The airplane was cold and the view from the window was dark as flight 1226 taxied into LAX. Passengers would get off and get on as the plane remained at the gate for the next twenty minutes. Then there were some passengers who would remain on the flight through Boston. One of those passengers was Joey. She had fallen asleep shortly before the plane descended and awoke for a second before going back to sleep as passengers got off. Her dreams were filled with memories of her and Dawson. She had been so in love with him when they were young, or so she had thought. Joey remembered going off to Europe and the pain she felt, but she started to get letters from Pacey. Being away from home gave her new perspective because she saw intelligence in his letters, a person that she wanted to know better. So thus became a correspondence that lasted her stay there. She came back to Capeside over Dawson, with a new friendship, and the courage to admit to Jen that her actions where wrong and she wanted to be friends.

Joey opened her eyes to the sound of voices as the L.A. passengers were boarding the plane. It was then that she saw a tall, dark haired man of good build. He looked tired, but what really struck her was that he looked like Pacey. *Couldn't be, last time I saw Pacey he was in New York getting married......* Joey continued to watch him as he made his way down the aisle and for a moment he met her eyes before continuing past and Joey went to sleep again.

Pacey was looking for his seat when he met the gaze of a beautiful woman. A woman who looked like Joey. *Couldn't be* he thought and found his seat. As Pacey sat down he wished that it was Joey. He thought about how he got his act together through the rest of high school and was accepted to Columbia, the same collage as Joey. They were both happy to be getting out of Capeside and having a good friend with you was a comforting thought. They studied, ate, and spent most of their free time together. It was during the course of that first year that Pacey realized what he felt for Joey. But he couldn't shake that rejection in high school. He had put on a brave face, yet he hurt inside. What hurt more was not being able to tell Joey how he felt. He was still in love with her, but she had left and he had married Stacey. His heart belonged to her only she didn't know.

Memories flooded back to Joey, the day when she first realized the newness of her thoughts about Pacey. How she wondered what it would be like to be held in his arms or that if he kissed her again she wouldn't push away. Joey remembered feeling a wave through her body every time they touched. It was like being carried away, just her and Pacey floating in an endless sea. She just couldn't tell him, even now. She had too much going on in her life and circumstances weren't in her favor. *Anyway he's married and these Dawsonesque situations are getting old Joey* she said to herself and fell asleep again.

Jen got to Capeside in no time flat since she lived so close. As the taxi pulled up to the hospital she was part dreading what Dawson may look like and part frantic to be at his side. Jen paid the driver and headed up to the third floor of Mercy Hospital.

"Hello, may I help you," a young woman asked as she approached the desk.

"Yes, I'm looking for Dawson Leery."

"He's to the left in room 309, but you can't go in right now. There's a waiting room across the hall where his parents are, you need to wait there."

"Thank you."

Jen proceeded down the hallway until she saw the waiting room and Mrs. Leery.

"Jennifer"

Gail rushed up, gave her a hug, and brought her to the couch.

"You came here quickly, how are you?"

"I'm fine, but how's Dawson."

"Better," She started, "His vital signs are better and the doctor says that's a good sign, but we can't be sure until he wakes up."

Jen felt a little relief, "what exactly happened?"

"Dawson was driving down one of the back roads and the police suspect that an oncoming car was one the wrong side and forced him off the road."

"Oh no, why do they suspect? Don't they have the driver of the other car?"

Gail sighed and her eyes filled with tears, "the car drove on, not bothering to stop and the police have no clues. I can't understand why someone would do this Jen. That's my baby in there, fighting for his life because stupidity seems to reign supreme in this world."

She put her head in her hands and Jen sat by, trying to comfort the crying woman. Dawson's life had been altered forever and what would happen to his dreams? Life isn't fair, but Dawson was one of the good ones. It seemed that life had dealt him a bad hand and Jen wondered if that in the great scheme of things his score card would be evened out.

*Thank God* Joey said to herself after she got off the plane in Boston. She had awoke on the plane unable to go back to sleep and with an anxious feeling in her stomach. *At least I'm in Boston now.* She decided to rent a car instead of taking a commuter plane. The small airplanes always seemed like a death trap and if she concentrated on driving maybe she wouldn't feel so helpless.

So she drove. Without music, in the solace of the dark night trying not to cry and wishing Dawson was okay. That she was taking a trip to see him and he would look healthy and happy to see her. Yet she knew that would only make her feel more sad when she saw him. But as Joey drove through the limits of Capeside, she was washed by so much emotion that her tears finally fell free.

Pacey had also rented a car, driving as fast as he dared. When he eventually reached Capeside, he drove strait to the hospital and parked in the visitors parking structure. As he walked through the entrance, he hoped to hear better news about his friend. Pacey's eyes were cast downward as he reached for the elevator button. Therefore not noticing another person doing the same, until their hands touched.

Pacey looked upward and into the other pair of eyes.

"Hello......"

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