"For the last time, you look fine, Angus."

"Is my tie straight enough? I was in a rush this morning an' I don't have a bunch of people dressin' me like she does, I don't trust myself."

"No one I know can tie a tie better than you with all the practice you get," Malcolm said setting a basket of flowers down on a stand by one of the chairs. They were red and white roses, with duplicates lining the path in the middle of the room. White lace backed every other chair while red lace took over the other half. Stained glass windows stood high above the room, painting colors of their own when the sun came in. The sun was always shining on this particular day in December. The chairs were still empty but as the minutes passed they would fill up with whomever they wanted to invite, and those they couldn't ignore. A table stood way in the back with a white cake with red trim, clear glasses lining up beside it in five rows. An empty bowl with a ladle was next to that, the chain on the giant spoon swinging idly. Malcolm had a hand under his chin as he examined the basket he just set down. It was moved slightly to the left, then turned to the right. He smiled at it then turned to face his brother, whose face matched the decorations around them. "We've still got a couple hours, you can do it over again if you want."

"No, I can't waste time on that, I have to stand there and greet everyone who walks through the doors," Angus said rubbing his hands together.

"What makes you the greeter?"

Angus shrugged. "Dunno, it's polite I guess. I mean, it's expected to be nice to your own family, ya' know."

"I know. But-what about Hannah's?" Malcolm asked. He scanned the mass of empty chairs. "We might have brought out too many."

"She had a cousin comin', didn't she?" Angus asked.

"Called this morning. Business meeting in Boston tonight at six thirty." Angus sighed and ran a hand through his hair, and quickly stopping once he remembered he had to look nice. "She said it'll be a miracle if she can get to Los Angeles by midnight."

"Midnight?" Angus yelled. "It'll be over by then." Malcolm gave him a look that said he never would have guessed. "So...no one's comin'?"

"Maybe Hermione," Malcolm smiled to himself. It vanished upon seeing Angus' face. "I know for certain Travis isn't comin', an'...her mum I can't say."

"Don't ever let me hear that name again," Angus said rolling his eyes. "Got rid of that guy a year ago, I don't wanna bring him up."

"No one does." Angus, going against his plan of greeting anyone attending, sat down on one of the chairs in the second row and put his head in his hand. Malcolm sighed and sat next to him. Angus lifted his head when Malcolm draped an arm over him. "He's gone now an' you two are gonna have a different life now. Without him in it. You saw that panic in his eyes. Even he knew he wasn't gonna be let out till death do they part," Malcolm snorted.

"They?"

"Him," Malcolm stood up. "and those bars." Angus winced and put his head down again. Here and there ran a few people hired to decorate the place for the day, and one woman leaving the building for some unknown reason. The row of seats only carried one person now as Malcolm left for the dressing rooms in the back. "Don't worry so much, Ang. Nothing's goin' wrong today. It's my job to make sure of that, remember?"

Angus didn't answer before Malcolm disappeared behind the doors. He was alone now in the big room, soon to be filled with dozens of his kin. Not everyone he invited was he looking forward to seeing. Not all of them had met Hannah, and there would be at least ten questions for her from each guest. Not all of them would be exactly appropriate. He could see his own mother hanging on to Hannah's every word and beaming whenever she said something good about him. Then his mother would proceed to explain in great detail every accident he's had growing up, ones he's heard a million times.

He could see Margaret teasing him. Wondering why her little brother kept a friend of his a secret from her for so long. Nothing at all about how Malcolm never said a word, because it wasn't his wedding. And then his father...cornering both him and Malcolm about all that happened, asking why they hadn't asked his opinion on the situations, or why it took Angus so long to admit what he was feeling in the first place. He'd get a chewing out and a pat on the shoulder, and then him and Malcolm would find a table to sit and talk sports with. Angus would be left vulnerable to his many other various siblings, nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was almost glad he only had one family to deal with.

Then he remembered Hannah not having any family at all there. The only ones she had that were close and that didn't have a business meeting were either in jail, or distancing themselves away from whatever she chose to do with her life. The family Angus loved to pieces yet the same one that drove up him up the wall was the only one Hannah was going to have. He was thankful to have them, and happy that they would show up and keep them all company.

The sound echoed loudly in the hall as Malcolm knocked on the door. It opened a crack and a woman stuck her head out. "Hey," Malcolm smiled.

"Just you out there?" the woman asked.

"Yeah, Ang would have come but he's havin' a bit of nerves out there an' couldn't stand up to walk over. Maybe we ought to give him a chair for the alter." The woman grabbed Malcolm's hand and pulled him in the room making sure the door was closed behind them. Malcolm rubbed his arm. "Jesus, you just tie a corset or somethin' with that grip?"

"I don't want Angus seeing her before it's time, Mal," the woman answered. "She's letting her hair sit a few minutes under the iron but I can't risk putting bad luck on a new couple." Malcolm took a seat on the small couch and helped himself to the plate of crackers and cheese blocks on toothpicks sitting on the table.

"You still believe in all that, Margaret?" The cracker was stale and broke easily in his lap. Sighing, he brushed the crumbs off his lap and hid the other half in the cushion. "Angus isn't the most graceful man on the planet, he'd bring bad luck enough on his own."

"Tell me more, make me feel better about it all." Margaret found a mirror on a wall and smoothed out her own dress and hair. She found a yellow one in her closet that morning and thought it would look lovely under the December sunshine. Of course she didn't notice the slight fray at the bottom until she got there and quickly found a pair of scissors to cut it off. Her hair had been curling since the night before and was pulled up that morning. Satisfied with her appearance she turned to face her brother, who had stuck the last piece of cheese in his mouth. "Oh bother, Malcolm, those were for us!"

The toothpick was taken out. "Why didn't you finish 'em then? Had a whole plate right here!" Margaret sighed and took to a chair on the opposite side of the room. The plate, now only full of stale crackers was set aside. "The crackers have gone to crap waitin' for you to eat 'em."

"They were like that anyway, we weren't gonna eat those." She looked out the window and saw a few cars pull up in the driveway outside the church. A few she recognized, the others she guessed were new or borrowed for the occasion. She saw George and a few of his friends step out of one. "George is here."

"Great, won't have to pay a band," Malcolm snorted again.

"Isn't your own band coming too?"

"Oh yeah, the guys'll be right along. Probably still drunk from that party they threw Angus, the one Angus didn't even want and didn't show up to. They're comin'."

"I hope they don't make a mess. I spent a whole thirty minutes wiping down one table, and that was with help."

"Come on, Marg, you should know better. Our mates don't go anywhere without makin' a mess," Malcolm smiled. Margaret sighed and rubbed her temple. "They'll be fine, quit worryin' so much. You and Ang might as well be siblings with the way you act." His smile disappeared as he realized what he said. "Wait a minute..."

"You're a sharp one, Mal. Real sharp." A door closed within the same room and Margaret stood up to check on the person responsible. "You ready yet for styling?" she asked from the other side.

A few muffled sentences that Malcolm could hardly understand came back as a response. Margaret seemed to have understood because she walked away from the door and grabbed a spare brush sitting by itself. "She nervous?"

"Shaking like a leaf all morning," Margaret said opening the small bathroom door. Another few sentences came out, Malcolm hearing the words 'who' and 'talking'. "It's just Malcolm in here with us, he ditched Angus at the alter."

"I did it so you don't have to, Hannah, you can jus' go right up there an' get the job done." Malcolm heard a, "Thanks a lot, Mal," before the bathroom door closed again with Margaret inside. Relaxing on the couch he picked up another cracker and inspected it before setting it down again. Angus had been wrong about Hannah having a bunch of people dressing her. Margaret was it. She got up at four in the morning to get herself ready so she could be on time that afternoon to help out. None of them could thank her enough. A few more car doors slammed closed outside but Malcolm didn't bother getting up to check on who the guests were, if ninety seven percent of them were his family.

Angus hadn't left the chair at all since Malcolm left. He felt glued to it, that if he left it the room would suddenly be filled with people and the music would start up. He knew they still had an hour and a half before the big moment but he couldn't help his racing heart. His sleeve cuffs had rolled up inside his jacket and he pulled them down again. They were moist with a bit of sweat from his palms as a result. Random thoughts began to swim in his mind such as, if he remembered to feed Hermione before he left or if he was going to wash the suit tonight or leave it until the next day. Margaret would be happy to do it for him but he wanted to try it himself, knowing his sister had already done more than enough. He'd have to repay her, even if it meant letting her ask all the questions she wanted.

A door opened and closed in the back of the room and Angus waited for his brother to show up again beside him, telling him not to worry, only making him worry more. His palms weren't sweating anymore but his leg compensated and started to bounce in place. The empty alter in front of him stared at him, and he stared right back. Looking at it made him feel a little sick and he looked around for water to drink. Getting out of the chair was the first thing he had to do, so he gripped the chair in the first row and pulled himself up. It was a lot easier than he expected, as he wasn't the only one doing all the work.

His mouth was covered from behind and a cloth was tied over his eyes. There were too many hands on him to count but he guessed about four, half of them in places they didn't belong. Two new arms encircled his waist after hoisting him out of the chair keeping him from pulling away. Muffled protests echoed throughout the room but no one was there to hear or help. Using his legs to kick in any direction he pleased he was lifted by his legs and rendered helpless by the captors. If Malcolm was playing a joke on him he was going to be very sorry, Angus would make sure of it. Then he considered if maybe he was truly being kidnapped, and Malcolm had no idea. How do you like that? Kidnapped on your own wedding day!

Angus was carried down the aisle toward the door of the church, the man wincing as he heard the heavy doors open and shut, and the light breeze outside. Still squirming in his hold he resorted to licking the person's hand on his mouth, to which he only received a familiar laugh. The hands holding his arms at his sides adjusted him and almost lost his hold, Angus afraid to be dropped on the road. Using what little ability he had, he edged his hand up his chest and grabbed onto his tie, making sure it wasn't damaged or messed up. The hand on his mouth moved to do who knows what, and Angus took full advantage.

"What the fuck are you doin'?"

They didn't answer. Not at first.

Immediately the hand was covering his mouth again, his screams once again masked to the rest of the world. It seemed like a long walk in the position he was in until finally a car door was opened and Angus was shifted to stand on his feet. Keeping his arms pinned, someone pushed him into the back of the vehicle and climbed in after him, the door slamming shut. Angus guessed the two other doors that opened and closed were the ones in the front seat. As he was given the use of his hands he pulled away the cloth with a bit of trouble. The person next to him helped, taking the cloth and setting it down.

Angus' eyes adjusted and he saw three other men in the car with him; one next to him, and two in the front like he thought. The man next to him gave him the cheekiest smile he ever saw, and he would have smacked it off of him if he weren't so confused. "What the fuck are you buggy shits doin'?" he asked.

"Offerin' you our congratulations," Phil started.

"And our sincerest apologies," Cliff finished. He buckled his seat belt while Phil started the car and backed out of the parking spot. "We would have been here sooner but Bon was still sleepin' off a hangover."

"These two magically didn't have one," Bon thumbed ahead of him still giving Angus the smile he knew was pissing him off. "An' I had the mother of all, I think they gave theirs to me."

"You earned 'em," Phil said turning the wheel. "Drank at least a hundred bottles."

"A million," Bon answered for him. Angus stared at the men. None of them had the decency to call ahead or even explain themselves as they drove him away from the church with an hour and twenty minutes left until his big day. Bon must have read his mind and laughed that familiar laugh. "You look like a dog with your tongue hangin' out like that, ya' know, Ang?"

Angus closed his mouth. The car exited the parking lot and took off down the road, Phil swerving a few times while Cliff told him the shortcuts. Farther and farther was the church behind him, Malcolm probably having one hernia that the relatives not so praised had shown up, and a second one upon finding out that Angus wasn't there anymore. He knew exactly what time it was yet he checked his watch every few seconds, waiting for one of them to explain. Finally Phil spoke. "So. You're gettin' married, eh, Ang?"

"That's our congratulations," Cliff said. Angus placed his hand on the door handle.

"What's your apologies for, kidnapping me?"

"No. Well, yes, but mostly for the fact that we didn't ask permission first."

"To kidnap me?!"

"No!" Cliff yelled back. "I mean, yes, but I meant permission to throw you-"

"Throw me in the back of some random car an' drive me away, yeah that's real bright of you lot," Angus spat.

"...throw you a little party before the wedding. And this isn't some random car, it's mine. I rented it while we were in town so we could get here without stopping to put gas in ours-" Cliff's sentence cut abruptly as Phil slammed on the brakes to stop at the light. Angus gripped the handle tighter.

"You had one!" he yelled. "A party, you had one yesterday, that's why you're all drunk!"

"Wrong. We were drunk yesterday, weren't we?" Bon smiled.

"You're all drunk!"

"Hush up, Ang. We're doin' you a favor, you'll see. Hey Phil, ease up on the lights, okay? Still not feelin' a hundred percent," Bon said leaning back in his seat.

"Jus' drivin' like you told me," Phil said. "As quick as I can."

"Why didn't Cliff drive?" Angus asked panting, one hand holding onto his heart. The light turned green and they continued down the road.

"Have you ridden with him? He's an old man!" Phil laughed. "Drives the car like a boat, as if he's gonna fish out on the highway. Only have so much time to get there an' back, an' I know my way around a spill if there is one."

"I'm a careful driver, that's all."

"Where the hell are we goin', anyway? I can't leave, I have to be there at the alter in less than two hours!" Angus grabbed onto his tie again, fiddling with the end.

"We know how a wedding works, Angus, I've had one," Bon said. "We didn't show up alone, you really want to stand around for an hour talkin' to your relatives makin' your nerves even worse than they are?"

"Is it down this road?" Phil asked taking the middle lane.

"No, you're gonna want to turn left, or else it'll be three hours before Angus comes back," Cliff said. Angus blanched.

"That car behind me isn't a Phil Rudd fan today," Phil said turning the car sharply around the corner, skidding into the left lane. He looked through the mirror and saw the car slowly driving forward as if it had been scared back a few feet. "Huh. Should have signaled."

"You're psychotic," Angus breathed as he looked out the window. While he hadn't been looking forward to dealing with the constant buzzing of his family about his love life he had been eager to seal the deal, and marry the woman he loved. Having his plans for the day cut short was a bit of a disappointment.

"It's your fault for not showin' up to the last one. We had a great time, didn't we?" Bon asked the men seated in front of him. "See? Yeah..." he said when they nodded.

"I had fun watchin' Bon hittin' on the girls there," Phil said. "Should have seen 'em, one pushed him over just a little bit, an' 'cause he was so pissed he jus' toppled over." Cliff joined in on the laughing while Angus only cracked half a smile. As angry as he was at them, their antics never failed to get him to grin. Bon didn't laugh either, only he had a pout on his face.

"Aw, Rudd, let's not be so modest. Lest we forget what that woman did to you," he said as Phil turned in his seat to look at him. Bon's pout turned upward at the glare.

"That wasn't her, that was her sister."

"I thought they were friends," Cliff said.

"The blonde one?" He nodded. "No, definitely her sister."

"Where the fuck are you guys takin' me?" Angus asked, making sure not to stray from the real issue. He let go of his tie in case it got any wrinkles from being folded up. Bon didn't answer, the groom then turning to Phil in front.

"What?" His brow furrowed in the mirror.

"Where are we goin'? If I said I didn't want a party why are you throwin' one?" Phil looked over at Bon, who decided he should be the one explaining this part.

"Every man's mates throw him a party before he weds, don't you know? An' every man wants a party whether or not he says. You'll wish you had said when it's over, eh?" Bon elbowed Angus into the window who then frowned in his spot. His annoyance returned as their explanation wasn't worthy enough to earn his forgiveness. Bon looked out the window on his side, then placed one hand on Angus' knee and the other on his shoulder as he looked out the opposite window. Angus futilely attempted to push him off, grimacing under the smell. "Hey Rudd, turn here, this is a good place to start."

"Start?" Angus shouted from underneath him. "One bar is bad enough, we're not hoppin' around just to let you three get drunk again. Or more drunk, as the case may be."

"We told you, Ang, we were drunk last night! Now. We ain't goin' to a bar, mate." Angus frowned at the men, who all smiled in return. "You ever been to see a show? A real one?" A look of shock replaced the frown. Bon thumbed outside. "Look out your window."

Turning to face the glass Angus saw a dark colored building with dimly lit windows. The music inside was so loud he could hear it from the car, and it only got louder the closer the car drove. Turning in the parking lot he could see the front of the building where very nicely dressed people came and left. A sign on the top was written in red cursive and he had to squint to see what it said. "Alligator Moat..." Angus read. He turned to face the band. "That's the name of a bar."

He jumped in his seat as Bon, Phil, and Cliff started laughing at once. He couldn't even hear the music anymore and Phil killed the engine as he pulled into an open spot. Looking from one to the other he saw they all had tears in their eyes. "We're kiddin'! This is a bar, we were jus' takin' the piss-but you should have seen your face!" Bon wagged a finger in Angus' face and he pushed it away, crossing his arms. "Come on, you think we'd be that indecent to bring you to a show on your wedding day? We're not that gross."

"Jus' a joke, Ang. We're full of 'em today, an' you're the maid-man of honor," Cliff said getting out of the car and opening the door for him. Bon reached over and unbuckled his seat belt for him and himself, and stepped out of the car where Phil was waiting, spinning the keys on his finger. Angus refused to move, so Cliff grabbed his arm and pulled him out.

"So you are gettin' drunk," he huffed.

"No we're not, and neither are you," Bon said. "You think I got so popular here jus' by drinkin'?" Taking Angus by the arm while Cliff and Phil walked, practically skipped to the building ahead of them, Bon grinned the whole way. Angus took notice of their attire. Bon only had a black shirt and jeans while the other two had blue shirts. Phil had a watch on his wrist. Angus suddenly felt too dressed up, despite the occasion. Angus checked his own watch.

"It's an hour before it starts," he said.

"We won't be here an hour," Bon said. "Right. We'll start here, then head north for some more fun."

"We'll stop here for a few laughs, then goin' right back to the church," Angus said in response. Bon's grip tightened.

"That's not our plan, is it, fellas?"

"You're in for some fun, Angus!" Phil said opening the door for the group. "Might as well enjoy it."

Malcolm hoped to God in Heaven his watch was running early. Returning from the dressing rooms he headed for the bathroom, taking his time. After all, he still had an hour and ten left. There were several guests when he came out, some standing and chatting with fellow relatives while some were stacking gifts on the table opposite the cake table. Angus wasn't any of the people he saw, despite his word to be the greeter when they arrived. Thinking he had tossed the idea over his shoulder, Malcolm stepped up to take his place. "Malcolm! Place sure looks good," his older brother said.

"It should, I helped put it together." The men laughed and shared a hug, George looking at the suit Malcolm was wearing.

"You have to get a custom one?" he whispered.

"No! Of course not, they had my size." George raised an eyebrow making Malcolm slouch. "Well, not exactly in men's, but..."

"Don't worry about it, it looks fine. I'm sure Angus' is even smaller," he laughed. He looked around the room. "Where is the man anyway?"

"He was on that chair when I left, maybe he went outside for some air."

"Nah, I was just out there. Unless he chose to get himself lost looking for another exit, he's not outside." George saw the color leave Malcolm's face. He put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Uh, George-when you came into the building, er-when you pulled up to the place, were there any other cars with you?" The older man laughed.

"Well, I should think so. This ain't a small family, ya' know. Why? Someone you know coming?" Malcolm pulled away and walked down to the hallway to find a water machine. George followed him.

"We may have invited a few extras," he said pulling out some spare change. The machine ate it up and gave him a water bottle. It wasn't cold enough and he made a face.

"What do you mean a few extras?"

"You didn't think your band was gonna be the only one..." George smiled.

"What, you think they took him?"

"I don't know, but I heard Bon and the boys the other day gigglin' like schoolgirls about somethin', I wonder if this is that somethin'."

"What time is the wedding?" George asked. "Left my watch at the house."

Malcolm raised the bottle to his lips again and glanced at his wrist. The water was spat back out into the bottle. "He's got an hour."

"They've got an hour," George corrected. "If they took him, it's their responsibility to bring him back. Did you hear what they were doing?"

"Not a clue, was too tired to care at the moment. Hey, you mind holding up the floor for me? I have to stay outside an' watch for them an' the whole family will be blockin' the doors." George gave his brother a mock salute.

"Sure thing, kid. Don't expect Bon to have Angus all in one piece when they get back. You know his idea of a good time," he grinned. Malcolm shook his head and headed to the main room and toward the front door. He was stopped by an older couple.

"Malcolm! How are you?" He was suddenly unable to breathe as his body was encircled in a tight hug.

"I'm okay-" he gasped, rocking from side to side in her grasp. "Mum, you're gonna have to let go-" he inhaled as the woman released her son and stepped back to look at him better.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mal. It's just been so long! How are you?" The young man took another bitter drink of his water and shrugged.

"I'm okay, I've jus' got a bit of work still left over outside-hey, Dad." His father stepped out beside his mother and shook his son's hand.

"Aw, to hell with it. Come here, son." Malcolm found himself in another hug, this one being a bit more comfortable. "Captain of the ship, eh?"

"Well, sorta. Put up some decorations an' all that, but Margaret has been helpin' some too."

"Is Hannah back there?" Mrs. Young asked pointing to where Malcolm had gestured.

"Yeah, she's with Marg gettin' dressed, well-Marg is already dressed, she's jus' helpin'." Mrs. Young let herself across the room toward the back dressing rooms and knocked on the door, accepted by who Malcolm assumed was his sister.

"Where's the man of the hour?" Mr. Young asked looking across the sea of family that was growing by the minute.

"Seems the band wanted a few words with him before standin' him up in front," Malcolm explained earning a frown in response. "They're taking him out for a bit."

"Like a bachelor party?"

"Guess so."

"They didn't plan one at least a week before the day?"

"Angus didn't have one. He at least didn't attend the one they gave him, he didn't want it. Left him alone for one minute, he was gone when I got back."

"Anybody see him leave?"

"Haven't asked, no one's said anything." Malcolm looked over his father's shoulder to see a man and Stevie, his nephew walking towards them. Mr. Young grinned widely and shook the man's hand.

"Been a long time, hasn't it, Will?"

"Too long, you know..."

"Seems the adults get along real great around here," Stevie said walking to stand next to Malcolm. Malcolm could guess Stevie wasn't too familiar with the man he was with a few seconds ago. He grinned.

"You some kind of child then?" he asked. Stevie frowned.

"No! Well, around here maybe. Treated like one at every family reunion and now with Uncle Ang gettin' hitched...he's not that much older than me an' he's still treated like he is." Malcolm laughed at his nephew's hardly even quarter life crisis. The younger man kicked the floor with his shoe. "He's smaller than me! And still treated better."

"He is not treated any better than you are, jus' different," Malcolm said. "Hey, I wouldn't mind bein' your age again, of course, you'd be even younger than you are now." Stevie glared at him. "Maybe you're jus' actin' like one."

He ruffled his hair and Stevie pulled away from him. "Quit it, Mal, I do not!"

"Oh yeah? Who around here's been treatin' you like a kid?" He balled his fists up. "Send 'em to me, I'll get 'em."

"Very funny," he sighed. "Saw your mum a couple minutes ago, she nearly killed me with those arms of hers. Gave me a big kiss on my forehead an' it won't come off." He reached a hand up to his head to scrub away a faded lipstick mark. It didn't work.

"She hugged me too. That's jus' her way! She's a hugger, always has been. Well, maybe not always." Resisting the urge to smirk at the younger man and his attempts to clean himself up he patted him on the shoulder. "I'm not around you too much so I guess I don't have a right to say. But I don't think you're a baby." Malcolm checked his watch and coughed. "Damn it, Ang..."

"What's wrong?" Malcolm put down his hand and headed towards the door, Stevie following right behind. "Mal? Where is Angus anyway?"

"Not here."

"What?"

"The boys took him out for a bit of fun an' there's hardly an hour left for them to get back." Dodging the incoming sea of family the two men made it outside into the sunshine, squinting to see the parking lot full of cars. None of them showed any signs of a rowdy band or a groom. "I'm supposed to be watchin' for him while George takes care of the guests..."

"Might be a while before he gets here," Stevie said. "I've met Bon once."

"Tell me about it." Still squinting through the mass of people he sighed. "I'll be havin' a word or two with 'em." Malcolm waved here and there to some of the guests exiting their cars and entering the church behind him. Stevie stood close to his uncle, still unfamiliar with many of the faces walking past him, and kept his head down. He looked up when Malcolm asked him a question. "Stevie? How would you like a job?"

"Huh?"

"A job, ya' know, one that'll get your status up as a real man." Putting a hand over his eyes to block the sun Malcolm turned to face him.

"What's the job?"

"Stay out here lookin' for Angus. If you see him, make sure he gets right inside the building and up at the front alter. We can't afford to waste anymore time an' he needs to be there before Hannah walks the aisle." Stevie kept his hands in his pockets and lowered his head again. "I've got to get inside an' check on Hannah. Mum's back there."

"What do I do with Bon an' the rest?"

"If they're drunk jus' knock 'em over like pins and bring Ang inside, we don't have time."

"What if Angus is drunk?"

"Then bring him to me so I can kill him an' bury him out back. You want the job or not?" His nephew giggled at his comment. "Come on, jus' stand here an' keep lookout. I don't think George brought enough topic cards to keep the family interested by himself, I gotta head back in. You alright out here?"

"It's kind of warm out here, isn't it, Unk?"

"Here." Malcolm handed over the water bottle. "Here's some water. See you in a few minutes." With that Malcolm had returned to the building and Stevie was left alone with his new position and a new drink. He unscrewed the cap and brought it to his lips. He made a face.

"Oh, you look just lovely dear," Mrs. Young gushed. "Absolutely beautiful."

"Thank you," Hannah replied from the chair as Margaret brushed her hair out with one hand, spraying it with the other. "But, I'm not even wearing the dress yet."

Margaret smiled to herself as she watched her mother look over at another chair, the dress hanging across it, and back again to the girl in her pink bathrobe. A smile appeared on all three of them as Mrs. Young waved her hands. "Nonetheless dear, you look wonderful. Great job, sweetie on her hair." Margaret straightened her posture. "I haven't seen you since you were a kid, livin' with us in Australia. You were so little-well, you're still rather little." Hannah blushed and lowered her head. Margaret raised it up again so she could work better. "The best of friends with my boys."

"Too bad I was out of the house by then, you could have had a girl to hang around with," Margaret said.

"Angus wouldn't have liked that," Mrs. Young smiled.

"Why not? Wanted her all to himself?"

"No, he didn't want any girls in the house, let alone one being his sister. I still remember the day they met you, Malcolm mentioned you. I don't think either one really liked you all that well."

"Oh they hated me," Hannah agreed. "I hated them right back. Well, Malcolm wasn't as much of a pain, but they were both so irresponsible! Slacking in school, fighting every two minutes-"

"Trust me dear, I know exactly what you're talking about. Throwing a party after I strictly told them no..." She sighed, shaking her head.

"I was sort of in on it too," Hannah muttered.

"Malcolm told me you were against it," she said. "Of course, he was protective of you and didn't like you getting into trouble."

"They had a party?" Margaret asked with a look of shock. Her mother nodded. "Those two? I don't believe it." Her mother kept nodding, Hannah joining in. "When?"

"Christmas. Or was it New Year?"

"New Year," Hannah said.

"That's right, 'cause your father and I were going on a trip and forgot sunscreen. Well, lost the bottle anyway. Found a whole school of children down in the old basement with Angus on the steps and Malcolm passed out on the couch..." Margaret set down the hairspray and continued to brush.

"How old were they?"

"About twelve...no, Angus was eleven, Malcolm was just about to turn fourteen. You were eleven too, Hannah?"

"Yeah. My mom wasn't happy with me when I got home."

"I bet not. How is your mother anyway, dear? She doing okay?" Hannah's pink cheeks darkened and she looked down at her hands, fiddling with her thumbs. It had been years since the two made contact. Hannah wasn't even sure her mother knew she wasn't living with Travis anymore. She hadn't picked up the phone.

Her attention was caught by Mrs. Young's hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. "She's not close," Hannah said, choking back any feelings. "Haven't really talked to her in..." She shrugged. "Don't really think she knows I'm getting married."

"She's not coming?" Margaret asked.

"No, I would be real surprised if she did. And with her cousin in jail now, there's not too much of my family left to come." Mrs. Young's mouth hung open and took a glance at her frowning daughter.

"You mean you haven't anyone coming to see you?" Hannah smiled, and tilted her head.

"I do have one person I've invited," she said, then shrugged. "But I don't know if she'll be able to come. She's a journalist see, with three kids. Only just heard from her a few weeks ago to tell me a fourth is on the way...can't see her making the trip, with it being such a last minute request."

"Who is it, dear?" Mrs. Young asked.

"You might remember Susan?" Hannah said. "Susan Lockhart?" A look of remembrance and shock grew upon the woman's face and she nodded her head enthusiastically.

"I do," she whispered. "I do remember her, the first girl my Angus ever set his eyes on and didn't look away from in disgust. This was of course, before he took his head out of the clouds and realized she wasn't looking at him."

"Were you two friends, Hannah?" Margaret asked putting the brush on the table and letting Hannah rise from the chair. The young woman took the opportunity and made her way outside of the bathroom to the wall, where her dress was hanging from a hook, still wrapped in plastic. She palmed it and made a face.

"Not at first, we didn't really talk until I was about to move back to America. We went to this school dance see, and there was some trouble she felt the need to apologize for. It really wasn't her fault, no. She shouldn't have." The plastic crinkled under her fingers, and she shivered as it was almost time to put the dress on. It wasn't big, just a normal white dress without sleeves. It had beading down at the bottom and a bit of 'sparkly things' as Mrs. Young put it, coating it. Hannah didn't want a train. She worried not only she would trip over it that the guests would too. The veil was simple as well, just a white one as usual. Margaret said it would allow her to style her hair a bit more without being too over the top. "We tried to keep in touch, but it didn't quite work."

"Yes it did," Mrs. Young beamed. "If she's phoned you up last week...to tell some very exciting news, it seems you two have kept up just fine, no matter how much time has gone by. Look at you and my boys. Several years spent apart, next thing I know one of them marries you!" The dress was released from her hand as Mrs. Young walked in her direction to hug her. "And we're all glad you came back home, dear. Was happy to know my boys made a friend at a new school. And such a nice one, too."

"Aw, I wasn't that nice," Hannah said waving her hand. "After all, I got in a fight with-" All three heads turned to the door, which was knocked upon rather loudly on the other side. Margaret rushed to open it as was her duty and saw Malcolm again, slightly out of breath.

"Mal?"

"Hi," he said looking over her shoulder. "Can I come in?"

"Hannah's about to put the dress on, you shouldn't be here!" He wormed his way in anyway.

"I'll take that up with the judge," he said. Putting a hand to his eyes he inched his way in, the other hand in front of him, feeling his way around. "Everyone decent in here?" Hannah walked up to him and took his hand away.

"Just in time, Mal. What do you need?"

"Had to tell you," he said quietly, keeping his head low. Hannah frowned, worried about anyone making that kind of face on this day. Margaret closed the door swiftly and joined them, their mother also nervous of his coming. All of them knowing there wasn't much time left, they urged Malcolm to get to the point. "There's someone missing from the program," he said. "Someone very important."

"Susan's not coming?" Hannah asked with sadness, but no surprise. Raising his eyebrows, he shook his head.

"You invited her? No-that's not it. I meant someone else, someone without whom the wedding isn't going to happen."

"You don't mean..." Margaret said. Malcolm nodded. Hannah closed her eyes.

"Angus..."

"Angus!"

He barely heard his name being shouted across the room as he was carried farther and farther away. More hands were in places they shouldn't have been and his jacket was completely hidden from his sight. So far his white shirt hadn't been splashed with any drinks below him, to which he would have been more thankful for if his feet had only been touching the ground. The sea of faces was blocked from his sight, the only thing he saw being the ceiling above him. A fan was whirring and Angus never thought he'd see the day where he was nervous about hitting his head, or getting his hair caught.

"Angus!"

The cheering for him was so loud he couldn't make out the voice shouting his name, nor was it getting any closer. Being dropped was also a concern of his, as he wasn't too sure how many people occupied the bar this time of day. Glasses clattered below him and he was certain one would go flying right over his shirt...

"Angus!"

The third shout was louder, and Angus soon realized it wasn't one voice shouting his name, it was two. Then three, then seven, then half the bar. Someone had begun a colossal cheer using his name, one he hadn't heard outside of a concert. Out of the corner of his eye he saw someone standing on a table, stomping his boot to the top. The mess of hair on his head couldn't be mistaken for anyone else.

"Alright, everyone make some noise...for the groom of the afternoon!" The room was in chaos. "The evening!" More cheers. Angus felt lightheaded. "For the whole fuckin' night! If you know what I mean!" The loudest cheers he heard yet poured right into his eardrums. Bon continued to stamp his foot to the tabletop, wobbling a bit. Phil had taken up residence by the door, laughing his head off while Cliff was walking beside Angus, making sure he didn't fall. Angus couldn't see him of course and was still worried. "Let him know you're happy for him! Let him know you care! The luckiest man in sight-IS GETTIN' LUCKY TONIGHT!"

Looking at his watch was of no use. Seeing how little time he had left to get back would only make the blush on his cheeks worse. He knew about Hannah's feelings about that, but he hardly thought Bon ever found out. Then again, they were full of jokes tonight. The idea that the three were all still drunk was no less prominent in his mind. Actually, it grew.

"Let's get the little man goin' this way, bring him this way!" Angus changed directions in some people's arms and he was carried back over to where Phil stood. He could see Cliff now, following him on his left. Bon had jumped off the table and stretched his arms out at the end of the crowd, ready to help him to his feet. Finally he felt himself turn upright, dizzy when his feet touched the ground. An arm was around his shoulder. "Give him one more round!"

The bar went crazy with applause. Several more hands came and patted him on the back, one woman running up and kissing him on the cheek. Phil laughed even louder and Cliff came up to join. Bon grabbed Angus around his waist and held him with one arm.

"We're goin' to our next stop!" He stepped out the doors held open for him by Phil and soon all four of them left the bar, the sounds outside much quieter. Angus' ears were ringing. His head spun and his cheek was hot from when the woman kissed it. His attention was drawn to Bon as his screams filled his ringing ears.

"Wait," Angus said looking around. "My jacket...where's my jacket?" Cliff held up some fabric to his face.

"I got it, I picked it up when Bon threw it at those women." Bon threw his head back in laughter. "They weren't eager to give it up but I said it was for a very good cause."

"A very good cause," Bon sniggered. "This the car, Phil?"

"That's the one." They stopped in front of the rental car and opened the doors, Angus placed inside a second time, Bon climbing in after him. Phil took to the driver's seat while Cliff stole in beside him. Buckling themselves in, Phil started the car. "Where to?"

"First get out of here," Bon said cheekily. "Then drive down the street a ways till you get to the highway-"

"Highway?!" Angus interrupted.

"Yeah, an' then keep drivin' north a few miles, there's a joint up there I wanna stop at." Angus checked his watch. With forty minutes left until the wedding, and with a few miles away from the church, the chance of him being on time was growing slimmer. Immediately the car sped up and flew down the road, almost no other cars on the street.

"I've had enough, Bon, take me back," Angus said replacing his jacket over his shoulders.

"Day's not over yet, jus' one more stop!"

"I know this road, there's always a load of traffic comin' down from it, an' Mal used to threaten any passengers ridin' with him 'cause it pissed him off so much whenever he drove." Angus unconsciously bounced his leg again. The speed made his blood run hot.

"Mal's not as patient as Phil."

"Nor as fast," he agreed.

"This isn't your party, Bon, it's mine an' I say to take me back before it's three!"

"It's your wedding, Ang, you can be as late as you want!" Bon smiled. "Of course, then Hannah might get upset with you an' want to call the whole thing off..." Angus sighed and gripped the hook on the ceiling.

"No, she wouldn't do that. Don't even think she would be mad at me."

"Oh, so it's okay then. Phil, speed up!" Instantly the car sped up going a hundred. Angus would have been astounded at the lack of cars on the road but he had his eyes closed so he wouldn't get sick. An accident would slow them way down, or even get them killed. He began wondering and imagining what it would be like to have more normal friends, keeping his mind off the situation and how fast Phil was driving. "Any drinks on your shirt?"

Angus took his hand from his mouth, uttered a 'no', and quickly put it back again. Bon opened the window and let out a yell, Phil honking the horn despite the non existent traffic.

The front doors to the church opened again with Malcolm walking as fast as he could outside to where he left his nephew on lookout. He found him with the water bottle in one hand, the cap between his lips, and one hand scrubbing his forehead. A little more water was poured into his palm and he began scrubbing again.

"Angus here yet?" The water bottle dropped to the ground, the water spilling out. Stevie turned around, seeing his uncle scanning the parking lot. "Didn't startle you, did I?"

"N-no," he said picking the bottle up. "No, jus' thought the bottle would look, ya' know, better on the ground is all."

"Uh huh, well when you see him, remember..."

"Yeah, yeah, I got the drill. Hey, Mal!" Malcolm stopped walking.

"Yeah?"

"We gonna let them know it'll be a bit late?" Stevie asked.

"Late?" Malcolm said. "This is not going to be late. It will be on time, just like we planned. Late," he spat to himself. "Not if I have anything to say about it!" He reentered the church and the doors slammed behind him. Stevie watched him, taking another drink. He didn't continue scrubbing.

"Malcolm!" The man was pulled aside by his father who had finished his conversation with the other man a few minutes ago. His brow was furrowed and he scanned the room as he brought his son to talk by the cake table. "People are crowdin' in, rows are full," he said placing his hands on his hips. Malcolm winced, waiting for him to finish. "Where's Ang?"

"Bon hasn't told me their exact plans, they could be on a plane to Vegas by now."

"Vegas?!" The two looked around as a sea of heads turned to face them, Mr. Young's voice echoing around the room. He leaned in closer and whispered. "If my son's in Vegas getting friendly with the neighbors, his goose is cooked."

"Dad, I was jokin'. I don't know where he is, but he's not goin' to Vegas. You know him, an' you've met Bon, he'd never do a thing like that." Mr. Young scoffed.

"Only 'cause he didn't think of it in time. There's thirty five minutes left, I don't want him showing up late-"

"This wedding will not be late!" Mr. Young took a step back to give his son space to throw his words. Malcolm composed himself and cleared his throat. "It's family, what are they gonna do, write us up in the complaint column of the paper?"

"You sure you have everything under control?" his father asked. "The bride isn't getting cold feet or anything?"

"Nah, she's just nervous. But not for long, as this day is gonna go exactly as we planned-" Malcolm backed up from his dad not looking where he was walking. "-jus' trust me!"

Mr. Young winced as his son fell to the floor after tripping. Tripping over a shoe actually. Malcolm sat up and brushed himself off, looking at a groaning Stevie underneath him. "What are you doin' in here, you're supposed to watch for Ang!"

"I was!" he yelled, sitting up with a hand on his head. "This woman came up to me and asked if she was in the right place. I told her I didn't know, I had never seen her before. She's certainly not one of us," he added. Malcolm rolled his eyes. "Anyway, she asked if I knew Angus and Hannah. I told her I knew Angus and that I had met Hannah, and she asked if they were getting married today. I told her, well, I'm not dressed up for nothin'." Malcolm didn't laugh along with his nephew.

"Will you get to the point?"

Stevie dropped the grin. "I said yes, and she said she was invited to come so I showed her in. You know, so she wouldn't think I was just some kid screwin' around out front?"

"I'm sure she knows what a door looks like, you could have just shown her the entrance," Malcolm said, crouching to look down at him. "Who was she?"

"She's standin' right here, you can ask her yourself," Stevie said pointing at a woman who was standing next to them. Malcolm glanced up, and immediately stood from the ground realizing how ridiculous he must have looked. On the way up his hand smacked Stevie on the shoulder, and cupping it, Stevie thought perhaps it wasn't an accident.

"God, I'm real sorry, my nephew was jus'-"

"We've met," the woman smiled, glancing at the floor. "I'm not sure if you'll recognize me, but Hannah invited me to come. I thought, 'why not?'" Malcolm smiled and shook her hand, a look of realization dawning on his face.

"Susan? Susan Lockhart?"

"Hi, Malcolm," she smiled.

"I haven't seen you in ages-we haven't seen you," he said smiling once again. "My God, I hardly recognized you." Standing several inches taller than him, her shorter blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail while her red dress matched her red heels, making her even taller. Her stomach showed signs of a new member of her family on the way, and she had one hand on it, rubbing it slightly. "Since high school?"

"Seems so," she answered. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to keep up with you lot, I've been a bit busy with number four here, and one through three are home with Dad. I've had more than my hands full."

"Oh, it's no problem, they'll be glad to see you. I mean-I don't know if you an' Ang have settled your little..." He narrowed his eyes, wondering if the ice was solid enough to step on. Susan nodded much to his relief.

"We have. Long time ago, but I'm sure he remembers." Her gaze darkened. "I've been cursed to never forget." Malcolm coughed and looked down at his feet, Stevie still on the floor between them, staring at the pair.

"Oh, this is my nephew, Stevie," he said grabbing his arms and pulling him up. "He's supposed to be outside." He grit his teeth together and lightly pushed him in the direction of the doors. "Watchin' for Angus."

"Watching? Isn't he here?"

"Uh, there's been a slight setback but nothin' I can't handle. Hannah's in the back room if you want to see her, she should be gettin' the dress on any minute now." He pointed to where the back room was and she followed his finger.

"Oh, okay. If Angus comes back tell him I said hi," she smiled walking off toward the back of the room. Stevie watched her walk away then turned to his uncle.

"You know her?"

"Ang's crush way back in high. Got over her an' found someone else, an' it seems she has too," he said remembering her words. "Which is good, the guy she had been seein' was an abusive asshole who happened to be my friend growin' up. Then after years of pickin' on Ang I got sick of him and let him go, ya' know, through a good old fight." Stevie looked down at his shoes then back at the reminiscent smile on his uncle's face. "Wh-why am I tellin' you this? Get back outside an watch!"

Stevie was pushed again and Malcolm headed back to the front of the church where George was standing entertaining a crowd of distant relatives. Another man stood silently next to him, tall and blond hair. Malcolm recognized him instantly. "-who needs ya'?" George said to the crowd, who laughed heartily. "Oi, Mal. There you are, was afraid I'd lost ya' too."

"Sure didn't seem too concerned about it," Malcolm mumbled. He turned to the blond man next to him. "How've you been, Harry?"

"Just fine, Mal, thank you," he said with a grin. "George here says Angus has gone missing, is he gonna be here on time?"

Malcolm's heart raced as he saw a number of folks lift their heads at the Dutch man's words. Their eyes were narrowed and their lips were moving in hot gossip. Swallowing his own nerves he spoke. "Angus is not missing," he said. "We jus' don't know where he is at the moment."

"Sounds like he's missing to me."

"Well he's not!" More heads turned. Malcolm's face was red and George noticed.

"Well you'd better get him back here," someone in the group spoke up. "The chairs are filling up quicker than I've seen at one of your concerts. No offence." Malcolm had to take a deep breath while George thought of a joke to lighten everyone's mood but his brother's.

"Hope Bon didn't drop him off in the desert," he smiled, knowing Bon would never really. "He'd be dead before nightfall."

The sun beat hard upon his face, his eyelids stinging as he shut them as tight as he could. The ground was hot beneath him but it was the only thing that made the world cease to spin. A fly buzzed around his head ticking him off. Sweat formed through his shirt and on his face, and the strong desire to vomit slowly disappeared. He opened his eyes to see four men in front of him, standing around a motorcycle, a car a few feet away.

"This is the fastest one of the lot, with the best wheels. If you're lookin' to get somewhere early this won't help but if you want to be right on time-" He paused for effect. "-this'll do the trick."

"Speakin' of tricks," Bon said, looking down at it. "She do anything fancy?"

The man laughed. "Nothing a beginner couldn't do but she's flashy. The shine on her will distract any oncoming cars so you want to be careful, especially on a day like this. Where you fellas off to?"

"Friend's wedding," Bon muttered still looking at the bike.

"Oh, which friend?" Angus closed his eyes again, groaning on the ground. All heads turned to him. "Not that one, is it?"

"Afraid so. Our boy's growin' up." While Bon faked a sob the man selling the bike walked up to Angus and knelt over him, his shadow covering him up.

Angus' eyes fluttered. "Hmm. He ain't looking so hot. Hey, lad, you feeling okay?"

"Thirty minutes..." Turning around to see Bon still giving a good fake cry on Cliff's shoulder while Cliff rubbed a hand on his back, he looked back down at Angus.

"My son always asked for five, but since it's your wedding day, take all the time you need."

"No," Angus mumbled sitting up, rubbing his eyes. "No, there's thirty minutes left till...till..."

"I think he forgot," the man said. Angus put a hand to his mouth and swallowed, breathing heavily. The moment passed and he took his hand away. "Till I get..." His words slurred a little and the man leaned forward to hear him better.

"Murdered?"

"No! M-married," he repeated louder.

"Married!" Bon repeated, continuing his little sob show. Shaking his head, the man left Angus' side and he winced, the shadow leaving his eyes vulnerable again. The man returned to Bon who had pulled a tissue out of his pocket and wiped away any fake tears.

"So, we got a deal or what?"

"Deal," Bon said, completely normal, as if he hadn't just made a scene and shook the man's hand.

"I'll get you a little basket to put your groom in and a few helmets." The man turned to go back into his little shop when Bon called out to him.

"Hey, you got a rubbish bin around here?"

"Down by the fence, on the wall there's a recycle can. Don't make a mess of it, I just cleaned it up!" Hearing the words but not listening to them, Bon walked away from the bike down the dirt roadside and found the bin the man was talking about. Several tuna cans filled it to the brim and he grinned. He picked it up, making sure no cans fell out, and brought it to the group.

Angus was struggling to stand up. One hand on the back of the car, the other on his head he pulled himself off the ground and nearly fell into Phil who elbowed him away. Seeing only two Bons in front of him now setting down two recycling bins, he advanced forward. "What's all this?" he asked still feeling his head.

"Nothin' much, jus' a little decoration to get us in the mood for celebration." Bon picked up a few cans and grabbed some spare cables he found sitting at the bottom.

"That's gonna make a lot of noise."

"That's the plan, little man." Bon continued to string up the cans while the man returned from his shop pushing out a little sidecar of a bright and obvious bottle green color. Angus stumbled up to it.

"What's this?"

Bon looked up from his work. "You didn't think you'd be riding with Cliff an' Phil, hidin' from sight!" he said. Angus turned to look at him and frowned.

"No way in hell am I stepping one foot in that thing!"

"We haven't all the time in the world, Ang, an' you don't have much choice."

"I most certainly do. Bon? I will not ride in that wagon of yours, and you will take me back to the church right now, where I can lose my head before it's time an' get all my nerves out." He crossed his arms and nearly stood on his toes, raising his voice. Bon only raised an eyebrow.

"We're takin' you back anyway, Angus, you might as well look good when you get there," Phil said as Bon smiled.

"Exactly right, Rudd. Ain't nothin' wrong with arrivin' in a bit of style. And don't worry, Ang, I'm driving this time, so you'll be much safer with me."He ignored the glare from Phil and waited for Angus' reaction.

"You'd look real snazzy in this," said the man who pushed it out. "It's just your size."

"Yeah, one of those doll cars in the toy store," Cliff muttered, laughing. Angus balled his hands and stamped his foot.

"Shut up!"

"Alright, alright, enough pokin' fun on a man on his big day, we'll jus' take the car home an' Angus can show up like any other man on his day. Boring," Bon said stepping back from his work. Phil and Cliff joined in, the man selling the bike looking confused.

"I'll jus' watch out for traffic on the way back an' pray we make it back on time," Phil mumbled kicking the dirt sending up a cloud of dust. "Maybe take the slow lane home. You okay with that, Angus?" A look of satisfaction on his face, Angus stood up straighter.

"Yes I am." He began walking toward the car.

A voice behind him hit his ears. "We'll we're not."

Before he knew it he was grabbed again and stuffed in the sidecar which was now being attached to the motorcycle. A helmet hit his head, then was fitted on top, Bon snapping the buckle under his chin. Angus stood to get out but Bon held him there. Out of the corner of his eye Angus could see some exchange of money and hear some exchange of words but he was too interested in what Phil and Cliff were doing. Both of them had taken to the front seats in the car and closed their doors, both of their windows rolling down. He raised a finger. "What are they doin'?"

"You don't think I can carry all you elephants on this thing," Bon scoffed. "They're takin' the car an' drivin' beside us."

"No they're not-" Angus was pushed down again by Bon, who had straddled the motorcycle and put on his own helmet. It was taken off as he remembered-

"Oh, yeah!" He got back off and grabbed the pile of cans and cables and hooked them all around the sidecar Angus was in. Nodding in approval, he returned to sit on the bike.

"Won't they fall off?" Angus asked.

"Good point, hang on to them for me, will ya'?" Bon started the bike up, smiling at how loud it was. Phil must have started the car because the volume increased instantly. Angus instinctively grabbed the sides and made sure his helmet was tight enough. He grabbed his tie too, to make sure it wouldn't fly away in the wind. Slowly the bike moved forward, Bon steering toward the road where Phil had already taken the car on one side of the street. He'd have to make sure there were no cars coming in their direction, which shouldn't be hard as somehow no other cars seemed to be on the street that day. Angus grabbed the car till his fingers turned chalk white. It was speeding up quicker than he realized and Phil drove the car next to them at the same speed, once in a while slowing down or speeding up to keep them at heads. Angus wanted to cover his ears at the sound of both engines and the cans clanking behind him alerting anything within a mile radius of his arrival, which must have been Bon's plan. Phil honked the horn while Bon yelled to the sky, all of them clearly enjoying themselves. Angus would have enjoyed himself, if there had been more than twenty minutes to travel a few miles south to a church where he was getting married...his heart began racing for several reasons now and the cans behind him were not helping. He could have sworn one of the cans had detached and rolled down the road behind them but he didn't dare turn around unless he wanted his breakfast covering the highway as well.

"Hey, Bon!" Phil yelled from his open window to the right of the bike. Bon swerved the bike to ride closer so he could hear better. Angus leaned away from the side of the car. "Are we takin' thirty three?"

"Whichever gets us there quickest!" Bon yelled back. Angus silently agreed. "Ridin' with this attached drags a bit,I want him off!" Phil laughed and looked at Angus through his mirror.

"Havin' fun back there?" Angus shouted something Phil couldn't hear so he ignored him, honking the horn again. Angus felt his insides turning again and not just from nerves. Scenery flew past as they sped along, Angus only looking away to check his watch. One can flew up into the sidecar and hit him in the face, taking his attention and giving it to the road exclusively.

"Now who is it?" Margaret asked setting the dress back on the hook on the wall as she went to open the door. Hannah wrapped the cord around her bathrobe again, not wanting to be changing when they had a visitor. "This had better be good, Mal, we're on a tight schedule enough without our brother off on an adventure-oh!" Margaret stared open mouthed at a woman she had never seen before, who was smiling back at her nervously.

"I'm sorry, I was looking for Hannah-"

"You know Hannah?"

"In a way, yeah," the woman answered. Grabbing her wrist Margaret shut the door after them and dragged her to where Hannah stood. Mrs. Young moved aside to give room for her rushing daughter.

"Susan?" Hannah said seeing the blonde woman.

"Hi," she mumbled.

"You came? You actually came?"

"Why so surprised?"

"I just thought-I don't know, I thought you'd be too busy and with the new baby on the way-"

"I'm not missing the wedding of the first one at school to accept me despite who I hung around with and to forgive me for what I'd done," Susan said rushing to give Hannah a hug.

"Like I said, there was nothing to forgive." They separated and Hannah looked her over, Susan doing the same. "You look great!"

"So do you, but I'm sure the dress will look better." Susan smiled at her making Hannah look away in embarrassment. "I knew...I knew from the day of the dance...it was only a matter of time."

"Moving didn't help," Hannah muttered.

"No, but it obviously didn't hinder either."

"So...how have you been? Four kids?" Hannah asked. "Oh, I mean-"

"It's fine," Susan laughed. "They're perfect little monsters, staying at home with their dad until I can get back. Two older boys with a little girl, and then this one." She put a hand to her stomach. "Not sure what it is yet, but I'm hoping for another girl."

"Who's their dad?" Hannah asked. "Gee, I'm sorry. I meant to say-"

"It's fine! It's fine, I'm not ashamed to talk about my husband. He's a doctor you know," she smiled smugly. "Name's Victor Krauss. A much higher step up from Johnny, I will say."

"Was he that boy my sons always got into rows with?" Mrs. Young asked her. Susan and Hannah both nodded. "Don't know why they didn't just ignore him."

"He provoked them, ma'am, he got what he deserved," Susan defended. "I didn't see it before but...anyway, I wanted to see you and how you were doing. I saw Malcolm outside and he's sure grown some, hasn't he?"

"A very handsome man," Mrs. Young beamed.

"I haven't seen Angus in so long..." A smirk played at her lips. "I wonder what he'll think when he sees we're both friends."

"I wonder..." Hannah put a hand to her lips. "I wonder what he'll think when he sees you up at the alter..."

"Hmm?"

"If you happened to be my maid of honor..." Susan raised an eyebrow.

"You don't have one?"

"I do now-if you want to," Hannah said. Susan grinned and shrugged, thinking it over.

"I would love to! But, this is all very last minute, isn't it?"

"In more ways than one," Margaret huffed. Susan stepped back.

"Gosh, I'm so sorry, I'll let you get dressed-"

"No, no, that's not what I meant, you're fine!" Margaret assured her. "There's just a couple of brothers of mine that don't seem to value punctuality as much as the rest of us. I swear, this wedding is going to be late."

In a small crowd of relatives finding their way to their seats, one man stuck his head out over them to see. Still no sign of his younger brother, he found his older one instead who was talking with Harry about AC/DC's next album. Malcolm wormed his way over to the pair and tapped on George's shoulder five times, eventually smacking his arm to get his attention. "Ow! What?"

"You see the boys anywhere?" he asked doubting he had, but had to make sure.

"No, I imagine they're still not back yet." George checked his watch. "'Bout ten minutes left, they've got. Hey, you okay?" Malcolm had taken to searching the room again with a frown.

"Did you hear somethin'?" he asked.

"It's a crowded hall, Mal."

"No, I mean-it's the strangest thing. Could have sworn... I feel somethin', ya know-like, a doubt or somethin'." George looked at his brother like he was nuts.

"Oh, well, Angus will be back any minute now. Granted Bon should really check with someone first before doing somethin' like this..." he muttered to himself. "The fuckin'...where are you goin'?" Not only was Malcolm running toward the door, but a few of the seated guests had gotten up from their chairs and rushed to the exit, the small man worming his way past them to get outside.

"Mal! Uncle Mal, he's back! They're all back-" Stevie had run inside to tell his uncle the news when the crowd of people running in the opposite direction had practically picked him up and took him outside again. "Mal, he's back!"

Stevie's voice was lost over the commotion and Malcolm finally made it back outside. Flying down the road came a motorcycle and a car right beside it, easing their way into the parking lot. The noise of the crowd cheering at the sight of the arrival mixed with the clanking of the cans, the roar of the engines and the honking of the horn was almost deafening. A few cans had fallen off the bike and strayed in the road, one man volunteering to run out and pick them up. The car was parked and Phil and Cliff stepped out, scanning the crowd. Bon took off his helmet and threw it out to the crowd for someone to catch, a group of young men all handling a space of it. Angus, with shaky legs, worked his way out of the sidecar and almost threw his helmet off, it landing with a thud in the bottom of the basket. Bon picked Angus up again like he did at the bar and Phil and Cliff followed them toward the church. Angus didn't struggle this time, he was too tired.

"Hey, Mal," Bon said. "Funny seein' you here."

"Where the hell have you all been? Is Angus alright?" Malcolm moved the hair away from Angus' face and he just groaned. "You didn't get him drunk, did you?"

"No, of course not," Bon said staring back into Malcolm's vengeful eyes. "What kind of inconsiderate folks do you think we are?"

"Uncle!" Stevie yelled finally getting past the throng. "Mal, he's back, he's-he's right there!" Stevie saw his other uncle in Bon's hold, looking absolutely shot. "What happened to him?"

"Not the time to explain, we gotta get him inside."

"Hey Mal, we're not late are we?" Cliff asked.

"No, but you're lucky. With eight minutes left, I don't see how you all managed to-"

"Aw, come off it, Grandpa, we took a few detours is all. Drove the fast lane. Had a great time, and you know what? Made quite an entrance," Bon said with a grin.

"Made quite a spectacle," George said, stopping Malcolm from taking a swing at the man still holding Angus. He fought his way through the crowd as well and reached them panting. "This what you do, Bon? Take grooms away from churches an' turn 'em into gremlins?"

"Not makin' a business of it, Young, jus' help me get your brother in there." George and Malcolm both grabbed a piece of Angus and carried him through the receding mass of people who were all returning to their seats. Stevie followed them, sticking close to the taller men hoping not to get lost in the crowd. Angus had regained some of his senses and peeled open his eyes, mumbling a few words here and there. "Almost there, Ang."

"A few more minutes, Ang. Then you'll be married," Malcolm said. Angus wasn't sure if that was supposed to calm him down or not.

Just when they thought the noise couldn't get any louder, the bells in the tower of the church began to ring. Out of the sun and into the building, the chairs were filled up again. About half of them were empty, but the empty spaces were peppered around. The Young family had decided not to pick one side over the other. It would look too sad on such a happy day. Bon walked up the aisle and stood Angus up at the front, fixing his tie for him. Angus fell into him for a second but Bon re-positioned him and he stood on his own. There were a few seats in the third row not taken by family, and the boys headed over there to sit.

It was empty at the alter. One woman sat at a piano and another woman stood across from Angus, holding a small bouquet of roses red and white. Blinking he could make out her face and almost fell over again. While her hair was slightly shorter and her height slightly taller he knew her face from a mile away. He would have whispered a greeting to her to make sure but the woman at the piano began to play, and the room grew quiet.

Margaret came out of a back room with a basket in her hand, clutching some white petals and tossing them to the floor. Mrs. Young smiled from her seat in the front row, next to her husband, both giving their daughter a loving thumbs up. They must have figured their son made it back in one piece. She waved and walked up to the front of the room, setting the basket down, the aisle now covered in white petals. She stood beside George and Malcolm, who were up behind Angus. Stevie hadn't intended on standing up there too, but Malcolm asked him, and Angus was in no mood to object. "Well done, Mal," she whispered into her brother's ear giving him a hug.

"Don't thank me. But see? Didn't I tell you we were going to be fine?" Margaret stuck her tongue out at him and hugged George next. Stevie got a hug too, happy that he had done his job and got to be part of the event, and glad he got out of talking to a bunch of people, whether he knew them or not. Margaret left to stand next to Susan and the piano song continued its next verse.

Hannah walked out of the back room toward the aisle, finally wearing the white dress. Her veil covered her face and sat neatly in her hair. A trim of red roses around a cluster of white was in her hands. Her shoes were very out of place; at her request she had insisted on wearing a pair of sneakers instead of dress shoes. Not being able to find a white pair that matched the shade of the dress, she settled for black. And she loved them.

Closer and closer to the alter she walked. Angus opened his eyes wider still, not sure if what he was seeing was real. He looked around the audience to check if it was his family sitting in the chairs, to check if he had made it to the right wedding. The lightheaded feeling returned only this one put a smile on his face and a boost in his heart rate. If he thought his speech was slurred after riding the car and motorcycle at top speed he couldn't utter a sound now. Only a small cough. She arrived at the steps and started up, watching where she put her feet. Angus didn't know what caused it, but he couldn't stand still and slowly walked down the steps to meet her there. His feet also happened to not be connected to his brain and he tripped, stretching his arms out to break his fall.

His arms landed around her neck, hers catching him by the waist. And there she was right in front of him. Hazel eyes staring right into his, lashes fluttering on her pink cheeks. He opened his mouth to say something, and he thought the music stopped, but he still couldn't get a word out. She smiled at him, and Angus was sure his heart had stopped. "Glad you could make it."

No matter how much he tried, he couldn't give a witty answer. He thought up plenty, but they wouldn't leave his lips. They only turned upward into a smile. Deciding he had waited long enough and knowing for sure that the music had stopped leaving everyone in silence, he settled with a, "Hi."