A/N: Hi, constant reader (Yeah, I stole that from Stephen King, but he stole it from somebody else so I don't feel too bad.) This is the beginning of Saturday... the wedding day and the next to last day in my story. I'm trying very hard to make the characters ring true to those created by the phenomenal K. Williamson. I hope you enjoy it.
Jen Lindley perched on the railing of the porch at the Potter B&B. She smiled watching the sun extend rosey fingers into a cloudless sky. She remebered all the moments in and near this creek that had made her the woman she had become and smiled. She thought of the man she loved—the only man she'd truly loved. Her heart overflowed, and she sighed contentedly as she picked up her tea mug and headed inside to shower.
Across the creek, Dawson Leery stared out his window at the ladder Lily had recently moved back into place. He sighed at the memories that started with that ladder. He looked across the room at the velvet box that rested on his dresser. He hoped the story would end with that ladder. Lily's voice rang through the house, shaking him out of his reverie.
Andie McPhee pulled her car to a stop outside Pacey's apartment and sighed. Capeside always felt like another world to her. A place she'd never really gotten a solid hold on. Jack McPhee waved wildly when he saw his sister climb out of her car and beamed as he ran to wrap her in a bear hug. She pulled away and smiled as he lead her to Pacey's apartment.
Pacey Witter groaned at the invading light, but swung his legs over to the floor. He started into his walk-through closet, but stopped as he turned on the TV. Waiting for a few numbers to roll by on the Stock crawl at the bottom of the screen, Pacey shook his head. Old habits die hard. He thought and headed into the closet. The gentle scent of vanilla and jasmine assault him from the jacket he'd put on Joey the night before. Pacey J. Witter put his face in his hands and wondered if torment he endured for loving this woman would ever be over. With a shrug he climbed into the shower.
Audrey Lidell-Vellinio growled at the small hand pushing her cheek. She feigned sleep for a few more minutes while waiting her the little body to get just close...enough...to... GRAB! She held her angel faced two year old and giggled loudly with her. The platinum blonde hair spilled out of the hat she'd pulled on her head. Audrey laughed and rolled over to kiss her husband's shoulder. Getting out of bed, she took her daughter's hand and headed for the kitchen.
Joey mumbled something incomprehensible as the light shone brightly through her sheer drapes. She could see herself in a mirror, she wore her bridesmaid dress. Her hair fell in soft curls around her shoulders. The jasmine she carried trailed a light, sweet secent behind her. She smiled at the people in the pews to her left and right. She looked forward to see Jen, Audrey and Gayle wearing the bridesmaids dresses. Confused she looked at her dress again. It was white, a simple strapless bodice that flared at the waist and dragged heavily at the back. She shook her head, and felt the soft tulle of a veil tickle her shoulders. She looked at the alter and her eyes grew wide. To her left stood a tux clad Dawson, smiling gently, sincerely. To her right stood Pacey whose smile was knowing and genuine. She stopped three feet from them unable to remember who she was there to marry. She looked down at her hand and saw the winking sapphire she'd always wanted but never mentioned. She looked back up at them and beamed at him. She walked over, took his hand and kissed him chastely on the cheek before turning and walking up the four stairs to the Minister with... Joey sat bolt upright in bed. She shook her head and tried desparately to remember the last five seconds of her dream. It was there, she felt it sinking into the recesses of her mind—to the places she didn't know how to access and she threw her face into the nearest pillow and screamed.
Apparently breakfast was a priority for the women. They were all at the table when Joey appeared in her door. "Hi." Audrey called through a mouthful of pancake. "Deliah got up at the butt crack of dawn." She rolled her eyes at the little girl.
Joey looked at Jen who was glowing and pensive. Her pancakes sat nearly untouched.
"Jen, you have to eat. The wedding is at seven tonight."
"I know." The bride said before bowing her head to whisper what sounded like a heartfelt blessing for her meal. She looked out the window into the still cloudless sky while she ate her pancakes. The women whipped their heads to the back door at the sound of the screen door slamming. A few seconds later a familiar blonde head poked around the corner. Jen looked in the direction of the sound in time to see Andie smiling brightly at her. "Andie!" she called dropping off her stool to welcome the other woman with a hug.
"Hi." Andie said nodding at the women she knew, introducing herself to those she didn't. "It's been too long." She stated simply when she came to Joey.
"It has." Joey nodded wrapping the younger woman in a hug.
As usual, Pacey was late meeting Dawson at the peir. "Sorry." He said as he approached.
Dawson shook his head. "No problem. I told you to be here fifteen minutes early, so you're actually right on time."
"Cheater." Pacey accused. The men walked to Dawson's car and got in after putting their tux hangers on the hooks in the back seat. Pacey sighed and looked out the window at the Potter B&B. He wondered what Joey was doing. Dawson put the car in gear and stopped to follow Pacey's gaze. A few more hours. He thought dropping the car into drive.
It was hours later when Joey knocked on the front door of Dawson's house. Gayle answered, and lead Joey inside to collect the table linens Dawson had forgotten. She smiled at the ladder just as Dawson had. She remembered the dream that had started at the foot of that ladder. She remembered the heartache when it had been moved. She allowed a ghostly smile to claim her face. Done with her errands, she drove to the church, dropped off the table cloths, and drove back to the salon.
By five all the women were coiffed, and made up. As the make up girl put the finishing touches on Bessie, Jen handed her bridesmaids slender jewelry cases. A collective gasp went up as the women opened their jewelry. Intertwined silver chains glittered and winked from each box. Small knot earrings glinted in the unfiltered light. The chatter broke out quickly and the photographer used the candid moment to snap a picture.
By sunset, the men were watching a surprisingly calm Gary hoping they could be half as calm when their turn came. Pacey stood between Brant and Dawson shaking his head. "It amazeds me, man."
"What?" Brant asked looking at Pacey.
"That they love each other and want to spend their whole lives together."
Dawson drew his brows together. "Why is that so amazing...happens all the time."
"Not this kind. I mean you've seen them together this week...happy like idiots, I've seen them the whole time, D. Those two can fight bitterly, angrily, and then forgive completely. I've never really understood how they do it. It's like the bad stuff never happened at all." Pacey stopped, meeting Dawson's eyes briefly before looking down. "Like they only remember the time they've spent loving each other and nothing else is worth remembering."
Dawson snickered. "I'm sorry man, but you sound like a sap."
"I, Dawson Leery, am the world's biggest sap. I just never realized until now."
It was an hour later when the photographer lead the women to the chapel and posed the bridal party as a whole. A shot that would eventually remind them of how it had been the day everything changed...
A/N: Tune in next time to hear Joey say... "You're amazing and I love you."