A Long December.

'I'm really sorry about the delay Miss Potter, I can't think what's keeping Jim.' The photographer said as he took another few shots of Joey sitting by the window in her hotel room. The magazine had decided to do some accompanying casual shots to go with their interview. Joey was less than thrilled about the long delay, especially considering she only had 3 hours until her flight left.

'It's okay. But I will have to leave if he's not here in the next 30 minutes,' Joey said sternly, looking up at Philip for moral support. Suddenly the photographer's phone went.

'Jim, where the hell are you...laryngitis...ah come on, you've not been sick in....fine whose coming instead?....has she done the research?....does she even know who she's interviewing?....fine Jim, Merry Christmas,' the photographer snapped his phone shut firmly.

'Problem?' Philip said, looking over at Joey with a confused look.

'Jim, the guy who was due to interview you, has been taken ill and is sending over another reporter, she should be here in around 5 minutes. I'm really sorry for this,'

'It's alright but I have to be on that plane...' Joey started but was interrupted by the loud knocking on the hotel room door.

'Round and round the garden, like a teddy bear. One step, two step, tickly under there!' Dawson said, tickling his daughter until she squealed. With Andie and Pacey's help they had got the majority of the house tidy and even some of the laundry. Dawson was now trying to get both the kids ready to go to his Mom's but neither of them were being co-operative.

'Now Belle, you know that you can't leave the house without this year's favourite fashion accessory, le bobble hat' he said, pulling the tiny pink hat over his daughter's delicate head. She whimpered slightly and pulled a pouty face. She looked just like Joey when she was mad.

'See, you look stunning my dear,' he clipped the final buckle on her car seat and turned his attention to Dylan, who was busy chewing the sock off his feet.

'Dylan, socks are not food.' Dawson pulled the wet sock back into place, sending Dylan into floods of tears.

'Okay, okay. You win,' Dawson quickly pulled the soak off and gave it to a giggling Dylan to chew happily. He found one of Belle's spare ones on the floor and quickly wrapped it over his tiny feet.

'Now son, just because you are wearing pink socks does not make you any less of a man,' he clipped in Dylan's car seat and made his way to the door, car seat in each hand. They were getting heavier, too heavy to be doing this every day.

He dragged himself into the garage and quickly slung both of the kids in the rear seat, double checking all the safety gizmo's were working before reversing out of the driveway.

'Okay kids, ready for Christmas?' he said, turning the radio up.

He was greeted by a chorus of crying from his children.

'That's great....lets go,'

Philip opened the door slowly and found a woman, immaculate looking with a large note book in her hand.

'Hi, I'm here from Text magazine? My colleague Jim should have called...'

'Certainly, Miss Potter has been expecting you,' Philip said in his most noble tones. He knew it wound up Joey.

Joey, who had been inspecting the contents of her handbag to double check her tickets, looked up and started to speak.

'Please its Joey....Gretchen?'

Gretchen looked over and saw Joey, looking much older than the last time she had seen her all those years ago. All though practically the same in her pose and posture, she looked tired.

'Joey Potter! How are you?' Gretchen moved over and hugged Joey tightly.

'Great. I'm really great. I didn't know you were in Chicago? The last I heard you moved to LA?' Joey said, pulling herself out of the hug and pointing to a nearby chair.

'I was, then I got an offer of writing for Text and I couldn't refuse. Almost made the cold winters and hot summers worth it.' She said, pulling out her Dictaphone.

'Okay, well let's get this interview out of the way and then we can go home for Christmas!' Joey exclaimed, patting Gretchen on the knee. She saw how her mood changed instantly with the mention of home.

'Actually, I'm not heading to Capeside for the holidays. Since Pacey became the respectable member of the family, I've had a hard time getting on with the parental's....and Doug....and Pacey'

'Well when was the last time you spoke to any of them?'

'Well if it's now December, I would guess 4 years...give or take a day,'

'You're kidding me? You haven't spoken to any of them in 4 years? How is that possible?'

Gretchen shifted in her seat slightly. 'Well it's easy when you live the other side of the country and you just don't call them or give them your contact details. I miss Pacey and Doug though. Have you seen them recently?'

Joey took a deep in take of breath 'You really haven't spoken to any of them in 4 years?'

'Yes...why, what's happened? Is it Doug? Did he get hurt at work?' Gretchen said, the panic rising in her throat.

'No, nothing like that. Doug's living with Jack'

'Jack as in Jack MacPhee? When did this all happen?' Gretchen said, the shock evident in her voice.

'Around 3 years ago now, when Amy came into their lives,' Joey said, realising she would have a lot of explaining to do.

'Amy?'

'Amy's their adopted daughter,'

'Wow...turn you're back for 4 years and...wow. So Doug really was gay? But how...why?' Gretchen said, even more shocked then before hand.

'You really haven't read my book have you?' Joey said giggling nervously.

'What's that got to do with it?' Gretchen said, her patience wearing thin.

'My book is about Jen. Jen died around 3 years ago and she left her daughter, Amy, to Jack to raise.' Joey snapped back.

'Oh Joey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...I just can't... Jen? She was so young. Nothing major's happen to Pacey has it because I don't know if I could take it...' Gretchen said, standing up and massaging her temple as she made her way to the window.

'Married. To a fantastically talented woman' Joey said quickly.

Gretchen spun around and glared a Joey. 'It's not...' she said, eyeing Joey up and down.

'No. We got back together after Jen died but it was never the right thing to do. He met up with Andie MacPhee and they fell back in love and...well there you have it.' Joey said, standing up and making her way over to the window.

'So both my brothers are with a MacPhee? Figures.' Gretchen chuckled lightly.

'Good MacPhee's I might add. Jack teaches at Capeside high and Andie is a doctor. Saved my life.' Joey said quietly.

'Really? What happened, if you don't mind me asking?'

'I never mind people asking me about the day I had my children, traumatic as it was, it was the best day of my life,' Joey said, pulling out of her pocket a picture of the babies.

'Wow, you have kids Joey? Congratulations!' Gretchen reached over and hugged her again. 'How old?' Gretchen pulled away and closely examined the picture

'A year in 2 days time actually,' Joey said

'They with you on this trip?'

'No actually, they are at home in the very capable but full arms of their father...and Pacey by the sounds of it,' She said, thinking back to the conversation she had had earlier in the day.

'So who's the lucky man?'

'Dawson,' Joey said, smiling broadly.

Gretchen whipped her head back and stared at Joey. She felt like someone had stabbed her. 'Dawson? As in our Dawson?'

'How many people called Dawson do you know?' Joey said, not liking the idea of Dawson being a shared commodity, especially between herself and Gretchen.

'When did that happen?'

'Well it's a long a tortured love story, as all the best ones are but lets just say that we finally woke up of a long and complicated over analytical dream 2 years ago.'

'Nice to know I'm considered to be part of a dream sequence in your little saga,' Gretchen said bitterly.

'Gretchen I wasn't implying anything like that. A lot happened after we went to college and...'

'You know what Joey, I better get going... I think it would be better if I get someone from the magazine to call you and do a telephone interview. Have a nice Christmas,' Gretchen grabbed her bag and coat from the back of her chair and stormed out of the room.

'Gretchen, wait...' Joey said but the door slammed before she had a chance to catch up with her.

'So, I take it you guys know each other?' the photographer said.

'You could say that,' Joey said, shocked at what had just happened. She looked down at the floor when Gretchen had dropped the picture of the twins. She leant over and picked it up, smiling at the images of her children.

'Well I better go then. I'll get someone to call you after Christmas.' The photographer nodded in Joey's direction and made his way out the door.

'Are you okay? What was all that about?' Philip said

'The past,' Joey said, still looking at the picture of the babies 'You know what? I'm done. Let's go home,'