Pacey played with the almost empty tumbler and let his eyes wander through the restaurant. It was too early for the piano player and he missed the soft, romantic background music. He had wanted to go out for dinner later, but Joey insisted that if they were going, they had to be home early so that she could study some more for her final exams.

Of course he relented. He could do without the piano music if it meant that he could spend time with Joey on their quasi-official ‘being back together anniversary’. A date that they celebrated each month. Somehow the fancy restaurant Joey had been so impressed with, became their first choice on these dates. It was still a little expensive, but once a month a romantic dinner for two was well worth it. Of course Joey assured him once again that they didn’t need to go there, that she was happy with any other, preferably cheaper, restaurant, but he didn’t want to hear about it.

Glancing at his watch, Pacey realized that Joey had excused herself a good ten minutes ago. Shaking his head he chuckled and took the last sip of his iced tea. He knew that she was in the restroom, talking with Jen on her cell phone. Grams wasn’t feeling well and her treatments made things worse rather than better. In addition, Jack and David were on the sure road of ending their relationship. Going out to dinner didn’t only cut into Joey’s strict study-time schedule, but also into the nightly telephone routine between her and Jen, which had established itself ever since Gram’s radiation therapy started.

"Do you need anything else, sir? More bread perhaps?" the voice of the waitress interrupted Pacey’s mulling.

His eyes narrowed in confusion for a moment, before he realized what she must have said, since he hadn’t heard her at all. "Umm, no. No more bread, but I’ll take another one of these." Pacey raised his now empty glass. The waitress nodded and smiled, turning to leave, when Pacey added with a little wink, "And you don’t have to call me sir. It kind of creeps me out."

"Yes, sir," the waitress blushed at her little mishap and shrugged apologetically. "Sorry. I’ll be leaving now." Hurrying away to get his order to the bartender, she accidentally bumped into Joey, causing her to mumble another excuse and lowering her eyes to the floor, where she saw any possible tip from that table vanish into non-existence.

Joey glanced at the flustered face of the girl that was probably about the same age as they were. She recognized the usual Witter-effect on her and rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Pace. Did you miss me?" trailing her hand over the back of his head and then down to his neck, Joey slid back on her chair.

"Well, I did.... but I felt lonely..." Pacey smirked, "and the waitress was flirting with me. So it was okay."

"Uh-huh, right, more like you were flirting with her, since you can’t help it. It’s a disease really, the Witter-charm is deadly."

"Hmm, maybe. Good thing that you are the only one that can survive and pay back in equal measure, huh?" Pacey laced his hand with hers and kissed her knuckles softly.

"Yeah... and paybacks can be a bastard." Joey let her tongue peek out and grinned.

"Promise?"

"God, you’re so full of it, Witter." Rolling her eyes passionately Joey tried to free her hand to continue with her dinner, but Pacey didn’t let her go.

"One question, Jo."

Joey tilted her head, looking at him and waiting. "Okay..."

"What exactly did Jen tell you in the last ten to fifteen minutes?" Pacey chuckled at her deer-caught-in-the-headlight impersonation.

~*~

Pacey literally wrestled with his tie and finally threw it in frustration backwards onto the bed. This day was just doomed to go wrong in each and every little piece, thing, event or whatever the appropriate word was.

"Hey! Do I look like a wardrobe to you? And even if ... is this the way to treat your wardrobe?" Joey complained in an equally sour mood.

She was lying on her stomach, chin propped on her folded hands, with her copy of Catch-22 spread open right before her eyes. Hetson’s exam came closer and closer and her anxiety crawled steadily up and down her body, leaving a trail of insecurity behind that was driving her nuts.

"Huh?" Pacey turned around and found Joey glaring at him with a whole different kind of tiara adorning her messy ponytail. "Oh..." he bit on his lip, trying to wipe the grin of his face. He knew he was a dead man if she caught him laughing. "I’m sorry, sweetie."

Perching next to her, he carefully picked the offending item off and planted a kiss on her head. "You know me, acting first and thinking afterwards."

"Yeah, I know. God, this sucks... it sucks completely and utterly... and I’m so not ready for the exam." Joey dropped her head and inhaled deeply.

"I know that you’ll do great. No, excellent. You’re just fussing like you always do before exams." Pacey rubbed her now outstretched arms.

"Oh joy, my dear boyfriend doesn’t take my fears seriously." Joey sniffed but the corners of her mouth slowly moved upwards.

"Nah, I do. But I know you and therefore... no need to worry." Pacey nuzzled her neck and tapped on the current page of the book. "I’m not that well read and I haven’t been to your classes, but I think that the overall message of Catch-22 fits perfectly into this day. Of course, the simply equation that Catch-22 indicates a no-win situation would be too easy, but today? It’s just that. Rich asked me to take over his little initiation ceremony for the new aspirants for the firm. And just the idea of acting like Rich makes me want to throw up."

"And on top of that, your tie doesn’t cooperate with you, huh?" Joey grinned and sat up.

"Who’s not taking problems seriously now?" Pacey arched his eyebrow amusedly.

"Shut up," Joey ordered and easily mastered the task of maneuvering Pacey’s tie in a perfect knot. "You’ll be great... excellent even."

"Woman!" Pacey almost growled and pulled Joey closer.

~*~

Joey sighed and scooted around in the uncomfortable cafeteria chair. They had been here for what felt like ages, but equaled rather the mere amount of two and an half hours.

For some reason learning together with fellow students was highly supported on the one hand, but on the other, especially suited places to do so, like the library for example, prohibited talking – even in hushed voices. And boy had they earned dirty looks as they tried to study there, nevertheless.

Of course their exhausted minds directed them to the most agreeable place then: the cafeteria. Studying was so much easier when provided with sweet sins like chocolate muffins and cappuccino. And they could talk, which other people – a lot of other people did as well. It was loud and it was only a matter of time until the lunch crowd would storm in.

"Joey?" at the sound of her name Joey looked up and gazed at her companion. Sidney tapped the highlighter against her open folder.

"Where were you just now? ‘Cause I want to go there, too. You looked so happy." Sidney smiled.

"Umm... don’t know. Daydreaming... or first signs of insanity maybe," Joey quipped. Although she was acquainted with Sidney ever since she started in Worthington, she didn’t know her that well as to commit that she had thought about her favorite good mood pill. It still worked wonders for her.

"Okay." Sidney lowered her gaze and pushed a stray strand of her reddish brown hair behind her ear. She had hoped to get a little closer to Joey, and even though they’d been studying together for some time now, it was obvious that the brunette kept her distance. Politely, yet determinedly. But she was stubborn as well and by no means ready to give up on hoping for a friendship with Joey.

"Well, I guess it’s time for the next round of caffeine, huh? Two cappuccinos on me?" she offered while rising from her chair.

"Yeah, great. Thank you. Next round is mine then." Joey smiled warmly. She liked Sidney and as far as she knew, she was a nice person.

When Sidney returned a few minutes later, it was obvious that she wanted to say something, but wasn’t sure if she should. It was written all over her face.

"What is it, Sid?" Joey asked, raising her brow.

"I don’t know if I... well, you know... it could be nothing but gossip." Sidney wrung her hands together.

"Okay, gossip could give us a break from our highly sophisticated studies here. Shoot." Joey waited a second and added, trying to ease Sidney’s obvious discomfort. "Believe me, I’ve been exposed to a lot of gossip and certainly don’t take it too seriously."

"Okay. Well, you shared your dorm room with ummm... Audrey, right?" Sidney bent forward and almost whispered.

"Yeah... right. Why?" Joey’s voice was hushed, wavering even.

"Maybe it’s nothing, okay... so, really..." Sidney bit her lip, sorry that she had brought the subject up.

Joey’s eyes narrowed on her, waiting for her to continue and she obliged. You shouldn’t start things without ending them, right?

"So the two girls in front of me were talking about Audrey. Like, that she has been in rehab and that she missed almost the whole semester."

Joey nodded, that was all true so far. It wasn’t good that people knew about that, but true all the same. Sidney wasn’t finished though.

"That’s true, isn’t it?" Sidney stated more than asked as she studied Joey’s reaction.

"Yeah."

"And now, it seems like she had to go and see the administration and that she started some sort of rumpus just outside the office."

Joey closed her eyes briefly. That sounded a lot like a pissed off Audrey and she was slightly scared to think about what it was that got her so enraged.

"It’s just hear-say, but from what the girls were saying, the dean asked her to either sign up for summer classes to make up for the missed semester or..." Sidney cleared her throat, "leave the university. And then, well... no idea if Audrey decided to sign up, or not... but after her conniption... including calling the dean some ugly names... they simply kicked her out.... apparently."

Joey stared at Sidney with wide eyes. If she was a gambler, she would bet all she had that this wasn’t just gossip.

~*~

Pacey took a deep breath, tilting his head from one side to the other in an attempt to relax the feeling of tenseness there. Of course it wasn’t working and he felt like he was being transported back into high school and back to how he felt right before an exam – only this wasn’t high school anymore.

To the contrary: It wasn’t he who faced a test, he was the one testing others. Others who were anxiously waiting in the conference room, the same room where he had been not so long ago. Then why was it so hard to go inside?

"Whatch’a doin, Witter?" Rich stepped up behind Pacey and whispered loudly into his ear.

Jumping slightly Pacey shook his head. "Do you have to be like that?"

"Like what? It’s not my fault that people are daydreaming when they’re supposed to be working. Which brings us back to my question. Shouldn’t you be on the other side of these doors?" Rich grinned sardonically.

"Yeah, right." Pacey nodded sarcastically. "If I recall it correctly, you liked to keep the greenhorns waiting, didn’t you?"

"Oh yes, how observant, Witter." Rich smiled sweetly and shrugged his shoulders before moving on to his next unsuspecting victim.

Pacey pushed the door open, with the right amount of pep, which put a frightened look on the faces of the young men who were gathered around the imposing table.

To be honest, he felt almost more frightened than these boys, but he couldn’t let it show, he didn’t want to.

"Good morning, gentlemen." Rubbing his hands together, Pacey put on a poker face that was maybe just a tad arrogant. Circling the table, he looked at each of the candidates but only briefly before moving on. "I just left the most beautiful woman back at our home. The fact that she moved in with me is something that should not have happened. She is way out of my league, and I even like to think that I'm a fairly handsome guy, but I'm not that handsome. Now you might ask yourself: How does something like that happen? How does a guy like me get that lucky? How does someone like me get the girl?" Pacey paused and crossed his arms, casually leaning against the sideboard.

The men were following him with their eyes wherever he moved to. Probably highly confused about why he was telling them this. Actually he wasn’t quite sure about that either.

Scanning the pale faces in front of him, he continued, "I'll tell you. I'm twenty years old, and I am doing exactly what I was put on this earth to do. I am making money... hand over fist... faster than I know how to spend it."

Pausing again he considered what he had just said. Money? If he was sure of one thing, then it was that Joey was certainly not with him because he had quite a nice steady and monthly salary.

"And with money comes what, gentlemen?" The question was meant to be a rhetorical one, but some of the guys were crunching their foreheads, obviously trying to come up with an answer.

"I can see this is a difficult question for you, so I’ll help you out. Whereas money can’t buy you love, at least not the kind that really counts, it can make life easier for you. Money meaning independence. Money meaning you did something to earn it. Thus, money boosts your non-existing self-esteem to never before seen heights, opening all kinds of possibilities for you." Pacey nodded. Now he was on the right track.

"And let's tell the truth. You all came here today because you're trying to escape the miserable bottom-feeding existence that you've been living that has denied you what is rightfully yours. If you want this for yourselves, you can have it."

Stepping between two of the men, Pacey leaned over the table, putting his hands on it and accentuating what he was saying by tapping against the table top. "But I'm here to tell you, you will get your asses kicked on a daily basis, but you will learn. And ultimately, you will do what you were put on this earth to do, whatever that is for yourself. Making money, establishing a big ego or simply getting the girl you were dreaming of for years. And I have to warn you, despite how my little speech may have sounded like a fairytale – you’re far from being Prince Charming."

Grinning and pushing himself back into an upright position, Pacey backed away from the table. "Now, if any of you are still interested in this proposition, be here nine a.m. sharp, Monday morning. If you are late, do not come into my building. Turn around, go home, and prepare yourselves for a life in retail. I'll see you then."

Walking out of the room, a small smile formed on his lips. Not because he made an impression like Rich, but because he had overcome his own fears ... and because he got the girl.

"How did it go, Witter?" The second the doors closed behind Pacey, Rich appeared from a desk nearby, obviously having spent the time tormenting one of the other young employees.

"How do you think it went? I learned from the best, right?" Pacey cocked his head to the side, challenging Rich.

"Awww, that’s sweet. You wanna make out or..." Rich pursed his lips together, batting his eyelashes as he moved closer to Pacey.

"Nah, maybe later. I gotta brush my..." their little game of exchanging false niceties was rudely interrupted by loud cheering.

"What the hell is that all about?" Pacey frowned and observed the guys who were still whoo –hooing on top of their lungs.

"That, Mr. Witter..." Rich wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, "that is the sound of blood rushing to the nether regions."

"Let me guess, the Stepatech approval went through?" Pacey turned back to Rich, who couldn’t wipe the smile off his face.

"Not quite yet, amigo, but the stock is still climbing."

"Okay, good enough." Pacey rubbed his chin, trying to hide his own joy, which was mixed with a nice dose of suspense. A lot of the money he had invested went into Stepatech and a lot depended on the approval.

"So, how did you scare the losers away?" Rich changed the topic abruptly and pointed backwards to the conference room.

"Wouldn’t you like to know that?" Pacey grinned.

"Easy, buddy. I’m still your boss." Rich licked his lips, not at all happy about the fact that Pacey dared to play with him, something only he himself was entitled to do – with others, of course.

"How could I forget that, Mr. Rinaldi? But even employees need to have their little secrets... wouldn’t want to be that easy to replace."

Rich’s eyes widened and he exhaled slowly, ready to blow as Pacey silenced him again. "Well, got to go. Roger’s awaiting my call. Later, Rich."

"Oh that does it Witter. I used to be mildly impressed. Now I am in awe," Rich muttered to himself as he watched Pacey retreat into his office. "Nicely done my friend, nicely done." Maybe he would let him play a little longer, but talking back at him simply demanded a payback. You didn’t just play with Rich Rinaldi for nothing. You just didn’t.

~*~

Joey sat on the small bench in the window nook, just outside of her old dorm room. She used to sit there for hours, staring out into the world, indulging in all kinds of thoughts. Those had been precious and peaceful moments for her.

Now she was merely hiding there, trying to soak up some comfort from the security of her favorite spot of times not so long ago. She knew she would need all the strength she could gather. Running her hands tiredly over her face she finally walked the few steps to the wooden door and knocked.

It was strangely silent on the other side, but she knew that Audrey was inside.

"Open." Audrey’s voice finally wafted through the door and Joey opened it, peeking in without entering the room yet.

"Hi. Umm... may I?"

"Joey, yeah, sure. Didn’t take long, huh?" Audrey stood next to her bed, neatly folding clothes into the opened suitcase.

A fact that caused a deep frown on Joey’s face. Neatly and Audrey were just two words that never occurred in close proximity. "For what?"

Audrey turned towards her, chuckling slightly. "For the rumor mill." She glanced at Joey briefly before devoting herself to packing again.

"Gossip flies fast... especially if it’s the kind that’s not true." Encouraged by Audrey’s calmness, Joey moved closer. But this calmness was also frightening.

"Yeah. In that case you would’ve been here earlier then."

"So it’s true?" Joey asked already knowing the answer. It was amazing how they could talk about something so big and important by never naming it but only referring to ‘it’.

"Makes you wonder why I bothered to unpack in the first place." Audrey looked pointedly at Joey and then back to the suitcase.

"Audrey..." Joey shook her head, not really knowing what to do or say. Audrey was so composed, at least on the surface, and that was more than unlike her. "What happened?"

"What happened?" Audrey pursed her lips and blew out some air. Everything about this day was surreal and this conversation was just the top of it all. Only a few days ago she wouldn’t have talked to Joey, but now the situation had changed again.

"I guess there could be an easy answer to that. Like, I’ve missed more or less the whole semester and therefore this prestigious institution has the really outrageous notion of trying to infuse at least some sort of education into my drug abused brain...." desperate for some air, Audrey inhaled deeply and shrugged.

"And that’s what you call an easy answer?" Joey smiled uneasily.

"Yeah, disturbing, huh?" Audrey perched herself on the small space between the suitcase and the sea of clothes on her bed, hugging her knees to her chin.

"Alright, I went to the office, because, well... I’m really not fond of the idea of spending the summer in dusty, abandoned halls and unfortunately one word followed another... so, yes, the gossip is true and I’m out of here."

"But why, Audrey? Why did you throw everything away? I mean, what’s so bad about some summer classes? Especially after..." Joey’s voice trailed off as she lowered her head.

"Again I could find an easy answer to that. You know, but what’s really keeping me here in the first place? Nothing." Audrey shrugged and wrapped an unruly strand of her blond hair around her finger. "And I could say, that that’s the case because of what happened between us... between you and me, Pacey and me, Pacey and you… but I won’t do that."

Studying the pained expression on Joey’s face, strangely comforted her. It felt good to know that she wasn’t the only one who was suffering.

"I’m..."

"No, don’t say you’re sorry, because you’re not, Joey. And I’m not either. And let’s be honest here, we all knew it would come to this. I knew it and if I’m not making things up, I told you and the rest of the world exactly that at the horrible Christmas dinner."

Joey finally sat down on the edge of her former bed, which was still not occupied by someone else. And now the room would have to deal with two new inhabitants. "But theory and reality are two different pairs of shoes."

"True." Audrey nodded, tilting her head to look at Joey directly. Something she hadn’t done for some time now. "I hate to be rational, but you were right, you know? Pacey and I were over before I went into rehab and I know that we never had what you two have. So I should be happy that I got out sooner rather than later."

"You don’t hate me then?" Joey’s voice was small. The broken friendship with Audrey weighed heavily on her heart. Besides Jen, Audrey was the only girlfriend she ever had.

"Bunny, I could never hate you." Audrey smiled weakly. "Wishing you on the moon sometimes? Yes. Wanting to slap you now and then? Maybe," she giggled. "Some of your Capeside genes or maybe rather a virus must have jumped over to me. Hate seems like something I’m not capable of anymore."

"Really?" Joey’s face lit up with a smile.

"Really. Maybe we should try to make a business out of it, selling the Capeside formula, ending wars, what have you."

"Now that sounds definitely way too easy." Joey relaxed a little more, scooting away from the edge of the bed.

"I guess it does."

"So, if you... don’t hate us, why are you throwing your education away? Was it really that difficult to stay calm at the office?"

"Yes and no. You know, even before I returned to Boston, I wasn’t sure if I still wanted that. Boston, this elitist college... this is not my world, Joey." Audrey continued to fold her clothes, needing to busy herself in some way.

"What are you talking about? I thought..." Joey frowned.

"That I like it here? Yes, I do... but, it’s not exactly a secret that my scholastic aptitude isn’t very developed. I’m leading the fun life of a student without the learning part."

"That’s not true, Audrey. Don’t make yourself smaller than you are." Joey bent forward, trying to make her point come through.

"I’m not – and that’s the fun part. You wouldn’t believe how extensive one-on-one therapy can shed some light on your psyche and your insights."

"Aud..."

"No, it’s true, bunny. I’m like an exotic bird here. I’m a late Californian love – slash – flower child, not that I’m into those Hippie things, but you know what I mean. College isn’t my way and if Daddy hadn’t paid for it, I wouldn’t even be here."

"So what do you want to do now? Go home?" Joey was confused and she felt the beginnings of a headache.

"Sort of. I love singing and before I nearly destroyed the Hell’s Belles with my drunken performance, this was just what I always wanted to do. In rehab, music was one of my, well... programs and, yes... I think I could be good at it, really good." Audrey smiled, obviously happy.

"You already are good at it." Her smile was contagious.

"Too bad that I don’t have your voice, that would be even better." Audrey joked.

"Uh-huh." Joey shook her head doubtfully.

"Anyway, I’ll take some voice classes or something, and what place would be better for that than good old L.A.? But before I go home, I’ll make a little stop-over in Capeside."

"Capeside? What?" Joey stared at her with wide eyes.

"Guess I have to tell you some more gossip," Audrey sighed. "This Capeside virus comes with alarming side effects, it’s really perfidious... it encourages you to become part of certain incestuous circles. Probably because they need some fresh blood time and again."

"Huh? Excuse me, does that mean..." Joey almost choked on her own saliva.

"Afraid so." Audrey shrugged apologetically and grinned.

~*~

Joey sighed and stretched her tired limbs. It was still early and the twilight outside was several shades of gray away from resembling a pale sunrise.

Both of them loved to be woken by rays of bright, warm sunlight and therefore they always kept the blinds partially open. Nevertheless, it was still dark in the room.

Shifting carefully in Pacey’s embrace, trying not to disturb him yet, Joey gazed up at his peaceful face. A smile played along the corners of his mouth and his closed eyelids fluttered softly now and then. He had to be dreaming and obviously something pleasant.

Sighing again, she lightly kissed his bare chest. At times like these, she envied his ability to sleep as deep as a newborn baby. At this thought her brows furrowed slightly. "Whoever came up with that saying?" she wondered. "When do babies sleep at all? Especially when they answer to the name of Alexander Potter?" Granted, maybe her experience with the sleep habits of babies were a little limited.

Her silent chuckle was enough to permeate Pacey’s still slumber induced system. His arm reflexively tightened around her, bending his head without opening his eyes and instinctively knowing where to find her lips.

"Mhmm.... well, this is definitely one of my most favorite ways to start the day." Pacey’s voice was still raspy from sleep.

Nuzzling Joey’s neck, still keeping his eyes shut, he mumbled, "What’s so funny though? Although you kissed me, I’m still wondering what I did..."

"And what makes you think you did something?" Joey teased, whispering against his lips.

"Ouch." Finally opening his eyes, Pacey feigned hurt.

"Awww..." Joey giggled and tugged on his bottom lip. "You’re cute when you’re sleeping."

"Well, it sounds a bit corny ... but aren’t I always?" Pacey yawned and grinned.

"Yeah, especially when you’re being delusional." His yawn was contagious, more so since she hadn’t slept that well.

"As much as I love our beginning banter spree right now... let’s be serious for a second here." Pacey gently cradled Joey’s face, studying her tired expression. "It’s still very early and you look like you haven’t slept at all. What’s bugging you?"

Sighing deeply she leaned into his touch. "You mean, besides you?" Her weak smile couldn’t deceive Pacey and his raised brows silently told her to quit beating around the bush.

"Okay, okay." Another sigh left Joey’s throat before she shifted again, melting her body to his and propping her chin on his chest. "You’re right, I didn’t sleep well. First I couldn’t fall asleep because you weren’t here and I wanted to wait up for you."

"Sorry, sweetie." Joey’s tone wasn’t accusatory at all, and he did call her to inform her that it would be late since they had to prepare some contracts related to the FDA ruling on Stepatech. Still he felt bad that it had affected her.

"Nah, it’s not your fault, I just wanted to tell you something. I fell asleep anyway, at least until I woke up almost every other hour. You know me and big exams. I’m just a mess."

"And you know that there’s so not any reason for being insecure. You’ll ace Hetson’s exam. Don’t you worry." Pacey chuckled and ruffled her bed tousled hair. He doubted that Joey Potter was physically able to relax when opposed to any kind of examination or testing situation.

"Uh-huh, let’s hope so, by goodness!" Joey groaned and rested her head fully on Pacey’s chest, listening to his comforting heartbeat.

Knowing that there was nothing he could say to convince her at the moment, Pacey silently continued to draw lazy circles on her back and reached for the remote of the little TV. It was nice to be able to watch from bed and since there was no way to go back to sleep now, he might as well check the business channel for any Stepatech news. At least that was what he thought – and much to the chagrin of Joey.

"And what do you think you’re doing now?" Joey asked surly, lifting her head from her favorite pillow substitute and trying to snatch the remote from Pacey’s hand.

She wanted to be pampered a little bit and he was watching that stupid business channel that was spitting Dow Jones indices even though Wall Street hadn’t even opened yet. Not in her book.

"Uh-uh, hold on a second." Raising his hand, Pacey put the remote out of her reach, while holding her effectively in place by wrapping his left arm tighter around her. "Excuse me, I’m sorry, but today is most probably the day the FDA is ruling on Stepatech and I need to take a quick look. You’re troubled by your exam thingie and I’m kept in an awful suspense over that miracle flue thingie."

"Thingie?" Joey’s voice raised a notch. "My exam is not a thingie... and how can you be so affected by something you entitle thingie?

Ignoring her complaints, Pacey sat up, pulling her with him and silenced her with a soft kiss. "No need to work you up for nothing, sweetheart. You know that I have a lot of money wrapped up in this thingie..." he purposefully stressed the offending word and continued, "...and this thingie could buy us a lot of very nice thingies: like a new car... or a second car. Maybe even a house."

"Duh!" Joey rolled her eyes in mock exhaustion. "How did someone as young as you get so career obsessed? What happened to your plan on loafing around with the circus?"

"My, aren’t we all sunshine today? And you of all people should know that I used to be obsessed about a lot of things... especially a certain girl..."

Joey grumbled something unintelligible through her suppressed grin. Her private good mood pill factory was doing its job perfectly. "There won’t be any news right now anyway," Joey murmured with big eyes, fully knowing their effects on him.

"Fine." Pacey sighed dramatically and switched the TV off. "Maybe not.... but since you so rudely woke me from my peaceful dreaming state..." he whispered into her ear before suddenly moving them together so that he was partially on top of her, "I guess we could do something to ease your strains away."

Crossing her hands behind Pacey’s neck, Joey smiled against his lips and pulled him even closer to her. He was always so careful not to crush her, although she had told and shown him many a time that she loved feeling him right against her, loved being covered by him. It was hard to describe, maybe like feeling completely protected. Feminists might start throwing a fit if they heard her say that, but she didn’t care at all.

Pacey moaned as their kiss quickly intensified. Supporting himself with his left arm, he readjusted his position slightly and was instantly rewarded with a content purr-like sound from Joey.

For a split second he asked himself again for the umpteenth time, how on earth he came to be so damn lucky to have her, to finally really be with her, but all thoughts left him as Joey tugged on his lip while lifting her leg over his waist, bringing them as close together as possible with the thin barriers of their light night clothes.

Skimming his right hand teasingly along her side, Pacey pushed her shirt, or rather his shirt, up, stroking the exposed skin on his way.

Finally reaching his momentary aim, he cupped Joey’s breast and brushed his thumb teasingly over her nipple.

"Pace..." Joey moaned and almost glared at him. It was too early to play games.

"What?" Pacey drew back slightly to look at her.

"Stop teasing me!" To emphasize her whishes, Joey slid her hand down his back, eventually reaching her destination.

"Now... who’s teasing?" Pacey muttered as her fingers closed around his cock.

"I’m not... just accelerating our fun." Joey smirked innocently.

"But ... the teasing is... fun," protesting weakly he rolled them over again.

"Exactly..." Joey agreed surprisingly and sat up, supporting herself by propping her hands on Pacey’s chest, "...why I love doing this...," without finishing her sentence, Joey began to rock purposefully against his already prominent erection.

Pacey bit back his groan and grabbed her hips, stilling her movements. "Oh, I see... feeling dominant today?"

"Mhmmm..." deciding not to answer this question, Joey leaned forward and kissed Pacey passionately.

Returning her kiss with the same if not more fervor, Pacey reached again for the hem of her shirt and almost yanked it off. "You’re wearing way too many clothes." His words were barely audible, but his actions spoke louder anyway.

~*~

The morning at the office dragged along like a turtle in slow motion. Pacey couldn’t really concentrate on anything and kept checking the stock reports on TV as well as on the internet. The FDA was taking their sweet time apparently and it wasn’t even a given fact that they would decide on Stepatech at all on this day. It was assumed and expected but not confirmed.

As great as the early morning had started for him, the worse it got with every passing minute. He couldn’t even call or send a text message to Joey since she was sitting in her exam and she was the only one who was able to take his minds off of things.

"Mr. Witter?" Becky’s voice softly interrupted his musings over the intercom.

"Yes, Becky?" Tearing his gaze away from the picture on his desk, a recent one showing Joey and himself shortly after she had moved in the apartment.

"Dawson Leery is on line two. Are you free to answer?"

Dawson. Well, at least he would be distracted for a while. "Yeah, sure. Put him right through."

Sighing, he waited for the signal and answered the phone cautiously, "Dawson. What’s up, man?" It wasn’t like they were talking on an everyday basis. Far from it. Even if they did talk, it was just business.

"Hey, Pace." Dawson paused, staring at the wall of the dining room he was currently painting. "Nothing much. Umm... listen, I’ve been thinking..." Right at this moment, he suddenly understood or at least he a had a small inkling of what Pacey must have felt that fateful year. It wasn’t so easy now that he was in more or less the same situation.

Pacey waited for Dawson to continue, but was met with a long, heavy silence. Frowning he pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes for a second. These calls were strenuous to say the least. He had to admit that Dawson acted way more civilized for a while now. There were almost no sharp verbal attacks anymore.

"Alright, let me guess. You’re nervous, right?" Pacey tried a shot out into the blue.

"Nervous? Who? Me?" Dawson quipped with a slight tremor in his voice. Running his hand through his hair, he put the paint roller back into the bucket. Nervous was a sheer understatement and this phone call wouldn’t change anything. He couldn’t do it. Surprise. He did exactly the same thing he had blamed Pacey for.

"Well, thousands of dollars at play in the stock market which, from what I understand, can only be described as globally weak? Nah. Who's nervous?" Good thing he had the excuse of talking about business.

"And that’s exactly why it’s possible to make a lot of money in relatively short time – of course, you never know. I told you that." Pacey rubbed his chin thoughtfully. At times like these, he missed his beard. "Ok, well, how about this? Last time I checked, your money proliferated quite nicely. Let me pull the current figure from your account and you decide if it’s enough." Pacey opened Dawson’s file and studied the charts on his screen. "Have I ever let you down in the past? Actually, you know what? Don't answer that." Shaking his head, Pacey sighed silently.

"Umm... yeah." Dawson chuckled uncomfortably.

"Okay, as I said, your account looks good, meaning you could cash in at a relatively high profit." Receiving no response, Pacey added, "Since I know that you need to make money, and that you need to make it fast, I invested for you in this biotech company called Stepatech. They have a miracle flu vaccine that is up for approval by the FDA right now, and the word on the street is it's a shoe-in. So if you can hold on for just a few more days, I promise you it will be worth your while. It'll be like the difference between making El Mariachi and Clerks. But it’s up to you – do you want to take a chance or do you want to play it safe and cash in now."

"Ok, well, at least that's jargon I understand. Um...I guess in the spirit of Clerks, I could charge the film. I've been applying for credit cards like crazy, and two of them came in the mail today." Dawson stared out of the window, contemplating just how venturesome he was. "Shouldn’t you be advertising a little more for staying put though?"

"I probably should. Just don’t tell my boss that. I’d simply hate to see you lose money on my account." Pacey’s voice trailed off as he nudged the little ball of the Newton’s Cradle.

"I know, I know," pursing his lips Dawson glanced at his watch. He had to go and needed to make a decision. "Okay, call me greedy... but I’m onboard. Why not take as much as possible – if it’s just a matter of days."

"Okay. And..." Pacey leaned back in his chair, rocking softly, "if it makes you feel better, I’ve invested myself into Stepatech."

"Maybe so. At least I guess you won’t invest your own money into a sure loss."

Pacey and Dawson chuckled at the same time. Something that felt surprisingly good after so long.

"Not yet... who knows, maybe when I’ve made some odd millions and have to lose money in favor of taxes."

"Yeah, you would, wouldn’t you?" Dawson smiled.

"Anyway... I’ll keep you posted."

"Okay, thanks. Talk to you in a few days." Dawson clicked the phone off after they said their goodbyes. So much for that. It really wasn’t as easy as he had always believed.

On his way out he placed the phone back in its usual place, ready to leave the house. Before he could open the door his cell phone started to ring. Sighing he hoped to get rid of whoever it was as fast as possible, he glanced at the display and started to grin.

"I’m here... where are you?" She was apparently a little peeved.... and he was late.

~*~

Pacey's mood had improved drastically over his late lunch break. Joey had called him after her exam and they had met for coffee and sandwiches down the street from his office.

There was no news from the approval before he left the firm and the day was drawing to an end faster and faster. Only two hours until the market would close and if the FDA didn't hurry up, he would have to endure this horrible tension for another day.

Balancing his briefcase and the Starbucks' take-out coffee cup in one hand, so that he could push the door open, Pacey threw a friendly "Hi, guys" into the cube-farm, but was met with a deadly silence. Not one of the men replied and there was no activity on the phones either. They were ringing, but nobody bothered to answer them. Instead, weary eyes flitted briefly over him before lowering themselves down again.

Licking his lips quickly while glancing around to find any hint of what was going on and also fighting the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Pacey's gaze finally landed on Rich, who was standing by the table in the conference room. The doors were open and as he walked up to him, he could hear him talking on the phone. His voice was strangely strained, in a way he had never heard before.

"Believe me, it's like a morgue around here. Hey, look, I took a major hit, too. All right. I'll talk to you soon. And do me a favor. Stay away from open windows. I don't want to hear about how they had to scrape you off the sidewalk or anything." Dislodging the receiver from his ear, Rich turned halfway around to Pacey. "He didn't think that was funny," he muttered, not quite believing that the guy had hung up on him.

Pacey frowned, still trying to put the pieces of this abnormal behavior being displayed in the whole office, together.

"Yeah, go figure. What the hell is happening here, Rich?"

"First of all, you're late. Where the hell have you been? Ah, forget it. I don't want to hear about your sexual exploits with Johnny, Jackie... Joey, whoever. I'm depressed enough as it is." Rich put the receiver down, biting the insides of his lips. A sure sign that he was really stressed and again something that wasn't his usual self.

"I'm being serious." Pacey ignored Rich's snide remark and asked bluntly, "What's going on?"

"What the hell do you think, dumbass?" Rich's voice raised a few octaves as he glared at Pacey. "The FDA issued their ruling thirty minutes ago," he paused before blurting, "Big fat rejection."

Pacey's eyes widened and his grip on the paper cup tightened, close to squashing it. "But Rich... you said Stepatech was a sure thing?"

"Yeah, well, so did everyone else." Rich shrugged, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Turns out Roger's miracle flu medication has a bunch of nasty side effects the FDA does not wish to inflict on the American public at this time."

"Rich, this is..." Pacey shook his head, not quite hearing his own voice. "This is... a disaster."

"Oh well, settle down, rookie. I've seen worse. I've lost more." Rich straightened, a tight smile on his face that was maybe meant to be comforting. Or maybe it was mocking. "We'll get over it. Live to trade another day."

"Live to trade another day?" Pacey hissed and repeated again, "Live to trade another day? I've been shoving Stepatech down my client's throats for six months." His hand started to tremble and he had to set the cup down on the table. Having lost his meager substitute of an anchor, Pacey grabbed the back of a chair, desperate for some sort of physical support.

"Pacey, stock market 101 - biotech stocks are sketchy, especially these days." Rich's voice changed to something close to soothing. He had forgotten how the first real loss felt. He almost felt sympathy for Pacey... almost. "You're going to get screamed and yelled at today, but it's not your fault. It's just a professional hazard. So, yes, the best advice is: go and deal with it. It happens and yes, you'll live to trade another day."

Pacey closed his eyes as his head began to spin. He barely heard what Rich was saying and he felt like somebody had punched him hard in his stomach, taking his ability to breathe away.

"Oh, man, you all right? You look like you're going to toss your cookies." Rich studied Pacey's extremely pale face with genuine concern.

"Huh?" It took Pace several seconds to realize that Rich had asked something and another few seconds to recognize what he had said. "No, I'll be fine." He doubted that, but the answer was nothing but a mechanical reply anyway.

Sighing, Rich patted Pacey's back. "Listen... take a deep breath. Go back to your office. You probably have a hundred phone calls to return by now. Listen to 'em, be concerned, be sympathetic, but be strong." He emphasized each of his points with another pat on Pacey's back. "And remember, they got themselves into this mess, not you." Rich paused. "Got it? It's business, nothing more, nothing less. Investing in stocks is like a big gamble."

Sighing again, Rich exhaled audibly and picked the receiver up, dialing the number of yet another customer who would yell at him. "Now get out of here. Get to work."

The show must go on, or so they say... don't they?

~*~

"Anybody home?" Joey yelled hopefully as she kicked the apartment door shut, since her hands were full with several goodies crammed in way too many paper bags. She really would have loved a helping hand, but nobody answered. "Of course..." she muttered under her breath and mentally crossed her fingers that the bags wouldn't burst before she reached the safety of the kitchen counter.

The dreaded Hetson exam had turned out to be not so frightening at all and she was pretty sure that she had aced it. Actually she had complete and total mastery of Hetson's arcane universe, that included sadistic questions like what Lolita's maiden name was or what day it was on the first page of Gravity's Rainbow.

Sidney and herself had to refrain themselves from performing a dance of joy once they handed their finished exams over to Hetson, who eyed them suspiciously.

Anyway, now that this awful day was over and done with, Joey decided that it was high time for some celebrating and after she'd talked Pacey into cooking a festive menu during their quick lunch, she went shopping.

With an exasperated sigh, she slumped the bags on the counter and leaned against it. "I'll never go delicatessen shopping again... ever... at least not alone."

Checking her watch, she saw that it was close to seven, meaning that the office was closed for the day, at least officially. She couldn't keep track of Pacey's overtime at the firm anymore. Of course, that had a lot to do with the imminent Stepatech ruling, but she knew how nerve-racking it was for Pacey and she saw how exhausted he was when he finally came home late in the evening.

Joey hadn't even found the time to tell him about the removal of Audrey's name from Worthington's register, euphemistically spoken, nor about her forthcoming return to L.A. or her stop-over in Capeside.

She felt bad for not telling him, but it wasn't as if she didn't tell him on purpose. As soon as the circumstances would allow, she would. Maybe even after their little impromptu party.

Knowing that Pacey wasn't really fond of somebody messing around with his cooking, Joey put the fine groceries in the refrigerator before heading up the spiral case. Living with two men in a shared apartment had taught her one or two things. One being the fact, that a little alone-time, preferably in a hot bubble bath, was hard to get and she wouldn't let this opportunity pass by.

~*~

Pacey felt totally drained and his eardrum was almost screaming back at him and all the people he had to talk with over the last two hours. Rich had been right, he was yelled at, sworn at and some simply slammed down their receiver, so hard that it reverberated in his auricle even minutes after he was already talking to the next customer.

It was late and the office was nearly deserted, except for himself, Becky and Rich. Casting a side glance at his watch, he inhaled sharply. Right then he should have been home, cooking and celebrating with Joey - only that there wasn't anything to celebrate anymore, at least not for him.

Sighing he pressed the call button on the intercom. "Who do we have left, Becky?"

Becky's voice was as tired as Pacey's as she replied promptly, "Just Dawson Leery. You want him?"

Although his face was already pale, he whitened even more. Burying his face in his hands, he tried to muster up the strength to deliver the horrible news to his childhood friend.

"Pacey? Do you want Mr. Leery now?" Becky asked again.

"Umm... no, thank you, Becky." Pacey cleared his throat, "I'll do that in a little while. Umm... why don't you call it a night? It's pretty late."

"Thank you, Mr. Witter. On a day like today it goes without saying that I'll stay as long as you need me." Instead of answering over the intercom, Becky had moved away from her desk and leaned against the doorframe.

"Thank you. I appreciate that a lot." Pacey looked up and forced a small smile on his face.

Becky nodded and started to turn around but hesitated. "You should go home, too. Tomorrow is a new day and today's losses will be almost forgotten."

"Yeah, right." Pacey leaned back in his chair. "After all... tomorrow is another day."

"Exactly," Becky smiled and added jokingly, "Miss Scarlett."

Pacey watched her retreat before gazing out into the evening's twilight. At least he could still quote famous movie lines. Thanks to Dawson. Dawson. Closing his eyes as he swiveled back in his chair, he reached for the phone. His hand hovered inches above the receiver. He just couldn't do it.

~*~

"Are you sure that it's okay that I'm joining you for dinner?" Jen asked carefully as she trapped the receiver between her shoulder and her ear.

"Duh! Of course." Joey rolled her eyes for good measure, despite the fact that Jen couldn't see her. "What kind of question is that? And I am inviting you, aren't I?"

"Yeah, but it is kinda late... and since you couldn't get a hold of me sooner... I mean, I wouldn't want to impose myself on you if you've already planned a dinner for three." Yawning a little Jen plopped down on her bed.

"Don't you worry about that... we haven't even started with the cooking," Joey muttered, checking the kitchen clock for the umpteenth time.

"Huh? What did you say?" Jen frowned. Maybe she was really too tired to hear properly... or maybe Joey was actually mumbling.

"Umm, well... Pacey isn't home yet and you know him... once he agrees to cook, there's no way anybody else is allowed into the kitchen, except if especially asked to assist. So in short... chances are you'll be here long before dinner's ready," Joey explained a little clearer.

"Okay, in that case!" Jen giggled, remembering the last time Grams dared to interfere with chef Pacey... it wasn't pretty.

Ignoring the fact that she was sick, something she insisted on herself, Pacey gave her a piece of his mind when he caught her adding some spices to his soup.

"C.J. is working at the center later so I guess I can get a lift over to you. Anything I could chip in?"

"Ummm..." Joey frowned, mentally checking the list Pacey gave her again. "No, I think we're settled. Just bring yourself."

"Okay, I can do that. Grams will go to bed in a little while anyway." Jen yawned again but sat up from her comfortable reclining position. "Oh, by the way... did you talk to Jack yet?"

"No. Nobody's home yet. Why?" Shifting on the barstool, Joey couldn't help a yawn of her own. It really was contagious and once started, it was extremely difficult to stop it.

"Uh, well... you know..." Jen stammered a little, suddenly not quite sure if Jack would like her blabbering.

"Oh, you mean because of his maybe-date with David?" Joey offered, remembering Jack mumbling something like this.

"Yeah, exactly. Could be a good sign, that he isn't home yet." Actually she wasn't convinced about that and it showed in her voice. Stretching once more, Jen lazily walked over to her closet and opened the doors. "So, if I'm supposed to get ready and go out, I should dress now. C.J. will be here soon."

"Okay. And on second thought...." Joey rubbed her temple, having a vague idea that the evening might not be as happy as she had planned it. "If you should happen to come across a grocery store or something like that, I mean, we're out of ice cream and maybe we'll need some."

Jen's face lit up with recognition as she raked through her clothes. "Chocolate Chip..."

"...Cookie Dough," Joey finished with a grin. It was amazing how well they knew each other by now.

~*~

Pacey stared at the telephone in front of him. It wasn't quite clear if he was trying to hypnotize it or if it was the other way round. A game of power where the goal was to see who would give in first. Had it been a question of who would blink first, the phone would have won long ago.

He knew that he was playing a weird version of the old hide-and-seek. He was hiding in his office, although he was visible to everyone who happened to walk by. Hiding from the real life that was just a phone call away.

His eyes almost hurt with the intense stare while his mind desperately tried to magically conjure a solution to this mess.

Maybe that was what was keeping him rooted in his uncomfortable position. Perhaps he should just sit there and wait - either until he did come up with a plan or, which was far more realistic, until it was way too late to call Dawson.

As handy cordless phones were in everyday life, Pacey was currently very taken with the neat, symmetrical curls of the phone cord. He had counted each and every whorl, he had twisted the black material around his finger, investigating how many "rings" he needed to cover his index finger completely. He was probably ready to write a thesis about the texture, structure and function of a telephone coil.

Pacey was so deeply absorbed into his procrastinating activities that it took several seconds before he realized that his phone was suddenly coming alive: it rang - loud and repetitive.

Recognizing the number in the display as the apartment's line, he finally answered. He knew it could only be Joey. "Hey."

"Hey?" Joey's voice sounded a little irritated. "Why are you still in the office?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah... ummm, see something came up and I..." Pacey's mind drew a total blank. He had absolutely no idea what to tell her. What could he tell her? That he lost most of his money? That he lost Dawson's money? That he was a stupid greenhorn in the stockbroker's world who had taken insane risks?

"So?" Joey frowned. There was something in his voice that had her worried.

"I'm sorry, but it's this Stepatech thing... I don't know when I'll be able to leave." That wasn't even a lie, not really at least.

2Again? I really hope it will be worth all the work you put in it." Joey sighed. She knew it was very important to Pacey to succeed and to do well in his job, but she prayed that this strenuous phase would be over soon.

"Uh-huh." Pacey tiredly rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"You sound tired, sweetheart," Joey stated, not at all angry anymore. "And not really in the mood for a... umm... party, right?"

Pacey sighed. He felt horrible. Joey had all the reasons to have fun and celebrate her exam and the end of the semester and he was dragging her down. He not only dragged her down, he let her down.

"No, not really..." He knew that he couldn't lie to her, and he would if he said he was in the mood. "But you know what, that doesn't matter. I'll have the whole way home to get in the mood. And I can vent my spleen on this with cooking, so don't worry." Maybe he even believed this himself.

"We don't have to do that today, Pace. It's not that important and there will be only Jen and Jack..." Joey tried to argue.

"Nah, I don't want to hear anything about that. And we do have a reason for it today: you aced your exam and that just calls for a party." At least this day or rather this evening had to be good for her, it just had to be. "Tell you what, I should be home in about... let's see... half an hour, okay?"

"Umm, okay... if you're sure..." Joey reluctantly gave in.

"Okay, later, sweetie." Pacey made an effort to sound confident. "Love you."

"Love you, too. Drive carefully." Joey tightened her grip on the phone, hoping to lose the bad feeling she felt developing.

"I will. Bye."

"Bye."

After they hung up, both continued to stare at their respective phones. Something was wrong, Pacey knew it and Joey felt it.

~*~

"So? What did he say?" Jen asked, cocking her head to the side and watching Joey intensely.

"He'll be late..." Joey started to explain.

"He already islate," Jack interrupted her pointedly. "And he didn't prepare anything for dinner yet. So that will be even later..."

"Do you always have to think about food?" Jen raised her brow, sending him a reproving look. "I'm sure you'll survive a late dinner."

"Uh-huh... and yes... I'm lovesick... food is the only thing that will cheer me up a bit." Jack continued to complain. Actually he did nothing besides that ever since Jen and he arrived at the apartment.

"I thought we'd already established that you have no reason to wallow in self-pity here, Jack." Jen kicked her shoes off, thinking that she might as well get settled a little more comfortably on the couch.

"Maybe, but what does that have to do with me being hungry?" Jack pointed out as he walked over to the kitchen area, looking for some chips.

Joey rolled her eyes and slumped down next to Jen. Regarding her two friends, her thoughts went back to Pacey. The bad feeling was still there and the bickering, no matter how good natured it was, caused her a headache.

"Since the party hasn't started yet, could we go back to my little disaster at hand?" Jack asked as he returned, placing himself right in between the girls.

"Damn, Jack!" Joey complained loudly, rubbing her upper arm where Jack's elbow had harshly cleaved itself a way.

"Ooops," Jack grinned, not at all apologetically.

"You know, you're entirely too happy for being lovesick. I think David does have a point when he says that only his heart will be broken, not yours." In a weird way Joey felt slightly better now that she could vent, even though this meant Jack had to suffer from her outburst.

The smile that had graced Jack's face just seconds ago slowly evaporated. Coughing uncomfortably he leaned back, his eyes darkened and his voice was tight when he finally spoke again.

"No, that's not true. Maybe it looks like I'm not being affected that much. But I am, believe me." Jack sighed and tilted his head to gaze at Joey. "You, after all, should know that there are different ways to deal with the fact that your boyfriend broke up with you."

Joey lowered her eyes shamefully. "Yeah, but you got a goodbye from David. That's more than what other people get."

"Oh please, guys." Jen threw her hands up, chiding them both. "Would you stop that? I can't believe this. You, Jack: We talked about that - epical, I might add. You don't have to find the love of your life as early as Miss Potter over here. You have no reason to think that you'd end up alone. And even if it does hurt for a while, David might be right, just as you might be right: deep down you're just not ready for a commitment like that."

Tilting her head to the side, she lectured Joey as well. "And you, Joey: So you're pissed that Pacey isn't home yet. Understandable. Not understandable on the other hand is, that you psyche out Jack. It's not his fault. It's probably not even Pacey's fault. Life sucks. Welcome to the club. And please, you two are so sickeningly happy with each other -stop bringing up your dirty linens from the past."

Exhaling exhaustedly, Jen crossed her hands in front of her chest. Why did she have to play psychiatrist all day long? Gratuitously, nevertheless.

~*~

Feeling unable to do anything about the big, bad hole he had buried himself in, Pacey finally decided to really wait for the next day. Besides that, it was more than high time to get home. Snapping his briefcase closed, Pacey switched off the lights in his office and walked towards the foyer.

Obviously Rich had enough for the day as well, because he appeared from the opposite direction exactly at the same time.

For the last hour or so, Pacey had mulled over each possibility he could think of, that would help him, help Dawson. In the end, there was only one that promised the slightest chance of success.

Quickening his step he opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Rich raised his hand, waving in a declining way. "No, no. You're not gonna hold me up. I've got a hot date of my own tonight. I admit it. You shamed me, Witter. Now I gotta spend my nights keeping up with my friggin' protege!"

Despite everything else, Pacey involuntary grinned. Mr. Cool had a lot inferiority complexes and it was nice to see, that they were even bigger than his own.

"Okay, that's... great." Pacey hesitated, wringing his hands while he felt cold sweat creating goose bumps on his skin. "Ummm... I just... I want to ask you one thing before you go."

"As long as it doesn't involve me holding you while you cry." Rich rolled his eyes dramatically and placed his briefcase on the closest desk, draping his hands loosely over the handle.

It was annoying to see how relaxed he was, especially when Pacey was nothing but stressed. "I promise."

"What is it, kid?" Rich asked totally bored.

Just his arrogant behavior made Pacey question his idea. Suddenly it seemed like another stupid move, but at this point, he couldn't be picky anymore. It was the last straw, the very last.

"Well, I was just wondering... if maybe you could... could cover me? Loan me a little money?" At first he stuttered, but then he raced the words as fast as he could get them out.

"You're kidding, right?" Rich shook his head, laughing right into Pacey's face.

Pacey straightened, steeling himself for what was to come next. He didn't care that he might make a fool out of himself. He already was a fool. What did he have to lose then?

"No. I wish I was, but... you have no idea how hard it is for me to ask you for this, Rich, but a friend of mine a couple of weeks ago, he came to me and he wanted to double his money really fast."

Rich sighed and studied his watch. It was late, he had a date and he really didn't want to listen to Pacey's whining.

Pacey ignored his boss's obvious lack of interest and continued, "Everything looked good until yesterday. He called and thought about cashing in and I told him that I invested all into Stepatech and asked if..."

"That was a stupid move, Pacey," Rich stated dryly, emotionless.

"I asked him to ride the thing out, to trust me... and this guy is my oldest and closest childhood friend. I cannot screw him like this, Rich." Pacey was desperate and tried to make Rich understand his dilemma, his need for help.

"It's already done, Pacey." Rich stared at him, laughing incredulously.

"No, I'm serious. All I want to do is give him back his initial investment. And then I'll pay you back with whatever interest you want," Pacey insisted, not ready to give up just yet. "You would love that, wouldn't you? Me being in your debt?"

"What about you? What happened to your disposable income?" It would have been wrong to deny that Rich felt sympathy for Pacey. And he was right, the idea of having him in his debt was tempting. But being a business man, he knew that some lessons had to be learned the hard way.

Lowering his head, not willing to see the malicious glee on Rich's face, Pacey mumbled, "I got almost nothing left myself. I invested mostly in Stepatech, then the car, the apartment..." He sighed, feeling even more like an idiot when he spoke it out loud. "In cash, I'm worth like... I don¡¯t know, maybe three hundred bucks right now."

Rich pushed his briefcase around the desk, creating some room for him to sit down on the edge of the table. Crossing his arms, he gave Pacey a once-over-look, very similar to those your most hated teacher at school gave you, whenever you forgot to do your homework.

"You know, it's funny. You're so good at your job, you're so confident, I sometimes forget how young and stupid you are," he finally said sarcastically.

Pacey felt the slight tinge of a blush creep over his face. He was scolded, not really openly, but nevertheless Rich did reprimand him.

"Please, Rich, I need your help, not the speech right now, ok?" Pacey's voice was pleading and he hated himself for that.

"Oh, I think you do, actually." Rich nodded, again just like a teacher, or even worse, like a father.

Pacey cringed at the thought of his father. Just when they started to treat each other with something close to respect and familiarity, he screwed it all up again.

"And I'm gonna say to you what you should have told your little friend in the first place." Rich shifted and made eye contact with Pacey. One part of him was thinking that he was actually helping him, the other, maybe larger part was pleased to see him rock bottom. Stressing the monosyllabic word as best as he could, "No."

"That's it? That's all you have to say to me?" Pacey's eyes widened. It wasn't like he had expected a hug and an "Of course", but a big, flat out "no"?

Rejected and incredulous he had to make sure he understood him right. "I come to you, embarrass myself, and you're just gonna say no?"

Rich shrugged, confirming nonchalantly, "Pretty much, yeah."

It amazed him what a daydream believer Pacey suddenly seemed to be. He would have never picked him as a head-in-the-clouds man.

This wasn¡'t some Let's-play-house, or work for that matter, scenario, this was real life. Business life, where there was no room for romantic and knightly gestures, or even friendship.

Pacey chuckled helplessly and shoved his hands into his pockets. "You know, Rich, sometimes you're so good at your job I forget what an unfeeling prick you are."

The second the words left his mouth, he already regretted them. Rich was a prick, an ass, every nasty word that came to your mind, but thinking those insults were quite different from voicing them aloud.

Rich raised his brow warningly. "You work for me. I'm your boss. You better watch your tone."

Pacey inhaled deeply, trying to control himself. He knew that he wasn't helping his case at all, but he just couldn't help himself.

"Ok, Rich, I'm sorry. I'm just asking you for this one favor! Just one time!" Now he was begging. Desperately invoking. Could he sink any lower than that? Probably not.

Rich licked his lips slowly and stood up. He remembered the morning's incident, all the times Pacey had bragged in front of him. He didn't even have to come up with a payback himself. It was all served on a silver platter.

"I...don't...do... favors, Witter," he almost spelled the words out for Pacey - and he enjoyed it.

"Why not? 'Cause god forbid you have to drop the Gordon Gekko routine for a second? I mean, this would be so easy for you, man. Just help me out here!" And yes, he could sink even lower than that.

Rich opened his jacket, putting his hands on his hips. "I don't believe this." He shook his head. Pacey was more than naive.

"Let¡'s get some things straight here, Witter. Just in case you didn't quite understand the concept of boss-employee-relationships." Rich waited until Pacey finally stared at him.

"We're not friends, not even close. We are not harboring any friendly relations towards each other, which might include some vague ideas of helping each other out with anything. Besides: Help you out?!"Rich burst into laughter.

"I gave you a job, Witter! I gave you a chance to escape some bottom feeder existence, and every step of the way, you have been a holier-than-thou pain in the ass. So you tell me... why should I help you out?" Rich's voice rose with each word until he was nearly yelling. "Simply said: Me boss - you, well... dirt under my shoes, a.k.a. employee."

Pacey balled his hands into fists, hurt and anger searing his veins. His emotions were obviously displayed in his features and fueled Rich's outburst even more.

"You know, if you ever really thought of being an adult, able to handle a job - any job? I'm afraid you might have been mistaken there. This day, these sorry pleas for help, prove nothing but the fact that you're a failure, Witter, and a loser."

Pacey's gaze shot up, his eyes flashing dangerously. Taking one step forward he felt his hands itch to deck his boss. Rich pulled the strings of each and all of his old and new insecurities perfectly. He was pushing him, trying to provoke him until he showed some kind of reaction. A reaction that confirmed his prior accusations, to confirm that he was a loser.

Rich smirked mockingly, waiting for Pacey's next move. A few weeks ago, he might have actually reacted accordingly to Rich's assumptions. He refrained himself from starting a fist fight only by a hairbreadth - and a blurry image of Joey, briefly appearing before his eyes.

Taking another step towards Rich, Pacey tapped lightly against the revere of his blazer, barely touching him, which cost him more strength than anything.

"You're not worth it, Rinaldi," he hissed through his teeth.

"Whatever." Rich grinned maliciously, mimicking Pacey's touch. "It's all over, Pacey. Don't worry. After tonight, after this..." he gesticulated impartially, indicating their previous conversation, and continued. "We can't allow such a disreputable behavior and I think our fragile relationship on top of that doesn't permit a further business association. Of course, your selling success equals zero, given the disastrous circumstances. So the firm will get over this tremendous loss pretty soon."

Rich inhaled, taking his sweet time before he finally took the cake by saying calmly, "You're fired, Pacey. That's what you wanted all along, anyway. I guess the silver slipper didn't fit you, huh?"

Pacey just stared at him, his face changing its color from an angry red to a scorching white. It would feel so good to smash his face in, but he couldn't do it, not anymore. He was past that premature display pattern of male prowess.

"Loser," Rich dismissed contemptuously and reached for his briefcase before strolling leisurely towards the glass door.

After opening it he turned around once more, sporting an arrogant smile and waved. "A bientot camarade."

It wasn't until the door fell shut behind Rich, that Pacey's shoulder slumped and a deep, sad sigh escaped his slightly parted lips.

One day and a few mistakes was all it took to bring each of his old fears and insecurities back to the surface. They were back full force although they had never really left him. They had simply been dormant.

~*~

Jack munched the last piece of his extra large pizza, finally happy and content, at least as happy as he could be, considering the post-break-up situation. "Why didn't we have this wonderful idea hours ago?"

Jen shot daggers at him, before glancing warily back at Joey. "Are you sure you don't want at least one tiny bite?" she asked, presenting her still half filled plate to her.

"No, thank you. I'm... I'm not hungry at all." Joey forced a smile and looked briefly up before staring back at the digital VCR clock.

Pacey was still not home. The announced thirty minutes had long since passed and replaced by four more.

She had called the office... nothing. No response to his cell phone either. She was past the state of being angry and close to calling every hospital in Boston.

"It just isn't like Pacey to vanish without a trace," she muttered more to herself than to her friends, who heard her nevertheless.

"Umm... well..." Jen hummed and hawed uncomfortably. The memory of a summer stunt not so long ago suddenly almost tangible.

"No, that was different," Joey insisted, turning back around. "He has no reason...he's different... we're different."

"Okay, umm.. I'm just saying, that there will be a good explanation for his absence. I mean, you don't have to... you know, think that something happened to him." Jen bit on her tongue, not quite so sure about that.

"Yeah... yeah." Joey rested her chin on her knees, rolling herself up into a ball and directed her eyes back to the clock. The steady blinking of the colon that divided the hours from the minutes, sixty times a minute, had a hypnotizing effect on her.

She welcomed the calming, soothing feeling that overtakes you soon before sleep comes. The feeling where every fear ceases to exist.

~*~

Pacey stepped out of his car and hesitantly closed the door. He wasn't quite sure how he got there, or why, but there he was, back in Capeside.

Spurred on by his awakened demons he had turned the car around, as he was about to park in front of the apartment building. He didn't even call Joey or anybody else, he just drove without a stop until he found himself next to the Leery house.

It was dark, only one window was still lighted. Dawson's window.

Leaning back against the car he stared up at the warm, glowing rectangle. He imagined Dawson sitting at his desk, typing yet another version of their life at the creek. Or maybe he was watching one of the old movies, not a DVD, one of the worn tapes.

He knew he had to tell him and he knew he came there to do just yet. Only that he wasn't ready.

Calming himself by telling himself that it was way too late - or too early, depending on your point of view, and that he couldn't barge in with news like that, he finally climbed back into his car.

The faint interior lighting, activated when he opened the door, briefly illuminated the yellow shimmering book lying on the front passenger seat.

Pacey traced the black title carefully with his index finger, Cliff Notes' Catch-22.

Joey had probably forgotten it there when he drove her to Worthington that morning. Joey. Still running his hand over the smooth surface, Pacey wished there was an interpretation to help real life, too.

~*~

Joey yawned and stirred, feeling extremely stiff and tense. Opening her eyes she slowly realized that she was lying on the couch and that she was alone. She remembered vaguely that Jen and Jack disappeared shortly after midnight. Pacey still hadn't come home by then.

Stretching her numb limbs she sat up and stalled the urge to run up the stairs and check their room. Deep down she hoped Pacey would be there, snoring and sleeping. Rationally she already knew that she wouldn't find him. If he had come home, he would have woken her, or carried her to their bed.

Worrying her bottom lip with her teeth she climbed the stairs and opened the door to their room. It was cold, dark and empty. Nobody had been there and fear mixed with anger and loneliness constricted her heart. Even breathing became painful.

~*~

"I'm sorry, Miss Potter. Pacey didn't show up for work this morning," Becky replied with a worried undertone.

"Oh." Joey blinked away the tears that formed in her eyes.

Biting her nails she had waited until the office opened and called Pacey's number as soon as she could assume that his secretary would be there.

"I'm not sure if that means anything, but rumor has it, that there was some kind of fall out between Mr. Rinaldi and Pacey last night." Becky hastily let her eyes wander around to check if anybody was in earshot. "The men are talking about it and that one of the security guys showed them a tape."

"A fall out?" Joey frowned, trying to put the pieces of the mysterious puzzle together.

"Yeah, and I can't say that it would surprise me, really. Especially after what happened yesterday. That just called for tension," Becky explained.

"Umm, what do you mean? What happened yesterday?" Joey sat down as unidentifiable cramps racked her stomach.

"You didn't hear about it?" Becky was surprised.

"No. We met for a late lunch and..." Joey defended herself.

"Ah, okay. Well, around three p.m. the FDA announced their ruling on Stepatech... they rejected it."

Joey closed her eyes. Right then everything started to make sense. Pacey's overtime, his strange mood, the quarrel at the office.

"You don't think something happened to him, do you?" Becky asked concerned.

"No, I don't..." Joey silently prayed that she really had no reason to think that. "Can you call me in case he does come in?"

"Of course. I'm sure he will be home soon." Becky weakly attempted to calm Joey.

"Yeah. Thank you. Bye." Not waiting for the secretary's goodbye, Joey hung up.

All kinds of thoughts were running through her mind and her eyes wandered restlessly around the room until they rested on their photo. She knew what Pacey was doing, at least she hoped so. He was running - and if she knew him as well as she was convinced she did, then there was only one place where he could be.

Reaching for the discarded phone again, she dialed the familiar number and waited.

~*~

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