(Song Written by Garth Brooks, Bobby Wood, and John Peppard. Performed by Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood)

In another’s eyes, I’m someone who
Loves her enough to walk away from you
I’d never cheat, I’d never lie
In another’s eyes.....

In another’s eyes, I can do no wrong
He believes in me, and his faith is strong
I’d never fall, or even compromise
In another’s eyes........

In another’s eyes, I’m afraid that I can’t see
That picture perfect portrait that they paint of me
They don’t realize, and I pray they never do
Cause every time I look, I’m seeing you,
In another’s eyes.

In another’s eyes, starin’ back at me
I see a sinking soul trying desperately
To turn the tide before it dies
In another’s eyes.........

And what they don’t see, is killing me
And it’s a blessing and a curse that love is blind.......

In another’s eyes, I’m afraid that I don’t see
This picture perfect portrait that they paint of me
They don’t realize, and I pray to God they never do,
Cause every time I look I’m seeing you
In another’s eyes.

Joey took a step back and looked at Dawson, holding both of his hands in her own. She stared into his crystal blue eyes, blurry from tears. She was amazed at how much more handsome he had become. There was a touch of sadness there that Joey had never seen in him before, and she wondered where it came from. She didn’t know what to say to him. How have you been seemed too casual, and I still love you seemed too forward. Dawson was the first to break the silence.

“God, Joey, how are you? How have you been?” Dawson said, as she smiled at his bluntness.

“That’s a big question Dawson.” She replied, with unblinking eyes. “I’ve been a lot of ways.......it’s been 9 years.” She didn’t know how to explain things to him.

“I....” He started. But the words wouldn’t come. “Joey, I don’t know what else to say. It’s been too long.”

“I know.” They stood there for a few moments, just looking at each other. They were in the middle of the dace floor, and they weren’t dancing, and several people were starting to stare. From across the dance floor, Jen had been watching the whole scenario. She thought it was time to ease the tension. She walked over to them, and laid a gentle hand on Joey’s shoulder.

“Joey?” she said.

Joey turned around and saw her friend. “Oh God, Jen!!” She hugged her tightly. “It’s so good to see you. How’s Chris?” Joey said referring to Jen’s fiancee.

“He’s good, but he couldn’t make it. How are my favorite girls? Did you and Andrew bring them with you?” Jen asked Joey.

“Yea, they are with Bessie and Bodie for the night.” Joey told her, as she glanced in Dawson’s direction. His eyes were now wide at the mention of the fact that Joey had children. He still knew nothing of her life, and he felt like he had been left out of the loop.

“Well, I’ll be sure to stop over before I head back up home. I’d love to see them.” Jen said.

“Anytime Jen. Just give us a call.” Joey replied. She looked at Dawson again.

“You have kids, Jo?” Dawson asked innocently.

She smiled a tiny smile, and nodded. “Yes, I have two girls.”

“And I assume that the man that you came with is your husband?” He asked her, without blinking, or flinching. His tone wasn’t angry or condescending, but rather curious and a little disappointed.

“Yes, he is Dawson. Andrew and I have been married 5 years.” She told him as she tried to read him like she could before. But there was something in his eyes that hadn’t been there when she knew him. Something that was blocking his emotions. Jen walked away from Joey and neared Dawson. She lightly took his hand and squeezed it before returning to the tables with her other reunited friends. “Are you married?” Joey asked him timidly. Dawson started to walk to a nearby table, and Joey followed him.

“Yes. Well, no. I was.” he said, stammering as he sat down, not knowing exactly how to tell Joey what had happened. She gave him a confused look as she took a seat herself. “My wife, Rachelle, was in a car accident a few months ago, and she didn’t make it.” He blinked back the tears he felt come up.

Joey looked shocked. “Oh....Dawson,....I’m so sorry. I....” She was yet again at a loss for words. “If there’s anything I can....”

“It’s all right Jo. Thanks.” Dawson cut her off. “The kids are taking it better than I am I think. It took a while, but they seem to be adjusting.” He didn’t know how else to bring up the fact that he had become a father.

“How many do you have?” Joey asked.

“Three. My boys are 6 and 4, and my daughter will be a year old on Christmas. They’re wonderful.” Dawson looked at Joey to try to see her reaction, hoping it would be a positive one. Her face softened, and she took Dawson’s hand again.

“I’d love to meet them sometime.” Joey said.

“I think that could be arranged.” He smiled and went on. “Well Jo, what do you do? I mean, do you work?” Dawson asked her, trying to catch up on all that he had missed.

“I’m a high school art teacher out in Seattle. I graduated from the Art Institute, and get my teaching licensee right away. I love it.” Joey said.

“And Andrew? What does he do?” Dawson asked.

“He’s a lawyer, full time. He works a lot, but he’s always there for me and the girls whenever we need him.” She told him. “So what about you? What do you do?”

“Well, I was struggling in Boston for a while, and my grades started to show it.” He didn’t mention that it was because he felt he had lost something in his life. He was flailing from the loss of Joey. “But I met Rachelle, and she kicked my butt back in gear.” He smiled. “We got married a year after I met her. After I graduated, it was rough for a while, because we had a baby on the way, and I had no job. But a professor had pulled a few strings for me, and I ended up getting a call from DreamWorks. I took the job as soon as they offered it, and I’ve been there ever since.” Dawson said.

“That’s wonderful! I always knew you would make it.” Joey told him.

“Well, I haven’t exactly made it yet, but I’m working on it.” He smiled a bit. “I have worked on Speilburg’s last couple movies editing though.”

“See? It must be just a matter of time now. We’ll see you strolling up the red carpet to accept your academy award.” She grinned and told him.

“I hope so. Joey, I’ve missed you. You don’t know how many times I thought about calling you, but I just couldn’t go through with it.” Dawson looked away from her, knowing that this subject was bound to come up.

“I’ve missed you too Dawson. Why did we let this come between us?” Joey asked him.

“He thought a moment. “What is this though? I mean, is it the distance, the time, our lives? What?” Dawson just looked at her expecting an explanation.

“I don’t know. I thought about calling you too. But the thought of you being so far away and not with me just hurt so badly, that I thought if I could just pretend that nothing ever happened that it would make everything all better. It didn’t though. I’ve thought about you and us every single day since I left Seattle.” She could feel the lump in her throat start to well up. She swallowed hard to get rid of it, and went on. “Dawson, our lives have both gone on without each other. But you will always be a part of my life, because I will always love you. She looked at him to get is reaction.

He looked into her eyes. “Joey, I thought about you every day too. I mean, I loved my wife. I still do, even thought she’s not with me anymore. But I have always loved you, and I probably always will. But things have always been so complicated, is it possible for us to be in each other’s lives, after all this time?” Dawson asked her.

“I’d like to think so.” She took his hand and stood up. “I know a way we could start. I would love for you to meet my husband.” Joey told him.

Dawson didn’t say anything, but rather got up and accepted her invitation. He straightened his tie and jacket as he and Joey made their way across the gymnasium to where Andrew was sitting with Pacey, Andie, and Jen. When Andrew say Joey coming over, he stood and looked at his wife with a smile on his face.

“Andrew, this is my best friend, Dawson Leery.” She inhaled, hoping that Andrew wouldn’t take this the wrong way. He seemed a bit confused at first, but quickly his face softened, and he outstretched his hand to shake Dawson’s.

“Nice to meet you Dawson, I’m Andrew Phillips. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Andrew said, shaking his hand.

“Nice to meet you too Andrew.” Dawson said. "This isn’t so bad" thought Dawson.

“Well, now that all introductions are taken care of, what do you all say we blow this popsicle stand and go have our own little reunion?” Pacey said with that little twinkle in his eye. Andie eyed him suspiciously.

“Sounds intriguing, Pace. What did you have in mind?” Jen asked, still always up for a little mischief.

“Well, I was thinking we could head over to the park for a while, and then maybe a little after-hours soiree at Andie and I’s place?” He said with an evil little grin on his lips. “That is, if it’s all right with my beautiful wife.” He said, taking Andie’s hand and kissing her gently on the lips, trying to woo her.

“It’s all right, but if I get tired, I retain the right to go to bed.” Andie said.

“Deal.” Pacey got up, and helping Andie out of her chair ushered the others towards the door. Just then, an announcer came over the P.A.

“If Andrew and Josephine Phillips are present, would they please come to office. There is a telephone call for you.” Joey’s face sank, and Andrew looked very serious suddenly.

“Go. We’ll wait.” Dawson told Joey and her husband.

They turned and hurriedly walked out of the gymnasium. A few minutes later, a very relieved Joey and Andrew returned.

“Well, what was it?” Andie asked, worried.

“Molly woke up and Bessie can’t get her back down. Everything is all right. Thank God. But I’m going to leave my lovely wife in the hands of you all, because I’m going to go home to take care of Molly. It was nice meting you all, and I’m sure we’ll see each other again.” He smiled, and shook everyone’s hand. He kissed Joey, said goodnight, and left the high school.

“So, we’re off.” Pacey said, whisking the doors open, and shooing everyone out.

Within a few minutes, they were surrounded by the playground equipment and the gentle September breezes that they all found so familiar and comforting. Jack, Michael and Jen began climbing as best the could in dress clothes on a large jungle-gym, and Pacey began pushing a laughing Andie on the merry-go-round. Dawson and Joey headed to the place where the had spent many an evening in the past...the swing. There was the whole Capeside gang, dressed in semi-formal clothes, aged 10 years, and playing on the park equipment. It was quite a sight. As Dawson and Joey sat swinging on those swings, the could feel the memories well up between them.

“This place has so many memories in it.” Dawson was the first to break the silence.

“Yea, that very merry-go-round was where I saw you throw up for the first time, after Pacey had pushed us.” Joey remembered, laughing as she remember the sight of a six year old Dawson barfing on the brightly colored triangles that covered the surface of the ride.

“And those trees over there is where I found you hiding right after you mom passed away.” Dawson told her. He brought the tone down a bit, and the tension was growing. “No one could find you, but I knew just where to look.”

“And these swings are where we had our second kiss. The planned one.” She smiled shyly, and looked away. Dawson couldn’t believe that she had brought that up. But he just couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off her. She was so incredibly beautiful, and seemed to be growing more so by the minute. He entertained thought of kissing her right there, telling her how much he loved her still, spilling his heart to her, but it just didn’t seem like the appropriate thing to do.

Joey could feel his eyes burning into her, and to her surprise, it wasn’t making her uncomfortable. She missed the way he looked at her, with longing in his eyes, and something that knew her thoughts before she even had to think them. Andrew looked at her, but not the same way. His eyes were comforting, and reliable, and loving. Dawson’s were yearning, passionate, and familiar. She wanted so badly to not be torn the way she was. She wanted Dawson to kiss her, but she knew that it wasn’t possible. Too many things has changed, too many lives were at stake to let her emotions be her guide on this one. Logic was going to have to rule.

“Well, this has been entertaining, but I say we head over to the Witter house, to continue our little reunion.” Pacey said walking across the grass to where Dawson and Joey sat in the swings, facing each other. He was leading Andie by the hand, as she waved Jack, Jen and Michael over to the rest of the group.

“Pacey, what do you have planned?” Dawson asked him curiously.

“I plan to re-create our graduation night.” He said matter-of-factly.

“Pacey, if I remember correctly, on graduation night we all got smashed at your parents house, and ended up going skinny dipping in the creek. Please tell me you are not planning on re-creating that, because number one, I can’t drink. And number two, I am NOT getting naked in front of anyone right now.” Andie told him.

“Aww come on sweetie, I think you look beautiful.” Pacey said to her, pleading.

“And I think I look like a beached whale.” She said smiling back at him.

“I think re-creating graduation night is a splendid idea, and I think we should go get started.” Jen said, with the same twinkle in her eyes that Pacey had earlier.

Within a few minutes, everyone was comfortably sitting in the Witter living room, drinking and talking. It was all calm and serene at first, with the stereo playing soft music, and quiet crackle of a fireplace burning the chill out of the September air. But as the night went on, and the drinks went down, the calm atmosphere went down the toilet. The music went from soft and relaxing to loud and dance-inspiring. The crackle of burning kindling was replaced with the loud cackles of laughter. But none of them were as young as they used to be, and the effects of the alcohol were quickly taking their tool. Besides that, Andie looked bored and was getting rather tired and cranky. She went to be shortly after Pacey had fallen asleep on the loveseat. Jen and Jack were the next to fall victim to the wiles of drunkenness as they both fell asleep outside in the backyard, sitting in the lawn furniture. Michael began not feeling well, and disappeared into the bathroom for a while. That left a very intoxicated Dawson and Joey alone together. There were sitting on the front porch, laughing loudly, and just generally being silly.

“Joey, are you still in love me?” Dawson asked her with his eyes half shut, fighting the sleepiness that was washing in waves over him. “Because I’m still in love with you. I never stopped loving you, even when I married Rachelle. I even named my little girl after you.”

The question startled her for a moment, but she was too drunk to lie to him. “Dawson, I have always been in love with you. I think I always will.” She sighed, and opened her eyes to see him coming closer to her.

“If you are in love with me, then why did you marry Andrew? Why did you marry someone else?” He asked her, slurring his words.

Joey could see the tears forming in his eyes, but she suddenly felt a twinge of anger and hurt in her stomach. “I could ask you the same question.” She swallowed the lump in her throat, but it was so hard to fight with her defenses down. She began to cry. “Dawson, if we both still love each other, why are we living like this? God, where did we go wrong?”

He scooted closer to her, so he could comfort her. He nearly lost his balance and almost fell off the porch, but Joey didn’t notice.

“I don’t know Jo. Why did we let go of what we had?” Dawson asked her.

Then, without thinking, Joey answered him. “I don’t think we ever did let go.” That was it. It was all Dawson needed.

He reached over, and gently touched Joey’s cheek with the pads of his fingers. He drew a breath, and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. At first, it was just a sweet, innocent peck. But soon, she returned his kiss with fervent, more passionate ones. Their tongues collided, and all the feelings that they both thought they had long since forgotten resurfaced. The kissed for several moments, and then pulled apart. Neither one of them spoke for a few minutes. They just sat in the wicker chairs, not looking at each other. Realizing what she had done, Joey sat in stunned silence.

“Dawson, why did we do that?” She looked over to see him asleep in the chair, his head resting on his own shoulder, with a peaceful smile upon his lips.

Ok, I REALLY need some feedback on this one, because I need to know where you guys (meaning the readers) would like to see this go. I'm also looking for a partner in crime to help me write this series!! If you're interested, give me an e-mail!! I'll except any and all suggestions.....Stay Tuned for Part 5!!

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