He drove the car past the sign welcoming him to town. Eyes turned towards him, it wasn't that often that you got visitors in Capeside. But as people looked closer their faces showed looks of recognition. Though it had been a few years since they had last seen him, he was still identifiable. The years did show in his face, his eyes were more shadowed than they were the last time they had seen him. Once people recognized him they immediately gave him waves that not only communicated a "welcome back" but also a "we're so sorry". He shook his head; he had seen this story line a lot. After all he was a director. The tragic hero returns to his small hometown and everyone treats him like a fragile creature. His foot pressed down on the accelerator a bit harder.

"Ah my baby's back!" Gail Leery ran down the steps of the front porch and threw her arms around Dawson. "Couldn't even be burdened enough to call your mother, huh?"

"Sorry mom, but I've been real busy since I left."

"She knows, she's been tracking every moment of your career since you left." Mitch Leery had walked out to join his wife and son on the front lawn. "How are you son?"

"Great Dad." The two Leery men hugged.

"Dawson!" A small blonde girl came barreling out of the house and right into Dawson.

"Hey Lily." Dawson hugged his ten year old sister to him. "You've grown since I saw you last."

"Well it has been five years," Gail pointed out.

"I had this really weird dream last night," Lily began to rattle on.

"Dawson doesn't want to hear about that Lily," Gail cut her off.

"Sure he does. Emma was in it." Lily looked to her brother whose face had suddenly become poignant.

"So who wants lunch?" Gail began to lead the group into the house.

"If you don't mind mom I think I'm going to go see everyone else. Catch up and all." Gail looked as if she did mind and wanted to say something to stop him from going, but Mitch put his hand on her arm.

"You go and have fun, son."

"Thanks dad. Love you mom." Dawson pecked his mom's cheek and waved to his dad.

"What about me?" Lily called to him.

"Love you too." Dawson was already to his car. He turned the engine on, rolled the windows up and blasted the radio. Gail shook her head as she watched her son drive away.

"I worry about him Mitch. It's been five years and he's still…"

"There's nothing we can do about it Gail. This is one thing he's got to do on his own. On his own time. Now how about you and I and the kid we can still control go in the house and eat some of that fabulous chicken salad you whipped up." Gail smiled at him. He put his arm around her and kissed the top of the head and then they followed Lily into the house.

"Well Dawson Leery, I never thought I'd see you around here again." Dawson walked to the swing as Jen Lindley stood up.

"And I never thought I'd see you back here in Capeside in Gram's old house." They embraced.

"Well people surprise you. When Gram's died last year…"

"I'm so sorry."

"She went peacefully. But when she died last year I decided that I wanted to come back here and live where she did. So Jack and I moved from New York."

"Jack's here too." Jen smirked.

"And Doug."

"Doug!"

"Yes. It seems that Pacey was right about him all along. And he and Jack are kind of a couple now."

"The four of you living in this house, wow."

"Five of us actually." Dawson's eyebrows lifted in curiosity. "Well, you know that guy that I was dating when you left." Dawson nodded. "Well about a year after you left he did too, but not before impregnating me."

"What can I say, you really know how to pick them." Jen elbowed him.

"Yeah it was hard and I really hated him for it until I first laid eyes on little Amy. I just fell in love with her." Dawson's eyes began to shadow over with tears, but Jen didn't notice. She was too wrapped up in her recollection. "And then Jack agreed to move in with me and it was kind of like Amy had a normal family, or as normal as she could have with one of her parents being gay. Then Doug came into the picture and the house as well and I realized that while our family might not be normal, it's pretty kick ass. So what if Amy has two dads? She's got three parents and that's more than most kids can say." Dawson blinked a few times and then spoke.

"Wow motherhood has mellowed you."

"Come on inside." Jen took his hand and led him into the house.

"It looks just the same as it did when you were living here in high school." Dawson moved into the living room and began to look at the pictures on the mantel. The first few showed Jack and Jen with various backdrops and then the rest had two additions; someone that Dawson recognized from his childhood, his best friend's older brother Doug and a small blonde girl who looked just like Jen. Dawson gently touched the picture of Jen hugging the toddler close as he remembered what that felt like.

"Dawson!" Dawson tore his eyes from the picture and turned.

"Hey Jack!" Dawson glanced at Jack and saw that behind him stood Doug, looking awkward. Jack strode across the living room and hugged Dawson. "There seems to be a lot of that going on today," Dawson remarked as he pulled back. "Doug." Dawson extended his hand and Doug shook it. The three of them sat on the couch and Jen came in with a tray.

"Tea and cookies." Dawson shook his head in amazement.

"And motherhood turned you into Martha Stewart. You should have gotten knocked up a long time ago." Dawson stole a cookie from the tray as Jack and Doug sniggered.

"It's what Grams used to serve when she had company," Jen explained. "Gotten knocked up a long time ago," she mumbled to herself in disbelief as she set the tray on the coffee table and they all four dug in.

"So how has everyone been since I left?" Dawson asked over his tea.

"Everyone or someone in particular?" Jen raised an eyebrow.

"Everyone."

"Well Doug got promoted." Jack smiled at him proudly. "And I'm a teacher now at the high school."

"Wow. What's it like to be back in those halls?"

"Strange. It's really odd to see kids come in year after year and use the same locker that once had 'fag' written across it just for me." Dawson didn't know whether to pity him or laugh but then Jack cracked a smile and the four chuckled.

"And what have you been up to Jen?"

"Well I've been pretty busy with Amy. She's a handful."

"Tell me about it. When she hit her terrible twos I just wanted to kill her," Jack chortled.

"Jack!" Jen chastised him.

"I didn't mean…I…" but Jack couldn't finish. The room fell silent until a little girl ran into the room and right up to Dawson.

"Who are you?" the little girl poked him in the chest. Dawson beamed.

"My name's Dawson. I'm a friend of your mom and dad's."

"I'm Amy. And I'm theirs." She pointed to the other three adults. Everyone laughed, glad to have the awkwardness over with. Amy crawled into Jen's lap and Jen stroked her hair.

"So where's the rest of our high school gang. Andie?" Dawson looked at Jack.

"She moved to London and works at the University of Oxford now. She's married too. To some rich guy, I've only met him once. He's nice though. They don't have any kids so sometimes she comes over and she steals Amy for a while." Jack reached over and tickled the small girl who roared with laughter.

"What about Joey and Pacey?"

"Joey moved into the house next to the B and B after you left. She's been working on a novel and is actually getting it published next month."

Dawson shook his head in amazement. "I always knew she'd be the successful one of us."

"Well what about you, Mr. Big Shot Director? I'd say you're pretty successful," Jen said.

"So what's Pacey up to, still slacking off?" Dawson was speaking of his best friend from high school.

Doug set his cup down on the coffee table. "No actually, my little bro finally got it together. He opened up his own restaurant and got married with a kid on the way actually." Doug seemed surprised.

"Impressive." A lot had changed since Dawson had left. "Is the girl anyone I know?" The room got a bit quieter.

"I don't know. We did go to high school with her though," Jen spoke up. She looked at her wrist though there was no watch there. "Look at the time. We actually have a parent teacher conference now, so maybe you should go see Joey." Jen stood up and led Amy to the foyer.

"It's summer. What kind of teacher has conferences?" Dawson stood up and followed Jen.

"Umm well, we're sending Amy to a big private preschool and you know how stuffy they are," Jack supplied. They were all standing in the foyer. Dawson looked at his friends and for a moment they were the gawky adolescents he had spent his high school years with. He blinked once and reality hit him. His friends had grown and now were raising kid of their own. It was hard to believe that that could be him right now.

"Ok, well I'll see you guys later? I'm thinking we could have a big get together dinner tonight. The old gang back together you know? And you're welcome to come too Doug."

"Absolutely." Jen practically shoved him out the door. She blew him a kiss and then shut the door. Dawson shook his head. While a lot had changed, some things stayed the same. Jen was still the same crazy person she had always been and Jack was still the overly dependable, willing to do anything for you kind of guy.