Pacey had naturally expected Joey to slap him for his forwardness, but that wasn't anywhere close to what he got. She was now, not only letting him kiss her, but was kissing him back enthusiastically.

Joey'd had every intention of slapping Pacey when she realized he was going to kiss her, when his lips met hers in a tantalizing kiss. The kiss was surprising soft and sweet and full of urgency. It was almost like he was trying to pour his heart out in that one kiss. All she could think to do wass him back with just as much passion. Suddenly, Pacey pulled away from her, leaving Joey to stare at him in a haze of confusion. She leaned in to kiss him again, but Pacey moved away.

"What is your problem?" Joey asked with annoyance.

"Nothin, Jo. I'm just tired. I think I'm going to go to bed, okay?" He didn't even wait for her to respond. Turning on his heels, Pacey walked out of the kitchen.

Wht did he think he was doing? She probably wasn't even aware that it was him, Pacey Witter, that she was kissing. Either that or she had become so desperate and lonely that she longer cared who it was that she kissed.

Pacey just couldn't let himself believe that she had really wanted to kiss him. He had tried to kiss her before and she would always pull back. Of course, that was before they had started to be civil toward each other.

He still didn't get it though. After two years of pining away for Dawson, she wouldn't just give up that easily. It wasn't in her nature to give up. She was far too stubborn and pigheaded for that.

Even if, by some miracle, she was over Dawson, why would she want him anyway? He was the class clown and the ultimate town screw-up. He was the exact opposite of Dawson Leery, the one he was sure she loved.

Pacey walked into the room he was staying in, thinking back to the first time he had ever laid eyes on Joey Potter.

It had been the first day of the first grade. She walked into the classroom nervously, still clinging to her mother's hand. She looked like she was about to cry until her mother leaned down and said something to her. They hugged, and before the little girl could object once more the woman left.

Still not quite sure of what to do, she stuck out her chin with a stubborn sort of resolve. The girl surveyed the rows of desks and then did something he sometimes wished she hadn't, she sat down next to him.

All Pacey could do was stare at her. She had to be the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, with her long, dark hair falling down her back in two thick braids.

Pacey continued to stare until she finally whipped around and said, "What are you looking at Jailbait?"

With his feeling hurt he replied, "Nothing special Ice Queen."

By then a blond boy had sat down on the other side of the girl and he quickly stepped between then to introduce himself. "Hi, I'm Dawson."

"Pacey." "Josephine." the two replied, still glaring at each other.

Pacey made an odd expression. "What kind of a name is Josephine?"

"What kind of a name is Pacey?" she countered.

"I don't know, but at least it doesn't sound like an old lady's name."

"It does not!"

"Does so!"

"Guys!" Neither of them bothered to glance in Dawson's direction at his sudden outburst.

"Like you could do better." She spat, still glaring at him.

Pacey thought hard for a few seconds. What could he change her name to that would sound cool? Then he grinned. "We could call you Joey."

"That's a boy's name." She pointed out to him with a dry tone.

"So? It's a lot better than Josephine." He stated plainly.

She seemed to think on it a minute, then she smiled at him. That one smile had been his completely undoing, because that was the exact moment Pacey had fallen for her.

Pacey snapped out of the trance he had been sucked into when he heard something heavy hit the floor above him.

He ran up the stairs two at a time and into Joey's bedroom. She was tangled up in her sheet, on the floor, in the middle of what looked like a pretty bad nightmare.

Pacey knelt beside her and began to gently shake her. "Joey? C'mon Jo, wake up."

She still didn't open her eyes. Joey started thrashing even more violently and now she was hitting him in her sleep. She was hitting him hard enough that Pacey was sure he would have a few bruises in the morning.

Again Pacey started to shake her, but this time there was nothing gentle about it. He desperately felt he had to wake her up.

"Joey, wake up!" Joey's eyes flew wide open and for a second she couldn't place who or where she was. Then she remembered the nightmare.

She had been sitting with her mother, on the beach, and they were talking and laughing. Joey ran down by the water and stood, cooling her feet in the ocean. She heard her mother call her name, but when she turned around she was no longer at the beach and she didn't see her mother anywhere.

She was now standing with Bessie as they watched a coffin being lowered into the ground. Joey easily recognized the scene that lay before her. It had been the day they burried her mother. She slid to her knees and began to weep. Closing her eyes she let the tears fall.

Joey opened her eyes again and screamed. She wasn't looking at the coffin anymore, she was the one inside it. The cramped darkness and musty smell of dirt was enough to tell her that. Immediately, Joey began beating on the lid. She hit, kicked, yelled, begged, and clawed at the wood. Still, no one would let her out. That was when she had opened her eyes to find Pacey leaning over her, one of the most worried of expression gracing his usually care-free face.

Joey clung to him and let the tears run down her cheeks. At first they were just small tears, just a slow steady course that streamed down her face. Soon they became huge, wracking sobs.

Pacey knew she was crying about her mother. The only time she ever cried like that was when she thought about her mom and he hated that it was the one pain he couldn't save her from. All he could do was hold her and tell her that everything was going to be okay.

When Joey had stopped crying he picked her up and laid her down on the bed. He pulled the covers over her and then looked at her already sleeping form. Pacey kissed her forehead and whispered good night, then he turned to go back to his room.

"Pacey?" he heard her whisper behind him.

"Yeah Jo?"

"Stay with me."