Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, storylines or settings. I have no affiliation with the WB network. So don't sue me 'cause you won't get anything!

Summary: This is a one shot (kind of) of Joey as she lies on her deathbed, reminiscing her lost love with Pacey. PJ (It is sad but trust me, IN A GOOD WAY!) Also, if the format is confusing sry! u can email me and i can give u the original format.

Never Really Gone

It had been fifty years to the day that Pacey had been taken from the world. He lay in the ground, eternally eighteen. Joey never could accept his death; she had spiraled into one depression after the next. Never letting herself forget that all she had ever wanted in life had been taken from her in the blink of an eye. Because of one reckless driver who wouldn't stop to see the pedestrian making his way across the street, about to ask the woman he loved to be his forever.

Joey lay in a hospital bed, remembering all of the wonderful moments in her life that Pacey would never get to see. But then she remembered all of their treasured moments together and was happy that she was with him until his end.

Every time she thought of him was bittersweet. She would smile at the thought of him, but inevitably always end up in tears, a mess.

Josephine Potter belonged to Pacey Witter.

She never even considered it any other way. She wanted to be with him, she would be with him again; even if she had to wait her whole life.

She lived with Jack and they adopted a child, a little boy, who they named Pacey (but he went by McPhee, just because he liked it). He was a sweet boy, never had a quarrel with the world. He was just like Pacey, except his parents never doubted him. They were proud of him every step of the way, saying that if Papa were here that he would be proud.

(Joey and Jack had decided to let him have the benefit of having Pacey's presence in their everyday lives; thus, Joey was Mom, Jack; Dad and Pacey; Papa)

She lies in bed, truly content with her life. But she is dying a slow death, just like her mom, and just like Bessie. But she wouldn't let that get her down, she would just think of him and everything would be better..

Jack and Pacey came to visit her every day, they loved her so much; she was Jack's best friend and Pacey's mother. She felt happy that she meant so much to people that her passing would in fact leave some grievers behind.

She thought of them as she fell into a deep sleep, wondering when the day would come when she would see her lover once more, to be held in his arms, kissed by his lips, hear them utter the three words she had longed for him to say every since he passed…

"I love you…" Pacey closed his eyes, the last person he ever saw being his one true love Joey Potter.

"And I love you. I will always love you. Just… wait for me Pace, we'll be together again; I know we will." And with that Joey got up from his bedside where she held his hand until the end and walked out of the hospital room. She left that hospital and had never come back… until she was sick of course.

When she was admitted she felt a little uneasy, like his presence was still here, lingering, as if it never left. She was put into a room and found herself walking to the ER division slipping into the room she knew all too well from her nightmares. The room. It was hard for her to go in at first, she would make the long trek over but then chicken out just as her hands were about to touch the doorknob. She just couldn't do it.

One night, she was determined to go in. To face her deepest fear, to relive the nightmare…

"Pacey! Pacey! Wake up please… wake up…" Joey's voice dwindled as she pleaded with Pacey. But he really wasn't Pacey; he was essentially a vegetable, they were all waiting on a miracle, that somehow he would wake up and get better; fat chance.

It had been another week and still; not a single stir. Joey never left the room, when the nurses told her visiting hours were over she would sneak back in before going to her hotel room across the street.

She waited longingly; day after day after day… hoping that her dreams would come true and he would wake up. She would say the same thing to him; again and again and again…

"I love you Pacey… come back to me…"

Jack was one of the only people who ever came to visit, that's when their friendship got even stronger, they loved each other so much, looking back, Joey could never have made it without Jack McPhee by her side.

"Hey Jo… is he doing any better?"

Joey just shakes her head in sorrow. Jack feels so helpless, he can't do anything about the situation. He wanted to help her so much; to just say it was going to be okay and believe it himself.

A few more hours passed and Jack had to leave. It hadn't even been two minutes after he left that Pacey began to stir. Joey had been laying her head down by his chest and immediately jolted from the movement. She instantaneously rose to her feet as she saw him stir more. Se couldn't believe her eyes, he would finally wake up, finally.

"Pacey? Can you hear me?" Joey's voice quavered, a bit afraid to hear if there would be a response. She saw more movements and heard a groan escape Pacey's mouth as he tried to come back to reality.

His eyes opened, slowly, heavily. When they opened completely he saw his one true love, gazing back at him, tears rushing down her face and neck.

They couldn't say anything, they were so in shock. Pacey didn't know where he was and Joey, just stood in disbelief. Finally Pacey began to speak, his words short and muffled.

"Jo…" A small smile emerged as he tried to shift but winced as a sharp pain surged to his side. He fell back down onto the bed and clenched his teeth, trying to hide the immense pain.

"Pacey!" Joey moved over to him and placed her hands on his forehead and cheek, just feeling his warm skin, alive again made her tears flow even harder. She never thought this day would come.

"I can't believe you're awake." She smiled as his pain began to subside.

"What… happen…?" At first Joey was puzzled by his question but had understood the meaning before giving him the answer.

"You were walking across the street and a car hit you. You were completely caught off guard so that put you in a worse condition." She looked at him; still not believing that he was awake, looking at her… so lovingly.

"God Pace… they said… they said you were never going to wake up. That you were in an eternal coma… that… that…" Joey couldn't continue and collapsed into Pacey humble embrace; God how she missed him.

"I love you Pacey."

"I love you too…" He smiled looking down at her head shoved into his chest. He loved her so much.

"Jo…"

"Yes?" Joey got off of him, looking into his eyes, re-discovering every little detail.

"I was… gonna ask…" Pacey's breathing quickened, he was using too much of his energy, he knew he was going to die, but he had to say it, she had to know that he wanted her always.

"Marry me?" Pacey asked as Joey's eyes brimmed with a fresh batch of tears.

"Of course I will Pace." Joey smiled, pushing all of her negative thoughts back. She was with him now and nothing was going to ruin that. Joey lowered her face and pressed her lips onto his as she gave him a sweet, loving kiss, lingering on with each passing second.

She pulled away and looked at him, she loved him so much. She placed a kiss on his forehead, then cheek, then nose and pulled back, just gazing.

"I love you…" Pacey eyes closed and the machines began to beep, indicating his death.

Joey was in shock. She didn't know what to do, what to say. She thought he was going to be okay. New tears began to flow as she looked on. Joey said her final words to Pacey before slipping out of the room and leaving the hospital.

Fresh tears were now rolling down her face from the memory of her lost love. But then she began to dream sweetly, remembering his face looking at her with such love and devotion. She couldn't help the smile that crept onto her face as she slept…

"Joey!" A voice called out her name in the darkness.

"Josephine Potter!" She looked around and saw a figure come toward her, she couldn't quit make it out.

"Who's there?" She questioned, not knowing who to expect.

"It's me Potter, or have you already forgotten?" It was him, Pacey. Joey smiled as her eyes became glazed with moisture.

"Pacey? Is that you? Is that… really you?"

"Yes Potter, it's really me." Joey just stared at him, not knowing if this was real or just a dream.

"What are… what are you doing here?"

"I've come for you Jo. It's time for us to be together again." He smiled and offered his hand to her. She grabbed it as he pulled her up to him. They gazed at each other before they ran out of her room and around the hospital.

"Where are we going?"

"Be patient Jo, you'll see soon enough." They kept running, out of the hospital along the road, until they reached her house. They stopped at the door, Pacey's hand still attached to hers.

"What are we doing here?"

"It's time for you to say goodbye to them Jo."

"Oh…" she couldn't believe this was really happening.

They entered the house and Joey walked ahead of Pacey, her hand slipping from his as she crept up the stairs. She opened the door to Pacey's room and sat on his bed.

"Hey baby. It's time for Mommy to go now, Papa is here to take me home, to where I belong. I love you sweetheart, you will always be my baby." She kissed him on the forehead and walked out of his room and closed the door before making her way to Jack's room.

She opened his door and saw him sleeping peacefully, she was going to miss him; he was the reason she didn't give up her life all those years ago. She walked over to his bed and stood above him.

"Hey Jackers…" She giggled, she always thought that name was funny.

"I have to go now and be with Pacey, he's waiting for me. But I want you to know that I love you and I always will, you helped me get through my depressions; you never gave up on me and for that I thank you." She bent down and kissed his forehead before turning around to see Pacey's hand stretched out towards hers.

"Are you ready?" She looked at Jack and a single tear rolled down her face as she nodded and grabbed his hand.

They left the house and made their way back to the hospital. They walked in silence, showing affection by squeezing the other's hand. Joey was surprised that Pacey hadn't made some witty comment on her appearance yet, he was eighteen but she was now sixty-seven. But he didn't care, he would always see her as the seventeen-year-old girl that captured his heart all those years ago.

They went back to the hospital and found themselves back in her room where she saw herself dreaming, a smile plastered on her face. She closed her eyes and when she opened them she was in her bed. She knew it was time to go and she was now ready to. She took one final breath before closing her eyes, releasing her soul from her dead shell. She emerged from the bed, but her body did not move; she looked back on her body, sixty-seven, old and dead. She looked at her hands, they were young and soft, she felt her face no wrinkles visible; she was seventeen again.

She heard the monitors go off and the nurses run in and watched in awe. She had died. Now the only thing left to do was to find Pacey, to find her way back to him.

She left the hospital and went to the one place he would always reside; the dock, the place where it all started, their love began there. She ran and ran and ran just wanting the clarity of knowing that they were together, forever.

When she got there it was empty, dark.

"Pacey! PACEY! Where are you!" She called out into the darkness, still no reply. She began to walk to where True Love was docked. There she saw him. Standing on True Love, looking all sailor like, just staring at her. They were finally together again.

She laughed when she saw him, knowing that they would never be separated again. She began to run over to him; he jumped off of the boat readying himself for her embrace. She finally reached him and jumped into his arms where he twirled her around in circles. They were both laughing and smiling, they were finally together again. He let her down slowly, enjoying the moment, getting to know every detail all over again.

"I missed you." Joey said looking down at his chest, not believing this was real.

"More than you will ever know Potter." Pacey chuckled as he held her there just looking into her eyes.

He looked down at her hands to kiss them and noticed a ring on her right index finger, he was puzzled.

"You got married?" Pacey was a little hurt by this, she had moved on.

"Yeah, I got married… to you." She smiled as a her eyes glazed over with fresh tears ready to fall. He smiled too; he had forgotten he asked her to marry him.

"Right after you left us, I got my ring and you were buried with yours… look at your hand." She said as she pointed to it. He lifted his hand and low and behold, there laid the ring, gold and beautiful. He smiled and looked at her when a tear rolled down his face.

He looked at her and then jumped on board the True Love and smiled down at her. She began to walk up but was stopped.

"Ah ah ah!" She giggled to herself, remembering their ritual.

"Permission to come aboard?" She smiled at him and he held out his hand.

"Permission granted." She put her hand in his and he pulled her up to him, capturing her lips in the process.

At first it was a simple kiss, but as time went on it became more and more deep; all of the years apart were being added up. They pulled away panting and Joey looked up at him and smiled.

"I love you Pace."

"I love you Jo."

They smiled as Pacey pulled away from her embrace and went over to the wheel and began to steer the boat away from Capeside… into the sunrise.

Two lovers together… forever.

THE END

Reviews are very much appreciated. I have never done a fanfic like this so I would love some feedback! If you want to know what happened to Pacey and Jack just tell me and if I get enough requests I'll write it up! THANK YOU FOR READING MY FIC!