     
Prologue
by Dannie and Rinny 
Authors Note: This story takes place after Four To Tango, disregard everything after that.
Dedication: To Heather, Charley, Kristine, Carrie and everyone else who we've been torturing with snipits of this story. Well, it's finally done. Enjoy! Don't forget... send us feedback!
"Hey, not so fast, you two." Penny Pretty stopped the young couple from leaving her dance studio. "There's a class about to start." Pacey and Joey had quickly become her favorite students. They couldn't dance worth beans,
but throughout the week they had amused her to no end.
Joey paused mildly amused. "I think we've done enough dancing for a lifetime." She nodded in the affirmative, brown ponytail bouncing along the back of her head.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, let's not get too hasty here." Pacey stopped her, a smile on his face, relieved that he and Joey were back to their usual banter. After all, there had been a reason for spending the last week ballroom dancing,
"We've still got a scholarship to work for, right?" He reminded Joey.
Penny's face fell and she shifted her weight, "Oh, about that scholarship..." she winced, "Things have been kind of tight here at the Starlight."
Joey's mouth dropped open as realization shifted in. This could not be happening. "There's no scholarship?" she asked, even though she had a feeling she already knew the answer.
"No, but what I can offer you is six months of free dance lessons," Penny said trying to make amends.
Joey fought back a laugh. Dance lessons? Did she not just bare witness to the atrocity that was she and Pacey on a dance floor? She decided to humor her. "And what would we do with those?"
She smiled at them as they exchanged an amused look, "The cha-cha, the rumba, the meringue, when you're ready, the tango. It's the dance of love." She enticed.
Joey shook her head not buying into the idea. "Thanks, but no thanks." She turned to go.
Pacey grinned, pulling Joey to a halt, "Come on, think about this for a second, don't be too hasty." He thought back on the evening's events, some how he didn't feel like it had been a failure. "We may have found our calling in this dance studio."
Joey turned to him a smirk playing on her lips. "Give it up, Pacey." She cocked her head to the side, "You definitely were not that good." Penny smiled to herself as Joey pulled a laughing Pacey away by the hand. There was just something about the two of them.
They exited the building, stepping out into the cool night air, Pacey allowing her to drag him along. "After all that... and
there's no scholarship. Don't you feel stupid?" he goaded her.
Joey immediately released his hand from her grasp and glared. "How was I supposed to know?"
"Oh, there's this little thing called a question. It's what you ask when you want to know information about something." He spoke down to her in a soft tone, mimicking an Elementary school teacher, an amused glint in his eyes.
Joey scowled, slightly embarrassed over what had happened. "Oh just shut up, Pacey."
"But, for the record, I rather enjoyed myself up until tonight." He made a horrible attempt at box step as they walked. "I think my dancing skills have increased considerably." He grinned
Joey laughed at Pacey�s weak attempt at dancing, feeling a little bit better. "If I knew you were going to be this terrible, I would have just asked Dawson. You're hopeless."
"Helpless, not hopeless." He corrected. "Admit it, Potter. You needed me."
Joey smiled. "Correction. You needed me to help you pull up that stellar �F� you've been passing around as a grade in math."
"Ah, ah, ah,� he chided playfully. �Correction, you need me. I'm the person without which the Bed and Breakfast would be non-existent."
Joey stopped. "I vote for a re-write. The Bed and Breakfast was my idea; all you're good for is cheap help."
"That's not the only thing I'm good at and charge cheaply for..." he wagged his eyebrows in her general direction. It was an awkward moment after the words fell from his lips like lead. It wasn't the most intelligent thing he could have said in light of the evening�s events.
Joey inhaled sharply and rubbed her hands together in a weak attempt for warmth. "Please, spare me the details. I really don't feel like having to empty the contents of my stomach."
"Don't even try to convince me you haven't thought about me in that way." He teased.
"The idea that you would even think I thought of you in such way is actually laughable, because there's no way in hell such a thing would happen." Joey frowned crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"Right, right," he nodded with a small smile, "Of course. It completely slipped my mind how much you hate me. Don't worry, it won't happen again." He assured her as they continued down the street.
Joey rolled her eyes and continued walking in a stoic silence. Her mind to preoccupied to bother arguing with Pacey. She couldn�t help but continue to replay her previous conversation with Dawson and the look in his eyes when he told her he could never sleep with anyone he didn�t love. It had struck a chord in her forcing her to realize that there was still an unspoken chapter yo the Dawson Leery-slash-Joey Potter saga. Did she still like him? Did she want more? After their conversation on Witch Island, it had seemed like they were back on the right track, friendship wise at least. She sighed. Did she have to answer all of this tonight?
"So, Potter," he said after a few moments of silence, "Have I lost my tutor now that our ballroom dancing arrangement is null and void?"
She shrugged, glad for the reprieve from her thoughts. "I don't know. It'd be kind of mean of me to leave you to squander in academic loserdom and the deal was dancing lessons in exchange for a passing grade..." Joey sighed.
"So I guess I'm still stuck resuscitating your grade."
"And for that, I'm eternally thankful." He smiled, "In return for services rendered, every spare moment I have will be devoted to the Bed and Breakfast until it's finished."
"Somehow, that doesn't sound so reassuring, but sure. Whatever."
"Hey, I know my way around a hammer and nail... unlike a certain someone who shall remain nameless. Rest easy, the B & B is in good hands."
"Let's just hope you're better at wielding a hammer and nails than dancing, because Pacey, and I say this as a friend-well, acquaintance, you suck."
"Hey, it takes two to tango, and I personally think my 'horrid' dancing skills are but a reflection of your own."
Joey snickered. "Puh-lease, there's no way you're going to blame me because you have two left feet."
"I do not have two left feet." He protested.
Joey tried hard to suppress a smile. "Do too! You're rhythmically inept or something."
"That's hardly my fault. There's no rhythm in that ballroom crap, it can hardly be considered music," he scoffed, "Under normal circumstances, I can dance beautifully."
Joey smirked and crossed her arms over her chest in defiance. "Prove it".
He smirked right back at her, "I need a partner here, Potter." He took her hand and pulled her to face him. The other hand found the soft curve of her waist. "You willing?" he asked with a seductive smile, his voice a husky whisper.
Joey felt her face flush slightly in embarrassment, but she was never one to turn down a challenge. "Fine," she retorted hotly.
"See, this isn't so bad now is it?" he asked teasing her. A strand of her hair had fallen loose from her ponytail; gently he tucked it behind her ear.
Joey glanced around self-consciously, ignoring the jolt that passed through her body when Pacey�s hand grazed her face. "What if someone sees us?" she hissed.
"It's 9:30 at night, Joey. Anyone we'd care about seeing us is already at home watching Roswell." He swung her around gently, releasing her waist so only their hands were making contact, then he pulled her back into his embrace.
"We look like idiots. I look like an idiot,� she corrected herself, �This probably doesn't faze you at all." Joey continued to avert her eyes over their surroundings for fear of looking at him, scared of what would happen if she did.
"Of course not; you know my goal in life is to make you look like a fool. And if I look like an idiot in the process, so be it." He grinned, spinning her around, "Everyone in this town already knows I'm an idiot."
Joey smiled half-heartedly. "You're not an idiot."
"That was kind of you," He commented, with a sly smile.
Joey's eyes narrowed, realizing her faux pas. "Just don't tell anyone I said that."
"Fear not, milady," he said grandly, before his voice sank into a whisper, "You're secret's safe with me."
"I'm overjoyed," Joey deadpanned.
"As well you should be,� he said with mock bravado.
Joey rolled her eyes at his obvious ego swell. "I'll try my best to suppress my enthusiasm."
"There's no need for that. You need to learn to enjoy yourself." He twirled her around. "Look at us, we're dancing on the docks under the moonlight, a rather romantic setting. And you can't even crack a smile."
"I'm too busy praying that you won't step on my feet to smile," Joey retorted. Pacey smirked, and deliberately stepped on her toe. "Ouch," Joey growled. "Smooth move, Romeo."
Pacey widened his eyes in innocence, "What? It was an accident." He led her along the docks. "Besides if I was really trying to play Romeo, the last thing I would be doing is wooing you with my dance moves."
"Or lack thereof," Joey commented.
"You know, you'd be a lot more attractive if you'd learn to keep the smart ass comments to yourself." he said dryly.
"In addition, you�d be a lot more of attractive if you- �Joey paused and shook her head, �Nope, you wouldn�t. Never mind."
"I'd be more attractive if I what?" he repeated softly, slowing the pace of their dancing so they were gently swaying.
Joey stared at him gaze unwavering and quickly looked away, unable to recognize the emotions she saw play across his eyes. She shifted uncomfortably. "If you weren't so...you," she said trying to save face.
"So what you mean is... if I were more like Dawson?" he suggested quietly, trying not to sound hurt.
Joey shook her head. "No, I didn't mean that."
"That's what you were thinking though, right? You said if I weren't so me, and the opposite of me is Dawson," he said logically, or so it seemed to him.
They stood in silence. The sound of gentle waves breaking against the dock interrupting the tranquility. Joey looked out toward the water to watch a boat drift farther from the shore. �No, I wasn't thinking that," she said quietly, after a moment of awkward silence.
"What were you thinking then?" he questioned, touching her chin to direct her eyes back to his.
Joey shrugged and quickly turned her face back at the water. "I'm thinking that it's late and I need to get home."
Pacey nodded and released her from his grasp. Awkwardly he stepped away, "Yeah, you're probably right."
Joey managed a small smile. "I usually am."
"Except this time." He tried to relieve the tension that had risen between them, "I think I more than adequately proved that I'm a rather good dancer."
Joey shrugged distractedly. "I guess you are."
"Is that an admittance from Joey Potter that I was right?" He hinted.
"No, let's just say that it's a possibility that alluded to the fact that you might be right."
He smiled, "I think I can live with that." He paused, giving her a sidelong look, he attempted to relieve the tension that was mounting between them. "Besides, I know you'll never admit that it was your fault."
"That's because it wasn't!" Joey exclaimed, pushing to the back of her mind her previous thoughts.
"Hey, Penny said it herself; you were trying to lead. If that's not a dancing faux pas, than what is?" He nudged her as they walked.
"I was just trying to give us some semblance of direction. You couldn't lead if you tried!" Joey replied indignantly.
"I couldn't try; you wouldn't let me." He countered. He looked thoughtful, "Actually, it was probably a good thing you were leading, I would have tried to direct us straight out the doors."
Joey grinned smugly. "So you see, totally not my fault. It's yours."
"It wasn't totally my fault, you were all tense and uppity the entire time." He defended chuckling.
Joey's eyes widened. "Was not! Maybe if I had a better partner I would have done better, but instead I was stuck with the likes of you."
"Hey, you weren't stuck with me, you forced me!" her reminded her.
Joey scowled. "If I hadn't conceded to such an idiotic compromise I wouldn't have bothered, but that's what happens when I let myself feel sorry for you."
"Doesn't bother me. I got what I wanted from our little arrangement and, you, dear Josephine, got the privilege of spending time with moi. So what are you complaining for?"
"Of course it wouldn't bother you, last time I checked you had no pride."
"I have pride," he countered, sounding like an insolent child.
"Yes, and it's not above quickies in a coat room," Joey spat, unsure of where this uneasiness was coming from.
Pacey's eyes fell to the wet cement in front of him. So that's where her attitude was coming from. He wracked his brain for someway to respond, as they continued on, the silence weighing heavily on them. Finally, he spoke, "I don't see where pride plays into any of that."
Joey shrugged. "Maybe not, but it's a shining example of what a hormonally driven pig you are."
"I'm more than hormones, Joey," he replied seriously. "You more than most should know that by now."
She coughed. "Excuse me, this coming from a guy that agreed to some sex only pact?"
"I admit, that was hormones. But think about it, neither Jen nor I was able to go through with it... that says something about us."
"What? You couldn't get it up or you couldn't find the time?" Joey retorted sharply.
Pacey stopped walking and looked at her, wounded. "Maybe this is a conversation we're better off not having," he said coldly.
Joey shrugged her shoulders, noncommittal. "I don't care anyway." She eyed him through her peripheral vision.
"Then why are we talking about it?" He questioned, lengthening his stride to catch up with her.
"I don't know, because I could care less about what you did and who you did it with."
"Fine, I move that we bring this conversation to a close."
Joey shrugged. "Fine."
"Fine."
Joey continued walking in silence, every so often casting a weary glance in Pacey's general direction. She sighed annoyed with herself for letting Pacey get under her skin so easily. It was just Pacey Witter, her sometimes sparring partner and friend; and she couldn't believe how easy it was for him to rile her up lately. She frowned, well that was her new resolve, to not let whatever Pacey did or say get to her.
Pacey walked beside her, his hands stuffed in his pockets as he walked her home. He doubted that he'd ever be able to redeem himself in her eyes after the whole 'sex pact'. Once a horn-dog always a horn dog, right? At least to her, it seemed. Pacey couldn't help but think back on Jen's words tonight. He couldn't possibly have more than friendly feelings for her. She was too uptight and critical and annoying and so... so Joey.
Joey coughed and turned to him, as her house came into view. "Well, I guess this is my stop."
"Yeah," he nodded his eyes remained trained on the ground.
Joey nodded, but was in no hurry to go in. "Yep�"
"So, we're okay now?" He asked hopefully.
Joey gazed down at her shoes, seemingly finding them more interesting. "Um�yeah...sure. I mean, it's no big deal. Right?" she questioned looking up at him.
"Right, no big deal. None of this should change things between us. We're still friends- well, sparring partners, anyway," he corrected himself.
She nodded. "Yeah. Well, good night."
"Night, Jo." He said softly, watching her climb the stairs.
Joey brushed a strand of brown hair behind her ear. "Night." She climbed up the steps, before turning back to Pacey and smiling weakly as an after thought. "Sparring partners or not, we are friends, Pacey. Despite all the evidence to the contrary." She managed one more grin before shutting the door softly behind her, happy.
Pacey smiled to himself as he walked away from the house. Enemy... punching bag... dancing partner... tutor... friend... who knew what she'd be next. It was probably better to just sit back with a smile and wait and see.
To be continued...
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