Author's Notes: My reason for the problem Spike mentioned in the previous chapter is simply to offer myself an explanation for an inconsistency I noticed in the wedding scene that has really bugged me. I got the idea from something that actually sort of happened during my brother's wedding. The dialogue during the wedding scene comes directly from the episode. This was going to be the last part but I'm thinking there will be one more chapter just because there's another scene that won't leave me alone. I hope you enjoy.

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 5

Jules shook her head. "No, we're not allowed to have a slight problem. What's wrong, Spike?"

Spike frowned. "I feel so stupid. I had one job and I blew it."

Her eyes narrowed. "According to my brothers, the party ended early enough and Sam didn't get drunk enough that there could be a good reason why you didn't get him here in time and in good condition…"

"Okay, so I had two jobs and I failed at one of them. Sam is here. He's next door and he's ready to go. I think he's been ready to go for hours now, long before I ever woke up. I've never seen him look so excited. Or well, he was super excited before he realized what I did. I'm not sure how to describe how he is now. He didn't kill me, but he's the one who said I had to be the one to tell you so that might be the same thing as killing me. I'm an idiot. Can I just admit that up front?"

She folded her arms across her chest. "Then what's wrong?" She thought about what jobs her friend and co-worker had been given. Her eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat. "The rings? You forgot to pick up the rings? You didn't check the wording and there's a misspelled word or something? What?"

They had picked out their wedding bands weeks ago but both had to be resized and then engraved. When they'd gone to pick them up three days ago, both rings had fit perfectly but the jeweler hadn't been able to do the engraving yet. That part was supposed to be finished yesterday. Knowing the couple had so much to do, Spike had volunteered to pick them up from the jewelry store and hold on to them until the wedding.

"The rings were ready and the engraving was perfect." Spike assured her. "I picked them up. I took them home, put them in a safe place where I wouldn't forget them."

Jules nodded, slightly relieved. Sam was there and the rings were fine. "Okay, so if it wasn't the rings, what is it?"

"I forgot them. I don't know how it happened. All morning long, I kept thinking 'don't forget the rings.' Yet, somehow, I did just that. I didn't even realize it until we got here and the official asked for them. I thought I'd left them both behind but Sam admitted that he had your band. Said he dreamed he dropped the ring when he was supposed to put it on your finger. I don't know, I guess he took your ring when he got up this morning so he could practice holding on to it or something. I don't know. All I know is that Sam has your wedding band but his is still at my apartment. I did mention I was a complete and utter idiot, right?"

Jules paled slightly and sat down in one of the chairs that had been provided. She didn't want to cry in front of Spike. Knew her friend felt terrible about it and she didn't want to make things worse but all she really wanted to do was break down in tears. Today was supposed to be perfect. How could it be perfect if she didn't have a ring to put on Sam's finger? Wasn't the ring supposed to be maybe even more important than the vow? A symbol of their never-ending love for each other? "We've got a tight schedule. We don't have time for you to run all the way back home to get it."

Spike nodded. "I know. It's okay though. Wordy has loaned us his band for the ceremony. He and Sam wear about the same size fortunately."

Jules looked at him in disbelief. "I don't think it works that way, Spike. You can't get married with a loaner ring. I'm sure there's got to be rules about that."

Spike knelt down beside her. "It's okay. The official suggested it actually. Said we can do the service with the stand-in band and then you could switch it out later. He actually said it happens more often than you would think. I'm not sure if he's telling the truth or just trying to make me feel better. It's got to be the former right? He wouldn't lie; that would be a bad thing for a wedding official to do, right?"

Jules relaxed slightly. A forgotten band was a big deal but it wasn't a wedding stopper, and it sounded like a solution had already been found. She couldn't get mad at Spike, not about this, not today. So why did she still feel like crying? "So, it's really not a problem?"

Spike shook his head. "No, Sam just wanted me to let you know why you were putting a gold band on him instead of the one the two of you picked out. He told me to tell you the day will still be perfect no matter what. But Jules, I swear to you, if it's going to bother you to put the wrong ring on Sam's finger, I'll leave right now and go get it. If I have to break every speed limit between here and my apartment, I'll do it and be back as soon as I can. Maybe twenty to forty minutes tops."

Jules shook her head. "No, we're on a tight schedule as it is. We couldn't delay the start of the service until you got back and I don't want you to miss it." She reached out to touch the boutonnière her dad had ordered for everyone. "You're family and I'd rather have you here than have the right ring. True I'd love to put his band on his finger when we say our vows but it's not going to ruin anything. I'm glad Wordy was willing to loan his ring for the moment."

Spike nodded, looking very relieved and a lot less nervous. He gave her a quick hug. "Thanks for not kicking my ass over this. I promise I'll stop back by the apartment on the way to the station and get it so he'll have his band soon enough. So, are you ready to do this? I'm supposed to ask so we can get everyone in their seats and the wedding started."

Jules nodded. "More than ready."

She followed Spike out of the room and into the chamber. Sam was already standing with the official who would be performing the ceremony. She stood there for a second, just looking at him. No doubt he made any suit look good but she never expected him to look so happy, so boyish. He looked up and saw her; for a moment he looked like he was having trouble catching his breath, but then his grin widened. She smiled as well and joined him. Immediately their family and friends started to take their seats.

She had to admit that the flowers that her father had ordered were beautiful. It was simple and understated - she was sure if her mother had been alive to say, she would have still called it plain - but it was an improvement to what it had looked like the day before. As she glanced around she saw that Sam, his cousin Derek, her brothers, her father, and the current and former members of Team One were all wearing matching boutonnières. Only Sam's father wasn't wearing one but she couldn't fault him. He was dressed in his full uniform and she had a feeling white roses probably went against regulations.

She held out the hand that wasn't holding the bouquet, and Sam immediately took it in his own. He looked like he wanted to kiss her but the kiss would have to wait. So for now, holding hands would have to be enough. They looked into each other's eyes and for a moment it was like they were the only two people in the room. So much so that they didn't realize the minister had started the ceremony until he cleared his throat. Sam blushed and glanced over at him.

"Sorry."

The minister chuckled. "Don't worry. I'm actually used to it."

The service continued and it was finally time for the vows and the exchange of rings. She gave her bouquet to her father so that both her hands were free. Then the minister handed both Sam and Jules the rings. Jules clutched the borrowed gold band in her right hand. The last thing she wanted to do was drop it, especially after Spike had told her about Sam's dream. Next the minister instructed Sam to put the ring on Jules's finger and to recite his vows. Jules was slightly surprised that neither of their hands were shaking as he slid the ring on her finger until it was flush with her engagement ring. Then he kept both hands gently holding her left hand as he began to speak.

"Julianna Callaghan, I vow to be true always…" To anyone else, he probably appeared calm. She, however, could tell how nervous he really was. There was a slight catch in his voice as he began to speak. She hoped she appeared to their guests as collected as he was, because inside she was a breakdown waiting to happen. She gave him a slight reassuring smile as he continued. "…To give you all of myself - so secrets- until death parts us, and even after." The last part seemed almost an add on, as if even the thought of death parting them was too much to consider. Nothing, not even death, would ever tear them apart. Jules could feel her heart flutter, and she knew it was all a matter of time before the tears started.

She wanted this; maybe, despite what she'd told her father, needed this. From the moment he'd asked her to marry him, she'd known that she wanted to be Sam's wife, but now it was starting to feel so real. It wasn't that it scared her but the enormity of it was almost too much to comprehend. Was this what happened when your wildest dreams finally came true? This was the moment she'd wanted but now that it was here she wasn't sure she could handle the emotions welling up inside her. If her hands hadn't been firmly in his, she thought it was possible that she just might turned into that melted blob of goo she'd joked about. Sam's hands on hers kept her grounded.

"'Cause I've been yours since the first day I saw you and made a fool of myself." Jules couldn't help but chuckle a little at the memory. It hadn't been so much that he'd made a fool of himself, perhaps more of an ass actually. She remembered him saying that it was kind of sexy that she was a sniper. The boyish chagrin she was seeing now was so much more endearing that the cockiness he'd shown that day. Then again, she probably hadn't looked her best to him as she pulled her gun on him thinking he was reaching for his own weapon. But even in that moment, something in each of them had recognized something in the other that had started drawing them nearer to each other.

"'Cause I knew right away, I knew that it was you or no one." He gave a slight nod and she nodded back. She knew what he was saying without him saying the words. They had never really talked about that time they'd spent apart when, although she'd been the one to force the issue, they'd both put the job above the relationship. Regardless of how it had seemed at the time, he hadn't given his heart to anyone else. Just as she hadn't given hers to anyone else. Even when they hadn't been together, neither had given up on the other. His words and nod were all the confirmation she needed. She hoped her answering nod conveyed to him both the fact that she understood he was saying and that it was true of her as well.

"Even though you didn't know it yet, and I had to be patient." His nervousness was showing in his boyish demeanor. He kept hold of her hand as he looked out at their assembled family and friends. "I was right. Just saying."

Everyone laughed, Jules included. She appreciated that he seemed to be trying hard not to make her cry. Though his words had been lighthearted, they meant the world to her. In his own special way, he'd told her not only how important she was to him but that she'd been that important to him long before they'd ever had their first date or first kiss. He'd considered himself hers before they'd ever made love for the first time. The enormity of that hit her. No wonder the break up had hurt him so much. But even after she'd broken his heart, he hadn't given up on her - on them. Only the purest kind of love could not only withstand all that but come through it stronger. It made her feel all the more loved. It also made her a little sad. How much richer and fuller would her life - both their lives, had been if they hadn't lost those couple of years of not being together.

Part of her knew the truth. They had needed that time to grow as individuals, to mature and realize that sometimes it was more important to be someone else ahead of yourself. The pain of separation, the nights she'd cried herself to sleep and cursed her selfishness, had only served to make her realize just how much she really did love Sam and want him in her life, no matter the consequences. They were meant to be and not even breaking up had changed that. But it didn't stop her from wishing for that time back with today's knowledge.

Now it was her turn. Needing the contact, she only let go of his hands with her right so she could slide the ring down his finger. She wished that it was the ring they had picked out together, the one that matched the one that now encircled her finger. But she couldn't - wouldn't - blame Spike. She could tell when he broke the news to her that he felt bad enough as it was; she wouldn't add to his bad feelings. It would be one of those things that she and Sam would be able to tell their son or daughter about with a laugh, even if it currently seemed like a horrible thing. Then immediately add to it the lesson of how important family, whether by birth or choice, was during a moment of crisis.

Holding on to his hand, she looked at him. His smile was boyish and encouraging. Then she made the mistake of looking in his eyes. His eyes that were crinkled at the sides as he gazed back at her. He was enjoying himself, as happy to be marrying her as she was him. She could get lost in his eyes. Wanted to get lost in his eyes even if it meant never being found. So long as he was there with her, she wouldn't mind. She took a breath. She couldn't afford to get lost right then. She was nervous enough about saying her vows as it was. She had to make her words as perfect for Sam as his had been for her. She plunged ahead.

"Samuel Braddock, I vow to always be yours." Her voice quavered slightly as she spoke. Tears were inevitable, but she hoped she could get through the service without fully breaking down. She started to continue but drew a blank. She had planned out what she was going to say but the words had just suddenly left her. Or rather it was like all the words she'd ever considered were flooding over her, leaving her unable to remember what she'd finally decided on.

She'd written it down; why hadn't she figured out a way to bring the paper in with her? Was this where she talked about how he'd changed the way she saw her future and her dreams? Or was this where she told him how she'd always been scared to fall as deeply as she had for him; how she'd always feared that falling for someone would mean losing herself, but that had changed when she'd found herself caught in his arms. All the ideas that she had started and rejected in the last couple of days whirled in her mind and she couldn't remember which one she'd finally settled on.

She let out her breath shakily. She was pretty sure Sam could tell she was suddenly at a loss as to what to say. Especially when his smile widened. She knew he wasn't laughing at her but was trying to encourage her instead. She waved her hand in front of her face as if that would prevent the tears that were suddenly threatening to overwhelm her. She knew it wouldn't work as she turned her head away from Sam's supportive gaze. She wiped at her eye, hoping once again that her mascara really was waterproof.

Her dad sitting on the front row gave her a wink. Of course he would know she was feeling distressed. He'd always known when she was upset. Then she turned back to Sam, waving her hand again. She wished it would actually prevent the tears. She also wished it would bring back the words she'd lost. "I tried to…" She looked up, both trying to control the tears and regain what she needed to say. The whole time Sam just kept watching her, silently encouraging her on. "think of words, but there's so many…" Better to go with honest. "there's so many words…"

She could almost hear Sam's voice in her head repeating the words he'd told her just the morning before when she'd confessed her fear of not knowing what to say. It doesn't matter what you say. Whatever you say will be perfect because you said it. Don't worry about the words. Show me how much you love me. Perhaps that was really all she had to do. As a profiler, she had to rely on words first in order to handle whatever situation arose. As a sniper, it was all about controlled breathing and making that impossible shot look easy. Currently she might do more profiling on hot calls but at her heart she was first and foremost a sniper. It was as a sniper that Sam had first fallen in love with her. She took a deep breath, and planned out her shot. Sam's smile was still encouraging her, giving her a clear Scorpio to fire. "So I vow, to you, this…" She released his hands and reached up to grab the back of his neck, pulling him toward her. Her lips crushed against his, and suddenly all felt right.

She thought she heard applause and maybe Spike calling out a "Yeah" but she ignored it all. It wasn't the most passionate of kisses they'd ever shared but she couldn't think of one that was more heartfelt. The first kiss immediately went to a second one and Sam's hands were on her hips pulling her closer. No invitation to kiss the bride had been issued from official lips but none was needed as the bride herself had commanded the kiss.

Again for a moment, there was no one else in the room but Jules and Sam. The applause continued as their family and friends seemed to recognize their need to express their love for each other. Then as if finally remembering they weren't alone, they broke apart. They looked once more into each others eyes and held a silent conversation. The official invitation to kiss the bride hadn't come from the minister but he'd obviously decided his part was over since he'd walked away. Sam raised an eyebrow and she nodded.

Keeping the pregnancy a secret had been more her idea than his. Sam had been ready to tell the world from the moment he knew for sure they were expecting. She was the one who had kept putting it off. "Tomorrow" had been just another way of meaning "not today." She'd used the reason that it wasn't good to tell before the first trimester was over but they both knew it was more about her being afraid of the changes letting people know would bring for her. While she was thrilled about the baby and wanted her son or daughter more than anything, she couldn't completely shake her fears about letting the team down or that the pregnancy would bring changes at work she just wasn't ready to face. Once they'd set the date for the wedding, she'd agreed it would be the perfect time to tell everyone about the pregnancy. A chance to tell everyone at the same time so no one would feel slighted at not being the first to know. Now was the time.

As they turned to face their family and friends, Jules looked left arm through Sam's and held on to his wrist with her right. She looked up at him, expecting him to blurt out the news. Instead, although he looked excited, he seemed to be the one lost for words. Now was her chance to reclaim her words. She turned back to the assembled guests.

"So umm… since you guys are all here, we would have told you earlier, but we didn't want to jinx anything." She glanced back at Sam who was looking at her, looking very much like a kid at Christmas, a kid who had not only gotten the puppy he'd been begging for but also the pony he'd never expected to get. "We're three months along;" She could see the looks of disbelief on just about everyone's faces. So, just in case there was any mistaking what she meant, she finished with, "We're having a baby."

The response was immediate. Everyone was leaving their seats to congratulate them. She turned to her father first, not sure if he'd be happy with the news or use it as a reason to go back to his fatherly belief that he shouldn't like Sam. After all, now Sam was not only the man who had stolen his baby away, he was the reason his baby was now having a baby. There was no question about his reaction, however. She hadn't seen her father look that happy in years. He grabbed her in a hug and squeezed her tightly.

"Congratulations Pumpkin. I'm so happy for you…" He looked over to include Sam, who was being congratulated by his own parents, in his glance. "for both of you."

He looked like he wanted to say more but the newly married couple was being swamped by well wishers. He gave her one more quick hug before stepping aside. Almost immediately Ed took her father's place. She was glad to see he looked equally happy about their news as her father had. Truth be told, she'd been more worried about how the team would react that her own family. From the moment the doctor had confirmed the pregnancy, she'd been worried about letting the team down. As much as she wanted this baby - Sam's baby, her role on the team would eventually change drastically and she was worried they would feel she was leaving them in a lurch. Ed's expression didn't suggest that to be the case. If anything, he looked as excited for them as he had when he'd gotten his own news that Sophie was expected Izzy.

The sea of hugs and congratulations she received was almost a blur but at last there was a break. Sam immediately turned to her and she stepped back into his side. His arm was around her shoulders pulling her closer as she held him tightly. When he kissed her temple before turning back to the others, she knew in that moment her wedding, even if Sam was currently wearing a borrowed band and she had forgotten the vows she'd wanted to say, had been truly perfect.