Well aren't I one for little cliff hangers? It's okay though. Because I am currently not at work I can update!!! Thanks for all the lovely reviews again, it makes my day.

God Give me Strength

A heavy silence hung in the air, no one knowing what to say or do. The wind whipped up the snow behind Pacey's head, blowing it into the front room. But no one moved, no one rushed to shut the door and no one invited the newlyweds in. Everyone just stayed still, frozen in time.

Pacey's eyes were locked onto Joey, her eyes steely staring into his, as if they were looking for an explanation. Pacey's eyes searched through hers for some kind of recognition, some kind of understanding. All he found was pain and confusion. Andie, for her part, just stood aside helplessly.

Suddenly Joey felt very faint, the world closed in around her. A blackness enclosed over her eyes and she felt herself evaporate from the feet first. She felt herself fall to the ground, caught by a strong set of arms. Everyone's voices were muffled and she couldn't make out anyone individually, just a chorus of muted tones. She finally let herself go, all noises stopping.

'Joey!' Doug leapt in behind her and caught her large frame before it hit the floor. 'Joey, wake up!'

'Dawson! Quickly!' Gail screamed as she ran towards Joey, hoping that this faintly spell was not an indication of worst things to come. Bessie quickly joined Doug in helping to lower her onto the floor, Jack gripped onto the Amy tightly, leaving Alexander and Lily looking on in bewilderment.

Dawson poked his head around the door frame, wondering why his mother was so impatient these days. What met his sight was not what he expected. Joey was slumped in Doug's arms, his mother was by her side on the floor and Pacey was standing over them all.

'Joey? Joey!' Dawson's voice increased in panic as he crossed the room. 'What happened?' He fell by her side, grabbing her hand and pleading with her to wake up.

'She just collapsed, right after Pacey shared his great news,' Doug said, staring daggers at Pacey. Pacey looked away, not wanting to look at the disappointed look on his older brothers face. Dawson looked up and saw Pacey, his skin dark with a tan and his hair ruffled in its usual mess. He couldn't believe he would be seeing him this Christmas, let alone in this situation. What had he said to her?

Andie, who had been standing there frozen, felt her medical instincts creep in and knelt down next to Joey, feeling her wrist for a pulse.

'Dawson, has been suffering from high blood pressure or anything else I should know?'

'Her blood pressure has been slightly higher than usual, but the doctor said it was normal with a multiple pregnancy,' Dawson said, his eyes firmly locked onto Joey's face.

'Multiple? Twins I am assuming?' Andie asked, trying to hide the surprise and realisation that Joey was having more than one baby.

'Yes, there are two of them,' Dawson looked over to his mother and Bessie, hoping they were not hurt by the brutal way they had to find out. Gail nodded in recognition and put her arm around him, while Bessie loving kissed her sister's forehead/

'Okay, I need to get her to a hospital at once. I think she maybe suffering from Pre-eclampsia. This mean her blood pressure is out of control and we need to stabilise her. Pacey, get an ambulance quickly,' Andie was calm and very in control, something that no one had never seen in her.

'Okay,' Pacey reached for his cell phone and called 911.

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Joey's eyes slowly opened in the ambulance, the familiar face of Andie's looking down on her. She was smiling her trademark smile, big and optimistic.

'Andie, where...'

'You're in an ambulance on the way to the hospital,' Andie interrupted, not wanting Joey to over exert herself.

'But...The Babies!' Joey exclaimed, gripped with fear that she had lost them.

'They are both fine, we have heart monitors on all three of you and you are all going to be fine. I am a little concerned about your blood pressure however and that's why we are on the way to the hospital. And don't worry about Dawson; he is following behind with Pacey.' Andie sat down on the seat next to the trolley strapping her in. She reached over and grabbed Joey's hand.

'So, your Mrs Andie Witter now?' Joey's voice broke when she uttered his last name.

'For my sins,' Andie said quietly, wanted not to talk about it.

'When?' Joey added simply.

'2 weeks ago. We were in Sydney and just realised that it was the right thing for us. It was very Pacey, on the beach in matching Hawaiian shirts.' Andie giggled at the memory of the pair of them standing on the sunny beach wearing a pair of hideous shirts Pacey had bought them.

'Well, that was a lucky escape on my part then,' Joey said, looking at Andie and smiling. 'I'm really happy for you,'

'Are you sure? You are the one person in the world I would not want to hurt.' Andie asked, looking as if she had regressed back to the unsure teenage girl she was when the two had first met.

'I'm sure. This may seem very dramatic, but it has nothing to do with your news. I think the toll of these two and Christmas just got too much for me,' Joey tightened her grip on Andie's hand.

'Do you know everyone now knows? Dawson let it slip when you were out cold,' Andie said, glancing at the monitor for the 2nd baby.

'No? But I figures. Dawson was never very good at keeping secrets.' Joey face turned from light humour to concern when she saw Andie's frown. 'What's wrong?'

'Don't panic, but the 2nd baby's heart rate has slowed down. I think we may need to get you delivered when we get to the hospital,' Andie said, patting the driver on the shoulder to hurry up.

'But I'm only 7 1/2 months!' Joey said, panic shinning through her eyes.

'Most multiples are born at 8 months so you will be a little early. But it's better for you and the babies if we deliver you at once,' Andie said 'but I'm going to be with you all the way okay?'

'Okay. Don't leave me Andie, promise,' Joey grabbed her best friend's hand tightly, never wanting to let it go.

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'And that's when I asked her, right there on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. We got married the next week on the beach. So that's the whole sordid love affair,' Pacey finished, looking over to a concerned and preoccupied Dawson.

'Hey D,' he reached over and placed his hand on his best friend's shoulder 'she is going to be fine. She is a fighter. We both know this,'

Dawson faced Pacey and saw he was just as concerned as he was. Pacey was just better at hiding it.

'I hope so. Those 3 are my whole life. I couldn't bear to lose any of them,'

'Don't forget, you have Dr Andie Witter looking after them.' Pacey said with a little smile. He was still getting used to have someone to call Mrs Witter, let alone her being a doctor.

'I know and she is amazing. Congratulations man, I am happy it has worked out for all of us.' Dawson said, pulling up behind the ambulance in front of the hospital.

As they got out of the car they saw that Joey had woken up.

'Dawson!' Joey's frail voice was barely audible.

'You scared us for a minute there, I was...' Dawson was interrupted by Joey's hand squeezing his tightly.

'No time for banter Dawson. Andie says we need to get me delivered at once. One of the babies is in trouble.'

Before he knew it, Joey had been wheeled into the hospital and pushed through to the maternity ward, leaving him standing at the reception with Pacey.

'What you waiting for, follow her!' Pacey said, running to catch up with them. Dawson shook his head, trying to organise his thoughts but failing. He took off after Pacey and soon caught up with the trolley in a delivery room. They were both thrown scrubs by Andie.

'Go into the next room and get changed. We are going to delivery immediately so meet us in the room opposite,' she barked across the room.

Dawson just stood their looking at Joey, her face gripped with fear. He didn't want to leave her.

'No, I'm not leaving Joey. I'm...'

'Dawson, I am not in the mood for mass romanticism here. You cannot be in the delivery room without those scrubs on. Now the sooner you do this, the sooner you can be back here with Joey.' Andie snapped, moving towards his and turning him around towards the door.

'Come on D,' Pacey grabbed Dawson and dragged him through to the next door.

Andie, relieved that Pacey was here with Dawson turned her attention to Joey.

'Now you understand what I told you in the ambulance? The safest way to get these babies out is by C-Section.' Andie looked over at the anaesthetist who was administrating the epidural. 'So you are going to lose all feeling from the chest down and then we are going to operate.'

'Okay. Where's Bessie?' Joey suddenly realised her sister was missing.

'She is with Gail in the waiting area by now, don't panic. Everything is going to be fine.' Andie said, stroking the hair away from Joey's pale face. 'I'm going to take care of you and your babies.'