AN: A big thank-you! to Kimmers for my first review - luv ya heaps!
~*~ Chapter 9 - Final Preparations ~*~
Pacey was woken at 8 am by Katie crying. His brain was screaming "WEDDING DAY!" at him.
He and Katie went downstairs to the kitchen, where Doug was drinking coffee.
"Hey, I was gonna come wake you if you weren't up in 5," he said.
Pacey smiled. "Yeah, well, this one couldn't wait any longer."
"I see... how are you feeling?"
"Uh, excited, thrilled, ecstatic... nervous."
"It's perfectly natural to be nervous Pace. You're about to make the biggest commitment of your life." Doug reasoned.
Pacey smiled, still nervous. "When are Dawson and Jack coming over?" he asked.
"Anytime now." Doug replied.
As he said that, the doorbell rang.
"It's open!" yelled Doug.
Dawson and Jack walked in, grinning.
"Hey Pace, how you doing?" Dawson asked.
"Don't ask, just get into it. Doug, can you feed Katie?" Pacey was suddenly business-like.
"I'll do it." volunteered Jack.
"You sure?"
"Yeah! What, you think I'm not capable of doing it or something?"
"No, nothing like that. Doug, can you get the stuff for Jack? I'll be right back." Pacey disappeared down the hall towards the bathroom, looking pale.
Dawson, noticing this, said "excuse me" and disappeared after Pacey.
Jack and Doug looked at each other and shrugged, then turned their attention back to Katie.
Dawson knocked on the bathroom door. "Pace, let me in."
"It's open." came the muffled reply.
Dawson entered and found Pacey sitting on the edge of the bath, his head in his hands.
"What am I doing, Dawson? Am I ready for this? Is Joey ready for this?"
"Pacey, slow down. You're getting married today. Why are you having doubts NOW?"
"It's just... something the Doug said. About me making the biggest commitment of my life. Am I ready to do that? Am I really ready to do that?"
"I think you are. Pacey, think back to when you proposed. Why did you do that?"
"Because I love her. More than anything."
"Exactly. You are ready. It's Joey, you love her, and that's all that matters. You've been living together for about 5 years, right? And I know for a fact that she loves you right back."
Pacey took a deep breath and grinned. "I'm an idiot, right?"
"Yeah. Seriously though, I went through the same thing before I married you sister. But my dad sorted me out, and we've been happy. I've never looked back since."
"Thanks man."
"No problem. Now, how about we go and get ready?"
Pacey followed Dawson out. He took Katie and everyone went to get dressed.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Joey was jolted awake at 8 am by the alarm. She ran her hands through her hair and laughed when she remembered Jen had cut it the day before. She got up and went into the kitchen, where Jen, Gretchen and Bessie were all drinking coffee.
"Morning!" Joey said brightly.
"Morning Jo." came the sleepy reply.
"You ready?" asked Bessie.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm ready." Joey said carelessly, but she couldn't hold her excitement in any longer. She hugged everyone, whilst screaming "I'm getting married!"
"Joey, calm down!" Jen laughed. "I have to do your hair, and because you're the bride you can go first."
"Yes Joey, breathe!" Bessie teased, earning herself a playful slap as Joey walked past. "Hey!" she cried. Then, more civilised, "do you want some coffee?"
"Yes thanks Bess." Joey sat down at the table, and Jen started on her hair.
"Finished!" Jen exclaimed fifteen minutes later. She handed Joey a mirror. "What do you think?"
Joey smiled. "It's perfect. Thanks Jen!"
Jen had left out a section at the front, and put the rest in a high ponytail. With that, she had rolled sections and pinned them so that Joey's hair looked curled. The part had that been left out had been parted on the right side, and swept around to the back.
"Ok, who's next?" Jen smiled. Joey's hair had turned out better than she had thought it would. Bessie stepped forward, and Joey stood up and made herself a light breakfast.
"Jo, ready to get dressed?" Bessie asked 20 minutes later, after her, Gretchen and Jen's hair had all been done. Before Joey could reply, however, Bessie had walked off to answer the front door. "I'll be there in 5, start getting dressed!" She called.
Joey walked into her room, thinking 'I wonder what Pacey's doing?'...
~*~*~*~*~*~
Pacey got dressed in his black pants, black shirt and silver satin tie. He also put on his shoes and socks and combed his hair before turning his attention to Katie. "Hey! Let's get you dressed!" He dressed her in the dress he and Joey had bought specially for the wedding. It was lilac in colour, with darker purple embroidery . Her lilac socks matched her dress, and the white shoes completed the outfit.
"Wow! You look like a princess!" Pacey exclaimed. "Let's go, my little princess."
He carried her into the lounge room, where everyone else was waiting.
"What took you so long?" asked Jack.
"Do you know how long it takes to dress an active three-month-old?"
"Are we ready to go?" Dawson cut in.
"Yeah," said Doug and Jack.
"Pace? Are you ready?"
Pacey took a deep breath and looked at them seriously. They glanced at each other worriedly, exactly the reaction Pacey had wanted. He grinned. "Yeah! Of course! Why would I be not ready? Let's go!"
They all grinned at each other - this was the Pacey they all knew and loved.
They piled into Pacey's car, and arrived at the docks at 10:30, just before the minister. The Leery's and Mrs Ryan arrived at 10:45; the Witter's at 10:50; and Audrey and Trent arrived at 10:55. At 11:00, Pacey was nervous and jumpy because Joey wasn't there.
"Pacey, relax! She'll be here!"
"Dawson, Joey's never late! Never! She's known for her punctuality!"
"And for following traditions! Brides are always late, it's a tradition. So stop worrying!"
Pacey smiled, but he couldn't help thinking 'Where the hell is she?'...
~*~*~*~*~*~
Bessie ran into Joey's room with Jen and Gretchen, all three of them dressed. Joey turned to them, eyebrows raised.
"Joey, you look... amazing. Like Mom," Bessie said, blinking back tears.
"Not as much as you Bess, Mom would have been so proud of you." Joey was blinking back her own tears.
"Oh Joey, she would have been so proud of you too."
"Before you both crush your dresses," Jen cut in, "The flowers are in the kitchen, with Bodie."
They all went to the kitchen. Joey looked at the clock. "Shoot! We're going to be late! Pacey's gonna flip! He's gonna-"
"Joey, the bride is always late. Always! It's a tradition." Gretchen smiled. "And, uh, speaking of traditions, are you wearing something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue?"
"Yes, actually! I'm wearing Mom's necklace, my new shoes, Bessie's earrings and, "Joey blushed, "blue underwear."
Bodie walked in. "Joey, you look fantastic," he said, kissing her on the cheek before he went and stood with Bessie.
"Thank you." Joey blushed.
"Hold still Joey." Jen said, putting flowers in Joey's hair. She then handed everyone their bouquet, saying "11:00, time to go!"
They all piled into the limousine, and arrived at the docks at 11:07.
Pacey saw the car pull up and held his breath...
~*~ Chapter 9 - Final Preparations ~*~
Pacey was woken at 8 am by Katie crying. His brain was screaming "WEDDING DAY!" at him.
He and Katie went downstairs to the kitchen, where Doug was drinking coffee.
"Hey, I was gonna come wake you if you weren't up in 5," he said.
Pacey smiled. "Yeah, well, this one couldn't wait any longer."
"I see... how are you feeling?"
"Uh, excited, thrilled, ecstatic... nervous."
"It's perfectly natural to be nervous Pace. You're about to make the biggest commitment of your life." Doug reasoned.
Pacey smiled, still nervous. "When are Dawson and Jack coming over?" he asked.
"Anytime now." Doug replied.
As he said that, the doorbell rang.
"It's open!" yelled Doug.
Dawson and Jack walked in, grinning.
"Hey Pace, how you doing?" Dawson asked.
"Don't ask, just get into it. Doug, can you feed Katie?" Pacey was suddenly business-like.
"I'll do it." volunteered Jack.
"You sure?"
"Yeah! What, you think I'm not capable of doing it or something?"
"No, nothing like that. Doug, can you get the stuff for Jack? I'll be right back." Pacey disappeared down the hall towards the bathroom, looking pale.
Dawson, noticing this, said "excuse me" and disappeared after Pacey.
Jack and Doug looked at each other and shrugged, then turned their attention back to Katie.
Dawson knocked on the bathroom door. "Pace, let me in."
"It's open." came the muffled reply.
Dawson entered and found Pacey sitting on the edge of the bath, his head in his hands.
"What am I doing, Dawson? Am I ready for this? Is Joey ready for this?"
"Pacey, slow down. You're getting married today. Why are you having doubts NOW?"
"It's just... something the Doug said. About me making the biggest commitment of my life. Am I ready to do that? Am I really ready to do that?"
"I think you are. Pacey, think back to when you proposed. Why did you do that?"
"Because I love her. More than anything."
"Exactly. You are ready. It's Joey, you love her, and that's all that matters. You've been living together for about 5 years, right? And I know for a fact that she loves you right back."
Pacey took a deep breath and grinned. "I'm an idiot, right?"
"Yeah. Seriously though, I went through the same thing before I married you sister. But my dad sorted me out, and we've been happy. I've never looked back since."
"Thanks man."
"No problem. Now, how about we go and get ready?"
Pacey followed Dawson out. He took Katie and everyone went to get dressed.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Joey was jolted awake at 8 am by the alarm. She ran her hands through her hair and laughed when she remembered Jen had cut it the day before. She got up and went into the kitchen, where Jen, Gretchen and Bessie were all drinking coffee.
"Morning!" Joey said brightly.
"Morning Jo." came the sleepy reply.
"You ready?" asked Bessie.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm ready." Joey said carelessly, but she couldn't hold her excitement in any longer. She hugged everyone, whilst screaming "I'm getting married!"
"Joey, calm down!" Jen laughed. "I have to do your hair, and because you're the bride you can go first."
"Yes Joey, breathe!" Bessie teased, earning herself a playful slap as Joey walked past. "Hey!" she cried. Then, more civilised, "do you want some coffee?"
"Yes thanks Bess." Joey sat down at the table, and Jen started on her hair.
"Finished!" Jen exclaimed fifteen minutes later. She handed Joey a mirror. "What do you think?"
Joey smiled. "It's perfect. Thanks Jen!"
Jen had left out a section at the front, and put the rest in a high ponytail. With that, she had rolled sections and pinned them so that Joey's hair looked curled. The part had that been left out had been parted on the right side, and swept around to the back.
"Ok, who's next?" Jen smiled. Joey's hair had turned out better than she had thought it would. Bessie stepped forward, and Joey stood up and made herself a light breakfast.
"Jo, ready to get dressed?" Bessie asked 20 minutes later, after her, Gretchen and Jen's hair had all been done. Before Joey could reply, however, Bessie had walked off to answer the front door. "I'll be there in 5, start getting dressed!" She called.
Joey walked into her room, thinking 'I wonder what Pacey's doing?'...
~*~*~*~*~*~
Pacey got dressed in his black pants, black shirt and silver satin tie. He also put on his shoes and socks and combed his hair before turning his attention to Katie. "Hey! Let's get you dressed!" He dressed her in the dress he and Joey had bought specially for the wedding. It was lilac in colour, with darker purple embroidery . Her lilac socks matched her dress, and the white shoes completed the outfit.
"Wow! You look like a princess!" Pacey exclaimed. "Let's go, my little princess."
He carried her into the lounge room, where everyone else was waiting.
"What took you so long?" asked Jack.
"Do you know how long it takes to dress an active three-month-old?"
"Are we ready to go?" Dawson cut in.
"Yeah," said Doug and Jack.
"Pace? Are you ready?"
Pacey took a deep breath and looked at them seriously. They glanced at each other worriedly, exactly the reaction Pacey had wanted. He grinned. "Yeah! Of course! Why would I be not ready? Let's go!"
They all grinned at each other - this was the Pacey they all knew and loved.
They piled into Pacey's car, and arrived at the docks at 10:30, just before the minister. The Leery's and Mrs Ryan arrived at 10:45; the Witter's at 10:50; and Audrey and Trent arrived at 10:55. At 11:00, Pacey was nervous and jumpy because Joey wasn't there.
"Pacey, relax! She'll be here!"
"Dawson, Joey's never late! Never! She's known for her punctuality!"
"And for following traditions! Brides are always late, it's a tradition. So stop worrying!"
Pacey smiled, but he couldn't help thinking 'Where the hell is she?'...
~*~*~*~*~*~
Bessie ran into Joey's room with Jen and Gretchen, all three of them dressed. Joey turned to them, eyebrows raised.
"Joey, you look... amazing. Like Mom," Bessie said, blinking back tears.
"Not as much as you Bess, Mom would have been so proud of you." Joey was blinking back her own tears.
"Oh Joey, she would have been so proud of you too."
"Before you both crush your dresses," Jen cut in, "The flowers are in the kitchen, with Bodie."
They all went to the kitchen. Joey looked at the clock. "Shoot! We're going to be late! Pacey's gonna flip! He's gonna-"
"Joey, the bride is always late. Always! It's a tradition." Gretchen smiled. "And, uh, speaking of traditions, are you wearing something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue?"
"Yes, actually! I'm wearing Mom's necklace, my new shoes, Bessie's earrings and, "Joey blushed, "blue underwear."
Bodie walked in. "Joey, you look fantastic," he said, kissing her on the cheek before he went and stood with Bessie.
"Thank you." Joey blushed.
"Hold still Joey." Jen said, putting flowers in Joey's hair. She then handed everyone their bouquet, saying "11:00, time to go!"
They all piled into the limousine, and arrived at the docks at 11:07.
Pacey saw the car pull up and held his breath...