"Breakfast is served," Jen laid out a plate of french toast on the kitchen table where Audrey had placed a hot pad. Joey and Pacey had returned, in slightly better moods than when they had left, having avoiding talking too much about the current situation. Pacey was still determined to take Victoria back to her grandparents.

"You didn’t have to feed us," Joey said, smiling weakly at Grams as she sat down in a chair, holding Victoria in her lap.

"I’m not the one feeding you," she sat down in one of the vacant chairs.

"I wish you were," Pacey sat as far from Joey and Victoria as he could get and poked at the french toast on his plate. "I’m not sure I’ll live through this meal."

Jen slapped him upside the back of his head, "Ungrateful."

"Sorry?" He apologized with a grin.

"That smile doesn’t work on me, Witter." Jen said sticking out her tongue as she sat down beside him.

"That smile doesn’t work on any of us." Audrey added from her spot beside Joey.

He loaded his plate with food, "I seem to recall that smile working on each of you at one point."

"We know better now," Joey told him with a frown and handed Victoria to Audrey, giving her a meaningful look. The baby looked from Joey to Audrey, as the blonde took her in her arms warily. Victoria’s lower lip began to quiver as she sensed Audrey’s apprehension at holding her.

"She doesn’t like me," Audrey said, trying to hand the baby to Grams.

"She knows you’re scared."

"Damn straight!"

Grams politely ignored her language, and kindly directed a smile in her direction. "Don’t hold her so far from your body and give her proper support."

Biting her lip, Audrey did as she was told, hoping the baby would calm down. "Wow," she grinned down at Victoria, "Would you look at that." She traced the curve of her cheek with one finger. "You like me now, huh? I’m going to be your favorite aunt, aren’t I?"

"Audrey." Pacey met her eyes across the table, his voice reproachful. "You’re cooing."

She lifted her eyes to look at Pacey, "So? She’s a baby. You’re supposed to coo." She smiled down at Victoria, who grabbed a fistful of her honey colored hair and yanked. "Ow, Vicky. That hurted."

"Oh, God," Pacey groaned, running a hand down his face. "You guys shouldn’t be getting attached. She’s not staying."

Audrey’s eyes narrowed at him and she pushed her chair back and rose, carrying Victoria to Pacey. "Since you’re obviously not planning to eat, and I am. You hold her." She gave him no choice setting Victoria in his lap.

Joey watched with interested eyes as Pacey reluctantly settled his hands on either side of his daughter, holding her steadily in his lap. The little girl looked up at Pacey with eyes that mirrored his own, her heart shaped face regarding him sadly. Audrey, Jen and Grams started to eat, losing themselves in their own thoughts. Playing with her food, Joey watched Pacey, he refused to look down at his daughter. A wave of anger swept through her, how dare he? He created this life, this beautiful, innocent life, and he just…didn’t care.

Helplessly, her thoughts drifted back three years, when she’d had her pregnancy scare all the way back in senior year. What if she had been pregnant? Would he not care that she had his child? Just walk away from them both without looking back?

Abruptly, Pacey rose, carrying Victoria to her bassinet, holding her as loosely as possible, his movements mechanic as he set her side, covering her with a blanket. The women watched with sad eyes as a soft whimper emerged from the bassinet as Pacey walked away.

"I’m going to call her grandparents." He said simply, not meeting their eyes as he left the kitchen.

They were quiet for a moment, and Joey pushed her chair back, moving to the bassinet and lifting Victoria into her arms, rubbing her back gently. She bent her head, brushing her lips against the downy blond hair at the top of her head.

"He makes it really hard to feel any sympathy for him." Jen said with a sharp frown, her fork clanging to her plate.

"Do you think he even considered keeping her? Or was it just automatic for him to get rid of her as fast as he could?" Audrey said watching Joey sit back down, rocking Victoria in her arms.

"You girls must understand," Grams spoke up after swallowing a mouthful of food. "How would you feel to find you were pregnant?"

"I would at least think of keeping her." Jen scowled, "I wouldn’t have gotten pregnant in the first place, I know how to protect myself. If he didn’t want a baby, he should have wrapped it up."

"Accidents happen, Jen." Audrey said quietly.

"I know that, but he should take responsibility for the outcome."

"He will," Joey said quietly, smiling softly as Victoria sucked on her finger. "This is Pacey, remember? He’ll figure it out eventually, right?" He voice wasn’t as sure as she’d hoped it would be.

A weak smile flitted across Jen’s face, "He never was able to resist a female.

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