Snapshots...

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Dawson's Creek.

Coupling: Andie/Other/PJ

Rating: Pg-13

Shout Outs: To my friend Jo for proofing and to ellasblues for her encouragement.

Summary: This is a series of scenes from the beginning of the Junior year at Capeside High and tracks the bumpy path to love for Andie along with all the gang.

Snapshot Harvard Andie's Freshman Orientation Weekend – Issac's Dorm room

It was done. Issac had moved in to his new room finally and all his books were put away along with the mass of his music disks. Issac wasn't a MP3 person. He had too many books and compact disks for a normal person he thought. He lay on the bed rehearsing his lines if he ran into Andie. Sure, they had emailed and talked on the phone since she had left to go back to Italy after graduation, but it felt like there was an unbridgeable distance between them. Maybe it was the way she left and relied on Jack to tell him she had deferred for a year. Beaten down by heartache, he hadn't wanted to start at college; but in the end he reasoned that if he ploughed into his studies he would never miss her. It proved to be a long and lonely time at Harvard during his freshman year. Dawson, Joey, Jen and Jack had their own dramas and he didn't see them as often as he would have liked. He did spend some time hanging out with Pacey. But when summer arrived he found out that Andie wouldn't be back until two weeks before his sophomore year. It was a boring, miserable summer working in the bookshop and hanging around his house. As always, the question was hanging over his head. Could he get through another year again without her?

He remembered how she had been distant and quiet in the lead up the Graduation and afterwards. He had left for a holiday with his parents, not wanting to leave but also not wanting to put any pressure on Andie. It was then that she made the decision to defer college and stay with her aunt in Italy for a year. She left two days before he returned. As soon as he had arrived home, he had sprinted over to Andie's house, only to find her gone and Jack with the burden of telling him she had left. But not the why. That was left to Jack to give her letter to Issac.

Issac opened it and read it for the 1000th time:

Dear Issac,

You know that I don't like goodbyes and this is not one. I'm sorry but I had to leave, had to get away. These last three years have made me weary. I felt flat after Graduation and you were so excited about our summer before we started at Harvard that I couldn't muster the same enthusiasm. I didn't think that was fair to you.

This doesn't mean I do not love you. I do Issac, I really do. But I have to do this for me. I need to get away, take a break from being that overachieving, perky and supportive sister/girlfriend role that has been mine this year. I just want to be Andie McPhee somewhere they do not know my past and I can be myself.

I know how much you are hurting right now and I missed you so much when you went away. I will miss you. I will miss the way that you look at me, the way you hold me, your kisses and the way you can just be with me. I never regret for one minute finding you that day of Mitch & Gale's wedding. You were so nervous but so sincere. Pacey was right, you were head-over-heels in love with me. I remember dancing that warm night last summer, just the two of us in our own world, when you told me you loved me.

You need to give me time and some distance. You remember we once agreed to see where this thing between us went? I hope you can be patient with me. I want to see this through. I can't ask you to wait but I hope you will. You need to get ready for Harvard. I know that you will do so well there. I believe in you, I believe that we have a future as a couple; I believe that I am still in love with you. I will only be a phone call, an email or letter away.

All my love,

Andie.

Issac stopped reading and remembered his reply. It had taken three days and many drafts before he was satisfied enough to send it. It was a horrible time. He spent those three days hiding in his room, constantly crying while he tried to understand what he had done, why she had to leave, trying to work out where it had gone wrong. Wasn't his love strong enough for her to stay?

He read the post script Andie had left.

P.S. Don't worry about the wedding magazine. I think Dad freaked out at first but when I explained he calmed down. He hasn't bundled me off to prevent us getting married.

Issac laughed to himself. He and Andie had been scanning some pictures out of a Bridal magazine for Grams and Jack had spotted it. He had teased Andie about a possible wedding in front of their father. What was a joke escalated into a panic-fest. Joe McPhee rang Issac's parents and the first thing Issac knew he was being sat down and having a 'serious' conversation with his parents. Finally working out what they were worried about, Issac assured them that as far as he knew, he and Andie had no plans to be married. Two days later he left Capeside with his parents.

He pulled out a well handled copy of his reply. He still thought he hadn't captured everything he needed to say.

My darling Andie,

To say I was shocked is an understatement. Because I love you so much, and love means supporting the person you love, I should say farewell, do what you have to do and come back to me; give you a host of supportive phrases.

But I can't.

I am not ashamed to be selfish Andie; I want you here with me right now. I am so in love with you I just can't stop. I cannot go back; I don't want to go back. I am happy to be in love with you for the rest of my life.

I won't pretend that I am not devastated because, I am. I am hurt that you couldn't share this with me and, let me know you felt this way. I am looking for an answer to the question why you left but I cannot find one. I said once that I would not give you an ultimatum and I won't do so now. That night when you got into Harvard and I laid it out in public for you how much you meant and how much I loved you has to count for something? Doesn't it? I have always thought that we had a partnership; that we weren't each other's world but we shared our lives together. I miss that honey, I miss my partner in life, and I miss sharing your world and you sharing mine.

Everything you miss I miss in return. Your smile, your laughter, your kisses and the way you just held me when I needed to be held. You got me Andie. You understood me in a way that no-one else ever has or ever will. I would trade all the days ahead of me if I could go back to that night I told you I loved you. I touched heaven that night. I just hope it was nothing to do with our not being intimate. Andie, I want you so badly and you know how much I have to hold back, but you know I made a promise to you and I will not break that.

I wish I could talk to you right now, but I think I will be a blubbering mess. I have been cut to the core Andie. I just have this ache that can't be healed until you come home.

So I pray that God will keep you safe and return you home to me. I will keep the love I have for you with me at all times. I managed to hold on for nine months while falling in love with you, I know I can hang on with God's help.

Come back to me Andie. Come back soon.

I love you always and will be here waiting.

All my love and kisses

Issac.

Snapshot: Harvard Andie's Freshman Year – Will's dorm

It was a warm evening when they played their game. Andie and Will were getting along well...Too good, Andie thought. He was so interested in everything about her, and he didn't seem to mind when she didn't want to talk about certain things or her past. Will was great. He was fun and easy to get along with...though he was no Issac. No one was Issac. But he had made it clear he wasn't ready to sleep with her. "No sex before marriage Andie" He had said, "Please understand that every fibre of my being really, really wants to, but I try to live in obedience to the Lord. And you know that I need to focus on getting into Harvard and earning that scholarship. Plus I am not ready to handle the emotional impact of making love to you. If we did what you wanted to do now Andie, I'd just have to marry you. And I don't think you're ready for that are you?" He was right. She wasn't ready just yet.

Andie giggled a little in her inebriated bliss as Will whispered into her ear. She smiled as she sipped her drink, and listened to his words...feeling his breath against her ear, and his arm closing around her waist. The fresh warm tickle sent chills up her back, and she caught herself leaning in closer.

"Let's go in the other room," He said, and she found herself taking his hand and being lead into the den. Will turned and pulled the door closed behind them, and before Andie knew it, they were sharing a kiss... and falling back on the sofa... and unbuttoning each other's shirts...

"Oh, Will..." Andie murmured as his fingers traced her skin, curving around the cups of her bra, and up her collarbone to her throat. He buried his lips into her neck, revelling in the silkiness of her skin. Her breath grew deeper and deeper.

"You're spoiling me," He whispered. "I'm not gonna wanna stop,"

"Maybe I don't want you to stop," She sighed, his fingers working their way up her skirt.

"You feel good,"

"So do you,"

"I—I...Oh Andie,"

Andie grabbed his chin and looked into his sullen eyes. Both were drunk, but neither noticed.

"Will...I really like you".

He paused, his fingers lingering between her thighs.

"I like you too..."

Issac, looking for Andie, chose this moment to open the door and see Will and Andie locked in their passionate embrace. Stunned, and hoping they hadn't noticed, he turned and fled the building. Stumbling in shock and sorrow, somehow he found his way to their spot on campus. Collapsing onto the ground, he bawled his eyes out.