What It Takes

Notes: The poem Oh Father is really a song by Madonna, I've removed the chorus, but otherwise it's unchanged. And in my story it's a poem written by Pacey. I am SO SO SO SO SO SO SO sorry that I took so long in continuing this... but you can thank my dear friend Charley for pestering me continually to get the next part out. This parts for you, hon.

"She what? Dawson that's great!" Joey exclaimed that Wednesday night.

"It doesn't mean that we're dating, I'm not sure what it means, we never really clarified our relationship. I guess we're going to wait and see what happens on Friday night."

"I can't wait to see this," Joey said, "I mean, it's about time. And if you two don't get together I'm going to lock the two of you into the linen closet until you do."

"If this doesn't work I may have to try that." Dawson mumbled under his breath, thinking of Joey and Pacey.

"You know, I could make this entire thing easier and go ask Jen how she feels right now." She offered.

"No!" Dawson yelled, then made his voice softer at the shocked look he received from Joey, "Sorry, it's just I don't want her to think I'm pressuring her into anything. If you go over there and start asking questions, she'll think I sent you."

"Good point. But if nothing happens at the dance you better count on my interference, and probably Pacey's too."

"So you'll go?"

"Yeah, do I have to get dressed up?" She moaned.

"It's a semi-formal Joey. You have to wear a dress. And it might be a good idea to bring a date." Dawson suggested gently.

"Oh yeah, like who? One of the hundreds of guys lined up at my front door just dying to take me out?"

"Oh, I don't know... Pacey?"

"Yeah right, Dawson. Like Pacey'd want to waste a Friday night with me."

"I have it on good authority that he's going. I doubt he has a date yet though." Dawson mentally prayed that Jen had fulfilled her part of the plan by talking to Pacey.

"No, Dawson, I am not going on a date with Pacey. We're friends and friends don't date."

"In case you forgot, we dated." Dawson pointed out.

"And look how it turned out."

"So, we tried it, it didn't work out, but we ended up becoming even closer as friends."

"Fine, Dawson, I give. I'll casually mention it to him... as friends."

"Great, so we're all going. It'll be a night to remember."

"Yep, just like the last two dances we went to. Promise me that you wont be throwing any punches this time?" Dawson only smiled.

Jen hinted heavily that Joey wanted to go to the dance, but that she didn't have a date. Pacey had just pointedly ignored her hints.

Pacey had just finished the last part of his creative writing final when Joey called later that night. The assignment was to write a poem about someone who has had a profound influence on your life. He had struggled, trying to decide who to write about. But in the end there was only the obvious.

Oh, Father

After completing it he felt like a weight had been lifted. It was finally over. That part of his childhood would forever be behind him. He smiled, proud that he had finally found closure.

The phone wrang shrilly and Pacey let it go for a few minutes until he remembered that Dawson had taken his mom to the doctor for a checkup. He ran down the hall and down the stairs to the kitchen picked up the phone breathless

. "Hel-hello?" He asked.

"Hey Pace. Are you running a decathlon or something?" Pacey's heart skipped a few beats at the sound of her voice. He silently cursed himself for letting her get to him yet again.

"Naw, I forgot that no one else was home. Gail's got a doctors appointment and Dawson's with her. So what's up?"

"I'm guessing you know about Jen and Dawson?"

"Oh yeah, about time. They've been mooning over each other for way to long."

"Yeah. So anyway, the dance on Friday..." Joey wasn't sure how to bring it up.

"Yeah," Pacey asked, he felt butterflies begin to dance in the pit of his stomach in anticipation of what Joey would say, he couldn't help it and again cursed himself. He ran a hand through his hair in nervousness.

"Well, I don't really have anyone to go with and I want to make sure Jen and Dawson get back together..."

"And you want the great and oh so, desirable Pacey Witter to escort you?" Pacey asked, deciding to play it cool. He was thankful she wasn't able to see him, he couldn't keep the delight off of his face.

"Pretty much. I figure that the two of us are secure enough in our friendship so that there wont be any sexual tension and I wont have to worry about you hitting on me or trying to kiss me at the end of the date." Joey said casually, lying through her teeth.

Pacey's face fell, but he tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice. "Yeah Jo, I'll take you."

"Okay, Jen and I are going to get ready at her house, so just come over with Dawson."

"Right, I have homework to do, so I'll talk to you later. Bye."

"Bye Pacey, I'll see you tomorrow." She said and hung up.

"Check the price, Jen. You know I only have about forty dollars to spend." Joey said without turning around.

"$85?!" She put the dress back on the rack, "Okay, moving on." She said to herself flipping through the dresses. They had been shopping for hours, there were only two dress stores in town and they were in the last one. Jen had chosen a black tight fitting dress at the first boutique and they were now searching for Joey's dress.

"Jen, we're never going to find anything." Joey complained, "Why can't I just wear the dress from the pageant?"

"Because, Pacey's already seen you in it."

"He's seen me in diapers, I doubt he's gonna care if I'm in a dress I've worn before." But she went back to searching the racks. She wanted to impress Pacey, she just didn't want Jen to know that. "Besides, why would it matter if I'm wearing a dress he's seen me in?"

"Oh, no reason." Jen said.

A dark blue dress caught Joey's eye. She checked the tag first before removing it from the rack, $32. She held her breath and pulled it out. She examined it for stains or tears. All clear. "Jen, I think I found it."

The dress was simple with spaghetti straps that criss crossed down the back.

"I like it, try it on." Jen urged.

Joey scampered into the dressing room excitedly, glad to have finally found a dress. "Is it in your price range?" Jen asked from the other side of the door.

"$32."

"Perfect, you'll have enough left to get shoes or perfume or something."

"I think I already have everything else. Okay, be honest, what do you think?" Joey asked stepping out of the dressing room.

"Turn," Jen said. The dress fit Joey perfectly, it wasn't too low cut it showed just the right amount of skin and the hem was just an inch from the floor. Joey finished turning and met Jen's eye. They grinned.

"It's perfect isn't it?" Joey asked happily and she skipped back into the changing room.

"Yeah. Who would have thought Joey Potter would get so excited over a dress?" Jen asked keeping her voice low so as not to anger her friend. "That color is perfect on you." She said to Joey.

Joey quickly changed and made her purchase. They left the store happily joking about the dance. The rest of their evening was spent at the Leery's with Dawson and Pacey studying for their upcoming tests. Dawson and Jen played it cool, trying not to clue Pacey and Joey into their rekindled romance.

"Jen, hurry up, they'll be here in five minutes," Joey complained glancing nervously at the clock.

"Okay, finished." Jen announced. "You don't have a lot of patience do you?"

"Nope." Joey removed the towel from her hair and began to brush it out and pull it into a ponytail.

"Jo, what are you doing?" Jen cried pulling the brush out of her hands.

"Brushing my hair, what does it look like I'm doing?"

"You can not put your hair into a ponytail. Where's the fun in that?"

"Jen, we don't have time to mess around with my hair."

"So we'll be extra fashionably late. Let me put it up for you, I know the perfect thing. And it wont take long. Jen scrambled across the room to her dresser and removed a few hair clips. She went back to Joey and began making two small French braids that circled her head like a crown, leaving the rest of her hair loose. She then added the butterfly clips along the braids. "There, perfect."

"Jennifer, Josephine. Dawson and Pacey have been waiting." Grams called from the hallway and then entered the room. "My, don't you girls look beautiful." Grams said then frowned on closer examination of Jen's dress. "Isn't that a little... low cut, dear?"

"Nope, it's just perfect." Jen answered sweetly. "Thanks Grams, will you tell them we'll be down in a few minutes?"

Grams nodded and left the girls to finish their preparations. Joey spritzed some vanilla perfume onto her neck. Jen slipped a few CD's into her purse and pulled her shoes on. They did a few last minute touch ups and made their way down stairs. Pacey and Dawson rose from the couch when the heard Jen and Joey come down the stairs. Jen came first and went to Dawson's side. "You look amazing, Jen. Doesn't she look great, Pace?" Dawson asked his friend.

But Pacey was entranced. He had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. The line 'I've never known true beauty until this night' from Romeo and Juliet popped into his head. "Jo, you look astounding." Pacey said with awe.

"Well, Pacey, you don't look half bad yourself, bordering on handsome even." Pacey's comment had thrown her for a loop and she had naturally fallen back into their usual bantering.

Pacey pretended to look shocked, "Was that almost just halfway a compliment coming from Joey directed to me?" Pacey asked Jen and Dawson.

"I believe it was." Jen said with a smile. Pacey and Joey continued to study each other as Grams walks back into the room.

"You wouldn't mind if I took some pictures?" She asked the four teens.

"Of course not Grams." Jen answered.

"Why don't you line up against the fire place? There that's perfect." Grams began to snap away.

"That reminds me. Dawson, your mom wants to take some pictures too. She's really getting into photography these days."

"Okay, we'll drop by." He replayed. Grams continued to take a few more pictures and then the foursome made their way across the lawn.

"D'ya got 'em?" Dawson whispered to Jen.

"Affirmative, this is 007 signing off." She said with a giggle. "Stop taking this so seriously, it's not like it's going to work. They're in my purse." She said patting her large purse, feeling the CD's within.

"Oh, yes it will. Just look at them." Joey and Pacey were walking ahead of them, her hand on his arm, they were walking a little closer than necessary.

"So, she has her hand on his arm, what's that supposed to signify?"

"Just that they're getting closer. By the end of the night, they'll be kissing under the stars."

"Dawson, do I need to remind you that this is reality and that you can't script life? They're acting like friends going to a school dance together. It doesn't mean that they'll finally admit they have feeling for each other. They're both to stubborn for that. You're letting your idealistic and sentimental nature create rose-colored glasses for you to see this through."

"But that's why you like me, my optimistic dreamer complex that allows me to reject reality." He smiled down at her.

"Yeah, well. I must be crazy for finding it endearing."

"Why don't you guys go stake out a table, and we'll get you some drinks?" Dawson suggested. The girls chose a table close to the door and as far away from the booming speakers as possible.

"Not much of a crowd is it?" Joey commented.

"Not really, I hope more people show up, not that anything could make this more interesting." Jen said looking around the room.

"You ready to put the moves on Dawson?" Joey asked, sneaking a sly look at her friend.

"What?" Jen asked in mock disbelief.

"That's why I'm here, to make sure you and Dawson finally get it together. Pacey too, we agreed that if you two weren't together by the end of the evening, we'd lock you in the sports closet until you'd admitted to yourselves what you feel for one another. He's working on Dawson as we speak." Joey said confidently.

"So they are, so they are..." Dawson smiled. "And what about you, Pacey?" He cast his friend a sidelong glance.

"What about me, Dawson?" Pacey asked nonchalantly, trying to mask his curiosity.

"How are things for you with the Potter chick?" Pacey nearly dropped the two cups of juice as Dawson's unexpected inquiry.

"What? You've got to be kidding me!" Pacey said in surprise, "First of all, Joey's... Joey's... she's Joey. The idea of she and I together is... is unfathomable." His miserable effort to convince Dawson of this failed. If Pacey didn't believe it himself, how could he expect Dawson to? "And second, Joey would have your head if she knew you called her a chick."

Dawson nodded knowingly and lead the way through the growing crowd back to their table.

Joey and Jen broke away from their conversation as the two boys approached. "Here you go, Mademoiselle." Pacey said, presenting the cup to her with a French accent.

"French, Pacey? I always pictured you as more of a German student." Joey teased taking the cup from him.

"Mademoiselle and Oui are about the only French I know... besides the French kiss of course." He wiggled his eyebrows at her with sly grin.

Jen and Dawson exchanged knowing smiles... this would prove to be an interesting evening.