Gayle and Tom didn't stay to talk to Dawson and Gretchen for very long.
They seemed to be really tired, but Dawson was sure that it was just a
ruse, and thought it would be a good idea to give them some time alone.
"Do you want to take a walk?" Dawson asked Gretchen as Gayle and Tom retreated upstairs to their bedroom.
Gretchen smiled at Dawson as she reached her hand out to his which was outstretched in front of him. "Sure, that sounds like a great idea."
The two of them walked out the front door of Dawson's house and down out to the street that ran in front of it and the old house where Jen and Gran used to live. They didn't say anything at first, they just held hands and walked. Finally, Gretchen broke the silence.
"What does this mean?"
"I'm not entirely sure," Dawson replied as they continued to walk down the empty road. "I told you how I feel about you. How do you feel about me?"
Gretchen stopped in her tracks. "I had thought I'd made myself abundantly clear with that embarrassing display back there on that couch. I'm still in love with you too, Dawson."
A large smile appeared on Dawson's face, and he reached out a hand to brush some loose hair out of Gretchen's face before cupping her chin with his fingers. He leaned down and gave her another light kiss, and then turned them both to head back to his mother's house. On the way back, he had his arm around her, trying to keep her warm on a surprisingly chilly evening. He looked at his watch. It was nearly midnight by the time they got back to the house.
"Do you want to go upstairs and talk?" Dawson asked once they gotten back inside.
"Yeah, I think that's a good idea."
They made their way up the stairs and into Dawson's room, where they both sat down on the bed, holding hands. Gretchen was the first one to speak.
"I know it isn't the same for you, but I just wanted to tell you that I haven't been in a serious relationship with anyone since you." She paused to take in the shock that appeared on Dawson's face. "You showed me what it was like to be in love, and to be loved back, for real. Once I'd had that, Dawson, I couldn't settle for anything less."
Dawson sat in awkward silence for a few moments, before finally finding the words to say what he was feeling. "You're right, it hasn't been the same for me. There's really only been one woman since you, though, and that was Jen. There was that actress I was dating when I worked for Todd, but that was never really serious. Things felt right with Jen, when they were happening, like it was exactly what I needed at the time. My dad had just died, and I was looking for something to hold onto, something to anchor me in my world and point me in the right direction. That was what she did for me. But, no matter how right things felt with Jen at the time, when things changed, that rightness began to drift away. It's never been like that with my feelings for you. They haven't changed for thirteen years. It's always felt right."
"Dawson, I."
Dawson reached up and put a finger to her lips , and then caressed her cheek. "It was funny. A couple of weeks ago, I was going through some of my old high school stuff, looking for story ideas for the show, when I came across my senior yearbook. I turned to what you wrote and read it again, for the first time in several years. It was like I was reading it again for the first time. My heart beat fast, and my palms were sweating, and I had this strong sensee of emptiness in me when I finished it, knowing that you were gone. It was like I was standing on your porch that day, all over again. Then, when I saw you in the airport."
This time, it was Gretchen who stopped Dawson. "I meant, and still mean every word I said in that yearbook, Dawson. And, even though I didn't need a month-long road trip to fall in love with you, I sure could use a lifelong one."
With that, Gretchen leaned over to Dawson and kissed him, wrapping her arms around him and holding him close to her. Dawson did the same, and they just lay there, holding each other until they fell asleep.
*************** A.N. Sorry there's been so long between updates and that this one is so short, but I've just started a new job, and I've been working on a piece of original fiction for a class I'm taking this fall, and possibly a novel for the future. Bear with me for a few more days, and you'll get your conclusion.
"Do you want to take a walk?" Dawson asked Gretchen as Gayle and Tom retreated upstairs to their bedroom.
Gretchen smiled at Dawson as she reached her hand out to his which was outstretched in front of him. "Sure, that sounds like a great idea."
The two of them walked out the front door of Dawson's house and down out to the street that ran in front of it and the old house where Jen and Gran used to live. They didn't say anything at first, they just held hands and walked. Finally, Gretchen broke the silence.
"What does this mean?"
"I'm not entirely sure," Dawson replied as they continued to walk down the empty road. "I told you how I feel about you. How do you feel about me?"
Gretchen stopped in her tracks. "I had thought I'd made myself abundantly clear with that embarrassing display back there on that couch. I'm still in love with you too, Dawson."
A large smile appeared on Dawson's face, and he reached out a hand to brush some loose hair out of Gretchen's face before cupping her chin with his fingers. He leaned down and gave her another light kiss, and then turned them both to head back to his mother's house. On the way back, he had his arm around her, trying to keep her warm on a surprisingly chilly evening. He looked at his watch. It was nearly midnight by the time they got back to the house.
"Do you want to go upstairs and talk?" Dawson asked once they gotten back inside.
"Yeah, I think that's a good idea."
They made their way up the stairs and into Dawson's room, where they both sat down on the bed, holding hands. Gretchen was the first one to speak.
"I know it isn't the same for you, but I just wanted to tell you that I haven't been in a serious relationship with anyone since you." She paused to take in the shock that appeared on Dawson's face. "You showed me what it was like to be in love, and to be loved back, for real. Once I'd had that, Dawson, I couldn't settle for anything less."
Dawson sat in awkward silence for a few moments, before finally finding the words to say what he was feeling. "You're right, it hasn't been the same for me. There's really only been one woman since you, though, and that was Jen. There was that actress I was dating when I worked for Todd, but that was never really serious. Things felt right with Jen, when they were happening, like it was exactly what I needed at the time. My dad had just died, and I was looking for something to hold onto, something to anchor me in my world and point me in the right direction. That was what she did for me. But, no matter how right things felt with Jen at the time, when things changed, that rightness began to drift away. It's never been like that with my feelings for you. They haven't changed for thirteen years. It's always felt right."
"Dawson, I."
Dawson reached up and put a finger to her lips , and then caressed her cheek. "It was funny. A couple of weeks ago, I was going through some of my old high school stuff, looking for story ideas for the show, when I came across my senior yearbook. I turned to what you wrote and read it again, for the first time in several years. It was like I was reading it again for the first time. My heart beat fast, and my palms were sweating, and I had this strong sensee of emptiness in me when I finished it, knowing that you were gone. It was like I was standing on your porch that day, all over again. Then, when I saw you in the airport."
This time, it was Gretchen who stopped Dawson. "I meant, and still mean every word I said in that yearbook, Dawson. And, even though I didn't need a month-long road trip to fall in love with you, I sure could use a lifelong one."
With that, Gretchen leaned over to Dawson and kissed him, wrapping her arms around him and holding him close to her. Dawson did the same, and they just lay there, holding each other until they fell asleep.
*************** A.N. Sorry there's been so long between updates and that this one is so short, but I've just started a new job, and I've been working on a piece of original fiction for a class I'm taking this fall, and possibly a novel for the future. Bear with me for a few more days, and you'll get your conclusion.
