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You Embraceable You

! #^ ^*(&)*&((Dawson's POV)_*)+)^*(%&(()24&%*^*%$8

I sifted through the boxes in the garage. I was looking for the paint for Mr. Brook's house. I wasn't in the mood for snark or sarcasm unless it was coming from Scarlett. I sighed to myself thinking of how much I missed her even in this short amount of time. It took everything in me not to go up and hug her when I saw the fury in her eyes after the Drew incident in the hallway. I'd never seen her that way. "Found it," I muttered to myself. I went outside, exiting the garage. My walking slowed when I saw Joey on my front porch.

"Hey," I greeted and she smiled back.

"Hey. Need some help with that?"

"Yeah sure," I said and she grabbed some of the materials in my hands.

"Something tells me you didn't come all the way over here just to help me carry paint unless you finally realize how wrong it is I've been working off our debt to Mr. Brooks all by myself?" I joked and she laughed.

"Me and my yacht club employment are forever in your debt."

"Right. Right. I'll put it on your tab. So, um... Are you...Gonna ask me?"

I knew her too well not to know she was about to ask for something.

"Ask what?"

"You've got your favor face on."

She feigned confusion and I smirked.

"I do not."

I laughed aloud.

"Oh, now you've got your "I'm lying" face on," I shot back and she sighed.

"Ok. Um... It's, uh... Here," she said handing me a paper.

I looked at it and I had to read it twice to make sure I translated correctly.

"The person who knows you best….wow…..wow."

I didn't quite know what else to say. This was a recommendation letter.

"You said that already," she said nervously.

"Yeah. I... thought it had more impact the second time."

She thought I knew her best. She thought I Dawson Leery knew her best. If I knew her the best then why didn't I see the fact that she fell for my best friend.

"So, what do you think?"

"What do you think?"

"I think that... I want you to say that you'll write it for me."

"Are you sure that I'm the right person? I mean, does Pacey know about this?"

She shifted back and forth uneasily.

"No. Uh...But if you say yes, he will. Are you the right person, Dawson? Well, you're the only person who knows that I have a favor face. I'm just asking that you ponder the possibility, ok? And...If you do decide to write it, then... You're the right person."

"Ok." That was it. Once again all I could say. She walked down the stairs and left.

I stood there awhile unsure what to do. I wasn't sure I was the right person.

This was Scarlett territory.

I couldn't talk to her which made me more confused.

I shook my head and grabbed the materials heading off before I was late.

#%#%#$#$&%$(%&(%(^)^&*_)(#%*%&#$&

"Mr. Leery! Unless you'd like to starve to death, you better get in here!" Brooks called from inside.

I sighed and then stood and went inside. I looked around at all the photos of people all over the wall. I sat down at the table and started eating.

"Mr. Brooks, this is really good," I complimented.

"Oh, you're not one of them," was what he said and I was confused.

"One of who?"

"One of those teenagers who can't stand a moment of good old-fashioned silence. If the dinner table was meant for talking, they'd call it the talking table."

"You know what? I'm gonna take this outside," I said annoyed at his rude nature.

"Oh, yeah, well, that's why your friends never come over here and help you. You don't face your issues, leery. You just take 'em outside. You keep doin' that, you're gonna end up doin' a hell of a lot more than just painting alone," he said and I laughed to myself.

"Well, what about you? You got a whole wall full of photographs, full of people who I've never seen before. Who-who are they?" I said picking up a photo.

"You once critiqued my photography, saying I didn't have enough life in my pictures. I would say you've got the opposite problem. Where are these pictures in your life?"

Brooks stood up and took the picture from me.

"My brothers. 30 years ago, they came to me asking for money to start their own business. My gut was screaming no. Didn't feel right. Timing was not the best, but they needed me. And even though your gut said no... I invested a lot. The business lost a lot, and so did I. As you take on years, Mr. Leery, you'll come to realize that you don't always lose people from your life by choice. Sometimes it, uh... Just happens... When you make the wrong ones," he said and my words halted. I didn't want to make the wrong discussions but I felt like I had been. With Scarlett, with Joey, with everything. I think with the Pacey situation came this haunting feeling that my judgement and my judge of character was slightly out of whack.

$%$^%$#%$%$%&$^%#$*(*%#%^&(^&^#%*(&^$

I went to Joey's house after I left Mr Brook's house.

I couldn't write this letter. It wasn't good for me. I needed to move forward. Some people you kept in your life and some you didn't.

She was sitting at the end of the pier reading.

"Hey," I said and she looked up.

"Hey."

"Plowing through tonight's reading, as per usual."

"Try last night's. I thought I'd catch up. But Mr. Copeland in room 3, he has a tendency to break out in song while bathing," she laughed.

"This seat's not taken," she said and I shuffled awkwardly.

"Uh, it's ok. I can't stay," I said handing her back her recommendation.

"Um... Um... Well... Either you're a very fast writer, which I know not to be the case, or... You come bearing bad news."

"I just-I be- I've...Been...thinking about it since the minute you asked me, and... The answer just keeps on coming back the same. I'm not the right person... To write this. Not anymore."

There was an awkward silence that hung between us.

"You did what I asked. You, um... You thought about it, and... I thank you for that."

"Sorry. Ok," I said and then turned to leave. My eyes locked with Pacey.

"Pacey."

"Dawson," Pacey responded and I rolled my eyes.

I walked past him.

"So. Play date?" was the last thing I heard him say.

%#^ $#$^%&$ #^$(Pacey's POV)#%!#%!#%!

I went for a walk near the waterfront. I was trying really hard not to let the whole Dawson thing. It had been stuck in my head. I went home and finally I couldn't take it. I needed to get out. So I started walking and here I was out at night alone stuck with only my thoughts. I wish it didn't bother me but it did and it made me feel pathetic.

"Embrace me, my sweet embraceable you….."

I looked around when the voice hit my ears. There was instrumentals in the background but that definitely sounded like a live voice.

"Embrace me, you irreplaceable you…."

It was absolutely beautiful and it completely cleared my mind for a moment.

I turned the corner and there stood Scarlett looking out at the water singing along to the light instrumentals playing in the background.

"Just one look at you

My heart grew tipsy in me

You and you alone

Bring out the gypsy in me"

I stepped closer trying not to interrupt her.

"I love all the many charms about you

Above all, I want these arms about you…."

She was kinda like one of those old time singers. I could so see her on a stage. Modern classic.

"Dont be a naughty baby

Come to mama, come to mama do

My sweet embraceable you…."

I stepped on, what I'm guessing was, a rock and the trance was broken.

"Dammi…" I exclaimed in pain and immediately she turned around.

"What the hell Pacey. You shouldn't sneak up on people like that," she gasped and I hobbled to the nearby bench.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to. I just...your voice is...wow," I said looking at her. She usually looked rather confident but she looked a bit awkward.

"Uh...thanks. Are you ok?" she asked me. The pain was still there but began to dull.

"Yeah I'm fine. I'm quite a trooper if I do say so myself," I said giving her one of my signature smirks.

"Nice song choice by the way.. 1920's Ira Gershwin. You've got good taste," I continued and she looked back at me.

"You know Ira Gershwin."

"Well of course. The Man I Love is a classic. It's passionate, full of longing."

She sat next to me on the bench.

"I'm slightly impressed," she said and I smirked.

"Well that's definitely one for the books," I quipped and she smiled a small smile.

"So what are you doing out here at this time of night singing Gershwin."

She was silent for a moment, just looking out at the water.

"Just clearing my mind. Music helps me think," she finally said.

"Got a lot on your mind I assume."

"Don't we all," she said and then looked at me.

She was really beautiful. Don't get me wrong, I was madly in love with Joey but I did have eyes and my hormones couldn't help but point it out.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked and I sighed.

"Me? Well I am taking in the sad reality that I am not the person who knows my girlfriend best."

I was a little surprised I gave her the truth but something about Scarlett made me feel comfortable. I thought we could be good friends under different circumstances.

"Joey asked Dawson to write a recommendation for her. She had to ask the person who knows her the best….it's not like I was surprised but…."

"It still hurts. It's still frustrating," she finished.

"Yeah…"

"Did he….say yes," she asked rather slowly.

"I would have guessed he'd come running to you. Dawson is an eternal processor. But I'm assuming you both aren't really talking. I hope us talking the night of the rave didn't have anything to do with it," I recounted in my head.

"No...I mean that didn't help but it's more than that. Plus I don't really support hypocrisy. He should give you a chance if he gives Joey a chance to redeem herself. You both weren't honest with him and you both have been friends with him forever."

"Yeah well...I'm not the best at being apologetic," I admitted and she laughed.

"No kidding. I bet pride gets you everytime. You kind of seem insecure when it comes to vulnerability but you also seem good at hiding it," she uttered and I shot her a look of uncomfortable confusion.

"And what makes you think that."

"Because every time Dawson comes around this glaze of pain covers your eyes like you miss your best friend. But then they harden like you don't want him to know it. Your words are curt and quickly passing like your defenses are up. Like you're afraid you think he's going to realize how much you miss being his friend," she analyzed and I had to admit she wasn't entirely wrong.

I laughed aloud and she looked lost at my response.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"You're just oddly direct."

"Sorry. It's kind of a habit."

"No, I like it. Everyone needs more directness," I said.

"You know it's funny how much trouble those who we care about bring us," she chuckled and and I nodded.

"Tell me about it."

"I didn't expect to find people I cared about so deeply when I moved here. But I did and you know what Jack said to me when I expressed my concern for him and Jen? Told me to mind my own business. Said I had only been here three months so butt out. I never felt like I didn't have a place here until then-"

Her voice broke at the last word and I could see her wrap her arms around herself. I couldn't tell if she had tears in her eyes or not.

"They care about you, you know," I said.

"I can tell when I see you hang out. Especially Dawson. I know you both aren't talking but people can be stubborn sometimes. Especially Dawson," I emphasized and I saw her smile.

"Don't doubt your friendship. It's there. They just don't want to hear the truth of their pigheaded ways quite yet," I continued.

She turned towards me.

"As long as you don't doubt your relationship. You may not know all of her past but you're her future. And you and Dawson will work it out," she said and I smiled looking down.

"You think so."

"I know so."

"Somewhere beyond the sea

Somewhere waitin' for me

My lover stands on golden sands

And watches the ships that go sailin'….."

The song played in the background and before I could stop myself I stood and held out my hand to Scarlett.

"Pacey what are you-"

"Dance with me," I inserted and she looked unsure.

"Come on please dance with me. This is like a once in a lifetime question coming from me. This pity party has to be broken. Lets break it," I pressed completely serious. She gave me one more look before taking my hand.

"It's far beyond the stars

It's near beyond the moon

I know beyond a doubt…."

"See this isn't so bad," I joked giving her a spin and she laughed.

"I thought you didn't dance. You've clearly gone insane from life's struggles," she laughed again.

"Sometimes you just gotta know when to dance away your troubles. Music frees your mind right. Lets be free for one more minute," I said in continuous two steps turning her into a dip and she bursted into deep laughter and I joined her.

"I know beyond a doubt

My heart will lead me there soon

We'll meet, I know we'll meet, beyond the shore

We'll kiss just as before

Happy we'll be beyond the sea

And never again I'll go sailin'…."

$%^$% #$%^ %*&^%*$&%*$&^*%*

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