| Christmas morning was manic in the Leery household. Gail had decided that everyone should spend Christmas with her. So they had 3 children and 8 adults crammed into their family room. Presents had been hastily exchanged and ripped open by the children. Joey and Dawson received more baby items then they could have possibly needed and Amy got given her first tricycle from her Dads, which she proudly rode around the ground floor all day. Joey ended up going straight to bed before dinner that day, the exhaustion sweeping over her like a dark veil. Dawson, however, could not sleep. His mother had set him to work setting the table and making sure that all her house guests were happy. He was serving drinks and keeping Amy entertained while Doug and Jack went home to call some of their families. When they had got home they had a garbled voice message from Andie saying she was on the way to see them with a surprise. �Now what on earth could that mean? I think she has surprised us enough recently,� Jack muttered. Andie had gone on holiday to Australia with Pacey and had promptly quit her job to spend more time over there. Jack knew his sister could be erratic sometimes, but he also knew how much she loved her job. �Pacey�s phone is switched off, I�ll try again later,� Doug�s voice broke through Jack thoughts. Pacey was supposed to still be in Australia, having said he wasn�t coming home for the holidays. Doug shrugged it off and collected the deserts he had prepared for Gail. Because they couldn�t get contact her, they left a little note of their door informing her about the meal at the Leery�s and raced back to the house in time for dinner. When they got back Joey had woken up and looked stunning. She was wearing a black velvet ankle length dress and her hair had been left to curl down her shoulders. Her massive bump still looked slightly comical but she was glowing. �My my Miss Potter, for one with child you are almost delectable!� Jack said, looking up her up and down. �Why thank you Mr MacPhee. One does try.� She smiled her best smile and tottered off into the kitchen to help Gail. �I don�t know how she does it! Walked around with that much strapped to her stomach. Her back ache must be chronic.� Jack pondered, wondering over to Dawson who had finally had a chance to sit down. �That�s the least of it. Her feet are the size of watermelons and she had terrible heartburn almost constantly! I�m glad when this is over and we can all start being a family.� Dawson took a long gulp of his eggnog. �You wait D, you�ll be looking back nostalgically at these days when the baby is screaming at four in the morning,� Jack patted him on the shoulder. �I know. Can�t wait,� Dawson smiled and looked over at his Mom who had just brought in the turkey. �Okay everyone, dinner is served. Dawson, can you help Joey with some napkins?� Gail asked, lowering the turkey onto the table. �Sure,� Dawson rose to his feet and made his way to the kitchen as everyone else took their seat. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. �I�ll get it, it�s probably Andie,� Jack said racing to the door. On the other side stood Andie, wrapped up in winter clothing but with a glorious tan. �Hey Jackers!� She cried as she threw her arms around him. �How are you? How was your trip! Are you okay?� Jack fired a hundred questions at her as he pulled her into the room. Everyone waived and smiled at her, eager to get dinner started. �Umm actually I am amazing. Better than fine.� Andie stuttered, knowing that if she didn�t tell them all now she never would. �So, what�s this big surprise little sis?� Doug walked over and hugged Andie tightly. �Well.....You see being in Australia made a few things very clear to me about life and how I was missing out on it. Jack and Doug have Amy and Dawson and Joey are having a baby and everyone else has their own little family and well...I realised I was missing out on the love of my life and I wasn�t going to let it slip by, so to cut an incredibly long and winding story short...........I got married.� The words hung in the air and Joey rushed into the room from the kitchen. �You did what? Joey voiced filled the room and Andie instantly looked panicked. She didn�t realise that Joey and Dawson were here. Last time she spoke to Joey she had said she was too huge to make it home. �Joey! I didn�t realise you were home. Man, you got big!� Andie said. �Yeah and you got married! To who?� Joey walked towards Andie slowly and upon reaching, she hugged her close. Andie gulped and the colour drained from her face. �Come on in honey,� she called to her new husband standing in the porch. �Hi guys.� Pacey smiling face fell when he walked in and the first face he saw was Joey�s. He was lost for all words, as was everyone else in the room. He cleared his throat. �Merry Christmas?� |
| Let it snow...part three. |