A/N: Hi there, Constant Reader. Are we all ready for the twists, the turns, the walk down the aisle? Good . Here we go, enjoy the show.

SUNSET, Saturday

The sun settled silently over the water as the photographer snapped another candid shot of the bridal party. With their arms wrapped about one another, the women looked young, blissful and carefree. All but one of them felt that way. Looking up, Joey's eyes landed on a tux clad Pacey Witter grinning his way toward her. Lord, he cleans up good. She thought with a shake of her head. "Hey." She whispered.

"Hey, Potter." He said with a nod. He put a hand on her bare shoulder and passed by her to talk to Jen. Joey's brows drew together. Then she shrugged apparently he hadn't ascribed as much meaning as she had to the night before. Picking up the single lily she'd be carrying down the aisle, Joey headed inside to make sure everything was ready to go.

Dawson stood at the doors of the church talking to Lily. They stopped talking as she approached. Lily beamed up at her then turned to walk into the chapel. "Hi." Dawson smiled at her. "How's Jen?"

"I know it's cliché, but she's radiant."

"Sometimes the cliché is the best thing to be."

"Maybe." She nodded. "So you've been torturing the videographer I'm sure."

"I just told him to adjust the lighting from the right--" He stopped noticing the grin on her face.

"I know, Dawson. It's been good being home." She chuckled at him. "It's been good seing you and Pacey together again."

"Yeah, things have been better the last year or so."

Pacey topped the hill coming from the bank of the hill to the church. He smiled when he saw Joey, but the smile faded quickly when he realized she was talking to Dawson. She's beautiful. She's still... "God!" he mumbled coming to a stop. What was I thinking? Pacey shook his head and turned to enter the church by the side door.



Gary, Pastor White,and Brant watched as Jen's mother, then Gary's were seated. Then they pushed through the door and waited on the bridesmaids to saunter down the aisle. Joey stood in front of Jen and sighed. "You're gorgeous, Jen."

"Thanks, Joey." The bride responded watching Bessie make her way up the aisle. As she made it to the stairs Pacey met her, offered her an elbow and escorted her to her mark. Audrey made her way toward Dawson and they went to to the opposite side. Joey nodded at Grams and hugged Jen fiercely. As the trumpet voluntary startedshe took her first step into the chapel. She opened her eyes and heart. She absorbed the entire atmosphere. Stained glass flitered the slowly dimming sunlight to lend an air of magic to the whole building. She looked first left the right, seeing Andie and Jack sitting together in the front of the church. Dawson's family sat with them. She looked at the two men standing on opposite sides of her . Opposite sides of her life, her heart. She smiled at Pastor White and took her place. The entire church stood at the opening chords of the bridal march. Standing at the back of the church, Doug Witter opened the doors to let Jen in. She and her Grams stood holding one another up. Grams, dignified as always in her striking Navy suit, looked down and nodded at Jen. Jen smiled and took it all in. She felt the clumn of white silk fall against her; she felt the weight of the baby roses and veil in her hair. She looked left and right as Joey had done. She stopped when she saw her mother, taking one of the four lillies she carried and handed it to her with a hug. She smiled at Gary's mother and repeated the process. She turned to the aisle again and caught sight of Jack and Andie. Tears welled silently in her eyes. He'd been such a great friend to her. She walked across the aisle, nodded at Andie and dragged Jack into a hug. "I'm glad you're here, McPhee." She whispered handing him a flower. "I've missed you." Jen and Grams walked the last few steps to the stairs. When they got there Jen turned to her Grams. "I love you. Thank you."

"Congratulations, Jennifer." The older woman nodded and stood watching her granddaughter walk up the stairs with her groom.

Joey watched the entire ceremony with a lump in her throat. She tore her eyes away from Jen and Gary only long enough to look from Dawson to Pacey one time. Her heart had confused her most of her life. She'd always felt such a pull toward both of them. They were so different, but so much the same. She looked back at the bride and groom as Pastor White smiled at them. "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife." He paused. "You may kiss you're bride." Gary took his wife's face reverently in his hands and kissed her gently but throughly. Pastor White had the couple turn around. "May I introduce Mister and Mrs. Gary Browning." The congrgation rose to its feet and clapped loudly as the organ started the recesional and the couple strode down the aisle . "The happy couple asks that we all follow the bridal party down the street to Witter's Supper Club for the reception."



Pacey smiled and took Besie's elbow to start leading the church full of people to his resturaunt. Once they got there and greeted everyone Jen and Gary lead the way from table to table shoving cake into each other's faces, drinking from crystal held by intertwined arms. Jen and Gary's first dance was a slow sway to Van Morrison's "Someone Like You." Through out the song Pacey watched Joey from across the room. He'd stopped counting the number of times he'd started her way, but when he heard the slow, instrumental waltz playing he smiled and walked to her. Interrupting her conversation he grinned. "They're playing our song, Potter." She smiled and shook her head but took his hand. The stepped and turned in time having improved since their adventure at the Starlight. As the song ended and Joey's eyes lit with laughter, Dawson cut in.

"Hi. Pace, can I?" Pacey felt as if the tables had been turned on him, but he nodded. As he watched Dawson and Joey swaying to the grainy pop ballad he sighed. Somehow he felt what Dawson must've felt when he saw Joey with someone else...namely Pacey Witter. It was a cold, lonely hurt. Pacey swallowed hard and went to stand on the dock for a while. It was nearly two hours later when all the food was eaten and the couple was getting ready to leave. Joey had given Jen her tickets after breakfast that morning. The couple would spend the night on one of the Supper Club sailboats and head for the airport on Sunday. The couple appeared at the door, getting ready to run the long corridor of friends and family waiting to pelt them with bridseed.

Joey slid up behind Pacey and grinned. "It was great of you to let them use your boat." Pacey shrugged as the couple started running. He couldn't help but smile as he hit Jen square in the hair with his handful of seeds.

"I got a new one three weeks ago and it seemed perfect timing."

"Yeah." Joey nodded. "I guess I'll see you around, Pace." She said rising to her toes to kiss his cheek.

She was already three steps away when Pacey called after her. "Hey, Jo, when'd you leave?"

"Tomorrow. I have a thing Monday night." When he just nodded silently she shook her head and turned to leave again.

Removing her shoes she walked barefoot on the sidewalks of Capeside some how ending up at the foot of that infamous ladder. With a sigh, she turned and perched on one of the wrungs. She jumped as she saw someone round the corner. "Joey?"

"Dawson." She took the hand at her throat and put it in her lap.

"I was on my way to find you."

"Really?" she asked. "I was coming by to tell everyone good bye. I'm leaving for Dublin tomorrow."

"Dublin?"

"I've have to see a client on my way back."

"That's kinda what I was coming to talk to you about." She raised a brow at him. "I don't think you should leave."

"Dawson? I have a job."

"And I think you should try to transfer." He paused. "You belong stateside, Jo."

"Dawson, I love my job, and I've done pretty well for myself." She said quietly indignant.

"I know." He put his hands in his pockets. "It's just I don't think you should go anywhere without me." He pulled the hands from his pockets and opened the small velvet box to reveal a princess cut diamond.

"D-Dawson." She looked up at him confused.

"I want you, Joey. I love you. Marry me."

"What?" She was too shocked for anymore words.

Dawson knelt in front of her."Marry me, Josephine Potter." He repeated just as Pacey rounded the corner. At the sight before him he opened his mouth, but shut it quickly. He turned on his heel and ran the other direction. Joey stared after him until Dawson took hold of her chin.

"Dawson."

"It's a simple question, Jo, do you love me?"

"Yes." she said with hesitation.

"But?" Dawson shook his head and studied the grass beneath him.

"Dawson, I've loved you most of my life. And I know you love me, but I can't marry you." She sighed and held a hand to his lips. "Dawson," she looked at the spot Pacey'd been standing. "He loves me too."

"And you love him."

"Passionately." she said a little sadly. "So much that I'm willing to risk the most important freindship of my life to be with him. I'd risk anything for him, Dawson." She waited for a response. He slid off his knee to sit on the grass.

"I can't do it again, Joey. I know it was long time ago, but I can't tell you to go after him again. I'll understand when you do, but I can't give you the answer this time." He put a hand over hers. "But I'll be here when you get back—when both of you get back." she leaned down to kiss his cheek.

"Any idea where he'd go?" Dawson shrugged and snapped the velvet box closed. "I love you, Dawson." Joey said before stepping over him to run after the man she loved more than anything in the world.



It was like she was re-enacting a moment from her teen years. Doug and told her to look for his boat. She sprinted around the corner, the soft silk of her bridesmaid dress trailing in the breeze behind her. "Pacey!" she yelled. "Pace, don't you dare leave me standing here!" she called over the lapping of the water. She remembered the last time and turned toward the ramp and resturaunt. "Pacey Witter!"

The envelope nailed to the ramp gate had her name on it. She broke the seal and read with tears in her eyes.

Jo,

You don't have to tell me—I saw it. I wish I could be happy for you, but it's beyond me right now. My graciousness is worn too thin and now I'm going to say a few things I'll likely regret in the morning.

"Pacey." She whispered to herself.

Jo, you know how it goes, we've played this scene before. I love you both, Jo so I say this with love. It's a huge mistake. He loves you, but you don't love him like that. If you did we... I don't know...He's never been that person for you...He's meant loyalty, friendship, security. He's safe, Jo, but after a while you'll get bored with safe and you both—no, I don't care about anybody but you right now. You deserve more than that, Jo. I love you, Josephine Potter.

She spotted him loading his boat and called. "Pacey!" But she was too far away. He disappeared and she heard the engine roar to life.

"Pacey!" she called and saw him turn, but the boat didn't stop. "I'm not going to marry Dawson."

"Why?" he called to her.

"Pacey, Ask me to stay!" she yelled.

Tears he hadn't shed in years welled in his eyes. "I can't Jo. It's not my decision. I can't give you this answer." He untied the lines and throttled out of the slip.

"Pacey, please!" she called after him. "Pace, I love you." She called as he cleared the docks.

She squinted after him as saw the name of his boat and sat down to weep.

Underneath the stars Pacey steered Napolean into the Atlantic.

On Josephine Jen and Gary wallowed in newlywed bliss.