Jen propped herself up on her elbow, the pale blue sheets gathering at her waist. She sighed and lightly traced an undiscerning pattern on Pacey's broad chest with her fingertips as he slept. She wondered if it were possible to love someone to the point where you nearly come to loathe them at the same time because that's definitely the way she felt about Pacey. He could be so irritating and insensitive one minute; sweet and caring the next. It was almost like dealing with someone with a bad case of PMS. She smirked she could understand why he and Joey never got along in the first place.

She also knew what it was like to love him, and so did Joey, which was why she was going to allow herself to be a little selfish and pretend she didn't know. She wanted to be ignorant of Joey's obvious jealousy of the fact that she was with Pacey because deep down inside a small part of her felt like she had won some victory over the brunette. It was trivial and petty but she felt it all the same. She loved him though, and she figured that had to account for something. It was as if loving him cancelled out all the bad.

Jen's fingers splayed on his chest sent small shivers down his spine...’It's nice to be touched,’ he thought. There was definitely something to be said for the feel of someone next to you when you wake up in the morning. He'd forgotten how nice it was after he and Miranda had separated. He relaxed and reveled in Jen's gentle touch. He could feel her hazel eyes on him, waiting for him to wake. He was a pattern he'd gotten used to, she'd always wake up before him and wait until he awoke. Sometimes she took waking him into her own hands, those were his favorite mornings.

Slowly he opened his eyes, "Mornin' beautiful," he said roughly.

A small smirk played along the corners of her lips. God was he sexy in the morning. With no shirt on and low hung pajama pants that clung to his waist; he certainly was a pleasure to wake up to in the morning. "Hey yourself," she murmured softly and ran a hand through his hair still slightly disheveled from sleep.

Pacey lifted one hand to cup the back of her head and pull her down to him for a good morning kiss. “Did you sleep okay?”

Jen smiled contentedly and arched her back in stretch. "Mmm...Yes, very well. You?"

"Of course, you were here, weren't you?" He smiled at her, kissing her on the lips again before settling back down on the pillows. "What’s on the agenda for today?"

Jen stretched out her arms behind her and fell onto her back as she stared up at the ceiling. "Let's see I have to spend the day finding the perfect wedding dress for Joey." She yawned. "She's having massive amounts of issues with that."

"Why? You women look good in everything." Pacey asked a small frown crossing his face.

Jen shrugged. "Joey wants to look perfect. She just hasn't found the right dress yet." Jen giggled. "She nearly killed the sales clerk for repeatedly bringing the same style of wedding dress."

"She'll look perfect in anything." He said, rolling his eyes as he shifted his body to hover over Jen. "It's just a wedding dress. You only wear it once." He said flippantly, his lips descending to the hollow of her pale neck.

Jen let out a muffled sigh, her hands resting on his shoulders. "It's not just a wedding dress. It's a living embodiment to a commitment you've made. Plus, there's like, the pictures and if you've made a mistake about it your forced to live with it forever. And dare I mention the standard tradition that you usually pass the dress on to your daughter or the next female kin to be married in the family and would you really like to impose such a hideous monstrosity on someone else? Which brings me to the fact that I would never wear my mom's wedding dress, that is one monument to the seventies that I wouldn't want to make a come back."

Pacey chuckled as his lips made their way south. "I'll tell ya now, Jen," He mumbled against her skin, causing goosebumps to rise. "Her biggest mistake won’t be in her choice of dress, it's her choice of groom."

A soft moan escaped her lips. "Mmm...no, they're so very much in love. You should have seen them together the other day. It was cute."

"Really?" His ears perked up as he continued his ministrations.

Jen nodded her eyelids heavy with lust. She smiled softly her fingers clasping tightly at the sheets by her side. "Hmm…Yep. Dawson was fawning all over her and…" She bit her lip as her voice cracked. "I think he had his hand up her skirt for the better part of lunch." She laughed breathlessly.

"Hmmm," he pulled away. "And how'd she feel about that?"

Jen sat up and rolled her eyes. "I don't know. I didn't ask her but she didn't look perturbed by it."

"Seems to me," Pacey said carefully, "that Joey's not all that happy with Dawson. I'd venture to say, miserable, even. She hasn't said anything to you about it?" He asked concerned.

Jen glanced at him curiously. "Besides telling me repeatedly how happy she is? I'd say no." She sat up on her knees and worked her way over to him. She began kneading his shoulders. "If anything else, I'd just chalk it up to stress. Joey's feeling really burdened by this wedding. She wants it to be perfect and Dawson's busy so he can't help." She lowered her mouth and began kissing his neck lightly. "That's why she has her friends to help."

"If you say so," he mumbled, "I suppose it could be all in my mind." He let out a low moan as she nipped a particularly sensitive patch of skin. "Just promise you'll keep- hmm- keep an eye on her moods." He found it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep his mind on Joey.

Jen nodded and used both of her small hands to cup his face, turning his head to hers. She leaned forward and ran her tongue tentatively over his bottom lip. "Consider it done." She pressed her mouth to his and kissed him hungrily.

A high pitched ring interrupted their embrace. Pacey pulled away with an angry groan. He picked up the phone, "Hello?" He asked gruffly, running a hand through his hair.

"Oh, Yeah, she's here." Pacey said perking up upon recognizing the realtor in charge of selling Grams' house. He felt a blush rise to his cheeks thinking about the act he was about to commit with the deased’s granddaughter. "For you." He whispered handing Jen the phone.

Jen grabbed the phone and sat back down crossing her legs in front of her. "Oh hey, Sharon." She cocked her head to the side to listen intently to what the woman on the other line was saying. "Yikes! Really?" She grimaced. "Oh yeah, sure. I'll be right there. Bye." Jen sighed and leaned over hanging up the phone. "Trouble in the Ryan household something with the plumbing and it sounds messy." She made a face of annoyance. "Sharon needs me to spend the day waiting for the plumber and the electrican to go through the house." Jen had decided to put the house on the market after the summer ended, making New York her permanent residence. “And you know how those guys can be,” she grumbled.

"Hmmm," He leaned over slipping the portable phone from her hand and dropping it on the comforter beside her. He kissed her, "You want me to come with? I can think of some creative ways to pass the time..." he mumbled against her lips.

Jen groaned and responded readily. "I like the sound of that-" She pulled away abruptly. "Oh God, what about Joey? She's going to freak if I pull out on her today."

Pacey grimaced, "I'm sure she'll understand when you explain it to her. She can handle a day on her own, she's got Bessie helping her, right?"

Jen sighed. "Pacey, I can't send her back out there alone. She might hurt someone and it's too late to cancel..." her voice trailed off in thought. "What are your plans for today?"

"Accompanying my gorgeous girlfriend to her grandmother’s to housesit."

Jen grinned. "That's great. Now you can cancel on her and she'll understand because you're going to go dress shopping with a friend." She kissed his nose lightly and stood up. "Thanks Pacey."

"Awww," He scrunched up his face and fell back on the bed. "Can't I just stay here and pout? Joey's mad at me."

Jen shrugged and began to get ready. "Joey's always mad at you. It makes no difference now. Plus, she really needs our help now. So no pouting."

He stuck out his lower lip as he watched her dress. "What time is she expecting you?"

Jen glanced at his reflection in the mirror as she applied her lipstick. "Around noon. We were going to meet for lunch and then shop."

He checked the bedside clock, "I don't suppose that leaves time for a quickie does it?" He suggested, wagging his eye brows suggestively.

Jen grimaced. "No, Sharon wants me there ASAP." She walked over and stood between his legs. "Be a really good boy for Joey and I'll make it up to you. Promise." She leaned down and kissed him.

"With a promise like that, I can't help but be an angel." He smiled tightly.

Jen patted his head affectionately. "Good. Now I really have to go." She gave him another quick kiss. "Bye."

"Bye Jen," He sighed falling back on the unmade bed. He frowned as he contemplated a day with Joey. He didn't have the faintest idea what to expect.

Joey sat down in front of Bessie's vanity set and ran a comb through her thick brown hair before pulling it back into a bun. She grabbed a pale lip-gloss and easily slid it over her lips and dabbed concealer under her eyes to hide the bags. Dawson had left earlier that morning and she couldn't wait to see Jen to talk to her. She got up and slid on her white Keds before walking over to the porch to wait for Jen outside.

Pacey pulled his car up to the Potter Bed and Breakfast. He cut the engine but remained in the driver seat preparing himself to face her. Her surmised that about thirty conflicting emotions were running through his mind. He hadn't seen her in two days, not since their talk on her front porch. He still couldn't figure out where half those emotions came from. He thought he'd resolved any lingering feelings for her. Not forgotten, but he thought at least resolved.

He spotted her through the windshield and with a sigh opened his door. "Hey Jo." He greeted her reluctantly.

Joey walked down the steps puzzled. "Pacey? Where's Jen?"

"The house that Grams built had issues with an exploded pipe, she's there, waiting for a plumber and an electrician to go through and remedy the situation as well as to assess damages. She has sent me in her stead. I can't gush over the dress, and I sure as hell wont know if it'll match your shoes are not... but I know what I like, hopefully that'll be enough." He offered her a gentle smile in truce.

Joey laughed and shook her head in disbelief. She sighed not really in any condition to care otherwise. "Fine."

"Okay," he gestured to the car, "As chauffeur to the future Mrs. Leery, I'll need to know our first stop."

Joey walked over to the passenger side and opened the door. "Well, Jen and I were supposed to check out that place across town."

"Mary's Formal Wear?"

Joey shrugged and climbed in. "I don't know the name. All I know is that it better have something from this century."

He chuckled, "Jen mentioned something about an inept saleslady, she didn't give me the details though. Care to share?"

Joey brushed the question off and turned toward the window. "Let's just say it would have gotten ugly if Jen hadn't been there." She smirked.

"Any chance of us avoiding that today?" He asked, giving her a look as he drove.

Joey smiled out the window and stretched her arms in front of her. "Yes. I have a good feeling about today. I think I'm going to find it."

"It? The perfect dress?"

Joey shook her head. "Yes, the perfect dress. The one that's going to steal everyone's breath away when I walk down that aisle."

Pacey smiled, "Jo, you could walk down that aisle in a potato sack and you'd take their breath away."

Joey's nose crinkled in disbelief and she shrugged before glancing back out the window. "We there yet?"

"Just about. How long have you lived in Capeside again?" he teased.

Joey ignored the remark and continued staring out the window.

"Ok, so what kind of dress are you looking for?" He asked, pulling into a parking space in front of the boutique.

"I'm not really sure yet. I just know I'll know it when I see it."

"Okay," He nodded and they entered the store.

As soon as Joey entered, she was surprised by how simple the whole place seemed. She immediately felt her spirits drop a bit not even sure if she would be able to find her dress here. A tall blonde man with effeminate gestures immediately approached her. "Oh hello dear. How can I help you?"

Joey could barely hide her surprise. "I'm, um, looking for-"

He paused and brought a hand to his chin as he walked around and appraised her. "You're probably looking for a dress." He lifted her arm and let it go. "Kind of thin though. We can work with that." Joey just eyed the man strangely unable to speak.

He walked over to the back and Joey raised an eyebrow. He came out with one of the most beautiful dresses she had ever seen. He brought it over to her and she fingered the lace lightly in slight awe. "Nah, this is not for you. You need something more simply cut, more airy." He made a gesture with his hand. He turned and showed the dress to Pacey. "Tell her this is not for her."

Joey glared. "Well, can I at least try it on?"

He handed it to her. "Please miss, there's nothing to get all huffy about. Try it on if you wish."

Joey rolled her eyes and grabbed the dress, stalking over to the dressing room.

Pacey eyed the man strangely, "Hello," held out his hand to the man, who shook it emphatically.

The man brought a hand to his chest in a 'where are my manners?' gesture and then gave Pacey a firm handshake. "I'm Phillipe." He motioned to the dressing room. "That one is a pistol. I could tell from the minute she walked in. You're going to have your hands full with her."

Joey gazed at her reflection in the mirror. The dress fit her perfectly. She raised a hand and touched the glass in front of her idly tracing her reflection not really believing that was her staring back.

"Yeah... she's a bundle of joy alright," Pacey said with a dry smile. He couldn't bring himself to correct Phillipe about their relationship, he tried not to think about what that might mean.

Phillipe smiled, the young and in love. He walked over to the door knocking gently. "Dear, you just about ready in there?"

Joey shook her head few times shaken from her thoughts. "Y-yes," she managed to croak out and gave her reflection one last wistful look before opening the door.

Phillipe gasped. "Dear you look ravishing."

Joey felt the familiar heat in her cheeks and she blushed lightly. "Thanks."

"Pacey stared at her for a few moments, taking in the site of her in the white taffeta. She looked so young. And pure.

Phillipe made a face and circled Joey's form. "You don't like, no?"

Joey frowned. "No. No it's beautiful actually, but it's just not me," she said trying to make amends.

He shook his head and patted her arm affectionately. "It's okay dear. I knew this one wasn't for you. I actually have the most gorgeous thing in the back that would look great on you. Let me just breeze back and get it." He disappeared before Joey could say anything.

"You look gorgeous, Jo." Pacey commented finally. He stuffed his hands in his pockets.

Joey shrugged and sat down on one of the plush chairs that lined the wall. She smoothed out the material with her palms. "I look like I have a dress on with built in parachute."

Pacey chuckled, "No, you look like a beautiful woman in a beautiful dress." He took the seat beside her as they waited for Phillipe to return.

"I look ridiculous. That's what I look like."

Pacey rolled his eyes, "You still can't take a compliment, can you?"

"It's a talent I've honed for years. I'm not going to give it up just yet," Joey retorted.

He sighed, "So, is this guy better than the last woman?" He asked, changing the subject.

Joey smiled. "He's entertaining at least."

Pacey nodded, "There definitely something to be said for entertainment. And it seems like he knows what he's doing. I wonder if he plans weddings too?" Pacey said idling, sitting back in the upholstered chair.

Joey shrugged disinterestedly and glanced down at the dress she was wearing suddenly feeling the urge to cry for apparently no reason at all. Was it true? Was all of this really a mistake? Was she just fooling herself here? She sniffled and laughed lightly. This was ridiculous. It really was. The whole thing was.

At her sudden chuckle, he turned his head to see her profile a mixed look of amusement, sorrow and confusion was contorting her features. "You okay, Jo? You look a little..." he trailed off.

Joey laughed and wiped at her eyes. "No, I'm not okay." She laughed some more unable to stop herself. "I mean, really. Look at me. I'm getting married!" She sighed and giggled some more despite her tears.

"Some people would consider that a reason to celebrate." He said gently, trying to estimate what kind of mood, she was in. He really didn't want a repeat of their last conversation revolving around the upcoming marriage.

Joey's face fell and she paused before breaking into full sobs. "I don't want to get married," she wailed.

His forced smile faded to a frown and he put his arm around her, pulling her into his warm embrace. "It's okay, Jo. You don't have to get married, no one's holding a gun to your head." He soothed, smoothing her hair with his hand.

Joey sniffled and let out a small hiccup. "It's a mistake."

Pacey bit back the 'I-told-you-so' that was perched on the tip of his tongue. "You don't have to marry him." He said instead, rubbing her arm gently through the silk of the dress.

Joey wiped at her eyes. "I told him I would."

"You can break of the engagement, Joey. It's been done before." He said gently.

Joey sniffled. "I-I-I'm going to end up alone."

"You are not." He said with determination. "You have tons of family and friends, and even if you don't marry him. I know Dawson will always play a part in your life."

She brushed a strand of brown hair away from her face and rubbed her cheeks. "You're probably right." She inhaled a shaky breath and stood up. "Let me get out of this thing."

He nodded, and sat back in his chair. He let out a low sigh when she'd disappeared into the dressing room, would it be this way every time they spent time together? The awkward conversations, his thinly veiled pleas for her not to marry Dawson.

Joey appeared in front of him minutes later fully dressed and awkwardly holding her cell phone. "Well, it's done." She looked ready to cry at any given moment.

"Already?" He asked wide-eyed. He hadn't expected her to go through with it so soon, if at all.

Joey shrugged embarrassingly. "Yeah, well he was busy so I left a message. It made things easier." She nibbled on her lower lip nervously. "You think you can drive me back to Bessie's?

"Of course, if that's what you want." He rose from his seat and offered her his hand.

She eyed his hand unsurely before placing her hand in his. "Thanks."

Pacey smiled at her and led them to the front of the store. He glanced over his shoulder for Phillipe as he held the door open for Joey. There was no sign of the excitable blond. He shrugged, no real harm done in just leaving. "Have you eaten lunch yet, Potter?" Pacey asked, as they walked to the car.

Joey shook her head. "No, I'll just eat something at Bessie's I guess."

"What are you gonna tell her?"

Joey sighed. "I don't know yet."

"If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly did you tell Dawson's machine?"

Joey fiddled with the strap of her purse. "I told him that it was a bad idea."

"Do you think he'll agree with you?" He asked, as they reached the car, and unlocked the door.

Joey stopped. "I guess now it doesn't really matter does it."

"No, but you could get yourself prepared for when he shows up demanding answers."

Joey ran a hand through her hair tiredly. "I don't want to think about it."

"Ok, then don’t. I won’t push you. But you should figure something out before you face Bessie." With that, he climbed into his car.

Joey frowned. "Maybe taking me back to Bessie's is a bad idea."

"Ok, anywhere else strike your fancy, or should we just drive?"

"Just drive."

"Okay," He nodded and pulled out into the early afternoon traffic. He was silent for the most part, concentrating on his driving rather than the woman beside him who'd just made a life altering decision. "You can turn the radio on if you want." He offered as the pulled up to a stoplight.

Joey shook her head and stared out the window. "It's okay."

He shrugged and continued to drive aimlessly, not really paying attention to which turns he took. They ended up near the outskirts of town along a strip of sand. He noticed there were few other cars around and figured this was as good a spot as any to pull over.

Joey lifted her gaze when she realized they had stopped. Her gaze fell on the ocean and the water, and she couldn't help but wonder about the strange sense of déjà vu she was experiencing.