Romance: Pure Dawson & Joey. I usually write both Dawson/Joey, Pacey/Andie, but to be "Psychic Friends" was about just Dawson and Joey's relationship! :) And if you think I would ever write anything else, I can't!! It's sick, no offense to any of the great fanfic writers in favor of other romances, it's just my opinion about who belongs with whom. :)

Spoilers: Takes place sort of in "Psychic Friends". Pretend that Joey's dad didn't come back. It picks up with Joey rowing back to her house, and thinking about the day's events. Dawson in his room thinking of the day.

Rating: Hmm...I'm kidda the romantic, and not into R rated stuff. So, this is a PG or PG-13 at most.

PS - I'd also like to thank my friend Lizzy, for creating the title to this series "Love Returns". Many thanks! :)

Love Returns: Part One

(Dawson's Bedroom same night, Dawson sitting on his window seat)

Dawson hugs his knees in the darkness, his head bent low. His heart was broken, his world was shattered. Everything that he held on to so tightly, so fiercely, was gone. He was so lonely, so miserable, and unable to help himself out. Dawson's breathing suddenly comes quickly, as a few tears stream down his face. He didn't want to cry, he knew it was childish, but there wasn't any other way to release it. He felt as if he was sinking further and further down a bottomless pit, desperately grabbing at anything to lift his spirits, to forget the hurt and pain that was endless. Dawson takes from his pocket a small photo...of Joey.

Here with Me: by REO Speedwagon

Maybe it's too late but this feelin is runnin through my soul
I think I learned what love is but I'm afraid I let it go
Maybe it's too late, maybe you've already changed your mind
Turned lovin into leavin and I'm on the outside
They can't erase the emptiness and make everything alright

______________________________________________

(Joey outside her house)

Joey rows up to her pier slowly. The oars glide effortlessly through the water. Joey could see her breath as she breathed out. It was chilly tonight, not cold enough for snow, but cold enough. She reaches her dock, and ties up her boat. She steps out and stares out over the creek and begins to ponder. I wanted to talk with Dawson tonight, but I kept stalling. My heart was telling me to go...to climb up that ladder, and just explain how wrong I've been, and how sorry I am..but my head was stopping me..telling me to wait. But, why? Was it fear? Fear that he might not want me back? That the damage I caused, had ruined any chances for us to be together again? I couldn't decide, which should win, my head or my heart, and before I knew it...Dawson turned his light off. Then I was debating whether to climb the ladder anyways, as i always had...but..things aren't the same as they were before... Joey slowly walks up her walkway and goes into the house.

Bessie was sitting on the couch holding Alexander and watching the news. She hears the door shut, and looks over at the clock.

"Good, you're back. I was getting worried."

Joey takes off her jacket and makes her way to the living room and sits down. "Yeah, I ah..needed to think..I went for a walk."

Bessie lays Alexander down on the swing next the couch. "How was the carnival? Did anyone like your pictures?"

Joey smiles. "A few people did, I was amazed really. I even sold a few."

"That's wonderful, kid. Who did you go with?"

"Jack. Things are still uptight with him.. with..ya know..the situation. But we're friends...and that's the way it should have been." Joey ends with a low voice.

Bessie watches Joey quietly. It was obvious she was upset about something. "Are you okay? You look as if you need to say something."

Joey takes a deep breath. "I just learned a few things tonight that I should have seen a long time ago. And I'm feeling a lot of things, Bessie. Regret, guilt, anger, everything together, and I don't know what to do about it."

Bessie gives Joey an affectionate pat on the shoulder. "I'm here for you, if you need to talk."

"Thanks, Bessie. I think I'll head up to bed now." Joey gives her a hug, and touches Alexander's hand. She watches him and smiles. "Goodnight."

"Good night, honey."

Joey walks across the hall to her bedroom and shuts her door. She gets into her pajamas, a simple pair of sweat pants and a tee shirt, and climbs into bed. In the darkness she sees a light from her window...the moonlight and sighs. She begins to think about the conversation she'd had with Colin that night about relationships. Colin mentioned he had broken up with someone who he had been friends with long before the relationship started...and now because they had broken up, there was nothing, no relationship, no friendship. Joey knew how close it hit home. She could feel a few tears watering, and she knew that's what had happened to her and Dawson.

A friendship ruined and broken, everything was ackward, conversations stiff and to the point, joking around had become a distant memory. No more climbing up to Dawson's window whenever she liked, to feel the safety and happiness that he always provided without even knowing it, and last but not least, watching movies and discussing them as if they were the most important thing in the world. She missed those nights, more than she ever let anyone one, especially Dawson. Joey couldn't take it anymore, and she began to cry softly, wiping away the tears with her blanket. She wanted to stop the pain, the ache that came to her everytime she saw Dawson and realized his misery was because of her. She had always told him, she would never hurt him, that it would be like cutting herself to pieces, that's how connected they were, and now look what happened.

But your laughter and your tenderness will never disappear
No matter where you are tonight a part of you is here with me
Here with me, I don't know where you are, all I know is I need you to be
Here with me, I know it's not to late, to turn around and get it straight
It's not fate to have you here with me

__________________________________________

(Cut back to Dawson's house)

Dawson's eyes linger over the photo. It was a picture of him and Joey a week into their relationship. They two were staring deeply in each other's eyes, oblivious to the world, arms wrapped tightly around each other, smiling, a look of fresh new love. Pacey had snuck up on the two, saying he needed to keep as a memory that HE had a part in getting them together. Dawson sighs again, looking outside of the window into the darkness, watching as the moonlight danced against the water of the creek. His eyes wanders in the direction of Joey's house. Did the fortune teller really mean what she said.? 'That which is lost, can be found again'. Can Joey and I find a way back to each other? I miss my best friend. I'm dying without her. Is she without me?

I can hear your voice promising your love will never die
I can feel your golden skin on mine beneath the desert sky
So how can it be true, how can you just turn and let me go
Let the story of your life with mine forever go untold

I can't take these words to bed with me and hold onto them at night
They can't erase the emptiness and make everything alright
Cause your laughter and your tenderness will never disappear
No matter where you are tonight a part of you is here with me
Here with me, I don't know where you are, all I know is I need you to be
Here with me, I know it's not too late, to turn around and get it straight
It's not fate to have you here with me

Dawson slowly reaches over and touches the window, creating a handprint and keeps it there.

___________________________________________________

Joey stops crying, and a feeling of comfort fell over her. She looks over at the window, and stands up. She sits down on the chair next to the window. She smiles as she touches the glass, creating a handprint. It was a little something she and Dawson did when they were small. Whenever they felt afraid or sad, they always knew the other would be there, and the touching of hands on the glass symbolized the neither distance nor pain would separate them.

___________________________________________________

(Next Morning, Dawson's Room)

Dawson squints from his window seat, as sunlight streams through his window. He stretches his stiff muscles, and yawns. Still in his clothes from the previous night, he begins to slowly walk to his dresser to change them. Suddenly, his feet hit something hard. Hissing in pain, he backs away and looks down. He sees the model in pieces on his floor, and remembers what had happened last night. Dawson sits down on his bed, and just stares at the broken model.

His dreams of becoming a filmmaker were gone. His movie, a bittersweet, romantic, smart, and most importantly a love story, was trash. The love story of him and Joey. Two connected hearts, two soulmates bond together by a beautiful friendship was the film's main plot. But there was, of course, one part not autobiographical. The two leads had found their way back to each other, their love stronger because of everything that had happened.

"So much for 'life imitating art'." Dawson says aloud.

Writing the script had been both painful and joyous, and filming it had been one of his greatest experiences, one that he would treasure forever. And what would be more wonderful than to show his movie to a Columbia TriStar writer on hiatus, as his new film teacher for the remainder of the semester. It would be a dream come true, and to have her opinion, would make all the difference. And it had, but it the worst way. Ms. Kennedy had not been kind about her interpretation of the film. She had told Dawson, no sugar coat, quite harshly that his film was awful, that it was a 'soap opera', and all that self-aware, and self-analysis was tired, and that he lacked talent. His heart had finally given out on that one.

Dawson sighs and stands up, kicking one of the pieces. "At last, Dawson Leery has finally succeeded at something. At creating his own world of misery, despair, and agony." He laughs sarcastically. "The perfect dramatic sequence. I've become my own movie."

And with that, he heads for the bathroom.

________________________________________________

(Joey's Bedroom)

Joey slowly opens her eyes and looks at the clock. It was 7:30. She stretches out, and stands up. She picks out a pair of jeans, a turtleneck and a heavy gray sweatshirt. After completing her morning routine of brushing her teeth, she slips on her sneakers and heads toward the kitchen. Bessie is see feeding Alexander some oatmeal.

"Morning, Bessie." Joey says quietly, going to the refridgerator for some juice.

Bessie notices immediately that her sister's strange attitude had not changed. This was obviously something that needed to be addressed.

"Alright, Joey. I've had enough now. Tell me what's wrong." She says indicating to sit down.

Joey shakes her head. "Bessie, it's something I have to deal with myself."

Bessie gets frustrated and raises her voice. "Why does it always have to be by yourself? That's all it's been for months, everything 'by your self'. Finding yourself. You say that, but you don't explain, or you explain and it doesn't make sense. You think noone would understand? Like me, or your best friend even?"

Joey knew she meant Dawson as in best friend and gets irritated. "He's involved, Bessie. He doesn't understand."

"Of course he doesn't, because you don't make him understand. You're not giving him anything. One minute, you're budding pals, and a happy couple, and then BAM!, you want a break. Fine, but at least explain to him, why you need it. 'Finding yourself' doesn't explain the half of it. How can you do that?"

Joey begins to get upset, her eyes fill with tears. "I'm trying, Bessie. And don't think it hasn't been hard to keep him at a distance. You think it was easy to do this? To just stay away from him?"

Bessie relaxes for a moment, taking a deep breath and replies in a softer voice. "I don't mean to harp on you, but I want you to break from this. Obviously, something has changed since yesterday to make you feel this way. Talk to me."

Joey sits down and explains what happened with Colin and what he had said about his relationship that had done bad. "And...he's right, Bessie. At the time, I thought there were a million different reasons to break up with Dawson..." She stares out the window. "But now, I can't think of any. I want to..but I'm afraid, if after everything that happened, can things ever be recaptured?"

Bessie smiles. "Just go over there, and you'll know for sure."

"Okay, I will." Joey grabs her jacket.

She walks down her dock and stops at the pier. She looks out over the creek and closes her eyes, breathing in deeply. She softly steps into her boat, and rows down the creek......

Joey reaches Dawson's dock, ties up her boat, and steps out. She looks up at Dawson's window as she walks over the pier and to his house. She stops at the beginning of the ladder...debating. What should decide my head or my heart, she asks herself. Joey breathes deeply and smiles...then climbs up the ladder.

___________________________________________

(inside Dawson's Room)

Dawson sits quietly on his bed, watching the TV. He turns quickly hearing a knocking at his window. His eyes brighten, his heart beats quickly. He couldn't believe she was here, he didn't care why, just that she was, was enough. He goes over to the window and opens it.

"Jo, umm..come in. What brings you here?"

Okay, what did ya think people! I figure it's a bit of a hanging cliffhanger for the next installment. I had fun with this. I got to express my thoughts about the whole Dawson and Joey relationship, and what I felt what they were going through. Please, e-mail me comments, I love feedback, and need it!! And thank you again, for reading it! E-mail me, Tiffany, djsoulmates@yahoo.com

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