Chapter 16

"Hey you too!" Bessie said happily as Dawson and Joey walked through the doors of the B & B a little while later. Joey had called her a head of time and filled her in on their plans and Bessie was more than excited to hear that Dawson would be accompanying Joey this time.

A few seconds later, Lily and Alexander ran into the kitchen.

"Dawson!" "Aunt Joey" The two said at the same time, running over to the two of them and hugging them.

"Hey you," Dawson said as he reached down and picked his little sister up. "Have you been here all day?" Lily nodded.

"I hope your not in Bessie's way," Dawson said.

"Oh no; not at all; I love having Lily here," Bessie assured him quickly. Dawson smiled as he put Lily down and as fast as the two ran in, they both ran back out.

"Well that was…" Joey said as she watched the two chase each other back out side. "We're we that bad?" she asked Dawson quickly.

"Yes you too were," Bessie assured them. "Let me help you two out with those bags," she began.

"Aww, Joey!" she exclaimed out of the blue as she walked over to her. "Your already starting to show!" Bessie began to try and lift up Joey's purple sweater.

"Just barely," Joey protested as she tried to knock her sister's hands away from her stomach. Although she was showing a little more than a 'little.'

"I think it's cute," Dawson said as he put his arm round her side.

"I agree," Bessie said. "Comon kids, let's get you two settled in."

"I'm so glad the day is over with!" Joey said as she collapsed onto the bed. Dawson laughed as he walked over to the other side and sat down beside her.

"You have to admit, today didn't go that bad," he said as he leaned down a d kissed her.

"I know, it's just… I'm really tired," she admitted.

Dawson smiled. "Let's get some rest." He reached over and turned off the lamp. They two then crawled under the covers and began to get comfortable; Joey laying on her side while Dawson's hand was draped over- her hand in his. The two lay like this for a few minutes before Joey rolled over onto her back. She smiled before moving Dawson's hand onto her stomach.

"I still can't believe there's a little person inside there," Joey said in a hushed tone, her hand lightly trailing up and down his arm.

"Me neither," Dawson said.

"Just think in a few more months, we'll be able to feel he or she moving around in there." The two fell silent.

"Dawson?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you happy that we're having this baby?" she asked. The thought had been on her mind for a few days now.

Dawson lifted his head. "How could you even ask me that, of coarse I am Joey."

"It's just, you never really talk about the baby, so I guess I was just wondering," she explained.

Dawson sat up. "Joey when you showed up that day at my office and told me the news about the baby… I can't think of a happier moment in my life," he told her honestly.

Joey smiled and sat up also. "Not even when you had sex for the first time?" she asked, trying to lighten up the moment.

Dawson grinned. "Well, that was a big day…" he trailed off. Joey nudged him. "But in all honestly Joey, all of the happy moments in my life involve you in some way." He leaned over and kissed her again, only the kiss lasted longer than the first one.

"I love you Dawson," Joey whispered when the two finally broke apart.

"I love you too, Joey," Dawson said. The two then laid back down only this time, Joey's head was resting on Dawson's chest and his hands were wrapped around her. He fought sleep off as long as he could so that he could listen to her sleep. A few hours later, sleep claimed Dawson as well.

Dawson was the first to wake the following morning. He looked over on his right side to see Joey still fast asleep, her breath slow and steady. He smiled as he watched her for a few minutes. He could do it all day long. God, she's beautiful, Dawson said to himself. He sat there and watched her for what seemed to be an eternity before slipping out of bed careful not to wake her.

Looking out the window, Dawson decided it was a nice enough day to sit outside.

"Good morning Dawson," Bessie said in a soft voice as she sat in the wicker couch on the porch, drinking a cup of coffee.

"Hey Bessie," Dawson said smiling as he sat down beside her.

"So how you doing?" Bessie asked.

Dawson smiled. "I'm doing great," he began. Bessie smiled, listening to Dawson go on about how happy he was. "I mean, I'm going to be a father!" he said in awe.

"Joey's excited too," she assured him.

"You know Bess, I'm so excited about this baby," he told her truthfully. "And I am SO glad that Joey and I are back together again."

Bessie smiled. "Good, cause you're going to have to put up with her extra moodiness and weird cravings," she joked.

Dawson laughed. "I can't wait, really. I'm looking forward to every minute." The two sat in silence.

"You really love her, don't you?" Bessie asked. She had watched the two of them grow up. She looked at the man in front of her, thinking back to when he and Joey would play tag in the back yard. The two were always inseparable.

"Yeah. Yeah I do," he assured her. "I honestly can't picture my life without her."

"She feels the same way ya know," she said. "I know back in high school things were hard for the two of you, and when Pacey was added to the mix…" she trailed off. "But Dawson, her heart has never left you. That I'm sure of." Dawson smiled.

"I'm not saying she didn't love Pacey, just never in the way she loved you. You were her first love; first loves are always the strongest ones." She smiled. "I was so excited when Joey came here a few months ago and told me she was pregnant and the baby was yours," she admitted. "I've always known you two were meant to be; this just proves it." Both of them smiled.

Just then, the front door opened and Joey stepped out. "There you are." She walked over to the two.

"Hey, morning Jo," Bessie said warmly.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Dawson asked.

"Better," she said as she sat down on Dawson's lap. Dawson instinctively wrapped his arms around her.

"Well, I'm going to leave you too out here," Bessie said as she got up.

"You don't have to go," Joey said.

"It's ok, Alexander should be getting up anytime," she explained before heading inside. Joey scooted off of Dawson and sat more on the other side. The upper half of her laying on Dawson.

"It's so beautiful here," Joey said as the two sat looking out across the creek.

"Yeah," Dawson agreed. "I don't come out here and visit enough."

"I don't either," Joey said. "But I want to. Especially after the baby is born." Dawson smiled down at her.

"Alright." The two cuddled on the couch as they continued to look out towards the creek.