"Honey, shhhh," Joey rubbed Hope's back soothingly, trying to calm the baby. Pacey would be home any minute, and Hope had been awake for hours. The poor baby was so exhausted but wouldn't go to sleep. Her soft mewling cries were beginning to grate on her nerves, "Please, Hope, go to sleep. Daddy's going to be home any minute..." Even as she said the words, she wasn't entirely sure that he'd be there. She swallowed thickly, realizing that calling him her Daddy might not be the best thing in this situation...but the first time, it had just come out naturally. It still felt natural.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" She cooed at the baby, pushing thoughts of Pacey out of her mind, "I already changed your diaper and fed you, I know you're not too warm or too cold."

Pacey opened the front door and found Joey pacing the living room floor with a crying Hope. He raised his eye brows as she let out a loud wail. He walked over to them and took Hope from a surprised Joey. "Hey baby, what's the matter?" he asked rubbing her back. "What's wrong with my girl?" her crying turned to soft whimpering as he swayed back and forth with the baby. He looked up at Joey, "Hey."

She licked her lips, watching them. "Hey," she whispered.

Hope stopped crying and grasped Pacey's finger in her tiny hand. Her eyes began drifting closed as he sat on the couch, Hope quickly going to sleep in his arms. "How was your day?" he asked looking at the baby.

Joey moved around the couch to stand behind him, looking down into Hope's tired face. She affectionately ran her fingers through the dark strands of Pacey's hair. "Mine or hers?"

He leaned his head back, "I don't think she'll answer me, so yours."

A smile flickered over her lips, "Not very busy. I did some chores, took Hope and Bobo on a walk. She hasn't slept since two o'clock. I think that's why she's been so fussy. Either that...or she just missed you."

"She just needed a nap," he said kissing Hope on her forehead. "How long was she crying?"

"Too long," Joey sighed. "Forty-five minutes or so...I haven't had time to cook anything."

He nodded, "That's fine." He stood when he was sure she was asleep and walked towards the hallway, "I'm going to put her in the nursery. You have her baby monitor handy?"

"It's in the kitchen, I'll get it," she walked swiftly into the kitchen to turn it on.

Pacey walked back into the nursery and laid hope down in her crib, pulling a blanket around her. He checked to make sure the monitor was on. When he returned to the kitchen, he found Joey peering into the refrigerator, considering their options for dinner.

"Well, what does it look like?"

"Very, very sad." She shook her head, closing the door. "I meant to go to the store today, but..." she trailed off.

"The power of delivery," he said opening the yellow pages. "What do you feel like? Pizza? Chinese?"

"Whatever you want," she said easily.

"Chinese then. No pizza."

"Chinese it is," She nodded and moved restlessly around the kitchen. "Should I make coffee or something?"

"It's eight-thirty, isn't it a little late for coffee?"

"Okay, something else then? Milk, soda, juice?" She smiled nervously at him, "Baby formula?"

"Food isn't here yet, Joey." He began dialing the number for the restaurant, "Why don't you go sit in the living room and wait for me."

She bit back a witty reply, knowing now was not the time, and for the first time obediently did as he said. She turned off the extra lights in the house, and sat down on the couch, pulling one of the pillows into her lap and holding it to her chest as she watched traffic pass through the window.

Pacey walked into the living room and sat beside her on the couch, "Okay, it'll be here in twenty minutes."

"Great," She nodded. "Did you remember the sesame chicken?"

"Of course."

"Thanks." She played with the corner of the pillow, "So, how was your day? Were you able to get over your hangover?"

Pacey nodded, "Yeah, around twelve I ate something and all was well."

"Good. So, um, how was work?"

"It was good...but can we cut the small talk? You said we needed to talk, so let's talk."

"I told Dawson," she blurted.

He looked over at her, "You told Dawson?" He nodded, "And what did he have to say? All your fears confirmed?"

"Well, first he laughed."

"He laughed? Sounds about right."

"Then he proceeded to lecture me on the mistake I was making, after which I told him about Hope. And apparently the fact that we brought another life into our relationship gave him even more ammunition."

"And?"

"I told him to shove it and that I didn't care. I'm a grown woman and I can make my own choices."

"Damn right," he said with a smile.

She smiled unsurely back at him, "So it pretty much went like I expected."

He nodded, "Okay."

"Why did you need me to tell him so badly?"

"I didn't. I just...I wanted to know why it was such a big deal for you not to tell him. I mean, as you like to point out, this is only temporary."

"Because I didn't want to go into the whole infertility thing with him. Let alone why I chose to ask you to be my temporary husband and not him. I didn't want him to come barging into our lives and disrupting things, let alone putting his life on hold to come here."

Pacey sighed, "I understand that you are afraid of him coming here and disrupting things. But honestly, he can't mess anything up unless you give him that power. I...I just wanted him to know because he had a right to know. I mean, if you had married him I would want to know."

She had to giggle at that, "Marry Dawson?"

Pacey smiled, "Yeah...who in their right mind?"

"If I ever got it into my head to marry Dawson, I'd want you to know for the soul purpose of locking me in an insane asylum to save me from myself."

Pacey laughed, "I'll be sure to do that."

She fell quiet, "I don't want you to leave yet, Pacey. And not because I need you to keep Hope, either. I'd...I'd miss you."

He nodded, "I'd miss you too."

"And I do care about you, I don't want you to think that I don't."

Pacey sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he propped his arm up on the back of the couch, "Well, you know, Joey, I know you care about me...but I just--I get the feeling that you are so insistent about telling me that this is nothing to you, I don't think you really know how much that hurts. I mean...I'm not saying I want this to be more than what it is...I just saying you don't have to bring up the fact that this isn't real all the damn time."

"I don't mean to hurt you, Pacey," she swallowed thickly. "I say it more to remind myself than anything else. But trust me, you'll find someone someday who'll love you to death and you'll have this. You'll have the house and the dog, and the baby. But it'll mean so much more...I don't mean to make you feel like this could never be a reality for you."

"It already is a reality for me. I mean...I have all that now and I love having it. And I don't need to be reminded that I won't be here after a while, because everyday when I wake up I know that this will all be gone one day. That everything I have now will no longer be mine. And I'm...I just don't want any reminder of it, okay?"

Her brow furrowed, "You want to stay?"

"For a while...or until you kick me out."

She glanced away, unsure of how to feel about that. "We've still got months ahead of us, I don't even know why we're discussing this. You'll be sick of me by next October."

"You're probably right."

"And it's not like I would ever stop you from visiting Hope or Bobo," she added quickly. "They'll miss you."

He nodded, "And I would miss them. And you."

"You're always welcome here, Pace. Nothing's ever going to change that."

"Good."

She let out a long breath, "So are we okay now? Can I kick your ass for getting falling down drunk?"

"No...you can't kick my ass."

"Are you sure? Because I think you deserve it. You made me worry, and then you treated me like shit."

"I was pissed off at myself..."

�At me."

"Yeah...and Dawson. Mostly Dawson."

"Pacey, you gotta stop putting yourself second to Dawson. You are twice the man he is. You always have been. He's still the same five-year-old who used to cry whenever we played house and you wanted to be the Daddy. When something doesn't go the way he wants, he's going to bitch and moan about it...and you...you find a way to change it and if not, you change yourself."

"You think I'm a better man than Dawson?" he asked looking at her in something close to disbelief.

"Without a doubt," she said with conviction. "You're mature, responsible--most of the time, successful, caring, giving, selfless...the list goes on. Dawson still lives in his fantasy world."

"Of course he does, he's king there."

"Yeah, well, as far as I'm concerned; You're king here."

He smiled, "It's good to be the king."

"Don't you forget it, either."

"I won't."

"Are you still mad at me?"

"No."

"Do you think..."

"Do I think what?"

"Maybe we...shouldn�t...

"Shouldn't? Shouldn't what?"

"I don't know...maybe... we should stop sleeping together."

"Sleeping as in...sleeping?" he shook his head, "No. I--I don't know if I can sleep without you anymore."

She smiled softly to herself, "Me either. But that wasn't want I meant."

"What...you mean as in sex? We're not having that now."

She chuckled lightly, "Yes, I realize that. We're both very much clothed."

He shook his head, "I meant, as in the last few days, I haven't once mentioned sex or us having it, have I? No. And why do you think we shouldn't? I was under the impression that you liked it as much as I did."

"I do. I just thought...you didn't want to anymore."

"Didn't want to? What gave you that impression? Have I ever said I didn't want to? No."

"You made it sound like you thought all I wanted was sex and a baby..."

He sighed, "I was angry Joey, and I tend to say just about anything when I'm angry."

"So you know that's not true?"

He nodded, "Yes, I know that's not true."

She smiled slowly, "Then you want us to keep..."

"Sure. We can start on that right now if you like," he said with a smirk.

"I think that would shock the delivery man," she replied with a faint blush.

"Good point. We could wait until he leaves."

"Right. But we could maybe...kiss and make up until then?"

"Maybe grope?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"I think that's fair," she nodded. "Through clothing."

"Aw come on, the fun of groping is getting skin."

"Again, I don't want the delivery man getting an eyeful," she smiled softly at him.

"Okay, fine, through clothes."

She stared at him, "If you don't kiss me in the next--"

He cut her off with his lips on hers. He leaned her back against the arm of the couch as he nudged his way between her legs. He moved his hand over her side and cupped her breast through her shirt. He rubbed his thumb against her nipple and she gasped in response.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, her lips parting eagerly beneath his. Arching her back, she pressed herself into his palm, her own hands starting to wander down his back, "You sure work fast..." she managed to whisper.

"I've always been good with my hands," he mumbled against her lips. The knock at the door caused him to groan and he leaned his head against her shoulder. "You have to get it."

"You really can't help it, can you?" She brushed a kiss to the side of his neck and slid out from underneath him.

"No."

"I like that about you," she called over her shoulder, moving to her purse to grab her wallet and then answered the door. As quickly and politely as she could, she paid the man and gave him a large tip.

"Yeah, well, sometimes it's hard to live with."

She deposited the bags of food on the coffee table and closed the blinds on the windows. "Anything I can do to make it better?"

He smiled, "I can think of a lot of things."

"But aren't you hungry?"

"Food can wait," he said crooking his finger at her.

"Do you know how bad Chinese tastes when it's cold?" She wondered, crossing her arms over her body and grabbing the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head.

"Who cares about food," he asked as he pulled his shirt over his head and pulled her over the back of the couch and on top of him.

She giggled and smiled down at him, "Hi."

"Hi," he said unhooking her bra. He pulled her down to kiss him, "Let's get your clothes off as fast as we can."

"What about yours?" She murmured, reaching between them, to rub him through his jeans.

He groaned, "Oh yeah, that sounds great."

She straddled his thighs, and shrugged out of her bra before leaning forward and pressing soft kisses over his cheek and along his neck. Her hair fell forward in a dark veil, teasing his skin as her mouth slid over his bare chest. Glancing up, she winked at him and flicked her tongue over one small nipple, feeling him shudder beneath her.

"Mmmm...Jo..." he wrapped his arms around her and rolled off the couch and deposited her onto the floor. He unfastened her jeans and pulled them off her legs. He quickly removed her panties as well, leaving the only clothing between them his. He groaned as her hand rubbed against his erection, then slid up to unbutton his jeans. She slid his pants over his hips and pushed them to the middle of his thighs with his boxers.

"I can't believe..." she panted, drawing his mouth down to hers again. "Doing this...floor."

"We're expanding your horizons," he said moving his mouth over her neck and to her bare breast. She gripped him in her hand and guided him into her. "No screaming or you'll wake up Hope."

She nodded, biting down on her lip to keep from crying out, "Please, Pacey..."

He slid into her slowly, bracing one hand beside her head and the other under her hips, guiding her body up to meet his. She clenched around him, and closed her eyes tightly, feeling him stretch and fill her. She rolled her hips, trying to take him deeper. "You feel so good," she gasped, pulling his mouth back to hers, desperately needing his kiss.

He slid his tongue into her mouth, seeking out it's warmth as he propped his elbows on each side of her head, as he sank down to her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, causing her to moan loudly, his lips traveling down her neck to suck on the spot behind her ear.

She dug her nails into his back, letting him set their rhythm. Her breath panted hotly in his ear as she pulled him closer. She couldn't get close enough. The tension built slowly in the pit of her stomach, climbing unbearably higher with each of his slow strokes.

He nibbled along the skin of her neck to her shoulder and listened to her moan softly, "Shhh, Potter. Don't wake up Hope or we'll both be aching."

She bit her lip, tightening her legs around his waist. Her hands slid over his taught muscles, needing to feel the smooth skin under her palms. Cupping the back of his neck, she pulled his mouth back to hers, gasping as the tips of her breasts brushed against his chest with every stroke.

He could feel himself growing closer and slid a hand down her side and between them. He rubbed slowly over her clit, one of her legs dropping to the floor to buck against him. She pulled away and gasped as his thumb rubbed quickly over the tiny nub. "Come for me, Joey," he said before he took her earlobe between his teeth and nibbled lightly.

"No," she reached between them and pulled his hand away. "You...you first." She wanted to see him come, she wanted to watch his eyes as he lost himself inside her.

He groaned as she raked her nails over his back and lost himself in her eyes. He came a few seconds later. "Joey," he moaned, he said closing his eyes and shuddering into his release.

His orgasm triggered her own, staring in her toes and tingling all through her body in a wave of unbearable pleasure, leaving her trembling in it's wake, tears running from her eyes. He kissed her neck as they both came down. His breathing was labored as he rested his head against her shoulder, "How could we not do that again?" He panted. "I mean...we owe it to sex to have sex."

She smiled dazedly and tightened her arms around him, "Don't talk, you're ruining the moment," she murmured.

He rolled them so she rested on his chest. One of his hands played with her hair as the other rubbed over her arm. He took several deep breaths and tried his hardest to get his breathing calm.

She sniffed again as aftershocks shivered through her body. Nestling her head against his shoulder, she yawned, letting her eyes fall closed. "You going to sleep on me," he asked softly.

"No, I'm not." Her eyes fluttered open stubbornly.

"You sure? I wouldn't hold it against you."

"Hmm, please hold it against me," she murmured, nuzzling her nose against his neck.

"I'll consider it. You want to eat before you drift off to sleep?"

"No," she tried to stifle another yawn. "Stay here."

He reached up onto the couch and pulled down one of the throw pillows and placed it under his head. "I can do that."

Her eyes fluttered again, "I'm not gonna sleep," she informed him. "Just rest my eyes..."

He kissed the top of her head, "Whatever you say."

"I'm not," she whispered stubbornly, but the effect was lost as she yawned again.

"Yes, you are."

"No..." her hand curved around his neck, as she listened to his breathing.

"Say what you want Potter, but you are going to go to sleep."

"Nuh uh..." she mumbled sleepily, already half way gone.

He reached up and grabbed the blanket off the couch. He heard the baby whimper slightly and decided to let Joey sleep for a few minutes. He rolled onto his side and laid Joey on her side and she whimpered softly as he pulled out of her. He stood and quickly got dressed before making his way in to check on Hope. He lifted the baby into his arms and she stared up at him with stark blue eyes, "Hey baby."

Her eyes scrunched up, and her mouth opened as she prepared to test her lungs.

"Shh, don't cry. Don't cry, Hope," he said as he walked into the kitchen and pulled out one of her already made bottles. He put it into the microwave for fifteen seconds and shook it, then tested it on his arm. He gave her the bottle and she took it willingly. "We're going to let your Mommy sleep. She needs sleep."

Appeased by the bottle, Hope blinked up at Pacey, her eyes wide and trusting.

"Let's go use that nursery that Daddy spent money on," he said softly to the baby. He checked on Joey as he walked through the living room. When he was sure she was asleep and would be that way for a while, he walked into Hope's room. He sat in the rocking chair, "Do you know how lucky you are? I mean, come on kid, you have it made. You have a sweet little setup here. I mean, you get whatever you want when you cry." He was quiet as he looked at her, "Come to think of it, all women get what they want when they cry."

She released the nipple from her mouth and gazed up at him, what looked like a pout turning down her bow shaped mouth.

He placed the bottle onto the table beside him and brought her up to his shoulder and patted her back softly, "Come on...please don't cry."

She gave him a quiet burp and settled against his bare shoulder.

"There you go," he said bringing her back down into his arms. "Feel better now, don't you?" He brought the bottle back to her mouth and she accepted it happily. "You know, you are the first little person I've ever had the pleasure of being left along with. Well, with the exception of your cousin Alex, but that wasn't really on purpose." He looked down at her wondering blue eyes, "Neither was this really." He sighed, "You are so beautiful, Hope. You know, you're extremely lucky."