The Object Of My Affection Part 1 by: Jessie - jessievanderbeek@hotmail.com

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Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Author's Note: This story was written along time ago, and there are some major mistakes. So I re-read it and revised it. It's basically the same thing, but better! And some names were changed, because, uh, I found out what they're names really were!

Feedback: Please send feedback. I live for it! Well, I don't actually live for it, but it's really nice! Send feedback to the address above.

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Five years...five years since they had been apart. But it was only two years since they had said their last words to each other. She still remembered.

"You don't have to go..."

"Yes I do..."

"Why?"

"Because I need to get away."

"But..."

"We're only friends...I know that I said that once I found my something, we could get back together possibly, but I guess I never found it. I hope I will someday, but now I need to go..."

"But..."

"Goodbye Dawson."

And that was the day that she had left him.

She gets out of her car and walks up the steps to her New York City apartment building and climbs the stairs to her apartment.

She drops her sketchpad and bag on the ground and walks to the counter and presses the button on her answering machine.

Message 1:

Hey, Joey...up for a party? We're having one tonight. You know Drew Barrymore is going to be there...Jennifer Love Hewitt, and her boyfriend Carson Daly but you know...he would be perfect for you...I'll set you up. Come by at 6:00. Bye

Perfect she thought...her stepmother wanted to set her up. Her father got out of jail on parole and he moved to New York and fell for agent who worked with some of the top stars when she was a teenager and were trying to get their careers back to where they were then.

Message 2:

Hey Jo, what are you up to? I'm so sorry about our plans tonight but I have to cancel. The writers need me to go over some things with the actors...I'll come by later tonight though. Okay? Love you.

Dawson...Dawson Leery...her boyfriend since the year before when they met up, after he had finished his first (horror) movie, he decided to create a TV series about his live as a child, he wanted to talk to Joey, Pacey and Jen to make sure that it was alright if he used their life experiences as part of his pilot. They of course said yes and Joey and Dawson were reunited from their long and tortured hiatus because Joey had found her something 'art, teaching as an art teacher local high school' and since Dawson hadn't ever gotten over her they started over.

She takes off her shoes and starts going through her closet and taking her cordless phone and pushing a bottom on her speed-dial.

A woman answers, "Hello, you've reached the office of Dawson Leery and associates."

"Hello, Brandi?" Joey asks.

"Yes, this is she. May I ask who's speaking?"

"Hey, this is Joey. Is he there?"

"Yes, he's in a meeting right now..." she says.

"Oh, well can you have him call me back?"

"No, I'll tell him you're on, he needed to talk to you, can you hold on?"

"Yes, sure."

There is some terrible hold music, and she takes the phone slightly off her ear and pulls out dresses from her closet. The music suddenly stops and Brandi is back on the line.

"He should be on in a few minutes." Brandi replies.

"Thanks Brandi!"

"No problem..."

"Hello?" Dawson asks.

"Hey honey."

"Jo, hey, what are you doing? Did you get my message?"

"Yes. It's alright, Mary wants me to go to some dinner that she's having at her house..."

"Are you going?"

"Yes, I mean she's my stepmother, my father will want me to go."

"Are you getting ready now?"

"Yes. Does my black dress sound okay?"

"Well who's going to be there?"

"I guess Drew, Jen...Mary actually wants to set me up with Carson!"

"Carson Daly? Jennifer's boyfriend?" Dawson asks baffled.

"Her fiancee...I think."

"So I'm guessing she doesn't expect me."

"No, but it wouldn't be a problem! Come if you get off in time."

"I don't think I can, sorry."

"It's okay."

"Wear that short read dress you have."

"That's like way to short! And to small!"

"Well, you can wear it when I come over tonight then."

"You're coming?"

"Yes, do you not want me to come?"

"Of course I do! Please do!"

"I've gotta go, see you tonight."

"Okay, see you later!" Joey says as she hangs up the phone and takes her blue dress out of her closet and grabs her shoes and walks into the bathroom.

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A half an hour later she's dressed and putting her makeup and hair up. An hour later, she's at his step mom and fathers house trying to get inside.

"And you would be?" the doorman asks.

"Josephine Potter...Mrs. Mary Potter's step daughter."

"Miss Potter, Mrs. Potter wanted you to meet her in the study."

"Okay, thank you."

She walks into the house and finds the study, where her stepmother is talking to a young man and her father.

"Joey!" Mike exclaims.

"Dad!" Joey says as she walks over and hugs her father.

"How are you?" he asks.

"Great, and you?"

"Fine...where's Dawson?"

Interrupting her husband, Mary says, "Josephine, dead, I would like you to meet, Carson Daly, this is my step daughter Josephine Potter."

"It's a pleasure, Mary and Mike have been talking abut you constantly."

"Oh, I'm sure they have. So where is Jennifer?" Joey asks.

Carson looks around for a few seconds and says, "I'm not very sure. I think she said she was going to go talk to Drew."

"Oh, yes, I think I saw her."

"So, you're dating Dawson Leery, correct?"

"Yes..."

"I hear he's making a new movie. He wouldn't happen to have any extra characters that he needs actors for does he?" Carson asks.

"Why, do you need a job?"

"Me? No I'm doing very well. MTV paid be pretty nicely during those Total Request days. I've been looking for parts for Freddie and Paul.

"Wasn't their last movies been She's All That?"

"Pretty much, Paul had Varsity Blues..."

"You know I'd love to help them, but Dawson hasn't been telling me what he's up to. Except that he's written a pilot for a TV series about teenagers."

"Oh, I see.."

Joey looks around and see's that the study has been cleared for dinner, "I'd better go, I think dinner is about to be served."

He looks around and notices that no one else is in the room, "Oh yes, I see that too.. Nice meeting you."

She smiles and shakes his hand, "Nice meeting you too."

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After walking out of the study, she goes to the dinning room and is stuck inbetween Jessica Biel and a unfamous man that she'd never met.

"Hello I'm Joey Potter." she says, reaching for his hand.

"I'm Wellis Jones. People call me Will." he says, shaking her hand.

"Hi, Will. I've never seen you around her before, are you in the business?"

"No, actually I'm not. Mrs. Potter's daughter goes to my boyfriend's art school. I hear she's a great painter."

"She's my little sister."

"You're her sister?"

"Um, she's actually my half sister."

"Well, she goes to Jack's school and Mary invited us to dinner."

"That's nice..." she says, starting to eat.

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Time Lapse

"So do you live in New York?" Will asks.

"Yes, do you?"

"Yes. I live downtown, with Jack. But you wouldn't happen to know of anywhere around where you live that has an extra room for rent do you?"

"Well actually, I do. I didn't ever intent to rent it out, but yes I have one."

"Would you be able to spare it? jack and I just haven't been working out lately, and I think we're in for a break."

Looking around at the rest of the people sitting at the table she asks, "Which one is Jack?"

"The one sitting right next to you step mother."

Joey looks over and sees Jack McPhee, "Jack McPhee?" she asks.

"Yes that's him."

Joey stands up and walks over to him, "Jack!"

He turns around and see Joey, "I'm sorry do I know y--Joey?"

"Jack! I can't believe it's you!"

Jack stands up and hugs her, "You too! You look great."

"Thanks. So do you." she says, releasing Jack from her hug.

"What are you doing here?" he asks, sitting back down and motioning for Joey to sit in the empty chair next to him.

"Mary is my stepmother. And Monica is my half sister."

"Wow! Now that I think of it, you two do look at little alike."

"Not really...I personally don't see a resembalance."

Jack looks down at his empty plate and looks back up at Joey and kind of figits, "You were sitting next to Will I see."

"Yes, I'm so sorry about you guys." she says, looking very sincere.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry you guys are splitting up. I'd be happy to let you rent out my room in my apartment..."

"Joey, what are you talking about?"

"Will said you two wern't getting along and that you were moving out." "He did?" Jack asks, looking down the table at Will who's now talking to Jennifer and Carson.

"Um, did I just say something that I wasn't suppost to say?"

"No, it's fine. Listen, I've got to go." he says, standing up from his chair, and taking the napkin from off his lap onto the plate thats sitting on the table.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, thanks Jo."

"You're welcome," she says questionably. "You know if you ever need to talk, I'm listed." she adds.

"Thanks, bye Joey."

Jack walks out of the room leaving Joey sitting by herself. She looks around the room and notices that she's the only one still sitting at the dinning table.

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Later that night at her apartment, she is sitting in her office which is connected to her bed room. She's reading papers, when their is a ring from the intercom. She runs down the stairs and is about to kiss him when she opens the door, she sees that it's Jack, with bags.

"Jack! What are you doing here?"

"Well you know how you said that I could call?" Joey nods. "Well Will kicked me out and I looked up your name and I found your address too, so I decided to just come by."

"Great! I'm glad that you did. Come in please."

"Thanks." He walks in through the door and shuts it, walking up the stairs following Joey. "So, were you waiting for someone?"

"Yes, actually, Dawson's coming." she says smiling.

"Dawson. you got back together with him?"

"Yep. Come in." she says, while opening the door and walking in, him following not far behind.

She points to the ground and he sets his bags on the ground.

"I might as well give you the tour," Jack nods and they walk down the short hall. "Well this is my room, and inside is my office, if you need a computer or anything I have one in my office." She walks back outside of her room, and points to the door right next from her's. "And this is the bathroom. The towels and things are in the cabinet beside the tub." They walk out of the bathroom and she goes to the room across from hers. "And this is your room." she says while opening the door and walking in him following.

"I know it's not great and all, but I'm sure that you can fix it up a bit. I mean you're 'Mr. Artist.' "

"Will and I'll probably get back together. We seperate alot. But we always get back together."

"Just stay as long as you want."

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Joey is sitting at her table eating ot of a carton of ice cream and Jack is in his room reading a book.

"So, tell me, why isn't Dawson moving here and I am?"

"He's got his own place uptown, and he's really busy with his career and so we decided to stay in our own places."

Jack walks out of his room and Joey goes into her room leaving the door open a little.

"So, after we graduaed you came out here and got your teaching degree and started teaching art at the high school?"

"Yes. And you came out here and met Will and became an art teacher. What a pair we make. Two art teacher. Both with a male sexual preference. Except I'm teaching high schoolers and you've got sweet inncoent kids who've got a bunch of rich parents and get paid bundles.

"It's not that glamorus, but pretty much."

The intercom rings.

"Jack, you you get that? I'm kind of changing in here."

"Sure, I'll get it."

Jack goes out of the apartment, and down the stairs to the main door, opens it and sees Dawson.

"Hello Dawson."

Dawson looks at the brunette man and wonders who the hell he is, "Do I know you?" he asks.

"Jack, Jack McPhee."

"Jack. What are you doing here?"

"My boyfriend kicked me out, Joey said that I could stay here."

"Joey did, did she?"

Joey comes rushing down the stairs and pushes Jack out of the way and runs into Dawson's arms.

"Dawson! I missed you!"

Kissing her he replies, "I missed you too!"

"Come in!" she says, laughing, while pulling him up the stairs. Leaving Jack by himself at the bottom of the stairs. He walks up the stairs and goes back into the apartment. Joey and Dawson are no where to be found.

"Great, just great." he says, walking back into his room and shuts the door.

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At midnight Jack is sitting in the kitchen eating ice-cream. Joey comes out of her room and walks over to him.

Whispering she says, "Hey."

"Hey." Jack replies a little to loudly.

"Shhh. He's asleep."

"Oh, sorry."

Both whispering now, "So, why are you up this late?" Joey asks.

"Midnight snack, you?"

"I couldn't sleep. I was thinking about things."

"Mind if I ask?"

"Things have been on my mind. Dawson, Jen, Pacey. Even though we haven't kept in touch, I think about them alot."

"Pacey and you haven't kept in touch?"

"No, Pacey and Dawson talk once in a while, but other than that, I haven't seen him in a while."

"I saw him a while ago. You didn't go for Andie and his wedding?"

"Andie and I haven't talked in a while either."

"They got together two years ago. Were you two together then?"

"No, only a year now."

"I can give you their number so you can call them. I couldn't go to the wedding. It was in San Fransisco and I was busy with school and Bill.

"Bill?"

"Last boyfriend, before Will. Nice guy. Had a toe fetish."

Joey laughs, and then yawns, "You know, I'm going to go try and sleep now. I'm getting kind of tired."

"Night."

"Night Jack."

Joey stands up out of her chair and walks back into her room, careful not to wake Dawson.

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That was the first part. More will come soon. Please send feedback.