Chapter 10
Disclaimer: I don't own the movie "Fools Rush In" or the show, Dawson's Creek, kay? I'm just borrowing the plotline from "Fools Rush In" and some of the characters from Dawson's Creek.
Author's Note:
Thank You's: A BIG thank you to Jessie who helped me get ideas together.
Spoilers: There aren't any spoilers in here this time (Well, except if you haven't seen the movie "Fools Rush In".) This is an AU (Alternate Universe) fan fiction. So what you know about Dawson and Joey growing up together, being best friends, sadly there is none of that in this fan-fiction.
Dawson came home and took his jacket off, wondering if Joey would be home today. He hadn't seen her since they had fought I the parking lot. He climbed up the stairs and opened the bedroom door hoping to find her in there.
"Joey? Jo?" he called out, noticing the room hadn't been touched since he had left. He had begun to pack the day before, since he had till the end of the week before he moved. He sighed, sitting down on the bed, then laying back, his arms over his face. Then the phone rang. He groaned, wanting nothing more than to ignore it, but he knew it could be Joey calling. With that in mind, he quickly sat up and answered the phone.
"Hello?" then suddenly a very worried Audrey came on the line explaining something had happened. "Audrey? What happened?" he asked, trying to stay calm. Everything around Dawson seemed unreal as he rushed to the emergency room, fighting back tears and anger. Anger at himself for saying the things he had said to her the other night. But he was also afraid something was really wrong. By the way Audrey sounded, it wouldn't be good.
"Maternity?" Dawson asked quickly, out of breath as he reached the receptionist, who looked quite busy.
The woman looked up. "Second floor," she said quickly, pointing. Dawson didn't even thank her, he ran towards the elevator, almost running into doctors and nurses on the way.
Finally, feeling like it had taken forever, Dawson had found her room. He quickly caught his breath before going in. As soon as he entered the room, Joey turned away from him, laying on her side. He could see she had been crying.
"Are you alright?" he asked as he slowly entered the room, his heart rate racing from both running to get to her and also for what news he might be about to hear.
"I'm alright," she said, still facing the other way. Dawson paused, wanting to know how the baby was but afraid to hear the answer.
"Is the baby.." he trailed off.
Slowly Joey replied. "There is no baby." Silence filled the room. Dawson looked up as his heart broke into a thousand pieces.
"W-what?" he asked, hoping he had heard wrong as he took another step into the room.
"Dawson, I've been thinking," Joey began. "If I hadn't been pregnant, then I wouldn't have gone to your house that night and we wouldn't have gotten married." She paused. "The baby was the reason for us to be together."
"No," he said quickly, walking over closer to her. "That's just not true; Joey-" he began.
"I thought it was fate," she began. "It was just a stupid dream, Dawson. One that wasn't real," she whispered. She wiped a tear as it slid down her hot cheek.
"W-what are you saying?" he asked.
"I'm saying were not meant to be together," she said holding back more tears as she said it.
"No! Joey, don't say that!" Dawson said quickly. "Don't do this; not now," he said, walking up beside the hospital bed.
"Dawson, it's not going to work!" she said.
"Joey, let me help you," Dawson said, not wanting to give up. He loved her and he wasn't ready for her to be out of his life.
"Get out Dawson," she said softly. Dawson stood there for a second. "Get out!" she repeated, with a little more force. Dawson was taken back by it all, and backed up. "GET OUT!" she yelled. Dawson fought the urge to stay there, but instead he walked out of the room, giving her what she wanted. As soon as Dawson left, Joey began to cry once more.
Audrey saw Dawson walk out, and walked up to him. She had been talking to the nurse when she saw Dawson walk in and hear Joey shouting.
"Dawson-" she began as she put her hand out to him. Dawson put his hands out quickly, not wanting to talk to anyone. Not only had he lost his child, but he had just lost his wife as well.
He got home feeling totally and completely numb. He could not believe what had happened. He felt like he was looking down at himself, unable and not caring to do anything. He walked into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of juice. He opened the fridge and grabbed the juice, catching a glimpse of the ultrasound picture they had taped on the freezer door a while back as he closed the door.
The pain hit him once more, as it had since Joey had told him she had lost the baby. He walked over to the counter, putting both hands on it as if to support himself. He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking all that he had lost. Anger filled him once more, realizing how badly he had messed up, knowing that was why Joey wouldn't let him help her through this. Suddenly anger filled him, and he grabbed the carton of juice, throwing it across the room before ripping the ultrasound picture off of the freezer door
The next day, Dawson decided to pick up a huge bouquet of flowers and visit Joey at the hospital to try and make up for what he had already done. Yesterday he had simply given up, but today he was bound and determined to fight to keep her in his life. He walked into her room and was shocked to find out she was gone.
He walked back out just as a nurse was walking by.
"Excuse me , but could you tell me what happened to the woman who was in this room yesterday?" he asked. The nurse looked onto the room.
"She was released this morning," she explained.
"She was?" Dawson asked, surprised. "Do you know where she went?" he asked. The nurse shook her head.
"No, I'm sorry," she said before walking off. Dawson stood there, feeling defeated. Then it hit him; Audrey would know where she was! Hell, Joey might be staying with Audrey. He quickly left for Audrey's house.
He rushed up the stairs and began knocking on Audrey's door. He stood there and waited a second. No response. He knocked again, with more urgency.
"Audrey?" he called out. A few seconds later, Audrey opened the door.
"Dawson? What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Where is she?" he asked quickly.
"Joey? I have no idea. I haven't seen her since yesterday," she explained. Dawson raked his hands through his hair, not knowing where else to look. Thinking the only other place to look is her sister's, Dawson quickly dialed the number in the car.
"Hello?"
"Bessie, it's Dawson. Have you seen or talked to Joey?" he asked quickly, knowing Bessie would know where Joey was. She'd have to. There was a pause on the other line.
"I'm sorry, I have no idea where my sister is," she said finally. Dawson hung up, having no idea where else to look for her as he drove back home.
The rest of the week flew by for Dawson, who busied himself in packing everything up, carefully packing up Joey's stuff and sending them to Audrey's house, knowing Audrey would let Joey know that her stuff was there if she heard from her. But he was unable to pert with some of the things, deciding to take them with him back to L.A.
By Friday, Dawson had the moving truck all packed, and ready for the drive back to Los Angeles. He looked around the bare apartment before shutting off the light and closing the door. He climbed in the moving truck, a small box in the passenger's side. He paused before starting up the van and beginning his ride back home..
The following month was complete hell for Dawson. He had missed Joey so much, yet he felt powerless. There was no way of finding her, he had tried all the places he could think of and still.. No Joey. He had told his parents about their break up and about how Joey had lost the baby. Telling his parents about Joey and the baby only made things seem more…real.
Every day Dawson would think about Joey; wondering what she was doing, how she was doing, where she was, and if she had moved on, something he wasn't able to do yet. Along with thoughts of Joey, Dawson thought about their baby. How far along Joey would be now if… his heart pained to think about it. Joey would be giving birth to their baby in another month, less than that.
And soon he'd begin on the film he had worked so hard to film. This would be it; his chance at being a director; something had always wanted to be. Yet the thought of directing, for some reason, didn't thrill and excite him as much as it had used to. Pacey had quickly noticed his sudden change in attitude, insisting he get back into the groove by going out to bars with him and enjoy the time they had left before they began filming the next film.
"Don't be a spoil sport Dawson! I mean your turning down box seats to a Yankees game for the love of god!" Pacey said, following Dawson. They had begun to look at locations for the film already, Dawson being tired of sitting around thinking about his life back in New York.
"I got a lot of work to do," he said simply.
"Dawson, buddy; you are killing me here! These girls come in groups of two. You cannot date one without the other," he explained.
"I'm just not up for it, okay Pacey?" Dawson said.
"Well get up for it, okay Dawson?" Pacey said, in the same tone as Dawson had used. "You know this whole 'not dating, not having a life' thing is getting old." Dawson turned around towards Pacey just as a woman walked up to him, a yellow folder in her hand.
"Dawson Leery" she asked. Dawson turned around.
"That's me," Dawson said, wondering who she was and what she wanted.
"Then these are for you," she said, handing him the folder. "Sign here," she asked, handing him a clipboard.
"What is this?" Dawson asked as he signed the paper and handed it back to her.
"Your divorce papers," she said. Dawson looked up. "You have six days to contest," she explained. "Have a nice day," she said before leaving.
"Oh, you too," Dawson said sarcastically, unable to believe Joey had filed for divorce as he looked down at the envelope he held.
"Well there you go; life sucks -welcome to the club," Pacey said, walking over to the other side of Dawson.
"Now, about Friday," he said, hoping the current events would change Dawson's mind into going with him. "Come with us, man," he begged. Dawson looked over at Pacey before walking away.