Don't Forget to Remember by Ygrawn
Part 6 in the series
"Hey Joey," said Pacey cheerfully into the phone.
"Aren't you meant to be too exhausted to be cheerful?" she asked.
He'd rung just after dinner, trying to catch the time difference. Most of
the time he did quite well, though there had been a few strange hours.
"No. Today was my day off. Anyway, what I wanted to know was-how
'bout you and Alex come to California for the summer. We'd put you up here,
take you to see the sights, let you enjoy the beautiful weather."
"You'd let me? I don't think I need your permission," she said.
"But I don't know Pace. We were going to go to Cleveland."
"Come on, Joey," his voice beginning to beg. "You have to be in the
state on the sixth, so you may as well spend some more time with us. In
fact, why don't you come up on about the second or so, and come with us to
Los Angeles. We're driving down the coast. Dawson wanted it that way."
"Thank God you brought that up. What is that invitation all about?"
"You don't know?"
"NO."
"Okay, don't get annoyed with me. But I don't know if I should tell
you-perhaps Dawson wanted it to be a secret."
"Pacey," she said warningly.
"Alright. Dawson wrote a script and it was picked up by Columbia
Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox. He made it over the winter, and now
it's done, it's having it's premiere."
"Dawson made a film?" The shock was clearly evident in her voice..
"Like a real one?"
"Yep. It's called 'Give.'"
"What's it about?"
"Now even I don't know that. He hasn't revealed a word. But come
on Joey. Bring Alex and let me see you. Please? Ple-ease?" his voice was
starting to whine.
"Just to shut you up I'll come. I think I'll try and arrive on
about the third. You cannot let Alex near any fireworks on Independence Day
though. Understood?"
"Yes," he submitted meekly. "I'll talk to you soon, Joey. I have
to go."
"Okay. And thanks for inviting me."
"I miss you."
"I miss you too," she said softly, and hung up.
Pacey would kick himself later. Dawson would also kick Pacey later.
Dawson would enjoy it more.
Pacey had dragged him all the way out here, and what they were doing
at the train station was rather beyond even Dawson's usually functioning
intelligence. Pacey seemed to know exactly what he was doing, and stood,
jiggling one of his legs.
"Are you going to tell me what's going on, or am I going to be left
in the dark?" Dawson looked around for some clues, but in a twist of fate,
there were no signs telling him which train they were waiting for.
"Hey, you have your secrets," said Pacey, referring to Dawson's
script. Dawson shrugged, and figured he'd know soon.
The train puled into the station, and from what Dawson could tell, it
seemed to have arrived late. Pacey grew even more impatient as the door
began to open. People flocked out of the carriages, children, elderly women
carrying bags-this was Interstate, Dawson could tell that much. Most of the
passengers were well rugged up, so it had come from somewhere closer to the
eastern side of the country. His observation skills were really being put
to the test.
Suddenly Pacey exhaled sharply, and raced away from him. Dawson
tried to follow Pacey, but lost him in the crowd. He belatedly began to
trace Pacey's steps.
Joey saw Pacey straightaway, and his eyes caught hers two seconds
later. Without thinking about Alex, she dropped her bags and flew straight
to him, throwing her arms around his neck. Pacey spun her around and
around, and she saw Alex was right beside them, watching with curiosity.
"Hi," she tried to say, but just held him tighter and let him kiss
her. At least he didn't try anything. She laughed long and loud, her eyes
finding his. He let her down gently, grinning like a fool, pulling her back
in for another hug.
"This is Alex," she said, taking the boy's hands and pulling him
close to her. Pacey knelt down.
"I'm Pacey," he said.
"I'm Alex."
"And I'm surprised," said Dawson from where he stood a few feet
away. She squashed down all the thoughts that rose at the sound of Dawson's
voice.
"What?" said Joey easily. "How do you think I was going to get to
Los Angeles?"
Alex was practically speechless as he looked around. San Francisco
was so different from Chicago that he dawdled along, tugging on Joey's hand.
Pacey was happy to meander, spending a lot of time grinning like a jester.
The hills were steep, but the weather was lovely and the Downtown area
offered a lot to look at.
Joey carried her bag and Pacey carried Alex's. Alex's was bulging
with toys and games and his action figures. Joey's was the smaller one,
with only her clothes, the rest of her things in a duffel bag she'd taken on
the train with her.
"I can't believe I missed you so much," he was saying.
"You-Josephine Potter, Capeside's most annoying source of gossip."
"Watch it-you wouldn't want to hurt yourself with your new found
revelation." He grinned at her. "Come on Alex," she said. "Or I'll have
to carry you." Alex hurried up.
Dawson hadn't said much, walking along with his hands in his pockets,
his eyes not focusing on much. "I'll talk to you later," Pacey whispered,
gesturing his head in Dawson's direction.
"This is our humble abode," said Dawson restlessly, strangely
nervous, Joey realized. She looked at the old brick block of apartments,
with the large bay windows and steps up to the first floor. They were on
Third Street and she knew they'd passed the Museum of Modern Art. Up ahead
she could see a sign saying Folsom Street.
"What area of town are we in?"
"This is SoMa, Joey, or South of Market where the night creatures of
San Francisco comes to have a good time."
"SoMa?"
"Yeah. It's pretty weird to be living in something that's also
known as the cell body of a neuron."
"You really are a doctor aren't you?"
"Yeah. I can even tell how you're doing after your frontal
lobotomy."
"Very funny. This place does look pretty interesting, in a
this-is-not-Capeside, gays-in-full-force, drink-till-you-pass out kind of
way."
Pacey grinned at her. "You'll fit right in. Tomorrow I'll take you
down to Brainwash, where you can do your laundry and have a cup of coffee.."
Joey just raised her eyebrows, and asked, "How many apartments are
there in your building?" She shaded her eyes against the sun as she looked
around the neighbourhood. They actually lived in the metropolitan area,
within the city, near the waterfront, for she could smell the tang of the
salt air.
"Four: one opposite us, two on the upper floor and our apartment.
Downstairs is the laundry, and the phone."
"Hey Alex, I want you to smell really hard for me," Joey said to
Alex. He sniffed.
"I can smell something-strange. What is it?"
"That Alex-boy is the sea. You were born near the sea, and spent
the first part of your life near there-and don't you forget it."
Pacey gestured for them to go first up the stairs. "Guests first."
"You're gonna break your spine sticking your neck out so far for us
Pacey. You really shouldn't endanger yourself."
"I do but live to serve," he said as Joey pushed open the front
door. Instinctively she moved to the left. "How did you know?" he asked, a
little amazed. He was searching through his pockets for his keys.
"I remember you telling me the view out of your bedroom window
offered an interesting perspective on female anatomy, through a window. On
the right of the building is a newsagent's."
He stared at her, and continued to jiggle his pockets, but no sounds
emerged. Silently, with a pained expression Dawson handed Pacey his keys..
"You never remember," Dawson admonished.
"No, but then again, I always have you, Dawson, endless fountain of
keys."
Alex looked a little apprehensive but Joey pushed him in and stopped
short. "No Dawson," she said. "I'm more surprised then you could ever
imagine." Alex had his arms around Joey's waist, knowing something was
wrong.
Jen turned at the familiar voice. "Joey," she said faintly.
"Well done," was Joey's sarcastic rejoinder.
Pacey looked between the two women as if they were throwing a ball
between them and helplessly turned to Dawson, who wasn't showing much sign
of exercising any control over the situation. Jen's face had gone from
surprise, to curiosity, to contempt when she saw Alex.
At this, Joey rose up to her full and intimidating height and took
control with a skill that astounded Pacey, gladdened Dawson, alarmed Jen and
made Alex smile.
"What a surprise," said Joey, all charm. "I guess I just wasn't
expecting to see you. But it is lovely Jen-I've thought about you a lot
lately. But I believe Alex and I would like to change-we didn't get the
opportunity to on the train.
"Which one's your room Pacey?"
Pacey weakly pointed to the middle door of the far wall of the
apartment. Joey quite calmly picked Alex up, who didn't squirm, and
literally sailed over there, carrying both bags at the same time. The door
closed and Jen didn't miss a beat.
"What is she doing here?" she demanded in a low voice.
Pacey sat down and prayed Dawson could do some creative editing.
Gail left the keys in the ignition and swung out of the Range Rover.
She walked through Mitch's door without knocking, and bumped head on into
Mitch's girlfriend of the moment-Maureen.
"Hi," said Gail brightly. She knew Maureen wouldn't last a second.
Mitch would find a flaw in her and then the relationship would be over.
"You'd be Gail," said Maureen a little unhappily. Maureen was quite
obviously intimidated by Mitch's ex-wife. Most of his girlfriend's were.
Gail shuddered to think where he found these women. He kept going for such
simpering fools. The exact opposite of her, she liked to think.
"I would be Gail. Maureen," she said almost as an after though and
the girl was even more unnerved. She pulled at a strand of pale blonde
hair, and tried to look straight through Gail.
"Well, um, Mitch is…"
"Packing," Gail said, enjoying the look of surprise and jealousy
that passed over Maureen's face.
"How'd you know?" Maureen asked, unable to control her curiosity.
"You're married to someone long enough you know them like the back
of your hand." She raised her voice for Mitch's benefit. "Mitch always
leaves his packing until the last minute."
"Hi, pleased to see you too," said Mitch sarcastically from the
bedroom door.
"You were packing though, weren't you?" said Gail with a wry grin.
"Yes, I was. Of course, far be it for me to mention that I'm sure
you packed before you flew out the door, in a bid to be early."
She threw him a dirty look. "Okay," she turned back to Maureen.
"Mitch and I will be back in roughly ten days. I guess he'll see you then."
Maureen tried to glare, but she was still in awe of Gail and her easy
relationship with Mitch.
Gail turned away so she wouldn't have to watch Mitch kiss the little
idiot, and when she could tell her was behind her, she moved out the door.
She threw him the keys, knowing he'd like to drive and climbed in the
passenger seat. There was a peaceful silence between them as they made
their way out to the airfield, Mitch handling the car with ease.
"So," he said, as they took the turnoff for the Capeside Airfield
where they'd catch the light plane. "Where are we staying in L.A?" She
could practically feel his eyes undressing her.
"You are unbelievable," she said, trying to retain some kind of
moral standard. "You're seeing another woman and you want to know if we
have separate rooms or a shared one."
"That's not what I asked!" he exclaimed.
She rolled her eyes. "You didn't have to."
"Oh come on Gail, you just tried your hardest to upset Maureen
before, going out of your way to irk her."
"Didn't have to try very hard," she muttered, but he caught it
anyway.
"Gail, we made the decision about our relationship together. We
like it this way. In passing, I sometimes wonder, but we both know we'd
kill each other if we lived together again. We're too set in our ways now.
So this is what we do have."
There was a silence as Gail acknowledged the point he always made.
If he did wonder in passing, he certainly showed no qualms about their
purely sex-based relationship.
"Shared," she told him quietly, and pushed his hand away. "Not in
the car," she told him airily.
He parked the car, and they jumped out. "When's Dawson arriving?"
"He's coming down the night before. He said he, Pacey and Jen
should all arrive at about six on the fifth."
Both he and Gail shared a glance over Jen and then another one over
the absence of a name. "Always feels wrong," he said. "Joey shouldn't be
wherever the hell she is raising that kid and trying to make a life."
"I know," was Gail's quiet reply. However much both had tried hard
to forget Joey like Dawson seemed to have, they had a soft spot for the
jaded young girl who'd been like a daughter.
