Epilogue- part 2

Pacey leant his head against the doorway and laughed, unable to stop the happy smile from growing to outrageously large proportions. Inside the family room of the hospital maternity wing stood Jack, Dawson, Bodie and Doug all bent over three hospital bassinets, goofy smiles on their faces as well.

'You're going to be destroyed,' Doug whispered wisely. 'Absolutely destroyed.'

'Thanks for the words of comfort bro,' Pacey laughed softly his eyes never moving from the three tiny babies with their Baby Witter 1, Baby Witter 2, and Baby Witter 3 name labels.

'You're going to be having no sleep,' Dawson told him looking at the babies wistfully.

'No sex,' Jack sighed.

'No life,' Bodie added.

'You guys rehearsed that didn't you?' Pacey chuckled.

'Nah, not at all,' Jack lied badly.

'They're just so...so...' Pacey trailed off as Baby Witter 1 yawned.

'Perfect?' Jack filled in for him.

'Yeah,' he was totally, one hundred percent overwhelmed. His heart hadn't returned to its normal rate since they were born five hours earlier, in fact since Joey had gone into labour.

'They've got the Potter pout,' Bodie observed.

'Baby 2 has your eyes,' Doug grinned.

'And baby 1 and baby 3 have Joeys eyes. Just don't let them know the eyes make you soft,' Jack made a face that was wasted on the babies but not on Doug who poked him affectionately in the ribs.

'How's Joey?' Dawson whispered after a furtive glance at Pacey.

'She's good - happy!' Pacey moved to stand by the three babies. 'Currently surrounded by women I believe.'

'How did the birth go?' Jack asked.

'Fine. She was awake while they did the caesarean and was even making jokes.'

'Awake?' Jack paled visibly.

'She had an epidural Jack,' Doug grinned.

'Oh, thank god for that, but still...' Jack relaxed again.

'Let's give these little guys a cuddle,' Pacey suggested with raised eyebrows, keen to bond some more with his children.

'Are you sure that's ok?' Dawson queried cautiously and Pacey laughed,

'They're my babies, I say we take them to see their mommy,' he smiled.

'Hey sweet Jo,' Pacey smiled at Joey who was surrounded by Jen, Bessie, Gail, Grams, Gretchen and Monica.

'Hey Pace,' she held out her hand for the baby boy he handed her and Pacey turned to take his daughter from Dawson. He smiled at Doug who placed his other son in Joey's other arm.

'How you doing?' he kissed her forehead sitting on the bed beside her. They smiled as Bessie took a picture.

'Great,' she looked at him longingly, pleased when he put another impulsive kiss on her forehead.

'Oh they're just adorable,' Gail crooned and Pacey, a little reluctantly, passed her his daughter.

'A real gift,' Grams gave a finger to the baby girl Gail was now holding.

'Amy will be so pleased,' Jen quipped as Joey caught her eye.

'They're so amazing you guys,' Gretchen stared in awe at her brothers new family.

'Perfect,' Joey murmured.

'Yeah perfect,' Pacey agreed but he was looking at Joey.

'I'm really sorry about this,' Joey looked at Pacey and laughed. He had the triple stroller in the corridor with all three children cocooned inside. In addition to the stroller he had blankets, toys and a large bag full of diapers, expressed milk and other things deemed necessary.

'Don't apologize,' he murmured moving around the stroller awkwardly. Mission achieved he gave her a hug, smiling as she pulled a wooly hat onto his head.

'I'll be as quick as I can.'

'I'll save calling through the restaurant for as long as I can. It's the first conflict we've had since these guys arrived.'

'I know Bill needs a life, but it would be great if he could have made this appointment for another day,' Joey sighed.

'I don't mind, you don't need to mind. Bill is great and he and his wife have to sign the papers for their new lease today or they lose the apartment. He's sorry.'

'Ok, ok, I'm over reacting,' she smiled.

'You are. The guys at the restaurant love these guys.'

'I know, and Sarah could have asked me before making this appointment.'

'It's a big deal and it's ok,' he kissed her.

'I know, I know. We have to meet now to get the book out before Christmas.'

'Now say goodbye and get out of here,' he teased kissing her before scrambling back to the other side of the stroller. Joey bent over the stroller and kissed the children,

'Bye Alice, bye Jake, bye Owen.' She stood up and looked at Pacey who was apparently deep in thought.

It was true that things had been hectic since the babies were born. One has an impact but three meant things had gone crazy. The little room they'd planned on as a nursery suddenly didn't seem like such a good idea and they'd ended up moving into the small room giving the larger room up to the babies. There was also the expense. Three cribs, three bouncers, three times as many diapers, an expensive triple stroller and there would be more with high chairs and clothes. Not to mention the logistics. As a team they were fine, but when either were looking after them alone it became a logistical nightmare. They had to feed them in two rounds, change them in three rounds and then spend about half an hour rounding them up if they wanted to go anywhere. And when they went out they were literally babyfied. The triple stroller was great but sometimes it was just too big and they favoured the double stroller and one strapped on the front in a baby carrier.

The truth of it was both Pacey and Joey were exhausted, broke and extremely happy. They loved every minute of looking after their children and each other. Pacey had employed a manager, Bill, so he could spend a lot more time at home, something that the success of the restaurant allowed. Joey had finished her book before the babies were born but it was in editing and awaiting review. The time for writing her next novel would come but she took a relaxed philosophy on life preferring to enjoy motherhood.

Things had calmed down a lot, Pacey reflected as Joey smiled at him. The babies, thank god, had been born with his and Joeys ability to sleep and were now sleeping through the night which meant he and Joey finally had time together, finally had the energy for intimacy. A big smile took over his face.

'What are you thinking about?' Joey looked at him in surprise as his smile grew. 'You're so predictable,' she scowled.

'And last night was anything but,' he teased making her blush.

'It was nice to know that parenthood hasn't dampened that...' she gave him a crooked smile.

'I don't think anything could,' he shrugged easily.

'I'm going to miss you today,' she murmured pressing her lips to the warmth of his neck across the stroller.

'Well meet me at the restaurant for lunch. Don't just run off with the kids,' he implored.

'Sounds nice,' she smiled and tugged on her smart red coat and black scarf. Pacey stared at her.

'Doesn't mommy look beautiful' he asked his kids. 'They think so,' he told her.

'Sure they do,' Joey giggled looking at her three snoozing chi,dren and made to head off.

'Jo - breast pump and sterile bottles,' he thrust them at her in a bag he'd hung on the stroller so he wouldn't forget to give them to her.

'You are amazing,' she grabbed the bag and smiled. Looking down at the stroller Jake yawned and looked at her with his daddy's eyes. 'I'm glad one of the boys has your eyes,' she whispered as her son smiled at his mom.

'You say that a lot,' he looked at her.

'They're such beautiful eyes,' she shrugged easily and gave him another kiss on the cheek. 'Set forth young warrior,' she grinned and turning on heel headed down the corridor.

Joey laughed when she pushed through the door of New York's finest restaurant (in her opinion), the SS Icehouse. She couldn't help but laugh because it was so obvious what had happened. Pacey was clearly visible overseeing things. He was chatting to Tom, a new waiter, who was making faces at Alice who was staring at the world from the baby carrier he was wearing. Looking across the restaurant she saw Jake blinking from a baby carrier on Shala's front and Owen gurgling happily on Matt's front. The kids had clearly been vying for attention and thus distributed amongst the staff. The patrons were clearly amused.

Seeing Joey laughing at the entrance Pacey escaped the conversation with Tom and with a wide grin went to greet her.

'Hey sexy,' he kissed her cheek.

'You realise how silly this looks?' she asked with an arched brow.

'What's a dad to do?' he shrugged good-naturedly. 'Although I have a feeling theres going to be a picture in the paper...'

'All publicity is good publicity,' she kissed Alice's silky head and cooed into her daughters ear, 'Mommy loves you, yes she does.'

'Mommy needs to take a seat at the table so I can relieve the staff of her children,' Pacey pointed to Joey's favourite table, one in the corner with a view of the street.

'You're going to join us, right?' she asked.

'Of course I am. I need to hear all about your meeting. Find out how rich they think we'll be.'

'Of course you do,' her eyes shone.

'So things are going to get a bit easier now,' Pacey breathed in relief, very pleased about the advanced cheque Joey had been given.

'A lot easier,' she agreed.

'All we need is for you to write another book and then we'll be positively rich,' he gave her a cheeky smile and she rolled her eyes in response.

'Watch you financial ambition Witter. I thought we decided living a fun life was more important.'

'I have an ulterior motive,' Pacey gave her a smug smile.

'And what might that be,' she leant forward shifting Jake who she was breast-feeding.

'I'm not going to tell you,' he told her easily. Without even putting up a fight she leant back in her seat and shrugged.

'Fine, then I wont write another book.'

'Joey,' Pacey protested. 'You have to.'

'I don't have to do anything,' she pointed out gently removing Jake who had fallen asleep and covering herself. She passed the sleeping baby to Pacey and reached for Owen. 'Come on my boy, dinner,' she kissed him gently and cradled him in her arms whilst he fed.

'You look beautiful,' Pacey was momentarily caught off guard watching her be a mother to his children. It made him feel funny inside, as if the butterflies he so associated with Joey were having a party. She looked at his face, softened with affection and utter adoration and leant forward to kiss him.

'I give in, I'll write another book just take the look off your face,' she frowned and kissed him again.

'Why?'

'Because it makes me want to do things that I cant do right here,' she growled into his ear.

'Kinky girl,' he whispered back.

'Stop it,' she flushed crimson as he nibbled the skin at her neck and she caught an older couple staring in at them from the street. 'Pacey...'

'What?' he looked at her, a picture of innocence. She looked pointedly at the window where he turned to see the couple cooing through the glass at the babies. He gave them a broad smile which they returned.

'They do attract attention,' she mused wryly looking at her family.

'That's because they're cute as hell just like their mother, and very striking, just like their father.'

'You're so full of it,' she nudged him as he pulled Alice onto his lap beside Jake. He kissed them both.

'Yeah, pretty much,' he acknowledged.

A fire roared in the fire and the gentle sounds of Al Green came from the stereo. A small Christmas tree sat in the corner, lit up by fairy lights and covered in a concoction of decorations.

'Joey,' Pacey sat on the floor watching her as she lay reading on the couch. He had always loved to watch her and especially by firelight. He loved her so much his heart seemed to burst with it every time he breathed. Having a family with Joey had somehow completed him. She completed him. The kids, well they'd given him the kind of warm home he'd never had. He was exactly the kind of father he had always wanted and he found it so easy because he loved them so much. They were as different as he and his siblings had been, but Pacey loved that they were such individuals.

'Yes my love?' Joey peered at him through her glasses. The glasses had nearly been the death of him because they'd triggered some unknown secretary fantasy. It had been some time before he could let her wear them in peace.

'I wanted to ask you something?' he was leaning against the wall next to the wooden train set he'd been painting for the children's Christmas present. He'd read about such toys being good for fine motor-skill development and although they were a little young they'd certainly grow into it within a few months.

'What's that?' she lowered her book and smiled at him.

'The thing is...' Pacey paused for a moment.

'Yes?' she prompted.

'Well I was wondering if you'd marry me?' the words flowed so simply in the end. As if they were part of some everyday conversation, except that his eyes unexpectedly filled with tears that he fought back.

'Yes I will,' she gave him a megawatt smile and opened her arms to him. Crawling across the floor Pacey sat on the couch with her, the tears giving way to laughter.

'Well I'm very pleased to hear you say that missy,' he sighed.

'As if I'd say no,' she teased.

'Well I mean I didn't think you'd say no but you're a Potter, you're unpredictable.'

'True,' she acknowledged, 'that is something we're known for... is this why you want me to write another book?' she asked with dawning realisation.

'Weddings are expensive,' he winked.

'And I want a great wedding,' she agreed.

'I love you Joey,' he caught her eyes and held them with his own.

'I know,' she smiled.

'And?' he prompted.

'And I love you too. In fact I am completely head over heels in love with you,' she clarified with a wink.

'Head over heels?' he arched an inquisitive eyebrow. 'What does that involve?'

'Anything you want it to,' she breathed into his ear seductively, getting exactly the reaction she wanted as he moved in to kiss her, his hands wondering.