Pacey pulled his car into the driveway of the small one-story house and turned the ignition off. I shouldn't be here, he thought to himself as he got out and walked to the front door. It's my daughter's birthday and I'm here, why? He shook his head with sigh. He knew why. It was because he couldn't stand the thought of her being alone and that's what she was. He took a breath as he rang the doorbell and waited. A moment later the door swung open and a smile spread across his face.

"Pacey, what are you doing here?" Joey Potter asked as she opened the door wider for him and he stepped inside. "I didn't expect to see you today, what with it being Jessica's birthday and all."

"Well, I can't stay long but I just wanted to stop by and make sure everything was OK." Pacey shrugged.

"You're too good to me, you know that Pace." Joey smiled a little as she tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear and Pacey frowned. She looked tired and he had no doubt that she was. "You actually came just in time. I was just about to start the nightly war." At that moment Pacey heard the loud footsteps coming down the hall and turned to find Joey's 4-year-old twins (a boy and girl), dressed in their pajamas, running full speed toward him.

"Pacey!" They screamed at the top of their lungs as they launched themselves into his arms and he lifted them easily off the floor.

"Hey, I missed you guys." Pacey said as he hugged them tightly before setting them down.

"We missed you too Pacey." Jennifer Leery smiled up at him and Pacey couldn't help but see how much she was starting to look like her mother.

"Mama, can we stay up with Pacey?" Jennifer's brother, Elijah, peered up at Joey with pitiful eyes and Pacey smiled.

"No you can not." Joey shook her head.

"Please!" Eli begged before Pacey stepped in.

"How about I tuck you guys in OK?" Pacey asked and Elijah and Jennifer nodded enthusiastically. "Is that OK with you?" Pacey looked at Joey.

"Be my guest." Joey held her hands up. "You can deal with the screaming and the wanting a glass of water and the needing to go to the bathroom."

"You guys won't be like that, will you?" Pacey scooped the two kids up and turned to look at Joey. "They won't do that." Pacey winked at her before heading down the hall toward their bedroom. Joey simply smirked as she followed them. "OK, you guys climb in bed." He put the twins down and they ran to get in their separate beds. Pacey walked over to Eli and sat down on the bed. "Goodnight E. You sleep tight. Be good for your mommy."

"I love you Pacey." He threw his arms around Pacey's neck and hugged him tightly. Joey blinked back tears as she watched the scene b/w her son and Pacey from the door.

"I love you too, little man." Pacey kissed Eli's head before heading over to his sister. "OK Jenny, time for sleep."

"I love you, Pacey…" she murmured sleepily as Pacey leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"… and I love you Jenny." He kissed her again before slipping quietly out of the room, closing the door behind him. He turned to find Joey leaning against the wall, tears flowing freely down her face. "Jo, what's wrong?"

"I just don't know if I can do this Pace." Joey said in a choked whisper. "It isn't fair. They never had a chance to know their father." Dawson Leery was the twin's father. He was also Pacey's best friend and had unfortunately died in a car accident about a year ago, along with their other friend Jen Lindley.

"Joey, please don't cry." Pacey wrapped his arms around her. "You know I can't take it when you cry." Pacey held her close to him as he rocked her back and forth. This was why he was here instead of being at home with his family. He felt responsible for Joey and the twins. He had promised Dawson he would take care of them. They were alone; they had no one, except him, and they needed him. He just wished Andie could understand that but he also understood why she couldn't. Would you trust your husband going to spend time with the woman he had had an affair with? Pacey closed his eyes as Joey continued to cry into his chest. He wished that he could say it had only happened once, but that wasn't the truth. His affair with Joey had lasted almost 8 months – while Pacey was married to Andie and Joey to Dawson. Andie found out about them and she was going to tell Dawson. The only reason she didn't was because Pacey had promised to never see Joey again. He had kept his promise too. That is until Joey had called him crying from the emergency room saying that Jen and Dawson had been in an accident. Without thinking he had rushed to the hospital, just in time to say a final goodbye to both of them. He remembered Dawson's words vividly.

"Pace, please take care of Joey for me." Dawson mumbled as he struggled for breath. "These babies..." He broke off as he winced in pain and Pacey felt his heart stop. "Those babies are going to need someone. Promise me; promise me you'll take care of them."

"I promise, D." Pacey told him as he held his hand. "I'll make sure they're OK."

"Thanks Pace." Those were the last words Dawson spoke before he closed his eyes and stopped breathing.

"Pace…" Joey's voice caused Pacey to jump, forcing him back to reality. He looked down to find her staring up at him with a worried expression.

"What is it, Jo?" He asked, immediately concerned.

"I don't know what to tell them." Joey said finally, glancing at the twin's door.

"Don't know what to tell them about what?" Pacey brushed the hair from her face.

"They don't understand why their father's not here." Joey blinked back tears again. "They keep asking me why all of their friends have daddies and they don't."

"Oh Jo…" Pacey pulled her back into his arms. "They're just confused."

"That's not everything Pace." Joey pulled away and bit her lip nervously.

"What?" Pacey looked down at her. "Jo, come on, you know can tell me."

"Yesterday…" Joey began but stopped. "Pace, yesterday they asked me if you could be their dad."

"Oh…" Pacey let out a breath. "Wow, what did you say?"

"I didn't know what to say." Joey shook her head, ashamed. "So I just changed the subject." She closed her eyes for a moment. "I was watching you in there with them tonight and I can understand why they would ask that. I mean, you're the only father they've ever known, Pace, and they love you so much."

"… and I love them." Pacey said immediately. He glanced quickly at his watch. "Shit!" He swore, it was 6:45 and he still had to make it across town. "Jo, I gotta go, Jess…." He trailed off and she nodded.

"I understand." She smiled up at him and Pacey felt a tug at his heart. What was it about this woman that kept him so enraptured? There was nothing romantic going on between them anymore but all of the feelings that he had felt for her since high school were still there and he didn't quite know what to do about it.

"I'll be back, soon." He told her as he headed toward the front door and she followed. "We'll figure out what to tell them."

"OK." Joey nodded, not daring to say that what she wanted tell the twins was that he would be their daddy.

"Take care, Potter." He kissed her forehead and Joey smiled, just like she always did when he called her Potter.

"Goodnight, Pace." Joey called as he walked toward his car. "Give Jess a birthday kiss for me."

"I will." Pacey looked at her for a long moment before getting in his car and pulling out of the driveway.