"I still can't believe that Elliot talked Vaughn into being his best man! Vaughn hates doing things like that!" Rio exclaimed with a giggle as she and Julia headed over to Sprout Island together.

"Well, duh! It's because you're my maid of honor! You think he's going to just stand aside and let any other man near you when you're all dolled up?" Both girls giggled again, though Rio rolled her eyes at the suggestion. Then Julia slipped her arm through her friend's and pulled her closer. "I'm so happy you came back in time, Ree. You don't know what it means to me for you to be here. I... I didn't even want a wedding, at first. I didn't want anyone else to by my maid of honor, and I couldn't imagine a wedding without one. But... I'm so glad Ma talked me into it. Because you came home!"

Rio squeezed her friend's arm just as they arrived at Lanna and Denny's house and knocked on the door. A moment later, the petite blonde opened it wide and greeted them cheerfully. "Come on in, girls! Are you here for Vaughn's tux? It was so lucky that Will happened to have one that was almost a perfect fit! Vaughn is just a little broader in the shoulders, but only a little. And his legs are a smidgen longer. But I was able to make the adjustments, and it should fit him to a T!"

She led them back to her bedroom, placing a finger on her lips for quiet. Rio spotted a sleeping baby in a cradle by the large bed, and had to struggle to suppress the squeal of delight at his damp brown curls and plump, rosy cheeks and mouth. Then Lanna was handing a suit on a hanger to her, and she tore her eyes from the precious sight. They quietly crept back out of the room, and Lanna softly shut the door behind them.

"Thank you so much, Lanna! I know it was terribly short notice, but you're far and away the most skilled seamstress in the islands!"

"Oh, it was no problem! I love to sew. You know, I used to design and sew all my costumes back in my days as a pop idol. That was a lot of work, but so much fun!"

As they reached the door, Rio smiled at Lanna. "By the way, your son is just adorable! Fisher—that's his name, right?"

"Yes, that's right. And thanks! I only hope he behaves himself tonight—babies are so unpredictable." she said with an apologetic look at Julia, who just shook her head.

"Don't worry about it, Lanna," Julia laughed. "Babies are a part of life, same as weddings. No one's going to mind if Fisher adds his voice to the proceedings, or I won't anyway."

"Oh, whew! That's such a relief! Then we'll see you at the church this afternoon!" Lanna replied as they stepped back outside. She waved as she closed the door, and they crossed the street to the hotel.

They stopped first at Vaughn's room on the main level, and when he opened the door, he stared at the clothing Rio held out to him. Glaring, he said, "I can't believe I let Elliot talk me into wearing this monkey suit. Why'd he want me, anyway? Why not one of his pals?"

Julia rolled her eyes. "Because, dummy, Elliot has idolized you practically his whole life! He thinks you're pretty much the coolest guy that ever walked the earth." Vaughn reddened and stared at her in surprise, and she grinned maliciously as she continued, "Too bad he doesn't know you as well as I do!" Then stifling a giggle, she turned and ran towards the staircase.

Laughing as her friend fled, Rio turned back to Vaughn. "So the wedding starts this afternoon at 16:00, but you and I need to be there earlier. Since the boat ride would mess up our clothes, we'll dress over at the church so we look our best for the ceremony. Meet us at the dock at 13:00, and bring the tux and anything else you need to get ready with you. Kirk should get plenty of business today, ferrying everyone back and forth!"

"All right, that gives me about two hours, so I'm gonna grab some lunch. I'll meet you in a while," Vaughn said as he reluctantly took the hanger from her. She smiled and turned to run after her friend, and he stood there for a moment, watching her disappear up the staircase. Then he glared again at the suit as he shut the door.

Julia was standing in the doorway to the Bridal Suite, where she and Elliot would be spending their wedding night that night. She had a dreamy look in her eyes, and as Rio walked up behind her, she sighed, "You know, I've dreamed of this day for so long. I can't believe it's finally happening! I've loved that big goof since I was just a kid, you know, but there were times I didn't think he'd ever notice me. It was awful whenever he'd get a crush on some other girl. It was worst when he had one on you, though, since you were my best friend. I don't know what I'd have done if you'd returned his feelings. So I'm really glad you only had eyes for Vaughn! Speaking of whom... will you be okay tonight? I mean, doing the maid of honor thing with him as the best man? After all that's happened...."

Rio shrugged. "It'll be fine. Don't worry. Strange as it may seem, I've forgiven him, though I haven't actually come out and told him so yet, not in so many words at least. I'm not all that angry, even, I just... I just don't love him anymore. I've moved on."

As they crossed the hall to Rio's scarlet room, Julia looked curiously at her friend. "And what about this new beau of yours? I mean, if he's such a cold fish...?"

Closing the door behind them, Rio turned and looked her friend in the eyes. "Jules... how many times have you and Elliot been together?"

Blushing almost as deep a red as the décor surrounding her, Julia replied, "N-none, I mean, not at all, not yet. Tonight will be the first time, for both of us."

"And were you okay with that, all that time?"

"Well... I mean, I guess so? I wouldn't have minded... but Elliot wanted to wait until we were married, and I was fine with that."

"Did you ever think for one minute that you loved him less because he didn't want to get more intimate with you sooner?"

"No! Of course not! Why would I let something like that change how I feel about him?" Julia asked her incredulously.

"Then why would you think it should be any different for me and Neil?" Rio asked.

Julia blinked at her friend in surprise, then stammered, "I-I, uhh, w-well, I mean, it... it's not the same! Is it? I-I mean, it's one thing to refrain from something you've never had, and another to refrain from something you've enjoyed a lot of in the past. It's... it's like chocolate. If you've never had it before, it's not all that difficult to go without it because you don't know what you're missing. But if it's something you love and enjoy often, it's really hard to suddenly give it up. I-isn't it?"

Rio sighed. "Yes and no. It was hard, at first, and I was so lonely all on my own. Sometimes I even thought about packing up and coming back, taking Vaughn back again, just because it was such a struggle. But after I settled in Echo Village, I had a ton of work to keep me busy all day, and I didn't have time to think about the past or feel lonesome. But at night... at night, I was still just aching with loneliness. After a time, when I realized that I was starting to want Neil to be more than just a friend... well, at first I didn't know if it was real, or just because I wanted someone—anyone—to be with me. Neil's very different from Vaughn, though. Vaughn is reserved just because he generally doesn't care for the company of others. If he takes a liking to you, though, he'll warm up and can be really sweet, as you know. Neil... well, Neil's not so much unsociable as terribly, terribly shy and withdrawn. And... well, he's kind of afraid to show anyone what he thinks or feels, and it seems like he's even afraid of his feelings. I often wonder if he had a rough time as a kid, though he's never said anything. So yeah, it was hard to go without at first, but it's gotten easier. I just take it one day at a time."

Julia gave her friend a squeeze. "I'm sorry, Ree. I just hate to see you unhappy. And it seems like deep down, you're not as happy as you used to be." She released her and sighed. "So do you think you'll work things out between you and Neil? Or do you think you might someday change your mind about Vaughn and go back to him, like maybe if nothing changes with Neil? I mean, there's no mistaking how he feels about you."

"No, I don't think so. I mean, I guess I can't say what'll happen in the future, but.... Although, I have to admit, I find his dedication kind of touching, even if it also gets on my nerves sometimes. And—now, don't you dare breathe a word of this to anyone, Julia Joy Ferguson!—and if I'm totally honest, I do still feel physically attracted to him. Still, I'd much rather he just leave me alone. It's nice having his help around the farm, since it was really getting to be too much for me to manage on my own and he's good at the work. But... I still wish he'd just find himself someone else and move on. I don't love him, and I think I do love Neil, so having him quietly persistent like that is... well, disconcerting."

Julia shook her head as she walked over to the closet. "I bet it is. I'd think that 'disconcerting' doesn't even begin to describe it!" Then she opened the door and squealed. "Oooh! Just look at this! It's so flashy! I would never have imagined you picking out something like this!" she exclaimed as she pulled out a short, strapless dress in glimmering gold, heavily sequined and very fitted.

"I didn't have very many choices—there were only two dressy dresses that even came close to fitting me in the shop back home, and the other one was a black dress with a long skirt and a jacket, more suitable for a funeral than a wedding! Yuri can do wonders, but she just doesn't stock that much in the way of formal attire most of the year. There's just not much demand for fancy clothes in a tiny village in the mountains."

"Oh, but Ree, it's perfect! My colors are pink and gold! Now if your dress had been blue or green or something, that might have looked a little odd. But gold! And it'll look amazing on you, especially this time of year, when you get so tanned!"

Rio laughed. "Well, then I'm glad I didn't pick the funeral dress! Come on, let's grab my stuff and get down to the dock. We've got a wedding to attend!"

**************

"Rio!" Vaughn bellowed from the tiny room in the church where he was dressing.

With a sigh, Rio hurried down the hall. "What? What is it Vaughn? Aren't you dressed yet?"

"It's this damned suit! I can't figure it out. Am I supposed to wear the jacket or the vest? And what is this thing next to the button on the pants? And do I have to wear the suspenders?" he shouted, and she tapped at the door. He opened it, and gave a low whistle. "Well, aren't you a tall, cool glass of water?"

"Do you want my help or not?" she snapped, scowling impatiently, turning as if to leave.

"Well, I don't want to wear the damned thing at all. But if I've got to, then I'm gonna need some help."

Rio stepped into the little office that had been put to temporary use as the men's dressing room. Elliot had changed first and hurried off to meet with Nathan, leaving Vaughn to struggle with his unaccustomed finery alone.

She gave him a quick glance over. He had his pants pulled up but unfastened, his shirt buttoned but half untucked, and his boots and hat on. In lieu of the pre-tied bow tie that had accompanied the suit, he'd put on a bolo tie with a silver and turquoise slide.

"Okay," she said as he showed her the fastening in question on the waistband, "first of all, that 'thing' next to the button is just a second closure, kind of a hook and eye. Jeans don't use them, but suit pants often do, to keep the front flat and tidy-looking. Just hook them together, then do the button. That's all there is to it. You don't have to wear the suspenders, but if you moon the entire town, you'll never live it down. Here, I can help you put them on. You're supposed to fasten them onto the waistband before you pull the pants on. As for the jacket and vest, you wear both. At least during the wedding ceremony—once the reception is underway, I expect you could take off the jacket, and maybe even the vest, too. After enough rounds of drinks, no one's going to care if you strip all the way down to your boxers!"

"Not even you?" Vaughn asked her, one corner of his mouth quirked in amusement.

"If you're asking me if I'd be in favor of you doing such a thing, the answer is definitely no, I would not. Now get a move on—we're supposed to start in just a few minutes! And for goddess's sake, Vaughn, behave!"

"Now, where's the fun in that?" he drawled, grinning at her exasperated expression. She threw up her hands and shook her head in mock despair, then darted out the door, leaving him to finish his preparations.

**************

Standing at her friend's side, listening to Nathan as he droned on and on about love and commitment and sacred unions, Rio's mind wandered a little. She'd always assumed that she'd be married before Julia. It had seemed so... so certain, once upon a time. Elliot lacked the confidence to make a move, and she and Vaughn were clearly meant to be together. Or so she had thought.

Once upon a time.

Now, she had no idea what the future held. She wondered if Neil would ever want to join his life with hers, the way her friends were joining theirs at that very moment. She felt a twinge of envy despite the deep joy she felt on Julia's behalf as she watched Vaughn pass the ring to Elliot, who then slipped it onto Julia's finger. She suddenly felt a wave of doubt break over her that, whatever happened with her and Neil, he'd ever come out of his shell enough for them to share their lives like this.

And as she felt her heart shattering at that thought, she recalled that she was the maid of honor at her best friend's wedding, and she should be smiling with sincere joy at that moment—and so she did, though the smile didn't quite reach her wistful blue eyes.

**************

"Well, now, don't you just look good enough to eat?" the stranger said, oozing up to Rio and offering her a glass of wine. She hated the way his eyes slid over her, like oil poured on water she thought, and refused the drink, holding up the glass she already held in excuse. He shrugged and drank it himself, quickly, grinning broadly at her all the while. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of your acquaintance," he said, setting the drained glass on the table nearby. "I'm Julia's cousin, Justin. Justin Tyme."

"Justin Tyme?" she blinked at the odd name.

Sliding his arm around her waist, he grinned. "I'm so glad you agree. Now why don't we ditch this shindig and go have ourselves a real good time. Whaddya say?"

Before she could free herself from his grasp or reply, though, Vaughn sauntered up, his face expressionless, though his eyes were flashing. "Is this clown botherin' you, Rio?"

"Hey, back off, buddy! I saw her first!" Justin glared up at him with bleary eyes.

"You better toss him back, Rio. Even shrimp have a size limit, and he's too small to keep."

His face livid, Justin snapped, "Oh yeah? You think you're so clever, do you? Think you're better'n me just 'cause you're taller? C'mon outside, I'll show you. You'll see!" He turned and leered at Rio. "Now you just wait right here, babe. I'll be back in a flash." Then he turned and stalked out the door. Vaughn shrugged, gave Rio an amused look, and followed him out the door, despite Rio's protests.

Five minutes later, Vaughn came back in, alone. "Well, so what happened?" Rio exclaimed, looking past him for some sign of his challenger. "You didn't really hurt him, did you? I mean, he was a creepy jerk, but still!"

"Naw, don't you worry. He took one good swing at me, missed me by a mile, and fell over flat on his face. He was so goddessdamn drunk, he couldn't get back up again. He just passed out right there on the grass. So I dragged him over to the side and leaned him against a tree. He'll probably wake up in a few hours, chilly and hungover."

Rio sighed. "Why do these things keep happening to me?" she asked, leaning against a pillar and sipping her wine.

Vaughn pushed his hat back a little and stared at her. "You're kidding, right? I mean, just look at you. He was right, you know—you do look good enough to eat. The only thing that surprises me is that every man in this room wasn't lined up behind him."

Rio flushed. "I can't help it, this was the only nice dress I could get on such notice. I'm not looking for that kind of attention, you know."

He shook his head. "Doesn't really matter what you wear. Don't you know that by now? You even look sexy in old overalls and shitkickers."

She opened her mouth to respond, but Regis stepped out onto the dance floor at that moment and announced the first dance. With that, Elliot led Julia out onto the floor, and the sweet strains of a violin began to play. Watching the pair slowly swirl around the floor, Elliot in his immaculate white tuxedo and Julia in her strapless gown of soft, filmy white lace, Rio's eyes dimmed slightly with tears as her earlier fears washed over her again.

Watching her closely, Vaughn leaned in and said in a low voice, "They're a mighty handsome pair, aren't they?"

In a low voice, thick with regrets, Rio sighed, "That could have been us, you know. If you hadn't...."

Leaning in slightly closer, he whispered, "It still could be, you know. Just say the word, Rio, and I'll be at your side in a heartbeat."

She slowly shook her head, though this time she didn't pull away from him. "No, Vaughn. That bridge has been burned. There's no going back to what we had before."

"Bridges can be rebuilt, if you've the will, and even if we can't go back, that doesn't mean we can't move forward, together," he murmured, and she didn't reply as she watched her friend dancing, her blissful eyes gazing adoringly at her new husband.

For the second dance, Julia took a turn with Taro while Elliot danced first with Mirabelle and then with his own mother. At Julia's and Elliot's urging, Vaughn and Rio joined them, swaying slowly to the soft music. Not in a talkative mood, Rio danced with him in silence, and he watched her, trying to read her expressions, wondering if he dared to hope a little more just yet.

Rio, however, thought to herself that she'd have preferred to avoid dancing with Vaughn. There was no denying it, she was definitely still attracted to him. His presence had awakened something in her that had slept for years, and the nearer he was to her, the stronger that something grew. Then, dancing with him again a little later, she had a sudden realization: she might love Neil; she was almost certain she did. But she craved Vaughn. She wished it wasn't so, and maybe if things were different with Neil it wouldn't be... but for the time being, that's the way it was, like it or not.

It was a shock to her senses, like being doused in ice water or zapped by an electric fence. Perceiving a sudden change in her demeanor, Vaughn looked down at her curiously, but he found her eyes veiled and inscrutable. She stopped, mid-step, and looked away from him, mumbling that she was thirsty, so he walked her to the bar to get a drink. He started to order her another glass of wine, but she stopped him and asked for a martini instead. Vaughn raised an eyebrow in surprise as he looked down at her. "When'd you get a taste for those?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I've never had one before. I just suddenly wanted to try one."

"Yeah, well, watch out. They're potent."

Giving him an impudent grimace as she took the glass from Nick, she chanted, "'I like to drink martinis, two at the very most. Three, I'm under the table. Four, I'm under the—'"

"Rio! Hurry up and get over here!" Julia's voice interrupted. "It's time for the bouquet toss, and all single ladies are required to participate—especially you!"

Handing her drink to Vaughn, she laughed and hurried over to where the other girls had gathered. They made an attractive group, as colorful in their finery as a bouquet themselves. Rio, in her golden dress, wedged between Natalie, who wore teal, and Sabrina, in her pale blue gown. Behind her, Lily stood waiting patiently in her embroidered scarlet cheongsam, and a few of Julia's and Elliot's relatives gathered close on either side of her. Julia stood with her back to the group, and with a shout, she chucked the flowers over her shoulder, turning quickly to see who would catch it. There was a scramble, particularly between Natalie and a pair of Julia's cousins, but they all came up empty handed. Instead, to everyone's surprise—not least of all her own—the flowers smacked Rio right in the chest, and she grabbed them instinctively.

"It's not fair!" Natalie exclaimed, frowning at the pretty cluster of pink peonies, anemones, and ranunculus tied with a wide gold ribbon. "She wasn't even trying, and she still caught it!" Julia's cousins echoed her discontent, while Rio just stared blankly at the bouquet.

"Calm yourselves," Lily quietly admonished them. "It is only in fun, it does not affect your fate or hers in any way. And your selfish complaints are not at all appropriate for this joyful occasion."

Blushing bright red, Natalie turned and walked back over to Pierre, who had watched the proceedings with some trepidation, and the cousins blended back into the crowd of guests.

Starting as if from a dream, Rio hurried back to where Vaughn waited, dropping the bouquet on a nearby table. "Don't you want them?" he asked as he handed her drink back to her.

She shook her head vigorously as she quickly drained her glass and ordered another. As Nick mixed it up, Vaughn watched her with a scowl. "I told you to watch out for those. They're a lot stronger than they taste, and they taste pretty strong."

"It's okay, I've only had one. 'Two at the very most,' right? Though even three wouldn't be too bad. Four, though—forget it, especially since the host is my best friend's husband!"

"Yeah, whatever. Keep in mind you've been drinking wine all night, too. And you're already looking a mite unsteady on those spiky-heeled shoes of yours."

His lecture was cut short, though, when Elliot called him up for the garter toss. He hesitated, then shrugged in irritation and made his way to the group of men gathered. Like Rio, he didn't attempt to catch the garter belt, though unlike her, someone else did catch it. With a wide grin, Mark held up the bit of blue and white silk, turning to catch Sabrina's eye with a wink as he did so.

Meanwhile, Rio again drained her glass and ordered another of the same. By the time Vaughn returned, she was already sipping it. Then Mirabelle called out that the newlyweds were departing, and she quickly downed the rest of it and went to say goodbye. Feeling suddenly unsteady, she grabbed onto Vaughn's arm, and he looked down at her in surprise. "You okay there?"

She nodded. "Jus... jus' a little dizzy. No big deal."

"No big deal, huh? You're wasted, Rio."

"Nuh-uh... jus... jus' relaxed. An' happy. Relaxy. I feel fine. Good. Reeeally good."

"Right. Sure ya do." She let go of his arm, sulking, and he grabbed her as she swayed and started to topple over. "I think you'd better just stick with me for now."

"Can't. Gotta go tell Julia g'night." She giggled a little, then added, "Bet it'll be a reeeal good night, too!"

"Hush up, Rio. You're drunk as a skunk. If you're going to say good night to her, fine—but don't be crude about it."

"Sure, sure. Classy as fuck, that's me." Then she wobbled and slipped down to the floor in a heap.

Julia had just turned her way to call out a farewell when Rio collapsed, and with a little cry, she darted forward. "Is she okay?" she asked Vaughn anxiously as he knelt down next to her.

"Yeah, she's fine. Just had a little too much to drink. Don't you fret, Julia. I'll see to her. You just go on and have a good time. And hey—congrats. Hope you're both real happy together."

**************

With a grunt, Vaughn dropped Rio gently onto one side of her bed. He stretched his back as he looked down at her unconscious form, shaking his head. He'd carried her up two flights of stairs, from the lower level ballroom clear up to her suite on the second floor. She wasn't exactly heavy, but right now she was dead weight, and that was a hell of a lot of stairs.

He went around to the other side of the bed and pulled the covers down, then again picked her up and set her on top of the cool, smooth sheets. As he was reaching for the covers to pull them back up over her, though, she stirred a little, and sighed. Then she opened her eyes and looked hazily up at him, and he was taken aback at the raw desire he saw there.

She flung her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her, smothering him with hungry kisses on his cheeks, his jaw, his neck, and finally his mouth, pressing her crimson lips to his. He tasted the remnants of juniper clinging to her tongue, then he drew back and stared at her.

Pulling him back down to her, she moaned into his ear, "Oh, goddess, I want you. I want you so badly. You don't know... I need you, now." And she began to slide her fingers down his chest, fumbling at his shirt buttons as she nipped and sucked at his throat.

Her desire sparked a like need in him, and he nearly wept with relief and joy. This—this was what he'd been hoping for and praying for and working for all those long, lonely years. But at last he'd won her back, and that made all the worry and frustration and effort and longing worth it.

Responding eagerly to her caresses, he quickly pulled his shirt off, careless of the button or two that popped off in his haste. Rio reached up and ran her fingers lightly across his chest and stomach, and he groaned with the heat that rose to meet her touch until he felt as if he'd explode like a lit firecracker.

He knelt next to her, nuzzling her neck and kissing the softness of her throat as he ran his hand down her familiar curves, curves that he'd missed even more than he himself had realized until that moment.

Gathering her into his arms, he whispered into her ear, "Goddess, I love you so much, Rio. You mean the world to me."

She wrapped her arms around his neck again and looked up at him with half-lidded eyes. "I've waited so long for this. I love you, Neil."

Vaughn froze, horrified, feeling as though he'd just been drenched in ice water. Then he pulled her arms from around his neck and backed away, looking down at her with agony in his eyes.

It was all a mistake. She didn't want him back. In her drunken confusion, she had mistaken her old lover for her new. Nothing more.

He stood and stared down at her, watching as her eyelids fluttered and closed as she slipped into slumber. Then he gently pulled the covers over her, picked up his shirt and slowly walked to the door, his shoulders slumped. As he put his hand on the doorknob, he heard her sigh in her sleep, "Vaughn... oh, Vaughn...."

His back stiffened, and he hesitated for a moment. Then he took his hand from the doorknob and turned around.