Chapter 11

Author's Note: This is the final chapter, but here's the thing. It's kinda long so this chapter is in 2 parts; this is part one.

[A few weeks later]

Capeside..

"Bessie, it was the right thing to do!" Joey said as she helped her sister set the table. They had been in this discussion many times over the past month or so Joey had been staying with them, and it seemed like they were going to argue about it again.

"No Joey, it wasn't," Bessie said. "Now I may not have been thrilled about this whole thing to begin with, but I think what you did was wrong. You let your fear take over!"

"I did not," she said. "and it was my decision to make."

"Yeah and it was selfish," Bessie said as she continued to prepare the table for dinner.

"He never would have left if he knew I was still pregnant," she said. "He wanted to go Bess! So I let him of the hook," she explained.

"No, you let yourself off the hook," Bessie said. "You love him, Joey. Why did you lie to him about loosing the baby?" she asked. Joey stood there for a second, before sitting down in one of the chairs, her back hurting.

"Because I had to," she said. "Because if I didn't leave him, he would have left me," Joey explained, blinking back tears. She had missed Dawson so much the past month she had been away from him. "And I really don't think I could have handled that." Joey walked over to her sister, and bent down in front of her.

"Joey, you will never know love unless you stop running from it," Bessie told her. Joey nodded her head.

"Your right," she said. "God what am I going to do?" she asked. "I miss him so much," she said as she began to cry. Bessie put her arms around her sister as she cried.

In L.A…

Dawson sat on his couch, drinking a beer and flipping through the channels, looking for something to take his mind off the divorce papers on the coffee table in front of him; still in the envelop. He had tried to open it earlier, but just couldn't do it. Instead, he went to the fridge and grabbed a few bottles of beer he had in there and plopped down on the couch. He rubbed his chin, knowing he needed to shave, but didn't care enough to do it at the moment. He closed his eyes, wishing he could do something to get her off his mind when the phone rang beside him.

"Yeah?" he said, greeting whoever it was who was calling. It's probably Pacey again, Dawson thought to himself.

"Dawson, hey it's Jen! I hope Did I catch you at a bad time?" she asked, her voice sounding all sweet and innocent.

"Jennifer Lindley, your timing is impeccable," he said as he began playing with his wedding band. Really it as the only thing left of Joey. He had taken the few possessions she had left behind and placed them in a box, putting them in the back of his closet.

"Well, I heard what happened with you and your wife and I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am," she explained.

"Thanks," Dawson said, although not totally meaning it. He and Jen had gone to school together, had practically grown up together. He had known she had always had a thing for him; as time went on, she just seemed to be more and more obvious about it.

"Okay, so listen; your parents are coming sailing with us this weekend. Is there…any chance you could come with us?" she asked. Dawson paused, thinking about it. "C'mon, Dawson. It'll be fun. You and me and our parents. Like old times."

"You know what?"

"What?" she asked.

"You got yourself a date," he said as he closed his fist around his wedding band.

The next day, Dawson headed out to the store to pick up a few things for the weekend sailing trip he was going on. He figured maybe that would help him get his mind off of everything, and most of all, he just wanted to have fun again. Jen had called his parents up that night and happily explained that Dawson would join them for the weekend; which he knew she would.

He thought about her and laughed to himself. She had been the kind of girl he had always gone after. She was tall, blond.. She was a knock out. They had dated for a while in high school. Then he thought about Joey and how different the two women were from each other. Joey was just as beautiful as Jen was - more so in fact. She was gorgeous in a natural sort of way. She didn't even need makeup. Jen on the other hand, always wore make up and was always worried what she looked like. He smiled remembering how Joey was totally the opposite, never afraid to get her hands dirty.

"There are signs everywhere," a priest said, knocking Dawson out of his thoughts as he passed him. Dawson stopped in front of the priest.

"What did you say?" he asked, not totally catching what the man had said before, he was so caught up in his thoughts.

"You looked lost. There are signs everywhere to guide you in the right direction," he said. Dawson looked at him for a second.

"Thanks," he said before walking away.

The weekend came fast. Dawson had a bag packed when he hailed a taxi cab Friday morning. He had talked to his parents the day before, assuring them he was coming and where they'd all meet. As he sat in the cab, he looked out the window at all the billboards and signs around Los Angeles on his way to the airport. There was one that caught his eye, reminding him of Joey. It was a billboard of advertisement for Central park. Where she had taken him to on his birthday. He shook of those thoughts as the cab pulled up to the airport. They were taking Jen's father's private .

As soon as he entered the small airport, Jen instantly spotted him, getting up from the chair, and walking over to him with a huge smile on her face.

"Hey you! I was worried you weren't coming," she said as she walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Hey Jen," he said.

"There you are sweety!" Gale said as he made his way over to them, saying hello to everyone. "I was just telling Helen I can't remember when we last did something like this all of us together!" she said, smiling. He looked over to the right and saw a little girl, beautiful kid, with long brown hair and brown eyes watching him. He stood there, and looked at her for a second; she reminded him of Joey.

"Dawson, wait until you see Theodore's new boat!" Mitch said, laughing.

"It's a beauty," Theodore assured him.

"Well, what do you say we get this show on the road, huh?" Mitch suggested. Everyone picked up their bags and headed out the side door. Dawson stood, unable to tear his gaze from the little girl. Jen looked back, noticing Dawson wasn't following.

"Dawson? Is everything alright?" Jen asked.

"I am," he said, finally tearing his gaze from the small girl. "I just uh… Have a-have a thing with helicopters," he said

"Well, you just stick my me, then," Jen said, taking his hand and walking in the direction everyone else had gone in. Dawson tore his hand from her grip.

"Wh-why don't I carry that for you?" he asked, taking her bag. Anything to keep her hands off him.

"Thank you," she said sweetly, instead, practically hugging his arm as they walked out the door. Dawson gritted his teeth, unable to do anything about it without snapping at her.

"Joey!" a woman called out behind him. Dawson spun around, hoping to see his Joey behind him. Instead it was the little girl's mother, chasing after her. "Joey, you have to stay in here," the mother told her as she brought her back in.

Dawson stood there, realizing he couldn't do this. He had to find Joey and now. Jen was already looking for him, waiting for him to come back. He walked over to Jen, telling her he couldn't go. She forced a smile as he helped her into the plane and shut the door behind her. His parents looked out from the windows as the plane lifted off, leaving him there. He smiled, determined more than ever to get Joey back. Dawson then ran back into the airport, buying a ticket to Capeside. He had a feeling Bessie knew more about Joey's whereabouts than she was telling. Dawson decided to go to Capeside this time.