We are not trapped or locked up in these bones. No, no. We are free to change. And love changes us. And if we can love one another, we can break open the sky.
Walter Mosley, Blue Light
7:30 am
Joey woke up with Jen sitting next to her with her eyebrow raised and Joey covered her face knowing that this was Jen's way of asking about Pacey and Joey.
"Go away." Joey mumble.
"I want to hear about that date from yesterday. You and Pacey were still together when you picked up Daisy and may I add in the same outfit."
Joey groaned and covered her whole body with her blanket but Jen was quick to rush to take it off of her.
"Joey… you can't hide." Jen sings to her. Joey rolled her eyes and sat up. "But I can run," Joey said and got up from the bed quickly jumping down like a little child. But Jen was quick to follow Joey into the kitchen.
"I got the part where you were stuck in a k-mart but when you two came back Pacey had no beard and you two looked oddly happy together. I mean-"
"He kissed me," Joey said.
"I knew it!" Jen said as she jumped on the kitchen counter.
"How?!" Joey asked shocked by her friend's reply. "Oh, come on! The way he brushed your arm when you two thought Daisy and I weren't looking. It was SO easy to tell."
"Please!" Joey said as she brushed her hair back and grabbed a packet of oatmeal.
"You know you can't fool me, Potter. I see everything."
Joey laughed as she pour the oats into the bowl.
"So, are you two getting back together? Are you going to tell Daisy?" Jen asked. Joey just shrugged as she continued to not look at Jen. But this didn't go past Jen as she looked at her friend.
"What is it?"
"I don't know I am so sick of running from him, Jen. I feel like that's all I've been doing lately is running from him. When I first got pregnant, I made it clear that we aren't together. Then when we had Daisy I still chose to run away from him because it was easier than saying I need you more than ever. Instead, I packed all my things and went to Dawson who just ended up cheating on me than showing me, love. The only decision left is the one that I need to make with myself- to stop running... once and for all. then the fear takes over, the free-floating, anxiety-ridden fear in the pit of my stomach that makes me run. Jen, I am completely comfortable running. I really don't know any other way. "
Jen nodded her head and then looked at Joey. "You need to tell Pacey this because if you don't all you will ever do is run. Your heart and your head have just been in constant conflict with each other. It will just end up hurting you more than helping you if you run away from him."
Joey nodded her head as she looked away in deep woke up to hear Daisy's voice crying from the bedroom. "Daddy!"
He jumped up in a daze to see her throw up on her pj's and down her face. "Come here, baby." He said as he slowly got up and took her shirt off. He felt her forehead that was burning up. He put her on the bed and went to the bathroom to get a washcloth he wiped her face. He looked at the time to see it was almost eight. He felt her forehead and rubbed her tummy as Daisy cuddled into him as he laid himself next to her.
"I want mommy."
"She'll be here." He whispered and kissed her forehead.
"Hey." Joey's voice came from the doorway as Daisy and Pacey cuddled together.
"Mommy!" Daisy said in a weak voice and Joey slowly walked over to her. "Hi, baby girl," Joey said as she sat next to Pacey and Daisy. She looked over at Pacey who was shirtless and she couldn't help herself as she bite her lip and make herself focus on her daughter.
"Mommy, I got sick.." Daisy said as Joey picked her up and pulled her into a hug. "Oh yeah?"
"Yeah, it was terrible." She said as she put her chin on Joey's shoulder.
Joey felt Pacey's hands on her back as he got up to rub Daisy's back.
"I could take her if you need to go to class or work today," Pacey whispered.
"No, it's ok. It's just one shift later this evening but I'll just take off."
Daisy then whimpers as she felt the next round of throw up come her way. Pacey was quick to get his trash can as Daisy got sick. Daisy cried as Joey pushed back her daughter's hair and looked at Pacey who look at his daughter in a sorry sort of way.
Daisy then wanted to laid down and Joey laid with her in Pacey's bed. Pacey could help but notice how natural it looked to have them both there next to him.
"You two can stay here. I'll get some medicine and stuff for her and take the day off."
Joey looked up and raised her eyebrows as if she was unsure. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I mean now I have to go clean her sheets and clothes over here. So I probably will be gone for a while but I am sure she doesn't want to move so it will be easier for her and you."
"Alright," Joey said as she watched Pacey put a T-shirt on and wink at her as he walked out the door.
It was an hour later when Pacey walked back into the apartment. Daisy was sleeping in Pacey's room and he walked in to see Joey reading a book on the couch. When she peeked her head over at she smiled as he walked over to her with all the sheets and clothes in basket in his right hand and a bag of what Joey guessed was medicine in the other.
"Hey. Is she asleep?" He asked as he dropped the things down and bend closer down to her.
"Yea-" Joey started to say but Pacey interrupted her with a kiss. He got closer to her pulling down where they were laying on top of one another. Joey then straight up causing the make-out to stop.
The two were breathless as Pacey looked at her. "What? What's wrong?"
"Shouldn't we talk about this?"
"Talk about what?"
"This. Us making out on your couch."
Pacey smirked as he pushed back a piece of hair.
"Well, what do you want it to be?"
"I want to take it slowly, Pace." She whispered as she cupped her hand on his face.
"I know you do."
Before Joey could talk about her fears or anything else to Pacey. Joey heard a small voice coming from the other side of the room.
"Mommy?"
Oh crap, they have been caught. The two sat up and look at Daisy who was looking at them very very confused.
"Daddy, why are you on top of Mommy?" She whispered and Pacey looked at his daughter with her sleepy eyes and the blanket over her body. She looked exhausted as well as concerned.
"Uh, Mommy had something in her eye," Pacey said as he looked over at Joey who looked amused.
"And something in her mouth?"
"Yeah…" Pacey said.
Daisy was smarter than that but Pacey could tell she was too sick to talk about what they were actually doing. Pacey got up hoping that Daisy wouldn't ask any more questions as he got the medicine for her.
"Drink this, are you hungry?" Pacey asked her as he felt his daughter's forehead. She shook her head as she cuddle her body into Joey who started to laid back down. Pacey smiled as he got on the other side of the couch where Joey's feet were and started to rub them. She smirked up at him.
"Mommy, I don't want you to go," Daisy said as she cuddle into her mom's chest.
"I know. I am not going anywhere, baby." Joey whispered as she rubbed her daughter's back.
"Promise?"
"Promise," Joey said as she kissed her daughter's forehead. Joey could feel Pacey's eyes on her as she rubbed her daughter's back in small circles. She couldn't help but watch her daughter's breathing just like she used to do when Daisy was a baby. She wanted to hold on to this feeling forever however she knew it wouldn't last forever as she hold the child in her arms.
Joey and Daisy must have fallen asleep because the next thing Joey felt was Daisy's hand slamming her in the face.
"Geez," She whispered and look at her daughter who was looking more pale than normal.
"Pacey," Joey called. He came in with a thermometer in his hand.
"I was just about to wake up her so she could eat something," Pacey whispered as he bend down next to Joey and Daisy.
"Do you remember when we were together and you took care of me while I was sick?" Joey asked him.
"Yeah, I remember that. We talk about kid names and you said you love the name Daisy."
"Now we are here with Daisy. On a couch in your apartment but we aren't together."
"Yeah. So what made you bring this up, Potter."
"I just-"
Suddenly, Daisy stir and then sat up with a groan. Pacey knowing that look grab the trashcan and held it to her as Joey held back her hair.
"Mommy, I can't throw up." Daisy cried as Pacey's hands felt Daisy's forehead.
"Jo, she is burning up," Pacey whispered to Joey and then take took her temperature to see it was 103
"I think we should take her to the hospital," Joey said nervously.
"Are you sure?"
"I mean she is burning up."
"Ok, you are right. Let's go and see what's wrong.'
The doctor came in after Daisy was getting checked out and Pacey was sitting down in a chair next to Daisy while shaking his leg up and down. While Joey was laying in the hospital bed next to her daughter.
"Mrs. and Mr. Witter?"
"Uh, we are-"
"My apologies."
Pacey got up and look at Daisy who was resting her head on Joey's chest.
"So, what's going on?"
"It looks like two things are going on one Daisy is very dehydrated which is normal because she has probably got sick all day. No need to worry we give her some medicine to help that and put some fluids in her body. But there is nothing we can find in the stomach that is wrong however what we think is wrong is maybe it's a stomach virus. We will keep her for a couple of hours to get fluids in her and then you are free to go."
"Thank you so much." Both Pacey and Joey said together.
"Mommy," Daisy whispered in a tiny voice that Joey suddenly felt guilty for letting her daughter get to the point where she is now.
"Yes, sweetheart."
"I want to go back to Daddy's house," Daisy whispered as a little tear came down her face. "And I want you and Daddy there."
Pacey walked over to Daisy and kissed her little forehead. "You can go back to my place later okay?"
"Even if I go to Mommy's place can you come to?"
"We'll see okay?" Pacey said and then look at Joey who look back at him with a small smile.
A couple of hours later, Pacey carried Daisy through the door while Joey followed behind. He put Daisy in her bed as Joey went to the kitchen to see if there was anything to eat. She then felt Pacey's hands around her waist as she was looking and she smiled at him.
"Tell me you haven't been feeling our child sugary cereal every time she is over here," Joey said as she look through the cabinets.
"I haven't been feeding our kid sugary cereal every time she is over here," Pacey repeated to her. Joey gave him a look as Pacey let out a little laugh. He then pulled her around and kissed her lips. It was the passion that Joey missed that she needed and the desire in herself that she had been wanting for but something still wasn't right.
"Pacey, we need to talk…"
Pacey kissed her forehead knowing what she was about to say was probably not going to be something he wanted to hear.
"About cereal? Because we could always just order a pizza right now instead of eating cereal. I know how you are about sugar-"
"Do you regret it?"
"Getting sugary cereal… no."
"Do you regret telling me what you told me in the K-mart?"
"I guess it really uh depends on whether or not you regretted hearing it or not."
"Well, it's hard to regret hearing something that's been on your mind for the last six years. I think what I regret is reality as just a general concept."
"Really?"
"Do you remember those who choose your adventure book as a kid?"
Pacey chuckle at her and then raised an eyebrow."Well... You and I both know that I was pretty much a functional Illiterate until the ninth grade."
"Well, I did one with Daisy a few months ago. She did the same thing as I did when I was little. I wouldn't like how things would go and I just go back to the beginning until….well I got a happy ending. And I watch Dais do this and I knew why she did it but I knew it wasn't a realistic way to go on with your life."
"Jo, what makes you think that one false move is gonna ruin our entire story?"
"History."
"Yes, that was then, but Joey. I'm serious when I say we are older. We have a six-year-old who looks up to us. Who you and I both know that adores and looks at our every moment. I know you are scared, and I am too. But you and I. Well no matter how bad we get or how tight things are we move forward. The past well it's the past but you and I. We are sitting here in my apartment with our little girl who has always made us stronger and closer since we were seventeen and eighteen. I know it's hard. But I am not going anywhere."
Joey felt a tear come down her face as Pacey took her hand. He lift her chin up and he wiped her tear away.
"Do you understand me?"
"Yeah but…"
Pacey then kissed her and Joey shut up right then and there. She forgot what it was like to kiss him like this over and over again. Suddenly, she felt like a teenager again. Where she would sleepover and make him cook breakfast in the morning.
"Go out on a date with me."
"That's one way to ask." Joey teased him.
"Joey, could I take you out next Friday?"
"I'll have to check my schedule."
"Come on you are killing me, woman."
Joey grinned as she watched him smile back. "Pace, I would love to go out."
"Well, it's about time, Potter. It's about time."
Slowly but surely the two kissed again without a whole conversation about it or Daisy walking in. It was just the two of them and nobody else.