Lies. Lies were something one told to cover the truth. The truth, something that Joey wanted to cover, therefore she lied. It wasn't a white lie either, the type of lie one told when trying to soothe someone's feeling or the type of lie that never hurt anyone. No, this was a big one. It had started out with a simple question.

"Do you love him?" The first thought that came to mind of course was yes, without a doubt. She loved him with every ounce of her being. The answer though, it was quite different. What she said aloud and what she kept to herself were two different things. So it was no coincidence when she laughed it off, her exact words, "Me? Love him? Are you serious? Never." Or something to that effect. Now here she was ten years later alone and more in love with him then ever and him?

He's getting married in three days. She read the invitation one last time.

"I take it you received the invitation."

Joey shrugged.

"Doesn't matter because I'm not going, besides it's already February eleventh way past the R.S.V.P. date, leaving only three days for the actual wedding."

Dawson chuckled slightly on the other side, reclining back in his office chair. "I know. I just put it in your mailbox an hour ago."

Joey gasped. "What?"

Dawson shrugged. "I figured you wouldn't want to go, so I had Pacey mail your invite to me. I give it to you a few days late that way you won't be able to decline the offer because I have already accepted for you. You also know it would be in bad taste to only give three days notice to the happy couple who have spent three hundred dollars per plate served to each guest. This leads to your actual attendance, now you are forced to go grin, smile and bear it." Dawson finished with a flourish.

"That is so sneaky and devious of you!" she exclaimed, angrily. "Explain to me why I shouldn't kill you? And you're wrong because I can always decline because of my impending court date due to the fact that I murdered my supposed best friend. I'll get away with it, I'll just plead justifiable homicide," Joey said, sweetly. "Anyway, I'm not going, tell them I died or something."

Dawson groaned, "Yes, you are and do you know why you're going?"

Joey frowned, resting in her kitchen chair. "I'm not going, Dawson. So don't bother talking me into it. He hasn't kept in contact with me for three years and now I find a wedding invitation in my mailbox? I don't think so."

Dawson sighed. "You're going, Joey. I need a date."

"Hire a hooker, you've seen Pretty Woman," Joey replied, her voice glib.

Dawson laughed. "I don't think that would go over so well with Jen."

"So take Jen. Jen, hooker, same difference," Joey said, with a small smile.

"I'll pretend I never heard you say that."

Joey laughed slightly. "So how is the blonde bombshell? Did you propose, yet?"

"No, these things do not have to be rushed."

Joey rolled her eyes. "You've been dating her for ten years, living with her for five, take the elevator to the next floor, Dawson." She loved teasing him.

"So are you going to the wedding?" Dawson asked, changing the subject.

"I thought we established this earlier in the conversation, I'm not going." She looped a strand of brown hair behind her ear.

"Yes, you are. Even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming to the airport and onto the plane. You're going."

Joey groaned, "Keep hope alive there, buddy."

Dawson sighed, "I sent in an RSVP for both of us."

"Dawson, I know it's a one syllable word, but what part of no, do you not understand? The N or the O? I can say it in whole bunch of languages for you too. Spanish: No, Chinese: No, Italian: No," she paused, "are you getting the hint?"

"Nah, don't understand a word you're saying, besides I already made reservations." His secretary came in then and Dawson motioned for her exist, asking her to come back in ten. She nodded in agreement and exited.

Joey's eyes widened. "Dawson, without my consent? A date is a consensual thing, you know."

"Not in this case. Besides all joking aside, why do you not want to attend the joyous festivities?" He removed his glasses and shut his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose, Joey wasn't telling him something.

"Never had much luck with weddings," she replied, glibly.

"Not true. Didn't we reunite in one or two or three or four? It was five. I definitely remember now." He smiled softly to himself and sat up, his gaze resting on a framed picture of he and Joey taken when they were fifteen, before love and sex had entered the picture and she was nothing more, but his best friend. They were outside his house by the creek and he had his arms wrapped around her shoulders. She was leaning over slightly a coy smile on her face.

Joey smiled softly at the memories. "Yes, but how would Jen feel at the thought of her fiancé attending a wedding with an ex, that you always happen to sleep with after the ceremony?" Joey laughed, "It's all revealed, you invited me to get into my pants. Dawson, I'm shocked, all you have to do is ask."

"Hey, those five times were just a coincidence. You're such a turn on when you get all dressed up and it's not my fault they all had empty and completely available coat rooms and Jen is not my fiancée." Dawson replied, a wide grin on his face. "Actually, I was sort of hoping you'd pull a Julia Roberts. That way I can be there to tape the whole thing."

"Yes, and you can play my gay best friend, serenading me in a crowded seafood restaurant."

"I'm a heterosexual, thank you very much," Dawson grinned, "besides this will be the new modern version, now Julia has the option of sleeping with the gay best friend."

Joey laughed.

"Good to hear you laugh, little miss grumpy and so I take it you're going?" Dawson asked, hopefully.

Joey nodded, forgetting he couldn't see her. "Ok, but it's only in hopes of sleeping with you."

"I'm touched, I really am," Dawson replied, sarcasm etched in his voice.

"So should I bring the camera, is this upcoming weekend going to be chock full of Kodak moments?"

Joey shrugged. "Bring it, then we can rub it in Pacey's face when they eventually divorce. You know, torture him with the happy memories or the sight of his drunk mother dancing on a table top."

"Last time I checked, you were the one with the tendency to dance on table tops..." He teased, alluding to the last night they had spent together in Capeside.

"Hey, that was only once and you rescued me that night. Dawson, you're my hero." She rolled her eyes.

"Yes, but only on the weekends."

They both laughed.

"So, I'll see you, I better start packing." Joey sighed looking at the clock that hung on her kitchen wall, seventy-two hours and counting.

Dawson grinned, "Ok, and Joey?"

Joey paused, before hanging up. "Yes, Dawson?"

"Will you be my Valentine?" She started laughing and so did he.

"Bye, Dawson." Her voice was cracked with laughter.

"Bye, Joey."