::This is not the last chapter, I assure you. I will have more chapters later (the last might be about Jack and Emma. I am still debating whether to do this.) But, I probably might put up a sequel because I wouldn't want the Pacey-Joey relationship to end with just my last chapter. Oh, and by the guys, thanks for the reviews guys! So far, lately, I have had bad luck with all my other stories. But, anyway, I like the way this story is turning out, because it is my first DC fic and I didn't expect to get much reviews. So, here's my part to give you the rest of this story!::
Joey and Dawson sat silently in Dawson's car, staring at Pacey, who is fixing up his boat and what not. Joey looks at Dawson, who looks back at her.
"What?" Dawson chuckled, as if something about him was bothering Joey.
"Well, I was just wondering…" Joey started.
"Wondering about what?"
"Well, how did we fall apart? I wanted to know before I go talk to Pacey," Joey finished.
"Well, I guess it was because we got over the past—"
"Yeah, but how exactly did we do that? Because I don't remember us sitting down at some coffee shop having the most intimate, heart breaking talk ever," Joey explained.
"Well, I guess it was because we finally realized that we were nothing more than friends. And looking back at past times, when we would bicker about things with each other, we realized that we were friends—just that. And I also guess that we had other people that we loved. Like I said, we are just soul mates—not each other's true love," Dawson said.
"Wow, well, I guess then, we are soul mates. We're still friends, right, Dawson?"
"If I wasn't your friend, Joey, I wouldn't be here, sitting in this car with you. I wouldn't be helping you through this whole thing."
"Point taken. I'd better go now before our sailing genius over there floats away. See you at the B&B?" Joey said, getting out of the car.
"No, no. I'm coming with you," Dawson said, getting out of his car, too. "I need a few words with the sailing genius."
Pacey looked up at the sound of two car doors closing. He watched in amazement at the sight of Joey Potter, talking and walking at the same pace as Dawson. Pacey studied every movement of Joey: the way she walked, how she tucked her hair behind her ear, how her hands were buried in the pocket of her black jacket, how she nodded her head in agreement with Dawson, and that smile of hers—the smile that melted Pacey's knees when she looked at him with that expression on his face. He could've sworn to God that his knees gave in when she smiled at that moment. She was an angel—a beautiful one at that too.
Then it hit him. What if Dawson and Joey were walking up to him to tell him that Joey decided she didn't want neither Eddie nor himself? What if they were there to tell him that Joey wanted Dawson? No, that was impossible. Dawson assured him two years ago that whatever happened between him and Joey was in the past.
Pacey saw Dawson tell Joey to stay where she was. Maybe Dawson wanted to tell him about his renewed relationship with Joey because Joey couldn't stand to tell him herself. No, he thought to himself. Dawson loves Audrey—and Joey loves Eddie. He sighed at that.
"Hey, Pace," Dawson said, standing at the dock where Pacey's boat was tied to.
"Hey, Dawson," Pacey answered, unable to keep his eyes of Joey, who was standing, breathing in the smell of the sea, her hands still in her pockets.
"Can I come aboard and talk to you for a while?"
"Sure, buddy. What about?" Pacey asked as Dawson got on the boat.
"Well, I wanted to talk about that beautiful, sweet girl over there," Dawson said, pointing at Joey, who now had her arms crossed in front of her chest, staring at the view in the right side of her.
"Oh." Pacey stared down the deck of the boat.
"Look, Pace. This whole thing has been rough on Jo, you know that. She—she has to make the hardest decision any human has to make. And so she thought it through, but she wants to tell you her decision in person," Dawson explained.
"I don't mean to sound rude or anything, Dawson. But, why are you here telling me this when she is not?" Pacey asked.
"Well, she wanted me to give the introduction. And I am here for support," he explained.
"All right, well. If she wants to talk to me then I suggest she hurry it up. I am about to leave in about thirty minutes," Pacey said, walking past Dawson, fishing poles in his hands. "Is she here to tell me something good or bad?"
"That I cannot tell you, my friend. She wanted to tell you herself."
"Are you guys, like, back together?" he slowly asked, dropping the poles. "Because if you are, then I congratulate you and everything—yada, yada, yada."
"Pacey—what? No, Joey and I aren't back together. Not even in a million years we would be back together. Not that there's something wrong with Joey or anything—she's just not for me. We're only friends. I love Audrey, you know that—"
"Dawson! All right, stop rambling and take a deep breath."
"Oh, sorry, Pace."
"It's all right. So, you and Joey aren't together. You love Audrey. Then that leaves this issue with Joey and me. Unless Eddie is still in this picture," Pacey explained.
"Well, I'll let Joey tell you that herself," Dawson said. He turned to Joey, waving his hands to get her attention. When she caught Dawson waving his hands vigorously, Dawson signaled her to come over.
Pacey kept his eyes on her as she walked over to the two boys. She seemed as if she wasn't walking. Rather, she was briskly floating in the air like an angel, as if she was eager to talk to Pacey. The wind blew against her, and her hair was freely flying in the wind. Pacey's jaw dropped at the beautiful creature he saw before him.
"Pacey, stop drooling," Dawson chuckled. Pacey shook his head and out of his trance.
"Hey, guys," Joey said, standing on the dock. She tucked her hair behind her ear.
"Hey, Jo," Dawson said back.
"Can I talk to Pacey alone, please Dawson?"
"Sure. I'll be in the car if any of you need me," Dawson said, getting out of the boat. He walked away as Pacey and Joey awkwardly looked to each other.
"Hey, Joey," Pacey managed to say.
"Hey, Pace. Mind if I join you on your boat?" she greeted, her hands now slipped into the back pockets of her denim jeans.
"No, I don't mind. Here, let me help you on the boat," Pacey said, as Joey took out one of her hands from her back pocket. Pacey took her hand as she walked on carefully.
"This is such a nice boat, Pacey. I like the name, also," Joey said, nodding her head. "Josephine."
"Well, I kinda got that idea from Forrest Gump. You know, I named my boat after the prettiest name I knew," Pacey explained. "And plus, your name reminds me of the sea."
"Well, do you think you can nickname the boat Joey?"
Pacey laughed and said, "No, I am pretty fond of Josephine already."
"All right, then. We seriously need to talk now, Pacey," Joey said, turning their conversation into a serious tone.
"What about, Potter? Or do you now go by Doling?" Pacey asked, as he led Joey to sit on a cooler on the boat.
"Well, that's what we should talk about. And, for the record, I still go by Potter, thank you."
"Still go by Potter? Please tell me this is not some sadistic joke you are pulling on me."
"I assure you that this is not some sadistic joke I made up, Witter."
"Okay, then, we'll continue to talk," Pacey said, pulling another cooler next to the one Joey was sitting on.
"Look, Pacey, what I said to you in the church—well, I don't know what I was saying. I mean, I was afraid that I might have made the wrong choice. So I had to stop the wedding," Joey started.
"You what?!" Pacey expressed, a bit happy, a bit shocked.
"Pacey, let me finish. I stopped the wedding. I told everyone to go home and what not. I took some time for myself, thinking about you and Eddie. And something about you shined the way Eddie couldn't. Somehow, I just couldn't picture Eddie and me together. But when I thought about you, I saw everything. I saw the kids, the house, even the boat. I just—"
"You saw all that just by thinking of me?"
"Well, yeah. When I start to think about things like that, I never can stop. The point is, Pace, I haven't gotten over," Joey sighed.
"What was all that crap about you not loving me then?"
"I got scared. What if I ran off with you and then bad things happened? I mean, we always did fight."
"But that was all about telling Dawson about our relationship. Dawson's gotten over that, you know. He's got Audrey now. There are no more fights about that. Joey, I love you so much, I can never let you go," Pacey said, taking his hands out of the pockets of the sweatshirt he'd bought at the K-Mart. He caressed Joey's face ever so gently.
"Pacey, I love you too. The hardest decision I have ever made was the one I made in the church. And I picked the wrong fate. I mean, I did love Eddie; but not as much as I love you."
"Am I hearing what I think I am hearing?" Pacey asked sarcastically.
"Well, if you're hearing that I am saying 'I love you', then yes. You are hearing what you think your hearing," Joey cried as she was held tightly by Pacey.
"I love you too, Potter," Pacey responded, swaying Joey slowly.
"I missed you," she whispered.
"So have I," he said, kissing the top of her head.
::Sorry this chapter took a long time to update. I just wanted to add more to the ending of this chapter, but I couldn't. Well, you know your cue and I'll have chapter five up.::