Rating: a High R

Summary: a week in the life of Dawson and Joey’s marriage brings joy, surprise and heartache. This one parter is a bit long, so, this is a warning. It takes about ten minutes to read, or less, like reading two or three parts altogether.

This is dedicated to Eden…just because! ;-)

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Los Angeles 2018

“Elizabeth! Get down here right now or I’ll send your dad in there.” Joey threatened up the stairs to her older child, six-year old Elizabeth. It was just a threat. Dawson was hopeless with discipline. He’d probably give her candy—no, not Candy that was bad for her teeth, he’d give her a Barbie.

Two-year-old Benjamin Mitchell Leery clung to her legs, his mouth on her $400 pantsuit she had brought in New York. Uh-oh. “Ben, honey, no,” Joey gently untangled him and picked him up, smelling his apple-scented soft dark hair. “Not mommy’s $400 Sonia Rykial suit, honey.’ It was the first morning she’d wore them in almost three years, her body completely back to normal after being pregnant with Ben for what felt like years, then the feeding period, the tired period, the dieting…

“Joey…I’m off to work.” Dawson swiftly walked out of the kitchen, doing up his tie. ‘Work’ being bossing around minions and actors on a busy set, then sitting in an office and talking money deals.

“You look nice,” Joey said curiously, watching him do up the tie she had bought him (one of three he owned, including the tie he wore for their wedding) for his thirtieth birthday four years ago. “Thanks,” he ran a hand through his newly cut blonde (blonder since being in the constant California sun for the past five years) tufts. He looked about twenty-five, tanned, fit and lean. L.A and a job he loved agreed with him. Joey wished she could say the same for herself. She was far too thin, her hair was lank and she always looked tired.

“So why the tie?” she asked, setting Ben down so he could toddle over to his toys in the living room. “Meeting with investors today,” Dawson explained. “Then we’re going out to lunch. Steve told me to wear a tie.’

He frowned at it. It didn’t look right. Joey giggled and put her arms around him, doing it up herself. “Hmmm you smell nice,” he murmured, turning his head to kiss her neck. “Its your favorite…” Joey said in a singsong voice. “You feel nice too.” Dawson added, caressing her breast through the linen of her jacket. “Lets go out tonight…get Anna to look after the kids.”

“I don’t know…” Joey said doubtfully. “I have a lot of work to do…” but he felt nice, too. Masculine. Hard. God…how long had it been? Last Monday? Maybe she could wait till tomorrow to do the proofing. After all, Dawson’s new project meant he showed interest in making love only about twice a week opposed to everyday, which was how it used to be, before two kids, before her job, his, L.A…

He turned around to face her and kissed her, a kiss full of promising sex, which made Joey’s knees tremble a little. But then she remembered they were engaging in foreplay in front of their baby and she pulled away, brushing her hand over his freshly shaved face.

Ben was watching them with a look of pure disgust. Okay, maybe not disgust, a bit more…blank. He was chewing on a brick, staring up at his parents doubtfully, and Joey had an inland thought that, well, Ben should be a little more tolerant about an activity that enabled him to come into the world.

“I like your…suit thingy,” Dawson commented, touching her waist. “Thanks,’ Joey said, going to the stairwell and calling up, “Elizabeth! What did I tell you?”

****

They didn’t end up going out, Ben was grumpy and crying over another tooth painfully growing out of his gums. Joey cuddled with him in front of cartoons and fed him soy crackers, while Dawson ordered pizza and chased a naked Lizzie around trying to get her to take a bath.

“Real nutritional, Dawson,’ Joey complained, picking up a slice of oily pizza. “Oh I’m so sorry I didn’t fit in with your plans of starving yourself, fine, we’ll have boiled cabbage for dinner,” Dawson snapped, his entire shirt soaked after giving Lizzie an eventful bath. Joey was a little taken aback by his retort but said nothing. She just frowned and picked the cheese off. What did he mean, starving herself? She wasn’t, she was just looking after her figure. He didn’t seem to complain when he was sticking his *penis* inside her. Hmph.

At half past eight, Dawson started on his e-mails and Joey got a phone call from Andie, who she hadn’t spoken to in a while. By the time she hung up it was nine thirty and Ben had started crying again, poor baby.

“Have you packed?’ Joey asked after getting Ben off to sleep again. “Nope, been a bit busy,” Dawson replied absent mindedly, typing quickly on his laptop.

“Want me to do it for you?” Joey sighed, crossing her arms.

“It’ll take me five minutes, don’t bother, Jo.”

“Fine. I’m going to bed.’

“Okay.” He said distantly.

When does that happen? Joey thought, taking Lizzie’s dolls up with her to the bedrooms. When do husband and wife, or, for that matter, she and Dawson, start to talk to each other like that? It wasn’t as if they wanted to, or that they loved each other less, it just became normal, habit.

They hadn’t had any massive fights, just the odd one or two. The last one Joey could remember was three years ago when Dawson wanted another baby and she didn’t. He had also just broken the news he had been given another project to do (right before Joey was going to ask if they could move back to the east coast) but only for six months in L.A and Mexico and then he would settle down with a new baby…if they had one…before work picked up again.

Too much wine, some heated words and things got out of control. She had stormed out of the restaurant they were in and he hadn’t followed her, pissing her off even more. They had been in Capeside at this time, with three -year -old Elizabeth, demanding, demanding, mommy, mommy, so Joey couldn’t even think of another baby.

She had picked up Elizabeth and they had taken the train to New York so she could stay with Jack for a few days, where she yearned after her favorite city. After finding out where she was Dawson went to see her and talked her out of divorcing him as she threatened. She then softened when he told her what a great opportunity his project was, working with some of the best actors and directors in the world. They ended up having a romantic evening in the Plaza after Jack offered to look after Lizzie and ironically, Ben was born nine months later.

****

The next day, Dawson had left earlier than usual that morning, after hearing the annoying beeping of his…well, beeper. It had been a tragedy to leave his beautiful wife, curled up and then stretching like a tiger, her nipples hardening through her pajama top… But duty called. It would only be for another month, and then he and Joey could have as much sex as they wanted.

Joey had called him an hour later, her voice tired but sweet, asking him to buy some groceries because she would be tied up at work. He wished she could tie him up. Coffee beans. Tea leaves. Red wine. Milk, bread and apples. He would swing by the store after the 3’oclock meeting.

And then he would pick up Lizzie from ballet at four, and Ben from daycare at four thirty. At five he would hit the gym for an hour, then at seven thirty, he and Joey were meeting with friends at Caprice on sunset Boulevard and after that he had to drink coffee so he could stay up and do their taxes.

It was his turn this year, and he wanted to get it out of the way so he could concentrate on his job, and Vancouver, where he was flying out tomorrow for two days. Then after that his mom and his now seventeen- year- old sister would be coming to stay for a few days. Stan the Man had other engagements, which Dawson was relieved about.

He chuckled, thinking of how excited Lily had been. He had promised her a meeting with the hottest young rebellious movie star at the moment, luckily, Dawson’s friend was directing him at the moment and he could swing Lily by one day and get the young actor to do his duty and sign an autograph. But that was all. Dawson wasn’t stupid; he knew his sister was a knockout, so he planned to keep her busy, very busy.

But he was already busy. And so was Joey. So…he would be even busier, then. Well, that was life. You didn’t get annoyed over small things. He learnt that lesson a long time ago. That was the thing with him and Joey, they had both lost one of their parents—they were cut from the same cloth, so to speak.

****

“Daddy…” Elizabeth clung to Dawson’s pant legs. “Don’t go. I don’t like Anna. She smokes.” Anna looked mildly uncomfortable as Dawson tried to untangle his beloved daughter. Joey cringed and exchanged a look with Dawson. Oh well. It was too late, dinner was in five minutes.

“I’m sorry honey.” Dawson patted her blonde head. “I’ll be back real soon, I promise.” But she started to cry.

Shit, Joey thought, looking at her watch. She bent down to wipe Elizabeth’s soft cheeks with gentle fingers and to say softly, “Be a good girl for mommy, okay?”

Elizabeth frowned and sat down hard on the staircase. But her crying ceased. Ben looked on.

“They’ll understand,” Dawson reassured Joey on the way over. “They have kids too, remember.” Anthony and Lucia: Anthony and Dawson were old friends, from Dawson’s early days in L.A and

Lucia was his pretty red-headed wife who Joey was convinced had a secret flirtation thing going on with Dawson. And her suspicions were confirmed that night as Lucia brayed, giggled at all his jokes, touched his hand, and flipped her auburn mane. Women always were ‘charmed’ by Dawson’s modest ego, dynamic personality and subtle but searing handsomeness. Anthony, who was used to his wife’s adoration of Dawson Leery, got his revenge by flirting with Joey. Under the table, Dawson’s hand traveled up Joey’s thigh.

They got back around eleven, Dawson horny as hell and dragging her up to the bedroom after he paid Anna what Joey thought was ridiculously too much money-- $65 for five hours??

“Its our last night together for three days,” he coaxed.

Joey tripped over Ben’s fire engine and cursed, but that wasn’t stopping Dawson, he pulled her into the bedroom, shutting off the lights and with a quick smile he gently pushed her onto the king-sized bed they had gotten as a wedding gift from Jack, albeit with winks and a built-in mirror that made Joey blush and which she removed, only to place back for…special occasions.

“Hmm…Dawson…shouldn’t we check on the kids?’ Joey said between kisses. “They’re fine, we’ll check on them afterwards,” he murmured, caressing her body, his voice already catching with desire. He was superman, within two minutes she was naked while she had only managed to get his jacket and shirt off.

So he kneeled up and took off his own pants, Joey helping with the buckle, and then once he was naked too she took him with her hand and guided him into her. They both moaned at the wonderful sensation and Joey flung her head back, losing herself in the sensation. Even after eight years, the sex was still so passionate. After a heated (and not very long—both of them wired up since dinner) and loving session, they lay together breathless, Dawson’s arm flung out over her, Joey’s leg tucked in with his.

“Mmm I’m glad I decided to wait with the proofing,” Joey said smugly, snuggling into him. “Me too.” He kissed the top of her hair. They snuggled for a bit, and then Joey realized he was asleep. She sighed. Well, she couldn’t blame him.

Thank god he *was* sleeping, with work being so difficult and stressful lately. But she would have liked to do it again. Tonight was the first night in weeks she had felt as aroused as she was in their first year of marriage, when they had sex like rabbits and he would just do it to her over and over until she just asked him to stop…well, more like screamed it. His strength and longevity had always amazed Joey; his excuse was he had waited for so long to have sex with her he wasn’t going to make her forget it. She had laughed when he said that—her wonderful Dawson. Like she could ever forget anything he did to her.

Careful not to wake her sleeping husband, Joey got up and pulled on the silk dressing gown he had gotten her for their five- year anniversary, and she went to check on her children. Blonde, sweet-hearted but mischievous Elizabeth was fast asleep, sucking her thumb and clutching Bean, an old teddy-bear of Amy’s that Amy had kindly given to Elizabeth once she had turned ten and had announced she no longer had use for. Bean wasn’t missed—Amy had two shelves full of bears, mostly given to her by ‘the gang’ (Pacey, Joey, Dawson, Andie, Jack, Audrey…) who were all like her surrogate parents.

Joey gazed at her daughter, transfixed by her beauty. She was going to be a stunner, like Lily. Born a healthy eight pounds on March 12th, Elizabeth was Dawson and Joey’s “honeymoon” baby, born a neat nine months after their honeymoon to Hawaii.

Joey still remembered Dawson’s face when she had told him he was going to be a daddy. It had been one of the happiest moments of their life together, until another moment topped it, the moment Elizabeth was born and her tiny fist curled around Dawson’s index finger by instinct and he thought she was holding his hand.

Joey quietly exited Elizabeth’s room and crossed the hall to Ben’s, her dark-haired boy, born Christmas Day in the middle of a blizzard with Gale and Bessie acting as midwives, Lily calming down Dawson who looked like he was going to faint. Good grief what a drama that had been…Ben had come into the world three weeks earlier and now battled through life as though he was trying to catch up, impatient and daring.

He slept on his stomach, his little butt in the air. He was still in the cot Lizzie had once slept in. Joey still remembered the funny weekend they had tried to put Lizzie’s bassinet up—stupid make-it-yourself furniture, they ended up mutual bashing it with rung sticks until they laughed so hard they couldn’t breathe, and eventually ‘hiring’ a team of Dawson’s workmates to figure it out.

Joey patted Ben’s butt softly and blew him a kiss.

She went back to their bed and got inside, taking off her dressing gown. Maybe in the morning they could…get re-acquainted before he left for the airport. But moments after cuddling up to his warm body Joey’s eyes flew open: their taxes! If they didn’t do it tonight, the night they always set to do it, they never would. With a resigned sigh, Joey got out of bed. She would no way in hell do all of them—just an hour’s worth to get them started.

****

“Bye daddy!” Elizabeth waved from the front door, her other hand tucked in Joey’s. Dawson waved from the cab, winking at Joey, and then he was gone.

“Okay Lizzie bear.’ Joey picked Elizabeth up and perched her on her hip. “What do you want to do today? Mommy has the whole day off.” To do taxes.

“Swim,” Elizabeth said straight away. “With Tyler.”

Tyler was the seven year old son of their neighbors, old TV show stars who met while filming a break-out popular teen show in the 90’s and settled down with their millions, investing it and coming out with more millions, but over the years the millions whittled away to thousands and now they lived in a pretty but modest house next to theirs. John, Tyler’s father, was always trying to get Joey to ‘speak’ to Dawson about casting him in a movie. Dawson avoided going near their house altogether.

Joey deposited Elizabeth in front of the TV with Ben. They watched cartoons and Joey contemplated watching with them, in her dressing gown, but the telephone rang. “Better not be from work,” she muttered.

****

“Beautiful family,” Douglas Smith, a lucrative producer, whistled as he studied Dawson’s wallet-picture, of the four of them at the beach in Capeside, taken the previous summer. Joey was wearing a dusty-pink sarong tied around her shoulders and a bright smile, her arm slung around his waist, her other arm steadying five year old Elizabeth. Dawson held Ben, who pointed at the picture-taker, Lily.

“I’ve heard rumors on the grapevine that your wife is actually the ‘real’ Sammy from The Creek, am I right?”

Dawson shrugged, nonchalant. “You still remember that show? It was years ago.” “Hell yeah, reminded me of all my angst teen years. What a load of bull that all was. But good show.” Douglas shook his head, taking out a cigarette.

“I still remember when he brought her to our set in Boston,” Todd interjected, also taking out a cigarette. Dawson hoped the restaurant wasn’t non-smoking, but it was, and a waitress looked a bit pissed off. Todd, sixteen years older but not looking a day older then he had been when they had ‘met’ (except for a tiny gray hair on the back of his head Dawson couldn’t bear to point out) was still directing movies but luckily had gotten better. He credited it to working with Dawson, his ‘protégée’. Dawson credited it to age and wisdom and less ego.

“Gorgeous. Long legs, curvy in all the right places, all over him…it was no secret he had just shagged her. Probably given her the best shag of her life, right Leery?’ Todd continued, his accent also no less English then it had been a decade ago.

“Todd…” Dawson said distantly, picking up his espresso to drink it, his mind wandering also to that night. He was pretty sure he had done a good job of…’shagging’ her.

“Then you had a fight, didn’t you?” Todd asked, wrinkling his brow. “Yeah. We basically didn’t ‘shag’ again for almost ten years.” Dawson joked. “Then what happened?” Douglas asked, curious.

“Well, she got back together with a good friend of ours at a really tough time in our lives…” Dawson shook his head, sighing. Todd too shook his head. “Now that bird was a stunner. Hair like spun gold.” Douglas and Dawson exchanged dubious looks—Todd being poetic? Before Dawson continued, “And so my wife and this guy lived together for a while, and I pretended not to care, and I tried to avoid them, but I couldn’t avoid her.” He said, bemused.

“We were all together for Christmas one year, and we were decorating the living room alone before the party, and she just… kissed me using mistletoe as an excuse,” Dawson chuckled. “I think…no, I know she was a little drunk, but so was I, and after we kissed we didn’t really understand why we were apart,” He added wryly.

Douglas and Todd, despite their manly ways and tough-looking cigarettes shifted in their seats, pretending not to care. Douglas was already thinking of a movie he could make out of this…Best friends finally get together after one, simple yet extraordinary kiss.

“And for the first time in our lives we did something positive for our relationship instead of slashing it to threads, and she broke up with her boyfriend the next morning, and moved to L.A to be with me, and we got married the next year.” “That would make a great movie,” Douglas commented archly, pointing his cigarette at Dawson. “Nah. No more movies about real life. No more life imitating art from me,” Dawson said seriously.

“Well alright, none of that, Douglas said, sitting up straight. “But how about life benefiting from art?” “Hmm?”

“You’ve got the job.” He said warmly. “As director. Six months on location in Boston. That is, if you want it.”

****

“…and I paid off my credit card bill, finally, now I can start saving for Paris. You are still going, aren’t you?” Audrey rattled on as Joey sipped her iced tea, lost in thought.

“Huh? Oh, Paris. Yes. I think so.” They were planning on going to Paris for a ‘girls only’ fortnight the next May. Shopping, shopping, shopping. Audrey was Joey’s best friend and she was always thankful they lived in the same city. Now a sharp-minded businesswoman, Audrey had made her first million by the time she was thirty, wowing everyone. Still bubbly and outrageous, she was Lizzie’s favorite ‘babysitter’ and had finally settled down—with the son of a millionaire rocker from the 70’s who was now producing his own successful bands.

“Good.’ Audrey smiled, pushing her glasses back onto her face. They were lounging by Dawson and Joey’s pool in the shady yard, the pool protected by two large Eucalyptus trees. It was Joey’s favorite place to be, either in the hammock with Dawson or in the pool with her babies. This was one of the perks of living in L.A—ample room.

“Okay, you are *so* preoccupied. What’s up?’ Audrey asked seriously, placing her drink on the table next to the deck chair.

“I’m sorry, I’m just…well, my mind is racing a million miles an hour.” Joey admitted. “Its nothing serious, though.”

“Missing hubby?”

Joey laughed, “You could say that. I also…” Joey bit her bottom lip. “I got a phone call this morning. Make that, two phone calls.”

“Hmmm?” Audrey leaned forward. “The first one was from Boston, from Freedom Publishing…’

”Ooh.” Audrey said, impressed. Freedom Publishing had published some of the best novels to come out of America in the past ten years. “Yes. Well, they offered me a job. Jack told them about me last March, and they said they liked what I did and…offered me a job as one of the senior editors.”

“Wow.’

“I really want to take it. I love being here, but…my job isn’t as…fulfilling. I mean, being a mom is great, but one day they’ll be teenagers and won’t need me around and what will I have? I also miss the East Coast. I miss being around Bessie and Alex and Jack and Amy and Gale…” Joey added as an afterthought.

“ I want to raise Liz and Ben there, near my home, but Dawson’s career is here and he loves it and I don’t know what to do…’ it all came out, surprising even Joey herself.

Audrey chewed on her straw. “Tell him,” she said eventually. “Just tell him. He’s Dawson. He’s more than your husband he’s your best friend. He’d do anything for you.”

Joey nodded, hoping so.

“Now…the second phone call?” Audrey asked.

“Oh. That was Pacey. He’s coming down to visit. Tomorrow. I said he could stay here.”

“Ahhh, interesting.’ Audrey raised her eyebrows. “While Dawson is still away?”

“Yup.” Joey nodded, not noticing Audrey’s naughty wink. Things like that went over Joey’s head. She and Pacey had been platonic for too long for little jabs like that to affect Joey at all.

****

“Excuse me,” Joey told Pacey, smiling, as the phone rang.

They were sitting out the back with beers, catching up. He shook his head indicating it was no trouble and she slipped into the living room through the glass sliding doors.

He sipped his beer, admiring the backyard. Dawson sure had done well for himself, but then, he always knew he would.

He got up and studied some pictures on the bar-table—Dawson and Joey’s wedding in Capeside, Joey looking beautiful in silk and lace, gazing adoringly into her groom’s eyes. Pacey thought he really should be bitter, (One night out of the blue Dawson and Joey disappear, the next morning she breaks up with him) but why bother? He had a completely different life now. A better one, where he wasn’t following around after some woman and he wasn’t a sidekick.

Little Elizabeth was in the pool with the boy next door, shrieking loudly, all blonde and blue eyed and…so much like Dawson. Benjamin was clanking two toy bricks together, staring at Pacey curiously. Now, Ben was all Joey.

Joey was now on the phone to what sounded like Dawson.

“Pacey’s here,” she said authoratively into the phone.

“Uh-huh, here, here. Just for two days, he’s passing on to Oregon. How was your flight?” Passing on. Pacey snorted. Like he was a cowboy, or a vagabond. Okay, so he was a bit of a vagabond. She then turned around and was murmuring. Despite himself, Pacey’s ears picked up.

“Last night was…I know…” throaty laugh. “This morning. Naughty man. I was up all night…taxes…” giggle, giggle. “You owe me.” Giggle. Then she hung up.

“That was Dawson.”

”Oh really? I thought you were blowing kisses to someone else,” he joked.

Joey giggled again and sat back down on the porch chair, crossing her legs. ‘He’s in Vancouver meeting with some prospective directing job or something.’

“Canada?” Pacey raised his eyebrows. “Will he be on set there?”

“I think so, I mean, why else would be fly there? But sometimes they change,” Joey shrugged. “When he is on location he’s never away for too long. Although it is hard sometimes and I hate that.”

She blushed after saying that: obviously too much information, more than she wanted him to hear. He wondered when they had stopped telling each other their secrets.

“More drinks?” Joey suggested brightly. “How about some wine?”

****

Dawson knew he was being unreasonable, but he wondered why Pacey couldn’t stay at a hotel or something. He wasn’t usually the jealous type, but for some reason, this time, this bothered him.

That old ego thing. She had always ended up running to Pacey, what stopped her now? Don’t be ridiculous, he admonished himself. What stopped her was more than a wedding ring.

He hadn’t bothered to tell Joey about Boston…he’d wait until he got home and surprised her with his early entry.

Things were going good with them. At least, he was pretty sure they were. Sometimes he followed his instinct, and could sense something was…off. But things were so perfect, how could anything be different?

****

Joey didn’t know what had happened. The kids were in bed, she and Pacey were sharing a bottle of wine in the front living room and just talking, about their jobs, his life, her life, their past… the carefree days, the sun, the freedom, the youthful romance they once shared. She had forgotten how brown and soulful his eyes were. And it had made her do a foolish thing. She had leaned over to kiss him, and he hadn’t stopped her. He was probably about to pull away…she was probably going to as well, but it was too late to find out.

The front door had then opened and Dawson walked through, dropping his bag in shock.

****

It was a good thing Pacey had decided to leave, shooting Dawson a hurried, apologetic look on the way out, Dawson thought, or he would have quite possibly killed him. Jesus…ten years later and *still* macking on Joey. But he was angrier with Joey.

She had stared at him from the couch, guilt and surprise written all over her face. Dawson hadn’t known what to think—were they about to have an affair? Had they had one for a while? What the hell was it?

Exhausted from his red-eye five- hour journey from Canada, Dawson sat down heavily on the couch and said dryly, “You have some explaining to do.”

“You…I…” Joey had trouble getting the words out.

“You happened to walk in on a very stupid, one-time thing,” she eventually said slowly and deliberately, looking right at him. “I had had too much to drink and I was just…caught up…this sounds like a broken record excuse but it meant nothing.’ She went over to sit next to him and rub his back soothingly.

“I’ve been a bit…preoccupied lately and my brain was in scrambles.” “Wow, preoccupied?” Dawson snapped. “That’s something I’m sort of used to being too, at the moment.”

“Well maybe you shouldn’t be,” Joey said, frustrated when he knocked her off him and stood up. “You’ve been non-stop busy since Elizabeth was born. That’s six years. I’m alone a lot, here, Dawson. I have a career too, which I narrowed down to part-time so I could be here because YOU’RE not!” she stood up, angrily.

“You could have told me that yesterday, instead of kissing Pacey in our living room.” Dawson dismissed her reaching out to him and stormed upstairs.

****

Joey accepted he would still be angry with her that night, so she slept in the spare room, ashamed with herself. How could she? How could she have done that to him? For a lousy memory that held no substance. But that’s all it was. Pacey still meant a lot to her, but Dawson was her husband and there was a *reason* Dawson was her husband and Pacey wasn’t.

He was gone when she woke up, and so she got Lizzie ready for school and took Ben with her in the jeep to drop her off. She tried his cell phone, but it went straight to messages. “Dawson, please call me, I love you,” she said, in what she thought with disgust sounded like a needy, whiny voice.

She had Mondays off, so she wondered listlessly around the mall for an hour with Ben, eventually buying him a new pair of tiny sneakers and a pair of Baby Gap khakis with the platinum Visa card she and Dawson jointly shared.

One good thing about his busy workdays—no shortage of money. When she had been by herself in New York with her career she had managed to make enough to have an apartment and a nice wardrobe, but vacations, extras and security hadn’t exactly been an option on her salary. Dawson was so generous with his money, (but then he always had been) he showered her with gifts and they went on vacation at least once a year. This year they were planning on a skiing trip to Aspen. Joey passed a shop where she saw a heavy-knit turtleneck gray blue sweater that would look great on him. She went in and bought it.

It was nice, coming from a fairly unlucky family and upbringing, to living the high-life. But obviously, other things were more important to her now anyway. That evening, Dawson had cooled…but that was just it, he had cooled. He played with the kids and they all had dinner together before he put them to bed, but when it was them alone he was distant. She tried to win him over with smiles and the sweater but he didn’t melt. He just thanked her for the sweater and went upstairs to bed, his excuse being he was tired.

She then tried to seduce him in bed, rubbing her hand over his crotch, which he usually loved, and kissing his neck but he had mumbled something about…no… and then turned over, away from her. He had never refused sex before. (Well…once but Joey didn’t like to think about that time in his room. Ugh)

Frustrated (and horny) Joey had lay in bed staring up at the ceiling, her eyes filled with tears. When did things go over that fine line between disagreement and a full-out fight? That’s all it was, though, wasn’t it?

She went downstairs to get a glass of water and stared glumly at the joyful pictures on the wall…including one of the Christmas party Gale had thrown some years back, the party she and Dawson had reunited at. She had been eyeing him all night, thinking how gorgeous he looked in a navy hooded sweater and jeans, so, manly, so…something. It turned out he had been ‘eyeing’ her too but wasn’t sure what to say. What could he say? Pacey was always three steps behind her. And up until that night, Joey thought that was what she wanted. Looking back now, Joey realized their relationship had been seriously waning and trailing down to the last attractive drop in the third year.

Doing a bit of a naughty thing, she and Dawson had sneaked up this bedroom, and after some flirting, she had pointed out the mistletoe under his window she had hung earlier. The kiss had been incredible—sexy, passionate, frantic and explorative all at the same time. Mind blowing. It had taken all of their restraint not to jump on the bed and boink each other. That they saved for the next afternoon, on a deserted patch of reeds by the creek. Dawson had gotten grass stains on his shirt…before it was removed. Joey smiled fondly at the memory.

The thing that still surprised Joey, though, was her decision to hop on a plane the next week—leaving her job (which was getting tedious anyway) her friends, her city…to go live with him. She didn’t often abandon her life for a guy. But this was Dawson. She ended up getting rewarded anyway—their first year together in L.A was the most memorable, exciting, loving year she’d ever had with a boyfriend that accumulated with marriage. But the reward was running out. She was growing restless again. The thing was, it wasn’t with him.

****

Yeah, he was pissed. But he wasn’t so angry he wanted to run from their marriage. He actually believed her about Pacey, about the kiss…he just wanted her to stew for a few hours. But he still sensed there was something wrong here. After four hours in his office making phone calls, he hit the gym and did one hour of weights. He was working on his arms. He freely admitted now he was ‘all Californian’ far away from being the resident Capeside film geek. Boston…his mind began to wander as he turned his car around a curb.

The industry he was in would always be set in L.A. But there was work on the east coast, good work. He could fly back and forth, certainly the studio would give him the money, and he had enough flyer miles for several free trips.

Joey’s words began to swirl inside his head. *You’ve been non-stop busy since Elizabeth was born…. six years. I’m alone a lot, here, I have a career too, which I narrowed down to part-time so I could be here because YOU’RE not…*

Her career had been in New York, but she had gladly given it up to live with him in L.A. she had found work out here…she had been glad, hadn’t she? L.A had many memories for them. He had proposed to her on the beach in Malibu, Lizzie was born there, their first house…but then he realized they had more memories in Boston, in Capeside, and even in New York.

****

When he got back, Joey was just clearing up a spill of milk, courtesy of Ben who giggled in his high chair.

“Hey Benny boy,” Dawson lifted his son out of the chair and kissed his thick dark hair. “Hmmm Joey…he gets darker everyday,” Dawson said lightly, bouncing Ben on his hip. “Are you sure he isn’t Pacey’s?” Joey jerked up from the floor and threw the milk-stained paper towel in the trash. “Don’t you dare,” she said lowly and dangerously.

“I’m sorry,” Dawson said quietly. “That was out of line. But I do remember a kiss between you two yesterday.” “Just stop it.” She wiped tears from her eyes. “Where were you? Why is your hair wet?” “I was at the gym.”

Dawson put Ben down and went over to put an arm around her and pulled her to him. “You worked out without me?” she said softly. “Don’t I spot you?” “Nah, I spot you.”

It had been a habit of theirs to jog together, or go to the gym end the workout with hurried sex before Elizabeth and Ben had to be picked up from daycare.

The moment over, Joey moved away. As she moved away from the bench Dawson’s gaze fell on a small booklet and a letter laid out on the table. “Freedom Publishing—Boston” stood out at him. He picked it up.

“Dawson…” Joey tried to snatch it from him but he stepped away, holding it up and reading it.

”You got offered a job in Boston?” Dawson asked in surprise. “Daw…”

“IN Boston?” he repeated. “Yes,’ Joey admitted, finally taking the letter from him.

“Its nothing. Its…”

“A great company, so I hear. And a great idea,” he interrupted, leaning against the kitchen counter and smiling at her, amused. Joey smoothed the letter down on the table and picked Ben up to cuddle him. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I got offered a job in Boston too. For six months. And then after that…who knows? But I can work something out so we can live in New York, or Boston or…” “What?” Joey gasped, staring at him. “Are you serious?”

“Very.” He reached for the letter again. “So you better get on that phone and accept.” “I don’t know…” Joey bit her bottom lip, both excited and anxious. “This is huge. We have two small children, and the moving will be hard on them…and changing our lifestyle…” “Its what you want, isn’t it? To be closer to Bessie and Alex? And I have to say I’d love to be closer to mom and Lily.”

“Yes, its what I want.’ Joey laughed, feeling a gigantic weight lift off her shoulders. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about Boston earlier.’ “I wanted to wait until I saw you in person,’ he replied, a bit sheepishly. “But you were…occupied.”

“I am so sorry,” Joey said seriously, reaching for his hand. “I can’t say how sorry I am. I fucked up, I know that, and I will never do something like that again. You know there is nothing between Pacey and I. What was there disappeared a long time ago. I married *you*” Dawson smiled when she said this, and squeezed her hand back. “Well, we’re equal. I fucked up too. And besides. You followed my dream to L.A, I’m going to follow yours.”

He then hugged her, almost crushing Ben between them. Ben’s indignant cry caused them to separate, and laughing, Joey gently deposited him into the floor and he half-walked half crawled over to his pile of blocks to begin his reign of terror. Joey pulled Dawson down to kiss him hungrily. She had to say; he kissed much better than Pacey did anyway.

They were annoyed when the shrill ring of the telephone interrupted their kiss. “Hello?” Dawson said quickly, pulling Joey to him and kissing her neck. “Yes, what is it Todd?” Dawson said in annoyance.

As Todd spoke, Dawson’s expression softened. “New York?” he repeated, looking down at Joey. “Yes, I think that will work out…brilliantly. I think this will be a lot easier then we imagined. Its all about…communication, isn’t it?”

Todd expressed his puzzlement at Dawson’s entendre, but Dawson just chuckled and hung up on him to kiss Joey again. On the floor, Ben called out, “Yuck!”

THE END