Simple Again by: Holly

Previous | Next

Rating: Very very not something I’d allow my little sister to read. It’s controversial and deals with mature subject matter. Please be at least in high school if you read this!

Author's Note: Some of you may not like this story, but I feel like writing it. People tend to get very touchy on the subject of teen pregnancy, but since ya’ll watch Dawson’s Creek, I figure this is subject matter you can all deal with. I hope you like the story, and don’t think it’s unresearched, because it is. Send me feedback!

Boring, Tiring Legal Junk: I am Kevin Williamson. I own Dawson’s Creek and all the characters. I also see pretty pretty colors and hallucinate a lot.
PEOPLE-- I don’t own em, and sadly, I never will. The songs in this story are “Brick” by Ben Fold’s Five and “Broken Road” by Melodie Crittenden, respectively. I don’t own them, but they fit, and I hope these very talented artists don’t mind me borrowing them. Oh, BTW- if you think you recognize “Broken Road” You probably remember it from the season finale! Oh, and if any of you know what the song is they have been playing on the trailers of DC lately, would you please email me? Thanks!

Dawson’s factoid: Did ya’ll catch the nod to Steven Spielburg in Sex She Wrote? It’s the part when Pacey and Andie are in the car kissing and the shot fades to the mirror, that says “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.” It’s a classic scene from Jurrasic Park.

Simple Again

“I--I could have an abortion,” said Joey, slowly, trembling from all the emotional shock she’d been through in the last hour or two. Dawson lifted his head, with a face registering shock. The couple had been sitting on his bed for almost half an hour now, not really talking too much. Her comment took him by surprise, and the fact that it came out of nowhere added to the shock. “Sometimes...sometimes Dawson.. this, us, it just feels so right. Being in your arms. Feeling you kissing me. Knowing how much you love me, and that I feel exactly the same way.”

Dawson smiled at her, and began to say something.

Instead Joey cut him off. “And other times, it feels like just everything is against this. I mean we have not had an easy relationship. It’s had more ups and downs than a roller coaster. Maybe this is just one dip that’s going to take us down much too far..” She broke off.

“But we survived, didn’t we?” said Dawson, urgently. “I mean, I grew up. We..we got through your mom’s death, Jo. We got through my parents divorce. Together, we got through Jack being gay. And we're still here kicking. Together. Jo, if there are such things as soul mates, I think were them. We have been to hell and back. We really can do this, together. I know it.” She shook her head.

“Maybe an abortion is best. We could just move on. No one would even have to know, if I went up to Providence or something. You know, really quick? It wouldn’t have to be that big of a deal... I can only be about eight weeks.”

“Not a big deal? Really quick? Joey this isn’t just a problem, you know? It’s a BABY.”

“Don’t you think I know that!?”

“Do you?”

“Of course I do! It’s my body, of course I know!”

“So rather than be with someone you love and handle the problem, you’d kill a child?”

Joey shook her head in disgust. “It’s not really a child yet. It’s smaller than like my little finger.”

“Don’t start all that biology crap on me! No matter what you say, it’s still a child!”

“You don’t know what it’s like! You couldn’t possibly!”

“Oh, yeah, this isn’t hard for me at all!”

“You don’t know what’s it like to feel trapped by your own body! You can’t know! The problem isn’t INSIDE of YOU! And if I have this child, you won’t have to watch your body swell and see the problem be on display for the entire world! A stranger on the street wouldn’t look any differently at you at all. But if they saw me!? They’d think 'Oh, look! A pregnant teenager. She must be a tramp. Now that’s the epitome of what’s wrong with Americas youth!’ You won’t be the statistic! I will! ME!” Joey yelled. Her face was red and annoyed. She turned and ran out of the room.

Dawson knew he should go after her, but he couldn’t make his feet move. The bite of her words weighed down heavily upon him. He flinched as he heard the front door slam. He flopped down on his bed. The tears began to well up in his eyes, and he hugged his ET doll.

* * * * *

Joey slammed into her house, not expecting anyone to be home. Instead, she found Bessie standing in the kitchen, holding the refridgerator door open.

“Do you realize we have no food in this house? None whatsoever..” She stopped when she saw the pained look on her sisters face. Since Bodie had left Bessie and Joey had grown closer. Bessie knew the look on her sister's face. It was a lot like when she had found out their mom had finally died. It was a look of pain and hurt, as well as anger, directed at the world..and judging from the fact that Bessie knew where Joey had been..possibly Dawson Leery?

“What’s up little one?” asked Bessie.

“Shut up,” seethed Joey.

“Don’t give me any of that lip! You don’t know how hard it is to be a mother and a sister, when your kid can’t talk and your sister won’t.” Joey turned to face her sister. Before she knew what she was saying she snapped back “Oh, yeah!? Well, I suppose I’m going to find out!”

Bessie put her hand to her throat. “Oh, my god,” she whispered. “Your pregnant,” It was a statement, not a question.

“Yes. I’m pregnant.” Joey twisted her hands.

“Does Dawson know?”

“Yes.”

“Is he going to, you know, be supportive?”

“I think.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Are you really sure you're pregnant?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, god,” Bessie felt a sudden migrane coming on. She took a deep breath and decided she would be calm about all of this.

“Alright. If you want, we can call an adoption agency. Look into a private adoption. Or you could..you could keep the baby here..with me and Alex. I--I could help you raise it.”

Joey shrugged. “ I was thinking maybe..maybe I’d terminate it.” The look on Bessie's face was a horrified one.

“You can’t! I won’t let you! God, JO! How can that even cross your mind? After all, Alexander wasn’t planned! Should I have killed him!?” Bessie shook her head. “NO.” She said simply. “You are not going to have an abortion.”

“God!” Screamed Joey. “I wish everyone would stop telling me what I should and shouldn’t do! I can do this myself if I have to! I’m so--I’m so angry!”

“Don’t you dare get angry at me because you and Dawson had sex. And because I’m telling you straight out that an abortion would be wrong..” Joey broke in.

“I’m not angry at you! I’m angry at myself..”

Bessie looked at her. “I’m angry because I was stupid enough to let this happen to me! I thought I was smart enough to keep this from happening! I’m angry because today I’m thinking of having an abortion and last week a thing like that wouldn’t have even occured to me. That’s why I’m angry!”

For what seemed like the millionth time that day, she once again broke into tears. Bessie let a tear stream down her face as well. She strode over to her sister and put her arms around her. And she held her. She held her as a mother would.

* * * * *

Dawson tossed and turned on his bed. He heard the ladder clank and a minute later Pacey Witter climbed in through the window.

“What’s the emergency man? I got here in like five minutes, which as you know, would mean I broke about eight different traffic laws. And as much as I personally don’t mind that, good clean cut Dawson Leery calling me and saying and I quote 'Pacey get over here now. Steal your dad’s car and speed over here’ now that worries me.”

Dawson shoved a pillow over his head. His headache was becoming progressivly worse throughout this whole ordeal.

“So, what’s the 411 man?” Dawson removed the pillow from his face, and gave Pacey an odd look before replacing it.

“What!? Andie was making me watch Clueless. Doesn’t Joey make you watch like Born on the Fourth of July and A Few Good Men?” Dawson groaned at the mention of Joey’s name.

“C’mon man! I know Tom’s not a great actor, but you have to admit that Jerry Maguire rocked.” Pacey looked at his friend, who was obviously on the verge of having a complete overanalytical shutdown. “ So what did you do this time? How narrow minded were you to Joey?”

“Too. How did you know this was about Joey?” He voice was muffled by the pillow.

“What else could get your tighty whities in such a bunch?”

There was another groan from under the pillow. “ You know, I knew you weren’t the right person to call about this, but once again I ignored that voice in my head known commonly as sanity. I seem to be doing that a lot lately.”

“C’mon. What is it? I left a good make out session with my girlfriend to be here, who by the way is acting very odd today. I was going to tell you to chill and wait an hour, but she insisted that I come right away. So c’mon man, what does she know that I don’t?”

Once again a groan emerged from the depths of the pillow. Dawson finally removed the pillow from his head.

“I completely forgot she knew.”

“Knew what!?” Pacey was becoming exasperated now.

“Joey and I had sex,” Dawson said bluntly.

“You dog,” Pacey jostled him in the ribs. “ You and the girl down the creek, getting horizontal..”

Dawson broke him off by saying “She’s pregnant.”

Pacey’s face hardened almost immediately.

“Jeez. Are you sure?” One look at his best friend’s face answered this question. “God. How..How is she? What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know how she is. She’s not..good. She’s kind of shutting herself off to me. She’s thinking about abortion.” Pacey swallowed hard.

“Maybe..maybe she’s right. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing.”

“What!?” said Dawson. “Your ganging up on me!”

“Dawson, man, chill. You know how I feel about abortion. I’m strictly pro choice. Andie and I have even discussed what we’d do if she ever got pregnant, and we really both feel that would be the only acceptable choice for us.” Pacey held up his hand us Dawson began to protest.

“I’m just saying..hear the girl out, okay? Do not, I repeat, do not, under any circumstances, be your normal judgemental self, okay?”

“Too late.” Dawson groaned again, and shoved the pillow back over his head.

“What did you do?” Pacey rolled his eyes.

She’s a brick and I’m drowning slowly
Off the coast and I’m headed nowhere
She’s a brick and I’m drowning slowly

* * * * *

That night Dawson went to Joey’s house. He stood under her window, taking deep breaths. The most important thing was that he didn’t lose her.

Whatever decision she made, he couldn’t lose her. She was everything to him. He needed her to live. Dawson knocked on the window leading into the room she now occupied. IT opened almost immeadeatly, as though she had been waiting for him. He hoisted himself into her room and took a look at her. Even in the dim lamplight of night, it was not a pretty picture. Her eyes were swollen, her nose red, her demeanor dejected.

“Did you come to yell at me some more?” Joey pressed a Kleenex to her nose. “Go ahead, I deserve it.”

“No, no more yelling,” Dawson whispered, almost as if to make up for his loud voice earlier. “No more yelling.” He took her into his arms. She studied his eyes. She saw the gentleness, and allowed herself to be held. A couple of minutes later, he spoke again.

“Joey, I am so sorry. I am sorry I was judgemental earlier. I should have listened and realized it was different for you. Worse for you. I didn’t think. We all know that’s a constant and continual problem with me.” She smiled up at him a little. “And you know, the words, they just come out. If..if you really think the only choice you can make is to end this pregnancy, then well, I won’t be happy, but I’ll support you. Please just don’t shut me out--”

At this point Joey tried to break in.

“Daws--”

“No, please, just let me get this out. You are the most important person in my life and I cannot be without you. That’s the important thing. Please. Don’t shut me out.”

“Dawson, I don’t want to have an abortion.”

“What?”

“I don’t. I was just..I am scared. I need you. More than you could ever know. I need you here, with me. I need you to help me through the next seven months and depending on what we decide, if we keep the baby instead of giving it up for adoption, I may need you to be a father. Can you do that? Can you be that adult?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “ I want us to have this baby. I want to take care of you. I know it won’t be easy. It can’t. But you know, what is? And your worth the pain Joey. Your worth everything.” He rocked her. “ Were going to be just fine. We really are. I promise.” He kissed her on the head, and he held her tightly. For just one second, everything did seem okay again. Simple again.

I set out on a narrow way
Many years ago
hoping I would find true love
Along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow, kept pushing through
I couldn’t see how every sign
pointed straight to you.
Every long lost dream
Led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart
They were just northern stars
Pointing me on my way
Into your loving arms
This much I know..is true
That God blessed the broken road
and led me straight to you...”

Alright, I hope you like Part duex. That is a word right? In some language? I know this part was a bit controversial, oh heck, this whole fanfic is controversial, but that’s kind of a part of who I am. Anyway, I won’t bring up my personal moral, convictions, or beliefs, but this seemed like a good time to write this, what with Jack coming out and all the characters dealing with that controversial issue. Anyway, when you send feedback, please be aware, that all beliefs expressed were not necessarily mine. Thank you. Look for part three!

Previous | Next

Email Holly

Partyoffive@rocketmail.com


Back to Holly's Stories | Back to Fan Fiction | Back to the Main Page


This page has been visited times.