"Where IS he?" Justin lamented as he stood in front of the mirror thirty minutes later, holding up one tie after the other to try and match his tailored, navy suit.  Why had he waited until NOW to try and figure this out?  And why was his hair sticking up in places it shouldn't be?  "And look at my hair!  Why didn't I get it cut?  It's way too long!  Aaargh!"  He threw his hands up in disgust as he heard Daphne sigh behind him.

"Will you chill, for God's sake?" she groused, shaking her head in exasperation.  "You are totally weirded out right now, Justin!  Everything's going to be fine!"  

"Oh, yeah? Well, in case you haven't noticed, Daphne, one of the grooms is missing! And so is the ring bearer!  Not to mention the fucking ring!"

"Not technically," she reminded him.  "It's not missing anymore.  Just...temporarily out of commission."  Daphne turned her friend around to face her.  "Listen to me, okay?  That's why you shouldn't be worried.  I'm sure he's with Gus right now.  Something must have just held them up for a few minutes.  Michael said he talked to him a little while ago, and he mentioned he was going to go get Gus.  So stop queening out!" she scolded him, reaching up to brush some hair out of his eyes.  "Take a deep breath," she ordered.  "Hold it...and then let it out."

Justin rolled his eyes, but did as she commanded, taking a deep breath and then slowly expelling it. Despite his skepticism, he had to admit it did release some of his tension.  "I know you're right," he finally admitted.  "It's just...we've taken so long to get to this point - and had so many things go wrong - that I'm a little skittish, I guess." 

Daphne nodded with a sympathetic smile.  "You're allowed to be nervous; all grooms are on their wedding day.  But stop looking for problems that aren't there. That man loves you.  And he always does what he says, doesn't he?"

Justin nodded.  "Yeah..."

"So you have nothing to worry about. So stop it right now, Justin!"

Justin eyed her sheepishly.  "Okay. You're right.  I just wish he would get here."  He sighed, holding up two ties against his suit jacket which was on a hanger, waiting to be worn soon.  "Which one goes better with this?" he asked her, gnawing on his bottom lip in indecision.  He always was a horrible judge of taste when it came to his own clothes.  He had definitely not inherited Brian's sense of fashion. 

"The royal blue one; it brings out the color of your eyes."

Justin whirled around to see his fiancé leaning against the doorway, and let out a huge sigh of relief.  Gus was standing next to him, his small hand grasping his father's.  He seemed none the worse for wear, considering a short while ago he had spent a great deal of time on his hands and knees, searching for the ring for his father.  "Thank God!" he exclaimed; still clutching the ties in his left hand, he placed both of his hands on his hips in agitation.  "What have you been doing for the last thirty minutes?  The tent wasn't that far away."

"Well, unless you've forgotten, Sunshine, I had to do something with that disgusting pail of water that our little detective here left...with my ring in it, as you might recall."

Justin shook his head skeptically.  "There's no way you touched any part of that bucket, Brian.  Or the ring, either."    

"You got that right. I had Emmy Lou do it.  He's in charge of the wedding, not me."

"Tell me you didn't." 

"But, Daddy..." Gus began to protest, only to receive a pointed look from his father that Justin did not understand. He heard Gus falter before he added, "I mean, yeah...Daddy didn't touch it.  It's like he said. Emmy Lou moved it for him."  That caused Brian to chuckle.

"Brian!  See what you're teaching him?" He shrugged as Justin sighed.  He directed his next words to Brian's son.  "His name is Emmett, Gus.  So what did he do with it?" he asked his partner.

"The stinky water that smelled like Cujo's breath?  What do you think he did with it?  He threw it in the creek out back where it belongs.  I tried to get him to include the little furry crapper, too, but he drew the line there."

Justin huffed.  "That ‘crapper' has a name, you know."

"Yeah...I can think of several I could use for her:  trash compactor, metal mouth, wedding wrecker...I could go on.  She would have to inherit your appetite." 

"I'll have you know I don't have pica," Justin protested indignantly.  "I eat REAL food, not metal objects."

"Really?  I'm not sure I would count Captain Crunch and Double-Stuffed Oreos ® as real food." 

"I LOVE Double-Stuffed Oreos®!" Gus piped up as Justin grinned over at him smugly with an ‘he's SO my son, not yours' sort of look.

Brian rolled his eyes.  "Of course you do. Why not?" He threw up his hands in defeat.  "Well, everything's taken care of, Sunshine.  None of the guests will question now the odd choice of potpourri they would have been privy to at our ceremony...."  He snickered.  "Emphasis on the privy part." 

Daphne giggled beside him as Justin tried to ignore the joke.  "What about the ring?  I know there's no way that YOU would touch it." 

Brian shuddered.  "You got THAT right.  Since Gus seemed so enamored of his mission earlier, I let him pluck it out of the bucket with his super-duper, impenetrable gloves.  It's tucked securely away now, out of the eyes of metal-eating carnivores."  That comment evoked a giggle from Gus as he looked up at his father, making Justin furrow his brow. 

"But what did you do with it?"

Gus opened his mouth, but shut it as his father answered instead.  "Justin, do you really want to talk about some filthy ring right now?  Can't we concentrate on something more pleasant...like our bridal shower?" 

Justin laughed.  "Bridal shower?" 

"Yeah...You're the bride, and it's customary for the bride to have a shower...with the groom.  Right now." 

Justin huffed.  "I am NOT the bride, Kinney."  He had to grin a little at Brian's little-boy expression, however. "Well, I guess it's bad luck to trample on tradition," he decided.  "Besides, I think it's very important to be clean before you put on your wedding suit."  Brian grinned.

"Papa?"

"Yeah, Buddy?" Justin asked, his voice softening as he peered down at the little boy who - like his father - had stolen his heart so long ago.

"Can I just stay dirty? I had a bath last night." 

Justin laughed.  "I think that would be okay," he told him with a smile.  "Besides, I think the shower is only big enough for your father and me." 

"You and Daddy are always so clean," Gus observed.  "You take a lot of showers together."

Justin turned a little red as Brian chuckled, squatting down so he was level with his son.  "We really enjoy taking showers, Sonny Boy," he told him, leering over at his accomplice.  He glanced up as Michael appeared in the doorway.  "Mikey!  Just the man I needed," he told him as he stood back up.  "Can you take Gus to his room and help him get dressed?"  .

"Sure," he told him as he smiled over at Gus.  "Come on, Gus.  I'll help you get ready, so your Daddy and Papa can take their shower, okay?" 

Gus nodded.  "Okay."  He turned to go just as Michael thought of something and turned back around.

"Wait, I almost forgot!"  He reached inside his pocket to retrieve an object, clutching it in his closed hand.  "Here's the ring you wanted, Brian." 

Brian grinned.  "You're a good man, Mikey.  I'll take good care of it," he promised as Michael handed it to him.

"You'd better," Michael warned him solemnly.

Justin rolled his eyes as he got a good look at it.  He had been thinking Brian would probably use his old college ring for the ceremony, or something similar.  "Really, Brian?  His Captain Astro ring?" 

"Well, we don't have a Rage ring.  And I AM your superhero, right?"

"Always, you big, strapping galoot." 

Brian harumphed.  "Well, you got the big and strapping part right, at least."  He turned to his son.  "Here it is, Gus. This is Daddy's ring that he's going to use for getting hitched to the young'n over here."  He snickered as Justin smacked him on the arm in reaction.  "Take good care of it, or Mikey will never speak to me again."  He winked at his son, who attempted to wink back at him; only it looked more like Gus had something stuck in his eye instead.

"I will, Daddy," he told him with a giggle. 

Justin peered over at him curiously, thinking that he was some outsider to an inside joke, as Gus turned and headed down the hallway with Michael toward his room, refocusing his attention back on his partner as Brian reached for his hand.

"Now if you'll excuse us, Daphne, Justin and I need to get cleaned up - after we get dirty first."  He leered at his partner, making both him and his maid of honor blush. 

"I would expect nothing less," she responded dryly.  Grinning, she turned to go.  "I'm sure you can get dressed on your own now, Justin," she told her friend.  "Or should I say undressed, in your case.  I have to go start getting ready myself."  She sighed with a dreamy expression on her face.  "Just think...this is your last fuck before you become a married man," she teased him. 

"How do you know it'll be just one?"  Brian countered.  "He's like Lay's potato chips."

Daphne tittered.  "Well, you certainly have the right brand."  Chuckling, she turned to go. 

"Daph, wait!" Justin called out to her.

She stopped to turn back around.  "Yeah?" 

"I have something for you," he told her, as he walked over to the dresser and pulled something out of the top drawer.  Grasping it in his hand, he grinned.  "Call it a gift for my maid of honor," he explained as he held it out to her.

Daphne laughed as she realized what it was.  "Oh, my God! Don't tell me this is the SAME one?"

Justin shook his head ruefully as he tied the colorful, braided bracelet around her wrist.  "No," he admitted.  "But it reminded me of that day anyway...and how much you mean to me."

"As I recall, I had to pay for those bracelets," she reminded him.  "So this is the least you can do now.  And I do mean least.  This must have set you back, what?  Ten bucks?" 

"Twenty," he told her with a grin.  "You have to count for inflation."  He raised the sleeve of his tee-shirt to expose an identical bracelet on his right wrist.  "I'll be wearing mine at the ceremony under my suit," he revealed.  "Friends forever?" he whispered.

Eyes glistening, she nodded.  "Forever," she whispered back as Justin gently gripped her upper arms and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek.  She sniffled, quickly wiping the moisture from her cheeks in embarrassment.  "I have to get going," she told him as he nodded back at her.  "See you outside?"  He nodded again as she warned him, "And don't be late!"  She peered over pointedly at Brian, even though the statement was directed to her friend.

Brian held up his hands.  "I'll do my best to limit it to one blow job and one fuck in the shower." 

"Thanks," she replied dryly.  "Your wedding guests will appreciate it, I'm sure."  Brian gifted her with one of his trademark smirks as she shook her head in amusement.  "One hour," she commanded.  "I expect both of you outside by the back door, ready to go." 

"Yes, ma'am," Justin told her with a grin as she gave him a brief wave and finally exited the room, heading down the hallway toward her guest room.  He squeaked as Brian suddenly grabbed his wrist and began to pull him toward the bathroom.

"Brian!" He laughed, desperately trying to hold onto his wedding attire as he was dragged toward the bathroom.  "You'll wrinkle my suit!"

Now it was Brian's turn to laugh.  "Oh, NOW you worry about getting your clothes wrinkled!"  He reached over and plucked the hanger of clothes and tie out of his hands before tossing it deftly down onto the bed.  "There; problem solved," he told him matter-of-factly.  "Now you can solve my problem."  His eyes drifted down to point out exactly where his problem was as he waggled his eyebrows at him meaningfully.

Justin giggled.  "That is such a cheesy line...especially coming from the genius of Pittsburgh's advertising world."

Brian curled his lips under playfully as he suddenly pulled Justin's body flush with his, sliding his arms around his partner's back to hold him tightly against him.  He heard Justin gasp softly at the contact; even through their clothing, it was like an electrical current flowing between them.  "Well, I've always preferred the tactile approach, rather than masking it with words.  Speech is so overrated, anyway." 

Justin eyed him thoughtfully, his hands resting on either side of Brian's neck.  "I couldn't agree with you more," he told him solemnly.  "Except for this afternoon," he added.

Brian frowned. "This afternoon?"

His partner nodded.  "Yeah...during our wedding," he told him softly, almost embarrassed. But he didn't care. As much as he knew Brian loved him - as much as he loved HIM in return - he still longed to hear the words his fiancé would say this afternoon.  "You sure you don't want to give me a hint?" he asked, batting his baby blues, and gazing hopefully into his eyes.

Brian smirked.  "Nice try, Sunshine.  But do you really want to know what I'm going to say before I say it?" 

Justin thought about that.  Did he?  Brian had been extremely secretive about exactly what his words would be during the ceremony; there had been no way he would have been content with the ‘for better or worse, until death us do part,' Elizabethan tripe.  No, he had insisted on the two of them writing their own vows. Justin had found it both romantic but also scary in a way. Brian Kinney, composing his own marriage vows? Well, one thing was for certain:  they would no doubt be unique - and highly unconventional. "No," he finally decided.  "I guess I don't." 

Brian nodded, rolling his tongue into his cheek.  "Well, there IS one thing we can practice before the ceremony, though."

Justin grinned.  "Really? Whatever could THAT be, I wonder?"

Brian's smile widened in reaction.  "You're a smart man.  Let's go into the bathroom, and it'll come to you."

Justin grinned.  "I hate to disappoint you, Brian, but we will not be fucking during our wedding ceremony."

Brian laughed.  "Well, even I would draw the line there; especially with my impressionable son present. But we CAN practice the ‘and now you may kiss the groom' part, at least."

Justin grinned as the two of them turned to proceed toward the bathroom, knowing all along that was what Brian had meant.  "You can never get enough practice with that," he agreed, as they walked into their master bathroom and shut the door, their outfits lying side-by-side on the bed.

Thirty minutes until the ceremony...backyard

"I can't thank you enough, Sandra," Justin told his neighbor as they stood near the fenced in area of Britin presently holding three dogs now:  Sadie, Xena, and Tricky.  Their neighbor - whether out of a sense of guilt or just wanting to be helpful - had offered to watch the three dogs, including her own, while the wedding ceremony and subsequent reception were taking place.  Thankfully, Sadie had promptly been spayed after delivering her recent puppies, so there thankfully there was no chance of a repeat performance between the two parents this time.

Justin watched in amusement as the three became reacquainted; it was obvious there was still a bond between the three.  It was touching in a way to see how happy the three seemed together.  He smiled at them before turning his attention back to his neighbor.  "We really appreciate you doing this."

She shook her head. "It's the least I can do after what happened," she assured him, looking a little embarrassed as she confirmed his suspicions about her motives.  She smiled at him.  "You look very handsome in your suit, Justin. Both of you," she added, peering over at Brian, who was standing several yards away, talking with some of their guests. 

Justin blushed slightly at the praise.  "Thank you," he told her.  He glanced once more over at the dogs, confident that they were in good hands.  "Well, I'd better get going; the ceremony will be starting soon."

She nodded.  "Save me a piece of that cheesecake you were telling me about!" she requested.  "It sounds divine!"

Justin smiled with a nod.  "I will," he promised.  "See you later."

"And don't worry!" she called out to him as he began to walk away.  "Everything will be fine."  She patted Xena's head affectionately.  "You are just too cute!  Look how much you're grown!" she exclaimed at the puppy as Justin headed toward his fiancé, assured that she would keep a close eye on all of them. 

"Papa!" Gus cried out as he came running up to them with Mel and Lindsay following closely behind, trying to catch up; he was wearing an exact, smaller replica of his and Brian's suits, complete with a miniature cummerbund and a white rose boutonniere on his chest.  Justin hadn't even been aware that Dolce Gabbana made designer children's suits; he suspected that Brian had been able to influence his local tailor to help make Gus's custom outfit, and he wondered where in the world he would ever have reason to wear it again, but he had to admit he looked amazing in it, and it only made him realize how much the child was looking more and more like his father every day. 

"Hey, Buddy!" he greeted him with a warm smile.  He noticed Gus was carrying the ring bearer's pillow, but it was presently bare.  "Where're the rings, Gus?"  After what had happened to Brian's, he didn't want to take the chance that something would happen to his.  

Gus stole a glance over at his father, who was silently watching their interaction with great interest.  "Uh...they're in my pocket, Papa," he told him, patting his left jacket pocket.  "Daddy thought it was a good idea to keep them in there until it's time for me to bring them to you." 

"Yeah," his father told Justin with a nod. "After what happened yesterday, I thought it was a little more secure, especially with my son's tendency to use his pillow as a yo-yo." 

Justin laughed, remembering how Gus had been swinging the object back and forth yesterday.  "Yeah...good idea," he decided.  He turned to the little boy as Mel and Lindsay joined them.  "You remember what to do, right?"

Gus nodded, his eyes lighting up as he thought about the important role he would play.  He had been so excited to find out that at last he would get to do what his father had practiced with him so long ago when he had first been offered the job.  "Uh, huh.  I wait until the min'ster says, "Who wants the rings?" and then I run down to him and hold them up so you and Daddy can put them on your fingers." 

Brian smiled in approval.  "That's perfect," he told him, affectionately ruffling the top of his head.  "But no running down the aisle, okay?  I promise your Papa that I won't back out if you take a little longer to get to us." 

"Very funny; you'd better not," Justin told him as Brian grinned back at him.  Just then, the strands of a string quartet began to play from underneath the tent, Emmett's signal to them that they should take their places and get ready.  Justin's heart began to race in anticipation.  "I think this is it," he told everyone, taking a deep breath.

Brian nodded solemnly.  "Yep. The march to the guillotine."  He grunted as Justin jabbed him in the stomach.  "Hey! I'm not the fucking Pillsbury Doughboy, okay?" he groused, but there was no sting in his voice as Justin smirked at him. 

Lindsay sighed.  "Brian...language?"

"Oh, my mistake," Justin told him  "You're right.  You're more like the Lucky Charms Leprechaun."

Brian frowned as Gus exclaimed, "I know who that is! I love that cereal! Especially the green and pink ones."

"The marshmallows," Lindsay explained as Brian gave his son a quizzical look.

"Ahh," he responded in understanding.  He turned to his fiancé to ask, "I know I'm going to regret this, but exactly WHY am I like the Lucky Charms Leprechaun?"

"I know, I know!" Daphne interjected as she interrupted them.  Justin grinned, not surprised she would make the connection so quickly.  "Go right ahead," he told her as she nodded.

"It's because you're magically delicious, Brian," she told him with a chuckle. 

Brian smirked, somehow liking that comparison.  "Well, you got part of that right," he told him as the din of conversation under the tent became more pronounced, signaling that the proverbial natives were becoming restless for the grooms' appearances.  "But I am NO ‘leprechaun;' at least not where it counts."

"Well, I'll go along with that," Justin concurred.

Mel cleared her throat as Ted and Blake walked over, having just arrived after encountering some unexpected heavy traffic.  "Quaint," she muttered.  "Everything always has to have the same theme with you, doesn't it?  Did you forget about your son here, who is like a sponge when he's around you? Do you know that after you kept referring to your neighbor's dog as a bitch, the next time Gus saw a pregnant woman at the mall, he asked me if she was called a bitch, too?" She shook her head in disgust.  "Way to go, Brian!"  She sighed wearily as everyone couldn't help bursting out laughing.  "It's not funny!" she protested. 

She turned to her son.  "Gus, remember what I told you.  Calling pregnant women bitches is not nice...and you do NOT call them that. That is only for female dogs, not women.  And don't you say a word," she reprimanded Brian who had opened his mouth, presumably to muddy the waters even more, but then shut it. 

Brian hid his amusement.  He realized he did had a responsibility to his son to help him to grow up to respect both men and women, hetero and homo, despite the fact that homophobes could be real bigots, and women could be real bitches.  But that would be for Gus to judge individually. The last thing he wanted was for his son to be raised with any preconceived notions. Gritting his teeth, his told his son, "She's right, Sonny Boy.  Only female dogs are called that, okay? That is NOT a polite thing to call women." 

Gus nodded, his and his father's conversation abruptly halted as Emmett came rushing up to them, followed by JR being held aloft by her father; she was dressed in a royal blue flower girl dress with a satiny white bow, white hose, and matching, white, shiny, patent leather shoes.  There was a small, intricately braided wreath of baby's breath and miniature ivory-colored roses woven into her headband, which was adorning her wavy, brown hair. 

Emmett cried out impatiently, "Did you not hear the music playing?  The two moms are already seated, and now I need the ring bearer and the flower girl!  And then Michael and Daphne! Let's go!" he hurriedly waved his hand at them.  "You're going to make me straight before this ceremony is over!" he told them.  "Now hurry up!"  Like the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, he turned and began to rush back toward the tent, muttering about everyone being late, before he noticed no one was following him.  "Are you all deaf?" he asked them as he turned around to see them just standing there.  "I have a tent full of people, and my dessert melting! What part of hurry up did you not understand?" 

Justin and Daphne giggled.  "Okay, okay, Em," Justin told his friend.  "Don't worry; we're right behind you.  Go tell the musicians we'll be right there."

Shaking his head in consternation, Emmett peered back at the group one last time before nodding, still grumbling as he turned to head back to the tent located several yards away.

"We'd better go find a seat," Ted told Blake.  "We'll see all of you after the ceremony." Taking his boyfriend's hand, the two hurried toward the tent, right on Emmett's heels. 

"You heard the man," Michael told them, having assured their friend he would try to hurry the two grooms along.  "Let's get going before he has a coronary." He paused, however, to ask everyone, "Have you seen my Honey Bun here?"  A proud smile appeared on his face.  "Isn't she the most beautiful girl you've ever seen?" He rubbed his nose against JR's chest, blowing raspberries against her tummy as she squirmed and giggled in reaction.

"Shoot me now," Brian drolled, rolling his eyes as Gus wrinkled his nose in distaste over the overt display of PDA.  Justin had to grin; like father, like son, he couldn't help thinking.  He decided to take a more diplomatic approach, however.

"You look beautiful, honey," he told her as she beamed over at him.  "You and Gus are going to make a stunning couple walking down the aisle."  He peered over at his partner.  "Almost as stunning as the grooms."  He laughed softly as Brian scowled at him.  "Come on, groom.  We have a wedding to attend."  He pulled gently on Brian's wrist.

"Do I have to?  Maybe Mikey can stand in for me absentia." 

"I think not," was the brusque reply as Justin looked over at Michael.  "No offense," he told him.  "But when it would come to the ‘you may kiss the groom now' part, it would be more like kissing my brother."

Brian snickered.  "Well, I can see your point there," he told Justin.  "Oh, don't go getting your jockstrap out of sorts, Mikey," he told his best friend, who appeared insulted.  "It's just when it comes to my skills, there's no comparison."

"Or your humility," Michael retorted as Brian rolled his lips under.  He shook his head.  "Come on, Gus.  It's time for you and my little honey bun here to do your thing.  You ready?" 

Gus nodded shyly, suddenly feeling nervous now that his grand appearance was imminent, there were so many people waiting for them!  "Are you coming, Daddy?" 

"You bet, Sonny Boy," his father assured him with a smile.  "Your papa and I will be right there." 

Gus nodded as Michael reached over to take his hand and lead him toward the tent, the soft strains of the quartet filtering toward them.  "See you in a few," Michael told the two men softly as they nodded back at him and  the trio walked away along with the others, leaving them alone briefly.

The two partners turned to face each other in an unspoken command, their hands reaching to clasp each other's between them.  "Wow," Justin murmured as it all began to hit him.  This was really going to happen. Soon they would be walking down the aisle under that tent, all the people they cared about and who had been with them throughout their journey watching them recite their custom-made vows as they expressed their commitment to each other.  In a way, though, they had been committed for a long time; this was just a confirmation of that bond and their love.

Brian smiled tenderly at him, hearing so much emotion in that one, small word.  "Yeah...guess there's no backing out now." 

"There'd better not be," Justin warned him, his eyes twinkling back at him.  He increased the pressure of his grip slightly for emphasis.  "You're stuck with me now, Kinney."

Brian's face dissolved into something warmer as he pulled him into his arms, temporarily ignoring the music playing nearby.  "I could think of worse things," he murmured with a smile.

"Gee, so romantic," Justin replied indignantly, but there was a smile belying his words.  He laughed as he lifted his head toward the tent to see Emmett ushering JR, Gus, and Michael toward the aisle before gesturing wildly at the two men as if he were about to, indeed, have a heart attack.  "For Emmett's sake - and on behalf of all gay boys everywhere - we'd better get going," he urged him.

Brian grinned.  "I'm all yours, Sunshine.  Let's do this." 

Justin's smile widened as he nodded.  Brian leaned over to give him a brief but thorough kiss, throwing a little tongue in for good measure, before he pulled back, still holding Justin in his arms.  "That's just a warmup for later," he told him, his voice low and velvety and sending a shiver up his partner's spine.

Taking a moment to push back the hair from Justin's eyes, Brian once more took his fiance's hand as they finally headed toward the tent.