Paying the cashier the correct amount for the milk, Joey moved out onto the street. Living only a couple of blocks from the restaurant had it’s advantages, one being if it was a nice enough night, then it was worth the walk. But seeing as it was raining heavily it wasn’t. Joey saw a flash of lightening and heard thunder as she hug her winter coat closer to her picking up her pace into a run. She entered through the back entrance to the restaurant, which was right into the kitchen. Shrugging out of her rain coat and putting it in the closet beside the door. Joey found the kitchen empty which was highly unusually seeing as Pacey had told her the place was pack a mere twenty minutes ago. “Pacey?” Joey called getting no answer she proceeded to the other end of the kitchen, where the double doors leading into the main dining area were. Leaving the milk in the kitchen Joey looked through the glass portal in the door, she gasped at what she saw, pushing the door open and stepping into the room she surveyed her surrounds. The bar stood to the left the office around the corner to the right, but in front of her was what had caught her attention. Fairy lights decorated the walls and bar giving the room a soft glow, the shades on the windows were closed adding to the effect. Rose petals were scattered across the dining room floor, and as far as Joey could see the whole floor apart from a path that lend to the middle table in the room. The table stood out for it was surrounded by unmade tables. This particular table was arranged for just two, a single red rose stood in a vase in the middle of the table surrounded by alighted white candles. Pacey stood beside the table, with a grin on his face looking as handsome as ever, in smart attire.
“What did you do?” Joey still stood by the door, in amazement and shock.
“Nothing,” Pacey asked watching her and wandering if was too much.
“I thought you said you were busy?” Joey smiled from ear to ear moving towards Pacey with every word.
“I was! How do you think I pulled this off, if I wasn’t busy?” Pacey relaxed and reached out to Joey when she was near enough, bringing her closer to him, and started playing with the sides of the sweater she was wearing, the same one he had been wearing that morning. Joey nodded her head looking around the place again before coming back and resting her eyes on Pacey.
“I feel slightly underdressed standing here next to you!” Joey frowned slightly running her hands over his arms and shoulders for them to rest on the back of his neck.
“Your breath taking no matter what you’re wearing, especially in my clothes.” Pacey said having leant in to whisper in her ear, before kissing her neck right be hide her ear. Joey shivered.
“Such a charmer Pace,” Joey grinned now, as Pacey pulled back to look at her.
“You got a problem with that Miss Potter?” Joey shook her head. “Good!” Pacey grinned again going back to kissing her neck.
“Ok in on the count of three, I’m going to reopen my eyes and if you guys haven’t discounted yourselves from each other, I’m not responsible for any breakages that may occur.” Joey turned her head to see Annabelle standing in front of the swinging double doors to the kitchen, two plates in her hands and with her eyes closed. Pacey just ignored his daughters request and chuckled softly against Joey’s skin “one”
“Pacey!” Joey tried pushing Pacey away from her, but it didn’t work.
“three” Annabelle slowly opened her eyes, finding her father glaring at her and Joey running her hand through her hair, “What?” She smiled sweetly at her father moving towards them, “The food was getting cold!” Pacey held a chair out for Joey to sit in before sitting down himself; Annabelle placed the food in front of them.
“Sure that’s all?” Pacey asked as Annabelle leant forward picking up the water jug and started filling his glass.
“Are you trying to tell me something dad?” Annabelle raised an eyebrow moving slightly to fill Joey’s glass, Pacey just grumbled under his breath, drumming his fingers on the table. Joey smirked looking over at him. Hearing the phone ring in the office, Annabelle walked way.
“Pacey don’t be so rude! She was just messing with us!” Joey reached over the table she stilled his hand with her own hand.
“I’m sorry!”
“I love you!”
“I love you too!” They smiled at each other a moment before they heard screaming from the office. Turning to the sound, Pacey stood letting go of Joey’s hand. Joey swallowed thickly, biting her lip she stood up too. Riley approached them on the verge of tears.
“Riley what’s wrong?” Pacey moved forward so he was now right in front of her.
“I don’t know, Annabelle said to get you, I don’t know. I’m really scared daddy!” She mumbled through fallen tears, wishing her father would hug her but knowing he wouldn’t. Pacey didn’t say a word moving towards the office, leaving Riley and Joey alone in the dining area. Joey didn’t know what to do or even what had happened but she knew it was big, “Joey?” Joey looked at Riley who looked like they were about to crumble into millions of little pieces.
“Oh Riley,” Joey crouched down in front of her and pulled her into a hug, Riley didn’t even protest. Only a few moments pasted before both Pacey and Annabelle were back in the room. Joey stood again bring Riley up into her arms, not letting her go, knowing she needed all the comfort she could get, “Pacey what happen?”
“There was an accident, Andie’s in hospital, I have to go!” Pacey didn’t really look at Joey as he talked, just grabbed his coat and moved to the front door, “Just stay here, I’ll call you.” Annabelle moved to follow her father, but Pacey wouldn’t have it, “All of you!”
“Dad, she’s my mother too!” Annabelle pleaded.
“You can come by later, just not now okay!” Pacey reasoned and left without a backwards glance. Joey sighed looking at Annabelle’s pain stricken face.
“It’s going to be alright!” Joey rocked Riley in her arms as she held on tighter.
“You don’t know what you are talking about Joey, so don’t even try to understand what I’m going through!” Annabelle glared at Joey before retreating back into the office. Joey took a couple of deep breaths walking over to a chair a sitting down.
“Your mother’s going to be alright Riley, we’ll go see her later and she’ll be fine!”
“Promise?”
“I promise!”
“Okay!” Riley relaxed slightly, but the tears still fell.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Pacey stared at the door for a while, not really knowing what he should be feeling. Andie was hurt, how badly he didn’t know. Knots formed in his stomach just thinking about. Sallowing the lump in his throat, he stepped forward, pushing the door open and entering the room. Pacey took a deep breath trying to keep his tears at bay. The room was small and cold; Pacey shivered slightly rubbing his arms as he stepped towards the bed. The bed had a curtain drawn halfway around it, shielding the other bed that was empty from sight. Andie lay still on the bed, attached to a drip, sleeping softly. Sitting in the chair beside the bed Pacey took another deep breath, watching her. Her right arm was in a cast and apart from some heavy bruising and scratches she didn’t look to bad for a person that had just come out of a crash. Reaching over he took her good hand in his, squeezing it softly, she opened her eyes, turning her head she smiled as best she could when she saw him.
“Hey!”
“Hey!” Pacey tried smiling for her sake but it didn’t stay on his face for long.
“I’m okay really Pacey!”
“I hate to tell you this but you look like shit!” Pacey reached his free hand up and moved a piece of hair that had fallen in front of her face.
“Hit me when I’m down why don’t you!”
“I try,” Pacey smiled genuinely this time, rubbing soft circles on her hand with his thumb.
“How are the girls?” Andie closed her eyes briefly before speaking.
“Worried, Joeys’ looking after them!”
“Oh,” Andie paused taking her hand away from his and moving so it now laid across her stomach, “and how is Joey these days?”
“Good, she’s a bit stressed over her next gallery opening though!” Pacey signed looking down at his hand that she had just been holding, “I don’t think she likes it very much!” Pacey looked up at Andie’s confused face before smirking, “I mean the art gallery thing!”
“Oh, what gave you that impression? I thought art was her thing?”
“It is sort of, she loves doing art and teaching it but I don’t know; the way she’s been talking about it lately it gave me the impression that she was sick of it.” Andie merely nodded trying to understand, “I think she’s thinking of going back to teaching!”
“Has she actually said anything of the sort?”
“No, but I know she’s thinking the idea over in her head of hers!”
“How can you be sure, she could be just be having a bad week!” Andie tried to reason, but Pacey shook his head.
“I know Joey!”
“No you don’t, you just think you do!”
“Please don’t argue with me on this on, okay. I know Joey because every time she looks at me I know what she’s think and feeling, even before she does sometimes. I know how to make her smile when she’s sad and depressed. I know when she’s had a bad day all she wants to do is curl up on the couch with me and read a book. I know she loves rain storms but hates thunder and lightning. And I know she hates the art gallery at the moment!” Pacey sighed not looking at Andie. Andie turned away and looked at her cast; they sat in silence for a while.
“Maybe the feeling will pass?” Pacey shrugged at her suggestion.
“Maybe I should just go?” Pacey stood, Andie didn’t move an inch.
“Maybe you should,” Andie mumbled quietly as he left the room.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Later, Pacey sat outside Andie’s room waiting, while she rested, head in his hands. Hearing the elevator doors open he looked up and saw Riley running towards him, latching onto his leg when she got to him. Joey and Annabelle trailed slowly be hide her, neither smiling or frown, just showing as little as emotion as possible.
“Hey daddy, how’s mummy? Is she alright? Can I see her?” Riley smiled reaching up asking silently for her father to pick her up.
“She’s okay for the moment sweetheart, she’s resting and I’m sure you can see her in a minute!” He kissed the side of her head looking between Joey and Annabelle. Annabelle was silent as she sat down in the chair Pacey had just been occupying, avoiding having to look at anyone, glaring at the ones she did. Joey shook her head to Pacey as if to explain Annabelle’s behaviour. Pacey leant over and kissed Joey’s cheek, whispering a small apologue.
“Hey Annabelle, I’m sure your mother would like to see you now, could you take Riley in with you?” Pacey asked placing a wriggling Riley on the ground again; Annabelle merely nodded before pulling Riley into Andie’s room. When the door closed Pacey pulled Joey by the waist into a hug, burrowing his head into her neck with his nose.
“Are you alright?” Pacey nodded slowly, “Is Andie going to be alright?”
“I truthfully don’t know!” Pacey mumbled against her neck, “I’m just really glad it wasn’t you, because I don’t know what I would have done if it were you in that bed!”
“I know the same goes for you too!” Joey smiled hugging him tighter.
“I love you with everything I have Joey!”
“I love you too Pace!”
“I think I’m going to stay here tonight!” Pacey lifted his head to look into her eyes.
“Okay, I’ll take the girls home in a while!” Joey smiled despite the depressing situation, trying to lift Paceys mood a bit.
“I’ll be home before lunch, I promise!”
“Okay!” Joey kissed his forehead softly, knowing that he was a about ready to crumble with worry, “It’s going to be alright!”
