A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed our last chapter! Sorry this chapter took some time, school has been crazy to say the least. Hope you enjoy the new chapter! Please please please read and review!

The sight that greeted Gerry as he entered room was one that didn't completely make his heart jump for joy but at least it was better than his first view of the Witters. The first time he had seen them they were ready to throw daggers at each other. But now there was a sense of calm in the room. Gerry didn't know if it was a sustainable calm or the calm before the storm. Mr Witter was standing up and looking outside the window with his left arm leaning against it.

Mrs Witter was sitting on the couch reading a medical magazine about autism but Gerry caught her glancing at her husband regularly. His presence wasn't known until he coughed. Both Joey and Pacey jumped slightly but recovered quickly

" I thought you were never coming back," Pacey said with a slight smile.

"Must have been all the tea I had" replied Gerry. He reminded himself not to drink so much tea as it was making him feel drowsy and have the need to use the bathroom so much.

"So…did the two of you have a chance to talk about your…situation?"

Both looked away from Gerry and he sighed, "Okay let's get back to what we were doing."

He sat down in his chair and crossed his legs and brought his clipboard to his lap and brought his fingertips together. "Right…" he began uncertainly. Both Pacey and Joey stared at him blankly and Gerry shook his head. "Oh come on, we've just made real progress here don't you think we should be moving forward not staying put!"

Still all he got was blank stares. He sighed and decided to proceed with small talk. He noticed that Mrs Witter had been stroking her stomach throughout his rant.

"So how many weeks left?" he said inclining his head to Joey's stomach.

"Oh…about six weeks," she replied with a warm smile spreading across her face.

"Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?" he asked with a grin, it was comforting to know that both Mr and Mrs Witter had broken out of their self pitying stage.

"Well…mister over here thinks it's a boy…-"

"What do you mean think it's a boy," Pacey interrupted "with the way it kicks it has to be a boy!"

Joey rolled her eyes and shared a secret smile with Gerry. Gerry was glad that he was finally on track and all he had to do was use small talk.

"So you must be excited about becoming a mother," Gerry suggested to Joey. Suddenly it was as if a light had gone off in her eyes and Joey averted her gaze to the floor.

Gerry knew she had retreated somewhere back in her memories and neither he or her husband could reach her.

Emptiness. That was all she could feel, emptiness. The creek had lost its beauty to her. It didn't seem like the fantastical place she had grown up in. Everywhere she looked she felt a sharp stab inside her.

She looked at the porch chairs in front of her house, which was where she and her mum had their private talks when no one else was allowed. Joey could hear her mother's voice in her head.

It was so real that Joey nearly turned around to see if her mother was there. But she knew nothing was there except air.

"What's wrong Jo? You know you can always talk to me."

If only that was true. Joey then turned to the rowboat, the one her father had bought so that the family always had a way across the creek, and a sense of nostalgia hit her.

Remembering how she and her mother used to have their special picnics on that boat. They would row right out into the middle of the creek where no one could reach them. They were cut off from the whole world.

In the winter her mother would always bring blankets so that they could be warm. She would also bring hot chocolate so that she and Joey could drink in the warmth.

In the summer Joey's mother would always bring Joey's favourite, cookies-n-cream ice cream. They would both wait till the ice cram was near melting point then they would dig their spoons in and let the thick creamy choc chips dissolvein their mouths.

Joey wished she had some of that ice cream at that moment but Bessie had been too busy to pick it up at the store.

"God Jo, the world doesn't revolve around you!"

That was the opposite of how Joey felt. She wished she could shut the whole world out. She wished for so many things but the one thing she wanted the most was to have her mother back.

"Mom," she choked silently. The tears trickled down her face slowly but gradually she sobbed into her hands. "Why did she have to go? Why her?" she asked herself angrily. Joey knew she was ill but who ever imagines a life without a mother? Mothers take care of you when you're ill or upset… they give you advice when you're stuck or confused… they act as a friend when you need a hand or a talk. Most importantly they shower you with unconditional love whenever, wherever, however.

She wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve. She hated crying, she hated being weak. Her eyes were sore and she felt cold sitting on her own at the edge of her dock.

She didn't want to go inside yet otherwise that would mean going into a kitchen that used to be filled with a smell of warmth but that was now hollow and dank. It would mean that her mother's room would be there, empty.

It would also mean facing her father and her sister. She wasn't ready yet.

She was hoping that Dawson would be coming soon. She just wanted to forget reality and get transported into a world of fantasy and adventure. Her hope was soon restored when in the distance she could see a faint blonde head coming up the creek.

She wiped her eyes, even though Dawson had seen her cry before. She stood up, her heart bating faster and faster, finally someone that could help her forget the memories and the pain.

Then she saw a head of dark hair. Of course the cretin had to come. He was so pathetic he had nothing better to do. She was not in the mood for his teasing. She was just going to ignore him and just focus on the fact that Dawson was here for her.

Dawson leapt out of the boat onto the dock. He ran to Joey and embraced her in a strong bear hug. However she didn't cry into him. Her crying was reserved only for her mother. Dawson reached for her head and clung to it. A sign that he was there for her.

A simple gesture told everything and this was a time that Dawson knew that words were helpless. And there they stood just being them. Dawson and Joey.

"Oohh, Dawson and Joey sittin' in a tree, H-U-G-G-I-N-G."

And just like that the couple had become a trio. Joey broke away from Dawson and glared at him. How could he have brought that cretin along when it was their time? Dawson hung his head, wincing from Joey's piercing stare.

"Ah, you don't have to stop because of me. I'll just be keeping my distance and vomiting," said Pacey breaking the silence.

"Now's not the time Pace," Dawson replied quietly. Pacey stared blankly at his friend and turned to Joey, who was looking down and chewing on her lip furiously.

"So Josephine. What's new today? I see you have a new look. I didn't know red puffy eyes were the new trend," Pacey smirked.

"You know what? Why don't you go into a dark room and wait for your brain to grow? Then you can make better use of your time," Joey fired back.

"Oh, that really hurts Josephine," Pacey feigned hurt status "Not very lady-like don't you think? Maybe you could learn to be a real girl from Bessie or your mom," he chuckled "though you could never be like your mom."

Joey raised her head and looked directly at Pacey and raised her fist. He awaited the beatings but they never came. Instead something worse happened.

"I hate you! And I never want to see you again!" Joey said in her coldest and most menacing voice. Suddenly she started to cry. Hot tears pricked at her eyes. She tried to hold them back but she ended up choking on them.

She was sobbing and the tears were streaming down her face. Dawson tried to reach for her hand but she pushed him away. She turned away from the boys; one that was able to push the pain down and the other with just a flick could bring all that pain to rise up to the surface.

Dawson watched Joey run towards her house. He winced as the door slammed.

"I can never understand that girl. I only told her the usual thing I say to her," Pacey said breaking the silence once again. Dawson turned slowly and Pacey could see that he had taken Joey's side again. Pacey sighed. He had always stood up for Dawson whenever anyone offended him. Why couldn't he do it for Pacey?

"What you said was out of order Pace," Dawson replied sternly. Pacey just sighed again. A sigh that was so familiar whenever Joey was involved.

"Ah come on. This sort of thing happens everyday. What's so wrong about it now?" Pacey asked with frustration in his voice.

"Because Joey's mom died yesterday!" Dawson shouted. He liked Pacey a lot. He was like a brother to him but sometimes he could be a real ass. Pacey's face fell. He looked down at his shoes. It was as if all his confidence and bravado had been sucked out of him.

"I…I didn't know," Pacey whispered.

"Yeah well, next time think before you say something," Dawson replied, though less angry as he should have told Pacey before taking him to visit Joey.

"I'm gonna see Joey now," Dawson said quietly and he walked slowly towards the Potter house. Pacey was left alone. He sighed and looked towards Joey's bedroom window.

"Go away!" was the reply Dawson got when he knocked on Joey's door. He had come upstairs to her room in the hope of reuniting his two best friends. However in a situation like this he wasn't sure that a quiet friendly word was going to work.

He sighed. "Come on Jo, let me in. I just want to talk."

"That cretin isn't with you is he?" Joey asked suspicious.

"Jo, Pacey does have common sense even if he lacks some intelligence," Dawson replied, feeling guilty about insulting his friend behind his back just to get into Joey's good books.

The door opened a fraction and Dawson could see Joey's eyes registering the hallway, just in case Pacey was lurking around the corner. Dawson raised his eyebrows and folded his arms. It was always hard for Joey to trust other people even if they were her one and only best friend in the whole wide world.

The door creaked open and Dawson stepped into the room Joey shared with her sister. It was easy to tell which side of the room belonged to which sister. The half closest to the door was slightly messy, t-shirts lay on the floor and askew socks were scattered across the desk. There were a few posters of bands and TV shows plastered across the wall. Dawson knew this was Bessie's side.

Joey's half of the room was the complete opposite. Everything was in order and neat. The only picture on the wall was of her and her mother. Her mother was smiling and hugging Joey. Joey caught Dawson staring at it and went to take the picture down. She placed in her desk drawer and slammed it shut. She sat on her bed and glared at him.

"Sorry," Dawson said quietly "It's a good picture."

"It was a good picture," Joey replied darkly. Dawson sat down on Bessie's bed opposite Joey.

"I wouldn't if I were you," Joey said deadpan. Dawson rose up quickly, remembering the last time he had sat on Bessie's bed. He shuddered. He pulled the desk chair out from under the desk and placed it in front of Joey and sat down on it and smiled at her.

Joey leaned towards him and he could see that she had been crying a lot. The smile left his lips immediately.

"Look Pacey didn't know I swear. He just thought it was another normal day," he said reproachfully. Joey didn't answer, she couldn't be bothered. Dawson got up and sat down next to her. She tried to move away but he placed his hand around her shoulder firmly so that she couldn't move any further.

Although Joey liked it whenever he was close to her she didn't like it when it was against her will.

"Let go of me Dawson," she said through gritted teeth.

"Jo, you can be angry but vent your anger at the right person. I don't know who that person is but it's not Pacey or yourself."

Joey looked up at him and wrapped her arms around him. She needed him but she also needed to talk to that other boy that was waiting outside. Joey buried her head into Dawson's neck but like before she didn't cry in front of him.

Pacey sat at the end of the Potter's dock with his chin cupped in his hands. His legs were dangling above the creek and his eyebrows were furrowed. He thought about Joey and her mother. Joey's mom had always been caring towards him.

When Joey had once nearly pushed him under the dark murky waters of the creek, Lillian Potter had dove in and hauled him out of the water silently praying to God that the young boy would live while scolding her daughter for doing such a wicked thing.

Pacey also remembered he would often see Joey and her mother in their little rowing boat having a picnic in the middle of the creek when he went fishing with his sister Gretchen. Sometimes Pacey wished he could be in that boat with them.

One thing that had always confused Pacey was that he never received love from his own parents but his friend's parents treated him like their own son. And now one of those people that appreciated him for who he was had gone. To top that off he had lost one of his best friends all because of his big mouth.

Pacey swore at himself and ducked his head down feeling even more depressed that he had lost Joey as a friend. "She was annoying," the thought but she was always there to bring him back to his senses. He almost felt like crying. At times he was arrogant, cocky and a general pain in the neck but right now he felt sensitive, upset, and downright stupid.

Suddenly there was a creak on the dock. Pacey lifted his head slowly and turned towards the sound. There stood Joey. She was chewing her lip; a sign Pacey knew that meant she was nervous. She looked pale and her eyes were red.

Pacey stood up slowly and jammed his hands into the pockets of his shorts. He walked slowly toward her, his head bowed. His mouth felt dry. He didn't know what to say.

"I…I'm sorry," he said finally looking at her in the eyes. Joey nodded. Pacey raised his arm to pat her on the shoulder. Joey stood looking into his ocean blue eyes and she just couldn't do it anymore. She couldn't keep up this pretence any more. It just hurt too much. She was so angry with her mother for leaving her that she broke down.

Pacey's heart melted. He watched as Joey shook so violently but at the same time she seemed so vulnerable. He instinctly grabbed her and pulled her to his chest. Joey rested her heads against his shoulder, collapsing into her as if a large weight had been liftsed of her shoulder. She knew he wouldn't mock as he had once shared the pain of what parents could do to you. Pacey slowly wrapped his arms around her, nervously and with apprehension. He felt Joey relax in his arms. She knew she was safe here.

There they stood with the sound of Joey's pain blending into the sound of the strong breeze surrounding them as time moved past them but that moment standing still in time.

"Joey! Joey!" Pacey called to her but he seemed a million miles away.

"Mrs Witter are you okay? Here drink this it might make you feel better," a voice echoed around her.

Pacey grasped her shoulders and bent down so that his eye level met with hers. Joey found she was swimming in his deep blue-ocean eyes. Pacey shook her slightly and called to her name more softly "Joey, it's me Pacey can you hear me?"

Joey took a sip of water and Pacey's voice became clearer. She looked at his face and could see the worry etched into it. She turned to her right and found Mr Walsh kneeling down by her looking very concerned.

She turned back to Pacey and started to sob. Pacey grasped her tightly and he could hear she was mumbling something into his chest. "What? What was that?" he asked softly, pulling back so he could see her tear strained face.

"I…can't…do…it," she said through gulps of air.

"You can't do what Jo?" Pacey asked with urgency in his voice.

"I… can't…be…a…mother," she replied "even… you… said… so."

Gerry looked a t Pacey in surprise but Pacey ignored him, he kept his eyes on Joey.

"When did I say that?" Pacey asked, confusion lacing his tone.

"It…was…when…my…mother…died. You…said…I…could…never…be…like…my…mom"

Pacey frowned but the he remembered and looked at Joey slightly hurt that she would remember that part of the history where Pacey had been a total jackass.

"Yeah but I was a stupid kid back then. I didn't know what I was saying. Hey!" he had let his right hand loose from Joey's shoulder, and brought it to cup her chin so she could look at him "I think you'll be a great mother and I have always wanted you to be the mother of my child Can't think of anyone better."

Joey looked at him and started to smile slightly. Pacey pulled her into him and she buried her face into the crook of his neck. Pacey glanced at Gerry over Joey's shoulder and both were sharing the same thought.

We have a long way to go.