. Summary: This is an alternate series finale that takes place during the 10 year reunion.  Therefore Jen is still alive.  Italics are flashbacks and sometimes titles. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

Rummaging through her jewelry box she picked out a simple pair of gold hoops. Looking into the mirror she tucked her hair behind her ears reaching for her lipstick capsule she applied another coat of the berry shade. 

“Are you sure you want to go to this?” His voice called out from the next room. 

“I haven’t seen them in years, I have to,” Joey replied puckering her lips. 

~*~ 

Packing up her last bag she threw down the hood of her trunk resting her hands on the edge for a moment. She had decided that she would just drive, no final destination no set expectations, just drive. After graduating from college she wanted to start writing on her first novel, and instead of rehashing old and painful memories from her past she was hitting it Kerouac style and finding her inspiration on the road. At twenty-five, she was still young and exploring her life, and a voyage too anew was always a good way to find herself. 

The trek took her 5 days, stopping in Columbus on her first day, the next in Des Moines, the third in Bismarck, Helena on the fourth, and finally pulling into Seattle on the fifth day. 

After living on fast food and alcohol celibate for nearly a week she pulled over at one of the first restaurant bars she could find near the center of town. It was by the water, but not the same body she was used to. The Pacific Ocean was different to her in so many ways, not only was it larger but it's waves crashed with more fierce, and that's what she needed, a new challenge. Slipping into the restaurant she immediately found a familiarity to it, as if she had been there before. The carpet was a blood red highlighted by light pink walls and a distinctive black trim. The tables were all a cherry stain with deep red flowers and a simple lamp with a deep yellow shade. She suddenly felt under dressed as she glanced down at her wrinkled black pants and pea coat tucked tightly around her sweater. 

She quickly dismissed this inhaling sharply as her eyes fell upon the bar. It was late far past the dinner hour and only a few straggling couples were left eating dinner off in the corner. A saxophone wailed in the corner to some classic blues song that she was sure she should have remembered as a piano tinkled softly in the background. 

Sinking onto a royal blue barstool she swiveled in it for a moment before looking up at the bartender who chatted with a man who couldn't be much older then herself. But she wasn't interested in the man; it was the bartender who caught her eye. His chestnut brown hair was exactly how she remembered and she could still feel the soft strands gliding through her fingers. His face was slightly broader picking up the years between when she had last seen him. He tilted his head his crystal blue eyes catching in the light revealing that gleam she always reveled in. 

He slid down over towards her, his head still downcast as he wiped down his table with a blue checkered rag and began fiddling with a glass, "What can I get ya?" 

She leaned her elbows against the cherry oak of the bar smoothing her hands over a cup ring on the cool glaze. She licked her lips nervously, "What do you suggest?" 

His motions stopped as the glass rattled to a stop. He worried his bottom lip between his teeth at the familiar sound of her voice, the voice he had longed to her for five years now. He hesitated to look at her, afraid that if his eyes made the journey that he would be disappointed. Gritting his teeth together he took in a sharp breath the air sizzling as it hit his teeth, before his deep blue eyes met hers. 

"Hey," was all he could offer his face suddenly lightening in his adolescent glow. 

"Is that all you can say after five years?" 

He grinned raising his brows, “Is this the most contact you can keep over a five year period?” 

“I deserved that,” she sighed. 

Picking up a glass he dried it with a rag sizing her up for the level of alcohol he should be serving her before pouring her a whiskey sour. “So what brings you to this side of the country?” 

She sipped at the drink flinching as the alcohol surged down her throat, “New profound journey.” 

“Sounds exciting,” he replied clearing his throat. 

“I’m writing a book actually,” she continued, “and what better place then the dark dingy streets of Seattle.” 

He waved an accusing finger, “Hey, don’t rain on Seattle,” he said with full intention of a pun, “we’re the home of the first Starbucks.” 

“Something always to be proud of,” she said dryly. He stared at her straightly for a moment, “What? I lived in New York for nearly five years, I’ve seen enough Starbucks to fill a small country.” 

“So you’ve been around I assume?” He asked lightly a playful smile playing at his lips. 

“Probably not nearly as much as you, for all I know you’ve slept with the entire country, five years is a long time to drive from Capeside to Seattle.” 

He chuckled, leaning against the counter as he shook his head in disbelief, “Some things will never change.” 

“So what about you Pace, what brings you to this corner of the world? And don’t tell me it’s because you needed a job because I’m well aware of numerous bars in the tri-state area.” 

“Sometimes you just want to start over, you know clear expectations.” There was a long silence as the people at the end of the bar waved their goodbyes staggering out of the restaurant. 

“I feel bad,” Joey said in a soft tone, “you held up your end of the deal tending bar, and I never sent you a postcard.” 

He looked down at the bar and then back at her, “Oh, wait, you think I’m the bartender?” 

She rolled her eyes, “You’re not haggling free liquor again are you?” 

“No you can rest assure that I own all the alcohol, all the food, all the décor, hell this whole building,” he said motioning around the room. 

“This is your place?” She asked behind wide eyes. 

“That would be true, madam,” he smiled warmly at her again. “It seems that abandoned burnt down buildings aren’t the most appealing to others so they run cheap in the market.” 

“You put this place together?” 

“You know me,” he paused inspecting her left hand before smiling, “Potter, I like to build beautiful things out of smoldering death traps.” 

“It’s beautiful Pacey, I’m impressed,” she said still taking in the entire scene. 

He leaned his elbows against the bar, “So what exactly brought you here.” 

She scrunched her nose taking another sip of her drink, “You know the book On the Road?” He nodded a few times, “Well I am determined to write a novel, and me being the perfectionist that I am I want the story to be brilliant. But my life is so boring that I thought if I hit the open road I’d come up with these great stories.” 

“Didn’t work that way though, huh?” 

“Well I made the mistake of doing this great quest in the age of cell phones and airplanes, and I had too much money in my pocket, a car, and the fact that nobody’s picked up a hitchhiker since Ted Bundy.” She explained throwing her arms around dramatically. 

He laughed as she froze her face falling, “What’s so funny?” She asked pursing her lips. 

Shaking his head he raised his eyes back to her, “Nothing, nothing, it’s just really great to see you.” Clasping his hands together he rubbed them together, “So is this thing permanent or are you just stopping by?” 

“I don’t know yet, I mean, I didn’t even know where I was going until I stopped here.” 

“Do you have anywhere to stay?” 

She cringed, “I have a very spacious back seat.” 

“Well I have a very spacious spare bedroom so if you just chug down that glass I can get you settled in.” 

“Would that be okay?” She asked nervously, “I mean I wouldn’t want to intrude.” 

He swung around the corner of the bar pulling on her arm, “Never, Potter, now let me get you upstairs.” 

“You live on top of your restaurant?” She asked him incredulously. 

“People scare me, I like to reduce contact.” 

Deepening her voice to a narrating tone, “Says the owner of a trendy restaurant.” 

~*~ 

“Well I’m empty,” Jen said exaggeratingly tipping her glass over. Pushing away from the table she tripped over to the bar already tipsy from the last few drinks she had consumed. Leaning against the makeshift bar she smiled at the young bartender, no older then twenty-four, with long lean limbs and an adorable red bowtie. “Cranberry Martini,” she ordered as he blushed at her. 

“Jenny, Jenny, Jenny,” the low crashing voice said from behind her. 

She pursed her lips turning to him tilting her neck back to meet his eyes, “Drue Valentine, what are you doing at an event like this?” 

He laughed lightly leaning on the table next to her, “Well since my name was printed in the graduation program I was automatically attached to the mailing list.” 

“So any elaborate pranks, should I run in my car and grab an umbrella?” She joked sipping at her martini. 

“Nah, those days are behind me,” he sighed looking out over the crowd of blending faces. “After a wild first year of college, you know keggers, casual sex, enough drugs to fill a pharmacy I just hit this realization that I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life doing it.” 

“Drue finally developed a conscience, go figure,” she sighed. 

“Thanks for the support Lindley; it’s good to see who your true friends are.” 

“Well I was pretty sheltered during my college years so it’s probably a good thing that I avoided you.” Taking a few more sips she turned back to him, “It’s good to see you.” 

He furrowed his brows his eyes still a startling silver, “Are those kind words coming from your voice box down there?” 

She pushed him weakly crossing an arm over her chest. “So what are you doing now days?” 

“Guidance councilor.” 

She spit out her drink raising a brow as she wiped at her chin, “This from the man who told school authorities to shove it?” 

He shrugged, “Well I figured I could really relate, you know my experience never helped me out, maybe I’ll help out some poor kid with it.” 

“What else are screw ups for?” 

“What have you been up to Lindley?” 

“Well I’ve actually been in New York for about eight years now, got in touch with a whole bunch of the group. They were rather amused to hear that we were both shipped off to the Cape to get straightened out.” 

He nudged her wiggling his brows, “So you’ve been talking about me?” 

“Only when speaking of very horrid memories,” she countered. 

“How is everyone doing?” 

Her face lit up as she thought about it, “They’re all great, they love Jack, Billy and Jeff took him drinking the first night and I swear Jack was hung over for days. Ella and Mark got married and they have an adorable little girl who has Mark’s cute little ears. Stephanie’s still trying to make it big as a singer and still can’t blurt out a note to save her life and Robyn is still Robyn.” 

He nodded absently, “I miss it out there.” 

“You should come visit sometime, there’s always room at our place,” she said offering him a genuine smile. 

~*~ 

“So have you seen this yet?” Jack asked waving the book around in his hand. 

Dawson eyed him for a moment before grasping it from his hand, “No what is it?” 

“Joey’s book, it came out a few months ago, it’s really quite good actually.” 

Running his fingers over the embossed letters he read the title Can’t Run Away.