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: End of Andie's Freshman Year at Harvard: Issac's Dorm Room

"This is...this is the truth Zac." she let the words hang in the space between them. "But I'm not acting on my instincts. Zac, if I'd come to you last night you wouldn't have woken up alone this morning."

"And what makes you think I didn't?" he snapped.

Andie felt a chill and she had to stop herself from responding to his taunt. She knew he was hurt and angry and she wasn't going to let him get under her skin. Not today anyway. She almost went to open the bedroom door, but she managed to stop herself in time, keeping her eyes on his.

"We would have slept together and it would have been too soon for both of us. We would have regretted it."

He took another sip from his glass then looked away from her. It was too hard to look into her eyes.

He sighed heavily. "You know, for everything we've gone through I just know for certain that...that we have a future. You know I don't buy into Dawson's soulmate nonsense, but I felt it the moment I kissed you for the first time and I felt it again the night I told you I loved you and the night you told me you loved me back and I still feel it now. How else do you think I get up every day?" He turned away from her not wanting to let her see the pain and doubt that was gripping him.

"So, what are you doing here, Andie?"

"I love you, too."

He closed his eyes as the words he wanted to hear again for so long washed over him. Andie moved towards him. "I was horribly drunk last night, Andie, and ashamed of myself. This is not me. I don't like this person may be turning into. I love you, and I'm not going to sleep with you if that's what it takes to make you stay."

"I know." She didn't stop walking until she stood next to him. Her hand was warm on his shoulder, even through his shirt. "I was scared." She smiled trying to hide her nervousness. "I shouldn't have asked you, Zac."

"I'm glad you asked me, Andie." He set his glass down and turned to her." I think it would have destroyed me if you'd asked anyone else."

She reached out and pressed her fingers against his lips. "I wish I hadn't asked you, I really do Zac. And that's because all I know for sure right now is that maybe you only want to love me right now because I've reminded you of what we used to have." She paused. "Maybe I only want to love you back because you have always been there for me."

"Is that what you think?"

He looked just as wounded as the day he'd looked upon her, watched her give herself to Will. "I know I love you, Zac. And I truly believe." She grabbed his hand and held it over her heart. "Here. That you love me and that what we have is true love. I have always believed that even before we broke up, before I left Capeside for Italy and I won't stop believing it. Ever."

Issac reached out with his free arm and took her hands into his.

"I don't want to save you Andie, and I don't need you to save me. I just want to love you for the rest of my life if you'll just let me. He paused, looking for the right words.

"I'm not a white knight that will leave you behind when things get too tough or who will go when there is someone new to save. I spent all of my junior year trying to work out if I was that guy, and if it was that kind of love as I grew to know you. But in the end, I just needed to be with you. I love you for you alone and nothing else matters. I told you that once and it still stands today. And you know what the hardest thing is Andie? It's the knowledge that when I will make love to you for the first time I'll be opening myself to you so completely that if I lose you again I'd be utterly, utterly destroyed."

He placed her hands on his chest and closed his hands around them.

"Andie, you have my heart in your hands...you always have and you always will, but you didn't and perhaps still don't understand what that responsibility means, and that tears me apart."

They stood facing each other in silence, both taking in what each other had said. Issac was first to look away. Tears began to form in his eyes. Wiping them with the back of his hand he spoke softly, so softly that Andie had to strain to hear him.

"You better go Andie. I can't take too much more of this..."

Snapshot: Issac's junior Year & Andie's sophomore year at Harvard: Andie's Dorm room two nights before Thanksgiving...

"Andie you know even if it's not the easiest thing we've ever done, which love never is, it can't be half as hard for you as it is for me to be without you. Don't you see that?" he finished.

"Zac, you can't do this. You can't just say this now in front of me...just go ahead and dump this on me...don't you understand? I can't take much more. Everything in my life has been a up to now has been high drama and now-"

"It's not high drama now Andie. It's you and me here right now trying to move forward. If you think that's a drama it's only because you make it into one, Andie." He was getting fed up.

"What! I didn't ask for any of this Issac!" she flew at him. His face hardened. It was time. There was no turning back now he had to get the answer he so desperately needed to hear.

Sighing, he looked into her eyes and spoke slowly.

"It's really simple Andie. Do you want to love again?"

"What?" She snapped.

"You heard me Andie McPhee. Do you want me like I want you? Do you need me like I need you? Do you want to feel loved and happy again as much as I do? For the first time in a long while we're here, right where we're supposed to be. I refuse to wallow in pity for you. I don't want to see you the way you are now. That's not the girl I loved and it's not you."

Andie tried to answer back. Issac put his finger over her lips, "Shhh...let me finish."

"I've nothing to offer you Andie but love. I have no pride, no dignity, all I have is the love I've kept in here for so long and clung to like a drowning man. I came 9,000 miles and didn't know I was looking for love, till I found you Andie. All the hurt, all the distance and the time apart has never, ever, destroyed what is at my very core, the feeling I have whenever you're near – that tingle down my spine. Nothing you have done or could ever do will make me lose that feeling. Andie, just by knowing you makes me want to be a better person everyday and not for you, but for me. Cause if I am a better person then maybe you will love me completely and without hesitation..." He paused.

"Andie, I have kept that part of myself for you and you only. You know I am the marrying kind. I knew it then and it hasn't changed. I fell in love with you when I first saw you. I had this vision of us together, married, settled, and comfortable and so much in love. Whatever choices we made, whatever was forced upon us it's bought us to this time and place and I believe that was for a reason."

Issac reached over to hold her hand, staring down at their interlaced fingers while several different emotions ran through his mind as he tried to find the right one for the occasion. When he spoke finally, his voice was small and uncertain. "So...how do you, um, feel about that?"

Andie just held his gaze as if she was trying to see any trace of doubt or any fear but all she could see was the passion for her. It was the intensity that sent that an all too familiar feeling down her spine.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small red box.

Andie nodded and bit her lower lip, still watching him. "I, ah...had to...Zac...I wanted to—". Andie inched towards him, closing the space between them. "The same way I felt about it this morning." She whispered as she reached up to touch his chest.

"This is for you. I can't wait another moment... Andrea McPhee, will you be my wife?"

Andie just looked at him and let his eyes pound into hers. He put his hand around her neck and let his thumb run over her cheek and her lips. And slowly, his face inched toward hers. He softly kissed her lips and her eyes closed as he pulled slightly away from her to glance at her face and then their lips met again. The kiss was soft at first and grew. Issac moved his lips to her neck leaving Andie breathless and he whispered "did I tell you how much I love you?"

She smiled sweetly and tugged him closer for one last kiss. When their lips parted, she whispered, "I love you, Zac, don't ever forget that. I've never felt as safe as I feel with you. Right here, right now, is the most perfect moment of my entire life. I wish we could stay like this forever."

"And yes, I will marry you Issac."

"Good, cause I want it all. The house, the two-point-five children, the white picket fence, the dog, and the SUV. Because in the end, I want to wake up beside you every day for the rest of my life." He took her hand and led her to the bed, sitting down and pulling her into his arms.

As he kissed her again and again, Andie felt reality fade because all that she was aware of was Issac all around her. His touch, his kiss, his smell had encompassed her world. Andie melted into him, relieved to feel that same overwhelming sensation, that wave of love and burning passion rise up within her The only rational thought Issac had was that he was now engaged and how beautiful she was and how he felt dizzy, scared, anxious and ecstatic all at the same time.

Snapshot: Andie's house Spring Break – Three months before the wedding

Telling their parents they were getting married at Thanksgiving had been easier than Issac and Andie had thought. Apart from a slight concern that they were a little bit young, both sets of parents were happy for their children.

Andie and Issac agreed that they would get married in the summer after Issac's junior year and Andie's sophomore year. They had six months to organise the wedding. They would be married in the local church and have the reception at the Capeside Yacht Club. They would get married in the afternoon, have the reception then Issac and Andie would leave for Boston where they would stay in a hotel then catch their flight out the following day.

Because of their studies, the Evetts and McPhee patriarchs agreed to hire a wedding planner to organise the wedding. However, that didn't stop Andie from putting together a large book with colour co-ordinated tabs to keep a track of things. It went everywhere with her. Because of Andie's mother's health, Issac's mother, Gail Leery and Bessie became Andie's surrogate mothers of the Bride. The hardest moment for Issac was when he went with Andie to see her mother and tell her that she was getting married. It appeared that Mrs McPhee understood and was fine but as the conversation ended, she asked if Tim could be a best man. It was almost too much for Andie. In tears, she went outside followed by Issac. Once outside she collapsed into Issac's arms and he held her while she sobbed.

By spring break the majority of the wedding was organised and various things booked or ordered. Issac and Andie were meeting Carol the wedding planner to go over the latest details.

"Ok, you're getting married at 2.30pm right?" Carol asked.

"Yup" replied Issac "and we leave the reception some time between 6.30 and 7pm. "Andie nodded to show her agreement.

"The wedding suite at the hotel is booked. I've managed to get you into one of the most romantic hotels in the country. Luckily it is located in Boston."

"Now about your wedding dress Andie. When are you free to have the final fittings?"

Issac covered his eyes. "Don't want to know. Bad luck and all that."

"Issac!" Andie growled "I'm free anytime this week."

"Ok, what say you meet me tomorrow at 10am?"

"Ok." Andie noted this in her big book. She had chosen an off the shoulder dress, close fitting with a beaded bustier and small train accompanied by a full veil. She had wanted this dress ever since she first seriously thought about weddings as a young girl.

"Good. What about china patterns?"

"Oh no!" Issac moaned "when are we ever going to use fine china at school?"

"Issac!" Andie growled at him again. "A girl needs to have her china pattern picked out.

"Yeah, but which one honey? You've got about a dozen in your book." He pointed towards Andie's wedding book.

"This is important Zac." Carol helpfully added.

"Right. Look this is the brides day right? I can understand that. All I have to do is to be scrubbed, clean shaven and dressed appropriately..." he then added "oh, and make sure that my best man has the rings."

Issac stood up. "Look Carol, honey, I totally agree on whatever you decide. All I want to do is marry you Andie. You'd look beautiful in a sack and I'd marry you anywhere. I'll see you both later. Thanks Carol for all your help, but this is a girly thing and I'm just too much of a guy. "

"Yeah, you big hunk o'man you" she giggled "for your information Issac Evetts, I'm not getting married in a sack. We're getting married where we planned and I'm getting my dress." Andie replied.

"We could always elope you know!" Issac called out as he left the house.

"I don't think so buddy!" Andie yelled in return...