disclaimer: baa baa black sheep have you any wool? yes sir yes sir, three bags full. one for my master, one for my dame, but none for the little boy who cries in the lane.

Part ~ 8 Millennium

Dawson's setting chips and dip on the coffee table when Joey walks in the front door.

"Thought I should be the first one here, since this was my idea." Joey says as she looks around uncomfortably. "So, have you made any decisions?"

"Almost. Joey do you remember a conversation we had a long time ago."

"I don't know Dawson I remember a lot of things, what was the conversation about?"

"Well, we were at the ruins. We had a fight," A look of pain crosses Dawson's face. "about Jen I guess. And we were talking about how we were probably married in another life and I had a great dilemma over who I was going to take home with me on our wedding night, you my new wife, or Jen my girlfriend and the woman I loved. We never answered the question, we only said that everything that came before was great. When we had the conversation who would you have taken home?"

Joey scowls, "You of course. You my husband, the man I had spent the first half of my life with and the one I vowed to spent the second half with."

"And now?"

Joey sighs. "I don't know Dawson the rich guy at the bar looks a lot like Pacey, and he never had to think about who he wanted to take home."

"Listen to this Joey, it helped me to figure this all out." Dawson presses play on the CD player and Closing Time starts to play. When the song is over Joey still looks confused. "I know it's time for a new beginning. I finally realized that no matter what I decided our friendship would have to change. Our beginning has to end. You've already grown up, but I haven't changed. Well, I'm ready to grow up, to take responsibility for myself. Since we've both changed our relationship has to change. It's closing time on our youth." Dawson looks sad. "I just didn't want to say good-bye to what will probably be the best time of my life, with the best friends I'll ever have."

"But Dawson I still don't understand. What does this have to do with who you're in love with."

"Everything, I love both of you. Just because our beginning is over doesn't mean we have to end. Just because me and Jen are going out doesn't mean I love you any less."

"So you've decided. You want Jen. You don't love me and you never would have, even if she hadn't come when she did."

"I love you. So much that at times I think I would die if you weren't beside me. But I don't want you. You aren't the other half of my soul, you are the words that define my soul. I've spent so much time with you that there is no me without you. But I could never love you like you love me. Like Pacey loves you.

"I need to stop saying I'm sorry and start saying what I want. No more writing scripts for the way our lives should turn out, no more trying to find plot twists when all I need is to know that no matter what happens all of us will always be friends."

"You still don't get it Dawson. No one can promise you that, no one can say there always be here. Yes Dawson I'll always love you, I'll always try to be there for you, but I don't know if I can."

"I have learned. That's enough. That's all I need from you right now.