Disclaimer: Is it really necessary?
Author's Note: Sorry this chapter is being posted so late. I have been working everyday since the 4th of July in addition to having some connection problems. Anyway, excuses made, and deepest apologies to Nikki () for such a long wait, here is the long anticipated Chapter 7. Now, I really have no idea how this chapter may turn out at this point, but I'm giving it a go. Just so you know, I'm really a fan of Dawson /Joey, but I have come to accept Pacey/Joey if that's the way the writers wanted to go. Enjoy, and remember, it's just a fanfic.
Chapter 7
Later that evening, Joey Potter sat on the edge of the pier near her waterfront home. Her legs dangled lazily over the water as she stared at the Leery's home across the creek. She remembered briefly, her impulse excursion there earlier that morning. She gazed blankly into the distance. It all seemed surreal; the past few days had been the longest days she'd ever experienced in her sixteen years of existence, with the exception of her mother's death.
She was so engrossed in her thoughts; she didn't notice the soft creak of the wooden boards as they bent slightly underneath the weight of the approaching footfalls. She nearly fell into the water, startled by the slight touch to her shoulder. She swung her head around suddenly. The first thing she saw was his knee. Her eyes traveled up the khaki shorts and bright Hawaiian shirt, till finally she locked eyes with her boyfriend Pacey Witter. He had a silly grin on his face and was staring at her intently.
"Oh! Pacey! Gosh you scared me!" she announced while composing herself. "What are you doing here" she asked.
Pacey's smile widened a bit. "I came to see how you were doing. You kind of left the house a bit upset this morning." He replied as he took a seat beside her.
Joey returned his smile. "Oh." She tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear. "I was just wondering."
Pacey nodded. He felt a little guilty for not telling her the truth. But what was he supposed to say? 'Well you see, I've been following you all day Joe and I followed you here to the dock too. I've just been watching you from the shadows for the last 30 minutes.'
"So you went to see Dawson today?" He half asked, half accused.
Joey turned to him with a suspicious look in her eyes. "Well, actually I did. How did you know where I was?"
'I followed you this morning.' "Uh your car was gone, so we all just assumed that's where you had gone." He covered quickly looking away so she couldn't see he was lying to her.
"Oh." She nodded. "Right, I guess that makes sense."
Pacey swallowed glad that she hadn't seen through his fib.
"Isn't it funny?"
"Isn't what funny?" Pacey asked puzzled.
"How important life becomes to us in times like this."
"Oh."
"When you think about it, we as a human race take such a major and simple thing like life for granted. That is, until the blinders are ripped from our eyes in the heat of trauma and we are forced to see the truth we've been trying so hard to keep hidden in our subconscious just because we are scared to face it. The funny thing is the message screams the same thing. 'We are mortal, death is real, pain hurts, loved ones can be taken away."
"How depressing."
"Yeah." She brushed another hair out of her face, and turned to her boyfriend. "I told Dawson I still love him." She said quietly.
"Yeah?" Pacey answered still trying to recover from the last statement. He tried not to show his hurt as she confirmed what he'd already witnessed that afternoon.
"Yeah, I know this is really hard to hear but if I don't tell you it will eat away at me until I do. Yes, Pacey I love Dawson and yes he will always be my first love,"
Pacey fidgeted slightly. The veins in his neck started to pulsate as he fought to keep his anger in check. So what if she still loved Dawson, he was the one she was with now and he wouldn't give her up without a fight. He could feel his hands slowly clinching into tight balls.
Joey noticed his slight change in demeanor. She reached over covering his already red fists with her own soft hands in an effort to calm him down.
"Pacey?" She said with a sigh. He continued to look away from her refusing to meet her eyes. "Pacey, why didn't you just tell me the truth?"
He suddenly turned to face her confused at her abrupt accusation. "Wha...what are you talking about?" He stammered.
"I'm talking about how you followed me all morning long." She said in an accusatory tone. Pacey swallowed nervously as beads of sweat began to form across his forehead.
"I gave you every opportunity to tell me the truth and you just kept up the lie. I know you were there."
"There?"
"At the hospital, in Dawson's hospital room. You were listening in the whole time weren't you?"
Pacey looked at her and then looked away. Finally he nodded a slow 'yes' to her question. He fought extra hard to keep his temper down. He had been found out, she had known all along. Joey scooted closer to him and laid her head down on his presently tense shoulders.
"Pacey, listen to me. What I said to Dawson was for his ears only. I just felt like in light of the situation, it was only fair for me to tell him the truth. But if you are thinking what I know you're thinking, just let it go. I am not getting back together with Dawson. Whatever happened between us was special when we were together and it will always be deemed special in my memory." She nudged him playfully. "Besides," she continued, "in case you hadn't noticed, I'm taken."
Her head sunk slightly as he relaxed his shoulders getting rid of some of the tension in his shoulder muscles. She picked her head up off of his shoulders and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. He smiled at her.
"What was that for?" He asked softly.
"For being Pacey Witter, the love of my life."
He smiled slyly at her. "Well in that case-," He gently leaned over and their lips met in a soft warm kiss. He scooted back from the edge just a tad so that she could slip her small body into the space between him and the edge of the pier. She gently laid back against his chest while he wrapped his big strong arms around her, in somewhat of an awkward hug.
For a few moments all the couple did was sit listening to the sounds of the creek and the gentle breaths of each other. Pacey couldn't have asked for a more perfect moment. Neither could Joey until something dawned on her all of a sudden. She sat for a few moments, brainstorming the best way to ask the question that had begun nagging at the back of her mind. Finally she took a chance.
"Hey Pace?"
"Yeah Jo?"
"Have you been in to see Dawson yet?"
A strange silence filled the air; she could almost hear the wheels turning in his head as he fumbled for his answer. "Of...Of course I have Jo, you and I went in together remember?"
"Yeah, I know, but-,"
"Yes?"
"Well I meant...after that. Have you been in to see Dawson on your own or anything?"
Pacey froze. She could feel his muscles as they began to stiffen. His embrace on her even seemed a little tighter. Joey waited, for what seemed like ages, for him to speak.
"No."
"Why not?"
"I don't know."
"Do you need me to go with you?"
"No."
"Don't you think you should go?"
"---Yes."
"Would it be easier if Jack went with you?"
"No."
"Are you scared?"
"No."
With every question his jaw tightened. Why was she asking him so many questions? Didn't she realize she was ruining the moment? Why couldn't she recognize this interrogation was making him uncomfortable? Or did she?
"Pace?"
She had seemed to ask him another question while he was brooding.
"Pace?" She asked again. He could hear the concern in her voice this time. She seemed to almost be pleading with him. He decided he should answer her before she completely freaked out.
"Yeah, Jo?"
"I...I just wondered if maybe you understood how serious the situation is and how important it is that you go and see Dawson?"
He listened to her carefully. What was she talking about?
"What are you saying Jo?" He replied confused by her previous statement and what it may have meant.
"Pacey I--," She sighed heavily. "I talked to Dawson's doctor today...It was shortly after you had left. I was still in the room visiting when he came in to check on Dawson and I asked how he was doing..." She paused for a moment to blink back the tears forming in her eyes.
"Wha...What did the doctor say Jo?" Pacey stammered.
"He...He said that in terms of Dawson's other injuries, his leg, his neck, any internal bleeding or damage, Dawson would be fine and really lucky for someone who had been in such a potentially fatal accident but..."
"But what Jo?"
Joey brushed away some of the tears that had already begun to fall. "But...he said his head..."
"What about his head? Please spit it out!"'
"His head injury is more serious than they thought. They're not sure if...Pacey they don't know if..." She kept stammering for the words but couldn't quite say them. Pacey on the other hand was half way to losing it. He was getting more and more frustrated by the minute.
"Please Jo, I know you are having a hard time, but I need you to try and finish what you're saying. Just tell me!"
"They don't know if he'll ever wake up!" She shouted back somewhat defensively. She could feel Pacey's heartbeat almost stop as he tightened his grip around her even more. She hadn't meant to make him so upset but she had to tell him. She didn't want him to miss what could be his only chance to--. She shuddered at her next thoughts.
Pacey felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. All the life had gone out of him from just that one statement. Suddenly, he felt as if he were miles away. He could here her voice as she continued on. She sounded so distant yet she was undoubtedly very close. As he processed the information he could here bits and pieces of what she was saying.
"I'm so sorry to bring this on you so suddenly Pace. I just thought that maybe...maybe you needed to know how serious this situation is. I just don't want you to have any regrets if Dawson should...if the worst should happen." She finished. She listened for some sort of response. None came. She tilted her head back slightly trying to get a glimpse of his face but all she could see was his jaw line. Pacey had a death grip on her now. He was holding onto her so hard she could barely breath. She could see the tick in his jaw as he stared out into space. She must have really hit a nerve that time. She felt sorry for him. He seemed to be battling with himself trying to make a choice. She knew deep down inside he wanted nothing more than to visit his best friend of sixteen years, but something was holding him back, pride maybe?
*****
Joey awoke, hours later confused. She surveyed her surroundings. She was in her bed in her bedroom but how had she gotten there? Had she fallen asleep, but where? And where was Pacey?
So there you have it. Chapter 7 is finished and I'm already brainstorming on Chapter 8, which should be up in a day or two since I'm off for a couple of days. I hope to finish the story before I go on vacation next week. Be patient it's almost over, and you can return to your normal lives. Please tell me if you want the next chapter though, it's the only way I'll post it.
Author's Note: Sorry this chapter is being posted so late. I have been working everyday since the 4th of July in addition to having some connection problems. Anyway, excuses made, and deepest apologies to Nikki () for such a long wait, here is the long anticipated Chapter 7. Now, I really have no idea how this chapter may turn out at this point, but I'm giving it a go. Just so you know, I'm really a fan of Dawson /Joey, but I have come to accept Pacey/Joey if that's the way the writers wanted to go. Enjoy, and remember, it's just a fanfic.
Chapter 7
Later that evening, Joey Potter sat on the edge of the pier near her waterfront home. Her legs dangled lazily over the water as she stared at the Leery's home across the creek. She remembered briefly, her impulse excursion there earlier that morning. She gazed blankly into the distance. It all seemed surreal; the past few days had been the longest days she'd ever experienced in her sixteen years of existence, with the exception of her mother's death.
She was so engrossed in her thoughts; she didn't notice the soft creak of the wooden boards as they bent slightly underneath the weight of the approaching footfalls. She nearly fell into the water, startled by the slight touch to her shoulder. She swung her head around suddenly. The first thing she saw was his knee. Her eyes traveled up the khaki shorts and bright Hawaiian shirt, till finally she locked eyes with her boyfriend Pacey Witter. He had a silly grin on his face and was staring at her intently.
"Oh! Pacey! Gosh you scared me!" she announced while composing herself. "What are you doing here" she asked.
Pacey's smile widened a bit. "I came to see how you were doing. You kind of left the house a bit upset this morning." He replied as he took a seat beside her.
Joey returned his smile. "Oh." She tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear. "I was just wondering."
Pacey nodded. He felt a little guilty for not telling her the truth. But what was he supposed to say? 'Well you see, I've been following you all day Joe and I followed you here to the dock too. I've just been watching you from the shadows for the last 30 minutes.'
"So you went to see Dawson today?" He half asked, half accused.
Joey turned to him with a suspicious look in her eyes. "Well, actually I did. How did you know where I was?"
'I followed you this morning.' "Uh your car was gone, so we all just assumed that's where you had gone." He covered quickly looking away so she couldn't see he was lying to her.
"Oh." She nodded. "Right, I guess that makes sense."
Pacey swallowed glad that she hadn't seen through his fib.
"Isn't it funny?"
"Isn't what funny?" Pacey asked puzzled.
"How important life becomes to us in times like this."
"Oh."
"When you think about it, we as a human race take such a major and simple thing like life for granted. That is, until the blinders are ripped from our eyes in the heat of trauma and we are forced to see the truth we've been trying so hard to keep hidden in our subconscious just because we are scared to face it. The funny thing is the message screams the same thing. 'We are mortal, death is real, pain hurts, loved ones can be taken away."
"How depressing."
"Yeah." She brushed another hair out of her face, and turned to her boyfriend. "I told Dawson I still love him." She said quietly.
"Yeah?" Pacey answered still trying to recover from the last statement. He tried not to show his hurt as she confirmed what he'd already witnessed that afternoon.
"Yeah, I know this is really hard to hear but if I don't tell you it will eat away at me until I do. Yes, Pacey I love Dawson and yes he will always be my first love,"
Pacey fidgeted slightly. The veins in his neck started to pulsate as he fought to keep his anger in check. So what if she still loved Dawson, he was the one she was with now and he wouldn't give her up without a fight. He could feel his hands slowly clinching into tight balls.
Joey noticed his slight change in demeanor. She reached over covering his already red fists with her own soft hands in an effort to calm him down.
"Pacey?" She said with a sigh. He continued to look away from her refusing to meet her eyes. "Pacey, why didn't you just tell me the truth?"
He suddenly turned to face her confused at her abrupt accusation. "Wha...what are you talking about?" He stammered.
"I'm talking about how you followed me all morning long." She said in an accusatory tone. Pacey swallowed nervously as beads of sweat began to form across his forehead.
"I gave you every opportunity to tell me the truth and you just kept up the lie. I know you were there."
"There?"
"At the hospital, in Dawson's hospital room. You were listening in the whole time weren't you?"
Pacey looked at her and then looked away. Finally he nodded a slow 'yes' to her question. He fought extra hard to keep his temper down. He had been found out, she had known all along. Joey scooted closer to him and laid her head down on his presently tense shoulders.
"Pacey, listen to me. What I said to Dawson was for his ears only. I just felt like in light of the situation, it was only fair for me to tell him the truth. But if you are thinking what I know you're thinking, just let it go. I am not getting back together with Dawson. Whatever happened between us was special when we were together and it will always be deemed special in my memory." She nudged him playfully. "Besides," she continued, "in case you hadn't noticed, I'm taken."
Her head sunk slightly as he relaxed his shoulders getting rid of some of the tension in his shoulder muscles. She picked her head up off of his shoulders and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. He smiled at her.
"What was that for?" He asked softly.
"For being Pacey Witter, the love of my life."
He smiled slyly at her. "Well in that case-," He gently leaned over and their lips met in a soft warm kiss. He scooted back from the edge just a tad so that she could slip her small body into the space between him and the edge of the pier. She gently laid back against his chest while he wrapped his big strong arms around her, in somewhat of an awkward hug.
For a few moments all the couple did was sit listening to the sounds of the creek and the gentle breaths of each other. Pacey couldn't have asked for a more perfect moment. Neither could Joey until something dawned on her all of a sudden. She sat for a few moments, brainstorming the best way to ask the question that had begun nagging at the back of her mind. Finally she took a chance.
"Hey Pace?"
"Yeah Jo?"
"Have you been in to see Dawson yet?"
A strange silence filled the air; she could almost hear the wheels turning in his head as he fumbled for his answer. "Of...Of course I have Jo, you and I went in together remember?"
"Yeah, I know, but-,"
"Yes?"
"Well I meant...after that. Have you been in to see Dawson on your own or anything?"
Pacey froze. She could feel his muscles as they began to stiffen. His embrace on her even seemed a little tighter. Joey waited, for what seemed like ages, for him to speak.
"No."
"Why not?"
"I don't know."
"Do you need me to go with you?"
"No."
"Don't you think you should go?"
"---Yes."
"Would it be easier if Jack went with you?"
"No."
"Are you scared?"
"No."
With every question his jaw tightened. Why was she asking him so many questions? Didn't she realize she was ruining the moment? Why couldn't she recognize this interrogation was making him uncomfortable? Or did she?
"Pace?"
She had seemed to ask him another question while he was brooding.
"Pace?" She asked again. He could hear the concern in her voice this time. She seemed to almost be pleading with him. He decided he should answer her before she completely freaked out.
"Yeah, Jo?"
"I...I just wondered if maybe you understood how serious the situation is and how important it is that you go and see Dawson?"
He listened to her carefully. What was she talking about?
"What are you saying Jo?" He replied confused by her previous statement and what it may have meant.
"Pacey I--," She sighed heavily. "I talked to Dawson's doctor today...It was shortly after you had left. I was still in the room visiting when he came in to check on Dawson and I asked how he was doing..." She paused for a moment to blink back the tears forming in her eyes.
"Wha...What did the doctor say Jo?" Pacey stammered.
"He...He said that in terms of Dawson's other injuries, his leg, his neck, any internal bleeding or damage, Dawson would be fine and really lucky for someone who had been in such a potentially fatal accident but..."
"But what Jo?"
Joey brushed away some of the tears that had already begun to fall. "But...he said his head..."
"What about his head? Please spit it out!"'
"His head injury is more serious than they thought. They're not sure if...Pacey they don't know if..." She kept stammering for the words but couldn't quite say them. Pacey on the other hand was half way to losing it. He was getting more and more frustrated by the minute.
"Please Jo, I know you are having a hard time, but I need you to try and finish what you're saying. Just tell me!"
"They don't know if he'll ever wake up!" She shouted back somewhat defensively. She could feel Pacey's heartbeat almost stop as he tightened his grip around her even more. She hadn't meant to make him so upset but she had to tell him. She didn't want him to miss what could be his only chance to--. She shuddered at her next thoughts.
Pacey felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. All the life had gone out of him from just that one statement. Suddenly, he felt as if he were miles away. He could here her voice as she continued on. She sounded so distant yet she was undoubtedly very close. As he processed the information he could here bits and pieces of what she was saying.
"I'm so sorry to bring this on you so suddenly Pace. I just thought that maybe...maybe you needed to know how serious this situation is. I just don't want you to have any regrets if Dawson should...if the worst should happen." She finished. She listened for some sort of response. None came. She tilted her head back slightly trying to get a glimpse of his face but all she could see was his jaw line. Pacey had a death grip on her now. He was holding onto her so hard she could barely breath. She could see the tick in his jaw as he stared out into space. She must have really hit a nerve that time. She felt sorry for him. He seemed to be battling with himself trying to make a choice. She knew deep down inside he wanted nothing more than to visit his best friend of sixteen years, but something was holding him back, pride maybe?
*****
Joey awoke, hours later confused. She surveyed her surroundings. She was in her bed in her bedroom but how had she gotten there? Had she fallen asleep, but where? And where was Pacey?
So there you have it. Chapter 7 is finished and I'm already brainstorming on Chapter 8, which should be up in a day or two since I'm off for a couple of days. I hope to finish the story before I go on vacation next week. Be patient it's almost over, and you can return to your normal lives. Please tell me if you want the next chapter though, it's the only way I'll post it.