It was a beautiful, crisp, early November afternoon. As Sam watched the landscape through the window, she couldn't help but smile. The height of the fall foliage had been nearly a month earlier, but some trees still displayed their colors, and fallen leaves were scattered across the ground. Everything looked like it had come out of a postcard – and this was where she was going to get married.

"Mommy?" a voice asked, and she turned to see Abbie and Jake standing behind her. "How do I look?" Jake was already dressed for his role as ring bearer in a black suit with a white shirt and silver tie. His hair had grown back after the surgery, but they'd been keeping it in a crew cut style instead of letting it get longer. He looked like a miniature of Jack.

"You look great, little man. Who tied your tie?"

"Uncle Daniel."

"Mmm, and it shows. Come here." She adjusted the knot and smoothed the fabric. "Next time, ask Daddy. Uncle Daniel didn't have to wear a uniform."

Jake shrugged. "Okay. When do I get the rings?"

"Right before we go in. You remember how Daddy and I told you that you've gotta be really careful with them?"

"I won't drop them," Jake promised. "I don't have a cast anymore." His fractured wrist had finally been declared healed ten days earlier. The little boy had been quite a klutz during the eight weeks that his arm was immobilized.

"Just in case, we're still waiting," Sam told him.

There was a knock on the door and Janet came inside. "Time to finish getting ready," she told Sam. "We're going to have a whole bunch of really impatient people out there pretty soon."

The bride smiled. "Let's get on with the 'happily ever after'."

Cassie came in to get Abbie dressed and keep Jake occupied. Jack and Sam had really wanted to have both kids in the ceremony, but had been afraid that Abbie was too young. They'd finally decided that as long as her brother was escorting her, she wouldn't be too scared to walk down the aisle as the flower girl. Her white dress had a blue ribbon that matched her eyes tied around the waist. She loved spinning around in circles and watching the skirt flare.

"Hold still," Janet told Sam, poking her in the shoulder to get her to sit up straight. The doctor was trying to finish styling her friend's hair, but Sam kept moving around as she tried to watch the children behind her in the mirror.

"Sorry. Cassie, don't let her get too dizzy, please."

"I won't," she assured her as she made Abbie stop spinning.

"I suppose I should be glad you've been letting your hair grow out," Janet commented. Sam had stopped cutting her hair during the summer and her blonde locks now reached almost to her shoulders. "This would be far harder if your hair was shorter."

Sam laughed. "I'm just trying to help you out."

"Well, thank you."

Once hair and makeup were done, she could finish getting dressed. Her flowing, strapless white gown was perfectly accented with a sheer veil and delicate tiara. She and Janet both took a minute to admire their handiwork in the mirror.

"You look like a princess," Jake spoke up.

Sam smiled. "Thank you, buddy. Hopefully Daddy says the same thing."

"He's gonna be speechless," Janet assured her. Cassie nodded.

"Really, Sam. You look so beautiful."

They all turned at the sound of a knock on the door. "Is it safe to come in?" Daniel asked from the hallway.

"Yes," Sam replied. He opened the door just enough to stick his head in. She laughed when she saw that he had his eyes closed tightly. "Daniel!"

"I'm not a spy, I've just been sent to find out if you're almost ready."

"We are."

"Good. I'll see you inside then."

The wedding was taking place in one of the ballrooms at the mountain resort. Neither Jack nor Sam was particularly religious, so they hadn't felt compelled to have their wedding in a church. If the weather had been a bit warmer, they would have had the ceremony outside on the terrace overlooking a lake, but a cold front had come through three days earlier, so staying inside seemed like a better idea.

"Everybody ready?" Janet asked as the wedding party assembled in the hallway. She, Cassie, and Vala were bridesmaids.

"Let's do this already," Jake insisted, and Sam couldn't help but share his sentiment. The music started to play, and Jake and Abbie disappeared through the door. They could hear a few people go, "Aww," at the adorable pair of siblings.

Sam watched as Cassie went into the ballroom, then Vala. Janet gave her friend a smile before following behind them. The song changed over from Pachabel's Canon to the traditional bridal march.

"I think that's your cue," Landry said as he stood beside her, offering his arm. Sam nodded.

"Thank you for doing this, Sir."

"I think that's my line. Thank you for asking."

As her hand came to rest on his elbow, she couldn't help but think of who should have been in his place. She wasn't sure if her father would have approved of her relationship with Jack initially, but she liked to think that he would have been proud to be there on this day. She had originally planned on asking George Hammond to take Jacob Carter's place, but the retired General had died of a heart attack in September. Another reminder of why they were doing this – life was short and they needed to take advantage of every moment.

"Shall we?" Landry asked. Sam's smile returned as she nodded and they stepped into the ballroom.

Jack didn't want to admit that he was nervous as he stood at the front of the room, waiting. Daniel could sense it, and had tried to make small talk. It hadn't helped. He'd never thought that he would get the opportunity to do this again. It was both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.

Once the music started, he tried to relax. Jake and Abbie looked great and their fears about the toddler's shyness had luckily been unfounded. With her brother at her side, she had no problem being in front of everyone and dropping flower petals from her basket. After Cassie came down the aisle, she pulled the children over to sit with her in the front row.

He was so busy watching what was happening with them that he didn't see Vala or Janet make their entrance and didn't notice when the music changed. By the time he looked up, Sam had already walked through the doorway and Jack absolutely froze when he saw her.

Damn, she's beautiful…

He knew that she'd noticed his reaction from the mischievous little smile on her face as she stood beside him. "I take it you like the dress?" she whispered.

Jack just shot her a Look. Had that been in doubt? Did she look in a mirror before she came out here?

"We are gathered here," the minister began, "In the presence of these witnesses, to join Jonathan and Samantha in matrimony. Marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, discreetly, advisedly and solemnly. Into this holy estate these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace." No one said a word.

"Marriage is perhaps the greatest and most challenging adventure of human relationships," he continued. "No ceremony can create your marriage; only you can do that – through love and patience; through dedication and perseverance; through tenderness and laughter; through learning to forgive, learning to appreciate your differences, and learning to make the important things matter and let go of the rest. What this ceremony can do is to witness and affirm the choice you make to stand together."

Jake got back up and Cassie handed him the small pillow with the rings. He had a mile-wide grin as he came up and gave his treasure to the minister. "Thank you," he told the little boy. "We now bless these rings, symbols that remind us of the Sun, the Earth, and the universe. Symbols of perfection and peace that have no beginning and no end."

Jack took Sam's ring. "I take you to be my wife, my partner in life, my constant friend, and my one true love. I promise to love you without reservation, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in want, to stand together in times of joy and sorrow, for as both shall live." He slipped the metal band onto her finger. "With this ring, I thee wed." Sam took his ring and repeated the process. They then turned to get Jake and Abbie and have them join them at the end of the aisle.

In addition to their roles in the wedding party, they had wanted the kids to be involved in the commitments being made that day. Sure, they had been adopted months earlier but now... now they were really a family.

A little table at the side had four glass containers of sand and a fifth, larger, empty vase. "These separate vessels of sand represent all that you are and ever will be as individuals," the minister explained. "As you each pour your sand together into the fifth vessel, understand that your separate lives no longer exist. Now you are joined together as one."

Jack picked up the vial of blue sand; Sam took the red. Jake's was green and Abbie's was purple. They took turns adding to the empty vase, layering the different colors into a beautiful mix. Jake and especially Abbie needed a little assistance with theirs, but that just seemed to add to the symbolism. They were really a family now, and their new parents would always be there to help them.

"Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual containers, so will your marriage and your family be." Sam and Jack returned to their original positions at the end of the aisle, but kept Jake and Abbie with them.

"Samantha and Jonathan, in so much as the two of you have agreed to live together in matrimony, have promised your love for each other by these vows and the giving of these rings, I now declare you to be husband and wife." The minister smiled at Jack. "Well, go on!" Everyone cheered and applauded as they kissed.

"Hey, look!" Jake suddenly exclaimed, pointing out the window. They turned to see what had gotten his attention, and found that it had started snowing gently. It was still too warm for the flakes to stick, but with the mountains and trees, it was a gorgeous sight. An early winter surprise.

"Is this your magic trick?" Jack whispered to Sam. Only a couple days earlier, she'd been talking about how she couldn't wait to do winter activities with the kids for the first time.

She smiled. "It would be a good one, wouldn't it?"

"Sure would."

Someone opened the doors out to the terrace, and everyone made their way over to look. It was probably a sign that they were in for a very rough season, but at that moment nobody cared. It was beautiful – it was magical.

"So this is the start of the rest of our lives," Sam quietly told Jack as they watched Jake and Abbie try to catch snowflakes on their tongues.

He smiled. "I think most everyone here would agree – it's about time."

FIN.

A/N: All things must come to an end. A million thanks to everyone who's been following along and especially to those who gave feedback. I really enjoyed writing this story and I hope you enjoyed reading it.