Author's Note: CHapter Eight! Yay! This one is for you bestie! I love you! As Always, Read/Enjoy/Review!

Chapter Eight: Plan On Forever

" Love is never something you plan on. It is however something that sneaks up on you and bites you when you least expect but when you most need it."-Anonymous.

XXX

" Brae, Brae baby," Chase's voice breaks through my dreams and I barely blink my eyes open, seeing that its barely eight in the morning.

" Oh dear God, why are you waking me up at seven forty five in the morning?" I demand burying my head back under the pillows.

" I know baby, but you have to wake up. Evy will be here in forty five minutes to take you to pick up your dress," he says, and I groan.

" How do you know Evy's Before Wedding Itinerary better than I do?" I ask giving in and sitting up, trying to think somewhat coherently.

" Because I was told that under no uncertain terms that if I didn't memorize that itinerary she would take her blessing away," he says kissing my forehead.

" Oh well, it's a good thing that you memorized it to, because she would," I say and he chuckles running his fingers through my hair.

" Mmm, well with or without it I'm marrying you, but to be safe I memorized it regardless."

" Good thinking. I'm going to get in the shower, is your shift going to run over today?" I ask walking towards the bathroom.

" And miss our rehearsal dinner? Never going to happen. Two days from now, we'll be married. Two days, and you'll be my wife," he says and the butterflies erupt in my stomach and I grin and tackle him, letting out a laugh.

XXX

" I think that's everything," Evangeline says beaming at me from where she sits on my bedroom floor, " You are completely packed for your week long honeymoon in the Cook Islands. Packed for the wedding. Nails have been manicured, eye brows are perfect, skin is radiant, and you have the prettiest dress picked out for the rehearsal dinner which is, wow half an hour from now."

" Don't worry so much, it's a small intimate dinner. Not a ton of people will be there," I say nonchalantly, grinning at her when she rolls her eyes.

" Its your rehearsal dinner, how are you so calm?" she asks twirling her finger making me turn around so that she can zip up the back of my dress.

" I don't know. It just, it feels perfect. I feel perfect," I murmur moving my hair to the side.

" I wasn't going to bring this up, but I have to know. Did you tell Tyson?"

Silence settles and I feel my heart give a single dull thud against my ribs.

" No. He doesn't need to know."

" Brae."

" We haven't spoken, since the birthday weekend in Tahoe. He's sent a few texts, but with school, your wedding, the gallery opening, house hunting, my wedding, I just never got back to him," I say turning to look at her, " I know your just doing what best friends are supposed to do, but Evy, Tyson is my past. Chase, Chase is my future. And I'm happy. I'm really happy."

" Okay. I understand. I just, I don't want you to regret anything. Especially not this."

" I know, and I love you for that Evy and a million other things. Consider the subject dropped. Onto happy times. Your getting married!"

" I'm getting married!"

XXX

An hour and a half later I sit next to Chase, surrounded by twenty of our closest friends and family, and I feel so at peace.

So happy.

Giddy, almost, with plenty of help from the champagne.

" Okay, now is the time for the speeches, and being the maid of honor, and best friend that I am, I'm up first," Evangeline says happily standing up and at the center of attention, " Now, I'm going to save the sappy, bring people to tears speech for the actual wedding day. Instead, this speech is directed straight to Chase, and its not really a speech per say, more of list. A list of things that you will need to know about our Brae. Be sure to takes notes."

I can't help but laugh when Mark reaches across the table and hands a small notebook and pen to Chase.

" One. If you hear water running in the middle of the night, don't panic and assume that the pipes have burst somewhere in the house. Its just Brae's way of soothing and comforting herself enough to get back to sleep, she loves the sound of running water. Two. If and when Brae has a bad day, and yes she has been known to have those despite her almost gag worthy round the clock sunny disposition, you need to be sure to have three things on hand. Starbursts, preferably red and pink her favorite ones. An ice cold glass of Pepsi with crushed ice, not cubed ice, and tissue. Tissue because she will cry, cry it all out until finally she has nothing left. Three. Take her to a chick flick, at least once a month. You'll know its good if she cries. Four, and most importantly, Cherish her. Cherish her because Brae deserves to be cherished…"

" And if you don't cherish her, her honorary brother, me, will kick your ass," Jared's voice rings loudly through the room and I let out an excited scream as I rush to him, throwing arms around him, laughing along with everyone else.

XXX

I wake slowly and let out a muffled scream when Evy beams down at me, a grin a mile wide on her lips.

" Its wedding day!" Evy all but screams and I can't even get mad at her. It's the day.

The big day.

My big day.

I kick my legs giddily and laugh when she pulls me up, and in a childish move, circa junior high we jump up and down together, screaming happily.

" Okay, enough of the immature school girl actions, which we will be doing on my wedding day by the way, it's time to get started. You have a wedding to get ready for."

If I could freeze time, I would freeze it now. Just stop it, and take it all in. Soak up as much of it as I can as I sit with Evy, Charlotte, Olivia, Laycie, and Amber, in our matching tank tops and shorts, smiling for the pictures being snapped.

" Brae," Evy says smiling over at me, resting her forehead to mine, " Its time to get in your dress."

My breath hitches as Charlotte, Olivia, Laycie, and Amber stand off to the side, watching as Evy helps me into my dress. It feels surreal, stepping into the crinkle chiffon gown, surreal that all of this is happening. I blink my eyes furiously against the tears that threaten as the photographer takes pictures, because as sweet as this moment is, its missing something. Two really big parts are missing from my day.

Mom, and Dad.

" We're going into the next room to get into our gowns, give you and Evy a few minutes, alone," Charlotte says, and quickly my bridesmaids leave us alone, and I smile watching as Evy slides into her summery green floor length empire waist gown, and she glows.

" Oh Evy, your beautiful," I murmur, and she smiles.

" You think I'm beautiful, you should see yourself, come here," she says taking my hand, leading me to the floor length mirror, and I stare at myself.

I seem so different. I know its me, but I look completely different. My black hair, twisted in a low bun, shines in the light. My floor length veil with flower laced trim is the same one my mother wore on the day she married my father, and is fastened with the same pearl tipped pins my grandmother fastened in my mothers hair on her big day.

I press my hands to the crinkle chiffon flowers just below my bodice and realize this is real. All of this. The pretty decorations, the people gathering and taking seats, all of it so real.

" Your beautiful."

" Thank you. I have something for you, hold on," I say and I walk to the couch and pull the large wrapped gift from behind it, handing it to Evy.

" What is this?" she asks perplexed and I smile at her, as we sit together on the couch.

" This is your maid of honor gift," I say, " Open it."

I watch her as she tears the paper away, and her eyes brim and threaten to spill over.

" International Star Registry," she whispers, and I smile at her nodding my head.

" This was the only thing I could think of to show you how much you mean to me. Evy, for my entire life you have been my very best friend. We have been through the worst, and the best things together, and now here we are, on my wedding day, and you've made all of this possible. You worked tirelessly to help me put my special day together. This is my way of thanking, from the very bottom of my heart, for always being my north store. You always lead me home."

" Oh, oh God, I cant cry, why are you making me cry, you cant make me cry, you cant cry, because we just got our make up perfect, damn it," she proclaims waving her hands in front of her face as I mimic the motion.

XXX

I stand watching as my bridal party walks one by one ushered down the aisle by Chase's groomsmen, his brother's of course, one short since his fourth is Jared, but Jared's walking me down the aisle and giving me away. Evy smiles over her shoulder as she links arms with Mark and walks down the aisle ahead of me.

I take a moment, a short moment to look around. Take it all in. The bridge serving as the aisle is wrapped in blue and green gossamer fabric, blue and cream hydrangeas and lilies perfume the air as Jared takes my arm and I smile, taking a deep breath.

" You ready?" Jared asks and I smile nodding my head.

" Yes."

My heart pounds lightly with every step I take towards the beautifully decorated gazebo, but all I can see is Chase. All I can see is Chase, and all I can hear is violins weeping Sierra's Song through the dusk air.

My Chase.

Standing in classic tuxedo, watching me, a smile on his face so breathtaking I'm surprised I'm still able to walk, and I swear that the only reason I haven't fallen over is because Jared keeps his hold tight on me.

" Hi," I whisper when Chase takes my hand, and he smiles hazel eyes shimmering.

" I missed you," he whispers, and I laugh, nervously, but happy at the same time.

" Please be seated," Mark, who got ordained just for this moment, says smiling at us. " This is my first time, marrying anyone, and its such an, unbelievable honor to be marrying my brother Chase, and one of my best friends, Braelyn. I have to say, I didn't want to borrow words or use clichés at this wedding. Instead, I've decided to speak from my heart. I don't know a lot about love, I have never been in love, but I know that I have an amazing example of love, of what love is when I look at Chase and Braelyn. Chase told me, three days after he came home from his campaign in Haiti, that he met the woman he wants to marry. The woman, that he knows he was meant to spend the rest of his life with. I was so excited for him, until he followed that with, but she's with someone. All I could think, was, is this really what is meant for my little brother. To love a woman who loves someone else. Luckily though, fate wasn't that cruel. Instead, fate brought Chase and Braelyn back together, and this is why we're here today. Because of Fate. Love. Proof that patience, and hope can get you anything in this world. At this time Chase and Braelyn will perform a unity sand ceremony with the help of the Mother of the Groom, and the Maid of Honor."

We walk to the side of the gazebo where a beautifully decorated table with a large empty vase, flanked by four colored sand vases sits waiting, and Chase and I speak together.

" As these four containers of sand are poured into one, the individual containers will no longer exist, but will be joined together as one. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual containers so will our marriage be, united as one for all our days."

It's hard for me, to not follow instinct and kiss Chase as he smiles at me, so instead I squeeze his hand and let him lead me back to the alter.

" Chase, will you take Braelyn's left hand in your hand and while sliding her ring in place, recite your vows," Marks says, and nervous butterflies flutter in my stomach.

" I Chase Anthony Porter, cherish you, Braelyn Riley Mercier, for being all that you are, all that you are not, and all that you can be. Know that I am here for you, and that your pain will be mine, and your joy mine as well. All I ask of you is your love, your trust, your caring. I choose you to be my wife."

A tear slips from the corner of my eye as Chase slides my wedding ring onto my finger and I take a deep breath, knowing I'm up next and the last thing I want is to sob through my portion of the vows.

" Braelyn, take Chase's left hand in yours and while sliding his ring in place, recite your vows."

" I Braelyn Riley Mercier, cherish you, Chase Anthony Porter, for being all that you are, all that you are not, and all that you can be. Know that I am here for you, and that your pain will be mine, and your joy mine as well. All I ask of you is your love, your trust, your caring. I choose you to be my husband."

I cry openly as I slip Chase's wedding band onto his finger, my tears only propelled by Chase's tears.

" With the power invested to me, I know pronounce you man, and wife. Brother, what the hell are you waiting for, kiss your girl," Mark proclaims, and I wrap my arms tightly around Chase's neck, my husband, and kiss him with everything that I have to the sound of cheering.

XXX

Dinner has come and gone, and I sit talking happily with Chase, Jared, and Evangeline, and lay my head on Chase's shoulder when the D.J's voice echoes around us.

" At this time the Chase and Braelyn will have their first dance."

I grin when Chase takes my hand and leads me to the dance floor, my heart fluttering when the music starts. I wind my arms around Chase's neck as he pulls me close, one hand around my waits, another on my lower back.

' How could I plan on forever, when I never planned on you. Someone to fall for, to love for all eternity, baby lets plan on forever, and watch all our dreams come true, you're what I live for, who I can give forever to, my destiny, is you.'

" Are you happy?" Chase asks and I smile looking up at him.

" More than you'll ever know," I say brushing my lips against his.

" Mmm. You are, so beautiful."

" Is it weird that you still make me blush?"

" If I didn't I wouldn't be doing my job right."

" May I cut in?" Evangeline asks grinning when she spins me around as the music changes to something upbeat and catchy.

" Absolutely."

XXX

Evangeline and I dance off the floor and I laugh, hugging her close.

" You need to take your seat," Evangeline says, pulling a chair out for me, " Its time for my maid of honor speech."

" Uh oh."

" Uh oh's right. I am fully prepared to pay you back for making me cry earlier."

" Some say I can fly on the wind, yet I haven't any wings. Some have found me floating on the open sea, yet I cannot swim. Some have felt my warmth on cold nights, yet I have no flame. And though you cannot see me, I lay between two lovers at the hearth of fireplaces. I am the twinkle in your child's eyes. I am hidden in the lines of your mother's face. I am your father's shield as he guards your home. And yet… Some say I am stronger than steel, yet I am as fragile as a tear. Some have never searched for me, yet I am around them always. Some say I die with loss, yet I am endless. And though you cannot hear me, I dance on the laughter of children. I am woven into the whispers of passion. I am in the blessings of Grandmothers. I embrace the cries of newborn babies. And yet… Some say I am a flower, yet I am also the seed. Some have little faith in me, yet I will always believe in them. Some say I cannot cure the ill, yet I nourish the soul. And though you cannot touch me, I am the gentle hand of the kind. I am the fingertips that caress your cheek at night. I am the hug of a child. I am love."

My eyes tear up as Evangeline speaks, and I wipe my fingers under my eyes.

" Those are the words that were spoken at my Aunt and Uncle, Braelyn's parents, wedding. These words mean so much to me, and even more to Brae. Braelyn, you are my very best friend. You are my person. The one that I have always been able to count on, the one who I know beyond a shadow of a doubt will always, always be there. We have been together at the very best times. My very concert, I was with you. Prom, you were there. Graduation, you were there. We've held each other up through some of the hardest times. Boyfriend drama. Drama in general. My parents, your parents dying. I know how sad you are. You think you can hide it, and from most you can, but not from me. I know the sadness in your eyes. And I'm sorry. If I could, I would bring them back, so they could be here. But since I cant, I can tell you this. I know that your parents would be, beyond proud. Proud of who you are. Of how beautiful, kind, and sweet your soul is. Of the steps your taking in your life. Of the man your choosing to spend the rest of your life with. I love you. So much, and Chase, you are a very lucky man. Remember that."

I smile, lips shaking as I bury my face in my hands and weep.