A/N So this is my first fanfic... When I watched episode 18 I felt that it had Shawson written all over it so I decided to take my own approach and here it is.
It branches off from when they're at the cabin and then they go back to 51 and it continues there.

Shay's point of view:

"I miss Matt."

The second I heard those words, I wanted to run away... And I did. I could hear Gabby shouting my name behind me and I think she started to run after me, but I couldn't stop running. I couldn't face her.

I only stopped when I came across a small frozen lake and I was sure that I was alone.

"There's something wrong with you, Leslie Shay" I say to myself, "You don't fall for your best friend."

I thought bringing Dawson out here would make her realise what we have together. What she doesn't have with Matt... What I never had with Clarice. We have friendship and we respect each other. Casey was against Gabby becoming a Fire-fighter. Why would you do that? He claims to love her but as soon as he found out she wanted to go to the Academy, he tried to shoot her down.

She deserves so much better. Hell, she deserves better than me too.

Dawson's point of view:

"SHAY!" I shout as she continues to run, "WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"

She didn't stop, didn't turn around or anything. It was like she was running away from me. I gave up chasing her and watched her disappear.

"What the hell was that?" I say to myself.

I walk slowly back to the cabin and after taking off my coat, I look around.

"That will be you and Casey in twenty years" I remember Shay saying that earlier after we met the seemingly perfect couple who own the place. It was a light hearted comment until we heard them arguing about a toilet, leading to the husband nearly dying. Will that be us in twenty years? I take a mental note to shoot Matt down the moment he suggests we buy a cabin in the future.

The two glasses on the table catch my attention. Shay. Why did she run from me? What did I do? Everything was fine and then she bolted. What happened?

I don't know when I started pacing or biting at my nails, I just know that my thumb is sore and I'm starting to get worried. It's been an hour and Shay isn't back yet and I know that I have to find her. She might be hurt, who knows what animals are out here. There's no cell reception so she can't call me. She could be lying in a ditch.

I put my coat on and run to the door, throwing it open as I hurry through it. I hid something solid but before I fall to the ground, that something holds me up.

"Whoa, Dawson." I hear Shay's soft voice. I pull away from her.

"Where the hell have you been?" I frown.

"I needed to be by myself." She says sheepishly.

"You couldn't just tell me that? You had to run away?" I was starting to get agitated with her.

"Yes. I'm sorry."

"I THOUGHT YOU WERE HURT!" I shouted so loudly that Shay flinched.

"I said I was sorry, didn't I?" She said. She pushed past me and went into the cabin. I stood there for a minute to calm down before following her inside.

She was sat on the couch with our drinks in front of her. She was staring into space. I hadn't seen shay like this in a long time. She looked lost.

"Who is she?" I ask.

"It doesn't matter."

"Of course it matters, Shay!" I can feel myself getting angry again and I try to stop myself, "Tell me what's wrong!"

"Give it a rest, Gabby!" She grabs her drink and finishes off the glass.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong!"

"FINE!" she stands up and storms over to me, "I love you. I'm in love with you. I hate how you always talk about Casey and how he once again hurt you but you STILL go back to him and I hate that I haven't been able to get over you."