A/N:: Thank you all for the reviews. Helen, thanks for the support =D
Disclaimer: NOT MINE
Gretchen stared sadly at her phone as she hung up, she had just gotten off the phone with her mother, finalizing the plans to come home, with every intention of never looking back. Pacey was somewhere in the Ocean with Joey? Sure, Gretchen had always hoped that someday Pacey would get his act together and ask Joey out, but she hoped that it would never come with the demise of his friendship with Dawson. She was split, part of her was ecstatic for her brother and the other part of her broke her heart for her friend. Of course this little manuever came just as she was heading home. She was quitting college, taking a break is what she had said to pacifiy her parents, but she knew better. Gretchen couldn't stand it anymore, no more Nick and all his lies, no more being irresponsible.
Gretchen flopped down on her bed for her final night in the Pheta House. She didn't feel like joining the festivities outside. Gretchen sighed and stared out her window at the stars, remembering the story her grandmother had always told her about Isabella, she felt a few tears slip down her face and she rested her hand on her stomach. She believed that when she had lost her baby, she had lost her Isabella, that now her unborn child danced with it's predecessor among the stars.
The next morning Gretchen left for Capeside bright and early. Even though she would be bunking on her brother's couch, she was glad to be going home. She wondered if she saw Dawson, what would she say to him? The poor guy was probably inconsolable, she wondered if he would ever get over Joey Potter, would he ever be friends with Pacey again? Gretchen bit her lip as glad as she was for Pacey and Joey, if Pacey had lost the friendship with the one guy who had always been there for him, then she was gonna clock him.
Arriving at Doug's house in the early afternoon, she let herself in and for the first time all day she laughed, "This is why we all think you're gay Dougie." She told the house quietly. Doug was at work, so she had the house to herself until he got home that evening around eight. Gretchen unpacked quickly. Putting her clothes and things in the spare hall closet, she kicked off her shoes and collapsed on the couch. She grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, "Dougie, Dougie, Dougie. Primo Cable channels, maybe YOU are my favorite brother."
Gretchen flicked through channels mindlessly, when she came across an old movie on SCI-FI, a movie she had seen close to 200 times and it was due to a fairhaired boy who held the best Saturday night movies. It was ET, without thinking twice Gretchen turned it on and allowed herself to get lost in the world of Elliot and ET. While she was watching her mind meandered back to years ago, back when ten year old Gretchen and the seven year old trio would all spread out in Dawson Leery's room, eating pop corn and watching this movie til their eyes burned. Of course back then, they all had the Peter Pan syndrome, the same one that Dawson had to this day.
"Where's Pacey?" Dawson asked as Gretchen opened the door of his room.
"My Dad grounded him, he forgot to take out the trash and then brought home an F." Gretchen said and cringed.
"Ikes. Well I guess it's just us." Dawson said, "Bessie took Joey out for some "girl" time. Which is probably good after everything that's happened."
"Yeah. How's she holding up?" Gretchen asked, she felt bad for Joey, because as much as she didn't like her family, she couldn't imagine her life without them.
"She's hanging in there. She doesn't like to talk about it." Dawson said as he got up and put in the movie.
"So what are you doing then? I don't think I've seen her without you since it happened. This has to be the first time." Gretchen told him as she grabbed a piece of pop corn from bowl and took her usual spot in Dawson's computer chair.
"Gretch you can sit over here. I'm not gonna bite. Unless it's too uncool to sit by a ten year old." Dawson said and gave her a grin. Thirteen year old Gretchen got up, straightening her cut offs and collapsed on the bed next to Dawson.
"To answer your question, even when she's not talking, Joey is saying something. So when I'm walking with her, I'm listening." Dawson told her.
"You're a good friend Dawson Leery." Gretchen told him and ruffled his white-blonde locks. Dawson's eyes lit up at the simple gesture and it made Gretchen want to do it again, she liked that she had the power to make Dawson smile.
Gretchen looked up and the movie was over, just like it had been all those years ago, she had missed the entire thing, The first time they had talked through the movie and the now this time her mind had wandered through the whole thing. As she clicked off the TV she muttered, "How did Spielberg never win an Oscar for this?"
A/N: Ok, so NOT making fun of Doug, but I was watching Gretchen's return and his house was so emmaculate. Secondly I know this was more Gretch Centric, but I wanted something to bridge the gap between sr yr and her coming home.