So this was going to be the first part of the Chicago story, but I got a bit distracted so I've thrown in a short character development chapter. As ever, please review/comment if you like it. Reviews motivate me to keep going! x

The ceremony room was filling up quickly with guests, a low hubbub of voices filled the air and the scent of anticipation hung silently among them. The groom nervously rubbed his hands together, mentally rehearsing his vows. Suddenly, the room began to hush as the sharp tones of the piano began to play the first notes of the wedding march. In unison, the guests turned to the back of the room, craning for a view of the bride as she made her entrance. Swallowing deeply, he looked up and beheld her. Swathed in a vision of lace, with a fingertip view barely covering her riotous curls, he was stunned. His heart beat faster. Slowly, she raised her head and a beaming smile filled her face. Jess looked more beautiful than he had ever seen her before…

"Woah," Nick shot up in bed as he awoke from his dream in shock. His eyes darted around the room as he struggled to process what he had just seen.

"Y'okay?" asked Jess sleepily, reaching out a hand to pat his arm with.

"Uh, yeah, just a dream," he replied, sinking back under the bedcovers.

"A nightmare?"

"No, uh, just a surprise. You go back to sleep, sorry I woke you," he leant over and kissed her forehead and she curled back into her sleeping position. Composing himself, he tried to understand the meaning in the dream. Just a dream, meant nothing, said one part of him. His other side countered, Jess is always talking about how dreams have meanings. So what was the meaning? No, it's just because we are leaving for the wedding in a couple of days and she was sleeping beside you… His other side snapped back, Oh yeah? So why was she the bride and you THE GROOM. His mind spun with arguments between the two halves until he was exhausted. Then, in defeat, he had to admit the real reason. You love Jess and you want to marry her one day. Crap, he thought, I'm so in over my head.

The mall was busy with shoppers and Jess and Cece made their way through the crowds. Jess mentally kicked herself for not buying a dress earlier. Every one she had tried on so far she had found fault with, too long, too short, too bright, not me. The problem was she was looking for perfection. She desperately wanted to make a good second impression on Nick's family.

As they got close to her favourite store, Ramona's, Jess cried, "I can't believe it is the day before we leave and I have nothing to wear!"

"Jess, it's not like you would be naked if you don't find something, you have a closet full of dresses. Not that I think Nick would mind if you were naked," She looked at Jess and flashed her a wicked smile, "What's the deal anyway? You love shopping. You'd usually have bought at least 5 options by now."

"I don't know," she replied as they walked through the entrance to the store, "I wasn't sure, kept changing my mind. I need a second opinion on this or being naked may become an option."

Searching through the rails, Jess was preoccupied as Cece chatted away about the date she had been on last night. Jess was pleased that Cece was starting to move on after her disastrous almost-wedding. She had been crushed when Schmidt had chosen to stay with Elizabeth, although she had tried to hide it, Jess knew. That said Jess wasn't sure everything was over between the two. Schmidt seemed awfully interested any time she mentioned Cece's name and Cece seemed to take an equal amount of interest in his activities, although she had banned Jess from using his name in her presence.

"All in all, I'd give it a 6. We're going to go out next Friday night, he's taking me to Beso," Cece added another dress to the growing pile draped over her arm.

"Oh, that's where Nick and I had our, well, our kinda first date," she pulled a twisted smile as she held up two red dresses, trying to decide between them, "Which?" she asked.

"Both," replied Cece, "I'm just so happy to be out dating again."

"I'm pleased too, glad you're over Sch-"

"Stop, don't say his name. I'm moving on." Cece faced Jess with a stern expression.

"Okay," Jess laughed, "Moving on. Right."

The carpeted floor of the dressing room was strewn with a multitude of colourful dresses. Silks, taffetas, satins of all shades of the rainbows mixed together, the pile growing larger with every rejection.

"It looks like a unicorn threw up in here," Cece commented as she returned with 3 more dresses to try. Jess, exhausted, slumped to the floor. For an hour now she had been trying on dresses and she was hot, irritated and dejected.

"I'm beginning to lose my will to live. Nothing is right," She threw her hands up in desperation.

"Hey, calm down. You've looked amazing in every one of those dresses. I don't understand why you are finding this so hard."

"It's just," Jess began, leaning against the wooden wall of the cubicle, "It's just this is a big deal Cece. I've only met his family once and that was under completely different circumstances. I really want to make a good impression, it's important that they like me." She gave Cece a large eyed look through her bangs.

"How could you not make a good impression? You're the friendliest, nicest person I know." This made Jess smile and she relaxed her head backwards.

"Thanks Cece. Can I tell you something without any judgement?"

"You're pregnant?" Cece instantly replied, a little too loudly.

"No," Jess whispered loudly, "Nothing like that," Though a little smile began to curl at her lips as she thought of a possible Miller-Day baby. "We've said it. The L word."

"Really? That's great Jess, I thought you had had some kind of glow about you recently," Jess blushed.

"And, well, I think this could be serious. Like end game serious."

"You want to marry him?" Cece asked, slightly incredulously.

"Well not right this minute!" Jess shot back, slightly annoyed at Cece's tone, "But this is the first time I have felt it could be since Spencer. We've only been dating a couple of months, but I have this feeling like it could work." She gave Cece a hopeful look, "And I'm nervous and anxious and excited about it all and I just want to find the perfect dress..." Cece shrank down and sat beside her friend. She hadn't quite realised the depths of Jess's feelings for her roommate until this moment. She knew they really liked each other, but talk of love and marriage was news.

"Jess, I'm sorry for being rude. I hadn't realised it was this serious," she took Jess's hand and gave it a squeeze, "I think I may have found just the dress for you." With that she stood up and walked over to the hook where she had hung the dresses she had just found. From the back she withdrew a garment of the most beautiful shade of cornflower blue that Jess had ever seen. It was silk taffeta; off the shoulder with little cap sleeves and a full 50's style skirt. Simple, elegant. Just Jess's style.

Jess eagerly snatched the dress and quickly pulled it on. How had I missed this before? She wondered. It fit her gentle curves perfectly and the colour matched her eyes, highlighting their unusual shade. He will love this. She thought. He loves me in blue. "This is it," she exclaimed, beaming at Cece.

"Finally," Cece replied, throwing up her hands in relief.

"Now," Jess began, looking herself up and down in the mirror, "Shoes." And with that Cece groaned. It was going to be a long afternoon.

The next morning Jess was sitting on her case, trying to close it, when Winston appeared in her doorway. "You do realise you are only going for 3 days Jess."

"Very funny Winston, help me please," together they worked to shut the case. Winston laid his body on top as she pushed in the little bits of fabric that stuck out back into the suitcase. Finally she was able the flick the last lock on her purple Samsonite into place and they gave each other a high five.

"You ready Nick?" Jess called as she picked up her carry on. Winston wheeled her bag towards the loft entrance, "I'm gonna put this in the car, see you two down there," he called as he exited.

Jess sauntered across the hall and slowly pushed open Nick's door and watched as he casually threw in an assorted array of t-shirts, shirts, socks and underpants into his battered duffle bag. "Hey, if you're not careful there you might actually get a few things that match in that bag," Jess said, walking up and wrapping her arms around him. He turned to face her and greeted her with a warm smile.

"You discovered my cunning plan!" he began, reciprocating her embrace, "I'm getting a tux for the wedding so I don't need to worry about what I pack."

"A tux? Really Miller, I look forward to that sight," she cheekily pinched his backside and gave him a sly wink.

"Hey, missy, calm that down, we got a plane to catch," he turned to close the zip on his bag and picked it up. "Let's get going, Winston might get too into the 'Wicked' soundtrack if we leave him alone for too long and I can't take an hour of him singing in LA traffic."

"Agreed," she replied, "Let's do this!"

"Yeah, lets," he echoed. They both headed towards the apartment door, bubbling with excitement and anticipation.