Authors note:

First: I don't own anything about Dawson's Creek, I'm just borrowing the setting and the characters :-)

Second: This is AU! I don't want to spoil you, so just read and review please. Just know, there might be more than a few things different to the things we got from the show.

Thrid: This will eventually become Joey & Pacey :-)

Enjoy!

Yours, Yana

On different ways

- Chapter one -

It was a warm and sunny day in the late of may. The trees stood in blossom and the air was filled with the songs of birds and the laughter of people. A young woman stood in front of a huge courthouse and hugged a slender, good looking man. She had discreet make-up was clad in a short black dress with elegant pumps, a light grey knee-long coat hanging loosely open from her shoulders, floating softly around her slender figure; her mocha hair was bond into an artsy updo. He had brown hair, that show's a little red shimmer in the warm spring sunshine and wore a plain but clearly expensive black suit.

'Goodbye, Benjamin.' She said with a soft voice pushing him from her embrace and smiled through the tears that uninvited began to built in her eyes. 'Thanks for everything.'

He smiled and wiped a tiny tear with the side of his thump from her cheek. 'Don't you cry.' he said determined and pointed playfully on her, his voice soft though and full of affection as he pulled her close once more. And she closed her eyes, breathes him in for what she knew would be the one last time, before lifting her head and looking at him with the same affection. On other times this look had ended in a kiss, but not today. And never again.

'I love you, you know that.' She tilted her head, a small sad smile played on her lips. He bend his head to place a light kiss on her forehead, taking both of her hands in his.

'I've always loved you too, Josephine.' they smiled sadly at each other.

'And maybe that was the whole problem all the way Benj.' she looked into his warm brown eyes and found them glassy. 'Goodbye then, I guess.' She let go of his hands and put hers into the bags of her coat, 'cause what else was she supposed to do with them.

'Yeah. Goodbye Josephine.' He turned and walked away.

She watched him leave and as she couldn't see him anymore she sunk on a bench, feeling nothing at all. Just nothing. With closed eyes, she turned her face towards the warm midday sun. Some birds sang their songs, children played at the nearby playground. All over the air was filled with voices and she took in the smell and the sounds of spring.

'Josephine!' She heard a familiar voice and opened her eyes, blinking against the bright sun, to see her friend Andie taking a seat beside her. She was slightly short of breath and had a red shimmer on her cheeks, from being in a haste as always. Her beige trouser suit fitting her well, her blonde hair, shoulderlong as she had always worn it, flew almost free around her face, just the upper bit was held together with a hair clip.

'Hu, sorry I didn't make it earlier.' Andie smiled sheepish and wiped a strand of blond hair behind her ear. 'How's the going?'

'Good I guess. It's over.' The brunette sighed. 'Thanks for coming anyway, Andie.'

The blonde woman smiled brightly. 'Come! I'll get you a Mocha?!' She stated enthusiastic. It was more a statement than a question.

'Andie, I...'

'No. No excuses Madame! You'll drink a coffee with me and than tell me, what you'll do now in your new life as single again.' Her eyes sparkling, her voice bubbling over with enthusiasm and Josephine could tell Andie wanted to clap her hands with excitement.

She sighed, she knew Andie wouldn't let her out of it and so she resigned.

'Okay, okay. I'm coming.' she put her hands in the air in surrender and linked her arm with Andie's, grabbing her handbag and let her draw her into the next caffey.

Andie was one of Josephine's best friends. Apparently there weren't a lot of good friends anyway. Sure, there were a few, but most of them were kids from business partners of her father, a successful lawyer himself. Or colleagues of her. Most of them were to handle with extreme care, for they wouldn't hesitate to sell their very soul to the devil, if they believed there was profit in it for them no matter the cost.

But Andie… Andie was different, somewhat unaffected and neutral. They first met a couple of years back in Harvard, where they Andie ended up being Josephine's room-mate, studying law along with her. Afterwards Andie moved to Boston, where they both got a job at the court. Josephine had grown up there and had taken Andie with her to met some of her friends. And Benjamin. The boy, she'd been with practically her whole life, whom she'd loved without question and who supported her through everything. Whom she married right after college. And who was now gone.

Andie grew up in a little town called Capeside and moved here after high school. Her boyfriend Dawson, with whom she had grown up there, studied at Southern California. After graduating, he moved to Boston and in with her. They married, but both of them didn't saw any room for kids in their lives. Not jet anyhow. Dawson was currently filming the final season of The Creek, a story of their childhood and college years. Total crap as Josephine thought, mainly about a love triangle and teenager, talking about life as they've actually lived it. Andie and Dawson had been friends forever, though their mothers met almost four times a week. There was in fact that love triangle, neither of them spoke about.

Josephine was practically born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Daughter of Martin A. McCarroll, successful lawyer and Charlotte McCarroll, senior physician in the oncology of Boston General.

She went to a private school and studied law at Harvard, like her father whom she adored. She grew up, meeting and knowing all of Boston's important persons. She had a black Corvette Anteros, long before she had even had a drivers licence and was only allowed to live on the college-ground, because she insisted. She had a great job even before she got her diploma and owned two houses and a boat, not to mention, that she was the only child of her parents and would one day inherit their whole asset. Now, she was a very successful and greatly demanded lawyer herself.

The sun shone warm through the window onto the table on which Josephine sat opposite of Andie and took the mocha along with the sparkling water and a white chocolate cookie, the waitress brought her without her even saying so.

'Thanks.' Josephine shot a small but warm smile in the waitresses direction and closed her eyes as Andie began to talk about this and that and other stuff. Hadn't she brought her here, to know, what she would do next? After the divorce?

Josephine had been married to Benjamin for 5 wonderful years. Had known him for quite as long as she could remember. They had grown up together and somehow everyone around them just insisted, that they were made for each other. In fact, none of them had ever had another significant other then themselves. It has always been Josephine and Benjamin. And as they declared, they would get married, it was, what everyone had always expected. It has been a huge and mighty expensive party, they flew around the world for six month for their honeymoon... They understood each other without words. They had worked perfect together, were the eye-catcher on every party, the successful lawyer and the brilliant businessman. They looked good on photos and on covers of magazines. They practically swam in money and hadn't anything to worry about. Sure, they loved each other once, probably still did, but….

Josephine sighed as she sipped on her coffee, watching Andie still going on about something, she didn't even hear. She just woke someday and realized, that there was nothing left. They lived this perfect life, with everything in it. They were wealthy, had this huge, perfect house, she drove this amazing car, owned a boat and two dogs which she actually not once got to walk. She chuckled at that thought. She hadn't to care about cooking or cleaning the house or watching over the garden. They went on party's, they threw party's, they had sex - lots of it -, they journeyed a lot and worked even more. They parted every morning with a kiss and the common 'I-love-you'-line, but sometimes this was the only time in the whole day they saw each other. But when they were together, they laughed, they were easy going, always interested in each others life and business. They were comfortable around one another. But the fire was gone. She had simply lost her appetite on life in general. ...and Benjamin… Somewhere along the way, they seemed to had just lost each other. And Benj understood her in an instant, as she told him one evening. Neither of them had been cheating on the other, there had been no constant argument and no doubt. There was just nothing left. Simple as that. As if someone had blown the light off the candle. Not even tears to shed. They had become their own history, without even noticing it.

And so Josephine had moved in to her parents, Benjamin stayed in the villa. He paid her a huge amount of indemnity. In fact half of everything they've had. She hadn't want to take it, but they had made a contract before marrying, both of their fathers had insisted on it. And she knew, if she hadn't taken the money, he would have always stood in her debt. And neither one of them wanted that. So they parted as friends, without any leftovers.

'I've quit my job.' Josephine stated suddenly. And Andie stopped abruptly in her ongoing talk. Staring at her in pure horror and disbelief.

'You've what?' Her voice almost stumbled over itself.

'I've quit my job.' Josephine stated as casually as if she had just give a statement about the sunny weather or an abandoned pair of shoes and sipped nonchalant on her coffee.

'You got to be kidding me here, Josephine!' Andie stated indignant and continues her stare.

'No, Andie. I don't. In fact, I'll be leaving Boston tomorrow.' Josephine stated quietly, her face almost emotionless.

'But why… Where are you going?' Andie asked and her voice was sad. Josephine almost feared, that the tears would spring any second to this huge puppy eyes of her friends. 'And why are you telling me this now?'

'Because,' She stated. 'Everytime I'd tried to talk about it with you over the last couple of weeks, you were busy talking yourself.'

Andie opened and closed her mouth like a fish on land in attempt to respond something clever, to deny, but she just realized, that maybe her friend was right.

'So, I'm leaving.' the brunette stated again. 'I'm going to Capeside.'

Andie almost choked her coffee and looked at her friend in pure disbelief. 'But Josephine.' She shook her head, her voice overturning. 'Why? What could there possibly be, that could be of any interest for you?' She was silent, but for only a heartbeat, then she wagged her head. 'Sure, it is peaceful there and beautiful. But…. Why?'

'Because...' Josephine hesitated and swallowed most of what she had wanted to share with her. That her mum had recently told her, that they adopted her as she was only four weeks old. From a couple, which lived in Capeside. The woman was just diagnosed with cancer and they had an older daughter and a family business. Charlotte gave her treatment and they talked about searching for an adoptive family for their baby. Her mother wasn't able to carry a child of her own, so she talked with her husband and he was more than happy to have Josephine. So they adopted her.

The woman died twelve years later. The man was getting imprisoned for drug dealing and procuration. Josephine's parents had money transferred to the older daughter of said coupple, to help her built a life. And Josephine just desperately wanted to meet her, wanted to know, where she may have grown up, what the people there were like. What her sister was like. She had wanted to ask Andie, if she knew this Bessi by any chance, right after her mother told her, she had a sister. But Andie just cut her off and told her about this great new client and that Dawson just got nominated for some film-price... All the while, Josephine thought about the possibility to settle there. Boston had nothing left for her. She was twenty-eight, wealthy enough to not ever have to work in her life again. Maybe she would start to write a novel. Something she wanted to do her whole life. She wanted a fresh start, somewhere no one knew her. To just be herself and not the "Josephine Lynn McCarroll" she was known as and was forged by so many people. But to find herself. Maybe go sailing with her boat, which lay at harbour in Capeside, since she had decided to go there after the divorce. '..I need some fresh air.' She stated finally. 'And you and Dawson had told me so many great stories of your home town. Maybe I'm able to breathe there.'

'But you are breathing Josephine! You've got a great job, a great husb- …. uhm.' She blushed and the brunette nod.

'Well, yeah.' Josephine stated resigned, realizing for the first time that Andie had gotten to much like all the other people around her, and the heart speaking, empathetic, warm and natrual woman was somewhere buried beneath.

Andie stood and so did she. The blonde pulled her in for a big hug. 'I wish you luck, Josephine.' She could hear the tears in Andie's voice. 'And if you met a guy, named Pacey...' Andie swallowed. 'Would you just tell him, I said hello?' Andie sniffed and pulled away. Josephine smiled at her and wiped away her friends tears.

'Sure. Will do. And Andie?' She hold the other woman's hands. 'I will not vanish. Boston is only one hour from Capeside.'

'But somehow it's a lifetime apart.' Andie whispered and Josephine hugged her once more. 'Please don't forget me, will you?'

'I couldn't, Andie. And I promise to come home soon.' She held her tightly. 'You make this sound like goodbye, Andie. I just going to take a break...' She said, although she knew, what the implication of quitting her job was. And Andie knew her well, better than anyone, except Benjamin for that matter. She was the first who knew everything. 'And don't doubt, that I care about you, deeply. You know where to find me, Andie. I leave my phone on.' She winked and Andie smiled through her tears. 'Okay. Bye then. I've got to go...' They kissed one another on each cheek and Josephine watched Andie leave, before heading to her parents house to get all packed up.

Maybe she would leave today, what was the sense in waiting one more day?

Josephine hugged her mother goodbye, her father aspirated a soft kiss on her forehead before he headed to his car and off to a client. And then she went to her car, smiling at it and tracing with a finger alongside the warm metal, as if caressing her lovers skin because she just loved everything about it. It was black and sporty and looked exactly like what it had cost. The roof was able to turn in, so it was a cabriolet and inside it looked like old fashioned fifteenth, with brown leather and all. She just loved it. And she loved the fact, that she would drive it over land to Capeside. It has been long since she had the opportunity to drive more than city traffic, which was honestly more standing than driving at all.

She wore a short, swingy summer dress with a matching orange bolero and a wide yellow hat. She sat in the car, turned the radio on and switched the button to turn the roof into the trunk. Smiling she raised a hand to wave her mother goodbye and then started the car with it's singing engine and off she drove. Feeling utterly free for the first time in a long time.

One good hour later she halted at the "Welcome to Capeside" sign, not entirely sure, whether to head for the Yacht Club or the B&B her sister owns. She get out of her car and took in the beautiful sight of the landscape. The creek nearby and the early afternoon sun mirroring itself within. She was so stunned by that sight, that she heard the engine buzzing not before the two bikes stopped beside her. The two guys lifting the front of their helmets, looking at her.

'Can we help you with anything?' One guy asked with a muffled voice, though he still wore his helmet.

She was caught in the eyes of the other guy, who hadn't said nothing so far, but something about him seemed to get her.

'Ma'am?' The one who spoke before got off his bike and walked to her. 'Are you okay?'

'No… Yes... I think... I just...' She stumbled over her words, which embarrassed her, because she was usually quite good with words. She felt herself blush slightly. So she took a deep breath and cut herself off this breathtaking intense look from that stranger, this beautiful blue eyes that somehow touched her deep inside. Made her heart beat a little faster and made something in her soul swing, like it had never before in her life. She blinked several times and then forced herself to focus on the other guy.

'Is there anything wrong with your car, miss?' The speaking guy asked, lifted his helm and offered her his hand. 'Deputy Douglas Witter.' He introduced himself. She had gotten herself together and looked at him with an excusatory smile.

'Hi. My name is Josephine McCarroll.' She took his hand very firmly, her voice back to normal and quite commercial as she shook the offered hand very self-confident. 'You could indeed help me out here, Deputy.'

'To your service.' Doug answered.

'I'm looking for somewhere to stay for the night...' She let the sentence unfinished, because she wasn't sure where she wanted to stay and so she just decided, he could sent her to one place as well as to the other.

'There are two options, but I think maybe...' He looked from her, to her car and back at her. 'You head west, down the road along the creek. On it's end you'll find the CYC. I'm sure they will have a room for you.'

She smiled lopsided. 'Well thanks a lot Deputy Witter.'

'My pleasure, Miss...?.' He said and gave a subservient wave with his hand.

'McCarroll.' She gave him another smile and than looked at the other guy. 'Josephine McCarroll.' Than she got in her car, started the engine and was gone. She could see the two man still standing, where she just headed off from. The deputy squeezed the shoulder of the other man and then got on his bike as well.

She still remembered this intense eyes as she opened the door to her balkon and breathed the fresh clean air deep into her lungs. Wondering if she would ever find out, who this guy was.

For today, she would do with the pool, a good ice cold cocktail and maybe a little sauna in the end. But tomorrow… Tomorrow she wanted to go to the town and to the harbour and maybe she would accidentally stumble over the guy with this unbelievable blue eyes, so full of life and promises and jet so sad and disenchanted.

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