The Road Not Taken

"Wha’d you think, Andie?" he asked.

Andie glanced at Pacey and back at Dawson. "You guys are so sick."

"What?" Dawson asked, baffled.

"It’s Christmas Eve. Everyone else is watching It’s a Wonderful Life or Christmas Story, and you guys are forcing me to sit through some creepy movie about a killer shark." She wrinkled her nose at Dawson. "Don’t you like any normal movies?"

"Jaws is a classic," Dawson replied. "A perfect slice of American suburban life is thrown into chaos by the arrival of some malevolent force of nature. Man has to rise to the occasion and cope with a dangerous intruder. The status quo is upset; values are challenged and examined."

Andie stared at him.

"Here’s to swimmin’ with bow legged wimmin," Pacey mimed, raising up his soda in a toast.

"Not you too!" Andie spoke, tapping him on the shoulder.

"I’m with Dawson, McPhee. It’s a great movie. That whole last part where the sheriff is all alone and he knows he’s screwed, and..." Pacey spread his hands apart. "Boom! Good-bye Mr. Shark."

Andie stood up. "You guys, of all people..." She gestured out the window. "You live your whole lives on the water and you love a movie about a shark eating people. Is it me, or is that just twisted?"

Dawson raised an eyebrow. "‘It’s only an island if you look at it from the water,’" he quoted the film.

"Scared the crap out of us the first time we saw it," Pacey told Andie. "We were what-- ten?"

"Something like that," Dawson agreed.

Pacey chuckled. "Dawson didn’t even want to go in a pool after that movie, let alone the creek."

Dawson laughed. "I seem to remember you had an aversion to water for a few weeks after that too, Pacey."

Pacey smiled. "You remember what we did to Joey?"

Dawson threw back his head and laughed.

"What?" Andie said, smiling at their mirth. "What did you two monsters do to Joey?"

"Joey was going through this phase," Dawson explained. "She got heavily into this swimming thing. Bessie wouldn’t let her take the rowboat across the river by herself because she was too young, but Joey used to swim as far as she could and get out and walk the rest of the way." Dawson smiled. "I think she spent half the summer in the water."

Pacey nodded in agreement. "Anyway, when we got done watching the movie, Joey was all, ‘It didn’t scare me. It doesn’t bother me. It’s only a movie. I’m not letting a movie scare me," and all that. So Joey leaves, walks straight down to the dock, and dives right in."

Andie raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"Well," Dawson continued, "there was no way we were gonna let Joey be less of a scaredy cat than we were. So we took off and ran down to the dock as fast as we could, just tear-assing down there, and Pacey started yelling, ‘Joey! Joey! Get out of the water!"

Andie shook her head.

"It gets better," Pacey said. "See, Andie, Joey didn’t listen to me. She ignored me, as usual. So Dawson yelled, "Joey, we’re not fooling, there’s a shark in the creek!’" Pacey started laughing.

"You guys are bad," Andie told them.

Dawson chuckled. "To this day I have never seen a human being move so fast in the water. Joey turned and swam straight for shore and bolted right up out of the creek." He smiled. "In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone move that fast ever." He and Pacey laughed.

"So what did Joey do?" Andie asked.

"Oh, she was pissed," Pacey told her.

"Very pissed," Dawson added. "She didn’t talk to me for about five hours."

"That doesn’t sound all that angry," Andie remarked.

"You don’t understand," Pacey said, glancing at Dawson. "That was the longest they had ever gone-- in some state of consciousness -- not talking to one another." Pacey smiled. "Dawson was worried he’d gotten her so mad that she’d never talk to him again. She wouldn’t even answer the phone."

Andie pointed at Dawson. "Serves you right."

Dawson shook his head, but Andie noticed his eyes had gone far away, as if he watched the events of nine years ago unfold in front of him again. "She snuck in my room that night and left this on the bed," he said, holding up a little stuffed shark. "She put a note in his mouth that said, ‘Some day, Dawson, when you least expect it.....’"

Andie tilted her head. "Did she ever get you back?"

Dawson opened his mouth to answer when his watch chirped.

"That’s a story for another time," he said, standing up. "Time to pick up Ms. Potter at the train station."

Pacey stood up and stretched. "Oh, she got him back..." Pacey spoke, grinning.

Andie slipped her coat on. "How?"

Pacey smiled. "I’ll let Dawson tell that one. It’s a beauty."

Andie turned to face Dawson, who had just donned his coat. "Gotta run," he shrugged. "Maybe some other time..." Dawson moved out of his room and down the stairs.

Andie gave Pacey a long look. "Can you give me a hint?"

Pacey winked at her. "You have never seen anyone blush such a pretty shade of red..."

*

Andie slid into Pacey’s pick-up truck and smiled. "So what’s this surprise you’ve got for me?" she asked.

Pacey raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you, would it, McPhee?" he responded.

Andie tilted her head. "Pacey..."

Pacey turned away and began driving.

"It’s just that Jack wants to know when I’ll be back home, that’s all."

Pacey stood on the brakes and turned to face Andie. "Your brother’s in town?"

"That’s right," Andie told him. "Just until Thursday."

"And you were gonna tell me when?" Pacey queried.

Andie looked out the window.. "I don’t know, Pacey. It didn’t exactly seem appropriate to bring it up in front of Dawson, you know?"

Pacey nodded. "Okay, I’ll spot you that one. But I’m not Dawson. I don’t have this whole ‘you stole my girlfriend’ history thing with Jack like he does. And I would like to see him."

"Um, Pacey... he’s not alone," Andie said.

Pacey raised an eyebrow. "Jack has a boyfriend?"

Andie nodded.

"Good for him," Pacey said. "The guy is good for him, right?"

"Toby?" Andie replied. "Yeah, he’s great. He and Jack are really happy."

Pacey nodded. "Good. So when can I meet him? Them, whatever."

"I’ll ask him," Andie said, a bit surprised.

"You do that, McPhee," Pacey told her. "Oh, and I think you’re right about Dawson. What he doesn’t know in this particular case won’t hurt him."

Andie blinked. "You’re arguing for not telling someone something? That’s gotta be a first."

"What?" Pacey asked as he started driving again. "Dawson and Joey finally have a little bit of happiness. I don’t want all of Dawson’s insecurities to come crashing down and ruin it."

"Pacey, that was two years ago," Andie said. "You don’t think Dawson would..."

Pacey looked at her as he coasted to a red light. "You tell me, McPhee. You didn’t feel comfortable bringing up Jack around Dawson. Why is that?"

Andie looked down at her feet. "I just... look, Pacey, Jack knows how Dawson feels about him. He knows all about the big break-up Joey and Dawson had at the end of the summer." She looked over at Pacey. "I just haven’t told him they’ve gotten back together."

Pacey frowned as the light turned green. "What are you trying to tell me, Andie?"

Andie watched him as he drove. "Jack kind of wants to see Joey."

Pacey closed his eyes a moment and shook his head. "This is gonna be rich," he said softly.

"What?" Andie asked as Pacey turned a corner. "He’s not allowed any contact with her because she’s back together with Dawson?"

Pacey shrugged. "That’s up to Joey and Dawson.. Don’t look at me."

Andie turned away, glancing out the window.

"It’s not like he’s interested in her that way," Andie said.

"It’s none of my business," Pacey told her.

"Actually," Andie said, "I was hoping it would be."

Pacey came to a stop sign and turned to look at Andie.

"Well, you were the one who got them together at Thanksgiving," she spoke. "You were only too happy to meddle then."

Pacey exhaled. "Come on, Andie. That was nudging two people in the right direction. This is different."

"No it isn’t," Andie said. "You said it yourself. What Dawson doesn’t know won’t hurt him."

Pacey frowned. "Just what are you thinking, McPhee?"

Andie gave him a slight smile. "I was hoping you could provide some cover for me with Jack-- you know, like the group of us goes to lunch and just happens to bump into Joey. So it seems innocent. You know, help me out, so Jack could spend a little time alone with Joey. And no one would be the wiser."

"No one in this case meaning Dawson."

Andie smiled. "Exactly."

"You know," Pacey said, accelerating across the intersection, "as much as common sense tells me this is a bad idea, I am so impressed that you, Andie McPhee, Miss Squeaky Clean, are trying to be sneaky that I’ll go along with you. But I take no responsibility or blame if the whole thing blows up in your face. I never knew about any of this."

Andie smiled, satisfied. "I suppose that’s all right," she said.

Pacey shook his head. "I really am rubbing off on you," he told her.

She took one of his hands and kissed it. "You better believe it, buster."

They both chuckled.

*

"Come on, train," he spoke, looking up the tracks again. Joey’s train had been due in almost an hour before, and Dawson had alternated between waiting in the hot and stuffy little room that passed for Capeside’s train terminal and standing out in the frigid Christmas Eve cold. As the darkness deepened, people switched on their Christmas lights, treating Dawson to an enchanting display of winking bulbs that lit up the area.. Even the station had been adorned with a single strand of tiny white lights, which suddenly flicked on, along with the outside spotlight.

Dawson smiled, gazing up at the lights; there’s something about Christmas lights, he mused, they can make even the coldest place look homey. A gust of wind struck up and whipped around him, and Dawson huddled tighter in his coat. "I think it’s time to go back inside," he mumbled, and turned to enter the waiting area when he saw a bright beacon emerge from the dusky snowscape.. "Better be Joey’s train," he said, thrusting his hands in his pockets as the train’s whistle sounded.

The train seemed to amble up to the station slowly, apparently unconcerned about the lone young man waiting impatiently on the platform. When it finally hissed to a stop, a single door opened a car and a half away from Dawson. He jogged along the wooden landing to meet Joey, and he smiled as he saw her bundled-up frame emerge from the train, looking around. Though a huge fur-lined hood shrouded her features, Dawson could see Joey’s smile as she spotted him. She slipped her suitcase down to the landing and followed suit, but before she could get her bearings Dawson reached her, sweeping her off her feet in a bear hug.

"Dawson!" she cried out, surprised by his open display of affection. "Dawson, put me down!" she laughed.

"I’ll put you down," he said, lowering her to the ground, "but I will not let you go."

Joey threw back her hood and smiled, a wide, dazzling grin. "You better not, mister," she told him, sliding her arms around him and kissing him full on the lips. They stayed that way for a long moment, holding one another, oblivious to the cold and the dusk and the world around them, aware of only each other. At length they parted, smiling, and Dawson brushed Joey’s long hair out of her eyes.

"God, did I miss you," he said, beaming..

"Dawson," Joey teased him, "it’s only been three weeks."

"Three weeks, three years, same thing," Dawson told her. "It feels like forever since I’ve seen you." He stared into her eyes.

Joey smiled up at him. "Keep going," she said.

"What?" he asked.

"You’re on a roll, Dawson," Joey told him. "Don’t stop on my account."

Dawson raised an eyebrow but smiled. "I don’t want to get overly sappy on you, Joe, but I did miss you like hell.."

Joey kissed him again. "Get as sappy as you want," she told him, rubbing her nose against his. "I missed you too."

Dawson’s face split into a grin.

Joey picked up her suitcase and pulled her hood back up. "Now let’s get inside so we can get these coats off and I can give you a real hug."

"Just a hug?" Dawson teased, easing the suitcase out of her hand and carrying it himself. "Nothing more?"

Joey arched an eyebrow. "It all depends on if you’ve been naughty or nice."

Dawson laughed as Joey slipped her arm in his. "Which would you prefer?" he asked her.

Joey laughed. "You’ve been hanging around Pacey too much," she said as they walked off the platform and headed toward the parking lot. "That Witter boy’s been a bad influence on you."

Dawson chuckled at her words. "Seriously, though, Joey, I’m glad he’s here. It’s like some little piece of Capeside stayed the same after we all left." He shrugged as they reached his mother’s car. "I don’t know, maybe that sounds silly, but I find it comforting." He pulled the keys out of his pocket as Joey disengaged her arm from his.

"The only part of Capeside I think about when I’m away from here is standing right in front of me," she said, staring up at Dawson. "And that part is very comforting."

Dawson smiled and leaned over and kissed Joey. When they parted, he asked, "Don’t take this the wrong way, because you couldn’t have possibly said anything more romantic if you tried, but you mean to tell me you don’t miss anything at all about our quaint little birthplace when you leave?"

Joey tilted her head to one side and half-curled her lip in thought. "Not really," she told him as he loaded her suitcase into the trunk. "I don’t hear from Bessie all that often, and the only other person I talk to on a regular basis-- besides you-- is Andie, and somehow she doesn’t really remind me of home." Joey put an hand on Dawson’s sleeve. "It’s not like I have that many good memories of this place that don’t in one way or another involve you."

Dawson drew her close and rocked her gently in a hug. "I gotta tell you, Joe, all of my best memories about home are centered around you." He looked down at her. "I hated coming back at Thanksgiving and being reminded of you in every single thing I looked at."

Joey nodded in understanding. "I know. It was weird seeing your house and thinking that I wasn’t really welcome there any more." She shrugged the memory away. "I’m glad that’s over with."

"You’re certainly welcome there now," Dawson beamed down at her. "In fact, if you aren’t busy tonight, I was wondering if you wanted to come over for dinner."

Joey rubbed her hands together. "Can we talk about this in the car? I am freezing out here."

"Of course," Dawson said, letting them in the car and starting it up.

"Now," he turned to Joey, "about tonight..."

Joey leaned over and kissed him, parting his lips, sliding her tongue into his mouth. Dawson forgot all about Christmas for a moment as Joey slid a gloved hand up his neck and through his hair. They stayed lip-locked for some time; Dawson grinned sheepishly when they parted, noting that the windshield had a wide patch of condensation on it. "Joey," he murmured, "forgive the cliché, but we’re fogging the windows here."

Joey nodded knowingly and kissed him again, deeply.

*

"This is your surprise?" Andie asked, staring up at the blinking lights in the window of a closed video rental store. "That your place of employment is closed on Christmas Eve?"

Pacey turned the car off and gave Andie a look. "Of course not," he said. "Come on, I’ll show you." He got out of the car and gestured for her to do the same. Andie stepped carefully over the frozen slush and joined him on the curb.

"Pacey," Andie ventured.

He looked at her.

"What are we doing here?"

Pacey put an arm around Andie’s shoulder. "It’ll be easier if I just show you," he told her, kissing her on the temple.

"Okayyyyyy," she said, content for the moment to let him lead her to a small door around the side of the video store. He drew some keys from his pocket and opened the door, flicking on the light inside. A narrow set of stairs led up to a small landing. Pacey started climbing the stairs.

"Where are we going?" she asked him, following after a moment’s hesitation.

Pacey chuckled. "You really don’t like surprises, do you?" he asked her.

"Only when I know what they are," Andie responded. A moment later she joined him on the landing; the two of them barely fit there together. He flipped through the keys and selected one, slipping it into the lock and turning it. As he started to open the door, Andie asked, "Pacey, this is weirding me out. What exactly are we doing here?"

Pacey stopped. "I just have something I want to show you," he said softly. "Won’t take long."

"In the storeroom of your video store?" she asked him.

Pacey gently pushed the door open. "See for yourself."

Andie’s eyes widened as she looked inside.

A small, sparsely decorated apartment lay within; the walls all stood bare. The only table in the room, a low end table, sat near the window, with a small Christmas tree atop it. An old couch leaned against one wall, and a mismatched chair, the only other piece of furniture visible, kept it company. In the darkness the only lights were those that decorated the tree, tiny starbursts of yellow and red and green. Andie took a few hesitant steps into the room.

Pacey followed and closed the door gently. Andie glanced around, noting that the place had a bathroom and a bedroom as well, and a tiny kitchenette.

She turned to face Pacey.

"Is this what I think it is?" she asked, a tremble in her voice.

Pacey nodded, a soft smile on his face. "I got my own place. Well, it’s not mine until the first of the month, but the owner’s been good about lettin’ me move stuff in."

Andie shook her head slowly. "You amaze me," she said.

"What?" he asked her quietly.

"You... this place..." She took his hands in hers. "Pacey, this place is wonderful! It’s so cozy!" She smiled. "Or it will be, when you get some furniture."

He chuckled. "I’ve got a place to sit and a place to sleep. What more do you need?"

Andie laughed.

"Of course, I do need to get the TV over here, but that’s kinda heavy and all. I was waitin’ for Dawson to get in so he could help me, and..." Pacey looked down at her. "What?"

Andie stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the forehead. "Everybody else had to leave town to chase their dreams, Pacey. You’re the only one who’s been able to find your dream right here."

He shook his head. "This was just a place before you got here," he told her. "Just a coupla rooms with some old furniture. Now that you’re here-- that’s the dream, McPhee."

Andie raised an eyebrow. "What...exactly do you mean, Pacey?"

He took her hands in his. "Andie, I want you to stay here with me. When you’re on break, I mean. When you come visit from college, on vacations. I know you and Jack were looking into renting someplace else, but I would really love it if you’d think about staying here with me."

Andie blinked back a tear. "Pacey," she managed, taking a deep breath. "I don’t know what to say."

He kissed her cheek. "Just say yes, then."

Andie closed her eyes, trying to keep the tears in. "Of course, Pacey. Yes, of course, I’ll stay with you." She kissed him, her eyes still closed; when she opened them she saw his brown eyes staring into hers.

"You do amaze me," she whispered.

"Hey, McPhee, I try," he said, kissing her again.

When they parted, he spoke, "You wanna see something really amazing?"

Andie nodded yes, and he led her by the hand over to the tiny kitchen area. He opened the refrigerator to reveal a full turkey dinner, with trimmings, a salad, and two bottles of wine.

"Where did you get all this?" she asked.

Pacey grinned widely. "Hey, some things I have to keep to myself."

She grabbed him and held him, tightly. "I love you, Pacey. You are the best."

Pacey pulled her close. "Love you too, McPhee."

*

Snow crunched as Dawson pulled his mother’s car into the Potter driveway.

"No lights on inside," Dawson mentioned, glancing from window to window.

"It’s six o’clock on Christmas Eve," Joey frowned. "Where could they be?"

Dawson shrugged. "Maybe they’re having a really busy night at the Icehouse?"

Joey shook her head no. "The Icehouse is closed for renovation. They had a leak the other night and Bessie told me they need a new floor put in. It’s all buckled and warped. They can’t even have any customers in."

"Well, maybe they’re there with an insurance guy or something," Dawson suggested.

Joey fixed him with a stare. "On Christmas Eve? I doubt it."

Dawson gestured to Joey’s house. "Don’t you wanna go inside? Maybe they left a note."

Joey frowned. "I’d love to, but I don’t have a house key."

"You don’t?"

Joey regarded him. "What do I need a house key for in Providence?"

"I carry one," Dawson told her.

"Okay," Joey said. "So I’m not miss organized. But I didn’t expect my family to be out when I got home. It’s not like I visit all that often."

Dawson patted her on the shoulder. "I’ll go check the front door. Maybe they left it open. Or put a note up. Or something."

She relaxed. "I’ll go with you," she said, and they climbed out of the car and made their way gingerly up the unshoveled walkway to the door. Dawson opened the storm door and reached up, grabbing the envelope that had been taped to the front door. He handed it to Joey, who pulled off a glove with her teeth and tore open the envelope.

"‘Joey’," she read aloud. "‘Glad you made it in safely. Thank Dawson for picking you up for me.’" She stopped and looked up at him. "Thank you."

"You’re quite welcome," Dawson smiled.

"‘We had to do some last minute Christmas shopping. Make yourself at home. There’s plenty to eat. Don’t turn the heat up over seventy! Love, Bessie.’"

"See," Dawson said. "A perfectly reasonable explanation for their absence."

"An explanation, anyway," Joey said. "C’mon, let’s get my suitcase."

They trudged back to the car and Dawson fetched Joey’s bag; he refused to let her carry it, and she led him back up the walk and into the house, closing and locking the door behind them.

"Cold in here too," Joey mumbled as Dawson set her suitcase down.

"I can fix that," he said, embracing her. Joey’s expression softened and she kissed him again.

"Sorry, Dawson," she told him. "It’s just... I really expected them to be here, that’s all.."
Dawson kissed her on the forehead. "I know, Joey. For your sake I wish they were." He brushed her hair away from her face. "For my sake, though..." He leaned over and kissed her again.

"Wait," Joey said, unzipping her coat and tossing it on the couch. "That’s better," she said, pulling off her gloves and dropping them next to the coat. Then she undid Dawson’s wool jacket and draped it over hers.

"That’s much better," she purred, pulling him close and wrapping her arms around him. Dawson held her tight, rubbing her back through the heavy sweater she wore.

"You’re always here for me, Dawson," she mumbled into his shoulder. "You’ve always been here for me."

He cupped her chin and lifted her head. "You’ve always been important to me, Joey. You know that. Even before I was in love with you."

"Was that strange for you?" she asked. "I mean, knowing I had these feelings for you, knowing I had this major crush on you... did that ever bother you, or make you feel uncomfortable, or..." She shrugged. "I don’t know, just..."

Dawson traced the line of her cheek. "I think mostly, Joey, I was flattered. I mean, here’s Joey Potter, fairly critical of life in general, with high standards and high expectations. I’d known you long enough to know you didn’t let just anyone capture your affections." He kissed her. "So when it finally sunk in how you felt.... what you felt..." He shook his head. "I’m just sorry it took me so long to see it, Joe. That must have been rough on you, my being so hopelessly clueless."

Joey kissed him. "You caught on. Eventually." She slid her arms around his shoulders and kissed him again, a little more firmly, her mouth lingering on his before she drew back. "Of course, it took Pacey making a move on me to wake you up, and even then I had to enter a beauty pageant, and..."

Dawson chuckled. "I thought you were beautiful a long time before that," he told her. "I just didn’t realize it at the time."

Joey smiled gently. "You should have seen your expression when I walked out on that stage. Dawson, I was so nervous when I stepped out there. I almost turned and ran off." Her grin turned wicked. "But then I saw your face, and I knew that I had gotten through to Dawson Leery at last."

"You’re certainly getting through to me now," he murmured to her, his voice husky. Joey nodded and kissed him again, a long, slow, deep kiss that left him breathless when they parted.

"I should hope so," she mumbled, nuzzling his neck before she kissed him again. "Besides," Joey whispered, "you’ve got some lost time to make up for." She slid her hands to the bottom of his sweater.

"Joey!" he gasped as her cold hands touched his flesh. "Here? Now?"

Joey’s dark eyes met his, though she said nothing. Dawson could see the passion there, the burning spark of love, and he felt his heart pound in his chest.

"Hard to believe you actually asked me once if I thought you were sexual." Dawson shook his head, his eyes on fire.

Joey smiled as she drew his sweater up over his head.

"What if they come home?" he wondered.

"Then we get caught," she smiled, draping his sweater over their jackets.

Dawson pulled her close. "Good God, it’s cold in here."

Joey shed her own sweater; she wore a tank top underneath. "My turn to take care of that," she said, sliding a hand down Dawson’s chest and moving him to her, kissing him deeply once more.. Slowly she guided them to the couch, a sigh of delight escaping her as Dawson’s warm strong body settled atop her. She ran her hands through his hair and kissed him hungrily, her tongue fencing with his as he worked at the bottom of her tank top.

"Here," she said softly, arching her back and stripping off the tee-shirt in one fluid motion. She thrilled at the feel of his flesh against hers, and she ran her hands over his back. "Mmm, you’re warm," she murmured as he kissed her on the neck, letting his lips trace her jawline up toward her ear and back down to her chin. Their mouths met again, and Joey grabbed a fistful of his hair as a jolt of pleasure shot through her.

This was so worth coming home for, Joey thought as Dawson fumbled with the latch on the back of her bra. She broke off the kiss and smiled as he snapped it open; Joey raised her arms above her head so he could slide the bra off, and then she wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly to her.

"Not so totally clueless any more," he whispered in her ear as he nibbled on her lobe.

"Thank God for that," Joey breathed as she kissed him again, fiercely.

*

Joey blushed. "It ran really late. There was some bad weather in Rhode Island and we lost a lot of time."

"Well, come on," Gale smiled. "Dinner’s getting cold."

"Cold?" Dawson echoed. "Mom, we’re only..." he glanced at a clock. "Oh."

Gale nodded. "Two and a half hours late."

Joey’s blush threatened to break into a glow. Dawson’s cheeks flushed as well.

"Sorry," Dawson spoke. "It didn’t feel that late."

Gale turned to lead them toward the table; Joey punched Dawson on the arm. "Shut up!" she hissed. "Just let it go!"

"What?" he mouthed, but Joey moved ahead of him. "It looks great, Ms. Leery," she told Gale. "I wish my train hadn’t been so delayed."

"That’s all right, dear," Gale told her. "Your father ran late as well, so there’s no harm done."

"That’s right," Mitch said, exiting the kitchen with a bottle of chardonnay in one hand and two wineglasses in the other. He gave Gale a warm glance and turned to look at Dawson and Joey. "Dawson, you mother has the patience of a saint-- at least today. I just couldn’t get away from the restaurant. So thanks for taking your time and making me look good."

Dawson smiled. "No problem, dad. Glad to help out."

"So," Gale asked as Mitch set the glasses down. "Some wine for the young lovebirds?"

Joey’s embarrassment bordered on the palpable, her face turning a shade of crimson that almost matched Gale’s Christmas sweater.

"That’d be great, mom," Dawson spoke.

"Joey, honey, are you okay?" Gale asked.

Joey looked up, her brown eyes wide, but before she could manage to speak, Mitch said, "She’s just tired from the long train ride. She’ll be fine once we get some food in her." He set the bottle down on the table. "Gale," he said.

She turned to look at him.

"Help me bring the food out, would you?"

Gale nodded and went with him into the kitchen.

"Gale, what are you doing?" Mitch asked.

Gale picked a carrot stick out of the salad and munched on it. "What do you mean, Mitch?"

Mitch sighed, but a smile played on his lips. "You know what I mean, Gale. You know very well where they were."

Gale crunched down on the carrot. "I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about."

Mitch chuckled. "Honey, you were eighteen once."

Gale blinked. "You don’t think they were..."

Mitch laughed. "Joey was practically glowing, and Dawson’s smile is so wide I’m surprised he fit his head through the door."

"Mitch!" Gale gasped.

"Just an observation," he said, picking up the salad bowl. He met her hazel eyes. "Aren’t you glad we agreed on just us for tonight? No significant others? Just the family?"

"Dawson has a date," Gale replied.

Mitch grinned. "Yes, he does. But Joey’s practically family. Hell, we’ve known her almost as long as she’s been alive."

Gale shook her head. "Little Joey Potter..." She looked up at Mitch. "Who would have thought they’d really end up together?"

"If you ask me," Mitch said as Gale grabbed the platter of turkey, "our son could do a whole lot worse."

Gale smiled. "Oh, I agree. I just didn’t think he’d be doing so soon."

Mitch laughed. "He’s older than we were when we met."

Gale shook her head. "Don’t remind me." As Mitch started to speak again, she nudged him with the plate. "Let’s go eat before you embarrass me any further."

"Embarrass you?" Mitch said as he walked through the door. "What do you mean embarrass you?"

"Who’s embarrassing who?" Dawson joined in.

"Your father decided to take an unscheduled trip down memory lane," Gale announced as she set the turkey on the table.

"What better time to reminisce than the holidays?" Mitch asked, placing the salad on the table.

"Honey?" Gale asked.

Mitch raised an eyebrow.

"Let’s eat.."

They both sat down.

"So, Joey," Mitch spoke, "I hear you guys had some bad luck over at the Icehouse. Will it be closed long?"

Joey nodded. "They had this really bad leak with the heavy snow and all. I hear the place is a mess."

Mitch spoke, "That’s too bad. Lousy time, too, around the holidays." He helped himself to some salad. "Not like there’d be a good time for it."

"But your sister has everything insured, right honey?" Gale asked, pouring the wine.

Joey took some turkey from the platter. "Actually, I think she has a really high deductible, and they have to come up with a lot of the money themselves." Joey shrugged. "I don’t really know all that much.. Bessie told me about it, but I was pretty absorbed by this sculpting project that I couldn’t get to come out right. Even with a time extension." She sighed.

"What did you end up sculpting?" Dawson asked.

"I went with the horse," Joey told him.

Dawson explained, "Joe told me that her assignment was to sculpt something she’d always been fascinated by."

Joey nodded in agreement, sipping on her chardonnay. "The whole point of the assignment was to see what we’d reveal about ourselves. Some people went really esoteric and chose things like love, or fear. Other people did fantastic stuff-- spaceships, and some kind of monster thing... it was purposely open ended, so the revelation was more important than the actual work itself."

Gale and Mitch nodded; Dawson had heard the story before.

"Tell them your other choice," Dawson suggested to Joey as he poured gravy over his turkey.

Joey gave him a look of mixed amusement and exasperation. "No," she said, smiling slightly. "The horse came out fine."

"What was it?" Mitch asked.

Joey shook her head. "It was nothing, really," she mumbled.

Gale made eye contact with Mitch and raised her eyebrow.

"It was creativity," Dawson said softly. Joey looked up at him.

"Creativity?" Gale asked.

"Joey thought she would turn the assignment around on her teacher," Dawson elaborated. "She knew the whole point in such open-ended parameters was to see what people would reveal about themselves. So Joey thought she’d dodge the thrust of the project and give the professor exactly what she’d asked for-- creativity."

Mitch sipped on his wine. "I like it. Mess with their head before they can mess with yours."

"Well, a horse can stand for anything, really," Joey offered. "It could mean speed, or power, or freedom, or just an openness of spirit." She sipped at her wine. "Or anything. It could just mean I like horses."

"So you outsmarted your teacher?" Gale asked.

Joey smiled. "I don’t know if I’d go that far."

"You did the assignment without actually doing it," Dawson spoke.

"Nonsense, Dawson," Mitch responded. "Joey outmaneuvered the teacher at her own game. Nice work, Joey."

"Thanks, Mr. Leery," Joey said, glancing at Dawson; his eyes were stuck on her, drinking her in. She looked away quickly and looked back, but Dawson still stared at her with an unreadable expression. Joey slid a long leg toward him under the table, rubbing her foot on his shin. He sat upright in surprise and smiled at her, tapping her foot gently with his.

Gale looked at her son. "Dawson tells us his aspirations for the next three weeks are to sleep, eat, and see lots of you." She smiled.

"Mom!" Dawson said. "You make that sound like a bad thing. I work hard at school."

"I know, honey," Gale said. "Do you have anything a little more constructive planned over the break, Joey?"

Dawson gave his mother a dirty look, and Joey laughed at him.

"Not really, no," she confided. "Now that the Icehouse is closed. I was hoping to work there and earn some money for school, but they might not even be open by the time I have to go back to RISD."

"Why don’t you come work for me?" Mitch asked. "I have a waitress who’s been nagging me for some time off around the holidays, and I could use an extra set of hands." He turned his gaze on Dawson. "Or two."

Dawson laughed and held up his hands. "I never mix home life and business, dad. It violates my strict code of family ethics."

Joey teased him, "Fraidy cat. Can’t handle working for your dad?"

"You’ve obviously never lived with the man if you even need to ask that question," Dawson responded. Joey chuckled.

"What do you say, Joey?" Mitch asked. "Ready to accept the challenge my son so ably dodged?"

She nodded. "I’d love to."

"Great," Mitch said. "Show up at the Cape on Thursday around 11."

Joey coughed into her wine. "Thursday?"

"Yep," Mitch answered. "Day after tomorrow." He frowned. "Is that a problem?"

"N-no, it’s just..." Joey hesitated.

"Joe?" Dawson asked.

"It’s nothing," she said. "I just didn’t expect to start so soon, but if I was working for Bessie, I would be anyway, so... I guess it’s fine. And thanks."

"Thank you," Mitch said. "I can really use the help, especially this time of year."

Joey nodded. She glanced up at Dawson, still unable to decipher his gaze; then she lowered her head and dug into her meal.

*

Dawson shifted on his bed as he heard the ladder scrape against the gutter; he sat up, grinning, remembering how often he’d heard that sound, and the rhythmic scratching that always followed it as Joey made her way up the ladder. He’d turned off all the lights in his room except one lamp with a low-wattage bulb. Hues of amber bathed the room, casting a warm glow over everything.

The window slid up quietly; Joey had become an expert at sneaking into Dawson’s house over the years; four months of not doing it hadn’t dulled her edge a bit. She shut the window and turned to him, a smile on her face.

"I’ve been waiting to do that since Thanksgiving," she sighed, taking a seat next to Dawson on the bed.

"It just feels right, doesn’t it?" he asked, sliding an arm around her.

Joey kissed his cheek. "Yeah. It’s like an itch I couldn’t quite reach to scratch, and now it’s gone." She stood up and took off her coat, tossing it on the chair, and sat back down next to Dawson, embracing him.

He kissed her hair. "Let’s make sure you never have that itch again," he murmured..

She grinned up at him. "Oh," she said, "I almost forgot. I brought you something."

"Joey..." he said. "I know it’s Christmas and all, but you didn’t have to..."

She reached in her jacket, pulled out a folded piece of paper, and handed it to Dawson. "It isn’t much, but I hope you like it."

Dawson recognized the rough texture of drawing paper. "Joey, what is this?" he asked her, looking down at the folded sheet.

Joey slid her hair behind one ear. "You know at dinner how you were asking me about the sculpture I didn’t do?"

Dawson glanced up at her. "Creativity?"

Joey nodded. "This is the sketch I made for it," she told him.

He looked in her eyes. "Joey, you don’t have to share this with me. I was just asking because it seemed like such a good idea over the phone. But if you weren’t comfortable with it, or if you didn’t want to..." He trailed off as he saw the tender look in Joey’s eyes.

"I didn’t do the sculpture because I didn’t want to open my heart to an art class," she told him. "It’s none of their business what I carry deep inside me. But I’m perfectly content to show you." She kissed him lightly. "If I can’t trust you, Dawson, then I can’t trust. Period."

Dawson nodded and unfolded the paper gently, tilting it so he could see it better in the dim light. His eyes widened as he took it in.

"Joey..." he murmured, looking over at her. "I don’t know what to say."

"Do you like it?" she asked him in a whisper.

"Joey, I love it. It’s amazing." He kissed her on the lips. "You’re amazing."

Joey wrapped her arms around one of his and leaned her head on his shoulder. "You really like it?"

"Joey, how could I not like this?" He freed his arm from her embrace and slid it around her shoulders. "How could I not love this?"

He looked down at her, feeling his heart do a flip-flop as she stared at him with her large, dark eyes.

"How could I not love you?" he breathed.

She leaned up and kissed him, warmly, sliding a hand over his shoulder to his neck.

Dawson set the drawing down on the table by the lamp and turned to embrace Joey as her kiss became more passionate.

Momentarily overlooked, the drawing sat on the table, a piece of Joey’s soul open to the world. In the upper left hand corner, the words ‘something that fascinates you,’ had been scrawled in Joey’s messy hand; the word ‘creativity’ marked the bottom right corner. Directly in the middle, however, Joey had drawn a portrait of Dawson; unlike the first tentative sketch she had made of him when she’d taken up artwork two years before, this one showed a confidence and talent, a boldness and certainty, that her earlier drawing had lacked. The work featured strong, smooth lines; Joey had captured Dawson perfectly, almost as if the pencil drawing had been a photograph.

At the base of his neck in the picture, Joey had signed it with her initials, a diminutive ‘JP’, and drawn a tiny heart next to the letters.

*

Joey blew an errant tendril of hair out of her face as she breezed through the door into the kitchen; she stopped, frowning slightly at the empty grill area that should have featured at least one cook. "Manuel?" she asked.

"Smoke break," a voice issued from deep within the kitchen.

"Where should I leave my order?" Joey queried.

"Here," the voice said, "I’ll take it. He..."

Joey smiled. "Pacey? What the hell are you doing here?"

Pacey gestured to his apron and held up his green latex-gloved hands. "Emergency surgery, Potter. I’ve got a triple-bypass scheduled after the lunch rush."

Joey put her hands on her hips. "Very funny, Pacey."

Pacey raised an eyebrow. "You’ve worked in a restaurant since you were in double digits, Joey. You tell me."

Joey managed one of her half smiles. "If I didn’t know better, I’d say you got roped into being a dishwasher."

Pacey nodded. "Normally I bus or wait tables, but Mitch said he needed me back here. Steve-- the regular dish guy-- is out sick."

"You work here full time?" Joey asked. "I thought you managed the video store."

"I do," Pacey said. "I work here some mornings for the extra money."

Joey smiled at him again, but respect shone in her eyes. "Will wonders never cease?"

"Hey, I need the dough, Potter," he said. "Got my own place now."

Joey’s jaw dropped. "You what?"

"You heard me," Pacey said, a little embarrassed.

"Pacey..." Joey trailed off. "That’s terrific! That is so cool!"

Pacey nodded in agreement.

"So when can I see it?"

Pacey shrugged. "I was thinking sometime after today would be good."

Joey furrowed her brow. "Why after today?"

Pacey glanced away. "Well, it’s just that Andie’s staying there."

"So?" Joey frowned. "I don’t... I’d like to see Andie too."

"Andie’s not the only McPhee lodging at Casa Witter," Pacey spoke.

"You mean Jack," Joey said softly.

Pacey nodded.

Joey shook her head. "Don’t worry about that. I already talked to Jack-- over the phone."

Pacey tilted his head. "I’m gonna take a wild stab here and guess you didn’t tell the esteemed Mr. Leery about that."

"Jack’s leaving town tonight," Joey said. "With any luck Dawson won’t even know he’s been here."

Pacey sighed. "Isn’t it a little soon after your reunion with Dawson to be playing Dangerous Liaisons?"

Joey snorted. "Come on, Pacey. It’s not like I’m going on a date with Jack or anything. We’re gonna chew the fat for an hour or two and then he’s gonna blow outta town. What’s so dangerous about that?"

The back door opened, and Manuel entered the kitchen.

Pacey glanced back and spoke quietly to Joey. "Okay, Potter, if there’s nothing wrong with it, then why not tell Dawson?"

Before Joey could answer, Pacey spoke in a loud voice. "Here’s Manuel. You can give him your order yourself."

Manuel smiled and took Joey’s order slip. Pacey retreated back to his station at the sink.

Joey followed him. "Pacey," she called to him.

"I don’t wanna hear any more, Joey. I know too much already. The way it stands now, when Dawson finds out -- and you know he will, that’s how these things work -- at least I can say I didn’t know anything about it. For once. I can avoid the wrath of Dawson Leery."

"Pacey!" Joey spat, exasperated. "Will you relax? I’m not an idiot. I did give this some thought. Jack’s coming here, with Andie."

Pacey stared at Joey. "Here? Andie..." He stopped and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Did you leave your brain at home, Joey? Need I remind you who owns and runs this establishment? Who offered you employment?" Pacey shook his head. "If I remember correctly, he’s got a very special relationship with your boyfriend."

Joey folded her arms. "You think I didn’t consider that?"

Pacey remained undeterred. "For a smart college girl, you know, Potter, you aren’t--"

"This is a public place," Joey said. "You and Andie will be there. If I meet him someplace like this, it’ll be obvious I’m not trying to hide anything."

Pacey exhaled. "You’ve been talking to Andie, haven’t you?" he asked.

Joey nodded. "We have discussed this, yes. I guess she told you. Considering how you like to meddle in my social life, I’m surprised you’re not in favor of this plan."

"Hey, I told Andie I’d lend a hand. I didn’t agree to anything stupid like this."

Joey set her hands on her hips. "Pacey, listen. If we do it this way, I can tell Dawson I just ran into Jack. Everybody wins -- I get to see Jack and I manage not to piss off Dawson."

Pacey shook his head. "I don’t know, Joey. Sounds pretty risky to me. But what do I know?" He gave her a wry smile. "I’m just the guy who got a three page letter in the mail from Providence thanking me for reuniting a certain design student with a certain film student. I don’t know anything about Dawson Leery’s love life, oh no."

"Pacey," Joey spoke softly. "I love Dawson, you know that. But it doesn’t mean I’m going to pretend Jack is dead, or whatever." She touched him on the shoulder. "Thanks for being concerned, really, but everything’s under control. It’s all gonna work out."

She turned and headed back out of the kitchen into the dining area.

"Famous last words," Pacey muttered, returning to work.

The doorbell rang; Dawson looked up from the TV, but he couldn’t see anyone. "Mom?" he called out.

"Could you get that, honey?" came the faint reply from upstairs.

Dawson thumbed mute on the remote and stood up, stretching. "Sure!" he responded, setting the remote on an end table and strolling to the door. He covered his mouth as a yawn overtook him; he opened the front door and stood stock still.

"Jen," he muttered.

"Merry Christmas, Dawson," Jen smiled, winking at him. "I guess I was the last person you expected to see on your doorstep."

Dawson nodded dumbly. "Come on in."

Jen entered the house, rubbing her arms as Dawson shut the door behind her. "I gotta tell you, Dawson, I don’t miss these winters. I thought it was cold in New York, but that damned water..." She shook her head, her blonde hair brushing the collar of her coat. "So, how’ve you been?"

Dawson blinked. "Good," he managed after a pause. "Jen, you look fabulous."

Jen favored him with a dazzling smile. "How nice of you to say so, Dawson." She nodded after giving him a once over. "You’re looking pretty good yourself."

Dawson shook his head as if waking up. "Can I take your coat?"

"Sure," she told him, shedding it and handing it to him. "So how’s college treating you?"

Dawson slid the coat on a hanger and closed the closet. "Oh, pretty good. It’s..." he stopped, taking Jen in fully. He raised an eyebrow.

"What?" she asked him, looking down at herself. She gave Dawson another smile.

"That’s some outfit you got there, Jen," Dawson told her quietly.

Jen glanced down at her snug white sweater and black leather jeans. "It’s not exactly Capeside chic," she admitted, "but this wouldn’t even get me a glance where I work."

"Somehow I doubt that," Dawson muttered.

Jen laughed. "Dawson, really, this is nothing." Jen set her hands on her hips. "If you think this is nice, you should come to work with me someday. Your jaw would be dragging."

Dawson stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I think I’ll take a pass on that."

Jen chuckled and shook her head. "Dawson, you of all people..." She sat down on the couch. "Well, I didn’t come here to seduce you, so come give me a hug and tell me about school."

Dawson shuffled over to the couch. "So why did you come here?"

Jen gave him an amused look. "Am I making you nervous?" she asked him.

"Not especially," he told her. "It’s just that I haven’t heard anything from you in almost a year, ever since you moved after your Grams passed away." He gestured to her as he sat at the far end of the couch. "And then out of the blue you show up on my doorstep looking like some sort of model or something."

"I see you still have that silver tongue," she teased him.

"Come on, Jen," he said. "I mean, I’m glad to see you, but even you have to admit it’s sort of sudden."

"From where you sit," she agreed. "But I’ve been planning this for about three weeks."

Dawson frowned at her. "Planning what?"

Jen opened her purse and withdrew an envelope. "This is for you. And if anyone knew I was giving it to you, I’d lose my job."

"Jen, what..." he started to ask, but she made a shushing noise.

"Just open it," she instructed him.

Dawson shrugged and opened the envelope. He scanned it quickly and looked up at Jen in surprise. "You work for--"

"I’m a production assistant," she said. "A glorified gopher, Dawson, nothing more. I get coffee and tell people how great they are. But it’s work, and it’s in the business. I’m not complaining."

"So how did you..." Dawson looked down at the letter.. "I mean, this is pretty serious stuff, Jen."

Jen nodded. "They aren’t accepting outside submissions. You have to have an entry form personally handed to you, pretty much. In theory you can write in and request one -- which, for the record, is how you got this one -- but they aren’t in the practice of just giving them away."

Dawson blinked. "This is some serious money they’re offering," he said.

Jen nodded. "I thought of you right away when I read about this."

Dawson shook his head. "You drove all the way here from New York to give me this?"

Jen smiled. "What are friends for, Dawson?"

He grinned at her.

"I was thinking," she said, "Creek Daze would be perfect for this, you know?"

Dawson set the letter down. "Is that the production assistant in you talking, or my ex-producer?"

"Both," Jen told him. "Dawson, if you win this competition, you could be directing a movie over the summer. A real movie with a real budget. A small budget, anyway." She regarded him. "Think about that. I bet no one else in your class will be doing that."

"Are you kidding?" Dawson laughed. "Jen, everyone in my class will be doing exactly that this summer. They’re all movie freaks like me."

"But you could be doing it in New York City," Jen told him quietly.

Dawson met her eyes; Jen stared at him for a long moment before breaking off the look.

"I should get going," she spoke.

"So soon?" he asked.

Jen raised an eyebrow. "Now that you know why I’m here, you want me to stay, leather pants and all?" she teased him.

Dawson said, "Jen, it’s just that... well, opportunity doesn’t usually knock so hard on my door. I’d like to talk some more about this, get your ideas on a few things."

Jen stood. "Meet me for dinner tonight," she said.

"I’d like to," Dawson admitted, "but I think I’m busy."

"You think you’re busy?" Jen asked, moving to the closet to get her coat.

"I have to check," Dawson told her. "How long will you be in town?"

"Just a day or two," she told him, slipping on the long trenchcoat. She fished in one of the pockets and handed him a business card. "Here’s my cell number," she said, pointing to it on the card.

Dawson nodded.

"And Dawson?" Jen asked.

He looked up.

"Don’t take too long to decide."

Dawson stared at the door for a long moment after Jen had shown herself out.

"This could be great," he murmured.

Joey’s gonna kill you, his brain shot back.

Dawson shook his head. "Joey..."

*

Slipping by Manuel, Joey moved to the rear of the kitchen to hand her lunch plate to Pacey. When she reached the sink, however, she found Pacey stripping off his gloves and untying his apron.

"Where are you goin’?" Joey asked.

"Two o’clock," Pacey answered her.. "I get an two hours with Andie before I have to go to work at the video store." He handed the apron to Joey. "Hasta la vista, baby."

Joey dropped his apron on the counter. "It’s two already?" she asked.

Pacey nodded. "Don’t tell me you weren’t watching the clock waiting for Jack to show up."

Joey swore softly, under her breath. "Pacey, no-- it was busy out there. I lost track of time."

Pacey smiled as he folded his arms. "You best get yourself prettied up quick, little missy," he teased Joey. "Wouldn’t want to look anything but your best for your gay ex-boyfriend."

"Shut up, Pacey," she said. "Just shut up.."

Pacey chuckled. "I’ll see you out there, Potter."

Joey shot him a venomous look as he exited the kitchen. She glanced around and ducked into the cramped bathroom in the hallway off the kitchen. Joey flicked on the light and tried to do something with her hair-- she let it down and ran her hands through it, trying to tease it into anything other than a dark swirling mass. She slipped it behind her ears, but it refused to stay, and long tendrils hung over her cheeks. No way, she thought, twirling her mane up and catching it quickly with her hair clip. This’ll have to do.

She moved quickly through the kitchen and out onto the floor, pausing to find Pacey, Andie, and... Jack.

Jack was laughing at something Pacey had said, and Joey caught her breath at how handsome he looked. She hadn’t seen Jack since their high school graduation seven months earlier, and while they had exchanged a few e-mails, she had not laid eyes on him since he’d given her a hug in his long blue graduation robe and walked off with Andie and Pacey.

Jack glanced over Pacey’s shoulder and saw Joey standing there, alone, her hands clasped in front of her, regarding him. He stood suddenly, too quickly, smiling; Andie looked up at him and followed his gaze over to Joey.

Joey walked across the floor slowly, her eyes meeting Jack’s dark orbs, and she smiled as she came up to him. "I remember you," she spoke softly.

Jack nodded. "You’re pretty hard to forget yourself, you know," he said.

Joey fought the urge to blush.

"Why don’t you join us?" Jack said, pulling out a chair. Joey sat down, thanking him.

Pacey stood. "We have to get going," he said.

Andie frowned. "We just got here, Pacey."

"McPhee, the last place I want to spend my all too brief allotment of time with you is here, where I’ve been working since eight this morning." He gestured to Jack. "Besides, Jack’s got the car keys, right? He can get himself home."

"Pacey, you guys don’t have to go," Jack said. "I mean, Joey and I--"

"Deserve some time alone," Pacey finished. "Come on, Andie, let’s go get something to eat."

Andie raised an eyebrow. "You’re too much," she said.

He offered her an arm, and she took it. "See you around, Potter. Talk to you later, Jack."

They nodded as Pacey and Andie left.

Jack smiled. "You know, Joey, when my sister first started seeing Pacey, I thought she was insane, or possessed. I mean, Pacey Witter?" He shook his head. "But he’s been so good to her. And me."

Joey nodded in agreement. "His transformation is nothing short of miraculous," she agreed.

"So is yours," Jack said quietly.

Joey half-smiled. "What do you mean?"

"I’ve never seen you this happy since I’ve known you."

The half smile blossomed into a full one. "Really?"

Jack matched it with one of his own. "Absolutely. You’re practically beaming."

"You don’t look too unhappy yourself," said Joey.

"Nah, but this is different," Jack said. "This is...." He stared at her, his dark eyes meeting hers. "This is you finding whatever it was you were missing. Some piece of your life that you couldn’t find before." Jack reached for her hand absently. "You’re whole, Joey. I can feel it. For the first time since I’ve known you, you’re...fulfilled."

Joey shook her head. "I was happy when I was with you, Jack," she responded, her voice low. "I was fulfilled then, too."

Jack squeezed her hand. "Joey, what we had was wonderful, and I’ll always treasure it. But I don’t delude myself into thinking I could make you this happy." He shook his head. "I adored you, you know. I really did."

"I know," Joey said. "And I..." she trailed off, gazing at him. "I could have fallen in love with you, Jack. I really could have. I think I almost did."

He released her hand. "It’s a good thing I came to my senses before that happened," he said. "I couldn’t have your broken heart on my conscience."

Joey smiled. "You came into my life at the right time, Jack. I needed someone like you who would see me as something new and someone mysterious and romantic, and...."

"Dawson didn’t see you that way?" Jack asked softly. "I mean, before we..."

"Right at that time, no," Joey told him. "In a way, you gave me the confidence to realize that I deserved to be seen like that."

Jack smiled. "It makes me really happy to hear you say that, Joey. With everything that happened later, with me, and you, and.." he trailed off. "I’m just glad you realized you’re special, because I always saw you that way."

Joey closed her eyes. "Thanks, Jack."

Jack paused a moment, taking Joey in. "I just hope you find someone else who can see you that way, someone who can be what you want him to be."

Joey gave him a half smile and looked away.

"You did find someone, didn’t you?" Jack grinned. "And here I thought I was the only one who had found Mr. Right."

"I found somebody," Joey echoed.

"Someone at RISD?" Jack queried.

Joey shook her head. "Nope."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Someone from Capeside?"

"Closer," Joey said.

Jack furrowed his brow. "I wouldn’t know this guy, would I?"

"You know him pretty well," said Joey.

Jack shook his head. "You got back together with Dawson, didn’t you?"

Joey nodded.

Jack smiled. "You know Dawson and I will never be good friends," he told her. "But if he makes you happy, if he makes you whole, then I’m glad you have him. If he can do this for you, if he can make you....glow," Jack said, "then I don’t begrudge him anything."

"Jack," Joey spoke, "we don’t have to--"

"Joey," he said, cutting her off. "It’s okay. I found somebody who makes me incredibly happy. I’m really lucky. Why shouldn’t I be happy you’ve done the same?"

"Speaking of which, where is Toby?" asked Joey. "I kind of wanted to meet him."

Jack glanced away. "Toby’s not real big on the whole Capeside scene. He prefers to spend my breaks from college at his place in Vermont. And I didn’t really think he’d be psyched to meet my old girlfriend." He shook his head. "That sounds a little weird to say out loud."

"Does he know about..."

Jack nodded. "I told him everything. I didn’t want any secrets between us."

"That’s probably a good idea," Joey agreed.

Jack leaned forward. "I only have one regret," he said softly. They made eye contact.

Jack broke off the look and glanced down. "I was always sorry that you got hurt when I.... figured out who I really was. I never meant to do that, Joey. If I could do it all again, I’d spare you that."

Joey inhaled deeply and let out a sigh. "I’m just glad you didn’t wait too long to sort it all out, Jack."

Jack murmured, "Joey, if I could have been that guy for you, if I could have done that... I would have. But that’s not who I am." He shook his head. "I’ll always love you, I’ll always care about you, but it’ll never be in the same way I love and care for Toby."

"You really like this guy, don’t you?" Joey asked.

Jack smiled, the same shy smile he used to flash at her. "He’s terrific, Joey. Just terrific."

Joey matched his smile. "Now I’m really sorry I won’t get to meet him."

"Maybe next time," Jack told her.

They made eye contact once more, and shared each other’s gaze for a long moment, dark eyes staring into one another.

"I better get going," Jack said, backing his chair away from the table.

"Already?" Joey asked. "You’ve only been here..." she checked her watch. "Fifteen minutes."

Jack nodded. "All the same, I think I better go."

He stood, and Joey followed his lead, circling around the table to hug him. "I wish you wouldn’t leave so soon," she whispered to him.

"Me too," he murmured back. "Which is exactly why I should."

"Jack..."

"Joey," he said, breaking off the embrace. "Some chapters are better left closed, you know?" He put a hand on her shoulder. "We’re both happy where we are. That’s more than most people ever get."

Joey nodded, her dark eyes sad.

"I’ll see you," he said, squeezing her hand again and turning to go. Joey released his hand and watched him walk out the door, certain in her heart that she would indeed never see Jack McPhee again.

*

The scratch of pencil on paper caught Dawson’s attention, and he looked up, watching Joey sketch in her drawing pad. She’d been quiet ever since he’d picked her up three hours ago, and he was loathe to disturb her now. Dawson glanced back at his laptop and exhaled.. I’m not getting anything done, he mused. Can’t concentrate. I want to ask Joey about this New York thing, but....

Joey had stretched out on the floor facing the fireplace. Dawson let his eyes wander over her; he grinned at the way she’d crossed her legs, at how one foot wagged back and forth as she drew. The fire dyed her face and the sketch an orange hue; Dawson could only see the tip of her nose, as her hair hid the rest of her features. Joey seemed totally engrossed in her work, and between that and her lack of conversation, Dawson decided to sit quietly and just watch her.

Joey tilted her head as she filled in an area of the drawing; she stopped and changed pencils, dropping one in her art supply box and taking out another one, with a thicker, broader point on it. She tried a few tentative lines, and, satisfied, began filling in a patch in the lower part of the sketch.

Dawson stretched; his back popped as it straightened out, and he frowned and rubbed it. "Ow," he murmured.

"Did you say something?" Joey asked without looking up.

"No," he replied. "Just popped my back stretching."

Dawson saw her dark head bob up and down. "Okay."

He watched her sketch some more, listening to the pencil’s coarse whisper as it slid across the paper; short strokes were followed by long ones, and Dawson began to wonder what she worked on that so captivated her attention.

"Joe," he ventured.

"Hmm?"

"Whatcha workin’ on?" he asked.

"Nothin’," she told him. "Just sort of... sketching.."

Dawson nodded.

"Anything in particular?" he asked.

"Not really," she answered him casually. "Just letting my mind wander."

Dawson powered down his laptop and closed the screen. "Can I have a look?"

Once again he saw Joey’s head bob. "Sure."

Dawson crawled over to where Joey lay and settled down next to her on the rug. He propped himself up on his elbows and looked at her drawing.

Joey had sketched a woman sitting in a rowboat, resting her elbows on her knees, looking out over the water that surrounded her. The branch of a tree hung down in one corner of the drawing, the leaves casting shade on the very back edge of the boat. Both oars sat unattended in the water, and the woman’s face was partially covered by her long hair, which blew in tendrils over her cheek.

"It’s really good," Dawson muttered.

"Thanks," Joey said, adding a small ripple to the water near one of the oars.

"Is this you?" he asked.

"Ah hah," Joey mumbled, touching up the shading on the oar.

He slid an arm across her back. "Does it have any meaning other than being a really nice sketch?" he asked.

Joey glanced over at him, meeting his eyes for a moment before returning to work on the drawing.

"Yup."

Dawson stroked her long hair. He leaned over and kissed her on the temple; then he settled in and watched her add some finishing touches to the sketch. Once or twice Joey glanced over at him, but Dawson remained quiet, just observing her work. When she had finished, she pencilled in her initials in the lower left hand corner and sat up, checking over the work.

"It’s really beautiful," Dawson spoke.

Joey looked over at him. "You think so?"

He nodded, his head propped up in his hand. "I definitely do.."

Joey scooped her long hair out of her face and said, "Dawson, did you ever stop and think how close we came to never having a moment like this again?" She looked down at him. "I mean, if one little thing had been different, or if one factor had been a yes instead of a no..." She shook her head. "Sometimes it just gets to me that no matter how strong what we feel toward each other is, we could just as easily be alone, or with other people, or...."

Dawson set his hand on her thigh. "Are you saying love is an accident?" he queried.

"No," Joey answered, furrowing her brow. "But so many things can derail it..." She gave him a half-smile. "Never mind, Dawson, I’m just talking crazy."

He shook his head. "I don’t think it’s crazy, Joe. I think what you’re saying makes a lot of sense."

Joey looked at him.

"What if you had met someone at college? What if I had? What if my parents had moved away from Capeside? What if Pacey hadn’t meddled with us at Thanksgiving?" He took a deep breath. "Part of love is luck, Joey, and good timing and good fortune. But the rest is up to us."

She nodded, smiling, and lay down next to him on the rug. "So how do you know so much about love?"

He traced the line of her shoulder down into her arm. "I’ve had a lot of time to think about it in the past two years."

She kissed him lightly. "But seriously, Dawson," she whispered, "don’t you ever wonder what might have happened if we hadn’t gotten back together? Or if you had.. I don’t know, if Jen hadn’t dumped you? If Jack hadn’t been gay?"

Dawson drew her to him, sliding his arm around her. "Once in a while I think about it, Joe. Occasionally."

Joey gazed at him. "And?"

"And," Dawson told her, "I realize that I couldn’t possibly have it better than I do right now. So I don’t give the road not taken too much thought, because I’m happy with the path I’m on."

Joey nodded. "I know, you’re right."

Dawson frowned. "I sense a ‘but’ coming..."

Joey shrugged. "It’s just that..." She trailed off. "It’s just that I can’t help but wonder once in a while how things would have turned out, that’s all."

"So you draw yourself alone and adrift in a rowboat?"

Joey rubbed her nose and shrugged.

Dawson took her free hand in his. "Are you having second thoughts?"

"About us?" Joey raised an eyebrow. "Not for a moment, Dawson. I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy." Jack was right about that, she thought as she leaned in and kissed him.

Dawson shifted next to her on the rug. "So is this some sort of holiday-season influenced melancholy you’re feeling?" He slid his arm around her. "Ever since my folks got divorced, I don’t exactly love Christmas time either."

Joey smiled, her face close to his. "No," she admitted, "it isn’t that." She kissed his nose, "Never mind, Dawson, I’m just being...I don’t know. Just never mind." She kissed him again, on the lips, sliding her arm around him and rolling him over on his back. Joey began to kiss him more passionately when she heard someone clear his throat.

She and Dawson looked up to see Nick, Gale’s boyfriend.

"Hey," he said, grinning.

"Hi," Joey said. Dawson made a face.

"I just wanted to let you guys know your mom’s gonna be calling you to dinner soon, so you might want to unwrap yourselves so she doesn’t catch you."

Joey blinked. "Thanks."

Nick flipped her a salute and left the room.

Joey looked down at Dawson; embarrassment was written all over his face.

"Who was that?" she asked.

"That was Nick."

Joey raised an eyebrow. "You’re mom’s dating him?" she asked. "He’s a babe."

When Dawson said nothing, Joey murmured. "And that was cool of him to warn us."

"Great," Dawson croaked. "Getting caught in a compromising position by my mom’s boyfriend. Terrific."

Joey half-smiled. "Look at it this way, Dawson; he’s handling it better than you did when you caught your folks."

Dawson gave Joey a look.

"Go easy on him, Dawson," she said, sitting up on her haunches. "He might be the only thing preventing your mom from being that woman in the rowboat all by herself."

Dawson sat up. "Joe," he said, "what’s that drawing really about?"

She shook her head. "I’ll tell you later. After dinner. Come on."

Dawson followed Joey as she stood up and left the room.

*

"You almost ready?" Andie asked, fastening the clasp on the back of her earring.

"Just about," Pacey’s voice drifted to her from the bedroom. "Am I going to need a tie?"

"That depends on how you define ‘need’," Andie told him, running a comb through her hair one last time.

"Andieeeeee," Pacey mock-whined. "Just tell me."

"Where we are going, Pacey, a tie is not required for admission. But if you really want to make me happy, you’ll wear one."

A pause passed, and the Pacey’s voice asked, "Why couldn’t you have a thing for me in, say, I don’t know, sweat pants?"

"I do have a thing for you in sweat pants," she called back, moving toward the bedroom. "I just also happen to have a thing for you in ties."

"Really," he said, meeting her in the doorway of the bedroom.

"Mmm-hmmm," she said, tightening the knot of his tie. She grinned and shook her head.

"What?" Pacey asked.

"You look almost good enough to skip our reservations for," she murmured, kissing him.

"You’re looking pretty dapper yourself," he countered.

They shared a long look.

"Hey, McPhee, you know, I could take this outfit off, and we could--"

"Forget it, Pacey," Andie spoke. "I said almost."

"Can’t blame a guy for trying," Pacey said, kissing her back.

"I’ll blame you later if you don’t try," Andie murmured. "But that’s later. Right now, we have reservations, and if we don’t get going, we’ll be late. And if we’re late, they won’t hold the table for us."

Pacey handed Andie her heavy wool coat. "What kind of place would ditch us for missing nine o’clock reservations?"

Andie slid her coat on and opened the front door. "You’ll see."

"McPhee," Pacey said as he locked the door behind them, "you are getting way too into this whole ‘devious’ thing, you know that? I mean, first using me as an excuse to get Jack and Joey some time alone, and now a genuine surprise..."

Andie chuckled as she started down the stairs. "The last one worked out so well I figured I’d try one of my own."

"Will wonders never cease?" Pacey mumbled as they exited onto the street. Pacey started to head for Andie’s car, but she stopped him.

"It’s within walking distance," Andie spoke.

Pacey raised an eyebrow. "Tell me we did not get dressed up to go to Taco Bell."

Andie rapped him on the arm. "Pacey!"

"Just making sure," he told her.

Andie took his hand. "I planned this date, remember? When I pick the place to eat, we don’t go somewhere that has a talking dog as a mascot."

"But he’s so cute," Pacey teased Andie.

She shot him a glance, and he laughed.

They walked a few blocks in silence, content to enjoy one another’s company.. They held hands the whole way, Andie only releasing him when they arrived at the restaurant.

Pacey looked up at the sign. "The Banks? You’re taking me to The Banks?"

Andie nodded, a smile on her face.

"I’ll say this for you, Andie. You’ve got class."

She smiled widely. "I hoped you’d like it."

"You sure you can afford this place? They’re not exactly cheap here."

"Relax, Pacey," Andie assured him as they entered the restaurant. "I’ve got everything covered."

"I don’t get it," Pacey said as they checked their coats. "How does a classy girl from Providence end up with a guy like me?"

Andie kissed him on the cheek. "Must be love," she told him.

"Either that, or some really complex sexual fixation," he teased her.

She raised an eyebrow. "I’ll go with love." To the hostess, Andie said, "Reservations for McPhee, party of two."

The hostess tapped twice on her miniature keyboard and spoke, "This way, please."

She led them into the main dining room and headed toward the raised section in the back with lower lighting. The hostess placed the menus on the table and told them, "Have a pleasant evening."

Pacey chuckled as she left. "I’d say that’s pretty much a given."

He held out Andie’s chair for her and moved to his own once she’d seated herself. He pulled his own chair out and was about to occupy it when he glanced up at the room around them and spotted someone. After a brief pause, he took his seat.

"What was that all about?" Andie asked him.

Pacey shook his head. "I don’t believe it."

Andie frowned. "Believe what?"

Pacey gestured with his chin. "Over there, behind you, to your left. Girl sitting alone at a table, white sweater."

Andie snuck a quick peek over her shoulder. "You know her?"

Pacey nodded. "You do too. That’s Jen Lindley."

Andie shook her head. "No it’s not. It can’t be."

Pacey made eye contact with Andie. "I’d bet my paycheck it is. Okay, the hair’s a little longer, and she’s alone, but other than that... Andie, I’m telling you, that’s Jen Lindley."

"You want to go over and say hi?" Andie queried.

"When we’re done," Pacey responded. "I’m here to spend time with you, not her."

Andie spoke, "No, Pacey, really, it’s okay. I mean--"

Pacey shook his head. "I don’t think so, Andie.. We’re here to be with each other. We can say hi to Jen some other time."

"If you’re sure," Andie said, unconvinced.

"I am," he assured her, taking her hand as the waiter arrived, asking for drink orders.

"What I’d really like to know," Pacey said as the waiter left, "is who she came to Capeside to see."

Andie smiled. "That’s a Ph.D. in the obvious," she said.

Pacey raised an eyebrow.

"Dawson. Who else?"

Pacey nodded. "Who else indeed?"

He and Andie shared a long look, and both of them smiled.

"I guess Joey doesn’t have to worry about that whole ‘seeing your brother’ thing any more," Pacey ventured.

"No," Andie agreed, opening up a menu. "I’d say they are in for a very interesting couple of days."

Pacey chuckled. "You have no idea," he said, but the smile dropped away from his face instantly.

Andie noticed it. "Pacey?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Do you trust me?" Pacey murmured.

"Of course I trust you," Andie replied. "But--"

"Then don’t turn around."

Andie furrowed her brow. "Don’t turn around? Why not?"

"Trust me, Andie, you’d rather not--" Pacey stopped as Andie glanced over her shoulder.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, looking back at Pacey.

Pacey nodded. "Told you."

Jen Lindley no longer sat alone; Dawson Leery had joined her.

"I wish I hadn’t seen him," Andie muttered.

"Not half as much as he does, I bet," Pacey replied.

*

Dawson nodded as he took a seat. "You told me not to take long to decide, Jen. I just thought I should follow your advice."

Jen smiled. "Should I be honored?"

"If you like," Dawson said.

Jen gave him a bemused look. The waiter arrived and asked if Dawson needed a menu, but Dawson refused him, ordering just a Pepsi.

Jen folded her arms. "I take it you’re considering entering the contest."

"I didn’t say that," Dawson told her.

"You’re here," Jen spoke. "You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t interested."

Dawson opened his mouth to reply, but frowned before he got any words out. "Good point," he managed.

"‘Course it is," Jen teased him. She leaned forward. "Dawson, how could you not be interested? This is everything you’ve worked toward for the last three years. The Chicago grant, the Boston Independent Film grant..." Jen shook her head. "You have a hell of a resume. That will probably do more for you than the film itself."

"You’re talking like I’ve already won," he said.

Jen tilted her head. "Do you really think I’d risk my job and drive seven hours all the way up here if I didn’t think you’d take this contest?" She smirked. "Please, Dawson, you have more talent than any of these pet project kids they’re extending a hand to. I know-- I’ve met some of them."

Dawson nodded.. "I just have a couple of questions, Jen."

"Shoot," she urged him as the waiter brought her salad.

Dawson glanced away. "What’s in this for you?" he asked.

Jen picked up her fork and dug into the salad. "Why does there have to be something in it for me?"

Dawson leaned forward. "Because you risked your job and you drove seven hours to see me, that’s why. Now I know you believe in my talent, and I know you respect my abilities, but Jen, even my own mother doesn’t believe in me that strongly." He made eye contact. "If you were only thinking of me, Jen, you wouldn’t have dropped off the radar for a year."

Jen chewed on her salad for a minute and replied, "First of all, Dawson, life is not exactly fun and games in New York City. I work my ass off-- nights, weekends, and whatever else they tell me to do. I should hate you for that."

Dawson gestured to himself. "Me? Why hate me? I didn’t send you to New York."

"No," Jen agreed, "but you made me the producer of your movie and you showed me something I was good at, something I really loved to do." She shrugged. "With you and Joey starring in your own production of ‘Love Shack,’ there really wasn’t much for me to do here after Grams died." She took another mouthful of lettuce. "So I went out in the real world and tried to get a job doing for someone else what I had done so well for you."

Dawson nodded. "And?"

"And it got me a foot in the door. Someone had actually seen Creek Daze and liked it. That was how I got my in. Since then it’s been just busting my ass, day after day, week after week, keeping my eye open for my break." She gave him a sad smile. "Hasn’t come yet."

Dawson blinked. "This is where I come in?" he asked softly.

Jen held his eyes for a moment before she nodded. "I thought I could help you and help myself at the same time." She reached across the table and grabbed his hand. "But I really was thinking of you first, Dawson. Honest. I thought someone deserving should get this opportunity, and no one’s more deserving than you."

"That’s an incredibly sweet thing to say," Dawson murmured.

"It’s also an incredibly true thing to say," Jen countered. "And if this project takes off..."

Dawson nodded. "You end up being the youngest producer in the biz."

Jen shook her head no. "A team, Dawson, a team. We become the hot young team. Doors would open for both of us." She stabbed at her salad. "At least it sounded good sitting alone in a cold little apartment in New York City."

"It sounds pretty good in a warm restaurant in Capeside, too," Dawson told her.

"Yeah?" Jen queried.

Dawson smiled. "Yeah.."

She smiled warmly at him. "Dawson," she said, "do you have any idea where winning this contest could take you?"

Dawson made eye contact with her and nodded.

*

"I didn’t miss you either," she muttered.

"Hmm?" Dawson asked.

"Just the weather," Jen commented. "Not that it’s all that great in New York, but..." she shook.

"You never really did like it here, did you, Jen?"

Jan blew into her gloved hands before she answered. "I liked some things," she spoke, looking up at Dawson. "But not everything, no."

Dawson nodded. "Fair enough."

Jen looked out at the dark water. "Did you ever wonder what might have happened if it had been you and me instead of you and Joey?" she asked.

Dawson watched Jen as she moved to the rail at the edge of the walkway.

"I’ve thought about it, once in a while," Dawson admitted.

"And?" Jen spoke, still looking away from him.

He moved up next to her. "Things would have been different, I suppose," he conceded. "I don’t know."

"I’ve thought about it too, Dawson," Jen confided. "Seems like I’ve been thinking about it too much, lately."

Dawson looked over at Jen, but she still watched the waves. "What are you saying here, Jen?"

"I’m just saying that I’ve mulled over the idea, and it doesn’t sound too bad to me. But if you had to ask..." She shook her head. "You’d think I’d learn."

Dawson frowned. "Do you mean what I think you mean?"

Jen turned to face him, and he could see her eyes were wet. "Dawson, I’m lonely all the time in New York. The only thing I have going for me is that my job-- pain in the ass that it is right now-- has a future. So I thought about the one thing that always made me happy, and the one thing that could change all that, and..."

"You came up here to try to get me back," Dawson said simply.

She turned away to gaze at the water again.

"Is that so wrong?" she asked. "The film contest is legit, and I really do think you should get it. That should be you, Dawson, because you deserve to win." She snuffled. "And yes, it would be nice to have you in New York all summer. Even if it didn’t go anywhere. Even if we..." She hung her head.

Dawson closed his eyes. "Jen, I don’t know what to say..."

She looked over at him, and Dawson’s heart twisted to see the hope on her face, the longing in her eyes. "Say you’ll enter the contest. Please."

Dawson took a deep breath. "There’s no saying I’d win, Jen."

She shook her head. "I know you would. They’d have no choice but to give it to you. No one else involved has a tenth of your talent."

Dawson put a hand on her shoulder. "Jen, even if I did enter, even if I did win, even if I did come to New York..."

She nodded. "Let me worry about that. I know there’s no guarantees here, Dawson. I understand that."

"Jen, I don’t think you do," Dawson said, letting his hand fall away. "I’m still in love with Joey."

Jen turned away from him, holding herself in the cold. Dawson moved around in front of her, but she refused to look at him.

"I’m sorry that hurts you so much, Jen, but it’s the truth. Joey and I are in love. I’m not just gonna turn my back on that. Even for this. Even for you."

Jen nodded, still looking at the ground. "You probably think I’m pathetic."

Dawson hunched down so he could see Jen’s face. "In all the time I’ve known you, Jen, I have never thought you were pathetic. Resourceful, intelligent, witty, attractive, sexy, yes-- all of those things, and more. But never pathetic."

"Stand up," Jen said.

Dawson rose.

Jen leaned forward and kissed him full on the lips, slipping one hand behind his head before she broke off the kiss.

"I know better than to try to come between your heart and Joey Potter," Jen spoke. "Even I can’t compare with that history."

"Jen," Dawson started, but she pressed a gloved hand to his lips.

"If you ever get over that girl next door, Dawson Leery, I’ll be in New York." She removed her hand and smiled. "Now, I really have to go."

Dawson shared a long look with Jen, nodding with understanding as she broke off the glance and turned and walked away.

He stared out at the water for quite some time before he left for home.

*

The clock read 12:10 as Joey eased herself through Dawson’s window, brushing a thin layer of snow dusting her shoulders. "Sorry I’m so late, Dawson," Joey spoke as she turned to close the window. "Bessie could not get the little one to bed, and..." She glanced over to see him sitting on the bed, framed by the same dim lamp he always left on for her. But his shoulders slumped, and his head weighed heavy on the hand that held it up. Joey shedded her coat on a chair and climbed onto the bed.

"What’s wrong?" she asked Dawson, who glanced up at her.

He pushed an envelope toward her.

"What’s this?"

"Take a look," he croaked.

Joey frowned as she opened the letter and read it.

She glanced up at Dawson. "I don’t get it. This sounds perfect. You could win this."

"I know," he agreed glumly.

"Explain to me how directing a real film over the summer is a such a depressing thing," Joey said, reaching for his hand.

Dawson looked up at her. "Because Jen gave me that."

Joey recoiled. "Jen Lindley?"

Dawson nodded.

Joey felt her heart speed up. "Jen Lindley’s in town?"

Dawson nodded again.

"And you saw her?"

He looked away from Joey.

Joey closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Is this all she gave you?" she asked softly.

"Yes," Dawson said. "Though she wanted more."

"I’ll bet," Joey said.

"Joe, I’m sorry," he told her. "She showed up at my door unannounced. I was completely taken aback-- I thought I’d never see her again." He sighed. "And then she has to offer me the biggest career break I could imagine."

Joey felt her mouth go dry. "What are you going to do?" she asked. She closed her eyes.

For a long moment Dawson stared at the letter, then at Joey’s hand that held it. He followed the crook of her arm up to her shoulder, and his eyes lingered on her face as she looked away, in profile, eyes shut, lips turned down.

"I’m...." He started.

Joey looked at him, eyes wide.

"I’m not gonna do it."

Joey dropped the letter on the bed. "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Much as I would love to direct that movie, Joey, there are things more important to me." He met her eyes.

Joey shook her head. "Don’t say no because of me, Dawson. I couldn’t live with that on my conscience, denying you that opportunity to make a name for yourself with your talent." She picked up the letter and slid it toward him. "No way."

"There are other contests," he said. "There’s only one Joey Potter."

"Dawson," she whispered.

He moved next to her on the bed. "Some opportunities come at too high a price, Joey. Sure, this would be a great chance." He reached up and stroked her hair. "But it’s not worth it if it means I have to risk losing you."

She reached up and kissed him, pressing her forehead to his. "You have to do this," Joey murmured. "You have to, Dawson. This is your dream."

He pulled away and shook his head. "Joey," he said, "This is a dream, sure." He took her hand in his and brought it to his mouth, kissing it. "Don’t you understand, Joe? You are my dream. None of the rest of this means anything without you. I told you that before, and I still mean it. Whatever I could achieve in New York, whatever name I could make for myself..." He shrugged. "It doesn’t mean anything if you’re not there."

Joey nodded. She swallowed audibly and said, "Then take me with you."

Dawson blinked. "What?"

"Take me with you to New York," she said. "Enter the contest, and when you win, take me with you."

Dawson looked down at the bed. "You think they’ll go for that?"

Joey cupped his chin in her hand. "If they want Mr. Hotshot young director, they will."

He shook his head as he looked at her, admiration in his eyes. "You’re sure about this? This isn’t gonna be a vacation, Joe. This is gonna be work, long hours on the set, meetings...."

"Hey," Joey said, squeezing his hand, "I was your producer before she ever was. I know what making a movie entails. I know how hard you’ll have to work." She leaned forward and kissed him. "But I know what this will mean to you."

Dawson held both her hands in his. "You’re absolutely sure about this?"

Joey smiled. "You know that sculpture I was afraid to make?" she asked him. "The one of creativity?"

Dawson nodded.

Joey touched his cheek. "Don’t be afraid like I was, Dawson. I shouldn’t have cared what anyone in that class thought. I should have done the sculpture I wanted to do instead of worrying about being embarrassed." She kissed him. "You have to take this chance, and I’ll be right there with you to make sure you succeed."

Dawson smiled from ear to ear.

"Besides," Joey told him, "do you know how many good art schools there are in New York that offer summer classes?"

Dawson pulled her to him and held her tight, kissing her. Joey kissed him right back, and for a long moment they were locked together, everything else in the room fading away. When at last they broke off, Dawson slid a finger over Joey’s cheek and brushed her hair aside.

"I just have one question," he asked softly.

Joey raised an eyebrow.

"The woman in the rowboat," Dawson said.

"Oh, that," Joey smiled.

Dawson nodded.

"She’s wondering what to pack for New York in the summertime."

They both laughed, falling back on the bed together in a tight embrace.

* * *