DISCLAIMER: Nope still not mine.

SUMMARY: Tara's recovered from her bout of pnuemonia and the plans for the wedding have moved forward at the speed of light (thanks to Kim and Marissa). Can Tara's mother make amends for all the cruel things she's done over the years?

The night before Valentine's Day, Kim, Tara and Marissa spent the night at Kim and Jason's house. Shaun, Tommy and Jason slept at Tommy's.

Tara didn't sleep much. She tossed and turned all night without Tommy nearby. She couldn't help but remember her mother's cruel words and picture everyone laughing at her as she walked down the aisle.

DREAM

She was at the church about to begin her walk down the aisle. As the processional started and she started walking with Jason, she heard the giggling begin. She could feel her eyes get bigger with fear as she watched people start pointing and laughing at her. When she finally made it to the end of the aisle, she noticed that it wasn't the preacher standing there, but her mother.

"I told you that no matter what you did, no man would ever want you," she told her daughter as the entire assembly started laughing at her. She looked around but couldn't find Tommy, Jason or Kimberly.

DREAM ENDS

"Tara. Tara, it's alright." Marissa's voice cut through the terror of the nightmare and pulled Tara back into the real world. Two strong arms were wrapped around her and Marissa's shoulder was firm against the young woman's cheek.

"Marissa, p-p-please. C-c-can I just c-c-call T-t-tommy?" Tara begged, lifting her face.

"Sweetie, it's 2 in the morning. He's probably sleeping. I know Jason and Shaun are."

Kimberly knew the fear that was running rampant through the raven-haired woman. She knew that Marissa didn't understand what had happened to Tara the Christmas before she had met Tommy. Without explaining anything, she reached over and picked up the phone, swiftly dialing the number.

"Yes?" came Tommy's voice through the line. He sounded amazingly awake for someone that would be getting married in just a few hours time.

"I have someone here that needs to talk to you." She handed the phone to Tara.

"T-t-tommy?"

"Tara, are you okay?" The worry in his tone allowed her to relax knowing that he would come running if she asked him to.

"I am n-n-now. I j-j-just needed to h-h-hear your v-v-voice."

"Bad dreams?" He knew what her mother had said and he knew that Abigail was going to try to make amends for the things she'd done over the years. But he also knew that the damage had already been done. "You know that your bad dreams aren't going to come true. I'm not going to let them."

"I was just s-s-scared."

"People won't be laughing at you because they'll be too busy staring at the beautiful woman that I'm lucky enough to be marrying." Tommy kept his voice as gentle as possible, knowing that he had to make sure that she knew that he was going to protect her no matter what.

"I love you, Tommy. You always make me feel so much better." She took a deep breath. "I'll let you go back to sleep."

"I wasn't able to sleep. I was too busy thinking about our wedding and how unbelievably lucky I am to have you." He smiled. "But what are you doing awake?"

"Tossing and turning. I haven't slept much tonight. I miss you."

"I miss you too. After the ceremony though, we won't have to be apart any more. I'll hold you tonight. I promise."

"Okay. See you in a few hours." Her voice was small. He knew that she was still kind of scared.

"I'll be waiting at the front of the church for you."

She felt a sudden urge to tease him. "And how will you know which one is me?"

"I'll just look for the most beautiful woman there." Tommy smiled.

"See you there." She hung up, leaning back against her pillows.

"Better?" Kim asked.

"Thank you," Tara said, nodding. As Marissa tucked the covers back up around the woman, she rolled over and curled about around one of the pillows. The two women left the room, turning off the light.

****

Only two hours later, Kimberly was peeking in on Tara only to realize that she was sound asleep. 'Thank god. She's so nervous she's making me nervous.' Quietly pulling the door shut behind her, she tiptoed back down to the kitchen where Marissa sat sipping at a cup of coffee.

"Is she sleeping?"

"Yes. Thank god. She's so nervous that I'm getting nervous," Kim giggled. "I don't think I'd be this nervous if I were the one getting married."

"Why does she seem so convinced that something's going to go wrong?"

Kim drew in a deep breath and explained the way things had been for the past several years between Tara and her mother. Marissa steadily grew angrier as the tale unfolded but wisely allowed Kim to finish.

"That would explain a lot of things."

"Like what, Marissa?"

"Like why Tommy kept disappearing for extended periods of time during the last few days you guys were in Angel Grove. He would leave the house and not tell anyone where he'd been. I didn't understand it before but now I think I do. I'll bet –" At this point, Marissa's voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "I'll bet that he was trying to convince Abigail to come to the wedding and to try to make up for what has happened in the past."

Kim's sigh disturbed Marissa. "But the damage has already been done. I don't know if anything can fix it now."

"I know, Kim. But it would be nice to see her try."

****

Several hours later, despite their sheer exhaustion, Marissa and Kim had Tara at the church and ready to get married. Her dress was a dreamy design. The skirt was nothing more than layers upon layers of tulle in different shades of blue, from royal to the palest blue imaginable. The top was a pristine white with long sleeves, which ended with a royal blue ribbon trim at her wrists.

Her hair had been pulled back from her face but not tightly. It was looped over and over itself in a "very messy fashion". Her bouquet was baby's breath and white roses with deep blue irises.

She was the beautiful blushing bride.

"Marissa, is Tommy here yet?" Kim asked.

"Ready and waiting at the front of the church. Speaking of which, we'd better take our positions. Let's get you out to Jason, Tara." Marissa ever so carefully pulled the veil over her face after kissing her cheek. "You look beautiful, dear."

Marissa took her arm and walked her out the door to where Jason was waiting to walk his little sister down the aisle.

As the last song of the seating music came around to the last verse, Marissa was escorted to her seat at the front of the church.

"Ready, sissy?" Jason's voice went a long way toward comforting the petite woman.

"I-I-I think s-s-so." She tried to smile at him but he noticed that her eyes were filling with frightened tears.

"Well, if it helps any, I think Tommy's just as scared as you are."

"N-n-not T-t-tommy. He's n-n-not scared of a-a-anything."

"He's scared today. Trust me. I've seen him scared before and this is one of those times. For being the greatest of us, he's not feeling real brave today."

The processional began and everyone stared as Tara walked down the aisle on the arm of her big brother. Of course, she didn't see her parents sitting there since she was too busy focusing on the face of the man she loved standing at the front of the church just waiting for her. Exactly as he promised.

****

The wedding had gone off without a hitch. Tara had stared into Tommy's eyes as she said her vows and not stuttered once. Everything had gone as planned until the two of them turned to the crowd gathered there for the presentation of the couple. Tara saw her mother sitting on the aisle. Tommy had felt the tension in her immediately. He knew that Abigail had been seen. That was what they had planned.

When Tara flicked her gaze to Tommy's face, he just smiled at her and squeezed her hand. She smiled back and the two of them ran to the back of the church hand in hand.

The only thing that bothered Tommy was that, even though she'd smiled at him, her eyes had still been so frightened that he wondered if she knew what he'd been up to.