Julian's Wedding Gift

Genre: Family, Humour, Romance, FUTURE FIC

Pairings: Rosie and Julian

Main characters: Greg, Julian, Rosie

Author's note: This chapter is directly connected to Chapter 83, titled "Rosie's Hen Night". This chapter chronicles Julian Bailey's surprise for his bride, providing background hinted at towards the end of "Rosie's Hen Night."

"Greg… Mr… Greg… Sir… oh hell," Julian trailed off.

Greg stood in the kitchen at 221C, pouring the water from the kettle into the tea pot, and wondering if instead he ought to be raiding the refrigerator for a cold bottle of beer or two.

"Spit it out, Julian," Greg said softly.

"I was wondering if you would… if you might… Well I know I haven't been on horseback since I was a kid, but I was wondering if you might be willing to help me to surprise Rosa on our wedding day."

Rosie, and horses, were all Greg needed to agree.

"Of course, lad. What did you have in mind?" Greg asked, smiling broadly as he poured, while listening.

"Rosa has spoken of Ennie. I gathered she's a thoroughbred mare descended from Peppercorn's mare and sire?"

Greg thought a moment, mentally placing the names and the lineage. "Yes," he finally said. "Pepper was a gelding but he had siblings from the same parentage. One of this brothers wasn't gelded so that he might be part of the stables' breeding program, and he has sired several excellent steeds. Cayenne is one of them."

"Rosa rides her still, then? With you?" Julian had a plan in mind, and Greg could tell by the hopeful smile.

"Yes, she definitely does." Greg stopped a moment, grinning at Julian, as comprehension struck full-on.

"Well you're a brave young groom, aren't you lad. You want to ride in on a horse, leading Ennie in for your bride, don't you?"

Julian cleared his throat lightly before laughing. Mr. Greg always did know what he was thinking.

"Basically, yeah. I was thinking after all of the festivities when we make our official exit. Rather than leave in a fancy car, I might take my leave a few moments early and arrive on horseback with Ennie… waiting for Rosa. We're getting married at the riding stables anyway, the horses will be right there already."

"And you want a horse suited to you to ride in on. Well. You realize this will mean a few trips out to Larkspur Lane, yeah? And you haven't ridden in years and even then only once."

"Yeah, well I'm all grown up now, Uncle. Sir. Greg. Mr. Greg."

Greg laughed out loud at the awkward address. "Yes, lad. Well. I'm sure we can manage. Give me a few days and I'll sort it for you, hey? Then we make a few trips out to get you acquainted with your steed, and a proper wedding surprise for Rosie."

When, several days later, Julian Bailey stood in front of what he still judged, even now as an adult, and not by anyone's standard a small statured one at that – to be a bloody huge horse, he took a deep breath. Rosa was worth it, he told himself. His beautiful, beloved Rosa.

"You're not bloody gonna believe this," Greg said, wincing. "Meet Rosie Posie. Her full name is Ring Around the Rosie."

Julian gave his boss, uncle-in-law, and mentor a blank look before raising an eyebrow and, whether from emotion, or circumstance, completely coming apart at the seams.

"Oh my God, please tell me she answers to Posie?" Julian gasped, breathless with laughter. "Because if I ride in on a horse with the same name as my wife, my wedding night is going to be somewhat less than eventful," Julian gasped, barely able to breathe.

"Yeah, probably." Greg rolled his deep brown eyes, his own composure rapidly and hopelessly beginning to crumble. "Won't be much horsing around then, hey? Sorry, Lad." Greg's laugh began to rumble as it finally rose up from his chest and escaped in helpless peals, joining Julian in the cathartic burst.

Posie, for her part, simply whinnied, huffed, and shifted her feet patiently. Finally, she turned her head to gaze condescendingly at the utterly ridiculous humans standing next to her.

They weren't her first, they woudn't be her last. Posie had seen it all. Humans were humans, and as long as they spoke to her softly, touched her gently, and treated her with kindness, she didn't mind their ways.

"I'll TRY not to fall down, then, Sir. Uncle. Greg. Mr. Greg. Oh bloody HELL. WHAT do I call you?"

Greg managed to regain control long enough to answer. "How about just Greg. When we're off duty, of course."

Greg took a deep breath, as Julian did, regaining control of his sensibilities. The younger man reached up to stroke Posie's face. "Oh, you're a grand lass though, aren't you?" he breathed, his control returning with his sense of calm. "I'm not much for horses but you're rather fetching I'd say." Posie simply nodded her head, snorting softly. Finally, the human had regained his sense of decorum.

"So what's say you let me put a saddle on you then, and try riding on your back," he said, fully returned to composure. "Such a gorgeous big girl you are, my Rosa will love you, no doubt." He raised his hands to follow her head as she brought it down to meet his gentle words and touch.

"Aye, there's a big girl then, Posie," Julian murmured, bringing his face to meet hers.

"You're sure you've had nothing to do with horses since that day years ago, Lad? Because you do seem to have a way with them."

"I'm sure," Julian said, absently, his focus still on the mare he intended to saddle up and mount. "I can see why Rosa loves them so. Such a beautiful, gentle spirit here." Greg looked on thoughtfully as Julian brought his hands to stroke Posie's face.

An hour later, with encouragement from Greg, Julian found himself, for the first time since he'd been a little boy, seated in a saddle.

Slowly, he found his way, and a few trips out to Larkspur Lane had him more at ease on horseback than he was at the notion of being a groom, in front of everyone, laying his heart out for all to witness.

Later in the day, at the small wedding hall located on the same property as the stables (for Julian couldn't picture Rosa getting married anywhere else), when the vows had been said, the first waltz danced, the speeches said and the meal shared, Julian Andrew Bailey gave a simple distinct look towards Greg.

Molly gave her husband a curious look, but trusted him. "Hold my ale and watch this, Love," he promised, as he leaned down to kiss her.

"Take too long and I'll drink your bloody ale before it goes warm and flat," Molly promised, with a quick kiss in return.

Julian snuck out with Greg and Kieran, and with a deep breath and a smile, mounted Posie. "There's a beautiful girl," he murmured to the young mare. "Here's our big moment now, no worries my big lass."

Greg, himself in dress blues, suddenly stood in awe of seeing this young boy he'd watched grow from the tender age of six, into a man, strapping and strong and one of the finest Scotland Yard could boast of, sitting high on horseback in his full Yarder's dress uniform. He glanced over at Kieran, who had stopped what he was doing to stare, equally mesmerized, up at his son.

"Oh, my beautiful boy," Kieran whispered, not unheard by Julian. "If you aren't a sight to behold."

Greg reached over to adjust Posie's bit, then did a last minute adjustment to her bridle. "If Rosie weren't already hopelessly in love with you lad, the sight of you right now would likely do it," he said, smiling warmly. Julian smiled gratefully at Greg, then turned and took Annie's reins from Kieran, who had led her over to him, then waited for his cue. Kieran gave him a look of adoring approval.

John, knowing his new son-in-law's plans, grinned as Greg and Kieran both returned with a nod. That was John's cue.

"Ladies and gentleman," he said loudly, "it's with pride and honour, and a full heart that I give my beautiful little lamb Rosamund Mary to Julian Andrew Bailey. They've been destined to be together for a lifetime, and now they're about to ride off into the sunset, but rest assured, we'll see them again soon enough when they've galloped back from their honeymoon. Let's hope their saddle sores are kept to minimum."

Rosie, though having held off a bit on the celebratory champagne, still gave her parents an odd look.

When he stepped forwards to escort her through the doors, she gasped to see her beloved Cayenne decked out in white saddle, bridle, and reins, and her groom, in his full Scotland Yard dress uniform, mounted on a beautiful thoroughbred mare she would come to know was named nearly the same as she was.

"Little Lass," Greg said, bowing, and offering a hand. "I believe your groom, and your Ennie, await."

Rosie spared little time, just enough to embrace Uncle Greg and give him a solid kiss to the cheek, then turn to Kieran to do the same, who lingered now with Emma, to greet this daughter he'd always wanted and knew it was only a matter of time before he finally had. Speechless, Rosie allowed Greg to delicately boost her into her saddle.

The moment she was seated, Rosie looked over to her new husband.

Julian sat upon Posie, gazing at his bride with bright green Irish eyes, threatening to brim over, and thinking back to that first moment he had truly fallen in love with her. It had been the day he'd seen her in her riding outfit, with Mr. Greg, when he'd joined them at the riding stables.

Julian was fairly certain he still wasn't going to be converted into a rider – this was something Rosa would always exclusively share with Uncle Greg - but for now, for this moment, he had no regrets. He reached out with his hand, passing Ennie's reins over to his bride, then took her hand. As if knowing – in fact, this wasn't her first time as an equine member of a bridal party at Larkspur Lane - Ennie huffed gently and moved closer to Julian, maneuvering herself to enough proximity for them to lean towards each other for a kiss.

As if on cue, Posie and Ennie whinnied softly in approval as Julian and Rosamund Bailey urged the horses to carry them forward.