Chapter 6: Home Again

Six Months later.

Sara sat quietly reading her morning edition of the Boston Globe, trying to break the silence between her and her beloved fiancé. He had been so distant recently, ever since he got back and she didn't know how to reach him anymore. She calmed her tense mind with thoughts of their wedding and their future life together. He was distant and distracted now, but she knew in a few months when the wedding plans stepped up that he would come back to her emotionally.

"Honey did you want to come with me to visit spots for the wedding?" she asked sweetly, looking up from the paper and seeing him scan the coffee shops and sidewalk outside like he was looking for someone in particular. "Dawson did you hear me?"

"No Sara I don't," he sighed, not breaking his concentration on scanning the crowd, eyeing everyone that walked in the coffee shop they sat in together. "I have to get some work done this afternoon and prepare my week's lesson plan before tomorrow." After a few more minutes of scanning, he sighed and looked back at his half-empty coffee cup.

"No problem sweetheart, but we really have to look more at reception sites next weekend when you're off because we should book as soon as possible," she said sweetly, reaching out to touch his hand.

"Fine," he said, patting her hand softly before standing up to go. "I'll see you later." They looked at each other for a minute and Dawson slowly leaned in to kiss her cheek. Sara looked up at him and smiled sweetly.

"I love you," she called to him as he walked out of the coffee shop quickly, carrying his briefcase. Dawson stopped when he rounded the corner of the coffee shop and sighed heavily, rubbing his eyes. No sign of her again, no sign of her yesterday and he was beginning to doubt that he would see a sign of her tomorrow either. He had been back from Hawaii for six months and every day he looked for Joey or a sign that she was even still in Boston. In their two weeks together, he never caught her last name and he never gave his and all he knew about her was that she worked in publishing in the city. He spent the first month waiting patiently to run into her, hoping he would see her while shopping at the market or spending time downtown, but he didn't. After three months, he began to privately look for her, calling publishing offices in the city, with no luck. Apparently Joey must be short for something else, but he didn't know what and the people he spoke with on the phone were less than helpful. He was tempted to take out a classified ad or use some of the school's resources to find her, all to no avail. Every night since he returned from Hawaii he dreamed about her. He dreamed about holding her hand, sleeping next to her, kissing her and making love to her like they did in Hawaii. At Bloomingdale's there was a woman that smelled like her, almost pushing him over the edge, thinking it was really her. Things with Sara were okay. When he returned he was still hesitant, holding her at arms length while he looked for Joey, but after awhile she pressed him for an answer and he caved. That night he went out and bought an engagement ring and proposed to her, which she eagerly accepted. He felt bad for holding her off, hesitating when she wanted to kiss him or be intimate, but he just wanted to wait and let fate bring Joey back to him or have him find her somehow. Now it was six months since he returned from Hawaii and there was still no sign of Joey and for the first time since they parted, Dawson actually began to wonder if fate would bring her back to him.

"Oh Joey you're going to make the most beautiful bride!" Carrie Matthews gushed. Carrie was Joey's future sister-in-law and today they were picking up Joey's wedding dress from a store in downtown Boston. The designers fixed her first dress, but because stress and things on her mind, mostly Dawson, Joey had dropped weight and needed to have her dress taken in again. Joey smiled at her and sighed, she was getting married in a week, marrying Paul as planned. When she got back from Hawaii, they began planning the wedding right away. Joey tried to push for the wedding to take place in a year, but Paul wouldn't wait and now they managed to move things around and finish the previous arrangements in six months. They never spoke about it, but ever since she returned from Hawaii, Paul and Carrie noticed a change in Joey's behavior. They noticed that she was a bit distant and she always scanned crowds when they were out. Paul caught her calling public and private schools in Boston a few months after she returned, looking for someone, but never asked who she was looking for and why.

Now six months after saying goodbye to him, Joey still thought constantly about Dawson and their time together. She dreamed about him every night, wondering what he was doing at that moment, wondering if he got engaged to Sara. The first few weeks after she returned, she was depressed, missing him like crazy but trying to keep her positive face on around Paul and his family. She also left things up to change for the first month, hoping she would just run into him, but as time went on she began to get impatient and looked for him to no avail. Now so much time had passed, she began to wonder if she would find him. Time was running out, the wedding was just a week away, and Joey knew she had two choices, she could get married and try to forget Dawson or she could call off the wedding and wait for fate to bring him back to her. She honestly didn't know what to do.

"Thank you Carrie, but you're biased so you're supposed to say that!" Joey laughed, handing her the dress to hold as she took out her car keys.

"So what are you and my brother up to tonight?" she asked shifting the dress in her arms.

"Ah dinner downtown and movie I believe," Joey said, getting herself settled in the car before extending her arms to Carried to hand her the dress. "We have to settle up bridesmaid and groomsmen stuff tonight so it'll be an easy night." Carried nodded, handed over the dress and shut the door for her.

"You kiddies have fun okay, you're not married yet!" she laughed and waved at Joey before walking in the other direction.

That night Joey and Paul had a nice relaxing dinner at Mattie's diner in the downtown area of Boston. They noticed it a few days before and they were curious to check it out. During the meal they talked about bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts for the wedding party and settled up on last minute details for the wedding. Paul was pleased that Joey was starting to get more into the wedding plans and she seemed close to him for the first time since she got back from Hawaii.

"Oh man we have to go if we're going to catch the movie," Joey said, gathering up her stuff and reaching for Paul as they quickly got out of the booth. He paid the bill and grabbed her hand, holding it as they walked to the door. Sensing that she would respond, he leaned in and kissed her neck, watching her squirm and laugh like she used to. They talked as he opened the door for her, still holding her hand, neither one of them paying attention, until Joey turned to look outside of Mattie's and gasped in shock.

"Come on Dawson, we haven't been out in awhile and I know you're just dying for an ice cream sundae at Mattie's," Sarah pleaded, pulling a reluctant Dawson down the sidewalk to their usual Saturday night hang out.

"Sara please I'm really not in the mood," he sighed, letting her drag him along.

"Please just for a little bit and then we'll go back and watch the videos," she begged, giving him the puppy dog eyes and frown. Dawson paused and laughed for a minute, nodding his head and pulling her along, slowly putting his arm around her.

"Oh man it looks busy tonight," he said, noticing the larger than usual crowd at the diner. Sara shrugged and Dawson ran ahead to open the door for Sara, also noticing another couple leaving the diner. He held the door for the couple coming out, also noticing the man leaving was holding the door for his companion. Dawson looked at Sara and smiled, but when he turned back to enter Mattie's he came face to face with the woman leaving the restaurant and gasped in shock at what he saw in front of him. It was Joey and the gentleman with her Dawson concluded to be Paul, her fiancé. They stared at each other for a minute, barely believing that they were really looking at each other. She was so beautiful that Dawson felt weak in the knees and resisted every urge to reach out and kiss her without caring that Sara and Paul were standing near them.

"Dawson are you okay?" Sara asked, seeing the look of shock on his face.

"Joey what's wrong?" Paul asked, noticing she had not moved from Mattie's exit and seeing her looking at the guy at the door. Joey was so overwhelmed to see him standing right in front of her. She thought it was a dream for a moment. He looked the same, still as handsome as the day she met him, he was even growing a bit of stubble on his face, suddenly bringing back memories of Hawaii when his stubble would tickle her face and stomach. With no response from the two, Paul looked at Dawson and Joey and tried again. "Josephine are you okay? Who is this guy?" Hearing her full name, they both snapped back into reality and looked at Paul, whose eyes were as big as saucers and had a concerned look on his face.

"Paul this is Dawson, an old friend of mine," she stammered, feeling her cheeks flush red. "Dawson this is Paul."

"Her fiancé," Paul said coldly, holding out his hand to Dawson, who shook it gently but was still staring at Joey. The words "her fiancé" felt like two knives being shoved into his chest, but he wasn't completely surprised. Another hush of silence fell over them until Sara shoved her way in between Joey and Dawson.

"I'm Sara, it's nice to meet you Joey, I'm Dawson's fiancée," she said coldly, holding out her hand to her, waiting for a response. Joey felt her heart sink and Dawson watching her reaction to the news wanting more than anything to pull her aside and talk to her for a few minutes.

"Congratulations," she breathed, feeling Paul's arm around her shoulder, but never breaking eye contact with Dawson. Another moment of silence followed.

"So we should go, we're getting married next week so we have last minute details to take care of," Paul said, trying to lead Joey away, watching for her and Dawson's reaction.

"Paul please," Joey snapped, shooting him an angry look. She was hoping to get a few moments alone with Dawson so she could talk to him, sensing the hurt look on his face.

"Oh well congratulations to you both," Sara said with a fake sweet tone to her voice, placing her arms around Dawson's waist, sensing that he was uncomfortable.

"We should go," Paul said, leading Joey down the steps. "Dawson, Sara it was nice to meet you, good luck to you both with your wedding." Still staring at one another, Joey and Dawson gave each other a quick hug.

"Meet me at the benches in Carlisle Park in an hour," she whispered in his ear. He felt his heart race and nodded as they pulled apart. Paul pulled at her arm, dragging her away but Joey and Dawson continued to stare at each other, even as Paul lead her away, she snuck a glance over her shoulder.

"Who was that?" Sara demanded, holding the door open, waiting for Dawson to stop staring into space and join her.

"Don't worry about it Sara, she's just an old friend," he snapped, walking past her and into Mattie's.