Chapter Title: Everything Falls Into Place Ten months later

Joey stood at the podium looking out over the crowd. Some people threw their caps in the air, some turned the tassel to the other side. Joey turned hers to the side as she walked down the stairs. Pacey was waiting at the bottom giving her a smile. It was hard to believe that they had been together for almost two years. She stopped a few steps from the bottom before wrapping her arms around his neck. He picked her up off the ground spinning her around. She let out a laugh as he passed her to Jack. Pacey picked up Jen much to her protests.

Joey looked over Jack’s shoulder seeing Bessie and Gail in the crowd. Bessie was walking down the bleachers trying to keep Gabriel from crawling out of her arms. He reminded everyone of Pacey. He had made his younger sister cry more times than anyone could count. Yet he was the happiest go lucky baby Joey had ever known. Gail followed close behind carrying Ella. She had already established that she was a daddy’s girl. She had Pacey wrapped around her finger. She had a stubborn streak even though she wasn’t a year old.

They both had Pacey’s eyes while Gabriel had Joey’s nose and chin. Ella on the other hand could pass for Joey’s twin. Gabriel reached out for Joey as Bessie stopped a few feet away from her. She took him as his small hands grabbed hold of her tassel. She let out another laugh as she took off her cap so that he could hold it. Andy talked excitedly catching up on everything that she had missed.

Things had changed so much in the in year. Andy had spent the last four months in Italy. They had all wished that she could have been with them. But she’d felt that she needed time to be herself. She didn’t want everyone constantly hovering over her like she was five. Things hadn’t been easy for any of them. They had all dealt with their Senior year of high school in different ways. And now they had to deal with the consequences.

XXXX

Late that night after everyone had gone to bed Pacey lay in bed thinking. Joey had found out that she was eligible for her first choice college. But they didn’t have the money. As usual Dawson swooped in and saved the day. He had offered the money that Mr. Brooks had given to him so that she could pay for her first years tuition. She hadn’t wanted to take it at first. But Pacey had reminded her that they could always pay Dawson back when they had the money.

It had taken him a while before he realized that the decisions he made couldn’t be all about him. He was eighteen and he had more responsibility than most people five years older than him had. It helped knowing that Joey was going through it with him. He had been thinking that they should get married before they moved to Boston.

That was something else. Joey had requested to be in campus family housing. Granted it would cost extra, but Pacey could get a job. Even though he hadn’t had one in over two years. With Jen and Jack going to college in Boston made things easier. They would have a support system if things got too hard to handle. Grams had offered to take care of the twins while Joey was in school and Pacey was at work. She still didn’t agree with them not being married, but she wasn’t going to blame two innocent children for that.

He still had issues with his parents. At least his mom had finally learned Joey’s name. And she called the twins by the right names. He didn’t know what he would do if he had to go through with that again. His dad had written him off the day he moved out. At least his mom called and came by when she could. It was just one more thing to add to the growing list of how fucked up his family was.

Joey stirred next to him as he let out a deep sigh. She turned on her side looking at him with tired eyes. He smiled down at her before pulling her to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist before laying her head on his chest. He rubbed her back trying to get her to go back to sleep.

“What are you thinking about?” She asked looking up at him.

“It’s nothing.” He said kissing her forehead.

“It must be something if it’s keeping you awake.” She said giving him a questioning look.

“I was thinking about us getting married.”

“When?”

“Soon?”

Joey nodded before splaying one of her hands over his heart feeling it beat under her fingers. Pacey threaded his fingers through her hair as the first rays of sunlight flooded through the curtains. Joey rolled out of his grasp before throwing her feet over the side of the bed. Pacey rolled over on his side propping his head on his hand. He watched her as she moved across the room.

“What are you doing?” He asked with a laugh.

“If we’re going to get married we need to do it soon.”

“We don’t have the money.”

“It doesn’t cost that much to get a marriage license. We can get married at the courthouse.” She said brushing a piece of hair out of her face.

“Do you really want to do that?” He asked sitting up in bed.

“I want us to be married.” She said coming to sit on the edge of the bed.

“Whatever you want.” He said reaching for her hands.

He intertwined their hands before pulling her down to lay with him. He was glad that she agreed with him. Bessie had been trying to talk them into waiting after Joey graduated to get married. Then again Joey rarely ever did what her sister said.

XXXX

Three days later Pacey and Joey stood in judges’ chambers waiting for Doug to hand Pacey her ring. Bessie stood behind Joey resisting the urge to cry. Jen, Jack, Gail, Dawson, Mitch and Evelyn sat a few feet away taking in the scene in front of them. Ella let out a shrill cry as Gabriel knocked her bottle out of her hands. Gail quickly retrieved it and handed it back to the little girl as she tried to get her to calm down.

Joey held back the urge to laugh as she turned to face Pacey. He slipped her ring on her finger as he bit his bottom lip. Joey stuck her tongue out at him making him smile as he shook his head. Joey took Pacey’s ring from Doug as she took hold of Pacey’s left hand. She slipped the ring on as she made eye contact with him. The judge pronounced them husband and wife and Pacey leaned down to capture her lips. She felt his hands cup her face as he deepened the kiss.

“Save that for tonight!” Jack called with a laugh.

They pulled away and Joey rolled her eyes at him. It was true that this had been a long time coming. But now that they were married things seemed like things were complete. In a way they were. They had been a family for almost a year. But being married made things more real. Joey couldn’t wait to tell the story of how they got together to the twins when they got older. It would be a good laugh. Joey and Pacey had come a long way from the sparing partners that they had been for the past ten years.

AN: I can’t believe that after nearly a year this is finally over. It seems bitter sweet now that it’s done. I have to admit that this is my favorite story that I’ve written. I’ve put a lot of hard work into this. I want to thank all of the people that have read this story. Even those of you who didn’t review. I do have a new story that I’m working on but I’m going to be moving in a few weeks. I want to get settled in before I start working in on that.