A/N: Here's the next chapter-about halfway done with this story! This chapter will be Sam and Ainsley's wedding, followed by some college acceptance news and a little bit of a twist at the end. Hope you enjoy, please read and review!

Chapter 9: Canon; Acceptance

It was the day before Sam and Ainsley's wedding, and the wedding rehearsal was well underway at the inn. The wedding was going to be on the small side, at the behest of Ainsley's mother, but with the number of people in town and the Hayes' invited guests, it was going to be on the greater side of what most people considered a small wedding.

Ainsley and Sam had also picked out their bridesmaids and groomsmen without much trouble. Ainsley, much to her annoyance, had been forced to put her two sisters as matron of honor and bridesmaid, respectively, but she had adamantly opposed having her sisters-in-law in the bridal party too. Those spots were reserved for Donna, CJ, and Ellie, who were more than thrilled to be included. Sam, thankfully, was more laid-back, allowing for his new brothers-in-law to be a part of his big day. His side would include Josh as his best man, with Toby and Ainsley's three brothers as groomsmen.

It wasn't until later that night at the diner that Sam began to sense that his wedding was going off the rails.

Even with the absence of Annette, Sam's father's girlfriend, Norman and Emily Seaborn were still sniping at one another. Sam suspected that the wounds of Norman's betrayal were still a little too raw. In between arguing with his now ex-wife, his father was also fighting with Tom Hayes about who would pay for the reception. Ainsley's nieces and nephews, along with Abbie Jean, were getting tired and cranky. Ainsley was fighting with her mother, and her sisters were getting involved. Everyone was talking, yelling, and the noise volume threatened to equal the thunderstorm outside.

Finally, Sam had had enough. He pulled out a chair, climbed onto the counter, and yelled, "HEY!"

Everyone stopped talking and looked at him in surprise, and for good reason; Sam almost never raised his voice.

"Listen! We all want you here because we want you to be a part of our big day. But if this is what it's going to be-fighting, disagreements, control," he said with a look at Celia Hayes, "then Ainsley and I want no part of it." He took a breath. "This is our wedding weekend, not yours, and we're not going to let it be ruined. Mr. Hayes, my dad is going to pay for the reception because you are putting a very generous amount toward the wedding, which we appreciate. Alexandria, Bella, Lacey, take your kids back to the inn and get them to bed so they're not disasters tomorrow. Mom, Dad, I know you are way past the point of pretending everything's fine, but for the love of God, can you please just try to be civil to one another for one weekend?"

With that, Ainsley felt encouraged enough to turn to Celia and say some things she'd been wanting to say since the wedding planning began. "Sam's right, Mother. I'm tired of fighting with you about this. We are getting married tomorrow, the way we planned it originally. End of story. And another word out of any of you, and Sam and I will go to Hanover to find a Justice of the Peace."

That managed to shut everyone up. All the townspeople of Liberty who were attending the rehearsal dinner were impressed that Sam and Ainsley had had it in them to stand up to their parents.

Finally, Celia Hayes spoke up. "Well! If that's the way you feel about it, then…"

Tom nodded towards Sam, then Ainsley, an approving nod. Her sisters took the hint and packed up their kids for the trek back to the inn. Finally, Norman and Emily approached their son.

"You're right, Sam. And your father and I both know that." Emily admitted.

Norman added, "For you, for your bride, we will keep a lid on our tempers."

"Thank you." Sam said, visibly relieved. And that was that.

Meanwhile, before and while all this was happening, Ellie was enjoying the rehearsal dinner with Donna and CJ. It was the first time she had been treated like a true grown-up, not the little kid most of the people in Liberty still saw her as.

Her cell phone rang. That's strange, Ellie thought. I thought everybody I knew was here.

She told CJ she would be right back, stepped outside the diner, and answered her phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, is this Ellie?"

"Yes, who is this?" Ellie replied, confused.

"This is Scott Cartwright."

At first, Ellie couldn't place him, but then she remembered-Amy's Scott. The guy Amy had decided was worth moving back to Hanover for, arranging her motherly act as a second priority. Still, she was surprised. "Oh, hi. I hope this doesn't come off as rude, but how did you get this number?"

"Your mother gave it to me." There was hesitation on his end of the phone. "Listen, Ellie, I thought you might like to know that Amy gave birth tonight."

Ellie's temper, which had been flaring ever since she discovered who was calling her, softened. She held no resentment towards her baby brother or sister, who was coming into this world with no knowledge of what Amy was like as a mother.

"Boy or girl?" Ellie asked, her natural curiosity winning out over her anger and resentment.

"A boy." Scott answered. "They had to do a C-section-something about his heart rate and her labor lasting so long that he was in distress-but she's fine. She's recovering in her room and feeding him as we speak."

"Do you have a name picked out yet?"

"Not yet." He said with a smile in his voice, then sighed. "Look, I knew you and your mother are still on the outs, but...I think it would mean a lot to her if you stopped by to see him. And her."

Now it was Ellie's turn to sigh and hold onto an uncomfortable silence. Finally, she agreed.

"I'm in a wedding tomorrow, and I'm not gonna make any promises, but...I'll try to come by tomorrow night."

"Okay." Scott said. "So, we'll see you tomorrow?"

"Maybe." Ellie replied. "'Bye, Scott." She hung up and sat on the bench in the square, deep in thought.

She did want to meet her baby brother, but she still wasn't quite ready to reconcile with her mother. She would, however, declare a temporary truce for the baby's-and Scott's-sake. It was obvious he meant well, and Ellie almost felt bad for him.

It was him that would be left to pick up the pieces when her mother inevitably left-no matter how much Amy claimed she had changed.

The next day, December 23, dawned bright and early, and Ellie went to the inn in the morning to get ready for the wedding. All the girls got ready at the inn, while the guys got ready at the Lymans. By 1:00-the agreed-upon time to begin the wedding-everyone was more than ready to get the show on the road.

Sam, Josh, and the rest of the groomsmen had arrived an hour earlier and had been immediately ushered into a room by Emily where Ainsley would not see him. Here, he finished putting on his tuxedo and straightened his tie in the mirror.

He looked ahead and breathed deeply. He was about to marry the love of his life. Josh, as his best man, came up beside him, and he was just as thrilled for Sam.

"You nervous?" Josh asked cheekily.

"Not at all. I thought I would be, but...no." Sam said truthfully. "I'm marrying the love of my life."

"I'm really happy for you, man." Josh said.

"So am I." Toby said, approaching the pair.

"So, Toby," Sam asked. "Any advice?"

"Yeah." Toby replied. "Never go to bed mad."

"And always talk out your problems. It gets a lot worse if you don't." Josh added. He had learned that the hard way with Amy.

"I'll keep all that in mind." Sam assured them. Just then, there was a knock on the door. It was time to go.

A string quartet had taken their places outside the tiny grove of evergreen trees. The backyard at the inn had, with the help of Margaret, been transformed into a winter wonderland. It hadn't snowed, but the decor was pretty anyway, with colors of white and blue. The guests, numbering about 100, sat with their programs and chatted excitedly.

The musicians struck up with "Canon In D", the song Ainsley had picked for the processional. As the iconic melody floated through the trees, Sam, Josh, Toby, and Ainsley's brothers approached the front, where Jed was waiting. He would perform the ceremony.

First down the aisle was Ellie. Josh held his breath. His little girl had grown up so much. Her light blue gown molded to her naturally slim build, and her hair was up in a twist. Smiling at her father, she glided into place across from him.

She was followed by CJ and Donna. Suddenly, all Josh could notice was how beautiful Donna looked. He froze. Where had that come from? He guessed he had always been attracted to her on some level, but this was the first time he had ever put a label on his feelings.

Ainsley's sister Bella was next, followed by the matron of honor, and then the flower girls and ring bearers. Their dresses were all a similar shade of light blue, with tiny differences.

Then, the music changed to Clarke's "Trumpet Voluntary", and Sam held his breath as the audience stood. He broke into a small grin as Ainsley appeared at the end of the aisle on her father's arm. He had never seen her look more beautiful. Her wedding dress was a long tulle dress with a ball gown-like skirt. A cathedral-length veil cascaded down her back into a long train, and she was wearing a silver necklace.

As Ainsley and her father made it to the front, Tom kissed her cheek, gave her hand to Sam's, and went to sit by his wife.

"Dearly beloved," Jed started, "we are gathered here today in the sight of God, and in the presence of these witnesses, to join Sam and Ainsley in holy matrimony."

Three hours later, the ceremony had flown by, and the reception was well underway at the town hall. Everyone was mingling and dancing to a live wedding band that the couple had hired. Josh watched across the room as Donna stood talking to one of Ainsley's sisters.

Suddenly, Ellie materialized at his shoulders. "You should ask her to dance."

Josh turned around at the sound of his daughter's voice. "What makes you think I'm gonna ask her to dance?"

"Because I want you to be happy." Ellie replied. "And for what it's worth, I think you and Donna would be great together."

Josh looked at her. "Really?"

"Really." She hesitated. "Can I borrow your car?"

"Sure, why?"

"I have something I need to do."

Josh handed her his keys without incident. He then straightened his tie and walked over to Donna.

"Hey, Donna."

Donna turned to him and smiled. "Oh, hey, Josh."

"Hey, listen, I was wondering…"

"Yes?" She looked at him expectantly.

His nerves almost got the better of him, but he regrouped. "Would-Would you like to dance?"

Donna's eyes lit up. "I thought you'd never ask." She muttered.

And so, to the soundtrack of "Forever" by the Beach Boys, Josh and Donna shared their first dance together. Donna looked at Josh as they moved easily on the dance floor. They were closer than ever before.

And while Josh and Donna were newly discovering their feelings for one another, Ellie was about to extend an olive branch to one of her most fractured relationships. She drove to the hospital in Hanover and asked for Amy Gardner's room.

She paused in the doorway, watching as Amy adjusted her baby brother in her arms. He was cute, Ellie had to admit, with a full head of light brown hair and a cute button nose.

Suddenly, Amy looked up. "Ellie?" The surprise in her voice was evident. Ellie suspected that Scott hadn't told Amy ahead of time of her visit, but now wasn't the time to dwell on that.

"Hi, Amy." Ellie said shyly. And with those two words, a bridge had been formed.

The next several weeks passed in a kind of blur for Liberty. Sam and Ainsley returned from their honeymoon and went back to their respective jobs. Ainsley was still gainfully employed in both Hanover and Liberty, and the inn, with Josh as the manager, was enjoying a boom of success like never before.

Josh and Donna had not since made any more moves towards a relationship since their little moment at the wedding, though Donna had gushed to CJ later how surprised she was that Josh could waltz. But soon enough, Donna was too busy to care.

The time had come for colleges to release their decisions. Donna had, after much discussion with CJ, decided to apply to the University of New Hampshire for the fall to finish her Bachelor's degree. Charlie and Ellie had also applied to UNH, though Ellie's other decisions would come much earlier.

On the day the Ivy League decisions were released, Ellie woke up early, nervous about what the day would bring. Ellie had already learned she was accepted to UNH, but Charlie and Donna were still waiting. As she walked into the diner, she could find the two already commiserating over the lack of answers from the college. CJ had a business appointment across town, leaving Donna to run the diner.

"I wouldn't worry too much, guys." Ellie said as she sat down. "I'm sure it's just taking a while for the letters to get through the mail."

"Easy for you to say." Charlie grumbled. "You already have your acceptance."

"Well, that's true, but I also applied for early admission."

Charlie threw his hands up. "Fair enough."

Ellie grinned. This friendship thing between her and Charlie was really working out.

Just then, Donna spoke up. "The Ivy League comes out with their decisions today, right?"

"Right. They should be in the mail today."

"Well, good luck."

"You won't need it, though." CJ chimed in. "You're destined for the Ivy League."

"I hope you're right." Ellie replied. She hoped for the town's sake that CJ was exactly right.

As Ellie got home from school, her father was still at the inn. She got off the bus by herself and walked to her house. Suddenly, something caught her eye.

Six identically stuffed envelopes were on the front porch. Ellie's breath caught in her throat. Slowly, she approached the porch. She knew that in addition to the Ivys, some of their female equivalent schools had also mailed out their decisions. Could those colleges be among these envelopes?

She lowered herself onto the front step, looking at the first one: Columbia. It had once been her first choice (still was in her top 5), but so much had happened over the past few years that she wanted to be closer to home. Luckily, Dartmouth, a 30-minute drive from home, was also in the stack of acceptance letters.

Ellie quickly scanned the other four envelopes. In addition to Columbia and Dartmouth, she had been accepted to Yale, Cornell, Wellesley, and Smith. She couldn't be more excited-and honored-that she had been accepted to so many of the world's most famous colleges.

"Ellie?" She heard a voice calling her from the front gate. She looked up to see Josh, her shock mirrored on his face. He had a knowing smile on his face-the stack of envelopes on Ellie's lap and the wide, teary smile on her face were dead giveaways. "Do you have something you'd like to tell me?"

Ellie nodded, then held up six fingers. Josh's face went from a look of disbelief to a look of absolute pride as he moved the envelopes off Ellie's lap and swept her off her feet into a crushing hug.

"I knew you could do it." He said into her ear. "I am so proud of you."

"To Ellie." CJ said, raising her glass at the tables pushed together in the center of the diner. "May this be the first in a lifetime full of successes!"

"Hear, hear!" Josh echoed, clinking his glass with Ellie's.

The diner was packed to celebrate Ellie's unbelievable achievement. The Bartlets, Charlie, Toby, Sam, Ainsley, CJ, Donna, and even Abbie Jean were all seated around tables at the diner, chatting heartily.

Meanwhile, Ellie was seated at the head of the table, a legal pad on her lap, working out the pros and cons of her top 2 schools: Columbia and Dartmouth. Pro-con lists were something she did when she had a big decision to make, something that made her feel in control of the situation.

Donna came to sit by her. "How are the pro-con lists coming?"

"Okay." Ellie replied. "So far, Dartmouth seems to have more pros than Columbia."

"I thought Columbia was your dream school."

"It was." Ellie insisted. "But now...I have a different dream. I want to be closer to home. Closer to this little peanut." She ruffled the now two-year-old Abbie Jean's head of blonde hair. She had been in their lives for two years, and they couldn't imagine life without her.

"And closer to your brother?" Donna asked knowingly.

Ellie sighed. Baby Justin, as he was named, was now three months old, and Ellie had not been to see him since that day in the hospital. While a bridge had been formed, she had yet to fully reconcile with her mother, a situation that made it difficult to forge a strong relationship with her half-brother. Still, he did weigh heavily on her decision to stay in New Hampshire.

Donna smiled. "You've already made your decision, haven't you?"

Ellie looked at her list for Columbia, then Dartmouth. After hesitating, she began to nod.

"Yeah." She said, casting her "Columbia" list to the side and holding up her "Dartmouth" list. "I think I have."

Later that evening, the Bartlets, Charlie, and the Lymans were walking home from the diner when Charlie noticed something.

"Hey, the mail flap's up."

Jed and Abbey exchanged glances. Could this be what they'd been waiting for?

Ellie noticed the nervous look on Charlie's face and decided to help him out. "Hey, Dad, why don't we let the Bartlets get on with their evening?"

Luckily, Josh took the hint. "Yeah, let's get inside. It's been a long day. Good night Jed, Abbey."

"Good night, Josh." They both said. Josh and Ellie headed inside, but a few minutes later, Ellie headed to the kitchen window. It was the only window in the house that looked directly on the Bartlets.

Charlie was standing in the window, reading a letter intently. Slowly, a grin spread on his face. He looked up and made eye contact with Ellie, giving her a thumbs up.

Ellie grinned, then ran up the stairs. Charlie had done it. He had gotten into college.

Charlie wasn't the only one who celebrated good news that night. An hour later, there was a knock at the door. Josh swung it open to reveal Donna, a flushed and excited expression on her face.

"I got in." She held up a similar letter that Ellie had gotten five days earlier, bearing the words, "Welcome to the University of New Hampshire."

"You got in?" Josh repeated in excitement. "All right!" For the past six months, after Donna made up her mind that she was going back to school, he had been one of her biggest cheerleaders.

And suddenly, he did something that to most people would seem impulsive, but to him was something he'd been waiting to do for a long time. He grabbed Donna and kissed her.

They pulled apart, surprised. Then, reaching up and cradling his face in her hands, she kissed him. The kiss quickly deepened as she felt Josh kiss her back.

They broke the kiss only when they heard a voice utter a surprised, "Whoa." They turned to find Ellie standing on the stairs, an amused look on her face.

"Ellie, I can explain-" Josh started.

"What took you two so long?" Ellie asked in surprise and delight.

The two grinned at Ellie's apparent blessing, but then looked at one another.

What had they done?

A/N: And they're finally together! There may still be some bumps in the road, but it'll all work out. Please let me know what you thought!