Hey brothers, lovers and other strangers, I know it's been awhile since I've updated this story and I've started another one in the mean time, but real life kinda happened and plus I didn't have any good ideas for this particular story yet so I waited on it, but now it's finally here! R&R&Enjoy, as always...

It was a perfect day for a wedding. Not a single cloud dared to mar the perfect blue dome of sky above Las Vegas in the middle of the October afternoon, nor did the stiff breeze flowing through the trees of The Kokopelli Resort carry any whisper of rain. It allowed Nick to breathe a small sigh of relief as he tried to tie his bowtie for what he assumed was the millionth time.

A soft knock on the door had him yelling, "It's open," and he turned when he saw his future – meaning before sunset that day – brother-in-law popping in. Nick turned back to the mirror and struggled with the finicky strip of black silk at his neck. "Greg, you're a geek, how do you tie one of these nooses?"

"I have no idea, I really don't, which is why I brought you this." Greg held up black silk ascot. "It's Hermès, I swiped it off one of Nadine's docs from the hospital."

"You're a saint. How's Sonny doing? Think she can handle walking down the aisle?"

Greg chuckled as he watched Nick swiftly knot the tie as his throat. It wasn't often he'd seen Nick looking so rattled, not even after they'd dug him up out of a Plexiglas coffin wired with C4 in the Nevada desert. Though to be honest, that was probably an cinch compared to the nerves one faced when standing at the altar. Greg looked down at his wedding band, remembering how he thought he'd pass out before the minister got to the end of his spiel; thankfully this time he was only a bystander.

"She's so excited. The last two weeks, when we go anywhere, and I mean anywhere, the dentist, grocery shopping, even buying stamps, she tells everyone she's going to be Aunt Renee's flower girl."

Nick could only shake his head. It was hard to believe that Sonny was almost eighteen months old, walking and talking already. She'd inherited both her parents' love of chatter and would talk about anything on her mind. For a fleeting moment he wondered if when the time came that Nick and Renee had their own children they would inherit their qualities in the same way. But there were more important things at hand, like trying to remember what pocket his vow notes were in, and whether he was supposed to say 'I do' or 'I will' when the minister asked him about taking Renee as his wife.

Since Nick was obviously anxious, Greg slapped a supportive hand on his shoulder. "Notes are in the left inside pocket, it's 'I do' and since you're not getting married in a church, it's totally cool if you kiss the bride with tongue."

The last bit of advice provided Nick with a welcome distraction. "That's so disgusting, man."

"It's true, though. Now let's head downstairs."

While Nick and Greg made their way down to the front of the Bluffs Balcony – so named because it overlooked some of the cliffs of the Grand Canyon – Renee stood in the alcove outside the grand ballroom, checking her make up one last time. Beside her, Nick's sister Riana stood in a radiant rust-coloured dress.

"Are you sure this doesn't make my butt look big?"

"Riana, your butt has never looked better. How about me?" Renee held out her arms as she awaited Riana's inspection.

"You look amazing." The dress was a gorgeous design too, one of Nadine's creation – she'd apparently inherited her grandmother's eye for aesthetic. It was a simple empire waisted silk dress, whose crowning touch was the sleeves; they were made of white chiffon reaching all the way into her train and slit right up to the shoulder to allow maximum mobility. Despite her imploring, Renee had opted not to have a red-edged veil to match her bridesmaids dresses, instead choosing to wear the lovely waterfall of silk that had been Nick's mother's. It was equally special; it was something old and borrowed to go with her new wedding dress and the blue accents on the lingerie she wore beneath the gown.

Renee had been so thankful she'd decided to go with a simple wedding, that there were only a grand total of seven people in the wedding party. She'd always thought she'd wanted a massive wedding with all her best girlfriends up there with her in their matching-colour dresses. Then there'd be even more of a party afterwards. That was before she'd seen the simple and tasteful ceremony that Greg and Nadine had had just five months before. While she still wanted to have the big reception with music and food and dancing until the wee hours of the morning, Renee suddenly realized she only wanted the people she was closest to up there. That meant only having her brother and sister-in-law, and her niece in the wedding party. But that had seemed a little too small, so she'd also asked Riana and her husband Shawn to be in there as well, since it was Riana's farm they'd visited when Nick had proposed to her.

Just then, Nadine appeared with Sonny clutching her fingers with a death-grip. "Little missy here has a message."

Sonny, all dolled up in a dull gold dress to match her mother's, flashed a wickedly dimpled smile. "The min'ster says time to go."

They went to the doors to meet Oliver and Shawn; thankful the frosted glass prevented anyone from getting a sneak peak at her dress. Renee heard the strains of Pachebal's Canon start up, heard the murmurs as Sonny walked up the aisle with Nadine as they scattered silk leaves through the aisle of the church, and the murmurs of anticipation at seeing Riana walk down the aisle with Shawn.

"Did you decide on a honeymoon destination, finally?"

Renee blushed. It had been a snap planning the wedding with Nick. Food, flowers, music, all of that was easily decided upon, but they'd had different ideas as to where they wanted to go for their first weeks as husband and wife. "Yes. We're going to Hawaii. Nick's never been, and I haven't been there in nearly ten years, so we're doing the adventure kick. Surfing, parasailing, scuba diving, snorkelling, with plenty of room in there for sun, sand, and…" Renee stopped, as she'd almost said sex in front of her father. Hhe knew she was a grown woman and that obviously she was no blushing virgin, but still, saying that word in front of your daddy was a little awkward. "Sun, sand, and lots of quality time together. We've both been slammed with work getting things finished to take our three week break."

Oliver swallowed a chuckle. He knew exactly what happened on honeymoons to Hawaii, could understand Renee's backtracking. Fortunately, the musicians started up the piece Renee selected for her bridal march. He took her arm, looped it through his.

"You ready, princess?"

Renee looked at her father. His eyes were brimming with pride and tears. "Daddy-"

"You two make each other so happy, dear," he cut her off. "I'm just being a silly old goat. He's a fine young man and whatever Fate blows your way, you'll have your sails trimmed for it."

"Alright, Ishmael." Renee gripped her father's arm tightly with anticipation as the doors opened and suddenly two hundred eyes were focused on her. Oh Sweet Jesus, don't fail me now, she thought as Malcolm Arnold's Siciliano was played by a brass quintet.

Then she saw Nick, standing by the minister, next to her brother, looking like he'd seen an angel. It was all Renee could do not to pick upper her skirts and run down the aisle in her Jimmy Choo pumps to jam the ring on his finger and say the 'I do's.

When Nick saw Renee being escorted down the aisle on her father's arm, his throat slammed shut. She looked so outrageously beautiful, her red hair swept up into a fancy knot at the back of her head, her diamond ring glittering in the afternoon sun on her finger. It was nothing but relief he felt when he saw the sparkle in her eyes was as much nerves as excitement. His mouth split into a smile as Oliver lifted his daughter's arm from his and kissed her cheek. Holding out his hand, Nick took Renee's and clasped it tightly in his as they turned to face the minister.