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I Love You

by Seven

Disclaimer: Earth: Final Conflict and its characters are copyrighted by Tribune Entertainment Company. All rights reserved.

Note from Author: Remember, this is not canon. I might change it in a different story. And this is a little lighter and funnier and emsemble-oriented. This is alt-universe story 2, after "I Cannot Find The Words To Say"

**********

Da'an only stared at the datastream, determined not to ask a single question of his protector. Liam had started to ask him something several times, only to tell him never mind. He only needed to be patient.

"Da'an," Liam began.

Da'an looked up expectantly.

"Never mind."

Da'an sighed and closed his eyes. "Liam, if there is something that you wish to tell me, please do so."

"I'm getting married."

Da'an looked up and stared at the young man. "Liam, is that wise?" he asked in the softest voice he could manage.

Having gotten the worst of his confession off his chest, Liam looked relieved. He shrugged. "If you're asking if she knows about my father, then the answer is yes."

Da'an smiled, his fingers twitching. "Then may I be the first to... wish you joy."

Liam smiled almost giddily. "Thanks. I've already told everyone... I wasn't certain how to tell you. The wedding is next week."

Da'an nodded. "Who is the bride?"

"Susan Armstrong," Liam replied. Da'an looked somewhat perturbed, before he hastily added, "Yes, I know she doesn't remember that we were in love, but we've sort of fallen in love all over again."

Da'an smiled. "That is very good," he said quietly. "I wish you all happiness."

****

"Honey, you are going to look fab-yoo-luss!" Augur gushed, staring at Susan, standing on a stool in the middle of his home. Yards of white material swathed her over her denim overalls, held in place by pins as Lili tried to keep it from dropping apart. "Liam has all the luck, getting Ms. Perfect like this."

"Augur, don't try to charm the bride a week before the wedding," Lili called from her sprawled position on the floor. "Besides, try to charm the bride after the wedding and Liam will rip your lungs out."

"No, he wouldn't," Susan smiled. "Lili, a pin is sticking in my back. No, higher up."

"I'm no seamstress," Lili grunted. "I don't know why I agreed to do this."

"Because you are a personal friend of the groom," Augur said.

"How does Liam feel about this?" Susan asked, her brow wrinkling in apprehension. "He's not too worried, is he?"

"A little worried," Augur admitted, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Now he's going to have to be a responsible husband and give up the wild, sexy lifestyle he's led for so long..."

"Liar," Susan said good-naturedly.

"Augur tends to get his reputation mixed up with Liam's," Lili jabbed, grinning wide.

"Ooh, my mistake," Augur said, shrinking into the couch.

****

"Sandoval?" Liam said, coming out of a corner. Ronald Sandoval turned around and looked at Liam questioningly.

Liam bit his lip and sighed. Sandoval, he reminded himself, was his father. His second father, and he wanted him at the wedding. "Agent Sandoval, I've come to invite you to my wedding," he blurted out.

Sandoval's dark eyebrows shot up. "Wedding?"

"Yes, I'm marrying Doctor Susan Armstrong, and I've come to ask you to come as well. So, will you or not?" Liam finished, wincing at his own bluntness.

For a brief moment, Sandoval only stared. Then the faintest hint of a smile touched his face. "I'll come, Major Kincaid."

****

"So I want the cake delivered to Saint Michael's," Lili said into her global. "No, the basement. There's a fridge down there, that's where the reception will be held."

"What?" Augur said, coming into the room. "Why not down here? You said earlier that the reception would be here."

"And Stan, if you mess this up, I'll have your guts for garters," Lili finished.

"Sweet as ever," her global said sarcastically. "See you later, beautiful."

Lili slapped her global shut and looked at Augur ruefully. "Odd as it sounds, we're having two receptions. One general admission, one Resistance-only. After all, explaining you and Julia to Sandoval might be a bit hard."

"Sandoval? Why's here there?"

Lili sighed and shrugged. "Liam wanted him to come. After all, he's inviting Doors too--I guess he wants everyone who's made a difference in their lives. Susan's parents are coming too... and according to tradition, they're not too keen on Liam."

"I'm just hoping that when they get to the part about 'you may kiss the bride,' Liam's shakarava don't flare up," Augur said, slouching in his seat. "I know mine would if I were marrying Armstrong."

"Now now, naughty naughty," Lili chided him. "Don't covet thy friend's wife-to-be."

"There's no harm in me just saying she's gorgeous, hm?" Augur said innocently.

Lili rolled her eyes. "With you, Augur, it's always a problem."

****

On the day of the wedding...

"You're sure you know 'The Wedding March'?" Augur said, hovering nervously around Mitch, the young Resistance fighter. Mitch was sitting in the front pew of the church, a keyboard on his lap.

"I can if you put it in front of me," Mitch said hesitantly.

"Lili will do that," Augur fluttered, pacing along the aisles. "I've never been so nervous about a wedding in my life."

"You'd think you were the one getting married," Julia said, crossing her arms. "So, you and me and Doors and a bunch of others will be up in the choir loft, sprinkling flowers."

"No flowers!" Augur exclaimed nervously. "No hint that we're up there. One hint, and we're dead. I don't know why Liam invited that suited-up Taelon-programmed walking corpse to the wedding anyway!"

"I was kidding," Julia protested. "Anyway, what are you giving them as a wedding present."

"Stock options," Augur said distractedly. "Prime stock options. Couldn't think of anything else."

"That's my Augur," Lili called from the church entrance. "Better hide, Sandoval and Da'an are coming."

Augur instantly vanished into the spiral staircase that went up into the loft. Julia followed him, more slowly. A moment later, Sandoval and Da'an entered the church. Da'an was walking softly, reverently, while Sandoval was simply walking and looking around as if inspecting the artwork lining the walls.

Lili winced as Sandoval stared at Mitch, who looked somewhat nervous. "Who's this?" he asked.

"This is... um... umm..." Lili groped for a name. "Bertie."

Sandoval frowned. Mitch shot a shocked look at his friend. "What's he doing here?" Sandoval asked.

Lili shrugged. "He's a friend of Liam's. SI veteran."

No! Mitch's agonized face said.

"He looks a little young," Sandoval said critically.

"Everyone says so," Mitch said with a ghastly smile. "That I look young. Too young. I'm older than I look."

Sandoval stared at him, then wordlessly handed a large, flat package to Lili. "A gift to the newlyweds," he said softly. "I hope it has better luck this time..."

"I too, have brought a gift," Da'an said, holding out a squarish box, somewhat clumsily wrapped in brown paper. "I understand that it is the human custom."

Lili smiled at both of them as she took the gifts and laid them down on the pew. "Liam," she called. "Get out here, I want to take a look at you. Besides, Da'an and Sandoval are here."

"I'm not ready," a thin voice came from the men's room.

"Liam, I know we couldn't get a tux in time," Lili called. "But you'll have to come out in half an hour. You're getting married!"

Liam emerged from the men's room, his face scrubbed and somewhat red. He wore the simple V-necked T-shirt and leather jacket that he normally wore in his duties. "How do I look?" he asked somewhat sheepishly.

"You look fine," Lili said.

"Where's Ms. Armstrong?" Sandoval asked.

"Away from here." Lili flashed a grin at Liam. "Bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding."

"Why is that?" Da'an asked, perturbed.

"It's because... I don't really know," Lili admitted. "Liam, everything is going to be fine. You just relax."

Liam slumped down in a pew and stared at his shoes. Then he noticed the wedding bouquets tied to the ends. "What are those?" he asked, gesturing at them.

Lili's eyes widened as she saw the golden Taelon emblems that bound each set of flowers. "Er... Aug... I had them made with Taelon symbols. They symbolize..." She stopped, trying to remember.

"Peace and abundance," Da'an interjected, saving her from embarrassment.

Liam touched them, smiling a little. It seemed to be the first time that he had reacted to anything without an odd embarrassment. Not cold feet, exactly.

Liam's global twittered madly, and the young man opened it. "Oh no," he murmured, shutting it. "That was a call from Father Ian Madrey in Baltimore. They delivered the cake there, and he's been trying to track me down all morning."

Lili uttered a hollow wail. "I'm going to kill Stan! They delivered it to the wrong blasted St. Michael's!" She sprinted out the door.

"Worse news," Liam said, putting his global back on his belt. "Susan's truck broke down, and she's hitching a ride here."

"How is that unfortunate?" Da'an asked, twisting his fingers.

"There wasn't any room for the wedding dress," Liam grimaced.

****

Father Madrey was standing outside the impressive church when a Taelon shuttle came out of interdimensional. Next to him was a rather battered box. A young woman with shoulder-length brown hair jumped out of the shuttle. "I'm Lili Marquette, a friend of Liam Kincaid's," she said breathlessly. "I've come for the cake."

Madrey helped her load it onto the shuttle, ignoring the frosting that had begun to seep out of the carton.

As she began to climb back in, she paused. "Father Madrey? If you should happen to see the guy who delivered this..."

"Yes, Miss Marquette?"

"Kill him. Please."

****

"I told you, she'll get here when she gets here," Liam told the elderly priest. "I just hope she gets here," he mumbled under his breath.

"This is amazing," Sandoval mumbled under his breath. Between the agent and Da'an were two items: the box containing the wedding rings, and an envelope containing two plane tickets to the Bahamas. Sandoval rubbed his eyes, as if the whole thing was tiring him.

Liam bit his lip, praying that Lili would get back with the cake and Susan would arrive soon. As if on cue, Susan ran in, wearing a white shirt and pants. There was an oil smear on her left cheek, and her blond hair was in disarray, but Liam had never seen a more beautiful sight in his life. "I'm sorry I'm late," she called.

Liam nodded and stepped to the side of the priest. Da'an got up and took Susan's arm, leading her up the aisle, as Mitch nervously began to play on the keyboard. A stifled moan was heard from the choir loft. Sandoval stared at Mitch as if the young man had suddenly sprouted horns, and the priest and Susan began to restrain giggles.

"Mitch," hissed Liam. "That's 'The Funeral March'!"

Mitch turned beet-red and began playing "Here Comes The Bride." Susan looked ready to dissolve into helpless giggles as Da'an led her the rest of the way up the aisle.

BAP! Patter patter...

All eyes turned to the back of the church as Lili ran in, calling, "I got the cake from Balt..." Her voice trailed away and she covered her face. "Forget it," she moaned.

A single rose dropped onto Lili's head from the choir loft.

Liam had no memory of any words said during the ceremony, until he heard Mitch whispering, "Where's the rings? Where are the rings?"

Sandoval was scrabbling under the pew, then came out brandishing the box. He handed it to Liam, who quickly slipped the ring onto Susan's finger and she slipped the second onto his.

"... now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride," the priest intoned, looking relieved to have the ceremony over with.

A faint cheer was heard from the choir loft. Liam's eyes filled with tears as he kissed his wife. "I

love you," he whispered.

"I love you too."

"Forever."

As they hugged each other, Mitch began to play a soft tune...

"And I will

Oh I will not forget you

Nor will I ever let you go

I will

Oh I will not forget you..."

FINITO (in this universe)