. Summary: Takes place after Joey and Pacey hug in Season 5's 'Appetite for Destruction.' It's kind of my closure for the P/J relationship until mid to late Season 6 when it starts up again. It's not very deep; it's really only just a cute little conversation that I think that they could have.

Joey pulled away from Pacey's embrace "What was that for?" She asked as they continued strolling down the road. 

"Just to let you know that no matter which Joey Potter you choose to be, I'll still be here, supporting you a hundred percent of the way." 

She smiled knocking against him as they walked. "You know this is all kind of strange." 

"How is that?" Pacey asked digging his hands into his pockets. 

"I feel like we're reliving sophomore year." 

Pacey nodded thinking about her assessment, "Well true, but things are more intense, this time Dawson actually got laid." 

She playfully pushed his arm offering him a soft smile, "No really Pacey, what if we're reliving the past." 

He shrugged wrapping his arm around her shoulder, "Well we obviously hate each other again so that works, this means by the years end you and Dawson will be smooching. This time when you offer yourself at the beginning of the school year you'll actually get some." She gave him a dirty look as Pacey smiled knowingly at his assessment. "Then Dawson will leave you, you'll get bitter and hook up with 'College Guy Redux' and just like the first he won't be what he seems." Joey laughed nodding along, "This of course will lead you to crawling back to me and since there isn't much of a notch to turn up in our relationship we'll have to have either sex in a public place or a baby." 

Rolling her eyes a chuckle escaped her lips, "Alright but I get to dump you at the next high school function this time," Joey stated pointing a finger at him. 

"We wouldn't have it any other way." 

"And we'll be stuck in this never ending cycle for the rest of our lives," she sighed. 

"Or until one of us dies," he offered tightening his grip so she was in a head lock. 

"Pacey," Joey yelped laughing hysterically until he loosened his grip. "It's rather ironic though." 

"What is?" 

"Well, Dawson and I are supposed to be the soul mates, and yet neither of us are the firsts for all the major romantic things in our lives. Like first kiss," she trailed off. 

"Yep, seems that Jen is the Neil Armstrong of Dawson's love life." 

"And we were both 'deflowered' by the other two of our incestuous little group," she teased. 

Glancing down at her he raised a brow, "Are you calling that a bad thing?" 

"Yeah," Joey nodded biting back her lip, "and that's why I came back to your house so many times begging for more." She finished letting the smile dance across her face. 

"You Miss Potter definitely drank too much wine tonight." 

"There was wine?" She asked grabbing onto his shoulder. 

"Well there would have been, but after tonight's revelations I decided that alcohol was the last thing on earth we all should have been indulging in." 

She shrugged, "It's not like any secrets were left unsaid tonight." 

"I should get you home," Pacey chuckled directing her towards Worthington. 

Joey cringed looking down at his feet, "I was thinking we could maybe hang out on your boat, you know for old time sake." 

"You're jumping the gun, Josephine, Dawson and I haven't even had our big brawl yet." 

"Well if we're reliving our past to a greater intensity then you two will be engaging in the fight of all fights. This means that one of you may actually kill the other and then I'll lose access to your boat forever," she pouted. 

"True," he agreed as they headed towards the docks. Hopping onto his boat he heard Joey clear her throat behind him. "Yes?" 

She extended a hand to him as she tilted her head up, "Permission to come aboard." 

He let out a warm chuckle at her display as he locked hands with her, bowing his head to her he replied, "Permission granted," before helping her onto the deck. 

Climbing down the stairs into the cabin Joey looked around approvingly, "I never actually made my way all the way down here, but I must say you done nice." 

"Thank you, my dear," he said hanging his jacket in the closet as she took a seat on the bench. 

"This sweet ride must have seen a lot of action," she suggested smoothing her hands over the soft cream fabric of the cabin. 

"It has actually, but none of it has been from me in the past few months, mainly just my boss and his mistress." He nodded uncomfortably. 

"You mean this Karen girl never shacked up on it?" She asked puckering her lips and leaning back on her hands. She had been interested about this girl since Pacey had mentioned his urban legend the other night with her and Jack. 

"Well now that you mention it she did, but as I said before I wasn't involved." 

Raising a brow she inquired, "So was there any indecent activities?" 

"I guess we're having this conversation now," he began his eyes wide with fear of her reaction. "You see, in the world people fall in love and after they hit their final conflict there are breaking points. This of course is called breaking up." Joey nodded along sarcastically. "After parting ways it is only natural that you explore other emotional entanglements in order to move on with ones life. With out such relationships we are nothing but mere lost souls who are depressed and suicidal with loneliness." 

"So you dated, as in past tense?" 

"Not exactly," Pacey flinched remembering the whole liaison. "It was more like me pursuing her, getting shot down, uncovering her affair with my employer, then being used as her revenge for him loving his wife. Then of course there was the part of her skipping town the night after." 

"That seems to be your theme," Joey joked lightly jabbing him in the arm. 

"I always loved your compassion." 

"Sorry," she replied scrunching her nose, "Bitter ex-girlfriend lapse." 

"I think we should agree right here and now that in order to sustain a healthy friendship we will not discuss our sex lives, the sex lives of others, or sex in general." He said gulping back the uneasiness in his throat. 

"Agreed," she reached out her hand to shake his blushing slightly. 

"At this point I shall change the subject in order to remove myself from any more awkward situations." He said sinking in the couch next to her. 

She shot up walking to the galley, "I'm hungry," she stated searching through his cabinets. 

"It's touching to know after slaving all day over a hot stove you appreciate my hard work," he joked dryly. 

Pulling out a box of Fruity Pebbles she dug into it dropping the colorful morsels into her mouth, "Why enjoy gourmet cuisine when I can indulge in children's cereal?" 

"Nice to know you people are still keeping my ego in check," he said reclining resting his feet on the table. 

With her hand still over her mouth Joey froze, "Pacey, can I ask you a question?" 

Pausing for a moment Pacey gave her a concerned glance, "Yeah sure." 

Placing the box on the table she sunk in next to him, "Does it still hurt to be around me?" 

His face melted into a grave expression as he stood up heading to the galley disappearing behind the counter. "I said some stupid things at the end of senior year," he began reappearing with two beers and handing her one. 

"It's just that Dawson told me that it hurts to be around me and I'd hate to think that all my ex's were still pained in my presence." 

He winked, "Well there's always Jack." 

"Pacey," she said in an aggravated tone. "I was just wondering how you feel about me now." 

"Well somehow in my life I think that I have always loved you," he reasoned sitting on the chair opposite to her. 

"Even when I was the assless, ice princess, whom you felt my life was too boring?" She asked raising a suggestive brow. 

He shrugged remembering their endless banter from age 5 to 16, "Well at that point it was in a dormant stage." 

Crossing her leg over the other she folded her arms over her chest, "What about now?" 

He chewed onto his lower lip as he rolled his eyes back thinking, "Hibernation." 

"Hibernation?" 

"Yeah like in Star Wars, it's still there but I can't act on it," he nodded. 

Joey grinned widely as she shook her head, "I don't believe you are incased in a frozen metal of any kind, Witter." 

"It's the principle Jo, the principle." 

She shrugged, "Well I guess it's the same way for me too," pausing she titled her head, "Well except for the whole cheesy ill conceived metaphor." 

"I must have never told you Doug's metaphor in which you portrayed a bus," Pacey winked as he took another swig from his beer. 

"So I'm not any strange form of torture to you anymore?" 

"No," he said shaking his head reassuringly, "and I'm sure that you won't be for Dawson either in the not so distant future." 

Her eyes connected with his filled with vulnerability. "Because Pace, you breaking my heart didn't scare me I knew that that would heal with time, it was the prospect that after you walked out of that graduation party, that I would never see you again. That's what tore me up inside." 

Wrapping a comforting arm around her he pulled her against him, "Well I realized that life just wasn't the same with out you. You, Dawson, Jack, and Jen, you all supply me with limitless ends of entertainment and amusement. And now that Audrey is around, I believe that we will never get bored." 

Glancing down at her watch she sighed. "Speaking of Audrey, I should get going," she said straitening out her clothing. "She may think that you went psycho and killed me, you know since you were yielding knives and all." 

"Do you need me to walk with you?" He asked shooting up out of his seat. 

"Nah, I have been taking those kick boxing classes, I think I can take care of myself." 

Falling in stride next to her he followed her off the boat, "Yeah well I've been taking those touch my ex-girlfriend and I'll kill you classes, so I think your best bet is sticking with me." 

"Oh yes you are a black belt in that field." 

"I prefer White Knight but I'll let you get away with that this time. It's but a simple clause in the perfect boyfriend contract. Within it, it says that if you sign onto be the perfect ex-boyfriend as well you get free cable for a month." 

"I'll be over for the free porn," she joked wiggling her eyebrows. 

"So adorable," he joked pinching her cheek. 

She let out a soft chuckle, "Thanks for dinner tonight, Pace." 

Shoving his hands in his pocket he raised a brow, "What the chicken or the fruity pebbles?" 

She looked at him incredulously, "Well the fruity pebbles of course. No offense but the chicken was a little raw." 

"I thought that was the way you liked it," he argued playfully. 

Turning to him she placed a hand on his shoulder, "It's a woman's prerogative to change her mind." 

"Don't tell me you're going to make me carry you the rest of the way," he joked thinking back to the night of Jen's 'birthday party' the year before. 

"Oh no because then we may jump the gun with our indecent public sexual act," she laughed removing her hand from him. 

"Well I never said it had to be in the streets. It could be office buildings, dark alley ways, and my personal favorite restaurant table top." 

"Sounds kinda hot," she joked shoving his arm. 

"Well there's always an empty table at Civilization calling your backside." 

"Pacey!" She said rolling her eyes. 

"Carbon freeze," he reminded her. 

Coming to a stop she folded her arms over her chest, "Well this is me." 

"So this is where you Ivy Leaguers habituate," he said scanning the large building in front of them. 

"Yeah, the medieval aspect is supposed to enlighten us I guess." Wrapping her arms around him she embraced him another hug, "I'm glad we can be friends again," she mumbled into his chest. 

"Me too," he said releasing a sigh, "and just know, that no matter what, you will always be the numero uno Skittish Kitten in my heart." 

Smiling she looked up at him, "And Pacey Witter 'friend to women' will always be a part of mine as well." 

He kissed her on the forehead before nudging her to the entrance watching as she disappeared through the door.