..."

" I got into a little accident on the way here. Just another thing to add to the 'Crap on Speedle' pile," Tim said as he let a frustrated sigh escape.

"Everything's going to be alright, Timmy."

" We don't have a place to have a wedding, Alexx," Tim reminded her.

" Don't you worry about that, you get dressed and for God's sake, shave. I will fix this for you," Alexx said smiling.

Tim got up and gave her the biggest hug and smiled. If this day could be salvaged, he knew that Alexx would be able to do it.

TBC...