Merry Christmas all. I hope you're all having a wonderful day. The kids are watching Star Wars so I've had a moment to post this. I realised yesterday that I have an extra chapter, so tomorrow will hopefully be the final part but I may need to split it into two.

Thank you for the reviews, especially on Christmas. I love reviews:-)

Tab :-)

Chapter 6

Pacey was in the kitchen with Jack making a coffee cake. He wasn't entirely sure why he was making a cake, but he'd been in a good mood all day and good moods always resulted in him baking. He knew the cause of his good mood and smiled widely every time he thought about it.

'What is with you man? You're disgustingly cheerful,' Jack gave him a scornful look.

'Just been a good couple of days,' Pacey cracked an egg and beat it into the mixture with his wooden spoon.

'Anything to do with all the damn mistletoe scattered around this place?' Jack asked astutely.

'Who have you been talking to?' Pacey gave him a look but lacked any inclination to make it serious,

'I may have heard Joey talking to Jen. Does this mean we can get rid of the douche?'

'Not exactly, and that douche is one of my best friends,' Pacey rolled his eyes.

'Joey didn't seem to be thinking about the douche much,' Jack murmured with an impish smile, 'just sayin' is all,' he shrugged and grinned at Pacey's obvious interest.

'So what did she say?'

'Just that you kissed her under the mistletoe.'

'That's it?' Pacey was incredibly disappointed.

'Maybe...' Clearly not.

'Jack!'

'Well I'm under the mistletoe...' he teased.

'Fine,' Pacey marched around to the other side of the breakfast bar and planted a kiss on Jack's mouth, 'now what else did she say?'

'Hmmm, something about you being sexy,' Jack stated and then smiled again, 'and I agree. She said you were a good kisser which I may need a little more to go on,' he looked at Pacey and arched his brows.

'Sorry buddy, though I'm pretty sure my brother is into you,' Pacey gave an exaggerated wink.

'And I'm into your brother,' Jack concurred.

'And Joey said...'

'Well at first it was just that and a lot of elaborate hand gestures, and then she came in during my shift today for the start of hers and it was like she was happy. Not Joey happy either but cloud 9 happy and when Jen called her on it she grinned and said "blame Pacey." Did you sleep with her because I'm not going to have you as my best friend if you sleep with my boyfriend.'

'Ok, firstly I'm an awesome best friend...I mean ask Joey,' he gave a cocky grin. 'Secondly, my brother might as well be your boyfriend and I've slept with him a ton of times just in bunk beds rather than in the kinky way.'

'I'm glad,' Jack laughed,

'Thirdly, Joey is only sort of with my best friend, but really who are we kidding after no contact for two months? It's over. I hope. And fourthly, no I didn't sleep with Joey. Well I slept with her but we didn't have sex.'

'She said to Jen that you're "the sexiest man alive" and that you can "make a girl come just by looking at her,"' Jack used his fingers to make the necessary quotes obvious.

'Really?' he might as well have been a chuffed puppy sticking out his chest.

'That's what I said,' Jack quipped.

'Oh hardy harr.'

'I think she's mad for you.'

'I think she's mad for my body and the effect it has on hers,' Pacey frowned slightly and resumed mixing his cake.

'You're her best friend. I know she tells me stuff and I know she tells Jen stuff, but you she tells everything.'

'And yet she's still with Dawson emotionally, well in a way, I mean not that we know if he's still with her,' his frown grew. 'I find the whole thing weird. Why doesn't he just dump the girl or be with her properly. What's with all this space business? And what's with her letting him get away with treating her like this?'

'Maybe... I mean maybe, he's like a security blanket. No risk with you if she's with him and so she won't quite let it go? She gets to explore things with you, but with out any true risk to your awesome friendship or your awesome living situation?'

'Maybe,' Pacey shrugged thinking it over. It was possible. He liked it as a possibility. 'And to clarify I didn't make her come just by looking at her,' he gave one of those smiles he'd been unable to keep off of his face all day. Jack grinned in return.

'So how is she squaring this hooking up, or whatever you want to call it, with having the sorta boyfriend?' Jack frowned.

'He kinda told her to "get help,"' Pacey shrugged.

'Huh?'

'Dawson can't make it work in the bedroom and he blames her. She blames herself too,' Pacey said, hissing the last words at the sound of the front door slamming echoed through the house. His eyes immediately moved to the entrance to the living room as she entered, she dumped her bag on the armchair and moved through the house stopping between the living room and dining room. His eyes flittered to the sprig of mistletoe in the doorway. The mistletoe she was stood right under. She smiled at him,

'Hey boys,' she sang softly, her eyes locked on Pacey's. His heart began a furious hammering and he took a step towards her. And she stared at him too, and she smiled, that soft sexy smiled of hers, that smile he felt was just for him. He smiled back until they were grinning at one another like inane idiots.

'You know what Potter?' he asked stepping again in her direction.

'What?' She arched a brow.

'You should be more careful,' he continued to walk toward her.

'And how's that?'

'You keep standing under that pesky mistletoe and you know, it's bad luck not to be kissed.'

'It is?' she smirked.

'Terrible luck,' he nodded seriously.

'Well maybe Jack could do the honours, you know, to ward off any christmas time curses.'

'Jack?' he gave her a sceptical look stopping right in front of her. 'It seems a shame to drag Jack all the way over here when I'm here already,' his badly behaved hand had somehow landed on her waist.

'It does, doesn't it?' her eyes fluttered and then, instigated by who knew who, they were kissing, hotly and wildly, every sensible thought gone from Pacey's brain. He was insanely turned on and his entire brain function was focussed on one thing - Joey.

'Huh hmmm,' Jacks third, loud, cough broke through the haze and their lips parted. Pacey sheepishly pulled his hand from up her sweater, and Joey removed hers from down the back of his pants. Jack gave them the widest smile.

'The girl was under the mistletoe,' Pacey shrugged nonchalantly shooting Joey a wink. 'You wanna come hang out?' he asked her gently.

'Sure, I'm going to shower then I'll be down,' she gave him a bashful nod.

'Good,' he caught her hand and squeezed it. 'It's always more fun when you're around.'

'Hey,' Jack admonished.

'It's true,' Pacey shrugged moving back to his cake and poured the mixture into a tin.

'You are the dumbest man alive,' Jack muttered as Joey's steps faded away.

'Oh, I know.'

All the awkward tension that had existed throughout the house after Pacey very first kissed Joey under the mistletoe was gone. Only now the entire house was filled with sexual tension so obvious Jack felt quite comfortable teasing them about it as they played cards and chattered.

'Lay one on me,' Jack stated asking for another card and then smirked, 'that's if you can resist laying one on her,' he waggled his eyebrows at Joey.

'You know what Jack? I think maybe it's time you went home,' Joey tilted her head sympathetically.

'Why? So Pacey can rub his hand all over your bare leg in private?' Jack grinned as Pacey reluctantly removed his hand from her thigh.

'You're on in 6 hours. I think it would be neglectful to not get a proper sleep,' Joey looked at him innocently.

'Would it now?'

'Yes, I think so.'

'She's right man,' Pacey backed the girl up.

'Oh, in that case I should go,' Jack grinned widely looking quite amused.

'Yeah, I'm kind of tired too,' Pacey yawned dramatically, and laughing Jack headed out, tossing light hearted innuendo ridden comments in his wake.

Pacey looked at Joey and smiled. She flushed a delightful red and looked down.

'That cake was delicious,' she said at length getting up and gathering beer bottles for the recycling.

'Hmmm, I felt in the mood to bake,' he shrugged clearing the plates to the dishwasher. He frowned because the awkward variety of tension was back. What now, he asked himself? He'd made her come, proven her normal, really she didn't need him, not if what they were doing was practice and not sort of cheating, or not all for another guy at the least. Pacey didn't believe in cheating and given what Joey had told him about her father, he was pretty certain that she didn't approve either. That realization made his heart ache, because it emphasized how she saw their interlude the night before. It wasn't connected to feelings for him, it was practice, practice so she could sleep with Dawson. If she considered her relationship to Dawson over, then he could hope, but he didn't know and neither did she. If it was practice because Dawson was who she wanted - even after his awful behaviour, how was he supposed to feel? Dawson hadn't ended things, but he'd been so distant that Pacey didn't think Joey was cheating, but if she wanted him back then what they'd been doing was literally just practice and that hurt. He didn't want it to be about helping her, he wanted it to be about him and her and being together. His thoughts were jumbled and confused. He slammed the dishwasher shut,

'I'm heading to bed. Sleep well,' he murmured without making eye contact and headed up the stairs. He showered, brushed his teeth and feeling suddely deflated and depressed headed into his room. He'd learnt with Sophie that love like this was a bad idea. After losing his beloved niece, being in the hospital had given him a lot of time to make vows, vows to never put his heart in such a position again. He swore off relationships, he vowed to never have children, he didn't think his heart could cope with a second shock. Then Joey had waltzed into his life and into his home, and then of course into every atom of his being. His head and his heart were full of her and he felt the same vulnerability he had after he lost Sophie. He felt that Joey was worth the risk, every second with Sophie had been worth the agony of her loss. He didn't doubt the same was true of a Joey, he just wasn't sure what shape he'd be in by the end. Losing Sophie nearly killed him, sending into a spiral of depression and self loathing that he'd worked incredibly hard to escape. Joey warmed the hollows he had inside.

He'd been sat in bed contemplating life for only five minutes when there was a soft tap on the door.

'What's up Jo?' he called without moving still undecided about what he was doing when he came to her. Really he knew, he'd do whatever she wanted because he loved her and that was how he worked.

'Can I come in?' she asked, her voice soft and hesitant.

'Sure,' he closed his book as she entered, shifting from foot to foot in the doorway.

'Are you mad at me?' she asked at length clearly nervous.

'Mad at you? Not at all,' he told her honestly.

'It's just that after Jack left you got all cold, all distant...'

'Why would I be mad at you?' he asked with a smile and she took a hesitant step into the room.

'Because I made you kiss and touch me, and maybe I didn't consider that you might not really want to?'

'Oh I wanted to,' he said boldly and she bit her lip.

'I want to touch you too,' the words tumbled out. 'I want to touch you all over, touch you like you touched me and that's scary because I've never felt like that,' she rushed the words but didn't break eye contact.

'Well I know you, so I know how that feels.'

'You want to touch me too?' she asked, her hands worrying each other.

'I do. But you're with Dawson - aren't you?' he shrugged, sick to death of the mans name, sick to death of his game playing, of his stupid existence.

'Am I?' she frowned uncertainly.

'I don't think the situation between you is clear enough. You still feel tied to him. You're still with him emotionally, at least in some way. That's what you've said and if that's true then there's a line.'

'You touched me yesterday,' she attempted and Pacey wondered how much more his wounded soul could take.

'You asked me for help,' he said simply, 'outside of that you're not mine to touch and that's whether you're together or not. Dawson wouldn't forgive me for touching his ex girlfriend. I know him.'

'But you kissed me,' she protested, her eyes glassy, 'when I came home.'

'You were under the mistletoe,' he defended.

'Oh,' she backed out looking unsure and he couldn't stand it.

'Joey,' he called after her, she looked up hopefully.

'Yes?'

'You're my best friend,' he shook his head. 'I can't fuck up that.'

'I know,' she hesitated and stared at him. 'I promise nothing can ruin that. But Pace...' she was looking at him, head tilted to one side and he knew he must be looking at her with unadulterated longing. He wanted her so badly.

'Yeah?'

'I think I might need more... practice?' she shifted from foot to foot, her eyes dangerously dark. 'More... help.'

'You do?' he gave her a frown but his body reacted despite his minds best attempts to remain noble and he was pretty sure she could see that.

'Yes,' she nodded and licked her lips. 'I know the situation is weird, but...' she sighed and he saw the honest vulnerability.

'But?' he encouraged, his eyes raking over her.

'I'm getting somewhere. Yesterday, for the first time in my life I enjoyed what other people take for granted. There's something between us Pace - our bodies...they work together... and I'm so... relieved,' she stared at him , 'so please...can I stay? Can... can I please?' and she stared at him. After a moment, almost imperceptibly he nodded. She gave him a small nervous smile and then with shaking hands pulled at the belt of her dressing gown and let it slip off her shoulders. She looked down uncertainly at her panties and tank and then shimmied out of her panties and peeled off her tank until she was naked. Beautifully, gloriously naked and staring at him with half lidded eyes and teeth biting her plump bottom lip.

'Fuck,' he muttered the curse word yet again, his hands itching to touch her. 'Come 'ere,' he urged. Cautiously she climbed onto the bed looking apprehensive but he merely opened his arms to her and drew her up against his bare chest. She made a soft noise, almost like a purr, that soothed him inside because whatever she wanted to think, this couldn't be all about practice, about getting help. At least he really hoped it wasn't. His hand ran down her bare spine, fingers tracing the bumps until they reached the smooth curve of her bottom, rising up in soft, curved, deliciousness. He groaned, a deep wretched sound of wanting. She responded to his groan, her body arching into his, feeding off his desire. With an inhuman willpower he didn't know he possessed he pulled his hands from her, the warm, wetness between her legs rubbing against his thigh possibly the biggest turn on of his life and yet he shifted away.

'Please touch me,' she complained with a moan.

'I wanna watch you touch yourself,' he practically begged, his eyes trailing over the naked form of her in his bed, lingering between her legs. His tongue darted out to lick his lips.

'Will you help me?' she asked and he nodded and pulled her so she was sitting on his lap, her butt on his significant hard on, her legs in front of them, hers lying between his, her bare back to his chest. It was strange, he though wryly, that not having sex could be more erotic than having sex. His right hand rested on her flat stomach whilst he took hold of her left hand with his, ghosting it up her ribs to cup her boob, he squeezed a little because even though her hand was beneath his, he was aware he had the control. Her moan fed his lust and like before he used his other hand to guide hers between her legs, his thumb rubbing hers against her clit, shifting her bottom so his hard length was under the naked heat, and with each plunge of her finger and his inside of her, she shifted and the effect of her nakedness running over him was incredible.

'Pacey,' his name on her lips was a breathy moan, her head thrown back and turned so her hot breath fanned across his neck. It was too much. It was all too much and with a near feral groan he pushed her hand aside and put his there in its place, pushing one and then two fingers into her, his thumb claiming her clit as its own, his hips lifting with a small thrust against her behind, his other hand releasing hers, pushing it aside and then claiming the soft pliant flesh as his. He turned his head and found her lips waiting for him. Within moments her body was arching into his hand, her breath short and shallow until she came loudly, calling his name - his name - her whole body curving away from his, before she collapsed in shattered mess back on top of him. He pressed a kiss to her head and wrapped his arms possessively around her, leaning forward to pull his duvet over them.

'You got a little handsy,' she said at length clearly amused, 'and your hand is sooo much better than mine,' her face turned and she pressed a sloppy kiss to his neck.

'Yeah...' he murmured bashfully. 'I got a little...um... needy. You're too sexy...'

'It made me feel really good,' she told him, 'it turns me on to know that I turn you on.'

'You really turn me on,' he breathed into her ear, unable to resist nipping the lobe.

'Mmmm,' she moaned and shifted off of him turning before her hands were trailing down his stomach and tugging his boxers over his hips until he sprung free.

'Joey,' he protested.

'Please Pacey,' she begged and the sight of her looking up at him with pleading eyes had him giving a quick nod. Without hesitation she took him in her hand, the soft coolness contrasting with the heat. His whole body arched into her touch, a muttered expletive passing his lips. Apparently Joey was very at home with this type of sexual behaviour, her mouth descending on him to wreak complete havoc with his nervous system. It felt quite honestly divine, and he was wound up so tight with unspent desire that he came undone relatively quickly.

'I'm going to come,' he tried to warn, his voice rasping as his fingers threaded through her hair. She didn't stop though, didn't pull back and when he came it was a beautiful, blissful orgasm, his hips jerking toward her, her mouth still hot around him, his whole body searing with warmth and pleasure. His head fell against the headboard, and he felt rather than saw her swallow. He felt the soft kiss she gave to him, before she scooted up the bed and rested her head against his chest. His arm wrapped around her, securing her tightly to him.

'You're...um... rather good at that,' his voice was barely above a whisper. She laughed softly,

'Well I'm not much fun if I can't do anything,' she admitted.

'You're always fun to talk to,' he kissed her head, 'and to look at,' he added and smirked at her when she looked up at him.

'Can I sleep here?' she asked tentatively and he rejoiced inwardly at a second night with her in his bed, his orgasm draining his earlier concerns away, at least for the time being.

'Please,' he murmured into her hair as he shuffled down to lie beside her.

Pacey was woken by something soft against his cheek. It took him a couple of moments to realise Joey was placing soft, butterfly kisses there. When his eyelids fluttered open she smiled and pressed a mint between his lips before rolling on top of him and kissing him. His hand moved to the nape of her neck, holding her in place, relishing in the feel of her still entirely naked body on top of his, especially with the way she was moving against his turned on self.

'Pace,' it sounded like a question, so he opened his lust closed eyes and looked at her.

'What's up?'

'Well...' she turned bright red and his brow furrowed.

'Well what?'

'I...there was this guy back home when I was a teenager. He was the nearest I had to a friend and I thought I was in love with him. I thought he was so gorgeous. So when he asked me out I said yes. He took me on a few really nice dates. It wasn't even like were together and then he convinced me to sleep with him, except when it came to it...it just didn't work.'

'Joey,' he began to feel panicked, an inkling of what she might be asking taking root.

'And then there was this guy at med school. I was out with friends and we were all drunk after some big exam. This guy, he was on the course and we started kissing and whatever. He just expected it and I thought why not? I mean why not, but I freaked out. I mean I didn't feel it and when he tried to you know it just hurt. And then with Dawson.'

'Don't ask,' he shook his head.

'Pacey I want you to have sex with me,' she looked entirely innocent. 'Please.'

'Jo, come here,' he patted the space beside him and she reluctantly moved off of him and into the space. 'I don't think you have any idea quite how much I want to sleep with you, you probably wouldn't ask if you did. But I feel like it's crossing a line,' he tucked a strand of errant hair behind her ear.

'But I don't think I can ever have sex with Dawson or anyone, not if I haven't...' she trailed off, despair written on her face.

'But don't you get it? I don't want to have sex with you so you can have sex with Dawson.'

'I've been thinking about Dawson and I just don't think I want...' she began but he cut her off,

'I don't want to have sex with you so you can go and have sex with anyone else. I don't want you to have sex with anyone else. Ever.'

'I don't understand,' she looked down at the bed sheets.

'You know for a bright girl you can be really daft sometimes,' he muttered.

'Pacey,' she actually sounded irritated and he nearly laughed, if only it weren't all such a pile of horse shit. It was another now or never moment and he seized the now.

'I want to have sex with you. Then I want to have sex with you again and again, and not so you can go off and have sex with another guy, but because I love you. And if I have sex with you, I want you to want to have sex with me again and again because I want you to love me too. So you see I can't help anymore. It isn't just practice, it's a whole lot more, for me anyway. I'm not asking anything from you. I'm not asking you to choose, but it's christmas and well not saying anything - that just isn't who I am.'

'You love me?' she echoed, her eyes wide.

'I'm in love with you, in love with every bit of you, the argumentative feminist, the sassy drunk, the medical professional, the goofy friend I eat pizza on the sofa with. I love the way you're oblivious to anything but coffee and chocolate when you're stressed and how you roll your eyes when something's obvious or bite your lip when you're nervous. You're so freakin' moralistic but I love that too. You give me goddamned butterflies.'

'Pacey,' her voice was soft, almost pleading and so he looked at her.

'It's ok, you're in a confusing situation. With my best friend. I get that. But I can't help you,' with a wretched look over her naked form sat next to him, he turned abruptly and got out of bed. 'I mean...I really... I can't. You should go,' he smiled kindly and leaning over ran a thumb along her cheek, and then like the coward he'd always seen himself as he practically ran from his room and into the bathroom.

Joey had left his room by the time he got out of the bathroom. He heard her shower and leave for the hospital as he hid in his bedroom, feeling depressed and pathetic. He wouldn't see Joey now until the end of her shift the next day, a few hours before their part. He so didn't want a party.

Work was incredibly busy which he decided was lucky since he was entirely preoccupied by thoughts of Joey, emotional and physical. He was a bit of a mess, in truth, unable to properly cook, serve or manage, but it was his restaurant so no one called him on it, his staff merely picked up the slack. It was toward the end of his late shift when Jen came in, hauling herself up onto a barstool.

'Hey,' he gave her a half hearted smile.

'You broke Joey,' Jen stated with a frown as he poured her a glass of wine.

'I think you'll find she broke me.'

'Ok I'll give you the oblivious thing. Joey hadn't got a clue you were in love with her when anybody could have told her that. In fact, Jack and I did because come on?'

'This isn't helping,' he scowled.

'Pacey you shocked her.'

'So what do you suggest I do? Avoid her? I've managed that since I ran away like an idiot but it's not gonna be easy to continue considering we live together.'

'I'm not saying avoid her,' Jen interrupted. 'For gods sake, please don't avoid her.'

'Well I wasn't really planning on continuing with that strategy, after all we're throwing a party together tomorrow night.'

'Pacey, stop being bitter,' Jen ordered. 'Firstly, you didn't even give her a chance to think or respond. Secondly, I think she's already yours but if for any reason she hesitates then fight for her. I don't think it's a coincidence that you're her best friend and the one man she thinks is most attractive in all the world. She wants you more than her sortof dickhead boyfriend.'

'So fight for her?'

'And give her a bit of time. Just because it takes her a while to realize how she feels, doesn't mean she doesn't feel it.'

'Ok,' he nodded feeling a glimmer of hope, 'yeah, you're right.'

'Could you steal a girl from your best friend?' Jen arched a brow.

'Normally no,' he shook his head, 'but Joey isn't just any girl.'

'Good,' Jen smiled, seemingly satisfied.

'I'm not going to see her until a few hours before the party?'

'Well make it a good reunion,' Jen suggested.