Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, lines from the episodes, storylines or settings. I have no affiliation with the WB network. So don't sue me 'cause you won't get anything!

A/N: Hey everyone! So guess what? Ya'll finally get to see if it was Pacey or Dawson talking to Joey! Now I'm not going to tell you here you just have to read the chapter to figure that out… ENJOY!

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Chapter 8 – Why'd It Have To Be You?

He just left her there… just left her. She was a little put off by that… I mean… if he loved me wouldn't he fight for me? Wouldn't he be more stubborn? Wouldn't he…?

Joey was confused as she began to row her boat away from its spot, away from that memory… far away.

She finally reached the dock and saw a familiar face… Bessie. Why oh why did Bessie have to come at such bad time… she didn't need this right now.

Joey approached the wooden platform and began to tie her boat to it… her sister eyeing her the whole time.

Joey couldn't take it anymore… she hated it when people stared at her… it needed to stop.

"What do you want Bess?"

Bessie looked taken aback by her question. She looked in awe at her sister as she realized that she really didn't know the reason to this meeting.

"What do I want? I want some answers. I want to know what the hell is going on!"

Bessie was frustrated… she didn't have time to diddle daddle… she needed to get down to business.

Joey got out of the boat and brushed past Bessie while saying…

"Nothing is going on Bess so just leave it alone."

Joey tried her hardest to dodge Bessie but it was a futile attempt… just as she was passing her Bessie got hold of her arm and tugged her back making Joey face her.

"What happened this morning and last night for that matter is certainly NOT nothing!"

Joey looked at Bessie annoyed. She didn't want to be here… she didn't want to be anywhere… she just wanted to disappear… just become a fading memory where nothing can reach you… none of this crap anyway…

"Don't give me that look young lady! You're going to tell me what happened and you are going to tell me now!"

Joey looked at her sister once more… not willing to give up… she wouldn't tell. She didn't have to; she didn't have to do anything that she didn't want to.

"Nothing happened Bess! SO JUST LEAVE IT ALONE!"

Joey was screaming so loud at Bessie that her own ears cringed at the sound. Tears were flowing down her face as the realization swept over her… she would have to choose one of them… she knew who she wanted… she had known since he had come to her on the creek… but now she didn't know how to say it… how to tell the world that she loved him.

Bessie's grip on Joey loosened and she bolted towards the house. She had to get away from everything… she knew what she had to do… for the time being anyway…

Joey entered her room and opened her closet and grabbed one of her backpacks and started stuffing clothes and other items into it. She just couldn't be here right now… she needed some time to really let everything sink in.

She got everything packed up and exited her room running right into Bodie. He looked confused when he noticed the overstuffed backpack that didn't look filled with books.

Joey quickly passed him though and slammed the door behind her leaving Bodie to wonder whether or not he had just made a huge mistake by letting Joey leave.

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She had been walking for awhile and could feel her feet begin to go numb… great… just great… that's just what I need… numb feet and no place to go… I'm so screwed!

Joey screamed once before she stopped on the road and sat down. She rested there just taking in the silent beauty of the landscape around her… everything seemed to simple and easy out here… too bad the real world doesn't work out so well.

Joey sighed as she heard a car pass her and then screech to a halt. She was confused as to why they would stop and also a bit scared. She didn't want to be kidnapped.

But she recognized that car… all too well… for it was he… yes… him… the man that she loved.

He got out of the car and ran over to her with the most relieved face she had ever seen.

"Are you okay? Why did you leave? I was so scared…"

The last sentence hit Joey hard… he did love her… that was proof.

Joey shrugged and spoke softly.

"I'm fine."

She didn't want to answer the second question… she knew that if she did it would end at the one thing she didn't want to admit to anyone… that she loved him.

He looked at her through watery eyes… the doubts that had haunted him were subsiding as he was looking at Joey… his Joey unharmed. He was so thankful.

"Come on… let's get you home."

When Joey heard the word home she quickly looked up at him and grabbed his arm.

"I don't want to go home. I'm not going home."

She looked at him for a while and he just nodded and added…

"Well then where will you go? I'm not leaving you here."

Joey felt herself warm up inside as she heard him say that. He really did give a damn about her… wow…

"I don't know."

Joey was still speaking low… her voice still soar from yelling at Bessie.

"Do you wanna stay with me at my house?"

That question came out of nowhere as Joey again found her head shoot up at him.

"Are you serious?"

"Completely."

Joey didn't know how to respond… should she accept and be put in one of the most awkward positions of her life or stay out here and freeze her ass off. Not a very hard decision yes but still… very awkward.

"I don't know. I don't think that would be a good idea. It would be pretty awkward."

He considered this and found himself nodding in agreement.

"Yeah… I guess you're right. But there is this motel about a mile away that we could crash at."

There was a pause before he continued again…

"I'll crash on the floor and you can take the bed. How does that sound?"

Joey uncontrollably nodded at his idea.

"Sounds like a plan."

"Okay then."

He smiled at her and she had to hold back every ounce of her self-control to not jump forward right then and start plundering him with kisses.

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He had got the room and they were all settled, Joey on the bed and him on the floor with a few blankets to protect him from the cold.

The room had poor heating so Joey was shivering furiously and her teeth were chattering so loud that she wouldn't have been able to fall asleep anyway.

"Are you okay Joey?"

He could see Joey shivering from the floor and the incessant chattering was also a give away.

"I-I'm ju-just a b-bit c-c-cold."

Joey could barely manage to get that out. But the next thing she new she was surrounded by a warm body enveloping her into it.

"Wh-what are y-you d-doing?"

"I'm trying to warm you up. I would hate to fall asleep and find you dead from hypothermia when I wake up."

Wow. That sure was blunt. But she wasn't complaining. She snuggled into him more her head resting between his chest and the bed. His arms wrapped around her and her hands were placed on his chest by her head.

After a few minutes her chattering and shivering had stopped as they both fell into a pleasant sleep…

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Joey awoke the next morning feeling better than ever. She never wanted this moment to end. She removed her head from his chest and looked at his sleeping figure… falling in love with it more with each passing second.

"I love you…"

She whispered to him. She knew he was asleep but she just had to say it. She had to let herself believe it was true. Once she said it it felt so right that she had to say it again and again.

"God… I love you so much. I love you more than anything. All I want is for us to be together and for this whole mess to be over."

Joey had tears falling down her face now as she was professing her love for the man that she knew she could never have… she couldn't let herself. She couldn't be happy knowing that she broke someone else's heart. It was the cruel irony of the whole situation.

She was quickly jolted back into the real world as she felt him stir a bit. He opened his eyes and knew that she had been crying. He knew everything. He was awake the whole time but when he felt her wake up he quickly shut his eyes. He felt that this would be a good time to open his eyes and make his entrance.

"Potter…"

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Reviews are very much appreciated. This is the first story that I've posted so I would love some constructive criticism. I will be updating on weekends. Thank you for reading my fic!