Note: thanks for the nice feedback, superfan24, i-hate-beeky, xxoJenxoo, PaceyandJoey4EverandAlways, elwoodluver00034, RTds9, I just saw the 4400 Season 2 eps, 11 and 12. I so love them, I mean the second season halfway went a little downhill so to say but they totally made up for it in the end of the season, can't wait till ep 13 is downloaded. I'm so riled up right now I have to write…so enjoy.

Note2: I might do that sequel later but right now I want to continue this story a while. and the AU I started. You should probably know if you're a 4400 watcher that I'm not gonna follow everything exactly like the show when it comes to Shawn. Sure there will be some things he does the same but some things he won't do the same.

Note3: And about Shawn, those who watch the 4400 know that Shawn has the ability to manipulate life force. Meaning he can take life with his hands or heal people. As for Jen, Pacey and Joey, I have an idea in mind for Pacey and Jen, but I still need to brainstorm some more on Joey's.

Chapter 6 – A friendly welcome

"How do you think they are?" Jack asked Dawson and Doug.

"Truthfully, I think they're scared." Dawson said, then from the looks he got from the two he explained "They got robbed of 3 years of their lives and then suddenly are on TV with 4397 strangers around them. They were in quarantine for 6 weeks. I know Joey and she must be freaking out, I'm just glad Jen and Pacey were there to take care of her. Although I hope Pacey and Joey didn't kill each other."

"Pacey, hurt Joey?" Doug laughed at the thought, he and Jen were the only ones who figured out that Pacey was in love with Joey. Well he didn't know if Joey felt the same way he did know they had gotten close. He had only told 1 person about this, Jack. And only because he didn't want to carry the secret around anymore. Truth was Doug liked Jack but he valued their friendship and didn't know if Jack felt the same way about him. So he didn't say anything about his feelings…but he had a feeling Gretchen knew.

"Yeah Dawson, you might not remember but Pacey and Joey got real close before they were…taken." Jack added.

Dawson smiled "I remember Jack, I was only joking. But you have to admit they argue a lot."

"They do, I'm not denying they don't argue. But…" Jack started but stopped realizing he couldn't tell Dawson that. Dawson seemed to have moved on from Joey, but who could be sure? Yes Jack knew that Dawson was happy with Kristina or Kristy as she preferred to be called but having a girl who you loved for so long suddenly back into your life could seriously shake that newfound relationship. They were waiting for him to continue but when the door opened and three familiar teenagers came out followed by friends and family he forgot, as did Doug and Dawson apparently when they saw what he was looking at. "Jen!" Jack yelled his face showing a huge smile on it as he ran over to the three and picked Jennifer Lindley off the ground in his arms spinning her around happily before putting her back down.

Jen squealed when Jack suddenly pulled her tightly into his strong arms and spun her around. "Jack, God I missed you" Jen said hugging the man who was like a brother to her tight to her.

"You missed me, God Jen it's only been 6 weeks for you, it's been a little over 3 years for me." Jack said to her.

"A very difficult 6 weeks" Jen pointed out, "but it must have been even more difficult when me, Joey and Pacey disappeared."

Only now did it register to Jack that Pacey was standing on Jen's left side. "I can't say how good it is to see all of you" he said.

"Well thanks for noticing Jen isn't the only returnee, Jackers" Pacey said smirking "me and Jo missed you too. 6 weeks in quarantine with only two woman, an little girl and well there was Shawn but he's not you, or Dawson for that matter."

"Come here Pace, you know I missed you and Joey as well." Jack said smiling as he pulled Pacey into a hug.

Pacey smiled and hugged his friend back, he then noticed the close hug Dawson and Joey seemed to be in and he felt his body tense slightly.

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Meanwhile Joey stepped up to Dawson and Doug.

"Dawson?" she asked carefully then screamed in surprise when he pulled her into a hug tightly to him and she felt hot tears fall unto her back.

Joey gently hugged him back "shh, it's ok. We're all right" she tried to calm him down.

"I didn't think I was ever going to see you again" Dawson said through his tears. "I was so scared when all of you disappeared."

"It's ok Dawson, we're back. And we're ok." Joey told him rubbing her hand over his back.

Dawson pulled back slightly and pulled a hand up placing it against her cheek as he looked into her eyes with regret, love and a bit of desperation "I'm sorry I let us drift so far apart Joey. Maybe if I hadn't you wouldn't have been…" he started.

Joey felt her body freeze up as he looked at her like that, he was so close to her…too close. 'I hope he won't try to kiss me or something because I need him to have moved on so I can be with Pacey…but If Dawson is still in love with me do I really still wand Pacey. I mean more then three years have passed and his feelings for me haven't changed…the feelings Pacey and I have for each other might. God I don't know what to do. She caught Pacey's reflection from the cars window and noticed he was looking at them. Why does it have to be this hard?' Joey thought to herself.

"Joey?" Dawson asked her and Joey looked from the reflection of Pacey watching her back to Dawson's questionable eyes. "What is it?" Dawson asked her feeling weird because he wasn't able to read her eyes like he used to when they were 15.

She plastered a smile on her face "just can't believe we actually get to go home." She lied.

Dawson smiled "I can't believe you're coming home too." He told her.

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Jack felt his friend tense and pulled back and saw him looking at something, he then saw Dawson and Joey. "He's got girlfriend you know" he said to Pacey, then added at Pacey's fake confused look "Dawson, he's been going steady with Kristy for about 2 months now."

Pacey smiled hesitantly "That's good, good for him. Jen did you tell…" Pacey asked Jen without saying.

"I didn't tell him, but I told you it was getting obvious." Jen said to Pacey.

"I told him, Pacey" Doug said, speaking for the first time in 3 years to his baby brother.

"Doug" Pacey said looking at his older brother as Gretchen's story floated to his memory again. Pacey pushed it away and put on a smile "Come give your brother a hug before he admits something like almost missing those diva's you-" his words were cut off when Doug pulled him into a hug smiling as he was trying to hold back tears his baby brother was actually ok.

When they parted Pacey smiled at him, then the smile changed to a smirk "speaking of, Gretch told me you finally got out of the closet, congrats." He said half joking half serious. At Doug's expression to this he dropped his smirk and said in a serious voice "seriously Doug, it took a lot of guts." It was rare that Pacey was this serious with his brother, the last serious discussion he had with Deputy Doug was over Joey in the cell at the police station. When he confessed he had feelings for a certain girl.

Doug smiled a bit embarrassed by it and Pacey just smiled at him before hugging him again, briefly this time.

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"Well I can't believe I've been gone for three years, I mean look at you, Jack, everyone. You're older, you, Jack and Andie are in College. While Jen, Pacey, and I still have to finish our junior year of high school." Joey told him.

Dawson looked at her "It wasn't easy for us to go on Joey." He said seriously, "I mean we were all just worried about all of you but we supported each other, Andie left at the beginning of our senior year, she had enough to graduate. She got into Harvard and spent some time in Italy to relax. She was there visiting her aunt but she's flying in tonight."

Joey felt a stab of jealousy when she heard about Andie, 'did Pacey still love her? Would Andie and him get back together when they see each other tonight?' she shook the thoughts away, she couldn't think of Pacey and Andie right now. Not when she didn't even know if she still had feelings more then friendship for Dawson. "I'm sorry we put you through all of that." She said truthfully.

"It's not your fault Joey. It's whoever took you and Pacey and Jen's fault." Dawson said his eyes flashing angrily for a moment before he quickly calmed himself down and masked his anger by a smile "At least you're back now. And that's all that matters." He then pressed a brief kiss on her lips then paused when he realized what he just did.

Joey looked at Dawson 'Oh My God, please tell me I spaced out for a second and he did not just kiss me…why is he looking at me like that. I can't deal with this right now. Not with Pacey there. Oh God, what is he going to think! I don't want to lose him but I don't want to lose Dawson either. I have to tell him about Pacey and me, it's the only way.'

Dawson leaned in to kiss her again but Joey put her hands on his chest…"Don't please" she whispered to him and he looked at her confused "why not?" he asked her before leaning in and kissing her believing it is what the both want.

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Pacey looked frozen at Dawson and Joey, he and Jen had been catching up with Jack and Doug when he saw Dawson first kiss Joey briefly and then saw the two looking at each other. He saw Joey put her hands on Dawson's chest and hoped she would push him away and tell him they were over. But she whispered something, he couldn't hear her, but next thing he knows he saw Dawson whisper something back to her before kissing her.

'How can you be so stupid to think you actually had a chance with her Pacey!' he told himself angry 'they're soul mates, you should know better having seen them grow up together. I can't watch this…' he thought to himself before suddenly turning to the Doug saying "let's go" he noticed his, Jen's and Jack's expressions. Even Mrs. Ryan would was standing a couple of steps back allowing the teens to catch up seemed to give him a sympathetic look. He didn't sympathy, he just wanted to get the hell out of here. And fast.

Without another word he walked to Doug's car and got him not saying anything to either Joey or Dawson.

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Joey was shocked to find suddenly Dawson's lips on hers when told him no. her panicked eyes saw Pacey's hurt look and then he was turned his back to her and said "let's go" to his brother. She pushed Dawson off her "Pacey" she said trying to get him to listen to her and he looked up at her with this blank expression on his face as he saw in the car. "What is it Joey?" he asked her.

"Let me explain" she told him but before she could he interrupted "explain what, you and Dawson are soul mates. I knew that when I started whatever we started. I may have hoped." He stopped himself and his blank expression returned to his face where the pain he felt had just briefly shown in his eyes.

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"You go with him Doug" Gretchen told her brother, "I'll catch a ride with Dawson, Jack, Jen and Grams.

"Ok, thanks Gretch" Doug said knowing he needed to talk to his brother privately about their family.

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Doug got in the car and started it. "tell Dawson I'll catch up with him later. I have to go see my mom." Pacey said to Joey and then looked at Doug and said "Go."

Doug glanced at Joey saw a hurt look in her eyes but knew he couldn't do anything right now except help his brother by getting him out of the triangle for now.

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Joey watched Doug's car pull out of parking and drive off and sighted "Great" then when she smelled a familiar cologne she turned around angry "God Dawson why did you have to do that! I said no!"

"Ok what is up with you Jo? And why did Pacey just leave like that?" Dawson demanded to know.

"Because Dawson…because…" she started strong but she couldn't find the words to tell him she had fallen for his best friend. "Because Pacey and I have feelings for each other, besides our friendship" she said after having taken a deep breath.

"What? You and Pacey…I should have known Pacey would try to take you away from me!" he yelled.

"It's not like we planned for it to happen Dawson, it just did." Joey said her courage being replaced by guilt of hurting him and fear of hurting him more but also by her anger of him putting Pacey down so quick, yet again.

"And this is supposed to make me feel better? I still love you Jo. I knew it the moment I saw you again. Why are you doing this to me? Are you punishing me for rejecting you almost 4 years ago?" He yelled.

"Punishing you, I didn't do this to punish you!" Joey yelled.

"I don't mean to butt into this Dawson but you did just now cheat on your girlfriend. What does that make you. Not to mention the fact you had a lot of girlfriends since you and Joey broke up." Jack said.

"What? You have a girlfriend?" Joey raged her fear and guilt gone for the moment "How dare you lecture me when you yourself are being disloyal to your girlfriend."

"I didn't love any of those girls like I love Joey!" Dawson said loudly to the group of people.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore when you're being this unreasonable Dawson. Bess, can we go?" Joey asked and Bessie nodded and they left in their car with Bodie and Alexander.

Jack got into the last of the three cars in which they had come, since the Lindley's had already left with Eve.

Grams, Jen, Gretchen and Dawson got in the car with Jack and he started it and the drove in silence.

End chap 6, tell me what you think.