"Madison, come here," he cracked open the door, calling for his daughter. He leaned against the house, and watched her pout at him.

"Daddy, I don't want to come in. It's not even dark yet. I've only played this much with my wagon." She pressed her forefinger and thumb together, in an effort to demonstrate the amount she had played with her new favorite toy. "I didn't get to take George on a walk."

At the mention of his name, the small, yellow-furred puppy jumped out of the wagon, and ran towards the front porch, squeezing past Pacey's legs. "It looks to me like George is ready to come in, sweetheart. I bet you're hungry."

Madison smiled at him, striking him dumb. She looked so much like her. It almost wasn't fair that God has given him two perfect women. "Did you make ghetti?"

"Of course I made ghetti." He smiled at her, nearly too happy that she wasn't able to pronounce her favorite food. She was such a smart child. It was uncanny how much that small girl really knew. But with a mother like hers, it would have been unnatural for her not to be a genius.

"Is Mama gonna eat with us?" Madison asked as Pacey picked her up to carry her to the kitchen. The minute she was in his arms, her head was cradled on his shoulder and her small, toddler arms wrapped around his neck.

He had to take a moment to steady himself. He loved his daughter, more than he ever thought it was possible to love another human being, but when she melted against him like this, content to let him protect her, his heart filled. He never wanted to lose that. "I don't know, Maddy. When she called, she said she might miss her airplane."

The curly-haired girl stuck out her bottom lip, and Pacey felt his heart break. "Daddy, why does Mama and me live so far away?"

----

Joey settled her self in the reclining seat. She had decided to splurge on first class this time, since the flight back to Dallas from Boston in coach had literally left her limping for days. It wasn't as if she couldn't afford first class. She just preferred, in most cases, to be more frugal with her money.

You never know when things will just fall apart all around you.

She had even bought the seat next to her own, to ensure a relaxing, and issue free flight. When she had been flying home after leaving Madison with Pacey, the man seated next to her had decided that she was an excellent candidate for listening to how his new product would work.

She couldn't, for the life of her, remember what the hell he had been yammering about. Not that it mattered; she had spent the last two and a half months worrying about Madison. Not because she was so far away, with Pacey. She didn't worry about leaving her with her father. She worried about having to pick her up, and take her home...all those miles away from the place they both loved the most.

Miles away from the person they both loved with every part of themselves.

She sighed, pulling down the plastic screen to block her view to the outside world. She hated flying. She hated leaving Dallas, going to Boston, and trekking all the way back. It wasn't fair to Madison, and it wasn't fair to Pacey.

But she worked in Dallas, and she wasn't married to Pacey. And Madison had to deal with flying back and forth between her parents.

The thing that really worried Joey, though, was the fact that soon, Madison would be old enough to take these trips by herself, and Joey would have no excuse to see Pacey for two weeks a year. She would have no excuse to sleep in the guest bedroom of their old house, and she would have no excuse to sit on the back steps, and look at the swing set Pacey had built, using the porch swing as the centerpiece.

They had agreed that when it was time for Madison to start school, she would move to Capeside permanently. Joey wanted her daughter to have some semblance of stability, and after researching schools in Dallas, she knew Madison was better off at home, with her dad.

And next year, she started kindergarten. Her little girl would be spending her last nine months in Texas, and then she was gone.

Well, of course, she wasn't gone. Joey would fly up for Halloween, and Madison would come home for Christmas. She'd be back in Boston for New Years, and Joey would spend her Valentine's Day alone. Easter would be spent in Dallas, and then there would be the whole month of July, when her precious baby girl would be with her in Texas.

Although, if things worked out the way she hoped, there might not be any more commuting.

One of the VPs at the Boston office had retired, and after a couple of promotions, they were in need of someone in her exact position.

To say the least, she was keeping her fingers crossed.

Anything that brought her closer to home would make her happy.

At this point, it was all about proximity.

----

Madison had been running from window to window in the house, hoping to get a better view of the street. Joey had called an hour before, telling them that she was on her way from the airport, and would be there soon.

Boston wasn't a far drive from Capeside, but when you're four, and you can't wait to see your mommy, it takes forever.

"Is she here now, Daddy?" Madison whined, unfortunately grating on her father's last nerve.

"Madison, she'll be here soon, all right? Let's finish our game, and maybe by the time we're done, she'll be here." Pacey, reached out for her hand to help her off the couch. They were playing memory, and for all intents and purposes, she was kicking his butt, even while not paying attention. He kept wondering if this game had been as hard when he was a kid.

"But what if she's not," she asked; now directing all of her energy and attention to jumping on the center cushion of the couch. The same one she always jumped on. Every time someone would come over and sit there, they sank pretty much all the way to the floor. And each time that happened, Pacey would think of his daughter, and vow never to replace that couch.

"She will be. Texas is a far way away from Capeside, but now your mommy is in Boston, so that means she's only a little way away."

"Daddy, that doesn't sound right."

And now I'm having my grammar corrected by a four-year-old, he though to himself. "Well, sweetheart, how should it sound?"

"You need to tell Mommy to stay here." She finally bounced her way back to the floor, and now she was climbing into her father's lap. "I don't like the airplanes, Daddy. They make you far away."

"Oh, Maddy," he ran his hand over her hair; physically trying to sooth away the pain that he knew was in her heart. He hated watching them get on that plane, and he hated having Joey under his roof, under the false pretenses of it making the transition easier on Madison. She wanted to be there, because he was there, and he wanted her there, because Texas was so damn far away.

Pacey heard a key slip into the lock on the front door, and Madison perked up at the sound of the door being pushed open.

"Mommy! You're here! You're really, really here!" Madison ran towards her mother at full speed, and almost knocked her over as she flung her arms around Joey's waist.

"Maddy-baby! Oh, Mama has missed you so much." She stooped down to pick her up, and lost herself in the moment. There was just something about holding this child that made her feel complete, made her feel like less of a failure. And because she was a part of Pacey, her world wasn't quite as dark as it used to be.

"I'm beating Daddy at memory, Mama. You were wrong."

"Wrong about what, Maddy," Joey asked, as she set her daughter down, and took off her coat.

"Daddy doesn't remember everything. If he did, he wouldn't lose memory so much." Madison laughed, pleased with herself for making a joke.

Joey smiled at Pacey. "I see she's got a lot more Potter in her than I thought." She took a seat on the couch, forgetting to avoid the middle cushion. "Oof!" Joey exclaimed as she sank completely into the sofa. "I understand the sentimental reasons for keeping this couch, Pacey, but couldn't you at least move it to the basement, or something? This is not conducive to my physical well-being."

"You'll be all right, Jo." He gathered up the barnyard animal cards from off the floor, and tossed them in the box. He checked his watch, and then glanced over to where Madison sat on the floor. She had opened her mother's suitcase and was now trying on everything that wasn't tied down. Which, in all actuality, was pretty much everything. "Hey Jo, I really hope that there's nothing important in there."

Joey directed her attention to Madison, and just smiled. "Nah. They're just clothes."

Pacey knew they weren't just clothes. Doug and Jack had flown out to Dallas after Joey had gotten reassigned there. Doug had called him afterwards and told him that Jack had gone shopping with Joey, and she had splurged. Forty-five hundred dollars on clothes, and he was sure there had been more to come after that. Madison's clothes alone cost more than all the appliances in his kitchen. He shook his head, the woman had the money to buy the clothes, the body to wear them, and yet, she got her greatest joy from watching her daughter wear them out for her.

"Isn't she beautiful," Joey whispered, now standing next to him, holding a digital camera she had pulled out of her purse. She snapped a couple of pictures, which got Madison's attention.

"Mommy, I didn't hurt anything." She declared, raising her hands into the air like a felon on the run.

"I know, Maddy. I just wanted to get a picture of you. You look much better in those clothes than I do." She smiled at her, raising the camera quickly to catch the confused look on her daughter's face.

Madison stood up and walked over to Joey, and tugged on her skirt. "I got a secret."

Joey leaned down so that her ear was next to Madison's mouth. "Kay."

"Daddy told me that you're the most beautiful mama in the world. And I'll be just like you when I grow up."

Joey felt her eyes tear up and she turned her head to look at Pacey. He had been watching them, and the look of utter contentment on his face melted her.

And right then, with her daughter whispering in her ear, and her heart fluttering as he stared at them, she fell head over heels all over again.

----

...48, 49, 50...

Joey sat on the back porch, counting the stars. Her townhouse in Dallas had about four square feet of land she could call her own, but here, in Pacey's yard, she felt she could see forever. The sky was darker, the stars were brighter, and the air was clearer.

...67, 68, 69...

He had come out with her, sat next to her, but at this point in their tenuous relationship, it was no longer necessary for them to make small talk. He didn't ask if there was anyone in her life, and she didn't ask if he'd been on dates. These days, it was easier for them to be in the same space without fighting, or nitpicking, or awkward silences.

...84, 85, 86...

Occasionally, she would see him take a sip of his beer out of the corner of her eye. Just having him there, next to her, was a comfort she'd never be able to explain. She closed her eyes for just a moment, allowing herself to take in the scents of the night. And the scent of him.

"Damnit." Joey murmured quietly, unaware she had said anything out loud.

"What?" Pacey turned to look at her, his arm in midair, having been in the middle of taking a sip of his beer.

"I lost count."

Pacey smiled devilishly at her, "Of what? Your shoes?"

Joey slapped him on the arm. "Very funny. I was counting the stars. You know, I almost forgot how witty you were."

"Good thing for me, I'm unforgettable." Pacey gloated, regretting the words only seconds later.

Joey shook her head, feeling tears sting the back of her eyes. "Yeah. I guess it's true what they say." She looked him in the eye, not having the strength to hide her emotions from him anymore. "When you're right, you're right."

"Jo-"

"No, let me finish, please. This is important."

"Okay."

Joey leaned back against the porch, resting her weight on her elbows. The stars here really were beautiful. "I've done a lot of stupid things in my life, Pacey. I mean, you know, you were there. And I guess when I envisioned having children with you, I never considered the possibility that either one of us would end up as weekend parents." She closed her eyes, no longer able to stare at the world he got to live in everyday. The world she had given up. "I don't regret having Madison. Not for a single second. And there has never been a moment that I've wished that some other man was her father. Regardless of our current, and past situations, there's no one else in this world that I would ever consider having a family with. When you let me stay here after I found out I was pregnant with her, I thought I was trapped. That we would have this baby, and she would resent us because we were pretending to be something we weren't."

"And then I had that little girl, and I no longer cared if we weren't married, or if you didn't love me anymore. You had helped to give me the most precious gift I've ever received. And when I saw your face light up as you held her, I knew that everything would be okay. I knew that even if I ended up halfway around the world, and we had to fly a million miles to each other, that little girl would know we loved her. And we do, more than life itself."

"What are you trying to say, Jo?" Pacey handed her a beer from the cooler sitting next to him.

"I got offered a job in Boston."

"Another firm?"

"It's a branch office of the firm I'm with in Dallas. One of the VPs retired, and they promoted a bunch of people, and the only position they had left open was for someone with my skills. My boss left a message on my cell phone while I was on the plane. I haven't called him back yet. I have the option to stay in Dallas, and receive a promotion there, or I can move here to Boston."

"What do you want to do, Joey?" A part of him wanted her to stay in Dallas, far away, where it was safe, and he wouldn't have to see her. He wasn't one to endorse self-inflicted torture. But the other part, the part that held on to hopes, and dreams, and wishes wanted her close. As close as possible.

"It's been a long time since I've been home."

----

Joey sealed the last box with packing tape, and sat down with a flourish. "Who the fuck knew it was going to take six days to pack everything we own?" She reached out to take the beer that Pacey handed her. "You know, you didn't have to fly all the way down here to do this. I was seriously content just hiring that service to do all the hard work."

"Well, if you had done it that way, these boxes wouldn't be meticulously marked, or organized, and I sure as hell wouldn't have this permanent black marker on my forehead." He made a face at her as she laughed at him.

"Yeah, about that. If you hadn't just snuck up on me, I wouldn't have tried to stab you in the head."

"Oh! 'Cause, you see, I was confused. When you wrote your name across my forehead, you were actually just stabbing me in the head."

Joey nodded affirmatively. "See? And people thought you would never amount to anything."

Pacey chuckled, shaking his head. "You're one in a million, Jo. I'll give you that."

"Pacey, can I be serious for a second? There's something that I want to talk to you about."

"You can be serious, but whether or not I will be, is the question." Pacey winked at her, but settled himself in his chair, adopting what he thought was a serious pose.

"Honestly, pacey, how is it that you're a father? You can barely take care of yourself." She smiled at him, taking away any of the sting that might have been in the words. "But, really, I need to talk to you."

"I'm listening, Jo."

"When you asked Madison and I to move in with you, I wasn't really going to say yes as quickly as I did. And I'm sure you probably think that I made the decision based purely on Madison, and her need to be with you more. But, I have to tell you that my motives are a tad bit more selfish than that." She sighed, and took a sip of her beer. "We've changed a lot in the last ten years. When we got married, I never dreamed that at 36, I'd be divorced, with a daughter, and about to move back in with my ex-husband. And to be completely honest, I never thought that I would be calling you my ex-husband."

"Things happen, Jo."

"Exactly, and now that I've gotten this job in Boston, and Madison and I are essentially coming home, I wanted to ask you something."

"Okay." He was apprehensive. He was scared. He was elated. And you could even say that he was a tad bit confused. He loved this woman. He loved everything about her. He loved the fact that she could tear a person apart, and come back humble, and ask to help rebuild them. He loved that he could share a daughter with her. He loved that she was coming home. He loved her.

"Do you think, perhaps, if I found myself in possession of a sailboat sometime in the future, I could ask the man I love to go sailing with me?"

The End