Disclaimer: Of course none of this belongs to me.

Chapter 9-The Wedding

Guests milled about the large backyard engaging in small talk while they waited. It was a warm spring day with blue skies and a few white clouds. It was the perfect day for a wedding.

Folding chairs had been set up in the green grass with three long tables set up behind them and piled with food. Off to the other side of the yard were round dining tables covered in white tablecloths and dining ware. White lilies and floating candles were placed in the middle of each table. Seated near the front of the makeshift altar was a string quartet tuning their instruments.

"You nervous?" teased Vera as Scotty paced up and down the grassy aisle.

Scotty glanced up with a wild look in his eyes. "What makes you say that?" he asked warily.

Jeffries rolled his eyes as he took a seat in the front row. "You're making a hole in the aisle. Lilly won't appreciate walking through mud in that dress of hers. It took her three months to find it, remember?"

"Yeah," agreed Vera with a chuckle. "You really don't wanna ruin her big day, do you?"

"Tell me again why we waited a year before we got married?" muttered Scotty with a scowl.

"So Lil could lose the baby fat after having the little squirt." Vera looked around as he spoke. "Speaking of which, where is the little thing?"

Scotty grinned. "Look behind you."

Vera turned around and smiled at the blonde little girl holding onto a chair with one hand and her bottle with the other. She had large blue eyes and wore a fancy little green dress with ruffles. Vera squatted down to look Summer in the eyes. "Hey squirt, Whatcha doin'?"

"I tired," replied Summer proudly. Vera shrugged and scooped the tot up in his arms before handing her over to Scotty.

"She's all yours," he announced with another chuckle.

"You're a funny man, Vera, remind me again why Lil chose you to be one of Summer's godfathers?" replied Scotty as Summer wrapped her arms around his neck. Vera simply winked back as an answer.

Inside the house Lilly was busy studying herself in the mirror. It had taken her three months to find the perfect dress. She smiled at the memory of Scotty's complaint that it was too simple for the wedding. But that was exactly how she had wanted it.

The white gown clung to Lilly's form in all the right places. It had plain thin straps over her shoulders and a few sequined beads across the top, before flowing down to the ground. Her hair was twisted back in a loose bun with a few blonde curls hanging out and small white flowers woven in the bun. Lilly liked simple. That was who she was.

A knock on the door shook Lilly out of her trance. She opened it up and gave Stillman a small smile. "Hey."

"Are you about ready?" asked Stillman. "I think Scotty's afraid you're going to pull the disappearing act on him."

Lilly chuckled. "Oh please, it took me a whole year to plan this wedding out. Besides, I think Scotty's family has all the exits blocked. I saw Mr. Valens talking to a few of Scotty's cousins—and he was pointing at the door and windows."

"Come on, you can't keep the guests waiting forever." Stillman offered his arm as Lilly let out a small sigh.

"I can wish can't I?" she mumbled as she took his arm. Together the pair walked downstairs to where Mrs. Valens was waiting. Scotty's brother and brother-in-law threw open the double doors to the backyard as Mrs. Valens gave a signal for the music to start.

The opening bars of Pachelbel's "Canon in D" began, indicating the start of the wedding. Lilly took a deep breath and glanced out at the crowd that had gathered for her wedding. She smiled as the mayor and his wife waved at her, and then giving her two thumbs up. Directly behind them were Abby and Jeff standing hand in hand.

"Let's do this," murmured Lilly. Stillman nodded with a fatherly smile and together they began the small trek down the aisle. Up ahead Lilly could see Scotty with Summer in his arms. It seemed their daughter was fast asleep.

Scotty shifted Summer to his other arm as Stillman handed Lilly over to him. Lilly grinned as she took Scotty's arm and reached over with her other hand to fix Summer's hair. It was beginning to darken. Lilly had the feeling that Summer would grow up to have hair the same color as Scotty.

The couple smiled at each other as the priest cleared his throat. "We are gathered here to day to join in the union of this man and this woman."

"What do you think?" whispered Scotty as the priest droned on.

"I think those enchiladas your sister made smell really good," murmured Lilly as her stomach let out a soft growl.

Scotty glanced down at Lilly in amusement. "I meant about the wedding."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," returned Lilly snuggling closer to Scotty. Summer yawned and blinked her sleepy eyes open. Upon seeing her mother she reached out her arms until Lilly took the drowsy child out of Scotty's arm. Scotty grinned and wrapped an arm around Lilly. Things were finally perfect between them.

Soon enough the priest arrived at the most important part. "Do you Scotty vow to take this woman as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, and until death do you part?"

"I do."

"And do you Lilly vow to take this man as your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, and until death do you part?"

"I do."

"Then by the powers vested in me I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Scotty didn't need to be asked twice as he quickly gave Lilly a soft kiss on the lips. Lilly beamed back at him, and somehow Scotty came away with Summer in his arms. Hand in hand the couple walked back down the aisle and over to the dining tables. They took their seats at the table furthest away from the food as their guests picked out their own close by. Within minutes Stillman, Jeffries, and Vera joined the newlyweds. The last six seats were reserved for Scotty's family.

"Is she still sleeping?" asked Vera pointing at Summer.

Lilly grinned. "She takes after her father. She sleeps like a log."

"I do not sleep like a log," protested Scotty.

"This coming from the man who once had to be woken up by ice water," replied Lilly breezily. Scotty narrowed his eyes but decided to keep his mouth shut.

Stillman shook his head. "I'm glad to see that one year together and you two are still at each other's throats. And here I thought marriage would change everything. It's nice to know that office life will still be entertaining."

"Tell me about it," agreed Jeffries with a lopsided grin of his own. "We'll finally be able to return to the better aspects of real life soap operas. Rumor has it Scotty wants six kids."

"Yeah, well he's gonna have to learn how to make babies on his own. There's no way in hell that I'm having any more kids. Do you even know what it's like to carry one of those things in your stomach for nine months and then pop it again? Trust me when I say it's ten times worse than menstrual cramps."

The men blanched, and were saved from further comments as Scotty's family joined them at the table. Soon the servers began to hand out plates of homemade Mexican food.

Vera glanced around at the guests and snickered as his eye caught one particular pair. "Did you know Abby and Jeff are getting married this fall? They decided to compromise and get married and then travel the world for a honeymoon. All those years of pretending to be Annabelle for nothing. Some people are saps."

"I heard the missus made you get a cat," remarked Jeffries.

Vera slumped in his seat. "Turns out I'm a sap too," he muttered darkly as the food arrived at their table. Just as everyone was about to eat a phone could be heard ringing from within the house. Lilly sighed and got up to answer it as Scotty gave her a bewildered look.

"Who the heck would be calling us? I thought everyone we invited actually came—and then some. Man, even the reporters have been milling around waiting for today," grumbled Scotty. It was then that Summer decided to wake up. She took one look at the food and put a chubby little hand in Scotty's enchilada. "Alright, honey, you can eat that. But if your mother asks, I knew nothing about this, got it?"

Summer nodded solemnly as she brought the gooey mess to her mouth, dropping most of it in her lap. Scotty chuckled and set about cleaning off his daughter as Lilly came running out of the house.

"Scotty, guess what!" she called out.

"What?"

"Christina got put in jail in Mexico! Isn't that the greatest wedding present ever?" gushed the rosy cheeked bride. Scotty opened his mouth and then shut it with a shake of his head. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what charges Lilly's baby sister had finally gotten nailed for.

Instead all heads swiveled to Vera who had tossed down his fork on his plate. "Man my present doesn't even come close to that!"

"Well," started Stillman carefully, "I'm glad you found something to make your day, Lil. Especially considering it's your wedding we're talking about…but to each their own."

Lilly sat down with a satisfied smirk on her face. "Oh, nothing could top that little piece of news. That was the icing on the cake."

Scotty rolled his eyes as he watched Lilly eat her food. "I hate to burst your bubble, Lil, but there's something I've been meaning to tell ya."

"What?" questioned the blonde glancing over at her husband. She frowned upon seeing her daughter with enchilada sauce all over her face. As Scotty took his time trying to phrase what he wanted to say Lilly scooped Summer into her arms, messy dress and all.

"Well, um, you've been so busy that I haven't been able to talk to you about it but—" whatever Scotty had been about to say was drowned out by hisses and yowls of three cats and the bark of a dog. Lilly's eyes widened in shock.

"You didn't," she murmured.

"Remember that poor Dalmatian you hit with the car last week?"

"I didn't hit it; it got in my way and played dead as I slammed on the breaks."

"Yeah, well, it has no owners, and since I felt bad I thought it might be nice that we, you know, cared for it."

"Scotty Valens, you got a dog? We have three cats and now we have a dog?" screeched Lilly.

"Told you she wouldn't take it well," murmured Vera looking down at his plate. Stillman and Jeffries nodded in agreement as they scooted further back in their seats. Scotty's parents had already disappeared, as well as his sisters and brothers. They knew what Lilly's temper was like.

"It's a nice dog. You thought she was a real sweetheart when we took her to the vet," pointed out Scotty.

"Only because I was happy that she was alive. Dogs don't like cats—and I like cats!"

"Look at it this way, Lil, Summer likes the dog. It's for her."

Lilly chewed on her lip thoughtfully. "Fine, but I don't like it."

"But remember, your sister's in jail—that should make up for the dog."

"Don't push it, Valens."

"Whatever you say, Mrs. Valens," shot back Scotty evenly.

"Is it too late for an annulment?" asked Lilly glancing around for the priest.

Scotty grinned. "My mom's right—you are pregnant again."

"What are you talking about?"

"The mood swings are back."

Lilly shook her head vehemently. "No they aren't."

"Yes they are."

"No they aren't."

"Yes they are."

"No—wait." Lilly scrunched up her face in thought and then groaned. "Dammit! I think I am pregnant!"

Stillman raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "Come again?"

"Missed a period—minor details, boss. I'll visit the doctor and let you know in a couple of weeks."

Scotty chuckled. "Like I said, boys, six kids."

Lilly pursed her lips thoughtfully. "You better watch your back from now on, Scotty. If I am pregnant again then that's it, no more kids after that."

"I love you too, Lil," said Scotty giving Lilly a quick kiss on the lips.

"You better love me," she teased back as Summer slid out of her lap. The couple kissed once more just as Summer spoke up.

"Look." The table glanced over at the tiny tot who had just reached up to pull a present off the gift table and got the tablecloth caught with it. Everyone watched in horror as the wedding cake came crashing down on the four officers.

"Nope," stated Vera. "I think that beat my present too."

A/N: I wanted to end on a lighter note, but I'm not sure it came out very well. However, this is the last chapter. Thank-you for being so patient with me. I really hope that you liked the story.