Author's Note: Just a little Pacey/Joey story. A little…sappy? Oh well, I guess that was just the mood I was in. I hope you all enjoy!
"Pacey…" A barely audible, yet recognizable, cry came from the other end of the phone line.
"Jo…Jo? What's wrong?" Pacey's voice was calm, yet growing with increasing concern.
"Pacey…I need you. I need you to come pick me up."
"Okay, okay, Jo, calm down. Just calm down. Take a deep breath and tell me where you are."
Pacey could hear Joey choke back a sob and inhale a breath.
"I'm at the…I'm at the Boston Harbor Hotel. Pacey…"
"I'm on my way, Joey. Hold on."
With no hesitation, Pacey hung up the phone and grabbed his coat and car keys. He didn't spare a second as he pushed past Jack and jumped into his car.
The whole way there Pacey's head was spinning. He had so many thoughts running through his head he almost felt dizzy.
Pacey lifted a hand to his forehead and wiped away the sweat.
"God, Joey. Hold on." Pacey whispered to himself as he sped down the empty highway.
Pacey arrived at the hotel in a matter of twenty-five minutes, exceeding the speed limit by about thirty miles per hour.
He inhaled a breath as he pushed through the front doors.
"Boston Harbor Hotel. How may I help you?" The woman sitting behind the desk was young and incredibly attractive. She blinked her eyes flirtatiously, but Pacey ignored her.
"Yes, um, is there a Joey Potter registered in this hotel?"
The woman smiled. "Joey Potter? Is that your brother? A friend?"
Pacey chuckled a little. "I just received a frantic telephone call, at eleven-o-clock at night, from the one girl who can make my heart melt and ache at the same time, asking me to please pick her up at this hotel. Now, if you don't mind, could you kindly tell me where this girl is so I can see if she's alright?"
The young woman huffed a little as she glanced at the book in front of her. She glanced up.
"She's in room 202."
"Thank you so very much for your assistance." Pacey said as he ran to the stairs.
Pacey ran the two flights of stairs leading to the two hundred hallway and didn't stop until he came face to face with the door that she was supposed to be behind.
He knocked, not a friendly knock, but more of a frantic one.
"Joey! Joey, are you in there?"
The door opened slowly and Pacey stood there breathlessly as the woman he had once loved stood before him, tears staining her porcelain face, adding a shear glimmer to her already perfect features.
He exhaled the breath he had been holding in since he had received the phone call. Just seeing her in front of him was a reassurance.
With no words spoken, Pacey reached out and embraced her, feeling her in his arms and listening to her sob. He wasn't even halfway in the doorway, but it didn't matter. He kissed her forehead and Joey stepped back.
"What's wrong?" Pacey asked softly.
Joey shook her head and held back a sob as he made his way into her hotel room.
"Is someone here, Joey? Did somebody hurt you?" Pacey's voice had lost the gently tone and had become fierce and direct. He clenched and clenched his fist, trying his best to stay calm. He searched the room, checking under beds, looking in the bathroom…
Joey touched his shoulder.
"Pacey." Her voice was soft, sweet. One of the things that Pacey couldn't resist. Just the sound of her voice, saying his name of all things, sent a chill through his entire body. He turned around and looked at her.
"Joey, what's wrong? Why did I drive out to Boston at after eleven-o-clock at night?" His voice regained the sensitivity he had originally started out with. "Why are you at a hotel? What's going on, Joey? Please. Tell me."
Joey bit her bottom lip. "I…Derrik…Nevermind. It doesn't matter. I'm sorry I called you and made you come out here. It's nothing, though."
Pacey shook his head. "No. No, Joey. It's not nothing. If it were nothing, then you wouldn't have called me this late and asked me to come pick you up. If it were nothing then you wouldn't have been crying. And if it were nothing, then you wouldn't be standing here in the middle of a hotel room, having this conversation with me. Now, I want to know, what's wrong?"
"Look, Pacey, I'm sorry I called you, okay? I really am. I guess I wasn't thinking. You can leave now. I don't need you here."
"No, Joey! I'm not leaving until I get some answers! Now why the hell did I drive down to Boston to pick up a sobbing, crying…who's Derrik? And why didn't-"
"He left, Pacey, he left! Okay. He brought me here, and then he left."
"What?"
Joey sighed. "He brought me to this hotel because he wanted to…and then when I wouldn't do it, he got angry and left. That's all."
"I don't believe you."
"Excuse me?"
"Well, sure, I don't doubt that happened. My whole life, I've never known you to be a liar, Potter, but I think you're missing something. Did he-"
Pacey pushed back Joey's hair behind her ear and inhaled a deep breath.
"Now I know what you missed."
"Pacey…"
"Who the hell is this Derrik guy, huh? Where the hell is this Derrik guy?"
"Pacey, stop! It's no big deal!"
"No big deal? Joey, you've got a handprint on the side of your face. Dammit! How could you not tell me this? This is serious! The man hit you!"
"Pacey…"
"If you won't tell me where he is, I'll find him myself."
Pacey waited a minute, giving Joey time to decide, before he charged to the door.
"Pacey, let me come."
Pacey let out another small, sarcastic chuckle. "I'll pick you up later, Joey. I really don't think you want to come with me."
Joey bit her bottom lip. "I'm sorry, Pacey. I didn't mean to do this to you."
Pacey turned around to face her. "I'm not mad at you, Joey. I'm just- aggravated. But not at you. I could never be mad at you. Just tell me where he is, Jo."
"Pacey, I can't. I don't want you to throw this completely out of proportion, just because-"
"He hit you."
Joey shrugged slightly. "I'm sorry, Pace."
Pacey nodded. "Yeah, well, I don't see why you're protecting this creep."
"Protecting him? You think I'm protecting him? Pacey, I…I don't even know what to say to that!"
"What is there to say about it, Jo? You don't want me to find this guy, you're obviously-"
"I don't want you to find him because I don't want to see you…"
"Yes? See me what? Beat the shit out of him? Jo, you're not making any sense. You-"
"I don't want you to get hurt, Pacey! I don't want to see you fighting over me, again. I'm sorry, I-"
"Joey, I can take care of myself. I think we both know that. Besides, in case nobody's ever told you this, you're worth fighting for."
There was a moment of silence between the two of them before Pacey broke it.
"You really don't want me to find this guy, do you Joey?"
Joey looked up at him. "Pacey-"
"Do you just want to go home?"
Joey nodded.
"Fine. I mean, hey, that's what you called me for, right?"
"Pace, I'm sorry, okay? I really am-"
Pacey's arms wrapped around Joey's waist and embraced her in a comforting hug.
"It's okay." He whispered into her hair. "I'm not mad at you."
Joey moaned. "I forgot how warm you were."
Pacey laughed. "Come on, Potter. Let's get you home."
Joey smiled.
The pair walked down the hallway, Joey leaning into Pacey and Pacey's arm around her. As they continued down the hallway, he kissed the top of her head.
"I missed you, Potter."