Disclaimer: Not mine. Kevvie's, Froggies, and others.



Blood stains.

It was the first coherent thought that came to Joey's mind when she reached consiousness again. It was completely irrational.

Well, not completely.

Joey's arm was stained in blood. She could see it, and she could move her fingers, but she couldn't touch it with her other hand.

Her other arm was tied up.

So was her blood stained one.

With a groan, Joey rolled her head to the other side and saw, indeed, she was tied up. The ropes burned into her skin with every twist, so, brilliant idea: stop moving.

She was laying flat on a table of some kind. It was cold against her back, and she would shiver but it'd just cause more burns. She decided it wasn't worth it.

"Come on Pace, save my life." Joey whispered. Her eyes trailed up along the floor, and up her captor's body until she met his face. "You promised you'd protect me."


"Pacey!" Doug's fingers clamped around his brother's wrists. "Stop it!" He shook him. "You've got to calm down!"

"Find her and then I'll be more than happy to calm down!" Pacey shouted, fighting him.

"Pacey, you're not helping Joey any." Jen's soft voice broke through to Pacey, who stopped struggling. Doug let him go.

"I just want to find her." Pacey mumbled, going over and sitting down in one of the chairs at the police station. His hooded eyes came up and met Jen's.

"I promised."



"I don't remember your name."

He gave her a look of amusement. "I would think not."

"So tell me."

"It's Trent."

"Trent. Your name is Trent."

He looked up at her. "Yeah. Got a problem with that babe?"

"No. But what do you want? And what the hell are you doing?!"

He again looked up. "I'm going to burn you to the ground along with this hell hole werehouse." He tossed the jug of gasoline at Joey, where it hit her feet. She'd been propped up, with the table still attached, against the wall so she could see where she was. Not a pleasant place.

"Why? What did I do to you?"

The big guy got tears in his eyes. "I was at your place to get some money. I had a wife and kid girl! And my wife found out that I was stealing and got arrested, and she packed up herself and my little boy — 5 years old — and left. Middle of night. When I got home, I was greeted with a scribbled letter from my wife and divorce papers. I've never seen 'em since."

"So I'm going to pay for your mistake."

He walked forward and hit her. Joey saw bursts of light in front of her eyes as she heard the loud crack and her head was thrown to the side.

"It was your mistake." He glared furiously at her. "One you'll pay for darlin'."

"Obviously, if you're going to kill me."

Suddenly he was sweet. "I watched you, you know." Joey felt a pang of terror go through her heart. "I watched as he took something you held so precious, and as you cried and cried."

Joey's eyes filled with tears. "You didn't stop him?" She whispered, horrified.

He looked surprised. "Sweetie, we were partners."

"Here." Dawson handed Pacey the cup of steaming coffee. "You have to drink this. It'll make you feel a little better."

"I don't want to feel better. I want to feel what Joey is." Pacey looked down at the mug, and up at the wall across from him, where there were two seats underneath. He stood up, brought back his arm, and hurled the cup at the opposing wall. It made a loud splat as it hit the wall, spilling the burning liquid all over the waiting room in the police station.

"Pacey what the hell are you doing?!" Jen jumped up from the other side of Dawson and grabbed his wrists. "Go buy a punching bag! We're all worried about Joey-"

"She thinks I hate her!" Pacey wrenched away. "She thinks that I don't love her anymore. She's going to die thinking that we're forever over if I don't get to her now!"

"She never thought you hated her or didn't love her Pace. She just needed some down time." Jen gently soothed.

"She loves you Pacey. She always will." Dawson agreed.

"Not if she's dead." Pacey pulled away from them and ran out the door.



"P-partners?" Joey whispered, terror blinding her for an instant. Her heart stopped beating, and she stopped breathing.

"But of course love." He grinned. "That was his day. The next day was to be mine."

"Y-you took pictures of him raping me? You helped him?" She gaped in horror, her voice small and disbelieving.

"He felt guilty later. He wanted to turn the both of us in. Maybe we'd get a better sentence if we turned ourselves in, he thought. He disgusted me. So, I sabatoged his breaks." Trent grinned. "It was fun."

"You voyarized me, and then killed him?" Joey's haunted eyes locked with his. "You're sick."

He hit her again. "And you're a slut." He rolled his eyes and turned away from her. "Goodbye Joey."

All Joey saw was the light from the match over his shoulder.

Pacey stared at the grass in front of him. The cold night air didn't faze him a bit.

"He's killing her as we speak."

Pacey jumped up and whirled around at the same time. Jack Daniel looked back at him with a tired face.

"Where are they?" Pacey demanded.

"I don't know." Jack sighed. "Trent went to go kill her and Andie went to go kill both of them."

"Why?!" Pacey was frantic.

"Trent killed Andie's dad. Joey was raped by Andie's dad. In her mind, it makes perfect sense."

Pacey reached forward and grabbed Jack by the collar. "Where are they?"

"I don't know." Jack struggled with the stronger boy. "I don't!"

"Any ideas?"

"None! I don't know this town very well! Maybe, maybe your cabin?"

Pacey shoved Jack, who went sprawling backwards. "Stay." He ordered, running back inside the police station.