A Matter of Convienence

A/N: In this story, I may or may not keep the Dawson hate to a minimum, I haven't quite decided, but he does seem nicer when he's out of the closet... However, that will not spare you from the extreme disgust and horror I need to share. It is like they took a list of everything that I could POSSIBLY despise in a character...and made Dawson. *blah blah blah, if you had seen S1, you would like him...* So...I'm watching S1...and the hatred for him grows daily. I am beginning to worry about my health. I'm sure I'll continue this rant tomorrow...on with the story.

Chapter 6:

"Yeah?" Jen answered her cell phone. "Hey," she smiled, her voice softening.

Jack's knuckles whitened on his coffee mug at the goofy look on his ex- girlfriend's face. Someone else was making her smile. Making her happy. Making her...

He shook his head, unwilling to go further.

This was all his fault.

***

Sound and movement were a distant memory as Joey stared, slackjawed, at her "boyfriend" and his...boyfriend.

"...so sorry," Dawson was saying.

She snapped to reality.

"You cheated on me...and you couldn't bring yourself to tell me, at any point, that you were GAY?!??" Joey glared at him, "You fucking bastard!"

"Jo, I'm sorry...I haven't told everyone."

Joey's eyes snapped, "Look, your own self-identity issues are YOUR problem, but how could you lead me on like this when you said you cared about me?? Everything you SAID was a lie!"

"Jo, I love you, I just didn't want to hurt-"

"You LOVE me?!?" she whispered hoarsely.

"You know I-"

"Never.Say.That.Again," Joey enunciated very clearly. "Don't put your fears on ME and chalk it off to love."

Tears started pouring down her cheeks and she cursed, wiping them away furiously.

Knees weak, she sank into a chair.

"To think, I came over so you'd make everything all better," she laughed bitterly, "Just fucking perfect."

"Jo-"

"Man, this explains so much," she shook her head.

"Jo-"

"I have to go, Dawson," she glared at him.

"Are you going to tell everyone?" he blurted out quickly.

Joey stopped cold, Pacey's smirking face dancing before her eyes. "No...I don't want them to know yet. It's your secret, you deal with it, but give it a few weeks."

"But-" Dawson frowned.

"Were you going to tell them tonight?" she snapped.

"Well, no, not tonight-"

"Good. Don't," she walked to the door. "I'll cheat on you in a couple weeks and this will all be over. Don't call me," she sneered at him. "Later."

***

She seemed distracted.

When he'd started noticing Joey's moods was beyond him, but he shook it off and poured her drinks.

"So what's your deal?" he finally asked, "Gonna miss Dawson?"

"Why?" she snapped, stiffening.

"The...cheerful mood?" Pacey smirked.

Joey glared at him, "Don't you have someone else to irritate?"

"Honey," Pacey looked hurt, "You know there's no one else I'd rather irritate. I'm hurt you'd think I'd give those attentions to another woman."

Joey rolled her eyes, but didn't comment...which was alarming, to say the least.

"She a little off her game tonight?" Jack frowned as she headed back to the tables.

Pacey shrugged, "Dawson's leaving tonight, what do you want her to do? Dance?"

Jack raised his eyebrows, "Well, I wouldn't MIND," he turned around to check her out briefly and Pacey chuckled.

"That's my wife, man," Pacey grinned.

Jack laughed, "How weird is that?"

"Extremely," Pacey shrugged, "Not even sure what to think, really."

"Married to your best friend's woman - that isn't normal?"

"A little more small town than I'd like."

"Hey, I'm from a small town, Witter."

"Hah, forgot about that, McPhee...Capeside, right? You like it?"

Jack smirked, "It's a little more small town than I'd like."

"Just you and the cows?"

"Jen and my family were there too...but otherwise, yeah, pretty much."

"Well, what else does a boy need?"

"Jen informs me a brain would be a good step for me," Jack muttered wryly.

"Ahh...and how ARE McPhee/Lindly relations?"

"Well, we're not married."

Pacey chuckled, "Not what's it's cracked up to be, my friend."

"Oh, come on, Pace," Jack grinned, "You fight...you don't have sex...sounds like exactly what's it's cracked up to be."

"Yeah, yeah..." Pacey rolled his eyes, "And here's her boyfriend now. Hey, Dawson."

"Hey," Dawson sat down at the bar next to Jack, eyeing Pacey carefully, "So...what's up?"

"Jen's still resisting the Jack charm," Pacey shrugged, "Joey's in her usual, charming mood. Yourself?"

Dawson mirrored his shrug, "Got packed...nothing big," he turned to Jack, "Man, I TOLD you to call her."

Jack made a face, "Thanks, Dawson, you were right. My life sucks because I didn't listen to you."

"So are you back to friend status yet?" Pacey asked, "Hearing about her love issues with the other guy and stuff?"

Jack grimaced, "No...that's happened to you?"

"HELL NO!" Pacey snorted, "But I never promised to be 'best friends no matter what,'" he grinned.

"Well, he also said he'd call, so I'm sure this is a minor setback," Dawson pointed out.

"Shut up," Jack rolled his eyes.

Dawson grinned, "Just saying-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Jack finished the rest of his beer.

Pacey grinned, "We'll miss you here, D...what'll you do without us?"

"If I'm careful, I might survive."

"Even without her?" Pacey motioned to Joey as she returned to the bar.

Dawson shrugged, "Hey Jo."

Joey smiled tightly, "Dawson," she nodded. "Three Guiness," she muttered to Pacey.

"Mad at you for leaving?" Jack asked Dawson as she walked away again, rapidly.

Dawson shrugged, "Or something."

Pacey frowned, "She'll get over it, man."

"Too bad the make up session has to be phone sex," Jack grinned.

Pacey made a face at the image and Dawson turned a bit green.

"For someone so focused on sex, you'd think you'd be better at it," Jen stepped up to the bar.

"Hey, Lindley," Pacey smiled. He liked Jen. It wasn't hard to understand why Jack was crazy about her. Understanding why he'd ignored her was another issue.

"Hey Pace," she smiled back.

If they'd had any kind of chemistry, they would have been great together, but as it was, they had a mutual respect and enjoyable friendship.

Jack chose to ignore her insult, "Evening, my lady," he smiled.

"I'm not your anything, Jack," she reminded him.

"Give it time, sweetheart."

Jen shook her head, "I don't repeat mistakes."

"So!" Pacey interjected quickly, "You here to see Leery off, Lindley?"

"Oh, I couldn't miss this," she smiled.

"Can I get you a drink?" Pacey asked.

"Mmm...can you give me sex on the beach?" she winked.

"Anytime you want."

"Interesting offer from a newlywed."

"Flirting with my husband again, Jen?" Joey came up behind them.

"Was either that or your boyfriend, Jo," Jen smiled, "Did I choose wrong?"

"I see the complication," Joey nodded.

"You can have your men back when CJ gets here."

Joey shrugged, "Keep 'em, I need some new blood anyway." Her eyes flickered briefly to Dawson as she spoke and back to Pacey as she muttered her next order.

"Don't toss the dish til you taste it, darling," Pacey drawled.

"Oh, I had a taste," Joey smirked.

"Taste involes the tongue, Potter."

"Ohh, challenge on the table," Jack announced.

Joey raised her eyebrows and turned to Dawson, who eyed her strangely.

Her face hardened and she turned back to Pacey. "One taste?"

Pacey nodded, licking his lips.

Joey smiled, taking his hand and holding his gaze.

Slowly, she lowered her lips over his index finger, enveloping it in her mouth.

Her tongue slid along its length as she sucked softly, her eyelids closing languidly as she pulled back.

Pacey tried to say something as her eyes opened, but his tongue refused to move. Her lips curled into a satisfied smirk when it became clear his powers of speech were severely hindered.

He cleared his throat, "Life long addiction," he spit out, winking, "Let me know if you need a fix."

Joey rolled her eyes, "I think I can find another dealer."

"Happy Hunting, Jo."

"Have to admire the open relationship, here," Jack smiled.

Jen snorted, "You would."

"Hey," Jack protested, "I never cheated on you. You're the one that moved on before things were over."

"Oh, no," Jen shook her head, "Not talking to me for a month is signal enough."

"OK, A, it wasn't THAT long and B, what we had was deserving of at LEAST a conversation!"

Jen raised her eyebrows, "My point exactly, I believe."

Jack shook his head, clenching his teeth.

"Hey, Jen, sorry I'm late," CJ came up behind Jen, wrapping an arm around her waist.

She smiled, "No problem. Guys, this is CJ. CJ, Dawson, Pacey and Jack. You've met Joey."

"Nice to meet you guys," CJ smiled.

Jen and Joey's eyes were both glued to him...not unlike most other women aware of his presence.

Jack appeared close to violence and Pacey stepped in for damage control.

"Hey Jack,"Pacey caught his friend's attention, "Another beer?"

"Yeah," Jack nodded, "Thanks."

"Let's dance," Jen smiled, leading CJ away from Jealous City, USA.

Joey rolled her eyes at the drama and Pacey smirked back at her.

"58 minutes and counting," he murmured.

"Great, I think I'll be 74 by then," Joey shook her head, leaving again.

Jack turned to Dawson, "Make sure you call her, man."

"That experience talking?" Dawson raised his eyebrows.

"None other."

"Well, stop," Dawson frowned, "The wisdom is weirding me out."

"Seriously, man, you better watch it," Jack nodded, "Or when you get back, she'll be seeing one of Jen's helpline friends. There's more where he came from," Jack indicated CJ.

Dawson's eyes followed his gesture and lingered on the man in question.

"I doubt there are more quite like THAT," Dawson muttered, sounding almost sorry for a moment. "Besides, Pacey'll take care of her for me. Right, Pace?"

"Whoa," Pacey raised his hands, "I'm her husband, not her father. If she wants to bang some helpline guy, there no way I'm interrupting." Definitely wasn't an image he wanted in his head.

"Marriage to Pacey in a nutshell?" Jack asked.

"Oh, she'll love it," Pacey winked.

"Of course, if we're all honest, the biggest threat to Dawson is you," Jack smirked and Pacey resisted the sudden desire to smack him.

"What?" Dawson and Pacey glared at him.

"Oh, please," Jack rolled his eyes, "Like it isn't obvious they want each other."

Pacey laughed nervously, his fist clenching, "I think that'll be your last one, man."

Jack shook his head, focusing back on his drink.

"Umm...so, Pace...10:00 good for you tomorrow?" Dawson asked.

"Perfect."

Pacey looked around Club Paradise, ignoring the awkwardness of the moment. By tomorrow, the place would be his.

TBC--let me know what you think and feel free to throw in any comments about what a whore Joey is in the reality of the show. Ugh, I could kill her.