Disclaimer: I do not own the Dawson's Creek characters or anything associated with the show.

A/N: This story takes place at the end of Season 3 when Pacey and Joey go sailing for the summer. Hope you enjoy! And as always, let me know what you think.

-Prologue-

It was late in the evening when a small navy sailboat finally reached the shores of Pennsylvania. The warm sun was kissing the water with a fiery sizzle as the most perfect blues, purples, and reds were painted just above, in the perfect summer sky. Dark navy and pure black filled the east just as the little diamonds of glitter were starting to dance around the man in the moon.

Joey, who was trying to capture the beautiful essence around her with a simple gray pencil and a notepad, sat up on the deck of the boat, waiting for the moment she could set both feet firmly on the ground again. She had been sailing for a little over three days now and was very anxious to see civilization again.

The boy who had inspired this crazy voyage was currently below deck, making sure everything was prepared for a smooth landing on shore. He had promised her earlier that they would arrive early enough for fresh showers and a change of clothes. Such a simple combination of delicacies was once considered a necessity. But now, after taking several "baths" in water she shared with creatures sporting gills and slimy scales, a hot shower and fresh clothes sounded like pure heaven.

As the lights in the small village ahead became bigger and brighter, she stole glances down at her new boyfriend - however, she wasn't so brazen as to say his title out loud yet, for fear of endless teasing from said new boyfriend.

Although the more time she spent with the boy who was once her self-proclaimed adversary, the more she realized she knew very little about him. Like the little scar on his right pinky, which she had discovered when she kissed his hand after he accidentally mashed it with his hammer. Or the way his blue eyes would sparkle as he looked up at the stars when he held her close at night.

Even the significant things such as his dreams for the future and a life free from expectations of failure and inadequacy, were thoughts she never knew coursed through his mind on a regular basis. She was shocked and nearly laughed when he told her he wanted to go to college and make something of himself. She quickly sobered up when she saw the truth glistening passionately in the depths of his blue eyes. He was obviously very serious. She had never seen this side of Pacey J. Witter before. She wasn't sure anybody else had seen this side of him either.

When she knew the boy wasn't looking, she would peer down and just watch him work. She would study the muscles in his arms and broad shoulders as they would flex with perfection, waking thoughts she knew Bessie would throttle her for. And now, just as another set of waves sent them closer to the docks, she found herself in a similar trance again, staring down at the boy she barely recognized; the boy who was quickly turning into a man.

"Ahoy there, Potter," he called out from below the deck with a smirk on his face, "Did I just catch you checking out the Witter goods again?"

Joey quickly looked away as her jaw dropped in temporary embarrassment.

"I swear, Potter," he teased as he climbed up to the deck, "it's like you're undressing me with your eyes. It's quite intrusive and making me feel like a piece of meat."

Joey pursed her lips and glared at him. As much as she realized there was still very little she knew about him, it was a comfort to know that some things would never change…

"You only wish I were undressing you with my eyes," she replied with a sharp tongue, jumping off the edge of the boat so she could put away her drawings.

"Ah come on Jo," he said quickly, taking her arm before she could go any farther. "I was just teasing."

She turned to look back and was caught by the most beautiful set of blue eyes she had ever seen. They were alluring and she was just learning how incredibly easy it was to get lost in those ocean- blue depths.

"I know you were, Pace," she replied softly, letting her lips curve into a small smile. "I was just… thinking..." She turned away and blushed, "and staring..."

Pacey smiled and moved closer to her, letting his hands fall to her waist, "Potter is 'thinking and staring,' huh? Sounds like a dangerous combination if you ask me. Do I need to start looking for a place to hide?"

Joey looked up and rolled her, "You will if you don't find me a proper shower soon."

Pacey turned to see the dock only mere feet from the boat. He reached down to take her right hand and replied softly, "Ask and you shall receive."

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Dawson was lying back on his bed, hands behind his head, staring at the most basic color of green that surrounded him on the walls of his bedroom. The walls had been the same color for as long as he could remember. They were the same walls that had surrounded him when he was sick. They were the same walls that had surrounded him when he was in love. They were the same walls that had surrounded them, as they would sleep together at night after watching her favorite movie, ET.

Everything around him was the same. He was the same. But the people around him were different.Joeywas different. Pacey was different. But again, he just stayed the same.

Maybe that's why he lost her. Maybe that's why she chose him. Maybe that's why he's stuck in this hole, just waiting for life to pass him by and the Earth to swallow him whole. At least then he wouldn't be in such a tedious misery. At least his heart wouldn't be breaking into a thousand pieces, making him hate and love and desire the girl he was afraid he would never have; the girl who completed him; the girl who was his soul-mate.

He fought the onset of tears forming in his eyes as he remembered her leave the dock to go after him. The boy he once titled as his best friend. The boy who had betrayed him so badly that he would never forgive him.

That thought alone sent a surge of anger through him and he shot up in bed. He couldn't take this agony any longer. The more the days passed without her, the more he was afraid he was losing her forever with no chance of getting her back. He couldn't just sit there anymore. He had to do something. He had to get her back.

He quickly got up and went to the window that she had climbed through numerous times throughout his life and looked up at the stars above. He wondered where she was right now and what she was doing. Of course she would be with him… Probably out in the ocean somewhere. But surely they would stay close to land so they could dock for supplies.

"That's it!" he thought.

They were going to dock somewhere on land. They had to. They needed food and supplies so of course they would come back to shore.

Dawson Leery was no longer going to be the same, boring teenager who let his best friend and soul-mate slip through his fingers. He was going to be rash. He was going to do the most un-Dawson-like thing he could do. He was going to go after her. He was going to get her back.

XOXOXOXOXOXO