. Author’s Note: This story takes place near the end of Swan Song in fact a lot of dialogue is lifted from that episode. Basically, what if Pacey stayed in Capeside with Joey for the summer and so on and so forth. Italics are flashbacks from prior seasons. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10

Audrey blinked a few times her eyes already presenting the brinks of tears as she shook her head heading to the bathroom. “Audrey wait,” Joey called after her pulling her shirt over her head as she caught the door before it slammed shut.

Pacey chewed on his inner lip uneasily, “Glad to see you back,” he said nervously.

Dawson smirked, “I find that somewhat hard to believe.”

“Well I’d prefer for you two to have returned about an hour later but it’d probably be asking too much, right?” He joked trying to ease in the settled tone.

“Probably,” Dawson agreed.

His eyes jumped to the bathroom door and then back to his former best friend. “So what say we give them some space and I take you out to lunch?”

Dawson’s eyes followed his gaze before he shrugged, “Yeah, I think we could use a nice long talk.”

Pacey froze; Dawson was going to murder him, that was obvious now.

~*~

“Audrey I’m sorry,” Joey said desperately. 

She turned abruptly, “Is that why you stopped calling me? You too busy getting busy with my ex boyfriend while I was on the other side of the country regretting my decision to let him go?”

“Audrey, that’s not fair.”

“Not fair?” She asked incredulously, “I thought you had gotten over him, that you had given him up for the greater soul mate bond. Were you mad that he could find happiness with someone else, did you need to know that you had dominance over every woman for these brook side hearts?”

She shook her head furiously, “It wasn’t like that.”

“God Joey, I thought you were my friend!”

“I was your friend!” She snapped back, “that’s why I didn’t say anything when you got with him in the first place. That’s why I tried to help when your relationship fell apart, that’s why you can’t blame me for what I did.”

Audrey frowned sitting on the edge of the bath tub holding her head in her hands, “I know,” she mumbled, “and I think what pisses me off most of all is the fact that you could have let me and him slip off your back so easily when right now the thought of you two back together is driving me crazy.”

Joey scoffed settling next to her, “Are you kidding me, I felt so selfish wanting to keep him to myself that the only way I thought I could get over that feeling was to give him up.”

“Do you know how hard it is?” Audrey asked. “To have to compete against you? You’re beautiful and smart and funny and have this modesty that only gets guys rolling even more. And worse of all you’re so nice that it makes it impossible to hate you.”

Joey smirked, “I know how that is.”

Audrey chewed back her lip, “I want to be happy for you, I do, but right now I just need to vent.”

Joey nodded, “I understand.”

~*~

“So how’ve you been man?” Pacey asked ushering him into a chair at Civilization.

“Pretty good,” he nodded, “I’ve been working on a film with this psycho director but it’s been a great experience.”

“Somebody finally putting you in your place?” He smirked.

“I know it’s awful.”

Pacey clasped his hands together, “Hey Jenny can you get us some coffee?”

“Are we done stalling now?”

He chuckled, “I was hoping to hold off for at least another ten minutes.”

“Look,” Dawson sighed heavily, “I still feel like an ass for how I handled what went down that spring, and I’d love to say that if I could change it that I could but I don’t think that I have ever felt more betrayed before.”

“I know but,” he fought for the words, “you know how hard it is to resist her.”

“I know,” he nodded, “don’t I know it. And I guess that’s why I can’t be mad at you. We’ve grown up Pace, and who knows how things are going to work out between any of us. I’d love to say that Joey’s still my soul mate, that she’s still the one for me, but we’re still so young and there are going to be so many new people coming in and out of our lives. So I guess if for right now, you make her happy, then I’m happy for you two.”

He narrowed his eyes, “That’s surprisingly mature of you.”

Dawson laughed uneasily, “The thing is that I may not be completely innocent in the case here.”

“What’s that supposed to mean.”

“I met somebody.”

Pacey grinned, “Really, Mister Hollywood Player Man, who’s the lucky gal?”

“She’s an actress.”

“Nice.”

“And I’ve been sleeping with her since the beginning of August.”

“You little slut,” he joked.

“She’s the complete opposite of me and we drive each other crazy but,” he shook his head, “the sparks just fly.”

“Hey,” he mocked, “we’re still so young and there are going to be so many new people coming in and out of our lives, so you better grab life by the horns and ride baby ride.”

“I find that subtly disturbing.”

“Only a little?”

He checked his watch, “I’ve still got to go unpack, I’ll talk to you soon okay?”

“Where are you staying?”

“Jack’s old room, I heard Drue took over mine.”

“Long story.”

“But I’ve got to run home to Capeside and pick up some things.”

“Yeah, I’ll see you soon man,” Pacey said watching Dawson as he left the restaurant, a heavy burden lifted from his shoulders.

“Witter, I’ve got something for you,” Danny said coming out of the kitchen. He handed him an envelope, “Those two paychecks you asked for.”

“Thanks man,” he said checking the contents, “and don’t worry I won’t screw you over or anything I’ll work off the second one easy.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he patted his shoulder affectionately. “I trust you,” he chuckled, “just don’t spend it all on one place.”

He leafed through some bills, “Don’t worry, it’ll be worth it.”

~*~

She knocked on the door tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for someone to answer. She folded her arms over her chest; “Hey there stranger.”

“Joey, hey,” Jen’s bouncing blonde curls greeted her as she wrapped her arms around her.

“How was Long Island?” She asked.

Jen laughed uneasily, “Besides the rich snobs straight out of a Fitzgerald novel, it was fun.” She narrowed her eyes, “How about you, how was yours?”

Joey bit her lip, “It was eventful.”

She glanced over her shoulder, “Where’s Dawson and Audrey.”

She cringed, “I don’t think Audrey’s coming.”

“Oh.”

Joey stepped around Jen and into the living room. “Potter, back so soon?”

“Drue,” she said flatly.

“Don’t you have your own home or something?” Jen folded her arms over her chest, “I leave home for three months and he’s already permanently planted in my attic.”

“Sounds like your typical pest.”

“Hey,” Drue held up a hand, “I almost resented that.”

“I’m going to go grab something to drink,” Joey said nodding towards the kitchen.

“Hey,” he said catching her off guard as she headed down the hall.

She grinned, "I was wondering where you went."

He scratched his head with a chuckle; "I took Dawson out back and, well the stories to gruesome to retell."

"Pacey," she said simply. Sucking her lower lip between her teeth she said, "How'd it go?"

"Startlingly well actually," he said, "he was sleeping with his leading lady actually."

Her jaw dropped, "What?"

"See not the best response for your insecure boyfriend."

She smirked straightening his collar, "So you're my boyfriend now?"

He covered her hands with his, "I thought it had a nice ring to it, that's all." He paused, "How about Audrey."

"She's a little hurt, a little angry, a little surprised but I'm sure a shoe sale at Cardolino's will make it all better."

“And a cappuccino,” he added. Chewing on the inside of his lip he hesitated, “Now that we have things squared away with them, what about us?”

She narrowed her eyes, “What do you mean?”

His head hung low, he was scared, “It’s just, we haven’t really discussed where we stand.”

“Because things change a little, you think I’ll drop you without a second thought?”

Maybe you should be the first to go this time.

“No it’s just I want to know where we stand that’s all.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I just, don’t want to veer off like we did last time; I want to know that you’re in this as much as I am. I don’t want to get lost again.”

“See that’s the thing, we talk about how we’re on two different paths, how we need to grow yet every time I’m lost you’re always there to put me back on track, and the more we grow the closer our roads lie.” She sighed, “I’ve felt like there’s been something missing in my life lately, this void that was never empty before. I’ve had everything lately, a great school, a new life but I just wasn’t happy.” She licked her lips, “It’s been you, Pace, what my life’s been waiting for. All those years ago I wasn’t ready, but I’m there now, I’m at that point where I’m not scared anymore.”

“What’re you saying, Potter?” He asked his lips twitching towards a grin.

“I love you,” she said, “I never stopped and I never will.”

He grinned, “Lucky that you said that.”

She narrowed her eyes, “Why?”

He took her hand, “I’ve got something to show you.”

“What? We can’t just leave with out saying anything.”

“It’ll be worth it, trust me.”

~*~

Joey wobbled her eyes closed obediently shut, “Can I please open my eyes now?” She begged.

“No, it ruins the element of surprise,” he said stubbornly.

She tripped over a piece of wood quickly catching her balance, “Well if I die I’m charging you with murder.”

“Jesus woman just follow me and stop spazing out.”

He placed his hands on her shoulders adjusting her position before whispering in her ear, “Alright, open them.”

So hypothetically speaking... if I were lucky enough one day to find myself owning a sailboat again, and I were to ask the woman that I love to go sailing with me... would she?

Her eyes drifted over the yacht, it didn’t look exactly like True Love in fact it didn’t look much like it at all. It was a little bigger, a little stronger, a little more resilient then before. “Oh my God, Pace,” her jaw dropped, “How did you, where did you…”

He chuckled, “I’ve been hoarding pay checks.”

You wouldn't have to ask, Pace

“Look, I know we don’t have a summer to sail off into the sunset anymore but maybe once or twice around the block ain’t too shabby.”

She chewed back her lip, “That could be nice.”

“And who knows,” he said softly, “maybe one day we’ll be ready to go take that sail into happy ending land again.”

She grinned, “That day may be sooner then you think.”

He hoped off of the dock onto the boat, as she extended her hand, “Permission to come aboard?”

He grasped her hand, placing a kiss on her knuckles, “Permission granted.”

Stepping into his arms she kissed him under the stars.

“You love me.”

“You bug me.”

Maybe life wasn’t that hard to find after all.