Clay Aiken
Cut to exactly where we left off, in the office.
PACEY: Let her go!
Andie looks horrified, as Rich holds the gun to her head.
RICH: You’re hardly in the position to make threats, Witter! Now, we’re going to leave nice and peaceful-like. Understand?
ANDIE: (whimpering) Pacey?
Rich tightens his grip, causing her to shriek.
RICH: (loudly) Understand?
CHRIS: The police are waiting outside! You can’t escape!
RICH: Oh yeah? I’ll take my chances!
He backs out of the office.
ANDIE: (off-screen) Pacey!
PACEY: ANDIE!
He runs after them.
CHRIS: Pacey, wait!
But Chris is too slow. Pacey has already disappeared into the hallway.
*****
Cut to outside the building.
A police car pulls up to the curb, letting Audrey and John exit. They are accompanied by the officer from the police office.
They notice Dawson and Joey exiting the building. Dawson hands the cop a tape.
OFFICER: What’s this?
DAWSON: Proof that Rich killed that valet last week trying to get to Pacey. He admitted it!
JOHN: Where’s Pacey?
DAWSON: Still inside. He wanted to…
Suddenly, Dawson is interrupted by a gunshot coming from inside. Everyone stares at the building.
JOEY: Oh my god…
*****
Cut to inside.
Pacey continues his pursuit of Rich. Just as he rounds the corner.
ANDIE: PACEY! LOOK OUT!
Pacey sees Rich aiming his gun. He dives back around the corner just as Rich pulls the trigger.
RICH: Dammit!
He drags Andie into one of the other offices. Pacey rests against the wall, trying to catch his breath.
Then he chases after them again.
*****
Back outside…
The police officer talks into his radio.
OFFICER: That’s right…gunshots! Get down here as fast as you can.
A few feet away, Audrey hangs up her cell phone.
AUDREY: That was Chris. He said Rich had a gun.
JOEY: Is he ok?
AUDREY: He’s fine, but Rich took Andie. Pacey went after them.
JOHN: He’s got a hostage? Now do you believe me?
The cop bites his lip.
OFFICER: That’s it…we’re going in!
*****
Inside, Pacey tries to open the door. It’s stuck.
He runs into the door shoulder-first, repeatedly, until it breaks off the hinge. He enters the office and sees the window open.
*****
Cut to outside again…
Dawson looks up at the building, noticing something outside one of the windows. He points at it.
DAWSON: What’s that?
Everyone looks. It’s Rich and Andie, creeping along the outside of the building.
*****
And above…
RICH: KEEP GOING!
Rich waves the gun around. Andie nods nervously.
She looks down, and starts to panic.
ANDIE: Oh god…
While Rich’s attention is focused on Andie, Pacey exits the window himself.
PACEY: RICH!
Rich aims the gun at Pacey.
RICH: Dodge this, Witter!
ANDIE: NO!
Andie hits him, throwing off his aim.
The gunshot barely misses Pacey, ricocheting off the wall.
RICH: Stupid, little…
Before he can get another shot off, Pacey leaps at him. They wrestle over the gun, while Andie falls to her knees in fear. She hugs the side of the building.
Eventually, the gun is knocked from Rich’s hand, and falls towards the crowd below.
*****
AUDREY: Uh oh…
The four of them scatter, as the discarded weapon falls where they were a second ago. The impact creates cracks in the pavement.
JOHN: How far up is that?
JOEY: Too far…
*****
PACEY: There’s no place left to run! Just give up!
RICH: You did this to me! You ungrateful little punk!
Pacey sighs in disappointment.
PACEY: You did it to yourself! Come on…did you really think it wouldn’t all come back to haunt you in the end? The lies? The manipulation? You’re just looking to blame it on someone. Well, you know what…look in the mirror!
Rich freezes, almost seeming as if he’s considering his words.
But only for a moment…
RICH: (whispers) You could have had it all.
Rich lunges for him, but Pacey steps back. His target gone, Rich looses his footing.
He slips, grabbing hold of the side with one hand.
For a moment, time freezes in place. Rich looks genuinely afraid.
But then Pacey does the last thing anyone expects. He leans down, reaching towards him.
PACEY: Give me your hand!
Rich stares at him, taken by surprise.
PACEY: Don’t be an idiot! Just give me your hand!
Rich reaches for him, but then stops. He grins.
RICH: Top of the world, eh Witter?
Then he lets go.
PACEY: NO!!!
*****
The crowd below can only watch as Rich plummets downward. He hits the police car, shattering the front window.
Joey covers her mouth and gasps. The others stare wide-eyed.
*****
Up on the building, Pacey falls to his knees. Slowly, Andie crawls over to him and they hold onto each other for dear life.
PACEY: (whispers) It’s ok, Andie…everything’s going to be ok now…
The camera pans down to show Rich’s body, sprawled on the hood of the cop car.
*****
Cut to much later.
Pacey sits at the back of an ambulance, drinking a cup of coffee. He has a towel wrapped over his shoulders.
JOEY: You ok?
He looks up to see Joey. He manages a small smile.
PACEY: Been better.
What are you doing tonight
I wish I could be
A fly on your wall
JOEY: Where’s Andie?
PACEY: They’re treating her for shock right now. Just to make sure she’s not too shaken up. I can’t believe I got her into this.
JOEY: She’s strong. She’ll be ok.
Are you really alone
Still in your dreams
Why can't I
Bring you into my life
Joey pauses.
JOEY: I just want to apologize.
PACEY: Apologize.
Joey nods.
JOEY: You were right. About Rich, and about everything. And I…I didn’t believe you. I just hope you can forgive me.
Pacey nods.
PACEY: Thanks.
Joey chuckles, noticing Dawson talking to some of the reporters.
What would it take
To make you see that I'm alive
JOEY: Oh, he’s having a field day with this one. Completely over-exaggerating the whole thing.
PACEY: Hey, this is my only time in the spotlight, right? You can join him, if you life. Build up my image.
Joey half-smiles.
JOEY: Take care of yourself.
If I was invisible
Then I could just
Watch you in your room
If I was invincible
I'd make you mine tonight
She heads towards Dawson. Just as she leaves, John Witter approaches Pacey. He sits down next to him.
JOHN: Just got off the phone with Doug.
PACEY: And?
John laughs.
If hearts were unbreakable
Then I could just tell you where I stand
I would be the smartest man
JOHN: He’s at a loss for words. Never thought I’d see the day when you upstaged him.
Pacey chuckles.
PACEY: There’s a first time for everything.
Then Pacey’s face falls, as he goes deep in thought.
If I was invisible
Wait...
I already am
JOHN: What’s wrong?
PACEY: I couldn’t save him, dad. I wanted to…but I couldn’t.
John looks at his son for a moment.
JOHN: At the end, I don’t think he wanted to be saved. He tried to kill you, and you still tried to help him? Takes a special kind of hero to do that.
Pacey shakes his head.
PACEY: I’m no hero.
I saw your face in the crowd
I called out your name
You don't hear a sound
John puts his arm around Pacey’s shoulders.
JOHN: You are from where I’m standing.
I keep tracing your steps
Each move that you make
Wish I could read what goes through your mind
John takes off. A moment later, Pacey walks towards the crowd. The first person he comes across is Dawson.
Wish you could touch me
With the colors of your life
DAWSON: Hey…you ok?
PACEY: Yeah. I’m fine. As fine as can be expected, anyway.
Dawson smiles.
If I was invisible
Then I could just watch you in your room
DAWSON: You were pretty incredible up there.
Pacey nods.
PACEY: I’m kinda confused.
DAWSON: Huh?
If I was invincible
I'd make you mine tonight
PACEY: Ok, it’s like this. All my life I wanted to be a hero, right? You know…save the girl, beat the bad guy. And now I am, and well…it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. I don’t feel heroic.
DAWSON: Well, you are. At least to one person.
If hearts were unbreakable
Then I can just tell you where I stand
I would be the smartest man
If I was invisible
Pacey notices Andie over Dawson’s shoulder.
She smiles at him.
Wait...
I already am
Pacey sighs in relief, almost as if he didn’t know until this very moment whether she was ok or not.
They walk up to each other, and hug. Pacey gently kisses her forehead.
I reach out
But you don't even see me
PACEY: I’m so sorry, Andie.
Andie puts a finger to his lips, shushing him.
ANDIE: Shh. It’s ok.
They hold each other for a moment.
Even when I'm scream out
Baby, you don't hear me
PACEY: The thing is, I’m almost glad I met Rich.
Andie seems taken aback.
ANDIE: Huh? Why?
PACEY: Because if I hadn’t met him, I might have become him.
Andie smiles.
I am nothing without you
Just a shadow passing through...
ANDIE: It’d never happen, Pacey. You wanna know why?
Behind them, Dawson, Joey, Audrey, Chris, and John gather.
If I was invisible
Then I could just
Watch you in your room
DAWSON: Because you have the one thing he did. Friends. People who care about you.
Pacey smiles, then lets Andie go. He puts his arm around her shoulder.
If I was invincible
I'd make you mine tonight
PACEY: Come on…let’s go home.
Together, the seven of them walk off into the night.
If hearts were unbreakable
Then I could just tell you where I stand
I would be the smartest man
If I was invisible
Wait...
I already am
Fade to black
End credits
Clay Aiken