"You guys!" Jen yelled.

"What Jen?" Dawson said almost as soon as she yelled.

"Everything is gone." she said standing up.

"What?" Dawson asked. "What is gone?"

"Everything...I remember that I saw all these guns, weapons and other things in here." she said turning to face them. "Now they are gone."

"Damn it." Pacey said, walking away toward the couch.

"Look," Dawson said, trying to stay calm. "We have to look for them. Search everywhere in Capeside...they can't be hard to find."

"Yeah, they can..."Jen started.

"Look, you might not know Capeside that well, Jen..."Dawson said. "But me and Pacey know it like the back of our hands. We have lived here all our lives. We know all the places in this town."

"Okay, if you think so." Jen said.

"So, where do we start Dawson?" Pacey said walking up to him.

"You take downtown, Jen you take the docks, and I'll look along the lake..." he said. "He could have taken her from her dock behind her house."

"Okay, let's get started." Pacey said.

"Yeah, we have no idea what that jerk has in store for her..." she said walking ahead of them.

"Don't worry Dawson," Pacey said. "He won't hurt her. He thinks he is the love of his life, so he won't hurt her, man."

"I hope you are right, Pacey." he said walking behind him out of Eric's house.

Eric walked around the bed where Joey lied, she was still asleep. He had handcuffed her hands to each side of the bed, and her feet tied together at the end of the bed. She looked like she was tied up on a cross, but lying down. He sat on the side of the bed, on her right, and stared at her. He loved watching her sleep.

"Dawson..."she whispered.

Eric stood up fast, and stormed out of the room. He went downstairs, and into the living room. He walked over to his duffle bags and emptied them onto the floor. He revealed bullets out of the small bag, but that was nothing compared to the weapons he revealed from the big bag.

Eric had his dads '44 Magnum, a Savage model 99 lever rifle, a .40 Smith & Wesson, a Sniper gear which includes a Remington-based M-24 rifle system with Leupold 10X scope, a H.S. Precision stock and Harris bipod, a Bausch & Lomb M-144 Spotting Scope, a Laser rangefinder, and Tripod and Steiner Binoculars.

Eric sat down, and started to put the Sniper Kit together. Also around him he had a Kiegre/Simrad modular night-vision scope, double edge design stainless steel arrow throwers (can hit any target from any angle) black nylon sheath equipped to fit any wrist or ankle, and a night vision set which includes a camera adapter, illuminator, tripod doubler, lens cap, strap, and case. It has a 10 hour battery file, and a 15' field of view. But what Eric always carried with him, even in New York, was his dagger. It has a 6 ½" 420 stainless steel blade and stretching 12-3/4" overall. It has a silver finished guard and pommel. The handle is black, twisted wire is chaneled into the imitation black onyx grip, and it has a genuine leather sheath.

After he got the Sniper equipment put together, he got up, and walked with it to the front of the cabin. He set it up right outside the door. He walked back inside, rolling up his black sleeves. He picked up the arrow throwers, and strapped them on his wrists. He pulled his sleeves back down, and picked up his dagger. He undid his black belt, and out the sheath in the belt, then redid the belt. He strapped on his gun holster, and placed the '44 Magnum inside the holster. He picked up his leather jacket, and walked back up the stairs as he placed the jacket on.

"Where am I?" Joey asked, slowly opening her eyes and looking at Eric.

"You are in a secret place in your fair little town, but this is known by NO ONE." he said. "Not even your dear, Dawson." he said Dawson with so much anger, it sent a chill up her spine. He walked from the doorway to the right side of the bed, and sat down.

"What do you want Eric?" Joey asked him. She was getting a little afraid, but tried to act like she was calm.

"I want you to be with me." he said calmly.

"I don't want to be with you Eric." she said, smiling. "I am with Dawson. I thought you were my friend, I thought you knew..."

"How you felt about him!" he yelled, standing up from the bed. "Yeah, I am your friend, Joey. But I thought I made it ever so clear to you that I wanted MORE!" he yelled again, making Joey Jump. "Am I scaring you Joey? Am I making you terrified of me?" he said in an eerie tone of voice, walking closer to her.

"Yes," she whispered.

Eric laughed. "Well, I don't mean to. This is who I am. I go after what I want, and do everything in my power to get it."

"Just let me go, Eric." she said.

"No way in hell am I sending you back to Dawson's arms." he said coming over to her, and looking her dead in the face. "You are mine, and will never be his again." he said walking away from her.

"My friends will find me, Eric!!" she yelled after him. "Dawson will find me!" That made him stop in his tracks.

"Well, if he does..." he said turning around. "Then I hope he's bullet proof." he smiled, and walked out the door.

Dawson, Pacey, and Jen met back at Dawson's house. His parents were out of town, trying to rekindle their romance so the house was theirs. Dawson was pacing back and forth in front of his bed, while Jen and Pacey just watched him from his bed.

"We had to miss something." Dawson said.

"We looked everywhere..." Pacey said. "I mean I could get my brother involved, if you want me too."

"We might have to do that, Dawson." Jen said.

"Yeah, I know." he said. He sat down at his window, and looked outside. "I know she's okay. I just know it."

"We all know that, Dawson." Jen said.

"Where could he have taken her?" Dawson said, looking at them. "Did we check the forest?"

"No, but do we want to?" Pacey said. "I mean even that place gives my brother the willies."

"We have to...that has to be where he has her." Dawson said, standing up. He just realized something, and turned to them. "Pacey, wasn't there this rich family that was gonna build a house along the lake, but never did cause they changed their minds so the construction company just made it into a cabin or something?"

"Yeah, I think so." he said, standing up. "But I am not sure where they were building it though. All I know is that is was along side, or close to the lake."

"The Lake that is behind Joey's house?" Dawson asked with a smile.

"Yeah," Pacey said smiling.

"Wait a minute!" Jen said standing up. "What are you guys rambling on about."

"No time to tell the story, but we have to look around the lake." Dawson said leaving his room, his friends behind him. "I'll get flashlights out of the kitchen, and we each take something as a weapon." Dawson grabbed the baseball bat in the hall closet, and went to the kitchen.

"Pacey grabbed one of Dawson's fake legs out of his room, and Jen grabbed an arm.

"Let's go." Pacey said to Jen. Jen waved the arm to leave the room, and they went downstairs to catch up with Dawson.

"Dawson, where are you?" Joey thought aloud. She tried to get her hands out of the handcuffs, but they were on tight. She tried her feet next, and they were tied tightly, too. "God, has Eric done this before? HE sure knows what the hell he's doing..." she said. "Dawson," she said looking out the window in her room from the bed. "Please find me. I need you to find me." she heard Eric coming up the stairs, and closed her eyes like she was asleep. She didn't need another encounter with his sorry ideas of right and wrong.

"Joey?" Eric said in a loving tone as he entered the room. "I have something for you." he said walking up to her. "Oh so you are asleep." he said sitting down beside her. "Well, wake up." he said leaning over her and kissing her.

"Get away from me!" she yelled after he leaned away.

"Well, at least your awake. Now I can give this to you." he said holding a velvet box in his hands.

"God, Eric what have you done?" she said.

"I'll show you." he said slowly opening the box.

In the box was a beautiful gold locket. The heart was made of real gold, and in sterling silver was the name Josephine written in Victorian Style. Under the name was a etched Rose, with a diamond on the center of it.

"God, Eric." she said. Joey couldn't believe he did this for her. He barely knew he...

"Do you like it?" he asked, with a smile.

"Eric, its lovely..." she said looking from the necklace to him. "But I can't accept it."

"Why?" he asked, his smile fading.

"Because it wouldn't be right." she said. "I don't love you, why can't you get that through your head?"

"Because we are meant to be!" he said sitting the box down on the bed, and standing up. "We are meant to be, why can't you see that? Oh, wait I know why...because you 'think' with your mind. You don't listen to anything else!!" he yelled.

"I listen to my heart, and my mind. And they both say the same thing!!" she yelled back. "I LOVE DAWSON!" she yelled.

"Don't say that name!" he yelled at her.

"Why not? I love DAWSON, not you, Eric!" she yelled again.

"Don't say that name!" he said storming up to her his hand in the air. He was about to slap her, and her face went to the side. Eric put his hand down, and walked quickly to the door.

Joey took a deep breath, and let it out. She heard him downstairs throwing something around, and screaming.

"Dawson, where are you?" she said, almost crying. She started fighting the handcuffs and rope again.

Dawson felt something. He wasn't sure what it was or where it came from, but it was like a pain near his heart. He placed his hand on his chest, and looked at Pacey and Jen. They had stopped a few feet ahead of him.

"What is it, Dawson?" Pacey asked.

"Noting." he said. "I think we should go the other way."

"Why? That was is in the opposite way of any other houses." Jen said.

"That's why." actually Dawson just made the decision. He didn't know why, but he felt something telling him to go that way.

"That would make more sense..."Pacey said walking up to Dawson, "if I remember correctly, those people liked their privacy. That would be the perfect place to go..."

"I think there is a but coming." Dawson said.

"But its even darker down there...and its said to be haunted." Pacey finished.

"Well, I am not afraid of a story of the forest being haunted, are you Jen?" Dawson asked.

"No, not at all." she said.

"Great then let's go." Dawson said taking off ahead of them. He felt like he was getting closer to Joey now. He didn't know what was pulling him in this direction, all he knew was that he had to find Joey. And he would do anything he had to to accomplish it.

They were getting deeper into the trees, and Jen was clutching Pacey's arm. Dawson was way ahead of them, but he stopped and waited for them to catch up to him before he started off again. He was following his heart to find Joey, it didn't make much sense to him. But if it was working then he would find Joey soon.

It was late, a little after seven, and Jen was getting worried that they were getting lost.

"Pacey, do you think Dawson is thinking straight right now?" Jen asked him.

"Yeah," Pacey said. "Actually I think he is thinking more clearly than he has in his whole life."

"Why do you say that?" she asked.

"Because this is about his best friend, his girlfriend, and the one person that means the world to him all rolled into on." he said trying to keep his flashlight on Dawson.

"Oh, so would that be the same with you Pacey?" Jen asked.

"I don't know..." he said. "Probably."

"Will you two keep up!" Dawson yelled.

"We are trying..."Jen yelled back. "But you keep taking off like a speed demon!"

"Sorry," he said smiling as they caught up. "Okay, I am gonna go along this path, you two go down the other way and make sure it reaches a lake. If it does, we might be on the right trail now."

"Right-e-o Captain." Pacey said, saluting Dawson. "Come on, Jen."

"Coming." she said, in a tired voice.

Dawson watched his two friends walking away, and smiled. He turned to the way he was gonna go.

"Hold on Joey, I am coming." he said.

Eric watched the front door. He stood in the door frame, and waited. He knew he would be coming soon. It didn't stand to reason that even Dawson Leery wouldn't figure out there was an abandoned cabin out here. After all he has lived out here all his life, he should know the ins and outs of Capeside. He laughed.

"But when he gets here, I hope he is prepared to deal with the devil." he laughed. "This will be so hilarious." he said walking to the chair. "An Angel verses the Devil...hmm," he thought sitting down. "I wonder who will win?" he acted like he was thinking then like he got a bright idea. "I got it...the devil!!" he laughed again. "Prepare to meet your maker, Dawson." he said walking back to the door frame. "After you meet your finisher." he smiled, pulling out his dagger.

Joey was upstairs, and trying to figure a way to get her hands free. The key was sitting right beside the bed, but she had no way of reaching it with both hands locked up. She felt Dawson near, but she couldn't wait forever for him to get here. She had no idea what Eric was planning, and if she refused him one more time...God, she didn't even want to think about what he might do.

Joey kept trying her feet, when finally she felt them start to give way. He tied them tight, but the not was tight enough. She laughed a little, and tried to pull her feet out. But she heard Eric coming so she stopped. She coughed, and she cleared her throat.

"How are you doing?" Eric asked her from the door frame.

"I feel sick, Eric." she said. "I am cold, I am tired, and I want to go home."

"Well, I can fix the first thing," he said walking up to her and covering her up. "And I am not stopping you from going to sleep. But the last thing, no." he said sitting down next to her. "I am sorry my love, but you aren't going back to your home." he smiled. "This is our home now. I will go to Providence buy us furniture, and all the clothes you need. We don't have to go to school anymore, and we will never see any of your friends again."

"But I want to go to school, I want to see my friends," she coughed. "And my family again. I don't want to be here Eric."

"You will get used to it." he said. He wasn't smiling, but he wasn't yelling either. "And maybe sometime I will be able to take off those handcuffs, and untie your feet. But not now, cause you would use your feet to kick me, and your hands to hit me. And if I undid them both you would try to run. And I can't let you leave." he got up, and walked away from her.

"What makes you think I would kick you, or hit you?" she asked sarcastically.

"Because I know you, Joey." he said turning to face her. "You know you remind me of my sister."

"Where is your sister, Eric?" she asked, coughing again.

"She's dead." he said, with sadness. "My father murdered her, and would have killed me if the cops didn't show up. My parents, before you ask," he said walking around the bed. "Are also dead. My father killed my mother and himself in a car chase with the police."

"I'm sorry, Eric." she said, genuinely sad.

"I could care less about my parents." he laughed. "But my sister, Veronica, was everything to me. She treated me like a normal person. Like one of her friends. She wasn't afraid of me, but all her boyfriends were. All but Richie, her last boyfriend. I liked him." he said sitting at the end of the bed. "I saw her in you when I first saw you at school. You treated me like a friend, and you weren't afraid of me. Your friends hate me though, and that was obvious to see."

"No they don't." Joey said, trying to smile.

"Well, if they didn't they do now." he said smiling.

Joey couldn't believe it. He was acting like nothing was wrong. That she wasn't tied up, that he wasn't doing anything illegal.

"Let's listen to the radio..." he said getting up, and walking to the closet. He pulled out a radio, and plugged it in.

"Okay," she said.

The radio was finishing a song, and it started to play another. "If That's What It Takes" by Celine Dion.

"I love this song," she said, thinking of Dawson.

(As the song starts we go to Dawson...)

Dawson is walking over rocks, tree limbs, and other obstacles. It reaches a crossroad, and takes the road to his right.

"You're the bravest of hearts, you're the strongest of souls
You're my light in the dark, you're the place I call home
You can say it's all right, but I know that you're breaking up inside
I see it in your eyes
Even you face the night afraid and alone
That's why I'll be there"

Dawson reaches another crossroad, this time he takes the road that seems to be dangerous. He doesn't know why, but he feels this has been done recently. Almost like it was meant to distract him from this path.

"When the storm rises up, when the shadows descend
Ev'ry beat of my heart, ev'ry day without end
Ev'ry second I love, that's the promise I make
Baby, that's what I'll give, if that's what it takes
If that's what it takes
You can sleep in my arms, you don't have to explain
When your heart's crying out, baby, whisper my name
'Cause I've reached out for you when the thunder is crashing up above
You've given me your love
When you smile like the sun that shines through the pain
That's why I'll be there
When the storm rises up, when the shadows descend
Ev'ry beat of my heart, ev'ry day without end
I will stand like a rock, I will bend till I break
Till there's no more to give, if that's what it takes
I will risk everything, I will fight, I will bleed
I will lay down my life, if that's what you need
Ev'ry second I live that's the promise I make
Baby, that's what I'll give, if that's what it takes
Through the wind and the rain, through the smoke and the fire
When the fear rises up, when the wave's ever higher
I will lay down my heart, my body, my soul
I will hold on all night and never let go
Ev'ry second I live, that's the promise I make
Baby, that's what I'll give, if that's what it takes
If that's what it takes
Every day
If that's what it takes
Every day"

Dawson reached the cabin. It looked in bad shape, and like it wasn't used in a long time. Dawson slid a little down the dirt hill he was standing on, as he looked the house over. He would have thought it was the wrong cabin if he didn't see the light on in the upstairs window. And a radio playing. He smiled and turned around to get the others. He had found her, and now they needed to make a plan to get her out of there. He saw the sniper kit in the doorway, so he knew this guy wasn't just gonna fight fair and square.

Jen and Pacey started back up the walk, indeed the path went to a lake, and Jen had slipped in. Pacey was laughing about it, as they walked back up the walk.

"How was the water?" he asked.

"Freezing!!" she said jittering.

"Its freezing out of the water, so you must be really cold." he said, serious.

"Gee, Pacey...you think?" she said, sarcastically.

"Here," he said taking off his jacket. "Wear my jacket."

"Thanks." she said. "Sorry about that remark."

"Don't worry about it. I get worse from Joey." he smiled.

"Hey guys..." they turned around to Dawson's voice. He was running up to them. "I found it, and it's the right one too. I think Joey is on the second floor." he said out of breath.

"So, why didn't you just go in there and beat Eric up, and get her out of there?" Pacey asked.

"Because he had a snipers gun in the front door frame, and I wasn't sure if he was waiting there or what, Pacey." he said.

"Damn, he is ready for anything." Pacey said, sarcastically.

"He al...also has things he has to wrap a...around his wrists, so you have to be c...c...careful." Jen said stuttering a little.

"What happened to you, Jen?" Dawson asked.

"She fell in the lake." Pacey said with a smile.

They both started to laugh, and walk away.

"Hey, I don't think its so funny." she said trailing after them.

They got to the cabin, and ducked behind the hill of dirt. The lights were still on upstairs, and so was the radio. The only thing they couldn't see was if Eric was at the gun or not.

"Pacey," Dawson whispered. "You go around back and see if you can get in through there."

Pacey nodded, and headed over to the house, ducking all the way.

"Jen," Dawson whispered. "You see if there is anyone at the gun, if not, go in through the front. Hide the gun, and then see what you can find inside for a weapon, kay?"

"Okay," she said, she headed over tot he door slowly.

Dawson started toward the wall of the house, and under the window. When he got closer he saw there was a ladder built into the fence that the vines were growing on. He started up the ladder slowly, trying not to make a lot of noise on his way up. The closer he got he started to hear voices. One was Joey's and the other had to be Eric.

"Eric, please." Joey said. "I need to get out of here. I am sick," she coughed.

"You are faking this, Joey. I am not stupid. I know all the tricks people do to get of situations!" he yelled.

"I don't want your sympathy, Eric alright!" she yelled. "I just want to go home, I want to go home to Dawson!"

"I told you not to say his name, damn it!!" he yelled.

"I'll say his name until you let me go!" she yelled.

"No you won't!" he yelled. HE took out masking tape, and taped her mouth shut.

"Now you can say his name till you turn blue, but he won't hear you, and neither will I." he laughed. "Now we are both happy." he laughed some more.

Dawson was right under the window now, and he waited till he heard Eric's feet fading away. He pulled himself up through the window. He saw Joey's eyes closed, and she was trying to fight the handcuffs. He ran over to her, and turned her head to face him. He took the tape off her mouth slowly, and her eyes opened. She was crying.

"Dawson..."she whispered. "Are you really here, or is this a dream?"

"I am really here," he smiled, he wanted to cry but kept his straight face.

"Oh thank god!!" she said.

"Where is the key to the handcuffs, Joey?" he asked her.

"Check the drawer of the table right behind you. I saw it there earlier." she said.

Dawson got up, and went over to the table. He opened the drawer, and searched through all the junk in the drawer.

"Got it." he said, in a low voice. He went over to her, and leaned over her, to unlock her left hand, and then he unlocked the handcuffs to her right hand. He threw the key across the room, and went to untie her feet.

"Dawson," she said in a low voice. "I don't feel so good. I am cold, I am shaking, and am tired."

"Don't worry, I am gonna get you outta of here." he said helping her up. "Can you walk?" he asked.

"I can try," she said. Joey tried to stand up, but fell back down. "I am too dizzy." she said.

"You are not going anywhere any ways, Joey."

Eric was standing at her doorway, he was leaning against the door frame, his arms folded across his chest.

"We are leaving, Eric." Dawson said, standing up straight.

"Oh, really?" he said, walking into the room. He put his index finger on his chin, "And who has the firepower here, Dawson? Oh, let me see..." he revealed his Magnum by taking off his jacket. "Well, it looks like that would be me. Huh, Dawson?"

Dawson just stood fast, and watched Eric reach for the gun. He removed it, and pointed it at Dawson. Eric walked closer to Dawson, and just smiled.

"I am surprised Dawson." he laughed. "Maybe you do have a backbone. I didn't think you had one, seeing you couldn't even tell your ex-girlfriend that you and Joey were a couple when I first got here. Joey told me everything, and she trusted me. Now I guess I lost that trust. But at least I knew how special she was the moment I saw her."

"I know exactly how important she is, Eric." Dawson said. "She's been the most important thing in my life since I met her."

"And it took you this long to realize how beautiful she is?" he asked.

"No, I have known forever how beautiful she is..." Dawson said, getting angry.

"Really?" he laughed. "Then why did you choose the New York girl over your best friend?"

"Because at that time I had no idea my feelings for Joey were anything more than friendship...not until recently." he said, feeling guilty.

"Oh, so it took you being dumped by the New York girl for you to realize that what you have with Joey is more than friendship?" he laughed again. "Come off it man!! You are a stupid, brainless, no sense guy...and its about time I put you out of your misery." he said caulking the gun, and pointing it at Dawson.

Dawson kicked the gun out of Eric's hand, that it went off going up. The kick surprised Eric, he staggered back. Dawson came after him with his fists tightened, and hit him in the face. Eric went backwards, falling on his back. Dawson kicked him high on the left thigh, leaving Eric on the floor grabbing his leg. Dawson turned around and walked in the direction he threw the key to the handcuffs. He grabbed the key and stood up, turning around and greeting a punch from Eric. Dawson staggered back, not dropping the key, and shook the blow off. Dawson pulled his arm back, and punched him again in the face. The punch sent Eric down again, and this time he went over to him and kicked Eric's ass, high up in the small of his back. Eric fell down wrapping his arms around his stomach.

Dawson walked over to the handcuff on the right side of the bed, took it off, and walked over to Eric. He place the handcuffs on his wrists behind his back. He walked over to Joey. She had fallen to the side, and was unconscious. Dawson picked her up, and carried her out through the doorway like a baby in his arms. He went downstairs and saw Pacey and Jen watching g him come downstairs.

"Where is Eric?" Jen said holding a .40 Smith and Wesson she found.

"He's upstairs, handcuffed, and beaten up. You guys handle him, bring him back to town..." he said carrying Joey out the cabin door frame.