A/N: Ya didn't think we were done with the Stolen Kisses epi yet, did ya? Fooled you!

As always, thanks so much for your feedback and support – special shout out to ckoder, cleanslate, CindyCinlou555, Seersha, pippiboo!

*~* Intentions *~*
by M&M Works

A heavy spring shower had effectively disrupted the vacationing group's plans to explore the nearby quarry. The Capesidians had planned a day-long picnic marveling at the watery depths, so unlike the harbor with which they were familiar. Legendary for its submerged construction equipment and enormous, prehistoric-looking fish, the quarry was a local draw with its tiny man-made beach area on the north side; the other rockier, steeper sides of the quarry reserved for the more daring crowd.

But, instead of this new and potentially exciting adventure, they had been stuck inside all day. Playing board games to be exact. Yatzee, Sorry and Clue had yielded winners by luck but the reigning queens of academia, Andie and Joey had persuaded their peers to move onto something more challenging. Much to their surprise, Will had been quietly but consistently winning game after game as they sat at the long farmhouse table; small wooden tiles and their ability to shape them into words deciding their fate.

"Is there such a thing as a Scrabble shark?" Andie protested loudly.

"Who picked this game anyway?" Pacey complained. "We shoulda played Twister!"

Joey smirked, "Right up your alley, Witter. No vocabulary, all action."

Smirking back, Pacey winked at her. "That's right, sweetheart," he drawled with exaggeration.

Andie jumped in. "As long as he can make three-letter words, he has no problem," she stated knowingly.

"Thanks, McPhee," Pacey said dryly as he rolled his eyes. "What is this, Pick on the Stupid Kid Day?"

Joey's urge to defend him against his self-deprecation was stifled as Andie rejoined, "If the tiles fit…"

"Your turn, Joey." Dawson elbowed her lightly.

A cloud had passed over Pacey's features when Dawson claimed the seat on the bench next to her but Joey had studiously ignored them both. So he took a seat directly across from her and consoled himself with the view.

Now, watching Dawson touch her, no matter how innocently, made his blood boil. On second thought, Twister was probably a way worse choice than this! Who knows what kind of contortions those two might end up in?

Briefly catching Pacey's eye from under thick lashes, Joey nonchalantly leaned away from Dawson as she tucked her leg underneath herself on the bench. She meticulously surveyed the tiles in front of her, though she knew her word as soon as Will had taken his last turn, but paused as though considering for dramatic effect.

Scrabble was her kind of game.

Choosing six tiles she painstakingly arranged them downwards from the letter B in Will's word "beeves," which itself had caused a ruckus and had been challenged by Dawson. It was almost painful to watch him attempt to seem qualified to compete with the powerhouse trio of Andie, Will and Joey.

"Bezique," she declared smugly, triumph lighting her face. "That's… let's see… triple letter "z" and double word score… 79 points!" She smiled sweetly at Will as he tallied her points onto the score sheet in front of him, smirking back at her good-naturedly.

Dawson frowned, shaking his head in mock sadness. "Joey, you know you can't use proper names!"

Andie and Will both raised their eyebrows at Dawson and said simultaneously, "Proper name?"

"Bezique is the name of a country in South America!" he declared firmly, his blonde hair flopping with a definitive nod of his head.

At that, Joey, Will and Andie burst out laughing. Pacey joined in though he didn't exactly know why; he surmised that Dawson was wrong and he could definitely get on board with that.

"What?" Dawson demanded. "It is!"

When Joey could catch her breath, she gasped out, "That would be Belize, Dawson! And it's in Central America!" She continued to giggle.

Although he didn't quite get her egghead humor, Pacey's heart was light, watching her enjoy herself. A broad grin split her flushed face; her teeth flashing brightly even as tears of laughter gathered in the corners of her big brown eyes.

"Then what's 'bezique'?" An edge of irritation crept into his voice as the rest of the table continued to chuckle sporadically.

On cue, Andie and Will shouted, "A card game!"

Dawson rolled his eyes and tried to concede gracefully. "Hey! They sound very similar." He swung his legs off the end of the bench and stood. "I don't think anyone can beat Joey now. Let's watch a movie."

Completely dismissing the game and its participants, he made a beeline for the cabinet under the TV.

"Hey! We're not done with this game!" Joey protested. "It's the first time anyone's been close to beating Will all day."

Will stood, too, and tipped his head from side to side, the joints in his spine making an audible pop. "I bow to your obvious genius, Joey. Well played."

Andie followed suit though her stretches looked more like calisthenics.

Pursing her lips indignantly, Joey began to sweep the tiles into the box, "Well then, just for the record, let's not forget – for all intents and purposes - I did win this one!" She looked up to find Pacey's eyes twinkling at her, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth. "What? I did!" She insisted.

"Of course you did, Potter. I didn't say anything," he denied. Suppressing his mirth at her tantrum, he folded the board in half and handed it to her.

Placing it on top of the tiles, she replaced the box lid and watched as Andie and Will drifted toward the living room to monitor Dawson's movie choices. For a moment her features were unguarded as she unleashed a brilliant smile in Pacey's direction.

He grinned back, their eyes locked in mutual admiration, shared secrets and impending promises kept.

Dazed as always by his intensity, Joey caught her bottom lip between her teeth and, dipping her head shyly, she set out to return the game to the top closet shelf. Standing on her toes, she balanced one end of the box on the tips of her fingers, the other perched precariously on the edge of the other game boxes.

Before she could give it a good shove, she felt a solid, warm body behind her as Pacey's voice rumbled in her ear, "Need some help, Potter?"

He easily pushed the box into place as she lowered her heels, her slim, straight back and soft, round rear flush against him. Gasping at the feel of him, she feared her knees would give out from his proximity. "Pacey!"

Hands in the air, as if in surrender, he stepped back and away from her, shrugging. "Just trying to be helpful, Jo."

She rolled her eyes at him. Shaken, and now feeling bereft of his physical presence, she made her way to the kitchen to lean against the sink, staring unseeing out the window as she turned the faucets on for a cold drink.

What she really needed was a cold shower.

How did he do that to her?

And why did he insist on doing it in front of everyone? She was positive they could all see the way he affected her.

They needed to tell Dawson.

Before participating in PDAs.

And, even then, she feared they would need to be circumspect.

But, for now, she just wanted to cherish these newly discovered feelings for Pacey.

She wasn't ready to share them with the world just yet.

Pacey hovered part way between the kitchen and the living room, watching Joey surreptitiously.

They needed to tell Dawson.

Soon.

He wanted to touch her.

All the time.

Pacey was all for keeping their relationship special and private but he hated sneaking around. He'd hated it when he and Tamara had done it and he hated it now.

A lot.

He didn't want deception and stealth to be part of their history.

The sun chose that moment to streak through the kitchen window, its residual raindrops sparkling like miniature prisms.

Taking a deep breath, Joey turned and announced to no one in particular, "Hey! The rain stopped. I'm gonna go for a walk."

Pacey looked directly at her then and she nodded at him imperceptibly.

Her heart fluttered as she thought of "their special place" as she had come to think of that fallen log and the many kisses they had exchanged there in the last few days. She knew that Pacey would find some way to excuse himself in a few minutes and he would meet her there.

Grabbing her coat from the hook near the door, she was stopped in her tracks by Dawson's voice. "Hang on a minute, Joey. I'll go with you."

Stunned, Joey stared at the back of the boy in the living room who was holding a videotape in his hand and then in wide-eyed panic she wordlessly beseeched Pacey for a lifeline.

Pacey's face did not betray his thoughts but a muscle in his jaw twitched as he casually joined Will and Andie in the living room, refusing to even look her way.

Still speaking, Dawson popped the tape in the player, "I could use some fresh air. And besides, I've seen this about a hundred times. It's not like I'm gonna miss anything."

Smiling, he joined Joey at the door and snatching up his own jacket, shrugged into it. Holding the door open for her, he followed her out into the yard.

In turmoil, Joey walked next to him, wondering to herself why Dawson had to pick now of all times to decide he didn't want to rewatch movies, especially if he'd seen it only a hundred times. As he began to steer them around the barn and into the woods, her turmoil increased as she became horrified at his obvious intended route.

She came to a screeching halt, saying, "Let's go out and walk along the road. It's probably really muddy back there after all the rain."

"Sure, whatever," Dawson agreed easily and veered to the left. They made their way down the driveway to the deserted road in silence.

Though Dawson seemed unfazed by the lack of conversation and cheerfully strode along, Joey was unnerved by her sudden change in companions and resorted to that old standby – the weather. "I love the way the world smells after it rains," she announced.

"Yeah, it smells… fresh," he agreed and then broached the subject he'd been thinking about for days. "Enjoying your vacation, Joey?"

"Um… yeah… of course… why wouldn't I?" she reassured him with a small smile.

Dawson shrugged. "I just thought we'd get more time together to reconnect, you know? It seems like we've been here together but not together - you know what I mean?"

"Hmmm… well, I think it's been a lovely break. Here we are, good friends, sharing our break with other good friends - hanging out, playing games, taking walks – it's been fun." She realized she was not only rambling but she sounded stilted – like a bad movie script – so she shut up.

Desperately, she tried to think of a new subject but all she could think of was the brown-haired boy. Was he angry with her? Did he realize she didn't have a choice but to agree to a walk with Dawson? Surely he understood.

In addition, she was feeling completely out of sorts, knowing that she was missing Pacey's lips on hers; their earlier all-too-brief body contact, while putting the board game away, a cruel tease.

By now the sun had come out fully but the road was wet and the earth was drenched. Careful to sidestep puddles and water-filled potholes, they meandered past other wooden bungalows on the quiet, dead end road.

Despite Joey's private ruminations, Dawson continued tenaciously, "Ever since our talk the other day, I've really wanted to spend some time alone with you and it seems like something always interferes."

"Alone?" Joey's tone was casual and even a bit puzzled.

"Yeah, alone. You know - me, you, a moonlit night…," He trailed off suggestively. "I've been wondering, why aren't we together now?"

Joey began to feel her ire rise. Now?

After everything that happened this year, he wanted to try again now?

Well, it was too late. He'd turned her over to his best friend who had captured her heart. She'd understood for some time now that what she and Dawson were really good at, was being friends. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Dawson…," she began.

Sensing her hesitation, which he could totally understand after their many missteps, Dawson interrupted her and seemingly changed the subject. "Did you know my aunt painted the picture of her house before she ever saw it?"

Relieved, as if she had somehow dodged a bullet, Joey nodded. "She told me."

"She painted her future," he said emphatically.

Not quite understanding where he was going, Joey nodded again. "I know. Freaky, huh?"

Coming full circle to his original subject matter, Dawson went in for the kill, "Do you know what I see when I close my eyes and paint my future?"

With the dead end looming before them, Joey shook her head but didn't answer his question. She looked at the boy now standing before her, her insides squirming. Taking a shaky breath, she glanced away and proclaimed, "Looks like this is the end of the road. We can't go any further. Let's go back."

Turning on her heel, she headed back the way they had come.

Gazing after her, Dawson stood motionless, frustrated and annoyed.

Joey looked back at him, "You comin'?"

Trying to capture her gaze in a soulful stare but failing as she looked away again, he pursed his lips and started walking until he caught up to her.

Joey began to chatter. "Who knew Will had such a great vocabulary, huh? I thought Andie and I would be the ones to wipe the floor with you guys in Scrabble but he really made me bring my A game. I think if Andie wasn't so interested in him, she'd have played more competitively but she seemed a little distracted today. Don't you think so?"

Dawson sighed heavily and let her ramble until the driveway of the little log cottage came back into sight. A step ahead of her, he pushed through the screen door, letting it slam before she had a chance to catch it.

Joey stared at the door in momentary disbelief until she remembered that this was, after all, Dawson, the boy who was used to always getting his own way.

She still wasn't sure how Pacey felt about being abandoned but if he was angry, she was batting a thousand today, managing to piss off both the boys in her life in one fell swoop. She had gone from being Scrabble Champion to persona non grata in no time flat.

How the hell did that happen?

She desperately wanted to talk to Pacey but knew there was no way to do that right now without raising suspicion. Taking a deep breath to steel herself and, composing her features into a careful mask, she entered the house.

Andie and Will were laughing at the antics of Ferris Bueller but there was no sign of Pacey or Dawson. Just as Joey was about to take off her jacket and join them, she caught sight of those familiar brown curls through the kitchen window.

Leaving Will and Andie to their movie, she moved quietly behind them through the house and, pushing open the back door, found Pacey parked in a wicker chair.

"Hey," she offered, cautiously.

"Hey yourself," he smiled at her. It was a slow smile, one which gradually lit up the whole of his face as the corners of his eyes creased.

Reassured, Joey found herself finally able to breathe again normally. "Ferris couldn't hold your attention?"

"Been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt."

Joey laughed out loud because Pacey did indeed have a t-shirt that read, Ferris Bueller, you're my hero.

Pacey then continued, lifting his shoulders in an easy shrug, "Besides, when it comes to skippin' school, in my experience a boat works out better than stealing Daddy's sports car. Although… there's one thing I wouldn't change. The brunette female sidekick." He winked at her. "Nope, definitely wouldn't change that."

And, just like that, he put her at ease. He wasn't Dawson. He wasn't mad. She was gonna have to get used to this; a world in which she didn't have to worry that any wrong look or word might send the boy into a tantrum. She took a seat on the swing opposite him and allowed herself to bask in the familiarity between them.

"Nice walk?" he asked offhandedly, his eyes flicking toward her and then away as he jiggled one leg.

Debating as to how much she really needed to reveal to still make her point, Joey clarified, "Awkward walk."

Pacey nodded in understanding before piercing her with his serious gaze. "We need to tell him, Jo."

"I know. I wanted to but…" she began to rationalize.

Shaking his head, Pacey interrupted, "When we get back. We need to tell him when we get back. I don't think we need to jeopardize the peace and harmony of such a long road trip by telling him now. But as soon as we get back…," he trailed off.

Relieved that Pacey made the decision, Joey nodded firmly. "That's what we'll do then." She paused before asking, "What about Andie?"

"I'll tell her. After we tell Dawson. Just as a courtesy."

His ocean blue eyes searched her face and found it open and trusting. Startled, Pacey realized what a great responsibility it was to love her. She was looking to him to lead them through the treacherous waters ahead.

His heart swelled.

Determined to be worthy of her trust, he promised himself that he would do everything in his power to keep from failing her.

Happy that they now had a plan of action for the future, Joey turned her thoughts back to the here and now. She stole a glance over his head to look inside through the kitchen window before whispering, her voice hopeful, "Do we have time for a… walk?"

Pacey shook his head. "We should go back in before they miss us."

Her face fell in disappointment.

"Why, Josephine Potter, I do believe you're trying to get me alone!" Pacey teased.

Her cheeks blooming, Joey rolled her eyes at him and shook her head in denial. "I don't know what you mean."

"What I mean, Jo, is that you can't wait to get some of this! He waggled his eyebrows and in his best game show hostess mode pointed to himself from head to toe.

As the blush crept down her neck she snapped back, "Bite me!"

"After dinner," he promised, winking again at her.

As she got to her feet, ready to flounce by him, she shrugged, her tone elusive, "Maybe. Maybe not. I might have other plans."

Suddenly capturing her hand with his long, warm fingers, he gruffly whispered, "Break 'em."

The electrical current, that ran straight from his fingers into the pit of her belly, caused her to pause. She looked deep into his eyes and nodded once, a silent promise.

In that moment she couldn't help but wonder what else she'd be willing to break, to be with this boy.

Standing there just the two of them, her hand in his, far away from Capeside, she found it hard to think of a single thing she wouldn't break.

In fact, all she could imagine was endless possibilities.

*~*

Dawson glanced at the back of the brunette girl's head as she stared out the passenger side window. He hadn't caught more than a glimpse of her face for the last 50 miles. Grimacing, he wondered how his manipulation to get Joey into the front seat for the ride back to Capeside seemed to have gone so awry.

After packing the vehicle, he had capitalized on Andie's attraction to Will by helpfully procuring her some Dramamine for the ride home. Gratefully, and with a conspiratorial wink, she had eagerly taken her place in the middle of the backseat as they prepared to depart. There had then been a flurry of confusion and general chaos as Pacey and Joey worked out their places but Dawson had finally managed to successfully maneuver Joey right where he wanted her.

Apparently all his effort had been wasted.

Though she was seated right next to him, he didn't know exactly where her head was because it was obviously not here.

Maybe he had gotten ahead of himself while trying to make his intentions clear during their walk. In his excitement and impatience to embark on a new phase of their relationship, he had chosen the wrong time and place, that's all. He should have bided his time and stuck with his original idea to set the scene for a grand gesture.

And that's what he would do… as soon as they got home.

Surely then she would see how perfect they were together. Satisfied that he had a handle on the situation, Dawson relaxed and, adjusting the radio volume to mask the silence, then settled in for the remainder of their ride home.

*~*

The scenery outside the window to which she was glued was a mere blur. Joey's body may have been sitting perfectly still, but her thoughts were anything but calm as she sat trapped in a literal and metaphorical triangle.

For, with every mile that they got closer to Capeside, the more uncertain she became; now that they were leaving the cocoon of Aunt Gwen's cabin, what would happen?

Worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, she soothed herself with the mantra that Pacey would know how to fix this and they would do it together.

Successfully.

Just like they had done everything else this year.

Together.

Right?

Desperate for reassurance, Joey whipped her gaze from the passing scenery to the passenger side mirror; catching Pacey's eye, she shared a secret smile with him when he held her stare and winked.

And, once again, as simple as that, he'd put her at ease.

*~*

Easier To Be by Lifehouse

Chasing fireflies
Elusive dreams
This pre life crisis
Is killing me
Beautiful tragedy
Who I was wasn't me
Yeah yeah

Do do do do
You make it easier to be
Easier to be me
It's hard to believe
You make it easy...

We speak in silence
Words can't break
It feels like we are
Falling awake
In a place and a time
Of our own
Yeah yeah

Do do do do
You make it easier to be
Easier to be me
Hard to believe

It felt like the world
Fell from my feet
Gave up on myself
You didn't give up on me
Let myself go
You were still there
Like coming home
Coming up for air
Yeah yeah

*~*