It was much easier to put aside your own problems when you were surrounded by people who had problems of their own, especially if they were people you cared about helping. Amid the laughter, teasing, reminiscing, and amiable, reflective silences that marked the dinner they were enjoying at a waterfront table at Pacey's revamped version of the Icehouse (which, they all agreed, was even better than the original), Jen found herself analyzing her friends. She had always been able to apply a certain insight to others' lives that constantly failed her when it came to her own. Now, as she sipped at her water and basked in the presence of people she had missed more than she ever would have guessed, she had come to several conclusions about their collective situation.

First and foremost, two of them were still very much in love with the dark- haired beauty sitting (appropriately) between them. God, how obvious that was. Jen had an idea that if you were to suggest something so radical to Joey herself, you'd be met with blatant disbelief punctuated by a sarcastic, self-deprecating comment that would be more for Joey's own benefit than anyone else's.

Secondly, Joey was absolutely terrified. She had run from a more-or-less stable (if not passionate) relationship in New York and had ended up right back in the chaotic mass of emotions that had defined a good portion of the years she'd spent growing up. Jen doubted that Chris was anywhere near the top of her thoughts at the moment. As Jen watched Joey watching Pacey, the truth was as plain as day. It was in the way her attention never wavered from his lips as he spoke, in the way her focus kept drifting back toward his face and hovering there intently as if she was trying to fix him in her memory for those nights spent curled up next to a man she didn't love.

And Dawson saw it, too. Once, his eyes met Jen's across the table and she read the pain in them. Her heart hurt for him. The best she could manage was a comforting smile in his direction. He averted his gaze and forced a laugh with the others as Pacey animatedly recounted the story of being locked in a K-mart supercenter with Joey overnight.

"Pacey Witter, are you trying to blame me for that?" Joey demanded. "Need I remind you that we wouldn't have been there in the first place if I hadn't been doing you the enormous favor of being your pretend date for the evening? And then you had the nerve to drag me along on your emergency condom run!"

"Now now, Jo, don't rewrite history," Pacey said. "If you hadn't insisted that I accompany you to the bathroom in that lovely bargain-bin establishment, we would have been in and out before they locked the door."

"Whatever, Pacey. Your raging hormones are the real culprit and you know it."

"My hormones? What about your uncooperative bladder?"

"Pace, you are—"

"All right, guys, this could go on all night. In the interest of time and our collective sanity I'm changing the subject," Dawson said loudly, taking a long swig of beer as they all turned to look at him. "So Joey, how's life in the big city? How's your, ah ... how's Chris?"

Jen's eyes widened as she looked from Dawson to Joey, whose amused indignity had given way to utter discomfort in a second's time. She suddenly seemed very interested in her wine glass, and her hand drifted up to tuck a long strand of dark hair behind her ear in a nervous gesture that was and forever would be definitively Joey Potter.

"Everything's fine," she said, and Jen noted that her tone was far too enthusiastic. "Great, I mean. Work's crazy, but things are ... things are good."

"What is it that Chris does, again?"

Jen shot Dawson a warning glance that he either didn't notice or pretended not to. Couldn't he see how awkward this was for her? For Pacey, who was draining his beer glass as if he expected to find answers to the mysteries of the universe in its depths? Of course Dawson saw that, she realized. That was the point.

"He's a stockbroker," Joey said. She looked up from her glass and her gaze locked on Dawson's, almost challenging him to keep this up. "He works on Wall Street."

"Wow, the big time. You guys have been together for a long time now ... how long as it been?"

"Two years."

"That sounds pretty serious. And you moved in with him recently, right? Is that—ow!" Dawson looked over at Jen, who had just delivered a sharp kick to his shin under the table.

"Sorry," Jen said innocently. "My foot slipped. Anyway, Andie. Your turn for show and tell. How's Boston life?"

As Andie began her slightly hyper, good-natured monologue on law school and her never-ending search for Mr. Right, Joey caught Jen's eyes and smiled gratefully at her. Jen nodded, giving her a discreet wink.

Hours passed, and the restaurant began to empty around them. Finally they were the only people left on the restaurant's waterfront deck. Overhead, the stars speckled the black sky with crystalline pinpoints of light, millions of them. Jen had forgotten how many stars you could see here. It was something she had always loved about Capeside nights.

"Don't start that," Jack said suddenly, and Jen tore her gaze away from the dazzling sky and looked at him questioningly. "You're yawning," he explained. "You can't be tired; the night's still young."

"Actually, I'm pretty tired myself," Joey said. "I think I'll head back to the B&B."

"Want me to drive you?" Dawson asked immediately, and everyone saw Joey glance toward Pacey before answering.

"Um, no, actually, I think I'll walk. It's such a nice night."

Dawson nodded, disappointment showing in his eyes.

"I have to get back to Boston tomorrow," Andie said. "So I guess this is it for me." She smiled sadly around at her friends. "But we have to do this more often. I mean it. There's no excuse for us to lose touch for as long as we did this time."

"No kidding," Jack said. "Which reminds me ... I'm tired of being the only one everybody still talks to. I know you guys love me and all, but I am officially resigning as the common link of this little group. From now on, Pace, you can call Dawson if you want to know what's up with him; Dawson, you call Jen if you want an update on her; and Andie, you can get your information directly from Joey. No more using me as the grapevine, is that understood? Okay, then..." He put his hand out in the middle of the table, palm down. "Let's vow, here and now, to check in with each other frequently and faithfully."

Hands piled on top of Jack's in a childish gesture of promise. They paused that way for a few moments before pulling apart.

Andie stood up first, and they gathered around her to say their good-byes. "I'll be talking to every single one of you soon," she said firmly.

"Is that a threat or a promise?" Pacey asked as he took her in his arms and kissed the top of her head.

Andie clung to him tightly for a long moment, and Jen thought back to her comment on the porch earlier. Is it possible that we are the only group of twenty-somethings in the world still hung up on our high school sweethearts? Jen wondered.

"I'll be right back," Jack said, following his sister out to the parking lot. The remaining four stood there looking at one another, not really wanting to part ways just yet.

"Dawson, when are you going back to L.A.?" Joey asked.

"Probably next week. How about you? How long are you here?"

"I don't know, a day or two. It ... depends." Almost unwillingly, she shot a look in Pacey's direction.

"Will I see you before you go?"

Joey smiled uncomfortably. "Of course. I...I'll give you a call. Bye." She started down the wooden steps that led to the parking lot beside the Icehouse.

"See you, Joey." Pacey's tone wasn't quite right, and though he was smiling, he looked like he was having a really hard time watching her walk away.

Jen chewed at her bottom lip. She felt like grabbing him and shoving him as hard as she could in Joey's direction. "Go. Go and fix this. Go and do what you should have done years ago, the only thing that's going to make you both happy. I have to see you happy, all of you." The thought surprised her, and she realized that she wasn't sure why it affected her so deeply. Another thought answered the question. "Because their happiness might be the closest I ever get to it."

Of course she didn't do or say anything. Not with Dawson standing there next to her, not with Dawson watching the person who was also the love of his life walk away and knowing all along that her heart belonged to someone who was, once upon a time, his best friend. Jen raised her hand in a wave to Joey as she glanced behind her before disappearing into the shadows.

Dawson cleared his throat. "Well, I'm going to head home myself," he said. "I'll see you guys, maybe tomorrow?"

"Absolutely. Good to see you, man," Pacey held his hand out, and Dawson gripped it in a firm shake.

"You too, Pace." Then Dawson was gone.

Pacey clapped his hands together. "Well, I guess I need to start closing up."

Jen caught his wrist as he reached to clear away some of the empty glasses littering the table they'd loitered at all night long. "Pacey Witter, what in the hell is wrong with you?"

"Huh?" He looked completely taken aback.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me you are not still in love with that girl."

"What girl?" he asked infuriatingly.

"Pacey. This is not a game. Don't play around with this."

He sniffed. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said. "Jen, she's got a boyfriend. You heard her; she's got a boyfriend she's been with for two years."

"So what? Ask yourself why she came back here."

"She probably wanted to see her sister."

Jen rolled her eyes. "I can see you're going to be your pigheaded self about this. Just trust me. Do you trust me? Have I ever led you astray?"

Pacey pretended to think. "Hmm ... well, maybe a few times."

"How long has it been since you've seen her? Before today?"

"I don't know; maybe six months or so..."

"Joey is going to be here for a day or two before she goes back to New York and back to a relationship that she knows is all wrong for her. I want you to think long and hard about that, and ask yourself if you want it to be another six months before you see her again." She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. "Now I'm going home, and I expect you to have news for me sometime tomorrow."

She left him standing there staring after her as she went to meet Jack in the parking lot. She was tired. Very tired. On the drive back to Jack's house, she drifted off to sleep. She dreamed of a little girl who resembled Lily Leery, running along the beach, tangled blonde curls blowing in the breeze. Her friends were there. Pacey and Joey were holding hands. Dawson was smiling. Jack stood between Jen and Doug, one arm slung around each of them. There was peace.

And in the dream, when she thought of David, it didn't hurt at all.