A/N: An early Christmas present for you! Part Three of the impromptu "finding true love and happiness" trilogy.
"Were you this nervous when you and Hank got married?" Erin asked for the one millionth time as she twitterpated about.
Bunny had reappeared out the woodwork again and was begging for another chance to be a mother. They all knew she was nothing but nefarious, yet nevertheless they had tried to placate Bunny by allowing her a front seat at the ceremony. She insisted on a plus one, claiming she had a surprise guest as part of her present to her daughter.
Erin was a wreck on her wedding day.
"Babe, breathe!" Cali commanded her friend, gripping her upper arms. "You've got this!"
Kim and Sylvie nodded in agreement from where they stood in their bridesmaid dresses.
Hank, outfitted in his dress blues, patiently waited on the other side of the dressing room door. As he leaned against the wall, he reminisced about his own wedding day.
Erin had flown back from New York to serve as Cali's maid of honor since Cati was deployed and couldn't get a weekend pass. Al had stood as his best man again.
Members of the Special Victims Unit out of Manhattan had arrived in town a couple of days ahead of the big day, and several former gang unit teammates showed up alongside guys from the social club.
Cali's parents had flown in the week before, taking their first opportunity to tour the Windy City. Fellow officers from the 45th intermingled with those from the 21st.
Jay paced at the front of the church. He hoped Erin wouldn't get cold feet and flee before they got to the altar.
"She's not going to run," Will muttered to Mouse, who Jay had chosen to be his best man. Roman nodded in agreement as he tugged on the collar of his own dress blues.
The wedding march started and everyone from District 21 and Firehouse 51 came to their feet.
Kim led the procession, followed by Sylvie, and then Cali. All three women looked radiant in their muted army green v-neck gowns, but Erin positively glowed when she appeared on Hank's arm in the door archway.
Erin focused on the front where Jay stood and took a deep breath. Hank deliberately shielded her view of Bunny, who had puffed herself up as the proud mother of the bride.
In the seat next to her was the surprise guest, Erin's half-brother Teddy, who had obviously cleaned up his act after extensive therapy. Despite her mother's meddling, Erin later expressed her delight during the reception after seeing how good Teddy was doing.
Cali broadly smiled as she watched Hank walk Erin down the aisle. He looked so handsome in his dress blues, she thought. He always did. He had worn his uniform when they got married, and she had swooned at the sight then too. Her bridesmaids had worn shimmery navy blue cocktail dresses to match.
Mouse, outfitted in his Ranger dress blues, subtly moved closer to Jay, also outfitted in his Ranger dress blues, who swayed and caught his arm to steady him.
"You can do this," Mouse very quietly said to his friend.
Jay drew in a deep breath and focused on the fact Erin was walking toward him.
The entire Intelligence team broadly smiled as they watched their teammates finally tie the knot. Hank beamed at his adopted daughter, who had finally found her happy place after all she had been through. He also was glad he could officially welcome his sharpshooter into the family.
From his seat, Antonio gazed at Sylvie and wondered if they would or even could reach this milestone in their relationship. No one but Hank and Gabby even knew they were dating. What would his kids think? Could they make it work?
Kim and Sean sappily stared at each other during the whole ceremony as they stood at opposite ends of the altar, recalling their own wedding. It hadn't taken him long after the shooting that had almost ended his career (and life) to propose to his partner. He didn't regret one minute of the life they were building.
Will enviously watched as Jay and Erin said their vows. His own love life was a trainwreck. He wished he could find someone who would love him as he was and wanted to be in a committed relationship.
"It is my pleasure to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Halstead," the priest stated as the entire room erupted in cheers.
The church hall was minimally decorated, but there was plenty of food and drink.
Cali and Hank sat at a round table with Kim and Sean, Mouse and Cati, and Sylvie and Antonio near the front where the bride and groom sat facing their guests.
Will was seated at a nearby round table with his fellow doctors and nurses.
Antonio had initially resisted sitting with Sylvie since they were still trying to keep their relationship under wraps, but Hank had convinced him no one would think much about it since he was Hank's right hand man.
Cali was eating her dinner and carrying on a casual conversation with Kim, who was seated next to her, when Hank casually laid his left hand on her thigh under the table. His right hand rested on the back of Antonio's chair and they were talking shop like usual.
Cali discreetly coughed and took a sip of her water as Hank's fingers massaged her inner thigh through the gown's fabric. She tried to stay focused on what Kim was saying, but it was becoming increasingly hard to do so as Hank's hand moved slightly higher up her thigh.
She knew her face was going to give her away if she didn't do something, so she excused herself citing she needed to visit the ladies' room. Upon standing, she squeezed Hank's shoulder for balance and bent low to his ear as she adjusted her gown.
"You'll pay for that," she whispered that only he could hear. The side of his mouth smirked at her, not missing a beat in his conversation with Tony.
Cali made her way toward the bathroom, but diverted into the dressing room instead. She quickly pulled her cell from her pocketbook and texted her husband.
Hank felt his cell buzz in his pocket. He excused himself as he feigned answering the phone, putting the cell to his ear. He walked into the hallway and read his wife's message the moment he was out of sight.
Cali pulled Hank into the dressing room and swiftly locked the door behind him. She barely had a chance to turn around when he crowded her against the wall next to the door.
"That was a dirty trick," Cali murmured as she unbuttoned his jacket and reached for his belt.
"You complaining?" Hank gravelly asked, his hands rucking up the hem of her dress. His fingers met bare skin where her panties should have been.
"Nope," she breathed, smirking, since she had removed her panties while she waited on him.
"Hmmm," he said as she shoved his pants down.
Their lips met when he lifted her knee over his hip. She moaned into the kiss as he thrust deep.
"I was about to send out a search party," Kim commented when Cali made her way back to the table. "You OK?"
"Yeah. I think the soup just didn't agree with me," Cali lied, avoiding meeting her twin's eyes. Cati stifled a grin, reading her twin's posture for what it really was.
Hank fake ended the call as he walked back into the hall. Cati flicked a glance at her brother-in-law. His dress blues were perfectly in place, but she could tell by the crinkle around his eyes that he was more relaxed. She shook her head and smiled behind her hand.
A/N: Don't worry, this isn't the end! Much, much more Cali and Hank on the horizon ...