easy13

Easy Love
By Tiffany

Chapter: 13

Thanksgiving Day�

Gram�s House

Jen scrunched up her face as she stared at the turkey in front of her. "All right bird. I know what you�re thinking. You�re thinking that I can�t make this work but you�re mistaken because I am going to cook you. I mean roast you� or bake you� or something. The point is by six-o-clock tonight Grams and I are going to be sitting at the dinner table staring at your nicely browned back� or bottom� or front, whatever."

The McPhee Household�

Setting the obese ham on the counter he looked over at the turkey that Andie was stuffing with a slight hum. "Okay so I get that you�re excited about spending our first Thanksgiving together as a family but� do you honestly think that we need both a turkey and a ham?" He questioned with raised eyebrows.

"Jack how can you ask me that? You of all people know how important it is to have variety at the dinner table. I mean think about it. If I would have settled on Turkey you and dad both would have been craving ham. And if I opted for the ham then you would have complained about it being not traditional enough. The only way to please everyone would be to have both. We have variety coupled with tradition� it really was the only way. Now come on and help me by getting that ham ready for the oven. We�re already ten minutes behind schedule." She ordered throwing an apron at him.

"You know you are having way too much fun with this� but I�m enjoying it." He chuckled tying the apron around his waist. Looking down he raised an eyebrow. "Kiss me I�m a Texan?" He asked.

"Got it in the mail last week." She answered looking up at him. "Well don�t you look adorable!" She remarked.

"Any remarks about me resembling the gay rendition of Chef Boyardee and I�ll walk out right now!" He stated mockingly serious as he turned back to the ham.

She threw her hands up in surrender. "Not a word." She clamped her mouth shut trying to hold back her laughter. "You know this is going to be the best Thanksgiving ever."

Potter Bed and Breakfast�

"This is the worst Thanksgiving ever!" Joey mumbled as she looked at the chaos around her. Pots and pans were piled high on top of the stove. There was a distinct smell coming from the oven that couldn�t be good and there was a wailing baby in the background that had to be Alex.

A moment later Bessie came in with an unhappy toddler strapped to her hip. "I can�t believe this is happening! Joey could you take Alex please and get his bottle ready?" She handed him over before Joey could protest. "I just sent Brodie for the sugar and buttermilk� which is going to cost me an arm and a leg. I have the potatoes boiling and the Candy Yams should be almost done� Now I just need the Turkeys. Where is that delivery man? If I don�t get those birds in the oven within the hour our guests aren�t going to eat until Ten-o-clock tonight!"

As if on cue the phone rang. Running around the counter she practically ran a baby impaired Joey over. "Hello? Yes� where are you guys?" She asked frantically. She listened intently as her world came to a screeching halt. "You have to be kidding me! That�s unacceptable� I don�t care about a discount; that�s not helping me now! I have fourteen people here and nothing but side dishes for Thanksgiving! Yeah� okay whatever." She hung up and leaned against the wall defeated.

"What�s wrong?"

"That was the delivery man. The roads are iced over and they can�t get the truck here to deliver the turkeys."

"Until when?"

"I don�t know Joey! All I know is that I have potatoes on the stove boiling� broccoli steaming rolls in the oven and no turkeys for my guests." Before she could finish the smoke alarm went off alerting them to another catastrophe at hand.

Looking over they could see the smoke rising from the oven. "What in the hell?"

Bessie ran to the oven pulling open the door as smoke enveloped her head and hair.

Throwing a pan of burnt rolls onto the counter she threw off her oven mitts dejectedly. "What else can go wrong?"

Casa Witter�

"What is that?" Gretchen asked coming to sit at the table where Pacey had come in and placed a shopping bag on top.

"This is our Thanksgiving feast. As we both have been rejected from the Official Witter household I have decided that we shall start our own tradition."

"And how are we going to do that?" She asked folding her hands together.

He raised a finger as if getting a thought. "Well I have here in this bag the makings of a great Thanksgiving dinner." Reaching inside he began to pull out the contents. "First we have our sliced turkey courtesy of Ballpark and their many affiliates. For a side dish we have an assortment of potato� chips or the appetizing corn chips. As for a healthy vegetable I managed to get the last bag of frozen broccoli." He stated proudly pulling out a bag half covered in ice shavings that dripped carelessly onto the tabletop. "And for dessert we have our pick between the luscious Ben and Jerry�s Fish-food or Hagan Daz� Chocolate Caramel Swirl." He placed both pint sized cartons before her with a grin.

She smiled back at him with grateful smile. "You are truly something. You could make sunshine out of a tornado." She remarked.

"I aim for the impossible. You should know that." He whispered softly.

"I know and I�ve always admired that about you." She sighed looking down at the contents on the table. "So do you want to heat up the turkey or handle the broccoli?"

"The turkey."

She looked down at the broccoli. "I�ll rock, paper, scissors you for it."

Leery Household�

Watching his mother from the archway that separated the kitchen from the dining room as she went from the sink to the stove to the refrigerator. Her hair was piled on top of her head messily and her cheek was smudged with flour or salt he wasn�t sure. He held Lillian in his arms securely. "Look at Mommy making a mess. You will never hear her admit to it but it�s a known fact that our mom can never cook without creating WW III in the process." He whispered into the little girl�s ear.

"I heard that Dawson." She threw out over her shoulder barely looking up at him.
He smiled ruefully. Just then his father approached from behind him crossing his arms over his chest and staring at his wife. "What�s going on?" Mitch asked.

"Thanksgiving dinner. Do you have to ask?"

"OH� WW III." He stated knowingly with a smile.

She turned to the two most important men in her life and shook her head. "Would you both get out of here and stop filling Lilly�s head with these preposterous thoughts about her Mommy." She ordered shoving them gently out of the kitchen.

"We�re going� we�re going." They both laughed.

Dawson looked over at his father as they entered the living room. "You know we are in serious trouble don�t you?" He asked his father.

"Not to worry� we�ll just have to soften her up with our secret weapon." He said gesturing toward his daughter.

"I always knew that you were good for something other then drool." He quipped handing her over to Mitch. "I�m going upstairs to call Andie."

"Tell her we said Happy Thanksgiving." His father called after him as he ran up the stairway.

McPhee Household�

Andie had just set out the freshly buttered rolls and stood back to admire her work when Jack came up from behind her. "We did a great job." She whispered.

"You did a great job. I was just tagging along for the ride."

She shook her head looking over her shoulder at him. "No� I couldn�t have done this without you." She whispered reaching down and holding his hand. "We�re a team� always."

"Always and forever." He replied.

There was a moment of silence between them as they hugged when they heard the foots on the steps. They turned and stared at their father who was dressed as if he were going out. "Daddy?"

He came into the dining room and smiled at the feast that was laid before his eyes. "It�s amazing. You kids are amazing."

"What�s going on? We�re about to eat. Where are you going?" She asked.
He sighed as he looked at them with regretful eyes. "There�s an emergency at the office and I have to go in. It shouldn�t take too long maybe an hour or two tops." He replied. "I�m sorry."

"Can�t someone else go in?"

"It�s my company Andrea. I have to go. I promise I�ll be back as soon as I can." He placed a chaste kiss on her cheek and patted his son�s shoulder before leaving.

She watched the door close and slumped down in an empty seat dejectedly.

Just then the phone rang. Jack answered. "Hello?"

"Hey Happy Thanksgiving from the Leery household." Dawson replied cheerily.

"Hey man you too. It�s a good thing that you called."

"Why?"

"I�ll let Andie fill you in." He said handing her the phone. "It�s Dawson."

"Thanks." She replied taking the receiver and sighing. "Hey you."

"What�s wrong?"

"Nothing� my dad just had to leave for the office. Something about an emergency. So I guess it�s just Jack and I here for dinner."

"I�m sorry. I know how set you were on having a family dinner."

"Yeah� I just really wanted this to be special." She whispered softly.

Dawson sighed. "I wish there was something that I could do. You know you and Jack can come here and join us."

"What would we do with all this food? I mean I have a turkey and a ham here. It�s just all a waste of time. I don�t know why I bother to try it�s all pointless."

"No it�s not. It�s worth it if you had even a small amount of joy today."

She rolled her eyes. "You and the optimism. I�m starting to hate you." She joked.

"No you love me."

"That I do. Look I�m going to talk to Jack and see what he wants to do."

"All right. Call me back."

"I will. I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too." He said before hanging up not noticing the figure in the window frame at first. Looking up their eyes met. "Joey? What are you doing here?"
She stared at him in a deafening silence trying to process his words. He loved Andie� he really loved her. She sighed. "I came because� I didn�t know where to go. I needed your help." She replied.

"My help? With what?"

"Everything is going wrong Dawson. The turkeys didn�t come and the rolls got burned and Alex is teething and I just don�t know what to do." She rushed out and found it amazing that it was still so easy to talk to him. She began to pace the room as she ran her fingers through her hair roughly.

Dawson raised his brow in surprise and sighed. "Okay� wait a minute and just stop and take it easy. Now one problem at a time."

"There can�t be just one problem at a time because every problem is interconnected to the other. I mean we have a dinner to serve in less then an hour and we don�t have any food. What are we going to do?" She asked flopping down onto his bed.

He turned to her. "Look at me. Nothing is hopeless. When have the Potters ever not come through? You always find a way and this time won�t be any different. We�ll find a way to do this, together." He replied looking in to her eyes and smiling. "I�m here for you. No matter what. Now I have an idea." He said reaching for the phone again.

Pacey sighed as he made his way back from the convenient store with a small bag containing a small bottle of milk. He decided that it would just be his little secret if he passed the McPhee house. As he stopped at the end of the driveway he sighed. It must be nice to have a real Thanksgiving dinner with family. He was about to continue on when he saw Andie and Jack emerge with wrapped food that had to be ham and turkey. Jack spotted him first and waved with his head.

"Pacey!"

"What are you guys doing?"
"Taking this stuff to the Leery Fish House. Dawson is organizing a �Save Thanksgiving Dinner� for Joey and Bessie."

"What happened?" He questioned opening the car door.

"Something about food not being delivered and burnt rolls or something. I�m not sure. All I know is that I was told to start loading the car so here I am� What are you doing?"

Holding up the bag he sighed. "Milk."

He nodded. "So are the Witters throwing a fantastical feast?" He asked placing the Turkey inside.

"I�m sure they are but Gretchen and I are just sticking together. You know a little brother and sister bonding."

"So you guys are alone? That�s crazy. Why don�t you come with us?" Andie said coming out with the last of the side dishes.

"I don�t want to intrude."

"No intrusion. In fact Jen and Grams will be there without a turkey."

"What happened to their turkey?" Jack asked.

"Jen�" Was Andie reply.

Both men nodded in understanding. "Well we don�t have any food to bring."

"No� but you both have the Witter charm and banter which we�re going to need today. So come on and hop in. We�ll pick up your sister on the way." She said getting in.

He sighed knowing that it wasn�t the best idea but unable to turn her down or throw away a free meal. Besides Gretchen would never forgive him if he told her that he declined on a real Thanksgiving dinner.

The Leery Fish House�

"Andie there you are!" Dawson stated watching as she came in with her arms full. He went to her and grabbed the turkey from her arms and smiled at the people trailing behind her. "Pacey� Gretchen! I�m glad that you could make it. Why don�t you set that stuff down there on the table." He instructed.

"Can do! Why don�t you give me that." Pacey said grabbing the turkey from his arms and heading toward the table. He stopped short when he saw her standing by the table. She was helping Jen with a side dish and stopped when she felt his presence. She turned and they held a stare.

"Hey." He said setting the turkey down on the table.

"Looks great." She said softly.

"Yeah Andie�s handiwork� or Jack�s I can�t remember whom did what." He stated with a nervous smile.

"Doesn�t matter. I�m just glad that everything is working out."

"Yeah� you really pulled it together Potter."

She shook her head. "Not me� Dawson. He just came in and saved the day." She saw him nod. "It reminded me of you and how you always saved me."

He sighed. "I never saved you. I just stood back and watched you rise to the occasion."

"No� I don�t believe that. You need to give yourself more credit for the influence that you have. You saved me point blank end of statement."

He laughed. "Yeah well you saved me too."

"I miss you." She whispered brokenly.

"I miss you too. I wish there was another way but�"

"I know� I know that this is the way it has to be� for now."

"Yeah." He stated.

There was a silence that was broken by Jen and Jack coming in with the rest of the food. "Hey you guys! Check out this spread."

"Yeah I�m starving."

"Dawson sent me over to get you guys sat so we can eat."

They nodded and found seats. Andie was sitting next to Dawson and Jack who sat next to Jen who in turn was right beside Gail. Gretchen grabbed a seat on the opposite side of the table across from Dawson and Pacey sat next to his sister right across from Andie. She smiled at him but there was a worry in her eyes and he could tell that she knew something was wrong with him. He nodded letting her know that everything was okay for the moment and she dropped it for now. Joey took her seat beside her sister who was at the end of the table. She smiled and cut her eyes to Dawson who smiled back at her. She mouthed a silent thank-you and he nodded as if to say don�t mention it and the night went on better then anyone could have planned.

As the night came to a close and the guests had more then their fill and were on their way back to the Potter Bed and Breakfast Andie sought out her boyfriend but couldn�t seem to locate him. As she stepped out into the brisk Autumn night she found Pacey standing alone in the parking lot. She thought about leaving him there alone but her nature just wouldn�t allow it. Coming to stand beside him she nudged his arm with her elbow. "Hey you." She remarked softly.

He smiled down into her brown eyes. "Hey yourself. What are you doing out here?"

"Looking for Dawson."

"I think I saw him heading toward the kitchen. He�s probably helping Mrs. Leery with the dishes. You should go and find him."

She nodded. "I will as soon as I make sure that you�re okay."

He sighed. "I�m fine."

"But you�re still upset. I could tell the moment I saw you at my house this afternoon. Does this have to do with your dad and Thanksgiving?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No� I�m over Sheriff Witter." He replied dryly.

"Well then what is it? Did something happen between you and Joey." When he didn�t reply she realized she had hit the mark. "Whatever the two of you are going through, whatever fight that you had, it�ll pass."

He exhaled. "There is no Joey and I. We broke up."

"I�m sorry." She replied honestly.

"It was the best thing for both of us right now. I needed space and time."

She nodded. "What�s wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"You seem so restless. It�s as if there is something that you�re anxious about. Like you want something but it�s right out of your grasp and so you pace and you walk around here with this slight edge."

He stared into her eyes amazed at how accurate she was. "You have no idea. There is something that I want."

"Then just go for it. You can�t keep being this way. Whatever it is that you want so badly Pacey� just give in and take it."

"It�s not that simple. There are complications and obstacles in the way."

"When has that ever stopped you before?"

"Maybe it should have. I don�t want to rock any more boats. I don�t think I could take it. I don�t think that anyone could."

"You would be surprised at what people in this town can learn to accept. You thought the world was going to come to an end when you decided to act on your feelings for Joey. Well, look around you Pacey. The stars are still shining and the sky is still above us. And we are all still here. I mean yeah we got a little bruised and some of our feelings got hurt, not to mention our egos, but we�re still ticking. People deal with the things that life hands them because they have to. So don�t be so afraid that you are going to be the cause of the next apocalypse." She advised doing her best to reassure him that it was all going to work out.

He stared at her not knowing if he should take her words to heart. Would she have that same advice if she knew that she was the object of his desire? Did he even have the courage to heed her encouragement? He sighed.

"It�s different now. I want to do things differently this time. Maybe it�s better if I don�t go after what I want. This time I think I�m going to wait it out and see if it comes to me."

She nodded. "Okay. Just don�t wait too long. Sometimes what you�re waiting for, it passes you by for something else, something that you didn�t even see. I know from experience." She remarked softly.

He looked away knowing what she was referring to. It was a silent understanding between them. They both knew that she had been waiting for him to forgive her and take her back. But in the end he found something else� he found someone else. He nodded. "I won�t." He replied.

"Andie!" She turned to see Dawson making his way to them. Walking over he smiled at the two. "Hey, what�s going on?" He asked.

Andie simply shrugged. "Nothing. I was actually on my way to look for you and I ran into Pacey."

Dawson stared at her and then at his once best friend and nodded. There was a slight tension between them as they stood there in the dark on so many levels. Pacey bent his head not able to look him in the eye having thoughts that he shouldn�t.

"Yeah� I was just keeping her company. I�m going to get going." He stated.

"Hey Pacey, thanks for coming tonight and helping out. I appreciated it."

Pacey smiled hearing the sincerity in his voice and nodded. "No� thank you for inviting me� and Gretchen. And thanks for the after party at the Fish House. It meant a lot to me." He whispered feeling a little bit closer to the man standing before him, the man that he spent most of his life beside.

"Yeah� well I�ll see you around school." It was almost a question the way he said it.

Pacey nodded hearing the chance in Dawson�s voice. He was finally trying to bridge the gap. It had been a while since they even had a decent greeting. He was about to wonder where the change had come from but then he saw Andie�s hand clasped gently in Dawson�s. There was his strength.

He nodded. "You will." He replied before walking away.

Dawson watched him go and sighed when he felt Andie�s hand on his shoulder. He turned and smiled a small smile. "You did a good thing." She remarked softly before pulling him in for a close intimate hug.

He grabbed onto her breathing in her scent as though it were his very air. When they pulled apart he stared at her. "I�m just tired. Being angry and upset, it�s too much work. It takes too much energy to hold onto those feelings that I had. Besides I can�t be mad. I don�t have anything to be mad about. I have you and you make it worth everything that I went through." He whispered softly into her ear. "And I miss him a little."

"He misses you too."

"I know." He replied nodding.

She took him into her embrace again. "I�m proud of you."

Pacey watched from a distance as they held each other hearing her words in his head. "�Whatever it is that you want so badly Pacey� just give in and take it."