"You know the saying. Something old, something new, something borrowed something blue." Britney said as she handed the box over to the other woman as the rest of the group watched. "Go on open it." Britney said.

"You really didn't have to do this."

"It was nothing." Britney said "really." she smiled hoping that no one really caught on to the fact that she was actually dying inside.

Slowly she opened the box. "My God, Britney. I can't take this."

"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." Britney said choking back tears.

"But this is yours."

"Was mine." She said smiling at her "It was mine."

"It is yours. Justin gave this to you when you were filming your movie for luck."

"Well it's yours now, don't argue about it." Britney said as she took the locket out of the box and went to fasten it around the other woman’s neck. When she did she noticed the inscription on the back "For hearing my thoughts, understanding my dreams and being my best friend, for filling my life with joy and loving me without end."

"Britney." She said grabbing her hands and holding on to them. She noticed for the first time that they were shaking worse than hers. "I'll wear this today, but I can't keep it," she said. "This is yours."

Britney turned her back and walked to the window. She looked out over the beautifully manicured grounds. "You know when he gave that to me he said he wanted to see me wear it on our wedding day." She choked out "since that won't happen..." She felt a hand on her shoulder as a tear slipped fro m her eye.

"Don't do this to yourself. You don't know that.''

"Thank you for being such a friend. Now will you please excuse me I need some air?” she said before running out of the door.

The summer sun went down on
Our love long ago
But in my heart I feel the same
Old afterglow

"You know Joe, I can't believe you aren't nervous." Lance laughed

"Yeah remember Johnny's wedding I swear he was a bundle of nerves. He didn't know which way was up." Chris laughed.

"Yeah that was some day." JC said. "Things were so different then. "We were different."

"I sure in hell didn't think I would be the first to take the plunge." Joey said as he sat in the room with his friends.

"Yeah" the other three said at the same time.

"I miss those days." Lance said.

"We all do, some of us more than others."

"Where is Justin anyway?" Chris asked.

"I don't know, I haven't seen him since last night."

Just then Justin walked in "Did I hear someone mention my name? What's up man you didn't think I would bale on you today did you?" He laughed. But everyone in the room knew that the laughter wasn’t real. It hadn't been for a long time.

"No I knew you would be here." Joey said Just as Steve walked in.

"Man I just saw Brit and she is looking hot as hell. "

"STEVE" Joey said as he nodded his head to where Justin was standing by the window.

"Damn, open mouth insert foot. I'm sorry man."

"No I'm sure she does look great. Weddings always did make her glow.."

There was a knock on the door and Johnny poked his head in just in time to break the tension in the room." It's time guys"

"Already?" Joey said for the first time sounding nervous

"Well not now in about five minutes." Johnny laughed. "I just mean its time to get you married."

"Oh." Joey said laughing "Ok"

"Calm down, it will be over before you know it and as soon as you see your bride coming down the aisle all those nerves will disappear. Just always remember falling in love is the easy part of marriage.  The most difficult part of love  is 10 years later when the problems and issues up  you still manage to love the same way you did in the beginning."

"That's right man, listen to him." Justin said quietly from his perch in the corner. "No matter what, don't let petty problems get in the way. Don't let your own demons frighten you away. No gift, no awards, no nothing will ever equal what you feel today. At this moment, this love. Its fragile, take care of it." he said as he lowered his head "don't ever let it go." he said trying to wipe his eye so that the others couldn’t see him but they did.

"You ok man?” Joey asked as he came to sit next to him..

"Let's go get you married" he said as he got up and held his hand out to his friend.

A love so beautiful
In every way
A love so beautiful
We let it slip away

She stood there. It was all so surreal. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. The tears that had been threatening for the past half hour now trailing down her face. But she wasn't the only one so it didn't really stand out. She looked over at him and he had this far away look on his face, the look that said he wanted to be anywhere but here. She knew that feeling all too well. But to both of them friendship was more important than being uncomfortable for a day. They would get through it. Somehow.

We were too young to understand
To ever know
That lovers drift apart
And that's the way love goes

How is it possible to feel yourself being torn in two? When on the outside you put on the biggest show of your life. This was supposed to be you. You were the one who was supposed to take that step first. But fear is a dangerous thing. God she looks beautiful. So much more than the last time he had seen her. It's not that they hadn't seen each other, they had. It's just that not like this. Not in this place at this time. In this situation. The scent of the flowers stronger than ever. The music louder. The memory of the day in the florist, when you picked out the flowers, the nights of sitting and listing to music picking out just the right songs. Oh God, was that a tear that fell. No, no tears. Her tears always brought him to his knees. In a way he looked at her willing the tears away. But the more he watched her, the more the tears came. No wait, those were his own.

A love so beautiful
A love so free
A love so beautiful

How did the argument start? Right now she would be hard pressed to tell you. It seemed like a lifetime ago at times and at times it seemed like it had just happened. Things were so right, so very right. If she had been told things would go so wrong so fast she would have laughed in their face. Her life was perfect, she was happy. They were happy. They had their whole future laid out in front of them. Sure it wasn't going to be easy but, nothing worth having ever is. That's what her dad would always tell them.  And it was true, nothing they had was ever easy. But they managed, but it was over too soon. In a split second her world and everything around her fell apart. And to this day she didn't really understand why.

A love for you and me
And when I think of you
I fall in love again

He never understood what happened. One thing life was perfect. The next, he was floundering trying to just make it though the day. They were just sitting there at breakfast, he mentioned that she might want to go in before the guys since she was presenting the first award. Nothing else unusual had happened. Except, Jenna had called they had some last minute mix-up with the dancers and he had to leave. That's when it happened. That's when it seemed as if all hell broke loose.

A love so beautiful
In every way
A love so beautiful
We let it slip away

So wrapped up in her own thoughts she didn't realize that the ceremony had started. Until the music swelled and she heard the gasp of the crowd as Kelly walked down the aisle. She looked beautiful and so happy. She knew she had waited for this day. She stood strong when most people would have walked out of Joey's life. She gave him more chances than he deserved. But in the end it had all paid off. She would sit and wonder how she did. Would she be strong enough if the shoe were on the other foot to just sit back and become a second thought? She knew she wasn't because, she walked out and didn't look back. She died a slow death because of it . She gave up on her one true love. She tried to look at Kelly but she couldn't, it hurt too much to do so. She was living every little girls dream. It was everything she had ever said she wanted on those long lazy days when they would sit around waiting from the guys to come from soundcheck or some random interview. They would talk about their weddings and dream of that day. And Kelly's was here and it was everything she had ever wanted it to be. How could she begrudge her friend that? She didn't let go, she realized that love was fragile, something she herself didn't realize until it was too late. Until the trust was gone and the hope and dreams vanished. If love was never meant to hurt then why did she feel that her insiders were being ripped out one by one? Why couldn't she breathe?

And when I think of you
I fall in love again

He couldn’t  breathe. Damn ties did it to him every time. Even he had to laugh at that lie. It wasn't the tie. It was seeing her again. Having her so close that he could almost smell her perfume. The same smell that he would smell in the dead of night. The middle of a concert, during an interview. Hell the middle of a date he would see her face or hear her voice. Someone would pass and he would smell her perfume. She was there, she was in him and there was no way of getting her out. She was like an organ in his body, it could be removed but after that life would never be the same. He heard the music, the bridal march. The things that a friend will do for you. He wanted to be anywhere but here. But then he looked over at Joey and had to try to grin and bear it. His friend was happy, really happy. He followed his gaze and saw Kelly and he was stunned, she was breathtaking. As she got closer the vision that he was seeing changed. She was there in front of him. Walking down the aisle. That smile on her face that would light up a room and warm him in even his darkest hours. "Britney" he said not knowing that his thoughts were loud enough for the few people around him to hear. Then he noticed the antique locket hanging from her neck. He remembered the day he gave it to Britney, he told he that it was for luck. And that when they got married he wanted her to wear it. He really didn't know they had until Chris laid his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it in a comforting fashion. Today he too was fighting his own demons. He too had given up the one love of his life.

A love so beautiful
We let it slip away

His eyes were on her she knew it. She could feel it, and she was too afraid to look up at him. As she stood there among people whom she considered family she realized that pride did indeed come before the fall. The words that Kelly asked her to read were clutched in her sweaty, shaking hand. She had to look out at them. She would truly see him for the first time as she held her head up and began to read, Two lives, two people, so very different, yet so similar. Together we stand as one, sharing our future as it comes. The past is that past. Buds are yet to blossom, with care and trust, the best is yet to be revealed. Honesty and kindness, are the fruits of love. Lord bless this day and always to enrich us so our love will never end. Before you are joined together in marriage in my presence and in the presence of these your family and witnesses, I am bound to remind you of the solemn and firm nature of the relationship into which you are about to enter. Marriage as most of us understand it, is the voluntary commitment of a man to a woman and a woman to a man to the exclusion of all others and is entered into with the desire, the hope and the firm intention that it will last for life.

His eyes were so blue, so piercing, so intense as he stared at her. Those are the eyes that she thought she would grow old watching. The eyes she thought would be the first thing she would see in the morning and the last thing at night. The eyes of her children and grandchildren. Those were the eyes of the man she loved. The man who would always haunt her dreams. Who would forever hold her heart and soul.

A love so beautiful
In every way

Oh God he thought he couldn't breathe earlier he knew for sure all the air had left his lungs as he stood there watching her. She was grace and class. She was pride and pain. She was his day, his night. She was every breath he took. Chris nudged him and he remembered what he had to do. He slowly walked up to the front of the church and stood at the podium. He looked over the crowd that was gathered. And then he found the one pair of eyes that he wanted to see. Those doe brown eyes that had haunted his dreams and began to read.

If two are caring as they are sharing life's hopes and fears.
If the music of laughter outweighs sadness and tears.
Marriage is togetherness. If both derive pleasure from the mere presence of each other, yet when parted no jealousies restrict, worry or smother. Marriage is freedom. If achievements mean more when they benefit two and consideration is shown with each point of view. Marriage is respect. And if togetherness, freedom and respect are combined with a joy that words can never fully define, then marriage is love. Everything we love becomes a part of us for the rest of our days.

A love so beautiful
We let it slip away

The rest of the ceremony went by and neither of them paid much attention to it. For they only had eyes for the other. This was supposed to be their day, this was their dream, their destiny. But fate had stepped in and changed all that. Now what were they, what was left of the dream they had built. The life they had started. The love they shared. As the music started to play the rest of the wedding party started to go back down the aisle.

Fate, destiny and pushy friends had him waiting for her with his arm out. “You look beautiful."

"Thank you,” she whispered, "you don't look too bad yourself."

"Thanks, I clean up well." he joked as they walked down the aisle. The feel of her skin sending shivers through his body. All to soon he had to let her hand go. "Britney." he said holding on tightly to her hand. "What happened?"

"I don't know," she said as a tear fell from her eye. He walked her over to the side of the room.

"Maybe we need to talk about it." she said "but not here."

He looked around and then went over to Lance and whispered something in his ear. He just smiled at him and then at Britney. When he walked back over to where she was, she was surprised to find that she had butterflies. He was the only man who was ever able to make her feel that way. "Come here" he said as he walked her towards a closet."

"In here?" she asked puzzled as he opened the door.