Chapter Twenty - Joey's P.O.V.

"Bess! Hello? Anyone home?" I call from the front entrance of the B&B. It's three days before Christmas and again we have all driven down from Boston and are staying with Bessie for the Holidays. Getting no response I walk over to the phone looking for a clue as to where they all can be. I find a note.

Dear Jo,

Sorry we're not there to meet you but Bodies parents are flying in from Florida and we are picking them up at 3:00.

Make yourselves at home. Bodie left some sandwiches in the fridge for lunch go ahead and eat, we should be home around six. I called Gail and we have a reservation at Leary's Fresh Fish for seven, everyone is invited.

See you soon.

Love Bess.

I put the note back on the counter and head back outside to see how the unloading of Jens S.U.V. is going.

"Hey guys, it looks like its just us for the afternoon. Bess and Bodie took Alex to meet his grandparents at the airport. They should be back around six, and we have dinner reservations at seven at Leary's Fresh Fish."

"So what are we doing with all of this stuff?" Jen asks pointing to the mountain of luggage and presents pilled on the front porch as she closes the back door on her truck.

"I guess we have the same rooms as before, so you can all take your stuff in the house."

"Hey Pace, hold on a second would ya?" I call before he grabs his stuff.

"Sure Jo, what can I do for you?"

"Well, I wanted to go for a walk, and I could use some company."

He offers me his gloved hand and smiles at me. "Lead the way."

We walk in silence towards the dock, and over to the woods, finally he stops pulls me into his arms. "What is it you want to say Jo?"

"How did you know I was going to say anything?"

"Come on Jo, I know you. I know all the little signs. You're chewing your bottom lip, the sigh. Now spill!"

"Okay, um, well. I guess I'm a little nervous about tonight."

"What about tonight? It's just dinner right?"

"Yeah I guess, but I'm worried about how he's going to react."

"Jo, it doesn't matter how Dawson feels, we are going to spend the rest of our lives together, he doesn't get to have a say in that. He may not like it, but it won't change anything."

"Pace how do you always know just what to say to make me feel better?"

"Josephine I told you, I know you. I know everything about you and I love you. That's how I know what to say." He says his voice getting husky as he leans down to kiss me softly. Tightening his hold on me, breaking the kiss and pulling me in for a hug.

"I love you Pace." I whisper against his shoulder.

"I love you too Potter." He says stroking my hair and kissing the top of my head. Now what do you say we head back before Jack eats everything Bodie left for us in the fridge.

"Okay, oh and Pace, Bessie called last night and told me that she's over booked for a couple of days, and she felt it would be okay if we shared a room seeing how, we're engaged and all."

"Jo, have I mentioned how much I love your sister?"

"No, you haven't, but hopefully you love me a little more."

"Oh, I love you a whole lot more, come on let's get inside." He says pulling me towards the house his eyes sparkling mischievously.

"Hey you two, I left your stuff over there." Jack points over by the front entrance. "We weren't too sure how long you'd be gone and didn't want to leave it outside in case." He says around a mouth full of sandwich.

"I see you found the food alright Jackers." I tease.

"You know how I feel about anything Bodie has cooked, the man is a god."

"Jack, I wouldn't let Bessie hear you describe her boyfriend that way, she might get jealous." Pacey jokes as he rummages in the fridge for a sandwich of his own.

"Pace the presents can go under the tree with everyone else's. I'm taking the bags to my room." I call from the front entrance.

"OK!"

On my way to my room, struggling with both Pacey's bags, and mine I run into Jen coming back down the stairs.

"Hey Jen, thanks again for driving."

"No problem, besides it's not like any of us really need a car while were here. You want some help with those?"

"That would be great." I say handing her one of my bags. I open the door to my room and smile, thinking how nothing has changed in here.

"So where do you want this?"

"Um, over by the dresser is fine." I dump the two bags I'm carrying on the bed and collapse.

Jen climbs on the bed and lies beside me. "So, how are things with you? I haven't seen a whole lot of you or Pacey in the last week." She asks.

"I'm good I say smiling, and I'm sorry for not being around. Pace and I have been kind of busy."

"Translation, now that you've finally done it again you cant keep your hands off each other." Jen teases me, elbowing me in the ribs.

"Yeah something like that." I say dreamily.

"I'm glad you're happy, I guess I just miss my best friend."

"I miss you too Jen." I say honestly. "How about we do something tomorrow just the two of us?"

"Sounds great, as long as Pacey wont mind me stealing you for a couple of hours." She says laughing.

"I'm sure he'll get over it." I say laughing with her.

"Who's going to get over what?" Pacey asks walking into our room.

"Well Pace, your fiancee has decided to dump you tomorrow and spend a little quality time doing some serious female bonding." Jen smiles at him.

"Fine, take her I was getting a little sick of her anyway." He teases Jen, smiling at me.

"Pacey, be careful what you say or you could end up sleeping on the floor." I tease right back, climbing from the bed and slipping into his arms.

"I'm sorry Baby! I promise I'll do what ever you want to make it up to you." Pacey says giving me the eyes.

"Hm, anything I want huh?" I say seductively.

"And on that note, I think I'll be going now. You two behave, and don't do anything I wouldn't." Jen says laughing as she walks from the room closing the door behind her.

Neither of us really notices her departure, we are to busy getting lost in each others eyes. "Pace?"

"Yeah Jo?"

"Make love to me."

He looks at me with animal hunger in his eyes, he caress's my face with his fingers, strokes my back, cups my bottom in his large hands and pulls me up against him. I feel his erection instantly and moan softly. "If that's what you want." He says lowering his mouth to my neck. He grabs the bottom of my sweater and pulls it over my head tossing it across the room. His eyes spark as he looks at me. I'm wearing the purple bra I bought the week before. He growls deep in his throat, as he remembers our encounter at Victoria's Secret. His hands move to the buttons on my jeans, he pulls them apart quickly and lowers them down my legs, revealing the matching panties. I see him shudder with desire. I look into his eyes through passion clouded eyes of my own, begging him to take me. He stands up and quickly removes all of his cloths. He is magnificent, well muscled, still a little tanned from the summer and his weekend work in the boat yard, his erection standing tall. As he looks me over, his hard on twitches with anticipation. His normally clear blue eyes have darkened to a sapphire with his desire. As he watches me I reach up and unfasten my bra, I let it drop to the floor, I have kicked aside my jeans, now I stand before him in only a tiny scrap of purple lace. He licks his lips as I move my hands to my breasts and pinch my nipples. He steps towards me grabbing me by the waist. He backs me up against the dresser, I didn't realize was behind me and lifts me on to it, I wrap my legs around his waist as he lowers his mouth to my breasts. His hot breath teasing me, his tongue quickly coming out to tease me further, circling my nipple before retreating back inside his mouth. Needing more, I slid my fingers into his hair and try to pull him closer, but he resists. I choke out a sob of need as he continues to tease me, his fingers lightly brushing against my liquid core. Finally he slips one finger beneath each of the ribbons and pulls the wet material from my body. He closes his eyes and I can tell he is trying to stay in control. I whimper again with need. He slowly opens his eyes, meeting mine. He grips my hips roughly and pulls me towards him. The tip of his cock poised against my wet folds.

"Pacey!" I beg him to do something, anything to help ease the ache that is forming between my legs.

He looks deep into my eyes and shows me his soul through his own, as he loses the battle I can see he is fighting within he again pulls me further towards him and he thrusts hard into me, filling me completely with one stroke. I tighten my legs around his waist and wrap my arms around his neck. He begins to move within me after what seems like an eternity. I am so turned on from all of his teasing I need him to take me hard, and fast.

"Harder Pace." I whisper in his ear. He spreads his feet a little further fighting for leverage, not finding it he lifts me from the dresser and moves to press me against the wall. He slams into me over and over as hard as he can. I rock my hips meeting him thrust for thrust. Finally my world fades to black and I see lights behind my eyelids as I orgasm, I call out his name. He keeps pressing me against the wall and after a few more thrusts I feel him empty himself into me, his warm seed mixing with my own lubrication. I lean my head against his shoulder and sigh, completely happy with who and where I am. I feel him starting to shake, I release my legs from around his hips. I lower my feet to the ground and take his hands in mine. Raising one up to my lips I kiss it.

He releases a ragged sigh as he slips from inside my body, leaning into me. "Well, that was fun." He says. I feel his smile against my neck as he kisses me again.

"Yeah, it was." I start to giggle as I begin to wonder how loud we were, and if anyone in the house could hear us.

"Jo, what's so funny?" he asks.

"Well Pace, this is the first time we've done it when people have been around to hear us."

'No, it isn't. We've done this in my dorm room and there are people around there."

"I suppose, but you do realize you just took me up against the wall that we just happen to share with Grams right?"

I watch his face pale slightly as he thinks about that, "You don't think she was in there do you?"

"I don't have a clue, and honestly right now I don't care, because that was amazing Pace."

"Yeah, I was pretty amazing wasn't I?" He grins at me. "You were pretty amazing to Jo." He cups my cheek and kisses me softly on the lips.

"Well, while you think about how amazing we both were, I'm going to go and take a shower, and then get ready for dinner.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Not if you promise to be good, it's already 5:30, and while Bessie might be cool about us sharing a room, I don't think she'd appreciate us going at it in the shower."

He holds up two fingers and smiles, "Scouts Honor!" he pledges.

I move away from him, collecting my things that lay strewn across the room. Once I have everything I grab my robe and shower bag from one of the bags on the bed. I wrap my robe around me and ask if he's coming. We sneak across the hall into the bathroom. After our shower we are both warm and clean, he slips from the room as I comb through my hair and blow-dry it. When I get back to our room, I see our stuff hanging neatly in the closet, and my makeup bag is sitting on the vanity, next to his cologne. I smile, thinking how this is how things are going to be once we are married. Pacey is nowhere around so I pull out the dress that I'm planning on wearing tonight out of the closet. It's a simple black dress, it flows to the ground, had a high box cut neckline on the front and the back fall opens with material pooling about my waist. It is one of my favorite dresses, and a birthday gift from Jen, she really does have great taste in clothing. I dress, pull my hair up into a loose bun, leaving a few tendrils hanging down, and put on a bit of make up. I grab my coat and head out into the living room to find Jack, Pacey, and Bodie all engrossed in a hockey game.

I stand at the entrance of the room and smile. Pacey is sitting there in the soft midnight blue sweater that I love so much. It hugs his body defining the muscles of his chest and arms just right. He has on black dress pants and matching black jacket. Watching him I become aware of the changes in him over the past year. Gone is the boy with the last remaining baby fat who I first fell for, the one who was fighting for acceptance, he has been replaced by this strong, confident man who I love now more than ever before.

"Hey Handsome!" I call out softly, as three heads turns to look my way.

Pacey's eyes light up when he sees me standing there, Bodie smiles at me, and Jack whistles.

"Jackers, that's my fiance you just wolf whistled at."

"What can I say Pacey, she's one foxy lady."

"That she is, and she's all mine. How lucky am I?"

He gets up from the couch and walks over to me. He kisses my cheek. "Hey beautiful!"

"So, where's everyone else?"

"Jen said she would be down in a few minutes, and Bessie is getting Alex ready."

"Good, because I'm starving."

"We'll leave as soon as Jen shows up, Grams is waiting with Bodies parents in the other room."

Pacey takes my hand and leads me into the living room. He sits on the sofa and pulls me down beside him. He puts an arm over my shoulders and pulls me in close. "You smell amazing!" he whispers in my ear.

"Thanks, so do you, and thank you for putting my stuff away for me, that was really sweet."

"You're welcome."

"Hey, guys. Sorry it took me so long to get ready. Jen says breathlessly as she rushes into the room a blur of red."

"Jen, don't worry about it, I just came in myself. I tell her."

"Great, well it's almost Seven, Bessie said go ahead and that they will meet us there. She was struggling to get Alex into his Jacket when I passed by."

"Is Grams with us or is she going with the others?" Jack asks.

"She's going with Bessie, so it's just us. Hey Pace you want to drive, seeing how I'm in heals?"

"Sure Jen, where are your keys?"

"By the front door, at least that's where I left them earlier."

We all gather up our jackets, scarves, and gloves. Jen and I grab our purses and get ready to head out into the cold. We all climb in to Jens truck. Jack and Pacey helping Jen and I, as we are both in heals and long dresses. Pacey then slides into the drivers seat, and drives carefully to the restaurant. Once inside, Gail and Lilly greet us, they are both also dressed up.

"It's so good to see all of you again." Gail says hugging each of us in turn. She looks at Pacey and I and smiles warmly. "Congratulations you two. I hope you'll be very happy together."

"Thank-you." We both respond. Pacey takes my hand and brings it to his lips for a kiss.

"Pace, I'm going to go use the ladies room, I'll see you at the table." I say excusing myself from the group.

I go to the washroom to check my hair and make-up. Also coming in from the cold I feel the need to pee. I come out of the ladies room, turning the corner I bump into someone coming the other way.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I say.

"Joey? Is that you?"

"Oh my god, Dawson?" He smiles at me and pulls me in for a hug.

"Wow, Joey you look great. You're here for dinner?"

"Yeah, everyone else is already out at our table. So Dawson, how have you been?" I ask curious as to why I haven't heard from him.

"Well, first I want to say sorry for not keeping in touch but I've been going through some things. In fact, I'm really glad I ran into you alone, there's something I want to talk to you about. Do you have a minute?"

"Yeah, sure I guess? What is it Dawson?"

"Um, well I'm not really to sure how to say this, but Joey the thing is...Okay when I left something happened between us. It felt like a new beginning, like we had another chance. I've thought a lot about this, and I'm transferring back to Boston next semester and I guess what I'm asking for is another chance with you. Joey, I still love you and I want to be with you what do you say?"

I stand there is shock, how is this possible? Can he not see how uncomfortable I am just talking to him? I look around needing to get away, but I'm trapped in this hallway with no way out other than to give Dawson an answer I know he wont enjoy hearing.

"Dawson, I can't be with you. It's just not possible."

"Sure it is Joey, I'm your soul mate. Remember."

"No Dawson you're not. You know nothing about me anymore. If you really cared like you said you do, then you would know what's going on in my life!" I say louder than I intended.

"Joey, I told you I needed time to work through things. To figure out what I really wanted."

"Dawson did you ever stop to think about what I wanted?"

"I shouldn't have to."

"Dawson, listen to me carefully. I don't love you, not like that."

"You're only saying that because you're upset that I haven't talked to you since I left."

I'm fighting the urge to scream as he continues, has he always been this self involved I wonder. As my anger grows I continue to notice how arrogant he really is and how large his forehead is.

"Jo? You back here baby?" Pacey calls as he walks towards where Dawson is still babbling on about something, I've stopped listening.

"Yeah, Pace. I'm here."

"Jo, what's the hold up?" he starts to ask as he comes around the corner and sees my expression of pain as he notices Dawson babbling at me.

"Hey D, what's happening?" he asks.

"Pacey, I didn't think you'd be here tonight."He sounds surprised. "Can you give Jo and I another minute this is personal?" Dawson asks still oblivious.

"Jo?" he asks, wanting to know if he should stay or go.

"No Pace, stay. I need to tell him and if you're here it might help." I say reaching out for his hand.

"Joey, what's going on? Why would you want Pacey here, after the way he hurt you last spring?"

"Dawson, I want you to listen to what I'm about to say very carefully, because I'm only going to say this once. I want Pacey here because he belongs here, with me."

"But why?" He asks, interrupting me yet again.

"Because Dawson, he's my fiance." I state simply. Pacey pulls me close and smiles down at me.

"That's funny Joey. I thought you just said that you and Pacey were engaged." he says shaking his head.

"We are." Pacey says leaning his forehead against my own and looking into my eyes.

"Okay, funny joke. Ha! Ha! You two can knock it off now."

"No Dawson, look." I show him my ring. "This ring proves how much I love Pacey, and how much he loves me. That we intend to spend the rest of our lives together."

"But Joey, why would you do something like this to me. Look at him, he's a nothing, a nobody. He couldn't even get into Capeside Community College. He's not good enough for you."

"You're so wrong Dawson! He's a better man than you could ever be, and just for the record, not only did he get into school, on a scholarship I might add; but he's on the Deans list at Boston University. Come on Pace our friends are waiting for us." I say leading him away from a very stunned looking Dawson Leary.