A/N: This is my version of what happens after the serie's finale. It's about Pacey and Joey because I love/adore them together, because they belong together and are perfect, and because I can. There will be more chapters to this story, and we'll see Dawson, Andie, Audrey, Jack and Amy. Jen will be mentionned and remembered. Please read and review. Reviews are so appreciated.

Disclamers: I don't own them. I play with them, however, and really do enjoy every single second of it. Let's note that the title for this story is from a quote by Lisa Hoffman. The lyrics used are from "Total Eclipse of the Heart". Again, not by me.

Thanks for reading ;)

Joey Potter was lying on her couch, looking at Pacey, content and thinking about everything he meant to her. She was happy, knowing that this was it.

Pacey noticed she had been staring at him. She had her feet on his lap, and he was glad they had finally gotten together. They were together. He had waken up that morning and had watched her sleep, something he never ever got tired of. It was one of those things he did that really made him realize just how much he loved her. She was everything to him. He turned from the tv and glanced at her.

"Sweetie? What are you looking at?"

"You... Audrey told me one day she had this little theory about me. She said I loved academics because of all the rules and hated relationships because of the lack of them."

"You hate our relationship?"

He turned to her completely, a worried look spreading across his face.

"No, silly." She smiled to reassure him. "But she was talking about you though. It was back when I first started at Worthington. I had seen you at the restaurant the night before and I was afraid to go and see you. I was afraid you wouldn't want to see me. I didn't know how to handle that. " She had a thoughtful look. "And she was right back then. We had ended in quite a messy way and I was worried we would never have any kind of normal relationship ever again. Anyways. I'm happy, Pace. This is the first relationship ever that I'm not afraid of, that I know how to handle. And that's the greatest feeling."

His worried look was replaced by a broad smile. He moved over her, lying inches above her. He moved his lips closer to hers, stared into her big brown eyes and whispered:

"I think I'm in love with you."

She smiled.

"You think or you know?"

"I know".

He kissed her then, the manuscript she had been reading soon ended on the living room floor and the tv Pacey had been watching was blasting but they didn't care. Their kiss deepened and, at that moment, there was nothing else but them and the love that was finally theirs, finally free.

Pacey slowly slipped out of bed, trying not to wake Joey up. It was only 5:30 am, but he had to leave very early for Capeside. He had things to see at the restaurant. Doug had been holding the fort for him during the week he had spent in New York with Joey but he just had to eventually go back. He glanced at a sleeping Joey. She was so beautiful. He could feel the butterflies in his stomach and almost see the sparks. He headed for the shower.

Joey woke up with an empty feeling. She moved her arm to find an empty spot beside her. She got worried for a second, thinking she might have dreamed this last week. Then, she heard the shower running. Relief washed over her. She moved to the other side of the bed, where Pacey's pillow was still warm and smelt like him. A smile crossed her lips. She looked at the clock: 5:35 am. The sleeping fog left her slowly and she remembered that Pacey was leaving that morning. They had to find some kind of a solution. He had spent a week with her, she had been to Capeside for the two previous weekends, but there was no way they could keep on doing the long distance thing. She needed him to wake up with every morning.

He came out of the bathroom, interupting her thoughts. He had only a towel around his waist and she was wishing they could spend the morning in bed.

" 'Morning beautiful. Slept well?"

" Hmm. Yes, exept 'til a few minutes ago when you left."

She smiled at him. He sat on the side of the bed and she sat up to kiss him.

"I have to leave in like 10 minutes", he told her, breaking the kiss.

"I know." She smiled, sadly. He stared at her for a few seconds, sharing her sad looks. They had not really discussed the fact that they lived in two different places. They had just avoided that subject, glancing around and over it a few times but quickly changing the topic, both afraid that it would just ruin the mood and bring about questions that would be hard to answer. He had the restaurant. He owned it. It's not like he could just find another restaurant to own in New York. She had her job. She loved her job, he knew that. There were no edition house in Capeside. He sighed, gave her a quick kiss, and got off the bed.

"Are you coming to Capeside this weekend?" Pacey asked lightly, while putting a t-shirt on. She fell back into bad, watching him. He had this perfect body. How did she managed to stay away from him for so long? Just looking at him, images of previous nights came rushing into her head and she felt herself blushing. She cleared her throat, trying to focus on what he was actually asking her.

"Yes. I should be getting there on Friday night. I'll leave right after work."

"Perfect." He picked up his bag, bent down to kiss her. "I'm going to miss you Potter".

"Me too." She kissed him back.

He whispered a good bye and walked out.

Before she could feel them, tears were rolling down her cheeks. It made no sense. There was no way she could tolerate that situation much longer. Her heart had had enough. She rolled back on her pillow and closed her eyes.

Joey had been staring at the same page for about 15 minutes when Janie, her boss, walked by her desk.

"Everything all right there?" she asked her.

"Hmm. Yeah. Sorry, I'm just spacing out".

Joey offered a look of apology. Janie looked concerned. She was in fact more than her boss. She was her friend, one of the only friend she really had in New York.

"I think I'm just going to quit this job". She had been thinking about that all morning and had just spoken her thoughts out loud.

"What on earth are you talking about? Joey, you rock at this job. What happened?"

Joey looked up. "I'm afraid that whatever you say at this point won't make much of a difference. No offence, but I'm just not happy here without him. It took me so long, too long to realize that I belong with Pacey. I'm not just going to just turn my back on that realization now. " She was talking to herself, realizing that she had just spent three weeks away from Pacey when the solution was so simple. It had always been simple. She just had this history of making things more complicated than they should be.

"Pacey? Hmm.. Isn't that the name of the guy you went out with in high school? The one on your prom picture?" Janie asked her, trying to make sense of what Joey was saying.

"Yes, that would be Pacey".

"So that's also the guy you sailed away with during that summer you told me about? The best time of your life?"

Joey nodded, smiling, remembering.

"Oh my God! Are you guys back together?" She had not had time to tell Janie about everything that had happened, because Janie had just gotten back from a conference in London three days before, and Joey had been busy rushing home to see Pacey after work every day.

"Yes. We have been for three weeks now. A lot happened while you were away. Didn't have time to tell you about it..."

"He lives in Capeside?"

"Yes. He owns a restaurant there."

Janie pauses, staring at Joey.

"Joey... you're an awesome writer, if you can't edit in Capdeside, I'm sure you can write something somewhere. Or you can get that book started. I've told you million times that I would edit it in a heartbeat, not matter what it's about." She looks at her. "What are you doing here?".

Joey looks up at her.

"I have no idea".

"Well... get your purse, get in your car and just GO. Now. I'll explain to the big boss."

Joey's face was at that point illuminated by a big bright smile.

"Thanks Janie."

And she walked out the door.

Joey got home, packed her clothes and threw them in her trunk. She hopped in the car and drove to Capeside without a stop, smiling the whole time. She listened to the radio, singing out long, the windows down. Everything was falling into place, everything felt so right for once.

She drove straight to the restaurant. When she got there, she didn't see Pacey around put spot Corey cleaning out tables.

She grabbed a piece of paper off the bar, got the pen in her purse and wrote a few lines down, from the song she had just been listening in the car:

And I need you now tonight
And I need you more than ever
And if you'll only hold me tight
We'll be holding on forever
And we'll only be making it right
Cause we'll never be wrong together
We can take it to the end of the line
I really need you tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight

She fold the paper in half and approached Corey.

"Hi Corey".

"Hi, Ms Potter!"

"It's Joey. Please. Hmm.. Is Pacey here?"

"Yes. He just went in his office."

"Ok. Can you please bring this to him. Don't tell him who it's from and make sure he reads it. Okay?"

Corey nodded and disapeared into Pacey's office. Joey stood at the bar, waiting. It took about three minutes for Pacey to come out, smiling and running toward her. He swept her off her feet into a huge hug before kissing her.

He whispered into her ear: "What does that mean, Potter?"

He put her down, still smiling. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"It means that I realize that I don't belong in New York."

"But your job and..."

"Pacey." She interrupted him, smiling and looking him in the eyes. There was so much love there. "Pacey, you're here. That's really all that matters".

He smiled and kissed her.

"I love you, Potter"