doggiesrule147 - glad you like the story. I'm going to have couples - one of those couples becomes clear in this chapter. I'm also going to have one other pairing but I'm not saying who it is. Thanks for the review

baha - thanks for the review. Hope you continue to enjoy it!

joshysgirl - thanks for the encouragement. Always nice to know people are reading the story!

Joey's POV:

"Wish you had stayed here with me," Eddie said. I hadn't been on the road more than ten minutes when my cell phone had rang. I hadn't been surprised to see Eddie's number on the screen he hadn't wanted me to go to Capeside this weekend. This was the second time he had called me claiming he needed some cheering up before he went into work.

We had finally decided to give our relationship another try. Both of us had done a lot of maturing since the first breakup and whether I wanted to admit it or not, I had missed him. Eddie had been the first guy who really challenged me. Who had forced me to take a real good look at myself and decide if that was the kind of person I wanted to be or not. I never felt that when I was with Dawson or Pacey.

I felt like Dawson was always trying to hold me back. He was in love with the relationship that we had grown up with. That brother and sister type of relationship that both of us had twisted into believing it was true love but it hadn't been. Could never be no matter how hard we tried. Yes we were soul mates in a way. Our lives were so intertwined with one another that I knew no matter what we would always be friends, but we weren't destined for one another. I think we had both finally come to that realization.

While Pacey had never held me back, I also felt that he never challenged me in the way Eddie did. Pacey supported me. Encouraged me to chase my dreams. Being with Pacey I had felt invincible because I knew if I fell he would be there to catch me. While that was a nice feeling, it wasn't what I wanted. I wanted someone who would force me to grow as a person. Who would force me to see reality even if I didn't want to.

That was Eddie. I could always count on him to be honest with me. Yes his honesty might hurt at times, but he made me think. Challenged me. That was what I had left Capeside to find and find it I did. Not only at college but in the work place and now in my personal life.

"Everyone is going to there."

"Including Pacey and that Dog guy."

"Dawson."

"Yeah him," Eddie said.

"Are you jealous?"

"Who me? Why would I be jealous?"

"Because your girlfriend is spending a weekend with two ex-boyfriends."

"Yeah, but you chose me. I'm the winner."

"That you are," I told him. "So what are you doing for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow?" I asked him hoping that he wouldn't be spending alone.

"Mrs. Calloway, the widow next door, invited me over for dinner tomorrow with her two daughters and their family. She said it was the least she could do to repay her for all the help I had given her since moving in.

"That sure was nice of her."

Mrs. Calloway was sixty-three years old. Since moving into his apartment a month ago, Eddie had fixed a leaking faucet and a hole in the wall that had been there since she moved in. Things the superintendent should have had fixed but always seemed to "forget". Eddie and I had also started doing her weekly grocery shopping for her, as carrying the groceries up three flights of steps was a struggle for the elderly woman.

"She invited you two but I told her you had plans with your own family. She told me to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving."

"Do the same for me, when you see her tomorrow," I told him.

"I will. Well, I'll let you go. I don't want to distract you from your driving. Call me when you get home just to let me know you got there okay."

"I will Eddie. I love you."

"Love you too. Bye."

I reached over and disconnected the call feeling a tiny bit disappointed. Part of me wanted to stay in the city with Eddie but then I also wanted to see Bessie, Bodie, Alexander and everyone. This get together had been planned over a month ago. Before Eddie had even walked back into my life.

I had thought about asking Eddie to join me but then decided against it. Except for Jen, no one even knew Eddie and I were even talking to one another again. I hadn't talked to Eddie since our breakup back in college. There had been times since that I had thought about him, but never thought he'd ever be back in my life again. I had gotten the surprise of my life when a friend of mine and myself had walked into the Longhorn Bar on a Friday night and saw Eddie behind the bar. I had almost walked right back out but Melody hadn't let me. She told me I couldn't just run away. That I should face my pass.

It hadn't been as awkward as I had thought it would be. Eddie was just as surprised to see me as I had him. We had talked some that night. I told him what I was doing and he filled me in on his life. He had moved to the city after an old highschool friend of his, who was an editor for the New York Times, had managed to get an article of his published in the newspaper. The guys boss had offered Eddie a free lance position with the newspaper so Eddie had moved to the city to be closer to the newspaper. He knew if he could impress enough people with his free lance work that he would have a chance to get a job as a regular reporter if not with the Times one of the other newspapers. He had taken the bar tending job to bring in some extra money.

One thing had led to another, and before I knew it we were talking about getting back together. I had called Jen a couple times to talk things out, needing someone's opinion on what I should do. Even Jen didn't know that Eddie and I were officially a couple again. Springing him on everyone this weekend would have been awkward. Not to mention I didn't know how Dawson and Pacey would take it and preferred to tell them about us before they saw us together.

I turned on the radio, wanting some music for company for the rest of my trip home. I was't that far out and knew I would soon be seeing the welcome to Capeside sign. As much as I had always wanted out of Capeside, I had to admit it felt good going back there now.

Jack's POV:

I glanced up at the clock. The kids were getting out at one o'clock today and it was five minutes of. We had spent the class period reading some of the current book we were reading - Charles Dicken's Great Expectations. I didn't want to waste a class period and I knew that none of them would even look at the book over the Thanksgiving break.

"Okay Kelly, that's enough," I told the girl who was currently reading out loud. "Seeing as there is only a few minutes left of class, I want to give you all your homework assignment."

As I expected, all the students groaned. Getting homework over a vacation was never fun.

"Your homework is . . ." I was deliberately dragging it out as I tried to keep the smile off of my face, "to have fun this weekend. Enjoy your break guys."

The students all sighed with relief, happy that I hadn't actually given them homework. "Hang out in here until the bell rings. I don't want to get in trouble for letting you roam the halls," I told them.

As conversations broke out around me, I walked around my desk and sat down behind it. Putting my copy of the novel in my bag and pulling out the papers from the quiz I had given yesterday. I wanted to try and finish grading them before I headed home tonight. The plan was to be able to hand them back on Monday and somehow I didn't see getting much work done this weekend with everybody being in tow.

I got three questions on the first quiz graded before the bell rang. I paused, watching the kids leave the classroom, saying good-bye to the ones who weren't still busy with their own conversations. As the last student left the room, I went back to grading the quizes.

"Working hard?" I heard not too long later. The voice startled me and I jumped which of course only made the intruder laugh.

"Damn, Jen what are you trying to do give me a heart attack?" I asked her looking up at her. I could see the huge grin on her face.

"Well hello to you too Jack."

I stood up and walked over to her, pulling her close to me. Man I had missed her. If I was straight there would be know way I would let anyone else have a chance with her. No matter what it took I would make sure the girl was mine. But alas, she just wasn't my type.

"I've missed you," I whispered.

"I've missed too," she told me.

"How is Grams?" I asked finally letting her go.

"She's good. She's unpacking at the B & B. Me, I figured unpacking could wait. I had to come surprise you."

"That you did," I told her.

"How long you going to be?" she asked.

"Well, I wanted to finish grading these quizzes before leaving but I probably won't be able to concentrate. Let me clean this place up and gather everything up and we'll cut out. Have you eaten lately?"

"Not since breakfast."

"How about we drop in at Leery's Fresh Fish. Pacey's cooking and Andie was suppose to meet me there after she got settled in at the apartment anyway."

"Sounds like a plan," Jen said. "Here I'll even help you out by erasing the boards.

Ten minutes later, we were walking out of Capeside High, and heading toward Leery's Fresh Fish leaving our cars in the highschool parking lot. The restaurant was crowded when we walked in.

"I see a couple spots at the bar," I told Jen. "That okay with you."

"It's fine."

We make our way over to the bar and sit down.

"Hi guys! What can I get for you?" a familiar voice asks but not one I expected to hear coming from behind the bar.

"What are you doing here Dawson?" I asked.

"Better question is who was crazy enough to let you bartend?" Jen asked jokingly from beside me.

"One of the perks of being the owner's son," Dawson replied to Jen's question. "As for the first question, I caught an early flight. The afternoon bartender called out and Mom can't find a replacement so she drafted me. So what can I get for you?"