Note: Thanks elwoodluver00034, superfan24, FL twin, for the nice feedback. And to answer a much dreaded question. As to if I would actually let Pacey die, well answering that would take suspense off the story so you'll just have to read and see.


Chapter 7

Joey was in her bed thinking what wonderful time she just had with Pacey. She heard the doorbell ring and wondered who would be at the door this time at night. She got out of bed and wrapped her bathrobe around her as she walked out of her room downstairs.

Bessie opened the door, "Doug what are you doing here?" Bessie asked then noticed his face.

"What happened?" Bessie asked him.

Douglas Witter looked at the concerned woman in front of him and then heard movement by the stairs and looked at Joey standing there frozen when she saw him.

He turned back to Bessie "I'm sorry Bessie, there was a break in at my apartment. Pacey…he tried to stop them and it looks like he got one of the burglars. But he must not have seen…" Doug stopped struggling to find words to continue but coming up empty, his baby brother was dead. Gone killed.

"He's ok though, isn't he?" Joey asked finally coming all the way down and walked up to Doug. Her mind was racing 'He has to be ok, if something happened to him I would have known. I would have known if something had happened. He can't be dead. He promised he wasn't going anywhere. He can't leave me. I can't go on without him, oh please God please don't let him be dead.'

"I'm sorry Joey" Doug's voice said "we found someone else besides the dead burglar who looks like he could be him with my gun in his hand. We can't be sure but who else could it be. There was a fire so his face was…there isn't much left to identify him." Doug said but Joey kept shaking her head "no, no. This isn't happening. He's alive. I know he's alive. I would have known…I would have felt…He's not dead! He promised!" she screamed and pushed passed Bessie and Doug running outside. She had to see, prove them wrong. She ran towards the truck and opened the door only to be stopped by Bessie.

"Joey, I know this must be hard but you can't escape from all of this. You're in no shape to drive." Her sisters voice said.

"It's not him, he's alive. I know he is." Joey told her sister "I have to prove them wrong, either you drive me or I'll drive myself there."

"Joey, I can't go. Alexander can't be left alone." Bessie replied. "And you can't go either, Pacey wouldn't want you to get hurt."

"I'll take her" Doug's voice said making the girls look around at him.

"Are you sure Doug?" Bessie asked him concerned.

"She needs to see it with her own eyes to accept it. I hate to be the one to do it but she needs someone to do it." Doug replied.

"Ok, but be careful." Bessie said to her sister as she went with Deputy Doug to his car.

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They didn't say anything the entire drive to Doug's apartment. Once Doug stopped the car nearby Joey could see the firemen and police officers walking around the apartment which where Pacey lived with his older brother.

She opened the car door and got out not saying anything but looking at where the man she loved might be killed in. "They took the bodies to the morgue at the hospital." Doug's voice said to her but she barely heard him.

She saw a familiar figure approaching and heard Doug continue "I didn't think it was wise for you to go there without a close friend. Since I saw Jen here earlier I hoped she'd still be here now."

Jen came closer, her face wet with tears she had cried when she found out one of her best friends was dead.

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About 2 hour earlier

"You want to take a break!" Jen yelled at her now ex-boyfriend Henry Parker as they were out on the docks taking a walk like Henry had suggested for them. At the time it had seem romantic but now, she was furious.

"Jen, please I just have to figure out some things. It's really confusing for me, all these other girls keep flirting with me and I just was to take a step back and figure things out." Henry said to her.

Jen glared at him "After a whole year of what some people might say of stalking me you want to break up with me?"

"Not break up, just take a break." Henry said to her.

"Oh, well that's such a relief, you know what Henry, let me make it easy for you. We're done." She said to him and turned around walking away.

"Jen" Henry called after her but she ignored him continuing to walk.

She wasn't sure why she came to Doug's place and not just home or to Jack, maybe because Jack's place was further away. On one side she wanted to be alone but she needed a friend on the other. As she reached the apartment smoke was blazing out of the windows and roof and flames could be seen behind them. "Oh God" Jen said as she forgot about her trouble with Henry and ran towards the small crowd of people outside yelling "Pacey! Pacey!" people looked at her but none were the dark-haired 17 year old whom was one of her closest friends.

As she tried to get through the barricade she was suddenly stopped by a muscled chest. "You can't go in there miss" the voice from the body said.

"I have to know if he's ok!" Jen said looking up at him and recognized the tired and tearstained face of "You're his brother right, Doug? Is he ok?" she asked her voice full with hope and desperation.

Doug looked at her, she was pretty, blond, a friend of Pacey's. Jen. "It looks like there were burglars when he got there. Pacey…he managed to shoot one of them with my gun but…we think that he's dead. We found a second body, bare recognizable but resembles Pacey and he had my gun in his hand." Doug heard himself tell the blonde although he didn't quite believe it himself. When he got the call about his apartment being on fire and a shot being heard fired inside his heart seemed to have stopped for a few beats before he could ask if there was anyone inside who got out alive. If his baby brother was alright. But he didn't get that satisfying answer that his annoying little brother was alright. So he had to drive to his apartment to find firemen putting out the fire. He found out about two bodies being found. He had found out one of the bodies had his gun in his hands. When he went to inspect the body he had felt tears run down but the shock prevented him from breaking down. He couldn't quite grasp the idea that the little brother who always teased him about his music collection and said he was a closet gay case was gone. Even with the overwhelming evidence saying nothing else. So he was numb, not breaking down but not dealing either. The blonde started to sob and he put his arms around her trying to comfort her.

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Now

Joey stood there unsure what to do until the other female stood right in from of her and they looked into each others eyes. Joey wasn't sure what happened next but the next thing she knew they were hugging each other tight Jen crying against her.

"It's alright Jen, It's going to be alright. It's not him they found. It's not him, I'd know if it were him. Someone set this up…" as if she spoke of the devil because she saw a blonde boy with a worried and slightly scared expression on his face looking around through the crowd.

"You" Joey said feeling her body stiffen at the sight of him.

Dawson heard Joey and ran up to her and Jen who was now looking confused before holding Joey trying to calm the shaking brunette down. "Joey, you don't know if he's behind this." Jen said to her. "He was his friend for over 10 years, you really think he'd set all this up? You really think he's capable of murder?" Jen asked her.

"I don't know." Joey said, "I didn't think he was capable of putting Pacey in the hospital either, let's go find out."

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Meanwhile in a cave the water stopped rising and Pacey had to try to swim with the heavy chains to keep his head above the water, there was a loophole in Dawson's plan. The water didn't reach the top of the cave at the point Pacey was being held prisoner. Still exhaustion, and no not salt water and food would eventually kill him nevertheless.


I know, short but my muse is being a pain. taking a break now, maybe write more tonight.

Sabs.