* * * * *
Joey groaned when the telephone rang. She reached across Pacey and grabbed the receiver. "Yeah," she said unhappily.
"Dawson doesn't love me."
"Huh?" she asked tiredly.
"Dawson doesn't love me."
"Andie?" Joey finally asked. "What do you mean?"
"Dawson came here last night after his party--"
"It was just a bachelor party, Andie. If there were strippers, it doesn't mean that he loves you any less," Joey argued.
"No," Andie corrected. "All he talked about was you and Pacey. He's still in love with you, Joey."
"That's impossible, Andie. Let's face it. We both know Dawson. The fact that he's so upset about me and Pacey has nothing to do with the fact that he doesn't love you, it has to do with the fact that his big ego doesn't think it's normal for him to be left out of anything," Joey rattled off. She smiled at Pacey as he slowly opened his eyes and gazed up at her.
"I'm not marrying him, Joey. He's acting like a complete asshole."
"Can't say that I argue with that, Andie, but you know you love him," Joey replied. "Don't throw that away because he's being stupid, because the fact of the matter is that most of the time he's a great guy."
"Why is he acting like this?"
"Because he's hurt."
"I don't want to marry him if this is how he acts every time he's hurt. We're twenty-six years old, and he's dealing with this like he's five. I can't take that."
"What's wrong?" Pacey mouthed to Joey. She held up a finger to him in response.
"Andie," Joey began, "if you erased the past two days from your memory, would you still want to be with Dawson?"
"I can't erase the past two days," Andie sighed. "Talk to him, okay? Just tell him I don't want to go through with it. Make up any excuse that'll spare his feelings." With that, Andie hung up.
"Andie? Andie!" Joey said into the phone as a last hope. She looked at Pacey. "Now Andie's called off the wedding."
"Well that's great," Pacey said, covering his eyes. "What are we going to do?"
"We have to talk to them," Joey said, crawling out of the bed. "You go to Dawson--"
"I don't think so," Pacey interrupted. "I'll take Andie, you take Dawson. And I don't think you should be talking to Dawson all alone. Take Jen, she seems to be the voice of reason."
"Fine," Joey said, scrambling around the room for some clothes. "You take Jack with you. I'm sure that she'll listen to family over the ex-boyfriend who screwed everything up."
"Okay," he said, sliding into his pants that had been on the floor, despite the fact that they were wrinkled. "We can fix this, right?"
Joey nodded. "Just get Andie to that church by any means necessary."
* * * * *
Andie laughed lazily. "Joey sent you two here?" she asked. "I mean, you don't exactly seem like the most logical choices. My gay brother and the guy that started this whole mess."
Pacey winced. "I'm sorry about this, Andie."
"I don't know if you should be sorry," Andie replied. "I guess it's better to know how Dawson feels now."
Pacey laughed. "Have you ever met Dawson?" he asked sarcastically. "He has fits like this all the time!"
"Well, this one is at the wrong time," Andie said.
"It's my fault, Andie," Pacey stated. "I mean, Dawson was never supposed to find out about me and Joey. It was even my idea to keep it from him because I knew that his reaction would be like this. But you can't not marry him, Andie. You've loved him all this time, and this one reaction doesn't change that."
Andie laughed sadly. "It doesn't make me love him any more either. As a matter of fact, Pacey, it makes me quite skeptical that I'd be able to actually spend the rest of my life with him."
"You remember what I said when you told me you were marrying Dawson?" Jack interrupted.
She smiled softly. "That the two most quirky people in the world had found each other."
Jack shrugged. "It's just another quirk. And you're using it as an excuse to mask your fright."
"And if I am?" Andie asked.
"If you are, I'm locking your ass in the trunk of my rental car and driving you to the church," Jack replied matter-of-factly.
Andie rolled her eyes. "My brother the former psych major," she said to Pacey. "Always thinks he knows what the hell he's talking about."
Pacey laughed. "I found he's been right a lot."
Jack stood and took Andie's hand. "It's not because I was a psych major," he said, "it's because I'm your brother."
"You're a pretty good brother," Andie said.
"So, let's get that white dress and head to the church," Jack suggested.
"Can we make him suffer for a little bit first?" Andie asked.
Pacey laughed. "That's the least he deserves."
* * * * *
"I've screwed pretty badly, haven't I?"
Joey smiled. "She loves you. But you've got to apologize to her."
"You hurt me, Joey," he said softly.
She took his hand in hers and smiled softly at him. "Pacey and I never wanted to hurt you, Dawson. Our whole lives we've been falling in love at the wrong times, and we didn't want to make you uneasy because of it. I know it scares you. And I know it hurts that I've kept a part of my life from you. But I promise . . . I won't do that again."
"And she means it, Dawson," Jen chimed in. "I'll kick her ass if she ruins your next wedding."
"Not funny, Jen," Dawson grumbled. "I want to marry her and that's all I want to do. But I'm not the one who called it off this time. She doesn't want to marry me."
"Well, Pacey and Jack are talking to Andie," Joey said.
Dawson groaned. "Somehow I'm not reassured."
"We'll go to the church and get you ready," Jen said. "I'm sure that they're already there with Andie. Let's just hope that Andie's not letting Pacey help with her make-up."
"Okay," Dawson agreed reluctantly. "Just promise me that you'll help me practice my apology in the cab?"
"Of course," Joey replied. She rested her hand on Dawson's shoulder when he tried to stand up. "Wait, I want to talk to you about something first."
"Okay. Shoot."
"Pacey and I . . . well, we're sort of together. And I think that we're going to give a relationship a go. I've learned from my mistake, and I want to tell you right away. Pacey and I haven't even discussed what's going to happen, but I wanted you to know."
"Okay," he whispered. "You'll both have my blessing someday."
Joey pulled Dawson up into her arms, encircling him for a hug. "Thank you," she said softly. "But you and Andie are in more need of a blessing. Let's go?"
"Let's go," Dawson repeated.
* * * * *
Pacey was perplexed as he looked at the veil in his hand. "How in the hell do I do this?" he asked, rubbing his chin with his free hand as he looked curiously at Andie's head.
Andie sighed. "This is why I have a maid of honor," she said. "Where could they be?"
Pacey shrugged. "I don't know. Jo didn't answer her cell, so maybe the battery died or something. They could be on their way. Besides, am I not a suitable replacement?"
"No, Pacey," Andie said pointedly. "You are not soothing my nerves."
"I take offense to that!" Pacey replied. "I'm as soothing as Joey would be."
"You may be a great novel writer, but you suck at being supportive. Keep writing and don't go to work for any crisis lines."
"You don't need the veil," Pacey said with a powerful nod, ignoring her comment. "Your hair is nice and it shouldn't be covered with this thing." Moving the veil about, he managed somehow to get himself tangled in the tulle.
Andie laughed. "I'm glad you're here, Pace. I mean, if all this bad stuff had to happen, at least I have you to share it with. Someday we'll be telling our kids about the mess that Uncle Pacey made of our wedding."
"Well, at least I've made my place in the McPhee-Leery family history," Pacey laughed.
Andie paused for a moment, watching Pacey with an intense scrutiny. "Are you in love with Joey?" Andie asked, softly looking in his eyes.
"Yeah," he replied. "I'm in love with Joey. She really makes me happy. And I want to make her happy."
"You've loved her for a long time, haven't you? You've just been scared?"
"Yeah, I've just been scared."
"But now . . . you . . . you're ready? I mean, you're not scared anymore?"
"I'm still scared," Pacey said. "But it's not going to intimidate me . . . it's not going to keep me from her, because it's already done that for long enough."
"So I'm doing the right thing by just sucking up all my fears and insecurities and marrying Dawson?" Andie asked. "It's what I should do, right?"
"It's what you should do," Pacey said. "You look way too beautiful not to get married today."
"Thanks, Pace," Andie smiled.
Jack anxiously swung the door open and poked his head in. "Dawson's here, and he wants to see you."
Andie frowned. "He can't see me. It's bad luck."
"Oh, come the hell on," Joey grumbled, pushing her way through the door. "Turn around," she told Andie, covering Dawson's eyes and leading him into the room. She turned him around and placed Dawson's back to Andie's. "Now talk so we can get you two married already," Joey sighed. She grabbed Pacey's hand, took him outside with her and shut the door.
Dawson reached behind him and took Andie's hand. "I wish I could see you," he said softly. "But I just want to apologize, Andie. I was a complete jerk. I never should've even felt like I felt about Joey and Pacey, and I never should've let it even have the opportunity to mess up what we share. Because that's what is most important to me."
Andie squeezed his hand. "I was scared, Dawson. But if you still want me, I want to get married. Because I love you."
"I love you, too," Dawson said. "I'm sorry it took a near disaster and lots of trouble for everyone to fix it. I'm so sorry I ruined you day, Andie."
"As long as I still get to marry you, I don't think the day's ruined," Andie said softly.
"So can we get on with it?" he asked anxiously.
"Yeah," Andie said. "Just make sure that Joey comes in to do my veil. Pacey was no help."
* * * * *
"So what do you think they're talking about in there?" Pacey asked Joey as he slumped against the wall, watching her on the other side of the hall.
"He's apologizing," Joey said. "What did you say to her that made her change her mind?"
"Nothing, really. Jack was the one who saved the day," Pacey said. "He figured out that she was just scared and using the thing with Dawson as an excuse. He's a smart guy. I couldn't even figure out the veil."
Joey smiled. "You know what I really regret?"
"What do you regret, Miss Potter?" he asked, closing the distance between them and resting his hands on her hips.
"I regret this whole thing completely ruining our morning after," she said softly, not wanting Jack and Jen to hear.
"Me too," he said huskily, taking a deep breath and inhaling her scent. "God, you smell good," he muttered, moving his hand up to touch her hair.
"You could've held me this morning," she said softly. "I could've felt the warmth of your chest as I rested my head there. And to see you in the light of the early morning. To smell you, to kiss you. It would've been so wonderful."
"We can pencil it in for tomorrow morning," he said, gently nuzzling his face in her neck. "Or right now," he murmured, trailing his lips along her neck.
Joey smiled. "As soon as Dawson comes out, I need to change and so do you."
"I know," he sighed. He rested his arm on the wall, and gently nibbled on her ear. "I'm just so . . . anxious now that you're around and we're for real."
"Like you said, Pacey, we've got plenty of time," Joey said, playing with the baby hairs at the nape of his neck. She pulled him closer for another kiss.
"Did you tell Dawson about us?" he asked, pulling away slightly.
"I did, and he's okay," Joey said, kissing him again.
"Wow . . . so this means that we . . . wow," he said, a soft smile on his face.
"I love it when you're at a loss for words," Joey smiled. Their conversation was cut short when Dawson emerged from the room, and Pacey took two large steps back. "How is everything?" she asked.
"It's good," Dawson said. "We all need to get ready." With that, the men fled to the opposite side of the church, as Joey and Jen disappeared into the room with Andie.
* * * * *
Joey looked at Andie as they stood in the church foyer and wondered just how she was managing to be so self-assured and confident. She stood straight with a huge smile planted on her face, and there was not one strand of evidence that she'd ever been scared.
Turning to look at Jen, who stood in front of her, Joey asked, "When are you getting married, Jen?"
Jen laughed. "Who knows? I somehow don't see myself with Henry for the rest of my life."
"Really?" Joey asked, surprised. "Why have you stuck with him all these years?"
"I love him," Jen said simply, "but I don't think we're ready for the institution of marriage. Besides, he's never asked."
"He's never asked you to marry him . . . in all these years?"
Jen shook her head. "I think we're both to scared of commitment."
"Well, if there's anything I learned this weekend, it's that the unexpected happens every day. I think that you might just be surprised. If I ended up with Pacey, anything's possible."
"If we're happy, that's all that matters, right?"
"Right," Joey said. "And I don't think you're ever going to find us all this happy again," she smiled. "Despite the various cancellations of the wedding, the arguments, and the black eyes."
"A strange bunch, aren't we?" Jen said.
"We're interesting alright," Joey said. She turned back to Andie. "You ready to get hitched?"
Andie wrapped her arm around her dad's and smiled back at Joey. "You bet I am."
"Then, Miss Lindley, give the signal," Joey said to Jen.
* * * * *
"Why are weddings over so fast, anyway?" Pacey asked curiously.
Joey looked up and smiled at him, contented just to be dancing with him. "I couldn't tell you," she replied.
"It's like there's all this anticipation, and before you know it it's just . . . over," he said, wrinkling his nose.
"Well, if you think about it, it's just the beginning, Pacey," she shrugged. "I mean, they're just starting a whole new chapter of their lives together. Everything is viewed from a completely different perspective now."
He smiled, moving closer to her. "Kind of like us?" he whispered.
"I don't know," she answered non-chalantly. "We haven't really had the discussion just yet."
"And what would the discussion be?"
"Just what exactly are your intentions, Pacey? Where is this relationship going?"
He laced his fingers in hers and brought them down to rest at their sides. "Where do you want it to go?" he asked, grinning devilishly at her.
"That's hardly fair," she scoffed. "I asked first."
"My intentions are the most honorable," he said seriously. "And . . . as far as where the relationship is going . . . well, I hope it's going there," he finished, pointing to the middle of the floor where Dawson and Andie stood closely as they danced together.
Joey laughed nervously. "I didn't think you'd say that."
"I'm not proposing now," he said, smiling playfully at her. "But I know that there's no one else I want to be with. And despite all my earlier doubts, I think that . . . we can make it."
She smiled at him. "You really think so?"
"You look skeptical."
"No," she replied. "I'm not skeptical. I just think this whole thing is so . . . unexpected. Especially since things with you and Mia are still . . . well, what are you going to do about Mia?"
"Mia and I broke up," Pacey said, amused by her insecurity. "We broke up yesterday morning at the airport."
"You didn't tell me," Joey said softly.
"Well, I really wasn't in the mood to talk yesterday."
"Yeah, but after what I said . . . I thought you would've had something to say."
"I had a lot to say," he said. "But I thought you were just over-reacting, and I didn't want to . . . I didn't want to get my hopes up."
"You don't believe me when I say it," she said. "What can I do?"
"Stay with me."
"That was my line," Joey said, smiling softly. "You're supposed to ask me about what we're going to do about the problems that result from living arrangements, and I'm supposed to say that I want you here with me. I say, 'stay with me, Pacey,' and you're supposed to smile and kiss me. And then the happy music plays."
"So, Jo . . . what are we going to do? You know, because I live in New York and you live here?" he asked, smiling gently at her.
"Stay with me, Pacey," she whispered.
He ran his thumb along her chin, before bringing it up to gently stroke her bottom lip. They stopped moving when he lowered his head to kiss her. She got lost in him. Finally, she felt like it was real. She felt assured it would last.
He pulled away and smiled at her. "I think the music director missed his cue."
"It doesn't matter," she replied. "Just as long as I get you, I can do without the music."
"You've got me. Hell, you've had me for a while," he said, his lips seeking hers again.
"Pacey," Joey said, pulling away slightly, pressing her index finger to his lips. "Listen."
He grinned. "That would be the happy music?"
"That would be the happy music," she replied.
He raised an eyebrow. "The happy ending?"
"No, the happy beginning," she said, standing on her toes and kissing him again.
* * * * *
The End