Disclaimer: I am Holly, not Kevin Williamson or any of the people at the WB, therefore I do not own Dawson's Creek. Ha! I am just borrowing them for a while.

Author's note: Thank you Robin, Tammy, and Lexie. And my mom who actually supports me in writing these things.

"Dawson!" Joey laughed. "What are you doing!?" Dawson refused to remove his hands from Joey's eyes.

"You'll see,"he said, non relenting to her pleas to let her see. He guided her carefully up the steps, being sure to leave her now wide body plenty of room.

"Dawson,"She demanded, "Take your hands off my eyes!"

"C'mon, Mommy," He lamented. "Let me have some fun." Joey groaned as she struggled up the steps.

"Okay," said Dawson, "Keep your eyes closed." He removed his hands and looked at her suspiciously to be sure she wasn't peeking. He then rushed around making last minute adjustments to the tiny apartment he and Mitch had just finished up the day before.

"Alright," He said coming up behind her and putting his arms around Joey's shoulders. "You can open them." Joey's eyes opened wide as she looked at what the Leery's had done in one short month.

"Oh, my god, Dawson," she intook a sharp gasp. "It's amazing. I can't-you did this all in four weeks?" She looked at him nodding like a pleased puppy. She turned and gave him a hug.

"Uh, be careful with that stomach of yours. It should be a registered weapon there."

"Oh," she swatted him. "Don't be an ass and ruin this." Dawson hugged her and glanced about the small room.

"You really like it?" He asked her. She nodded.

"Yes, I really like it." It looked very homey to her. She felt safe and secure and a part of a real family.

A small second hand couch had been moved into the sitting/kitchen room. Dawson's television had been moved up the night before along with his VCR and tape collection. Joey noted with amusement the Spielburg posters decorating the walls. Guess some things really don't ever change, she thought to herself. An afghan was thrown over the couch that was in such good taste Joey supposed Gail had contributed it. A floor lamp cast warm light over the room.

The kitchen was miniscule, but well equipped with a sink, oven, microwave and refrigerator, all second hand, but in fine condition. The bedroom had a bed from the guest room downstairs, since it was bigger, but Dawson's sheets made it up. There was also a rocker. Dawson watched Joey's hands run slowly over the fine wood.

"That's from Gail," he commented. "She used to rock me in it." Joey nodded, not ready to look up from the chair quite yet. The rest of the small bedroom was simple, with an adjoining door into a bathroom. A crib was set off to the side of the room.

"I can't believe that in three weeks our son will be lying in that crib," Dawson said wonderingly.

"Yeah," said Joey and after a slight delay she put in sternly, "Daughter." Dawson laughed and reached over to hold her hand.

"What do you think Jo? If you like it, which you better after the long back breaking work I put into it, it's ours free of rent." Dawson looked at Joey.

"I think-I think we owe Mitch and Gail" She was quiet for a moment. Dawson didn't press her, knowing she was thinking. "I think I could bring up our daughter here. I think I could spend the next couple of years living with you here." Dawson hugged her hard.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," she whispered back. They stood there hugging for a few moments until Dawson spoke again.

"Joey?"

"Yeah?"

"Son."

"Something in your eyes makes me want to lose myself,
Makes me want to lose myself in your heart
There's something in your voice
Makes my heart beat fast
Hope this feeling lasts the rest of my life

If you knew how lonely my life has been
And how long I've been so alone
If you knew how I wanted someone to call my love
And change my life the way you've done

It feels like home to me
It feels like home to me
It feels like I'm on my way back where I come from
It feels like home to me
It feels like home to me
It feels like I'm on the way back where I belong

A window breaks
Down the long dark street
And a siren rings in the night
But I am alright
Cause I have you here with me
And I can almost see
Through the dark there is light

If you knew how much this moment means tome
And how long I've waited for your touch
If you knew how happy you are making me
I never thought that I'd love anyone so much

It feels like home to me
It feels like home to me
It feels like I'm on my way back to where I'm from
It feels like home to me
It feels like home to me
It feels like I'm on way back where I belong..."
Chantal Krevuziak-Feels Like Home

Joey was unpacking her clothes into the dresser in the bedroom and still yelling out to Dawson thirty minutes later.

"Dawson, I am carrying this child inside of me, and I am telling you it is a girl!" Dawson grinned as he came into the room, carrying a glass of lemonade for Joey.

"And I am every bit as sure that-" All of a sudden Dawson broke off. There was a knock at the door leading to their apartment. He feigned shock. "Now, who could that be?" Joey looked at him suspiciously.

"What have you done, Dawson Leery?"

"Nothing, Josephine Potter," Dawson smirked. Joey walked out to the door and swung it open. There stood Jen, Jen's beau of the moment, Randy, Andie, Pacey, and Jack.

"Guys,"Dawson said, coming up from behind Joey. "What in the world are you doing here?"

"What are you talking about?" Andie said. "You told us to come for a baby shower slash house warming party today at four." Pacey smacked his hand against his head. Andie looked around confused. "What," she asked. Joey looked up at Dawson and smirked.

"Smooth, very smooth, honey," Said Pacey taking Andie's hand. He started up the steps with her in tow and handed Joey a gift.

"Sorry, man," He said when he got to Dawson. Dawson shrugged and grinned good naturedly.

Jack followed after them. He gave Joey a quick kiss on the cheek and handed her another package, grinning sheepishly.

"Sorry," he mouthed.

"Yeah, you should be sorry, you rat. How dare you not prepare me for this?" Jack glanced at Dawson.

"I was threatened on the pain of death," He shrugged. Jen and Randy followed suit, handing Joey two packages.

"Thank you," she said. "Hi, Randy."

"Hey, Joey," he was very obvious about looking at her huge stomach. Jen groaned and dragged Randy up the stairs. Joey closed the door after making sure there were no more surprises awaiting her.

She looked up at Dawson who was still standing in the middle of the steps. "You die now," she said, trying to hide her pleasure at having her friends over.

"Oh, please," said Dawson as he held out his hand to help her up the stairs.

"-I'm telling you, I read it in one of those What To Expect When Your Expecting Books. If the woman carries the baby low, it's a boy." Dawson said argumentativly. Pacey nodded. Jen threw a kernel of popcorn at Dawson. "What? I'm serious!" Joey just groaned from the armchair she was sitting in, trying to rest her back. Sheryl Crow played from the cd player.

"You wanna get in on this with me here, Jack?" asked Dawson.

Jack shook his head. "Sorry, Dawson. I'm inclined to go with the girls here. I think the mommies tend to have sixth senses about these things."

"Thank you!" Said Andie. Pacey shook his head.

"No way, it's gonna be a Pacey Jr."

"Now that I can garuntee you it won't be Pacey Witter," Joey spoke up. Everyone laughed, including Pacey.

"How about you, Randy?" Asked Dawson. "What do you think?"

"Uh, well," Randy bumbled. " I don't really know much about-that." He pointed to Joey's stomach. Jen rolled her eyes and smacked him lightly on his arm. Joey and Dawson began to laugh hysterically.

"Neither did we until about eight months ago," Dawson pointed out. Randy was basically a really great guy. He treated Jen really well, however, he had this habit of turning red whenever confronted with Joey's stomach. Joey sincerely hoped that would end once this child had decide to habitate outside of her body.

"Ugh, I can't wait until this baby, whatever it is, decides it's time to make it's entrance. My feet hurt, my back hurts, my fingers are swollen.." Dawson looked tired suddenly.

"C'mere, babe," He said. Joey gave him a look. "Sorry, sorry. C'mere, Jo," He corrected himself. She walked over to Dawson's spot on the couch. He absentmindedly began to rub her shoulders. Andie glanced at the two of them, who suddenly looked what they were; two teenagers who had to grow up to fast and in a matter of weeks were going to be responsible for another human being. She forgot that sometimes, looking at how well the two of them were doing, even with Joey's huge stomach.

"Okay," she said cheerfully. "It's present time!"

Joey perked up a bit at these words. Dawson began to remove his hands from her shoulders and she said "Don't even think about it Leery! I can open these presents while you rub." He chuckled and continued to massage her shoulders as Andie handed over the first present.

"This is from me and Pacey," she said. Joey smiled and opened it, carefully to keep from ripping the wrapping paper. Inside the box was a pink jumper and a blue one.

Jen giggled from Randy's arms and said, "Aah, the Great Debate continues. Also inside of the box was a teddy bear with no priable parts. "Thank you, Andie, Jailbait," Joey said, stopping Dawson from rubbing, so she could give Andie a hug. Pacey leaned over and handed her another gift.

"This is only from me since my wonderful, supportive girlfriend refused to put her name on it." Andie rolled her eyes.

"Open it and you'll see why," she said.

Inside there were two white t-shirts, one for Dawson and one for Joey. Dawson's said I'm With Dumb, and Joey's said I'm With Even Dumber. "There you go, Ice Princess," said Pacey. "Something to cheer you up." Joey had to laugh, the shirts were so dumb. "See?" Said Pacey smugly. "I made her laugh." Andie swatted him. Joey laughed even harder, as did Dawson.

They hadn't had fun like this in years, it seemed. Joey opened her other presents (clothes from Jen, a rattle and bottles from Randy, surprising them all, and a beautiful print to hang over the babies cradle from Jack.) before Dawson brought out the special present from Bessie that she and Dawson had spent last weekend hunting for-Joey's security blanket. Every one awwed and oohed as Dawson showed off 'Mr. BaaBaa' as Joey had called him. Joey could only manage to hide her face in a couch cushion.

"Danielle, Rae, Marie, Ann..."Andie rambled off a long list of names as everyone looked around bored. They (minus Randy, who had left for summer football practice ) had been playing See How Many Bad Names We Can Come Up With To Torture This Child Before It's Even Born for about an hour.

"Okay!" Said Andie. "Your all bored. I can see that. Let's play something else." The entire group glanced at her in wonderment.

"How can one person be so eternally perky?" Asked Pacey.

"Riddalin?" Suggested Jen. Andie gave them all a look.

"Very funny!" She said. "I know-let's play a game." They all looked at her expectantly. "What? Do I have to come up with all the ideas around here?" Everyone nodded almost in unison. "Allright, fine...Ooo! I know! Truth or Dare!" Joey looked at Dawson who in turn looked at Pacey who then turned to Jen. The four of them exchanged quick glances of horror.

"What!?" Asked Andie, glancing at the four of them. She looked over at Jack, who shrugged. Andie pouted. "Why don't I ever get anything? I'm always out of the loop!"

After convincing Andie that Truth or Dare was a bad, evil, 90210 and Melrose Place kind of evil, thing, the group talked late into the night. Around ten pm, Jen got around to asking the big question. "So, Dawson, Joey, confession time."

"Yes?" Joey raised her eyebrows.

"What were the circumstances surrounding the ahem..shall I say, conception?" Joey looked at Dawson, who in turn looked at her. She detected the faintest tinge of red in his face. Joey turned to her four closest friends and be it because she was feeling safe in her new home or loved by all these people surrounding her, she decided to tell them. Jen looked shocked that Joey was actually saying this as she began to talk.

"Might as well set rumors straight, right?" She gave her famous half smile after looking at Dawson. He held her hand, and nodded his permission. "It's all Speilburg Jr.'s fault over there that I've turned into a whale," She joked. "See, Dawson got it into his kooky mind that our two month, two week, and two day anniversary of reuniting was very important. So he cooks us this huge meal and plays all my favorite CD's and during dinner he told me."

"Told you what?" Jen asked.

"How when we were married in another lifetime he punched the rich guy at the bar out," Joey and Dawson smiled their secret smile at one another. Grinning, Joey turned back to her very confused audience. "Never mind," She said. "The important thing is that you understand that was the single most beautiful, romantic thing Mr. Charm over there could ever say to me. So,not to be crude, but I had no choice but to let him have his way with me." Joey grinned still looking in Dawson's eyes. He grinned right back.

The other four people in the room felt a bond between the six of them that night at Joey having shared something so personal, since she wasn't the type to do something like that often. And Dawson realized exactly how much his Joey loved him.

Two weeks later Dawson and Joey were lying snuggled under the afghan on their couch. As Carrie played out on screen, Dawson hugged Joey a little closer to him.

All of a sudden she let out a small gasp. "What? What? Did I hurt you?" Dawson panicked. Joey smiled slightly.

"No, I just felt a twinge."

"A twinge? What kind of twinge? A bad twinge?"

"Dawson, calm down. I was going to tell you. I had a doctor's appointment while you were at school today. I didn't want to tell you, because I didn't think you should miss a day a week into school. Anyway, Dr. Petterson said I was about a centimeter dialated and that the baby had dropped. But she also said it could be a couple more days," Joey said to Dawson's shocked expression. "I guess the baby doesn't want to wait that long to see us, huh?" She put her hand to her stomach again.

Dawson was speechless. He sat there stunned for a moment before galloping down the stairs screaming, "MOM! DAD! MOM! DAD!"

Joey laughed. "Mama's boy."

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