Chapter 7: What Now?

Joey sat on the benches at Carlisle Park, the same place she was six months ago when she was having anxiety attacks about her impending marriage, the same place where Paul told her to go to Hawaii. She wondered if Dawson would show, but after seeing the look on his face when they ran into each other outside Mattie's, she knew he would. Checking her watch she noticed he was ten minutes late and she felt a pit develop in her stomach, wondering if he would really show. After a few more minutes, she checked her watch again and got up to leave, buttoning up her jacket and getting ready to leave when she heard something.

He was late and he knew it. Sara was next to impossible to get rid of and now he was running as fast as he could to get to the meeting place, hoping she would still be there. He saw her from a distance, buttoning up her jacket and looking around one last time and he knew he was about to miss her.

"Joey, wait," he yelled as he picked up his pace a bit to get over to her. "I'm sorry, I couldn't get rid of Sara, I ran as fast as I could to get here." She looked at him and smiled, he was out of breath and gasping for air now standing in front of her.

"It's okay Dawson, you're here, just take a minute," she laughed, helping him to sit down on the bench next to them so he could gather his breath. He smiled and took a few deep breaths before regaining his composure.

"You look so beautiful," he said, brushing a piece of hair out of his face. She smiled at him and touched his arm gently. "I can't believe I ran into you.you don't know how long."

"Me too," she whispered. "I looked for you when I got back, but I could find you, I almost gave up hope."

"I almost gave up hope too," he said, leaning in closer to her. "For six months I've been looking around everywhere I go, hoping I would see you somewhere in the city. I looked for you too, but I didn't know until tonight was Joey was short for so it made it a bit more difficult." She laughed and looked in his eyes.

"I missed you," she whispered, feeling tears in her eyes.

"I missed you too Joey," he said softly, taking her hand. "Are you going to marry Paul next week?" She sighed and looked down at his hand holding hers.

"I don't know Dawson, I'm just not sure what to do anymore," she said. "I've been waiting six months for fate to bring you back to me and I tried to hold off the wedding and wedding plans, but I couldn't after awhile and now you come back a week before my wedding day."

"It's not too late Joey, you can still call it off," he said, touching the side of her face, feeling the same old sparks and electricity between them. "I waited six months for fate to bring you back to me too and now it has."

"What about Sara?" she asked, still unable to look at him.

"Joey all you have to do is say the word and I'll tell her it's over," Dawson said happily. "I had just about given up hope for finding you and now that you're here and we're together, this is what I want, I want us to be together."

"If you have doubts or you don't want to be with her, why are you engaged?" Joey asked curiously.

"Probably for the same reason you're marrying Paul but you're sitting here with me," Dawson smiled, lifting her face to look at him. She laughed and nodded softly.

"I like the stubble mister," she cooed, running her fingers gently over his face.

"Someone told me it was sexy and it tickled against her skin," he said, looking right into her eyes.

"Oh yeah? Who said that?" she whispered, gently leaning closer to him. "Someone I met at a bar in Hawaii," he smiled, leaning in closer to her. "Someone who makes my heart soar every time I think about her." Joey smiled and leaned closer, touching his forehead with hers again, lacing their fingers together. "I still love you Joey, just as much as the last time I saw you."

"I love you too Dawson, I've missed you so much." she stammered noticing tears in her eyes. They kept their foreheads touching for a minute before Joey put her hands on his face, pulling him in for a kiss. Even after six months, their soft kiss still ignited sparks between them and a soft kiss to turn into a deeper, passionate kiss, causing both of them to lose themselves in one another and feel whole for the first time in half a year.