-1Disclaimer I do not own Saved By The Bell or any of the original characters or storylines from the show referred to. They belong to Peter Engel/NBC productions. Neither am I anything to do with these companies. This is just a fan story by a fan for other fans.
Chapter Eleven.
Jessie And Slater's wedding plans
Back at home Slater and Jessie were too excited to even contemplate sleep, besides they had so much to do and they still had the next day off before being due back in work. The catering was easy, they decided to use the in house caterers at the venue. They ordered their cake through them too. Then they spent half hour arguing over the music at the reception. Jessica wanted classical with a string quartet, Slater wanted all rock and pop. In the end they compromised and agreed on classical music to be played during the wedding breakfast and their first dance, with a disco with music for all tastes and ages afterwards.
They had been told they could only have twenty-five people including themselves in their private pod on the wheel, but that wasn't difficult. They wanted to keep the actual ceremony to just close friends and family and have a larger reception, at which all their London friends would be invited too. They still kept in touch with a lot of people in London, especially Jessie who had lived there for several years.
'Oh no Slater, I forgot to ask JB to be a bridesmaid.'
'My sister, the army girl, in a dress? And by the way, she prefers to just be called Janine now.'
'All because she is in the army, it doesn't mean she don't like to take time out to look nice.'
'I haven't seen Janine in a dress since she graduated high school and went straight in to West Point.'
It had always been Slater's Father's dream for Slater to go in to the army, but Slater had known from a young age that wasn't what he wanted to do. It was Janine that had always been fascinated by the army and her Father's career.'
'Slater, I would feel guilty if I didn't ask her.'
'Well I have a better idea. Why don't we ask her to be a witness?'
'If you think she would like that better. Do you think she will be able to get leave at such short notice?'
'I'll have to find out, it shouldn't be too much of a problem, she only got back from Iraq last month.'
Slater had felt relieved when Janine had called to say she had arrived home safely from her six months in Iraq. She was based in Texas at the moment, but Slater was expecting her to have another move soon.
The ever environmentally friendly Jessie insisted they email out all their wedding invites, but they called all their close friends and family with all the details too. Jessie's Mother had said she wouldn't miss her only daughters wedding for the world. Jessie's Stepfather was too ill to travel, but Jessie's Stepbrother would come and stay with him from New York while her Mother was away for the wedding. Jessie's Father and Stepmother said the hotel could manage without them for a few days. They invited Zack and Kelly's parents too, seeing as Jessie had known them most of her life. They had booked their tickets as soon as Jessie had hung up the phone to them.
'I think we should invite Mr Belding and his family, if it wasn't for his school, we might never have met.'
'And he was thrilled to be asked to Zack and Kelly's wedding remember. He was the best principal wasn't he? We he was the only Principal I ever really got to know with all the travelling round the world we did before I started at Bayside.'
'And I am so glad you stayed at Bayside and didn't move for the next four years.'
'Me too. I'm just going to try Janine again and ask her to be our witness.'
Jessie was busy writing more online wedding reception invitations when Slater came back from talking to Janine.
'She said she has some leave coming up and she will be delighted to be our witness. She also said she was glad you hadn't asked her to be a bridesmaid and to wear a dress.'
'That's okay then, I don't feel guilty now. Now we just have to decide on the other witness.'
'Here's an idea. Given that we were just talking about meeting in his school, how about asking Mr Belding?'
'What a great idea. Lets call him now. You got his number?'
'No, but Screech will have.'
It didn't take long for them to get hold of Screech and get Mr Belding's number and he told them he would be more than honoured to be a witness at their wedding.
'I can't believe this wedding is finally happening Jessie. You know I knew I wanted to marry you twenty years ago.'
'I always thought that was just my silly teenage fantasies when I imagined being with you forever. I never believed it would be a reality. I'm glad we went off to separate colleges and did our own thing for a good few years after though.'
'Yes and you never did tell me what the guys were like you dated in college and after.'
'Okay, at Colombia I dated one jock and he wasn't a patch on you. I decided to get away from dating sporty guys, so then I started dating guys whose ideal date was the library. In the end I gave up dating for a while and just got on with my work. Anyway, what about the girls you dated in college? Obviously I know about Alex, I met her at Zack and Kelly's wedding.'
'We had not long broke up then. I don't think she was too impressed with me bringing that Carla along either. Most of the girls I dated after were just bimbos that I didn't really care about. I'm not proud of myself. I didn't treat some of them very nice. I think I only dated them for the sake of it. I think its because I knew deep down there was only ever going to be one right woman for me. Jessie Spano, you spoilt me, no one ever compared to you.'
Over at Screech and Melinda's place, Screech had finally plucked up the courage to ask Melinda to marry him. And she had yes straight away.
'Sam , I'm so happy.'
Screech still couldn't believe it. He had built himself up convinced she would say no. That was what happened when you had constantly been rejected by girls back in your teens, it always came back to haunt you.
'Would you like to go shopping for a ring after school tomorrow? I never see you wear much jewellery so I didn't know what style you would like.'
'That's okay. We can pick it together and this is the twenty-first century, I would like to buy you a ring too.'
'I so have to call the gang.'
'I'd leave it until tomorrow Sam, have you seen the time?'
'I didn't realise it was almost midnight, I'll never get up for school in the morning', he joked as they turned the lights off and went to bed.
In the morning on the drive to their respective schools they discussed their wedding.
'Where do you think you would like to get married?', Screech wanted to know.
'It may be boring, but I was thinking of a wedding right here in Pallisades.'
'I was hoping you would say that, the question is when?'
'If we can manage it , I would love to get married near Christmas, this coming Christmas.'
'That's only six months away.'
'I'm sure we can manage it. A friend of mine is a wedding planner and I am sure she could help us. I have always wanted to get married in church though.'
'Me too', Screech agreed, though secretly he wouldn't care where they took their vows, he was so in love with Melinda.
Screech broke the news to Zack as soon as Zack walked in to the office.
'Congratulations buddy, just take a tip from me, don't have any kids.'
Screech knew Zack was joking, Zack doted on his kids, even though they drove him nuts at times.
'What have Sophie and Ben done now?'
'Sophie is growing up too fast and Ben made us sit through Waltz Of The Flowers on his violin at breakfast this morning. He wouldn't sit down and eat his breakfast until he had finished the whole piece. Don't get me wrong, he is an excellent violin player, but I don't really want that in my ear at half past six in the morning. No wonder Kelly left early for the surgery.'
'Why didn't you just tell him to stop?'
'I couldn't. I would have felt too guilty for not encouraging his talent.'
'I hope I'm as a good a Father as you are when the time comes.'
'You are already a sort of surrogate Father to four hundred high school kids.'
'What has Sophie been up to anyway?'
'A boy in her Chemistry class here asked her to go to the freshman dance here. I told her she was too young to be dating and that technically she wasn't a high school kid yet, Actually I think I overreacted , its just Ben had really got to me with his violin playing. I'll catch her later and talk to her. She is over here all this afternoon anyway.'
NB, just a short chapter this one, as the next one I think is going to be rather long, I think.
