Cut to the Leery house. Lily is seated in her high chair, reaching for a bag of cookies that are just out of reach.
Gale scoops her out of the chair.
GALE: No, no, no sweetheart. You’ll spoil your dinner.
Lily whines in response. Gale tries to shush her.
Joey smirks at the two of them.
JOEY: Just wait until she reaches the ‘I want it’ stage.
GALE: She’s already at the ‘I want it’ stage when it comes to snacks. So, how are things with you two?
Joey shrugs.
JOEY: You mean Dawson? Fine, I guess. Well, not really.
Gale looks at her, confused.
GALE: Meaning?
JOEY: We had a fight. I wouldn’t actually call it a ‘fight’, to tell you the truth. More of a disagreement.
GALE: About what?
Joey bites her lip.
JOEY: It’s personal.
Gale smirks.
GALE: Ohhhhh…about that!
JOEY: Ok, how do you automatically know what I’m talking about?
GALE: You’re too much like your mother, Joey. She could talk about anything with complete calmness, except when it came to your father.
Joey nods.
JOEY: Yeah, about him…I saw him today at the restaurant.
GALE: Oh?
JOEY: Yeah. With his new girlfriend.
Gale’s face falls.
GALE: So, you know about him and Gretchen?
Joey freezes.
JOEY: Wait, you knew about this? You’re ok with it?
She sighs.
GALE: I wasn’t at first. But then I talked to Dawson about it…
Joey’s eyes go wide.
JOEY: Dawson knows? You’re kidding me!
GALE: It happened while you were away. Gretchen came back to Capeside, and we all thought the two of them were going to start something up again. Dawson did too, which is why he was shocked when she showed interest in your father.
Joey shakes her head.
JOEY: This is not happening. No wonder Doug went all weird on me.
GALE: Joey, don’t be mad…
JOEY: I’m not, I’m just…well, the age difference. And there’s more. I’m starting to get why Dawson freaked out about you and Hetson.
GALE: Heard about that, did you?
Joey nods.
JOEY: It’s strange. When I was a little girl, and he kept cheating on mom, it always seemed so impossible. Then you and that Bob guy…
Gale sighs.
GALE: Not my finest hour.
JOEY: Yeah. To me at least, I had always thought you just needed to love on person your entire life and that would be enough. If that’s true, then why do I keep doing the opposite?
They sit down on the couch. Gale looks at Lily, who is still nestled in her arms, and smiles.
GALE: I don’t think we date to find out who we want. Not really. We just try to find out what we want.
JOEY: I don’t understand.
Gale looks at Joey.
GALE: Ever since your father was released from prison, he’s been a bit directionless. His old position in this community is gone, if he ever had one to begin with. His family has learned to provide for themselves. All he’s really doing is trying to find someone he can be there for. I think that’s why he jumped at the chance to go to Boston. So he could see if you needed him.
JOEY: That still doesn’t explain…
GALE: It does, when you think about it. People date to find a part of their lives that’s missing. But that part isn’t always the one they think it is. Here…can you hold her…?
Gale passes Lily over to Joey.
JOEY: Um, I don’t know if I…
However, she takes the child anyway.
GALE: I need to go make a phone call.
Gale heads upstairs. Once she’s gone, Joey stares into Lily’s tiny eyes.
JOEY: Hey. I’m Joey. Um…you probably don’t remember me, but I was one of the first people you ever met. Your brother, Dawson, is my best friend, you know? We’re really close.
Lily laughs at her. Joey smiles back.
JOEY: Just between you and me, I miss him sometimes. I miss being with him the way I used to, a long time before you were born. Maybe even more than he does. But even so, I know what I’m doing now is the right thing. It’s just not our time yet.
Joey sighs, as she looks at a family photo on the wall.
JOEY: You ever miss your daddy? Do you even remember him? I hope you do, because you were really lucky to have him.
Joey stands there, holding Lily close to her.
*****
Cut to Boston, at Worthington. Chris is sitting in the cafeteria, moping. Dawson sees him, and walks up to him.
DAWSON: Hey, Chris. You seen Pacey?
Chris shrugs.
CHRIS: Why don’t you ask Audrey? They were sucking face last I saw.
Dawson’s eyes go wide.
DAWSON: Um…wow. That’s…that’s a little unexpected.
CHRIS: Yeah, tell me about it.
Dawson sits down.
DAWSON: If it’s any consolation, I know what you’re going through.
CHRIS: Yeah, but I never even had the chance to do anything about it. I couldn’t, like, punch the guy out or get into a drag race. I’m not used to being second best. But being second best to Pacey Witter? What’s she even see in him?
DAWSON: I know. It’s like…you’d think Pacey would be the last person a woman would be interested in, but they fall all over themselves like he this huge romantic figure. The guy’s not even a ‘bad boy’, he’s just…Pacey.
CHRIS: He’s your best friend, though.
DAWSON: Yeah, he’s my best friend, but that doesn’t mean I get him as well as I should. I mean, when I tried acting like him; I ended up driving every single person I cared about away from me. Is it some sort of charm that us guys just don’t see?
Chris sighs again.
CHRIS: Look, I know you probably don’t want to hear my sob story, so you can take off. I’ll see you around, Dawson.
Dawson hesitates for a moment, but then goes ahead.
DAWSON: Yeah. See you.
*****
Cut to the B&B, in Capeside. Joey is sitting in the kitchen with Bessie and Bodie, showing them pictures.
BESSIE: Oh god…please tell me this isn’t…
Joey smirks.
JOEY: It is.
BESSIE: I wanna go there.
Bodie chuckles.
BODIE: Well, we almost have enough saved up to make the trip.
Bessie’s eyes go wide.
BESSIE: No way!
She grins.
JOEY: I don’t think you’ve taken a vacation anywhere since before I started high school. What’s the occasion?
Bessie looks over at Bodie, giving him a secret smile.
JOEY: What? What is it?
Bessie grabs Joey’s hand.
BESSIE: Well, since dad’s been back, he’s been helping out a lot with expenses. Almost all the money we receive from guests went into savings and personal stuff. We actually got to bring Alexander to see ‘Finding Nemo’. Well, we saved up a lot of money since then. If we didn’t love this place so much, we would have moved somewhere bigger.
JOEY: So you don’t have to live like paupers anymore. That’s a reason to plan a Paris trip?
Bessie shakes her head, giggling.
BESSIE: At first, I was worried dad would have a ‘relapse’ and get sent back, but so far he’s kept clean. It’s a perfect opportunity for him to give his eldest daughter away.
Joey’s mouth hangs open.
JOEY: Are you saying…?
BODIE: That’s exactly what she’s saying.
Joey screams, and hugs her.
JOEY: Oh god…you’re getting married!
BESSIE: I know.
Joey smiles from ear-to-ear.
JOEY: When is it? Have you set a date?
BESSIE: Sometime in the spring, soon as it’s warm enough. We want to have it outside.
BODIE: You’re the first person who knows besides Mike. We wanted the maid of honour with us before we made an official announcement. Can we count on you?
JOEY: Do you even have to ask? I’m in.
Bessie smiles, and then kisses her fiancée.
*****
Cut to later on, outside. It’s dark out, as Joey sits in one of the chairs on the lawn.
She stares off into space, contemplating everything that’s happened in the past few hours. Eventually, Mike wanders outside, eating a Twix bar.
MIKE: Want one? There’s a reason there’s two of these things in the package.
JOEY: Yeah, sure.
Mike hands her the secondary candy bar, which she takes a bite out of.
MIKE: Aren’t you cold?
Joey nods.
JOEY: A little. Cold makes me think better for some reason. It cuts me off from the rest of the world. I’m just wondering what I’m doing here.
MIKE: What do you mean?
JOEY: My sister’s getting married. My English teacher who can’t stand me is dating someone who practically adopted me. My father is going out with a girl who’s dated one of my ex’s, is a sister to another one, and is only a few years older than me. And here I am, single, wondering what’s the point of it all.
Mike sighs.
MIKE: How long have you known?
JOEY: A couple of hours. I saw you in the kitchen.
MIKE: She told me you were there, but you’d gone by the time I got out. I know why.
They sit in silence for a moment.
JOEY: I’m not mad, just a little confused. Why?
MIKE: I like being around her. She’s the only person besides my family and Gale’s that doesn’t look at me like she expects me to revert to type.
There’s another pause.
JOEY: Do you love her?
MIKE: I don’t know. We get along great. I’ll admit it’s a little weird because of the age difference, but when we’re together it doesn’t seem to matter.
JOEY: Relax, dad. For once, what you’re doing isn’t illegal. Though try telling that to Doug.
Mike laughs.
MIKE: Sorry about that. He’s been putting pressure on me, too.
JOEY: Is it that much of a problem?
He shakes his head.
MIKE: Nah. Gretchen told me a way to get him to back off.
JOEY: How?
MIKE: Accuse him of being gay. He flips out then makes a beeline to the door.
Joey puts her hand over her mouth and laughs.
JOEY: Ok, I’m telling Pacey that one.
MIKE: Please don’t. He doesn’t know yet, and I’d rather not have two Witter brothers after my scalp.
Joey appears confused.
JOEY: But Dawson knows.
Mike nods.
MIKE: Yes, and he promised me he wouldn’t tell anyone.
JOEY: Wait? You said only Doug with giving you problems? What about the Sheriff?
MIKE: Gretchen talked to him. He won’t bother us.
JOEY: Even you? Why’s that?
Mike smiles.
MIKE: Simple, Joey. A father will do anything to make sure his little girl’s happy.
Joey smiles.
JOEY: I like that.
The camera pans up on the two of them, as they both look up at the stars.
*****
Cut back to Boston, in Pacey’s room.
He and Andie are sitting in front of the television, which is hooked up to a computer. On the screen is the scene that they had filmed earlier.
Andie has a pad of paper in her lap. She’s taking notes.
PACEY: Ok, so how much of this do we want to keep?
ANDIE: Hmm…it’s a fight scene, right?
PACEY: Right, so we keep all of it?
Andie laughs.
ANDIE: Yeah, sure. This isn’t a James Bond movie.
PACEY: Well, maybe that’s the problem with it.
She rolls her eyes.
PACEY: I kid, I kid…we’re supposed to flip back and forth between the two scenes, right? To show they’re happening at the same time.
He grabs the remote, and fast forwards the film.
PACEY: How about here? And…here?
Andie nods in approval.
ANDIE: You know more about this than you let on.
PACEY: I don’t exactly phase out everything Dawson says, you know? Listen to him long enough, and you pick stuff up.
Andie looks at him and smiles.
PACEY: What? I got something on my face?
ANDIE: No, it’s just…you look really spirited right now.
Pacey grins.
PACEY: Noticed, did you? Well, I don’t want to brag, but things are finally starting to go my way.
ANDIE: Good. Me too.
Andie gently touches his hand, all at once, a spark passes between them. They stares into each other’s eyes.
PACEY: (whispering) Andie…?
ANDIE: Shhhh…
Her eyes flutter closed and she kisses him.
After a moment, they break apart. Pacey looks at her, completely speechless.
PACEY: I…I don’t. When did you…?
She smiles at him.
ANDIE: When Doctor Brown was here, he thought you were my boyfriend. Something about the way you acted about me made him think there was something between us.
She pauses.
ANDIE: Is there?
Pacey nods.
ANDIE: When? I mean, I don’t…?
PACEY: I guess is started that night at the library. I was so upset when I saw you and Dawson…you know? Then Oliver was all over you, and I…I just hated it.
Andie grins from ear to ear. She giggles.
ANDIE: Oh god…
She hugs him. Pacey exhales, a smile on his face.
However, in a second, that smile turns into a look of panic.
PACEY: Um, Andie?
ANDIE: Yeah?
PACEY: Can we just…take in slow for now? You know? Cause it’s been a long time.
She nods.
ANDIE: (whispering) Ok.
She rests her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes. She doesn’t see his nervous expression.