I know this story is written in following Pacey but I really wanted to write this conversation. I will try and update a lot sooner!

The next day…

Joey took a deep breath in. She stood at the bottom of the ladder she climbed a million times and was frozen. She gazed at that little window that marked her destination and could feel every fast beat of her heart. She slowly put her hand on the first rung and it felt like it was on fire under her hand. She quickly pulled her hand away.

Breathe, just breathe, she chanted to her self.

She took a breath out. Once again she put her hand on the ladder. This time it didn't hurt as much. Joey put one foot up. She smirked at her accomplishment. Joey put the other hand and foot up so now she was fully on the ladder. She took another deep breath in preparation for another step.

"The room is empty."

Joey turned her head to the voice coming out of the screened in porch. The voice belonged to Dawson.

"Good thing I didn't make it all the way up then," Joey sheepishly joked.

Silence.

She climbed off the ladder and opened the door of the porch. She took a step in and closed the door behind her. She stared at her friend sitting in one of the wicker chairs.

"What are you doing down here?" she asked softly.

"Thinking," was all Dawson replied.

Joey rocked back and forth on her heels. "About what?"

"About how everything in my life has gone so terribly wrong."

Joey looked down at her hands. "Dawson…"

"What happened between us, Joey?"

Joey looked back up at him. He was looking at her. "I guess I got scared," she replied.

"Scared of me?"

Joey walked and sat in the chair next to Dawson.

"Yes; kind of. I was also scared of who I was becoming. Dawson, before we started dating you were the only thing I thought about and when we finally became a couple I lost the need to only think about you and I realized that I became so focused on you that I lost myself. I forgot who I was without you and I was terrified that if I lost you I would cease to exist."

"I didn't leave you, Joey. You left me and you ran to Jack."

"I know."

"Now you're running to Pacey. I don't know what I did to deserve this."

"You didn't do anything. Its not about you, Dawson. Its about me. Its about how I feel when I'm with you."

"And how is that?"

"I…I don't know. I guess I feel trapped."

Dawson stood up.

"Trapped! How do I make you feel trapped?"

Joey stood up only inches from Dawson and shouted. "I feel like you always force my hand to do or feel what you want. You think art is obtruse and yu make sure I don't forget it. You made me turn in my father after I waited years to have him back in my life. I couldn't go to Paris…"

"I never said you couldn't go!"

"I know!" Joey cleared her throat and sat back down. "I didn't want to go, Dawson. I finally got everything I wanted and I was afraid I would lose it all if I went."

"You wouldn't have lost me."

"I didn't know that, Dawson. You never told me it was okay to go."

Dawson sat down. "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry for. This is us. Its always been us and always will be. You and I; we just don't change. Whether we are a couple or just friends we are always the same. Its like we're stuck in this bubble of movies and childhood memories never moving forward."

"We could change. We could be great together."

"We're already great. I don't want things to change between us, Dawson. You and I have always had this intense connection almost like we share the same soul. I need you in my life."

Dawson gave Joey a small smile. "What about Pacey?"

Joey looked at him and sighed. "I need him too."

"Do you need him like you need me?"

Joey shook her head. "That's not fair, Dawson. What I feel for Pacey has nothing to do with how I feel about you. They are two completely different things."

"Why do you need him, Joey?"

"I…I need him because he makes me feel things I didn't know I could feel. He challenges me in the best way and never asks me to back down. He's always been there for me and I know I can always count on him. He's a big part of why I I'm okay after everything that happened within the last year."

"What if I could be there for you? Couldn't I be all you need?"

"Dawson…"

"Joey, I love you."

Joey smiled and placed her hands on his hands. "I love you too."