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Simple Sorrys and Open Doors

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Dawson walked up to his parent's fish house and stopped at the sight of Joey walking the same direction. "Dawson? You look pretty swank for fish duty tonight," Joey commented.

Dawson rose his eyebrow, "Uh...Thank you."

"Did your mom enlist your services for this evening?"

"No. Actually, I'm a paying customer tonight. I'm having dinner with Andie."

Joey hesitated before speaking.

"That's strange, 'cause... I'm having dinner with Andie."

"Hey, guys," Jack greeted approaching them.

"Let me guess. Dinner with Andie?" Dawson asked.

"Yeah. How'd you know?" he responded. They all looked at one another in confusion but headed inside anyway. Pacey was sitting at the table. Dawson laughed at the irony.

"What's goin' on? Where's Andie?" Joey asked.

"She's in the bathroom perfecting the answer to your first question," Pacey inserted.

Jack sighed, "Wh-what's this all about?"

Pacey shrugged, "I don't know. Don't shoot the diner. I'm a guest, just like you."

Andie came back from the bathroom with Scarlett with her.

"Hey, guys. Thanks for coming," she greeted.

"Andie what is this. What's going on?" Scarlett asked as she surveyed the table. She locked eyes with Dawson for a moment but quickly diverted them.

"You'll find out shortly. We're just waiting for one more person," Andie said sitting down.

Everyone sat down.

Jen entered in shortly after and came over.

"Hey, Jen. We saved a seat for you," Andie welcomed her.

Jack reached back to stand.

"You know what? I'm, uh... I'm not that hungry. Andie, can you bring me home a doggie bag?" Jack said and Jen backed up a bit.

"It's obvious that I'm the one crashing the party. I'll go," Jen said and Jack snapped.

"I just said I was goin'." Jack hissed.

"No. I am. I'm leaving Capeside. And, uh...That's why I asked you all to come here tonight... To say good-bye, and also there's something that I need to say to you guys... All of you, before I go. So...So, Jen, Jack, please stay," Andie pleaded and they both sat down.

Andie took a breath.

"You know what? It shouldn't have taken a scheme to get you all here tonight. When my dad first made me the offer to take the rest of the year off, I sat down with my trusty number 2…" she laughed to herself.

"And made my list of pros and cons. The pros were pretty obvious. Opportunity of a lifetime, right? And then came those nasty cons. You know what got top billing? You guys. The thought of leaving all of my friends... I mean, you guys are the ones who have supported and consoled and...Understood, unconditionally. But look at us now. We are a mess. And let's talk about why, starting with last week's fiasco," she said standing up and putting her hands on her waist.

"Ok, enough with the blame Jen game. If I don't, you shouldn't. Yes, she had them. But I took them. It was my fault," she emphasized looking raround.

"And Pacey, Joey, Dawson... You guys are so lucky. Do you have any idea how rare it is to have friends that you've known your entire life? So please don't underestimate that. Because in the end, you always go back to the people that were there in the beginning. And in the beginning, there were the three of you," she said sweetly and all three of them sunk in their seat a little.

Scarlett grabbed her bag.

"Scarlett where are you going?" Andie asked.

"I'm sorry Andie. This is very sweet but I shouldn't be here. I don't belong here," she said standing to leave but Andie grabbed her hand and pulled her back down.

"What do mean? Scarlett do you realize how incredible rare you are? I still don't understand how you work. You've been here for three months…"

Scarlett cringed at the words three months as she looked away.

"And I couldn't imagine loving you any more. And I am sure I am not the only one at this table. So whatever happened between you and Dawson," she said looking at him.

"You two need to fix it. You're like peas in a pod. You don't just coexist. You make each other better. So get it together. Same with you and Jack. Whatever you said Jack apologize because this girl right here has been in your corner since she got here," she said scolding him.

"And...You two," she said looking straight at Jen and Jack.

"You know what? This is just... It's really inexcusable. The biggest reason that was keeping me here was the thought that if I left, you wouldn't have a sister around. But then I realized that you would."

Andie had tears in her eyes and so did Jen.

"When I, uh... First met you... I didn't know much about love... Or friendship. And each of you taught me a lot about both. So maybe by my leaving I can return the favor. Because the thought of it ending like this…"

A tear fell from her eye.

"...the way things are right now... It's just... It's not how I want to remember us. Do you?" she said ending her speech.

Everyone was clogged with emotion and didn't know what to say. Jen got up and hugged Andie and Scarlet headed straight for the door.

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I couldn't breath. Like I literally couldn't breath in that damn fish house. I took a breath of air trying to keep the tears down.

"Scarlett," a voice said and I already knew who it was. I turned around and found Jack. We didn't say anything for a moment.

"I'm so sorry Scarlett," he said rather pleadingly and I looked away trying to play it off.

"You don't have to be. It's fine."

"No it wasn't," he said taking my hand and I caught my breath in my throat.

"Scarlett you're one of the best people I've ever met. And yes you've only been here three months but in those three months you've taught me so much about my own pride and have pushed me to get over myself. You're like the voice of reason in my head. You're the definition of a partial judge. You've listened to me, you've accepted me, and you had every right to speak into the situation. I'm sorry that i devalued our friendship,' he finished and i looked at him. The tears wanted to fall but, i wouldn't let them.

'Thank you Jack," i said and then hugged him.

When we back up he smiled.

"We good?" he asked and i smiled back.

"Yeah we're good. Now go find Jen," i responded back and he smiled again before backing up and going.

My smile faded as i turned to go get some distance for me and my feelings.

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I knocked on the door of the bathroom again. Joey came up to me.

"Is anybody in there?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah. And there's only room for one. Oh. Which, I guess, is kind of a recurring theme these days," I said awkwardly. She gave a big sigh.

"Pace, I'm really sorry?"

"Hold on a second. Let me go first this time. Jo, I'm sorry for how I reacted to the whole peer rec thing. I think it was just kind of a left hook to the hot button, and... I reacted... Like Pacey."

She smiled.

"You know who that guy you reacted like is gonna be in 10 years, pace? The person who knows me best. Dawson knows my past. My future lies with you. If you think about it, you know, you didn't even like me a few years ago," she said and I smirked.

"Well, you always tease the ones you love."

"And you do always have to deal with the ones that you used to love."

I sighed and looked over at Dawson who was with Andie. I really hoped Scarlett was right. I did miss Dawson.

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"Hey," Jack said when he found Jen.

"Ohh... Hi," she said back as she wiped a tear from her eye.

Jack laughed.

"Is, uh... Is that the girl that used to tell me everything?" he asked.

"Is that the boy who used to listen?"

He looked down.

"I never stopped listening. Jen I-I just... Didn't particularly like what I was hearing. Look, what- what Andie said in there, um... You-you are such an important part of my life, and I... I thought maybe you were changin' on me,' he said and Jen shook her head.

"I haven't changed, Jack. Still me... Jen Lindley, a girl who screws up every now and again."

"I'm sorry."

"I don't need an apology. I just need somebody who'll stand by me. You willing to do that?"

"You willing to keep standing?" jack asked and she laughed.

'Uhhhh…" and he joined her. They hugged.

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I was so emotional I didn't know what to do with myself. No amount of music could help right now. Why was I even here right now. I needed to be back in LA where things were simple. Easy.

"When I fall in love it will be forever

Or I'll never fall in love…."

I cringed at the song. So beautiful but not what I wanted to hear. Too emotional.

"Edward Heyman when you need him the most," someone said and my insides clenched tight. Dawson came and sat inches away from me on the bench I had adopted.

"And too many moonlight kisses

Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun…."

"I'm not exactly sure what to say right now because I don't know what happened with us. I'm not even sure why we started fighting. I just remember feeling angry and jealous...I wasn't thinking. Who you spend time with shouldn't be under my surveillance," he said and I sighed.

"I was jealous of her. When you told me that you had talked to Gretchen instead of me, confided in her instead of me, I just...I was jealous. And then when Jack told me to butt out and said it was because of the short amount of time I had been here I got to thinking. I started to wonder whether or not my friendship could really mean as much to you as it does to me because why would it ," I admitted and I heard him pull closer to me.

"You know that you're the first person I want to tell anything to. It could be small or big, you. You're the only one and I don't know when it happen but Scarlett you're stuck inside my mind."

He leaned back against the bench. His shoulder was touching mine.

"Joey asked me to write a recommendation letter for her. The one who knows her best. I wanted you to tell me what to do."

"I wouldn't have-"

"-told me what to do. Yeah I know. You would have told me to trust my instincts. Do what's right not what I feel," he said cutting me off and laughing.

"But the point is when I have to make a choice I wonder what would you do. When I think of a funny joke i wonder if you would laugh. I've seen what you can do with three months. No telling what you can do with years. I couldn't imagine this summer or school year without you. You don't necessarily know every nook and cranny of me but you understand me," he said taking my hand.

"I'm sorry if I made you feel dispensable."

"And I'm sorry that I didn't think of your feelings when talking to Pacey."

"You can talk to Pacey. It's not my place to say you can't. I just got scared. The guy stole my girlfriend and maybe he didn't mean to but he did. And then I saw him with you and I thought maybe his charm extended farther than I thought…"

"Dawson-"

"I know. I have nothing to worry about."

"You don't. I like Pacey. I like talking to him. But you Dawson are the one I want to tell anything to. Big or small, it's you. You're the only one Dawson. When I need someone to help me dream bigger, when I need to cry, I know you're there for both. You're not replaceable Dawson Leery," I said looking him in the eyes. He reached over and hugged me tight. I hugged him back. When we ended it I slipped a kiss on his cheek.

"You're golden Dawson," I breathed and he smiled. We rested our forehead on one another before I placed my head on his shoulder.

"Just you and me kid," he said and I laughed recognizing the movie reference.

"You just can't help yourself."

"You're right. I can't."

He stood up and held out his hand.

"Shall we?" he proposed and I smiled.

"We shall," I replied taking it, feeling once again like I belonged.

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Yep.