>"Pacey!" Joey yelled, pushing her unwashed hair impatiently out of her face. "Where are you?" She grabbed baby toys, from the floor by the couch and threw them into a toy basket, and gathered both Hope and Pacey's dirty clothes into her arms, all the while glancing at her watch. "She's going to be here any minute!" She groaned, feeling extremely gross as she grabbed a blanket that was covered in spit up. When was the last time she had a shower? Monday? And what day was it today?

A little over a month had passed since Hope had come home, and she and Pacey and fallen into a nice pattern. He left for work around six in the afternoon, and didn't return until two, which was when he usually slipped into the bedroom with Joey. Usually around that time, Hope was taking her second bottle of the night, and Joey let him put her to bed, falling into an exhausted sleep. Once Hope was sleeping soundly, Pacey slipped into bed with Joey, Hope in the portable crib beside the bed. Like an alarm clock, at six in the morning, Hope was a wake and Joey did her best to get her out of the bedroom before she woke Pacey. Usually Joey let him sleep until ten or eleven, and they spent the morning with the baby, using her nap time for themselves, or more often than not, catching up on the household chores. Once Pacey had left for work, she'd try to get some extra sleep while Hope napped, but most of the time she was too tense to actually fall asleep. She got five hours of sleep at most a night.

And now Madeline was on her way over for a late lunch, and the house was a disaster and she had no clue where her husband and daughter were.

Pacey walked out from the back of their house, Hope resting her head against his shoulder, "Why are you yelling? Go take a shower."

"I'm yelling because Madeline's going to be here any minute...and look at this place? Look at me?!" She scowled, "Things are everywhere and you were just off doing God knows what..."

"I was bonding with Hope." He set the baby in the portable crib and walked over to Joey and took the clothes out of her hands, "I'll clean, you need a shower. So go."

"You sure? Can you handle both Hope and the laundry?"

Pacey nodded, "Yep. I can. Go." He took one look at Hope who stared up at him, content for the moment, and walked to the washing machine and tossed the clothes in and started it. He walked back over to Hope and picked her up again. He placed his hand behind her head, "Your Mommy worries too much," he said to the baby.

She hit him on the cheek and then gave him a drooly grin.

"Yeah, you agree don't you?" The knock at the door made him send a look down the hallway, then at the living room floor, happy to see that everything was in order. He walked to the door and revealed Madeline. He stepped back, "Afternoon," he said with a smile, holding Hope against his shoulder.

"Pacey, good to see you," Madeline smiled kindly, reaching out to touch Hope's hand, "And hello to you too sweetheart. My goodness, you're growing fast."

Pacey nodded, "She is. She's already outgrown two pairs of shoes."

"May I come in?" She asked.

"Of course," he said stepping aside to let her in.

"Thank you," she stepped into the foyer and glanced around. "You two seem to have a good handle on things."

Pacey nodded, "You think so?" He shrugged, "I guess we do."

"I've seen houses much worse than this," she chuckled, shrugging out of her coat. "So how's work going for you?"

"It's fine. Everything's going really well with work."

"That's good, you don't need the added stress of work to your home life." She smiled gently, "You'll see what I mean when or if it happens."

He moved into the living room and sat at the end of the couch, "Joey's in the shower and should be out in a few minutes. Would you like to hold Hope?"

"Oh, of course." Madeline crossed the room and held out her arms for the baby. "Well, hello, gorgeous." She smiled widely at the baby who didn't appear to be all that happy about being separated from her father's arms. "I never asked, how did you come up with the name Hope?"

Pacey shrugged, "You'd have to ask Joey. She came up with that name."

"So, while Joey is occupied, why don't you tell me how things are going?"

"With the baby, you mean?" She nodded, "Things are great. She's...she's so wonderful."

Madeline nodded, "Do you get the chance to spend much time with her?"

He nodded "When I come in from work, she's usually waking up for her second bottle, so I handle that and put her back to sleep."

"That's it?"

He shook his head, "No...of course not. But I consider that Hope and Daddy time. I play with her during the day and stuff. She's not really old enough to play with quiet yet...but she's ticklish on the bottom of her feet."

Madeline smiled, "It's good that you have your own time with her away from Joey. Some father's don't get to make that connection early in the baby's development. Describe the rest of your day for me, just so I can get a general picture."

"My day? Well, Joey let's me sleep until about ten, then I get up and play with Hope and get her back to sleep. While she sleeps, Joey and I usually clean up around here and Joey tries to take a nap...Hope usually wakes up and we play with her, then I have to go get dressed for work, I work for a while, then come home and the cycle starts over again."

"Do you and Joey get a chance to spend some time together?"

Pacey nodded, "Yeah...it depends on how long Hope sleeps as to how much time."

"And your relationship hasn't been strained with the baby's arrival any?"

Pacey tilted his head to the side, "What do you mean?"

"Typically, when a couple introduces a third member into the family dynamic, or even a fourth or fifth, there's an added strain between the parents. I like to call it the adjustment period. You've got less time for one another, the baby comes the number one priority, there's little to no time for personal...pleasures."

Pacey smiled, "Well...uh...we do what we can."

"How do you think Joey's adjusting?"

He smiled, "I think she's adjusting okay."

She bounced Hope in her arms lightly, "It's like pulling teeth with you, Pacey."

He smirked, "You're not the first person to tell me that. My mother used to say the same thing."

"Have you and Joey encountered any problems?"

Pacey shrugged, "None I can think of."

"Nothing?" She seemed surprised.

"Well...I can't really think of anything that we fought over."

"Sometimes there are unspoken issues." She said simply, "Be they large or small."

Pacey shrugged, "I don't know what to tell you. Joey and I...we're happy."

"Oh, I'm not suggesting that you aren't!" Madeline shook her head for emphasis. "I just don't believe that things are all smooth sailing, life never is."

Pacey sighed and thought to himself, �What's taking Joey so long?�

"We'll move on," Madeline noticed his discomfort. "Tell me about her first doctor's appointment..."

Several minutes later, Joey walked down the hallway in her robe, rubbing a towel through her hair. "Pacey, I still need to--" She froze, seeing Madeline on the couch. "Oh God, I'm sorry Madeline. I didn't realize you were there."
"No problem, dear." Madeline waved her hand, "Pacey and I were just having a nice talk. Take your time."

Pacey gave Joey a look as he stood and walked towards her, "Would you mind watching Hope for just a minute," he asked Madeline.

"Oh, not at all." She shook her head, smiling down at the baby. "She's adorable."

Joey arched an eyebrow at Pacey as he led her down the hallway. "What's wrong?" She wondered, as she closed the bedroom door behind her.

He shook his head, "Hurry and get out there with me."

She frowned and grabbed a brush from the dresser, running it through her hair. "Is there a problem?"

"She's just asking questions I'm not comfortable with answering."

"Like what?" she wondered, opening a drawer and pulling out underwear.

"Like...us fighting. I told her we haven't been fighting...I didn't think she needed to know about the Dawson fight," he said sitting on the edge of the bed.

She smiled softly and let her robe drop as she pulled her clothes on. "We do fight."

"Yeah...but the fighting...I mean...I just...ugh, you talk to her. I don't wanna," he said falling back on the bed.

"You big baby," she chastised him as she pulled a skirt on. "She's just a woman, besides I need you."

He looked over at her, "I don't mind going out there with you and me...but I am not going back out there by myself."

"Pacey, she's going to eventually want to talk to you about our life. To make sure that we're providing for Hope."

"We are. Why can't she just take that answer? Why ask about...everything else? I mean what business is it of hers if our sex life is any good?"

"Because, if we're not having sex, then we're probably sexually frustrated and then that leads to further frustration. Kinda like what you're feeling right now." She replied with a sigh, pulling her sweater on. "Just like if we're fighting, or not eating right, or sleeping enough, or spending time together."

He sighed and rubbed his face, "I just don't wanna talk to her about it, okay? A man or a close friend...sure...but not...a woman."

She froze, "You talk about our sex life with your friends?"

"Jack? Yeah."

"You talk to Jack about sex!?"

"Yes. You talk to Jen about sex."

"That's different!"

"How is that different?"

"Because I don't talk about it! She does!"

"But you contribute...I've heard you. That baby monitor goes both ways, remember that."

"I never talk about us! Not specifically."

"You have problems about me talking to Jack about us?"

"Yes, I have problems with that." She put her hands on her hips, "How would you like it if I started complaining about your technique to Jen or something?"

"Who said I complained?"

"Same difference.�

He shook his head, "You're unbelievable."

"I don't want you to talk about our sex life. It's ours. And it's no ones business."

"Fine. My lips are sealed. But at the moment, we have more pressing issues like Madeline in the living room probably wondering what we're doing in here."

"Okay, Thank you." She took his hand. "Let's go face the music."

"Fine," he said standing and allowed her to lead him out to the living room.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Madeline." Joey smiled sweetly. "I'm sure Hope kept you company. She moved around the couch and sat down, tugging softly on Pacey's hand. He sat down and kept his eyes diverted away from Madeline.

"It's all right, I was glad to have a few moments alone with her. She's a very happy baby. You should both be proud of yourselves."

Joey flushed slightly, and rubbed her hand over Pacey's knee, "We couldn't do it without one another. And even then, we've had our rocky places." She smiled knowingly, "You wouldn't believe the drama over choosing a physician."

Pacey rolled his eyes and propped his hand on his hand that was resting on the arm of the couch. He wasn't happy at the moment and refused to pretend like he was. He wasn't comfortable with Madeline asking questions about his relationship with Joey. He wasn't comfortable with anyone asking questions about his relationship with Joey. He only confided in Jack because he needed someone to talk to.

Joey and Madeline chatted for a while, and Pacey looked on with a tolerant expression. Hope got fussy after a while and Pacey excused himself to give her a bottle before putting her down for her nap.

Pacey rocked the baby in the rocking chair, "You know...I don't like people, Hope. I've decided this tonight. I thought I would share it with you considering that I love you and you listen to me without arguing or yelling..."

He looked down at her and rubbed the top of her head, "You know, I don't know what I would do without you. You're like free therapy."

Joey arched her eyebrow as she entered the nursery, "You're using my daughter as a therapist?" She smiled at him, "No wonder you have problems."

"Be quiet you."

"She's gone now," she said, her voice low so as not to distract Hope.

"Thank God."

"You don't like her?"

"I don't like answering questions about us."

"Because...?" She knelt on the floor by his knee and brushed her fingers over Hope's cheek.

"Because it's...it's not something I want to talk about..."

"I don't either," Joey sighed. "But I don't want to lose Hope."

"Me either...how many more of these visits do we have to go through?"

"One a month," she rested her head against his knee, watching as Hope fought to keep her eyes open. "God, she's beautiful."

He nodded, "Yep. She is."

"I can't lose her, Pacey....it would kill me."

"Me too, Joey."

She turned her head and looked up at him. A soft sigh passed through her lips at the love she saw so perfectly displayed in his blue eyes as he looked down at the baby. Biting her lip she stood up abruptly and left. She cursed inwardly as she felt tears well in her eyes. God, there wasn't even any reason for her to be crying! She stalked into the kitchen and looked blindly around the room for something to do. Her eyes landed on the dirty baby bottles beside the sink, she turned the water on to hot and added soap, using her sleeve to wipe away tears that wouldn't stop falling.






"Okay, Hope," Joey turned to the baby and held out a deep pink cotton dress that scooped low over her breasts and contrasted nicely with her hair and a tight sleeveless blue-green silk that brought out her eyes. "Which would Daddy like best?"

The baby waved her hands, happily shaking the plush green turtle that rattled at her. "Yeah, yeah, I know. He probably doesn't even realize it's Valentine's Day." She looked between the two dresses, "...But he did say he'd he home early tonight..."

Hope blew spit bubbles.

"You're probably right," Joey sighed. "Better not get my hopes up, huh? So...which one?" She held the two dresses up again. "The sleeveless is probably too much. I'd never wear it around the house." She put it back in the closet and gave her daughter a reprimanding look, "And don't you start about how you've never seen me in the cotton one either." She slipped the dress over her head and gazed into her closet for a pair of shoes.

"Joey..." Pacey called from the living room, "Where are you?"

"We're in the bedroom," Joey replied, biting her lip. She lowered her voice and picked up Hope. "Don't breathe a word of what I said to Daddy."

Hope clapped her hands together as she stared up at her mother. Pacey's voice grew louder as he got closer to the bedroom, "You know, Jo, I was thinking..." he looked at Joey and smiled, "Wow, you look great. You going somewhere?"

"Well...no. Hope spit up on what I was wearing before, and so I changed..." she smiled lamely. "I just thought it'd be a nice change."

He nodded, "And it is..." he said still eyeing her. He had plans for them to go out that night, but decided to play with her a little bit. He left the flowers he'd bought for her laying on the couch with his jacket. He turned his attention to the baby, "Come to me, baby girl."

Joey handed him Hope, "I thought I'd dress her up a little today." She tweaked the pretty clip in her hair. "Since it's Valentines and all."

He looked up at her with a shocked look on his face, "Is it really? I completely forgot."

She shrugged a shoulder, mimicking indifference. "Understandable, you always were horrible with dates."

He shook his head, "I'm so sorry, Jo."

Smiling, she shook her head, "Why?"

"Because...as your husband I should remember a day like Valentine's Day and have flowers for you like the ones laying on the couch waiting for you and dinner reservations for you like the ones we have at 8:30...and Jack and Landon to baby sit who should be here in about thirty minutes." He smiled, "I owe that to you."

She laughed, her eyes glimmering, "You did all that?"

"Only one way to find out. Go look on the couch."

Joey smiled shyly at him and then hurried out of the room. She grinned slowly, spotting the roses surrounded by baby's breath. Reverently, she lifted them to her nose, inhaling deeply.

Pacey followed behind her and whispered to the baby, "I think Mommy likes her flowers."

"Mommy likes them very much," Joey carried them over to him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "You're such a sweetheart, Pace."

"I know."

"So humble too," She teased. "I'm just going to go put these in some water and I'll finish getting ready."

"Yeah, you do that."

She quickly got a vase from the kitchen and added water, taking her time to arrange the flowers before setting them on the dining room table. Checking once on Pacey and Hope before heading into the bathroom to do her make up.


Pacey rubbed the baby's head with his nose, "Your Mommy is such a girl sometimes. Acts like she doesn't want something when she really does. That's so silly to me, Hope. What about you?" The baby gurgled at him.

Joey strapped on her heels as she entered the living room, "How did you talk Jack and Landon into baby-sitting on Valentine's Day?"

He shrugged, "I convinced Landon that it would be good practice for him and Jack and well...he thought that was a brilliant idea and is dragging Jack with him."

She laughed, "Does Jack know that Landon's giving him some hands on practice?"

"Yes. Jack asked where they were going and Landon let it slip that they were coming here and Jack put two and two together. He's not happy but Landon persuaded him. And I don't want to know how, let's just say that he did."

"I don't want to know how either," she wrinkled her nose. "Why isn't Jack happy? Did he have other plans for them tonight?"

"I think he did but I think he plans consisted of staying in a bed."

"I'm surprised that those weren't your plans too."

He smiled, "They were at first but I decided you needed a night out on the town, so I altered them a little." Pacey looked down at the baby, then back up at her, "Oh yeah, pack a bag, we aren't staying here tonight. And don't argue, Jack and Landon are staying here. I gave Landon a list of her schedule, what to do in different scenarios and I dished out some money on this so please don't argue with me on this."

Her eyes widened slightly, and she moved closer to the baby. "But...she's only six weeks old, Pacey."

He smiled, "I know. But you need a night of uninterrupted sleep. They have the number of where we will be. If they need us, they can call us. If you need to call and check on them, you can call them. But you need to rest, Jo. I'm worried about you."

"Other parents survive like this all the time," Joey shook her head. "She's too young, Pacey. What if she wants me?"

"Then they can call us and we can come home. But you need this, so please, just go with it, okay?"

She took Hope from his arms and cradled the baby against her chest, "She's still so little..."

He put his hands on her shoulders, "She'll be fine. She's getting better about sleeping during the night. You just need one night of sleep Joey. Without her crying and waking you up at seven in the morning. And look at it this way, you'll be helping out a friend in doing this."

"Which friend would that be?"

"Jack and Landon. Landon is ready for the family...he just wants to see if Jack is too."

"You know...you're horrible. You know I can't argue with that."

He kissed her forehead, "I know."

"And you're actually going to let me sleep?"

He furrowed his brow, "Well...we might do a few things before we sleep, but you will sleep through the night. I can assure you of that."

She smiled softly, gazing up at him, "Good."

"Good? Which part is good?"

"Both. But I'm still going to worry about her."

"I know. Me too, believe me, I'll make sure you call and check on her." Pacey headed towards the back of the house, then turned, "Oh...I told...well, I told Landon that they could do what they wanted on your bed...as long as they washed the sheets. That's okay right?"

"Pa-cey!"

"What? They're doing a favor for us. I figured...what the hell?"

She wrinkled her nose again, "You couldn't have asked me first?"

"No, that would have ruined the surprise. And I told them to wash the sheets..." he said shrugging as he walked towards the back of the house.

"It's okay with me, but I think you need to picture exactly what it is they'll be doing on *our* bed tonight."

Pacey shook his head, "Nope, if I picture it, I won't leave."

"What does that mean?"

"It means if I picture what they will be doing on the bed, I won't leave because I'll stay here to protect it."

She laughed, "Exactly."

"So, come back here and tell me what you want me to put in this bag."

Joey followed him into the bedroom. "I guess, an extra pair of jeans, a bra, underwear, and a shirt. Nothing fancy. Oh, and um, a hair brush, make-up, toothpaste."

He looked over at her, "We're going for one night. You need all that stuff?"

"They're pretty much the basics, Pace."

"Okay."

The doorbell rang, and Joey left him to pack to answer the door. "Okay, Hope, you're going to be good for Jack and Landon, right?" She opened the door and smiled at the pair. "Hey guys."

Jack nodded and walked inside, "Hey, where's Pacey? I have to go kick his ass."

"In the bedroom," Joey stepped back as Jack made a bee line down the hallway. She gave Landon a sympathetic smile, "He'll come around, Landon, I'm sure of it."

Landon nodded, "Yeah. He's just mad because his plans are postponed a little."

"Well, like Pacey said, the bedroom's all yours. Just, please...change the sheets."

Landon nodded with a shy smile, "We will."

She handed Hope to him as Pacey and a frustrated looking Jack joined them in the living room. "Happy Valentine's Day."

Jack nodded, "Remember what I said, Pacey?"

He nodded, "I remember Jack."

"Ready to go?" Joey asked, arching a confused eyebrow at the two men.

Pacey nodded, "Oh yeah." He kissed Hope on the head, "Bye, baby. Scream a lot for Uncle Jack," he said casting a look over at Jack.

"Call us with *anything*." Joey said emphatically. "Anything it all...if she so much as breathes funny." She shot Jack a glare, "Don't you dare make fun of me, McPhee. I'm serious. Anything at all."

Jack nodded, "Leave already."

Pacey guided Joey out of the house, a hand on the small of her back, "Let's go. She's in good hands with Landon."

"She could be in the hands of the Pope and I'd still worry," she stopped short. "I forgot something."

He looked at her, "What?"

"Just...something." She pulled away from him, "Go warm up the car. I'll be right back."

He sighed, "Fine. But if you come out of that house with Hope, you are in big trouble."

"Damn, you got me." She winked at him and hurried back into the house.

He climbed into the car and put the bag into the back of the car. He put the key into the ignition and waited on Joey. He tapped the steering wheel and leaned his head against the headrest. The door opened, "You got everything now?" he asked.

"Yep, everything." She climbed into the car and buckled up.

Pacey smiled, "So we can go now?"

"Yes." She shot him a sly look, "You do remember that I hate surprises right?"

"Yes, I'm well aware of that. But I like surprising you...so enjoy it. You should know by now that my main goal in life is to irritate you as much as possible and since I know what does it the best, I try to do it as often as possible."

"That's not the Valentine's Day spirit, Pacey."

"It is when it comes to us," he said giving her a smile.

"You may not get your present then," she said haughtily, looking out the window with a barely there smile.

"Well...I could also not tell you what the rest of the plans are for the night..."

Her eyes widened, "You'd have told me?"

�Would have."

She pouted, "Pacey, please?"

"Well, I suppose I could tell you," he said passing a glance at her. She licked her lips and waited. "Well...I was thinking we could go eat at this restaurant I was thinking about buying...and then we could go to a nice little hotel that happens to have a Jacuzzi which is perfect for relaxing in..."

She smiled, "You're thinking of buying a restaurant? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because...it was a surprise."

"Which restaurant? Where is it? When are you going to buy it? How much?" She looked over at him excitedly.

"Well, I plan on changing the name...in the middle of Boston, I let them know next week, and you don't even want to know how much it costs."

She giggled, "You're probably right. So...these plans of yours. Is there room for us to make a pit stop?"

He looked over at her, then the clock on the dashboard, "It'll be quick, right?"

"That all depends."

"On?"

"How you react." She smiled sweetly.

"To?"

"Your present."

He looked over at her, then back at the road, "Where would you like for me to stop?"

"It'll wait until after dinner. I don't want us to be late for reservation."

He nodded, "Okay."







Pacey leaned back in his chair, "What do you think, Potter?" He watched as she sat back in her chair and smiled, "You think this is a good investment?"

"I think you could turn McDonalds into a four star restaurant, Pace. This place would be a piece of cake." She took a sip of her wine.

�You think so, huh?"

"I know so, Pace."

He smiled, "Well...I talk to the owner next week. But I have a feeling you're right. This place could make me a lot of money."

"Like money is what interested you." She shook her head and returned her glass to the table. "You love the challenge."

He tilted his head and grinned, "Yeah, I do."

"And you'll succeed." She shot him a grin, "And I'll have yet another reason to be proud of you."

He smirked, "Because there are so many."

"You have no idea."

He smiled, "You know, you need to stop with the compliments, I might let them go to my head and then where would we be?"

"I wont mention it."

"Thank you." The waiter came with the check and Pacey handed him his credit card. "So, you ready for the rest of our night?"

"Are you ready for yours?" She arched an eyebrow.

He smiled, "You think you're so sneaky and clever. But remember, for everything you plan, I've probably one upped you."

"We'll see." She gave him a secretive smile and finished off her wine.

The waiter came back with his card and the check. Pacey signed it, and held out his hand to Joey, "Shall we see?" She nodded and stood up, he started to lead her away, and she pulled him back, giving him a soft kiss. "What was that for?"

"Just because." She smiled at him, and then started toward the coat room.

When they stopped at the coat room and he gave them the number for their coats, he cupped her face and brought her lips back to his in a soft, sweet kiss. Her hands clutched his upper arms as he closed his eyes and got lost in the feel of her lips against his. She melted against him, letting the rest of the world fall away.
"Ahem?" The man behind the desk cleared his throat, "Excuse me?"

Pacey pulled away slowly and looked over at the man, "Hmmm?"

"Your coats?" He gave Pacey a knowing look, "You'd better save that for when you get home. We're a family restaurant." The college age blonde ran his eyes over Joey, "Not that I can blame you."

Pacey narrowed his eyes at the boy, then turned to Joey and held her coat open for her. She slipped it on and he then pulled his on as they left the restaurant, "What a jerk."

She smiled faintly, "Jealous?"

He looked over at her, "Jealous of what?"

"That he found me as appealing as you do."

"No one finds you as appealing as I do," he said kissing the side of her head as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"You do wonders for a girl's self confidence," she leaned into him as they walked to the car.

"Do I really?" he asked with a smile as he unlocked her door and held it open for her.

"It's amazing, really," she nodded, giving him a quick kiss before sliding into the seat.

He shut the door behind her and made his way to the other side of the car. He climbed in beside her and started the car, "Ready to go to the hotel?"

"You don't want your present first?" she arched an eyebrow at him as he shifted into reverse.

He looked over at her, "I suppose I do. Do I still need to stop somewhere?"

"Yeah," she smiled to herself. "It's not far. Just park on Henson street, somewhere near the bakery. It doesn't really matter. We have to walk a little ways."

He shrugged and did as she asked. He put the car in park, then cut the engine. He climbed out and helped her out of the car, "Okay, where to?"

"This way," she took his hand and they started walking down the street.

He looked over at her, "So, you happy to have a night out of the house?"

"Yes and no," she shrugged her shoulder, glancing over at him. "It's great to be out, spending time with you. But I miss Hope."
He nodded, "I miss her too." He looked around, "So, where are we going?"

"This way," she said simply.

"Ha ha...funny. But where to? I mean, I know what direction we're walking and everything, but where does this lead?"

"I know you have some issues with patience, but humor me, okay?" They passed the bakery she'd spoken of, and then an auto parts store.

He was quiet as he walked beside her, extremely confused by where they were going, "Are we there yet?"

"Nope."

He groaned, "Come on...tell me where we're going."

"It's a surprise," she grinned.

He smirked, "I get it, because you hate surprises, you're giving me a taste of my own medicine."

"Just a little." She paused for a moment, "Or a lot."

He smiled, "Okay. To show you that I can handle it...I won't say another word."

She laughed, "Yeah, right."

"I won't."

She shot him a cheeky smile, "You just did."

"Shut up, woman. You know what I mean."

"Okay," she abruptly stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. To their right was a car dealership, and across the street a row of small shops. "We can stop."

He looked around, "What are we doing here?"

"Just give me a second." She released his hand and dug through her purse. "Aha," she handed him a rubber headed key.

He looked at the key in his hand, then back at her, "What did you do?"

She bit her lip, and looked away to dig back into her purse. This time, she pulled out a matchbox car, specifically a little red sports car that looked almost identical to a cherry red Dodge Viper sitting in the lot in front of them.

He shook his head, "Tell me you didn't. Please tell me you didn't."

"I wont lie to you," She forced a nervous smile.

He sighed, "Joey...excuse me for asking this...but how the hell can you afford this?"

"Just know that I can." He didn't look appeased, she continued, "I traded in my car, since I figured, with this one, you probably don't need yours, and could give it to me. And don't worry about how I made up the difference."

He sighed, "So that's where your car is? You...traded it in...what...how...uh..." he laughed nervously, "I think I'm at a loss for words."

"That's a first," She shot him a smile and walked toward the locked gate and fished out the key the dealer had given her. "You want to come see it?"

He nodded slowly, still dumbfounded, "Y-yeah."

She slid the gate open enough for them to slip through and then closed it again. "I'm not good with cars, but I know you've always wanted a Viper. Landon helped me choose this one, the seats are black leather, and according to him, the stereo system is the best on the market." She touched the smooth metal and ran her fingers along the roof as she rambled, "It's got 450 horse power, whatever that means. And it's an eight liter V10 engine, which is supposed to be good, right?"

He nodded, "Yeah...Joey, this...this is amazing. I mean..." he shook his head, "I'm completely...shocked to say the least."

Her smile widened, "Good. That was the idea. I told the dealer I was bringing you in tonight to take it home. So we can either take it to the hotel with us, or we can stop back at the house and drop one of the cars off."

He smiled, "Well, there's always option number three. We leave my car right where it is, and we take this one to the hotel. Then we can pick the other one up in the morning."

She nodded, "We could do that too. You really like it?"

He looked at the car again, "Oh you have no idea, Joey. Come on, let's go."

"You get it, I have to lock the gate." She grinned proudly to herself as she turned away and walked back to the gate. A little thrill darted along her spine as she heard him rev the engine.

He pulled out of the gate and Joey shut it and locked it behind him. She opened the door and climbed in. He looked over at her and grinned, "Fasten your seat belt, cause we're gonna fly."

"Oh, dear God." She quickly pulled her seat belt across her chest and leaned back. "Please don't kill someone."

"I won't." He shifted the car into gear and sped down the street. When they stopped at a light, he looked over at her, "Ready to go to the hotel now?"

"Oh yeah," she smiled, running her hands along the leather interior. "A hotel sounds really good right now."

He nodded and when the light turned green, he sped off in the direction of the hotel, "I still can't get over this."

"She's all yours, Pace." She grinned, "I know you'd never buy it for yourself."

He shook his head, "I wouldn't."

"You deserve it," she brushed her hair back, and studied the expression on his face.

He pulled into the parking lot and noticed her looking at him, "What?"

She blushed faintly, having been caught. "You just look incredibly sexy behind the wheel."

He smiled and pulled into a space, "I know you want me, but try to contain yourself. This car isn't big enough to do anything in."

"So, have I sufficiently surprised you?"

"Oh yeah," he said cutting the engine and looking over at her, "You have surprised me."

She turned her head to give him a quick kiss and then slipped out of the car. "Let's go."

Pacey followed Joey inside as he walked over to the desk, then looked at Joey, "We forgot something."

"What's that?" she wondered, eyeing the pay phones in the lobby longingly.

"Our stuff is in the other car," he said as he signed his name to the room they had reservations for. He looked at her as she stared at the pay phones. He smiled, "Why don't you go call home, and I'll finish up over here."

"There's a phone in our room, right? I can wait." She slid her arm around his waist.
"You sure?" He asked with a smile.

"Yeah," she leaned her head a against his shoulder and masked a tiny yawn.

He looked down at her and smiled, "You're tired aren't you?" The man handed him the key to the room and they made their way to the elevator.

She shrugged a shoulder, "Maybe a little."

The elevator made it's way to the top floor and they walked off the elevator to the left. Pacey slid in the keycard and walked inside, pulling Joey behind him. "I suppose we could go to sleep if you want," he said softly behind her as she walked in and surveyed the large living room portion of the room.

Her eyes widened, "Did you rent an entire suite?"

"Well...yeah."

She dropped her purse on the coffee table and turned a circle, taking in the pale paint, the soft furniture and tasteful decor. Moving to one of the doors, she pulled it open, "Jacuzzi, nice."

"Yeah, I said it had one," he said shrugging out of his coat then taking a seat on the couch.

"I didn't realize it'd fit two people," she winked at him and spotted the phone. "Let me just call and check on Hope." She quickly dialed the number and sat down beside him on the couch.

He smiled, "Call away."

After a few minutes, she hung up and gave Pacey a funny look. "I think they were having sex."

Pacey laughed, "Are you surprised?"

She stuck her tongue out at him, "Don't start with me, Witter."

"What gave you the impression they were having sex?"

"I could hear Landon in the background asking Jack to come back to bed."

Pacey smiled, "Well, you can't blame them. It is Valentine's Day after all."

"It is, isn't it?"

He nodded and smiled, "You wanna see how well that Jacuzzi works?"

"Sounds heavenly..."

He stood and pulled her behind him into the bathroom. "I called ahead and had them fill this thing up," he said as he started the jets. He removed his shirt, then walked out of the bathroom, "I'm gonna call room service, you can go ahead and get in if you want."

She smiled after him as he went, admiring the play of his muscles as he walked away. Pulling the zipper of her dress down, she slipped out of the material, letting it pool at her feet. As quickly as she could, she finished undressing and folded the clothes on the counter. Tentatively, she dipped her toes into the steaming water and then slid into the roiling water.

Pacey came back into the bathroom, two flutes and a bottle of champagne in his hands. "I think that is the most relaxed I've seen you in weeks."

Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at him, "I forgot what a bath felt like."

He set the items he brought with him on the edge of the Jacuzzi and quickly removed the rest of his clothes, "Yeah, you're usually in too big of a rush to have one." He finally joined her in the Jacuzzi and smiled at her, "Nice and warm."

"Champagne?" She arched an eyebrow at him as she leaned forward to grab the bottle, the bubbles clinging to her breasts.

Pacey watched as the water moved over her body, "Sounds good."

She handed him a glass and took the second for her self, taking a small sip of the bubbling liquid. "I have to say, this has been a great Valentine's Day. Not at all what I expected."

He tilted his head at her, "What did you expect, if you don't mind me asking," he asked as a smirk played at his lips.

"I expected nothing, actually." She smiled at him, "Well, I expected you to pitch a fit when I gave you the car, but that was about it."

He shook his head, "So not pitching a fit about the car. That would be you who does that."

She shrugged a shoulder and took another sip, sliding her red tipped toes along his calf, "So I'm a little bit anal when it comes to money."

"A little? I think you embody the words tight-wad."

"I just bought you a 75,000 dollar car."

"Yeah...but that was because you, madam, are crazy."
"Only slightly."

He took the flute from her hand and set it on the edge of the Jacuzzi. He pulled her to him and brought her back against his chest. He moved his hands over her shoulders, massing the muscles gently with the right amount of pressure. When she let out a soft moan and rested her head back against his shoulder, "Feel good?"

"Good doesn't even describe," she sighed, running her hands over his thighs under the water. She moaned again as his thumbs dissolved a tight not.

"You're so tense..." he said placing several kisses beneath her ear.

"If you keep this up, I'm going to melt right into the water," she nuzzled her forehead against his neck.

He smiled, "So you want me to stop?"

"Don't you dare."

He chuckled softly, "Well, I don't want you to melt...I have plans for you."

"What kind of plans?" She murmured.

"I'd rather show you," he whispered.

"Hmm," she could feel her blood begin to warm. Her eyes slipped closed at his intoxicating touch. "Show away..."

His hands slipped away from her shoulders and moved under her arms to cup her breasts in his hands. His lips moved over her neck and shoulder as his fingers pinched her nipples. She moaned as he lightly nibbled on her neck.

"You're too good to me," she sighed, leaning against him to feel his erection press against her.

"Actually, I think it's you who are too good to me," he said as one hand traveled down her body to find her clit and his fingers stroked over it slowly.

She shifted restlessly, trying to force more gratifying contact. "Can we...ohhh," she dug her nails into his thighs, arching her body towards his hand.

"Can we what?"

"Do this...in the tub," she pulled away from him and turned around. She slid her hand through the soapy water and gripped him in her fist. "I mean, is it possible?"

He leaned in and kissed her, then pulled away slowly. He groaned as she stroked over him, "Oh, it is so possible." He gripped her hips and she guided him into her. They both moaned as he entered her, "Oh God..." he said softly, then leaned forward and bit her nipple softly.

She slid her hands over his shoulders, her wet fingers gliding into his hair, holding him against her. Experimentally, she rocked against him, the water rolling between and around them in a seductive caress. He moved his lips over her neck, unable to stop licking or kissing her. His hands moved over her back, then rested on her ass, squeezing the soft flesh in his large hands. She moaned above him as his lips nibbled over her throat.

"I like this..." she gasped, gripping his shoulders tightly, the water flowing between them every time they parted.

He groaned, "Me too." He couldn't keep his hands from moving over her body, over her thighs, over her ass, her back, up to tangle in her hair. He began thrusting up to meet her stroke for stroke. He closed his eyes as her nails dug into his shoulders, "God, Joey..."

Leaning forward she caught his lower lip between hers to muffle her cries as she got closer and closer to completion. The water splashed around them and over the sides of the tub, as Joey tightened her legs around his hips. She broke the kiss, her back arching as her orgasm crashed through her and she cried his name, the sound echoing through the bathroom.

Her orgasm triggered his moments later as her body shook with it's release. He panted her name as he came, whispering it reverently as he moved his hand over her back, slowly rubbing over the wet skin. He kissed her on the cheek as she rested her forehead against his shoulder.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Thank you? For what?" he asked softly.

"Everything," she sighed, brushing her lips against his neck.

He smiled, "Well...thank you too."

"I didn't do anything," she murmured.

"You didn't do anything? Joey you bought me a car. How is that not doing anything?"

"I see your point," she nuzzled closer to him.

"Come on, we need to get out. I promised you a night of uninterrupted sleep."

She pulled away from him, shivering as the cool water replaced the feel of his body against hers. "If we must."

"We must." He removed her from his lap and stood. He climbed out of the Jacuzzi and reached for one of the robes hanging on the wall. He held it out for her and watched as she climbed out of the Jacuzzi and slipped it on. He grabbed his own and led her into the adjoining bedroom.

She covered a yawn and stood beside him, letting him dictate the rest of their evening. "I don't have any pajamas, Pace."

He smiled, "I know. Remember, we left the bag. So you either sleep in the robe or sleep in the nude." She shrugged the robe off, letting it fall to the ground. He smiled, "Now that's what I like to see: a naked Joey Potter," he said wrapping his arms around her from behind.

"Hmmm, what about you?"

"Oh, I plan on sleeping buck-ass naked," he said with a smile, kissing the side of her head, then undoing the tie to his robe.

She slid beneath the covers, and held them open for him, "Come here, you."

He dropped the robe to the ground and joined her in the bed, "Here I am," he said with a smile.

She slid her arms around his chest and kissed his neck as she snuggled close. "If you want..." she yawned. "We don't have to go to sleep yet."

He smiled, "Jo...you're yawning. That's not exactly the best way to say 'let's have sex'. Besides, we can take some time in the morning...I did promise you sleep, so I like to keep my promises."

"If you say so," she wrapped one leg around his and rested her head against his chest to listen to his heartbeat. "Happy Valentine's Day, Pace."

"Mmm, Happy Valentines Day, Potter," he said as he closed his eyes.