See You in
Eternity
Part Six
By Ainsley
Disclaimer:
You know, I'm really curious as to what would happen if I said
that I did own these characters. Is Kevin Williamson's lawyer
surfing through the net, just waiting for some unsuspecting
fanfic writer to forget to disclaim? Will he pounce on me with a
subpoena the second this gets posted? Would anybody actually
believe me if I claimed to own Dawson, Jen, Joey, and Pacey?
Props: Erin! How do you say 'thanks' in Australian? Are there any added u's? Just kidding!
Recap: Joey and Pacey argued about their almost-kiss while they babysat Alexander. Pacey stormed out, and when Joey went to find him, they ended up kissing.
Author's Note: I got an idea for this story, but it requires having Jack and Andie exist after all. I know I said that they wouldn't be part of this story, but hey! I'm the writer and I can do whatever the hell I want! And you caaan't stop meee! *Sticks out tongue* Also, this chapter goes back and forth between Jen and Joey's conversation, and Dawson and Pacey's conversation. Try to keep up.
"Marmaduke?" Jen repeated doubtfully. "He kissed
you, and his post-kiss comment was 'You don't like the name
Marmaduke'?"
"Yup," Joey replied. "Can you believe it? I was lying on the ground and getting sand in my crotch, exactly what I always said I'd never do, and waiting for his swooning romantic statement. And he said that."
"Wow," Jen shook her head. "That's the most unromantic swooning statement I've ever heard."
"Tell me about it,"
"So are you guys together or what?"
"I don't exactly know,"
"Do you want to be with him?"
"I don't exactly know that either,"
"Oh," Jen squinted, as if deep in thought. "What happened after that?"
"He walked me home. We didn't even say good night."
"And you haven't talked since?"
"No,"
* * *
"You kissed her?" Dawson repeated.
"Kind of,"
"You kind of kissed her?"
"No. Yes. I don't know, Dawson. I kissed her!"
"Where?"
Pacey eyed him strangely. "On the lips. Where else?"
"No, Pace, I meant where in Capeside,"
"On the beach,"
"Did she kiss you back?"
"Yeah,"
* * *
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course,"
"If Pacey came over here right now and asked you to go out with him, what would you say?"
"Go out with Pacey?" Joey looked taken aback. "I don't know. Me and Pacey...dating? It seems too weird."
"Why?"
"Because we've been friends for so long. Or enemies. Or whatever."
"How long have you had feelings for him?"
"I don't know, Jen. A long time. I ignored it for a while, but especially with this whole egg project I had to realize how I felt."
"Which is...?"
"I like him," Joey admitted. "A lot. So much it scares me."
"Then what's the problem?"
* * *
"There are ramifications, Dawson. I can't just walk over there and ask her to be my girlfriend."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm Joey and she's Pacey and - "
"What?"
"I mean, I'm Pacey and she's Joey and we've been friends for so long..."
"Friends make the best couples,"
"And if it didn't work out?"
"Then you go back to being friends,"
* * *
"But could we?" Joey asked, hoping Jen could come up with a reasonable solution to this whole mess. "Could we just go back to being buddies after being so much more? Could you ever go back to being Dawson's friend after making out with him in his room every night? Listen to him talk about other girls, hang out as friends...?"
"I did," Jen pointed out. "And for that matter, so did you."
"Well, that's because Dawson and I were only meant to be friends. We made a horrible couple." Joey said. "But you two, on the other hand, didn't work too well as just friends, now did you?"
"That was because Dawson was making an ass of himself trying to get me back,"
"I don't want that to happen to us. Pacey has been such a good friend when I've needed him, and if I lost him as a friend, I don't know what I'd do. But it wouldn't be pleasant."
* * *
"All good points, Pace, but there's one big one you're ignoring,"
"What's that?"
"What if you and Joey are meant for each other and you never have the chance to be together because you're too afraid of what could happen?"
* * *
"Meant for each other?" Joey repeated softly. The notion that there was a single person on Earth who she was destined to fall in love with was never a popular theory with her. Dawson had been romantic enough for the both of them growing up, and Joey had stuck with her cynical "I'll be alone forever" beliefs. But, now that Jen had brought up the idea of fate, it didn't sound too bad.
"Oh, dear. Tell me you've never dreamt about meeting your Prince Charming on a white horse and riding off into the sunset. Or watched the last scene of Dirty Dancing, when Patrick Swayze burst into the banquet and pulled Jennifer Grey up on stage for that amazing dance."
"Actually, I haven't. Seen Dirty Dancing."
"Ever?"
"Ever,"
"Pretty Woman?"
Joey shook her head.
"The Cutting Edge? Bed of Roses? While You Were Sleeping?"
"No, no, and no,"
"What have you been watching all these years?"
"A lot of E.T. And Jurassic Park quite a few times. Dawson was sure there was some kind of hidden meaning in the guy that got eaten by the T-Rex when he was sitting on the toilet, so we had to analyze that one a million times."
"No wonder you're so jaded toward the idea of true love," Jen sighed.
"Jo, I'm not going to tell you what to do."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't know what you want,"
"Neither do I,"
"Then maybe you should find out,"
Joey shook her head. "No. It doesn't matter what I want. The last thing I need right now is a relationship, especially one with Pacey."
"It's up to you," Jen paused. "But, Jo, can you at least tell me why you don't want a relationship with Pacey?"
"Well, first of all, the Andie factor,"
* * *
"Is Andie really a factor, Pace?" Dawson asked. "I mean, she's been back in Providence for almost two months now. Do you still have feelings for her?"
"I don't know, Dawson," He sighed. "I'm envious of you. You know that you don't have any residual feelings toward Joey. You two did the whole dating thing, decided it didn't work, and went back to being friends. End of story. Now you're happy with Jen."
Dawson choked on his french fry. "I'm not with Jen."
"Oh. I just assumed...the way you were dancing at Mary Beth's party..."
"Don't assume. Jen and I aren't together."
"Yet?"
"Yet," Dawson agreed. "So, Andie? She's still there?"
"I'm not sure. But I can't enter a relationship with Joey before I'm certain."
* * *
"Second?" Jen asked.
"Second, Dawson and I only broke up a few months ago. I need time to be just me for a while."
Jen's eyes clouded over with jealousy.
"Jen," Joey laughed. "Are you going to give me that look every time the topic of Dawson's and my brief relationship comes up?"
"Probably,"
"Don't be ridiculous. You know Dawson and I are meant to be friends, and that's all. We don't think of each other that way."
"But you did,"
"For about a nanosecond,"
"I know," Jen sighed. "I'll try not to give you that look anymore."
"Thank you,"
"So what are we going to do about this whole Pacey thing?"
"Jen," Joey said, her eyes widening fearfully. "What if he does want a relationship?"
* * *
"You could be in trouble, Pace," Dawson acknowledged.
"You're right - Joey may want to be your girlfriend."
"Oh, God, Dawson. I could break her heart. She'll never be the same again!"
"Don't be ridiculous. You're Pacey Witter, not Brad Pitt."
Pacey rolled his eyes. "What ever would I do without you to raise my self-esteem?"
"This is serious,"
"I know," Pacey sighed. "You know what? It's not even like I can claim it was a spur-of-the-moment thing that shouldn't have happened. I spent the entire day trying to convince her that it was what we both wanted. What's it going to look like when I say that now I can't be with her?"
"You're in trouble,"
* * *
"At least it isn't my fault," Joey said. "It was his idea in the first place. I didn't even want to kiss him. In fact, I pulled away the first time he tried!"
"Good leverage," Jen commented. "But you know what?"
"What?"
"You're ignoring one huge factor,"
"What's that?"
* * *
"You want to be with her, Pacey. Shouldn't that overrule everything else?"
"Yes, Dawson, in a perfect world, it should. But in this world, it doesn't. In this world, there's Andie, and a million other things that have to be dealt with before Joey and I can even begin to cultivate anything resembling a romantic involvement."
"Hmm," Dawson said thoughtfully.
"What?"
"That's pretty deep,"
Pacey rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Dawson."
"What?" Dawson looked offended. "Seriously, Pace, maybe it's an outdated romantic sentiment, but I personally believe that the only factor in a relationship is that the two people involved want to be involved. If they don't, fine. But if they do, everything else should be irrelevant."
* * *
"You're right about one thing, Jen. That is a terribly outdated romantic sentiment."
"You're just too cynical, Joey,"
"I'm realistic," Joey said. "And at this juncture in our lives, a tryst between Pacey and me is nonsensical, irrational, and irremissable."
"Let's see you tell him that,"
"Fine," Joey stood up, fueled by the challenge. "I will."
"Go for it," Jen sat back in her chair and watched. Nerves overwhelmed Joey as she made her trek to Dawson and Pacey's table on the other side of the cafeteria. "Pace," She cleared her throat.
"We have to talk."
Dawson and Pacey exchanged a look.
"You're right, Jo. We do." Pacey stood and pushed in his chair.
"I'll talk to you later, Dawson."
"Bye," Dawson said, watching them walk away. A moment later, Jen plopped down across from him.
"What do you think?" she asked.
"I give 'em a week, tops, before they're falling all over each other,"
"Absolutely," Jen agreed. "So, Andie isn't really a factor?"
"Nah. He's scared and he's trying to come up with some reason why they can't be together."
"Same with Jo,"
"Hmm,"
"So..."
"Jen?"
"Yeah?"
"The new Tom Hanks movie is out, and I was wondering," He bit his lip. "Would you like to go?"
Jen's face brightened up. "I'd love to."
* * *
"What are they doing?" Joey asked, trying to see over the crowd.
"Pace? What's happening?"
"They're smiling,"
"And?"
"I can't read lips, Jo. I don't know what's going on. But whatever it is, they look happy."
"I want to know what they're saying,"
"Wait - he's taking her hand!"
"What?"
"They're holding hands," Pacey sighed, and fell back onto the bottom step of the staircase just outside the cafeteria. "It worked."
"You really think they fell for it?"
"Definitely. You should've heard Dawson try to tell me that love is all that matters."
"Jen said the same thing," Joey smiled. "I'm really glad we had that talk last night, Pace. I think staying friends is really the best idea for us."
"But you agreed that if it doesn't work..."
"Then we do it your way," Joey laughed. "What is your way?"
"We go at it like porn stars,"
"Well, then I'm glad my way won,"
"For now, Josephine," Pacey promised, his eyes holding hers captive.
"For now."
* * * * *
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