Joey sat on her bed, resting against the wall behind her and tried to read a book, another assignment from Professor Hetson. Again the odds of finishing it in time were not on her side.

Frowning with annoyance, she looked up and stared at Harley who examined Joey’s wardrobe and didn’t shy away from muttering complaints about Joey’s absence of good taste.

"What do you think you’re doing?" Joey placed the open book next to her and crossed her arms defensively in front of her chest.

"What am I doing? The better question should be, what were you thinking when buying this...crap," Harley scoffed and turned around, holding one of Joey’s dresses in her hand.

"I never knew you became a discriminating fashionista at the age of what... ten?" Joey rolled her eyes and stared at the nerving teenager. She happened to like the dress that was the current cause of Harley’s disapproval, a lot. It was an older one admittedly, but she bought it back in her senior year and Pacey helped her pick it out. "It looks much better on."

"Keep telling yourself that, sweetie." Harley shook her head almost disgustedly and put the offending item back in the closet.

"Why are you even here, huh? I think I’m quite capable of choosing something to wear all on my own." Joey blew some air out, swinging her legs from the bed. "Thanks to your father I’ve got a lot of work, so why don’t you just go now and give me the opportunity to actually finish my assignment?"

"If you’re gonna be chaperoning my semi formal, I need you to wear something that’s moderately hip so I don’t look like a freak associating with you," Harley explained with a serious expression on her face.

Raising her brows Joey stared at the teenager, barely able to keep herself from laughing out loud. It was too funny to watch Harley’s efforts, well... it would have been if she didn’t need to work, that is.

Harley had returned to her task of finding a suitable dress for Joey and sighed in anguish. "Is it really too much to ask for a decent yet fashionable dress? Jeez...." scrunching her nose and scoffing Harley faced Joey once again. "What am I saying? I’d never find anything like that in your closet."

"Did I actually agree to this?" Joey asked more herself than Harley, who still managed to overhear her quiet mutter.

"Well, that wasn’t my idea..." Harley stressed each syllable and flopped down on Joey’s bed.

They looked at each other, finally agreeing on something. Professor Hetson had way too many issues with his daughter growing up.

"Okay..." Joey put the cap on her highlighter and used it as a bookmark by pushing it between the pages she had read at least five times since Harley stormed in. "Somehow I can’t get rid of the feeling that there’s something else besides my lack of corresponding dresses. What is it?" Joey studied Harley’s face as she lowered her gaze.

"Nothing, well... no, it’s, aargh..." Harley threw her hands up in frustration. "This is my junior prom, this should be my night... and even before it’s started, it’s all messed up. First my dad decided I needed an escort, then he orders you to do it, and then there’s my fair-weather, jack-of-no-trades boyfriend, who is going to be very happy about that, because he has some sort of unholy attraction to you... and the rest of the boys at my school will leer at you as well, just because you’re older and more experienced..."

Joey nodded and smiled softly. She knew exactly what Harley was feeling in this situation. Not too long ago she had been scared of a prom herself only to see her worst fears come true in the end, not that she ever envisioned an end like that. And she knew all too good how teenage boys were ticking, how they would drool at any female who crossed their path. And yes, she knew most definitely about all the insecurities that were harbored deep inside a sixteen year old girl.

"I know you don’t like your father’s ideas and I do think he’s acting a little paranoid... but that’s what fathers are like. He loves you and... as hard as it is to imagine this..." Joey frowned at the mere thought, but continued to talk nevertheless, "... he knows what sixteen year old boys think about and he looks out for his girl. Which makes him... more human than I ever thought possible." Joey’s frown became deeper. Hetson... human? Caring even? Something was wrong with that picture.

Harley sighed, pondering Joey’s words. Maybe she was right and if she wasn’t as disgruntled as she was at this moment, just maybe she would’ve been happy about the fact that her father actually cared for her.

Joey watched Harley fighting with her feelings, while her mind went back to her own junior prom. Why was it that each prom she had ever attended or would attend in the future for that matter, turned into a disaster waiting to happen?

"And as for Patrick: Look, boys at this age want to test their limits, they want to see how far they can go. It’s not important, they’re just playing around... you might say it’s a hormonally induced rapture and as soon forgotten as the object of their fleeting affection turns the corner."

"Whatever... he won’t notice me either way," Harley inhaled deeply, trying to hide the angry tears that were brimming in her eyes.

"Oh, I’m sure he’ll notice you. Despite his stupid, immature behavior... he really likes you. And I swear to keep my Mrs. Robinson claws off your boyfriend, okay?" Joey smiled and nudged Harley arm softly.

"Yeah... okay. Now, which of your questionable dresses to choose to cover your wiles?" Harley jumped up and returned to Joey’s closet.

Rolling her eyes, Joey joined her and rummaged through her clothes until she found what she was looking for. "Here, does this meet your discriminating gusto by any chance?"

"Hmmm...." Harley tilted her head and surveyed the subdued spaghetti strap dress Joey was presenting her. "...now we’re talking."

~*~

Pacey pinched the bridge of his nose before checking his watch. The last meeting had ended a few minutes ago and he had about half an hour left before the next would start. Everybody had filed out of the conference room as soon as they could which left him alone in the room. He closed the folder in front of him and reached for his coffee cup. Detecting that it was empty he frowned disappointedly. Glancing at the watch once again he hit some buttons on his cell phone that was securely attached to his belt. While he waited for the signal tone, Pacey adjusted his headset and stood up, stretching his tired limbs. Sitting for most of the day was still something he wasn’t used to.

Harley had finally left and Joey sat at her desk, reading and taking notes for Hetson’s class as her cell phone started to beep. Slightly annoyed by yet another disturbance she reached for it and looked at the display. The number it was showing turned her frown into a smile.

"Hey, Pace." This was a disturbance she could definitely live with.

"How’s the studying going, Potter?" Pacey asked, imagining her huddled at her desk and deeply absorbed in one of her many books.

"Ugh... what studying? Since you dropped me off at the dorm I didn’t have five undisturbed minutes in a row," Joey replied with a hint of frustration.

"See, I told you to stay at the apartment. Nobody’s home there during the day and..."

"Yeah, I know. But I didn’t have all books and besides that... I totally forgot that I promised Harley to do her a favor... or rather to do her father a favor." Joey played with a wisp of her hair and stared out of the window.

"Okay, what exactly does Rosemary’s baby want?" Pacey grinned and placed several folders into his briefcase.

"She and her father want me to chaperone her junior prom at Milton... tonight. Sorry, I know we did have other plans, but... seeing that Hetson asked me to..."

"Ah, don’t worry, Jo. Besides... wouldn’t that involve you being in a dress?" Pacey grinned. He just loved her in a flimsy and soft dress... well, he loved her, full stop.

"Yeah... even though it was rather difficult to satisfy Harley’s ideas of that." Joey shifted on her chair and cradled the phone between her cheek and shoulder.

"And does that include wearing heels?" Pacey closed his briefcase with a snap and propped his hands on the sturdy black leather. His grin had grown wider while his mind came up with one or two... or more ideas.

"Possibly." Joey smiled, unconsciously letting her tongue peek out.

"Well, well... consider my arm twisted then. I’ll be there," Pacey declared with a mischievous undertone.

Joey worried her lower lip with her teeth, thinking about what Pacey had just said. Not that she didn’t want him to go with her, but she didn’t want to ruin his night, by dragging him to a boring high school party.

"What? I mean... really?" she asked surprised as her whole face was lit with a bright smile. "It’s... it’s a Friday night. Are you sure?" Joey bit down on her lip anxiously, still seeking confirmation that Pacey actually wanted to join her.

"Sure as rain." Pacey smirked, fully knowing the thoughts that were running through Joey’s mind at that moment.

"Great... meet me here at six p.m.?" she suggested with sparkling eyes.

"I’ll see you there. Shoes shined and suit pressed," Pacey confirmed.

"Pacey?... Thank you and...now I’m looking forward to the dance." Joey’s voice softened.

"You’re more than welcome and I’m looking forward to it, too." Pacey ran his finger up and down the wire of his headset. In a way it felt like he got a second chance on experiencing a prom with Joey the way it was meant to be. None of the two proms they had attended did go like he’d wanted them to. Third time is a charm, right?

"Love you," Joey whispered affectionately.

"Love you, Jo." Third time was definitely a charm.

~*~

Pacey flipped his cell phone shut and grabbed his briefcase. He was about to leave the conference room, when his new secretary, Becky, stuck her head in, smiling that she had found him.

"Mr. Witter? You have a visitor waiting in your office," Becky announced.

"A visitor? I thought there were no other appointments before the meeting?" Pacey frowned and walked towards her.

"No, he doesn’t have an appointment. He said he was an old acquaintance and that it wouldn’t take long. So I thought.... but if you’re too busy, then I’ll just tell him you already left for the meeting." Becky explained hastily.

"Umm, no, no... it’s okay. I have a few minutes to spare. No problem." Pacey sighed and motioned for Becky to go back to her desk. He had absolutely no idea who this ‘old acquaintance might be."

Walking into his office he couldn’t see anyone in there at first, but when he turned his head to the side, he spied a certain fair-haired guy.

Now this was a surprise he hadn’t counted on.... ever. Slowly he closed the door behind him, stepped forward to his desk and carefully placed the briefcase on it before he turned around. He didn’t know what to think of it, or what to say.

Dawson sat on the couch, right in the middle, arms stretched and resting on the backrest, legs crossed and stared at Pacey. He liked to see him so confused, even though he hid it pretty well, that much he had to admit. Maybe that was the reason for his obvious success in the stock brockerage world. He was an actor, yes... Pacey Witter was an actor.

"Pacey Witter," Dawson sing-songed, repositioning his arms by crossing them in front of his chest.

"Dawson Leery," Pacey replied dryly, but didn’t want to give in to Dawson’s provocation. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, well... nice office that you have, here." Dawson glanced around until his eyes finally lingered on Pacey’s face. His facial expressions revealed nothing of his intention.

"Yes it is. But I don’t think you came here for some dumb small talk, so let’s cut this crap and get to the point. Besides I need to leave in a few minutes." Pacey moved around his desk and sat down in his chair.

"Hard headed businessmen now, are we?" Dawson’s lips morphed into a thin and arrogant grin. His gaze was fixed on Pacey, observing each and every expression of him, but to his great disappointment he couldn’t find any hint of anger, rage or even impatience. The old Pacey he used to know, would have been jumping at him already, but now he was just sitting there, with a blank, professional expression, which only served to fuel his own discontent.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Welcome to the dream machine a.k.a. the stock broker’s world. Can’t you smell the money growing?" Pacey leaned further back in his chair. He didn’t think it would be possible, but Dawson’s presence didn’t affect him as much as he had thought it would.

"Oh well, if it smells like Drakar Noir, then yeah... big time." Dawson wrinkled his nose and sniffed.

"As they say, time is money. So unless you plan on getting to the point of your stop-over here, I’m afraid I can’t waste any more." Pacey smiled. Joey had given him a bottle of Drakar Noir a few days ago, after she had caught him staring at it in K-Mart. No, Dawson’s presence didn’t affect him at all. He knew he had no reason to feel threatened.

Dawson raised his brows and sighed inwardly. It seemed he had to accept the fact that he couldn’t get a rise out of Pacey.

"Well, well... then let’s talk business." Dawson stood up and walked over to Pacey’s desk, slamming down a piece of paper and occupying the visitor’s chair in front of the table.

Pacey turned in his swivel chair and looked at the check. "What’s this?"

"This is all the money I saved while working for Todd. I need you to make it grow... fast," Dawson explained coolly.

"Excuse me?" Pacey frowned and looked up. Not only did Dawson surprise him with showing up, no he also had the audacity to ask him to invest his money? Talk about a bombshell.

"Transform that into a respectable amount for an indie film. Coming of age story. No special effects, although I want at least one slamming A-list actor who is looking for some industry credit. This your job, isn’t it?" Dawson smiled meaningfully and whistled. "That’s what you do for a living, right? Investing money for other people. I thought this would be easy enough for you."

"Technically it is," Pacey folded his hands together and propped his chin on them. "Morally speaking it isn’t."

"Morals? Oh please, what morals?" Dawson shook his head and laughed. "I don’t remember you being particularly attached to moral issues in the past."

Pacey clenched his teeth, knowing perfectly well what Dawson was talking about, but he still refused to get riled up because of it.

"Well, you know the saying ‘Pitch the bitch’? I haven’t exactly hammered out my mixing friends and business policy yet."

"I don’t think you need to, because... who’s talking about mixing friends and business?" Dawson leaned forward and rested his hands on Pacey’s desk, the invitation to give him a retort obvious.

"Very well. Even as non-friends and considering some awkward sentiments to the past, I’m not sure we’re ready for the part that includes ‘I’m broke and it’s all your fault.’ So I don’t think this would be a very good idea." Pacey leaned back to put more space between them.

"Hmm... can you afford to turn down investment money, Pacey?" Dawson asked snidely. "And I think we’ve been there before, actually... I wouldn’t need to invest money if I weren’t that close to being broke, because I gave my money to Joey. A pretty bad investment by the way."

Pacey narrowed his eyes on Dawson. It wasn’t possible that he understood him correctly, or was it?

"Yeah, you forgot about that, huh? From the way I see it, you practically owe me." Dawson was pleased. Finally he saw some emotion in Pacey’s eyes. "I’m not worried there, I bet you’ll do everything to get my money back and more of it."

"I see. Maybe you should consider investing money with a neutral broker, we wouldn’t want to risk any animosities, would we." It was hard, but Pacey succeeded in keeping his voice professionally calm, although he was boiling with anger deep inside.

"Nah, I kind of like this personal touch..." Dawson grinned.

"Alright then." Pacey reached for an empty folder. If Dawson wanted to play this game, why not. He could live with that. He would just treat him like any ordinary client, a name with money to invest. Nothing more, nothing less. He had warned him and he would act in the best interest of the firm. "Any special requests as to which stock you’d like to buy?"

"No. Do what it takes to make the money grow as fast as possible." The former satisfaction he had felt briefly vanished.

"I see. So you’re giving me a free hand?" Pacey took some notes and looked up.

"Absolutely."

"You do know, that the stock business is fickle and changes quickly?" Pacey asked for a final confirmation.

"Yes."

"Fine. I’ll have my secretary draft a standard client contract. It will only take a few minutes and after you’ve signed it, we’ll start on making your money grow." Pacey stood up and straightened. "Unfortunately I need to go. You want some coffee while you wait?"

"No, I’m good." Dawson eyed Pacey carefully. Again, he had refused to act accordingly to his script. But now there was no way out of it.

"Good. Have a nice day." Pacey nodded and left his office, leaving a dumbfounded Dawson behind.

Thank God it was Friday.

~*~

Joey put her earrings on and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Although it wasn’t her own prom, she was nervous as hell.

The persistent beeping of her cell phone pulled her out of her reverie and forced her to hurry back into her room. A quick look at the display told her that Jen was at the other end. Somehow she had expected that.

"Hi Jen, how are you?" she asked and tugged at her dress.

"Hi, Joey. Okay, I guess. What’s that bright tone in your voice for?" Jen asked suspiciously.

"Huh?" Joey frowned.

"Oh please, don’t play dumb, sweetie. You know what I’m talking about, that annoyingly happy and chirpy bounce, accentuated with a tad bit of nervousness."

Jen could be very observant when she wanted to, too observant sometimes.

"I didn’t even say six words to you. How can you..." Joey asked perplexed.

"How long have we known each other?" Jen giggled.

"Yeah, right. Good point." Joey sighed and sat down on her bed. Sometimes it was really irritating to spend all your life with the same people, who knew everything about you.

"And?" Jen prodded again.

"I’m chaperoning Harley’s junior prom tonight."

"And? You wouldn’t be that happy if this were the only reason."

Joey sighed again. No, there was really no way to escape the inquisitive mind of Jen Lindley. "No, Pacey’s coming with me."

"Awww, see... that explains everything. Revisiting the past and making it better, huh?" Jen smiled. Knowing Joey and Pacey, especially Pacey in this sense, she was very sure the night would be nothing but very romantic.

"Uhhh... I could go without revisiting past proms." Joey frowned, trying to erase all those bad memories that surfaced, triggered by Jen’s words and to be honest, they had found their way up to her consciousness all day long. Maybe that was the reason why she felt so nervous. She knew that this night would be different, but still the black cloud of bad experiences was hanging over her head. Once bitten, twice shy.

"Yeah, I know. But you two are older now and none of you will make the same mistakes again. You’re sure about your feelings and your relationship, aren’t you?" Jen’s tone turned serious.

"Yes, I’m sure. You know that, why...?" Joey was confused by Jen’s obvious change of mood. Something told her she wasn’t talking about her and Pacey anymore.

"I know, sorry." Now it was Jen’s turn to sigh.

"Okay, what is bothering you, Jen? I mean, you didn’t call me to ask me about my plans for today, did you?"

"No... well, not only because of that.... I don’t know, but Grams is acting... strange, somehow," Jen ran a hand through her hair, not knowing what to think of her grandmother.

"Why? What happened?" Joey became concerned as she listened to her friend.

"I’m not sure. First she broke off with CJ’s uncle, for which CJ blames me somehow, or rather the Lindley/Ryan genes. And when I talked with her, she acted like a fickle teenager and left the kitchen as if she was offended by what I said... and I only asked why she had to break Uncle Bill’s heart."

"Hmm... are you sure? Because my dear friend, you can be a little upfront sometimes." Joey stepped forward and ran her hand over Pacey’s picture on her pinboard. She had taken it on board of True Love and it had always been one of her favorite pictures of him. Although he looked at her, his gaze went farther and out to the sea. His eyes held this sparkle he always had when he was on the water and they mirrored the deep blue of the sea perfectly. A small, happy sigh escaped her mouth.

"What are you doing, Joey? I don’t feel the love here, you’re not concentrating on the problem at hand, which is me, goddamnit," Jen complained frustrated, drumming her fingertips against her desk.

"Huh?" Joey heard Jen’s voice as if through a thick and deafening fog.

"Remember, me calling you because Grams is breaking hearts just when I’m embarking on a somewhat functioning, possibly even fully committed relationship and I need some well funded Potter-esque advice?" Jen sighed.

"Oh, right... advice from the emotionally challenged, relationship-phobe, you sure you’re talking to the right person here?" Joey giggled as her mind found its way back to listening to her friend.

"Believe it or not, I’m asking myself that right now." Jen smiled. "I guess you’re not really in the mood for turning my Grams – slash – turned into teenager problem this evening, huh?"

"I’m sorry, Jen. I’m sure that if you try to talk to her again, she’ll tell you what’s up with her. Just don’t... you know, don’t push her too much," Joey suggested as she heard a knock at her door. Pacey. "I think Pacey’s here."

"Oh, okay... have fun you two. Talk to you tomorrow?" Jen asked hurriedly.

"Yeah, sure. Good luck with your Grams."

"I’ll need it, if she ever speaks with me again...that is. Bye, Joey, and thank you."

"Bye, Jen. Don’t worry too much."

"Yeah, bye." Jen closed her phone and placed it on her desk. Maybe there was really no reason to be so worried. Maybe, maybe not.

~*~

Pacey knocked and waited for a welcoming ‘Come in’, but it took some time before the door was opened from within. He was faced with an absolutely stunning Joey Potter who waved her cell phone apologetically up and down.

"Hey, I’m sorry, Jen was on the phone and..." Joey smiled lopsidedly and stepped back to let Pacey enter the room.

"Hi." Pacey closed the door behind him and let his eyes roam freely over Joey. "Oh my lord... you’re way to hot to be a chaperone."

Joey blushed but offered him a better view by twirling around and lifting her asymmetrical dress a little.

Pacey smiled broadly and effectively stopped Joey by wrapping his arms around her waist. "I think I’m living out one of my teenage fantasies right now."

"Really? Which one would that be?" Joey whispered and crossed her hands behind his neck.

"Mhmm, I think... all of them." Pacey murmured before capturing her lips with his own.

Joey smiled against his lips. "I think I like your fantasies..." Stepping back after a few moments she tilted her head and looked Pacey up and down. "You know, you look quite comely yourself."

"Oh, this old thing?" Pacey chuckled and examined his black suit thoughtfully. "Nah. Okay... now in order to make up for our last high school dance..."

"Could we just leave those memories were they are? In the past?" Joey asked and furrowed her brows.

"Sure, no frowns allowed today anyway." Pacey cradled her face in both hands and kissed her, briefly but passionately. "All I wanted to say was, that... even though I did buy you a corsage back then, I managed to let it wilt to a lovely shade of brown. And to prevent that from happening again, because I so don’t have a green thumb when it comes to that, I brought you options."

Pacey turned back towards her bed, where he had dumped two boxes a little earlier. "In box "a"... we have the corsage for the fun-loving and whimsical Joey... a carved radish on a bed of baby carrots. And then, option "b"... the corsage for the classic and sophisticated Joey... roses on a bed of baby's breath, which has a creepy name but is a classic flower." Pacey offered both boxes to her, like weighing them on the scales. "So, what will it be, Madame..."

"Hmmm...." Joey examined her options closely. "Both are very nice, Pace. But I think, since I have something for you, too... I’ll go for classic and sophisticated and choose the roses."

"All right, roses and baby breath it is." Pacey chuckled and put the delicate corsage on her left wrist, caressing her pulse point with his thumb.

Joey smiled and held his hand in hers, bringing it up and kissing his palm. "Thank you."

Pacey returned her smile warmly. He had been nervous as hell most of the day, especially since Dawson had shown up in his office, but now, he felt relaxed and absolutely happy. It was strange, but definitely great.

Joey turned around and reached for a box that was sitting on her nightstand. "And in honor of the classy guy you are tonight..." her eyes sparkled as she pinned a matching red rose on his suit jacket.

"Oh, don’t be fooled. It’s just a costume." Pacey almost blushed. It was true, sometimes he felt like he was wearing a costume when he looked at himself, wearing a suit now almost every day.

"No, really. You get a rose. It’s perfect." Joey’s hand lingered next to the rose on his chest, right above his heart.

Pacey laced his hand with hers. "Shall we?"

"This will be fun." Joey nodded and watched him turn and get her coat, that was hanging by the door.

"Yeah, a flashback." Pacey chuckled and wrapped the coat around her shoulders, hugging her from behind, enjoying the feeling as Joey relaxed against him.

~*~

After they had picked up Harley and Patrick they drove over to the school and found one of the last available parking spots. The ride was very quiet and it seemed like Harley and Patrick had been fighting before Joey and Pacey arrived at Hetson’s house.

Everything seemed so oddly familiar and even though neither of them spoke it out loud, they exchanged meaningful glances and silently confirmed the rule that high school proms just weren’t made to be enjoyed. They meant drama and possibly heartbreak, nothing more and nothing less.

Time and again Pacey observed Patrick leering at Joey through his rear-view mirror. Of course he didn’t feel threatened by a sixteen year old boy, but still he couldn’t deny feeling just a little jealous. The idea and thoughts that had formed in his mind over some days now came back to him and he wasn’t sure if he could keep them inside for much longer.

Joey felt the stares Patrick directed at her from the back and she saw Pacey checking his rear-view mirror a few times more than necessary. Smiling softly she placed her hand on his upper thigh. The not so small side-glance she earned from him, told her just how much this little gesture affected him. Her smile widened and she winked at him.

The exchange of small displays of affection between Joey and Pacey caused Patrick to frown. As he saw Joey resting her hand on Pacey’s thigh, he couldn’t help but inhale sharply, completely ignoring Harley’s annoyed and also hurt expression.

The school was decorated with castles and knights, trying to create a fairytale backdrop for the prom. Joey and Pacey walked in with Joey leaning against him after she had accepted his arm. Harley and Patrick followed behind them, not looking at each other and at least two feet apart.

"Nice night," Joey said and looked around. Actually she felt rather good at that moment, more relaxed than she had expected.

"I just love the smell of Secret antiperspirant in the evening." Pacey remarked dryly but grinned.

Joey’s raised brow forced him to tread back a bit. "It had to be said." He shrugged and took everything in. Maybe high school proms were only horrible for those who actually were in high school. Right then it felt pretty good to be there.

"This whole night bites already," Harley stated and crossed her arms defensively in front of her chest. She tried to get a reaction from Patrick, but he just stood there, hands buried deep in the pockets of his trousers as he seemed bored watching a few people who were dancing.

Joey followed her gaze and again she felt memories ringing a bell. "Harley, you’re not the first woman in history of proms who accompanies a non-dancing date." Grinning Joey nudged Pacey’s arm softly, "Mr. Witter over here was famously uncooperative when it came to the booty shake."

"Uh-uh, Potter... I just needed to be convinced it was worth my time to go and make a fool out of myself. And if I remember correctly... we danced a lot..." Pacey defended himself mockingly-

"Yeah, but on our prom, you...." Joey started but stopped abruptly, casting an apologetic glance at him. They had agreed to let the past rest in peace and there she was, bringing it up again.

"Ah, Jo, that’s not nice. Besides no more inside jokes like that... please?" Pacey asked and kissed her temple. He knew that this evening had to remind her of their own prom and that it still hurt, not only her, but him as well. He wanted this night to be the one that could erase that feeling... or at least paint it over with a better memory.

"This guy is obviously a loser... how could he not want to dance with a hot babe like you?" Patrick moved closer to Joey and raised his brows in an attempt to appear suggestive.

Joey and Harley shot dirty glances at him, while Pacey couldn’t help but laugh at Patrick’s impudence.

"Careful, buddy," Pacey wrapped his arm around Joey and looked seriously at the teenager who just shrugged.

"Gotta love proms, huh?" Joey whispered to Pacey and leaned against him.

"And this is just the start." Pacey pointed at a girl that was approaching Harley and gushed over her dress.

They watched the exchange between the two girls, until Patrick hissed, "Just keep it down, alright? Your friend over there might think I’m attached."

"And there it goes... the curse of proms rears its ugly head again." Pacey sighed.

"I hate you!" Harley exclaimed, trying to ignore the stinging feeling in her eyes.

Pacey and Joey exchanged a meaningful glance. It was time to intervene.

"Patrick, perhaps you’d like to go over to the punch bowl and retrieve some drinks? I think she might wanna claw your eyes out... and just maybe I might need to show her how to do it." Joey narrowed her eyes at Patrick. He was an asshole and as bitchy as Harley could be sometimes, she deserved someone better.

Pacey watched Patrick leave and started his mission to save the damsel in distress. He turned towards Harley and smiled. "Have you ever noticed how much that dress brings out the color of your eyes?"

"No." Harley frowned and stared at Pacey. Was that a compliment? Was she being complimented?

"Oh well, it does. You look so pretty tonight and I bet if you and I were to step out on the dance floor, you would be, by far, the most beautiful woman on it."

"Duh." Harley blushed but the hurt in her eyes was gone and she accepted Pacey’s arm, who led her to dance.

Joey watched them mix in with the other people. Once again Pacey was the knight in shining armor. Maybe the decorations weren’t so out of place after all.

Patrick followed Joey’s gaze and stepped close behind her. Joey tilted her head and took a deep breath. "Ahem?!"

"What? Oh, beverages, right. I was wondering why I went over there." Patrick shrugged again and grinned.

"Maybe you should wonder about other things as well, Patrick," Joey suggested.

"You mean Harley and your boyfriend?" Patrick scoffed. "You know, if you were my girlfriend...."

"Patrick!" Joey interrupted him annoyed.

"What?" He shrugged and nodded towards the dance floor.

Sighing Joey joined him, exchanging glances with Pacey.

"You know, I should tell you that I happen to be close, personal friends with Woody Kulchak, who has snuck in a bottle of Peach Schnapps tonight. So, if you'd like this dance to be truly magical, I could arrange for cocktails for two underneath the bleachers. Just give me the word," Patrick suggested hopefully as he managed to step on Joey’s toes for the umpteenth time.

"No, Patrick." Joey rolled her eyes and left him alone. He was just too much, too often.

"Think about it, babe," Patrick called after her.

~*~

"Looks like our wannabe-Casanova finally got a clue." Pacey grinned and tilted his head towards the dance floor, where Harley was dancing with some guy, closely watched by an obviously jealous Patrick.

"Oh well, I wouldn’t be so sure about that. He just can’t stand any competition... whatsoever." Joey shook her head.

"He’s an insecure teenager, Jo," Pacey said, but wasn’t really convinced of it.

"He’s a jerk, Pace." Joey raised her hand and caressed his cheek lovingly. "I guess not everybody can be such a good man as you are."

Pacey leaned into Joey’s touch, looking down. Turning his hand, she kissed the palm of her hand. She was the only woman that ever accomplished making him blush.... and she had just done it again.

The line in front of them moved and they finally got their punch. Pacey eyed his glass suspiciously. "What kind of school dance actually has a punch bowl?"

"A schmancy private school dance." Joey smirked and tasted the fruit punch.

"Well, I hope for the sake of all involved, that some intrepid student has spiked this punch, or else it kinda loses out on its cliché value." Pacey sipped on his drink and scrunched his face. "Ah, nope... I guess private school students are too sophisticated for that."

"Or maybe they’re way too sneaky to spike up the obvious punch." Joey nudged her arm against Pacey’s and smiled.

"Huh? Do you know more than I do?" Pacey moved the glass to his other hand and ran his free hand lazily up and down her spine. A simple touch, but he could feel her shiver slightly. He loved how she reacted to him.

"Maybe..." Joey teased, only continuing to talk as his eyes narrowed on her. "Okay, see... dear Patrick invited me to a dubious têtê á têtê under the bleachers, promising me cocktails, you know..."

"What? I think I need to have a word with..." Pacey started with mock anger but was interrupted as Joey tugged on his arm, pointing towards the dance floor.

Patrick was wrestling with the guy Harley had danced with moments earlier and didn’t look like he would stop anytime soon.

"Maybe we should..." Joey raised her brows and frowned, watching the adolescent cockfight.

"Yeah, right." Pacey bent forward and kissed her bare shoulder. For a moment he had actually forgotten that this wasn’t their own prom and that they had some adult duties to fulfill.

Holding Joey’s hand in his own, Pacey cleaved a way for them through the typical crowd of onlookers. As they got closer, they were able to overhear the yelled conversation between Harley and Patrick, while Patrick still had the other guy in a death-grip.

"Patrick! Let go of him!"

"Why should I?" Patrick retorted heatedly. "You guys were dancing pelvis to pelvis like it was going out of style."

"So what? Huh? He was my only recourse after you failed me in every way." Harley almost stomped with her foot.

"Jamie isn’t your date, I am!"

"Oh really? Did you do one date-like thing this evening?" Harley raised her brows and stared at Patrick.

"This is date-like!" Patrick declared determined while still wrestling with Jamie.

Pacey and Joey stood at the side, watching the verbal and physical exchange. Joey waited for Pacey to do something, but he seemed to enjoy the spectacle.

"Well... are you gonna do something, Pace?"

"Oh yeah, of course... sure... absolutely... it’s just so funny." Pacey chuckled.

Joey shook her head. Of course he would find it funny. Had to be a male thing. How was that again? Men are from Mars and women from Venus? The fact that Mars was the Greek god of war and one of the most prominent and worshipped deities could explain this rather primate character trait.

Opposed to watching the two boys testing the waters, being on the receiving end of one of Joey’s dirty looks wasn’t funny at all. "Okay, okay." Sighing he made his way over to the boys, stepping right in between them and effectively parting them.

"Okay, break it up guys... cool down." Pacey pushed them farther apart and holding them at arms length.

Although they remained away from each other, they kept glaring.

"That’s how you want to win my heart? By trying to give the guy a wedgie?" Harley stepped back and crossed her arms in front of her chest. The whole evening was a disaster.

"It’s called Krav Maga and J.Lo used it in Enough." Patrick wasn’t about to give in.

"Hey... it’s Patty from the block..." Jaime quipped, provokingly looking at the crowd that had formed around them. Naturally the teenagers erupted in laughter.

Pacey found it hard to refrain from joining in and the annoyed expression that Patrick was sporting gave him the rest. "You walked right into that one, buddy."

"Yeah," Patrick mumbled, before raising his voice and addressing his rival again. "That wasn’t even funny."

"Ah, come on... your girlfriend liked it," Jaime grinned sardonically as he caught a side glance at Harley.

"Oh really?" Even though Jaime was taller than him, Patrick attempted to take another swing at him, but missed him and hit Pacey against his ear instead.

"Oww... alright, that’s it." All feelings of funny had left Pacey and he gave a short shrift, pushing Jaime to the left side, while grabbing Patrick with his other hand and shoving him off the dance floor.

~*~

Joey watched Pacey and Patrick disappear towards boy’s bathroom and turned around to look for Harley. She couldn’t find her and decided to try the one place she was most likely to be after a scene like that.

Pushing the girl’s bathroom door open, Joey was instantly faced with a crying Harley. "Look at me... I look completely hideous."

"No, you don’t. You look like a rock star." Joey moved over to her and wiped her tears away, trying to console her.

"You are kidding, right? You’re just being nice." Harley sobbed and sniffed.

"Me? Nice? Please, you know me better than that. And I’m serious, you have the whole smoky eye look going." Joey smiled and gently touched Harley’s cheek.

Harley attempted a weak smile and raised her head. "So, where’s he whose name shall not be spoken?"

Joey winked at her, recognizing Harley’s behavior as one that wasn’t that unfamiliar to her. "Oh, he’s in the boy’s bathroom with Pacey. Getting cleaned up... sort of... or whatever else boys are doing in there."

"Did he ask about me?" Harley tried to sound unaffected, but she wasn’t.

"I’m sorry... but I don’t know, Harley. I just saw them going in there."

"Do you think they’ll talk like we do?" Harley grabbed some paper towels and moistened them a little to freshen up a little.

"Of course they are. It’s... well, it’s a real stupid preconception that only girls talk about boys in the bathroom or whenever they’re alone for a moment. Boys do the same and sometimes they’re ten times worse then we are. Oh, and of course they also engage in those dubious contests..." Joey grinned.

"Yeah, like who has the bigger...." Harley acceded.

"Harley!" Joey stared at her wide-eyed. Somehow she doubted Professor Hetson would approve of this conversation.

~*~

Pacey sat on the edge of the sink and watched Patrick re-arranging his suit that had been slightly affected by the rough treatment during his wrestling interlude.

In a way Patrick reminded him of himself, well... maybe he hadn’t been that bad. At least he was pretty sure he had treated Andie and especially Joey much better. But when he looked behind that ‘bad boy facade’, he saw an insecure teenager, who didn’t know yet how to deal with interpersonal relations, especially relations to the female species.

"You know, I’m all for the grand romantic gesture, but next time, instead of flailing around wildly, why don’t you just tell her that you like her? And then, if you still feel the need to throw a punch afterwards, pick an enemy your own size. Like an opossum."

Patrick stopped fiddling around with his shirt and shot daggers at Pacey. "Oh yeah... like you’re the Rock, or something."

"Hey hobbit, I’m taller than you... probably stronger, too... and I can grow facial hair." Pacey stated cockily and obviously amused.

"What do you call this, then?" Patrick pointed at his chin.

Pacey squinted his eyes and replied seriously, "Lint."

~*~

Harley was still upset and the tears just wouldn’t stop. "Look at me! I’m crying in the bathroom." She shook her head, angry at herself.

"And thus carrying on an age-old tradition of women crying in the bathroom." Joey carefully dabbed Harley’s cheeks with a tissue, trying to avoid further damage to her makeup. "I did it in high school, too."

"Oh joy... why doesn’t that make me feel better?" Harley snatched the tissue from Joey’s hand.

"I’m sorry, kiddo. But that’s just how it goes with high school dances." Joey brushed Harley’s hand away, re-claiming the tissue. "You buy the dress, mess with your hair, pose for the picture and then you think your date is finally gonna say all the things you’re dying to hear, but no... never gonna happen. Inevitably you end up in the girl’s bathroom... crying." Joey raised her brows and shrugged.

Harley stared at her with big eyes, that didn’t want to believe this. But Joey’s persistent nodding left her no other choice.

~*~

"So... you like Harley, don’t you?" Pacey inquired with a knowing smile.

"She has her strong points..." Patrick abruptly turned away from the mirror and stared at Pacey like a deer caught in headlights.

Pacey nodded and grinned. Yeah, he remembered this stage of denial all too well.

"Umm... okay, I mean... as long as we’re talking man to man, yeah.... I like her... a lot." Patrick lowered his head, slightly ashamed of his blushing.

"Well, good." Pacey slipped off the sink and walked towards Patrick, patting his shoulder. "Congrats, man." He paused and his tone turned serious. "’Cause true feelings for a woman... that’s about the best experience you’re ever gonna have. I mean, it’ll make you strong, it’ll make you stupid... and eventually it will definitely take you closer to being the man you want to be." Pacey exhaled, seeing the questions and also a faint hint of understanding in Patrick’s eyes. Maybe he wasn’t ready yet, but chances were that Harley could be his Joey.

Stepping back, Pacey smiled. His little impromptu speech had opened a door to his own heart, and to something he had been too scared to do before. But after this day... he was ready.

~*~

"You know... it’s really unfair. Why do we have to have all the... heartache? I mean... what do boys actually have to suffer?" Harley stood in front of the mirror, letting Joey revive her hairdo.

"Believe me, they do suffer. Sometimes just the same as we do... and sometimes, well... I don’t know. But don’t let them fool you with their tough exterior. A good friend once told me this, too. Beneath that whole tough guy, who never lets his feelings shine through... they’re just as vulnerable as we are." Joey stopped working on Harley’s hair and made eye contact with her in the mirror.

Maybe she should have remembered this more often in the past. Inhaling deeply, she silently vowed to never forget it again.

~*~

Pacey glanced at Patrick who seemed finally ready to get out of the bathroom again. "Ready to face the music again, buddy?"

"I guess..." Patrick shrugged. He wasn’t really ready, but he couldn’t hide forever in the bathroom, could he? "You think she’ll still be pissed?"

"Maybe. Women are a little sensitive in this respect." Pacey adjusted his tie, thinking about Joey and her antics whenever he had done something that put her in rage. On the other hand their make-up sessions weren’t to be sneezed at.

Patrick frowned and buried his hands in the pockets of his pants.

"Don’t be afraid to be nice to her." Pacey advised.

"And by nice to her, you mean...?"

"I mean, tell her that you like her shoes." Pacey rolled his eyes.

"Oh... and her, uh..." Patrick smirked and licked his lips.

Pacey exhaled desperately. Maybe a little smack on the back of his head would get his brain working again. Doing just that, he muttered, "Just tell her you like her, idiot!" and turned towards the door.

"Owww..." Patrick complained and rubbed the spot where Pacey had hit him lightly. Feeling fresh anger rising, he stepped forward, stretching his arm, pushing Pacey slightly.

"Hey... don’t push me!" Pacey turned around and raised his brow warningly.

"Oh yeah?" Patrick asked challenging and strode towards Pacey. "Let’s see what’s up!" He tried to tackle him, but it was nearly futile since Pacey quickly put the teenager into place, holding him effortlessly captive with his right arm over his neck, forcing him stand still.

"Yeah, let’s see, buddy." Pacey grinned. Some of Doug’s lessons weren’t such a waste of time after all.

~*~

Harley had cooled down and felt a little better. She was almost ready to leave the girl’s bathroom again and examined her reflection in the large mirror, applying a whiff of lip-gloss as final touch. Joey’s words were still running through her mind and she just had to ask.

"So, ummm... you’ve honestly had a bad time at every dance you’ve gone to?" She searched Joey’s eyes through the mirror, her own wide with curiosity.

Joey bit on her lip, quickly shifting through the memories of the few dances she had attended.

"Hmmm... yeah... although..." Joey smiled and tilted her head, "there were that one moment that seemed to make it worthwhile after all. And today? This one was nice... not only a moment, but all of it."

"Oh well, I’m glad someone had a good time." Harley sighed and put the lip gloss back into her purse.

"Now, don’t look so sad, Harley... I’m sure you’ll get your moment that makes it all worthwhile." Joey nudged Harley’s shoulder reassuringly. "Ready to face the music again?"

"Yeah... yeah, I’m ready." Harley straightened and followed Joey out of the door.

~*~

Once back in the hall both started to scan the room for their better halves, but couldn’t find them.

"Do you think they’re still in the boy’s bathroom?" Harley asked disappointedly.

"Maybe...see, this proves again that boys need more time. More time to grow up, more time to figure things out. Girls are, well...." Joey smirked.

"Smarter." Harley laughed.

"Something like that, yes... okay. I’ll go check on them... we don’t want Patrick to think that you’re pining away for him, do we?"

"I’m not pin..." Harley protested.

"Uh-huh, keep telling yourself that, sweetie...." Joey winked at her and started to walk. Briefly hesitating she looked over her shoulder and muttered, "Been there, done that.... you’re in denial, no use to raise a hue and cry."

Harley attempted to reply something but Joey cut her off before a single syllable could leave her mouth. "Hush and think about it. Don’t waste too much time."

~*~

Patrick and Pacey were still wrestling, or rather Patrick was trying to do anything and failed piteously. Both stopped moving immediately as they heard the door squeak. They stood perfectly still as if they could hide their recent activities.

Joey opened the door to the boy’s bathroom carefully, hoping that nobody except Pacey and Patrick were in there. "Hello? Everything okay?" She stuck her head through the small chink between door and frame.

The scene that was unfolding before her eyes was hilarious and she had difficulties to hold her laughter in.

"Yeah, fine." Patrick choked since Pacey arm was wrapped around his neck.

"Yeah, everything’s good in here." Pacey sighed and shook his head imperceptible. Of course Joey had to witness this. Well, she had seen him in many much more precarious situations.

"Ah... just checking." Joey grinned. Boys were boys... no matter how old they were. "Hmm... think you could join us back at the dance soon?"

"Yes, absolutely... we’ll be there shortly," Pacey confirmed, exhaling as the door snapped close behind Joey.

"Now, behave buddy." Pacey released Patrick slowly, who stretched and adjusted his skewed tie.

"Yeah, I don’t know why I should be taking advice from you. Like you’re some kind of Yoda when it comes to the chicks."

Pacey chuckled and raised his brow. "Have you seen my date?"

Patrick was gasped, and looked astoundingly like a fish who constantly opened and closed his mouth. "Tell me more sensei."

Pacey patted Patrick’s shoulder. "Well, well... kiddo..."

~*~

When Pacey didn’t show up after almost twenty minutes while Patrick was already dancing with Harley, Joey started to look for him again.

Remembering the last time she lost sight of him at a dance and where she finally found him, she got her coat and stepped outside.

A smile flitted over her face as she saw him, leaning against the railing, looking out into the night and up to the stars. As she closed the door behind her, it was eerily quiet compared with the ear-piercing sound intensity from the music inside.

"Hey," Joey announced her presence softly and was surprised at how dull her own voice appeared to her. "Ohh..."

At the sound of Joey’s voice, Pace turned around and smiled. "Yeah, I know. Kids today, huh?" Opening his arms, he motioned for her to come over to him.

"That damn rap music!" Joey smirked and cuddled into Pacey’s embrace, resting her head against his shoulder.

"And those baggy pants..." Pacey chuckled.

"Oh, oh... careful there. Those Hawaiian shirts you sported back then, could have offended several people, too," Joey snickered.

"What?" Pacey rubbed his ear, "I can’t hear you, woman." He grinned. "Oh well, but... even with the damage to my unsuspecting eardrum..."

"Aww, poor baby. Do you want me to kiss it and make it better?" Joey reached up and softly caressed his right ear where Patrick had accidentally hit him earlier.

"Hmmm, that’s tempting, really tempting," Pacey replied and moved them, so that Joey was standing in front of him, with his arms wrapped around her waist.

Joey smiled and kissed his earlobe tenderly. "Better?"

"Maybe. Too bad he didn’t hit me... here." Pacey pursed his lips and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Well, we could pretend he did, couldn’t we?" Joey grinned.

"What?" Pacey raised his voice in mock indignation. "Potter, are you considering cheating here?"

"I would call it pretending... but if you have problems with that." Joey sighed and shrugged, attempting to step away from him, but didn’t get very far.

"Oh no, no problem at all." Pacey smiled and pulled her back to him before kissing her passionately.

A few moments later he broke their kiss and studied her face. This was the perfect moment.

"What I wanted to say was, that...I did think that tonight was quite nice." Pacey cleared his throat before repeating, "Quite nice."

"Yes, quite nice. It was... has been a perfect night." Joey licked her lips and looked up, trying to decipher what Pacey’s eyes were telling her. All evening she saw that he was mucking about something and from the way the emotions were playing over his face, she knew it had to be something big.

Almost losing himself in her probing gaze, Pacey nearly chickened out. Just to keep himself talking, he broached the topic by starting with telling her about Dawson's visit. Somehow it always came back to him when they were deciding on their future.

"Umm, did I tell you that Dawson stopped by my office today?"

"No, you didn’t." Joey squinted her eyes. She hadn’t thought about Dawson for quite a while and the fact that he visited Pacey in his office was... strange, to say the least. "What did he want?"

"Well, to give you the short version, which will obviously lack in regard to his eloquent presentation of guilt and expiation, mixed with a good amount of persuasion..."

"Pace, could you come down to the nitty-gritty, please?" Joey rolled her eyes.

"Oh, okay, sure. I’m sorry. Well, he wants me to invest some money for him and make it grow fast. He needs it for some filming project or whatever." Pacey explained, never moving his eyes away from her face. He needed to know what she thought about this.

"Oh... well, I can’t say that that’s something I’d have expected." Joey frowned. "What did you tell him?"

"In the end, I thought, why not. I mean, it’s just a business transaction, right? Do you think I shouldn’t have accepted?"

"Umm, no... although, doing business with friends... ex-friends, or whatever we are now... it’s not exactly easy."

"No, it’s not and I’m not that comfortable with it either, but just as he pointed out, I can’t afford to reject investment money at the cost of the firm." Pacey sighed, but was comforted by the fact that Joey seemed to be okay with it.

"Yeah. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen anyway?"

"The stocks I invested his money in could crash... he could lose money... I don’t know."

"Okay, but he should know that investing in stocks... it’s not always a blue chip situation. If he wanted to play it safe, he should have opted for something else." Joey shrugged and smiled lopsidedly. "Treat him like any other client. You’re not Dawson Leery’s keeper, okay?"

"Okay." Pacey smiled a little and pulled her even closer.

"So this was bothering you all night?" Joey mumbled against his neck.

Pacey straightened and took a deep breath. "Umm, partly... but..." he hesitated and kissed her temple gently. Although he was sure that he was ready, that they were ready, he was scared to ask.

Joey felt the anticipation that was running through his body. Cradling his face in her hands, she felt her heartbeat quicken as she realized the seriousness that lay in his eyes. "What is it? Is everything okay?"

"Yes, yes... don’t worry." Pacey took her hands in his and held them tightly between them. "You know, tonight... as I watched Harley and Patrick perform their dubious courtship display... and when I talked with Patrick, well... it showed me something. We’ve been through so many things, Jo. We had our share of ups and downs, but through all of it..." He moved his right hand up to her cheek, lifting her head and caressing her with his thumb before he continued, "My whole life, Joey, my whole life you’ve been the most beautiful thing in my orbit. And my feelings for you were what proved to me that I could be great. And those feelings were stronger and were wiser and more persistent and more resilient than anything else about me."

"Pace..." Joey bit her lower lip and stared at him with big eyes, blinking to keep the tears from falling. She felt scared and delighted at the same time. Her heart was thumping loudly and her stomach was doing flip-flops. Tilting her head slightly to the side she kissed the wrist of his hand that was still holding her face.

"Jo, not just today... but everything led us here and I... I believe that this could be it. This could be it for us. And I’ve been thinking about this for a while now." Pacey saw her eyes widening even more and smiled, knowing what she was thinking and that she was probably scared he would ask that question.

"I’m not proposing, Jo... not yet anyway." He chuckled as a tiny shadow of relief washed through her eyes. Even though he thought they would be ready for this commitment as well, he wasn’t about to rush things. They had all the time in the world.

"Those three months on True Love, and every single day that we wake up together... I want that, Jo. Not only for a few days... so, I thought..." Pacey cleared his throat. "I thought, would you... why don’t you move in with me? I mean, we have this big apartment and Emma is back in England... you could even have her room... or we could turn that into an office for all of us... or look for another roomie, but..." he rambled, suddenly afraid that Joey would never want to be with him like that.

Joey listened to every word Pacey said. After the first shock had left her, she was in complete awe. If Pacey had asked her to marry him, she probably would have agreed right on the spot. Seeing his doubts creep up on him as she didn’t reply, made her heart ache.

Raising her arms, she wrapped them around his neck. "I kinda like your room, Pace."

Her voice was small, but Pacey heard her nonetheless. "You do, huh?"

Joey nodded and smiled.

"So is that a yes?" Pacey asked, his eyes sparkling with love and excitement.

"Yes," Joey whispered against his lips.

Pacey blinked, his eyes a little watery just like hers and smiled before taking her breath away with his kiss.

~*~

They remained enveloped in their embrace for a long time, completely forgetting that they were at a prom, but suddenly Pacey drew back and whispered into her ear.

"If memory serves, I owe you a dance, Miss Potter." Lacing her hand with his, he guided them back into the hall.

Most people had left by then. Harley and Patrick were dancing and it seemed like they were on a different planet, too. Or maybe it was just Joey’s rosy sight of things at that moment.

"I’ll be right back." Pacey took their coats and placed them on the empty bleachers.

"Okay." Joey nodded and watched him dash off. Knowing him, she was in for another romantic gesture. Grinning she sat down and waited.

She was daydreaming about the future as Pacey’s hand appeared right before her eyes. "May I?"

Joey took his hand with a smile and followed him back to the dance floor. The music was slow, maybe not exactly that slow, but as she listened to it, while dancing with Pacey, ribcages touching and all, she realized it was the perfect song for them.

~*~

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