Chapter 21
"There, how's that?" Dawson asked, moving the tree a little more to the left. The two had gotten home a little while ago. Joey stood a few feet away, eating ice cream, making sure it was set up right. Christmas music softly playing in the apartment.
"Perfect!" she announced. Dawson grinned, walking over to her to look for himself. He smiled, putting his arm around her as the two of them stood looking at the tree.
"Of course it'll look better decorated," he said.
"Of coarse," she agreed, reaching up and kissing him.
"What kind of ice cream you got there anyways?" he asked. Joey spooned another bite into her mouth.
"Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough," she told him.
"Mmm, let me have a bite," he said, reaching for the spoon. Joey quickly yanked it away.
"I'm sorry Dawson, but nothing comes between a pregnant woman and food," she said. "Especially when she's been craving ice cream all day."
"What? Even after I lugged in that huge tree you picked out?" he asked. Joey smiled.
"Well, I suppose you deserve some sort of a reward," she said, giving up her spoon. Dawson smiled, spooning a mouthful into his mouth.
"Well if I get to choose my reward," Dawson said, nuzzling her neck. Joey giggled.
"No way. I'm way too tired from shopping," she told him. Dawson look her, his bottom lip out, looking hurt.
"I guess I'll just have to settle for the ice cream then," he said as he snuck another bite. Joey smiled, putting her arm around him.
"How'd I get so lucky?" she asked him. Dawson smiled.
"I was just thinking the same thing," he replied. The two stood side by side, looking at the tree. Then suddenly Joey jumped.
"What?" he asked worriedly.
"The baby. It's kicking," she said happily, quickly grabbing his hand and putting it up to her stomach. Dawson waited, anxiously waiting. Suddenly he felt a movement.
"There, did you feel that?" she asked.
Dawson nodded, unable to believe it. "Wow, that was…" he trailed off, unable to form a word to describe what he was feeling.
"I know. If you think it's weird feeling the baby move around from the outside, imagine what I'm feeling on the inside," she laughed. Dawson smiled.
"I think she's taking a break," Joey said as the baby stopped moving around so much. Dawson kissed the top of her forehead.
"I think now's a perfect time to try on a few of those highly expensive outfits we bought," Dawson suggested.
"Dawson, I don't know.." Joey began.
"C'mon Joey, at least try them on and see if they fit," he said.
Joey whined. "But I'm eating." Dawson smiled, taking the pint of ice cream from her hands.
"Well now your not," he said, smiling.
"I hate you," Joey grumbled as she headed towards the bedroom, Dawson in tow.
Dawson laughed. "No you don't."
"Joey, come on, you can't stay in there all night," Dawson said, standing on the other side of the bathroom door while Joey changed in the bathroom. "At least let me see it before you change out of it."
"Promise you won't laugh?" she asked.
"I'd never laugh at you," he said. Dawson then heard a click, then the door slowly opened. Joey walked out, wearing a purple top and soft, stylish sweatpants.
"So, what do you think?" she asked.
"I think you look… wow," he said, his eyes trailing up and down her body.
"I know we picked up a few outfits, but I thought I'd start with this one," she explained.
"No, I like it. I really do," he said.
Joey smiled. "Want me to try on the others?" she asked. Dawson smiled.
"I'd love to see them," Dawson told her. Joey grinned, feeling more confident then earlier. Joey continued to model the maternity clothes for Dawson, sneaking bites of Ice Cream as she went.
A Few days later…
Dawson rolled over as he woke up, instinctively reaching for Joey. He frowned and opened his eyes; Joey's side of the bed empty. He lay there and listened, thinking maybe she was in the bathroom. Nothing. He looked over at the nightstand, the alarm flashing 8:30AM. Dawson lay there a few more minutes before finally getting up to look for Joey. The fresh smell of paint drew him to the spare room where they had planned to turn into the baby's room.
Dawson smiled as he watched Joey dip the paintbrush into the can then continued painting, unaware of Dawson's presence. He noticed she had changed out of her pajamas into an old, oversized t-shirt and a pair of boxers. He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, setting his hands on her stomach.
"Morning," she whispered instantly relaxing into his arms, leaning her head back onto his shoulder.
"You up early," he noted. Joey shrugged.
"Couldn't sleep," she explained. The two stood there and looked at the small area she had already painted.
"I'm glad we settled on white," Dawson said. Joey stopped painting, inspecting her work and smiled.
"Me too; it's good for a boy or a girl," she said. "Wanna help?" she asked as she handed him her brush. Dawson smiled.
"Sure," he took the brush from her, dipping it into the paint can and began to paint beside her. Joey already had another brush ready and was painting as well. Dawson smiled as the two of them painted the wall side by side each other. He was used to waking up and doing something right off now a days; some mornings Joey would be on a cleaning spree, or what the pregnancy book she had referred to it as her 'nesting period.' He would sometimes be roped into cleaning as soon as he woke up.
"You know, I was thinking the other day," he began.
Joey looked over at him. "Uh oh."
"I was thinking maybe we could get the delivery recorded," he said, ignoring her comment. Joey stopped painting and turned towards him.
"No way," she said.
"Why not? It's the birth of our first child," he said.
"Dawson, I could have twenty kids and I still wouldn't let you record it," she told him. Dawson rolled his eyes. Always a drama queen.
"Bessie let me record when Alexander was born," he reminded her.
"Yeah, but only because Bodie wasn't there," she reminded him. "You on the other hand will be there when the baby's born." Dawson smiled.
"Would you allow somebody record if for some unfortunate reason I wasn't able to make it?" he asked, mainly to see what she'd say. He fully planned on being there when Joey gave birth to their child.
"Nope because Dawson," she paused, taking a step towards him, "you'll be there. You we're there to create this child and you'll be there when it comes out." Dawson smiled at her.
"I'll be there, I promise," he said, leaning down and kissing her. Joey grabbed the front of his shirt when he broke their kiss and grinned, lifting her head up for another kiss. She found herself, some days, not being able to stop kissing him. Soon neither of them were in the mood for painting and wound up back in the bedroom.
Dawson woke up later that morning, this time with Joey in his arms. He grinned. He couldn't think of any other place he'd rather be then right here with her. Knowing the two had things to do today, despite a huge part of him wanting to just lay there all day, Dawson began to kiss her bare back; like he had done the first night they had spent the night together. Joey awoke with a smile on her face, rolling over to face him.
"I like waking up like this better than when I first woke up this morning," he said. Joey smiled as she stretched.
"I do too," she said. The two lay there for a few minutes, smiling at each other.
"We've got a lot to do today," Dawson reminded her.
"Yeah, yeah," she said. Dawson smiled and kissed her on the top of the nose before sitting up. Joey looked at him curiously.
"Where are you going?" she asked, not making any effort to get up herself. Dawson looked back at her once he pulled on his boxers.
"I'm going to get started on the long list of things we have to do today," he said with a mocking tone of seriousness. He leaned down and kissed her. Joey wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling him down.
He broke off the kiss. "Alright, now I have to go. Any longer in here with you kissing me like that and I neither of us will leave this room," he said.
"Promise?" Joey said, grinning, He walked to the door, looking back at Joey, who was still lying in bed.
"Aren't you coming?" he asked.
"In a few minutes. I wanna lay in here and be lazy for an extra few minutes," she said. Dawson rolled his eyes.
"Alright, alright, I'll go get started on wrapping the presents," he said. She smiled as he walked out of the room.
A little while later, Joey and Dawson were sitting in the living room, wrapping presents, laughing as they went.
"Now who is this one for?" Dawson asked as he handed her the picture he had just wrapped. Joey made a face as she looked at the wrapping job he had done.
"What?" he asked as he noticed the face she was making. "What's so funny?" Joey held back a laugh.
"Your wrapping job," she said as she held up the present.
"What's wrong with it?" he asked. Joey laughed.
"Tell you what, how about I wrap the presents and you put the name tags on?" she suggested as she handed him a sheet of name tags. Joey giggled as she looked down at the present Dawson had wrapped.
"No wonder Gail never had you help her wrap the presents," she said.
"Alright, that's it," Dawson said as he leaned forward and began to tickle her mercilessly. Joey screamed and kicked, trying to get him to stop.
"Dawson, stop, please!" she screamed. Dawson smiled, deciding he had tortured her enough and stopped.
"Now, let's get back to wrapping, or in my case, labeling the presents," he said. A few minutes later, the phone rang; the both of them shooting their heads up. Joey groaned.
"It's alright, I'll get it," he assured her as he got up, kissing her on the top of her head as he walked past her, into the kitchen.
"Hello?" Dawson said, warmly.
"Dawson?" the female voice on the other end asked, slightly surprised. Dawson paused, knowing the voice sounded familiar.
"Andie?" he asked, realizing who it was.
"Ohmigosh, Dawson?! I can't believe it's you!" Andie said excitedly. Dawson laughed.
"Yup, it's me," he assured her. "How you doing, Andie?" he asked.
"I'm doing good," she said. "I mean, work's great; I love it," she added.
"How about you?" she asked.
"Things are great. I mean, it's the holiday season so it's kinda expected, for everyone to be all happy and blissful," he said. Andie went silent.
"Andie? Everything okay?" he asked, realizing there was something she wasn't telling him. There was a slight pause on the other end.
"Um, well, Pacey showed up on my doorstep a few days ago," she said. Dawson paused and leaned against the counter.
"He kinda filled me in on what's going on between the three of you," she added.
"Oh boy," Dawson said, rubbing the back of his head, imagining what Pacey had told Andie about their situation.
"Yeah. I was surprised, I mean, Joey never told me she was pregnant. Or that the two of you we're back together," she said.
"Yeah, Joey and I got back together a few months ago," he said. "Andie, I never meant to hurt Pacey like that; I hope he knows that," Dawson said.
"I think deep down he knows that," she said. Dawson sighed, wishing he and Pacey we're talking again. He had really missed him; before everything with Joey happened, he and Pacey were working on getting their friendship back.
"How's he doing? Did he say anything about…" he trailed off.
"You know how he is, Dawson. He's staying busy, burying himself in his work, but I honestly think he's doing better."
"I just wish things we're different between us all. And with Jen gone…" he trailed off.
"Yeah I know. We all miss her," she said.
"So, on a lighter note; you and Joey are having a baby!" she said, as if the news had just hit her. Dawson grinned.
"Yes we are," Dawson said.
"Wow, I can't believe it. How's Joey doing?" she asked. Dawson smiled, thinking of Joey.
"She's doing great. Getting bigger and bigger," he added. Andie laughed.
"When is she due?" she asked.
"Um, the doctors estimate around the first week of April," he said.
"So she's like, five months along now?" Andie said. "Wow, how's that?"
Dawson couldn't help but laugh; the Thanksgiving incident coming to mind first. "It's uh, it's different. She's a lot more moody-if you can believe that- than she usually is," he said. Andie smiled.
"But you love it," she said. Dawson smiled.
"Yeah. Yeah I do." Dawson then realized maybe he shouldn't be talking to Andie about him and Joey being happy. "I'm sorry Andie, maybe I shouldn't be talking about Joey and I being happy. You know, because of Pacey?"
"Oh no, It's alright Dawson, really. I'm friends with the both of you; all three of you," she assured him. "I wanna hear about this; you, Joey and a baby on the way. Took you two long enough!" she said. Dawson laughed.
"She's excited about it all?" Andie asked. Just then, Joey walked into the kitchen, looking at Dawson curiously wondering who was on the phone.
"I don't know. You can ask her yourself," he said, handing the phone to Joey. Joey looked at Dawson.
"Who is it?" she whispered. "Hello?" she said into the receiver. Dawson watched as Joey's face lit up, realizing who it was.
"Andie!" Dawson smiled as the two girls began to talk like crazy. Realizing he could do other things, he made his way back into the living room to wait for Joey.
Twenty minutes later, Joey walked back into the living room, a smile on her face, as she sat down beside Dawson on the couch.
"Sorry that took so long," she said.
Dawson smiled. "It's okay." Joey picked up another present and continued wrapping. Dawson just sat there and watched her for a few minutes.
"Hey Jo?"
"Yeah?" she asked, not looking up from the present she was currently wrapping.
"I think we should talk about him," Dawson said. Joey stopped wrapping the presents and paused for a second before looking up at Dawson.
"I really don't see the point, Dawson," Joey said.
"Joey, the point is that he's our friend, and there's going to be a time when we're going to have to see him," Dawson told her. Joey sighed.
"What do you want me to say? I cheated on him with you and I haven't talked to him since; end of story," Joey said. Dawson paused, realizing something he hadn't before.
"Jo, do you feel guilty about all of this?" he asked. Joey didn't respond. "Dawson leaned over closer to her and tilted her chin up to meet his gaze.
"There's no reason for you to feel guilty about any of this; if anything it's my fault," he told her. "And I admit, us sleeping together wasn't the most perfect timing, but you know what?" Joey looked up at him. "I don't regret it. Not for a single second," he assured her.
"You don't?" she asked, now at the brink of tears.
"Of coarse not, Joey. I love you, I always have." Joey smiled.
"But we've really gotta make amends with Pacey," he said. Joey nodded.
"I know." A pause.
"Alright, let's get back to wrapping these presents?" Dawson suggested. Joey smiled. She couldn't believe how much she loved him.