Social assistants department at Capeside.
As Jack sits outside the office where he has to sign the papers that will place Amy in foster care until everything is resolved, the look on his face is one of trepidation. He’s uncertain of what’s to come and he tries to tell himself that things will work out in spite of how he feels about everything is right now. The camera pans out and we see that Andie is sitting on one side of Jack, his hand in hers and she squeezes it reassuringly. Grams sits on the other side, holding Amy, who is making gurgling noises and breaks Jack’s moment of quiet reflection.
He smiles down at her, at his baby girl, hoping that no one can take that away from him. He knows that this is going to be extremely difficult. He won’t be the one who takes care of her for this next little while.
Amy reaches out for Jack and Grams passes her to him, the look on her face clearly conveying how sad she is right now as.
Jack hugs her dearly. "I hope you know how much Daddy loves you and I know you are too young to understand this Precious, but I have to do this. I promised your mom that I would take care of you and I plan on seeing that through." He kisses her forehead and Grams has tears in here eyes. "I’ll be coming to visit you as often as I can."
Just then they’re interrupted as someone opens the office door and a voice is heard saying "Mr. McPhee, we’re ready for you now."
Jack quickly kisses Amy on the forehead again. "Daddy will see you soon." He tells the smiling baby before passing her back to Grams.
He enters the room with this sick feeling in his stomach at the thought of what he is about to do. But that feeling quickly disappears as a small smile plays across his once straight lips.
"Let me introduce you to Bessie and Bodie Lewis. They’re going to be Amy’s foster parents while all of this is being processed." The woman, whose name has suddenly slipped Jack’s mind tells him. "We just need you to sign a few papers and then you´ll have a few moment with Mr. and Mrs. Lewis as they may have some questions for you too and so they can meet the baby."
Jack nods his head, his mouth dry as he sits to sign the papers, finding it easier now than when he thought Amy was being placed in the care of strangers. He signs the papers and he’s still speechless, having never dreamed Amy would go to Bessie and Bodie.
Minutes later Grams and Andie enter the room with someone at their back. "Look who we found!" Andie says to Jack as she takes a seat and gestures towards Doug.
"Hey." Jack says suddenly finding his voice and some enthusiasm. "You will never believe…"
Andie cuts in on Jack’s happy news. "Bessie and Bodie are going to be looking after Amy?" She smiles at him and then in the direction of Bessie and Bodie, her smile lighting up her face. "We know!"
"How do you guys know?" He asks looking towards Doug again, wondering why he was there.
"Doug just told us." Andie tells him matter-of-factly as Amy starts to play with her hair.
"How did Doug know?"
"We needed someone who was an upstanding member of the community to vouch for us." Bessie speaks up. "We figured we couldn’t get any higher than town sheriff."
Jack turns towards Bessie with so many questions swimming around in his head but only two of them require an answer right now.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Because Amy hasn’t done anything in this, you haven’t done anything to warrant her having to be placed into care. Neither of you deserve this." Bessie tells him. "There’s a perfectly good home for her already with you and I know that no one can care for her as well as you, but it would be one hundred times more difficult for you if there were strangers watching over her. At least this way, everyone knows everyone. And Amy won’t have to readjust as much, granted we’re not her family but that doesn’t mean we can’t help you out."
"Why didn’t you tell me you had applied to foster Amy?"
This time it is Bodie who speaks. "We knew that if we said something and then it fell through or we weren’t successful that you would be disappointed." Bodie squeezes Bessie’s hand. "It would have lulled you into this false sense of where everything was leading, you thinking that Amy was going to people you knew, we couldn’t have you thinking she was going to come to us just in case."
"I can’t fully express how much this means to me right now." Jack says trying to process all of this, Amy going to friends, Doug playing a part and he glances towards Amy who is smiling and waving to Bessie.
"Jack?" Grams interrupts his moment of quiet contemplation.
"Hmm?"
"You were just about to tell Bessie and Bodie…" She begins and looks at him expectantly.
"Oh, right." He takes Amy from Andie and turns to Bessie. "Thank you. Somehow that doesn’t seem to quiet cut it, but it’s all I can say."
"It’s not a problem." Bodie replies.
"We want you to know that of course, once Amy is with us, you are welcome to come visit anytime Jack. In fact I think we´ll have a vacancy for the next few days, you could always come and help Amy get settled in."
"I might just do that."
"We should leave you for now, I’m sure there are still some things to go over." Grams says to Bessie and Bodie as she makes her way towards the door, followed closely by Andie and Doug.
For a while, Bessie, Boddi and jack stay inside the room talking about future plans. When they´re done, Jack holds Amy as Bessie kisses her on the cheek.
"Well, see you soon again pretty" Bessie says.
"Thank you again." Jack smiles before walking towards the door as the assistant make her way into the room again to finish ultimating somedetails with Boddi and Bessie.
Once out in the hallway Jack sighs, one of relief. He had never expected things to work out this way. Andie and Grams are walking down the stairs towards the exit while Doug stands at the top of the stairs.
Jack walks towards him, over come with gratitude.
"I know it will probably never cut it, but I just want to say Thank You. You didn’t have to…"
Doug cuts in holding up his hands, then taking one of Amy´s in his. "You don’t have to say anything. I just did what I had to do." He pauses a moment as though he is thinking over what he is about to say. "I knew how worried you would be over where Amy would be. You’d know that whoever was caring for her would treat her like their own daughter but it’s not the same. I know you probably still feel that way with her going to Bessie and Bodie. This way at least she’s not with strangers and that puts your mind at ease more. There’s not such a restriction on you seeing her."
"How did you know how…"
"Because even though we’re not together, I feel that way too." He shakes his head. "I didn’t want her to be with strangers either. I did what I did because I felt it was for the best. You have to make the best of a bad situation. You taught me that once."
They smile at each other, both somehow feeling they have so much more to say to each other but knowing at the same time words aren’t needed.
Doug glances at his watch. "I have to be going; I’m on duty in thirty minutes. I’ll see you Jack."
"I’ll see you Doug!"
And with that Doug starts his descent down the stairs, leaving Jack to ponder over everything that has happened lately.
Outside the Potter’s B&B, Capeside.
("Waiting" by Maren Ord starts playing in the background)
The grasses growing along the creek of Capeside have mellowed to a soft brown in the late winter. The air is still and the skies are darkening.
I'm sitting here
And I'm waiting patiently
For the clock to turn
It's not all that fast today
Joey stands at the end of the pier, her back to her childhood home, arms folded protectively against the cold. Her face is pensive as she gazes out across the creek. These familiar waters that have watched her stand so often here, reflect a little of the thoughts swirling through her mind.
So I'm on my own
But I know I'm not alone
I'll be witnessing
A happy ending
Joey turns her head slightly and looks down the creek. For a moment she imagines Dawson is rowing to the pier as he has done so often. He isn’t, of course, but she feels the strength that even the thought of him brings.
I'm sitting here in silence
I'm waiting here patiently
And I'm wondering
if you're waiting too
Her mind turns to the times when she has ran. Ran from Dawson, ran from the truth, ran from herself.
"What are going to do, Joey?" She asks internally. "Are you brave enough to admit that this is really who you are? That this is really what you want?"
I'm sitting here alone now
And I'm waiting here on my own
I'm wondering
If you're waiting for me too
A light comes to her eyes dispelling their former hesitation, and she straightens up, looking to the skies as snow begins to lightly fall around her. Her face breaks into a glowing smile and she closes her eyes, feeling the flakes fall on her face.
I'm watching now
And I'm seeing
others as they pass me by
It's not a pretty sight
But it will be someday
She savours the moment, the certainty she feels refreshing after the years of hidden doubts, and then still smiling she turns and runs back along the pier to the Potter B&B.
"Audrey! Audrey, are you in here?"
Joey slams the door shut, shaking snow from the shoulders of her coat.
"The office," a voice returns.
"Office?" Joey mutters and then her eyes widen in comprehension as she turns the corner into a small area off the living room that houses a computer and the B&B’s bookwork.
Audrey is seated at the desk staring at the computer screen. A pair of clear glasses is perched on the end of her nose.
"Ugh. I can’t find anything to do. I’m so desperate that I’m even looking for things to do with you and Jack and Andie on the internet and now I’m stuck here in this freezing cold town and…honey, is that snow in your hair?"
"Audrey - ssh! I’ve just decided something very important. I've had a revelation, if you like…"
"Oh, bunny, I’ve had one too. You know, you’ve been so wrong about this whole soulmates thing and believe it or not, I have had some productive time sitting here," Audrey gestures impatiently at the computer. "Look, I’ve even written it all down."
Joey frowns quizzically. "Written what down?"
"Stuff about the meaning of soulmates and love and oh, just listen - here, ‘A soul mate is someone who has the locks to fit our keys, and the keys to fit our locks.’ Mmm, I’m not sure about - oh wait a minute. What about this? ‘What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined together to strengthen each other in all labour, to minister to each other in all sorrow, to share with each other in all gladness, to be one with each other in the silent unspoken memories?’ Joey, isn’t that just beautiful and it’s by George Eliot. He was a famous writer."
Joey gives Audrey an amused grin. "Really? You don’t mean ‘she was a famous writer?’"
Ignoring Joey, Audrey continues reading from the piece of paper in front of her. "And that isn’t all, honey. There’s this: ‘From every human being there rises a light that reaches straight to heaven. And when two souls that are destined to be together find each other, their streams of light flow together, and a single brighter light goes forth from their united being.’ Oh and listen to what a soulmate is according to some creature called Precious: ‘You tell them things that you've never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more.’ ‘The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever.’ ‘You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon,’ and ‘You open your heart knowing that there's a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible.’"
(The music starts playing in the background once again)
And it's not that I
It's not that I'm afraid of losing you
I'm afraid of me
And what my choices might do
Joey nods slowly. "I know. I know exactly what Precious is talking about."
"Sweetie, just one more. I found so many good quotes. Listen: ‘Soulmates must seize the chance, for the time of love is often fleeting and the past can never be regained. And that would be the greatest tragedy of all.’" Audrey removes her glasses and looks dramatically at Joey. "A tragedy, Joey. A tragedy!"
All the time I seem to wonder
How all this is gonna end
Will you stay with me forever and
Tell me that you'll never go away
Joey laughs warmly and reaches over giving Audrey a tight and impulsive hug. Then she grabs a piece of paper and writes something on it furiously. "I know and you’re right and you’re a wonderful friend which is why in the next hour, if you can pack all your products that quickly, you are driving me back to New York. I have a plane to catch!"
Audrey takes a deep breath and her eyes widen. "Bunny, am I about to aid and abet a romantic adventure?"
Joey simply smiles and places the note fr Bessie in a place she knows her sister will see it, then she walks down the hallway to her room.
Audrey lets out a delighted squeal and the scene fades to the New England scenery clothed in the stark whites of winter, flashes past the car windows as Joey and Audrey drive towards New York.
"Audrey, be careful on these roads," Joey cautions, noticing for the first time their speed. She has been preoccupied with thoughts. Happy ones for the most part. A confidence and expectant joy in the decision she has made. Her mind turns to one of the passages that Audrey had read. ‘You open your heart knowing that there's a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible.’ She is going to catch a plane today, believing for herself the validity of those words.
Audrey interrupts her reverie. "But, Bunny, I’m so excited. It’s extremely difficult to be sensible and excited at the same time."
"For this romantic adventure to be successfully achieved, I must first be delivered to the airport in one piece." Joey wags a finger of mock warning at Audrey.
"I know, I know. I will be just sensible for the rest of the trip." The twinkle in Audrey’s eyes somewhat belies her vow. "So sweetie, do you need to stop anywhere in the city before we get to the airport?"
"Yeah, but just quickly to get a couple of things at my place and," Joey pauses and then exclaims anxiously, "Hang on. Work! I’d better call Ethan." She fumbles in her tote bag for her cell phone. Keying in the familiar number she leans back in her seat waits for an answer.
"How is your handsome colleague?" Audrey asks with a grin.
Joey quietens her with a playful tap on the arm as Ethan answers the phone. "Hi, Ethan. It’s Joey here. Listen, I have a huge favor to ask you. I’ve got something very important that I have to do today. If all goes as well as I hope, I might not be back at work for a little while longer than originally planned."
Joey laughs at Ethan’s response.
"I don’t know if my recent promotion gives me too much leeway to relax. But you’re right, they can hardly fire me."
She pauses again listening to Ethan’s suggestion.
"That would be great. A break from work classified as compassionate leave. Thanks for covering all that."
Audrey grabs the phone. "Passionate leave more like it," she snickers to Ethan.
Joey retaliates, quickly snatching the phone back out of Audrey’s hand. "Concentrate on the road!" she hisses fiercely.
Audrey rolls her eyes.
"Um, sorry, Ethan. That was just Audrey," Joey laughs again. "Oh, don’t I know it."
"Know what?" Audrey whispers.
Joey brushes her aside.
"Thanks again and I’ll be in contact." Joey flips the phone shut and pushes it into the recesses of her bag. "You think you’re so funny. Passionate leave."
"It was very clever of me," Audrey reflects. "And, more importantly, it’s far closer to the truth."
Joey turns and suddenly grins at Audrey, eyes sparkling. "Well, let’s hope so. Cross your fingers." She holds up both hands, index and middle fingers crossed.
"But, Bunny, I have to focus on driving."
The shared laughter of Joey and Audrey fills the car.
Dawson’s desk at the set of "The Creek", Los Angeles.
As Dawson sifts through some papers on his desk his eyes fall on some of the pictures that have found a home there. One of himself and Lily (where he’s giving her a piggy back ride), of himself with his parents and Lily that was taken so many years ago. He hopes he’s done his father proud, and hopes that Mitch is happy he’s finally living his dreams.
…Or is he? The thought that fills his head as his eyes move to the picture of himself and Joey, taken before prom of senior year in high school.
He suddenly remembers the box Joey gave him.
As someone laughs outside of Dawson’s office, he moves towards the sofa were the box is located. He opens the box, now eager to know of its contents. Removing some of the papers, he begins to read as a voice over is heard from Joey.
("By your side". by Sade, starts playing in the background)
He removes a book titled "How To Deal With Your Parent's Death" and on glancing at the title wonders why it is in this box. Opening it he sees that there is an inscription on the inside.
You think I'd leave your side baby?
You know me better than that
You think I'd leave down when your down on your knees?
I wouldn't do that
I'll do you right when your wrong
I-----ohhh, ohhh
"Dear Dawson, when something like this happens, you wanna reach out and grab the people around you, the ones who matter the most. The ones you take for granted all the time. And you want to take those people and hold onto them as tight as you can, tell them how precious they are to you, how knowing them makes your life better every single day that you're living it. Because when something like this happens, you realize how awful it would be if they didn't know, if they weren't aware of the profound effect they've had on your life. So, I want to take this moment to tell you that I love you, Dawson, and I'm here for you... now, forever, and every day in between. Love, Joey."
If only you could see into me
oh, when your cold
I'll be there to hold you tight to me
"Today has been a day of great revelation. I finally told Dawson the truth; the news that I know at one point could potentially have killed him. About myself and Pacey and…he still came through for me. Gave me the money to go to Worthington. Not that I expected him to turn his back on me or anything. I’m not sure if I know what I expected him to do. Did I really expect for it to change Dawson? That he wouldn’t still be there for me as my best friend? There’s still this bond there, this love that goes above and beyond everything…"
We see there has been a slight time lapse now as Dawson is reading as he goes to refill his coffee cup.
When your on the outside baby and you can't get in
I will show you, you’re so much better than you know
When your lost, when your alone and you can't get back again
I will find you darling I'll bring you home
"I left Dawson twenty minutes ago. I’m now on my way back to New York and only now is it really dawning on me that I’ve barely thought of Pacey the whole duration of my stay in LA. Yet I’m already dwelling on the fact that I miss Dawson. Getting to spend all of this time with him has been great. I’ve missed it. Is it even possible that at moments I was overcome with this once common feeling, that it stirred inside of me again? Could I be…"
Dawson flipped the page but realized the entry was never completed. He wanted to know what she was going to write, but somehow he thought he knew.
If you want to cry
I am here to dry your eyes
and in no time you'll be fine
You think I'd leave your side baby
You know me better than that
You think I'd leave you down when your down on your knees
I wouldn't do that
"He put it all down to insecurity and me feeling vulnerable. To us being closer than close. But I know that, on my end at least, there was more to that kiss. It’s never ‘just a kiss’ with us. It never has been. If I close my eyes and the room is in complete silence, I see that look in his eyes before we kissed. I feel the heat rise in my cheeks just thinking about it because for one split second, I know I’m about to kiss him. I can feel his lips on mine, gliding with mine as we melt into each other. And all I’m left with when I open my eyes again is one question, "Did he really blame eggnog for his part in it?" Because I’m the one that he pegged as vulnerable, he’s not. Could there really be nothing more to it on his part? I know where I was in this. I know where I am again. Falling."
He removed the final piece from the box and began to read again.
I'll do you right when your wrong
I-----I, ohhhh, ohhh
If only you could see into me
Oh when your cold
I'll be there
To hold you tight to me
"And then, just like that, they were kissing. She didn't know how they got there. She had no idea. The thought of kissing this boy hadn't crossed her mind in years, which was weird because once upon a time, that was all she would ever think about. And then, just like that, it was over. He coughed, she shuffled her feet. And she laughed at herself. It had been one of those moments. One of those moments where you shuck your status as mere mortal and achieve, however briefly, true greatness. She had shared many such moments with this boy. But now he was leaving and nothing would ever be the same again."
Finally, he finds an envelope. The date is December 25th, 2008. The night they had sex. Inside the nevelope, there is a letter written by Joey. He reads it and his face expresses so many things that is hard to describe them. As he finished his eyes suddenly felt heavy. He quickly looks at the clock and decides that he could close his eyes for a few minutes. Within seconds, he feels himself beginning to drift, the letter still firmly held in his hand.
"Nothing changes, does it?" The angelical voice from behind Dawson says as he surveys the scene out front of Grams' old house.
He turns to see the familiar face of his dearly departed friend. "Jen?" He enquires, his mouth dry.
"I had five minutes to spare, so I thought I'd spend them with you." She looks around. "Here seemed appropriate." She says and shrugs. "No matter how hard we tried to break the cycle...we always seemed to keep on keeping on. How long have I been gone for, Dawson? What's changed since I shed my body the way a butterfly sheds its cocoon?" Dawson gives her a 'What drugs are you on?' look. "Something I picked up from an Elisabeth Kubler Ross book."
Dawson shrugs and replies matterof factly. "I'm working with Spielberg!"
Jen's face is as cold as stone as she replies. "Big whoop, Dawson. Like that's of major importance in the grander scheme of things. I came all this way to see you, and I get the Spielberg line? What else?"
"I'm living in New York."
"Damn, Dawson! Okay, subtlety is not working here. God, we've regressed. How long do I have to wait before I hear that you two have jumped each other's bones again?"
"Jen!"
"Finally! Now you seem more alive than I do. I was starting to question which one of us was dead."
"I'm not so sure it's that simple."
"When has it ever been simple with you two?"
"But the timing..."
"Was never right? I think I heard that one before. She wants you, then you want her, then she wants you and back and forth. Don't you think things happened exactly like I said they would?"
He looks at her puzzled.
"Love to the tips of your fingers. And when you find that love, wherever you find it, don't run away from it. But you don't have to chase after it, either. Just be patient and it'll come to you and when you least expect it. Isn't that what's happened? Isn’t this what you wanted?"
Dawson stands looking at her for a moment, thinking of her words and the circumstances.
He is about to reply when Jen asks, "What's stopping you now? What's your reason for not pursuing this?" Jen demanded, her words met with silence. "Maybe my words are penetrating, but in case they aren't, I'm gonna leave you with a few questions. If things remain as they are, will you be able to look back and say you never regretted giving it a shot? Will you be able to say that you haven't wasted your life? Do you think you could say that you've lived your life honestly and fully? I honestly don't think you could answer 'yes' to any of those questions."
"Jen?" Dawson says his voice barely audible.
She turns to face him. "Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"No problem. Hey, do you think this is some sort of post-Christmas, 'It's A Wonderful Life' gig? If it is, I have to see about getting me some wings. Oh, forgot to mention...I've got a message from Mitch. Get this right or he says you will be feeling his wrath and the boat incident will come nowhere near that."
She flashes him a smile and then fades away as she walks up the porch steps.
Dawson wakes with a start, realizing he fell asleep in his office. He rubs his face and then claps eyes on the picture on his desk of himself, Jen and Joey that was taken when his mom got married. He picks it up, runs a finger over Jen's face. "You always made sense of everything." He says with sadness in his eyes but then his look changes quickly and he smiles. "And you." he trails off and stares into space.
After a moment, he eagerly takes his cell phone out of his pocket . He opens it, but stares at it for a moment, indecisive. Then he smiles lightly and his face softens. With a quiet look of determination, he starts to punch in some numbers, and waits for the line to pick up. His expression alters when he gets her answering machine, but he is still eager to talk. So he does.
"Hey, Joey. It’s me. So I’ve been thinking about, well, you know what about. And I have to tell you this. One way or another, it’s always been you. Being with you these last several months just really brought home to me how much I’ve…we’ve…been missing. I’ve missed us, Jo, and it really just took a good kick in the pants, by Todd of all people, to remind me that sometimes the things we have to work hardest for are the things that mean the most to us. So I want to work for this, Jo. I want to work for us. I want to try again, but this time, do it right, once and for all. Because I can live without you, Jo, but my life just isn’t the same without you. There's just alway something missing and I think…I hope…that you feel the same…"
The phone though interrupts Dawson with a recorded message...'Beep! You have exceeded the time in which to leave a message'. Dawson looks at the phone a little chagrined and amused. He calls back.
"I can’t do this over the phone, Jo. Just know that I am coming home to you…to us…and I hope you will be ready. Ready for…everything."
(The first part of "Follow Through" by Gavin DeGraw starts playing in the background)
Oh, this is the start of something good
Don't you agree?
I haven't felt like this in so many moons
You know what I mean?
He stares at the phone thoughtfully before shutting it. He looks up, and in his face, we know he is seeing and envisioning Joey...where the road leads...possibility…the future.
Exterior of the studios where "The Creek" is being filmed in L.A.
We see the sun start to set in the outside of the studios when Joey Potter gently closes the door of the taxi behind her. She eases the large backpack on the ground and straightens her shoulder bag.
She stands for a moment, looking through the large pair of steel gates guarding the studio. She notes the busyness of people; riding on carts from one large warehouse to another, talking in small groups. Briefly, she feels a pang of loneliness, then she remembers what she told Lily, '…no matter what happens in life or how you think you’ve changed, if you’ve ever had this kind of bond, it’s just not gonna be broken that easily. That other person will never be really gone and while you’ve got each other, you can’t be alone.'
She squares her shoulders and, picking up her bags, walks over to the security guard seated in the small booth at the studio gates. The guard takes no notice of her arrival at the window and sits frowning as he listens to the hockey scores on a small radio.
Joey clears her throat and taps on the counter. "Um, excuse me."
The guard grunts in reply and holds up a hand signalling that Joey will just have to wait. Joey looks with frustration at the radio. The end of the sports segment is signaled with a muttered oath of disappointment from the guard, who then looks up and seems somewhat surprised to see Joey still waiting.
"How can I help you?" he asks tersely.
"Help? Oh, so now you've decided you have some spare time to do your job," Joey naps sarcastically. "You can help by telling me where the set of 'The Creek' is exactly."
The depth of Joey’s current emotional state is evident in her tone.
"Okay, there's no need to get all snarky on me," the guard mutters. "I can’t let you in here without a pass for security clearance. I see that you haven’t given me one." The guard sits back in his chair and folds his arms across his chest.
"Look," Joey makes no attempt to hide her anger fueled by the worry and fatigue of her quest to see Dawson. "I am a friend of the producer of the show, Dawson Leery."
The guard smirks at Joey knowingly.
"Dawson Leery has many supposed female ‘friends’ who show up for a visit. The poor guy wouldn't get anything done if I let you all in."
Joey grasps both edges of the counter and leans her head further into the booth.
"Excuse me! How dare you insinuate that I am some lust filled fan with a stalking obsession." She reaches into her bag pulling out a slim purse. Opening it she shows a photo to the security guard. "See, do you recognise this man? Dawson Leery and oh, surprise, look who’s right next to him... me."
"Lady, get out of my face." The guard wheels his chair back slightly from the window. "You've got a photo. So what? It's one of the best digital manipulations I’ve seen. But you’ve got to get up pretty early in the morning to fool Bill."
"Listen, Bill," Joey raises her voice even further to a yell. "I’ve just flown from New York for the sole purpose of seeing him. Now isn't that a bit more serious than a cut and paste photo job?!" She slams her hand down on the counter.
A man passing by inside the lot hears Joey's raised voice. "Everything okay, Bill?," he calls to the guard.
Bill chuckles a little nervously. "Just a fan, Gary."
He turns back to an irate Joey. "New York, huh? I had a couple of Japanese high school students a few weeks back trying to pay Mr. Leery a visit."
"Alright, I see nothing is going to shake you out of your little power trip. I’ll just sit here and wait until he leaves." Joey’s eyes sting with unshed tears as she turns away, placing her bags along the fence and easing to the ground.
"I’m going to have to call extra security and complete a possible stalking incident form if you stay there," Bill calls after her.
Joey glares at him, her eyes stubbornly signalling her intent to not go anywhere. She is struck by the familiarity of the situation thinking back those many years at her unsuccessful attempt to bypass the prison guard and see her father.
Rubbing her temples she looks back to the studio grounds. A smartly dressed woman, clutching a clip board, glances across in the direction of the fence and for a moment, their eyes meet.
"Joey Potter! Joey! What are you doing here?"
"Sam!! Thank God you’re here." Joey scrambles to her feet, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
"Is anything wrong? I mean, why are you sitting out here?" Samantha’s eyes are filled with genuine concern.
"Bill won’t let me in. He doesn’t believe that I’m a friend of Dawson’s. Isn’t that funny?" Joey gives a weak laugh.
Samantha opens her mouth to say something but thinking back to her conversation with Dawson, and noting Joey’s brave attempt to hide her anxiety, she strides quickly to the security booth.
"Hello, Ms. Cooper," Bill straightens in his chair. "Leaving early today?"
"Bill," Samantha says, ignoring the attempt at small talk. "Joey Potter is a very good friend of Dawson Leery's." She gestures to Joey, who has stood up and walked the few steps back to the counter. "I would appreciate it if you admitted her on my security clearance."
"Whatever you say, Ms. Cooper. Here you go, Miss." Bill slides a sign-in form across to Joey. Joey gives Samantha a faint smile of gratitude and writes her name. She can't resist a parting shot at Bill. "Oh, so Sam's reference is good enough for you?"
"Here, let me help you with those bags," Samantha reaches behind Joey as Bill swings the gate open. Giving Joey a quick hug, she grabs a bag and the two walk into the studio lot.
Inside the set of "The Creek".
Samantha steps ahead of Joey to the large studio door.
"They are just wrapping up a scene in here before we finish for the day."
Joey, for a moment, feels that she is literally standing on the threshold of her future and her heart beats a little faster. Anticipation prompts her to reach out a hand and help Samantha open the heavy door.
Among the crowd of people within, Joey's eyes immediately seek out and find Dawson.
He is in the center of the group, earnestly explaining the emotion behind the scene being filmed to the actors that play Sam and Colby. He demonstrates a facial expression of one of the characters and gestures for a part of the set to be moved further to the right. Samantha and Joey have not announced their presence in any way and yet, once Joey has taken a few steps into the studio and fixed her eyes on Dawson, he stops abruptly and turns seeing Joey for the first time. His audience follows the direction of his gaze and they look from Joey back to Dawson with avid interest.
Once their eyes lock, Joey stands motionless. Her senses are filled with him... this boy-next-door, this adolescent crush, this best friend, this man who has always been there, in some way, all her life.
Samantha notes the expectancy of the group and, wishing to quickly explain the interruption in the filming of the scene, she places a hand on Joey's shoulder. "This is Joey Potter, a friend of Dawson's." She smiles and adds as an inspired afterthought, "She's his 'Sammy'."
("Follow Through" by Gavin DeGraw starts playing in the background)
As if just waiting to hear these words, Joey starts talking and for the first time, really notices the other people in the studio.
"Hi," she begins shyly, and then, gathering strength and inspiration from the very long journey of emotion she has traveled to be with this man, she continues.
Oh, this is the start of something good
Don't you agree?
I haven't felt like this in so many moons
You know what I mean?
"Yes, I am his Sammy,." she says, smiling weakly "Someone that you all know well by know, even though you have never really met me. But I´m not that different to the Sammy of the show. This men here knows me that well" she smiles at Dawson when she says that and Dawson just keeps staring at her, his eyes open wide and bright. Surprised. Excited. Patient. Joey looks around her and recognizes the scene. A high school dance. Even Sammy´s dress is not so different to the one she was wearing that night. "Oh that night. The first break up. I remember it quite well". She seems to be speaking now to the two young actors that play the roles of her and Dawson, but her words are still directed to all the people that is whatching the scenes and holding their breath at the unexpected event."But don´t you think Sammy and Colby deserve a chance? I mean, a real shot? You know, it isn't often that you find someone with whom you share a bond, a closeness that transcends even friendship. A connection so rare and precious that you almost feel that putting it in words might take away its magic." The girl that plays Sammy nods her head and smiles at Joey. Joey smiles back at her.
And we can build through this destruction
As we are standing on our feet
The rest of the eople look at each other and then back at Joey, feeling the sincerity behind her words and wondering where all of this is going.
So, since you want to be with me
You'll have to follow through
With every word you say
"You can't, of course," Joey goes on confidently. "Nothing can take away the magic. Not any of the petty things that come against such a bond. Things like bad timing, personal insecurities, other relationships... fear. No matter where they are, who they’re with, what they’ve been through… Sammy and Colby deserve that shot." Joey stops, overwhelmed for an instant by her feelings and then looks directly at Dawson, finally speaking right to him.
And I, all I really want is you
You to stick around
I'll see you everyday
But you have to follow through
You have to follow through
"I could stand here and say so many things to you, Dawson. I could tell you that you mean the world to me. I could tell you that I have always loved you. I could promise that you'll have me forever. I could promise you the moon. But they’re just words." She half shrugs. "And in the long run, they don’t mean anything. What’s the point in making promises with words? They can only be broken. Now... I just want to prove it. I don't want to be with you because I need you for me to be happy or because I'm lost without you. I just want to be with you just... because. And you know what? That's the best and most powerful reason I can think of for why two people should be together." She pauses briefly, glancing at Samantha out of the corner of her eye, who is smiling.
These reeling emotions they just keep me alive
They keep me in tune
Oh, look what I'm holding here in my fire
This is for you
"’There are no mistakes, no coincidences. All events are blessings given to us to learn from.’ I read that once in a book Jen loaned me, and it’s only recently that I have thought of those words and how they apply to us. I’m pretty sure I've said some pretty mean things to you over the years, even to go so far as to say what happened with us may have been a mistake." She shakes her head. "It wasn’t. None of it was. We could change one small detail in our past so that we would have lasted, so that we would have stayed together a little bit longer. But it may not have lasted, and it may have taken what we had beyond repair. We had to be with others first to truly appreciate what we would have together. Everything shapes what we are, who we become… and I’ve finally found who I am and that there are so many things that define me. There always were." She stops for a momnt and takes a deep breath. "And I´ve come here today to tell you that..." she takes a deep breath once more and then smiles wide and bright before adding "Dawson Leery, I love you and I want to be with you."
Am I too obvious to preach it?
You're so hypnotic on my heart
A couple of people clap, breaking some of the emotion charged atmosphere. The sound startles Dawson who has never taken his eyes from Joey. He lets out the air he has been holding for a moment and searches in her face with eagerness. There is something new, something in her he hasn't seen before. She holds herself proudly and confidently, her face clear with certainty and her expression warm with love. He realizes that he is seeing her the way he always knew she could be, the woman she was once the insecure girl from the wrong side of the creek had been left behind.
The words you say to me are unlike anything
That's ever been said
And what you do to me is unlike anything
That's ever been
Dawson can feel his heart pounding in his chest, his mouth dry and his palms sweating. And he can feel that finally, they are in the same page.
"Jo...you had me from the moment I saw you standing there."
Am I too obvious to preach it?
You're so hypnotic on my heart
With her personal and unique all teeth smile, Joey walks to Dawson. They stand facing each other and then Dawson reaches out a hand, brushing some hair off and cupping Joey's face.
So, since you want to be with me
You'll have to follow through
With every word you say
Joey's eyes half close, savoring his touch. With his free hand, he gently traces the outline of her cheek with his thumb and then bending down, gently grazes her lips with his own. As their kiss deepens and their mouths part, the group around them breaks into spontaneous applause. Samantha lets out a loud whistle and people laugh, smiling at the couple.
And I, all I really want is you
You to stick around
I'll see you everyday
But you'll have to follow through
Joey and Dawson break their kiss for a moment and then Joey reaches up and brings Dawson's head down to hers to kiss him once more, with passion and love and in a way she makes sure he will remember even when they´re old and grey. A kiss for the ages.
You have to follow through
You're gonna have to follow
After the kiss, their bodies meld together in a familiar hug, foreheads gently resting together.
"I really need to read this book Jen was babbling on about," Dawson murmurs before capturing her lips again in a kiss. It’s brief this time and still holding each other, they look around at the smiling, clapping and whistling commotion. They laugh, feeling the pure joy of the moment as the camera pans out when they start to kiss again and the group of people dissolve, commenting on the whole scene with big grins on their faces. The newly couple remains in the center of the set, holding and kissing each other.
Oh, this is the start of something good
Don't you agree?
CREDITS