Chapter 3

A Christmas dinner at Jen's house, surrounded by Jen's friends, was not exactly Dawson's idea of fun. Joey had known from the start that even the prospect of dining with Jen was not at all appealing to him. But it took a lot of convincing when the new plans took that even further. Dawson and Jack hardly talked, not cause they didn't like each other, but they simply had nothing in common so they lived their lives tolerating each other and the fact that their significant others just happened to be best friends. And with Jack the short list of potential people who would talk to Dawson ended. Joey had noticed the night she spent with Jen that the group was in its own bubble. Without actually minding, Joey had pretty much been an outside observer the whole night. It was like watching a movie: it was funny, she loved it, but she couldn't change the events.

It was going to be an interesting evening, she sighed, but she refused to spend her Christmas without Jen.

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"Jo, Dawson! You got here just in time!" Jen smiled and hugged Joey.

"You mean we're early" Joey frowned.

"Considering the fact that the other guests are pretty much staying at my house there's no such thing as early" Jen giggled.

Not that Jen and Jack had a huge flat, cause they didn't. But the guests didn't seem to mind the couches and the sleeping bags. Jen said she felt like she was in college again.

They entered the living room, where everyone was gathered around Amy. She had received a dollhouse for Christmas and was keen to explain to everyone how things should be.

"Little Amy here" she put the baby doll in the upstairs room. "Mommy here" she placed the mommy doll in the kitchen. Audrey protested:

"No, mommy here" she took the doll and placed it in the bathroom.

Amy looked confused. Jen thought it was time to make the introductions:

"Hey guys. May I have your attention, please?"

Everyone turned to the door.

"I'm sure everyone remembers Joey, now I would like you to meet Joey's husband, Dawson. Dawson, this is Drue, Audrey, Pacey, Sarah and Oliver."

They all greeted each other and were indecisive about what came next. Amy took matters in her own hands:

"And daddy here" she said, placing the daddy doll in the garrage.

"Hm, so young and so brainwashed", Audrey muttered.

"Yeah, Lindley, what happened to your not so conventional views on life?" Pacey grinned. "I mean, it don't get more conventional than what this kid is saying right here"

"I don't know where she gets her ideas" Jen sighed and took Amy in her arms. "But don't worry, if she's anything like me, she'll come around."

Joey and Dawson still stood near the door, not sure what to do.

"Will you guys sit down?" Jack turned to them. Joey headed towards him, followed by Dawson, who clearly seemed out of place. Joey caught Pacey's gaze: it was… amused? Amused of what? He just looked at her, not quite smiling, but she could guess a sort of amusement in the way he stared. For some reason she felt annoyed, she felt like he was laughing at her, although she had done absolutely nothing to laugh at. She felt annoyingly self-conscious.

Jen came over with some snacks and sat on the couch.

"So, what shall we do? Shall we watch TV, again? Listen to you remembering the good old times? Play board games? Simply get bored? Or shall we skip that and head straight to dinner?"

"I vote for dinner." Pacey grinned.

"Of course you vote dinner, you always vote for dinner."

"Not really, Lindley, in the mornings I usually vote for breakfast"

"No wonder you've gained weight. Seems to me like there's nothing else but food on your mind. Who pays for that anyway? Shouldn't you have a job or something?" Audrey interfeared.

"Who says I don't?"

They all stared at him unbelievably.

"Well, Okay, I'm inbetween jobs right now"

"You're always inbetween jobs, Witter" Drue laughed.

"Hey, you remember the time you couldn't afford to get your own appartment so you lived on our boat? I believe you were inbetween jobs back then too, but god forbid you do anything about it." Jack smirked.

"Yeah you totally drove Andie nuts back then" Audrey quipped.

That was followed by complete silence. Joey was amazed at how quick the bantering ended and was replaced by an awkward moment of everyone counting their shoelaces. What's up with that?

Jen was first to recover:

"Okay, we took our trip down memory lane, why don't we go and have our dinner now before it gets cold."

"I thought it was ordered dinner." said Joey.

"True but why heat it twice?"

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He had a sad look in his eyes and that baffled her. It wasn't exactly melancholic, it wasn't depressed… it was just sad. He ate in silence while Jen managed to build a conversation with Drue. And Joey went from feeling annoyed to feeling sorry.

He intrigued her. He had from the moment she saw the picture of him with Jack and Jen. She knew Drue was talking about him when he mentioned the 'threesome'. And then she saw the way Jen had looked at him, they way they had flirted. A totally happy and blissfully in love Jen, nonetheless.

She heard the word 'threesome' again and she saw him smirk.

"Drue, if you have fantasies that involve three people, I suggest you talk to your wife and leave me out of it"

"Maybe you're one of those three people…"

"Gee, honey, thanks for the images but I'm eating you know…" Audrey gasped.

Drue winked at her and kissed her ear. Joey envied the way they fought and loved each other at the same time.

"Is there something we don't know about you, Valentine? I mean, I know I'm dead sexy and everything but I never thought I'd be your type… since I don't have boobs and all" Pacey raised a brow expectadly.

"Dead sexy and everything?" Joey replied in a gasp.

Pacey turned to her having the amused glance back on.

"Yeah, I know, that hardly begins to describe me and, no, you don't have to search for words to describe my good looks, I know you're at a loss, I've grown used to it." He smiled cockily.

OK so he was good looking. And the careless way he presented himself, not really shaved, but not really bearded either, had its plusses. And his eyes… ugh… 'there was a point in there somewhere… there's a but in there somewhere'…

"Yeah I sure am at a loss, how anyone would ever think of you as dead sexy."

A couple of browes were raised around the table. Pacey grinned and his eyes sparked a little.

"Well, it's not like I can blame anyone for wanting me. It comes natural, apparently even for Drue-the-married-man here".

Drue didn't seem to happy about the reference.

"For the record Witter, I want nothing more than to keep your arse out of my sight."

"Oh, he's bringing my arse into this, now I'm getting suspicious."

"Hello! Wife of said Drue in the room right in front of you! Why are we talking about your arse anyway?" Audrey waved frantically.

"Don't ask me, he brought it up" Pacey switched to innocent angel with a grin mode.

"Ugh", frustrated Audrey swallowed a gulp of wine while Drue sympathetically stroke her hair.

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"God I couldn't wait to get out of there", Dawson breathed once in the car. He leaned and kissed her.

"I don't know, Dawson, I actually had fun…" Joey smirked.

"Fun? You call all that bickering fun? Gee, and they're supposed to be friends and this was supposed to be a nice Christmas dinner."

"They were joking, Dawson…"

"Didn't seem all that funny to me. They're all a bunch of smugs."

"Dawson, Jen was in there too"

"I know, God, did you notice how she was flirting to Pacey? It was so disgusting, wasn't Jack supposed to be the love of her life or something?"

"They're great friends, that has nothing to do with Jack."

"Yeah right. That what I just witnessed was more than friendly. And Jack just smiles and tolerates it. I wonder if that 'threesome thing' is real…"

"You have GOT to be kidding me, Dawson" Joey turned in a gasp. "You didn't actually believe that!"

"That Drue guy seemed pretty sure of himself"

"It. Was. A. Joke. This is Jen, for God's sake!"

"Exactly. Wouldn't be too shocking. I mean she has been away for a long time and no-one knows what she was up to… I'm telling you that whole thing with her and Pacey is not as innocent as you like to think. I'm not sure if Jack's the perverted boyfriend who enjoys sharing or the stupid best friend who can't spot cheating right in front of him, but that was pure flirting…"

Joey rolled her eyes and sighed. Always the conspiracy theorist…