Author's Note: So, it means a lot that people are enjoying this. A lot, a lot. Now that the weekends over the updates may slow down a bit...maybe not. We'll see. Anyway, this chapter is good, it's fun, and we get some sweet Joey and Dawson conversing, which is after all, what DC is all about, so I hope I did it right.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything, or do I? Just a hint at something or someone who may show up at the end here...

Chapter 4: Movie Night

Julie walked back to the boat and walked up behind Scot.

"Hi," she said quietly.

"I wanted to back you up," he said. "That's part of the deal here. You can't just send me away when it gets in the way of the Ducks."

"It's not about you though," she said quietly, "They aren't mad at you. I mean, they're taking it out on you, and they're making it about you, but primarily this is about me. We knew this was how they would react. The first time you asked me out, I said that. To them, you're the enemy. And things just got worse when he came back. Because now, not only had I betrayed them and gone over to the enemy, but I broke a bash brother."

"Julie," he turned around, "that's why I want to stand with you. They need to know that I'm not going anywhere."

"I think we should stay," she said.

"What, here?" He asked looking around. "Are you saying that you're going to humor them? Julie, you'd have to be crazy to do this."

"At least one more day alright?" She said going up and putting her arms around him. "I like it here. I like Pacey and his friends."

"They set you up Gaffney," He said kissing her, "and yet you still are determined to like them."

"Well, if I gave up on people that easily," she teased, "you would have been on the outs after that whole clothes in the shower thing," he smiled and kissed her, "or the forcing me and all of my friends to bus tables, or the insane humiliation that went along with hell day,"

"Hey," he smiled and kissed her, "You've never gotten scored on by Goldberg, I think that more than covers the humiliation factor."

"True," She laughed. "But still, I mean, I would have dismissed you as the varsity asshole, so I want to give them a chance too. Dawson calmed me down a lot. He invited me to his house tonight."

"Are you going to go?" He asked.

"We are going to go," she said, "And so are the Ducks, and it'll be fine."

"He'll be there," Scot pointed out.

"I know," Julie nodded. "I have to see him again eventually, but I figure it'll be better with you there, and three strangers, in someone's house, than alone in the dorms at school on move in day."

"You're sure about this?" She nodded. "Ok, we stay." He kissed her again. "You, Julianne, are lucky I love you so much."

"And you, Scooter," she said, using the nickname he hated as much as she hated the full name that he had used, "Are lucky that I am lovely and open minded."

Joey sighed as she walked from her boat to the ladder that stood at Dawson's porch, her little speech about taking action that she gave to Portman going around in her head. Of all the people in the world, she was telling someone they needed to not sit on their hands when it came to love? She had felt that towards Dawson for most of her life, and she couldn't even bring herself to call him more than friend. At least Dean and Julie were both aware of their feelings for each other. She climbed up the ladder and through the window.

"So," Dawson said as he saw her, "In honor of the Ducks I got, Slapshot and Mystery Alaska." He said, "I never thought I would see the day that I willingly brought home sports movies."

"We watched Rocky once," she shrugged.

"But Rocky's different," he said, "it's the archetype, these aren't."

"Well, it was nice of you," She said, "What do you think of them?"

"I didn't spend much time with the others," He shrugged, "But Julie was great."

"Yeah," Joey nodded, "Pacey has a thing for Connie."

"He always did," Dawson laughed, "When we watched them play on TV last summer, he had this total crush on her. As I remember you had a Duck crush too, and he's coming here tonight."

"My crush on Adam Banks not withstanding," Joey said, dismissing his words, "They seem like a fun group. Although the whole fixation they have on Julie and Dean, it's kind of weird."

"I don't know," he said, "It's pretty romantic. I mean, come on Joey, imagine caring about two people so much you're willing to drive all night, just so that they have a chance of being together."

"Against their wills though," she pointed out, "Neither of them wanted this little excursion to happen. He just wants her to be happy, and she,"

"She just wants to be happy," He said, "I talked to her for over an hour. One thing is for sure, that girl is confused."

"She's not the only one," Joey said quietly. It was a strange thing, when a far away distant crush came into your life, and intersected with the boy who you know you really feel for, and it wasn't a feeling she liked.

"This is the place," Julie said, looking at the numbers on the Leery house. "Thanks for doing this."

"No problem." Scot said quietly. "I'm still not sure this is a good idea Julie."

"Leave your doubts at the door," She warned him, "Please?"

"Yeah, yeah," He rolled his eyes.

"Ah, they win," Pacey said walking up, followed closely in stride by Charlie. It was a strange phenomenon to Julie, seeing the take charge Duck captain take his cues from someone else. "Scot, it is good to see you again."

"You too," Scot said, "Conway," he nodded.

"Scooter," Charlie nodded back.

"Where's everyone else?" Julie said, "We're short five."

"Four," Pacey said, "If I know Joey, she's up in Dawson's bedroom right now arguing about the implications of you all being included in the sacred Capeside ritual that is movie night. As for the other four, they are on their way, they fell behind."

"Oh," Julie said, "So we should go inside,"

"Tell you what," Charlie said, "The three of us, will go inside, and you Kitty Cat, will stay"

"Charlie," she said, "What did we discuss earlier?"

"It's fine," Scot kissed her and then whispered in her ear, "I trust you." The three guys walked in, as Connie, Adam, Fulton and Portman walked up.

"Hey Cat," Fulton said, "Didn't expect to see you."

"We should go inside," Portman said, he could see how uncomfortable she was, he didn't want to make it worse. "Hi Julie."

"Hi," she said, swallowing quietly.

"Yeah," Adam said, sensing the awkward tension, "Fulton, Connie, we uh, should get inside." Julie nodded. They walked inside.

"So," she said, "How's your summer been?"

"Good," he nodded, "I made some money. Tony and I worked the pizza joint. You?"

"Good," she said, "Sailing's great, I'd never done it before, and it was nice to learn."

"Yeah," he said, "I'll bet." He sighed. "I didn't want to come here Julie. I want you to know that."

"They, uh, they mentioned that," She said, looking at the ground.

"How's Scot?" He asked.

"Good," she said, she didn't want to discuss Scot with him. "Um, we should get inside."

"I missed you," he finally let it out. "God, Julie I miss you every minute of every day." He moved closer to her, she backed away. "I sit and I think, and I see your face in my mind, and it kills me." She looked at the ground and wanted to cry. He moved closer again this time she stayed still. He walked up to her and took his hand and lifted her face. "I love you, Julie. I know that now." He leaned down to kiss her, and she turned her face away from him.

"Dean," she whispered, "I can't."

"Right," he nodded, "Tell them I'm sorry OK?" He turned and walked away. She swallowed, and sat down for a minute trying to get herself together.

"He walked away," Connie said, staring out Dawson's window, "Goddamn it Portman!"

"You know something Moreau," Scot said, "That is my girlfriend. You could show a little sensitivity."

"I don't like you," she shrugged, "I don't like her with you."

"I'm still a little unclear on the why you guys don't like him thing," Dawson said.

"Well, when someone dedicates the amount of cruel brain power as Scooter here and his little buddies did to making your life a living hell, you have trouble liking them," Charlie said.

"Not to mention when a guy is a direct factor in the destruction of your best friend," Fulton added.

"Julie made a choice," Scot said, "I didn't make her make that choice, I definitely didn't make her choose me, but I'm not going to apologize to you all for it. And as for the making your life a living hell part, it's not my fault that Riley and his ass faced friends decided it would be fun to mess with you."

"Hi," Julie stood awkwardly in the doorway, wiping the tears out of her eyes, "Um, Dawson, do you think I could use your phone."

"Yeah sure," He stood up and walked her downstairs to the phone.

"Who would she be calling?" Pacey said.

"Abby," Scot and the Ducks said in unison.

"I hate to say I told you so," Abby sighed, "But it must have been in your mind. I mean, they've tried everything else."

"I know," Julie said, "I know, and now I'm sitting in a stranger's living room calling you, trying to wrap my mind around something I don't understand at all."

"What exactly did he say?" Abby asked.

"I miss you every minute of every day," Julie repeated, her voice shaking, "And that he loves me."

"Doesn't Scot say that he loves you like a million times a day?" Abby pointed out.

"Yes," Julie said, "Abby, I'm lost here."

"I know this is going to sound like trite, repeated advice," Abby said, "But come home. Take a few days, Scot free, Duck free, just me and you, the Gaffney girls. It'll be great."

"It sounds good," Julie said, "But I can't do that."

"Yeah," Abby said, "I know you can't. But I can come to you."

"What?" Julie said. "Abby you can't drive down here."

"Kid," Abby said, "I know you've spent the whole summer madly in love with the wind in your hair and land at your back, but I've spent it cooped up with our mother, planning and getting poked and prodded and criticized. I'm getting my coat now, and I'm coming down there, and you can't stop me."

"Fine," Julie said, "You can sleep on the boat."

"Thanks," Abby said, "See you in a few hours little sister!"

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