"I don't think it's a good idea to have the twins be the ring bearers." I said bluntly, shoving a piece of croissant in my mouth.

"You said you're thinking about having them in the wedding and that's the only role I can think of. They'll guard those rings with their lives." Maria explained.

"Or swallow them." I groaned, banging my head on the ginormous binder.

"You're right," Maria admitted as she patted Reagan on the back, who just woke up from her nap. "If you want them in the wedding, don't give them anything valuable or can cause damage to the venue."

I sighed in exasperation. I honestly wouldn't had been surprised if Josh and Julian destroyed the venue if they saw anyone wearing a red tie.

Note to self: make sure no one can wear red as part of the dress code.

Wedding planning was the most stressful thing I'd ever done– excluding me going on the run from the Diablos.

But it was a really close second.

Piles of bridal magazines were given to me and a long list of guests that would want to be invited to the wedding. That doesn't even include the media going into a tailspin about the announcement that one of New York City's rich bachelors was getting married. Damon was less than enthused when paparazzi had gotten wind of it and tried to ambush him at the MPS office. He was lucky that Xavier was there to stop him from punching one of the cameramen.

"Are you sure you don't want another wedding planner? Mine was an absolute angel." Maria said for what felt like the hundredth time.

The original wedding planner was very demanding and kept asking me to come up with a date and venue. I got quickly overwhelmed, which Damon did not appreciate and had her kicked out on the first day. I should have felt bad about her being fired, but she reminded me too much of a drill sergeant.

"No, I think I can handle it. I am a great organizer." I insisted, waving the heavy blue binder that I created this past week of wedding information. I bought the biggest binder I could find at the store and divided everything into different sections. Were there a few wet spots on the papers from my tears? Yes, but we weren't talking about that.

Reagan pushed herself away from Maria to give a sound of agreement.

"See! Someone is on my side." I said with a smile at Reagan, which got me a goofy one in return.

"Yes, you got a ten month old to back up your claims," Maria deadpanned as she placed Reagan in her playpen. She walked over to give me a side hug. "Rosie, you know you are allowed to have whatever type of wedding you want, right? I know you think you have to have a large wedding, but it's up to you."

"It doesn't feel like it. Nothing feels right," I sighed in exhaustion. "But I'd feel bad if we didn't invite everyone. And I know MPS has partners and business people that should join as well." I explained.

"As your matron of honor, I'll support you the whole way. As myself I would say f–" Maria looked at her wide-eyed child before correcting herself. "Screw them. Screw what anyone thinks. This is about you and Damon. Do what fits you both."

I eat the rest of my croissant, unsure how to respond to that. Maria changed the subject, which I appreciated, discussing whatever antics her daughter was up to.

~*~

After being distracted by Maria and Reagan for an hour, they left me alone on my wing of the mansion. I stared at that stupid wedding binder, trying to get the nerve to open it. It felt like it was mocking me, waiting for me to pick something.

Maybe I should just throw things together? I could have Maria just start inviting people and give me recommendations, while I will just pick things at random from the binder. It doesn't really matter as long as Damon was there, right?

I shoved the wedding binder off the counter, letting it fall to the floor with a bang. I placed my hands over my face, trying to stop the tears with no luck.

I wished my parents were here. Mom would've helped me pick out my dress and Dad would've walked me down the aisle. I took my parent's rings out of my pocket, something that I'd been carrying with me for the last few weeks. I pressed them to my lips, wishing that what was supposed to be an exciting moment in my life didn't feel like a nightmare.

Don't be such a baby, Rosaline.

"Flower?"

I jumped at the intrusion to my pity party, trying to wipe away my tears. "Hey, you. Are you done with your meetings for the day?"

"Yeah, Maria also texted me–" Damon stopped, taking a long look at me. I tried to force a smile, but he saw right through me as usual. He took in the binder on the floor and my parents' rings on the counter before joining me on the stools. I yelped when he pulled me into his lap, my legs dangling to the side. "Who do I need to take down?"

"Unless you're ready to beat me up, you can stand down," I sniffed. "It's just me being silly about our wedding planning. I'm in over my head and I have no idea what to do."

"You can do whatever you want." Damon said calmly and I scoffed.

"That's what Maria said, but I can't seem to figure out what that is." I pointed at my head mockingly before hiding my face in the crook of his neck. "I'm like an indecisive bridezilla."

"I don't think that's a thing."

"Well I'm making it a thing. Now shush."

We sat in silence for a while, Damon letting me brood with my thoughts before speaking again.

"What's really bothering you, Flower?"

I sighed, squeezing him like he was my personal teddy bear. Which he was.

"I'm trying to come to terms with organizing such a big event. If you want a huge wedding, I think I'll just have Maria take charge or start picking things at random." I shrugged, my fingers twisting the ends of my hair. Damon untangled them, slowly playing with my hair instead.

"Hold on a minute. You think I want to have a big wedding?"

I blinked at the disgust in his tone, pulling back to look at my fiance.

"You never thought we would have a wedding like Xavier and Maria's? I just assumed–"

Damon grunted, scowling at me.

"Flower, do I look like a person who wants to socialize with hundreds of people focused on me?"

I snorted, a smile peeking through. The thought of Damon entertaining anyone would do that. "You're right. That was stupid of me to think. It's just...when I pictured getting married, I never imagined a grand scale wedding. I always thought I would be planning a small gathering, but everyone wants to make a big deal about this. The thought of so many people staring at me makes me want to keel over."

Damon snorted. "I'm also not a people person. If I could get away with it, I'd drag you to a courthouse and get married there."

My mind whirled around the new string of information as I wrapped my arms around his neck. "You would? Why didn't you say anything before?"

"Because I thought this wedding was something you wanted. I would've sucked it up if it meant you got the wedding of your dreams. Why didn't you say anything?" Damon countered.

"I thought that's what was expected of us. Whether you believe it or not, you're a public figure. Everyone in the city knows about our engagement. And with the MPS and the Organization, we would have to invite others–"

"I don't give a rat's ass about stuffy businessmen unless you want them there. The only person that I care about being there is you, Flower. With our inner circle and family, that's all I need."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Damon confirmed, pulling me in for a kiss. He took control as I held him for dear life. He pulled away too soon, giving me a small smile. "How about I take control of the wedding plans?"

"You want to plan our wedding? It doesn't seem like your thing." I said, shocked at his offer. I placed a hand on his forehead. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Ha, ha. Do you trust me?" Damon grabbed my hand to give it a kiss.

"I'll always trust my partner in crime."

"Then let me take over. All you'll have to do is stand there and look pretty while saying your vows."

I hesitated, seeing the challenge in Damon's eyes. He was willing to coordinate all of this. I glanced back down at the terrible binder. Did I really want to go through that again? I sighed, nodding my head.

"The show is all yours. Just don't make the Anderson twins the ring bearers."

"Good. Now that that's out of the way," Damon slowly sent a trail of hot kisses down my neck. "Let's do something more interesting."

"Like what?" I breathed as Damon stood up, carrying me as I wrapped my legs around my waist.

"I think I can come up with something." Damon finished before giving me a heated kiss, wrapping my hair in his fist to control the kiss. I moaned, returning the kiss as he walked toward our bedroom.

This is definitely a better way to spend our time.

~*~

It had been over a month since Damon took over our wedding. He kept everything a secret, not giving me a single detail– no matter how much I pleaded. He would just give me a grin and kiss, before moving on with his day. I asked around and everyone acted as clueless as I was, but I wasn't sure if I believed it or not.

The anticipation was killing me, and I didn't even know the date of our wedding!

It didn't all come together until one evening, as the sun was starting to set, Maria busted into my bedroom.

"We need to do your hair and makeup. We got about an hour before we're being escorted!"

"Escorted? Is there a party I don't know about?" I scrunch my face, trying to remember if there was a social event we were invited to. Damon always used me as his human shield to keep people from talking directly to him.

"There is no time for questions, Rosie! We need you looking stunning and knocking the socks off of people. Sit on the stool!" Maria ushered me to where she wanted. She was practically vibrating with excitement as she plugged in her curling iron.

The next half hour was her pulling my hair in an updo, some strands of hair framing my face. I coughed as Maria got aggressive on the hairspray.

"Maria, we're going to suffocate!" I rasped.

"I am just spraying your hair into submission. I'll never forgive myself if one strand of hair is out of place," Maria waved the fumes away. "But I might have gotten carried away– stay away from any fires. Let's move on to makeup."

"I'd really like to know what this is all about." I mumbled.

"Not yet. Now shush and hold still."

It took Maria another twenty minutes as she looked at the clock cursing.

"Damn it," Maria rushed to the door and started shouting. "Where is the package?!"

"It's here!" I heard Josh shout, scampering over to toss a garment at Maria. My eyes bugged as I saw him and Julian in a black tux. I think that was the first time I ever saw them look so sophisticated.

"No stains, no tears. It's in perfect condition like you asked."

"Someone almost spilled their drink on it, but I saved it!" Julian announced proudly.

"I'm not even going to ask." Maria muttered as she closed the door on their faces.

"See you soon, ma'am!" the twins shouted through the door.

"Put this on." Maria demanded, placing a dress on my lap.

"What?" I asked in confusion, getting up to examine the dress. It was a beautiful cream color, with beads creating a rose design on the skirt.

My heart started to race. I looked up at Maria, who I now noticed wore a light pink floral sundress.

"You're only getting married once," Maria winked. "You don't want to keep your groom waiting."

"No..." My eyes widened as a broad smile stretched on my face. I let out a little squeal and rushed to the bathroom to change. I took a moment to jump up and down in excitement.

It's happening...It's happening!

I put the dress on, admiring the v-neck and simple train on the back. The sleeves were lace with a floral design, bringing the dress together. The skirt had a slight poof to it, making me feel like a princess.

When I exited the bathroom, Maria gasped with tears in her eyes.

"You look absolutely beautiful, Rosie. The perfect bride."

I took a look in the mirror, my breath escaping me. It was like something from a fairytale, just how I imagined I would look.

"I can't believe he did this..." I trailed off, laughing in disbelief. "We're getting married."

"And you're happy right?" Maria asked with a hint of worry in her voice.

I beamed at her, going over to give her a hug. "I am over the moon. I'm just afraid that I am going to trip in front of people."

"Which is why I made sure to give you a pair of flats instead of heels. That was non-negotiable." Maria waved a pair of white flats with tiny roses on top.

"And that's why you are my Matron of Honor," I giggled, putting them on. "Thank you. I'm going to cry–"

"Don't you dare cry!" Maria scolded, fanning her eyes. "If you cry, I'll cry. Then I have to redo both our makeup. The ceremony hasn't even started yet and I'm ready to sob."

I rapidly started to blink to hold back the tears as Maria started fanning my face. "I've never been good at controlling my tears."

"I know, Rosie, I know. You're the sensitive soul of the group and that's why we love you. Now, let's get you hitched."

Maria grabbed my hand and pulled me out the bedroom where Xavier was waiting for us. Xavier smiled at the sight of us.

"Are you ready, Ro-Ro? I can always sneak you out the back."

I shook my head with a smile. "I'll pass on that offer."

"Good. I'm a hundred percent sure that Damon would just hunt you down and drag you down the aisle," Xavier shrugged as Maria smacked him on the back of the head. "Ow! Don't ruin the officiant's hair."

"How about you take us over to our venue?" Maria asked with an innocent smile.

"Of course. As long as you don't give me a concussion." Xavier grumbled, walking quickly to avoid Maria's heel aiming for his foot.

I quickly followed, practically skipping as Xavier led us to the entrance to the garden. I went to a halt as I saw the fairy lights hanging on the trees. I put a shaky hand over my mouth at the beautiful scene, the multiple arrangements of roses creating an aisle along the pathway.

I found our closest friends and family sitting on the benches. The twins were bickering while Jasmine tried to mediate, Erik on his iPad as he talked with Marco, and Damon and Xavier's family socializing. Even Agent Adlai was in the back observing the wedding. I smiled as Damon's mom waved at me. I searched for Damon, but I couldn't spot him.

"I know. I never doubted that Damon would pull this off," Maria squeezed my shoulder. "But we should back up. I don't want the groom to see his bride yet. I'm ready to see his jaw drop once he sees you."

"Asshole has been holding out on us for his designing skills. We should force him to organize all our events." Xavier snickered.

"Da!" I heard a shout and my heart melted at little Reagan with a pink dress. Her hair was put in an updo with a flower crown. She was crawling on the grass, being watched by her grandfather as she made her way to her parents.

"My beautiful flower girl," Xavier cooed, scooping up his daughter. He waved his dad off before fussing with Reagan's dress. "I'm glad the dress fits you. Damon would have been upset."

"Sure, Damon would have been the one to throw a fit." Maria muttered sarcastically, but I saw her little smile.

Music started playing, making my heart start to race in anticipation.

"It's your time to shine, Princess," Xavier sang, reaching to grab a basket of flower petals on a small table. "Remember what we practiced."

"Yay!" Reagan screamed as she grabbed a fistful of petals and rubbed it on Xavier's face.

"See you out there, Ro-Ro." Xavier said, Reagan babbling away as they walked out the door.

"I'm about to go next. When the music changes, that will be your signal to go." Maria instructed, grabbing two bouquets of flowers. She handed the larger one to me, covered in a variety of roses and other flowers.

I sighed, admiring the arrangement. I felt like I was in a dream and I never wanted to wake up.

"Thank you. For everything."

Maria smiled and gave me a quick hug. "I should be thanking you. You have changed Damon for the better. It will be a privilege to have you join the family–legally at least. You're stuck with us for life."

I gripped my bouquet for dear life as Maria walked through the door. I didn't dare try to play with my hair, not wanting to ruin my hairstyle. I suddenly felt uneasy, gulping at walking down the aisle by myself–

A warm hand on my shoulder startled me, causing me to twist to see the newcomer.

"John? Thank goodness, you're here! I would've been sad if you missed this– although I didn't know this was happening until ten minutes ago." I rambled with a smile.

"I wouldn't miss this in the world." John said, looking nervous in his own black tux, shoving his hands in his pockets. He looked trimmed up, different from his usual ruffled appearance.

"John, are you okay?" I questioned, tilting my head.

John took a deep breath, straightening his shoulders.

"Rosaline, would you do me the honor of letting me walk you down the aisle?"

I couldn't speak, I was too choked up. John had become a father-figure to me in the past year, teaching me self-defense and giving me a comforting shoulder if Damon had to leave for a mission. We had a strong bond and connected on familial loss and love. I felt it was more of an honor for me that John would do this for me. I threw my arms around him in a tight embrace that he quickly returned.

"Is that a yes?"

A sound that I couldn't tell was a laugh or sob escaped me. "Yes. I'd love for you to walk me, John."

I felt something wet hit my shoulder, making me feel more emotional.

"I never thought I would have the privilege when my kids passed, but now I get the chance with you." John whispered in my ear. "And if Damon breaks your heart, I will kill him."

I lightly hit his shoulder. "You won't have to worry about that. Damon would never hurt me intentionally." I claimed confidently.

"Fine. Unintentionally or intentionally, I will kill him."

"This is what I get for hanging around with a bunch of criminals." I sassed with no heat.

"But what a wonderful life you created from doing so." John countered and offered his arm.

"I couldn't agree more," I acknowledged, taking his arm. "I'm shaking. Is it supposed to feel so nerve-wracking?"

"Weddings can be intimidating. At my wedding, I almost passed out from how nervous I was," John confessed. "But when my Brenda appeared and I looked into her eyes...all those jitters went away when I realized the love of my life wanted to spend the rest of her life with me."

The music changed to the bridal march, making me squeeze John's arm in anticipation.

"Are you ready, Rosaline?"

I took a deep breath.

"Yes."

With that simple word, John and I walked out the door. I almost stopped in my tracks when I saw Damon. He looked handsome in his black tux, a white rose on his chest and his hair gelled back. His green eyes ensnared mine, looking at me with an intensity that made me shudder in pleasure. The awe and love in his eyes made me want to move faster to face him.

I couldn't focus on anything else as I walked down the aisle, the love I felt for him about to burst in my chest. It felt like a lifetime before I was in front of him, John giving me away.

"I can't believe you did this." I breathed, Damon trailing my body with a heated gaze.

"Do you like it?" Damon asked. "I would've done it sooner, but I wanted to keep it a surprise."

"I think surprised is an understatement. But this is absolutely perfect. Thank you. I'm ready to spend eternity with you." I said honestly, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Some people in the crowd awed, causing me to blush as Xavier snickered.

"The kissing portion will be at the end of the ceremony, Ro-Ro. We have a few other things left to do."

I tried to stutter out a reply, but Damon came to my rescue.

"Don't be an ass on my wedding day," Damon scolded, taking my bouquet to give to Maria before grabbing both my hands. "I'd really like to not commit a murder on the best day of my life."

"We can commit murder!" the twins chorused, earning hushes from Jasmine.

"Maybe another time," Xavier dismissed, unconcerned by the twins' bloodlust. "Let's get this ceremony started."

It was a simple ceremony, but my cheeks hurt from how much I was smiling. Xavier asked me to repeat after him for my vows, Damon doing the same. When Xavier asked for the rings, Erik quickly handed them over to Damon, giving me a smile before taking his seat.

My hand trembled slightly as I slid the ring on Damon's finger, my eyes getting teary-eyed when Damon slid the wedding ring with my engagement one. The tears finally slipped free when Xavier pronounced us as husband and wife.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Cohen. Damon, you may kiss the bride." Xavier said with a proud smile.

Mrs. Cohen. I'm Mrs. Rosaline Cohen.

Damon didn't hesitate when he leaned down to give me a kiss. The sound of applause barely registered in my brain as I embraced this moment. Over a year ago, I never imagined this, getting married to the love of my life as our friends and family watched.

Damon pulled back just slightly, giving me a small smile. "You realize that you're stuck with me. I'll never let you get away."

"That sounds like a plan. I love you."

"I love you." Damon repeated sweetly, giving me one more gentle kiss. "Now let's entertain these people for a few minutes before we run away."

"No way. At least a couple of hours," I countered, ignoring Damon's scowl at my refusal. "I want to show off this outfit."

"I would prefer a private show, Mrs. Cohen." Damon whispered seductively in my ear, causing me to flush.

Holy guacamole. He was trying to kill me. I cleared my throat as I pulled away, grabbing his hand.

"Well that's too bad. Now stop trying to get me aroused with your mother watching!" I hissed as I tugged him back down the aisle, everyone still clapping.

"Fine. Speaking of my mom, she made the food for our reception. And I made sure croissants were added to the dessert menu." Damon said with reluctance.

"And that's why you're my favorite person in the entire world. I think I'm going to like being married to my partner in crime." I beamed up at him.

"It's just the beginning, Flower."

I really loved the sound of that.