Pacey stared back down at his girlfriend. "Very funny Jo." He tried to laugh it off, but found her not laughing. "Jo, you're incapable of murder. No matter what."
"Maybe he was so distraught over what he did to me that he wasn't paying attention and drove off the road! Or maybe he-he felt so-so guilty that he killed himself!"
"Then it's the bastard's fault. Not yours." Pacey drew her to him. "I love you Jo... You should know that. And this guy..." He crumbled the letter in his hand. "We'll catch him and kill him. I swear it."
"We've been through so much Pacey, but think about what happened to Jack and Annie in Speed. By Speed two she was complaining about how unromantic he was. They didn't make it to the sequel."
"Only because Jack wanted more money then they were prepared to give Jo. I'd do this for free."
Joey considered his words for a second before her smile deepened. She kissed him lightly, then sat down at the bench in front of the beach. He mimicked her actions and held her hand.
"I don't want to die." Joey whispered. "I almost did once."
"I know. I still have nightmares about it."
"It was horrible."
"We're lucky you only got one scar."
"That's not what I'm talking about."
Pacey paused, staring curiously at her.
"I was talking about when we were broken up." She stood up briskly, and began walking. He followed her quickly. "I almost killed myself Pacey."
Pacey stopped walking and stared down at her. For a second he was tempted to slap her. "What the hell were you thinking?!" He demanded furiously. He didn't notice her eyes start to fill with tears. "What the hell would possess you to-to kill yourself?!" Joey began crying, and Pacey sank to his knees. "God Jo. I wouldn't be able to live if you weren't alive." He looked up at her. "Don't you know that? How could you even consider it?"
"I-I couldn't take it anymore Pacey. It hurt too much."
"Hurting Jo? You want to know what hurting is?" Pacey jumped to his feet. "Hurting is when you love someone so much you'd die for them, and they break up with you because they want to be with someone else! That's hurting! When someone steals your soul and then walks away with it! That's hurting! When the woman that you love is raped and you weren't there to protect her! That's hurting!"
"Pacey, don't do this-" Joey begged.
"What do you want from me Joey? Huh? What? What the hell can I do that I haven't done already? What?!"
"I want you to stop yelling at me!" Joey shouted back.
"Well talking never got us anywhere! Let's try yelling!" Pacey didn't know what he was saying anymore. He was just shouting because it felt good to get rid of some anger. Unfortunately, it was Joey he was using as the dart board.
"I can't change the past Pacey! I can't! It's not one of my talents okay? I would love to go back three months ago and tell myself, 'Joey, you're going to end up with Pacey and it's going to be okay!' But I can't! It's done! I tried to cut my wrists and at the last second I decided not to! What do you want me to do? Appologize? To you? I won't! It's my life Pacey, and I'm the one who screwed it up! I screwed it up and I'm paying for it! I don't have to pay for it to you!"
"You didn't screw up Jo." Pacey's voice was suddenly barely audible. She was in his arms faster than she could blink. "It's his fault. It's all his fault. He did this to you. It was his screw up. Not yours. God Jo. I'm so sorry. I swear to god I am. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm so sorry."
The tears spilt out of Joey's eyes and down her cheeks. "I guess I have to forgive you. My bed is yours." She teased lightly.
Pacey laughed slightly and hugged her tightly. "I love you. I'm just angry at this guy. Not at you."
"I know." Joey lightly kissed his cheek. "I know." Her voice became teasing again. "But you know," She pulled back and looked up at him. "all the books say that if you yell at me like this again that I'm supposed to leave you."
"You won't have to." Pacey shot her a half smile. "I'll kill myself first."
"You'd take the pleasure from me?" Joey smiled at him, and they both started laughing. "How rude."
"All appologies." Pacey bowed at the waist dramatically.
"All forgiven." They grinned at each other and wrapped their arms around the other. "I love you you screw up."
"I love you you pms - ridden girl."
They smiled at each other and kissed deeply.
"How about Dougy?" Jen suggested from next to Dawson on the couch.
"Doug's outta town." Pacey answered. Joey was sitting sideways on his lap, resting the side of her head against the back of the chair.
"Why?" Dawson's hand was captured between Jen's in her lap. It wasn't a secret that they were now not only sleeping together in the same bed like Joey and Pacey, but... well... were consumating their love.
"Some police thing." Pacey shrugged. "I dunno."
Joey giggled. "He's taking a course to prepare to be Chief." She told her friends. Pacey looked at her.
"Now how did you know that?"
"I didn't tell you? I'm cheating on you with Doug."
"The bastard. I'll kill him."
"Oh dear." Joey mock gasped, putting a hand over her mouth. She giggled and Pacey grinned. Joey reached over and kissed him.
The phone rang, and Joey broke off abruptly, staring at the phone like it was death on the other end of the line. For any of them knew, it was.
Jen stared at Joey for an instant before snatching up the phone. "Speak."
"Jennifer?"
Jen's face was frozen into place. "Who is this?" She demanded in a whisper.
The person on the other end laughed. "Wouldn't you like to know Jennifer?" The haggard voice was teasing; enjoying his conquest of fear and startlement.
"No. I think you're a sick bastard."
Joey bit her lip, closed her eyes, and attempted to breathe regularly. It wasn't working. Pacey watched as her eyes fluttered in pain, and as her throat seemed to choke on her breath. He gently lowered her head to his shoulder and kissed the side of her head. She was still trying not to cry.
"I think you're a slut."
"Shut up." Jen glared at the phone. "You don't know a thing about me, or any of my friends."
"Actually, I do. I know what it feels like to hold Joey in my arms."
"You don't know anything. You're just some stupid liar who has nothing better to do than harrass some innocent teenagers!"
"Au contraire ducky. I know perfectly well how my time is being spent, and I have to say, it is worth it to see Joey whimpering like that."
Jen looked sharply to the chair, where, indeed, Joey was making small sounds of fear against Pacey's shoulder.
"Bastard." Jen hissed, then hung up the phone. She stared at Joey for a second, and then turned to Dawson. "We've got work to do."
"That's the last of 'em." Dawson sounded — and looked — exhausted. Jen slammed the hammer onto the piece of wood one more time and stepped back.
"Yup."
They'd boarded up every window in the cabin. Not an inch of sunlight came through the windows. A little drastic they'd thought at first, but they decided they didn't want to risk anything again.
"Let's go inside." Jen begged softly, shivering against the sudden icy breeze. She was a firm believer of the wind. If the wind was cold like that, piercing cold, then it was time to head inside, because something bad was going to happen and they had to be on their guards.
Dawson nodded, and put his hand on her back to gently guide her inside.
Pacey and Joey, meanwhile, were setting the computer up on a desk they'd just bought. The computer had been a gift from Dawson's parents, deciding that they needed one. Joey didn't think so, but Pacey seemed to think it was a good idea. Joey thought that getting tortured and death notes at school were enough. She didn't want them at home too.
"Done." Pacey stood up, stretched, and gently rubbed the cricks out of his girlfriend's back. He kissed her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned against him and put her hands over his.
"I don't want it here Pacey." Joey begged softly.
"Joey, it'll be okay. I'm here remember? I'm here to protect you." Pacey kissed her softly and then turned to Dawson and Jen. "You guys wanna check this out?"
"Sure." Dawson and Jen sat down at the computer while Pacey carefully led Joey into their room and shut the door behind them. He clicked on a small lamp by the bedside and sat on it himself. Joey sat a few inches across from him, their knees almost touching.
"Jo, talk to me." Pacey's voice was low, laced carefully with fear and love.
"What do you want me to say Pacey?" Joey's eyes filled with tears, and her voice cracked. "I'm scared, okay? Someone is threating my life—again. I don't think I can handle it anymore."
"Jo, as soon as Dougy comes back, we're going to tell him what's been going on and have him trace the e-mails. Then we're going to find this bastard and that's going to be the end of it." Pacey's voice was soothing, and for now it would work.
Joey nodded, silently, and leaned across the bed to lay against his chest. They laid together in the dim light, just trying to exist in their now.
And that's all she wrote. I know that my other part seemed a bit rushed, and I appologize for that. I wanted it out and, well, I was tired of writing it. Right now, however, I don't think I can write anymore. I still feel really lousy over that letter, and so, while it is the fault of most likely not you, I'm not gonna write anymore for a while. Not too long, just long enough for me to recoop. See, my fanfic is like, my baby, you know? And it gets hit and my self esteem takes an even harder blow. So anyway, thanks for reading, and I'll be back later with more.