Chapter 9

 

Capeside, 2008

 

“Oh, this brought tears in my eyes.” Andie is delighted, like a little girl listening to some kind of fairy tale. “You still are the king of grand gestures, Pacey.” Pacey just smiles, winking back at her.

 

“And that’s it,” Joey concludes. “Pacey came back home after New Year, and two weeks later I was back here too, there was nothing I still had left to do that couldn’t be done here.”

 

“I remember that,” Jen chuckles. “You didn’t tell anyone, and Jack and I walked on you two. I never felt so embarrassed in my whole life and believe me, I’ve had enough embarrassing moments.”

 

“And Amy is still scared for life after that,” Jack adds for good measure.

 

“Jen! Jack!” Joey blushes, hiding her face on Pacey’s shoulder. “It wasn’t that bad.”

 

“What happened exactly?” Dawson asks, drinking another sip of his beer.

 

“Jen and Jack have a key to my place, and we were going to take Amy to the park,” Pacey replies. “Joey had appeared the night before, taking me by surprise and we were, well, what can I say? Talking in my living room.”

 

“And the first thing we saw was a flying bra hitting Jack’s head,” Jen completes, laughing.

 

“Jen! You don’t need to be that graphic,” Joey groans.

 

“And when did you get married?” Dawson is a little shocked with the idea of a flying bra hitting Jack.

 

“Last June. Bess was driving me crazy, she wanted a big wedding, kept calling me trying to set a date, and talking about flowers, dresses, and all that girlie stuff. One day, Pacey got home from the office and I was so stressed that I’d rather have no wedding at all. He suggested we could always elope, and never an idea seemed so appealing. We didn’t think twice before booking plane ticktes.”

 

“We took a plane to Vegas, got married, Bessie almost killed us,” Pacey remembers, smiling to himself. “Actually she only forgave us when you told her about your pregnancy.”

 

“Yes,” Joey laughs. “My ears are still aching due Bess’ shrieks,” she sighs, tiredly.

 

Pacey glances at her, how pale and exhausted she looks alarms him, and he knows she’ll deny it. “Guys, I really had fun tonight, but I think I should take my wife and kids home.”

 

“No, Pace, let’s stay a little more, please,” Joey pouts.

 

“Joey, darling, you are tired and we have the whole weekend to catch up with our friends, ok?” he reasons with her.

 

“Ok, ok, daddy. I just need to go to the bathroom first.” She leaves the table, her husband looking worriedly at her.

 

“She’s stubborn like hell, she knows she needs to rest,” Pacey sighs.

 

“Any trouble?” Dawson asks, Pacey’s face revealing all his worry.

 

“Not really. Her doctor didn’t want her to come here this weekend, but I can’t say no to her. The babies can be born before term, it almost happened last month, but everyone here knows Joey.”

 

Joey arrives and after saying their good- byes to everybody, they leave the restaurant. Dawson, Jack, Jen, and Andie stay there.

 

“I can’t believe this. Joey and Pacey married, Joey pregnant with twins. it’s a little too much for me,” Dawson sighs.

 

“Dawson, she is happy, can’t you see that?” Jen asks bitterly.

 

“Jen, that’s not the point. I wonder how this happened and how I don’t know anything about this.”

 

“That’s your problem Dawson, you always wonder, you forget to live.”

 

Jack and Andie look at them, not knowing what to say to break the tension that built between Dawson and Jen.

 

“Well, guys, it’s late and we all have lots of things to do tomorrow. Jen, you need a ride?” Jack asks.

 

“No, I’m going to walk; it will sober me up,” Jen answers, standing up.

 

“Dawson, you?” Jack offers.

 

“Nah, I think I’m going with Jen.” He suddenly had this urgent need of talking to Jen, something he hadn’t done in a while.

 

“Thanks, Dawson, but no.” Jen is visibly disturbed in Dawson’s presence.

 

Dawson doesn’t understand why Jen is mad at him, but he decides to respect that and goes home with Jack and Andie.

 

 Potter’s B&B

 

Joey is getting ready to bed, combing her hair; Pacey stands behind her, looking into her eyes across the mirror.

 

“May I?” he asks, taking her brush from her hands. He starts to comb her hair, feeling the silky strands.

 

“You love doing this, don’t you?” Joey smiles softly.

 

“I never saw you this beautiful, you know that?” Pacey rests his chin on her shoulder, his arms on her waist.

 

“Beautiful? Pace, I’m fat, I walk like a penguin and you think I’m beautiful?”

 

“Yes, Potter, you are the most beautiful thing in my life. you and these babies here,” he caresses her stomach. “I would give up anything in my life if I could keep you.”

 

”What’s wrong, Pace?” She notices something in his blue eyes. Something she hadn’t seen in a long time.

 

“I’m just worried, Jo, actually,  I’m scared about all this. I don’t know if I will be a good father, look at my parents. What if I’m like them?”

 

“Pace, you really don’t believe that, do you? The way you have always protected me, even before I got pregnant is enough to prove me how wonderful you are going to be.”

 

“I’m just scared, Jo, just that,” he sighs. “Capeside has this effect on me, I guess.”

 

“I’m scared too, Pace, but we are scared together, that’s what matters.”

 

She gets up and he helps her to lie down in bed, then turning to his side, settling beside her, holding her in his arms.

 

“How do you think Dawson and Andie took our little love story?” Pacey asks.

 

“Andie was surprised, but I think she’s happy for us. Dawson…he’s hurt, Pace, and I can’t help feeling guilty.”

 

“I don’t know why you’re feeling guilty, Jo. There’s no reason for that, unless…”

 

“Unless what, Pace?” Joey interrupts him. “We’re not fighting over what I think we are, are we?”

 

“No, Potter, we are not fighting, as far as I am concerned. I just don’t understand why you’re feeling like this. Why do you always have to feel like Dawson is some kind of Joey Potter’s judge of behavior.”

 

“Pace, stop it right now,” Joey’s voice going louder. “You should know by now that no matter what Dawson thinks, I wouldn’t change a bit in my life, in our lives…it’s just this feeling of having really grown apart of someone that used to be a big part of my life.”

 

“Jo, I don’t want you getting all upset, and I’m afraid that it will happen in a confrontation with Dawson”

 

“Right now, I’m upset, because you’re being completely irrational about this. Pacey, you are my husband, the man I chose to spend the rest of my days with, who’s going to be my babies’ dad in a few weeks. I’m worried with Dawson because he used to be my best friend and I haven’t talked to him in a very long while and the first words he heard of me is that I am happily married and pregnant. Don’t try to read more than this, because there’s not, ok?”

 

“Sometimes it’s hard to fight old ghosts…and when it comes to Dawson…”

 

“Pace, a long time ago you asked me if I could ever love you like a soul mate and I couldn’t answer, wanna hear it now?”

 

 “Why do I have this odd feeling you’ll make me feel like a jerk?”

 

“Pace, I love you more than I could ever love a soul mate, you know why?”

 

“Do tell.” He pleads, breathing deeply.

 

“Because we are not soul mates, we are the same soul, the same heart, and I’ve got the living proof right here” She takes his hand and puts over her swollen belly. “This is you and me, always.”

 

“Ok, is this where I have to apologize for my usual jerk act?” He mocks, trying to break the tension.

 

“I outpour my heart and you joke? For your luck, I love you, even with your jerk acts,” she kisses him.

 

“You could never resist my Witter charm, could you, Potter?”

 

“Pace! Let’s go to sleep, sweetheart, before the babies decide to kick me all night again.”

 

 “Just to let you know, I feel exactly like that too,” he mutters, kissing her softly.

 

“Ok, now that’s all clear in that thick head of yours, can we go to sleep? You were right, I’m really tired.”

 

“Can’t have that,” Pacey chuckles, kissing her forehead. “Good night, Potter. Good night, babies,” he whispers, patting her belly, and quickly drifting off to sleep.

 

“Night, sweetie,” Joey whispers back, but even when Pacey starts to snore, she still has her eyes open.