Second Chance At True Love

By Steph

Disclaimer: Okay. I am not Kevin Williamson and do not own any of the characters of Dawson’s creek. I just wanted to take them out for some fun.

Background: Everything that has happened on the show in high school has happened for my story. I just made up the fact that Joey and Pacey made love on Valentine’s Day during senior year and then broke up.

Summary: It is the summer of 2005. Joey graduated from college just a few months earlier. The story is set in Chicago where Pacey lives now. Pacey and Joey meet up and try to work through their problems.

Rating: “R”, I guess for language and sexual situations.

Author’s note: This is my first fanfic and I have had a blast with it. I want to thank Christina and LaToya for their encouragement and feedback. They were nice enough to read this as it progressed and I really appreciate that. THANKS! P.S. The opening scene, with Pacey and Joey bumping into each other at the grocery store, may seem a bit contrived but it’s not! I ran into an ex-boyfriend almost exactly the way I described and we hadn’t seen each in over 10 years! It can happen. Happy reading!

Friday Hmmm. Chicken breasts, stewed tomatoes, Parmesan cheese…okay, what else do I need? Joey Potter thought. Some asparagus might be good. Suddenly, her eyes were drawn to a tall, male form pouring over beverage choices in the nearby deli cooler. His back was to her. She glanced back to her list, but her mind couldn’t concentrate on the task before her. She guided her shopping cart deeper into the produce section, in an attempt to gain a better view of the man who had her mesmerized at the moment.

Clang! All of Joey’s intentions for seeing the stranger’s face had caused a collision between her and an elderly gentleman and his cart.

“Oh. I am so sorry, sir.” Joey sputtered quickly. She glanced at him, embarrassed as hell.

He squinted and turned his face up at her. “You should be”, he grunted. He maneuvered his cart away from hers with the same scowl on his face.

Joey was quite taken aback. God, it was just an accident, she thought.

The distraction has caused her to lose sight of the male figure that she had become so engrossed with. She quickly glanced around to see where he had gone. Joey could never become accustomed to such rude behavior. You would think that after four years of living in New York City, that this would be normal for her. But no, she was born and raised in Capeside, Mass., a place where everyone knew everyone. Funny how when Joey lived there, the fact that the entire town knew ALL her business, was the main reason she needed to get away. Her time in the Big Apple only made her yearn for that comfortableness of the only home she had ever known. But you’re not in Capeside anymore, Toto, she thought scornfully. This is Chicago and people do not have to be nice to you.

How had she gotten here? Oh yes, she had skeptically accepted an invitation to visit the Windy city by her old college roommate, Ariana. Joey had not experienced much travel and unwittingly took Ariana up on her offer. Okay, I came here, but did I have to offer to cook supper for her and her boyfriend? Joey shook her head. All right, Potter, you’re losing it. Pick up what you need and get the hell of here.

Of course, that is always easier said than done when you are not familiar with the location of the necessary aisles. Besides the fact that this was a giant grocery store, like Wal-Mart.

After choosing some healthy-looking asparagus, Joey ventured to the meat department. She peered into the large freezer case to inspect the offerings there. Suddenly, she got that weird feeling, like when you know that someone is looking at you. Before she had a chance to see who was doing the looking, she heard that familiar voice.

“Josephine Potter.”

No it couldn’t be him, she thought. But it was. She slowly brought her gaze up to meet his. Joey felt a hot tingle crawl up her neck and spread over her cheeks as she carefully smiled at him.

“Pacey Witter.”

With that being said, Pacey turned on his heel and began walking away from his spot on the opposite side of the huge freezer. Joey’s face fell and she realized her own disappointment. He’s leaving. Just then, she noticed him approaching her. He had walked around to be closer to her.

Why? He had no idea. What would he say…or do? Should I hug her, he mused. A handshake perhaps. He couldn’t decide.

After what seemed like an eternity, Pacey placed a hand and Joey’s shoulder and gently squeezed. He proceeded with caution. He was not about to let her in…again. “Good to see you, Jo. You look…exactly the same,” he managed.

Startled, Joey replied, rather hastily, “Oh would that be good or bad?” She turned up one corner of her smile, as she did so often when she seemed to be suppressing it.

Pacey removed his hand abruptly and whispered, “Well, take it however you want.”

No smile, no Witter wit, no banter. God, I can’t read him at all, she thought. She looked carefully into his gorgeous hazel eyes. “You live here now?” She asked, trying not to sound too interested.

“Yeah.” Joey’s eyes widened. She opened her mouth to continue, but Pacey stopped her abruptly. “Don’t look so surprised, Jo. I mean, we haven’t had any contact in, what, four years.” He continued with edginess in his voice that tore her apart. “So don’t act like it matters.”

Joey swallowed back a lump that was forming in her throat. No, I won’t let him see me break down, she thought. She managed a weak smile and forged on, speaking quickly. “You’re right, Pacey. I have no clue what you are doing with your life right now.” She leaned in closer and lowered her voice when she said, “But don’t EVER think I don’t care.”

When she pulled away and turned back to her cart, Pacey mentally punched himself for his nasty attitude. He jogged to catch up to her as she continued with her shopping duties. “JO… Joey!” He called after her. “C’mon, Joey. I’m sorry. Joey, look at me.”

She stopped in her tracks, yet she refused to face him. He stepped up closer behind her. Pacey bent down and whispered, “I was in shock. It’s been so long.” Pacey drew in a deep breath and drank in her smell.

His breath felt hot on her ear and in her long hair. The slightest brushing of his mouth to her ear and sent fabulous tingles all over her body. Stop it, she cursed herself. Don’t go getting all crazy now. Joey rolled her eyes and gradually turned to face him.

The Potter sarcasm kicked in, as per usual. “You shouldn’t apologize to me,” she began. “You are obviously still plagued by events of our not-so-sordid past.” And quickly she added, “Unfortunately, four years has not been long enough to work through all the emotional baggage associated with that said past.”

Pacey’s eyes widened. Then he flashed that killer smile and chuckled. Taking a step back, he replied incredulously, “You think that I’m still upset about our break-up…in high school! C’mon, Jo, give me one ounce of credit here. That is so ancient history to me. I mean are you implying that I never got over you? Even you know me better than that,” glancing downward as he finished his statement. Slightly embarrassed, but more so irritated, Joey pressed on. “Oh right. That’s why after seeing me for the first time in four years, you can barely get through three sentences before berating me about not knowing where you live?”

Once again, Pacey turned his eyes back to the tile. This time it was out of shame. “You’re seldom wrong and right again, Potter. I’m an ass.” Grinning stupidly, he continued, “Good thing we didn’t last.” Pacey turned to leave but hesitated when he heard Joey call after him. “I’d really like to get together for coffee and catch up…please.” She pleaded.

Just keep walking, Witter. You can just pretend that you didn’t hear her, he reasoned with himself. Forget you ever saw her. You can do that. You have been doing that for the past four years. Pacey dropped his head, defeated. Turning to face her, he said, “Sure, call me sometime.” With that he took the three strides necessary to close the gap between them. He pressed a business card into her hand. Joey didn’t even bother to look at it. She watched that familiar Witter swagger carry her former boyfriend right back out of her life. Again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joey had to haul ass if she wanted to have dinner on the table by the time Ariana and her boyfriend, Keith returned home from work. The couple’s apartment was spacious and tastefully decorated. Joey especially liked the painting prominently displayed above the mantel in the living room. It was a Joey Potter original. She presented to them as a house-warming present on the day of their college graduation, only two short months ago.

The place was empty, yet inviting. Joey quickly went to work making chicken Parmesan for the three of them. Keith offered to take them out to eat but Joey insisted on preparing the meal herself. It was the least she could do, since the couple was putting her up for the week.

Dinner went off without a hitch. Joey even had enough time to change into a nice, but simple dress. She kept herself busy with the preparations so thinking about her encounter with Pacey would not even be an option.

Dinner was a whole other story. Ariana chatted excitedly about her day but noticed Joey’s preoccupation. “Are you feeling okay, Josephine? Jet lag finally catching up to Superwoman?” The attractive red head wondered. Keith noticed it to. “Why don’t you let us clean up? It will give you time to relax. I know that shopping and dinner must have taken up the better part of your day.”

Ariana agreed, “Yeah, hon, you go ahead. We’ll get this for you.”

Joey rose from the table wearily. She knew that jet lag was not her problem, but she was thankful for the retreat. “Thanks. I think that I’ll take a bath and just go to bed. Good night.” Ariana and Keith looked at each other quizzically, but said nothing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joey eased herself into the steaming bath. The room smelled faintly of peach blossoms. Peach bath fizz balls were one of Joey’s few indulgences. She brought both of her hands back around her neck to kneed out some of the tension. How could one chance encounter with an ex-boyfriend get her so turned upside down? Because it’s Pacey, she thought ruefully.

For the next hour, Joey lost herself in reminiscent thoughts of her former love. She smiled as she remembered the day she ran to the docks to finally admit to Pacey that she was in love with him. That fabulous summer the two spent sailing was forever emblazoned in her mind as ‘the best summer of her whole life.’ Joey had practically been transformed into a prune as she lost track of time. She returned to the guest room. Almost immediately she picked up the pants she was wearing at the grocery store and began frantically searching the pockets.

Here it is. She stared intensely at the tiny business card as she read the print.

Pacey Witter

Law enforcement officer

Chicago Police Department

Her eyes widened incredulously. I can’t believe it, she giggled. Maybe that ride-along that Pacey did with Deputy Doug back in high school was really the start of something.

Joey ran a finger over the phone number on the lower left hand of the card. It was a cell phone number. She imagined that Pacey might hand these cards out to witnesses “just in case you think of something else.” As they often said on TV. It may not be his home number, but at least she could contact him. If she wanted to, that is.

Yes, she definitely wanted to get a few things off her chest, she decided as she reached for the cordless phone on the nightstand.

Saturday

Joey, Ariana, and Keith were spending the day seeing the sights and shopping in downtown Chicago. Joey spied a dress shop she wanted to check out. Ariana accompanied her while Keith purchased a copy of the Tribune at a nearby newsstand.

“What do you think of this one, Ari?” “That’s pretty. What about this one?” Joey looked carefully at her selection. “No,” she decided, “it’s not quite right.” Ariana shook her head and placed the dress back on the rack. Joey took three dresses into the dressing room. Ariana stood outside and stated, “You know, Josephine, I really don’t remember you being that much of a fancy dresser in school. So this only makes me wonder…who is he?”

Joey appeared from the dressing room and began smoothing the dress down in front of the mirror. “What are you talking about? Maybe I’ d like to have few nice things for job interviews or parties,” she said, defensively.

“Maybe. But that doesn’t explain your distant behavior or preoccupation today.” She turned Joey to face her. “So, what is going on?” Joey didn’t respond verbally, but when she slumped into a chair and hung her head, Ariana knew that something was definitely wrong.

Joey proceeded to tell her friend the whole story. Including the fact that she had indeed called him and made arrangements to meet him tomorrow morning for coffee.

“If you had wanted to meet him today, you should have said something. I mean, why torture yourself any longer than you have to, right?” It made sense, but she wasn’t right.

“You don’t get it. The meeting itself will be torture. He loathes me. And as far as that goes, I’m not too thrilled with him either,” Joey tried to explain.

Ariana chose the seat next to Joey and began slowly, “You are right. I don’t get it. This is Pacey, right? You told me in college that he was the one that you let get away. That no matter what you tried, you could never forget him and NO man would ever measure up.”

“True. But I broke his heart. I dumped him with no explanation and went running back to Dawson. We graduated from high school a few months later and I never saw him again. Until yesterday.” Joey rose from the chair and glanced scornfully at her reflection. She returned to the dressing room and changed back to her own clothes.

“But you had a good reason? For dumping him, that is. I mean you had to in order to do something so drastic,” Ariana reasoned.

“Yeah. I never told him the real reason, though,” she explained as she returned the dresses to the proper places. “And I know that is the only excuse he could have for wanting to see me again. He wants to hear the truth.” Joey said absently.

Sunday

Pacey had unknowingly chosen a coffee shop near Ariana and Keith’s apartment, so Joey decided to walk. It was actually a beautiful day. The usual August humidity had not kicked in, due to the early hour. Joey strolled up to the establishment and was surprised to see Pacey already sitting in the outdoor area, sipping his coffee. He had apparently been watching her walk down the street. And due to the fact that a cup had already been ordered for her, he obviously wanted to get this over with…quick.

Joey managed a weak smile and whispered, “Pacey.” He rose from his chair to pull out hers. In every way a gentleman, Pacey helped Joey out of her lightweight sweater. He was surprised to see her in a beautiful sundress. It was the shade of a sterling rose and she looked gorgeous in it.

Pacey returned to his seat. Joey admired his broad shoulders, as he turned to speak to the waitress. He was decked out in a cream-colored gauze shirt and tan slacks. The thin material showed off his golden tan and evidence of many hours working out at a health club. He looked better than ever, but she tried, in vain, to ignore it.

Pacey began stoically, “So, you called me. It’s your show.” Joey shrugged her shoulders and replied, “Do you have anything you want to ask me?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I do. How’s Dawson, Joey?”

Without faltering, she answered, “Well I wouldn’t know, Pacey. I haven’t seen him in almost four years. I heard that he’s still in California, probably chasing starlets, not that I care.”

Pacey’s face contorted, obviously confused. “But you were with him when I left Capeside. I figured that you guys would be married by now. Or least engaged.”

With a rather cavalier attitude, Joey responded, “Nope. And you’re obviously not up on all the Capeside gossip or you would know that I broke it off with Mr. Leery when he pulled a power trip on me. He was trying to force me into enrolling at UCLA with him. It seemed that he didn’t trust me to be attending school on the other side of the country.”

“New York?” Pacey questioned. Joey’s nodding confirmed his inquiry. “So, did you go to New York?”

Joey shifted in her seat and continued, “Yes. I just graduated this past June. I earned my degree in art history. I spent an extra month in the city, finally getting out to see everything I had missed during my four years of academia. And up until last week, I was staying in Capeside with Bessie, Alex, and Bodie at the B&B.”

“And now?” he pressed. “And now I’m sitting here with you,” she stated simply.

Pacey shook his head and replied, “No, what are you doing in Chicago?”

“Oh. Just visiting my college roommate. Don’t worry; I won’t be in your fair city much longer. I’ll be leaving on Thursday.” Joey could not, for the life of her, figure out why she had just told him when she was leaving. Forget the fact that he didn’t care, he didn’t deserve to know.

Pacey crinkled up his forehead and stared at her for a moment. “I don’t understand. If you and Dawson have been over this long, why didn’t you try to get in touch with me? I mean he was the only thing standing in our way. Right, Jo?”

Joey tilted her head and shook it slowly. “Somebody else? You were jealous, confused, what, Jo? You gotta help me understand here,” he pressed.

“Let’s just say that certain events that transpired between us were brought to my attention and I didn’t care for what I heard. I mean I know that you and Dawson were very competitive when it came to me, but what you said. It was so low, Pacey.”

“I really have no idea what you are referring to, Joey. And besides if I said something to you that affected you so deeply, why didn’t you tell me?”

Joey sat up straighter and continued, “You didn’t say it to me. You said it to Dawson. I mean, God, Pacey, was nothing sacred between us?”

Pacey shifted and furrowed his brow, searching his memory for anything that could have set her off like this. “You are going to have to better than this, Jo. I can’t think of anything that I told Dawson, or anyone else for that matter, that was hurtful towards you, Joey. God, I loved you more than life itself. The first time we made love…I had never felt like that. You were everything I could ever want …and more.”

Joey glared at him. “ Not quite everything…at least not in the bedroom.”

His gaze was locked with hers. She couldn’t believe that he actually did not remember saying those things to Dawson. “So, you aren’t going to tell me, are you? I came here looking for answers and all I get is more confusion. Thanks for clearing things up, Jo. I’ll see ya around sometime.” Pacey rose from his chair, pulled some money from his pocket and slammed it down on the table.

Joey watched him walk away. She was frozen. She didn’t have time to think of what to do or say next. And by the time she had decided, he was gone.

Tuesday

The next few days were a blur. Joey downplayed the encounter with Pacey to Ariana. But she knew that her friend was hurting. Ariana gently tried to persuade Joey to contact Pacey again, at least once before she had to leave. But Joey would hear nothing of it.

On Tuesday night, Keith had convinced the girls to go out to a nice dinner. Joey reluctantly agreed.

The restaurant that her friends had chosen was elegant and easily deemed romantic. After an hour there, Joey had wished that her hosts had left her at home. She seemed to be dampening the mood. It was not their fault that Joey was so miserable. Joey excused herself from the table when the couple headed for the dance floor. She decided that hiding in the bathroom was more appealing than sitting alone.

Joey chose a seat at one of the dressing tables inside the ladies’ lounge. She fished through her purse and found the lipstick she was looking for. Mainly, she was pretending to be busy in the hopes that her friends would be ready to return home soon. Joey was exiting the lounge when she noticed the smell. Something was burning. Not just a piece of meat or even a flambé. It was smoke.

Outside the restaurant, Ariana and Keith frantically searched for Joey. They told a fireman that they had last seen her leaving for the restroom. “She’s tall and slender. Her hair is long…dark brown. She was wearing a short black dress and dark hose with black heels,” Ariana desperately conveyed to the man. “And her name, ma’am?”

Pacey arrived on the scene almost as soon as the fire trucks had. He had the night off, but as usual, his police scanner was on. He raced to the scene on foot since his apartment was so close. It was not uncommon to see Officer Witter helping out in times like these. He scanned the crowd. Most of the restaurant’s patrons seemed to have escaped unharmed. He noticed one particular woman who seemed quite petrified. As he approached her, he could he her saying, “I don’t know where she is. She left the table right before the fire broke out. You have to find her! Her name is Josephine.” Ariana was practically screaming at the poor man. Ariana heard a voice behind her say, “Josephine Potter?”

The woman’s head quickly turned to face Pacey. It took her only a moment to realize who he must be. Sadly she nodded her head, “We can’t find her, Pacey. She is still in there.”

Before Ariana had a chance to say anything more, Pacey was rushing into the building. “You can’t go in there, man!” Pacey ignored the firemen as he tried to get his bearings. He had been to this restaurant before and knew that the way he had entered was near the restrooms. The smoke was nearly choking him out. He hoped that for Joey’s sake, she had made it out, somehow.

Pacey began crawling along the walls in order to keep from getting lost. He pulled the collar of his shirt over his mouth to stop some of the smoke. He began to call her name, “Joey…Joey where are you? Joey, please answer me!”

Joey had been trying to leave the restaurant as soon as she realized that the place was going up in flames. A group of people had pushed past her and knocked her down. She was lying in a hallway, barely conscious when she thought she heard Pacey’s voice calling her. God I must be dreaming. Pacey, I’m here, please save me, she thought.

Just then she felt a hand on her ankle and the voice became stronger. “Joey, thank God I found you.” Strong arms enveloped her and lifted her limp body from the floor. She was too tired to see who the arms belonged to. All she knew was that she felt very safe.

“Over here!” Pacey screamed to the paramedics. “I just found her inside. I’m not sure if she’s conscious or not. Please, just help her!” Pacey looked on helplessly as the medics placed Joey on a gurney and began examining her. Pacey looked up to see Joey’s friends running over to him. Immediately they exclaimed with horror when they saw Joey’s frail, motionless body lying on the gurney. Ariana looked only at Joey as Pacey explained what had happened.

“She doesn’t appear to have been burned. I think they are checking her breathing and trying to determine if she has any damage from the smoke inhalation,” Pacey explained.

“I’m sorry I didn’t find her sooner. It was so dark and smoky. I…I…” Pacey finally broke down.

Joey opened her eyes and saw Ariana’s concern, Keith’s horror, and Pacey sobbing. For a moment she thought she was dead. Then, she spoke, “The restaurant’s on fire. Call 911.” Incredulously, the three were overcome with joy as they realized she was finally awake.

“We can’t find anything wrong with her, Officer Witter. No cuts or burns. She is breathing on her own and other than the small bump on the back of her head, she appears to be fine,” explained the paramedic.

Pacey vigorously shook the man’s hand. “Thank you, so much.” The man replied, “Don’t thank me, you’re the hero. You can take her home whenever you like. We have no reason to hospitalize her. Just keep an eye on her tonight. The bump, you know.”

Pacey nodded. He turned to Joey’s friends. They didn’t know him and there was no reason for them to trust him, but he hoped that they would. “Please let me take her home with me. I’ll take care of her. Here’s my card if you want to call to check on her. Please, I just have to know that she’s really okay.”

Ariana reluctantly nodded in agreement. “Okay, but should I call her family or something. I mean, should Bessie know what has happened?”

Pacey shook his head. “No, I’ll have her call in the morning. Bessie would be worried out of her mind. Thanks; I’ll take good care of her. I promise.”

Ariana nodded, then adding, “You better.”

Now Pacey was wishing he had driven his car. Luckily, he was able to talk one of his buddies from the force into driving him and Joey back to his apartment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joey was sitting on the edge of the tub in Pacey’s bathroom when he knocked and said, “I brought you a clean t-shirt to wear and some towels.” When she didn’t respond, Pacey slowly opened the door and entered.

It scared Pacey because Joey looked so out-of-it. He set the towels and t-shirt on the floor next to her and he knelt down in front of her. Pacey took Joey’s face in his hands and searched her expression. Finally, he spoke, “Joey, are you alright? Don’t you want to clean yourself up? Joey?”

Joey seemed to snap out of the trance she was in. “I don’t even know where to begin. Look at my dress, my face.” She was choking back inevitable tears.

Pacey smiled and pushed the hair back off her shoulders. “I can help you, if you want me to.” Joey nodded. Pacey unzipped the back of her dress. He reached behind her to start the bathwater. “Stand up, Joey,” he ordered gently. As she rose from the edge of the tub, Pacey began sliding the smoke-damaged garment down her slender body. He didn’t leave his position on the floor. Next, he gently rolled her thigh-high stockings down her legs. Pacey discarded these in a pile with the ruined dress. He rose from his position on the carpet to unhook the front of her black, strapless bra. Then he moved his hands to her silk panties. Pacey maintained eye contact with Joey, although she barely could do the same. After removing her undergarments, Pacey helped ease Joey into the tub.

Pacey never left her side. He gently scrubbed the soot from her body with soap and a washcloth. He gently lathered her hair with shampoo, being extra careful of the bump on the back of her head.

When Pacey decided that she was clean enough, he helped her out of the tub and wrapped a giant, soft towel all around her body. He easily rubbed her back through the thick material. She intensely gazed at him as he asked, “Do you think that you’ll be able to dress yourself?”

She didn’t answer. Instead she continued to stare and asked her own question, “Why are you doing this? You were so angry with me the other day. I figured that I would never see you again.”

He continued to rub as he noticed that she was now shivering. “Just get dressed, okay? We’ll talk when you’re more up to it.” Saying that, he released her from the embrace and turned to leave.

Pacey entered his living room and slumped into an overstuffed chair. He knew that the moment she emerged from his bathroom, she would want answers. He searched his mind for how he could possibly get out of this. Somehow he never imagined that after a life and death experience, Joey would still have the energy to go through all this again. Maybe she wouldn’t. Maybe she will be so exhausted that she will fall right to sleep, he hoped.

Pacey was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn’t even notice that had Joey exited the bathroom and was standing over him. Startled, he jumped out of the chair. “Do you want to sit? Are you hungry, thirsty? What can I do for you?”

Joey smiled weakly and took his spot in the easy chair. “I’d just like to talk.”

Still standing, Pacey replied, “C’mon, Jo. It’s been a traumatic day, for both of us. Let’s give this a break. There will be time to talk about all this later.”

Joey slowly shook her head. “No, I’m leaving tomorrow. We have so many things left unsaid between us. I want to fix that, now.”

Pacey sighed, defeated. He took a seat on the couch, directly across from her. “Well, if things were unsaid, it was because you didn’t say ‘em. You are the one who clammed up, Jo.”

Joey tilted her head and looked away for a moment. “Maybe you’re right. But it was only because I couldn’t believe that you couldn’t remember what you told Dawson about our first time making love.”

Pacey looked at Joey incredulously. “What are you talking about? I never said anything to Dawson. If Dawson knew about our first time, then someone else must have told him, Jo, because it sure as hell wasn’t me.” He remembered everything. “We made love on Valentine’s day. We spent an incredible night together, I took you home in the morning and the next day, you dumped me. No reason, no explanation. Then, you were back together with him. I knew I screwed up somewhere, but I was never sure of what I did. I guess I assumed that it was the sex that drove us apart. That maybe you weren’t really ready or that you thought I had pressured you somehow.”

“No. I was ready. And you never pressured me. But Pacey, why? If I was doing something wrong, if I wasn’t …pleasing you, you could have told me. I would have done anything to make you happy,” Joey pleaded.

“Not pleasing me, what the hell are you talking about Jo? You were incredible. Making love to you that night was the single most erotic moment of my entire life. Everything you did to me was fantastic…sensual…delicious… and utterly satisfying. How could you think it was anything less?” He questioned, under the most intense gaze.

Joey stood up and wrapped her arms around herself. She walked over to the giant picture window that overlooked the city. Joey stood there for a moment, and then turned away. “You never said anything. We never talked about it. Then when I saw Dawson later that day, he told me about how you bragged.” She paused, took a deep breath, and forged on, “You told him that you had won, that you had finally gotten me into bed. And even though I wasn’t any good, there was a lot you could teach me. But if I couldn’t learn, there would always be someone who could please you. You told him that it took you a while to get aroused, that I didn’t look as good naked as you had expected.” Joey choked on that last sentence and the tears began to fall. She dropped to the floor as she sobbed uncontrollably.

Pacey’s head was in his hands. He left the couch and joined her on the floor. Joey was hugging her knees. He tried to look into her eyes, but she was still bawling. Pacey began stroking her hair softly. She let him for a moment, and then she batted his hand away. “Just leave me alone,” she sobbed.

“I didn’t say those things, Jo. I never felt any of those things and I sure as hell never said them to Dawson. What can I say to make you believe me?” It was Pacey’s turn to plead with her.

Joey wiped her tears away with the back of her hand and sniffled. “There’s nothing you can say. I don’t want an apology. The damage has been done and it is completely irreparable.” She turned to face him now, obviously shaken. “I’ve spent the last four years feeling insecure and miserable about men and sexual relationships. You did that for me…thanks for the memories, Pacey.” Joey tried to stand, but stumbled, her head spinning. Pacey jumped up and steadied her. He lifted her off her feet and carried her into his bedroom.

“Pacey, what are you doing? I’m fine. Just leave me alone.” Pacey was not convinced. He gently laid her on his bed. She looked into his eyes, questioning his motives. She said, definitively. “No. This is not happening.”

Pacey clenched his jaw and replied, “Get over yourself, okay. You’re tired. I am giving you my bed to sleep in…that’s it.”

She glared at him and sat up. “I can’t believe you! You are actually angry with me! Why, because Dawson was a good enough friend to me to tell me the truth?”

Pacey glared back and chuckled, menacingly. “Oh, man. A good friend, that’s what you think he was? Joey, I know that you are not that dense.” Joey stared at him, confused as ever. “Oh, I’m dense, huh?” She exclaimed defensively.

“Yeah, you are!” he practically screamed. Pacey took a deep breath and continued, more controlled now. “Can’t you see what he did? He lied, Joey. He made up the whole story, to drive us apart. He knew that you’d believe him, too.”

Joey looked away and shook her head. “No. He knew, Pacey. He knew that we had slept together. How else could he know that?”

Pacey’s eyes roamed the room, looking for answers that were not there. “I don’t know, Joey. Maybe he assumed we did. I mean it was Valentine’s Day. We had been together that entire year. It was within the realm of possibility that we would be considering sleeping together, right?”

Joey sighed. “Yeah, maybe so, but what if he was wrong? Dawson would have looked pretty ridiculous coming to me with that story if nothing had really happened.”

Pacey furrowed his brow and puzzled over that for a moment. “Not really. I mean think about it. If Dawson had told you that I said those things, even though we hadn’t slept together, I would have still looked bad. It would have seemed like was lying to him to compensate for not being able to get you into bed. And if we had had sex…”

“…then it would seem like you thought that it was awful,” Joey finished.

Pacey sat next to Joey on the bed and faced her. “You were right about one thing, though. We never talked about what happened between us that night. I never told you that you looked amazing; you felt amazing…that it was the most amazing sexual experience I’d ever had. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you then. I tried, but the words wouldn’t come. That’s why I wrote you the letter.”

“The letter?” Joey asked, incredulously. “What letter?”

“I wrote you a letter, later that day. I wanted to tell you everything that I was feeling, but was afraid to say.”

“But you never gave it to me, why not?” Joey puzzled.

“I mailed it to you.” Noticing the confused look on her face, he continued, “You broke up with me, remember? In went to your house and took the letter out of your mailbox before you had a chance to see it. I was ashamed…hurt…confused. I couldn’t let you know how much I loved you, when you obviously never loved me.”

Pacey turned away from Joey and she cringed. “What did it say?”

Pacey hung his head. He stood and left her alone in the room. He emerged a few moments later with a shoebox. Joey looked quizzically as Pacey removed the lid and searched the contents. He handed her an envelope. Pacey turned and stood near the window. He glanced at her over his shoulder. “If you want to know what it said, read it for yourself.”

Joey turned her attention towards the small, light blue envelope in her shaking hands. It was faded and the corners were worn. The postmark was dated “February 16, 2001”. But the most interesting fact was that the letter had never been opened. Joey gingerly tore the envelope open. She glanced at Pacey before removing the letter. She read,

2-15-01

My dearest Joey,

There is so much I want to tell you. So many feelings I never

Felt before. No one should love you as much as I love you. You

Have so much power over me. I admit that I have fantasized

Endlessly about you and me together. I have seen your perfect

Nude body in so many of my dreams. But nothing could have

Prepared me for the real thing. I savored touching every inch

Of you. You made me feel things that no one else ever could.

I know that I’m rambling. I guess all I’m really trying to say

Is thank you. Thank you for last night. Thank you for believing

In me. Thank you for helping me this year. Thank you for trusting

Me. Thank you for choosing me last year. Thank you for letting

Me show you that we are so perfect together. Thank you, Joey,

For loving me back. You are everything that I could have ever

Hoped for.

You are the love of my life. I’ll love you forever.

Pacey

Joey blinked back tears. She gently folded the letter back up and replaced it in the envelope. She turned her attention to the shoebox still lying open on the bed. The box was full to the top of pictures. Upon closer inspection, Joey realized that there were pictures of her in this box. She picked up a handful and looked carefully. Joey recognized the pictures from the sailing trip the two took before senior year. There were photos of Joey on the boat, sunbathing on a dock, posing with a silly grin. She looked incredibly happy in every one. The last one stood out. It was a picture of Joey in Pacey’s arms. She remembered how much she loved feeling those arms around her.

Why had she let everything get so screwed up for them? There’s no way any man could forgive these colossal mistakes. This realization caused the trickle of tears turn to an uncontrollable sob. Pacey turned from the window to witness Joey crying, surrounded by the pictures.

He returned to the bed and began stuffing the photos back into the shoebox. When the box was full, he threw it against the wall. “Are you satisfied now, Jo? Did you get the answers you were looking for?” She continued sobbing. Pacey stood over her and shook her shoulders. “Answer me! Explain to me how knowing this can make a damn bit of difference now! We can’t go back. We can’t change what happened. It’s over for us. Face it, we just weren’t strong enough!” he screamed.

Joey looked up at him and made eye contact. “You’re wrong. It was me. I was the weak one. I should have given you a chance to explain. I shouldn’t have trusted Dawson. He would have done anything to break us up…and he did,” she said finally. She broke down again. Pacey sat down again and took her into his arms. Joey wrapped her arms around his neck and Pacey smoothed her hair.

“Shush. It’s okay. Please stop crying. I don’t want us to hurt each other anymore.” Before Pacey knew what he was doing he began kissing her tears away. He started with the ones along her jaw and worked his way up her cheek. Pacey took Joey’s face in his hand and brushed the remaining tears away with his thumbs. She stared at him intently. “I love you, Pacey. And I am so sorry. Please, you have to believe me.”

Joey pulled Pacey closer. She brought her hand to rest along his jaw. She tilted her head and moved in for a kiss. Pacey broke away at the last second. “This isn’t right, Jo. We’ve spent the last four years in agony over this relationship. One conversation cannot take all that pain away.”

“But this conversation can be a new beginning for us. We know what we did wrong…what I did wrong, and we won’t make the same mistakes twice. I need this…I need you, Pacey.”

Pacey searched Joey’s eyes. He needed just one reason to believe that everything could be different this time. He wanted, so desperately, to end all these years of bitter loneliness. Pacey wanted her so badly he ached. To feel like he was someone worth loving would mean the world to him right now. To wake up in the arms of Joey, the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on, would seem like a dream come true.

But the consequences, he hated to think of them right now. But, damn, they were there. The consequences of opening his heart again, especially to the woman who ripped it to shreds, were nagging at him. Pacey was tired of thinking, of over-analyzing. His heart said no, his mind said no, but his body wasn’t cooperating.

Suddenly Pacey pushed Joey back onto his bed. She sucked in a sharp breath as he positioned himself on top of her. Pacey propped himself up on his elbows. He pushed Joey’s hair aside and laced his huge fingers behind her slender neck. Then he began stroking her jaw line with the pads of his thumbs. A tiny moan escaped her lips as she threw her head back, exposing that long, sensual throat to him.

One last time, Pacey searched her face for signs of confusion, doubt, or protest. He found none. Pacey began planting tiny kisses along her throat until he reached her collarbone. Her tiny silk panties and his over-sized t-shirt kept him from continuing. Pacey removed his hands from her neck. He tugged at the bottom of the t-shirt and ripped it all the way up the front. She gasped and arched her back with her eyelids still squeezed tightly shut. Pacey rolled over, grasping her tiny waist as he did so she would end up on top of him. Now she finally looked at him. Joey moved to a sitting position as Pacey gently slipped the torn fabric from her shoulders. He sat up to take both of her firm breasts into his hands. Pacey licked the soft skin between her breasts. His tongue moved to circle one of her taut nipples. He began sucking the bud as Joey ran her fingers through his hair. Tiny shivers ran through her body as she became increasingly aware of the throbbing between her legs. She needed him, now.

Joey gently pulled Pacey’s head back and began tugging on his shirt. Once she had released the garment, she pushed him back onto the bed. Her fingers splayed over his tight stomach muscles, then journeyed up his chest. She lowered her head and let her tongue make a trail up his torso. When she reached his neck she placed her palm on the side of his face and gently pressed it to reveal his ear. She savored the taste of his ear lobe. Her tongue circled it, sucked it, and delved deep into it.

Pacey couldn’t take it anymore. He took Joey’s face in his hands and began sensually licking her lips. When she opened her mouth to him, his hot tongue probed in and out.

As he kissed her, Joey hands moved in between them as she started fumbling with his zipper. Her shaking hands managed to free the hard, throbbing flesh inside. She stroked the length of it, feeling every velvety soft inch of it.

Pacey turned Joey so that they were now lying on their sides, facing each other. She didn’t release her grasp as his fingers slipped inside her panties. Pacey closed his eyes as his fingers delved into her hot, moist core. He rubbed her sensually and watched her expression as he took her to the edge and back…over and over again. Pacey removed his fingers only to slide the panties off of her. He then stood to remove the remains of his clothing.

When he placed his hard body above her, she pulled him closer. He could feel her heart beating and her heat down there was willing him to enter her. Wanting to prolong this moment, Pacey started kissing her. He pulled his mouth away only to reach into his nightstand for protection. Pacey quickly found what he was looking for and unrolled it onto his erection.

Pacey and Joey stared deep into each other’s eyes as he entered her. She felt warm and tight and just the way he had remembered. Joey threw her head back and moaned as Pacey moved in and out of her. He somehow seemed bigger than she had remembered, but she loved it just the same. He filled her up and the slightest motion sent her whole body into the throes of ecstasy.

Pacey pulled Joey into his arms as he sat up. She wrapped her legs around his hot body. He licked her breasts as his hands cupped her ass to move her up and down on him. She dug her nails into his back as she continued to grind into him. She had forgotten how good this felt. She was trying to remember what it was like to want a man this much and have him want her equally.

Their lovemaking seemed to go on forever. Joey was completely amazed at Pacey’s stamina. She had climaxed at least three times already, but she still wanted more. Joey leaned back and clenched the sheet as Pacey drove his cock deeper and deeper. She screamed his name as he sent them both over the edge. She rocked back and forth as the delicious shivers of her orgasm played out. When Joey managed to stop quaking, she threw her arms around him. They held each other for the longest time, not wanting the night to end.

A single tear slid down Joey’s cheek as she whispered, “I love you, Pacey.” Pacey noticed the tear and grimaced. “Did I …are you, okay?” he questioned. She shook her head fiercely and managed her trademark lop-sided smile. “I am definitely better than okay,” she whispered huskily.

Pacey smiled too as he laid her down and held her tightly in his arms.

Wednesday

Pacey enjoyed watching Joey sleep. She looked so sweet and vulnerable. All of her usual quips and banter were used to cover up for her defensiveness and insecurities. But right now, all Pacey could see was her beauty. She was lying on her stomach with her head resting on one arm. Her hair was splayed over her back, shoulders, and the pillow. It was silky and shining in the moonlight. Pacey wanted to reach out and touch her hair, but he feared that the motion would wake her.

It was 5 a.m. Pacey slept for the first few hours after their lovemaking. But now all he could do was lie awake, thinking. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt so happy…or miserable. Pacey had no idea what Joey would say when she awoke. Would she reconsider her decision? Would she say that it was all just a big mistake? But what if she was happy with what had happened last night? Would she stay in Chicago? No, of course she wouldn’t.

Pacey rubbed his eyes and carefully left the bed. He stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. “What are you doing, man? You’ll never win. She’ll never choose you. You’re a loser,” Pacey told his reflection. He started a shower. Pacey didn’t know what he was going to do, but he had to decide…quickly. Joey would be waking up soon.

Pacey stood under the hot water for quite a while. He lost track of time as his mind kept returning to Joey. He made up his mind. I don’t love her. We had our shot together and we just couldn’t make it work. This was simply a little backsliding, that’s to be expected. I’m lonely and horny. She was just the warm body that happened to be available at the moment, Pacey told himself…but it was not working.

Joey was beginning to wake. For a moment she thought she was home. Then she remembered that she was with Pacey. A slow smile began to spread across her face. She yawned and stretched like a cat. She was so content right now that she could almost purr. Her hand ran along the smooth sheets, but she didn’t feel Pacey there. Finally, Joey opened her eyes. The clock on the nightstand read: 7:30 a.m. She wondered if Pacey was cooking them breakfast or making some coffee. Joey would not allow herself to think that he had run off. Pacey wouldn’t do that, would he?

“Ahh. The sleepyhead finally rises,” Pacey said as he entered the bedroom. He was carrying a small, plastic sack. He kept his distance as he leaned up against his dresser, near the door.

Joey smiled. “Why are you up so early? Come back to bed, please.” Joey pulled the bedspread back and waited for his response.

Pacey didn’t move a muscle. Joey furrowed her brow and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you mad at me or something? You know, I thought we had worked everything out last night. Today is a new beginning for us, right?” She knew that she was rambling, but she was scared.

Pacey tossed the sack on the bed. “I bought you some clothes to wear home. I’m going to call you a cab, so you better hurry up and get dressed,” Pacey said stoically.

He turned to leave but stopped in his tracks when she said, “What the hell? That’s it, it’s over? You got what you wanted and now you’re throwing me out! That’s great.” She choked back tears as she gathered the sheet up to cover herself. She suddenly felt very naked…and self-conscious.

Pacey strolled up to the bed with a hateful expression on his face. He leaned over her and growled, “I’m sorry, Jo. What did you have in mind? One more roll in the hay before you take off for Capeside, Mass tomorrow. Or maybe we could do some more soul-searching as we map out some kind of pathetic future together. Oh, I know, we’ll just run down to the Justice of the Peace and tie the knot. Does that sound good to you, Joey? Huh?” Pacey had a firm grip on Joey’s arm now.

“No,” she choked out, “I just thought…”

“What, that I could simply disregard the past four and a half years of misery? No, you can’t get off that easy, Joey. I mean, I’ll admit that you were good, but you weren’t that good. I won’t just sit around and wait for you to wake up one day and decide that you really want to be with Dawson. No. I can’t set myself up for that.”

“Dawson? We are over, and I don’t care what he thinks about my life now.” The tears began to slide down her cheek.

“Yeah, but you sure cared what he thought about you then, didn’t you? And why was that, Joey? How could one person have that much power over you? He played on every one of your insecurities...and you let him do this to us. WHY?” Pacey demanded.

“I don’t know. I guess I believed him because I really thought that you could never be satisfied with an inexperienced virgin. I wanted to believe so badly that you wanted me and thought that I was pretty. But anytime I was around Dawson, I felt like that too-tall girl from the wrong side of the creek. I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry!? You’re the one that I feel sorry for, Jo. Look at you, you are so gorgeous and you never felt beautiful because the oblivious Dawson Leery couldn’t see it! He ignored you all those years, until you moved on. Then he used your hang-ups to rip apart everything that we had spent a year building.” Pacey sighed.

Joey lowered her gaze and whispered, “I am not gorgeous.”

“What?” Pacey sputtered incredulously. “Get up, Joey. I want to show you something.” He pulled her from the bed and walked her over to his full-length mirror. Joey gathered the sheet up under her arms. Pacey pulled the sheet down to reveal her naked body. She looked away, embarrassed. Pacey stood behind her. “Don’t you see what I see when I look at you, Joey?”

Joey glanced at her reflection. “My legs are too long, my knees are too bony, my feet are hideous, and my breasts are…” Joey trailed off.

“Perfect. Your whole body is perfect. It was then and it most certainly is now. I wish that I could have had the courage to tell you that then…but it’s too late,” Pacey lamented as he watched her from over her shoulder. He turned to leave, but Joey grabbed his hands and wrapped them around her waist. He was still behind her. She caught his gaze in the mirror, her eyes pleading. Joey tipped her head back. He was warm and strong and she longed to make love to him once more. Pacey lowered his head to rest on her soft shoulder. He felt dizzy and weak at the sight of her. Pacey squeezed her gently. He knew that if he stood here for one more moment, he would lose all control. That could not happen again. He finally released her and walked away.

Joey emerged from Pacey’s bedroom wearing the clothes that he had purchased for her. She noticed that he had carefully chosen a gray t-shirt and matching sweat pants. Along with that was a pair of plain white cotton panties and white canvas shoes that were just a tiny bit too big. Joey had seen the price tags so she had a good idea of what he had spent on her. Her purse was lying on the coffee table where she had left it last night.

Pacey was sitting in the overstuffed chair, staring absently out the window. Joey crossed the room to retrieve her purse. He barely seemed to notice her. She pulled the money out of her purse and dropped it on the table in front of him. Joey began heading for the door when Pacey grabbed her hand. He looked up, “What’s the money for, Jo?”

Joey snatched her hand from his grasp. “For the clothes.”

“I don’t want it. Please take it back.” Pacey pleaded with her.

Joey paused when she reached the front door. “Goodbye, Pacey.” She pulled the door halfway open and then turned to face him. “I meant what I said last night. I love you, Pacey. What we shared was incredible and amazing, and I’ll never forget it. I know that I can’t undo what happened between us all those years ago, but I just hope that someday you will be able to forgive me.” She paused to see if he had a response. None. Joey turned to leave him. She managed to holds back the tears until she reached the elevators.

Pacey watched her get into the cab from his window. A single tear escaped his eyes as he whispered, “I love you too, Joey.”

Thursday

“…So we tracked down the perp, and he had this huge wad of cash on him, right? So, then we…” Officer O’Connell trailed off. “Witter, are you listening to me…hey!” Bobby playfully punched his partner in the shoulder.

“Yeah, I’m sorry. Then what happened next?” Pacey replied, finally snapping out of his daze. Pacey had been on duty since midnight and he was exhausted. Bobby continued his story as Pacey pretended to listen. Pacey enjoyed working with O’Connell, but he tended to talk endlessly and Pacey was to preoccupied to comprehend.

It had been 24 hours since he had let Joey waltz in and out of his life. What a week it had been. I had a good life, he thought, Joey shows up and I’m a complete wreck.

Pacey had been a police officer for nearly a year now. Chicago was exciting and dangerous. He had often signed up for extra shifts and the holidays that the officers with families didn’t want to work. With no family or girlfriend to support, Pacey was making a very comfortable living. His apartment was tastefully decorated, but not quite lived-in looking. Before having Joey in his place yesterday, he could barely remember the last time someone had been there…to visit anyway. Sure, there had been the occasional pizza or Chinese food delivery, but no parties, no friends, and definitely no dates.

His associates viewed Pacey as the consummate bachelor. They had tried, in vain, to set him up on blind dates, but to no avail. At first, some had wondered if he was gay, but the few people he let get close to him had figured that some evil female had broken his heart. They were right.

“So I heard that you pulled some woman from that restaurant fire Tuesday. Big hero, huh?” Bobby questioned.

“Nah. Just doing the job, you know,” Pacey replied and smirked sideways at his partner.

“Um…no, I think that job would belong to a fireman. What were you thinking, going into a burning building like that? That was a little above and beyond, even for you,” Bobby stated.

Pacey paused and debated whether he should elaborate or not. “The woman I rescued was an old friend. She was in town for the week and it was a bizarre coincidence. I was just in the right place at the right time,” Pacey said, matter-of-factly.

“So she’s okay now?” Pacey nodded. “When are you going to see her again?” Bobby pressed. When Pacey didn’t answer, he continued, “But this is her…the girl who broke your heart and turned you into the shell-of-a-man you are today, right? And you still love her. When is she leaving, man?” Bobby wouldn’t give up.

Pacey sighed. “Yes. I did love her…once. And she did hurt me, but that was so long ago. And she’s leaving today.”

“What time? Are you going to the airport to see her?” Bobby questioned further.

Now Pacey as irritated. “I don’t know what time, Bobby! I called her a cab yesterday and pushed her out of my life. She said that she loves me…and I said nothing. So it’s over. Just drop it!”

Bobby didn’t utter another word as they drove back to the station. It was 8a.m. and their shift was over.

Pacey was sitting on the locker room bench with his head in his hands. He felt terrible. There was no reason to snap at Bobby like that. Pacey knew that his partner just wanted to help. Bobby was not usually a meddling person.

Somehow Pacey had let everything get so screwed up. Joey had probably already left town for good. If she hated him, he really couldn’t blame her. He had been cold and hateful to her. Pacey was still too hurt to admit his feelings. He needed to punish her. But was he punishing her…or himself?

The thought of returning to his lonely apartment was making his stomach turn. Pacey wanted to see her, to find her, and at least say goodbye.

Pacey racked his brain as he drove back home. How could he find Joey? He had no idea where she was staying or when her flight was leaving. Pacey didn’t know Joey’s friends names, so calling them was impossible. He could contact the fire department to locate a report from the fire. That would surely include their names and possibly an address. Or maybe the cab company could tell him where Joey had been dropped off. But either of these options might take him hours to find her…and he just didn’t have that long.

Pacey was lamenting the fact that he had not done any of this yesterday. Just then his cell phone rang…

Keith helped Joey load the last suitcase into the back of his Range Rover. Joey climbed into the backseat as Ariana turned to face her friend. “Are you going to be alright?”

Joey nodded and forced a weak smile. “Don’t worry,” she reassured, “at least this will be a vacation that I’ll never forget.” Joey quietly stared out the window for the rest of the ride to O’Hare. Joey had been very tight-lipped about the events of yesterday, but Ariana was sure that nothing had been resolved between she and Pacey.

Once the trio had arrived at the airport, Ariana had immediately noticed how quiet and withdrawn Joey was acting. They chatted easily to pass the time. Ariana wasn’t sure if Joey couldn’t wait to get out of Chicago or if she couldn’t bring herself to leave. Maybe it was a little of both.

“Last call for flight 323…” The announcement brought Joey back to Earth. “This is it. Time to go.” Joey stood and hugged her dear friend tightly. “Thanks for putting me up, Ariana. I’m really going to miss you.” Joey choked back tears. Ariana nodded, fighting off tears of her own.

Keith gave Joey a quick squeeze and handed Joey her carry-on bag. The couple held each other as Joey walked down the long corridor to meet her plane. She paused for a moment and gave them a quick wave. “Maybe she’ll be alright, honey,” Keith reassured. Ariana anxiously looked around the airport and nodded in agreement. “I hope so. Let’s go home.”

“Dammit!” Pacey cursed the traffic at the O’Hare airport. He glanced at his watch as he sprinted through the airport. He quickly scanned a sign that directed him to the proper gate. Now he could only hope that it wasn’t too late.

As Pacey reached the terminal, he caught the attention of an airport employee. Breathlessly he inquired, “Flight 323…do you know…has it departed yet?”

The young lady nodded. “Yes, I’m sorry sir. There’s the plane right now.” She pointed out the window to the aircraft as it taxied down the runway.

Pacey sighed. “Thanks.” He strolled up to the window and helplessly watched the plane as it disappeared into the skyline. Pacey pressed his forehead to the glass and swore under his breath. There was so much he wanted to say to her. Why had he been such a fool? The only woman he had ever loved had reappeared and declared her love for him but he pushed her away. Why? Was it out of fear, resentment, hatred, or just pure stupidity? Maybe a little bit of each.

Pacey took a few steps back and dropped into a chair. He knew that he should just go home and forget about her, but he felt like sulking instead. How in the world could he ever fix this? Joey must have gone home feeling so lonely and unloved. She didn’t deserve that. Pacey contemplated buying an airline ticket back to Capeside, just so he could have a chance to talk to her again. But Joey has her own life, he thought. I bet she has a great job waiting for her when she gets home. She doesn’t need me to go there and screw everything up. Besides, I can’t offer her anything but misery.‘

Pacey sat and thought for a moment. “Oh screw it.” Pacey exclaimed. He jumped out of his chair and made a mad dash for the ticket counter.

Just then, he ran right into…Joey.

Pacey was so preoccupied that when he bent down to retrieve the belongings he knocked out of her hands, he didn’t even see who she was. “Oh, I am so sorry.” Pacey blurted.

“Wow, you must be in some kind of hurry. Where’s the fire?” Joey stated. Pacey would know that voice anywhere. He looked up at Joey and immediately jumped to his feet. “Joey! Oh my God. I thought…your plane…why are you still here?” Pacey stammered.

“I just couldn’t leave things like this. I didn’t get on the plane. I guess I’m just not ready to give up on you yet,” Joey explained.

Pacey set Joey’s bag and sweater back down on the floor. He took her hands and guided her to the nearest section of chairs. Pacey turned to face her.

Joey began, “I know that you are angry with me. And I cannot fault you for that, but…” Pacey interrupted, “Joey, please. You do not have to justify anything to me. It was a long time ago and I am just as much to blame as you are.” Joey’s face contorted, she was obviously confused. Pacey continued, “I should have sat down with you and asked what went wrong in our relationship. I knew that Dawson was somehow involved, and I could have confronted him. But I didn’t. I chastised you for letting Dawson intimidate you but he had the same effect on me.”

“How so?” Joey questioned.

Pacey sighed and shifted in his seat. “I guess in the back of my mind, I knew that in the end, you would go back to Dawson. He was your soul mate and I was the screw-up. I always wanted to believe that you were meant to be mine and not that I was just some ‘phase’ that you were going through.”

“Pacey…” Joey interjected and reached for his hand.

Pacey took her hand in his and shook his head. “No, it’s okay. I asked you how you could let Dawson play on your insecurities. But I already know the answer to that because he did it to me. Growing up, we both put Dawson up on a pedestal; he was the ‘golden boy’. I always felt inferior to him. I knew how smart, responsible, levelheaded and safe he was. And I couldn’t live up to that,” Pacey dropped his head.

Joey placed her hand under Pacey’s chin and gently lifted his gaze to meet her. “You were better,” Joey whispered. Pacey smiled a bit. “You were sweet, considerate, daring, unpredictable, and…a little dangerous.” Pacey cocked his head and questioned, “I was dangerous?”

“Well not on the level of James Dean or anything, but definitely a rebel. You were not safe or boring or predictable.” Joey sighed and continued, “I didn’t want another Dawson; I wanted you. You made me feel…”

“Alive?” Pacey smiled as they both remembered the night she first said that. It was the first time that Joey has kissed Pacey. Pacey took Joey’s face in his hands. “So what now? We’ve revealed our secrets and bared our souls, but where does this leave us, Jo? I live here and you’re embarking on a whole new life…”

“…With you. I hope.” Joey smiled sheepishly. Pacey took Joey by the hand as they both stood. They faced each other and looked deeply into one another’s eyes. Pacey’s arms encircled Joey’s waist as pulled her close. She tipped her head back as Pacey brushed his lips against hers. Time stood still as they sweetly kissed each other. The couple held each other tightly and Pacey whispered, “Let’s go home.”

Joey smiled her trademark, lopsided smile and nodded in agreement. As the couple left the airport, Joey added, “By the way, how did you find me?”

Pacey grinned and said, “You might want to talk to your friend about that.” Joey smiled and opened her eyes widely. She stole one more kiss as they stepped out into the warm sunshine.

One year later

Joey sat in the window seat, her favorite spot, as she sketched in her notebook. Everything had changed in the last year. Joey had a great job illustrating children’s books and she loved it. With the exception of an occasional meeting with a publisher, Joey was able to do most of her work at home. When she wasn’t working, she enjoyed creating her own masterpieces. The basement of the home had been transformed into an art studio for Joey to paint, sculpt, and draw.

Joey looked out the window and watched the sun setting on the creek. She cocked her head when she heard a truck pull up. When she opened the door, she saw the Deputy Sheriff standing before her. “Officer Witter, long time no see,” she said, sarcastically.

“Long time? I just saw you this morning, woman!” With that, Pacey wrapped Joey up in his arms and proceeded to smother her with kisses. Joey couldn’t believe how happy Pacey was with his new job. When the couple had agreed to return to their hometown, they were curious to see how Pacey’s family would react. He had had virtually no contact with them since he had moved to Chicago; therefore he had no idea that John Witter’s health was failing. Pacey’s father had a heart attack in his youngest son’s absence and doctors had advised him to retire. John Witter was happy to help his other son, Doug, campaign for his job as town sheriff. Pacey was the natural choice for the deputy position that Doug had once held.

Pacey’s father was tremendously proud that his wayward son had chosen the family profession and put himself through school to boot. John Witter had joined AA and realized how his drinking had strained the fragile relationship with his youngest boy. The two were forging a newfound respect for each other, without the insults and arguments of the past.

Bessie was unsurprisingly supportive of Pacey and Joey’s reunion. She always knew how much Pacey loved her little sister and wished that the two would somehow find their way back to each other. Bessie was thrilled to help Joey with her wedding plans. She even volunteered her husband, Bodie, to do the catering.

The ceremony was so beautiful. Pacey had asked his old partner, Bobby, to come and be his best man. He hoped that it would somehow make up for the awful way that he had treated his good buddy. Bobby graciously accepted and enjoyed visiting the idyllic little town.

Jen, Jack, Andie, Ariana, and Keith were all in attendance. Joey couldn’t decide between her girlfriends as to who should be her matron-of-honor, so she chose her sister, Bessie. After all, Bessie had been there for her through everything. Bessie was so honored.

Joey had worn her mother’s wedding dress. She knew that it was a silly tradition but it made her feel that her mother was with her. Joey looked gorgeous in the off the shoulder, flowing white gown. Tiny satin rosebuds flowed from the sheer fabric of the train. Since Joey’s father had died in prison years ago, Joey had wanted Bodie to walk her down the aisle. He was more than happy to oblige her.

The front yard of the Potter Bed & Breakfast was adorned with hundreds of pale pink and sterling roses. Pacey could not have been more handsome in his gray tuxedo with tails. The guests overlooked the glimmering creek as the couple exchanged their vows. It could not have been more perfect.

Pacey and Joey even invited Dawson, but he declined.

In addition to his job on the Capeside police force, Pacey also took a job as the director of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program in Capeside. His time there as a mentor, in high school, had deeply affected him and he wanted to “give something back.” Seeing those children each week had made him realize how much he desired a family of his own.

“Are we still going out for dinner tonight?” Joey asked as she rubbed Pacey’s tired shoulders.

“Mmmm, feels good. No I think we should stay in tonight,” Pacey replied.

Joey stopped rubbing. “Pacey,” she whined, “I didn’t plan on cooking dinner tonight. I haven’t even been to the store this week.”

“We’ll worry about that afterwards.” Pacey turned back to Joey and swept her into his arms. She gasped and replied, “After…what?”

Pacey smiled coyly and whispered, “After I ravish you.”

“Ooooh, you promise?” Joey asked. Pacey nodded. “Officer Witter, have you been having naughty thoughts about me today?”

“Woman, ‘naughty’ does not even begin to cover what I’ve been thinking about you today.” Pacey ascended the stairs, entered their bedroom, and gently laid Joey on their king-sized bed.

“Okay, if ‘naughty’ doesn’t cover it, what would?” Joey wondered aloud.

Pacey settled next to Joey and wrapped his arms around her. “Well, I’ve been thinking wonderful, happy thoughts about you. I keep wondering what I did to deserve a beautiful, talented, sexy, caring woman like you. And I can’t believe that all this has really happened. Loving you has changed my life and I am the luckiest man in the world.”

Joey sighed, “Pacey…”

“I love you, Joey. And I would love to start a family with you…tonight.”

Speechless, the tears welled up in Joey’s eyes. She nodded desperately and began planting kisses all over Pacey’s face.

“So I’ll take that as a ‘yes’?” Pacey asked gently.

Joey looked deeply into his eyes. “Yes. I love you so much. I never thought I could be so happy with anyone. You’ve made all my dreams come true. I would love to have your child.”

Pacey and Joey made sweet, passionate love for hours. They took their time and savored every beautiful moment. Pacey held Joey in his arms as she slept. He watched her lovingly and as he drifted off to sleep, he whispered, “I love you, Josephine Witter. You have made me the happiest man on earth.”

Joey smiled and murmured, “I love you, Pacey.”

The end