Episode # 501 - How I Spent My Summer Vacation
Disclaimer:Dawson, Joey, Pacey, Jen, Jack, and Andie are the property of Kevin Williamson and the WB. The song ‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’ is owned by Savage Garden.
Raiting:PG-13
Pairing:D/J & P/A
Spoilers:Everything from the first three seasons, and the first two chapters of the senior year trilogy.
Cut to outside Leery’s Fresh Fish, exactly where we left off…
Joey stares at Dawson, her face a look of shock.
JOEY: Dawson…
He smiles at her.
DAWSON: Yeah?
JOEY: I…I don’t know what to say.
She stands up and starts pacing back and forward.
JOEY: I mean…I really don’t know what to say.
Dawson gets up and follows her.
DAWSON: Well, this is sort of a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question.
She turns to face him.
DAWSON: So…which is it?
He puts his hands on her shoulders, looking her in the eyes.
JOEY: We start college in three months.
DAWSON: I know.
JOEY: Dawson, we’re only eighteen…
DAWSON: I don’t care, ok.
She stares at him disbelievingly.
DAWSON: I love you. Call me crazy, call me impulsive…but this is what I want. You’re what I want.
They move in to kiss, but Joey stops suddenly.
JOEY: What about LA? Your dream…
DAWSON: It can wait.
JOEY: You can’t be serious.
DAWSON: I’ve never been more serious. Joey, I to marry you. I want you to be my wife.
Joey closes her eyes.
DAWSON: Jo?
JOEY: (whispering) I thought you were going to dump me.
She opens her eyes at looks at him.
JOEY: I need to think about this.
Dawson takes a deep breath.
JOEY: I’ll see you tomorrow.
She walks away. Dawson just stands there.
DAWSON: Yeah…see you.
Cut to the fountain in the middle of Capeside. Jack is walking along the edge, doing a little jig.
JACK: No more school, no more books, no more teachers’ dirty lo…
He looses his balance and falls off.
JACK: Woah!
He manages to land on his feet, greeted by an amused giggle.
In the corner, Jen sits looking through a book.
JACK: What part of ‘no more books’ don’t you understand?
JEN: For your information, this is not a book. This is a magazine.
JACK: It’s made of paper and it has words. I don’t see the difference.
Jen rolls her eyes.
JEN: I’m trying to decide what I’m going to do this summer. Should I get a job, travel somewhere…
JACK: You already have a job.
JEN: Yeah, working at the Leery’s. But I was thinking something more attune with my own personal wants and desires.
A smirk appears on Jack’s face.
JEN: If you even think about saying it, you get decapitated.
JACK: I didn’t say anything.
Jen scoffs.
JACK: Hey, why don’t we skip the ridiculous posturing and go for the obvious?
JEN: Which is?
Jack grins.
JACK: New York City.
Jen quickly shakes her head.
JEN: Uh uh, no way!
JACK: Why not? You just graduated…it’s like your sentence here is finally up. Don’t tell me the thought hasn’t been on your mind?
JEN: It has. The thought that I do not want to go back there under any circumstances.
JACK: Ok, let me put it this way…I want to go to New York. I’ve wanted to ever since I was nine years old, and I think it’d be fun to have a friend with me who knows the city in and out.
Jen looks unsure.
JEN: I don’t know…
JACK: Come on, we’ll even bring my dad along to chaperone us. My god, I can’t believe I just suggested that…but it’ll stop him from going stir crazy in the house all alone. He needs something to help get his mind off of Andie being gone.
Jen doesn’t answer.
JACK: We don’t even have to go anywhere near your folks if you want. Please.
Jack gives her the ‘puppy dog’ look.
Jen smiles.
JEN: You know I can’t resist your pouty face.
Jack jumps up.
JACK: YES! I promise, Jen…you’re not going to regret this.
JEN: I’m gonna hold you to that.
They both stand up and return to balancing on the fountain.
*****
Cut to the Potter’s B&B. Pacey wanders into the kitchen wearing boxer shorts and a while tank top. His hair is a tangled mess.
He opens the fridge, looking inside.
Suddenly, the door swings open, and Joey runs inside.
JOEY: BESSIE?!
Surprised, Pacey jumps up and hits his head on the freezer.
PACEY: AGH! Ow, do not do that again, please.
Joey chuckles.
JOEY: Nice hair.
PACEY: (sarcastically) You think? I was considering getting a perm, you know? Pigtails…something along those lines.
JOEY: It’d work for you.
PACEY: Any other torments you want to visit upon my cranium today?
JOEY: Sorry Pacey. Seriously. Is Bessie here?
PACEY: You just missed her. Xander had a doctor’s appointment.
Joey rolls her eyes.
JOEY: Please tell me you did not just refer to my nephew as ‘Xander’.
PACEY: Hey, everyone else calls him ‘Alex’. Who am I to conform to the norm?
JOEY: You’re going to curse him with a lifetime of Buffy The Vampire Slayer jokes at his expense. Do you have any idea how grade school was with a name like ‘Joey’? I’ll give you three words: “how you doin’!”
Pacey snickers.
PACEY: What’d you need to see Bessie about anyway? Maybe I can help?
JOEY: I doubt it.
She looks at his appearance again.
JOEY: Did you just wake up or something? It’s lunchtime.
He grins.
PACEY: Oh yeah…that McPhee, quite the machine.
Joey looks at him doubtfully.
PACEY: Ok, I spent all morning thinking about something.
JOEY: What?
PACEY: A certain wedding ring.
Joey froze.
JOEY: Umm…
PACEY: I caught Andie looking at one the other day. I think she’s depressed. You know…about not getting a real one. She deserves it.
JOEY: You can’t exactly afford something like that, can you?
PACEY: Not yet, but I’m working on it.
JOEY: Well…good luck.
PACEY: Thanks. You sure you don’t want to tell me what’s wrong?
Joey shakes her head.
JOEY: Nah. I’ll be fine.
Joey leaves, and Pacey goes back to the fridge.
PACEY: Didn’t that used to be butter?
*****
Cut to the Lindley house. Dawson walks up to the front porch, where Grams is watering some flowers.
DAWSON: Hey.
GRAMS: If you’re looking for my granddaughter, she’s not here. Jennifer went into town with Jack.
DAWSON: Actually, I’m not here to see Jen. I…need some advice.
Grams raises his eyebrows. She puts down the watering can.
GRAMS: Come inside.
They walk into the kitchen, where Dawson sits at the table.
GRAMS: So, you’ve never come to me with a problem before, Mr. Leery.
DAWSON: I’ve never had a problem of this magnitude before.
GRAMS: Really? It seems to me you children stress over the simplest things every Wednesday.
Dawson chuckles.
DAWSON: True enough. But this one’s a special case.
She sits down across from him.
DAWSON: Last night I asked Joey to marry me.
Grams eyes go wide, then a large smile appears on her face.
GRAMS: That’s…that’s wonderful news. Congratulations! I take it she said…
DAWSON: Something along the lines of “let me think about it”.
Grams nods, understanding now.
GRAMS: She didn’t say no.
DAWSON: She didn’t say ‘yes’ either. Pacey would probably tell me ‘need to think about it’ is another way of saying no, but wanting to put you down gently so you don’t end up resenting her for rejecting you, thereby creating an endless cycle of…
GRAMS: And since when do you believe everything that Pacey Witter says?
Dawson smiles.
GRAMS: I’m just relieved that at least two of you children waited until marriage for intimacy.
Dawson bites his lip, then gives her a forced smile.
DAWSON: Yep, good old wholesome us.
GRAMS: Funny, Jennifer didn’t mention that you planned on proposing.
DAWSON: That’s probably because Jen doesn’t know.
Grams looks at him curiously.
GRAMS: Well, your parents are probably very happy.
DAWSON: Haven’t told them either. You’re the first person who knows. Well, unless Joey told somebody last night.
She pauses.
GRAMS: Did you get a ring?
Dawson nods, then takes the small black box out of his pocket. Grams opens it an examines the ring.
GRAMS: It’s beautiful.
DAWSON: Yeah. I spent over an hour at the jewelers. I wanted to get the perfect one, you know. The one that Joey would look at and just melt, and then say ‘yes’. That’s what she was supposed to say…
Dawson’s face falls, and Grams touches his hand.
GRAMS: Be patient with her, Dawson. She’s a very cautious girl…she would have to be with the life she has had. Thank the lord Joey’s turned out as well as she has, with people who love her as much as they do.
She hands him back the box.
GRAMS: You’re a good man, Dawson Leery. It might not seem it, but the good people do get rewarded eventually.
Dawson smiles.
DAWSON: I hope you’re right.
*****
Cut to Leery’s Fresh Fish. Mike’s in the kitchen, watching the stove.
Suddenly, Joey comes in.
JOEY: Hey, dad?
Mike looks at her and smiles.
MIKE: Hey sweetheart. What are you doing here? It’s your day off.
She pauses.
JOEY: Can I talk to you? Somewhere else?
He looks at her, a little concerned.
MIKE: It’s almost time for my break. Just let me get someone to cover for me, ok? I’ll meet you outside.
Joey nods, then leaves.
*****
Cut to later, down by the docks.
Mike and Joey are buying ice cream cones at the stand. They then walk along the docks.
MIKE: It’s been so long since we’ve done this. I think the last time I bought you an ice cream cone was when you were twelve.
JOEY: Ten. Mom kicked you out of the house for a few hours because you knocked over this vase, so you picked me up from school. I had rocky road.
She looks down at her cone, which is the exact same flavor.
MIKE: I guess some things never change, huh?
Joey sighs.
JOEY: No. Everything changes eventually, even if you don’t want them to.
She pauses, and Mike looks at her.
MIKE: I’m listening. Anytime you want to say something is ok.
Joey bites her lip.
JOEY: Ok, here goes…last night Dawson proposed to me.
Mike’s eyes go wide.
MIKE: Guess I’ll have to kill him then.
Joey looks at him disbelievingly.
MIKE: I’m joking, Joey! My god…that’s terrific news! You must be so happy.
JOEY: I didn’t actually say yes. I told him I’d think about it.
Mike raises an eyebrow.
MIKE: Then why are you telling me?
JOEY: Because you’re the only person I know who won’t judge me for it. I can’t talk to Dawson, his parents would freak out, Pacey and Anide eloped in Vegas so they’re off limits, and I’m not exactly comfortable talking to Jen or Jack about this.
MIKE: How about Bessie?
Joey scoffs.
JOEY: You know her. She…
MIKE: Is too organized. Wants everything to run like clockwork and sorted out. She’d probably suggest you finish college first.
JOEY: Should I?
MIKE: I can’t answer that. Lord knows I don’t always make the best decisions.
He pauses.
MIKE: Do you love him?
Joey sighs.
JOEY: More than anything in the world.
Mike smiles.
MIKE: Then that should answer at least half of your questions.
JOEY: And the other half?
MIKE: Well, what do you feel is the right decision?
She pauses.
JOEY: I think…
Mike shakes his head.
MIKE: I didn’t ask what you thought about it, I asked what you felt about it.
JOEY: Isn’t that the same thing?
MIKE: Not exactly. Thinking about something…it requires rational thought. You examine the facts and come up with what makes the most sense. Love…it isn’t rational. It doesn’t make sense. It simply is. What you have to ask yourself is, what would make you happiest?
Joey smiles.
JOEY: You know, you can be quite the philosopher when you want to be.
MIKE: Thank you.
They turn around and look at the creek.
*****
Cut to Dawson’s room. Dawson is lying on his bed, looking through some photos.
One of them is from over two years ago, when the Icehouse was catering that wedding. It was of him and Joey dancing.
He looks at the next one, at prom last year. Then the prom picture from this year.
Suddenly, he’s shaken from his daydreaming by a knocking sound at his window.
He looks up, and Joey is outside.
DAWSON: Joey? Hey!
He opens it and she crawls in.
JOEY: Hey! What are you looking at?
She picks up the photos.
DAWSON: Oh, just a few memories.
She smiles.
JOEY: Feeling nostalgic?
DAWSON: Yeah. I get that way when I’m about to reach one of those patented turning points in life’s busy highway.
JOEY: Road analogies. Cute.
They both sit down on the bed.
JOEY: Dawson? Do you remember the first time we kissed. I’m not talking about in the school library, I mean the real first time.
He nods.
JOEY: We made a promise to each other that night. That we’d always be honest with each other. We didn’t really keep that promise, did we?
DAWSON: Sometimes I think we were more honest with each other before that night.
JOEY: The thing is Dawson, I want so much to get that back. That closeness between us. Even when we’re together, when we’re kissing…I don’t feel like we’re as open with each other as we were back when we were just friends. We’ve been together, we’ve had sex, so there’s no going back now.
DAWSON: So you’re saying that you wish we never…
JOEY: Of course not, Dawson. It’s just…marrying you would be making another promise of honestly and devotion. I’m just scared that we’ll break that one too.
Dawson holds her hand.
DAWSON: Joey…I’m scared too. God, the time that we were apart was the most torturous period in my entire life. But I think I had to go through it.
Joey looks surprised.
JOEY: Why?
DAWSON: To prepare myself. Do you have any idea how many couples encounter the types of problems we’ve had after they’ve been married for five years. A 5 month long separation because one of them needs to ‘be alone’ for a while? Yet you and me went through it before we reach twenty. How many people get that chance?
Joey gives him a half-smile.
JOEY: I don’t believe it.
DAWSON: What?
JOEY: You truly are an eternal optimist. Can’t you ever just fear impending doom like the rest of us?
DAWSON: Nah. Too much of that already.
He gets up and goes over to his desk.
I'll be your dream,
I'll be your wish
I'll be your fantasy.
JOEY: What are you doing?
I'll be your hope,
I'll be your love
be everything that you need.
DAWSON: Proving a point.
He grabs a CD-ROM from his desk and brings it over to Joey.
I love you more
with every breath
truly madly deeply do..
JOEY: What’s that?
DAWSON: Call it a symbol of honesty.
Joey raises an eyebrow.
I will be strong
I will be faithful
'cos I'm counting on
JOEY: And how does a CD-ROM do that?
Dawson smiles.
DAWSON: Remember when we first got together the first time? Only a week, and we had our first fight.
JOEY: Yeah, when you read my diary. Your point is?
DAWSON: The day we started high school I started writing an electronic journal. Everything…every though, every feeling, every single pain or joy I had in the past three years were written in it. All of that is printed on this disk, and I want you to have it.
A new beginning.
A reason for living.
A deeper meaning.
I want to stand with you on a mountain.
I want to bathe with you in the sea.
I want to lay like this forever.
Until the sky falls down on me...
He gives it to Joey, who looks shocked beyond belief.
JOEY: Dawson, I can’t ask you to…
DAWSON: You’re not, I’m giving it to you. Because I want you to know the truth about me. About everything. How I fell in love with you, and how I’ll never stop loving you no matter what happens.
And when the stars are shining
brightly in the velvet sky,
I'll make a wish
send it to heaven
then make you want to cry..
A tear appears in her eye.
DAWSON: Joey?
She smiles.
The tears of joy
for all the pleasure
and the certainty.
JOEY: Thank you. You must think you’re so great at these gestures, huh?
He grins.
DAWSON: I try.
JOEY: Well, how about I upstage you just this once?
Dawson looks confused.
DAWSON: What do you mean?
That we're surrounded by
the comfort and protection of..
JOEY: Yes.
DAWSON: Yes what?
She grabs his hand and brings it closer to herself. Then she gives the warmest smile Dawson has ever seen.
JOEY: I’m saying yes. I’ll marry you.
The highest power.
In lonely hours.
The tears devour you..
For a moment, Dawson looks at her shocked. Then, as the seconds pass by, his shocked expression transforms into one of ecstatic joy.
I want to stand with you on a mountain,
I want to bathe with you in the sea.
I want to lay like this forever,
Until the sky falls down on me...
He lifts her up off the bed and spins her around. Both start to giggle as what has just happened slowly sinks in.
DAWSON: Oh god…oh my god, we’re going to be…
Oh can't you see it baby?
JOEY: I know!
DAWSON: When do you want to?
You don't have to close your eyes
'cos it's standing right before you.
JOEY: Let’s take it slowly, ok? We’ll decide later. Bessie’s gonna kill me.
DAWSON: She’ll have to get through me first.
He takes the black box out of his pocket and opens it.
DAWSON: I believe this belongs to you.
Joey grins from ear-to-ear as Dawson slowly slides the ring onto her finger.
All that you need
will surely come...
JOEY: It’s beautiful.
DAWSON: So I’ve heard.
They smile at each other and kiss.
I'll be your dream
I'll be your wish
I'll be your fantasy.
I'll be your hope
I'll be your love
be everything that you need.
I'll love you more with every breath
truly madly deeply do...
I want to stand with you on a mountain,
I want to bathe with you in the sea.
I want to lay like this forever,
Until the sky falls down on me...
*****
Cut to night, outside the Potter’s B&B. A bonfire in set, where Pacey, Andie, Jack, and Jen are sitting.
DAWSON: Any room?
They all turn as Dawson and Joey sit down next to them.
ANDIE: So…you gonna tell us what happened?
Dawson and Joey look at Andie.
JOEY: What do you mean?
ANDIE: Pacey said you were stressed out about something earlier.
JOEY: Taken care of.
PACEY: What? You’re not going to even tell us?
JACK: Come on guys…spill.
DAWSON: Uh uh.
JOEY: Sorry.
Jen smirks.
JEN: Well, this is a first.
DAWSON: Meaning.
JEN: Joey Potter has a crisis and the two of you fix it before the rest of us even find out.
JOEY: What makes you think Dawson had anything to do with it?
The other four burst into laughter.
JACK: Let’s just say we know you.
Dawson stands up.
DAWSON: You all understand what’s happening here, right? It’s over. In three months we leave Capeside and all go off to college.
ANDIE: Yeah, it’s not like on TV where there’s magically this great school that all the high school friends attend for some bizarre reason.
DAWSON: That’s precisely my point. It’s the end of an era. So my suggestion is this…we have to go out with a bang. Make this year the best summer of our lives.
Pacey grins.
PACEY: Dawson, now you’re talking my language.
Dawson’s eyes drift towards the dock.
JOEY: What are you looking at?
Dawson smiles.
DAWSON: School’s out. Let’s go have some fun.
He runs towards the dock, taking off his shirt and throwing it behind him.
The others realize what he’s doing, and immediately follow him.
All six charge down the dock, then one by one, dive into the creek.
Fade to black
End credits
Next: Summer begins, as our creekers prepare their new lives. Jack and Jen head to New York City to face her past. Meanwhile, back in Capeside, Pacey and Andie decide they need a place of their own. If that’s not enough, Dawson and Joey contemplate just how they’re going to announce their engagement.
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