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~ Ten months later ~ Joey and Pacey stared at the people who surrounded them; close friends and family. Grams, with tears in her eyes, felt ever so old as she watched these �young people� marry and begin families of their own. Bodie had catered for the wedding and had produced a magnificent feast, truly undoing himself. Mike Potter, released form prison, had escorted his daughter down the aisle. Breaking tradition, Bessie had also stood by her sister�s side and accompanied Joey down the aisle. Sheriff Witter and his wife had stood and watched proudly as their youngest son began a new branch of the Witter family tree. Andie McPhee was one of the bridesmaids as was Gretchen Witter. Jen Lindley, gorgeous in her bridesmaid�s dress, cried as she watched her best friend get married. In the early hours of the morning Jen had hugged her friend tightly and sobbed. �I feel like I�m losing you!� �To Pacey?!? Don�t be ridiculous Jen.� �It�s weddings.� Jen explained in disgust, still tearful. �They make me all sentimental and girly! Arrghh!! You�ve joined the league of married women!! And we were meant to grow old together!! We were going to be bitter old spinsters!! How could you abandon the plan!!!� �You were the one who initiated everything!! If it weren�t for your meddling Pacey and I wouldn�t be here today!� Joey laughed. �I know! I know!! Oh you�re going to be such a beautiful bride. Already you have that glowy thing happening!! I�m so happy for you!� Jen sniffed. �I love you too chica. And I�m expecting you to catch the flowers.� Joey half-warned, half threatened. �You know I have wonderful aim!� �But first I have to find Mr Right.� Jen laughed. �Maybe you would be better off throwing the bouquet at Jack. I hear he and Robert are getting pretty serious.� �I was already informed by both Jack and Robert that if the bouquet flew even slightly in their direction they would never speak to me again. Besides I was hoping you and Doug would get together.� Joey giggled mischievously. �Doug?!? As in Doug Witter??? That is a terrible idea!� �Weren�t you the one who said you couldn�t resist a man in uniform?? And I distinctly remember you saying that you would �do� Doug anytime!� �He�s gay Joey!� �That�s Pacey�s propaganda and you know it. Besides if you married Doug we would become sisters.� �Oooh I like the idea of us being sisters. Of course you know I would never marry Doug. His blood is tainted.� �Tainted??� �Yeah. Any bloodline that is related to Pacey has to be tainted.� �Hey!! That�s my future husband you�re talking about!� �There�s no accounting for taste.� Jen mourned. Joey laughed as the two proceeded to engage in a pillow fight that woke the sleeping Andie. �Would the two of you go to sleep.� Andie grouched. �You both need as much beauty sleep as possible.� Joey and Jen looked each other before nodding. �Let�s get her.� Two feather pillows suddenly assaulted the half-sleeping Andie. All three were in hysterics. �Maybe we shouldn�t have done this.� Andie worried. �Why?� questioned both Joey and Jen. �Well Joey is going to be so tired tonight.� Andie explained. �I mean we wouldn�t want a phone call in the middle of the night from Pacey complaining that his wife fell asleep on him because she had too much fun with us.� �Poor Pacey.� Jen shook her head. �You just have to pity the poor guy.� Joey was on the floor helplessly laughing as Andie and Jen fell beside her. �You know Jen�you and Andie�neither of you would have to marry Doug�� �Doug??� Andie asked curiously. Jen and Joey laughed. �Long story Andie.� Joey said. �But what I�m trying to say is neither of you would have to marry Doug to become my sister. I already think of both of you as sisters.� Jen started weeping again. �Andie, it�s your duty to make sure that I don�t cry tomorrow.� �Today.� Andie corrected. Jen started crying harder and soon all three girl were crying and laughing. Doug Witter, as Pacey�s brother and also as a friend, was a groomsman. Jack McPhee and Dawson Leery were also groomsmen but both served the duel purpose of being the best men as well. Initially it had started an argument between Jack and Dawson as to whom should be best man and Pacey was too torn to choose. �Look Jack, you�ve been Pacey�s best friend for the past years or so. A much better friend than I have been. Seriously, you should be best man.� Dawson stated. �No way man. You and Pacey have been best friends forever. The bond the two of you shared all through childhood and even now�you can�t just replace it. You deserve to be Pacey�s best man.� Jack rebutted. �No you.� �No you.� Jack parroted �You.� Dawson stated firmly. �You.� �Uh guys!� Pacey interjected. �This is getting ridiculous. I�m the one who is getting married so I should be the one who chooses the best man.� �So who is it going to be?� Both Dawson and Jack asked as they both stared at Pacey. �Uh�uh�� Pacey blustered unable to choose. �Both of you! Dawson, Jack you�re both going to be my best man.� �You can�t do that!� Dawson and Jack protested. Pacey growled, �It�s my wedding and I can do whatever I want. So live with it.� There were other familiar faces from the past who attended the wedding as well such as AJ Moller, Anderson Crawford and Will Krudski. And of course Mr and Mrs Leery both attended the wedding and watched as Pacey and Joey said �I do�. There had of course been the pre-wedding jitters; no wedding would seem complete without it. Yet it was with certainty and absolute conviction that Pacey and Joey pledge their love for one another and vowed to spend the rest of their lives together. Neither of them expected the easy happily ever after that got tagged onto the end of a fairytale for neither of them had lived a fairytale. Yet standing in front of all their friends and family, as they waved goodbye and set off to begin the honeymoon and the rest of their lives, it was as close to a fairytale as either of them could wish for. Ties of friendship and love and the smiling faces and well wishes gave hope and the sky was so incredibly clear for Pacey and Joey. They could see far out to the horizon and they were seeing the same view, together. Pacey hugged Joey tightly as the engine started and the rattle and clatter of tin cans could be heard from behind. Confetti was thrown and Alex ran besides the car screaming: �I knew it would happen!! I knew it!! I knew it!! Uncle Pacey and Aunty Joey just got married!!� From the side window Pacey and Joey waved goodbye as the car headed in the direction of the airport. They turned behind to look, one final glance, and through the whipped shaving cream of �Just Got Married� scrawled on the window they saw friends and family who now stood less than a mile away but never really that far apart. |
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