Three years had gone by since Kate moved in with Rick and they merged their little families. And today was the day she would become married to him. He was her one and done and she couldn't have asked for a better man to be with for the rest of her life, definitely since they had been through so much together.

She checked her dress in the mirror to see if it looked okay, which was about the millionth time she did so.

"For crying out loud, Kate, you don't look fat or ugly in your dress," Lanie annoyingly said from behind her.

"I just think it's too… much," Kate mumbled to herself as she twisted side to side, still trying to see if it looked bad.

"I think you look very pretty," Alexis innocently complimented from beside her. She looked up at her soon-to-be stepmom with a reassuring smile.

"You do?" Kate questioned in awe as she looked down through the mirror. She gently placed her hand on Alexis' head and pulled her in for a side hug. "Thank you, sweetie."

"Where's Noah?" Alexis asked as she quickly spun around to make the bottom of her dress lift up.

"He's getting ready with your dad, Liam and all the guys," Kate softly answered. "You can find them in the other room if you want."

Alexis shook her head and decided to sit back down on the small couch. She picked up the book her dad brought and opened to her bookmark. She could read, but not as well as she hoped to. As she began to sound out the words in the first paragraph, she heard the door to the room open, so she lifted her head to it.

"Mommy, can we have cake yet?" Noah anxiously questioned with a sly grin.

"Yeah, cake!" Liam repeated with a continuous nod.

"You can have cake after the ceremony like I said at home," Kate answered as she slowly faced the boys. "Got it?"

"But I want cake now," Noah whined as he held onto the door handle to swing himself.

"I said after the ceremony," Kate sternly spoke.

"But-"

"Noah, go back to the room with Rick. You can have cake later."

"I want cake-"

"One…"

Noah defeatedly huffed and closed the door, so his mom wouldn't count to three and he wouldn't end up in timeout.

"I know where they keep the cake," Liam enthused with a devious smirk. "I found it when I was looking for the potty."

"Where?" Noah curiously inquired as he played with his bowtie that he wished would come off.

Before Liam could answer the question, the door to the girls' room opened and Alexis stepped out.

"We're gonna go get some cake. Want some?" he asked with a large smile.

"That's not a good idea," Alexis disapprovingly answered while she shook her head.

"Cake, cake, cake," Noah chanted as he began to march after a running Liam while giggling. "Gonna eat some cake, cake, cake."

Alexis watched the boys disappear down one of the halls until she dashed back into the room. "Kate!"

"Yeah?" Kate quickly made her way over to Alexis. "What's up?"

"They went to get cake!"

Kate frustratingly ran her hand down her face and held her upper lip between her fingers. If her son were to ruin her wedding cake, she would make sure he didn't watch TV the whole time she would be on her honeymoon. She regretted not escorting the boys back to the other room because Liam liked to cause trouble and drag Noah into it, who of course didn't know how to say no.

"Want me to go get them?" Lanie asked as she made her way over. "Or I could go find Jenny and we both could get them."

"He might listen to anyone, but he doesn't when with Liam. Well, that's unless it's myself, Rick, or Jenny," Kate quickly explained as she stepped out of the room with Alexis beside her. "Which way?"

"This way!" Alexis beckoned for her to follow and ran the way she saw boys go. When she appeared in front of a large door, she came to a halt and looked up at Kate before opening one side of it.

Nobody was in her sight, so Kate was about to turn around and finish getting ready until she noticed the cake toward the right. There was a large chunk missing, which made fury quickly flow throughout her blood stream.

"Noah James, get out here right now!" she wrathfully yelled.

"Uh oh," Liam whispered to his friend.

"Good cake. Good idea." Noah nodded while he finished what was left in his hand. After, he licked the remnants off his fingers and grinned at his friend. "We gotta stay quiet."

"She can't find us. We're under the table." Liam pointed to the tablecloth and quickly retreated his hand before he caused it to move.

Alexis saw a shoelace slide under one of the tables, so she tiptoed over. Once she was in front of it, she bent down and peeked under the tablecloth to notice the boys with frosting over their mouths.

"You're in trouble," she sang while shaking her head.

Kate cautiously bent down beside Alexis and lifted the tablecloth. When she witnessed both her son and Liam with pieces of cake in their hands and on their faces, she fiercely gripped onto the fabric.

"Yes, you are in loads of trouble," she intensely spoke, making Noah's eyes widen.

The moment she was about to latch onto his arm to pull him out, he and Liam crawled out the other end and dashed away. She abruptly stood up straight and made her way after them.

"Lanie said that they-" Jenny cut herself short when she noticed a chunk of cake missing and the boys aimlessly running around the reception room. "Liam Patrick, get over here, now," she deeply demanded.

Noah nervously glanced at his friend who seemed to have a plan, so he followed him. He climbed onto one of the chairs then onto the table after Liam.

"Copy me," Liam playfully commanded and turned his back toward their parents. He yanked his pants and boxers down to moon everyone.

The laughter that came out of Noah almost made him fall off the table. He wanted to copy Liam, but he couldn't stop laughing. Instead, he attempted to slide off because he didn't want to get in too much trouble. His feet hung over the edge a bit and he knew a chair would be underneath, so he let himself drop. The second his feet hit the corner of the seat, they made the chair tip over while he was on it, making his chin smack onto the table.

Liam rushed with pulling his pants up. Then, he hopped off the table and knelt down beside his friend who had watery eyes.

"Don't cry. Don't cry," he anxiously said as he began to silently panic when he saw Noah's bloody lip.

Kate sped over to the boys the instant she saw the chair and Noah tip over. His crying that registered in her ears made it hard for her to be furious, but she was still going to take away his TV time.

"He's bleeding," Liam nervously spoke with a frown.

"Come on." Kate leaned down and lifted Noah onto his feet before she squatted in front of him. Her eyes widened when she saw the blood on his lip, but she made sure to show no emotion that would end up making him freak out.

"You," Jenny furiously spoke while grasping onto Liam's arm. "Are coming with me."

"I'm sorry! I didn't do it! I was only kidding!" Liam yelled as he was pulled out of the room.

"It's okay, buddy," Kate soothingly spoke as she lifted Noah into her arms, his back facing her, so he wouldn't get any blood on her dress. "Let's go clean you up."

"He needs an ice cube," Alexis announced as she followed them into the hall and back to the girls' room.

She immediately climbed onto the couch and watched Noah get placed beside her. She tilted her head to look at his face and when she saw his bloody lip, she sighed. Although their parents weren't married yet, she still considered him her brother and she hated when he got hurt and worse, when he cried.

"Does it hurt?" she asked with a frown.

Noah slowly nodded his head. Right as he was going to rub his mouth with the back of his arm, it was grabbed, so he lifted his head to see his mom in front of him.

"You can't get blood on your tux, big guy," Kate calmly said with a slight smile. She set down the wad of paper towels with ice in them beside his leg. Then, she took hold of his jacket near his wrist and pulled it off each arm. "Hold this against your lip for me." She handed him the ice and observed how he cautiously placed it against his lip. "Stop getting hurt," she murmured with her lips against his forehead.

"I like your bowtie," Alexis happily complimented, making Noah's eyes fall on her.

"Off," he whined and tried to yank it off until his mom's hand held his. "Please?"

"After the ceremony, you can take it off. And since you already ate some cake, you won't be having anymore," Kate sternly explained, getting watery eyes in return. "Hey, there's no need to be upset."

Noah used the back of his right hand to wipe his eyes before sliding off the couch. He made his way to the door and opened it because he wanted to be with Rick.

"I'll take him back to the other room," Jenny announced as she stepped behind Noah. She delicately set her hands on his shoulders to guide him to the correct door.

"Thank you," Kate said loud enough for her to hear. She faced Alexis who was smiling up at her. "What, silly?"

"We get to walk on the beach with no shoes!"

"I know." Kate shook her head as she chuckled. "Looking forward to that?"

"Yes." Alexis speedily nodded her head a few times. "Is that why we got those things?"

"Pedicures?"

"Yeah, those."

"Yup. We have to make sure our toes look pretty because everyone will be seeing them."

"Let's go again!"

"Maybe when the paint on our toenails starts to look bad, we can go. We could also try to force your dad and Noah in getting them."

"Yeah! Make Daddy have purple toenails," Alexis hysterically giggled as she fell into the back of the couch.

Kate joyously grinned at Alexis before walking over to Lanie.

"Don't be nervous," Lanie stated her observation of her best friend's facial expression.

"What if I trip?"

"Girl, you run in tall heels after suspects. I highly doubt that you will trip while being barefoot," Lanie assured with a pleasant smile. "Besides, it's not like there will be millions of people watching you."

"That's true." Kate's brows furrowed as she attempted to fight the tears that wanted to form behind her eyes. That was the last thing she wanted, her makeup being ruined moments before she would be married to Rick.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Lanie sympathetically questioned.

"It sucks that my mom won't be here for this…"

"Aw, honey." Without a second thought, Lanie pulled her friend into her loving arms. "She will be watching."

Kate sharply bit down on her bottom lip to stop herself from letting tears fall down her cheeks. It was true that her mom would possibly be watching, but she didn't exactly believe in the heaven and hell ordeal. However, she did visit her mom's grave last night and spoke aloud about what was going to happen today and how she wished her mom could be here. Yeah, she had her dad and Martha for support, but it wasn't the same.

"Are you going to be okay?" Lanie nervously asked when she felt Kate's staggered breathing against her.

"I will be," Kate hesitantly muttered as her eyes shut and a few tears fell down her face.

…..

Rick watched as all three of bridesmaids made their way down the isle, Maddie (who was the maid of honor), Lanie and Jenny. He remembered when Kate couldn't decide whom to give the position to, but he managed to help her out. Luckily none of the girls fought over it, even though he wished they did because that would have been one hell of a sight. Well, at least in his imagination.

Once they were standing to his right, a large knot formed in the back of his throat and his hands began to sweat. Yeah, it was pretty warm out on the beach, but that wasn't why he was sweating. He was one hundred percent nervous and he didn't even understand how he was still standing.

As he licked his lips to get rid of the dryness, he noticed that his little girl was making her way down the isle. She looked so beautiful in her little dress and with the light green halo that accented her long hair.

Alexis hesitantly kept walking in the sand. She wasn't normally the type to get nervous, but with everyone watching her, it was hard not to. To help ignore everyone's stares, she looked at the flower petals in her basket and threw a few onto the ground. She smiled at her feet when her toes curled in the sand. She kept throwing petals onto the ground and wiggling her toes. The moment she looked up, she was already in front of the alter, so she tiptoed to where she was supposed to go.

"Good job, Pumpkin," Rick cheerfully whispered with a grin when he brought his eyes onto her. She nodded her head and gave him her shy, innocent smile in return.

He watched her sway a few times before he turned his head back toward the isle. Noah was slowly making his way to him and glancing at everyone that was seated, which weren't a lot of people, but enough.

Noah tightly held onto the pillow with the ring on it like his mom said. He ended up getting distracted by the sand and bending down to touch it with his hand. When he heard Rick clear his throat, he tilted his head toward him with a smirk before he stood up straighter and kept walking. As he was drawing nearer to the alter, he got tempted to kick some of the sand, but he knew if he did, he would get in loads of trouble, so he quickly made his way over to Ryan and Esposito and stood in front of them.

"Good job, buddy," Rick enthusiastically praised the boy who was too busy checking out the ring, which made him shake his head with a smile.

The flutes that he hired to play the music began playing a different tune, which meant Kate was going to be coming toward him. His breath got caught in his throat the moment he saw her.

Kate clutched onto her dad a lot tighter than before when her eyes met Rick's. He looked so happy to be standing there, watching her slowly walk to him. Thank god her dad told her that he wouldn't let her fall because she really thought she was going to.

To distract her anxiousness, she let her eyes travel onto her little boy who had the pillow held in his hand like a pizza box while he was bent down. She wanted to tell him to stand up and stop playing in the sand, but instead, she caught Ryan's eyes. Her head slightly tilted toward Noah, which made him look.

She wanted to laugh when Ryan jumped back a little before leaning down to whisper in Noah's ear. Since her son was standing up and looking at her, she cast him a bright smile, which got her one in return. And of course, he did his silly wave where he would move his hand at a ridiculous speed. That got her to let out a soft laugh before she let her eyes travel onto Alexis.

The girl was swaying while looking into her basket, but when she looked up, she gave her the most beautiful smile. She was lucky to have such a beautiful family, even though Alexis wasn't her daughter, she considered her to be.

How could she not?

It wasn't until her dad whispered into her ear did she notice that she was in front of the alter. She turned toward him, so he could lift her veil. The gentle kiss she received on her cheek made her grin ear to ear before he handed her off to Rick.

"You look so beautiful," Rick sincerely complimented in a slight whisper.

Kate wished she could lean in and kiss him after his words, but she couldn't yet. And when the time came, she probably wouldn't want to stop.

Noah tilted his head back to look at Ryan, which made him falter back a few steps. Ryan ended up putting his hands on his shoulders and making him look at his mom and Rick.

Whatever the guy with the book was saying didn't make any sense to him. So, he attempted to try and get Alexis' attention for a few minutes, but he couldn't exactly see her. He gave up on trying and looked up at his mom because she was looking at him.

Did he miss something?

"Give them the rings," Ryan gently whispered into his ear, which made him speed forward.

He held the small pillow above his head and heard Alexis' silent giggle, which made him want to go over to her and play, but he knew better.

Once he was back in his spot, he intently watched Rick slide the ring onto his mom's finger.

They were finally married!

He listened to them admit their love for one another and boring promises before the guy with the book told them to kiss.

Ew, they were kissing!

He scrunched his face up in disgust as he held the pillow over his eyes. He could hear Alexis' laughter from over here, which made him peer over it to find her in front of him.

"Time to go back," she murmured with her one arm out to him.

He hooked his with hers and walked down the isle after everyone.

Alexis began to throw the rest of the flower petals in front of them until she saw that Noah was curiously observing. She held a few out to him, but he shook his head.

"Now we can get cake!" she excitedly squealed, getting a frown from him in return. She forgot that his mom said he wouldn't be able to have anymore. Looked like she was going to be secretly sharing.

Kate glanced over her shoulder to see the kids a little ways behind them. She glanced over at Rick with a large, happy smile.

She was finally married to the man she loved unconditionally. She squeezed his hand a bit, which brought his baby blue eyes onto her.

"I love you," he silently mouthed with the most joyous grin she had ever seen on him.

"I love you too," she softly hummed as her face got a little red.

AN: Alexis is now 6 and Noah 5. I might update with short chapters like this, meaning the updates would be more frequent.

Thoughts?