Disclaimer: I do not own Strong Medicine or the characters. They belong to Whoopi Goldberg, and Tammy Ader, and Lifetime TV. Special thanks to all my "Santa's elves"! You know who you are :-) Merry Christmas!


The Day Before Lu and Peter's Wedding

Andy stepped out of her office and almost collided with Lu as she rushed into the clinic from the ER. "Lu! What are you doing here!"

"Girl! You're supposed to be at your final dress fitting!" Lana looked up from her desk in surprise.

"I know, I know! I got paged." Lu hurried into her office.

Following close behind, Andy held out her hand, "Give me your pager."

Lu shuffled through some papers on her desk, "What?"

"Give me your pager." Andy repeated, "I'll take care of any pages you get."

"Andy!" Lu started to protest.

"I'm not asking. Now, hand it over." Andy spoke more sternly, still holding her hand out.

Lu sighed and reluctantly handed her pager to Andy.

"Thank you," a smile spread across Andy's face, "Now get outta here!"

"Yeah," Lana spoke up from Lu's office doorway, "Get going before Peter sees you. It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride twenty four hours before the wedding."

"You are so superstitious." Lu laughed as Andy and Lana practically pushed her out of the clinic.


The Next Day - Early Afternoon

Lu stood with her back to the door, facing the full length mirror in the bride's room as Andy buttoned the tiny pearl buttons running down the back of her wedding gown and Lana fussed with her hair.

"Did you bring another can of hair spray? This one's almost empty." Lana shook the hairspray can and lightly sprayed Lu's hair.

"Yeah, there's another one in my bag." Lu tucked a few stray hairs up into her french twist.

"Hold still," Andy struggled with the last couple of buttons, "These are being stubborn."

Hearing the door, Lu looked up in the mirror.

In the open doorway of the bride's room stood Isabel, smiling broadly.

Lu, stunned, stood staring at Isabel in the mirror for a moment before quietly exclaiming, "Oh... my... God!" She slowly turned around to face her grandmother, "Am I dreaming? Or are you really here?"

Isabel laughed, "I'm really here, mi amor."

Lu picked up the skirt of her gown and practically flew across the bride's room, into her grandmother's arms. "I can't believe it! You're here... you're really here!" Lu clung to Isabel, tears streaming down her face.

Wrapping Lu in a tight embrace, Isabel spoke softly, "No grita, mi pequeño." Pulling back, Isabel wiped away Lu's tears.

"Huh?" Lana raised an eyebrow.

Andy smiled and translated, "Do not cry, my little one."

"Oh... thanks Miss I'm Fluent In Countless Languages." Lana's eyes sparkled with laughter as she teased her friend.

Lu laughed then turned back to her grandmother, "I'm sorry." She wiped away a few tears, "I'm just so happy you're here."

"I couldn't miss my little girl's wedding, now could I?" Isabel gently touched Lu's cheek, "Now, you've smeared your makeup with those tears."

"How did you get here? I didn't think you could fly this far." Lu looked at Isabel curiously.

"I couldn't on a regular airline, but the nicest private jet... HUGE private jet picked me up." Isabel sat down on the soft couch.

"Private jet?" Lu frowned in confusion.

"Yes." Isabel motioned toward Andy.

"The advantages of a former Army life... and some of DC's wealthiest owing you a favor." Andy smiled when Lu looked back at her.

"And then when I landed," Isabel continued, "a fancy limousine picked me up and brought me here."

Lu looked at Andy again.

"Not me this time... Not my doings." Andy held up her hands, then pointed to Lana.

"The advantages of one of Philly's rich owing you for babysitting." Lana shrugged her shoulders.

Lu hurried over and threw her arms around her best friends, tears rolling down her cheeks again, "You guys are the best."

"You deserve the best..." Andy's voice was thick with emotion as she and Lana hugged Lu tightly.

"Now, now ladies," Isabel clapped her hands lightly, "We must finish getting my Luisa ready. It is almost time."

"Yes," Andy smiled as she pulled out of the group hug, "Let me fix your makeup." She dabbed at the mascara streaks under Lu's eyes.

Lana pulled back as well and returned to fussing over Lu's hair as Isabel stood and walked over to finish buttoning the back of Lu's gown.


A Few Minutes Later

"Ma?" Marc knocked on the bride's room door.

Lana opened the door and stepped back, allowing Marc to enter.

"Whoa..." Marc stared at his Mom in awe as the sound of Kenny G's Forever In Love drifted into the room, "You look SO beautiful."

"Thank you Son," Lu stepped over to Marc and straightened the bow tie of his tuxedo, "You're quite handsome yourself."

"Come ladies, let's give Luisa and Marco a few minutes alone." Isabel quickly ushered Andy and Lana out, closing the door behind them.

Marc looked back and laughed, "Just you and me."

"The way it's always been." Lu smiled at her son with tears in her eyes.

Marc took a step closer to Lu and hugged her tight, "Ma, don't cry," he whispered in her ear, "This is a happy occasion... Peter's finally gonna be our family for real."

Lu pulled back and wiped away her tears, "Well, as long as you guys don't build a cave in my living room again!"

"I was four years old! I can't believe you remember that!" Marc laughed.

"How could I forget? I came home after Wednesday Night Clinic, totally exhausted from being up all night, and found ALL of my towels and sheets draped across the couch, chairs, anything and everything in my living room." Lu's eyes sparkled with laughter.

"Hey!" Marc protested, "It was Peter's idea!"

Lu threw her head back and laughed, "Yeah, right. Sure it was."

"Well, what about my first day of school? You cried more than I did!" Marc reminded his Mom.

"And the day that you came in the clinic after some bullies beat you up for your Game Master." Lu reached up and ruffled Marc's hair.

"Yeah," Marc chuckled, "That WAS pretty bad wasn't it?"

"You think!" Lu raised one eyebrow.

"But hey, you taught me how to fight after that." Marc smiled broadly.

"No!" Lu corrected her son quickly, "I taught you how to defend yourself if you ever needed to."

"Yeah, yeah." Marc agreed cheerfully, "You cried when I left for college too."

Lu smiled and gently ran her hand down Marc's cheek, "The years flew by... you grew up too fast for this Mom's taste."

Marc took Lu's hand and kissed it, "Ma..." he said quietly, "No matter how far I go, I'll always come back to you wherever you are. You'll always be my home."

Lu cleared her throat to hold back the tears as she pulled her son close. "Well," she said, her voice thick with emotion.

"Well what?" Marc pulled back and looked at his Mom.

"Well," Lu said again, her husky Hispanic accent becoming more and more apparent from her unshed tears.

"Ma? What is it?" Marc frowned in concern.

"Are you ready to give me away and get rid of me?" she laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

"Maaa!" Marc laughed, "That's not funny!"

"Then why are you laughing?" Lu kissed Marc's cheek, "Come on... Peter's waiting."

Marc opened the door and stepped out, "Let's not keep him waiting any longer... he's waited too many years." He held his arm out to his Mom.

Suddenly the sound of the Bridal Chorus filled the sanctuary and all of the guests rose to their feet. Lu smiled happily as she glided down the aisle on Marc's arm.

Lu was so wrapped up, in Peter's gaze and in her own thoughts and expectations, that most of the ceremony was a blur. She knew that Lana and Bob both sang. She was aware that Andy and Nick both spoke some sort of Wedding Blessings over them. But exactly what was said and sung was lost in the fog as she focused her attention and her entire being on the man standing beside her... the love of her life. The only thing that she remembered clearly was the minister's final proclamation, "I now pronounce you husband and wife... you may kiss your bride."

Peter leaned down and kissed Lu deeply as she wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss.

"You're my whole world." Peter whispered as they broke the kiss and pulled apart.

"And you're my everything." Lu responded quietly before taking Peter's arm and walking back up the aisle.


That Evening - At The Airport

Isabel stood at the security checkpoint, "Now you take care of her." She said as she hugged her new grandson.

"Yes ma'am, I will." Peter replied with a smile.

Isabel stepped over and hugged Lu as well, "Have a good time."

"We will." Lu kissed her grandmother's cheek, then took her husband's hand as they proceeded through the security checkpoint.

Isabel waved as they hurried to catch their flight, "I'll be here when you get back, mi amor..."


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