A/N: Here's the next chapter! Enjoy! Still no title, so keep the suggestions coming! Review please!

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Chapter Three

"Jo?" Dawson asked, his voice full of concern as he took her in his arms. "Jo, what is it? What's wrong?"

Joey stayed in the embrace for a moment, crying on Dawson's shoulder. Then realizing the terrible cliché she had created, she stepped back, shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.

"Is everything alright in New York?" Dawson probed, determined to figure out what was bothering her. "Is it Pacey?"

Joey wiped her eyes and blinked away a few tears. She looked up and forced a smile. "No, its fine." She told him. "New York is great, Pacey's great. Everything is going really well." She looked into his eyes, and knew instantly that he didn't believe a word she had said.

"Joey Potter, I know you way too well to play this game." Dawson remarked, sitting her down on the edge of his bed. "Now clearly, something is up. So, we're going to stay right here until you tell me exactly what is going on."

Joey sighed in defeat. "Dawson..." she started. "I....I tried to call you so many times. I just didn't even know where to start. We're both so busy, and...."

"Joey," Dawson interjected, "you know that you can call me anytime, day or night, and I will drop whatever I'm doing. I'm never too busy for you."

Joey smiled, genuinely this time. "I know. But we've always been able to pick right back up where we left off, even if we haven't talked in a while, and this just didn't seem like a great conversation for the telephone."

Dawson's faced screwed up with worry. "What exactly?"

Joey took a deep breath and let it out. "It's been a rough few months Dawson." She began, getting to the reason for her apparent unhappiness. "It all started in March. I hadn't been feeling well for a couple of weeks, so I went to the doctor and they ran a few tests."

At this, Dawson's look of worry went to one of sheer panic.

Joey continued before he could say anything. "One of the tests was a pregnancy test, and it came back positive. My "illness" turned out to be nothing more than morning sickness and all the other lovely aches and pains that accompany having a baby."

Dawson's look softened a bit.

"At first, I was scared out of my mind." Joey went on. "I know that plenty of 27 year olds have babies, but I just kept thinking about all the things I said I wanted to do before I settled down. Pacey and I weren't ready to get married yet – he had the restaurant taking up a lot of his time, and I was perfectly happy with working for a few more years and building my career. I had so many things I still needed to do for myself before I could devote my life to a child. I just wasn't ready yet."

Dawson nodded in understanding.

"But when I told Pacey, he was thrilled beyond belief." Joey continued. "You should have seen him Dawson, he was just so excited. His face lit up when he found out he was going to be a dad. He started talking about all these plans he had, and even though it was a bit of surprise, we were going to make it work, and everything would be perfect, that this baby would make us so happy. And all of my reservations just melted away. I got just as excited as he was." She looked down at her feet with a wistful smile. "We started thinking about names, looking at nursery furniture; Pacey even started talking to my belly before we went to bed each night."

Dawson laughed at that.

"So, about a month ago, we went for my three month checkup. Everything was going fine, and we had decided that we were going to tell everyone once I had gotten through the first trimester." Joey explained. "I had a pain in my stomach that morning, but I figured it was just a cramp, or something I had eaten." Her voice started to waver a little, but she gathered herself, and kept going. "We got to the office, and the nurse did an ultrasound, and she had this worried look on her face. She left to go get the doctor, and Pacey and I looked at the screen, and realized that the baby wasn't moving around. The doctor came in, and moved the wand around to try to find the heartbeat..." Tears were running down her face by now, and even Dawson's eyes were getting misty. "But he couldn't...the baby was...it wasn't...I miscarried." She finally managed to say.

"Joey...." Dawson remarked, mournfully.

"We haven't told anyone. Not even Bessie." Joey told him quickly. "I....I don't want anyone to know. But I had to tell you, I just..."

"I know." Dawson nodded. "I'm glad you did. I don't want you to keep it all pent up."

Joey nodded. Then she went back to crying. Dawson put his arm around her, and she let her head fall into his chest.

"Joey, I'm so sorry." He cooed, stroking her hair. "How's Pacey doing?"

"You know him, he's playing the part of the stereotypical strong male." Joey replied. "But I've heard him cry late at night, when he thinks I'm sleeping. I wish he would just talk about it and cry in front of me. Instead he's throwing himself into his work. He's at the restaurant more than ever."

Dawson sighed. "Pacey's not one to share his emotions."

"I know." Joey agreed.

"But you'll get through it." He assured her. "Everything is going to be alright again."

Joey sobbed at this.

"What?" asked Dawson, startled.

"That's the thing." Joey cried. "It's not. I'm so scared, Dawson. What if it happened for a reason, what if Pacey and I aren't meant to be together? What if I made the wrong choice? I can't stop thinking about these things."

"Joey, you and Pacey..."

"This has really forced me to look at my life." Joey continued. "All I ever wanted to do was escape from Capeside, and I did, and now look what's happened. I'm just so confused. Maybe I wasn't supposed to leave. Maybe I'm destined to stay here, and live a different life. I feel like it was a sign that something needs to change; that I'm in the wrong place with the wrong person."

Dawson felt a slight shock at this. "Joey, tragedy always makes you think of the what ifs. Look at what I went through with my Dad. But you've gotta pull through, and have faith that you've made the right decisions. You'll get back to your old routine, and you'll move on."

"I'm not so sure that I want to." Joey replied. She glanced at the clock next to Dawson's bed. They had to meet for dinner in an hour. "Look, we have to get ready for dinner. I'm gonna be fine, ok? Promise you won't worry."

Dawson gave her a blank look. "We'll continue this later."

"Okay, but lets put on a good face for the next few days." Joey suggested. "It's Doug and Jack's time, and I want it to be perfect for them."

"Fine." Dawson agreed.

Joey went for the window and started to climb out.

"Hey Jo?" Dawson called from across the room.

She looked back at him.

"You know I love you." Dawson remarked. Joey nodded. "I'm going to do everything I can to help you get through this, alright?"

"Thank you Dawson." Joey replied, starting on her descent. "I love you too." She whispered as she climbed down. "I just wish I knew how."

TBC! Review!