"Okay, can you tell him that Dawson called? Thanks." Dawson put the cordless phone back ino the cradle just as Joey poked her head through the window.

"Who was that?" Joey climbed into his bedroom.

"Um...Pacey," Dawson said, glancing back at the phone as if he was expecting it to ring. "I haven't talked to him in a while. He's getting hard to track down these days."

"Looks like he's finally adapted to his surroundings and gotten himself a life out there."

"Yup," Dawson said solemnly. "Looks like."

Joey studied his upset face for a moment. "You should be happy for him, Dawson. Just a few months ago you were worried that he was miserable out there."

"I am happy for him," he said unconvincingly, sitting down on the bed. "It's just that I miss him. I mean, he was my best friend and..." He stopped and viewed the choice of words. "And I can't believe I just said that in past tense!"

"Things change, Dawson," Joey told him, sitting down next to him. "E--"

"Evolve, yeah, I know," he sighed.

"Look, me and Jen are going to that new Wes Craven movie tonight at the Rialto. Wanna come? I'll buy you a popcorn." She nudged him with her elbow and smiled.

"Nah," he tried to return the smile as best he could. "You two go do your girl-bonding thing."

***

"And then what happened?" Jen asked as she sweeped a bit of shadow onto Joey's eyelids.

"And then his watch alarm went off and we went back to Dawson's."

"That's it?" Jen asked as she put the compact away and took out hand mirror.

"That's all," she confirmed as Jen handed her a mirror. Joey looked at her reflection. "Wow. You did a great job."

"All I did was put a little on a little eyeshadow and mascara. Some lipstick. I didn't do much of anything. It's all you, " Jen said as she put the make-up she used away. "So, what does this mean?"

"What does what mean?"

"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about."

"Jen, I told you. There's nothing going on between Pacey and me."

Jen shot a skeptical look at Joey. "Yeah, well, we'll see about that tonight, won't we?"

"And then what happened?" Dawson asked as he and Pacey walked onto the docks.

"My watch alarm went off and we went back to the house."

"That's it?" Dawson asked as they headed toward Pier 16.

"That's all," he confirmed.

"And do I detect disappointment in your voice?" Dawson said teasingly.

"So, Dawson, what's the pschycologist been saying about those disillusions you've been having?"

"Oh, come on, now!" Dawson exclaimed as they boarded the Atlantic-Pacific.

"You can't tell me that there is not something there. There's *always* been something there."

The two entered the steamboat's elaborate dining room. "Whoa, someone blew some *serious* cash on tonight's festivites."

"Well, let's just say that my future in-laws are eager for grandchildren," Dawson grinned. "I must say, the decorators did fine work. It's romantic...the perfect setting for two people to stop denying the fact that there is indeed something there and start to do something about it, don't you agree?"

Pacey coughed, "Disillusional!"

"Yeah, well, we'll see about that tonight, won't we?" Dawson's grin widened.

***

"Hey, Witter, hurry up!" Chris, Pacey's teammate and also a friend of his, said as he poked his head into the locker room. "We've got to celebrate and the cheerleaders are getting impatient!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be there in a sec," Pacey said, tying his shoe and stuffing his uniform into a gym bag. For a significant portion of his life, Pacey Witter had been told that he was not star athlete potential. That was before he ran a couple of laps in gym and his teacher, who also happened to be the track coach, encouraged him to try out. Now, track scolarships were being offered to him left and right.

For once in his life, Pacey did not feel like a failure.

But he also felt like there was no one there to fully share his success.

No one in Santa Barbara, that is.

Dawson picked up the phone after its second ring. "Hello?"

"Hey, Dawson."

"Pacey!" Dawson sat up on his bed and lowered the volume on the televion set.

"Long time, no speak. What's up? How's thew life of the track star?"

"Nothing to complain about, that's for sure," Pacey laughed.

"Well, let me tell you one thing, once Coach Jamison found out you guys were headed for the nationals, he literally kicked himself for not seeing your potential while you were still in Capeside."

"Would've loved to see that!"

"Oh, yeah, Kodak moment," Dawson grinned. Somethings don't have to change, Joey, he thought to himself smugly as he and Pacey caught up.

***

Joey crept out of the dining room and into the hallway. She leaned back on the wall and exhaled slowly. The party had started a mere hour-and-a-half ago and already she was getting claustraphobic and was developing a small migraine. She made her way outside and leaned against the railing. Another deep breath escaped her mouth as she settled into the much-needed quiet surroundings. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the sounds of the ocean. "Joey?" She heard from behind her.

She opened her eyes and turned around. There stood Pacey, a concerned look on his face. "You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she assured. "It was getting a little stuffy in there. I just need some fresh air."

"I thought you looked a little pale," he said, stepping closer to her and placing his hand on her forehead to see if she was warm. She rolled her eyes and took his hand away from her face.

"I'm fine," she repeated, this time with a bit of annoyance in her voice. "Yes, 'I'm fine' is stretched tightly across you face," Pacey replied.

"'Scream 2,' Miramax Pictures, 1997," she stated what film he had quoted from in an attempt to distract him from his duty as a licensed doctor.

"I'm going to find you some aspirin--"

"Pacey," she said, grabbing his arm as he was about to walk away in search of Advil. "I just need a little fresh air, okay? Your services as my knight-in-shining-armor are not needed tonight."

"Okay," he said, a bit skeptical. "But if you faint and go over the railing into the Atlantic Ocean, I'm going in there after you, all right?" He smiled. "You jump, I jump, remember?"

"'Titanic,' Paramount, Twentieth Century Fox, 1997."

"Right again," he chuckled, leaning against the railing beside her. Music from the dining room drifted through the boat. "Great party, huh?"

"Oh, yeah," Joey answered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "All we need is a pinata and the festivites are complete."

"I take it you weren't enjoying yourself in there."

"Nope," she said. "Not unless you count the desire to stab yourself with a butter knife to end your misery as part of a fun evening."

Pacey chuckled again. "I wasn't having such a splendid time myself," he admitted.

"Why not?" she questioned. "I thought you were a real party animal."

"I don't know," he shrugged. "This kind of stuff depresses me somewhat."

"How's that?"

"Well, it's a live and in-person reminder of what I don't have," Pacey answered, and the mood became somber. "Dawson's lucky."

"He always has been," Joey said quietly. "Except for the time he almost drowned when we were nine, the very long period of time in which his parents were considering and came very close to a divorce, and then there's the fact that his best friend ditched him and left town--" She stopped and instantly regretted the last phrase she uttered.

"Because he wanted a better life for himself," he finished quietly. "I didn't mean to 'ditch' Dawson--"

"I didn't really mean to say 'ditch'--"

"--I just wanted to start over," he continued despite her interruption. "If it makes me a selfish person to want personal happiness then..." He searched for words to complete his statement.

"And you also left partly because of me," she added. "You said so yourself. On the docks, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember," he said, looking away.

"You know, I think the reason you were this big track star in high school and college because you were good at running...away, that is," she thought out loud.

"Where did that come from?" Pacey turned his eyes back onto Joey.

Joey opened her mouth then shut it, as if she was having second thoughts about saying what was on her mind. "Never mind. Forget it." She turned away to leave.

Pacey caught her arm. "No, you're not going anywhere. Not until you explain what you just said to me."

"It's just...you've had this...poor tortured soul thing going for years. Your self-esteem has always been down there with the negative numbers." Joey paused before continuing. "You have this theory programmed into you brain that you must not deserve happiness, that you must not deserve *anything*, because you're a failure and can't measure up to everyone else. So you run away from all these opportunities that might present you with some form of self-satisfaction because you think 'No chance. I can't do it.' You don't even try because you're scared that you're going to fail and that everyone will say 'I knew it all along.'"

"That is not true."

Joey laughed bitterly. "Really? Then answer me this. Why did you give up the chance to train for the Olympics after college? Dawson told me about it. Why? Huh?"

"It wasn't realistic," Pacey defended himself.

"Oh, yeah, I guess *we* aren't realistic either," Joey said, glaring at him.

"Are you still bitter about what happened ten years ago?"

"Don't talk in past tense, Pacey. Because there's still something lingering between us."

"Joey--"

"Don't even *think* about denying it! Because it is there! It exists!" She stopped to take a deep breath. Her voice calmed. He focused his eyes out into the Atlantic Ocean. "You know, I thought and actually *convinced* myself that all those dateless and lonely nights were because I was being picky about boyfriends and potential life partners." She shook her head. "But it wasn't that at all. Truth is, I've been waiting around for you."

Pacey looked up in surprise.

"It sounds disturbing and ridiculous, but it's true. I don't like leaving things unsettled, you know that. What we had was incomplete and maybe for some reason I didn't feel like going on with my life unless I finished it. You left me ten years ago; I guess I've been waiting for you to come back." She stopped and waited for him to say something. When he didn't, she continued. "And I can't wait anymore. I can't waste any more time. So I want you tell me now if you think that there's any possible chance you might have the guts to go after what you want."

Silence. He stood there, motionless, speechless.

"I thought so," she said quietly. And still he said nothing when she walked away.

Will Pacey admit that Joey is right ? Will he go back to her for a second chance or leave things as they are? Will Dawson's and C.J.'s wedding be without flaw? Stay tuned. Same bat time, same bat channel....