Hurray! The wedding day looms and only a few chapters left! Apparantly someone disregared my mascara warning for the last chapter. I put them up for a reason, people! This is a shortish chapter, but I wanted to give the wedding its proper due, so it will be in the next chapter. And thank you to the people who review, both signed and anonymous. It's a rather nice boost to see that people are enjoying my scribblings!

(London, 1923)

"Finally!" James exclaimed as everyone errupted into laughter.

"We all felt that way." Michael chuckled. "Especially Robby and Olivia. We were all eating breakfast when Mary and Bert came back. Mum and Jane were crying and Dad and I shook Bert's hand. Robby was dancing around the table and that was when Gavin came by. Poor Jane was mortified!"

"I bet he didn't mind, though." Tom chuckled.

Michael shook his head. "I think Jane could have had purple spots all over her face and he wouldn't have noticed them. But he was happy for Bert and Mary. Robby was the happiest though when Bert asked him to be the best man. Gavin and I were the groomsmen."

"I bet it was a happy wedding." Matthew said reflectively. "Sounds like they'd both been waiting a while for it."

"It was." Michael nodded. "But Bert and Mary were both as nervous as anything the night before!"

(London, August 10th, 1917)

It was the night before her wedding and Mary Poppins was nervous. More like terrified, if she was perfectly honest with herself (which she usually was). Since her mother had died when she was 14, she had no idea what to expect when she and Bert were alone with each other tomorrow night and who could she ask? Jane was too young and she figured that Ellen would be no help!

Tiring quickly of pacing her bedroom floor, she descended the stairs and ended up in the kitchen. Cook was peeling potatoes and Mary asked hesitantly, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

The older woman's sharp eyes flickered up and took in Mary's anxious face. "No, but I'm thinking that you have something on your mind. Do you?"

"I...I..." she stammered, feeling very awkward, almost as awkward as she had when she was 14 and faced her first lessons at the finishing school she had attended. Fortunately, Cook took some pity on her and motioned for her to sit in the chair at the table across from her.

"Go ahead, deary." Cook said comfortingly, picking up another potato.

"I'm glad to be marrying Bert but I...I don't know what to do...after..." she said softly, her hands twisting her apron in her lap.

Cook nodded, a slow smile spreading over her face. "I understand. I don't hold with being forward, but sometimes I think it would be better if us girls knew what was right and proper to expect of our husbands."

"I am inclined to agree with you in this instance." Mary sighed. She hated being kept in the dark and not knowing what was normal or even proper in this situation.

"I can tell you one thing." Cook said slowly as she finished the potato she was working one and picked up another, her knife flashing rapidly over it. "There's some men in this world you wouldn't want for your first time and that's a fact. But your Bert isn't one of them. You'll be safe with him."

Cook was right; she would be safe with Bert. Even when he kissed her, she could feel the desire and respect mingled together. He wouldn't push her farther than she was willing to go.

"Thank you." Mary said as she got to her feet, feeling more settled.

"He'll probably be nervous too." Cook observed. "The men are the ones who are supposed to know what to do, so go easy on him. And it would probably help if you dress for him a bit."

Mary's eyes widened. "Dress for him?" she asked faintly. She hadn't even considered what that could entail!

Shaking her head and setting the knife and potato down, Cook motioned for Mary to follow her. "Come along, dear. I think we can find something that will make his eyes spin!"

As she followed behind, Mary fervently hoped that whatever item of clothing this was, it wouldn't make her eyes spin too!

Opening a large trunk, Cook began rooting around in it before standing up triumphantly. A red nightgown was in her hand and Mary wondered if it was too late to put things back a bit. She wasn't sure if she was ready to go parading around in front of Bert in such a garment!

"Just put this in your bag, deary." Cook ordered sternly. "And wear it tomorrow! You won't regret it."

Gingerly taking the nightgown back to her room so she could put it in the carry case she would be taking with her for their honeymoon, she wondered if asking for Cook's advice had really been a sensible thing to do...

Bert sat on the edge of the roof, looking up at the sky. Tonight was his last night as a single man, but he felt no regrets. Some men bemoaned the loss of their bachelorhood but he was more than ready for his to be a distant memory.

"Nice night." a soft voice commented from behind him and Bert turned with a smile to find Gavin staning behind him, broom slung over his shoulder.

"It is." he agreed, motioning for Gavin to take the seat beside him. The young man sank down gracefully and also looked up thoughtfully into the sky.

"Are you looking forward to tomorrow?" Gavin asked. Something in his voice made Bert take a moment and consider his answer.

"I am. More than anything." he replied honestly. "Not every day is going to be all sweetness and light, but we love each other and as long as we work through things together, we'll be happy in the end."

Gavin nodded, his eyes far away in his own thoughts until Bert nudged him gently with his shoulder. "What's goin' on in that head of yours, Gav?"

Bowing his head, Gavin said quietly, "Just wishing that Jerry was here for all of this. To see you get married. So I could ask him what to do about Jane..."

"Oh?" Bert asked, looking at Gavin. This sounded pretty serious.

The young man he thought of as his second brother bit his lip for a second. "I...I think I could love her, Bert. But I know that I don't make enough money as a sweep to support a family. And I know her Dad's gonna ask how much I have saved."

A slow smile spread over Bert's face. "Gav, I might be able to help. I took all that money that you gave me from your sweep jobs and put it in the bank, thinking you could pay off the deed on the house with it."

Gavin sat up straight. "I paid it off a month ago..."

"Then I guess you can look for a place of your own, and a ring...after you talk to Mr. Banks." Bert said, grinning. Gavin was stunned and Bert shook his head.

"Best wedding present you could give me is knowing that you're settled, Gav." Bert hinted. Gavin didn't need to be told twice and dashed off to go down and speak to his beloved's father. Bert watched him go, chuckling. He remembered being that young.

Sobering, he looked up at the sky again. Gavin's words had made him remember Jerry. His easy smile, and sly sense of humor as well as his unfailing friendship. He too wished that his old friend was there for the momentous occasion.

But Gavin would be there. And so would Mrs. Brown, almost taking the place of both his and Mary's mother. She had helped Mary choose her dress and would be helping her get ready tomorrow. And speaking of tomorrow, he had to get some rest.

He stood up, getting his crutch under his arm as he headed for the rope ladder Gavin had made. It allowed him to get up on the roof once in a while, much to the delight of his old sweep friends. They had been thrilled to see him and it was nice to see that he still felt like he belonged up here.

Glancing up one last time, he heaved a soft sigh. "Wish you were here, Jer." he whispered before descending the ladder and heading to his room to sleep. But slumber wasn't coming and he tossed and turned. Truth be told, he was nervous about the whole "wedding night" business.

He had never been with a lady before and wasn't exactly sure of what to do! The other sweeps had teased him, but even as a young man he had never been tempted to sample any of the wares that the painted girls on the corner offered. He kept his money for other things. Also...he had wanted his first time with someone to be special, not something that had to be bought.

And when he had met Mary, he knew that there was no one else he wanted to spend his life with except her. But that wasn't reassuring him right now.

Rubbing a hand over his face, he sat up and reached for a book. As he did so, a soft tapping came at his door. Surprised, he got his crutch under his arm and moved quickly over to the door, opening it. Robby stood there, a knowing smile on his face. "Nervous?" he asked.

"Yes." Bert admitted, standing aside so that Robby could enter the room.

"It's normal." his friend said with a smile as he sat down on Bert's bed. "All men go through it."

"I just...I don't know what to do when tomorrow night comes." Bert sighed, resting his head in his hands.

"Ahh, the ol' "husbandly duties" that nobody ever actually bothers to explain to us." Robby nodded. "I can tell you what I heard from some of my married friends, if that would help."

"Anything would help at this point." Bert said ruefully, shutting the book.

"I heard that it's almost...instinct." Robby mused. "A lot of them were nervous but found that if you don't think about it too much and let yourself go, it works out. And she'll be nervous too, so go slow and be gentle."

Bert's face was flushing a rich red, but he nodded, filing the information away. Robby looked like he wanted to laugh, but restrained himself. "And just remember that usually, the first time out isn't the greatest." his friend finished. "So if something gets bumbled, you'll know for next time!"

"Assuming I don't bumble it so badly she won't want a next time." Bert mumbled and Robby tried to keep his laughter down.

"I'm serious, Robby!" he protested. "I've heard of blokes who got kicked out of their own rooms and had to sleep on the couch for their honeymoon!"

"I don't think Mary would do that to you, mate." Robby said, calming down. "She loves you, and you love her. As long as that's what you remember at the end of the day, everything else can be worked on."

He blushed again as Robby wagged his eyebrows like a music hall pantomime villian. "Oh get on with you." he said, giving Robby a light shove.

"Going." his best man said cheerfully as he got to his feet. "See you tomorrow at the altar!"

He chuckled quietly. Trust Robby to make him laugh and also make everything he was worrying about seem like something he could overcome. "See you at the altar, Robby."

Walking over and shutting the door after him, Bert went back to bed and was finally able to fall asleep.