Kitchen of the Halloween house.
Shortly, the eight of them find themselves in the kitchen. Dawson is pacing back and forth while Joey is attempting to comfort Lily and Alex. Ethan sits at the table with Samantha and Jack. Finally, Doug stands guard at the doorway.
"So, the lights are working, right?" Ethan asks, slowly becoming impatient. "What’s the problem then?"
"There’s somebody else here," Joey replies. "There’s somebody in the house. Besides the eight of us."
"That’s crazy, Joey!" Jack challenges her. "Who?"
"It’s a ghost!" Lily blurts out. "There’s a ghost upstairs!"
Doug tries to calm her using logic.
"A ghost?" he asks, ruffling her hair. "You mean to tell me that you saw an actual spectral anomaly?"
Silence.
"Uh, not exactly," Alex answers. "It was more like writing. Someone wrote on the mirror!"
"Oh, so I guess only poltergeists can do that?" Doug says, trying to keep the whole thing as a funny anecdote.
"Ghost or not, there’s someone here," Samantha replies, believing Lily. "It could be some psycho!"
"It could be Dawson!" Jack grumbles, looking at their host accusingly. Before Dawson can reply, Joey shakes her head.
"It’s not!" she defends him. "Dawson was outside with me when it happened."
"So, what?" Jack asks. "You’re saying we have an actual ghost in here?"
A stern look crosses Doug’s face. Okay, if everybody is going to believe the ghost theory or even the stranger in the house theory, he’ll have to take it seriously.
"I’m not taking any chances!" he states. "If there is someone here, I’ll find him. I want everyone to stay in here, just in case."
Ethan quickly stands up.
"No, no way!" he protests, walking up to Doug. "I’m not gonna stay here waiting to se what happens. We’re together in this…"
But before he can say anything else, they hear a loud noise coming from the living room.
The whole group stands up from their seats and come close together, facing the direction where the noise had come from. After a couple of seconds, Doug recovers and leaps inside.
"FREEZE!"
To his surprise, there is no one there. The only sign of life is the soft glow coming from the television screen. Sighing, Doug turns to face the whole group.
"All right! Who left the TV on?" he asks.
The other seven enter the living room slowly. On the television, the movie ‘Halloween’ is playing. The volume is turned up very high so Dawson grabs the remote and lowers it.
"It wasn’t on when we came by," Samantha tells him. "Is there a timer on this thing?"
No one replies.
"Okay…starting to buy the ghost theory more and more," she whispers.
"Come on…there’s no such thing as ghosts!" Jack argues, but not sounding very convincing.
Almost as soon as Jack finishes his sentence, the front door swings open. Everyone jumps.
"I suppose that was just the wind?" Joey snaps.
Dawson runs up to the door, shutting it, and locking it up.
"No one panic," he suggests. "Whatever it is, it’s not getting back in!"
"What if it’s already inside?" Lily whimpers.
Joey kneels down next to Lily as Dawson puts his hands over her sister’s shoulders and Alex stands closer to her.
"Shh, it’s gonna be okay," Joey reassures her. "Doug’s a policeman. He’ll protect you. Right?"
Joey looks up at Doug, who nods in approval.
"I’m going to bring them upstairs," he looks at Dawson for approval and he nods his head. "Then we’ll find out what’s going on here."
"Be careful!" Jack warns him. "Okay?"
Doug smiles, grabbing Jack’s hand for a moment. Then he leads Lily and Alex upstairs.
A few moments later…
After some argument, the rest of them decide to split up…despite Dawson’s warning that it was how people got killed in horror movies. Joey goes with Jack while Dawson stays with Samantha and Ethan.
The three of them are searching outside, in case whatever went out that door is still there.
"Good lord, I’m shaking," Samantha mutters. "I’m actually shaking. I’ve never been so shaken up before."
"It’s understandable," Ethan tells her with a smile. "It’s pretty cold out. I’m used to this, though."
She laughs. "Aw, we got a tough man!" she jokes.
"A smile?" he asks. "Look at that…I actually got you to smile."
"For a bit, anyway," she replies.
While this is going on, Dawson is making sure to pay attention to every detail of their exchange. An amused look come over his face as he starts to realize they are…attracted to one another.
"I’m going to check the shed," Ethan says.
Immediately, Dawson wants to join him.
"I’ll come with you!"
"Hey!" Ethan stops him, grinning. "Who’s the superhero around here, huh?"
Dawson rolls his eyes and mutters "Whatever" as Ethan approaches the shed. He turns back towards Samantha.
"Look at that guy!" he grumbles, looking for Samantha’s reaction to his next words. "He’s loud, self-centred, pushy, a glory-hog…"
"Brave?" Samantha adds. "And cute, too." With a smile curling up her lips.
Dawson smirks at her.
"How can you tell? You haven’t seen his face yet," Dawson laughs. "But you do like him, don’t you?" Dawson asks, smiling.
She smirks back at him, a shameless sparkle in her eyes
"How could you tell?" she inquires.
"I’m a perceptive guy," he replies, laughing once more. "Granted, I’m not so perceptive when it comes to myself."
"You can say that again," she says as she looks over to where Ethan has disappeared. "It took three weeks for you to get that I wanted you to ask me out."
Dawson laughs. "I have the feeling it won’t take him that long. Good for you. I was just kidding before. I like the guy."
"Good," she says with a smile. "And just for the record, I’d also be okay with any girl you just so happen to have a thing for," Samantha adds, with a magnificent gesture of her hand.
"Ha," Dawson laughs. "I don’t think I’ll have to worry about that for awhile, do you? I’m the big workaholic, remember?"
Samantha crosses her arms, staring at Dawson doubtfully.
"I used to think that, you know?" she tells him. "But you’re not, Dawson. It’s funny how you always find time to spend with Joey." Dawson suppresses a sigh with a `Here we go again´ expression on his face. "Don’t look at me like that, Dawson Leery, because it’s true. And tonight, the more I see you with these old friends of yours…it’s like you’ve become this completely other person. You open up. You have fun. Actual fun, not whatever it is you do at those parties back in LA. This whole Halloween bash of yours…despite the possible supernatural element…it was a pretty good idea."
Dawson shrugs.
"Being around them…" Dawson explains. "It reminds me of where I come from, I guess. My responsibilities don’t weigh on me as much. It’s hard to believe I spent five years hardly even speaking to any of them. But after what happened to Jen… maybe I just realize how important they are to me."
"You want my advice?" Samantha asks. "Act like this at work. It’ll save you a nervous breakdown."
Dawson laughs. A moment later, Ethan comes out of the shed.
"Nothing," he announces. "Shall we move on?"
"Sure," Dawson says with a smirk on his face. "I think I saw something over there that might help us."
Meanwhile, inside the house…
Upstairs, Doug slowly creeps towards the bathroom. Lily and Alex follow closely behind him, neither one knowing what to expect. They both think that, any moment, the ghost will come back.
Doug, however, isn’t even a bit superstitious. He is already starting to figure out what is going on and goes along with it.
"Stay close to me," he instructs the kids as he approaches the bathroom.
There, inside, he sees the exact same message Lily and Alex had seen. ‘You’re All Gonna Pay’, spelled out in letters on the mirror.
He steps inside. Alex and Lily just stand at the door, petrified.
"It’s okay," Doug reassures them. "No one’s here."
He kneels down, inspecting the floor. Something catches his eye, which he inspects closer. Dirt on the tiles.
"Oh my god…" he whispers.
"What is it?" Lily asks.
"Somebody’s here!" he announces. "Somebody is definitely here!"
Just as he says that, the curtains of the shower moves and they realize a silhouette behind them. Doug places his arm in front of the kids in a protective gesture as Lily reaches for Alex hand.
Back in the basement, moments later…
A pair of eyes watch silently as Jack and Joey walk down the stairs.
"I don’t understand why everyone’s so worked up about it?" Jack asks. "It’s just Dawson up to his old tricks again."
"I’m not so sure," Joey replies. "What if it really is a ghost? Don’t you think it’s possible?"
"Who cares?" he asks. "Ghost? Dawson? All I know is I get to see my man in action." He says, eyeing Joey with a chuckle. "Capeside has the lowest crime rate imaginable."
"Oh, what a shame?" Joey replies sarcastically, amused by Jack. "You’d prefer he lived in the Big Apple, where the police get into weekly gunfights?"
"Hey, at least we’d get to see you more often, right?" he shrugs. "Sometimes I need my friends close," he says, his mind wandering to the Amy’s custody thing.
Joey notices and smiles at him, giving him a quick hug that he returns.
However, a moment later, a can falls off the shelf. Moving in front of Joey, Jack goes to investigate.
"Wait here!" he instructs.
"Oh, come on, Jack" she tries to argue, but he doesn’t give her a chance.
Joey watches helplessly, as Jack goes around the corner. He disappears, and doesn’t speak again for several moments.
"Jack?" Joey calls out. "Is everything all right?"
Her answer comes in a loud crash. The light bulb overhead shatters, blanketing the basement in complete darkness. Joey gasps, spinning around.
"Jack?" Joey calls out again. "Please tell me that was –"
Before she can answer, a hand clasps down on her shoulder from behind.
"Noooo!" she screams, pushing her assailant away roughly.
After that, Joey runs as fast as she can up the stairs. All the while, she can hear footsteps racing behind her. She can’t bear to look back, afraid of what she’ll see.
Finally, Joey reaches the door, swinging it open. Before she can get far, she runs into somebody else…somebody who grabs her by the shoulders.
Joey screams once again, before realizing it’s Dawson.
"Joey, calm down, it’s just me!" he tells her. "What is it? What’s wrong?"
"He got Jack!" she yells. "Oh god, he’s right behind me. The lights went out and…"
At that moment, a hand grasps her arm from behind. Joey turns around to see someone in a dark hooded sweatshirt appears behind her.
Then she screams…
Halloween house, main door’s porch.
Time seems to freeze in the seconds it takes Joey to realize who it is.
"Audrey?" Joey asks with disbelief. "Is that really you?"
"Who did you expect, Bunny?" Audrey steps out of the shadows and reveals herself
fully, while laughing all the while, holding her stomach. "The ghost of Christmas, er Halloween, past. And you should’ve seen your face!"
Joey realizes that everybody is there and all of them are kinda laughing or smiling.
"Great! So I am assuming everybody knew but me?" Joey says, pretending to be mad, her hands on her hips
"No," Lily says, giggling. "But I knew about it from the beginning. My brother asked me for my help. Do you really think I’m that easily scared? Oh, please," she says, rolling her eyes and making Dawson laugh as they give the high five to each other.
"You knew and you didn’t tell me?" Alex says, looking at her with disbelief.
"Well, if I had, what fun would that have been?"
Alex just glares at her and Lily shrugs her shoulders.
"I just found out when we were upstairs," Doug says in his defense.
"And I did when we were in the basement but Audrey asked me not to tell you," Jack explains to Joey, laughing.
"Dawson told us when we were outside searching," Ethan adds, and Samantha nods her head.
Joey’s attention finally goes back to Audrey. "I didn't expect this! You do know that you scared me half to death, don't you?" she says, a grin appearing in her face as she finally rushes up to hug her.
"Not just me," Audrey says proudly. "Dawson too. He asked me specifically that you had to be the last one to know."
"You," Joey turns to Dawson with an almost menacing look in her eyes. "I should have known you would be up to your old tricks."
Dawson can only grin sheepishly. "And of course, you have always been my favorite target," he says as he walks to the door and opens it as a signal for people to go back into the house.
"Whatever," she says as she links her arm with Audrey and they walk back inside, everybody following, still amused.
"When did you two plan this?" Joey asks Audrey, as they enter the living room, Dawson appearing now by Audrey’s side. "The last I heard you were in Europe."
"I would have called you sooner," Audrey apologizes. "But I called Dawson last week when I was back in the good old United States of America because I thought he was still in L.A.," she says, smiling at Dawson who smiles her back. "Well, it turns out the boy up and moved across the country and I didn't have a clue. A girl can miss a lot hot trotting about Europe. Anyway, after I called Dawson last week he called me back and asked me to help him play some tricks on you guys. And let me tell you, you guys totally need to loosen up. I know it's probably hard for you to have fun with me so far away but…"
"Can I talk now?" Joey interrupts what is quickly becoming one of Audrey's rambling soliloquies and Dawson laughs as Audrey wears a straight face.
"If you must."
"When I called you a few days ago you said you were in Amsterdam."
"Yeah. I should so give up singing and become an actress."
"So you weren't on the other side of the world…"
"I was on the other coast. Dawson didn't want his cover to be blown. And have you ever known me to miss out on mischief?"
Moments later…
Inside the house, identities are still being revealed. As the group of old friends keep going on and on about old times, Ethan has been watching the woman that is wearing the Catwoman costume. He looks at her appreciatively through his mask. She glances towards him then turns her head away once again. ‘She’s been doing that since we came back from outside,’ he thinks to himself. He watches her walk out of the room and debates with himself for a moment. Then he stands up and follows her.
He is looking around in the hall when he hears an interesting sound kind of like a purr. He turns around and comes face to face with the sultry figure he has been admiring all night.
"Good, I’ve got your attention," she says getting closer to him. "The question is who are you?"
"I’ll take off mine if you take off yours," he says watching her mouth curve in to a smile.
"Okay, on the count of three we take them off," she reaches her hand up to her mask. He does the same.
They count together, "One…two…three." They both pull off their masks looking at each other with a questioning look and then with intense stares.
"Samantha right?" Ethan continues to try and get his bearings while still staring at her. "The girl from the costume shop?"
"I can’t believe it," she says laughing, her eyes staring at him intensely. "And you’re Joey’s friend right?" She now looks directly in his eyes. ‘His eyes are twinkling’ is her only thought.
"Yes, Ethan," he puts out his hand to shake hers, a bit formal he thinks but nevertheless polite.
"It seems that we have been designated to be a pair whether we like it or not," he says amused, but not able to hide he is happy with the thought just the same.
"Yeah, that’s what it seems," she says and he can swear he can see a dangerous, seductive sparkle in her eyes. He smiles.
"Well, as much as I love sharing this little moment with you, I think we better go back before they all start looking for us."
As they do, they catch Dawson’s attention, who smiles knowingly as he serves himself a drink at the mini-bar.
"Told you so," Joey comes up from behind him tickling him just a little bit around the waist. Dawson sighs. "Okay, okay, so you were right. Does that make you feel better?" he jokes.
"Yes, it does," she says seriously and Dawson laughs.
She stands next to him, drink in hand watching Samantha and Ethan talk while the rest of the group is now entranced by another horror movie. He hears Lily suppress a gasp and Alex mocking her for it. "How’d you know?" He looks sideways at her quickly.
"A woman knows these things." He gives her a puzzled look, which changes to a smile with a surprise half chuckle that escapes his lips.
Joey walks away and his eyes follow her as a smile lingers on his lips.
About an hour later.
"Well, the party is officially over," Dawson says as he stands up while turning off the DVD player with the remote. Everybody groans.
Jack and Doug are sharing a bowl of popcorn and so are Alex and Lily, who are sprawled on the sofa by Jack and Doug’s side. Samantha eats a candy apple while sitting on the floor and Ethan reads through a magazine, not really into the movie. Joey and Audrey are sitting on a smaller couch together and at Dawson’s words, Joey raises up her hand and smiles.
"Oh," she says, smiling. "You’re not the only one with surprises here, Dawson"
As everybody looks at her expectantly, she walks to where her bag is hanging and she retrieves an envelope from it.
"Empire State Building anyone?" She says, shaking the envelope in her hand. "I thought that a late visit up there would be the perfect ending to the day."
Her proposal is met with a few nods and smiles, everybody glad to prolong the night a little longer.
"Okay then, everybody get your stuff and let’s go!" she says, happily. And as everybody does so, Audrey approaches her.
"I really missed you," Audrey says as she hugs Joey again and pulls back a little.
"I missed you too," she replies, smiling. And she really has.
"But you know before when I said I was on the other coast?"
"Yeah?" Joey asks, her suspicions raised at Audrey’s tone. It’s her "I got to tell you something and I don’t really know how" voice.
"Well, I made a little pit stop in-between."
"Yeah?" Joey asks once again.
Audrey pauses for a moment as she tries to find the right words.
"I went to see Pacey."
"Oh." Now Audrey has Joey's full attention. "And…"
"And he's good. He's doing better than good Joey."
"So he’s still in New Orleans, right?"
"Right. Jo, he was totally relaxed and happy, really in his element."
"Did you see his new restaurant?"
"He gave me the tour. You wouldn't even believe it, the place is huge."
"So he was…good?"
"Yeah. He is really happy."
"Then I'm happy for him," Joey can't help but smile softly.
"You are, aren't you, Bunny?"
"Yes, I am. I had thought about giving him a call or something but I just don’t want to pressure him. You know? I’m sure he needs space and I’m gonna give it to him. But I hope I will be able to pick up the phone soon, or that he will, and we’ll be able to behave like friends again. That’s all I really want. And I hope he does too."
Audrey smiles at her. "I’m sure he does too. As you said, I think he just needs some space to figure things out. But he ultimately will, don’t worry about that," she says, putting her arm around Joey’s shoulder and squeezing her lightly.
"God, I’m serious, I’ve missed you," Joey says again as Audrey laughs and they hug.
"Aunt Joey," Alex approaches them with a big grin on his face. "We’re ready."
"Let’s go then!" she says brightly.
New York City, night
Nine people stand on a sidewalk in New York City, their eyes travelling upwards to an iconic structure, the Empire State Building. The steel structure looms over the streets of New York City. This time of year it’s lit with orange, blue and white lights.
"We’re going up there, Aunt Joey?" Alex points towards the sky feeling a bit queasy just thinking about it.
"Alex, a trip to New York City isn’t complete until you’ve gone to the top of the Empire State Building. Come on, everybody," Joey waves her arm as she begins to cross the street quickly in front of the cars.
She yells back at them, "We’ve got to move if we want to make sure we get to the top before they close down for the night." She turns around still walking, watching everyone trudge behind her. Dawson and Audrey have locked arms as they walk, Lily and Alex, walking by them still in costume, swing their arms and push each other every once in awhile.
Jack and Doug walk closely together with Jack reaching down to gently brush his hand up against Doug’s. She glances at Ethan and Samantha who seem to be in deep conversation. She waits for all of them, smiling at the fact that she is sure this will be a magical experience for them all.
"Aunt Joey, that’s an awfully high building." Alex looks up again now that he is closer to the tall structure. "I thought you were a scaredy cat?" Alex looks over at Joey who smirks at him.
Joey puts up her hands as they all reach her. "Okay, I have pre-printed tickets for everyone. This will save us all time so that we don’t have to stand in line."
"Well, aren’t you just Miss Organization," Audrey lets go off Dawson’s arm and goes up to Joey. "But Joey there isn’t any line." Audrey looks inside to see the night security guards and a few people exiting the building.
"Everyone, take one," Joey yells, ignoring Audrey’s comment. Audrey grabs a ticket out of Joey’s hand as they exchange a glance and Audrey winks at her, making her laugh. Then, as instructed, she goes in the door.
Dawson is next in line and tries to take the ticket out of Joey’s hand, but she snatches it away. "No, you and I are going in last."
Dawson just raises his eyebrows and steps out the way as she hands a ticket to both Lily and Alex. "Follow Audrey and stay with her okay?" They both nod and begin to run inside. "And no running," Joey yells from outside. •That goes for you too Lily!" Dawson adds.
Jack, Doug, Ethan and Samantha take their tickets from Joey and walk in to the building leaving Joey and Dawson behind standing on the sidewalk.
"You know what? This was a great idea. As you said, it’s the perfect way to end Halloween. I think we are a great team," he says smiling.
Joey smiles back at him. "Of course we are. That is, of course, when one of us is not hiding information from the other." Dawson coughs and then they both burst out laughing.
"I’ve been to New York City a few times but I’ve never visited the Empire State Building," Dawson finally says and they share a glance.
"Well, you know Dawson, they say that a lot of magic has happened at the top of this building," Joey smiles then looks down at her feet. Somehow, the mention of magic gives her a fuzzy feeling. She has a friend that is with her always. Pure magic, she remembers. It’s happening a lot to her lately - little memories, little moments that take her by surprise at the most unexpected moments.
Still looking down, she sees Dawson’s feet move, causing her to look up. "Shall we?" Dawson holds the door open for her and they both walk into the lobby. No one is there so they assume they have all gone up already.
A few minutes later, Dawson and Joey walk out of the elevator and onto the observation deck. Dawson walks over to the left as Joey goes to the right to make sure everybody’s there and everything is okay.
She walks over to Doug and Jack. Doug has his hand on Jack’s back, caressing it lightly. They turn around when they hear someone approach. "I’m going to go over and talk to Dawson for a minute," Doug says walking away, looking back at Jack.
"Jen would have loved tonight," Jack sighs thinking back to the time that he and Jen spent going to school in New York City.
Joey hugs Jack then pulls back. "I like to think that she is here with us," she whispers.
Jack nods his head and looks out on to the lights of New York City, "I’m glad you and Doug came," Joey says as she gently touches his back and then she leaves him alone with his thoughts.
She walks towards Dawson but not before stopping to watch Audrey with Alex and Lily.
"I want to look out of those things," Alex points towards the observation binoculars.
Audrey walks over to the binoculars and looks at the price, "Okay this is highway robbery to just put your eyes up to a piece of glass to look at what…lights?" Audrey reaches in to her purse in an attempt to come up with some change for Alex.
"You’re going to walk all the way out to the edge?" Lily looks at Alex with a rather apprehensive stare.
"Here," Audrey hands Alex some change. "But don’t get mad at me when all you see is lights." Alex looks at Lily who still has a rather pained expression on her face. He begins to move but steps back to take Lily’s hand and they walk to the observation binoculars. He puts in the money and lets her go first.
Ethan and Samantha are standing to the left of the observation binoculars, "Fun night huh?" Ethan glances sideways at Samantha who keeps her eyes trained on the lights of the city.
"Dawson told me Halloween has always been an interesting time for this group," she turns to look around at everyone.
Ethan turns around as well. "Seems we’ve stumbled upon an interesting group of people."
"It sure does." They smile at each other and then they both turn back around to once again look at the lights.
Joey walks over to Dawson just as Doug walks away. He is leaning on the railing, looking relaxed but pensive. She wonders what he’s thinking about.
"Hey," she says. Dawson turns to face her, smiling
"Hey," he echoes.
Joey stands right next to him. "Wow, look at those lights." She takes a deep breath and rests her forearms on the railing, mimicking Dawson, their arms touching slightly.
Dawson looks out at all of the lights. "I haven’t been here for very long but this city represents so much energy and potential to me." He glances over at Joey seeing her smile then close her eyes.
"When I moved to New York City, this is one of the first things that I did. I’ve come up here a thousand times but always in the daytime. I love to see the city alive at my feet."
"Is kind a powerful sensation, isn’t it?" he says. Dawson places his hands on the railing next to Joey’s, "I take it you’ve never been up here at night?"
Joey shakes her head then replies. "Yes, I have. With Jen, back in high school, that time I told you we had come here together, remember?" Dawson nods his head. "I was kind of waiting for a special occasion to do it again. And then, after Jen died…I didn’t want to come all by myself, knowing I would remember her." She looks at Dawson and smiles widely as he places his hand gently over hers. In a natural, instinct gesture, their fingers intertwine under Joey’s gaze.
"I’m glad you waited," he smiles softly at her when she looks back at him. She looks at their clasped hands and a sweet smile appears in her face.
"I’m glad I waited too," she says, both turning to face the city, side by side.
CREDITS