The Completion of a Kitchen Confession

Pacey Witter had almost everything he could ever want in life. He owned his own successful restaraunt and an incredibly expensive BMW, not to mention the fact that nearly every girl in Capeside was wrapped around his fingers. You could say that he was living every man's dream.

Yes, you could say that, and that's what even he said, as a matter of fact. Of course, Pacey Witter was never the most honest of men when it came to the open discussion of his happiness. There was one thing he'd be willing to trade it all away for, but it was something that had been lost so long ago that all his dreams of re-attaining it were too foolish for him to even dwell on. But, once more, Pacey Witter wasn't the most un-foolish of men, either, and he always found his mind drifting to the one massive void in his heart.

True Love had sunken long ago, and the remainder of what had once been True Love was strewn across the Atlantic, or rather, across a few states, probably never to be rediscovered. Not by him, of course. He'd released True Love (or at least, he'd told himself that he'd released it), and he'd promised himself that it was the right thing to do. So why was he regretting it so much?

He sighed, running his fingers absent-mindedly through his dark chocolate hair, swinging open the door of the refrigerator in hopes of discovering an alcoholic beverage to lift his spirits as much as they possibly could be lifted. Maybe it was due to the fact that his mind was too overcrowded or maybe the fact that his head was buried in the depths of a low-humming Kenmore appliance, but whatever the reason, he didn't hear her footsteps as she crept down the stairs and tiptoed silently through the kitchen.

"Up for a midnight snack?" Her voice broke through the darkness.

The sudden sound caused him to leap up, resulting in a hard thump to the head from the roof of the fridge. "Ow!" He quickly jerked his head back, and his eyes were met by those of Josephine Potter.

"Sorry!" Joey replied quickly. "I didn't mean to-"

"No, don't be sorry. It's not your fault. I, uh...I just didn't hear you. You just startled me. And I've been a little on the edge lately..."

"All of us have been," Joey replied, keeping her voice low.

Pacey sighed, and for a moment, they stood in somber silence, a single ray of light cast from the refrigerator as their only source of illumination.

"Jo-"

"Pace-"

They laughed, for both had begun their statements at the same moment. Pacey gestured for Joey to complete hers first.

"Do you remember our conversation from earlier?" She asked quietly.

Pacey sighed. "How could I not remember that conversation?" He replied, laughing slightly, the true pain, doubt, and regret lurking behind those pale azure eyes of his. He hoped she didn't detect it, because he didn't want to be the one to deprive her of pursuing the life she wanted to pursue for herself.

Of course, Joey knew him better than anyone else, and she had seen those emotions flicker in his gaze. She had seen it, and it had both torn her apart and warmed her soul, filling her with a tiny sense of pleasure and love.

"Well...I never got to finish what I was trying to say to you." She drew in a deep breath. "Pacey...I realize that nothing is ever going to be exactly easy for you and I. I mean...look at everything that we've been through. But what I was going to say is...now that we've built our own history...I want to build our own future. I am tired of running in every direction, always further and further away from where I really needed and wanted to be. And that's with you. It's always been you, Pace. You know, to tell you the truth, I don't even care what anyone else thinks anymore. If he were to walk in here and listen to this conversation, Pacey, I wouldn't care, because I'm tired of lying to everyone. What I had with Eddie, what I had with Christopher...neither of those instances were love. I've only really been in love twice; I still am, but in different ways. On one hand, I have my soulmate...and on the other, I have my True Love. And I'm refusing to run from him anymore, because everything I say or do from now on is either going to lead me back to him or make me wish it would." She sighed.

Pacey was silent. Here she was, Ms. Josephine Potter, standing before him and confessing her unconditional love for him. Her words were everything he'd ever wanted to hear her say, and everything he'd ever imagined hearing her say. How many times had he played this scenario out in his mind, of Joey saying something along the lines of 'I choose you' (but in much more extensive, emotional context)? He'd always imagined himself kissing her, or maybe telling her that he felt the same, but actually hearing the words from her in reality was something he'd never been truly prepared for. He couldn't contain the tears as they swam in his eyes, and as foolish and weak as they probably made him come off as, he didn't care, for he had finally heard those words.

"Are you crying?" Joey asked, her voice still soft and smooth.

Pacey chewed his lip, looking down but nodding, futiley attempting to blink the tears from his eyes and to ward them away, but he couldn't.

"Are you upset because of...?" She began.

He shook his head. "No, no. It's not that. It's just..." He sighed. "I'm just...I'm in disbelief. I mean, ten years ago, I couldn't stand the idea of having you around, and now, it's all I can ever dream about. Why is that? Why and how do these things happen?"

"I don't know, Pace. We grow up. We find ourselves, and we unveil the inner chef or editor or doctor or teacher or director within us, and once we find ourselves, we find love...usually in the most unexpected of places."

A small smile returned itself over Pacey's face, and he released a low laugh. "You wanna know what I just realized?"

"What's that?" Joey asked.

"All along, all of us thought Dawson was the dreamer, the one farthest from reality, and flash forward years later and he's doing exactly what he always wanted to do, and what he always has done."

"While the rest of us only just discovered what our true calling in life is," Joey guessed.

Pacey nodded. "It's ironic, you know? The whole entire thing, everything about all of us and our entire friendship. You know, I don't even think we're entitled to call it a friendship. It's more like a 'friendship/relationship/it's-too-complicated-to-describe' kind of thing."

"See, but that's where you're wrong. It isn't too complicated to describe, because a wonderful friend of yours and mine alike has managed to piece together a masterpiece of a script that is quite literally the story of all of our lives."

Pacey nodded, smiling again. "You're right."

Another brief moment of silence ensued, interrupted by Joey. "So...what was it that you were going to say to me?"

"Oh. Well...at first, I was going to tell you that before you said anything about what I'd said, I wouldn't be angry, and I understood that you wanted what you wanted and nothing I could do or say could ever change that, and that that was fine. I was going to just ask you if...even if you were let off the hook, if we could still see each other reguarly. But now...none of that even matters. I just didn't want to say anything that would deter you from doing what you wanted to do."

Joey bit her lip as a pause followed. "Pace...what does this mean to us?"

Pacey wrapped his arms around her waist, planting a kiss over the top of her head. "Whatever you want it to," he murmured.

"I want to be in a monogamous relationship with you, Pacey. I don't want any of this confusing 'are-we-friends-or-are-we-more' business anymore between any of us. I want all of us to define exactly what we are. Because I really think that that's the only way we can overcome this, if we're together...all of us."

Pacey grinned. "I was kind of hoping you'd say that," he whispered.

"Look...Pace...there's no other way to say this, so I'm just going to be abrupt about it. I was wondering if maybe you would...lay down with me? Just sleep next to me, in the most innocent sense as possible?"

He gave a heartful half-smile. "That sounds perfect right about now," he replied sincerely. "May I?" He extended his hand, offering to take hers.

She smiled, twining her fingers with his, then led him down the hall to one of the spare guest rooms.

"You do realize we're going to have a lot of explaining to do tomorrow morning when we both emerge from the same room, right?" Pacey asked as he slid under the blankets.

Joey turned to face him. "I know. But I don't care, Pace." She paused. "And...by the way...thank you."

His brow creased. "For...?"

"For agreeing to these sleeping arrangements," Joey replied, her voice low.

"Well, it wouldn't exactly be the first time we've shared a bed, would it?" Pacey asked, smiling. "But, in all seriousness, Jo, I should be the one thanking you."

Joey turned on her side, scooting closer to Pacey and curling up beside him, comfortably. He fit his arms around her, and he smiled.

"I love you, Pace," she whispered.

"I love you, too, Jo," he replied. "More than you'll ever know."

Slowly, Pacey allowed his eyelids to flutter closed. Truth be told, he was exhausted, and the day had ended surprisingly well. Still, he was overshadowed by the tiniest twinge of guilt. Was it really right to allow himself to feel this happy after the funeral of one of his best friends? Then, he reminded himself of something. Jen Lindley wouldn't have wanted them to lie around and mope all day, sobbing their eyes out and sitting in awkward, somber silence. No, Jen Lindley would have wanted them to finally figure everything out amongst themselves and to live and love and never, ever stop.

On that final note, he allowed himself to drift off to sleep, as did Joey, succumbing to their exhaustion and descending into a peaceful slumber.

Josephine Potter stretched her arms out, and was briefly shocked and confued to discover another stronger, more masculine arm within her reach. She opened her eyes, and then, she remembered. Just the thought of it all was enough to crack a smile across her face.

"Good morning, my beautiful Josephine," Pacey murmured.

"Good morning, Pace," she replied, slowly rising. She cocked her head slightly, sniffing the air. "I think I smell breakfast."

Pacey grinned. "Well, we'd better get going, then. Wouldn't want anyone to eat all the food before we get any."

"Are you ready for this?" Joey asked, approaching the door slowly.

"Are you?" Pacey asked.

Joey sighed. "I'm never going to be ready for anything, Pace." With that, she swung the door open, and the two emerged from the secluded room, making their way into the kitchen.

"There you are. We were just wondering where you were. You weren't in your room, Pace, so we thought you'd gone home..." Dawson's voice trailed off as he noticed Joey behind Pacey.

Joey looked down at their hands, their fingers still twined together, and smiled slightly.

"I was with Joey. In her room," Pacey informed him.

From beside Dawson, Jack, Doug, Andie, and Grams shared equally curious glances.

At their slightly shocked and concerned expressions, Joey quickly added, "We just slept. That's it. I needed someone to be with me, because...I was incredibly lonely."

"You know, I just remembered, there's, uh...there's something I need help with. Doug, Andie, Grams? Care to join me?"

The three nodded, and Jack (who was carrying Amy) led them out of the room, leaving the trio alone.

"You could've just asked me," Dawson said, his expression slightly hurt. "It's not like that would've been the first time it happened for me."

"You're right, Dawson, it wouldn't have been, but it wasn't for Pacey and I, either. And...while this may not be the most appropriate of times to discuss this..." she swallowed the lump as it formed in her throat, and her eyes welled with tears. "She told me...before..." Joey closed her eyes, breathing deeply. "She told me that she wanted me to decide. It was...it was her dying wish."

"And you decided," Dawson guessed, "last night."

"No, actually. I decided a long time ago, Dawson. I was just...terrified. Terrified of what would happen if I finally took a step forward...terrified of losing you."

For a moment, all was silent. Then, Dawson broke the stillness by saying something that thoroughly shocked both Pacey and Joey.

"I'm happy for both of you," he said. "Really, truly, I am."

"Dawson-"

"No, Joey. This is my honest opinion. You guys...you guys belong together. You'll always have a piece of my heart, Jo...but Pacey is the one you're meant to be with. We're still soulmates, undeniably, and you were my first love, but Pacey deserves you, and you deserve him."

"So...you're not going to beat me up or anything over this?" Pacey asked. "Thank God. I think I've had enough violence in the past few days."

"In fact...I'm in love with someone else, too. It just took a miracle to make me realize it."

A grin stretched over both Joey and Pacey's faces, and all their guilt and dread seemed to vanish.

"Really? Who?" Pacey asked.

"Tell us!" Joey agreed.

"Her name is..."

AN:

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Dawson's Creek, or any of the above characters.

I hope you all liked it. It was just something simple. Comment, rate, and review, and I'll post more and unveil who Dawson is going to say. I'm thinking of two possibilities, so I might just write both and post them both so you all can decide.

Thanks for reading!