Chapter 30 - Finale
Doug heard the anguish cry for help and Dawson's triumphal insane laughter. All his years of training did not prepare him for that. He knew his dad or himself could get shot, but not his little brother, and never under such circumstances. He called 911 over the radio, bringing memories of two kids playing in his dad's patrol car and he as the responsible and bored teenager watching them. Who would ever guess they were going to end up like this?
Joey stared at Pacey, his eyes closed, blood tinting her hands. This couldn't be happening, it was a nightmare, it had to be. Tears ran freely through her face, despair taking over her.
"Pacey, please, don't do this to me. You promised me forever, you never broke a promise before, so you better not start today." She said between sobs. "I need you, even if it is to annoy me, I always did." Joey paused to breathe. "Please, stay with me." She hid her face on his chest.
"I had to get shot for you to ask me that." Pacey said with a painful chuckle.
"Pacey?" Joey raised her head, to see his playful eyes. "You're not dying."
"Yeah, our friend has a lame aim."
"But I thought you were hurt, dying, you didn't move." She narrowed her eyes.
"I am hurt, my right arm, but I couldn't miss your love declarations," he winked.
"You...you jerk, bastard, insensitive prick..." She punched his chest furiously.
Pacey held her with his good arm, waiting for her to calm down.
"Hey, Potter, wounded guy in here." He yelled.
"Be happy if I don't hurt you even more." she retorted, trying to hide her relief.
"How are you, Pacey?" Doug asked, tranquilized by his brother's stare. "The ambulance will be here any moment now."
"It's just a scratch on my arm." He winced in pain. "Maybe it's not only a scratch." He mumbled as he saw the blood.
"Can you stand up, Pacey?" Doug was worried by his brother's paleness.
"Yeah, I think I can. Jo, could you help me?" With her help, although feeling dizzy, he was able to get on his feet.
"Pace, you look like you're going to pass out." Joey said worriedly.
"You wanted to kill me less than a minute ago." He teased.
"I was so worried." She hid her face on his shoulder. "You really scared me this time."
"I know, sweetheart. I know" He kissed her forehead. "I really need to sit down."
Bessie showed up in the porch, startled with the sounds they heard from inside, including a gunshot, to see her sister with tears in her eyes, helping out a bleeding Pacey and Doug looking lost.
"What happened here?" she yelled, confused.
"Dawson happened, he shot Pacey." Joey stated. "Help me here, Bess."
From the squad car, Dawson saw Pacey being helped by Joey and Bessie. Realization that trying to kill the sheriff's son wasn't the brightest idea he could have finally hit him. There was no escape for him now.
"I still can't believe this happened while I slept." Jen said, sipping her coffee at the hospital's cafeteria. "Jack, could you stop eating that muffin and say something, please?"
"What the hell happened to Dawson? Is that enough, Jenny?"
"I wonder what's taking them so long." Andie sighed, her eyes warming up when she saw Joey approaching them. "Joey, how is he?"
Joey sat on the table, tired, but smiling.
"The bullet didn't hit the bone, but went through the muscles; they had to check if there was no damage to any artery, but thanks God, no. Pacey's asleep now thanks to the pain killers."
"What's going to happen now?" Jack asked, plopping another muffin in his mouth.
"Pacey will need some rest..." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "And so will me."
"What about Dawson?" Jen asked.
"There's going to be a trial, but I already can see his lawyer pleading insanity." Joey shrugged. "It really doesn't matter; the only thing I want is him far, far away from us."
"He won't have much chance, Jo, Doug will testify against him, and I doubt Mr. and Mrs. Leery will help him on this."
"He's their son, Andie." She sighed. "I can't help but feel guilty."
"Are you out of your mind, Joey?" Jen asked her eyes wide opened. "Dawson is insane, and it has nothing about you."
"Losing me made him mad," she dropped her face.
"Joey, no, you can't believe that. Dawson got insane, because he never was able to handle reality; the world had to turn around him. It would have happened anyway, sweetie." Jen took her hand. "Take those bad feelings from you, and let's talk about something really important."
"And what's that, Jen?"
"What else could it be? The plans for your wedding."
A big smiled appeared on Joey's lips. That was a great thought. Her wedding. She absentmindedly caressed her ring. She barely could wait for the day she would become Mrs. Pacey Witter.
Pacey opened his eyes in the dim light of his hospital bedroom, a smile creeping on his lips when he saw Joey fast asleep on the chair beside his bed. She must have fallen asleep watching him. She must have sensed he was awake, because she stirred, slowly opening her eyes to fix them on him.
"Hey, you're awake," she whispered softly.
"What time is it?" He yawned. Those pills did a great job on him.
"It's night. They wanted to kick me out of here, but I said they would have to drug me first, so they let me stay."
Pacey laughed, nobody had a chance with a determined Joey Potter.
"Come here, Jo," he patted the bed. Joey sat beside him, her eyes shinning with love and relief. Pacey lifted his hand to touch her face, tracing her features. God, he was so happy to have her near him.
"Everybody has sent you best wishes. They said they were coming to visit you tomorrow, but according to the doctor, you'll probably be discharged in the morning."
"They can't have me here too long, huh?"
"Sorry, Pace, but I'm the only one who enjoys your company for longer than one day." Joey teased. "How do you feel?" she asked more serious now.
"Like someone who was shot," he joked. "These pain killers are great too."
"Pacey, this is serious," she complained.
"I know, Jo," he sighed. "It's really weird, you know, get shot by the guy you considered like a brother. And know that he really meant to kill you."
"Doug told me he was drunk… and his drugs screening came positive too." Joey whispered, resting her face on his shoulder.
"I never thought I would live to see Dawson Leery doing drugs." Pacey closed his eyes. "This was how I was supposed to end." He added somewhat bitter.
"You?" Joey lifted her face. "Pacey, you grew up to be a wonderful man, you don't hide from reality, and you lift your chin and fight against it. Dawson chose to do what he always did…runaway from reality. He just chose a very wrong manner to do it this time."
"I'll never forget how he looked at me, Jo, how he threatened us. You could have got hurt too." He closed his eyes, tired. "And although I'm still shocked, I'm also grateful that I didn't end up like that. That my life will be like I want it to be, not the way people thought it could be. And most of all. I'm grateful for having you here, in my life." He opened his eyes, to gaze into her brown ones.
"You're my world, Jo."
"I don't think I wanna be anyone's world, Pace. I had too much confusion and pain being other people's soul mate or world or everything. I'd like to be just Joey."
"Is there a place for a Pacey in this just Joey life?"
"There's nothing I want more." Joey rested her forehead against his. "To be just Joey and Pacey."
"You and me…always." Pacey whispered, before capturing her lips in a sweet kiss.
Dawson sat in his cell, never feeling so cold and lonely. Now that the booze had worn off, and he came back from high, the only thing he could think was what the fuck was he thinking? He knew he'd thrown his life away, and for no valid reason. He rested his face on his hands, tiredly.
"Dawson." He heard his father's voice from the bars.
"Dad!" He stood up to get closer, stopping in his tracks when he saw his dad's cold stare.
"I don't know you anymore." Mitch started. "You have no idea what's like to wake up with police knocking on you door to say that your son tried to kill his best friend while drunk and high."
"Pacey is not my best friend." Dawson said, trying to get some sympathy and receiving none.
"It doesn't matter anymore. You did this to yourself, Dawson, and don't even start blaming other people. It's all your doing. It's about time for you to pay for all your mistakes. I came here to tell you how embarrassed I am, how disgusted I am at you, and I'm not spending a single cent to help you. You're on your own, Dawson."
"But I'm your family. What about mom, and Lilly?"
"Lilly is a baby and your mom…you made your mom really unhappy. She agreed with me regarding you"
"You're abandoning me." Dawson accused.
"No, Dawson, we're not. We're still your parents; we're still your family. We're just trying to do what's right. And right now, son? You have to be on your own. I just hope you'll find your way back to us."
Mitch left, his heart broken, but refused to look back. Dawson crumbled to the floor, crying, defeated. Helpless. Nothing left to hold on.
Pacey led Joey through the police station, his good arm around her waist. He didn't want to do that, but she wanted a last conversation with Dawson, and he wasn't the one to deny her anything. He was scared of their reaction to the one who used to be their model of behavior, the one whose life they envied, now reduced to a common felon.
Joey held her breath at the sight before her. Dawson sat on the floor, stubble growing on his face, giving him a dirty aspect. He used to be so neat to the point of freakiness and now…nothing seemed to care.
"Dawson," she called in a low voice. He turned his face, an indefinite emotion passing in his eyes as he stared at the couple through the bars. He dropped his face again.
"What do you want?" Dawson asked, bitterly. "Rub it in a little?"
"Chill out, man. We came here to talk, just that," Pacey answered.
"I don't wanna your pity or anything else you came to tell me."
"You don't have a choice, Dawson," Joey stated firmly. "We're talking and you will have to listen, even if you don't want to."
"I have the right to be left in peace. Isn't it enough that my own father doesn't want anything to do with me?"
"You asked for that, Dawson. All you're doing now is paying for your actions, your bad choices in life. And whether or not you want to hear this, we came here to forgive you, not because of the man you've become, but because the childhood friend you were."
"That's all I am now, huh, Joey?"
"Sorry, Dawson, but that's all you'll ever be," Pacey replied. "You chose that when you pulled the trigger. If it were only for me, but you could've hurt Jo. That I'll never be able to forgive you. Or forget for that matters."
"So, you're here to tell me you intend to erase me form your life?"
"We will never erase you, Dawson; you held our most cherished childhood memories. You are our past, and we can't erase what made us what we are today. We're here to ask you to get better, to move on with your life when you're out of this mess you put yourself in." Joey stopped to breath, clutching Pacey's hand even stronger. "We're here to get closure. To tell you once and for all that you don't have a place in our future."
"You had your closure, now if you excuse me, I want to be alone," Dawson retorted.
"Good-bye, Dawson," Joey and Pacey said, leaving without looking back.
"Good-bye." Dawson whispered alone in his cell as he watched his once best friends leave.
Pacey and Joey stepped out the police station, the sunlight reflecting in the snow and the cool breeze welcoming them. They walked in silence, feeling like they just buried a friend. What they did, figuratively. They turned on Molly Market, stopping at their wall. Echoes from the past whispering in their minds.
Joey sighed, shaking her head slightly. The past had to be left behind. Pacey circled her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder.
"You ok, Jo?" He whispered, kissing her temple.
Joey turned her face to look into his eyes; a sad smile crept on her lips.
"I'm ok, Pace. I'm just saying good-bye in my heart. And wondering…if we had told him right after our kiss on the road, if I had more strength back then and told him right away, if things would be different. But deep inside, I know they wouldn't."
"I know how it feels, Jo. I wish they were different, but I can't change the past, nor can you. And don't feel guilty, sweetheart. Dawson is sick, like Andie once was, all he needs is treatment."
"You forgave him, didn't you?"
"The only thing I can't forgive him is that you suffered and are still suffering from his acts."
"Still my white knight, huh?"
"Although you're not exactly a damsel, someone has to do this job."
"Jerk," She whispered her lips close to his.
"Icequeen." Pacey replied, brushing his lips against hers.
They broke the kiss, looking once more at the wall, where the words painted as a work of desperate love looked back at them. Ask me to stay.
"You know one thing I'll never regret, Pace? Not asking you to stay."
"Why not?" he knitted his brows waiting for her answer.
"If I did, we wouldn't have that perfect summer."
"It would still be perfect. It would be you and me." He kissed her forehead. "And you know what, Jo? That was just a first of many, sweetie."
"Is that your way to tell me to stop dwelling on the past?" she chuckled.
"Why care about the past, when we have the whole future ahead?" He tightened his arms around her. "When we already know what the future brings us?"
"What does it bring, oh wise one?"
"More…you and me…always." He muttered between kisses. "Let's go, baby, let's go home."
"And where is home, Pace?" Joey asked, linking her arm with his.
"Wherever we are. Together." He answered, as they walked in the cold winter morning towards their future. Together.
The End