"And I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride," Reverend Olsen said, bringing the ceremony to an end.

Pacey leaned down and kissed his new wife. This was the moment he had dreamed about for a long time. The moment he thought would never come. He refrained from pinching himself to see if he was dreaming or not.

Finishing the kiss, the new couple turned and looked out over at all the guests gathered. She saw some tears glistening in Mrs. Witter's eyes but they were clearly tears of joy. Seeing how happy Pacey's Mom was, made her wish that her own mother was here. Glancing over to her side though, she saw that Bessie was beaming and she felt better. After all Bessie had been mother, sister, and friend to her in the years since their mother died even when Joey tried to push her away.

As she and Pacey started walking down the makeshift aisle, Joey felt a few raindrops fall on her arm. Glancing upward she saw that a few scattered rain clouds had drifted in. They didn't look like they were going to amount to much, for which she was glad. Instead she deciding to take the rain drops as a sign her Mom and Andie were watching from above.

The picture ceremony was a blur. The photographer kept telling them where to go. Joey lost count of the number of times she moved one way, just to move back the way she had come two seconds later. Still, she had hired the photographer to take the pictures and from the samples she had seen he knew what she was doing. She was relieved when all the pictures were over with though.

Before she knew it she was standing at the front door of the Ice House. The guests were already inside. Behind her were her friends and family. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach as they waited for the DJ to introduce them.

"Relax Jo," Pacey whispered beside her.

She glanced over to see him fiddling with his bo tie. 'At least I'm not the only one nervous,' Joey thought a smile coming to her face.

"And now ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce to you for the first time in public, Mr and Mrs Pacey Witter," the DJ was saying. As one she and Pacey stepped through the door and into the Ice House. They made their way to the head table even as the DJ kept introducing the bridal party.

Mrs. Pacey Witter.

Jo had to admit she liked the sound of that. Was elated, that after all these years she and Pacey had finally gotten it right and that even with the terrible events of the past couple of weeks they hadn't let it stop them this time. Neither had ran from the idea of them together. A couple, just like it was meant to be.

She saw Dawson as he approached the table with Jen and smiled at him. Yes, Dawson was her soul mate. That one person in life, who her path would ever be intertwined with. Who helped define who she was, had in fact shaped who she was. However, he wasn't the one she was destined to be with her whole life. That person was Pacey. Pacey was the one who made her whole. Who completed her.


With a glass of wine in one hand, Doug leaned up against the wall of the Ice House and watched the couples out on the dance floor. There was his brother and his new bride. Both of them were loss in one another's eyes as Rascal Flatt's, "God Bless The Broken Road" played. It was appropriate for the two of them. It hadn't been a smooth journey for either one of them to reach this point but by some miracle they had.

There was Jen, dancing close to Dawson, her head resting on his shoulder. Dawson's parents, Bessie and Bodie, his own parents. Even Gretchen had found a dance partner, convincing Jeffery Talons, one of the Ice House's bartenders, to leave the bar for a dance. Doug thought he saw a glimmer of romance there and wondered if anything would become of it. He sister deserved someone special in her life. Someone who would treat her decently, unlike the usual jerks she dated.

Across the room he saw Jack slip out one of the side doors onto the patio of the Ice House. Doug saw his chance to talk to him. He had finally came to a conclusion about what he had to do and the sooner he got it over with the better it would be for everyone involved.

Setting his glass on an empty table, Doug made his way across the Ice House and out the door Jack had gone through. The patio was empty except for one lone figure sitting on the railing staring out across the sand and into the horizon.

Slowly, Doug made his way over to him.

"Jack, we need to talk," Doug said leaning his arms on the railing next to Jack. He followed Jack's gaze unable to look at him.

"You're right we do," Jack said softly, acknowledging that he was willing to listen. Right now though, this was Doug's ball game. Jack had made his move with going to the hospital and Doug had pushed him away. He could tell Doug had come to a decision. Whether it was a decision that he would like or not, Jack couldn't tell.

"I've done a lot of thinking, and I've decided that right now I need some space. I need time to work through everything that's happened and I can't do that and worry about our relationship to."

"You blame me for this don't you," Jack said. Even he wasn't sure if that was a statement or a question. He looked over at Doug.

"I'm trying not to," Doug told him meeting Jack's gaze.

It wasn't exactly the answer he had wanted but it also wasn't the worse answer he could've gotten.

How could he blame Doug for being unsure about the answer to that question when he had doubts about it himself. After all he was the one who had insisted on them coming out in the open with their relationship. The one who had been so sure that everyone would be okay with it - maybe not be 100 happy about it but at least be tolerant of it.

Goes to show how much he knew about the people of this town. He should have listened to Doug. Doug had grown up here. Had been a police officer in Capeside since before Jack had moved here. He knew the people better. Knew better what to expect.

In that way, yes he was partly responsible for what happened. Still, Doug had been the one to shut him out. To not let him know what was going on. They should have been dealing with the threats together. That's what a couple would have done.

"Look Jack, I've known all my life that there are people like Jeff Taylor out there. People who are going to hate you just because your different from them. Its not something that I like, but it's a part of life. That's part of what being a police officer is about, fighting attitudes like that. Keeping those few people from destroying what is otherwise a good town. You're right in that, a lot of people in this town don't care about you and I seeing each other. Dawson's video showed me that. Unfortunately, those who did have a problem with it chose to be the loudest about it."

"Doug, if I had thought something like this was going to happen I never would have insisted . . ."

"I know Jack," Doug said cutting him off. "Believe I know. Do you think I thought Jeff Taylor would be the one I'd have to protect myself from. I've known him for years. Have been friends with him for years. That kind of betrayal just shatters your opinion on who you can trust anymore. It's a betrayal that isn't easy to get past."

"Then this is it. You're giving up on what we had."

"Jack don't make it sound as if this is something that is easy for me. It isn't but it's a decision that I've got to make because for now its what is best for me. A relationship is the last thing I want to deal with right now. I just don't have the energy to do it and deal with all the other issues that I need to get back."

"Then what exactly are you saying Doug."

"I guess what I'm saying is that if you really love me, then you'll give me the space I need right now. I won't ask you to wait, because I don't know how long this will take me to work through, and I want you to get on with your own life, but if this is really meant to be then something will work out. I do love you Jack but this is something that I have to deal with on my own."

"When you're ready you know where to find me," Jack told him.

"Hey Doug, sorry to interrupt but they need you inside. They're getting ready to do the Dollar Dance," Gretchen called out sticking her head through the door.

"I'm coming," Doug told her, pushing himself away from the railing. He started heading for the Ice house.

Jack glanced back out across the water. Doug's words about if it was meant to be something would work out, echoing in his mind. This wedding was a true testament to those words. Despite the love they clearly had for one another, Jack had doubted that Pacey and Joey would ever be able to get their timing right. It always seemed like when one of them were ready the other wasn't. It hadn't been an easy journey for them but they had finally made it. Finally got their timing in synch.

With a smile, Jack swung his legs back over the railing. Hoping down, he headed inside to the celebration. If Joey and Pacey had finally gotten things right then there was still hope for him and Doug. Jack knew he couldn't rush things though. He had to patient and let things take their own course.