Epilogue:
Author's Note: As promised, here is the Epilogue. I hope it's good and ya'll like it because I was up 'till 3 am last night finishing it! Feedback please! I wanna hear what people thought of this chapter and story overall!
Joey stood in the Leery's guest room four months later, observing her reflection in the mirror. Looking at not only most of the baby weight she had lost in the three months since Emily was born, but at her beautiful wedding dress. It was a simple white, satin dress, with spaghetti straps; the gown flowing down past her knees, down to her ankles.
After Emily was born, both Joey and Dawson had decided on a small wedding back in Capeside, with only close friends and family attending with the reception afterwards being at the B&B. Bessie and Gale helped Joey plan the wedding, taking some of the stress off her, knowing she had her hands full as it was adapting to motherhood. Not that there was much adapting to be done. Dawson and Joey could not ask for a better baby. Emily quickly fell into a sleep pattern, getting up only once or twice in the night and that was to either eat or be changed; Dawson and Joey taking turns to tend to their baby. Joey smiled, thinking about her daughter as she walked over to the window. Her smile falter slightly; looking out and seeing all the guests on the backyard already, starting to feel the nervousness in the pit of her stomach creep up again as it had done earlier that morning. The night before was the worst. She was both anxious, and worried about what the following day had in store for them.
"This is ridiculous, why am I nervous?" she asked herself, now pacing back and fourth in the room. It wasn't like she didn't want to marry Dawson because she did. Most of her life she had secretly dreamed of what it'd be like. Then all the drama that accompanied being fifteen came crashing down…
She sighed as she continued pacing back and fourth. Everyone had been assuring her it was normal for her to have wedding day jitters, and that everyone had them.
"Joey?" a voice called to her. Joey looked up just as her sister poked her head through the door. "Joey, there you are!" she said, sounding relieved as she walked into the room.
"Where else would I be, Bess?" she asked. Instead of answering, Bessie stuck her head out the door and said, "I found her; she's in her, Audrey." Bessie looked back over to her sister, noticing her expression.
"Jo is everything okay?" she asked as Audrey walked in, carrying Emily. Joey smiled, seeing her four month old daughter. She had picked out a beautiful baby pink dress for the occasion, laughing to herself as she remembered warning back then a baby Lilly, not to let 'them' dress her in pink. And here she was almost ten years later, doing the same thing to her own daughter.
"Yeah, I'm okay; just got a case of wedding day jitters," she explained, walking over to Audrey and cooing to Emily.
"Why, you already had a baby with the guy, not to mention you've know him since you were both sperm," Audrey said. Leave it to Audrey to say something like that.
Joey laughed. "Thanks Audrey for putting things into prospective," she said. Emily now had her hand wrapped around her mother's index finger.
"Wanna go see your mommy while I go check on your daddy?" Audrey asked the baby before handing her over to Joey. Joey smiled down at Emily who was looking around at everything curiously.
"Your going to see Dawson?" Joey asked curiously as Audrey made her way towards the door.
"Just for a few minutes. And yes, I'll tell him you love him," she said, as if reading Joey's mind. "Not that he doesn't already know," she muttered, walking out of the room. Bessie watched her sister as she played with her baby, a huge smile on her face.
"I'm proud of you, you know," she said. Joey looked up at her sister. "Mom would be too," she added. Joey smiled, wishing her mother could have been there.
"Yeah, me too," she admitted.
"That reminds me," Bessie said as she looked down and produced a box from her purse. "Here," she said as she handed it to Joey. Joey looked at her sister for a second before opening the box, revealing a beautiful gold chain necklace with a single diamond stud attached. Joey looked up at her sister.
"It was moms. I was saving it for you, and I thought… today would be the perfect day to give it to you," she explained. Joey looked down at the necklace with tears in her eyes as she touched it gently. Bessie watched for a few seconds in silence as Joey eyes the necklace.
"Joey, aren't you going to put it on?" Bessie asked finally. Joey looked up at her sister once more. "Here, let me help you," she said as she took it from Joey and put it on her sister. She stood back and smiled.
"There, it goes great with the dress," Bessie told her.
"I agree," a male voice said from the doorway. Both girls' gazes went directly to the doorway where their father stood, dressed in a tux.
"Thank you," Joey said, touching the necklace in her neck.
"Well, I've got a few things to do," Bessie said. "Just be sure your ready in a half hour," she said to Joey before leaving, giving Joey and her father time alone.
Mike smiled as he walked over to Joey. "Joey your beautiful," he told her, grinning ear to ear, proud of his daughter.
"Thank you," she said again.
"Wow, here you are, my little girl…about to get married," he said.
"Joey smiled. "And already has a baby. What is it about us Potters doing things backwards?" she asked.
Mike laughed. "I'm not sure." Joey laughed along with him.
"Your mother would be proud though," he told her.
Joey smiled. "Yeah, Bessie said the same thing." The room fell silent, both thinking about Lillian.
"So… are you nervous?" Mike asked finally.
"A little," Joey admitted.
Mike smiled. "You know, I remember this one time when you and Dawson were playing outside the house. You had just finished watching some movie; I looked out the window to check on you two and you told me, 'Daddy, were getting married,'" he told her.
She smiled, her face lighting up. "Yeah?"
"Yeah. The two of you were dressed up in…"
Upstairs in his room, Dawson looked in the mirror as he adjusted his tie, unable to believe he and Joey were getting married in another half hour. For some reason, the idea of them finally getting married surprised him, which made him laugh since they already had a four month old baby together. But he and Joey had never done anything together by the rules. Hell, they had slept together for the first time and they weren't even dating!
"What you laughing at over there?" Todd asked, walking into the room, wearing a tux as well. Dawson turned towards him and smiled.
"I was just thinking about Joey and I," he explained. Todd rolled his eyes and sat down on Dawson's bed.
"So…you two love birds are getting married at long last," Todd said.
"Yup," he said.
"Without even a bachelor party…" Todd said disappointed. Dawson grinned, rolling his eyes at the same time.
"I didn't propose to Joey just so I can have someone throw me a bachelor party," Dawson told him. "We've been busy with the baby and preparing for this wedding. Besides…" Dawson said. "I'm marrying the most beautiful women in the world, why would I want to see some girl prance around, stripping?" he asked.
"Who cares what you want, mate. What about me!" Todd said, causing Dawson to laugh.
"Speaking of, you've kept away from my mother, right?" he asked.
"Yeah," he said. "But I was thinking… if Joey's friend there Audrey isn't seeing anyone…" he trailed off, a devilish grin on his face. "She wasn't the last time we-"
"Todd, please," Dawson interrupted, putting his hands up. "One; I don't wanna hear this and two; Audrey is a good friend of mine."
"Alright, then let's talk about this 'best man' thing?" he suggested. "Why is he your best man? I mean, c'mon, what about me? At least I didn't steal her away from you!" he pointed out.
Dawson smiled. "Thank god for that. And besides…" he trailed off. "Pacey and I promised each other a looong time ago that when we got married, we'd be each other's best man. I can't break a promise," Dawson said.
"Yeah, yeah," he said. He paused, thinking. "Ya know, now that I think of it-"
"Uh oh," Dawson cut in.
"Didn't that Jack guy also steal her from you?" he asked.
"I guess… if you wanna call it that," he said.
"Wait, isn't he gay?" he asked.
"Yup. But that was before he came out of the closet," he explained.
"Christ Leery, so let me get this straight; not only has this girl of your dated your best of buds Pacey, but she's dated your other friend who's now gay!"
"Yup," Dawson said once more.
"What guy hasn't she dated in this little group of friends you got?" he asked. Dawson paused for a second.
"Let me get back to you on that one." Before Todd could finish, Jack knocked on the open door, interrupting their conversation; or saving Dawson from it more or less.
"Hey man, you about ready? Cause...it's time," he said, pointing to his watch. Dawson grinned, ear to ear in anticipation.
"Yeah, I'm ready," he said. "You about ready Todd?" Dawson asked. Todd sighed, standing up.
"Let's get this show on the road." With that, the three men headed out the door.
The ceremony was like a dream to Joey. After Lilly skipped down the isle, throwing daisy petals, Mike walked Joey down the isle; giving his youngest daughter away to the boy down the creek -something he'd hoped to do for a long time now. Joey grinned and was practically glowing as she walked down the isle towards Dawson, who stood beside his best man, Pacey. Everything seemed to fall in place, as thy had hoped. Dawson and Pacey seemed to have come to a closure, putting the past behind them and moving forward and Joey and Dawson were happier than they had ever been.
Joey smiled at their friends and family, looking over at Bessie and Gale, her daughter sitting with the two women, looking on with her big brown eyes. She then looked ahead at Dawson, the two locking eyes as she now stood in front of him, her bride maids; Andie and Audrey behind her. Alexander stood beside Dawson, a big smile on his face happy that he was the 'ring bear.' Joey and Dawson continued to look right into each other's eyes as the minister began.
Before they knew it, it was time to exchange vows, and slip on the rings.
"I, Dawson Wade Leery take you, Josephine Lynn Potter, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part," Dawson vowed, meaning every word as he slipped her ring on her thin finger.
"I, Josephine Lynn Potter, take you, Dawson Wade Leery, to be my lawfully wedded Husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part," she said, meaning every word just as well as she slipped his ring on his finger. She looked at Dawson and they both smiled, happy and unable to believe they were here. Getting married. The pastor then announced then husband and wife and they kissed passionately, their first kiss as Mr. And Mrs. Leery. Everyone cheered, like they had been waiting for this moment for as long as they had. Joey looked at Dawson and smiled, ready to start her life with him as his wife.
Afterwards, everyone gathered at the B&B for the reception where Pacey had food prepared for everyone. The happy couple danced their first dance to the song "Feels Like Home" by Chantal Kreviazuk in the backyard near the creek after Pacey delivered the sweetest best man's speech either of them had ever heard. Everyone else danced around them yet they were oblivious to it all
Joey looked over to the right side of here and smiled, seeing Lilly and Alexander dancing. She got Dawson's attention and motioned over to the two. Dawson smiled; the two reminding him of him and Joey more and more each day. Joey glanced around, looking for her baby. Her gaze stopped and she smiled; a tiny crowd was around Emily as Bessie and Gale showed her off to everyone.
"I still can't believe this," Joey admitted.
"Me neither," Dawson said. There was a pause. "Can you believe the last time we were dancing was when we were back here for my mom's wedding," he said. "Gosh, so much has changed since then."
"It has," she agreed.
"But in the best ways possible," Dawson said.
"Yeah." Dawson then leaned in for a kiss as Joey dangled her hands over his shoulders, occasionally playing with his hair. A little while later, someone tapped on Dawson's shoulder. He turned around and smiled when he saw Pacey.
"I was hoping I could cut in and dance with the beautiful Mrs. Leery?" he asked. Dawson grinned.
"Of coarse," he said, kissing Joey on the cheek. "I'm going to see if I can steal our daughter away from my mother for at least one dance," he said. Joey laughed as they watched Dawson walk towards the women in hopes of re-claiming his daughter.
"May I?" Pacey asked.
"Of coarse," she said as he took her hand in his and the two began dancing slow together, both smiling as they danced in silence for a few minutes.
"You know, I gotta admit, I never thought I'd see the day where I'd be dancing with someone else wife and having it be you," he said. "But if it's going to be anyone, I'm glad you married Dawson," he said honestly.
"Thank you, Pacey," she said honestly as well.
"You wanna know when I first realized I wasn't the one you were meant to be with?" he asked after a few minutes passed. Joey looked up at him. "It was when I bumped into you guys there around Christmas. I don't know why, but seeing the two of you together, something inside of my just…clicked and I realized that you and I had our time together, and I'm grateful for it everyday, but I wasn't the one; never was," he said.
"I've got a girl out there…somewhere, and she's the one I'm supposed to be with. I just gotta find her," he said. Joey smiled, looking past his shoulders at Andie, who was sitting at a table by herself, watching everyone else.
"I think she's closer than you think, Pace," she said. Pacey looked at her for a second. Joey motioned with her eyes. Pacey turned around and realized who Joey was referring to.
He laughed. "I don't know about that, Jo. It's been a long time since there's been anything between the two of us," he said.
"Time doesn't make a difference Pacey," Joey told him.
"Yeah, but… what If I go over there and it's so painfully awkward that one of us has to excuse ourselves?" he asked.
Joey shrugged. You never know until you go over there." Pacey continued dancing with her, still unsure and hesitant about going over and asking Andie to dance.
"Go over to her Pacey," she told him, coaxing him, knowing he wanted to deep down.
"Thank you," he said, leaning over and kissing her on the cheek before walking over towards Andie. Joey stood there for a second, watching as everyone danced to the small band Gale had hired, one like what she had at her wedding not much more than a year ago. She looked over and her eyes stopped on someone, her heart melting as the sight of Dawson swaying softly to the music with Emily lit her heart. She smiled, walking over to them.
"Hey," she said.
Dawson looked up and smiled. "Hey." Joey put her arm around Dawson and she rested her chin on his shoulder and watched as he swayed back and fourth, holding their sleeping baby in his arms. Joey's heart ached she loved her daughter so much.
"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Joey said, tracing her tiny nose with her fingertip.
"Yeah, just like her mother," he said, looking up at Joey, smiling.
"I love you," she whispered.
"I love you too,' he whispered back.
A little while later, after putting Emily down for her nap and pumping breast milk for while she and Dawson are on their Honeymoon, Joey stood in the room, leaning against the door frame as she watched her daughter sleep. After setting Emily down Joey had changed into clothes more comfortable since she and Dawson were getting ready to leave for their honeymoon in Italy.
A few minutes later, a pair of hands circled around her waste and light kisses trailed up and down her neck. Joey smiled, intertwining her fingers with his as she shifted, leaning against him.
"You ready to go?" he asked, already out of his tux and into regular clothes.
"I'm going to miss her," she admitted, looking at Emily who was sleeping peacefully in the playpen Bessie had when Alexander was younger.
"Yeah, me too," Dawson said, watching his daughter sleep as well.
"It's going to be weird not having to get up at night to feed her or change her," Joey said, resting against Dawson.
"Yeah." Dawson then grinned. "But I'm sure we'll adjust just fine," he said, nuzzling her neck. Joey grinned, knowing just what he was thinking.
"Oh we will, will we?" she asked, her grin matching his own.
"Mmm Hmm," he said, lowering her head to kiss her. Joey's hands went instantly to the back of his head as she tangled her fingers in his hair, feeling the same heat and desire that had always been between them.
"Okay, we have to stop or else we're never gonna go," she said finally.
"Your right, C'mon," he said, tugging her away from the room, kissing her on the neck as he led her through the living room where they bumped into Bessie.
"Hey you two, looks like you need to be heading off to Italy," she said, grinning.
"We're heading out now," Dawson assured her, his arms still snaked around Joey's stomach.
"Oh, Bess!" Joey said before he made it to the front door. "The milk is in the fridge, and both mine and Dawson's cell phone numbers are on the fridge and with Gale in case-" she began.
"I got it," she assured her. "Now Go!" she said. Joey smiled.
"Dawson, please take my sister out of here," she said. Dawson grinned.
"Yes Ma'am," he said before picking Joey up, causing her to squeal. Bessie smiled as she watched the two walk out the door, laughing. She had waited for this day; the day her sister would finally be happy, and it had finally come.
Joey looked over to the side of her, over at Dawson who sat in the drivers side of the car, the two holding hands as she looked out the window; her hair now down and blowing in the breeze as they drove to the airport. She smiled as she thought about the past and their future together, also letting her thoughts drift to that night in L.A. She admitted things were the best timing, and regretted the hurt she and Dawson had put Pacey through, but didn't regret what happened between her and Dawson. If it wasn't for that night, they would not be on their way to the airport, heading to their honeymoon, and they wouldn't have their beautiful little girl waiting at home for when they returned. Joey grinned as she looked out the window, Yup, my life is perfect, she said to herself, looking over at Dawson and giving his hand a loving squeeze, unable to picture her future without him by her side.