Hunter

By Leia

Interlude 2: Pacey

That bastard. I could kill him. I could rip his throat out. I just want him to stay the hell away from Joey. As I watch her finally reach peace in her dreams, I hope that he can’t reach her there. I hope that he never invades her dreams.

She looks so innocent... so beautiful. Angelic, in her own way. Unfortunately, the only way to get that effect is to get her to sleep. I pull the covers over her and brush her dark hair out of her face. Her small smile reassures me that Dawson isn’t invading her peace. I catch myself wondering what she’s dreaming about. What does a woman like Joey Potter dream about? She lets out a sigh and I smile. I know she’s safe.

I finally reside in my room. We had talked for hours... sitting and talking about everything... and nothing at all. We talked about our fears. Our triumphs. Sometimes we sat in a complete, comfortable silence. But there was one subject left untouched. Its probably a subject that will never be touched.

Its kind of a taboo topic...

I strip down to my boxers and get underneath the covers. I try to drift off, but my mind is going a million miles a minute, despite my obvious efforts to sleep. How far will Dawson go to get to Joey? I knew how Dawson is when it comes to her. He will ignore her, neglect her, use her, abuse her... maybe not physically, but emotionally. But when she got fed up and left, he couldn’t lose her. She is his obsession. His muse. His “soulmate”... his victim.

And to think we thought it was over. That Joey was finally in the clear. We could not have been more wrong. The fight has just begun.

I want to fight for her. I want to protect her and keep her from harm. But I know Joey Potter too well. She’s too proud... too stubborn. She won’t let me fight for her. But I won’t let her fight alone. So, we will have to reach a compromise.

I’ll fight beside her.

Part 8

My lullaby, hung out to dry

What’s up with that

It’s over

Where are you Dad

Mum’s lookin’ sad

What’s up with that

Its dark in here

Why bleeding is breathing

You’re hiding, underneath the smoke in the room

Try, bleeding is believing

I used to

My mouth is dry

Forgot how to cry

What’s up with that

You’re hurting me

I’m running fast

Can’t hide the past

What’s up with that

You’re pushing me

Why bleeding is breathing

You’re hiding, underneath the smoke in the room

Try, bleeding is believing

I used to

Why bleeding is breathing

You’re hiding, underneath the smoke in the room

Try, bleeding is believing

I saw you crawling to the door

Why bleeding is breathing

You’re hiding, underneath the smoke in the room

Try, bleeding is believing

I saw you falling to the floor

~*~Smoke by Natalie Imbruglia~*~

“Let’s go out tonight,” Joey said as her and Pacey sat on the couch, watching TV.

“Are you sure you’re up for that?” he asked.

Both of them had taken the day off of work. Cici was out visiting her aunt who lived upstate. Joey had insisted that Pacey go with her, but he said that her aunt disliked him, anyway. It wasn’t true, of course. Pacey could charm the pants off any woman.

“I’m not a porcelain doll, Pacey,” Joey complained.

“So I noticed,” he said before receiving a large blow to his arm.

She smirked as he exaggeratingly winced in pain.

“Baby,” she remarked.

“Maybe if you weren’t so butch,” he teased.

“You’re just threatened.”

“Not threatened, my dear Josephine. Terrified.”

She pulled him up off the couch and on to his feet. He groaned the entire way up.

“Come on, you lazy ass bum,” she ordered. “Get dressed. I’ll call Jack. I know this great club over-”

“Club?” Pacey questioned as she shoved him towards his room. “Since when does Joey Potter know about clubs?”

“I hang out with college kids, remember?” she replied. “Now get ready... and take a shower. You stink.”

“I do not stink! I smell pretty!”

*~*~*~*~*

“Joey!” Sandra exclaimed from across the room. “You came her all by yourself?”

Joey grinned at her already half-drunk friend.

“Are you proud at me?” Joey asked as she walked over and lead Jack, Jen, and Pacey over towards them.

“Very,” she replied in mock solemnity. “I’ll introduce you to my friends if you introduce me to yours.”

“Well, this is Pacey. He’s the one I’m living in sin with. And this is Jack McPhee.”

“Why hello, Jack,” Sandra said so flirtatiously, it was almost ridiculous. “Well, this is Ruth.” She indicated towards her pretty friend sitting next to her with auburn hair. She was slender, and wore a genuine smile. She was dressed in a similar way as Sandra. Trendy, but no gaudy.

“Joey, you already know Steve. Everyone else, this is Steve and Kate,” she introduced the couple sitting to her opposite side. She lowered her voice, “They’re attached at the erogenous area.”

Pacey stifled a laugh. This girl was like a little female Pacey, just as Joey had said before. Pacey looked at the couple. Steve was tall and lanky. He was cute in his own nerdy way. Kate was a simple beauty. She wore no make-up nor did she dress trendily.

They all introduced themselves and sat around a big table. They ordered some drinks and began to head towards the dance floor. Steve and Kate were first to head out. Sandra flashed a charming smile at Jack.

“Would you like to dance?” she asked.

Jack smiled and accepted. This girl was cute. She was obviously smart. A little wild, as well. She had this air of mock innocence about her... It was obvious by her actions that she wasn’t exactly angelic by any means, but she looked so damn innocent. There was something entrancing about her. Both Pacey and Jack saw it. Hell, everyone saw it. Jack knew that if he was straight, that he would most likely be head over heals for her.

After a long stint of dancing, they all finally sat down. Kate and Steve hung all over each other. Neither drank much, but they were both exceedingly friendly with each other, nonetheless. Sandra rolled her eyes at that as they ordered their drinks.

“Make mine a double,” she said before taking another shot.

“How much have you had to drink?” Joey asked.

“Hmmm... A lot.”

“Maybe you should slow down,” Joey said gently.

“Maybe you should mind your own business,” Sandra snapped back. “Come on, Jack.”

She and Jack headed back towards the dance floor. Joey was really glad that Jack wasn’t straight. She hated when Sandra got reckless, but it was never this bad. Although, it did seem to get worse every time they went out. She watched carefully as Sandra danced closer and closer to Jack.

“Jo, retract your claws,” Pacey whispered as he put his hand on her arm. “She’ll be fine. Jack’s not interested nor will he take advantage of her for obvious reasons.”

Joey smirked.

“I know,” she said with a slight sigh. “But I just feel responsible. She’s my best friend’s sister, you know?”

“I know, but she’s just a kid. Letting loose... having a good time.”

“Having a good time does not equate near alcohol poisoning.”

“Joey, simmer down.”

She turned and glared at him. He gave her a look.

“Fine,” she said, giving in. “Get me a margarita.”

*~*~*~*~*

“I made a major pass last night on a gay man,” Sandra mumbled over coffee with Joey as they sat in her apartment. “Why didn’t you tell me he was gay?”

“Well, I thought it was better to keep you in the dark,” Joey explained.

“And why’s that?”

“Well, if you would’ve known he was gay, you would’ve moved on to some other target. That way, I could have Jack keep an eye on you. You were something else last night, Sandra.”

“I try,” Sandra muttered.

“Seriously, do you always party like that?”

“We’ve been through this before, Jo.”

“Yeah, and you always say ‘not usually’, but it keeps on getting worse. I’m worried about you.”

“Don’t, okay? I’m just your regular college kid.”

“A regular college kid does not drink her daily water allowance in alcohol on a daily basis.”

“You’re not my mother. Butt out.”

“But I know your mother... and this... this isn’t healthy.”

“Yeah, well neither is using lard in cooking, but we still do it.”

“Seriously, Sandra...”

“Seriously, Jo, I don’t want to talk about it. In fact, I want to go take a couple aspirins and go back to bed. You can see yourself out.”

Joey sighed as Sandra walked back into the bedroom. This wasn’t the same happy high school girl that she once knew. Sure, she had gotten in trouble with her parents a few times for drinking, but never anything this bad. Something must have been really bothering her, and Joey was determined to find out.

*~*~*~*~*

After Joey came back from having a late breakfast with Sandra, she had a mission in mind.

“Jo, its not really my place...” Pacey began.

“Pacey, please,” she pleaded. “I know I ask you for a lot of things, but-”

“Joey, you don’t ask for much.”

“Then do this for me?” she asked slyly.

“Joey, I barely know the girl.”

“But she’s just like you,” she explained. “She’s witty and charming. She has trust issues. She drowns her sorrows in alcohol.”

Pacey sighed.

“Just look out for her and try to reach her, Pace,” she asked. “Be her guardian angel... you’ve been a really good one for me.”

He couldn’t refuse that.

“Okay, Potter.”

*~*~*~*~*

Sandra groaned when someone knocked on her door. She just wanted to stay in bed all day and sleep off this hangover. She couldn’t wait to get a roommate... that way they could answer the door instead of her. She trudged over to the door and look through the peephole. She furrowed her brow in confusion when she was Pacey standing on the other side of the door.

“Um, hey Pacey,” she said after opening the door. “Joey’s not here.”

“Oh? She isn’t?” Pacey questioned. “Jen told me she was over here.”

“She left a couple hours ago.”

“Well, Jen told me she came over here again.”

“Well, she’s not, so-”

“Do you mind if I stay and wait for her?”

Sandra sighed.

“Go ahead.”

Pacey sat down on the couch as Sandra fixed herself a cup of coffee.

“Oh, are you having coffee?” he asked. “Can I have some, too?”

“Uh, yeah. Sure. How do you like it?”

“Black’s fine,” he replied.

She brought their coffee over and sat on the opposite end of the couch.

“That’s quite a hangover you have there,” he observed.

She glared at him slightly.

“Where’s this charm that Joey said that you supposedly exuded?” she asked before taking a sip.

“Exude, huh?” he asked with a smirk. He would have to give Joey a hard time about that one. “Oh, I think part of my over-powering charm is my tact.”

“Or lack there of.”

“Which ever. You’re a regular smart ass, you know that?”

“I’m aware of that, yes.”

“Joey give you a hard time about drinking?” he asked. She shrugged and too another drink. “She did that to me all the time.”

“You were a partier?” she asked curiously.

“Well... you know how some people are ‘social drinkers’? I’m a... well, ‘anti-social, depressed’ drinker.”

Sandra cracked the hint of a smile.

“Yeah... well, I know what you mean. Self-destructive behavior is my middle name, at least according to my parents. Why did you drink?”

“Well, uh... when I got upset, I turned to the bottle.”

“Upset over what?”

“Grades, my family... girls.”

“Ever get drunk over Joey?” Sandra asked slyly.

Pacey was taken off completely off guard.

“No, actually. Joey and I have always been just friends. You know that.”

“Just friends... boy do I ever,” she muttered.

Pacey felt as if he was beginning to get somewhere.

“You know, turning 21 is probably the worst thing that ever happened to you.”

“I’m not 21,” she replied.

“What? This is your Junior year, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but I’m only 20,” she explained easily.

“Did you skip a grade or something?”

“Something like that, yeah.”

Pacey had always figured that she was smart, but he hadn’t even began to comprehend it.

“That club that we went to keeps pretty tight security. How do you manage?”

“That’s my own little secret,” she said with a sly smile.

Pacey laughed. She could probably charm the bartender into giving her straight Vodka at thirteen. Pacey began to feel like she was opening up more.

“So... um, what drives you to the bottle?” he asked, and then instantly regretting his question as he saw her tense up.

“If you think I don’t know what you’re trying to do, you’re wrong. I’m not some classic, afterschool special case. I know Joey sent you to talk to me.”

“Sandra-”

“I’m fine, Pacey. Really. Thank you for your concern...” she said, trying to convince him. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not... you’re as stubborn as hell.”

“Just like you, huh?”

“Just like me.”

Little did they know, their similarities did not end there. And little did they know, they would learn a lot from each other.