Shake and Nod: The Sequel
by: Moon Bunny
Author note: Jack and Andie fans, turn back now! You won't like it if you continue. And, just for a little side note, I haven't seen a single episode with Jack or Andie in it. See, I kinda did the boycott thing. I refuse to watch D.C. until Joey and Pacey get together. Just my little way of saying: "I mean business!". Somehow, I doubt it will work. But that's okay. I'm still reading fics and stuff, I just don't watch the show. But onto the story! = )
Disclaimer: Tada! You knew it was going to happen! These beautiful characters don't belong to me. I'm playing with them, and when I'm done I'll put them back nice and neat in the toy box. Well... Maybe not neatly! = ) Anyway, they're all the possession of Kevin Williamson and the WB people. Maybe more. I wouldn't know. But let's get to the story now: = )Send comments/feedback to: moon_bunny@hotmail.com
Joey Potter ran up the stairs to her boyfriend's apartment. He lived on the 3rd floor of the Hawaiian Apartments building 2: Tropical Cabana. His room was 314. Joey and her boyfriend had been together for several months now.
"Honey, I'm here!" Joey sang, opening the door with the key he'd made for her. He'd moved into the Apartment Complex almost a year ago, and now they were talking about her moving in as she almost lived there anyway. Joey kind of wanted to wait until she was out of high school, but that was still 2 years away.
"Hello Love." He smiled sweetly at her, taking her in his strong arms.
"Did you miss me?" Joey smiled sweetly, but didn't allow him to kiss her.
"Of course."
"Good."
Joey giggled, moving her head from his kiss unnoticeably. She reached for the phone as it rang. "Hello?" She asked, picking the phone up off the receiver.
"Joey?"
"Pacey?"
"Hey Jo!" Pacey was grinning, she could hear it in his voice.
"Hey Pace. What's up?"
Joey's boyfriend, Jack, groaned as he heard her mention her ex boyfriend. Who was also dating his sister Andie.
"Well Andie's out tonight. I was wondering if you'd like to go see a movie or something. Maybe go out to dinner."
"Sure. I'd like that." Joey smiled slightly.
"Great! I'll see you around 6? My place?"
"Sure Pace."
"Bye Jo."
"Bye Pace."
Joey hung up the phone, closing her eyes in pain.
"Why are you still friends with him if it's so painful to you?" Jack demanded. Joey winced, preparing herself for the battle that was sure to ensue.
"Because, Jack, Pacey has been a part of my life since I was a child. I'm not going to stop being his friend just because we broke up."
"Joey, you broke up! That doesn't mean you go out with him!"
Joey winced again. "I didn't say we were going out."
"You didn't have to. I figured it out." Jack shook his head. "Honestly Joey, I don't know how you can be with me when you're busy thinking about him."
"I'm not, Jack." Joey protested as he started to turn away. "Pacey's lonely."
"I get lonely too Jo, and you're my girlfriend!"
Joey took a step back. "This is about sex isn't it?" She demanded angrily. "Damn it Jack, why do you always have to bring sex into this? I don't want to have sex! I swore to never have sex until I was married! Pacey and I both did, and we plan to keep that promise!"
"Why did you leave him Joey?" Jack demanded. "If you're so caught up in him still?"
Joey opened her mouth, ready to retort a reply. Instead she closed her mouth and looked out the window.
"It'll always be you and me Joey." Pacey told her softly. "You and I both know it's true."
"Maybe you're right Pacey! Maybe next week we'll decide that this was the biggest mistake we ever made! But we've made others Pacey, and if we really are supposed to get through this together, then we'll get back together." She lowered her voice and sighed. "But for now Pace, I think we're missing out."
"So we date other people..."
"And if we decide we still want to be together then we can."
"But for now, we're through."
"Yes."
"I love you Jo."
Joey choked on her tears. "I love you, Pacey."
She'd turned and ran away then, never looking back.
"Joey!" Pacey caroled. It was painful for her to look at him, but they hesitantly met eyes.
"Hi Pacey." Joey smiled slightly. They'd been broken up for 3 months, but the initial chemistry was still there. Along with the love.
"Um, how-how are you?"
"Fine." Joey looked around nervously. "You?"
"Fine." Pacey answered lamely. "H-how's Jack?"
"He's-he's good. We're um, we're thinking about moving in together."
Pacey blanched, and then his eyes narrowed. "Okay Jo, that's it. We decided that we would date other people, but moving in with them? That's taking it way too far!"
"What about you, you hypocrite?" Joey demanded, stepping into his apartment. He slammed the door behind her and they faced off. "You're the one sleeping with Andie!"
"Where the hell did you get that idea?!" Pacey fired back. "I've barely kissed Andie, let alone sleep with her!"
"Well then why is she saying that you two are sleeping together?" Joey shouted angrily.
"I have no idea!" Pacey took her wrists, which were flying around. "Calm down Joey!"
"Why should I?" Joey bit out angrily. "What did you do for me?"
"I saved your life! I was your shoulder to cry on! I took care of you!"
"Well, give you a damn medal!" Joey screamed back, struggling with him. "Let go!"
He did, and she glared furiously at him. "I don't want a medal Jo." Pacey told her softly, hissing. "I want you."
His abruptness made Joey close her mouth. "Well-well, you can't have me."
"Why not?" He demanded. "This obviously isn't working Jo. Why can't I have you?"
"Because-"
"And don't tell me it's because you're in love with Jack, because I know that's crap. You can't love anyone but me. Like the lie I told you about me and Andie moving in together made you insanely jealous."
Joey closed her mouth again, knowing that any argument she gave would come out weak. "We've been through a lot Pacey." She said softly. "My rape, almost dying. We need normal relationships."
His voice broke. "Normal?" He whispered. "The only normal thing in my life is you, Jo. We've been through-through everything together. And now you just want to throw it all away."
"Don't do this to me Pacey." Joey whispered back. Then, louder: "Don't you dare do this to me! I can't, handle it! I can not! I'm dealing with too much right now! I can't take you on as well!"
Pacey looked near tears when he turned his back to her. "I will always be here for you Jo." He mumbled. "But not right now."
Joey felt her heart catch in her throat. "What?"
"I can't see you anymore." He turned back to face her. "Not until it stops hurting. God Jo, all I want to do is throw my arms around you and never let go. But you won't let me, and it hurts to be hurt by someone you love—more so than if it was someone you didn't."
Joey took a deep breath, tears brimming in her own eyes. "I love you Pacey. Give me a call when you can." Her whisper died out in the room as she turned around and left.
Pacey fell down onto the couch, not bothering to control his tears.
Outside Pacey's apartment, Joey was leaning against the door, her small form shaking with silent sobs.
Joey looked around sadly at the desolate cabin. After she and Pacey had broken up, they'd moved out of the cabin, knowing they couldn't live together.
Pacey. Joey sat down on the cold wooden floor and put her head in her hands. She loved him so much, but she knew that she was just holding him down. He needed to be in a normal relationship.
What do you think you two had? A little voice in Joey's head demanded furiously.
It wasn't balanced. I needed him much more than he needed me. Joey sighed miserably, her eyes filling with tears again. Her heart ached with a pain she hadn't felt since she'd broken up with Pacey when she thought he was trying to kill her.
Joey knew by heart what was inside the rooms, but she found herself looking around anyway. She stopped at the entrance to the room that had been hers and Pacey's. She hesitated before going in, but slowly made her way around the room, running her hands over the walls as she walked along side it. She stood directly where the bed had been, and felt more sobs beginning to well up. Joey sat down on the floor, a clip of a Backstreet Boy song suddenly coming to mind.
Quit playing games with my heart
Baby baby
The love that we had
Was so strong
Don't leave me hanging here forever
Baby baby
This is not right
Let's stop this tonight
"I thought I'd find you here."
Joey looked up sharply even though she knew that voice like her own.
Jen slowly walked into the room, watching Joey's face crumble. Then she was holding the brunette, gently rocking her.
"I love him so much!"
"So be with him."
"I can't!"
"Why not?"
"I just can't Jen." Joey sounded tired.
"Then move on."
"I can't do that either." Joey's voice was a whisper.
"Why?"
"Because I love him!"
"He loves you Jo. He's not going to let go either."
"He's got to learn." Joey sighed. "As do I."
Joey glared at the boring computer teacher, knowing full well how to turn the stupid thing on. She rolled her eyes and, taking a quick look at the not-paying-attention teacher, she logged onto the internet. She'd sent out a plea for an answer to her question about how to get over Pacey, and she was eager to see if anyone had answered.
Joey_P she typed into the nickname spot. Password: *****.
Joey waited impatiently for the inbox to come up, and her face fell in disappointment as she saw she only had one message. What was odd about it was that it had no 'from'.
Joey clicked it open, her eyebrows drawn together. She waited, a little skip in her heart, for the letter to open. She hastily scrolled to 'from', but it said nothing. It was purely blank. Joey's heart began tap dancing as she scrolled down to read the message.
Josephine,
you're science teacher is baaaacccckkk...
And the nightmare starts again.
Joey's hands went up, horrified, to cover her mouth. Her eyes were stricken in terror as a picture of her and Pacey in the hospital with all their stab wounds loaded up. And then there was another picture. One of Joey, soaking wet, almost a year ago. Her clothes were torn, and her skin was cut up. Her eyes were haunted, as she looked like she was stumbling to a store. A closer inspection revealed the video store. It was a picture taken right after she'd been raped.
Someone knew she had been raped.
With shaking fingers, Joey realized the 'reply' buttons weren't there. She couldn't even write back to this guy.
Joey turned off the computer quickly, jumped up from her seat, and ran out of the classroom. Her classmates exchanged curious looks, knowing Joey's story but thinking that she had recovered. The teacher shrugged it off and went back to the lesson.
Joey's feet stamped along the bad tile floor. She looked up at the numbers above the door of a classroom. 125. Yes!
Joey threw open the door.
The classroom looked up in perfect unison, even the teacher stared at her.
She knew how she must look to them. She felt horrible. Her mascara was creating little pools of dark circles under her eyes, and her eyes themselves looked terrified.
Pacey stood up automatically, much to Andie's dislike and dismay. Jack, who also stood up, glared in fury as Pacey crossed the room slowly. Joey's eyes were locked on his, and then-
And then she was in his arms, sobbing, and he was calming her while slowly taking her out of the classroom. He picked her up like a little baby and carried her out of the building, to his truck.
"D-dawson." Joey's haunted eyes met his again. "I-I-D-Dawson. A-and-and J-J-"
"Dawson and Jen?" Pacey finished for her, his eyes searching hers. She nodded. "You want me to get Dawson and Jen?" Joey was drawing herself into herself, wrapping her arms around her legs and pulling them tightly to her chest. Her hair sheltered her from the outside world. She nodded.
"I don't want to leave you Jo." Pacey told her softly. "Are you sure?"
She nodded again, mutely. He nodded back, and started to back away when suddenly she turned to look at him. Their eyes locked, and then their arms were around each other. Joey sobbed as her arms around him tightened. Pacey, for his part, had tears in his eyes, but they were tears of relief. His face looked relieved too.
"I'll be right back." Pacey promised the crying girl, gently wiping mascara streaks from her cheeks. She nodded, and he kissed her with a passion neither of them had felt in months. They were both breathless when they pulled apart, but happiness was on Joey's face, replaced with sadness and then fear.
"Right back." Pacey promised again, then locked the doors from the outside. Joey watched as he ran into the building.
And then she began sobbing.
"Here." Pacey put the warm mug up to Joey's lips, and gently tipped it so the warm liquid would run down her throat.
No one knew why they were there, other than the obvious, Joey. She wasn't talking anymore, but she'd firmly attached herself to Pacey's side, and looked...sick. Really sick.
Pacey hadn't seen her like this since after she was raped.
The thought hit Pacey like a bolt of lightening, and he jerked away from her and put the mug on the table. Joey was looking startled, and scared. Like he was going to hit her.
"Did someone rape you again, Jo?" Pacey's breath was coming quickly, and he looked horrified. Joey mutely shook her head, and Pacey breathed easier, putting both arms around her.
"Jo, do you want to tell us?" Dawson asked softly.
Joey nodded, her face starting to crumble.
"Can you tell us?" Dawson pressed again.
Joey shook her head, her face crumbling further.
"Why?" Dawson wasn't giving up, and Joey was beginning to cry.
"Stop man." Pacey reprimanded gently, carefully hugging Joey and pulling her onto his lap sideways. She cried on his shoulder, but it wasn't deep sobs anymore.
"He said the nightmare was starting again." Joey whispered softly, but the room was so silent everyone heard it. Her haunted eyes locked with Pacey's. "He said he was my science teacher." Her voice broke, and the sobs increased. "He had pictures of me and Pacey in the hospital, and we were all cut up! And-" She broke off, her small body shaking. "He had pictures of me going to the video store right after I was raped!"
The room was in shock.
On to Part Two