What It Takes- Part One

Title:What It Takes:Angels Together

Part: One

Category: Pacey/Joey

Name:Erin

E-mail: RinaJJ@aol.com

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, Kevin Williamson and the WB do, so please don't sue me, I have no money.

Notes: This takes place right before Dawson's birthday party. Jack's gay, Dawson and Joey are friends but nothing more. Abby isn't dead, but that isn't important. Also, none of the poems are original, some were written by an annoymous person or persons, and some are songs. But in my story they are written by Pacey. Also, I realize that the timing of my story doesn't fit the actual show, but it's my story and this is how I want it, so bear with me.

It was early on Sunday morning that Pacey Witter walked the familiar route to his best friend, Dawson Leery's house. I wonder what's up? he thought as he neared the large two story house, Whatever it is it can't be good. Jack and Dawson don't exactly get along these days, or any day for that matter. Dawson and Jack McPhee had both dated Joey Potter, Pacey and Dawson's longtime friend, Dawson's best friend until two months ago when they began to date. About two weeks later Jack and Andie, Jack's younger sister, moved to their hometown of Capeside, Mass. A month later Jack and Joey started dating, much to Dawson's horror and disapointment. Pacey thought Dawson still had hopes of getting her back. He may have a chance now that Jack has confessed he's gay.

Pacey was about to walk up the stairs when a voice broke into his thoughts. "Hey Pace, You have any idea what this is all about?" Jen Lindley yelled from next door.

"Not a clue. I got a call from Jack at 7 am telling me to be at Dawson's in half an hour. He wouldn't even let me talk to Andie." Pacey answered as he waited for Jen to join him. Andie was Jack's sister and she and Pacey had been dating for close to two months and had been through a lot together, her mother's insanity, his suspension, her anxiety attacks and his past affair with his English teacher. He was deeply in love with her, a least as much as he could be.

"I know, I got the same call, he said it was important and he wanted all of us there."

"Still, 7:30 is too early, especially on a Sunday. I was working until 12:30 last night." He worked part-time at the only video store in Capeside with Dawson. He didn't bother to mention the confrontion he had with his father about 'borrowing' the truck on Friday. He and Jen entered the house and greeted Dawson's mom. Dawson's dad had moved out when they decided that they couldn't work things out after Mrs. Leery had an affair.

"Hey Mrs. Leery."

"Hi kids, they're all upstairs. I think you're the last ones." Jen thanked her as she followed Pacey up the stairs and down the hall. As soon as Pacey and Jen entered the room, Jack stood up from his seat by the window and began to pace around the room, a troubled look on his face. Joey and Dawson were on the bed where Jen joined them, Pacey remained standing by the door. It began to snow as Jack started to speak, huge snowflakes.

"Look, I can't stay long," Jack began seriously, his voice cracking,"but you guys need to know about this, especially you Pacey. . ." Jack said, everyone else looked at him, but Jack kept his eyes on the floor, refusing to look at Pacey. "Andie's dead." He choked on the words and paused for a moment to let that sink in. "She was hit by a car last night." Tears began to form in Jack's eyes. "The funeral will probably be on Tuesday." He took a deep breath and swallowed, "My mom and I will be moving back with my Dad immediatly after. We're going to need help packing . . . and taking care of Andie's . . . stuff. You guys will help right?" he searched the eyes of Dawson, Joey and Jen hopefully as the tears he'd been holding back fell silently, he carefully kept his eyes from meeting Pacey's. "I've got to go."

Three pairs of eyes followed Jack's back as he left, no one went after him. Pacey continued to stare at the space Jack had occupied moments before. Then Dawson, Joey and Jen turned their gazes to Pacey. He stood there in shock and took a few steps towards the window, he let his arms fall limp to his sides. His face betrayed no emotion as his legs gave out beneith him and he sank to his knees.

His three best friends - his three only friends, watched him waiting to see how he was going to react. The blood had drained from his face, leaving him pale and ghost like, his body had begun to tremble. But all that was nothing compared the physical sensation of his fragile heart shattering into a million pieces. He just sat there, his eyes locked on the place where Jack had stood, silent. His mind was blank with shock, he wasn't capable of a single coherent thought.

Jen had been sitting between Joey and Dawson and when Jack had said that Andie was dead she had grabbed both Dawson and Joey's hands as tears began coursing their way down her face. As she watched Pacey's torment she squeezed their hands, so tight that Joey had to shake her off. Jen couldn't stand the naked pain that showed on Pacey's face any longer and she buried her face into Dawson's shoulder. It was so soon after her grandfather's death.

Dawson stared at his friends face, a million thoughts running through his mind at once and his vision got fuzzy. Andie is gone . . . Forever . . . FOREVER! . . . What about Pacey? . . . How will he make it through this? . . . Would this make a good movie? . . . She was so young . . . This isn't supposed to happen to us . . . Forever . . . death is forever . . . what about her hopes and dreams? . . . when does Jack want us to come over? . . . Gone . . . forever . . . Andie is dead! . . . I wish I'd known her better . . . How can she be dead? . . . Was she in pain? . . . What about Pacey? . . . His eyes came back into focus and so did his mind. How can I help him? he thought, his eyes trained on Pacey. He had never seen his friend look so miserable or so obviously in pain. He didn't look this devastated even after his father and brother had beaten him, almost to unconsiousness. In fact Dawson had never seen anyone suffering like this before . . . exept for Joey . . .

Joey was miles away from Dawson's room at that moment, in fact years away. When she saw Jack when she first arrived, she immediatly knew someone had died. His eyes held the same infiniate sadness and remorse as the doctor's when he told her and Bessie that their mom had died. The moment Jack said the words Joey was transported back to 7th grade and the hospital, she relived those first torturous moments in her mind. The sight of Pacey on the floor his head cradled in his hands and tears streaming unnoticed down the planes of his familiar face brought Joey back to reality, I can help him, I'm the only one who can help him. I remember what it's like to lose someone you love so much. To lose someone too young to die, who had so much love left to give the world. Andie had so much love, so much life to live. At least I got the chance to say goodbye.

Joey slid slowly off the bed and sat facing Pacey. Dawson and Jen watched her from the bed, both remembering that Joey had lost her mom almost as suddenly as Pacey had lost Andie. Joey's mom had kept her cancer a secret from her family until a month before she died.

Pacey's gaze was locked on the floor, he didn't even realize Joey was there until she cupped her hands around his smooth, wet cheeks and directed his gaze to her. She looked into his shimmering green eyes, rimmed red and swollen with his pain. He could see many things in her eyes in those few seconds, compassion, pain, caring, love . . . but what mattered most, she had been there, knew what he felt, and she wanted to help. She opened her arms to him and he fairly threw himself into them. He buried his face into the crook of her neck as huge sobs shook his body. Joey held him tighter as his anguished body trembled against hers and the hot tears ran from his eyes down her neck.

Jen and Dawson sank to the floor next to them and wrapped their arms around Pacey and Joey. Their tears mingled together and soaked their clothes. Pacey cried for Andie, his lost love. Joey cried for her mother and the pain she knew Pacey was experianceing. Jen cried for her Grandfather who had so recently died and Pacey and Andie. Dawson cried for the pain he knew they were each experiencing and for the friend whose life was cut too short. A song drifted up the staircase and through the open door into the room where the four teenagers huddled together in grief:

Gail Leery had seen Jack storm out of the house with tears streaming running down his face and she had yet to hear anything from the kids so she came to investigate. Tears came to her eyes when she saw the four friends huddled together, bracing themselves against the world.

Gail and Mitch had watched Joey and Pacey grow up, they were like surrogate children. They had mended their scraped knees, gave freely their advice and love. Joey had spent countless nights at their house. When Pacey 'fell down the stairs' or 'crashed his bike' he came to them first. Gail knew Joey and Pacey as well as she knew her own son. Jen was relativly new to the group, but she was a great girl and was a wonderful friend to the other three. It pained her to see them all in such pain. But Gail couldn't help but be glad they had eachother to turn to. To bad Mitch isn't here to see this.

Joey squeezed Pacey tighter as his sobs began to subside and he shifted to get closer to her. Dawson and Jen made themselves more comfortable by leaning against the end of the bed, pulling Joey and Pacey with them. The tears hadn't yet ceased to fall, but continued to trail down their faces mapping out their sorrow.