Here's another old story I wrote this years ago. It takes place in S5, it's my take on how Joey goes about getting Pacey back. Enjoy, I will post the remaining two parts shortly.

As always, I own nothing, please don't sue. No copyright infringement intended.

Love Serenade

Part One

"Jen!" Joey calls rushing to catch up with the petite blonde. "Jen wait up!" she calls again.

"Hey Jo. What brings you to this part of town?" Jen asks stopping and waiting for her friend to catch up with her.

"I have a favor to ask you." Joey says slightly out of breath.

"Does it involve men and Crisco?" asks Jen smiling.

Joey rolled her eyes but smiles. "No, not this time."

Jen sighs, then grins "I guess I can still lend a hand. Walk with me I have to be at the station in ten minutes."

"Okay." Joey says as she falls into step with the other girl.

"So what's this favor?" Jen asks curiously.

"Umm... well... uh..." Joey stammers.

"Come on Jo, spit it out." Jen says gently.

"Okay. Well as you know things between me and Pace have been getting better these last couple of months and the thing is umm..." Joey says trailing off quietly.

"You're still in love with him." Jen finishes the thought for her friend. "And you want him back?" she guesses.

"Am I that obvious?" Joey asks ruefully.

"Sweetie, you are to me." Jen sats smiling. She thinks of the conversation she'd had with Pacey just a few nights before, where he poured his heart out to her over six cups of coffee.

"Well, do you think I stand a chance at getting him back?" Joey asks anxiously.

"Honestly?" Jen pondered pretending to think about it. "Yeah, I think so. A lot's happened in the past six months. You've both grown and changed things are different between you, better."

"So what should I do?" Joey asks timidly.

Arriving at the station, Jen thinks for a minute before grinning at Joey tugging her inside the building. "I say you go with a full assault. He's too stubborn to go for it if you just talk to him. No matter how he may feel. He'll make up reasons why you couldn't be together. We need to make him come to you."

"Oh!" Joey sighs, a little saddened by Jens words.

"Jo, it's not that he doesn't want you. Because he does, believe me he does. He's just scared that things won't work out between you. Plus he's just as stubborn as you are. Trust me when I say he loves you. He just needs a little push to remind him exactly how much." Jen explains.

"So what do you suggest?"

Looking around Jen points to the speaker in the ceiling tile above their heads. "Well what better way to get your point across than with a song?"

"Huh?" Joey asks confused.

"What if we find a bunch of songs, you know like Nine Inch Nails; Closer, or the Devinyls; I touch myself. We plant the tapes for him to find and once he's suspicious enough, we plant one last tape with a note that leads him to you."

Joey smiles thinking about the idea. "I like it." she says; her eyes shining brightly with excitement. "You really think it will work?"

"If it doesn't well think of something else." Jen smiles, enjoying playing the roll of matchmaker. "Come on, sit in the booth with me, we may as well use the resources available to us."

"Why not. Audrey's got her latest conquest in our room right now so I really don't want to head back yet."

The girls settle into the booth, Jen hands Joey a binder listing all the songs available at the station. Pulling on her headphones she gets ready to start her show. Reaching for the weather forecast off the news wire, and slipping a disk into to player, she's ready to start.

"Hi there Boston, it's Jen Lindley with you for the next couple of hours so turn up those radios, put on those dancing shoes and get ready rock. But first the weather todays forecast calls for clear skies and a high of 62, so break out the shades and enjoy the warm weather. Now here's Disturbed with their hit Stupify." Jen says in her radio voice.

Turning her attention back to Joey she asks, "So see anything you like?"

"A couple, so are these songs going to be obvious or can we choose ones that are more subtle?"

"What ever you want. What did you have in mind?"

"Well I don't want anything that will totally give me away. After all I want him to start thinking about me, but I don't want him to realize that it's me until he's ready."

"Yeah, so..."

"So, I can choose stuff like Santana's Smooth, we danced to it a lot the summer we sailed on True Love, but it wasn't our song, so he'd think about me but it wouldn't be a red flag."

"I like it, what else?"

"Hmm... how about David Gray's Sail Away."

"I don't think I know that one. Why don't I play it then I'll be able to tell you." Jen says before flipping her microphone back on and doing her thing putting on a softer song. Locating the right disk she queues up the song in the second player ready to go. After about an hour they have a fairly good list to work from in front of them.

"Jen are you sure it's okay to do this?" Joey asks hesitantly as Jen returns to the booth carrying half a dozen tapes.

"Totally. Job perk." Jen says smiling. "Now all we have to do is put the disk in that player and the tape in here." Jen explains reaching for the David Gray CD. After hearing the song Jen decided she liked it. She said that it was very subtle, but still obvious enough that with the right clues he'd figure out who was behind all of it.

"Hey Jen, you guys have a printer right?" Joey asks looking up from the pad of paper in front of her.

"Yeah why?"

"Well I thought I'd print out labels with Pacey's name on them since I can't write it out. Dead give away since he knows my handwriting."

"Good thinking, keeping this as anonymous as possible."

"Yeah, speaking of which..."

"What?"

"This goes no further than us. The fewer people involved the less chance of Pacey finding out it's me before Im ready. I don't want Dawson, Jack, or Audrey blowing my cover."

"Agreed, this is our little secret." Jen says holding her pinkie out to Joey.

"Good." Joey says accepting in and swearing it will remain secret.

Once Joey and Jen finish the tapes Joey heads for Pacey's boat, leaving Jen to finish her shift. Knowing he's still at work for a couple of hours, it gives her the time to plant the first tape and get out unnoticed. Looking around to make sure no one is watching her, Joey slips on board.

They decided she'd plant four tapes, one on the boat, one at Civilization, one in his car, and another in his jacket if ever the opportunity presented itself, and mail the fifth with instructions on where he was to go.

Carefully placing the cassette where she was sure he would find it, Joey again made sure no one saw her trespassing, before sneaking off the boat to go and meet up with Jen and Jack.

Returning to the boat after a long day at the restaurant Pacey's thoughts were on that evenings plans. Juggling his mail, sunglasses, and jacket, he reaches into his pocket for his keys, dropping some of the mail. Bending down to pick it up he notices the slim cassette on the small shelf next to the door.

"What's this?" he wonders out loud, transferring everything to one side, he picks it up to inspect it. Pacey, play me! is printed on a small piece of paper tucked inside.

"Hmm..." he says, tossing his things on the counter he heads for the compact stereo system. Inserting the tape he presses play before heading for the bedroom needing to change before meeting up with Jack for drinks. The gentle strains of a song he's not sure he's ever heard before fill the cabin, mesmerizing him.

Sail away with me honey

I put my heart in your hands

Sail away with me honey now, now, now

Sail away with me

What will be will be

I wanna hold you now

Crazy skies all wild above me now

Winter howling at my face

And everything I held so dear

Disappeared without a trace

Oh all the times I've tasted love

Never knew quite what I had

Little Darling if you hear me now

Never needed you so bad

Spinning round inside my head

Sail away with me honey

I put my heart in your hands

Sail away with me honey now, now, now

Sail away with me

What will be will be

I wanna hold you now

I've been talking drunken gibberish

Falling in and out of bars

Trying to find some explanation here

For the way some people are

How did it ever come so far

Sail away with me honey

I put my heart in your hands

Sail away with me honey now, now, now

Sail away with me

What will be will be

I wanna hold you now

Sail away with me honey

I put my heart in your hands

Sail away with me honey now, now, now

Sail away with me

What will be will be

I wanna hold you now

Sail away with me honey

I put my heart in your hands

Sail away with me honey now, now, now

Sail away with me

What will be will be

I wanna hold you now, now, now...

Wondering about the meaning of the tape, Pacey goes back out on deck looking for other clues, searching all over, but finding nothing. Looking at his watch he notices he's late and rushes out to meet Jack, forgetting about the mysterious tape for the moment.

"Jack!" Pacey calls out to his friend, arriving at the crowded bar.

"Pacey, finally! I was beginning to wonder if you'd forgotten about us?"

"Us?"

"I dragged Jen and Joey along, I'm saving them from another night wasted in front of the television, or worse studying." Jack says laughing.

"They're here?" Pacey asks, a little panicked.

"Yeah, last I saw they were fighting the crowd at the bar."

"Oh it's been a long day, and I need a beer. I think I'm going to see it I can find them."

"Okay, I'll be here. We don't want to lose our table."

"You want anything?" Pacey asks, shrugging out of his coat hanging it on the back of the empty chair.

"Nah, I'm good." Jack says holding up his beer bottle inspecting how full it is.

Making his way back across the room, Pacey finds Jen and Joey just as they grab the bartenders attention.

"What'll it be?" He asks.

"Two China Whites, a rye and ginger and a rum and coke, oh and a beer." Jen says looking to Pacey for confirmation.

"Twelve Dollars." The bartender says placing the drinks in front of them and winking.

"Hey Pace, you made it I see." Jen says handing him his beer.

"Yeah, finally I was running late. Thanks. Hey Jo." He says taking the beer from Jen, who just looks at Joey and winks.

"Hey Pace, hold on a second. Okay Jen lets do these and get back to Jack." Joey says picking up the shots and handing one to Jen. Clinking their glasses together they tilt their heads back and swallow the creamy liquid.

"Mmm." Joey murmurs, slowly licking the remnants off her lips.

Pacey watches fascinated as she does this, his body responding. His brain reminding him how good her tongue feels against his skin. Shaking himself out of his trance before she notices he follows as Joey pulls Jen through the crowd.

"Oh I love this song!" Jen exclaims winking at Joey again as Closer starts to pound out of the speakers. "Jo come dance." She says motioning towards the packed dance floor.

"Okay." Joey grins handing her drink to Pacey.

Pacey watches them as they move together, flowing against each other in time with the music, their movement hypnotizing him.

"Jen, what are we doing?" Joey yells over the music.

"Killing two birds with one stone."

"Huh?"

"Well as we speak, Pacey is standing rooted in the spot where we left him, and his eyes are glued on you. I think he's actually drooling." Jen says laughing.

"And the other?"

"You can plant the tape you have in your purse. Or rather I can plant it while you dance with lover boy. Trust me he wont know where it came from."

"Okay, lets go. I want to have a little fun tonight."

"Hey Pace you wanna take over here?" Jen asks panting and waving a hand in front of her face.

"I'm kinda tired." He says, not trusting himself to be that close to her.

"Come on Pace, one dance? Please? I love this song." Joey pleads, pulling him on to the dance floor.

Returning to a chuckling Jack, she swears searching her pockets. "Damn it!"

"What?" Jack asks.

"No lip gloss." Jen explains. "Maybe Joey has some." Grabbing Joeys purse she locates the tape and the lip-gloss she knew would be there. Moving to put the purse back she accidentally drops it, bending over to pick it up she slips the tape into Pacey's pocket; and Jack is none the wiser.

"Come on stud I feel like dancing again."

"Fine but you step on my toes and I'm out of there."

"Fine." Manouvering so she's in Joeys line of vision Jen smiles and waves, nodding her head to let her know mission accomplished. After a couple of hours of dancing they decide to call it a night. Gathering up their thing they head out into the night laughing.

"Jo you need a ride?" Pacey asks.

"If you don't mind. You are going my way after all."

"It's fine. Say good night Potter." He says in a hurry to get home.

"Night guys, I'll call you." Joey calls following Pacey towards his car.

"See you Jo. Pace, drive carefully." Jen yells out after them.

"Night you two." Jack says shaking his head, as he walks towards his own car.

Reaching into his coat pocket for his keys, he pulls out the tape Jen planted earlier instead.

"What's that?" Joey asks innocently.

"I don't know. I got another one earlier. I wonder what's on this one, and what they mean."

"You've got a secret admirer, how cute. Lets play it. Maybe there's a clue on it, so you can figure out who they're from." Joey says, feeding his curiosity.

"You think it's cute that I'm being stalked?" He asks.

"I'm sure its harmless." Joey says rolling her eyes at him.

"Yeah right, harmless."

"So, who do you think it could be? It has to be someone who knows you. Or at least enough about you like where you live, and hangout. Otherwise no tapes." Joey observes, while trying not to smile.

"I don't know yet, but I'm going to." Pacey says opening the door for Joey. Slipping behind the wheel, he starts the car. "Here, we may as well check this one out." He says as he slips the tape into the deck.

Never made it as a wise man

I couldn't cut it as a poor man stealing

Tired of living like a blind man

I'm sick of sight without a sense of feeling

And this is how you remind me

This is how you remind me

Of what I really am

This is how you remind me

Of what I really am

"I love this song." Joey says turning up the volume and singing along. Sending Pacey teasing looks, she gets lost in the lyrics.

It's not like you to say sorry

I was waiting on a different story

This time I'm mistaken

for handing you a heart worth breaking

and I've been wrong, I've been down,

to the bottom of every bottle

these five words in my head

scream "are we having fun yet?"

yeah, yeah, yeah, no, no

yeah, yeah, yeah, no, no

it's not like you didn't know that

I said I love you and I swear I still do

And it must have been so bad

Cause living with me must have damn near killed you

And this is how, you remind me

Of what I really am

This is how, you remind me

Of what I really am

It's not like you to say sorry

I was waiting on a different story

This time I'm mistaken

for handing you a heart worth breaking

and I've been wrong, I've been down,

to the bottom of every bottle

these five words in my head

scream "are we having fun yet?"

yeah, yeah, yeah, no, no

yeah, yeah, yeah, no, no

yeah, yeah, yeah, no, no

yeah, yeah, yeah, no, no

Never made it as a wise man

I couldn't cut it as a poor man stealing

And this is how you remind me

This is how you remind me

This is how you remind me

Of what I really am

This is how you remind me

Of what I really am

It's not like you to say sorry

I was waiting on a different story

This time I'm mistaken

for handing you a heart worth breaking

and I've been wrong, I've been down,

to the bottom of every bottle

these five words in my head

scream "are we having fun yet?"

yeah, yeah

are we having fun yet

yeah, yeah

are we having fun yet

yeah, yeah

are we having fun yet

Pacey groans quietly as he drives, moving to relieve some of the pressure watching her singing has caused. How he ever walked away from the amazing woman beside him he'd never know. 'You lost your chance Witter, you're just friends remember that.' He reminds himself silently, while he continues to watch her out of the corner of his eye.

"There you go Potter, home safe and sound." Pacey says pulling up in front of her dorm.

"Thanks Pace. Tonight was fun. We should all do it again soon." Joey says as she climbs from the car.

"Yeah, it was. Night Jo see you around."

"Night Pace, and good luck with your stalker." She says, waving. Once she reaches the door, he pulls away from the curb.

"I can't believe you partied with out me." Audrey pouts from her usual place on her bed.

"Hi Aud. Sorry, but as I recall you were entertaining tonight."

"Yeah." She says smiling. "Jen called a couple of minutes ago, said it was important and you should call her as soon as you got in." Audrey says wanting to know why I'd have to phone Jen at nearly two in the morning. "Hey Jo, how'd you get home?" She asks.

"Pacey gave me a ride. I think I'll call Jen from in there, it could be personal." Joey says pointing to the bathroom. Picking up the phone she dials Jens number.

"Jo?" Jen asks, answering the phone on the first ring.

"Hey Jen, you called."

"So how'd it go? Did he find the tape?"

"Yeah, he even told me about the first one, and played the second one on the way home."

"No way! What'd you do?"

"Told him I loved the song, sang along, maybe teased him a little. Nothing worse than on the dance floor."

"You're so bad." Jen squeals.

"I know; this is fun. He's already trying to figure out who's sending them."

"Have you figured out how to plant the tape at the restaurant?"

"Well theres too many people there that know me, but I had an idea on the way home. I'll check into tomorrow after class."

"Good luck. I'll talk to you later." Jen says.

"Okay. Night." Turning off the phone Joey changes into her pyjamas and heads for bed ignoring Audreys interested look.

"Night." Joey says climbing into bed, and turning off her light. She falls asleep with a smile on her lips.