2.

Joey's heart beat through her chest, so violently that she was certain that everyone could see it. She hadn't seen him since they were kids, the man she was certain she would have her life with.

He was everything she knew he would become. Physically, his presence excited her but the concept that they could become friends again scared her beyond all recognition.

His head swung around and his gaze met hers.

His blue piercing eyes burned through hers and the rest of the world seemed to disappear. A small smile crept across his face and he nodded towards her.

'Joey…Joey,' Jack said, tugging her arm.

Her daydream broken, she turned to Jack. He was pointing towards the stage, where an impatient Mike was waiting for everyone's full attention.

'Please be sure to search both of these new staff members out and make them welcome. Well, that's all. Classes start tomorrow at 9.00am sharp, those with hall room duties 8.30, so I hope everyone has a wonderful year.' He finished his speech and stood down from the podium, the assembled crowd applauding lightly. The hall started to empty, groups of teachers whispering to themselves as they left.

Joey took to her feet, ready to give Jack a stern lecture on not sharing information when she was interrupted by Mitch calling from across the hall.

'Joey? Jack. Come here for a second,' Mitch beckoned.

'You could have told me, warned me!' Joey hissed, as Jack took her hand and led her towards Mitch and Dawson.

'I didn't think I needed to, what with you not being a 15 year old girl madly in love with her best friend anymore.' He said, smiling over his shoulder to her.

'That's what you think Jack.' She thought to herself.

Suddenly, Joey went from self assured young woman to the shy 15 year old she had felt like most of her life. It was almost like she had walked into a time warp. There was not denying that he had grown into a handsome man. His build had changed, muscles where baby fat had been.

'Jack, long time no see!' Mitch said, grabbing his hand and shaking it firmly.

'Mitch, great to see you. How was the summer?'

'You know, family keeps you busy. Joey! I haven't seen you in years. Come here,' he held her arms out and Joey sunk into his arms.

'Hi Mr Leery,' she said as she pulled away, trying to ignore the intense stare she was receiving from Dawson as he greeted Jack.

'Please Joey, its Mitch now. We are colleagues.'

An uncomfortable silence rested heavily on top of the conversation, Joey desperately not looking at Dawson while he fidgeted.

'Ummm, I better get back to setting the department up. Basketballs don't inflate themselves. Could I possibly borrow the skills of my ex star player?' Mitch said, winking at his co-conspirator.

'At once Coach. I'll see you two later, maybe for a drink?'

Joey and Dawson both nodded, watching as the only buffer to the inevitable conversation they were going to have left the room.

Silence. Neither of them able to say anything, neither of them sure what to say.

'Long time no see huh?' Joey started playfully, looking up and seeing the boy she used to know smiling at her.

'Yeah…,'

They both looked at each other, the awful silence returning.

'This is ridiculous, come here' Dawson held his arms open for a hug.

Joey smiled her croaked smile and moved forward, resting her chin on his shoulder. She closed her eyes tightly and wrapped her arms around his body. He felt different, really different. Not in a bad way though, just different. He squeezed her lightly and pulled away.

'Still feels weird huh?' Dawson said, seeing how uncomfortable Joey seemed to be.

'Just slightly, yeah.' Joey could feel herself turning red.

'It feels like a lifetime since I've seen you,'

'It has been. 10 years since I went to Paris…' Joey stopped in her tracks. The one thing that has always rested on her mind was how he felt about her leaving. She assumed that because he never tried to contact her, he had removed her from his life.

Like she had with him.

'How was that by the way?' Dawson fidgeted slightly.

'Honestly? Dreadful, the worst thing I've ever done in my life.'

'Oh…not the answer I was expecting. I hope London was better,' He seem to soften at his change of subject.

'London was amazing. I loved it.'

'New York wasn't half bad either. I can't believe I was there for so long before I realised Jack was there…'

'How is that possible?…' Joey began.

'Hmm, sorry to interrupt but we need to clean the hall before tomorrow.' The janitor interrupted, pointing to the cleaning team waiting patiently on the other side of the room.

'Sure sorry.' Dawson said, guiding Joey gently towards the door. She felt his rough hands on her arm and couldn't deny the shivers it had sent down her spine.

The two walked slowly, side by side out of the room.

'Are you done for the day?' Dawson said as they approached the exit.

'Yeah, just about. What you have in mind?'

'Catch up? We could go for a walk, see what the town had turned into?'

'Yeah, sounds good.' Joey smiled, as the old feelings began to resurface.

'Fight them Joey, fight them,' she told herself

'And so that's how I ended up in London.' Joey took a sip of her coffee. They had spent an uncomfortable 20 minutes walking down Main Street, looking at shops that hadn't changed since they were kids until Dawson suggested a coffee. Once settled Joey recounted all the events that had led her back to Capeside.

'Wow. There's a plot even I couldn't write. Do you miss it?'

'It was the first place I felt I truly belonged so yeah, I do miss it. And I miss Audrey, as crazy as she is. But I am here now.' She took another sip of her coffee. 'So what about you? Why are you back?'

'Well I stayed in Capeside until the week before you got back from Paris. Mum got offered a job and we had to move to Philly, the settlement in the divorce meant I couldn't stay with Dad. However he kept visiting more and more and on the day I graduated High School they told me they were back together, mostly 'cause of Lily,'

'Lily?'

'My little sister. They had a wild night of passion together and she was the result. Dad had to quit his job here and race to Philly to care for her during the pregnancy. Here…'

'Wow, she's cute.' Joey smiled, looking at the little girl hoisted up on Dawson's shoulders. They both had the same smile.

'She's named after your mom. Dad and Mom said they wouldn't have it any other way,'

'Wow…that's really…wow. So what then, what after high school?'

'I got accepted to NYU on a film director's degree, living with some friends in a tiny apartment. I stupidly didn't think that Jen might have come home or that Jack had come with her, so I never looked for them, so I was pretty lonely. And then I met Susan,'

'She your girlfriend?' Joey felt her pulse racing at the thought.

'My wife, she was my wife.'

Joey's heart dropped.

'You got married?'

'Bit of a shock huh? We got married just after I graduated college. I got a job working with an advertising agency in New York, being an in house director for commercials. Not exactly what I wanted to do but I figured that it would be a first step. Happiest days of my life.' Dawson looked away, avoiding Joey's persistence gaze.

'Do you mind telling me what happened?' Joey prodded.

'Breast cancer. She refused treatment.'

Joey saw the pain in his face, heard it in his voice. She knew what that disease did the people, did to families.

'I'm so sorry Dawson, why did she refuse treatment, if you don't mind me asking?'

'She was pregnant and didn't want to harm the baby. 5 days after she had given birth, she slipped away.'

'You have a…'

'…a girl, a little girl.' Dawson pulled out his wallet again and picked out a picture from his wallet. A little girl with brown eyes and a shock of blond hair starred back at her. 'She's called Mackenzie,'

'Dawson…I don't know what to say…I'm so sorry,'

'That's why I came home. Dad wanted to move the family back to Capeside permanently, take his job back and keep a closer eye on the restaurant. I couldn't cope with being alone in our apartment and I was making no money with the advertising agency with all the time I was taking off to care for Mackenzie. Dad got Jack to come and see me and he said that they were looking for a media teacher. So I thought why not?'

'But wait, didn't Mike say you were part of the same Ed course as me?'

'That was Dad's bright idea. I didn't want everyone being all 'poor Dawson, couldn't make it as a film director'. So he said that because Capeside was one of the schools that were part of the program we could just add me into it, Mike agreed and so we lied. The truth is, this is my first time teaching too. I took an intensive top up course during the summer but I have no clue what I am doing,'

'That makes two of us. So does your mom look after the baby?'

'Most of the time. The rest of it she is in daycare. It's just nice having some company. She beautiful and I love her more than anything in the world, but you can't have a stimulating conversation with an 8 month old baby. I know it can't last forever and that, eventually, I need to move out on my own but…I like having someone to talk to when I get home…it's what I miss the most,' Dawson's eyes misted over slightly.

Joey hesitated, unsure what to do or say. But then she saw a tear roll down his face and her instincts cut in,

'Hey, you need to talk, I can do that for you,' she reached across the table and grabbed his hand. 'Don't get me wrong, I'm too old to climb through that window and sit around talking in unpronounceable 5 syllable words but if you call me, I'll come over. Deal?' she said earnestly, reaching up and brushing away the tear on his cheek.

'Deal. You could give the window a go though, maybe for old time's sake?' he laughed, looking at her with one eyebrow raised.

She laughed, smiling widely. 'Maybe if you ask me very nicely.'

'Then it's a deal.' He gripped her hand and looked her in the eyes. 'Thanks Joey, I'm so glad you're here,'

She closed her hands around his and smiled back. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad after all.