Ok, so I wanted to finish off the Fourth in this part, but the countdown to my vacation is on, and so I want to keep the writing coming. This is what I've got so far...part three should be a scream...

Thank you guys for all the reviews! I love them - a lot! 1trueluv, I hope you continue reading The things we do for love, past my lousy chapter 8 - it'll all make sense in the end! T80 - as always thanks! Thanks everyone! My aim is to get back to you all personally (those who aren't guests) but time, time, time! Soon. I promise:-)

Chapter 26

The Fourth part 2

'Um, actually we're fine to share,' Dawson stated boldly and took Andie's hand, looking at her briefly before meeting Joey's eyes expectantly.

Joey saw the expectation and in the first instance she felt like a rabbit trapped in headlights. But the suspicions crept in very quickly, her eyes flicking quickly to Jen's widened, surprised eyes. Joey did not doubt that this announcement, that Dawson and Andie were together, was in fact a ruse. Joey however made up her mind to buy into the ruse and to not let it achieve what they possibly hoped it might. She searched quickly through herself to see whether there was a spark of jealousy, and was surprised to find that there wasn't. It was definitely weird, though in a way - she figured Dawson and Andie might actually be a good match. What was weird was that he'd been so cold on the phone, that he'd gone from indignant anger at her relationship with Pacey, from proclaiming love for her, to being with Andie. She had to get her reaction right, she knew she did, because otherwise, knowing Dawson, every suspicion would suggest to him that she was jealous.

'You guys are together?' she attempted not to sound too bright lest it sound fake. 'That's great news,' she smiled broadly because really, now she and Pacey could behave however they wanted and neither Dawson or Andie could rain on their parade. They'd literally lied their way to a position where they couldn't glare, where they couldn't hate on Joey and Pacey, and Joey was thrilled. She didn't even have to look at Pacey to know that he'd realized the exact same thing.

'You know I'm not surprised. Andie's got a sweet little soft side that's just right for you Dawson,' Pacey nodded gamely. Joey watched as Dawson faltered for just a moment at their reaction.

'Wow, I'm pleased for you guys,' Jack grinned broadly and Joey didn't think he saw any subterfuge in their friends relationship.

'How did that happen?' Jen asked in her direct way.

'Well you guys were all gone,' Andie stated nervously.

'We were spending time together and one evening when we were watching a movie...it just happened...'

'Who kissed who?' Joey's eyes were shining as she asked, leaning forward, lips pursed.

'Well I kissed him,' Andie said uncertainly.

'Don't embarrass the girl,' Pacey chided her lightly, pulling her close and kissing her soundly, 'you know full well that sometimes neither person initiates it entirely.'

'What's that mean?' Dawson asked bluntly, and Joey figured he was still going to act mad at Pacey on account of his apparently poor friendship.

'I'm just saying that sometimes it can happen. You know. There's a build up...a touch here, a look there, and then there's that moment...no one really kisses the other...'

'Is that how it was with you guys?' Jen asked with a smile. 'We never really asked you?' Jen smiled. It was true, nobody had really asked, but that was because of the fall out.

'No,' Pacey laughed. 'Well not entirely. The build up, yeah that was pretty awesome...but Joey called me a moron a lot. She wanted me to kiss her and I didn't and so she called me a moron. When I worked out what she meant I kissed her.'

'Why didn't you kiss her before then?' Andie frowned, but was still holding Dawson's hand, so Pacey, apparently reassured that he could answer, did so.

'Joey and I have been hugging for years...' Pacey began.

'And it had always been just hugging...' Joey smiled at him.

'But then I don't know...it didn't feel like just hugging anymore...'

'Pacey developed a wondering hand,' Joey rolled her eyes. 'Or something like that,' she bit her lip in amusement.

'Your hand wondered a little as well my dear,' he continued unperturbed, though she noted the blush on his cheeks.

'But with all the wondering hands, he didn't kiss me.'

'You guys have a disgusting amount of chemistry. I'm surprised it took so long for your hands to wonder,' Jen grumbled. 'I wish Henry and I had a little more.'

'Was it like that?' Jack asked turning to Dawson and Andie.

'We didn't have to overthink it,' Dawson put in. 'I just looked at her watching the movie and realized I wanted to kiss her, but then she did it.'

'I'm impressed Andie. I've never been able to make the first move,' Joey shrugged.

'I...I wasn't sure you know. I didn't know whether he'd feel the same, but we've bonded a lot,' Andie looked at Dawson softly and for a horrible moment it looked to Joey as though Andie actually did have feelings for Dawson, Dawson who was not staring at Andie but at her, his eyes unrelenting.

'But he did,' she smiled.

'He did,' Andie agreed.

'I think we girls need some bonding time and I suggest we head to the shower block for. it. You guys might want to sort out the tent so we can sleep, and set up the boat. Ben is coming over in an hour, and we don't want to get to the beach too late if we want a good spot,' Jen ordered.

'Yes ma'am,' Pacey teased, and kissed Joey, who'd turned to say goodbye. 'Love you,' he whispered into the kiss.

'Love you too,' she kissed him again.

'Joey,' Jen hollered loudly and Joey broke apart from Pacey looking sheepish.

'Sorry,' she murmured.

'It's ok Jo,' Jen rolled her eyes, looping her arms through her friends and looking to Andie who turned to Dawson,

'I'll...see you in a bit,' she said and with a bright smile. Dawson nodded, and after a beat kissed her, the whole event stilted and awkward, especially when he didn't stop kissing her, though Andie clearly thought the kiss was over. It didn't ring true ,and when Joey caught Jen's eye, she could see she thought the same.

'Come on Andie...shall we find your wash bag in the car? And have you got clothes sorted for tonight?' Jen asked.

'Not that what you're wearing isn't awesome,' Joey shot Jen a look.

'I'm coming,' Andie got to her feet. 'And I have a dress.'

'Let's go then kiddos,' Jen bossed and Joey spared a thought for Pacey who was left with Dawson, and more importantly for Jack who was being left to mediate between the two.

'Play nice boys,' she shot over her shoulder.

Andie was quiet as they got ready, so Jen and Joey fed the silence with their own conversation, asking Andie lots of questions, being supportive over her new romance, and telling her lots of things about the summer, attempting to draw her into their rather exclusive friendship. They hadn't intended the friendship to become that way, and they certainly didn't want Andie to feel excluded in any way and so they shared the little things, details to help her not feel that way.

'All I can ask of you Andie is that when you and Dawson make out in the tent at night, that you try and be quieter than Joey and Pacey,' Jen chided light heartedly as they brushed their hair, post showers.

'Jen,' Joey protested.

'Oh my god, you didn't hear them?' Andie gasped, half horrified and half amused at the notion of such scandal.

'Why do you think they've been relegated to the boat?' Jen arched her eyebrows and Andie laughed, embarrassment and amusement.

'I think she was over reacting,' Joey dismissed with a slight blush on her cheeks.

'Sure you do...gorgeous,' Jen mimicked Pacey's deep voice and Joey's blush grew before she thwacked Jen on the shoulder,

'We can always talk about Jen's saucy emails to Henry,' she defended and Jen just laughed,

'I'm proud of those Jo...'

'Because we're not discussing you're actual sexual activity, merely your written words,' Joey pointed out.

'You mean my sexual imagination,' Jen clarified.

'I mean exactly that...'

'Kinda sounded like you had some sexual imagination of your own,' Jen interrupted, teasing her friend with a nudge to her shoulder.

'Jen,' Joey was clearly embarrassed but was laughing, before they all were quiet for a few minutes, putting on lipstick. After a minute Joey sensed Andie staring at her, 'what?' she asked with a small frown.

'You really love him don't you? I mean not as friends, but as in wildly in love?' Andie was clearly going somewhere with it.

'I do,' Joey admitted easily but then frowned, 'I mean I know he's your ex and I am sorry because I never wanted to hurt you, I hate hurting people. I know how it feels, and I did think about your feelings, but I guess I thought about mine too...'

'You don't need to apologize Joey,' Andie let out a small laugh, 'I mean I know how easy it is to fall in love with Pacey, but I'm not there anymore. Not because I don't think he's wonderful. I don't know if he's the kind of guy you ever get over, but I can see that he has something with you that we never had. I don't know. It's different between you two...'

'You think?' Joey had stopped all pretence of doing make up.

'He didn't ever look at me the way he looks at you. I believe he loved me - or at least I believe he believed it.'

'I'm really glad you came Andie,' Joey said, 'and he did love you. He loved you with good reason.' Joey would have thought the words would be hard to say but she was surprised to find that she wanted Andie to feel reassured because she wanted them to be friends, and because she trusted Pacey. She had no fear that he had any residual feelings for Andie at all and therefore she was confident in telling her that his feelings had been genuine.

'And now Dawson,' Jen said brightly.

'As Dawson pointed out to me - we are an incestuous group,' Joey arched her brows humorously.

'The worst,' Jen agreed.

'I think I object to that phrase - people may get the wrong idea considering Jack is my actual brother,' Andie stated brightly and both Joey and Jen laughed.

'So you and Dawson...how much do you like him?' Jen asked and she and Joey waited eagerly for Andie's response.

'Oh it's al new, I don't want to jinx it, you know,' she mumbled slightly, but then looked at the other two,

'So tell me about this hot guy that's into my brother...'

'Hey boys,' Jen sang as they approached the boat, where the three boys were sat, Jack clearly dominating with a monologue about the awkwardness of his unfortunate jelly fish sting and Pacey's peeing gallantry. Pacey was chuckling, because he always chuckled at the story given that it was ridiculously funny. Especially with the manner in which he teased Jack mercilessly about his "new fetish."

'Wow you all look extraordinary,' Pacey smiled at them, 'most especially you,' he pointed at Joey, 'but then you always look beautiful.'

'Charmer,' she chided with a soft smile.

'It's not an attempt to be charming if it's true,' he shrugged, jumping off the boat and wrapping his arms around her waist, and kissing her. He clearly intended it as a hello kiss but it had been a long time since they'd seen one another and she couldn't have said who deepened the kiss, but it didn't end when it should have.

'Joey and I are just gonna go get the...um...yeah...from the tent...'

'I think we have the um...yeah,' Jen teased.

'Hmm, we'll be back...soon...' Joey didn't appear to have heard Jen.

'The party starts in half an hour,' Jack told them laughing.

'Meaning?' Pacey asked without looking at them.

'He's saying you've got half an hour,' Jen bossed.

'Half an hour for what?' it wasn't light hearted like it should have been, but Dawson was staring at them.

'Come on man, you have a girlfriend,' Pacey stated lightly.

'Yeah my sister, oh god, I don't like that thought,' Jack frowned. 'You two go before you give him ideas...'

'But just half an hour and I mean half an hour, and for gods sake use the middle section of the tent...'

'For what?' Dawson asked again an edge of panic to his voice.

'They need to be kissing, making out, God knows what for a good portion of the day or they get testy...' Jen laughed easily cracking open a beer.

'Really?' Joey shot her a look.

'Testy and inappropriately handsy for being in public...' Jen shot her own look.

'You always accuse us of that...' Joey defended.

'That's because you guys apparently have never had enough alone time...now scat.'

'Hmm, going,' Pacey snatched his girlfriend's hand up in his own and marched her away from the boat. 'You believe it?' he asked in a hiss.

'Not for a second, but hell, if they want to alleviate our guilt and discomfort by pretending to be together then I'm all for it,' she tucked her hand under his shirt and down the back of his cargo shorts.

'Hmm,' he wrapped an arm around her neck and kissed her head quickly, 'I think the desired outcome was our jealousy, not our utter joy.'

'Well the plan back fired,' she shrugged.

'Really?' he asked and she picked up on his tone of uncertainty and stopped walking, turning to face him and wrapping her arms around his neck,

'There is not any part of me whatsoever that is jealous. I wish it were true. I think for Andie it could be. Trust me Pace, I'm all yours.'

'Good,' he grinned, but then looked serious again.

'Spit it out Pace,' she encouraged.

'So you're not jealous...but there are other feelings, I mean other than jealousy.'

'There are,' she nodded still staring up at him,

'Jo, do you have any other feelings?' he clarified and she smiled.

'I have lots of feelings,' her eyes were dilated and her expression soft and he smiled,

'I mean about Dawson?'

'Ah, Hmm, I think if it's true then that boy doesn't know what he wants, not if he could try so hard to ruin things between us and then start something with Andie weeks later. Then again I don't think Dawson has ever known what he wants, just what he doesn't want others to have, or you to have.

I feel irritated that he's made us feel the way he has and is trying to manipulate things further with a futile attempt to cause jealousy. If he's using Andie, he loses my respect. I hope he's not. If he's not and he cares for her then I'm happy, because he can't say a damn thing about us! That thrills me. I haven't had to temper my behaviour once since he arrived, and I don't plan to.'

'You're awesome,' he smiled, his whole demeanour relaxing. 'I immediately realized what you did...you know that we didn't have to watch how we behave, but I guess I thought there might be jealousy...I know you and Dawson is a complicated relationship...'

'You and I have a relationship. Dawson and I have a patchy friendship at best. I'm not holding anything back here, you have to trust me. I've seen Dawson with lots of other girls...'

'And I've seen you jealous about it. I've comforted you...'

'Don't you see Pace. Even when I was jealous over him, I needed you? I still need you and I'm not jealous over him at all. I don't feel a spark, a zing or anything. I actually hope he's madly in love with her. Anyone comes near you - then we have a problem,' she kissed him softly.

'I love you.'

'I love you too, but we're wasting valuable time away from the others,' she slipped her hand into his and tugged him to the tent.

'We are wasting time,' he agreed.

'There's never enough time,' she complained as they fell in through the tent door. 'Oh my god it's a sauna in here.'

'So get naked,' he encouraged, tugging off his t-shirt the epitome of an over enthusiastic lover, his shorts following. He turned to find her smirking at him, clearly amused.

'By all means continue,' she told him with arched brows.

'You don't wanna?' he looked momentarily shaken, confused.

'Don't wanna what?' she asked staring at him.

'You know,' he sidled up to her and pressed his lips to her neck.

'Ahh, that,' she tilted her head. 'I was just enjoying your striptease. You know I spent a little time on my outfit for tonight, I'm not sure I want to throw it on the ground,' she shrugged, smoothing over her knee length navy skirt and her white tank, that emphasized her tan.

'And you look gorgeous,' he trailed his fingers under the bottom of her top.

'I'm not lying on that floor,' she looked pointedly at the sandy, mucky floor of the tent.

'I'll lie,' he suggested optimistically, 'and keep your clothes on.'

'Hmm, they might get in the way,' she frowned. 'What do you think?'

'The only thing really in the way...' he trailed his ands up her thighs, 'is your...' he trailed off and groaned as his hands met bare skin and no underwear.

'My what Pacey?' she asked primly.

'Fuck,' he practically growled, rubbing his hands over her ass.

'Yes Pace, you may...' she teased with an amused glint in her eye. She almost laughed at how enthusiastically he shoved his boxers down and then looked around the limited space in almost a panic, before he grabbed her and hoisted her by her butt until her legs were wrapped around his waist and his cock was inside of her. She cried out and bit his shoulder, her heart pounding wildly, her lust addled brain sparing a thought for the show of strength Pacey was exhibiting, but then he was using his arms to lift her up and almost off of him before pulling her back close to him and it felt amazing. 'More,' she begged, attempting to help as much as she could, the whole position entirely adept at creating a slew of amazing feelings that were rather quickly building towards what felt like it would be an amazing finale. 'Again,' she demanded, before biting his shoulder again, 'fuck Pace...that feels so, so good...' she gasped as he repeated the move again and again, until finally with one final shift of her body against his, it felt like every atom of her body exploded as she came, her finger nails scratching across his back as she bit down yet again on his shoulder to stop from screaming.

'You like that?' he asked gruffly, his voice deep and sexy.

'Hmmm, next time I think you may need a wall,' she told him as she slid off of him and dropped to her knees before taking him into her mouth, one hand on his ass, the other assisting where her mouth couldn't reach, until he grasped at her hair, his hips bucking him deeper into her mouth, until he came, his legs shaking so much he sank to his knees.

'Best Fourth of July ever,' he whispered in her ear before kissing her long and hard.

'And all night you'll know and I'll know that I'm not wearing panties,' she gave him a sultry look.

'That's so hot,' he stared at her wantonly, 'this was so hot. Do we really have to go back?' he asked with a pout.

'We do. Perks of having a girlfriend Pace...nothing's a one time deal.'

'My entire life with you is a perk,' he mused kissing her again.

'Come on,' she said at length and tugged him to his feet and handing him his boxers. 'We don't want anyone to come looking for us.'

'That we do not,' he agreed. 'Just so you know, you're literally the best girlfriend ever.'

'Thanks Pace. You're not so bad,' she smiled as he pulled on his tshirt inside out, biting her lip to hide her amusement, but saying nothing. Sharing a last smile, they exited the tent, her hand finding his as they headed back to the boat.

Coming up next...Dawson loses his shit