a/n: I adore the reviewers. You guys rock. I'm making this chapter the end of my story. Thanks for reading...

Chapter 9 – One Perfect Match

Pacey looked around the table, glad to be there. He took Joey's hand in his and kissed it. Jack was smiling at them.

"Well, Jack. This little party was a good idea. I have to say that I'm having a great time. Thanks man." Pacey smiled at him.

"It's no big deal. We're, after all, in your restaurant eating your food, which I have no intentions of paying for. So really, the thanks go to you." He laughed. "What time are you guys leaving tomorrow?"

Joey looked at Pacey, shrugging. "I don't know. Early. Right, Pace?"

"Yeah… probably around 8 or something. Everything is already packed on the boat."

Doug turned to Pacey. "What does the itinerary look like, little brother?"

Pacey looked at Joey. "Well. We want to stop in New York for a few days, but we'll most likely be doing that on our way back, as a last stop kind of thing. We're thinking we'll go all the way down to the northern part of Florida before coming back and stopping here and there on the way. Not sure."

"We'll keep you guys updated. Ill send emails everytime we stop." Joey told him.

Doug looked at her. "That's a good idea."

"Bessie made me promised, or more like swear on my life that I would." She rolled her eyes.

Bessie raised her head at that. "Joey. You have no idea the panick and worries you put me through the last time you sailed away like that. You didn't even tell me you were leaving. I couldn't sleep for the first few nights. It is not going to happen this time. I will know exactly where you guys are every single day. And Pacey… you make sure she sends those emails. Or I will kick you butt." She was pointing a finger at him. He chuckled and raised his hands in surrender.

"No worries Bess. We'll call, we'll email and you will be able to sleep." He smiled one of his cocky Witter charm grin and Bessie's eyes narrowed, her finger still pointed at him. "I'm serious, Pacey! Don't think you'll win me over with one of your little grin, trying to be all charming. I'm not Joey, falling for everything you do or say."

"Hey!" Joey turned to her, protesting for good mesure, a small blush creeping up her cheeks, knowing the truth in what her sister had just said. Pacey laughed and threw his arm around Joey's shoulder, bringing her closer to him and kissing her temple. He kept her close to him and whispered in her ear. "Who are you kidding Jo? I am irrestitable. Especially to you."

She rolled her eyes. "You bug me".

He laughed. "You love me."

She turned to him, locking her eyes with his. "Yeah… that too." He kissed her forehead and she closed her eyes for a second, enjoying the moment.

"Ok, ok. So I want to propose a toast." Jack raised his glass, smiling while looking at the group around the table. "There are things in life that are just too hard, difficult and confusing to deal with alone. Like… growing up, growing apart, and… well, death". His voice cracked at the last part. He took a deep breath. Everyone's eyes were on him, no one was saying a word, giving him time. "I want to thank you all, and especially you two" he pointed to Joey and Pacey "for the support and the long lasting friendship. I don't know what we'd do without you." He smiled at them. "I hope you'll have a great time. Be safe. But also remember that you have someone very special…" he looked up, tears swelling up in his eyes "… watching over you." Joey had tears running down her face by then. Pacey placed a hand on her chin, bringing her face to toward him. He smiled sadly and wiped her tears with his thumbs before placing a kiss on her cheek. Jack smiled at them. He looked around the table at each and everyone. Lily and Alex were missing from their seats and they could be seen running on the boardwalk outside. Gail and Tom, her new husband, were seating at one end of the table, while Bessie and Bodie were seating at the other. Doug had Amy on his lap and the little girl was sleeping against his chest. Jack put a hand on her head, caressing her hair lightly before turning back to the group. He raised his glass: "To love and friendship. And to life. Toast!" They all raised their glasses with him, a happy smile tinted, despite themselves, with a hint of sadness on everyone's face.

Xxxx

Pacey stopped the car in front of their apartment and went to the othe side to open the door for Joey. She smiled as she watched him walk around to her. He had always done that and she loved it, finding his little gesture incredibly romantic and caring. She got out and grabbed his hand, bring his arm around her shoulder in their very own and unique Pacey/Joey move. She put her head on his shoulder as they walked to the door. "Tired?"

She looked up at him with a small playful smile on her face. "Well… I'm not that tired."

They got in and he swirled her around, bringing her in front of him. He grabbed her waist and pulled her to him, bringing his head down to kiss her mouth. She raised her arms and brought them around his neck. Pacey captured her bottom lip between his, lightly sucking on it and Joey moaned against his mouth. He broke the kiss and looked at her. Her eyes were dark. She wanted him. It was way darker than usual, a color only he knew now. That thought sent shivers down his spine. He brought one hand up, bringing a strand of hair behind her ear. She smiled softly before kissing him again, bringing her hands down his back until she reached the rim of his shirt. She slid her hands underneath, bringing them around and resting them on his stomach. Pacey's breath caught in his thoat at the touch and he brought his hands down to pick her up, wrapping her legs around his waist. He turned around and back her up against the wall. They broke the kiss again, both gasping for air. Joey's cheeks were flushed, her dark eyes sparkling. He looked at her and felt they were way overdressed. He brought the strap of her tank top down, kissing her shoulder, feeling her shiver. He smiled against her skin and pulled her tank top over her head, leaving her in nothing but a pair of short and her pink, laced bra. She rested her head against the wall for a second, trying to catch her breath as Pacey placed kisses from her neck down to the top of her breasts. She wanted to move things along, he was taking his time, exploring her, but she felt that they had done enough exploration of each other before tonight. Tonight, she just wanted him, now. She had been thinking about it all night. She brought his head up and kissed him, sliding down until her feet were on the ground. She tugged at the rim of his shirt and a second later, was letting it fall to the floor.

She backed him up toward their bedroom, never breaking the kiss. Pacey's eyebrow went up and he pulled back a second, smiling at her. He picked her up again and walked to the bed, letting her fall back on it. Her hair sprawled around her face and he stopped breathing for a moment, the sight of her was just… perfect. She was exactly what he wanted. He moved on top of her, resting his forearms on each side of her head, trying not to crush her with his weight. He looked at her, wiping some hair off her forehead. She smiled. "You.." he kissed her "…are…" he kissed her again "…beautiful. I can't get enough of you." She brought his face down to her, kissing his lips. Her hands went down to his waist and she got to his belt, unbuckling it. She tugged at his zipper and managed to undo his pants, squirming under, trying to take his pants off. He smiled against her lips and broke the kiss for a second, removing the pants himself. He moved over her again, this time stopping on top of her stomach, placing soft kisses over it, which drove Joey wild everytime and he knew it. She threw her head back, closing her eyes. She felt him smile against her. He moved up, his hands circled her and he unclasped her bra, letting it fall to the floor. He cupped her breasts and heard her sharp intake of breath. He rolled her nipples between his thumb and forefinger, before taking one in his mouth. She placed her arm over her eyes, trying to control her breathing. He moved his mouth to the other breast and took her other hand in his, lacing their fingers together.

She opened her eyes and pulled him to her, knocking his elbows off the bed and bringing him flushed against her. The skin to skin touch is what she had wanted. She put both hands on each side of his face and brought his mouth down to hers, kissing him and sliding her tongue in his mouth again, exploring it. She could feel just how much he wanted her against her thigh, and she needed to get rid off all the clothes between them. She broke the kiss for a short second, gasped for air and whipered, "Pace… clothes… please". She kissed him again, circling his neck and holding him close to her. His hand moved in between them and he slid her skirt off, bringing his hand back between her legs. He moved his fingers against her panties, feeling the wetness of the material. He was himself harder than he'd ever been and knew he wouldn't hold much longer. He just couldn't.

He deepened the kiss and hooked his thumbs on each side of her underwear, pulling them over her hips and down her legs. She kicked them off and they fell on the floor, on top of Pacey's discarded pants. She needed him. Her heart was beating fast against his chest and she moved her hands down his back until she reached the top of his boxers. She slid them off and he sat up to remove them completely, looking down at her. "Pace…" Her voice was deep, and had an urgency to it, matching the one he felt. He smiled and moved back on top of her. She wrapped her legs around him, bringing him. He kissed her, moaning in her mouth. She slid her hand in between them, guiding him inside of her, finally where she had wanted him all night. He moved his head back a little, looking at her as he moved in and out of her. She closed her eyes to focus on how he made her feel and on the pleasure she felt was coming.

He wiped her hair off her forehead again. "Jo… look at me." He was whispering. She opened her eyes and he slid his hand in between them again, his fingers sliding on each side of her clit slowly. He repeated the movement and this time, added his thumb to add pressure on it, in a way he knew would send her over the edge. She locked eyes with his and was chewing on her bottom lip, trying to keep from screaming. "Just… let go, Jo." He moved in and out of her, faster now, just as close as she was. She took a deep breath, and brought his mouth down to hers and they both came together.

He stopped moving after a while, resting his head in the crook of her neck. They were both trying to catch their breath and Joey brought her arms around his back, holding him to her, kissing his shoulder lightly. She wrapped her legs around his waist tighter, keeping him inside of her for an instant longer, wanting this moment to last. She felt Pacey's heart beating against her chest, matching the rhythm of her own. She had never in her life felt as close to someone as she did to Pacey. They were one perfect match.

Xxxx

They sailed for a little more than three weeks, stopping here and there for a few hours only. They spent every night on the boat and although they loved being alone together, they couldn't wait to actually reach Florida where they were planning on stopping for a few days. Being on firm ground for a while would be a great change of pace. Pacey had told her he had organized everything as far as living arrangement and activities went for those few days and Joey wondered why he was being so secretive.

She was sitting on the bed, reading over the few emails they had received over the past weeks and that she had printed out when they had last stopped, three days ago.

Jack had written that after weeks and weeks of trying, him and Doug had finally convinced Grams to move back to Capeside and in with them. She could be close to Amy and wouldn't have to live by herself in that big house in Boston, which had been a big concern for all of them.

"… We're very happy that she decided to come live with us. We have her room ready and she's moving in tomorrow. It's a big relief to know that she won't be alone anymore.

Anyway. We miss you guys. Be safe out there and take lots of pictures. We're reading your emails to Amy every night. She calls you both "ey" because she's having trouble with the beginning of your names, I guess. It's hilarious.

Lots of love,

Our little family,

Jack, Doug, Grams and Amy

-xxxx-"

Lily also wrote them daily emails, telling them know what was going on in Capeside and those emails were Joey's favourite. They were cute and funny and made them both smile everytime.

"… And just so you know, Joey, Alex and I are taking really good care of your ladder. I've moved into Dawson's old bedroom for real now and Alex is forbidden ('forbidden' means 'not allowed to', in case you didn't know) from using the door. Ever. It's a rule and it's to respect tradition. Dawson says traditions are really important.

Alex just got here. He says hi. He doesn't like to write, so this email will be from the both of us.

We're going swimming now, so I've gotta go.

Bye!

Lily and also Alexander "

Despite the fact that he was unbelievably busy, Dawson also wrote regular emails. He was working non stop on the new season of 'The Creek'. The network had launched a big publicity campaign and he felt the pressure of it all. In his true Dawson fashion, he was overanalyzing the past and what it meant for the future. He had this whole new outlook on life since Jen's death and Joey just knew that whatever he wrote would bring her to tears at the memories it would bring back.

Xxx

Pacey stopped the boat at the docks. Joey had been sleeping below for the past three hours, which was actually helping him with his surprise plan.

Joey woke up when the boat stopped moving. She glanced at her watch. 11pm. Wow. She hadn't known she was that tired and would actually fall asleep. Everything was dark and she felt no movement. She didn't think they had planned on stopping tonight. She was about to get up when the door opened and Pacey apeared.

He looked at her and smiled. "So you're finally awake?"

She rubbed her eyes and sat up. "Yeah. Where are we?" He sat next to her on the bed and gave her a kiss on her forehead. "Why don't you follow me?"

She frowned. "Ok..."

He took her hand and led her on the deck.

They were on a small island, in what seemed to her like the middle of nowhere. There were no other boats and all she could see were palm trees, a white sandy beach and the water.

She looked around and gasped. "Pacey… this is just…" She was speechless.

"Exactly what you had imagined?" He had a small content smile on his face.

She was stunned. "Euh… Yes. How… how did you know?"

He frowned. "Jo, you told me. When we got stuck in that K-Mart. You said that you had this 'dream' that we'd be cast away somewhere. I mean… we are not castaways right now, but here's your somewhat standard, although not so tropical, island. It's got white sand beaches and…" he pointed to the thousands of big stars above them "…giants stars overhead. We can splash in the water all day tomorrow. And tonight, the moon is this full giant thing. We can even wear no clothes if you want to make this even closer to the dream." She rolled her eyes and he chuckled.

"How did you find this?" She couldn't believe he had found this place. And it was exactly what she had imagined. How did he know? She had told him about it in the space of thirty seconds six years ago. And he remembered and understood exactly what she meant and how she had imagined it.

"Hum. No big deal, really. Called a few places, asked around. Looked at pictures. And then I found it and I thought it might do the trick." He grinned at her.

"Do the 'trick'? Pacey, this is perfect. I mean, this is it." She looked around, thrilled. "Are you planning on catching fishes with your bare hands?"

He shot right back: "If you plan on making a fire without matches". She laughed.

He sat on the beach, looking at the stars that came down to meet the horizon line. She sat next to him and he put his arm around her shoulders. He loved looking at the star. Even more so when she was with him. They remained silence for a few minutes. "We work, Pace."

He brought his eyes back on her. "What?"

"You and me. I don't know why I spent so many years denying it, saying that there was a thousand reasons why you and I would never work. Because it is so obvious to me now that we do work." She turned her head to look at him, all smiles gone from her face.

He loved her so much. "I know. Glad you just realized that, Potter." He was half joking. She was getting all serious on him.

"No, Pace. I'm serious. I really, really love you. And even that word doesn't seem strong enough to describe how I feel about you. I just…" Her eyes were filling with tears, all of a sudden. It startled them both.

Pacey frowned. She looked all scared. He moved to lay down on his back, wrapping his arms around her and bringing her on top of him. He looked at her, but she was avoiding his eyes and trying to stop the tears. "Jo, look at me." She slowly moved her eyes up to meet his. "I love you. I really love you."

She wiped the tears off her face. "I know that…"

"Then what is it?"

"I'm just... this is stupid. I don't even know why I just started crying like that."

He looked at her, waiting, giving her time. He knew how to do that.

"Pace… this is so good, what we have. I'm just so scared that something is going to happen and we won't have it anymore and then I'm going to just… die inside. I can't live without you. Not after knowing how great we can be."

"Jo… First of all I'm not going anywhere. And, for the record, I'm petrified at the thought of losing you, or what we have. Believe me. I don't think I could get over you a third time."

She nodded. He looked at her before adding: "So can we just…" he smiled a little "… be scared together?"

She smiled back at his good use of the memory. "Yeah, we can do that." She sighed and laid her head on his chest, more calm now.

Xxx

a/n: This is the end, folks. It has been a pleasure writing this story and having you guys read and review it. I was at first going to add more chapters, but have decided to leave it at that… with the happy ending. Thanks for reading !