Author's Notes: Here's the second part; it's a little longer than the last one. I'm using the same names for Jules's father and brothers that I used in GUTF even though this story is set in a different timeline. It was just easier to use those names that come up with new ones. I know the show never really said where Jules and Sam got married but since the last aerial shot they showed before moving to the wedding was of City Hall, I'm going with that.

Disclaimer: The show Flashpoint and its characters were created by Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern and belong to them and the networks who air the episodes. Since the show has ended, our only way of getting new Flashpoint is through fan fiction. This story is my attempt to help fill the void, and the only profit I make is the warm fuzzy feeling reviews give me. Anything that does not come directly from the show is my own creation and should not be used without my permission.

So Many Words

Chapter 2

"There's my little girl." Jack Callaghan set his carry-on bag on the ground and held his arms out as Jules and Sam approached.

Jules allowed her dad to engulf her in a bear hug. Father and daughter might have occasionally had their differences in the past but nothing could really shatter that bond completely. She had a feeling the miles that separated them helped to soften any differences when they did manage to get time together. She returned the hug just as affectionately. When her father finally released her, she was immediately caught up in another bear hug, this time from the youngest of her older brothers, Ridge.

"Hey there, Squirt. Glad to see you are just as ugly as ever." Ridge, only three years older than she, lifted her off her feet and twirled her around before setting her back down.

Jules gave him a playful punch in the arm. "Jerk. How was the flight?"

"Bumpy as hell. And when did airlines stop with the complimentary peanuts?" Jack groused.

Jules knew her father didn't like to fly and would complain about the flight regardless of how smooth it had been. She reached back, knowing Sam's hand would immediately take hold, and pulled Sam closer. "Dad, Ridge, I'd like for you both to meet Sam."

Ridge shook his hand first. "Nice to finally meet you. I didn't think there was a guy brave enough to want to marry my sister. You sure about this? It's not too late to change your mind."

Sam laughed, instantly liking Ridge. "I'm sure. I like to think I'm lucky enough that she wants to marry me. It's nice to finally meet you as well. Jules has told me plenty of stories…"

"That we don't need to talk about right now." Ridge immediately warned, his voice dropping conspiratorially. "The statute of limitations might have run out on some of those stories as far as the law is concerned but not when it comes to the long arm of the dad."

Jack regarded him a little less enthusiastically. Sam almost felt like he was being judged on the spot to see if he was indeed worthy of marrying the older man's daughter. Sam couldn't fault his future father-in-law. If the baby Jules was carrying was a girl, then Sam couldn't imagine ever thinking any man was good enough for his little girl. Jack finally reached his hand out in greeting, his face not giving any indication as to what the verdict was on Sam. "I understand you work on the same team as Jules."

"Yes, sir." Sam couldn't tell if their working together was a plus or not in the older man's eyes so he didn't comment further. Instead he looked down at the carry-on bags both Callaghan men had. "Do you have any checked luggage we need to get?"

Jack shook his head. "Didn't see a need. We're only here for a couple of days." The four Callaghans would stay at the house tonight and then check into a hotel after the service tomorrow. Jack had tried to say it was no problem to spend both nights at a hotel while Jules had tried to assure them they didn't need a hotel at all. The current arrangement was a compromise for both.

Jules frowned. "Dad, you didn't at least put your suits in a garment bag? They'll be all wrinkled crammed into your bag."

Jack shrugged. "Wrinkles iron out. No big deal; I've been ironing my clothes for years now. I'll look fine for the wedding tomorrow, I promise. Now are we going to stand around this airport all day?"

Sam picked up Jack's carry-on bag with a look that dared the older man to protest. "Not at all. Are you hungry? Jules and I wanted to take you to lunch."

"I'm starved." Ridge admitted as the small group started to make their way out of the airport to the parking area. "Dad insisted that we had to get to the airport two hours before our flight so I didn't get to eat breakfast."

"Could have if you'd gotten up earlier. Not my fault you slept until the last minute and missed out on eating." Jack reminded him. "Lunch sounds great but it's my treat. It'll make me feel like I'm getting to contribute something to this wedding."

"Dad, you're here, that's contribution enough. It means a lot to me that you were able to get away on such short notice." Jules assured him, slipping her arm behind his back in a sideways hug.

Jack stopped walking and turned to face Jules. "Listen to me and listen good. There is no way I would ever miss seeing my daughter get married. I would have flown, driven, or even walked all the way here from anywhere in the world for this moment."

He lovingly cupped her face in his hands. His face softened and his eyes got a little watery. "I can't believe my baby is getting married. This is a moment I've both looked forward to and dreaded since the day you were born."

Sam had no doubt with the way her hormones had been going since finding out she was pregnant that Jules was about to bypass tearing up and go straight for full blown crying. Sure enough several tears slipped down her cheeks and her voice caught as she tried to speak. "Daddy…"

Knowing any control she had was about to slip, Jules looked around. Seeing a restroom nearby, she made a beeline for it. Jack frowned as she ran off. "I didn't mean to make her cry."

Sam couldn't blame the pregnancy since Jules's father didn't know she was pregnant and there was no way he was breaking that news without Jules at his side. Stull he felt like he had to offer an explanation. "It's okay, sir. She's just been a little emotional the last couple of days. The wedding plans and everything. She's fine. She's just really glad to see you."

Ridge interjected. "Jules? A little emotional. That's an understatement. My little sister might act all tough and can probably outshoot just about anyone, but she's always been a big ole marshmallow. You know what a softie she really is, Dad. Remember when she was a kid and saw Charlotte's Web for the first time? I didn't think she'd ever eat pork again. If she hadn't liked the taste of bacon so much she probably never would have."

Sam smiled. He wished he could have known Jules growing up. Wished he could know everything there was to know about the woman he was about to make his wife. It didn't matter that they were about to have the rest of their lives to get to fully know one another; he would never be able to know enough.

It only took a couple of minutes for Jules to rejoin them. When she emerged from the restroom, there was no sign of the tears she'd been in danger of shedding. She smiled at the three men. "Sorry. Guess I'm already feeling a little sentimental. I promise, no more tears at least until after lunch."

Sam put an arm around Jules's back and kissed the side of her head as they all continued out of the airport. It wasn't long before they were at the Jeep. After loading the bags in the back, they climbed in. Jules let her father have the front passenger seat and got in back with Ridge. Talk during the ride remained neutral as both Sam and Jules pointed out different sights for the visiting Callaghans.

Jules and Sam had debated earlier where they should take her father and brother for lunch. Jules had insisted that it didn't have to be anything special but Sam had disagreed. Since this was the first meal Sam would be sharing with his future father- and brother-in-law, he wanted to make sure it was special and something they would all like so it didn't feel awkward. He really wanted to make a good impression; that hadn't changed now that he'd been introduced. If anything, the feeling had increased after meeting them, especially around Jack. Sam couldn't get a good read on whether Jules's father liked him or not.

"Jules told me you like steak and this place has some of the best in the city." Sam announced as he pulled into a parking space outside the restaurant. "If you'd prefer something else though…"

"Steak sounds fine." Jack assured him. The three Callaghans and Sam made their way into the restaurant. Even though it was the height of lunch time, they were quickly seated at a table near the back. Sam sat next to Jules while her father and brother sat opposite them. Talk centered around the menu as Jack and Sam debated the merits of a ribeye over sirloin. Ridge went straight for the T-bone. When Jules ordered salmon over steak, Jack raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you prefer fish over steak?"

She couldn't very well say since his grandchild had been conceived. For some reason, especially in the last month, the idea of red meat hadn't appealed to her while her desire for fresh seafood had grown. She was pretty sure Sam had taken her new eating preferences into consideration when he'd chosen this place. She took a quick sip of the water the waitress had just delivered trying to think of a good reason. Sam intervened.

"Jules has been on a kick for the last couple of weeks about eating a little healthier. She's worried she's going to put her dress on tomorrow and not be able to zip it up. I've told her it's ridiculous; she's absolutely perfect and she's going to be the most beautiful bride that has ever gotten married." His eyes practically shone with pride and love, and it was clear he wasn't just trying to placate her, but actually believed his words.

Besides the praise, his explanation itself was grounded in the truth anyway. She hadn't let him see her dress - a fact that he found funny considering she was giving him a hard time about holding to tradition about not seeing her just before the wedding, but he knew she'd been trying it on almost daily to make sure she hadn't gained baby weight that would prevent her dress from fitting properly. Which was also funny because she kept insisting she hadn't gained any weight.

Jack nodded thoughtfully and reached across the table to squeeze his daughter's hand. "Your guy is a smart one; I'll give him that. He's also right. You are going to be a beautiful bride. I don't think you have a thing to worry about when it comes to gaining weight. But if it makes you feel better to eat fish instead of steak, then go right ahead."

"So Sam," Ridge began once their orders had been taken, "have you had a bachelor party yet?"

"Tonight, actually." Sam answered. He had one arm resting on the back of Jules's chair so his fingers could lightly caress her shoulder. "The guys on our team are taking me out to celebrate. Both of you, as well as James and Peter, are welcome to join us. My cousin Derek who is in town for the wedding is coming as well."

"Sounds like fun. Thanks." Ridge agreed. "It'll give us a chance to find out a little more about you before you marry our baby sister. How about it, Dad?"

"I think I'll stay behind. It'll give me a chance to get caught up with Jules. It's been too long since we've had some good father-daughter time."

"I'd like that, Dad." Jules assured him. When Sam had mentioned that he'd planned on inviting her father and brothers to join him for the bachelor party, she'd warned him not to expect her father to attend. When he'd left his career as a police officer behind, he'd done so completely. As far as she knew, he hadn't maintained any contact with any of his old colleagues, even though he'd been good friends with some of them. Hanging out tonight with a bunch of dedicated cops was the last thing he'd want to do, even if it meant getting to know his future son-in-law better.

"Who's idea was it to have a morning wedding?" Jack asked as he reached for a roll from the basket the waitress had left at their table. "I don't think I've ever been to a wedding before noon before."

Ridge laughed. "You two aren't in that big of a hurry to get to your honeymoon, are you?"

"My dad's schedule is pretty busy," Sam explained. "He has a late morning meeting tomorrow at Downsview, so he was going to be briefly in town. Early tomorrow morning was the only time we could get his schedule to mesh with ours. It's not ideal but Jules and I both felt it was important to have family present."

"And Jules told me the two of you are going to work after the ceremony." There was an edge to Jack's voice; it was obvious he didn't agree with the plan.

Jules nodded. "Yeah, the schedule had already been made when we found out Sam's dad was going to be in town. The time worked out so we could have the service before shift so the team could be there which was also important to us. We could have put in for the day off but we decided we'd rather be able to take the time off for the honeymoon instead. I mean it's not like we're going to get married one minute and then go off to separate jobs for the next eight hours. We'll still be together."

As if to reinforce her point, Jules reached up to squeeze Sam's hand that was on her shoulder. She knew Sam still felt a little bad about the idea of the timing of the wedding. She was also pretty sure her own father's insistence that he wouldn't have missed the wedding for anything had been a further, albeit unintentional, sting to Sam's already wounded pride. In all their attempts to plan the wedding around General Braddock's schedule, Sam's father hadn't seemed that concerned that he might miss out on his son's wedding. Exasperated beyond measure, Sam had finally bitterly told his father that if he cared about him at all, he'd figure out a time that would work for him. His hurt expression had cut Jules to the core; she'd taken the first opportunity to talk to Sam's mother when Sam wasn't around. The older woman had promised she would force her husband to figure out something. The morning of the Downsview meeting was the best she could get but Jules jumped on the opportunity. She hadn't even thought about their own schedule when she made the arrangements.

The waitress brought their plates and after thanking her, they started to eat. Ridge grinned at his sister after taking the first bite of his T-bone. "So, Squirt, back to the honeymoon. Where's Sam taking you?"

Jules shot Sam a quick mock glare. "I don't know. Someone won't tell me." The only thing she was sure of was that the hypothetical honeymoon they had once discussed - the one that had outed their relationship and almost cost them their jobs - wouldn't happen. Hard to do extreme hiking on remote trails without outhouses when you were three months pregnant. Especially when the father of the baby was super protective the way Sam was. The only thing he'd promised was there would also be no sipping daiquiris- virgin or otherwise- on a beach somewhere.

Sam laughed. "You'll find out soon enough. I guarantee you are going to love it."

Jules leaned her head so that it rested on him. "I love you so I'm sure I will."

She reached over to his salad bowl and stole one of his tomatoes. Besides a sudden aversion to red meat, her desire for tomatoes and other raw vegetables and fruits had grown in the last month. Seeing her brother pretend to put his finger down his throat to gag at her sentiment, she stuck her tongue out at him. "Keep it up, Ridge. It's been a few years since I've had a chance to prove to you that I can whip your butt without breaking a sweat. Besides, last time we talked I don't remember you mentioning a steady girlfriend."

He laughed. His little sister had never been a pushover. "That's because I don't want to disappoint the ladies by tying myself down to just one."

Jules rolled her eyes. Of her brothers, Ridge had always been the one to fancy himself the ladies man. He had a cockiness about him that could have been off putting if it hadn't been mixed with a down home honesty that just made him endearing. "Right." She dragged out the word to show her sarcasm. "I can see why they'd be falling all over you."

The rest of lunch was full of light banter and good food. When everyone was finished, Jack once more insisted on taking care of the bill. Then the four headed back to the Jeep. Jack looked at Sam and Jules. "Any chance we'll be driving by the church where you're getting married? I'd love to see it before the actual wedding."

The young couple exchanged a glance. Jules bit her lower lip thoughtfully before answering. "Dad, Sam and I aren't getting married in a church. I thought you realized that from the invitation we sent you. We're getting married at City Hall. The usual wedding chapel is a little small but Sarge pulled a few strings and got us a room that's slightly bigger. It's still small, but it's plenty of room for the small group we have that's attending."

Jack frowned. "City Hall? I guess I just assumed…" He trailed off and then forced a smile. "If that's what the two of you want, then I'm sure it's fine."

Jules hugged her father. "It is. Now, I know after getting up so early and with the time change, the two of you are probably tired. Sam and I have a few things left to do to get things ready for tomorrow. We can drop you off at the house if you want to rest. We shouldn't be long, maybe an hour."

"We want to help." Jack answered almost immediately. "Not like I'm going to nap during the day anyway. I'm not that old yet. If I were at home, I'd have done a day's worth of work already with more to do. Perhaps there are things Ridge and I can do to help."

"I don't think you're old." Jules assured him, slapping backwards at Ridge when he laughed. "I just didn't want the two of you getting bored. It's more details stuff than anything. We've got to make sure everything is all set up with the party boat where the reception is going to be held tomorrow night. We've got to pick up the marriage license from City Hall…"

"So I could at least see this room where the two of you will be married."

Jules sensed that her father was not completely happy with their venue choice but didn't really understand why. "Yeah, I'm sure we could do that. Dad, what's wrong? Does it really matter where we get married?"

Jack sighed but forced a smile. "No, of course it doesn't."

Jules didn't quite believe him but knew she wouldn't get him to say more until he was ready to tell what was bothering him. She'd been accused from time to time of being stubborn, and she knew exactly where that trait had come from. He would finally confide in her what was wrong when he was ready and not a moment sooner. Perhaps while they were at City Hall, she could convince Sam to distract Ridge while she showed her father the room they would be using. If she had him alone, he'd be more likely to open up.

Stopping at the marina to finalize the reception plans took no time at all. Even Jack looked impressed with the arrangements they'd made for the celebration that would take place the following night. It was going to be a great party, a perfect ending to what would be a perfect day. The fact that both Sam and Jules would be working a shift in between the wedding and reception was just a minor detail.

Their next stop was at City Hall. After picking up the marriage license, Jules suggested that Sam show Ridge around outside while she showed her father the room. Without hesitation, Sam agreed. Alone in the room where the next day she would be finally be married to Sam, Jules waited as Jack looked around. Finally he sighed and sat down in one of the chairs that had already been set up for the service.

"That arch is nice but the room is a little plain. I guess at least the aisle won't be so long that either of us will get nervous as I walk you down the aisle."

Jules sat down beside him and took his hands in hers. She felt like she was disappointing him again. "Dad, I'm not walking down the aisle. We have just a short amount of time for the service. Not just because of the way appointments are set up here but because Sam, I, and the rest of the team have to get to work, and Sam's dad has to get to his meeting." She didn't add that she didn't want to feel on display with everyone watching her every step if she did walk down the aisle.

"I'm not walking you down the aisle? Jules, are you sure about all this? Maybe the two of you are rushing things too much. Maybe you should rethink things a little."

"I've never been more sure of anything Dad. I love Sam, and I can't wait to be his wife. Yeah, we put things together pretty quickly so we could have as much of our families here as possible but I don't think we're rushing things and I certainly don't want to rethink anything."

Jack stood up and turned his back to Jules, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "This isn't the kind of wedding you deserve. It's not what I pictured for you, not the wedding I promised your mother you'd have. She wanted the very best for you. A church that had been decorated with flowers and all that other gauzy stuff, you wearing a dress that's fit for a princess, me walking you down the aisle trying not to cry or trip or anything like that, your fiancé waiting for you at the end of the aisle staring at you like he can't breathe because you look so beautiful."

Jules stood as well and gently tugged her father's arm so that he was looking at her. "Dad, that might have been Mom's idea of a fairy tale wedding but it sounds more like my worst nightmare. Have you ever known me to be the flowers and gauzy type? I don't want pomp and circumstance. I just want to officially be Sam's wife. Tomorrow, I will be. I'm happy about the plans we've made, and I want you to be happy for me."

Jack sighed again and hugged her tightly. "I am happy for you, Kiddo. If this is the wedding you want, then it's the wedding you should have. I just don't want you to settle for anything less than you deserve."

Jules could see Sam and Ridge waiting in the hallway right outside the room. Her heart fluttered just a little at the sight of her fiancé waiting for her. She didn't share any of her father's doubts. In fact, she couldn't wait to be married to Sam. "Daddy, trust me when I tell you that by marrying Sam tomorrow I'm getting way more than I deserve, even if we don't buy out a florist or deck out the place in gauzy stuff. Now, let's get out of here. I can't wait for you to see the house. I know I sent you pictures of the renovations I did but pictures don't quite do it justice."