Chapter 1: Small Goodbyes, Big Mistakes

Chapter Text

It was a few weeks after Abby Morgan's funeral and Andie's behavior was becoming more and more erratic. Pacey had tried desperately to help her, but she was not having any of it.

"Oh my God! Just leave me alone!" Andie screamed at Pacey, as he followed her out of the kitchen.

"Andie, would you just listen to me?"

"Why Pacey? So you can try to make it all better? News Flash, I don't want your help!"

"Andie, please, just talk to me." he begged.

"What's going on?" Jack asked as he walked through the front door.

"It's Andie, I caught her talking to someone on what I thought was the phone, but she swears she wasn't. She just started yelling at me when I asked her about it."

"You just don't understand!" Andie screamed storming up the stairs.

"Do you have any idea who she was talking to?" Jack asked with concern.

"It sounded like she was talking to a guy, sounded like she called him Brown."

"Brown?" Jack stammered, a look of concern filling his face.

"What? Is that bad? Do you know who that is?" Pacey demanded.

"Yes, I do and it's not what you think. Brown is what she called Tim when we were kids. When Andie was little she couldn't say Timothy so she called him Brown which was her favorite color."

"So she's talking to Tim?"

"That's what it looks like to me. This is bad, Pacey. I've got to call my dad."

"Do you really think he can help?"

"I don't know, but he's got the resources to get her the help that she needs."

At that moment Andie came slowly down the stairs.

"You think I'm crazy?" she questioned, tears forming in her eyes.

"No, Andie. We don't think you're crazy. We just want to help."

"I'm not crazy. I'm not. I see Tim and he's here. He talks to me."

"I know you believe that, Andie, but you do need more help than Pacey or I can give you."

"I'm not crazy," she repeated slumping down onto the stairs.

"Well she's finally asleep," Pacey informed Jack flopping onto the couch beside him.

"My dad will be here first thing in the morning."

"I hope he does right by you and Andie this time."

"Me too."

"Do you think he's going to try to send her away for treatment?"

"I don't know."

"Pacey...Pacey...oh Pacey," Andie shouted running towards him as he was opening his locker.

"My dad...he came home this morning. He wants to send me away."

"Hang on, Andie...slow down. What exactly did he say?"

"He said that obviously my current therapist isn't doing her job and maybe I need in-patient care at a facility in Providence. He thinks I'm going to be just like mom."

"Andie, he doesn't think that, he just wants to help you. I don't want you to leave, but I do want you to get better."

2 days later

"I don't know if I can do this?" Andie sobbed.

"Do what?" Pacey asked, wiping a tear off Andie's cheek.

"Break up with you," she replied.

"What? Break up? Who said anything about breaking up?"

"My therapist."

"Why?"

"She didn't say that I had to do anything, but she said a lot of things about a clean slate and really taking the summer to focus on my recovery and all my focus being on that. No distractions. I love you Pacey, but for once in my life I need all my focus to be on me and no one else."

"I understand. I want you to be healthy and happy and if that means taking me out of the equation for awhile then that's what you need to do."

"I'm sorry Pacey," she began to cry even harder.

"It's okay, McPhee. I'm okay. You go and get better okay?" he leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

She nodded.

"Hey Pace," Joey called, running to catch up to Pacey as he walked out of the school.

"What do you want Potter?" he turned.

"Well I was going to ask you if you wanted to join us at The Ice House tonight? The place is closed while my dad finishes the renovations, but he said we could use it to study for finals."

"Us?" he questioned.

"Me, Dawson, Jack and Jen." she replied.

"Snacks?"

"Of course," Joey laughed.

"Sure, count me in."

"6 o'clock."

"Got it. Did Andie put you up to this?"

"No, well kinda, she asked if I would make sure that you didn't completely bomb your exams."

Pacey just shook his head, gave her a half smile, and walked away.

A few hours later...

"Pacey, I don't want you hanging out here," Chief Witter raged at his son standing outside the Ice House, "Mike Potter is a known felon and he is..."

"He is...what, Pop?" Pacey questioned.

"There's rumors that he's dealing again and I don't need you hanging out around here when he gets busted. It doesn't make me look

good."

"You don't know that he's really dealing drugs again. That's just a rumor." Pacey turned to walk back inside his dad grabbed his arm.

"Don't walk away from me," Chief Witter snarled.

"Don't touch me," Pacey yelled, snatching his arm away, "I'm going back inside to study with my friends."

"Did you hear that? Jack asked looking up from the history book in front of him.

"Hear what?" Dawson questioned.

"What's that smell?" Jen muttered.

They all looked at each other, "SMOKE!" they yelled in unison.

Joey was the first one up out of her chair.

"There's a fire!" she screamed.

They all raced towards the smell of smoke. As soon as they opened the door they could see the flames licking the walls and engulfing everything in sight. Through the thick smoke they could make out the silhouette of Mike Potter inside the office staring hopelessly at them through the window. He was screaming something at them that they could not hear.

"Dad! Dad!" Joey screamed, trying to move into the flames toward the office. Dawson shoved her away. A moment later, Chief Witter barged in behind them.

"You kids get out of here! I'll get Mike. The fire department is on their way."

Jack grabbed Jen pulling her towards the door. Dawson grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher and started towards the office with Chief Witter right behind him. Pacey picked Joey up and carried her outside.

They stood in silence waiting for a sign of life to emerge from the burning building. The fire fighters arrived as the roof collapsed. Joey clung to Pacey's hand. Moments passed that seemed like an eternity. Finally a firefighter emerged with a coughing Chief Witter taking him straight to a nearby ambulance. The firefighter said something to the paramedic and a stretcher was quickly moved towards the building as another firefighter came dragging someone out of the flames. Pacey strained to see who it was. It was Dawson. He was coughing as they placed him on the stretcher. Joey moved towards him taking Pacey with her, she refused to let go of his hand.

"Dawson, oh my God! Are you okay?" she screamed as tears ran down her filthy ash covered face.

Dawson's hand pushed her away. Joey looked stunned. There was a large gash on the top of Dawson's head. Pacey could see the blood as the paramedics pushed the stretcher towards the waiting ambulance.

Joey clung to Pacey as they watched the ambulance carrying Dawson disappear down the street. Pacey led Joey to a nearby bench and sat down pulling her down with him. She was clearly in shock. He rubbed her back.

"Dawson is going to be okay, Jo," he whispered to her.

She stared blankly toward the still burning building. That's when it occurred to Pacey, Mr. Potter was still in there.

"Why hadn't they gotten him out yet?" he wondered.

They sat in silence for what seemed like hours. Pacey watched the ambulance that held his dad drive off toward the hospital as his brother walked over.

"Are you two okay?" Doug asked.

"Yeah. How's Pop?" Pacey inquired.

"He's going to be fine. He's got a few minor burns and he inhaled a lot of smoke, but he'll recover."

"And Dawson?" Joey trembled.

"He's got a pretty nasty cut on the top of his head. When the roof collapsed he shoved Dad out of the way and got hit by one of the rafters. He's a real hero. Last I heard they were taking him in to surgery." Doug assured them.

"And my dad?"

Doug paused, he looked at Pacey.

"Look Jo, there's Bessie and Bodie. I'm sure they're worried sick about you." he told her trying to change the subject and gesturing toward her sister who was standing nearby talking to the fire chief.

"What aren't you telling me?"

"Joey," Doug hesitated, "there's no easy way to say this."

"Just spit it out. I can handle it." she tightened her grip on Pacey's hand.

"They couldn't find him. They searched. They found Dad and Dawson near the office. Dawson was pinned under part of the collapsed roof and Dad was trying to get him out. Once they freed Dawson, one of the firefighters took Dad out and another got Dawson out. The third and fourth guys searched for your dad thinking maybe he was still trapped in the office due to the collapsed roof, but they couldn't find him. The office window was shattered, so they thought perhaps he got out of the office before the roof collapsed, that's when they discovered that the door to the back alley was cracked open." Doug sighed.

Joey looked stunned.

"So what exactly are you saying, Dougie?" Pacey questioned.

"It looks like he ran."

Joey looked like a deer in the headlights at that moment.

"Jo..." Pacey said to her.

She turned and looked at him with knowing eyes. She knew this fire had to be her dad's doing. Bessie approached tears running down her face.

"Joey, let's go home. We need to talk." she reached for Joey's hand. Joey jerked her hand back.

"I can't go home, I need to go to the hospital and make sure Dawson's okay."

Bessie looked at Pacey.

"I'll go with her," he assured.

"Okay," Bessie reluctantly agreed.

Pacey and Joey watched as Bessie walked back to the truck where Bodie and the sleeping Alexander were waiting.

"C'mon you two, I'll drive you to the hospital. I should check on Dad anyway." Doug offered.

"Dawson is still in surgery. They don't know how long it will be. You should probably go home and get some rest. I don't think we'll be able to see him until tomorrow anyway." Gail told Joey hugging her tight.

"If anything changes I promise to call," Mitch assured.

Joey hadn't spoken a word since they left the Ice House.

"Joey, Pacey we need to go...now!" Doug urged running towards them from nurses station desk. He had been on the phone and had a look of concern mixed with frustration on his face.

"What's going on?" Pacey asked.

"No time to explain. We need to get over to Joey's house now!"