It was a slightly stupid idea. If Robin or Georgie saw him, he ran a very good chance of causing a scene. However, Maxie wasn't giving him much choice in the matter. If he wanted to talk to her, he was going to have to crash this wedding, Ric reasoned as he milled between the arriving guests.

Knowing Maxie, she'd never miss her cousin's wedding. Even with her legitimate hatred of him, she'd die before she'd let him keep her away from something this big. Plus she'd never be able to resist rating all the different outfits of the guest, mentally planning on how she would have dressed them better. She would be in her element, and not expecting him, the only way he knew she would come near him.

Ric knew he had screwed up, and screwed up royally. And he realized Maxie had every reason to be mad at him. But he still wanted, no he corrected himself, needed to try to apologize, try to make things right. He was miserable without her. It was a daily struggle to not verbally berate a patient for repeating a question they asked the last time he saw them. He had become close friends with the clerk at the liquor store around the corner from his home. Even if she didn't accept his apology he had to at least try or this feeling was going to eat him alive.

In the midst of all the tuxedos and mall-bought dresses, he spotted her, a glittering gem that would be the rival to the bride. Moving quickly, Ric kept his eyes on her the entire time, tracing her every move. Had she lost weight since he saw her? Was her hair different? The ice blue dress hugged her every curve and accentuated them to their best advantage. Had she picked this dress in the hope he would see her in it?

Coming close enough to touch her, Ric momentarily closed his eyes and debated the wisdom of his plan. This could end in disaster, but he was counting on Maxie not wanting to ruin this for Robin. Sneaking out his hand, he rested his finger on her bare shoulder. "Maxie."

Maxie spun around, his voice and touch too lethal a combination to ignore. "What are you doing here, Ric?" She whispered, keeping a smile on her face for the rest of the guests.

"I needed to talk to you."

"Not right now." Maxie said through gritted teeth.

"Yes right now. I'm not going to let you disappear on me again."

"Let me?" Maxie balked.

"Yes let you. If we don't talk now, I'll follow you to wherever it is you're hiding." Ric declared hotly.

"Leave me alone." Maxie started toward her seat.

"Not until we talk." It was a dangerous move, Ric realized, but he had to do it. He reached out his hand and grabbed her wrist. "I want to work this out with you, but it's a little hard to do that if you keep running away."

"I don't know what you're talking about. 'This' is over."

"You don't really want that do you?"

"Yes. Now please go away. I'm trying to enjoy my cousin's wedding."

"Look me in the eye and say it." Ric challenged her. "Look me in the eye and tell me you don't miss me and wish that we can work this out."

"Why? Why do you want me now?" Maxie demanded angrily.

"I've always wanted you."

"You had me." Maxie pointed out. "And we saw how well that worked out."

"Kate was a mistake. A onetime mistake."

"I don't want to talk about your ex-wife. Maybe some of this has nothing to do with her. Did you ever think of that?

"Then what does it have to do with?"

"Look," Maxie took a deep breath. "It was fun while it lasted."

"It doesn't have to end. Not like this."

"I've moved on."

"Moved on?"

"Yes, moved on. You should too."

She finally turned her back to him and made her way to the rows of chairs. Ric felt the air leave his lungs as he watched her walk away without a single glance back. "I don't know if I can do that Blondie." He whispered. "I don't know if I can."

*****

Checking his watch, David fought against an impatient sigh. In all other areas of her life, Samantha McCall had proven to be the exception to every rule he had ever heard. Except this one. It didn't matter where they were going, he had better lie to her and give her the wrong time or they would never arrive anywhere on time. While some of their investigations didn't quite require punctuality, he was pretty sure a wedding demanded being on time, or as close to it as possible.

"Samantha." He called up to her. "We need to go if we're going to make it on time."

"I'll be right down." Sam promised, clipping her hair into an elegant bun.

David sat down in the chair, determined to get comfortable. He had heard that promise before and reckoned he had at least another ten minutes before she determined herself ready to leave.

"I can't get this right." Sam explained, though she bet he had no intention of rushing her. She wasn't entirely certain she should go to this wedding. Yes Robin had invited her, but she had a feeling it was only at Alexis's request. She had to think of her as Alexis because any other title would be far too strange to use. She didn't know if she'd ever feel comfortable calling her Mom.

"I'm sure you look gorgeous." David reassured although he knew from experience she had no intention of letting him see her until she was completely ready. More times than not, it was so she could slip out of their apartment in something she knew he would hate.

"Maybe we shouldn't go." Sam reasoned, stabbing the tender skin at the base of her skull in an attempt to anchor a rebellious cinnamon strand. Alexis hadn't called, but then Sam hadn't waited by the phone or attempted a conversation of any kind on her end. If she chickened out at the last minute, who would really miss her?

"Shouldn't go?" David parroted, twisting his tie. "Why?"

"Well it's not like we play big parts in the wedding. Robin will have plenty of people there. I don't want to be in the way."

"But Robin invited you. She wanted you there."

"Robin barely knows me. She only invited me because of Alexis."

"Then Alexis wants you there. Which I thought is what you wanted."

"She extended the invitation before the results came in." Sam pointed out.

"Samantha. You take the practice of self-defeated thinking and make in an art form."

"I don't mean to." Sam promised. "I just don't know my role anymore. I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing. A little slip of paper says that I'm Alexis's daughter and Kristina's sister and I'm just supposed to start inviting myself over for meals?"

"In the first place, you didn't invite yourself, Robin invited you." Holding up his hand as if she was standing right in front of him, he waved it to stop any protest he could imagine forming on her lips. "By whatever way and for whatever motives, she invited you. And I doubt Alexis has any more of an idea of what to do here than you do."

"I'm ready."

*****

Tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear, Lulu managed to duck the parade of relatives streaming into the park. The last thing she needed was to have a conversation with someone she was actually related to. Some of the more distant relatives she could fool into thinking everything was fine, but her more immediate family would find it hard to believe her explanation of running late being related to something as mundane as work.

Meeting with Vermin had taken longer than she expected. He was expecting more and more from her, and she was getting less and less in return. Apparently Derek hadn't been too talkative about what happened in the alleyway but the looks he was giving her as well, spelled one thing: trouble. Damn Evan Cassidy.

Thankfully her annoying shadow had once again been easy to ditch. A few misplaced directions, a few false hints, and the little bugger had gone scampering off to campus just like she predicted. Now all she had to do was pay attention to where her purse was and be happy for her cousin.

Laura spotted her daughter before anyone else did. Standing and raising her arms like a concert conductor, she called, "Lulu! Over here! Come sit here." Luke glanced up from the handheld Yatzee game he had snuck over and, following his wife's gaze, he wondered when exactly the spark had gone out of his little girl's eyes.

"Mom. Dad." Lulu hoped she kept the shock out of her voice. She had always thought Lucky and Patrick were just paranoid when they claimed Laura had a sixth sense about when her children didn't want to deal with her for whatever reason. Lord she hated for them to be right about anything. Making her way over to where her parents sat, she tried to take a mental inventory of her appearance. Her dress was appropriate right? She had put on makeup this morning and wasn't wearing the remnants of last night. Her shoes were on the right feet and actually matched her outfit.

"You're pale as a ghost. What's the matter?" Laura fussed, drawing Lulu closer.

"Nothing. Nothing." Lulu swatted her hand in her mother's direction. "I'm fine."

"You look anything but." Laura noted softly. "Are you eating enough? Why aren't you ever home when I call? I'm beginning to think you're avoiding me."

"I'm eating plenty. And I'm just busy."

"I spoke with one of your professors." Laura confessed.

"You…you what? That's violating my privacy!"

"Also known as being a mother. I'm just worried about you, that's all. I never would have interfered if you'd just answer a darn phone call."

"I'm busy. It's called having a life." Lulu defended herself crossly. "I don't live at home. I don't have to check in with you at all hours of the day and night."

"I should apologize. I've been capitalizing on her time." Evan spoke up from behind Lulu.

Lulu felt her mouth open and close in shock as she stared at him. What the hell was he doing here? "What...but....wait...what...?"

"Evan!" Luke jovially greeted. "Does this mean you're going to have to show up at work tomorrow with a doctor's note?"

"You really know him?" Lulu asked incredulously.

"Dudley Do Right here offered some good advice on the bike." Luke explained. "And we got to talking about the two of you and how he should come to the wedding. He said he was busy, but it looks like his schedule just cleared up."

"Things change. I just hope you don't mind me tagging along." Evan replied with a charming smile.

"Are you insane? Dad this is a family thing." Lulu protested.

"I haven't had the pleasure." Laura realized, finding her voice. "I'm Laura Spencer."

"Evan Cassidy. You have quite a family, Mrs. Spencer."

"Yes, and I do apologize for that." Laura joked.

"Great. You've met. Fabulous." Lulu groaned.

"What's the matter sweetie?" Evan crooned, throwing one arm around Lulu's shoulders. "I thought you wanted me to meet them."

"Don't call me sweetie." Lulu warned him in a dangerous voice.

"She's just a little moody today." Evan told them. "We didn't get a lot of sleep last night." It was the truth, but not for the reason he was implying.

She had never felt speechless with rage until this exact second, Lulu realized. Narrowing her eyes to slits, she tried to make her smile as sweet as possible. "Well someone had to make sure you didn't pass out in the bathroom from alcohol poisoning snookums."

Evan could respond a number of ways, but none of them would work in his favor. He wasn't about to admit a vulnerability to her. "So, what's the ETA on the bride and groom?"

The musicians started the opening bars of "Everything I Do" and Lulu felt a twinge of annoyance. Patrick, Lucky, and Cruz took their places at the end of the aisle. Now she was stuck. Evan was sitting next to her for the ceremony and there was no way to get around it. "I guess now."

If Evan grinned any wider, his face was going to hurt. Little Leslie Lu Spencer was stuck sitting next to him and she couldn't be a total jerk to him either. Not in front of her parents. They would never allow it. There was very little space between the chairs so they had to sit elbow-to-elbow which, while he didn't mind, he could see Lulu biting the inside of her jaw. Taking a chance even though he knew it would be thrown back in his face, he whispered, "You look pretty by the way."

Lulu turned her eyes to him and glared. "Not the point. You're supposed to be looking at the bride."

"Then you shouldn't have worn that dress." Evan rationalized.

"I didn't wear it for you."

"The point is that you did wear it."

"The point is you are supposed to be paying attention to the wedding party." Lulu hissed as Kristina started her walk down the aisle.

"Is that why you think I came?"

"No I'm sure you came just to ruin my life."

"You don't need my help to do that."

"Why don't you find someone else to torture? I saw Sam sitting back there. Why don't you go play with her?"

"She's taken."

"Afraid of Harper?"

"Not at all, but it's clear that she's not settling for him. Crazy thing, mutual attraction."

"Like you know anything about that."

"I know a lot more than you give me credit for."

"Apparently not enough to keep your mouth shut." Lulu hissed. "Kristina is almost done and Elizabeth will be out any second."

"Then just block me out." Evan suggested, crossing his arms. Every time he thought he was making progress, her defenses would fall securely back into place.

"I can't. You're blocking my view."

It was going to be a long ceremony, Evan realized. "Better?" He asked, grabbing her hand and holding it in an iron grip so that she couldn't pull away from him. Their fingers intertwined and he let his other hand fall to his side.

"Hardly." Lulu hissed under her breath but stopped short of squirming. Her mother was already shooting them warning looks and was close to reprimanding her if they didn't stop talking. "Now shut up. You're ruining the wedding."

"I think it just got interesting." Evan countered.