SUNSET, Monday

"Lady at table G4 says her salad was wilted and her steak is overdone." Pacey grumbled under his breath for several seconds before taking the plate, dumping the food and starting the order over.

"Tell her the owner will see to her meal personally and bring it right out."

"Sure thing, Pace." The waiter said bakcing out the door and heading for the right table.

What a night! Pacey groaned in his head.

"Hey, Witter!" Pacey's head shot up at the familiar voice.

"Leery." He nodded. "Here for the wedding I assume?"

"Yep." Dawson shoved his ever growing mane of golden locks out of his face. "How've you been?"

"Good, really really good."

"Wow, seriously?"

"Yeah." Pacey nodded again and watched a vague shadow pass over his friend's face. "What's up, Dawson?"

"Nothing. I guess."

"That look—that's not 'nothing', man."

"I don't know, thinking about this wedding—it's just brought back some memories."

Pacey turned his head abruptly. "I know." He mumbled staring out at the passers-by on the street outside.

Dawson shook his head and shrugged. "I'll see you, Pace." he said walking toward the door.

"Yeah, later." Pacey responded without looking away from the window.



Not far away Joey Potter sat watching the sunset light the creek a firey orange. She'd been sitting quietly thinking for over an hour when Jen sighed and plopped down beside her. "I am so full—I could burst." Jen rubbed her full stomaqch lightly.

"Gary's really great, Jen." She looked at the blonde sitting next to her. "I can't believe you two met a church of all places, Lindley."

"I know, but after a while Grams got me to go with her." She shrugged remembering. "At first I was going to get Grams off my back and then I met Gary. Then I was going to church to see him, next thing I know, something clicks something just fell into place and I was suddenly whole. And that was before Gary and I went on the first date. It was just like Grams had been telling me for years. All the hard questions in my life were easier to answer. All the burdens easier to carry—I'm sharing the load with a pretty big guy." Jen smiled lifting her eyes heavenward.

"Ever missing your hell raising days?"

"Everyday." Jen chuckled.

"Jen, you didn't tell Dawson or Pacey I was coming to the wedding did you?"

"Not exactly."

"Jen." Joey let her voice rise and fall abruptly.

"I know, but I wanted it to be a big surprise."

"Well, Dawson knows and he probably told Pacey so your sursprise is ruined."

"I doubt Dawson said a word to Pacey."

"Of course he did." Joey turned to lookat Jen in the brightening moonlight. "Those two are thick as theives again. At least that's what Dawson said when he visited." She shrugged and seeing Jen start to speak she spoke, "And what both Gayle and Bessie said when I talked to them."

"Dawson came to visit you and you didn't tell me?" Jen was visibly shaken by this new information.

"Yeah, he came to see me when his show was filming in Whales."

"Joey!"

"What?"

"Details."

"None to give, Lindley." She shrugged. "He was in London three days, then he was gone."

"Wow. And there was no drama, no sob story, no woe is me and my aching heart?"

"Nope. He was every bit the gentleman—the platonic gentleman and then he was gone."

"Pacey didn't visit and you're conviently forgetting to tell me?"

"No, I haven't see Pacey in six years. Not since I moved to London."

"When are you coming back to the states?"

Joey climbed to her feet and sighed. "I have an offer to take a good job in the New York office—Or possibly DC."

"Jo! That's great!"

"I haven't decided yet, Jen." Joey shrugged and grinned her crooked little grin. "I love London. I love being thousands of miles from home and all the drama that goes with Capeside."

"Running from it won't make the drama disappear."

"I know, but if I'm not here it doesn't involve me."

"No, you just don't get a voice in it."

"Ugh!" Joey grunted and pulled Jen to her feet. "So tell me, O Wise One, should I go and see Pacey, or let him find out on his own?"

Jen shrugged. "Let Him," she looked up, "decide."

Joey nodded, threw an arm around Jen and the pair walked toward Potter's. "Well, I hope those too don't get their hopes up—I already have a date for the wedding."

Jen raised a brow. "Do tell."

"Well, he's gorgeous, smart, built like a Greek god..."

"Sounds ideal."

"Yep, he is that." Joey nodded, smiled and closed the door behind her.

"JOEY!" she heard her name peeling through the B&B at an alarming volume just as she saw Audrey round the corner out of hall. Seconds later she was laughing, and desperately trying to get out from under her former roomate who'd just tackled her.

"I see motherhood had mellowed you none, Audrey."

"Of course not, Josephine." Audrey's aquamarine eyes danced.

"No, I think I'm the only one who's mellowed." Came a rich baritone from behind Joey.

"Jason. Hi." Joey said crossing th room to embrace Audrey's husband. "It's been forever since I've seen you two and where is Deliah?"

"She was tired from the trip. It's only been two years, Josephine, and you know airplanes go both ways right?"

"I know, but LA's just not a place I ever want to go to again."

Audrey watched the shadow crawl over Joey's face and file it away for a late conversation.

"Listen people," Jen called over the din of individual conversations. "These two have a dress fitting tomorrow and the rest of you will be making birdseed bags for the reception. So it's a big day—BED!"



A/N: Cross your fingers and maybe you'll get the next chapter tomorrow—Pacey finds out Joey's home.