Scene: The set of Colby's Room. Colby and Sam are acting out the final scene from the season one finale where Joey and Dawson kiss in his room at the final scene.
Sam: I can't take it anymore, Colby. I don't want to wait for my life to be over. I want to know right now. What will it be?
Colby: You and me. Always.
Scene: Joey's apartment. The camera pulls off of the camera over to Joey who turns off the TV after seeing "Executive Producer – Dawson Leery"
Joey: That was perfect. Absolutely perfect.
The camera pans out, and we see Pacey sitting there next to her. She looks over and there is a tear in his eye.
Joey: Are those tears? Are you crying?
Pacey: Sighs He got me. He got me.
Joey: Laughs Let's call him.
Scene: Dawson's Office. Dawson is sitting at his desk looking over some paperwork, when his assistant walks in carrying a clip board. You can tell it is late and no one else is around.
Assistant: Sighs Well, I'm taking off. You should get out of here, too. You have a meeting first thing in the A.M.
Dawson: Got it.
Telephone rings
Dawson: No, no, no. Get out of here.
Assistant: Thanks.
Dawson answers the phone
Dawson: Yeah?
Pacey: Hey, it's us.
Joey: It was great! Fantastic! It was so sweet.
Pacey: You got Joey crying like a baby.
Joey: Laughs I can't wait till next season.
Dawson: You'll never guess who I'm meeting tomorrow.
Joey: Spielberg?
Pacey: Spielberg? Get out of town! Who made you a big Hollywood player, man?
Joey: Oh, my god! What are you going to say? What are you going to wear?
Dawson: I have no idea.
Dawson laughed lightly. "I have no idea," he said again.
He really didn't. Not in the moment anyway. He was tired. It had been a very good day but a part of him had been restless, waiting for the regular Wednesday night call from Joey. Her reaction to the season's finale of The Creek meant a good deal to him.
"What do you mean you have no idea?" Joey's voice came clear and incredulous over the line.
He smiled, imagining her deep brown eyes opening wide in disbelief. After all, the day when he would meet Spielberg had occupied a significant chunk of their movie-night discussions.
"Ah, I guess it hasn't really sunk in yet. I'm sure I'll be much more organised in the morning. "Actually," he casually continued, "I've been more worried about what you guys thought of the show." He had thrown in the phrase "you guys" as a courteous acknowledgement of her fledgling relationship with Pacey and the regular feedback that both gave on Wednesday nights. He was touched at Pacey's interest and obvious attempt to maintain their still fragile friendship. What did unsettle him was the thought of Pacey watching and commentating as his personal homage to his history with Joey unfolded. With some naivety Dawson still imagined at times that the show was for his and Joey's eyes only.
"Honestly Dawson, like we said, it was perfect. I can't believe the season has finished already. My Wednesdays are going to be so empty now." The warmth in Joey's voice was evident.
"How about the ending?"
The instant the words left his mouth Dawson regretted them. His mind cast back to his last face to face conversation with Joey where he had earnestly told her that in fiction it didn't matter who ended up with whom. But it did. He couldn't and didn't even want to try to articulate why, but it did.
Joey paused. Pacey had gotten up from the sofa and already had his head in the fridge. His absence from her side made her feel brave enough to give Dawson an answer - an honest one.
"The ending was the most perfect part."
She was a little surprised by his question and even more so by her response. What she did know, deep down, but refused to acknowledge to anyone except occasionally herself, was that The Creek wasn't as fictional as she and Dawson claimed.
She had watched too closely, for too long to miss the sub-text and situations that Dawson had set-up. He had altered the surface of the story considerably over the years but the heart of the show was real and true to their history. The only place it had deviated was tonight in the final episode with Sammy's choice. Joey didn't want to think about what that meant. Not now. Not with Dawson on the other end of her phone and Pacey in her apartment.
"Great."
Joey heard Dawson sigh softly. She heard too the relief in his voice and their mutual desire to change the subject.
"Well big shot, it's getting late here and it sounds as though you have a lot of work to do before tomorrow. I expect a call the instant your Spielberg meeting has finished."
"Actually, you think you could just keep me on the line while I listen in?" she added with her characteristic giggle.
Dawson laughed. She loved the sound. It was deep and warm. Like him.
"I'll see what I can do. I definitely promise to call tomorrow."
He paused.
"Is Pacey still around?"
"Yeah, he's just feeding his face." Joey covered the receiver with one hand.
"Pace! Dawson wants a word before he goes."
She was still a little taken aback with the renewed connection between Dawson and Pacey but she made sure that she never questioned either one about it. She was simply happy that it was there.
With careless ease, Pacey vaulted over the armrest of the sofa and took the receiver from Joey. He allowed himself a moment to chew the last of the hastily crammed in turkey sub before speaking.
"Hey man, everything ok?"
Pacey wondered what Dawson wanted to say. He was still a little disconcerted by The Creek finale and his emotional reaction to it. He had gotten caught up in the episode; the story was a powerful one and the ending perfect. Well, the ending was perfect if you regarded the story solely as a great piece of fiction. Now, in the harsh light of reality, he was trying to avoid dealing with the fact that tonight Sammy had chosen Colby when it had been obvious to him for weeks that Sammy was a pretty accurate Joey and Colby was hands down Dawson. Put those two pieces of information together and was the ending still perfect? Nah, not so much.
"Things couldn't be better. I just wanted to say thanks for your support with the show and everything. It means a lot having my two oldest friends out there."
Pacey grinned.
"Are you kidding? Purely selfish motives my friend. I just knew if I hung around long enough I could claim someone famous as my buddy. I always suspected it would be you."
And he had. For as long as he could remember Dawson was the golden child. To Pacey he was the one loved by all, the one who had it all. Dawson's dreams too had seemed the clearest, the highest and the most possible.
"Ah, there's nothing like friends to keep you humble." Dawson laughed. "I'll call tomorrow with an update."
"You better," Pacey jokingly warned. "Our C-grade celebrity status depends on it."
He winced slightly at his use of the word "our". Pacey generally made a concerted effort with Dawson not to allude to his and Joey's renewed couple status. He still marvelled at the casual ease with which Joey began the regular Wednesday night call to Dawson, "It's us." There was no reason for him to be sensitive of course. It was clear that he was the only one with an issue.
With a somewhat tight smile he hung up the phone.
Pacey had at times alternated between feelings of admiration and anger for his friend. These feelings had only intensified when he and Dawson were in love with the same woman. He admired the way Dawson managed to always be there for Joey and at the same time he was angry at the strength and intangibility of their bond. The bond that continued even when he, Pacey, got the girl. But Dawson wasn't in love with Joey. Not anymore, he reminded himself. He had no reason to feel threatened. So why after every Wednesday night talk with Dawson did he feel uneasy in his stomach? He had an idea that it wasn't just the hurriedly digested turkey sub.
