Author's note: For this chapter, the song choices take a sharp turn towards something that's in the works

Joey was standing outside Dawson's house, trying to thing of what to say, when Will came up behind her with a handful of pebbles, which he started throwing at Dawson's window.

"Morning, Joey" he said

Dawson emerged from the window and, upon seeing the two of them, descended the ladder.

"Oh my god, last night..." Dawson said, playing the events over in his mind

"I didn't come here to rehash last night's disaster, Dawson. I came to say goodbye. My scholarship to Rawley Academy came through, so I'm leaving."

"When?"

"Today. Right now in fact."

"That's great, Will" Dawson said, and hugged him

"But I needed to tell you something before I leave. I can't and won't take sides. Until you and Pacey make up, don't bother getting in touch with me. Since he's also leaving in a few days, I strongly suggest that you use that time to bury the hatchet"

"I don't think that's going to happen" Dawson admitted, looking at Joey and wondering what the two of them would say to each other, once Will left

"In that case..." Will said, and handed a piece of paper to Joey

"Hang onto this, its important" and then Will walked off

Joey looked at the piece of paper and then folded it up and put it in her pocket

"So, about last night..."

"Joey, I'm so sorry about everything, but I just..."

"I didn't want you to find out like that"

"How long?" Dawson asked

"Well, we nearly kissed at Aunt Gwen's..."

"That explains..."

"And since then, we've made out maybe a couple of times. But each time we said it would be the last"

"Obviously it meant something or else it wouldn't have kept happening" Dawson folded his arms to show his disapproval

"And you wouldn't have tried to hide it unless you knew what you were doing was wrong. Have you thought about what this would do to Andie?" he added. There was a subtle anger in his voice

"You and Andie" Joey insisted

"Well, now you have to make a choice. And since Pacey is leaving for the summer in a few days, you have until then. Please, Joey, for all the obvious reasons, and the not so obvious, pick me"

Joey sighed

"Dawson..." Joey began, trying to figure out what to say next.

Dawson's parents then emerged from the house and Mitch sat on one of the chairs on the porch. Dawson and Joey both noticed this and completely forgot about what they were talking about.

Gail got down on one knee and said "Mitch, will you remarry me?"

"Of course" he said and the two kissed and embraced

Dawson and Joey momentarily forgot everything else that was going on and smiled

Andie knocked on the door and Doug answered.

"How is he?" she asked

"Well, he's still in one piece" he replied

"Can he come outside?"

Doug turned inside and yelled "Pacey, do you feel up to going for a walk?"

"Sure thing" he said back

He walked out the door with Andie and then tried to think of what to say to her

"Andie..." he had no idea what to say next

"It's over!" Andie declared

"I, uh..."

"I mean of course its over, after everything that's happened"

"Andie, I don't know what to..."

"And given that its over, you have a decision to make" Andie continued

"Andie, it's too early in the morning for twenty questions"

"Joey. Do you love her?"

"I'm not…."

"Yes or no?" She demanded

After a moment, he simply said "yes"

"Then tell her!"

"It's not that simple..."

"Yes it is, you're leaving for the summer in a few days. You can't go without telling her how you feel"

"But what about you, us. We..."

"We can deal with that when you get back, but you need to deal with this and you need to deal with it now."

"But what about Dawson?" Pacey asked

"Good question" It was Will that said it, having approached the two of them from behind.

"Will, I thought you were leaving?"

"I am, right now as a matter of fact. But I couldn't leave without tell you something"

The two of them shared a hug.

"Alright, what is it?"

"I'm not taking sides and I'm not going to speak to either of you until you sort this out. No phone calls, no visits, nothing"

"Well, I don't think there's a reconciliation in the cards. At least not in the next few days"

"Then, I'm going to give this to you" Will said, giving Andie a piece of paper "Along with a message for Jen and your brother" he then whispered something in her ear.

And then Will walked off, and left Capeside, possibly forever.

"What was that about?" Pacey asked

"Don't change the subject. What are you going to do?"

"Well, first I'm going to ask my friends to hold a going away party for me"

Andie looked unimpressed

"And then I'll figure things out from there" he added

Andie folded her arms

"What are you thinking?" Dawson asked Joey

They were at Dawson's parents' wedding. They were dancing to the song I Think God Can Explain by Splendor

"Huh?" Joey replied "I was just thinking about what we could do during the summer. Maybe take a trip to Boston"

"Joey, I'm glad you're here"

"I'm glad I'm here too"

"But?"

"But, what?"

"You're mind is elsewhere"

"No its not. I'm here. Mind and body, Dawson. You asked me to make a choice and I've chosen"

Dawson wasn't so sure

Pacey's going away party was the morning of Gail and Mitch's ceremony. It was an unfortunate coincidence, but it wasn't intentional.

Pacey, Andie, Jack, Jen and Grams were sitting around the table out the front of Grams' house.

"You know, I'm really going to miss all of you" Pacey said

"Someone's missing" Jack noticed

"Where's Will? Shouldn't he be here?" Jen suggested

"He left already" Andie said

Jack and Jen were shocked

"But he wanted me to tell the two of you something"

Jack and Jen (as well as the others) were now hanging off Andie's every word

"He said that he couldn't choose between the two of you and he thought that, if he left, the two of you to choose each other"

Jack and Jen looked crushed

"Well, this is..." Jen started

"Depressing" Jack concluded

"You sound like a bunch of old ladies" Grams observed

"It's been a tough couple of months all round" Jack insisted

"Tough, huh? You think you're the only generation ever to go through something like this?"

"Grams, no offence, but what would you know about it?" Jen asked

"When I was... Just a few years older than you, I was working at Brunswick Naval Nospital, and I met a boy who had the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen. He was leaving for Pusan in the morning, but we had an entire glorious day on the beach, and at the end of that day, he leaned in close to me and whispered, 'Will you wait for me?'"

"So...What did you do?" Andie asked

"I froze. I knew if I leaned just 2 inches closer, the world as I knew it would be changed forever." "So you did nothing?" Jen asked

"You didn't kiss him, you didn't try to speak to him. You just did nothing. Nothing. Did you ever wonder what your life might have been like if you had kissed him?" Jack inquired

"That is just the point. I don't have to wonder. The very next day, I got my best friend Sally to cover the shift for me. And after 7 turbulent hours in the cargo hold of a CL30... I arrived in San Diego, went straight to the dock, and in front of the entire crew of the U.S.S. Missouri, I kissed him"

"That's funny" Jen said "I had no idea Gramps was in the Korean War"

"He wasn't. Thomas Culpepper... The boy with the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen... Died in Pusan in shallow water before he ever made it off the boat. 2 years later, I married your grandfather. So I had 46 wonderful years with one man and one perfect kiss with another. And I have no regrets. Wonder how many of you will be able to say that about your lives?"

After the ceremony, which was beautiful, Pacey walked past, on his way to the docks. He stopped momentarily to chat to Dawson.

I Think God Can Explain plays again

"Sorry I punched you" Dawson said

"I'm sorry you found out about, that, the way you did" Pacey replied

"I'm not. I got to see what kind of person you are" Dawson said

"So, that's it. After ten years of friendship, its just, over"

"Looks that way"

"Bye" Pacey said to Joey

Pacey walked off and Joey said nothing.

"Get in the car!" Grams commanded, after Pacey had left

"What..." Jen briefly protested

"No questions, just get in. Andie, what's on that piece of paper you've been holding?"

"Er, it looks like Will's contact information"

"Good, that's exactly what we need"

"I don't understand" Jack protested, and Jen was thinking the same thing

"Just get in the car, child. I'll explain on the way"

Erase and Rewind by the Cardigans began playing

Dawson saw Joey standing on the dock and he walked up to her

"I've been such a fool" he said dramatically

"What?" Joey asked

"And possessive and selfish. But no more."

"Dawson, what are you talking about?"

"You love Pacey, don't you?"

"I just..."

"Yes or no?"

"Yes, but I.."

"Then go to him. Now. Just go"

"But, Dawson..."

"No buts, just go, tell him. If you leave now, you'll probably catch him"

"But what about us?" Joey asked

"I don't know. We'll deal with that when you get back. Now, go!" he commanded

"Goodbye, Dawson" she said with a tear in her eye, then turned and ran

Dawson began to cry and slumped down on the dock. He thought, as his legs dangled over the edge, how easy it would be to just lean forward and fall in, but ultimately decided it would be too much effort, so he'd just sit there until the end of time. When he was done crying, he just stared off into the distance, for what seemed like forever.

Grams pulled up outside the gas station. Jen got out of the car to ask for directions.

"Fill you up?" a girl roughly Jen's age asked, holding a gas pump in her hand.

"Do you know how to get to Rawley academy?" Jen asked

"Boys or Girls?" the girl asked

Jen was monumentally confused

"Boys" a voice came from behind her

Jen turned around to see Will

She hugged him, then kissed him passionately for a several seconds.

Before Will had a chance to catch his breath, he saw Jack emerge from the car, and then proceed to kiss him, in the same manner, for about the same amount of time.

"It's good to see the two of you. How did you..." then he glanced inside the car, to see Andie holding the piece of paper he had given her. He then glanced across the other side of the car, to see the girl with the gas pump, smirking at him.

"Bella, do you want to give us a minute?" he said, and she went inside

"Is she your new girlfriend? Jack asked

"No, she's just a friend" Will replied, now starting to blush

"Do you want to tell me why you drove all the way here to see me?" Will asked

"We talked it over, and we decided we don't mind sharing" Jen declared boldly

"Well, that's very, mature, of you" Will said, still blushing "but I don't think I'm really ready for such an, er, open, relationship"

Now it was Jack and Jen's turn to blush. Will decided to change the subject.

"Since you apparently know how to find me, could the two of you let me know when Dawson and Pacey make up, which they will"

"Sure thing" Jack said

"Tell them they're more than welcome to visit me"

"You sound pretty confident they will make up" Jen observed

"I know them pretty well. They'll work it out"

The three of them smiled, somewhat awkwardly at that.

Jessica Simpson's song I Think I'm In Love With You plays

Pacey was about to cast off, when he heard his name being yelled in the distance.

"PACEY, PACEY!"

It was Joey. He figured he owed her a goodbye, so he put down the rope.

"You're just in time. One minute longer and you would have missed me"

"I need to tell you something" Joey said abruptly

"Make it snappy. I'm just about to cast off here"

"iloveyouandiwanttogowithyou" she sputtered out so quickly, forgetting to pause between words

"Okay, I take it back. Take your time"

"I love you..." Joey said, panting

"aha" Pacey replied

"and..." Joey was struggling to get the word out

"go on..." Pacey insisted

"I want to come with you" Joey almost hyperventilating

"Well you picked a hell of a time to drop this little bombshell"

"Or maybe I picked the perfect time. One more minute and I would have missed you" Joey said, as her breathing slowly returned to normal

"What about your family? What about the B&B? What about Dawson and Andie?"

"Bessie will understand. Andie pretty much insisted that we do this..."

"The girl can be forceful. She said more or less the same thing to me"

"As far as Dawson, we can deal with Dawson when we get back. He knows I'm here and why. What matters isn't them. What matters is us" She was speaking with such conviction, it reminded Pacey a little of Andie

"You make a good point. And what about us?"

Joey kissed him passionately, for several seconds

"Well, Potter, you drive a hard bargain, but I reluctantly accept" Pacey said, before lifting Joey up and placing her on board. Once on board, they kissed again and sailed off into the sunset.

I Think I'm In Love With You plays again

When Grams arrived back at home, Dawson's yard was now empty, save for all the decorations, table settings and half empty wine glasses. All the Wedding guests had left. Gail and Mitch had driven off and Dawson was sitting alone on the dock, staring into the distance with a vacant look in his eye. Everyone in the car noticed this as the car pulled up in Grams' driveway.

"I'll go talk to him" Jen said "If I'm not back in half an hour, come join me" she added.

Jen walked up to Dawson on the dock. The tears were fresh in his eyes, but he wasn't crying.

The Song Pay No Mind by Beck begins to play

"What happened?" Jen asked

"I let her go. I told her to go after him" Dawson said, in a voice that indicated he wasn't quite all there.

"For what its worth, you did the right thing. One day, you'll see that" Jen said. Then she grabbed his arm and walked him into the house. Dawson's senses slowly returned to him. While they were on the porch, Jen pulled out a tissue from her pocket and wiped the tears from his eyes. Then their eyes locked and they started kissing, for some reason.

The song Sex Type Thing by Stone Temple Pilots played

It made no sense to either of them, but neither were in their right minds at that moment. They continued inside, making out the whole way.

"Wait, this feels like a mistake" Jen said at the base of the stairs, adding "I didn't say stop"

They ascended the stairs, kissing the whole way. They entered the bedroom, Jen lay down on Dawson's bed and Dawson lay top of her, and then they stopped.

They stopped because they realised they weren't alone. A figure was now casting a shadow on the two of them. They craned their heads to see the figure standing there, silent, still, with a completely stoic expression.

"Well, this is awkward" Daria said

Concluding remarks

As I said in the intro, the idea was the starting and ending points were more or less the same, but the way we get there is quite different. I hope you enjoyed the story. From here, the story continues with my next story "Daria's Graduation Trip", unless you are reading this on , in which case, that will be the epilogue.

After that. I am intending to do season four, with a similar philosophy.

A note on music

The songs mentioned, whether diagetic (in-universe) or non-diagetic (just there for the audience's sake, not a part of the universe) are not plot relevant. If you don't know them, you aren't missing any plot relevant information, just some really cool music you should check out. I have tried to keep the song choices in line with the type of music used on the show, except for the last chapter, where the song choices were meant as foreshadowing.