"What's that?"

"When all is said and done? Nothing ended up the way any of us thought it would."

"It rarely happens."

She shrugged in agreement, half nodding her head as she pulled herself up on the railing. "You think it's safe?"

She pulled herself up beside her friend. "Everything here is safe. Isn't that the point? The reason you were sent here, the reason I wanted out of here, the reason we're back?"

"I suppose."

"How did you think it was all going to end?"

"Depends on when you asked me." She laughed at the glare she received. "I'm not hedging. I'll answer. It just really does depend. When I first got here? I thought you were going to hate me forever, Dawson and I were going to live happily ever after in Hollywood and Pacey was going to end up being the next Robin Williams or something."

"Really?"

"Hell no." She laughed. "I figured I'd marry Dawson since I ruined him and he'd be sleeping with you, his real love, on the side. I'd be having torrid affairs with all the Hollywood stars and starlets trying to get into his movies which, much like Spielberg's, would be over-rated, sentimental pieces of clap-trap."

"And Pacey?"

"I could never figure Pacey out at first. But at the rate he was going back then, I figured he'd either end up famous on the talk-show circuit or he'd be in prison."

"Both good guesses."

"What about you? What did you think when I came to town?"

"You mean once I got past my seething jealousy and hatred?"

"You've gotten past those?"

She slapped her arm, lightly but hard enough to sting. "Hey!"

"I think it's a valid question."

"Shut up." She sighed and looked up, watching the stars. "I was as much a dreamer as Dawson ever was. I kept hoping you'd take an interest in Pacey and then you'd both be out of the way and then Dawson would have no choice but to notice me."

"Well, you were off on a few points, but it did happen."

"Yeah."

"Aaand that worked out really badly."

They both laughed for a moment, the stilted laughter of people who have known each other too long and know what scabs hurt the most when they're picked at. "Yeah."

There was silence until the soft rip of a paper seal filled it, followed by the sound of liquid. She accepted the cup passed to her and took a drink. "I thought Pacey and Andie would last forever. Well, when I gave them any thought, which to be honest, wasn't much back then. I was pretty involved in my own drama."

"Stemming in large part from mine?" She smirked. "They seemed pretty happy."

"Looks are deceiving."

"Says the knockout blonde with the big boobs who's actually a television producer and media mogul."

"Indeed. Although I don't know that the sleek, svelte brunette with her own high-level accounting firm has any room to be making snap judgments."

"Wasn't Andie supposed to be here?"

"Yup. Maybe she forgot."

"Maybe she's moved on."

"Meaning we haven't?"

"We're here, aren't we?"

She shrugged. "Then there was the two of you."

"Yeah."

"I thought that was going to change it all, you know? Shake it up. I figured Andie and Dawson would tend to each other's wounds and Jack and I would continue to be the best hag and fag around."

"Instead you all became friends and he and I…well, some things did change."

"Yeah. But not for long. Never for long."

"Nope." She slid off the railing and took another drink. "I always run back to what's safe."

"Isn't it funny how the stuff that happened fifteen years ago, inconsequential stuff, is the stuff we remember? The stuff we get mired in when it's time to move on."

"Yeah."

She hopped onto the dock as well, falling into step with her companion. "Have you heard from him?"

"Jack's coming."

"Husband in tow," she nodded. "Should shock a few people."

"That Jack's gay? Or that he's really married to one of the biggest, straightest Hollywood stars around?"

"Well, I'm assuming there'll be some sort of cover story."

"Andie's supposed to be here."

"We covered that."

"Since the whole thing with Drue happened though…"

"What did happen, exactly? I mean, you would think I'd know being her brother's best friend, but I think he was worried about my Drue issues flaring to life again."

"Engaged," she shrugged. "She found him screwing around with one of the maids. She ran. He chased. His car ran off the road. She slipped back into breakdown mode brought on by all the car-related trauma in her life. Hospitalization. Then they said she was okay, but I think she's been living pretty secluded with her aunt."

"Seclusion in Italy's got it all over seclusion in Capeside."

"Dawson's already here, I think. I saw a car that I think is his, but I didn't feel up to it all, you know? The…drama of dealing with his emotions upon the momentous occasion of our meeting again after so long. The glint in his eye when he heard my marriage was on the rocks. The subtle digs at my husband, the reminders of what I could have had if I'd chosen him."

"You're hoping he won't have the guts to say any of that in front of everyone else?"

"No, I'm just hoping I can avoid him long enough to get through it all and get the hell out of Dodge." She reached out and took her hand. "What about you? How did it all turn out?"

"Well, you know the work story. SilverLining enterprises is growing fast and it's pretty much all I can do to keep up with it."

"And Jacob?"

"He's with his dad most of the time. Sued me for custody claiming I was an absent parent, just like I'd been an absent girlfriend. He's on the birth certificate and we'd ironed out custody issues when we split up, since I wanted him to be involved." Her laugh held no humor. "Now I'm on the sidelines but paying for the whole game."

"That's what you get for dating my professors, you know."

"I didn't realize I was impinging on Joey Potter territory when he cornered me on the Hell's Kitchen dance floor."

"He was never my territory."

"Right. You were just playing surrogate mom to his daughter."

"I was babysitting."

"Whatever. I think you're primarily responsible for the attitude of the little hellion who, by the way, is currently residing at the corner of slut and whore in the prostitute building. For which I blame you and her father blames me."

"But other than that, life is good?"

"Yeah." She smirked. "Other than that."

"You have to admit, Harley's a decent name for a hooker."

"Oh yeah. It's got a real ring to it."

She stopped at the car, taking a drink from the bottle in her hand before passing it over. "I never thought it would be this."

"What would?"

"The future. I guess…I guess I figured it would be…something more."

"What about him?"

"He was a cop. He loved it. He married a sweet young thing, fucked her senseless every night, gave her two kids and then got himself killed."

"How's she holding up?"

"She's got John Witter to comfort her. How do you think she's holding up?"

"Maybe we should have brought her along?"

"Oh yeah. I'm sure that'd have gone over like a lead balloon. 'Hey, I'm Joey, your dead husband's ex-girlfriend and this is Jen, she fucked around with him in high school. You want to go get drunk with us and listen to us reminisce? No? Fine, be that way, you bitch'."

"Kids, huh?"

"Two of 'em. One girl, one boy. Fucker managed to have the perfect life."

"Perfect lives are never perfect."

"True," she nodded. "But he sure seems to have gotten close."

"He had us to practice on."

"Yeah." She climbed into the car and started it, waiting for her friend to get in. "Poor bastard."

1/31/03