Episode 25 Part I

"At Last"

I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did.

Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them.

Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves.

And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so...

Bailey's Hotel Suite

After Zack had dragged Cody away the previous night, Bailey wasn't left on her own for long as she was soon dragged off by the ladies herself back to her room in hopes of keeping her occupied until it was time for bed. But, by eleven thirty that night, she was ready to call it a night. And it wasn't that she was particularly tired just then, but she was hoping the sooner she went to bed, the sooner she would fall asleep and the sooner the next day would hurry up and get there. Unfortunately for her, she just laid in bed for about an hour tossing and turning as she missed having Cody there next to her. Of course, that did make her laugh. She had often called him her Cody Bear because he was so easy to cuddle with and she was going to have to spend the night without him. But, she just kept reminding herself that this was the only night she would have to be without him, and the next night, she would have her new husband there with her. That thought seemed to calm her down enough to let her finally drift into a peaceful slumber about twelve thirty. And that thought seemed to give her such peaceful dreams that she was still asleep at nine o'clock the next morning. Even though it was now officially July 11, her wedding day, she probably would have continued to sleep until she felt someone gently shaking her shoulders.

Bailey just sighed as she buried her face into her pillow. "Five more minutes, Cody..."

"I'm not Cody, and you need to get up right now if we're going to get everything done this morning that we need to get done!"

Bailey paused when she realized that wasn't Cody's voice, opened one of her eyes and looked up. And when she did, she saw London standing there with her arms crossed scowling at her.

"London?"

London rolled her eyes. "Of course its me! Who did you think it was? The Tooth Fairy?" She shook her head. "Anyways, it time for your lazy butt to finally get out of bed because we have a lot to do! I let you have as much beauty sleep as possible because today of all days, you need it!"

"London!"

She laughed. "Oh, I was just kidding. But, you need to get up now as room service just brought up our breakfast for us. We need to hurry up and eat so we can get a move on. I wasn't kidding about us having a lot to do though..."

Bailey let out a little laugh as she sat up in bed. "This is a first - you waking me up and telling me I had to get up or I would be late for something. It seemed like at least four days a week in high school that I had to drag you out of bed..."

"Yeah, yeah. But if I'm going to make sure you look fabulous for at least once in your life..." She grabbed Bailey's arm and began dragging her out of bed. "...we have to get moving now!"

Bailey just shrugged as London pulled her into the main room of the suite. And like she said, there was a room service cart there with two plates filled with an assortment of fruits, omelets, toasts, and juices. As the two ladies sat down to eat, Bailey looked up at her maid of honor.

"So, what all do we have to do this morning exactly?"

London pulled out her list and checked it. "First up is that we're heading down to the spa for massages and then full body waxes..."

Hearing that, Bailey just about spit out her juice. "Excuse me? Did you just say full body waxes?"

She laughed. "Oh yeah, everything from the eyebrows down..." She paused. "We need to get those worked on too, so let me add that to my list. Yours aren't as bad as Woody's, but they do need some plucking. Anyways, after that, we are scheduled for manicures and pedicures. And don't worry, all of the rest of the ladies will join us for those. And after that, we'll all head back to our rooms to get cleaned up before we all have our hair appointments. Again, for once, I want to see what your hair looks like when its actually styled by a professional! I think it has some potential if you would every do more with it other than condition it with pig's milk..."

Bailey frowned. "But I like my hair just the way it is..."

"Of course you do, but this is your wedding day! Don't you want to look your absolute best? Don't you want Cody's eyes to go wide and see his tongue to fall to his feet when he sees you come down the aisle? Once you two get back from your honeymoon, you can go back to wearing it in a ponytail everyday for all I care..."

"But Cody likes it just the way it is too..."

London sighed. "Of course he does. But that's not the point here. Anyways, after that, everyone else will all head back to their own rooms so they can change for the ceremony. While they're doing that, we'll come back up here where my personal make up artist will see to it that you're make up for today is flawless..."

Bailey shook her head and sighed. "But I wasn't going to wear much today anyways. Cody always tells I look the best when I have a natural look..."

"Again, of course he does. Just trust me here. I'll make sure he likes what he sees. Bailey, after seven years, I know your style by now. It'll look natural, and Cody will love it. Besides, I wouldn't make you look clowny like Tut used to look. Finally, once that's done, it will be time for you to put your dress on, and once Arturo makes sure it fits perfectly..." London smiled. "...it will be time to go get you married off..."

Bailey smiled. "Well, I do like the sound of that last part..."

London couldn't help but to smile too. "I know. I admit there were times when I wondered who would ever want to marry you, but I know I was being a little arrogant then. Bailey, you're one of my best friends, and I would never let you marry anyone that I didn't believe was truly worthy of you. Fortunately for Cody, I know he is. Its been obvious to a lot of us for a long time just how much that boy loves you. I think he would drink your bathwater if you asked him to..."

She laughed. "Thank you, London...I think."

Of course, London had to laugh too. "Of course, Cody is my friend as well, so this works both ways. I would never let him marry anyone that wasn't worthy of him either. I mean...if it wasn't for him, there never would have been a Yay Me!" She paused and shook her head. "I remember on one of our first episodes, he told my audience what his idea of the perfect first date would be. After hearing about it, I couldn't imagine anyone wanting a second date with him afterwards. But, I'm happy to say that I was wrong about that. I know your first date with him was at the Hannah Montana Concert, but he told me your second date together was exactly what he had told me years before. I guess you liked it as not only did you give him a third date, but you're about to give him the rest of your life too."

"The seaquarium and the picnic in front of the florescent fish? I loved that date! I thought it was absolutely perfect." She smiled again. "Maybe because he's my perfect feller..."

London nodded. "Yeah, he is. I think I knew that pretty early on on while we were all back on the boat. You two just seemed to fit together like a lock and its key. When you two finally got together, you both seemed to open up so much. Almost as soon as you two started dating, I could see a change in Cody in that he became more confident in himself and with who he was. And I know that was because of you. Likewise, I saw a sense of ease and comfort in you because you finally had someone who really got you and understood you. You two had each other, and you didn't care what anyone else thought. I have to admit, for a while I was extremely jealous of you two for that..."

That caught Bailey off guard. "You were?"

"Yeah, I was. I wanted to meet someone who looked at me the same way you two looked at each other." London let out a little laugh. "Little did I know then that I had already met that person. It just took me a little while to find Todd again."

"Well, I'm glad you did, London. I want all of my friends to feel exactly what I'm feeling today."

"Of course, you two did have to go and be idiots for a little while, but fortunately, you were able to overcome that eventually. I mean, it was obvious to the rest of us that you two were still crazy about each other but too stubborn to admit it. Zack, Woody and I used to have a good laugh about you two and even considered stepping in and having an intervention with you two..."

Bailey sighed. "Why didn't you then? I wish you guys had sat us down and tried to knock some sense into us."

"Because you two had to figure it on on your own. And you did." She smiled. "I mean, you did yell into your phone that you needed him, and what did Cody do? He dropped everything and made his way to Kettlecorn to make sure you were alright. If that's not love, I don't know what is. And when he did that, I knew it wouldn't be long before you two got back together..."

Bailey smiled. "Yeah, less than a day. I'm glad I was able to finally admit that my heart still did and will always belong to Cody. You know...its kind of funny how a disaster can turn out so well in the end..."

London just gave her a look. "Kind of like what happened in Virginia too, huh?"

Bailey's eyes went wide. "How do you know about that?"

London laughed. "Oh, I have my ways...Now hurry up and finish eating. We need to get moving."

Cody's Hotel Suite

Like Cody said, there was indeed a wedding eve poker game on Friday night. Unfortunately for him, he didn't do so well, but that really didn't matter to him. And like, Bailey, he had called it a night about eleven thirty and initially had some trouble falling asleep. But unlike Bailey, Cody woke up early and found himself to be a total ball of energy. After seeing that it was only 7:30 AM in the morning, he tried to go back to sleep, but he was unsuccessful. So, he decided to go ahead and get up and try to find someway to keep himself from bouncing off of the walls. But looking around his suite, he saw nothing in there that would allow him do that. So, he did the only thing he could think of – he changed into a t-shirt and pair of shorts and headed downstairs to the resorts fitness center. And that was exactly what he needed. After a good forty-five minute work out, he felt a thousand times better. No longer did he feel like an electron in a particle accelerator. Of course, when he got back to his room, he found his brother pacing back and forth outside of it with his cell phone to his ear.

When Zack saw his brother walking towards him, he let out a huge sigh of relief and pocketed his phone. "There you are!" He looked back at Cody and glared at him. "Where have you been? I've been banging on your door for the past ten minutes! And I've called you five times now and didn't get an answer!"

Cody shrugged. "I woke up with too much energy, so I went down stairs to try to burn some of it off. No big deal..."

"No big deal? I thought you had gotten cold feet and bolted!"

Cody couldn't help but laugh. "As if! Zack, I've been waiting for this day for a very long time now. I'm not going anywhere without my very soon to be wife..."

Zack rolled his eyes. "You could have told me where you were going..."

"I didn't know you were going to be here this early..." He paused. "I mean...its barely eight thirty. What are you doing here this early anyways?"

Zack sighed. "Last night, London gave me a schedule for me to keep you on this morning. And she gave me one of those looks that told me there would be serious ramifications if I didn't..."

Cody laughed again. "Alright. What's first on our agenda?"

"We're supposed to meet Dad and Clyde for haircuts at 10:00 followed by appointments with the nail person at 10:45. Then we can all break for lunch. After that, just have to be back up in your room by 1:00 so Arturo's assistant can make sure we're dressed properly..." He paused. "I sure am glad his assistant is a woman. Anyways, we have to be suited up and down on the beach by 1:45."

"Alright, well, we have plenty of time to go grab some breakfast then. Just give me fifteen minutes to grab a shower, and we'll head on downstairs. Besides, after my workout, I'm kind of starving right now."

Zack shrugged. "Well, I guess that's good that you aren't so nervous that you don't have an appetite..."

So, that's what he did, and by 9:00 AM, they were being shown to their seats in the restaurant downstairs. After placing their orders, they had a few minutes to take it easy and catch their breath. But that was when Cody paused and grinned at his brother.

"So, is this where you're going to give me the same speech you gave Esteban right before he got married?"

Zack shook his head and chuckled. "Nah...my views on the institution of marriage have changed slightly since then. I don't see it in quite such a...negative light any more. So, I won't try to talk you out of it."

"I'm glad to hear that..." He began laughing as he teased his brother. "Considering you once told me that asexual reproduction would be the only way you'd ever be an uncle. I think its safe to say that I guess Bailey and I will just have to try it the old fashioned way in a few years."

Zack shrugged his shoulders before laughing too. "Hey, how did I know that you'd actually find someone out there who actually enjoyed putting up with you? I mean, when we were younger, I never would have saw it coming. But, I guess there is someone out there for everyone, huh?"

Cody teased his brother again. "Especially someone with so much...baggage, right?"

He shook his head and laughed again. "Yeah, well that shows you how much I knew about women back then..." He paused. " Not that I know much more about them now..."

"Its like I keep telling you, Zack. The goal is not to understand women but to understand your woman."

"I know that now. Maybe I realized something back then that you should have learned last night - you gotta know when to hold 'em and when fold 'em. Besides, I don't think it would have even mattered if I hadn't backed off. Like I said before, Bailey likes the brainy, sensitive guys, and it didn't take long for me to realize that you two were a perfect match."

"Is that why you liked giving us so much hell back then?"

"No, I did that because it was fun. Of course, at the time, I couldn't understand why you would want to settle down with just one girl. To be honest, I was pretty sure you had lost your mind..." He paused again. "Even though I didn't know it back then, I understand now how your entire way of thinking can change when you meet the right one..."

"Tell me about it." Cody grinned. "So, is that your way of telling me that our roles here might be switched sooner than later like Mimi thinks they well?"

Zack shrugged. "Maybe. I have no idea. But its not because I'm unsure, because I'm not. I know I love Maya and want to marry her some day. I just want to make sure the timing is right. You know, maybe I'll wait until we both graduate for good in a couple of years? I just think with both of us trying to finish our educations as two different universities, it would be best if we're both done with school before we did anything like this ourselves..."

Cody could only nod. "I can understand that..." He paused and grinned. "Though, it will work out for me and my misses because as a married couple, Harvard is going to give us the exact same schedule."

"Yeah, don't rub it in, Broseph..."

"Hey, its my day, and I'll do whatever I want!" He laughed. "Well, Best Man, what kind of advice do you have for me on this my wedding day?"

Zack paused to think. "Well, first of all – don't screw this up! You're never going to find someone who actually loves you and enjoys being with you like Bailey ever again!"

Cody laughed again. "I already knew that. I've know that for a long time now."

"Other than that, all I can say is just keep doing what you're doing. You love her, so never let her forget that. I mean, you're still romancing her after all these years, so that must be working for you..." He paused. "And, your brief periods of stupidity taught you more than I could ever teach you..."

"Very true. Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. Well, that won't be us."

"Good. Because if you two get stupid like that again, I'll do what I almost did the last time..."

That caught Cody's attention. "And what was that exactly?"

Zack laughed. "Lock you two in a closet and not let you out until you two figured it out!"

"I kind of wish you would have..."

"Trust me...Woody and I were this close to doing that, but London said you two had to work it out in your own way." He smiled. "I had a good feeling when you dropped everything and immediately left for Kettlecorn. Looks like I was right about that."

"I'm glad you were."

Zack laughed again. "I usually am. And remember this. I know how much of a pain in the butt we can both be. We both got lucky that we found great girls who are willing to put up with us."

Cody laughed too. "You can say that again!"

"But..."

"But what?"

Zack sighed. "Well, not to get all touchy feely here, but I also hope Bailey knows how lucky she is too. Codester, except for about ten minutes, it seems like you've always been there right beside me. For a long time growing up, it was you and me against the world. I may not have always shown it, but you've been the best brother a guy could have ever asked for. And more than that, the best friend I could have asked for too. No matter what all has happened to us, I've always known you had my back and that I had yours..."

"And we always will..."

"I know, but what I'm trying to say is that you are probably the best guy I know, Bro. Despite what I've said over the years about your interactions with ladies, you've always had better luck with them than I gave you credit for. Over the years, a lot of girls threw themselves at you, but you just never noticed. And then you met Bailey, and every other girl might as well have not existed. Almost from the start, its like you knew. And I've always known that one day a special lady would hit the jackpot when she lassoed you..." He laughed. "Little did I know then that the one who actually would actually knows how to lasso. But I guess what I'm trying to say is that despite what I've said before, its pretty easy to see exactly what Bailey sees in you. And despite her and my differences, I do know how happy she makes you. So, if she can keep doing that, I welcome her into our family with open arms. I wish nothing but the best for the two of you..."

Cody was touched. "Thank you, Zack. That means a lot to me coming from you."

"Yeah, well...the touch feely part of this conversation is now officially over!" About that time, their waiter brought over their food. "Alright, eat up, Broseph. We have a lot to do this morning before we get you married off."

"I'll keep that in mind..."

"Besides, since this is your wedding day, I seriously hope you don't do anything stupid like in that one movie..."

"Which movie would are you talking about?"

Zack grinned. "You know. The one were the guy gave himself a...special haircut and ended up ruining his wedding cake?"

Cody shuddered. "Oh yeah, I remember that now. Well, you don't have to worry about that here..."

Zack teased him. "Come on now, Codester...its your wedding day. You shouldn't neglect your manscaping obligations today of all days..."

Cody shook his head. "Zack, I know you and I have talked about a lot of different things over the years, but this is one conversation I have no desire to have with you right now!"

He laughed. "Oh, I know...but I couldn't resist the urge to try to make you uncomfortable this morning..."

Cody gave him a look back. "Gee thanks..."

Zack checked the time on his cell phone. "Now, hurry up and eat..." He paused. "And if you tell anyone about all of the nice things I said about you earlier, I'll punch you in the ear!"

Bailey's Hotel Suite

A little after one o'clock that afternoon, the living room area of Bailey's suite was filled to the brim with Carey, Mimi, Maria, Addison, Maya, Courtney, Maddie, Gertie, Emma, Eunice, Grammy, and all nine of Bailey's sisters. All of them were already dressed for the ceremony, and with so many people in one room, they had the air conditioner working over time. Of course, with less than an hour to go before the ceremony was scheduled to begin, their was definitely a buzz in the air as everyone was getting excited. Most of all, they couldn't wait to see Bailey walk out of her bedroom in her wedding dress for the first time. And they were getting anxious as the bride was still in her bedroom where London and Arturo were supervising as his assistant, the hairdresser and the make up artist were all doing their final touches.

Finally, at about 1:20, the door to the bedroom finally opened. London was first one to enter the main room, and everyone immediately commented her on how lovely she looked in her bridesmaid's dress. But as London was basking in the adoration from everyone, she frowned when she noticed them all go silent. Turning around, she saw that Bailey had finally emerged from her bedroom. And once she had, everyone else in the room was momentarily speechless before they began oohing and ahhing. Bailey looked absolutely gorgeous, and her dress was seemingly perfect. Arturo had really outdone himself this time. It was a simple sleeveless white dress that came down just below her knees that had intricate lace details adorning the shoulder straps, the waist and the hem of the dress. And instead of a traditional veil, she wore a wreath of flowers in her magnificently style hair that had a matching silk veil hanging from the back of it.

Bailey grinned and did a twirl for everyone. "So, what do you guys think?"

Eunice just smiled at her daughter. "Honey, you look absolutely beautiful! I wouldn't be surprised if we have a speechless groom on our hands..."

Bailey smiled back at her. "Well, as long as he gets his voice back in time for our vows, I don't think I would mind that at all..."

Carey laughed. "Oh, I don't think wild horses could keep Cody from saying his vows. But, you did get a timer for him though, right?"

She shook her head. "No, Cody said I wouldn't need one. He said he was going to try his best to keep them as brief as he could. Besides, I don't care if he gets a little verbose as long as everything he says comes straight from his heart."

Grammy grinned. "Oh, I have no doubts he will do just that..."

Mimi nodded her agreement. "Well, Cody did ask me to proofread the outline he had for his vows, and I got teary eyed when I read it. I know you'll love them, Bailey."

Bailey grinned. "I can't wait to hear them then." She turned to London. "So, now that we are all dressed and ready to go, what are we supposed to do now?"

London checked her schedule. "You're Dad is supposed to be here by 1:30. He should be one floor down still with the guys getting ready."

Cody's Hotel Suite

Like Bailey was in her suite, Cody too was surrounded by everyone trying to keep him from bouncing off the walls. Unfortunately for the groom, with the ceremony now less than an hour away, he was getting both excited and anxious. He, like everyone else, was already in his suit, and had trouble standing still as Arturo's other assistant and the other hairdresser were drying to make their last minute touches to him as well. Of course, as he was standing there, everyone was teasing him. And while there weren't as many people in his suite as in Bailey's, there was still Tapeworm, Woody, Marcus, Bob, Todd, Trevor, Arwin, Moseby, Clyde, all six of Bailey's brothers-in-law, Kurt, Zack and Cody. And like one floor above them, they too had the air conditioner going full blast. And as soon as Cody was deemed ready to go, he sighed in relief.

But it was at that moment that Tapeworm checked his watch and turned to everyone not in the wedding party. "Guys, its about time for us to head down and meet up with our ladies so we can grab our seats. Once we get them seated, we'll head back and get ready for our ushering duties."

Marcus nodded. "Yeah, its time to get this party started..."

Woody just grinned. "I know...I can't wait for the reception. After this week, I'm going to need to pull my P90X tapes back out of the closet..."

Cody turned to Zack. "So, what's next on London's schedule?"

Zack pulled it out of his pocket and unfolded it. "Ummm...we're supposed to head down and meet the minister at 1:40. And actually, Clyde?"

"Yeah?"

"You should have left a few minutes ago to head up to Bailey's room."

Quickly, Clyde checked his watch before jumping up. "D'oh! On my way..." He paused and winked at Cody. "I'll see you down at the front with my daughter in a little while."

Cody grinned. "I'll be there."

Clyde quickly left to head upstairs as most of the other guys left as well to head on down to the beach to meet up their girlfriends or wives. And with them all gone, it was just Cody, Zack and Kurt left in the room. But before he left though, Woody paused and looked at Zack.

"You owe my twenty bucks!"

Zack rolled his eyes and pulled the money out of his pocket. "Yeah, yeah..."

Woody grinned and left, and once he was gone, Cody looked at his brother. "What was all that about?"

He sighed. "You remember that scene in Dumb and Dumber where they had to bring out the power sander to giver one of the guys a pedicure? Well, I bet Woody they would have to do that here today. They didn't, so I lost..."

"Okay..."

Kurt shook his head before turning to his youngest son and smiled.

"Cody, son, I am so proud of you. I've known this day has been coming for a long time now, and I can't wait to officially have Bailey as my daughter-in-law. Now, here's the big question - are you ready?"

Cody just smiled back at him. "Dad, I've been ready for this day for almost seven years now. Lets do it!"

Bailey's Hotel Suite

The ladies in Bailey's room had also left to meet up with their guys so they could take take their seats, and the only ones left in the room were Eunice, Grammy, Carey, Mimi and London. And as it neared go time, they were all busy trying to keep the bride calm so she wouldn't smear her makeup, muss her hair or get her wedding dress dirty. Fortunately, there was a knock at the door that seemed to distract her. And when London opened it up, she saw Clyde standing there grinning. But she just scowled at him.

"You're late!"

"Well, I'm here now. You gals ready to get this show on the road?"

Bailey smiled at her father. "More than, Daddy!"

Clyde just stopped dead in his tracks when he finally got a good look at his daughter. "Wow! Honey, you look absolutely gorgeous! I know of a groom who is about to be blown away..."

"Thank you, Daddy." She paused. "Speaking of the groom, how is Cody doing?"

He laughed. "Oh, he's downstairs bouncing off the walls. He's so anxious for this to get started that he can't sit still..."

Eunice laughed. "Well, we definitely know what that's like. Bailey's been the exact same way up here..."

London checked her schedule, and turned to Eunice, Grammy, Carey and Mimi. "Time for you four to head down so we can begin seating you all. Its time!"

The four ladies nodded, and they all hugged Bailey one last time before they headed out of the room. And after they had left, Clyde turned to his daughter and smiled.

"You know, this will be the seventh time that I've had to walk a daughter of mine down the aisle and give her away. Fortunately, so far, I'm six for six in handing them over to good men. Today will make me seven for seven."

Bailey smiled. "Only three more to go then..."

He laughed. "Oh, I know. I can't wait until I got your younger sisters all married off too..."

"You will? But then you wouldn't have any of your little girls around any more to worry about..."

He smiled at her. "Bailey, you all may be growing up faster than I would have liked, and I guess I've finally learned to accept that. But there is one thing will never change - no matter how old any of you get, you'll always be my little girls, and I'll always worry about you all. But I do know that in about a half hour, I won't be the main man in your life anymore. Your husband will be as well as he should." He paused and laughed again. "Oh, who am I kidding? I haven't been the main man in your life ever since you went off to that boat. And while I know Cody and I had sort of a rough beginning, I honestly can't think of a better man to be your husband, Sweetheart."

Bailey smiled. "Thank you, Daddy. That means a lot to me coming from you. I'm glad you could finally see why I love him so much. He really is my perfect feller."

"I know. Now, come on...lets go get you hitched!"

The Beach

It was finally time. The moment they had been planning for and waiting for ever since Cody had proposed to Bailey from his hospital bed two years prior was actually there. All of the guests were now in there seats, and it was time for the actual ceremony to finally begin. To get things started, Brother Bob, donned in his robe and no shoes, walked down the aisle by himself to take his place at front of the assembled crowd. And once he was in position, the four piece string ensemble began playing the song indicating it was time for the seating of the grandmothers. So, with a big smile on his face and Mimi on one arm and Grammy on the other, Marcus began walking them down aisle. And once he helped them to their seats, he stepped back to take his own place next to Melanie.

Next up, it was time to see the mothers, and first up was Carey as the mother of the groom. And her escort down the aisle was Tapeworm, and following behind them was Kurt. While Kurt took his seat next to Maria, Carey remained standing at the front. And she remained there as Woody escorted Eunice down the aisle as well. Once both mothers were standing on either side of Brother Bob, they walked up to the display behind the minister. There were three tiki torches there with the one in the middle taller and bigger than the other two. (They figured tiki torches with their own fuel source wouldn't be as likely to be extinguished like regular candles would be by the wind). Both Eunice and Carey proceeded to light the tiki torch that represented their respective child and families. And once they were lit, both returned to their escorts who proceeded to lead them over to their chairs.

Once the mothers and their escorts were seated, the stringed ensemble stopped momentarily before starting up again with a different piece. And once they did, Cody and Zack new that was their cue to walk down the aisle side by side. When they reached the end, they took their places on the right side and turned to face their guests. And as he stood there with all eyes temporarily on him as the groom, Cody could help but to smile. Fortunately, everyone's focus quickly switched away from him as the quartet stopped playing again momentarily before playing yet another new song. And all eyes turned to the back as London appeared ready for her walk down the aisle. Slowly, she began her march before finally taking her place on the left side in front of the bride's side. And once she was in place, Bailey's niece and nephew began walking down the aisle as the flower girl and ring bearer. When they got to the end, the flower girl stood next to London while the ring bearer stood next to Zack. And that's when the ensemble stopped playing yet again.

And when they began playing again, everyone immediately recognized their new song as Wagner's Bridal Chorus. When the wedding guests stood up and turned their attention to the back, they saw Bailey and Clyde appear at the end of the end of the aisle. And upon seeing each other for the first time that day, Cody and Bailey could only smile at each other as they thought how beautiful/handsome the other looked. But Bailey couldn't stand there too long as she felt her father began leading her in their march down the aisle. And as they did, Cody was indeed almost speechless.

"Wow...I...wow..."

Zack chuckled, patted his brother's back and whispered to him. "Oh, come on! I thought the days of you getting tongue tied around a girl were long over! Besides, this one is about to marry you!"

Cody couldn't help but to smile hearing that. "You're right. I always think she's the most beautiful woman in the world, but wow. I truly am the luckiest man in the world."

Finally, Bailey and Clyde got to the end of the aisle, and Brother Bob finally spoke up.

"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"

Clyde grinned. "Her mother and I do so happily and willingly..."

And with that, he kissed Bailey's cheek before putting her hand into Cody's before taking his seat next to Eunice. Now hand in hand, Cody, Bailey and everyone else turned their attention again to Brother Bob.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join together in Holy Matrimony these two young and wonderful people. Bailey and Cody have decided to commit themselves to each other for the rest of their lives, and we are here to acknowledge and celebrate that fact. Now, personally, I have had the honor and privilege of knowing Bailey for practically her whole life, and I know her to be one of the kindest, sweetest and most genuine people I have ever met. And over the past several years, I've gotten the opportunity to meet and get to know Cody as well. I find him to be a young man of high character and strong convictions.

But if I talk about them as individuals, I would only be telling you half the story. Their greatest strength comes from the bond they share and their willingness to think of themselves as a single unit. As individuals, both are strong and bright, but now that they are combined, they are even stronger and shine even brighter.

Above all, you will see two young people with good heads, better hearts and an unending love for one another. And as they have chosen to willingly enter into holy matrimony, we are here today to cement that bond between them so that it will never crack..." He turned his attention to Cody and Bailey. "As you two move on in your lives together, everyone here hopes you will have a strong and healthy marriage. And for that that, you will need mutual and total respect, endless patience, complete truth, faith and the utmost devotion between the two of you..."

Brother Bob paused and grinned. "Of course, I think I can speak on behalf of everyone here when I say you guys already have that in spades!"

After a laugh from all of the wedding guests, he turned to Cody and Bailey again and continued.

"Now, it is time for the charge, and I charge and encourage you both to remember today as the most sacred day of your lives – its the day on which you promised, before God and everyone here, that you will continue to live your lives for one another and in service of one another. You are promising to love, honor, cherish and bring fulfillment to each other's lives. Always remember that while your love for each other is pure, that neither of you is perfect. Don't be overly critical of each other where one of you might have shortcomings but rather cherish those flaws. Where one has a weakness, be a strength to them. And always remember that you two are here today because you love each other just the way you are. I ask you to always remember the words of 1 Corinthians Chapter 13 - Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends."

Cody and Bailey looked at each other and smiled. "We accept your charge and promise to do our best to always remember it."

"Good." Brother Bob smiled again. "Please take each other's hands in your own."

Bailey handed her bouquet to London and turned to face Cody. And when they were looking at each other, they both have the brightest smiles on their faces.

"Cody, do you take Bailey to be your wedded wife, and in the presence of these witnesses do you vow that you will do everything in your power to make your love for her a growing part of your life? Will you continue to strengthen it from day to day and week to week to the best of your abilities? Will you stand by her in sickness or in health, for richer or poorer, and be faithful to her and her alone for as long as you both shall live?"

Cody just smiled even brighter. "I do..." He winked at his bride. "Squared!"

"Bailey, do you take Cody to be your wedded husband, and in the presence of these witnesses do you vow that you will do everything in your power to make your love for him a growing part of your life? Will you continue to strengthen it from day to day and week to week to the best of your abilities? Will you stand by him in sickness or in health, for richer or poorer, and be faithful to him and him alone for as long as you both shall live?"

Bailey returned Cody's smile. "I do..." She winked back at her groom. "Cubed!"

Brother Bob laughed. "Alright, I was never very good at math, but I'll take those both as 'I do's..." Again, that incited more crowd laughter.

Cody and Bailey laughed as well. "Yes, those were definitely 'I do's..."

Brother Bob smiled at them. "Excellent, now before we proceed I would like to ask Cody and Bailey to step behind me and light the unity candle...err...tiki torch. By lighting it, you two are symbolizing the joining of not only yourselves together but the merger of two families into one new one."

Cody and Bailey nodded, and they walked up to the torches. Taking the individual ones representing themselves out of their holders, they jointly lit the bigger one. And immediately, the flame on it shone bright. When they returned to their places in front of Brother Bob, he grinned again.

"See, I told you all they would shine even brighter. Now, Cody and Bailey have chosen to write their own vows they would like to say to each other at this time. Cody, will you go first?"

Cody nodded and turned to Bailey. He took her hands in his again, looked into her eyes and smiled his brightest smile. "Bails, I know in the past you've told me I have a tendency to babble, and I know that you know how much I love the way you get me to shut up when I do. I also know I promised you I wouldn't pontificate in my vows today. But the fact remains that if I began describing right now all of the ways just how wonderful you are, we might still be here listening to me those five and half years later we joked about last night. And even then, I still wouldn't be able to fully say just how much I love you and what you mean to me. I will be as brief as I possibly can, but I have to confess that I had a purely selfish reason for that. You see, if I did ramble on and on, it would just take even longer until Brother Bob officially made you my wife. And I've been waiting for that moment for so long now that I refuse to wait any longer than I have to.

The first time I first saw you - the real you, I knew my life would never ever be the same. It was almost like they show in the movies where you were immersed in this aura of light and I could hear singing in the background. I know that sounds kind of crazy, but that's the way it was. I knew you were like no one I had ever met before, and I knew you were the girl for me. So, that's why I developed my six month plan – to convince you that I was the guy for you. And somehow, someone somewhere must have been looking out for me because it worked even though I thought I was failing left and right. And Bails, I'm thankful everyday that it did. You see, every day that I worked on getting you to fall for me too, I got to know you better and better. And as I did, it only made me fall even more in love with you. But it didn't stop once you were finally mine. To this day, I keep falling further and further in love with you, and I know I will keep doing that every day for the rest of our lives. I know that ever since I saw you in that hot tub that you've had my heart. And now, almost seven years later, you still have it. Bails, it will forever belong to you.

And from that day, I can only begin to scratch the surface of the impact you have had on my life. But today of all days, I have to at least try. You make me want and strive to be the best man that I can be. I know I'm far from perfect, but I will keep trying to be the perfect husband for you. Bails, you gave me the confidence that its okay to be me. You made me feel like I can be myself and that was okay. Not just okay, but you made me feel like being me was actually a good thing. You accepted and embraced me for who I was. All my life I had searched for someone to make me feel like that, and then you came along and forever changed my life. And for that, I will be eternally in your debt. And I will be eternally in your debt for you making me the luckiest man in the world by choosing me to be your partner in life. I know I'm that lucky because not only am I about to marry the world's most beautiful woman, I'm also about to marry my best friend.

But I'm not naive enough to thing that we'll never have any problems. I know we are both strong minded and strong willed individuals, and we're going to butt heads from time to time. But Bails, there is no one I would rather argue with than you. There is no one I would rather go through the highs and lows of life than with than you. Its like you told me - our life together will be a great adventure, and I'm so thankful that you will be my co-pilot through it..." He took a deep breath and let out a little laugh. "I think I'm beginning to ramble, aren't I?"

Bailey let out a small laugh too. "Maybe just a little bit..."

"Well, the most important thing I can tell you is that I love you. I loved you then, I love you now and I'll love you for the rest of our lives. You once told me that you would love me forever, and I'm going to hold you to that. I love you, Boo Boo, and I want to thank you for loving me back..." And with that Cody took another deep breath and indicated to the minister that he was finished.

Brother Bob turned to the bride. "Bailey?"

She nodded and turned back to look right into Cody's eyes. After hearing his beautiful vows, she already knew she had tears in her eyes. But she wanted to make sure he knew what she was feeling in her heart right then.

"You know, Cody Bear, it should be me thanking you. Thanking you for coming into my life and showing me everything that had been missing from it. You showed me what it was like to have someone love me so completely and be willing to do anything to make me happy. You say I let you be you, but that worked both ways. You showed me what it was like to have someone love me just the way I was. You didn't want me to be someone else, you just wanted me to be me. All of those things that I was so afraid people would ridicule me for you embraced wholeheartedly. And that caused me so much comfort and joy that I can't even begin to describe it to you know. Cody, the day I met you changed my life forever too. And like you said, I thank God everyday that I decided to go to Seven Seas High. I know you once told me that you think we would have met anyways, but I wouldn't want to give up any of that time we had together for anything.

I'll admit that when I first went to the S.S. Tipton, I wasn't looking for any kind of romantic involvement. But somehow I caught your eye, and you chased me until I finally caught you. I've never told you this before, but when we hugged after the mulch festival you put on for me, I felt something I had never felt before in my whole life. Beforehand, I might have been homesick, but being held in your arms, I knew I was home. It was a home I had never felt before, but it was one that I never want to leave.

Cody, you are as essential to me as the air I breathe. You are the yin to my yang. And like someone wise told me earlier today, it was like I was a lock and you were its key. Together, we were able to open up to each other and prove we were a perfect fit. I know it doesn't make any sense from a practical standpoint, but I believe when I was born, something or someone out there knew I was different. So, it needed to make another half for me to be complete. And about two months later, it did when you were born. I know that it took us fifteen years to finally find each other, but I was glad we finally did. For so long, I had felt like an outcast and so different from everyone else around me. Sure, people tried to understand me, and I truly appreciate them trying. But it wasn't until I met you that I found someone who could completely understand me. Not only that, but I realized I wasn't alone anymore. Sure, some people tell us that were two of a kind and the mold was broken after we were made. But you know what, I kind of hope they're right. Because as long as we have each other, nothing else matters to me."

Bailey smiled even wider. "Now, I remember you once told me that I would always be your queen. But to be a queen, I need my king. So if you don't mind, I'm hereby promoting you up from being my prince charming to the rank of king. And when I said you were my prince charming, I meant that then too. I know fairy tales aren't real, but I feel like I am living my very own one. Cody, I'm ready for our happily ever after."

She wiped away some tears. "And yeah, we had our fair share of bumps along the way, but all great success stories do. And that's what we're going to be – a success story. I know that with every fiber of my being. While we are still two individuals, we are now one with the best qualities of us both.." She paused and laughed. "I mean, look at how much you've already rubbed off on to me – I'm starting to ramble now too. But, I think that's a good thing. And I completely agree with you. Our life will be an adventure, and I can't wait to see what it has in store for us. While we may have only an inkling of what will happen in the future, I do know that every day for the rest of our lives that for sure that I will love you more and more. You may think you're the luckiest guy in the world, but I know I'm the luckiest woman. Like you said, I get to marry my best friend today too. Cody, I can't wait to have children and grandchildren with you. I can't wait to grow old with you. I can't wait to do everything with you. Today, I reiterate my promise to you to love you forever. And that leaves me with only one thing left to say..." Her voice caught again. "Thank you for loving me too..."

Brother Bob turned to Zack. "The rings, please?"

Zack reached down to untie them from the ring bearer's pillow and handed them to the preacher.

"From the earliest of times the circle of a wedding band has been a symbol of wedded love. Being one unbroken circle, your rings symbolize your unending love for each other. May your rings be a constant reminder of this to you and to the whole world of the bond you two share. Cody, place this ring on Bailey's left ring finger."

Cody took the ring from Brother Bob and slid it on to Bailey's finger. "Bails, I give you this ring as a symbol of my devotion and unending love for you. Whenever you look it, always remember that I will forever be by your side and that I completely belong to you body, heart and soul. As a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you. I willingly choose you to be my wife this day and forevermore."

"Bailey, place this ring on Cody's left ring finger."

Bailey slid the ring on to Cody's finger. "Cody, I give you this ring as a symbol of my devotion and unending love for you. Whenever you look it, always remember that I will forever be by your side and that I completely belong to you body, heart and soul. As a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you. I willingly choose you to be my husband this day and forevermore."

Brother Bob smiled again as he addressed the wedding guests. "For as much as Bailey and Cody have consented together this day to enter into holy wedlock, and have pledged such before God and all you witnesses, and have pledged their faithfulness to each other, and have pledged the same by the giving and receiving of rings, by the authority invested in me, I now pronounce them husband and wife. May those that God has joined together, let no man put assunder."

The preacher turned to Cody and Bailey and smiled. "Cody...You may kiss your bride!"

Cody grinned at him. "Don't have to tell me twice!" He turned back to Bailey before leaning in and giving her a long and gentle yet passionate kiss. And as they shared their first kiss as husband and wife, all of their wedding guests stood up and began cheering for them.

It may have taken a few minutes, but they finally broke apart from their kiss. Brother Bob just laughed. "Ladies and Gentlemen, it is now my privilege to introduce for the first time - Mr. and Mrs. Cody and Bailey Martin..."

Cody and Bailey just stood looking at their guests hand in hand as both had the biggest smiles on their faces. Their road to this moment may have had some bumps along the way, but they had finally made it.

To be Continued...