By popular demand we bring you the sequel to Always a Bridesmaid. We pick up directly after.

As with Always a Bridesmaid Nina is being written by NCCJFAN and jmkw.

Disclaimer: We don't own Crossing Jordan. But we sure wish we did.

Chapter One

Are You Ready Girl?

One Year.

Jordan rolled her eyes as she looked at the date circled in red on the calendar on her desk. What ever possessed her to talk Woody out of his one year plan? By the time they had checked out ...late...from the hotel were Kim's wedding was held, they had chiseled one year down to four weeks. Jordan laid her head down on her desk remembering asking herself ...

Who needed an entire year to plan a fifteen minute wedding?

Maybe it was that Kim thing. It seemed like until she was old enough to know better it was Kim that goaded her into every hair-brained plan she ever did. After that it was usually Jordan herself that made her own messes. This time she figured she could blame them both.

Kim (aka Wonder Woman) took less then four weeks to plan her wedding. Technically it was three weeks and six days...but it was still less then a month. Like herself, Jordan knew Kim didn't have time to get sit around and deal with arrogant caterers and bubble-headed florists. They both were responsible career women whose time was valuable. Yet some how Kim pulled it off...and pulled it off with flair.

Three days into her own wedding planning and Jordan was ready to give up. One would think this should come naturally. A woman should know instinctively how to dive through the hoops of wedding planning. At least that's what pop culture and the stack of bridal magazines she spent a fortune on during her lunch hour the day before indicated.

"Jordan?"

Still contemplating if she could get her money back, Jordan didn't bother to lift her head off the desk she just turned it so she could see the door.

"Lily. What can I do for you?" she asked, reminding herself that she was a responsible career woman who was paid to interact with her co-workers, even if all she wanted to do was give in a have a good girly cry.

"Are you alright?"

"Peachy," Jordan said sitting up with what she hoped was her most convincing professional smile.

Lily just arched her eyebrow and Jordan felt her practiced performance zing away, like the air out of a punctured balloon leaving her looking just plain disappointed. With a sigh Jordan picked up the handful of post its, napkins, and scrap paper, she had been using as her wedding planner, and tossed the whole thing in the trash can.

"Oh my God!" Lily gasped and squatted down at the trash can like she was ready to rescue the pile like it was a drowning child. "Jordan! Jordan! My God! Wasn't that your wedding notes?"

"Y...Yep." Jordan said with a note of finality. She fleetingly wished she had been at Garret's desk. That way she wouldn't have to walk down the hallway and dig in the back of his right hand drawer to pour herself a shot of commiseration for her failure as a woman.

"Is it Woody! My God! Jordan is the wedding...off?" Lily said drawing a careful breath, like she was ready for the floor to open up and swallow her whole for saying such a thing out loud.

Jordan gave Lily a lopsided smile and flashed her, the diamond friendship ring, which Woody had slipped on her finger the day after Kim's wedding. It was a holdback for a lifetime ago, but he said it would serve until he put a more traditional gold band on her hand.

That is if Jordan could hurdle over enough matrimonial roadblocks by then.

"No, Woody and I are fine," she reassuringly. "I just think the fates are aligned against us getting married. That's all."

Visibly relieved Lily stood against Jordan's desk and asked her what she meant. Jordan proceeded to tell her about the last seventy-two hours of event planning from hell.

Who knew city park permits needed six weeks to process? Romance was in the air because there wasn't a catering hall in within the city limits that wasn't booked. Even the hotel where Kim's reception was held was holding a proctologist's convention. So, useless she wanted to start out her marriage hearing a bunch of butt jokes then the sentimental choice was out.

There was one good thing to report. Paul was sure he'd be able to rearrange some plans so he'd be available. Unfortunately, Woody wasn't overly thrilled, but Jordan couldn't picture anyone else performing the ceremony.

Jordan continued telling her that she had even considered getting married in the morgue until Garret reminded her that the state prohibited such things, which Lily quietly concurred.

"...This morning I caved in and called Woody's church …" Jordan said flatly.

"I didn't think you wanted to get married in The Church?"

"I. don't. ...but I'm to the point where I'd take anything right now..." Jordan said grudgingly.

Lily studied her. "Well?"

"The sanctuary is being fumigated that week."

"Oh Jordan."

"I give up." Jordan shrugged almost comically. "Even God is against this marriage."

"Don't say that Jordan. There has to be something you can do..."

Out in the hallway, Nigel couldn't help but over hear what obviously sounded like a future bride and her confidant spilling details about Jordan's quickie wedding. He felt it was his duty to infiltrate. After all, everyone expected him to be in the know and so far he had nothing to dish.

"Do what?" he asked, letting himself in to the office and the conversation.

"Jordan can't get married," Lily announced with enough drama to make Nigel think he stepped into the mother of all good gossip.

Nigel went from being excited to finally be getting a few juicy details to watching a five dollar no-cold-feet bet fly out of window.

"Can't get married!" he exclaimed. "Why in heavens name not? Trust me love, it's probably just a case of cold feet. Deep breaths; in through the nose, out through the mouth..."

Jordan rolled her eyes as Nigel proceeded demonstrate. "Not won't, but can't. I never realized what it took to just get hitched in this town. I wonder what Woody would say to Vegas...?"

Nigel smiled brightly, already planning on how to parlay his five buck winnings into a retirement fund at the black jack tables of the nearest casino to the wedding chapel.

"You can't be serious, Jordan. You don't want to get married in Vegas," Lily cut in.

"Huh, what? Why not?" Nigel squeaked.

"A wedding ceremony should be something special, sacred, personal...not some cheap, gaudy quickie in a place where you take a number and wait in line. Where is the romance in that?"

"Las Vegas can be very romantic..." Nigel argued.

"...I like cheap," Jordan smiled.

Lily looked at them both like they lost their minds. "I can't stand by and listen to this. This is your wedding day we're talking about, Jordan," she said pulling Jordan's notes out of the trash. " I know some people, Jordan. Give me a few days. Let me take a look and see what I can do."

"Really?" Jordan said brightly. It never occurred to her to ask for help...but this could work.

Already making mental notes, Lily thumbed through Jordan's chicken scratched notes. There wasn't much. Already she could see she'd have her work cut out for her. "Sure," Lily replied with an uneasy smile. "No problem," she added with confidence. "You just find a dress and I'll take care of the rest."

Jordan looked between the two people standing in front of her desk like she had just swallowed a piece of bad fish. "A dress?"

"Of course, your wedding dress."

Jordan shifted in her seat uncomfortably. For most women, their wedding dress is the most important part the wedding, even more so then the man they are marrying. Jordan would never admit it out loud, but there was a girly side of her that thought about what she'd wear even before her own whirlwind engagement. Two months ago she had a rare opportunity to humor those girlish fantasies when she accompanied Kim picking out her own wedding dress. She helped Kim thumb through rack after rack of everything from over priced designer samples to readymade bundles of satin and tulle. In her mind's eye she couldn't see herself in any of them.

"I...I haven't thought that far yet."

"Have no fear, my dear..."Nigel smiled enigmatically. "I can help you out in that department."

Before Jordan could answer her beeper went off and she was on call. Looking at both of their expectant faces Jordan thought to herself; why not...? Lily was probably one of those women who had their own wedding planned since they were ten and Nigel...well what was the worst he could do?

Jordan shook her head as a vision of a dress that would look equally at home on Greek goddess in a made-for-TV movie or a backup singer for the 1978 Dawn Summer tour.

She didn't have time to think about it right then. "All right. You're both hired," she said grabbing her bag. "As long as I'm not married by a Buddhist monk in a hot air balloon, I'm pretty open. And Nigel...less is more."

Before she could fly out the door, Jordan stopped and gave them both a hug. "Thank you."

"Don't worry about anything, Jordan," Lily smiled. "You are going to have a wedding that people will still be talking about years from now."

Jordan left thinking she didn't care if anybody remembered it as long as it was legal and over.