. 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

”That girl right there is checking you out,” Joey pointed out over his shoulder.

He shrugged cradling the drink in front of her, “I think it’s because I slept with her a few months ago and never called.”

“There’s Pacey Witter,” she teased giving him a playful push.

“That guy over there has been staring at your ass for the past hour,” Pacey said gesturing behind them.

She glanced over and cringed burying her face in his shoulder to hide her laugh, “No way, definitely not my type.”

“Don’t worry, if you keep touching me like that every time a guy checks you out they’ll all get the wrong impression.”

She lifted her face from his shoulder her eyes meeting his for a long moment, “I’ve been touching you,” she said embarrassed, “I haven’t even noticed, force of habit I guess.”

“I’m not complaining.”

A smile tinged at the corner of her lips as she reached out and grabbed his hand. “Dance with me.”

“I don’t think so,” he argued holding onto the bar stool he was sitting at.

“Come on Pace make Penny proud,” she countered pulling him with her onto the dance floor. Almost immediately the fell into an intimate rhythm, gyrating to the techno music of the club like they were still in college. His hands ran along her smooth sides enticed by the sweet smell of her vanilla lotion. He was drunk but not drunk enough to get away with this but was surprised when she made no protests.

He cupped her cheek lowering his lips to hers too caught in the moment, too blind with lust, knowing all he wanted was to kiss her. All the faces around him were blurs except for hers, so familiar. She almost complied, for a glimmering moment he saw the kiss me look in her eyes but as the music ended the moment did as well. “Can we go home now,” she muttered looking away from him.

He nodded following after her descending form.

~*~

“What do you have in mind?” Dawson asked leaning over the table. 

“Hey, hey, this is Dawson Leery,” Jen said bending towards Drue jabbing him with her elbow, “he’s not very good with pranks.” 

“You didn’t go on that road trip to Providence with me, Pacey, and Billy sophomore year,” he countered sitting up smugly. 

“Where is Pacey?” Andie finally asked knitting her brows. 

“I haven’t seen him since I graduated college,” Jack replied searching his memory. “All I remember was Doug saying that one day he just packed up his bag and left and he never heard from him again.” 

“Do you think he’s going to come?” Dawson asked. 

“No,” Jen said softly, “there’s no way he’s going to come.” 

“What makes you so sure?” 

“Because he’s living in Seattle.” 

~*~ 

Coming in from work the loud ring filled the apartment, “Jack?” She called out balancing the bags in her hands. “Jack can you get that?” 

After no response she let out an aggravated sigh allowing the bags to fall around her feet as she dove towards the ringing phone, “Hello Lindley-McPhee house of Over Sexed Teens and Alternative Lifestyle Men.” 

She heard a warm chuckle on the other end of the line, one that she had come to recognize years before, “Hello Lindley.” 

“Pacey is that you?” She asked crawling into a sitting position on the floor. 

“That would be correct,” he replied his booming voice comforting. 

“Where have you been for the past three year’s young sir? We were thinking about taking out a missing persons report.” 

“I’ve been around actually,” he paused taking a deep breath, “Jen do you believe in fate?” 

“Pace if you’re going to say that it was fate that I answered my telephone I’m really sorry it was just a force of habit.” 

“No, no,” he trailed off obviously finding the right words to get what he wanted, “have you seen Joey lately?” 

“Don’t you think it’s time to move on?” She asked folding an arm over her waist. 

“Yes, yes I do,” he nodded jerkily, “but do you know where she is?” 

“No I do not she said she was exploring the country and left a few months ago.” 

“Back to that fate thing I was talking about, I’m in Seattle.” 

“Are you going sleepless?” She joked receiving only a light smirk from him. 

“No, see I got a new roommate about three months ago,” he explained. 

“And she reminds you of Joey.” 

“She is Joey.” 

There was a long silence, “So Joey found you in Seattle and you’re living together,” she paused, “platonically?” 

“Excruciatingly,” he cringed painfully. “It’s just every time I try to escape her I turn around and she’s right there. First there was senior year when I sailed around the sea for three months only to stroll back into her life.” 

“That was on your own free will as I recall, especially since you knew she was in Boston.” 

“Don’t ruin the analogy Lindley,” he interrupted, “Anyway I run here, she appears here that, that is fate.” 

“Pacey you’ve had five years to get over her!” 

“I know, and I was doing so well but, I’m a guy and whenever I hear the shower start to run and I’m not in it, my mind it starts to drift.” 

She threw her head against the edge of the couch, “Why do I feel like we’re sixteen again?” 

“I wish we were, at least back then we didn’t have a history.” 

She sighed, “Okay Pace, I’m going to warn you that nothing good can come from this,” she paused biting on her lip, “But, I want you to do whatever makes you happy.” 

“Thanks Jen.” 

“And if I don’t get another phone call in the next three years from you Pacey Witter you will have hell to pay.” 

“Yes Jen,” he replied, “bye,” he finished hanging up the phone. 

~*~ 

After his eighth loop around the parking lot he finally pulled into the empty space that he had been eyeing on each lap. He was stalling because he felt guilty, he hadn’t seen Dawson in seven years, Jack or Jen in six, and Andie, well he hadn’t seen Andie for a very long time. And Joey, it felt like forever since he had last seen her. He had run away from life and created a new one on his own and he felt lonely because of it, because his friends were his family and he walked away. 

Throwing his head against the rest of his seat he ran his hands across his hair, “Time to do this,” he said to himself patting on the wheel. And yet he continued sitting there staring out the dashboard. 

~*~ 

“Pacey Witter I hate you,” she mumbled crawling into his bed clad in long sweats and a puffy pink robe. She carried a box of tissues and a trash can, and her messy hair and dark eyes immediately gave away the fact that she was sick. 

He grumbled rolling over, the sheets twisting around his legs as he buried his face into his pillow, “What did I do?” He looked up at her, his nose a rosy pink with dark circles under his eyes. 

“You got me sick,” she pouted pulling some covers over her as she snuggled into the bed. 

He sat up on his elbows and stole a tissue from her, “How did I do that? I’ve been sleeping in the privacy of my room for almost a week now.” 

She shook her head, “Did your mother ever teach you to use a glass when you drink orange juice? When you swig from the carton you backwash and then release your germs to all the innocent civilized people.” 

He scrunched up his nose arrogantly, “It’s my orange juice I can drink it how I want to.” 

“I bought the orange juice,” she said flatly. 

His face fell, “Oh sorry about that.” He rolled onto his back sitting up against his pillow, “So Potter, now that we’re both in bed in the same health, alone, what do you want to do?” 

She stared at him blankly her cheeks turning a light crimson, “Don’t get any ideas Witter,” she said reaching over him to the night stand and fishing for the remote. 

“Don’t you have your own room you can be hacking in?” He complained watching her warily as her body clashed against his. 

“That I do,” she said scooting back into her spot, “but you have a TV in yours.” 

“It’s nice to see how that’s all I’m good for.” 

“Oh no sweetie,” she said running a hand along his cheek, “You make great omelets too.” 

~*~ 

She hovered in front of the door pulling her coat tightly around her suddenly feeling every nerve well up inside. Joey chewed at her bottom lip nervously realizing it immediately and breaking the habit. A sea of faces surrounded her, most of which she recognized, majority of which she had always tried to avoid. 

It was then that Dawson saw her, looking over Jack's shoulder she glanced around timidly, but he was too afraid to call out. She was exactly how he had remembered her; her auburn hair chopped above her shoulder her eyes still a glistening gray. She seemed heavier though something that you would only expect as the years continued but the weight made her look healthier. 

She turned to Mary Beth who approached her with a wide smile, they chatted for a long while Mary Beth turning in profile to show her the curve of her stomach signifying to him that she was expecting. But then Joey turned her back to him and he couldn't study her face any longer instead watching her arms dance wildly in their animate conversation. 

A flicker of light caught the corner of his eye as he focused in on her left hand and the glittering diamond resting above a smooth white band.