Jen played with a curl of hair, trying to get it to stay where she pinned it. Having no clue what Pacey had in mind, she'd decided to pull her hair back. For some reason, though, she couldn't help wanting it to look good. There, she smiled at her reflection. Perfect. Or, at least, as close as she could get to it. She wore light makeup, accentuating her lips specifically. Since he'd told her to wear something she could get dirty, she'd chosen a maroon t-shirt with a low v-neck and a pair of old jean shorts. Nothing too special, but still nice. She glanced down at her freshly painted nails, examining them for any flaws. All she needed now was a sweatshirt, and him.

"Hey Lindley, you want to be ready some time this century?" Pacey called up the stairs. Mrs. Ryan had let him in on her way out saying that Jennifer was still upstairs getting ready.

She smiled widely at the sound of his voice. "Patience, Pacey." She called back, leaning against the counter for no other reason than to make him wait.

�I�ve been patient for the past ten minutes. What the hell is taking you so long?�

"I want to look my best," she said airily.

He sighed picking an imaginary piece of lint off his jacket. �Not a problem Lindley, you always look beautiful.�

She smiled and opened the door. "You said the magic words, Pace." She smirked and walked down the stairs to meet him.

�Took you long enough,� Pacey muttered upon hearing her footsteps on the stairs.

"Would you like some cheese with your whine?" She taunted, grabbing her dark blue sweatshirt. It was still too warm to put it on, so she tied it around her waist.

�Hey, do you feel like staying home?� he asked with a smile lifting his head to her.

She arched an eyebrow, "And you call that a date?"

He smirked. �Hello Miss Ungrateful.�

She shook her head, "No staying in. I'm all prepared to get down and dirty with you." She paused, giving him a look. "In a way that doesn't involve removal of any clothing."

�Well, in that case I better hurry up and come up with something different quick.�

She rolled her eyes and grabbed her wallet and keys. "Let's go, Witter." She hooked her arm through his, "The day's a wastin'."

He smiled down at her leading her out the door. �Gotta love a forceful woman.�

"You'd love any kind of woman, Pace." She told him, making sure the door was shut behind them.

He looked thoughtful a moment before conceding. �Good point.�

She laughed, amused. "For someone who's only had serious relationships, you�re awfully girl crazy."

�Well, as a single, good-looking male I now have the opportunity to meet plenty of beautiful, single females. Why tie myself down?�

She nodded in agreement. "But there are some things to be said for a steady relationship."

"That there is," he said holding the passenger side door open for her as she climbed in.

"Thanks."

"Welcome." He shut the door and walked over to the driver's side.

She watched him walk around the truck with an appreciative eye. He had his dark blue jacket on, unzipped, he'd grown in the last two years and it didn't quite fit him as well as it used to. Though, in her opinion, it looked even better stretched across his broad shoulders. His t-shirt was white and also a little too small, clinging to his skin in the late afternoon heat.

"So you ready to go?" Pacey asked as he slid into the driver's seat.

"Oh...um, yeah." She broke out of her reverie and smiled. "Are you ever going to tell me where it is we're going?"

He smiled slyly starting up the truck and shook his head. �Nope.�

"You're cute when you're infuriating."

�Thanks but I�m still not telling you,� Pacey said as he pulled the car out of her driveway.

"Just a hint?"

�Not a word.�

"Um....we're going to see a mime act?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. �That wasn�t a hint.�

She smiled, "Damn."

�Nice try.�

"Is it a long drive?" She asked, trying to weasel at least some information out of him.

He shrugged concentrating on the road. �Depends.�

She sighed, "On what?"

�On what you consider long.�

She chuckled, "Ten?"

"Give it up. I'm not telling you a thing."

"Okay, you know what?" She crossed her arms over her chest, "You're not cute when you're infuriating."

He chuckled signaling for a left turn. �Pout all you want. It�s not going to work.�

�At least tell me how long I have to wait," she pleaded, trying not to let him know how excited she was.

�Not a minute longer than it takes us to get there.� She stuck her tongue out at his profile. �That�s mature,� he commented eyeing her through his peripheral vision.

"Yeah, well, you deserved it." She smiled to herself, sitting back in the seat.

"We're almost there anyway."

"And where is there?" She asked, looking skeptically out the window.

"Where we're going," he answered easily.

As far as Jen could tell, they were nowhere special. They were on one of the roads out of Capeside, as she knew that the next town was at least twenty minutes away. "Pacey, we're near absolutely nowhere."

"That's the point," Pacey said as he turned down a side road.

"Okay, this is beginning to sound like some pathetic 'B' rated horror flick." She paused, "Except it's the afternoon and you haven't yet claimed to run out of gas."

"I think you've watched one too many movies with our friend Dawson."

"How do I know you're not driving us out here to have your way with me, then dispose of the body?" She waved her hand dramatically, "It'd explain your sudden interest in my well being post-breakup."

�Now you�re talking crazy,� Pacey said dismissing her claim.

"Yeah, well, you've yet to provide any alternative to my theory." She said smugly, watching the trees pass then by as they bumped along the rocky side road.

Pacey�s eyes grew wide as the car slowed to a stop. �Look what you did! You jinxed us. We�re out of a gas.�

She gave him an annoyed look, "Cute."

He laughed shifting the truck into park and pulling the key out of the ignition. �Come on. We�re here.�

She gave him an expectant look. "And by here, you mean nowhere?"

�Hope you don�t mind walking a bit,� he said climbing out of the car.

She opened her door and got out, "No, you have to carry me," she said sarcastically.

�I don�t like you that much,� Pacey said pulling out a blanket and a picnic basket from the back.

"A picnic?" She asked, her eyes lighting up. "You made a picnic?"

"No, it was the picnic fairy."

She smiled widely at him, "Always a smart ass, aren't you?"

He tossed her the blanket. �Here be useful.�

She caught it easily; "You're a sad replacement for Henry." The taunt fell from her lips without thinking. She frowned after the words sank in, the whole reason for this 'faux-date' was so she'd forget him and the fact that it was the anniversary of their first kiss.

�Oh gee, thanks for the compliment,� Pacey deadpanned.

She followed behind him, "Sorry."

He waved it off as he walked on ahead of her.

He turned onto a trail and she followed dutifully behind, holding back branches and blackberry thorns for her. "Um, do you know where you're going, or are we just gonna walk until we're a sufficient distance from the road so no one can hear me scream?"

�Lindley you watch far too much television for your own good.�

"So you don't want to make me scream?" she asked coyly her eyes innocent and wide.

His grin was feral and he hung back sliding an arm around her shoulder. �Lindley, if you give me the chance, you�d be lucky if you�re able to form words after.�

"You're mighty full of yourself." She looked up at him, "You're forgetting, unlike your last two girlfriends, "I have a basis for comparison."

�Oh look. We�re here,� he said as they reached an area amply shaded by a giant oak tree, an old tire swing hanging from one of the limbs, the creek running nearby.

"Nice save, babe." She winked at him. "I didn't know the creek ran all the way out here."

�You learn something new everyday.�

"Yeah," she watched him set the basket down and look around the clearing proudly, the late afternoon sunlight glinting in his hair. "Yeah, you do," she said softly to herself.

�Hey feel free to set the blanket down when you feel like it,� Pacey said glancing at Jen.

She looked down and felt a faint blush creek up her cheeks. She busied herself unfolding the blanket and spreading it out over the grass beside the creek's bank.

�Now I can�t cook,� Pacey said sitting down on the blanket and opening the basket. �So I hope you don�t have an aversion to good ol� PB&J.�

"My favorite." She sank to her knees beside him and kicked off her shoes and socks so she could go barefoot. If she ignored the change of color in the leaves, they could almost pretend it was still summer. "What else?"

�What more do you need?�

"Fruit maybe, dessert. At the very least, a liquid of some kind." She teased.

Pacey dug around in the basket pulling things out and setting them on the blanket. �Okay, there�s some juice, soda, grapes, strawberries and something Gretchen calls potato salad but I don�t know how handy she is in the kitchen and some cookies Bodie gave me as payment today.�

She smiled happily, watching him spread out the food between them. "How did I get so lucky to get you as a friend?"

�I don�t know because you don�t appreciate me,� he teased.

Her smile softened. "I do, Pacey. I just, don't quite know how to express it." She snorted, "I'm not used to a straight guy doing these kind of things for me."

�Now that you mention it how is Jackers doing?�

�He's great." She broke off a clump of grapes and popped one in her mouth. "He's really enjoying football."

�I guess that�s good,� he said unwrapping a sandwich.

"Yeah, it's nice to really see him in his element. He's more at home on the field than anywhere else I've seen him." She wrinkled her brow, "Which is odd, seeing as he's gay, clumsy and artsy."

�And he can catch a football.�

"Yeah," she shrugged. "He's just not your stereotypical jock.�

�Our whole group is filled with stereotypes only not. Think about it, you�re the bad girl from New York City. Andie�s the overachiever. Dawson�s the dreamer. Joey�s the girl next door. Jack�s the jock and I�m, hell, I don�t even know where I fit in. I guess I�m the sidekick, good for a laugh.�

"If that's the stereotype Pacey, you're only proving your point. You're anything but the sidekick." She threw a grape lightly at his head, "Even if you are good for a laugh."

He smiled deprecatingly. �At least I�m good for something.�

"You're good for more than that." She gestured around them, "Look at what you've done for me."

He bit into his sandwich and shrugged. �No big deal.�

"Nuh uh, It is a big deal." She shook her head. "Today had the potential to really f/uck with my mind. And it's not, and that's because of you."

He swallowed and opened a juice. �Yeah, the guy good at taking a girl�s mind off the guy she really wants to be with.�

"No, You're the guy who makes me want to sing and dance and laugh when I'd normally be wallowing in misery."

�No offense, Lindley,� Pacey said taking a drink of his juice. �But you could�ve done so much better than Parker.�

She winced, "Maybe...But who? I mean, this town doesn't have much to offer in variety. And Henry, he made me feel...special." She unwrapped a sandwich and kept her eyes away from him.

�That�s because you are special, Jen and on that note, I have your gift around here somewhere,� he said patting his pockets.

She shook her head, "I still don't see why you wanted to exchange presents."

"Would you just shut up and be grateful?"

"I'm not complaining," she defended herself. "I just don't get it."

Pacey�s hand clasped around the box in his pocket. �So what did you get me?�

�It's in my purse," she stretched over the food and grabbed her purse, and pulled out a rectangular wrapped package. "It's not much," she smiled, "but you'll get a kick out of it."

He pulled the box out of his pocket. "Interested in a trade?"

"I dunno," she smiled teasingly, "I kinda wanna keep my gift. There's a nice memory tied to it."

�Oh, well in that case. I�m sure I can always get my money back.�

She glared teasingly at him, "Hand it over, Witter." She held out her gift.

"If you insist," he said giving her the box and taking the gift from her.

She held his gift in her hand and watched him as he unwrapped hers. He carefully peeled open the wrapping paper, moving at a snail�s pace to annoy the heck out of Jen. "I have never been this impatient in my life." She grumbled.

�Patience is a virtue,� Pacey retorted as he pulled off the last of the wrapping paper. His smile widened at the book she had given him. �Clever.�

"I was kinda at a loss as to what to get you." She shrugged one shoulder. "And our little adventure on Witch Island was...well, I wanted to get you something that was 'us'."

�Just promise me you won�t try to cast anymore spells out of this thing. I was coughing up tree bark for weeks.�

"You loved it and you know it." She smirked, "Besides, it's yours to cast spells from now."

He grinned sliding the book into his pocket. �Okay, now it�s your turn to open your gift. Now I must warn you I suck at this shopping thing.�

She smiled warmly at him, "I'm sure I'll love it."

�Yeah. Yeah. Just open it already.�

She grinned at him as he popped a grape into his mouth. She unwrapped the small box, "Jewelry?" She asked him, opening the box before he could answer. The gold plated necklace glinted in the late afternoon light, "Oh my God, Pacey..." She breathed staring down at it.

�You hate it? Because if you do I can just return it and or you can exchange it for something else.�

"No, no." She shook her head and launched herself at him across the blanket, embracing him tightly, "Thank you." She choked out, "I love it."

He exhaled sharply, relieved. �Good. I was worried you wouldn�t.� He returned her embrace. �And no problem and now instead of remembering this day your first kiss with Henry it could be the day Pacey gave you a really cool gift.�

She chuckled and pulled back a little. She met his eyes with her own and her smile faded. Her gaze fell to his smooth lips, curved into a smile. The urge to kiss him was positively overwhelming. Her eyes fell closed and she moved in, giving into the desire to feel his lips on hers. She pulled away after only a few seconds, her body suffused with warmth.

"I think I'd rather remember this as the day I first really kissed Pacey Witter," she whispered, watching his face carefully, her heart pounding heavily in her chest. She suddenly wished she hadn't given into impulse and put it all on the line.

He stared at her in wide-eyed, his mind reeling from that surprising kiss. �W-What was that for?�

She smiled weakly, "It felt like the thing to do."

He nodded slowly taking in the words she�d just said and he smiled faintly hoping to lighten the mood. �You know it was just a necklace, though if you liked it that much I�d liked to see how you�d thank me for the matching bracelet.�

She sat back with a sly smile, "You'd be surprised." She picked up the box and examined the necklace; she opened the locket, and smiled, seeing two tiny pictures inside, containing Dawson, Joey, Andie, Jack and the two of them. She snapped it closed, "Will you put it on?"

He coughed clearing his throat. �Yeah, sure.�

She handed over the box and turned her back to him. She lifted her hair away from her slender neck.

He fiddled with the clasp, the smell of her apple shampoo mixed with her perfume invaded his nostrils making him dizzy, and after a few tries he finally got it letting it drop around her neck. He wiped the palms of his hands on his jeans nervously as he pulled away from her. �There you go.�

"Thanks," she turned back around and played with the locket. She eyed him worriedly. "You know, just forget about it okay? This is supposed to be a fun evening and I-"

He nodded hurriedly in agreement. �Yeah, sure we can do that.�

She smiled, and picked up her half eaten sandwich. "Okay." She took a bite and swallowed, her eyes never really leaving him. "So, how'd you find this place?"

He shrugged. �I wandered over it by accident.�

"It's beautiful." She watched the sunlight play on the water.

He smiled watching her reaction. �Glad you approve.�

She shrugged, "Why wouldn't I?"

He rubbed the back of his neck unsurely. �I just wasn�t sure if you would.�

"Pacey," She gave him a serious look. "I'd have liked anywhere you'd have taken me."

He raised an eyebrow. �Anywhere?�

"Except staying at home." She added. "But yeah, anywhere."

�Then I guess I should�ve kept the strip club on my list.� He grabbed a cookie off the plate between them with a grin.

"Only if it was a male strip club." She threw another grape at him.

�I think Jack would appreciate that more than I would.� He picked up the grape and threw it back at her.

"Oh, thanks for the suggestion." She smiled, "Jack needs some male flesh in his life." He shrugged chewing on a cookie. "I suppose I could to," she bit into a strawberry and lay down across the blanket, staring up at the sky.

He moved to lie beside her. �Just stay away from any gangly freshmen masking stalker qualities.�

She tossed the end of the strawberry to the side and took another, nibbling on the end. "You know, it sucks."

�What?� he asked reaching for another cookie.

"Wanting what I can't have." She grumbled. "I want to find a boyfriend who makes me happy and who *I* can make happy." She frowned, "But at the same time...it's not worth the effort if I'm forced to go through what I did with Henry."

�Yeah, but you know what? It has its moments. I wouldn�t worry about it too much though a great girl like you Jen shouldn�t have any problem meeting someone new.�

"That's just it, Pace. Where would I find someone new? I know everyone in Capeside. And even if I did meet someone new, I'll be forced to go through all work and heartache to get to know him from the beginning." She frowned. "I'm just too lazy."

�Then maybe you�ll find someone where you least expect it,� he said lightly pillowing his head in his hands.

"Here's hoping," she sat up a little and lifted her juice in toast before taking a deep swallow of it. She twisted the top back on and lay back on the blanket beside him, her arm brushing his side.

�Yeah, I bet you�re wishing Jack was straight right about now.�

"I doubt he'd be interested even if he was. I mean, his last girlfriend was Joey. We're complete opposites."

�Well, you guys get along great now and friendship�s an important part of any relationship or so I�m told.�

"Yeah. He's a great friend." She agreed. "So what about you?" She took one of the cookies from the plate.

"What about me?"

"Anything."

�Not much to say.�

"Come on," She nudged him. "There's got to be something going on in your life."

He shook his head. �Nope. Not a thing.�

"No prospects?"

�Oh yeah, tons.�

"Like who?" She asked, an amused tone to her voice.

�I just need to narrow the list down.�

"Yeah, from who?"

He waved her question off. �Don�t worry about it?�

"No, come on. As your friend, I must first approve of any romantic prospects." She sat up on her elbows and looked down into his face. "Out with it. I want names."

He squinted up at her. �No names.�

"Why not?"

�Why are you so nosy?� he countered.

"Cause, I'm bored." She smiled. "Find another way to entertain me otherwise I'm gonna drill you all day."

�Geez, I take you out, give you a gift, bring the food and you�re still not satisfied,� he teased.

"Hey, I'm just trying to make conversation." She held up her hands in surrender.

�By being a pain in the butt.�

"I spilled my guts, now it's your turn." She shrugged.

�I don�t remember agreeing to any turns.�

"Fine," she stood up and walked across the grass towards the tire swing. "I'll just entertain myself."

�You want to be entertained?� He stood up and walked after her. �Come on Lindley, let�s see if you�re ticklish.�

"Oh no," she yelped sprinting away and putting the swing between them. "You remember our little experience with the car wash? You already know I am."

�I know,� he said with a smile as he approached her. �And it was so entertaining watching you squirm like that.�

"Nooo, Pacey!" She watched him warily. "You wanna see me squirm, you're gonna have to find some other way."

He shook his head in mock disappointment. �I�m sorry, Jen. This is going to hurt you much more than it�s going to hurt me.� He lunged at her.

She pushed the tire swing at him and tried to dodge the other way. "What's with you and tickling?" She asked.

�Hey, I�m trying to entertain you,� he said dodging past the swing and trying to grab her.

He caught her around the wrist, "Pac-ey!" She tried to yank free but he pulled her back against his chest and his fingers began their assault on her sides. She squirmed against him, erupting into giggles.

�Are you entertained yet?� he asked with a grin as he tickled her ribs.

"Uh-uh," she protested, smacking his hands as she tried to escape his hold. Their laugher echoed through the clearing.

�Then I guess I�m just going to have to try harder.�

"Oh God," She giggled. "Pacey, stop." It was getting hard for her to breathe.

He smiled shaking his head. �Not until you say it.�

"Say what?" She tried pinching him.

�You know what.�

"Pacey, come on..." She laughed and stomped on his foot. He yelped, his hold on her loosened enough for her to break free, and she started running along the bank.

�Where do you think you�re going?� he quickly regained himself and hurried after her. �Uh-huh, got you,� he said wrapping his arms around her waist and tackling her to the ground.

She laughed and twisted in his strong arms so she was facing him. She brushed some loose strands of her hair away from her face and stared into his eyes. "Um...I think I'm sufficiently entertained," she said softly.

�Well, that�s good,� he murmured huskily, gazing down at her.

She felt a wave of dizziness come over her as she stared up at him, silhouetted against the fading afternoon light as he lay half a top her. She smiled nervously at the intense look on his face and touched his cheek lightly.

His eyes fell to the soft pink of her lips, parted as she breathed in and then raised his gaze back to hers, his blue eyes filled with uncertainty. �Jen?� he questioned quietly unsure of what was going on between them.

"Pace." she replied searching his face. She could see the struggle in his eyes. "Do what you feel," she murmured, her forefinger grazing over his lower lip.

That was all the encouragement he needed. He lowered his mouth to hers tentatively kissing her. Jen felt her heart jump in her chest when his lips met hers. Why hadn't she felt this way last year? Her hands curved around his neck as she responded, she kissed him feverently. He reached up to touch the silky strands of blond hair that framed her face, his tongue plundered her mouth tasting the warmth and sweetness of her lips.

She moaned and met his tongue with hers. She dug her short nails into the back of his neck, scraping them along his skin as she shifted closer to him. Her blood was pounding through her veins; it's rhythm having sped up considerably.

His hands dropped to her sides tugging incessantly at the ends of her shirt freeing it from the waistband of her shorts and placing his palm against the smooth skin of her stomach.

His touch sent a wave of heat through her system and she sighed into his mouth. Slowly she pulled away; her eyes closed, she licked her lips savoring the feel of him. "Yeah," she breathed with a small nod, "I'm sufficiently entertained."

�Well you know me,� he mumbled moving down to her neck and tasting the succulent skin there. �I live to please.�

"Hmmm," She tangled her hands in his hair. "When you said we were going to get dirty," her breath caught in her throat as he nipped at her skin. "I didn't take you seriously."

�Never let it be said that I�m not a man of my word,� he murmured nuzzling her neck and running his thumb in small circles over the skin of her stomach.

"This going to be another Witch Island mishap?" She asked her brow furrowed as she bit her lip.

He pulled back a little to look at her. �I can safely say this feels nothing like the Witch Island incident.�

She smiled, "Good, Pacey." She pulled his lips back to hers, kissing him hungrily. "I want more from you than a pact."

He broke the kiss and gazed down at her. �And that would be?�

She smiled shyly into his dark blue eyes, "I don't know. Just...something more than a promise to relieve each others needs."

He nodded gradually as he thought about it. �Okay�We can do that.�

She toyed with the collar of his shirt, not looking at him. "Look, Pace. When I'm with you, I feel happier than I have in a long time...I kinda want to hold onto that."

�Hey,� Pacey said quietly raising his hand and cupping her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. �It�s okay. We don�t have to decide and explain everything right this minute.�

Her eyes twinkled, "I suppose there are better things we could do with our time..." She ran a finger lightly down his neck.

The corners of his mouth turned up in a grin. �I suppose there are��

She fisted her hand in his shirt and pulled his lips back to hers, feasting on the taste of him. God, the man was liquid sex, she thought, exploring his mouth with her tongue as her hands slid under his shirt and slid over the smooth muscles of his back.

His groan was lost in her mouth as he slipped a leg between hers. He slid a hand under her shirt, tracing the edge of her ribcage with his fingers.

She shivered and pushed him away a little. "Can, um, we move somewhere a little more comfortable?" She asked, shifting beneath him away from the stick digging into the back of her thigh.

He nodded moving away from her and standing up. He offered her his hand. �Um, sure.�

"I just want to move to the blanket." She brushed the dirt and grass from the back of her shorts. She smiled at him, "I don't actually want to get dirty." She winked at him.

�No, of course not, but then again I could always help you get cleaned up.� He smirked.

"Yeah, and how would you do that?" She asked, teasingly as she situated herself back on the blanket.

An easy grin came across his face as he sat beside her. �Well first, I�d have to get you nice and wet.�

"I can safely say you're already halfway there." She smiled and pulled his lips back to hers.

He grinned against her lips sliding his hand behind her head as he guided her back down to the blanket.