A/N: Happy New Year to you all! Continuing with filling in the gaps for the Stolen Kisses epi, this ficlet takes care of getting the gang to Aunt Gwen's. Hope you enjoy and please do let us know what you think. Special shout out to the following for leaving feedback (both public and privately) last time – thank you! – Blackbeltrules13, pippiboo, ckoder, paceyjoeytruelove, nightshadowlife, Chloe and Seersha.
** Trip on Love **
by M&M Works
Shading his eyes from the bright morning sun, the sandy-haired boy in the nondescript jacket hailed the True Love. "Ahoy there!"
Pacey's broad shoulders appeared at the railing blocking the sunlight as he investigated the source of the unfamiliar voice. Surprise and delight lit up his face as he recognized his childhood friend. "Holy crap! Look who's here - Will Krudski! Hey man, come on up!"
Will scrambled up the ladder propped against the hull of the gleaming blue boat. Handshakes became a manly hug complete with the requisite back pounding. "God, Witter. She's beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. You did all this?"
Pacey beamed with pride as they beheld the True Love but as he formed an answer, he was interrupted by Buzz, who had appeared from the other side of the bulkhead. "He sure didn't do it by himself. If it wasn't for me, he'da never made it this far."
Amused, Will glanced at Pacey. "Your friends are getting shorter and shorter, Pacey."
Pacey rolled his eyes and introduced them. "Will Krudski, Buzz Thompson. Buzz, this is my friend, Will."
"You have friends?" Buzz snarked at him.
"Pipe down, buddy, and get back to work!"
"Slavedriver. You're gonna have to give me bread and water sometime today," Buzz muttered but disappeared back the way he'd come.
"You just had lunch!" Pacey called, exasperated.
Will smiled at the interaction. "So, can I get the grand tour? You can tell me about your new circle of friends while we're at it."
Pacey led Will around the deck. "Just got the mast up last week. Isn't she a beaut?" He smiled proudly. "I should be able to get her into the water in the next week or so." He directed Will down the steps into the cabin. "It's small but it suits me fine," he said as he pushed through the swinging door.
"Wow, this is incredible! Hard to believe this thing was a wreck." Will ran his hands over the counters and poked his head into the bunk space.
Pacey shrugged. "I had lots of help. Everybody pitched in at one time or another. Joey, especially, and the last few months Buzz has been a big help. He's from the Capeside Mentoring Program."
"They finally got you a mentor?" Will deadpanned.
"No, you smart ass," Pacey retorted. "I'm the mentor!"
"They let you mentor?"
"You know, Cruddy, I'm not the same kid you beat up on the playground. I could kick your ass now," Pacey threatened, although his tone was playful and held no force.
Will laughed. "Just kidding ya, man. So tell me. Joey as in Joey Potter aka Pacey Witter's Archenemy has been helping you restore the True Love? How'd that happen?"
"Well, my friend, that is a very long and complicated story, best left for another day. Suffice to say, Joey Potter's all grown up and learned to play nice." He paused for a moment, remembering her most recent assault on his shinbone. "Most of the time," he amended. "Hey! What're you doing here anyway?"
"Taking a break from the old man," Will shrugged.
Pacey nodded knowingly. "I hear ya. How'd you find me? Did you stop at Casa Witter?"
"I was on my way there when I saw Doug downtown. He said you'd been staying with him and I could leave my stuff there then directed me here. Hope you don't mind?"
"Hell no! It's great to see you, man. I'm not sure exactly what kind of entertainment Capeside's gonna offer for a couple of studly young bachelors such as ourselves but I'm sure I can think of somethin'."
Will looked skeptical. "Something legal?" He looked around the cabin again with an appreciative eye. "Hey, I know! Is she ready to launch? We could get her in the water and see if she floats. You know, take her for her maiden voyage," he suggested.
"Yeah… I don't know," Pacey rubbed his hand along the back of his neck as he looked around. "Not quite yet. I've got a few more things to do. I'm not taking any chances with her." A shadow passed his features. "I'd hate to launch her and lose her in the same day."
As Will began to reassure him, he was interrupted by a loud clattering and a muffled, "Crap!" Exchanging one wondering and one panicked look they hurried topside to see just what kind of mischief Buzz had caused.
With no more than some minor scratches on the deck from a spilled box of nails, Pacey declared the workday over. An hour later, Will and Pacey had taken the tired youngster home and were headed back to Doug's on foot. Their conversation was as meandering as their path but the kernel of an idea had sprouted in the mind of the curly-headed brunette.
Will was here and there was very little to keep two 16 year-old boys (legally) busy in Capeside.
Very little that Pacey was particularly interested in, anyway.
Especially since what or, more specifically, who Pacey happened to be interested in was going to be some miles away visiting Aunt Gwen.
Wasn't it his duty as a host to make sure Will had an enjoyable Spring Break?
Wasn't the very least he could do is arrange some kind of activity or perhaps, journey that centered on a group of friends spending time together?
Hadn't Dawson invited him to go to Aunt Gwen's? Joey's well-timed kick had distracted him from giving an answer but Dawson was an easy-going kind of guy and his best friend to boot. Surely, the invitation still stood?
Surely it would be okay to go along, even if he showed up at the last minute?
Why, it seemed to Pacey quite inspired, and even predestined, that he entertain Will by joining his friends on their trip for Spring Break.
Despite his urge to confide in someone, especially someone outside his incestuous group of friends, Pacey restrained himself. Rehashing the entirely too brief drama of Joey and Pacey for Will seemed not only painful but pointless.
That didn't stop him from craving proximity to the doe-eyed brunette who had captured his heart though.
Whether Will was privy to the details of why or not.
"Hey Krudski!" he interrupted the boy walking next to him. "What are your thoughts about log cabins?"
*~*
Dawson waited patiently and watched the rearview mirror, only partially listening to Andie explain again why she had to sit in the front seat. "I took a Dramamine but I still get car sick really easily - especially if I sit in the back. This will be better, so much better for all of us, believe me. Thanks for understanding, Joey."
Andie turned to look at the sullen girl in the middle of the back seat. To Joey's left sat Will, the kind-hearted gentleman who had so gallantly helped with her bags. To her right, the door stood open awaiting their last travelling companion to secure the bags and close up the back of the SUV.
Joey's eyes narrowed at the verbose blonde as she forced her lips into an upward curve. "No problem, Andie. I wouldn't want you to get sick all over Pacey back here." As Pacey slid into the seat next to her, she turned slitted eyes on the object of her derision, sounding for all the world as if she meant the exact opposite.
"Are we all set then?" Dawson asked as he backed out onto the street that was the beginning of their journey.
"Nice, Potter. Real nice," Pacey mumbled.
"What? You'd prefer vomit encrusted attire? Hmmm…" She tapped her chin with her forefinger, pretending to debate something. "Thinking about it, it may improve that top you're wearing." She squinted at the logo on the red shirt. "What the hell is A-cubed anyway?"
"Still giving me those fashion tips I see," Pacey locked eyes with Joey briefly, only for her to break the connection and turn away with a blush.
"I thought you two were past all your bickering," Dawson commented wryly. "It's a long ride, kiddies - don't make me separate you!" he said in his most parental voice, laughing at himself.
"By all means, separate us," Joey muttered under her breath.
As Dawson attempted to find a station, the static noise of the radio covered Pacey's lowered voice, "Can't control yourself, Josephine?"
"You wish, Witter."
Dawson fiddled with the tuner. "Alternative? Country? Pop?"
"Alternative!" Joey called.
While Pacey spoke at the very same moment and chose, "Classic Rock!"
"Classic Rock isn't even on the list of choices, Pacey!"
"It should be, considering Alternative is mostly crap. No one I know listens to Country, and Pop is for little girls under 12."
"Alternative is not crap. Not that I'm surprised you'd think that, coming from someone who hasn't listened to anything that's been recorded since Stairway to Heaven was released."
Andie chimed in from the front seat, "She's right, Pacey. I've never heard you listen to anything else. How do you know you wouldn't like Alanis Morissette if you'd just give her a chance?"
Pacey leaned forward to catch Will's eye. "Are they kidding?"
Will chuckled and held up both hands. "As the new guy, I think I'll stay out of it."
Andie twisted around to peer between the two front seats. "Hey, I know! We could sing."
Everyone, including Dawson who up to this point had been letting the debate rage without his input, shouted, "NO!"
Frowning, Andie considered her proposal's rejection and then shrugged, recovering her happy face. "It was just a suggestion," she said turning forward.
Dawson finally settled on MIX 96.5, a combination of hits from the 70's, 80's and 90's, which seemed to satisfy the car's occupants to some degree.
Joey worried her bottom lip, staring straight ahead, her thoughts far from the passing scenery.
It was unconscionable that Pacey should go back on his promise to skip this trip.
How could he?
How was she supposed to use this time and space to eradicate any desire she had to touch - or kiss, came an unbidden voice – Pacey every time he was near her, if he had broken his word and shown up at Dawson's this morning?
Well, technically he hadn't given his word.
Technically, she had implored him not to come and he had reluctantly agreed with her.
She remembered the twinge she felt in the computer lab as he had walked away afterwards. She remembered that nagging sense of loss and how she wished she could call his name and take it all back.
Well, now she had her wish.
He was here.
Right here next to her.
In the close confines of this vehicle.
She found she was all too attuned to his every move – whenever he jiggled his leg, scratched his nose, the rise and fall of his chest – she was highly aware of it all.
Did he have to breathe so damn loudly?
Yet each time he shifted position, which was a lot, her nostrils filled with his scent. And he smelled so good. Like clean soap and the ocean and something else that was indescribably delectable.
Something she would like to… taste.
Allowing the plump flesh of her lip to escape, her mind wandered dreamily. Automatically, she reached up to tuck her hair behind her ears, only to remember she'd worn a very tight, high ponytail that day. Something she'd done on purpose; a requirement after another sleepless night spent trying to avoid the dream that had been plaguing her: the one where she relived a certain kiss, where someone's long, warm fingers tunneled through her hair, massaging it, caressing it, both gentle and strong, sending tingles-
A sudden bump in the road restored her to reality and she sat up straight.
She was not going to taste Pacey. Of course not. She could and would control herself. The car was packed to the brim with luggage and four of their friends. There was no chance she would actually touch Pacey under these circumstances.
Right?
So, there was her answer.
Safety in numbers.
Group activities.
Stick with the crowd.
Pacey's decision to entertain Will by joining them for Spring Break was no big deal. She gathered her resolve about her like the finest chainmail armor and relaxed back into her seat.
*~*
Andie and Dawson murmured together quietly, having given up on conversation with the occupants of the back seat when the throaty voice of Bruce Springsteen drifted from the speakers.
You can hide 'neath your covers… And study your pain…
Drumming his fingers against his denim-covered knee, Pacey began to hum tunelessly shattering Joey's carefully constructed comfort zone.
Her irritation back in spades, she snapped, "I thought we weren't singing, Pacey!"
At this, Will turned from the window to regard the pair seated next to him. Leaning forward, he addressed Pacey as if Joey couldn't hear him. "I thought you said she'd grown up to play nice?"
The question elicited the Potter eye roll as Joey huffed out a breath and slumped back against the seat, her arms firmly protecting the place where her heart resided.
Surprised at Joey's outburst after the relative peace of the last hour, Pacey reminded him dryly, "I said, most of the time."
Further discussion was thwarted by Dawson's decision to stop outside a small diner. Oblivious to the continuing tension simmering between Pacey and Joey, he brightly asked, "Who's hungry?"
*~*
Joey had recovered her excitement to see Aunt Gwen while firmly ensconced at Dawson's side during their meal. She loved Aunt Gwen. She refused to allow Pacey's presence to ruin her visit with a woman she could gladly emulate.
Back on the road, Joey slid down resting her head against the back of the seat, determined to enjoy the rest of the ride in anticipation of the end of their journey.
*~*
Their lunch break had only served to make Pacey antsy for the actual travelling part of their trip to be over. He leaned against the window unconsciously counting the telephone poles as he had on every vacation with his family as a child. It gave him the opportunity to allow his mind to wander without fear of exposing his facial features.
Pacey had watched Joey visibly relax while they ate and she talked about Aunt Gwen. He wondered if she even realized how Will's comment might apply to them.
"…isn't it better to have a short time with somebody that you really love, than a lifetime with somebody who's basically a roommate?"
Who was he kidding?
Joey occupied a permanent residence on that river in Egypt.
She could fly through an algebra problem, score 800 on the SAT in every subject, paint a mural that actually had depth and significance but Pacey was convinced she wouldn't get that metaphor if he'd drawn it in stick figures for her.
Despite his steadfast belief in proximity, maybe this hadn't been a good idea? Maybe he and Will should have stayed in Capeside?
Suddenly, he felt a sharp jab in his side and, before he could turn his head to protest Joey's assault, he realized from the soft snore she exhaled that she had slumped against him, fast asleep.
Carefully, he shifted until she was settled against his shoulder; her head tipped sideways, her hair tickling his arm.
She smelled so good. Not sickeningly sweet like most girls. No, she smelled like fresh laundry on the line and apples in the fall and something else that was indescribably delectable.
Something he desperately wanted to taste… again.
He looked up to see Will watching them and shrugged his eyebrows.
"Oh, you meant she played nice while she was sleeping," Will whispered.
Pacey couldn't help but grin. "Somethin' like that."
He gazed down at the quiescent girl, so vulnerable, so trusting and felt his heart overflow with love, unrestrained.
No matter what other trials or misgivings this trip may hold, Joey Potter sleeping on his shoulder in that moment made the entire journey worthwhile.
*~*
Trip on Love by Abra Moore
I let my guard down
In a momentary lapse of emotion
And it just slipped out
That we both knew my heart could be broke
I said something I never intended to say
You stopped laughing
And asked me, "do you feel alone in that way"
Do you trip on love
Do you run from magic
When you kiss someone
Do you make it tragic
If you feel too much
Do you start to panic
When your word comes out
Do you trip on love
I just stood there
Had expected another reaction
Out of thin air
In the strangest sense of satisfaction
Can you tell me
How you see me somewhere
And if you held me
Would you let me see a part of yourself
Do you trip on love
Do you run from magic
When you kiss someone
Do you make it tragic
When you feel too much
Do you start to panic
When your word comes out
Do you trip on love
When we go
Do we say
This means less than we know it does
Please tell me
Do you trip on love
Do you run from magic
When you kiss someone
Do you make it tragic
When you feel too much
Do you start to panic
When your word comes out
Do you trip on love
When your word comes out do you trip on love
Don't you wanna love me no more
That is why I love you so much
That is why I hate you so much
*~*
