Here's the next installment - the one you all (haven't?) been waiting for - Sam and Joe's wedding! Can't decide whether I should put a : ) or a :' (...

2006

Today was the day. W-Day, if you will. Sam's wedding day. The guests had rsvp-ed, the caterers had prepared the food for the reception, and she had just put on her wedding dress. It was her mom's dress. Her father had it sent to her and it fit perfectly. She was so nervous about the wedding. She wanted everything to go smoothly. After all, you only get married once. And even if you remarry eventually, it's not your first wedding, so Sam figured it couldn't be as special, or at least not as new. New and scary.

She had no doubts about marrying Joe. None at all. She had regrets, but not about this. In fact, she felt that this decision was the only right one she had made in a long time.

Sam looked at her reflection in the mirror. She had allowed her hair to grow for this occasion. Her hair was up, with curls cascading all around her face. Janet had been in earlier, with Cassie, telling Sam how beautiful she looked, giving her marriage advice. The advice was pretty much 'don't do what I did,' but Sam appreciated every ounce of knowledge she could get out of anyone.

It was funny that she was so scared about getting married. She'd saved the planet on multiple occasions, gone hand-to-hand with the galaxy's most vicious villains, and even died more than once, but her wedding - being married - scared her more than all of that put together.

She decided to take a walk to clear her head. Joe had already seen her dress, so she wasn't worried about that. It was just slightly windy outside. They had opted for an outdoor wedding. It was September and the leaves were just starting to turn. It was a beautiful day, the perfect temperature. Sam walked towards a clumping of trees, careful to make sure that she did not get her dress dirty.

As she got nearer to a beautiful oak tree, she saw a familiar face. At first she thought her mind was playing tricks on her, but he started walking towards her. It was Jack.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Funny, I could ask you the same thing."

"I'm getting married."

"Ah."

"I didn't get your rsvp, I didn't think you were coming."

"I'm not, er, I wasn't, but I had to see you before..."

He stopped and looked down at the ground. Then he did something that Sam would classify as very 'un-Jack'. He leaned over and kissed her. She was thoroughly enjoying the kiss before she remembered why she was here. She pulled away.

"Don't marry him, Sam. He isn't the one for you."

"Maybe not. But it seems to me that he's the only one that ever wanted me. Even when I wanted someone else."

"Sam - "

She started to walk away from him, tears beginning to fall. Thank goodness for waterproof mascara, she thought to herself.

"Sam. Please. Don't let it end like this."

She turned around. "It's impossible to end something that never started."

Then she turned back and ran off from him, trying not to cry too hard.

An hour later, she walked back up the aisle, Mrs. Joseph Faxon. She didn't know, didn't see that Jack had stood off to the side of the ceremony, just to make sure she didn't change her mind. But Jack didn't know that Sam had already decided she was going through with the wedding. Joe made her happy. That's all she wanted. It didn't matter if someone else would make her happier, she just wanted a happily ever after. Joe was the only way she could have exactly what she wanted.

But although she'd started out the day with no regrets, she walked up that aisle, filled with thoughts of what could have been. Maybe regret wasn't the right word. 'Mistake' seemed more appropriate at that moment. Maybe this had all been a mistake.

So? Thoughts? Review and let me know what you thought! Thanks for reading! :D