Chapter 8

It has been a week since the shooting in the hallway of Capeside high. Dawson Leery, once a bad boy tring to go good stands in his room alone. Ever time he thinks he can put his past down and leave it behind him. Another part jumps up and bites him in the ass. This time it cost yet another girl her life.

He walks over and sits down on his window bench. He stares out at the world around him, the creek flowing by as the gentle breeze russtle the leaves on the trees by his window. The sun is shining adding even more bueaty to the site, that only one who lives in this little town would take for granted.

His mind is far from the bueaty in front of him though. In truth it is on the bueaty walking up his dock for her daily vist. Every day since the shooting she has been here. Every day she has tried to pull him out of his shell. She has tried to get him to be the Dawson of old. 'How can i be that person when all it does is cause people pain?' He thinks to himself.

Joey Potter walked up the steps and opened the screendoor as she did Gail Leery opened the door. They stood mere feet apart yet it was a distance almost immeasurable. In her mind Gail blamed part of her sons shut down on this girl.

"Hello Mrs Leery, i've come to talk to Dawson." Joey says taking a stand.

"Talk to him? How can you talk to someone who isn't there anymore? All he does now is stare out that window or sit in his bed. In the last week he hasn't said a word, not one word. I think you have done enough to my son." Gail tells her.

"I'm sorry you feel like i had anything to do with the way he is. I wish it had never happened, but it did. Honestly it wasn't my fault, or Dawson's or yours or Mitch's. The blame lays at the feet of three people. Stan, Berry, and Drew, they are the ones who have done this to your son not me. But if it helps you understand it and gets you through the day, then blame me. After all Dawson has done for me, that is the least i can do for him." Joey says with sad eyes, that never leaves Gails as she talks.

"Gail, let her in. None of this is her fault. Blame the real people responsible for his condition not an escape goat." Mitch Leery says from the kitchen.

Gail steps aside and allows Joey to enter the house. She sighs once again and turns to Where Joey is standing next to Mitch. She takes a breath and then speaks again.

"Joey, i'm really sorry. I am just on edge and some times it comes out at the wrong people is all. I know none of this is your fault. We sometimes lash out at the people we care about, when the real people we're mad at aren't around." Gail tells her.

"I know Mrs Leery. You don't have to appoligise to me." Joey says.

"So here for your daily vist?" Mitch asks as Joey nods.

"Um-- Mr. Leery... Um do you think she meant what she said?" Joey asks.

"Joey call me Mitch, and which part?" Mitch asks.

"The part about caring about me?" Joey asks shyly.

"Of course she meant it. We all care about you Joey, especially that guy upstairs. If anyone can get him back it is you." Mitch says.

Tears in her eyes she hugs Mitch like there is no tomorrow. He responds by hugging her back. He pulls her away from him and looks her in the eyes as he begins to speak.

"Joey, you don't blame yourself for any of this do you? Honey you have to know that none of this is your fault. I have heard the rumors, trust me. It is not your fault Joey, none of it is. The blame rest sole on those three names you spoke of earlier. Do not let people who want to talk get to you. You have done more for Dawson than anyone else, unfortantly even more than me and his mom have." Mitch says.

"If i have done so much for him, why is he in that room and won't talk to anyone even me?" Joey asks.

"Because Joey, when the shooting happened, it brought to the front all of Dawson's fears about you. About his past and how it could effect you. He knows he almost lost you that day, so this is his way of getting you out of harms way." Mitch says.

"But i almost lost HIM that day. I was almost not strong enough to stop him from really hurting Berry. Even worse is i let him confront him in the first place. I had him backing away, he was going to walk away from it. Then Berry said what he did about maybe coming after me. Well it made me think i should let Dawson handle it then instead of later. I was worried it would turn into another situation like with Stan. I was worried about myself, and what might happen to Dawson. I could have stopped it all, if i would have just made him keep walking away." Joey cries into his chest.

"Joey stop it now. You did what you thought was right. It is like i told Dawson, sometimes you have to fight. There will be people that give you no choice. It is a tragady, what happened to Abby. But it could easily have been you laying there on that floor. Berry came here to do just what he did. He just got the wrong person. If Dawson hadn't confronted him, if you two hadn't got into that fight, if you hadn't let him go. Well then it could have been you that died that day. Trust me none of us want to know what would have happened to Dawson after that. There would have been no stopping him. He would have went over the edge and killed Berry right there in the school. It would have sent him to a place where the only person who could ever hope to get him back, was dead." Mitch says.

"I know Mitch." Joey says.

"Ok good now will you dry up those tears and go see my son, i think he needs you." Mitch tells her.

Joey smiles as she hugs him once more. She pulls away, wipes her eyes and heads up the stairs, As she nears the top she hears a noise coming from Dawson's room she quickly moves to the door and opens it.

As Dawson was looking out of the window, Pacey climbs through his other one. Dawson glances at him, then turns and looks out the window again. Pacey shakes his head as he walks over and sits on the bed.

"So tell me How long are we all going to get this silent treatment?" Pacey asks.

Dawson looks his way and sighs, his eyes get a glint of ice in them as he turns back to the window. He shakes his head and sits down on the window seat.

"Look Dawson maybe you can talk to Joey at least. You can be silent to the rest of us if you want, but talk to her. She deserves that at least. She damn sure doesn't deserve to be treated like this. You do know that because of being in this state, that she blames herself?" Pacey asks.

Again Dawson looks at him with even more intense and ice filled eyes. He hold the stare till Pacey looks away. He sighs once again and turns his vision toward her house on the other side of the creek.

"That bullet might as well of hit her, she is just as dead." Pacey informs him.

Before Pacey can realize his mistake, Dawson has him by the throat against the wall. Pacey is simple looking into the eyes of a madman, no other words could explain it. As the pressure around his neck increases he realizes he can't breathe.

Joey walks into Dawson's room to a site that horrifies her at once. There holding Pacey by the throat against the wall is Dawson. Pacey's face has taken on a deep redish purple color, and he is looking around wildly with his eyes. He is strugling for all he is worth but can't seem to dislodge Dawson from around his throat. He sees her enter the room and stops strugling at once, she is his only hope. Joey quickly walks over to them, and places her hand gentle on Dawson's arm.

As soon as he feels the contact he turns his head and looks her in the eyes. He sees a great amount of love in those eyes, but also sadness that seems to be just as great. She looks at him silently convaying all of her feelings with just a look, and then shakes her head no. As fast as it had come the ice in Dawson't eyes leaves, leaving only the husk of what was there just a few seconds ago. He releases Pacey off of the wall and slowly backs away, Joey matching him step for step. The continue this little dance till Dawson's back hits the wall and he can't run from her any more.

Pacey takes several deep breaths, then looks around the room in wonder. He was just thinkfull Joey got there when she did. He didn't want to think what would have happened if she hadn't. He takes a couple more deep breaths and then speaks.

"It wasn't his fault Joey, i was pushing him. I said a couple of things i should never had said." Pacey says.

Joey hears only half of what is said as she in compleltly busy keeping Dawson against that wall and in contact with her. His eyes have a fear to them that she has never seen before in them. It almost scares her to think of this guy scared. Of course she knows it isn't fear of a person so much. As it is an event that could be brought on by a person.

Pacey take it as his clue to leave and does so. He touches Joey on the arm to let her know he is leaveing. He watches as she nods her head with out ever takeing her eyes off of Dawson.

She reaches up and grabs both sides of his face gentle in her hands and makes him look at her. He tries to look away but she won't let him. She gentle pulls his eyes back to hers and rubs little circles on his cheeks. He finally pulls her close into a hug, laying his head on her shoulder As tears begin to fall once again.

"It will be ok Dawson, I promise. I love you." Joey says as Dawson continues to silently cry against her shoulder.