Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine.

Dawson stared at his television set with a blank expression on his face. It was Saturday night, movie night, and he was spending it with a little fat fingered alien who liked Reeses Pieces. It had been one week since he had gotten home and he had not seen, nor heard from Joey. He didn't have the courage to take the initiative and go see her, so he sat in his room, surrounded by his memories of Joey.

He suddenly got the urge to look through the picture album that sat on his desk. He had been avoiding it, because he knew his reaction would be negative, but this time the urge was too great.

The picture he opened up to was one of him and Joey on their first date. Mr. and Mrs. Leery had been so excited that the two had finally realized what everyone else knew for years, so they went a little camera happy. As he leafed through the book, he relived various dances, movie nights, and other special "Joey and Dawson" moments. On the last page, he saw a picture that he had never seen before. It was a picture taken when they were eight years old. Dawson and Joey were dressed like a bride and groom, with Pacey in the background as a minister. They were just playing but Mrs. Leery just couldn't resist the Kodak moment.

Dawson took the photo out of its place and grabbed his jacket. He hurried down the ladder and hopped into the rowboat, before his conscious told him not to.

Across the creek…

Joey sat in her bedroom staring at her television, but not paying attention to the movie she had put in, E.T. A photo album sat in her lap, unopened. She ran her hands over the cover, knowing that it's contents would cause her a lot of heartache.

Despite her inhibitions, she opened the album. The first picture she saw was a picture of her and Dawson kissing in an instant photo booth. Her tears began to fall as she made her way to the end of the album, reliving her life with Dawson. On the last page sat a picture from their early childhood. It was a picture of Dawson and Joey playing "house." A young Dawson was giving his "wife" a kiss good-morning as she fed their "little boy," Pacey.

Without a second thought, Joey ripped the picture out of its place and ran for the front door. She got in her rowboat and started rowing to Dawson's house.

Joey saw another rowboat coming towards her, but ignored it, never wanting to see Dawson more. As she neared the oncoming boat, she came to recognize a familiar silhouette.

"Dawson?" she called out into the darkness.

"Joey? Is that you?"

"I was just coming to see you," they said simultaneously.

Joey laughed nervously. The boats were now side by side and they were staring into each other's eyes intently.

"Joey, I'm just going to say this, because if I don't now, I don't think that I'll ever have the courage to ever again, so here goes. I still love you Joey. I never stopped. I don't think I ever will," Dawson spit out quickly.

"I love you too Dawson," Joey replied with a tremor in her heart and a smile on her face.

"Now you probably have found someone else by now and you'll probably never feel the same way again as I do about you, but---wait…Did you just say you love me too?"

"Yes you big doofus. I love you more than anything. I've been making myself miserable missing you. Then I found this picture of you and I playing house so many years ago. I knew then that I had to tell you, or I would regret it forever, so here I am," Joey explained.

"Wait, you found a picture too?"

"Yeah, see?" Joey said, holding up the picture as Dawson did the same.

Coming to a realization, they both said, "Jen and Pacey!"

They both laughed as they closed the gap between them and the boats and met in a perfect kiss.

To be continued…

Look for part 5, Back to School, coming soon.