Hello there! Thank you so very much for taking time out of what I'm sure is a very busy schedule to swing by and read my story. I appreciate it more than you will ever know. Feel free to drop me a review or message me and tell me what you think.
This story is part of my ongoing series about Dean Winchester and Melinda Halliwell. This is a very special story to me, and fits in as part 4. My other stories, "A Meeting By Chance," "Second Chances," and "Taking Chances" come before this one (in that order), and this one picks up just a couple of days after "Taking Chances" leaves off. And, as always...
**Anything from Charmed or Supernatural does not belong to me.**
Chapter One
She was going to kill her.
There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Peyton Halliwell had enough. Now, don't get her wrong, she loved her cousin with everything that she had in her. Melinda was her best friend, after all, and had been for their entire lives. But if Melinda thought for one second that Peyton was going to set any part of her 5 foot 5-and-a-half-inch self into a cotton candy pink bridesmaid dress, she had another thing coming. A knock sounded at the door, and Peyton turned, wrapped in her short green bathrobe, meeting her middle sister's eyes. Paris cocked her head to the side.
"Why don't you have the dress on? Everyone's waiting for you to model it."
Peyton blinked her dark eyes at her sister. She pushed an unruly curl behind her ear and pointed back at the monstrosity hanging on the closet door.
"Is she smoking crack, Paris?"
Paris laughed.
"Now, Peyton…"
"No. Have you seen this dress? Paris, it is a … monstrosity!"
"It's cute!"
Peyton blinked twice, and Paris sighed.
"All right, it's hideous."
Peyton tossed up her hands, and Paris continued on.
"But … Melinda is the bride, and she gets what she wants. And she wants you to wear—"
"The Bubble Yum reject?"
Paris snorted, laying her hand over her mouth.
"Get it on, and come on. We're waiting."
Paris walked out of the room, and Peyton turned around, narrowing her eyes at the dress.
"If I could, I would so rid the world of evil like you. And now I'm talking to a dress. Jesus."
Peyton slipped her robe off her shoulders and stomped over to the dress. She slid it on, groaning at the itchy material and blowing her breath out. She got it zipped and turned to a mirror.
"Melinda Halliwell, we are going to fight."
Peyton looked at herself, the way the pale pink washed out her skin tone. The thing was like a prom dress on steroids. Ruffles and tulle everywhere, and let's not even get started on the sequins. Peyton shook her head, but made her way down the stairs. Paris' mouth fell open when she saw Peyton on the stairs, but she quickly regained her composure. She stepped forward, into the sunroom.
"Ladies and … well, ladies."
Melinda was sitting on the couch, with her mother, Piper, on one side of her and her cousin Phoenix, Peyton's oldest sister, on the other. Phoebe, Peyton's mother, was sitting next to Phoenix. Next to them, on another couch, sat Paige and her twin daughters, Anna and Jenny. Paris smiled at them.
"May I present our lovely maid of honor in dress number one."
Paris held out an arm, while the women in the room exchanged glances. Paris leaned backwards.
"Peyt, that's your cue!"
"I'm not coming out there!"
Peyton heard the groans and sighs, and when Melinda's voice floated up the stairs, she sighed.
"Peyton, if you don't come on, I will bring you down myself."
Peyton closed her eyes, then forced herself down the stairs. She walked into the sunroom, and heard the gasps, saw the looks of horror that crossed the faces of the women sitting in front of her. Peyton bit the inside of her lip as she watched her mother cover her mouth with her hand. Peyton nodded, before turning to Melinda, whose blue eyes were wide.
"Mel, you know I love you. And I would do anything for you. But I won't do this."
Melinda pressed her lips together and slowly nodded her head. Melinda spoke, a smile spreading across her face as she did.
"You look like you're representing the Lullaby League."
"Either that or, how are things down in Oz, Glinda?"
Melinda was laughing by the end of her sentence, laughing harder by the end of Anna's. Peyton let out a sigh as Paris turned her back to her, silently laughing. Piper was staring out the window, trying and failing to keep a smile off her face, and Phoebe was still covering her mouth, but this time to keep her giggles in.
"It's just … like a train wreck."
Paige finally gave in, barely able to finish her sentence from laughing out loud, and her daughters joined in, until everyone was crying from laughing so hard. Peyton finally gave in too, laughing until her sides hurt.
"Mel, tell me this was a joke."
"Uh no, this was Kate's pick."
Peyton shook her head, but smiled. Kate. Talk about a shock to the system. Peyton sighed.
"Can I take it off now? Please."
Melinda held up her phone, snapping a picture.
"Hell no. Delete that."
"I promised Kate I'd show her when you tried her dress on."
Peyton blew out her breath, but Melinda smiled.
"Now you can take it off."
Peyton turned on her heel, when Phoenix spoke up.
"Wait a second, I thought Emerald City was the other way."
The girls broke into another round of laughter, and Peyton turned back to look at her sister.
"Funny. Thanks."
She turned to go again, and almost ran into Dean, who was walking in, wiping his hands on a red rag. He stopped short, backing up just a bit, causing Melinda to laugh even harder.
"Peyton, you look …"
"Shove it up your ass, Winchester."
She stomped past him as Melinda doubled over on the couch, her head on her knees, tears rolling down her face. Dean stepped into the room, unable to keep the smile from his face. In that moment, Melinda was so very happy, and since they shared an incredible bond, Dean couldn't help but feel the same way. When she had gotten some composure, she stood up, pushing her honey-blonde hair behind her ears, smiling at him as he made his way to her. He bent his head, catching the kiss she was leaning to give him. The required whistles and catcalls sounded through the room, but neither of them cared. They pulled back, and Dean smiled.
"That dress was… Jesus."
The girls laughed, nodding their heads in agreement. Melinda shrugged her shoulders.
"Kate picked it out, and I just couldn't say no."
"Obviously, that's a problem. I mean, look who she's marrying. Just couldn't say no."
Dean narrowed his eyes at Phoenix, who just laughed. They'd hit it off once Dean and Melinda and Peyton had arrived back at the Manor, acting very much like brother and sister. Phoenix had moved back in the big house, along with her parents. They'd had a scare a while back with Phoenix, where they thought that the cancer she'd had as a child had come back. Thankfully, it was just a false alarm, and she was almost back to normal.
"Pay attention, Winchester."
Dean looked over to Phoenix, who shook her head. Melinda tapped Dean's shoulder, and he turned to look at her.
"Have you done it yet?"
Dean tilted his head slowly, and Melinda sighed.
"One job, Dean. I'm giving you one job. Don't screw this up."
"Mel, I told you—"
"I know what you told me. But this is our wedding, cowboy, not just mine. I want you to have some part in it."
"I'll be the one in the front, telling you 'I do.' That's a big enough part."
Melinda sighed, and Dean did the same thing. He finally looked down.
"I'll do it."
"Yeah, you better."
He snagged the back of her neck, pulling her to him. She smiled as he bent to press his lips on hers.
"I love you."
"Love you."
Dean tossed the rag over his shoulder and walked out of the room, back to the garage. Paris came up, tossing an arm around Melinda's shoulders.
"You know he'll never do it, right?"
"Have a little faith, Paris."
"Okay, say he gets it done. It won't be what you want."
"Come on, Paris. Do you think I'm stupid? I've already got my plan in motion."
Paris leaned back, smiling at Melinda.
"You know he's not going to do it, so you've already got it done, don't you?"
Melinda grinned.
"Maybe. Maybe not."
Paris smiled, hearing footsteps on the stairs.
"Come on. I think our model's ready for round 2."
