When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again by snowgirl

Disclaimer: well duh i don't own these things or anything else for that matter.

We interup the preceeding disclaimer due to technically difficulties, please stand by for the fanfic to continue.

Pacey: Yes, let the fanfic continue.

Dawson: No, don’t let it!

Part 7 ~ When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again

Dawson gets up and starts to stomp around the room. The thought of Pacey and Joey together keeps swimming around in his head. That, plus the emotions from the dreams and how he felt so left out when Pacey and Joey were at the ruins.

Joey: Was he actually at the ruins or was that a dream?

"But does that mean I love Joey? And if I do what have I been doing with Jen. Why am I still so attracted to her?"

Joey: Why shouldn’t he be?

Pacey: Must be that she’s so humble.

Joey: I was being sarcastic. Or do you know what that is?

Dawson: Break it up. Let’s read the story.

Just then, who but Pacey comes through the window. "Hey, Dawson man, need help?"

"What I need, Pace, is a lobotomy, a heart transplant and a physic.

Jen: A physic?

Dawson: I think they mean physical. Maybe.

What can you give me?"

"A lobotomy, but I don't think the girls would forgive me, though how they'd tell the difference I don't know.

Pacey: If they noticed at all……

So just a sounding board."

"A sounding board, with an emotional investment. No, thank you."

Pacey, sighs. "Be that way, and you won't have anything, a decision for tonight or friends tomorrow. Life's rough my man, and this is only the beginning. But if you choice right. And I mean what you really want and not what you think all of us want, then you may get a breather, for just a little while."

"If it helps, I'll tell you what we want.

Jen: I thought he was supposed to chose what he wanted?

We want our friends to be happy. Now that seems like an impossible task, but it's not.

"I love Joey, so I want her to have what she needs to be happy. If that is you, fine. If it's me, all the better. Jen loves you, so she wants you to be happy. She will be hurt if you decide to date Joey, but she'll get over it. She'll get through it, we'll be there for her.

"Joey loves you. She wants what's best for you.

Jen: No she doesn’t. She wants what’s best for her. If she didn’t she wouldn’t have blown up at him.

Before, she didn't think it was Jen. Now, she'll deal with it better. She's ready to move on, with or without you.

"What do you want Dawson? I thought you wanted Joey. You seemed to spend too much time consumed by her. But now I don't know. Jen really loves you, so maybe she saw you loving her. I don't know, and where the heart is concerned, I know I'm the person to ask."

Jen: No he’s not!! He has the most dysfunctional love life of anyone I know!

"Thanks Pace, you've been a real help. Why don't you go away and let me think, I have four lives to screw up."

Pacey laughs. "Don't give yourself so much credit, Dawson. Remember you don't write our lives, we can decide for ourselves if something's not right. See you tonight Daws. Life goes on man, life goes on, with or without you to enjoy it."

Dawson: I’m confused. Earlier it seemed like Pacey was making it out to be a big decision. Now it seems like he’s telling Dawson it doesn’t even matter that much.

Pacey leaves, through the door this time. The radio can be heard with the DJ saying, "This is a special request going out from Pacey to Dawson.

Joey: When did Pacey call the radio station?

Pacey says to remember 'This is not the end, nor is this the beginning of the end, this is simple the end of the beginning.' This is Semisonic's Closing Time.

Closing time - time for you to go out, go out into the world.

Closing time - turn the lights up over every boy and every girl.

Closing time - one last call for alcohol, so finish your whiskey or beer.

Closing time - you don't have to go home but you can't stay here.

I know who I want to take me home.

I know who I want to take me home.

I know who I want to take me home.

Take me home...

Closing time - time to go back to the places you will be from.

Closing time - this room won't be open 'til your brothers or your sisters come.

So gather up your jackets, and move it to the exits - - hope you have found a friend.

Closing time - every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end.

Yeah, I know who I want to take me home.

"That's it!"

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Dawson: Well, did anyone understand that one?

Pacey: Not Really.

Joey: It didn’t explain anything.

Jen: And why do some of the stories have song lyrics in them and some don’t?

Joey: Who knows!

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