Chapter Text
This story starts about a year after they saved the world, when Patty goes on a date with an unnamed man. This isn’t unusual. She goes out at least once a week, sometimes more. Sometimes they last for a few more dates, sometimes several months stretch out before it ends, but most times there’s one night of fun and it’s over. Sometimes the others hear about them the next day, sometimes they don’t.
Patty comes in to work the morning after this particular date whistling, and she doesn’t whistle. She drops her purse on the table.
“I just met the man I’m going to marry,” she says. “His name is Derrick.”
She waits and lets Derrick catch up to her. They date for a year and a half, then move in together. After another six months, he takes her to the restaurant where they first met, holds her hands across the table, and says he thinks he wants to spend the rest of his life with her.
“Finally,” she says. “Now show me the ring.”
The other ’busters gather around Patty and ooh and ah over the glinting diamond on her left hand.
“The first Ghostbusters wedding!” squeals Abby.
A pang goes through Erin.
“Y’all will be my bridesmaids, right?”
“Yes!”
“Hell yep,” Holtzmann says. “I’ll even wear a dress. Only for you, Patty.”
“You don’t have to wear a dress. I’d rather you didn’t.”
“Oh, thank god.”
“Congratulations, Patty,” Erin says, her throat tight for reasons she can’t explain. “I’d love to be a bridesmaid. Any ideas on when or where the wedding will be?”
Patty laughs. “Ideas? Baby, I got the whole thing figured out already.”
Abby grins. “Does Derrick know you’ve already planned it all?
“Derrick’s marrying me. He better know.”
They all laugh.
“Seriously, though, mark your calendars. How does April sound?” Patty grins. “…In Mexico?”
The rest of them cheer. Abby bounces up and down. “Oh my god, really?”
“Oh!” Erin claps. “I’ll get to use my Spanish! Horabuena por tu buida, Patty!”
Holtz makes a face. Patty shakes her head.
Patty secures a venue at a resort near Playa del Carmen, and the rest of them book their tickets. She eventually tells Derrick. She also informs the mayor’s office that the entire team will be gone for a week, which he’s pissed about, but she tells him to shove it (in nicer words than that).
They go dress shopping: the four of them and Patty’s sister, Cynthia, who’s the maid of honour. Patty tries on dress after dress after dress.
“You’re too picky,” Cynthia says. “Pick a damn dress.”
“Shut your damn mouth. It’s my day, and I’m gonna look perfect.”
“You ain’t gonna look perfect if you end up wearing a garbage bag because you couldn’t pick a damn dress.”
“Shut the fuck up, Cynthia.”
Turns out, they have a kind of love-hate banter thing going. More hate than love.
Holtz is upside down with her legs over the back of the couch they’re squished onto. Erin turns to her while Patty disappears into the back to try on another dress.
“Doesn’t that give you a headache?”
“It’s good for circulation.”
“It makes it look like you’re bored.”
“I am bored.” Holtzmann presses a thumb to her temple. “Shopping,” she says, unfiltered disgust colouring her voice.
“You’ll upset Patty with that attitude.”
“She’s right,” Abby says from where she’s paging through a bridal magazine on Holtz’s other side.
“Okay, okay, okay.” Holtz twists and swings her legs down, nearly clipping the side of Erin’s head in the process, and lands with her feet in Erin’s lap and her head in Abby’s.
Abby lifts the magazine out of her way. “Really?”
“Guys,” Patty says as she steps out from the dressing room with her redheaded consultant behind her.
Holtz hears the sharp intakes of everyone’s breath. Her jaw drops and she struggles herself upright to properly take it in.
“Oh, Patty,” Erin says.
Patty wipes a tear from her eye. Cynthia bounds over from the couch and tackles her. “That’s it, isn’t it?”
“You look beautiful,” Abby says.
Holtz unhooks her glasses to take a better look. “Stunning, Patty. Stunning.”
“It’s the one,” Patty confirms.
They take a lunch break at a nearby diner and cram into a booth, Patty and Cynthia on one side, Abby, Holtz, and Erin on the other.
“Holtz, you’re sitting on me,” Erin says. She tries to wiggle her way closer to the window, but she’s already butted up against the edge.
“I don’t mind.”
“Holtz.”
“What do you want me to do? Abby’s in my way.”
“I’m hanging off the edge,” Abby confirms.
“Is she sitting on you too?”
“Actually, there’s a good inch of space between us.”
“Holtzmann.”
“What? Your thigh is comfy.”
“My thigh is going numb.”
“Wimp.”
“Holtzmann, move.”
“I like it when you’re bossy.” Holtz blows a kiss and scooches so she’s no longer on Erin’s leg.
“Was that so hard?” Erin says. Her thigh tingles where Holtz was touching it. Probably from trying to wake back up.
They head back to the bridal salon, to the bridesmaid department this time.
“I want purple,” Patty says. “Other than that, knock yourself out.”
“You don’t want them to be matching?” Erin asks. “Won’t that look, I don’t know…disorganized?”
“Purple. Same fabric.”
“But not matching?” She sounds like the thought makes her anxious. It probably does.
“Why should you look like clones? None of y’all are built the same way, so different dresses are gonna look good on you. ’Sides, Holtzy’s not even wearing a dress.”
Holtz salutes. “What am I wearing? Or do you want to give me free reign too? That could be dangerous.” She taps her finger on her chin and contemplates that.
“Purple,” Patty repeats.
“How do you feel about feathers?”
“Lord. Consult with Derrick if you want some direction.”
“Righty-o, boss.”
The other women are combing through the racks. Holtz stretches out on the couch to watch them. Patty comes over and lifts her feet up to sit underneath.
“Erin, no turtlenecks.”
Erin looks back at Patty. “It’s not—”
“Put it back.”
“I’m self-conscious about my collarbones,” Erin mutters.
“You have beautiful collarbones,” Holtzmann pipes up.
Erin touches them. “Really?”
“Really really.”
Erin hmms and turns back to the dresses.
“That’s them, ladies,” Patty says, and claps her hands together excitedly.
Holtz appraises the three women, lined up in the dresses they’ve chosen. Abby’s is the lightest purple, short with straps that go up and around into a bow at the back of her neck, and she’s wearing a matching jacket-thingie. Cynthia’s is darker, more pinky, and long. It’s got some sort of one-strap situation happening in the front.
And Erin—Erin’s is the darkest purple, more form fitting than the others. She tugs nervously at the hemline and smooths the dress down over her hips where it hugs them. It’s got a fairly modest neckline, well, maybe not for Erin. Regardless, she looks hot. Holtz lets out a wolf-whistle.
“How am I gonna compete with this?” she says. “Patty, were you a firm no on the feathers, or can I put you down as a maybe?”
“No feathers.”
Holtz’s eyes trail back and land on Erin. “Damn. Back to the drawing board.”
Holtzmann consults Derrick on what him and his groomsmen are wearing, and builds an outfit that she thinks complements everyone’s attire. She shows it to Patty for her stamp of approval.
“You’re not wearing that hat. Everything else is great, but you’re not wearing that hat anywhere near my wedding.”
“Fair.”
April draws closer. Everyone’s dresses come in, and they go for fittings. Holtzmann doesn’t come; she says she’s had enough shopping to last her until next winter, at least.
The dresses all need minor alterations, but they look good. They find shoes, simple gold sandals that will hold up well in the sand.
Patty revels in the fact that the resort does most of the planning, including décor.
“None of that Pinterest mason jar shit for me, thanks,” she says.
Patty refuses an offered bridal shower. They reinforce gender role bullshit. As long as they have a kickass bachelorette party, that’s all she cares about.
Cynthia plans for a bachelorette party for their first full day at the resort.
“Bitch, it’s gonna be an entire day of drinking and bad decisions,” she says.
“Bitch, you’d better deliver,” Patty replies.
The week before they’re set to fly out, the Ghostbusters get together with members of the NYPD on the off-chance there’s a ghost emergency while they’re out of the country. Holtzmann leaves them some simple, idiot-proof tech to use, mostly proton grenades. Those require the least accuracy and skill.
The whole team will be gone for a week, and Patty’s staying behind for another week after that for her honeymoon.
Patty spends the days leading up to their departure on the phone, sorting out everything from family drama to a last-minute screw-up with her dress.
The night before they leave, they lock up the firehouse and set up an answering machine message directing the public to a special NYPD ghost hotline set up for the occasion. Then they part ways for the night.
They all meet up at their gate at the airport. Erin gets there first, followed by Patty and Derrick, then Abby with Kevin. She was in charge of picking him up to make sure he made it to the airport on time.
Someone should’ve done the same for Holtzmann. It’s half an hour before boarding is set to begin, and Holtz still hasn’t shown up. The anxiety-bubbles are starting to simmer in Erin’s stomach.
She’s one minute away from calling when Holtz finally strides up to the gate.
“Were you planning on arriving five minutes before the plane took off?” Erin asks Holtz as relief seeps through her.
Holtz shrugs. “Wouldn’t have left without me.”
“Yes, it absolutely would have, Holtzmann. The plane doesn’t operate on your schedule.”
“You’re too naggy for this early in the morning.”
“It’s 10:00.”
“I’m on vacation. Leave me alooooone.”
“Who’s getting married, again?” Abby stage-whispers.
“Are we there yet?”
Erin sighs. “Shush and stop squirming, Holtz.”
Abby leans over in the seat in front of Holtzmann to glare through the crack. “I second that. Stop kicking the back of my seat.”
“I’m bored and it’s cramped, what do you expect me to do?”
“Sit still?” Erin suggests. “Look at the scenery?”
“It’s just clouds.”
“I don’t know what to tell you.”
“I want to walk out on the wing.” Holtz presses her hand against the small oval window.
“Please don’t.”
“Betcha I could get out and back without anyone noticing.”
“I’m not engaging in this conversation anymore,” Erin says, then twists to the other side of her seat to talk to Kevin instead. “Hey, Kevin.”
“Hey, boss. Did you know they have movies in the seats? Where do they come from?”
“Uh…satellites,” Erin says.
“They don’t have my favourite movie,” he says sadly.
“What’s that?”
“Ghostbusters.”
“Kevin, that’s not…that’s not a movie.”
“It’s not?”
“That’s our name. Did you confuse our name with the title of another movie?”
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
Kevin shrugs.
“…Right.” Erin shakes the conversation from her head. Wouldn’t be the weirdest one she’s ever had with him. “Sooo, Kevin.”
“Yeah, boss?”
“I don’t have a date for this wedding.”
Holtz leans all the way over, literally butting her head into the conversation. “Does anybody, though? It’s a destination wedding and we’re all single. Not exactly the type of shindig you bring a casual acquaintance to. Unless they’re super rich.” Her forehead crinkles. “I should’ve invited Pricilla van Doofenshmirtz the Third. Or Henrietta du Blarblahbloo.” She slaps her knee. “Or Ned!”
Erin gently pushes Holtz’s head out of her personal space. “Anyway,” she says, “I still wish I had a date.”
Kevin seems to have checked out.
Erin sighs. “Kevin?”
“Yeah, boss?”
“Do you want to be my date to the wedding?”
“What wedding?”
“Patty’s wedding? The one we’re all flying to right now?”
“Oh! That one! Aren’t you going with Holtzmann?”
Erin blinks. “Why would I be going with Holtzmann?”
“I don’t know,” Kevin says.
“Aren’t you technically paired up with one of the groomsmen?” Holtz says.
“Aren’t you technically supposed to shut up?” Erin fires back.
Holtz finger-guns her.
“So, Kevin, date?”
“Sure thing, boss.”
Erin settles back in her seat, content.
Holtz taps on the glass of the window. “I think I can see my mom from here.”
The six of them walk through the airport, dragging their luggage behind them, in the direction of the shuttle bus that’ll take them directly to the resort.
“Esto emoción,” Erin says excitedly as they walk.
Holtz side-eyes her.
Erin fans herself. “Y es calado.”
“I don’t think that’s the right word,” Holtz says.
“What do you know about Spanish? Tomo clases en escuelos secunda.”
Holtz rolls her eyes. “Soy fluido en español, para su información. Y tú, querida, ni siquiera eres pasable.”
Erin frowns. “What?”
Holtz smirks.
The resort is massive and gorgeous. It’s everything that Patty hoped it would be. They all check in, get wrist-banded, and set off for their rooms with the promise to meet up at the buffet in a few hours for dinner.
Abby and Holtzmann are splitting a room. Erin’s by herself in hers, which seems sad to Patty, but she says she’s always been one to need alone-time. They’re in the same section, just a few doors down from one another.
Patty takes Derrick and goes to hunt down her family members who have flown in already. Cynthia came in with her wife and daughter a few days before. Her mom was supposed to land a few hours before her own plane touched down, so she should be around somewhere. The rest of her family and Derrick’s are also already checked in.
Derrick squeezes her hand as they walk across the resort and take in the pools, the bars, the beach. “You did good.”
“Of course I did,” she says.
She can already tell it’s going to be a hell of a trip.