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Author's Chapter Notes:
Epilogue... hope you like. Special thanks to GreenFish again for beta-ing!

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"Jim."

Jim turned around to see Michael hiding behind the tree, motioning for him to come over.

"What's up, Michael?"

"Pam told me that Angela said I can't make a speech at the reception."

"Um, well ... after your speech at Phyllis' wedding..." Jim couldn't help but smile.

"I know. But I learned from my mistake. Here -- I even wrote it down." Michael took out a note card from his suit pocket. Jim looked from the card to Michael. He noticed the sadness in Michael's eyes. It was Dwight's wedding. Jim sighed.

"Let me go talk to Angela for you." He smiled at Michael. "I know that it would mean a lot for you to say a few words."

"It would mean a lot. Besides, Jan told me that I should get some ideas from a bridal magazine and then customize it. And I did. It's good. I promise. Tell Angela that."

Jim nodded and walked away. The wedding wasn't at a church or a graveyard, but in a garden, at The Inne of the Abingtons, in nearby Dalton.

It had been almost a year since Dwight proposed. So many things had happened since then. Karen had transferred to New York to work for corporate. Phyllis finally saw Lilly again. Ryan was offered Creed's job, which he took after realizing being a salesman wasn't his forte. Kevin and Stacey ended their relationship after they talked about her affair with Andy. Jim and Pam were still together. And Jim - well, he planned to pop the question the next weekend. Overall, things were good, as long as the wedding went off without a hitch. No one dared to ruin Angela's wedding.

Jim knocked on the door of the dressing room.

"Who is it?"

"It's Jim. I have a question for Angela."

Slowly, the door opened and Pam peeked her head out. "She's really not in the right mood."

"Well, would you try to get her to reconsider Michael giving a speech?"

At that moment, the door flew wide open. There, in a changing robe, Angela stood with her lips tightly pressed together and her left eyebrow rose, as if saying: "What?"

Jim cleared his throat. "Angela, you know this is a big day for Michael, and--"

"Listen, Jim. It's a big day for me, too, and I don't want it ruined with some cockamamie story from Michael, probably saying something about how he thought I was a lesbian or something." She frowned deeply at Jim.

"Think about Dwight. It would mean the world to him." Jim gave her a small smile.

Angela tapped her foot, pondering the consequences of having Michael give a speech. She looked from Jim to Pam. "If and when you and Jim get married, would you allow Michael to give a speech?"

Pam really didn't know what to say. She looked at Jim, pleading for help, but he just dropped his gaze to the ground in order to stay out of it. Pam played with the fabric of her dress and after a few more seconds, she nodded, slowly. She glanced back up at Angela.

The blonde sighed and looked back at Jim. "Well, I suppose it would make Dwight happy..."

Jim looked back up. "So, is that a ‘yes'?"

Angela shot him a death glare. "If he screws this up, it's on your head." With that, she left the doorway.

Still standing there, Pam whispered to Jim, "I'm hoping that when we get married, Michael would have already gotten all these speeches out of his system."

Jim smiled at the fact that she said ‘when.' He gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I doubt he'll ever get anything out of his system."

"Pam!" Angela yelled from inside.

Pam rolled her eyes. "I'm kind of regretting accepting the position of maid-of-honor. " She gave him a kiss on the lips. "I'll see you later."

After the door closed, Jim couldn't help but smile. At least Dwight wasn't as demanding, he thought.

"Jim! There you are!" Jim looked at Mose walking down the hallway. Jim was considering that maybe he'd spoken too soon.

"Is something wrong, Mose?"

"I can't find Dwight!"

Jim immediately covered Mose's mouth and took him down the hallway. Having that conversation in front of the bride's room probably wasn't the best idea. As soon as the coast was clear, Jim removed his hand.

"What do you mean, you can't find Dwight?"

"He's nowhere to be found. All the rest of the groomsmen are looking for him, too. He's been gone for at least ten minutes."

"That's not good. The wedding starts in--"Jim glanced at his watch. "Oh, yeah. It starts in fifteen minutes, Mose. Dwight has to be walking down that aisle in fifteen minutes." Mose looked at Jim, searching for an answer. Jim sighed. "Continue looking. And I'll check around as well." He sent Mose on his way.

"Where the hell is he?" Jim said aloud to himself.

"Who is?" Jim turned around to see Angela standing behind him. He hadn't seen her in wedding dress yet. He smiled at seeing how beautiful she looked. Dwight cannot be running away from this, he thought.

Jim cleared his throat. "Michael. I can't find Michael."

Angela could tell he was lying. She looked at the floor. "It's Dwight, isn't it? He changed his mind."

Jim grabbed Angela's hands. "No. He would never. He loves you too much to just leave." He heard her sniffling. He cupped her chin so that she would look at him. "This place is big. He could be anywhere. He's probably just taking a stroll or something."

Angela curled her lips up a little. "I do believe he brought his spud gun."

"Why am I not surprised?" The two shared a chuckle. Jim gave her a hug. "I'll find him. He's not walking out on this." He squeezed her hands. "Now, don't worry."

Down the hallway, Jim saw Pam standing with Angela's veil. "Angela, I think Pam wants to put your veil on you."

Angela looked back behind her and nodded. She squeezed Jim's hands back before turning to go.

"Angela," Jim said. She turned her head. "You look absolutely gorgeous." She smiled and continued walking away. After watching her for a few more moments, he went down the other hallway to the exit.

His search began at the garden pavilion where the guests were waiting patiently. He scanned the crowd. He saw most of the Dunder-Mifflin crew. Except for Michael ... It suddenly dawned on him: he knew where Dwight was. Jim ran behind the trees and behind the gazebo. There, he found Dwight and Michael.

"Hey." The two looked at Jim. "Dwight, we've been looking everywhere for you."

"Really? Michael was just giving me some advice about tonight." Jim tried desperately to remove that last sentence from his memory.

Michael came and whispered in Jim's ear. "Did you ask Angela about you-know-what?"

"Yes, Michael. She agreed."

Michael's eyes lit up. Jim smiled.

"What's this? What's going on?" Dwight asked.

Jim looked at Dwight. "You'll find out later. By the way, you might want to go knock on Angela's door before the wedding starts. She was worried that you might have bailed on her."

"What?" And with that, Dwight was off.

Despite everything, the wedding ceremony went off without a hitch. Dwight and Angela were very grateful that Jan was there to keep Michael under control. Tears formed around Dwight's eyes when Angela came down the aisle.

Dwight whispered to Jim, "Isn't my bride beautiful?"

Jim gave Dwight a pat on his back. "Yes. Yes, she is."

Angela's dress was more of a traditional style, with sleeves and a chapel train, but this was Angela. Pam couldn't believe how much she liked her bridesmaid dress, as well. She had been a bit worried at first about what Angela would pick, but when Angela announced that the dress would be a simple red sleeveless, A-line, tea-length dress, Pam was very pleased. She could even wear the dress again out for a nice evening with Jim.

The reception was held in the Inne's octagon-shaped ballroom. There was a three-course meal along with a live band. Pam was pretty impressed, considering how difficult she knew planning a wedding could be. Angela had done an amazing job. While watching Dwight and Angela's first dance (to Frank Sinatra's "Fly Me To The Moon") Pam couldn't help to feel a little melancholy. She couldn't wait to have this moment with Jim. (Maybe not as big of a wedding, though.)

"What are you thinking over there, Beesly?" Jim smiled, leaning over to bump shoulders with Pam.

"I was just thinking on how amazingly adorable Dwight and Angela are."

"I would have never seriously put ‘adorable' and ‘Dwight' in the same sentence before, but today, I would actually have to agree with you." He gave her a kiss on the cheek.

It wasn't until the salad course had passed that Michael decided to make his speech. Angela closed her eyes to say a small prayer that Michael wouldn't ruin anything. Dwight gave her a quick peck on her nose. She looked at him.

"There's nothing to worry about, Monkey."

Michael stood in the middle of the room with the microphone. "Hello." Feedback came through for a second. "Hi. My name is Michael Scott. I am both Angela's and Dwight's employer from Dunder-Mifflin. I would just like to make a toast to the new Mr. and Mrs. Dwight Schrute."

Pam crossed her fingers as Jim took in a deep breath. If Michael screws this up, Angela will kill me, he repeated in his head.

Michael took out the note card from his suit pocket. He smiled as he read the card out loud. "Marriage is about commitment, marriage is about devotion, marriage is about sharing a toaster oven... A good towel, like a pure heart, absorbs to its full capacity. Soul mates are like pillowcases, they're meant to be together. Forever. Love is like crystal; it must be handled gently and with great care. Love, like a good cup of coffee, keeps you awake at night..."

He glanced at the head table. Angela looked displeased while everyone looked confused. Taking a breath, he walked over his table and placed the note card down.

"Over the many years that I've known Dwight, I've come to know his loyalty, his reliability, and his passion. He has been there in my low points and my high points. Angela, you cannot find a better man to spend the rest of your life with. And Angela... she is patient, she is determined, and she is sensible. She's even been able to put up with me, as her boss. And that says a lot! She's perfect for you, Dwight. Your love and commitment for each other is so incredible that I am even in awe of it. Here's to a gratifying and fruitful life. I wish you two the best."

Michael raised his champagne glass from the table. "To Angela and Dwight!" He tipped the glass in their direction.

Dwight grinned from ear to ear, clapping, while Angela, with a few stray tears, mouthed: "Thank you. "

Before the cake was cut, Jim and Pam had their respective speeches. Jim talked about the first time he met Dwight.

"He just stared at me," said Jim. "And then, he commented that his father had the exact same tie that I was wearing. When I went home that day, I put that tie away in order to never wear it again." He smiled while everyone chuckled. He continued, "Despite our differences, I have always viewed Dwight as a brother. Or at least, maybe, a cousin. He has devotion unlike anyone I have ever known. I can never say that I regret knowing Dwight K. Schrute. It has been an honor to have worked alongside him all these years. Dwight, I appreciate our friendship and I will cherish it forever."

Dwight quickly wiped away his tears and accepted Jim's bear hug. Jim bent over and also gave Angela a quick kiss on the cheek. "Take good care of him," he added.

"I will," she replied.

Pam looked around the room. For some reason, her nerves almost got the best of her. However, Jim's gentle squeeze on her hand gave her courage to continue on.

"Not many know this story. I had just ended my engagement about two years ago and I was at the grocery store, when I ran into Angela. I was a mess, and I'm sure I looked like it, too, because so she asked me if something was wrong. Then, for the rest of the night, she had me over at her place eating ice cream, and cookies, and brownies, and cupcakes, and -- it just make me forget about the depressed state that I was in. The entire time I was there, she never asked for any information that I wasn't willing to give and she listened to whatever I was." Pam gave Angela a smile. "Although we're two completely different personalities, we were able to forge a friendship. I was privy to her and Dwight's relationship before anyone else was, and I'm glad that I was able to be there for her, since she was there for me. Angela, you're an amazing person. I'm glad that we're friends."

Pam gave the microphone to Jim while she and Angela embraced. Pam also gave Dwight a hug as well, whispering in his ear, "Thank you for everything, as well."

"The pleasure was mine," he replied back, giving a kiss on her forehead.

While Angela and Dwight cut the cake, Michael came up to Jim, saying, "Those were really good speeches that you and Pam did."

Jim glanced at Michael. "Yours was pretty good, too. Especially the last part."

Michael scoffed. "The first part was from ‘Brides' magazine. Never listening to Jan again."

"The whole thing about ‘soul mates being like pillowcases' was in a bridal magazine for actual wedding speeches?" Jim looked quizzically at Michael.

"In was in the ‘special section'." Michael used his hands to make quotation marks in the air.

Jim laughed. "Michael, if I remember correctly from looking at those magazines when Pam was planning her wedding with Roy, those ‘special sections' are usually advertisements. Now, it makes sense! You were probably reading an ad for a bridal registry."

"Heh... I just thought that meant JCPenney was sponsoring the article. It was bad advice, anyway." Michael chuckled sheepishly.

"It turned out fine, Michael. Don't worry about it." Jim gave Michael a pat on his shoulder. "Besides, it's just practice for when Pam and I get married."

Michael's eyes opened widely. "What? Did you already ask her?"

Jim flashed a smile. "Next weekend."

Michael gave him a huge hug. "Congrats, buddy!"

"Congrats on what?" The two turned to see Pam standing there with a piece of cake.

Jim cleared his throat. "I'm going to some night classes in order to finally get my college degree."

"Oh, Jim, that's terrific. You've been talking about that for a couple of months now." Pam smiled at him.

Michael added, "And you never know, in five years, Jim might run Dunder-Mifflin. Or open his own company. Anything is possible." Jim nodded in agreement.

"Pam!" Kelly came through to the crowd and grabbed Pam's hand. "Angela's throwing the bouquet!" After Pam gave the cake to Jim, she and Kelly made their way to the middle of the dance floor.

Michael and Jim watched as all the women gathered. Michael asked, "So, I only have a week to keep the engagement secret?"

Jim smiled. "Do you think that you can hold it for that long?"

"I'm pretty sure that I can. Especially since it's such a huge thing." Michael added, "Secrets are like that. If not handled carefully, they're blow up in your face."

Michael at looked Jim holding in his laughter.

"What?" he said. "It's true. Remember last year, with the whole Creed thing? That turned out so bad at the time, but after everyone cooled off, everything was back to normal, if not better. Yes, it was hard at first, but we all just pushed through it."

Jim just burst out laughing. "Oh, Michael. Do you realize what you are saying? I mean, seriously?" He looked over at Michael, who was grinning.

Slowly, Michael added, "That's what she said." Cheers came from the bouquet toss and both men turned their attention in that direction. Michael's smile grew as he saw Jan with the bouquet. He excused himself from Jim as he ran off to hug Jan.

Seconds later, Pam came up alongside Jim. "Hey."

"Hey," Jim replied. "Sorry that you didn't catch the bouquet."

"Don't worry about it. I really didn't want my eyes to get scratched out, anyways."

"From Kelly?"

"No. Jan." She gave him a slight smile.

At that moment, Dwight had grabbed the microphone. "Attention, everyone. Attention." All turned toward him. "Thank you. The missus and I would like everyone from Dunder-Mifflin to come to dance floor for a family picture."

Jim grabbed Pam's hand. "Let's go, Halpert," he said. Pam looked at him strangely.

He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. "I was just trying it out, Beesly." They both smiled as they made their way over to everyone else.

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Chapter End Notes:

The Inne of the Abingtons really does exist and it seems very nice. :)

This is what I had in mind for Angela's gown.

And this is Pam's dress.

The first half of Michael's speech really did come from a JCPenney Bridal Registry ad .



sorano916 is the author of 11 other stories.
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