Title: Brother and Sister: Interlude at Sea 1
Author: Kjiara
Author's E-Mail: kayjay@sunwave.net
Category: PJR
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: True Love
Archive: Go ahead, just give credit where due.
Feedback: Makes my day!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of em.
Summary: Takes place during the Brother and Sister series but
isn't really a part of that story.  It's more like a filler during
the intermission.  All parts of Brother and Sister can be found at 
http://www.geocities.com/kjiara


Interlude at Sea 1
by Kjiara

I can feel the late afternoon sun beating down on me as I race to
the docks.  The only thought in my mind is "please, God, let me
get there in time."  I have just spoken to Doug Witter and he told
me Pacey decided to leave a day early, couldn't see the point in
hanging around any longer.  I felt my heart shatter when he said
that.  I am to blame for his early departure.  Me.  I was the one
who told him I couldn't give him a reason to stay.  I can't
believe I ever said those words.  I saw the light die in his eyes
when I said it.  Just as it had the night he asked me if I could
ever love him like a soul mate.  I knew what he was asking.  He
needed to hear that I thought he was *worth* loving *that* much. 
GOD!  How could I be so stupid?  Or so afraid?  I told Bessie not
long ago that I don't know how not to have Dawson in my life, it's
still true, but I think I would wither and die without Pacey.  Now
I believe I may get to have both.  I think Dawson finally
understands how completely a part of me Pacey is, and that I need
him to feel like a whole person.  Oh, God, I can finally see the
waterfront.  My lungs feel like they're going to burst.  I pick up
speed as I get closer to the dock where Pacey has berthed True
Love.  

"NO!" I scream as I see the empty dock.  "PACEY!  PACEY!  NO, COME
BACK!"  I can see the boat in the distance.  "PACEY!  PACEY!" 
Suddenly the world begins to shake and I feel myself falling into
blackness.

"Jo!  Shhh, Joey, wake up.  C'mon, it's just a dream."  Pacey
shook Joey's shoulders gently.  She began to stir.  "C'mon, that's
it.  I'm here, it's okay."

Joey's eyelashes fluttered and finally she woke from the
nightmare.  She looked around wildly, her frightened gaze finally
falling on Pacey's concerned face.  She shuddered once and threw
herself into his arms.  "Oh, thank God.  You're here."  She clung
to him with a strength born of her nightmare.

Pacey stroked her sweat dampened hair gently.  "Shhh," he
whispered sprinkling gentle kisses across her cheeks.  "I'm here."

Joey held him close for a few moments, trying to shake off the
clinging remnants of the nightmare.  Finally she took a deep
cleansing breath and pulled back far enough to see his eyes. 
Seeking the reassurance she could only find there.

Pacey stroked her cheek softly.  "The same one?"

Joey nodded, then sniffled once and burrowed closer to his chest.

Pacey rubbed her back gently until he felt the tension in her
muscles begin to ease.  "You want to talk about it?" he asked,
bracing himself for the rejection he knew was forthcoming.

She was quiet for a few minutes then said, "'kay." It was muffled
by his chest but clear as day.  She stayed in his arms for a bit
longer then moved away slowly. 

Pacey was caught momentarily off guard by this deviation from the
norm.  "Okay," he said, sitting up against the pillows, inviting
her to join him.

Joey settled in beside him, and began picking at the blanket
covering the bed.  The bed they had shared for the last four
nights. A bed she had been shocked to find she would have to share
with him.  The rather unpleasant alternative being one of the
minuscule bunks in the bow.  "You left me," she whispered.

Pacey barely heard her.  "What?  When?"

"That day, the day of the wedding, you left me."  Joey turned
tear-filled eyes on him.

"No!  No, I didn't.  You're here with me."  Pacey moved to gather
her in his arms.

"NO!" she snapped, moving away.  "You left me!"

"Jo, I'm afraid you've lost me."  Pacey rubbed tired eyes.

"You had every intention of sailing off without me.  You were
going to go away for the entire summer. I wouldn't have seen you
for three months!"  Joey swiped angrily at her tears.

"What?  You sent me away, Jo.  I didn't think I had any reason to
stay."  Pacey was growing more confused as the conversation
progressed.

"*I* wasn't reason enough?" she asked, her voice betraying her
pain.

Pacey shook his head.  "Uh, I- I- have no idea what you want me to
say, Jo.  I thought we'd been through all this."  He was at a
loss.

Joey sniffled again.  "In my dream, I get to the dock too late. 
You've already sailed away without me," she said in the tiniest of
voices.

This time she let him pull her into his arms, her sniffles turning
to sobs.  "I ran and I ran and you were gone, over and over I
watch True Love sail away," she wept.

"Ah, Jo."  Pacey clasped her tightly.  "It's just a dream.  You
got there in time.  You're here with me and True Love."

"But you would have gone without me," she cried.

"Yes, I would have.  And I would have spent my entire summer
wishing that you were right here bedside me.  But, Jo, it was just
a dream and I don't have to wish, because you're here."  He kissed
her tear-stained cheek.  "Right where you belong."

Joey nodded sadly.  "I know that, Pacey, I guess I still can't get
past the fact that you intended to leave me."

Pacey sighed and turned to face her fully.  "Joey, I had to. 
After I thought you chose Dawson, there was no way I could stay. 
Please, try to understand, I thought that if I stayed I would have
had to play witness to the reconstruction of your relationship
with him.  I just couldn't do it.  I would do anything for you,
Joey, anything, just, please, don't *ever* ask me to watch you
fall in love with someone else."  The last was whispered as his
voice cracked and broke.  

"Oh, Pacey," Joey sobbed gathering him close.  They clung to each
other until the threat of tears passed.  Joey looked up into the
beautiful sad eyes she loved so very much.  "Watching me love
someone else isn't ever going to be a problem.  I promise."  She
smiled as the pain in his eyes diminished, to be replaced by the
joy he found in her declaration.

"I can't say how reassuring I find that," he murmured as he
lowered his lips to hers.

The kiss was as light as a breeze as he let his tongue flicker
across her lips.  The barest touch here, a delicate graze there. 
His lips brushed her face, playing along her cheekbones then her
jaw-line, before moving to her tender throat where the caresses
became more intense.

"Pacey," Joey rasped as he suckled gently on the juncture of her
neck and shoulder.  Her hands tangled in his hair as she strove to
draw him closer.

Pacey moved up to apply his attention to her very sensitive
earlobes.  "I love you," he whispered.  "I love you."

"Hmm," Joey was fast becoming incoherent.  "I love you too." 
Finally she had enough of his teasing and drew him up for her
kiss.  Over and over he kissed her alternating between delicious,
deep, hungry kisses and soft, gentle, barely there caresses, each
one driving her further away from rational thought.  His exploring
hands roaming over the over-heated skin of her back and stomach
only intensified the sensations she was experiencing.  "Pacey,"
she sighed between kisses.  "Make love to me."

Pacey pulled away immediately.  "What did you say?" he asked,
stunned.

Joey tried to draw him back down to her.  "I want you to make love
to me."

Pacey moved further away sitting up on the edge of the bed.  
"Joey . . . " he fumbled around for the right words.  "Jo, we
talked about this."

Joey sat up.  "I know we did, and I know we decided to wait, but
what if I don't want to?"  She reached up to caress his cheek with
the back of her hand.  "What if I want you now?" she whispered
seductively. 

Pacey grasped her hand, removing it from his face.  "Jo, god knows
there is nothing I would love more at this moment than to make
love to you."  She started to speak and he held up a hand.  "But,
we agreed to wait for a reason.  Making love isn't something we
should rush into because we got overly emotional one night.  I
know you love me, and you know I love you.  We spend every night
in each others' arms.  I think that's a good place for us to be
right now.  We have all the time in the world and no one to tell
us what to do.  We've only really been together for a few days. 
Tonight is proof that we still have a few issues to work through. 
I think we should wait," he finished gently, needing her to see
that as much as he may want her, he needed for everything to be
right.

Joey pouted for a moment.  "Okay," she said, somewhat sulkily.

Pacey grinned at her weak attempt.  "Pouting isn't going to get
you anywhere this time.  Oh, and don't even start with those damn
eyelashes Potter."

Joey smiled mischievously.  "Wha-at?"  She batted them again.

"You are so dead," Pacey growled, tackling her to the bed and
tickling her furiously.

Their play lasted a few minutes until Joey cried uncle and they
collapsed together on the pillows.  "Thank you, Pacey."  Joey
turned to face him.

"For what?" he asked, curious.

"For not taking me up on my rather brazen offer."  She snuggled
into his arms.

Pacey laughed softly.  "Just don't be making the offer to often
okay, Jo, please.  There's only so much forbearance a guy can
take."  He snickered as she slapped his chest lightly.

"I'll have to keep that in mind."  She placed a gentle kiss over
his heart as she began to fall asleep.

"Im sure you will."  Pacey pulled the blanket tighter around them
and soon followed her into dreamland.

The End.

Note: When I started writing my Brother and Sister series I had no
intention of writing a direct Joey and Pacey story.  However, the
road to hell being paved as it is this little number kinda showed
up.  There will be more 'Interludes' I think, but for the most
part the series will continue to follow those left behind.

As always feedback is treasured.

kayjay@sunwave.net