Joey rubbed at her eyes and stared blearily at her reflection in Jen's bathroom mirror. She frowned. It had not been a good day. She sighed and let the cold water run before splashing her face lightly. She turned off the water and glanced down at Gabby who had followed her in there, and who was now gazing up at her with pitiful eyes. Joey felt her own eyes well with tears and she sighed. "I don't know how I get myself into these messes. I shouldn't even have a dog," she explained to the puppy. "I can barely take care of myself."

Gabby stood up on her hind legs, with her paws against Joey's thigh and whimpered in sympathy. "Joey?" Jen's concerned voice sounded just outside the door, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Joey called over her shoulder toward the door. "If fine equals homeless," she muttered under her breath.

"You've been in there a long time..." the blonde replied uneasily.

"I'll, um…just be out in a minute!"

"All right, um, do you wanna stay for dinner? Dawson's bringing home Chinese."

Joey glanced down at Gabby for an opinion and the dog plopped onto the floor with an exasperated sigh. "I'll get back to you on that."

"Okay, then I'll just tell him to bring extra, if you're not here, I'll have it for lunch tomorrow." She paused, "Whenever you're ready to talk, I'll be in the living room."

"All right!" She waited until she heard Jen's retreating footsteps before plopping down on the closed toilet seat and balancing her elbows on her knees. "What am I going to do?" she murmured burying her head in her hands. "Maybe I can stay at a hotel for a few days…" She frowned. "But I don't know if they'll let me have a dog and there's no one I can leave you with." She paused. "Well, no one I want to leave you with," she corrected. "I just need to think of something, because if I stay in this bathroom any longer Jen's probably going to think I'm insane. Which I probably am. I am talking to a dog."

Gabby stood up and licked Joey's hand, obviously agreeing with her.

"Thanks girl." Joey patted the dog's head affectionately with a wane smile. "I guess you're a better judge of character than I thought. I should have known Christian was a lying ass. All the signs were there." She sighed, propping her head in her hands. "I just really thought he meant it this time…Never trust a man who says he's getting a divorce. Ever." She lightly stroked Gabby's fur. "Soon you'll meet some sweet talking collie with all the right words and moves. Who you think you will want. But I warn you now, stay away. What you think you want is not necessarily what's best for you. Oh, what am I telling you for. Like you'll listen."

She yapped and wagged her tail, her little pink tongue peeked out and Joey could have sworn she smiled. She sighed and slumped in her seat, in no rush to get out of the bathroom to face Jen and her questions.

"Joey...." Jen returned to the door a few minutes later, "I'm beginning to think you fell in. Or have locked yourself in the bathroom. And really, that's not good since it's the only one we have and my baby has decided that morning sickness should kick in at 8 PM every night."

That was the last straw. Joey burst into tears unable to stop the sobs. It was official. She was the worst human being in the world. She'd reached a new low, locking poor Jen out of her bathroom.

"Joey," Jen tried the door, as she heard Joey start to cry and found it still locked. "Please let me in, Jo."

"No," Joey wailed.

"Joey, come out....we'll take out the good ice cream and curl up on the couch for a cry, okay? Misery loves company and all that jazz, right?"

Joey sniffled loudly and shook her head, curling up on the toilet seat. "I-I don't deserve ice cream."

Gabby scratched at the door, "Any woman who's ever cried over a man deserves ice cream, Joey. It is about a man...isn't it?" She broke into fresh sobs, unable to reply. "Please unlock the door, Joey." Jen sniffed, "You're going to make me start crying. Which makes no sense I know...but these hormones..."

Joey hiccuped loudly. "I...I'm sorry."

"Now you've got me started," she said tearfully, crying now herself.

Dawson chose that moment to come home, hearing his girlfriend in tears he left the door open and the bags of food on the floor and immediately ran up the flight of stairs to her side. He heard Joey's matching sobs on the other side of the bathroom, "Oh my God, who died?"

Jen sniffled, wiping at her eyes. "No one."

"Joey? What's going on?" He frowned, circling his arms around Jen.

Joey whimpered quietly, inhaling a shaky breath. "N-nothing."

"Jen?"

Jen rubbed her red rimmed eyes. "I-I don't know. Joey was crying, but she wouldn't tell me why." She pouted faintly. "And then I started crying because I can't hear my friend cry. It makes me cry."

He rubbed her back gently, "Okay, why don't you both calm down a little, and then we can eat, all right?"

"I am so sorry, Jen," Joey bawled from the other side of the door. "I am the worst friend in the world."

"No," she cried, "You're not. I am. I can't even get you out of a bathroom to talk to me."

"Oh lord," Dawson sighed, and with a roll of his eyes, left them to their tears and retreated to the kitchen.

Joey shook her head wiping at her tear stained cheeks. "No, it's me."

"No, it's not. Please unlock the door?"

"I-I don't want to. I just want to stay in here, until I die."

"Oh, Joey..." Jen sobbed. Gabby began to whimper, joining in the hysterics.

Jen hiccuped, "You can't stay in there, Joey. What about Gabby?"

"I can't even take care of a dog," Joey sniffed.

"Yes you can, but she's gonna make a mess on my bathroom floor." Jen cried.

"I'm sorry."

"Please, just open the door?"

"No!"

"Joey, why not?" Jen tried the door again futilely, "What happened?"

She nibbled on her lower lip sheepishly. "Nothing."

"Don't lie, Joey." Jen sniffed.

"Oh, Jen you'll hate me. I hate me. Just leave me alone."

Dawson returned to hear this latest proclaim, "No one is going to hate you, Joey."

She muffled another sob. "Pacey hates me."

"Pacey would never hate you, Jo," Dawson said gently, gathering Jen at his side.

"Yes, he would."

"He loves you, Joey."

"He hates me."

"Why would he hate you?" Dawson asked logically.

"It's a long story," she sniffed.

"We've got time," Jen piped up.

Joey sniffled and climbed to her feet, turning on the water in the sink and washing off her face. She inhaled a shaky breath as she stared at her reflection. She needed to regain her composure. Things were not as bad as they seemed. "I think, I'm going to go."

"You'll have to leave the bathroom for that." Dawson told her.

Things are as bad as they seem, a small nagging voice reminded her. In fact, they're worse. Joey swallowed and cast her eyes to the door. "I changed my mind! I'm staying right here!"

"Joey, what on earth happened?"

"Nothing. Just...Give me a few minutes."

"Should I call Pacey?" Jen asked Dawson, biting on her lip.

Dawson shrugged. "I guess that's an option before we're forced to resort to breaking the door down."

Jen sighed, "I haven't seen her like this since...I don't even know when."

"I don't remember ever seeing her like this."

Jen wiped at her eyes and pressed a hand to her stomach, "It's getting to be that time again."

"Okay, uh..." Dawson gestured to the bathroom door quickly. "You try talking her into at least opening the door for you and I'll go call Pacey." He pressed a kiss to the top of her forehead. "And I'll be back with a trash can just in case."

"Joey, please open the door, I may start getting sick any minute now. Dawson's gone to call Pacey..."

Joey's eyes widened. "Why would Dawson go and do a silly thing like that?"

"So he can tell us how to get you out of the bathroom."

"There's no reason to call Pacey." Not like he would even care, Joey finished in her head.

"I think he has a right to know you think he hates you." Jen said, "Are you coming out yet?"

"No."

"Joey..." Jen said warningly, "I think I'm going to be sick." Joey frowned eyeing the door wearily. "Please don't make me puke in the kitchen sink," she pleaded.

The door swung open and Joey tugged Jen inside before shutting it quickly behind her. Gabby who'd been laying in the corner leapt to her feet and barked at the newcomer. "Make it quick."

Jen lifted up the toilet seat as Joey re-locked the door. She stared into the white toilet bowl for a few seconds her face pale, "I-I think it passed."

Gabby yipped excitedly glad to be around someone new and Joey sighed tiredly leaning against the sink. Jen paused to pet Gabby, all the while watching her friend. Leaving the puppy to bound around her feet, she approached Joey and gave her a tight hug, "No one hates you, least of all Pacey."

Joey returned the hug halfheartedly. "The sentiment’s appreciated."

Jen moved away and pulled a towel off the rack, laying it on the floor before she sat down. Gabby bounded over to her and rolled onto her back, hoping to get her tummy scratched. "Why don't you tell me all about it?"

"I don't really want to talk about it."

"But you obviously need to," Jen said gently, patting the ground beside her.

Joey sighed as she sat down beside her, drawing her knees to her chest. "Are you sure you want to hear it?"

"I'm sure." Gabby, sensing her owner's distress, moved over to Joey, resting her head on the toe of Joey's shoe.

"You're probably going to hate me when it's over."

"I doubt that."

She shrugged. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"I'm all ears." Jen nodded. With one last long, suffering sigh, Joey began filling Jen in on everything that had happened.

By the end of her story, they were both in tears again. "Why?" Jen asked, after ten minutes of silently listening to Joey's story.

Joey's eyes watered. "I don't know."

Jen gathered her in her arms, resting her head against hers in sympathy. "Give him time to calm down, I'm sure he didn't mean it," She tried to help.

"It's my fault. It's all my fault."

"Why did you sleep with Christian again, Jo?" Jen asked, softly stroking her hair, "You obviously don't love him. You never did."

"I thought I did," she said quietly.

"You couldn't have believed that the second time," she sighed. "Things were going so well between you and Pacey then."

"He still wouldn't..." She exhaled sharply and shook her head. "Never mind."

"Just because he wouldn't orgasm, is that a reason to go back to a man that lied to you?" Jen asked, her tone lacking the venom of her words.

She bit the inside of her cheek. "Not one of my better judgments."

"You seem to be severely lacking in those," Jen said softly. "Joey, I want you to answer me a question. Completely honestly and with your heart, not your head, okay?"

She looked at her curiously. "What is it?"

"Do you love him?"

She shut her eyes for a moment and nodded slowly. "Yes."

Jen smiled, "So why all the mind games?"

Joey rested her head against Jen's shoulder in exhaustion. "Can we not talk about it anymore."

"Okay," Jen nodded. They leaned against each other, Gabby at their feet. "So where did you get the puppy? She's cute."

Joey smiled. "Pacey gave her to me."

"He doesn't hate you, Jo."

She sighed. "I thought we were ending that discussion."

"We have, but I just want to make sure you know that. He's angry and hurt, justifiably so, but he doesn't hate you."

Joey masked a yawn and stretched out her legs. "I'm too tired to think about it anymore."

"You can crash in our guest room," Jen offered. "It's bound to be more comfortable than the bathroom floor."

She couldn't suppress a smile. "Thanks."

"Pacey's here," Dawson said suddenly from the other side of the door.

"Can you just pretend I left?" Joey asked Jen quietly.

"You're car is outside, and Dawson knows you're still here," Jen hissed back.

"Damn."

"You have to face him some time."

"I was hoping that some time would be later." She pulled Gabby into her arms and cuddled her. She licked her chin.

"You want me to get rid of him?"

"Jen? Joey?" Dawson questioned.

Joey nodded eagerly in response. "Please?"

Jen pushed away from the wall and kissed Joey's head. She opened the bathroom door and stepped through, closing it behind her. She faced both Dawson and Pacey, she scanned the latter's face, taking in his dark eyes, unshaved jaw and mussy hair. He looked no worse than Joey, but that didn't say much. She gestured over her shoulder, "She's in there, and be nice."

He glanced warily at the door. "I should just go."

She grabbed his arm and opened the door, using all the muscle in her five-three frame, she pushed him through the door and slammed it shut behind him. She shared a look with Dawson and he propped a chair under the handle.

Joey swallowed. Her stomach did a flip and she held Gabby a bit tighter. "This is just a minor setback. What are you doing here?"

"Dawson told me you were crying," he replied, "But you seem fine, so I'll just be going." He twisted the doorknob to know avail. "Dawson, unlock the door."

Joey sighed and rested her cheek against the top of Gabby's head. An unexpected laugh escaped her lips and she tried her best to muffle it.

"This is funny to you?" She placed her hand over her mouth and shook her head. He leaned against the sink and crossed his arms over his chest. "They locked us in the bathroom."

"It's clean."

"That's a plus, at least." He had to smile.

"I've been in here most of the day. It's not so bad."

"A little small, but we'll manage I guess."

She shrugged. "I guess." He smiled at Gabby, clutched safely to Joey's chest. Joey stared at an unseen spot on the floor as she absentmindedly stroked Gabby's fur. She frowned, Gabby had to be hungry. They both really hadn't eaten anything since that morning.

"I didn't actually expect you to leave," Pacey said after a long, drawn out pause.

"It's not like I have anywhere to go."

"Christian?"

"Is never leaving his wife."

"Oh."

"I found that out this morning."

"Tough break."

She shrugged it off. "It's for the best."

"Probably." He scratched his jaw.

"He was an asshole and Gabby didn't like him anyway."

"Both good reasons."

"It would have never worked out."

"Probably not if he was an asshole."

"Yeah..."

"But then, you're were a match made in heaven in that aspect." Pacey couldn’t help add.

Gabby began to squirm and Joey set her down on the floor. "Yeah."

"How long do you think it will be before either of them needs to use the bathroom?"

"I have no idea." He turned away from her and picked up Gabby, scratching underneath her chin. "You should keep her, Pace. One of the many lessons I learned today is that I cannot take care of a dog," Joey said with a sigh.

"She's yours." He kept his eyes on the puppy, "One of many, huh?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "She likes you better."

"She's a dog, she likes everyone."

"Not everyone."

"Except Christian," he corrected.

She smiled faintly. "Yeah."

"I'm not taking her, Joey." He set Gabby on the tiled floor. "She's yours."

"Okay." She raised herself to her feet and banged on the door. "You guys! I'm finally ready to leave and you won't let me out!" He moved to sit on the toilet as she yelled.

"Don't even think about it Joey." Jen called from the kitchen.

"But I'm hungry!" she whined. "You can't keep me in here all day without food!"

"Solve your problems, and you can come out."

"They are solved and Gabby needs a walk."

A moment later, Dawson reappeared, opened the door long enough to let Gabby scamper through and then locked it again. No matter how hard Joey tugged, she couldn't wrench the door open far enough to get through. "Jen said there were some candy bars hidden under the towels in the far closet. Those should tide you over."

Joey scowled. "You're both going to pay for this."

"Yeah, yeah," Dawson muttered. "I'll walk her."

Joey turned on Pacey. "He-llo? What good are you?"

"I know better than to fight with Jen when she has her mind set on something."

Joey rolled her eyes in annoyance and stalked over to the closet for the candy bars. He watched her move angrily, wondering how this was going to pan out. She yanked open the closet door and began to toss out towels as she searched for the candy. She tore off the wrapper of one of the Snickers bars she found and bit into it. She made a soft sound of pleasure as she savored the chocolate. Damn, she hadn't realized how hungry she was. Poor Gabby must be starving.

"Going to share?"

"You don't want any of this. It's really..." She paused to take another bite of chocolate. "Fattening."

"How considerate of you."

"I know." He folded his arms over his chest and waited. "It tastes kind of stale anyway," Joey added, refusing to look at him.

"Lovely." She chewed quietly as she finished the bar off. He leaned against the back of the toilet, his knee jiggling up and down anxiously as he waited for Dawson and Jen to get tired of having them locked in the bathroom.

Joey tossed the wrapper into the trash can and stuffed the rest of the candy into her pocket before walking back over to the door. "Jeeen," she whined rocking back on her heels. She frowned and switched the light switch by the door off. Then she switched it on. Then off. Then on. Off. On. Off. On. Off. On.

"You're becoming obsessive compulsive."

"It's kind of like a disco," she replied while she switched the light on and off repeatedly.

"It's kind of like really obnoxious."

"It is no--Oops." She banged on the door. "Jen you're going to need a new light bulb in here!"

Pacey let out a disgruntled sigh. "Lindley, let us out!"

"It's really dark in here."

"Wonder why that is?" Pacey muttered.

"He-llo. Why don't you do something manly for a change instead of complain and get this door open?"

"What do you expect me to do, short of breaking it down?"

She shrugged. "Hey, whatever gets us out of here."

"I'm not going to break down their bathroom door, Joey." He scowled into the dark. "They'll have to let us out eventually."

"Yeah, but when will that be?"

"Time will tell."

She tilted her head thoughtfully. "Maybe if you're injured they'll let us out sooner."

"Don't even think about it, Potter." He growled darkly.

"It'd just be a little bump on the head."

"You know, I don't want to be in here anymore than you do," He growled. "I can't stand the thought of breathing the same air as you, let alone letting you close enough to beat me over the head. So you can just forget about it, Joey."

She bit the inside of her cheek, walked over to the farthest corner of the bathroom and sank to the floor. His words hung thickly in the air and he let out a long sigh, tempted to apologize. But it wasn't his fault and he wouldn't ask her forgiveness for feeling the way he did.

She hugged her knees to her chest and rested her cheek against them, before closing her eyes with a quiet sigh.

"I'm sorry," he blurted after several minutes of heavy silence. He shook his head, deciding he utterly lacked even the weakest of backbones. She turned her head the other way and said nothing.

An hour passed by without another word from either of them. Joey finally climbed to her feet tiredly and tried the door again. "Jen, Dawson, please let me out! I cannot survive on," her voice broke and she sniffled. "Candy bars alone."

"Survive on love!" Jen yelled back from her spot on the couch, curled up next to Dawson.

"Are you sure locking them up together was a wise decision?" Dawson asked warily.

"No. But what's done is done, and they aren't coming out until they resolve their differences. And since that requires Joey to open up to Pacey, not to mention apologize and beg his forgiveness, I think we're in for a long wait."

"I am sorry for every bad thing I've done. Could have done. Thought about doing. Just get me out of here!" she yelled through the door. "I will pay for your child's college education!"

"You know that isn't half bad a deal," Dawson arched an eyebrow at his girlfriend.

"The cost of Pacey and Joey ever finding true happiness is a few thousand dollars?" Jen narrowed her eyes.

"Twenty thousand dollars, Jen. Twenty."

"Hmm, well, that bears consideration then."

Joey kicked at the door in frustration and tugged on the handle. "Come on!"

"Nope, still not worth it," Jen decided. "You know what you have to do, Joey," she yelled.

"You heard the woman, Jo. You know what you have to do." Pacey smirked humorlessly into the darkness.

Joey slammed her hand against the door. "Yes, I need to get out of here."

"It's not like I didn't have plans today."

"What's your point?"

"That bitching and moaning about it isn't going to get you anywhere so sit down, shut up, and wait for them to get bored."

"I'm sorry. I'm just not one to take things lying down." She smirked.

He snorted, "No, you never were that."

"And I like to get things done."

"Is there a point to going over your personality traits? Cause if there is, I have a few to add. Manipulative. Ungrateful. Deceitful. Bitchy."

"Are you done?" She rolled her eyes. "Exactly, what are you doing here? Tell me. Because if you had plans, what the hell are you doing here?"

"Misguided notions of friendship."

"Friendship, huh? What the hell were you going to do? Save me?" A corner of her mouth turned up in amusement. "Save Dawson and Jen, from big, bad, bitchy me, when you can't even do it for yourself?"

He shook his head, "You wanna know why I came? Because Dawson said you were crying, and I just had to come and see if it was true you were capable of human emotion."

"This must be a big disappointment for you then. Too bad."

"I expected nothing less."

"If that were true, then why did you come?"

"Dawson convinced me too. Apparently he doesn't know any better."

"Apparently, neither do you."

"Obviously, I allowed myself to get locked in here with you."

"And you're obviously not doing anything about it. I wonder why? Actually, I shouldn't be surprised.

"Oh, yeah? And why is that?" He scoffed.

"Because you obviously don't mind taking things lying down."

"When exactly did you become such a heartless bitch, Joey? I mean, honestly. Where was the turning point where you said to yourself, 'hey, I've been a perfectly normal, lovable person for a while, now, let's try something completely different'?"

"When did you become so spineless, Pacey?"

"Four months, six days ago. And you didn't answer my question, Joey."

"I'm not heartless." She shrugged. "There's just nothing worth wasting my time on."

"You're living in a world of denial, Joey." He said evenly, emotionlessly. "You are cold and heartless. You do know, no one is ever going to love you again. There's nothing left inside you worthy of being loved."

"No one is ever going to love you, Pacey and you know it," she said coldly. "That's why you're always ending those jokes of a relationship, because you don't want to face the truth. You're scared of that moment when they're going to leave you, because that's what they're going to do. That's what they're always going to do. You're just good for a fuck, Pacey. That's all."

"Yeah, I know." He replied calmly, "The difference is, I can accept it. But it's going to kill you."

She laughed. "Oh, I'm sure."

"Maybe not now, but when it sinks in that the last man to ever love you ended up hating you..." He smirked, "Well, then, you're world is going to come crashing down around you."

"Because the world starts and ends with you, right?"

"No, love makes the world go 'round," he said dryly. "Or didn't you know that? And the fact of the matter is the only thing in this world willing to love you, is Gabby, and she doesn't know any better."

She rolled her eyes. "Love makes the world go 'round? Oh please, go write that shit on some Hallmark card."

He sat back against the toilet, "Like I said, you don't realize yet. You will."

"Uh-huh, sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night." He remained silent, letting their conversation sink in, having nothing more to say to her.

Joey banged on the door again. "Jen!"

"No!" Came the only reply.

"Bitch!"

Pacey laughed dryly at that and Joey whirled around angrily. "You are really starting to get on my nerves! You're just a waste of space."

He shrugged a shoulder, just barely visible from the sliver of light that entered from underneath the door. "Hey, at least I'm a good lay."

"I said you were good for one, I didn't say you were good at it," she snapped.

"Did I say anything about that being your opinion?"

"I just know it's not true."

"I'm the best you've ever had, Joey. No matter how hard you deny it, there's nothing that will convince me otherwise."

"There's a word for people like you: Delusional."

He shrugged, "I was there, I know how you reacted to my touch."

"I've had better."

"No, you haven't."

"I have."

"If believing that makes it easier for you, then fine. You have."

"Someone certainly thinks highly of themselves."

"I have the facts to back it up. But I don't want to get into a discussion of my sexual prowess. We already know how good I am. You on the other hand..."

Her lips curled into a sneer. "Shut up."

"About to hit a nerve, am I?" He asked maliciously. "You couldn't even make me come. That's gotta say a lot, doesn't it? You can't even get a guy in his sexual prime to orgasm. Tell me, did you have the same trouble with Christian? Did he have to jerk himself off like I did?"

She arched an eyebrow. "So what do you call last night?"

"I just wanted you to get the hell out of there, so I thought of someone else. Why else did you think it was so easy? You didn't think it was something you did, did you?" He scoffed.

She scowled. "Bite me."

"No thanks. Might get rabies."

"You're an ass."

"If I am, and I wont deny it, it's because of you."

"Me? I think you do a fine job of that all by yourself." She clenched her jaw tightly and smacked him. "I hate you. You selfish bastard."

"Now I'm selfish? That's rich."

"I knew it," she snapped. "I was right not to trust you!"

"Trust?"

"Must have been quite the challenge after I didn't fall at your feet when you told me you were in love me! And I'm the manipulative one!" She began to bang on the door. "Jen! Open this damn door right now!"

He caught her arm and pulled her away from the door, "You've got no right to be talking about trust and manipulations! If you had told me in the very beginning about Christian, I would have backed off! You liked having two men want you. Every minute that you strung me along...you enjoyed it!"

"I strung you along?!" she repeated with incredulousness. "You lie to me, so I wouldn't move out and I'm the manipulative one?! What was it, Pacey? You found out I was in love with you and you what? Felt threatened that I was moving on? You're worse than Dawson ever was." Her eyes watered. "I hate you and if there was any justice in the world..." She threw her hands up in frustration and began to pound on the door.

"Joey." She didn't respond and he grabbed her wrist, spinning her around.

She tried to yank her arm away, "Let me go!"

He caught her other wrist and easily pinned her to the door, holding her wrists against the cool wood, his body pressed intimately against hers

"I never, never lied to you about how I felt, Joey. Never. Don't try and absolve yourself of guilt by thinking everything I said was a lie."

His eyes flashed once in the dark and then his mouth claimed hers; swift, hard, and punishing. His tongue forced it's way past the barrier of her lips and raped the soft interior, plunging in and out mercilessly.

Fire flared to life in the pit of her stomach, hot, demanding and dangerous. She tried to shake his grip so she could wrap her arms around his neck, but he wouldn't allow her that precious freedom. His kiss grew less punishing when he finally sensed her response through the haze of anger. Her mouth parted further to allow deeper exploration and when her tongue sought his, a rough groan broke from his chest.

He released her hands and tugged her shirt up over her head, immediately recapturing her lips as he threw it carelessly behind him. Roving hands grazed over her body, too impatient to stay in any one place too long. Their lips fought as he unhooked her bra, sending it in the direction of her shirt. Large hands cupped the weight of her breasts as his lips branded her neck with hot, open-mouthed kisses.

Her head fell back against the door with a thunk as he suckled the vulnerable skin of her neck between his teeth. Sharp tingles of excitement ricocheted chaotically through her system, sending her body heat skyrocketing. Anxiously, she clawed his shirt up over his head and he barely noticed.

A sharp sigh escaped her as he brought his bare chest in contact with hers, it was swallowed immediately as he covered her mouth with his. Passionately, they fought for dominance and air, the bathroom alive with the echoes of their breathless gasps. Her hands slid down his back to cup the rough material of his ass, pulling him forcibly in contact with her soft curves.

Impatiently he moved away, bending his head to take her nipple in his mouth. Roughly, he rolled it around, eliciting sharp mewling cries as she became unbearably sensitive. He nipped at the hardened nub and she cried out, digging her nails into his back.

Far from gentle, he continued his ministrations, his hands unbuttoning her pants and pushing them and her soaked underwear violently down her legs. "Never lied," he insisted, panting for breath as he reclaimed her kiss swollen lips yet again.

She kicked her clothes from their feet, brushing her sandals away with them. Breaking away from his punishing kisses, she attacked his neck and chest, dropping large, opened mouth kisses over the smooth expanse, impatient to taste him. Her fingers fumbled with his belt, pushing his jeans roughly to the floor when she finally undid it. His cock sprang free and Pacey caught her hand just as she touched him. Saying nothing, he lifted both her arms around his neck. She was barely able to register through the thick haze of pleasure what he was doing before she felt him lift her legs around his hips and drive into her.

A shocked scream escaped her before he was able to stifle it with his lips. Waiting only a second, he withdrew and then filled her again, holding her up against the bathroom door. Relentlessly, he pounded into her, giving her no time to recover before thrusting as deep as he could go again and again. Each time pleasure tore through her she cried out, digging her nails into his sweat-slickened shoulders.

The intensity of each thrust grew, blending into each other until she was near tears from the unbearable pleasure, release within her grasp. She clung to him as her anchor, her eyes shining as she tried to hold back. He brushed his lips against the side of her neck and it was too much, sending her spiraling wildly out of control.

The tears finally broke from her eyes in a sob of pleasure as she felt him shudder in her arms, his come spurting deep inside her as she trembled.

His face was against her neck as he worked to get his breathing under control. Little tremors continued to travel through Joey's body, still intimately joined with his.

She squeezed her eyes shut and breathed deeply, before she opened them and stared out into the darkness of the bathroom, embarrassed and ashamed.

He swallowed thickly, praying that somehow, if neither of them moved, it would all just go away. When that didn't seem to work, he just stayed there, his mind a complete blank. Finally, he was able to get his bearings and released her legs from around his waist moving away from her. He pulled his pants back up his legs and turned to search the floor for his shirt.

Joey's shoulders stiffened and she blindly searched out her clothes in the dark. "So," she coughed and cleared her throat, her voice coming out throatier than intended as she found her shirt and pulled it on over her head. "Who did you have to think of this time?"

"Jen!" Pacey's voice boomed through the tiny space. "Let us the hell out of here before I break down the god damned door!"

Joey bit the inside of her cheek, pulling on the rest of her clothes in silence.

"I can't believe they had sex in our bathroom," Dawson hissed over his shoulder to Jen.

"I think he's serious, Dawson. We'd better let them out." She frowned worriedly.

"Definitely," he moved to the door and removed the chair from under the handle, twisting it to open the door.

Pacey's face was a stony mask as he walked past Dawson and Jen and out the front door, not bothering to look back at all.

Joey grabbed her purse and stepped out of the bathroom, ignoring Jen and Dawson's owlish looks. "Where's Gabby?"

"Dawson, would you go get her?" Jen took Joey's arm and led her to the couch in the living room. "What the hell happened in there?" she asked quietly.

Joey shrugged and lifted her chin. "Nothing."

"You just had sex against my bathroom door, don't tell me nothing happened."

"I don't want to talk about it, Jen."

The blonde bit her lip, "Did he at least...?"

Joey rubbed her temples wearily. "Jen. Please."

"Did he?"

"Yes," she snapped in exasperation. "He did."

"Good," she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her friend's forehead. "I'll leave you alone now. Where are you going to stay tonight?"

Joey shrugged again. "I don't know."

"You're taking the guest room then." She said matter-of-factly. "Gabby's already made herself at home there. As soon as I get Dawson to fix the light in the bathroom, you can take a shower and then go lay down, okay?"

Joey merely nodded, too weary to argue. "Thanks."

"That's what friends are for." She rose from the couch to go find her boyfriend. "Besides, I might feel a little bit responsible for what happened in there."

Joey smiled weakly and shook her head, sitting back on the couch. "It's not your fault."

"I locked you two in there," she smiled sadly, "I'm at least partly to blame."

"Don't worry about it."

"I'm going to go find Dawson and have him get on that light." She flashed her friend a reassuring smile and headed down the hall where she knew Dawson was waiting to give her time to talk with Joey.