Cut to the Leery house. Christmas decorations are hung up outside the front door, with lights flashing and ribbons blowing in the wind.
Inside, Gale pours a cup of tea for her guest.
GWEN: So tell me, Gale. When do I get to meet this new man of yours?
Gale blushes.
GALE: Gwen!?!
GWEN: What? I’m intrigued. What’s he like?
Gale smirks, and sits down across from her.
GALE: Well, he’s a teacher. Very distinguished.
GWEN: And boring?
Gale rolls her eyes.
GALE: You’re impossible, you know that?
Gwen giggles.
*****
Meanwhile, outside, Dawson’s car pulls into the driveway. Joey, Pacey, Andie, and Dawson himself pile out, taking in the scenery.
Pacey breathes in.
PACEY: I almost forgot what fresh air smells like. No…that’s a bonfire. In December?
DAWSON: Those people who moved in next door.
PACEY: And they couldn’t have lived here when I was in town? There’s no justice, I tell you!
Andie tugs on his sleeve.
ANDIE: Come on…I wanna see if Mrs. Leery made any of those gingerbread men this year.
PACEY: Anyone know where Audrey took off to?
JOEY: I think she’s coming down with Chris. You know…since he lives in Capeside, too?
PACEY: Apparently I’ve forgot. Figures. I can’t even use the holidays as an excuse to get away from that creep.
He and Andie go inside. Joey then turns to Dawson.
DAWSON: Well? Ready to meet the parents?
JOEY: Dawson…I’ve known your mom since I was a kid.
DAWSON: So? That’ll make this easier.
Joey scoffs.
JOEY: Far easier than the last boyfriend I brought home. My dad idolizes you.
Dawson smirks.
DAWSON: So I’m your ‘boyfriend’?
JOEY: Well…yeah! Duh! Isn’t it obvious?
DAWSON: Kind of. It just feels really good to hear it in an official capacity. It’s been awhile.
Joey rolls her eyes.
JOEY: You are so corny, Dawson. Come on…it’s chilly out here.
DAWSON: You go ahead. I’m going to go in through the window. Make sure everything’s in order.
Joey heads inside, while Dawson circles around the back. He looks up at his bedroom window, smiling. He approaches the ladder, but pauses. He hears footsteps behind him.
VOICE: Hey, stranger!
The voice is familiar. Grinning ear-to-ear, Dawson turns around, just to make sure.
Sure enough, there she is. Jen Lindley is standing only a few feet away, smiling at him.
JEN: Miss me?
Dawson chuckles ecstatically, runs over, and wraps his arms around Jen. He swings her around for a moment.
DAWSON: Oh, you have no idea! What are you doing here?
Jen raises an eyebrow.
JEN: What, not happy to see me?
DAWSON: Come on! You know what I…
JEN: Yeah, yeah…I know! I’m just teasing you!
Dawson smiles, and looks her over.
DAWSON: Wow! You look great!
She smirks.
JEN: You don’t look so bad yourself. I heard you and Pacey were roommates, so I expected all your hair to have fallen out by now.
Dawson rolls his eyes.
JEN: Sorry…Jack’s horror stories and all.
DAWSON: Welcome back!
*****
Cut to inside the front door. Joey, Pacey, and Andie enter, to be met by Gale and Gwen.
GWEN: Joey! Well, this is a surprise.
Joey hugs her.
JOEY: Aunt Gwen? I didn’t know you were here.
GWEN: My sister here invited me. How could I say no?
JOEY: That reminds me. I need to let Bessie know I’m here. Can I use your phone?
GALE: Go ahead.
However, before she can, Dawson arrives behind them.
DAWSON: Hey, look who I found?
Jen waves to them.
PACEY: No way!
Pacey hugs her.
PACEY: What’d you do, Dawson? Hide her in the trunk?
A third person appears behind them.
JACK: Don’t I wish! That would mean I didn’t spend the past 3 hours as her personal chauffer. Not to mention pack mule!
JEN: Oh, quit your bellyaching!
Jack puts down the pile of presents he’s carrying, and looks the group over. When his eyes fall upon Andie, his jaw drops.
JACK: Oh…my…god!
Andie giggles, and runs up to him. They hug.
ANDIE: What’d you bring me?
JACK: Oh, it’s always about you, isn’t it?
She giggles.
JACK: Where’d you disappear to, anyway? I tried calling you, but there was no answer.
ANDIE: That’s because I’m not there anymore, little brother…I moved to Boston!
PACEY: Which one of you is older again? I lost track!
Jack’s eyes go wide.
JACK: Oh, sure…move there the second I move away from Boston! You are too cruel!
Everyone laughs.
JOEY: Well, what do you know? The gang’s all here!
DAWSON: And getting along, to boot! It’s nice.
JEN: Yeah. We’ll probably be at each other’s throats again by the weekend.
Dawson laughs.
The camera pans out the window, focusing on the six old friends…together again.
*****
Cut to the Wolfe house. It’s a huge contrast to Gale’s, with only a few lights outside. Inside, however, is somewhat dark.
The door slowly opens, illuminating the foyer a bit.
CHRIS: Hello? Mom? Dad?
Chris enters, followed by Audrey.
AUDREY: So, where is everyone?
CHRIS: Don’t know. Guess my parents went out or something? You want to head over to Dawson’s instead?
Audrey shakes her head.
AUDREY: Don’t wanna freak his mom out after last year.
He nods.
CHRIS: Fair enough. Just sit tight…I’m going to find us something to eat.
Chris heads into the kitchen, as Audrey sits down on the couch. She’s there for a few minutes before she hears footsteps behind her. She smirks.
AUDREY: Trying to sneak up behind me…huh?
She turns around, but to her surprise, it’s not Chris. It’s a girl. A teenager, specifically. She looks around seventeen.
AUDREY: You are you?
GIRL: That’s what I was about to ask you! What are you doing here?
AUDREY: Well, I was invited.
The girl raised her eyebrows.
GIRL: Chris is here? He brought you with him?
Suddenly, Chris comes in with a bag of chips. He seems her and sighs.
CHRIS: Oh…it’s you! Why didn’t you answer the door?
GIRL: I was busy. Who’s this?
Audrey gives the girl a jealous look. It’s obvious the two of them know each other.
AUDREY: So, are you going to explain who this is, or is it too personal?
Chris clears his throat.
CHRIS: This is Audrey. My girlfriend. Audrey, this is Dina…my sister.
Audrey’s eyes go wide, realizing her mistake. She gets up off the couch, offering to shake hands.
AUDREY: Sorry about that. I’m…
DINA: Audrey. Yeah, I heard! I’m not deaf.
CHRIS: Where’s mom and dad?
Dina sighs.
DINA: Travelled to warmer climates.
CHRIS: On Christmas?
DINA: Well, it’s not like they knew you were coming or anything. You weren’t here last year, remember?
Chris silently curses himself.
AUDREY: I don’t get it! Your parents left you here all alone.
She looks at Audrey.
DINA: I’m not a kid! I can handle myself.
She wanders back to her room. Audrey’s eyes follow her the entire way.
*****
Cut back to the Leery house. Everyone is sitting in the living room, becoming reacquainted. They are now joined by Grams and Helen Lindley.
JACK: Let me get this straight…you two are working together now? As in the same job? And Andie’s your secretary?
ANDIE: Hey! No using the ‘S’ word. I’m an ‘executive assistant’.
Jack scoffs.
JACK: Keep telling yourself that.
Andie gives her brother an angry look.
GWEN: I’m just so proud that you two are finally getting along again. From what I heard, it was pretty intense for a while.
PACEY: Well, that’s cause he knows I could kick his ass.
Dawson snickers.
DAWSON: You and what militia?
Joey groans.
JOEY: Please…I just got them to STOP fighting!
Everyone laughs, including Dawson and Pacey.
JEN: Where’s Audrey, anyway?
JACK: Probably scared to come back.
Grams and Joey stare at him.
BOTH: JACK!
JEN: Come on, Jack! You weren’t even there!
HELEN: What happened?
ANDIE: She drove Pacey’s car through the living room.
PACEY: Sure…blame it on me!
JOEY: Don’t worry. She’s better this year.
JACK: Good to know.
PACEY: Understatement of the year, Jackers!
JEN: About my original question…?
Dawson, Joey, Pacey, and Andie look at each other.
JEN: What?
ANDIE: She’s with Chris. They’re probably at his house.
Jen’s eyes go wide.
JEN: Wait…Chris? Not Chris Wolfe? My Chris Wolfe?
Joey bites her lip.
JOEY: They’re kinda an item now.
Jen’s mouth hangs open.
JEN: I can’t believe this…
PACEY: Come on, Lindley. Don’t get mad at her.
JEN: At Audrey? Give me a break! Chris is the one who’d better watch out. He can wine and dine all the tarts he wants, but the second he goes after one of my friends…
DAWSON: He’s not like that anymore, Jen.
Jen scoffs.
JEN: Yeah, right Dawson! I’ll believe that when I see it!
JACK: Man, I forgot how much fun it was here. Point me in the direction of Joey’s current boy-toy.
A nervous look comes over Joey’s features. Quickly, she gets up and grabs Dawson by the arm.
JOEY: I gotta bring some stuff over to Bessie’s. You guys wanna help?
Pacey groans.
PACEY: Here we go again…
The three of them head out the door. The rest of the group look at each other, confused.
JACK: What did I say?
*****
Cut to outside the B&B. The car pulls up, as Dawson, Joey, and Pacey pile out. All three of them are carrying packages.
PACEY: Engaged? Well, Grams should be happy about that.
DAWSON: When did it happen?
Joey shrugs.
JOEY: I don’t know. They just told me when I came down here a few weeks back.
PACEY: I guess congratulations are in order, huh?
Joey turns to him and raises an eyebrow.
JOEY: My sister’s getting married, Pace. Not me.
DAWSON: Yeah. If you were, it’d probably result in total upheaval.
She smirks.
JOEY: The likes of which Capeside has never seen.
Dawson grins.
A moment later, Pacey chimes it.
PACEY: Ok, hold it guys! What is going on?
Dawson and Joey turn towards him.
DAWSON: Huh?
PACEY: Care to clue a guy in on what the big joke is?
JOEY: What joke?
Pacey rolls his eyes.
PACEY: I’ve seen those looks the two of you keep giving each other. There’s some big secret you’re not sharing with the rest of us, right?
Joey bites her lip. Dawson blushes.
DAWSON: Well…
Pacey smiles proudly.
PACEY: I knew it!
JOEY: We were going to tell you eventually. You’re not mad, are you?
PACEY: Nah. Just spill it…who’s the guy?
They pause.
DAWSON: Guy?
PACEY: Yeah. The one Gretchen’s dating. Doug’s been ranting over the phone endlessly about it, but won’t say who it is.
The two of them cringe, almost preferring to tell him about the other thing. They turn to each other.
DAWSON: You want me to tell him?
JOEY: I think I should.
DAWSON: He’ll be more pissed off hearing it from you.
JOEY: You’re his best friend, I’m his ex…you have more to lose.
Pacey stares at them, confused.
PACEY: Well?
Joey smiles nervously, then steps towards him.
JOEY: Um…Pacey. Well, that guy Gretchen’s seeing. He’s kind of…you know him. I know him, too.
She laughs.
JOEY: You’re going to think this is so funny…
*****
Cut to inside the B&B. Bessie and Bodie are sitting on the floor with Alex. They are busy pasting nametags on the last few presents.
In the kitchen, Mike is sitting with Gretchen, watching the three of them.
GRETCHEN: Sometimes I forget just how old you are.
Mike raises his eyebrows.
MIKE: I don’t know whether to take that as an insult or a compliment.
She giggles.
GRETCHEN: Compliment. You have a family here, and for some reason it’s more stable than mine. Why is that?
MIKE: Just lucky I guess.
They lean over to kiss. However, they are stopped at the last moment by…
PACEY: (off-screen) SHE’S SEEING WHO???
Both their eyes go wide.
GRETCHEN: Uh-oh…