Description: My version of Joey and Pacey's break up at Prom and the after math.
Author's Note: This story with be updated regularly
Disclaimer: I only own the story not the characters besides Steven.
Chapter #6
(Joey's pov)
" Can I see her Jo?", questions Pacey before standing up beside me. He wants to see Emily? Did Steven say anything to him? From what I can tell Pacey seems to have no clue Emily is his daughter. Am I ready to let him meet her or even tell Pace that he is her father? This isn't a decision that I should be making now. Thanks to Steven, I am though. Something tells me the moment Pacey sets eyes on Emily, he'll know she is his. How am I supposed to explain to him why I kept her from him? My reasoning was completely legit. Somehow I doubt Pacey will see things this way though.
" Promise not to wake her, it took me forever to get her to sleep.", I whisper in a low voice while letting Pacey tip toe behind me into her room. Letting a sigh of relief when Emily is still sound asleep, I carefully place a blanket over her. This little girl has made me the happiest person alive. While she might have been the result of a failed relationship, I couldn't love her anymore than I already do. This little girl has become my life over the last two years. I would do just about anything to keep her from getting hurt.
" Awe, Jo. She is beautiful. She looks exactly like you and...well me. If I didn't know any better, I would think that little girl was mine.", comments Pacey much to my disliking. Knew that one was coming, anyone with eyes could plainly see Emily was Pacey's daughter. What the hell am I supposed to do now? I can't lie to him anymore. What if he flips out on me? Then what would I do? This is going to be the hardest thing I will probably ever do. Steven was right though, Pacey needs to know the truth. Guess it is now or never. Really was hoping that I would not have to have this conversation anytime soon, just my luck Steven would all but make me.
" If I told you that she were Pace?", I question in a mere whisper as my eyes lower from his. There is a long awkward silence and it is slowly killing me to know whatsgoing on in Pacey's head. He doesn't look shocked or angry, he just looks...happy. I don't get, how is he not upset? For two years Pacey had no clue he had a kid. Anyone else would be furious right about now but for whatever reason, he's not. It's easy to tell how much he already loves Emily by the way he can't stop looking at her. Maybe telling Pacey was the right decision.
Carefully picking Emily up from her crib, Pacey cradles her sleeping form against him," Look at that, there's finally proof that I am not a complete screw up Jo."
Sitting beside Pacey on the couch, I place a kiss on Emily's forehead," There was never a time I thought that you were Pace."
" That makes one of us at least.", mutters Pacey in a gruff tone. By the look in his eyes, I know he's referring to our break-up. Do I wish Pacey would have confided in me more? Yeah, I do. Can I really hold it against him that he thought our relationship had an expiration date. What graduation just around the corner who knows what was going through his head. Do I think this gave Pacey the right to wreck me the way he did? Absolutely not, but I understand why he snapped the way he did now at least.
" Look, Pace...the only reason I kept her from you is because I didn't want to end up hurt again.", I relent feeling the slightest bit guilty. There is no reason for me to though, I did what I thought was right. Besides, Pacey is the one who walked out on me and left me to pick up the pieces. It was not the other way around. Now is not the time to play the blame game though. Now that Pacey knows the truth, I expect that he will want to be apart of Emily's life. This is perfectly fine with me so long as he does not break her little heart the way he did mine.
(Pacey's pov)
" It's understandable Jo, really. I'm not mad, I just...wish that I hadn't missed the first two years of her life.", I confess with a shake of my head. Giving Emily a small kiss on the forehead, I place her back in her crib. Huh, so in all of five minutes I became a father. Not something I thought that I would be at twenty years old. Guess that it is a good thing I basically own a restaurant and can afford to help Potter take care of our daughter without any difficulties. If only there were a way to work things out with Joey.
" Well, I took a ton of photos. Maybe I could show them to you?", questions Joey while leading me from Emily's room once more. Thankful that she has yet to ask me to leave, I only nod my agreement. Not sure what is going on right now. For the first time is what feels like forever though, Potter and I are actually getting along. It almost feels like old times again. The only difference is that we aren't together. God, how I wish that weren't the case. I would give almost anything to be able to hold Jo in my arms right about now.
Startled when Joey grabs two photo albums and settles into my arms, I tense briefly before hugging her close," I would love that Potter."
Opening the photo albums, Joey grins happily as she tells me about each photo," Bessie took a million pictures of me while I was pregnant, at the time I hated her. Now I am sort of glad that she did."
" You were still just as breath taking as ever Jo.", I confess in a gruff manner. It is the absolute truth too. Baby belly or not, Joey looks amazing. Hell, I only wish I had known. Not a day would have went by where I would have let Joey think otherwise. This girl is still my world even after all these years apart. What I wouldn't give for us to be able to put our differences and my stupidity aside and leave it in the past where it belongs. Jo might be in my arms now, but this won't last. She will finish showing me the photos and then I will have to leave.
" You must be blind then, I gained like fifteen pounds and was blown up like a balloon Witter. Not my most attractive moment in time.", argues Joey with a roll of her eyes. Laughing at her remark, I only offer a smile. Watching as Joey flips through the pictures, I smile at everyone of them. Bess really did not hold back, she snapped photos of Potter pregnant every chance she got. She even got some of Emily right after she was delivered. Wish that I could have been there holding Joey's hand through it all. I really missed out, all because of a stupid move on my part. Wonder what the chances are of Joey taking me back. We seem to be getting along. Could I stand a shot with her still?
" You must not see what I see whenever I look at you then Jo.", I whisper quietly with my mouth to her ear. Smirking to myself when I feel Joey shutter against me, I nudge my face into her neck. Who would have thought that I could still have such an effect on Joey. She still drives me wild, guess maybe those sort of feelings never truly go away. I can all but hear her heart racing in her chest. Mine is going about a mile a minute too. All I want to do is press my lips to Joey's. Not sure if she would let me though. This is torture right now.
" What exactly do you see when you look at me Pace?", questions Joey after a few minutes of silence. Is she kidding me right now? This girl is beyond beautiful, no one can hold a candle to her. Joey is smart, funny, quick witted, strong, outspoken, sexy and just all around amazing. This is part of the reason I fell for her so hard in the first place. It was never my intention to catch feelings for Joey either. Dawson just sort of shoved me toward her the day he asked me to look after her and that's when this whole mess began.
