Soulmates

"Dawson and I, we're soulmates," sighs Joey dreamily, shifting her weight on the plush settee. Her companion raises an eyebrow, making no comment, watching Joey's expression morph to confused and troubled.

"So why aren't you together?"

At this, Joey opens up: "Well, I always had a crush on Dawson. As soon as I became aware of boys in a more mature way, Dawson symbolised sex. Gone was the innocent bliss that had coloured our childhood, I now yearned for him."

Joey's tale stops abruptly as a snort followed by a chuckle escapes the listener in the opposite chair.

Glaring, she continues..."Anyway some bimbo from New York blows into town… blonde, beautiful, busty… every boys' dirty magazine fantasy. Despite considering Dawson superior to other members of the male species, she made him aware of his manliness in a way that hadn't been done by anyone other than Katy Couric. He was smitten by her, but although they dated briefly, he returned to me and we shared our first kiss."

She pauses as the dreamy look returns. "However, we were too young to fully appreciate one another. We were soulmates tragically joined too soon."

"Tragic," the occupant of the chair somewhat mockingly "agrees", then states: "You broke up."

"He didn't respect my artistic flare, and that artistic temperament propelled me into the arms of a new man and away from my Dawson. He was Jack. He understood the arts and drama and truly seemed to connect with me. He was gay. As soulmates always do, Dawson and I drifted together again, pushed by fate into each other's arms before I felt the sting of his betrayal against me and my family as he turned my father in to the police, ruining my happy home."

"Betrayal? Wasn't he trying to help you?"

Joey frowns, "Of course. His intentions were true and gallant and I came to realise that in the barren months apart. I once more quested for my fair Dawson's hand, only, he hadn't recovered from my rejection and before we could be united he had to explore his sexuality with another blonde. Taller, less busty, but a bimbo all the same. While Dawson was distracted I dated A J, but had to send him to his childhood love whom he was oblivious of. I was then wooed by another. Who was that?" Joey scrunches up her forehead in genuine puzzlement. "Pottsy? Patsy? Poopsy?"

"Pacey," prompts the voice.

Joey snaps her fingers. "Yes, that's it. We had this passionate and loving relationship…. I lost my virginity to him… but Dawson was always there too. Mentally."

"We shared an intimate kiss before college then made a show of dating other people. I did this with the professor and Charlie whilst Dawson retrod some old routes evening the score by having sex." Ignoring the disgruntled guttural noise this invokes, she smiles, but although we hadn't been together romantically for many years, he'd followed me, given up everything for me. We had many other insignificant relationships and although they may have seemed more plausible and satisfying at the time, they pale in comparison to the bright flame that Dawson and I share in our hearts."

"So, why not the happy ever after?"

"There will be. We are always what we are going to want. Back at that time though, our paths merged again. Guided by destiny we were reunited for a magical month and our relationship progressed to the next level. At this point, my new career in acting began to flourish and he felt threatened by my status as a sex goddess. He pretended he was comfortable with this development but wasn't. He ended it. It all got to him. He just couldn't keep it up."

"Poor Dawson, he's never had any difficulties like that before."

"And hasn't with me since," Joey snaps, "but I didn't discover that until after Andie. She was the closest female friend he had whom he hadn't previously been involved with. But if she was attracted by his romantic musings, his philosophical side soon became too much for her. She was re-admitted into a mental institution. As ever, he ran back to me in his time of need and I awaited him with open arms. We had a fantastic fortnight."

"Arms?" Questions the other person.

Not answering, Joey heaves a large sigh as she tells the next part: "Dawson's passion for film has prevailed through the years. He was present at the screening of my directorial debut, and we often watched films together. After seeing Serendipity, Dawson was deeply impressed by the fatalistic ideals of the movie. He therefore wished to know if we were truly meant to be together. The next day he moved house. We met once more when he told me of his plan to write the address on the ticket stub, put it in the trash and see if it worked it's way back to me."

"Uh-huh," the tone of the voice implies disbelief.

"I became a famous singer during our parting. At the million-selling tour of America, I bumped into Drue. We had a brief fling, curtailed by my work on my autobiography. Seeing my eventful life written out I was overcome by my desire for Dawson, so I gave up waiting on the movie stub and grabbed a phone book."

"How could you?" Admonishes the voice.

"Don't you understand?" Incredulously. " It is our destiny. I just brought the inevitable forward. When I found Dawson he was in Capeside trying to revive his ailing film career. Much of the week we spent together I was working on the follow up to my best selling novel, "Daisy." He felt neglected and his documentary on the supernatural led to him finding and becoming besotted with Abby's ghost."

"He never cared that much for her when he was alive."

"Of course, that relationship ended, and he found himself drawn to my household again. To Bessie."

No sound comes from the other chair, but a suppressed smile does.

"Fortunately, a mishap occurred. Upon trying to sneak into Bessie's bed, Dawson instead found Bodie lying in wait. He ran off, screaming and clutching his ass. But enough on Bodie. Being shunned by my sister, Dawson soon craved the love and care only one so close as I could provide."

Breaking off to breathe, no comment comes from the other side of the room. "I climbed the ladder to his room for four nights. On the fifth, I slipped on the ladder and fell, breaking my leg in three places. Annoyed by the fact I didn't just use the door like everyone else, our brief union was ended by Dawson. Whilst in hospital, my attention was caught by the pain and suffering of others. As soon as my winning slalom run in the winter Olympics the following week was over, I entered the realm of medical research. Encouraged by the support and adoration of Doug, I completed my search for a cure of cancer. Realising that life is such a precious gift, I knew I needed Dawson by my side to make mine complete."

Joey pauses to allow suitable praise to be spoken of, but the half-sleeping figure doesn't comply. Louder than before, she resumes:

"Anyway, we had a wonderful weekend, woefully cut short when I had to save the world. I was the only person capable of stopping that giant asteroid and I couldn't let the whole of mankind down."

As Joey's story nears its conclusion, she looks over to the still drowsy girl in the other chair. Burying her pain, she decides her information can now be passed on.

"When I came back, Dawson had found someone new. Someone special. Jen, it's Grams."

This startles Jen to full wakefulness.

"What!?! Oh, that's it!" Storming from the room, she returns with a shotgun. "You first." She proclaims, pointing towards the shows' writers.