A/N By popular demand, here are the next two updates from this angst ridden story. Enjoy

Point of No Return.

Walking the streets of New York had always provided Joey with some kind of comfort. Being anonymous, no one knowing her or her history. She could feel the city embrace her thoughts and wishes and never asking anything in return.

In New York she could be anyone she wanted to be.

Or at least she could have. Before Dawson's declaration of undying friendship for her to the world. Now the world knew her business. Sitting on her sofa, working from home for the 4th day running, manuscripts and magazines lying everywhere, Joey's mind was far from her job.

The morning after the ceremony, she awoke with a fuzzy head. She couldn't handle what she had done, phoning Dawson and leaving the message, so she polished off another bottle of wine. Her head was swimming with thoughts of what she had said, what it had all meant.

But mostly what he was now thinking. His words kept ringing around her mind. It appeared that he still had some kind of feelings for her. She did not expect this and this shocked her most of all.

That morning she got dressed like she did everyday, brushed her teeth and combed her hair, drank her coffee and ate her toast.

But then the phone rang.

'You better switch on the television, the today show is talking about you,' Audrey said quietly, obviously deep in hangover hell.

Joey nervously pressed the button too see her face, an old high school photo of herself next to Dawson. She remembered the picture; it was one in the yearbook.

'So now the question everyone is asking, who is his soulmate? Well we can exclusively reveal that Joey Potter was Leery's best friend in high school and, according to our exclusive source, his lost love. Having confessed in several interviews that she was his main muse for most of his projects, they have not spoken or seen each other in years. Speculation is rife in their home town, Capeside, but most people point to his marriage to Gretchen Witter, star of his hit show The Creek. Press officers from his camp have refused to give any further information, but this is set to run and run. Kent?

Thanks Dianne, so what about the other winners on the night?

From that moment, Joey's life changed. She left her building but found it covered with reporters. Luckily, because the photo's they had for her were out of date, she could slip out undetected. At work she was not so anonymous. People knew and remembered Dawson. They remembered the calls he would make to her office when she just began and the flowers he sent her on her birthday one year.

Her boss called her into his office first thing that morning and ordered her to work form home for the foreseeable future, the disruption from her private life being unacceptable. Joey tried to defend herself but she knew in her heart it was true. She saw the looks and side glances everyone in the office had gave her.

It was like High School all over again.

She slunk home, facing a barrage of reporters and again slipping past.

God these people are dumb.

And so she practically became a recluse. Audrey popped in and dropped off food supplies and magazines (mostly with pictures of herself plastered all over them), provided a shoulder to cry on when she felt low and together they laughed at the early reports of her life.

'Did you know that I got married to a Frenchman called Philippe and he is the reason we are not together?'

'Of course, I was there, according to the enquirer.'

'Wait, but aren't you my long lost sister in this one?'

But all the laughter stopped on the 2nd day when Us magazine landed on her mat.

TRUE STORY OF LEERY/ POTTER ROMANCE.

The budding romance was shattered forever when Potter's convict father returned to town and the courageous Leery shopped him to the police for drug trafficking. Potter swore she would never speak to him again, having to again support her unmarried sister and her child when her father returned to jail, and the two young lovers were torn apart.

Shortly after Potter began an ill-fated relationship with Pacey Witter, Gretchen's younger brother, around the same time as Leery met and fell in love with his wife. Their tempestuous relationship came to an abrupt end when Potter abandoned the sleepy town and her teenage love for her dream of an Ivy League education at the prestigious Worthington College.

During this time she became good friends with Audrey Lidell, one time extra on the series The Creek. Her relationship with Leery was all but dead but when he came to visit, during a lengthy break in his relationship with main love Gretchen, they reconnected. However, things did not work out once again and they did not meet until the death of their friend Jennifer Lindley…

When Leery found his long lost love Gretchen sparks flew and he realised at once she was the woman he had been yearning for all his life. They married quickly, a move that disgruntled a jealous Potter, who was recovering from a disastrous relationship breakdown with one time love, Pacey Witter. To this day they have not spoken.

When questioned, a close family friend said that their friendship was all but over 'She hasn't even acknowledged him for years, I can imagine he was just trying to reconnect with a long lost friend and nothing more…' Close friends of the star say that he has no intention of trying to contact her again, being so wounded by previous attempts at trying to reconnect.

As for Potter, she has been living a near hermit life in New York, a chief editor for a major publishing company. Co workers have said she keeps herself to herself and doesn't socialise…

Joey tore the magazine in two and locked the doors. She called her boss to see if she could take a sabbatical and he whole heartedly agreed, as long as she finished the projects she had outstanding.

And that's what she was trying to do. 3 manuscripts, all almost finished, mixed in with further magazine tales of her soap opera life. It didn't take long for details about her family to come out, her mother dying and her father's full crime sheet. Ex boyfriends sold stories to the press, their familiar names popping up again and again. Bessie called often, telling about the press invasion of Capeside. She found reporters going through her trash and trying to book rooms on the B&B.

But all Joey could think of was Dawson. She wanted to know what he felt. Audrey had spoken to him but refused to divulge any information, an agreement she had with herself not to play them off against each other.

Her phone rang, shaking her mind from its swirling thoughts. She checked the ID and recognised the number at once.

'Hey Bessie,' she tried to say as light-heartedly.

'Joey, Joey? It's Gail,'

Joey sat in stunned silence. She hadn't spoken to Gail since she had come to New York years ago to beg her to come to the wedding.

'Gail? How are you, I….it's lovely to hear from you,'

'You're probably wondering why I am calling from Bessie's?'

'Yeah, kinda,' Joey tucked a few wispy bits of hair behind her ears.

'My phone number had to be changed to anonymous and I'm guessing you aren't picking the phone up,'

'Yeah, it's been kinda hectic. I've had to change my number too,' Joey curled up on the sofa, tucking her legs up underneath her. She felt like a child again.

'How are you doing? It's been a nightmare here,'

'Same here. But Audrey's been looking out for me.' Joey didn't want to be having this conversation.

'Joey, I was calling because Bessie said you were finding it difficult with all the press attention. I saw Us, I don't know who would have known all that and sold it,'

'Well, I am infamous in Capeside. Most people knew about my old life,'

'Yeah, but all that stuff about your college life. Was it true?'

Joey sucked her breath in. 'Most of it, not the stuff about me and my professor.'

'I just don't know who would give them that information. I'm so sorry Joey,'

'Yeah well, it's okay,' Joey lied. The truth was she had cried all the previous night.

'Are you coming home any time soon?' Gail asked hopefully.

'Umm, I don't know Gail. Work is hectic and it's difficult for me to go anywhere with all the attention,'

'Oh okay. Well Bessie has my new number if you need to talk to me. You know you are welcome any time Joey, don't you?'

'I know. Thank you Gail,' Joey softly brushed her silent tears away from her face.

'Bye Joey,' the phone went dead.

Joey tossed her phone down on the sofa and stood up to gaze on her city.

Her city.

She laughed bitterly at the thought that this city was hers. It had all but shut her out over the last few days. It no longer provided her with the secrecy, the quiet that she craved.

Maybe she could go back.

She shook her head furiously.

Great idea Joey, go back to the place where everyone knows who you are and where you come from. Where the world's press is waiting for you.

Joey saw her phone buzz again, her heart jumping for the fiftieth time that day. It was a text message.

I miss you Joey. It's unbearable without you. Come home soon. Love Bessie.xxxxx

Maybe it was time…